"4 o'clock, 12 o'clock, two Lugun reconnaissance planes."
Following Travis Kirkland's instructions, the Astray Gundam closest to the enemy aircraft turned and fired without a moment's hesitation.
"7 o'clock, a patrol squadron."
Three Astray Gundams broke away from the main force and headed toward the 7 o'clock position. Their beam rifles fired in succession, and several bursts of fire soon erupted within the clouds.
"Altitude 10,300, Athrun."
"Understood. Squad 9, spread out in groups of three. Eliminate all enemy aircraft above an altitude of 5,000."
"Understood!" X8
"Squad 6, eliminate ground anti-air fire."
"Understood!" X8
The first wave of the drop, Squads 6 and 9, scattered immediately after exiting their drop pods. Squad 9 cleared the nearby airspace of enemy planes, while Squad 6 began eliminating ground-based anti-air fire. While MS and war chariots might not be completely cleared out instantly, the fixed anti-air positions and surface-to-air missile launchers were the greatest threats.
Five minutes later, the second batch of drop pods entered the azure sky, their outer armor peeling away layer by layer.
"Landing site, coordinates tracked and locked... Alright, let's go!"
"Understood!" XN
The drop pods opened completely, and Squads 1, 5, and 10 plummeted from the sky toward the ground, as if the fireworks exploding in the air and on the ground were there to welcome their arrival.
"Altitude 5,000... 4,000... 3,000, thrusters ignite!"
Boom—
The thrusters on the backs of the descending Astray Gundams flared simultaneously, sharply reducing their falling speed. They carefully dodged ground fire as they slowly descended to the surface.
"Gai, establish a perimeter. George!"
"Understood!" X2
Squad 1 split into three-man teams, weaving through the enemy ranks. Squad 10 formed a circle, surrounding Squad 5 in the center. They opened the packs on their backs and braced them in front, shielding against enemy fire. Simultaneously, Giorgio Miguel's unit from Squad 5 led three heavy-fire specialists as they raised the Super Electromagnetic Cannons on their shoulders. Energy surged, blue electric arcs danced, and the glow grew brighter and brighter.
Bang—!
There was no fire, no explosion—only a deafening roar and several bolts of blue lightning. Everywhere they looked, the terrain was torn apart as if a typhoon had passed through, everything reduced to flying debris.
"All targets destroyed. Scatter!"
Squad 10 retracted the shields standing before them, and Squad 5 took over fire suppression before quickly fanning out. They searched for any stragglers while rapidly clearing out the surrounding enemy mobile suits.
Numerous enemy units stood in their way, but beams scattered like flower petals, crushing everything in their path.
Beep beep beep...
An alarm blared. A Dom suddenly rushed out of the smoke and dust, appearing above Giorgio Miguel's unit. Its sole remaining arm held a heat saber high, bringing it down with a force meant to split a mountain.
But Giorgio Miguel didn't even spare it a glance, continuing forward as if he hadn't noticed it at all.
Swoosh...
A beam streaked in from the side, accurately severing the Dom's arm. Giorgio Miguel's unit passed safely in front of it, and the following Astray Gundam drew its beam saber in one smooth motion, slicing the Dom in half at the waist.
By the time the fire erupted, the three Astray Gundams had already left the debris and smoke far behind.
...
"Damn it! How could it be them!?" The commander of the Bear Demon Spirit unit watched the "soldiers from the sky" on his screen, grinding his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. Despite all his calculations, he had overlooked an attack from above. Or rather, he hadn't expected a "meteor" to fall on his head.
The frontline arrangements were perfect. They couldn't stop a massive Federation offensive, but they were more than enough to hold out until the HLV took off and the Ashtaroth was successfully sent into space. The anti-air defenses were also complete; even if the Federation sent a large-scale Midia airborne drop, it would be useless, serving only as a fireworks display of blood and hatred for his success.
As for the traitors of the Zeon Republic watching from the sidelines, Char had not yet arrived in Australia to formally take command of them. They didn't dare make a move yet, so there was no need to worry.
But... all his arrangements, all his plans, were futile before the Twelfth Independent Technical Division—a fleeting, brilliant moment rendered meaningless.
"Sir, what do we do now?" a subordinate asked in panic. The HLV carrying the Ashtaroth had already been destroyed; their mission was already half-failed. Facing the god-of-death-like Twelfth Independent Technical Division, they felt as if they were standing on a high wall—one step forward was the abyss, one step back was a cliff.
"Don't... don't panic!" The commander of the Bear Demon Spirit unit feigned composure, though his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. "That's right, we haven't failed yet. We're still alive. The data for the Ashtaroth is still in our heads. Yes, we haven't failed! We can still..."
Boom boom boom boom...
"What... what's happening... Ahhh!!"
The ground suddenly shook violently, the tremors intensifying. Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, and a curtain of rubble and stone buried them all.
