"Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won."
- Duke of Wellington

Chapter XXIV: Wrathful Tiamat

Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Zorres System
October 3, GC 379

Again did Bright feel the urge to vocally curse, and again did he just manage to force it away lest he actually slip. What was supposed to be a hit-and-run nuclear strike was fast becoming a drawn out slugfest between mobile suits, far more than he would have liked. The opposition had been bad enough in the beginning, when they only had to fight the local garrison, but the suits from the Dolowa, especially those new models, were proving even more of a handful. And once more, Bright was mindful enough to know that the longer they stayed in Zorres, the more likely enemy reinforcements were bound to appear.

If not worse, Bright thought, his eyes narrowing past the melee and back toward their original target. Though the Dolowa remained berthed as it had from the start, there was no telling if and when that beast would start moving. The Zeeks had to have known that the taskforce had come to Zorres to destroy her specifically, which would only further incline them to have her set sail at the earliest opportunity. And as accomplished as Bright and his ship and crew were at that point in the war, he was under no illusions of how the Ark Royal would fare in a fight with that behemoth. To say nothing of the rest of the taskforce. "Time since arrival?"

"Twenty-nine minutes, fourteen seconds," Mirai reported, doing well not to verbalize a curse herself. Like her captain, she too found herself looking upon the Dolowa once more. Docked and inactive as she was, there was no telling how much longer she would remain so, as though her mobile suits weren't bad enough to contend with. Needless to say, Mirai hadn't felt so nervous since Anges, which felt so much like ancient history now. "Still no strike clearance."

The urge to curse vocally deepened that much more. They had been in Zorres for fast approaching a full half-hour and still they were no closer to completing their mission than when they first arrived. And once more, the longer they remained, the greater likelihood of reinforcements arriving, which, given how pivotal the shipyards were, would be substantial. Yet at the same time, Bright knew there was nothing he could do about any of it, as the cusp of the operation lied squarely upon the MS clearing the way for the nuclear strike. All the Ark Royal could do was provide fire support with the other capital ships, while also slugging it out with their Zeon counterparts.

"Come on Sleggar," Bright found himself murmuring in place of a curse. Surely if anyone could breakthrough, then the Eagle of Arcturus, the Valkyrie of Riah and most certainly the White Devil could do it. Only the latter two were engaged with enemy newcomers, one of which had ace colors on full display, while the CAG himself was being hindered from every possible vector. Granted the Guncannons, even those from the other ships, were holding their own remarkably against the Zeeks, but that was about all they could do. Only the three Gundams stood any chance of clearing a path for Wakkein's nukes to move through and strike the center.

Thus, as Bright concentrated on the blue Unit Beta, the one Gundam that was not engaged with any enemy in particular, he could only hope that Sleggar Law came through once again. All while much needed time, and the ability to act, lessened.

Son of a bitch! Sleggar thought as another one of those new model Zakus came at him from the left, beam rifle firing against his freshly engaged shield. He immediately responded by turning and firing a vulcan spray, but the Zaku easily maneuvered around its, superior mobility once more coming into play as it switched out its rifle for a yellow bladed beam saber. Fortunately for Sleggar, this turned out to be its terminal mistake, as rather than draw his own saber, the ace waited for the Zaku to close before launching Unit Beta back at it, from which he drove his left gauntlet into the cockpit area. New model it might have been, but a Zaku remained a Zaku as far as Sleggar was concerned, who dispatched that one with contemptuous ease. They even blew up the same way, as Sleggar noted before he moved off to engage other targets.

Quickly finding a set, the Eagle of Arcturus continued to do what he did best, sniping anything that possessed a mono-eye as he flew passed. Unfortunately his shooting spree didn't last long as another Zaku team moved against him, and though they were older models they still had two machine guns and a bazooka between them. Alternating between weaving through the fire and employing his beam shields, Sleggar waited until he had an opening for a shot, immediately striking the head off one of the machine gunners, and then following up by blasting the right arm at the shoulder of the second, consequently depriving the latter of its primary weapon. The Zeek responded by firing his hip missiles as the bazooka wielder, which naturally had a telltale command fin, took several more shots after the blue Gundam. Again Sleggar dodged all of it, easily moving passed the guided projectiles and the bazooka shots before firing his own snapshot through the latter weapon, obliterating it and the top portion of the Zaku holding it. That seemed to have killed the pilot as well as the command Zaku turned motionless thereafter, leaving only the headless machine gunner and its one-armed partner, which followed up by drawing its beam axe.

