Gundam, Gravity Elegy

Does this thing look like something you'd use on the battlefield?!

So, can you adapt?

"Three minutes..."

Staring at the unfamiliar instrument dials in front of her, Shirley held her breath and focused intently:

"No, I can get used to it in a minute."

"Then in terms of time, it should be enough..."

Gao Ren wanted to say that, but the next echoing sound from the speaker interrupted all his thoughts.

"All personnel on alert. The Gallup-class land battleship moving at high speed has been identified as behaving abnormally. Do not approach."

"not good--"

Is it really going to be exposed like this?

Originally, Gao Ren planned to use the enemy's mechs to launch a surprise attack amidst the chaos, eliminate the pilots who hadn't yet recovered, and then use the Gallup-class's unique high-speed movement to further suppress the base with firepower.

The problem is that the Gallup-class's firepower isn't particularly fierce, and once they react, they become targets of mobile suits...

'boom'

A sudden, loud bang echoed, and Gao Ren's heart leaped into his throat:

"Divers, what's the situation over there? The Hump..."

"The Hump is still okay, but the two anti-aircraft guns were blown up by that blue Zaku with the shield."

A somewhat helpless voice came through the communication:

"Then part of the right engine was damaged, and the rest caught fire. In addition, the bottom nuclear thermal engine also failed."

"So that means you can't move now?"

"If we want to ensure the chassis remains intact... yes, and to avoid further problems, some minor adjustments will be needed."

Clutching his head, which had been bruised by the previous shockwave, the diver's fingers flew across the control panel.

"Sophia, shut down the right-side engine to avoid affecting the warship's main engine."

"Yes, I understand!"

"Then, cut off the bottom nuclear thermal engine, and then..."

'Didi Didi'

Inside the bridge, the alarm of the fire control system lock-on was being transmitted, and at the same time, a blue, one-eyed machine could be clearly seen outside the exposed glass window.

It raised its hand, the machine gun held in one hand reflecting the surrounding firelight, as if deadly 'flames' would erupt at any moment.

"Please disarm your ship."

At the same time, that clearly aged, steady voice echoed through the speaker:

"Whether they are traitors or invaders of the Federation, our military will abide by the Antarctic Treaty and will not pose any threat to prisoners."

"So, that's what he said. What do you think?"

"I must be out of my mind to believe these Geon people."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ren couldn't help but sneer:

"Get ready over there, I'll be right out."

"Then we entrust our lives to you, 'Little Commander'."

After yawning, the diver stretched.

"Little Sofia."

"Huh?"

“Send a signal to Ms. Lutz to have the Gundam ready.”

Gazing out the window at the cyclops that had already raised their weapons, the diver simply sighed:

"I'm afraid we'll have to activate our backup plan very soon."

"And then what?"

"Then you and your crew should take refuge on the battle bridge. If the Hump really explodes, use that to escape."

Upon hearing this, Sofia's eyes widened in surprise:

"how about you?"

Then, she saw a big smiling face.

That smile was the kind of smile she'd only ever seen on the men in the army…excitement:

"Of course I'm staying here. You know, I love this kind of thrill."

…………

"I repeat, please surrender immediately. Our military will abide by the Antarctic Treaty and will never violate the human rights of prisoners of war."

The deep voice echoed inside the machine, and the blue giant's single eye flashed, its scarlet 'gaze' fixed on the completely silent warship directly in front of it.

"If you wish to surrender, please turn on your communications. Our army has restored communications in this small area using external equipment."

But what seems to echo within it is only silence:

"Major Norris, what should we do now?"

During the communication, the slightly younger-sounding voice made him frown.

It's not that I'm angry about anything, it's just that the current situation is indeed not optimistic:

"If possible, I would like to save this warship as much as possible..."

"But doing this is completely useless."

But before he could finish speaking, an even more reckless voice echoed in the channel:

"If you ask me, we should just blow this warship to smithereens! Those damn white ogres, they even got their mothership stolen!"

"Put away that idea, Lieutenant Lenchev. Do you know what kind of damage would be caused by detonating a warship in a place like this?"

"Hmph, as expected of a servant from a 'great family,' he really has the 'spirit of a knight.'"

Despite the vast difference in rank, the man named Lenchev showed absolutely no respect.

