"What kind of weapons and equipment are these Coordinators using? How did they manage to shut down our reactors and interfere with our radar equipment so badly that it can't be used properly?"
The captain sat in his chair, his expression grave. He muttered to himself, then continued directing the troops with a heavy heart.
Meanwhile, aboard the World Tree International Space Station
The commander in charge listened to the communications officer's incessant calls and clenched his fist, his expression grim.
"What on earth happened? Why can't we contact our forces?"
After saying this, he turned to the communications officer and continued,
"Have you managed to reach the troops on the front line?"
"Commander, we still haven't been able to contact them."
The communications officer replied to the commander.
Upon learning they still couldn't make contact, the commander's expression darkened. He let out a heavy sigh.
"Send out the designated Moebius units equipped with wired communications gear. Have them establish contact with these warships and report the situation."
"Yes, Commander!"
The communications officer acknowledged the order.
Then he relayed the commander's orders to the troops below.
Meanwhile, on the front lines
Under Felix's control, the White Ginn maneuvered to evade the bullets fired by a Moebius. Then he raised his weapon and locked on through the optical sight.
Before pulling the trigger, he calculated the enemy's trajectory.
The Heavy Assault Machine Gun's muzzle flashed as it fired two rounds.
The bullets tore through the pitch-black void and struck the Moebius.
An urgent alarm blared in the cockpit. Before the pilot could figure out what was happening, the Moebius exploded.
The blast swallowed the pilot in an instant.
After destroying it, Felix piloted the White Ginn toward another group, opening fire on the Moebius units.
In less than a minute, he had fired dozens of rounds, destroying nearly twenty Moebius units.
The White Ginn turned and opened fire with the Heavy Assault Machine Gun in his hands.
The bullets pierced a Moebius flying past.
After destroying it, the White Ginn pushed forward.
His target was a Drake-class battleship ahead.
With its radar impaired, the Drake-class battleship couldn't detect approaching enemies at long range.
By the time its optical sensors could relay a clear image, Felix had already piloted the White Ginn very close.
"Captain, an MS is charging straight toward us at high speed!"
"Open fire! Maneuver to defend!"
Upon learning of the situation, the captain issued his orders at once.
At his command, the tactical officer reported,
"Captain, our radar is completely down. We can't use our missiles properly, and neither the beam cannons nor the electromagnetic railguns can be aimed normally."
"Use manual targeting to fire the electromagnetic railguns and beam cannons the old-fashioned way."
The captain gave the order.
The tactical officer quickly adjusted their tactics, and the beam cannons and electromagnetic railguns opened fire under manual control.
Beams and electromagnetic shells streaked toward the White Ginn.
Felix saw the incoming attacks and maneuvered the White Ginn through space.
He dodged them.
Under manual control, the beam cannons and electromagnetic railguns tracked the Ginn as he maneuvered.
But the White Ginn moved so quickly that every beam and shell missed.
Not only did the attacks fail to stop him, they also consumed a great deal of the battleship's energy.
The White Ginn raced in and closed to point-blank range. With its radar down, the battleship's Close-In Weapon System had lost all defensive capability.
Its turrets turned and fired, but they simply couldn't hit the White Ginn accurately.
"Lambs to the slaughter!"
Seeing how helpless the battleship was, Felix gave a cold snort.
He then rushed to the bridge of the Drake-class battleship and aimed at it, opening fire.
The bullets tore straight through the bridge, completely destroying the battleship's command system. After demolishing it, Felix pushed the White Ginn toward the other enemies.
As he went, he opened fire on two Moebius units.
The bullets pierced both Moebius units.
After destroying them, he charged toward the next Drake-class battleship.
He dodged its now-useless defensive fire and rushed to the bridge, then aimed the Heavy Assault Machine Gun at it and fired.
"Ah!"
The personnel inside the bridge let out terrified screams.
Then they all died in the explosion, lost in the vastness of space.
After destroying the battleship's command system, Felix piloted the White Ginn onward.
Aboard the World Tree International Space Station
"Commander-in-Chief, the ZAFT Forces are using a completely new piece of equipment. It has rendered all our nuclear weapons unusable and even affected the battleships' nuclear fission reactors, preventing them from operating.
"On top of that, the radar and communications of almost all forces in the combat zone have failed."
The commander in charge of the World Tree defense battle reported the situation to the Commander-in-Chief.
At Earth Alliance Forces headquarters
After hearing the report, the Commander-in-Chief's expression turned grave. He asked in a deep voice,
"Have you figured out what new equipment the ZAFT Forces are using?"
"No. The ZAFT Forces came prepared, and we have no way of finding out what kind of new equipment they're using."
He shook his head and replied, his voice tinged with helplessness.
After hearing this, the Commander-in-Chief thought for a moment, then asked,
"What do you think we should do?"
"I think we should withdraw from the area around World Tree and stop engaging the ZAFT Forces."
"You mean to hand World Tree over to them? Have you considered how much that would disrupt our route to the Moon?"
The Commander-in-Chief's face darkened, and he spoke with a hint of accusation. The battle commander replied over the comms,
"Of course we can't just hand World Tree over to them. We can't hold it, but we can't let these Coordinators get it either.
"My plan is to retreat while fighting and, if necessary, destroy World Tree outright.
"That way, these Coordinators won't get their hands on it!"
"You can handle the details as you see fit. I have only one demand: don't let PLANT get World Tree. Don't let them get it even if it's damaged.
"Do you understand?"
After hearing his plan, the Commander-in-Chief asked no further questions. Instead, he firmly stated what had to be done.
"Commander-in-Chief, rest assured. I'll see the mission through!"
Sitting ramrod straight, the commander of the battle gave the Commander-in-Chief his assurance in a booming voice.
The Commander-in-Chief nodded and ended the call.
Before you continue