An advanced guide for experienced modelers, from building blocks to hand-building Gundams

It was the communicator of Artemis Fortress. On the bridge, one could see the fortress's gate open and a navigation beam emitted.

"Radar detected two ZAFT warships behind you. Please enter the fortress as soon as possible. We are about to activate the Artemis Umbrella."

The Umbrella of Artemis is a complete shield system that wraps around the asteroid where the fortress is located. Powered by the fortress's powerful reactor, it provides powerful protection capabilities and is the reason why the Artemis Fortress is called the "Unbreakable Fortress."

Because of its behavior of activating the shield as soon as it encounters ZAFT, many people in ZAFT have given the Artemis Fortress the insulting nickname "Turtle".

……

"Artemis Fortress... As expected, Long Legs' first stop is to come to Turtle to resupply."

Two ZAFT Nazca-class high-speed battleships were watching the Artemis Fortress, which had deployed its shield, from afar.

Cruze felt quite bored facing this kind of enemy who would defend himself with all his strength upon meeting him.

However, there are some interesting items among the Gundams captured from the Earth Army. Maybe they can break this shield.

"Nigel, I remember there's a camouflage system called Mirage on the Thunderbolt Gundam, so let's consider this as your first success."

Cruze suddenly laughed and began to give orders.

"The battleships retreat, and Nicol will take off in the Thunderbolt Gundam to destroy the Artemis Fortress's shield. After destroying the shield, we will attack again."

The two Nazca-class high-speed battleships began to retreat, leaving Artemis' detection range.

After turning around, the launch port of one of the battleships opened, and a black MS was ejected, then disappeared into the universe.

……

As soon as the Archangel came to a complete stop, Ross checked the lock on the aircraft.

"Kira, remember to lock the machine. Make sure no one except you can start it."

Ross approached Kira calmly and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

Although it had not yet completely docked, the feeling of being on pins and needles from all directions kept reminding Rhodes in his mind.

"Huh? Ross?"

Kira, who was still sitting in the cockpit, was stunned for a moment, obviously not yet reacting.

"Listen to him, Kira, lock the machine."

At this moment, Mu had also arrived at the hangar without anyone noticing. He appeared from the side with a serious expression.

"It's not a good thing."

Ross glanced at the hangar door and narrowed his eyes.

"Remember, Kira, don't say anything when the time comes. Uncle Mu and I will handle it."

After Kira finished locking the door, Mu sent Kira directly back to the dormitory.

"Aren't you leaving?"

Mu frowned as he saw Ross still standing motionless in the hangar.

"Mu. Let me ask you a question."

The closer it got to the final moment, the calmer Ross felt inexplicably.

"……go ahead."

Although Mu didn't know what Ross wanted to do, he still followed Ross's words.

"Do you think I, and Kira, are companions to you and everyone else on the Archangel?"

Ross's brain waves had already sensed that dozens of evil thoughts had boarded the ship.

"Are you talking nonsense? Of course we are companions. Without you, it would be difficult for us to leave Heliopos."

Mu obviously didn't follow Ross's train of thought and was stunned for a moment.

"Very good, Mu. We have never fought outside of Artemis Fortress. They don't know our background."

Ross nodded, his tone quite serious.

"From now on, until you leave Artemis, your identity will be the temporary pilot of the Strike Gundam, and I will still be the pilot of the Jegan."

When Ross said this, Mu understood.

Ross wanted to erase Kira's identity as a strike pilot. After all, Kira was an adjuster, and the vast majority of the Earth Army hated adjusters. No matter where this adjuster came from, being discovered would be a very troublesome matter.

"...I understand. You should be careful over there too."

Just after Mu finished speaking, two teams of commandos in space suits arrived at the hangar.

……

Due to Ross and Mu's different identities, Mu, Maru, and Bakilulu were taken directly to Artemis's headquarters by the Marines. Ross, on the other hand, was taken to the dining hall along with the maintenance squad.

After being brought to the restaurant, Roz took a quick look.

Christina sat closer to the door, playing with the pencil in her hand out of boredom.

Kira and his friends were also placed near the inside.

"I've accessed their communication channel."

Christina's voice came from Rhodes's headphones, but Christina's mouth did not move at all.

Only a few streams of data flashed in his eyes from time to time.

Ross maintained a frivolous attitude that Kira and the others had never seen before, and sat down opposite Christina near the door.

"Malu, Natal, and Mu have all been detained. I've found a map of the fortress in the system."

Ross placed his hands on the table and tapped it lightly with his fingers as if playing a piano, but no sound was made.

Although others could not see it clearly, Christina's prosthetic eye could accurately recognize the Morse code typed by Rhodes with his fingers.

The index and middle fingers represent short presses, and the ring finger represents long presses.

"Wait for the opportunity," this is what Rhodes meant.

Christina didn't make any other movements. A compartment opened on her left leg, which was covered by her white coat. A mechanical arm extended out and handed a special pistol to Rhodes through the trousers she was wearing.

