Gundam, Gravity Elegy

"Lieutenant, when will the supplies be delivered? We've been waiting here all day!"

Faced with this scene that was completely beyond her expectations, Lieutenant Top's mind went completely blank. She wanted to say something, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the communication screen.

Sure enough, the young major general's expression darkened.

"Top, what's going on?"

The oppressive gaze made her involuntarily lower her head:

"Major Saotome said that resources are currently strained at the Ruhr base, and factories and such still need to be upgraded..."

"So, he used that as an excuse to withhold your supplies?"

"The major told us to wait patiently..."

"fart!"

Topna's instinctive response was like igniting a powder keg in Major General Keller's mind:

"The factories within the Commonwealth are federal in nature, and simple repair factories can be used directly. Besides, what does this logistical work have to do with frontline supplies? The parts for Zeonic and Zmador are not interchangeable yet. Does he expect him to take MS parts to repair airplanes?"

"commander……"

"Alright, I'll handle this. You can tell Elmer to focus on tracking the Federation's new weapons. Do you think my men can be bullied by Ma Kebe or Kycilia's men?"

Amidst a chorus of curses and swears, the call was abruptly cut off.

Amidst the incessant shouts and curses, Top couldn't help but turn his gaze to the boy.

When she re-examined the other person, she even felt a strange, dry sensation in her mouth:

"Is this your plan?"

"Ah."

Gao Ren responded softly, simply rubbing his chin.

"In short, we should have an opportunity to conduct large-scale operations soon. Even if the hovercraft doesn't move, we can requisition the trucks here, but we'll need further detailed planning to make the most of them..."

"But...is this really right?"

"Isn't that right? It's just a normal development."

"But why do I feel like everyone is a puppet on a string?!"

The moment the words left his mouth, a tremor ran through the depths of Top's heart.

She tried to force herself to look away from the boy, but her eyes were glued to him like a magnet.

"It seems that from the moment we entered the base, both Major Saotome and the Commander's actions were entirely within your plan."

Those dark eyes, that calm gaze, seemed to be stating a basic fact:

"illusion."

"……illusion?"

"Well, in the end, these things were bound to happen. It's normal for the Zeon army to be in chaos, have factions, and be sabotaged. Your Major General Keller is loyal and righteous, so he will definitely protect the soldiers under his command. I just included these inevitable events in my plan."

"Inevitably... but..."

As Top chewed on these seemingly weightless words, he felt something pressing down on his heart.

"Well, I estimate that Major Saotome here will contact us soon. But to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I hope someone can take the initiative to shift the conversation to our side. For example, we could have our 'Sand Lizard Squadron' handle the resupply ourselves. That way, we can easily transport our people to various areas of this base by requisitioning trucks from within the base."

He was clearly not a legitimate graduate of the military academy; he was clearly just a minor.

But perhaps precisely because of this, his thinking is not constrained by textbooks.

"What kind of enemy has Zeon gained...?"

"Instead of thinking about this kind of thing, you should think about why your Zeon military government system is in such a chaotic state, Lieutenant Top. Even without me, someone else would have taken advantage of this loophole."

"..."

"But there's no point in saying all this. I hope you, Lieutenant, will be in charge of a crucial task next."

"...Negotiation, right?"

"That's right, try to bring as many trucks as possible, okay?"

Chapter 48: Seizing the Mech

midnight.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky, scattering its white light across the earth.

But perhaps because the Ruhr itself is an industrial base, the so-called 'natural scenery' described in books is naturally not visible.

The rows of factories and warehouses, with their occasional roars of machinery, inevitably evoke memories of the suffocating environment inside the fully enclosed colonies of Side 3.

The only saving grace is that this place is open and spacious.

Looking up, what comes into view is the natural scenery of the sky and the moon, rather than the clusters of buildings that appear to hang upside down like a mirage to the naked eye. This is something that can give one a breather—at least that's what Alma Stirner thinks.

However, the expansive night view inevitably allows one's thoughts to wander.

Just like when she gazed at the stars in Granada and Baldr Bay, when she looked into the sky for a long time, the girl felt that her soul could break free from the shackles of her body and roam freely between heaven and earth.

The only potential problem is that Earth is too heavy...

The moment she had even the slightest thought of wanting to fly higher, she could feel that real 'force' pulling her back to the ground.

So, does he share the same thoughts?

"Benevolence……"

Unconsciously, the face of that person, whom she should have only met once, appeared in her mind.

