-Earth, CE74-
"Garret, Aston! Both of you stay on the ground, the radar is picking up some aquatic suits coming from the coast! I'll head for their ship in the ocean!" Cecil called to his comrades. His GuAIZ R soared through the sky, riding on a Guul. The GINN and GOUF belonging to the other two ZAFT soldiers took cover behind some ruins on the battlefield.
"Come on Garret, show us that promotion to red wasn't a mistake" the red haired pilot laughed. Garret took a deep breath and took a more relaxed hold of his suit's controls. "I'm kidding, just take it easy. Don't get yourself killed out there" Aston said more seriously.
"Right" Garret said in reply to his comrade. The two reds checked their guns over and peeked out of cover. "Two GOOhNs, two ZnOs and a BuCUE, closing in from straight ahead" Garret pointed out, looking between each of the enemies. "So they're part of Purity?" Garret asked.
"That's right" Aston replied.
"Why is it that they only seem to be using ZAFT suits?" Garret asked.
"Probably because we have more versatile suits for use in the atmosphere. That would be my guess anyway" Aston spoke. "Now, reckon you can handle the BuCUE by yourself?" he asked his comrade.
"I should be able to" Garret replied, watching the four-legged suit sliding across the ground on its treads.
"It will have a large speed advantage on you, if things get too difficult fall back immediately" Aston instructed.
"Yeah I know. I don't plan on dying here. Now, let's get this done!" Garret called. The GINN leant around the side of the ruins and fired off several rounds of its machine gun at the incoming suits.
"Go!" Aston called. He engaged his flight pack and leapt into the air, his sword drawn. Garret charged out across the grass with his sword in one hand and his gun in the other. The GOOhNs leant up and fired off a barrage of missiles at the blue GOUF, but Aston blocked the attack with his shield. The BuCUE tore towards the GINN, engaging its beam blades in its head and readying the missile launcher on its back. Garret heard an explosion and saw the debris of one of the GOOhNs Aston had cleaved with his sword.
"Can't fall behind" Garret said, focusing on the BuCUE. He raised his gun, aimed at the mobile suit and fired off a volley of rounds. The Purity suit skated to the side however, dodging the bullets. "Sit still!" the ZAFT pilot yelled, running straight at the mobile suit.
"Garret!" Aston yelled, seeing the GINN charging forward. The BuCUE changed its angle slightly so that the beam blade would hit the GINN easier. Garret grinned and sped up slightly.
"You're mine" Garret said quietly. He raised his sword and then slammed the tip of the blade down into the ground. He then engaged his boosters and leapt to the side as the BuCUE tried to change its angle. The suit managed to avoid the sword directly, but the blade still severed the left legs of the BuCUE. Garret then raised his rifle and let loose an entire clip into the body of the suit that was sliding across the grass on its side. Aston smiled as he saw the BuCUE explode. He then descended quickly and flung his whip straight into the second GOOhNs cockpit. He landed on the suit, knocking it to the ground and then leapt back as it exploded.
"Nicely done Garret" Aston commented as his comrade joined him.
"Thanks Aston. Just the ZnOs now" Garret spoke, watching the green aquatic mobile suits walking towards them. They raised their hands and began firing blasts from their phonon maser cannons. The GOUF took off into the sky and the GINN ran to the side. Garret crouched down on one knee and fired off a clip of his machine gun. The bullets all slammed into the first ZnO, destroying it. "Crap, I'm out of clips!" Garret exclaimed, reaching for a new clip. He turned around and saw his sword still in the ground where he had left it and ran for the weapon. The GOUF flew around in the sky, avoiding the cannon shots from the ZnO as he tried to get closer. He raised his shield and flew straight down at the ZnO who kept trying to shoot the blue mobile suit down.
"Heh. You're mine Coordinator" the pilot of the ZnO muttered as Aston lowered his shield to attack with his sword. The ZnO lashed out and grabbed onto the GOUF's leg with its claw.
"Oh crap!" Aston exclaimed. The ZnO swung the GOUF around before slamming it hard into the ground, wrecking the flight pack on the suit. "Damn, damn, damn!" he yelled as several of his screens exploded from the impact.
"Aston!" Garret yelled, running full pelt at the ZnO. The aquatic mobile suit clamped its claw down and crushed the leg of the GOUF and then raised its other claw, aiming it at the cockpit. "You bastard!" Garret roared and he raised the GINN's sword. He pulled his arm back and then hurled the weapon like a boomerang at the ZnO. The blade slammed into the suit's shoulder, causing it to stagger backwards slightly.
"Garret, here!" Aston called, flinging the GOUF's sword across the ground. Garret kept running and picked it up as he ran past.
"I'll kill you!" Garret yelled as he reached the ZnO and raised the sword. The ZnO raised its undamaged arm and aimed the claw at the GINN. Garret swung the sword out and cut the arm in half before aiming it at the cockpit. He drove the point clean through the cockpit and then pushed the ZnO away before it exploded. Garret turned to the GOUF and knelt down. "Aston, are you alright?" he called to his friend.
