After guiding Cross to the pilot's change room so he could change into his black and yellow pilot suit and then to the hangar where his MS was, Yorktown made her way to the traffic control center in charge of this side of the base.
A part of her wanted to stay in the hangar and give a few more words of encouragement to Cross. But she knew it was better that she wasn't in the way of the busy engineers who were preparing the machine for a last minute sortie and Cross who needed to be briefed on his Mobile Suit's state.
At least here in the traffic control center, Yorktown could see him off as he rode into battle.
The staff at the very least didn't seem to mind her presence after she explained the reason behind it.
Looking out the viewport, her thoughts drowned out the noise of the staff members who moved about, chattering as they communicated with different units.
It was a rather ironic twist of fate, she mused. That the boy she had always seen as her own little brother was now piloting one of these humanoid weapons that had sunk her two years ago.
She remembers that day clearly. What was meant to be a triumphant assault against the Sirens, turned into perhaps one of the most painful days of her life. The Commander had led them against an old Siren outpost and Yorktown had led a mass production fleet in pursuit of a fleeing Siren convoy.
The Sirens had launched their mobile suits for the first time that day once her fleet had caught up and alongside the Sirens' own fighter element, they had torn through Yorktown's craft and the mass produced ships escorting her.
Once her defenses proved fruitless, the Siren's mobile suits, which were now identified as Jahannam models, brought out bazookas that tore through her hull.
A Kansen rarely ever faced true death. For them, the concepts of a ship given human form, death only came when the source of their existence faltered or was destroyed. Even should they be sunk, as long as a Kansen's wisdom cube was still in relatively recoverable condition, they would not die.
But that didn't make the pain of being brought low any less gruesome. It didn't make the year and a half of wasting away in a bed while both her ship and wisdom cube were being repaired any less agonizing while Enterprise and Hornet continued the fight without her. While Cross made the decision to join the military, further consumed by his anger and loneliness.
She knew couldn't wallow in that despair any longer. The Type II project had not only improved her hull, but it gave her a chance to stand by her family's side again. Yorktown could fight once more. The fighters of Kansen aircraft carriers had vastly improved over the past two years.
The output of their energy weapons and recently invented electromagnetic launchers would make any Siren mobile suit reconsider twice before engaging.
However, it was better for their own MS forces to deal with the Siren's MS'es . Fighters would mainly provide support in such engagements, otherwise they were more preoccupied countering the Sirens own air wing and engaging Siren ships.
And yet despite all of that, here she was, watching again as another person she cared for sally off into danger without her.
The same prayers for a safe return that she had prayed for her sisters before her upgrades were the only thing Yorktown could offer once again, this time for Cross.
It was then that six fighter-like dark blue craft entered her field of view. It was more than likely the ReZels that were to ferry Cross with them to the engagement. She folded her hands against her stomach that was churning whilst she waited.
"He'll be fine." Yorktown spun towards the voice. Clemenceau had entered the room, strutting towards the Union carrier's side while her staff softly tapped against the control center's floor.
"And what makes you say that, Lady Clemenceau?" Yorktown furrowed her brows at the Iris woman.
"He sank a pair of Mark II Bishops during the defense of the Astarte Air Academy." Celemnceau answered smoothly. "And he's credited with downing eight Siren mobile suits so far."
"Nothing in battle is ever certain." Yorktown said, watching the formation of ReZels stop and float in open space whilst they waited for Cross to launch.
"Indeed. But we must have faith and trust in those who fight all the same."
"I know that much, Lady Clemenceau. Better than most I'd say. That does not mean I'm not allowed to worry." Yorktown glanced at the Iris woman out of the corner of her eye. Her reputation and occupation aside, Yorktown had always been wary of the third Richelieu sister, due to that expression Clemenceau always seemed to wear.
It was like the Iris woman only evaluated those around her by their usefulness to any schemes she may be putting together in that maze within her head. It admittedly unnerved Yorktown.
