On the evening of the second day after the New Misurugi Kingdom's occupation of the Faroe Islands, soldiers of the Atlantic Federation at Paradise Island Base witnessed a meteor shower.
Well, these meteors were actually the large rockets launched by Reid, raining down directly onto Paradise Island Base.
However, as Paradise Island Base had been prepared, Mobile Suits had already taken off the moment countless fiery lights were detected rising from the Faroe Islands. As the rockets arrived, the Mobile Suits in the air and ground-based anti-aircraft firepower intersected to form a three-dimensional air defense network, instantly turning all the rockets into fireworks.
Unfortunately, even though Paradise Island Base's anti-aircraft firepower was rotating and firing at its fastest speed, there were still gaps in coverage.
The Mobile Suits in the air faced an even greater challenge. Ordinary Windams were battery-powered Mobile Suits and were not equipped with weapons like machine guns. The M2M5 "Terror" 12.5mm Automatic Close-Defense Gatling Gun had too short a range to intercept rockets effectively, and once their Beam Weapons ran out of energy, they could only retreat to the rear to recharge.
Thus, faced with an endless stream of rockets, Paradise Island Base, despite its preparations, was fundamentally incapable of intercepting them all.
Moreover, the number of Long-Range Inertial Rockets Reid had prepared for Paradise Island Base this time exceeded even those used in the Black Sea. According to Reid, the amount of explosives was enough for the East Asian Republic to celebrate the Lunar New Year twice over.
The Atlantic Federation soldiers at Paradise Island Base could be said to be on the verge of tears from this extravagant onslaught, collectively wondering whether the New Misurugi Kingdom's raw materials for explosives were free. "Couldn't they have used fewer rockets? Even the East Asian Republic's New Year fireworks don't require this much!"
Among them were Belfgang and Neil.
Yes, the so-called flanking infiltration couldn't simply involve Reid launching a surprise attack on Paradise Island Base from behind using Mobile Suits.
Because, despite how badly the base seemed to be getting bombed—with few intact buildings remaining around the port—its core remained largely untouched. The main structures underground and within the mountains were intact, and the primary Mobile Suits and Mobile Armors remained unmoved.
If Reid were to lead his elite forces in a direct assault now, it would essentially be seven Gundams striking Paradise Island Base.
As a top-tier Atlantic Federation base controlled by LOGOS, Paradise Island Base's defenses were 360-degree without blind spots. It wouldn't reduce its fortifications just because one side was closer to the island's center.
Therefore, Reid first needed to send infiltrators.
Fortunately, this wasn't too difficult. Before the Atlantic Federation even realized the Faroe Islands had been lost, Reid and his team had already circled to the rear of Iceland and gone into hiding.
At that time, Paradise Island Base hadn't yet been placed on high alert, and there were still many Atlantic Federation personnel on leave in Icelandic cities.
Thus, Reid and his six companions easily captured two lieutenants and, luckily, discovered they were responsible for base logistics.
It's worth noting that for logistics personnel to rise to the rank of lieutenant, these two likely had some connections with higher-ups. Moreover, among the lower-ranking officials at a base, logistics personnel undoubtedly had the greatest mobility permissions.
After all, within the base, personnel in other positions were confined to their respective relevant areas, while logistics personnel—especially lieutenants—could likely go almost anywhere, except for areas with exceptionally high security clearance.
Additionally, it's impossible for everyone to know all the logistics personnel; they are usually invisible within the military.
Not just in the military, even in larger companies, most people don't know the names of the aunties who deliver water and snacks to every office daily. If these aunties were replaced, the vast majority wouldn't even notice.
With the identification documents and other items from these two individuals, the next steps became straightforward.
Since Reid was deployed, the Gran Chaos was bound to be on standby nearby, ready to airlift a large contingent of Virgo II units to rescue him if he became surrounded.
With the Gran Chaos present, Hoshino Ruri was naturally there as well. Given her abilities, it was a trivial matter for her to infiltrate Paradise Island Base's communication network, specifically hack into the identity system to modify the photos of two individuals, and obtain all their information.
When Paradise Island Base went on lockdown and recalled all external personnel, Belfgang and Neil openly assumed these identities and infiltrated the base.
As for why these two were chosen, Reid was simply too well-known; he would likely be recognized within five minutes of entering. Women, especially attractive ones, would stand out too much and be difficult to conceal. And as for Shinn, could anyone expect him to carry out a mission requiring a false identity without being exposed?
Thus, Belfgang, who was originally a 21st-century American, and Neil, who had received training from the Celestial Beings, were the best choices.
They would enter the base carrying specially designed quantum terminals, making it easier for Hoshino Ruri to infiltrate the internal network later.
