Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Howl of Destiny
By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure
Debris Belt Ambush
(Connor Residence, Orb Union October 6th, C.E. 73)
As the Minerva continued its pursuit of the Girty Lue, Hundreds of thousands miles away back in Orb, a pair of girls were working out. Flay Allster was on the balance beam, she wore a sleeveless black leotard trimmed in bright pink, a nice contrast with her pale, creamy legs. The redhead did a pair of cartwheels, tucking into a ball before sticking a near perfect dismount. Despite never having been an active competitor, she still treated it like a competition.
Sebastian had retrofitted one entire wing of the house into a gymnasium to practice his blade work. A large mat was set out for sparring, he also bought a full set of gymnastics equipment for his cousin to practice on when she came over to visit. Her routine finished, Flay sat down on the edge of the mat to her watch her companion working on her own routine.
Lacus was also a gymnast, but rhythmic but to Flay's artistic. As ever, she lived up to her name as the "Pink Princess of the PLANTs." She wore a simple long sleeve cotton leotard colored a very pale pink. A pink scrunchie held up her hair in a ponytail. If Yukimasa and Kazuma were there they would have gone blind from so much pinkness. Not to mention even the Storm Wolf himself would have had a seizure at the myriad ways his wife was twisting her lithe body into a pretzel.
She was currently holding a pink rubber ball that had been decorated to look suspiciously like her favorite Haro. She moved across the mat with such a fluid grace, it almost seemed to Flay she was floating, her dainty feet barely making a sound on the mat. Lacus tossed the ball into the air, spun on her toes once before doing a somersault, landing in the splits before deftly catching the ball, holding it in the air. "Ta-da!" the pinkette declared with a flourish, causing the redhead to applaud.
"Looking good as ever, Lacus! It's probably a good thing Sebastian is up in space. He would have had to take two or three showers just to cool off after watching that scorching performance!" Flay gave a playful smile, to which Lacus blushed. The girls grabbed their water bottles, sitting down in front of the large picture window that overlooked the highlands of Orb.
Soft azure eyes looked up to the equally blue sky. Flay put a comforting arm around Lacus, "You miss him don't you?" She whispered. Long pink hair bobbed slightly as she nodded. "I know…I miss him too. Kira's gone as well. It seems Sebastian wanted him and Freedom on standby for some reason. It gets lonely around here." Flay inched closer, "All the more reason for us girls to stick together, right?"
"You have a point, but I'll feel better when he's back." Lacus said, going back to looking up at the sky, "Sebastian…" she whispered in a small voice, holding onto Flay's hands tighter as the two girls looked to the heavens where the men they loved were currently embroiled in a frenzied chase, not knowing of the greater threat lurking in the shadows.
(Minerva, Crew Lounge)
A general calm had fallen over the room. Cagalli had woken up from her nap and was reading a book. Kazuma was sitting next to her, holding her hand. The Storm Wolf was in deep meditation, Fenrir lying across his lap. Sebastian's eyes snapped open as a single word escaped his lips. "Lacus…" He looked around the room, almost expecting to see his beloved angel standing there. He wouldn't have minded seeing her calming smile.
Cagalli looked up from her book when she noticed her fellow noble's odd behavior. "Is something wrong, Sebastian?" She asked.
"Oh, uh…no Cagalli. I'm fine. I'm probably just hearing things." He said. For a few seconds, he was absolutely certain he heard his wife's voice, as delicate as the first breeze of spring. He blinked a few times, shrugging it off. The communication panel on the wall began beeping. "Something we can help you with, Talia?" He asked.
"General Connor, we have a transmission coming in from a Captain Natarle Badigurel on the Amatarasu. She's asking for you." Talia said. That got everyone's attention.
Sebastian immediately went all business "Patch it through down here at once, Captain Gladys. Thank you for notifying me." He was rewarded with the voice of Natarle Badigurel, the woman who served as the commander of the ONS Amatarasu, his personal Izumo-class vessel. Despite a less than auspicious start to their relationship the Storm Wolf had grown to trust Natarle with this command, few others would have sufficed.
"This is Amatarasu-Actual, do you copy, Storm Wolf Actual?" Natarle's clipped voice came through. It gave the three Orb nobles a sense of relief. She was anything if efficient. The joke among the Orb Defense Forces was that she was so precise you could set a watch by it.
"We read you loud and clear, Amatarasu-Actual. It's good to hear your voice Captain Badigurel. What's the news?" Sebastian asked.
"We contacted Armory One, they informed us about the attack on the colony." Natarle replied, a certain sense of dread in her voice. "It looks like your prediction was right on the mark, Sebastian."
"Yeah…it was one of the few times I actually hoped I was wrong." The Storm Wolf said. Kazuma just patted him on the shoulder.
Natarle shook it off, resuming her usual professionalism. "The ZAFT commanders at Armory One said you had embarked on the Minerva to try and stop the Earth Alliance once they made off with the prototypes. Perhaps we can offer some assistance?" The three needed no words. They looked to each other with wide grins and nods of acknowledgment.
"That is a big affirmative, Captain!" Sebastian said, "The Earth Forces have three of ZAFT's new prototype mobile suits and there's no telling what other tricks they might have up our sleeve. We're using some borrowed mass production units, but all of us will feel better once we have our Gundams. Not to mention having our ultimate insurance policy present will certainly make them think twice. How far out are you?"
"ETA is about 12 hours, but if we push it, we can be there in about 9. Can you last that long?" Natarle asked.
"I think we can manage just fine, Captain. Don't rush on our account." Cagalli said.
"Understood loud and clear, Lady Cagalli, Amatarasu-Actual out."
(Minerva, Meyrin's Quarters)
The younger of the Hawke sisters was in her room. Her hair was free of their usual pigtails as she was brushing it. A knocking came at the door. She floated over to the door, opening to reveal Yukimasa's grinning face. "Oh…h-hello Daisuke. How are you?" She asked, immediately starting to blush.
