AN: So in later chapters, I'm not exactly sure how strong to have mobilesuits. I mean the Ginn has a 76mm rifle that can destroy most other mobilesuits without too much trouble and a Leman Russ Mars Pattern tank, which is the most common, has a 120mm main gun. Albeit short barreled. I suppose ammunition type comes into play since a modern 30mm auto cannon could destroy tanks from ww2 with ease now. So if anyone is more knowledgeable about this I would appreciate if someone could explain to me exactly what mobilesuits can take in terms of damage.
"Just reverse through it, not like you can wreck it anymore than it already it," said Selena over the vox comm.
"Yes Sergeant," came the hesitant voice of Lisa. With a shifting of gears the mass of plas steel and ceramite that was the Two for Flinching rolled backwards on its wide treads, powerful V12 engine growling as it was fed petrol fuels. The engine like most used in Imperial war machines could run on anything from crude oil to cooking grease, just so long as you were willing to clean out the resulting fouling from using more impure fuels, with little loss in power, though a greater demand on maintenance and a faster fuel burn as compared to more high quality octane fuels.
The splashing of water being forced out of the way of the Imperial war machine was overcome by a loud and grating squeal of metal being deformed and squashed, accompanied by the crack of permacrete breaking off in chunks. Coming free with the heavy metal hinges holding the gate to the permacrete posts, taking with them pieces of rebar. A great wave of water washed over the top of the Destroyer Tank Hunter as the heavy metal gate slapped down into the water filled street.
"Admit it Lisa, you joined the armored corps to crush shit with a tank didn't you?"
"That was part of it," admitted Lisa, sounding somewhat embarrassed over the vox bead.
"Well then you're in for a treat, drive over anything in our way, we're heading to where that cannon fire is coming from. Keep your head on a swivel."
"Yes Sergeant," answered Lisa obediently, shifting the gears forward and with a lumbering start, the Two for Flinching barely raised out of the water as it flattened a car under its treads to scrap metal. Popping out what windows remained like over ripe pimples and crushing down the cheap bodies like a beer can. The 52 tonnes of Imperial fury rolling, though at its lumbering pace.
The destroyer tank hunter isn't an elegant looking weapon of war. It is boxy, with treads reaching over top the sides of the tank like on most Imperial vehicles. The front armor has a slope to it, but the sides, rear, and top of the vehicle were flat with only minor slopes. It lacks a turret, allowing only small variations from side to side for target acquisition without first changing the direction of the entire tank. It was best used from a distance or from ambush where its powerful laser cannon could pick off nearly any armored target from a distance, and even provide a menace to titans were they to get a good shot off on it.
The heavy laser destroyer cannon was the most fearsome aspect of the tank, more powerful than a common las cannon by a huge margin. At one time extremely common, they were becoming more rare to find, the difficulty of manufacturing them and the complexities of its machine spirit making simpler, and more durable weapons systems more favorable to produce. Nevertheless however, those behind the firing controls of such a weapon never had to doubt if their first shot would be a kill shot or bounce off harmlessly.
"Rachael, watch the auspex readings, I'm popping the top."
"Yes Sergeant," answered the gunner obediently, eyes glued to the senor suite built into Two for Flinching.
Selena popped the turret hatch, standing in the ring and keeping a visual of where they were going. The thundering boom of an explosion sounded and there was the flash of a detonation in the distance. Flames licking up into the sky above, followed by the hellish groan of a building giving up its struggle to stay standing and even this far away from it, the collapse was hellishly loud.
"Looks like heavy arty, but the time between firing and impact is too short," said Selena into her vox bead as she looked through her magnoculars. The microphone boom attached to her helmet poised in front of her lips. "Possibly a siege gun, maybe a heavy assault gun."
"Could it be a mobilesuit?" queried the redheaded gunner, using the term that both the EA and ZAFT used for small titans.
"Maybe. No idea what they carry. Either way, I can't see what's shooting, too many buildings in the way. Driver, shift right and head onto the freeway, we'll get a better field of fire from up there."
"Yes Sergeant, traversing," called back Lisa, slewing the tank destroyer around on its axis, crushing abandoned, or hopefully abandoned cars as she did so.
Even on a straight road, the Two for Flinching was painfully slow. Maximum speed being only fifty kilometers an hour and crushing rows of abandoned and overturned cars as they moved was not helping matters.
The sky had clouded up, blanketing them in darkness and blocking out the stars or moon. The only light coming from a few functioning street lights that had managed to avoid destruction and the searchlights of emergency vehicles.
"Shit!" cursed Selena, instinctively ducking down inside the turret ring as a ripple of explosions lit up the horizon in the distance. Attack helicopters were firing volleys of missiles and the armor of the Atlantic Federation was firing at something. Bright muzzle flashes giving away the position of the Federation armor. Selena had to hand it to the EA armor boys. Although their crates didn't have the kind of firepower that Imperial armor did, they had some sexy tanks. Sleek, fast, and sexy looking.
"Target sighted. Mobilesuit at 10 O'clock," came Rachael's ever calm voice over the comm, her eagle eyes picking out the target before even Selena could.
Like an ogre, the mobilesuit thudded into view, looking like a feudal warrior with a plumed helmet and decorative wings on its back. It was lugging around a massive cannon in one hand like a rail bound siege gun, and in the other what looked like a giant auto cannon. The center of its head was dominated by a pink cyclopian eye that moved within its armored case, fixating on the advancing EA armor.
