Gundam: A Gundam Enthusiast's Journey with a Mecha Girl

“I know what you’re thinking, Athrun. But there’s a small Earth Force fleet right in front of us, and if it’s a supply fleet for Longlegs, we can’t just stand by and do nothing. As for Miss Klein’s search and rescue mission, the friendly forces operating in the vicinity will also lend a hand.”

After saying that, Kruze ignored Athrun and turned around to open the holographic sand table to assign tasks to each pilot.

Seeing this scene, Athrun inexplicably recalled his conversation with Kruze before they launched their attack from PLAN.

"Are you suggesting I rescue her and then return in triumph like a hero?"

"Or perhaps he would return, clutching her body and weeping."

When Kruze said this, his tone unconsciously carried a chilling coldness that Aslan had never seen before, which sent shivers down Aslan's spine.

Although Athrun and Lux's relationship is far from that of lovers, they are childhood sweethearts who have grown up together. For Athrun, who has already lost his mother, he does not want to lose another close person.

'Kira, what would you do if you were in Kira's shoes?'

Aslan asked himself a question that no one could answer.

-----------------

As the elite of the ZAFT forces, the Kruze team has always been known for its rapid action. After a brief operational meeting, the entire Kruze team entered combat readiness.

The small Earth Force fleet facing the Kruze team consisted of a Nelson-class cruiser and two Drake-class destroyers. Given the strength of the Kruze team, they could completely annihilate it in just a few minutes.

However, Kruze did not want to do that. Kruze believed that the fleet might be a support fleet transporting supplies to the Archangel. Therefore, he planned to use the fleet as bait, first sending out a portion of the mobile suits to attack, forcing the fleet to request assistance from the Archangel which was operating nearby. Once the Archangel arrived, he would send out the remaining forces to wipe out the Earth Force's small fleet and the Archangel in one fell swoop.

A common tactic of besieging a point to lure reinforcements; simple yet effective.

Soon, a series of lights flew out from the Vesalius and Gamow. Athrun, piloting the Aegis Gundam, led two squads of mobile suits into the first wave of attack against the Earth Alliance fleet as the vanguard commander.

However, even if the objective was not annihilation, the combat power of this feint force consisting of 6 mobile suits was actually enough to annihilate this Earth Force fleet.

The Nelson-class can carry six Möbius missiles, while the modified Drake-class can only carry four.

The exchange ratio between King and Mobius was as high as 1 to 4, or even 1 to 5, not to mention that ZAFT also had an Aegis Gundam with combat power far exceeding that of King.

Indeed, the tide of the battle quickly turned in ZAFT's favor.

The six mobile suits skillfully evaded the combined forces' artillery and missile attacks and soon engaged the Möbius forces.

However, the Möbius forces, which seemed to have a numerical advantage, were defeated by the mobile suits extremely quickly.

In terms of pilot quality, Coordinator pilots naturally have an advantage over Natural pilots, and the difference in the performance of their machines further amplifies this advantage.

Besides the two rotary 40mm cannons mounted on the fuselage, the Möbius only had one under-mounted linear cannon and four wire-guided missiles.

However, the most powerful of these, the wire-guided missiles, were originally developed for anti-ship purposes and are completely unsuitable for dealing with mobile suits that can move flexibly in space. As for the remaining under-mounted linear cannons and 40mm autocannons, to penetrate King's armor, they would have to hit the same spot multiple times; otherwise, they would have to aim at vulnerable areas such as joints.

However, in a space battle where both sides are moving at high speeds simultaneously, hitting the same spot or aiming at a joint multiple times is almost a pipe dream. Not to mention a Natural pilot, even a Coordinator piloting the Möbius might not be able to do it.

As for Mobius's armor, let alone a rocket launcher, even King's 76mm heavy assault rifle could easily penetrate it.

In the past, the coalition forces could only rely on their superior manpower and resources to fight ZAFT's mobile suits through sheer numbers.

In this battle, the coalition forces were clearly no longer able to use human wave tactics.

