Silent rescue

The night-flight control lights at PLANT's spaceport went out one after another. The main thrusters of the Nazca-class High-Speed Battleship Silver Wing expelled pale blue streams of plasma, their exhaust dampened to produce only faint energy fluctuations. On the bridge, the lighting had been dimmed to its lowest setting, and the cold glow of instrument panels reflected off the crew's solemn faces. Akira Hawke had already ordered silence throughout the ship: all personnel were to observe radio silence, transmit orders only through internal wired communications, strictly limit avionics power, suppress electromagnetic and thermal emissions, and follow procedures to prevent stray signals from escaping. They would slip through surveillance in stealth and seize the tactical initiative.

Akira stood at the bridge command station, tapping the edge of the console as he watched the interstellar coordinate grid on the main screen. As the operation's flagship, the Silver Wing carried ZAFT's latest avionics emission-suppression system, which could reduce its thermal and electromagnetic signatures to less than fifteen percent of those of a conventional warship. Combined with the cosmic dust of the Asteroid Belt, it could effectively evade routine monitoring by both Earth Alliance forces and friendly ZAFT units. He brought up the fleet deployment display. The coordinates of all four warships were clearly marked: the Silver Wing would advance at full speed, while the three Laurasia-class warships proceeded at a steady pace along three separate concealed routes, maintaining a safe separation of thirty kilometers. Their active radar would remain off throughout the journey, with only passive receivers operating to pick up encrypted beacon instructions from the Silver Wing. Once they reached the designated rendezvous points around Junius Seven, they would hold position in silence until he issued the activation order.

"Captain, silent-running calibration is complete across the ship. Main thruster output is holding at eighty-five percent, speed at 1.2 times sublight. Thermal-signature shielding is operating normally, with no risk of signal leakage." The navigation officer reported quietly over wired communications, his tone carrying a hint of awe toward the cutting-edge vessel. As ZAFT's current high-speed assault flagship, the Nazca-class used twin-shaft plasma propulsion engines, unlike the Laurasia-class, which emphasized fire support. Its combination of speed and maneuverability made it better suited to stealth attacks and rapid reinforcement-the very advantage that would let Akira reach the battlefield early.

Akira nodded slightly and kept his voice low. "Maintain our current speed. Adjust course to the θ-7 quadrant and avoid the dense debris fields around the wreckage of Junius Seven. Activate redundant hull shielding in case of unexpected impacts. Notify the MS hangar to complete the final checks on the commander's GuAIZ. Pay particular attention to the newly installed external reconnaissance module, multispectral scanner, and spacesuit oxygen system. Make sure solo extravehicular operations will be safe."

The orders passed through the wired communications network, and compartments across the ship responded immediately. In the MS hangar, the silver-blue commander's GuAIZ stood motionless. This dedicated commander unit had been temporarily fitted with external reconnaissance equipment on top of its standard configuration: a compact, high-magnification reconnaissance pod on its shoulder, quiet thrusters on its back that combined propulsion with stealth, and a multispectral signal detector at its waist. It could detect faint thermal and electromagnetic signals dozens of kilometers away while remaining silent, making it ideal for this search mission. Wearing antistatic protective suits, the ground crew swiftly calibrated its power systems, tested the external reconnaissance equipment, and connected the spacesuit interfaces. Every movement was precise and efficient, avoiding unnecessary electromagnetic interference.

Akira approached the encrypted communications terminal at the side of the bridge and worked quickly across its panel, activating Cipher-Ω, the encrypted communications protocol reserved for ZAFT's elite officers. This point-to-point encrypted channel could only be used between senior officers. Its signals underwent multiple layers of frequency hopping, making them impossible to crack quickly even if intercepted. He selected Rau Le Creuset's communications identifier and sent a brief encrypted message. Without mentioning his own mission, he asked about the pursuit of the Archangel under the pretext of a "joint operational assessment."

While he waited for a reply, Akira's gaze settled on the image of Junius Seven's wreckage on the main screen, and his brow tightened. He knew the Le Creuset Team was pursuing the Archangel with everything it had, while a search vanguard dispatched by the Eighth Fleet had quietly entered this sector. Flay's father, an Atlantic Federation diplomat, was accompanying that force to search for his missing daughter. Halberton, commander-in-chief of the Eighth Fleet, had not joined the vanguard; he remained in the rear to coordinate operations. In the story Akira remembered from his previous life, Halberton ultimately died in a ZAFT attack. Akira's secret bond with Flay made him particularly concerned about the vanguard's movements. I can only watch for now. If an opportunity opens up, I'll try to intervene-keep Flay's father safe without disrupting my own plans. His accord ability quietly activated, picking up every faint signal around the ship to ensure the Silver Wing's safe passage.