It turned its body and brought its giant auto rifle up, firing a long burst one handed that stitched a line of explosions across the open ground between it and the tanks arrayed against it. Water and pieces of car and infrastructure were thrown up as the shells traced their path forwards, hiding it in mist for a moment as the white hot shells walked up and into one of the sleek EA tanks, rupturing it and ripping it apart. It exploded spectacularly as the other tanks fired more volleys at the mobilesuit, making it stumble.
"Button up hatches! Driver! Rotate us in line with the titan! Gunner, target the chest, center mass," barked Selena, any trace of joking or mirth drained from her voice. "First shot is out or I'm ringing heads! Range?"
"Range, 2400," called back Rachael calmly, but loudly, eyes glued to her gunsights, watching another EA tank go up in flames. "Target acquired."
"Charge flash."
"Flash is charging," called back Rachael.
"Alright, flash charged, aim for the cockpit. I want this thing done in one shot!" barked Selena.
"Flash out!" called Rachel, depressing the firing pedal and with an ionizing crack that lit up the outside of the Two for Flinching in a retina searing nova of red. The super charged laser beam struck out towards the mobilesuit, turning the newly falling rain to steam as the heavens had finally let loose a torrent of water.
It struck the chest of the mobilesuit, burning through and leaving a molten hole in its wake, and continuing through the building behind the titan of war. It seemed to groan as if fell backwards, like a man letting out a last gasp of life. It threw up a great gout of water as it hit the flooded ground, rattling the windows of the still standing office buildings around it.
"Good kill! Good kill! Scratch one titan!" crowed Selena, before the smile left her face. "Second contact! Another mobilesuit, 1 O'clock! It's firing at us! Brace! BRACE!"
The crew of the Two for Flinching braced themselves as high velocity 76mm rounds thudded into the front of their tank, making it sound like a band of astartes were striking the outside of their tank destroyer with sledgehammers.
Selena mouthed a prayer to the Emperor as the rounds continued thudding into the thickest and most sloped part of the armor of the Two for Flinching.
"CHARGE FLASH!" shouted Selena to be heard over the cacophony of armor piercing shells that failed to penetrate, rebounding off of the frontal armor of the tank destroyer with pained ricochets.
"FLASH CHARGING!" shouted back Rachael.
"Oh shit," breathed Selena, horror building in her as the mobilesuit with a plumed helmet and cyclopian eye like the first picked up the heavy cannon that the other had been carrying. Bringing it in line with the Two for Flinching.
"GUNNER! FLASH OUT NOW!"
"FLASH OUT!" shouted back Rachael, pressing down a firing pedal, and launching a partially charged super las beam at the mobilesuit with a thunderclap of red light.
It struck the leg of the behemoth, melting through and severing the appendage, causing it to stumble and fall, a cloud of steam ballooning out rapidly in an angry hiss as the remnants of the las beam struck the flooded streets.
As the mobilesuit fell, it fired it's massive cannon with a thunderous diaphragm shaking boom that shattered windows. The round streaking towards the Two for Flinching crew with the roar of a freight train.
"BRACE!" shouted Selena, watching the white hot round cover the two and a half kilometers between them in a heartbeat. It arced low though, falling under the overpass and exploding, tearing out supports and sending water and debris high into the air. The impact rattling those inside the Two for Flinching.
"Driver! Reverse and reposition! 600 meters West, Southwest!"
Before the powerful V12 engine of the tank destroyer could come to life, there was a great groan and a sickening sway underneath the Cadians as the whole superstructure of the overpass began to move and bend.
"DRIVER! REVERSE NOW!" shouted Selena into her comm bead, getting no response from Lisa in the drivers compartment. They stayed immobile for several crucial seconds, the sound of cracking concrete now the most terrifying sound that Selena had ever heard in her life.
The tank lurched beneath their feet and Selena looked over at Rachael, who was looking straight back at her. With a final groan that penetrated the confines of the Two for Flinching, they began sliding forwards, heavy treads scraping on the asphalt below them as whole freeway started falling forwards and collapsing.
Selena was weightless for a sickening few moments, like she was in zero gravity, floating inside of her tank. Stomach feeling like it was rising up from her abdomen and into her throat. Bracing her arms and feet inside of her tank, hoping she wouldn't become a red stain on the inside of it shortly. Not even breathing as they fell with the mass of concrete and asphalt that until moments ago they had been perched securely on. The rush of free fall acceleration taking over and the quiet whistle of air going by the tank seeming hellishly loud.
They hit the ground and the weightlessness was replaced by being flung forwards like a stub round, Selena's had rebounding off of the metal interior of the tank, only her helmet saving her skull from being cracked like an egg. Her shoulder helped slow her impact enough to know that it was going to hurt like a bitch in the morning. It was already hurting like hell now though even with the padding that had been in the way with her light flak armor.
All in all though, Selena was pleased by the pain as odd as it sounded, because it meant that she wasn't dead. Or paralyzed, frack that. She'd rather burn up in her crate than live sucking food through a straw.
"Sound off," groaned Selena as the red lights inside the Two for Flinching flickered back on. Bathing them in a ruddy hue that made it seem as if they were all covered in blood.
"Gunner okay," said Rachael, strapped into her seat, having been saved from the impact by her safety harness, though noticeably pale, even for her marble white skin.
"Commander okay. Driver what is you status? Driver, sound off. Lisa, answer the damned vox," said Selena, fearing the worst.
"I-I'm o-okay," came the shaky voice of the young driver. Quivering like a leaf in a windstorm.
"Alright, nobody's dead, good news all around then," said Selena, sitting back in her commanders seat. "Nice shooting Rachael."