And her uneasiness was only unsettled further by that interaction at the elevator. Yorktown hadn't ever seen Cross so openly vulnerable.
With a stranger no less!
If it had been with someone like Richielieu or even that Jean Bart girl, Yorktown would feel more at ease with the bizarre and sudden bond that had formed. But no. It had to be the Richielieu who earned herself the moniker 'Sanguinary Puppeteer' while quelling the Avarice Rebellion on the Moon.
"So, what brings you here if you don't mind my asking?" Yorktown asked. "I thought you had a meeting with the Cardinal to attend."
"Oh, my sister graciously postponed that meeting when she heard the Commander's little brother would be sortieing into combat for the first time as an official Astral Lane pilot. Commander Jacob and the Cardinal are currently in the Command Center, monitoring the situation, while making sure that other patrols aren't being hounded by the Sirens."
"And you?" Yorktown did her best to not let her growing vexation show. Clemenceau pondered it for a moment before giving Yorktown a cheshire grin.
"Me? I'm simply seeing off my paramour."
The strangled noise that came out of Yorktown elicited a short laugh out of the Tribunal leader.
Before Yorktown could confront or scold Clemenceau for such a strange joke, the words of an air controller got the pair's attention.
"You're clear for launch, Lieutenant Wayline. Beginning countdown. Give'em hell!"
Yorktown found herself wandering closer to the viewport, peering out towards the launch bay that was connected to Hangar 7. A few heartbeats later, a large humanoid machine flung itself out of the large opening and towards the ReZel platoon.
Though its silhouette had similarities to the Jegan models she had gotten used to working alongside, this machine was starkly different in overall design. Its hull seemed to bear bulkier armor compared to the mass production Jegans, with a sizable purple backpack that looked to have a pair of variable swept wings that were currently folded downwards towards the machine's feet.
What struck Yorktown the most, however, was the mobile suit's head. It bore a resemblance to the Zeta Gundam that had become famous for its defense of the outer colonies during the Siren's attempt to once again invade the Earth Sphere following their failure to gain a foothold on the lunar settlements through their cultists.
Underneath the pair of V fins attached to its forehead, the machine had what looked like a pair of green eyes for its sensors that differed drastically from the monoeye system mass production units used. Green eyes that were glowing eerily in Yorktown's direction as if they were looking right at her.
The machine then turned away and began moving over to the waiting ReZel element.
Mounting itself onto the top of the frame of the lead ReZel, the platoon soon boosted off towards the battle.
Yorktown watched as their silhouettes disappeared into the great black, the blue flames trailing behind them from their thrusters dissipating into the void.
"I have faith he'll come back to us in one piece." Clemenceau said, having silently stood at Yorktown's side once more. "The Holy Iris watches over him. For now, would you wish to join me for some tea to help ease our nerves?"
Yorktown eyed the woman warily. "What exactly are you after here?"
"A tale or two to tease my petit mystère with is all." Celmenceau tittered. "If one is to solve such things, they must have as many clues as they can gather, oui?"
Yorktown pursed her lips, her worries over Cross getting involved with this woman growing ever more. But there wasn't any real reason she could see as to why she should refuse.
With a resigned sigh, she made one request. "I'd prefer to have this type of chat over a cup of coffee."
The Iota Gundam was just the codename for the mobile suit project. A prototype mobile suit that was meant to be a decisive ace-use machine, the unit's true designation was the Re-GZ Kai or the Re-GZ Custom.
A mobile suit that was meant to be to all other mobile weapons on the battlefield. And one I recognized from the game Gundam Battle Operations 2, an online pvp game where players fought using Universal Century mobile suits.
It was a solid suit in the game, though there was never much information on it save for it being an upgrade of the base Re-GZ model. The curse of being a variant model.
With its dual eye sensors and with how its general specs were superior in comparison to the ReZel unit I once used, this thing might as well be a Gundam. Nevermind the V-fins attached to its head.
