Episode 18: Defense of the Lunar Base
The year is After Colony 205. After the Senate's declaration of war, the Taurus II is put into mass-production. Armed with these new weapons, the Preventers once again feel powerful enough to provide for the security of the World Nation. All does not point in favor of the World Nation, however. Martian engineers, learning of the Taurus II's potential, have begun designing an upgrade of the Medusa. In addition, Odel Bernett, an elite pilot from MO-V and a veteran of the Eve Wars, has defected to their cause. Even now, he and Julia Esroni are headed to Earth, leading an AMS assault force on a mission to capture Vulkanus, the Preventer Corps's orbital base and construction facility.
"Attention, Typhoon Squadron! This is Major Esroni. Gale Squadron has been wiped out by the Gundams. We must assume that their next move will be to come after us. I am therefore ordering all units to rendezvous in the Northeast Hangar. Our mission here is complete; from there, we'll blast our way out and signal Colonel Bernett to initiate Phase Two."
"Roger that, Ma'am. Squad Two wilco. Over and out."
"Squad One copies, Oni. Squad One, over and out."
"Oni, over and out," Julia switched off her comm and set off down the corridors to the Northeast Hangar.
The inside of the armored hangar door glowed white-hot and bulged inward until finally it burst. Tallgeese III, a short distance ahead of the Gundams and Noin's blue and white Taurus II, stood with its feet planted on the lunar surface some distance from the door, its megacannon pointed at the huge hole that had been melted in the door. An awful howl sounded as the hangar's atmosphere was sucked into the vacuum of space. In corridors leading off from the hangar, bulkheads and blast doors closed to prevent the entire base from losing containment. Some of the doors had been twisted and melted out of shape by the marauding Tempests, and air continued to howl into the void. Fires went out as they were robbed of oxygen, and doors continued to close until the area open to space had been completely shut off.
Duo drew a sharp breath as he surveyed the damage the attackers had done. "That's gonna be one expensive repair job."
"One mobile suit did all of this?" Noin wondered disbelievingly at the debris-strewn cavern as her customized Taurus II entered the chamber which had once housed hundreds of mobile suits. The others followed.
"It seems so," Quatre said, shock evident in his own voice.
Then, from one of the unclosed passages, five Tempests emerged in single file. "Shit! It's the Gundams!"
"More of these things? Well, that explains the level and the area of destruction," Wufei said.
The two groups of mobile suits confronted each other across the airless, rubble-filled space.
"Get them!" Noin yelled, bringing up her beam cannon and firing it in an instant. The blast caught the lead Tempest in the torso and destroyed it.
"Return fire!" The remaining four Martian suits raised their double beam gatlings and began firing. The left shoulder pauldron of one suit opened up, revealing three stacked rows of three missiles each, with space for a fourth row above the third. The Tempest launched all nine missiles in quick succession; the other suits did likewise, sending a swarm of missiles towards Excelsior Squadron.
"Hah! Nice try!" Odin snorted derisively, firing Wing's buster rifle and destroying the missiles and two more Tempests.
"Surrender yourselves and leave your suits. If you do, you won't be harmed," Quatre told the remaining two heavy assault mobile suits over the comm.
The Martian pilots ignored his offer. One, a grizzled veteran, opened a channel. "Oni, this Chief Samsonov. While en route to the Northeast Hangar, we have come under attack from the Gundams. It is unlikely that we'll make it to the rendezvous. Squad Two, out," he closed the channel. "Now, let's see how much damage we can do..." His Tempest raised the megacannon mounted on its right shoulder and fired.
"Damn!" Wufei spat as he dodged the worst of the blast. However, the beam managed to claim Altron's left arm and dragonfang. He lashed out with his remaining dragonfang, ripping the offending enemy's right arm off, megacannon and all. "RRAAAH!" Wufei screamed angrily, leaping forward to deliver the final blow, but the undamaged Tempest interposed itself between Altron and Wufei's target at the last moment.
"What are you doing, you fool?" Samsonov bellowed.
