*Cue pirates of the Caribbean theme!*
"Why do I hear music?" Kincade Nau, pilot of the Crossbone Gundam X-1, muttered as he flew close to their target.
"Me too!"
"Same!"
"Comms has been hacked! I think we have been set-up!"
The men following him in their own Zondo Gei argued, citing possible betrayal and ambush. Kincade already suspects as such but they can't pull back now.
"Everyone enough! Ambush or not, we're here. We have a job to do and it must be done or else. Leave it to me, I'll keep us safe." He declared just as the music began to grew louder.
Just then from a distance, he can see their target ship except that they're not alone.
Coming to intercept them is an rustic orange ship with a damaged launch pad. It's cruising towards them with growing speed but that's not the alarming part.
Following the ship is a plethora of Gundams! Over two dozen of them!
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Ah, Crossbone Gundam.
It's one of the few timelines that I actually love along in the UC timeline. Yes, I have favorite child and it's name is UC Era. They said you can't have a favorite child but I do have one and it's UC and I'm not ashamed of it.
The Crossbone Gundam timeline is an exception to it. Why?
Cause fucking Space Pirates, that's why!
Who doesn't love space pirates? My first Disney film is Treasure Planet and I fell in love to that type of genre. It's the only sci-fi film I would love to actually explore in the flesh.
Back to Space Pirates, the timeline is revolve around the conflict of Jupiter empire against Earth Federation. So basically another Zeon vs Earth type of scenario. The good thing in this timeline is that their is no Char clone.
Except there is a literal clone of char's skills in a chip aka the C.A chip. Even Amuro wasn't safe cause there is also an A.R chip.
Fortunately, I'm not touching those shit for now. I dropped right at the very beginning of the Crossbone Gundam timeline.
The Assault on Smashion ship.
The Smashion is a civilian transport ship meant ferry civilian students from Earth to Jupiter sphere. Instead, it was actually a cover to ferry biochemical weapons aka poison gas to attack earth under an insidious plot later on.
The Space Pirates, The Crossbone Vanguard, have gained intel about the weapon being transported. As such, an operation was staged to attack and claim the biochem weapons before they arrive on Earth. The attack will take place near the Jupiter sphere, just as soon the transport ship arrives on it's destination.
Now here's the problem.
According to the World system's error, Tobia Arronax will be killed in action by Kincade Nau, the pilot of the Crossbone Gundam X-1. On the original timeline, Kincade planned to take out the MS defense units, Batalla units, while making sure that the pilots are unharmed. Naturally, this is a hard thing to do in heat of combat. Sometimes it succeeded on other enemy pilots and some don't.
Arronax's Batalla got caught in the latter, killed in action by accident.
Thus the timeline became an error in the system and it's my job to fix it.
Make sure Arronax survives!
But how?!
We're talking about Kincade Nau here! And for those uninformed, this name is an alias. His true name is Seabook Arno aka Amuro Ray's spiritual successor in the UC timeline! We're talking about a natural born Newtype pilot! We're talking about a veteran Ace pilot who took the reins of the Gundam F91!
Gundam F91 is no joke of a machine!
Unlike Kou Uraki who took the Gundam Zephyranthes like a bad joyride, Arno piloted the Gundam F91 like a fish swimming in water. He cooked and he cooked so hard with it! It's why his the spiritual successor of Amuro Ray in this era!
And this is the man I'm supposed to fight to keep a child from being killed.
Dang, my luck sucks!
Still, I'm an AI of focus, stubbornness and sheer fucking will! I will adapt and overcome!
And I think I need I little bit of preparations.
*Cue to evil hand rubbing*
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So here I am, with over two dozen Gundams following behind me. How did it happen? You'll about to find out!
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Kincade almost cursed at the badluck, the Intel never said about an escort nor said escort being Gundam units! Still, the mission objective is very important and this little setback isn't something he can't work around with.
"What's the order, Captain?" One of his men asked nervously in the comms. With the reputation of the Gundam, their Zondo Gei which are outdated at this point can't even hold a candle against a Mass production Gundam. A sentiment shared among them.
"The operation still continues. Stay together and-" Suddenly, an unknown channel connected to him, sending sharp beeps in intervals.
"What the?"
"Your getting this?"
"Sir?"
It looks like he's not the only one.
"Berah." Kincade said, contacting the mothership, the Mother Vanguard.
"I got it. It's Morse codes. Stay out for now. The enemy escort is moving but no attacks yet. I think they're posing for standoff instead of a conflict." His beloved answered. Kincade nodded and sent a signal to stand down to his men at the meantime.
