Djibril was suspicious of Dabria to be sure. He knew that she was spying on him and no doubt she was meant to kill him on a word from Cardinal Hassan. The blade at his throat so to speak, yet she had proved herself invaluable to him.
Not only had she saved his life when Pierre had tried to back out of their plan, but she was putting her skills to great use in his service.
He had sent her off with a list of names and she had left silently in the night two weeks ago without so much as a word. Not that she spoke much to begin with.
Singh had been the first one to go and the first on the list. He had passed silently in his sleep. Natural causes they had said and people had agreed. After all, he was getting old.
The one after that, the next on the list had been crushed by falling debris when he had been inspecting the extend of the devastation in Mumbai. He had been warned that the area wasn't safe and yet he had gone anyways. Such a compassionate man Arjun had always been.
Dao had died in a drunken car accident after attending a benefit for the victims of the colony drop. Dao had always been a lush and a drunkard. Everyone knew it and most weren't surprised at all that he had met his end in that way.
The Minister of the interior had been the most interesting one. Shamim had found his wife involved in an affair with both his brother and the Minister of Foreign affairs Sabbir. Shamim had killed his wife and brother upon the discovery, but then been killed in turn by Sabbir. Sabbir had then hung himself in his cell once apprehended, unable to deal with the shame and scandal. Sabbir had had the misfortune of also finding his name on the list.
And so it had carried on in this fashion until the one next in line for succession was Field Marshal Kaleka. He had only just been sworn in an hour ago and was already declaring martial law until the situation in the Equatorial Union could be stabilized. Privately he had pledged unconditional support to the Atlantic Federation and promised that as soon as he possibly could the Equatorial Union would be joining the Earth Alliance. Which would bring the Equatorial Unions' vast, if somewhat obsolete military forces at the disposal of the EA.
The only unexpected obstacle that he was encountering was the opposition from within LOGOS itself. Too many of the members were getting cold feet about entering into another war with the coordinators, though none had tried anything as drastic as what Pierre had. Even if they did though and managed to get past his security and buy off his guards the one thing that they could never get past was Dabria.
If any other members of LOGOS were thinking about removing him from his current role, the mutilated corpse of Pierre that had been found crucified next to the Eiffel Tower had quieted any dissent that they might raise. Dabria was brutal, sadistically so, but always with a purpose and never without direction. Professionally cruel some might say.
There was a light rap in Djibril's office, like somebody had tapped their foot impatiently and it came from directly in front of his desk. Looking up from his screen, Djibril had to force himself not to jump out of his chair in fright.
Standing in front of him was the black-suited death cultist who had helped butcher his staff at his Luxembourg mansion. Body seeming to steal the light from around it and a mask of enamel white on its face set in a theatrical expression of joy. Grinning in a macabre fashion at Djibril. Glittering gold eyes peering out from the face of the mask. Djibril was sure that had the assassin not wanted him to hear her, he wouldn't have.
Reaching up her hand, the assassin removed the mask of enamel white, revealing the face of Dabria returned from her mission. Like she was a jester or some kind of circus performer, she gave an exaggerated bow and twirling the mask around her hand made it disappear.
"It's good to have you back, you did good work and I'm very proud of you," praised Djibril. Taken aback when something like shock or surprise passed briefly across Dabria's face, before disappearing and instead being replaced by the stony nothingness that was the default expression on her face. Golden eyes widening for the briefest of moments. Was she not used to praise or gratitude? Djibril mentally filed that away for further use.
"I've seen the results of your work and I have to say that it's everything I could have ever hoped for. We're now in position where all nations of the world, save for the Kingdom of Scandinavia and Orb are united under the banner of the EA. I wonder though, how did you find it?"
By way of reply, the enamel white mask of joy reappeared in Dabria's hand and she brought it over her face. The mask smiling ghoulishly at Djibril.
"You do know that can talk to me if you so wish right?"
Dabria merely tilted her head in an exaggerated fashion, the mask on her face making it appear as though she was laughing at the suggestion.
Djibril sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose in irritation, jumping in alarm when he heard the door handle into his office begin to turn.
A half formed warning died in inception as Djibril realized that Dabria was already gone as his maid entered his study carrying a silver tray with the coffee that he had asked for.
"Colombian, as you requested Lord," said his maid politely setting down his coffee before leaving. Djibril watched her go and shut the door behind her, before he reached for his drink, only to find it already in the hand of the black suited assassin, now lacking her enamel white mask. She put a stick into it and watched the color change. Seemingly satisfied she handed it to him.
"You think someone is going to poison me in my own home?"
By way of reply Dabria pulled out a string of glass vials, each containing different colored liquids.
Xxx
"Goddammit," muttered Lunamaria in irritation as she swapped out the magazine in her pistol for a fresh one. Noting the wide and scattered grouping on the target in front of her.
She was the only one out on the outside deck which suited her just fine. It was a warm and sunny day out without being hot and the smell of the sea was fresh and pleasant. There was a breeze, but it was light and served more to keep one cool than to make one uncomfortable. Yet the nicest day could not improve her current mood.
In her Zaku she could hit practically anything at any distance her beam rifle could reach out to. With a pistol in her own two hands though? She'd just failed the yearly qualification for her sidearm and was being given a few days for extra training before she had to take retake the qualification test. So far it looked like it was going to end up much the same as the last time.
"Good morning Lieutenant, sleep well?"
"Oh, uh, sir," said Lunamaria taken off guard and setting down her pistol, before snapping off a crisp salute to the Imperial officer which he returned without delay.
"I must apologize if I disturbed you Lieutenant. I have taken to having daily walks in the morning. Fresh air without a mask is something of a luxury to me you see."
Lunamaria saw the General's two skull masked guards keep a respectful distance as he himself walked up to her.
"It's no problem at all sir, I'm just practicing my pistol marksmanship for my qualification test."
"That is most diligent Lieutenant, I must say that I approve. Improving your skills and familiarity with all weapons at your disposal is essential for a soldier. Pardon my prodding, but was the qualification test not held yesterday?"
