Gundam UC Hunting Time

"The enemy still has MS teams! Retreat! Temporary retreat!"

Having found a plausible excuse, she immediately issued the order, but before the Iron Ball pilots could carry it out, Lin Xingyuan's voice came through the communication channel.

"There's no need for that, keep attacking!"

Immediately afterward, the black Zani flew over, deftly dodging the transport ship's anti-aircraft fire, and destroyed two Zaku aircraft aboard the Yap-class with precise bursts of fire. Lieutenant Hillary immediately turned around and realized that the escorting Zaku squadron had lost more than half of its forces in such a short time—despite their numerical superiority!

Why?!

Her reliance on the Zeon MS pilots' skills and tactics bordered on arrogance, making it impossible for her to accept the situation. She overlooked the fact that these Zani pilots were incredibly lucky, chosen by fate, and had survived the bitter battle of Loom! In contrast, most Zaku pilots were new recruits after Loom, completely at a disadvantage in terms of luck and skills, and were thrown into chaos at the start of the battle, putting them at a huge disadvantage.

"That's a ground-based Zaku, not suited for space combat. Ignore it."

Lin Xingyuan's voice rang out again. Lieutenant Hillary turned around in surprise, only to find that the black Zani had already returned, raising its massive rocket launcher and firing a beam that pierced through the target Zaku along with the Aap-class beneath it! The other Zakus around panicked, jumping up to fire and try to stop it. But just as Lin Xingyuan had said, their movements were like those of drowning machines, and their shots were completely inaccurate. They were mercilessly struck down by the passing special iron ball, utterly powerless to retaliate!

Seeing the supply fleet ships being damaged one after another, with landing capsules either blown up or randomly thrown into the atmosphere, Lieutenant Hillary felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but close her eyes.

it's over...

Author's message

……

……

I made it! That's so true to me.

Chapter Seventy: The Humor of Fate

The battle was expected to last fifteen minutes. Lin Xingyuan issued the retreat order without hesitation, leaving behind the near-annihilation Zeon supply fleet. By this time, their altitude had dropped to a dangerously low level; without assistance, they would all eventually plummet into the atmosphere and burn up completely.

Seeing the Republic-class aircraft, which was on standby, fly into the battlefield to conduct a final search for the friendly pilot whose machine had been destroyed, Lieutenant Hillary couldn't help but speak up.

"Captain, shouldn't we include the Zeon people as well... out of humanitarian considerations..."

Her voice trembled as she made her last effort, thinking Lin Xingyuan would refuse. To her surprise, after a few seconds of hesitation, he actually agreed.

"...That's true. After all, we are partners of justice, unlike the Nazi devils. Order: Leave two Republic-class destroyers behind, and, while ensuring safety, try to rescue as many Zeon personnel as possible."

Why do something so unnecessary?

It's a complete waste of time.

[Zion doesn't care about humanity at all.]

[Affection decreased by 1]

The barrage of comments became agitated, and Lin Xingyuan knew this would happen. He smiled slightly, opened the communication system, reported the order he had just given to the flagship, and explained the reasons.

“We can exchange prisoners of war with Zeon. Given their cruelty, our captured compatriots are probably not doing well. If they refuse, it will only prove that we are right.”

The reason sounded plausible, and the fleet commander naturally agreed. The sentiment in the comments section immediately reversed, until someone suddenly typed out...

Will Colonel Jinhua be brought back?

After being captured during the One Year War, Basque Ohm was subjected to inhuman torture by the Zeon army. His eyes were burned by some kind of torture device, causing irreparable damage. This experience led him to have extreme hatred for Zeonism and the inhabitants of space. He later became the number two figure within the Titans and was one of the founding elders of the Titans, second only to Gamitov Hyman in status.

【Huh? So Colonel Jinhua owes PL a favor?】

[It's not impossible, lol]

So, will these two become rivals in the future?

The comments suddenly veered in a strange direction, and as predicted, Luna 2 later used the Zeon prisoners of war it had taken in to exchange for a number of Federation officers and soldiers, including Basque Ohm. But that's another story.

The retreat went very smoothly. Lin Xingyuan was the last to board the ship and quickly obtained the damage data from the battle.

