Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Fated Shift: Rearmed
By Centurious the Azure and Storm Wolf77415
A Goddess Scorned Pt. 2
(Artemis Airspace)
The pair of yellow streaks, indicating that railguns had been fired, sliced through the void, and they were on a direct course for the Duel. Yzak was so overcome by his rage and anger that he didn't see it coming until it was almost nearly too late. No one was in a position to intercept it the rounds, and it seemed that Yzak Joule would become just another casualty of the Bloody Valentine War. It was then another mobile suit, a GINN in white and green, bowled into him, sending Yzak tumbling a bit. He was about to snap at his would-be rescuer, when he saw the source of it.
"Hey Yzak, didn't I warn you that temper would get the best of you one day if you let it?" A voice drawled. The three redcoats couldn't believe their ears. "Because I'm pretty sure I've said that to you on repeated occasions." The monitor shifted on, revealing a young man in a green flightsuit, with blonde hair and brown eyes with a slight grin.
"Impossible…" Yzak trailed off. He remembered this man very well, and how he had been felled in a simple blow by the massive anti-ship sword wielded by the Strike at Heliopolis.
"It can't be…Miguel?" Dearka struggled to get the name out. "But we saw your GINN go up at Heliopolis, cleaved right in half! How are you still alive?"
Sergeant Miguel Aiman, another member of the Le Creuset Team, and known to his peers as the Magic Bullet of Dusk just chuckled warmly. "Very quick timing on my part and we'll leave it at that. I can thank Commander Connor for pulling my ass out of the fire. He found the remains of my mobile suit adrift and brought me in. When I heard that you guys were going after Artemis, obviously I wasn't going to let you guys have all the fun." He smirked with those last words.
"It's good to see you boys are catching up, but this is really not the time to do that!" Sebastian called out as his CGUE flew by, barely avoiding getting clipped by another artillery barrage, one of the rounds just coming within inches of knocking his head crest off. "We are still in the middle of an active war zone, in case all of you have forgotten!"
"Yes sir!" They all replied at once, reunions would have to wait until the situation was resolved. They all directed their attention back to the asteroid where another Gundam had emerged to stand with the Gunshot and Gravesend. Its armament included a pair of large railguns sat on the shoulders while it held a pair of machine guns in its hands. But what really put the three ZAFT pilots off was the fact that the mobile suit in question was colored a brilliant salmon pink. It almost seemed cartoonish, until the rail cannons fired again, managing to clip the Calvin on the hull, leaving a good sized hole in the side, debris spiraling away into the void.
"Maria, give me a damage report!" The Storm Wolf barked, his heart stopping at the sight of his stricken carrier.
"Moderate damage, hull breach on decks 5 to 7, but we're still combat ready Storm Wolf Actual." Maria responded.
"Ooh, nice shot, Shino." Kuro quipped. "I hope ZAFT has a really good insurance policy."
"Did you really start this party without me, guys?" An easy-going voice drawled. "I'm so hurt!" Norba Shino, pilot of the Firestorm Gundam grinned. "Considering how long we've all known each other, I figured that would automatically give me first dibs!" This just elicited a bemused chuckle from Akihiro. He was all too used to his long-time friend's antics. The fact that he painted all of his mobile suits such a garish color and called it "The Ryusei-Go" was just something the crew of the Kagutsuchi had come to live with. He was a damn good shot with the Firestorm's artillery cannons and had managed to pull his crewmates out of the fire plenty of times, so they cut him some slack.
"There's still plenty of targets to go around, Shino. I doubt you're going to miss much." Kuro said. He was then joined by two more GINNs, Tatsuo's brown and silver machine, the other a brilliant ivory color, the head crest trimmed in gold, along with a pair of stenciled gold dragons on the shoulders. "I figured you would come out here, Yukira, but I wasn't expecting you as well, Tatsuo. You sure you're up to it?" He smirked. "I mean, the denture cream you're using is strong enough, right?"
The older man just snorted, as far as insults went, it wasn't that bad. "Just wait and I'll show you, kid! Hope you've got your diapers on! Atland, Shino, provide cover support. The three of us can handle these clowns. Let's hit it!" As Kuro and the two GINNS threw themselves into the melee with the ZAFT mobile suits, Shino and Akihiro remained on the asteroid, providing cover fire as necessary. Sebastian gave the order for all his people to scatter, and before long the airspace around Artemis devolved into numerous smaller fights. Kuro zeroed in on both the Duel and the Buster, engaging them two on one.
"Cover me, Dearka!" Yzak yelled, raising his beam rifle and opening fire on the Gravesend, but the machine quickly slipped to the side. This wasn't the machine that had humiliated him from earlier, but it would be a decent opponent for the moment. "The Storm Wolf's people may be the best, but let's see how you fare when you're taking on another Gundam!" Even though he had taken the Duel into a combat a few times already and felt he had a reasonable grasp of how the Gundam worked, Yzak was still in awe at the raw power the machine had compared to a GINN, even the CGUE, the best mobile suit ZAFT currently had, was still far outstripped by the blue and gray titan at his command.
"It's not just the crate, it's who's at the controls that matters." Kuro shot back, spinning the giant oversized mace with a quad blade tip, a few times, he wound up with a big overhand swing, bringing down on the Duel's head, only for it to be deflected by the anti-beam shield. "You may be a redcoat, but it doesn't mean anything if you let your temper get the best of you."
The youngest Sahaku moved with a cold efficiency, it was eerie how mechanical and unfeeling his movements had become. Even more so was the speed and dexterity he handled the massive weapon, and how mercilessly he kept smashing away at the Duel. The Buster was doing its best to keep at a distance, making use of its long range fire to support its partner, in that regard the Gravesend was at a disadvantage since it had no ranged weaponry, but it made it up for it with sheer blinding speed, managing to evade and almost dance through the Duel and Buster's combined attacks.
One of the GINNs saw fit to get involved, but sadly the poor greenshirt hadn't been paying attention. Kuro swung the mace, once, twice, caving in the head, and crushing the side, before pointing the tip fo the weapon at the cockpit, a metal blade jutted out from the center, neatly impaling it, sending the stricken mobile suit tumbling into the void like before. It was then Miguel got in on the action, going to hit the Gravesend from behind with heavy sword ready, only for Kuro to whip around, performing a near flawless spin hook kick across the ZAFT machine's head. "Miguel!" Dearka called out.
