Tale Seven: Corporal Robert Croft - OZ-06MS Leo – Sometime after Operation Daybreak
United Earth Sphere Alliance Corporal Robert Croft was not in a very good mood. Days earlier the Specials had launched their Operation Daybreak while his mobile suit platoon had been away from their base on a long range patrol. When they returned to the base they found it in disarray Croft immediately ordered his platoon in to assist the garrison but was forced back, loosing two of his men in the process. A handful of the base's other mobile suits escaped with Croft however the victorious Specials began hunting the Alliance escapees. Forced into the mountains north of Kabul the Alliance force was whittled down to just three machines. Now their hopes rested with reaching the Khyber Pass and escaping south.
Croft checked the status readouts of his Leo for the eighth time in five minutes. The trio of Earth Alliance Leos were kneeling in a lightly forested ravine some twenty-five miles north of the Khyber Pass. Their journey had been halted when they detected a pair of attack helicopters searching the area. Croft knew the Leos could easily defeat the helicopters but he couldn't risk revealing their position because he knew the Specials mobile suits wouldn't be far behind. Croft's Leo was carrying one of the powerful doberguns on its right shoulder. He was well aware that the cannon caused excessive stress on a Leo's arm when fired but right now Croft wanted its firepower, even if he only had two rounds of ammunition left.
"Miguel can you still see them?" he spoke into the microphone attached to the cable that had been run out to Miguel, who was observing the surroundings from a hiding place at the head of the ravine.
Croft was forced to wait several agonising seconds for Miguel's reply. "Yes sir, but they are moving away to the north east," Croft let out a sigh of relief, a little longer and they would be able to continue their journey. "Wait! I've spotted another pair and they are heading right for us!"
"Damn! Miguel get back here now," barked Croft. He quickly switched over to the other cable, which was slung between the Leos. "Sara get ready we've got company,"
"What is it boss?" asked Sara in a rather sleepy voice, she had been trying to get some rest.
"A pair of attack helicopters we have to kill them quickly,"
"Yes sir!" she exclaimed as she brought her Leo up to full height. The attack helicopters were upon them in no time but it only took a short burst from Sara's 105mm machinegun to send the lead machine crashing to the earth in flames. The second tried to bank away but caught a burst from Croft's machinegun, held in the Leo's left hand, in the tail.
"Good work team. Lets get out of here," said Croft as he spotted Miguel clambering into his Leo.
"I think we've got a problem," said Sara in a rather hesitant voice. "I think that last one got off a signal."
"Damn, double time it people," ordered Croft. "Those Specials traitors will on us in no time."
The trio of Leos lumbered away as quickly as they could in the rough terrain. Croft cursed his luck; this revolution had really screwed everything up he had been in line for a promotion at the end of the month. He had hoped to get away from this dull backwater posting to where all the action was. He didn't expect anything like a revolution to happen.
In the distance he spotted the tell tale vapour trails of a mobile suit transport plane. The Specials had found them. By now the trio of Leos had reached the relative openness of the grassy foothills; there was little cover for the sixteen meter tall mobile suits they would have to fight in the open. As the fat grey transport plane closed in Croft could see it deploy three Leo mobile suits by parachute, he was expecting more but was grateful that it would be an even fight.
"Okay team lets do this!" declared Croft. "It's three on three we can take them. Keep moving, don't stop for a second, it might reduce your accuracy but it makes you harder to hit."
As both of his wing mates called in their replies Croft set his Leo going down the foothills towards the approaching Leos. He repositioned the torso slightly so that his shoulder shield was in place to take the inevitable machinegun attacks. Just as he predicted the Specials Leos came to a stop and began rattling away with their 105mm machineguns. He could feel his Leo shuddering as the round shield deflected the attacks. Detecting a slight gap in right hand side Specials Leo's attack pattern Croft swung the Dobergun onto target and fired. He missed the Leo's torso but the dober round drift down and tore through its right leg sending the war machine crashing to the ground. Croft instantly took the opportunity to finish off the downed Leo by placing a few machinegun rounds into its chest.
Croft turned just in time to see Sara's Leo cut down by coordinated machinegun fire from the other two Specials Leos. He swore loudly and set his Leo racing towards them spraying wildly with his machinegun. Most of his shots missed but two struck the right arm of one of the Leos destroying his machinegun which gave Miguel the opportunity to gun down the defenceless Specials Leo.
The lone Specials Leo began to back away as the pair of Alliance machines closed in on it. It let loose a hail of machinegun bullets at Miguel's Leo but he was able to sidestep at just the right moment so that only the Leo's left arm was destroyed. Croft was more careful with his shots as he blew off its right knee, causing the Specials Leo to stumble, and then placed a quartet of bullets through its head and cockpit.
Panting heavily from the exhaustion of battle Croft quickly scanned the wreckage on the battlefield. "Miguel can you see if Sara survived that hit?" he managed finally.
"Hard to tell sir there are a..." Miguel's transmission was cut off mid-sentence as his Leo was racked by chaingun fire and missiles causing it to explode in an enormous fireball.
Croft swung his Leo around to see a pair of Aries finish their strafing run on Miguel's Leo. He was shocked and then angry with himself. He should have realised that the transport would deposit some Aries as well. He knew sending out just three Leos was odd when there was room for more in the plane.
The pair of Aries began to come back around so that they could attack him. Ignoring his own advice Croft stopped his Leo and brought the dobergun up to aim. He knew hitting one of the Aries was a long shot but right now the he was willing to try anything. He dropped his crosshairs over the first Aries and fired. Guided by luck or fate the dober round ripped through the Aries' torso and a few seconds later it burst into flames as its fuel tanks ignited. The death of its comrade caused the remaining Aries to break off its attack. This gave Croft the chance to detach the now ammunition less dobergun from its bracket on the Leo's right shoulder. Croft allowed a slightly manic smile creep onto his face. He was pushing is luck to breaking point and was convinced that the God of Death would come to take him soon.
What transpired next happened so quickly Croft barely knew what happened. He could remember the Aries heading straight for him firing its chaingun all the way and he could remember firing back. He distinctly remember having his Leo's right arm blown right off and the searing pain as his right hand monitor exploded, showering him in glass. He remember seeing the Aries begin to smoke as it passed him by and its final attack that trashed the Leo's left knee which caused the green war machine to fall to a kneeling position.
Croft cracked the seal on his cockpit and clambered out, all the while trying not to aggravate the deep gash on his right arm. He surveyed the area and spotted the last Aries, now a burning wreck where it had collided with a hill. He could also see what looked like Sara dragging herself from her ruined Leo. Robert Croft sighed heavily and took a cigarette from the packet in his pocket he paused the light it on the red hot twisted remains of his Leo's right arm and then said "I think I'm getting a headache."
End of the Tale