| "One death is a tragedy. A million? A statistic." - Stalin
Chapter 17: Countdown"What the hell do you mean we have to launch on schedule?!" Brigadier General Dolvich shouted angrily at his superior officer. "Dolvich!" Nicolo shot back in an equally angry tone, "You are my subordinate and you SHALL follow my orders without question!" "But, Sir, there are dozens of enemy MS still out there! One shot from a 360mm and we could lose one of the..." "The defense force says they have secured the launch ramp, and they have! Launch shall proceed on schedule!" "I can only accept these orders under protest," Dolvich replied coldly. "Complain all you want, but either launch or I'll find somebody who will," Nicolo replied with an evil look on his face.
"Yes, Sir..." "What do you mean we're still launching?" Sylvie asked with a combination of doubt and annoyance in her voice. "We're launching on schedule, that means two hours from now. Get those GMs loaded on the Spruance ASAP," Eric replied as he read through the orders again. "Damn it! There are..." "Brig. General Dolvich has already put our case and lost," Captain Karl interjected as he arrived, "We just launch whether we like it or not."
"Great... just great. Might as well shoot myself in the head right now..." Sylvie replied cynically. "Commander, we've lost another Zaku!" a young Zeon private screamed as yet another member of his platoon was killed by Federation's artillery.
"Damn it! Let's keep going!" his Lieutenant demanded as he sped his Dom towards one of the coordinates. It was one of the docks that Jaburo had, and if he could get in, he might be able to destroy some production facilities. Not much, but that was the best he could do with the present situation.
Federation dock crews were surprised at their orders. They had been ordered to attach the extra booster engines on the Spruance, Anzio and Gloucester on schedule, despite the battle going around. It was a more difficult job that normal, the new ships needing much larger boosters than usual, but the crew had been preparing for months. The job would be done on time. The dock had become busy with activity, John saw, as men began to load the GMs into the Spruance. She had a large hangar installed between the ships's AA turrets and bridge, and the ommission of a catapult system gave it just barely enough space to squeeze all six GMs of the 44th Company. Farther off in the distance, the Gloucester and the Anzio were being similarly loaded. "You packed?" a voice asked behind him. It was Fred. "Yeah, I'm all set," John replied. "Then let's get on. Thirty minutes to launch, and we're the only ones still not onboard," Fred warned. "Yeah, I'll be there, just give me a chance to mail this," John replied as he produced a letter, "Have to keep my promises you know."
"Yeah lover boy, I know, I know..." Colonel Patterson had already mailed his letter, and was thus early for the ship officer's briefing. With him were Major Martel, commander of the Gloucester, and Lt. Colonel Yang, skipper of the Anzio. "Alright gentlemen," Brig. General Dolvich said as he entered the room, "Launch will proceed on schedule. What is the status of your ships?" "Gloucester is fully loaded and operational, Sir," Martel replied confidently. "Anzio is ready, and we are now loading our third and last GM, Sir," Yang replied, though with less enthusiam than Martel. "Spruance is ready to take you onboard," Patterson reported, "All systems functional, and we're down to loading the GM Sniper."
"Good. I know you still have problems with the launch, but orders are orders. I'm coming aboard the Spruance now. See you all in space." Being strapped tightly into one's seat is not the most comfortable position, Sylvie thought, but she knew it was necessary for the launch. John and a few others had not yet been to space before, and they were very nervous. VERY nervous. "I really hope this thing doesn't blow when we launch..." John started nervously. "If Zeon doesn't shoot us down, we still have contractors to worry about. Those damn idiots skimp on everything," Fred replied in an equally nervous tone. "It's not that bad," Eric interjectted, "I'm pretty sure we'll make it." "Yeah, but you've done this before, I haven't. Not even ONCE," John shot back. His voice almost at the point of panic. Good as he was at sea, space was an element as foreign to him as she in the ocean, and the way he reacted was almost comical, Sylvie thought with a smile. "Attention on deck!" the ship's executive officer ordered, "Flag officer arriving!" They would all have stood, but this was one of the exceptions to that rule. Taking off all the seatbelts would have taken more time than was available. The General and the Colonel simply nodded and took their seats. "Begin pre-flight check!" Col. Patterson ordered. "All systems green," the chief engineer reported. "Jaburo has given us the go signal," Sylvie said, "Last 5 minutes to launch."
