Chapter 10: When Soft Tactics Fail, Resort to Force

Reid agreed with Stefano Greco's words, but based on the intelligence he possessed, ZAFT couldn't possibly dispatch large forces to the Fifth Cosmic Region where the L3 Colony Cluster was located at this stage.

After all, this area was completely opposite to where ZAFT's main space forces were stationed on the Moon. They couldn't possibly abandon their home base and ignore the threat from the Earth Alliance Forces' Eighth Fleet by directly withdrawing troops from their homeland.

As for the five warships already in the Fifth Cosmic Region, they still needed to confront the Earth Alliance forces stationed there. Deploying two ships would be the maximum, and the most likely scenario was only one ship being sent—and even that would likely be understaffed, lacking a full complement of GINNs.

Because if they lost their frontline base just to obtain food supplies from the new Misurugi Empire, even if they succeeded in acquiring the provisions, they wouldn't be able to transport them back. And even if, against all odds, the food was successfully delivered, those responsible would still face accountability.

Moreover, Reid had another advantage in choosing to use ZAFT to accomplish the mission at this time. He knew many people in the L3 Colony Cluster himself, and those sympathetic to the Earth Alliance would surely provide him with location information, eliminating concerns about surprise attacks.

Thus, when faced with Stefano Greco's threats, Reid merely let out a cold laugh and said:

"Heh, I hope you can take responsibility for your own words. This meeting is being recorded. If I were to disseminate this directly, how do you think PLANT would handle you to appease the neutral nations? At the very least, I imagine a public reprimand would be issued, which would certainly jeopardize your future promotions."

Reid's words struck at the heart of the matter, and Stefano Greco's expression darkened further. From that point onward, the conversation between the two sides completely deadlocked, ending in discord after just a few more exchanges.

However, Reid had no intention of keeping these thoroughly offended ZAFT officers around, as he couldn't afford to give ZAFT any grounds for criticism. The conflict was meant to pave the way for better negotiations later—Reid's reasoning was quite clear.

After the officers angrily departed the Colony Satellite, Reid immediately issued orders to Angie and Noin:

"Angie, Noin, these officers will definitely find excuses to send warships here next. We need to deliver a decisive blow, or this will drag on endlessly. The firearms, ammunition, and raw metals we obtained through trades with other Colony Satellites have mostly been converted into artillery shells and mobile suits at the factory.

Currently, all we have available for deployment is one Union Flag and ten Iron Balls. But in reality, only the three of us can pilot mobile suits in combat. The native residents of this Colony Satellite—even if ordered under my authority—can at most operate Iron Balls for mining and satellite maintenance work. We can't rely on them for actual combat."

Angie had no objections to Reid's words. During this period when Reid and Noin were constantly away on missions, she had seemingly reverted to her former role as a princess, holding court over their domain. She was most familiar with their current situation.

Well, truth be told, the Colony Satellite's internal affairs didn't require Angie's management—the native residents had their own lives and didn't need oversight. Angie's daily routine primarily involved hosting visitors from other Colony Satellites, accompanied by two exceptionally burly native residents assigned by Reid.

Of course, to prevent anyone from noticing anything amiss, none of the visitors were actually allowed inside the Colony Satellite proper. They were merely received at the port and then sent on their way. Even meals were served at the port cafeteria.

The reason given was simple: the newly established Misurugi Empire was in the midst of reconstruction, with construction sites everywhere, making it unsuitable for external visits. Whether the visitors believed it or not, Reid himself was convinced.

So Angie cut straight to the point:

"Alright, so it's just the three of us in terms of combat power. How do you plan to deal with ZAFT's attack? Should I take the Union Flag out and give them a surprise? That's not a bad idea. I've been itching for a fight since I got here—haven't had a proper one yet."

Reid looked at Angie, who was practically bouncing with excitement, and realized he'd forgotten about the princess's rather violent tendencies. Still, sending her out alone wasn't entirely out of the question.

An S-rank character wasn't just high-level—Angie came with master-level piloting skills, all six stats over 300, and her standout shooting and melee combat stats exceeding 400. The only downside was her lack of special skills, making her a generously statted but straightforward character. Even Kira in the Freedom Gundam might not match her numerically.

So, with the Union Flag in Angie's hands, taking on a relatively outdated Laurasia-class battleship solo wouldn't be too much trouble. After all, the Union Flag's mobility surpassed that of a GINN, and while its defenses were lacking, Angie's master-level piloting would more than compensate.

Still, a head-on fight wasn't without risks. Facing multiple GINNs with battleship support, a single mistake could cost Angie her life on the battlefield.

So Reid decided it was best to weaken the enemy's forces before letting Angie deliver the final blow. He continued:

"No need. I plan to combine 'shutting the door to beat the dog' with 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.' Angie, Noin, listen carefully..."

While Reid was scheming in the base, the ZAFT officers, who had just been fuming with anger, were also discussing the situation.

One of the officers complained to their leader, Stefano Greco:

"Captain, are we really just leaving like this? A single Colony Satellite declaring itself a nation dares to treat us this way. I can't swallow this."

Stefano Greco remained calm. Glancing at his subordinate, he explained coolly:

"What else can we do? That Reid Isaac is clearly military-born. We came unarmed for negotiations—were you planning to start a firefight in the conference room?"

The question silenced the officer. He wasn't stupid—who in their right mind would try to fight in someone else's Colony Satellite with just five people and no heavy weapons?

Seeing his subordinates fall quiet, Stefano Greco added:

"So, everyone, stay calm. Since the Misurugi Empire refuses the easy way, we'll give them the hard way. We'll bring our ship back, and I promised the base commander we'd return with plenty of food. If we go back empty-handed, I'll be a laughingstock."

Hearing this, the furious officer perked up immediately, punching the air excitedly:

"Got it, Captain! Just watch—I'll lead the charge and take this Colony Satellite down. Let's see if Reid Isaac stays tough with a GINN's machine gun in his face."

Seeing his MS squad leader getting overly excited again, Stefano Greco decisively poured cold water on the situation with a warning:

"Legendre, don't get too carried away. They're a neutral nation after all. Others might be manageable, but Princess Angelise and that Reid Isaac absolutely cannot die. If the former dies, we become criminals who assassinated foreign dignitaries. If the latter dies, no one will supply us with food anymore."

"Remember this - once we break through, just blast some buildings for intimidation. Unless they attack you with those industrial machinery-turned-construction vehicles, you're forbidden from firing at any unrelated targets. We must minimize negative repercussions as much as possible."

(End of chapter)