Gundam, but from the Ground Alliance to the Human Alliance to the out-of-control servitor

This time, the officers who had not received the order and were still on standby on Luna 2, with suppressed excitement and straightforward belligerence, all rushed to the reorganized First Combined Fleet, which was about to attack this time. The 2nd Fleet saluted.

'The military spirit is available', this is the evaluation of Cynthia who also pays attention to the mental outlook of the officers and soldiers.

As batches of newly built warships and fighter planes are about to enter service, efforts are being made to restore the Space Force's pre-war scale; cadets who graduated early from the Space Force Military Academy and Equipment Academy also provide freshness to the Luna 2 officers and soldiers. blood;

The experimental MS independently developed by the Federal Space Force also conducts test flights and training on the surface of Luna 2 and the surrounding space from time to time, and frequently appears in daily promotional videos within the base;

The patrol teams responsible for maintaining the spread of minefields and sentry guns in the surrounding area even occasionally dragged back one or two Zaku wreckage that wanted to get closer for investigation but got stuck in the minefield——

Now, most of the Federation Space Force officers and soldiers have stepped out from under the terrifying shadow of the dark green Cyclops of the Principality of Zeon in the early days of the war, and are preparing to defeat the Zabi family who continue to commit atrocities and regain the Federation Space Force. Fight for pride and honor.

Of course, a series of 'special propaganda measures' implemented by high-level generals are also indispensable:

For example, a very small number of informed officers were responsible for having the intelligent control warship equipped with the Ogas system erase the identification features of the captured Zaku wreckage, put a few more holes in the body, and then send it back over and over again. In the minefield, near the route of the patrol fleet.

……

"Hey, isn't this the famous 'Red Comet' of our Zeon Space Attack Force, Major Char? Why does it look a little embarrassed now?"

"I didn't expect that even friendly forces belonging to the Assault Mobile Army would come to assist. I am deeply honored."

Major Char Aznable, wearing a custom-made crimson military uniform with an unhappy look on his face hidden by a strange silver-white mask, said in his usual tone of neither arrogance nor arrogance:

"Although I feel a little ashamed to say this, there is a good prey right in front of us waiting for us to hunt together."

"Hahaha - this is your first mission since you were promoted to major, Char. After tracking for so long, you finally caught the target. Your General Dozlu was probably waiting for good news, but it turned out Are you asking for reinforcements?"

In the space surrounding the Lagrangian gravitational equilibrium point L2 surrounded by Luna 7 and Side 3, the independent fleet commanded by Major Chara belongs to the Musai-class light cruiser Falmel;

They met the Papua-class transport ship that came to deliver reinforcements, and the two Musai-class ships that followed for some reason and were responsible for carrying out the Luna 2 blockade mission of the 'Primus' fleet.

Ever since the scandal occurred in March this year, the federal army on Luna 2 easily broke through the blockade and took the initiative to attack the airdrop fleet in low-Earth orbit and the mass accelerator at the Granada base on the moon;

The 'Primus' fleet responsible for the blockade also changed from the original assault mobile army commanded entirely by Kycilia Zabi to a fleet jointly deployed by Kycilia and Dozuru to maintain the attack on Luna. Surveillance and blockade on the 2nd.

However, the mutually hostile competitive relationship between the two forces, as well as the uncoordinated chain of command, made the nominally unified 'Primus' fleet actually just a series of independent squadrons operating in their respective Just patrol within the responsible defense area.

"If he came here specifically to mock me, there is no need for Captain Gold to leave his post of monitoring the Federal Space Force Luna 2 and make such a special trip, right?"

Major Xiaya was not angry, at least it seemed that way. While dealing with the provocative words of his colleagues, he raised his hand to signal that the adjutant behind him, Captain Dren, would go first to receive reinforcements from Zaku. and other supplies.

"The federal troops on Luna 2 have been huddled in their turtle shells for several months. We are so idle. Are we just here to see what the prey is? Can we bite our Major Char? Let Char The major only escaped with his own life."

At this time, Char Aznable, who had received an exceptional promotion and publicity for his military exploits during the Battle of Hart, and who was holding the rank of major at the age of only 19, was viewed by many more senior officers of the Principality of Zeon. , is too eye-catching.

