Chapter 232: Charge
"Titans are attacking again!"
"How many Mobile Suits?"
"Over here! Medic!"
One of the members of the Anti-MS Special Forces team shouted toward a tent marked with a red cross, directing the military police to go there for treatment.
The launch gate area was complete chaos.
Eli drove his jeep straight through the noisy scene outside, heading toward the gate's central control room under the sergeant's direction.
"How many units are responding to us?"
"There are still forces resisting in the west and north—they're calling for reinforcements!"
"No time for that. Have them break through toward Jaburo's perimeter and seize the airport!"
When Eli entered the control room under the sergeant's lead, the situation he heard was anything but optimistic.
"Report! Colonel Eli Lee has arrived!"
"Already? Thanks for your help."
"No, I just ran into the colonel on the way here."
The sergeant shook his head, gave a salute to the man seated in the command position, and turned to leave.
Eli looked up at the man sitting above. To his surprise, it was someone he knew.
"Colonel Woody. Sorry you had to see me in this sorry state."
Eli relaxed a bit and was the first to speak.
"Goddamn it, where's the Eli I used to know? What the hell happened to turn you into something so disgusting?!"
Instead of a warm reunion, he was met with Woody's furious scolding.
"Listen up. We're launching a breakout operation right now. The goal is to take control of the airport on Jaburo's outskirts."
Woody had no intention of dwelling on the topic. He immediately briefed Eli on their next move.
"Just stick with us and keep moving!"
Woody's tone left no room for argument.
"I should be able to help too!"
"If it's about piloting an MS—"
"Object detected falling from orbit—it's an MS! And a Pegasus-class ship!"
Just as Woody was about to insist Eli follow their movement, someone in the control room shouted the latest battlefield update.
"What?!"
Eli and Woody immediately looked up at the large screen projecting the image.
A series of heat-resistant parachutes were descending along with a Pegasus-class ship headed toward Jaburo.
"The White Trojan Horse?"
Eli instantly recognized the Pegasus-class vessel.
"Is it a Titan drop unit?!"
Woody, however, was more focused on identifying the MS units.
Just as Woody had said, the MS group descending from orbit were indeed Titan Mobile Suits.
The fleet in orbit was deploying its onboard MS via aerial drops.
Compared to the White Trojan Horse, these were the real airborne assault units.
"Do we have a flight deck here? Let me go! If we want to relocate using the Garuda-class, we at least need to secure air superiority, right?"
Eli immediately understood Woody's plan the moment he had ordered the troops to take the airport.
And just as Eli had said, if the Titans were dropping Mobile Suits en masse, the Garuda-class would have no chance of taking off safely.
But splitting off troops to intercept them wasn't a realistic option either.
"There's a new model just delivered from Augusta with flight capability."
Woody understood the situation. With no spare troops to allocate, sending Eli out was their best shot at breaking the deadlock.
More than that...
Woody glanced again at the White Trojan Horse on the screen.
If Eli could link up with the White Trojan Horse, at least he'd have a shot at making it out alive.
Even if it was only Eli, he had to be sent out.
"Open the gate! Deploy a squad to escort Colonel Eli!"
After issuing the order, Woody signaled for Eli to follow the person waiting at the door.
"Matilda Ajan. It's been a while."
Sure enough, standing outside was none other than Woody's wife, Matilda Ajan.
"Save the small talk. Start running!"
Still just like he remembered her—strong and sharp.
With her flaming red hair flowing behind her, Matilda Ajan led Eli through the heavily defended gate and into a warehouse.
"Is this... the Gaplant?"
Eli looked up at the towering machine in front of him and said its name.
He had commissioned this MS from the Augusta Institute himself, though the project had long stalled due to problems with its movable frame.
Only recently, after acquiring a working movable frame by chance, had they been able to produce this machine.
To ensure aerial combat visibility, this Gaplant model used the same orbital sensors as the Psycho Gundam.
But Eli still found it unacceptable for a Federation machine to not only use Zeon's fluid-pulse system, but also resemble their designs.
That's why he had insisted on a faceplate being added to give it a distinctly Federation appearance.
Once the Gaplant was finally produced and procured by the Federation, this unit now stood before Eli.
Just before entering the cockpit via the MA-mode rear hatch, Matilda Ajan patted Eli on the shoulder.
"Eli, you have far more people supporting you than you think. You're just the one who's been holding yourself back."
She motioned for him to look around.
The maintenance and ground crew were all watching him.
In their eyes was hope—perhaps more hope for Eli's piloting skills than anything else—but it was hope all the same.
And the fact that they were still here, fighting, spoke volumes about their allegiance.
"General Revil also understood your position. That's why he issued this order long ago."
Eli looked up through his pilot suit's helmet at Matilda Ajan in front of him.
"If the Federation falls into tyranny and you truly rise up to resist it, then this letter is to be delivered to you."
Matilda Ajan solemnly pulled out a fully sealed letter from the lining of her jacket.
"Woody says you're still far from ready to shoulder the contents of this letter. But the Eli I see standing here today—he is."
She stopped Eli just as he was about to open the letter.
"Don't rush. Everyone outside is still waiting for you to fight."
Just as she said that, the loudspeaker announced MS launch readiness.
Carefully placing the letter inside his suit, Eli gave Matilda Ajan a final nod and stepped into the Gaplant.
"Now then—Eli Lee and the Gaplant, moving out!"
The moment all the signal lights in front of him turned green, Eli slammed down the foot pedal. The additional rear thrusters on the MA-mode Gaplant flared with dazzling propulsion!
With multiple thrusters combining for up to 60,000 kg of thrust, this Gaplant could even operate near the Kármán line!
And now, just as it had been designed for from the very beginning, it was about to intercept enemies plunging through the atmosphere!