"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory."
- Douglas MacArthur
Chapter XIX: Babylonian Assault
Zumberg Palace
Zumberg, Zeon, Zeon Empire
August 20, GC 379
Compared to all that she had seen and felt over the last few days, the present gala was a markedly lighter affair. That did Galina fine; though she was still mourning Garma with the rest of her family, she had long shed the majority of her tears and wished to move back onto the business of life. The universe only knew how many things still needed attention both within and without the Empire, and not always because of the war. And it helped that Garma would have preferred his siblings move back into their administration after a short period; despite what others may have thought, her twin brother had never been one for drawn out attention.
In any case, the gala proceeded accordingly, the banquet hall filled with various entities – both Zeon and those from the allied nations – of equally various positions of power and importance. Though she did not know the reason for the occasion – assuming there was one to begin with – she could see that it was being celebrated in earnest, with words and jests being exchanged, laughter being had and, depending on one's position, the typical sycophancy being given. As the youngest daughter of the late Chancellor, now the sister of the present Emperor, Galina had grown long accustomed to these kinds of events, and though this one wasn't anything beyond standard fare, she had to admit that it, again going back to the last few days, it was a strange breath of fresh air for her. If nothing else, it showed that her part of the universe had returned to normalcy – whatever that amounted to – while time went about its endless march. It also helped that some of the dignitaries had brought food and drink from their own nations for the evening, a fair portion of which was quite tasty.
For most of the occasion, Galina went along with the fold, conversing with assorted attendees of different shapes and sizes, some interesting and others as bland as Earth tapioca. Most of the words exchanged revolved around the war, of course, as well as the so-called march to the Core, though some of the attendees had enough courtesy to talk about Galina's own obligations back home. Quite unlike her other siblings, she was not involved in military matters in the least, but that didn't mean she was an idle princess. In fact, she was almost as busy as her brothers and sisters, only with her tasks being centered around the wellness and care of those on the "home front". While everyone else was out fighting the "good war", she had stayed behind to look after the families of those fighting – as well as those who couldn't or could no longer fight – ensuring their quality of life and prosperity when it seemed the galaxy could destroy itself at any moment. Naturally it was all too often overlooked for Dozle or Kycilia's efforts, but Galina didn't do what she did for personal glory.
An official from Cosmo Babylonia – who had apparently spent some time on Earth before the war – had even compared her to the historical figure Eleanor Roosevelt. Being aware enough of that particular world's history herself, Galina had taken it as the compliment that it was meant to be, though some of the nearby Zeon officials had turned white upon their princess being compared to a "lowborn". Still, that was probably the best analogue to Galina's contributions to the war. The only other that came to mind was Zanscare's Queen Maria, who more or less did similar work back in the Consortium while King Tassalo led its own part of the fight.
Through the proverbial song and dance, she eventually found herself out on a nearby balcony, somewhat away from the crowd and below the stars. This did her well, allowing her to catch her breath while looking out toward the galaxy beyond. From that perspective, she couldn't help but feel inadequate before it all. The vastness of space and all therein, namely the multitudes of light that had existed since Time's beginning. An entire universe that expanded into the infinite, such that Zeon was barely a minor particle to the whole, to say nothing of Earth and the other worlds that humanity had developed upon.
Not for the first time she wondered at her eldest brother's ambition as she gazed up toward all that was beyond. How could he even believe Zeon was capable of conquering it all? Even if only those worlds and star systems that held human inhabitance? Certainly Zeon's enemies needed to be defeated, but even now Galina had her doubts on everything else. Doubts she dared not raise to her brother and Emperor or any of her other siblings.
"You appear troubled, Your Highness," a new, familiar voice entered as Galina felt the presence of another behind her.
Closing her eyes and smiling flatly, she could only respond in kind. "I'm just catching my breath Char," she replied as she turned to face the Red Comet, whose blonde hair was quite visible without his helmet, though he retained his mask. "Part of a superior race I may be, but there's still only so much I can take, especially on occasions such as this."
Keen as always, Char noted the usage of 'a' instead of 'the' when referring to their 'superior' race. However, he chose not to mention it. "I sympathize, Your Highness," he answered back as he threw in a disarming smile. "Parties are not my forte either."
Galina could not help but smile in return. "As opposed to flying a red mobile suit and laying waste to whole battle fleets," she casually observed as Char moved up to stand beside her. "How are the treatments coming?"
Char glanced at his still missing arm. "They've just begun, but the doctors tell me everything is proceeding as intended," he explained. "I should be able to pilot my Zaku again soon enough."
The princess knew she should have approved of this, but instead she found herself frowning. "I see," she simply replied.
Again Char was keen enough to notice. "You do not approve?"
Galina closed her eyes. "I know I should, but…" she paused for a moment to consider her next words, again remembering her position. "I suppose I'm weary."
The Red Comet nodded. "I do not blame you for that Your Highness," he replied. "And I appreciate your concern."
The princess returned a solaced expression to that. "I've lost two brothers to this war Char," she continued. "And I fear countless more will be sacrificed before it is won."
"Such is the nature of war Your Highness," Char affirmed.
"Indeed," Galina concurred. "Even so, it doesn't get easier. It wasn't with Sasro, and it isn't now with Garma," she sighed. "And God help me if something were to happen to Dozle or Kycilia out there…"
The mere notion of a Zeon princess invoking the name of a deity that may or may not exist further emphasized her plight. "I don't know," Galina let out, shaking her head. "I just don't know."
Though he knew it was a serious breach of protocol in the present setting, Char couldn't help but again place his left hand on Galina's shoulder in an apparent gesture of comfort. For what it was, Galina reached up and rested hers on his, taking clear solace.
"I understand your feelings Your Highness," Char assured her, once more feeling the turmoil reemerge, to which he just somehow managed to keep it within. "Though it may sound strange coming from one such as myself, I understand those precise feelings."
That wasn't a lie, Char knew all too well, and it confounded him that he was allowing that much to show. Yet it seemed to ease her, as Galina seemed to relax somewhat to both his words and his touch.
"It's funny Char," she found herself speaking once more. "For all of our proclaimed superiorities, it seems we're still susceptible to human feeling. A far cry from the heartless superbeings that our enemies believe us to be."
"A necessity in my opinion," Char answered back. "If our ancestors had chosen to do away with 'feeling' with our other purported weaknesses, our existence would be an empty one."
Galina found herself nodding in agreement. "That is true, yes," she assessed. "Though some would still claim it as unbecoming of our kind."
"The Emperor, Your Highness?" Char questioned.
"No, fortunately," Galina replied. "Though there are those among his circle who share that opinion."
"I can imagine," Char exclaimed, deliberately keeping back from saying anything more. It wasn't hard to fathom such followers to Gihren. "If I may offer another opinion however, you and your family have suffered a great loss Your Highness; a loss that will linger for some time."
He gave her an assuring smile. "It is only natural that you continue to feel that loss, no matter what others would claim," he then dared to say. "As well as fear for those others you care for."
Galina could not help but laugh a little at the brazen nature of Char's comment. "And you think you are one to have earned my care Char?"
Char shrugged with mock indifference. "I do not think such things, or really much of anything Your Highness," he said, now playing up the stereotypical servant. "I am only concerned with my service to our great Empire and its Throne."
