Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Odyssey V ❯ Enter the Maelstrom ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Wing Zero Alpha 
Once you enter the maelstrom, the only way you can escape is to ride it out to the bottom...
Anime/Manga: Gundam SEED Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.10.2005 | Updated On: 12.31.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 13.3K | Visits: 237 | Status: Completed
Once you enter the maelstrom, the only way you can escape is to ride it out to the bottom...
Anime/Manga: Gundam SEED Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.10.2005 | Updated On: 12.31.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 13.3K | Visits: 237 | Status: Completed
"Generally, the one that occupies the battlefield awaiting the enemy is at ease; the one who comes later and rushes into battle is fatigued. Therefore, those skilled in warfare move the enemy, and are not moved by the enemy."
- Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" Chapter 6: Weakness and Strength
Phase 05: Into the Maelstrom
- Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" Chapter 6: Weakness and Strength
Phase 05: Into the Maelstrom
Another set of explosions echoed from the distance as three Atlantic Jet Windams dropped their payloads onto the Rommel for their bombing runs. Two of the Windams were cut down by the refitted Lesseps-class battleship's aerial defense cannons, but the third one managed to slip out and around for another pass. Lyn targeted that one with her own mobile suit and flew at it. It saw her approach and attempted to gun her down with its beam rifle, but Lyn's reflexes were better than the accuracy of the enemy pilot, and she evaded every shot fired at her. Forgoing her own beam rifle, she shot by the Windam, making a draw slash with one of her `Stiletto' anti-armor penetrators as she past. This split the enemy Windam in half at the torso, both halves of which exploded soon after, while casting a light over its dark gray and blue tinted counterpart. One down and only about a hundred more to go.
Next targets…There! The jet engines on the Jet Striker lit up as Lyn put her mobile suit into full burn. She withdrew her `Stiletto' and took out her beam rifle, then fired two shots. Both landed in torso cockpits of two Jet Windams, killing their pilots. One exploded and the other fell to the sea, never to fly again. She fired several more shots, scoring more hits on the enemy mobile suits, up until a TS-MB1B Euclid mobile armor intersected between her and her targets, producing its SX1021 `Schneid Schutz' positron shield to deflect her fire. It then attempted to shoot her down with the two `Degtyarev' beam cannons on its front, but Lyn easily evaded fire. She flew at it, running under its belly, which was the typical blindspot for a mobile armor. At the last minute, Lyn barrel-rolled so the Euclid's belly was right in front of her Windam S, and at point-blank, she unloaded the two rocket pods that were on her Jet Striker. The multiple explosions clustered into one that engulfed the entire MA, and Lyn reeled against the shockwave that smacked her mobile suit point blank.
She knew it would happen, however, she also knew her mobile suit would take the explosion. The GAT-04S Windam Ss used by Gray Wolf were, after all, not ordinary cannon fodder mobile suits. To keep the Vultures' mobile suit force on par with the weapons used by their enemies, the Windams that were in their employ were constantly refitted and modified with the latest and greatest equipment. Refined electronics, newer weapons, longer lasting battery powerplants, the latter also meant a performance upgrade head-over-heels the standard model. The most notable feature though, was the inclusion of Trans-Phase Armor, which was the reason Lynsie's suit absorbed the explosion like it did. All in all, the pirate's version of the EAF mobile suit had it all, and if any Alliance pilots knew this, they would definitely fall over in envy. It was somewhat embarrassing when a third-party group had more advanced weapons than a real military force, but it was becoming more and more common nowadays.
Despite all the upgrades that the Windam Ss had over their EAF counterparts, that all didn't matter against one key element: numbers. Lyn knew battles weren't won just by numbers, but the pirates were still outmatched, their mere twelve mobile suits to the hundred or so mobile suits and mobile armors Hamilton had called in from the mainland. Even if we had all our allies here, we would still only be twenty or so strong. That's barely a battalion compared to what seems an entire fleet…she thought.
”Lupus Seven to Lupus Four, you got one coming up on your six. Wake up Lyn!” called Ellis over the radio.
Lynsie snapped out of her thoughts, and mimicking her original move, drew her Stiletto and dashed at the enemy suit advancing at her, which was an old Jet Dagger L. A quick cut with the kunai-like weapon slit open the enemy suit's “throat”, thus severing components to the main camera and CIWS, and then running a slash across its Jet Striker. The engines sputtered out as they lost electrical power, thus leaving the blind mobile suit to drop into the ocean like a bat with broken wings.
”Appreciated Seven. How's your team?” Lyn called out.
Ellis became grim. “Dead. Both of them overwhelmed.”
”Damn it…” Lyn cursed, “Nevermind, we can't do anything about it now. Lupus Five and Six, do you copy?”
”We copy, Four.” Isamu answered while he fired a `Wurger' shield missile into a Dagger L. Thomas just gave his usual `keh'.
”Regroup around me. Bandits are trying to make a run on Catalina. One Euclid and a half-dozen L-types.” Lyn commanded.
The four Windam Ss formed in a `finger-four' formation, with Lyn's unit at the lead. All four fired shots toward the enemy formation with their beam rifles, in the process destroying two of the Dagger Ls before the Euclid flew up and put on its shield. The Dagger Ls all peered around it and let loose with their own beam carbines, but the four superior Windam S pilots scattered, each picking out a Dagger L.
Lyn, being on a roll, was the first to take out her target. She threw her `Stiletto' and had the rocket thruster ignite, thus propelling the sharpened metal dart through the enemy Dagger L's cockpit and out the other end. The lifeless Windam fell into the sea while Lyn flew up and retrieved her `Stiletto', placing back in its hip rack for recharging. She then drew her A52 offensive shield and fired off a `Wurger' missile, which connected with the enemy Jet Dagger L. The eruption of the air-to-air oriented missile knocked the mobile suit back, chunks of its armor raining to the earth from the impact point on the suit's left shoulder and wing. Without suitable stability, the Dagger L went into a flat spin and dropped down into the ocean below.
As she took a moment to watch the Dagger L explode once it hit the waves, Lynsie for the first time since they had evacuated Catalina felt just how tired she was. Her heart was racing wildly, and her arms and legs ached from the constant reflexes she forced them to perform in operating a mobile suit, as if she had scaled the world's tallest mountain in only a half-hour, which was about the length of time it had been since this whole thing began. It all started when they were just finishing preparations for the Rommel to depart the island base when sensors detected a large fleet of ships, thirteen in total, coming out from the east in a siege formation. Then the barrages began, and then the ultimatum. It was none other than there old friend Rear Admiral Richard Larson, who had somehow learned of their departure from Catalina and had organized a fleet to come after them. Naturally, he threatened Cunningham to surrender, but the Captain refused and not only told Larson to f*ck himself, but over open radio to the entire fleet, and even suggested to invite the “boys from the Pentagon and White House” to watch.
Then the battle started, with Gray Wolf's Windam S squadron pitted against that of the Earth Alliance's vast fleet, while the Captain, Edward and Jane got the Rommel launched. The initial enemy mobile suits weren't much of a problem, as the fleet was small. It was small enough that when the Rommel finally launched, it slipped past their defense screen and into the open ocean with little to no resistance. Things got dicey when more mobile weapons started to fly in from San Diego, and Lynsie secretly assumed that Larson wanted the Gray Wolf pirates to slip out so that while the mobile suits and mobile armors kept their small unit of originally six Windams busy, the Alliance fleet drew closer and closer. Whether Larson thought of it or not, Lynsie felt her strength taxing either way. She wasn't an ace like Vale or Ed that had seemingly unlimited stamina, even though she was very good in her own right, and neither were Ellis, Thomas or Isamu. It would only be a matter of time before…
"Lupus Four, they're surrounding us!!" yelled Isamu's voice in her ear.
Lynsie's eyes skimmed over her tactical display, watching as the red dots that represented the EAF mobile suits started to curve around the Rommel and her small group of mobile suits. She keyed into Thomas' frequency. “Lupus Five, pick off enemy mobile suits two through five. Take some pressure off.”
“Roger Lupus Four!” came Thomas' obnoxious voice, although it had lightened and exhausted from the combat strain. Still, he raised his Windam S's beam rifle and took aim. Being a natural sniper, Thomas excelled in long-range combat, and for all of his attitude and arrogance he had a near 100% hit ratio. A trio of beam shots, with one shot through each battery reactor, and there was a nice hole in the Atlantic formation.
Lyn's Windam S then dropped in altitude and flew on its back underneath another one of the Jet Dagger Ls, firing her own beam rifle upward into the air. The initial shots cut off the left leg of the Dagger, and it waved off as a result. Thus, Lyn shot up and made a flying slash up the middle, cutting up through the cockpit and then the battery reactor. Soon after her attack, the Dagger L exploded. The wingman attempted to attack her, but Isamu moved in behind it with his own beam saber and cut it across the back, separating the mobile suit from the Jet Striker pack. Without it's pack, the Dagger L was forced to drop in altitude with its own thruster power, thus giving Isamu enough time to move in to finish it.
Then seemingly out of nowhere, a streaming blast of energy shot into the wounded Dagger before Isamu could get to it, and as a result, the mobile suit was vaporized while Isamu's Windam S was thrown back. “What the hell!?” Isamu let out as he shielded his eyes from the glare. The Windam S's sensors detected the incoming mobile armor long before it appeared, but Isamu didn't notice its presence until it shot its own comrade. Isamu turned to see a large chrome colored machine, round and roughed edged. It was an ugly machine, shaped more like a crab with a pair of blue tinted sensors and four sets of claw-shaped hyper-oscillation crushers on either of its corners. It charged at Isamu with its front crushers opened and glowing, forcing the teenaged hacker and mobile suit pilot to gain altitude and evade.
Thomas supported Isamu by firing his beam rifle across the armor's back, but before the shots could impact, the familiar SX1021 `Schneid Schutz' positron shield activated and cancelled them out. “What kind of monstrosity is this?” Thomas gawked.
At the time he asked, Ellis charged at the mobile armor with a beam saber, but the enemy armor simply whacked her away with its front right crusher. The crusher then flipped down to reveal a multi-phase energy cannon. “Holy…” Ellis let out as she dropped in altitude to avoid the blast. “What Lupus Five said, what is this thing!?”
“Checking…” Isamu said, as he folded down his keyboard and started looking over his computer's mobile weapons database. He found a match soon. “YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah, Earth Alliance mobile armor manufactured by Aducarf Mechano Industries. One of these things is said to equal the firepower of five mobile suits.”
“Great and we only have four.” Thomas quipped as he dodged a shot from one of the Zamza-Zah's appendage cannons. “Does it have any weaknesses, like the underbelly for starters!?”
What Thomas was referring to was all mobile armor's inherent weakpoint on the ventral side, which usually lacked coverage from the positron shield and had little to no firepower. However, it didn't seem to be the case here, as Isamu saw one of the Zamza-Zah's crusher arms bend to shoot at Lyn's mobile suit as it flew under it. “I can't find anything! The shield only covers the dorsal side, but its firing radius is nearly 360 degrees, and to top it off it has trans-phase armor.”
This was verified when Lyn launched a missile into the mobile armor's back side, the warhead exploding but doing little more then making a blackened mark against the mobile armor's chrome hide. The back cannons found their target again and a combination of beam and projectile fire launched at Lyn's unit. She was fast enough to evade fortunately. “Lupus Six, there's got to be a weakness, and you're the only one that can find it. Focus.”
