A/N - So, i've decided to give Gaojinizer my full focus, and then return to my other series. At this point, I wouldn't say we're at the midpoint of the series yet, but we're at least approaching it.

Gaojinizer - Stage 17

Invasion Of Pompate

Pompate had become the center of Italy's power, especially since Rome had mostly sunk into the sea, sharing the fate of many other cities. It served an important role in the United States of Europe Specifically, a research center. Though what research that went on was unknown to most of the military, to no surprise, the fact of its Status had apparently been found out by the Garsalan. Whatever was within Pompate was enough for the Juzumaru, along with many of the UFE’S many Space, and Aero “Warships”, as well as naval ships, had been called to its defense. In front of the bow of the ship were the Machina, who’s pilots continued to look outward.

“...All this waiting we’re doing, Where are those roaches striking from anyway?” Takeshi questioned.

“Who knows? Higher-ups have probably predicted that, we sure as hell haven’t heard anything… I’m sure we’ll find out soon.” Andrew responded. That was usually how it went, it seemed… Closing in from the western edges from the city, and above, the very enemies the pilots of the Machina had queried over the status of, began to descend upon the city. The fleets, in total, numbered around 150 ships… Much larger than had been dedicated to a strike on earth in the past, and the same could be said for some other strikes taking place throughout the world, even if to a smaller extent. Would this be a sign of a new paradigm? How effective would the now larger deployed forces be? Questions that all humanity would need to ask.

The silence that formerly lay over the sea was there no more, with the sounds of battle beginning to sound… The source of which was not the ships in front of them, but behind. The Ufe had decided upon a tight group of ships surrounding the city proper, and semi-circles of ships that could change their deployment when needed, and attempt to break up the lines of enemy ships, had been decided upon. The four machina began making their way toward that section of the battle without any delay. Though, this was ot to say that this was the only Garsalan force, as where they formerly faced, another flet began to descend upon the defensive lines, trying to shatter them. In a short time, the flashes of exploding reactors began to line the sky, as the two forces exchanged fire. The Human Vanguard armors and enemy Orbital decimators flashed across the battlespace, yet, it seemed that the battle wasn’t nearly as easy as it’d been before. The units which the Garsalan used Differed. Bulkier armor, larger “Wings” Which extended from the back of the units, Try as they might to weave around the energy beams which lashed across the sky, they were not able to do so, not nearly as easily as they had before.

This much was not exactly a coincidence. In their apparent arrogance, the Garsalan Sol Garrison made use of a model which was mostly used for occupation of primitive worlds, a group they believed earth part of. The S’fans were indeed outdated, by over a century, at that. The S’Fan Mk.2, However, was an entirely different beast, by no means modern, more so than what they’d battled against before. The UFE’s other forces did not intend to let this battle go by while standing on the sidelines, however. The naval ships bellowed as their guns shot projectiles outward. Guided missiles roared as they exited their pods, the crew targeting as best they could under the interference of Covalons, as well as their naval guns.

The same could be said for the gigantic anti-air batteries that lay on the ground. Yet, the battle seemed to be going nowhere fast. The machina pilots looked around the battlefields, and it seemed they all had the same thought. They broke up their formation without a word, to help individual forces. The Gaojinizer itself began to reach the city itself as it flew overhead. The buildings below him had clearly taken the shape of the ancient buildings that occupied the former capital, rome. Though, to no surprise, they were constructed with different Materials. But this much was not of note to him, rather, the S’fan’s who had strayed too close to the city for his liking. With his scythe held back, he rushed forward, slicing through the enemy’s armors, and causing their machines to explode in a brilliant flash of light… Though he noticed another group approaching, he did not have much time to think about such a thing… It wasn’t his sensors that went off, rather, some sort of feeling in the back of his mind, an instinct. A quick adjustment brought the Gaojinizer out of the way of a fired beam. Takeshi turned his machine around, as he looked up to find the source… It was as he discovered it, that his eyebrows furrowed.

“You…” That same roach had come to battle him once more.

