Chapter 335: The Destruction of Panama (1)
Murrue continued, her expression somewhat downcast. "Orb just sent word. At dawn, ZAFT launched an attack on the Panama Base, but the detailed situation is still unclear."
Tolle put on a grave expression and said, "I didn't expect this day would really come."
Mu said solemnly, "As expected, ZAFT is still targeting the Panama Base's mass driver.
Right now, the main forces of the Earth Alliance are all concentrated at Panama, probably locked in a fight to the death with ZAFT's remaining troops."
Kira asked worriedly, "Will the Panama Base really be captured by ZAFT?"
Tolle nodded in confirmation. "Yes. ZAFT has lost around seventy percent of its forces. The overall situation is already hopeless. If they don't make a desperate all-out push now, they'll really be finished."
Mu said listlessly, "Sigh… the days of peace didn't even last that long before they came to an end again."
Tolle shot him a disdainful look and said, "Uncle Mu, the Strike Gundam has already been sent back aboard the Archangel, and its energy systems have been reinforced as well.
Since there's still some time, you should practice piloting the Strike Gundam more.
Otherwise, when the enemy actually comes knocking, it'll be too late."
Mu replied with a troubled expression, "Sigh—! I'm an MA pilot, and you want me to pilot an MS. Isn't that making things difficult for me?
Besides, I tried it out. With the Strike Gundam's Perfect Equipment, there are too many weapons. The operating difficulty jumps up drastically."
"Then later I'll help you install an intelligent auxiliary system. That way, piloting it should be a lot easier for you."
"Hey, you little punk! If you had something that good, why didn't you bring it out earlier? I suffered for so long because of this.
I'd just gotten used to the high-mobility equipment, and now I have to grind through mastering the Perfect Equipment. This is just miserable."
There was no way Tolle could admit that he had simply forgotten about it. He immediately argued, "Wasn't that for your own good? So you could better experience the Strike's performance.
Besides, the intelligent auxiliary system was only just completed. How could it possibly keep up with the Strike Gundam's reconstruction schedule?"
Murrue also comforted Mu from the side. "Alright, Mu. Tolle's doing this for your sake. Practicing your piloting skills more isn't a bad thing."
Mu said dejectedly, "But do you know who my sparring partner is? It's Kira. I get completely crushed every time, not even close. The experience is terrible."
Kira couldn't help but retort, "That's because Uncle Mu's skills are too bad. There's nothing I can do about it. And I was already holding back—otherwise the fight wouldn't even last ten minutes."
Hearing that, Mu became even more depressed. "I can't help it. My MS piloting skills are just rookie-level. If only I had a unit that could transform into an MA capable of flight on Earth, I wouldn't be this miserable."
Tolle laughed awkwardly. Indeed, Mu was an ace MA pilot, and forcing him to pilot an MS really was making things hard for him.
But there was no helping it. Right now, he couldn't take out a transformable unit equipped with an anti–neutron jammer in front of Kira. There was no way to explain where something like that came from.
Unless he brainwashed and controlled him, anything he said would only damage their friendship.
—
A few minutes earlier, on the battlefield at the Panama Base, ZAFT had dispatched only a dozen or so submarine carriers and forty to fifty MS of various types to launch a surprise attack.
Compared to the scale of the assault on the Alaska Base, this was far smaller, forming a stark contrast—back then, three to four hundred MS of various types had been deployed all at once.
However, ZAFT opened with missile barrages from its submarine carriers, instantly launching over a hundred missiles in a single massive salvo.
Only after the missile bombardment had swept the area did the MS forces rush forward, attacking the defensive installations that had not yet been destroyed.
A ZAFT commander aboard one of the submarine carriers looked at the MS units above his vessel that were still holding position, and couldn't help but mock himself as he said to Creuset beside him, "I never thought we'd end up trying to capture the Earth Alliance's Panama Base with this little manpower. Saying it out loud is honestly pretty embarrassing."
Creuset replied calmly, "It can't be helped. We suffered too many losses before.
This time, we must throw the Atlantic Federation into chaos and catch them completely off guard. We can't let them get too complacent after what happened at the Alaska Base.
Otherwise, Chairman Zala and P.L.A.N.T will both be in danger.
In order to shut the Earth Alliance's door to space and trap them on Earth, we must destroy the Panama Base's mass-driver space runway."
"Then what about Odin's Thunder? How are things going on the space side?"
At the mention of Odin's Thunder, Creuset broke into a sinister smile. "That's already arrived at the designated location outside the atmosphere according to plan.
The only problem lies with us here—whether we can seize control of the target landing area before it descends.
But don't worry. For the sake of avenging the souls who perished at the Alaska Base, everyone will fight without regard for their lives."
"Very well. Then let's begin." Watching as all the missiles struck their targets, the commander issued the order to his eager soldiers. "All units, advance! Immediately launch a surprise assault on the target area!"
With that command, the forty to fifty MS charged straight toward the Panama Base.
Seeing that the attack was underway, Creuset said to the commander, "Then I'll take my leave. After making my preparations, I'll be heading to the battlefield as well."
"Very well. I wish you success in battle."
Creuset did not head to the hangar afterward, but instead went first to his quarters to see Flay.
The moment Flay saw Creuset enter the room, she panicked and immediately raised her handgun, aiming it at him.
Creuset, however, showed no concern at all. He walked over and sat back down in his chair, saying, "The battle is about to begin. Do you want to go out and take a look?
Dragging you around everywhere like this is really quite inconvenient, but it's an order, so I have no choice."
Flay asked, her face tense and on the verge of tears, "Why… why did you bring me with you…?"
"Because, in a certain sense, you're already a dead person, Flay Allster.
Whether you had been shot dead by me back then, or simply left behind at the Alaska Base, you were already a dead person."