PHASE II: The Raid

[SNT1]

The Stiletto's weren't exactly sharpshots, so the target avoids them with ease, and like before, they run. Like true cowards.

"Alright," Carrah responds to John. She too sees the blast that just came out of the enemy warship. Signaling her troops, she says, "Let's move out and return to Helga's vicinity using an alternate route."

She signals John and Michael to head out, but before she does, Carrah notes the 'oddly painted' GuAIZ R in the background. She tries to contact it. She's not familiar with its designation either. "Pilot, are you alright?" It looks like it's recovered quite well from that fall, but making sure doesn't hurt.

[ORegan]

As O'Regan cannot confirm whether or not rail cannons can indeed shoot up, as he doesn't put faith into model kits as a source of fact, he'll have two options in this post. Whichever the mods pick, O'Regan have no problems with. O'Regan likes to type in the third person sometimes because his name is awesome....shut it.


Option A: Railguns can shoot up

In response to Michael's failed attempt of an insult, Jack responded with, "Ironic that you only say that with the safety of a team attacking me. You're all talk and flare. Hope you liked killing civilians. I'm sure a cry baby like yourself will be blubbering about it all night. Later, chump."

As Jack was just entering the area in which gravity was lacking due to the large opening that O'Connor came out of, enemy fire again pursued him. Rail gun bullets whizzed by him as well as a few beams. One beam severed his left arm, and the limb, as well as the shield, fell to the ground. 3 rail gun bullets hit his left left, putting holes in it. These shots would've knocked him to the ground, but Jack was close enough to the opening that he got sucked into the vaccum of space.

Option B: Railguns can't shoot up

In response to Michael's failed attempt of an insult, Jack responded with, "Ironic that you only say that with the safety of a team attacking me. You're all talk and flare. Hope you liked killing civilians. I'm sure a cry baby like yourself will be blubbering about it all night. Later, chump."

As Jack was just entering the area in which gravity was lacking due to the large opening that O'Connor came out of, enemy beams made their way towards him. One beam severed his left arm, and the limb, as well as the shield, fell to the ground. These shots would've knocked him to the ground, but Jack was close enough to the opening that he got sucked into the vaccum of space.

[ZGMF-X28A Nu-Liberty]

"At least I'm smart enough not to discuss something which doesn't concern me," Michael responded to Jack's retort as he watched the enemy fly away. However, whatever attacks that had been thrown at him managed to damage the Dagger L before it escaped. Smiling slightly, Michael heard Carrah's order and regrouped near her GuAIZ R.

"Alright, Corker. I think we've caused enough damage for today. What's the next move, mam?"

[Strike Zero]

"Whatever age your race could possibly create is of little concern to me," Seth said after McCrowan had concluded her little rant. "Soon enough, the same will apply to everyone else."

The Nosi was in sight. Seth keyed the COM and opened communication channel to the bridge. "This is B-1," he said. "Am approaching the ship with the objective in tow. Confirming permission to land."

"Confirmed B-1. We have you in sight," came a reply. "Maintain your approach vector and touch down in the port-side hanger bay."

"Roger. Have a fireteam on standby to retrieve and secure Doctor McCrowan," Seth snapped off the radio and then, as best he could with one hand, proceeded to guide the Dagger L into the Nosi's launch deck.

Once he landed, he began his decent back into the mobile suit bay. Almost immidiately after the room had been preassurezed a small group of soldiers, all armed with rifles, swarmed out and surrounded the Dagger L. Seth opened the opened the mobile suit's cockpit hatch and addressed the doctor one last time.

"This is where you get off."

[Fritz Ashlyn]

- Space, Near Turkle -

"What the hell are we waiting on..." Jerzy muttered aloud after coming back re-armed from the mothership. He tried to magnify the image of Copernicus further but it was too far away to see anything specific. If they didn't head in the direction of the battle their presence here would soon serve no purpose.

[Recon 5]

John was disappointed at Carrah's retreat order, but he reminded himself of his place in the larger picture. Greenhorns followed orders if they wanted to stay alive, at least until they were more experienced.

"Roger that."

He fell into formation with the rest of his teammates.

[The Loser Villain]

- Approaching Nosi

After escaping from the dome that enclosed Copernicus City, Chien maneuvered his Aile Dagger L to fly alongside the Nosi, rather then landing right away. He wanted to make sure that Seth had returned with their objective before landing, in the off chance that another ZAFT Mobile Suit team had ambushed him and he'd need help fast.

"ATTENTION ALL NOSI MOBILE SUITS, I WILL ONLY SAY THIS ONE MORE TIME. RETREAT. NOW. We may have accomplished our goal, but that will be meaningless if we overstay our welcome here. Come on home, all of you. I'll be waiting."

