"This will be our final mission..." Mercurio said this and the spirit of Heero Yuy resonated through him. "... If peace is the result of conflict, then this conflict has reached its end!" The Artemis flew forward and fired its buster rifle at the nearest Sol Thero units.
The Sol Thero units moved forward in squadrons as they prepared for the defense. The broadside cannons of the Coalition fleet took their shots only to find them being blocked by the shields of the Sol Thero units while the offense had begun. Cao pointed to her squadron, "Aim at their defensor units. We'll have an opening once they're taken out."
The Sagittarius units found one of the Sol Thero units deploy its planet defensors and found the proper opportunity to fire. With the simultaneous shots the shields were taken out leaving one of the Sol Thero units open to be destroyed. One of the pilots pointed out, "Looks like our guys have a chance now. Those shields have become easier to break."
Cao encouraged them, "Be sure to keep doing it. If we make the job easier out here we'll reach our final outcome easier."
Dana had the Zero System brief her on the capabilities her new Gundam was capable of and found the first targets making their way towards her. "Looks like that's what the Uriel has to offer." She said as she shifted Zero System into combat mode. "Let's see what you have girl!" The Uriel took its buster sword into shield mode and threw it to several nearby Sol Thero units while it avoided the missiles and gunfire from every direction. "Not bad. Could use a bit more maybe." The Zero System warned of three Sol Theros coming in from behind when she used the Testudo cannon to fire on the surprise attack. "Oh right. I can do that." She saw several explosions appear from behind on her radar when she commented, "And it looks like the help doesn't hurt either."
Oleg warned. The Golem was filled with missiles again and it would prove to be the great destroyer many feared it would become. "Be sure to stay on your six Captain. These things want to take every opening they can find."
"And the ones we don't even think are possible." Dana agreed. "Move back to the fleet and keep the enemy from advancing."
Norma oversaw the battle begin on the battle map when she requested, "Report on our current status."
One of the strategists answered, "We've got the battle underway sir. We outnumber the enemy three to one and they're still taking us down like we aren't doing anything."
The Admiral denied the evaluation when she answered, "I Doubt that's actually happening. Our sniper forces have been able to take out their shields. Our broadside cannons should have the opening to hit the station."
The other strategist overlooked the line of Sol Theros around the station when he promised, "The Artemis is making another pass sir. It looks like it's ready to fire on the enemy again." A group of enemy units had disappeared when he reported, "Confirmed. An opening to the enemy station has been found."
Norma turned to the operators when she ordered, "Fire all broadside cannons! Start the job for them!"
A voice range through the halls of the Executor Rising ordering, "All broadside cannons fire at these coordinates!"
Franz saw the attack begin and the odds began to seem more equal in the eyes of his enemy. “Perhaps they are about to pass these defenses sooner than expected. Either way I have sealed my fate. This final encounter is only the next necessary step towards progress.” He promised himself. Franz turned to the computer monitor when he ordered, "Defend the Invictus. Have all Sol Thero forces on the offensive but do not permit the enemy to have their way through."
The computer screen confirmed the order displaying, 'Engaging Sol Atlas defensive maneuvers.'
The Sol Atlas had its systems prepared but had its programming changed to a defensive mode. It saw the battleships from far off preparing to fire and thanks to the Zero System was able to determine where they were about to hit. Instead of the previous long beams utilized, the red mobile doll folded its hands back and fired beams of light from the emptiness of its arms. The Sol Atlas moved towards the opening made by the Artemis and began to fire its cannons with the projected hits.
The desperation rose in the air of the Executor Rising’s bridge when one of the strategists pointed out, "Admiral, it's no good. The enemy is meeting our hits with theirs."
The other one agreed, "That red mobile doll out there is interfering with our shots. We have to see it taken down."
Norma turned to her broadcasting channel when she ordered the mobile suit forces, "Attention all available mobile suits. Focus fire on the red mobile doll, we need to get past it."
Cao was among the first to receive the order when she agreed, "Roger that." Her unit prepared a clip and found the red target where the Artemis was doing its work. She fired the Sagittarius rifle towards the mobile doll and found the target not bothering to move. What might have been a moment of success was quickly dashed as soon as her group saw the result of the volley. The shots only left a small dent on the armor of the Sol Atlas as it continued to fire at nearby mobile suits and projected battleship shots. Cao warned the bridge, "It doesn't look like it's any good. That armor is able to withstand our shots."
One of the operators heard the unfortunate results when he relayed, "It looks like far range combat from here isn't an option. The mobile doll has the armor capable of taking those shots."
Norma was determined with her hopes against the Sol Thero forces when she decided, "In that case we must prepare for close range combat. It must be the only way to affect it at all."
One of the operators heard this and relayed the order, "Prepare all close range weaponry. The red mobile doll is the target."
