Sorry for the wait guys! Been a little busy lately (Busy...in the holidays...hah hah!). Anyway, here's the next installment of Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Super Soldiers & Innovators, enjoy!
Chapter 2: An Angel's Defence.
Shortly after Setsuna and Lasse had rejoined the Ptolemaios, Sumeragi called everyone to the briefing room. As Setsuna and Lasse explained what had happened on Earth, everyone was shocked to learn that one of the Gundam Thrones had somehow been stolen, with another of the Thrones destroyed in battle. The last Throne had since vanished, with no reported sightings of the machine anywhere. Setsuna had engaged the pilot of the stolen Throne in combat, but had been close to defeat when Aeolia Schenburg's message had been sent. Thanks to the newly available Trans-Am, Setsuna had overpowered the Throne, forcing the pilot to retreat.
"So, exactly what is this Trans-Am system?" Tieria asked.
"Well based on the data that got sent along with that message, it seems to be a system only present in the five original solar reactors, sort of like a black box. Apparently, the GN Drives expel all of their stored particles at once, which increases the Gundam's firepower, speed and mobility three fold. The only problem is that is puts a lot of stress on the GN Drives, so the system has a time limit of three minutes." Ian explained.
"I see." Tieria replied.
"What I don't understand is why this system wasn't available until now. What was the purpose of hiding it?" Sterling asked.
"Sadly, that's what we don't know. Given what we do know, I doubt even Veda has any information on it." Ian replied.
"In any case, this may prove to be our only trump card. Based on what we know, it's very likely the UN forces are planning to attack us at the same time. That means you'll be facing roughly twenty five GN-Xs all at once. What's worse, we've even confirmed the presence of a new mobile armour that has joined the enemy forces." Sumeragi explained.
"This just keeps getting better." Lockon grumbled.
"So what's our plan?" Allelujah asked.
"Our only option is to face the UN forces head on. Now that we have the Assault Containers with us and the 0 Gundam is operational, we may just have a chance. Setsuna, you'll head out with Lasse in the GN Arms to stop that mobile armour." Sumeragi explained.
"Roger that." Setsuna replied.
"Sure thing." Lasse agreed.
"Lockon, take Dynames and the other GN Arms and deal with the enemy transports."
"Just leave it to me." Lockon replied, flashing his trademark grin.
"Allelujah, Tieria, you two will confront the enemy mobile suits before they reach the Ptolemaios. I don't expect you to stop all of them, just get as many as you can, got it?" Sumeragi asked.
"Got it." Allelujah replied.
"Understood." Tieria agreed.
"Sterling, I need you to stay with the Ptolemaios and defend us from any mobile suits that manage to get through. Think you can handle it?"
"Consider it taken care of." Sterling replied. But in his thoughts, the Super Soldier knew it would be a very tough battle to pull through. He had seen the GN-Xs in combat already, and they had demonstrated performance capabilities close to those of each of the Gundams, save for Virtue's sheer firepower, Dynames' accuracy, Kyrios' speed, and Exia's close combat abilities. While Sterling was confident he could out fight the pilot's, he wasn't so sure about his mobile suit. The 0 Gundam was the genesis of all four of the other Gundam's but possessed capabilities far below that of each. The biggest problem was mobility. As the 0 Gundam's original armour was made from conventional E-Carbon, it wasn't as well protected as the other Gundams, which used a mix of E-Carbon and GN Composite armour. To remedy this, the Celestial Being engineers designed the Full Armour pack for the 0 Gundam. It featured GN Composite armour plating that fitted over the suit's existing armour, a GN Double Beam Rifle on the right forearm, and a GN Beam Bazooka (an early test version of Virtue's signature weapon) mounted behind the left shoulder. However, the pack increased the 0 Gundam's weight by almost thirty tons, severely limiting its mobility.
"I'll just have to make sure that I don't get into a situation where I need to fight at close quarters. In that case, my best option will be to try and destroy the enemy at a distance, before they get to close." Sterling thought. Briefing over, the crew headed to their stations, to prepare for the coming battle.