And despite having a waverider mode, it was locked off due to the mega particle cannon that made up the nose of its waverider form not being equipped to its backpack yet. When I asked the chief mechanic about it, he told me the thing hadn't even gone through full testing yet.
Meanwhile, the beam rifle that the Re-GZ Kai was equipped with wasn't the AK model that I was used to seeing in its grip, but it was the same beam machine gun model that the Gerbera Tetra once used.
A bit disappointing given I liked the giant space AK, though beggars couldn't be choosers.
I still needed to make sure the settings for the Re-GZ's fire control system didn't have any type of abnormalities with its connection to the weapon or the other weapon systems like the beam guns mounted on the hips. .
I grimaced, pausing in my inspection of the suit's settings when I felt an invasive burning feeling crawl into my body. A pressure that was a petri dish of fear, adrenaline, and rage was pressing against my head.
"We're coming up on the combat zone!" Looking up from the central monitor, I saw in the distance the source of this uncomfortable perversion invading my bones. Warships that roughly resembled old twentieth century vessels exchanged blows with dark vessels further in the distance, some forty-eight odd klicks out.
Flicking on the computer-generated filter, the black void of space was replaced with a sky-blue hue, making the silhouettes of the dark vessels much easier to make out.
According to the computer, we were only around fifteen kilometers from Friedrich der Große's ship, whose large hull was identified by the mobile suit's computer database; her turrets letting loose large mega particle beams in timely intervals.
Thankfully, she was in a good enough range for the Laser Communication System (LCS) to reliably connect.
Between the high density mix of Minovsky Particles and the Wisdom Waves being emitted by both the Sirens and Kansen ships, using radio signals for things like long range comms had basically been no go ever since the Sirens first appeared more than a decade ago.
So the LCS was about the only reliable system for communication on the battlefield outside of physical contact via a contact link. Even then you needed a clear path to your target with little to no obstructions like clouds or small space debris for the LCS connection to be stable.
Inputting the codes for Friedrich's LCS, I soon managed to connect the lead ship for the patrol fleet. A window popped up on the panoramic monitor with the Iron Blood symbol and the words "VOICE ONLY" underneath.
"Lieutenant Wayline of the 7th Independent Unit to KANSEN Flag, Friedrich. Overload company and I are approaching from your portside, 15 klicks below. Where do you need us?"
"Guten Tag, mein Kind." A heavily German accented voice gently said. "The Siren's MS force has begun overwhelming our own in the coordinates I'm transmitting. The casualties are not heavy, but we're reaching the crescendo of the performance. We do not want them running our melody, hmm? So, go, let loose your hatred and fear, cast our foes into the void, my child!"
I felt a pass of heat rise up to my cheeks. Friedrich was a ship that I worked hard to get since she was a DR ship, so it was surreal to hear her voice actually addressing me as 'her child'.
I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to be getting worked up. "Overload squadron, I'm transmitting the coordinates to your marker systems."
"Received Lieutenant." Overload 1 responded. "Overload company, adjust course now! We're diving headfirst, so watch each other's backs!"
With that the ReZel company banked left, heading for the flank that Friedrich reported to be experiencing the most trouble.
Once we reached around the eight kilometer mark, I had the Re-GZ release its hold on the grips that were installed on the backpack of the ReZel we'd been riding, my foot pressing down on the acceleration pedal to start up the Re-GZ Kai's boosters.
Blue flames propelled the Re-GZ through the black skies, trailing behind the ReZel formation that began unloading bursts of beam rounds from the beam cannon mounted in their shields that were stowed at the bottom of their waverider form.
Soon enough, the Re-GZ's sensors began picking up the Laser IFFs from the Astral Lane suits while the computer began painting any Siren suits it could pick up through its sensors red, with the system identifying a mix of Space Jahannam types and Grimoire models.