"Incoming fire bent our main gun out of alignment, otherwise I would have hit it center mass," said the redhead, sounding annoyed.
"Still hit it."
"Only in the leg. Optics are shot. Sensor and manual targeting are no good, cracked all to shit. Slave sensor still works though."
"Well that's something at least. Those EA boys are lighting that thing up with their pop guns," commented Selena, watching out of her view port. The EA tanks firing point plant into the downed mobilesuit, until it exploded violently. Sending pieces of superstructure and shrapnel flying.
"Well that's cool. Fuel tank?" asked Rachael.
"Looks more like a power pack cooking off. Driver, take us forward. Slowly, only above idle."
"Y-yes Sergeant," came back the wavering reply and with a growl the V12 multi fuel engine came to life with a throaty growl, climbing out of the rubble surrounding them. The treads made a terrible grinding sound as they rolled forwards, making Selena wince in sympathy with the tank. The suspension was probably completely shot.
"Head hurt?" asked Rachael.
"Like hell," said Selena rubbing at it.
"Think Lisa panicked?"
"Oh probably, she's green as hell. Least she's not dead like I thought."
"I miss Susan," huffed the red haired Cadian.
"I miss her too. Buck up though, we were replacements too at one time remember?"
"Yeah, you're right. I hated being a sponson gunner."
"You hated it?" laughed Selena. "I'm six feet tall and got shoulders like a grox. At least you fit in it. I had to get pulled out of the fricking thing because my legs would fall asleep and I'd get stuck. You're just being a negative Nelly."
"Neigh," mimicked Rachael in a dull monotone.
"Anything on auspex?"
"No, most of our sensorium got shredded when we got beat like a drum. We're mostly blind and limited to what Lisa can see."
"Alright, I'm popping the top."
"You'll get wet."
"Always am with you around my fiery goddess," winked Selena to the eye rolling Rachael, as she popped the top of the Two for Flinching, standing up in the turret ring.
The rain pelted down on Selena, making her instantly miserable, but she brought her magnoculars up, bathing the landscape in an inky green, icons popping up and displaying the EA tanks arrayed around them.
They rolled forwards for a ways unchallenged, but several EA tanks spun around on their axis, treads churning up water as they turned to face the Imperials. Selena waved at them to let them know she was friendly.
One of the EA tanks rolled up to the Two for Flinching and Selena was a little jealous of the speed the thing possessed. It looked like it could easily go two to three times faster than they could. Though going from what had just happened, she would go for her slow and ugly bucket of bolts than the fast and thin skinned EA ones.
"Driver halt," called Selena as one of the EA tanks pulled up alongside their, engine idling. The top turret hatch popped open and a man with a tankers helmet popping out.
"Ahoy there stranger," said Selena waving and welcoming the other tank commander.
"Hey there yourself. You guys the ones who knocked out those two GINNs?" asked the man.
"I usually knock back more than two gins, but if you're talking about the mobilesuits over there, then you're looking at the right ladies," yelled back Selena to be heard over the two rumbling engines and rain.
"What kind of gun you have on there?" asked the EA tanker, gesturing towards the Two for Flinching.
"A big ass laser cannon. Don't mind the rest of the crate, got beat to rat shit when we got lit up on the freeway. Gotta love composite plas steel and ceramite armor eh?"
"What unit are you girls from?"
"13th Cadian Tank Hunter Regiment, Imperial Guard. You?"
"11th ACR, Black Horse. Atlantic Federation armored corps. Glad you girls came when you did."
"No problem, but how in the hell were you not penetrating that thing, we cut through it like butter."
"These tanks are older than I am and haven't come out with an upgrade for them since before I was born. All the funding we get goes towards getting more of those ZAFT clones for the space forces and air force," answered the commander, slapping his hand down on turret ring of his tank.
"Fucking navy am I right?"
"You said it," laughed the EA commander, before he put his hand to his ear quickly, face becoming serious again. "We've got another GINN heading down to the disaster relief center. You still combat effective?"
"We still got charges, just can't see shit," said Selena. "Can't go too fast either, but we couldn't go fast before we fell off of the bridge."
"That's fine, it's not too far away from here. Think you can make it three kilometers?"
"If it's only three kilometers away, if I can get a clear line of sight I can smoke it from here."
"Really?" asked the EA tanker, sounding incredulous.
"Yeah, no problem. This bitch can punch through just about anything," bragged Selena, affectionately patting the top of her tank destroyer.
"Okay, well stick with us and we'll make sure you can get a shot off."
"Sounds good. Lets get going eh? My gunner is still a bit miffed that she didn't kill the second GINN outright and wants another chance to heal her pride."
"Alright then, just follow us out," said the EA tank commander, before heading back down into the bowels of his tank and closing the turret lid with a solid clang.
It was pouring rain yet, but Selena chose observation over comfort, standing up in the turret ring against the lashing droplets, eyes scanning the surrounding streets and causeways for any more ambushes or mobilesuits. Targeting scanner in her hands and constantly up to her eyes. Wondering with every angry grind of their damaged tread when the track would snap or a drive wheel simply fall off or seize up.
"Gunner, keep the main cannon charged, I want that thing lit at a moments notice."
"Already charged Commander."
"Good girl," praised Selena, bringing the targeting reticule back up to her eyes and sweeping it back and forth.
Selena felt a tingle, the kind of thing that one develops when they've been to war most of their life. A little warning system that something isn't quite right and that things could get real shitty real quick. She heard it before the targeting sensor picked up the heat spike, a growl of air getting sucked in, like a man making a huff of indignation.