The RE-45 fully automatic pistol, this special version of Rhodes can also be switched to single-shot and three-round bursts. It was something Rhodes made when he was bored in the factory.

Reality is not a game. There is no resurrection beacon when you are shot and fall to the ground.

Under Christina's cover, Rhodes got the pistol and put it away.

"…Linked to a friendly communicator."

Christina quietly connected to the maintenance team's headphones.

"This is Christina. I've heard their communication line. Don't show any other movements. Remain silent."

Madoc, the maintenance squad leader who was originally full of anger, was stunned for a moment after Christina connected his earphones silently.

After all, Christina kept playing with the pencil and didn't even speak.

At this moment, Artemis' internal communication began to come from the headset. The more he listened, the tighter Madoc's hands tightened.

……

After being detained by Commander Gerard of Artemis Fortress and locked in a room, Mariu and Bakilulu were in a panic.

Mu, on the other hand, was inexplicably calm.

There should be no communication facilities here, not even surveillance cameras.

"Didi, didi, didi..."

At this moment, a communication request came from the earphone in Malu's pocket.

When Bakilulu and Mu looked at Marilu, Marilu remembered that she was wearing a communication headset.

Then, Malu adjusted the volume so that everyone present could hear the communication.

Although the sound is still very small, it is enough in such a quiet environment.

"This is Maliu Ramyas."

"I'm Christina, Captain Malu. Enough of the small talk. The entire Archangel is now under the control of Artemis' Marines."

In the dining room of the Archangel, Christina looked coldly at the two imposing officers who had just walked in.

"This is the communication record I monitored. Please wait for the next communication. Ross and I are ready to take action."

Christina stopped turning the pencil and held it in her hand.

"Where are the two mobile suit pilots and technicians of this battleship?"

Gerard, who had just seen the hangar, was in a good mood at the moment. Not only did he seize the battleships and MS of the Atlantic Federation, he even got another unknown MS as a surprise.

But he was a little annoyed that both mobile suits were locked.

"Body pilot? What's wrong? Our captain didn't tell us?"

Facing the aggressive officer in front of him, Arnold, the helmsman of the Archangel, said something sarcastically.

The Archangel's crew were forcibly detained in the restaurant by their colleagues from the Earth Army, and they were already filled with anger.

Moreover, as a covert operations force, they only accept the command of their direct officers.

Gerard, who was standing in the front, still had a mocking look on his face, but the adjutant behind him grabbed Arnold by the collar.

"Hey...don't be so aggressive."

Glancing at Kira, who was being held down by his friends, Ross stood up with a cynical attitude.

"This is an internal matter of the Earth Army, civilians please stay away!"

The adjutant who was holding Arnold's collar looked at Ross with disdain, but did not let go.

"Oh? Isn't that me you've always wanted to find?"

Rhodes moved slightly closer to Gerald and his adjutant, but gestured to Christina with his left hand behind him.

"Right now, the only mobile suits on this battleship are me and Captain Mu, who's temporarily piloting the Strike Gundam."

"So, what do you want to see me about?"

Seeing Kira's shocked expression, Ross dismissed Kira from his role as the Strike Gundam pilot.

"Hmph...Okay, then, please share your machine data."

Gerard didn't notice Rhodes's actions. He narrowed his eyes, showing his greed.

"Ah, that won't do. I'm a space scrap dealer. I won't do business at a loss."

Rhodes stood at a suitable distance and shrugged.

"...You want to bargain with me?"

Gerrard, who had been in a high position for a long time, had never seen such a scene before, and subconsciously wanted to grab Rhodes' collar.

The next second after he raised his foot to approach Rhodes, Rhodes, who had originally had a cynical look on his face, suddenly changed his expression, slipped out a pistol from his sleeve, and shot Gerard in the thigh.

"Boom..."

When the gunshots rang out, the Marines just reacted and were about to open fire.

A shrill sound rang out in the earphones of the Marines in the restaurant, and then a figure in a white coat flashed between them at an insane speed, leaving behind a blood-stained mask and a punctured space suit.

……

The world seemed to have stopped in front of me, and I was the only one who could move freely in it.

Christina hasn't been in this state for a long time.

The prosthetic components that Ross called "Apogee Sian Westin" were working in Christina's body, and the enemy's seemingly swift movements now moved like a turtle.

Christina stretched out her hand, and the tremendous force brought by the prosthesis and the acceleration of Si'an Westin made it easy for the pencil to pierce through the Marines' space suits and pierce into their necks and arms.

Then, he gracefully pulled out his pencil and continued looking for his next target.

Inexplicably, Christina felt a sense of unreality. Under acceleration, the world seemed like a game that had been slowed down.

But fortunately, Christina was still very clear about her mission. She reached out and pushed the last Marine to the ground, and the pencil accurately pierced the Marine's palm and neck.

The acceleration ended and the world became noisy again.

The Marines fell down in unison in different postures. Gerald was also pressed to the ground by Rhodes in a suffocating posture, with a pistol pressed against Gerald's temple.

On the side, Gerard's adjutant just came to his senses and was about to reach out to pick up the weapons dropped by the Marines.