Chapter 4: Tsunami
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Do a pre-flight inspection. Gundam or not, this thing has been sitting here for long enough that you're worried about its flightworthiness.
"Good, it's still hooked into power," you sigh in relief as the panoramic monitor flickers to life around you, the low thrum of ventilation systems coming to life filling the small cockpit, "let's run some pre-flight checks first, okay? I don't want to fly out of here only to crash."
The girl nods, "Makes sense. Who's driving?"
"I've got hundreds of simulator hours racked up, and I've flown my brother's Mobile Suit a few times. Haven't flown an MS with an actual Linear Cockpit before, but it can't be that different than the sims."
With that, you plop yourself down in the pilot seat. It's well-padded, but you can tell that this was meant for someone wearing a Normal Suit. Still, it'll work.
"RX-124, Gundam TR-6 'Woundwort'." You read off the name of the Gundam as it appears on the screen during the boot-up sequence. Huh, you've never heard of this Suit before. But that kind of makes sense, the Titans made a lot of experimental MS during the Gryps War. Not all of them are commonly known.
"Okay, running diagnostics," you state as you find the right switches, flicking them on. In front of you, the monitor displays various schematics and readouts. You and the girl lean forward to take a look.
"Konpeitoh Arsenal?" you note the logo near the top, "So this isn't an Anaheim suit. Still using the Anaheim standards though, I can work with that."
"What's a 'Composite Shield Booster'?" the girl asks, pointing at your weapons loadout, "It has a lot of stuff on it."
You use the controls to expand that window, "Long Beam Rifle, Claw, Heat Blade… and it functions as a Bit? Talk about overengineered."
"Sis, look!" the girl excitedly points out the last piece of equipment your Shield Booster is packing, "We have an I-Field generator!"
"Really? Well damn. Those Fed bastards won't even know what-…" You pause, her words registering, "Did you just call me 'Sis'?"
"…Yes," she looks at you with a shy but hopeful smile, "Is… Is that okay?"
You're not too sure how to feel about that… but you pat her on the head.
"Sure, I can be your Sis if you want. Always wondered what it'd be like to have a little sister."
She brightens up and plops herself down in your lap as the two of you continue to run through the system checks.
"Well, we're good on propellant, could use more but I'm not going to go hunting for more right now," you linger on a few systems, "But… the drivers on this weapon look pretty basic. 'Training Funnels'. Is this an addon?"
"Maybe it's a prototype?" she suggests, "I noticed some orange cylinders kind of strapped to the booster on the back. Maybe those were it?"
You shrug. There are also a bunch of Psycommu systems that you know only in theory, but have no way of knowing whether they're actually working or not beyond what the computer itself is telling you.
"Well, we should be good," you flip a few more switches, "Hatch closed, reactor running at optimal values. Let's warm these thrusters up, then I think I saw an exit over by-"
The far side of the hangar caves in in a mess of torn steel and shattered concrete, destroyed by a Mobile Suit being plowed through it headfirst! It stops on the hangar floor, upside down, while debris continues to rain down around it! The girl hurriedly straps the two of you in while you quickly aim the Head Vulcans at the suit! The IFF system doesn't recognize the suit, and it's half-slagged and missing an arm. Still, you can recognize that suit anywhere.
"That's the Doven Wolf!" you gasp, dread pooling in your stomach. If the colony's strongest MS is already like this, then what about your brother?!
But something more urgent. The Doven Wolf has been heavily damaged, and you know the reactor output on those things is high… and they can be volatile.
"Hang on," you tell the girl as you grip the controls, "This isn't going to be pleasant!"
The acceleration is nothing compared to a GM, and you grit your teeth as the Woundwort shoots forward, twisting around to avoid hitting the Doven Wolf and flying up through the hole it made! You pass a few floors before emerging outside the facility, just beyond the front doors. You notice that Jegan arm from earlier. It looks so small now!
"We're out…" you look around, seeing the Gundam tracking multiple targets all across the colony. The fighting has spread. Every major city in Cascadia is on fire or has a fight actively happening inside or around it. As the seconds go by, you can see your home slowly being destroyed bit by bit.
There are no less than five breaches now, all of varying size, but the largest you could fly a Salamis through.
"…We're finished," you mutter as it dawns on you, "Cascadia is done for."
There's no coming back from this.
"What kind of Mobile Suits are those?" the girl draws your attention to the nearest fight, indicating the Jegan pressuring one of the local GM IIIs. Your suit doesn't have the IFF data for those MS either.
"Jegan, the standard Mobile Suit used by the Federation," you answer quickly, activating the Heat Blade, "I've got this."
