Episode 18 - Ayers City Stop-over [TE]

[Attomoku]

- Outside the Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -

Ensign Tyler August looked out the windows of the sealed gantry towards the Kirov, it was an impressive ship but what interested him more was the activity around it. Technicians were loading something onto the heavy cruiser but since he couldn’t tell exactly what from this distance he instead turned toward the Sally K now towering in front of him. His eyes flitted from gun port to gun port and, satisfied that she was a good ship, took out his new orders.

“Echo huh.” He thought as he scanned the orders again. He vaguely recalled hearing that the one of the top, (if not the top), of his graduating EFSF class, Tim Melton, had been given a post there recently after and being recruited by the Titans but he wasn’t sure. The truth is he never paid too much attention whenever the Titans came up because he was pretty average grade wise and never expected to be recruited. So it came as somewhat of a shock when they did.

“Ha, if Melton is here, I’ll bet he’ll be surprised that I made it in.” Laughing inwardly he picked up his duffle and headed towards the ship. “Now, who should I see first?” he asked aloud to no one in particular once he was aboard and looking at the names on the orders, “Ltcmdr. Winter or Lt. Robin?”

After mild mental debate and deciding to go see his MS team leader first, he set off toward hanger, figuring it was the best place to start looking for him.

[Gambit01]

-Corridor-

Nick watched Wolf walk off without even a hint of carrying. He said his piece, appeased the ghost, spirit, delusion, whatever, of his dead fiance. He turned away from Wolf and started to walk away....


...when he suddenly got a very creepy feeling. A feeling that he was being watched. Nick suppressed a shudder of fright. He was no coward, but the idea of being tailed; well, that could mean any number of things, non of which could be good.

Deciding that it would be in his best interest to find out who is following him, Nick continued down the corridor and disappeared behind a corridor. There, he pressed his back against the wall, turned and waited for his pursuer.

[Terrace]

-Salamis Kai-class Buxoro-

Ens. Tim Melton entered his new quarters, looking over his assignment papers, which included the roster for the Mobile Suit Team he was a part of.

Tyler is part of the team? Interesting. I should congratulate him for making it into the Titans...

Tim had looked over the Hizack he had been assigned, and was overall pleased with it. He privately thought it could be improved with a few more guns, however. Built-in guns. With Gatling-style barrels. But then that had always been a minor interest of his.

Mmmmm, Gatling Good...

[The Loser Villain]

-Salamis Kai-class Buxoro-

Upon Echo's arrival at The Gate of Zedan Aaron was surprised to find he had been promoted to the rank of Ltjg. Unsure why at first, it would turn out that Lt. Kamek was transferred over to the Kirov's Beta team and that Elijah was now the Buxoro Team's leader. Aaron's promotion made his the second highest rank among the pilots because the two new transfers were both Ensigns. If it hadn't been for the pep talk Elijah had given him at Ayers City that pulled him out of his depression, the promotion would have been the straw that broke the camels back. Fortunately it was now something of a confidence booster.

Unfortunately however extra responsibility came with the promotion and he had been given the task of making sure the maintenance teams were doing their jobs on the Hi-Zacks.

Standing in font of one of the new Hi-Zacks the team received it looked as if it still had factory seals on it.

"Hmmm, I wonder which pilot's mobile suit this is, Ens. Melton or August?"

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- MS Deck -

Ens. August stood before the controlled madness that was a mobile suit hanger with his duffle over his shoulder and looked up at the Hi-Zack’s. He didn’t like the outward appearance of the suits, they reminded him too much of Zaku’s. He knew he didn’t like the look because he had been conditioned from watching too much federal propaganda during the OYW, but he couldn’t help it. At least he felt that he was aware of the conditioning, and knew on a technical level that it was a solid suit, anything beat those old GM II’s that he was used to working with at the academy.

"Hmmm, I wonder which pilot's mobile suit this is, Ens. Melton or August?"

Hearing his name snapped him out of his musings. He looked around and found a Ltjg. who was standing in front of the Hi-Zack labeled 04.

