Reid immediately turned and fled, with the Moebius squad naturally receiving orders to retreat as well, followed closely by ZAFT forces.
However, the NT-X Gundam was simply too fast after activating its Bit Rocket Boosters. The Duel and Buster could only eat dust in pursuit, barely keeping up with the Moebius units.
But Yzak and Dearka clearly had little interest in the Moebius units, and the Moebius squad had no intention of provoking these two clearly more advanced Mobile Suits than the GINNs, keeping as far away as possible.
Thus, the two sides practically coexisted peacefully as they rushed toward the gap in the lightwave shield created by the Blitz.
By then, the Blitz inside had already been ambushed and sent flying by Reid, who had arrived first.
It had to be said that Reid on the battlefield truly cared little for appearances. Upon reaching the Artemis Fortress port ahead of the others, Reid had spotted the wreckage of the transport ship carrying the Eurasian Federation's foreign minister—likely meaning those aboard were in dire straits. Meanwhile, the Blitz was in a standoff with the Sword Strike, the two having probably already exchanged blows.
For the Strike, Kira knew the Blitz could turn invisible. Afraid of losing track of his target and getting ambushed if he attacked recklessly, he didn't dare move carelessly.
The Blitz had similar concerns. Nicol knew his machine's energy reserves were running low, so he couldn't waste the Mirage Colloid System. Plus, there was an unfamiliar green Mobile Suit below, wielding a Beam Rifle and ready to provide backup at any moment, so he didn't dare act first either.
And then Reid struck without hesitation. Of course, Reid wouldn't use a Beam Weapon for the ambush—after all, Nicol was the most pure-hearted of the four second-generation pilots, even more so than Athrun. Reid didn't want to kill him, nor could he.
So against the Blitz, Reid simply maxed out the Bit Rocket Boosters and his machine's thrusters, raised his Shield, and delivered a Shield Bash from behind.
With no targeting lock and the NT-X's charge being too fast, Nicol had no warning before the ambush hit. Even with Phase Shift Armor protecting him, the impact nearly made him cough up blood.
After sending the Blitz flying, Reid saw it hurtling straight toward the Sword Strike and immediately realized the danger. Afraid that Kira might impulsively skewer the Blitz right there in Artemis Fortress—or that Mu below might finish it off with a shot—he quickly accelerated again, rushing to the Blitz's side and kicking it toward the command platform in the Artemis Fortress port.
Reid did this on purpose. In the original timeline, the command room had only been struck by the wreckage of a destroyed Moebius, which then exploded a second time, allowing Gerard Garcia to survive behind cover and continue causing trouble in side stories.
This time, Reid genuinely wanted him dead, so he deliberately smashed the Blitz into the command room.
Reid refused to believe that Gerard Garcia could survive the Blitz's thrusters blasting scorching flames as it pulled itself free from the wall. If that bastard managed to crawl out of the command room-turned-oven alive, Reid would have to admit his skin was thick enough to withstand temperatures of over a thousand degrees.
So when the Duel and Buster charged into the port, what they saw was the Blitz wrenching itself free from the wall.
Reid's main focus was on the command room behind the Blitz, and the outcome matched his judgment. After the thruster flames erupted, the command room was completely charred, with faint flickers of fire visible. It was highly unlikely anyone had survived.
Still, Reid wasn't entirely satisfied. He completely ignored the Blitz and rushed straight to the Duel and Buster for cover, connecting to the command console's comms and calling out,
"Artemis Fortress command room, Artemis Fortress command room, respond if you hear me."
Naturally, all that answered him was static. Reid nodded in satisfaction. There was no way Gerard Garcia's body could withstand higher temperatures than the control console's machinery.
Having dealt with the person he most wanted gone, Reid turned his attention back to the Duel, Buster, and Blitz. The next step was to wait for Ange to finish downloading the data, then break through the blockade of the three Mobile Suits to retrieve supplies and make their escape.
The current situation was absolutely disadvantageous for the Duel, Buster, and Blitz. While the numbers were even at three MS versus three, Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol all knew the Archangel still had an Empress Custom Flag that hadn't sortied yet. The GINNs in the rear wouldn't catch up anytime soon, and even if they did, they'd have to deal with the Moebius squad outside first.