The Commander seemed to want to get the hell out of the area fast, and frankly he couldn't blame him. Since their were ZAFT Mobile Suits in the city, there very well could be reinforcements near by with twice the amount of Mobile Suits. No need to risk everything when they had already come this far.

The Nosi then opened fire on the area which contained several ports, perhaps they had discovered the ships which the ZAFT had launched from.

"Look at all the pretty lights," he said with a grin as the particle beams streaked towards the ports and caused several explosions, "Oh, almost makes me want to cause a little more havoc of my own...."

The Aile Dagger L that belonged to Seth then made its approach to the Nosi and land. Chien knew they'd have to pressurize the hangar and he didn't feel like waiting in the catapult for them to escort the doctor to a more secure area of the ship, so he began his approach for landing.

"Nosi, this is Ensign Hsu, coming in for landing."

"Confirmed, touch down in the starboard-side hangar bay," the operator replied."

"Copy that," as he replied he saw that Jack's Dagger L had now escaped and was missing an arm. "Geez, should have gotten out sooner."

"What was that Ensign?" the operator asked.

"Gak, sorry that wasn't anything important."

His Aile Dagger L cut its engines as it went into the launch bay and was caught by the large arresting gear and was then moved into the hangar bay.

As he unstrapped himself he saw the group of armed solders approach Seth's Dagger L.

"Ah, better get a closer view of this," Chien then opened the cockpit hatch and floated towards the floor. As he landed he reached to his ankle holster and pulled out the standard side arm all the pilots had been issued. "Better safe then sorry," he said as he cocked the pistol and walked towards Seth's Dagger L.

[Ascension]

-McCrowan

The doctor glared at the gathered terrorists as she descended from the Dagger.

"So, what are you going to do, big shots? You captured me, you won... now what? Hold me for ransom or something? Know this... my people will come for me! Your ransom will be paid in bullets and particle beams!"

[Kylern]

(missed the battle... I hate not having my laptop and relying on school net once a day)

The mission achomplished and them all intact for the most part. His Dagger pulled up the rear to find itself low on energy. The pilot was pissed because he hadn't got a single MS kill that battle... It was like he was never there in the first place and he bashed his helmet encased head into the screen in front of him in anger. The visuals now fritzed as there seemed to be a crack going down the center of it. Not like it mattered anyways his machine was on autopilot as it came in for a landing and docking.

Once it did dock and returned to its position in team A's side of the Nosi he just sat there. He was so disappointed with himself he couldn't even leave his mech. It wasn't suppose to have gone like that... He was suppose to show that he was a talented pilot and steal the show. Instead he was just the support gunner. How pathetic!

[The Big Zabowski]

Darius never heard Marcus' call for him, instead he had been fighting an error code in the system on his GuAIZ. For some reason the activation on the rail guns had come up as an error, and in the ensuing frustration, Darius had caused the whole system to crash. By now, the Daggers had retreated, and Darius was mashing his console in seething anger.

"YOU DAMN SONS OF B***HES! WHERE YOU RUNNIN' HUH!? WHY YOU RUNNIN!? GET BACK HERE YOU DAMNED MONKIES!~"

Darius continued to frantically get his GuAIZ back on line, the clatter of keyboard strokes echoed inside the dark cockpit, the GuAIZ still on it's back. After about 2 minutes or so (which seemed like hours of code rewrites), the GuAIZ's monitors finally blinked to life from their "Blue Screen of Death" mode. Darius continued to yell even as his external speakers came on line..

"...YOU DAMNED IDIOTS GET THE F**K BACK HERE YOU LAZY MONKEY BASTARDS! YOU F**KING..F**K! GOD F**KING DAMNIT! F**K! F**K! F**K! RAAARG!"

Darius' 'COORDINATOR RAEG!' was getting the better of him as he wrenched at the controls and finally flung the suit to it's feet, throwing his shield away. As he trudged out of the building, he squashed civilians that were emerging from the rubble with each step, screams and moans could be heard with each step.

"Those F**KING RATS!"

It was then that a backlog in saved communications flooded the cockpit.

"Darius! Are you there? Please respond if you can hear me sir!"

"Pilot are you alright?"

Darius was still on a coordinator endorphin and adrenalin high when he screamed back into the comm which was still wired to the external speakers.

"Those natural f**ks are gonna PAY! Gonna F**KING KILL THEM ALL!"

It was then that he fired up his thrusters, all of them, and rocketed down the street toward a weak section of the dome, and spotted what looked like the dimming lights of the Nosi as continued it's orbit over the dome.