The Artemis flew through more of the Sol Theros closing in on it while it was in the middle of transforming to its normal mode. It prepared its buster rifle when Mercurio warned, "Front squadrons. Avoid the upcoming fire." The Artemis took aim and with the help of Zero System managed to find the right path the Sol Thero units would not be able to avoid. Right below the Sol Atlas a line of Sol Thero units on the defensive were destroyed by the Artemis’s weapon. "That should give us an opening." Mercurio promised.
He heard Zachariah remind him of the fleet’s problem, "Yuy, we've got the red mobile doll headed our way."
The Sol Atlas had its hands opened and was gathering energy with its targets determined. The Golem fired a volley of missiles in the direction of more enemy units when Oleg warned, "It's trying to fire the beams again! We have to stop it somehow!"
The Artemis moved in and found the course the shots would make and Mercurio set the buster rifle to full power. "Stand back!" He warned. In an instant the Artemis prepared its buster rifle and found the open spot the Sol Atlas had left. In anticipation the red mobile suit saw this action and used its free hand to prepare an energy shield to block the shot but found it was prepared on the wrong side. “Looks like it can’t anticipate me to go against the Zero System from time to time.” Mercurio confirmed to himself. The two beams collided when Mercurio announced, "Move in! Its guard is down!"
"I'll be sure to clear the way!" The Uriel prepared its sword into shield mode again with a final throw. The action managed to be too much for the Sol Atlas to prepare for when it was unable to turn attention towards the weapon. In the next moment its left arm was dislodge and forced the red mobile doll to defend itself with its remaining arm weapon. After a few shots it flew back and began to make way for the enclosing Sol Invictus. "We got one arm down. Looks like it's trying to retreat."
The Artemis lifted its buster rifle when Mercurio requested, "Probably to charge for another shot. I need a reload."
The Golem retrieved the weapon before Oleg requested to one of the nearby mobile suit pilots, "You heard him. Get this thing reloaded."
"On it sir!"
The crew of the Executor Rising allowed themselves to view the sight outside before Norma requested, "Damage report?"
One of the operators reported, "None to speak of sir. It looks like the Artemis managed to stop that blast from getting to us in time."
The Admiral turned to the strategists asking, "How are our forces with the Sol Thero units?"
One of them oversaw the field when he answered, "We still haven't been able to get past them sir. Our forces are already about 40% destroyed and we can't get an opening to the station's entry point."
Norma turned to the view outside when she ordered, "Focus our fire on those mobile dolls don't let any more casualties occur than we need to permit."
When this order was given the attacks on the Sol Invicuts subsided and the Sol Thero units were forced into a defensive maneuver to avoid being destroyed. The help of the Zero System however managed to be enough to provide the precise moments when to defend against them and retaliate when possible.
One of the strategists shook his head when he reported, "Damn. Doesn't look like we can get a decent hit. The Sol Atlas is still in the way and they're able to meet with our shots."
Norma didn’t let her final offer be wasted when she ordered, "Don't let up on the fire. We can't let a single shot be wasted."
One of the operators reported from behind her, “Admiral, we’re getting a request for a reload for the Artemis Buster Rifle.”
Another one sounded worried about the request when he asked, “Do we even have any energy carts left?”
The Admiral addressed the concern when she ordered, “If we don’t then give them one of the artillery ammunition batteries.”
One of the operators voiced his objection, “If we do that then we’ll be opening one of our sides to an attack!”
Norma faced him when she corrected, “We won’t do any better if we keep it to ourselves and continue failing to reduce the Sol Thero numbers.” She said this before turning to one of the operators reminding, “Proceed.”
“Yes Admiral. Attention docking deck, you are clear for buster rifle reload.”
Several minutes had passed when the two colliding forces continued to dwindle but the intensity of the battle refused to go with it. The Sol Thero units were having a desperate final struggle and many believed it was due to the absence of the red mobile doll. Regardless of their luck the battle continued while Mercurio was forced to use his beam saber on any enemy unit that came close.
"Yuy!" The Golem handed the Artemis the buster rifle it had been waiting for when Oleg asked, "I think you ordered for this to be reloaded right?"
The Artemis grabbed hold of its weapon and Mercurio confirmed, "That's it. I can move in now."
One of the nearby Leo III mobile suits observed the situation from far off when its pilot asked, "Where's the mobile doll headed now?"
The Artemis had transformed into its bird mode when Mercurio answered, "It's probably headed in the station to recharge. I'll have to head in and face it myself."
Oleg tried to get one final promise from him when he requested, "Don't make this a suicide run!"
The Uriel was finishing off one of the Sol Thero units with its shield when Dana turned to notice the bird mode gundam and the target red mobile suit making its way towards the Invictus cannon. "Where does the Artemis think it’s headed?"
Oleg was quick to answer, "Yuy thinks he can take it out on his own. We're about to find out if he has the guts to pull it off." The two grand pieces of technology and human development made their way into what was now the fully developed chasm the Sol Invictus had made itself. The fires of the hallway reached them both as the forces outside were forced to wonder if the superweapon was about to fire.