"Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more."
- George S. Patton

Chapter XXIII: Waking Leviathan

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres Shipyards
October 3, GC 379

"Incoming contacts detected!" the tactical operator reported, alerting the whole of the Dolowa's bridge. "Approximately thirteen ships incoming from warp, ETA ten minutes!"

"Can you identify?" Lindermann inquired as she and Lutjins moved over to the station. Both captain and admiral already had a sinking feeling toward what was now heading at them.

"They're still too far out for proper ID sir, but it's a fair guess they're Feddies," the tactical operator responded. "From the data thus far, I estimate nine cruisers, three battlecruisers…"

The operator visibly swallowed as he added. "And what may very well be a Trojan Horse."

Lutjins grimaced as he heard that. "Ark Royal," he said, effectively speaking the name everyone believed it to be, and feared. It could only be that ship. If the Feddies were truly aware of the Dolowa, which obviously they were, they would only send their best after her. "How much longer before we may launch?"

"Thirty-five minutes and seven seconds Admiral," the Dolowa's XO stated dutifully, though even he could barely keep the nervousness off his expression.

"Damn," Lutjins espoused as he returned to his seat, with Lindermann and the XO following.

"We could expedite the launch sir," Lindermann offered.

Lutjins considered it for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary," he replied assuredly. "We'll continue as we have, and let the garrison deal with the Feddies in the meantime."

"As you say sir," Lindermann nodded. "With your permission however, I would like to put some of our mobile suits on standby, just in case these particular Feddies prove too much."

The Admiral couldn't help but furtively smirk at the Captain's suggestion. "You mean in case those particular Feddies prove too much."

Lindermann let out an exhale through her nostrils before answering. "Forgive me Admiral, but the Ark Royal and her mobile suits have bested three of our most able commanders in the past, and decimated countless men and material along the way."

Again she was tempted to exhale, but reneged. "I do not wish for them to do the same to us, especially now."

Lutjins nodded in understanding. "Very prudent Captain," he acknowledged, then waving her off. "Put whatever you teams you believe worthy of the task on standby."

"Yes sir," Lindermann started to move away, only for Lutjins to stop her.

"Once we launch however, those teams are to be recalled immediately," Lutjins stipulated. "We can hardly afford to get bogged down before our mission."

Lindermann nodded in agreement. "Once again as you say sir," she replied, only then moving out to carry out her task.

With that finished, Lutjins settled into his chair and silently waited for the Earth vessels to make their inevitable appearance. In a strange way, he found it a fitting outcome. The perfect requiem to mark the Dolowa's emergence into the universe…

Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Zorres System

"Three… Two… One!"

All too abruptly did the tunnel of light end, causing the Ark Royal to revert to normalspace with the rest of the taskforce. With that transition, the whole of the enemy shipyards now lay within the main monitor; lines of various constructs of equally myriad design, off containing ships and other such objects of some class or another, either being constructed or otherwise held in place for whatever alternative purpose. The multicolored orb of Zorres I held beyond that, itself dotted by multitudes of lights and artifices across its surface.

However, as Bright found himself gazing upon specifically, all of those facets were easily overshadowed by the vessel at the very center of the screen, itself held in perhaps the largest birth in the shipyard. Sitting in its hold like a sleeping behemoth, the Dolowa stood by for all to behold, awaiting its fateful launch. At over two kilometers in length, it had to be the largest starship Bright and the rest of the Ark Royal's bridge crew had ever laid eyes on, much to their cold collective astonishment. Appearing as little more than an enlarged metallic block or rectangle, with only a pair of equally square engine nacelles at her stern to show that she was in fact a ship and not an immobile fortress or space station. Following this, whole segments of gun and projectile launcher batteries dotted her surface, themselves too small to depict from the rest of her hull except through magnification. All complimented by clusters of underbelly catapult decks, which only emphasized her innumerable mobile suit and smallcraft loadout.

Bright could not help but shudder as he took the great entirety of the Dolowa in. He had heard rumors of its existence, and had seen its gridline image just before, but now the true article stood before him and the rest of the taskforce. And indeed, the thing was a monster, a veritable juggernaut of a starship that was quite capable of taking on the bulk of the Space Force on its own. Wakkein was right, they could not allow her to sail; in fact, seeing her in her full form made Bright even more driven to have her sunk, while she was still inactive and vulnerable. The mere possibility of her breaking free of Zorres to bring her guns and mobile suits upon Admiral Revil's still gathering fleet…

"Enemy ships and mobile suits moving to intercept," Omar reported, right as a whole line of oncoming contacts emerged on the bridge monitor. A complimenting magnification displayed the horde of Zakus as they flew straight on for the taskforce, in turn supported by two or three Musakas moving out from their berths.

"Right, let's be about it then," Bright exclaimed, recalling the quote from some Old AD ship captain that Sleggar had been fond of. He found it rather fitting for the present engagement, especially as the Admiral's voice boomed over the force comlink. "Fleet command to all ships, fire at will! Begin launching mobile suits at once!"

"Sleggar Law, Gundam Unit Beta, launching!"

"Sayla Mass, Gundam Unit Gamma, launching!"

"Amuro Ray, Gundam Unit Alpha, launching!"