"Get clear, Chief! Gyaaah!" Altron's beam trident was thrust through the suit's midsection, and it exploded, throwing Altron aside.
Chief Samsonov closed his eyes. "I hope Oni and Squad One make it," he muttered to himself. He opened his eyes, and a smile quirked his lips. "See you in Hell, Gundam!" His Tempest shifted, gathering itself to leap forward at Sandrock, but Deathscythe suddenly appeared behind him and sliced his suit in two.
"Hey, guys. I overheard that guy transmitting to Oni Gundam. Seems that they're headed to the Northeast Hangar, so we should probably be getting a move on, doncha think?" Duo asked.
"Right," Zechs said. "Let's go."
"Squad One, Two just bit the dust. I'm almost to the Northeast Hangar. You?" Julia commed her remaining subordinates.
"Chief Emmons has certified the room clear. We're waiting inside," a female voice responded.
"Good job, Lieutenant Banza. I'll be right there." Oni Gundam stepped around a last corner and saw two Tempests standing outside a large doorway. Oni approached them. "Any trouble getting here, Rachel?"
"No, Major. No problems."
Down the hall, behind Oni, a mobile-suit sized door slid open.
"There they are!" Duo yelled as Deathscythe charged through the opening.
"SHIT! How'd they find us so quickly?" Lieutenant Rachel Banza raised her double gatling and fired. Julia maneuvered Oni Gundam past the pair of Tempests now filling the hall with flying lead.
"Gee, I wonder whose fighting style these guys are imitating," Duo commented sarcastically to himself, dodging back into the hallway he had come from. "C'mon, Quatre, Noin, Wufei, and Zechs... get yer asses up here so we can take them out..."
The Tempest mobile suits were retreating into the hangar behind Oni. Banza began issuing orders: "Chief Emmons, blast a hole in the external door. The rest of you, come with me; we'll be guarding the entrance."
"As will I," Julia said.
"But Major, you're the only one who can transmit the completion signal to Colonel Bernett! If you become a casualty, he won't know when to initiate Phase Two!"
"I'm also the one with the most powerful mobile suit," Major Julia Esroni pointed out. "They've taken out three squads of Tempests and they're still coming, but even Gundams aren't invincible. They're damaged, and don't forget that Heavyarms was forced to retreat. We can win."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Finally!" Duo said. "They're in the hangar now."
"Right," Noin replied. "Let's get them."
"I'm going in under stealth," Duo informed the others as Deathscythe Hell's active cloak closed, rendering the Gundam invisible. Duo had just gotten to a point directly in front of the entrance to the hangar when Deathscythe flickered back into visibility. "What!? Did my hyperjammers get hit?"
Rachel Banza unleashed the power of her megacannon.
"Aaaaaaagh!" Duo cried as the blast slammed Deathscythe into the corridor wall. When the beam dissipated, Duo saw that it had taken with it the front portion of the active cloak. "Shit! I've gotta get outta here!"
"Get out of the way!" Wufei spat impatiently, moving Altron to stand in front of Deathscythe. "Esroni!" he called. "Come out and prove yourself, woman!"
In her cockpit, Julia bristled angrily, and Oni Gundam stepped forward. "Is that a challenge?" she enunciated darkly. Excelsior Squadron and the Tempests stopped in their tracks to watch.
"Indeed it is, woman," Wufei answered, pulling out his beam trident. Positioning it across his body, he let out a battle cry and charged at Oni Gundam.
Looking skyward, Julia sighed and said lazily, "Engage PX." Oni's eyes shone bright silver for a moment, and with blinding speed, Oni sidestepped Wufei's charge.
"What!?" Wufei's head snapped to the side, following Oni's movement. "Such speed," he muttered, "but you won't escape this time!" His remaining dragonfang spewed flame at Oni and swept the fiery jets across the four Tempests, but the durable armor of all five of the Martian suits shrugged the flames off with ease, looking none the worse for wear but for some scorching. What? Why are the flamethrowers so weak? Wufei thought in shock. Then his lip curled. Can't fix it now, he thought, and sent the dragonfang shooting out at Oni. Again, Julia easily dodged his attack, and this time, the beam bracer on Oni's right arm ignited, a silver blade of energy coming into being. Slashing upwards, Oni severed the neck of the dragonfang; with a clatter, it fell to the floor. Oni Gundam spun, its heat rod whipping out and pulling Altron's feet out from under it.