"I'm fine, one hell of a headache though… also think my shoulder is broken" Aston replied. He sounded alright for someone who almost died, Garret thought. "The cockpit is jammed, reckon you can help me out?" he asked Garret.
"Right" Garret said. He reached down with the GINN and grabbed the cockpit. He clenched the hand, watching the metal crumble and then tore the cockpit covering off, flinging it aside. Aston undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the mobile suit, climbing down to the ground, holding his left shoulder.
"Garret, come in!" Cecil's voice called over the radio.
"Cecil, what is it?" Garret asked in reply.
"I'm under attack, eight ZAKU Slashes and something else… it's the Strike Gundam!" Cecil explained. "Get back to the ship and get out of here, I'll hold them off!" he ordered.
"What? No way! I'm not leaving you to fight all those!" Garret exclaimed.
"Just go Garret… you don't stand a chance against these enemies, they're Purity elites. I'll follow you soon, I promise" Cecil said quietly.
"But…!" Garret began but he was interrupted.
"Garret, go. Goodbye… my friend" Cecil spoke and then the communication cut out.
"CECIL!" Garret yelled, slamming his fist against the console.
-Earth, CE75-
"We lost a good friend that day" Aston said quietly, his eyes closed.
"Aston…" Garret said, looking to his Commander.
"It's been a while since you called me that" Aston said, a faint smile on his face.
"I hate this war… so many innocent lives lost, for no reason. It's all stupid!" Garret said, punching the GOUF's leg.
"I know. But all we can do now is fight, and hope that it'll achieve something" Aston spoke. "Now, perhaps you should go check that your GINN is functioning properly, it hasn't been used in a while after all" the Commander suggested.
"Yeah, good idea" Garret said in reply, walking towards his GINN. He climbed up into the suit, turned on the systems and stared into the console.
The Ceres and Minerva travelled for the next day with no conflict. They reached the borders of Perth and Commander Falcon stood on the bridge, examining the damage. "My god… this is much worse than Sydney…" he muttered to himself.
"That's probably because this city has felt the force of a full-scale battle, Sydney was only a minor skirmish between our squads and Purity" Captain Phillips pointed out.
"For something they're trying to protect, Purity is sure doing a number on the place" Aston said to himself. "Alright, give the order for our pilots to wait in their machines, we'll launch as soon as we get to the combat zone!" Aston ordered, running from the bridge.
"All hands to level 2 battle stations, pilots board your machines and prepare for combat. I repeat, all hands, level 2 battle stations, pilots board your machines and prepare for combat" Karl's voice spoke over the ship's intercom.
"Garret, you good to go?" Marcel asked, looking to his friend.
"Anytime, let's get going" Garret said in reply. He turned to Victoria before heading off. "You gonna be alright?" he asked her.
"Yeah, why?" Victoria asked in return.
"I was just a bit worried, you're only new to the whole piloting job and we've been fighting a lot lately" Garret explained.
"Hey, if I couldn't handle the job I wouldn't have signed up. Trust me, I'll be fine" the young woman said with a kind smile.
"Alright then, let's go" Garret said and the three pilots headed to the locker rooms. Within minutes they were all changed and on board their mobile suits. Garret sat in the seat of his GINN and gripped the controls tight. "It's been a while… huh pal?" he asked into the computer screen before him.
"Garret" Commander Falcon's voice spoke as his face appeared on Garret's screen.
"Yes Commander, what is it?" Garret asked in return.
"I'm sorry I bought up such a painful memory before, are you going to be ok out there?" Aston asked.
"I'll be fine. I've made up my mind, I'm not going to let this war take away any more of my friends, not a single one" Garret said seriously. Aston smiled at his friend.
"That's good then, I'll be counting on you out there" the Commander said.
"Aston, let's do this… for Cecil" Garret said. He closed the communication before the other pilot could reply and put the visor down on his helmet. Aston smiled to himself and stepped the GOUF onto the catapult.
"Marcel, Victoria, I want the two of you to keep your suits on the ship and help with covering fire while Garret and I go onto the battlefield" Aston explained. Marcel and Victoria acknowledged the order and readied their mobile suits.
"All hands, upgrade to level 3 battle stations, all pilots head out immediately!" Karl's voice called.
"Alright, let's get this done" Aston said, watching as the hatch for the catapult opened. "Aston Falcon, GOUF Ignited, engage!" the Commander called and his suit soared out into the sky, clouded by smoke.
"Garret, you're clear for launch" Karl spoke to the GINN pilot.
"Roger. Garret Kross, GINN, soar!" Garret called and the mobile suit was flung onto the battlefield. He landed on the ground and turned to see the ZAKU and GuAIZ stood on the outside of the ship, their guns scanning the area.
"Hey, Garret" Marcel spoke over the GINN's radio.
"What is it Marcel?" Garret asked in return.
"Make sure you and the Commander get back here alive" Marcel said quietly.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine" Garret said, a smile on his face. He walked the GINN across the charred ground, looking at the battle zone ahead. He could see ZAFT forces heavily engaged with Purity forces. There were numerous casualties on both sides by the looks of it, Garret thought to himself. He pulled his rifle off the back of his waist and ran into the battle area.