Elsewhere, the other Machina had their own issues. As the vanguard armors continued their attempts to Elude the Garsalan attacks, and return fire, they found that their strikes had no purchase. Within a short time, their machines began to explode, reactors letting out brilliant flashes as they were destroyed in the rapid streams of particles. This didn’t seem to be good, not by any measure of the word. The Machina team moved in to a the least, relieve them, Andrew’s Kaizenbuster dismantled three of the opposing machines as he flew forward, but the rest moved much quicker than the others, as, in the distance, the Mk.II’s with cannons over their shoulder took aim, their goal was simple, to destroy the machine before it could do any more damage, but before their warheads could be fired, and issue made itself apparent, interference from the others. The Danzaman’s stingers flew forth, and began to fire toward them, forcing them to break up their formation. The ships around them took fire at the Machina, an attempt at supporting their troops. And it seemed as if there was some success in this, as the concentrated fire from multiple ships at once, at the least, made the Kaizen Buster Stagger. At the least, until the Sanvolner appeared in front of its ally, three of its shields activated, dispersing the beam over them.

“If we keep this up, we may just be able to stop them!” Han yelled from the Danzaman’s cockpit. His stingers began to fly once more, running beams across the surface of enemy ships, cutting through them like butter, until the reactors were pierced, and subsequently, exploded. Even so, more ships seemed to come as even one was destroyed, this would become a battle of attrition, it seemed. The same could be said for Takeshi, who had once more been locked into battle with the Garsalan ace. The Gaojinizer weaved around the attempted missile strikes sent his way, firing back with streams of energy from the comet pulse cannon. THat his opponent avoided as well. This same opponent watched as the Human’s machine moved across his display, an annoyed tone of voice coming from his mouthparts.

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“"Thair ula ereail... I'rr laan e weirr du nallaed hain luw... Ill ai llaisa uid runa nairrairar luw eln fisfuirllrairr nairr, Id wairr fa e rainfra derc du rdsaica hain llsun fahailn, e failsas eddesc..." - "This one again... I'll need a way to defeat him now... If I fire out some missiles now and purposefully miss, It will be a simple task to strike him from behind, a pincer attack..."

He began to do just that, acting upon his plans, the pods to his missile launchers opened up once more, and out flew a volley, Which, to no surprise, his opponent dodged, just as he’d expected. But that was just fine. Takeshi himself began closing in upon the machine, his goal was simple, to finally destroy it, and end it here, this constant thorn in his side. The gaojinizer’s scythe was drawn as he flew forth, but he found himself having to contend with the enemy machine’s graspers, which began to snake through the sky on their wires, one attempted to grasp onto the machine like a voice, but was rebuffed with a strike from the scythe, the second, faced the same fate. But they Oriented themselves at this moment, firing streams of particles toward the Gaojinizer, something which made him draw back. Before, he quickly flew back in. Once more, it seemed as if the two were making no progress once more, their machines weaving through the sky, clanging metal and the sound of firing beams echoed through the sky, as they jetted through it, trying to get an angle more favorable to them. Yet, in the same way, did their respective opponent do the very same thing, not letting this take place…

But there loomed a threat which Takeshi did not know about, not at this point. That which approached him from behind. As the missiles changed their trajectory and began to draw closer and closer, Takeshi’s eyes seemed to widen, as he felt… That same feeling once more, but a moment too late. The missiles exploded against the Gaojinizer’s back, Shaking his cockpit, and damaging the armor.

“Dammit!” He cursed. He was not out of the battle by any means, the Gaojinzier was a durable machine, but the quick approach of his opponent, who apparently, was ready to crush his machine within the vise of his claws, did not go unnoticed. He needed to do something, quickly, at that… His scythe lashed out quickly, as he rebuffed one claw… But the next, he took note of something, a faint glint that he hadn’t spotted beforehand? Something which… Led back to the machine….

