Shinn's roar, broadcast over an open channel, was incomprehensible to Stella, the pilot of the Gaia. She maneuvered her mobile suit into a sideways slide to dodge two missiles, then opened up on the Delta Plus with her MA-BAR71XE High-Energy Beam Rifle.
However, although Shinn had less combat experience, his talent was undeniable. Facing the beam rifle's assault, he relied on instinct, piloting his suit to take off and evade the first shot, then blocking the second with his shield in mid-air.
As for the third shot, Stella couldn't fire it. The Delta Plus's Beam Saber was already swinging down on the Gaia Gundam's head, forcing her to raise her shield to block.
However, the Delta Plus was striking from the air in a leaping slash. Even though the Gaia Gundam was a transformable MS developed for ground-based melee combat, it was still forced back. But its legs, designed to ensure it could run on all four in complex terrain, had a much stronger grip than a typical Gundam.
So, although the Gaia Gundam was pushed back, its posture remained stable. It merely carved two deep trenches into the ground of Armory One with its shield raised, and the shield itself gained a deep gash from the Beam Saber, whose output had been deliberately increased.
Seeing he had the upper hand, Shinn naturally pressed his advantage with a forward melee attack.
But just then, the suit's lock-on warning blared wildly. Shinn could only reflexively abandon his attack and pilot his suit into a long-range backward jump.
The next second, six beams swept through the spot where the Delta Plus had just been. It was an attack from the two MA-X223E triple beam cannons mounted on the inner sides of the Abyss Gundam's shoulder armor.
Although the new Three young aces created by Phantom Pain were weaker than the old ones, the old trio's strength came at the cost of their sanity. The new trio, while also unhinged, could coordinate and cover each other.
With the Delta Plus forced back by the Abyss Gundam, the advantage gained from the earlier surprise attack was lost. Stella, inside the Gaia Gundam, had recovered and now charged forward, swinging her sword in a horizontal slash.
Shinn's suit had just stabilized, and he could only raise his own sword to block.
Since PLANT had made breakthroughs in Minovsky Particle Fusion Reactor technology, the Gaia Gundam was naturally equipped with one. Its Beam Saber was no longer the "lighter" type, but a more powerful and stable Minovsky Particle Beam Saber.
Therefore, Beam Sabers in the CE Universe could now clash with each other, and the two mobile suits became locked in a power struggle.
However, this contest of strength was disadvantageous for the Delta Plus. After all, the Delta Plus was designed as a transformable aerial combat unit focused on mobility, whereas the Gaia Gundam was specialized for ground-based melee. Thus, it was slowly being overpowered due to the difference in arm output.
Fortunately, Shinn also had reinforcements.
These reinforcements were not Ange and the others. It had been two months since Shinn was transferred to a formal unit, and his potential had already caught their attention.
Therefore, the three of them wanted to see what this genius pilot, cultivated by the New Misurugi Kingdom itself, was capable of. They were currently providing cover for Shinn and would not intervene unless the Delta Plus was on the verge of certain defeat.
The ones supporting Shinn now were the ZAFT mobile suits that were supposed to have sortied in the first place.
A Core Splendor, accompanied by three component parts, streaked across the sky. It fired two of its onboard missiles, which exploded on the Gaia Gundam's flank, forcing it back from its stalemate with the Delta Plus.
Shinn, lacking experience, simply stared blankly at the unknown unit intervening in the battle, feeling a fated connection with the fighter in the depths of his soul, instead of immediately pursuing the enemy to finish it off.
Then, after a showy dive and ascent, the fighter completed its three-part combination and transformation in mid-air. The Sword Impulse Gundam, brandishing the two MMI-710 'Armor Schneider' Laser Anti-Ship Swords of its Composite Twin-Edged Blade, landed in front of the Delta Plus.
After blocking the Gaia Gundam, the Sword Impulse Gundam's pilot, Heine Westenfluss, spoke over an open channel.
"MS Pilot of the New Misurugi Kingdom, thank you for holding off the stolen Gundam for our forces. You may leave the battlefield to us now. Please retreat to your warship."
However, at that moment, the MS pilots from the New Misurugi Kingdom were all critiquing the Impulse Gundam's actions.
Shinn's thoughts were simple: he thought the mid-air combination and transformation was a bit cool and wanted one for himself.
Meanwhile, Ange, Salya, and Hilda were complaining in their private squad channel.
Ange watched as the Impulse Gundam's Core Splendor used missiles to draw attention before combining, and she griped, exasperated.