Reid had suggested that since they were already there, and Paradise Island Base would eventually have to be attacked anyway, they might as well take the opportunity to steal the base's layout diagrams and all the data on Nibelungen.
So, when the rocket bombardment began, Belfgang and Neil openly slipped into the Atlantic Federation's air-raid shelter and started chatting with the other ground crew members huddled there.
Belfgang was a genuine American, and although separated by several centuries in time, the Atlantic Federation in the Cosmic Era hadn't changed much geographically. Moreover, Belfgang had already familiarized himself with his hometown in this universe.
Within a few sentences of entering the shelter, Belfgang found a fellow countryman.
Unlike the East Asian Republic, community relationships in the Atlantic Federation weren't such that a few names or connections from a small town could confirm someone's identity. Recognition usually relied on local landmarks and insider knowledge, both of which Belfgang had no trouble with. As a second lieutenant who was so approachable, the ground crew members, mostly sergeants and corporals, naturally spoke freely with him.
Thus, Belfgang and Neil easily extracted information about the nearest terminal where they could access the base's internal data. Taking advantage of a shortage of anti-aircraft ammunition in the area, which required ground crew to go out and resupply, they moved to the data terminal console.
Honestly, the data access ports known to these ground crew members were quite basic, primarily used for searching operational documents related to their work.
After all, even the most experienced technicians sometimes forgot parameters or were uncertain about certain details. These terminals were meant for consulting relevant parameter documents.
But this terminal was sufficient for Hoshino Ruri. The electronic fairy once again demonstrated her abilities. After accessing Paradise Island's internal network through the low-level terminal, she collaborated with Nein, who was also aboard the Gran Chaos, and instantly infiltrated the control system of Paradise Island Base.
Then, just like when they had infiltrated Veda before, one caused chaos while the other stole data, perfectly multitasking.
The anti-electronic intrusion capabilities of Paradise Island Base were far inferior to Veda's. Moreover, unlike the gradual infiltration through communication lines during the Daedalus Base incident, this time Hoshino Ruri directly breached the central database.
As a result, Paradise Island Base instantly descended into chaos: automated anti-aircraft guns ceased firing, and all blast doors were abruptly sealed shut.
If the base's self-destruct system and data management system hadn't been isolated from direct connections—and if the server room personnel hadn't promptly severed the relevant links—Hoshino Ruri would likely have triggered the base's self-destruct sequence.
However, before being physically disconnected and expelled from the database, Hoshino Ruri followed the plan: she dismantled the camouflage structure of the Nibelungen System and directly cut off its power source.
At this moment, Reid, who had been lying in ambush in the nearby mountains, led the assault.
The seven Gundams attacked simultaneously. Although the Mystic Lightning and the Jet Black Hunter were unmanned, their onboard Artificial Intelligence could temporarily pilot the Mobile Suits based on guidance signals.
Stella, who had stubbornly insisted on coming along, was responsible for guiding the two Mobile Suits. The Gundam Gremory Deathbird also had to cover Belfgang and Neil as they boarded their units.
However, while Paradise Island Base's ground-based firepower had been silenced, the Mobile Suits already airborne didn't simply vanish. Moreover, continuous explosions echoed from the ground blast doors—clearly, the people inside the base were panicking, ordering the internal Mobile Suits and Mobile Armors to blast their way out.
Upon spotting the seven Gundams clearly belonging to the New Misurugi Kingdom, the commander of the airborne MS Unit above Paradise Island Base didn't even need orders from the now-disconnected base commander. He immediately diverted part of the force intercepting the rocket barrage to intercept these seven Gundams.
Since the Mobile Suits and Mobile Armors from the underground port ahead would inevitably rush into the sky under the rocket fire to provide support as soon as they breached the doors, Reid had to end the battle quickly if he wanted to avoid being overwhelmed.
Thus, the operation screen of the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β directly displayed the same Multi-Lock System interface as the Freedom Gundam.
The Multi-Lock System programmed by Kira for the Freedom Gundam wasn't complex, and Reid had already copied it during the previous major war.
However, Reid's Mobile Suits rarely relied on multi-locking for area-of-effect attacks, so this system had only been installed on the Psycommu Gundam MKⅢ and the Silver Lightning.
The system on the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β was the same one used for multi-locking on the Silver Lightning when Flay piloted it.
But now Reid decided to put it to use. Although the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β only had two Long VSBR Beam Cannons and one High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon—unable to mimic the Rainbow Cannon—Reid could adjust all three cannons to rapid-fire mode. In terms of firepower density, it truly wasn't inferior to the Freedom Gundam.
So, just like the Freedom Gundam, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β surged slightly ahead of the formation and began its stationary barrage.
The large wave of Windams charging head-on began to be systematically eliminated.