“That would be mine Sir”, he said remembering the MS number from his orders and walking over.
“Ens. Tyler August reporting, I’ll assume that you must be my XO”

[The Loser Villain]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- MS Deck -

Looking at the Hi-Zack, Aaron hears a voice call out to him.

"That would be mine sir, Ens. Tyler August reporting, I'll assume you must be my XO."

He didn't realize until that moment that, technically he was the XO. And though he wasn't exactly second in command material he found it funny that when he first joined the crew of the Buxoro Lt. Kamek had been looking to make one of the new recruits into his XO, and now here he was, XO by default.

"Uh, in name only Ens. August," he said extending his right hand toward the new pilot. "Ens... errr Ltjg. Aaron Faraday."

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- MS Deck -

Tyler set down the duffle, took the offered hand and shook it warmly.
“Nice to meet you sir.”
The fact that Faraday had offered a handshake instead of a salute spoke volumes about the type of person he was. It showed that the Ltjg., even though it was obvious that he was still getting used to the new rank, seemed to regard him as an equal. A particularly amiable quality that was rare to find in the military, Tyler foresaw a good relationship with this new XO.
“So, what can you tell me about this ship, and the other pilots on the team?” he asked while he turned to watch the mechanics run final checks on his suit before leaving port.

[The Loser Villain]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- MS Deck -

"Well, I was assigned not to long ago myself so I don't know a whole lot about the ship itself," Aaron replied honestly, "However; the only other pilot that I know on the team is Lt. Robin. Our last CO was just transferred, and well Lt. Kamek was unorthodox in his command procedures. We lost two pilots since I got here, one to an accident right around there," he pointed over to the area where the other new pilots Hi-Zack was, "and the other pilot, Ens. DeRosi, was shot down in the last battle."

He glanced back over his shoulder to see what the mechanics were doing at that moment and then returned to the conversation with Tyler.

"Lt. Robin was a good XO and I'm sure he'll make a great CO too," he said to finish off what he knew and then decided to change the subject. "So, what were you doing before getting transferred to the Buxoro?"

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- MS Deck -

“Me? I just came straight from the EFSF academy. I just wanted to learn how to pilot a MS, it’s been something of a dream of mine since I was 13. I had really average scores to avoid something like this, between you and me, I just wanted to do the minimum 4 years and go off on my next adventure. But, apparently I caught someone’s eye during training exercises. My file cited something like “unorthodox tactics” and “general disregard for military property.””

(Hearing that last line the technicians within earshot exchange glances)

“Heh, I think the Titans interpreted it as “win at all costs” so they scooped me up, and an offer to join the elite Titans is not exactly an offer you can refuse. So, here I am.”

[Fritz Ashlyn]

[[OOC: I'm skipping the Titans ahead a little over a day to avoid boring travel time. If anyone wants to finish business back at Zedan, then go ahead. Just make it clear in your post when it is happening.]]

~December 7, U.C. 0087~
~06:45 C.U.T.~

- Hatte -
- Near 18th Bunch -

- The Kirov -
- Bridge -

“This is ridiculous,” Trent muttered as he stared out the Kirov’s bridge windows at the distant colony, “There’s no excuse for this…”. “Sir?” piped up Fyodor, the comm officer. Trent shook his head and folded his arms, “We have orders, signed by Bask Om himself, that instructed us to meet another raider taskforce here at 2300 on the 6th of December. As you can see, they’re rather late,”. The captain turned to the helmsman and asked, “Chief, are we in position for the second set of orders?”. Mortimer rechecked his equipment and nodded gruffly, “Yes sir. The coordinates they gave us were particularly specific,”. Trent turned back to the windows and said, “In fifteen minutes we’re carrying out our second set of orders. Fyodor, Sergei, power up the communications laser and turn on the new equipment they added,”.

- Hangar -

Stukov didn’t pause from his work like the rest of the crew in the hangar when the PA system came to life to announce that the fleet was commencing an operation. His instincts had already told him to prepare his Marasai.

