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 Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:30 pm
A little short story set during the colony drops of EC0015. Written from the point of view of a fleet which was able to reach the colony in attempt to stop its decent to the Moon.
I took some liberties with Fleets, Units, and Officer names. Hope it wasn't too much.
I have a third part in my head.. but since I got these parts completed, I'll post the first two.
***edit***
Blah... need to find a way to get tabs working. putting spaces in don't work either.
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:32 pm
February, EC0015. Fifteen years of relative peace was shattered by a group of radicalists who have taken over colonies in the Zeon and Jovian sectors of space, and pressed home with thier demands of disbanding the current military and governmental structure that has held together the alliances in space under the threat of colony drops. Those alive today could not forget how the Great War ended with mass colony drops which all but wiped off some areas off the face of the Earth. While most of the brass believed the threats were a bluff, some of the cautious commanders took matters into thier own hands and mobilized thier standing defence forces to meet any threat that could emerge from the recent actions.
The third garrison fleet normally stationed at A Bao A Qu for home defense was mobilized and sent out under the guise of a training mission with a Zanzibar class warship as its flag vessel, six Mousai class cruisers, supply ships, and a full compliment of mobile suits as escorts. The vessels made headway into the free space between A Bao A Qu and the Moon, launching half of the mobile suits for the scheduled training exercises for its group of young cadets.
In the shadow of the moon, *it* slowly headed towards the Lunar surface without making a sound nor light to give its position away until it was too late. The Colony drifted for hours, on its way to its final destination with four others on their way to Earth with the Radicals fleet under complete radio silence. Eventually, a patrolling fleet caught glimpse of the drifting colony away from any lagrange point and reported to Zeon and Jovian authorities alike, but the reports fell on deaf ears until confirmation of the sighting could be sought. By that time, the colony was already in sight from the Lunar base, Granada, slowly but surely approached its target.
When the call was sent out to all available fleets to intercept the colony, things appeared bleak as the fleets in range were those docked and based in the Lunar city of Von Braun, Granada, patrolling Pirate hunter fleets, and those launched from surrounding bases such as Solomon and A Bao A Qu. The latter were still quite a distance away, being mired in their docks at the inacceptance of thier commanders' reports.
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:33 pm
The Third Garrison fleet under Captain Jaques LeChere commanding from his flagship The Zanzibar class 'Jeanne d'Arc' set course towards the Moon upon hearing the call for help. He cursed under his breath that he couldn't get the rest of the fleet moved out in time, but calmly ordered the training cadre back to thier respective ships. Once the Mobile Suits were retrieved and the fleet on its way, he opened a channel to the ships under his command, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Third A Bao A Qu Garrison Fleet... I beleieve we may be headed for war again. I know this may be hard to grasp for some of you, but this is no drill. All hands to battle stations, full speed ahead for an intercept course for the colony."
Alarms rang out all over the ships as each vessel prepared for battle as they rode ever closer to the impending doom. "Red Alert, Red Alert. All hands, General Quarters. All hands to General Quarters! Pilots to thier Mobile Suits!" a bridge operator's voice blared across the Ship's PA on the Jeanne d'Arc.
"Lieutenant, I thought this was all being handled as a bluff by the brass." asked Hilda as she got strapped into her Gelgoog.
"I thought so too, but looks like Captain LeChere saw through it. Bet he plays poker like this too." Lt. Hartmann answered back, finishing his pre-launch checks.
Meanwhile on the Bridge, the radar operator busied himself calculating the time remaining to stop the colony as it loomed into view on the main monitor. Small lights streaked around the colony, showing the telltale sign that it was being defended by Mobile Suits.
"Have you got it yet?" Captain LeChere asked camly.
"Yes sir, at the current speed its approaching the moon... We have one hour." answered the radarman. "The Lunar fleet is assembling and has been moving to intercept it as well, sir."
"One hour... Sometimes I wonder if peace is such a good thing afterall. We would have had five if this was part of war..." Captain LeChere said in a low voice which caused some heads to turn on the bridge, "Launch Mobile Suits, we need to stop that colony at all costs."
"All vessels, launch Mobile Suits." the radioman said into his microphone.
Back on the MS deck, the 6 Mobile Suits assigned to the ship were preparing to launch, "Remember our plan guys. Make a beeline for the colony and take out its defenders. We don't have much time left... lets go!" said Lt. Hartmann as he punched the throttle on his Gelgoog, launching into the darkness of space.
