Friction with the atmosphere generated blinding firelight, which tore through the vault of Africa's sky like a descending meteor shower. The massive hull of the Archangel struggled amid violent turbulence; the scheduled landing coordinates had long been disrupted by chaotic air currents and emergency rescue orders, scorching the exterior hull red from intense air friction. Internal alarms rang out back-to-back, yet they could not drown out the crew's forced composure in giving orders. To rescue the Strike Gundam, which had veered off course, this warship carrying both hope and conflict ultimately deviated from its established route and plummeted toward a hopeless wasteland of blowing sand—this was the heart of the African desert firmly controlled by the ZAFT military, where every inch of sand could conceal a fatal threat.
Following closely behind were three Mobile Suits plummeting at rapid speed, likewise out of control-the Duel, Buster, and GuAIZ Gundams were all unequipped with flight packs and fundamentally lacked flight capability, leaving them to descend passively through the atmosphere. The impact of violent turbulence and air friction swept over their entire bodies. The Duel Gundam could no longer maintain any pursuit posture; its frame was steadily stepped on the back by Mei Hock's GuAIZ. The scorching high temperature generated by atmospheric friction was borne almost entirely by the Duel, scorching its exterior charred black and scalding hot. Yzak Joule pushed himself to the limit just to barely stabilize the unit, letting the crosswinds push it as the distance steadily widened from the Archangel ahead. The Buster Gundam's plight was equally difficult as Dearka Elsman maneuvered the unit to struggle through the turbulence. Without the support of a flight pack, the unit tumbled continuously, the distance expanding constantly from the Archangel and the Duel Gundam. Mei Hock's GuAIZ used the stepping force off the Duel to slightly cushion the impact of the descent, keeping its frame relatively stable as it stared fixedly ahead at the direction of the Archangel where the distance continued to widen, while simultaneously minding the statuses of the Duel and Buster...
Because Flay Allster had been taken away from the Archangel in advance by Mei, she was currently within the safe zone of the Silver Wing, far away from the Archangel. Without Flay's entanglement and those twisted emotional bonds, and also because the plot event where civilian space shuttles were shot down by the Duel had not occurred, Kira Yamato's mental state when he awoke was far better than in the original work. He was not inside the cockpit, but rather resting in a cabin aboard the Archangel. Briefly feeling somewhat dizzy from the impact of the descent, he quickly regained his consciousness, his heart filled with worry for the Archangel and bewilderment regarding his own situation-he did not know what kind of land he was about to land on, nor what sort of destiny awaited him.
Sand filled the skies, and fierce winds whipped up grit, running rampant across the endless desert. In the distance, sand dunes undulated like sleeping beasts, sketching out a vast and ferocious silhouette under the dusk-yellow firmament. Inside the ZAFT African desert base, the radar screen suddenly displayed several abnormal signals, countless spots of light blinking on the screen to foretell that unidentified flying craft were making a rapid forced landing. The radar operator's expression changed, and he immediately snatched up the communicator, reporting to the base commander in a hurried tone: "General Waltfeld! The radar has captured multiple unidentified signals descending rapidly at coordinates 12 degrees 47 minutes north latitude, 38 degrees 19 minutes east longitude, suspected to be Earth Alliance warships and Mobile Suits!"
Andrew Waltfeld was seated in the command chair, his fingertips tapping gently against the desktop with a lazy air on his face, while Aisha at his side maintained a calm expression, her gaze falling upon the desert outside the window in deep thought-different from her usual demeanor focused on training and weapon operation, she possessed a bit more of the gentleness of a wife at this moment. Hearing the radar operator's report, the laziness in Andrew's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp edge. He stood up abruptly, his tone decisive: "They've finally arrived, have they? It seems to be those fellows from the Archangel, actually daring to barge into my territory." He turned to look at Aisha, a playful smile hooking the corners of his mouth: "My dear, care to come watch the show with me?"
Aisha shook her head gently, her tone carrying a trace of concern while still maintaining her composure: "I won't go. Mind your safety. If any of those Earth Alliance Forces soldiers surrender, try to leave them alive. Don't be too impulsive."
