Operation Successful

"No, Mu!" Xia Ya's voice was urgent, almost desperately cutting off Mu's imminent successful raid. "The CGUE has turned toward you! And Strike Gundam... Jiliang has been captured by Aegis Gundam! Get back here, quickly!"

His words came out like a barrage, every syllable laden with heavy worry and the urgency of a critical moment.

Blaze Gundam's sensors clearly caught the sudden upheaval on the other side of the battlefield. Rau Le Creuset's CGUE had abandoned its engagement with him and was rushing back to defend the flagship. What made his heart nearly stop was that the Aegis Gundam piloted by Athrun Zala had captured the energy-depleted Strike Gundam in MA form!

A clear flash of reluctance crossed Mu's face.

He was only one step away from successfully sinking the Vesalius. Rau Le Creuset's return defense had been swift, but his earlier raid had already caused considerable chaos and damage to the enemy ship.

With one more push, he might have been able to completely cripple or even sink this ZAFT capital ship.

However, the information Xia Ya had relayed—Jiliang had been captured—was like a bucket of ice water over his head, instantly cooling all his fighting spirit.

It was not that he failed to understand the strategic significance of sinking the enemy ship, but in Mu's heart, the safety of these young people forced into war mattered far more than cold military achievements.

Especially Jiliang, the girl who was always somewhat timid yet still tried her best to shoulder responsibility, and Xia Ya, her younger brother, who often acted more mature than his years but was still only a child.

Xia Ya understood Mu's feelings well. It was precisely because he had counted on that that he had not allowed Mu to keep taking risks.

Sinking the Vesalius was certainly tempting, but if Mu became entangled by Rau Le Creuset returning to defend it, or if the other ZAFT units stopped him at all costs, the consequences would be unthinkable.

More importantly, Jiliang was in grave danger! Saving a companion always came first.

Mu will come back, Xia Ya silently repeated, staring at the crimson figure drawing closer ahead. But before then...

He suddenly clenched the controls, and Blaze Gundam's thrusters erupted once more with a roar at maximum power.

"Jiliang!" he called again, his voice piercing through the battlefield's clamor. Carrying unquestionable resolve and a depth of feeling even he had not fully realized, it reached straight into Strike Gundam's cockpit.

"Xia Ya!" Jiliang, imprisoned within Aegis Gundam's giant claw, heard that call as though it had descended from the heavens.

A faint hope sprouted amid her despair. Her voice trembled uncontrollably, yet it held an almost instinctive trust in the boy who always appeared in moments of crisis.

Hearing Jiliang's reply, Xia Ya's heart, which had been lodged in his throat with worry, settled slightly back into his chest.

He forced himself to take a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions and allowing calm to take control again.

The crimson Blaze Gundam tore through the darkness like a bolt of lightning, its engines trailing dazzling plasma light.

Xia Ya's eyes were sharp. His right hand gripped the controls steadily while his left precisely operated the weapon systems.

The Beam Saber extended again, its scorching pink blade casting light over the boy's resolute face inside the cockpit against the dark backdrop of space.

He had only one target—the Aegis Gundam that had dared abduct Jiliang!

Athrun Zala detected this undisguised, hostile approach through Aegis Gundam's sensors almost the instant Blaze Gundam turned toward him.

His heart tightened. Without time to think, he immediately carried out a prearranged maneuver.

The massive mechanical claw abruptly released its hold on Strike Gundam, allowing the powerless gray-white machine to drift slowly under inertia.

Then, amid a smooth yet complex series of metallic scrapes and clanking mechanisms, Aegis Gundam's flight-form MA structure rapidly folded, recombined, and transformed into a more agile humanoid MS form suited for close combat.

Before the transformation was even complete, Aegis Gundam had already raised the shield on its left arm.

The piercing crash echoed through silent space, like the stirring prelude to battle.

Yet Athrun was far from the only one who noticed Blaze Gundam's reckless charge.

Almost at the moment of impact, Michel's Ginn, which had been moving in to flank them, Yzak's Duel Gundam, and, farther away, Dearka's Buster Gundam and Nicol's Blitz Gundam, which had continued attacking the Archangel, all had their sensors lock onto this new flashpoint nearly at the same time.

As though receiving a silent command, the four ZAFT mobile suits simultaneously turned their noses or cannon barrels toward Xia Ya and closed in!

In an instant, Xia Ya found himself in an unprecedented predicament. Athrun, a formidable opponent, stood before him, while enemy machines brimming with murderous intent eyed him from every side!

The aura of danger wrapped around him from all directions like a tangible web.

At the very instant Aegis Gundam blocked his slash and prepared to counterattack, Xia Ya displayed reaction speed and combat instincts beyond all reason.

Rather than retreating, he advanced. Using the recoil from the block, he sharply spun Blaze Gundam around as the thruster on its left leg ignited instantly!

Whoosh—!

Blaze Gundam's heavy metal boot, like an incomparably fierce iron whip, lashed viciously and at an awkward angle toward Aegis Gundam's waist!

"Ugh!" Athrun clearly had not expected such a swift counterattack at this close range.

He instinctively drew back his abdomen and retreated, shifting his shield in an attempt to block it. But Xia Ya's kick was not meant to deal heavy damage—it was meant to create distance!

Bang! With a dull impact, Aegis Gundam staggered from the kick, its smooth counterattack interrupted.

Blaze Gundam, meanwhile, used the recoil from the kick to glide nimbly backward, instantly opening the gap between itself and Aegis Gundam and temporarily escaping the effective range of the other machine's Beam Saber.

"Now!" Xia Ya's eyes sharpened. Without the slightest pause, Blaze Gundam raised its Beam Rifle even as it fell back, the muzzle instantly locking onto the Ginn and Duel Gundam charging in at high speed from the side.

