What is that supposed to mean?” Offbeat, as usual. That was just like the nerves-of-steel Mr. Flatter Me McFlatterson 311/3/15 [#7]. Pot, meet kettle.
The white three-headed winged dragon continued flying even as it took several hits from the Virgo IVs. [He] had lost quite a bit of speed. I thought he might be decelerating on purpose to bait them to the appointed spot. Or was it because the damage was so severe, that was as fast as [Nataku] could go? Either way, it was necessary to execute the mission before Epyon's “ZERO” noticed Heero and Duo were there. But I watched and waited for my predictions to be disproved.
“That idiot…… like he has any smooth moves.” Before entering the deep gorge, the beam scythe wielding, black cape wearing Warlock leisurely planted himself [at the opening of the gorge]. With moving that machine on the sly, its abilities were supposed to be displayed to their full extent. The kid really shouldn't have been named Duo.
“I can't count on you.” It appeared that the Virgo IVs' target had now become Warlock. Immediately, they began a concentrated beam rifle attack. Warlock charged forward as he nimbly evaded to the left and right. As after image of the black cape left a trick track as he moved. The light footwork was passable. The enemy seeking monitors on the Virgo IVs were probably fooled into showing a few or a few dozen Warlocks. Their beam rifles' aim was imprecise and they were shooting at the wrong places. I guess it wasn't called Warlock for nothing. Warlock sped up even more as he was moving irregularly. But how close would he get--. Warlock, who was the closest, turned to the electromagnetic field and gave the beam scythe a huge swing and thrust. Just as I'd thought, the beam scythe was no match for the Neo Planet Defensers, which were prided as an impregnable defense. While going round in a big circular movement, Warlock seemed to be searching the Virgo IVs periphery, but there were not supposed to be any blind spots. Then, the white three-headed dragon made an about face and flew back over the battlefield. [Wufei] probably couldn't stand watching my idiot son's far-out moves. But in that utterly beat up condition, it was recklessly rash to offer his aid or even to go on a special/suicide [#8] attack. He quickly aimed his beam rifle up. At the same time, Warlock's beam scythe attack was unveiled. The beam canon in the three-headed winged dragon's dragon hang shot out. The cooperation between land and air made a wave-ike attack with superb (leniency and severity). It wasn't quite enough to totally fend off the Virgo IVs [ALT: it wasn't quite enough to overwhelm the Virgo IVs] but it wasn't a bad combination.
“Do you think that's a feint?” Kathy asked naively.
“Both of them together……” It gave me a really interesting thought. A wild attack and a reckless special/suicidal attack--. Behind this obvious battle, Snow White was cooly aiming for something. That suit, wearing its cape that was outfitted with a unique stealth feature, would be completely undetectable, even by the Mars Federation's observation satellites. Epyon's “ZERO” probably hadn't pulled in the net of its investigative battle analysis. Suddenly, a thought came to me. In the back of my mind, I recalled the battle data from a few hours ago when Snow White and Warlock went up against Katrine's Maganacs. I was sure Heero fought with only his beam sabre. When the suit was loaded onto the long-distance high speed hovercraft Voyage, it was supposed to have its new buster rifle. But it wasn't used [to fight the Maganacs]. Heero said “I'll kill Katrine,” but he didn't use the most effective means. In other words, that [buster rifle] is his trump card, I suspect. The new buster rifle's shooting range and (destructive coefficient [#9]) had been pretty souped up. Like the old Wing Gundam, it employed a custom cartridge loading system and at maximum power, could shoot three times. And spare cartridges would allow for three shots a piece. However--. I tried calculating that in my head and even with the buster rifle's highest output, it wouldn't punch through the triple layer electromagnetic defenses of the Neo Planet Defenser. If consecutive shots were concentrated at the same place, it might be possible to destroy the outermost layer, but as long as the Virgo IVs and Epyon hadn't [yet] arrived, there was no way it could be a one-hit turn-around. With a more encompassing powerful attack, there would be no breaking through the triple layer electromagnetic field. Yet if it wasn't decided to [shot] continuously in the same instant [that the shooting was started]--.
