37Mission 2: Same Place, Wrong Time, Phase Two
Disclaimer: I do not own GSD or MSG: The 08th MS Team, else I would have been very wealthy. Anyway, here is Mission Two. Enjoy!
Zeon Volcano Base, Aina Sahalin's quarters, 0500H local time.
Shiro Amada woke up rather slowly. His injured right shoulder is still numb; the tranquilizers that keep the pain in check will wear off in 15 minutes or so. As he prepares to get off the bed, his bedmate woke up too.
"Shiro?" It was Aina, who was rubbing her eyes and rising up. "What is the time?" "Its 5 o' clock in the morning, sweetheart. Have you slept well?" Shiro asked. He can't help smirking at Aina; she was wearing a granny-style nightgown. "What in the hellfire are you smirking about, Shiro?" asked Aina, with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, it's your nightgown. It covers you very well." Shiro replied in a lame manner. "Hey there, don't glare at me like that!" he exclaimed, as Aina threw him a poisonous glare, "I can't help it!" he said in a creditable imitation of Daffy Duck's voice.
"Okay, you seiyuu wannabe, I'm guessing that you are thinking about our time in the Himalayas! I kinda knew that there's a naughty boy underneath that serious commander's persona of yours! Alright you go to the bathroom; I'll make us a cup of tea." Aina exclaimed, as she shooed Shiro to the bathroom.
A few minutes after Shiro entered the bathroom, the rest of the 08th knocked on the door of the room, led by Karen. "Hello there, may we come in?"
"Sure, come in; Shiro is still in the bathroom." Aina replied, as she opened the door and admitted Karen, Eledore, Kiki, Terry and Michel in. The guys and Kiki immediately settled onto the seats in the sitting area while Karen placed the medkit she is carrying on an end table at the foot of the bed. "I got some tea and croissants; do you want some?" Aina asked.
"Sure, why not. Hey you guys, want some tea and croissants?" she asked the rest of the team on the chairs. "Fine by me, I'm starving!" Kiki replied
"Yeah, you always say that, but you're still skinny!" Michel teased. "Why you nut!" That started a chase between the two across the room, while the rest are laughing out loud. Eventually, Michel tripped on the carpet and that was the opportunity Kiki needed. She reached him as he tried to rise up and as she started to pummel him on the head, Shiro finally showed up, wearing a blue robe he "liberated" from some Zeon officer's quarters.
"Hmm, it seems that we are all having fun this fine day." he said, while watching Kiki bashing Michel's head. "Whoa that's enough Kiki; whatever he did, he got what he deserved." Kiki, satisfied with what she'd done, got off Michel, who's now rubbing his forehead, which now sports several bumps to it.
"Ok then Chief, time for your medication." Karen said as she prepped the medication. As Shiro is being injected with the medication, Aina finally brought the tea and croissants, together with some grape jelly. When the procedure was done and the immobilizing sleeve, which proctects the injured arm from bumps, they went to the table, where the rest are starting to eat the food.
They were in the process of finishing up the food a few minutes later when alarm klaxons rang out. "What was that?" Terry asked.
"The security system- it's still active, and it means that there are intruders in the base perimeter. Let's go to the main control room. Follow me, all of you!" Aina said, as she rose and opened the door and motioned to the others to follow her.
Main Control Room, Zeon Volcano Base, 0550H local time
Within minutes, the group arrived at the base's Main Control Room, which oversees operations of the base, from electricity to, in this case, base security. Aina immediately went to the security consoles, and she rapidly typed in some commands. "Okay then, who's our new guests…" she muttered, and immediately the base's ground sonar array confirmed the presence of multiple mobile suits in combat, but since she's no sonar operator, she can't figure out how many suits are there nor what are they doing. Eledore solved that problem for her.
"I can help you with that problem. You might have forgotten, but I'm a ground sonar operator, and I'm an expert at this." Eledore said, as he took an extra pair of headphones, plugged it in the console, and started to listen to the noise outside. "Okay then… hmm…hmmm…okay, got it!"
"What is going on outside, then?" Shiro asked. The rest of the team and Aina were figuratively on the edge of their seats.
"I'm reading around 20 mobile suits in the southeast quadrant of the base, and they are fighting against each other." He said as he fiddled with the aural controls. "Wait, there are two mobile suits, they are disengaging from the action and are heading up here. From the way they are running, they are running flat out, around 40-50 kilometers an hour. Wait a minute, the two units are running toward here! Boss, what do we do?" Eledore finally asked.
"Aina, are there any visual security systems in the facility? We need to make certain of the threat." Shiro then asked.