"I don't have time for this!" Sleggar called out as he simply planted a shot through the cockpit block of the one armed unit, destroying it before it ever had a chance to move in close. He then tried to follow up with Zako the Headless Beam Gunner, but the that Zaku managed to dodge his shot at the right moment, and then the second. It then fired a burst, which Sleggar dodged in turn, right before gunning his thrusters while simultaneously drawing his left beam saber. Again he was not as skilled at close-quarters as Sayla, but he still managed to catch the Zeek off guard enough to bifurcate his or her machine upon passing, the remnants detonating right after. Restoring the saber to its appropriate rack, Sleggar could only turn Unit Beta about and continue the fight, especially as more enemy suits, older and newer model Zakus alike, moved upon him.

For once in the middle of a killing spree, Sleggar felt himself sweat from tension itself. Even as he took out more and more Zakus around him, their numbers remained abundant, more than enough to hinder the main attack. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem in itself, as eventually the Zakus would be well and truly decimated, but the commander had a feeling that wouldn't matter so much there. That with the Feddies on its doorstep, the Dolowa could very well move at any minute, and once it left its berth it would indeed be over. Which meant he didn't simply have to kill every mono-eye robot that he could shoot at, but he had to do it in the next few minutes before all hell was well and truly set loose.

"Come on!" Sleggar found himself yelling as he dodged the rifle fire of another new model, which immediately threw up its own left arm shield as he responded with vulcan fire. There was no screwing this one up, he had to make it in time. He had to ensure that those nukes got through, otherwise there was no telling how they would bring down the Dolowa thereafter. Or, for that matter, how much death and destruction it would wrought once in open space.

Thus Sleggar drew on, focusing more and more on speed and precision than any other factor. More and more Zakus fell to him, as well as a Musaka that ended up coming within his range, but there only remained that much more with each kill. All while the Dolowa remained in its dock, appearing docile and inactive, yet Sleggar knew it would only remain so for that much longer.

Gritting his teeth as another beam barrage slammed against his left shield, Amuro flitted his Gundam to that particular vector, returning fire with his vulcans. Rather than employ his own shields, Mallet reversed and banked away, evading each and every vulcan shot as though a single graze could kill him, all the while firing rifle shot after rifle shot back at Unit Alpha. The Earth and Zeon mobile suits continuing their apparent waltz through space, their ace pilots having come no closer to overcoming the other since it had all begun. Though between the two, only Amuro was truly agitated by that fact.

More! Mallet's grating voice called out through Amuro's consciousness as the blue and white Zaku weaved to and from, firing more shots from its primary weapon as Amuro was forced to dodge in turn. Not even when the White Devil responded with his own rifle shots did Mallet slow, much less move toward the defensive. In fact, the Zeon appeared to very much enjoy the opposition. I demand more!

Amuro could only sneer back in the face of the Zeon's overwhelming bloodlust. Compared to Aznable and Garma, Mallet Sanguine was an entirely different beast altogether. As though to emphasize his apparent surname, this Zeon didn't simply want to kill Amuro for triumph the way Garma wanted. No, it really wanted the White Devil's blood, as well as that of any other adversary it could reach and kill. A ravenous beast that hungered for the blood of others, such that, whether through Amuro's unique perception or some other power, he could actually visualize the warped and distorted image of his adversary. A twisted abomination with blooded fangs and claws, reaching out to ensnare him.

Not that that would happen, Amuro resolved, as he then reversed back while counterfiring with his rifle. Again did the upgraded Zaku dodge, as well as withdraw its own rifle for a beam saber, igniting it as it charged. Unable to draw his own blade in time, Amuro reengaged his left beam shield and deflected the initial blow, right before angling his rifle for a point-blank shot to the cockpit. His own Newtype powers remaining in effect, Mallet easily foresaw the attack and jetted his Zaku upward, evading the near kill shot. However, that was more than enough time and space for Amuro to swap his own rifle out for a saber, launching Unit Alpha after the reversing Zaku.