"It was sir, but I failed it. So, I was told to practice and so here I am."
"I see," was all the General said and Lunamaria could feel the disapproval in the tone of his voice. "Would you mind if I watched you shoot Lieutenant?"
"No sir, not at all."
"Very well then, I will observe. Continue."
Somewhat awkwardly Lunamaria picked up her pistol and fired off the magazine as a new target popped up, huffing in annoyance as the grouping of shots simply didn't exist. It looked more like a shotgun spread. Lunamaria set the gun down and looked to the General, wondering how much he would berate her. His gray eyes the color of hardened steel meeting her own.
"You twitch you wrist when you fire, but you also pull instead of squeeze the trigger when you fire. See how your shots gravitate to the right hand side of your target?"
"Yes sir."
"You need to practice pulling the trigger straight back and keeping your wrists still. The recoil of your 9mm auto pistol isn't going to hurt you, nor is it overly severe, you don't need to push back against it. Here, we'll practice dry firing. Just focus on keeping the sight picture the same after you pull the trigger as before."
Heinrich stood right beside Lunamaria as she began pulling the trigger of her pistol with a sharp click.
"Focus only on keeping the sight in the same place. See how the muzzle wobbles when you pull the trigger? Focus on only keeping it in place. Squeeze it back slowly in an even application of force. Good. That's better already," complimented the Krieg General.
They must have practiced only dry firing for 20 minutes with her shooting stance also being critiqued, before the General held out a loaded magazine towards her.
"Now we will try it with live rounds. Remember, don't be scared of the recoil and don't push against it. 15 shot grouping to your front, on your own time go on."
"Yes sir," said Lunamaria and began shooting, focusing on only the sight picture. When the slide locked back, Lunamaria was surprised to see her grouping the size of a dinner plate instead of all over the target as it had been before.
"You're still pushing against the recoil," remarked the Krieg General tonelessly. "We will try again, more slowly this time. 15 shot grouping to your front, fire as directed. One shot center mass, fire."
As Lunamaria prepared to fire she was surprised when the Krieg General put his hand so that it brushed ever so gently against hers on the front of the grip.
"Keep sight alignment when you fire, but do not push against my hand."
"Uh, isn't that a little dangerous having your hand so close to the muzzle sir?"
"Only if you move it Lieutenant. One shot center mass, on your own time go on."
Nothing like added pressure, thought Lunamaria dryly as she lined up her sights, willing herself to not stiffen her arms as she pulled the trigger. Her brother had let her shoot a .44 magnum when she had been younger and hadn't told her how powerful it would be. The gun had come up and given her a black eye as well as a cut on her brow when she had tried to shoot it with one hand. Ever since then she'd been wary of pistols, expecting them to do much the same as the magnum had. Now if she pushed out though she could make the General lose a finger.
Every shot was a mental exercise putting all the lessons of the morning together and being mindful of where the General's hand was. It was a relief when the slide finally locked back and Lunamaria breathed just a little easier.
"Better Lieutenant, I believe that would almost qualify you for marksman."
Lunamaria saw her shot grouping and it was a third the size that it had been even one magazine previously. She couldn't help but let out a pleased smile.
"Through diligence and practice I believe that your marksmanship ability will be more than adequate Lieutenant. You have shown marked improvement in a short time, I am impressed though curious. Did none of your instructors coach you properly during your training?"
"Well, pistol marksmanship isn't really a big deal in ZAFT for pilots at least and you don't get grounded if you fail the qualification. Most of the time they'd just tell me to go practice and take the test again. I'd usually pass the second time around, if only barely."
"But no additional instruction on marksmanship principles?"
"No, they would usually just repeat what they'd said the first time and send me on my way."
"Laziness on behalf of your instructors then. Do you require any more assistance Lieutenant?"
"No, I think I should practice on my own for a little bit, thank you sir."
"It was no trouble at all Lieutenant."
"Hey, General," said Lunamaria as Heinrich turned to leave.
"Yes Lieutenant?"
"Do you want to give it a try?"
"You wish to see how well I can shoot?"
"Well, you were special forces," said Lunamaria.
"I am still grenadier qualified Lieutenant," said the General tonelessly and Lunamaria was worried that she had offended him, but if she had he gave no indication of it, but she couldn't help but feel that she had.
"Well, I just wanted to see how good you are sir," said Lunamaria lamely.
"I see, so you would like a demonstration of what is considered elite in the Imperium Lieutenant?"
"Uh, yes sir."
"Anything in particular?" asked the General cordially.
"Just something, I don't know, impressive?"
"Impressive? I shall endeavor to do so Lieutenant."
Lunamaria handed the General her pistol and watched him hold it as if inspecting the weight of it, then turned it over in his hand as if studying every feature of it. He set it down and changed the settings on the outdoor range, before readying the pistol with a clack of metal on metal.
It was almost jarring how quickly his posture changed, from stiff and rigid to something like a predator ready to pounce.
The first target came up fast enough that Lunamaria was sure it was going to burst out of the top of the stand, but just as quickly the crack of the pistol followed and a neat hole appeared in the center of the target's head. Then the next target came up from a different stand at the same time another did at the opposite end of the range, each only appearing for a fraction of a second, each receiving a round through the center of the head.
The targets came up in random order at blinding speeds, but each one received a neat hole through the head. The General firing so fast that if Lunamaria hadn't known any better she would have sworn that the pistol was automatic. Then watched as the General swapped magazines so quickly it was like he had only slapped the pistol and kept firing.
On the last target the pistol had a failure eject properly and a casing lodged in place. Rather than clear the stoppage, the General pulled a knife from his waist and threw it like a bullet, the blade striking the target in the throat.
"That was really good, incredible even," praised Lunamaria. "I've never seen anyone shot like that before, how did you get that good?"
"A mixture of practice and necessity Lieutenant. It was either succeed in all regards undergoing grenadier training, or else die. I chose to succeed."