Flipping down my helmet's visor, I clicked my tongue at the sight of sixteen red marks up against only six green. At least we were here to even the odds now.
The opening vollies laid down by the Rezels at the very least got the attention of the Siren suits.
In no time flat, I watched as half of the Sirens MS left their positions to intercept us, returning fire with their own beam weaponry.
I jerked the arm rakers around, my feet constantly fluttering against the pedals to manipulate the Re-GZ Kai to spin and boost out of the incoming fire.
The ReZels on the other hand had broken their formation, now maneuvering out in all directions with a few of them exiting out of their Waverider forms to get better mobility.
Once the Siren MS leading the interception, a Space Jahannam, passed the 5 klick mark, the Re-GZ's fire control system fully locked onto it, the crosshairs for the fire control system appearing on the screen.
Quickly sorting through the weapons selection display, I activated the beam cannon mode for the hyper beam sabers that were mounted over the Re-GZ Kai's shoulders.
As I exited my latest quick boost, my thumb pressed down on the button underneath it right as the crosshairs passed over the Jahannam.
Two yellow beams burst forth from the beam canons, one of them landing a hit on the lead Jahannam's torso.
The follow up shot burned through its head.
I felt a small frown form on my lips. I was trying to aim for its chest.
The Sirens wouldn't give me time to pout over how bad my intentional aim was. Two Grimoires were now rushing me, while the other Siren suits split up to pursue the others of Overload squadron.
The machine guns the Grimoires carried began to pour out red bolts of energy that tried to catch me in a crossfire.
I weaved through their fire, my suit cartwheeling through the gravityless void, the vernier thrusters in the Re-GZ's legs aiding in the gymnastic maneuvers.
My heart raced with every spin and the blood pumping in my ears was damn near deafening in comparison to the volley of beams scorched right past my Re-GZ, shaking the cockpit.
Despite the constant shifting in position and perspective, my eyes kept tracking the crosshair on the monitor in front of me, focusing on the pressure from the Grimoire leading the charge. I then began sending my own barrage of beams, switching over to the beam machine gun in the Re-GZ Kai's hand..
After nearly several bursts, three yellow beams hit the Grimoire's leg, sending it spiraling from the force of the blow and loss of one of its limbs as the beams burned its leg apart.
The Grimoire trailing behind it disregarded its wingman, charging forward and coming well within a kilometer with its accuracy improving.
Shifting the Re-GZ, I brought the shield mounted on the suit's left forearm up to block a burst of beams. The scarlet red beams burned against the shields surface, shaking my suit with each blow, but the Anti-Beam Coating did its job given there weren't any burn throughs.
With an exhilarated huff, my hands danced across the console and my foot pushed the acceleration pedal forward. Blue flames pushed the Re-GZ Kai forward, shield leveled and beam rifle returning sprays of yellow beam particles as we pressed forward.
The Grimoire grew in size while we rushed at one another. I shifted my suit left and right, boosting in a skating motion to evade its fire, ignoring the sounds of paint and metal searing off whenever a stray beam scraped against the Re-GZ's shield. However my own accuracy suffered with each shot going too wide or narrowly missing.
Quickly going over the weapons selection display, I switched the controls to manual for the left arm and the beam cannons back to their saber function. The Re-GZ Kai's left manipulator reached back for the large cylinder barrel that was mounted behind its left shoulder.
With the distance between us closed, the Grimoire raised its shield as the Re-GZ unsheathed the hyper beam saber, the large cylindrical barrel unlatching from the backpack and emitting a large yellow blade formed from yellow energy particles.
The hyper beam saber tore through the Grimoire's short shield in a horizontal slash and its reach allowed it to burn through its large head.
I jerked the arm rakers, the Re-GZ Kai responding by kicking the Grimoire away.
Quickly switching back to the beam machine gun gripped in the Re-GZ Kai's right manipulator, I fired at the flying headless suit. Four yellow beams tore into its chest and turned it into a ball of light from the damage..
