Phase 10

Location: Satellite Orbit 2. Covenant-Federation/Zeon Battle Time +0003

"Fire! Fire! For the Glory of Zeon don't let any of those bastards get through!"

"Type 75 Nukes Loaded. We have firing solution."

"Unload!"

From a single Musai about a dozen nukes streamed across the void. Impacting with multiple Covenant fighters.

"Sir they just keep coming!"

"Go to 115 on the reactor. New bearing 115 down. Open mega-particle cannons. Target is-----"

The sentence was never completed for a barrage of photon shells from one of the Covenant ships ripped the Musai to shreds. One of which pierced the reactor engulfing the ship and several others in an enormous fire ball. Flying right past this explosion were several GM's and a couple of MS-9R's.

"This is vapor leader to Zeon mobile suits, we'll cover you target is the spearhead directly ahead. Vector 103: Range 20,000."

"Copy that. Arming nukes. Approaching the underside of the ship. Target 10,000. AA fire. Evade. Repeat Evade!"

"This is Vapor 3, I am ahhhhhhh------"

The GM that was Vapor 3 disintegrated under a steady stream of plasma that animated from the underside of the ship. Many more mobile suits met the same fate as the cross fire was too heavy. One MS-9R continued onward despite losing its primary cameras.

"Alright you bastards. Surprise!"

In an insane move the single MS-9R threw all remaining power into its boosters flying straight up into the ships landing bay and detonating its reactor. The result combined with the nuclear shells in the bazooka created a cascade of explosions moving up through the ship. The end result was that the Covenant star destroyer fractured into two parts hurling through space.

Location: Grid 154. Battle time +0015.

"Bulls Eye!" McCormick yelled as his sniper rifle took down yet another Covenant fighter. He swung the MS-11 around and cut through another fighter using his heat hawk. "All remaining units form up around me. Kaleidoscope maneuver go now."

The maneuver was simple. One mobile suit would make up the center and three others would rotate around it like satellites. They then would attack the target. The movement of the rotating mobile suits served to confuse the enemy and then the center unit could inflict the greatest damage. McCormick and three other action Zakus flew towards an enemy fighter formation. The three rotating around him fired their machine guns on full auto, while McCormick precisely picked them off with his sniper rifle. Suddenly a barrage of green plasma came flying straight at them.

"Brake--Brake Formation Evade!" All four mobile suits quickly broke off and the green energy plasma flew straight past them along with three banshees that had fired them. One of the Action Zakus turned around and fired its machine gun taking out all three before they could break their new formation.

"Good shooting Milton. All units proceed to Grid 141. Feds are requesting assistance."

"Captain, new contacts. They're…." But before he could finish a steady stream of green and blue plasma came out of nowhere.

McCormick screamed for all units to evade again, but it was too late. He, his mobile suit, and the three others were completely disintegrated under the barrage. About 7 Covenant Nexus fighters flew right past their debris.

"This is 301, Impure Beings Destroyed!"

"Copy 301, this is Silent Line, move to area 101 to support 211 and 213."

"Affirmative. Squad 301 going on approach."

Location: Grid 093. Battle Time +0033.

Amuro was sweating. This was absolute madness. For every one this aliens he shot down at least a dozen seemed to take their place. It was no use trying to get close to the ships. The first wave proved that their AA fire was too strong. Armaro looked above. Too alien fighters were heading straight down at him. He activated the head mounted Vulcan's. The shells quickly tore the two apart. Straight ahead was another large group of about 50 fighters. If they got past him, they would have a straight shot to the White Base.

He switched the shells in the nuclear bazooka to proximity attack and fired. The shell flew into the center of the formation and exploded. All 50 fighters along with a few that were in the wrong place at the right time were completely disintegrated.

Amuro heard a voice over the radio "Dam you, why won't you stay down." Armaro looked to the left, and there was Johnny Ridden's MS-14J. He had just used all his ammo in the beam machine gun and was now using a combination of one of the 90mm arm cannons and the double bladed beam sword to literally carve apart enemy fighters. His MS was covered with scorch marks, probably from near misses from the plasma weapons used by the aliens.