One after the other, the Earth mobile suits flung down their respective catapult decks and into open space, all speeding out into the proverbial valley of death directly ahead. From the onset Sleggar knew they were in for a very hard fight, and not simply because there was already a screen of Zakus and enemy cruisers moving straight at them, the latter already trading beam and missile fire with their Feddie counterparts. The sheer extensiveness of the Zorres shipyards only belied how much was garrisoned there, as Unit Beta's sensors picked up numerous other signals throughout the edifice, some of which was in the process of activating if not already moving to join the battle. And, of course, there was the ominous image of the Dolowa further on, birthed and seemingly dormant but very much present. Sleggar felt a chill run down his spine at the prospect of having to fight that giant, to say nothing of the multitudes of mobile suits that she was undoubtedly loaded with.

Sooner we blast that bitch and get the hell out, the better, he surmised just as Unit Beta, and Units Alpha and Gamma, at last entered into firing range. His crosshairs falling on a Zaku that sported a telltale command fin, Sleggar fired the first shot and subsequently scored first blood, sniping the Zeon mobile suit straight the torso and causing it to detonate in usual fashion. Amuro and Sayla soon followed up where he left off, scoring two other Zakus before the Zeek formation at last broke, the bazooka equipped units returning fire just as the Guncannons added their respective shoulder guns into the mix. Not long after the two groups effectively converged and mingled, turning into a shifting cloud of grey and green as Feddie and Zeek once more moved against the other. All while the capital ships retained to their own exchange in fire in the background.

Once more sniping Zakus as though he were playing an arcade game, Sleggar maneuvered his Gundam through the fire simultaneously, alternating between dodging and employing his beam shields. They were off to a good start, he could tell, as the Zeeks were not putting up any particularly difficult resistance, though that didn't mean the highborn scum didn't have any surprises waiting. Still, for the moment, the ace could only concentrate on the opposition presently around him, in which he continued to move and maneuver, firing his hyper beam rifle and at times his vulcans at anything that fell within his sight. Indeed the Zeeks had had good reason to label him the Eagle of Arcturus, as his latest line of blasted Zakus could attest, had their pilots still been among the living of course.

Raising his beam shield up just as one other Zaku fired its beam machine gun against from the right, Sleggar gunned his thrusters once and fired another kill shot straight through the Zeon suit's flank, easily drilling through the cockpit and out the other side. He didn't know if that had caused the whole suit to explode, nor was he overly concerned with the prospect, as two more of its kind soon swooped in to take where their comrade had left off. To this he triggered his vulcans, dissuading either green mobile suits from coming at him straight on, but they attacked regardless, forcing the ace to bank right to dodge their twin beam bursts. It took a bit of maneuvering, but Sleggar managed to keep ahead and flank the two Zaku's, then sniping one down with a snapshot through the back. Its partner responded to this by firing its hip mounted missiles, but it had long since become second nature for the Eagle of Arcturus to shoot those down with his vulcans. A follow shot through the cockpit finished that Zaku off as well, and Sleggar continued on through the battle.

At the very least the Zorres garrison forces seemed easy enough to contend with, though the ace had a feeling that they weren't the only tricks the Zeeks had up their collective sleeve. And again, there remained the Dolowa in the far back, which could bring her own mobile suits – assuming she hadn't already – into the fight, and somehow Sleggar had a feeling that she wasn't carrying run of the mill cannon fodder. For the time being however, as he gunned down two more Zakus with precise torso shots, the battle was off to a well enough start, as the enemy's defense was only holding up so much to the Earth forces' incursion. Sleggar could only hope that remained so for the remainder of the battle, especially when Wakkein brought his nukes into play.

That thing is a monster! Amuro thought as his eyes once again fell on the Dolowa's silhouette, even as he fought alongside Sayla through the defending Zakus. By that point in the war, the up and coming ace had thought he had seen the most terrible inventions the enemy had to offer. Clearly he had been mistaken. As bad as the Colony Laser had been at Juno, the Dolowa was a different breed of weapon altogether. A single ship with the power and complement of an entire battlefleet, meant to lay waste to any and all that fell before her.

Concentrate on the battle Amuro, Sayla reminded as she dodged another Zaku's machine gun burst, only to flank it and shoot it through the back before it could follow. She then followed this up by dodging another Zeon suit's axe strike, to which she responded by smashing her left gauntlet into its side and firing a single burst, obliterating the cockpit and the pilot within quite easily. Let the taskforce worry about that monstrosity.

Though still taken back by the enemy carrier's looming image in his monitor, Amuro nonetheless followed his wingmate's advice and focused back on the Zakus, who seemed rather driven to keep the White Devil as far from Zorres as they could manage. Some of them were deliberately avoiding him, and Sayla as well, altogether, though Amuro knew that didn't make them any lesser targets. He emphasized that fact as he fired his hyper beam rifle, scoring two Zakus that were attempting to move onto some nearby Guncannons as he passed, and then blasted a third that was angling for Commander Amada's team. He then shot down a fourth over considerable distance, right as it was moving upon a team from the Magellan.

That drew enough of the enemy's attention toward him as two, then three more Zakus fired their bazooka and machine guns in tandem, trying to overwhelm him with sheer firepower, only for Unit Alpha to make the evasion seem like child's play. A following snapshot took out the bazooka wielding Zaku, causing one of the machine gunners to fire its missiles while its partner continued to shoot its primary weapon. Amuro simply flanked the beams and projectiles and launched forward, sniping the head off the former Zaku while simultaneously drawing a beam saber to slash the second through the midsection. A second rifle shot then finished the previous target, which exploded all too promptly.

