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*FZZT! FZZT!*
The shots miss as Chuchu yanks the stick into a sharp S-turn. Sparks fly as she rams the throttle to its limit, skating the aging Demi-trainer down the side of the ruins.
Come on… Who knew that Spacian bastard would have it in for me!
She fires back. Two shots, each at low power to save the charge for its intended purpose.
Just snipe as backup, they won’t hit your ‘junk’ model first… Does that cocky so-called ‘CEO’ even know what she’s doing?! Shitty Spacians!
*KCHAK! WHOOOOOSH!*
Just have to preserve the gun for now…
“Huh?! Your… Where’d your right arm go?!”
*SKRRTTT!*
Before she has a chance to react, it’s too late. The Michaelis’ claw thunks into her right shoulder, ripping her gun arm clean off.
Shit! The plan! But while his arm’s still out he’s exposed…! I could end it right here…!
Before the gun can fall to the ground, she deftly picks it out of the air with her left arm, feeling its heft similar enough to the club she would have used in-person if only the stupid school rules allowed her to duel these idiots in her preferred style rather than hiding behind those damned mobile suits, toys of the rich.
“Don’t underestimate Earth House!”
She swings the improvised club down, reactions sped by fury and the grim glee of knowing that the usually smug Shaddiq was caught off kilter, seeing him desperately try to jerk his suit back to avoid its antennae clobbered off his head.
*FZZZZT!*
All that is cut short by a final shot from behind, cleanly melting through her knees. Chuchu fights back a wave of nausea as she feels the Demi-trainer tip sharply forwards, training kicking in on instinct as she reaches for the stabilizers before she realizes that the controls are limp; all hydraulic power has been lost.
*THUD!*
Even though her safety harness and airbags provide some relief, she still tastes the iron tang of blood in her mouth as the impact snaps her jaw shut, biting down hard on her tongue. Its taste mixes with the pungent fumes of fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid leaking from the busted frame of her Mobile Suit. If the old Demi-trainer had poor suspension before, it was even more sorely lacking in it now.
“Fucking Spaciaaaans!”
“Chuchu, you can’t say that! It’ll be bleeped out in the broadca-”
She cuts off the intercom. “Fuck! Now I can’t even swear?! Damn them all, the fucking Spacians!”
She should never have trusted Miorine. Who did she think she was, coming in here to boss them all around!? Now all they had to show for that grand ‘GUND-ARM’ company of hers was millions in debt for wrecking those four loaned Zoworts, not to mention her own Mobile Suit. How much of Earth House’s blood, sweat, and tears had gone into her machine? How many sleepless nights from Nika, how many divinations from Aliya on Ojelo’s betting results, how many shared paychecks from part-time jobs and money saved by skipping breakfast? Even if Earth House didn’t have to pay for the Zoworts, the Demi-trainer’s repairs alone would set them back several hundred grand with how badly it had been scrapped. She already begins to count the cost in her head.
“30 grand easy for the arm… another 40 each for both legs given how the hydraulics are completely toast… Another 15 for fixing the chest from that fall? The sniper is the most complicated, the cost of replacing that bent barrel with fine-tooled parts and replacing the fried wiring will be close to a hundred…”
The hot tears begin to well up in her eyes unbidden. If only she was able to move a little faster… If she was willing to activate emergency power earlier despite the long term damage… Was it her fault? All her friends and family who sacrificed everything to send her here… did she throw it all away? The background sounds of battle mean little to her anymore, blaster shots fading away as her thoughts consume her.
*Bz-bzzt!*
“Chuchu! It’s Till! Are you still there?! How bad is the damage? Ooi!”
The shouts snap her out of her reverie, Chuchu taking a second to remove her helmet to wipe her tears and compose herself before turning on the video feed.
“I heard you the first time, dumbass!” She sighs deeply. “It’s pretty bad, my shooting arm is completely gone. So are both legs, and I’m pretty sure with everything leaking at this rate it won’t be long before I have to switch to backup power, or just have everything seize up. The only mercy is that they didn’t go for the head so I still have optics up, though with how bad the gun got bent and how hard the fall was I don’t doubt I have to re-zero everything again. How’s things on your end?”
“Ah… Well, of the four Zoworts, three are fine with only head damage, so as long as we rely on auxiliary sensors it should be fine. Ojelo lost his arms too though, but otherwise we should be able to stick to the plan.”
“The plan?! In case you got slime in your ears, my sniper arm’s been torn off and the gun itself won’t shoot straight. Besides, didn’t you fight these guys too? No way we’re getting in close enough for a shot! That stuck up girl’s plan won’t work, it was too much of a long shot in the first place!”
