Gundam Seed: Killer's Realm
Phase 09: Tiger's Fang
North Africa, Sahara Desert
January 29th, 11:38 A.M. Local Time, 9:38 P.M. Orb Time
The catapult fired, launching the Augury with its grim-looking Kuro Tenshi pack into the sky. The Gundam's new thrusters flared, causing the already fast-moving mobile suit to dash across the sky, passing the marching Constantines on the ground. For a few moments, Kira was stunned by the sudden G-forces acting on his body, seemingly attempting to squash him into the seat for daring to control such power. Then he recovered, pushing the Augury into a smooth, controlled arc of a turn, coming around to face the OMNI force. fifteen Constantines and thirty Megalodons faced him back, targeting systems locking on. The Megalodons fired their missiles, a swarm numbering in the dozens, each with enough power to blow a ZONGS in half. Kira did something that astonished the OMNI pilots. He charged the Augury straight at the missiles, angling slightly down. As the Augury came within twenty meters of the ground, the missiles closing in, the Gundam's legs kicked out, in front of it, the harsh glare of the thrusters increasing as Kira fed power to them. Then, the legs dropped, to a position that, had the Augury's legs been touching the ground, been called standing. However, the feet remained about twenty centimeters off of the sandy desert ground, even as the Augury's momentum continued to push it forward. The missiles lost him, the EWACS messing with their targeting computers, making them unable to compensate for the quick acceleration and then deceleration, as well as the abrupt change in trajectory, their thrusters plowing them into the sand before detonation.
Then the Ramjet booster-enhanced thrusters on the Kuro Tenshi's main pack made themselves known, acting in coordination with the Augury's new back thrusters to propel the Gundam forward, the hovering mobile suit speeding towards the OMNI units. Beams and linear rounds streaked past the Augury, requiring little maneuvering for the fast-moving mobile suit to avoid. Then the Megalodons charged, throwing up clouds of sand in their wake. Beam saws spinning, the front two jumping forward, attempting to slice the Augury in half. The Gundam sliced both in half along their noses with the Phase-Shifted edge of the shield. A Constantine armed with a beam sniper rifle dropped to one knee, aiming the weapon at the Gundam. Quickly, the shield came up, the Kamikaze firing a single shell. Now, unlike the Highly Explosive and Super Hot thermesium rounds, this one was a simple full metal jacket round, consisting of a lead interior completely encased in a titanium and carbon alloy.
The extreme heat from the Kamikaze fused the metals, pretty much melting the lead, which heated up the alloy to almost, but not quite, melting temperature, being about five degrees Kelvin too cool. The result was a smoldering hole punched straight through the cockpit of the Constantine, with the projectile piercing through the upper cockpit of another, unlucky, mobile suit before smashing the head of a third and final Constantine off, landing in the sand. Naturally, all of the mobile suits stopped to stare, whereas the oblivious Megalodons continued on their path, the destruction of the Constantines out of sight and out of mind.
As the next set of Megalodons approached, Kira had the Augury draw the Excalibur. The blade came to life, the monomolecular edges humming slightly as the high-frequency vibration systems started up, followed a bit later by the beam blade. Now, unlike other melee beam weapons, the Excalibur's magnetic fields did not merely contain the plasma, holding it close to the physical blade. No, instead, by moving the internal micro-electromagnets that emanated the field, the plasma traveled along the blade, held fast by the powerful magnetic fields, eventually entering the guard from where it originated. This created a chainsaw-like effect, wherein the ions and free electrons smashed into and through interdicting matter, generally transferring both thermal and kinetic energy upon impact. On the super-molecular scale, this had little effect. On the sub-molecular scale however, the continuous impacts from the plasma caused the molecular bonds to weaken quickly, with entire molecules breaking apart. Basically, by the time the actual, physical blade touched the material in question, it was about as sturdy as heated gold, and that's if it managed to survive the chainsaw-like beam blade.