"I am just fine. How's my shy little rabbit doing?" He asked, stroking her cheek. Meyrin's skin was so soft. It made him wonder what kind of lotion she used.
"I'm fine." She squeaked. It seems the "Rabbit" nickname was now going to be a permanent thing. Lunamaria had certainly thought it was cute. Even Meyrin herself quietly enjoyed it. She hadn't expected to become so close to the red-eyed engineer, but he was one of the smartest guys she had ever met. He had entranced her with his many theories and ideas. She had even thrown in a few suggestions.
He had just grinned wider, saying not only was she beautiful, but smart too, just what he wanted in a girl. Meyrin was certain she was blushing so hard it could be seen from anywhere in the Earth Sphere. Lunamaria had always been the popular girl growing up, which had suited Meyrin just fine. She preferred being in the background. But Yukimasa had been so good to her. She had liked the attention.
"So you wanted to see me about something, Mey? Or did you just want to see my shining face?" He flashed his trademark grin, causing her to start giggling.
"Actually, yes I did. I was wondering about General Connor and his people. Luna said you seemed awfully familiar with them when they arrived at Armory One. Is there something you're not telling me?" She asked, batting her soft purplish-blue eyes.
"All right my little bunny, I suppose if anyone has earned the right to know, it's you." Yukimasa said in a serious voice. "The truth is…I know the Storm Wolf and his entourage because I am an Orb native myself. I went to school with both Commodore Attha and Colonel Sasaki when were kids. Plus, I also served in the Orb Defense Forces during the last war, and was at Jachin Due."
Meyrin gasped in triumph. "I thought so! Sometimes when you'd talk, your voice would slip into an accent I didn't recognize. Once I heard Commodore Attha speak, I noticed it sounded very similar!"
Yukimasa leaned in close, "You're quite smart to make that deduction, Meyrin. It's what I like about you so much. I will ask you to keep that little piece of info to yourself for right now. I know you must have many questions about what I went through, but I'm not really at liberty to speak about it right now…" He paused for a moment "There are a lot of bad memories. Maybe once we've settled this whole mess with the prototypes, I'll tell you everything. Okay?"
She blushed again, nodding her head. "Okay, but I'll expect the full story, promise?" Meyrin said, holding out her hand.
"I am a man of my word, Private Hawke. We make save port, I'll tell you whatever you want to know." He said, shaking hard, finishing with a light kiss to her hand.
(Girty Lue, Bridge)
Neo Roanoke was in a foul mood over the last few days. Ever since the raid on Armory One, the new ZAFT ship had pursued them, and it was only thanks to their Mirage Colloid cloaking device that kept them from being detected. The Girty Lue-class was a battlecruiser, and had plenty of firepower at its disposal. It was made for special covert operations, to sneak around in the shadows. Not to slug it out with enemy ships. That was meant for the likes of the Archangel-class.
Despite the stigma attached to the name of the first ship of the class, it was well established his superiors at Heaven's Base would love nothing more than to have that particular irritation dealt with, Earth Alliance Headquarters determined that having the firepower of a few "legged ships" was beyond useful. Three brand new ships were being built at the Azrachel Base on the moon. If ZAFT produced any more of those new ships, the Archangels would certainly be needed.
But all of that was minor in scope to what was currently occupying the masked man's thoughts. He was thinking about his last fight. The green ZAKU Phantom had proven to be a far more capable opponent than he had expected, given the damage done to his Exus. Neo's hand came down to his blade; his thumb idly flicked his sword in and out of the sheath, as he often did when he was contemplating something.
Since being promoted to command of the elite unit for better part of a year and a half ago, he had done what he was told; carrying out the missions assigned to him without fail, but it had always left him with a dry feeling, like there was no challenge. The pilot of that machine had shown a large degree of skill, unlike the many other hapless pilots he had cut down. It had been a rush Neo hadn't felt in a very long time.
"I have to know who he is!" He suddenly spoke, causing everyone on the bridge to stare at him suddenly. "I have to know who the pilot of that mobile suit was."
"Are you all right, sir?" Ian asked nervously. Despite having great respect for his CO, there were times when he wouldn't want to get on his bad side.
"It's nothing, Captain. I'm just thinking out loud." Neo said. He frowned. "But still…we've got to do something about that new ZAFT ship that's been tailing us. There's no way we can get back to the Moon if it's following us." Neo's lips twisted into a thin smirk, "Perhaps it's prudent to…deal with the situation?"
"I take it you're talking about setting up an ambush?" Lee asked. To which the black uniformed soldier nodded. "We are heading into the Debris Belt, no better place."
"Indeed, tell Commander Morris to have the Headhunters on standby. Make sure the Extended are ready as well." Neo said. "In fact…prep my Exus as well. I'm leading this assault personally." And perhaps the pilot of that ZAKU will appear and we can finish our fight from Armory One. He silently finished in his head, continuing to flick his blade in and out of the sheath.
(PSV Minerva, October 7th, C.E. 73, Debris Belt) `
"Captain Gladys, as a precautionary measure… Let's move the ship's status to Combat Alert Level Two…Something doesn't feel right to me." Sebastian said.
"It doesn't feel right to me either," Talia said, her gaze now on the starscape as well. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
The Storm Wolf smirked, "I see you're combat sense is pinging as well. We haven't seen or heard from Bogey One since we started this little hunt. They know we're on to them, and they're going to want to be sure to shake us of the trail before making a break for their lunar base. I think they're going to try and stage an ambush somewhere here in the junk pile. Even if they don't finish us off, it will at least be able to slow us down so they can escape."
"What makes you say that, General?" Trine said, looking very panicked at the thought of combat again.
The Storm Wolf rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Because it's what Admiral Russo or I would do." He said with a slight edge to his voice. It seemed every time he had made a suggestion. Trine would look at him like he was absolutely out of his mind. There was such a thing as acting by the book and then just plain clueless.