What's strange is that since the Battle of Hart, the once-famous Major Char has seemed to have disappeared. While lowering his troops to advance on various fronts on the earth, he has no more achievements;

And when Gold, who was over 30 years old this year and was only a captain, heard the news about Char again, this young man who had been promoted like a rocket was actually asking for reinforcements;

The Farmer, an independent ship, had only four carrier-based airframes, and Char needed three Zaku reinforcements at once.

Although the loss of Zaku is not uncommon news for the 'Primus' fleet that blocked Luna 2, there are even examples of the mothership being approached and sunk by a disguised Zaku captured by the federal military——

'But the 'Primus' fleet has something to say, who is our opponent?We are fighting the main force of the Federation Space Force; they are all Federation elites who survived bloody battles like the Battle of Hart and dared to continue attacking Zeon itself and the Granada base on the moon! '

Captain Gold leaned on his seat, propped up his face with his arms on the armrests of his seat, and looked at the maverick young man on the screen with disdain;

'Tsk, tsk, the remaining federal forces in the universe are all blocked by us on Luna 2, and we can still lose 3 Zakus. Sure enough, they are media figures created for publicity, right? '

"Captain Gold, what I am tracking is the most advanced mobile suit independently developed by the Federation Army——"

Major Char's mind flashed back to the inexplicable sense of mental oppression he felt when fighting that mobile suit, which was called Gundam in the intelligence obtained, and he couldn't help but speak out to justify himself:

"——The white body is really like a monster. Not only does it have enough armor to withstand the Zaku machine gun, but the power of the weapon in its hand is enough to destroy the Zaku with one blow."

'But the pilot looked very unfamiliar. No, where did that feeling of oppression from that aircraft come from? '

Major Char rarely fell into a moment of self-doubt, "Is it because it was the first time I fought against an opponent who also piloted a mobile suit?"

"White MS?"

However, what came to Captain Gold's mind was the dull-looking, slow-moving Federation mobile suit with a head monitor like sunglasses that he encountered around Luna 2.

'Zani?Even if I drive an old-fashioned Zaku Type I, I can easily beat three against that kind of guy, right? '

The kind of Federation mobile suit that uses a hand with only three fingers to hold a recoilless gun that is slightly less powerful when used to attack battleships. It cannot fire continuously when used to attack mobile suits, and its firepower sustainability is worrying——

The appearance is indeed very different from Zaku, but there is nothing to be afraid of, right?

When the contempt and ridiculous emotions in his heart became too much and gradually turned into an indescribable feeling of admonishment and instruction from an older man to a young man, Captain Gold said in a rare and serious tone:

"Major Char, you have been away from the front lines of direct firefights with the Federation regular army for too long. In your current state, if you were in our 'Primus' fleet, you would probably be attacked by a single-ship sortie of the Federation space battleship. , shot down instantly."

It was precisely because he single-handedly broke the formation and disrupted the formation of the Federation fleet in the Battle of Hart, and sank several battleships, that he was specially promoted. Major Char also felt a sense of astonishment——

'Aren't the federal battleships like fixed targets? '

Chapter 8: The first appearance of meteors (3)

Major Char's impression of the Federation battleships always remains at the Battle of Hart, when he rushed into the center of the Federation Space Force's 1st Fleet as if there was no one around; then he quickly emptied Major Char's nuclear rocket ammunition. , returned home with a satisfied sinking record——

Then they encountered a series of problems such as the mothership they were carrying before the sortie was attacked and sunk by federal fighter planes, and the return and landing command was a mess. There was no chance for a second sortie.

Naturally, in the eyes of Major Char, who missed the reorganization of the federal fleet in the second half of the Hart Battle and finally retreated in formation, the federal warships were nothing more than native chickens and tile dogs.

He didn't care at all about those battle reports submitted by friendly forces composed of mediocre mediocre people. After all, even the battle reports circulated internally often went through countless rounds of 'revisions' by the General Commander's Office. How much truth remains is hard to say.

Major Char Aznable is such a person who relies on the examples he has seen and experienced to draw firm conclusions, which will not be casually affected by the opinions of others.

On the opposite side of the Musai class, Captain Gold, who had already regarded Shaia as a famous virtual warrior, also did not take the Federal Army's mobile suit seriously.