“I'm trying…” Isamu replied as he continued searching through his data. “Just distract it, I'll analyze its performance and calculate a weakpoint!”
“Good enough. Lupus Five and Seven, move in for a Trinity Attack!” Lyn ordered.
“Roger!” came the synchronized reply.
Upon that order, the three Windam Ss climbed above the mobile armor then simultaneously dove in a triangular formation. The three mobile suits then rotated while firing their beam rifles in synchronization, literally raining down beams of death upon the crab-like Zamza-Zah. One of the reasons Lyn chose this maneuver was because it was said to have taken down the Alliance's Chaos Gundam in the Siege of Berlin, and she hoped it'd have the same effect here. It didn't. The mobile armor again dispersed its positron shield and deflected the beams, then presented all four of its limbs upward.
“Scatter!” Lyn ordered. The three Windam Ss shot away from each other just as the Zamza-Zah fired a combination of its M534 `Gamzatov' multi-phase beam cannon, GAU111 cannon and four `Igelstellung' 75mm CIWS. Even after the three mobile suits moved in different directions, the mobile armor continued its offensive, using its four weapon equipped limbs to keep all three Windam Ss at bay. The attacks were divided, but all three Gray Wolf pilots were having a hard time.
Even so, Lynsie couldn't stay on the defensive, otherwise she'd get shot down eventually. Lyn took careful aim with his beam rifle and fired. Much to her surprise the massive mobile armor actually avoided the shot and dropped in altitude. Thomas attempted another sniper shot as well, and Ellis made a triple burst from her own beam rifle, but their shots only grazed the trans-phase armor. The Zamza-Zah was now maneuvering a bit more, trying to catch any of the mobile suits in its line of fire, but was having difficulty since there were three individual targets and it was attacking them all at the same time. Lyn thanked god there was only one of these things out here.
Ellis, seeing her original shots did little damage, tried a few more rifle shots but still did nothing more than blacken the chrome armor. Swearing under her breath, she holstered the beam rifle and drew one of her beam sabers. “Cover me! I'm going to move in for a cockpit shot!” Ellis said, then putting her Windam S into full burn. Thomas and Lyn didn't reply, they just kept shooting with their beam rifles and missiles while Ellis blasted toward the Zamza-Zah. She brought back the saber for an impalement, but just as she was about to move in between the twin eye cameras, where the cockpit hatch was visible, the mobile armor dipped and put more power into its own thrusters. It descended under Ellis and moved past her, advancing at Thomas' unit. “I thought mobile armors were supposed to be weak against mobile suits.”
“Moebius types are, but the Zamza-Zah was made in the Second War, when technology was a lot more advanced.” Isamu corrected.
“Hey, a little help here!?” Thomas called out as he dodged twin `Gamzatov' streams, then countered with a missile shot.
Lyn again drew her prized `Stiletto' and shot after the Zamza-Zah to give Thomas some relief. We'll make it… This isn't the first desperate situation we've had…
Next targets…There! The jet engines on the Jet Striker lit up as Lyn put her mobile suit into full burn. She withdrew her `Stiletto' and took out her beam rifle, then fired two shots. Both landed in torso cockpits of two Jet Windams, killing their pilots. One exploded and the other fell to the sea, never to fly again. She fired several more shots, scoring more hits on the enemy mobile suits, up until a TS-MB1B Euclid mobile armor intersected between her and her targets, producing its SX1021 `Schneid Schutz' positron shield to deflect her fire. It then attempted to shoot her down with the two `Degtyarev' beam cannons on its front, but Lyn easily evaded fire. She flew at it, running under its belly, which was the typical blindspot for a mobile armor. At the last minute, Lyn barrel-rolled so the Euclid's belly was right in front of her Windam S, and at point-blank, she unloaded the two rocket pods that were on her Jet Striker. The multiple explosions clustered into one that engulfed the entire MA, and Lyn reeled against the shockwave that smacked her mobile suit point blank.
She knew it would happen, however, she also knew her mobile suit would take the explosion. The GAT-04S Windam Ss used by Gray Wolf were, after all, not ordinary cannon fodder mobile suits. To keep the Vultures' mobile suit force on par with the weapons used by their enemies, the Windams that were in their employ were constantly refitted and modified with the latest and greatest equipment. Refined electronics, newer weapons, longer lasting battery powerplants, the latter also meant a performance upgrade head-over-heels the standard model. The most notable feature though, was the inclusion of Trans-Phase Armor, which was the reason Lynsie's suit absorbed the explosion like it did. All in all, the pirate's version of the EAF mobile suit had it all, and if any Alliance pilots knew this, they would definitely fall over in envy. It was somewhat embarrassing when a third-party group had more advanced weapons than a real military force, but it was becoming more and more common nowadays.
Despite all the upgrades that the Windam Ss had over their EAF counterparts, that all didn't matter against one key element: numbers. Lyn knew battles weren't won just by numbers, but the pirates were still outmatched, their mere twelve mobile suits to the hundred or so mobile suits and mobile armors Hamilton had called in from the mainland. Even if we had all our allies here, we would still only be twenty or so strong. That's barely a battalion compared to what seems an entire fleet…she thought.
”Lupus Seven to Lupus Four, you got one coming up on your six. Wake up Lyn!” called Ellis over the radio.
Lynsie snapped out of her thoughts, and mimicking her original move, drew her Stiletto and dashed at the enemy suit advancing at her, which was an old Jet Dagger L. A quick cut with the kunai-like weapon slit open the enemy suit's “throat”, thus severing components to the main camera and CIWS, and then running a slash across its Jet Striker. The engines sputtered out as they lost electrical power, thus leaving the blind mobile suit to drop into the ocean like a bat with broken wings.
”Appreciated Seven. How's your team?” Lyn called out.
Ellis became grim. “Dead. Both of them overwhelmed.”
”Damn it…” Lyn cursed, “Nevermind, we can't do anything about it now. Lupus Five and Six, do you copy?”
”We copy, Four.” Isamu answered while he fired a `Wurger' shield missile into a Dagger L. Thomas just gave his usual `keh'.
”Regroup around me. Bandits are trying to make a run on Catalina. One Euclid and a half-dozen L-types.” Lyn commanded.
The four Windam Ss formed in a `finger-four' formation, with Lyn's unit at the lead. All four fired shots toward the enemy formation with their beam rifles, in the process destroying two of the Dagger Ls before the Euclid flew up and put on its shield. The Dagger Ls all peered around it and let loose with their own beam carbines, but the four superior Windam S pilots scattered, each picking out a Dagger L.
Lyn, being on a roll, was the first to take out her target. She threw her `Stiletto' and had the rocket thruster ignite, thus propelling the sharpened metal dart through the enemy Dagger L's cockpit and out the other end. The lifeless Windam fell into the sea while Lyn flew up and retrieved her `Stiletto', placing back in its hip rack for recharging. She then drew her A52 offensive shield and fired off a `Wurger' missile, which connected with the enemy Jet Dagger L. The eruption of the air-to-air oriented missile knocked the mobile suit back, chunks of its armor raining to the earth from the impact point on the suit's left shoulder and wing. Without suitable stability, the Dagger L went into a flat spin and dropped down into the ocean below.
As she took a moment to watch the Dagger L explode once it hit the waves, Lynsie for the first time since they had evacuated Catalina felt just how tired she was. Her heart was racing wildly, and her arms and legs ached from the constant reflexes she forced them to perform in operating a mobile suit, as if she had scaled the world's tallest mountain in only a half-hour, which was about the length of time it had been since this whole thing began. It all started when they were just finishing preparations for the Rommel to depart the island base when sensors detected a large fleet of ships, thirteen in total, coming out from the east in a siege formation. Then the barrages began, and then the ultimatum. It was none other than there old friend Rear Admiral Richard Larson, who had somehow learned of their departure from Catalina and had organized a fleet to come after them. Naturally, he threatened Cunningham to surrender, but the Captain refused and not only told Larson to f*ck himself, but over open radio to the entire fleet, and even suggested to invite the “boys from the Pentagon and White House” to watch.
Then the battle started, with Gray Wolf's Windam S squadron pitted against that of the Earth Alliance's vast fleet, while the Captain, Edward and Jane got the Rommel launched. The initial enemy mobile suits weren't much of a problem, as the fleet was small. It was small enough that when the Rommel finally launched, it slipped past their defense screen and into the open ocean with little to no resistance. Things got dicey when more mobile weapons started to fly in from San Diego, and Lynsie secretly assumed that Larson wanted the Gray Wolf pirates to slip out so that while the mobile suits and mobile armors kept their small unit of originally six Windams busy, the Alliance fleet drew closer and closer. Whether Larson thought of it or not, Lynsie felt her strength taxing either way. She wasn't an ace like Vale or Ed that had seemingly unlimited stamina, even though she was very good in her own right, and neither were Ellis, Thomas or Isamu. It would only be a matter of time before…
"Lupus Four, they're surrounding us!!" yelled Isamu's voice in her ear.
Lynsie's eyes skimmed over her tactical display, watching as the red dots that represented the EAF mobile suits started to curve around the Rommel and her small group of mobile suits. She keyed into Thomas' frequency. “Lupus Five, pick off enemy mobile suits two through five. Take some pressure off.”
“Roger Lupus Four!” came Thomas' obnoxious voice, although it had lightened and exhausted from the combat strain. Still, he raised his Windam S's beam rifle and took aim. Being a natural sniper, Thomas excelled in long-range combat, and for all of his attitude and arrogance he had a near 100% hit ratio. A trio of beam shots, with one shot through each battery reactor, and there was a nice hole in the Atlantic formation.
Lyn's Windam S then dropped in altitude and flew on its back underneath another one of the Jet Dagger Ls, firing her own beam rifle upward into the air. The initial shots cut off the left leg of the Dagger, and it waved off as a result. Thus, Lyn shot up and made a flying slash up the middle, cutting up through the cockpit and then the battery reactor. Soon after her attack, the Dagger L exploded. The wingman attempted to attack her, but Isamu moved in behind it with his own beam saber and cut it across the back, separating the mobile suit from the Jet Striker pack. Without it's pack, the Dagger L was forced to drop in altitude with its own thruster power, thus giving Isamu enough time to move in to finish it.
Then seemingly out of nowhere, a streaming blast of energy shot into the wounded Dagger before Isamu could get to it, and as a result, the mobile suit was vaporized while Isamu's Windam S was thrown back. “What the hell!?” Isamu let out as he shielded his eyes from the glare. The Windam S's sensors detected the incoming mobile armor long before it appeared, but Isamu didn't notice its presence until it shot its own comrade. Isamu turned to see a large chrome colored machine, round and roughed edged. It was an ugly machine, shaped more like a crab with a pair of blue tinted sensors and four sets of claw-shaped hyper-oscillation crushers on either of its corners. It charged at Isamu with its front crushers opened and glowing, forcing the teenaged hacker and mobile suit pilot to gain altitude and evade.
Thomas supported Isamu by firing his beam rifle across the armor's back, but before the shots could impact, the familiar SX1021 `Schneid Schutz' positron shield activated and cancelled them out. “What kind of monstrosity is this?” Thomas gawked.