Amuro said, "Are you alright Ridden?"

Ridden replied, "Just fine Fed! How many of these dam things do they have? I should have stayed behind with that coward and his gun cannon."

Amuro suddenly fired one of his N-1's arm cannons. It barely missed Ridden and blew up a Covenant D Type that was sneaking up behind him.

Ridden said, "Thanks, but I don't owe you anything--we should fall back to secondary defense position."

Amuro simply nodded and both mobile suits began to fall back towards the defensive fleet.

Location: Solar System Weapon Polar Orbit. Battle Time +0039

"System Fully Charged. Calculating for distortion error. Targeting Grid 400. We'll have firing in 30 seconds. Mirrors recalibrated for EMP Burst."

Aboard the Phoebe an officer said, "General Revel we have firing solution. Path of fire has been cleared. We are ready to attack on your command."

Revel simply nodded and said, "Make it so."

Across the bridge people were yelling Fire!. From the mirrors that made up the solar system a huge electromagnetic shock wave was fired. The mirrors had been reconfigured to fire in the hope that if a large enough burst was emitted it would fry even the most powerful shielding. The shock wave impacted the Covenant ships. On several ships you could see impact and electricity dancing across their hulls.

"Sir, I think the EMP reconfiguration worked. We are getting reports of weapons making damage against the hulls. Orders?"

Revel replied, "Tell all ships to proceed to close range. Magellan's , Zanzibar's , and Chivvay classes up front with all others bringing up the rear. Commence nuclear bombardment in 30 second intervals."

"Sir new contacts. Barring 351-low. Enemy fighters!"

"Revel yelled, "Intercept with missiles. Tell all Saberfish and Gattle fighters to engage. Bring the ship to barring 031-high. Activate antiaircraft weapons."

Meanwhile, a whole group of Covenant D-types were heading towards the Phoebe and the Solar System Weapon.

"This is squad 101, unknown super weapon spotted, requesting permission to engage."

"101 this is Silent Service--Destroy It--it has temporarily disabled our shielding, we can't risk a second firing."

"Copy that. Squad 101 engaging. Send those Infidels down to hell."

Both groups of fighters began their deadly dance. D-types and enemy Gattles and Saberfish began to intertwine in a dance of death

"General the Solar System will be ready to fire again in 60 seconds. Sir several enemy fighters are breaking through."

The AA guns of the Phoebe continued firing, shredding multiple D-types. However, there is always the slim chance of a double edge occurring in battle. One of the AA guns managed to shoot the wing off of one D-type which sent it hurdling through space directly at the Phoebe's bridge. Before evasive action could be taken Revel and his entire bridge crew were disintegrated on impact.

Location: Lunar Orbit. Battle time +0045.

Meanwhile, far from the current battle, a pair of Covenant Light cruisers were using their tractor beams to tow a Baoa Qu from behind the moon and into position. Once there the engines would be ignited to send the nuclear bomb loaded fortress on a collision course with Earth.

The Lizard who was in command of one of the Covenant Light cruisers yelled, "Hurry, we are now behind schedule. I want that planet and all those big ugly things inhabiting it vaporized. The Commander doesn't tolerate delays."

"Shipmaster, Asteroid Fortress is now in position--you may ignite the engines at any time."

The Lizard walked up to the control counsel. If it wasn't for those damm humans, the race would have never been weakened enough to be absorbed into the Covenant. To him this was the best payback. He then hissed something in his native language and hit the button. All the engines on A Baoa Qu ignited. The entire asteroid facility began to accelerate.

"Shipmaster: ETA to target is 30 minutes."

"Good, have our ship and the Cleansing Flame run along side A Baoa Qu. I want to make sure it impacts. We will escort it all the way to its destination. Go to 115 on the reactor. All ahead full."

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Next: Shadows of the unknown.

Rave Drifter