06-Feb-2001

Ohayo!  I'm still alive--well, mostly.  Many, many apologies for the wait on this next part--I got sucked into a black hole for about a month there, and it took me a while to crawl back out.  This particular section is known as "The Part That Would Not Cooperate", so feel free to chuck rotten cyberfruit at will.  Now, on to the fic!

Title: The Longest Dream, Part 13
Author: Hope of Dawn
Feedback: C&C appreciated!
Archive: GW Addiction at www.geocities.com/fenris_wolf0
Legal stuff: None of these characters are mine. Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsu Agency, among others--Xenogears belongs to Squaresoft. For time-wasting purposes only and not for profit, so don't sue, 'kay?
Writer's Notes: Minor note--as far as this AU's concerned, that little oath of non-killing that the Gundam pilots did in Endless Waltz is not in effect. I, personally, thought it was rather stupid, and therefore am choosing to ignore it entirely. *waves poetic license proudly*
Warnings: Lotsa profanity, violence and AU. OOC-ness is entirely up to the reader!

The Longest Dream by Hope of Dawn

Part Thirteen

Cradled in the darkness of Deathscythe's protected heart, a feral smile tugged at Duo's lips. "You've waited a long time, partner," Duo murmured, his fingers flexing over the rough texture of the cockpit controls. Long-dormant instincts uncoiled like sleepy dragons, flickering through muscle memory and spiking like lightning behind his eyes. "You and I--we've both been patient, but I think we've sat on the sidelines long enough. Time to do some damage."

The launching signal flashed. Aided by the powerful thrust of the launching catapult, Deathscythe burst out of the darkness of Yggdrasil's hangar bay and into the light--and battle. Duo compensated for the sudden boost with cool efficiency, teeth bared. The first heady spike of endorphins kicked in, thrumming through his blood with the drumroll of his heart. Responding to the impetus, his perceptions crystallized into razor-edged clarity as Deathscythe darted through the battle-choked skies.

Quatre's channel flickered into life. "All Gundams, report."

Wufei's response was immediate and unruffled. "05 is standing by at 10,000 feet and falling. All systems go." Shenlong's green-and-white form maneuvered easily into formation, thrusters flaring.

"03, standing by fifteen degrees to the rear. Falling from 10,500 feet," Trowa reported. Duo monitored Heavyarms' rapid descent and frowned; there was visible tension under Trowa's usual unflappable mask. A quick glance showed Quatre had noticed it too. There was nothing to be done about it, however. Duo pushed it aside to focus on more immediate concerns--like the ground that loomed closer every second.

"02 standing by--descending from 9,000 feet and ready to kick some ass, SIR!" he snapped smartly. Quatre's face instantly turned peevish, and Duo grinned, unrepentant. It was times like this that Duo loved yanking his fellow pilot's chain the most. For all his tactical skill and combat experience, Quatre loathed military protocol, and absolutely *hated* to be called 'sir'.

Citan's calm voice interrupted before the blonde pilot could bite Duo's head off. "Heimdal is falling from 10,250 feet and twelve degrees. All systems optimal." Heimdal held its assigned position above and to the rear of Heavyarms, its armor gleaming brightly among the dulled hues of the Gundams.

"01 here--fully engaged at 20,000 feet and providing covering fire. Minimal damage." Heero's crisp reply was punctuated by grunts of effort. Duo winced at the number of Gs he must have been pulling to make talking that difficult. However, this was not the time to ask. A quick glance at his readouts confirmed that Wing was too far away for visual confirmation.

In accordance with their plans, the Yggdrasil had launched Heimdal and the four remaining Gundams at a relatively low altitude. The hope was that the Kislev ships would take little notice of yet another Gear squadron taking to the air. So far, it seemed to be effective, as none of the embattled enemy ships had deigned to target them directly. Now all they had to contend with were random plasma bolts and flying debris.