"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing." Andrew let out a loud laugh, picked up his helmet to put it on, and strode out of the command room. A moment later, a specially modified desert land battleship drove slowly out of the base. The vehicle's body was covered in an earthy-yellow camouflage that blended with the desert, and the wide, thick treads at the base could easily handle the soft sandy terrain. On both sides of the warship, several BuCUE Mobile Suits lined up neatly, their frames likewise undergoing desert-adaptation modifications with their shoulder weaponry already primed and ready. The pilots wore stern expressions as they followed closely behind the land battleship, dashing toward the direction where the signals had appeared. The treads ground into the sandy ground, kicking up billowing sand while the roar of engines echoed through the empty desert, shattering the dead silence of this land. An impending slaughter was quietly brewing beneath the yellow sand.
The Archangel's forced landing process was exceptionally difficult. Although the helmsman had tried every last ounce of strength, the hull still slammed heavily into the sand. The kicked-up sand swept in like a tsunami, causing the frame to vibrate violently. Most internal equipment was damaged, and the alarm sounds gradually weakened before finally dying away completely. The crew members struggled to climb up from their seats, one and all disheveled and with their faces stained with dust, yet no one complained as they immediately threw themselves into the warship's emergency repairs and guard duties-they all understood clearly that being in ZAFT territory meant every single minute and second could face danger, and they had to restore the warship's basic functions as quickly as possible and prepare for combat.
Andrew's land battleship quickly arrived at the area where the Archangel had made its emergency landing. He did not immediately issue an order to launch an attack, instead having the warship halt atop a distant sand dune to carefully observe the battered Earth Alliance Forces warship below through observation scopes. "It really is the Archangel, and it looks pretty badly hurt." The smile at the corner of Andrew's mouth grew thicker, his tone carrying a hint of mockery: "Still, no matter how battered, it's a tough bone to crack. Pass down the order for the BuCUE squad to advance and launch a probing attack; no need for full force, just test their reactions."
The order was given, and several BuCUEs immediately accelerated, dashing toward the Archangel. The weaponry on their shoulders spat tongues of fire, and dense shells shot toward the Archangel like a rainstorm. The shells struck the warship's hull, kicking up countless sparks, yet they failed to inflict excessive damage on the main body-this was merely Andrew's probe, as he wanted to see whether the Archangel still possessed the capacity to resist and whether that legendary Coordinator piloting the Strike Gundam was still aboard.
"Enemy attack! Activate the defense systems immediately!" Inside the command room of the Archangel, Captain Murrue Ramius issued orders at once. The crew performed their respective duties, rapidly starting up the warship's defensive weapons to launch counterattacks against the incoming BuCUEs. However, the Archangel had just crashed and could not yet take off, and the defensive weapons underneath could not be used, resulting in feeble defensive firepower that fundamentally failed to effectively block the BuCUEs' attacks. Seeing that the BuCUEs were about to close in on the warship, Murrue gritted her teeth and shouted into the communicator: "Kira! Start up the Strike Gundam and sortie!"
Receiving the order, Kira immediately sprinted toward the hangar, rapidly donning his pilot suit and climbing into the cockpit of the Strike Gundam. The familiar operating interface came into view; Kira took a deep breath, suppressed the tension in his heart, and started the unit. The Strike Gundam walked slowly out of the hangar, greeting the incoming BuCUEs. However, Kira had never piloted a Mobile Suit in desert terrain and knew nothing about desert parameters. The soft sand severely affected the unit's mobility, and just a few steps after setting out, the Strike Gundam's soles sank deeply into the sand, making its movements sluggish. Its once-fluid mobility became exceptionally clumsy, and it even developed a slight tilt.
"Damn it!" Kira cursed under his breath, desperately manipulating the unit in an attempt to break free from the sand's restraint, but the more he struggled, the deeper the unit sank. Seeing this, the incoming BuCUEs seized the opportunity, concentrating their firepower to fire at the Strike Gundam. Shells struck the unit's shoulders and legs, kicking up countless sparks. The Phase Shift Armor was not pierced, but its energy plummeted at a rapid pace. Kira's expression shifted, and he could only manipulate the unit to barely dodge, his heart filled with anxiety-he had never imagined that the piloting skills he took pride in would turn out so overwhelmingly pathetic amidst this yellow sand. Seated inside the command room of the land battleship, Andrew looked at the battered Strike Gundam in the observation scope, a mocking smile curving the corner of his mouth: "So it's just garbage like this, and it even warranted me taking the field personally?"
