"Lieutenant Romav, your presence is greatly appreciated. Pleasantries aside, land in Hanger 2 and report to the mobile suit pilot assembly station and we'll get you debriefed. You'll need to be on alert and ready to scramble though Lieutenant, our actions are unsanctioned by Axis and we may face their disapproval." Captain Jaryk shook his head as he let the comm go dead, the idea that Axis might step in to intervene sickened him. That was the reality though, and he issued orders to keep track of all incoming and passing patrols, there was a very real possibility of this whole operation went up in flames before they ever even got to engage with the Federation and their attack dog Titans.<br/><br/>"Sir, another mobile suit, this one's a Gelgoog," The radar specialist observed, reporting to the Captain. "It's a blue Gelgoog R sir, comm codes show it belongs to the 37th Naval Assault squad, haven't seen those codes in years sir." Jaryk shot the man a look that could have given Death Itself a moment's hesitation, speaking to clarify the reprimanding look due to the specialist's too casual remark. "You wouldn't have seen those comm codes in years Specialist Anderson because every member of that Assault Squad died at A Baoa Qu. They were nothing more than kids and they fought and died as patriots, fighting for their ideals, to their last man. One young man escaped that maelstrom..." He sighed, he looked out to the stars, the view screen showed a blue Gelgoog R, the marks were clear enough that he knew the pilot. He wasn't sure he wanted to accept him into his operation, the boy had a way about him, something that Jaryk could<span style="font-style: italic">sense</span>, like the pressure and darkening clouds before a rain storm. He knew Tyrius was arrogant to a fault, but a skilled pilot, well, he had the potential to be a good pilot. It was that balance that made him nervous about Ensign Garrou, the man could be a great help, or he could plunge into the depths of self aggrandizing and glory hounding.<br/><br/>"Sir, Gelgoog R is hailing, how shall we respond?" Captain Jaryk gave no immediate response and instead allowed for the transmission from the pilot come forth. Where he had been inviting and elated to welcome Lieutenant Romav, he was reticent to even speak with Ensign Garrou. He questioned why he had even sent him a transmission in the first place, but perhaps on some level he wanted to see if Garrou could be harnessed into a true soldier of Zeon ideals. That would be a tough task.<br/>***************************************************<br/><br/>Tyrius' Gelgoog R careened through the short span of space between the 'North' and South' sides of Axis, unnecessarily fast, he burned up his propellant in a wasteful manner, there was a youthful exuberance that was unbecoming a man who had been a pilot as long as he had been. Granted the nature of his inaugeral missions were marred in chaos and mass death, but still that was no excuse, now 5 years removed from A Bao a Qu.<br/><br/>"Abyssal Fury, This is Ensign Garrou, requesting permission to dock." He was already positioning his Gelgoog R in line with the hanger bay, though no response was forthcoming.<br/>***********************<br/><br/>Captain Jaryk personally made his way down to the assembly station by the mobile suit hangers. He missed that smell, the oil and the sparks of maintenance of the machines, the sweat and pride put into caring for the mobile suits. There was a level on intensity that rippled through the air like electricity at all times on the mobile suit deck and it made Jaryk look over his prosthetic leg and his atrophied left arm with disdain. But a level of warmth crept back into his face as he saw the man walking towards him, his steel blue normal suit adorned with gold accents, much like the machine he piloted. Jaryk looked up to admire the mobile suit that had just docked, a Kaempfer, highly specialized for medium and close range combat and hit and run warfare. An incredibly powerful machine in the right hands, and Viktor Romav certainly was capable of maximizing the machine's potential.<br/><br/>"Lieutenant Romav, I am quite glad to see that you've elected to join us." Ever the consummate professional, Lieutenant Romav snapped off a crisp salute and response "Thank you sir. It is good to know there are still men who are proud supporters of Zeon, sir." Jaryke signaled with his hand that Romav could ease up, at least a little.