Getting out of the Heretic's cockpit meant no longer having to endure the agony of waiting for death at any moment.
This was a good thing.
But after emerging, these Orb soldiers watched their allies suffering successive defeats, their hearts filled with mixed emotions and deep discomfort.
The reason for this was that only now did they realize how naive some of their pre-war ideas had been!
The East Asian Federation was a major power—truly not one to be challenged!
The MS Heretic was developed by Orb through participation in the Allied Forces' G Project, integrating their technology with that of the local Dawn Company.
This new MS had excellent parameters, in no way inferior to the mobile suits of the Coordinators or the Atlantic Federation Army.
When Orb soldiers first saw the Heretic Gundam, they all felt an uncontrollable sense of pride.
And a power they shouldn't have possessed.
They thought that since they could build the MS Heretic, Orb was undoubtedly a major power.
A power that no one in the Earth Sphere could ignore!
But now?
Their forces were collapsing like a landslide—Orb's MS units were shattered at the first encounter with the East Asian Army.
All they could see were the wreckage of Orb's MS units!
"Hahaha, what were we thinking before?"
In this situation, many uttered such bitter sighs, which weren't entirely due to their army's defeat.
Orb soldiers on the ground raised their hands—who could have imagined they would one day surrender?
And surrender to unmanned attack spiders at that.
Not a single living person in sight!
"Greetings, soldiers of the Orb Army."
"We are the East Asian Army's unmanned attack spiders. Due to mission requirements, we are temporarily not accepting prisoners."
Just as the Orb soldiers were feeling indignant about being surrounded and captured by a bunch of spiders without even seeing a human,
the unmanned spiders announced they wouldn't take prisoners, causing immediate unrest among the Orb soldiers.
"You're going to execute prisoners?"
The Orb soldiers no longer cared about feeling insulted; their faces turned pale with fear, some even deathly white.
Of course, there were those with hotter tempers who drew their sidearms, ready to fight to the death.
Just as chaos was about to break out, the unmanned attack spiders on the ground spoke again.
"The East Asian Army's prisoner camps aren't completed yet due to our rapid advance."
"Please proceed to the rear of the battlefield, where the East Asian Army has designated a prisoner area."
"We believe the relevant East Asian Army logistics personnel should have airdropped some construction materials. Orb soldiers can quickly set up the prisoner camp by following the instructions."
"Of course, if you prefer not to build it, you can stay in the prisoner area. According to projections, this war should end soon."
"After that, you can surrender your weapons and return home."
After speaking, the numerous unmanned military spiders didn't linger—these mechanical spiders that had given the Coordinators so much trouble during the Alaska campaign.
Their six mechanical legs tapped lightly as they swiftly traversed forests and lakes, pursuing the distant battlefield.
Ground units simply couldn't match the speed of aerial ones - the retreating Orb forces were outpacing the spiders' crawling pace.
Thus far, the spiders hadn't achieved any combat results, all thanks to the Orb army's swift withdrawal!
"What should we do?"
The spider units that had flooded into the Orb soldiers' vision now receded like the tide.
Left behind and feeling humiliated once more, one soldier among them voiced the question.
"What else can we do?"
Most soldiers in the group wore alternating expressions of pale dismay and flushed anger.
They had been defeated, but did that mean they had to completely abandon their dignity?
Just as some soldiers gritted their teeth, thinking they couldn't sink to the level of becoming prisoners in such disgraceful fashion...
Considering whether to scatter and return home since the East Asian Army had shown such arrogance...
And contemplating preserving their dignity by avoiding the so-called prisoner-of-war areas established by East Asia...
"Whirrrrrrr."
At that precise moment, the sound of numerous rotors echoed overhead, soon casting dark shadows over them.
Looking up, the Orb soldiers saw orderly formations of large Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
These were the same rotor drones they'd seen in military briefings - the ones that had overwhelmed Coordinators during the Alaska campaign.
"Well, actually, you know..."
"I think going to the East Asian Army's prisoner camps might not be so bad after all."
"Right, right. We lost fair and square. No point making more trouble."
Pragmatic voices emerged in large numbers before the East Asian Army's displayed military might.
What was dignity anyway? Could you eat it?
Thus, the group of Orb soldiers quickly accepted reality, forming two long columns to march toward the rear.
It must be said, this demonstrated the Orb army's disciplined training.
Whether traversing forests or battlefields littered with burning weapon wreckage, the soldiers maintained perfect formation without anyone falling behind.
As they marched, someone in the column ill-advisedly broke the silence:
"What do you think will happen to Orb's main city?"
The question plunged the formation into deathly silence.
Indeed, Orb's capital still had garrison troops. If the East Asian Army launched an attack...
What would become of Orb's main city?
Many civilians remained there, still living in the unprotected urban area!
Meanwhile, outside the Orb capital that concerned the soldiers, East Asian forces pursuing remaining Orb defenders reached the city's outskirts.
A technical officer, stealing a moment from their busy schedule, recorded battlefield test results of newly deployed weapons:
"Combat testing shows Unmanned Attack Dragonflies prove highly effective in frontal assaults within the Earth Sphere."
"Particularly in complex environments where MS mobility is restricted, they can effectively eliminate enemy forces."
"However, based on combat patterns, space warfare primarily involves high-mobility close-quarters engagements."
"The effectiveness of small weapons like Unmanned Attack Dragonflies would significantly decrease in such scenarios."
"Unmanned Attack Spiders deployed from MS units before combat cannot keep pace with retreating enemy MS forces due to speed limitations."