In the first wave of firefight alone, most of the 14 Mobius were shot down by the MS forces, while ZAFT suffered zero losses.

Faced with the attack of Mobius, MS only needs to use a few maneuvers to dodge the first wave of Mobius's shots, and then seize the opportunity when Mobius turns to shoot it down easily. Mobius can do nothing about this and can only rely on the cover of his teammates. But at this time, all the Mobius are too busy to cover their own teammates.

Aslan piloted the Aegis straight in. The remaining Mobius were unwilling to let the Aegis break through their defenses so easily, and concentrated their firepower on this conspicuous mobile suit. However, thanks to the Aegis's excellent maneuverability, Aslan easily dodged the Mobius's monotonous attacks. When the Mobius entered a turning maneuver, he raised his hand and fired three shots to shoot down the remaining Mobius.

The Earth Force fleet has lost most of its air defense capabilities, and the remaining three ships' meager anti-aircraft firepower is no different from being defenseless in the face of the ZAFT MS forces.

Without MA's restraint, King was like a pack of wolves eyeing their prey, each choosing their own target. Soon, a Combine Drake-class destroyer sank under King's onslaught.

Aslan switched the Aegis to MA mode, considered it briefly, and decided to temporarily set aside the Nelson-class, which was obviously the flagship, and instead target the remaining Drake-class.

The bright red machine transformed into a flash of light, easily breaking through the Earth Fleet's sparse anti-aircraft firepower, and then aimed at the midsection of the Drake-class ship. The Aegis' mechanical claws opened, revealing the "Siren" multiphase energy cannon hidden inside.

The red and white beams of light effortlessly pierced through the Drake-class's thin armor, and then the warship's power reactor was detonated, turning the warship, which was over a hundred meters long, into cosmic dust.

However, before Aslan could lock onto his next target, a lock-on alarm suddenly sounded in the cockpit, and a barrage of bullets from afar interrupted his next move, forcing him to begin evasive maneuvers.

After this barrage of bullets, the balance of the battlefield instantly shifted to the Earth Alliance's side. All five King units were unexpectedly shot down, and the culprit was none other than the short sword that had left a deep impression on Athrun in the last battle.

The two mobile suits that were flying over the short sword and heading towards him at this moment were the Mobius Zero and the Strike Gundam, which belonged to the Archangel.

Author's message

P.S.: To be honest, if I hadn't checked the specifications, I wouldn't have known that the missiles on the Möbius were wire-controlled. What kind of logic is that to mount wire-controlled missiles on a high-speed mobile armor?

Chapter 18 Emergency Rescue

Archangel, hangar.

Due to the urgency of the situation, Maru did not have the time to gather all the pilots in the operations room to assign tasks, and was using the ship's internal communication to explain the situation to the three pilots.

"Understood. We'll set off to cover our friendly forces. However, I think it would be better for the Archangel to circle around and flank the enemy fleet instead of going with us to the front. We can directly attack the enemy fleet."

Raven offered his opinion while fastening his seatbelt.

Raven, who had personally faced the Kruse team, had a deep understanding of their strength.

Leaving aside the ordinary soldiers piloting King, the combination of four red-clad soldiers, including Athrun, and four Gundams is undoubtedly the most troublesome opponent. And if you add Kruze, the super ace, Raven doesn't think he can defeat them with the current Mu and Kira.

However, no matter how strong the MS force is, once it loses the support of the battleship, even the most powerful MS and its pilot are nothing but rootless duckweed. Therefore, instead of completely defeating the combination of four Gundams and Kruze in a head-on confrontation, it is obviously more feasible to target the enemy battleship by damaging or sinking it. Even if the enemy ship cannot be sunk, as long as the enemy can be forced to retreat, it will be a victory for the Archangel's side.

Murrue hesitated at Raven's suggestion, but Bakirulu immediately realized the feasibility of the plan.

"In anti-ship combat, the Archangel will not be at a disadvantage. As long as it makes full use of its own armament, it is entirely possible to force the enemy fleet to retreat. Of course, the premise is that the enemy has committed all its mobile suit forces to besiege friendly fleets and cannot spare any resources to attack the Archangel."