You punch the thrusters, and the Woundwort screams forward. With how long it is, and how flat the tip is, the only way to use this thing properly is to swing it.
Like an executioner's sword.
"You're mine!" the blade catches the Jegan's neck as you streak by, sending it flying. In that precious moment when the pilot is switching cameras, the GM III draws its beam saber and spears the cockpit! It slumps to the ground like an abandoned doll.
"You got them!" the girl cheers, "Your first kill, Sis!"
"That was just an assist," you brush off the praise, landing next to the GM III and establishing a contact link.
"Are you alright?" you ask.
"Thanks! Thought I was a goner!" you hear the voice of a young man, likely one of the greener pilots in the defense force, "Where did you come from, I've never seen that Mobile Suit before!"
"I found it. Long story. Do you know where Kaylen is? Kaylen Naese, he's my brother."
The GM III turns to look at the far end of the colony, where you can see the distant trails of Mobile Suits clashing in the skies of the colony.
"Last I saw, he was with Lt. Shasta, they were trying to draw the fighting away from one of the shelters!"
"Thanks. Can you come with me? They might need help."
"Of course," he stands, preparing to launch, "You saved my life, least I can do is assist you!"
He follows, but you start to leave him behind. The acceleration of his Suit can't match yours, and you need to make sure that your brother is safe! As you approach the shelter, you recognize the area. That's the one your mother is in! Outside, many buildings have already fallen. A couple of Cascadian MS are lying broken in the street, but there's still weapons fire! A Jegan with a heavy weapons loadout stands with its back to you, firing its rifle at two MS taking cover near the shelter. Backing it up is two more of its fellows. One of them turns, noticing your rapid approach.
"Too late!" you gun the thrusters and switch the Composite Shield to rifle mode! With a whine, the beam rifle charges up and fires, punching clean through the Jegan's side!
Switching to Bit mode, you then launch it at the second Jegan, the Composite Shield transforming into a claw in mid-flight! The Federation pilot tries to intercept the incoming Bit with their beam rifle, but miss every shot. It clamps around their midsection, and you pull the trigger.
A particle beam spears the Jegan, and you reel the Bit back in before the MS explodes! Thankfully you didn't hit the reactor.
Now for the third- Where is it?
The Gundam shakes, making you and the girl cry out as the whiplash strains the belts keeping you in place. To the left, you see the Jegan's head, eyes glinting menacingly.
"You bastard!" a gruff voice echoes over the contact link, "So what if you're in a Gundam!"
He lashes out with a kick, the impact jarring you and the girl and sending the Woundwort sliding backwards! You regain your senses in time to see the Jegan level its multiple heavy beam weapons at you!
A bright flash of purple, beams engulf your vision, then multiple shots spiral away to slam into the neighboring buildings and streets, a few flying off into the sky to hit the other side of the colony.
Your Woundwort stands tall, untouched, Composite Shield raised. The I-Field generator hums. Your hand is tight upon the controls, tense finger still jamming the activation trigger for the I-Field.
The Federation pilots stands in shock, just for a moment, but that moment is all that is needed. A hail of Beam gun shots hit the Jegan from the side, and you see your brother rush out from cover, his GM Command dual-wielding small beam guns! The Jegan tries to recover, but one of the shots nails the cockpit and it goes over like a sack of bricks.
"…Wow…" you breathe, finally relaxing a bit, "A Gundam is really something else, huh little Sis?"
"Gundams are the enemy." She whispers under her breath.
"Hm? You say something?" you ask, not having caught whatever it was that she mumbled.
She blinks in confusion, "Huh? I didn't say anything."
Your brother's GM touches your shoulder, "Thanks for the assist. Name and affiliation?"
"Kaylen, it's me!" you grin, relief welling up within you, "I'm so glad I made it in time!"
"Cybele? What-?" his GM looks up and down at your Woundwort, "Cy, where'd you find a Gundam?!"
You smirk, quipping, "Thrift shop down the road. They've got a great selection, you should check it out."
Your "little Sis" giggles, and you pat her on the head. She's been a good sport so far.
"In all seriousness though," you point back where you came from, "I found it in the old Titan facility."
Then in the distance, a bright flash of light engulfs the facility, swallowing it whole as the Doven Wolf's reactor goes critical.
"…Shit," Kaylen curses, "A reactor just blew."
"That was the Doven Wolf," you answer, mentally tallying the number of breaches in the colony, "Kay, what's going on? Why is the Federation attacking?"
"They said that we're harboring a Newtype," he growls, "but that's nonsense. This is just a massacre, plain and simple. We're Spacenoids, nothing but trash to them."