"Alright, sight tight people," Col. Patterson ordered, "This ride may be bumpy, but trust the ground troops to keep us safe." He hoped. "We're here, Sir!" a Zeon private reported as he pulled his Gouf up a low hill. Below him was an underground dock, still closed and camouflaged, but definitely there. It was quite heavily defended, but... "Begin the assault!" his superior ordered. He was down to a Dom, a Gouf, and two Zakus, but he planned to make maximum use of his force. "Sir, wait, I think they are preparing for launch..." the private reported in a surprised tone as he saw the dock began to open.
He grinned as he realized the golden opportunity that had just presented itself.. The enemy was making a mistake by launching while they were still around. HLVs were very delicate targets, essentially giant fuel tanks, and they were easier to destroy in the air in this position rather than another costly trek down the hill, considering the enemy defenses. "Alright! Stay put, and get ready to open fire once you see the HLVs launch." "5... 4... 3... 2..." Sylvie counted as the clock slowly ticked in front of her. She was getting scared, but..."1... Begin ignition!"
Outside, all three boosters attached to the ships started to come to life. To prevent possible mid-air collisons, the ships would launch a few seconds seperately, and the Gloucester would be the first to go.
The Zeon Lieutenant was surprised to see not just an HLV, but rather a Salamis class cruiser. A much more attractive target. He aimed, but the first ship had already gained enough altitude before he could fire, and the Gloucester continued its way unmolested up to the sky. "3... 2... 1..." Sylvie counted before taking a deep breathe, "Spruance, launching!"
Ouside, the Spruance's boosters came full to life and began to lift the massive ship up towards the heavens. Inside, Sylvie and the rest of the crew began to feel the crushing effects of gravity as it tried to pull them back into the ground. Man's technology would not be beaten though, as the ship began to reach escape velocity... "A second one! Magellan type!!!" the Zeon private shouted jubilantly as he took aim. How did they ever get this lucky?
"Fire!" the Lieutenant ordered, and a quartet of rockets began to streak towards the Spruance.
"****!!!" the pilot of one of the guarding GMs screamed as he saw the rockets. He began to radio desperately for help, and he could only pray that the rockets would miss... Three did. The Spruance, being larger, took a slightly different flight path and evaded three rockets altogether, though one exploded close enough to be noticed by a very nrevous John onboard. But the fourth hit. It would have been the end, but incredibly, it did not explode. It was a dud.
"What the hell is happening?!" John screamed as he felt the jolt, even as he felt the pain of the Earth's gravity pulling on him. Merciful darkness enveloped him before he knew the answer. "FIRE! FIRE!" the GM pilot screamed as he saw the rockets narrowly miss the Magellan. Soon the hilltop was filled with explosions. Behind him, the third ship began to blast its way towards the sky. But one Zeon mobile suit was still active, the Lieutenant's Dom, and he was already aiming his bazooka, right on the Anzio. He got the shot off just before his MS took a direct hit from one of the MPT Guntanks. And it was heading right for the Anzio.
The GM pilot saw it start streaking towards the Salamis, and did the the bravest, and last, thing he would ever do in his life. He put his GM's thrusters to full, rocketing to the sky and interposing his MS between the rocket and the Salamis. Incredibly, he just made it in time to block the rocket, taking for himself the round meant for the ship. His GM exploded a second later, the fragments of his GM peppering the Anzio. Some embedded themselves into the ship, a reminder to her crew of the sacrifice made so they may live. For how much longer though, was still a matter yet to be resolved.