"Die sir?" asked Lunamaria confused as Heinrich retrieved his knife from the range.
"Yes. Once you undertake the training to become a grenadier in the Death Korps it is either you pass or you die. Failure and quitting the training is not an option. Those who suffer injury or illness are expected to perform at the same level as those in perfect health. Those who fall behind are left behind."
"Isn't that a little...extreme?"
Lunamaria watched the General pause, as if genuinely pondering the question.
"No more so than basic training for the Korps. Failure is not allowed and there are always those who are found wanting. Krieg has nothing left to give but its sons so we ensure all who take up arms in the name of the Emperor are found worthy to die in his name. Preparations are made beforehand of course. Summer training courses for the youth, physical fitness and weapons handling instruction to better prepare potential candidates. During my own induction one in ten of us failed to meet expectation and met our redemption early. Is there something on your mind Lieutenant? You seem troubled by this topic."
"It's just...permission to speak freely sir?"
"I was under the impression that that was exactly what we were doing Lieutenant, but yes you may."
"Why do you live like that? I mean, it just seems cruel."
"Cruel?" asked the Imperial officer curiously.
"I mean the way that you train, the way you live, how you and your men are always wearing full armor and gas masks. How you all join so young and go away from home expecting to die. It just seems...cruel. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you sir," said Lunamaria as the Krieg officer stared silently at her.
"You do not offend me Lieutenant, and you are correct. Krieg is a cruel world."
Now it was Lunamaria's turn to stare at the Krieger is surprise.
"How much do you know of our world Lieutenant?"
"Not much sir."
"Then I will try to give you a brief history of it. Krieg was once a sustainable world. Not quite a paradise world, but one that was liveable and able to grow crops, have industry, and if absolutely necessary live off the land. Our leaders at the time were petrified of attack and spend our world's resources fortifying it and spending our wealth on weapons of war. They complained bitterly when the holy Emperor demanded we send them regiments from our world, saying that we needed our soldiers to defend ourselves instead. That our resources should stay ours."
"When a warp storm separated us from the rest of the Imperium our leaders decided to secede and declare independence. The noble lords at the time, those who held such vaunted and valued positions backed it without reservation. The only one who stood against them was Colonel Jurten and his forces. He let his disagreement be known by putting a bullet through the skull of the planetary governor."
"The loyalists fought until they were pushed back to their last city, the traitors outnumbering them hundreds to one, but it was in that city that we discovered one of Kriegs most jealously guarded secrets. A trove of nuclear missiles. Jurten's 22 commanders all voted and all agreed that the fate of our world would be decided by loyalist hand, not traitor. We burned our own world to ash and waged a 500 year war of attrition against our kinsmen."
"The Death Korps is cruel, because it needs to be cruel. We once allowed the fear of attack to rule us which turned us traitor, so now we fear nothing. Our attachments to what we owned lead us to hoard them jealously to the point of breaking faith with the Emperor, so now we give all that we are freely and without reservation. It was our desire to rule ourselves that lead our world to turn to ash, so now we only obey. We are cruel Lieutenant, because kindness nearly destroyed our world. The surface of Krieg is toxic ash blown by hurricane force winds with mutated monsters prowling the ruins of what were once magnificent cities. The Emperor gave us a world of our own and we destroyed it. The shame of it weighs on every son of Jurten. We are born in the shame of our ancestors, our very world a testament to our failing so we resolve that we will absolve ourselves in the Emperor's service. In death we will find forgiveness that we lack in life."
"Is that why you tried to kill yourself?" asked Lunamaria quietly.
"No. I fell on my sword because I had to for honor."
"What kind of honor asks you to kill yourself?" demanded Lunamaria, temper rising.
"The only kind that matters."
"The hell does that mean?!"
The Krieger fell silent at Lunamaria's outburst and she wondered if perhaps she had let her temper get the better of her. That the Krieg General would berate her or else report her to Captain Gladys.
"What do you see when you look at my men?" asked the General finally.
"Sir, I'm sorry if I," began Lunamaria.
"I am serious Lieutenant. What do you see when you look at the soldiers under my command?"
"I see two soldiers standing at attention sir."
"In a basic sense you are correct Lieutenant, but do you know what I see? I see two men who have committed so entirely to the Death Korps that they wear a visage of a skull to show that they already consider themselves dead and have given up all thought of ever returning home or having a future outside of their next battle. They are men who have given their entirety to the Emperor, body and soul. Men who will obey without question, without hesitation, and to the utmost of their ability any order I give them until their bodies are crushed under the strain and their souls leave their body. Men who look to me for leadership. An officer, a good officer has to be willing to do everything and more that he orders those under his care to do. I expect these men to fight and die should I deem it necessary. To follow orders they don't understand and make no sense simply because I ordered it so. To take their own lives if necessary. If I fail to show the same dedication, the same discipline and devotion to duty that I demand of my men I betray them. I show that I think their lives and dedication are inferior to my own. But more than that I am unworthy to call myself an officer of the Death Korps, unworthy of my noble titles. I become unworthy of them. I do not need to understand or agree with my orders to carry out my duty. I fully expect to die in the course of my duties Lieutenant, the location and reason makes little difference to me."
"I don't think that I could live like that," murmured Lunamaria.
"I…may have overstepped myself Lieutenant Hawke, normally I am not so…talkative. It was not my intention to lecture or denigrate you if that is what I have done. I pray you continue to improve your marksmanship skills. Good day to you."
"Sir, what's your name?" called Lunamaria to the Krieger as he turned to leave, almost like he was embarrassed.
"Von Shreider."
"No, your first name," asked Lunamaria, trying not to squirm under the piercing gaze of the General's gray eyes.
"Heinrich," said the Krieger.
"I'm Lunamaria," said the magenta haired girl, holding out her hand towards the officer.
Slowly the Imperial extended his own hand gloved in ceramite and flak cloth, covering Lunamaria's petite hand with his own.