Most critically, Reid's side still had the Archangel, their mothership. In such a confined space, the indiscriminate full-firepower bombardment from the ship could easily kill all three of them with the resulting explosions.
So Yzak, thinking quickly, asked over their internal comms,
"Nicol, how are you holding up?"
Nicol's condition wasn't great. Reid's earlier attacks had nearly given him a concussion, and his head was still spinning. He forced himself to respond,
"Not good. Dizzy, nauseous… and my unit's almost out of power..."
Hearing this, Yzak immediately said,
"Dearka, let's retreat with Nicol. We'll intercept the 'Long Legs' outside."
With that, he maneuvered the Duel Gundam to grab the Blitz Gundam and turned to flee.
Reid watched the entire retreat unfold. Since neither Mu nor Kira had received orders from Reid to attack, they held their positions.
Only after the three had escaped did Mu ask, puzzled,
"Reid, why didn't we press the advantage and take down those three Gundams just now?"
Reid already had an answer ready.
"Because I was afraid the battle would completely destroy this dock. If the wreckage blocked the Archangel's exit, that'd be a problem. More importantly, my unit's energy reserves are running low. Considering we still have a breakout battle ahead, it's best to conserve where we can. The data on those four Gundams has already leaked—shooting them down won't recover it."
His reasoning was sound enough that Mu dropped the issue. Meanwhile, Bargiruel, who had been listening in, asked with concern,
"Reid, is your unit's energy insufficient? Should you return for resupply?"
Reid dismissed the idea—there was no time to recharge now. Just then, he received a text message from Ange confirming the mission's successful completion.
This was the notification that the Artemis Fortress data had finished downloading, faster than Reid had expected. With the base in chaos, no one had likely even noticed the data breach.
Knowing they could finally leave, Reid replied to Bargiruel,
"No time. Murrue, set the Archangel to depart immediately. There are three Laurasia-class ships outside—this war is far from over."
Once we're out, Mu, you and Kira head straight to where the transport team abandoned their cargo to gather the containers. The Archangel will collect the containers at maximum speed while Ange and I provide cover.
Once we've secured all the intact containers, we'll make an immediate getaway. The Laurasia-class ships can't match the Archangel's speed. The Duel, Buster, and Blitz must also be running low on energy by now. As long as we shake them off, we'll have successfully escaped."
Reid's words reassured everyone aboard the Archangel, giving the crew—who had been confined to the mess hall all day without knowing what was happening—a clear sense of what to do next.
Murrue promptly began issuing orders.
"Archangel, launch! NT-X, Strike, and Astray will land on the ship's hull first. Disperse after exiting. Prepare the Positron Cannon and attack ZAFT's Laurasia-class ships immediately upon exiting. Second Lieutenant Natarle will control the firing angle and timing."
This time, Reid raised no objections and obediently piloted his mobile suit alongside Mu and Kira to dock on the Archangel's hull.
As the Archangel's engines roared to life, the ship gradually accelerated out of the port.
At that moment, the three Laurasia-class ships outside had just entered the Archangel's firing range. Without hesitation, Natarle gave the order.
"Turn right 15 degrees, elevate the hull 10 degrees. Gottfried Aim, activate Valiant. Target the forward Laurasia-class ship with the Positron Cannon—fire!!"
The moment Natarle's command was issued, the Archangel's twin 225cm high-energy beam cannons, 110cm linear electromagnetic cannon, and Positron Blaster fired almost simultaneously at the enemy ship ahead.
The unfortunate Laurasia-class vessel had no time to react. In an instant, it was pierced clean through by the Archangel's devastating barrage, exploding into space debris.
But Natarle wasn't done yet. She swiftly followed up with another command.
"Deploy Anti-Beam Explosive Shells during the turn! Activate Porcupine Array auto-targeting and lay down covering fire. Load Strong Flash Grenades into missile tubes 1 through 5 at the stern! Target the drifting containers on the flank. MS pilots, shield against the flash—launch!"
Natalie's orders came so fast that the CIC fire control team wished they had an extra pair of hands. Fortunately, the Archangel's systems were highly automated, and the operators managed to execute her demands within ten seconds.
