Siege Battle

"Heavy assault equipment for attacking strongholds? They actually want to use something like that here? Is ZAFT planning to destroy this place completely?!"

In the Archangel's CIC, Mu watched the footage on the screen and couldn't help cursing.

He knew Le Creuset had always been bold, but he hadn't expected him to go this far.

This was a demilitarized colony belonging to a neutral nation.

Using a weapon like that here—had he gone mad?!

"Mobile Suit heat signatures detected. Identification match: Ginn. Six units!"

"Mobile Suit heat signature detected. Identification match... X303—it's the Aegis Gundam!"

A red light flashed. Another Mobile Suit appeared behind the Ginn unit. Jackie, in charge of intelligence analysis, drew in a sharp breath.

It was one of the stolen X Series units. A heavy silence fell over the bridge.

They never would have imagined that one day they'd be attacked by Mobile Suits they had built themselves. This was just...

"They've already deployed it in combat...!"

Murrue murmured bitterly, clenching her fist.

Her feelings were inexplicably complicated. To think she'd one day be attacked by a Mobile Suit she had helped build—this was—

Seeing that Captain Murrue seemed shaken, Mu bluntly tossed out a question. "It's an enemy unit now. Do you want to let it sink the Archangel?"

"Prepare to launch the Corlnth M114 anti-space missiles! Begin laser guidance at once!"

Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, the CIC's combat operations officer, reacted the fastest.

To her, there was no such thing as a Mobile Suit that belonged to them or one that belonged to the enemy. She saw only enemies and allies.

And the enemy had to die.

Almost the moment she finished speaking, the flustered bridge crew clumsily began maneuvering the Archangel according to her orders.

"All units, listen up. Physical rounds are useless against the Phase Shift Armor carried by the X Series units. Link the main guns to radar and spread the focal points!"

Captain Murrue also steadied herself and issued orders. "Everyone, take care to avoid damaging the colony during the battle. The ship's top priority is to escape Heliopolis!"

This colony had already suffered more than enough. They couldn't afford to make things worse.

At the same time.

Inside the ruined Morgenroete factory.

Amid the explosions, Kira found the weapons pack for the Strike Gundam.

Following the computer's instructions, he fitted it into place.

"Sword Striker Pack—is this a sword...?"

Kira still felt uneasy about the damage his earlier attack had caused.

If he used such a powerful weapon without restraint inside the colony, there was no telling whether he might tear the whole place apart.

With this sword, that shouldn't happen, right...

Uneasily, Kira mounted the Sword Striker Pack on the Strike Gundam.

The 15.78-meter anti-ship sword, "Gunblade," was a weapon that combined a solid blade with a beam blade.

It was powerful enough to cut through a battleship's armor with ease, and was designed for close combat.

It also came with a small shield.

"Athrun! If you're coming along, then show us what you've got!"

In the Mobile Suit squad, Michel shouted a reminder before piloting his Mobile Suit toward the Archangel in the distance.

Athrun remained silent. His main reason for coming this time was to confirm the suspicion in his mind.

"Everyone, spread out and follow the plan. I'm the leader, so I won't let any of you do anything reckless!"

Ino had become the squad's acting leader because he was a Red Uniform. "Michel, you're too far ahead. The Archangel isn't an ordinary battleship! Get your ass back here, now!"

"I—I know!"

Michel had wanted to argue when he heard Ino's warning, but remembering how concerned Ino had been about him, he could only slow down and move back toward the squad.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate what Ino had done. That guy had been in a panic to come help him as soon as he got back to the ship.

Michel hadn't held out until then, but he still owed Ino for it.

"Understood!"

"Right!"

"Got it!"

Orni and the others followed Ino's orders and began fighting according to the plan.

The squad members couldn't be said to obey Ino without question, but neither could they be said to ignore him.

All in all, Ino got along well with every pilot, though only well. He couldn't exactly be called a close friend.

Still, his concern for them, and the way he treated Michel, made them choose to trust him without thinking.

At least Ino wasn't like Yzak and those other guys.

As long as it didn't go against their principles, they were willing to follow Ino's orders.

"Orni, Giles, Michel—you three hold off the Archangel!"

When Ino gave the order, he assigned Michel to fight the Archangel.

He didn't know when Michel was supposed to die at the hands of the Strike Gundam, but until the Strike Gundam was dealt with, he wouldn't let Michel face it alone.

"Huh? Weren't we supposed to—"

"Follow orders. The Strike Gundam is mine and Axi's!"

Ino rudely cut Michel off, then turned to Athrun. "Athrun, I won't interfere with what you want to do, but don't forget which side you're on. And don't get in my way while I'm capturing the Strike Gundam!"

Ino didn't have time to worry about Athrun's so-called friendship.

He didn't want to, but to stop that idiot Michel from dying here, he had to face the Strike Gundam and its cheat-like pilot head-on.

Of course, Ino was confident he could stay alive. Even an overpowered pilot had limits. It wasn't as if he wasn't overpowered himself.

The only thing he was really afraid of was Athrun coming over and tripping him up.

"Understood."

Hearing Ino talk about capturing the Strike Gundam, Athrun felt slightly reassured.

Beep, beep, beep!

Just as Ino moved into action, the sound of a radar lock rang out in the cockpit.

"Everyone, spread out!"

As Ino spoke, more than a dozen missiles trailed smoke as they flew in from the Archangel's stern.

"Why are they coming straight for me...?"

Seeing the radar lock warning in his cockpit, Ino grumbled as he piloted his Mobile Suit backward to evade.

He used the colony's interior facilities to intercept the missiles manually.

Rat-a-tat—

Boom, boom—

In a matter of moments, Ino raised his gun and detonated four incoming missiles before they could reach him.

Beep, beep, beep!

"What the hell?"

Bang!

But before Ino could catch his breath, a high-energy beam pierced through the smoke and shot toward him.

"Damn it, am I really that conspicuous?"

As he watched the beam pass through the spot where he'd just been standing, Ino couldn't help cursing.

Had the Archangel lost its mind? Instead of targeting Michel and the others, who were already within range to attack the ship, it had locked onto him on the perimeter. What was wrong with them?!

Beep, beep, beep!

But the situation didn't leave Ino time to complain.

As the radar's shrill warning sounded, several more anti-air missiles came after him.

Against the Archangel's tactics, Ino could only retreat while fighting in his Ginn.

For a while, countless warheads burst around Ino like fireworks.

"So it really is him!"

In the CIC, Mu watched the Mobile Suit's movements and practiced shooting technique, frowning.

The moment he'd seen that Mobile Suit, it had seemed familiar.

Now he knew he'd been right. It was the strange guy who'd first held him off outside the colony.

"Kira."

Remembering the other pilot's skills, Mu quickly opened a channel to the Strike Gundam. "When you go out, be extra careful of the Mobile Suit whose color is different from the other Ginns. That pilot isn't ordinary. Kira as you are now won't stand a chance against him. If things go badly, head straight for the Archangel and ask for support!"

"Hm?"

Hearing Mr. Mu's warning, Kira replied instinctively. "Okay, I understand."

"Is there something special about that pilot?"

Captain Murrue looked puzzled. She had heard of the Hawk of Endymion.

"He's no ordinary Red Uniform. Kira as he is now has no chance against him."

Mu had to admit that ZAFT really was full of talented people.

Some random pilot had managed to keep him pinned down using a Mobile Suit with inferior performance to his own.