"Sure, I'll go to the next console over. Just wait a minute." Aina then went to the next console, and then activated it. "Damn, I could only turn on the cameras on the upper slopes, the rest were destroyed in the attack! Oh well, better than none." Resuming her task, she then activated the large-screen monitor in front of the consoles. Using the coordinates from the ground sonar system, Aina then pinpointed the location and activated the nearest cameras. As the monitor flickered to life, they finally found out the events outside.
"What in the world is that?" Terry asked, pointing to a dog-like mobile suit with manipulator arms that is running toward the mountain. Following it closely is a monoeyed mobile suit; it is similar to a Zaku, but with an ornate head crest. Instead of hands, it has three manipulator fingers instead of a left hand, and a winch in the crotch area. In the distance, two mobile suits, one armed with what seemed to be a small rapid-fire beam rifle and a pair of large beam cannons, while the other is armed with only a mobile suit-sized katana, are trying to fend off 16 mobile suits similar to the one coming to the mountain, but these suits are armed, some with large bazookas, others with large energy cannons.
"Hey, those two units… they look like Gundams!" Michel exclaimed. "Look guys, look at the head, they posses the V-fin antenna, and that makes them as such! Eltee, we need to help them, 16 to 2 are not fighting odds, even for Gundams."
Shiro thought for a moment; the rest were waiting anxiously for his decision. It seemed a lifetime before he finally said the orders. "Alright, we'll help them out. Terry, Karen, prep your -79 (G)s for combat. Eledore, Kiki, Michel, I saw a Magella Attack tank parked on the hangar last night, use it. Eledore, you'll be the TC. Aina, are there any MS remaining here that can be used?"
"Sure, my personal Gouf Custom as well as Ghinias', but… are you going to fight with your injury?" Aina asked him, concern evident on her voice. Karen answered for Shiro.
"Professionally, I wouldn't recommend for him to go to combat in his condition, but in the situation we are in, we have to, because they need our help, and we need everyone in there. Don't worry, the pain medication I injected to his arm is extra-strength; he'll not feel a thing, and the immobilizing sleeve will make sure it will not be further damaged."
"Ok then and I will go with you as well. Shiro, you may use Ghinias' Gouf. It's parked next to mine." And with that, the entire team went out of the room.
Hangar, Zeon Volcano Base, 0723H Local Time
The entire 08th together with Aina, are assembled in front of Karen and Terry's units, and Shiro is now giving out last minute instructions to the team. "Okay then, Eledore, give us long-range cover fire and protect the base and those two fleeing MS, ok? Terry, you're the close in cover guy, while Aina, Karen and I will go up close and personal. Any questions, anyone? If none let's go, and remember, stay alive!"
"Aye aye, sir!" And with that the team went to their respective units to prep them for combat. Aina then led Shiro to a far corner of the hangar, where two MS-07B-3 Gouf Customs are parked side by side. One, evidently Aina's unit, is painted pink and black, with a grey-colored head, shoulders and chest plate – the colors of her old MS-06RD4 Prototype Zaku II. The other Gouf is painted in the standard blue colors; however, the markings of a Rear Admiral of the Principality of Zeon are painted on the cockpit hatch. Aina led Shiro to it.
"Shiro, this is my brother's unit; he never used it, since he was here all of the time. Well, what do you think?"
"Well, let's see how she handles. It's going to be quite an experience for me, driving a Gouf, and the Custom, no less!" He laughed, rather nervously. "Let's go then!" Both he and Aina grabbed the zip line to their respective Goufs, went in, and started them up.
"Ready?" Aina asked Shiro on the PA. "I'm good to go." Pushing the communications console and selecting an open frequency, he addressed the team. "Okay then, let's go, its showtime!" And then the entire team, consisting of a Magella Attack tank, two MS-07B-3 Gouf Customs, and two RX-79(G) Gundam Ground Types, moved out to face combat once again.
Jungle, 20 Km. southeast of the volcano base, 0812H local time
Canard Pars and Lowe Guele were not having a fine day. They, together with Kisato Yamabuki and Liam Garfield, were traveling towards the crash site of a piece of debris from the remains of Junius Seven, which fell less than a week ago. That piece has been interrupting the flow of a river in the area, flooding the surrounding area and threatening the nearby communities. Three-fourths of the way, and they were ambushed by some Coordinator renegades, piloting GINNs armed with, of all things, M68 "Cattus" recoilless rifles, M69 "Barrus" heavy particle cannons, M68 "Pardus" missile launchers and MMI-M8A3 heavy assault machine guns.