"Attention all crew members! The UN forces are launching their attack now! All Gundams are to launch immediately!" Christina announced. Within seconds, Sterling had his pilot suit on and ready. Grabbing his helmet, he quickly headed for the container that held the 0 Gundam. The cockpit hatch automatically opened, allowing Sterling to climb inside. As the hatch closed again, the Super Soldier put his helmet on, steeling himself for the battle that would soon unfold.
"Assault Container with Gundam Exia and GN Arms E on-board, I'm heading out." Lasse announced. The small ship began to move ahead, gaining speed as it broke away from the Ptolemaios. As the Assault Container headed out, Lockon prepared his own launch.
"Dynames with GN Arms D, Lockon Stratos, I'm taking off!" he said. The GN Arms disengaged from the rear of the second Assault Container, attached in place of one of the Ptolemaios' standard containers, heading out after Lasse and Setsuna. Meanwhile, the containers proceeded to shift their position, moving Virtue into launch position.
"Virtue is now in launch position. Increasing linear catapult voltage from 230 to 520. Virtue stabilised within linear field. Transferring timing control to Virtue." Christina announced.
"Roger. Virtue, Tieria Erde, launching now." Tieria replied. The large Gundam shot out of the catapult, its GN Cannons moving from launch mode to combat mode as the suit streaked away. The containers moved once again, this time moving Allelujah and Kyrios into position.
"Kyrios has entered the catapult in fighter mode. Increasing linear catapult voltage, Kyrios stabilised within linear field. Transferring timing control of launch sequence to Kyrios." Christina said.
"Roger, I have control. Kyrios, Allelujah Haptism, commencing interception operation." Allelujah announced. The sleek orange Gundam rocketed out of the catapult, quickly vanishing into the distance, ready to intercept the UN mobile suit force. As Kyrios and Allelujah headed out, Sterling prepared for his own launch. As he was to be staying with the Ptolemaios, there was no need to use the catapult to launch the 0 Gundam. Instead, the container hatch opened fully, allowing the suit to move out under its own power. Once clear of the container, Sterling moved the 0 Gundam away from the ship, before taking up his position in front of the bow. The position was such that he would be able to counter any attacks from the enemy mobile suits, but also allowed the remaining crew to see ahead and monitor the other Gundams as well.
"0 Gundam, Sterling Arden, I'm in position." he announced.
"Excellent. We've just confirmed that Kyrios and Virtue have engaged the enemy mobile suits in battle, and Dynames is about to attack the transports. We'll inform you if any GN-Xs manage to break through." Sumeragi told him.
"Understood, I'll be ready." Sterling replied. He aimed the 0 Gundams GN Double Beam Rifle forward, using the suit's free hand to stabilise the weapon. The stance would allow him to react at a moment's notice to any incoming attacks with lethal force. If any enemy units were lucky enough to get close, they would be in for one shocking surprise. The GN Buster Sword was now attached to the 0 Gundam's right shoulder armour, allowing the suit to deploy the large blade with ease.
"Sterling, come in!" Sumeragi shouted.
"Is something wrong? What happened?" Sterling demanded. The forecaster's frantic tone immediately got his attention, especially since everything was going to plan, to his knowledge.
"Bad news. Tieria and Allelujah are saying that they can barely handle the enemy by themselves. Apparently most of the GN-Xs managed to get past them, while a few stayed behind to keep Kyrios and Virtue occupied. On top of that, Lockon is busy fighting that stolen Throne unit alone. However, that machine is specialised for close quarter fighting, while Dynames isn't, so I'm doubtful of his chances." Sumeragi told him. "In any case, prepare for enemy attacks, they'll be in range any second."
"Understood, I'm ready for them." Sterling replied. He focused his attention directly ahead, charging the 0 Gundam's GN Beam Bazooka, ready to fire as soon as he spotted the enemy. "No matter what happens, they won't pass me." Just then, the first GN-X came into view, charging towards the Ptolemaios and the 0 Gundam at breakneck speed. Without hesitation, Sterling fired the beam bazooka. The large particle beam blasted towards the GN-X, but its pilot easily avoided the attack.