His cockpit shuddered as an airship above them took several hits. Its main turbines exploded into a whirlwind of fiery shrapnel, and Deathscythe's maneuvering thrusters whined in protest as Duo threw them into a series of darting, high-speed evasive maneuvers. He had to trust in his Gundam's armor to handle any incidental hits--the faster they moved, the less likely any of the larger ships' artillery would be able to lock onto them.

Over the tiny viewscreen, Quatre's eyes narrowed. Duo let out a mental groan. {{Uh oh. That's his I've-Got-An-Idea look. . .}}

"02 through 05--maneuver closer to that damaged airship above us. We'll use it to cover our descent."

Duo winced. Mentally apologizing for the beating his aibou was about to take, he maneuvered in closer the crippled airship. "Dammit, 04--this is *not* a good time to be reenacting ancient history! This is not fucking Operation Meteor!" He swore as several of his peripheral sensors went offline, overloaded by the radiation from the point-blank explosions. "More like Operation Fried Gundam! Anybody want ketchup with this barbecue?" Deathscythe shuddered as a falling piece of the hull glanced off of its shoulder armor.

Wufei growled, "Not funny, 02."

"It's the fuckin' truth!" Duo replied. He kept a white-knuckled grip on the controls as he strained to keep his Gundam steady against the pounding it was taking. "04, I'm seriously starting to get toasty here, and I can't see worth shit." A stray plasma blast cut through the smoke, narrowly missing him. "Dammit!"

"I'm also experiencing difficulties--thrusters one and five have flamed out. Much longer, and I'll lose navigation control," Trowa added.

"Just hold on for a few more seconds. . ." Quatre's tone left no room for argument. In the unsteady image projected by the tiny vid-screen, Duo saw Quatre watching his instruments with single-minded focus. "You know your targets. On my mark, all Gundams break off for insertion."

Grudgingly Duo nodded, shutting down his peripheral sensor systems as they threatened to redline. He watched their altitude drop, the numbers flickering past in a rolling blur. {{Five thousand feet... four thousand feet... two thousand...}}

Quatre gave the signal at just under a thousand feet. "Now! Break away!"

Duo threw Deathscythe into action, thrusters flaring as they veered away from the falling wreckage of the airship. Deathscythe banked and jigged downward through falling girders and chunks of scorched hull. At the same time, he wrestled against Deathscythe's own momentum, trying to slow them down before impact. The Gundam's engines shrieked as he threw them into a split-second somersault, and the war-torn city loomed ominously large as Deathscythe's feet flew downwards in an attempt to apply counter-thrust. Building walls and pavement crumpled inward underneath them, first slagged by the intensity of the landing thrusters, then blown apart by the impact of the Gundam's landing.

Fresh plumes of white smoke curled upward from the crater of pulverized rock, gently steaming around the ebony machine. Duo straightened up against his harness, swiping a forearm against his forehead as the ground shuddered once again--this time under the impact of the airship's crash. As a fresh wave of pitch-black smoke boiled upwards, obscuring his less-than-perfect landing, Duo shook his head. "Fuck, Quatre--you really like to cut it close."

"03 here. Insertion complete. Heading toward primary vantage post."

Duo stiffened as he heard the familiar scream of incoming missiles over the sound of Trowa's voice. Instinctively, he sent Deathscythe into a diving roll to one side, even as his perimeter alarms howled in belated warning. The ground shuddered as missiles pounded away at the wreckage around them. Tucked into a defensive position, Duo waited until the barrage had tapered off.

"Hrmph. I see *someone* believes in being thorough," he grumbled. After a quick diagnostic check and reboot of his sensor subsystem, Duo thruster-jumped gently out of the crater and into the city proper. "02 here--heading for secondary targets."

