Macross Fan Fiction ❯ Macross "VF-X Ravens" ❯ Chpt 13 - Mission 10: My Fair Lady ( Chapter 13 )

Chapter 13

 

Footnote: True to the continuity of the Macross universe, the characters discussed the "Sharon Apple" incident and the events that occurred 10 years ago on both Eden and Earth as was serialized in "Macross Plus". This mission scenario is so similar to the one seen at the end of Macross Plus, that I wouldn't be too surprised to imagine “Guld Goa Bowman” and “Isamu Alva Dyson” duking it out in the skies.

 

Mission 10: “My Fair Lady” - February 14th, A.D 2051

 

 

High above the planet Earth, the orbital defense satellites take aim at the Excalibur fighters of Aegis and Gilliam. However, the flagship rips a laser beam into the field and destroys the satellites. Allowing free passage into Earth.

 

Gilliam: “Aegis! Free-fall entry... you ready?”

Aegis: “OK!”

Gilliam: “Let's go...”

 

Aegis & Gilliam: “Gwahhhhhh!!!!!!!” As the fighters twist and turn under the atmospheric force.

 

 

 

Stabilizing again inside the atmospheric zone. It is now dusk on Earth, a beige-yellow tint in the sky. Aegis recognizes the look of the place below them.

 

Aegis: “This is?...”
Gilliam: “That's right, it's the same as the first simulation you had. Only now is nearing nightfall, and its real! So watch your back this time!”

 

Aegis and Gilliam break off, only to trailed by 4 VF-11B Thunderbolt fighters. This wasn't as easy as Aegis thought it would be. For the pilots were mostly elites and almost as good as Aegis. But as always, our heroes triumphed over them.

 

Aegis: “Gilliam! How are you doing!”

Gilliam: “Pretty well as you I'd reckon!”

 

The duo face another wave of fighters and a squadron of 3 Valkyries in addition to the party.

 

Aegis: “Oh man... I'm feeling lucky today!”

Gilliam: “Heh heh... you arrogant bastard you!”

 

Gilliam flushes away the Valkyries from underneath and Aegis strikes down the Thunderbolts form above in a death trap. Yet again another wave of Thunderbolts dispatch from below. However suddenly, a fast red blur appears and disappears in front of Aegis' fighter nose.

 

Gilliam: “Ghosts! Aegis! These aren't the types you fought in Simulation. These are the real upgraded ones and twice as fast, you'll need to concentrate! Don't slack now!”

Aegis: “Damned.... And I thought this'll be easy...”

 

Aegis trains his gun sights at the blazing and zooming red blur, But every time he gets a clean lock, the fighter veers away sharply avoiding his shots. Aegis was really pissed as he kept avoiding enemy missiles and firing none... It made him feel like a green pilot again...

 

Aegis: “Damned... These are fast!”

Gilliam: “Another squadron will be over us if we don't hurry! Let's go Aegis!”

 

In desperate attempt and effort, Aegis manages to take the Ghost fighter down... then assist Gilliam with the Thunderbolts.

 

Gilliam: “Incoming wave again! 4 Thunderbolts and two Ghosts!”

Aegis: “!!!???”

 

Aegis really had enough with the Ghosts. Focusing as much as he can, and with much difficulty, he gunned down the Ghost fighters again... With a sign of joy from Gilliam... He then leveled his Excalibur with Aegis'.

 

Gilliam: “Maria! Aerial defenses have been cleared, we can proceed to attack the SDF!”

Maria: “Roger”

 

Gilliam: “Oi...”

Aegis: “Ya?”...

Gilliam: We'll be hitting the VF-X Ravens base after this... You sure you'll be ok to handle it?...”

Aegis: “I decided, we can't let our feelings get in the way of our missions. Tohma, my ex-wingman used to tell me, he will never let his emotions get in his way of battle, lest he screws up anything... He'll have to pay big time... I think, I'll be in the same situation if I didn't think straight...”

 

Gilliam: “Can't believe someone like you would let off the feelings so easily. And I thought you were just another sentimental brat... heh...”

Aegis: “Well Gilliam, people change. We are now enemies with VF-X... and there is no turning back... If Eimi has become my enemy... I can't change that fact now can I?”

 

Gilliam: “Heh... you'd make a good soldier with that kinda attitude...”

Aegis: “Yup... yup... Let's just put in our best for this one!”

 

“... ... ...”

“Whirr!!!!!!!!!” (Missile Alert)

 

Gilliam: “Hmmm!!! Aegis! Move! ... Gahh!!!!!!”

Aegis: “Gil... Gilliam!!”

Gilliam: “Shoot... my engine's hit!”

Aegis: “Is your fighter alright Gilliam!”