“Aren’t you still watching the stream? Suletta is still going!” A small pop-up appears in the corner of Chuchu’s screen.
“This time, I know I can do it. Let’s help Miorine-san together, shall we?”
Even though she’s all alone, she’s still fighting so hard… The dreams of her entire planet rest on her too, don’t they?
*CRACKLE PEEEEEW*
“Chuchu! It’s incredible, she’s turning the odds! At this rate I think we have a fighting chance!”
A smile reappears on her face. She starts flipping breakers, switching fuel pumps till the engine begins to cough back to life, and props herself up with her remaining arm.
“Tch. Fine! Those cocky bastards think us out do they?! Till! Martin! Help lift this scrap heap up! Lilique! Scout out the best vantage point for me! Ojelo! Your wreck has still got to be good for supplying power right? Come on! We’ll show them what Earth House is capable of!”
(Note: Start song here)
“Looks like Suletta can only hold out for a little longer! C-Chuchu, hurry up!”
“Fuck off Martin! Why don’t you try managing this instead then!? Or get Ojelo to actually get his wires uncrossed?!”
“Sorry, sorry! I don’t work well under pressure!”
“Well you’d damn well better! Lilique! Shitdick look like he’s going to stop moving anytime soon?!”
*FZZZTT! PEEEW!*
“Uh-um, they’re still moving really fast! -No, wait, there! It looks like they’re driving her to a kill spot in the center!”
“Alright! Speed it up! Till, got that barrel hacked down already?”
“Yeah! But you know this means you’ve only got one shot right? It’ll overheat right after-”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion! Besides, one shot is all we’ll get anyways! Ojelo! Power! When’s it ready?!”
“R-right!”
Chuchu settles back down in her pilot’s seat, taking a deep breath. She flips all the switches open, ready to accept the power surge when it comes. After a moment’s hesitation, the autopilot goes too, as she resolves to trust her and her friends’ instincts. The crosshair centers on the spot which Lilique has predicted.
‘Alright! Till, hold the gun steady for me! Martin, grab the frame! Lilique, final adjustments?”
“They’re gonna be right on top of each other in 5 seconds! Chuchu, now!”
“No, he’s got to be absolutely still for the perfect shot!”
“That’s right Till! Ojelo! Ya done?!”
*CRACKLE SNAP*
“Y-yes!”
Chuchu takes another moment to breathe deeply and remember her training. She lines up the remaining iron sights on her gun with the tip of Till’s Zowort’s finger, and the slowly advancing Michaelis. The remaining limiters on her power pack come off as she accepts the additional energy from the Ojelo’s Zowort, willing the aging Demi-trainer’s core to stay intact long enough for one final shot. At this far outside normal range, they can only hope for the additional energy to supply enough power for the laser. It causes the frame to rattle and shake, barely constrained by the light touch of Chuchu’s hands and the help of the remaining Zoworts.
“Steady, girl…” Chuchu closes her eyes and exhales her breath. She cradles the gun as gently and tightly as it will go, and applies the slightest bit of pressure to the trigger with her thumb, so that any additional pressure will ensure the shot goes off as steady as possible.
*FZZZZT!*
“End of the line, Suletta Mercury! I’m the one who will stand at Miorine’s side!”
This isn’t just for Miorine and her company, or even for me… This shot is for all Earthians, everywhere!
“...Now!”
She depresses her finger over the trigger.
*PEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW*
A thin green beam of energy emanates from the end of her rifle, traveling down the length of the arena at light speed. It strikes Shaddiq’s Michaelis squarely in the middle of its head, instantly decapitating its horn. The particles linger in the air for a moment before dissipating, the overloaded Demi-trainer discharging all of its power into that one shot, the sniper rifle’s tip now permanently melted and glowing hot orange from the sustained blast at 130% power. Silence falls over the battlefield.
“Everyone…!”
Tears well up again in Chuchu’s eyes, finally allowing her body to relax once again after the victory. “I told you not to underestimate Earth House-” She allows herself a hard fought smirk and corrects herself at the last moment to find a family-friendly insult for Shaddiq for the broadcast. “-Dumbass~”
Amidst the hoots and hollers from the rest of Earth House around her as well as the control room, Chuchu allows herself another big sigh and the luxury of slumping back in her seat.
Mom, dad, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters… Everybody… I hope you see this! Together… This is how Earthians fight back!
Tonight of all nights, the stars seen through the walls of the colony look awfully close within Chuchu’s grasp.