“You can't do this……I can.”
Heero told me that long ago. He sure was the guy who could make the impossible possible. Well, all I could do now is see how good they were.
The Caped Misbehavor (lit: black-caped naughty boy) was still circling around the electromagnetic field, leading those mobile dolls around by the nose. Virgo IVs did not excel at hand-to-hand combat. On the other hand, with Zechs' Epyon closing in and fighting, he [note: or the Virgos?] would demonstrate his own specialty. You didn't need “ZERO”'s judgment to know Zechs would begin attacking the (prominent) Warlock, that was self-evident. At the same time as the white three-headed winged dragon flying pylon circles overhead fired, simultaneously Zechs' Epyon raised its beam sword overhead and went for Warlock. That was the moment Duo had been waiting for. From under the black cape, he pulled out what looked like a hand grenade and flung it into the sky. It was [actually] a spare buster rifle cartridge. Epyon's falling beam sword and Warlock's up-thrusting beam scythe colliding in the middle with a spark. Warlock caught Epyon's sword in a fixed position with a twist of his wrist. Without missing a beat, he used his other hand to pull out a second cartridge with a skillfulness that rivaled that of a true magician's, and like the first one, he threw it into the air.
“Oh, I get it, (there was that option, too).”
Heero's Snow White must have been up on the cliff aiming the buster rifle. 02PX-78DY point. That's probably the point from which he'd fixed onto his target. The three cartridges flying through the air began freefalling in the Virgo IVs triple layer electromagnetic field. A blinding beam of light shot straight from where I thought it would. Heero hit a buster rifle cartridge. The biggest output energy beam hit the first spare cartridge and there was a huge explosion. The outer most electromagnetic field and eight planet defensers were simultaneously destroyed. For all that “ZERO” had been involved [in calculating the shot], the marvelous (snipe) was truly unparalleled and of the greatest subtlety. I couldn't help being blown away by [Heero's] hitting that little detonator on the spinning, falling cartridge from that distance. But if he didn't do it like that, he couldn't have raised the power of the buster rifle to destroy the [electromagnetic] field [and the planet] defenser. Two tenths of a second later, the second spare cartridge was hit by the energy beam and the second electromagnetic field disappeared. Another three tenths of a second later, the third was exploded and took out the last of the Neo Planet Defensers. The area was swallowed up in a flood of light from the violent plasma currents and red-hot torrents [from the explosion]. The Virgo IVs lost their best defenses. But they weren't such small potatoes that [the others] could ease up on the attack. Wufei was particularly merciless. At the same time the white three-headed winged dragon suddenly came down and changed modes to land as Nataku, he instantly went about destroying the Virgo IVs using successive attacks with the beam trident and the beam canon in the dragon hang. He was as fast as lightning. One suit left--only Zechs' Epyon survived. If Warlock showed its real power, it could easily pin [Zechs] down then and there. Duo, however, could not. He'd likely stopped moving for a second during the above mentioned explosion of light. But I couldn't hold that against him. Not because he's my son but because anyone who'd been right beside that explosive light [like he had been] would have done the same. That kid had played his part well beyond expectations. Zechs' Epyon changed into the red double-headed flying dragon mode and just flew off into the sky. Evidently, he'd decided to evacuate. Wufei's Nataku changed modes again to the mobile armor mode but even though he gave chase, there was no way he could catch up [to Zechs] with the severe damage to the exterior [that Nataku] now [suffered]. Neither of the “ZERO”s could come up with anything better than that.
“Mission all over…… [we] somehow managed to win.”
Just then, an encrypted line of communication came from Wuife.
“This is Nataku……I will finish the operation [alt: it's done].”
“Roger…… Master Chang, that was truly some splendid fighting.”
“No, Lieutenant Commander Kathy……I was weak.”