Not enough! Still not enough! Mallet continued to ramble within Amuro's mind as the two aces once more clashed with blades. By now Amuro was forcing himself to ignore the crazed Zeon's outbursts, concentrating wholly on killing him. Evading the charging slash combo, Amuro waited for the Zaku to launch by before firing his vulcans against its left, only for Mallet to engage the beam shield there and deflect. From that, Amuro launched his own suit forward, bringing his sword against the Zeon's, from which ferocious exchange took place as both units continued to fly across Zorres. As ravenous a fighter as he was a beast, Mallet slashed and hacked at the white Gundam, watching with glee as Amuro deflected or evaded each of his strokes while attacking back at any opportunity. Indeed, he could already see why Commander Aznable and Admiral Garma had had such trouble against this one. Amuro Ray was far from a typical Feddie through and through.

That being said, Mallet wasn't so focused on his offensive that, upon the white mobile suit "blurring" from his monitor only to appear off his left, that he himself evaded as it fired its vulcans again. The little Earthnoid bastard was just full of tricks, much to the Zeon ace's delight, such that he reversed and then circled back before slamming his beam saber against the Devil's once more. Naturally Amuro was able to deflect his slash, and then the second and third before counterstriking himself, almost removing the blue and white Zaku's left arm from the shoulder, but again Mallet was fast enough to withdraw before contact was made.

More! More! Amuro again "heard" that damned ghastly voice ring out through his mind, snarling against its enthused ferocity. Though he was not usually one who thoroughly enjoyed killing people, Amuro knew he was going to feel utmost satisfaction with this one's demise. It affronted him that such a being could not only exist, but be a Newtype like himself and Sayla. That by itself made him want to kill Mallet Sanguine that much more, before the Dolowa went up in smoke.

Again concentrating his efforts on doing just that, Amuro moved against the Zaku with his saber raised overhead, only for Mallet to intercept the blade as it fell. The glow of the dual magenta and yellow energies momentarily cast against the two fighting mobile suits, before they broke off to continue their running duel. The gleaming visage of Mallet Sanguine equally cast against the spiteful, increasingly wrathful countenance of Amuro Ray all throughout.

This one really is different, Sayla again thought as that enhanced Zaku again came at her with its saber set, forcing her to re-engage her left beam shield to deflect that latest charge. She then counterslashed, but the Zaku was already moving again, reversing and weaving back, effectively reversing their positions as Sayla had Unit Gamma surge after it. More saber clashes, evasions and shield deflections, as well as the occasional vulcan burst on Sayla's part, soon followed as she flung through the immediate space with her present, still unidentified adversary. One that Sayla, through both her Newtype powers and her honed instincts as a warrior, was starting to get some semblance of.

It was much the same for Lilia, despite the fact that she had already had some idea of who the Valkyrie of Riah was before their fight had begun. She, like everyone else in the Empire it seemed, had heard the stories regarding Sayla Mass and her one woman decimation of Riah, culminating in the death of Admiral Sasro himself. Now that she was before her, trading saber blow for saber blow with her Act Zaku, Lilia had to somewhat begrudgingly admit that Earth's leading woman ace was much more than what she had initially assumed. Far from some raging Earthnoid harlot, this one indeed had the same power she and Commander Sanguine both shared, such that she was not only able to keep up with Lilia, but had gotten dangerously close at surpassing her defenses several times over. Likewise, Lilia did well to feel an aura of vengefulness around the Valkyrie, a central drive toward her fighting that was like a great, blazing sun, though not so blazing that encompassed the entirety. Again however, Lilia also knew it wasn't directed toward her, despite their present battle.

Who are you, Sayla Mass? Lilia found herself asking through their apparent link as she again evaded a vulcan blast from the red Project V unit, who she wished she could identify as well as its pilot. It was the first time she had spoken, whether through her physical voice or power, since their fight had begun.

