Episode 18 - Ayers City Stop-over [TE]

[Terrace]

Salamis-Kai class Buxoro

Tim Melton entered the ready room at the midpoint of the conversation between two of his team members. He couldn't believe his ears as to what, apparently, happened.

"Excuse me, are you trying to tell us that we accidentaly blew up an entire colony?"

The look of disbelief on Tim face was obvious.

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
- Ready Room -

“Okay, maybe ‘blew up’ isn’t the best word to describe it,” his voice had some venom. “but that colony is doomed to die, you could probably fit most of Echo all at once through one of those holes in its walls. If you don’t believe me you can see for yourself once we’re outside.”

He then slammed his locker, fastened his helmet, and headed for the MS deck. Once there he climbed into his HiZack and initiated startup. He grabbed the beam rifle/heat hawk combo and hip missile launcher then walked into position on the elevator while double checking over everything.

[wonton bob]

- Alexandria-class Kirov -
- Hanger Bay -

Jason was making his way over to Delta's section of the hanger when an announcement broke the silence and gave him a startle.

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

With a whoop Jason pulled his hands out of his pockets and scampered over to the locker area near Gamma teams' section. His large grin revealed that fact his boredom had broken. It was pay back time for the last encounter with the rebels and this time he wasn't going to sit back and watch the action.

* * *

Under two minutes later, Jason was leaping toward the Marasai's cockpit. The mechanics doing last minute checks were pulling back as he approached. Sitting and strapping himself as he powered on the monitor and comm. Lowering his visor, Jason waited for his CO to appear.

[Gambit01]

Nick....didn't know what to think.

Don't you?

No, he didn't.

As he floated down the hallways toward Gamma team lockers, Nick was engaged it what seemed to be his favorite pastime; inner monologue-ing. Nick had seen the light show, and just a little asking around had produced...well, this.

Your Titans destroyed a colony. An ENTIRE colony.

Oh, like those dirty Zeonists don't drop them like bad habits.

A POPULATED colony.

Again, Zeon....

Ah; so we're pretending that it was only filled with supporters of Zeon, and not any innocent children, are we?

There is no such thing as an innocent Zeo...

Yes, yes; keep lying to yourself like that. So it's horrid when Wolf Ritter blows up a school, but when the Titans blow up a COLONY, well, it's all in the name of peace and justice and the memory of a little farmer family and a beautiful woman...

"....-hut up..."

I wonder, was there an idealistic man on that colony? Did he have a beautiful fiancee'? Did he have a sister, a mother, a father? Grand parents? Hey, maybe he was getting married!

"Shut up!!"

Oh, wouldn't THIS be the ultimate!!!! What if he's floating in space right now and, against all probability and possibility, is found by the AEUG! By some medical miracle, they save his life, and he dedicates himself to eliminating the Titan scum!!! Course, by the time he recovers, they'll be some nut-jobs on the far end of the system. No worries, maybe The AEUG can find him a couple of scapegoats...

"SHUT UP!!!"

Nick slammed a hand against the wall, teeth grinding together. Breathing heavily, Te'litha pushed himself onward. He would have to....NEEDED TO....talk to someone about this...

[Fritz Ashlyn]

- Hatte -
- Near 18th Bunch -

- The Kirov -
- Hangar -

Stukov was stepping onto the launch catapult when Trent appeared on his HUD. It was a message being sent to all of the Kirov’s pilots, and from the sound of the echo it was coming out of the hangar PA system too. “The Kirov is about to be temporarily connected to the Latium for a cargo transfer. I want Alpha, Beta and Gamma Teams to launch and intercept any AEUG forces that may be pursuing Taskforce Juliet. Delta team, I want you to stay at combat stand-by as a reserve force. Everyone launch as soon as you can, because we don’t know the full makeup of the enemy,”.

The mad Russian grunted in the affirmative and finished prepping his Marasai for launch. “The captain seems disturbed,” he said over Alpha’s channel, “I did not take him for a man with a weak stomach,”. Leandro sucked his teeth and responded, “Hombre, did you see what we just did? ¡Bam! That colony is toast,”. Stukov’s mouth thinned into a line and he said, “That is no concern of mine. Or yours. We are needed on the battlefield,”. Before Leandro or Samantha could comment, Stukov’s mobile suit was launched out into space. Leandro winked at Samantha, who quickly closed the visual connection to her wingmates. Laughing as he went, Ltjg. Alvarez followed his CO into open space.

- The Buxoro -
- Bridge -

Once more information was released to Echo’s other ships, Capt. Winter picked up his handset just like the other captains were doing in preparation for combat. “Capt. Trent has assigned our mobile suit team to assist in intercepting the AEUG fleet. All pilots are to launch as soon as possible and form up with the teams from the Kirov,”.