The Megalodon pilots, thinking nothing of the black and silver sword with the blue-white beam blade, activated their beam saws, leaping out of the sand to attempt to finish what their compatriots had started, the forward most Megalodon going for the Augury's neck while the other two targeted its legs. The first one was simply sliced down the middle, the dual beam and physical blades of the Excalibur easily passing through the comparatively weak alloys that the armor's structure and armor consisted of. The Megalodon on the right was dealt with as quickly, the Excalibur hacking through one side and out the other. The Megalodon targeting the left leg was blasted with a round from the Kamikaze's second barrel. Unlike the full metal jacket shells in the first barrel, which were designed to penetrate armor much thicker than that of mobile weapons, this frangible shell was designed to disintegrate on impact, doing very little real damage to the Megalodon's armor.
This was perfect, allowing the hundreds of 5mm superheated steel flechettes embedded into the solid round to continue to travel at the speed that the Kamikaze had fired the round at, spreading out from the impact point like a point-blank shotgun blast. The flechettes ripped their way through the Megalodon's armor, some getting caught in the denser parts, but the majority retaining enough momentum to tear straight through the unfortunate OMNI pilot and whatever else within the general impact zone of the frangible round, many of them even managing to emerge through the other side of the mobile armor.
At this point, the other pilots of the OMNI force had enough of the Augury, and decided to attack the heavily armed and armored warship, an action that would most certainly have increased their life expectancy by a few minutes were it not for the presence of the Kiba.
With its Mirage Colloid cloak activated, the Kiba appeared to be little more than a hazy mirage to both cameras and sensors, the low-density cloud of Mirage Colloid particles interfering with light and radio waves. As a result, the Constantines closest to the Gundam were unable to achieve a satisfactory target lock before the Kiba closed in, their bursts of beam weapon fire going aimlessly into the distance as Chimamare used the Kiba's Chilongs to mercilessly maul them.
The first Constantine to be targeted by Chimamare fired its SMG wildly, trying to get a bead on the fast-moving Gundam, and missing terribly. The Kiba's response was to leap onto the Constantine's chest, stab it several times in the cockpit, and then run for the next one. This Constantine had thrown its weapon away, drawing its beam saber and beam pistol. The quick reactions of Chimamare saved the Kiba's head from the beam saber slice, even as he deftly avoided the fire of the pistol. The Kiba's claws swept in towards the OMNI unit, even as it prepared to move on to the next victim. What happened instead, was the Constantine's quick movement briefly saving its life even as two Megalodon's turned their attention on the silver Gundam in their midst.
In an attempt to save their still endangered Constantine comrade, they charged the Kiba, railguns firing and missiles launching. Almost lazily, the Kiba lifted its head at the missiles, CIWS firing and destroying them even as the high-velocity railgun rounds impacted uselessly against its armor. The instant gulp of energy taken by the Phase Shift Armor to resist those impacts was by no means small, but Chimamare figured that the Gundam wouldn't really need it. He blasted the two mobile armors with the 'Nidhoggr', chuckling at the pretty explosions even as he skewered the Constantine on the Kiba's claws.
Behind the Kiba, Rau's Charcharius flew into battle, Ratus shield spitting a deadly hail of 80mm bullets into the armor of the Megalodons. As it landed, the Magra flickered out from its housing under the right forearm, slicing the head of a Constantine off before darting down to intercept the slice of another Constantine's beam saber. Even as Rau blocked this attack, the Ratus' heat blade slide out, smoothly cutting a Constantine's arm off even as the grenade launcher fired an incendiary into it's face. As the mobile suit with the beam saber drew back, Rau took a step forward, slicing in with the Magra. Surprisingly, the beam saber intercepted the slice, even as the CIWS slid out from their holdings in the Constantine's head to pepper uselessly at the Charcharius' chest. The SCAU-XU retaliated with an 80mm burst followed by a stab from the Ratus' built-in heat blade, finishing by cutting the OMNI suit into four with a vertical slash then a horizontal slash.
