//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Second Battle of A Baoa Qu // Story: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Mane Invasion // by awkwardGardener //------------------------------// “Admiral Sky. We're picking up human Mobile Suits just outside the base!” Yelled a young pony. “What are your orders?” The light blue pegasus know as Admiral Pale Sky got up from her seat. “Everypony take your battle stations! Scramble our fighters and intercept enemy communications! Don't let them any closer!” She commanded. Outside, Mane forces began to deploy. Suddenly there was a blast of light and communications went dead. Admiral Sky trotted over to the radar console and yelled, “What the buck just happened? What was that? What happened to our communications?” No pony had an answer for her. *** Slender took up his position. Across from him Kai did the same. Slender's com screen flickered on. Char Aznable appeared on the screen. “Slender, are you in position?” Char asked. Slender saluted. “Yes, Commander. I'm awaiting your orders.” “Good. You're cleared to set off the package. I have to warn you though. After you set it off, communications will be disabled and you'll be on your own until reinforcements arrive. So make sure everyone is ready.” Char explained. “Understood, sir. Slender, out.” The screen switched to one of Slender's Zaku pilots. “Activate the Minovsky Pulse.” The pilot saluted and shut off his screen. One of the Zakus came out from behind its cover with a large box in its hands. He placed it on the ground and pressed a button on the side. The box began to glow. “Everyone! Get behind cover! Now!” Slender ordered. Everyone did as he said. Moments later, the box sent out a large spherical blast of light. Communications died, and the lights in the fortress flickered. Slender signaled for his men to attack. 'We're on our own now. We have the advantage, but they have the numbers. We have to survive.' Slender told himself. 'I just hope that the Red Comet can get here in time.' *** Admiral Sky was furious. Did the humans have some kind of new weapon? If communications and radar are down, then the Mane fighter pilots are pretty much useless. She moved over to the window and counted the enemy units. “Five? Only five Mobile suits?” She yelled. This was just ridiculous. “What are they, suicidal?” She paused and thought it over. “Wait... No. They know exactly what they're doing. Damn it, they planned this out perfectly!” The Admiral turned to her soldiers and said, “The humans figured out our weakness. If we have no communications, we can't give orders and our pilots will be clueless. If we don't have radar, our fighters are without their best weaponry. But wait... We do have something.” She turned to one of her officers. “Did my daughter launch yet?” The officer shook his head. “Good, bring her here. I need to talk to her.” *** “Is my fighter ready?” The engineer shook his head and the sky blue pegasus that had asked the question sighed. A brown pony entered. “Lieutenant Sky, your mother is looking for you.” He said. The pegasus looked at him and said, “No need to be formal. Just call me Corsair.” She paused. “Did you say my mother is looking for me? What for?” The brown pony opened his mouth to speak, but Corsair interrupted him, “Nevermind, just lead the way.” They walked down the many corridors of the recently captured fortress. Zeon propaganda still hung from the walls. No one had bothered taking it down yet. Plus, they had comedic value when examined by the Mane soldiers. All the talk of being best and powerful, yet they lost their main fortress in less than a day. What a shame. Finally, the two ponies reached the main command room. The brown pony saluted Corsair and left. Corsair saw her mother at the other end of the room and walked over. “The Allies have found our weakness, and they have taken full advantage of it.” Pale Sky said without turning to greet her daughter. “As much as I hate to say it...” She turned, “I have to send you out in the prototype Mequine. That is our only hope of winning this battle. You are our best pilot. You are the only one skilled enough to use the Mequine.” The Admiral reached into her desk and pulled out a square, striped piece of cloth. She gave it to Corsair. “That was your father's. He wore it into every battle he fought. All except his last.” Her eyes began to tear up from the memories of her late husband. “Corsair, I want you to take it. Wear it with pride, and come back alive.” Corsair looked down at the bandana. She grabbed it in her wings and wrapped it around the top of her head. She tied it deftly, and looked back at her mother. They slowly saluted each other. “It'll take more than a few human Mobile Suits to take me down. Don't worry, I'll make it out of this.” Corsair stated. She turned and left the room. 'Time to see what the Mequine can do.' She thought to herself as she continued to the hanger. The hanger was almost empty. Most of the fighters had already launched. She cantered to the back, nodding to a few engineers as she passed them. In the back was the Mequine. It towered over everything else, but there was only one. The higher ups had originally named it the Mobile Suit Equestrius. But the grunts and engineers had scrapped the name and just called it the Mequine. It was punny, but everypony liked it, so it stuck. Corsair turned to one of the engineers. “Is the Mequine ready to launch?” She asked him. “It is, all you need to do is get suited up and we can send you out.” The engineer replied. “I'm just gonna double check a few things while you get ready.” Corsair nodded and grabbed a pilot suit. She put it on with ease and looked through the helmet rack. “Oh, hey.” The engineer called her over. “We have a custom helmet for anypony piloting the Mequine.” He reached under a control panel and produced a dark blue helmet. On the side of the helmet was what looked like an old school cutlass crossing over a white wing. “Is that?” She said, a shocked look on her face. “My... my cutie mark. So the Mequine's pilot was me from the start...” She turned to the engineer, “Did you finish the adjustments?” He nodded and Corsair slipped on the helmet. She spread her wings and flew up to the Mequine's cockpit. As she landed, she looked down at the engineer, “Thanks for your work on the Mequine, Specialist, uh...” The engineer adjusted his glasses. “Just call me Ian.” He replied gruffly. “Specialist Ian, got it. Thanks for the help.” Corsair closed the cockpit and settled in to the seat. “Lieutenant Corsair Sky, launching in the Mequine!” She announced as she flew off the catapult. --- End Chapter 2