Who are you, Lilia Flaubert? Sayla found herself responding in kind, deflecting another saber attack with her right shield. Once more she did not know what to make of her present enemy, even though she had just gleamed her name and form through the onslaught. For Sayla, it was like looking into an only partially finished canvas painting, or a distorted yet somewhat discernable holographic image. Though the good Lieutenant Flaubert wasn't blank like others that the former Princess of Zeon had encountered through the galaxy, it still felt as though she were not entirely whole, as though certain parts of her were either missing or were never placed. To fill in those open gaps seemingly, Flaubert herself appeared driven, to the point of near obsession for someone like her, to fight and support another. From that, Sayla beheld the visage of a white haired, grayed eyed man, one who held a beastly scowl complimented by what Sayla could already tell was an unsatiable lust for destruction. The very same man that Amuro was now fighting, as Sayla very easily picked up that same visage in the distance.

Regardless of what they discerned from the other however, the two women continued their fight, their mobile suits now effectively dancing across space while continuously exchanging blade for blade. A strangely elegant display between two honed fighters, though it was clear that Sayla was the more skilled of the pair, which Lilia took to heart as she stepped up her defense lest the Valkyrie's sword slip through. It took much in the way of energy out of the Zeon pilot, but she continued to hold her own against her Earthnoid(?) opponent regardless, matching Sayla Mass stroke for stroke, parry for parry. Determined not just to survive, but return to the Dolowa alongside Commander Sanguine and the rest of Esser Squadron.

Little did Lilia know, as focused as she was on combating the Earth ace, that that outcome would indeed come to fruition in those next short moments.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres Shipyards

All but leaping out of his chair in triumph, the Executive Officer at last reported with no shortage of anticipation. "Launching preparations now complete. We may set sail at any time."

Wearing the same grin as her XO, Lindermann immediately turned to Admiral Lutjins, who, wearing his own more subdued grin, merely gave the waited nod. With his order and blessing given, Lindermann took to her seat.

"Engage engines and retract docking clamps," she commanded to the helmsman, who was immediately setting to work. "Ahead one-quarter until we clear the shipyards."

She then turned toward his tactical officer. "Target the enemy taskforce," she ordered as well, much to the TO's own more predatory smile. "Let's give the Feddies a taste of what this ship can do."

Hearing that, Lutjins' own grin enlarged by a fair margin, such that he had to hide it behind his two clasped together hands. Though the EFSF taskforce was still distant, they had to have picked up on the Dolowa's engines engaging. He could only imagine how much the Feddies were all soiling themselves as their worst nightmare had, at last, awakened.

Federation Montana-class battlecruiser Magellan
Zorres System

"No!" Wakkein let out in open horror as he looked over the sensor reading for the third time in the last minute. Indeed it was what it had been reported. The Dolowa's primary engines had engaged and the ship was moving. As though the visual image of the great behemoth doing exactly that on the bridge monitor wasn't evident enough.

"Sir?" his Flag Captain inquired for orders with barely disguised anxiousness, which the rest of the Magellan's bridge crew shared. The Dolowa had been terrifying enough dormant and docked as it had been only a minute ago, but now that it was moving, that same terror had been amplified almost twice over. Even for a Zeon ship, the giant appeared alien as it slowly moved from its birth toward open space, as though it should have been impossible for something that size to move at all. And that was before one that, upon magnification, that several of its of barely discernable gun ports were moving and angling. All directly ahead toward the taskforce.

Seeing that, Wakkein knew he had no choice. "All ships, this is Fleet Command," he called out over the comm. "Firestorm. I say again, Firestorm."

Upon that command and the following nod, the Flag Captain faced forward again. "Launch all missiles! Maximum effect!"

An instant later, the Magellan's nuclear arsenal exited out the battlecruiser's bow missile tubes, followed on by those from her support ships, save the Ark Royal of course. Their Apollo Engines all engaged and at full power, the missiles launched straight through the ongoing battle, passed the still fighting mobile suits, toward their ever looming target. All the while, seemingly unnoticed through the salvo, the Dolowa began to pick up speed.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres System

"Missiles incoming!" the TO reported hurriedly, right as he gained the necessary readings. "Approximately one hundred eighty, all nuclear armed!"