"Damn! It looks like long-range attacks won't work. It gives them too much time to react." Sterling thought. Abandoning the bazooka, he opened fire with the suit's GN Double Beam Rifle. A volley of particle beams flew towards the GN-X, which immediately tried to dodge again. This time, however, the pilot was unable to avoid the second attack, as one of the beams punched right through the suit's GN Tau Drive, the resulting explosion destroying the rest of the suit. But just as Sterling dispatched the first attacker, the rest of the UN forces quickly arrived. Now a total of nineteen GN-Xs were on the attack, firing a barrage of particle beams at the Ptolemaios and its lone defender. Masses of GN particles quickly began to gather around the ship, soon forming a bright green GN Field. The GN-Xs' particle beams struck the field in rapid succession, just barely repelled by the high concentration of particles. At the same time, Sterling held his position as the 0 Gundam was hit by more of the same particle beams. Some of the beams hit the GN Buster Sword, quickly destroying the weapon. Although the beams didn't get all the way through, they still managed to badly damage the suit's armour, which worried Sterling.
"If they can do that kind of damage from so far, I can't let them get any closer!" he thought. Sterling continued to shoot back at the GN-Xs, firing the beam bazooka and double beam rifle together. Even with the GN-Xs' agility, they couldn't hope to evade the 0 Gundam's attacks forever. This was proven to be true, as moments later Sterling managed to shoot down two of the silver mobile suits in quick succession. But despite this, the odds were still very much against him, as the remaining GN-Xs closed in.
"Sterling, come in!" Feldt called frantically.
"I'm a little busy right now! What is it?" Sterling asked, just as the 0 Gundam took another hit, this time to the left leg.
"I can't get in touch with Dynames, can you try and contact Lockon?" Feldt asked.
"Right, I'll see what I can do." Sterling replied, opening a sound only link with the sniper Gundam. "Lockon, this is Sterling. Are you there?"
"Lockon...Lockon..." came Haro's reply, which threw Sterling for a moment. Why was it Haro that answered, and why did it sound so sad?
"Haro, what about Lockon?" Sterling asked.
"Lockon gone...Lockon gone... Haro replied. Sterling's eyes widened in shock, causing him to momentarily forget about the battle. Was Lockon really...? In the background he could hear Feldt crying at the shocking news, but it seemed to be a world apart from him at that time.
"Damn you...DAMN YOU!" Sterling roared opening fire on the GN-Xs again. By now the suits had closed the gap even further, but their closer proximity just meant that they had less time to react when Sterling fired on them. In no time at all, three more of the mobile suits ceased to exist, as Sterling continued to fire again and again. But despite this, the remaining machines just kept coming. In little time they had the 0 Gundam surrounded, attacking the aging mobile suit from multiple directions simultaneously. Sterling was now grateful for the Full Armour pack's protection as it was still holding together, if only just, under the relentless assault of particle beams.
"Even so...I'm in trouble if this keeps up!" Sterling thought. Although the 0 Gundam was fine for now, he knew that its armour wouldn't last forever. Worse still, there had been no reply from Kyrios, Exia or Virtue, so he had no way of knowing their situation. Suddenly, Sterling spotted something off to his left; a GN-X making a run for the Ptolemaios! The ship had its GN Field raised, but Sterling knew that it would be little help at close range. He tried to chase after the suit, but was forced back by more concentrated fire from the rest of the GN-X formation. Unable to do anything, Sterling was helpless as the GN-X fired, its particle beams impacting the Ptolemaios' bridge. The bridge exploded, the resulting smoke obscuring it from view.
"NO!" Sterling shouted. How could he have failed like that? Now the rest of the crew were most likely dead, with no response from Setsuna, Lasse, Allelujah, or Tieria. Sterling glared at the suits surrounding him, his hands shaking with rage.
