Chapter 43: Front 22.5 (Arc 3 Final!!) – The Knight’s Defence – Part 2/2

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Sabban's mech looked like some deformed kite, like at any moment it would take flight - "Sorry everyone, heh... Only one leg left, so only one clamp...Guess I'm off then..."
 The young man said resignedly.

And a second later his mech too took flight, the single clamp not powerful enough against the strain of pressure being dragged out of the Nation-State.

 "Sabban!!!" The head of Kolme's Neo reared up, staring after Sabban's progress, up at the black nights sky, the jagged edged circle still surrounded on all sides by the original artificial blue-sky, as though space were breaking through reality.
 He watched as Sabban's machine tumbled and turned around like paper in the wind - He clearly had no control left of it with all the damage taken, no amount of effort would help now.

He looked ahead of Sabban at the speical, it did have control and it was turning around, raising its sword.
 Sabban was heading straight for it, the pressure would force him into the speical, he'd be pierced, run-through by the sleek shining weapon and there was nothing Kolme could do about it.

 He watched the young man he called comrade, wingman, friend 'fall' helplessly upwards towards his death - The boy who always came back alive, who gave Kolme the hope he needed to lead the squadron, endlessly plummeting to oblivion.

"Sabban..." He crooked, his throat was dry and rough, his whole being ached and he wanted nothing but to somehow help, just like Sabban had saved him so many times, but now he couldn't return the favour.

 Kolme reached his hand out to the monitor screen, as though willing to change it somehow - Hadn't they fought hard enough to win one fight?
 Was facing a Magi piloted fortress down like they had done, not enough to earn them just one victory?
 Just some small respite?

He reached for the ever smaller image of the two mechs, Sabban seconds away from the Special's gleaming blade now...

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".....Oi....astard!!!!"

The words had been roared, bellowed across the open channel radio in a broken static tone, but still unmistakably words of excitement.

 "It can't be?...." Kolme mumbled in disbelief.

On his screen a red line suddenly cut across, a line opposite that of the crack running through his camera - A brilliant beam of pure speed faster than any fighter jet could ever hope to match and it wasn't slowing.

 It arced across the night's sky and at incredible speeds collided straight into the speical, totalling the machine in an instant and leaving only empty space where Sabban now passed.

The red line continued to course across the sky as what became clear as a red mech, rammed its shoulder against the floundering and unprepared Special - Being flawed across the sky in a most dramatic of vehicle collisions, for a few more moments before finally slowing - Kolme did everything he could to zoom in the Neo's camera's.

 Emerging from a plum of dust was the speical, it arm's raised in the air.

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A massive, truly flaming red, calibre-blade held up to its cockpit hatch and a gaint of a red mecha holding said blade - For the Special's part it was severely dented from the force of impact and with its mothership now speeding away, to everyone's disbelief it seemed content to be taken as Scarlet's captive - Though of course the massive calibre blade's position atop the cockpit block was probably a strong incentive.

 
Kolme could of almost cried at the sight;
 "I Could Kiss You Scarlet!!!"

"Pah, always knew you were a pervert Nilas!" Scarlet laughed back over the radio.

"Miss.Scarlet? But she's still in sick-bay." Una added, by the sounds of it she was in tears.

"Ha, I owed Sabban one for last time, and Hoki's only just become my wing-woman so she can't go getting killed yet - And Rookie, your training would be ruined if ya died!" Scarlet replied gleefully.

The three Neo's gradually released their magnetic clamps and allowed themselves to float up and out of the Nation-State, the pressure now levelling out a bit after the initial exiting of all the city's air.

 Sabban's machine now safety out of the pressure's pull, floated serenely not far from where Scarlet held Moncha at a blades edge.

 "Ain't that my backpack?" He asked, his usual grumpy tone breaking for one of jovial relief.

"Ha-ha, good ain't it - Old man Nate got nervous when you lot stopped radioing in, came down to sick-bay and had a stand-up shouting match with the doc', And get this our Nate actually won an argument!" Scarlet cackled;

 "Next thing I know he has me on stand-by, seeing as you couldn't use your booster-thingy inside the station, they hooked it up to my machines. As soon as the Fluchtig detected movement from the submarine Nate had me launch to back you guys up, I'm still full of IV lines and all, Ha! - The Fluchtig says the Submarine ain't slowing, it's making a real run for it, but Nate was still worried you guys might be fighting a strangler or something - I might just keep this backpack kid, I'd of never made it without the extra boosters!"

Sabban's laugh in reply was truly heartfelt, around him the other damaged Neo's had now made it, all five floating around in black space, looking back in at the massive flat surface of the Nation-State that now had such a large new 'window'.
 Kolme was pretty sure they were all five feeling that same relief right now - Not wanting to spoil the euphoric moment, he privately connected to Hoki's machine, asking her to radio for pick up and to let the Fluchtig know the Submarine had very much so escaped as suspected.
 "Ya, will do Sir, I'm just glad we made it."
 Hoki said back quietly to him, it sounded like Una wasn't the only one who had been on the verge of tears, her voice filled with relief.

A familiar Southern twang cut across the merriment - "Can't believe Helt, then Falc got beat by a bunch of Charlies like y'all, ye're all talking on the open channel ya know - And Helt was right about you 'Red-Neo' pilot, you must be friggin' insane!
 That impact would've of crushed most machines in an instant, heck I rec'on my cockpit's a hell of a lot smaller then it was five minutes ago!"

Scarlet was first to reply, Kolme could almost hear her broud grin over the radio; "Eh, add yourself to that list of defeated Mr.Special pilot! Hey old man Nilas - What do you want done with him?"

"Oh that's easy, we're talking him prisoner - That's if he'll be so good as to come quietly." Kolme smiled back, remembering Moncha's earlier taunt towards him.
 He laid back in his chair, struggling just to keep his eyes open out of exhaustion.

A part of him expected another surprise at any moment, it had been one after the other today - To think it was over in an instant and that they had all made it was almost inconceivable.
 He saw two new tags come up on his radar equipment, recognising them as Neo's from the Rinie, Lt Tomo and Erfu, come to help escort them and their prisoner home.
 He knew they wouldn't have long, the submarine had clearly chosen to abandon this 'Moncha' person and make a break for it - The Tristain flotilla would have to follow fast in order not to lose the trail, but at that moment Kolme hardly cared, he was too busy being bemused and delighted beyond anything he had felt in years.
 He closed his eyes and gave one last command for the day;
"Hoki-lass, you and Lt.Tomo take charge, I think that's more than enough for one recon' mission. Oh and someone give what's left a' my mech a tow, I need a serious nap."

The End of Arc 3
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