Still, Talia had enough sense to trust his judgment. "Very well, General Connor, I'll have all of our pilots geared up for action at a moment's notice. I take it you and your associates will be launching as well?" She asked. As she expected, Sebastian nodded. "Well, according to Lieutenant Sanada, the ZAKUs you used earlier are all maintained. You can use those if you want."
"Thank you, Captain Gladys. Hopefully we can beat this ambush and get those mobile suits back." Sebastian ran his hand through his hair, tugging at the collar of his leather jacket. I won't bother you anymore. I'll let you do your job and I'll do mine." Sebastian turned to leave the bridge, before Talia put on his shoulder.
"One last thing…Please be careful out there, Sebastian." Talia said. "I'm certain Lacus would want to see you come home in one piece."
He threw a smile over his shoulder. A deep grin that wouldn't have been out of place on the canine his moniker wad derived from. In many ways it was just as much a part of his personality as Fenrir was. "Don't I know it, Talia. My wife is the whole reason I continue to do this job. I have to stay alive for her sake." The Storm Wolf quipped, before leaving the bridge.
Talia sat down in her chair, a certain uneasiness forming in her gut knowing of what was to come. But still, she knew what had to be done. She keyed the intercom, "This is the Captain, we are moving to Combat Alert Level Two. All hands to full readiness."
(Asuka Quarters)
Shinn was lying on his bunk. Now that he had some time to relax, he was reflecting on his first encounter with Sebastian. The image of those blue eyes was forever burned into his mind. Even though Mayu was always quick to scold him for his constant dismissal of authority, the Storm Wolf's presence had sent a stab of fear into him.
At one point he saw Daisuke leading them on a tour of the ship, his insides burned when he heard Cagalli talk about the need of more power and how it could get out of control. Shinn almost had almost spoken in his mind in his usual charming manner, when he saw the Storm Wolf look right at him. It was even more intimidating in person than when they had been in their mobile suits.
A part of Shinn cursed himself for being so weak, but at the same time the young Gundam pilot had found himself in awe at the Storm Wolf's commanding aura. Sebastian had immediately stepped in and took charge of the situation. He couldn't have imagined anyone else managing such a feat. It was then the door opened, admitting his little sister. He brightened a little. At the end of the day, he could always count on Mayu to be there for him.
"Hey little sister." Did you just get off your shift?" Shinn asked. Mayu took off her uniform jacket before giving her brother a hug.
"Yeah, Abby relieved me." Mayu said, flipping her dark hair back before taking a seat on her bunk. "I think you might interested in knowing this. I was on the bridge when General Connor appeared and began talking with Captain Gladys. He thinks the Earth Alliance may be planning an ambush for us in the Debris Belt."
That got Shinn's attention. "On what grounds?" He asked.
"He said because it's what he would do if he wanted to throw off any pursuers. The General was the one who suggested we move up to Level Two Battle Stations. So you may be launch here before too long." Mayu said, worry coloring her voice. Shinn sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Mayu. I swore I'd never let anything happen to you after Orb. This is no different. I'm going to go out there and make those guys pay."
The younger Asuka sibling smiled, cuddling against her brother. "Thanks bro. I know you'll always prevail. But there is one thing I want you to do…" She gave a little smile. "I want you to apologize to Lady Cagalli for what you said back at Armory One." Shinn's face twisted in disgust, but Mayu wasn't about to let him off so easily. "It's only fair, Shinn! She and General Connor saved my life, so you can at least be grateful to her for that."
He snorted, "Fine…for you, but only because of that. It doesn't mean I have to like it." Shinn stood up, "I should get to the ready room. If we are heading into combat, then it's a good idea for me to be suited up, right?" Mayu threw her arms around Shinn, making him feel slightly better.
"I'll be thinking of you, go get them!" She said.
(October 8th, C.E. 73, EAS Girty Lue, Bridge)
Neo Roanoke surveyed the scene in front of him. The ship had taken a position on the leading edge of the Debris Belt. To save energy and not waste precious Mirage Colloid particles, they were currently powered down, for all intents and purposes looking like an adrift wreck. He turned to where Ian and Daniel were viewing at the master situation display, currently showing a map of the immediate area.
"This will be the perfect place to set up our trap. Commander Morris, your team will be set up at these three positions." He indicated to three marked locations on the map. "I will be in my Exus, and lead the Extended in a direct attack on the ZAFT vessel's mobile suits. You see a chance to take one of them out, take it."
"What do you want to do about the ship?" Daniel asked. The masked man's thin lips gave its usual arrogant smirk.
"Once they've gotten far enough past us, the Girty Lue will power up its engines and sweep around to hit it from behind with its Gottfrieds." He rested his chin on his gloved hand. "Ideally, we can wipe them out completely. If not, we'll just have to cause them to pause so we can escape." His voice dropped an octave, "Although I wouldn't mind having a challenge this time."
The door slid open, the entire bridge became much quieter at the person who strode into the room. Her long red hair tied in a low ponytail, a stark contrast to her eyes, colored the deepest shade of icy blue. Few would dare cross this woman, or the unit she commanded. Neo gave a slight bow to his guest. "Ah, welcome to the bridge, Colonel Willet. I was wondering if you were going to ever come out of your quarters." He spoke.
Colonel Karen Willet, commander of the Atlantic Federation Special Air Service 22nd Regiment, Third Covert Tactical Assault Team, codenamed "Frighteners", just folded her arms. "I was getting rather bored looking at the four walls." Her eyes scanned over the display, "Planning a little ambush are we? Do you need me to deploy in Reaver?"
Neo just gave a gracious smile, "I assure you we have this taken care of, Colonel. But if you want to lend a hand, perhaps you can take charge here? If in the event this plan doesn't work out the way I want it to, we'll no doubt have to go up against the new ZAFT ship again. In which case, having your mobile suit handy could very well be the difference maker."
Willet just shrugged. "Fair enough." She said, exiting the bridge just as she entered. The entire bridge crew let out the breath they had been collectively holding in.
