Chapter 81: SEED – The Burning Desert II
Tolle Koenig hoped Kira Yamato would avoid taking a wrong step and quickly reminded him:
"Kira, the MS's motion program and pressure modules need to be recalibrated for this desert environment. Come back and stay with me on the deck for a while. I'll cover you while you adjust the mobile suit's OS."
"Thank you, Tolle, I understand."
With that, Kira Yamato immediately fired the thrusters, dodging enemy fire while swiftly operating his mobile suit's OS system.
At the same time, he experimentally fired several shots from the high-impulse cannon at the enemy. After a few attacks, he kept jumping and maneuvering while adjusting the Strike Gundam's OS, rewriting the movement program to adapt to desert combat.
Unfortunately, these attacks had little effect. The enemy attack helicopters used the dunes of the desert to easily dodge the Strike Gundam's fire.
Tolle Koenig watched Kira Yamato hopping around in the Strike Gundam while still being able to rewrite the OS. That skill was simply insane.
No wonder he was a professional programmer—someone like him, clumsy with his hands, could never learn that. Even copying Kira's memories wouldn't give him that kind of dexterity.
At this moment, the Desert Tiger—Andrew Waltfeld—deployed three more Desert Dogs, the BuCUEs, in addition to the original three to harass the Strike Gundam.
The BuCUEs ran smoothly across the desert, sometimes switching to treads, then back to running when climbing over dunes.
While running, they launched missiles and railgun fire, all landing accurate hits on the Strike Gundam.
Tolle Koenig could only drool watching them—he really wanted a BuCUE of his own. For ground combat, this thing was top-notch.
Especially later, when the Gaia Gundam inherited all the BuCUE's strengths and could even transform.
The Strike Gundam was hard-pressed under the six BuCUEs' siege, though thankfully their long-range weapons were solid munitions, so the damage wasn't too severe.
Seeing the Strike Gundam in a dire situation, Tolle Koenig piloted the Ginn and fired all six foot-mounted missiles at the BuCUEs.
Then, wielding a beam rifle and heavy machine gun in both hands, he kept up suppressing fire. Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and the BuCUEs easily dodged behind dunes.
Still, this eased some of Kira Yamato's pressure, allowing him to focus fully on rewriting the OS.
Before long, Kira completed the OS adjustments.
The Strike Gundam, which had been stumbling in the desert, now moved steadily and with balance.
At that moment, three BuCUEs formed a triangular formation, closing in fast on the Strike Gundam, trying to use it as a shield against the Ginn's fire.
But the one closest in front was suddenly struck by the Strike Gundam's flying knee kick, knocking it to the ground.
Tolle Koenig seized the chance and finished it off with a burst of heavy machine gun and beam rifle fire, destroying it completely.
Another BuCUE lunged at the Strike Gundam from behind, trying to pin it down.
But Kira Yamato calmly shifted the Gundam slightly, swinging the cannon's barrel in a counterattack, slamming the BuCUE aside.
This one fared even worse—flipped onto its back, belly up, legs kicking.
The Strike Gundam stomped down on its exposed belly and fired a point-blank Agni cannon blast—one shot, one kill.
Sparks and fire erupted, and the Strike Gundam immediately leapt back to avoid the blast wave.
The two remaining BuCUEs gave up attacking the Strike Gundam and switched targets to the Archangel.
One launched a dozen missiles in rapid succession at the Archangel, while the other kept firing its railgun while maneuvering.
Seeing the incoming missiles and shells, Kira Yamato instantly fired the anti-ship Vulcans, intercepting all of them midair.
Although Kira successfully neutralized the BuCUEs' attack, what followed was a ZAFT land battleship moving in and unleashing its main cannon at the Archangel.
The Desert Tiger—Andrew Waltfeld—tested the Archangel's firepower step by step.
Onboard the Archangel, just seconds earlier, Murdoch had finally completed the Skygrasper's final adjustments and reloading.
Mu La Flaga climbed into the Skygrasper and opened comms:
"Skygrasper, ready to launch. Requesting sortie."
The radar operator reported, "Heat source detected southwest—artillery fire incoming."
The sudden attack filled the Archangel's bridge with tension.
Murrue Ramius immediately ordered nervously:
"Archangel, take off at once—emergency evasive maneuvers!"
The Archangel quickly lifted off. Shells whistled past, exploding in the desert nearby and filling the air with dust.
But it was a moment too late—several shells struck the Archangel, making the freshly launched ship shake violently in midair.
Natarle Badgiruel urgently asked, "Where is the attack coming from?"
Sai Argyle answered immediately, "Approximately twenty kilometers southwest."
The radar operator reported, "The enemy is beyond our laser targeting range—our weapons can't retaliate."
Then Mu La Flaga spoke up.
"Let me fire the target laser—we can use that to guide missiles onto the enemy."
Natarle frowned. "But starting target acquisition only now… isn't it too late?"
Mu sighed helplessly from the cockpit.
"Then what else can we do? Just don't accidentally shoot me down later."
With that, he launched in the Skygrasper from the Archangel's hangar, racing southwest to locate the artillery's source.
Just as the Skygrasper took off, ZAFT's second wave of attacks arrived—massive barrages of missiles and shells screamed toward the Archangel.
At that moment, the Strike Gundam suddenly fired its anti-ship cannon into the desert floor, blasting sand into the air to create a smokescreen.
Kira Yamato used the dust cover to retreat while firing the high-impulse cannon to intercept ZAFT's incoming artillery.
But the four remaining BuCUEs still pursued the Strike Gundam relentlessly.
Helpless, Kira threw a punch with the Gundam's fist, smashing the nearest BuCUE and knocking it straight into the path of ZAFT's artillery fire. It was instantly blown apart by its own side's shells.
Seizing the opening, Kira immediately turned the Strike Gundam's cannon on the incoming missiles and shells, firing the high-impulse cannon.
A sustained red beam formed a radiant barrier, intercepting the enemy barrage midair and saving the Archangel.
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