Where the ceiling had vanished, Yang Hui's Unit 01 passed by without a glance, casually tossing a grenade he had just picked up.
Boom—!
The Bear Demon Spirit unit, which might have had a slim chance of survival, was ravaged by the explosion and swallowed by flames.
"Colonel, the airspace has been cleared. The airport has been destroyed," Athrun reported to Yang Hui.
"Squads 6 and 9, proceed to raid the Principality of Zeon's defensive lines. Tear them apart."
"Understood!"
"Colonel, the HLV and the launch site have been completely destroyed."
"Hangar and ammunition depot are both destroyed."
"Gai, your men will advance with me toward the Zeon lines. George, stay behind with your men to clear out the remaining enemies. Ensure there are no survivors, then look for opportunities to provide long-range artillery support."
"Understood!" XN
...
At the Australian Federation Army's forward command post, Colonel Stan Lee Hawkins, the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Theater, looked at the tactical map with a grim expression. According to intelligence provided by their allies in the Zeon Republic, the remnants of the Principality of Zeon and the Bear Demon Spirit unit possessed a very dangerous weapon and intended to take it into space.
Upon receiving this intelligence, he had immediately organized three main forces to launch attacks from three directions. Unfortunately, the Zeon remnants on the opposite line were resisting fiercely, even resorting to suicidal tactics to repel their advances time and again.
"Colonel Hawkins, let us sortie," suggested a serious, blonde man in a white pilot suit. It wasn't the first time he had made this suggestion, but Stan Lee Hawkins had rejected him every time.
"No. In large-scale army operations, even if you go up, you would only be icing on the cake. It wouldn't have much effect. I will order the 'Red Gopher' unit in the center to tear a hole for you. The White Dingo team's mission is to pass through that gap and launch a surprise attack on the Moon Ladder behind the Principality of Zeon's lines."
Stan Lee Hawkins remained rational. He knew it was impossible for the main force to crush the Zeon defensive line quickly, so he could only pin his hopes on the ace squad in his hands—the White Dingo team.
The one who had spoken was the captain of the White Dingo team, Pierce P. Rell.
"...Yes, I understand."
"Go and get ready."
"Understood..."
"Colonel Hawkins! Friendly signals have appeared behind the Principality of Zeon's lines!"
"What!?" Both men were shocked simultaneously. Stan Lee Hawkins hurriedly asked, "Where did friendly forces come from? Whose unit is it?"
"It's... it's the signal of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division! The radar shows... they're so fast!"
"What..." The two looked at the radar system together. The screen indeed showed a dozen friendly signals appearing behind the Principality of Zeon's lines, and their approach speed was incredibly high. This was not a speed a mobile suit should possess. If they were fighters...
"This speed—it's an airborne unit!"
"White Dingo team, sortie immediately! Have the reserves push up as well! All forces attack! Coordinate with the Twelfth Independent Technical Division to destroy the Principality of Zeon's defensive line!" Stan Lee Hawkins made a decisive call, ordering an all-out final battle against the Principality of Zeon.
"Yes, sir!"
Pierce P. Rell ran back to his machine and issued the sortie order to his teammates.
"Is it finally our turn to take the stage?" Maximilian Michael, the team's mood-maker, chuckled.
"Captain, did something happen?" asked the more serious and quiet Gao Liang.
"The situation has changed. The Twelfth Independent Technical Division is here. They are charging from the rear of the enemy lines. Colonel Hawkins has ordered an all-out battle to crush the enemy line in one go."
"What? The Twelfth Independent Technical Division!?" The three of them—Maximilian Michael, Gao Liang, and Anida Julian, who handled enemy detection and intelligence support—exclaimed in unison.
"For real? That ace unit is here?"
"And from the enemy's rear?"
"It looks like the battle for Australia is over. Coming from the rear means the Moon Ladder has likely been destroyed. The enemies in front of us are the last of them." Anida Julian was not only a lively and passionate woman but also an underground sonar operator with extraordinary hearing and excellent battlefield analysis skills.
"Whew~ as expected of an ace unit. But how did they break through the enemy's defenses?" Maximilian Michael wondered. Their main forces had been repelled many times, and there were no side paths to take, which was why the White Dingo team had been waiting at headquarters.
"The Twelfth Independent Technical Division just finished two large-scale battles in space. They must have dropped directly from orbit."
"Seriously? That's intense." Maximilian Michael was shocked. How dangerous was it to drop directly from space? To put it bluntly, it was like having half your body already in hell.
"Alright, Michael. After the battle is over, you can ask them yourself if you get the chance. For now, focus on the fight ahead."
"Got it, got it. I'm also curious to see if the legendary ace unit is really as formidable as the rumors say."
As his voice fell, not only Maximilian Michael, but even Pierce P. Rell and Anida Julian were filled with curiosity, their eyes burning with a competitive spirit. Only Gao Liang's expression remained flat, though he seemed slightly more relaxed.