- The Kirov -

As the ship slowed down to a stop next to the Latium, large temporary clamps and equipment were unfolded to connect the two ships together for the cargo transfer. While the containers were being moved from one ship to the other, both vessels were unable to move and were barely able to defend themselves. A trio of Hizacks launched form the green Alexandria refit to fly security around the two flagships, and they were soon joined by Alpha Bate’s team from the Kalinin and Lt. Harrington’s Ipswich unit.

[Fritz Ashlyn]

- Hatte -
- Near 18th Bunch -

- Tanaka Maru -
- Bridge -

“Slow down!” bellowed the cargo ship’s captain. His mind was racing after witnessing the attack on 18th Bunch. The Tanaka Maru wasn’t built for speed or combat, but the AEUG had managed to convert her to handle the rigors of both. “How are the Nemos?” Capt. Mustaine asked after he noticed the twinkling of thrusters in the distance. If they had caught up with the Titan ship, it might be their last chance to sink it before they had to turn back for supplies. “Refuel and rearmament is complete, captain. Lt. Ellefson says he’s ready to go,” replied one of the operators.

“Good. Tell Myers and Bonmarch to stop and get into a reverse delta formation. Launch all mobile suits, and have them investigate those thruster flares. If that’s our ‘friend’, they know what to do.”

- Space -

The Tanaka Maru didn’t have a launch catapult, so the five-unit Nemo squad didn’t so much “launch” from the ship as they plopped out with the use of their thrusters. After flying around their mothership as it slowed down to take up a safe position behind the Salamis Kais, Lt. Ellefson gestured in the direction of Echo and his unit advanced behind him in a loose line. “When we get close enough to make out separate units, I want you to fan out. We don’t want to get trapped into a fight unless we have an advantage,” he reminded his men. The Side 2 security unit had found success using guerilla tactics against Taskforce Juliet, and had managed to take out two Salamis Kais and at least eight Hizacks without losing a single Nemo. Scorch marks and a mangled limb or two were evidence that they hadn’t made it through without consequence, but they were all still alive.

[Wedge14]

-The Rockford-

Bonmarch's vessel slowed allowing the rest of the fleet to form up in the reverse delta formation. Now the Rockford and Sibuyan II were both armed with something their flagship clearly desired, catapults.

Lt. Jg Petersson and his team were still going off the adrenaline boost from their prior battle. They sat in their nemos waiting for Lt. Ellefson's team to make advance to a suitable position.

Suddenly they were given the go-ahead and Ensign Zander shouted with his harmonious voice. "Awaaay!" as he was the first off the catapult. The Rockford team quickly made their way past the members of the Tanaka Maru team.

"There seems to be a lot more debris out here then there should be..." Ensign Nielson said as his nemo locked itself into the rear. The Rockford team was approaching in single file much like their comrades.

"Yeah..." Said Petersson putting two and two together.

[mcred23]

-Sibuyan II-

The word from Tanaka Maru came in, and the two Salamis Kais quickly moved into formation. As the ships moved into formation, their catapults went to work.

Ensign Beebe was the first man off the Sibuyan II, as the catapult tossed his Nemo away from the ship. The second man, Lieutenant Jg. Chandler, was delayed when his Nemo's left foor failed to lock into the catapult. It took an extra 90 seconds before the foot planted itself and was locked in place. The rest of the team, Ens. Muncie and finally Lt. Jefferson, was sent out without a hitch, although Lt. Cmdr. Myers was now upset and sat fuming in his command chair.

The result of the delay caused by Chandler's Nemo put the Sibuyan II team behind where they should have been, but they moved along away. The Rockford quartet was leading, the Tanaka Maru squad slightly behind them, and Jefferson's team bringing up the rear, which was fine by him. They could make out the dying colony, none of the men where exactly sure which colony it was, but they were more concerned with thruster flares in the distance. The tiny lights were far too off to get an accurate count of them, and at this point, it was even hard to tell if they were mobile suits or something larger, but these facts didn't dawn on Jefferson, who automatically assumed that this was the enemy Alexandria they were chasing.

[wonton bob]

- Alexandria-class Kirov -
- Hanger Bay -

Watching all the suits take off and with no sign of his CO or Ens.Miller, Jason maneuvers his Marasai over to a catapult after taking a rifle from the weapon rack. Quick final checks are done before he informs the bridge of his launch.

