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Sieg Zeon - Chapter 10: Into the Fray

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Sieg Zeon:
An Alternate Tale of the Universal Century

Chapter 10: Into the Fray

The back patting and other such congratulations had yet to stop even though it'd been a couple of days since Valeria Caine took down that Big Tray. Once more finding herself being dragged back to Krayniy Airbase’s main bar – now additionally adorned with Zeon flags and looted trophies for all to see – she still couldn’t see what the big deal was, given how it’d been three days since that event. After all, it’s not like she was the first person to ever bring down one of the Federation’s land battleships. Especially by taking down its bridge with a well-timed shot.

There must have been others who’d done the same, she mused, sighing a little as her thoughts went back to when she passed that downed Zaku-II and the smoldering remains of the Feddie landship that killed said MS not so long ago. Surely, what I did wasn’t unique. However, despite her protests, it was decided by the other pilots on base that a party was required. Another one at that. While she was never much of a partier even back in her school days – her one-night escapades notwithstanding – it's still frankly bizarre for her just how many she’d been dragged into since joining the military.

“You look a little out of it, Valeria.” She glanced to find Duncan grinning at her while taking a sip of scotch; despite the amount of alcohol consumed, he still bore a casual yet firm aura about himself. “Normally someone would love being at the center of attention!” 

“It’s not like I hate this or anything. But anyone could have done what I did, I think,” she sighed. “Really though, the 12th as a whole should deserve just as much praise. I’d be a goner if not for you two.”

“You really are too modest for someone who turned a moving fortress into scrap metal with that shot. Still, it’s your night, so enjoy it a little! It’s not everyday that this happens, you know. Hell, Kazuki is having the right mindset!”

As Duncan said this, he quietly gestured towards the other side of the bar, where their clearly intoxicated half-Asian teammate was evidently trying to woo another female soldier with the Code of Bushido. Though I definitely don’t recall it teaching seduction techniques. Still, it seemed to be working, which was enough to cause a bemused Valeria to grin.

As Valeria’s attention turned to the muted flatscreen TV close by, her thoughts snapped back to reality, even if only for a moment. From the ZeoNet news ticker, it seemed like there’s yet another wave of landings underway, this time in Southeast Asia and Oceania; the war against the Federation was becoming genuinely global, and all within the span of a few weeks. Even with the great strides made so far, she knew deep down that if there’s any end in sight, it’s still a ways off. If only you Earthnoids just listened, we wouldn’t even be here! It was also then that she noticed a small group of unfamiliar officers sitting next to the counter, their uniform insignia indistinguishable due to the overcoats they had on. And unlike everyone else in the bar, something about their oddly nonchalant poise seemed to suggest that they weren’t here to relax.

Then again, she’d been hearing rumors lately that some of those stationed here might soon be redeployed to the European Front in an effort to keep the advance westward going strong; word down the grapevine’s that the 12th MS Team would be part of those reinforcements. Not only that, but some unit among them would also be given a special evaluation. Guess they’re trying to draw straws…or have they already decided? As if on cue, one of the officers casually stood up and made his way to where she and Duncan were seated. Without a word, the figure left a small piece of paper next to her superior’s glass, letting slip a brief smirk before leaving. Which in turn only aroused her curiosity further.

“What does it say?” Valeria whispered once the strangers were gone. Her CO shrugged as he put the paper in his pocket. The way he looked at her however, betrayed both surprise and a hint of grim bemusement. 

“Looks like we’ve caught some higher up’s attention if he wants to see us in action to eagerly. Whoever he is, either the war’s become such a crapshoot that the top brass can afford some field trials or things out there aren’t as rosy as on the screen. Still, orders are orders.”

The female pilot, despite herself managed a smile. “It’s never that rosy anyway. Let’s hope it’s just another day on the field.” And stay alive in the process, too…
 

--o-- 

It was the 21th of March, UC 0079 when the 12th MS Team finally received official word on the evaluation. Ever since arriving at Pleso Air Base in what had once been Croatia, they’d been told to remain on standby and rest while the rest of the forces stationed there took part in the planned conquest of Italy over the past week. The team however would not be part of that operation, which only made Valeria all the more anxious as she entered in the small, soundproofed theater where the briefing’s set to take place; she and her teammates had barely gotten into their uniforms when the order came. 