The warning system then began to blare, alerting me that my machine gun was starting to overheat, but I ignored it momentarily so I could recollect myself.
My shoulders heaved with each breath. I probably should've gotten a bit more sleep on that shuttle before I arrived.
Flipping my visor back up to let the cold air of the cockpit hit my skin, the Re-GZ Kai stowed the beam saber back in its rack and I started to search for any of the ReZels that may need assistance, only to pause when an overwhelming sense of dread came at me.
Looking up and to the right for the source, I watched three humanoid silhouettes breaking away from the fight and towards the fleet, in their wake two destroyed Geara Doga suits. Their flight path was taking them right to the rear of the fleet where two aerospace craft and three mobile suit carriers were.
Gritting my teeth, I flipped my visor down, and pushed down on the Re-GZ Kai's acceleration pedal.
Climbing past the destroyed Geara Dogas and the lingering anguish of their pilots, the Re-GZ Kai began to let loose shots from the beam sabers turned beam cannons mounted over its shoulders, the yellow particle shots reaching the fleeing Jahannams.
Frustratingly, though, those shots only seemed to hit the empty space between them.
Suppressing fire was the best I could do at this range. God I was shit at sniping.
My eyes drifted to the closest carrier that was in the course of the Jahannams, quickly reading the ID that the database had marked it with on the HUD.
Oh.
You had to be fucking kidding me.
Another KANSEN I liked that I worked my ass off to Oath and max out? In this sort of situation?
"Damn it!" I left hand pressed down the voice command key while my right continued the barrage. "Computer, establish an LCS link with the August von Parseval!"
"This is August von Parseval." A calm voice came through under the sound of the Re-GZ's cannons going off. "Speak, lieutenant."
"Three Siren MS broke from the engagement line and are heading for you, ma'am! I'm in pursuit but I'm not sure if I'll be able to intercept them all in time!"
"Unfortunately, my fighters are currently preoccupied escorting my bombers to destroy the enemy's remaining Rooks. And I wouldn't be able to launch enough of my reserves in time to properly intercept them." August said. I felt a tinge of annoyance at the lack of urgency in her voice. "This is an opening I cannot ignore. So, I have little choice but to leave my defense to you and my Laser AA system. I have no intention of going down quietly. But will you allow fate to claim me or defy it? Do show me how you struggle, lieutenant. "
I exhaled a hot breath. Damn it, Aug! Now wasn't the time to be acting haughty. And my annoyance wasn't alleviated by the feeling of amusement coming from her hull, a phenomenon which was something I'd have to find answers for later.
At my current acceleration I'd only catch up to the last Jahannam right as they flanked August's rear and disabled her. The particle shield projectors used by vessels that weren't cruisers could only cover the front half of the ship in a 180 degree bubble.
By the time I took the Jahannams out, she could be dead in the water and be easily picked apart by the Sirens if they had any other forces available to take that opening.
But that scenario could only come to fruition if I kept at my current acceleration.
Hastily, I began going through the operating system, my fingers fluttering across the console's surface to remove the safety limiters on the main thrusters that were placed there to aid in control.
Control, however, was the last thing I needed right now. What I needed was speed.
With a ping the system confirmed the limiter's deactivation.
Pushing the right arm raker forward, I found myself pressed back against the linear seat.
The Re-GZ Kai tore through the black sea, tossing its shield aside to lose the extra weight, its frame shaking from the force that rocketed it forward.
The linear arm of the cockpit seat and the liquid perfluorocarbons managed to keep the g-forces from being unbearable, but it still felt difficult to properly move against the invisible force pressing me down.
Despite that I couldn't help but let out a howl of laughter that was drowned out by the main thrusters, burning us across space with tremendous power. This Re-GZ Kai could really roar!