Lowe had ordered Kisato and Liam, piloting their BuCUE and Works GINN, respectively, to flee to the relative safety of a nearby dead volcano, while he and Canard deal with the attackers. Unfortunately, it seems that these GINN pilots are experts in jungle combat, using the thick jungle as cover, while hitting them from long range. It meant the bulk of the fighting falls on Canard's YMF-X000A/H Dreadnought H, since Lowe's MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame has only its "Gerbera Straight" katana, and the only ranged weapon the Red Frame has, its hand plugs that fire a ball of energy, is essentially a short range weapon, and not strong enough to damage a GINN's armor. And worse, the Red Frame has no Phase Shift armor.
"You okay there, Lowe?" Canard asked in concern, as he shot at and missed one of the attackers with a long burst of fire from his RFW-99 "Zastava Stigmate" beam submachine gun.
"Could be better, pal, but these guys are good!" He replied, while evading a shot from an attacker's Barrus. He slashed at the offending GINN, but it evaded. Unfortunately, it also gave another GINN an opening and Lowe, to his horror, found himself the target of that GINN's Cattus.
"Oh shit!" Lowe closed his eyes, his life flashing by before his eyes. He's half-expecting the moment the recoilless rifle fires- and then the GINN explodes in a large fireball.
"What the hell…" He then saw a mobile suit, painted in white with a navy-blue torso and red trim on the abdomen, crotch and feet, holding with what appears to be a large cannon, which is still smoking from its recent firing.
"Lowe, you okay there? What is that MS, anyway?" Canard asked over the comm. "I don't know, sure is a Gundam though, as your little brother refers to such units." He replied, referring to Canard's younger brother Kira Yamato's name for experimental, unique mobile suits that are used by elite pilots.
Canard then noticed something else. From the jungle emerged three mobile suits- a mobile suit identical to the one that saved Lowe, except for the head, which might have came from a regular mobile suit, and two monoeyed suits, similar to mobile suits deployed by ZAFT- except that its shield is armed with a Gatling gun...
Battlefield, 20 kms southeast of the volcano base, 0845H local time
Shiro Amada watched the scene before him. After Terry opened fire on the MS that was about to destroy the katana-wielding mobile suit, everybody froze, stunned by the appearance of Terry and the power of the 180mm cannon that he likes to use. But then, the enemy suits starts to move.
"This is 081 to all units. Let's get them, fire at will!" And after his command, he fired his suit's 75mm Gatling gun and 3-barreled 35mm machine gun together on a GINN on his 2' o clock position. The powerful armor-piercing rounds shredded the GINN apart, blowing up a split-second later. His threat receiver blared up; he has an enemy unit on his rear. Turning, he deployed the heat wire, at the same time activating the magnetic grappler unit. It connected to the charging GINN, and as the pilot of the GINN wonders what it is, thousands of volts of electricity flowed through the wire and the magnetic grappler towards his MS, electrocuting him. The GINN collapsed face first.
At the same time, Aina in her Gouf Custom destroyed a GINN that tried to shoot her down with a Barrus and as another GINN came towards her, its M8A3 machine gun blazing, she drew out her Gouf's Type D III heat saber, and using the shield as cover, stabbed the saber through the cockpit of the GINN, killing the pilot. The GINN blew up later, its energy battery ruptured by the heat saber.
Karen, in her -79(G), used her NFGMG-Type.37/100mm machine gun for much of the skirmish. As a GINN assaulted her with its M8A3, several shots struck the Gundam's torso, but the Lunar Titanium easily took the shots with hardly a scratch. "Oh please, is that the best your weapon can do?" she taunted, as she took aim with her machine gun. A four-shot burst from the larger-caliber machine gun destroyed it and sent debris up in all directions.
The Magella Attack tank is also having a field day, firing from the mountain. "Hey you there, get inside the crater and stay there!" Eledore shouted to Kisato and Liam, who had finally reached the mountain. As the BuCUE and the Works GINN went inside the crater entrance to the base, the tank started to shoot. Using anti-mobile suit sabot rounds, they took out five GINNs in succession. "Yahoo! This is like shooting fish out of the rain barrel!" Kiki exclaimed. Both Eledore and Michel both sport sweat drops after that statement.
The leader of the GINNs knew that these unknowns are decimating his forces. "To all units, retreat! Our leaders must know about this!" he said on a general frequency. He started to turn away from the fighting, but Shiro, seeing what was happening, extended his heat wire, and after heating it, threw it so that it wrapped it around the GINN. He yanked it hard, cutting through the GINN in half through the cockpit area. The leader's GINN exploded after falling in two pieces on the ground.
"This is 081 to all units, the enemy is retreating. Take all out before they get reinforcements!" Shiro ordered. The rest of the 08th's MS then moved in to block all possible escape routes of the GINNs, with the Magella still giving them cover fire.