They’re definitely trying to keep this secret. She couldn’t help but think back on the rumors she’d been hearing up until now, which not even Duncan could confirm. That the whole thing was some kind of experiment involving another prototype MS like the ones the now-famed 603rd Technical Evaluation Unit were known to do. That perhaps it’s a cover for some sort of covert operation behind enemy lines, the kind of wetwork that might cost her a piece of her soul. That or my life…No, that’s crazy! Whichever way, the person conducting the whole affair apparently saw her team fit for the job. But who?

That answer soon came as the lights before them flickered open. Like her teammates, Valeria suspected that it must be the one of the generals commanding the forces here. To her and everyone’s surprise however, the person who walked in from the right was a blue-haired aristocratic figure straight from the homeland, donning a light-colored, most likely customized officer's uniform; even the way he walked looked deliberate and a little pronounced. While not as popular or well known as the rest of Zeon’s elite, the man’s eccentricities – including an obsession for vases and antiques – were as well known as the aloofness on display. Yet despite all that, he was not only been given charge over the mining operations around Odessa, but if hearsay was right he answered directly to none other than Rear Admiral Kycilia Zabi; whether it was due to actual competence, connections in the right places or some mix of both, he gave an aura of someone not to be trifled with.

“I am Colonel M’Quve. And you must is the 12th MS Team, I see. Let me commend you all for your promptness, at least. That and your little exploits out east,” the man intoned with an aloof yet firm air as he gazed at each one of them. With a small remote, he then brought up a map of Sicily on screen, several red dots concentrating around the southern coastline. “You have my permission to speak freely, but mind that the relative urgency of this evaluation leaves little room for pleasantries. While our most recent offensive has been successful so far, Federation forces in Southern Italy have proven themselves to be particularly – stubborn. Reconnaissance flights have shown us why. The enemy is planning a mass evacuation of their forces to Northern Africa. Their transports, both air and sea, have been amassed at a naval and air station in Sigonella, just north of Syracuse, Sicily. It’s evident that their stubborn refusal to accept the inevitable is simply an attempt to buy time for their comrades to regroup.

“This must not come to pass. Trapping these forces in Sicily, and preventing them from joining another front, can only benefit Zeon in the long run. Our hope is that, after the destruction of their escape craft, the Federation forces will cease their pointless struggle and surrender. In this way, we can avoid further bloodshed in this region and further secure Europe. I needn’t stress that this is the only window of opportunity that we have.” 

As the man finished, Valeria took a few moments to let the details of the operation sink in, all the while looking at the display. That deep into enemy territory… Before she could even utter a word, she saw Duncan stand up. “Will all due respect, Sir. As vital as this evaluation is, will we have any support? When will it commence?”

There was a patronizingly coy, yet rather calculating look on Col. M’Quve’s face as he chuckled. “Ah, Lt. Emerson, is it? Don’t think that you’ll be sleeping with the fishes on a one-way ticket. As we speak, a strike force is being organized that will attack randomly selected locations throughout Sicily in order to maximize confusion and keep the enemy off balance. While you attack Sigonella directly. While unfortunately we do not yet have enough of the new Dopp Kai available for this operation, an escort of Dopp fighters should be more than sufficient, the rest of your support coming from the Dodai YS your MS will be atop of.”

“We’re doing wha-” Kazuki snapped just as Valeria quickly nudged him and gave her teammate as stern a glare as she could in order to keep him quiet. Deep down though, the female pilot increasingly found it harder to tell which was more worrisome: the “evaluation” itself or the fact that she was going into combat on top of a bomber, something she hadn’t even done before.

“Moving on, but given your training and recent performance I have little doubt that you will be able to reach your targets in due time. From there though – well, I do hope our expectations aren’t misplaced. Dismissed.” 

What do I have to lose? Just before Col. M’Quve was about to turn away, she took a deep breath and stood up; for a moment, she felt herself back in academy again. “One more question, Sir! As this is still an evaluation, how will we know we’ve passed?”