Less than ten minutes later, a reply arrived at the encrypted terminal. Rau Le Creuset's electronically altered voice emerged slowly, carrying his customary languor and cunning. "Major Hawke. Now this is a rare visit. I'm leading my team in pursuit of the Archangel. That unfinished warship has proved rather slippery. It used an Eurasian Federation fortress as cover to slow our pursuit, then released three sets of false thermal sources. My team is searching the sectors now, but we haven't pinpointed its location yet."

Akira's fingers paused briefly before he replied, deliberately sounding humble and cooperative. "Thank you for your efforts, Commander Le Creuset. I'm under orders to conduct border reconnaissance and happened to be passing through this sector. When I heard you were pursuing the enemy's main force, I wanted to ask whether you needed support. After all, the Archangel carries the Strike Gundam. If it reaches Earth safely, it will pose a serious problem for our subsequent operations." He deliberately concealed his true mission to rescue Lacus, hoping to extract more vital information without offending Rau Le Creuset.

The other end fell silent for a few seconds before Rau Le Creuset laughed. "Support won't be necessary. My team is more than capable of handling it. There was an unexpected discovery, though. During our earlier attack on the Archangel at Heliopolis, we detected signals from the East Asian Republic's remaining fleet. Their force was substantial, and with limited forces of my own, I couldn't afford a prolonged engagement. I had to withdraw for the time being. Their troops have now taken control of Heliopolis, which has made things a little more troublesome for us."

Akira understood. The East Asian Republic had most likely intervened and taken control of Heliopolis after receiving his warning, hoping to seize the technological remnants of the G Series Gundams and achieve a military breakthrough. He kept his reaction hidden. "Thank you for letting me know, Commander Le Creuset. I'll report this to military headquarters as well. If you discover the Archangel's exact location, please inform me. If I'm available, I can help you intercept it."

"Of course." Rau Le Creuset sounded somewhat dismissive. "I still have those false signals to investigate, so we'll leave it there for now. I'll pass along any further news." With that, he ended the transmission, and the encrypted channel fell silent again.

Akira shut down the terminal and immediately brought up Heliopolis's coordinates and a tactical map of the surrounding sector. His fingers moved rapidly as he added annotations. "The East Asian Republic's remaining fleet is most likely deployed along the outer routes around Heliopolis. Its strength is unknown. We need to warn the Laurasia-class warships joining us later to avoid that area and prevent unnecessary conflict." He then ordered the navigation officer, "Increase speed to 1.5 times sublight. Prioritize reaching the surveillance blind spot beyond Junius Seven's outer debris field. Once we reach the designated search coordinates, shut down the main thrusters and hold position in an asteroid's shadow. Maintain silence throughout the ship."

"Understood! Increasing speed to 1.5 times. Course calibrated. Estimated arrival at the target coordinates in three hours." The navigation officer responded promptly, his fingers flying across the console. The Silver Wing's thruster output increased again, its pale blue exhaust growing tighter and more concentrated. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, the ship raced through the blackness of space, passing drifting fragments of Junius Seven while maintaining an extremely low signature.

Compared with the full day a Laurasia-class warship would have required, the Nazca-class's speed advantage was unmistakable. Three hours later, the Silver Wing reached the area where contact with Lacus's spacecraft had been lost. The navigation officer immediately reported, "Captain, we've reached the target coordinates. No clear enemy ship signatures nearby. We're detecting several faint debris signatures, possibly spacecraft wreckage. Request permission to shut down the main thrusters and enter silent station-keeping."

"Granted," Akira said firmly. "Shut down the main thrusters and activate the passive receivers. Monitor only nearby thermal and electromagnetic signals. Active radar is prohibited. Have the MS hangar prepare the GuAIZ for launch. I'll conduct the reconnaissance search alone. Notify the entire ship to maintain radio silence. No active equipment is to be switched on without my orders. If you detect an anomalous signal, report it only through wired communications. Do not respond on your own."

After the order, the Silver Wing gradually shut down its main thrusters and coasted into position within an asteroid's shadow. Its thermal and electromagnetic signatures instantly dropped to their minimum, allowing it to blend into its surroundings like an ordinary rock in space. Akira hurried to the MS hangar in a lightweight combat spacesuit. After connecting his helmet, checking his oxygen supply, and testing communications, he climbed into the cockpit of the commander's GuAIZ. Its temporary external reconnaissance module had been fully calibrated and was ready for the mission.

