"Isn't the sonar already calibrated?"
Roz walked into the bridge and headed straight for the sonar operator. "I remember we even expanded the range a bit at the time."
"Sorry, because it's passive sonar, it can't provide accurate readings without intense activity," the sonar operator said, somewhat helplessly.
"If we increase the sensitivity, interference will be too high."
"The opposing submarine is very professional, always running silently. Even when combat starts, it doesn't make a move."
Hearing the sonar operator, Roz fell into a moment of silence.
"Skygrasper has detectors — it should be able to find the opposing sub," Murrue said. As a former technical sergeant, she knew all the ship's configurations except for Jesta.
"But the detection range isn't big. I don't know if we'll find it next time."
Suddenly, Cagalli, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward.
"Then I can just pilot the other Skygrasper, right? You have two, don't you?"
Cagalli's gaze was firm, and her tone carried an air of certainty.
"No. You're not a combat personnel of this ship. Piloting the Skygrasper wouldn't be good for you," Murrue immediately rejected her idea.
"Ugh… then what about them?"
Cagalli gritted her teeth and suddenly pointed at Sai.
"Huh? Me?" Sai never expected to be dragged into this.
"Kira and the others are volunteers, helping on the ship," Murrue explained calmly. "Even though you're part of the Dawn Desert, to prevent unnecessary trouble when you return to Orb proper, your status is treated as civilian."
"Then… what about Roz?!"
Cagalli's mind went blank for a moment, then after thinking, she pointed at Roz. "He's not a volunteer either, just a space junk collector — why is he allowed to fight?"
"Because it's a contract job, Cagalli," Roz said, patting her on the head.
"The price was a hire fee, and I would have to escort the ship from Heliopolis to Orb."
"Even though my Jegan got blown up…"
Roz looked at Murrue. "By the way, how's my fee calculated? The Jegan's damage isn't part of the original contract, you know."
"…Once we reach Orb proper, I'll contact General Halberton," Murrue sighed, holding her head. "The general will give you a fair price."
"Oh… I see."
Roz then pulled out a calculator and started tapping. "Ammo consumption, Lowe Guele's hire fee, machine damage… after subtracting what Christina and I spent on Archangel, the total comes to this number."
He showed the number to Murrue and Cagalli, who went silent.
"This number… I didn't expect you to be such a ruthless merchant!"
Cagalli was taken aback and instinctively stepped back from Roz.
"This number… is actually quite reasonable," Murrue said. Though startled by it, thinking about the Jegan and Jesta being essentially brand-new designs, she accepted it.
She was already calculating how much General Halberton would give for the commission, how much she could spare from her own funds, and whether to request a budget under the Archangel's name.
"…Never mind, just teasing you," Roz smiled, pressing a few buttons on the calculator. "Christina and I had a great time on Archangel, so I'll give you a 30% discount — no lower."
Even with the 30% discount, Roz still had a 10% profit. After all, he designed the Jegan himself, and Jesta was made by the Haros — besides raw materials, costs weren't high.
Seeing the discounted number, Murrue visibly relaxed — atleast her funds were safe.
-----------------------------------
Roz walked into the hangar, staring at the Jesta in front of him, lost in thought.
"Right now, besides Kira's Strike Gundam, which have been tested under the water, the Jesta hasn't undergone any water testing."
Christina walked up to Roz's side.
Ignoring the private comms from the Haro shouting, "My unit will have no problems in the water," Christina offered Roz a suggestion.
"My personal advice: Roz, it's safer to stick to aerial combat. If you run low on power, you can act as a temporary gun platform on Archangel."
"But as a temporary gun platform, with Jesta's current firepower, that's still pushing it," Roz smiled. "After all, the Archangel only has leftover materials — it's not enough to make a Mega Particle Cannon."
Before Christina could ask what a Mega Particle Cannon was, alarms blared in the hangar again.
"Not again?! Just a few hours passed, and now this?!"
Murdoch, busy preparing Skygrasper, felt a chill run down his spine.
"Coming again so soon isn't bad news. It means they've been nearby this whole time!"
Mu flipped out of the Skygrasper, following Roz as they ran toward the locker room.
"Hu… hu, Roz, how do you run so fast?!"
Seeing the gap between himself and Roz widen, Mu — self-proclaimed athletic — was struggling to keep up.
"Do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run every day, and you'll be like me."
Roz kept his pace, smoothly turning into the locker room.
Kira had already changed into his pilot suit, ready to head to the hangar.
"I think you're teasing me!"
Mu, having just arrived at the locker room, gasped and complained.
"Your training routine is way weaker than mine."
"Do I even need to explain? I was born with super strength, okay?"
Roz quickly put on his pilot suit, grabbed a helmet from the locker, and followed Kira out.
"Kira, you stay near Archangel to provide cover. I'll take care of the distant enemies."
Roz ran up to Kira, giving him instructions.
"U…understood!"
Gasping for breath, Kira watched as Roz sprinted ahead and entered the hangar first.
