Before long, the 1st Squad led by Yang Hui and the team led by Char had cut through the entire battlefield. Before them was a rapidly approaching Space Fleet.
Although Zeon's electronic systems, under the environment of Minovsky Particles, left the ship cannons with a hit rate of only about 20%, and missiles had lost their locking capability and could only be fired blindly.
But even so, it remained a massive threat. Whether it was a ship cannon or a missile, a single hit would spell the end for an MS. Moreover, the fleet was the lifeline of the MS units; without it, they would be like turtles in a jar.
So, Yang Hui and Char made a prompt decision. Instead of leading their subordinates back into the fray, they headed straight for the Zeon fleet.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
"Scatter!"
As they were approaching, several Beams accurately streaked toward Yang Hui and his team. If they weren't aces, they truly wouldn't have been able to dodge.
"That's..." Yang Hui frowned as he watched the MS closing in on him.
"Colonel, it's Gihren Zabi's Personal Guard, led by the 'Gray Griffon,' Eric Mansfield."
The number of MS units blocking them wasn't large, only about the size of a battalion (27 machines in a Zeon battalion). They were all painted gray, with Gihren Zabi's emblem on the right shoulder, while the lead Mobile Suit had an additional griffon head emblem on its right shoulder.
That wasn't the most important part; the most important thing was that the Mobile Suits blocking them weren't Zakus or Doms, but Gelgoogs!
This was what surprised Yang Hui the most. The MS-14A Early Production Gelgoog was originally supposed to appear six months later. After the Federation executed the V Project and began using MS to counter the Zeon Army, the advantages of the Zaku series were gradually lost, and the performance of the Dom series could not fully meet the needs of large-scale MS combat in space.
To compete with the Federation's Gundams and mass-produced GMs, the Zeon Army used technical data obtained by the Intelligence Department from the Federation via Side 6 to successfully miniaturize the MEGA Particle Cannon. As a mass-production MS for the Zeon Army, it was equipped with a Beam Rifle and a Beam Saber as standard equipment for the first time.
It was Zeon's first mass-produced MS equipped with Beam Weapons and the final swan song of the Principality of Zeon.
Unlike the Zaku-type MS, the Gelgoog was designed with MS-on-MS combat in mind. Thrusters were built into the waist and leg skirt armor, and its mobility and thrust greatly exceeded any previous models, with performance far superior to the Federation's mass-produced GM.
However, such excellent performance carried the risk of requiring veteran pilots to operate. But as the war situation worsened, Zeon, having sacrificed too many excellent pilots, was often forced to send recruits or even student soldiers to pilot them.
Furthermore, by the time mass production officially began, it was already the end of the war. Therefore, the Gelgoog failed to achieve significant results before the war concluded.
After the war, some strategists commented: "If the Gelgoog had been deployed to combat units even a few months earlier, the outcome of the war would not be what it is now." This shows that the performance of this model was indeed extraordinary.
"Zeon's spies are quite capable," Yang Hui smiled. He wasn't angered by the leak of information regarding Beam Weapons. Spies have existed since the beginning of human warfare and cannot be completely eradicated; information leaks were only a matter of time.
It was just that the Dom, the Tiger, and various MAs had only recently appeared, and yet the Gelgoog was already out. This truly surprised Yang Hui. It seemed the pressure he was putting on Gihren Zabi was indeed immense.
"Char, I'm leaving the fleet to you," Yang Hui said to Char.
"Understood." Char didn't stand on ceremony and immediately led his men to continue their charge toward the fleet.
The gray Gelgoog unit split off three squads to intercept them, but they were forced back by several Beams. Three Astray Gundams blocked their path.
"No thoroughfare here," South Burning muttered to himself.
Gihren Zabi's Personal Guard were men of few words but fierce action. Seeing someone blocking them, they immediately responded by firing and drawing their sabers without the slightest hesitation.
But attacks of this level couldn't threaten South Burning and his team. With only three machines, they held back the nine Gelgoogs firmly, forcing the enemies to watch helplessly as the others passed by.
While three squads were blocked, the other squads naturally couldn't just stand by. They mobilized the moment the others were tied up, with two squads breaking off to pursue Char and his subordinates, while the rest went after the others in the 1st Squad. The result...
Zing!
The "Gray Griffon" Eric Mansfield only felt a blur before his eyes as Unit 01, which he had locked onto, vanished. Turning around, he saw that Unit 01 had already caught up to the two pursuing squads. Just as he was about to chase after it, an Astray Gundam blocked him—it was Amuro.
"Get out of the way," Eric Mansfield said with a dark expression. Simultaneously, his double-edged Beam Saber was unsheathed, slashing fiercely toward Amuro's Mobile Suit.
Amuro naturally wouldn't sit and wait for death. His Beam Saber unsheathed, parrying one end of the double-edged Beam Saber.
"Sorry, this way is closed."
"Tsk, nuisance."
The others had also begun their battles. Although their numbers were only a third of the enemy's, they were able to hold them back firmly, preventing them from heading to the front lines or returning to defend the fleet.
