Inside the cockpit of the White Gundam, tension peaked. Outside, the remaining Pioneer Mobile Suits fell silent, stunned by the precise attack that had incapacitated one of their units.
Zaki Kimeza was in the main pilot seat, his hands clutching the control sticks. Beside him, Maki Kimeza was in the weapon operator seat, monitoring the target lock screen. They both quickly put on mini communication devices in their ears, connected to a secret encrypted channel.
"White Bird, report status!" The voice of Airi Kimeza, their mother, sounded from their hidden location.
"Status good, Mom! Pioneer One is completely disabled," Maki replied.
"Good. Listen carefully. There are three teams of Mobile Suits attacking. Each team consists of three Pioneers. You've only disabled one unit in the first team. That's a total of nine," Airi explained. "You must be careful. That city is a Colony asset. We cannot be the reason they destroy the infrastructure and sacrifice innocent Earth inhabitants. Therefore, you are strictly forbidden from using the Beam Rifle and other high-particle weapons except in dire circumstances!"
Airi continued with a more serious tone, "And most importantly: DO NOT KILL THEIR PILOTS! The Pioneer's cockpit is located in the chest, not the head. Focus on the joint connections and weapons. Cripple them, don't kill them. Remember, we fight for hope, not slaughter."
Zaki furrowed his brow, processing the new command. "Only Vulcan and Beam Saber for close range and disabling... Understood, Mom."
"Understood!" Maki enthusiastically chimed in.
Zaki pushed the power pedal, activating the hidden particle engine. The giant Mobile Suit began to float in the air, a maneuver impossible for the old-model Pioneers. Zaki then engaged his thrusters, shooting upwards, leaving a thick plume of smoke in front of the school gate.
On the deserted street, Aurora Anveil watched the scene with wide eyes. She was frozen as she saw the white Mobile Suit hover and shoot away. An instinct she didn't understand pushed her to act. She jumped onto an old electric scooter, started it, and sped out of the school area, chasing the White Gundam towards the city center.
In the sky above Neo-Veridia, the eight remaining Pioneer Mobile Suits finally began their attack. Three Pioneers from the nearest team immediately aimed their machine guns.
Zaki, aided by real-time coordination from AIRIS, quickly maneuvered the White Gundam. The Mobile Suit made sharp turns, executing agile maneuvers that caused the Pioneer bullets to only hit empty air.
"Maki, Beam Saber! Close combat attack," Zaki commanded, his voice starting to sound more like a commander.
"Activating Beam Saber!" Maki pressed the weapon button.
Zaki moved the White Gundam's hand, and from the Mobile Suit's arm guard, two blades of light-green Beam Saber emerged. Zaki pushed his thrusters, dashing towards the first Pioneer Team. The Pioneer whose arm was already crippled tried to fight back, but it was in vain.
Zaki swung his small Beam Saber at the Pioneer's wrist. SLICE! The Beam Saber severed the joint, causing the Pioneer's hand to drop.
The Pioneer began to topple. Before it hit the ground, Zaki activated the White Gundam's Head Vulcan Cannon.
TRRAKK! TRRAKK!
Vulcan rounds rained down on the top of the Mobile Suit's head, destroying the sensor system. The Vulcan was deliberately not aimed at the chest—where the cockpit was located—so the pilot inside would only be knocked unconscious or injured, but survive. The mission to disable without killing was fulfilled.
Suddenly, one of the Pioneers from the second team quickly approached, a Heat Axe in its hand. The Pioneer tried to swing its axe in a vertical attack.
Zaki reacted instinctively, raising his left Beam Saber, parrying the heat axe.
CLANG!
The collision of the Beam Saber and the Heat Axe created a massive spark. Zaki felt a hard vibration all the way to his control stick.
"Maki, focus on the enemy's right hand!" Zaki exclaimed.
"Got it!"
Maki immediately locked the target onto the wrist of the Pioneer holding the axe. As soon as Zaki pushed his Beam Saber, Maki pressed the Vulcan fire button. The Vulcan rounds hit the Pioneer's wrist joint. Zaki took the opportunity, swung his Beam Saber again, and cut off the Pioneer's hand right at the wrist. The Pioneer's Heat Axe fell to the ground, leaving the Pioneer disarmed.
The White Gundam spun quickly, moving away from the two now-unarmed Pioneers. Zaki and Maki breathed a sigh of relief; their dual identity worked perfectly: Zaki as the mover, and Maki as the eyes and weapon operator.
The White Gundam landed briefly on the roof of an abandoned building. Zaki looked around, and there, on the dirty street below, he saw her.
Aurora Anveil had stopped with her scooter. Her indigo hair was blowing in the wind. The girl was staring directly at their Mobile Suit.
Zaki felt something strange. Not danger, but oddness. He had to know why the girl was there.
"Maki, don't move," Zaki commanded.
Zaki moved the White Gundam. The giant Mobile Suit bowed its head, and its glowing monochromatic lens—which was the main cockpit camera unit—slowly moved.
Inside the cockpit, on Zaki's main screen, Aurora Anveil's face filled the entire frame. The girl looked pale, but her pink flower-like eyes stared back at the white Gundam with a mix of curiosity and profound terror.
Zaki only stared, letting the camera observe Aurora Anveil, before he moved the White Gundam again to continue the battle.
To be continued....