"CONTACT, 3 O'CLOCK!" Shouted Selena over her comm bead, before cannon fire washed away the growl of their engines, taking the lead EA tank in a flurry of shots, ripping into it and rupturing its power cell. Selena threw up her hands to shield herself from the blast and heard the whistle of something metal and sharp moving by her head quickly. Hot air kissing her roughly like a particularly brave or rowdy boy.
When she could look again, she saw the turret of one of the EA tanks landing with a resounding crash on the pavement, throwing away the two feet of water covering it like it wasn't even there. The other tanks moving with the roaring of engines, grinding of treads, and the whirr of turning turrets, lining up a shot on the GINN. The small titan itself slowly lining up a shot on the next tank in line.
A resounding boom that created a bubble of water droplets around the lead EA tank as a round, white hot and cutting a tunnel through the falling rain shot outwards like a shooting star, staggering the mobilesuit when it hit. A symphony of cannon fire followed as each tank in line fired at the GINN, noise canceling headphones stopping Selena from going completely deaf so close to large cannon fire.
Selena pulled out an auspex designator, mouthing the prayer of activation as she made the machine spirit greet and agree to work with the machine spirit of the slave sensor in the Two for Flinching's cannon.
With a beep, the machine spirit accepted the partnership and Selena brought it to her eyes, roughly wiping away the water droplets from the snout of the auspex designator, watching numbers scroll across the bottom right corner of the pict screen. The cannon of the Two for Flinching twitching ever so slightly in response.
A bright greenish white light filled the night vision function of the auspex designator and Selena was already dropping into the tank without even having it register that what she had seen coming towards her were armor piercing cannon shots. One shook the tank as it tore off the turret hatch that Selena had been standing up behind only a moment earlier, a pained ringing vibrating from the tank like a bad tuning fork from the impact.
Selena having an excellent view of the hatch flying away from the floor of the Two for Flinching.
"Selena?!" called Rachael, voice unnaturally animated, betraying her concern for her friend as her voice crackled across their vox.
"Still operational, just be ready to shoot when I get you a target."
"Yes Sergeant."
An explosion shook the Two for Flinching on its suspension as the GINN claimed another EA forces tank in a hail of cannon fire. Selena forced herself back up into the turret ring and lashing rain, only to be greeted by the freshly burning hull of an EA tank.
She lined up the designating auspex until the machine spirit chimed its glee at acquiring a positive lock. An orange dashed line showing the projected path of the las shot and a solid red line where the designator was pointing.
"Driver! Rotate 30 degrees right!"
"Rotating!" called back Lisa, the growl of the V12 and grinding of damaged tracks answering a moment later, squealing in protest. Drive wheels churning up water around them.
"Target aligned!" called out Rachael.
"Flash!"
"Flash out!" confirmed Rachael, giving Selena exactly half a second to cover her eyes and look away to prevent her from going blind as a nova of searing red light erupted from the end of their cannon. The light reflecting off of the glass windows like mirrors, bathing them and the street they were on in a hellish red light. The discharge of the shot so close making steam rise off of Selena as the water drenching her was vaporized from the heat and she was sure that later she would have a wicked case of sunburn. A boom of ionized thunder washed over Selena, coming dully coming through the noise canceling headphones.
The super charged las round rocketed past the right arm of the GINN, slagging part of an office building and turning falling rain to steam. Molten steel and bubbling glass fell with an angry gout of steam into the water below the building.
"Miss! Charge flash!"
"Charging!"
"Calibrating," came the monotone voice of the machine spirit in Selena's hands, a circle rotating on the view finder as it did so.
Windows rattled with the deep booms of tanks firing their main cannons, sending rounds arcing around the GINN, despite the close range. It was then that Selena realized that there must be a machine spirit aboard the mobilesuit confusing the machine spirits of their targeting auspexes and why their machine spirit was giving wrong direction to its partner.
"Flash Charged!"
"Calibrating," answered the designator auspex as if mocking the red haired gunner.
There was a thud like a giant taking a step, followed by the pattering of heavy water falling into a larger pool. Then another. The GINN was taking steps towards them, each one coming slightly faster than the last.
"Driver! Reverse full!"
"Reversing!"
With an angry grinding, the Two for Flinching began moving backwards as fast as its damaged drive train would allow, Selena doing a quick 360 scan to make sure that they weren't about to run into anything big enough to make them stop. Turning around in time just to see the GINN start spraying down the four lane road with high velocity shells.
A line of explosions walked its way up the flooded street, and onto an EA tank, rupturing and exploding the machine, before quickly switching to a second tank and repeating the process.
"Calibrated," said the machine spirit in Selena's hands casually.
"Driver halt!" yelled Selena as another EA tank exploded violently, its last shot going wide of the GINN. The Two for Flinching came to a screeching halt and Selena quickly brought the designator back up onto the GINN. Through the targeting auspex, she saw the GINN raise its rifle in line with them.
"Flash now!"
"Flash out!" yelled Rachael, giving Selena once again a half second to take precautions against going blind. With a crack of ionizing thunder, the super charged las round lashed out and slagged the arm and rifle of the GINN, cooking off all the remaining rounds in the weapon. The force of the explosion sending the mobilesuit careening into a building at its side like a drunk man stumbling.
It staggered back up into position from the cracked concrete of the building, stumbling again as an EA tank scored a direct hit, before drawing itself up to its full height, cyclopian eye fixed squarely on Selena. It pulled something off of its waist in its remaining hand and with a hiss followed by a loud humming, a pink blade burst to life in its hand displaying impressive techno wizardry.