Ensign Hildegarde Reinhardt followed her commander out the catapult, followed by the rest of the company. "We need to get to the colony as quick as possible and try to steer that thing away from the moon. 2nd squad on me, we will be supporting 1st squad." Hilda reminded her team as they took formation.
A duo of voices replied back in unison, "Yes Ma'am."
Partially owing to inexperience of real combat bigger than platoon scale, the squads quickly became separated in the vastness of space, each left to their own. Hilda's 2nd squad was no exception, but they were able to maneuver as a group towards their objective.
"Team Leader, this is Pfc. Whitman, I'm getting contacts on... *bzzt*" Whitman's voice stopped as suddenly as it started as the attack team from the Third fleet became surrounded in a crossfire of beam and conventional rounds flying through thier sector. The radicals had the upper hand as they were only buying time while the Zeon/Jovian alliance were against it.
"Michael? Michael!" Hilda yelled into her com, but no reply came back, "If you can hear me, follow us in. Lieutenant, we'll take the right flank!" she added as her Mobile Suit boosted away with Pfc Eisenberg's Zaku following.
"Yes Ma'am." Eisenberg answered.
While Hartmann's team sped towards the colony, Hilda and her squad got caught up in a battle against a radical squad; they attempted to break through, but with no luck as time slowly ticked away. Hilda and Eisenberg managed to destroy the six MS squad that came after them, but as they were regrouping a beam weapon shot out and pierced Eisenberg's Zaku vertically, boring a hole from head to toe before it exploded an arm lengths away from Hilda's Gelgoog.
"Franz!" Hilda yelled out as she reoriented her Mobile Suit to face her new attackers. She knew Eisenberg could not have survived the explosion, but continued to call his name, "Franz! answer me, Franz!" She then throttled up with a beamsabre in hand and quickly as the blink of an eye, destroyed two of the GMs before a third blocked the sabre and the two mobile suits locked in a sabre duel.
"Almost within range, all clear up ahead." reported Hartmann as his Mobile Suit approached the colony, "Who else is with me?"
"Sargeant Arisawa here, sir."
"Corporal Anderson of the Second Solomon Fleet here as well."
"This is Lieutenant JG Von Luckner of the First Granada Garrison force, five Mobile Suits in my squad here sir."
Three replies came back as the group made its final approach to the colony, "Jeanne d'Arc, how much time do we have left?" Hartmann asked over the com, "Second squad? Hilda?" he continued.
"I'm a little..." the transmission briefly cut out with some static, "a little busy here, sir." more static then the sound of something hitting the armor of Hilda's Mobile Suit.
"Fifteen minutes until critical!" the radioman of the Jeanne d'Arc announced over the intercom. "Wait... the colony is speeding up."
"Confirmed, the thrusters are engaging for the final acceleration! Everyone, on the double!" Hartmann said as he maneuvered to land on the colony's surface.
"One minute until critical!" the bridge operator's voice rang through each Mobile Suit's intercom. The Radicals knew this as well and started to withdraw towards the drifting colony for a stronger defensive stand. "30 seconds!" another warning was mentioned across the intercom.
"No... we need to stop it... It can't end like 10 years ago!" Hilda could only watch as the colony slowly plummeted towards the lunar surface while the Black GM she engaged with grabbed the arm of Hilda's Gelgoog for a brief direct transmission, then pulled back towards the colony.
"10... 9... 8..." a countdown had started as the colony continued its way to the imaginary critical line drawn out on everyone's HUD.
"3.. 2... 1..." and then a eerie silence permeated the battlefield only to be briefly interrupted by streaks of mega particle cannons firing at the colony in a futile attempt to destory it, but the colony stayed in one piece.
"Cease fire, cease fire! This is Admiral Mueller of the First Granada Garrison Fleet. Granada fleet, take evasive action into high Lunar orbit, recall all mobile suits. Third ABQ fleet, regroup and standby for further instructions. Second Solomon Fleet, standby on the perimeter, Keep all enemy reinforcements out of this zone. We must save what we can, because this colony is going to hit..." The commanding officer of the Lunar zone relayed his instructions to the surrounding fleets.
"Cease fire. Send the signal to recall all mobile suits." said Captain LeChere of the Jeanne d'Arc as he shook his head. "15 years of relative peace... gone in an instant." he said against the backdrop of two star cluster flares exploding above his ship.