"You know," began Lunamaria slowly, "I hear that you've been bugging Emily to train against you in the flight simulator and she's been avoiding it. If you want I could help you out a little bit. You know, since you helped me with my training. Who knows, might be fun?" added Lunamaria with a wink.
"Lieutenant, your eye twitched, is it irritated?"
"No...I winked."
"Oh. What is a wink?"
Lunamaria laughed for a good long time before she realized that the General was serious.
xxx
Sub-lieutenant Ethan Lavinius led his squadron of five fury interceptors in pursuit of a pair of surviving GINN suits from the battle at the remains of Junius 7. There were a further five fury fighters in Ollius' squadron providing overwatch above and behind them.
The past few weeks had involved the Imperial Navy conducting sweeps of the surrounding area, hoping to flush out any survivors, or else still active members of the terrorist group that had dropped the colony to the planet below.
By chance they had managed to come across these two units and Lavinius was eager to have the glory of kill markers either on his craft on the vessels within his squadron.
It was proving frustratingly hard to shoot down these humanoid void craft. They were surprisingly nimble and the skill of the pilots was something fearsome indeed. They were heading to the debris belt surrounding the planet, but it wouldn't save them. If they thought a few hunks of metal and glass would deter the Imperial Navy, they were sorely mistaken.
"Fox 2," came the call across the vox and Lavinius saw for the briefest of moments the flash of missiles from a craft in his squadron, before they were nothing but pinpricks of light closing in on the GINNs.
Long range auspex showed a visual of the GINNs and Lavinius was eager to see them explode. As the pair missiles closed in, one of the mobilesuits spun on its axis and fired its main gun at the incoming missiles. A foolish gesture of defiance, such a low rate of fire would never intercept the missiles.
Twin explosion bloomed in the void of space and Lavinius gaped as he saw the two GINNs speed into the field of tightly packed debris. How in the Emperor's name had they done that?
"Aqua lead, this is aqua 4, breaking right to circle around debris."
Lavinius felt a burning anger bubble up inside of him. Was he going to explain how two measly pilots had managed to evade 10 Imperial Fury fighters under his command. That they had made a fool out of him? The shame of it would be unacceptable.
"Negative aqua 4, we're going to follow them in and destroy them."
"Affirmative aqua Lead, heading in," came crackly the reply from aqua 4.
The flight of fury fighters screamed into the debris field shortly after the GINNs had. In space the fury fighter was frighteningly fast and armored enough that colliding with even moderate sized pieces of debris would allow it to escape relatively unharmed.
"Keep scanning auspex and call out when you find them," ordered Lavinius and received a chorus of affirmatives from his flight. He would be the one to show these people that their titan knockoffs were no true weapon to use in void warfare. He would show them the superiority of void warfare.
Maneuvering became more difficult the farther into the debris field that they traveled. The hulls of spend booster rockets and burned out warships from battles long since forgotten littered the area. Chunks of ice and metal floated aimlessly, threatening any pilot foolish enough to strike one with the armorglass of his cockpit.
Then, with flash of blue, the darting form of one of the GINN mobilesuits cutting between the hulls of two burned out ships.
"Target sighted, fox 2," came the calm and immediate reply from aqua 4. The fiery streak of a missile leaving his fury and chasing own he GINN like a well trained hunting dog.
Then, in a maneuver that should have been impossible, the GINN ceased all forward momentum and darted behind the hull of one of the burned out ships, just as the missile closed in. Unable to follow the sharp change in direction, the missile instead carved left as sharply as it could, impacting instead on the wreck of a warship. Detonating in a plasmic ball of fury, melting and ripping apart the hull of the ship.
"Negative impact," called aqua 4 as the GINN emerged from the explosion unscathed and began zigzagging between the molten metal and other debris surrounding it.
"It's still there! Don't let it get away!" ordered Lavinius, pushing his fury harder as he fired one of his own missiles at the GINN, determined to be the one to make the kill.
"Fox 2."
"Fox 2."
"Fox 2."
Came the flurry of vox calls and soon a volley of missiles were chasing the GINN as it raced past discarded solar panels and abandoned mining platforms.
The machine spirits guided the missiles as best as they could through the ever thickening debris field, but still many impacted on abandoned craft that just happened to get in the way. Bright detonations of plasma marking their impacts and serving to just increase the obstacles that the fury pilots had to avoid. Further retarding their ability to use their superior speed to simply catch up to the GINN.
"Tartarus flight, enter the debris belt and engage the GINN," ordered Lavinius, eyes never leaving the engine trail of the fleeing GINN.
"But sir, doctrine dictates that we watch-"
"And I am ordering you to engage with the enemy sailor!"
"Aye sir, Tartarus flight engaging. Fox 2."
For a moment there was nothing but the sound of his own breathing and the light of the GINN's engines, then the world in front of Lavinius exploded in blue plasma as a barrage of missiles rained down on the GINN. Making both the armorglass of his cockpit and his visor polarize so that he wouldn't go blind as searing plasma flame ripped apart old warships, pieces of abandoned colonies, and anything else that got in their way. Lavinius smiled at the destruction, then frowned as the GINN emerged.
Missing its legs, one of its arm slagged to molten mush and body looking like heated wax, but it was still functional and whole. It slammed into an old solar array, breaking through and drifted aimlessly as its engines finally burned out. Lavinius pursed his lips and switched from his empty missile racks to the multilas and lascannons underneath his wings and fuselage. Watching the targeting cursor turn red and beep in a solid tone as it confirmed a lock.
"Just die already," muttered Lavinius as he made to push down the firing studs.
"CONTACTS!" came the cry over the vox an instant before a green beam burned through the front of Lavinius' cockpit, vaporizing him and his crew before the fury exploded.
The bright blue engine of GINNS came to life as they emerged from within the debris belt where they had been waiting. Armed not with their usual low powered 76mm rifles, but instead beam rifles and long range beam cannons.
"Evade!"
"Fox 2!"
"Gun GUNS!"