"Calibrating," chimed the targeting auspex.
"Fracking piece of shit!" cursed Selena angrily at the machine spirit as the GINN began a lurching run towards them.
"Driver! Reverse full!"
"Reversing!" called back Lisa as she threw the tank into gear. They moved about five feet before with a tortured squeal, there was a loud pop and the right tread lashed up into the air and slapped down into the water in front of them like a whip, causing them to slew sideways as only one tread pushed them around on their axis.
A curse died in inception in Selena's mouth as she watched the GINN slice an EA tank down the center, before stabbing another through the top of the turret. The blade going through the tanks like a hot knife through butter.
It sliced the last EA tank in half as it spun around trying to escape, the GINN breaking into a full sprint towards the Cadian crew. The two halves of the EA tank glowing brightly for a moment, its crew reduced to steaming vapor before exploding.
"Calibration confirmed."
"Driver! Get us in line!"
"Traversing!" answered Lisa, making the Two for Flinching skid around its axis with only one working tread, making the right side of the tank claw into the pavement beneath them with a grating of asphalt and steel.
"Target aligned!"
"Flash it!" Barked Selena.
"Flash out!"
A brilliant red beam shot out once again, making the glass around them act like mirrors, refracting and bathing everything in a hellish red with the GINN looming over top of them.
Like a spear, it punched through the mobilesuit, coring the machine as it removed the cockpit from the construct and pilot along with it. It stumbled forward under its own momentum, before falling to the water flooded street below with a crash. Its flickering pink blade turning the water to steam around it as it hit the ground. The water bubbling and hissing as it turned to a cloud of super heated water rising angrily into the air, the asphalt below bubbling and melting before the blade guttered out of life with a snap.
Selena ducked down into the body of the Two for Flinching to avoid being cooked by the cloud of steam. When it had cleared enough, she popped back up over the lip of the turret and saw the single eye of the GINN looking at her through the haze of steam. There was a final exhale of the super charger on the machine that sounded like air leaving a mans lungs before the machine grew silent, and the eye slowly dimmed before it went out.
Selena stared for a moment without making a sound, then she began to laugh. Slowly at first, only a dry chuckle really, but a great wide smile accompanied it and she jumped back down into the main body of the tank.
"That's my girls!" crowed the amazonian blonde happily, grabbing Rachael and giving the top of her helmet a quick kiss.
"Nice driving Lisa, you did good," said Selena into her helmet comm, still giggling as she banged her fist off the forward compartment wall of the tank.
"Thank you Sergeant," came the crackly reply and a few thumps in return from.
"Ah, Emperor's grace that was tense," said Selena sinking into her seat and taking off her helmet, brushing her damp blonde hair away from her face, chuckling to herself.
"What do you think is going on Sarge?"
"Not a clue Rachael. Best as I can tell a big fracking rock hit this blue ball and people are shooting each other so it's par for the course. What I am going to do is put a tarp over the top of this crate and then we're going to sit tight so that nobody messes with the machine spirit," said Selena, grabbing a las carbine from the back wall of the tank.
"I'll take first watch, you girls get some sleep."
"You sure?"
"Positive. I've got way too much adrenaline going through me to sleep right now. Don't worry though, you're shift is next and I'll make sure that it's twice as long as mine," said Selena with a wink.
"You are incredibly caring Sergeant."
xxx
The previous day
"Are you sure that you will not be joining me Colonel? This is going to be a very dangerous mission that the crew of the Minerva will be undertaking."
"I thank you for your concern Chairman, but it would be cowardly for me to abandon this ship and crew at this time. My life is not so valuable that extraordinary measures must be taken to preserve it. This ship and crew took myself and my aide into their protection in a time of need. The least I can do is stand with them in theirs."
"Standing with them here while noble, is a rather fruitless gesture Colonel. There is nothing more that you can do to help here."
"Perhaps, but sometimes all that is required of a guardsman is that he does stand. For that is what we do Chairman. Do not worry for my safety, the Korps will merely issue you another representative should I meet an untimely demise."
"I wish you well then Colonel, and hope to see you again."
"You as well Chairman," said Heinrich, watching the chairman and his aides filter into an escape shuttle. They would be picked up by another ship in their flotilla and taken back to the PLANTs. The Minerva was going to be in combat again shortly and the risk to their leader had been deemed too great. The loss of whom could throw their government into turmoil should his life be snuffed out. A logical decision then to see him removed from harms way.
After the shuttle had departed, Heinrich began making his way to one of the shelters onboard. His aide only ever two steps behind.
"Sergeant."
"Yes Sir?" answered the NCO obediently.
"Do you have your service pistol loaded?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, you may have need of it."
"Understood sir."
Heinrich could have explained further to the Krieger about the possibilities of their current situation spiraling further out of control that it already was. Assuming that even the smallest of fragments made their way down to the planets surface the potential for loss of life would be catastrophic. Such loss of life would fuel the base human instincts and emotions that had propelled mankind forward for millennium and ignite them into a blazing inferno of revenge.
It wouldn't matter who had done it or why, all they would need was to find out enough to link them to a group, whether ethnic, religious, or political. Once they had that, they could direct their pain and loss at them.
Heinrich could have told his Sergeant about the possibility of their ZAFT hosts becoming enemies depending on what the Imperium chose to do, but it was unnecessary.
All the Sergeant had to know, was that he would need to kill. Now all that was left was to return to the bridge and watch the battle unfold.
Xxx
"Lord, we are approaching the falling station of Junius 7," called out the helmsman.
