As the operation proceeded, one Astray Gundam after another plunged into the sea from the Luna, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.
"Major, Ford Romfellow requests to rejoin the unit!"
"Fort?" Yang Hui glanced at Unit 05 beside him, stunned for a moment. He was puzzled as to why Ford Romfellow was here. He didn't believe Ford Romfellow would dare defy his orders and sortie without permission.
However, seeing Jung and the others gathering around, he smiled in understanding. "You little rascals. Permission granted. Your call sign is White Shark 5."
"Understood! Hehe."
"Major, all units are present," Jung reported to Yang Hui after a headcount.
Yang Hui nodded and immediately opened a communication channel with the Luna.
"Major."
"Go on, Natarle."
"Okay. You all be careful."
After ending the communication, the Luna, which had been hovering in the air, continued toward its target location, while the MS units, led by Yang Hui, advanced toward the Paracel Islands.
"All units, this is our first head-on clash with a large Zeon force. We need to hold them off for at least two hours. Are you confident?"
"Yes!" came the chorus of replies.
"Good. First order: kill those Zeon bastards!"
"Understood!" came the chorus of replies.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
"Major, enemy forces spotted. There's a hell of a lot of them," Travis Kirkland reported.
"Hoh? Right on time. Second order..."
Everyone held their breath, anticipating Yang Hui's second order. Although they had already guessed what it would be, they still wanted to hear him issue it.
"...Come back alive with your honor intact!"
"Understood!" came the chorus of replies.
Everyone's eyes were filled with red—the color of blood. Their sharp gazes were as chilling as a wolf's, their lips curled into ferocious smiles, and their sharp claws glinted with a cold light.
...
In the Philippines command center, Kycilia Zabi glanced impassively at the battle report delivered by her subordinate and tossed it aside. It was just as she had predicted: one naval division and one aerial mixed division had been completely wiped out, and the Federation had finished laying their minefield.
These two divisions were meant to be fed to the Federation, or rather... fed to the Twelfth Independent Technical Division.
Only by doing this could she pinpoint their location early, rather than waiting for them to reappear undetected deep within Zeon's heartland and stab her in the heart.
Therefore, she would have been more troubled if the Twelfth Independent Technical Division hadn't completely annihilated the bait she had thrown out.
"But specialized aerial and aquatic MS equipment... you've surprised me again, young Yang Hui. However... this isn't enough for you to escape the script I've written for you."
"Lady Kycilia, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Naval Divisions have engaged the Federal MS units!"
"Excellent!" A ferocious smile, one of having everything under control, once again spread across Kycilia Zabi's face, as if her targeted prey had already fallen into her net. "Order the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Naval Divisions to pin them down at all costs. They are to engage in a protracted battle, not to annihilate the enemy. The 4th, 5th, and 6th Naval Divisions are to deploy immediately, bypass the Paracel Islands, and advance toward Quảng Ngãi to attack the enemy from the rear. Simultaneously, the 1st and 2nd Aerial MS Corps are to support the engaged forces."
"Understood!"
This was Kycilia Zabi's script. The forces attacking from the front were merely bait, even sacrificial pawns, intended to make the Federation and their cover believe that Zeon would land from the direction of Jiaozhi. It was absolutely impossible for the Federation to establish an effective defensive line in Jiaozhi in a short amount of time.
Whether for stalling or for a frontal assault, the Twelfth Independent Technical Division was the only unit that could reach Jiaozhi in time. As long as they were lured there, Kycilia Zabi's plan was halfway to success. And then...
Kycilia Zabi's target from the very beginning was not the Federation's defensive line or the East Asia Theater. Her target had always been the Twelfth Independent Technical Division. As long as this immensely threatening unit was eliminated, the Federation's defensive line in the East Asia Theater would be of little concern and could be broken at any time.
As for whether Yang Hui would see through the trap... he had no choice. If the Twelfth Independent Technical Division didn't go to Jiaozhi, Zeon would simply land as planned and attack the East Asia region in a pincer movement.
So, this was the overt scheme Kycilia Zabi had prepared for Yang Hui. Even if you guessed it was a trap, you had to walk into it. Otherwise, all of the Federation's arrangements in the East Asia Theater would be ruined.
...
"Major, something's not right. Zeon's movements have changed." After destroying a Z'Gok with a small Sonic Cannon, South Burning said to Yang Hui, "They're not in a hurry to break through our blockade. They're stalling for time!"
"Yes, I see it. I didn't expect things to develop in the worst possible way." Yang Hui's expression was grim. He had suspected from the start that this was likely a trap, but he also recognized it as an overt scheme.
Even if Ethan Rhea had immediately started arranging defenses along the Jiaozhi coast after receiving the report from the naval commander, it would take at least two or three hours just to redeploy the troops.
If he didn't lead his men to the Jiaozhi coastline to buy time for the main Federal Army forces, Zeon, given their current distance and speed, could land at Quảng Ngãi in less than half an hour. And then...
Either Jiaozhi would be engulfed in a sea of fire, or the Federation's reinforcements would be wiped out before they even landed.
So, Yang Hui had to come. Although he wouldn't devote himself to the Federation to the point of death, if the East Asia Theater fell, the slight advantage the Federation had fought so hard to gain would be completely lost, and all of Yang Hui's efforts would have been in vain.