"I'm okay you guys." Miguel rasped. "I'm not going to die that easily!"
"Just be sure!" Yzak snarled in quiet fury, this mobile suit was proving to be an even bigger headache than initially thought. But he, Dearka, and Miguel were all members of the Le Creuset Team and proud sons of the PLANTs. They would succeed in the mission, one way or another!
(Artemis Airspace)
The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due knew he was one of the best ZAFT had to offer, but he wasn't so foolish to think he had no equal. He was currently locking up with Tatsuo, the two having forgone the machine guns and gone straight for the heavy swords. The white and green CGUE currently had his custom weapon, shaped in the form of his sword of choice straining against the more conventional broadsword Tatsuo was wielding. "So it's the mighty Storm Wolf himself. I should feel honored." Tatsuo quipped as he swung upwards, only to be met by the curved blade.
"You're not bad yourself." Sebastian raised the shield gatling sending a barrage of 28mm shells at the brown GINN, but Tatsuo had seen too many battles to fall for such a basic attack. The ZAFT ace raised his machine guns, the 76mm shells streaking through the void, managing to catch Tatuso's machine on the right leg and in the shoulder. But the older man paid it little mind. His machine bore the marks and dents of countless battles, he felt it gave his mobile suit character that way. He brought his own heavy rifle up, spitting out yellow streaks of death. The two mobile suits made several high speed passes at each other, exchanging sword strikes all the while keeping up the fire on each other.
Although truthfully, Tatsuo wasn't really putting his all into the fight. He knew that he could easily stand on equal terms with the younger man, as he had twice the experience as Sebastian. However, Tatsuo wasn't looking to strike down ZAFT's greatest pilot. He was just buying for time. The Kagutsuchi had gone under cloak, and currently circling around in a wide circle to catch the the ZAFT ships from behind. "Captain, we're getting into position. We should be there in roughly five minutes." Alissa reported.
"Prime the weapon systems and target the lead ZAFT ship. Just wait for my signal." Tatsuo said, firing off another half-hearted barrage at his opponent. Unlike the younger man, he really saw no need to go for a finishing blow, his job was just to buy time.
Sebastian's CGUE dodged to the left, avoiding another assault from the brown and silver GINN. He raised his rifle to go for Tatsuo's head, only for a barrage of emerald beams to cut through, one clipping his mobile suit's right shoulder. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due looked to where the Gunshot had its sniper rifle raised. It was then the green lances were joined by a barrage of yellow streaks from the Firestorm took a chunk out of the Storm Wolf's CGUE, taking off the very tip of his mobile suit's head crest.
His entire cockpit shook as Tatsuo's GINN dropkicked him from behind. "Don't forget about me, kid!" He grunted, swinging his sword around. Sebastian barely had time to raise his shield, blunting the brown GINN's attack, before swinging his own blade upward, the two mobile suits were caught in a fierce blade lock. Tatuso smirked. "I have to admit, I haven't had this much fun in years. I suppose I'll have to get a little more serious now."
The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due's blue eyes narrowed as he watched his squadmates continue to engage Tatsuo's forces, unloading another barrage from his shield gatling at the enemy GINN, watching as a few of the 28mm rounds managed to catch him on the leg and hip, but Sebastian got it right back, as 76mm shells ripped into his left shoulder and right leg. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected this to be an easy thing."
(Artemis Airspace)
Yukira and Gabrielle were having their own tussle. the two GINNs clashed, while Gabrielle utilized the standard armament any GINN has access to, Yukira had outfitted her mobile suit with stronger thrusters and a pair of large combat daggers instead of the usual heavy sword. Which the white haired Attha heiress were putting to great use, the smaller blades moving much faster than the blonde Frenchwoman's own weapon. Gabby cursed as she barely missed managing to hack off Yukira's right arm. "Merde, I'm not an expert with a blade the way the commander is!" She raised her assault rifle, squeezing off a few quick rounds, the ivory and gold mobile suit quickly jerked to the left.
"Not bad, but it's not going to win you any medals!" Yukira sneered, getting a quick boost from her thrusters, vaulting over the Storm Wolf pilot's GINN, and going for a kick to the side of the head, before slashing downwards with her left hand knife. Gabrielle managed to twist her mobile suit to the side to avoid any strikes. But then Yukira took her right hand blade in an overhead grip, managing to catch the ZAFT pilot in the shoulder, leaving a jagged rent int the armor that exposed the circuitry and wiring underneath. the other blade caught Gabby's machine in the left hip.
Screaming out a violent curse in French, Gabby put aside any subtlety, and full out bodychecked Yukira's machine to throw her opponent off balance, following it up with a hail of 76mm shells right to Yukira's GINNs face, chewing almost a third of the mobile suit's head off. She then went to finish it off with a single horizontal slash from her heavy sword, but luckily for Yukira, Akihiro was on hand and fired a round that forced her to separate quickly.
Yukira's nostrils flared in rage at the damage done to her mobile suit. While she was silently grateful for the quick rescue, the mobile suit was one of her most treasured possessions and it was always a guarantee that it would set her off. "Thanks for the assist, Aki. She just made a big mistake!" She said, her eyes narrowing. "Okay, that's how you want to play it you skank? Then let's get down and dirty!" She flipped her knives into a reverse grip. "I'll show you just dangerous it is to mess with the Ivory Dragon when she's pissed off!" Their battle took them all over the outside of the structure of the Eurasian battle station. The white haired Attha heiress's blood was up after the way her GINN was damaged earlier. She had completely forgone her rifle, utilizing just her combat knives.
"I hope you die slowly and painfully!" Yukira raged, kicking Gabby's GINN multiple times, batting aside the heavy sword before going for a back hand slash. Although her opponent hadn't gotten the redcoat for a reason.
"This is for earlier!" Yukira snarled, burying her knife straight into the GINN's left shoulder. She managed to pull the jagged edge of the knife down through the armor, leaving a ragged hole from the shoulder, down to its metallic abdomen, getting dangerously close to the cockpit. Gabby had winced as her alarm began blaring angrily, showing the damage on the monitor, but Yukira wasn't finished by a long shot, she was going to make an example out of her.