"Very good, keep her steady. Sensorium, what is the status of the station?" asked Captain Lee, perched in his command throne like an eagle waiting to swoop down and strike its prey. Dark eyes sharp and inquisitive as they scanned data feeds.
"Rapid fluctuations in heat signatures as well as radar contact disappearances, followed by additional debris. Radio communications confirm that a battle is taking place."
"Large heat sources at the rear of the station debris. Engines pushing the station towards the planet body most likely with a 99.394% chance lord."
"Who is the battle between?" asked Captain Lee.
"ZAFT forces and unknowns, though their IFF tags are nearly identical to those used by early ZAFT space force units lord."
"Open a vox link with the flagship of the ZAFT forces attempting to break up the station."
"Aye Lord."
A moment later, the rather surprised face of a woman in a white naval uniform filled the screen.
"This is a secure channel, how did you manage to open it?" asked the woman.
"The machine spirits aboard the Angry Beadle are most powerful. I am Captain Lee of the Mars class Battle cruiser Angry Beadle in the Shining Pinnacle Crusade Fleet. To whom am I speaking?"
"I am Captain Gladys of the Minerva, ZAFT Home Fleet, 12th flotilla."
"I am responding to the transmission sent by one Colonel Heinrich von Shreider of the 45th Mobile Siege Regiment. I am calling to inform you that we will prevent the debris from Junius 7 from falling. Clear the firing line, Captain Lee, Out."
The view screen abruptly went dark and then mere moments later an alarm began to blare and flash.
"Ma'am it's...an asteroid collision warning," said Meyrin sounding surprised.
"It's not an asteroid."
It was Heinrich who had spoken, standing impassive at the rear of the bridge, his aide standing at parade rest behind him. Both dressed in Korps battle regalia complete with expressionless masks of dull brass.
"Check your view feed."
Meyrin stared at the Krieg officer for a moment as if stunned, before typing in a rapid series of commands into her console, switching the view to the starboard side external cameras.
Prayers and litanies of protection, faith, courage, and devotion filled the view of the cameras. Carved into the admantanium flesh of the vessel they were spectator to. Pointed and jagged like a chipped blade with rough lines speaking of a people needing weapons built quickly and functionally, lacking the need, or perhaps the desire for the smooth lines that marked ZAFT ships. Gargoyles and carved angles standing tens of meters tall stood silent vigil over the batteries of macro cannons peering out from their armored crenelations. Litanies of protection marked into the chests of the statues as they stood watch. Though they were not peaceful guardians. Brandishing swords or else snarling fangs, they stood challengingly, demanding a foe to test their might.
Gothic spires and towers rose from the body of the ship like the spines of an animal that was bristling in a show of force.
Entire wings of fighter craft flanked the vessel on every side, like baby sharks sticking close their mother. They flew in loose formations, only the yellow burn of their engines giving them away in the black void around them.
Lance batteries atop the ship as large as the Minerva itself rotating on their massive turret rings to line up a shot on the remains of the Junius Colony as the most impressive weapon aboard the ship, a cannon running nearly the length of it seemed to stay inactive.
Bright blue energy gathered around the barrels of the gigantic lance batteries and grew to dangerous size before lashing out.
xxx
Lunamaria watched as mobilesuits, both friendly and not disappeared from her HUD with alarming speed.
The GINN pilots who were pushing the remains of Junius 7 towards Earth were veteran pilots, and they were good. Though their suits were first generation, they made the current ZAFT forces look like children. Not to mention the fact that the three stolen suits aboard Bogey 1 were here as well, ripping both sides apart.
An alarm blared in Lunamaria's suit as it highlighted a new threat, moments before a visual presented itself in a smaller screen in her HUD.
"Missiles inbound!" cried out Luna, as a wave of anti-mobilesuit missiles streaked across the remains of the colony. Targeting and chasing down ZAFT forces with frightening precision.
She hit her thrusters and flew into a fissure created when the colony had split under the force of nuclear detonation. The opening flanked by collapsed skyscrapers, reaching out of the ground like bony fingers. Flesh stripped bare and reaching upwards as if pleading for something. Lt. Towers was right behind her as she flew through their shadows and into the remains of the colony.
They flew past what had once been the inner workings of the colony. The water recycling and purification systems. Air filtration plants and power transformers. Massive constructs of metal and machinery that towered even above the Mobilesuits that they flew. Water reservoir tanks long since ruptured and their frozen contents floating around in jagged, shiny shards. Some no larger a pinhead, others the size of the Minerva. They were flying through the heart of Junius 7. A heart that had ceased to beat and long since grown cold.
Lunamaria let out a short shriek and felt her body freeze up as her breath came in short gasps as a piece of debris struck the optics on her Zaku and shattered into a million icy shards. She tried to tell herself that it was just frozen water. That she had only hit ice, but ice doesn't wear clothes, and it doesn't shatter into red fragments when you hit it. She had hit a corpse, and it wasn't the only one down here.
Technicians, maintenance workers, and cleaning staff were all right where they were on the day that Junius had been hit. Their workstations having become their tomb. Frozen solid when the innards of the Colony had been exposed to the vacuum of space. The access shaft that they had to travel through if they wanted to escape filled with them.
"Jesus, there must be hundreds of them down here," said Emily over the comm.
"We...we have to push through," said Lunamaria, her own voice sounding uncertain, even to her.
"Aye ma'am," was all Emily said in response.
Lunamaria cringed every time a body smashed to pieces off of her mobilesuit. Red fragments exploding outwards like sick confetti.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," mumbled Lunamaria to herself as her Zaku pulverized everything in her way. Lunamaria hearing only the lightest of thumps when one of the 'objects' struck outside of her cockpit.
