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

"Didn't I tell you to raid and intercept once and then return directly to the Farmer..."

The crimson Zaku turned his head and saw that his subordinates, who should have simply cut into the atmosphere and returned to low-Earth orbit, were now still below him.

'It would be a pity if you don't obey my orders... '

Chara lamented without any introspection how his subordinates always did not strictly obey his instructions, while controlling his Zaku to enter Zimusai's cargo hold.

On the Gundam that was bumping in the storm that burst into the atmosphere, Amuro struggled to maintain the balance of the machine. At the same time, he casually used his beam rifle to shoot down an ordinary Zaku that was approaching the Zeon army's atmospheric shuttle.

'I can't stop Xia Ya, so I can't hit you? '

……

"Major Xia Ya, Jie Qiu was also shot down!"

Captain Delian, who was driving the Zimusai, couldn't help but turn his head and glance back at Char who walked out of the cargo bay behind the cockpit; to be honest, this was the third time that Major Char's MS unit was nearly wiped out. , only Char himself survived.

'How does this feel for a proud young man like Xia Ya? Will he feel annoyed...'

Xia pursed her lips, raised her fist high, but controlled the force, and finally patted the back of Captain Delian's chair in front of him gently.

"Krang, Jieqiu...their sacrifices will not be in vain. Gundam cannot return to the mothership now, and the white 'Trojan' is also injured,"

As if to convince himself, Major Chara repeated it again.

"Their sacrifice is meaningful."

Captain Delian turned his head boredly, "Then, Major Xia, please sit tight and fasten your seat belt. We are about to enter the black zone."

"Well, follow that white wooden horse, they will definitely not be able to reach Gabro now."

Zimusai's design ideas are the same as those of the old-era space shuttles. Although it does not have the white base's rice particle flotation system, its aerodynamic design is much better than that of the white base, and its flight performance in the atmosphere is also stronger. .

……

"Tsk... In this case, can we still contact Amuro?"

Brad suppressed his feelings, and couldn't tell whether he was worried about the important combat power Gundam, or about the young man named Amuro who had only been with him for more than a week;

At times like this, as a captain, even if he is pretending, he has to pretend to be calm and calm - just like platinum.

"The communication antenna has been retracted, and there is nothing we can do now, Captain Blade; however, the Gundam has the ability to enter the atmosphere alone, and we should trust Amuro."

'In the few days on board Luna 2, Cynthia also urged Amuro to review the Gundam technical manual from beginning to end, so there should be no problems. '

Although he does not believe that there is any luck for the protagonist in this world, but from the final confirmed status of the Gundam, the functions of the Gundam itself, and the evaluation of Amuro's personal abilities, Platinum now hopes that everyone on the bridge will pay attention. Check out their own ship.

"Captain Brad...ah, and Miss Platinum, we arrived at the second deck on the starboard side and entered the corridor outside the middle hangar. It is still intact from the inside, but the lights in the corridor are not on."

Under the helmet, Long Jose's big face appeared on the ship's video communication screen.

"Sergeant Long, I feel like it's a little warm here!"

During the video communication, Kai's voice could be heard faintly in the background, with a safety rope tied around his waist and groping for the corridor wall.

"what?!"

Brad, who was sitting in the captain's seat, shouted out together with Long Jose; Brad could hardly sit still and stood up in shock - but was reminded by Platinum to fasten the safety The belt was pulled back to the seat.

This is not good news. During the process of entering the atmosphere, if the entire heat insulation layer is damaged, even a small piece will cause the destruction of at least one ship and people under the high temperature of more than [-] degrees caused by violent friction with the air. fatal losses.

Such examples are not unheard of in the early history of human aerospace development, but as a space battleship, the White Base should have a higher error tolerance rate;

Bai Jin once again confirmed the reading of the thermometer in the cabin inside the ship. The problem should not be serious yet, and the temperature inside the ship has not changed significantly.

Long Jose turned around and saw that Kai was still pressing his face against the wall, feeling the temperature with his skin, and couldn't help but get furious;

“Isn’t there an infrared thermometer gun here?!”

He ran forward in three steps at a time, pushed Kai Xiting away, pointed the temperature measuring gun at the wall, and pressed the button to start measuring the temperature.

With a 'beep--', Long Jose glanced at the temperature reading with a serious face, then took two steps forward and measured the temperature again.

Silence remained on the bridge, and even Captain Blade couldn't help but slow down his breathing;

A second "beep——" sounded, and then Long Jose's voice echoed clearly in the bridge, "The temperature reading has not changed significantly."

In the background of the communication video, Kaina still stretched out his fingers and pressed them against the wall while saying unwillingly, "I really think this wall is a bit hot...I usually lean on it here to be lazy." , everyone in the bridge breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Long Jose's still serious expression seemed to be contagious, making everyone in the bridge who was paying attention to the development of the situation feel excited again;

He turned around again and pointed the temperature measuring gun at the other side, which was the bulkhead adjacent to the inside of the hull;

The third "beep——" sounded. Long Jose glanced at the reading of the thermometer gun, raised his head with difficulty and said:

"Captain Brad, it seems that the entire outer wall of this corridor has heated up, although the magnitude is not high..."

