Gundam, Gravity Elegy

"Oh ho ho, it seems you guys are moving pretty fast over there. The second ship of the Big Tray-class has already been launched? Compared to you, I'm quite slow here."

Inside its bridge, the old man's cheerful voice echoed.

On the screen, a kind old man who at first glance looks no different from a mole is laughing heartily.

However, that joyful atmosphere was ultimately interrupted by that serious voice:

"This is the speed the Federation Army should have, Gop."

It was an old man sitting upright in the empty bridge. Although he was also old, compared to the sparsely haired communication subject, he not only still had thick, white hair, but even his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.

At the same time, even though the bridge was empty, his aura seemed to fill it completely.

And this man had a name that resonated throughout all federal soldiers:

“Rebil, don’t be so serious. Since the fighting has started at the front, let them fight. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about logistics.”

Facing the current Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Federation Forces, General Reibell, General Gop, who holds the same rank, displayed a completely different, amiable attitude:

"Speaking of which, what's the name of your flagship again?"

Faced with that attitude, as if he were an old neighbor or friend he had known for a long time, Rebil finally sighed:

"...Morteke."

"Ah, I think it must be Moltke the Elder. In the old century, he was also a brilliant tactician who advocated technological innovation within the army and viewed war as a continuation of politics..."

At this point, a subtle meaning flickered in Gop's smile:

"Ultimately, war is something like this, so for the Federation right now, this war has too much significance... You should know that, right?"

Rebil merely frowned at those meaningful words:

What are you trying to say?

"It's nothing. You should get the news soon. As an old friend, I just hope you can make the right choice."

Just as Gop finished speaking, a short communication suddenly broke out on the bridge.

After Rebil connected the call, the communication screen showing Admiral Gop's message suddenly went dark, revealing the excited expression on the face of the remaining staff officer:

"Oxner?"

"Yes, General, the front line... Pang Pan has sent a battle report."

"Bruce defeated Zeon?"

"Not only that, Lieutenant General Bruce successfully annihilated the main force of the attacking 1st Land Division and repelled the 7th Division. In addition, Yuri Keller, who was in charge of European strategy, was also killed. They have now moved into the Ruhr base!"

Hearing the staff officer's barely suppressed joy, Rebil suddenly frowned.

"That crossroads of Europe... Such a great victory, the four traditional forces he mobilized should not have been able to achieve this, let alone when facing that kid Kelleren."

"Of course, it's also thanks to the new combat weapons our army has deployed... mobile suits!"

Then, the photograph that had appeared was shown to the Commander-in-Chief.

A jet-black body, scarlet eyes, a long-barreled rifle in hand—it's unclear who recorded this scene, but they captured it precisely from an accurate angle, showing the shadowy figure firing into the air.

"Gundam?"

“That’s right. The local test models built by Dr. Tim Ray have had an unexpectedly good effect under Operation V, which you advocated. They were originally just conducting tests behind enemy lines, but their captain seized the opportunity and successfully attacked the enemy’s rear base, cutting off the enemy’s supply lines. Yuri Keller was even shot down by them.”

"I see. So the pilot is that kid from Sydney?"

"……Yes!"

Although he didn't know why the general had suddenly inquired about these matters, Oxner still responded:

"That kid had unimaginable rumors about him in the pilot training program, and now he's proving himself on the battlefield!"

"Yes, this will surely inspire the other soldiers."

The sigh echoed, yet it seemed to contain a complex emotion that was difficult to understand:

"Unfortunately, it happened earlier than I expected."

The voice startled the staff member named Oxner. After recovering from his initial excitement, he realized that the commander-in-chief's emotions were not as high as he had previously displayed.

But before he could speak, he saw the old man on the communication device display a sharp gaze:

"Then, have the 23rd Armored Airborne Division provide him with support. If we're going to counterattack, we should fight it well. And then, send a message to the G4 unit for me. I need all the information and strategic plans for their frontline unit."

"Yes!"

"Then, I handed over the draft I had planned the previous week to Gabro's staff (the Joint Chiefs of Staff)."

"Are you referring to the proposal from that new unit?"

“That’s right. Now that the G4 unit has achieved results, we must strike while the iron is hot. If we miss this opportunity, it will be troublesome later.”

At this point, Rebil closed his eyes.

Having reached this age and sitting so steadily in this position, he is well aware of the temperaments of certain people within the Federation.

And that's precisely why...

Finally, you rewrite the report.

"Huh?"

"Just write it like this."

As Oxner stood there in a daze, he saw Rebil gently tap the table:

"Mobile Suit is an operation carried out behind enemy lines under my orders. All operations are personally reviewed and approved by me."

"General..."

…………

Victory is merely a superficial gift; the undercurrents surging beneath it remain unknown to anyone, ultimately condensing into those insignificant words:

"Thanks to the bravery of the Federation soldiers, Mother Earth has returned to us children."

In the federal news broadcast, the pitch-black giant slowly moved forward and crudely planted the flag of the Earth Federation at the top of the damaged command post.

May 2, UC.0079.

The Earth Federation's European Front engaged in a major battle with Zeon in Western Europe, which is also known as the 'Battle of Rouen' because the main force departed from Rouen, France.

