Two weeks later, in the combat conference room of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, not all members were present, but rather the team leaders and test pilots from each group had gathered.
After Yang Hui submitted the blueprints for the M1 Astray Mass Production Type to the military committee for approval and they were passed, the research teams of the [V Project] were split into several groups, each assigned to develop corresponding Armed Backpacks for environments such as space, sky, forest, and desert, with Tim Ray overseeing the overall progress.
"Everyone, one week ago, the lunar Mass Driver launched numerous small rock fragments to bombard key military positions on Earth. Although the Luna II fleet successfully intercepted them, significant casualties and damage were inflicted on ground military bases. At the same time, this created a valuable window for the airborne units. The first wave of Zeon's space forces has successfully landed in Central Asia and occupied Baikonur and a large surrounding area. You all should understand what this means."
Everyone's expressions turned grave. Baikonur was an extremely important military stronghold. From the Caspian Sea northward, it provided access into Europe, directly threatening the critical resource hub of Odessa. South from the Caspian Sea lay the Middle East, the concentrated region of oil resources.
If these two areas were captured by the Zeon Army, they could quickly address two major deficiencies of the Zeon forces.
"Therefore, our orders have arrived. General Revil has commanded us to proceed to Earth immediately to support the Middle Eastern front."
"Question!" After Yang Hui finished speaking, there was silence for two or three seconds. Confirming that no further information was coming, Ford Romfellow raised his hand, knowing it was now the Q&A session.
"Go ahead."
"Why the Middle East and not Odessa?" Ford Romfellow voiced the question on many people's minds. Anyone could see that Odessa was far more important than the Middle East. Oil resources remained the most critical strategic asset, as vehicles, aircraft, ships, submarines, and other transports still relied on fossil fuels.
But beneath Odessa lay rich mineral resources, including the rare metals essential for manufacturing MS. For the resource-starved Zeon Army, this was the foundation and core for expanding their military capabilities. If Odessa were captured, the number of Zeon MS could potentially double, posing an even greater threat.
Thus, they all felt they should be dispatched to reinforce the Odessa defense line, not the Middle East.
"First, the Middle East is as crucial as Odessa. Losing the Middle East would directly expose East Asia and Africa to Zeon's attack range. General Revil believes that even if Zeon secures Odessa, they cannot rapidly expand the scale of their MS units. After all, no matter how powerful MS are, they require pilots, and mass production takes time. In contrast, the Middle East's oil resources can be immediately converted into combat power and financial leverage.
Second, the Federation has already begun establishing the M1 Astray Unit (a stripped-down version of the M1 Astray). The current primary strategic objective is to stall the Zeon Army's advance and deplete their resources.
Third..."
At this point, Yang Hui paused, a mocking yet icy smile on his face: "The military high command believes that since our numbers are limited, we should not go to Odessa and hold back the elite forces there."
BANG!
"Those damn bastards!"
"Are they looking down on us!?"
"Hmph! If I get the chance, I'll definitely wipe out these pests!"
The seven members of the MS squad all wore grim expressions. The younger ones felt they were being looked down upon, filled with nothing but anger and resentment. The more experienced members understood that political infighting was undoubtedly involved—even with the enemy at their doorstep, internal conflicts persisted. This made them furious while deepening their disappointment with the Federation.
"Enough!" A sharp shout cut through their indignation. "We have no combat achievements to our name, so being underestimated is inevitable. That's why for this battle, I have two demands. First, everyone keep your eyes wide open—don't die on the battlefield!"
"Of course!"
"Our training wasn't for nothing!"
"Major, none of us plan to become martyrs. Just tell us the second point!"
"Good. The second point is..." Yang Hui paused, his expression bloodthirsty, his grin savage, "...slaughter those Zeon bastards without holding back."
"Understood!" xN
Tim Ray and the other members of the research team inwardly admired Yang Hui's methods. Both the higher-ups' disdain and the nature of their orders had intensely stimulated the pilots' competitive spirit and morale. Once on the battlefield, this unit would unleash unparalleled combat power.
"Director Ray."
"Major."
"What's the current progress on the Armed Backpacks?"
"The equipment for space, ground combat, desert warfare, and jungle warfare has been completed. Except for the space-use Armed Backpack, the others haven't undergone live testing yet. Equipment for aquatic and aerial combat is 70% complete."
"Hmm... Equip all units with space-use backpacks. Prepare one set each of ground combat, desert, and jungle warfare equipment to accompany us."
"That's too dangerous, Major. Using untested equipment in battle..." Tim Ray understood that Yang Hui intended to test these new weapons on the battlefield.