The contradictory orders flew back and forth across the vox comm as the two flights of Imperial furies found that they had walked into an ambush the debris field, aided by the extra rubble they had helped create hemmed them in on all sides, preventing them from using the full power of their engines and speed unless they wanted to crash headlong the various junk floating around them.
Orange las fire and blue plasma lashed out in all directions as the Imperial fighters attacked with everything they had, but unable to draw a bead on any of the GINNs without risking a collision. Melting through and blasting apart whatever they hit with in a frightening display of firepower. The GINNs had no such problem, in their element within the tightly packed debris field.
An Imperial Fury flew into the hull of a drake class frigate in two halves as a GINN bisected it from bow to stern with its sword. The Imperial fighter exploding as it crushed itself against the hull of the abandoned warship.
Another Fury was nearly vaporized entirely as a green beam prevented it escaping as tried to dive out of the debris field. A fiery explosion marking the end of the Imperial craft.
Three more were merely the victims of unfortunate crashes as their pilots panicked and attempted to flee at full power. They crashed spectacularly into the very debris they had helped to make.
One of the last Furies went out all guns blazing, orange beams chasing down a GINN and turning everything around it to molten slag, before three separate beam blasts burned neat holes through the tough Imperial fighter. Its partner taking a blast in the engines making them spew fire and cause the craft to careen wildly before another put it out of its misery in an eruption of fire and plas steel.
The last of the Fury fighters pulled itself into a hard turn, holding down the firing studs and hoping for a lucky hit as it fired high powered las recklessly into the void. The last thing the pilot saw was a GINN holding its sword two handed over its head an instant before bringing it down and cleaving through the cockpit.
xxx
Piloting the Guaiz R through the desert was proving more challenging than Heinrich had first anticipated. However, if nothing else he had patience aplenty. More so than his opponent at the very least.
Though capable of atmospheric flight he kept the GuAIZ R firmly planted on the ground. Moving much like an infantry soldier instead of a mobile suit. Heinrich used the dunes for cover and he took his time. He stopped, looked, listened, and then proceeded carefully before proceeding on, making sure to keep his power expenditure to a minimum.
A sudden beeping informed Heinrich of an approaching heat source closing in on his position. Readying his beam rifle, Heinrich watched the blip approach both on his instrument panel and by scanning the horizon visually.
He saw the streak of a Zaku for a split second overhead, before it touched down on a rocky outcrop overlooking the shifting dunes of sand. Heinrich's own position hidden from view.
Carefully, Heinrich crept his machine forwards, marveling at the ability of the machine spirit to allow him to muffle the sound of such a large creation of the Omnissiah. Being sure to keep a careful eye on both the sensor suite aboard his unit and the Zaku's position.
If he took too long to get into position the Zaku would leave and continue its search for him, no doubt discovering him immediately after taking to the air. If such a thing were to happen Heinrich knew that he would lose. On an earthbound engagement he had a fighting chance. Once the battle took to the air he would merely be fodder.
The Emperor seemed to be smiling on Heinrich, because the Zaku stayed exactly where it was as he got into position so that there was scarcely 200 meters separating them.
Readying his beam rifle, Heinrich leaped up behind the Zaku and lined up the targeting reticule. Watching as the cross hairs turned red and beeped affirmation of a lock. Heinrich had used too much power though, his thrusters assisting him as he had burst from cover also assisting the Zaku by alerting its pilot of a new heat source and threat.
Heinrich fired and a bolt of raw green energy lashed out from the end of his rifle, screaming on its path towards the enemy mobile suit. The suit turned, its pink cyclopian eye locking onto Heinrich's machine first as it did so. The green beam shrieking past on its left side as the mobile suit rapidly changed position, then blocking Heinrich's immediate followup of his hip mounted railguns with its shoulder mounted shield.
Before Heinrich's rifle could cycle for another shot the Zaku fired its own beam rifle. The bolt of raw energy taking out the cockpit of Heinrich's GuAIZ R and killing him, vaporizing his body a moment before the suit exploded from its ruptured battery pack.
"Bang, you're dead General," came a playful voice over the simulator's communication suite. The pleased face of a young magenta haired girl soon followed it, filling Heinrich's black view screen with the visage of Sub Lieutenant Lunamaria Hawke. "You almost got me though. Almost. You know, normally when people use a flight simulator, they fly," chastised Lunamaria playfully.
"I am at a distinct disadvantage in the air, so I chose to remain on the ground."
"Yeah, but you're learning and-oh, I get it," said Lunamaira, a Cheshire grin making its way onto her face. "You don't like to lose."
"I can assure you Lieutenant that is not the case."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure it is Sir. There, see? You clench your jaw whenever you get frustrated."
"I am not frustrated Lieutenant. I am-"
"See? You're clenching your jaw again Sir," said Lunamaria.
"Winning is the preferable outcome," conceded Heinrich after a moment's pause.
"Nobody plays to lose," agreed Lunamaria. "Tell you what, I'll even let you win this time."
"I do not need a handicap, nor do I require pity. If you can beat me then please do so," said Heinrich insulted.
"Alright alright, no handicaps then," placated the magenta haired girl."I suppose that goes both ways then huh?"
"Of course," said Heinrich as he hit a hit for a randomized scenario and soon they were in a mountainous pass with snow capped peaks.
"Then how about some friendly advice? Change your settings so that your suit don't recognize me as a friendly unit huh? Last round I would just hit this little guy here," said Lunamaria pressing down a button. "And your suit would flash me it's IFF and location. Just a little boop, and there you are," said Lunamaria playfully. "You know It was actually a little fun watching you being sneaky and crawling around in the sand. Whenever I wasn't quite sure where you were I would just push this little guy, and your suit would say hi."
To Heinrich's irritation he saw an icon light up briefly on his display off to the side showing that a friendly unit was requesting his location.
"You are 14km directly due North of me at grid 48933 84392 and your ASL is 4211 feet. Your suit reads wind at 11 knots from bearing 284. You're clenching your jaw again sir."