At the time he asked, Ellis charged at the mobile armor with a beam saber, but the enemy armor simply whacked her away with its front right crusher. The crusher then flipped down to reveal a multi-phase energy cannon. “Holy…” Ellis let out as she dropped in altitude to avoid the blast. “What Lupus Five said, what is this thing!?”
“Checking…” Isamu said, as he folded down his keyboard and started looking over his computer's mobile weapons database. He found a match soon. “YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah, Earth Alliance mobile armor manufactured by Aducarf Mechano Industries. One of these things is said to equal the firepower of five mobile suits.”
“Great and we only have four.” Thomas quipped as he dodged a shot from one of the Zamza-Zah's appendage cannons. “Does it have any weaknesses, like the underbelly for starters!?”
What Thomas was referring to was all mobile armor's inherent weakpoint on the ventral side, which usually lacked coverage from the positron shield and had little to no firepower. However, it didn't seem to be the case here, as Isamu saw one of the Zamza-Zah's crusher arms bend to shoot at Lyn's mobile suit as it flew under it. “I can't find anything! The shield only covers the dorsal side, but its firing radius is nearly 360 degrees, and to top it off it has trans-phase armor.”
This was verified when Lyn launched a missile into the mobile armor's back side, the warhead exploding but doing little more then making a blackened mark against the mobile armor's chrome hide. The back cannons found their target again and a combination of beam and projectile fire launched at Lyn's unit. She was fast enough to evade fortunately. “Lupus Six, there's got to be a weakness, and you're the only one that can find it. Focus.”
“I'm trying…” Isamu replied as he continued searching through his data. “Just distract it, I'll analyze its performance and calculate a weakpoint!”
“Good enough. Lupus Five and Seven, move in for a Trinity Attack!” Lyn ordered.
“Roger!” came the synchronized reply.
Upon that order, the three Windam Ss climbed above the mobile armor then simultaneously dove in a triangular formation. The three mobile suits then rotated while firing their beam rifles in synchronization, literally raining down beams of death upon the crab-like Zamza-Zah. One of the reasons Lyn chose this maneuver was because it was said to have taken down the Alliance's Chaos Gundam in the Siege of Berlin, and she hoped it'd have the same effect here. It didn't. The mobile armor again dispersed its positron shield and deflected the beams, then presented all four of its limbs upward.
“Scatter!” Lyn ordered. The three Windam Ss shot away from each other just as the Zamza-Zah fired a combination of its M534 `Gamzatov' multi-phase beam cannon, GAU111 cannon and four `Igelstellung' 75mm CIWS. Even after the three mobile suits moved in different directions, the mobile armor continued its offensive, using its four weapon equipped limbs to keep all three Windam Ss at bay. The attacks were divided, but all three Gray Wolf pilots were having a hard time.
Even so, Lynsie couldn't stay on the defensive, otherwise she'd get shot down eventually. Lyn took careful aim with his beam rifle and fired. Much to her surprise the massive mobile armor actually avoided the shot and dropped in altitude. Thomas attempted another sniper shot as well, and Ellis made a triple burst from her own beam rifle, but their shots only grazed the trans-phase armor. The Zamza-Zah was now maneuvering a bit more, trying to catch any of the mobile suits in its line of fire, but was having difficulty since there were three individual targets and it was attacking them all at the same time. Lyn thanked god there was only one of these things out here.
Ellis, seeing her original shots did little damage, tried a few more rifle shots but still did nothing more than blacken the chrome armor. Swearing under her breath, she holstered the beam rifle and drew one of her beam sabers. “Cover me! I'm going to move in for a cockpit shot!” Ellis said, then putting her Windam S into full burn. Thomas and Lyn didn't reply, they just kept shooting with their beam rifles and missiles while Ellis blasted toward the Zamza-Zah. She brought back the saber for an impalement, but just as she was about to move in between the twin eye cameras, where the cockpit hatch was visible, the mobile armor dipped and put more power into its own thrusters. It descended under Ellis and moved past her, advancing at Thomas' unit. “I thought mobile armors were supposed to be weak against mobile suits.”
“Moebius types are, but the Zamza-Zah was made in the Second War, when technology was a lot more advanced.” Isamu corrected.
“Hey, a little help here!?” Thomas called out as he dodged twin `Gamzatov' streams, then countered with a missile shot.
Lyn again drew her prized `Stiletto' and shot after the Zamza-Zah to give Thomas some relief. We'll make it… This isn't the first desperate situation we've had…
-------------------------------
His head was pulsing, and he could feel his blood pressure grow, but he did his best to ignore it. Gray Wolf founder and commander Friedrich Wilhelm Cunningham's was too focused on the battle happening around his ship to worry about his personal health. There was damage spread all around the Rommel, and reports of casualties had just come in. At least three people had been wounded, two from concussions and the other from second degree burns. No deaths yet, but it seemed like each shot brought certain doom closer to the pirates.
“Incoming Daggers off the port bow, distance sixteen! They're making an attack run!” the sensor operator announced.
“Calibrate Gottfried and Panzer Faust! Fire!” Cunningham commanded.
The twin `Gottfried Mk.71' 225cm high-energy beam cannons turned to the left side of the ship and opened fire while the anti-air missiles shot out of the `Panzer Faust' vertical missile launcher. The enemy Daggers, which were notably old A1 types, maintained their course despite the incoming fire. Two of them were destroyed by the fire before they could squeeze off any missiles, but the last one was a bit more skilled. It maneuvered around the missiles, even knocked two down with its CIWS, then getting into range and launching a pair of `Drache' air-to-surface missiles. And as the pirate's luck would have it, the missiles slipped past the `Igelstellung' CIWS fire and slammed into the Rommel's port side.
“Incoming Daggers off the port bow, distance sixteen! They're making an attack run!” the sensor operator announced.
“Calibrate Gottfried and Panzer Faust! Fire!” Cunningham commanded.
The twin `Gottfried Mk.71' 225cm high-energy beam cannons turned to the left side of the ship and opened fire while the anti-air missiles shot out of the `Panzer Faust' vertical missile launcher. The enemy Daggers, which were notably old A1 types, maintained their course despite the incoming fire. Two of them were destroyed by the fire before they could squeeze off any missiles, but the last one was a bit more skilled. It maneuvered around the missiles, even knocked two down with its CIWS, then getting into range and launching a pair of `Drache' air-to-surface missiles. And as the pirate's luck would have it, the missiles slipped past the `Igelstellung' CIWS fire and slammed into the Rommel's port side.
Once again, the bridge pitched and Cunningham found himself gripping the arm rest of his command chair for dear life. The rest of the bridge crew also felt the shock. “I am getting WAY too old for this…” Cunningham muttered under the stress. Despite all the pain and stress he was feeling, this wasn't the first time he had fought desperately against people who wanted to kill him. Story of his life, really.
Like many under his command, Cunningham was a veteran of the First War. Unlike those under his command however, he fought neither for the Atlantic Federation or ZAFT. He was originally from the Eurusian Federation. At the time he was General Friedrich Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief of the European Regional Forces. It was actually a simple job at first, because the main focus of the war was in space, which was Admiral Gerard Garcia's jurisdiction, and all Cunningham had to do was organize the planet-side forces for the coming invasion. It seemed like an easy win, with the Eurusian Federation on its possessing more than enough power to hold ZAFT at bay and a nearly unlimited supply of Earth bound resources.
But like many of his fellow commanders and leaders, Cunningham overlooked ZAFT's trump card weapon: the mobile suit. At first glance, they just seemed like regular spacecraft, only made in the image of a human being, but after Cunningham read the reports from the Battle of Ygghdrasil, he knew the Alliance was in a run for its money. And to make matters worse, no more than two weeks after the conclusion of Ygghdrasil, ZAFT's Operation Uroboros began with the drop of their N-Jammer cancellors across the Earth's surface. There began the worldwide energy crisis known as the April Fool Crisis, and Eurusia was smack in the middle of it. One day later, the invasion began.
One day after another, it seemed to Cunningham he was fighting a losing battle against the coordinators. Fighting broke out all across the world, and ZAFT had a particular interest in Eurusia due to its size. The Federation held together fortunately, but many soldiers paid their lives and too many resources were expended. After time, the Federation lost most of its foothold in space, its Victoria mass driver in Africa captured by enemy forces, Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Chevalier's tank corps devastated at Suez by Andrew “Desert Tiger” Waltfeldt, and in Cunningham's front, the loss Gibralter Base at the Battle of the Casablanca Sea.
When the latter happened, Cunningham did it like George Patton and taken command on the field. Unlike Gerard Garcia, who was content in cowering in the heart of Eurusia's “invincible” space fortress Artemis, as well as many other Earth Alliance leaders he knew he couldn't afford to sit at a desk. It might've cost them everything.
Like many under his command, Cunningham was a veteran of the First War. Unlike those under his command however, he fought neither for the Atlantic Federation or ZAFT. He was originally from the Eurusian Federation. At the time he was General Friedrich Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief of the European Regional Forces. It was actually a simple job at first, because the main focus of the war was in space, which was Admiral Gerard Garcia's jurisdiction, and all Cunningham had to do was organize the planet-side forces for the coming invasion. It seemed like an easy win, with the Eurusian Federation on its possessing more than enough power to hold ZAFT at bay and a nearly unlimited supply of Earth bound resources.
But like many of his fellow commanders and leaders, Cunningham overlooked ZAFT's trump card weapon: the mobile suit. At first glance, they just seemed like regular spacecraft, only made in the image of a human being, but after Cunningham read the reports from the Battle of Ygghdrasil, he knew the Alliance was in a run for its money. And to make matters worse, no more than two weeks after the conclusion of Ygghdrasil, ZAFT's Operation Uroboros began with the drop of their N-Jammer cancellors across the Earth's surface. There began the worldwide energy crisis known as the April Fool Crisis, and Eurusia was smack in the middle of it. One day later, the invasion began.
One day after another, it seemed to Cunningham he was fighting a losing battle against the coordinators. Fighting broke out all across the world, and ZAFT had a particular interest in Eurusia due to its size. The Federation held together fortunately, but many soldiers paid their lives and too many resources were expended. After time, the Federation lost most of its foothold in space, its Victoria mass driver in Africa captured by enemy forces, Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Chevalier's tank corps devastated at Suez by Andrew “Desert Tiger” Waltfeldt, and in Cunningham's front, the loss Gibralter Base at the Battle of the Casablanca Sea.
When the latter happened, Cunningham did it like George Patton and taken command on the field. Unlike Gerard Garcia, who was content in cowering in the heart of Eurusia's “invincible” space fortress Artemis, as well as many other Earth Alliance leaders he knew he couldn't afford to sit at a desk. It might've cost them everything.
That was the first time Cunningham had ever fought so hard. Before, his only worry was keeping the Atlantic Federation out of the European region of Eurusia, but then it turned into a fight for his life and his men's lives against an enemy that was beyond any earthly power. He had been in situations where he knew he wouldn't survive; he had seen men killed in front of him by seemingly invincible opponents. And with each time he did survive, whether be it by luck or by someone else's expense, Cunningham knew he was on borrowed time.