"This ZAFT pilot is really bold and skilled, transforming right on top of the enemy. But these Gundam thieves don't seem very professional either, just watching him complete the transformation."
Salya immediately followed up on Ange's complaint.
"A squabble between amateurs. A suit with a Core Splendor should either combine before launch or far away from the battlefield. Combining on top of the enemy is no different from suicide, especially after drawing their attention first."
Hilda heard this and scoffed.
"Exactly. If I were this MS's enemy, that pilot would owe me at least three lives by now. Does he really think he's invincible during a transformation sequence? The two seconds it takes for this new ZAFT MS to combine is enough time for that pilot to be reincarnated several times over."
But complaints were just complaints. Seeing that Athrun had already boarded the Hong Long with Cagalli, Ange also opened a public channel to the still-dazed Shinn.
"Second Lieutenant Shinn Asuka, since ZAFT's support unit has arrived, let's retreat. We shouldn't get in their way."
Hearing this, Shinn knew he no longer had a proper reason to fight. Forcibly suppressing the reluctance in his heart, he retracted his Beam Saber, rushed to pick up his Beam Rifle, and said, "Your Majesty Ange, please leave first. I will cover our rear."
There was nothing wrong with Shinn's suggestion. Ange immediately took the lead and flew towards the port where the Mystic Angel was docked. The Gundam Eclipse and Z Plus Gundam followed close behind her, with the Hong Long after them, and the Delta Plus bringing up the rear in a guard position.
As he left, Shinn looked at the Gaia Gundam, which was now engaged with the Sword Impulse Gundam, and thought, "Don't you get shot down here. You're my prey."
Whether due to destiny or pure instinct, Shinn had, in every sense, set his sights on the Gaia Gundam.
Meanwhile, Stella was already on the losing end against Heine, a veteran of the first war. Fortunately, the Chaos Gundam arrived in time to support her, turning the two-on-one fight back into a stalemate.
At that moment, aboard the Girty Lue-class warship outside Armory One, Neo Roanoke checked his watch again, then ordered loudly, "It's about time. We should get going. Full weapon load for the ship. Target, the Nazca-class battleship ahead. Dagger L First Squadron, launch and deactivate your Mirage Colloid System as you attack.
"After the attack, Dagger L Second Squadron will launch and engage the surrounding patrol units. First Squadron, you keep a low profile and don't get spotted prematurely. Get my X-Aegis ready. I'm sortieing too. Don't forget, the New Misurugi Kingdom's ship is here as well. It'll be a huge problem if no one stops them."
After speaking, Neo Roanoke left the bridge and headed for the hangar to board his X-Aegis.
The X-Aegis was a modified version of the GAT-X303K Crimson Aegis Gundam, a mobile suit developed by Acteon Industries as part of the Acteon Plan, based on the GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam.
The X-Aegis's main armaments and armor were not significantly different from the Crimson Aegis Gundam's: an Induction-Type Magnetic Field Generator, Phase Shift Armor, two Beam Crutches, two Leg Blades, a 580mm 'Scylla' Multi-Phase Energy Cannon, and a 60mm Beam Rifle.
The modification was the removal of the Crimson Aegis Gundam's multi-legged centaur mode. The space from the transformation mechanism was used to install two M16M-D4 Wired Guided Pods from the TS-MA4F Exus (each containing a GAU-868L2 Twin Beam Cannon and a DE-RXM91C 'Crescent Moon' Beam Cutter).
The X-Aegis was a custom unit developed specifically for Neo Roanoke, even equipped with an Anti-Neutron Jammer to ensure its operational endurance. In any case, as the Atlantic Federation's secret unit, the Phantom Pain Unit used the Earth Sphere Peace Accord as toilet paper.
The overall performance of this mobile suit even surpassed that of the Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam from the first war, representing the culmination of Acteon Industries' technology.
With a command from the Girty Lue-class's captain, Ian Lee—
"Gottfried, fire!"
The Girty Lue's 225cm 'Gottfried Mk.71' Twin High-Energy Beam Cannon, the same model as on the Archangel, pierced straight through the Nazca-class battleship patrolling outside the colony. Simultaneously, it launched a barrage of missiles at another patrolling Nazca-class to its flank, heralding the official start of the external assault.
Such a huge commotion was naturally detected by Armory One's command center at once.
However, the Phantom Pain Unit was a unit with no records even within the Atlantic Federation, and the Girty Lue-class built for it had never appeared before. Thus, to ZAFT, this ship was completely unrecorded, an unknown vessel of unknown affiliation.