Not to be outdone on her end, Sayla decided to follow Amuro's example and swapped her rifle for her own saber. That expectedly enticed some of the oncoming Zaku pilots, who all figured they could concentrate their firepower before the "red bitch" could close in, much to Sayla's bemusement. Naturally the Valkyrie of Riah was all too willing to show them the error of their assumptions, her Gundam dancing around the oncoming fire as efficiently as its white brethren had done and was still doing. All the while closing in faster than the aforementioned Zaku pilots could have believed, much as their collective shock bemused Sayla even further.

A snap vulcan burst easily destroyed the head module of her first target, disheveling it long enough for her to move in and cut it down diagonally, then following up by bifurcating its teammate through the waistline. A particularly daring Zaku then attempted to gun in her in the back, only for Sayla to gun her thrusters and ascend over the beam burst, then move "upside down" behind her attacker and stab it through its own back, right before twisting the now "dead" mobile suit into its comrades' line of fire. The resulting detonation allowed her to move on, slashing down one more Zaku as she flew by, then raising her left beam shield to deflect the beam burst of one more. That one she retaliated with a crippling vulcan burst of her own, right before turning away to continue onward.

Moving up to join her, Amuro had since withdrawn his beam saber and instead focused back on his rifle, shooting down more and more Zakus while Sayla butchered them in her preferred fighting style. Though he still was not as precise a shot as Commander Law, Amuro was still making fairly good headway through the garrison forces, which if anything were somewhat easier to kill than what he was used to. Even so, as he had also long since gotten used to, there was a lot of them to shoot down, and even Sayla could only take out so many at time, even as she diced another nearby Zaku into fourths without slowing down. Yet another slog to the finish, even if Amuro's side was on the offensive this time around.

And of course, there remained the Dolowa itself. Whose silhouette still daunted Amuro whenever his eyes fell upon it, even through the present melee.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres Shipyards

Of course this would be the result, Lindermann thought as she and the rest of his bridge watched the garrison forces make their valiant but ultimately futile stand against the Feddies. Certainly they were fighting and fighting hard, but it was evident that the Earthnoids were the superior combatants, even if the three Project V suits and their ace pilots were discounted. Again this did not surprise Lindermann – nor Admiral Lutjins she suspected – in the least, given that the Feddies obviously had much battlefield experience to fall back on. Even so, this would not make getting her ship out into space any easier. "ETA to launch point?"

"Twenty minutes, thirty-two seconds," his XO reported diligently, though Lindermann knew him well enough that even she could pick up his own dismay. After all, weren't they supposed to be the superior line of humanity? How on Zeon could any of their Highborn brethren be bested by these Earthen miscreants?

Sitting back silently from his end of the bridge, Lutjins tapped his fingers into his chair arm as he watched the action play out. As lackluster as the garrison's performance was, he could not help but feel strangely appreciative of this outcome, especially as he focused on the Project V units as they moved in and out through the battle. As with perhaps the whole of Zeon, he had much of that trio's deeds, as well as the deeds of their mothership, as of late, but only now as Lutjins able to get a firsthand account of their performance. And indeed, he could easily see why Char Aznable, Aiguille Delaz and Prince Garma had had so much trouble with them. God – assuming one existed – help any of them if they were set to join in the attack on Odessa that His Majesty anticipated.

Following that, there was much temptation to stamp out the Ark Royal and the tricolored monsters that flew with her, but Lutjins did well to dispel it. Besides the fact such action would cost much of the Dolowa's own mobile suit force, if not much of the Dolowa herself, the fact remained that his mission, as stipulated by His Majesty himself, was quite clear. The Dolowa was to set sail immediately and seek out Admiral Revil's rallying point for Odessa. None of the present hindrances, not even the last of the long feared Lexington-class, justified any pause or side errand in the execution of that mission. And it wasn't as though Lutjins himself felt such necessity.

No, Lutjins thought, almost waving his hand at the monitor in his dismissal. This Feddie taskforce was troublesome, and certainly not an element he wanted to remain in place, but in the end they were nothing. Nothing but insects buzzing around irritably but ultimately in helplessness. A fact that they would realize all too soon, when the Dolowa at last put to space.

Restrained ire surged through Mallet as, through both his cockpit monitor and his special power, he watched the battle outside wage on. It wasn't the first time in his life that he felt chained and held down, but it certainly was one of the more apparent events. The Feddies, with the Ark Royal and her three harbingers, were on Zorres' doorstep, making mincemeat of the system's defenders, and all Mallet and his squadron could do was watch it as it happened. At least until the moment that the leash was removed and he and his were finally sent out, but until then – assuming that would indeed happen in fact – all he could do was remain where he was. Well within the Dolowa's hold, all but physically gnashing his teeth as the enemy remained virtually unopposed. Oh how much he wanted to change that, as well as bring the Feddies out of their proud stupor.

The more and more the battle progressed, the more Mallet felt fury and bloodlust writhe inside of him, as though actually struggling for release. He was all but immersed in it now. His consciousness clouded with the death and destruction that was now occurring, such that he could almost feel the heat of each weapon discharge, the wave of each ship and mobile suit meeting its destruction. As well as the harrowing cries of the individual beings within those constructs as death consumed them raw, regardless of whether they were his fellow Zeon or Feddie interlopers. All of it playing out as one great cacophonic force.

A weaker sentience, even one with the same power, might have buckled or broken from such devastation, but not Mallet Sanguine. He virtually bathed in the slaughter, the sheer annihilation. The blood of his enemies the finest wine, their death cries as music. Such that his special power only augmented the rapture, the euphoria that he felt within as machinery was obliterated and human life snuffed out of existence. The maddening harmony of war. A war that caused the galaxy itself to shudder around it.

