Tacoma Attack

Victoria sat annoyed in her cockpit. She tapped her forearms repeatedly. Then the console buzzed and Victoria pressed a button to activate a video call with the Yilan commander, Theodore Buttermilch.

“This better be good,” Victoria said.

“Lieutenant Schwarzenberger, remain at your post. We’re deploying four more Shinra teams and Captain Mengde’s Hoshiga squadron. And... lieutenant?” Theodore wasn’t pleased.

“Yes?” Victoria asked. Her focus was on a sub-window camera screen showing the imminent Imperium assault. A whole battalion’s worth! Victoria said to herself.

“Watch your tone,” Theodore said.

“Sorry, the Tominosky particles are making the connection patchy,” Victoria said. She ended the transmission and gestured at the Shinra behind her, piloted by her junior team member Frank Erwin. A small socket opened in the palm of the Yellow Typhoon’s outstretched arm, from which a snake-like coil shot out and attached to the accompanying Shrina. Victoria contacted the pilot through a private channel.

“After the missile barrage, we’re sortieing,” Victoria said. “Frank, do you think you can keep up?”

“But, Lieutenant!” Frank said, the fear in his voice.

“Then follow the commander’s orders.” Poor boy, he won’t last long. Victoria's MT crouched and Frank shadowed her. Behind her, the anti-air batteries commenced. The concert of neutron missiles and particle guns began in earnest.

Victoria’s cockpit shook and vibrated with each succeeding shock wave. Thanks to the seat’s stabilizer, Victoria remained cool. They should’ve paired me with Friederika, Victoria said to herself, can we even hold out long enough to rendezvous with the Fourth fleet? The question lingered in her mind. Evidently, the fleet wasn’t going to let up on the friendly fire. Doing this with Frank isn’t going to be feasible.

Greenish blue threads ripped through space and pummeled their positions. Super-sonic neutron missiles zipped overhead as Victoria and Frank hugged the Yilan.

Victoria had lain inside the Shinra's large oval shield for better protection. She glanced at a sub-window's optic view of Frank and realized he didn't follow her example. His shield was on the Shinra's back. “His profile is going to get him killed,” Victoria said, opening her visor to wipe sweat off her brow. “But is it worth risking him fumbling and painting himself a bigger target...?”

An adjacent Star Monitor was struck by particle shots and exploded, killing all hands on deck and the teams of Mobile Troopers who depended on them for desant.

We need to deploy now! Victoria said to herself.

Then she saw them. Scores of Tacoma troopers diving surfboard-like from far above their positions; they were being pursued by what remained of the battered vanguard. Victoria sensed it was a blind spot for the Yilan unless she moved.

Victoria quickly contacted Frank. “Get off the Yilan and keep your shield up. This isn’t like the simulations. Keep up the pressure!”

“What about you, lieutenant?” Frank asked, his voice quivering. Frank jumped off the Yilan and retained a defense fighting stance, he drew attention away from the Star Monitor. Not waiting for an answer, he joined up with a nearby team.

Victoria rolled off the Yilan and probed her spatial awareness for her next action as she dodged shots from enemy units. She felt a strong, familiar presence in her spatial web and quickly glanced behind her cockpit. To Victoria’s relief, it is Friederika Trachenberg: her other half in the Chizan Duo.

“Kiki! Am I glad to see you,” Victoria said. She blew off a huge sigh.

“Oh, darling! My mother ship went down. I reckon I’ll be staying at yours for a bit,” Friederika said, then: “they’re still having MTs desant the Star Monitors? We’re sitting ducks like this!”

“Listen, Kiki,” Victoria said, “I say we join the fray: get rid of these guys and bring the fight to them. You and me, what do you say?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way love,” Friederika said. She grinned.

The Chizan Duo spiraled upward amidst universal blanket fire and intercepted the first of several Tacoma and easily overwhelmed them in range. The enemy Mobile Troopers missed several crucial shots as Victoria zeroed in and Friederika sliced them from behind. Victoria said to Friederika: “They’re second-rate alright. If this was their idea of an assault, Zeta will fall in no time.”

“No doubt they lost all their seasoned pilots at Ben Nevis,” Friederika said. She ate a ration of crackers nonchalantly, and Victoria felt a sense of envy for how Friederika could remain carefree at a time like this. It was in stark contrast to Frank.

Victoria raced ahead of Friederika at full combat speed. She sped undeterred through the last columns of Tacomas’. Briefly, Victoria picked up abrupt communication signals from Imperium pilots expressing alarm at the arrival of the Yellow Typhoon.

Victoria launched a hook shot at one Tacoma and spun around him at full throttle. Victoria gritted her teeth as the sheer g-force rocked the cockpit. Any moment seemed like the cockpit seat would fly off its stabilizer and smash into the panel walls. Only through sheer endurance did Victoria pull the brakes---her skull rattled without end. The Yellow Typhoon reached for its modular backpack and pulled out a chromium hilt.

She clicked a button on the right joystick; it activated the long, radiant crimson photon blade. Victoria swung the blade down and plunged it into the Tacoma’s cockpit.

Victoria hurled the disabled suit toward a nearby foe and brandished her laz rifle. With the pull of a trigger, a miniaturized particle shot over-penetrated into his ally, both now consigned to their fates in Hel.

“I-it’s... it’s really him!”

“The Yellow Devil!”

“It’s the Neo Sapiens battle doll!”

Spurred on by adrenaline, Victoria charged at a Tacoma duo. At first, they seemed to have backed off but quickly changed course to take on Victoria frontally. Before either could carry out a maneuver, a purple thin disc cut one of them in half. The other stopped to look back at his friend, then attempted to dive away.

“Never take your eyes off the enemy!” Victoria said. She shoulder-rammed the distracted Tacoma---but a few marksmen's shots forced Victoria to kick it away.

Friederika pulled up next to Victoria. “You didn’t think I’d let the Neo Sapiens claim all the glory, did you?” Friederika said. She was accompanied by Shinra reinforcements who skied past them. Victoria sensed Frank among them.

Victoria paid neither the comment nor Frank any mind. She was focused on an optical camera window showing the outline of asteroid Zeta.

“Just a little more,” Victoria said.

“Huh? Oh, you mean Zeta,” Friederika said.

Victoria glanced at the optic map zone projected on one of the panoramic optical panels. They were in the G-field. Because of the particle jamming, it was difficult to determine the projected strength of what remained of the Tacoma battalion. “Clean-up operations already?” Victoria asked. She reached into the ration pack and pulled out a package of synthetic fruit. She discarded the packaging and consumed the fruit. Bitter, she said to herself, but refreshing.

Friederika was busy confirming if it was the case, but seemed to have difficulties establishing any communication with nearby Star Monitors. “It seems so. Shall we return to the Yilan, love?”

Victoria shook her head.

“I have enough spare energy pods for my laz gun and my photon sword is still active,” Victoria said. Dozens of Star Monitors with desant Mobile Troopers, including the Yilan, were fast approaching. “I’m not looking forward to getting lectured by my commander just yet.”

Friederika was preoccupied with something off-screen. Victoria guessed she was examining the radar, too. Then Friederika said: “Looks like our forces in the H-field broke through and are landing on the fortress. Onto Zeta then, love? No point wasting time with mop-up operations here.”

“Sounds like a plan. Leave the stragglers to the rookie chums.”

The Chizan Duo made a mad dash to close distance on Zeta.