Eve of the "World Tree" Offensive and Defensive Battle

"Hmm!"

The Commander-in-Chief nodded slightly, looking at Felix to give a final instruction.

"Felix, over half of your squad consists of new recruits. Take extra care of them when the time comes, and minimize their casualty rate as much as possible."

"Rest assured, Commander-in-Chief."

Felix nodded and agreed.

Two hours later, the video conference concluded.

After stretching his limbs, Felix initiated a call with the MS squad leaders of the other two warships.

As the connection opened, the faces of Phipps and Miles appeared before Alex. The two saluted Felix and spoke respectfully.

"Captain!"

"Hmm!"

Returning the salute, Felix grunted in acknowledgment.

Looking at the two, Felix relayed the contents of the combat briefing.

"Our squad's attack vector this time is the flank; we will not be participating in the frontal assault."

"Not participating in the frontal assault?"

Miles muttered with a hint of frustration upon hearing this.

Phipps asked directly, "Captain, is it because the Commander-in-Chief saw that we have many new recruits in our squad that we were given this assignment?"

"Correct! It is precisely because of the high number of new recruits that we have been assigned to the flank, both to ensure the stability of the offensive force and to protect the newcomers."

Felix nodded, not hiding the truth from them.

Upon hearing this, although they still looked somewhat annoyed and dejected, the two accepted the arrangement. Seeing that they had stopped complaining, Felix continued.

"Although our offensive is unfolding on the flank, the flank does not mean we can rest easy. The enemy forces blocking our path ahead will still be significant, and we will need to engage in a bitter struggle to emerge victorious. Therefore, no one can afford to let their guard down. At the same time, protection for the new recruits must be strengthened to avoid excessive losses on the battlefield."

"Rest assured, Captain. We will maintain absolute focus during the battle and do everything within our power to protect the newcomers."

The two men looked solemn as they gave their earnest promise.

With their assurances, Felix continued to brief them.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the Earth Alliance Forces headquarters received new intelligence from space. Upon learning the details, the Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Alliance Forces immediately contacted the Council.

"What is the matter?" the head of the Atlantic Federation asked over the comms.

The other two leaders waited calmly for the Commander-in-Chief's report.

The Commander-in-Chief proceeded to report based on the intelligence.

"Three leaders, based on information fed back from our reconnaissance satellites and other surveillance equipment deployed in space, the movements of the ZAFT forces have become clear."

"What is the target of the ZAFT operation?" the head of the Eurasian Federation asked in a deep voice.

The Commander-in-Chief continued his report.

"The target of this ZAFT operation is the L1 point; it is highly likely to be our World Tree space station constructed there."

"Mobilize the nearby fleets to head toward the World Tree and establish defensive positions. We will also arrange for the personnel on the World Tree to evacuate to avoid more severe casualties."

As soon as the report ended, the order from the head of the Atlantic Federation was issued. The heads of the Eurasian Federation and the East Asian Republic concurred, offering no objections.

Receiving the order, the Commander-in-Chief stood up and saluted.

"Yes!"

With that, the communication ended.

The Commander-in-Chief began making the necessary arrangements.

"Which fleets are closest to the World Tree?"

"Commander-in-Chief, the closest are the First Fleet, the Second Fleet, and the Third Fleet. The other fleets are too far away to complete the defensive deployment for the World Tree on time."

The secretary standing beside the Commander-in-Chief reported the situation.

Learning that the three fleets could handle the defense, the Commander-in-Chief issued the order directly.

"Order the First Fleet, the Second Fleet, and the Third Fleet to proceed to the vicinity of the World Tree to establish a defensive perimeter. Their mission is to hold off the ZAFT offensive and do everything in their power to preserve the World Tree."

"Yes, Commander."

The secretary replied, drafting the corresponding orders and handing them to the Commander-in-Chief. After reviewing the drafted orders and finding no issues, the Commander-in-Chief signed them.

The signed orders were quickly dispatched to the respective fleets.

In space.

The advancing ZAFT forces received intelligence brought back by the scout team that had moved ahead.

Sebastian.

In Felix's quarters.

Having just finished communicating with Phipps and Miles, Felix had not yet had a chance to rest when he received a communication request from the Commander-in-Chief.

Patting his face to adjust his state, Felix connected the call.

"We have just received intelligence from the scout team."

The Commander-in-Chief paused for a moment before continuing.

"According to the intelligence, the Earth Alliance Forces' First Fleet, Second Fleet, and Third Fleet mobilized an hour ago and are currently heading toward the vicinity of the World Tree.

Based on their distance and speed, they will complete their defensive deployment near the World Tree one to two hours before we arrive."

At this point, the Commander-in-Chief began displaying images of the Earth Alliance Forces' fleets, continuing his explanation based on the visuals.

"The total number of vessels in these three Earth Alliance Forces fleets is eighty. The First Fleet consists of thirty ships, while the other two fleets consist of twenty-five ships each.

The combat vessels are primarily Drake-class and Agamemnon-class, totaling sixty ships.

The remaining twenty are support vessels.

There are forty Drake-class warships, each capable of carrying eight Moebius MA. There are twenty Agamemnon-class large warships, each capable of carrying over twenty Moebius MA.

Based on current calculations, the enemy's defensive force is no less than six hundred Moebius MA, which poses a very serious challenge for our battle this time."

This configuration is far stronger than the Eighth Fleet that appears later in the story! Compared to these three fleets, the Eighth Fleet can simply be described as pathetic!

Hearing the strength of these three fleets, Felix couldn't help but complain internally that the Eighth Fleet from the later story was truly too pathetic.

It was completely incomparable to these three fleets.

"Commander-in-Chief, the enemy's defensive strength is indeed not weak, but our offensive force this time is also very powerful. It is not impossible to deal with them. We have dispatched a total of fifteen units for this offensive, with thirty warships and over one hundred and fifty MS. While it may not be an absolute crushing force, it is certainly sufficient to cope!"