 

Aegis circles back from his evasion path, checking in on the damaged and Excalibur...

 

Aegis: “Gilliam! Your engine's smoking!”

Gilliam: “Don't worry about me! Find that cheap bastard!”

Aegis: “Damn... But ... Where is he?!”

 

Viewing the corners of his HUD, Aegis could see nothing...

 

Aegis: “Port clear... starboard clear... underneath nothing... overhead...!!!!!”

 

Aegis catches sight of the tail fin of a fighter zooming by and before he knows it, the assailant has already hovered ahead of Gilliam's Excalibur and launches a large salvo of rockets at his fighter, striking down the already critically damaged fighter.

 

Gilliam: “Uwahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!”

Aegis: “Gilliam!!!!”

Gilliam: “Don't worry about me... Aegis! See to it... see to it that this mission is completed!!!! The SDF must be destroyed!!!”

 

 

Shouting under his dying breath, as the burning Excalibur plummets towards Earth... shortly after... the fighter explodes into a burnt heap of scrapped metal...

 

Aegis: “GILLIAM!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

 

The mysterious fighter then presents himself... none other then... Aegis' former Commander, Wilbur Garland himself!

 

Garland: “The traitor is dead...”

Aegis: “You... bastard... murderer!”

Garland: “A traitor is still a traitor...”

Aegis: “For all the treachery you have caused... I'll see to it that I take you down myself!

 

Facing off with an unknown fighter; the Commander pilots his personal VF-22 “Sturmvogel II”, an advanced variant of the YF-19. Aegis couldn't care less what craft his enemy piloted, he was hell-bent on destroying Wilbur Garland... That's all that mattered... But however... the Commander has an ace up his sleeve...

 

Aegis: “!!... Target Jamming System!?”

Garland: “That is correct...”

Aegis: “Damn you!... Commander... No... WILBUR! For Gilliam's sake, I'll see to it that you die here today!”

 

Shortly after his burst of anger ended, Wilbur had launched two cluster missiles at Aegis' Excalibur, trapping him in a missile minefield. Aegis desperately swerves the incoming blazes of rockets but suffers minimal damage from shockwave and impact.

 

Aegis: “Curse you Wilbur!”

 

Accelerating to full thrust, not even his Sturmvogel II could have caught up with an Excalibur. Wilbur knew his trade of work- He was once another Ace Pilot from U.N Spacy military. He had won honors by a large margin. He was an accomplished soldier. That won him his position of Commander of VF-X today… He wouldn't have thought another Alpha Squadron pilot'd outsmart him… How wrong he was…

 

Aegis boomed back and headed at Mach 7 for the Sturmvogel II, issuing a kamikaze death threat to Wilbur. The surprised Commander bolted sharply and banked to his left. But Aegis saw it and switched to Gerwalk, guns and missiles blazing at him. The gunshots missed… the missiles diverted by the jammer… Awfully pissed… Aegis was… Thundering a sonic boom from his fighter, Aegis blasts off far ahead of Wilbur. Planning another attack. In advance, Wilbur switches to Gerwalk and waits for Aegis' move, watching the blue blur fade into the distance.

 

“Whirr…..”

Garland: “Eh…?”

 

Looking ahead, he sees trails of rockets but they're too far to even reach him. In addition to the surprise, Aegis' Excalibur disappeared from sight! Odd indeed… Looking around him, he sees nothing moving until…

 

“BRRrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!” (Turbo gunfire)

 

Aegis: “Ya!!!!”

 

From his rear like a zephyr, Aegis rains down heavy and rapid gunfire on his Sturmvogel II, puncturing two of Wilbur's elevator flaps. Fortunately for Wilbur, the bulletproof glass stopped a large vulcan bullet from piercing into his cockpit. It was too close for comfort as he stared at the large 2.5mm bullet falling off from the crack of the cockpit glass. Wilbur met fear in the eye.

 

From his inverted position, Aegis flips the fighter in reverse and blasts off another direction. Utilizing the Excalibur's ability to perform extreme movements and its ultimate speed, Aegis pummels on Wilbur's Sturmvogel repeatedly, chipping off bits off armor plating. Aegis knew missiles would never work on a pilot who is an Ace and has a jammer equipped. Wilbur ran in his Sturmvogel, but the Excalibur catches up almost immediately and forces him to change direction. But wherever he went, the Excalibur followed…

 

Garland: “Damn… I guess it's time…!”

 

Switching into Battroid, the Sturmvogel II opens up quickly and fires his twin vulcan at Aegis, along with the launching of multiple rockets.

 

Aegis: “What!”

 

Evading the blitz of weaponry, Aegis stared in surprise at the blue Sturmvogel.

 

Aegis: “Your Battroid is launcher-effective… I see you've made customizations to your fighter… Damn you Wilbur Garland.”