"Captain Brad, this area was directly hit by Zaku rockets in the previous battle. The shell was re-patched on Luna 2. The temperature has not yet increased significantly, but it is difficult to say what will happen next."

Bai Jin immediately added that judging from the current temperature rise, the hull was still acceptable. Breaking into the atmosphere was a very rapid process, and the White Base hull would not withstand the high temperature for more than 300 seconds;

However, considering that the shell of the White Base is not made of homogeneous armor, and that when Luna 2 was repaired, the 'patch' was made of other alternative materials, there is no guarantee that this temperature rise will occur. The speed can be maintained forever.

'The Mega particle beam weapon that can be used by MS is really a troublesome thing.' Platinum introduced new variables into the battleship control model in the background and learned lessons;

If the Zeon army still relies on long-range anti-ship missiles and Zaku rockets to attack, and Amuro drives the Gundam to contain it, Platinum is confident that the ship can enter the atmosphere without any damage.

'But...the enemy is also making progress. '

"The insulation layer on the outer shell may be damaged, but can it still hold up..."

Like playing a piano, Captain Blade's fingers tapped on the armrests of the seat in disorder, his brain was running rapidly, and plans were generated in his mind, and then they were quickly rejected by himself;

"Captain Brad, if you can take the initiative to break the balance and deflect the attitude of the ship so that the undamaged port side faces the direction of the current warship, it should be able to slightly reduce the pressure on the starboard side."

Bai Jin stared ahead. In the face of a crisis that was serious but did not seem to be an urgent matter, her voice still seemed calm, making people's emotions calm down unconsciously.

"Is this possible?" Captain Brad immediately raised his head and looked at Platinum.

"The autopilot system cannot handle this kind of active instability, but..." Following Platinum's gaze, Captain Brad looked at Mile Hachishu in front of the helmsman's position.

"I can give it a try."

Mirai met Brad's gaze without fear and answered firmly.

'Even if you do nothing, nothing may happen, or the insulation layer may be burned through, and then the hull shell suddenly heats up rapidly and explodes... But adjusting the attitude of the hull is also risky...'

Captain Blade gritted his teeth and thought about it. The White Base, which relied on the rice particle suspension device to fly in the atmosphere, could not roll or excessively pitch like an airplane;

Once a loss of control occurs when adjusting the attitude of the ship body, it will also inevitably result in the destruction of the ship and the loss of lives.

However, just as Bai Jin expected, Captain Brad would not take the path of waiting and leaving everything to fate or probability.

"Mi Lai, adjust the posture of the ship to reduce the friction on the damaged parts of the starboard side; Long Jose and Kai, you go to the damage control room to prepare cooling foam. Once the temperature of the bulkhead rises uncontrollably and rapidly, immediately remove it from the inside Cool down the bulkhead!”

"Yes, Captain Blade!"

[Judging from Mi Lai Yasu's past experience and skill evaluation, she does not have the ability to complete this task, but what will the facts be like? 】

Chapter 24: The Glory Appears for the First Time (End)

The White Base has now completely entered the black barrier area. The shock wave generated in the air by a re-entry speed of more than ten times the speed of sound is enough to transform the air into hot plasma, wrapping the White Base.

Inside the ship, all external observation channels were temporarily closed. Looking out from the portholes of the bridge, one could only see patches of pitch-black armor plates; the closed space aggravated people's uneasiness.

"Then, Miss Milais, now we can only trust the battleship's attitude indicator."

Platinum walked to the front of the bridge, called up a series of instrument panels used for flying in the atmosphere, and put them on the screen in front of helmsman Milai:

In the attitude indicator, the blue on the upper half represents the sky, and the lower half is the brown earth. The two short yellow lines in the middle are constantly swinging slightly, but generally remain parallel to the horizon and suspended above the horizon. above; and the height reading on one side is rapidly decreasing——

This means that the White Base is trembling into the atmosphere with its bow slightly raised.

"...If the instrument is completely reliable, then can't you, Miss Platinum, take over the control directly?"

Mi Lai nervously held the rudder, her palms twitching from time to time, trying to wipe away the sweat on her palms, but her voice still managed to remain calm, and she asked without raising her head.

"My gaffe; as a person designed for the purpose of controlling a space battleship, I lack the ability to deal with emergencies when flying in the atmosphere..."

[At least not yet. 】

"...Even compared with those experienced professional helmsmen in the space army, your skills are not inferior in any way; this is the conclusion I came to based on objective and quantitative comparisons. Now, your efforts are indispensable. .”

Platinum was not completely lying about this. Before the outbreak of the One Year War, professional Space Force officers did not require helmsmen to be able to drive warships to avoid enemy attacks. After all, the expected combat methods were long-distance combat with guided weapons. There is no way to avoid it;

As for the situation like the White Base that is currently entering the atmosphere, this is the first time in the Federation Army——

Although the Federation Army has a practice of building warships on the ground and then launching them into orbit, the only way to return the warships from orbit to the earth is to scrap them, remove all valuable parts, and then throw them into the atmosphere to let them go on their own. That's what happens when it burns down.