"Ma'am, an opening above us," came Towers' voice and picture over the comm. Looking noticeably greener, even through the screen.
"Right, keep distance so we're not an easy target when we emerge."
"Roger."
Lunamaria had her weapons on her suit ready, but her mind was a million miles away. All she could see was those bodies hitting her Zaku and shattering into clouds of red powder. Those had been people, people like her living on the colonies. Was that how easy it was to die? Was she going to be killed the moment that she cleared the lip of the crater they were in?
Lunamaria's bowels clenched and turned to water, her stomach tying itself in knots as fear blossomed in her chest and strangled the air out of her lungs. She gripped the controls harder, but the icy ball of dread only seemed to grow as she watched more units disappear from her HUD. Each of them the name of the pilot attached, each of them disappearing with with only at electronic beep.
"I can do this, I can do this," coached Lunamaria to herself. She increased the power to her thrusters and burst from the Innards of Junius 7. Just in time to see her world turn blue and the colony rip itself apart.
Xxx
Captain Lee watched the Colony break up under the barrage of his ships lance batteries. Blue beams slashing and bullying their way through miles of rock, turning it to slag and breaking it apart. Catching some unlucky machines in the blast and their pilots who were unlucky enough, or else not quick enough to escape.
Warfare in space was slow, measured, dispassionate. The way that war and battles were meant to be fought.
"Target debris group Tartarus with lance barrage from batteries K1-K4. Ready. Mark. Target destroyed. Reacquire to target Vermillion. Ready. Mark."
As Lee watched another barrage of lance fire fragment another piece of the colony, he couldn't help but frown. Too many fragments were still going to hit the planet body. They hadn't broken it apart in time so although it wasn't going to hit in a solid peace anymore, it was going to hit in a shotgun spread pattern and still accomplish what it was meant to as a single piece.
"Helmsman, increase speed 20, take us into the center of the colony debris field."
"Increasing speed 20 aye, setting course for debris field center," answered back the helmsman immediately. The ironclad discipline of the Imperial Navy making him obey a suicidal sounding order without question.
"Fighter escorts have engaged enemy space forces. Four kills, two losses Sir. They're requesting permission to engage the mother ships my lord. Three Laurasia Class ships 8000 to port."
"Negative, engage with macro batteries, full broadside."
"Aye sir."
In the bowels of the ship legions of naval personnel oversaw the loading and preparation of the macro cannons. Serfs pushing gigantic shells up the ramps of auto loading systems that had long ago broken and yet to be fixed on the millennia old ship. Ecclesiarchial priests extolling them to greater speed and feats of strength, before switching to reading passages from their holy texts. Mechanicus priests performing rituals of loading and accuracy to ensure that the macro rounds found their mark and operated as intended.
The clangs and clashes were near deafening as the macro cannons were loaded like breech artillery as tonnes of metal collided with each other, before locking into place. The preists' sermon reaching a fever pitch as the macro cannons were cleared to fire and launched their immense shells across the vast distances of space.
Back on the bridge, Lee watched the Laurasia disappear in blossoms of fire as the steel of their hulls peeled back like the petals of a flower.
"Targets destroyed my lord," confirmed the sensorium officer.
"Approaching debris field center my lord," called the helmsman, even as the Angry Beadle, was battered by the smaller pieces of rock from the disintegrating colony.
"Excellent, prepare a micro warp jump to coordinates 9032-3821."
"Aye, preparing micro jump lord."
A well rehearsed flurry of activity came to life on the bridge. Like a choreographed dance they attended to their duties with more care and diligence that they had even shown when engaging the enemy vessels and the falling colony.
"Micro jump in 30 my lord."
Armored blast shutters closed over every glass viewing port on the Angry Beadle as preachers both mechanicus and ecclesiarchial led their congregations in prayer, hoping for a safe and successful warp jump that would see them spared from the terrors of the warp.
"20 to jump my lord."
A hum built up along the body of the Angry Beadle and those who were sleeping on their off shift twisted and turned in their sleep, suddenly assaulted by terrible nightmares. The light overhead flickering ever so imperceptibly as power was fed to the warp engines
"10 to jump my lord."
Purplish black light began to spasm around the Angry Beadle as it began to tear at the very fabric of reality around itself. Exciting the numerous entities that dwelled within its chaotic depths.
"Jumping my lord."
With a silent shriek reality was torn asunder and a swirling portal of impssible light and energy was released, drawing in tonne after tonne of rock and molten slag into the eternal nothingness. The Angry Beadle merged into the warp portal, taking more than half of the colony with it. The portal remained open for several seconds after the glow of the Imperial ships' engines disappeared. As it was closing, the portal spat something back out, a mobilesuit from the battle that spun listlessly before seeming to right itself in the oddly human way that mobilesuits can do, and then headed for its mothership at full burn.
Current night
Djibril didn't know where he was or how much time had passed, but found that he had trouble collecting his thoughts. Like every time he tried to gather them about himself, they would fall away like water from open hands. Were he more lucid, he might be able to deduce that he had been drugged.
He felt a sensation of falling, then a pinching sensation in his neck and then a cold rush of energy surging through his body like he had been bathed in ice water. He gasped at the experience and felt his thoughts return to him, a moment before a bag was taken off of his head and he was once again able to see. What he saw surprised him.
Sitting across from him was an elderly man in an elaborate series of red robes with a great crown atop his head. Skeletal support systems helping to support the mans body and breathing tubes snaking their way into his nose, sitting across from him with a table filled with pastries and tea. Lit candles providing the only light in the grassy clearing that they found themselves in.