"Why did you invite her along for this mission, Captain?" Ian asked. He remembered when Willet had boarded the ship back on the Moon. Just a single gaze into her eyes had given him a chilling sensation all over. "I know her unit specializes in covert assignments like this, but I've heard some rather disturbing reports about what the Frighteners do off the books."
"As have I, Ian." Neo replied. "It's precisely the reason I asked her to accompany us…she is very good at her job, and her mobile suit is one of the most powerful weapons currently in the entire Earth Alliance arsenal. Willet and Reaver are my insurance policy against any unexpected surprises that ZAFT may have up their sleeve. Trust me on this, Ian. She will be useful for what's to come."
(PSV Minerva, Hangar)
Lunamaria was just a little nervous as she gave one final check of her ZAKU. Since learning that the Earth Alliance could be lying in wait, the tension on the ship had been high. She was in full flight gear sans helmet. Across the way, both Juliana and Rey were in similar readiness, checking their own mobile suits. Shinn strolled into the hangar, helmet clenched in hand. She waved to him.
"Hi Luna. You ready for this?" He asked. "It's going to be our first real sortie since Armory One."
"Yeah, I'm ready. Nervous, but I am ready…Uh, question. Are General Connor and his people joining us for this?" Luna asked. Her question was answered by the people in question coming through the same door Shinn just did, also in ZAFT flight suits. Cagalli and Kazuma were both in green, neither of them was expecting to see Yukimasa wearing elite red, and the sight of Sebastian in commander's white was the biggest surprise of all.
"Wow…General Connor does wear that flightsuit good. He looks good in white." Luna gave an appreciative eye to the Storm Wolf. Shinn said nothing, boldly walking up to the three Orb nobles. "What are you doing Shinn?" She reached out to try and stop him. But Shinn stopped her.
"It's all right. I need to do this." He said. Shinn walked in front of them. To their surprise, he snapped to attention, offering his best salute. "Commodore Athha…I'd like to apologize to you for my actions a few days ago. I said some unflattering things about your…our homeland." He choked back at those last words. "Let me be clear…I'm still not a big fan of your father's policies during the war. But since you did save my younger sister at the colony, I guess it's the least I can do."
He turned to leave when a hand rested on his shoulder. Malachite eyes met ruby, neither of them said a word for a few seconds. Kazuma and Sebastian just watched stoically. Across the way, Luna's hands wrenched. Cagalli gave a slight smile and a nod of acknowledgement, "Apology accepted, Lieutenant. Thank you."
Shinn just snorted, shaking his head. "No ma'am…you can thank my sister. She's the reasonable one in our family. Now if you excuse me, I need to mount up." He said before heading to the hangar where the Core Splendor was waiting for him. Since everyone's eyes were still on his retreating back, none of them saw the Storm Wolf's lip twitch upward into a smirk. Perhaps there was still hope for the kid after all.
Yukimasa looked equally relieved. "Heh, I thought it was going to get ugly there for a second. Shinn's not exactly well known for his tact. Plus his revulsion for his former homeland is well known. I'm not sure if I should be overjoyed by this, or afraid that this is a sign of the apocalypse and we're all about to die."
Long used to his fellow noble's jokes. Kazuma just rolled his eyes, "You have a warped sense of humor, Masa." He quipped, before his eyes flickered to the GOUF, "At least you repainted the mobile suit. No more orange void to give me a headache…" Indeed, the high mobility machine was now in Yukimasa's personal colors, mostly black, trimmed in crimson red and gold.
"Huh?" the other two asked, having not been present for earlier.
"It's an inside joke between Kazuma and myself, don't worry about it." Yukimasa said. "Let's get out there and bust some heads. How about we show the Earth Alliance what we think of their little ambush?"
"Now you're starting to make sense!" Kazuma said. It didn't take long for everyone to board their mobile suits, and began launching into the void, and this time the Orb trio was properly outfitted. No surprise the Storm Wolf had taken the Slash Wizard Pack, making sure to include a spare beam rifle. Cagalli had gone for the Blaze pack, and Kazuma rounded it out by taking the Gunner. Yukimasa's GOUF Ignited was bringing up the rear.
Sebastian finally had the chance to observe the Impulse's various components launch from their special catapult and assemble in midflight, choosing the Force Silhouette pack, taking on the strident blue and red that reminded him of the Strike. "Interesting concept, although I have to wonder about the structural integrity from being assembled out of so many pieces."
"Storm Wolf Actual, this is Minerva Actual, please respond." Talia's voice came through.
"This is Storm Wolf Actual, read you loud and clear, Minerva Actual." Sebastian asked. "What is it, Talia?"
"Where do you think they are, General? If this is the ambush you say it is, how are they arranged?" She asked. Blue eyes began quickly scanning his surroundings.
"The three snipers are probably in the debris, hoping to catch us in a crossfire. The mobile armor and the stolen Gundams will try to engage us directly before coming after the ship itself. The enemy carrier is either under Mirage Colloid or pretending to be space garbage. Minerva Actual, I'm going to paint some possible targets. Lock your missiles on those positions, and maybe we can flush them out."
"Roger that, Storm Wolf Actual. Targeting data received, waiting for your command."
"On my signal…unleash hell!" Sebastian said. "For right now, let's just continue in, let them think they have the advantage."
(Debris Belt)
All of Phantom Pain was lying in wait within the shattered hulks and detritus of the field. The entire squad was prepped and waiting for the ambush to come. Neo sat in his black Exus as it hovered within the remains of a blown out Agamemnon. His gloved fingers were currently folded in front of him. Everything was just a waiting game from here.
The Girty Lue was still doing its best impression of space junk, waiting for the moment the Minerva came into view. Willet was currently occupying Neo's seat on the bridge. The Englishwoman wasn't the type to usually command from the rear, but Neo had wanted to keep her presence a secret as long as possible. So she was relegated to watching from a far. Delicately manicured fingers impatiently tapped on the armrest. She may have to be on the sidelines this time. It would be much different on the next go around.