To the Constantine pilot sneaking up on the Charcharius, life was just about to get better. He was about to destroy a prototype ZAFT suit, which, going by the coloring, was piloted by Rau Le Creuset himself! In a single stroke, he would greatly improve his lot in life, currying favor with the Blue Cosmos higher-ups. Or he would have, if the Noctoraptor's Aculeus pile driver hadn't slammed through the lower torso while its beam saber sub arms sliced through the cockpit. Before fading, Nicol shot two Megalodons leaping for the Charcharius with the left Trikeros' beam rifle before fading, reappearing to blast a Constantine at close range with the shield carbines.
One Constantine, running away, failed to notice the large and dangerous Gundam closing in on it from above, until said Gundam landed directly on its back, pretty much crushing the cockpit and its occupying pilot. Chuckling a bit, Dearka targeted a singularly unlucky trio of Megalodons with the Shredder, pretty much tearing the mobile armors into holey husks. Aiming and shooting with the Big Earl caused a Constantine's entire upper torso to explode, while an Equalizer Armor Piercing round slammed through a Megalodon and a Constantine's leg.
Next to the Ferox, Yzak in the Enmity defended his teammate from the friends of the crushed Constantine, blocking beam sabers with the Fafnir while he intercepted beams with the shield. As one got too close, he slammed it with the shield, hacking at the SMG of another while the missile launcher fired off two High Explosive warheads. Then Yzak noticed was the Anti-Ship Sword slicing in at his back. All of a sudden, a white-hot silver spike erupted from the torso of the Constantine wielding the sword, ripping through the cockpit before some blades popped out from the spike's base, causing the weapon to drag the metal corpse with it as the Kiba reeled in its latest kill.
Aside from muttering a bit, Yzak failed to react to the save appropriately, as he was still fending off the other two. Gritting his teeth, Yzak forced himself to stay calm, just until he managed to slaughter these two OMNI soldiers. The Constantine he slammed came back with a vengeance, flourishing its beam saber in a skilled manner, impressing Yzak for a moment.
Then he stabbed the mobile suit, not bothering with anything fancy even as he kicked the other one in the torso, shooting it with the Grendel.
On the other side of the 'crater', the ten Constantines and twenty Megalodon's crept along the edge, most of the Constantine's armed with Pulsed Tactical High-Energy Lasers, Dual Beam Cannons, or Railcannons. Piloting each and every OMNI unit was a soldier who was very, very glad that they had been chosen for this sneak attack mission. Their objective was simple: while their compatriots distracted (were slaughtered by) the Gundams, they would attack the Barachiel, targeting bridge and engines first.
As a sort of prize for being the lucky ones who had the less dangerous duty, they had been given a more-complete version of the Constantine. What most people didn't know was that OMNI's current Constantine's were incomplete, missing several somewhat less-than-vital but still-very-important components, causing their performance to be less than spectacular. The ones the strike force had though, while still incomplete, now had the standard Mortar on their back. They had only a few shots with it, although the High Explosive Incendiary rounds had been promised to deal more than enough destruction to compensate for the lacking sustainability. Hopeful, and seeing a bright future, the OMNI pilots surged their units up the side of a large dune, from where they would assault the infamous assault carrier, carving their names in the books of history.
Then they saw them.
A force of perhaps ten standard GAHMU's, all in desert camouflage, led by one colored orange and yellow, and the bloody-red Bastion Gundam. Already, some of the pilots felt their knees go weak.
And that was before the Shadowfax swept in from above, Linear Repeaters firing swarms of high-velocity bullets and micro-missile launchers releasing some rather deadly ordnance. At least two Constantines were destroyed, armor ripped apart by the bullets before the missiles arced in, scattering the debris once called a mobile suit all over the sand. Maybe three Megalodons bit the dust, although the Constantine pilots were damned if they knew, the mobile armors having dove deep, deep, deep into the sand at the first sign of impending doom.