Inside the Spruance, the crew had mostly fallen unconscious from the crushing forces thay had to ge through during the launch. And as it was before, the ghosts came back to haunt Brigadier General Dolvich. They always did, when he went to that place... Luna Two. January 20, UC 0079 The fleet was coming home. What was left of it. And even to those that survived, traces of death could still be seen everywhere. Charred and bloodied decks, ruined turrets, burned out bridges, trailing smoke. They all decorated the remaining ships of the Federation's once proud fleet. Zeon's new mobile suits had just proved yet again that their maneuverability now made the big gun ships of the Federation obsolete, this time resoundingly. There were three Federation ships for every Zeon one five days ago at the Ruum. Now, there were barely enough to count, the rest having been lost in the single bloodiest battle in all of history. Casualties no longer counted by the thousands, or even by the millions, but rather by the BILLIONs. At least, they were almost there. Almost at Luna Two. "Sir, transmission from the Eindhoven..." Communication Officer Sylvie Gressier reported with no life in her voice. The kid was just too soft, he reckoned, and she had just about lost it. She felt responsible, even if she could not have done anything. It was such a pity a kind-hearted person like her had to see all the horrors of the One Week War. Maybe death would have been more merciful for her, but fate had not handed her that. Sending her home in this state would have to do, and it was a good thing Side 6 was now neutral, "Let's hear it," he ordered. "This is Major Putin..." a barely audible voice reported, "We are having ...reactor problems... I'm not sure if..." "Hang on Eindhoven, we're only two hours away!" Sylvie said desperately, "Please... don't..." Her words were in vain. The Einhoven exploded as the crew was no longer able to contain her runaway reactor and the flammable gases that had permeated her decks. Not a single soul made it out alive. And Sylvie simply collapsed at her post, sobbing. "Putin..." Dolvich thought. They had been friends since meeting at the military academy. Another one he had lost. But not the only one. He read a report. It was about an enemy ace pilot, "The Red Comet." He had sunk five ships at the Ruum. His eldest son was onboard one of those ships. His other two sons were dead as well. One had died at Side 1, shot down in his Sabre Fish. The other had died at Side 4, vaporized by a Zeon nuke even before his ship could leave dock. He could see all their faces... and he could hear their screams as they died. And his wife had yet to know, and he knew she would be devastated. But he was the Captain, he had to be strong. Regardless of how he felt. "Sir!!! Compartment 7 has just given way!" the XO reported. "Seal Compartments 6 and 8," he ordered coldly. "But sir!!! There were men working on 7! If we seal them now they'll run out of air..." Sylvie screamed. "If we don't we lose mid bay and more men! Now do it!" Dolvich replied angrily. The XO grabbed the mike from Sylvie and relayed the order. The response was not what he expected. "Sir! There are men down there!!!" the officer on site reported, the screams of those trapped in compartment 7 still audible in the background, "Give us five minutes and we might..."
"In three more minutes 6 and 8 will give way too, now do it!" Dolvich ordered angrily, and the officer could only comply. And with that the fates of six men were sealed. Six for nearly thirty in the surrounding compartments. His face showed no emotion, but it was part of being an officer. Condemned to be alone, to make hard choice, to be responsible for those under him. No matter the cost to himself. "General, Sir, we are here," Sean said as he woke the General. Dolvich opened his eyes as he was taken from his nightmare, glad he did not have to finish it. But it had still reminded him of more pain that was to follow. How his wife had killed herself out of grief, how his only remaining child, his daughter Natalie, had practically disowned him, blaming him for the death of her family. And perhaps worse of all, writing to the fathers, mothers, wives, husbands and other loved ones of those who had died under his command. And how the little children could not understand why mom or dad was never coming home. He was prepared for this, training made sure of that, but they had not. It was such a tragedy. One million deaths isn't a statistic, as an old Soviet leader once said. It's a tragedy, but only this time only replayed a million times over in a million different faces. He looked at Sean, they were of the same breed, but at least his daughter still loved him. "Are you alright, Sir?" Sean asked. He had been with Dolvich, too, and knew how terrible it was. But Johnston was a lot luckier than the Amerigo. She had suffered only two scratch hits and three wounded during the One Week War, and he still blessed his good fortune for it.
"Just being nostalgic, Colonel. Alright, let's get to work!" Brig. General Dolvich announced confidently. But however hard it is, being an officer was the only thing he had left, and he would do his job and bring these people home. Whatever it will take. "What was his name?" Lt. Col Yang asked quietly. "The report didn't say, Sir..." his XO reported. "Can you find out?" Yang asked again. He had saved them all, at the very least he had to know his name. "I tried, but they wouldn't give it, ****ing SECRECY they say..." the XO replied. He almost spat. Yang could only nod. Another hero whose name was lost to anonymity. It was such an unfair world.
Notice: This story and all related material is copyrighted by Thomas E. "Zinegata" Ting, no part of this story may be taken by any other person. If you wish to use any material, please contact me first. Gundam and all related trademarks are owned by their respective companies. |