By sheer luck, the ZAFT's failed Operation Spit Break happened and turned the favor of the war to the Alliance. Soon after was Operation 8/8, which eliminated ZAFT's central command in Europe and allowed Cunningham to regain his lost territory. But even still, Cunningham had always felt he was living on borrowed time; that one of these days the grim reaper would catch up with him and take his soul. That feeling had carried with him from his resignation from the military to becoming a pirate and forming Gray Wolf, and now it was there again. It took all of his willpower and the reminder that if his failure would be everyone else's failure to keep that feeling in the back of his mind, but it was still there, and growing with each shot that came close…
By sheer luck, the ZAFT's failed Operation Spit Break happened and turned the favor of the war to the Alliance. Soon after was Operation 8/8, which eliminated ZAFT's central command in Europe and allowed Cunningham to regain his lost territory. But even still, Cunningham had always felt he was living on borrowed time; that one of these days the grim reaper would catch up with him and take his soul. That feeling had carried with him from his resignation from the military to becoming a pirate and forming Gray Wolf, and now it was there again. It took all of his willpower and the reminder that if his failure would be everyone else's failure to keep that feeling in the back of his mind, but it was still there, and growing with each shot that came close…
A jarring crash shook Cunningham out of his ruminations, as another `Drache' missile had slammed into the Rommel, this time in its starboard bow scale motor. His eyes flared and he picked up the receiver next to his chair. “Cunningham to Lupus Four, we're getting hammered down here! What the hell is going on Lynsie!?”
Lynsie's reply came hurriedly, as she was half-distracted with the battle. “Lupus Team is currently engaging enemy mobile armor, a Zamza-Zah type. It's taking all our energy to keep it from attacking you, but the mobile suits are slipping past us at the same time!”
Cunningham grimaced again, remembering how ugly that Atlantic Federal POS was. He also knew just how powerful one of those things were, when used properly. “I think we can hold out without a little longer, just hurry up with that monstrosity.” He then hung up, knowing that the longer she was distracted, the greater the chances the Zamza-Zah would shoot her and the others down. “Status on Lupus Two and Three?” he called over to the CIC operator.
Rouge, a young woman with short brown hair, turned to face Cunningham and shake her head. “No way to tell, they're operating under radio silence.”
Once again, the bridge rocked from an explosion, but the feeling in Cunningham's skull began to shake lose. This made him stew in his seat and grit his teeth in frustration. Just what the hell are Ed and Jane up to now?
-------------------------------
As the main group fought desperately to keep their ship a float, a curious thing was happening further north. Underneath the tranquil water, which seemingly unaffected from that said battle, a red mobile suit and a blue mobile suit were moving toward the advancing Atlantic Federal fleet. The blue one was obviously an aquatic design, as it sped through the water on hydrojet thrusters while holding its comrade in a sordid embrace without much resistance. Appearances and capabilities aside though, there was one thing that made these units unique from other mobile suits: the markings that were donned by them. The red mobile suit held its marking on its left shoulder, which was a red rose over a white shield, with two swords crossing underneath the rose. The blue mobile suit's marking was on its right shield attachment, which adorned a white whale with a submarine conning tower over a multi-colored ocean crest.
In the cockpit of his GAT-X133 Sword Calamity, Edward Harrelson was resting his head back, in an attempt to burn off some of the tension that had grown from the beginning of this little chase. He and Jane only got about three hours of sleep, and while as a mobile suit pilot, he was used to abrupt wake-up calls, but that didn't mean it was any easier to jump from a bed to a cockpit and do the things he did. And he didn't like fighting half-awake either. Thank god for rock and roll, specifically “Desperado” by The Eagles playing lightly on his suit's audio to be exact. It was the only thing keeping him awake.
After a few moments, both his thoughts and his music were interrupted by the video window appearing on his left monitor. “You may want to ditch the rock and roll. We're almost there.” Jane said.
Edward opened his eyes and had them narrow on his wife's digital image. He smiled. “Already?”
“Yep.” Jane replied.
Ed sighed and sat up. “I'll wait on that, I like this track. I listened to it all the time during South America's revolution.”
Jane noted that Ed didn't refer to it as his `homeland', but she didn't point it out. “What are you thinking about Ed? You're not usually this solemn.”
“We were only asleep for three hours.” Ed reminded.
“You mentioned the revolution, and in a depressing tone. That means you're solemn.” Jane said.
Ed chuckled. You knew you were married too long when the wife could make those types of assessments, but he loved that about Jane. That and she wasn't afraid to show off that sexy body of hers. “Just thinking back to how we got this far. From military officers to revolutionaries to pirates in under six years. We lead such an interesting life, don't we?”
Jane bit her lip before replying, as she couldn't tell if her husband was serious about the subject or condescending. Or both. Life after the South America Revolution was very rocky to say the least, and it was a subject neither she nor Ed liked to bring up. “What would you have preferred? Staying in the Alliance and end up like Rena or keeping up the Superman act in South America?”
“Neither, `for it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King'.” Ed replied, quoting from what he could remember of that old movie. “But one day, we're fighting against the Killer Koordinators from Outer Space, next we're out to denounce the evils of truth and love. I'm wondering, when are we going to sit back analyze the course of our lives?”
Jane busted up into laughter at that. “Honey, that would take the fun out of living. Just like the old phrase: sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.” Just as she said that, Ed's radar display went off. Both pilots snapped back to attention and both looked over the sensor readout. “A company of GAT-706S Deep Forbiddens and a Hunley-class attack submarine, all at a depth of one hundred meters and running at forty-three knots. Heading right for the Rommel.” Jane analyzed.
Ed waved that off. “That's your cue, White Whale. Lyn and the others can't handle underwater attackers.
“What about you?”
“Don't worry babe, me and Calamity will be enough, and I can make it from here.”
Jane smiled. “Alright. Kick ass, Ed the Ripper.”
Ed returned the smile. She was one of the few people that didn't offend him when referring to his nickname. He signed off and turned off the music, then pushed away from the Forbidden Blue at the same time. He watched his wife's mobile suit turn away and speed off before he started to work.
Edward's smile turned into a grin as he chose a new music track that was more suitable for `combat'. His choice was “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down. An old sometimes overused song, but still good. For a second, he sat there and tapped against his control panel as the bass guitar set in, then he started to get more into it when drums came in. “I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind… I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time… I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon… I feel there is nothing I can do... Yeah.”
With a flick of the wrist, he kicked the Sword Calamity's powered thrusters into gear and shot upward with little resistance from the water. In only a split second, he emerged from the water and burst into the sky. From his ascent he could see his targets, which were thirteen ships, a few Des Moines and Arkansas-class cruisers, several Fraser-class destroyers and one Tawara-class, plus the defense mobile suits that were lined on their hulls. He could also see the cannons on the destroyers and cruisers angle at him and the Jet Striker packs on the mobile suits fold out in preparation for take off. However, the only thing he wished he could see was the sight of Larson and the rest of the Alliance thugs crapping their pants and screaming “It's a Gundam!”, but he could imagine.
In the cockpit of his GAT-X133 Sword Calamity, Edward Harrelson was resting his head back, in an attempt to burn off some of the tension that had grown from the beginning of this little chase. He and Jane only got about three hours of sleep, and while as a mobile suit pilot, he was used to abrupt wake-up calls, but that didn't mean it was any easier to jump from a bed to a cockpit and do the things he did. And he didn't like fighting half-awake either. Thank god for rock and roll, specifically “Desperado” by The Eagles playing lightly on his suit's audio to be exact. It was the only thing keeping him awake.
After a few moments, both his thoughts and his music were interrupted by the video window appearing on his left monitor. “You may want to ditch the rock and roll. We're almost there.” Jane said.
Edward opened his eyes and had them narrow on his wife's digital image. He smiled. “Already?”
“Yep.” Jane replied.
Ed sighed and sat up. “I'll wait on that, I like this track. I listened to it all the time during South America's revolution.”
Jane noted that Ed didn't refer to it as his `homeland', but she didn't point it out. “What are you thinking about Ed? You're not usually this solemn.”
“We were only asleep for three hours.” Ed reminded.
“You mentioned the revolution, and in a depressing tone. That means you're solemn.” Jane said.
Ed chuckled. You knew you were married too long when the wife could make those types of assessments, but he loved that about Jane. That and she wasn't afraid to show off that sexy body of hers. “Just thinking back to how we got this far. From military officers to revolutionaries to pirates in under six years. We lead such an interesting life, don't we?”
Jane bit her lip before replying, as she couldn't tell if her husband was serious about the subject or condescending. Or both. Life after the South America Revolution was very rocky to say the least, and it was a subject neither she nor Ed liked to bring up. “What would you have preferred? Staying in the Alliance and end up like Rena or keeping up the Superman act in South America?”
“Neither, `for it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King'.” Ed replied, quoting from what he could remember of that old movie. “But one day, we're fighting against the Killer Koordinators from Outer Space, next we're out to denounce the evils of truth and love. I'm wondering, when are we going to sit back analyze the course of our lives?”
Jane busted up into laughter at that. “Honey, that would take the fun out of living. Just like the old phrase: sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.” Just as she said that, Ed's radar display went off. Both pilots snapped back to attention and both looked over the sensor readout. “A company of GAT-706S Deep Forbiddens and a Hunley-class attack submarine, all at a depth of one hundred meters and running at forty-three knots. Heading right for the Rommel.” Jane analyzed.
Ed waved that off. “That's your cue, White Whale. Lyn and the others can't handle underwater attackers.
“What about you?”
“Don't worry babe, me and Calamity will be enough, and I can make it from here.”
Jane smiled. “Alright. Kick ass, Ed the Ripper.”
Ed returned the smile. She was one of the few people that didn't offend him when referring to his nickname. He signed off and turned off the music, then pushed away from the Forbidden Blue at the same time. He watched his wife's mobile suit turn away and speed off before he started to work.
Edward's smile turned into a grin as he chose a new music track that was more suitable for `combat'. His choice was “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down. An old sometimes overused song, but still good. For a second, he sat there and tapped against his control panel as the bass guitar set in, then he started to get more into it when drums came in. “I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind… I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time… I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon… I feel there is nothing I can do... Yeah.”
With a flick of the wrist, he kicked the Sword Calamity's powered thrusters into gear and shot upward with little resistance from the water. In only a split second, he emerged from the water and burst into the sky. From his ascent he could see his targets, which were thirteen ships, a few Des Moines and Arkansas-class cruisers, several Fraser-class destroyers and one Tawara-class, plus the defense mobile suits that were lined on their hulls. He could also see the cannons on the destroyers and cruisers angle at him and the Jet Striker packs on the mobile suits fold out in preparation for take off. However, the only thing he wished he could see was the sight of Larson and the rest of the Alliance thugs crapping their pants and screaming “It's a Gundam!”, but he could imagine.
Only moments after he jumped out of the water, the ships launched a barrage of missiles at the orange mobile suit, and usually that was a very bad thing for a non-flying unit. But the Sword Calamity was geared specifically for mobility, and Ed knew how to utilize that power.
“I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon… After all I knew it had to be something to do with you… I really don't mind what happens now and then… As long as you'll be my friend at the end…” on that note, Ed's smile grew into a full grin and set forth into action. He again kicked the thrusters into gear and performed an arcade styled double jump, leaping over the missiles just as they were about to hit before cutting the thrusters again and dropping again.