As Deathscythe ghosted in and out of sight with smooth ease, Duo couldn't help but marvel at this new incarnation of his partner. His Gundam moved like an ebony shark through the urban battleground, tactical systems handling the unfamiliar terrain easily. Deathscythe had always been the fastest and most flexible of all the Gundams, even in its original design--but this new 'Scythe was positively uncanny. Gone was the almost infinitesimal lag of a Suit's response to pilot commands. This trimmed-down Gundam moved like water, and responded like a second skin. As for stealth, well... Deathscythe couldn't move silently--that was impossible for any machine this size, no matter how well built. However, this incarnation of his partner was as close to silent as they came. The unique sealants used for his Gundam's armor plate now muffled the sound of its movement to the point where it couldn't be heard past point-blank range. With Deathscythe's speed, anyone closer than that wouldn't live long enough to matter.

"05 here. I am engaged with several Gears at the primary mission objective," Wufei reported. "No appreciable resistance."

Duo snorted. No appreciable resistance meant 'These guys are pathetic losers' in Wufei-speak. No doubt they'd be treated to a rant on how weak their enemies were in another few minutes.

Quatre's voice crackled over the comlink. "04 here. City interior secured with only minor resistance." His voice turned pensive. "Even after all this time, war hasn't changed, has it?"

The American pilot snorted as Deathscythe slid stealthily around the burning hulk of another downed shuttle. Targeting systems identified the nearest point of engagement--a Kislev Gear squadron, moving in a ragged phalanx down the broken city streets. "Too true, 04--and I for one am fuckin' tired of it!"

He lunged. In seconds half the squad was crippled, torn apart by the suddenness of his attack. The remaining Gears flailed around as their formation broke open, firing wildly at the God of Death that had appeared in their midst. One of his scythes sliced through the engines of the green-drab Gear leader, disabling it instantly. Trusting in his Gundam's speed, Duo struck at any targets of opportunity, tearing through them with lightning-swift attacks. Finally, Deathscythe blurred into a low underhanded strike that severed the final two Gears at knee-joint and power-coupling, leaving them helpless and floundering.

"Yeah! Time to rock n' roll, gentlemen. . .Shinigami is in the building!" Duo pumped his fist victoriously as he surveyed his handiwork.

There was a muffled, anonymous snort over the open channel. Citan asked curiously, "Rock 'n' roll?"

"Don't ask. It's safer that way," Quatre said dryly.

"...ah. I'll take your word for it."

Duo grinned. Who knew it would be so much fun to confuse their new allies by spouting archaic American slang? Then again, maybe he shouldn't have been surprised--after all, if it annoyed Wufei, it would probably confuse the bejeezus out of Citan.

He caught a glimpse of Heavyarms for a brief moment, as Trowa moved up into higher ground where his Gundam could be brought into play. Then the vividly colored Gundam was gone, its red-splashed armor fading into the smoky air with surprising ease. Accompanied by Heimdal, the two energy signatures faded rapidly into the background as more immediate targets began demanding his attention. Duo cut down thruster power to a minimum, eradicating even that faint betrayal of Deathscythe's position, and began to stalk another unsuspecting Gear squadron.

The open channel crackled to life once more. "... 03 to 05."

"05 here." Wufei's response was curt, even for him, and Duo noticed with some concern that his fellow pilot was too busy to even glance at the vid pickups.

"You have the remnants of an aerial Gear division coming in at 3 o'clock. Looks like reinforcements for the Gears you've engaged," Trowa reported.

"Affirmative. I'll handle it."

Not good. According to his sensors, Wufei was currently embroiled in heavy fighting with not one, but *two* Kislev Gear squads; confident words aside, additional reinforcements could conceivably be more than he could handle. Unfortunately, Trowa was the only one close enough to offer an assist--and his Gundam prevented him from doing just that.

Of all the Gundams, Heavyarms' armaments had been changed the most by Une's redesign. After all, there simply was no peaceable application for the kind of artillery that Heavyarms had relied upon in the wars. As a result, the missiles, vulcan cannons, and gatling guns had been replaced with something else; a single cannon built into the shoulder and left forearm, tied into a pinpoint targeting system. Originally intended to load and launch carefully measured explosive rounds at asteroids for mining purposes, the new targeting sensors were as precise as the cannon was powerful. Accurate down to a thousandth of a millimeter, they punched through radiation and electromagnetic interference with relative ease, making the system nearly impervious to jamming.