There was a bemused, yet enigmatic smirk on his face as he turned to meet her. “Rest assured that having given assurances to Lady Kycilia herself that this whole affair is not a waste of time – I have my means, 2nd Lt. Caine. You will know of our assessment once this operation is over and done. Good hunting.

At the back of her mind though, she couldn't help but fill in the unspoken condition. Preferably with us all back in one piece.

--o--

Ok...breath easy...focus!

Valeria was beyond happy that she had the foresight to go to the restroom just before leaving for this operation, which was but a minor comfort as she strained to keep her Zaku-II from tumbling off hundreds if not thousands of feets into oblivion, even with the magnets designed to keep her in place. While this meant that she needn't worry about pissing herself, this just put more attention on how she'd never actually ridden atop a Dodai before this operation, be it on Earth or in Space. Whoever came up with this idea was either stupid or insane. Fuck standing on top of a flying platform! At least with a Gaw transport, she found some assurance and safety in being inside the flying machine carrying her to her destination. Never again...and no, that not nearly enough times! Dammit, focus!

Shaking off her own fears, the Zeon pilot took a glance at her cockpit's console. The time and date read 0140 Hours, 22 March 0079. The MS Teams, fighter planes and bombers assigned to this risky operation as part of Col. M'Quve's strike force should have already begun their attacks across Sicily by now. While the night sky around her looked deceptively calm, she briefly imagined what sort of carnage was being inflicted on the hapless EFGF; while it's all meant to both draw out Sigonella's defenders and tie down any other enemy forces that might come to the base's aid, she still felt a tinge of sadness in denying them the ability to run away. But if it means making them surrender, it has to be done. If all went according to plan, she and her teammates would arrive with minimal resistance, which would make destroying whatever ships and aircraft were there a cinch. And more people will get to live in the long run...I hope.

A few minutes passed before the altimeter began dropping, soon revealing the dimmed yet clearly worn-down Sicilian landscape and the lights marking the Federation base of Sigonella. Before long, a calm message crackled through the comms from the Dodai she was riding on.

<"We are approaching the LZ. Brace for missile barrage, over.">

Duncan's voice soon came through, his words firm yet assuring. <"Steady now. Prepare to jump on my mark.">

As he said this however, the bombers, and as a consequence the Zaku-IIs of the 12th MS Team, shuddered as a barrage of missiles were unleashed on the Feddie base. Seconds after the warheads launched, the sounds of alarms and claxons vaguely audible amidst the imminent turmoil, her superior's voice came in loud and clear.

<"Mark!">

The magnetic locks keeping her and her teammates' MS attached to their Dodais were disengaged and they promptly leapt off of them. The Zaku-IIs touched down at just about the same time as the missile barrage annihilated several targets that might have posed a threat otherwise, mostly gun batteries, ATGMs and whatever anti-MS defenses the Federation's set up. Even Valeria admitted to herself how artistic, if not stylish the timing of that whole scene was. Whatever other musings she had were quickly cut off as Duncan chimed in through the team's main channel.

<"Alright you two. Remember what we're here to do. Our job is to hit the docks, smash their boats, and hit the airfield on the way out. This is a raid, so we aren't sticking around any longer than we have to. Let's get this evaluation done, people.">

<"Got it. Ready when you are,">
Kazuki's voice quipped.

"Copy that Duncan," Valeria responded in turn. The sooner the better!

With a nod of acknowledgement from the lead MS, the 12th advanced directly into the base, all while squadrons of Dopps flew overhead towards the hangars. To her surprise, it seemed like she barely needed to fire even a warning shot as she and her teammates made their way to the docks; with most of the local defenders elsewhere save for a handful of APCs and the fighter escorts working to prevent any Feddie aircraft from lifting off, it proved faster than expected. Before long, she was able to locate the ships they needed to destroy. 

<"Valeria, commence the attack! We'll provide additional cover!">

Alright, time to finish this! Without saying a word and amidst the still-active sirens, she set off a synchronized barrage from her Zaku-II's leg mounted missile launchers, followed by those of her teammates. While Duncan and Kazuki provided suppressing fire with their Machineguns to deal with any would be heroes, she systematically sunk what ships remained from the initial strike. Each vessel blowing up with every shot she fired. In fact, she was starting to believe that this operation would be even easier than her very first sortie. Perhaps too easy...something's wrong.