"Sure you are," Galina retorted amusedly. "Just as meeting me out here is a clear attempt to gain my favor, and through that my brother's."
Char nearly choked on the irony, though he knew that was indeed not why he was out there. It should have been, but he was actually there for her. Much as he could not figure out a real reason.
"If it isn't, then Commander Aznable is an even bigger fool than I initially believed," a new voice entered in as its owner came up just behind the pair. "Either that or an utter romantic, which is more or less the same."
Upon the newcomer's approach, Char immediately drew into a salute with his left arm as Galina gleamed in welcome. "Elder sister," she greeted. "I didn't know you had returned."
"Just today Galina," Princess and Admiral Kycilia Zabi, commander of the Imperial Assault Force, drew her younger sister into a warm, endearing hug. Upon drawing back, the elder sister's expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry I missed the funeral."
"It's alright. I believe Garma would understand," Galina assured, happy to have the last of her still living siblings back on Zeon. "Besides, there wasn't much more to it beyond our eldest brother's speech."
"Indeed," Kycilia answered before turning to Char. Though she appeared brusque, the Red Comet could detect appreciation in his superior's expression, at least seemingly.
"And you Commander, I'm glad that you are still in one relative piece," she said, taking note of Char's missing right arm. "I hope that's not too much of an inconvenience."
"Not at all Admiral," Char replied. "The treatments remain in progression."
"I see," Kycilia acknowledged, then eyeing Char closely for a moment. "It's my understanding that you fought beside Garma on Anges, and that you were wounded by the White Devil himself."
Char nodded in confirmation. "I did and I was ma'am."
Kycilia nodded to this, taking it in. "He must be quite the opponent then. To have wounded you so severely, and then survive my brother's final attack."
"He very much lives up to his moniker Admiral," Char again confirmed, knowing that he was being probed. "The Feddies may very well have drawn him and his mobile suit up from Hell."
"Heh," Kycilia laughed at that description, though she had a feeling it wasn't far from the truth. The battle footage she had seen only indicated that, in turn drawing her interest further.
"Well regardless, that is a concern for another day," Kycilia concluded with, dismissing thoughts of the war for the time being. She looked back to Galina. "I will be here for a few days yet Galina. If you have the time, I would very much like to catch up."
"I would appreciate that Kycilia," Galina confirmed with a warm smile.
Kycilia nodded back with her own smile before turning to Char again. "Please continue to look after my sister Commander. At least until that arm is fully regenerated."
Char nodded, though he couldn't help but feel that, through the seeming genuineness of that request, the Admiral was still probing him over. Not that it would have surprised him if she was; Kycilia had always been the most inquisitive of her family, even more so than Gihren. Several times Char had wondered if she did, in fact, suspect him of being more than he presented.
"To my best ability Admiral," he acknowledged regardless, very much keeping to appearances.
"I would expect nothing less of you," Kycilia answered, her face and voice betraying no other emotion beyond simple gratitude. Whether she did in fact suspect him or not, Char's cover was intact for the time being. Or so he dared to believe.
With that out of the way, the elder Princess turned around toward the palace interior. A bland expression crossing her face as her eyes again fell upon the occupants. "Now, if you'll both excuse me, I seem to have a new warfront to attend to."
With that, the Admiral made her way back inside, where several of the partygoers took notice of her return. Much like Galina before, Kycilia went through the motions of idle exchange and conversation, but Char could easily tell she would rather be out fighting the war than engage with such attendees.
Making one last smile as her sister began speaking with a Nergalite official – in which Galina could easily pick upon her sister's distaste – she turned to Char. "I think I've had enough for the evening myself," she said, taking one final look at the stars. "Would you please escort me to my room, Commander?"
"I would be honored Your Highness," Char said as he offered his left arm, to which Galina took. As he walked her back into the palace, Char made one final glance toward the stars himself. Wondering for the briefest moment how Artesia, Amuro Ray and their fellows aboard the Ark Royal were faring now.
Anaheim dockship La Vie en Rose
System J-292
"'As one part of the whole enters motion,'" Sayla repeated as she and Fraw continued to watch the Observer rather dubiously. For all of her superior intellect, even she didn't know what to make of any of it, much less the one that had spoken those words. "I don't suppose you'll specify that."
For his part, the Observer held his amusement toward the two women's disposition. "Even if I did, it is doubtful you would understand," he replied. "Rest assured however that this advent has been in progress for some time, and only now will come to full fruition. After which, much more will yet come to pass."
"Right, nothing vague about that," Fraw exclaimed sardonically. Outside of Sayla's previous encounter with this man, there seemed to be nothing particularly special about him; in fact, Fraw could have seen him anywhere else in the galaxy and still not discern him from those around him. Yet, for whatever reason, she could not help but feel that there was some strange power to his words, power that she could not overlook. As though they affected, or perhaps reflected, the universe around them.
Beside her, Sayla still refused to drop her guard. "An advent that you have set into motion?" she questioned.
"No," the Observer answered, shaking his head as though Sayla misunderstood him. "That is not my purpose, for I am simply a watcher. Any and all that transpires does so outside my influence."
"Like Juno?" Sayla accused, as though the one before her could have prevented that planet's destruction, yet had for whatever reason chosen not to.
The Observer took on a strangely solemn expression. "A regretful outcome admittedly," he acknowledged. "But nonetheless an inevitable one, even if Delaz's scheming and Wakkein's miscalculations were discounted."
Both Sayla and Fraw opened their mouths to protest, but the Observer continued. "For it was in that transgression that his power was initially realized."
It didn't take much for either woman to realize what he was speaking of. "Amuro?" Fraw murmured as she and Sayla's faces degenerated into cold shock.
The Observer nodded in confirmation. "His first step into a much greater universe."
He then turned to Sayla again, the Gundam pilot feeling as though she were being completely seen through. "And yours as well, Your Hi…"
Before either Sayla or Fraw realized it, the former launched her arm out and grasped the man's caller, slamming him against the bulkhead.
"Sayla!" Fraw called out to stop her, only to be ignored.
"One reason," Sayla hissed venomously into that unfazed, smiling face. "Give me one reason not to silence you permanently."
"I can give you many such reasons," the Observer explained, not at all threatened by imminent death at the Zeon princess' hand. "The first of which is even if you could kill me, it would have no effect on all that is to come," his smile seemed to deepen as he added. "Especially for him."
That last mention was enough for Sayla to tighten her grip, just barely holding herself back. Just what sort of sick game was this man playing?
"And as for the second," the Observer followed on, pointing his finger toward the ceiling. Right as the alarm klaxons began to sound.
"Level One Battlestations!" the bridge sounded throughout the ship. "All hands Level One Battlestations!"
Sneering one final time, Sayla dropped the Observer's caller and backed away. She did not want to leave this man, this being, out of her sight, but she knew she had no choice now. Especially as she picked up on the nearing Cosmo Babylonian fleet, which was mere minutes away from reversion.
"I hope for your sake we do not meet a third time," Sayla warned, then turning away and moving down the deck. Making one last weary glance herself, Fraw was just as quick to follow.
Straightening himself back out, the Observer merely watched as the pair departed, smile still present. Knowing that this was far from their last encounter…
"How many?" Captain Hacksell demanded as Bright, Emary, Sleggar and Mirai all entered the bridge. The enemy fleet, obviously Babylonian, was arrayed in battle formation across the main monitor.