But combined with the fact that three Gundams had been stolen from inside the colony, even a fool would know this mothership was here to pick up the three stolen Gundams.
Thus, the ZAFT forces here naturally requested the ZAFT warships docked inside the satellite and the surrounding patrol ships to sortie for support.
Unfortunately, the Dagger Ls that the Girty Lue had launched a bit earlier had already crept up to the port. Just as the Laurasia-class ships inside the colony were about to launch, they were ambushed by these Dagger Ls, their bridges destroyed in a single blow, and the other ships in the port were attacked wantonly.
The Laurasia-class that was hit lost control and crashed into Armory One's port control room, shattering it and throwing the entire port into chaos.
The Mystic Angel, docked alone in the adjacent VIP port, naturally noticed the commotion next door. By now, Ange and the others had returned to the ship. Bargiruel decisively contacted the ZAFT port control room here and asked, "Port control, what is the situation over there? We heard explosions."
However, the only response Bargiruel received was static.
Realizing the port control room here was likely gone, Bargiruel knew that staying in the port would only be a hindrance. She immediately gave the order, "CIC, begin broadcasting within the dock. Notify all surrounding ground crew to evacuate. This ship will be forcing its way out of here. Start the thrusters. Anti-air machine guns and high-energy laser defense cannons, on standby. An MS could fly in front of us and attack at any moment."
Just as Bargiruel finished speaking, Ange, who was still in the hangar and hadn't disembarked from her suit, immediately connected her comms to the bridge and asked, "Captain Bargiruel, should we sortie? It's better for the ship to have an MS escort when it departs."
Bargiruel was stubborn when acting as captain, and she was familiar with Ange, so she replied directly, "Your Majesty Ange, please be patient. This ship has not yet reached the point where it requires its head of state to sortie as an escort. Jegan squad and the Delta Plus will launch first. Lieutenant Colonel Salya, Major Hilda, you two also be ready to launch at any time."
Ange knew Bargiruel's temperament. She understood that her turn to sortie would only come if they faced an entire fleet or an enemy that Salya and Hilda couldn't handle together. So, she didn't argue, disembarking from her suit and deciding to be a spectator for the day.
Thus, Shinn, who had just returned to the ship and hadn't even gotten out of his cockpit, launched again with three Jegans (piloted by nameless elite pilots trained by Noin).
As soon as Shinn piloted his suit into space, he saw another ZAFT Nazca-class battleship explode in the distance.
The explosions in the port had caused vibrations throughout the entire satellite, and the Three young aces inside knew it was time.
However, the three of them were currently being hard-pressed by the Impulse Gundam and a host of DINNs, GINNs, and Zakus, and for a moment, they didn't know where to escape.
But outside, Neo Roanoke couldn't find the Mystic Angel's location at first. Seeing that Stella Loussier, Sting Oakley, and Auel Neider hadn't come out on time, he guessed they were probably trapped inside the colony.
So, as their guardian, he naturally had to clean up the kids' mess. Neo Roanoke still knew which end of the colony the three Gundams were on. He flew directly to the colony's outer wall, carved a huge X-shaped molten cut with his Beam Crutches, and then fired his 580mm 'Scylla' Multi-Phase Energy Cannon continuously at the cut, blasting a large hole in the colony's outer wall.
The sound of the outer wall exploding could be heard by anyone inside the colony who wasn't deaf.
Stella, Sting, and Auel looked up from their cockpits. Seeing the crimson X-Aegis, they knew Neo had come to get them. They immediately ignored the other units and flew straight for the colony's outer wall.
The Sword Impulse Gundam was not good at flying and couldn't catch up to the three suits. Heine immediately had the Minerva send him the Force Silhouette pack.
However, it took time for the pack to arrive and for the switch to be made.
By the time the Impulse Gundam had changed its backpack to become the Force Impulse and rendezvoused with Rey's ZAKU Phantom and Lunamaria's ZAKU Warrior, the Gaia, Chaos, and Abyss had already flown out of the colony and into space.
At this time, Neo, in his X-Aegis, looked at the Mystic Angel, which had also flown out into space, and the three suits in the colony clearly preparing to give chase. He spoke in a complicated tone, "The big trouble is out too. Stella, Sting, Auel, return to the ship as quickly as possible. I'll hold off the pursuers for a bit. We need to get out of here fast. It'll be a problem if the New Misurugi Kingdom's new ship comes after us too."
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