“If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?” By now the mobile suits had taken off and were coming up to intercept him, spearheaded by a team of Jet Dagger Ls. Again like a certain video game, Ed drew the right `Schwert Gewehr' anti-ship sword and slashed at the mobile suits. He managed to score two Dagger Ls on the way down with well placed slashes, both cockpit cuts. “I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman…” The third Dagger L knew better than to tango with a Sword Calamity in a close-range fight and just settled for shooting its beam carbine at it. Ed ignored it for now and concentrated on his drop. “…Might.” He had angled it so that he would land on the ship leading the formation, which he assumed was Larson's flagship, the O'Bannon. His demeanor turned a lot more sinister. “Kryptonite.”
With a great slamming sound and motion, the Sword Calamity touched down on the target Des Moines-class destroyer, landing right onto the rapid fire cannon on the bow. Ed could feel the bow dip from his mobile suit's weight, and by this happening he got a better view of the bridge. Sure enough, he saw the bridge crew all gaping at his mobile suit and the rose insignia on the left shoulder, one of them Ed recognized as Larson. Bingo.
He jumped once more, but this time brought the `Schwert Gewehr' up and reversed the grip, then grasped it with both hands. The jump made him come over the stern of the ship, specifically the helicraft pad. Putting full force into it, Edward landed square on the pad and stabbed his anti-ship sword right through it, piercing into the cruiser's engine room, and with a quick slash he disabled its engine.
The mobile suits, which had halted in their attack at first at risk of hitting the O'Bannon, started up again and moved to dive bomb the Sword Calamity. Ed drew his left `Midas Messer' beam boomerang and threw it, slicing one of the Dagger Ls into halves. This made the mobile suits gain further altitude, firing their beam rifles and carbines at him.
Again, Edward laughed while he retrieved the `Midas Messer.' “Like keeping your distance is going to help you idiots!” he yelled over the loudspeaker again. He was used to getting that kind of treatment from opponents. Since Ed's mobile suit was close-range oriented, and for the fact its only long-range weapon was lacking in stopping power, every pilot and their mothers thought the Sword Calamity's strength was restricted to melee only. It was back in the war, but what these idiots didn't realize was that this wasn't the war. And as time goes by, changes are made.
The maw on the Sword Calamity's chest glowed pure white, and then sprang forth into a brilliant multi-colored beam. Immediately three more mobile suits were vaporized by two bursts of the fully powered `Scylla' 580mm multi-phase beam cannon, and another one fell victim to the beam cannon built-in to the hilt of the stowed left `Schwert Gewehr'.
Even though time had gone by and newer mobile suits had been brought to the field, Ed had refused to give up his Sword Calamity to the world, and instead had it annually upgraded with the latest in technologies to keep it up to par with everything else out there. The current incarnation had an upgraded powerplant from the Junk Guild sometime back, and the results were the Sword Calamity's `Scylla' cannon being brought up to the power it had on a standard Calamity Gundam, and the beam cannons on the `Schwert Gewehrs' were given a greater range and charge. All without sacrificing the extra high performance of the Sword Calamity's thrusters.
Still having fun, Ed power jumped and fired a few more shots from the `Scylla' that blew through the heavier Des Moines and Arkansas cruisers, sinking them instantly, then drew the second `Schwert Gewehr' and merged it with the first. Putting full power into the thrusters, he flew right into a Fraser-class destroyer and barrel-rolled, making a passing slice right through the midsection. Immediately, the Fraser's bow and stern divided with a great explosion. Ed landed on the deck, then `jumped' again and proceeded to find his next target.
“I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon… After all I knew it had to be something to do with you… I really don't mind what happens now and then… As long as you'll be my friend at the end…” on that note, Ed's smile grew into a full grin and set forth into action. He again kicked the thrusters into gear and performed an arcade styled double jump, leaping over the missiles just as they were about to hit before cutting the thrusters again and dropping again.
“If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?” By now the mobile suits had taken off and were coming up to intercept him, spearheaded by a team of Jet Dagger Ls. Again like a certain video game, Ed drew the right `Schwert Gewehr' anti-ship sword and slashed at the mobile suits. He managed to score two Dagger Ls on the way down with well placed slashes, both cockpit cuts. “I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman…” The third Dagger L knew better than to tango with a Sword Calamity in a close-range fight and just settled for shooting its beam carbine at it. Ed ignored it for now and concentrated on his drop. “…Might.” He had angled it so that he would land on the ship leading the formation, which he assumed was Larson's flagship, the O'Bannon. His demeanor turned a lot more sinister. “Kryptonite.”
With a great slamming sound and motion, the Sword Calamity touched down on the target Des Moines-class destroyer, landing right onto the rapid fire cannon on the bow. Ed could feel the bow dip from his mobile suit's weight, and by this happening he got a better view of the bridge. Sure enough, he saw the bridge crew all gaping at his mobile suit and the rose insignia on the left shoulder, one of them Ed recognized as Larson. Bingo.
He jumped once more, but this time brought the `Schwert Gewehr' up and reversed the grip, then grasped it with both hands. The jump made him come over the stern of the ship, specifically the helicraft pad. Putting full force into it, Edward landed square on the pad and stabbed his anti-ship sword right through it, piercing into the cruiser's engine room, and with a quick slash he disabled its engine.
The mobile suits, which had halted in their attack at first at risk of hitting the O'Bannon, started up again and moved to dive bomb the Sword Calamity. Ed drew his left `Midas Messer' beam boomerang and threw it, slicing one of the Dagger Ls into halves. This made the mobile suits gain further altitude, firing their beam rifles and carbines at him.
Again, Edward laughed while he retrieved the `Midas Messer.' “Like keeping your distance is going to help you idiots!” he yelled over the loudspeaker again. He was used to getting that kind of treatment from opponents. Since Ed's mobile suit was close-range oriented, and for the fact its only long-range weapon was lacking in stopping power, every pilot and their mothers thought the Sword Calamity's strength was restricted to melee only. It was back in the war, but what these idiots didn't realize was that this wasn't the war. And as time goes by, changes are made.
The maw on the Sword Calamity's chest glowed pure white, and then sprang forth into a brilliant multi-colored beam. Immediately three more mobile suits were vaporized by two bursts of the fully powered `Scylla' 580mm multi-phase beam cannon, and another one fell victim to the beam cannon built-in to the hilt of the stowed left `Schwert Gewehr'.
Even though time had gone by and newer mobile suits had been brought to the field, Ed had refused to give up his Sword Calamity to the world, and instead had it annually upgraded with the latest in technologies to keep it up to par with everything else out there. The current incarnation had an upgraded powerplant from the Junk Guild sometime back, and the results were the Sword Calamity's `Scylla' cannon being brought up to the power it had on a standard Calamity Gundam, and the beam cannons on the `Schwert Gewehrs' were given a greater range and charge. All without sacrificing the extra high performance of the Sword Calamity's thrusters.
Still having fun, Ed power jumped and fired a few more shots from the `Scylla' that blew through the heavier Des Moines and Arkansas cruisers, sinking them instantly, then drew the second `Schwert Gewehr' and merged it with the first. Putting full power into the thrusters, he flew right into a Fraser-class destroyer and barrel-rolled, making a passing slice right through the midsection. Immediately, the Fraser's bow and stern divided with a great explosion. Ed landed on the deck, then `jumped' again and proceeded to find his next target.
There was nothing that beat the thrill of combat to Edward Harrelson. Sure, he hated being labeled with the nickname of a serial killer and having a reputation to match, but that meant nothing compared to piloting a Spearhead, Raider Full Spec or now the Sword Calamity against overwhelming odds. And being a pirate allowed Ed to experience this thrill more often than not, which was one of the reasons he felt at home with Gray Wolf. It also made him feel better about the dilemma from earlier.
“I love this… This is what I live for!” Ed called joyously as he charged at another ship, explosions happening all around. “I'm absolutely crazy about it!!”
-------------------------------
Jane darted in front of the Deep Forbidden before it could react and folded the close combat armor back, revealing her Forbidden Blue's head and cold yellow eyes. This stunned the pilot long enough for her to impale the mobile suit through the cockpit with her trident, then dart away as the incoming supercavitating torpedoes slammed into her victim's side. There were now five Deep Forbiddens left, plus the Hunley-class attack submarine that was trying to make a run for it.
This is way too easy. I went through seven mobile suits in only two minutes and twenty seven seconds. Jane thought. “And it doesn't help that I was the test pilot for their mobile suits.” Her opponents were obviously rookies, probably had been trained in land based mobile suits or something like captured GOOhNs. They were maneuvering sluggishly, as if they were unfamiliar to maneuvering in three dimensions underwater. She might have been merciful on them any other time, but the more time she wasted now the further the submarine would be out of her reach.
A burst of synchronized phonon masers from three Atlantic Deep Forbiddens lanced at Jane's lone Forbidden Blue, forcing her on the defensive for a moment. She brought up her twin `Geschmeidig Panzer' shields and crossed them in front of her, making the maser bursts arc around her mobile suit. After the beams were averted, she went into a dash with a combination of verniers and hydrojet thrusters, dropping her depth further. The Deep Forbiddens all pursued and fired more torpedos at her, as well as their phonon masers, but none of them got direct hits.
Again, Jane deflected the advancing shots with her shields, and smiled smugly as she did. She knew what the pilots were thinking, if they could somehow neutralize the `Panzer' shields, the Forbidden Blue would lose all pressure counteraction and be crushed at the current depth. It would've been like that in the war, but not now. Like Ed with his Sword Calamity, she had refused to give up her beloved “Blue-chan” for a newer model, and instead just had it updated to match modern standards. Among those updates was an upgraded powerplant like the on the Sword Calamity, and reinforced structuring that made it able to sustain water pressure more, thus taking away the `coffin' flaw.
Not that it mattered, because even if the Forbidden Blue didn't have all those fancy features, Jane still would've beat them anyway. Evading their shots by zig-zagging, she approached one of the Deep Forbiddens and armed her right shield mandible, and then clamped it firmly around its torso. She then held her victim out in front of her mobile suit, between her and the other four Forbiddens. As expected, they hesitated, and Jane took the opportunity to fold the close combat armor down again and fire her own phonon maser, destroying one of them with a cockpit shot. Even after that happened, the remaining three mobile suits did not follow-up with a counterattack.
This is way too easy. I went through seven mobile suits in only two minutes and twenty seven seconds. Jane thought. “And it doesn't help that I was the test pilot for their mobile suits.” Her opponents were obviously rookies, probably had been trained in land based mobile suits or something like captured GOOhNs. They were maneuvering sluggishly, as if they were unfamiliar to maneuvering in three dimensions underwater. She might have been merciful on them any other time, but the more time she wasted now the further the submarine would be out of her reach.
A burst of synchronized phonon masers from three Atlantic Deep Forbiddens lanced at Jane's lone Forbidden Blue, forcing her on the defensive for a moment. She brought up her twin `Geschmeidig Panzer' shields and crossed them in front of her, making the maser bursts arc around her mobile suit. After the beams were averted, she went into a dash with a combination of verniers and hydrojet thrusters, dropping her depth further. The Deep Forbiddens all pursued and fired more torpedos at her, as well as their phonon masers, but none of them got direct hits.
