Operation: Airborne Landing at Victoria Spaceport (Conclusion)

In the low Earth orbit above Victoria Spaceport.

Having received the order, the ZAFT forces began their operation, with Drop Pods carrying ground troops initiating their descent toward the surface.

One after another, the Drop Pods accelerated rapidly under the influence of Earth's gravity, the friction against the atmosphere intensifying as heat accumulated, causing the exterior temperatures of the pods to climb steadily.

Fortunately, the efficient design of the Drop Pods ensured that the interior remained largely unaffected.

Above Victoria Spaceport.

Under the arrangements made by Felix, the unit was divided into three sections.

One section was positioned in the low-altitude airspace of Victoria Spaceport for defensive patrol, another remained on standby at an altitude of 10,000 meters, and the final group held position at 30,000 meters.

With this three-tiered arrangement, Felix led from the middle, prepared to provide support both upward and downward at a moment's notice.

"Captain Griffith, we have successfully rendezvoused with the Drop Pods!"

A report from a ZAFT soldier echoed over the comms.

Felix nodded slightly upon hearing this, offering a simple grunt of acknowledgment.

"Follow the Drop Pods as they descend."

"Understood!"

With those two words, the transmission ended.

A minute or two passed, and the Drop Pods reached the 10,000-meter mark, with the unit previously stationed at 30,000 meters now trailing behind them.

At 10,000 meters, the speed of the Drop Pods had slowed to Mach 6, though this remained a blistering pace.

Felix led his unit in a tactical descent, following the pods.

"Leave three men at 10,000 meters for patrol and surveillance!"

Felix issued the order over the comms.

The command was immediately acknowledged by three MS pilots. Felix left the trio behind to maintain their patrol, while the rest of the unit continued their descent with him.

Descending to 5,000 meters, the speed of the Drop Pods dropped to Mach 4.

Felix once again assigned three men to remain there for patrol and surveillance.

As the Drop Pods continued their descent, the retro-thruster systems engaged again at 2,000 meters, reducing their speed to below Mach 2.

Upon reaching 1,000 meters, the retro-thrusters brought the Drop Pods down to subsonic speeds.

Finally, as they reached a dozen meters above the ground, the retro-thrusters worked continuously, allowing the Drop Pods to land in a stable posture.

The Drop Pods opened, and three prototype ground-combat BuCUE rushed out under the control of their MS pilots. Emerging from the other pods were hastily modified ground vehicles and ZAFT soldiers armed with light weaponry.

"Captain Griffith, the energy equipment to resupply you all has also been dropped. Please take turns replenishing your energy!"

A voice rang out over the comms.

Learning that the energy storage equipment had also arrived, Felix felt a weight lift from his mind, and he gave a grunt of affirmation over the radio.

Ending the call, he began organizing the unit to rotate for energy and ammunition resupply, ensuring the MS remained in peak condition.

"Captain, why don't you go resupply first?"

Heine's voice sounded over the comms. Felix shook his head upon hearing this and replied to Heine.

"You go first! Once everyone else has finished their resupply, I will take my turn."

"Yes, Captain!"

With that reply, Heine did not insist further.

He piloted his Ginn down toward the surface.

While a portion of the unit was undergoing resupply, Felix led the remaining forces to hover above the ground troops, coordinating their movements.

The three prototype BuCUE cleared the path ahead!

The 13-tube Missile Launcher mounted on their backs fired all their missiles in a single volley.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A series of explosions erupted, tearing the ground defenses constructed by Victoria Spaceport to shreds.

While the BuCUE paved the way on the ground, Felix and the others piloted their MS in the air, clearing obstacles for the ground troops.

The ground vehicles deployed by Victoria Spaceport were destroyed by Felix and his team before they could even open fire.

Through this mutual coordination, the ground defensive line of Victoria Spaceport was quickly breached, and the ground troops successfully pushed into the interior of the spaceport.

Around 8:55 AM.

With the final gunshot echoing inside Victoria Spaceport, the first phase of the operation—the capture of Victoria Spaceport—came to an end.

On the ground.

Inside a makeshift command post.

"Captain Griffith, the fact that this operation concluded so rapidly is thanks to your squad swiftly neutralizing the anti-air and air forces at Victoria Spaceport."

As the voice reached his ears, Felix looked up.

He saw a familiar face walking in, accompanied by a woman of similar age.

Watching him approach, Felix waved his hand and replied modestly.

"Captain Waltfeld, you are too kind. The speed of this operation is largely thanks to the Neutron Jammer.

If not for the interference it caused to communications and radar, severely hindering the enemy's command and interception capabilities, we would never have been able to end the battle so quickly."

"There's no need for such modesty. The Neutron Jammer playing its part is one thing, but the speed and ferocity of your assault is another.

The two aren't mutually exclusive!"

Andrew walked over to Felix, slung an arm around his neck with practiced familiarity, and spoke with a wide, grinning smile.

Felix offered a faint smile in return, then shifted his gaze to the table. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a tone of gravity.

"Our current victory is merely a temporary one. The real challenge lies in how we hold Victoria Spaceport against the fierce counter-offensive of the Earth Alliance Forces.

Otherwise, the fruits of our current victory will be impossible to keep."

Hearing this, the playful expression on Andrew's face faded. He looked at the map on the table with a serious expression and nodded in agreement.

"You're right; holding our ground is the most critical part now. If we can't hold it, we won't be able to secure the fruits of our victory."

Having said that, Andrew turned to look at Felix and asked.

"What are your plans?"

"I have just contacted the Ministry of Defense to explain our situation and, incidentally, requested reinforcements to ensure we can hold Victoria Spaceport."

Felix glanced at Andrew and replied.

Andrew nodded after hearing this, then turned back to Felix and asked.

"Is there anything you need my help with?"

"There are plenty of things I need Captain Waltfeld's help with; I certainly won't be letting you rest."

Looking at him, the corners of Felix's mouth curled up as he spoke with a chuckle. Hearing this, Andrew patted his chest and laughed.

"Just give the orders when the time comes. I will do everything in my power to see them through."