Baki Lulu did not make empty promises. In addition to conventional shipborne weapons such as beam cannons, railguns, and anti-ship missiles, the Archangel also has a "Lohengrin" positron siege cannon on each of its two forward legs at the bow.

This weaponry has firepower and range exceeding that of conventional shipborne weapons. If used properly, it could not only force the enemy to retreat, but also sink one or two enemy ships.

"Leave the task of drawing away the enemy mobile suit forces to us. The modification of the short sword is specifically designed to deal with this situation of one against many."

Raven and Bakiruru's words gave Maru enough confidence. Although Maru was just a technical officer before and her tactical skills were not as good as Bakiruru's, who was a professional soldier, she had the decisiveness necessary to become an excellent commander.

"Alright, let's proceed with this plan. I'll leave the specific tactical command to you, Lieutenant Bakiruru."

Maru took a deep breath and looked at the battlefield in the distance, where cannon fire was flying everywhere.

"All aircraft of the mobile force, launch immediately! Archangel, switch to inertial navigation now and remain silent until the opportune moment arrives!"

-----------------

At full speed with his short sword, Raven arrived at the battlefield in just a few minutes.

But by this time, the situation on the battlefield had deteriorated to a point that Raven could see at a glance.

The Combine's MA forces were almost completely wiped out, and the remaining Combine ships were teetering on the brink of collapse under the MS's siege. The crimson Aegis Gundam took the lead, breaking through the Combine's sparse anti-aircraft fire with a few simple maneuvers, and then a Drake-class corvette sank under the Aegis's attack.

[Target acquisition complete. King has 5 units, and Aegis has 1 unit.]

"Only one Gundam came. Is it trying to lure the enemy?"

Raven had some guesses about the enemy's tactics, but no matter what ZAFT did next, Raven's mission remained unchanged.

"Never mind all that, El, go all out and take down the enemy in front of us!"

The two cannons on the back of the short sword unfolded, pointing together with the beam rifle in his hand at the ZAFT MS in the distance.

"Captain, Kira!"

“Understood. Kira, follow me. We need to move forward to cover Dagger.”

"I see."

Mobius Zero and Airborne Assault launched attacks from the left and right sides of the short sword, while Raven unleashed the first wave of artillery fire at the ZAFT MS that had not yet reacted.

"Al, go all out! Let's start with the easy target, King!"

The short sword stopped advancing, and the two cannons on its back rose up and were mounted on its shoulders. These two weapons, which once belonged to the Storm Gundam, along with the beam rifle, began to unleash a dense barrage of bullets at the ZAFT MS.

Both the high-energy convergence rifle and the beam rifle had almost excessive firepower against King. In addition, with El's ballistic calculations, even though the short sword was still some distance from King, it still achieved a good hit rate.

A barrage of bullets rained down on ZAFT's mobile suits. The belatedly alerted King's forces were hit by beams and physical projectiles as soon as they reacted. Even the Aegis, which was freely maneuvering through the Combine's battle lines, had to scramble to evade.

After the barrage of bullets fired by the short sword, the six Kings that were besieging the Allied fleet, like the Möbius that they had just shot down, all turned into cosmic dust.

-----------------

Earth Alliance, Nelson-class USS Montgomery, bridge.

"So, that's the combat power of our mobile suit forces! If we can mass-produce these mobile suits, how can our army not be victorious!"

George Alstar, dressed in a suit that was completely out of place in the atmosphere of the bridge, loudly exclaimed about the combat power displayed by the short sword, while his face flushed as he waved his fist at the air, as if he had just unleashed the barrage that had turned the tide of the battle.

The captain, sitting to one side, looked at this political elite who was behaving like a drunken football hooligan and sighed almost imperceptibly.

"Archangel, why did those idiots come to our aid?!"

Unlike George Alstar, who was not a soldier, the captain knew that the mobile suits sent to attack them were not ZAFT's full strength. The enemy was using his fleet as bait, waiting for the Archangel to walk into their trap before committing all their remaining forces to wipe out the fleet and the Archangel in one fell swoop.