And yet again that was all he could do now. Watch, listen and feel it all occur before him, when he wanted to drive his own mobile suit into the carnage. The chain around his neck thick and heavy, keeping him in place, with only the knowledge that it may yet be removed his only solace. It had to be and all too soon. After all, it wouldn't do well for the Feddies to reach into the shipyards once they decimated the garrison. Likewise, he and his squadron, as well as the rest, would not have been put on standby simply to watch all the fun. They were going to be sent out, it was just a question of when Admiral Lutjins or whoever let them slip.

Once that occurred, Mallet smiled savagely, then the real battle would take place. Especially as Mallet found himself setting his sights on the all too notorious white mobile suit with the stylized red "A" on it shoulder. The sheer power, the raw force, he felt within nearly causing his mouth to water with anticipation. With a familiar, but far too rarely felt, yearning.

Another Zaku came at him with its axe held high, only for Shiro to twist his Stormer around and unleash the fury of his shoulder gatling guns. As with so many of its brethren to the present, the Zeon suit crumpled under the concentrated beam fire, blasting apart well before a reactor detonation finished off the whole. Naturally Shiro had little time or inclination to celebrate the kill before two more Zeeks came after him, both firing their machine guns in tandem as he jetted back, retaliating with his own rifle. He blasted the head off one, which in turn allowed him to strike the second through the cockpit, but by then a third appeared, leveling its bazooka and firing in sequence. Shiro maneuvered around those shots as well, taking care to stay well ahead, and then promptly blasted away that Zaku as well. Still many more to go however, as his sensors indicated.

At the very least they're not too difficult for once, the Lieutenant Commander thought as he and his subordinates continued through the melee, Kiki and Michel both using their Troopers' shoulder cannons to keep the Zeon on the evasive while Shiro picked one or two more off with his gatling guns. He wasn't surprised given that this was an in-system garrison they were dealing with and not frontline forces, but it was still a far cry to the likes of Anges. It might have actually been refreshing to him had he not been so concentrated on killing anything that had a mono-eye on it, and then some.

Both Kiki and Michel felt similarly as the former moved onto her own beam rifle while the latter fired off a vulcan spray to one daring that Zaku that tried to move further in. A more adept Zeon pilot would have easily raised his or her beam shield to deflect from the latter attack, but this one proved too slow, and Michel watched as the Zaku ended up getting plastered across its frame. A following dual shoulder cannon blast then finished off, or at least the whole upper portion of the suit, allowing Michel to turn around and fire his beam rifle onto another set in support of his wingmate. However, Kiki proved no less capable than he, gunning down one more Zaku with a snapshot that she thought would have made Commander Law proud, and then jetting back and firing her cannons to blow away one more. Another pair then moved in on the two Federation suits, but were dissuaded by another burst from their team lead's gatling cannons, from which the Troopers were quick to fire back as well.

Again Shiro's sensors beeped, indicating another Zaku charging at him at full burn, machine gun blazing. Already too far in for him to dodge, he raised his suit's beam shield and deflected the bulk of the fire, and then retaliated with his vulcans. The Zeon suit, which noticeably had a command fin, was quick however, banking left and flanking, all the while keeping up its own fire and even launching missiles to compliment. Shiro, however, wasn't any less adept, and so reversed and then moved right, dodging the beams and swatting the missiles down before they could so much as brush against his Guncannon. He then fired three beam rifle shots, the finned Zaku dodging two but ending up with one spearing its left leg. That lapse was more than enough for Shiro to take advantage of, as he again let loose his suit's primary weapons, riddling that Zaku into obliterating as well. This time there was no explosion, but the damage was certainly done, the ruined, bullet holed corpse flinging away aimlessly.

Taking but a very short moment to breath, Shiro then turned his suit about, reengaging the gatling cannons as another pair of Zakus came on him and his team, with Michel and Kiki again joining with their own standard cannons. More mono-eyes fell as a result, but as usual, there remained plenty more where they came from. Not that that was about to stop the three Shrikes, or any of their other brethren, from seeing Operation Bismarck through of course. As best emphasized more and more Zeon fell before them.

Fucking amateurs, Karen thought as she let loose another spray from her shoulder launchers, managing to destroy two Zakus and damage one other. A fourth attempted to run after her with its axe drawn, but she easily dissuaded it with her vulcans while Eledore took it out with a potshot from her left, blasting it from the side and out the other. Karen flashed a smirk as her lover flashed a quick thumbs up to her before jetting back, right as another team found them and Job, the three Guncannons continuing the battle. They were making an impact on the defenders, but Zorres was still enemy territory, which meant that the Zeeks had even more to throw at them than usual. Another day at the office as far as the three Shrikes were concerned.

That being said, Karen made sure not to get too complacent, even as she struck one more Zaku down with her rifle, and then shot after another with her vulcans once more. They may not have been Garma and his entourage, but they were still dangerous as best emphasized when she raised her beam shield to deflect the autofire of her latest target. She retaliated just as fast with another pair of missiles, only for the Zaku to bank away right as the two projectiles came closing. Not that it really mattered, as through such a maneuver Karen was quite capable of lining her rifle and firing a shot straight the cockpit, right before the pilot could raise his own shield. Yet another spectacular explosion, only for two more to come flying through, both firing their machine guns in tandem and forcing her back, alternating between maneuvering and reemploying her shield. Again Eledore, and Job with him, came to her support, though both Zeon suits were able to veer away right as the two Troopers triggered their own shoulder guns.