"Seven ships," one of the operators reported grimly. "Four Zamouth Jeth-class cruisers and three Zamouth Giri-class battlecruisers."
Sleggar couldn't help but whistle. "Not bad for a small taskforce," he casually observed. By now he, as well as Bright and Mirai beside him, were used to whole battlegroups coming after them and the Ark Royal, so the present enemy's numbers and composition weren't much of an issue. On the other hand, the three Federals were quite aware of how capable the present enemy was in battle, and especially how the Denan Zon performed against the Guncannon.
Then the communications officer reported. "We're being hailed by the enemy flagship."
"Onscreen," Hacksell ordered.
A moment later, a vidwindow appeared with a single figure at its center. A young red haired man adorned in the black and gold uniform of the Cosmo Armada. "Earth vessel, this is Commander Zerik Ronah of Cosmo Babylonia."
A member of the Ronah family? Emary thought while keeping her expression neutral. Her husband and the two beside him could not help but recall Garma as the enemy commander made his ultimatum.
"I have no quarrel with you. My interest lies solely with that Trojan Horse in your hold," Zerik spoke with the air of a man that had all the guns, or at least believed he did. "Hand her over, alongside her crew, mobile suits and pilots, and your lives will be spared. Failure to comply will result in your whole and utter destruction."
Hacksell visibly sneered at the pompousness behind that demand. She tapped her own comlink. "This is Captain Kurena Hacksell of the La Vie en Rose. The Ark Royal and those who sail aboard her are under our protection. Withdraw now, and your lives will be spared. Failure to comply will result in your whole and utterly satisfying destruction."
While he didn't know how Bright and Mirai felt, Sleggar was certainly impressed with the Anaheim captain on that counter-ultimatum. For a dockship captain, Kurena Hacksell could be quite the intimidator, even more than some of their contemporaries in the EFSF. He certainly wouldn't have minded her in command a proper warship, especially now.
Despite that however, Commander Zerik chuckled amusedly. "Are my eyes and ears deceiving me? Is a mere repair ship threatening to take on my taskforce?"
"A 'mere' repair ship and that aforementioned Trojan Horse," Bright announced as he stepped into view. "I'm Commander Bright Noa of the Ark Royal, and I do not take kindly to your words or your presence Commander Zerik. I suggest you follow Captain Hacksell's instructions and leave this system immediately."
"That's Commander Zerik Ronah to you plebian," Zerik snapped, amusement now forgotten. "You would do well not to underestimate me, as I am neither Zeon nor like anything else you may have fought before. If you do not surrender, I promise you will wish you had."
Mirai sniffed unimpressed. "Garma Zabi said something very similar to us not too long ago. I'm sure you know where he is now."
"Or perhaps you wish to join him?" Sleggar eagerly chimed in.
Zerik's glower only deepened. "I repeat I am not Zeon, much less that dead whelp of a prince. Surrender or be destroyed Earthnoid scum, those are your only options."
"I repeat as well," Hacksell entered back in. "The Ark Royal is under our protection and we will respond to any action taken against her and those who serve aboard. The exact same goes for my own ship and crew."
Yet again Hacksell held that 'damn the beam blasts' edge to her voice. "Withdraw or go to Hell."
Gritting in derision, Zerik settled back into his command chair with a virulent calm. "So be it," he replied with before disengaging the comlink.
Sleggar leaned toward the Rose's CO. "Captain Hacksell, remind me never to piss you off," he complimented, earning a smirk from Hacksell.
The initial beam fire began seconds later, causing the Rose to quake from the hits. As did another reading from the tactical console. "Enemy mobile suits launching!"
"Launch ours then!" Hacksell commanded, gritting her teeth as another beam shot struck close. Unlike most military ships, the Rose's bridge was placed internally rather than in a tower. However, that did not make combat for her any less dangerous, though as she had told Commander Noa not too long ago, she could defend herself.
Even so, she turned to another operator. "What's the status of the Ark Royal's suits?"
It took a single moment for the operator to check. "They're all combat ready ma'am," she replied. "But with the Ark Royal's bow toward us, her catapults are inoperable."
"We can launch without them," Sleggar assured, taking one more moment to watch as the first of the Rose's mobile suits headed into battle. After earning the anticipated nod from Bright, the CAG then turned and made his way off the bridge.
As he left, Hacksell tapped the specific switch on her chair arm. "Space Force pilots, to your mobile suits!"
"Dammit to hell," Amuro snarled as he heard the overhead. "I thought this was supposed to be our break from the fighting!"
Kamaria said nothing to this, her expression strangely clouded over. However, Amuro barely noticed as he got up and began his run back to the Ark Royal. At least until Kamaria's hand reached out to grasp his all too suddenly.
"Mom…?" Amuro questioned, turning to look back at her. To which her eyes betrayed a great fear.
"You…you can't," Kamaria nearly whispered, her hand trembling over his.
"What?" Amuro let out, completely confused at what he was seeing now. "Why not?"
"Because…" Kamaria started to speak, only to stop after the first word. If Amuro didn't know any better, he would have thought his mother had a specific answered to that inquiry, yet held back from telling him at the last minute. Why…?
Unfortunately Amuro knew he didn't have time. Through his Newtype senses he could pick up on the Babylonians' approach, alongside the Rose's mobile suit force, consisting of Guncannon types, racing out to meet them. If he didn't get to his Gundam, and fast, it would be a very one sided battle, with a direct assault on the Rose soon to follow.
"I'm sorry," he murmured as he retook his hand and began running down the corridor. "We'll talk when I get back!"
So concentrated was he on getting to the Ark Royal that Amuro failed to see his mother reach out to him one more time. Moments later, he was gone entirely, leaving Kamaria to continue staring after him. Her fearful expression now eclipsed by a terrible horror and corresponding awareness.
Babylonian Zamouth Giri-class battlecruiser Zamouth Ghan
System J-292
Zerik glared as he watched both his mobile suits and the Rose's converge, the Guncannons opening fire first while his force effectively maneuvered around to draw closer in, all while their respective motherships exchanged beam and missile fire around them. He knew it would be like this from the start. Despite being hopelessly outmatched, uncouth scum would always be uncouth scum and choose to fight it out even when surrender was the better course of action. Sometimes he wondered if it was in their genetic programming to do so; to choose outright annihilation even when potential preservation was offered.
What he hadn't expected however was the precise response he had received. Did none of these Earthers know their place? Did they not know who they were addressing? He was a Ronah! One of the galaxy's noble elite! Not some pretender like Emperor Gihren and his degenerate family, who Zerik truly believed had stolen Zeon's throne from the rightful born Emperor Zorin and his dynasty. For such damned lessers to compare him to the likes of Garma Zabi and his peasant breeding made him seethe further.
Well, no matter, Zerik ultimately surmised. If his adversaries did not yet know their place, then they would soon enough. Especially as he watched his mobile suits tear into the Guncannons, which could not hope to keep up with the Denan Zon or Denan Gei. Indeed, it was almost artful, watching one of the former impale its shot lancer into an Earth suit's torso, only to rip it away and fire a twin beam machine gun burst at near point blank into the wound, obliterating the stricken mobile suit whole. Or for another, see a Gei fire one of its shoulder missiles into another Guncannon's head, to which two Zons proceeded to impale it from both sides. The latter's destruction actually made Zerik lick his lips.