"Who do you think they could be? Jupiter forces?" He asked.
"Not them. Database aren't pinging a match. I think we're looking at PMC or worse, Military Experimental units." Berah replied before gasping.
"Oh, I got the translations to the codes. They used old Earth standards, strange?" Berah said in confusion and curiosity.
"What did it say?" Unlike her, Kincade is far more tense to the contents of said message.
"Friendly. Play. Along. Smashion. Civilians. Students. Onboard. Show. Strength. Force. Surrender." Kincade drew a sharp breath at the message, even the men besides his MS paused at the revelation.
"Those bastards. No wonder they're so confident in ferrying bioweapons to earth."
"They have hostages?"
"Damn, things got more tricky."
Hearing the comments of his men, Kincade agreed with them. Taking account the civilians, the operation is no longer a smash and grab. The situation is now tricky, if they're too slow to grab the Poison Gas, the couriers could threaten them with said weapon being unleashed on unsuspecting civilians!
Wait? What does it mean by playing along?
Suddenly, the escort ship began firing missiles volleys to their group!
"Evasive maneuvers!"
They break off formation, dodging the trajectory of said missiles before they could reach them. Then something strange happened.
The missiles preemptively exploded.
"What?" Kincade frowned in suspicion.
All around them, the missiles preemptively exploded, never reaching them. The explosion itself created a thick fog of smoke in space, layered with Minovsky particles. The area is practically saturated and a blanket zone!
"They're non-lethals." Kincade realized.
Play along.
"Nau! Aim for the Gundams!" Berah? Why? He asked to himself, wondering what she had found.
"They're all fake! Now play along and show the strength of the Crossbone Vanguard!"
That's when he truly realized what's the plan, a grin splitting across his lips. His men clamored at the information, waiting for orders.
"You heard the her! Show the strength of the Crossbone Vanguard! Destroy all Gundams and avoid the ship!"
"Roger!" Five voice's acknowledged the order.
Kincade smiled, whoever this person is, they have a very peculiar strategy. But at the current situation, it might as well be the only safe way to this without accidental casualty. It's a strange strategy, focusing on deception and show of power. If it works, no bloodshed will come pass and the whole thing will proceed peacefully in the surrender of the ship.
How bold!
Kincade, no, Seabook Arno would like to meet this person!
The Crossbone Gundam X-1 fired it's thrusters, joining it's brother's in arms to display it's unrivaled prowess.
Time to remind the world of the Gundam.
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I watched as the five Zondo Gei and a Gundam blitz my fake army. An army of inflated Gundam balloons, the Dummy system. Setting up this kind of ruse was a chore for my girls but together, they just made it in time. I practically looked like a child and his balloons I tow the fake army with cable lines on various points of the CarryBase. Meanwhile, the girls are safely hidden in my hangars, safe and sound from the battle outside.
While the attack is ongoing, I provided cover fire to the Crossbone forces and I meant non-lethal Minovsky particle blankets fired from my missile bay. Using the G-system, I manufactured and armed the CarryBase with such missiles. It's function? Recreating Celestial Beings smoke missiles but with additional Minovsky particles to make anyone inside truly invisible to radar.
This would be my first use of the experimental weapons and I would say they're doing good!
While the Zondo Gei and the Crossbone Gundam X-1 destroy the Fakes, the Minovsky missiles would blanket the area, hiding the true nature of the fake Gundams to the Smashion upon destruction.
In their eyes, all they can see is the space pirates easily destroying the supposed superior force of their escort.
Basically, I'm fucking glazing the space pirates so hard, the Smashion has no choice but surrender or die!
That's the plan!
After the last dummy was destroyed, I sent a signal of surrender to both Smashion and the Crossbone Vanguard, now giving the reins to the latter in this performance.
Kincade didn't just deliver, he cooked!
The son of gun approached and hailed the Smashion to surrender or be destroyed, practically playing the villain in the story while the Zondo Gei force he had mock captured the CarryBase, even landing on my still damaged runway.
It took a few minutes before the Smashion send a message of surrender. As it turns out, one of the professor's had gone mad and demanded th Smashion forces to go out in a suicide run. No sane soldier would do that and the ship officers captured the man before he risks their lives for nothing.
And my job is done!
Timeline restored! Tobia Arronax lives and might be joining the Crossbone Vanguard once they started to board the ship to recover the bioweapon.
Time to go!
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"Captain!"
"What?" Kincade turned his head at one of his men hailing him.
"Look!" The Zondo Gei pointed behind them, towards the captured orange ship.
Right then and there, in front of their eyes, the ship slowly fade away in existence.
Like a ghost.
"What in the world?"
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