Thankfully, the crew was quick. The moment the Anti-Beam Explosive Shells enveloped the ship, the counterattacks from the other two Laurasia-class ships and the GINNs armed with Heavy Particle Beam Rifles arrived.
Under the influence of the Anti-Beam Explosive Shells, the beams twisted and scattered harmlessly into empty space, leaving the Archangel unscathed. With a sharp 90-degree turn executed by the skilled helmsman, the ship raced toward the Eurasian Federation's container zone.
Meanwhile, Strike and Green Astray, shielded by the Strong Flash Grenades, had already flown ahead to retrieve the containers. Any mobile suit attempting to target them without flash protection would find its cameras blinded by the intense light.
Reid was so impressed by Natarle's performance that he nearly cheered on the spot. He silently vowed to himself that he would claim this woman no matter what—even if he had to wrest her from Muruta Azrael's grasp by force.
But the battle wasn't over yet. Reid still had to hold off ZAFT for a while longer, giving the Archangel time to gather the supplies.
At this moment, the opposing Mobile Suit forces had fully assembled, with the Duel and Buster leading four GINNs ready to confront Reid head-on.
Fortunately, Ange had already arrived to provide support. Simultaneously, the Moebius squad outside, seeing the Artemis Fortress destroyed, also rushed over to assist.
At the same time, from the flank of the Artemis Fortress emerged a fleet consisting of one Agamemnon-class and two Nelson-class ships. One of the Nelson-class vessels was the very ship Reid had stationed at the fortress's escape route.
After the fleet appeared, Colonel Ikucella's voice came through Reid's and the Moebius squad's communications:
"Reid, Major General Garcia and the other senior officers are all out of contact. I am now assuming command of the remaining forces from Artemis Fortress. Do you have any objections?"
Naturally, Reid had no objections. There was no way Colonel Ikucella would side with ZAFT against them now, so he feigned sincerity and replied:
"Major General Garcia is out of contact? What a tragedy. However, I've already retired from the Eurasian Federation. With the commander missing, of course, the highest-ranking officer present—you—should take charge of the remaining forces."
Hearing this, Colonel Ikucella immediately issued orders:
"All Moebius pilots, return to the Agamemnon-class for resupply immediately."
She then addressed Reid again:
"Reid, once all Moebius units are recalled, I will conduct a full firepower barrage against ZAFT's forces. After that, we will retreat. I hope your promise holds."
Reid instantly understood—Colonel Ikucella had decided to cooperate with him.
This wasn't surprising. With the Artemis Fortress breached, the surviving Colonel Ikucella was the perfect scapegoat. Even if the escaping soldiers avoided severe punishment, they would undoubtedly be reassigned to the most dangerous frontlines as cannon fodder.
Thus, Colonel Ikucella would inevitably choose the escape route Reid had prepared—taking her chances with the New Misurugi Republic. Who knows? The Eurasian Federation might even overlook her failures if they saw an opportunity to plant assets in the new republic.
Of course, Colonel Ikucella was also prepared for political negotiations. She had long admired Lady Une of the New Misurugi Republic from afar, and this was the perfect opportunity to establish contact.
Since Colonel Ikucella had chosen to cooperate, Reid saw no need for further discussion. Due to the poor battlefield communications, he refrained from calling her "sister" and instead expressed his gratitude formally:
"Colonel Ikucella, thank you for the support. Later, I'll bring Ange to treat you to a private family dinner."
With that, he unleashed a heavy particle beam sweep across the enemy Mobile Suits, crushing any hopes they had of ambushing the remnants of the Artemis Fortress fleet.
True to their word, the remaining forces of Artemis Fortress launched a full missile salvo from their three ships, combining with beam fire to blanket ZAFT's forces.
The Duel, Buster, and GINNs, having concentrated their firepower to deal with Reid and his allies, were now clustered together with little room to evade the missile barrage. They could only do their best to intercept. The GINN pilots must have deeply regretted not bringing extra machine guns—heavy particle beams were terribly inefficient at intercepting missiles.
