Editing KSGU:Volume 7 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 16===

Marida’s tender body was dancing in the sky, mixed in amongst the burnt shrapnel. Her long hair was scattered like the wind, and right before she landed on the deck, Zinnerman charged forward to catch her. 

They fell from the front armor and tumbled onto the thigh. Banagher tried his best not to let them fall as he pushed the “Banshee” aside and raised the Beam Gatling Gun in its left hand to support it. He gathered his concentration on the killing intents gathered behind him as he looked at the rear hatch. The second “Anksha” had already landed on the overheated hatch, and the beam launchers on its forearms were aimed right at him.

“These guys…!”

The 4-barreled gun of the Beam Gatling started to spin, and the mega-particles shots landed directly on the “Anksha” body. The “Anksha” right arm was blown away with the launcher, followed by the left knee. It staggered backwards as its body was giving off black smoke from its bullet holes, and was thrown out of the hatch as it got sucked into the raging clouds outside. Banagher exhaled and opened the hatch in front of the cockpit.

Two figures were lying on the knee armor. “Captain!” Banagher leaned out from the cockpit as he called out, and the latter, who sheltered Marida with his own body, showed a response. Before he felt relieved, Banagher hurriedly got back to the linear seat, and he used the control sticks to move the right hand to where the duo was. Zinnerman hobbled up as he carried Marida, and right before he left the limp and unmoving body lie on the palm, a new explosion rang through the deck. 

Banagher waited for Zinnerman to get up, and brought his right hand up to send both of them into the cockpit. He left the cockpit for a moment to bring the wounded in, but the way Marida looked in Zinnerman’s clutches caused him to gasp.

Her face was completely covered in blood and ash, and there was no sign of her usual beauty. Her pilot suit was tattered by the numerous particles, and the wound on her left flank was open, but it did not seem to be bleeding. The skin probably got burnt by the extreme heat of the particles and clogged the wound. Banagher did not have the guts to imagine the inside of the broken suit, and as he inadvertently retreated. “Don’t dily-daly here!” Zinnerman growled, his voice causing Banagher’s shoulders to shudder. Zinnerman’s bloodshot eyes were glaring at him furiously.

“We finally managed to save her. I won’t forgive you if your blunder ends up killing her.”

His charred black face had the trail of water on it. Banagher felt embarrassed by his moment of hesitation as he reached his hand out to Marida without saying a word. Both of them brought her into the cockpit, and Banagher let Zinnerman, who was using himself to support her as a pillow, sit beside the linear seat. Banagher then closed the hatch, pulled the “Unicorn Gundam” up, and moved towards the rear hatch as it stepped over the collapsed “Banshee”. “Please be careful not to get caught in the linear seat.” Zinnerman however did not respond to Banagher’s concern as he cradled Marida like a baby, and his bearded face, removed from the helmet, continued to look forward silent.

The “Garuda” had fallen into the clouds completely. There was a complete white outside the cockpit, to a point where fingers could not be seen when they were reached out. Despite the visibility that could not be any worse, it was a blessing in the aspect that the enemy units would have difficulty tracking them. “Besson, we got Marida. We’re now escaping on the “Gundam”. Can you catch us?” Zinnerman called out to the communicator, and upon seeing this, Banagher let the machine approach the hatch that had collapsed somewhat. He moved the remaining Beam Gatling Gun to its right hand and tried to look for the “DO-DAI Kai”. At this moment, he noticed someone stumbling near the machine’s feet.

It was Alberto. He, who was dressed in the tattered suit, looked up at the “Unicorn Gundam” in a half-dazed manner. ''He didn’t get onto the shuttle just now?'' Banagher looked stunned as he saw that charred pudgy face on the enlarged window. A moment right after he grabbed onto the sticks, he again opened the cockpit hatch.

This action caused the cockpit, which was regaining normal air pressure within, to let out air. “Oi, what’s that for!?” Zinnerman growled. ''How would I know?'' Banagher hollered back in his heart as he let the “Unicorn Gundam” kneel down and brought the left hand of the machine to Alberto. Banagher could see the doubtful and deterred manner of Alberto’s actions, “GET ON!” and yelled with all his strength. 

“YOU’LL DIE IF YOU STAY HERE! HURRY UP AND GET ON!”

Alberto lifted his head in a dumbstruck manner, and after blinking a few times, looked back at Banagher. “Ignore that man!” Zinnerman growled, but Banagher turned his back on the other man as he continued to stare at Alberto. Explosions could be heard from within the deck, and the collared shirt immediately fluttered with the wind as it flipped over. The burnt fragments grazed by the outside of the cockpit, and the black smoke covered Alberto for just a short moment, only for him to suddenly give a twisted stare back.

“…What kind of joke is this.”

For some reason, Banagher could hear that voice clearly, and felt a chill. Alberto pulled out the handgun in his pants as he yelled back.

“WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO SAVE ME!?”

The bullet was fired without hesitation, and a spark flashed by the hatch of the cockpit. It was a sharp sound of metal, but the intense emotions targeted at Banagher felt like it could penetrate through his body and mind, and he leaned back onto the linear seat.

“Why are you…!”

“YOU’RE THE CULPRIT BEHIND EVERYTHING! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! FATHER, THE “BOX”, MARIDA, EVERYTHING WAS…!”

The choking voice entered his ears, and the crisp gunshot sound echoed around the cockpit continuously. A bullet went through the hatch, grazed by the helmet and hit the headrest, and Banagher looked back at Alberto in a horrified manner. “Banagher!” Zinnerman growled as he grabbed the pilot by the arm, and Banagher’s hands were forced to pick up the sticks again. The sparks of the bullets being hit rang through the flank of the cockpit as it pursued the “Unicorn Gundam” that was getting up.