Meanwhile, Mei Hock, Yzak Joule, and Dearka Elsman had also successfully landed in the desert. Their units had likewise suffered the impact of the descent, sustaining varying degrees of damage; the barrel of Yzak's Duel Gundam's shoulder cannon was slightly deformed, Dearka's Buster Gundam had damaged leg hydraulic systems, and Mei's GuAIZ only had a few scratches on its outer shell with core components undamaged. The three of them had just maneuvered their units to a steady stance when they were discovered by a patrolling ZAFT desert force-the opposing party consisted of soldiers under Andrew's command who, seeing that they were ZAFT Mobile Suits, immediately stepped forward to verify identities.
"This is the ZAFT Africa desert base patrol. State your identities, please," the patrol captain inquired over the communicator with a vigilant tone, considering that in this region, aside from friendly forces, there was also the possibility of encountering remaining Earth Alliance Forces.
Yzak impatiently pressed the communicator, his tone arrogant: "Yzak Joule, pilot of the Duel Gundam; Dearka Elsman, pilot of the Buster Gundam; Mei Hock, pilot of the GuAIZ. We pursued the Earth Alliance Forces' Strike Gundam here, our frames are damaged, and we need to return to base immediately for rest and repairs."
Hearing the identities of the three, the patrol captain's expression changed. He immediately put away his vigilance and spoke in a respectful tone: "So it's Major Hawke! Pardon the offense! We will escort you all back to the base immediately; please follow us!"
Without further words, the three of them operated their units and followed behind the patrol, speeding toward the ZAFT Africa desert base. Upon the sandy ground, the footsteps of the Mobile Suits and the roar of engines intertwined, kicking up billowing sand that echoed from afar with the sounds of gunfire from the direction of the Archangel, sketching out a desert scroll of war.
Upon reaching the base, the three of them immediately sent their units into the hangar for repairs. Mechanics skillfully dismantled the units, inspected damaged components, and replaced parts in an orderly and busy fashion. Mei did not stay in the hangar to supervise the repairs, instead shedding his pilot suit to change into a light set of ZAFT military fatigues, intending to stroll around the vicinity of the base during the gap while his unit was being repaired-having spent a prolonged period in a state of tense combat, he needed to relax and also wanted to take the opportunity to understand the situation of this desert base, since this place was Andrew's turf and an important node in the future battle situation.
The interior of the base was quite lively. Soldiers came and went, some training, some resting, and others carrying supplies. The air was permeated with the smell of machine oil and sand, yet it was filled with vitality. Mei walked aimlessly, his gaze casually scanning everything around him at a leisurely pace, enjoying this brief peace. Just as he walked over to a small market-a place where soldiers within the base purchased daily necessities and snacks-a familiar yet unfamiliar figure entered his view.
It was a young girl clad in white martial attire. Her figure was slender yet radiated a dashing heroic spirit, and her short blonde hair was neat and capable. Her exquisite face carried a trace of caution and haste, and her blue eyes were bright and unyielding; even placed in a perilous situation, she still could not conceal her outstanding appearance-she was none other than the Princess of Orb, Cagalli Yula Athha. Standing beside her was a tall, middle-aged man with a steady expression, dressed in combat gear with sharp eyes, constantly observing the surroundings with vigilance as Tolle Koenig, the bodyguard specially designated for Cagalli by the Lion of Orb.
Mei felt a stir in his heart, not expecting to encounter Cagalli here by chance. He had to admit that Cagalli truly was a beauty, with the heroic spirit and softness between her brows intertwining to possess a unique charm different from Luna, Meirin, or Lacus, which made it no wonder that Athrun would fall for her at first sight. Yet as Mei looked at her, his heart did not ripple in the slightest-perhaps because he already had exceptional girls like Luna, Meirin, Shiho, and Lacus at home, he had long since cultivated an "immunity." Furthermore, his thoughts at the moment were placed much more on the war situation and guarding the ones he loved, leaving him with little energy to spare for romance.