MS lost two units and damaged six, with two pilots killed and four wounded. Special Iron Ball lost three units and damaged seven, with three pilots killed and six wounded. The Swordfish Attack Squad suffered zero losses, and other units suffered virtually no casualties. For the space forces recovering from a major defeat, the losses were perfectly acceptable. In contrast, the Zeon Orbital Supply Fleet was completely annihilated, suffering heavy losses.

The day after Operation Villain's resounding success, the fleet returned safely to Luna 2 Base. All combat personnel received commendations from the Space Force and Federation Forces high command. In particular, the 101st Special Iron Ball Flight Squadron, which had made outstanding contributions, was hailed as the 'key to victory' of the operation, along with its mobile suits and pilots. Compared to Zani, who was of Zeon blood, the 'pure-blooded' Special Iron Ball unit was naturally more suitable for propaganda. In particular, the commander, Lieutenant Hillary, was the perfect subject of propaganda. Her identity as a woman, her beautiful appearance, and her complicated and tortuous life story—referring to her loyalty to the Federation Forces, her risking her life to cross the Zeon blockade under unfavorable circumstances, her return to Luna 2, and her successful revenge as a Special Iron Ball pilot and unit commander—made her the best propaganda target. She was directly promoted to lieutenant, and her postcards selling light sold tens of millions of copies. Gablo also quickly released a movie based on her own experience, which was also a huge hit.

Of course, what she herself thinks is another matter.

Incidentally, in the movie, her real-life partner is Lin Xingyuan, which is widely discussed—everyone naturally assumes that the two had already slept together—after all, that's how it was portrayed in the movie, which really left Lin Xingyuan speechless.

In short, this operation completely reversed the situation where the Space Force could only passively take hits. For a period of time afterward, the specially equipped Iron Balls, which began to be mass-produced, were dispatched everywhere to attack Zeon transport convoys, lay mines, and engage in combat with Zeon patrols. This greatly relieved the pressure on the MS teams and incidentally trained a large number of MS trainee pilots for the Federation Forces—the two types of mobile suits have many similarities in operation.

On the Zeon side, the attack on the orbital supply fleet caused logistical problems, forcing the ground attack forces to borrow supplies across the war zone, thus halting the original offensive plan and resulting in a defeat in the Suez Canal campaign. It is said that Gihren was furious and ordered the intelligence department to take countermeasures. As a result, for a period afterward, Lin Xingyuan frequently observed Lieutenant Hillary being distracted during training and drinking heavily during breaks, her mental state appearing worrisome.

As for Lin Xingyuan himself, he received a B rating in this battle, earning three chances to draw prizes. He obtained +1 to Strength, +1 to Charisma, and a brand-new skill: Propulsion Master +1. This skill allows him to manipulate the mech's thrusters more freely, conserving fuel and indirectly extending the mech's combat time. As a result, his six stats are now Strength 10+6, Agility 10+7, Constitution 10+6, Intelligence 9+7, Charisma 8+7, and Spirit 10+6. His skills are Insight +4, Eagle Eye +3, Concealment +2, Critical Strike Penetration +2, Quick Defense +2, Propulsion Master +1, and Luck +3. Furthermore, because he participated in the battle as a commander, the reputation system has changed, no longer limited to the individual, and now includes a commander option, broadening the character's possibilities.

but--

"Lieutenant, I've read the report. You did a great job. If you could have been a little bolder, that would have been even better. Also, remember to rest. That's all."

In the hangar, Lin Xingyuan read Lieutenant Hillary's report and offered words of encouragement. Noticing that Lieutenant Hillary was clearly distracted, somewhat absent-minded, and had heavy dark circles under her eyes, he asked her a question. As he turned around, he caught Sergeant Mei's critical, hesitant gaze. Meeting Lin Xingyuan's gaze, she immediately turned away and continued with her work. When Lin Xingyuan went to speak to her, she barely responded.

"What's wrong? Why are you unhappy?"

Lin Xingyuan didn't understand, but he didn't pay much attention. He kept pestering Sergeant Mei to learn about the improvement research on the beam rocket launcher—this thing was still very immature, and could only be fired three to four times in succession during combat, requiring further modifications. Fortunately, Project V was progressing, and through information exchange between Gabro and Luna 2, this weapon was gradually becoming practical.