It had to be said that Gihren Zabi's Personal Guard really had some skill. They were able to stall the 1st Squad of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division for over ten minutes without losing anyone...
"Captain! Ah!"
The first casualty appeared. It came from the two squads Yang Hui was dealing with. These two squads had clearly studied Yang Hui's data thoroughly. They didn't seek to kill Yang Hui but kept a tight formation to pin him down, waiting for the others to finish off their enemies and come to reinforce them. Little did they know...
In those ten-plus minutes, Yang Hui had completely adapted to the opponent's attack rhythm. Seizing an opportunity, he suddenly accelerated and broke through the blockade of the two squads. Before the enemy machines could turn, he performed a sudden stop, accelerated in reverse, unsheathed his Beam Saber, and sliced through one in a single stroke.
The first sacrifice appeared, followed immediately by a second. Their tight coordination was broken. No matter how high the quality of the Personal Guard was—even if they could continue fighting while ignoring the deaths of their comrades—they could no longer effectively contain Unit 01. Unit 01 raised its hand and pierced a Gelgoog with a shot, while simultaneously accelerating in reverse. As he passed another Gelgoog, he casually swept his Beam Saber, cutting another machine apart.
"Their quality is decent..." While killing enemies, Yang Hui also kept an eye on the others' battles. They weren't in danger, but they didn't have any spare energy to focus on anything else. "...But it ends here."
After quickly cutting down the remaining three Gelgoogs, Yang Hui turned to support the others. Like a Great White Shark entering a swimming pool full of people, he feasted. Soon, only the "Gray Griffon" Eric Mansfield remained from Gihren Zabi's Personal Guard, still locked in a struggle with Amuro.
Eric Mansfield had naturally observed the situation. He swung his saber to knock Amuro's Mobile Suit away, firing two shots as he retreated to force Amuro back a distance. Holding a rifle in one hand and a saber in the other, he stared gloomily at all the members of the 1st Squad.
To his surprise, however, the opponents did not swarm him. Instead, they lined up behind Amuro to watch.
"Colonel, you guys go on. Leave this place to me," Amuro said to Yang Hui.
"Are you sure?" Yang Hui asked seriously.
"I'm sure."
"Fine."
Having received Amuro's affirmative answer, the eight Astray Gundams of the 1st Squad flew toward the direction of the fleet.
"Don't even think about passing..."
"I said, there's no thoroughfare here!"
Eric Mansfield tried to intercept Yang Hui and the others again, but Amuro was faster. He appeared before the Gelgoog once more, slashing down with his saber, forcing Eric Mansfield to block with his Beam Saber instead of turning away.
"You bastard..."
"Don't think about interfering with the Colonel and the others. You are my prey."
"Then let's see who the prey really is!"
The Astray Gundam and the Gelgoog both went to full output simultaneously. Flames erupted from their backs. After parting by mutual unspoken agreement, they collided rapidly again, then separated, never ceasing their Beam fire even as they pulled apart.
The two of them were like two incompatible meteors, constantly colliding in the void of space, using this place as a hunting ground to decide who was the hunter and who was the prey.
...
The eight Astray Gundams tore into the Zeon fleet, immediately beginning a massacre that more than doubled the rate at which the warships were sinking.
"Are they all wiped out?" During a spare moment, Char connected to Yang Hui's comms.
"Amuro is hunting."
"...Eliminate this fleet as quickly as possible. We can't let them retreat," Char said.
Yang Hui nodded. This fleet was just the vanguard; the real main force was still behind them. They might not be able to field another ace like Eric Mansfield, but their numbers would definitely be overwhelming. Therefore, they had to take this chance to eliminate as many as possible, ideally leaving none behind.
"Colonel, the enemy MS units have begun to retreat," Cima reminded him.
"Order all units to pursue and kill for 1,000 kilometers."
"Understood."
...
"Ha... ha... ha..." Half an hour had passed. The main Zeon force had retreated, and Yang Hui and the others were still in pursuit. Only Amuro and Eric Mansfield remained in the original combat zone. Perhaps exhausted, the two sides stopped colliding, both staring at each other while panting for breath.
"Your comrades are all gone," Amuro pointed out.
"Comrades? Heh, I have no such thing," Eric Mansfield replied.
"Then what are they?"
"We are all pawns of the Supreme Commander. The Supreme Commander's orders must be completed at any cost."
"...You are pathetic."
"Save your pity, Federation pilot. To be of use to the Supreme Commander is the greatest honor of my life."
"That's why you are pathetic."
"..."
With nothing left to say, Eric Mansfield had no intention of wasting more words with Amuro. He discarded his empty Beam Rifle, gripped his saber with both hands, and charged.
Amuro likewise put away his depleted Beam Rifle and met him with his saber held in both hands.
Saber light flashed between the two machines. No one knew how many times they had collided, nor how much time had passed, until finally...
Squelch!
Eric Mansfield's Gelgoog sliced off the head of the Astray Gundam with one strike, while the Astray's Beam Saber pierced straight through the Gelgoog's chest.