“YOU MONSTER! WHO’S GOING TO BE SAVED BY YOU! SOMEONE LIKE YOU, SOMEONE LIKE YOU CAN JUST…!”

Alberto’s face, which was covered with sweat and tears, vanished from the other side of the hatch. Banagher turned his back on the stare as he held his back and moved the machine. Humans could hate each other like this, even if they originated from the same life…no, it was precisely because of this reason. He had this chilling first-hand experience as he turned his stare to the clouds outside, and ceased all thoughts as he focused on flying the “Unicorn Gundam”.

The machine was spat out from the rear hatch together with the rising smoke, and became a prisoner of gravity. As he watched the “Garuda” disappear from his eyes and into the clouds, Banagher started to look for the “DO-DAI Kai” on the motion sensor. The tilted “Garuda” continued to fire escape pods as numerous signals flashed on the sensor. The front hatch let out what seemed to be a SFS, probably with escaping crewmen inside. He saw the escape pods open their parachutes as they fell into the sea, and picked up on another machine that was rising quickly in the reverse direction. He then used its thrusters and AMBAC system to adjust himself and let the fall trajectory match with the machine. A few seconds later, the flat “DO-DAI Kai” frame appeared from between the clouds as it caught the “Unicorn Gundam” which lit its thrusters for an instant.

Banagher lowered the “Unicorn Gundam” as it landed on the platform, and let the manipulators grab onto the grips. Beams went right above the machine as the “DO-DAI Kai” turned to move upwards, and he was shocked by this unanticipated attack. He hurriedly tried to transfer the control of the “DO-DAI Kai” over, “Leave the enemy alone. Go right at the “Garencieres”!” But Zinnerman roared back. Banagher shook off the thought of Alberto in his mind, caught sight of an “Anksha” squadron closing in quickly from the rear camera, and fired the Beam Gatling to hold them off.

The disc-shaped machines immediately scattered and disappeared in the clouds. The “DO-DAI Kai” used this chance to rise up, broke through the mist, and arrived above the clouds. At the same moment, the sea of clouds below the eyes let out ripples, and a large shadow rose up from below it as the triangular ship appeared in his eyes. The “Garencieres” forced the clouds back like a submarine as it glided through the currents, showing its body. “Very good. Perfect timing.” Upon hearing Zinnerman mutter, Banagher looked down at the “Garencieres” that was moving together, and once their relative velocities matched, he stepped on the pedal.

The “Unicorn Gundam” jumped off the platform of the “DO-DAI Kai”, and after it was blown away for several meters, it leaned down on the deck of the “Garencieres”.  He mounted the Beam Gatling gun back upon the arm, and grabbed onto the grip on the deck with one hand as he reached the other hand for the “DO-DAI Kai” above. There was no way they could get Besson on board without dragging the “DO-DAI Kai” towards the ship and tied its lift wire onto the “Garencieres”. ''The speed was 0.6 Mach, and the “Unicorn Gundam” can barely use pull the DO-DAI Kai with its hands, but will the pursuers catch up?'' Right when Banagher thought about this, mega-particle beams flashed by the blue skies, and the “DO-DAI Kai” was knocked off course by the shockwaves as it deviated off course.

The beam launchers on the side of the round discs fired as two “Ankshas” rose from below the clouds. “Hang on! Steady the machine!” Banagher exclaimed as he reached out towards the “DO-DAI Kai”. However, there was a holler from the wireless communicator full of noise, “Leave me!” and his hand on the sticks immediately tensed up.

(Protect the Captain and Marida! I’ll—)

There was a shrill noise, and a flash appeared above the head. The fireball was instantly blown to the back, and an explosion, followed by the fragments of the shattered “DO-DAI Kai” appeared on the rear camera visual. “Mr Besson…!”Banagher called out, but there was no reply, and the fireball instantly faded away. The two “Ankshas” passed through the black smoke and pursued on as they continued to fire beams.

Banagher gritted his teeth as he fired the remaining shots of the Beam Gatling at the enemy units, intending to shake them off. He was about to let the machine stand up, “Flaste, maximum battle speed.”, but Zinnerman muttered, cooling Banagher’s head down.

“There’s no time to let the “Gundam” enter the ship. Full speed ahead. Let’s shake off the pursuers and head towards space.”

Zinnerman exerted more strength into his arms that were cradling Marida, and restrained the anger on his face as he looked forward. He got something back, and lost something, and at this point, his heart was feeling the weight of these two sensations. Banagher secretly glanced behind to look at him, and then looked at Marida, who was resting peacefully in Zinnerman’s arms. At this moment, a large light exploded from behind, causing Banagher to look up in surprise.

There was a certain light that brightened the clouds below, and after a lightning-like flash, a deep boom echoed through the blue sky. The “Garuda” was most likely destroyed. Banagher let the machine like on the “Garencieres” deck, and even as he could not witness the explosion below the clouds, he continued to look at the light on the rear camera. The flickering black and red glow appeared in one corner of the clouds, and showed the end of this large machine. The “Garencieres” started to accelerate, and that light immediately faded from below his eyes as it entered the blind spot of the ship, and disappeared.

''Big brother.'' Banagher thought of this term that felt surreal as he closed the window. He recalled the face of his blood relative that would leave a scar in his heart forever, and took the incoming G-force with his body while looking at the blue sky expanded in front of him. The “Garencieres” seemed to be basking under the bright sunlight without doing anything as its three engines were at full throttle, rising through the skies. The blue seas that were clearer than the skies appeared, silently sending off a ship that was leaving Earth.