Once out in space he taps into the Kirov's main cameras to get a better look at what everybody's talking about. A magnified look on his HUD reveals a colony with a large gaping hole. One of it's mirrors seems to be detached.

Jason's eyes never blinked as he watched oxygen and debris venting out of the colony.

"We did that?" Jason gasps. Stunned by the awesome power of the Earth's elite fighting force. Being part of that force fills him with great happiness which invigorates his low spirits. "Ha! spacenoid trash got what they deserved." The young pilot elates.

[The Loser Villain]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro -
-Hangar-

Not sure what to believe himself Aaron simply made sure his helmet was on proper and motioned for Ensign Melton to follow him as he went out of the room and headed for the hangar.

Seeing that Ensign August was already in his Hi-Zack and ready to launch, Aaron moved as fast as he could to get to his Hi-Zack as well. He quickly started the Mobile Suit up and had sealed the cockpit hatch as the Captain's voice came over the PA:

“Capt. Trent has assigned our mobile suit team to assist in intercepting the AEUG fleet. All pilots are to launch as soon as possible and form up with the teams from the Kirov.”

"Copy that bridge," he replied and then keyed in the team, "Alright guys, lets get out there and help those guys on the Kirov out."

Bringing his Hi-Zack next to Ensign August, this would also be his first time using the beam rifle with the Hi-Zack so hopefully the lack of beam saber wouldn't be to dramatic. The elevator then lifted the two Mobile Suits up to the launch deck.

"Woah," was all that Aaron could say as a knot formed in his stomach as he saw the hole punched through the colony. "Uh, Ensign.... er Ltjg. Faraday launching!" And with that his Hi-Zack soared into space to wait for the rest of the team.

[Attomoku]

- Salamis Kai-class Buxoro –
- Launch Deck -

Tyler tried to regain his cool while he waited for his XO to launch. This was his first real combat experience and had to have a level head if he wanted to make it. He remembered Myles words after the accident and refound his equilibrium, knowing that he must and would survive. He looked once more at the dead colony and threw his life’s philosophy at what he saw again and reaffirmed that it stuck.

Satisfied and now composed, he stepped onto the catapult. “Ens. August, Launching!” The catapult initial gee’s pressed him against his chair during launch, and after he was clear he proceeded to form up with his XO.

[Terrace]

Timothy quickly started up his HiZack with his customary speed from Academy training. For the most part, he was running on autopilot, which allowed his thoughts to wander.

We've attacked a neutral colony. If anyone was living there, they're dead. Was it actions like this what caused Terrace to run off and join the AEUG? If we both survive this conflict, I'll ask him about that...

"Tim Melton, launching."

[Fritz Ashlyn]

- Hatte -
- Near 18th Bunch -

- Alpha Team -

Stukov stayed silent after launching from the Kirov, even when he got a good look at 18th Bunch. The dying colony was the latest example of politics’ effect on the military - while Stukov knew his place was on the battlefield, it was evident others in the Titans upper echelon did not. However, this particular gross show of power was no doubt Bask Om’s doing. He wasn’t cunning enough to use his forces as anything more than a cudgel. Subtlety was Jamitov’s game. And that man Paptimus Scirocco’s. Stukov shook his head, dispelling the unnecessary thoughts from his head. “Alvarez,” he grunted, “Find a suitable position and provide us with support fire,”. He gestured with his Marasai’s arm, and Leandro slowed down to prepare his beam launcher as Stukov and Grace accelerated ahead to meet the enemy.

The shapes of the oncoming Nemos grew more discernable as the gap between the two MS teams closed. Alpha team, spearheading Echo’s attack on the AEUG, was on the verge of firing range of the enemy Rockford unit. “Kelborn, we are going to scatter them,” he ordered, raising his beam rifle. Just as he was aiming at the leading Lt. Jefferson’s unit, a large shot from Leandro’s beam launcher flew past him in the direction of Ens. Carlos. A slight smile found its way onto his face. It was the grin of a predator closing in on its next meal. “Go!” he commanded, speeding up and firing a few shots at Petersson. Grace was not far behind, and she added a few opening shots of her own at Ens. Nielsen. If the Nemos from the Rockford slowed down or stopped to engage Stukov and Grace, the two Marasais from Alpha team would blow right past them on their way to the Tanaka Maru’s mobile suits.

- Beta Team -

Off behind Alpha, near the Hizacks from the Buxoro, Wolf Ritter frowned as he waited for Sven Haksson to launch. That loudmouthed buffoon Kamek had already formed up, leaving Wolf waiting for his family’s friend. “Let’s just go. With this many of us heading out we don’t need all three of us together,” Picard suggested, sounding annoyed. Wolf’s eyes narrowed and he resisted the urge to remove Kamek from existence with his beam launcher. “Be quiet,” he ordered, his grip on his controls tightening.

