(Two chapters today. Yesterday my wife worked overtime, so I kept her company. Then the car broke down, and we didn't get home until midnight after getting it fixed. There really wasn't enough time.)
Black Astray launched directly from the ascending Archangel. The glide pack on its back ignited instantly, blasting out white light. In less than a few seconds, Black Astray had flown several hundred meters away. Sitting in the cockpit, Xiao Ran felt the recoil, far stronger than in space. He pressed both pedals down, pushed forward with his left hand, and Black Astray made a dazzling turn in midair, beginning a wide circular glide.
Sergeant Maddox's voice suddenly sounded through the communicator. "Major, the Flight Pack cannot provide full flight capability in the atmosphere. It can only use the force of the launch and the thrusters to glide for a short time. Since it was modified from the original design, its wings are shorter than before, so its glide time is even shorter than Strike Gundam's. Please keep that in mind."
"Understood. Testing glide time now." Xiao Ran nodded and immediately brought the thrusters to full power. Black Astray's circling speed suddenly doubled, and its descent slowed somewhat, but it still spiraled downward. A few minutes later, it finally landed on the ground, its back thrusters shutting down completely.
"Testing maximum jump height and glide duration under full power with the pack."
As soon as Xiao Ran finished speaking, Black Astray bent its legs, and the thrusters behind it lit up again. With a kick from both feet and the full-power burst of the pack thrusters and the machine's own small thrusters, it shot up from the ground like an arrow leaving the bow. It tore through the air and soared to a height of more than