Upon receiving news that the lunar base had been resupplied with nuclear weapons, Yang Hui immediately ordered the Three Ships Alliance to alter course toward Boaz Fortress. Even at full speed from their current position, their estimated arrival time would still be later than the Earth Forces fleet departing from the lunar crater base.
Yang Hui knew the Earth Forces wouldn't hesitate now that they had nuclear weapons. They would immediately mobilize their fleet to attack Boaz Fortress. There was no time to waste—they had to set off immediately to prevent the Earth Forces from repeating past tragedies.
Yet despite the White Tiger, Eternal, and Archangel all being high-speed battleships, Yang Hui remained dissatisfied with their progress. At this rate, they wouldn't make it in time. So...
"Lacus, is the Meteor System operational?" Yang Hui opened a channel to the Eternal.
"It is."
"Then have Freedom and Justice deploy with the Meteor System immediately!"
"But with just Freedom and Justice..." Lacus worried for Kira and Athrun's safety. While the Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam equipped with Meteor Systems theoretically possessed firepower rivaling battleships or even fortresses, this remained unproven in practice.
Moreover, rushing from their current position to Boaz Fortress and then engaging large enemy forces would severely test Kira and Athrun's physical and mental endurance.
"Sumeragi, inform the maintenance team—Dawn, Exia, Cherudim, and Virtue are to be equipped with auxiliary thrusters."
Sumeragi immediately contacted the hangar, confirmed the estimated preparation time, then nodded to Yang Hui. "Five minutes. We'll catch up at maximum speed."
"Good."
With no time to spare, Yang Hui terminated the call and headed to the hangar for preparations, settling into his cockpit to await the modifications.
"Mission objective: long-range assault on Boaz Fortress. Primary targets are the Earth Forces' nuclear units. Not a single warhead can be allowed through."
"Understood!" x5
Five minutes passed swiftly. In the void of space, the Dawn Gundam, Exia, Cherudim, and Virtue now bore four massive auxiliary thrusters mounted on their backs, while Freedom and Justice stood ready docked with their Meteor Systems.
"Move out!"
The thrusters and Meteor Systems ignited simultaneously, violent plumes of flame unleashing tremendous propulsion. In an instant, the six Gundams became streaking meteors piercing the cosmic darkness, vanishing from sight.
...
Nuclear missiles launched. Every Earth Forces soldier waited eagerly for the blossoming fireworks. Yet while fireworks indeed bloomed, they were intercepted mid-flight.
Freedom and Justice activated their Multi-Lock Systems simultaneously—beam cannons, electromagnetic cannons, and missiles unleashed in full salvo. Their Rainbow Cannons painted vibrant hues across the chaotic battlefield.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Not just Freedom and Justice's Rainbow Cannons wreaked havoc. Cherudim's twin rifles had combined into a sniper configuration, its precision beams—if not for their differing angles—could have formed a continuous line to eliminate any remaining threats.
The Gundam Virtue's twin cannons merged together, their dark muzzles gleaming with dazzling radiance before erupting violently. The torrent of beams surged forth like an unending river, sweeping across the battlefield. The overwhelming tide of energy engulfed the Moebius squad that had launched nuclear missiles, wiping them out without even a ripple left behind.
"All units disperse! Kira, Athrun—hold off the ZAFT forces from Boaz Fortress. Setsuna, Lyle, Tieria—cut your thrusters and help me take down the entire Earth Forces fleet!"
Yang Hui's eyes gleamed coldly. During the White Tiger crisis last time, he hadn't been able to pursue the Dominion. This time, he wouldn't let them escape again.
"Roger!" x5
The Freedom Gundam, Justice Gundam, Dawn Gundam, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue split apart. The first three headed toward Boaz Fortress, unleashing another Rainbow Cannon without hesitation. Within its range, MS units were crippled, missing limbs, while warships were riddled with holes, teetering on the brink of destruction.
"Whew~ That was flashy," Lyle quipped, though his hands moved swiftly, splitting his twin pistols to pick off Dagger units one by one.
"They're here," Tieria warned, drawing Lyle's attention to the rapidly approaching enemy units—their old adversaries.
"Let's finish them for good this time," Setsuna said flatly.
"Got it. Let's go!"
Before Lyle could even react, the Dawn Gundam had already surged forward, trailing golden light as its wings unfurled, slicing through the darkness of space.
"Bit."
"Wha—"
Leon and the others tensed as the four Gundams closed in on them, but their fear quickly turned to horror. In their eyes, the Dawn Gundam vanished in a flash of gold.
"Schwing—"
"Huh?"
The pilot of the Torrent Duel Gundam stared blankly as the Dawn Gundam suddenly appeared before him. Something felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint what—until the next second, when his vision split vertically. One half rose, the other fell, and then...
"BOOM!"