“Impossible.”
“Nataku didn't approve of/accept me.”
“That's not true! I'm quite proud to have a superior officer blessed with valiant boldness such as [you] Master Chang.”
“I'm returning to base now……Kathy, could you get me some coffee when I get in?”
“Yes, gladly!” Kathy saluted with a face-splitting grin. “Oh, would you care for some sugar and milk?”
“Both please……extra of both.”
“Understood.”
“Xie xie [#10]…..”
After the monitor [feed] was cut, we were filled with a sense of relief.
“That was great……”
“Yeah……just like you said, Wufei's Nataku won.”
“It's not going to be that easy--” said a girl's voice from the communication device. Next, the smiling face of Miss Katrine appeared on the large screen of the main monitor. “--since the Mars Federation's aerial tactics division will arrive shortly.”Hearing those words, Kathy immediately got on the controls and increased the enemy detection radar's area of (inspection).
“Confirmed…… fifty giant transport hoverships are approaching over the battlefield where Wufei and the others are.” It was a means to win victory by strategy more than by tactics.
“You hacked the observation satellite, didn't you? If you did, the Mars Federation is watching the same footage so it's entirely within the realm of possibilies that its come to this.” She looked like her big brother Quatre and how everything she said was absolutely right was sickening.
“…….”
I was about to cut off the comlink without saying anything but [Katrine's] hacking had been superbly done: all operations [then] became ineffective/unresponsive.
“Oh, that's right……there's no point to the security codes and secret lines.” She smiled as she spoke, “Between you and me, I put a lot of work into it, I did.”
“How many Mars suits are there on that hover craft?”
Before Kathy could answer, Katrine continued to speak unperturbed as she cleaned her glasses. “There are ten unmanned flying Mars suits on each. So altogether that's five hundred machines.”
“Oh, is that so…… Aaaand incidentally, you're saying Wufei and them will round them all up.”
“You all probably think I'm just a traitor but I want you to try to understand……We need a Gundam and especially, Heero Yuy.”
“Wasn't there a smarter way to go about it?
Katrine put her glasses back on and her cool blue eyes flashed. “This is how I'm doing it, naturally……but the Mars Federation isn't an iron-clad thing, we cannot be stopped by [these?those?] runaway/reckless upper levels of military.”
“The unmanned flying Mars suits have been released from the transport hover crafts. Snow White, Warlock, and Nataku are beginning interception!!”
“Even if I believed you didn't order this……why the hell did you contact us? It wasn't just to make excuses/explain.”
“Actually, there is that, ha ha ha.”
“Huh?”
“That was a joke……I contacted you because two manekazaru guests will be arriving and I humbly wished to inform you prior to their arrival.”
“What guests?”
“Please receive them with courtesy……that is all.”
The main monitor cut back to the feed from the observation satellite.
“P.S…….give my regards to Professor Hilde Schbeiker. Please tell her not to cause us too much trouble.” She left one word too many [ALT: Katrine had just said too much.] It was common knowledge that I, as I am now, had no reason to say [anything] to Hilde. More important than that was the current state of affairs. Kathy and I started intently at the main monitor. It was a horrendous view. A large scale aerial battle was unfolding mainly in the gorge. Heero's Snow White, Duo's Warlock, and Wufei's Nataku furiously took on the five hundred Mars suits but it looked as though the fatigue from the successive battles (before) was accumulating. [And] the midrange buster rifles' ammo had been all used up. They could only use the beam sabers to cut down their enemies at close range. Even if Zechs' Epyon got caught up in the battle, it would have been one hundred to one. Either way, it would be a fierce battle. There's a saying that one man is a match for one thousands, but we didn't have enough fire power to actually [make that idiom true] 316/2/12-14. In the midst of a hard fight, the odds of defeat seemed certain.
That's when the rear gate opened. We were shocked when we turned around. Standing there was the masked second president of the Mars Federation and her assisting (officer).
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