Reid aimed exclusively at cockpits. With his recently upgraded Psychic Power, each time he locked on, he could faintly sense where the enemy intended to evade—and this was while simultaneously locking onto dozens of targets with just a sweeping glance.
Thus, the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β never missed a shot, each one striking the cockpit of an enemy Mobile Suit. The first wave of Windam units that had turned to swarm it was completely wiped out.
Immediately afterward, the Xia sisters and Shinn charged straight out.
Their mission was singular: to break through all the way above the Nibelungen, allowing the professional bomber Shinn to drop the Particle Annihilation Bomb inside.
At this moment, since the frontal enemies had been completely annihilated by Reid, the newly emerging enemies from the ground were handled by Belfgang and Stella, who had boarded their own Mobile Suits.
Neil's Jet Black Hunter had already taken to the skies, joining Reid's GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β in sniping the Paradise Island defenders trying to intercept the Xia sisters and Shinn.
To be honest, the Atlantic Federation forces at Paradise Island were truly giving it their all.
They blew up all the jammed gates as quickly as possible, deploying their Mobile Suits and Mobile Armors.
However, the units positioned directly beneath the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) β had barely risen when they were greeted by a beam shot, a sword slash, or a Wired Feather Blade.
The Gundam Gremory Deathbird had now truly become a harbinger of death. Any Atlantic Federation Mobile Suit at the Paradise Island Base that surfaced and caught sight of it meant certain demise.
Stella seemed to have regained the destructive frenzy she had felt during the rampage at the Armory One Colony Satellite, tearing through everything before her with a touch of madness.
Reid had actually been monitoring Stella's emotional fluctuations all along.
Seeing Stella in such an unstable state now, Reid decided that after this battle, she must be sent back to the kingdom for strict discipline. He had been too lenient with her before. For Stella to regain mental stability, she could not return to the battlefield.
Fortunately, Stella's madness didn't last long. Shinn's assault capabilities were beyond doubt, especially with the Xia family providing cover around him. So, he quickly broke through to the area above the Nibelungen anti-air scatter cannon and, with practiced ease, dropped the Particle Annihilation Bomb.
As a mushroom cloud resembling a nuclear explosion rose into the sky, it signaled that Reid and the others had accomplished their assigned mission objective.
At this point, Reid noticed that several Destroy Gundams at the Paradise Island port were already taking off, their Positron Reflection Shields withstanding the barrage of rockets as they forced their way into the air. Without lingering, he immediately issued the order over the squad comms:
"Everyone, mission accomplished. Withdraw immediately."
The moment Reid's words fell, even the emotionally unstable Stella immediately turned and fled along the prearranged route.
Soon, the seven of them piloted their Mobile Suits and vanished over the horizon, later returning to the Gran Chaos that had come to retrieve them.
As for the commander of the Paradise Island Base, after the rocket barrage from the Faroe Islands finally ceased, he surveyed the port—completely destroyed by rockets due to the base's anti-air defense turrets being disabled—and the Nibelungen, which had suffered a nuclear-level attack. He suddenly felt that the New Misurugi Kingdom would likely follow up with a surprise assault in coordination with the Orbital Drop Troops.
With the port destroyed, the base's frontal defensive firepower was severely compromised.
Targeting and destroying the Nibelungen was meant to clear obstacles for the Orbital Drop Troops.
The Paradise Island Base commander had now completely misjudged the New Misurugi Kingdom's strategic route.
He believed that the New Misurugi Kingdom intended to attack the Atlantic Federation homeland via the northern route: Paradise Island Base — Greenland — Atlantic Federation mainland.
And his Paradise Island Base was the crucial linchpin in this strategy.
Once the Paradise Island Base is captured, it can serve as the command center for the New Misurugi Kingdom, much like the Hawaii base. Moreover, its proximity to Europe means that whether ZAFT or the old European nobility gains control of the continent, supply issues will hardly be a concern.
As for the Eurasian Federation's forces in Western Europe managing to hold their ground, the commander of the Paradise Island Base holds no such hopes.
With the New Misurugi Kingdom and ZAFT as two fierce tigers on the outside and the old nobility faction rebelling within, the Eurasian Federation will be fortunate to avoid disintegration this time—a testament to European unity. And in all likelihood, the Eurasian Federation is about to become a thing of the past.
Therefore, as soon as the New Misurugi Kingdom's attack ceased, the commander of the Paradise Island Base immediately contacted the Atlantic Federation's homeland. He claimed to have repelled a surprise attack by the New Misurugi Kingdom at great cost and urgently requested reinforcements, warning that without them, the base would fall, leaving the Atlantic Federation's northeastern flank wide open!
(End of Chapter)