“--will be a non-combat operation. All pilots, please continue--”

“Hah,” Stukov scoffed. ‘Non-combat operation’. When was that ever the case for Echo? “The mudaks are coming,” he said aloud, causing several nearby crew to stop and listen, “And I will be ready for them,”.

- Mess Hall -

Picard Kamek sat down at an empty table to eat his breakfast before he had to go on duty. Finally being transferred to the Kirov was, to him, a small recognition of his real skills. He hadn’t had enough free time to properly lord his new position over anyone, but that didn’t worry him too much. He poked a hole in the plastic that covered a compartment on his tray and thought to himself, “Smart of them to give a real newtype one of those newer Marasais,”. Then he managed to give himself a paper cut trying to open his container of milk.

[wonton bob]

- The Kirov -

Jason lies awake on his bed, only days ago was he looking for Lt. Te'litha and at one point followed him but lost sight of him in the hallway. Now sober, clear thoughts enter his mind and Jason has decided not to pursue a meeting with his CO. Instead Jason has decided to let fate dictate the outcome of his time in the service but will take matters in his own hands when it come to a certain pilot.

haven't seen the ensign in awhile...actually since R&R began. well, since there's nothing else to do...

With that thought Jason gets up and straightens himself up and proceeds toward the hanger area.

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -

After finishing his conversation with Ltjg. Faraday Ens. August had managed to track down and report to Lt. Robin and Ltcmdr. Winter and put his quarters in order. He spent the next day familiarizing himself with the Hizack’s layout and personalizing the control setup by running cockpit simulations until he was satisfied.

Now he was trying to fight the boredom brought by the no show fleet. He drifted in the pilot’s lounge reading a copy of The War of the Worlds that he had brought with him. He liked the classics and had resolved to read as many of the major ones as he could, but something bothered him about that raider taskforce not showing and couldn’t concentrate. When an entire fleet doesn’t come under direct orders from the top, it leaves several distinct possibilities, generally none of them good.

After reading the same passage about when the aliens first use their heat rays for the eighth time Tyler sighed out loud, snapped his book shut, and started up towards the bridge to see if anything new had come up.

[Fritz Ashlyn]

- Hatte -
- Near 18th Bunch -

- The Kirov -
- Bridge -

“I’m not sure, sir. They seem… confused.”

Trent frowned at Fyodor’s reaction. At 0700, he had ordered the activation of the Kirov’s communications laser along with the new equipment attached to it. The orders provided explicit instructions and positioning, and he had insured that his ships complied with them to the letter. The Kirov had established communications contact with a Titans ship positioned somewhere outside Side 2, and the new laser support system was pointed at 18th Bunch. The problem was, it sounded like the officer they had contacted was unaware of Echo’s operation. Trent leaned forward to personally speak up to the officer on the other end of the connection. “I was ordered to this position and I’m complying with orders signed by Capt. Om. Your ship--”

“Capt. Om? Kirov, this is the Dogosse Gier.”

Trent responded with a moment of stunned silence. The orders hadn’t said who they were contacting, just how to do it. “Uh… My orders were very specific. I’ve got data to transfer to you from a new support unit,” the captain replied after he recovered from the initial shock. A few seconds of barely audible background chatter crackled across the line, and then the Dogosse Gier’s comm officer came back on, “Echo, we are currently engaged with an unidentified AEUG vessel’s mobile suits at long range. Please stand by for confirmation of orders,”. Trent exchanged a worried glance with Chief Kellman, and Fyodor gave an affirmative response.

Tense minutes passed as they waited for information. Was this the reason the other fleet was delayed? Why wasn’t the Dogosse Gier ready to accept data from Echo’s operation? Trent was about to order Fyodor to establish contact with the Gate of Zedan when the Dogosse Gier buzzed back over the speakers. “Kirov, this is the Dogosse Gier. Please respond.”

