Chapter 112: SEED – Another Naval Battle III
Mu was seated in the Skygrasper, ready to sortie at any moment, but Captain Murrue still hadn't given the order.
Unable to wait any longer, Mu opened his communicator and asked directly.
"Captain Ramius, Skygrasper Unit 1 is fully ready and can take off anytime."
On the Archangel's bridge, Murrue quickly reassured the already impatient Mu.
"Major Flaga, please wait a moment. We're still predicting the ZAFT underwater carrier's position. Once we have it, you'll launch immediately. We need to take this chance to wipe it out in one strike. I'm counting on you."
After cutting off communication, Murrue turned to Sai, who was handling comms.
"CIC, where is the enemy's underwater carrier predicted to be?"
Sai replied at once.
"Please wait. The calculated position based on its projected route is being transmitted now."
Back in the hangar, while Mu was preparing in the Skygrasper, he suddenly heard Cagalli's loud voice.
"Why are you letting the machines just sit here unused? I know how to pilot one!"
Murdock stopped her. "But… you're not a soldier of the Earth Alliance—"
Before he could finish, Cagalli, fuming, cut him off and pointed at him like he was the Archangel's greatest sinner.
"If the Archangel sinks, we're all finished, aren't we? If I just sit and do nothing and then die, I'll come back to haunt you even as a ghost!"
Murdock looked helpless. He really couldn't deal with this young lady.
At that moment, Mu couldn't just stand by anymore and stepped in.
"Hahaha, young lady, you win. Sergeant Murdock, prepare Skygrasper Unit 2 for her. We're going after that underwater carrier—more firepower is better."
He then turned to Cagalli.
"But this isn't a game, young lady. Since you said it, you should understand what it means."
Cagalli shouted back at him like a roaring lioness.
"My name is Cagalli! Don't call me young lady! Of course I understand what this means. Don't treat me like some clueless child!"
Hearing her roar, Kira poked his head out from the cockpit of the G-Weapon. He'd overheard their conversation.
He knew Cagalli's personality—once she decided something, not even ten oxen could drag her back. And since she was destined to encounter Athrun after their crash anyway, he figured he might as well support her.
At least it might increase her goodwill. Who knew, maybe he could benefit like Athrun did.
"Uncle Mu, let's go with it. This isn't her first time sortieing in a Skygrasper. She's even had a crash experience before in the desert, so she shouldn't act too recklessly."
Then he told Cagalli, "Cagalli, if things get bad, make sure to open your comms. At the very least, let us know your coordinates so we can rescue you."
Cagalli was happy at first, but the more she listened the angrier she got. Finally, she snapped back.
"Hmph! I don't need you to save me! Maybe I'll be the one saving you instead. Just wait and see!"
Kira realized his flattery had backfired. With a helpless look, he glanced at Mu. Both of them, tacitly understanding, stopped arguing with Cagalli and just returned to their cockpits to wait for orders.
On the Archangel's bridge, Murrue had also received Cagalli's request to join the battle. She gave her command.
"Archangel, begin evasive maneuvers! Major Flaga, Ensign Yamato, and Cagalli—permission to launch! Ensign Tolle, remain on standby to guard against enemy aerial units."
Natarle followed up with a shout, clearing the path for launch.
"Missile launchers 7 through 10, and 11 through 14—reload and fire on target immediately! Linear cannons, lock on target—fire!"
Mu and Cagalli's Skygraspers roared out from the Archangel's port and starboard hangars, while the Strike Gundam plunged straight into the sea after them.
As Tolle waited in his cockpit for his own sortie order, Murdock contacted him.
"Kid, this is the Zero Moebius pack's first real battle. It hasn't undergone any proper combat testing. Be careful. Before the thrusters hit critical point, make sure to return to the Archangel's deck or find a spot to let them cool down. But if it comes down to it, losing the Zero Moebius doesn't matter—just come back alive."
Tolle broke into a cold sweat. Don't go raising flags like that! I still want another five thousand years, thanks.
"Don't worry, Uncle Murdock. I trust your engineering—it'll be fine. I'll just run one more check."
He didn't dare say more, afraid Murdock would jinx him even further.
Still, just to be safe, while on standby, Tolle had Nami assimilate the G-Weapon, reinforcing its structure to prevent accidents.
Underwater, most of the GuAIZs were harassing the Archangel, with only a few focusing on the Strike.
The Archangel struggled to cope. Whenever a GuAIZ surfaced, the Vulcan turrets beneath its hull fired back automatically. But it was useless. The GuAIZs were far too agile underwater, and the Archangel couldn't land a single hit.
When the Strike first dove into the sea, it was greeted by torpedoes. Forced to counter, it fired its head-mounted Vulcans before plunging into the water, where it now faced seven GuAIZs and one ZnO.
The seven GuAIZs swarmed it relentlessly, firing torpedoes from range. Some even closed in to blast with their beam rifles.
Luckily, thanks to Mu's earlier suggestion, they were in shallow waters. The GuAIZs couldn't maneuver as freely as they would in the deep sea.
The Strike also used the seabed's reefs as cover, dodging some of the beam attacks.
But the shockwaves from the GuAIZs' heavy torpedoes stirred up sand and mud, blinding its sensors and hindering its movements.
Fortunately, the GuAIZs were also affected by the blasts, so they couldn't ram the Strike as they had before.
Then, the lone ZnO suddenly cut through the murky seabed, charging at the Strike with astonishing speed.
It opened with a flurry of claw strikes, sparks flying as its combat claws scraped against the PS armor, forcing the Strike back.
As the Gundam toppled, the ZnO fired its six-tube 533mm chest torpedoes. When those failed, it lunged again, unleashing blasts from its claw-mounted beam guns at the still-recovering Strike.
ZnO
Rank: D+
Terrain Adaptability: Sea A / Land C / Air – / Space –
Weapons: Combat Claws; Claw Beam Guns; Chest-mounted 6-tube 533mm Torpedo Launcher