In the Shadowfax, Mu grumbled a bit at the decreased performance of his precious mobile armor, atmospheric friction drastically decreasing his maneuverability. Even with the SCRamjets on, it was painfully hindering. Of course, Mu could turn on the Positron Pulse Detonation Engine, but the warnings from Liene kinda worried him.....heck, why not? He flipped the switch. At first there was a few disappointing seconds where nothing happened....then, the sudden burst of speed jerked Mu back in his seat, leaving behind a thought. The Hawk could literally feel his bones vibrating, even the three in each of his ears. Hurriedly, Mu booted up the program that Liene said would allow him to move more adroitly with this monster of an engine. Immediately, the speed went from 'oh my god, my spine's vertebrae are fusing together' to 'fuck, my ribs are slicing my lungs apart'.
Down below, Athrun, Waltfeld, and the other GAHMU's shook off their amazement at the Shadowfax's altitude going from three hundred to eight hundred meters in less than three seconds, and started going after the Constantines. Before the OMNI mobile suits gathered themselves, the Bastion's Tonbogiri sliced one wielding a P-THEL in half, before the Rudra blasted one using Dual Beam Cannons in the torso. To the side, Waltfeld's GAHMU sliced through two Constantine's at once, with the beam weapons controlled by Aisha shooting at a trio of OMNI suits with better reaction times, the three ducking down at once, letting the beams pass over. Before any of the other GAHMUs, a few meters behind the Gundam and Custom GAHMU, could get any closer, the Megalodons popped up like Shamu doing a trick for fish. Their efforts ended rather easily, with beam saws parried by head beam sabers, missiles intercepted by Gatling fire, and railgun shots rather deftly dodged by the extremely maneuverable GAHMUs. Essentially, the entire Megalodon assault ended as though large tuna had tried to attack a tiger. Mere moments later, the common GAHMUs, each piloted by a ZAFT Redcoat, turned from the broken and lackluster heaps of metal formerly called Megalodons to the battle being fought on the dune.
The Bastion practically danced around the Constantines, avoiding laser and beam and railcannon round as easily as one would the jab of a cane wielded by an especially out-of-sorts elderly person. Every once in a while, the Tonbogiri slashed out, or the Rudra fired, and a Constantine toppled, headless, limbless, or torsoless. A little off to the side, Waltfelds GAHMU darted in and around at the fringe of the fight, beam sabers biting into Constantines or hacking away with the leg spikes usually used for small-degree turns. When one Constantine actually managed to aim its P-THEL at the GAHMU, Watlfeld's Gatling gun roared, chewing the weapon apart before three beams pierced the mobile suit through.
At this point, about five Constantines were left, surrounded by the Bastion and the GAHMUs. Before any of the ZAFT suits could react, the Shadowfax blazed through above them, micro-missiles and linear rounds pretty much mulching the Constantines.
"Um....Mu, what was the point of that?" Athrun asked.
"Just making sure I made a good account of myself." Mu replied
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 – Quis est a Iuguolo nisi a Iuguolo? – 000000000000000000000000000000000000000
A/N: Stopping here cause... well, to be honest, I kinda forgot about Killer's Realm for a bit. Visiting relatives and all that.....
Anyway, hope you guys liked the battle, and to answer a question before it gets posed: The Kuro Tenshi is not the Freedom replacement, although I like to think that the Freedom wouldn't have been able to deal with it were they ever to fight. But no, the Freedom replacement is going to be several degrees of magnitude more dangerous, threatening, and generally more bad-ass.
Velshard: Speaking of which, you haven't told me what you thought of the Omen (don't reply to this in your review, want to keep it a secret from the others)
G. Wagers: I like tech files. I feel they give a more in depth explanation of the mobile suit/armor's capabilities than any of the characters can on the spot (although I think I'll be hard pressed to beat Liene's explanation).
Nxkris: It's an Omake. Of course it's dumb.