Wings of the Angel

In January of Cosmic Era 69, space was silent, yet fraught with hidden danger. The fringes of the L4 Space Colony cluster seemed like a forgotten, frozen world, where metal fragments gleamed with a frostlike chill beneath the distant stars' gentle light. Known as the "Gray Zone," this region resembled a calm sea before a storm: peaceful on the surface, but brewing a violent tempest that could erupt at any moment.

In this cold stretch of space, the Laurasia-class warship Storm cruised quietly like a silent fortress. The atmosphere on its bridge was tense and heavy, the consoles' faint glow casting mottled patterns across the bulkheads. Dressed in a striking red elite uniform, Mei Hock stood like a flame in the darkness. He studied the star chart before him intently, his gaze seeming to pierce the layers of cosmic haze and discern every approaching danger.

"All units, report your status." Akira's voice came clearly over the communications channel, steady and calm, nothing like that of a rookie entering battle for the first time. Amid the tension, his voice acted like a sedative, gradually settling his teammates' anxious hearts.

"Unit One, all systems normal."

"Unit Two, in position."

"Unit Three, all systems normal."

"Unit Four, ready."

His teammates answered in turn, their voices carrying the energy and nervousness of youth. That calm did not last long, however. A shrill alarm suddenly sounded on the bridge, tearing through the brief peace like a set of sharp fangs.

"Warning! Unidentified heat sources approaching! Bearing Alpha-7, three contacts, identification signals indicate Earth Alliance Forces TS-MA2 Moebius units!"

For an instant, the air on the bridge seemed to freeze. Battle had begun without warning. Exploiting their superior maneuverability, three Moebius fighters converged from different directions like a pack of hungry wolves. Akira's teammates, all young rookies themselves, were awkward and flustered in this sudden exchange of live fire. Though they moved with youthful boldness, they still seemed inexperienced against seasoned enemies.

"Unit Two, circle around the left flank. Unit Three, provide covering fire. Unit Four, protect the starboard side." Akira reacted swiftly, issuing his orders with calm decisiveness. He piloted his Ginn into the battle without hesitation, like a streak of silver lightning. At that moment, his ACCORD ability awakened like a slumbering beast, instantly reaching full power. Every subtle shift on the battlefield, every bullet's whistling trajectory, every fighter's movement streamed into his consciousness like precise data.

Akira keenly noticed that one enemy fighter was extremely aggressive, charging about like a rampaging bull, but its tactics were crude-clearly someone eager for quick results. Another was far more methodical, concentrating on suppressive fire and attempting to restrict his team's movements with a powerful net of gunfire. The third lurked nearby, waiting for a chance to circle around and flank them, making it a more troublesome opponent.

"Unit Three, launch a smoke round at coordinates Gamma-2." Akira issued the order while closely monitoring the battle. The instant the smoke round launched, he put his Ginn through an astonishing maneuver-a sudden stop followed by a change of direction. Like an agile bird, the Ginn slipped clear of the enemy's hail of gunfire with perfect timing.

Just as Akira had predicted, the aggressive enemy pilot was drawn in by the sudden change and accelerated toward him without a second thought, like an enraged bull heedless of its own danger. At the critical instant the enemy entered range, Akira's Ginn abruptly darted sideways, its 76 mm heavy assault machine gun spitting furious tongues of flame. Those flames were not aimed at the enemy's cockpit, however, but precisely at its thrusters.

"Rat-tat-tat..." A three-round burst sliced through the Moebius fighter's propulsion array like a sharp scalpel. A muffled explosion rang out, and sparks erupted from its thrusters. "Target One has lost maneuverability!" Akira calmly reported.

Almost simultaneously, Akira's precise anticipation of the battle allowed him to detect the second enemy fighter attempting a flanking attack. He guided his Ginn along an uncanny arc, like a meteor streaking through the night sky, and rushed the enemy from an unbelievable angle. The Ginn raised its Heavy Slash Blade high, then struck the enemy's weapon mount with a precise blow. With a sharp crack, the enemy's linear cannon shattered. "Target Two disarmed!" Akira had successfully neutralized another threat.