That was when the right arm of her CO's MS, along with its weapon, simply ceased to be in what looked like a small explosion not far from her.

"Duncan!"

<"I'm alright!"> The man's voice cringed as the smoke cleared, revealing a damaged yet still standing MS. <"Just blow to Hell whatever the fuck it was that just tried to kill me!">

Son of a... While the attempt infuriated Valeria, it didn't take long for her to trace the source of the attack to a damaged warehouse. Through the gaping hole, she could clearly see what appeared to be a stolen Zaku-II with hastily added paint and some twisted, bulky abomination that looked way too much like an Zaku meshed together with a Type 61 tank. It seemed that the Federation's not only trying to jumpstart its own mobile suits, but it's no doubt the first of many. Oh joy of joys. As much as she dreaded the prospect of fighting more of those things and whatever else the enemy had in store, at the moment she had her orders.

As Kazuki immediately moved to aid Duncan, she in turn moved her MS towards the direction of the two Feddies. Without hesitation, she fired a burst of Machinegun fire at the abomination even as the latter surged forward, its main cannon primed. As the little duel went on however, it became apparent that the outcome was never in doubt, especially as the Zeon pilot's shots crippled whatever mobility the thing had. With a grim sigh and shrugging off the pitiful amount of bullets headed her way, she put down the now-smouldering machine like the bastard. If only you surrendered rather than snipe us like cowards! 

"I've taken care of the enemy machine," she called out over the comms as her gaze turned to the stunned enemy. "The stolen Zaku's yours."

<"Way ahead of you!"> Kazuki quipped as his MS zoomed past her, all the while Duncan, apparently having recovered his weapon with his remaining arm, provided suppressing fire. The Feddie straggler, however turned to charge at the team's CO, only to be held back as the other Zaku-II managed to tackle him to the ground, a quick strike from a Heat Hawk soon turning the enemy still, permanently.

"Duncan? Are you alright?"

<"I can still move, Valeria. So yeah. I'm fine. Let's get the Hell out of here."> 

"Copy that." The female pilot took a brief moment to smile in relief and compose herself before quickly following the rest of her team. That the whole course of events happened over the course of less than 30 minutes, that they've been able to succeed so far despite the unexpected albeit failed Feddie ambush and whether or not they passed Col. M'Quve's evaluation would have to wait for debriefing. Right there and then, she was content knowing that with this act, victory inched ever closer and more lives would be spared. And that at least she's still alive to finish up the job, even if it was akin to going in and out like wraiths. I just hope it's worth it.

Unbeknownst to the 12th MS Team, though, this was only the beginning of something else.

It's been a rather long time coming. But here's a new chapter for a new year for the fic adaptation of the SpaceBattles Forum RP Sieg Zeon, through the eyes of the RP's OC, Valeria Caine.

This one once again follows the 12th MS Team (which in time would become known as the Dusk Wraiths) shortly after the events of the previous chapter, and then some. As this chapter's meant to not just integrate some of the other narrative and "briefing" elements of the RP in a more cohesive whole in the context of the plot but also to highlight how both the Earth Federation is ramping up its game even as it retreats and how the possibility of characters dying is still very much present.

But even more so, as the title suggests, this is meant to further highlight how the 
12th MS Team's actions, and Valeria's in particular are bringing them into the sight of major figures in Zeon's hierarchy, in this case Col. M'Quve. All the while foreshadowing future events down the line.

Compared to most of the other chapters, this one is not only longer than usual but also took a bit of tweaking, polishing and making up new material. And this is not just in generally expanding on the relevant RP segments (in this case, Turns 16-18) and streamlining the flow of events, but also in making the course of events more consistently flowing.

And that said, best to be safe than sorry. This is a work of fiction. Mobile Suit Gundam belongs to Sunrise, Namco-Bandai and other respective owners.

Hope you enjoy! 