"Mi Lai, don't be afraid, do it boldly, the safety of the White Base depends on you."

Captain Brad suddenly remembered the management book he had read recently and decided to encourage him.

'But, Captain Brad, are you sure this isn't putting pressure on Milai? '

Platinum's expression did not change, and he secretly cursed in the background;

The books and materials copied from Luna 2 are now stored in the ship's library at White Base, but Platinum is in no position to urge Captain Blade to read it, or to give him a few sets after reading it. The test questions from the Space Force Officer Academy confirmed that he correctly understood the content in the book.

All she could do was advise...and influence.

From Platinum's perspective, it is now unclear whether Milai is more nervous or Captain Brad's encouragement has worked. She can only see her gently turning the rudder, tentatively making the White Base start to tilt to the left;

"Release the automatic attitude control system."

Bai Jin reported, but then, before Bai Jin could finish his words, the White Base's tremors increased sharply, swinging and tilting to the left.

"Ahhh-"

The ship's internal communication heard the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground and Kai screaming;

"...Ahem, are you okay, Captain Blade!" Long Jose, who was waiting in the corridor and preparing to cool down, seemed to have fallen. Only half of his palm could be seen pressing on the communication screen.

The sudden shock seemed to panic the crew members of all departments on the ship. Even though they experienced the military life of the Federal Space Force for a limited time of two days on Luna 2, their lack of training and awareness has not completely changed.

Communications were constantly being connected to the bridge, allowing Captain Brad to reminisce about the rush he was in when the White Base just set sail.

But Milai's operation continued. She turned the rudder back to its original position, but the hull did not return to its previous stability and was still shaking greatly;

"It doesn't matter. Sergeant Long, please continue to stand by and monitor the temperature on the bulkhead. What's the temperature now?... Platinum, if they just come to ask about the situation, you don't need to call me. Just tell them not to be afraid!"

"Platinum, give me the power to adjust the branch output of the rice particle suspension system!"

At the same time, Captain Brad and Mirai Hachishu each issued orders to Shirogane;

'The two of you are quite similar in your unceremonious manner when instructing people...artificial intelligence. Should it be said that it is due to background or background that has a great influence? '

Captain Blade's words, a trainee second lieutenant dared to command the White Base without hesitation, and did not show any cowardice in the face of the powerful lieutenant general of the Space Army. This kind of "I do what I do, I do it" spirit must not be something ordinary families can do. cultivated;

As for Mi Lai, the Eight Continent Group is also a large conglomerate in the earth circle. As her father, who is also the executive director of the Eight Continent Group, has trained Mi Lai as her assistant and even successor since she was a child, her words and deeds naturally have certain characteristics. A unique temperament.

"clear."

In line with the principle of 'this is the boss, this is the boss's wife', Bai Jin did not ask Captain Brad for instructions, and began to execute the orders of the two at the same time;

Platinum took over Captain Brad's communication authority and issued a notice to the ship that 'it's just a temporary turbulence, no need to worry', leaving only Long Jose's communication link; at the same time, he changed the control interface of the rice particle suspension system Handed over to Mi Lai.

"Captain Brad! The temperature of the bulkhead is still rising..."

Milai slid a few times on the control panel with one hand, causing the rice particle suspension systems on both sides of the ship to start differential operation, while turning the rudder again with the other hand;

At this time, the White Base not only tilted left on the roll axis, but also began to yaw to the right;

However, the strange thing is that under Milai's continuous fine-tuning, the White Base maintains such an unbalanced posture. Although it is still trembling, the amplitude is gradually controlled.

"If this continues... it can work!" Milai controlled the rudder and noticed with his peripheral vision that the angle between the cursor in the attitude indicator and the horizon gradually stabilized;

Most weather conditions cannot interfere with the huge White Base hull. As long as the hull itself maintains stability, various external airflows will not affect the White Base.

"Captain Blade, the temperature on the bulkhead remains stable... and is no longer rising!"

Platinum listened to Long Jose's communication first, then connected it to the bridge and reached Captain Brad's ears; this good news slightly relieved the tense atmosphere in the bridge.

'So, how did Milai choose...'

Platinum once again brought the current hull posture into the simulation environment for testing;

Knowing that this was a solution, Platinum easily verified that this posture could indeed maintain the stability of the ship while reducing the heat and pressure on the damaged starboard side of the ship;

However, Platinum rolled the data back to before Milai took over control. At that time, based on the data and information Platinum had... it was still impossible to calculate the risk and success rate of doing so.

'...She cannot possibly have relevant experience. Even if she is flying a glider to re-enter the atmosphere, she has only experienced it once, not to mention that the White Base is not comparable to an unpowered glider...'

'Did you draw a different conclusion from me based on the same information and intelligence? Or did you perceive information that I didn't know? '

Next, the bridge of the White Base was in silence, feeling the vibrations of the ship's body getting smaller and smaller, becoming more and more stable; about three minutes passed, until——