The most suitable pilot for the Strike Gundam was naturally Mu. Firstly, Mu was originally an ace pilot of the Earth Forces. Although he had always piloted Mobile Armors, the fundamentals were similar, and it was believed he could quickly master MS piloting techniques. Secondly, while the Strike Gundam could be equipped with an OS for Naturals, it wasn't a mass-produced unit and demanded higher operational skills. This was why the Buster and Blitz Gundams, despite being repaired, had no pilots and were directly transported to the Mass Driver for storage.
This was no joke. Yang Hui, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria had selected elite aces for their special forces team, but even then, they were merely picking the best among limited options. Apart from Barry Ho, who was undeniably an ace, even Asagi, Mayura, and Juri couldn't wield the Blitz and Buster Gundams with full proficiency, though they were the next strongest in the team after Barry Ho.
"Young Master Yang Hui, here's my new design for the Strike. Take a look."
Yang Hui took Erica Simmons' PAD and examined it. Good heavens, wasn't this the Perfect Strike? Except...
"Has the energy issue been resolved?" Yang Hui asked.
"For now, we can only attach external Energy Packs," Erica Simmons replied helplessly. The Neutron Jammer Canceller wasn't difficult to develop, but nuclear-powered engines weren't so easy to build. Moreover, the five X Series units hadn't reserved enough space for nuclear engine replacements, and there wasn't enough time for major modifications to the Strike Gundam.
"...No time left. We'll have to make do for now." Yang Hui shook his head, equally frustrated.
If he had another month and if Dawn Company's technicians hadn't been relocated, Yang Hui could have immediately designed a new backpack suitable for the Strike Gundam. At the very least, he could have pulled out pre-existing designs from memory, like the Force Silhouette, I.W.S.P., Lightning Strike, or Wired Guided configurations.
But now, time was short, and Orb's local Dawn Company was understaffed.
However, considering they would soon be heading to space and the Archangel still carried the Moebius Zero, there was some room for adjustments.
Under the stunned gazes of Murrue and the others, Yang Hui walked over to a console, inserted Erica Simmons' PAD, and pulled up the Strike Gundam's core data along with the Moebius Zero's specifications. He immediately got to work, and within minutes, the complete design for the Wired Guided Strike Gundam was finished.
Still unsatisfied, he accessed the Skygrasper Pack data and incorporated elements from the I.W.S.P.'s combined attack-shield weaponry from memory, making further refinements. The result was an entirely new backpack specialized for space combat.
The rear thruster backpack featured four balancing wings and two large propulsion nozzles. Meanwhile, four wired pods from the Moebius Zero were mounted at the upper, lower, left, and right gaps. During combat, they could be deployed to assist in battle, while normally serving as auxiliary thrusters.
The main body remained largely unchanged, still featuring the combination of a Beam Rifle and shield. However, the shield now incorporated a composite weapon system integrating a sword, gun, and shield. Beneath the shield were twin-linked 30mm Gatling guns firing solid rounds. The [Midas Messer] Beam Boomerang had been removed, replaced by sharpened edges around the shield's perimeter, allowing it to function as a lethal Solid Sword during slashing attacks. The shield's surface had also been treated with anti-beam coating.
"Send these blueprints to [Ame No Minashira] and have Mina expedite production. When is the next batch of supplies and equipment scheduled for departure? Include the [Moebius Zero] units from the Archangel as well."
The technicians from [Dawn Company] were divided into two groups, dispatched to the Mass Driver and [Ame No Minashira] respectively. While most of the personnel sent to [Ame No Minashira] specialized in warship technology, the presence of complete blueprints—coupled with the fact that this was merely an Armed Backpack modification and the Wired Pods were already available—meant the task wasn't particularly challenging.
"The next transport ship will launch tomorrow. I'll ensure everything is arranged," Erica Simmons replied calmly, unfazed compared to the stunned expressions of Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, Mu, and Kira standing nearby.
"Wait—you just completed an entirely new weapon design? In five minutes?" Mu blurted out urgently.
"Correct. The foundational data was already there—this was just a matter of refinement and integration. Though precise testing is still needed, my initial simulations show no major issues."
"Major is an understatement! Five minutes! A brand-new Armed Backpack designed in five minutes? How is that even possible?" Mu exclaimed. While he wasn't well-versed in weapon development, five minutes was beyond unbelievable.
"...Because I'm a genius." With that, Yang Hui turned, tossed his hair, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode away—his movements smooth and seamless, executed in one fluid motion.
"Let's go." Noticing the others still frozen in place, Yang Hui tilted his head toward Mu.
"Go where?" Mu asked dazedly, his mind still reeling from the absurdity of Yang Hui's claims.
"Training. You're still a rookie, after all."
...
Several days later, the Earth Forces convened an emergency meeting. The devastating defeat at Panama had left everyone seething with fury.
