Chapter 341: Orb Defense Battle 1
After a long while, Murrue, now fully dressed, leaned against Tolle's chest and said, "Is what we did really okay? Didn't we go a bit too far?"
Tolle held Murrue tightly in his arms, gently stroking her hair as he comforted her. "As long as we feel it's right, that's enough. There's no need to worry about what others think. And I really like how it feels being with you."
"Mmm, thank you, Tolle." Murrue nodded shyly, then slowly slipped free of his embrace. "Still, it's a good thing no one came to the bridge during this time. Otherwise, everything would've been seen."
Hearing this, Tolle felt a bit guilty. Normally, someone would have come by—but everyone on the Archangel had been influenced by Nami using the neo DG cells, causing them to ignore the matter of going to the bridge.
He immediately had Nami lift the control, restoring everything to normal.
Tolle could only pretend nothing was wrong and said, "Yeah, our luck was really good. Everyone must've been busy with their own things, so they didn't have time to come up here."
On the other side, Athrun arrived at the island where he and Kira had once fought to the death. Looking at the shattered wreckage scattered across the island, he couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness as memories of his battle with Kira resurfaced.
At that moment, he saw a group of children and Reverend Malchio. After stepping forward to pay his respects, he accompanied them back to his small wooden hut.
As Reverend Malchio listened to the news about Orb's situation playing on the television, he spoke to Athrun. "It seems that a battle between Orb and the Earth Alliance is unavoidable. Conflicts between people can so easily turn both sides into enemies."
Thinking of Kira, who was in Orb, Athrun said with a hint of dejection, "How could things between Orb and the Earth Alliance end up like this…"
Before he could finish, one of the unruly children Malchio had taken in suddenly shouted angrily at Athrun, "You damn ZAFT soldiers! When I grow up, I'll kill every last one of you!"
As he stormed out, the child didn't forget to give Athrun a hard kick.
"Hey, Gulle." Reverend Malchio called out symbolically after him. This was exactly the scene he wanted—so he could begin spreading his brand of pacifist ideology to Athrun.
"I'm very sorry. His parents died during ZAFT's occupation of Carpentaria. The other children also lost their parents in the war.
War is something that's incredibly easy to start. But once it begins, stopping it becomes extremely difficult.
That's why, if war can be avoided, it's best not to start one at all. Maintaining peace is truly not an easy thing.
And once war breaks out, those who suffer in the end are always the weak and the civilians…"
Using his familiar rhetoric, Reverend Malchio slowly began influencing Athrun…
At exactly 9:00 the next morning, with a single order from the blond supreme commander of Blue Cosmos, Muruta Azrael, the Earth Alliance fleet immediately launched its assault on Orb. Thousands of missiles roared into the sky like a torrential storm, surging toward Orb's territory.
At that moment, a radar operator in Orb's command center reported urgently, "This is bad! Earth Alliance warships have launched a massive number of cruise missiles at us! Based on heat signatures, there are at least a thousand!"
Hearing this, everyone in the command center turned to look at Cagalli, awaiting her orders.
Cagalli clenched her fists and gave the command decisively. "All Orb forces, sortie! Begin interception!"
With her order, Orb's soldiers, already prepared along the coastline, immediately activated their warships and tanks, launching attacks at the incoming missile swarm.
Orb's naval fleet at sea also immediately fired anti-air missiles to intercept the cruise missiles.
On the ground, anti-air batteries and tank crews continuously fired shells at the distant missiles, round after round streaking into the sky.
The air was filled with fireballs. Some of the cruise missiles, packed too closely together, even collided with one another and exploded midair.
But the Earth Alliance was not to be outdone. As their warships advanced, they launched yet another wave of cruise missiles.
Watching this scene, Tolle licked his lips and said to Lynn Minmay on the bridge of the Huayan, "Captain Lynn Minmay, Tolle Koenig, Astray Gundam Unit Zero, requesting permission to sortie!"
"Request received. Permission granted!" Lynn Minmay said in a deep, composed tone. Then she smiled and added, "Big brother, that was so exciting. I've always wanted to say that. Next time too—I want to keep being the captain."
Tolle smiled helplessly. "Alright, next time too. But I'd better get going, or we won't be able to stop all those missiles."
Lynn Minmay returned to her serious tone. "Go, brother. Wishing you a triumphant return."
Tolle then piloted the Astray Gundam Unit Zero out of the Huayan's hangar, flying straight toward the direction from which the cruise missiles were coming.
He raised the pre-prepared 40-tube shoulder-mounted micro-missile launcher and opened fire on the incoming missiles.
After firing one volley in each direction, five volleys later, all 200 micro-missiles had been launched.
These missiles successfully intercepted many of the cruise missiles, significantly reducing the pressure on Orb's defensive line.
Tolle then discarded the 40-tube shoulder-mounted launcher onto the nearby ground. Turning to another direction, he fired all the micro-missiles from the four triple-launchers mounted on his shoulders and legs.
After three rounds, those micro-missiles were completely depleted as well.
Tolle discarded the triple-launchers too, preparing to fight unburdened.
He maneuvered the Astray Gundam Unit Zero's right arm to grab the twin-barrel Gatling gun mounted on the mechanical arm and charged toward the Earth Alliance.
Holding a twin-barrel Gatling gun in each hand, he unleashed a fierce barrage toward the direction of the incoming missiles.
At the same time, M1 Astray Gundams began emerging one after another from Orb's military bases.
Piloting the M1 Astrays, the soldiers raised their beam rifles and fired green beams at the cruise missiles, sometimes shooting down several missiles with a single shot.
The Archangel followed shortly after. Murrue said to everyone on the bridge, "Orb's forces have already begun their sortie. The Archangel will move out as well."
The Archangel then departed from the Dawn Society's hidden island harbor and sailed toward the Earth Alliance forces.
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