Chapter Text
April 12, U.C. 110
Haaah… Huuu… Haaah... Huuu…
My hands are cold and clammy, and hot breath fogs up the inside of my helmet. The air is getting pretty stale in here and the sense of nausea only grows.
“Haro genki! Haro genki!”
That’s right, Haro, I should try to perk up. I remember the mini cooler she’d installed and insisted was “absolutely essential” for pilots, reaching under the armrest to pull out a popsicle to suck on.
The radio crackles to life. “Visual contact established, 20 klicks out! Bogeys inbound! I count 4… 5 Jegans, 3 Karls, and the squadron leader in that Black Gundam!”
A second comm link opens in the top right of my panoramic screen, and Marida’s face is there, offering reassurance. “Still holding up there kid? You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I see you’ve already cracked open the emergency rations~”
She was right, the chill sweetness really did calm my nerves down. I pop the stick out of my mouth long enough to answer. “No, uh, Yes Ma’am! I can do it this time! In fact, I feel like I need to!”
“I thought I told you to stop calling me Ma’am.” She chuckles, a warm, hearty laugh that feels like it wraps me in maternal embrace and fills me with determination. “Well Brianna, just remember; You’re not alone! Mineva, how’re the Workers’ doing?”
“Remote weapons 1 through 20 are online, and fully manned, hun!”
“Great! Rest of Ple Squadron, sound off!”
A dirty mint green suit, patched up with various scrap parts for arms and leg thrusters, boosts into view to my left.
“Maple! Ple 8, launching!
To my right, another patchwork vessel, its claws snapping open and shut, comes into view.
“Yaffa! Ple 23, let’s go!
As I finish up my dessert, more and more pilots pop up all around me, a kaleidoscope of vessels rising up to try and stop the advancing tide that now loomed ever closer.
“Josephine! Ple 34, we can do it!”
“Mason! Ple 18, we’re in this together!
“Len! Ple 9, let me at them!”
“Blossom! Ple 13 to 15 at Proletariat stations, ready!”
“This is Ple Mobile Worker Squadron 2 Leader, confirmed all hands here are good to go!”
Many more such calls rang out from all around me, and I took a final steadying breath out, focusing on the screen in front of me and adding my own voice to the mix.
“Brianna, Ple 42, I’m ready!”
“Haro let’s go! Haro let’s go!”
“Ple Squadrons be advised, Bogeys are now 5 klicks out, entering beam cannon range in 10 seconds!”
“All right everyone, this is it! This is a fight to make sure no Ple is left behind! Marida Cruz, Ple 12, launching!”