Unfortunately, all of the explosives used for the shells were designed for deep space. None of them knew for sure how the missiles would react under atmospheric conditions. It was entirely possible that they wouldn't combust at all, but simply fizzle out--or it was equally likely that the explosions could create a dangerous chain-reaction by using the overabundance of hydrogen and oxygen in the air. Without a detailed chemical analysis, there was simply no way to be sure. As a result, Heavyarms' battle tactics also had to be radically altered. No longer capable of out-gunning whole sections of the enemy from the center of a battle, Trowa had reluctantly agreed to remain at the fringes of the fray and serve as a spotter, using his Gundam's new targeting capabilities to monitor and relay enemy movements to his fellow pilots. The decision was tactically sound, even if all of them regretted the limitations that made it necessary.

Duo smiled grimly. Trowa's artillery may have been reduced, but his own Gundam had suffered no such problems. Quite the reverse, in fact. Deathscythe's tall, double-bladed scythe was gone--replaced by two kama, or short-handled scythes. The twin weapons were smaller but no less powerful, and they were infinitely more flexible in their angles for attack or defense. The only downside was the lack of a Buster shield. Deathscythe's redesign hadn't demanded shielding against the backlash of its own weaponry like Heavyarms and Wing, so his old shield had been eliminated from his arsenal completely.

Duo cracked his knuckles in anticipation. The elimination of his long-range weapon was an annoyance, but one that could be worked around. It wasn't in his nature to play defensively, after all. Just the reverse, in fact.

Duo chuckled sardonically. "Full speed ahead, my friend, and damn the torpedoes!" Deathscythe reared up out of the smoke silently, a cold-eyed, battered reaper that moved with terrifying speed. Like before, the Kislev Gears hesitated at the sight of the unfamiliar ebony Gear, devoid of any insignia proclaiming it friend or foe. That brief hesitation was all he needed. Twin deadly arcs of curved beam-blade flared, slicing apart the heavy rifles his enemies bore. Duo grinned as he danced with fierce exhilaration through the ragged fire of the startled Gear troops. Stray shots splattered harmlessly against gundanium armor, and his enemies fell in a flurry of snake-quick strikes.

"Yeah! Eat this, baby!" Duo hollered, squinting through the cascade of sparks from wounded Gears.

Deathscythe's sensors suddenly flared, registering the searing gout of flame that had suddenly erupted next to the Nisan cathedral. Duo glanced over, startled, as the aerial Gears converging on Shenlong's position veered frantically in all directions in an attempt to avoid the rising pillar of fire.

Silhouetted starkly against the towering walls of the church it defended, Shenlong plunged through the flames, twirling its beam trident in a defensive parry as Wufei released another gout from the welding torch embedded in its fist. The arcing energies erupted outwards, feeding on the unexpected bounty of oxygen, and combusted into another searing sheet of flame. The resulting sound of multiple Gear explosions rocked the cathedral. A fresh wave of choking black smoke rolled upwards as Shenlong paced implacably forward through the battered ranks of the Kislev ground forces.

"Holy Sophia..." Citan murmured. "I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or appalled." Duo glanced over at the vid-channel as shock and narrow-eyed speculation chased each other across Citan's face.

"05 is actually being rather careful," Quatre replied imperturbably. "See there? His attack is actually serving as a firebreak for that side of the cathedral while he handles the rest of that particular squad."

"...so nice of--you to--notice!" Wufei's sarcastic reply was broken off as he continued his battle.

"I... see." Citan nodded. He paused, listening to the Aveh com-channel before he turned back to relay the info. "Gundams--new intel from the Yggdrasil. The Nisan defenders tell us there are civilians still trapped in the main portion of the cathedral. Sick and injured mostly--they were unable to evacuate before the attack. 04, you're the closest... can you set up a defensive line?"

"Affirmative, Citan. Inform the Yggdrasil--E.T.A., five minutes," Quatre replied immediately.