"I must apologize in advance for the gruff invitation that you received. I am afraid that a more civil invitation was out of the question."
"Asking was too damned hard then I presum-nghh," said Djibril as an armored hand descended on his shoulder, squeezing his shoulder like a vice. He could feel the power in that grip, that if its owner wanted to, they could crush his shoulder into powder.
"Choose your words carefully around the Cardinal, heathen." The voice was feminine, but forged from steel and fire and dripping with malice, chilling Djibrils bowels to hear it, but he refused to let it show.
"Canoness Josephine is a very devoted servant and old friend of mine. She is zealous in her duties, a trait which I admire and implore you to remember."
"I will endeavor to do as you say," said Djibril, refusing to rub his shoulder after the Canoness removed her hand.
"Tea? It's very good I assure you."
"I would love some tea, yes thank you."
From off to Djibril's side, a woman who appeared to be in her twenties in plain white gray robes and jet black hair with pale skin approached and picked up the teapot, pouring until exactly three quarters of his cup was filled with tea, before backing away again. There was a dark blue fleur de leis on her cheek below her left eye.
Djibril sipped his tea and weighed his options. He didn't know where he was, but deduced this man to be with the aliens that had come from outside of their solar system. Though they looked human, he doubted it very much. If anything they were probably worse than coordinators. He had to be careful how he played his hand here though, he had to keep his host happy.
"Now that we have our drinks, I believe that I should give you my name. I am Hassan, Cardinal of the Imperial Church. I am also someone of a mind to help you in your...labor? I suppose we could call it that. Don't look coy now, I know full well of your hatred for the coordinators and I wish to tell you that should you choose to pursue with your plan to annihilate them, you will receive no resistance from Imperial forces. We understand that we are guests here and do not wish to meddle unduly with your internal politics."
"I must say that you have me at a great disadvantage and I am nearly lost for words."
"Yet you do not dispute the claim."
"There seems little point in doing so. You seem to understand what I am doing as well as I do. If this is just a courtesy to me, then why did you feel it necessary to require me to hire entirely new staff?"
"My agents are quite enthusiastic in their work and given what has transpired as a result of your plans, I could not help but allow them a certain...professional discretion as to their actions. The death of an Imperial Cardinal, whether intentional or not is not something to be so easily forgotten. Or forgiven."
"Then why am I still alive?"
"I could change that for you if you would like,"said Hassan, voice deadly calm. A click of metal followed was shortly followed by the largest blade Djibril had ever seen was resting on his shoulder. Its serrated teeth eager to race around their track and bite into his flesh.
"I quite like how I am now thank you Cardinal. Whole, and alive."
"Don't we all?" asked Hassan, smiling widely. "Josephine, you may sheathe your weapon."
"At once your grace," replied the sororitas immediately and obediently, putting her blade away.
"Just understand this Djibril and listen well so that you don't forget. You can have the war you want, wage it as you see fit, and do as you so please, so long as you remember one thing. The will of the Emperor is absolute in this world and the next. His voice drowns out all others so that only his is heard. I speak the Emperor's words, his will given voice to be turned to action. Remember that Djibril."
As by some unknown and unseen command, several sororitas began disassembling the lighting and furniture set up for the Cardinal's impromptu meeting. Packing it away and carrying it back aboard the shuttle. Hassan himself being helped to his feet by the Sister Superior Josephine.
"Oh, and one more thing Djibril, I have a gift for you. Dabria."
The name was more a curt command than an introduction, one which called forth the raven haired sororitas from earlier, hands clasped demurely in front of her waist as she approached silently as death. Face downcast and eyes closed. She stood straight and tall, like an automaton awaiting direction.
"Dabria will serve you as your personal assistant and attendant for the foreseeable future. She is quite capable, but I will caution you. Though she is instructed to keep you safe, it is up to her to determine what is 'safe'. Although she won't be much for conversation. She has taken a holy vow of silence and as such will not speak. Do take care."
The Cardinal's age ravaged face broke into a smile at that and Djibril watched his withered frame retreat back up the ramp to his his shuttle, barely holding back his contempt at the man. No, the damned alien pretending to be human, no better than the coordinator monsters hanging over their heads like an ax ready to fall.
That old withered husk would regret not killing him while he had the chance. Once he was finished with the coordinators the Imperials would be next. Requiem would see to that.
Djibril watched the shuttle leave and only once it was lost to the night sky did he let his anger show. Vented it in a low growl as much an act of defiance as to assuage his wounded pride.
"The Emperor's voice? More like the senile delusions of an old dying man fed a lifetime of grotesque praise for being a false diviner. Surrounding himself with women to slake his own perversions no doubt, and you? What are you? A bitch called to heel at the beckoning of that old freak, or a plaything that he's grown tired of?"
Djibril's anger only grew as the stony look of nothingness stayed on the woman's face with the fleur de leis tattoo on her cheek. Head still downcast and eyes closed.
"I assume that you know a way out of here then, or had you planned on starving to death out here?" seethed Djibril, wishing nothing more than to strike the woman before him, tear her to pieces, but then he would be truly alone and he had little faith in his own survival skills.
Silently, the woman turned in place and began walking through the brush, forcing Djibril to follow or else be left behind in the forest. The woman moving as effortlessly as a ghost and quiet as death.
AN: I'm baaaack. What is dead may never die but rise stronger and harder. Also I like tank battle so expect more of those, and if you've seen the stargazer movie you know why those Ginns acted so clumsy. Hint hint, child murder.