As more and more MS rose from the Orb Fleet into the sky, all kinds of units with virtually no standardized designs began following behind the Midnight Gundam toward the Combined Fleet. Only one unit swam alone beneath the sea, looking rather lonely.
Behind this wave of MS came more than a dozen Murasames led by the Strike Gundam. These Murasames were piloted by outstanding pilots personally selected by the Command Center aboard the Second Archangel. Their experience and skill ranked among the best in the entire Orb Army. Every unit bore its own special paint job and insignia, with minor differences from mass-production models that gave each one a distinct character.
After all the MS had set out, Xiao Ran opened the communications channel and said directly, "The objective of this mission is to scout out detailed intelligence on the Combined Fleet and harass them. If possible, eliminate part of their forces to reduce the pressure we'll face in a direct battle. There is no need to get drawn into a prolonged fight with them."
"Yes."
A unified response came through the communications channel. Xiao Ran nodded and pushed the control stick, causing the Midnight Gundam to accelerate once more. "I'll take point. All units, accelerate forward."
At Xiao Ran's command, the more than thirty deployed MS instantly accelerated, quickly vanishing beyond the visible range of the Second Archangel and the entire Orb Fleet. Just a few minutes later, the Combined Fleet had entered their visual range. By then, quite a few MS had already been launched from the Combined Fleet, numbering roughly a hundred.
In terms of numbers alone, a force three times their size was enough to deal with Xiao Ran's group of just over thirty MS. But actual combat strength could not be measured by numbers.