The other knife buried itself into the white and green GINN's shoulder, and then she pulled it out, hacking off the right arm entirely, before plunging it into the head, destroying the monoeye sensor. "You can send the bill to Mishima Security Consulting!" Yukira smirked, satisfied with her revenge, she banked off, leaving Gabby's stricken machine adrift.
"Gabby, are you all right?" Sebastian asked.
"I'm fine, Commander. Although I think I'm out of this fight for now." She said.
"You're still alive, that's what counts." the Storm Wolf was clearly relieved. There was nothing more important to him than keeping his people alive, especially since he had already lost a few of his men already.
(Artemis Airspace)
The Duel, Buster, Blitz and Miguel's borrowed GINN continued their running battle with the Gravesend. The three using well forged teamwork to take on the mad beast that was Kuro in the Gravesend. the Sahaku was currently zeroing in on Dearka, seeing him as the greatest threat. With the way it clutched the mace, it made the mobile suit almost look like a true demon. The blonde redcoat was certain this image would be haunting his dreams for the rest of his life, but he wasn't about to go down that easily. He opened up with the 350mm gun launcher, managing to catch the Gravesend in the shoulder, but the mace still found its mark, one of the blades scratching across the torso, the Phase-Shift Armor the only thing keeping Dearka from being sliced to ribbons.
"Watch it, Dearka!" Yzak called out, opening fire with his beam rifle, hoping to draw Kuro's attention away from his teammate, the green beams just harmlessly splashed off the nano-laminated armor. He silently cursed, not wanting to make the same mistake again. "Miguel, I'll try and draw its attention, see if you can get him from the other side! Nicol, make use of the Blitz's Mirage Colloid and try to get him with the Trikeros. Once you do that, Dearka see if you can take care of those other two Gundams!"
Nicol immediately activated the Blitz's Mirage Colloid, the mobile suit rippling out of sight.
"Easier said than done, but I'll do what I can!" Dearka said, connecting his two weapons together, blasting at Kuro point blank range, it didn't do any lasting damage, but the 350mm round still packed enough punch to send him hurtling back. Dearka quickly jerked to the left, putting his thrusters to full throttle and managing to put as much distance between him and the Gravesend. He zeroed in on the other two Gundams. "Eat this!" He yelled, opening fire with both his beam cannon and gun launcher, this time also firing off a full barrage of 220mm missiles.
"Oh shit!" Akihiro yelled as the wave of death rapidly advanced on them. "Shino, move!" The two mobile suits quickly leapt off the asteroid, the Buster's attack slammed into the rock.
"Damn, that was close!" the artillery specialist remarked, seeing their former perch, now with a few new craters marking its surface.
"Yeah, we're going to have pay them double for that!" Akihiro smirked, raising his rifle. It was then the Blitz shimmered into view as it decloaked right in between them. Nicol opened fire with the Trikeros's kinetic penetrator darts, managing to catch both Shino and Akihiro off guard. He managed to catch the Gunshot in the left shoulder while spearing one of the Firestorm's machine guns. Nicol then ignited his beam saber, attacking fast and hacking off one of the rail cannons on the artillery mobile suit, before fading back into cover as fast as he could. "Okay, guys, I managed to give you some breathing room!"
"Nice shot, Nicol!" Yzak said. He hadn't thought much of the youngest member of their team, but that one moment had shown he was anything but a coward.
While Dearka had managed to disrupt their enemy's cover fire, Miguel had managed to go toe to toe with the Gravesend. He raised his machine gun, opening fire on the Gravesend. He cursed inwardly, wishing he had his custom GINN at the moment. He wasn't sure how much good it would have done, the faster thrusters would have given him a much needed edge. In the meantime, he would just have to make due. The Gravesend managed to close the distance between them, the heavy sword and mace locked up against each other. Kuro put more leverage on his weapon, managing to catch Miguel's blade between the prongs, and snapped it in half.
Time slowed for the Magic Bullet of Dusk as the mace thrusted forward, the pile bunker aimed right at the cockpit, but an explosion suddenly erupted from the Gravesend's back, giving Miguel a chance to get away. He looked to see the Duel, who had just fired a grenade that caught him in the back. Even if the beams couldn't scratch the armor, the kinetic force could still hurt. Kuro brought his weapon around to get at the Duel, only to realize too late that Yzak had gotten above him, beam saber primed, with a clean, double slice the flaming blade hacked through the upper part of the mace, leaving just the shaft and the lower part of four blades, now a twisted, molten mess.
Yzak practically cackled in victory, finally they had managed to score a significant blow against this monster of a machine. "Ha! not so tough without your oversized club!" He jeered at Kuro.
"Don't get overconfident Yzak!" Miguel called out, reloading his machine gun. "He's not done yet!"
Kuro looked at the slagged tip of his mace. "Well crap." He uttered, tossing the now useless weapon aside. He reached up, pulling out a thin, slender looking metal blade. "I guess it's time for plan B then." He brought up his new blade. "And don't think your little toy will slice this in half, it's coated with nano laminated armor, so it can take the heat!"
"Miguel, we can handle this guy, go and help Commander Connor!" Yzak said.
"Just be careful you three." He said, firing his engines and taking off in the direction of where Sebastian and Tatsuo were still fighting. One of the other Storm Wolf GINNs was currently trying to help his commander, only to get his legs and one of the engines blasted off by a salvo of missiles from Artemis's base defenses. It spiraled out of control, slamming into the shield of the Umbrella.
(Artemis, Hyperion Hangar)
The entire room suddenly shook from the impact. Yukimasa and Kejiro looked to each other. "I think our ticket out of here just arrived." The Sahaku heir said. "I'm guessing that Tatsuo and his boys are having a good time. We should probably get going, Kei."