For the first time, Kira began doubting his own physical fitness as a coordinator.
-----------------------------------
Under the sea, several GOOhNs followed behind a green mobile suit.
"Ha… ha…"
The bearded pilot, who had just undergone an amputation, breathed heavily. With his intact left arm, he held a painkiller syringe and injected it into his amputated right arm.
The steel prosthetic's connection to his flesh still leaked a little blood, but the bearded pilot glanced at it and ignored it.
Designed to get a soldier back into combat quickly, the prosthetic had no camouflage or aesthetic coverings; it prioritized practicality, precision, and rapid response.
Enduring the strange sensation from lack of fine-tuning and the metal pulling against his body, the bearded pilot gripped the control stick.
"Captain, we're about to enter the combat area."
A GOOhN pilot next to the green suit reminded him.
"Ha… once I take on this mission, I'll do my best."
The bearded pilot took a deep breath, pressed the pedal, and shouted, "Marco Morassim, ZnO! This time, destroy that long-legged one here!"
With that, Marco pulled the trigger on the control stick, and ZnO's six-barreled fish launcher on both sides fired fish toward the Archangel.
"Torpedoes detected!"
On Archangel, the sonar operator who had been monitoring MS sounds reported his findings.
"No DINN detected nearby!"
Sai also confirmed the surrounding situation.
"Ship, clear the water!"
As always, Murrue ordered Archangel to leave the water, avoiding the incoming torpedoes.
"Roz Links, high-mobility Jesta, sortie!"
Jesta detached from Archangel's launch deck. Its booster pack roared, stopping the descent and hovering in midair.
"No DINN… so it's just those GOOhNs this time?"
Roz retracted the beam rifle and grabbed the electromagnetic rocket launcher.
Roz now had a "fishing" feeling — himself, or even Archangel, acting as bait to lure the GOOhNs to "bite."
"Roz, the young lady and I will go look for their submarine first."
Mu's voice came over comms. Two Skygraspers took off in tandem, heading toward the distance.
"'Young lady'? Who?"
Roz was momentarily confused by Mu's description.
But when a GOOhN appeared directly beneath Archangel on the surface, he instinctively fired a cluster rocket at that section of the sea.
"It's me! You idiot!"
Cagalli's voice came through comms.
"And you, stinky old man! What kind of nickname is that?!"
"Roz, Strike can operate underwater with the sword backpack, no problem."
Kira, piloting Strike Gundam, hadn't launched yet but stepped off the deck.
"I'll lure them out!"
"Don't rush, Kira. We don't know the number of enemies underwater yet."
Roz tried to restrain him while Jesta dodged small missiles fired from the surface.
"But we can't just sit here taking hits!"
Kira's resolve was firm. "I'm going!"
With that, Strike Gundam jumped from the launch deck into the sea.
"Tch, this guy is so reckless."
Roz gritted his teeth and adjusted parameters on a touchscreen.
"Haro, can Jesta fight underwater?"
"You're trying to imitate Christina? How dare you underestimate my MS design skills."
Though a bit annoyed, Haro adjusted his wings and calmed down.
"Jesta can fight underwater, but don't use the beam saber, beam rifle, or suddenly activate the high-mobility backpack — it will explode."
"I understand."
Roz finished the adjustments, and the electromagnetic rocket launcher fired two cluster missiles beneath Jesta.
"Murrue, this is Roz. I'm going underwater too."
Jesta reduced booster thrust to zero and plunged vertically into the sea.
Before the bubbles from the explosions dissipated, Jesta entered the water smoothly.
Ahead were four GOOhNs and one aquatic unit distinct from the others, fighting Strike Gundam.
"Oh? Not continuing to fire from the sky, entering my domain instead?"
Seeing the one who had cost him his right hand and leg, Marco trembled with excitement.
The phantom pain from his prosthetics kept him alert as he piloted ZnO toward Jesta.
"New aquatic unit?"
Roz increased Jesta's output, handed the rocket launcher to the mechanical arm, and re-equipped shields on both hands.
Since beam sabers couldn't be used underwater, it was time for physical shields and rockets.
Seeing ZnO extend its massive claws toward Jesta, Roz remained calm and pressed the pedal.
Jesta leapt backward underwater, avoiding ZnO's claw swipe.
ZnO then extended its left claw, trying to grab Jesta.
Roz moved the control stick; Jesta thrust its right-hand shield into the center of ZnO's left claw. It blocked, but Jesta was pushed back a few steps.
A yellow glow appeared in ZnO's claw where the shield hit.
Roz pressed the trigger. Even underwater, the cluster rockets on the shield still worked. Two missiles detached, surrounded by bubbles, hitting ZnO's left palm precisely and pushing it away.
After a slight distance was created, the cluster missiles exploded, destroying the beam generator in ZnO's left palm.
Jesta jumped back again, raising both shields like a boxer.
"Hah… Round two."
Feeling the water resistance and greater physical exertion than on land, Roz took a couple of deep breaths.
.................