With only about 5 klicks between them and August's hull, I caught up to the rear Jahannam who only began to turn to face me when the Re-GZ Kai slammed its foot into the Jahannam's stomach. The impact of metal crunching metal crackled louder than thunder
My stomach jumped up into my chest as I was sent lurching forward in my seat, my face nearly slamming into the console only to be caught by a see-through airbag that popped out of said console.
Through the clear material of the airbag I could see the Jahannam I'd kicked float off into the void, disabled from its chest being folded into itself.
As the airbag retracted, I felt a shock pulse through my body and without thinking, I forced the Re-GZ to climb just out of the path of red beams shot by the Jahannam who was in the middle of the pack.
The needed verniers around the Re-GZ's hull put a sudden brake on our upward momentum, and I fired a return volley from the beam machine gun that scored multiple hits, but a majority of the beams were blocked by the Jahannam's shield.
"Argh, fucking asshole!"
Drawing the hyper beam saber from over its shoulder once more with the left manipulator, the Re-GZ Kai rushed the Jahannam who could only shield itself as I had the beam machine gun lay down suppressive fire. It tried to raise its rifle right when we were only an arm's length apart, but by then it was too late.
I cleaved the hyper beam saber through its torso, the Re-GZ Kai's momentum not even stopping when it cleaved the Jahannam in two, flying right past it before it's bisected form was absorbed by the explosion of it's unstable reactor.
Turning off the beam saber, I continued towards the last foe.
The last Jahnnam had pushed onwards, only 2 klicks away from the Iron Blood aerospace carrier.
It was weaving around the bright red lasers from August's AA systems, bombarding August's shields while it tried to maneuver behind her rear, but quickly turned to face me when its last companion fell.
Only two more bursts came from my beam machine gun before a window alert popped up on the monitor, declaring the beam rifle was overheated and thus the rifle's system was automatically activating a limiter.
There was no time to vent my frustrations at the inconvenience. Quickly switching to the vulcans installed in the Re-GZ Kai's head, I continued the suppressive fire with the 60mm shells. The shells that made contact with the enemy bounced off its armor and shield.
All the while I was dodging every which way to avoid getting hit by its returning beam fire. The starry blue sky around me continuously whirled and jerked about with the constant changes in my flight.
The Re-GZ Kai's speed and the evasive maneuvers I was putting it through had allowed me to close in on the Jahannam.
But the Jahannam seemed to know what I was aiming for.
Once the Siren suit became the size of a large building in my view, it tossed its rifle before reaching behind its shield with its right manipulator to draw out a large curved handle that emitted a curved beam form once it was drawn, giving it the shape of an ax.
On instinct, I tossed the beam machine gun at the Jahnnam who batted it aside with its shield and raised its beam ax to hack into the Re-GZ Kai's shoulder.
Quickly reactivating the hyper beam saber, the Re-GZ Kai swung the saber to meet the beam ax, stopping it mid swing in a collision of beam particles. Stray particles bounced off the beams, giving it an appearance similar to sparks flying from colliding metal swords.
Pushing the beam ax away, the Re-GZ quickly reversed backwards to narrowly avoid the Jahannam's follow up swing.
Wasting no time, I went through the weapons selection display and selected the weapons mounted on the Re-GZ Kai's side skirt armors.
Continuing to reverse away from the pursuing Jahannam, our roles were now switched in comparison to only a few moments ago, with the swinging Jahnnam now on the offensive while I waited for an opening and continued to defend against any swings that came too close.
The Jahannam swung wide and the Re-GZ Kai's beam saber met it, the beam weapons locking once more. Seizing the Jahannam's pause in momentum, I fired the beam cannons mounted on the Re-GZ Kai's hips.
The shot from the left hip went wide, but the blue beam from the right traveled right underneath its shield and burned into its lower torso.
The blow must've disrupted the Jahannam's systems, removing any real resistance against my beam saber which pushed the Siren's beam ax aside before I drew the saber back and drove it through the Jahannam's body.
