Chapter 3: Preparations

"You sure you have everything in order?" Sakura asked her daughters as they were preparing for their hunt.

"Yes, Mom," Mana replied, straightening out her mask meant to protect her face from any insect life in the Throne Room as well as cover her scent while hunting due to Glow Panther pheromones only detectable by other fauna. She also made sure to grab her father's spear, one of the two things he had left behind for his daughters to inherit; the other being his dagger which Kimiko carried in her pocket. In a way, he would still watch over his girls, even his youngest who never knew him. Speaking of Kimiko, she was currently wearing her hair in a bun as to ensure it from snagging on any branches or predator snapping it in mid-run. She was also wearing a pair of bridal gauntlets made out of dried Gardenback hide she could use as rudimentary shields. She had smeared her face in pastel oils in a improvised form of camouflage.

Right now, the girls were waiting for Koji, Kimiko's boyfriend who was heading down to their home along with Tril'Qua. They did not need to wait long, as the sound of tires on pavement heralded the sight of a customized UNKCC-era humvee with various pieces of scrap meant to patch it up like a vehicular equivalent of Frankenstein's monster, the mid-morning sun giving its slightly polished metal exterior a warm glow. The driver's seat door opened and out stepped Koji.

Koji was not exactly the most attractive nor was he the least. He was more in the middle. He had fair skin, a slightly muscular body, somewhat long brown hair tied up in a ponytail, and wearing a vest and sandals made of Gardenback hide. He had soft, blue eyes which shined with the youthful enthusiasm of an eight-year-old. Meanwhile, Tril'Qua, garbed in sea shell-like hunting armor sat in the passenger's seat.

Kimiko gave her boyfriend a smile and strode out to him, as giddy as a twelve-year-old while Koji cast her a similar smile.

"Hey, Sweetie!" Koji called out as his girlfriend rushed to greet him. As soon as the two were inches away from each other, Kimiko delivered a nice big smooch on his lips. The sight of this caused Mana to open her mouth, stick out her tongue, and place her finger in the back of her mouth whilst making a gagging sound. It wasn't she didn't like Koji. Far from it. If anything, he was a nice enough guy and it was not that hard to see why he and Kimiko would fall for each other. She could just do without the constant kissing.

When Koji and Kimiko unlocked lips, he turned to the younger Haramashi sister and waved to her. "Nice to see you too, Mana." he called out.

Mana just gave him a small smile and waved back. "Feelings mutual, Koji."

"So," the young man spoke up, "you girls ready to go?"

"What about the other hunting groups?" Kimiko asked, "Shouldn't we wait for them too?"

Koji shook his head, "Nah, the other hunting groups are too busy taking their business on the Outskirts. They're too cowardly to head to the Throne Room today."

Not that I blame them. Mana thought to herself.

"Girls."

Sakura's soft, concerned voice caught the attention of her daughters.

"Yes, Mom?" Mana asked.

Sakura took a deep breath as she thought about what she was going to tell them before sighing and embracing her children, "I know you've probably heard this so many times it's ingrained in your minds, but, this needs to be said. Be careful out there. I already lost your father, the last thing I want is losing you in the Throne Room. So please, please, come back safe."

Kimiko and Mana returned their mother's embrace. "We'll be okay, Mom," reassured Kimiko, "honest."

"That's my girls." Sakura smiled as she let her girls go.

"One thing first." Mana told her fellow hunters. She put her fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Almost instantly, Kagura came barreling towards her master only to be stopped mid-run by a simple holding out of the hand, causing her to sit and pant.

"You're bringing Kagura?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Mana said, "She's too big to fit in the jeep and she kinda prefers it if I'm with her the whole time." She made a "lay-down" gesture with her hand, the G-Wolf following in suit as she climbed up her back, sitting nicely in between the back spikes on her canine mount. "Besides," she added, her voice tinged with mock superiority, "everybody knows G-Wolves are faster than jeeps."

Kimiko groaned as she entered the jeep after noticing the smirk on her boyfriend's face. She glared at her younger sister as though non-verbally asking, "Why do you have to make this trip a competition?"

"Is that so?" Koji replied, "Let's put that to the test shall we? First one there has to watch the jeep while the other hunts."

Mana returned the smirk with a crazed smile. "Sounds good to me."

Kimiko and Tril'Qua just exchanged deadpan glances.

"Sometimes, your sister and boyfriend can be such children." Tril'Qua told her.

"You have no idea."

Just then, the two felt the car lurch as Koji and Mana began their race to the Throne Room.

Amuro sighed as he took his place among his fellow soldiers in the hangar bay as tanks, power suits, and mobile artillery platforms were loaded up onto the drop ships. Just then, Takashi walked up in front of a holo-table.

"Alright, listen up!" he declared, "Today is an important mission and it requires your utmost attention. We are going to attack the Throne Room today."

There were shocked murmurs among the humans, Liyari, and Devonians. Amuro could even feel his stomach do a cartwheel.

"The Throne Room?"

"Are the higher-ups nuts?"

"Fighting Godzilla when he's outside the Throne Room is bad enough. Attacking him and Rin on their home turf is just asking for a death wish."

Takashi must have heard the comments as he let out a sharp cough to get their attention. "I understand your concern," he told them, pressing a button which brought up a display of Godzilla. It wasn't fully detailed, just a holographic silhouette of the Kaiju presented in profile. However, the visage of the Alpha Kaiju sent chills down Amuro's spine.