The Torrent Duel Gundam, along with its pilot, was cleanly bisected from top to bottom. Before blood or oil could even spill, flames consumed them.
"Falus!"
"You damn bas—"
The nearest Nebula Lightning Gundam drew its Beam Saber and charged, while the Hailstorm Buster Gundam locked onto the Dawn Gundam and unleashed a relentless barrage from all its weapons.
The Dawn Gundam stood motionless. Bits attached to one wing, shielding its frame—beams twisted away, while physical rounds detonated before even touching the feathers. The other wing extended, scattering starlight-like dots that rained down upon the charging Nebula Lightning Gundam.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM..."
The series of tiny explosions cut short the pilot's curses, replacing them with desperate prayers and pleas—all drowned out by the blasts. Tremors rattled the MS from its feet to its fingertips, surging upward until they reached the cockpit, tearing it apart into drifting debris.
"Nia!"
Leon was seething with rage. Before he could even react, the Dawn Gundam had already taken out two of his teammates. He couldn't believe this was reality. During their last encounter, while the Dawn Gundam's strength had exceeded his expectations, they still had the ability to fight back. But this time...
Of course, Leon didn't know that Yang Hui carried a researcher's habit in his combat style—when facing unknown opponents, he would hold back to gauge their mobile suit's capabilities through direct engagement. That was why they had mistakenly believed they once suppressed the Dawn Gundam.
This time, however, Yang Hui already had a rough understanding of the Gale Strike Gundam and the other units' data. So from the moment he launched, he went all out, immediately activating Innovator Mode and even lifting all performance limiters on the Dawn Gundam to eliminate them swiftly.
"Next, bit."
His emotionless, rainbow-hued eyes shifted slightly, peering through the Wings to lock onto the Hailstorm Buster Gundam.
"Die!"
The Gale Strike charged forward, positioning itself at the Dawn Gundam's flank. The [Wing Saw] Ship-Slaying Sword was raised high before descending with mountain-splitting force. Leon was confident this strike wouldn't miss—the Dawn Gundam's vision was obstructed by its Wings, unable to see him, while the [Wing Saw]'s unique properties ensured he could sever one of its Wings.
What he didn't realize was that Yang Hui no longer relied solely on visual or radar tracking to locate enemies.
Just as the [Wing Saw] was about to make contact, the Wings folded slightly, and the Dawn Gundam retreated a minimal distance—just enough to evade the blade.
"How...?"
As they passed each other, time seemed to slow for Leon. His eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the Dawn Gundam glide past him, its dark gun barrel already pressed against the right side of his cockpit, gleaming ominously.
The trigger was pulled. A chain of beam rounds lashed out like a whip, bisecting the Gale Strike Gundam at the waist. Then, turning away, the Dawn Gundam flicked its Wings, swatting the two exploding halves aside like flies before they detonated.
"The... Captain's dead... Falus... is dead... Nia too... I... I..."
Witnessing his comrades—including the Captain he trusted and respected—fall one after another to the enemy in such a short time shattered his psyche. His eyes turned hollow, his helmet filling with a mix of sweat, tears, and snot.
Soon, he followed Leon and the others. Twin beam submachine guns roared simultaneously, riddling the Hailstorm Buster Gundam with dozens of holes. Flames erupted from within, reducing it to cosmic dust.
Without pause, the Dawn Gundam turned to eliminate the remaining Gundams, only to find the Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue had already turned them into sitting ducks. Ignoring them, its Wings flared with propulsion as it accelerated toward the retreating Dominion and Earth Forces fleet.
...
"This time, you won't escape." Tieria stared at the Calamity Gundam on his screen. Having let it slip away repeatedly, he couldn't afford further humiliation. "Tactical Formation A01."
"So now you're the one giving orders?" Lyle teased, but his movements were swift. He combined his twin pistols and fired a shot at the Calamity Gundam, striking heavily against the Beetle Type-II Twin Ram Cannon Offense-Defense System.
"Damn it!" Orga had already dodged in advance, but Lyle had predicted his prediction. If not for his quick reflexes, that shot would have pierced straight through the cockpit.
As he moved his shield aside to counterattack, he saw the Gundam Exia right in front of him, its shoulder-mounted Ram Horn Beam Cannons lowering in sync with the deadly glow of the Scylla Multiple Phased Energy Cannon on its chest.
The Calamity Gundam moved fast, but the Gundam Exia was faster. It tilted its head slightly, evading the triple barrage, then raised its twin swords—severing both of the Calamity Gundam's arms at the root.
A powerful kick sent the armless Calamity Gundam flying backward.
"Damn it! I have to escape! I need to get away—"
Orga was utterly terrified, his mind fixated on fleeing. But before he could even stabilize his stance, his screen was filled with a storm of red, blue, and white energy shells.
"How…?"
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