Again, Jane deflected the advancing shots with her shields, and smiled smugly as she did. She knew what the pilots were thinking, if they could somehow neutralize the `Panzer' shields, the Forbidden Blue would lose all pressure counteraction and be crushed at the current depth. It would've been like that in the war, but not now. Like Ed with his Sword Calamity, she had refused to give up her beloved “Blue-chan” for a newer model, and instead just had it updated to match modern standards. Among those updates was an upgraded powerplant like the on the Sword Calamity, and reinforced structuring that made it able to sustain water pressure more, thus taking away the `coffin' flaw.
Not that it mattered, because even if the Forbidden Blue didn't have all those fancy features, Jane still would've beat them anyway. Evading their shots by zig-zagging, she approached one of the Deep Forbiddens and armed her right shield mandible, and then clamped it firmly around its torso. She then held her victim out in front of her mobile suit, between her and the other four Forbiddens. As expected, they hesitated, and Jane took the opportunity to fold the close combat armor down again and fire her own phonon maser, destroying one of them with a cockpit shot. Even after that happened, the remaining three mobile suits did not follow-up with a counterattack.
“Fools, you never hesitate when the enemy is shooting at you!” Jane let out, feeling a bit aggravated by how dumb these Alliance pilots were. Again she attacked by firing her left `Armfeuer' 115mm machine gun. The Deep Forbidden, lacking the trans-phase armor of its prototype, lacked any real defensive system besides its `Panzer' shields, and was easily susceptible to projectile based weapons. And the one Jane had targeted was no exception, having ended up being riddled with 115mm rounds across its main body. But Jane had no time to check if she killed the pilot within or not.
Finally catching on, the last two Forbiddens started firing at her again with their torpedoes. Effectively, Jane brought the Forbidden still within her claw in front of her suit, then withdrew the mandibles and flitted away while the Alliance Forbidden was slammed by four supercavitating torpedoes. The hull immediately burst and exploded into a heap of bubbles. Jane took the opportunity to fire two more of her own torpedoes through those bubbles, her suit's more advanced sensors having gained a target lock on one of the two Forbiddens and the said mobile suit soon joined the rest of its fallen comrades in another bubbly mess. “One more to go.”
Finally catching on, the last two Forbiddens started firing at her again with their torpedoes. Effectively, Jane brought the Forbidden still within her claw in front of her suit, then withdrew the mandibles and flitted away while the Alliance Forbidden was slammed by four supercavitating torpedoes. The hull immediately burst and exploded into a heap of bubbles. Jane took the opportunity to fire two more of her own torpedoes through those bubbles, her suit's more advanced sensors having gained a target lock on one of the two Forbiddens and the said mobile suit soon joined the rest of its fallen comrades in another bubbly mess. “One more to go.”
Jane was interrupted by the sudden lunge of her enemy's trident, which she deflected with her own. “So forceful… You won't win over any girls like that!” Jane taunted, forcing the trident off. The enemy Forbidden opened its close combat armor for better agility, and then made more lunging attacks which Jane skillfully dodged or parried with her own trident and `Panzer' shields. Then much to Jane's surprise, the Forbidden launched a supercavitating torpedo at point blank, which exploded against the `Panzer' shield and knocked her back.
Thankfully, the trans-phase armor absorbed the blow and allowed Jane to recover. She panted a little bit, and smiled. “Ho, so there is someone with skill among these fools.” She remarked to herself. The mandibles on her `Panzer' shields flipped out again and she moved in to strike at the cockpit, but the enemy Forbidden's own mandibles clamped onto hers and held her there. Jane knew the guy could flip the armor back down and key off another phonon maser shot, so she took a drastic measure. Whipping her towed sonar away around, she stung the claw-shaped anchor tip into the Deep Forbidden's torso like a scorpion tail. As a result, the Deep Forbidden let her loose and she flitted away.
She was forced on the defense again when the Deep Forbidden flipped its close combat armor over again and fired its phonon maser cannon. With the fast reflexes only an ace could hold, Jane brought her right `Panzer' shield up again and forced the blast to arc away, then burst into a zig-zag pattern away from the pursuing Forbidden to avoid follow-up torpedoes. She wasn't sure whether this guy was skilled or just realized he was dead as Djibril if he didn't get on the offensive.
She did know the guy's strategy: bombard her at long-range and drain the trans-phase armor and `Panzers' away while at the same time keep Jane from fighting at close-range. Even when she responded with her own phonon maser cannon, the enemy pilot simply brought up one of his own `Panzer' shields to deflect the incoming blast. She also knew he would simply shoot down her torpedoes too. But there's still the possibility of getting killed by a lucky shot… And then the enemy Hunley-class. She checked her active sonar and saw that the enemy submarine was still reachable, but it was moving away further and further with the passage of time. I should've finished that thing off fir- What's that?
Her active sonar picked up another object besides the submarine and Deep Forbidden. Jane smiled brightly when she realized it was the Forbidden that she shot apart with the `Armfeurer'. It hadn't exploded but was simply drifting further and further to the ocean bottom. The `Panzers' must still have power to them. Jane thought. She saw an opportunity. She slipped away from another phonon maser attack and moved over to the floating Deep Forbidden. With a small poke of the trident, Jane impaled the sinking mobile suit through its cockpit.
Her visual sensors picked up the traces of red floating out of the hole she made, which meant she also landed through the pilot's remains. Jane sighed, and then crossed herself as a gesture of respect. I hope you don't hold this against me, but you know the game. Either you or me. It applies to everyone…
With a twist of the trident, she pointed the dead Forbidden toward its comrade and charged. There was a little bit of water resistance from the additional mass, but the Forbidden Blue was powerful enough and the extra pair of functioning `Panzer' shields held off any more water pressure. As expected, the enemy pilot hesitated at first, but when Jane was only a few dozen meters off, it fired its phonon maser cannon into the Deep Forbidden corpse and it exploded into a great mass of bubbles.
The Forbidden Blue stopped charging after the explosion. There was no movement from the sonar, and the darkness of the depth and the mass of the explosion kept the Atlantic Federation pilot from seeing any wreckage. For a moment, the pilot, young and inexperienced like the rest of his comrades, thought he actually took down the White Whale herself.
That was, until the sonar came to life again and showed movement. From the remains of the explosion, the Forbidden Blue charged out, dropping pole that remained of its trident, yellow camera eyes glowing with hell behind them. The close combat armor then flipped down again and the red camera visor glowed even more intensely. The Alliance pilot panicked and attempt to bring up his weapons again, but it was too late. The Forbidden Blue's shield claws extended and both sets of mandibles and combat spikes wrapped around the torso of the Deep Forbidden. With a quick motion and the sound of metal being crushed and cut apart at the same time, the Alliance mobile suit was cut in half at the cockpit level.
Jane reached out to the top half, which was still floating from the active `Panzer' shields and took the Deep Forbidden's trident as a replacement for her own. This brought to light the blood leaking off of the edges of the claws and spikes, and she grimaced. “Now I know how Ed feels…” she said, looking away. She withdrew the claws.
But there was still one more thing left to do. Jane caught a lock on the Hunley-class. “And where do you think you're going, big guy?” Jane quipped. The Alliance submarine hadn't gotten very far in the few minutes of Jane's battle, still relatively close. Putting power into her verniers and hydrojet thrusters, she sped at the submarine. Her visual sensors displayed the grayish black hull of the Atlantic Federal attack submarine, which was still trying to make a run for it against Jane's much faster mobile suit.
When Jane got into range, she launched her last pair of torpedoes, which moments later struck. One slammed into the port engine nacelle, while the other struck the main hull midway.
Despite the damage, Jane wasn't convinced the submarine was dead, so she sped to the aft area of the ship and fired a powered blast from the phonon maser cannon. The concentrated beam of sound waves struck into the submarine's battery reactor system, and the Hunley-class joined its mobile suit escort in a mass of bubbles and metal remains.
Jane took a moment to catch her breath, both satisfied and unsatisfied at what she had done. She had single-handedly fought off twelve mobile suits and a submarine in only a matter of minutes, but those said suits and submarine were crewed by Atlantic Federals, whom she had once been, and that didn't leave a good feeling in her stomach. Then again, she wouldn't have felt easier if they were anything else, ZAFT included.
Jane shook her head at those thoughts. “Get a hold of yourself Jane, you chose this path years ago, and now you're going to walk it without regretting it.” She put more power to her thrusters and started cruising back to the main fleet's position to join Edward.
Thankfully, the trans-phase armor absorbed the blow and allowed Jane to recover. She panted a little bit, and smiled. “Ho, so there is someone with skill among these fools.” She remarked to herself. The mandibles on her `Panzer' shields flipped out again and she moved in to strike at the cockpit, but the enemy Forbidden's own mandibles clamped onto hers and held her there. Jane knew the guy could flip the armor back down and key off another phonon maser shot, so she took a drastic measure. Whipping her towed sonar away around, she stung the claw-shaped anchor tip into the Deep Forbidden's torso like a scorpion tail. As a result, the Deep Forbidden let her loose and she flitted away.
She was forced on the defense again when the Deep Forbidden flipped its close combat armor over again and fired its phonon maser cannon. With the fast reflexes only an ace could hold, Jane brought her right `Panzer' shield up again and forced the blast to arc away, then burst into a zig-zag pattern away from the pursuing Forbidden to avoid follow-up torpedoes. She wasn't sure whether this guy was skilled or just realized he was dead as Djibril if he didn't get on the offensive.
She did know the guy's strategy: bombard her at long-range and drain the trans-phase armor and `Panzers' away while at the same time keep Jane from fighting at close-range. Even when she responded with her own phonon maser cannon, the enemy pilot simply brought up one of his own `Panzer' shields to deflect the incoming blast. She also knew he would simply shoot down her torpedoes too. But there's still the possibility of getting killed by a lucky shot… And then the enemy Hunley-class. She checked her active sonar and saw that the enemy submarine was still reachable, but it was moving away further and further with the passage of time. I should've finished that thing off fir- What's that?
Her active sonar picked up another object besides the submarine and Deep Forbidden. Jane smiled brightly when she realized it was the Forbidden that she shot apart with the `Armfeurer'. It hadn't exploded but was simply drifting further and further to the ocean bottom. The `Panzers' must still have power to them. Jane thought. She saw an opportunity. She slipped away from another phonon maser attack and moved over to the floating Deep Forbidden. With a small poke of the trident, Jane impaled the sinking mobile suit through its cockpit.
Her visual sensors picked up the traces of red floating out of the hole she made, which meant she also landed through the pilot's remains. Jane sighed, and then crossed herself as a gesture of respect. I hope you don't hold this against me, but you know the game. Either you or me. It applies to everyone…
With a twist of the trident, she pointed the dead Forbidden toward its comrade and charged. There was a little bit of water resistance from the additional mass, but the Forbidden Blue was powerful enough and the extra pair of functioning `Panzer' shields held off any more water pressure. As expected, the enemy pilot hesitated at first, but when Jane was only a few dozen meters off, it fired its phonon maser cannon into the Deep Forbidden corpse and it exploded into a great mass of bubbles.
The Forbidden Blue stopped charging after the explosion. There was no movement from the sonar, and the darkness of the depth and the mass of the explosion kept the Atlantic Federation pilot from seeing any wreckage. For a moment, the pilot, young and inexperienced like the rest of his comrades, thought he actually took down the White Whale herself.