Really? Is this all this is? Federation grunts blowing off steam? That can't be it, can it? Can someone truly value Human life so little?
But you know. You've known for years.
Some people think that they're above respecting life.
"…Mom's in that shelter," you let Kaylen know, "What should we do?"
Kaylen's GM looks up at the ongoing fights, "Truthfully, I don't know. I've lost contact with most of our allies, and the only other survivor I can personally verify is my buddy in his Gaza-C over there."
You notice the other MS that had been pinned down as it peers over a smashed convenience store at you.
"I saved one of the new guys in his GM III a little ways away," you check your monitor, "I think I see him inbound. I kind of left him in the dust."
"That's not a lot to work with," Kaylen says, and you can almost hear him shaking his head in irritation, "Alright, get that rookie down here, and he can shelter-sit with Ensign Montoya over there. You and me, we're going Newtype-hunting."
You're taken aback, "Wait, what? We're going to try and find the Newtype that the Feds want?!"
"No, not that," he replies as he walks over to one of the downed Jegans, grabbing its intact rifle, "The Feds brought a Newtype Flight in with them. I only caught a glimpse of them, too short to ID, but I definitely saw a big blue one using Funnels."
You mentally go over Mobile Suits that fit that description, there are none you can think of.
You're not thrilled to go up against a Newtype, but… this is war. You've already killed two Federation soldiers, and assisted in the deaths of two more. You almost want to run away, but there are people here you want, no, you need to protect.
And the Federation isn't going to just let you walk. You've never heard of them wiping out colonies like this, but you have heard recently of some colonies just going dark… and you can think of a chilling reason why nobody knew the cause.
Still, Kay is in a GM. A GM Command, granted, but it's still no match for a Jegan. And against a Newtype-use Mobile Suit? You don't like his odds.
Still, he wants to fight, and you're not sure if insisting that he stay behind would be any better…
"You can take a Newtype all by yourself!" Little Sis speaks up, "I know you can, Sis!
[] Agree to the plan, accompany Kaylen to go hunt a Fed Newtype.
[] Just go. Kaylen is too fired up, and he isn't going to listen. Tell him to stay behind, then go confront the Newtype Wing yourself. You're way faster than him anyways, he won't be able to catch up.
[] Offer to switch Mobile Suits. Kaylen is the more experienced Pilot. He can make much better use of the Woundwort.
"Good, it's still hooked into power," you sigh in relief as the panoramic monitor flickers to life around you, the low thrum of ventilation systems coming to life filling the small cockpit, "let's run some pre-flight checks first, okay? I don't want to fly out of here only to crash."
The girl nods, "Makes sense. Who's driving?"
"I've got hundreds of simulator hours racked up, and I've flown my brother's Mobile Suit a few times. Haven't flown an MS with an actual Linear Cockpit before, but it can't be that different than the sims."
With that, you plop yourself down in the pilot seat. It's well-padded, but you can tell that this was meant for someone wearing a Normal Suit. Still, it'll work.
"RX-124, Gundam TR-6 'Woundwort'." You read off the name of the Gundam as it appears on the screen during the boot-up sequence. Huh, you've never heard of this Suit before. But that kind of makes sense, the Titans made a lot of experimental MS during the Gryps War. Not all of them are commonly known.
"Okay, running diagnostics," you state as you find the right switches, flicking them on. In front of you, the monitor displays various schematics and readouts. You and the girl lean forward to take a look.
"Konpeitoh Arsenal?" you note the logo near the top, "So this isn't an Anaheim suit. Still using the Anaheim standards though, I can work with that."
"What's a 'Composite Shield Booster'?" the girl asks, pointing at your weapons loadout, "It has a lot of stuff on it."
You use the controls to expand that window, "Long Beam Rifle, Claw, Heat Blade… and it functions as a Bit? Talk about overengineered."
"Sis, look!" the girl excitedly points out the last piece of equipment your Shield Booster is packing, "We have an I-Field generator!"
"Really? Well damn. Those Fed bastards won't even know what-…" You pause, her words registering, "Did you just call me 'Sis'?"
"…Yes," she looks at you with a shy but hopeful smile, "Is… Is that okay?"
You're not too sure how to feel about that… but you pat her on the head.
"Sure, I can be your Sis if you want. Always wondered what it'd be like to have a little sister."
She brightens up and plops herself down in your lap as the two of you continue to run through the system checks.
"Well, we're good on propellant, could use more but I'm not going to go hunting for more right now," you linger on a few systems, "But… the drivers on this weapon look pretty basic. 'Training Funnels'. Is this an addon?"