"No problem. I've been closely monitoring the development process. There shouldn't be any issues—at most, some minor adjustments that the accompanying maintenance crew can handle."
"But..."
"Carry out the order, Director Ray."
"...Understood."
"Dismissed. Everyone prepare. We depart at 0600 Earth time tomorrow."
"Yes!" xN
As everyone dispersed, the pilots were thrilled—they likely wouldn't sleep tonight. The technical team leaders, however, were filled with anxiety. While confident in the equipment they'd developed, the thought of deploying it in combat without proper testing worried them deeply. If flaws in their creations led to comrades' deaths, they would never forgive themselves.
"Major, I still think..." Tim Ray tried to persuade him further, but Yang Hui raised a hand to stop him, saying words that moved him profoundly.
"I trust you, Director Ray."
"...This isn't about trust." Though moved to tears, Tim Ray held them back. "We're confident in this equipment, but we shouldn't be testing it with pilots' lives on the line."
"Calm down, Tim."
"How can I stay calm!? We're talking about human lives here!"
"Alright, calm down. I promise you, after arriving on Earth, I'll first test the performance in the rear. Only when I'm sure there are no issues will I go to the battlefield. Is that acceptable?" Yang Hui knew that if he didn't compromise, Tim Ray wouldn't let him off. Tim Ray could be quite reasonable at times, even somewhat timid, but when it came to things he cared about, he became extremely stubborn.
"...I'm going with you," Tim Ray decided.
"No. Although we have combat missions, development tasks cannot stop. Especially the specialized underwater and aerial equipment packs must be completed as soon as possible," Yang Hui said seriously. "Zeon has already begun using underwater MS and has caused massive damage to naval fleets and coastal cities. The Federation must quickly establish underwater MS units as well. As for aerial units, this is about seizing the initiative. Currently, Zeon doesn't have atmospheric flight-capable MS. If we succeed first, we can firmly grasp air superiority."
"...But I'm still worried..."
"Don't worry, Tim. You should know my capabilities."
"..." Tim Ray remained silent. Although Yang Hui had never explicitly stated it, through their recent interactions, Tim Ray had guessed that Yang Hui was the scientist behind the development of new technologies like the M1 Astray and the Qilin-class.
"Stay safe." Thousands of words stuck in his throat, ultimately condensed into the simplest yet most sincere blessing.
"Don't worry. Everyone has been working hard lately. Tell them all that once they complete their current tasks, I'm giving them two weeks of vacation to go home and spend time with their families."
"...Understood."
"Go ahead."
...
Since the Qilin-class hadn't been built yet, the Twelfth Independent Technical Division didn't have its own warship. Therefore, Tianem allocated four Columbus-class transport ships from the Second Fleet to transport the eight MS units, escorted by two Magellan-class heavy cruisers and six Salamis-class light cruisers. They would escort them to Earth orbit, then descend from space directly to the Middle Eastern battlefield.
However, shortly after leaving Luna II's defense perimeter, they detected Zeon presence.
"Lieutenant Colonel Walker, Minovsky particle density is rising. Radar has detected enemy ships. Database comparison... One Musai-class! Distance 1000 kilometers!"
"Hmm... This technical division has some interesting equipment. The new radar is working." Walker wasn't the commander of Luna II yet. Before the Federal Space Force could rebuild its strength to engage Zeon fleets head-on, he was just a ship captain under Tianem's command, responsible for commanding this escort fleet.
Initially, like most Federal officers, Walker didn't like the Twelfth Independent Technical Division. On one hand, there was their commander Yang Hui's reputation, and on the other, the division had too much autonomy, which made others jealous.
But after the Twelfth Independent Technical Division completed the Astray Gundam (the unreduced version, fully constructed with Gundarium Alloy Alpha) and began refitting the fleet's warships, opinions started to change.
"Just one warship... A reconnaissance unit? Or a special forces unit operating independently..."
"Lieutenant Colonel, what should we do?"
"Have they detected us?"
"Based on the projected course of their warship, probably not yet."
"Rotate main cannons, lock onto the enemy Musai-class, accelerate forward. Don't alert them prematurely."
Logically speaking, with eight warships in the escort fleet, a single Musai-class vessel wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. Even if Zeon had MS units, they wouldn't stand a chance against the upgraded fleet. Besides, they also had MS units of their own, though their combat capabilities hadn't been verified yet.
But Walker's orders were to safely escort the personnel of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division to the designated coordinates and then execute an airborne operation. To avoid compromising the mission, Walker decided to err on the side of caution and hold fire for now.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly..."
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