That was, until the sonar came to life again and showed movement. From the remains of the explosion, the Forbidden Blue charged out, dropping pole that remained of its trident, yellow camera eyes glowing with hell behind them. The close combat armor then flipped down again and the red camera visor glowed even more intensely. The Alliance pilot panicked and attempt to bring up his weapons again, but it was too late. The Forbidden Blue's shield claws extended and both sets of mandibles and combat spikes wrapped around the torso of the Deep Forbidden. With a quick motion and the sound of metal being crushed and cut apart at the same time, the Alliance mobile suit was cut in half at the cockpit level.
Jane reached out to the top half, which was still floating from the active `Panzer' shields and took the Deep Forbidden's trident as a replacement for her own. This brought to light the blood leaking off of the edges of the claws and spikes, and she grimaced. “Now I know how Ed feels…” she said, looking away. She withdrew the claws.
But there was still one more thing left to do. Jane caught a lock on the Hunley-class. “And where do you think you're going, big guy?” Jane quipped. The Alliance submarine hadn't gotten very far in the few minutes of Jane's battle, still relatively close. Putting power into her verniers and hydrojet thrusters, she sped at the submarine. Her visual sensors displayed the grayish black hull of the Atlantic Federal attack submarine, which was still trying to make a run for it against Jane's much faster mobile suit.
When Jane got into range, she launched her last pair of torpedoes, which moments later struck. One slammed into the port engine nacelle, while the other struck the main hull midway.
Despite the damage, Jane wasn't convinced the submarine was dead, so she sped to the aft area of the ship and fired a powered blast from the phonon maser cannon. The concentrated beam of sound waves struck into the submarine's battery reactor system, and the Hunley-class joined its mobile suit escort in a mass of bubbles and metal remains.
Jane took a moment to catch her breath, both satisfied and unsatisfied at what she had done. She had single-handedly fought off twelve mobile suits and a submarine in only a matter of minutes, but those said suits and submarine were crewed by Atlantic Federals, whom she had once been, and that didn't leave a good feeling in her stomach. Then again, she wouldn't have felt easier if they were anything else, ZAFT included.
Jane shook her head at those thoughts. “Get a hold of yourself Jane, you chose this path years ago, and now you're going to walk it without regretting it.” She put more power to her thrusters and started cruising back to the main fleet's position to join Edward.
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Ellis Tarat could no longer see the Rommel below her. She and the rest of Lupus Team were still concentrated on the chrome Zamza-Zah. Thomas and Isamu were hanging back and barraging it with missile and beam rifle fire while Lyn and herself were trying to attack at close-range, with Lyn using her `Stiletto' like a dagger and Ellis using one of her beam sabers. But each time they attacked, the mobile armor seemed to just either shake away from their attacks or use its `Schneid Schutz' shield to deflect the attacks.
As she blasted after the mobile armor for another attack run, Ellis' sensor display went off, detecting a lone Jet Dagger L shooting after her, but it was apparently unarmed. This made Ellis arch an eyebrow. He's not even using his beam saber. Is he insane…? Ellis concluded that the pilot had given up on life at that point, because sure enough, the Dagger L was aimed to ram her Windam S. Sighing, Ellis spun to face the oncoming Dagger and then ducked before it could shoulder slam her in the torso. Then using the beam saber, she cut off the right leg at the upper calf.
Learning the error of his tactics, the Dagger pilot veered off and tried to jet away before the dark gray and blue tinted Jet Windam S attacked it further. Ellis figured she could've let him go, but knowing the Dagger could make another attack, she decided to finish. Putting full power into her Jet Striker and regular verniers, her newer and more advanced Windam S easily outran the Dagger. She made a quick stab with the beam saber tip into the cockpit, felt the Dagger drop a little bit from its pilot dying and withdrew her saber blade. Satisfied, Ellis turned away, not caring to see the Dagger keep flying until it either ran out of fuel or got shot down.
As she blasted after the mobile armor for another attack run, Ellis' sensor display went off, detecting a lone Jet Dagger L shooting after her, but it was apparently unarmed. This made Ellis arch an eyebrow. He's not even using his beam saber. Is he insane…? Ellis concluded that the pilot had given up on life at that point, because sure enough, the Dagger L was aimed to ram her Windam S. Sighing, Ellis spun to face the oncoming Dagger and then ducked before it could shoulder slam her in the torso. Then using the beam saber, she cut off the right leg at the upper calf.
Learning the error of his tactics, the Dagger pilot veered off and tried to jet away before the dark gray and blue tinted Jet Windam S attacked it further. Ellis figured she could've let him go, but knowing the Dagger could make another attack, she decided to finish. Putting full power into her Jet Striker and regular verniers, her newer and more advanced Windam S easily outran the Dagger. She made a quick stab with the beam saber tip into the cockpit, felt the Dagger drop a little bit from its pilot dying and withdrew her saber blade. Satisfied, Ellis turned away, not caring to see the Dagger keep flying until it either ran out of fuel or got shot down.
“Lupus Seven, watch it!” Lyn shouted off a warning. Lyn turned around again, feeling the color drain from her skin when she saw the Zamza-Zah beeline for her mobile suit, the front XM518 `Vasiliev' Hyper-Oscillation Crushers glowing red. Immediately, Lyn reversed thrust and tried to fly back, firing the two `Wurger' missiles in her shield and her CIWS. But the Zamza-Zah turned over again and presented its positron shield, deflecting her fire.
Sneering, Ellis decided to just confront the armor head on. She charged, beam saber ready for a lunge. The Zamza-Zah swiped its `Vasilievs' at her, but Ellis banked to the right and dodged. “Finally!” she shouted, as she saw her blade pierce through the left eye camera. She smirked, but she had no time celebrate. Before she could react, the front crushers latched onto her mobile suit's legs.
Sneering, Ellis decided to just confront the armor head on. She charged, beam saber ready for a lunge. The Zamza-Zah swiped its `Vasilievs' at her, but Ellis banked to the right and dodged. “Finally!” she shouted, as she saw her blade pierce through the left eye camera. She smirked, but she had no time celebrate. Before she could react, the front crushers latched onto her mobile suit's legs.
“Shit, no!” Ellis struggled, but the mobile armor had a hard, crushing grip on the legs. She spun her saber around and attempted to cut the crusher limbs, but the GAU111 cannons swiveled around and fired. One shot obliterated her saber hand, and the second shot blasted away the remaining saber from her hip.
“Ellis!” Lyn called out.
“Let go of her, you piece of crab shit!” Thomas roared, firing beam rifle shots at the crushers holding Ellis.
Then Ellis' world froze and went black and white. As she was held there, the Zamza-Zah's GAU111 cannons all swiveled and turned over to face her cockpit block. Even though the cannons only fired projectiles, the trans-phase armor wouldn't be able to keep up at a point-blank shot. Ellis, defiant to the end, reached down to grab a `Stiletto' piercer, praying that she would make it in time…
“Ellis!” Lyn called out.
“Let go of her, you piece of crab shit!” Thomas roared, firing beam rifle shots at the crushers holding Ellis.
Then Ellis' world froze and went black and white. As she was held there, the Zamza-Zah's GAU111 cannons all swiveled and turned over to face her cockpit block. Even though the cannons only fired projectiles, the trans-phase armor wouldn't be able to keep up at a point-blank shot. Ellis, defiant to the end, reached down to grab a `Stiletto' piercer, praying that she would make it in time…
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“Bang!” twin streams of plasma shot down from the sky and blasted into the exposed side of the Zamza-Zah. Having been concentrated on the single Windam S, it did not raise its positron shield, and thus shuddered under the blast but held together. For a brief moment, the crushers lost power and Ellis took the opportunity to slip out of their grip.
“How was that for a dramatic entrance?” came an inquiring voice. Immediately, all four Windam Ss turned their attention to see the silhouette of the Saviour Gundam Kai fly into the battlefield, the rising sun casting over it and the green mono-eye mounted on its secondary `head' flaring brightly.
In the cockpit of the purple-cast Gundam, Vale Hunter smiled when the mobile armor's attention changed over to his approach. The Zamza-Zah's front crushers retracted to reveal the multi-phase beam cannons, which then fired at him, but he easily evaded by doing a barrel-roll. “Well, well, a Zamza-Zah. Haven't seen one of these in a while. You'd think after what Shinn Asuka did to the prototype, the Alliance would stop making these things.” Vale quipped as he dodged another blast.
To further piss it off, he activated the `Griffon 2' beam blades in the Saviour Kai's wings and increased his thrust. Just before he flew over the mobile armor's dorsal side, he did another roll that turned the Saviour Kai upside down, with its back, flight mode head and mono-eye facing down at the Zamza-Zah. The wing blades cut down over the top armor of the Alliance mobile armor. Although they didn't do too much damage, the top layer of trans-phase armor, as well as the head fin, had been removed, effectively `scalping' the crab-like machine.
The Zamza-Zah retaliated by firing its rear mounted `Gamzatov' multi-phase beam cannons, but Vale simply jetted upward and evaded them. He flew next to Lynsie's Windam S and transformed the Saviour Kai into MS mode.
“What took you so long? I called you several minutes ago.” Lynsie demanded. It was just after she said that when Lyn saw the damage marks on the Saviour Kai's body.
“I had some… complications.” Vale replied bluntly. He didn't want to dwell on his fight with the Gaia Kai, it would just infuriate him. So he moved on to the subject at hand. “So what the hell is going on?”
Before Lyn could answer, the Zamza-Zah came at them a raging bull, its crushers glowing bright red. “It's Larson!” Lyn managed to squeeze off before she jetted away. When she was out of danger, she continued. “He got some of the 7th Pacific Fleet to come after us!”
“Did he know we were leaving?” Vale asked after he squeezed a beam rifle shot at the Zamza-Zah. Still possessing power, the mobile armor's Trans-Phase deflected the blast.
“No, Cunningham just lost a bet with him, and he's come to collect.” Thomas cut in with a conniving tone. “Of course he knew you idiot! Why else would he be here…?” he evaded a burst from the low-pressure cannons on the Zamza-Zah's right side. “Kisama…How can this thing take so much!?
“It should be low on power by now.” Isamu said as he himself joined the fight by firing his beam rifle into the low-pressure cannon barrels. One of the barrels shattered, but Isamu was forced to evade when the mobile armor turned its attack on him. That's when Ellis came in with a `Stiletto' a cut a huge gash across the opposite side of the Zamza-Zah…
“It should be low on power by now.” Isamu said as he himself joined the fight by firing his beam rifle into the low-pressure cannon barrels. One of the barrels shattered, but Isamu was forced to evade when the mobile armor turned its attack on him. That's when Ellis came in with a `Stiletto' a cut a huge gash across the opposite side of the Zamza-Zah…
Vale watched the Zamza-Zah maneuver and counter against each attack that the Windam S team brought against it and nodded approvingly. It's weakened. You guys did a bang-up job. Mobile armors like this are designed to take on entire taskforces single-handedly, but it only took you four to put it on the ropes. He flew after the mobile armor and gained a target lock. The only problem is it doesn't know it's defeated… With that thought, he let off a triple shot from the beam rifle. Each shot was targeted for the gash that Ellis had made, and all three struck the mark. For the first time in the entire battle, an explosion came out of the mobile armor, with its left mid-section blowing up from within.
Putting Saviour Kai into full power, Vale shot after the mobile armor, withdrawing his beam rifle and drawing both beam sabers in the process. He flew in over the Zamza-Zah and slashed at the `scalped' top, causing further explosions to shoot out from the armor.