A mad chuckle escaped from his friend's lips. "You're absolutely right. I think it is time for us to blow this popsicle stand, Masa! You go and find the others. I'll clear a path for us." Keijiro smirked as he sealed the cockpit hatch. He immediately began keying the controls, bringing the mobile suit on line. "I'm going to have so much fun with this! All right, let's see what the best minds of the Eurasian Federation have come up with when it comes to their mobile suit technology." He broke free of the moorings holding it in place. The Hyperion Unit 2 began tromping about on heavy metallic footsteps. "Here comes the sun!" Keijiro began madly cackling, as he found his way into the main hangar where the fortress's main garrison was located. Mobiuses were priming to take off and engage the ZAFT forces as the ships warmed up their power cores.
For Keijiro Mishima, it may as well have been target practice! "Say hello to my little friend!" He sneered, raising his beam rifle, opening fire on the nearest ship, a Drake-class frigate, punching a smoldering hole clean through the hull just forward of the bridge. In a couple more seconds the ship exploded, the sphere of pink fire taking the Nelson and a second Drake on either side with it, starting a domino effect, consuming mobile armors and ships alike. Keijiro just watched the carnage unfold, the flames dancing in his eyes. He only had one thing to say. "Ooh, pretty. What can I blow up next?" A few mobile armors saw the Gundam and begin attacking. The stoner just let out a maniacal laugh. "Okay then! Come at me bro!"
The Mobiuses opened fire with their 40mm cannons. Without the Phase-Shift Armor of the G-series, the rounds would have ripped into the Hyperion in short order. But Keijiro had a much better defense, with a grin that would unsettle many, he flipped a single switch on the control board, and a smaller version of Artemis's best known feature flickered to life around the mobile suit in a dome shaped hexagonal grid, the shells bouncing off and spraying in all directions. "Oh this is so great! Let's see what else this bad boy has?" Keijiro went digging about in the weapon's menu and he lit up, almost squeeing in delight. "Forfanterie Beam Cannons? Yes, please!" The Gundam's wings flipped up, "Let's get this-a party started!" He sang, squeezing the trigger, a pair of massive red and blue beams lanced out, punching into the walls, shattering everything its path.
Keijiro's eyes were shining in pure delight. "Oh, this is way too much fun!" His face twisted into a near sadistic smirk. He was just getting warmed up and still plenty of targets to take on! He brought the beam rifle up. "I hope you Eurasian pukes brought your diapers, because you'll be shitting your pants before too long!" He cackled madly, "All right, chums, let's do this! KEIJIRRROOOO! MISSHIMMMAAAA!" With that the Hyperion flew straight into the middle of the enemy formation, beam rifle and cannons blazing.
(Artemis, Interior)
As Keijiro was going about on his merry business. Yukimasa prowled down the corridors. He had felt the entire station shaking from Keijiro's diversionary attack in the harbor. "He's going to be beside himself for weeks." He remarked to no one in particular. He kept running, trying to avoid passing security patrols. "I need to find an access terminal of some kind, otherwise I'll never be able to find where the officers are, much less the Strike and Masamune!" His diligence was rewarded when he found a computer station in the wall. His fingers flew over the keyboard with a speed that would make Kira jealous. He smirked as he found what was needed. "Okay, the Gundams are in Hangar 6A, and Murrue and the others are in the conference room three floors up!"
Yukimasa wisely decided to stick to the steps, since there was no guarantee the elevators would be safe with all the madness happening outside. The entire base was on high alert, soldiers running everywhere trying to get a handle on everything. He ducked in and out of rooms and corridors, trying to the stick to the shadows. It wasn't long before he found the conference room where Murrue and the other officers were being held. A single guard was keeping a vigil at the door. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a single coin, "Keep the change." He whispered, throwing the money down the hall, where it bounced off the metal wall, creating a distinct plinking sound.
The guard turned, and walked down the hall to investigate, Yukimasa smirked, and slowly began advancing behind him, growing closer with each step. Faster than a whip, He wrapped his arm around the hapless soldier's neck, getting him in a chokehold. The guard grunted and flailed about while trying to escape. "That's a big arm, dude, don't fight it. Just go to sleep and I'll be out of your hair before you know it." Yukimasa whispered, and slowly but surely the thrashing subsided and the guard went off to happy dream land, slumping to the floor. He took the guard's radio and keycard, swiping the latter through the lock, letting the doors open and the very relieved officers come out. Even Natarle looked glad to see him.
"It took you long enough." Mu said as Yukimasa helped himself to the guard's pistol as well.
"Keijiro and I had to kiss up to the good Admiral for a little bit, but I think we've worn out our welcome." He took the guard's radio, flipping it to a random frequency. "Keijiro, it's Masa. I've liberated the Captain and the other officers. It's time to start working on our exit strategy. See if you can take down the Umbrella while we recover the other Gundams and get the hell out of here!"
"Can do!" Keijiro chimed, the sheer levity in his voice indicating just how much fun he was having.
"What is he up to, exactly?" Sharon asked.
"I'll explain everything when we get out of here, Lieutenant Heim, for right now, we have work to do." Yukimasa was all business, turning to face Murrue. "Captain, the junior officers and all civilians are currently being held in the cafeteria three floors down from here. The Strike and the Masamune are currently being kept in a hangar in the northern quadrant. Once we set everyone free, Kira and I will go and retrieve the Gundams. You get everyone on board the Archangel. The two of us will meet up with you, and then do what we can to provide cover, so we can get out of here."
"Then let's go retrieve our crew and go home." Murrue said, the five ran to the nearest staircase. Time was of the essence.
In the cafeteria, everyone was waiting with baited breath, every impact was felt as the room shook. The alarm klaxons had started blaring, while the warning lights went off, bathing everything in an eerie red glow. Kira felt Yui's grip on his hand tense just a little as the lights began flickering. "I think that's the signal you mentioned, Flay." He remarked. The entire room shook yet again, even harder this time, causing both girls to cry out. Kira instinctively grabbed both Yui and Flay to keep them from falling to the ground.
"It sounds like the end of the world out there!" Kuzzey whimpered.
"Maybe this means we have a chance to bust out!" Tolle said. The sounds of shouting and punches landing could be heard outside. The doors of the cafeteria swung open, admitting Yukimasa and the officers. Relieved murmurs went up amongst everyone.
"Is everyone okay?" Murrue asked, quickly taking charge.