Seeing his comrades lose their combat capability so quickly left the third enemy pilot deeply shaken. His eyes filled with fear and panic. After a brief hesitation, he finally decided to retreat. Watching the enemy's movements, Akira did not hesitate, sweeping his machine gun fire across its escape route as a warning.

"Surrender, or be disarmed." Akira's voice traveled over the communications channel, cold and resolute, like the absolute zero of space, sending a chill through anyone who heard it.

After a brief silence, the other side finally answered in a trembling voice, "We surrender... Thank you for sparing our lives."

The battle had lasted only six minutes from beginning to end. All three enemy fighters had lost their combat capability, but thankfully, their pilots were unharmed. The bewildered voice of Unit Two's pilot came over the open channel. "Commander, why didn't you just destroy them? That was too dangerous!"

"Every life on the battlefield deserves respect." Akira's voice remained calm, as though the fierce battle he had just fought had been nothing more than routine training. "But remember, I never expect you to match my level. When you can't guarantee an accurate shot, prioritize your own safety."

Yet before the smoke of battle had fully cleared, another crisis followed. An urgent distress signal shattered the brief calm like a hammer blow. "Mayday! The civilian transport Hope is under attack by pirates!"

The Storm quickly changed course and raced toward the scene. When the warship arrived, the devastation before them was shocking. The civilian transport Hope's hull was riddled with holes, several sections severely damaged, and thick black smoke poured from its ruptured compartments. A modified Drake-class privateer was savagely attacking the Hope like a ravenous wolf. Around it, six Moebius fighters prowled like ghosts, continually harassing the Hope with gunfire.

Akira swiftly assessed the battlefield, a glint of resolve flashing through his eyes. "All units, prioritize disabling enemy maneuverability. Units Two and Three, move in with me. Unit Four, cover the warship."

Battle erupted once more, but this time, Akira displayed a fighting style entirely different from before. When one Moebius fighter ignored the warning and continued firing wildly at the civilian ship, his gaze abruptly turned as cold as ice that had remained frozen for a thousand years.

"You refuse to listen."

Before his words had faded, the 76 mm machine gun on Akira's Ginn spat flames again. This time, the bullets struck like death itself, driving precisely into the enemy's cockpit. With a thunderous explosion, the fighter instantly became a dazzling fireball in space, its wreckage scattering like meteors.

"Commander?" His teammates were stunned by Akira's sudden, ruthless decisiveness. They had never seen him so cold.

"There is no room for mercy toward those determined to harm civilians." Akira's voice was stern and resolute, like a sentence pronounced from the deepest depths of hell. "But now, the other enemies have surrendered."

Under Akira's precise command, the remaining enemy fighters were quickly subdued. When the ZAFT soldiers boarded the Hope, its captain was so moved that tears filled his eyes. He gripped Akira's hand tightly and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you! Those pirates had already sunk a refugee ship..."

Then one of the rescued crew members asked shakily, "Who was the pilot of that silver Ginn?"

Upon learning that it was Mei Hock, the crew member gave him a solemn salute. "You show mercy to ordinary soldiers and none to murderous thugs... You deserve the title 'Wings of the Angel.'"

News of the battle spread through the military as though it had grown wings. During the post-battle debriefing, Akira told his team solemnly, "Remember, on the battlefield, we must distinguish between soldiers and butchers. But I ask only one thing of you: give the enemy a chance to live, provided you can ensure your own safety. If you can't, prioritize protecting yourselves and the civilians."

In the days that followed, Mei Hock led his subordinates like guardian angels in space, repeatedly distinguishing themselves on border patrols and civilian escort missions. The title "Wings of the Angel" spread far and wide through both sides like a brilliant star.

When the Storm headed home after completing its mission, Akira stood alone before the observation window, quietly gazing into the boundless universe. His eyes were deep and resolute, as though he were pondering something. He had chosen this path of treating enemies differently both to preserve the light of his humanity throughout the brutal war to come and to face every choice he had made with a clear conscience on the day of Bloody Valentine. In this vast universe, Mei Hock was like a shining star, embodying justice and kindness through his actions and casting his own distinctive light beneath the shadow of war.