The yellow shaped particle blade penetrated through the Jahannam's chest.
The Jahnnam's red visor flickered twice before it went black and its limbs went limp, the Siren suit ceasing function.
With the engagement's end, labored breaths left my body once more, far more ragged from the strenuous actions I'd taken this time.
I glanced at the sensors of my suit, ensuring there weren't any Siren signals within any dangerous range. Casting another glance around the panoramic monitor to ensure it was clear, I leaned back into my seat and popped my visor back up.
Welcoming the cold air that pushed against my skin, I gulped in the cleaner air of the cockpit with each breath.
"Well done, Lieutenant. That was certainly quite the show" I glanced at the LCS window that had appeared. It was displaying a live video feed now, showing a woman sitting on what was essentially a ceremonial throne in the middle of a command bridge's room.
August looked just as she did in the game. Dark blue-gray hair flowed down her back with her bangs covering her right eye while her left was closed, a haughty expression adorning her enchanting face.
August's alluring figure was draped in black clothing with white highlights that matched the horns that curled downwards alongside her head.
Behind her I could only see the lower half of what was a large mechanical creature, curled around her seat, a distinct mechanical whirl reverberating with each heavy huff it took.
"I aim to please." I said. "Is there anywhere else I need to be?"
"No. The Sirens have begun to pull back after I sunk their last Rook. Peter Strasser's birds along with some of our MS are pursuing their rear as the pests slip away into their little Mist."
I hummed, turning away to search for the beam machine gun that the Jahannam had batted away.
After looking around, I came to the conclusion that it had probably flown far away by now and would continue to do so without anything stopping it. I clicked my tongue after I recalled that I had also thrown my shield aside.
Even if Nagi didn't give me an earful for tossing my equipment again, I was in for a considerable amount of paperwork for losing both of them.
"Lieutenant." Turning back I found my eyes meeting August's dark blue iris.
That burning hot feeling from before when I bumped into Clem shot into my nerves once more.
After flinching like I'd been shocked again, I quickly glanced back to August's video feed when her rigging let out a distressed growl, his master clutching her head with one hand while the other was raised to shoo it away.
"You alright?" I blurted out, concern lacing into my voice.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little…" Her only visible eye looks back at me and immediately her cheeks flush. A sultry smile creeps across her face as she readjusts herself in her seat. "Under the weather is all. Though I admit to feeling a bit appalled by letting you see such a slip up."
"Slip up?"
"Yes. After all, a familiar shouldn't see their mistress in such a state."
I feel my mouth flub a few times at the statement, causing August to raise her white gloved hand to attempt at hiding her giggle.
My cheeks began to fluster at the noise and her provocation. "I don't remember signing any sort of contract that made me your familiar."
"A contract?" August raised her only visible eyebrow. "No, a contract is not what binds you to me. I alone am the chains that shall bind you. Don't ever forget that, my familiar."
But we just met, why are you saying this to me?! Aren't you supposed to be trying to pull this sort of thing to my brother, the dude who's supposed to be something like a casanova?
"This is Friedrich der Große to all Astral Lane elements." A wide broadcast was opened automatically by the LCS system. "Fantastic performance! The Sirens were crushed under the wrath of our melody! Now, begin tending to our wounded and locating our fallen. The fleet shall set a course for Port Sibuyan within three hours. That is all."
"Our scheduled patrol comes to an end with this skirmish, it seems." August hummed after Friedrich's LCS line was cut. "Which means we shall be docked at the port for some time in preparation for the upcoming Operation."
"Operation?"
"Something you'll learn in due time, my familiar." August said. "However, for now you need rest. Once I've finished recovering my crafts, land on my flight deck. Tether your suit and lock it, so you may recuperate within my hull."
I opened my mouth to question what she was on about since I probably should just head to one of the MS carriers, only to quickly shut it when she raised her brow once more. "Oh? Are you going to deny my generosity, my familiar?"