----

While the RP intro does a good job setting up a general introduction into the UC timeline (and it's recommended that one checks the link as it's fairly substantial), for some further context:

The last major component of the Earth Drop Operations involved the invasions of both SE Asia (particularly around Indochina) and Oceania (with part of Australia overrun). It is mentioned however that while some resistance Down Under (as seen in works like Rise from the Ashes), others notably embraced Zeon as a chance to break away from the Federation, which in turn would before long both help fuel local support for Spacenoids and make Garma Zabi's more humanitarian rehabilitation efforts easier.

The EFGF is short for the Earth Federation Ground Forces. Originally referring only to the ground army, in practice the EFGF encompasses the Earth-side elements of Federation's military, including the Air Force and Navy as well as to a limited degree, space operations. Compared to the EFSF however, at least initially, they're also the most poorly-equipped, possessing outdated weaponry and personnel equipment. 

Both Pleso Air Base and Sigonella are based on actual military complexes in real life, the former being the HQ of Croatia's Air Force (and situated within Zagreb's international airport) and the latter being a joint NATO/US and Italian naval and air base.   

Colonel M'Quve is a rather major figure in Zeon's high command and an antagonist in the original Mobile Suit Gundam. A rather aristocratic figure, whose habits and eccentricities mask strong competence and piloting skills (in addition to a knack for fighting both nobly and dirty), not only is he in charge of the mining operations around Odessa (both for Zeon's war effort and its economy) but is Kycilia Zabi's closest and most loyal confidant and arguably the closest she has to a friend. And like in canon, he also has a thing for vases and antiques.

The general flow of events is based on Mark Simmons' compiled timeline, including the expansion into Eastern Europe, Middle East and Oceania/SE Asia.

The ACA-01 Gaw atmospheric attack carrier is a massive aircraft that's an evolution of both World War II bombers and modern-day military transport planes like the C-130. With a crew of 34 and armed to the brim with machineguns and even double-barrelled Mega Particle Cannons for defense among others, it can carry eight Dopps, three Mobile Suit units and even a contingent of tanks.

The DFA-03 Dopp fighter jet is Zeon's answer to the atmospheric variant of the Earth Federation's Saberfish. While it excels in agility and in helping provide reconnaissance, it's found wanting in its aerodynamic design. Most notably, Garma Zabi is known to have piloted such fighters in canon.

The Dopp Kai is an original design for the RP. While the original Dopp had excellent agility, in nearly every other field it was a pretty terrible aircraft. With the UMP having improved Zeon's logistics as well as how they handle R&D, Zeon was able to scrounge together the resources required to correct the Dopps flaws. It's more fuel efficient, faster, and has an improved climb rate. As such, its performance is much closer to that of the Federation's Saberfish, while still retaining it's superior agility and superior weapons.

The Dodai YS/Dodai GA is a Zeon bomber designed to serve as a flying missile launcher. But even more crucially, it's designed to serve as a flying platform for MS, thus can carry a Zaku-II on top with magnetic locks.  

The Type 61 MBT, also known as the M61, is the Earth Federation's main battle tank (MBT) and something of a conventional workhorse. First entering service in UC 0061, it's a double-barreled model that evolved from modern-day tanks like the Abrams and Leopard. With the discovery of Minovsky Particles and the later development of Mobile Suits, the Type 61 like most other conventional weapons systems was quickly outclassed, though it could nonetheless pose some threat if used as support and in bulk. Still, in canon it would remain in service as a Federation mainstay throughout the One Year War and beyond, even after the Federation's own MS rendered it obsolete. 

The Big Tray-class land battleship/landship, is one of the Federation's more potent weapons. Developed in the years prior to the canon OYW, it's an evolution of the battleships and hovercrafts of modern-day navies, its many mounted turrets not only capable of providing long-range fire support but are also powerful enough to destroy Mobile Suits. 

The "mechanical abomination" in question is the RTX-44/RTX-440, one of the Federation's earlier attempts at developing mobile suits. Originally intended to be a replacement for the Type 61 MBT, the revelation of Zeon's MS developments resulted in it being redesigned to be more akin to an in-between from conventional tanks to mobile suits, though with poor mobility. Armed with a 220mm Cannon and a phletora of more conventional munitions, it would be the predecessor of the RX-75 Guntank.


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Chapter 13: Hearts and Minds

For those who like to see the original RP, the link can be found here.
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