[Fritz Ashlyn]

- Hatte -
- Near 18th Bunch -

- Ellefson Team -

The lieutenant from the Tanaka Maru cursed under his breath when he saw the number of oncoming enemies. Either this wasn’t the fleet they had been pursuing, or the Latium had managed to find friendly ships. Whatever the case, things were going to get nasty. “Those are Marasais!” Ens. Poland exclaimed. It would be foolish to be surprised at that when engaging an Alexandria-class, but by their observation all of Taskforce Juliet’s Marasais had been destroyed during their series of ambush attacks. “Damn,” Ellefson muttered as beam fire lit up space ahead of his team. “Looks like Petersson’s group is in the sh*t,” he announced to his team, “Let’s see what we’re dealing with here,”. The Tanaka Maru’s Nemos sped up, heading towards the advancing Buxoro team.

- Tanaka Maru -
- Bridge -

Capt. Mustaine crossed his arms as he watched the Rockford and Sibuyan II move ahead of his ship. From the reports streaming in from observers and the fleet’s pilots, it was apparent the Latium was not alone. “We might still be able to recall the Nemos and fall back,” his XO suggested, his voice low enough so that only the captain could hear. Mustaine shook his head, “There ain’t no turning back,”. He loosened his collar and ordered, “Just keep us out of the range of their ships’ guns.”

[ORegan]

Patrick Miller
Whatever ship he's on.

Patrick sat in his mobile suit's cockpit awaiting the order to launch. As the poster has just as little knowledge as the character, there will not be any detail to go into. Just know that he's ready and waiting to go.

"Uhh...this is Patrick...what...are we doing again? I forget. "

[Attomoku]

OOC: I’ve got control of Lt. Robin and he came equipped with the 120mm/saber combo and missile launcher

- Buxoro team -

The fast approaching Nemos from the Tanaka Maru turned Tyler’s attention from Alpha’s light show.
“Heads up!” Warned Tyler, judging there were 4 or 5 of them from the flares.
“Try and scatter them,” ordered as Lt. Robin formed up from behind and came to the same rough conclusion. “Force ‘em into smaller groups and we’ll take them out easier”
Accelerating towards a more suitable combat range the CO fired off a trio of missiles towards the enemy Nemos.
“Roger.” Tyler followed suit, firing off another three missiles while accelerating slightly behind his commander

[wonton bob]

Jason smiled as he watched the colony die until he heard a familiar voice.

"Uhh...this is Patrick...what...are we doing again? I forget. "

His eyes widen with confusion and teeth clenched with an almost infinite amount of distaste. Jason opened his visor just to slap his face.

"Miller you dolt. Get out here. We're about to lay down some law on these spacenoids." He hollered.

Jason tired of waiting boosted right behind Beta team just meters from the Buxoro team. As he came along side them, Jason maneuvered his Marasai to give a thumbs up to the nearest Hizack (Ens. Melton) before again boosting away from the slower Hizack and toward the fray. Jason's Marasai arched along observing the battle, looking for a opportunity to strike.

[ORegan]

"Oh uh...ok."

Getting on the launch catapult, Patrick launched from the Kirov and tagged along behind the rest of the Titan mobile suits. His Marasai was equipped with the standard beam rifle and was drifting through space at it's top speed while attempting to catch up with the rest.

'Spacenoids...' the large man thought. '...need to get laid by the law?'

[Terrace]

Timothy noticed the thumbs-up from a Marasai. He didn't know who it was, but gave a thumbs-up in return before it boosted away. Targeting Ens. Nielsen's Nemo, he fired a five-round burst of fire from his 120mm machine gun at the Nemo's right shoulder joint, hoping to cause significant damage, if not sever the limb completely.

[Wedge14]

Rockford MS team

"They blew it open!" Someone exclaimed before being interrupted by Ltjg. Petersson.

"Incoming! Spreadout!" The Rockford ms team was suddenly attacked by some distant beamfire they quickly fanned out. then regrouped just as their attackers blew by.

"Reinforcements?" Asked a confused Nielson who suddenly found himself under fire. He juked out of the way only to be pelted by Machine gun fire, that didn't have enough force to do much damage the mobile suit much at all.

"keep moving forwards the others will get those red ones!" Shout Petersson as Carlos, and Zander followed him.

Niellson grumbled about the damage done to his paint job and took aim with his beamrifle. "Let's take out this lone Hizack first!"

He fired three shots in quick succession before he moved towards the diamond formation the team was forming.