"Don't worry, Rock-man--we'll take care of the leftovers!" Duo shouted cheerfully. Deathscythe staggered as a shot from a heavily armored Kislev Gear ricocheted off of gundanium armor plate. "Dammit--step up, ya bastard! Show me what you've got!"

The heavier Gear tried to backpedal clumsily as Deathscythe spun and lunged. Grinning, Duo capitalized on his Gundams newfound flexibility. Darting inside the heavier Gear's guard, he body-blocked it backwards with the thunderous crash of metal against metal. A fist, scythe and all, barrelled into the Gear's chest section and punched through its heavy armor like paper. The screaming whine of torn metal and an overloading reactor core permeated the air as the mecha's systems shut down, leaving the Gear dangling limply on Deathscythe's fist.

"Here! He's no fun to play with anymore!" Duo threw the mechanical wreck of its former opponent at two other charging Gears. They fell backward under the impact of their former comrade, stumbling straight into a barrage of lethal fire from above.

"Heh heh... oops." Duo glanced upwards. Only two aerial Suits had that kind of firepower--thankfully they were both on his side. "Thanks, 01!"

Wing banked sharply upward and cut through Kislev's aerial Gears like a falcon among pigeons, leaving flaming wreckage in its wake. Further away, the Yggdrasil had engaged the Retribution in a thundering exchange of firepower as the rest of the Aveh and Kislev airships followed their lead, clashing ferociously in the skies as they jockeyed for position. Xenogears' and Wing's early arrival had prevented most the Kislev forces from using the bulk of the city as a shield; but Kislev still had the advantage in numbers and firepower. Neither side was willing to back away from such a strategic prize, but it was proving to be too evenly matched for either nation to claim victory.

Suddenly a rainbow arc flashed through the murky haze of the battlefield. Duo stiffened as an enormous surge of power momentarily blinded his sensors. "What the...?!" After a few tense moments, his sensors flickered back on-line--just in time to see almost an entire division of Gears crumple under the deadly sweep of Xenogears' attack.

"Looks like Fei finally boosted Xenogears up to infinity-level attacks," Citan remarked casually as Duo goggled at his spiking readouts. "Barring unforeseen circumstances, I'd say we've finally got the upper hand."

Witty repartee forgotten, Duo could only nod as he struggled to monitor the battlefield around him. Xenogears' blasts were tearing the Gear squadrons around it apart and creating havoc with Deathscythe's sensor net. Even the aftershocks of the silver-white Gear's attacks were destructive, as airships tumbled and collided in their wake. The ground itself rumbled under the reverberations of those white-hot arcs of power as everything crumpled under Xenogears' relentless attacks. Even the Aveh Gears were forced to scramble away in order to avoid the backlash of Ether energies permeating the air.

Its immediate targets obliterated, Xenogears' engines flared up into fiery wings as it took to the air once more. While the intense fighting didn't cease, both enemy and ally alike seemed to fall back in chagrin as Xenogears sliced apart a troop transport and several Kislev Gears with a single, casual-seeming sweep of its arm. This was combat on a whole different scale from what they were used to.

Even inured to Gundam warfare as he was, Duo couldn't help but be impressed. "Holy shit! Talk about an overabundance of firepower--you guys weren't kidding, were you?"

"No, we weren't." Citan replied, his voice barely audible over the thunderous rumble of Xenogears' attacks. "No one goes head-to-head with Xenogears and wins."

"Hn." Heero's monosyballic reply had an oddly speculative note, and Duo cringed.

"01, you'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking," he said warningly.

"...no comment."

Duo threw Deathscythe into a low glide, heading for the southern outskirts of the city. "I knew it! Don't even go there, flyboy!"

Growling, he looked for a fresh set of targets and spotted the scarlet armor of Bart's beleaguered Red Team. The continuous *boom* of Brigandier's twin whips merged with the rolling thunder of Renmazuo's covering fire as the two Gears fought back-to-back against their enemies. So far, the Gear squadron seemed to be holding its ground through sheer determination. However, try as they might, the small Aveh force simply couldn't make any headway. Brigandier and Renmazuo punched through the Kislev front lines time and time again, tearing them apart--only to be pushed back by fresh waves of reinforcements moments later.