It was then the laser designator started going off. "Colonel, the ZAFT ship is inbound!" The sensor officer began. "And their mobile suits are already deployed! The Gundam, Six ZAKUs, and another mobile suit that's not in the catalog!"
"Notify Captain Roanoke, tell them to get ready to attack." Willet said.
"Phantom Pain Actual, this is Headhunter 1-1. We have a report from Colonel Willet! The enemy vessel is in our sights. We're ready to take the shot." Morris reported.
"Roger that Headhunter 1-1, have your men take aim and wait for my signal." Neo said, anticipation dancing on the edge of his voice before addressing the Extended. "Phantom Pain Actual to Bravo Team, We advance as soon as the first shot is fired and not a minute sooner is that under stood?"
"Yes sir!" The voices of all three modified pilots responded at once.
The three snipers of Headhunter Team made final preparations to their weapons, preparing for the thrill of the hunt. Gavin was about to heft his rifle when it slipped in his Dagger's hands. A quick readjustment kept him from losing his grip. But it had been just enough for the light of the sun to reflect off the lens of his scope, which the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due's sharp vision caught just as he was looking in his direction.
Sebastian immediately noted the position, before opening a coded channel to Talia. "Storm Wolf Actual to Minerva Actual. I think I have a possible sniper. I think I can guess where the other two snipers are as well. I'm painting possible targets now. Arm all missiles and stand by for my signal." A pair of clicks was the only reply he received. Talia understood the need for secrecy.
He then opened an encoded channel to the rest of his team. "All units, we have snipers in the debris, so keep alert. Just continue proceeding. Let them think we don't know where they are." He said, taking note of the shattered debris he had seen the slight glint earlier. "Minerva Actual, prepare to fire missiles on designated locations. Let's light these bastards up!"
"Waiting on your order, General." Talia's smooth voice came in. The Storm Wolf smirked when he sensed a certain satisfaction when she spoke. It seemed Talia was eager for this as well, even if she kept it hidden behind the mask of a captain. His eyes were on his ZAKU's screen, watching for the right moment. The indicator turned green. "Hit it!"
"Neidharts, fire!" Talia barked, three clusters of missiles launched from the Vertical Launch System, raining down on the debris, all three of the Headhunters barely were able to escape being blown to bits.
"We got them!" Sebastian said, "All units engage! Minerva Actual, give them another barrage!"
On the Girty Lue, Willet was completely floored at their ambush being reversed on them. "How in the bloody hell know we were here?" Willet asked. "Girty Lue to Phantom Pain Actual, we've been made! They knew we were waiting for us!"
"Damn it, we have no choice then!" Neo snapped, "All units engage! Colonel Willet, bring the ship back up to full power, prepare to engage the ZAFT vessel. Commander Morris, you and the rest of your squad provide covering fire for me and Bravo Team! Sting, Stellar, Auel, prepare to engage the ZAKUs and the Gundam!" He gunned the engines of the mobile armor, revealing himself.
"Enemy sighted! It's the mobile armor and the stolen Gundams! Let's do this people!" Sebastian said. Blue eyes narrowed as the sleek black form hurtled toward him. "Okay pal, round two!" He raised his beam rifle and opened fire. The Exus responded with its twin linear cannons. Again, the Black Comet was making full use of the mobile armor's greater agility against the ZAKU.
It was only thanks to his years of skill and experience that Sebastian was able to keep up with his foe. The wired beam cannons began reeling out, opening fire. His ZAKU Phantom turned slightly to the left, taking a barrage on the starboard shield; he opened fire with his own beam rifle. But Neo was quicker on the stick. One of the gunbarrels whipped around suddenly. The beam cutter flashed to life, aiming to bisect the mobile suit.
In a single motion the Storm Wolf whipped out one of the ZR30F fragmentation grenades, flinging it at the gunbarrel. To avoid losing the remote weapon pod, Neo frantically squeezed off rounds, detonating the explosive early. He then jerked the stick to the right, to avoid getting hit by the rifle.
"You really are good aren't you? Perhaps…you could finally be the one I've sought?" The Black Comet remarked, a thin smile beginning to form on his face. His opinion of his foe growing with each passing second, this was becoming a much more interesting fight than he initially thought.
Sebastian wasn't finding the fight to be so fun. He rapidly began issuing orders to the others. "Lieutenant Za Burrel, take your squadmates…deal with those snipers! Kazuma, Yukimasa, Cagalli, take care of the Gundams! I've got the mobile armor! This guy and I have a score to settle!" He put the beam rifle away, pulling out a brand new beam axe. "Be lucky I don't have my usual armaments on me, pal." He began spinning it rapidly, "But this will do for now!"
(Debris Belt)
In another part of the junk field, Shinn was leading his teammates in fighting against the Headhunters. Having gotten their first taste of combat at Armory One, the four redcoats were eager for more. They had only begun to test the limits of their training, and it was time to get some real results. Daniel Morris and his two wingmen were going to be the first step in this process.
The Impulse and the three ZAKUs approached in formation, with Rey acting as de facto squad commander. "Shinn, take point and engage the flight leader. Luna, I want you to hang back and provide long-range cover fire, give those guys a taste of their own medicine! Juliana, you and I will try to keep those wingmen at bay. Watch yourselves everyone." The formation broke.
Shinn was true to form, rushing straight at Morris, hoping to keep him from using his sniper rifle. The sniper remained calm, swapping out for his normal beam rifle. "Whoever this pilot is, he's clearly not too smart." Morris smirked, opening fire. The Gundam ducked to the right, responding with his own weapon. Morris raised his shield, letting the rounds dissipate. He looked unperturbed by the Impulse looming in.
"You're mine!" Shinn grinned in anticipation, igniting a beam saber, hoping to end it in one swing. The glowing blade came down, only to be met by another saber. "What? How did he do that?" Shinn gaped. He been so focused on cutting his foe in half, he hadn't seen Morris palm a beam saber, ditching the rifle to ignite it. The saber spun in a glowing arc, slashing through the top of Impulse's hastily raised beam shield.