"I would say we're off to a good start sir," the Zamouth Ghan's captain commented. "They really should have accepted your offer."
"Obviously," Zerik answered back through his enjoyment. Even so, he wasn't too concentrated on the spectacle to know the real reason behind his dominance. That these were not Feddie units they were dealing with, but rather that Anaheim ship's defense force; novices compared to the battle hardened pilots under his command. This in itself meant the Ark Royal's units hadn't yet launched, but would once her pilots made it back to their own suits aboard. Zerik would have none of that, especially if it meant the Devil, Valkyrie and that damned Eagle – who he assumed had been the insipient blonde haired man in the prior exchange – joining the fray.
Thus taking a moment to sit further back into his chair, he casually gave his next command. "Send out the locusts."
The captain actually turned to his liege on that one. "With respect Commander, is that necessary?"
Zerik actually seemed to consider the notion. "Probably not, but I would rather we not drag our feet with these plebeians, and it would allow us to take our prizes without further resistance."
His eyes then narrowed venomously as he recalled the Earthnoids' prior defiance. "Besides, I want to see them writhe."
Understanding that feeling, the captain nodded to the tactical officer. "Set for anti-personnel, full sweep."
Moments on, the Ghan's launch port again opened, but not to deploy additional mobile suits. Rather, three curious appearing vehicles lifted off said deck and, not unlike dedicated projectiles, launched into space at full burn. Maneuvering through the exchanging beam fire and combating mobile suits straight at the Rose herself.
Anaheim dockship La Vie en Rose
System J-292
Damn it, Bright thought as he watched the battle playout with the rest of the bridge crew. He really had hoped he had been wrong in his initial exchange with Emary and Captain Hacksell, but it appeared he had indeed been right in his estimates. As trained and equipped as the Rose's mobile suit force had been, they were easily outmatched by their Babylonian adversaries, who clearly had been fighting in the war for some time. For every one or two Denan Zons that were obliterated by beam rifle or cannon, several more Guncannons were shot apart or speared by enemy shot lancers. And though Bright was obviously not tuned into the Rose's battle circuit, he imagined how dire and confused the Anaheim pilots were now, facing an enemy force they had never anticipated or thought they would ever engage.
Still, for all that the Anaheim force was suffering, they were still keeping the enemy at bay and well away from their mothership, which continued to exchange beam cannon fire with seven Babylonian ships. That was really all Bright could ask for; that the enemy be held back long enough for Sleggar and the rest of the 13th made it back to their own ship and took over. That would still take some time yet however, as those men and women remained scattered throughout the Rose, some closer to the Ark Royal than others. It would still take quite a bit of time yet before they all made it back and launched, at which point the battle would certainly turn for the better. Indeed, Bright did not doubt how Sleggar and his pilots would fare once they got into space, especially with the three Gundams as the spearhead.
Even so, it did not change what was occurring in the present, such that Bright could only sigh toward the hapless Anaheim pilots. They really were doing their best against a battle hardened foe in superior machinery, but as he had originally expected, it was nowhere near enough. Rather disheartening, as he was so used to his pilots butchering Zakus wholesale that he had almost forgot how overwhelmed the Guncannon could end up against faster, close-range oriented mobile suits. With any luck they would be relieved in the next few minutes or so, otherwise…
"New signals detected!" the tactical operator sounded. "Three large projectiles!"
At that, a datawindow appeared at the corner of the main monitor, displaying the peculiar shaped missiles in question. And despite the Rose's bridge crew inexperience, everyone present, especially Bright and Mirai, did well to recognize the design of those missiles.
"Bugs," Mirai whispered, mirroring the dread Bright was now feeling within. The Ark Royal captain had to hand it to Commander Zerik on that. The fact he deployed his chief assault weapon straight on meant the Babylonian commander knew what he was up against, and was not about to take any chances if he could afford not to. Gutting the Rose from bow to stern of her crew, as well as the Ark Royal's, would certainly make his capture of both ships much easier. Not that Bright or anyone else intended for that to actually happen.
"Intercept, all weapons!" Hacksell hurriedly commanded, not about to let those flying monstrosities onto her ship. Following that command, the Rose's weapon arrays all focused on the two oncoming missiles, their beam and missile fire intensifying.
One projectile was intercepted by a missile up front, detonating in a great flash. As the remaining two drew closer in, the second soon fell to the concentrated beam fire. The third and final, however, managed to speed and maneuver its way through, eventually closing through the barrage. Such that the Rose's crew knew all too well that it was going to hit.
Glowering in disdain, it was all Hacksell could do to engage the shipwide intercom. "Bugs incoming! All security teams standby to repel!"
"Recommend we seal all sections!" the Rose's executive officer suggested, not bothering to hide the terror from his expression.
"Not just yet!" Hacksell resounded back. As much as she knew it would impede the Bugs' progress through her ship, it would also keep Commander Law and his pilots back from reaching the Ark Royal. If they were going to get out of this at all, she needed to give them all the time she could, no matter how little. That being said however, it was all Hacksell could do not to close her eyes and grit her teeth as she watched the projectile draw closer and closer.
With a heavy clang that seemed to echo through the ship, the missile embedded itself into one of the Rose's "pedals". Once it properly sealed itself into place, its front area, which would have contained a warhead had it been a conventional weapon, exploded. Thereby allowing the innumerable bladed discs to fly out, their advanced sensors and automation already selecting targets to seek out and destroy.
Those bastards… Amuro winced as he picked up the Bugs going about their work, spreading throughout the ship and hunting down any and all crew members within reach. To call it a bloodbath would have been an understatement; the Bugs were little more than flying buzzsaws that actively sought out human prey to slice and cut down, only using their mounted beam weaponry on those they could not directly reach. And they were very efficient about it too; in one part of the ship, Amuro beheld as one Bug cut through a barricade to allow two of its brethren through to attack the humans behind, while another Bug actively evaded the beam pistol fire of another hapless defender. All the while blood and entrails were continuously sprayed throughout the decking, such that Amuro felt his stomach lurch from it all.
No, he couldn't afford that now, no matter how horrific – as well as different from what he was used to – the killing was. For the moment the Bugs had not noticed him, possibly because their Babylonian masters had not yet identified him personally as the White Devil, or at least had not added it to their programming. He needed to use that to his advantage and get back to the Ark Royal as fast as he could, namely before the ship inevitably was sealed down.
For a fleeting moment however, Amuro drew his power back to look upon his mother. To his minor surprise, she had retreated to another part of the ship, armed herself with a beam rifle and was presently setting out with the security teams to hunt the Bugs down. Up front he would have been impressed, but underneath Amuro could tell that she was deliberately focusing on her newest assignment, more than for simple survival. The terror she had felt before, when he had begun his run for the Ark Royal – and the waiting battle – was still within her. She was doing her best to ignore it or set it aside, but it was still presented in her, like a blight. And much more, it remained even focused on its originator, even as she ducked behind a corridor to avoid one of the automated buzzsaws before opening fire, blasting it out of the air. Focused on Amuro…
Again Amuro could only shake his head and focus himself. He wasn't far from the Ark Royal now, but he wasn't there either. He needed to get aboard her and Unit Alpha as soon as possible, before all really was lost.