"Have I proven myself?" Julia asked, in vitriolic tones (look it up if you need to).
Grudgingly, Wufei replied, "Yes."
"Wufei lost? To a woman?" Duo gave an exaggerated gasp.
"Shut up if you value your life, Duo," Wufei threatened.
"You'll have to catch me first."
"SHUT UP, DAMN YOU!"
"Yes, yes, it's shocking," Noin said, covering Oni with her beam cannon. "Now, if you two would be quiet, the rest of us can concentrate on the enemy." Her Taurus II was standing in the lead, flanked on either side by Wing Gundam and Tallgeese III. Sandrock brought up the rear.
"If any of you wish to surrender, now is your opportunity," Odin said, his buster rifle leveled at the two Tempests on the right.
"Your only opportunity," Zechs added in a low voice, his megacannon trained on the other two Tempests.
Without warning, several dozen missiles swarmed from the back of the hangar and slammed into the Tallgeese, Wing, and Noin's Taurus II. Oni Gundam jetted aside and the Tempests flattened themselves to the walls as streams of gatling fire and a megacannon beam swept the entrance, driving the Gundams back.
"You all right, Major Esroni? Lieutenant Banza?" A Tempest emerged from the back of the hangar, still laying down suppressive fire.
"We're both fine, Chief Emmons," Rachel answered. "Remind me to recommend you for promotion when we get back." The other Tempests were adding their gatling fire to Emmons's. "Is the door open?"
"Yes, Ma'am. We can leave any time."
"Then let's get going. Major, if you would lead the way?"
"Right," Julia answered decisively.
"Colonel Bernett, this is as close as we can get to Vulkanus without being detected."
"Very well; we'll hold our position here," Odel said from his command chair.
Another crewman spoke up: "Colonel! We're receiving a priority signal on all frequencies. The decryption is coming in now... It reads: 'The demon its seeds of mischief has sown; for the shining the harvest of chaos is grown.' ... Do you know what that means, Sir?"
"It means," Odel said, "that Major Esroni has completed Phase One of Operation Maelstrom. Begin launching the main attack force," Odel continued, rising from his chair. "Senior Chief Marshall, tell the techs I'm on my way and have them give Coruscos a once-over. Lieutenant Colonel Harrison, you have command of the ship until I return." And with that, he strode from the bridge.
"They got away! Should we pursue?" Quatre asked.
Noin shook her head. "No. They're likely going to alert a larger attack force, and with our suits in this shape, we wouldn't last a minute against numerically superior opponents of any caliber. At least the jamming has stopped." She punched a few buttons. "Calling all Preventer units! This is Lieutenant Commander Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft. The doors of the North and Northeast Hangars have been breached. Excelsior Squadron's suits are damaged and cannot guard the breaches. Two squadrons are needed to provide security. Please respond."
"This is Shiva Squadron, Ma'am. We've already taken up station at the North Hangar."
"This is Valkyrie Squadron, incoming. Excelsior, we'll take Northeast off your hands."
"Thank you," Noin said, and turned her comm back to Excelsior's private frequency. "Let's get back to South Hangar, guys."
"Knight Leader, this is Ten," Private First Class Peter Weiss commed. "I've picked up half a dozen contacts approaching from the Lunar Base. IF/F reads them as hostiles. But I'm also getting a larger group of hostiles to our rear, closer to Vulkanus. What should we do?"
Captain Roche Nattono considered. "We're closer to the Lunar Base than to Vulkanus, so we'll take out the six that are in front of us. It's highly likely that these suits are responsible for the immense damage to the Lunar Base. Therefore, they must be powerful. We'll take them out first, then turn around and help our main force if we can. Three, contact VCI (Vulkanus Combat Intelligence) and inform them of our plans."