The red-eyed pilot was frozen at the sight of the melted slag running along the edge. If he hadn't raised it at the time he did. The saber would have sliced him right in half. "If your only tactic is to blindly rush your opponent, I don't think you're going to last long on the battlefield!" Morris sneered. The Dagger's metallic fist wound up, slugging the Gundam in the face.
"Damn it!" Shinn cursed, igniting the Force Silhoutte's thrusters, trying to put some distance between them. "Okay…definitely not doing that again!" He said, opening fire with his beam rifle. "You're not going to beat me here! I'm going to survive this!"
Many would have remarked of how cliché it was for Cagalli and Kazuma to be back to back with each other as they fought Sting as the others, but this guaranteed no one could get behind them for a fatal shot. Cagalli raised her beam rifle, squeezing off a few rounds at the Gaia. Stellar quickly jerked her stolen machine to the left, just barely getting grazed along the left hip.
"Sheesh, whoever these guys are, they're not ordinary pilots!" Cagalli said, wincing at a near miss from the Gaia's beam cannons.
"I know! These guys sure don't fight like Naturals!" Yukimasa remarked, the GOUF's fingertip barrels rapidly spitting out quick little bursts at the Chaos, trying to avoid getting hit by the remote pods.
Kazuma barely dodged a pair of plasma bursts from the Abyss's Baelana Kais. "If anything else, they fight just like the guys from the last war!" That was the moment a light went off in the Sasaki heir's head. "Because they DO fight like the guys from the last war! Cagalli, these guys are BCPUS! It's why they've been able to keep up with this like this!"
"Are you sure?" The blonde princess replied, firing back while hurling out a pair of fragmentation grenades.
"It has to be!" Kazuma said, firing off a shot from the heavy Orthros he was carrying. Only to watch as the Abyss nimbly evade and fire the plasma cannons again. The two bolts collided producing a massive explosion. "We need to knock these guys out and right now!"
The GOUF pulled out the Tempest beam sword, clashing against the Chaos's Vajra beam saber. Yukimasa was starting to get annoyed. "While I'm overjoyed to know the weapon systems on my creations work, I'd prefer if I wasn't the test subject!" He slashed upwards, managing to leave a long gouge mark on the Chaos's shoulder. He then got struck with an idea. "Cagalli, Kazu, what are you carrying in the way of grenades?"
"I've got a flashbang and a smoke grenade. I used both of my frags." Cagalli said.
"I've got two flashbangs and two frags." Kazuma said. "You got an idea Masa?"
"I just might." He replied. "I've got a little trick up my metallic sleeves. If this works we can knock out all three of them. When I tell you guys, hurl your flashes. We're going to use them as a distraction." The youngest Sahaku sibling's lips twisted into a sinister grin. "Even Phase Shift Armor can't protect against what the GOUF has! Let's just say it's going to be a real shocker!"
The two trios regrouped. The Extended were confident they could take on these three supposed upstarts. It was time for a final showdown. But they weren't counting on the ingenuity of Yukimasa Ikari Sahaku. His red eyes were unblinking, as the Extended prepared their next assault. "Just wait for my signal, guys. Keep it nice and steady." He said. "Wait for it…Wait for it…NOW!"
Three small dark green canisters quietly spiraled in the void of space, before producing a massive flash. The Extended's monitors all lit up. Because of the light, none of the trio saw a pair of thin, flexible tubes cut through the light, latching itself onto the Chaos and Gaia. "Lights out!" Yukimasa declared, a massive electrical surge ran along the whips. Shutting down the Gundams.
"You bastard!" Auel yelled, ready to fight, but the GOUF just turned, the monoeye sensor gleamed ominously. Next thing he knew, the tubes shot out from the under the wrists. There was a flicker, and the entire cockpit went dark.
"Nice job, you guys!" Kazuma said, "They won't be hurting anyone else for a while. I wonder how the others are doing."
"Why don't the two of you go check on Shinn and the other kids? My machine is faster, I'm certain Sebastian would welcome the assistance against that mobile armor." Yukimasa said. "Stay alive you guys."
"Same to you, Masa." Cagalli said. The three machines parted, heading for other corners of the battlefield.
(Girty Lue, Bridge)
Willet reasoned one good thing about being in the command center was having a view of the entire battlefield. She noted with dismay that the stolen prototypes had been defeated by a pair of ZAKUs and a mobile suit she hadn't seen before. "Recover the Extended at our first opportunity. We just got them and I don't want ZAFT to get them back."
"Yes ma'am!" the mobile operations officer said.
"Frightener Actual this is Headhunter 1-1. Colonel Willet do you copy?" Morris's voice came in.
"This is Frightener Actual, read you loud and clear, Commander Morris. Need some assistance?"
"This Gundam and his ZAKU buddies are better than we thought they were. They could become a threat down the line and I want to make sure we take care of this problem here and now. Load up the VLS and prep the CIWS. We're going to shred them into ribbons!"
Willet nodded in understanding, "Understood, Headhunter 1-1, we'll be prepared." She turned to the tactical officer. "Load all missile tubes and prep the Igelstellungs. We're going to pop them off on Commander Morris's command." There was a slight hitch of disappointment in her voice, while she understood the practicality of disposing of your opponents as quickly as possible. She was hoping Shinn and his friends would survive. Worthy opponents were hard to find after all.
(Debris Belt)
The Headhunters weren't the type to get into a straight up fight. So they had fallen back on tried and true tactics, taking to hiding in the debris, running from one wreck to the other. Morris's intention was to lure the Impulse and its cohorts into the range of the Girty Lue's missiles and anti-air batteries. Given Shinn's hotheaded demeanor, it wasn't hard.
"Come back here and fight you cowards!" He raged.
"Shinn, you're getting too far out! Stay back with the formation!" Rey sighed in frustration, despite considering Shinn to be one of his closest friends, there were times when he wondered why the former Orb native hadn't been drummed out long ago. The blonde haired pilot was starting to get a very unpleasant feeling, in his gut. He had heard the stories of veteran pilots developing a sixth sense about impending danger; perhaps this was his own nascent instincts flaring to life?
