[center][color=FFFFFF]???[/color][/center]
[center][color=ed1c24]Annona Colony — Planetside Approach — 4th Defense Line[/color][/center]
[hr]
The brave men and women of the Zern Empire's mobile suit forces stood proudly in their Tommies. Shields raised in front, machine guns braced and rockets armed, they prepared to receive the charge of whatever that high-velocity object was with an embrace of bullets and explosives. As the second-to-last line of mobile defense for the colony cylinder, it would be their honor to prevent this intruder from advancing any further.

While the pilots of the second and third lines hadn't been able to offer any proper resistance — the unidentified device had crossed through their range limits too early and too quickly for them throw anything more than potshots — the fourth line had immediately scrambled to assemble into a proper firing formation after receiving their orders. The result was that the "cone" projecting from the unknown towards the colony — representing the field of probable routes based on limited observations and with a hefty margin for error, and narrowing with each second — had been designated as a "kill zone" that would be saturated with projectiles. Few of them would be tracking the interloper itself; their role was simply to fill the space all around it and hope for numbers and statistics to carry the day. An old anti-missile defense tactic that had been retooled after the advent of mobile suits.

[color=FFFFFF]"Target is changing direction! Groups Delta through Eta, adjust position! All other groups, prepare to engage!"[/color]

The teams furthest from the object's new trajectory would move back, repositioning themselves where they would be more useful. 

[color=FFFFFF]"Be advised, support from the escort fleet will be limited. Firing arcs have begun to intersect the colony. Reinforcements are on their way as well."[/color]

A few of the pilots swore lightly, but most hadn't expected aid from that direction anyway. Annona's own vessels were closer to begin with, even if many of them had been pulled to the docks and the [i]Venue[/i]. But even those ships couldn't mobilize so rapidly, so only the vessels that were already nearby could be counted on.

[color=FFFFFF]"[i]Hauer[/i], [i]Zerben[/i], and [i]Glauston[/i] are almost in range. Don't get in their way!"[/color]

They [i]had[/i] to destroy this intruder. If they failed, there would be little more than the colony's own anti-meteoroid countermeasures remaining between them and the Princesses . . .

[hr][center][color=ed1c24]Maximilian Eckhardt Lorenz[/color][/center]
[center][color=ed1c24]Annona Colony — Docks, Near Aerospace [/color][/center]
[hr]
[color=a187be]"Sir Lorenz, there is an unidentifiable object approaching the colony. The fourth defense line has been mobilized and the Schwarzchild group is already en route. You are to follow them and provide assistance as necessary."[/color]

The man’s face split into a shark-like grin. [color=ed1c24]"Oi, oi. Don’t tell me some idiot is actually trying something?"[/color] Not that he would complain. Playing the role of the guard dog was always such a chore — he preferred being the [i]hound[/i]. [color=ed1c24]"Sounds interesting. Just point me where."[/color]

[color=a187be]"Transferring data now. And please, do hurry."[/color]

He whistled as the info window popped up. That was [i]fast[/i] — there wasn’t much time left, and he’d have to really push to avoid being too late.

[color=ed1c24]"Bäumler, Vogt, Rossiwall, with me! We’re gonna smoke this fool!"[/color]

With a whoop of excitement, he threw open the throttle. Three Tommies, kitted with additional thrusters like their commander, followed in his wake — four bright stars streaking across the heavens.

[@GreenGoat]
Of course, he made sure to notify the Schwarzchild’s flagship as he passed them, slowly closing the gap on the mobile suits up ahead. While he didn’t like having only second pickings at his prey, it wouldn’t do to be [i]too[/i] rude about it. [color=ed1c24]"This is Signifier Lorenz, colony security forces. We’re backing you up."[/color] His true meaning should be clear though — [i][color=ed1c24]give us any excuse, and we’re stepping in ourselves.[/color][/i]