The GINNs, upon seeing their escape routes blocked by the strong enemy MS, fought harder, but to no avail. One GINN charged into Terry's -79(G), intent on ramming him. Terry simply waited for it to get closer, then shoved the 180mm cannon in front of the GINN, and then fired immediately. The hapless GINN blew up in a spectacular fireball. "Stupid knucklehead." Terry then muttered.
The last kills were from Canard and Lowe, who had finally gotten into the act. Canard finally got a good lock on a GINN that was fleeing the battlefield, and then using the Dreadnought's massive cannons blew it apart. With Lowe, it was with a GINN that decided to go up close with its MA-M3 heavy sword. Lowe sheathed his Gerbera Straight, then blocked the overhead slash of the GINN, and then did a diagonal slash down the torso, destroying the GINN.
After the battle, Lowe and his Red Frame approached Canard's Dreadnought. "Those mobile suits are amazing, especially those Gundams over there. I saw both of those units withstand shots that would have taken out most units in a sec, especially the shots from the GINN's Barrus ion cannon. And that tank over there- referring to the Magella in the distance- for an old-fashioned conventional tank, has some power that would put linear tanks to shame! Hey Canard, who would talk to these guys, you or me?"
"You do it; you're the better talker than me, unlike my younger sister." Canard replied, referring to his younger sister Cagalli Yula Attha and her speaking abilities.
"You got it!" And then Lowe then turned on his communication unit on the Red Frame and set it on an open frequency. "Unknown mobile suits, please respond and what are your intentions for us?"
Aboard Shiro Amada's Gouf Custom, 0900H local time
"Good work guys, you really showed those unknown enemy suits who's the better team…wait a moment." He paused, as a transmission from one of the mobile suits they helped out came through. Apparently it's on an open frequency as every unit can hear it. "Hey Chief, they are asking who are we and our intentions. What's our response?" Karen asked.
"I will do the talking. For now, just let them see that we are not a threat and monitor for additional enemy units. Safeties on, okay?" he ordered. Switching to the frequency used by the red and white-colored mobile suit that was the source of the transmission, he started to speak.
"This is Shiro Amada, and may I ask who are you and also the name of your partner and what organization are you from."
"The name's Lowe Guele and I am a technician for the Junk Guild. My partner's name is Canard Pars and he's with the X mercenary group. We have two other companions with us, and they're Kisato Yamabuki and Liam Garfield. We are on our way to a town nearby to do some salvage and demolition work. Hey, thanks for the save, we are not that good in jungle combat."
"Sure, no problem. By the way, what is the date today and where are we?" Shiro asked Lowe. After hearing Lowe's introduction, he sensed that something's wrong, and he decided to asked that question.
Lowe was puzzled with the questions, but he answered it anyway. "Its October 22, Cosmic Era 73, and we are in southern Nepal in the Equatorial Union."
"Wait a moment, please." Shiro then switched back to his team frequency. "You got that, guys?"
"What is going on Shiro?" Aina asked in alarm. "Yeah, she's right. What in blazes is going on, Chief?" Terry asked.
"We'll find out soon enough. For now, let's invite them to the base and asked them about their situation. Who knows, they might even help us. When we arrive at the base, I want you guys to look for a device called the Chronosphere. Aina, check your brother's files about the machine, and try to find its location. Karen, you and Eledore look for it after Aina finds out its location. Kiki, help Aina with the search on the computers, and find other files of interest, while Terry and I will entertain our guests." Shiro said. He then switched back to Lowe's frequency. "Sorry for the interruption, we just had a small powwow. Would you and your companions kindly join us to our base in the dead volcano?"
Lowe and Canard was surprised by Shiro's revelation of a base in the dead volcano. "Well, we are expected to arrive in the town, but what the heck, sure, why not? Lead the way, pal!"
As the procession of mobile suits proceeded towards the mountain, Shiro talked to Aina on another frequency. "Aina, I have a bad feeling about all this, and it has something to do with your brother's Chronosphere and what it did to us."
"What is it then, Shiro?" Aina asked.
"I can't tell this yet to the others yet, but I feel that your brother's machine… might have sent us to another dimension." Shiro said grimly.
Author's notes: The 08th has barely settled down after the last battle and now just fought another battle…but against unknown mobile suits! And the words of the man known as Lowe Guele gave Shiro the suspicion that Ghinias Sahalin's Chronosphere might have brought them to another dimension. Boy is he right about that! Mission Three: Same Place, Wrong Time, Phase Three will answer the questions of the 08th and their four visitors.
I am sorry that I only updated this work today, but I had been a little busy these past year and some months. By the way, the names of the weapons used by the MS in this fic can be found on .net and .com(slash)gundam(underscore)uc0079(just replace the words with the appropriate symbols, okay?) Anyway enjoy this latest chapter, and as always- Rock On and Sieg Zeon! Live Long and Prosper!