As with Amuro, who was not far from her position, Sayla also felt the death and destruction the Bugs were inflicting on the Rose's crew, much to her great disdain. Only an insane lunatic like Carozzo Ronah would conceive of this manner of genocide, and refine it with cold efficiency. Even Gihren's usage of poison gas appeared humanely tame to the imagery that was now flooding her mind, of humans being bifurcated in varying ways by the flying death machines, their victims' screams echoing and splattered remains coloring the bulkheads as they passed.
Sayla grimaced as one woman ended up being cut down from behind, the disc-shaped machine all but exploding from her torso as it launched passed, much like she had seen in an old Earth "horror movie". It was moments like these that she well and truly hoped there was a Hell, so that scum like Iron Mask and his degenerate followers would be cast into it. To say nothing of Gihren and his own lowborn minions, and family members, of course.
Through the death and horror however, she concentrated on her own task. Commander Law had already made it back to the Ark Royal, and Lieutenant Commander Amada was close to joining him with Ensign Rosita. Lieutenant Joshua and Lieutenant Mauris were also close, though she could still detect the fatigue of a healing man in the latter, yet he appeared strong enough to get into his Guncannon and fight (or so he had claimed to the former). Other members of the 13th were also moving forward to the Ark Royal, but they were further back in the Rose, still very far away from their mothership. Sayla wasn't about to bet on their chances…
Suddenly feeling the familiar lightning surge erupt through her mind, the ace ducked right as a Bug flew over, having come very close to beheading her. At first she cursed herself for not noticing it sooner, even with her Newtype powers, but then she realized she had not heard or otherwise detected its approach either. The bloodied machine had somehow silenced itself until the very last second, and only now did her ears pick up the shrill buzzing of its whirling blades.
Twisting around, the Bug then fired off its mounted beam gun, forcing Sayla to run and dodge the shot. It followed up with two more shots, but Sayla dodged these as well with ease; now that she was aware of its presence, there was no way the contraption would kill her. The Bug didn't seem to realize that as it flew at her again, this time flipping on its side to wheel its way at her. Sayla rolled away from this as well, the Bug ending up descending onto the ground and leaving a large gash across the decking.
Knowing very well that she didn't have time to play with this windup toy, Sayla stood back up again as the Bug moved around for another pass. Rather than dodge this time, she waited until the precise moment, from which evaded the killing stroke and then executed her own attack, slamming the automaton into the bulkhead with a thundering "bang". Caught between the metal plating and its attacker's own superior strength, the Bug was easily crushed as its namesake would have been, its remnants falling to the ground in various clinks and clangs.
That of the way, Sayla knew she had minutes, perhaps even seconds, before more of its kind locked onto her again. With that in mind, she returned to her original run, moving back toward the waiting Ark Royal and Unit Gamma. At that point Lieutenant Joshua and Lieutenant Mauris had just entered the ship, and it looked like Amuro was about to make it as well. Naturally she was not about to let them be the last ones there.
"Bugs now entering C Section!" one of the operators shouted in warning. "Security teams en route!"
"G Section has been cleared, but there are more incoming!" another warned, amid other such calls. "Casualties are mounting in E Section!"
"Captain…" the XO whispered to Hacksell, who somehow managed to keep a straight face despite the onslaught. Ten minutes had passed since the Bugs had infested the ship, and though they were being beaten back in several areas, they were nowhere near containment, much less eradication.
Flaring her nostrils, Hacksell knew that, regardless of what she would have wanted, their time was up. "How many made it to the Ark Royal?" she questioned the appropriate operator.
"Seven, ma'am," the operator reluctantly reported.
Turning to Commander Noa, who himself gave her an understanding nod, Hacksell could only give the expected order. "Seal the ship, all sections."
From that, doors all across the ship slammed shut as bulkheads fell into place, restricting access and movement throughout the Rose. The Bugs were, of course, designed to get around such barriers, but they were still greatly limited in movement, allowing the security teams to rally and intercept them before they could spread out further. One by one the automatons would be isolated and destroyed, but outside the security personnel, no others aboard the Rose would be able to move for some time.
Leaving only those seven to head out into the void and somehow turn it all around.
Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
System J-292
Son of a bitch! Sleggar thought as he heard the report from Captain Hacksell. Now suited up and seated in Unit Beta, he had well and truly hoped to have more of his pilots there, but clearly that was not to be. No thanks to the blasted Frisbees from Hell.
"I'm sorry," Hacksell spoke apologetically. "This is all I can do from my end Commander."
Knowing that anger wouldn't change the situation, Sleggar merely waved her off. "We'll make it work Captain," he answered before signing off.
For a moment he scanned out from Unit Beta's eye cameras to the other suits lined across. As luck would have it, the other six had their own suits on the same hangar deck, with Unit Alpha and Unit Gamma flanking him, Shiro and Karen's Stormer and Hellfire to his left and Eledore and Kiki's Troopers just off to the right. Seven suits against the compliment of seven Babylonian cruisers, with the possibility of more being on call as had been the case with Garma.
Well, at the very least, it could have been worse Sleggar knew. Amuro and Sayla were both with him, thus putting all three Gundams into the fight, and it wasn't like Shiro and the others were lacking. Their performances at X-145, Juno and Agnes were proof enough that they could, and would, hold their own against the horde, no matter how many were out there.
In fact, the more Sleggar thought about it, the more he realized that, even with that mere six beside him, the Babbies were still well and truly outmatched. After all, he and his comrades had survived against much, much worse from much greater enemies before coming there. What forlorn hope did Zerik Ronah and his black and gold uniformed lackies have against them?
Especially as it's doubtful they have elites like the Dark Tigers or Black Vanguards, Sleggar thought with regained assurance as he keyed into the other suits. "You heard her Shrikes. We're it and we're damned well going to make it all count."
"Thus, in the light of the Steel 7 to the Jupiter Empire," he couldn't help but grin, recalling an old anime series about seven super robots fighting against an evil monster army. Flexing his hands over his Gundam's controls, he found that image eminently fitting, even if the other six missed the reference. "Let's show em' how the pros do it."
Babylonian Zamouth Giri-class battlecruiser Zamouth Ghan
System J-292
Not long now, Zerik thought with growing anticipation. Though it would still be some time yet before the Bugs cleared the entirety of the Rose – not helped by her sheer size and the fact that only one of the transport missiles struck – there was little doubt that they would clear the ship of her human occupants, as well as the Ark Royal's. After which, it would be a simple manner to clear away her remaining mobile suits, which was well underway now, and then deploy the Sweep probes to sterilize the ship of the "human debris" that the Bugs left behind. A literal mop up operation, in other words.
And to think this was all done without having to face those three, he mused. That part would probably be considered an act of cowardice, but he paid no mind to it. The fact of the matter was he accomplished his mission, with the Ark Royal and her three specialty suits being removed from the war effort. That alone would warrant enough acknowledgement and envy, especially…
"New signals detected!" the tactical operator reported, causing Zerik and the rest of the Zamouth Ghan's bridge to shift attention. "Seven suits! Four Guncannons and…" he hesitated for a moment. "Three unknown types."
"What!?" the Zamouth Ghan's captain could not help but exclaim.
Face turning into a glower, Zerik watched as the bridge monitor centered on the seven new mobile suits. Indeed, it was those three ace units with four Guncannon types alongside, flying in a tight "V" formation and fast approaching the battleground. Needless to say, the Ronah scion did well to feel the irony.