Cagalli and Tolle Koenig had evidently sneaked in without any identification documents, and their expressions were rushed, clearly evading something. Cagalli was lowering her head, rapidly selecting some water and compressed biscuits with hurried movements, looking up from time to time to scan her surroundings with eyes full of unease; Tolle Koenig stood beside her like a guardian deity, staring with vigilance at everyone around him for fear that their identities might be discovered—Orb maintained neutrality at present, and Cagalli appearing in a ZAFT base of her own accord would lead to unimaginable consequences if discovered.
Mei did not step forward right away, instead acting as though nothing were out of the ordinary as he walked over to a nearby stall, picked up a bottle of water, and pretended to browse while keeping his peripheral vision fixed on the movements of the two. He could tell that Cagalli was very flustered right now and Tolle Koenig was extremely vigilant; if he were to step forward rashly, it would inevitably arouse their guard.
A moment later, Cagalli finished selecting her items and prepared to pay, but due to being overly nervous, she accidentally knocked the compressed biscuits from her hand, scattering the packaging as the biscuits fell to the ground. She let out a cry of surprise and hurried to bend down and retrieve them, her face filled with embarrassment. Seeing this, Mei smoothly walked over, bent down to help her pick up the scattered biscuits, and handed them back to her, his tone as flat as an ordinary passerby meeting by chance: "Be careful. There are a lot of people here, so don't be in such a rush."
Cagalli raised her head to see a strange young man wearing ZAFT military fatigues with a handsome face, calm eyes, and no trace of malice. The guard in her heart relaxed slightly as she took the biscuits and muttered a low "Thank you."
Tolle Koenig immediately stepped forward to block in front of Cagalli, staring sharply at Mei with a vigilant tone: "What do you want?"
Mei smiled, paying no mind to Tolle Koenig's vigilance as he pointed at the fatigues on his body with a casual tone: "Relax. I'm just an ordinary ZAFT officer strolling around here, nothing else in mind. I just happened to see it just now and helped out on a whim." He paused, his gaze falling upon Cagalli with a slightly softened tone: "Judging by your appearance, you're not from around here. How did you end up in a place like this? This is a desert base, not very safe."
Cagalli's eyes flickered, and rather than telling the truth, she spoke vaguely: "I... I just came along with my family and accidentally got separated from them."
Mei did not pierce her lie; he knew Cagalli did not wish to expose her identity, and saying more would be useless. He changed the subject, his tone carrying a bit more gravity: "The war has been fought fiercely lately, with the fires of battle everywhere. Whether it's ZAFT or the Earth Alliance, many people have lost their families and homes. Come to think of it, when do you suppose this war will ever end?"
Hearing the word "war," Cagalli's gaze dimmed somewhat, the embarrassment and fluster on her face vanishing to be replaced by determination and bewilderment: "I don't know when this war will end, but I do know that all war brings is pain and destruction. I hope that one day, Coordinators and Naturals can coexist peacefully, with no more slaughter, no more parting, and everyone able to possess a home of their own."
Mei nodded, a flash of approval crossing his eyes: "You're right. Peace is what everyone truly yearns for. It's just that achieving peace is too difficult. The hatred between the two sides is too deep, and their conflicting interests are too numerous. Resolving all of this requires the efforts of many people, and might even demand that some make sacrifices."
"No matter how difficult it is, I won't give up!" Cagalli's tone was resolute, her eyes sparkling with light: "I believe that as long as we persevere, one day we will be able to achieve peace!" As she spoke, her gaze toward Mei grew eager, as though she had found a like-minded companion: "You yearn for peace too, right? Then we're comrades! Why don't you join us? Let's work hard together and strive for peace!"
"No way!" Tolle Koenig hurriedly intercepted Cagalli with an urgent tone, staring with vigilance at Mei for fear that Cagalli might act on impulse and expose her identity, as well as dreading that Mei might be a ZAFT spy: "We can't trust strangers easily! Besides, we have business to attend to and cannot stay long; we must leave this place as quickly as possible!"