"Yeah, we're all present and accounted for here, ma'am." Arnold said, slamming a fist into his open palm. He hadn't appreciated the rough treatment given to them by their would be allies at all. "I can assume that we're vacating the premises?"
"Oh yes indeed, Chief Petty Officer Neumann. I think we've worn out our welcome here." Natarle said, looking to Kira. "Mr. Yamato, we have the location of the Strike. We want you and Mr. Sahaku to go and retrieve them. I'm not about to let the Eurasians have them for any longer." Kira seemed hesitant, looking to Yui. While he was relieved to know that they had the means to escape. He also didn't want to leave his girlfriend either.
It was something Sharon was quick to pick up on. She came over, giving Kira a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Rest assured we will get everyone to the ship in one piece, Kid. But at the same time we can't leave the G-weapons here either." The busty pinkette just winked at him. "So be the badass we know you are."
Kira held Yui's hand for a little bit longer, she bowed her head slightly, face bright red as she gave him a gentle smile, before she finally leaned in kissing him right on the lips. This got a few hoots from Tolle, who was quickly silenced by an elbow to the ribs courtesy of Miriallia. "Go, I'll be fine." She whispered.
Yukimasa just rolled his eyes, letting out a bemused sigh. "Our lives are in mortal peril and still they find the time to to act all lovey-dovey." He felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Yukimasa turned right into a deep kiss from his own girlfriend, as Flay threw her arms around his neck. The two of them parted, Flay giving him a dazzling smile, her cheeks the same shade as her hair. Yukimasa just let out a dopey sounding laugh, squeezing Flay's hand tenderly. "Of course, even the biggest badasses won't say no to a little resolve strengthening from a loved one!"
"Enough of the shenanigans, let's get moving!" Natarle snapped. Murrue led everyone to the docking bay where their ship was located, while Kira and Yukimasa took off the other direction toward the hangar.
Yukimasa pulled out the radio he took from the guard. "Keijiro, it's Masa. We've sprung everyone out and Kira and I are on our way to pick up our machines. It's time to move to phase 2! I need you to start targeting the Umbrella emitters, otherwise we'll never get out of here."
"Just leave it to me. I'll make that pathetic little Umbrella of Garcia's shatter like glass!" Kira couldn't help but find the stoner's voice to be especially eerie as he said this. The two said nothing as they continued hurrying to their destination.
Keijiro had managed to shatter what had once been an entire fleet all on his own. Most of the ships were smoking piles of slagged metal, and the Mobeiuses were little more than tiny slivers of metal. He flew out of the harbor to see the epic throw down between ZAFT and Tatsuo's forces. A part of him yearned to leap in and join the fighting. However, Keijiro knew that there would be other battles to fight, he had to secure an escape route for the Archangel. He turned the radio to a frequency he knew Mishima Security used. "This is Keijiro Mishima in Hyperion Gundam Unit-2. Tatsuo, I know you can hear me, just hold them off for a little bit longer, I'm going to try and sanitize the station's AA defenses." With that, he set to work, targeting the station's defensive batteries, a barrage from the beam rifle destroyed a missile battery. He drew one of his beam knives and sent it flying at a beam cannon current "Just a few more." He muttered.
(Artemis Airspace)
The Storm Wolf was finding his back against the wall. Tatsuo was proving to be a hardier foe than he initially thought. It also didn't help that he had to constantly avoid cover fire from Shino and Akihiro once they had found a new perch to alight upon. Nicol had been haranguing the the Gunshot and Firestorm with hit and fade tactics, making use of the Gleipner grappling claw to pull Akhiro's sniper rifle and Shino's remaining railgun out of line, but the Mirage Colloid was running out and the Blitz just didn't have the firepower to deal with the other two Gundams in a protracted firefight.
Tatsuo could also sense that Sebastian was starting to falter, he was going spring on him the first chance could get. Sebastian fired with the shield gatling, only for the weapon to click dry as he expended the last of his ammunition. The 76mm wasn't much better, he was down to one last magazine. Not to mention Sebastian was starting to get worn down. He tried to fend off Tatsuo's latest strike, only to end up catching the edge of the heavy sword, caving in the CGUE's left hip, leaving a nasty looking dent, he then chained it with an arcing slash that knocked off the white and green mobile suit's head crest.
The Storm Wolf growled, wondering if this was finally the end of his long hunt, as he started defiantly down the barrel of Tatsuo's machine gun. Only for the Magic Bullet of Dusk to tag in, kicking Tatsuo off balance, following with a burst of gunfire. "Mind if I cut in for a little while, Commander Connor?" Miguel asked, firing his rifle, forcing Tatsuo to withdraw a little bit.
"Thank you, Sergeant Aiman. You can do whatever you want." Miguel was still more or less fresh since Yzak and Dearka had done most of the heavy lifting in the fight against the Gravesend. He still had plenty of ammunition and his mobile suit was relatively intact. Tatsuo had burned through most of his ammo and his GINN would need some serious time in the repair bay when this was all over. Although the old soldier wasn't bothered too much. This was just another day at the office for him.
(Artemis, Command Center)
The entire command staff was in an uproar, trying to get a handle on the situation. The last thing they wanted was for the admiral "What is going on here?" Garcia barked as he barged onto the bridge, his uniform jacket unbuttoned, watching the monitors as Keijiro was still ripping through Artemis's garrison forces. His eyebrows shot up in disbelief at the sight of one of his beloved creations destroying all of his forces. "Who has taken control Unit-2?" Garcia began panicking at the thought of ZAFT somehow managing to get past Artemis's defenses, the Umbrella included, in order to snag one of the H-Weapons, but the rational part of his mind reasoned that it couldn't be ZAFT. His face twisted into a demented scowl as he realized who was really behind it. "Those lying backstabbers!" He hissed.
But before his rant could go any further, it was then Hyperion Unit 1 appeared, taking up the whole length of the main viewport. "Oh finally! Lieutenant Pars, deal with this problem!" However, the Gundam didn't move, just hovering impassively. "Is there a problem with your communications array? I said attack Unit-02!" Relief turned to terror, when the Hyperion turned around, and he found himself staring straight down his own creation's beam rifle. "W-what is the meaning of this, Lieutenant?" Garcia prayed he hadn't crapped his pants, when Canard's face appeared on a nearby screen.
