Sparks flew as the catapult deck suddenly accelerated, launching the Mobile Suits from the carrier. Wings unfolded while the Quasi-GN Drives mounted on their shoulders emitted orange GN Particles, painting the cold void of space with vibrant life—like golden autumn maple leaves scattering across the cosmos.
"Gundam Exia, Setsuna F Seiei, launching!"
"Gundam Cherudim, Lyle Dylandy, launching!"
"Gundam Virtue, Tieria Erde, launching!"
"Freedom, Kira Yamato, launching!"
"Justice, Athrun Zala, launching!"
The compact version of the Sword of the Heavens only had two catapult decks. The Gundam Exia and others followed closely behind the Dawn Gundam as they sortied, their Quasi-GN Drives activating simultaneously. In an instant, orange became the dominant hue in space.
"What is that?!"
"Orange particles?"
"New Orb technology?"
"...Send someone to investigate. What new creation has Orb developed now?"
To ensure the safety of delegates from other factions, their ships were positioned at the center of Orb's fleet formation—surrounded by the Sword of the Heavens and the Qilin. Through the windows, they could directly witness the Dawn Gundam and other units launching.
The sight of something entirely new immediately put everyone on edge. Every move Orb made sent ripples through the major powers, especially when it involved new military technology. They instinctively assumed it was Yang Hui's work—and anything Yang Hui created was bound to be formidable. Even though they didn't yet understand the purpose of these orange particles.
On the opposite side of the battlefield, within the ZAFT fleet's deployment zone, the peculiarities of the Dawn Gundam and its companions also drew attention.
"Dawn... Freedom... Justice..."
As the Dawn Gundam, Freedom Gundam, and Justice Gundam appeared among Orb's forces, a wave of mixed emotions swept through ZAFT's ranks. For the Dawn Gundam, it was mostly awe—or rather, fear. Most of ZAFT's elite soldiers were veterans who had survived the last war, and the terror of being utterly dominated by that machine remained unforgettable.
Then there were the Freedom and Justice Gundams—originally ZAFT's ace units, meant to fight for their cause. Yet now, they stood on the opposite side, aligned with Orb. Even Athrun Zala, ZAFT's former ace pilot and son of ex-Chairman Patrick Zala, had abandoned ZAFT and left PLANT behind.
"Chairman, there's movement on Orb's side!"
"An enemy attack?" Durandal asked calmly, showing no tension. Given the current deployments, Orb's forces were anything but weak. In fact, with aces like Yang Hui among them, they arguably surpassed ZAFT's newly formed First Fleet in strength. If enemies were foolish enough to strike Orb's defensive line, Durandal could only pray Yang Hui would go easy on them.
"No, it's—"
"What is it? Report."
"...You should see this for yourself."
The Adjutant hesitated, unsure how to describe the situation, and instead displayed the long-range optical feed.
"Hmm?!"
Durandal shot to his feet at the sight of the orange particles on screen—more startled than if a massive enemy assault had been detected. His reasoning mirrored that of the other factions, though he likely understood Yang Hui better than any of them.
"What are these orange particles?"
"I don't know, the database shows no matching records."
"...Dispatch reconnaissance GINNs to observe the newly appeared special particles."
"But..." The Adjutant hesitated, considering their pre-assigned defense and operational zones. Would sending units into the other side's territory be seen as provocation?
"It's fine. Chairman Yang Hui isn't that petty. We're just observing." Durandal saw no issue. If this were truly secret, Yang Hui wouldn't have revealed it publicly. Since he did, he likely wouldn't mind their investigation.
"Under...understood..."
...
"Hmm?"
Yang Hui immediately noticed the approaching reconnaissance GINNs—they weren't exactly hiding.
"Yang Hui, we've got eyes on our side."
"Let them watch." After receiving similar reports from Lyle and others, it became clear Durandal had sent reconnaissance GINNs to observe the Quasi-GN Drives and GN Particles from multiple angles.
"Understood." (Multiple responses)
Unlike Yang Hui's calm reaction, the GINN pilots were stunned when they entered observation range. Their communications suffered severe interference, initially making them suspect an enemy attack. They nervously scanned their surroundings—only to find nothing.
After confirming no enemy presence, the GINNs attributed the interference to the Dawn Gundam and other Mobile Suits. They retreated a considerable distance, and once the interference ceased, they pinpointed the source.
Relieved but alarmed by the GN Particles' properties, they immediately reported their findings.
"Large-scale, powerful jamming capability?"
"Chairman, what should we do?"
Durandal ignored the Adjutant's question, deep in thought. Were these new orange particles merely for jamming?
Unlikely. Jamming could be achieved through existing technology—every warship already had wide-range jamming equipment. If electromagnetic interference were the only purpose, there'd be no need to develop an entirely new particle. There must be something more significant.
"Maintain surveillance. Have the reconnaissance GINNs stay alert in case of enemy attack."
"Understood."
"All units in position! Demolition teams ready!"
"Begin."
"Yes!"
With both fleets encircling [Julius 7], no one could breach the defensive perimeter undetected to attack the demolition teams working on the wreckage.
Hangar doors opened as MS units launched from catapult decks, escorting massive crushers toward [Julius 7]'s remains.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly..."
"Boom—!"
Just as Yang Hui wished for a smooth operation, an explosion flared in the distance—right where the reconnaissance GINNs observing the Dawn Gundam had been positioned.
"Enemy attack!"
The explosion signaled hostile forces. Whoever they were, their intentions were clearly malicious.
Yet within optical camera range, Yang Hui saw no enemies. The radar systems showed nothing. So then...?
"All units, be advised! We have incoming guests equipped with the [Mirage Colloid System]!"
"Roger that!" xN
With the orders relayed, the Dawn Gundam didn't act rashly. Its wings spread wide as golden bits scattered densely like raindrops in all directions, simultaneously activating Innovator Mode to replace radar detection.
"Twelve units, all carrying the [Mirage Colloid System]... Could it be them?"
Having made the deduction and pinpointed enemy positions, the Dawn Gundam sprang into action. Its orange bits divided into four waves surging toward seemingly empty space while simultaneously raising its rifle to strafe two other locations.
(End of Chapter)