Despite the damage, the Zamza-Zah held and targeted the Saviour Kai with its front GAU111 cannons, firing both but hitting nothing but air as the Gundam spun to armor's left side. Another slash combo destroyed the left positron shield projector fin, as well as cut deeper into the armor. Vale grinned at that, knowing now the Zamza-Zah wouldn't be able to use the `Schneid Schutz' again. He then dropped in front and made a double slash over where the cockpit hatch was, and although it didn't pierce, the saber strikes would at least intimidate the pilots further. It even through the mobile armor back some meters, allowing Vale to drive his attack onward…
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As the Saviour Kai attacked the Zamza-Zah like a lone magenta knight attacking a fierce dragon, the four Windam Ss watched the battle. The Gundam was literally flying all over the mobile armor, making strikes with its beam sabers or even CIWS that was enough to do light damage, fly away before a retaliation then attack some more. All four pilots could only gape in amazement at seeing the lone mobile suit make short work of the beast that had been keeping them at bay for so long.
“No… way…” Isamu let out in disbelief.
“Is this… why he's called the Black Joker…?” Lyn also said outloud. She knew the Zamza-Zah was already damaged before he got there, but… this was just unbelievable.
Thomas just gritted his teeth in anger. “Bastard…” he growled. “No one should be able to do this… Natural or Coordinator…” Knowing nobody was watching him, Thomas seriously considered targeting the Saviour Kai with his beam rifle and letting off a shot while Vale was busy. His computer had a target lock, and Thomas knew he was a dead shot at the current range. He began to pull up the beam rifle…
“Don't even think about it Lupus Five.” came Ellis' inquiring voice.
“Don't even think about it Lupus Five.” came Ellis' inquiring voice.
Immediately, Thomas dropped the rifle down and looked over at Ellis' Windam S, which was standing just in front of him. “What are you going on about, Seven? I was going to take a cockpit shot!”
“For which? The crab or the raven?” Ellis said.
This threw Thomas through a loop in confusion. Does she know? And much more, how did she see the rifle angle? I'm right behind her! “I'm taking that shot anyway.” Thomas let out.
Vale overheard this. “Negative Five, don't…”
“SHUT UP!!” Thomas roared, firing two beam bolts at the mobile armor.
The shots were dead on, shooting past the Saviour Kai and slamming into the area between the Zamza-Zah's eyes, a testament to Thomas Kurtz's marksmanship. Unfortunately though, the trans-phase armor still had power there and the beams didn't penetrate. It did however, gain the Zamza-Zah's attention. The mobile armor, realizing there was weaker prey, blasted away from Vale and charged like a bull at the grouped together Jet Windam Ss.
“Damn! Open fire!” Lyn commanded. The Windam Ss let out with their beam rifles, remaining missiles and whatever other weapons were available to throw the Zamza-Zah off its course, but despite the heavy damage and its lack of positron shield, the mobile armor charged on. More trans-phase armor was blasted away, and the left GAU111 cannon was reduced to flaming scraps of metal, but the armor charged on. And its first target was…
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Raising its right `Vasiliev', the Zamza-Zah proceeded to strike down the tip of the hyper-oscillation crusher on Ellis Tarat's Windam S. But not just in any particular place, it slammed right down into the Jet Striker pack, rendering the pack in-operable. Then simultaneously, it flipped the claw tip around and revealed the `Gamzatov', firing point blank at a downward angle into the exposed back of the Windam S.
Ellis' world went black and white when she realized the blast cut her directly down the back, vaporizing both the Jet Striker and her main thrusters. Alarms and warnings were going off in her cockpit, and the sounds of Lyn, Vale and everyone else calling to her echoed over her radio, but they all fell silent as she found her mobile suit and herself being pulled in by Earth's gravity. She seriously didn't know how to react, whether be defiant to the end and scream or go meet her fate quickly and silently. All she could do was gawk speechlessly and wonder if this was really it, as the ocean drew closer…
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To the horror of all Gray Wolf members, even those on the Rommel, Ellis' Windam S slammed into the ocean surface. There was no follow-up explosion, but the crash alone was enough to create large shockwaves that rippled across the ocean surface, and even made it into the air. It was also enough to make Lynsie Schneider grit her teeth in rage.
While Ellis was fairly new compared to present company, Lynsie found her to be easy to socialize with once she got past the apathy barrier. The ex-Orb pilot was a good person to talk to, as well as someone to share thoughts with and expect an objective answer from. She was also fun to hang around with, especially since she was the only other female mobile suit pilot in Gray Wolf besides Lyn and Jane. Either way, when Ellis' mobile suit crashed, Lyn felt a cold needle shove through her heart, which was shortly followed by the intense fury of rage and hatred to the one responsible. “Bastard!!” Lyn called out, targeting the Zamza-Zah.
With the quickness of an assassin, she withdrew her beam rifle and drew both her `Stiletto' armor penetrators, then threw them at the mobile armor. Their propellant rockets lit up just before they would impact, furthering their penetrations through the Zamza-Zah's armor. One pierced into the right hyper crusher, destroying it instantly with the following explosion, and the second ripped the entire right side of the face plate, breaking off the sensor eye and revealing some of the inner electronics. This gave the Zamza-Zah the appearance of a battle ravaged beast, with one of its eyes missing and the other one shattered, as well as cuts and tears all over its once pristine chrome body.
But the beast didn't go down, and immediately it targeted Lyn's Windam S as its next prey. Again it charged, remaining left crusher glowing red and open to rip into the gray Windam S. Lyn didn't have enough time to react at the proximity the armor was in, as all she could do was reach for her beam rifle again.
Just as the mobile armor came on top of her though, the Saviour Kai charged in front of her and tackled the Zamza-Zah head on, placing both of its hand manipulators right between the eyes. Lyn was wide eyed in both shock and awe as Vale's mobile suit put on full thrust and actually pushed the armor back.
“That's enough. You annoy me now…” Vale said, his voice much more stern and full of power than it usually was. He stared right into the face of the Zamza-Zah, his eyes focusing into a laser thin glare. As well, one should note that the pupil in his eyes had grown considerably, and his eye color had changed to a reflective light magenta. “Disappear!”
The Saviour Kai kicked off the Zamza-Zah's head and back flipped in midair, while at the same time folding the `Amfortas' nacelles at its hips. Both plasma cannons and `Hyper Fortis' beam cannons let out a concentrated burst that blew off the entire upper right side of the mobile armor, all mechanics and circuitry in one great explosion. Before it could do anything to react to this, the Saviour Kai shot into the air and transformed into flight mode again. After reaching a certain height, it arced into a steep dive.
When Vale came right over the exposed top side of the struggling Zamza-Zah, he fired the `Amfortas' cannons again at near point blank. Both shots blasted right through the armor and made a large hole. The Saviour Kai flew through the said hole, transforming just before its approach and drawing both beam sabers again. With a combination of slashes, Vale cut through the cockpit section and the reactor of the Zamza-Zah from the inside, then dropping through the bottom just before the reactor went critical.
The Alliance mobile armor's reactor then detonated fully, its entire chrome frame disappearing in a vibrant explosion. The Saviour Kai shot from underneath the explosion and leveled out, rejoining the remaining three Windam Ss. For whatever reason, Vale found himself panting, as if he himself had fought a long and tiresome battle just now.
A communication opened from Isamu's unit. “Remind me never to piss you off Lupus One.”
Vale just smiled in reply, between pants of course, but then turned back into a serious look. He had the Saviour Kai's head turn and look down at the ocean. “The homing beacon?”
Vale just smiled in reply, between pants of course, but then turned back into a serious look. He had the Saviour Kai's head turn and look down at the ocean. “The homing beacon?”
Both Lyn and Thomas' faces also appeared on the screen. Thomas was glaring off to the side, obviously upset and regretful of firing those shots, and Lyn looked even more solemn. Isamu simply sighed and shook his head.
In a shot of fury, Vale found energy enter him anew. His teeth grit and his eyes turned into a glare. “Verdammit!!” he swore, slamming his fist into his control panel. His panting increased as the frustration at being unable to do anything ate away at him.
In a shot of fury, Vale found energy enter him anew. His teeth grit and his eyes turned into a glare. “Verdammit!!” he swore, slamming his fist into his control panel. His panting increased as the frustration at being unable to do anything ate away at him.
A broadband message came up over the channel. “Lupus Two to all units, enemy fleet is disabled. Larson has kindly `agreed' to order off any more pursuit on us. Me and Lupus Three are returning to the Rommel.” Edward Harrelson's upbeat voice said over the comm. “Larson gives his best to you, Captain…”
This was then followed by Larson's face appearing on everyone's monitors. “How DARE you!! If you think I am going to let this slip by, John Silver, then you will further regret it when the entire Earth Alliance hunts you down! Rest assured we will meet again…” it then signed off.
This was then followed by Larson's face appearing on everyone's monitors. “How DARE you!! If you think I am going to let this slip by, John Silver, then you will further regret it when the entire Earth Alliance hunts you down! Rest assured we will meet again…” it then signed off.
The frustration that Vale, Lyn, Thomas and Isamu felt at Ellis' loss simultaneously vanished after that, and they again felt satisfaction come in. Vale even gave off a half-smirk. “Quite an interesting life we lead, eh?”
Lyn mirrored that smirk and called in. “Lupus Four to Rommel, all enemy bogeys destroyed. The screen is clear.”
“Acknowledged Lupus Four. All units, return to ship. We're getting our asses out of here.” Cunningham ordered.
Lyn mirrored that smirk and called in. “Lupus Four to Rommel, all enemy bogeys destroyed. The screen is clear.”
“Acknowledged Lupus Four. All units, return to ship. We're getting our asses out of here.” Cunningham ordered.
The three Jet Windam Ss moved again, but this time they lowered in altitude and shot after the gray colored Lesseps-class that was moving south to the multi-colored dawn horizon. Before he made the Saviour Kai do the same, Vale took one last look down at the ocean. “See ya around, Ellis-san.” He saluted. He then had the Saviour Kai fly off to join the others…
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TO BE CONTINUED…
Windam S: For an image of what they look like, take a regular Windam and repaint it in gray, dark gray and blue; i.e., the Duel Dagger and Hyperion Unit 2 scheme. There's really more to this unit than just being some pirate customization, but I'll highlight on this later.
Hunley-class: This is the name I've given to the Earth Federation Attack Submarine, named after the famous pre-submarine CSS H.L. Hunley from the American Civil War, which in turn was named after its designer. Looks like a fast ship, probably with a max submerged speed of 60 knots (which is about 20 knots faster than the current era Alfa-class) and designed to intercept ships like ZAFT's Vosgulov-class.
Hunley-class: This is the name I've given to the Earth Federation Attack Submarine, named after the famous pre-submarine CSS H.L. Hunley from the American Civil War, which in turn was named after its designer. Looks like a fast ship, probably with a max submerged speed of 60 knots (which is about 20 knots faster than the current era Alfa-class) and designed to intercept ships like ZAFT's Vosgulov-class.
In case anyone is wondering, yes Ellis does survive, but she will no longer be covered in Odyssey V. Instead, she will be featured in Cynical Swordmaster's Odyssey R. Somewhat anti-climatic for me to say it, but I felt I had to.