Whoosh—!

A dazzling beam, like a spear of light hurled by the goddess of vengeance, tore through the blackness of space and shot forward!

"Tch!" Yzak and Michel cursed at the same time. Faced with such precise, lethal fire, neither dared let down their guard, immediately steering their machines into emergency evasive maneuvers in different directions.

After confirming that he had successfully driven back the pursuers on both flanks, Xia Ya moved fluidly, swinging his muzzle toward the more distant Buster Gundam, which was adjusting its firing angle, and Blitz Gundam, which was trying to conceal itself with Mirage Particles.

Whoosh—!

Another beam fired! This time, it targeted the muzzle of Buster Gundam's powerful High-Energy Pulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle, formed by connecting its Cannon and energy rifle! It might not hit, but it was enough to disrupt the enemy's aim!

"Jiliang!" While carrying out this dazzling series of maneuvers, Xia Ya called to Strike Gundam over battlefield communications. "Fall back first! Mu will be back soon! Leave this to us. Retreat quickly and return to the Archangel!" His voice was firm and powerful, trying to dispel Jiliang's fear and hesitation.

"But... but!" Inside Strike Gundam's cockpit, Jiliang's voice still trembled, though it now held even more unwillingness and a sense of responsibility.

She knew she was Strike Gundam's pilot, one of the people with the power to protect everyone. To retreat just like that...

"Listen!" Xia Ya's tone became more urgent, but also clearer. "The operation has already succeeded! Mu has badly damaged the enemy ship and is on his way back! Once he returns, we can cover the Archangel and use its main guns to attack that damaged ZAFT warship! If that happens, we win this battle!"

He had to make Jiliang understand that her safe withdrawal would create room for their ultimate victory, not simply mean running away.

Mu has already dealt heavy damage to the enemy flagship... Victory is only a matter of time... Xia Ya quickly repeated this assessment to himself while glancing at the energy gauge from the corner of his eye.

Blaze Gundam rolled and slid through space with agility, like a red dancer in the darkness, narrowly evading the High-Energy Pulse sniper beams from Buster Gundam that struck like venomous snakes seeking their prey.

Every evasion came with immense G-force, but Xia Ya's control remained precise and steady.

Good... There's still plenty of energy. He silently felt relieved. Thanks to the high-intensity evasive maneuvers and his precise energy management during his earlier battle with Rau Le Creuset, as well as his quick resolution of the recent fight and the fact that he had barely taken any effective hits, Blaze Gundam's remaining battery power was still considerable. At this rate, holding out until Mu returns will be easy!

At that moment, Yzak's Duel Gundam once more closed in at high speed from the side, its Beam Saber thrusting straight at him!

A nearly imperceptible cold smile touched Xia Ya's lips. He seemed to have anticipated this all along. Cleverly using the trajectory of Buster Gundam's previous barrage as cover, he sharply lowered Blaze Gundam's posture and flashed beneath Duel Gundam's Beam Saber as if skimming the ground!

Then came a swift spin! Like a living beast, Blaze Gundam precisely circled around to Duel Gundam's rear!

Bang! Another powerful kick! This time, it targeted the connection point for Duel Gundam's rear thrusters!

"Argh!" Yzak felt his machine shudder violently, its balance instantly thrown off, while its thrusters suffered a brief power instability.

Using the momentum from that kick and a pre-calculated angle, Xia Ya sent Blaze Gundam shooting forward as if launched from a catapult, instantly reaching the energy-depleted Strike Gundam floating nearby!

Xia Ya's fingers raced across the control panel.

Blaze Gundam extended an arm and precisely grabbed Strike Gundam.

"Got it!"

After confirming that Strike Gundam was securely held, Xia Ya did not linger. He immediately drove Blaze Gundam's engines to full power and rapidly retreated toward the Archangel with Strike Gundam in tow!

Their withdrawal left the firing space directly ahead of the Archangel completely clear!

"Target: enemy Nazca-class Battleship! Lohengrin, Positron Fortress-Breaker Cannon, prepare to fire!" Captain Murrue Ramius's command echoed across the bridge.

On both sides of the Archangel's bow, the heavy armor that had been sealed shut slowly opened, exposing two enormous, menacing gun barrels.

Powerful energy began gathering within the barrels, emitting a low, dreadful hum. The surrounding space itself seemed to warp slightly beneath the concentration of such terrifying power.

"Fire!"

Hiss—!!!

Two massive streams of positrons instantly tore through the darkness of space and hurtled at unmatched speed toward the already-damaged Vesalius, which was struggling to maintain the battle line!

"Evasive maneuvers! Full speed, all hands!" the captain of the Vesalius roared hoarsely.

The wounded warship's engines wailed as though overloaded, twisting its massive hull with all its strength in an attempt to evade the world-destroying strike.

However, the Positron Cannon was simply too fast!

Boom—!!!

Though the Vesalius desperately evaded, the edge of the Positron Cannon's beam still raked violently across its port side!

A massive explosion erupted along the ship's flank. Its armor was torn and melted like paper, and the shockwave even sent the entire warship rolling violently.

Flames burst throughout the ship. Alarms blared everywhere, instruments flashed frantically, and reports of system failures kept appearing one after another.

Though it had luckily avoided a direct hit and the fate of immediate destruction, the Vesalius had still suffered catastrophic damage and completely lost the ability to continue fighting.

"Retreat! All ships, retreat!" the ZAFT commander reluctantly ordered.

Severely damaged, the Vesalius withdrew from the battlefield under the escort of several Ginns, dragging its battered hull away in a miserable state. Its silhouette gradually faded among the distant starlight before finally disappearing.