Right then, Karen's sensors beeped a proximity alert, indicating that one of the launched Musakas was locking onto her with its phalanx. Gritting her teeth, she put her suit into overdrive, evading the beam bursts as well as the follow up missile sprays. Her Hellfire may not have been the most agile suit ever made, but it was good enough for her to dance around the ship based anti-MS guns, as well as close in to deal with the cruiser. The downside however, was that because she lacked traditional shoulder beam weapons, she had to move in closer than average lest the enemy warship swat her missiles away, while her limited ammunition also meant that she had take care of what she hit. Not that any of those really bothered her; she was as good as sinking big bad warships as anyone else in Shrike Squadron.

A point that was easily made as she fired her beam rifle across the hull, striking down the two main guns and some of the phalanx as she made her way up to the bridge tower. A pair of missiles at point blank easily took care of that, rendering the ship brainless for a time, thereby allowing her to move toward its stern. Only when she reached a certain position just above and due aft the cruiser did she let loose a full missile barrage, the guided projectiles raining across the Zeon ship as an angry swarm of meteors, obliterating key points across the hull. The cruiser didn't explode wholly, but that didn't matter, as it was thoroughly on fire now while escape pods launched away at different vectors. That was more than good enough for Karen, who, after smiling at her handiwork, turned about to rejoin her two squadmates in taking down additional Zakus, and maybe one or two more cruisers along the way.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres Shipyards

Exhaling through her nostrils in dismay, Lindermann could not help but glower that much more as Zeon's losses in Zorres truly began to stack. Not only were they losing Zakus left and right, but now some of the launched warships were being damaged if not outright stricken, and the Feddies hadn't slow much as slowed down in their onslaught. A truly paltry display that became more so as the fighting continued, and her ship was still not quite ready to launch yet. "Time remaining?"

"Fifteen minutes, nineteen seconds," the XO again reported, causing his captain's brow to furrow even further. At the rate the fighting was going, it wouldn't be long before the damn Earthnoids reached into the shipyards itself. Not that anyone aboard the Dolowa believed that they would be able to wound their ship, but…

"Captain Lindermann," Lutjins spoke up from the rear of the bridge, causing all eyes to turn toward him. "It would seem that these Feddies are quite complacent, wouldn't you agree?"

Though unsure of what the Admiral was meaning, the captain of the Dolowa answered regardless. "It would seem so, yes," she replied, being keen enough to note the underlying message. "What are your orders?"

To this, Lutjins smiled. "I think it's time we showed these lowborn scum what they are up against," he spoke almost conspiringly. "Truly up against."

Easily catching on, Lindermann was quick to match her superior's smile. "With pleasure sir," she then turned to his comm officer and nodded, the man immediately relaying the appropriate orders.

At last, the call had been made. Licking his lips with even greater anticipation, Mallet brought his mobile suit up to the catapult deck, then causing it to crouch slightly as he awaited the due signal. Already other mobile suits were launching and taking to the battle before him and his squadron, but that hardly mattered. As much better as they would undoubtedly perform compared to the garrison, none of them would so much as touch his intended prey, who was still reaping through Zakus as a farmer to a field. He, and only he, was capable of bringing that particular Feddie down from his pedestal.

And so it shall be, Mallet thought as the indicator at flashed ready. His grin taking on a far more malevolent tone, he then proceeded. "Mallet Sanguine, Act Zaku, launching!"

Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Zorres System

"Second wave of enemy mobile suits incoming!" Omar called out as soon as the new contacts registered on the Ark Royal's sensor system. "Zakus and…"

He trailed off slightly as he looked over the readout. "Several unknown types," he said, bringing up images of the units in question on the main monitor.

"What the hell are those?" Mirai exclaimed as she saw the new units, while Bright found himself frowning. Somehow it figured that the Zeon would have more than just standard Zakus here. Itself indicating another hard truth.

They had to have launched from the Dolowa, Bright thought but didn't say aloud. He wasn't surprised, but still disturbed by this advent. Garrison forces were one thing to deal with, but Emperor Gihren wouldn't have packed his prized weapon with lackluster pilots and mobile suits. The fact they had some newer models among their numbers emphasized that fact.

"Have the Gundams move against the new arrivals first," Bright then commanded, causing Kikka to relay his orders to the CDC, who would then relay them out to Commander Law and the rest. "See if they can bring their numbers down before the Guncannons engage."

Well, this is going to be loads of fun, Sleggar thought quite dryly as he turned Unit Beta about to face the new line of opposition. The numbers alone made it so; any other time he would have sworn that the newcomers had launched from the shipyard garrison or some other system installation, not from a capital ship. Even the Ark Royal couldn't match that oncoming wave with her load, and the ace had a feeling that it was far from the Dolowa's total carrying capacity as well. Overall the Commander didn't like what he was seeing in the least, but he still had a job to do regardless.

Once again, it wasn't long before the Zeeks entered into his Gundam's firing range, to which Sleggar triggered his rifle, managing to shoot down about two of the new arrivals before the bazooka equipped units began to return fire. Already he could tell these Zeon were different from the garrison pilots; though the Eagle of Arcturus remained true to his reputation, maneuvering through the horde while shooting down Zakus as though he were at an arcade, it was taking more out of him to line up his sights and shoot. In fact, more than a few of the Zakus were actually dodging his shots, at least for a time. And that didn't discount their counterattacks either, with Sleggar being forced further into evasion than he would have preferred, if not having to employ his shields altogether.