"How could we lose so catastrophically?! With Panama fallen, what was the point of our victory at Joshua Base?!"
"If the supply lines through Panama Spaceport are cut off, the lunar base will soon exhaust its resources. Forget launching a counteroffensive—we won't even survive!"
Indeed, Panama's collapse had rendered the hard-won gains from Joshua Base's self-destruction meaningless. The Earth Forces had assumed the ZAFT Forces, having suffered heavy losses in Alaska, would retreat to regroup—buying them more preparation time. Instead, ZAFT had rallied its remaining forces to obliterate the Earth Forces' main contingent stationed in Panama and destroyed the last Mass Driver in Earth's possession.
With all spaceports lost, the Earth Forces had been stripped of their capacity to venture into space. Not only were they unable to mount a cosmic counterattack, but even communications with the lunar base at the crater had been severed. Unless they devised a solution to reclaim a spaceport, ZAFT could simply besiege the lunar base into submission. And if the lunar base fell, the Earth Forces would lose any remaining capacity for retaliation indefinitely.
"The operation to recapture Victoria Base is already being expedited, but taking back the Mass Driver intact won't be easy."
"What about Orb? What's their response?" Retaking Victoria Port and Kaohsiung Port was difficult, yet aside from these two locations, there remained one fully operational Mass Driver on Earth—and it wasn't in ZAFT's hands.
"Orb has rejected our terms outright and stated they will never accept them."
"Damn it! Is that Athha fool an idiot? All they had to do was hand over one person to secure peace..."
"One person? Hah, what a joke. Do you not understand who that person is or how much weight they carry in Orb? What exactly do your terms accomplish besides making Orb despise us even more?!"
"How can one person compare to an entire nation?!"
"Then go tell that to Orb yourself!"
"We can't pressure Orb any further. Everyone has seen the strength they've demonstrated—they're no longer the Orb we could push around as we pleased. Send them a message: retract the previous terms and change it to ownership of the Mass Driver."
"Hmph, you think we haven't tried that? We've repeatedly requisitioned it, but that stubborn old man Uzumi Nara Athha refuses to budge!"
"Oh? Just because they're a neutral nation?" Amid the heated debate, Muruta Azrael, who had been lounging in the main seat, sneered mockingly at the assembled officials. "How can that be allowed? Everyone here is fighting desperately. And didn't they already attack ZAFT Forces before? More than once? Why are they suddenly playing the neutrality card now?"
"Azrael, could you refrain from speaking like that? We're not Blue Cosmos."
Among the attendees, only Muruta Azrael and the high-ranking Atlantic Federation officer beside him were members of Blue Cosmos. The rest were representatives from other allied nations who had never subscribed to Blue Cosmos' ideology.
"My apologies, then," Muruta Azrael shrugged, his tone and expression devoid of any remorse. "But let's be honest—why are you all still so lenient toward Orb when they've been putting on this act all along? At this point, what's the use of talking about neutrality?"
"Orb is still a sovereign nation. There's nothing we can do about that."
Hearing this, Muruta Azrael sighed dramatically. "As a nation on Earth, shouldn't Orb be obligated to assist the Earth Forces? And now they've demonstrated such formidable power—isn't it for battle? Against ZAFT? Or against us?"
"This..." The representatives had no rebuttal. Among them, the moderate faction led by the East Asian Republic had always despised the Atlantic Federation's domineering, predatory logic. Yet, they couldn't deny that Orb had indeed provoked their wariness. Though Orb had launched attacks against ZAFT Forces twice, they still maintained a neutral stance—making it hard to believe they wouldn't become an enemy in the future.
"How about this, then? Leave the negotiations with Orb to me. What do you say?"
"What did you just say?"
"Our top priority is to seize control of the Mass Drivers, isn't it? At least one, or preferably both."
"That may be so, but..."
"Considering everyone here still needs to plan the recapture operation for Victoria Port, sharing the workload would be more efficient. Who knows, we might even get a chance to test those things."
"Are you suggesting deploying those Mobile Suits!?"
"That depends on their attitude. If Chairman Athha proves as stubborn as the rumors say, and if young master Yang Hui truly lives up to his reputation for tyranny, then this might turn rather unpleasant."
Muruta Azrael wore a contemptuous smile. Orb had indeed demonstrated formidable strength, but that only warranted caution. Yang Hui and his custom Mobile Suit were undoubtedly powerful - their initial appearance had stunned everyone - but upon closer study, they weren't without weaknesses.
Orb was just a tiny nation. Frankly speaking, they could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers alone. Moreover, Muruta Azrael hadn't come unprepared. He was eagerly anticipating his masterpiece's moment to shine.
And... he'd been coveting both Yang Hui himself and his Mobile Suit for quite some time. This time, even if Orb wanted to compromise, he'd make sure they couldn't. After all, how else would he obtain what he desired?