The cockpit closed, the instrument panels glowed coldly, and the operating parameters loaded in quick succession. Akira activated the reconnaissance module and multispectral scanner, then programmed an automatic return course and left a brief message: "Maintain silence. Do not approach any unknown signal source unless I contact you first."

After confirming the settings, Akira spoke into the cockpit's built-in communicator. "Bridge, I'm taking the unit out on a reconnaissance search. Maintain shipwide silence while I'm away and keep within safe communications range. Do not provide support on your own initiative. You may activate the MS launch procedure only if I send a distress signal. Also, monitor the surrounding sector closely. If you detect the Archangel or the Le Creuset Team, relay it to me immediately through an encrypted beacon."

"Understood, Captain! We'll remain on silent standby. Good luck!" The bridge's reply came over wired communications, brief and resolute.

Akira took a deep breath and activated the GuAIZ's quiet thrusters. The unit eased out of the hangar and glided steadily through space without emitting any stray signals. Using the direction of the Archangel's disappearance that Rau Le Creuset had provided earlier, he began searching back along its route. Thanks to the Silver Wing's speed, they had reached the Archangel's expected course ahead of it, and searching in the opposite direction would minimize the time needed to locate the target.

The GuAIZ's multispectral scanner operated at full capacity, picking up every faint signal in the surrounding sector. Countless fragments of Junius Seven drifted through space, metal debris mingling with frozen dust and hampering reconnaissance. Akira used his accord ability to sharpen his signal discrimination, filtering out interference from the wreckage and focusing on the thermal signatures of spacecraft and mobile suits.

In less than twenty minutes, the multispectral scanner suddenly picked up a faint thermal signal that closely matched the Archangel's hull signature. It was the distinctive energy fluctuation of an unfinished warship, something shielding could not completely conceal. Akira immediately guided his unit slowly toward the source, reducing thruster output to avoid detection by the Archangel's radar.

As he drew closer, the Archangel's outline gradually appeared on the main screen. The unfinished warship was moving slowly, its armor still bearing scars from the attack at Heliopolis. Its main engines were operating at low power, clearly an attempt to evade the search. Not far from it, scattered spacecraft wreckage came into view. Its outline closely matched Lacus's private spacecraft. The hull had broken into several sections that drifted through space amid a cloud of fragments.

Lacus's ship... Akira's heart tightened. He immediately moved closer to the wreckage and activated the high-precision scanner for a thorough search. Soon, it detected a faint life sign coming from the escape-pod area. Evidently, Lacus's lifepod had successfully ejected and was somewhere near the wreckage.

Akira let out a relieved breath, then made his arrangements. He set the GuAIZ to follow a preset course on autopilot and patrol near the Silver Wing. At the same time, he activated his spacesuit's propulsion system and checked his oxygen supply. The suit carried a high-capacity oxygen tank capable of sustaining four hours of solo extravehicular activity, enough to locate the lifepod and carry out his next steps. Once ready, Akira opened the cockpit hatch and used his suit's thrusters to drift slowly toward Lacus's wrecked spacecraft, keeping his body steady to avoid generating unnecessary motion signatures.

Just as Akira approached the wreckage and began searching for the lifepod, the Archangel slowly entered the central debris field of Junius Seven. On the bridge, Murrue Ramius watched the wreckage on the main screen with a grave expression. This was the heart of Junius Seven's explosion. Even after so much time, residual nuclear radiation remained detectable. Large quantities of frozen dust and solid ice drifted nearby, providing an excellent source for replenishing the ship's freshwater reserves.

"Notify engineering to launch the engineering craft with freshwater collection equipment. Collect solid ice samples, test them, then transfer the ice in bulk to our freshwater storage compartments," Murrue ordered. "Also, activate the ship's alert systems and send the Strike Gundam out as an escort. We need to guard against ZAFT reconnaissance units."

"Understood! The engineering craft is starting up. The Strike Gundam is preparing to launch!"

Soon, the Archangel's MS launch bay opened, and Kira Yamato piloted the Strike Gundam slowly out. Armed with a beam rifle and shield, it took up guard around the engineering craft. Kira looked tired. Days of flight and combat had placed enormous pressure on the civilian boy. He gripped the control sticks tightly and scanned the surrounding space, afraid of another ZAFT attack.

The engineering craft eased toward the ice field and began collecting samples, the sound of its machinery transmitting back to the Archangel over the radio. At that moment, a ZAFT reconnaissance Ginn quietly appeared nearby. It was evidently a scout sent by the Le Creuset Team to search for the Archangel. With its active radar off, it relied entirely on passive receivers, but happened to catch the engineering craft's signal and immediately advanced toward it.

