“One more day and the Buster will be back in action with more oomph than ever.” Dearka smiled widely as he read over the latest report from the mechanic team responsible for the upgrading. Besides a few much needed internal upgrading to the power generator and response circuits, the Buster’s outward appearance wasn’t drastically changed. The only noticeable things were the two small shield-like shoulder attachments Dearka was able to modify based on the in-development Zaku Warrior mobile suit. The shields had been scaled down slightly and remade so that they could retract or extend the longest parts of the shields when need be in combat so they wouldn’t hamper the Buster’s arm movements. On the shoulders were a set of added chain-Vulcan cannons above the shoulder missile launchers, and on each leg was an added micro-missile launcher that could fire up to thirty of them if the entire payload was fired at once. Last but not least among the upgrades was the addition of beam sabers held onto holsters on the lower leg just below the knee of the Buster.
Dearka was quite pleased with how smoothly the upgrading process had been. Sure, the Buster was still no match for a mobile suit like the Justice and Freedom, but now it could certainly keep up with the latest MS-technology if just for a little longer.
The Duel rested in a maintenance dock next to the Buster due to most of its upgrades being purely performance types while the main “cosmetic upgrades” were being done to the Assault Shroud armor. Yzak currently was sitting up in the cockpit going over the process with the tech-crews working diligently on his mobile suit. Since the white-haired youth took longer to decide on what to upgrade with the Duel it would be finished a day later.
A little farther down, the Freedom and Justice were both being fine-tuned. Minor upgrades to their OS software were being added while a new METEOR unit Armor 01 someone was able to scrape together was being brought in so both units and the Eternal could use both support units. Over in the next maintenance dock the Blue Frame and Elijah’s GINN custom were being worked on as well.
“I can assume that smile on yours means the upgrade process is going well Dearka?” The tan-skinned Coordinator turned his head to see Murrue and Gai walking towards him.
“You bet Captain, by this time tomorrow the Buster will be fully ready to go again. Although with the small time frame we can’t overhaul the suit enough for the type of upgrading I’d want but it should keep the Buster from being overwhelmed by all the new mobile suits coming out for just awhile.
Gai looked over across the expanse of the MS-docks, “Certainly a good assortment of powerful mobile suits,” He mused. “I never did go over the Kusanagi’s MS-roster since it isn’t here. What sort of mobile suits are they carrying?”
Murrue pulled out a note from her shirt pocket. “According to Kisaka’s last transmission the Kusanagi will be able to return to us with their full M1 roster of twelve M1s. Also, they carry with them the Strike Rouge and the Astray Gold Frame.”
Gai blinked his eyes twice in surprise. “How in the hell did they get a hold of Gold Frame? I thought the Sahaku family still had it.”
“A Junk Guild team I believe you’re familiar with acquired it as a sort of gift from what I was told and brought it to us when Erica Simmons made a request to buy the suit from them,” Murrue answered.
Dearka couldn’t help but grin. “And the sap who’s piloting it is the same twerp who stole your Blue Frame during the first Obsidian Abyss battle.”
Gai’s mouth curled in a very amused smirk. “Oh really now? Hmm, maybe I can see if the kid's skills weren’t just a fluke back then for myself.”
”At least you can’t possibly do as bad as Yzak did in their last sparring match.” Dearka chuckled.
”I HEARD THAT DEARKA!” Yzak shouted from the Duel’s cockpit.
*********
“Tammy is being transferred to our unit?!”
Hugo nodded to Akira as he showed him the small clipboard with their new orders he had just received. “It looks like she got lucky and just got a reassignment instead of a demotion, or a punishment for failing the two Orb raids.”
Akira let out a small sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
“And you can look at it this way, you two can now screw like rabbits more often now,” Leo teased and jumped away as Akira shot out his foot in a high kick.
”Leo, you’re my friend but don’t overstep your bounds.”
”Yeah, yeah, yeah you are just too easy.” He chuckled.
Hugo coughed to get his teammates' attentions. “We’ve also been ordered to head for Steamhein’s factory to pick up some “presents” he made for our suits and to pick up some new suit for Tammy since her DoMZ got trashed.”
Akira cocked his head in puzzlement. “I wonder what Steamhein’s cooked up this time.”
”Knowing him it’ll be good,” Leo said with a grin that alone told of his confidence in the scientists work.
***********
Looking out the window of her seat, Tammy let out a large sigh as she watched the Carpentaria Base start to vanish, the shuttle becoming skybound as it lifted off the tarmac from the base's runway. On one hand she was glad to hear she’d gotten off from receiving any serious punishment, but it was still a sting to her pride as the transfer was more or less a demotion without actually using a level in rank. However the considerably light punishment didn’t lessen the loss and humiliation she left; the loss of her friends and comrades and the humiliation of losing so badly twice. Was she even really cut out for this kind of work?
“At least I’ll get to see Akira and the others. Maybe then I can get my head cleared. If not, at least I’ll have a shoulder to cry on,” she mused as the shuttles boosters ignited to propel them into space. Almost as an afterthought she tapped a finger against her chin daintily in pondering. ”Too bad Zeke had to stay behind. I wonder what sort of special assignment the brass gave him that had to keep him on Earth? As far as I know we’re mostly pulling out since our location at Carpentaria is compromised and ZAFT is sending forces to reclaim it. What sort of loose end could be so important we leave a strike team behind?”
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(Posted Mon, 16 Jan 2006 16:28)
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