Chapter 72: SEED – Landing Operation I
At that moment, the Archangel also detected ZAFT forces. The radar operator reported:
"Enemy reaction confirmed—one Nazca-class, two Laurasia-class!
Enemy mobile suits—10 Ginns, plus the four Gundams: Blitz, Buster, Aegis, and Duel!
Distance: 500. Estimated contact in 15 minutes!"
Murrue Ramius immediately gave orders.
"Stop the boarding, seal the deck! What about the Menelaos' shuttle?"
The communications officer replied, "It hasn't launched yet."
Murrue Ramius said, "Tell them to hurry. All hands, first combat readiness!"
At that moment, the alarm echoed throughout the hangar: "All hands, first combat readiness! Repeat, all hands, first combat readiness!"
Soldiers urged the civilians to board the lifeboats faster. Miriallia Haw and the others said their farewells to Kira Yamato before returning to the bridge to join the battle.
Kira stood dazed for a moment, recalling his days with everyone aboard the Archangel. Then, with determination, he headed to Hangar 1 to pilot the Strike Gundam—vowing to protect both his friends and the Archangel.
The Earth Alliance's Eighth Fleet also went into first battle readiness. Countless Moebius mobile armors launched from their warships, preparing to intercept ZAFT.
On the Archangel's bridge, Natarle Badgiruel anxiously directed the battle preparations.
"Activate all anti-air Vulcan turret systems!
Load large-scale and anti-air defense missiles!
Prepare the twin high-energy beam cannons and the single linear cannons for firing!"
Miriallia Haw and the others returned to the bridge. Murrue Ramius looked at them in surprise.
Miriallia said, "Sorry—we're late."
Murrue asked in puzzlement, "What are you…?"
Natarle replied, "They're volunteers—self-enlisted. Colonel Hoffmann approved, and I've already signed off as well."
Murrue didn't press the matter further, focusing her full attention on the battle at hand.
In the changing room of the hangar, Kira Yamato entered only to find Flay Allster at his locker.
The moment she saw him, Flay threw herself into his arms.
Kira, bewildered, asked, "Flay, why are you here?"
With tears shimmering in her eyes, Flay gazed at him tenderly.
"Kira, I thought you'd already left, I… Everyone stayed behind to fight, but I was the first to say I would—and yet I can't do anything at all."
Crying in his arms, Flay continued, "So I… I want to…"
Kira glanced at his open locker, his spacesuit exposed. Shocked, he said,
"Flay, don't do something foolish! Mobile suits aren't something a girl like you can pilot."
"But… I want to…"
Kira cut her off with a gentle smile.
"The Strike Gundam—I'll pilot it. I'll fight for both my sake and yours."
He released her, floated to his locker, and added firmly,
"So, with your feelings as well, I won't run anymore. I've made my decision—there's no other way. As long as the war continues, we can't live in peace."
Flay floated to his side and said softly,
"Then I'll stay by your side and protect you always."
She then kissed him, taking the initiative to press her feelings upon him.
Kira froze in shock at first, then gradually responded, returning her kiss.
Tolle Koenig, watching from nearby, could only feel jealous and bitter at seeing Kira—once a complete innocent—being swept up by Flay. He sighed, thinking how fitting it was that Kira was one of the luckier Gundam protagonists. Not only did he have Lacus, the beautiful, wealthy heroine who had fallen for him, but he was also freely receiving Flay's affection.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the ten Ginns of ZAFT charged into the Eighth Fleet and attacked the Moebiuses.
With rocket launchers and heavy machine guns, the Ginns downed the Moebiuses one after another. Some unlucky Alliance pilots, panicking, even collided with their wingmates.
Explosions lit up the void around the Eighth Fleet, as Moebiuses turned to ashes.
Though nearby Moebiuses counterattacked, the Ginns' mobility far surpassed theirs. ZAFT's pilots were all at least green-uniform elites, far beyond the greenhorn Earth Alliance rookies.
While clearing out the Moebiuses, ZAFT advanced steadily toward the Archangel.
The Eighth Fleet's warships formed a protective ring around the Archangel, unleashing continuous barrages of beam cannons and missiles.
The results, however, were poor. Only one Ginn was shot down—finished off when a lucky Moebius struck as it faltered. The others were merely pushed back outside the fleet's perimeter.
Seeing this, the Ginns immediately intensified their assault, darting through the fleet's fire and striking back at the warships.
Before long, the four Gundams—Buster, Aegis, Blitz, and Duel—joined the fray, turning the battle into a one-sided massacre.
Beams from their rifles streaked across space, explosions from the Moebiuses illuminating the battlefield.
The Aegis transformed into mobile armor mode and fired its Scylla beam cannon. A crimson beam tore across the battlefield, skewering an entire squadron of Moebiuses, which exploded in a chain reaction.
Yzak Joule in the Duel, heavily armed with the Assault Shroud, seemed to compete with Athrun Zala—unleashing volleys of armor-piercing rounds and missiles that wiped out swathes of Moebiuses.
The Buster Gundam was even more devastating, firing its twin cannons left and right, sometimes combining them into armor-piercing scattershot or a long-range beam sniper blast, tearing through Moebius formations.
Only Nicol Amalfi in the Blitz stayed mostly on the defensive, weaving among the Moebiuses but landing only a handful of beam shots.
Hundreds of Moebiuses stood no chance against nine Ginns and four Gundams.
It was a massacre—the Moebiuses nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.
Soon, even the Eighth Fleet's warships were falling. Within six minutes of battle, four ships had already been sunk.
The Buster, Aegis, and Duel became ship-killers, tearing through vessel after vessel.
Within minutes, more Eighth Fleet warships were destroyed, and the once-massive swarm of Moebiuses had been reduced to almost nothing.
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