"But urban combat effectiveness remains untested. Personally, I believe Unmanned Attack Spiders will demonstrate remarkable performance in city warfare."
"Therefore, the Loyal Wingman System project represents a massive enhancement to our military's overall combat capabilities!"
After the technical officer finished speaking these final words into the voice recorder inside the Rem cockpit,
The East Asian Army's assembly whistle sounded.
Soon, through the communication devices in various Mobile Suits, the voice of the unit commander came through.
"Soldiers, ahead lies Orb's main city. Capturing this location will complete our mission for this battle."
"However, I must remind everyone once again: we are the East Asian Army, fighting for the happiness of all humanity."
"During urban combat, all units must maintain strict military discipline. Do not open fire indiscriminately, especially in residential areas where civilians remain."
"According to pre-battle intelligence, many citizens in Orb's main city haven't had time to evacuate!"
The true test for the East Asian Army in the Orb campaign had arrived. Compared to the battle for Orb's main city, the previous engagements were merely appetizers.
Not even worth mentioning.
Every soldier who heard the unit commander's announcement wore a grave expression.
"Now, advance toward Orb's main city."
What was coming would always arrive. At the commanders' orders, the troops began their advance.
After all, repeated warnings had been issued before the battle, with all unit leaders preparing their soldiers for this moment.
But the East Asian Army obviously wouldn't let the Orb forces off just because they had retreated into the urban areas.
Well then, let's see what you've really got!
Large groups of Rotary-wing Unmanned Attack Aircraft converged, inconspicuously covering the airspace above the urban area.
From positions far beyond the Orb army's visual range, they established a comprehensive intelligence network through their built-in network connections.
In this battle, the rotary-wing drones would provide the East Asian Army with detailed battlefield intelligence support through their camera systems.
On the ground, each Rem was assigned two groups of four unmanned dragonflies and unmanned spiders for coordination.
Organized into three-Rem squads, they cautiously entered Orb's urban perimeter.
The moment the massive, heavy frames stepped onto the city streets, the resulting sound struck like a heavy hammer.
It hammered both the hearts of the Orb defenders within the city and the citizens of Orb's urban area.
"They're coming in!"
The Orb soldiers defending the city, along with those who had retreated here, were now bloodlusted to the point of forgetting one crucial fact:
This battlefield was in their own city.
They only thought about using the complex urban terrain to teach the East Asian Army that Orb forces couldn't be humiliated.
The MS Heretics, without a doubt, hiding behind skyscrapers, they waited for the right moment.
The first to attack the East Asian Army were Orb's missile vehicles.
Carrying missile launchers mounted on highly mobile, superior-performance jeeps,
Orb soldiers gritted their teeth and charged out, attempting to ambush the East Asian Army at various intersections.
"Damn East Asian Army, go to hell!"
Just as they had imagined before charging out, the East Asian Army's movements became extremely cautious upon entering the urban area.
Whether afraid of damaging city structures or concerned about causing collateral damage,
This created an opportunity for Orb's small jeeps. Seeing the tall Rems,
They were about to press the missile launcher triggers.
At that moment, suddenly several six-legged spiders appeared in the Orb soldiers' field of vision!
"What was that?"
Of course, this didn't prevent them from pulling their triggers, but before the missiles could hit the Rem,
the launched missiles underwent unexplained mid-air detonations.
"Boom."
Along with the missile explosions came the blast of an Orb military jeep on the ground.
"The unmanned dragonflies are sufficient to defend against ordinary missile attacks, while the unmanned spiders can effectively destroy ground jeeps."
Having missed their chance to engage, the East Asian soldier inside the Rem felt somewhat disappointed and recorded the following on the console:
"You, and you."
After writing, this East Asian soldier, likely the squad leader, pointed at several comrades.
He then sighed while observing the building damage caused by the Orb army's attacks. Though reluctant,
he had no choice but to proceed, allowing the Mobile Suits to return to their original purpose.
"Sorry about this, but I'll need you all to stay behind and handle the building damage."
"Huh?" The designated soldiers voiced protests, but under military orders, they had to comply.
Watching their comrades advance, the remaining soldiers exchanged glances.
"Let's get to work."
Someone spoke up first.
"Alright then."
The other soldiers set down the Rem's firearms, using either their standard-issue military shovels or the MS's hands.
These soldiers, operating war machines, found themselves engaged in disaster relief work.
"First test broadcast, this is a unit from the East Asian Army Expeditionary Fleet. Are there any civilians remaining in the building?"
"Please rest assured, we are the East Asian Army and mean no harm. Due to the building sustaining significant damage from recent Orb army attacks,"
"and considering safety concerns, we request everyone evacuate quickly and orderly."
"We will deploy unmanned spiders to maintain order and conduct search and rescue operations inside the building. Please cooperate fully."
"Repeating..."
Just as this East Asian soldier stated, not only the Mobile Suits but even the suicide spiders could be utilized for disaster relief and rescue operations within the East Asian Army.
They weren't merely instruments of destruction!
Similar relief scenes occurred throughout multiple Orb urban centers. What deserved reflection was that most urban damage
was actually inflicted by the Orb military, who should have been the guardians of these cities.
Since entering Orb's main city, the East Asian Army had relied primarily on intelligence from rotary-wing UAVs,
using unmanned dragonflies and spiders to engage in close-quarters combat that minimized disturbances
and reduced urban destruction to the greatest extent possible.
Thus, while fighting, they simultaneously cleaned up after the Orb army's mess, creating this bizarre progression of battle in Orb's main city.
(End of Chapter)