"Can't you at least call me by my name?" I grumbled, moving the Re-GZ Kai over to August's vessel as a flight of aerospace craft began approaching to land on her deck.
"If I called you Wayline, it'd be confusing as some would think I'm speaking of your brother. If I call you Cross, that would imply we're of equal standing." August smirked. "Referring to you as my familiar is far more fitting for all parties involved. And if you're anything like the Commander, I must make sure others know who you're bound to first and foremost. It'll be troublesome if others think they can have you without struggling a bit~."
At that my mind wandered to Clem who had also resonated with my Newtype abilities, wondering how the Tribunal leader would treat the Iron Blood carrier, who would probably try obstructing any attempts at interactions between the two of us if her words were anything to go by.
"It's rude to think about other women in your mistress's presence, familiar."
"Wha- can you hear my thoughts or something?" I asked, startled at the prospect of not even needing to be in physical contact with her like I had been with Clem.
"No. But… I can feel your attention longingly drift towards someone who isn't me." August hummed. "This is certainly a novel experience. I felt it when we first spoke and it's only grown profusely since then. I wonder what else you'll make me feel in your struggle to resist me."
With that, she swatted her hand across the air and the LCS channel closed, the last image from my perspective being her smiling visage.
Exhaling deeply, I watched August land her Iron Blood aerospacecraft. Their forward swept wing designs were starkly different from the more 'western' designs where the aerospacecraft resembled jets like the F-35 or F-22.
And as my adrenaline began to slow and the quiet began to settle in, with the only noise comforting me coming from the Re-GZ Kai's generators and reactor, I slipped off my helmet and turned off the CG filter which returned the familiar darkness of space.
I turned my gaze upwards, taking in the shining lights of distant stars until August finished her aerospacecraft recovery.
If nothing else, this sight of endless light would always be there to help take my mind off the lingering feelings of the dead that plagued the battlefield that began to make its presence known due to the lack of any suitable distractions like fighting for my life or having strange encounters with shipgirls.
I groaned, squirming in my seat while their invasive, cold chill gripped onto my bones. Pain, anguish, and fear from lives cut too short were surrounding me.
I think I'm going to really hate quiet moments like this that come in the aftermath of the fighting. It really reminded me too much of that day.
A/N: Thanks for giving this chapter some of your time, I tried getting it out before June came around but school along with other real life obligations hindered that (as well as putting time into the new Azur Lane event that recently came out), alongside just try to get down the combat scene to a point I was satisfied with. I feel like I could have done better, but better to have something to look back on for improvement than nothing at all, amirite?
So, a tidbit I'd like to note down. I don't think many people notice it, but after the First Neo Zeon war, mobile suits seemed to have a CG feature that filtered out the darkness of space to a more sky-blueish color to probably make identifying suits with darker paint jobs easier. Which to me is pretty damn cool and a shame that it was left out of future works like Unicorn after Char's Counter Attack which I'm pretty sure is the first UC Gundam media to use it. I only really noticed it myself after watching the UC Engage animation where Amuro in the Rick Dijeh fought Char's Sazabi.
Now, for a review response:
Mux621: This take place in an entirely separate timeline away from the Universal Century. Things like Zeon or the Federation aren't gonna make an appearance here. If you're familiar with Azur Lane's story, it's sort of a situation where the Sirens wanted to toy around a bit and grabbed a few people from a UC universe who worked as engineers at Anaheim on CCA/Unicorn era suits and got them into the hands of Astral Lane's research and development section. I don't know if I'll ever really touch on that in the story, maybe a mention or two about how the MS designers mysteriously appeared one day when they needed an equalizer to fight against the Siren's new humanoid weapons, but other than that it'll just be a footnote here.
Also, yes, Australia is suffering. As the mecha lords intended.
That's all for now! Not sure when I'll get the next one out, but hope it won't take too long. Have a wonderful day or night wherever you are in the world!