"That is an underhanded strategy Lieutenant."
"All's fair in love and war General, gonna make me say sorry?" asked Lunamaria with a wink.
"Lieutenant, are you...teasing me?" asked Heinrich incredulous.
"Maybe I'm trying to unsettle you so you don't do as well General? Gotta do something to find the chink in your armor? Come on now, show me what you've got! Boop," teased the indigo eyed girl as she made Heinrich's suit flash its IFF again.
Heinrich cut the video feed in frustration, before going into the settings and making his suit recognize Lunamaria as an enemy. Just as he finished exiting the settings his suit beeped a warning at an approaching heat source a heartbeat before a beam cannon shot ripped it apart and made it explode.
"Bang, you're dead again General," came the self-satisfied voice of Lunamaria as she once again appeared on his screen.
"Remember, don't stand still when your opponent knows exactly where you are. With a ten line grid coordinate and elevation, anywhere within 16 kilometers of my beam cannon and you're dead. Boop," teased Lunamaria as she started a new simulation.
"Oh my god, are you grinning Heinrich?"
"It is improper to call a superior officer by their first name Lieutenant Hawke."
"Gonna make me say sorry? Boop," grinned Lunamaria as she cut the video feed and moved her Zaku through the simulation. They were in grasslands with rolling hills and she used her thrusters to move around quickly, using the hills for cover and only passing over the ridges only when unavoidable.
She had chastised Heinrich for staying on the ground before, so now she knew that he would be looking for her in the air. For a natural he wasn't half bad as a mobilesuit pilot in training. Were he to go through the academy, he might actually make a halfway decent pilot.
In the past few days of training with the General he had shown good improvement, but he still had a lot to learn and if she was being honest with herself it was kinda fun blowing him up repeatedly. At first she had thought that it hadn't mattered to him, but she'd come to notice little queues that he would give whenever he was frustrated or irritated. And the man was highly competitive which made it all the better.
Lunamaria burst from cover once her sensors detected the General's suit, aiming at one of the legs with her beam rifle, wondering what he would do without a leg and how he would compensate.
The green beam of energy cut through the GuAIZ Rs leg and felled the suit like a tree after it teetered precariously for a moment. The only odd thing being though was that there was no movement as it fell, like it had no pilot. It fell to the ground with a crash and laid still.
Frowning, Lunamaria fired at the downed suit, hitting the arm holding the rifle, causing both to explode as the beam weapon's power cell ruptured and it tossed the suit onto its back where it stayed immobile. Maybe he forgot how to move it? Mused Lunamaria as she fired into the chest of the mobile suit, destroying it.
She opened the view screen to Heinrich's simulator pod since that she was set as the instructor and had override controls, but found it empty. What the hell? He was gone?
Lunamaria opened up her own pod and stepped out, a little taken aback when she saw Heinrich, his expression neutral as his top NCO spoke in the language that the Imperials all seemed to know, flanked by a dozen of his skull faced grenadiers.
"Hey! What the hell," said Lunamaria indignantly as strong hands forced her pack into the simulator like she was a child. Those hands belonging to one of the skull masked grenadiers whose mask was suddenly much too close to her face for her liking.
"The General is discussing important matters. For your own safety, remain in the simulator Ma'am."
"My safety? What do you mean my safety? You're going to be the one in danger if you don't let me go!" said Lunamaria, trying to shift the grenadier's hand, but finding it impossible.
"I said let me go!"demanded Lunamaria, kicking at the grenadier. A harsh command spoken in what sounded like German followed and immediately the grenadier let go of her and was back standing at attention in front of the pod.
"Jerk," huffed Lunamaria fixing her skirt as she left the pod, soon falling under the shadow of the Imperial General.
"I am deeply sorry that I must cut our session short Lieutenant, but an important matter has come up that I must attend. I must thank you for allowing me to train with you."
"What matter? And why was it important enough for this guy to hold me down? I did not appreciate that sir," said Lunamaria testily
"A matter of unfortunate necessity that I am also sorry for Lieutenant."
"Yeah, well, it's almost lunch anyway. I'll see you sometime later sir," said Lunamaria curtly, snapping off a salute and turning to leave.
"Lieutenant," said the Krieger making Lunamaria stop dead in her tracks. Not because he had called to her, but because of the tone of his voice. It was uncertain like he was about to do something he wasn't supposed to do. Or rather tell her something he wasn't supposed to. Looking at his face it was clear that he was debating with himself as to whether he should say what he almost had.
"As...a combat pilot, it would be most beneficial were you to continue to practice diligently without me present. Stay safe Lieutenant Hawke."
Without another word the General left flanked by his coterie of men and leaving Lunamaria with a great feeling of unease.
She didn't see the General or any of his men for that matter for the next few days and didn't understand why or what it was that had made them act so odd. By the time Lunamaria did understand, it was too late.
Xxx
"Peter Schweitzer, Windam, launching!"
Peter felt the rush of acceleration as he was propelled down the linear catapult and out of the Archangelclass ship Mermaid.
He had never thought that it would come to this, but he was a soldier and he had his orders. The pair of nuclear missiles mounted in launchers above the shoulder of his suit symbolic in the weight of his orders.
"Helen Visser, Windam, launching!"
A second mobilesuit was soon in the black void of space and flying next to Peter's unit, bearing the same set of nuclear missiles that Peter's unit held. A hail came from the machine and Peter answered it, seeing the helmeted face of his orange haired Dutch wingman fill the screen.
"So we're really doing this huh?"
"We have our orders and we will carry them out."
"Good," growled Helen viciously. "The coordinators are going to pay for what they did to us. Every single one of them."
Peter felt he should say something, but seeing the fanatical fire behind her eyes let him know that anything he said would fall on deaf ears. They had all lost someone when Junius 7 fell and everyone of his men wanted payback for it with interest.
"Adolf Kowalski, Windam, launching!"
"Oscar Frandsen, Windam, launching!"
"Radek Novak, Windam, launching!"