Yeah, fun fun fun, the ace thought as he dodged the machine gun burst of one such Zaku, then aiming and firing for the cockpit in reprisal. As opposed to the Zeeks he had been killing up to this point, this Zaku managed to duck, "only" losing a chunk of its head to the Eagle of Arcturus' attempted kill shot. It then fired its hip missiles, causing Sleggar to reverse and fire his vulcans to bring down the projectiles before they could reach. Another machine gun burst then forced the Commander to raise his right beam shield to deflect, as well as fire his vulcans again simultaneously, but again the enemy suit managed to promptly evade, gunning its thrusters and launching away from the beam spray. From that, it attempted to catch Sleggar at his left flank, but both the pilot and his Gundam had much greater reflexes, again reversing and causing the yellow beams to miss wide. From that, Sleggar twisted about and fired a snapshot. This time it landed square in the cockpit block, rendering the Zaku dead and adrift with so many of its kind.

Barely two seconds had passed following the kill when Sleggar engaged his left beam shield, deflecting the missile attack of yet another Zaku. He then moved to shoot that one down as well, but the Zeek chose to forgo the machine gun for its axe and charged at him, dodging the hyper beam rifle shot and moving up for an overhead attack. To this Sleggar acted even faster, bringing up his left gauntlet and obliterating both the axe and the hands that held it above, and then following up with his vulcans straight into that cockpit as well. Again the stricken Zaku didn't explode, at least not until Sleggar dodged the bazooka shot of one of its comrades, which effectively finished the carcass off for him. Again he returned fire against the aggressor, but this Zeek proved to be better than average as well, sacrificing its left arm against a shot that was intended for the torso. Fortunately a follow up beam bazooka shot was all it managed to get off, to which Unit Beta easily dodged and relined up, sniping that Zaku straight through just as quickly. This one exploded.

Somehow managing not to grimace as his sensors beeped further in warning, Sleggar twisted his Gundam around and continued to fire, this time only striking down one Zeek at the onset. The rest very keen in responding with their myriad weapons, all the while moving to flank and overwhelm the Eagle simultaneously.

Sneering as the next Zaku team came at him with their machine guns blazing, Amuro retaliated with a snap beam rifle shot straight through the center one, which he assumed to be the team lead, causing the two others to break formation and move to flank. They still attacked in sequence however, forcing the White Devil to employ both his beam shields at different angles to deflect the beam bursts, and then return fire to the one on his left with his vulcans. That seemed to dissuade the enemy mobile suit for a time, which in turn allowed Amuro to also deflect the missile attack from its partner, from which he jetted upward and fired another snap rifle shot. Unfortunately the enemy pilot proved adept, actually managing to bring his own beam shield around to deflect the rifle shot, while his partner regained the initiative and moved to strike Amuro in the back. Only a timely and quite Commander Law-like maneuver of swinging Unit Alpha's rifle arm about and "backfiring" removed that particular Zeon from the equation, after which Amuro promptly finished off its partner.

Newtype senses fully acute, Amuro easily picked upon the thoughts and feelings of his opposition, which he found as different from the first wave as night and day on Earth. Compared to the lackluster defenders of the Zorres System, these Zeeks were all combat experienced in one way or another, having been drawn from various parts of the war and concentrated into that single giant of warship in the far distance. As such, they were very assured and confident, and not so much intimidated by the Feddies' presence, not even the three Gundams and their ace pilots. Granted, that only lasted for so long until they actually fought against Amuro, as well as Sayla and Commander Law, but that alone made them much more difficult to kill compared to the usual opposition. Their respective skills with their mobile suits only made them that much more so.

Suddenly, in the midst of the fighting, Amuro felt an all too familiar flash of lightning run across his mind and soul. Something else was out there, among the Zeon, generating pressure. And it was heading after him at a velocity that should have been impossible for a Zaku.

Reversing quickly, Amuro watched in near slow motion as a solid beam – one that could not have been fired from a machine gun – lanced straight through the space that he had just inhabited. This beam was quickly followed by many others, to which the aspiring ace found himself having to dodge more and more. In the middle of one such maneuver, he turned his Gundam about and fired at the source, only to watch as the enemy mobile suit in question dodged as well, again much faster than any Zaku could ever hope. And it retaliated just as quickly, such that Amuro was forced into a running gun battle against the Zeek. A harrowing bout of laughter soon flickering into the White Devil's conscious.

So, this is the so-called White Devil, a domineering and utterly violent "voice" called out in Amuro's head amidst his running and gunning. Already Amuro felt his lips recede back into a sneer as he felt the vile presence become more apparent. Prince Garma's killer in the flesh.

What's it to you!? Amuro felt himself snap back against the Zeon as he triggered his vulcans, only to watch as the enemy suit, which he was sure was a Zaku itself and yet quite different, veered away. It naturally retaliated with additional rifle shots of its own, forcing Amuro to bring up his left beam shield.

Nothing really. I merely hope you prove to be enough of a challenge, the voice responded back, to which Amuro could feel his opponent's own sneer toward him. That is, before I rend you of course.

Baring his teeth at the enemy pilot, Amuro also found himself concentrating on the opposing suit as it drew further in. His initial assumption was correct. It was a Zaku, but far different from the ones he had been killing up to this point, and not just simply because of its smoothened, more streamlined form. Its internal mechanics were also quite different, with many of its components more akin to what Amuro would have found in an Earth model suit, much to his unnerve. And that's before one got into the fact that it was using a beam rifle instead of the usual machine gun, while the Gundam pilot also picked up on ports for a beam shield on either arms, as well as what may very well had been beam saber mounts on its hips. Combined with the suit's command fin and blue and white colors, which obviously indicated the pilot an ace himself, and Amuro saw that he would indeed have a difficult fight.

