Inside the Starry Sky's command room, cold white lights illuminated the entire space. A massive holographic star chart hovered above the central command console, displaying every detail of the battlefield with crystal clarity. Red and blue dots intertwined fiercely. The blue dots representing the Silver Wing fleet tore through enemy formations like blades, while the red dots representing ZAFT's Zala Faction steadily contracted and scattered. Only a few clusters stubbornly held together, making their final stand. Dressed in a silver-gray command uniform, Natarle Badgiruel stood straight before the chart, hands clasped behind her back. Her hawklike eyes remained fixed on the ZAFT flagship racing toward them with savage momentum-the Minerva.
Her fingertips occasionally brushed the virtual chart. Each touch brought a crisp, decisive order transmitted throughout the Silver Wing fleet over encrypted channels. "Starry Sky, charge the main guns to eighty percent. Target the Minerva's port thruster cluster. Avoid its forward main battery and suppress it with the broadside secondary guns!" "Silver Wing Mobile Suit Squads One and Two, break from the main formation and circle behind the Minerva. Destroy its aft supply bay and cut its energy supply lines!" "Third Squad, remain around the Starry Sky. Establish a defensive formation, intercept enemy mobile suits attempting surprise attacks, and ensure the command ship's safety!"
The orders were clear, precise, and free of wasted words. Every one struck at a vital point. A veteran commander of multiple space wars, Natarle excelled at exploiting the Starry Sky's strengths to wage efficient, devastating ship-to-ship battles. The Starry Sky had been designed for a dual role: command ship and independent commerce-raiding warship. That meant it possessed not only powerful command and coordination capabilities, but also firepower and defenses overwhelming those of other vessels in its class. Its hull had been upgraded with the East