"Tobias Wagner, Windam, launching!"
"Adelina Thomas, Windam, launching!"
"Diego Garcia, Windam, launching!"
German, Dutch, Polish, Danish, Czech, Austrian, French, and Spanish. Peter's flight and crew of the Mermaid came each from a different background, a different part of the Eurasian Federation and yet they were all united in a singular purpose. He just wished that they weren't united in a singular hatred.
Perhaps since Germany had been spared the worst of the catastrophe his hate didn't burn bright like the rest of his troops, but he wondered if that would still be true had Hamburg been part of the tragedy that had befallen much of the rest of the world.
He turned his view screen briefly to the battle taking place towards the far side of the colonies. It was a mixture of EA forces slamming headfirst into the best that ZAFT had and though they were fighting for all they were worth, the damned coordinators and their new machines were making the assault hell for them.
The Equatorial Union were leading the charge in the assault and were paying dearly for it. They had suffered the worst out of any other nation yet were pulling out all the stops in their fight against ZAFT. They had daggers to be sure, but the bulk of what they were throwing were Mobius mobile armors that had been obsolete in the last war. They were taking horrendous losses, but they fought with reckless abandon. Many of those fighting had nothing left to go back to, nobody left and no reason to live except for their hate for the coordinators. They lost at least seven to ten of their obsolete mobile armors for every ZAFT suit that they destroyed, but the Equatorial Union were throwing hundreds of them into the fray. Maybe even thousands.
During the last war, the Equatorial Union had quietly stockpiled the largest cache of military equipment out of any other nation on Earth in anticipation of the day that they were inadvertently drawn into the war. That day had never come, but their hunger for cheap military equipment hadn't abated. With so many countries upgrading their own arsenals to current generation mobilesuits, they had been all too happy to sell off their old mobile armor and fixed wing forces.
Peter's flight of Windams formed up with the rest of those from the nuclear strike group and fell into place. EA command had been very specific in their orders for this strike. This wasn't meant to be a decapitation strike, it was meant to be an annihilation strike. They were to hit every colony simultaneously and end the war before it even had a chance to begin. They were going to wipe coordinators from existence.
"Distance to firing 20," came the call from the Colossus and Peter watched the PLANTs rapidly increase in size as they closed the gap between them and the colonies.
"Two Nazca class ships deploying from colony, but holding position in front of Aprilius Prime. No mobilesuit launches detected, all units are to remain on course. Ship 1 seems to be a modified Nazca class."
A sudden and inexplicable sick feeling of dread gripped Peter at the news, like some sort of premonition of doom that he couldn't shake. It made sense for them to form a defensive cordon around the capital, but the coordinators protected every colony as ferociously as they did the capital. They wouldn't sacrifice an arm to save the body as it were.
The sense of dread and unease grew to intolerable levels, the same way he had felt leading up to Junius 7 falling, or before then at the Bloody Valentine tragedy. Both times he had been ill, bedridden even in the hours leading up to the tragedies. It had both started out the same as he was feeling right now.
"Everyone, climb now! Mermaid, evade!" yelled Peter as he forced his Windam into a hard vertical climb, the rest of his flight following suit. Deciding to act on his premonition rather than ignore it.
"What the hell?! What are you doing Peter? This is our chance for revenge and we're abandoning the attack?"
Helen's angry face accompanied her voice on Peter's view screen. She was angry, apocalyptic even, but she was following orders, as were the rest of his men. Even the Mermaid had flashed acknowledgment and was breaking with the rest of the fleet.
"Commander Schweitzer, get your units back into position, we are two from firing range. I say again, two from firing range."
"It's a trap, we have to split up sir. I believe they're preparing to fire some sort of super weapon at us.""
"Eurasian Federation cowards," came the scathing reply.
"This is it!" came another voice, excited, almost manic. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world! This time for sure."
Peter's suit marked dozens of nuclear missile launches from below and tracked their flight path towards the colonies.
"At least some of us know how to follow orders," said Helen bitterly as they put more distance between them and the rest of the strike force. Her gaze firmly fixed on the flight path of the nuclear missiles.
"Heat signature detected. One of the Nasca classes is firing it's-kshhh."
The radios aren't working," murmured Helen flicking controls in her cockpit, still visible on Peter's viewscreen.
"The nuclear missiles are detonating. What the-OH GOD!"
"Every pilot in Peter's flight watched some sort of distorted beam pass just underneath them and consume every other Windam of the strike group. Their IFF tags disappearing in time to mark the detonations of their suits.
"They're...they're gone," said Helen numbly.
"Mein gott, the fleet!" came Tobias' panicked voice over the channel.
The beam which resembled the GENESIS weapon of the last war had continued on to where their motherships had been stationed and was doing to them exactly what it had done to their mobilesuits. The outline of the ships warping and bubbling as whatever the beam was washed over them. Finally they began to bubble out and explode like pus from a blister.
"The Agincourt, Omaha, oh my god the Serpent too!"
"Get a hold of yourself Diego!" ordered Peter as the beam passed them by.
"What the hell? WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Cut the chatter now! All units we are to break off attack and fall back to the Mermaid! This attack is over, it's-Helen!" cried out Peter as he saw her suit break formation and make for the PLANTs at full thrust.
"We have a mission, we're going to carry out that mission," came Helen's short robotic reply. "If that weapon's like the GENESIS from the last war they've only got one shot, and they just used it."
"I'm giving you a direct order Lieutenant, turn your machine around now!"
"It looks like I'm guilty of insubordination then Sir. I guess if you want to stop me you'll just have to shoot me."
Peter cursed as Helen cut the video feed and continued towards the PLANT colonies. The blue burn of her engines illuminating her in the darkness of space.
"Lieutenant I gave you an order!" growled Peter into his comm system, grunting in frustration as all he got back was silence.
"Lieutenant I said stop!" Peter cursed as he locked onto the Windam unit with his beam rifle. "I don't want to shoot you Helen."
"Then don't," came the short reply.