As for the remaining two Laurasia-class ships, they could only rely on their anti-aircraft guns for defense, temporarily losing all offensive capability against the missile storm.
As the barrage ended, the remnants of the Artemis Fortress forces turned tail and fled exactly as Colonel Ikucella had predicted.
Still, they had successfully bought considerable time. Reid saw that both Kira and Mu had already hauled the nearby cargo containers into the Archangel.
With his own mobile suit's energy reserves critically low, Reid decided against prolonging the fight. Grabbing Ange, who hadn't even fired a single shot during the sortie, he used the Bit's rocket propulsion to dash back to the Archangel.
The moment both pilots were aboard, the Archangel's engines roared to full power, instantly leaving the pursuing Laurasia-class ships in the dust.
Yzak and Dearka knew pursuit was futile. Only their two mobile suits stood a chance of catching up, but charging in alone would be suicidal—the enemy had four MS units, and just Reid Isaac alone demanded their full attention.
Helpless, they could only watch the Archangel's exhaust flames fade into the distance. Their assault had ended in strategic failure. Though they had captured a Eurasian Federation fortress, their primary targets—the Archangel and the Strike—remained unscathed.
What Yzak and Dearka couldn't have anticipated, however, was that an hour later, aboard the now-safe Archangel, Reid found himself staring at an infuriating sight that made him want to curse.
Reid considered himself a man of steady composure, but this time, his patience had truly been tested.
His frustration wasn't due to his plans for the Artemis Fortress failing to bear fruit. In fact, the operation had been wildly successful—he'd secured not only the G Project data but also the technical schematics for the Photon Wave Barrier.
The problem lay in the cargo containers from the Artemis Fortress supply convoy.
After shaking off their pursuers, the Archangel entered a Level 3 alert status. Murrue and Bargiruel, accompanied by Reid, Mu, and Ange, began unpacking the containers.
Reid hadn't known what supplies the Artemis Fortress had been transporting, but he assumed water would be among them—after all, an entire fortress needed regular water replenishment.
But he'd overlooked one critical detail: Gerard Garcia hailed from the Apennine Peninsula, and its people had inherited a certain… indulgence from the previous era.
At first, the containers yielded standard military provisions—canned goods, rice, flour, even pasta. Acceptable.
Then things took a turn. Subsequent crates contained premium ham, high-grade steak, black truffles, caviar—luxuries that had no place in military rations, especially during an ongoing global food crisis. Why would a fortress order such extravagances?
The water situation was even more absurd. Several crates were packed with red wine, rum, beer, and a smattering of cola and milk.
As for actual drinking water? Only a single container's worth—barely enough for two days' consumption aboard the Archangel. The crew fell into stunned silence.
To be fair, stocking up on beverages didn't technically compromise the fortress's water supply. Senior officers had independent water systems, while lower-ranking soldiers relied on recycled water. Alcohol and soft drinks, once processed by the body, could be purified back into tasteless H₂O through the colony's flawless water-recycling tech.
But that didn't make the sight any less ridiculous.
But the Archangel couldn't operate like this. Were they supposed to pilot a battleship while getting drunk every day?
Still, Reid could somewhat understand why someone at Artemis Fortress would order these things. Life in the fortress was dull, and even he used to have a few drinks during his downtime.
However, the final container truly broke Reid's defenses. Upon opening it, he found nothing but adult-rated items—the most decent being a dozen latest editions of fashion model magazines. The rest were various indescribable adult toys.
The real kicker was the collection of exquisitely crafted life-sized female dolls in all three color variations. Some idiot officer must have ordered these—was he planning to open a cyber brothel?
As the only crew member originally from Artemis Fortress, Reid wished he could vanish into thin air under the piercing stares around him. Their gazes seemed to say:
"Who would've thought, Reid? You Artemis Fortress folks really know how to party. You must've had your fair share of fun back then."
It was bad enough getting these looks from Murrue, Bargiruel, and Mu—all Atlantic Fed
eration officers.
But even Ange was staring at him like that, along with Flay who had now completely become her little follower. Reid truly felt he'd let Gerard Garcia off too easily with that quick death.
And now, because of this, he'd probably have to make a trip to Junius Seven—that place of painful memories.
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