"Maybe it's a prototype?" she suggests, "I noticed some orange cylinders kind of strapped to the booster on the back. Maybe those were it?"
You shrug. There are also a bunch of Psycommu systems that you know only in theory, but have no way of knowing whether they're actually working or not beyond what the computer itself is telling you.
"Well, we should be good," you flip a few more switches, "Hatch closed, reactor running at optimal values. Let's warm these thrusters up, then I think I saw an exit over by-"
The far side of the hangar caves in in a mess of torn steel and shattered concrete, destroyed by a Mobile Suit being plowed through it headfirst! It stops on the hangar floor, upside down, while debris continues to rain down around it! The girl hurriedly straps the two of you in while you quickly aim the Head Vulcans at the suit! The IFF system doesn't recognize the suit, and it's half-slagged and missing an arm. Still, you can recognize that suit anywhere.
"That's the Doven Wolf!" you gasp, dread pooling in your stomach. If the colony's strongest MS is already like this, then what about your brother?!
But something more urgent. The Doven Wolf has been heavily damaged, and you know the reactor output on those things is high… and they can be volatile.
"Hang on," you tell the girl as you grip the controls, "This isn't going to be pleasant!"
The acceleration is nothing compared to a GM, and you grit your teeth as the Woundwort shoots forward, twisting around to avoid hitting the Doven Wolf and flying up through the hole it made! You pass a few floors before emerging outside the facility, just beyond the front doors. You notice that Jegan arm from earlier. It looks so small now!
"We're out…" you look around, seeing the Gundam tracking multiple targets all across the colony. The fighting has spread. Every major city in Cascadia is on fire or has a fight actively happening inside or around it. As the seconds go by, you can see your home slowly being destroyed bit by bit.
There are no less than five breaches now, all of varying size, but the largest you could fly a Salamis through.
"…We're finished," you mutter as it dawns on you, "Cascadia is done for."
There's no coming back from this.
"What kind of Mobile Suits are those?" the girl draws your attention to the nearest fight, indicating the Jegan pressuring one of the local GM IIIs. Your suit doesn't have the IFF data for those MS either.
"Jegan, the standard Mobile Suit used by the Federation," you answer quickly, activating the Heat Blade, "I've got this."
You punch the thrusters, and the Woundwort screams forward. With how long it is, and how flat the tip is, the only way to use this thing properly is to swing it.
Like an executioner's sword.
"You're mine!" the blade catches the Jegan's neck as you streak by, sending it flying. In that precious moment when the pilot is switching cameras, the GM III draws its beam saber and spears the cockpit! It slumps to the ground like an abandoned doll.
"You got them!" the girl cheers, "Your first kill, Sis!"
"That was just an assist," you brush off the praise, landing next to the GM III and establishing a contact link.
"Are you alright?" you ask.
"Thanks! Thought I was a goner!" you hear the voice of a young man, likely one of the greener pilots in the defense force, "Where did you come from, I've never seen that Mobile Suit before!"
"I found it. Long story. Do you know where Kaylen is? Kaylen Naese, he's my brother."
The GM III turns to look at the far end of the colony, where you can see the distant trails of Mobile Suits clashing in the skies of the colony.
"Last I saw, he was with Lt. Shasta, they were trying to draw the fighting away from one of the shelters!"
"Thanks. Can you come with me? They might need help."
"Of course," he stands, preparing to launch, "You saved my life, least I can do is assist you!"
He follows, but you start to leave him behind. The acceleration of his Suit can't match yours, and you need to make sure that your brother is safe! As you approach the shelter, you recognize the area. That's the one your mother is in! Outside, many buildings have already fallen. A couple of Cascadian MS are lying broken in the street, but there's still weapons fire! A Jegan with a heavy weapons loadout stands with its back to you, firing its rifle at two MS taking cover near the shelter. Backing it up is two more of its fellows. One of them turns, noticing your rapid approach.
"Too late!" you gun the thrusters and switch the Composite Shield to rifle mode! With a whine, the beam rifle charges up and fires, punching clean through the Jegan's side!
Switching to Bit mode, you then launch it at the second Jegan, the Composite Shield transforming into a claw in mid-flight! The Federation pilot tries to intercept the incoming Bit with their beam rifle, but miss every shot. It clamps around their midsection, and you pull the trigger.
A particle beam spears the Jegan, and you reel the Bit back in before the MS explodes! Thankfully you didn't hit the reactor.
Now for the third- Where is it?
The Gundam shakes, making you and the girl cry out as the whiplash strains the belts keeping you in place. To the left, you see the Jegan's head, eyes glinting menacingly.
