Gundam, Gravity Elegy

Then, he saw a bright smile:

"Expired food is bad for your health."

Chapter 8: The Federation's New Type of Machine

It's worth mentioning that Gao Ren eventually ended up chewing gum.

Perhaps unable to endure Gao Ren's unwavering gaze any longer, Miss Shirley Page finally pulled a proper pack of chewing gum from her pocket.

Of course, considering that it was still some distance from the Gabro factory, she also handed over a document:

"Take a look at this first."

"Ok?"

The strong, refreshing scent of mint wafted into his mouth and nose, stimulating his brain. Gao Ren's eyes, almost wide open, were fixed on the document that had been handed to him.

Above this is a large character – V.

"Is this the legendary 'Operation V Plan'?"

"Yes, but that's only part of the content. You can preview their information before you go to the Gabro factory."

Upon opening it, the numbers appeared alongside the illustrations.

"Upon reporting to the Gabro factory, we will meet up with the G4 unit there, and then we will receive three new aircraft as a squad."

"A new type of aircraft, and three of them..."

At first, Gao Ren was a little confused, but after glancing at the contents of the plan, his questions were immediately answered:

"I see. The plan is to operate in squads of three units each. And unlike the general-purpose mobile suits mass-produced by Zeon, these are special-type mobile suits that have been further optimized and developed based on existing prototypes. In other words, the Federation has not given up on developing tank models."

Finally, Gao Ren's gaze focused on that one word:

"RX-75 Guntank - a long-range artillery support unit, the original unit built for the RX Project... No, isn't it more of a tank?"

Looking at the design of the tracks, Gao Ren felt his eyelids twitching violently.

"The two-person design clearly hasn't broken away from the concept of commander-gunner cooperation, and if I remember correctly, its chassis is a complete modification of the Type 61 tank, right?"

"It was indeed originally developed as a successor to the Type 61 tank, but then the Side 3 side made a big fuss, and the Federation Army directly converted it into a model for suppressing colonies in order to strengthen its space military power. The name Steel Tank was decided at that time."

"Then there's the RX-77 Guncannon, which seems to have been made so that the tanks were too bulky that they were simply lightened up and turned into cannons."

After flipping through a few pages of the project proposal, another word caught Gao Ren's eye:

"According to the plan, its prototype is a mobile suit that is further modified from the Gundam, but this thing is so heavy that it would be a sitting duck in space."

"I heard that a year ago, there was a direct confrontation between mobile suits on the moon, and it seems that the Federation suffered a complete defeat... Of course, there is no evidence for this, it's just a rumor."

"No, it's true. Although the Iron Cavalry Squadron was wiped out and its number was revoked, some clues can still be found. In the end, the Steel Cannon was just a piece of junk."

"...Was that just my imagination?"

Hearing Shirley's comments, which were clearly tinged with personal emotion, Gao Ren's expression turned strange:

"Sister Shirley, do you really hate the Guncannon?"

"No, I'm just telling the truth. After all, if the steel cannon really worked, things wouldn't be like this now."

As part of the V program for military equipment improvement and integration, the two originally planned main aircraft models were directly relegated to the specialization of long-range artillery fire and medium-range support, while the real main force was handed over to another team for full-scale development.

That was the latest type of general-purpose mobile suit that was to be manufactured at all costs after Project V was formed:

"The RX-78..."

"We've arrived."

As you cross the highway and turn directly into the factory, those massive, heavy war machines come into view:

A steel tank responsible for artillery support, equipped with a 120mm low-recoil cannon.

The Steel Cannon is responsible for mid-range support and carries a 240mm cannon.

Finally, there was that tall, imposing body, unburdened by any hindrances, simply standing tall and unyielding.

Code name: Gundam.

It doesn't seem to be equipped with any weapons yet, but with just one glance, Gao Ren can tell one thing—this big guy is definitely the core!

"So, aren't you captivated by it?"

Just as Gao Ren was carefully examining the black metal torso, the voice in his ear pulled him out of his scattered thoughts.

"Just like its name suggests, it is completely different from bulky tanks and cannons. It is as light and agile as a dumdum bullet, making it suitable for almost the entire battlefield."

When I came to my senses, a man in a trench coat had already emerged from the blind spot.

At first glance, he appears incredibly dashing, but his messy blond hair, hoarse voice, and the scars resembling cuts and burns that even sunglasses cannot conceal all contribute to a sense of pressure.

More importantly, the moment Gao Ren realized his presence, he felt that even breathing became difficult.

A sticky sensation enveloped my body, and I could vaguely hear overlapping howls.

Without realizing it, he felt his tongue trembling, and his mind was in such a frenzy that he could barely think straight.

"Although it is currently only a temporary, localized test model, it is still missing some things before it is truly complete."

By the time he came to his senses, the man was already standing by the car door.

For some reason, Gao Ren felt that his posture was very tall and imposing, with a scarlet light emanating from behind his sunglasses, and the shadow seemed to be about to swallow the entire sports car.

"Excuse me, who are you...?"

"Captain Kuvatro Bagina, an agent of the Earth Federation Intelligence Special Forces, will be transferred to the G4 Experimental Unit starting today to lead the Fourth Experimental Squad."

At this point, he extended his hand:

“I’ve already obtained information about you from Brigadier General Graves; from now on, we’re partners.”

Only when he got to this point in the conversation did Gao Rencai feel the inexplicable pressure gradually subside.