And that was before he described the malevolent aura he felt around the Zaku. Like that of a ravenous, bloodthirsty beast, one that sought to consume his blood specifically.

I am Lieutenant Commander Mallet Sanguine of Zeon, the adversary continued further, dodging another rifle shot from Amuro's part and retaliating accordingly. And I am death, as you will learn all too soon, boy.

Again Amuro sneered as he felt the overwhelming virulence. We'll see about that Zeek! he responded back as he put Unit Alpha to full burn, continuing his battle with this murderously savage Zeon.

Maneuvering in a way that only her Gundam could accomplish, Sayla dodged around the machine gun bursts and complimenting beam rifle shots of her latest set of targets, who were proving even more tedious than the previous opposition had been. The regular Zakus were difficult enough to contend with, but apparently the Dolowa bunch had some new models mixed in, which outside their own green tinted forms were almost completely different in design from their mono-eyed brethren. She made a mental note to go over the technical parts with Amuro later. In the meantime however, as she at last drew close enough to properly employ her saber, the Valkyrie of Riah still much work to accomplish.

Slashing down the first standard Zaku that she reached, Sayla then gunned thrusters and jetted upward as one of the new models attempted to snipe her from the right. She retaliated with her vulcans, but that particular model proved to be much faster than its older brethren, dodging her fire at great speed. Not that it really hindered her, as she was just as fast in dodging its own rifle shot, from which she impaled another one of the older type Zakus through the cockpit block, then promptly withdrew her blade and launched away before any of its comrades could get a bead on her. This was soon followed by a third, and then a fourth, all systematically cut down while Sayla was still technically on the defensive. And then, at last, she managed to strike down a new model, feigning a frontal attack only to jet upwards and move behind, bifurcating the ginned up Zaku in a sweep at the waistline. Again moving just before any of the others could target her.

From that, she felt the familiar lightning flash run through her head, while her sensors beeped in warning. One of the new models had forgone its rifle and was now moving at her with its own beam saber drawn to kill. Reacting even faster than before, Sayla deflected the initial attack with her left beam shield and then moved to impale with her saber, only to watch as the Zaku receded and then banked right to evade her follow up slash. All the while Sayla felt an equally familiar pressure began to way in her mind, emanating from this particular enemy.

How interesting, she thought as an image soon formed in her consciousness. That of a young woman, slightly younger than her, with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes, as well as a focus and determination that was inordinate even for a Zeon, or a Newtype. There was no banter, no boisterousness with this one. Just a singular drive to fight and to kill whatever stood in front of her, which was presently Sayla Mass. All in Zeon's glory, as well as one other's…

Knowing better than to take herself off the fight, Sayla instead focused back on parrying the next saber attack, and then counterattack with a beheading stroke. Again the strangely designed Zaku evaded her slash, and then raised its left beam shield to deflect her next, from which it counter with an overhead chop that would have taken off Unit Gamma's left arm had Sayla not reversed at the right moment. Another vulcan burst, another raising of a beam shield to defend. Followed by the continued clashing of sabers and the furious glare of the red Gundam's dual eye cameras into the Zaku's own equally glaring mono-eye.

Federation Montana-class battlecruiser Magellan
Zorres System

Damn it, we're running out of time, Wakkein thought as he watched the second wave at last converge with his fleet's defenders, effectively hindering his ships from their target that much more. The three Gundams had taken out a fair chunk of that line's numbers, but there remained an abundance of them still, enough to keep the Guncannons tied down and potentially attack the taskforce itself. Needless to say, there was no way they could fire upon the Dolowa now, not until enough of that set of enemies had been cleared away. And Wakkein wasn't too hopeful, especially as the more time his taskforce spent in Zorres, the more likely enemy reinforcements were sure to arrive.

"Enemy incoming!" the tactical operator resounded, causing Wakkein to look up. One of the newer models had broken through the line and was now angling for the Magellan. Already the battlecruiser's flag captain ordered all phalanx to be redirected, sending a flurry of beams at the enemy suit, while those ships closest also added in their support fire. However, the Zeek managed to zigzag all the way through, with much greater evasiveness than Wakkein had ever seen with a Zaku, and so gunned directly after the flagship. Only then did it finally slipup, with one beam managing to blast off a chunk of its right leg, the loss in momentum allowing the other guns to focus their fire. The Zeon suit was then quickly reduced to another expanding cloud of vapors thereafter.

Enough of this, Wakkein thought, managing not to shake his head. "Fleet command to all ships, begin pre-launch procedures," he commanded to the taskforce. If they couldn't get a clear enough shot at the Dolowa, then they would just have to settle for the best shot they could make. And it wasn't like their target was easy to miss anyway. "Standby to fire!"

Again the Devil dodged his Mallet's kill shot, only for the Feddie to twist around and fire off another vulcan spray. Far from frustrated, the Zeon ace was in fact invigorated by his adversary's performance. Never had he encounter such a terrifying, yet highly skilled opponent, such that even with his Act Zaku, Mallet was having to go all out simply to keep up with the Earthnoid scum. It was no wonder Char Aznable and Prince Garma, for all of their own skill, had been unable to contend with the white menace, and that so many other of Mallet's kin had soiled themselves in its mere presence. Well, no matter, as Mallet was as far removed from the rest of them as a Highborn could be from his fellows, even if one took his special power out of the equation.