"But don't forget that this is war, and this is not a place to talk about morality."

Upon hearing this, the man named Norris Barcard frowned deeply.

"However, this argument is nothing more than an excuse for pointless killing."

This guy is like some kind of beast that can speak human language.

This kind of rhetoric, which almost entirely served the purpose of killing and sought some kind of excuse for itself, made Norris, who considered himself a soldier, feel extremely uncomfortable.

The only thing preventing him from directly opposing him now is the fact that they are still on the same side:

"Are you satisfied with the argument that keeping that warship would make it easier for us to distinguish friend from foe and to understand the current situation?"

"Then there's no problem, Major. To put it bluntly, it's just a matter of waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump."

Looking around at the flames, Lenchev gave a cruel smile:

"I wonder what kind of 'prey' this huge bait will attract."

'boom'

Amidst the raging fire that could no longer be contained, a green Zaku emerged from a warehouse.

"So, who is that guy?"

'Didi Didi'

On the other side, Gao Ren simply stared at the logo displayed on the screen:

"Zaku, a five-machine gun, it can fight."

Chapter 51: Zaku vs. Tiger

In reality, the current situation at the Ruhr base is absolutely terrible.

The loss of contact with the command post left the base's garrison troops completely without a backbone. At the same time, due to the chaos in the internal command system, even though Major Norris is currently the highest-ranking officer, troublemakers like Lenchev will eventually emerge.

But this wasn't the worst of the situation. Worse still, because of the spread of the Minovsky particles, they, who hadn't been able to understand the full picture of the event, couldn't determine what the emerging friendly force identification signal meant.

If even the mothership of Squadron 441 has been captured...

"Zagu over there, state your name."

But before Major Norris could ask a question, another voice rang out:

"That's a 'target drone' used to collect cross-sectional comparison data. It's a Zaku from our 603rd Unit. The person above it is likely Captain Cadillac, and possibly Sergeant Stirner..."

"Then they need to prove their identity."

Before the young man could say anything more, Norris interrupted him:

"Lieutenant Mei, I understand your concern and care for your colleagues, but the current situation does not allow us to act rashly."

"If you ask me, we should just shoot."

But before the sound had completely faded, a troublesome voice rang out again:

"That way, no matter what, the other side won't stay silent; they'll rush to prove their innocence."

“No, Sergeant Stirner is just a test pilot, and Captain Cadillac is just a technical evaluator. They have never experienced any actual combat training.”

"Now that they're all on MS, they should be prepared to take a few shots, right? Or are you trying to show off your 'gentlemanly' manners on this battlefield where survival is at stake?"

"That's not the issue!"

The sounds of the argument lingered in Norris's ears, making them ring.

"What are you doing? This is a battlefield..."

Then, a burst of somewhat loud music came from afar, completely interrupting the words that were giving him a headache.

However, this does not mean that his mood has improved—in fact, he is even more irritable.

The drumbeats and the melody were so unique, as if stirring up the deepest restlessness within. As a seasoned soldier who had seen countless battlefields, Norris seemed to see firsthand what those vibrant notes represented:

"It's the enemy... Lieutenant Mei, get out of the way!"

"what?!"

"Jump over here!"

Before he could even be shocked, the alarm that echoed throughout the cockpit startled him.

"Drip drip"

Directly in front, the green Zaku's machine gun was already spitting fire.

'Bang bang bang bang'

The 120mm caliber 'machine gun' bullets were clearly visible, and Lieutenant Oliver May could only push the control lever by instinct.

'boom'

With its back thrusters fully activated, the Zaku leaped high into the air, avoiding the locked-on projectiles.

"Safety... no, that's not right."

Beneath the pounding drums, the dark muzzle of the gun gleamed with a cold metallic sheen.

"Adjusting posture... No, the land-based model doesn't have control thrusters, dorsal thrusters, or leg thrusters... No, there's no way to change direction in the air on Earth!!"

Just as Lieutenant Mei was in a flurry of activity, the surging flames finally completely engulfed the leaping Zaku.

"boom"

The shockwaves echoed as the head was shattered, and the Zaku's steel body exploded with a deafening roar at the joints between its limbs and its body.

"Monitor destroyed, output power reduced... Guaaaa!!"