"ZAFT reconnaissance MS detected!" Kira picked up its signal first. His gaze sharpened, and he immediately moved the Strike Gundam to intercept. Instead of opening fire, he tried to line up a precise aim. The enemy had evidently been ordered to search the area. As the Strike took aim, the reconnaissance unit's sensors received a warning, and it immediately spotted the Strike Gundam in that direction. It activated its MS sniper rifle and fired at Kira.

Kira reacted swiftly, turning the Strike Gundam aside to evade. A bullet skimmed its armor, leaving a shallow mark. "No choice, then." Gritting his teeth, Kira activated the Strike Gundam's combat mode, aimed his beam rifle at the reconnaissance Ginn, and pulled the trigger. A brilliant beam struck the Ginn's thruster with precision. The reconnaissance unit instantly lost propulsion and drifted through space. Before its pilot could eject, a second attack hit, and the machine exploded completely.

The instant Kira destroyed the reconnaissance Ginn, he caught sight of an escape pod drifting nearby. Its hull was intact and bore PLANT's insignia. Is that... a PLANT escape pod? Stirred by the sight, Kira immediately brought the Strike Gundam closer. After confirming life signs inside, he carefully secured the pod with the unit's arms, preparing to take it back to the Archangel.

Hidden behind the wreckage of Lacus's spacecraft, Akira watched everything unfold. He knew history's course had not changed despite his intervention. Kira had still discovered the escape pod-and this was the perfect chance to board the Archangel. Without further hesitation, Akira took a flare gun from his spacesuit's equipment pouch, aimed into space, and pulled the trigger. A red distress flare cut through the darkness, its dazzling light clearly visible even amid the dense wreckage.

On his way back, Kira immediately halted when he saw the red distress flare. He hesitated for a moment. On one side was the escape pod he needed to bring back to the Archangel; on the other was an unknown distress signal. As a civilian, he could not simply ignore it. Finally, he used the Strike Gundam to leave the escape pod beside a large piece of wreckage, marked its position, and immediately flew toward the flare's source.

Before long, Kira spotted Akira drifting among the spacecraft wreckage. He wore a civilian-style spacesuit-Akira had deliberately changed into a civilian suit prepared in advance to conceal his identity as a ZAFT officer. His body was slightly curled, and he appeared weak. At the sight of the Strike Gundam, he slowly raised a hand in a gesture for help.

Kira's wariness immediately eased. A civilian himself, he lacked a soldier's vigilance. His first instinct upon seeing someone stranded in space was to rescue him. He brought the Strike Gundam slowly closer, confirmed that Akira carried no weapons and showed no hostility, then opened the cockpit hatch and shouted, "Get in, quickly! It's dangerous out here!"

Akira rejoiced inwardly but continued to feign weakness as he used his suit's thrusters to drift slowly toward the Strike Gundam's cockpit. He deliberately slowed his movements, mimicking the exhaustion of oxygen deprivation to fit the image of a stranded survivor and avoid arousing Kira's suspicion. Soon, he entered the cockpit, and the hatch slowly closed, shutting out the cold and silence of space.

"Thank you..." Akira panted, pretending to be weak, his eyes showing just the right mixture of gratitude and panic. "My ship was hit by a meteor. Everyone else disappeared. I've been drifting out here for a long time."

Seeing his weakened state, Kira lost the last of his wariness and hurriedly handed him a spare oxygen bottle. "Get some oxygen first. I'll take you back to our warship. They can help you there." He gave it no further thought and did not ask who Akira was, taking him for a civilian caught in an accident.

Akira accepted the oxygen and thanked him quietly. His fingertips seemingly brushed the Strike Gundam's cockpit panel by accident, swiftly gathering the unit's basic parameters. This was his first step toward boarding the Archangel, and a crucial part of his later plans. Kira guided the Strike Gundam slowly away from the wreckage, retrieved the escape pod he had left behind, then turned toward the Archangel.

In the darkness of space, the Strike Gundam drew steadily closer to the Archangel, whose distant lights flickered like a beacon in the night. Akira sat in the cockpit's secondary seat, still appearing weak, though inwardly he had already regained his composure. He had successfully boarded the Strike Gundam and would soon enter the Archangel. Next, he would have to locate Lacus's lifepod while gathering key intelligence on the Archangel, deal with the Eighth Fleet vanguard carrying Flay's father, and evade the Le Creuset Team's search. Every step required careful planning.

The Strike Gundam slowly approached the Archangel's MS recovery bay. Its doors eased open to receive the machine carrying both an "accident" and a conspiracy. Akira knew that the moment he set foot aboard the Archangel, a new contest would begin-and the space around Junius Seven was destined to erupt in even fiercer war.