"I'm sure you're all aware past incursions with Godzilla have been rather, for lack of a better word, unsuccessful."

"Try complete and absolute failures." Amuro heard Murakami mutter only for another soldier to shush him as Takashi continued.

"No matter what plans we implement, new strategies, new tactics, the results are catastrophic to say the least. One factor regarding these failures we've put into consideration, is Godzilla and Rin's regenerative capabilities."

To emphasize this, Takashi showed a simulation of a missile striking Godzilla's flesh, with obvious signs of damage only for the wound to heal up in a short manner of seconds. "The only weapon which proved successful, albeit temporarily, was the Oxygen Destroyer back in 1954." He showed them an image of what appeared to be a cylindrical device with a spherical capsule held together by two rods on either side.

"However, what should have killed Godzilla back a thousand years ago, only neutralized him for a long while before he reconstituted himself. But, the boys back in the lab, tell us they have cooked up something that could at the very least slow his cellular regeneration to the point it won't save him in time."

He pressed another button and the image of Godzilla was replaced by the hologram of what appeared to be a large cannon of both human and Liyarian origin. It had six, triangular latches along the barrel and had a suprisingly angular appearance to it. Judging from the human standing beside it for scale, the cannon was half the size of the drop-ships.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Takashi addressed his soldiers, "I give you the Hammer."

One Devonian raised his armored hand to which Takashi pointed at him.

"How exactly does it work?" the Devonian asked.

Takashi explained, "The Hammer is designed to fire a concentrated, particle-based discharge. Unlike our maser tanks, the blast is targeted at Godzilla's Regenerator G-1 cells and damage them to the point it slows down his healing factor to a crawl and thus supply an opening for a full-scale barrage."

Another hand came up, this time from a human woman next to Amuro, "How are we sure this actually works?"

Takashi, in answer, revealed muted footage from a testing facility, showing a group of human and Liyari scientists standing beside a smaller, roughly dog-sized version of the Hammer which had a silver color much like all Liyari tech. A few feet in front of the cannon was a piece of Godzilla's skin held in place by a metal pincer. The soldiers watched the footage of the cannon charging up, the latches folding in as the barrel extended outward and sparks began to develop. There was a blinding light out of the cannon that struck the sample. It was only for a split second and it was over. The piece of skin remained but it looked like it was smouldering and dried out, any sign of regeneration non-existent. One of the scientists walked over to the burning skin sample and gave it a slight flick... and the sample fell apart like a stale cookie.

Takashi turned off the footage just as the scientists were beginning to congratulate each other. "That enough proof for you?" he asked.

The silence was the only answer he needed. "The final test needed is to see how it works on a much bigger, moving target. Or rather, targets. Once this battle ends in a victory and Godzilla and Rin lay dead on the ground, we'll be one step closer to ending our war with the Kaiju. So, let's move out."

The soldiers all saluted and gave out a collective, "Sir, yes, sir!" Immediately after, they started to move out; sixty soldiers filing into ten drop-ships, totaling six-hundred in number. The tanks were loaded on to the lower sides of each ship as they started to ascend. Amuro clung tight to his seat as a Liyari began reading a proverb of his culture to the other soldiers.

"Oh, brethren-in-arms, as we descend to the mouth of no return, fear not the death that surely awaits us. Instead, embrace it as we fight, not as martyrs, but as those who cried out they will not leave this world quietly. Let our last moments be a sign of defiance to our oppressors who wish to take pleasure in us pleading for mercy..."

You seem nervous. Kimala's voice rang in Amuro's mind, cutting off all sound around him. Apparently, she had been watching the drop ships flying off and decided to give him a telepathic bit of maternal advice. Or at least, that's what he assumed.

What gave it away, Mother? Amuro replied telepathically.

Your thoughts, Kimala replied, they seem distressed. Nervous even.

Amuro chuckled mentally, Why wouldn't they? I mean, it's not like the idea to attack Godzilla on his own territory was a fool's idea. That or an act of arrogant desperation in thinking he can be brought down by a new toy of theirs in an attempt to at the very least delay extinction.

That is not what I mean, Amuro, Kimala's mental voice took on a sterner tone which surprised the half-blood, there's more to this. You weren't the only one who took your father's death as hard as you did that day. You lost a father, I lost a husband, we both lost a great man. You fear sharing his fate. There was a brief pause before Kimala finished, As do I.

If Amuro were standing face-to-face with his mother, she no doubt would be giving him this speech with a melancholy look. The prince gave a solemn sigh.

I understand, Mother.

There was a moment of mental silence before his mother spoke one more time.

Please promise me something, Amuro. Even if it's a fleeting one at that. Come home safe. It pained me enough your father died at the hands of Godzilla. It would pain me even more to know my son shared his fate.

Amuro sighed before replying, I'll try, Mother. With that, his mother's mental presence disappeared and the sounds around him returned as the Liyari finished his sermon.

"...Even if our battle should not end in victory, it shall send a message to those who wish to see us removed from this world; we shall not cow before them and we shall continue to fight until the last drop of blood is spilt. So is the will of those who persevere."

"To those who persevere." echoed the soldiers in Company A's drop-ship.

To those who persevere. Amuro echoed to himself.