In the eerily silent command room, the sudden sound of gunfire echoed, followed by the sickening thud of bullets piercing flesh and the splatter of blood.
The former Commander of Artemis Base never imagined that the wealth and glory he had dreamed of would never come. Instead, what he had traded everything for was a bullet from his own subordinate.
"It's all your fault! It's all because of you! Die!"
"I'm a soldier of the Federal Army, not VEGAN!"
"And you! Damn VEGAN!"
...
The former Federal soldiers, stirred by letters from their families, abandoned their posts, grabbed their guns, and began firing wildly at any VEGAN in sight. They vented their frustration and regret over being forced to side with VEGAN, fully expressing their resolve as Federal soldiers.
The primary target of their rage was the former Commander of the lunar base, the very man who had led them to this point.
Doll Frost and the other two, sensing the division in the command room, immediately moved to protect Jehart and Fram Nara. As soon as they saw someone draw a gun, they shielded Jehart and Fram and quickly escorted them out of the command room.
"How... how could this happen..." Fram Nara's mind was still in a daze. She couldn't comprehend why the situation had escalated so suddenly.
"We've been played. I didn't expect them to use family to awaken the beast within them," Jehart muttered through gritted teeth, cursing Argreus for his underhanded tactics.
This move was ruthless and nearly impossible to counter. Everyone has family, and the bond with one's family is the deepest and most tender part of a person's heart. While money, beauty, and power might not sway those with strong wills, the call of family is something no one can ignore.
"Die, VEGAN!"
"Lord Jehart, watch out!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Encountering an obstacle, Doll Frost shielded Jehart and Fram with his body while the other two opened fire, taking down the assailant. However, Doll Frost was shot in the left shoulder.
"Doll!"
"Brother!"
"Ugh... it's just a minor injury. Don't worry." Although the wound in his left shoulder looked gruesome, the bullet had passed through cleanly, leaving no shrapnel inside. Given their current predicament, they had no means to treat a more serious injury.
"Lord Jehart, what do we do now?" Fram Nara asked urgently. The entire Artemis Base was in chaos, and they could encounter more enemies at any turn. There was no safe place.
"Head to the hangar. Artemis Base is lost, and we can't hold it anymore. We need to restore communications and organize the fleet's retreat," Jehart commanded.
"But our current position is too far from the hangar, and we can't guarantee that our mobile suits are safe..." Fram Nara worried.
"Don't worry, Fram. Our mobile suits aren't in Artemis Base's hangar," Jehart reassured her.
"Huh?"
"After occupying Artemis Base, Lord Jehart had a separate hangar built as a precaution. Our mobile suits are stored there. This hangar is not part of the original Federal Army's facilities, so we don't have to worry about our units being sabotaged prematurely," Dole Frost added.
"I see, as expected of Lord Jehart."
"If possible, I'd rather this hangar never serve its intended purpose," Jehart said with a grim expression. "Dole, once you board, take Fram back to the flagship for medical treatment. Orfa, Dit, you'll come with me to cover our allies' retreat."
"Lord Jehart, I can still..."
"Lord Jehart, please allow me to take my brother's place and escort you."
As Dole Frost was requesting Jehart's permission to join the battle, Fram Nara suddenly interrupted him.
"You?"
"Yes, my X-Rounder abilities will surely be of help to Lord Jehart."
Since Fram Nara had acknowledged Jehart, she had been eager to prove that she wasn't just a decorative figure confined to safe zones. Now that her personal mobile suit was ready, she could finally fight alongside Jehart.
"...Alright."
Jehart glanced at Dole Frost, and seeing his nod of approval, he agreed.
Fram Nara had been by his side for a while now, mainly assisting him with daily tasks, but she hadn't shown any remarkable abilities. Thus, Jehart was hesitant to let her join him on the battlefield.
However, since her brother had given his approval, there was no need to object. Moreover, Jehart was somewhat curious about how exceptional Fram's X-Rounder abilities truly were.
The journey was tense but uneventful, with the chaotic sounds of gunfire and screams surrounding them. Fortunately, they didn't encounter any enemies and safely reached the independent hangar.
"Lord Jehart!"
Since it was an independent hangar, all the personnel working there were VEGAN members and Jehart's trusted aides. When the internal conflict at Artemis Base erupted, they had decided to hold the hangar at all costs, waiting for Jehart's arrival.
"You've worked hard. How are the mobile suits?"
"The three units, Ghilsbain, Van Farsia, and your Giraga, are all in optimal condition, but..."
"But what? Report any issues directly."
