The crosshairs settled over a green mechanical giant in the scope.
The giant strode through the dense jungle, its distinctive mono-eye monitor sweeping steadily from side to side.
In the fine rain falling over Southeast Asia, its red eye glowed through the mist, chilling to behold.
Two identical giants followed behind it in a triangular formation.
They were enemy weapons, developed by the Principality of Zeon to make up for its military disadvantage: large mobile units known as Mobile Suits.
They had replaced tanks on the Gravity Front, becoming armored units capable of swaying the course of battle.
"Three Zaku moving northwest. We're in luck. Karen, I've sent you the data!"
Their official designation should have been Zaku II, but everyone simply called them Zaku.
Eli Li didn't rush to squeeze the trigger on the control stick.
Instead, he checked the communications screen beside him to confirm the data had gone through.
It was worth noting that wireless communication was usually unreliable in this region.
A special particle known as Minovsky Particles caused severe interference with electromagnetic waves, leaving long-distance communications little more than static.
If the concentration was high enough, losing contact with the rest of the battlefield was a common occurrence.
This had rendered guided weapons such as missiles and anti-aircraft guns ineffective.
For a time, the war that had swept across the entire human world—and even caused a colony satellite to fall—had sent warfare back to the tactics of World War II.
Just like now: Eli was piloting the Earth Federation's latest weapon, yet he had to rely on optical sights to aim.
As an aside, Eli and Karen communicated by exchanging data over a cable laid across the ground.
"Got it. Ready to fire whenever you are!"
A strong woman's voice came from the other end of the line.
Karen spoke in a gruff voice. Perhaps that was what they meant by war changing people.
After confirming once more that the Zaku hadn't changed course, Eli quietly shifted his crosshairs onto the one in the middle.
The Earth Federation, fighting against the Principality of Zeon, naturally had Mobile Suits of its own—though they had arrived on the battlefield nearly half a year later.
The machine Eli piloted was the Earth Federation's latest Mobile Suit, the Gundam Ground Type!
The name Gundam came from another legendary machine, but that was a story for another time.
For now, the Gundam Ground Type crouched beneath the jungle's cover, the number "06" marked on its left shoulder armor. It slowly raised its weapon and rested it on the shield planted in the ground, using it as a stabilizer.
It was a 180mm Cannon, powerful enough to destroy an enemy with a single shot.
BOOM!
The roar of cannon fire shattered the rainforest's silence!
But the shot hadn't come from Eli's machine.
On a hill west of Eli, another Gundam Ground Type held a 180mm Cannon, smoke drifting from its muzzle.
It was Karen's Gundam Ground Type.
But the shot had only struck the ground, kicking up a huge crater without causing any casualties.
The Zaku Karen had targeted—the last one in the squad—had stopped because a tree had fallen across its path. The shell she fired had passed right in front of it.
The Zaku's pilot had even seen the ripples in the air as the shell tore past at high speed.
"Enemy attack!"
A shrill shout rang out over the three Zaku's communications.
Even though the shot had missed, the three Zaku didn't dare take any chances. They immediately fired up their rear thrusters and scattered.
Sure enough, another shell came hurtling toward them the next instant!
It was another shot from Karen, who had corrected her aim using the data Eli sent her.
This time, she scored a direct hit on her target.
The shell hadn't struck the Zaku's cockpit, hitting only the left half of its body.
Even so, the steel giant was thrown off the ground by the shell's impact and toppled to the side.
From the scattered parts and mechanical arm, it looked as though the Zaku had been put out of action.
A man's shout reached Eli's ears, faint and indistinct, too unclear for him to make out the words.
It was like the sound of mosquitoes beating their wings through the rainforest at night: he could tell where it came from, but never exactly where they were.
But the startled flock of birds taking flight near Karen's position gave away her location.
"You can pull back now, Karen. I'll take it from here!"
Eli watched as the Zaku he had in his sights raised its Maggia Cannon and, at the squad leader's signal, aimed toward Karen.
The Maggia Cannon was a makeshift field weapon, cobbled together by the Zeon Forces from a Maggia Tank turret and a Zaku Machine Gun. Still, its 175mm caliber packed a respectable punch.
To be safe, it was better to let his ally withdraw for the moment.
Once he confirmed that Karen had left the position and pulled back, Eli stopped hiding!
The 180mm Cannon in his hands opened fire!
The Zaku, which had stopped to aim and was already firmly in Eli's sights, was struck in the front of its chest armor the next instant. Its pilot died on the spot without even a chance to utter last words.
The man's anguished cry sounded faintly in Eli's ears once more.
Eli had long since grown used to it and didn't hesitate for even a moment.
The Gundam Ground Type's eye monitors lit up as it rose to its feet in the jungle.
The camouflage netting on its body tore away, and the communications cable was roughly snapped apart.
Meanwhile, the 180mm Cannon in its hands had already been reloaded. Eli immediately swung it toward the last Zaku.
The Zaku was holding a Rocket Launcher, and its pilot was clearly a veteran. He identified Eli's position at once and, while maneuvering to evade, fired his launcher.
Eli fired his Cannon in reply.
But the Zaku's evasive maneuver let it escape the shot unharmed.
Eli didn't get frustrated. He turned the front of his Mobile Suit toward the incoming rocket and fired the Vulcan Cannon in its left chest at it repeatedly, blowing it up in midair.
Without pausing, Eli took a few steps forward, let the Cannon fall from his hands, then bent down and picked up the shield planted in the ground as a stand. He secured it to the mount on his left arm.
Then he had the Mobile Suit's right hand grab the 100mm Machine Gun resting nearby and fired up its rear thrusters, sending it charging toward the last Zaku.
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