The Last Laugh



The Last Laugh is a chapter in When the Cold Breeze Blows Away. In this chapter, after mastering the Coalition of the Red Star on every turn, the Rah-Rah-Robot and the forces of the Grand Alliance prepares to face the final target in the North African Crisis (which they failed to destroy it after the siege of Kassala): a target that refuses to fall, which is Abasi Hakim and his own Rah-Rah-Robot copycat.

This chapter is also where this mission would be the final test of the Rah-Rah-Robot's true heroism, bravery and courage, and according to Gen. Diana Lorrington, she never saw any one of those mecha pilots quit, and she doesn't expect she ever will.

When the Rah-Rah-Robot finally defeated Abasi Hakim and his own Rah-Rah-Robot copycat, Ralphie Tennelli announces the death of Hakim and his crew members by saying "sic semper tyrannis" to the destroyed mecha.

At the end of the chapter, Ralphie Tennelli says that the siege is over, thinks to himself that once the Nile River Coalition is, once a mighty force, crumbling around the Grand Alliance, and is because of the tenacity, the skill and the guts of the Rah-Rah-Robot and her crew members that America and the rest of the Grand Alliance triumphed, and acknowledged that the dedication and supreme sacrifice exhibited by these mecha pilots and soldiers makes he and his crew proud and honored to be mecha pilots and pilots of the Rah-Rah-Robot.

It takes place in Addis Ababa.

Transcript
Tim gulps worringly while holding a shell. "Don't sweat it, Tim. The Rah-Rah-Robot's got your back once again," Ralphie said. "Time for the mega attack move! Okay, all together!" Ralphie said.

"I've got the autonomic functions!" Keesha said, ready to pedal her feet to prepare for the finisher. She's doing it fast too. "Carlos, engage Tomahawk missiles! D.A., prepare 360!" shouted Ralphie. Both Carlos and D.A. pulled their levers, and the Rah-Rah-Robot flies up into the sky, and the robot lets the Tomahawk missiles out from her palms.

"It's time," Janet said. The stolen Ground Based Strategic Deterrent missiles are being launched from the dam's nuclear silos, just like what she said.

"Dammit! Confirmed launch of Ground Based Strategic Deterrent!" snapped Torba in anger, just because those ICBMs of ours were launched.

"Too bad Ralphie," said Janet. "This twisted game needs to be reset. We'll start over from 'zero' with this Ground Based Strategic Deterrent and entrust the future to the next generation."

"This is AWACS Torba of the Egyptian Air Force. Listen up, Warthog Team! We've completed analysis of the enemy ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited Gundam. Codename: Volleyball Killer. This plane is protected by an ECM defense system. Its only weak point is in the front air intake. You'll have to attack it head-on. Go! Take down Volleyball Killer! You're the only one who can stop her. Rah-Rah-Robot, the giant cheerleading robot of the Walkerville Warthogs... I pray for your success!"

"My Rah-Rah-Robot, victorious. Our team, victorious. Abasi Hakim's Rah-Rah-Robot, doomed. His team, doomed." Ralphie said, "And the mighty Pep Dude, will not forever be known as Pep Dud... but, the Mighty Pep Dude will now forever be known as..."

"Iron Warthog?" Tim said. "Nah! I want a better idea," Ralphie replied. "Like I said, the mighty Pep Dude, or Pep Dud if I called that in our first test when that got broke and repaired back then before the big game and that great war we were in, will forever be known as..." then Jyoti said, continued from what Ralphie said, "The Star-Spangled Warthog!" My, I guess she likes to make the Rah-Rah-Robot crew members look even patriotic to the United States of America than they look spiritful to the Walkerville Warthogs, and now, everyone will love them even more now than in the volleyball game! "I agree with you," Tennelli said.

Soon, they really agree this, then Ms. Frizzle said, "Oh, really? Well, I'd like to call that The Star-Spangled Iron Warthog too." The Dark Lord Knight replied, "Oh! I like it! I'm sure I'd rather be a Star-Spangled Undead then, but good job guys. Hope my actions in my own Gundam spark rebellion against Chariot and hopes to have the new King of the Undeads who is friendly to humans and can support the Grand Alliance. In short, I'll start this peace process with the mortals with a peace treaty... and/or a peace meeting. Can it be me? Well, I hope you guys did great. Keep on defending liberty, six of you kids. After this, America will love you for defending liberty, and hopefully, me too for keeping me on track on my redemption."

SpongeBob smiled and saluted to Arnold, Carlos, Wanda, Ralphie, D.A. and Keesha gleefully, then he said "I'm so proud of you soldiers!" Well, I may be proud of 'em, but it ain't over...

The Rah-Rah-Robot flies back to the morning sky, and AWACS Torba said this to them: "Look, Warthogs. The sun's comin' up. Even after the darkest nights, morning always comes. Those we lost gave their lives to bring the morning light. Living this day to the fullest -- is the highest tribute we can offer to their memory. Now come on. Let's get back home."

That was the end of our part in things. Alliance command sent in more bomber jets after we finished, and pounded the site into oblivion. I'm sure someone wanted to get their hands on those weapons, but the risk of them falling into the wrong hands was too great. Everything had to be -- and was -- destroyed. As for us, once we got back to the base, we were told that most of mecha squadrons were being disbanded and we received honorable discharges. It was felt that we'd done enough, and seen enough. Our part in the North African Crisis was over, and one by one, we went home.

Trivia

 * A battle between the ZGMF-2000 Volleyball Killer and the Rah-Rah-Robot refers to when Pixy battles against Cipher in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
 * When the Rah-Rah-Robot said "sic semper tyrannis," it is a reference to when John Wilkes Booth just said after he even killed Abraham Lincoln during a play called Our American Cousin' in in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. at the near end of the American Civil War, according to his diary.