Doug pulled out a chair and sat down, then nodded to Felix. Andrew came over with a glass of water and set it in front of Doug before asking,
"How are you feeling?"
"These Earth Alliance Forces Vanguard Fighters are easier to deal with than the Moebius units in space, but they have far more of them than the Earth Alliance Forces have Moebius units in space.
"In the end, their superior numbers made up for their disadvantage in combat."
Doug picked up the glass, took a sip, and gave his assessment.
Felix looked at Doug with a faint smile.
"It's normal for the Vanguard Fighters to outnumber the Moebius units. After all, before the Earth Alliance countries officially began expanding into space on a large scale, they were all operating on Earth.
"Of course they would need to manufacture plenty of equipment like Vanguard Fighters.
"Over time, it was only natural for them to accumulate so many."
Having finished, Felix patted Doug on the shoulder and continued,
"We can finally get some proper rest for a while. You should enjoy this peaceful period, too!"
"I doubt it'll stay peaceful for long."
Doug looked at Felix and voiced what he knew all too well.
Felix had no reply.
"Report!"
A voice called from outside the room.
Felix looked toward the door and called out,
"Come in!"
The word carried to the doorway.
The soldier standing outside entered the room and stopped two steps from Felix, then raised his hand in salute.
"Squad Leader Griffith, Squad Leader Waltfeld, Squad Leader Doug, greetings!"
"What is it?"
Doug looked at the soldier and asked.
The soldier nodded, then handed the documents in his hands to Felix.
"Squad Leader Griffith, this is the personnel loss report and battle results report for this operation."
"Fine, I understand."
Felix accepted the reports and replied.
The soldier saluted, then turned and left the room.
After he had gone, Felix opened the reports and read their contents. Doug and Andrew looked at him and asked,
"Felix, how bad were our losses this time?"
"We lost a little over a third of our forces in combat, specifically ninety-three MS. As for the results, we destroyed sixty percent of the Earth Alliance Forces' air power—that is, five hundred and eighty Vanguard Fighters. Including the tanks they abandoned, we destroyed essentially one hundred percent of their ground forces!"
As the two asked, Felix explained all of their losses and gains. When they heard the numbers, both fell silent.
After a long while, Andrew spoke.
"Across the three battles, we lost more than two hundred MS here. Over two hundred outstanding ZAFT warriors now lie at rest in this land."
"That's war, too."
Doug replied calmly.
Felix sat listening to Doug's brutally honest words. His eyes lowered, and he said nothing.
Meanwhile
At the Earth Alliance Forces' frontline command center
Hope stared at the casualty and battle results reports, sitting with his fists clenched and a frighteningly grim expression on his face.
The emotion vanished in an instant. Despondency crossed his face, and his clenched fists relaxed.
He now understood clearly that his military career was essentially over. What awaited him next was a court-martial at headquarters.
As he waited in silence, the communications system in the room rang.
The call roused Hope from his quiet vigil. He looked at the screen and reached out to answer.
"Hope! Hand over your duties to your replacement, then take a military aircraft to headquarters in Alaska."
The voice on the other end held no emotion.
Hope looked at the Commander-in-Chief on the screen and saluted.
"Understood, Commander-in-Chief."
As soon as he finished speaking, the call ended.
Hope lowered his raised hand and sat back down.
After thinking for a while, Hope began drafting a written defense on his computer, hoping that his arguments might secure a better outcome.
"I hope this works!"
He murmured to himself and continued working.
Time passed, day and night took their turns, and before long, April 11 had arrived.
That day, at Victoria Spaceport
Felix, Andrew, and Doug gathered together.
"The Ouroboros Operation has begun. Neutron Jammers have been deployed across large areas of Earth."
Felix checked the time and spoke to Andrew and Doug. They both nodded and checked the time as well.
Turning to Felix, Andrew said,
"With the Neutron Jammers spreading, the Earth Alliance Forces shouldn't keep throwing themselves against Victoria Spaceport."
"Oh?"
Doug was intrigued by this and looked at Andrew, asking with a puzzled expression. Felix turned to Doug and explained before Andrew could answer.
"Once the Neutron Jammers spread, they'll interfere with nuclear fission on Earth. With nuclear fission disrupted, the Earth Alliance countries will face an energy crisis.
"Their industrial output will plummet. With production down, they won't be able to keep throwing money and forces at this place. The losses here have been too great, and they'll affect deployments on other fronts."
Doug understood at once. He also felt a little annoyed with himself for not thinking it through and asking so bluntly.
Felix looked at Doug and Andrew, then brought the conversation back on track.
"Over the next few days, we need to closely monitor the Earth Alliance Forces' movements and make sure we have the latest intelligence at all times.
"That way, we can adjust our deployments as needed!"
"Understood!"
They both replied to Felix at the same time.
The three of them stayed there to discuss the matter.
In the afternoon
Felix was resting in his room when he received a call from the Ministry of Defense.
"Greetings, Chairman!"
Seeing Patrick Zala on the screen, Felix raised his hand in salute and greeted him. Patrick nodded in response and asked,
"Felix, how are things at Victoria Spaceport?"
"Everything is normal. The Earth Alliance Forces have been quiet lately and haven't launched any more attacks on the spaceport. We have the entire spaceport firmly under our control!"
Felix looked at Patrick and gave him a careful, word-for-word account of the situation. Patrick nodded in satisfaction and continued,
"Once the spaceport has stabilized in a few days, hand command of it over to Waltfeld and Doug, then lead your forces back to PLANT."
"Yes, Chairman."
Before you continue