Chapter 238: The Angel Sets Sail

In the sky above, Creuset's CGUE and Mu's Moebius Zero were locked in a fierce battle. However, with all its Wired Pods destroyed, the Moebius Zero could only rely on its fixed-direction linear cannons to fight against the fully operational CGUE, almost guaranteeing its defeat.

"Hmm? Is that it?"

Upon entering Heliopolis, both Creuset and Mu immediately noticed the Strike Gundam, which was in the process of changing its equipment.

The CGUE headed straight for the Strike Gundam, with the Moebius Zero in hot pursuit, firing its linear cannons continuously to prevent the CGUE from attacking the ground.

But... with only the linear cannons left, the Moebius Zero stood no chance against the CGUE.

The CGUE executed a spiral maneuver in the air, circling behind the Moebius Zero, and drew its heavy sword, a terrifying glint of cold steel flashing.

Seeing this, Mu urgently changed the direction of the Moebius Zero, enduring immense G-forces to flip it in mid-air, but it was already too late.

The linear cannons had just locked onto the nearby CGUE when a flash of cold light split the cannons in two.

"What!?" Mu panicked. The linear cannons were his only weapon, and now they were destroyed. Was he destined to be killed by Creuset?

But Creuset paid no further attention to Mu and the battered Moebius Zero. They were already like a meal on a plate, to be consumed at his whim.

However, the Strike Gundam on the ground was still intact. Earth's MS were not yet fully understood, and their capabilities and threats remained unknown. Since it hadn't been activated yet, it was best to eliminate the unknown in its cradle!

Creuset's mission was to seize Earth's Five Gs. Four had already been taken, and the designated pilot for the last one had fallen in battle. It was better to simply destroy it!

Seeing the CGUE descending from the sky, Tolle and the others fled in panic. Murrue quickly caught up and pushed them to the ground. Running around during an MS attack was suicidal. Although lying on the ground was almost as bad, it at least offered a slim hope.

Yang Hui did not flee. He had been assisting the Strike Gundam in changing to its Great Sword Pack. This was the first time the Strike Gundam was changing its armament, and the OS was a complete set. Kira had modified the unit's OS, and the OS for the accompanying armament also needed to be adjusted.

"Is this digging my own grave?"

Yang Hui used self-mockery to ease his psychological pressure. Being caught in an MS battle as a mere human was too thrilling—so thrilling that Yang Hui never wanted to experience it again.

"Damn it, I should have had Setsuna and the others wait near Heliopolis in advance."

Yang Hui hated the feeling of not having control over his fate. To avoid prematurely exposing the identities and units of Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria, Yang Hui had kept them on standby at Ame No Minashira. In hindsight, he should have had them switch to ZAFT MS and wait nearby.

"Kira! Are you done?"

"Wait a moment... all systems complete!"

Once the change was complete, Kira immediately activated the PS Armor (PS Armor, short for Phase Shift Armor, which provided near-invulnerability to physical projectiles). The Strike Gundam crouched, shielding everyone beneath it, and blocked the 76mm shells.

"[Phase Shift Armor]? Tch, a step too late? But..."

Creuset had already obtained intelligence about the [Phase Shift Armor] after the other four Gundams were retrieved, and he knew how terrifying this armor was. However, Creuset had not given up on destroying the Strike Gundam because of it. While the [Phase Shift Armor] was indeed fearsome, and the [CGUE], equipped entirely with physical weapons, was indeed helpless against the Strike Gundam, there were always pros and cons. Nothing in the world was perfect. The invincible defense of the [Phase Shift Armor] came at the cost of high energy consumption. The higher the defense, the greater the energy drain. All he needed to do was to keep the Strike Gundam engaged, continuously depleting its energy. Once its energy was exhausted, that would be his chance to destroy it.

Creuset's plan was excellent, but he hadn't accounted for the possibility of someone else interfering.

"Boom~!"

The ground of [Heliopolis] was pierced by a torrent of electromagnetic energy in blue, red, and white. Smoke and flames billowed as a pair of pale, long legs stepped out of the dust, followed by a magnificent body, like a holy angel descending, temporarily halting all conflict.

...

Rewind time, to the secret dock of [Heliopolis].

The explosion of the timed bomb had shattered the entire dock, leaving scattered debris, fragments, and the bodies of victims everywhere.

In the midst of this misfortune, there was a stroke of luck: the Earth Alliance's newest and most advanced warship, the Archangel, docked in the harbor, had not suffered significant damage and remained intact.

But within this luck lay misfortune: there were very few survivors.

"Only a handful of people who happened to be on board during the explosion are unharmed, and almost all of them are engineering personnel," Petty Officer Arnold Neumann reported to Ensign Natarle Badgiruel.

(PS: These two characters will be heavily featured, especially Petty Officer Arnold Neumann—he's a super helmsman!)

"What's the situation? What about the ZAFT warships?" Badgiruel inquired. The safety of their small group, the future of the Archangel, and the Earth Alliance's crucial [G Project] all rested on her shoulders.

There was no other choice; the situation was too dire. ZAFT's bomb attack had nearly wiped out the Earth Forces inside [Heliopolis]. Aside from those now on the Archangel, there were no other survivors. As the highest-ranking officer left, the responsibility fell to her.