"If we need to form an MS squad, then as a captain, you would be our leader?"

"You could say that."

"So……"

Having confirmed this, Gao Ren immediately tried to open the car door.

However, those slender arms stopped him.

"Sister Shirley?"

Under the boy's puzzled gaze, the woman simply raised a finger to her lips.

Then, she casually put her legs up on the back of the seat in front of her:

"Brigadier General Greif, if I remember correctly, is the commander of the military police?"

“That’s right. It seems Lieutenant Tymoshenko should remember you. Our department has dealt with you before.”

"In that case, you should know that I am Lieutenant Shirley Page, even though you come from the intelligence department."

At this point, Shirley couldn't help but sneer:

"It seems you've been rotten ever since the Battle of Loum."

"If you're referring to what happened in Rumm, the military police already have their findings. You should have seen them if you've been paying attention."

Faced with that blatant mockery, Captain Cuvatro simply responded with a smile:

"Besides, I'm no longer part of the intelligence service, Lieutenant Page."

After straightening his collar, Captain Cuvatro pulled an appointment letter from inside his coat:

"Lieutenant Shirley Page, a graduate of the first class of the RX Project Special Class of the former Federation Space Force, and Second Lieutenant Gao Ren, a graduate of the MS Pilot Special Training Class of the Gablo Military Academy, will join the Fourth Experimental Squad of the G4 Force starting today. The plan is to verify the feasibility of V operations in actual combat and to further improve the plan with actual combat data."

At this point, he revealed a hearty smile:

"Gentlemen, please guide me from now on. I hope you are ready to go to the battlefield."

Author's message

…………

The Kuvatro appearing here is not an original character, but he's not the Commander-in-Chief we know either _(:з」∠)_

Chapter Nine: The Visions of a Low-Ranking Soldier

The Group Experimental Arms Froce (GFOR) is commonly known as G4.

This is a combat force jointly established by the Earth Federation Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force to align with the RX Project and Operation V.

Its purpose was not actually to fight on the front lines, but to experiment with and improve new weapons—namely, mobile suits—and to further develop specialized weapons for each branch of the armed forces. Its overall goal and military reform plan was also known as the 'G4 Project'.

Of course, Gao Ren wasn't too surprised to join this unit. After all, he was a graduated MS pilot, and he couldn't very well be sent to the front lines to pilot a Type 61 or be given a gun to fill in the gaps.

but……

"The first to third squads are used to test the operation of the MS, while our fourth squad will be used for real-world testing of the overall plan's feasibility; in other words, we are purely a frontline force—"

So, are you scared?

Just as Gao Ren subconsciously drew out his words, the light and cheerful tone he heard made him involuntarily purse his lips:

"Of course not, it's just a bit of a feeling—it seems like we don't even have time to rest. The troops were assembled and then immediately boarded transport planes."

Yes, Gao Ren and his group are no longer in Gabro.

They left the military academy in the morning, arrived at the factory at noon, and by the time the sun was about to set and the sunset was burning on the horizon, their squad's aircraft, the Migratory Bird, based on the Median-class transport plane, was already soaring freely in the sky above the earth.

"This speed surprised me. If I remember correctly, my previous detention punishment for fighting took at least two days to be issued. Thinking about it carefully, I feel that the morale of the Federation Army must have dropped to a certain level."

"That's right, that's exactly it."

Then, the sound seemed to come naturally from the doorway:

"Right now, the situation on the front lines is indeed not optimistic."

Only after hearing that sound did the footsteps become truly clear.

Then, the door to the lounge opened, and the blond man reappeared before them:

"Sorry, sorry. I was confirming the mission objectives with the people above, so I'm a little late."

However, this mild attitude did not seem to elicit any reciprocated goodwill:

"As expected of someone from the special forces, they're as silent as ever~"

While there wasn't much of a problem with what she said, Shirley's tone was full of intonation.

The sarcastic and unspoken attitude that was full of personal opinions left Gao Ren speechless, and the absurd atmosphere within the team also filled him with a strange sense of crisis.

Just as he was about to say something to ease the tension within the team, he saw Captain Cuvatro shrug:

"After all, the place where I used to work had very strict requirements, and people who couldn't reach my level basically died in Granada."

All I can say is that he is at least a good-tempered person, and even when he is acting, he is a captain who understands the bigger picture, which made Gao Ren secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"In any case, let's take a look at the current state of the Earth front."

In the conference room, he casually tapped on an electronic screen:

"Diver, send the data over."

"Yes, yes, you just know how to boss people around, Captain."

Amidst the communications officer's helpless voice, a map appeared before them:

"Anyway, this is Europe...you all should know what Europe is, right?"

Then, he received two silent stares.

Perhaps realizing that treating his teammates like idiots was indeed inappropriate, he coughed lightly.

"In short, this is the area we need to support. If you've been reading the newspapers, you'll know that since the Zeon's first successful landing operation, the European front has been retreating every day because the Odessa mining base has been completely occupied, and the areas surrounding Ukraine and Central Asia had already fallen to those Zeon bastards by early March."

Of course, Gao Ren would also pay attention to this matter:

"It's been more than a month now. While it may not be impregnable, Zeon must have already established its own stronghold."

"That's right. According to local guerrilla reports, after quickly occupying our Federation bases and factories, Zeon swiftly converted them and established their own factories, not only researching mobile suits that could quickly adapt to the land battlefield, but also establishing their own air force."