Mei laughed inwardly; it was fortunate Tolle Koenig had stopped her, otherwise Cagalli would probably have spilled her identity completely. He casually waved a hand with an easygoing tone: "No need, thank you for the invitation. Although I yearn for peace, as a ZAFT officer I have my own duties and missions. What I can do is minimize unnecessary casualties at my own post and do my part to bring about peace."
With those words, he nodded to Cagalli and turned to walk away swiftly without lingering. He knew he should not have excessive contact with Cagalli; on the one hand, he feared exposing his intentions, and on the other hand, he feared bringing trouble to Cagalli—Tolle Koenig's vigilance was not unreasonable, and in this sensitive place, any slight oversight could trigger unpredictable consequences.
Watching Mei's retreating figure, Cagalli felt somewhat disappointed and said to Tolle Koenig: "Tolle, he didn't seem like a bad person, and we share the same wish. Why couldn't we trust him?"
Tolle Koenig shook his head helplessly: "Princess, people's hearts are unpredictable; we can't take that risk. This is a ZAFT base, and their people are everywhere. If our identities are discovered, not only will we be in danger, but it will also bring trouble to Orb. We must leave this place as soon as possible." Tolle Koenig left unsaid another thought: this person looked quite familiar, and the ones he was familiar with were famous figures from both warring sides; this person was definitely no nobody.
Although somewhat unwilling, Cagalli knew Tolle Koenig made sense, so she could only nod, follow Tolle Koenig, and hurry away from the market, vanishing deep into the alleys of the base.
After leaving the market, Mei did not continue wandering, instead heading toward another part of the base-he thought of Aisha, that lady belonging to the Clyne Faction with decent piloting skills and extremely strong weapon operation abilities, who should also be within this base right now. He had always felt Aisha was a rare talent; rather than letting her stay in this desert base, it would be better to have her go to Lacus's side, where she could serve as Lacus's bodyguard while also concurrently holding the posts of weapons officer and pilot to protect Lacus's safety, simultaneously exercising her talents. For the Clyne Faction and for Lacus, this was a win-win.
Before long, Mei found Aisha. She was seated beneath the shade of a tree, and hearing footsteps, Aisha looked up. Seeing Mei, a trace of surprise flashed across her eyes before she stood up and spoke respectfully: "Major Hawke, why are you here?"
"Nothing much, just came to check on you." Mei walked over to her, found a place to sit, and spoke casually: "Are you getting used to the desert climate in the base lately?"
"It's alright, just still getting used to the desert climate here," Aisha smiled with a relaxed tone. "Aside from training every day, it's just taking care of Andrew, so it's going smoothly enough."
Mei nodded, pondering for a moment before slowly saying: "Aisha, there's something I'd like to ask your help with, or rather, I'm offering you a better choice."
Aisha's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt: "Major, please go ahead. As long as it's something I can do, I'll do my best."
"I'd like you to leave here temporarily and go to Lacus's side." Mei looked at her earnestly: "Lacus is currently in PLANT. Although it seems safe, hidden dangers are everywhere, and Blue Cosmos as well as radicals of the Zala Faction are eyeing her. Your piloting skills and weapon operation abilities are both very strong; you can serve as her bodyguard while also acting as weapons officer and pilot to protect her safety and exercise your talents. I know Andrew is here, but I believe protecting Lacus is more meaningful than staying here."
Hearing Mei's words, Aisha contemplated for a moment before nodding with a resolute tone: "Major, I'm willing to go!" She herself leaned toward the Clyne Faction and yearned to contribute to the cause of peace: "Since Major trusts me, I certainly won't let you down and will do my utmost to protect Miss Lacus's safety!"
Mei smiled, a flash of approval crossing his eyes: "Good, I trust you. Once matters here come to a close, I will arrange for you to head to PLANT and rendezvous with Lacus. Before then, make your preparations and familiarize yourself with the situation around Lacus so you can quickly dive into protective duties once you arrive. As for Andrew, I'll speak with him."
"Understood, Major!" Aisha responded respectfully, her eyes filled with determination.
After finishing his conversation with Aisha, Mei stood up and left. He had not walked far when he heard a burst of hurried footsteps approaching from behind, accompanied by Yzak's impatient scolding: "Dearka, stop following me! I'll go find him myself!"