"Heh," Lutjins actually laughed a little. He should have guessed that was the Feddies' plan, to bombard Zorres with nukes with the Dolowa at the epicenter. Far be it for him to praise his enemies, but he actually admitted that would have worked. Not just in leaving nothing of the Dolowa behind, but also obliterating a viable shipyard with her, thereby hurting Zeon twice over with one stone, or nuclear strike in this case. Whoever came up with this plan of attack certainly thought it through. At least to a very certain point.

"Engines ahead full, bring us into range!" Lindermann again commanded her helmsman, who quickly did just that with the great supercarrier. If there was anyone in Zeon that knew that the Dolowa could and could not do, it was her captain. "Intercept at will!"

"Whoa!" Amuro let out as one of the hundred or so missiles launched by he and Sanguine's Zaku, flying out with its brethren toward their primary target. A moment later did his mind register that, while Space Zero was distant enough that Amuro was sure he and Unit Alpha would not be caught in the blast wave, it probably wasn't a good idea to remain where he was anyway. Just as it wasn't a good idea to watch as the missiles detonated upon their target.

"I should have guessed," Mallet muttered as he came to the same conclusion as Amuro, though more out of disappointment than anything else. Specifically disappointment that his fun had just come to an abrupt end, as even he wouldn't dare continue fighting with what was about to happen. "Goddamn Feddies."

With that, both the Gundam and the Act Zaku unanimously engaged their thrusters and launched away at different vectors, with Amuro moving back toward the fleet. He was quickly followed by the other EFSF mobile suits, including Sayla and Commander Law, who had all ended their respective fights to return fleetward. And though they all knew they wouldn't make it back to their respective ships before the missiles blew, they could at least be distant enough that whatever fallout erupted would not reach them. Even in the "modern" Galactic Century, nobody took chances with nuclear weapons, which was why that, to the few that saw it occur, it was very surprising to see the Dolowa contrastingly engage her engines at full burn, effectively launching herself at the oncoming missiles in that same instance.

And then, detonation. With the collective force of hundred eighty nuclear warheads detonating as one, a great white flash erupted just ahead of the taskforce, encompassing all within sight therein. The Dolowa, the shipyards, even a very large portion of nearby Zorres I was obstructed by the light. All the while the spectators could only watch, and hope, that their shot had indeed struck true.

Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Zorres System

"Polarize the monitor," Bright commanded calmly as he, and the rest of the bridge with him, shield their eyes from the glare. As distant as it was, and with the bridge monitor already having auto-adjusted as much as it could, a nuclear detonation was a nuclear detonation, and this one had been caused by one hundred eighty warheads in the same area. Thus it took quite a bit of time before the monitor had been adjusted enough that Bright and company could lower their hands, from which they all stared back toward the light with barely held inquisition. Did it work or didn't it? "Sensors?"

"Still clearing Captain," Omar reported as he at last managed to get a decent view of his own station, though his own instruments were as overwhelmed by the nuclear detonations as the bridge monitor. That assured the tactical officer somewhat. How could anything survive that much nuclear force? The Dolowa would have to had been fitted with manifest Plot Armor in order to…

"Wait," Oscar suddenly called out from the science station, causing everyone on the bridge to look up in alertness. Simultaneously did the glare begin the clear, allowing space within to be visible once again. "Captain…!"

At that, palpable terror swelled through the bridge as all therein, up to and including Bright and Mirai themselves, beheld a true nightmare in real form. As the last of the glare cleared away did the Dolowa, wholly undamaged, emerge into open space. The green behemoth having not so much a scratch on her hull, nor did the shipyards behind her appear damaged for that matter.

It was the latter sighting that Bright came to that cold realization. The Dolowa hadn't simply charged into the nuclear holocaust; it had intercepted each and everyone of those missiles with its onboard weapons, causing them to detonate a great distance away from the intended impact zone. As a result, the detonations and the resulting blast waves had been too far out to causing any damage to the carrier, while also sparing the shipyards their own destruction. And the Dolowa had done all this as it had been moving out to sail.

Which consequently brought Bright to another realization. "Helm, full evasive!" he called out in near desperation, causing Katz to all but bring the ship fully about within the span of a millisecond. The Ark Royal wasn't the only ship that did this as, well without command from the flagship, did the taskforce break formation and move outward, doing all they could to remove themselves from the response that would soon come. A response that, while miniscule compared to the initial nuclear attack, would be inevitably substantial.