"There they ARE!~"

Darius popped his rail guns online and fired a 3 shot salvo from each barrel, the six shells punching through the weakened dome with ease and causing even more damage to the already compromised shield. He kicked his thrusters into overdrive, the alarms screaming in his helmet as the propellant and battery meters began to show overheating and the power drain reaching critical.

"C'mon you piece of crap, GO GO GO!"

Darius had just barely escaped the dome when he slammed onto the dome in a kneeling positon, the thrusters sputtering out thereafter. From that position he fired salvo after salvo at the Nosi as it began it's pull from the area.

"GET BACK HERE! DON'T YOU RUN FROM ME!~"

(Crazy Darius is crazy, blowing a hole in the dome and launching out into the surface and firing at the Nosi as it pulls out of the area.)

[Ziryab]

-Girty Lue-class Nosi-
-Bridge-
-Above Copernicus-

((Ascension. If you plan for Waters to have Atlas take better/different/modified course of action, I'll edit this post accordingly. Though I still plan on editing it a bit to accord with your response. =) ))

"I'm open to a better plan ma'am," not turning around as he navigated the Nosi past the target zone. Moving off course and slightly tilting the vessel to one side so the ship's main beam cannons were firing off to their starboard, rather than across the bow, as they swung past the suspected ZAFT location.

"Otherwise I suggest heading towards those coordinates until the Durnfell and Hedland are out of Copernicus airspace," offering his plan. "Then we cloak on the 14th and ZAFT before speeding off. While we're at it, you want us to reply as the Nosi or Nosi fleet or something else?"

"How are we with ZAFT?" After Briana's reply.

"Nothing yet, sir. No serious indications but I'm pinpointing some heat sources," came the confirmation from the weapons chair, followed by an eagerly asked. "Can we make another pass?"

"Well since the 14th is proffering us to do so and we still have stragglers," Cherryh pulled the Nosi into a loop, letting it sail upsidedown as it went to attack again, veering closer along the crater's fringe while awaiting its remaining pilots to near.

"Commie," he barked. "Reply back to the 14th include, 'this is the Nosi, confirming pre-set coordinates. Now making a second flyby over suspected ZAFT location in attempt to lure them away from city. Careful and good luck.' Now weapons, open fire."

Beam cannons began to lance out again when alarms began to ring on the bridge on the bridge. Cherryh felt a shudder in his body--or was the ship itself--followed by a status screech over from the communications chair.

"At least it's just one," Cherryh muttered. "Target CIWS. Open fire and perforate him."

[Wedge14]

-The Durnfell-

The ship took a pounding from about every direction.

Captain Vicks listened intently as a coms officer filled him in on the situation. As soon as the young officer finished Vicks was quick to retort with.

"The Durnfell will be the last one out. We've sustained only minimal damage. Contact that...Captain of the nosi. Tell him that our ship will lure the enemy out of the city...The cargo on the Nosi is too valuable to be lost."

The captain nervously gripped the ends of his seat. As his plan played out in his mind.

"Nosi, This is the Durnfell here. Requesting that you and the Hedland rendezvous with the OMNI Fleet. We'll lead these monsters to you."

"Captain?? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"The world was built on bad ideas son"

-Edgle Glendrin-

Ed blasted away at the Durnfell his mastefully aimed shots all coming short.

"I think theres something wrong with my aiming system.." He mumbled angrilly.

-Erin Bruist-

"High Alert or what...Screw this!" Erin complained. "How do they expect us to sit in here for so loong. What are they testing our patience?"

[Gambit01]

-Turkle-Bridge

"Sir! We have received confirmation from the Unknown fleet! They are complying; repeat, they are complying!"

That was all Hiroshi needed to know.

"Give the order; mobile suits, prepare to launch out ahead to provide immediate support once we are within 1 kilometer of our destination! To all ships, ADVANCE!!!"

The destination sent to pilots and mobile suits alike, Hiroshi just wished this bad feeling that he was being played like the strings on his cello would go away...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HANGAR

Nakamura gripped the controls of his mobile suit...soon

"Nakamura Team, sound off!"

[EZero8]

Darrell had done just what Nakamura had told him, and even twiddled his thumbs in the process. Of course, that got old really quickly, so it came to be a relief once the order came to standby for combat.

"This is Darrell... haven't gone anywhere to warrant such an order to sound off..." he grumbled over the COM.

--------------

Josh grunted. The enemy ships managed to escape even with him and Hector blasting the hell out of them with their weapons. Although angered, his better judgement kept him from blasting out of the city to chase after these terrorists.

"Hector, Winry. Status on your units..." Josh says over to his teammates. In his absorbed fighting he had neglected to check with how they were doing...

[ORegan]

Jack's mobile suit was weaponless as it made it's way towards the Nosi, save for it's beam sabers and CIWS, but they were useless in ranged combat. He approached the ship a little bit before Darius started his attack.