Time passed to May 23, UC0079. Lin Xingyuan saw Shiro Amada's face among the new batch of pilot trainees, adding a new source of amusement to his boring instructor life. Shiro Amada was a warm-hearted and straightforward person, somewhat naive in character, but extremely talented in MS piloting. He quickly mastered the special iron ball and reached the standard for actual combat.

On June 12, UC 0079, the Federation Space Fleet launched a surprise attack on the Zeon cruiser fleet in the Republic of Lia space. Lin Xingyuan had already been exposed during the villain operation for still being on Luna 2, so he was allowed to return to the front line.

……

……

Chapter 71 The 'Favored' Protagonists

As time went on, the Federation Space Force's Hamamatsu Project began to show results—first were the battleships with damaged bows. After replacing their hangars with box-shaped structures, these battleships' gunnery capabilities were somewhat weakened, but they gained the crucial ability to carry mobile units, meeting the needs of current combat. Next were the well-preserved Salamis-class Kai. This model's gunnery capabilities were completely unaffected, and it could carry four mobile suits or eight special-equipped iron balls, instantly making it a hot commodity in the fleet. With the addition of the repaired Magellan-class battleships, the Federation Space Force's strength was finally somewhat restored, and it immediately began to demonstrate its presence.

On June 12, the rebuilt and reorganized Space Force fleet secretly arrived near Side 6, a neutral colony cluster located in L4. The Zeon forces had stationed a cruiser fleet there to monitor industrial production on this side and, incidentally, suppress anti-Zeon movements among the local residents. Prolonged, low-level counterinsurgency operations had lulled this cruiser fleet into complacency, leaving it completely unaware of the approaching Federation fleet.

When Lin Xingyuan left the headquarters and entered the briefing room, all the pilots who had participated in the battle were already there, more than sixty in total, all wearing pilot suits. Some looked tense, some relaxed, and their movements reflected this. Among them was the protagonist, Amada Shiro—in pursuit of rapid training, the Luna 2's training was basically conducted in parallel with actual combat, and this time was no exception. Many of the Iron Ball pilots participating in the attack were newcomers who had only been piloting for about a month. However, some were chatting and joking, whispering and laughing loudly; they were clearly MS pilots.

Upon seeing Lin Xingyuan enter, Amada Shirou, who was sitting near the door, immediately stood up and shouted loudly.

"Captain has arrived!"

He was a second lieutenant, while most of the others were non-commissioned officers, so Lin Xingyuan originally assigned him the role of discipline committee member. Of course, there were other officers among the trainees, but he was the protagonist, so naturally he received Lin Xingyuan's 'favoritism'.

The whispers immediately ceased. Lin Xingyuan looked at the young faces, and the thought that some of them would disappear after the battle weighed heavily on his mind, causing his expression to tighten. He didn't offer any opening remarks, but directly turned on the screen, projecting the real-time situation of the SIDE6 colony satellite, then inserted the situation maps of both sides, and watched the pilots in the room.

"Now I will introduce the specific details of this operation."

Lin Xingyuan took out a laser pointer and began to explain in a completely emotionless voice.

“Unlike last time, the enemy is stationed at the colony's spaceport. If we fire indiscriminately, stray bullets could damage the colony. Therefore, I require you to keep this in mind at all times during the battle—”

"what?"

Upon hearing that there were restrictions on firing cannons, the young trainees immediately lost their composure. Although they were newcomers, they understood what this meant.

MS move very fast, making them difficult to engage in combat. The window of opportunity is very short. If you manage to seize the opportunity to aim, but the colony satellites behind the MS cannot fire, it's a matter of being hampered, or even suicidal.

"This is terrible..."

"Why should we worry about the security of colonies during a war?"

"Damn Zeon bastards!"

"What's so strange about that? It's not the first time they've used colony residents as a shield. During the Battle of Loum, if we hadn't been concerned about the L5 colony cluster, how could we have suffered such a crushing defeat?"

The team members discussed it amongst themselves, and some even cursed out loud, while others were unwilling to accept such constraints.

"There's really no need to be so cautious, is there? A colony satellite won't be destroyed by one or two shells."