Fyodor pushed the button that would allow Trent to talk to the other ship and the captain walked back to the comm station. “Dogosse Gier, this is Capt. Trent. We’ve been holding position for over eight hours. I’d like some answers,” he began, irritated with the entire situation. “Capt. Trent, please have your communications operator begin data transfer from the laser support unit,” the comm officer from the Dogosse Gier requested. His tone suggested he was going to ignore Trent’s angry requests. Over the connection, he heard someone say, “No, we weren’t aware of them. Just use it and inform Capt. Om,”. Trent nodded to Fyodor, who flipped several switches and hit a button, allowing the new equipment to do it’s intended job. “We’re confirming transfer of data,” the other officer said, and the channel went silent again. Trent crossed his arms and scowled. Mortimer grumbled, “Sir, I don’t know what they’re--”

“Three minutes to firing.”

“…What?” Trent asked in surprise, looking up from the deck. The speaker had jumped to life again, an operator from the Dogosse Gier’s voice producing a tinny echo on the Kirov’s bridge. “I do not know, sir,” Fyodor said, picking up his headset. It sounded like it was broadcast from the Dogosse Gier’s bridge instead of their comm officer’s station. “Find out what they’re talking about. NOW,” Trent commanded. He felt a cold knot form in the pit of his stomach. For over a minute, Fyodor attempted in vain to get a response from the other ship.

“We’ve achieved 40%. Firing in 3...”

“No…” Trent said, still hoping someone on the other end would acknowledge him.

“2...”

“NO, DAMN IT!” he yelled, slamming his hands down on Fyodor’s console. He pointed at the readouts and demanded, “Turn the system off. Turn it off!”

“1...”

Trent whirled around to look out the bridge windows.

“Fire,” Bask Om’s voice commanded.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, and Trent naïvely thought that maybe nothing would. Then a blinding light spilled through the windows, causing him to shield his eyes with an upraised arm. Several crewmen recoiled and protected their eyes from the sudden release of energy. Trent blocked the light with his outstretched hand, and managed to squint and look through his fingers. The colony, 18th Bunch, was struck in one mirror by the largest beam of energy Trent had ever seen. He watched as the beam punched through the mirror, into the wall of the colony, and on through the other side like it was made of tissue paper.

The light dissipated, and the bridge crew went into an uproar. “What the hell was that?!” Gojiro exclaimed, rising from his seat. Trent stumbled to the windows and saw large plumes of smoke and debris emanating from the pierced sides of 18th Bunch. “H-holy shit…” Gojiro stammered as he reached the windows next to Trent. Trent leaned against the windows and buried his face against his arm. “My God… What have we done?”

“Congratulations, Capt. Bask! Imagine the results at 100%.”

Trent turned back to the comm station. He pointed at the speaker and hoarsely commanded, “Turn that goddamned thing OFF!”. Fyodor scrambled to cut the connection and Bask began to gloat, “Exactly. This was a lesson for the neutral colonies and the moon. It‘s utterly hopeless for those fools to defy the Titans,”. One of his men piped up, “The Argama is retreating, sir”. Bask’s wicked laughter boomed on the bridge of the Kirov as the connection was finally closed.

Trent turned around to find Tariq Sayed standing on the bridge. He was noticeably impassive compared to the rest of the crew. “Did you know about this?” Trent asked, pointing out at the dying colony. Sayed didn’t answer. “It was a damned laser support unit! I was stupid enough to think it meant our laser, Tariq!” Trent yelled, stepping closer to the intelligence man. “Captain! We’re being contacted by another ship,” Fyodor interrupted. He was as pale as a ghost.

Trent looked up at the main screen as a haggard looking officer appeared. “Kirov? This is Capt. Kay of the Latium,” the man identified himself and his ship as he dabbed sweat from his forehead. The Latium was an Alexandria refit, and the flagship of Taskforce Juliet, which was the unit Echo was supposed to have met hours ago. “Captain, we’re in it deep,” Kay continued without waiting for Trent to speak, “I just got chased across Side 2 by a group of AEUG ships. They took out my Sally K’s and shot down most of my mobile suits. If you take up a defensive position, your MS should be able to fend them off while we complete the cargo transfer,”.