So when the two people who couldn't understand each other were thinking about how the other party was far more incompetent than they thought, the identities of prey and hunter switched to each other.

……

"There are actually 4 Zeon battleships! This is different from what was promised..."

Sitting among the mobile suits named Gundam, Amuro Ray, a boy who was not yet 16 years old, rubbed his hand on the joystick with some discomfort.

Under the tight-fitting pressurized driving suit, he could feel that his fingers were getting a little damp from sweat.

"Three Musai-class ships and one Papua-class ship. Are the two extra ships the newly arrived reinforcements from Zeon?"

Staff Sergeant Ryu Jose on the side was flying a core fighter plane——

After being combined with the Gundam, it serves as a manned cockpit module on the torso; when the Gundam's body is damaged and the aircraft needs to be abandoned, it can separate and escape. It also has a certain degree of maneuverability and firepower, and can still fight alone as a light fighter.

He gritted his teeth tightly, and it was raining all night. In the previous attack, the crew of the "White Base" had suffered enough losses, so much so that civilians had to be temporarily recruited to fight;

At this time, I originally thought that the enemy was also attacking from a single ship, and I also thought that I could take advantage of the fact that Zeon's Musai-class mobile suit had almost lost all the mobile suits it could carry, and kill it, and completely get rid of this team when it entered orbit from the White Base. , the enemy who has been following him like a shadow;

But unexpectedly, the enemy actually had reinforcements!

However, before Sergeant Long Jose could make a decision, the Gundam carrying a rocket launcher on his shoulder climbed above the small Zeon fleet, with its back against the sun, and opened fire.

"We've reached this point, we have no choice but to go to bed!"

"Wait, don't alert the enemy, those are four ships... Even so, they are not within range yet!"

It was obvious that when he sat in the cockpit for the first time less than a day ago, Amuro had to rely on reading the driving manual on the spot to operate the machine body, but now when he holds the trigger on the operating rod of the Gundam, he already has a feeling of preparation. Feeling inexplicably confident about being ready to go;

Amuro didn't pay attention to Sergeant Long Jose's fuss. He just looked intently in front of him. With the precise sight protruding from the back of the seat, he set the target on the Papua-class transport ship in the surveillance screen. central--

'No,' Amuro subconsciously shifted his aim a little further to the lower left corner, 'I feel like I can hit it this way! '

Even before the first rocket was fired, Amuro continued to pull the trigger continuously, firing rockets one after another based on his feeling, flying downwards to the Pagoda that was connected to the Musai-class to deliver supplies. Puya-class transport ship.

'Amuro, if you do this, you might get everyone killed! '

Sergeant Long Jose's words reached his lips but he swallowed them again;

After all, if minors without training are allowed to directly board a classified aircraft to participate in combat operations, even if the other party is the technical director of the Gundam project development team, it is they, the regular soldiers, who are at fault.

Besides, even if we say this, we have to wait until the post-war review—if everyone is still alive by then.

"No, I have to notify the White Base first!"

Sergeant Long Jose looked at the Gundam, which seemed to have been immersed in the battle. He turned around and flew in another direction. When everyone made the decision to counterattack, the enemy's combat strength was only reduced to what they expected. A Zaku-class Musai, and a transport ship without combat capabilities.

……

"Enemy attack, it's a rocket! Come...the source is unknown!"

The operator yelled, staring at the fast-moving little red dot on the screen.

The siren sounded in the bridge of the Falme, and through the portholes, several rockets could be seen in the distance, trailing long tail flames and attacking the small fleet of the Principality of Zeon Army.

"Receive the additional Zaku first... execute the emergency escape procedure quickly and prepare my Zaku!"

Major Xia Ya frowned when he heard the report, "What do you mean the source is unknown? Could it be that it was shot outside the observation range?" '

The anti-air firepower of the Musai class can be described as almost non-existent, and the Principality of Zeon has always relied on particle interference to solve threats such as long-range anti-ship missiles. At long distances, it is difficult for rockets with failed guidance to hit maneuvers. of the battleship;

However, Major Xia Ya still issued the order to leave in an orderly manner.

"Also, pay attention to the rear, the enemy's mothership will probably attack from the other direction!"