Excellent! Mallet all but howled as Amuro Ray came upon him point blank, swiping his suit's open left hand – which appeared to mount some sort of beam weapon emplacement – at the Act Zaku's head. Before Mallet could angle his beam rifle to counterattack, the Feddie again let loose his vulcans, and then upon receding back some distance his own rifle. Mallet dodged all of these attacks, but in doing so he had been unable to make his own. Most excellent!

Once more though his power did Mallet pick up on Lieutenant Ray's lips twist into a hateful sneer. The Feddie was not enjoying this fight as much as his Zeon opponent was. Pity, Mallet felt, but ultimately irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was when he at last spilled the Devil's blood, emphasized upon his at last bringing his own rifle back about and firing a three shot burst. The white mobile suit dodged the first two shots and then deflected the third with its left shield, but in doing so Mallet was able to flank right, firing more shots that kept the Devil dancing. You're even more entertaining than your reputation, boy.

I'm glad you approve Zeek, Amuro retorted back as he fired off his own snapshot, only for Mallet to effectively sidestep his machine out of the line of fire. He responded just as quickly, only for the Devil to raise his left beam shield again and deflect, followed once more by a vulcan burst. Mallet zigzagged around all of it, continuing to shoot as he did, the white mobile suit weaving through the fire as well. I hope you still feel that way at the very end!

Oh I will, Mallet's own lips folded back into an even more vicious grin, one that Amuro Ray felt enough to cause his blood to run cold. It was then that Mallet at last withdrew his rifle and drew his left hip mounted beam saber, the yellow energy blade flickering active upon the draw, and then charging straight on. I will remember this bloodletting well!

Again sneering, Amuro deflected the initial strike with his left shield while also placing back his rifle for his own beam saber, which flashed in familiar magenta. The running battle quickly transitioned from a gunfight to swordplay, with either mobile suit effectively dancing through space, sabers maneuvering in elaborate patterns. All the while either pilot kept their gaze upon the other, through their shared senses as well as their cockpit monitors, with Amuro glowering after Mallet as the latter smiled in horrid ecstasy. Energy blades continuously crossed and evaded throughout.

Clashing her own saber against her red adversary's, Lilia Flaubert continued to focus on the singular task of killing the Valkyrie of Riah and avenging Prince Sasro once and for all. Though she had not spoken a word to Sayla Mass since their apparent duel had begun, Lilia could not help but be somewhat intrigued with the Earth ace. Specifically the strange aura the Zeon pilot picked up on through her special senses, which, far from a singular nature, seemed to be a myriad of thoughts, feelings and emotions bundled and overlapping together. That being said, the most apparent of these was certain fury and vengefulness, though that didn't seem to be directed at Lilia in particular. A fascinating spectacle, had she not been so concentrated on trying to kill the source.

Regardless of that however, the Valkyrie proved to be as capable a fighter as Lilia had heard, such that it was taking every bit of her own skill to contend with her. The red mobile suit danced through the void, slashing at her torso, only for Lilia to engage her Act Zaku's left shield and knock away the saber stroke, right before attempting to impale in turn. A short vulcan burst dissuaded her however, forcing her to withdraw somewhat and maneuver around the spray fire, but Lilia was far from falling back on the defensive entirely. She circled, attempting to strike at the red mobile suit's left flank, only for Sayla to twist her own suit about and parry the strike, as well as the follow up that Lilia hastily executed. The two women exchanged blades from there, both attempting to maneuver or overcome the other's defense while maintaining their own offensive momentum, neither willing to yield. It was fast proving rather frustrating to either, as Lilia quickly felt that particular emotion from her opponent, and vice versa.

And then both simultaneously gunned their thrusters and ascended, continuing to attack and defend as their respective mounts launched through the void. Though the Valkyrie still had some advantage over her with her vulcans, Lilia was more than able to keep up regardless, and her Act Zaku showed no sign of falling out from under her. She maintained her ferocity as a result, repeatedly intertwining with the red mobile suit and attacking, evading or deflecting in equal form, just as Sayla Mass did with her. No words between them, despite their deciphering the other with their respective powers. Only the continuous striking and maneuvering of beam sabers, as well as the occasional employment of beam shielding and the Feddie suit's vulcans and the shared unwillingness to yield to the other. All while either pilot, much to their combined irritation, found no quick end to be held.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres Shipyards

For the first time in so long, oh so long, Vice Admiral Johannes Lutjins felt well and truly in elation. It was only a small taste of what the Dolowa and her mobile suits could accomplish, but it was more than enough for the present enemy. Rather than move into Zorres uncontested as they had at the start, the Feddies nearly had their own backs against the wall, attempting to keep Lutjins' forces from them as well as their own ships. It was beautiful, no, magnificent to behold. The perfect demonstration of the power that His Majesty had personally bestowed upon him. The same power he would take straight against the Feddies all too soon.

"Time," Captain Lindermann once more called out for.

"Ten minutes, twenty-seven seconds," the XO reported, noticeably more relieved than he had been moments ago.

Nodding as he heard this, Lutjins settled back into his chair. "Begin pre-launch preparations at once," he commanded to Lindermann and the rest of the bridge crew. "And standby to recall our mobile suits. We will collect them upon departure."

Even as those commands were carried out, Lutjins remained focused on the fighting ahead. It would only last for ten minutes longer unfortunately, but that was more than easy enough to abide by. Only when the Dolowa at last departed Zorres would the Feddies truly understand her power. The power that would devour worlds, up to and including ever distant Earth. The power that would finalize Zeon's conquest, once and for all.

His power, Lutjins reflected, his smile deepening. His alone.