"This should be obvious, you fucktard." Canard snarled, his violet eyes blazing in unrestrained anger. "I'm not going to be your pawn anymore!" The sheer hatred in Canard's voice was laced with a sadistic pleasure. It was evident that the young Coordinator had been waiting for this moment for a very long time, and he was going to relish every second of it while he could. "One shot from me and you're nothing but dust in space. If you ask me, it couldn't happen to a better guy!"
"Now, just wait a minute here, Canard!" Garcia struggled to keep his composure in front of his men. It wouldn't do for him to appear weak, even though he felt as if he was going to lose control of his bowls. "Don't forget our history together. We go back a very long way, you and I. Remember who saved you from that lab. If it wasn't for me, you would be nothing more than a glorified lab rat, being used for every test under the sun just because of your heritage!" Garcia only got a hollow, empty laugh in return, and a middle finger to his face.
"Oh, dream on, you Spanish cunt! I know full well who was behind by capture in the first place!" He smirked as Garcia's face went pale. "By the way, Admiral. You really should change the password on your computer. The fact you name it after your favorite Spanish greyhound isn't exactly a very well kept secret. You had me thrown into a fucking cage and used me for whatever you fucking felt like! Well, that ends here! Good bye Admiral!" The screen went dark, and the tip of Hyperion Unit-1's beam rifle began glowing.
"Launch the other units!" Was the last thing Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia would utter, before his life finally came to an end as a wall of fire consumed him, starting by burning off his uniform, his flesh followed shortly after. Amazingly he felt very little pain, his only regret was not buying that one Ming Dynasty vase he had seen online when he was still just a lieutenant climbing through the ranks. The light overtook him, reverting him to nothing but ash that would forever float through the void of space.
(Artemis, Hangar 6A)
Kira and Yukimasa finally reached where the Strike and Masamune were being kept. Amazingly there were no guards around. The sheer chaos that had been thrown up had seen them attending to greater threats, which was good for them. They entered the hangar to see little in the way of guards and mostly technicians crawling around the two machines. Yukimasa fired the gun he took from the soldier into the air once, causing more than a few of them to cry out. "All right, ladies and gentlemen. I personally have nothing against you people, but I will kindly ask you guys to get your hands off those mobile suits, they don't belong to you. Kira, go ahead and mount up."
He kept the gun trained on the terrified support staff, slowly moving to the Masamune as Kira got into the Strike. As the young student turned pilot settled down in the cockpit. He removed the encryption lockout he had put on the operating system before they had entered the station. Much to Kira's relief, the Eurasians hadn't managed to get through it. He quickly keyed the systems to life, bringing the mighty war machine to life. "This is the Strike, I'm all lit up." He said.
"I read you loud and clear, Kira. Get ready to move out on my command." Yukimasa said, shifting to another frequency. "This is Masamune 1 to Archangel Actual, the Gundams have been secured. What's your situation with the ship, Captain Ramius?" He was rewarded with the image of a smiling Murrue proudly sitting in the command chair on the bridge of her ship.
"The ship has been secured and ready for takeoff, Colonel Sahaku. The guards were relatively easy to subdue." It had been true, Mu and Neumann both managed to knock them out, and then they were able to retake the ship with little trouble. "We're spinning up the engines now and should be ready to depart at once."
"Understood, Keijiro is working on the shield, and some associates of mine are busy dealing with our friends in ZAFT. Give it about five minutes, and it should be safe to leave." Murrue just nodded, and the screen went dark. Yukimasa flipped back to Kira. "Okay, Kira, let's get out of here. I don't know if Keijiro needs our help, but we should just make sure." Kira said nothing, and the two mobile suits flared to life, flying out of the hangar and away from the station.
(Artemis Airspace)
Since Miguel had taken over fighting Tatsuo, Sebastian took the respite to stand above it all, going to a position over the entire battlefield that gave them the chance to watch the multiple brawls unfolding before him. He saw where Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol were still clashing with the Gravesend. The three redcoats had performed admirably today, managing to hold their own against the sheer brutality that was Kuroto Takeshi Sahaku in the cockpit. The Buster had fallen back, using its incredible array of firepower to cover his squadmates. Yzak had shown no fear in engaging the demonic looking machine up close and personal, the beam saber straining against the nano-laminated armor blade Kuro was using.
Nicol was making full use of the Blitz's capabilities to get in its own blows before fading out, providing another layer of distraction so all the heat wasn't on Yzak, but it couldn't last forever. Even the Gundams had their limits, and Sebastian had to believe they were close to meeting them. Shawn had rallied the remaining Storm Wolves, using numbers to try and distract Akihiro and Shino from laying down covering fire, but it was still costly, the Gunshot Rebake and Firestorm were true titans, having already crushed three more of the white and green GINNs.
Since Gabrielle had been subdued, Yukira had been taking out her frustration on the rest of the assembled ZAFT forces, having just eviscerated another of the Le Creuset Team's few remaining GINNs. Sebastian winced at the casualties piling up. He had started with a full squad of fourteen when this started, and was now down five people, and if this was over, all that would be remaining of Rau's forces were the three Gundams.
Sebastian couldn't help but think something was off. It was then it hit him. The whole time they had been held at bay by five mobile suits, but there hadn't been any indication of where they came from. "Oh no." He quickly switched to an open channel. "This is Storm Wolf Actual to all units. Something isn't right here. We've got enemy mobile suits, but there's no carrier in the area. They must have launched them and are coming around from another direction. Keep your eyes open for any possible disturbances."
"It's all scare tactics! They're just trying to drive us off!" Yzak sneered. He was tired of being toyed with. Destroying the Gravesend's mace had been a small victory and it had gone to his head. He had his target right in his cross hairs. "I'm going to make them pay for making an mockery of us! For the glory of the PLANTs!" Letting out a war cry, the white haired ZAFT pilot charged straight at Gravesend. So blinded by defeating his opponent, he didn't notice the Kagutsuchi begin to shimmer into existence right in front of him as its Mirage Colloid cloak began to dissipate.