“Those things… There are wires guiding them?! I thought they were something like the Danzaman?!” Either way, he had an out, as the machine’s claws returned to him once more, hee did not stirk them directly, no, rather, he weaved around the one from the left, and right, and striked, slicing through the wire which connected it, and causing it to begin falling to the ground below. Surprise, or as much as could be shown with his arthropod features, appeared on G’thera’s face.

“Whed?! Huw nain ha llailn dhan? Wa alrailaasan dhura du fa hesn du raa llus e saerul!” - “What?! How did he find them? We engineered those to be hard to see for a reason!”

Regardless of how, the issue still remained, he had. But before he was able to do much more, he found the form of the Gaojinizer getting ever larger in his display. The same could be said for the enemy responsible, who began to let out a war cry as he launched himself toward the enemy’s cockpit.

“It’s over!”

Blade raised above the machine’s head, grabbed by both manipulators, Takeshi swung the scythe downwards, bringing it down upon the machine… While, as for the pilot himself, he took immediate action to preserve his life. The Cyd’Rozen’s cockpit, or where it formerly was, had been cleaved in half, and as Takeshi flew forward, running his blade across it, the machine as a whole was bisected in its entirety… As he passed it, stopping there, his Scythe put away, it combusted, marking the end for the machine. This much was watched not only by surrounding troops, who had begun to make their way into the city as well, but by the occupant of a small sphere-like craft. His Mandibles chittered lowly, as he slammed his fist against his display.

“"Mesc nirr wusnr, Tassel... Thair air lud dha aln.I wairr sardusa nirr srel'r hulus, neca lu nairdeca...

" - "Mark my words, Terran... This is not the end.I will restore my clan's honor, make no mistake..." For now, he would have to lick his wounds, and return to the ship…

Underneath the wave’s of the mediterranean, and going toward the aptly named Bay of Pompate, an underwater vehicle likely unfamiliar to that which earth would make use of soared through the waters. It was not small by any means, boasting an internal hangar with what looked to be transports, and amphibious armored vehicles. The apparent leader of this force, marked by a red cloth on his shoulder, spoke.

“"Ois usnasr esa rainfra. Eldas dha Tassel Bera, eln llailn whedayas dhairr'sa hainailr…” - "Our orders are simple. Enter the Terran Base, and find whatever they're hiding..." A salute came from the soldiers, as they folded their arms across their chests, and began to prepare for their battle, attaching further armor to their exoskeletons, as well as oxygen packs. grabbing the gauss rifles they commonly used, as well as what seemed to be hilts of swords, some went into the armored vehicles, others filed into transports. But the result was the same either way, they all ended up going unto the tubes which led to the ships exits, opening and closing with each vehicle, so as to not flood the hangar…

The base which they were attempting to get into had no VA’s, but a wealth of tanks, soldiers, and defensive artillery did. Tubes upon the submersible opened up, as the officers of the bridge sent missiles flying outward, which, before they knew what was going on, had begun to explode upon contact with the base, destroying tanks, barracks, any other defensive fixtures, and the Garsalan Vehicles began to roll onto the port, their tracks allowing them to climb up the concrete and metal. Before long, the guns on their surface began to fire off rounds, destroying that which they targeted, while the transports rolled up onto the base after they did, the Garsalan troops beginning to run through.

Before long, the alarms had finally sounded, and the garrisoned troops rushed as quickly as they could to get into battle, and a firefight against the Garsalan soldiers had begun… However, slowly, a small squad of Garsalan found an unguarded entrance, outside of the steel door which kept them from entering, but there was a solution to that… After all,the weapons on their hips were more than that. As the soldier grabbed hold, A jet of plasma erupted from the hilt, and he slowly began to drag it across the surface of the door, until a sizable piece fell off, allowing them to make their way through. With little hesitation, they made their way inside. Descending down the stairs in front of them, until they’d reached a deep, dark hallway, which even most of the occupants of the base had no access too. What they came across, was what made the squad stop in their tracks…

"Thair... Id'r duu enyelsan du fa dhaaisr!" - " This... It's too advanced to be theirs!"

Whatever the case was, whatever they’d found, When the Nasith submersible left, they’d absconded with more cargo than they’d brought initially…