"Major, let's break out. We're Zeon's target!" South Burning requested.
"Hmm... All units, converge on the center. We're breaking out. Direction... the Philippines."
"Understood!" came the chorus of replies.
Although everyone was puzzled as to why Yang Hui ordered a breakout toward the enemy's main base instead of back toward Jiaozhi—after all, if they didn't stop Zeon, wouldn't the East Asia Theater be finished?
"Kycilia Zabi can't be commanding from Australia. She must be in the Philippines!" Combining factors like the speed at which the frontline troops changed their tactics, the communication interference in a Minovsky Particle environment, and the transmission speed of telegrams, Yang Hui deduced that Kycilia Zabi's command center was in the Philippines, not Australia. "Here comes the fastball, Kycilia Zabi. You'd better be ready to catch it!"
Dozens of Astray Gundams found their positions and formed a wedge formation. With Yang Hui as the tip of the spear, they pierced through the barrier of Z'Goks and Acguys, heading straight for the Philippines.
"Stop them!"
"We can't! We can't catch up! Dammit, how are the Federation's aquatic MS so fast!?"
"We chase even if we can't catch up! Notify Lady Kycilia immediately, the enemy is heading for the Philippines!"
They watched as the wedge of Astray Gundams grew more and more distant, eventually becoming tiny black dots that vanished from their sight.
...
"Lady Kycilia, urgent report from the front! The Federal MS units have broken through!"
"Hah, so they figured it out? What was their breakout direction?"
"The Philippines..."
"What?" Kycilia Zabi shot to her feet in shock. She was genuinely startled by Yang Hui's audacity, but she quickly relaxed and laughed. "Hahahaha, impressive. You figured out I was here so quickly? You've got guts. But... don't underestimate me. Order all forces not to return to defend. Advance on the Jiaozhi defensive line. Upon arrival, land immediately, occupy Jiaozhi, and establish a forward command post!"
"Understood!"
"Everyone, prepare to evacuate. Abandon this base."
"Lady Kycilia?"
"If we don't evacuate, should we wait to be taken prisoner?"
"Of course not." Cold sweat beaded on the forehead of Kycilia Zabi's Adjutant. She had been with Kycilia Zabi in the North America Theater and had witnessed the terror of this unit firsthand. Back then, there were only nine of them; now there were dozens. They would only be more terrifying.
"Let's go. Last time, they were the ghosts, and we were the ghost hunters. This time... let's swap roles."
...
Meanwhile, Ethan Rhea stared at the operational map with a grim expression. He had also received the report from the Commander-in-Chief of the naval fleet and had immediately dispatched available troops to Jiaozhi, but he wasn't sure if the Twelfth Independent Technical Division could hold out until the reinforcements arrived.
"Any news from the Twelfth Independent Technical Division?"
"The Luna has arrived in Vinh. According to Captain Natarle Badgiruel's report, Major Yang Hui is leading all MS units equipped with Aquatic Specialized Backpacks to intercept the Zeon Army at sea to buy time for our forces."
"Hmm... Order the reinforcements to speed up! Every second they arrive in Jiaozhi earlier is another second of safety for Yang Hui and his men!"
"Colonel, with all due respect, we could..."
"Silence!" Ethan Rhea's sharp rebuke cut his subordinate off. "Our allies are fighting desperately on the front lines, buying us time with their lives, and you're thinking about how to sell them out?"
"Co... Colonel?" Ethan Rhea's trusted aides were all astonished. In their minds, Ethan Rhea was a man who would do anything for victory. Why would he care about the fate of a single unit? Especially one that belonged to a rival.
"Without them, do you think we can stop Zeon's offensive?"
"Well..."
"Hmph. Short-sighted."
The reason Ethan Rhea gave was only part of it. The other part was that he held the Twelfth Independent Technical Division in high regard. It had nothing to do with factions; he had a feeling that this unit was the future of the Federation, the future of this war.
"Heh, Revil, I never thought I'd share the same thought as you," Ethan Rhea thought to himself with a wry smile.
"Colonel! Urgent encrypted message!"
"Urgent encrypted message? Who sent it?"
"There's no sender listed, but it's using our military's highest level of encryption."
"Decrypt it immediately!"
"It says... 'Kycilia Zabi's target is us. Failed to stall for time. Advise Colonel Rhea to abandon the area south of the Indochinese Peninsula and establish a defensive line along Hanoi, Bokeo, and Naypyidaw. My unit has broken through, target: the Philippines, for a decapitation strike.'"
"What!?"
...
Elsewhere in the deep sea, the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, which had been advancing at full speed, suddenly came to a halt.
"Something's wrong. Kycilia Zabi won't make the same mistake twice. She must have already left the Philippines."
"Major, what do we do now?" Jung asked.
"Squads 2 and 3, continue advancing. I want you to take the Philippines. Squads 4, 6, and 7, engage Zeon in guerrilla warfare in the Paracel and Macclesfield Bank areas. Squads 8 and 9, follow me back the way we came. We'll land at the Thu Bồn River."
"Understood!"
"Heh, so you want to be the ghost this time? You'd better hide well. I've never lost a game of hide-and-seek, Kycilia Zabi."
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