"Crap!" Yzak screamed, madly trying to avoid slamming right into the Izumo-class ship's hull.
"Yzak look out!" Miguel yelled, but this time no one was able to keep their reckless teammate out of danger. He found himself in the direct path of the Kagutsuchi's weapons. The CIWS began pelting the Duel with 75mm shells, even if the Phase-Shift Armor managed to deflect the rounds, the sheer volume of shells managed to throw the Gundam off guard. The heavy barrage of missiles that followed proved to be more difficult, but even Yzak wasn't stupid enough to realize how much trouble he was in when he saw the dorsal Gottfried turret swing his way. The twin barrels glinting ominously before opening up with a pair of massive green beams.
"Oh shit…" was all Yzak had time to say, bringing up his shield in the hopes that he could at least defend himself from the worst of it, as the light from the beam cannons overwhelmed him.
"Yzak!" Dearka screamed, watching in horror as the explosion blossomed out into the void of space. He banged his fist in anger against the wall. "You stupid, stubborn bastard!" The Gravesend was soon in the Buster's face, the sleek metal katana aimed for a back hand slice that would have decapitated the mobile suit. Dearka barely had time to block with his gun launcher. "I'm going to kill you son of a bitch for what you did to Yzak!" the dark skinned blonde wasn't the type who was quick to anger, but seeing one of his best friends get offed was a fast way to get his blood boiling.
The next few seconds were absolute chaos as the Kagutsuchi joined the fray, beam cannons and missiles firing in every direction. The Calvin, Hobbes, and Gamow were all hit in short order. "This is Connor, all ships give me a damage report right now!" Sebastian barked, watching in silent horror at how quickly the battle had turned. The Calvin had already sustained damage from earlier, but now its beam cannons and the linear catapult had been almost totaled. The Hobbes's entire engine bank had been slagged into nothing, and the Gamow's missile battery and forward railguns had been reduced to a molten pile of junk.
"Damage is severe, Commander." Zelman rasped, as he waved smoke out of his face.
"Same here, boss." Maria reported. "I hate to say this, but I think we might want to consider throwing in the towel on this one."
"Dearka!" Nicol called out. So lost in mourning his best friend's demise, he had forgotten that Kuro was still present, and not about to pass up on an opportunity. The Gravesend's sword smashed against the Buster, the Phase-Shift being the only thing defending him from the onslaught. Dearka raised his rifle to try and shoot his foe, but Kuro wouldn't have it, the blade came down, hacking off the front end of the gun launcher, rendering it useless. The master alarm started blaring, and Dearka's eyes widened in horror at the message he hoped never to see…PHASE SHIFT DOWN. The Buster's battery had finally run out and was dead in the water.
"Crap, this is how it ends for me?" Dearka could now official prove that a person's life really did flash before their eyes when death was imminent. "This is so unfair! I haven't even had a girlfriend yet!"
"Don't take it personally, Elsman." Kuro intoned, raising his sword to finish the Buster, "We all have our off days." Dearka sighed ready to accept his fate. Only for a barrage of emerald lances caught the Gravesend in the back. A grenade spiraled in, causing the demonic looking Gundam to spiral away. "What in the hell?" Kuro looked around trying to find the source of the attack. He then saw where it came from and he couldn't believe his eyes. "No way!"
There was the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam, beam rifle raised and locked on the Gravesend. Yzak winced as the smoke dissipated in his cockpit. "Damn it…" He rasped, quickly checking the damage monitor. The Duel's left arm had been severed completely, not to mention the right shoulder armor had melted off into a twisted mess, and to cap it all off half of the Gundam's face was gone. He had been very lucky, the shield had taken the brunt of the attack, and he quickly ejected the arm along with the shield, but his mobile suit was still in very bad shape.
Sebastian's CGUE soon floated up to him, followed by Gabrielle and Shawn's GINNs.
"Sorry, Commander Connor, you don't have to say anything. I screwed up." He rasped.
"I'll spare you the dressing down until we get out of here. Lieutenant DeMarchais, take the Duel back to the ship and get him some medical attention." The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due survey the battlefield. The Gravesend, Gunshot Rebake, Firestorm, and the two GINNs stood triumphantly, while the Kagutsuchi floated up behind them, weapons aimed on them. The message was clear, ZAFT had underestimated their opponents and now paid the price. If they wanted to continue, they could go right ahead. Tatsuo and his people would keep piling the bodies at the front door. The question is how long would Sebastian want to keep going.
"What do you want to do, Commander Connor?" Dearka asked. "We're not making any headway here."
Sebastian weighed his options. All three ships had been badly damaged by the surprise attack and the mobile suits had sustained heavy casualties. He let out a frustrated sigh, but he had to admit facts that this was a battle they couldn't continue any longer. He silently cursed the next words he spoke. "This is Storm Wolf Actual to all units, prepare to withdraw. We've lost this one today. I will take full responsibility for this." The GINNs and G-weapons began retreating to their carriers, and the ZAFT forces left the area.
Tatsuo just smirked, while the others cheered. They had gone up against a superior force and managed to come out on top. It was then they saw an explosion erupt from the main hangar bay. "What in the hell is that?" Yukira asked.
The older man just chortled. "Our associates just having a good time, Yukira. We've done all we can here. Let's make for Ame-no-Mihashara. I think we've all earned the R&R."
(Artemis, Harbor)
Even though ZAFT had retreated, the battle still hadn't ended. At the same time in the main harbor, where had once been the Artemis Defense Fleet smoldered. Canard watched with satisfaction at the smoking remains of the command bridge. It had taken him almost six years but he could finally put that aspect of his life behind him. It was then he saw Unit—02 show up. "Oh it's you." He remarked.
"Hey bro! I see you've been having some fun." Keijiro looked absolutely giddy as he took in his handiwork. "Oh, I'm loving this man! I may not think highly of the Eurasians, but they can come up with some nice toys! So did you take care of your little issue?"