Even as the recall flares were being launched, Hilda was busy chasing the Black GM who was well on his way escaping the battle zone, "Is a human life so cheap that they can be thrown away in pursuit of ideals? After a long fought peace, do things like this need to happen? What about the colonists, what about my team... they're all gone, for what? What is the meaning of all of this!" Hilda aimed her Mobile suit's beam rifle towards the fleeing radicals' Mobile suits and squeezed off all remaining shots without hitting a single object. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried not to let her emotions take over.
A large explosion engulfed the colony as it landed on the Lunar surface, although the lack of atmosphere reduced the damage to the impact itself and the resulting shockwaves travelling through the ground as well as flying debris. Both Lunar cities were damaged, but under control as the impact zone was some distance away in a barren stretch of the moon, leaving a new crater on the surface.
"Hilda, the retreat order has been given. Head back." Hartmann said over the com.
"Yes sir..." Hilda replied and turned towards the Jeanne d'Arc, giving enough thruster to get her moving. "Third Fleet, Second squad, Ensign Reinhardt returning. Pfc Eisenberg and Pfc Whitman are KIA." Hilda said as she landed her Gelgoog on deck.
"Third Fleet, First squad, Lieutenant Hartmann and Sargeant Arisawa returning, Corporal Miller MIA." added Hartmann as he landed behind Hilda, followed by Arisawa.
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Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:07 am
A week after the colony drop operation ended in failure for the space alliance, the Third Fleet returned to dock at A Bao A Qu for refit and rest for its crew. The garrison crew was gathered in the open hangar space of the asteroid base, the crew of the Jeanne d'Arc included. Hilda was instructed to stand off to the side with her superior officer, Lieutenant Hartmann, as well as other pilots and crew that she recognized, but did not know their names. At the front of the mass of people, there was a stage set up with a podium and microphone.
The crowd quieted down after the Fleet commander stepped up and tapped the microphone a few times. "Ahem... I thank you all for being able to make it today, and I am sure you are all aware of what has happened in the past week." he paused for a moment, "I would like to call for a moment of silence, for those who have given thier lives to protect the peace that we have hard earned after the Great War had ended."
The officers and crew all removed thier headwear and stood at attention, some closed thier eyes, some bowed thier heads down, and some saluted briefly as they looked over towards the massive hangar gates that led to the outside...
The Fleet Commander continued, "Those brave soldiers are hereby posthumously promoted two ranks and will be given full honors. We have lost some fine men and women in this past week..." he cleared his throat, then turned to the soldiers assembled to the side, "And to you soldiers, please come up when I call your name." The list of names seemed to go on and on as those called were given medals and honors of various ranks as well as the occasional promotion. Then Hilda's turn came, "Ensign Hildegarde Reinhardt."
"Yes sir." Hilda answered promptly as she made her way up to the podium.
"Ensign Hildegarde Reinhardt, you are hereby promoted two ranks to full Lieutenant, and the Third Fleet awards you with the Zeon Cross third class for your actions and the destruction of six hostile Mobile Suits during the Colony Drop operation." The Fleet commander pinned the rank tabs and Zeon Cross on Hilda's uniform, "You will be recieving your new assignment in a few days." he then saluted Hilda.
"Thank you sir..." Hilda returned the salute and quietly made her way back to her seat.
The awards ceremony finished shortly after and the crews headed back for thier respective vessels or posts on the asteroid base. Half of the Jeanne d'Arc's crew recieved leave as the ship was scheduled to be in dock for two weeks due for an inspection and resupply, and Hilda decided to visit home on Side 3 as she probably would not have another chance if there was a war starting up as the rumors around base has said. The military shuttle service ferried personnell between Side 3 and the bases even though there was the risk of space pirates attacking, although the armed convoys helped deter that threat enough for the shuttles to pass safely. Hilda's return home was met by a pleasant surprise as she found out her father and brother were home on leave as well.
"Welcome home, Hilda." Hilda's mother, Cassandra, greeted her at the door. "Your father and Joachim are both home too."
"Admiral, Joachim, you're both all right." Hilda said with a sigh of relief.
"Now Hilda, we're at home now. You can call me Father." Hilda's father, Rear Admiral Erich Reinhardt, said as he chuckles softly.
"Oh, I'm sorry father." Hilda said sheepishly.
"Always bringing your work home with you, huh." Joachim joked with Hilda as he prodded her side.
"I'm sure we'll all have to leave soon... but I'd like to promise one thing before we go... After all of this is over, everyone will meet back here and have Mother welcome us home again." Hilda said, smiling.
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