"Shut up! You ignorant Earthling!" Io, with a fiery temper, glared at the lieutenant who was speaking and yelled. The lieutenant was equally impolite and glared back at him unhappily.

"What did you say?"

The situation suddenly spiraled out of control. What was clearly a minor conflict highlighted the different ideologies brought about by their different living environments. Lin Xingyuan frowned and decisively sided with his subordinates.

"Lieutenant, watch your words."

The other person shrugged and shut their mouth in an annoyance.

This guy survived a year of war; he'll definitely be a Titan in the future.

The comments on the screen were sharp, and Lin Xingyuan thought so too. He scanned the entire audience with a stern gaze before continuing.

"In short, that's the order. We are not the Zeon army, and under no circumstances can we do anything to harm the colony."

In fact, many of the bigwigs above don't care about this at all. As the lieutenant said, one or two shells wouldn't do much to the colony. It's just that destroying the colony now is on the Zeon side, which is extremely politically incorrect. That's why such an order was issued to win the support of the neutral side.

"Therefore, the fleet will try its best to lure the Zeon cruiser fleet away from the colonies. Once a safe distance is reached, they can act freely. At the same time, the MS teams will enter the colonies and drive them away or render them ineffective without damaging them—that is, drive them away or shoot them down. But there is a special requirement: they must not blow up the Zaku's nuclear fusion reactor. The explosive power of that thing is enough to create a hole 500 meters in diameter in the colony and empty the air inside the colony in a short time."

"So, you're saying we have to fight in a gravity environment?"

"And we also want to neutralize the enemy without damaging the colonies?"

"That's so easy to say..."

The MS pilots immediately erupted. They weren't rookie trainees, and even when facing Lin Xingyuan, they had to vent their frustrations. Amada Shirou roared at them as if he had been stressed.

"Shut up, all of you! Millions of people live on that satellite too!"

The MS pilots reluctantly shut their mouths. Lin Xingyuan clicked his tongue at them and continued to explain the enemy's combat strength distribution. After the operation meeting ended, he called out to Amada Shirou.

"Amanta Shirou, please stay behind."

"here we go again."

The other trainees chuckled and left, leaving only Amada Shirou standing there like a javelin. Lin Xingyuan, seeing his expression, asked him a question knowing the answer already.

"Lieutenant, are you nervous about your first combat experience?"

"No, no, that's not true! Please don't worry!"

Amada Shiro was somewhat incoherent; he seemed genuinely nervous.

"The voice was too soft and incoherent; I couldn't understand it."

"No! Captain! I'm not nervous!"

Amada Shiro answered loudly, inwardly groaning. He couldn't understand why this superior officer paid so much attention to him, being unusually strict during training, which always made him the laughingstock of others.

Is it because of jealousy?

Absolutely

[After all, he's one of the few male protagonists with a happy ending, and Aina is so beautiful and cute.]

【Aina!!!】

The comments section was buzzing with excitement, but Lin Xingyuan refused to admit it. Adopting the attitude of an upperclassman, he glared sternly at Amada Shirou.

"Second Lieutenant! An officer should act like an officer! If you can't even speak properly, how will you set an example for the sergeants in the future?"

"……Yes!"

"What did you say? I can't hear you."

"Yes! I'm so sorry!"

Shiro Amada was sweating profusely and could only stand up straight and answer loudly.

"I'm doing this for your own good. If you don't have the right attitude and excellent skills, and you end up getting injured or disabled, your wife will complain about me!"

"Sir! I don't have a wife!"

"There will be one in the future! And a super cute beauty! We'll soak in hot springs together in the snowy mountains! You wretched winner in life!" Lin Xingyuan's voice rose eight octaves, having a great time.

"Oh? Thank you?"

Is this a blessing for me? Is this a blessing for me?

Amada Shirou didn't understand, but he still expressed his gratitude. Lin Xingyuan patted him heavily on the shoulder, lowered his voice, and gave him a meaningful warning.

"Unlike MS, legs are very important to people. Be careful with your legs. For example, in combat, jump a little higher."

"???"

Now Amada Shirou was even more confused, looking at Lin Xingyuan with utter bewilderment. Lin Xingyuan laughed and turned to leave, but after only two steps, he suddenly stumbled.