Sure enough did the Dolowa's bow mounted weapons all open fire as one. Sending a vast array of yellow beams and missiles straight into the taskforce.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Zorres System

"Beautiful," one of the bridge crew murmured out loud, which Lutjins found himself heartily concurring with. Indeed it was beautiful. With but that one minor salvo, all but four of the Earth ships had been destroyed, such that those who had not been obliterated outright were now reduced to flaming fragmented ruin. Such that, while Lutjins was as agnostic as the rest of his nation, he could not help but wonder to himself. If God indeed did exist somewhere out there in the void, could this have been but marginally comparable to His hand? It certainly looked like it from the Admiral's perspective.

"Nine ships destroyed, four remain active. One of them is the Ark Royal," the TO reported, clearly as awestruck by the display as the rest of the bridge. "Continue engagement?"

Upon seeing several eyes, Lindermann's in particular fall on him, Lutjins only shook his head in resignation. As much as that insipient Trojan Horse would have made a grand feather in his cap, to again borrow Earth parlance, His Majesty's orders remained standing. Besides, the White Devil remained out there, and Lutjins very much wanted to avoid repeating Delaz's folly. The Vice Admiral still recalled the imagery of that particular Earthnoid destroying an entire Colony Laser with but a single beam rifle shot. He dared not imagine what said Earthnoid could do to the Dolowa, especially if granted a direct invitation for reprisal.

With reluctant understanding, Lindermann, while taking a moment to straighten her commissar cap, could only look out toward the waiting, open space beyond. Infinite space, filled with equally infinite possibilities for himself and her crew. What more could she, or any of those around her, could possibly ask for? "Engage Mirage Colloid! Standby for warp!"

Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Zorres System

With great and once uncharacteristic loathing did Bright watch as the immense Dolowa, seemingly having had its fill early on, loomed over his Ark Royal, such that the Commander could almost feel its great shadow against his own ship. He wanted to attack then and there, to strike back for the nine that she had taken with her opening salvo. Unfortunately, as powerful as he knew his ship to be, and as miraculously undamaged as she managed to remain through the onslaught – having maneuvered out of the way just before the barrage – he knew he would never touch that juggernaut, which now loomed so close over his ship that the bridge monitor was filled with its underbelly. All he could now was watch in helplessness as the giant brought her own mobile suits back in, the retreating Zakus appearing little more than dust particles against her mass.

And then, seemingly as the last Zaku was brought aboard, did Bright watch as an unnatural transparency emerge across the Dolowa, causing her to blend into the void of space. Now the Commander found incredulousness weigh over him, as did Mirai and the rest, one of whom vocalized their captain's next thought. That thing has a Mirage Colloid!? How was that possible!?

As unfathomable as it was, it still marked the undeniable. The battle was over, and their mission failed. The beast had been let loose from its cage at the cost of nine ships and their crews, which Bright then confirmed from Oscar that there were indeed no survivors or distress beacons. Which, with much regret, was for the better, as Bright knew they could not remain in enemy space any longer. As did Admiral Wakkein himself for that matter, as the signal to recall mobile suits and withdraw was soon broadcast.

"Bring us about," Bright solemnly ordered as soon as the last of the Ark Royal's mobile suits were confirmed to have returned. Taking one moment to straighten his commissar cap – an act that momentarily caused him to wish Emary was there with him now, only for greater logic to set in and dispel that thereafter – Bright at last gave the much awaited order. "Maximum warp."

At that, the Ark Royal, alongside the Magellan and the cruisers Hawkins and Providence – the four remainders from thirteen – all launched beyond the light and well beyond Zorres. Leaving behind the final remnants of their brethren behind, one of which floated aimlessly passed where the four had just been.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Warp

"There and back again, huh?" Mallet muttered as the Act Zaku's cockpit hatch opened, allowing himself to climb out and back into his mothership's immense hangar space. He and the rest hadn't been out there for long, but still felt like a long age had passed since he had first launched to the present, not helped by the feeling that things had changed somewhat in the interim. Upon closer inspection with his power, Mallet realized that several of his fellow pilots – thankfully none from his squadron – had not returned. Though they were but a few dozen, if that much, to the innumerable other presences aboard the Dolowa, Mallet's senses were keen enough that he could pick them out somewhat, like small pinpricks of emptiness against a great encompassing whole. Strange it certainly felt, but nothing he need concentrate on.