Trent took his hat off and let it spin away from him. He wanted to haul Tariq over and ask him and Kay just what those canisters were loaded with. But he held it in. “Capt. Kay, come alongside the Kirov and let’s get this over with,” he managed to say through his teeth.

- The Hangar -

“Attention, all personnel! We are at combat alert! All pilots prepare for launch! There is an AEUG fleet approaching the area!”

Stukov burst into deep, humorless laughter at the announcement. “I told you! The hunter learns to anticipate his prey,” he said as he attached his helmet to his normal suit. He was already suited up and ready to go as crew scrambled around him to prepare the hangar and mobile suits for combat.

[Wedge14]

Salamis Kai-class Rockford

Lt. Cmdr Bonmarche sat in his seat rather smugly. His smile hidden by his generic captain's beard. His gunners had downed a titan escort. Now he was leading the chase slightly infront of the rest of the fleet.

He grabbed his communicator and contacted the Hangar to be quickly interupt by one of the techs.

"Theres some kind of abnormality coming from behind us."

"Where!?" The captain asked standing up, only to be suddenly bathed in a wave of light.

The beam disappeared into the distance of space. Bonmarche felt knots in his stomach as he returned to his seat.

"Get the mobile suits on the move. That beam went in the same direction as that Alexandria class!"


Rockford Hangar

Ensign Bun E. Carlos was quick to his post tossing away the cigarette that was usually lodged between his lips and snapped his helmet into place. He made a rush to his nemo only to be nabbed by his superior.

Lt. Jg Petersson grabbed Carlos by the shoulder. "Slow down hotshot. We aren't going to be in range for another few minutes."

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- Bridge -

-2 minutes before Gryps 2 activation-

Tyler just entered the bridge when he heard Trent say “Find out what they’re talking about. NOW!” from an open channel to the Kirov that everyone seemed strangely engrossed with. Tyler quietly came up behind Ltcmdr. Winter in the command chair and asked what was going on. Winter gave Tyler a “what are you doing here” look but quickly explained that the Kirov was testing a new piece of laser support equipment and was now in direct contact with the Dogosse Gier but no one knew why.

“We’ve achieved 40%. Firing in 3...”

The entire bridge's attention turned back to the open line.

“No…”
“2...”
“NO, DAMN IT! Turn the system off. Turn it off!”
“1...”
“Fire.”

Several seconds’ later space in front of the bridge exploded with light. Tyler shielded his eyes and when the beam passed and he had blinked the spots out of his eyes he saw the ruined colony in front of him. The confusion and swearing that followed mirrored that of the Kirov as Winter and the rest of the bridge crew tried to get a hold of what had just happened. The ruckus drowned out the rest of the transmission over the open channel. Tyler just floated agape at the destruction trying to make his personal philosophy on death fit with this mass murder. It held, but just barely, he supposed it just must have been all those peoples’ time to go.
“I think I need a drink..” he said to himself, still not entirely convinced they did hold, and turned to leave. However, before he could step out of the bridge the com officer yelled to Winter that what was left of Taskforce Juliet was coming into range and had brought some uninvited guests. Winters turned to Tyler and told him to get going and ordered to ready the suits for combat.
Pushing off and floating backwards Ens. August threw a grim salute to Winter as he left the chaotic bridge and made his way to the ready room looking pale and swearing the entire way down as the combat alarms sounded.

[mcred23]

-Salamis Kai-class Sibuyan II-
-Bridge-

Lieutenant Commander Myers sat happily in the command chair of the Sibuyan II, feeling the ship had gotten the revenge it's name deserved. The original Sibuyan had gone down during the attack on Jaburo, and this new ship, stolen from a colony construction dock shortly before it had been finished, had been named by the AEUG in it's honor. This deployment was Sibuyan II's first, and it had gone well in service at Side 2. They had ambushed a stronger Titan squadron, sinking it's own three Salamis Kais, chasing off an Alexandria-type, which they were still following, and number of their mobile suits. All of this without losing a single suit of their own! That surprise had heavily been on their side hadn't fulled dawned on Myers, as this was his first command.