So they made it through the Bugs, Zerik thought, the glare of his eyes causing more than one of the bridge crew to feel a chill down the spine. Well, no matter. After all…
At that, his anticipating grin returned. What can that mere seven do against us? he questioned, right as the enemy suits elaborately broke formation and splayed out, like rays of a sun.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Sleggar stated darkly as he found his first target and charged, hyper beam rifle firing. Already detecting his approach, the Denan Zon immediately engaged its beam shield and deflected the shots right before returning fire with its shot lancer guns, to which Sleggar immediately dodged while counterfiring with his vulcans. That dissuaded the Babylonian suit for a moment, allowing the Earth ace to flank it on the left and plant a finishing beam shot into the torso, obliterating the goggle eyed suit entirely. From there, another Zon approached to spray beam fire, forcing Sleggar to employ his beam shield and return a rifle shot, blowing off the enemy suit's head before moving on.
Sensors alerting him, he just managed to ascend as a Denan Gei launched after him from the right, shot lancer set to impale. As the Gei passed, Sleggar reoriented his Gundam and fired a crack shot at the enemy's back, only for the higher end suit to twist around and present its beam shield, then counterattack with all three of its shoulder missiles. Naturally it was no major effort for Sleggar to swat the projectiles out of space with his vulcans, at which point the Gei set up for another charge with its lancer, firing the mounted machine guns as it launched. To this, Sleggar evaded and fired his vulcans again, this time scoring enough on the Gei's backside as to throw off its flightpath, thereby allowing him to plant another finisher shot from his rifle. The fin headed suit exploded as well as the rest.
No less than three other Zons approached him, all firing their lance guns in sync, to which Sleggar alternated between dodging and employing his beam shields. It wasn't the first time he had fought Babbys, but he had gotten so used to killing Zeeks and Zakus that he almost forgot how differently the Rockefeller wannabes fought from their Imperial "allies". It didn't help that the Denan series was little different from the Zaku in overall performance, but still had its own distinguishing points, namely its choice of main weapon. Such as it was when two of the Zons attempted to skewer him from either side, only for him to gun Unit Beta's thrusters and evade, then blasting one of the Babby suits out of space with another precise rifle shot. The remaining Zon immediately turned to fire another beam machine gun spray, in turn complimented by the third unit as it angled for Sleggar's back. The Eagle of Arcturus dodged all of this, right before nailing the former through the cockpit.
Responding to the deaths of its comrades, the third Zon went to full burn, attempting to catch Sleggar from the side with its lance. With but a wave of his Gundam's left arm, he knocked the weapon aside with his beam shield before moving to fire his rifle, only for that to be knocked away in turn with the Zon's shield. Fortunately, Sleggar remained faster, having Unit Beta reach out with its left hand to grasp the lance before triggering the gauntlet, shattering the polearm, and then switching to his vulcans, doing much the same to its head and ugly visage. From there, he circled around the momentarily blinded suit, once more engaging the left arm gauntlet and smashing it through its back obliterating the cockpit with the resulting discharge. The ace then flew away as the rest of the suit exploded thereafter.
"Yeah, that's it," he said while watching the glare die down, then targeting another Denan Gei as it approached. It was nice to shoot at something other than a Zaku for a change, as well as to fight others besides Zeon. Between that and all the Babbys had already put him and the rest of his comrades through with their Bug attack, Sleggar relished it all, obliterating the Gei from the side before it knew it was targeted, then proceeding on after another pair of Zons.
"Ugly monstrosities," Sayla muttered in distaste as a Zon and a Gei both charged at her and Amuro, forcing the two Gundams to break away before the shot lancers could so much as graze them. For all the differences from the Zaku, she found little change between the Babylonian suits and their Zeon cousins, as though they deliberately reflected the madness of their respective leaders. Bulky, spike shouldered/fin headed and made to appear as inhuman as possible, she had little hesitation in killing such abominations, demonstrating as such upon shooting the Zon through the torso. Beside her, Amuro flanked the Gei as it fired its missiles, easily mirroring her own attack and obliterating the cockpit. He too had sensed the Bug killings throughout the Rose, and much like at Juno, was not about to let the Babylonians remain unscathed, much less alive.
Mere moments after the Gei's destruction did another of its type, and two more Zons, come flying in, beams launching from their shot lancers. Both aces easily evading, Sayla was the first to counterattack, firing her vulcans as the first two jetted past and then engaging her beam shield as one of the Zons moved to impale her. Knocking the polearm aside, she then reached and drew her right beam saber, moving to bifurcate the Babby suit at the waste, only for the pilot to reverse at the right moment. It then counterfired with its lancer guns again, but Sayla had little issue banking to her right to evade, then surging again to strike. Expectant of that attack, the Zon engaged its beam shield to deflected, but Sayla bypassed that and slashed the Babylonian into fiery pairs anyway, then turning around and firing her vulcans at the second Zon, which was supporting its Gei brethren against Amuro.
Not that Amuro really needed her help of course, easily blasting the head off the Zon with his rifle and then planting a following shot through its Apollo Reactor. As it exploded, the Gei moved at his right, firing off its lancer out as a rocket. At that, Amuro reached up with his left gauntlet and grasped the rocket lance at the tip, sending a point blank beam burst through to obliterate it completely, and then firing another shot with his rifle. The Gei managed to bring up his shield in time, but it did not matter as Sayla easily maneuvered behind it and impaled it through the back, ripping her saber blade away with certain flourish. Both Gundams then moved onto another formation, beam rifles blazing.
"You'll need more than this to beat us," Amuro proclaimed as he and Sayla both destroyed two more Zons while their comrades dispersed, firing back with their lancer machine guns and missiles. Again the two Gundams had little issue evading, almost making a show of it. The Babylonians were coordinated, but they could not hope to keep up with the two superior mobile suits, much less their Newtype pilots.
Igniting his own beam saber, Amuro dodged another Zon lance attack, slicing through the lance tip in the process. The Babylonian suit immediately banked away, firing its twin machine guns as it went for distance, only for Amuro to deflect the shots with his shield as he maneuvered around, easily overtaking it and slashing it across the back diagonally. It didn't explode, as the cut somehow missed the reactor, but the pilot was very much dead. Kicking the corpse away, the White Devil then twisted around to fire his vulcans at another passing Gei, which was in turn taken out by a running slash from Sayla. From there, the Valkyrie of Riah executed a roll to evade another twin gun burst before cutting that offending Zon down as well, and then smashing her gauntlet into its partner Gei's finned head, shattering it and then impaling the cockpit.
Smirking as he momentarily watched his wingmate at work, Amuro felt the all too familiar lightning bolt through his head, causing him to dodge the three missiles that had been launched after him. Another Gei came at him, firing its guns as it set to strike with its lance. Launching away before contact, Amuro was just able to see the suits' hybrid sensor eyes flicker as it passed, which he found somewhat similar to a mono-eye flashing. He then proceeded to fire his vulcans into it, blasting off the right arm and the shot lancer therein, depriving the suit of its sole weapon. It then turned away to retreat, but once more remembering the Bugs, Amuro redrew his rifle and shot it through the back, turning his Gundam away as the Babylonian detonated.
From there, he linked up with Sayla once more, who had also redrawn her beam rifle. Both Gundams charging through space as twin comets – white as well as red – firing beam after beam into the still attacking Cosmo Babylonians.