"Roger, Leader," Melissa Rivqin replied.
"Knights of the Realm," Roche continued, "stand by to engage the enemy."
"Where the fucking hell did these things come from!?" a Preventer pilot exclaimed as Medusas suddenly raced through the Preventer formations.
"No idea! They aren't firing at us for some reason, though," another pilot responded. "I wonder why...?" The Martian mobile suits soon answered his question as they swooped down toward Vulkanus and began destroying the surface-mounted beam cannons. "Get them!" the second pilot shouted, as more Medusas began rocketing through space.
"Major, that squadron of Taurus IIs is still coming at us, and we've expended all of our missiles and most of the ammunition for our gatlings. Should we continue on our present course, or maneuver to evade?" Banza asked.
"Stay on course," Julia answered, "and give them a volley from your megacannons. That should persuade them to get out of our way."
"SCATTER!" Roche bellowed as five megacannon blasts lanced out toward KotR. All of the Taurus IIs fired their thrusters, flying in every direction. All of them, save one.
"Ten, move it!" Zhacque urged, but it was too late; Weiss's Taurus II had caught one of the blasts full-on, and in the heart of the destructive beam, it disintegrated.
Not another one, Mariemaia thought in anguish, not another comrade... another friend... "Take THIS!" she screamed in sorrowful fury, firing her beam cannon.
"Commander Une, a force of Medusas has appeared and they are attacked this facility's beam cannons. The Taurus troops we launched to deal with the unknown types at the Lunar Base have engaged the Medusas," a crewwoman said as Lady Une entered Vulkanus Central Command. She continued: "VCI has received reports of an upgraded model of Medusa, and another Gundam. Most of the enemy force is engaged with ours, but a few squadrons are continuing to destroy our point defense beam cannons. The Lunar Base has sent word that the unknown types, along with Oni Gundam, were repulsed by Excelsior Squadron. Also, according to VCI, Knights of the Realm Squadron has engaged Oni Gundam and the surviving squad of unknown types. Orders, Ma'am?"
"The new attack force doesn't have any of the new type of mobile suit?" Lady Une frowned slightly, crossing to the command chair located in the center of the circular room.
"No, Ma'am. Not that have been reported."
"And the Medusas are destroying only our point defense? Not our hangars?"
"Correct, Ma'am."
Lady Une crossed her legs. "They must be trying to capture this facility, then... Who currently has the advantage in the larger battle?" She gestured at the flashes of beam weaponry and explosions of distant battle on the main display screen.
"We do," a male crewer answered.
"Have a couple squadrons of Tauruses break off and start hunting down those Medusas around our surface," Lady Une ordered.
The blast from Mariemaia's beam cannon hit one of the Tempests, destroying it.
"Emmons!" Banza cried. Looking grimly at Mariemaia's Taurus II, she said, "Well, that's one for one, so I suppose we're even." She took a deep breath. "Sorry, but it's kill or be killed," she said, and squeezed her left trigger, sending a burst of gatling fire at her enemy.
Mariemaia dodged easily.
Have to conserve my ammo, Rachel thought, taking her finger off the trigger. Sparing a quick glance at the power gauge for her megacannon, she saw that it was half full. Half-strength's good enough for me, she thought, and another beam shot into the starry dark of space. Again, Mariemaia's suit dodged it easily. "Typhoon Squad, fire your megacannons once they get to half power. You'll have half as much punch, but you'll be able to fire twice as often."
"Roger that," her squad replied.
Zhacque dodged the gatling fire of another Tempest and returned the favor with a three-shot burst from his beam rifle. To his left, he saw Private Treadwell's Taurus move a split second too late and lose its right arm to a megacannon blast. "Sir," he commed Roche, "we aren't going to be able to keep this up forever. We can't compete with them at this distance."
"Roger that, Lieutenant. Knights, listen up. The enemy are designed for ranged combat," Roche advised. "Holding the distance open plays to their advantage; move in close."
Julia Esroni, overhearing this, smiled. "Fools."
To be continued in Episode 19: Vulkanus Under Fire