"Yes! Giraga is equipped with the latest X-Rounder Launcher developed by the tech department, which allows for the simultaneous control of multiple bits. However, it hasn't been tested yet, so its performance..."
"...I understand. You should retreat as well."
"Yes!" xN
After boarding Giraga and activating the system, Jehart immediately pulled up the data on the X-Rounder Launcher.
"An X-Rounder-specific weapon that uses a mental link assist system to release energy in minimal units for control... Has it finally been completed?"
Seeing the introduction of the X-Rounder Launcher and the bits, Jehart was thrilled. Wasn't this the most powerful armament used by the Dawn Gundam, Flag Gundam, and Luna Gundam?
The combination of their small size and high-speed movement made them nearly undetectable, their elusive and unpredictable angles of attack made them extremely threatening, and then there was Yang Hui's signature all-encompassing firepower and Yurin's multiple precision snipes. Both had also utilized beam refraction...
These small, independent combat units had always been the core of their battles. To put it bluntly, without the Funnels, Yang Hui and Yurin's threat level would be reduced by at least half.
Now, Jehart had acquired the same equipment, and he felt he was finally qualified to face Yang Hui on equal footing.
"Lord Jehart."
"All units, move out! Dole, return to the flagship and notify all units to retreat. Orfa, Dit, follow me to intercept the enemy."
"Understood!" X4
"Jehart Galette, Giraga, launching!"
...
Compared to the chaos inside Artemis Base, the external battlefield was even more chaotic. Due to the lack of VEGAN forces, the defection of the original Artemis Base garrison had significantly filled this gap.
Although Jehart did not fully trust them and thus did not integrate their forces, allowing them to maintain their original formations.
Even so, the units were deployed in a staggered manner. So, when the former Federal Army returned to the Earth Federation, VEGAN's MS units were immediately surrounded, and the two sides clashed in the pre-arranged positions.
Not everyone in the former Federal Army had attachments or a sense of loyalty. Those who were willing to betray for personal gain were now piloting Federal MS and fighting against their former comrades.
With the addition of the Federal Army's airborne troops, it was impossible to tell who was friend or foe.
"This is too chaotic! I can't tell who's on our side!" Seric Abis cursed. While internal strife among the enemy was a good thing, he hadn't expected the situation to become this chaotic, leaving the airborne troops, who had a great opportunity to infiltrate Artemis Base, in an awkward position of being unable to advance or retreat.
"Captain, look at the entrance in the C51 direction, it's our allies!"
"Wait!" Seric Abis also noticed the MS units there—they were Federal MS units, guarding the entrance and preventing VEGAN from approaching, but...
"They're not allies! Eliminate them!"
Although they were attacking each other, there was no actual damage, and upon closer inspection, it was clear that both the Federal and VEGAN MS near the entrance were subtly aiming their weapons toward their position. If they approached, they would be the first to be attacked.
"But..."
"They're not... Watch out!"
Perhaps they grew impatient, or perhaps the situation didn't allow them to wait any longer. Whatever the reason, the two units that had been attacking each other simultaneously turned their weapons toward the Abis squad and opened fire.
Fortunately, Seric Abis had sensed something was off from the start and warned his teammates to stay alert. Otherwise, their squad would have been wiped out in the first attack.
Under the intense suppression of enemy fire, the Abis squad was forced to retreat to cover.
"Captain, we can't keep going like this!"
"I know!" Seric Abis immediately checked the surrounding friendly forces to see if anyone could provide support, but unfortunately, the battlefield was in chaos, and the allied forces were also bogged down.
At that moment, a flying fighter jet swooped low, its beams piercing through the VEGAN MS one by one. As the jet approached the Federal Army's MS, it suddenly transformed into MS mode, wielding dual swords and assisted by two auxiliary arms. With four consecutive slashes, it reduced the Federal Army's MS to mere torsos.
"Asemu!"
"Seric, lead the troops into Artemis Base and end the battle as quickly as possible!"
"Got it!"
With Asemu's support, the Abis team immediately protected the armored transport vehicles and charged into the entrance of Artemis Base.
"Everyone, be careful! Don't let a single enemy escape, and don't accidentally harm any of our comrades!" Seric Abis reminded them.
He knew it was difficult, but there was no other choice. He thought more deeply than the average team member. Now that most of the former Federal Army had rejoined the Federation, even with Argreus's verbal assurance, it was impossible to completely dispel their concerns.
They were fighting with the ferocity inspired by their homes, but if a friendly fire incident occurred, that ferocity would immediately turn against them.
Asemu, on the other hand, also considered this issue, which was why he reduced the Federal Army's MS to torsos after eliminating the VEGAN forces, ensuring they only lost their combat capabilities.
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