Babylonian Zamouth Giri-class battlecruiser Zamouth Ghan
System J-292
It was all Zerik could do to somehow maintain his cool and utterly calm exterior, as opposed to exclaiming something vehemently untold at what he was now seeing on the bridge's main monitor. For the life of him, he could not believe any of it: the seven Earth mobile suits not only remaining existent, but actually taking the fight back to his own forces, leaving many dead and wounded suits and pilots in their wake. All virtually unhindered, much less defeated as the prior defenders had been.
This…this is impossible! The Feddies shouldn't be able to fight this effectively! Zerik thought, his expression threatening to falter. His experience with Earthnoid forces was about the same as it had been with the Rose's original garrison: virtually no opposition whatsoever. For all their hubris, the Feddies were no match for proper Babylonian warriors, while their machines could barely keep up with the Denan Zon as he had reflected before. Absolute dullards and commoners, entirely incapable of standing against even the least capable of opposition. And yet, that was exactly what these Earthers were doing there, against his elite soldiers no less.
"Commander…?" the Ghan's captain questioned with emerging uncertainty, only to be deliberately ignored by his superior.
No, Zerik surmised, this wasn't over yet. Yes those seven were much stronger than he had anticipated, but they weren't invincible. Eventually they would give way, as Earthnoids always did; eventually they would fall to the shot lancers of his warriors. Perhaps not right away as he had originally thought, but they would still die all the same.
And if not by the hands of his troops, then most definitely by Zerik himself, who very much remembered that his own machine was ready and waiting to launch. Again he would rather not dirty his hands with such lessers, but if necessary he was ready to do precisely that. For the moment however, he could wait that much longer. Surely the Earthnoids would weaken soon enough, and perhaps lose one or two of their number to the Zons and Geis. Surely they would falter in the next few minutes, thereby allowing the battle to shift back to Zerik and his forces once again.
Such was Zerik Ronah's enduring hope, even as he watched more and more of his followers, loyal subjects of Cosmo Babylonia and the Ronah family, butchered by the Feddies' counterattack.
Anaheim dockship La Vie en Rose
System J-292
"My god…" someone gaped aloud, reflecting much of the bridge crew's astonishment as Bright and Mirai remained at the rear of the bridge with Emary, dual grins across their faces.
"Spectacular, isn't it?" Bright murmured to his wife, who was also agape. Naturally he couldn't blame her, or anyone else present, for such reactions. He and Mirai had seen that one sided onslaught so many times, albeit usually against the Zeon, that they had long gotten used to their mobile suits – with the Gundams at the head of course – outright dominating the opposition. For those who were only just witnessing it, it was almost unfathomable.
"Is this…?" Emary found herself replying with. "Is this the power that you saw on Anges?"
"Heh," Bright couldn't help but laugh a little, as though such a question were so easy to answer. Even now, the image of Unit Alpha aglow with energy stood out in his memory, such that a part of him was thankful that it hadn't occurred here, for his wife and the rest to see. "No, but it's close enough."
He turned back to watch as Commander Amada's Stormer blast a Zon apart with its gatling guns. "This is what has allowed me to survive for this long. What has allowed all of us to survive."
Nodding in response, Emary could easily see what her husband meant. It wasn't the White Devil's otherworldly abilities, but as he said, it was close enough: the skills and experiences of men and women that had survived the worst of the war, having been forged and refined through such battles. Even the four Guncannon pilots, who should have been as outmatched by the Babbys as their Anaheim contemporaries, were easily outmaneuvering and overpowering their opposition, almost as unchallenged as the three Gundams. It would have truly been a beautiful sight had Emary not kept in mind that human lives were being snuffed out.
At that point, Lieutenant Joshua's Hellfire entered into view, firing off a barrage of missiles against another Zon team. From behind her, another Zon attempted to impale her through the back, only for her wingmate's Trooper to intercept and blow the goggle eye suit away with its shoulder cannons.
"Still got the touch," Eledore hummed as the glare of the Zon's death died down. He still hurt, such that that "little" maneuver had caused him to ache more than it should, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. From there, he brought his suit beside his love's Hellfire, firing both rifle and cannons at the oncoming Babby team. "So much for proper rest and recovery, huh Shrike Seven?"
"Shut up and keep killing bad guys Eight," Karen growled back as she fired her rifle at another approaching Zon, only for her shots to be deflected by its beam shield. Sneering at that, she fired another missile barrage as it attempted to draw in close, this time bypassing the shield and blowing apart much of the enemy suit. The following beam rifle shot was enough to finish it, right as her sensors flickered in warning. "More Zons coming in!"
"I see them!" Eledore replied as he turned his Trooper around, both shoulder cannons firing. The Babby suits naturally evaded, and then responded with their shot lancer guns, forcing him to duck behind his own beam shield. Again he felt his body ache from the reflex, but Eledore forced that sensation back, alongside the addition of his continuing to fire his cannons and rifle. He was not about to let that hinder him, especially in front of Karen and the others.
Goddamn you Eledore, Karen thought as he supplemented his fire with her missiles, managing to strike down one Zon and blow the left arm and beam shield off another. She knew he hadn't fully recovered, and that he would hurt himself that much more by joining "in the fun", yet he had insisted to her back on the Rose. And now he was beside her again, taking on another enemy force while watching her back. She was starting to hate him for it. "Your left!"
"Yeah!" Eledore called out, turning his Guncannon around to meet the target. One of the Zons was flanking him, moving into shish kabob him on its lance. In doing so however, it had drawn close enough to heighten its target profile, which Eledore took full advantage of with his shoulder cannons. The resulting detonation was quite spectacular, even by his musician standards. "You see that?"
"I did! Now kill the rest!" Karen retorted, narrowly banking the lance thrust of a Gei herself. As close as it was to her, she fired her vulcans across its right side, knocking out its arm and the shot lancer with it, before reversing and firing off two missiles. The Gei wasn't entirely destroyed, but she could tell that the pilot was dead as the ruined suit aimlessly flew off to parts unknown. Not that there weren't others to take its place of course, as another of its brethren soon came at her, firing its own shoulder missiles. "Goddammit, they're even more annoying than the Zeeks!"
"They really are," Eledore agreed with a smirk as he shot his rifle at another Zon, and then proceeded to dodge its responding twin machine gun burst. He waited until the very last second before triggering his cannons again, blowing off the whole top portion of the Babby suit, the legs and lower torso spiraling away aimlessly. Once more he ignored the resulting dull ache, turning his suit around to attack a Gei as well. "But then, this wouldn't be so fun otherwise.
"Heh," Karen laughed a little to that, firing another missile barrage that caused the latest Babby formation to scatter. Yeah, she was definitely growing to hate him that much more through all this. As if she hadn't hated him enough already.
Goddamn Babbys love their lances way too much! Kiki managed to think while firing upon yet another Zon that was launching at her, intending to drill through her cockpit as two of its brethren had already tried to do. Naturally she waited until the right moment before banking aside, the lance not so much as grazing her, and then firing her vulcans. She only managed to hit in the right shoulder pauldron, but that was enough to throw the Babylonian suit off somewhat, thereby allowing Kiki to finish it with her cannons. It was doubtful enough of it remained to fill a shoebox. "Commander!?"