"Unclear. We've barely managed to assess our immediate surroundings," Neumann replied.

Hearing this, Badgiruel activated the Archangel's self-diagnostic system. Most systems were functioning normally, and the damaged sections wouldn't affect normal operations. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Archangel truly lives up to its name. An explosion of this magnitude couldn't silence it," Badgiruel remarked.

"However, the area facing the harbor is densely packed with debris. We're completely trapped," Petty Officer Neumann guessed Badgiruel's thoughts but reported with resignation.

Badgiruel pondered for a moment, then activated the Archangel's communication system. Aside from electronic static, there was nothing.

This was to be expected, but Badgiruel's mind was already racing with possibilities.

"The communication interference is still present, but... could this be a feint? Is ZAFT's real target the [G Weapon]!?" The thought spread panic through her mind, and Natarle Badgiruel could no longer remain calm. "Damn it! What's the situation at [Dawn Company]!? What about the [G Weapon]? We know nothing here!"

If the Archangel was the Earth Alliance's newest and most advanced warship, a rare and precious asset, then the [G Project] was tied to the future of the Earth Alliance. The X Series concentrated technologies that surpassed ZAFT's mass-produced units—the [GINN]—by an entire generation. Miniaturized beam weapons, [Phase Shift Armor], the G Series' frame... These were all highly classified technologies. If they fell into ZAFT's hands, not only would it be impossible to reverse the current state of the war, but it would also help ZAFT widen the gap, further suffocating the Earth Alliance.

"This... 105 Strike... Earth Forces... Respond..."

At that moment, a fragmented and unresponsive communication reignited a glimmer of hope in Badgiruel.

"Communication? This is the Archangel. I'm Ensign Natarle Badgiruel. Please respond if you receive this!"

However, Badgiruel's call went unanswered, as the communication interference severed the connection.

But this didn't discourage her. She had caught a few key words: "105 Strike" referred to the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, and the call to the Earth Forces indicated that the other party wasn't a member of the Earth Alliance, but it also couldn't be someone from ZAFT.

Based on this preliminary assessment, the Strike Gundam had fallen into the hands of an unknown individual but hadn't been seized by the ZAFT Forces. The fact that they were reaching out to the Earth Forces likely meant they wanted to return the Strike Gundam or seek assistance.

So... the course of action was clear—escape, assess the situation, and recover the Strike Gundam.

As for seeking help... that would depend on the specific circumstances. After all, they were barely managing themselves.

"Archangel, set sail!" As she issued the command, Badgiruel took the captain's seat.

"Set sail with this ship? We don't have enough crew!" Arnold immediately objected.

"Instead of wasting time with that, think about how we can make it happen. The [G Weapon] might still be in combat. Are we just going to sit here, ignoring what's happening outside?"

Arnold fell silent. He didn't want to be trapped here either. Leaving aside whether any rescue would come, he couldn't ignore the battle outside.

At that moment, three other survivors arrived on the bridge. They were originally reserve members of the Archangel, but aside from them, there was no one else to help Badgiruel get this massive ship moving.

"I've called them over."

"Everyone, take your seats and follow the computer's instructions."

"Yes."

"There are still ZAFT warships outside. We can't fight them," Arnold asked again.

"I know. While starting up the Archangel, prepare to fire the special cannon. Can you do that, Master Sergeant?"

"..."

Hearing this, Arnold silently took the helm position.

"Launch procedures initiated. Due to emergency conditions, skipping steps C-30 to L-21. Main power online..."

Under Murrue Ramius's instructions, a handful of people nervously activated the Archangel, checking various systems.

"Output increasing... No abnormalities. 450 seconds remaining until rated power..."

"That's too long. What's the status of the pipelines connected to Heliopolis?"

"...Still operational!"

"Draw power from there. Connect the pipelines and transmit power to the accumulator."

"Connection confirmed. Current normal... 20 seconds remaining until rated power!"

"Life support systems normal."

"CIC (Combat Information Center) online."

"Weapon systems online. FCS (Fire Control System) connected... Magnetic field chamber and particle separator idling normally."

"External armor impact shields stable at maximum power."

"Main power connected... Engines normal. Archangel's entire system online. Launch preparations complete!"

Through the concerted efforts of everyone, the colossal Archangel was awakened. Though the "angel" might still be in a weakened state, its presence dispelled the despair in everyone's hearts, planting a seed called "hope."

"Sealing airtight bulkheads. All personnel prepare for impact and sudden hull damage. Proceeding at minimal speed. Archangel, launching."

With a faint glow from its tail, the Archangel moved forward at a leisurely pace, slowly approaching the locked exit of the passageway.

The long-legged deck opened, revealing two menacing, blackened gun barrels baring their sharp fangs.

"Maximum combat speed while firing the special cannon."

Blue positrons gathered at the gun barrels like swarms of fireflies, their combined light emitting a dazzling brilliance.

"Charging complete!"

"Lohengrin Positron Buster Cannon, aiming... Fire!"

"Boom~!"

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/TLGod

Thanks!