Canard just grunted. He really didn't need to share his past with a complete stranger, much less someone as annoying as Keijiro. His sensors began screaming to life, as a pair of new contacts appeared on screen. He watched impassively as the IFF transponders came up as "HG—03" and "HG-04". "Hmph, I'll give Zamboise and Andrendo credit. They move fast when they have to." Canard remarked. He looked over to the second Hyperion. While he was confident of his own skills, he knew the pilots of the other two machines, and what they were capable of. "Hey, Mishima was it? We're about to have some company. I hate to break it to you, but there was actually a fourth Hyperion built, but it was kept separate from the others, just in case something like this happened. I know the pilots, and they're both real cutthroats."
Keijiro just chuckled menacingly. "I just have one thing to say…bring it on motherfuckers!" It didn't take long for the two mobile suits to appear, resembling its sister units. Unit 3 had the exact same color scheme as Unit 2, but minus the stars on the left shoulder. Unit 4 was a stark gray color with a black torso and green trim along its arms and legs. A voice with a very heavy Russian accent began speaking. "Pars, you traitor. I should have known you would have turned on us eventually! And now you have killed Admiral Garcia in cold blood? This is the last straw! Ivan and I will make sure you have paid for what you have done."
"Agreed." the pilot of Unit 4, now identified as Ivan, also spoke with an even thicker Russian accent. "As Lieutenant Andrendo has said. You have gone too far. For your crimes against the Eurasian Federation, we will break you!"
"Wait a minute, just wait a minute!" Keijiro cut in. "Just let me stop you right there. You just said 'I must break you', and your name is Ivan? Wow, too bad your last name isn't Drago. Tell me do you resemble Dolph Lundgren at all? Because that would have sealed the deal for me. Not that I didn't enjoy Rocky IV at all, it's a classic to be sure, but I'll just be honest with you, big guy. All you're doing is perpetuating the stereotype of every evil Russian guy in fiction. It's just so cliche, bro! You gotta mix it up a little bit! Show some variety!" There was dead silence for all but a few seconds. A pair of beam rifles came up, and Keijiro and Canard were quick to draw their own weapons. "Oh well…can't say I didn't try!" With that the Eurasian Gundams opened fire on each other.
"You take generic Russian goon one. I'll take Ivan!" Keijiro cackled. Canard just gave a simple grunt, before going after Unit 4. Keijiro zoned in on Unit 4. "Okay, Ivan. I'll show you what I can do!" He opened fire on the sister machine, but the arm mounted emitter folded open, emitting a glowing light green lightwave barrier, the emerald beams splashed off harmlessly, but Keijiro wouldn't be denied so quickly. The beam cannons folded over Unit 2's shoulders, the blue and red beams lanced out, but unlike earlier, Unit 4's full lightwave barrier flared to life, tanking Keijiro's attack completely.
"Heh, I suppose it wouldn't be that easy." Keijiro stowed his beam rifle, pulling out the RBW Type 7001 Rometeknica Beam Knives from their resting places in the legs, expertly twirling them in his machine's metallic hands. "Time to get stabby then I suppose!" Unit 2's thrusters flared to life and Keijiro rushed in, his opponent's arm came up to deploy the shield, but a kick to the head, and a quick down ward thrust to the wrist rendered the emitter a smoking mess. "Ha, don't think I'll make it easy for you either!" He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, seeing that Ivan had drawn one of his own beam knives and was aiming to back stab him, hitting the battery and ending the fight right there.
Keijiro was faster, whipping his right hand blade around, the glowing beam edges sparking from where the two weapons made contact with each other. "They're not beam sabers by stretch, but I was always more comfortable with this anyway!" He let out a feral sneer as his left blade plunged into Unit 4's right thigh. "Ooh, that's gotta hurt!" He was rewarded with the glorious sound of angry Russian cursing. "Hoo, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He continued his taunts.
Canard, meanwhile, handled Unit 3 with a detached, clinical manner. He knew the other two Hyperion pilots all too well and had little need for either of them. He ignored Balasm's angry words, deploying his arm mounted shield to deflect Unit-3's beam round, before firing back with his own. He drew the knife from his right arm, and hurled it at Unit 3, who made to raise the shield, but then Canard ramped the thrusters at full throttle, closing the distance. He drew two more of his knives, plunging one into the barrier emitter on the Gundam's right wrist, and then he went for the kill with the other, driving it straight through the cockpit. "I'm no one's tool anymore." He said, letting the mobile suit drift into the void of space.
In a distant part of his mind, Keijiro knew he was enjoying himself way too much, but there was nothing wrong with letting out the inner blood knight every once in a while. He had his beam rifle in one hand and a knife in the other, and having a total blast. "It probably goes without saying, but I love my new toy!" He gushed from the cockpit of the Hyperion, smacking back Ivan's knife strike while he slashed across Unit 4's shoulder. "Eurasian tech may not be as sophisticated as what Orb and the Atlantic Federation is capable of, but it's solid and built like a rock! I'm having so much fun with this!" Ivan squeezed off a few rounds, managing to hit Unit 2 in the leg. He sighed dramatically. "But I suppose all good things must come to an end."
The stoner raised his rifle, squeezing off a few rounds, catching Unit 3 in the wings that contained the beam cannon. He slipped around the back, and took the knife mounted on the beam rifle as a bayonet, getting it right in the back. "We'll always have Artemis." Keijiro quipped, squeezing the trigger once, twice, thrice. the CAT-X4/3 Hyperion Gundam Unit 4 exploded, taking Ivan Andrendo with it. He saw Unit 1 still standing in one place. "Hey C-man! Are you admiring the view?"
"Whatever." Canard rolled his eyes.
Keijiro saw the Archangel, Strike, and Masamune come around the corner. "Well, it looks like my ride is here, C. Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
"I'll pass." Canard grunted. "I helped you and your friends escape Garcia and his goons. Far as I'm concerned, my debt to you is paid. I've got places to go and things to do." The former Eurasian pilot said. Unit 1 spun on its axis and took off in the opposite direction, wanting to put as much distance between Artemis…and Keijiro as possible.
Keijiro advanced towards the Archangel. "Hey guys! What do you think of my new toy?" He showed it off. "I think I can make good use of this baby!"
"You can save us the details for later. Let's just get out of here." Yukimasa said. The Strike, Masamune, and Unit 2 all entered the hangar as the majestic mobile assault ship fired its engines and left the shattered hulk that was once Artemis station behind.