 

Garland: “IF you have the money, you can afford it…”

 

Aegis: “Then afford this!”

 

Risking all he's got, Aegis flies extremely close to the hull of the Sturmvogel and drops two unguided rockets. Big disaster to Wilbur as he stays in his position as usual and because the rockets aren't armed, they couldn't be detected. Aegis estimates the timing and remote detonates a little early unfortunately. The badly shaken Sturmvogel rocks to and fro from the shockwave blast and Wilbur curses at Aegis again. Catching Aegis in his sights, Wilbur launches his specially customized Hi-Maneuver/Hi-Speed missiles at Aegis, giving him no chance to evade those. 400m, the missiles closed in too quickly… Aegis thought it would be the end of him, as the missile alert flashed like a flickering light bulb. Just then, a laser bomb rips through the clouds and blasting off the rockets trailing Aegis. A following Nightmare looms into view.

 

???: “Hey, kept you waiting too long?” A female voice…

Aegis: “Suzie!”

Garland: “You! What is the meaning of this!”

Suzie: “Commander, I feel for all the crimes you've committed against the human race and against us, you deserve the death sentence.”

Garland: “You… a wingman pilot dare to challenge me! Very well… I'll send you two down very soon!”

 

A fierce aerial battle ensues between the three fighters, shrouding the night skies with smoke and fumes. Each fighter had their close shaves against one another, but Commander Wilbur Garland still hangs tough. Soon after, another transmission patches in.

 

???: “Captain Aegis…”

Aegis: “…Eimi!”

Eimi: “Aegis… Why would you do this…?”

Aegis: “… Is this just an effort to make me surrender? Just because I am a traitor!?”

Eimi: “The Jamming System operates using radar, but there is a flaw in its design…”

Aegis: “Why are you telling me this!”

Eimi: “Heat ignition of the rockets are your betrayers. The jamming system activates as soon as engine ignition is detected.”

 

Aegis: “That means…”

Eimi: “If the jamming system is diverted from the missiles just before they strike the Commander's fighter, he will be helpless.”

 

Aegis: “Is this another trick to lead me into as trap?”

Eimi: “Don't worry, we're always on your side…”

 

Aegis: “Heh… I begin to understand the situation of everything now… Suzie! Let's go!”

Suzie: “Roger!”

 

Planning his moves while keeping Wilbur busy, Aegis checks armaments with Suzie.

 

Aegis: “Suzie! What's your armament level?”

Suzie: “Just this rifle and a few more missiles!”

 

As the dogfight continues, Suzie's missiles are spent and all that remains is her laser rifle. Aegis has only a few more missiles and one chance… perhaps… if his planned worked… They'd win immediately.

 

Aegis: “Suzie… ”

 

Suzie leaves the battleground and into the cloud cover. While Aegis gets a decisive clean lock on the Sturmvogel II, he blazes his guns and launches all of his remaining explosives at the fighter. As Wilbur would have thought it a futile attempt, Aegis far behind him after the launching drops a few flares from his fighter's undercarriage suddenly. The familiar “whirr” of the missile lock indicator hummed furiously- The missiles were already at point blank.

 

A few of them struck, some blazed past. Whatever the result, the Sturmvogel began plummeting towards the Earth in a gentle dropping position, the nose drooped forward and down… Aegis takes his time for the kill, but a trigger click indicates his gun is out of rounds…

 

Aegis: “Shoot!”

 

From above where the cloud cover was, A blue bolt of energy rains down from a Nightmare's MBL and strikes the engine core of the Sturmvogel, setting the fighter into a spinning, vertical descent of smoke and flames…

 

Garland: “Uwahhhhh!!!!!!!!!” Screaming like a slaughtered pig…

 

Aegis: “Suzie, you alright?”

Suzie: “Roger, unharmed.”

Aegis: “Eimi! Commander Wilbur Garland is destroyed, we're now on clear to attack the SDF Macross!”

 

Eimi: “Roger!”

 

Requesting for Suzie's help, she dive-bombed toward the head section of the SDF Macross and attacks the head core unit. Without missile support, she blasted the core with her MBL, until the signal reading from the still inactive SDF Macross reads zero...

 

Aegis: “SDF Macross is totally shutdown, Mission Completed...”

Maria: “Aegis… what happened just now?”

Aegis: “… … Gilliam… is dead…kil… murdered by my former Commander, and now they're both dead…”

Maria: “I see… I'm sure with your enemy defeated, Gilliam is at rest… Aegis! Return to...”

 

Eimi: “Hold on a minute Captain! High-energy signature radiating from the SDF Macross!!! The Macross is moving!”

Aegis: “What!”…

 

 

 

To Be Continued…