"Juliana, Lunamaria, keep on your guard…I have a very bad feeling about this. I'll try to keep up to Shinn." He sighed, "I swear, he's got talent, but if he doesn't learn some self-control, he's going to get himself…or all of us, killed!" Rey gunned the throttle, and the engines on the Blaze pack attached to his white ZAKU Phantom flared to life.
Shinn looked about frantically, trying to find his target. But due to their quick movements, not to mention their black colored machines, the Headhunters were proving elusive. Every so often one of them would pop up to take a pot shot at the Impulse, further enraging the young pilot. "Damn it, where are you guys?"
Rey's ZAKU finally caught up to the Gundam, "Shinn, calm down! This is not going to help us at all!" Rey admonished him. "Getting worked up is exactly what these guys want."
"Sorry Rey." Shinn replied. "But still, why don't they come out and fight?"
"Because they're snipers, genius! It's how they're trained! They're not going to stand out in the open and act like targets that you can just mow down at your leisure! Seriously, Shinn, didn't you learn anything at the Academy?" Juliana snapped. She was always the one who was mostly likely to go off on Shinn for his reckless behavior. Lunamaria and Rey could only roll their eyes as the two began yet another of their arguments.
From behind a piece of debris, Morris smirked in victory. All four of them were exactly where he wanted them to be. "Frightener Actual, light them up!" He gave the command. At that moment, the Girty Lue came to life, running lights blinked to life. The many hatches of the Vertical Launch System snapped open.
Kazuma and Cagalli were on a vector that gave them a perfect view of a massive barrage of missiles heading toward their companions. "Damn it! Cagalli, they're walking right into a trap! We gotta save them!" He jettisoned the heavy beam rifle, flaring the engines to full power. "Cagalli, let's move!"
The Lioness of Orb gunned the engines, She keyed through the weapons systems, bringing up the launch controls for the Firebee guided missiles mounted on her Blaze pack. "Hang on, Kazuma. I'll see if I can't intercept some of those missiles!" She held her breath, "I'm setting them to proximity detonation. That might take a few of them out! Hang on…firing!"
Cagalli pulled the trigger, firing her entire stock of missiles. Her plan succeeded to an extent. Of the 38 missiles the Girty Lue initially fired, only 14 remained, but they would still be enough to kill off the ZAFT pilots. She didn't wait around to pay attention to how many of the enemy projectiles were destroyed, just desperately hanging onto her friend's tail.
Shinn and Juliana were still arguing when their alarms stared blaring. Time slowed down as the missiles bore down on them. None of them were expecting a pair of ZAKUs to sweep in just a few seconds before, literally pushing them out of the way. "Take cover!" Was the last thing Cagalli said before the missiles exploded.
Lunamaria screamed in horror, as Shinn and Juliana only gaped in disbelief. "Colonel Sasaki…Commodore Attha!" Rey finally managed to get out. The explosions dissipated, before a pair of scorched, headless, limbless ZAKUs floated into view. They had managed to take refuge inside a nearby wrecked hulk, shielding them from the worst of the blast, but their mobile suits were effectively junk.
"Damn…that was not fun!" Kazuma rasped, coughing a bit. "Remind me never to do something like that again, Cags!"
"Yeah…I miss my father. But I don't want to see him this soon!" She added before switching over to a ZAFT channel. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah…Thank you, Commodore." Shinn replied, his mind still reeling from Cagalli's selfless act. Maybe Mayu was right about not totally writing off Orb as a bunch of cowards. "Where's Lieutenant Sanada? Is he okay?"
"As far as I know, he went to assist General Connor against that black mobile armor. I have no way of knowing what's going on." Cagalli said. "Think you can give us a lift back to the Minerva? I don't think our machines are going to be able to move under their own power any time soon."
"But of course Milady." Rey said, "We'll split into pairs, each taking one machine. Shinn, you and Luna will take Commodore Attha's unit. Juliana and I will haul Colonel Sasaki's." They limped back to the Minerva.
(Debris Belt)
As the respective battles had unfolded, both Sebastian and Neo were in their own world. The Storm Wolf was reminded of how much he hated fighting against mobile armors as memories of the Grimaldi Front and fighting the Moebius Zero corps came back in full. The wired beam cannon pods proving to be his biggest headache so far.
"This guy is definitely one of the old Zero Corps! Only they could be so skilled!" Sebastian remarked, parrying one of the beam cutters with the oversized axe, spinning it as an impromptu shield, knocking the remote weapon pod away before opening fire with his beam rifle and the Hydra gatling lasers.
Neo opened fire with the underslung twin linear cannons, sending a pair of 120mm shells into space. Sebastian quickly tried to evade it, but wasn't fast enough, one of the shells punched through the ZAKU's right leg, with the other one aimed right at the cockpit. Sebastian flung the axe, sacrificing it to keep from getting killed.
"Shit!" He grunted, squinting at the explosion. The Exus whizzed by, one of the weapon pods getting a lucky shot that destroyed the ZAKU's head. "I'm really not having a good day!" Sebastian remarked, opening fire with the beam rifle, managing to score a hit on one of the gunbarrels as it was being reeled back in for another strike. A single shot reduced it to cosmic dust.
Neo grunted. "He won't get lucky a second time!" He brought the Exus around for another pass, but this time the Storm Wolf was ready. The Hydras roared a second time, pelting the frame of the Exus with small holes. The linear cannons fired as well, taking off the ZAKU's left shield, while one of the gunbarrels aimed from behind, taking out one of the Hydras.
"GAAAHH!" Sebastian yelled, feeling the machine spin.
"Storm Wolf Actual, do you read? This is Tenchu One. I'm rapidly approaching your position." Sebastian looked at his right monitor, noticing the GOUF quickly approaching. "Sebastian, are you okay?"