"Still here Shrike Five!" Shiro responded, both gatling cannons firing after another pair of Zons. One of the Babby suits was struck down, but the other managed to evade, and then counterattack with its lancer guns. Again taking advantage of his suit's superior mobility, Shiro dodged the attack while firing back with his vulcans, the Babylonian raising its beam shield to deflect. Fast it was however, it couldn't dodge Shiro following beam rifle shot through torso, the Zon exploding thereafter.
Naturally it wasn't long before more enemy mobile suits moved in and fired in tandem at the two Guncannons. Returning fire with their respective shoulder guns, Shiro and Kiki forced the new team to scatter, with Shiro managing to blast the leg off the leading Gei. He would have finished it, but the Babylonian pilot was fast enough to reverse away from his gatling spray, one of the Zons then moving to support while the other attempted to shoot Kiki down. Again Shiro concentrated on evasion, maneuvering around the beam machine gun fire and the Gei's missiles while maintaining his own attacks with his gatling guns and rifle. Eventually he managed to rip the Zon apart with a quick burst, but the Gei, again displaying greater skill, raised its shield at the right moment, and then fire in turn with its lance guns.
Letting out a battle cry, Shiro then gunned his suit's thrusters and charged, igniting his own beam shield to deflect the Gei's hapless fire as he rapidly drew in. The two suits collided, with Shiro just able to see the Gei's goggle eyes flicker momentarily before triggering his shoulder cannons at point blank. The Babylonian suit's head and much of its upper torso was instantly blasted away, after which the Stormer planted its beam rifle barrel straight into the suit's torso and fired, destroying the cockpit. Nudging the newly rendered corpse aside, Shiro then turned to assist Kiki with her own opponent, but found that was not needed.
Rather than attempt to spear her as those prior had tried, this particular Zon kept its distance, attempting to overwhelm the Trooper with concentrated machine gun bursts. Unfortunately that was also a poor choice of attack, as the Guncannon retained superior range and firepower. As such, despite the Zon raising its beam shield at the last second, it was no difficulty for Kiki to blow it away with her shoulder guns as well.
"Heh," Shiro couldn't help but let out, should have knowing better than to believe his subordinate would have any real trouble against small fry. If the Zeeks couldn't kill them at Juno or Anges, then what real chance did the Babbys have?
Of course, that didn't mean they were immortal, especially as both suits' sensors picked up another team of Zons coming after them. Reacting fast, both Federation pilots hit their suits' thrusters and ascended, right as the three Babylonian suits moved in, their lance guns already firing.
Both Geis firing off their missiles simultaneously, Sleggar rolled Unit Beta away from the oncoming projectiles – not even bothering to shoot them down with his vulcans or deflect with his shields – and fired single rifle shots into either suit, causing them to detonate at almost the same time. From those two explosions a single Zon came charging through, firing its guns after the blue mobile suit, but once more the Eagle of Arcturus had little issue dodging and counterfiring with his vulcans, blowing off the shot lancer arm in the process. From there turned and launched directly at the Zon, its remaining arm raising its shield to defend, to which Sleggar simply moved to its right and fired another single rifle shot. A third explosion soon followed.
This is almost embarrassing, he thought as additional Babbys came after him, firing their guns as one yet striking nothing but void. More Zons and Geis were soon shot down as a result, one beam each, yet much to their courage they still continued after the blue Gundam. One the former even fired its lance after him, as though the unguided rocket would be enough to take him out. Again Sleggar dodged with almost minimal effort, and then retaliated with vulcan fire into the Zon's torso, knocking out that suit's cockpit as well. A Gei quickly shoved the dead suit aside and fired off its shoulder missiles, but by the time it had Sleggar was well away from that original spot.
"Come on!" Sleggar called out over broadband as he took out more of the Babbys with his rifle. He didn't know if they actually heard him, but though he would have bet a fair amount of his paycheck on it. "I thought you Babbys were warriors, not black and gold pansies!"
The fire naturally intensified, but Sleggar was still able to evade and deflect it all too efficiently. One of the Geis then charged him with its lance, but he evaded that as well, then blowing the suit's back open with a snap gauntlet shot. The stricken Denan Gei quickly spiral out of control before exploding itself.
"Really, you're supposed to be Iron Mask's best?" the Eagle of Arcturus continued to taunt, causing two more Zons to charge him with their guns blazing. He immediately reversed and jetted upward, then taking both suits out with two more rifle shots. "I've fought Aeolians that were harder to kill!"
He knew that one struck hard, with Cosmo Babylonia's aristocracy complex being at easy odds with the Aeolian League's emphasis on proletariatism. More of the Babbys blasted after him now, such that the immediate area of space was virtually filled with beams and missile fire, yet Sleggar continued to dodge and block it all. As he had thought before, his opposition were far from Cosmo Babylonian elite, and he thanked God earnestly that they really didn't have anything like the Black Vanguard or Dark Tiger Squadrons with them. Otherwise he and his six fellows would have had a far more difficult time.
Continuing to wade through the fire and one shot killing at any given opportunity, the Eagle of Arcturus then turned his suit toward a particular vector. Where, in that split second, he raised his rifle up and once more pulled the trigger.
Babylonian Zamouth Giri-class battlecruiser Zamouth Ghan
System J-292
"Zamouth Glen is hit!" the tactical operator reported as the resultant explosion's glare at last died down. The bridge tower of the once proud battlecruiser – which was off the Ghan's portside – now reduced to fiery ruin.
Now unable to keep the anger off his face, Zerik glowered after the blue mobile suit that had fired the shot in that single instant. He was not stupid; he knew the Eagle had deliberately hit the Glen as opposed to his flagship. The fact that snapshot had passed directly in front of the Ghan's own bridge tower on its flight to the Glen's only emphasized that.
It appears I have taken you all far too lightly, Zerik thought as he watched over the bridge monitor for a few seconds longer. He had indeed been a fool, he understood now. For all of his prior experience with Earthnoids, he could see these particular seven were not so easily defeated, not even by those superior to Zeon. A serious threat if there ever was one, such that he was starting to understand why Char Aznable, Aiguille Delaz and Garma Zabi – as inferior as they all were – had such difficulties against their kind. To think that he would soon fall in line with them…
No, he assured himself, there was still a chance of victory. The Bugs were still operating within the Rose, and as one-sided as the battle was, enough of his forces remained to continue the fight. So long as both factors were in place, he may yet still triumph, albeit battered and bloodied. Not how he had wanted to win this battle, he admitted, but victory remained victory, no matter what condition he and his followers gained it by.
With that in mind, he rose from his seat. "I'm going out now," he stated to the Ghan's captain. "You have command."
"Understood," the captain replied with a quick salute, right as Zerik disappeared into the turbolift.
Minutes later, he was dressed in his own dark green pilot suit and floating up toward his waiting machine. A far more menacing demon to the Denan series, this particular suit was a next generation unit that had just entered production, with Zerik and a few others – including his bastard cousin Dorel – having gained it early on. Surely such a beast would be enough for those seven, including the three aces that were especially making mincemeat of his fighters. There would be only one way to find out of course.
Entering the suit and closing the cockpit hatch, Zerik wasted no further time in bringing his steed over to the catapult, the launch port doors receding upon his approach. Crouching his suit down slightly, he prepared for the immediate rush.
I will win this yet, he vowed to himself before calling out. "Zerik Ronah, Berga Dalas, launching!"