Major Xia Ya, who had already rushed out of the bridge, turned back and added.

At the connection between the conveyor belt extended by the Papua-class transport ship and the Farmer, preset explosive bolts were detonated urgently, disconnecting the transport ship, and together with the attitude adjustment engine, pushed the two warships to slow down. Slow separation.

Then, the Zeon officers who were still on the bridge of the Farmer saw that the Papua-class transport ship, which was heading away from the Farmer, 'just' landed on the one flying straight towards it. Below the trajectory of the rocket.

"Bang, bang!"

The Papua-class transport ship forcibly received three rockets. The entire bow and even the middle of the hull were silently plunged into a sea of ​​​​fire that exploded from time to time. The fragments of the ship's hull and various scattered material containers were blown away. Knocked on the hull of the Farmer;

The Papua-class transport ship, which is responsible for replenishing Zeon battleships that have been on missions for a long time, is filled with various types of ammunition, rocket propellant and other explosives. In addition, it was not designed to be used in frontal battlefields. Consider survival performance——

'Tsk, the hull of the ship is damaged like this, I hope at least some materials can be recovered; it must be the white MS from the Federation! '

Major Char, who quickly rushed to the Musai-class hangar just below the bridge, thought with a gloomy face; although he had lost his three-machine Zaku, he was still conceited and never thought about the ship he regarded as his prey. The 'White Trojan' dared to challenge him.

……

However, the Federal Space Force's 7nd Fleet, which was also on the Lunar Ship's route to Side 2, was advancing at high speed and was tasked with both sea trials and rescuing friendly forces. It also noticed the flash of explosions in the universe not far away.

"Suspected flash of fighting?"

Lieutenant General Cunningham narrowed his eyes and looked at the presumed position marked by Marco Polo on the space map. He seemed to be asking, but also seemed to be just confirming his guess:

"That position deviates from the direct route from Luna 2 to Side 7, right? If a battle really breaks out at Side 7, and the surviving soldiers of our army escape, they should go straight to our military stronghold closest to Side 7, Luna. Are you leaving on the 2nd?"

"Yes, Commander Cunningham, it may be that the friendly ship White Base has escaped from Side 7 and was blocked again and had to move here."

"Ah,"

Lieutenant General Cunningham glanced at Marco Polo and said in a playful tone:

"What if you were asked to come up with some possible supporting arguments from the opposite direction?"

"It is also possible that the Zeon army has detected the intelligence of our fleet's dispatch, and deliberately created the illusion of a suspected battle in that direction, delaying the rescue of friendly forces in front of our fleet that are still resisting on Side 7, or simply in that direction. Setting up an ambush—"

"In this case, the fleet should continue to rush to Side 7 to explore the location where the battle is suspected; or split up and do both - what is your own judgment, Marco Polo?"

Lieutenant General Cunningham stared at Marco Polo and interrupted her.

"The entire team is heading to the suspected fighting location to investigate the situation, Commander Cunningham." Marco Polo replied without hesitation.

"Why, didn't you yourself mention the possibility that it was a trap?"

"It might be a bit lengthy to explain in detail. To put it simply, after many considerations and weighted calculations, going to the rescue with the whole team is the option with the highest decision-making score."

Lieutenant General Cunningham, who had followed closely just now, could not help but sigh, and then said helplessly:

"Do you quantify various possibilities and factors in a way that is difficult for humans, and then simply compare them to make a firm decision? This is a human being who even treats 'difficulty in choosing' as a disease, It’s unimaginable——”

But then, Lieutenant General Cunningham waved his hand and confirmed the order with a firm tone:

"The fleet turned, and the entire fleet deployed in a battle formation, heading to the location where the battle was suspected to have broken out!"

"Change the current destination of the fleet..."

Including four battleships built entirely according to the specifications of the Marco Polo, the Federal Space Force's 2nd Fleet, which launched a partial sortie this time, smoothly adjusted its formation during the turn and moved forward in a fighting attitude.

……

"Counterattack, set the impact point evenly in the direction of the rocket attack, and launch the missile!"

Although Major Char was appointed as the commander of this independent force composed of a single ship, because he always drove his own body to the front line during battles, he was usually the acting captain of the Farmer. Captain Delian was giving orders.