About to join the fray, Deathscythe paused in mid-step as Duo saw one of the Kislev aerial shuttles swing around and target the hapless Gears below. His battle computers hummed, calculating the shuttle's probable targets. Unaware of the danger, Renmazuo ducked and unleashed another barrage of shots at a pair of green Kislev Gears, the beam-resistant material of its cape absorbing their retaliatory fire.

Duo shouted a warning, even as he realized there was no possible way for Citan to relay the message in time. "Red Bandit Team--incoming fire at 4 o'clock!" Unheeding, Renmazuo continued to fight. Falling back momentarily, it punched out an empty clip in order to reload. Taking advantage of the brief opening, the shuttle fired.

Thrown backwards by the surprise attack, Renmazuo crashed to the ground awkwardly, unable to dodge. Smoke curled upwards from where its left arm and most of its torso armor had been blown away, its heavy double-barrelled rifle broken and melted. Immediately the blue-caped Gear struggled to regain its footing, severed cables sparking and bleeding coolant. Billy continued one-handed, using Renmazuo's lighter pistols to score pinpoint shots on the oncoming Gears. However, it was abundantly clear that only the more punitive stopping power of its broken rifle had allowed Renmazuo to stand its ground in a melee such as this. Without it, the Gear didn't stand a chance.

An artillery shot penetrated past the protective cape, striking the already damaged torso; a second sent Renmazuo staggering. Brigandier viciously cut the offending Gear down, ensuring it wouldn't fire again. A fusillade of shots tore through the area as the Kislev division formed up again and counterattacked, pushing the Aveh Gears back. Renmazuo was firing from one knee now, cut off and unable to follow the squad's retreat. Duo swore as his sensors registered more incoming cannon-fire from above.

"Shit!" Wishing desperately for his Buster shield, he launched Deathscythe into a desperate full-power lunge. Even with Deathscythe's speed, there was no way he could be there in time to assist the crippled Gear. Suddenly, Brigandier charged the Kislev Gears, knocking them aside like tenpins. The piratical Gear planted itself in front of Renmazuo, only to be hammered to its knees as it took the brunt of the attack. Brigandier's armor buckled under the barrage, and the Kislev Gears surged forward to finish the two damaged Gears.

"Not on *my* watch!" Redirecting his lunge, Duo broke through the ground units' advance from the rear. Charging forward with reckless disregard, Deathscythe barrelled through the Kislev division, scythes slicing through Gear armor in a roil of cascading beam energies. Spotting the insignia of the Kislev division commander, he battered his way forward. With vicious precision, he impaled the unlucky officer's Gear on the sizzling point of his beam scythe, even as Xenogears caught the relayed message and blew the attacking shuttle out of the sky.

A scythe in each fist, Deathscythe crouched among the smoking wreckage of the Kislev Gears as Duo crowed gleefully. "Ha! That'll teach ya!"

Battered and demoralized by the sudden attack from the rear, the remnants of the Gear division fell back and did their best to regroup. With no more Kislev reinforcements in evidence, the Aveh forces surged forward, eager for payback.

Minutes later, Trowa's voice crackled over the open link. "All Gundams, the Kislev forces are retreating. Establish def--" He broke off abruptly. In the background, Duo could hear the clamor of multiple proximity alarms as Heavyarms' defense systems went off. Moments later, Deathscythe's own alarms sounded as they registered a massive energy buildup from above.

Duo watched in horror as one of the main Kislev airships turned its main cannons to bear on the Nisan cathedral. No longer bothering with the enemy ships, its main guns fired directly on the heart of Nisan. The plasma bolts tore into the main body of the cathedral, shaking it to its foundations. The keening cry of broken stone and shattered glass rang throughout the city as the high towers of the cathedral shuddered under the onslaught, walls buckling inward.