Mei halted his steps, turned around, and saw Yzak walking toward him with an angry expression, his brows tightly furrowed and his face dark enough to drip water, while Dearka followed behind him with a helpless look, occasionally pulling Yzak's arm in an attempt to persuade him to calm down.
"Mei Hock!" Yzak stopped in front of Mei, his tone furious: "Why did you stop me from pursuing the Strike Gundam? If you hadn't interfered with my shooting, we would have destroyed the Strike Gundam long ago! And furthermore, you actually made us follow you down to this ghost place, delaying our mission. You must give me an explanation!"
Looking at Yzak's furious appearance, Mei wore no expression on his face, his tone flat yet carrying an unquestionable majesty: "Yzak, calm down. Let me ask you: what was our purpose in pursuing the Strike Gundam? It was to destroy it, not to act with blind impulse. The Archangel was making an emergency landing at the time, the turbulence was severe, and none of our three Mobile Suits had flight packs, making stable pursuit fundamentally impossible. Launching an attack rashly not only risked letting the Strike Gundam escape while taking advantage of the situation, but also risked being engulfed by the turbulence, leading to even more severe damage to the units. By then, our losses would have been greater."
"So what?" Yzak remained furious, his tone arrogant: "Our mission is to destroy the Strike Gundam, everything else is unimportant!"
"Unimportant?" Mei's tone turned somewhat colder, his sharp eyes staring down Yzak: "Yzak, you are too naive and too impulsive. War is not child's play; it cannot be won on hot-headed passion alone. As a ZAFT elite pilot and the heir of the Joule family, you are likely to shoulder greater responsibilities in the future. You cannot just think about fighting and victory; you must also learn to think, to weigh pros and cons, and to care about the lives of others. If you keep acting on impulse like this, you will stumble heavily sooner or later, not only killing yourself but dragging down those around you, and even bringing trouble to ZAFT."
Mei's words struck Yzak like a blow to the head, slamming heavily into him. He froze, the anger on his face gradually dissipating as his gaze grew somewhat bewildered. His lips parted, but he could not utter a single word-he had always been accustomed to solving everything through combat, accustomed to acting on impulse. No one had ever reprimanded him so severely, and no one had ever told him that war required thought and the weighing of pros and cons.
Seeing him calm down, Mei's tone softened slightly as he asked slowly: "Yzak, let me ask you another question. How do you think this war should end?"
This sentence exploded in Yzak's mind like a thunderclap. He raised his head abruptly, looking at Mei with eyes full of shock and bewilderment. He had never considered this question. In his view, the end of the war meant ZAFT thoroughly defeating the Earth Alliance, and Coordinators completely taking control of the entire world-it was that simple and direct. Yet now, prompted by Mei's question, he realized how childish and onesided his own thoughts had been.
His raging emotions were instantly replaced by calm. Yzak fell silent, lowering his head to sink into deep thought. Although impulsive and arrogant, he was not brainless, nor did he lack political awareness-his mother was a core figure of the Zala Faction, and he himself stood second only to Athrun Zala; without a shred of political awareness, it would have been impossible to reach this point today. He was simply accustomed to simple, direct combat and to solving everything with force, having never quieted his mind to seriously consider the meaning of war or contemplate its conclusion.
Dearka stood aside, watching Mei's retreating figure as he gradually fell into deep thought. Watching Mei's composure and strategic command, and witnessing the majesty with which Mei scolded Yzak, his heart was filled with admiration and doubt. He had always felt that Mei was simply an ace pilot with outstanding piloting skills, but now he realized that Mei's foresight and vision were far greater than he had imagined. Mei understood not only combat, but also how to think about war and weigh pros and cons; such a person was destined to become a core figure of ZAFT in the future and influence the direction of this war.
Mei did not disturb Yzak's deep thought, nor did he pay attention to the dazed Dearka, instead turning and walking toward the direction of the hangar. He knew Yzak needed time to think and time to grow; no matter how much others preached certain truths, nothing compared to realizing them for oneself.