However, battlefield communications were severely disrupted at this point, so even if he wanted to warn the Archangel, he was powerless to do so.

Now, he can only hope that the Archangel's reinforcements will be able to exert combat power beyond his expectations.

-----------------

ZAFT forces, Vesalius, bridge.

'Hmm? What's this feeling like?'

When the short sword, carrying the Mobius Zero and the Strike, entered the battlefield, a strange feeling arose in Kruze's mind.

'If it's not Mu la Vlada, then who is it?'

Kruze's gaze was fixed on the magnified short sword on the screen, recalling the several times the short sword had clashed with his side since Heliopolis.

Each time they fought, the pilot of that machine improved, and coupled with the feeling that was currently lingering in his mind, Kruze suddenly became interested in the short sword.

"Artis, I'm going to the hangar. I'm leaving the command of the fleet to you."

Kruse's decision surprised Artis.

"Captain Kruse, are you going to personally lead the attack?"

"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Although the Long-Legs didn't appear, taking down the Long-Legs MS is still an important achievement. I don't want to let victory slip through my fingers again."

Without waiting for Artis's response, Kruse left only one sentence and went straight to the hangar, leaving Artis with no choice but to put his worries aside.

The absence of that long-legged ship always gave him a sense of foreboding.

Chapter 19: A Deadly Battle (4000 words)

[Shoulder armor overheated; firing cease.]

The short sword kept firing until the makeshift shoulder armor overheated before it stopped. Raven glanced at the energy gauge and found that the short sword had consumed a quarter of its power in just over ten seconds of continuous firing. However, this all-out attack had yielded considerable results.

All five Kings were shot down, and Raven single-handedly turned the tide of the battle. Now, ZAFT only has one Aegis unit with full combat capability. Meanwhile, Mu and Kira, who went forward to cover Raven, have their eyes on Aegis.

"Wow, that firepower is really scary, Kira kid. Now it's our turn."

"Understood, Captain. I will draw Aegis's attention from the front."

"Working with smart people is great, so the main task is yours, kid."

Mu's Mobius Zero had switched back to wired cannon equipment. After glancing at Aegis's movements, he accelerated and maneuvered to the side, while the Strike Force, equipped with an empty backpack, met Aegis head-on.

The Assault's movements were no longer as confused as before. The beams of light from his rifle accurately struck Aegis's limbs, and Aslan, realizing this, had no choice but to brace himself and deal with the Assault's attacks.

Although Athrun had promised his superiors that he would shoot his former friend on the battlefield, when he actually encountered Kira, he couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth. However, the rigorous training he had undergone made his body move instinctively.

The Strike and Aegis moved at high speed, their silhouettes constantly intersecting. Emerald green beams of light swept across the space where the two machines were clashing, leaving Mu, who wanted to flank them, speechless.

"Are all Coordinators who show their true abilities this exaggerated? Whether it's Raven or Kira, all the guys around me are monsters. How am I supposed to put my face as a legitimate soldier?"

At this moment, Mu was somewhat glad that he hadn't always flaunted his title of "Endymion's Eagle," otherwise he would definitely have been unable to hold his head up in front of Raven and Kira, those two supermodel guys.

But putting aside matters of face for now, Mu has more pressing issues to address.

"Damn it, Zero alone can't catch up with these two guys."

As the prototype of the Mobius, the Mobius Zero was superior to the mass-produced Mobius in many aspects, but in the end it was just a small MA. In the face of the Strike and Aegis at full power at this time, it was no match for them.

However, Kira soon created an opportunity for Mu.

After Kira gradually became familiar with Athrun's operating habits, he suddenly sheathed his gun and drew his sword during the exchange of fire, charging straight forward. Aegis didn't have time to change direction and had to deploy the beam saber on his right arm to deal with the charging attack. However, Kira decisively handed over his shield, suppressing Aegis's right arm and causing Aegis's movements to pause briefly.

"Captain, now!"

"Well done! Even if you have PS armor, you can still hit the thrusters!"