"Commander!" a voice, a different but quite familiar one from before, called out as one particular presence moved toward his.

Mallet would have grinned at the irony, but chose not to as Lilia came into view. Turning to face his protégé (of a sort), Mallet nodded toward her. "Good to see you back Lieutenant," Lilia, Mallet spoke between his physical voice and his more ethereal. "I trust the Feddies were no great challenge to you?" Despite your fighting the Valkyrie of all things.

Lilia nodded in confirmation. "As you said sir, the Earthnoids are no real threat to us," Sayla Mass lives up to her legend, as much as it hurts to admit. "How about you? I understand you fought the White Devil."

"Heh," Mallet laughed a little, recalling the prior fight as though it were already ancient history. "He was no real threat either," Though certainly a challenge, much more so than the average Feddie. "Why Commander Aznable, Admiral Delaz and Admiral Garma all shit themselves when facing him is beyond me."

Well used to her superior's crass language, Lilia again nodded. "I feel much the same toward Commander Gato." Though it's little wonder why he had been beaten so badly.

Indeed, Mallet concurred, feeling much the same as his subordinate. Though their respective opponents had not been so detrimental to them as their reputations otherwise proclaimed, they had certainly been a handful in more ways than one. And though neither Mallet nor Filia could quite understand how or why, they both knew that this would not be the last time they faced either. Nor, for that matter, were the Eagle of Arcturus and the final Project V unit entirely discounted for that matter.

That was all for another day though, as both recognized. The fact of the matter was they, their squadron and the rest of the Dolowas mobile suits, pilots and crew were well on their way. And it would only be a matter of time before they faced additional Feddies, and perhaps that much more, in the future.

"Come on Lieutenant," Mallet finally spoke after a short span of silence. "Let's go meet with the others."

This time smiling in her confirmation, Lilia gleamed brightly – as bright as one such as her could gleam anyway – as she trailed her commander toward Esser Squadron's assigned briefing room.

Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Warp

"Short of the whole of Zeon gunning for Earth again, I can't see how this can get any worse," Sleggar exclaimed as Mirai passed him a mug of much needed coffee, and then took her seat beside him on the same couch. Bright was opposite of them, both he and the XO listening as the thoroughly exhausted CAG continued. "In fact, I don't think we've ever faced something like this before, not even with Garma."

"No, we haven't," Bright frowned as he took a sip of his own coffee, which for the moment he preferred to tea. "With Garma, and Aznable before him, we faced more conventional forces; regular line mobile suits and usual cruiser and battlecruiser types. Now…"

"Now we face the entirety of a battle fleet compressed into one ship," Mirai mused herself, also taking a much needed sip alongside her ex. At this point, coffee was one of the few things keeping her focused and not giving into her apprehension. "Do you think we missed our chance with this?"

Bright immediately knew what she meant. "I'd like to say 'no', but I can't think of anything to justify that answer," he admitted. "When she was in dock, she was inactive and vulnerable."

He glowered as he imagined the space outside his ship, where the enemy was very well in now. "Now she's out there, and she's fully operational," he surmised. "Not only did we fail to even damage her, but we only a short number of her mobile suits were shot down."

"Yeah, she might as well be carrying a full loadout," Sleggar frowned as well. Just as Bright and Mirai were wondering how they would fight that beast with the Ark Royal, he was thinking how he would contend with all those mobile suits, including that new Zaku type – two of which had even given Amuro and Sayla a difficult time from his understanding – with his "mere" forty-eight. The majority of which remained Guncannons. "I don't suppose reinforcements are out of the question at this point."

"More than likely, given how everything is concentrated on Odessa," Mirai added on. "And even then, who would Command send us? The other four Lexingtons? The Birmingham? We could have those alongside a dozen more cruisers and battlecruisers and it still wouldn't be enough to go against that. With or without mobile suits."

Both Bright and Sleggar sighed unanimously at that. Unfortunately the XO was right. It had only taken a small fraction of their target's firepower to destroy nine ships, including two Montana-class battlecruisers, at once. What did they have that could contend against that? Even the Birmingham's dreadnought level firepower would only amount to so much.