"That does it! 0 Gundam, armour purge!" Sterling shouted, just as the GN-Xs fired again. The Full Armour components broke away from the 0 Gundam, releasing a mass of stored GN particles. The beams from the GN-Xs' weapons hit the particles and simply glanced off, deflected by the massive concentration of particles. The particles soon dispersed, revealing the 0 Gundam's true form. Particles streamed from its GN Drive, forming large particle wings behind the suit. The GN-Xs backed up, completely caught off guard by what they saw before them. The 0 Gundam's eyes flashed, as the suit grabbed its beam saber from its back. The weapon ignited straight away, forming a long blade of GN particles. With no warning, Sterling charged towards one of the GN-Xs head on. The suit's pilot panicked at the Gundam that was heading straight for him, backing away while firing wildly. Sterling easily dodged the poorly aimed shots, closing fast. Once in range he wasted no time, slicing the mobile suit from shoulder to hip, backing up to avoid the resulting explosion. He turned to face the rest of the GN-Xs, who were still in shock from what they'd just witnessed.
"Now you're mine! Trans-Am!" Sterling shouted. The 0 Gundam began to glow a reddish-pink hue, as a result of the sheer volume of particles it was now producing. Sterling then charged without warning, streaking towards the remaining GN-Xs, which immediately responded, firing at the swiftly approaching Gundam. The 0 Gundam however easily weaved through the intense barrage, leaving faint after images in its wake. Sterling continued on, going right past the first GN-X, his saber cutting the suit in half as he flew past, before swiftly decapitating another. The other suits scattered quickly, but the tactic proved futile. With its Trans-Am, the 0 Gundam was suddenly too fast and too agile for the GN-Xs to defeat or outrun. Sterling was unyielding. Every single attack was aimed at a vital point, each GN-X destroyed before the pilots could even try and fight back. Then, after what seemed like just a few seconds, the 0 Gundam's Trans-Am ended, the suit quickly returning to normal. But as it just so happened, Sterling had managed to destroy every one of the GN-X mobile suits; the Ptolemaios was finally safe again.
"It's...finally over." Sterling thought, feeling slightly exhausted from the intense combat. "Miss Sumeragi, can you hear me? Anyone?"
"Sterling, is that you?" came her reply.
"Yes, it's me. Are you guys alright in there?" Sterling asked. Sumeragi's hesitation did nothing to ease the dread he felt, almost certain he knew the answer.
"Feldt, Ian and myself are okay, but Lichty, Christina, and Dr Moreno are..." Sumeragi replied.
"I see. What about the other meisters?" Sterling asked. "How could this have happened?"
"We lost Exia's signal at one point, so we have no idea what happened to it. Kyrios was defeated, but Allelujah managed to eject his GN Drive, which Lasse was able to retrieve with the GN Arms. We believe that Kyrios was captured by the UN forces shortly after ejecting its drive. Tieria was also defeated, but Lasse managed to rescue him and what was left of Nadleeh before he was captured. Also, Dynames is on its way right now." She told him. Sterling sighed heavily. Although they had achieved what just barely qualified as a victory, they had suffered far too greatly. Exia was missing, Kyrios was captured, Lockon was killed, and the Ptolemaios badly damaged, with the 0 Gundam suffering only minor damage.
Once the 0 Gundam was stowed away onboard the Ptolemaios, the ship quickly left the area to pick up Dynames, Lasse, Tieria, along with what remained of Nadleeh. There had been no indication that Exia was still operational or of its location, and given their current situation mounting a search and rescue operation was out of the question for the remaining crew of the Ptolemaios. After retrieving their remaining personnel, along with Dynames, Nadleeh, and Kyrios' GN Drive, Lasse set a course for deep space, heading to one of Celestial Beings' remote bases.
Well, what do you think? Sorry if the ending was a bit pathetic, but it was the best I could think of. Don't worry, the Season 2 chapters will be much more interesting. Anzac-A1 out!