Upon reaching the hangar, the maintenance work on the GuAIZ Gundam was nearing its end, with mechanics conducting final checks and tuning of the unit. Mei walked up to the unit, looking up to appraise this Mobile Suit that had accompanied him through countless battles with a calm gaze. He knew desert terrain differed from space and other terrestrial regions; soft sand severely affected a unit's mobility and flexibility, and while the GuAIZ Gundam could perform land combat, it had not undergone desert-adaptation modifications. If it wasn't tuned in advance, when battle came, it would likely end up in a passive state just like Kira's Strike Gundam.
"Major, the unit's repairs are complete. Core components are all normal, but it has not yet undergone desert terrain adaptation tuning," the maintenance captain stepped forward to report respectfully.
"Mm, I know," Mei nodded in a flat tone. "Perform desert terrain adaptation tuning on the unit immediately, focusing on tuning the thruster's power output, leg traction, and mobility to ensure the unit can move flexibly on sand and adapt to the desert combat environment. In addition, check the weapon system to ensure that weapons can fire normally in the desert environment without being affected by sand and dust."
"Understood, Major! We'll begin tuning right away!" The maintenance captain responded respectfully, immediately leading the mechanics into the unit's tuning work.
Mei stood to one side, personally supervising the tuning work and offering modifications from time to time. He was not like Yzak, who was single-minded and only knew how to fight without knowing how to prepare in advance-he understood deeply that details determine success or failure, and in war, any slight oversight could lead to failure or even cost one's life. Tuning the unit for desert adaptation in advance might seem like a small matter, but it could very well decide the victory or defeat of a battle at a critical moment.
The tuning work proceeded in an orderly fashion. Just then, the base's communicator transmitted a message: General Andrew Waltfeld and his patrol force had completed reconnaissance and were returning to the base. Mei raised his head, a flash of understanding crossing his eyes as a faint smile curved the corners of his mouth-he did not need to guess to know that Andrew's return this time would be rather battered.
A moment later, Andrew's land battleship drove slowly into the base. The warship's hull had several scratches, making it look rather disheveled, and the BuCUE Mobile Suits on both sides suffered heavy losses, some with damaged legs and others with destroyed shoulder weaponry. The pilots wore stern, dejected expressions, forming a sharp contrast with their high-spirited demeanor upon departure. Standing at the entrance of the hangar, Mei watched this battered returning force, making his guess even more certain-Kira must have awakened his SEED ability in battle, defeating Andrew's forces by virtue of the astonishing adaptability and combat power brought by the SEED ability.
This was identical to the plot in the original work, with the sole difference being that Kira lacked Flay's bonds this time and possessed a better mental state, meaning his combat power after awakening the SEED ability might be even fiercer than in the original work.
Another hour later, the GuAIZ's desert terrain adaptation tuning was finally completed in full. The maintenance captain stepped forward to report: "Major, the unit tuning is complete. Thruster power output has been adjusted, leg traction and mobility have been substantially improved, and the weapon system has also undergone dust-proofing treatment, enabling normal combat in a desert environment and fully adapting to desert combat parameters."
Mei nodded, stepping forward to gently stroke the GuAIZ Gundam's frame with a flash of determination in his eyes: "Good, thanks for the hard work." He knew that tuning the unit was only the first step; next, there was something more important to do-he needed to go talk to Andrew.
Andrew Waltfeld was a rare general within the ZAFT military, boasting outstanding piloting skills and strong command abilities. Although somewhat arrogant and lazy in temperament, he possessed immense talent and vision. In the original work, Andrew eventually defected to Lacus and became the captain of a warship under her command. While he played a certain role there, in Mei's view, wasting such a rare general merely as the captain of a single warship was an immense misuse of talent.
He had greater uses. Mei already had a plan in mind-he wanted to pull Andrew into his own camp so they could work together for the arrival of peace and to change the fate of this world.
Straightening his fatigues, Mei turned and walked toward the base's command room. The sun was setting, scattering golden twilight across the desert and dyeing the entire base in a golden hue. In the distance, the sand dunes still stood tall amidst the howling winds, and the smoke of war still lingered across this land. Mei's steps were firm and his gaze sharp; he knew that the conversation with Andrew would definitely not be easy, but he was confident he could persuade this ZAFT general to become his assistant, walking a different path together amidst this desert war of smoke and fire to write an epic of the stars belonging to them.
Before you continue