"Sir, order from the Mermaid, continue attack," said Adolf cutting short the turmoil in Peter.
"All units, form up for attack run," ordered Peter after a moment of indecision, feeling the sinking pit in his stomach at what they were about to do.
Helen's gaze was focused entirely on her targeting computer, watching the distance to firing count down. Her hand found its way to a spot above her breast and the pendant she wore beneath her flight suit. Hardening her heart and her soul for what she was about to do, a part of her telling her to stop, that she couldn't do something so monstrous. Yet at the same time a manic desire was building in her, the pressure to push down the firing studs feeling like it would burst her apart if she didn't.
"I'll make you coordinators burn in hell for what you've done," promised Helen solemnly. The second the computer hit 0.00 for firing distance Helen mashed down the firing studs and watched with vindictive satisfaction as the twin pair Mk.5 nuclear missiles streaked through the black nothingness of space towards the coordinator colonies. Soon joined by a score of others from her squadron.
"Missiles away, retreat to the Mermaid. ZAFT forces are converging on our position."
"Roger that," said Helen emotionless, swinging the feet of her mobilesuit around and propelling herself away from the colonies, but still watching them. Waiting expectantly like an artist awaiting reaction for their work.
Her viewscreen filtered out excess light to save her vision, but it still showed the flashes of nuclear detonation, bright and magnificent. Like miniature suns being born in an instant they roared to life hungry and vengeful. Fulfilling the purpose that they had been built for beautifully. Helen watched the colony she had fired at break apart as temperatures like that of the sun melted the shell of the colony and bone crushing force ripped it in two in an instant. The ripple of nuclear force shattering the giant solar panels moments before their metal frames buckled and ripped apart. A manic grin made its way onto her face and only widened as she saw the other missiles find their mark as well. Each marked by a corona searing detonation of raw energy fission energy. Helen was only partially aware that she was laughing.
Xxx
"Natural bitch!"
The insult hit Emily a split second before the fist and if she had any doubt which hurt more, the second one that made her see stars erased all doubt.
Emily's knees buckled as he vision faded, but the two crewmen holding her arms back also used them to hold her up. Another fist found its way into her stomach and forcibly expelled all the air in her lungs. Emily wheezed and coughed, trying to force air back into her even as the marine drove his fist into her liver, making her cry out in pain. Electric pain making her stomach spasm even as it raced up her spine like molten metal.
Emily hadn't been responsible for the attack on the PLANTs, they were her home as much as anyone else here and she had been devastated by the news as much as anyone. Yet, she was a natural amongst coordinators. Someone that they could turn their frustration and anger towards in their time of grief. Never mind where her allegiance lay or the fact that her own home had been on one of the colonies destroyed.
Emily would have cried would she have had the presence of mind to do so, but a baton striking off her head had removed the compulsion to do so while adding a gash that allowed bright red blood to spill forth and stain her blue hair crimson and stream down her face.
In one of her last moments of lucidity, Emily saw the marine drawing back his arm with the baton for another strike. A black mass towering behind him like death incarnate. Then Emily's eyes rolled back up inside her head and she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.
Heinrich grabbed the naval infantry soldier by the collar of his flak vest and like a bear batting aside a hunting dog, threw him with one arm into the metal wall where he hit with a rebounding thud, before falling limply to the floor.
Another one of the naval infantry tried to strike Heinrich with a metal baton, but Heinrich caught the man's hand in his own. The ZAFT soldier's eyes widening in surprise and then pain as the Krieg General tightened his grip. Forcing the coordinator to the ground as he beat at Heinrich's armored arm with his free hand. The man was grunting in pain, then let out a shrill howl that was quickly followed by a wet snap as the Krieger crushed his hand in his. Heinrich pushed the coordinator back with his foot and watched him curl up in a ball, holding his mutilated hand close and whimpering.
Heinrich's arm then returned back behind him and clasped with the other as he stood surveying the stunned ZAFT personnel before him with his gray eyes the color of hardened steel.
"I demand an explanation. Immediately." It was Heinrich's normal speaking voice, but with an undercurrent of seething vehemence to it that brooked no opposition.
Heinrich towered over even the largest of ZAFT personnel and on either side of him were one of his skull masked grenadiers, armored as they were in their carapace armor. Hands resting on their long bladed grenadier knives.
"It appears that your tongues have left you as well as your senses. Were you Imperial Guardsmen I would execute you on the spot both for assaulting a superior officer and your pure barbarity. Pray you find yourselves fortunate that you are not. Now, hand Lieutenant Towers over to me."
The two holding up the unconscious Towers looked at each other, before handing her over to the Krieg General who picked her up bridal style as though she weighed no more than a cushion.
"I truly do not understand your reasoning," admitted Heinrich. "You are attacked and most grievously injured by an enemy so you turn on one of your own like a pack of feral dogs instead of those who struck the blow. Not only that, you attacked one of the only ones among you capable of actually striking back for you. I suppose you thought that 3 pilots were better than 4? I would dare call this military sabotage. Your officers will deem what punishment you are to suffer for your mutiny. My men will ensure that you do not leave. I pray the Emperor's forgiveness finds you."
Heinrich turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the room, taking the unconscious pilot with him while his two grenadiers remained behind.
One of the ZAFT personnel who had been involved in beating the Lieutenant tried to make a break for the door and dart around one of the grenadiers.
A resounding crack heralded a bloody spray of enamel as teeth flew from the coordinator's shattered jaw. His body with the deck with a dull thump and lay still. The grenadier who had hit him returned to standing impassively in front of the ZAFT crew members, blood dripping from his flak armored hand.
AN: Well I'd intended to put more scenes in and actually cut a few out since I had hit my 10k limit and didn't want to post a mega chapter. This didn't turn out exactly how I wanted and I did a couple scenes over a few times, but I suppose that it's OK, but again not what I was looking for. So leave a review either good or bad and let me know what you think and what you would like the story to focus more on. If it's more mecha battles, there will be more mecha battles.