Although there was no evidence, she felt they should be able to become friends.

That's why she rushed up to talk to him without thinking, just like before, and not only did she mess it up, but she also ended up being sentenced to death:

"Because none of you are at fault, that's why we can't be friends."

After hearing the whole story, this is what Captain Monica said to her.

To be honest, she didn't quite understand what he meant, but if she wasn't wrong, why did he have that attitude?

Unfortunately, she probably won't have the chance to get that answer.

Their Unit 603 will soon return to Odessa, and then return to space via the spaceport and launch site there.

If nothing unexpected happens...

"There probably won't be another chance to meet..."

'boom'

Suddenly, the sharp sound echoed through the sky, causing Alma to instinctively cover her ears.

When I came to my senses, a wisp of smoke rose from the distance, and crimson swirled under the bright moon, as if the setting sun, which should have faded, had returned.

That is...

"flame?"

…………

July 2, UC.0079

2: 30 AM

As the bright moon streaked across the sky, a hastily placed bomb roared from within the factory:

'Boom'

"Um?!"

When Major Saotome, the head of the Ruhr base, was jolted awake from his sleep, the sharp, piercing sound that filled his ears was like a hammer hitting him directly on the head, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"What happened?"

When he scrambled to the bedside, the dense, visible smoke almost stopped his heart.

"That was the first tank depot? But a tank explosion shouldn't produce that much smoke..."

"That's because your soldiers simply placed the loaded ammunition right next to the tank."

The sudden, ghostly, cold voice that rang out from behind sent a chill down Major Saotome's spine. When he turned around, he saw a black pistol pressed directly against his head.

The firearm was clearly the Type 62 pistol developed by the Navan Company of the Principality.

"Lieutenant Top..."

In the darkness, the flames from the explosion illuminated a cold face that allowed no room for regret.

"I was merely following orders. It is true that there was some conflict between the lieutenant general and the major general, but you don't need to destroy the foundation of our Zeon's front lines, do you?"

"Tsk tsk, what if she's no longer working for Zeon?"

"what?"

The sudden sound startled Major Saotome. Upon noticing another figure standing in the shadows, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Lieutenant Top, are you going to betray the Duchy's great ideals?!"

'boom'

But before Major Saotome could launch into her impassioned speech, a deafening roar echoed through the air.

"I think that Zeon is neither great nor qualified to talk about any bullshit ideals."

As the mocking voice faded, Major Saotome felt her knees buckle, and a sharp pain shot straight to her brain:

"My legs, my legs!!"

Instinct compelled him to roll on the floor, blood flowing onto the wooden floor before being gently trampled under his military boots.

"Greetings from the Earth Federation, Zeon's stray dog."

"Damn federal lackeys..."

But when Major Saotome saw the scarlet eyes behind those dark sunglasses, she felt as if all those words were stuck in her throat.

Have I seen that face somewhere before?

But before he could think, a huge boot came straight for his face.

"boom"

"In this way, our commander will not be able to escape."

As his gaze gradually shifted from the unconscious major, Kuvatro simply blew out the thick smoke from the old-fashioned revolver.

Then, he looked at the silent woman:

"By the way, congratulations, Lieutenant Top. If our plan goes smoothly, this will be a great achievement."

"...I just hope that my men are safe and sound."

"Of course they will be safe and sound. After all, we can't really let your people go to 'dangerous' places."

Meeting the other person's complicated gaze, he pulled out a specially modified "big brother" mobile phone covered with a thick protective shell. Through this device, combined with their own "mothership" Hump, they could maintain communication within a certain distance.

"This is 'The Avengers.' Command post has been cleared. All units, please report your status."

"This is 'Tank One,' and all Minovsky particle dispersal devices have been successfully activated."

"This is 'Tank Two'. The first MS warehouse in the East District has been destroyed."

"This is 'Special Forces,' the second MS warehouse in the East District is being detonated."

Various indistinct sounds echoed within the communication channel, while Captain Cuvatro squinted his eyes.

He was waiting, waiting for that crucial voice:

"This is 'Elegy'. We have successfully arrived at Area C and are currently en route to the third MS warehouse."

Amidst the slightly muddy and noisy communications, the young voice stood out particularly.

"So, how's the situation on your end?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Ren merely glanced at the surrounding 'scenery'.

The crowd scattered, looking somewhat bewildered, while some people wearing armbands shouted through megaphones:

"Fire! The warehouse is on fire! The MS warehouse is on fire!"