The Sibuyan II was at the rear of the formation, Rockford was leading. They had been chasing that non-standardAlexandria for some time, Myers wasn't sure exactly how long, and things were almost routine when it happened. One of the sensor operators noted some very odd readings, mumbling something to the man next to him, and then came the flash. It was almost blinding. Myers, who had been dozing, was instantly alert and floating to the bridge windows. At one end, every member of the bridge saw a flash as it hit something, it couldn't be a colony, could it?, and then fade out.

A half dozen voices sputtered at once as the comm system cracked with reports from various lookouts and people who were near windows. "Alert 1!", Myers yelled, promptly followed by alarms as the Sibuyan II's crew began to race to battle stations.

"Lieutenant Jefferson wants to know whats going on." The comm tech reported.

"Tell him there was... a giant laser... thing. Tell his team to be ready to lauch ASAP." Myers said, the tech already relaying the message.

The gunnery officer, an older ex-EFSF member, was looking out the bridge windows with a pair of binoculars. "Gawd... I can't believe they built another...". The rest of the bridge crew was quiet at this point, for they all knew that man had been with Revil's fleet when Zeon had used a colony laser. The chilling thought that the Federation could have built such a weapon... The crew went about their tasks, while Myers sat in his command chair, unsure of what to do.

===============================================

-Hangar-

Lieutenant Jefferson was the last man to board his Nemo, not that it mattered, since they hadn't been given a launch order anyway. Jefferson was young, only 23, but he'd seen combat during his time in the AEUG. He knew next to nothing about history, but he did know that Zeon had built a giant laser thing during the war, and so his first thought was that the Titans had gotten their hands on it, just like they had A Baoa Qu. He wondered if they had renamed it as well...

The rest of his team had somewhat similar thoughts. All had been told by Jefferson that their had been some giant laser attack before boaring their combat-ready Nemos. Ensign Beebe, the oldest pilot at age 26 and first in line to launch, was the only exception. He was more interested in that Alexandria they had been chasing, hoping he would get another crack at whatever Hizacks it had left...

[The Loser Villain]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
-Aaron's Quarters-

Aaron was sitting in his quarters reading a magazine he'd picked up at Ayers City when the quiet atmosphere was suddenly destroyed as alarm klaxons blared and a message came over the ship-wide.

“Attention, all personnel! We are at combat alert! All pilots prepare for launch! There is an AEUG fleet approaching the area!”

Letting the magazine float away he pushed off the bed and was in the hallway as fast as he could. Grabbing a hand grip he flew down the hall and made his way to the locker room.

Getting there first he instantly went into action and started putting his normal suit on.

"Well, guess all that rest had to end sometime," he said to himself.

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- Ready Room -

Arriving at the ready room Tyler found Aaron already getting changed into his normal suit. He opened his own locker and pulled on his own normal suit on with some difficulty, trying to will his hands from shaking.

"I Picked a hell of a time to become a Titan," he complained bitterly. "First we accidentally blow up 18th bunch and now this."

[The Loser Villain]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- Ready Room -

As Tyler entered the ready room Aaron had just finished zipping up his normal suit and was ready to tuck his helmet under his arm when Tyler said:

"I Picked a hell of a time to become a Titan, first we accidentally blow up 18th bunch and now this."

Stopping dead in his tracks he turned to Tyler and said, "What do you mean 'accidentally blew up the 18th Bunch'?"

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- Ready Room -

"I just came from the bridge. From what I can gather Echo was in contact with the Drogosse Gier for testing some sort of support device," he paused and contiuned to pull on his normal suit.
"I dont think the commanders really understood what it did until it was too late, but I think that it paints a target for some sort of long range laser attack. It went clean through the colony's broadside at less than half strength and there aren't many things that can do that."
Finally suited up he reached for his helmet.