"Well either way, we can't let that thing remain for much longer," Bright again surmised, taking a much longer sip from his coffee mug. "For reasons I'm sure we can all understand."

This time Mirai nodded, with Sleggar following thereafter. Like it or not, the hunt was now on. One way or another, they would sink the Dolowa and put an end to Zeon's latest monstrosity once and for all. It was only a matter of "how" they would go about it, which for Bright, Mirai and Sleggar – as accomplished as they were with the rest of the Ark Royal's crew – could not but continue to fathom. As did many others throughout the Ark Royal and the three other ships, all unable to come up with any kind of answer.

It was a collectively harrowing feeling to say the least.

Zeon supercarrier Dolowa
Warp

For the first time since that day nearly two years ago, Lutjins entered and settled into his quarters with utmost solemnity. Compared to Arcturus however, today had been a day of triumph, perhaps even celebration. Not only had the Dolowa at last set sail, but she had entered the war in the grandest way she could, with nine enemy ships already sunk by her guns. Certainly the crew were quite jubilant about all of it, as Lutjins had seen following Captain Lindermann's call to the ship's company, and then his own trek to his quarters. Not simply high morale, the crew of the Dolowa were animate that they had at last entered the war. That, after going on three years since the inception, they could at last fight for their nation and their Emperor.

And fight they would, Lutjins knew all too well, for they had much of it ahead of them. It would take much to isolate Admiral Revil's rallying ground for this coming assault on Odessa that His Majesty, and several others Lutjins suspected, had foreseen. Much of it would require the Dolowa to sail from one part of the sector to another, searching for intelligence and battling the Feddies along the way. Only then would they finally move upon the designated world, where they would undoubtedly face the bulk of the Earth Federation Space Force en masse. It was both a daunting and exhilarating task, one that Lutjins knew that he, and those around him, would see to completion. One way or another, this would be final reckoning for the Earthnoids. This would be where they lost the war.

No, Lutjins found himself correcting as he poured the bottle of Zeon brandy – the same bottle he had possessed at Arcturus – into the waiting glass. This will be but the prelude to their defeat.

With that correction did all too familiar memories and emotions begin to well inside the Vice Admiral. Memories of Arcturus, the outcome of which, even now, should have been otherwise. The image of Earth, so close yet so distant, open and vulnerable to Zeon's grasp. Indeed it would not end until that was all corrected, all vindicated. Even if Revil and the rest of the EFSF perished on whatever world they were gathering around now, Earth would be defeated just yet. Only when Lutjins, or His Majesty Himself, set foot in Dakar to accept complete and unconditional surrender from President Hyran would the Federation at last be brought out of the war. From which the galaxy itself would lay open to conquest, regardless of the other Inner Powers and their piecemeal resistances.

Again so close yet so distant. The destruction of Admiral Revil's combined fleet would certainly bring Lutjins that much closer to Earth, but first he had to find it. And though he knew and those with him would eventually succeed in their mission, it would still take much time and effort. Far more than Lutjins would have otherwise be willing to spend.

Well, as Lutjins ultimately resolved, it was of no matter. Earth would remain where it was, and the Odessa force was the more immediate threat. Though Lutjins had his doubts that the Feddies could, in fact, wrestle Odessa away from Zeon if it ever came down to it, he knew it was better not to take that chance at all. Not only would the loss of Odessa's industrial sector be catastrophic for the Zeon war effort, but such a victory would bolster and solidify Earth's resolve. And once again, of all the Inner Powers out there – including Sanc and Orb – Earth was the only true threat to Zeon, Lutjins understood all too well. Earth was the only one that stood any chance of not only halting the Empire's advance, but beating it back altogether. Very few at Lutjins' rank would be willing to admit such, much less even entertain the possibility, but that didn't matter. Lutjins himself knew the truth, and that was enough.

Thus, raising his glass in an precise mirror of Arcturus, Lutjins granted one final thought toward all that lay ahead of him. The great search, the innumerable battles, the final reckoning with Revil's armada. And, after all of it, Earth itself.

"Sieg Zeon," he murmured as he took the drink.