Duo snarled in impotent rage. "You fucking bastards!!" A red film settled over his vision as the dignified old cathedral blended with the remains of a more humble church in his mind's eye. It was an old nightmare revisited--two sanctuaries, ravaged by war. A church turned into nothing more than a burnt, broken shell once again, even as he watched--watched more innocents die.

The appalled silence was broken by a frantic shout. "04, come in!" Trowa suddenly yelled. "Quatre--respond, dammit!!!"

"--*shkkkt*--here, Trowa." Quatre's image wobbled and flickered over the comlink. "Sandrock and I--*skzzt*--supporting the damag-- *shkkt*--thedral wall." The wrenching groan of over stressed metal and rock resonated over the open channel, and sweat beaded on Quatre's straining face as his cockpit creaked and rattled around him. "--no way for civilians-- *shkkzt*--evacuate--"

Citan broke in. "The Kislev ship is warming up for another shot. The Yggdrasil is out of position, and Xenogears won't get there in time--there are too many ships in its way!"

"01!" Wufei snapped. "Can you intercept?"

"Negative," Heero replied, his face a mask of dispassionate fury. "Fully engaged with multiple bogeys--unable to disengage."

"Fuck!" Duo swore helplessly. He watched despairingly as the yellow nimbus of plasma energies began to build around Kislev battleship's main cannon once again. "Quatre, get out of there!"

"No!" Quatre's channel was streaked with static. "Not going to--*skkkzt*--them die!!"

"Dammit, Quatre!!"

There was a sudden shout from Citan. "Trowa, what are you...? No, Trowa, don't...!"

Duo had a sudden sickening premonition. He reoriented Deathscythe's long-range visuals over to Trowa's last known position--just in time to see Heavyarms complete a thruster-assisted jump to a clear hilltop and settle into firing position. With a single vicious thrust, Heavyarms sank its protective shield into the ground and braced the long silver barrel of its single gun over it.

"Target locked," Trowa said calmly. Duo felt the hairs prickle on the back of his neck as he listened to the cold, emotionless announcement. Other Kislev ships began to lay down supporting fire, bringing their guns to bear on Heavyarms as their sensors registered the new threat. He shook in helpless fury as he watched the plasma bolts pound down from the sky, intent on striking Heavyarms down...

Trowa fired.

Even as the first shots impacted against Heavyarms' shield, the deceptively innocuous shell was on its way, streaking with single-minded certainty towards its target. Heimdal charged the hill and barrelled into Heavyarms, just as the lethal counterattack turned the hill they had been standing on into a fiery caldera.

Belatedly the main battleship tried desperately to reorient their guns in time to shoot down the incoming missile. With no time to bring the larger cannons into play, the smaller anti-Gear guns fired frantically, white-hot bolts of energy tearing open the sky. The missile sizzled on its course, a small innocuous cylinder among all of the deadly plasma fire. Then, a cannon shot hit the warhead dead on--and it exploded into a mushrooming cloud of fire and fury.

Even without an actual impact, the explosion tore the airship apart like paper, ripping reinforced titanium armor into confetti sized pieces. The conflagration swelled outward like a fiery beast, using the huge battleship to feed its own destruction. Secondary explosions followed in the wake of the first, feeding on the cannon-reactors in the ship. The closest ships were thrown tumbling by the blast, dissolving any attempts at retaliation. All the airships, Kislev and Aveh alike, veered away frantically in fear of being caught by the cascading chain-reaction of explosions. The battleship, now completely engulfed, tilted sideways as it lost flight control--then suddenly exploded with deafening finality.

Duo felt his bones rattle along with his Gundam as they staggered in the wake of that final explosion. He watched in awe, enemies forgotten, as molten pieces of metal fell like lethal rain over the battlefield.

"Daaaamn..." He wiped sweaty bangs away from his face, and grinned. "Something tells me that they're not gonna want to play with us anymore."

End Part Thirteen

(:./hope/dream13)