Haman Advances

CE71, January 28, around 10:30 standard time

In the Gwameir's hangar, Haman had already climbed into her Newtype-only Bigro Custom, painted almost entirely white. Wearing her special pilot suit, she was ready to sortie.

"Haman Karn, Newtype-only Bigro Custom, ready to sortie!"

As Haman lowered her head to inspect the machine, she casually called the flight controller on the bridge. The familiar voice of Luther answered instead.

"Haman, be careful. Don't do anything reckless.

He's nowhere near his prime yet, but he's still Kira Yamato, the 'Ultimate Coordinator.' If you let your guard down too much, you'll regret it."

Haman was pleased by her sweetheart's concern, though she sounded a little rebellious when she answered.

"Honestly, Luther, you're such a nag. I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that Haman was already getting impatient, Luther said no more. He gave her a wry smile and waved goodbye.

With Luther's interruption over, the flight controller's communication resumed.

"Miss Haman, the catapult deck is clear. You may sortie at any time!"

"Haman here. Preparing to sortie now."

After completing the sortie checklist, Haman and her Newtype-only Bigro Custom were moved onto the catapult deck.

As the final three green lights came on, Haman started the main thrusters and announced her sortie.

"Haman Karn, Newtype-only Bigro Custom, launching!"

A powerful shove pressed her back into the seat as Haman's Newtype-only Bigro Custom shot off the catapult deck beneath the Gwameir and quickly cleared the cover of the ship's hull.

Before Haman, her view suddenly opening wide, the Light Wave Defense Belt around Artemis Fortress was shifting into strange new configurations. But it had yet to close the gap carved into it by the Spear of Divine Retribution.

To buy time, the Earth Alliance had sent a considerable number of Moebius units to converge on the breach.

But these outdated mass-produced mobile armors were no match for the High Mobility Zaku IIs, all piloted by elite veterans under Cima's personal command. They stood no chance of stopping Celestial Being's mobile suits from further damaging the Light Wave Defense Belt generators.

On the other side of Artemis Fortress, the Archangel, which had just completed its departure, also revealed its "lovely legs."

"Found you! Let's see what this so-called Ultimate Coordinator can do!"

Unconsciously repeating one of Luther's catchphrases, Haman spotted her target and sent her Newtype-only Bigro Custom racing forward at full speed like a streak of white light.

The defenders of Artemis Fortress saw the enormous, conspicuous machine approaching. The coastal guns, already concentrated on the breach in the Light Wave Defense Belt, all turned their fire on the huge white machine Haman piloted.

But dodging these "clumsy" shore-based guns was no harder for Haman than eating or drinking.

As for the Moebius units that came at her, thinking that mobile armors should be easier to deal with than mobile suits, Haman didn't particularly feel like bothering with them.

"Get out of my sight, you pesky bugs!"

At Haman's command, all eighteen "Hornets" swarmed out of their "hive." Some struck their targets head-on, while others attacked from behind. Together with eight anti-air cluster missiles fired from the two four-round launchers, they quickly cleared the obstacles in Haman's path.

And in keeping with Luther's earlier instruction to Cima to "avoid unnecessary killing," most of the units struck head-on lost only their weapons, while those attacked from behind lost their propulsion. Only a few had been unlucky enough to suffer worse.

Haman acknowledged Cima's "thanks" with a light signal, then piloted the Newtype-only Bigro Custom through the breach in the Light Wave Defense Belt and around Artemis Fortress, making straight for the Archangel.

Since there was nothing else to do along the way, Haman also had her Funnels clear out any Light Wave Defense Belt generators and shore guns they could spot, so "they" wouldn't cause trouble.

The white Newtype-only Bigro Custom was so conspicuous, and Haman's advance so clearly aimed at the Archangel, that the battleship naturally reacted.

But the attack that came her way—a mere two electromagnetic cannons and what looked like a sizable barrage of missiles—was answered by just one orange mobile armor.

"They think I'm a pushover?

No, is Kira unwilling to sortie?

Interesting. Then let's see if I can force him out!

Funnels, attack!"

Though Haman had only just come of age, she had worked with Kurisu on research into Newtypes and Newtype-specific machines since childhood, at Luther's side.

When it came to Newtype abilities and piloting Newtype-specific machines, at most, only Luther among Celestial Being was better than her.

So even though the Archangel and the Moebius Zero launched a coordinated attack with considerable flair, Haman handled it with ease.

First, she used six Funnels to precisely intercept the threatening missiles.

Then she used another six Funnels to destroy three of the Moebius Zero's four wire-guided pods, making Mu's attempt to outdo her in her own field look pathetic.

When the third wave of six Funnels headed for the Moebius Zero itself, Mu could only "sacrifice" his final pod and the linear cannon on the main unit. At the last possible moment, he fired a tether, used it to make Haman's Newtype-only Bigro Custom turn around, then opened the throttle without hesitation and fled back to the Archangel.

Watching the "bare" Moebius Zero flee at high speed, its acceleration greatly increased by having been stripped of its attachments, Haman finally lifted her finger from the four-round missile launcher's trigger. Then she sent a "mental attack" toward Mu, whose presence she could faintly sense.

I'm not interested in old men. Hurry up and send Kira Yamato out to play with me!

She didn't know whether the other side had received the message, but Kira Yamato didn't come out right away.

Instead, the Archangel exploited the opening created when Haman casually destroyed a Light Wave Defense Belt generator as she drew near. It fired its two electromagnetic cannons, what appeared to be a sizable missile barrage, and every point-defense gun that could reach her, all in an attempt to keep Haman's Newtype-only Bigro Custom at bay. At the same time, it went to full throttle in an attempt to escape the battlefield.

"If you won't come out, don't blame me for being rough!"

Seeing that the Archangel was about to escape the battlefield, Haman grew angry. She knew that although the Newtype-only Bigro Custom had good acceleration, it couldn't keep up with a battleship over a long distance.

Fortunately, she remembered Luther's plan. She aimed the large Mega Particle Cannon in the nose at the Archangel's right-side "leg," which had just opened and then closed.

The beam from the nose-mounted Mega Particle Cannon struck the Archangel's right launch deck dead on, blasting a huge hole in the outer wall of the deck hangar despite its Laminated Armor.

Out of the billowing smoke, the Strike Gundam equipped with the Aile Pack finally burst forth, its High-Energy Beam Rifle firing.

"You're a boy, but you're taking your sweet time! I've had to wait so long!

Come on, let this lady see what the so-called 'Ultimate Coordinator' can do!"

In response to Haman's taunt over the open channel, Kira sounded both disgusted at being forced onto the battlefield and baffled by Haman's "unreasonable" behavior.

"You or him—why does everyone insist that I go out and fight?! I've had enough!"