"Not really…this guy is kind of kicking my ass!" He replied, smirking in victory as he watched the second of the Exus's gunbarrels get destroyed by his beam rifle before it was destroyed by a linear round.
"I'm still not in weapon's range, but I'm getting close!" Yukimasa replied. A flash of inspiration came to him. "Storm, I have an idea for you! Kazuma and Cagalli used this earlier against the stolen Gundams. If you have flashbangs, then use them! It should give you enough of an opening to make a finishing blow!"
Willing to give anything a try, Sebastian primed a flashbang "I'm only going to get once chance at this! I hope this guy will call my bluff!" He held up the other hand in a crude beckoning gesture.
In the cockpit of his Exus, Neo looked in surprise, "Is he…challenging me?" He reoriented the mobile armor at the ZAKU, hurtling right at it. His foe stood his ground. Neo grinned in expectation, "So he wants to play chicken? Fine by me!"
Sebastian was mustering all of his nerve not to break at the last minute. His gaze fully directed on the Exus as it came right at him, as the other arm came up to the remaining shield, pulling out the beam tomahawk. It was then he knew to act. "Let see how you like hurtling through the void of space when you're totally blind!"
He let the explosive fly, at the same time gunning the thrusters. The grenade went off, washing out Neo's vision. The ZAKU got up over the Exus. "Eat this!" Sebastian yelled, opening fire with the Hydras, punching multiple holes in the mobile armor's fuselage as the tomahawk came down, severing one of the linear cannon barrels.
Neo responded by blasting the ZAKU in the back with a gunbarrel, destroying the Hydra and the rest of the Wizard pack. It promptly met its end thanks to the grenade Sebastian threw, before the last of the gunbarrels blew off the ZAKU's right arm and left leg. The Storm Wolf grunted as his cockpit displays went dark. The amount of damage he had taken in this engagement was nothing short of astounding.
It was then his radio buzzed, and a deep voice spoke to him. "Enjoy this victory while you can, mystery pilot. Whoever you are…because I guarantee the next time we meet it will be very different!"
"Blow me!" was the Storm Wolf's two-word reply. He sagged in the pilot's chair. "I need to find out who that pilot was. He's got skill to match Kira and spatial awareness that equals Rau…not a good combination!" Yukimasa's mobile suit came into view. "Take me back to the ship, bro. I need to contact Natarle immediately."
"Things that bad?" the concern in his friend's voice was evident.
"No…it's even worse!" Sebastian said.
(Minerva, Bridge)
Nearly everyone jumped at the Storm Wolf's sudden appearance on the bridge, but no one dared question the dark expression on his face. Meyrin nearly fainted when she found herself staring right into hard blue eyes. "C-can I help you, General Connor?" She squeaked timidly.
"I need you to transmit a priority one message to Captain Badgiruel on the Amatarasu at once, Private. Tell her our situation is dire and that we need our Gundams immediately. She needs to hurry to the rendezvous point at best possible speed." He said. Meyrin quickly nodded, going about relaying the message.
Durandal, who had kept silent through most of the trip, finally spoke. "Is something wrong, General Connor?" he asked.
"Let's just say things it's time to break out the big guns, Mr. Chairman. Those ZAKUs we were using in the last battle got trashed. Next time we go up the Earth Alliance…I'll have my proper sword, and those guys are going to learn the definition of pain!"
(ONS Amatarasu, Bridge)
There were times Captain Natarle Badgiurel still couldn't believe the path her life had taken. It was a given she would have joined the military. Her family could trace their lineage of long service to the Atlantic Federation, and even the United States of America before it, too well before the Reconstruction War. She never would have imagined willingly leaving her home country to follow Sebastian on his quest to keep Rau Le Creuset from destroying the planet.
But indeed she had. When the two had first met at Heliopolis, they hadn't gotten along. Especially after drawing the Storm Wolf's ire when she had forced the ZAFT forces pursuing them to withdraw by threatening his then fiancé, Lacus Clyne. It was a wonder he hadn't just sliced her into ribbons after that particular incident.
But as the months wore on, they had managed to find a middle ground, eventually even becoming friends. Hours before the climactic battle at Jachin Due, Sebastian had promoted her to the rank of captain, asking her to helm the Izumo-class battleship he had 'inherited' from the Seirans after they had been ousted from Orb.
"Been quiet so far, hasn't it, Major?" She asked of Kira, who was currently standing next to her. Both of them knew how serious the situation was when Sebastian had ordered the Amatarasu and Freedom to remain on standby in the event something happened.
Kira sighed, folding his arms across his chest as he stared out the viewport, "For now at least, Captain. But you know as well as I do it's fleeting at best. We heard anything from Sebastian yet?"
Natarle shook her head, "No, but I think we can find out." She turned to face the communications officer, a young woman a year younger than Kira with long red hair. "Lieutenant Fenette, have we gotten a status report from Lieutenant General Connor yet?"
Lieutenant Shirley Fenette tapped a few buttons on her console. "He just reported in, Captain. It seems they broke up an ambush the Earth Alliance had planned for them in the Debris Belt. They managed to drive them off, but General Connor is requesting we pick up speed. It seems the enemy pilots really gave them trouble and they need their Gundams immediately."
"Notify the engine room, tell them to increase speed." Natarle reported.
"Uh…Captain Badgiruel, Major Yamato?" Came the nervous voice of the sensor operations officer.
"What is it, Ensign?" Natarle asked.
"Well…I don't want to be the guy who starts a panic over nothing, because, you know…machines can break!" the two officers were soon hovering behind the sensor station. He immediately felt Natarle's sharp violet gaze on him.
"Ensign, if something is wrong, then tell me right now." She spoke in an authoritative but kindly tone.
The sensor technician shook a little. "Captain Badgiurel, I just got a disturbing report of some activity in the Debris Belt…Junius Seven is falling out of its orbit! It's on a direct course for Earth!"
Author's Notes: The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due and the Black Comet have fought each other for a second time. And now the road to Break the World opens, bringing with it the start of the second act!