"You bastard!" a gruff voice echoes over the contact link, "So what if you're in a Gundam!"
He lashes out with a kick, the impact jarring you and the girl and sending the Woundwort sliding backwards! You regain your senses in time to see the Jegan level its multiple heavy beam weapons at you!
A bright flash of purple, beams engulf your vision, then multiple shots spiral away to slam into the neighboring buildings and streets, a few flying off into the sky to hit the other side of the colony.
Your Woundwort stands tall, untouched, Composite Shield raised. The I-Field generator hums. Your hand is tight upon the controls, tense finger still jamming the activation trigger for the I-Field.
The Federation pilots stands in shock, just for a moment, but that moment is all that is needed. A hail of Beam gun shots hit the Jegan from the side, and you see your brother rush out from cover, his GM Command dual-wielding small beam guns! The Jegan tries to recover, but one of the shots nails the cockpit and it goes over like a sack of bricks.
"…Wow…" you breathe, finally relaxing a bit, "A Gundam is really something else, huh little Sis?"
"Gundams are the enemy." She whispers under her breath.
"Hm? You say something?" you ask, not having caught whatever it was that she mumbled.
She blinks in confusion, "Huh? I didn't say anything."
Your brother's GM touches your shoulder, "Thanks for the assist. Name and affiliation?"
"Kaylen, it's me!" you grin, relief welling up within you, "I'm so glad I made it in time!"
"Cybele? What-?" his GM looks up and down at your Woundwort, "Cy, where'd you find a Gundam?!"
You smirk, quipping, "Thrift shop down the road. They've got a great selection, you should check it out."
Your "little Sis" giggles, and you pat her on the head. She's been a good sport so far.
"In all seriousness though," you point back where you came from, "I found it in the old Titan facility."
Then in the distance, a bright flash of light engulfs the facility, swallowing it whole as the Doven Wolf's reactor goes critical.
"…Shit," Kaylen curses, "A reactor just blew."
"That was the Doven Wolf," you answer, mentally tallying the number of breaches in the colony, "Kay, what's going on? Why is the Federation attacking?"
"They said that we're harboring a Newtype," he growls, "but that's nonsense. This is just a massacre, plain and simple. We're Spacenoids, nothing but trash to them."
Really? Is this all this is? Federation grunts blowing off steam? That can't be it, can it? Can someone truly value Human life so little?
But you know. You've known for years.
Some people think that they're above respecting life.
"…Mom's in that shelter," you let Kaylen know, "What should we do?"
Kaylen's GM looks up at the ongoing fights, "Truthfully, I don't know. I've lost contact with most of our allies, and the only other survivor I can personally verify is my buddy in his Gaza-C over there."
You notice the other MS that had been pinned down as it peers over a smashed convenience store at you.
"I saved one of the new guys in his GM III a little ways away," you check your monitor, "I think I see him inbound. I kind of left him in the dust."
"That's not a lot to work with," Kaylen says, and you can almost hear him shaking his head in irritation, "Alright, get that rookie down here, and he can shelter-sit with Ensign Montoya over there. You and me, we're going Newtype-hunting."
You're taken aback, "Wait, what? We're going to try and find the Newtype that the Feds want?!"
"No, not that," he replies as he walks over to one of the downed Jegans, grabbing its intact rifle, "The Feds brought a Newtype Flight in with them. I only caught a glimpse of them, too short to ID, but I definitely saw a big blue one using Funnels."
You mentally go over Mobile Suits that fit that description, there are none you can think of.
You're not thrilled to go up against a Newtype, but… this is war. You've already killed two Federation soldiers, and assisted in the deaths of two more. You almost want to run away, but there are people here you want, no, you need to protect.
And the Federation isn't going to just let you walk. You've never heard of them wiping out colonies like this, but you have heard recently of some colonies just going dark… and you can think of a chilling reason why nobody knew the cause.
Still, Kay is in a GM. A GM Command, granted, but it's still no match for a Jegan. And against a Newtype-use Mobile Suit? You don't like his odds.
Still, he wants to fight, and you're not sure if insisting that he stay behind would be any better…
"You can take a Newtype all by yourself!" Little Sis speaks up, "I know you can, Sis!
[] Agree to the plan, accompany Kaylen to go hunt a Fed Newtype.
[] Just go. Kaylen is too fired up, and he isn't going to listen. Tell him to stay behind, then go confront the Newtype Wing yourself. You're way faster than him anyways, he won't be able to catch up.
[] Offer to switch Mobile Suits. Kaylen is the more experienced Pilot. He can make much better use of the Woundwort.