"Hey let me in to grab a weapon God damnit! "

A member of the bridge responded with. "Give me a f**king minute GOD-DAMN-IT!" in a mocking tone. As an entrance to the hangar opened up, Daniels entered quickly. Coming out of his MS he stated to one of the techs.

"I need a new weapon, and if you don't mind, hook me up with some of those Stilletos." A mechanic asked what happened to the forearm and Jack almost started to rant about how he was left to die, but restrained himself by asking if there was enough supplies and time to have his forearm replaced.

(Meaning the mods can PM me and tell him if I can get re-equipped)

[Ascension]

((OOC: My original plan was to contact the EA fleet, tell them that we were coming, and then cloaking and taking off in an entirely different direction, leaving the EA guys hanging, waiting for a fleet which would never come. Now, however, I'm thinking we might be able to trick the ZAFT guys into following us, then trick the EA guys into firing on the ZAFT guys, then we can cloak and run while our enemies are busy fighting each other. It'll be dangerous and any use of out-of-character knowledge will kill the plan, but it's what we're going to do. The Hedland will take the lead, the Nosi will fall in behind it, and the Durnfell, as Wedge stated, will make the run on the ZAFT hangar to try to attract their attention again, then it will bring up the rear behind the Nosi. This way the Durnfell will soak up any fire from the ZAFT fleet, the Hedland should soak up any fire from the EA fleet, and the Nosi should be able to escape unscathed with McCrowan regardless of how things go down.))

-O'Connor & McCrowan

"We are withdrawing from combat, Daniels," Matt reminded the eager mercenary, "You'll be rearmed before our next battle."

With that, Matt dismounted from his Dagger. When he reached the "ground," he approached the gathering around McCrowan.

"So this is the illustrious Doctor Elizabeth McCrowan. I'm Commander Matthew O'Connor, and I'm more or less in charge around here."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," McCrowan spat in a tone which made it clear she wasn't pleased at all.

-Waters

Despite her lack of military training and her lack of official rank, Briana Waters took command.

"We'll lead these ZAFT bastards to the EA fleet, hope that the 14th takes the bait and engages ZAFT, then we'll cloak and run. With any luck, our enemies will destroy each other. The Nosi's an illegal operations ship, it didn't officially exist even when it was with OMNI. Tell them that the Hedland fleet is headed to the rendezvous point, and go ahead and cloak our ship. They won't know how to react if they see a Girty Lue-class vessel, but two Drakes they can process. The Hedland will take point, the Durnfell will both serve as rear guard and will do what it can to bait ZAFT into following us."

[SNT1]

"W-Wait!" Carrah stutters as she sees the 'ace custom' GuAIZ mindlessly fire at the enemy. I can try to stop him, but I just might get injured! Carrah thinks. Part of her also wants to just help attack the enemy carrier, but its no use, seeing that it's just going away. They will need to approach this differently, so Carrah nears Helga by following her team and her direction.

~~~~~

Mike just ignores Erin's whining. No use to quell something that just won't go away.

"Alright Team Awesome, we're on standby. Wait for launch (hic) orders."

[Sume Gai]

Harken as a matter of habit took out a locket and flipped it open revealing the image of a young girl; after about a minute he closed the locket and returned it to his pocket.

The bridge was in the Rear Admiral's (currently) very capable hands and Harken wasn't about to interfere with that when the CIC officer spoke up

"Two Drake classes confirmed and... wait, nevermind, just two Drake classes they're on the very edge of our detection range and I can't see any ZAFT that might be chasing them"

Harken decided to speak to the admiral "I want to avoid combat if possible; do you agree."

[ZGMF-X28A Nu-Liberty]

As Michael checked his suit for possible damage and current energy levels, he decided it was time to return to the ship. Deciding to take the discreet route he had taken into battle back to the Helga, he fired up the GuAIZ R's boosters again and jumped high into the air to gain some distance, until landing hard on the ground, right in front of the tunnel.

Walking in slowly, Michael continued walking, unlocking large doors as he went with his manipulators, for many minutes until he reached the hangar bay holding the three-ship fleet. Walking in alone, Michael stood outside of the Helga, waiting for his two teammates to enter. But he was more than willing to go back out there to make sure they came back.

[Gambit01]

-Turkle-Bridge

"Avoid, yes Harken," Hiroshi said, notably NOT asking the other man about the locket--his business outside of military affairs was none of Hiroshi's--and instead focusing on the Drakes that are increasing with size.

"I don't think we'll have the luxury of choosing that course, however."

We'll be fighting someone; whether it is this supposed OMNI Fleet or ZAFT is what's going to be decided in a few moments...[/i]