In this campaign, the Zeon forces deployed a new type of air force weapon—the Gau-class transport carrier group—to compensate for the weakness of insufficient range of fighter jets by using air fortresses as the core.

At the same time, the Federation's latest mobile suits also appeared on the battlefield, launching an attack by exploiting the Zeon command system and logistical weaknesses, shooting down the aircraft carrier in one fell swoop, and killing Yuri Keller, commander of the Zeon 1st Land Division and European Army.

On the same day, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the loss of commander and the regaining of air superiority, General Bruce of the European Front decisively defeated the main land force of Zeon's 1st Division.

Three days later, on May 5, the main force of the Federal Army pushed the front line back to central Europe, vaguely reaching a stalemate with the Zeon army that had invaded Europe.

Two months after Zeon's invasion, the Federation finally achieved its first resounding victory... at least that's how it was in terms of propaganda.

Author's message

…………

Reibill: My power as Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Federation Forces is unlimited!

Chapter 77: Aftermath and Vacation

"Welcome to 'Defense Perspective'. The recent great victory on the Western European plains has become a hot topic of conversation. After 96 hours of frantic advance, the 19th Panzer Division of the European Front, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Bruce, not only successfully annihilated the 1st and 7th Zeon Land Divisions, but also successfully recaptured the Ruhr industrial area..."

'patta'

"The most noteworthy aspect of this battle was undoubtedly the deployment of the Federation's new weaponry. Let's hear what the renowned military commentator, Dr. Kirby, has to say..."

'patta'

"Gundam symbolizes the revolutionary military iteration of our Earth Federation. In the current environment where Minovsky particles have become mainstream, its existence means that the Federation is determined to invest in this new weapon. I think this is an unimaginable awareness and progress."

'patta'

"However, some people worry that the development of such highly mobile weapons may cause problems for future public security..."

"pat"

"Mobile Suit is a crooked path, nothing more than an opportunistic act by the Zeon people in Side 3 to make up for the population and military equipment gap. What the Federation should do is develop stronger and better warships and tanks!"

'Snapped'

Finally, the screen went dark, revealing a young face – Gao Ren.

Then he sighed:

"victory……"

To be honest, although that's how it was portrayed in the news, and no matter which channel you tuned to, they were all talking about the battle from a few days ago, Gao Ren didn't really feel any real connection to it.

Watching those experts on TV talking so eloquently, as if they had already taken it as a signal of retaliation, Gao Ren felt uneasy and nauseous from the bottom of his heart.

Ultimately, the casualty ratios of the two sides were not the same at all.

Looking at the official data within the Federation, it was essentially a counterattack launched by nearly four traditional army units combined with the air force, but even so, Zeon managed to break up an entire organization.

Then, it was forgotten.

No one mentioned the complete annihilation of the 3rd Armored Division, nor the loss of most of the 8th Division, nor the losses to the Air Force.

"Those people clearly know nothing, yet they brazenly claim to be experts and spout nonsense on television..."

"Well, that's what TV programs and news are all about. If it weren't for these 'accidents' happening now, you should be chatting with those 'experts' on TV."

Then, a slow, leisurely sound came from the direction of the gym.

Shirley Page – Wearing a sports vest, she clearly finished her workout; beads of sweat could be seen on her well-defined abs, and steam could be faintly seen rising from her shoulders.

After stretching lazily in the lounge without a care in the world, she walked briskly to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of vodka.

"Want some?"

"...I am a minor."

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

Whether it was true or not, Shirley simply stuck out her tongue, then twisted the cork, exhaled, and blew a big gulp directly into the bottle, displaying her true ethnic nature.

"In fact, let alone the news, can you even understand the current situation yourself?"

Looking at Shirley's face, which was now noticeably flushed, Gao Ren ultimately just stared at the dark ceiling.

The answer is, of course, very simple:

"cannot……"

Even when he sees data on paper, Gao Ren feels that the world is full of illusions.

The presence of Minovsky particles disrupted the intended sense of technology, forcibly pulling the battle into a visible scale. At the same time, it actually brought about weapons like mobile suits with miniaturized nuclear fusion reactors, and even led to the creation of the "white garlic" called the "Luna Tank".

Thinking is so tiring.

"Ah Ren, you don't use your brain! Ah Ren, you idiot—"

Just then, in a corner of the living room, that somewhat out-of-place thing suddenly started making a restless noise. The mechanical sound was like dancing on Gao Ren's bottom line.

Hello—Although it's supposed to be a smart toy to accompany children, Gao Ren always feels that this thing keeps making random noises at inappropriate times:

"Aren, Kouhao, Aren, you are a coward."

"Don't bother me, go charge your phone and play by yourself."

"what--"

He kicked the big black ball aside and leaned back on the sofa, but before he could lie down properly, he felt a soft bottom push his legs apart.

“Go back to the old days. I bought this sofa according to family size. If you take it all, that's unacceptable.”

"Even though that's what you said, Sister Shirley, could you please stop putting your feet on my stomach?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I bought this sofa. If you don't like it, go sit on the floor."

Ultimately, if I really have to say what I gained from that battle a few days ago, it's probably this kind of life now—a vacation.

To be precise, after completing their frontline operations, the fourth squad of the G4 unit was granted about a month's leave, during which they were required to minimize the number of times they went out.

Of course, to put it bluntly, you could call it 'house arrest'.