<br/><br/>"Captain Jaryk, The Gelgoog R's pilot Tyrius Garrou has requested to come aboard, what are your orders?" Having monitored the approach of Garrou via in screen monitors in the assembly station, Jaryk was fully aware of the foolishness and ego that the man displayed on his approach. Unnecessary maneuvers, wasteful use of propellant, Jaryk could keep a running list in his head, but it stung at him that he too was once an impatient young man, with an audacity that few could rival. "Lieutenant Romav, Tyrius Garrou has requested to join us, but I have my doubts that a man as undisciplined as him provides more potential to help than harm our cause. We will have no reinforcements from Axis, and I need men and women who are professionals." He wanted to know Romav's opinion of the man, pilots, whether they liked to admit it or not held opinions about every other pilot, and moreso, he wanted to know if the Lieutenant would want to work with a man who could become a distraction. "If push comes to shove, can you handle Garrou?"<br/><br/>Romav was a professional soldier, there was no man he couldn't get to tow in line. He knew of Garrou, but only in name and in his fleeting involvement at A Baoa Qu, he'd heard and seen little of him since arriving at Axis though. "He'll follow my orders or he'll deal with the consequences Captain. He is a survivor, if his heart burns with a fire for Zeon, I will mould him from coal into a diamond." Jaryk nodded approvingly, he had always liked Romav, there was a toughness to the man and it served him well. Viktor Romav was the true embodiment of Zeon's Ideals in Jaryk's eyes.<span style="font-style: italic">If there's a man who can do it, it'll be you Viktor</span>Jaryk thought to himself, remembering the state of that Gelgoog R when it docked aboard the Abyssal Fury that day at A Baoa Qu, the kid had been lucky that the cockpit hadn't been shot through, the unit bore impact marks all over and he remembered most of all the panicked, frightened, but violent kid he pulled from that nearly wrecked machine.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Get the hell off me! Those bastards killed my friends! I'll kill them all!</span>the image of that boy fresh from the cadets in a Zeon uniform flashed through Jaryk's mind. The image was as clear as if it had happened just then, the rage, the burning hate that burned in that boy's eyes. Beyond anything he'd ever<span style="font-style: italic">felt</span>from another person, it had scared him to an extent, how dark, and how bloodthirsty Tyrius Garrou had been in that moment. And yet..."Ensign Tyrius Garrou, you are cleared to land in hangar bay 2."<br/><br/>Suddenly another, more alarming "SIR!" The Bridge shouted its report over the comm. "Incoming HiZacks!! They're moving off the Northern side of Axis! I'm getting 16 signals sir, no mistaking them, they'll be here in 3 minutes!"<br/><br/>"Belay that order Ensign, we've got incoming, HiZacks from Axis, DO NOT engage until ordered! I will not spill Zeon blood where it can be avoided! All mobile suits scramble!" Jaryk's orders came over the open ship frequency.<br/><br/>Another message then blurted over their comms "This is Lieutenant Shale, Captain Jaryk you and your crew are ordered to stand down immediately and turn yourselves over to the authority of Axis."<br/><br/>Romav was already racing to his mobile suit as Jaryk turned and raced to the bridge. "Damn it all" he cursed to himself as he made his way to the bridge.<br/>*******************<br/>The Captain's voice came over the comm giving him permission to board, and just as quickly retracting it. Ordering him to assist in the defense of the Abyssal Fury against Axis' high performance HiZack suits. As he quickly positioned the Gelgoog R alongside the Abyssal Fury, the Gwazine launched what few mobile suits it had, 4 Rick Dom IIs streaked past Tyrius and formed a line ahead of the Abyssal Fury, ready to face the incoming HiZacks.<br/>****************************************************<br/><br/>Romav: Get to your Kaempfer and lead your squad containing 4 Rick Dom IIs and Tyrius Garrou. You are the commanding officer now, however you may have your hands full with Garrou, reel him in or he could get your whole team killed. Also, what are your orders? Do you enact an alpha strike? Do you wait to see if you can reason with Lieutenant Shale? Do you wait for the Captain to decide your course of action for you?<br/><br/>Garrou: Do you wait for orders or simply launch and attack the incoming Axis HiZacks? How do you react to following orders from Lieutenant Romav who you've never fought alongside before in your limited military experience.<br/>****************************<br/><br/>HiZacks approaching<br/>1x Lieutenant Shale HiZack<br/>15x HiZack<br/>-----------------------<br/>Abyssal Fury -Gwazine Class battleship<br/>1x Kaempfer - Romav<br/>1x Gelgoog R - Garrou<br/>4x Rick Dom II