Chapter 62: The Junk Dealer's Favorite Episode 

With ZAFT forces entering the fray, the Archangel naturally wouldn't remain idle. The ship lifted off as both catapult bays on its flanks opened simultaneously.

Reid began fulfilling his duties as frontline commander, issuing orders:

"Ange and I will launch first to disperse the enemy and prevent concentrated assaults on the Archangel. Kira, Mu—once you're deployed, Kira will take over frontal ship defense while Mu handles GINNs attempting flanking maneuvers or attacking blind spots."

Neither Mu nor Kira objected to Reid's directives. As a rookie pilot and an operator of inferior mobile suits respectively, they recognized the logic behind assigning them these relatively safer defensive roles. They responded in unison:

"Roger that." ×2

After brief coordination, Reid's NT-X Gundam reached the catapult platform. With Kira's companions yet to arrive for support, Executive Officer Bargiruel temporarily assumed CIC communications duties:

"Launch path cleared. NT-X, you're cleared for sortie."

Already in battlefield mode, Reid responded with detached calm:

"Reid Isaac, NT-X launching!!"

The NT-X catapulted from the Archangel's hull.

The moment it cleared the mothership, over a dozen red markers bloomed across its radar—a coordinated encirclement preparing to swarm the Archangel.

Reid scanned the tactical display, muttering:

"Six Heavy Ion Cannon Jins, eight Fortress Missile Jins... fourteen GINNs total, plus the Aegis. Creuset really brought out the red carpet for the Archangel."

Switching to a private channel with Ange, he instructed:

"Ange, we'll split left and right to disrupt their formation. And remember what we discussed."

Their prior discussion centered on the most challenging aspect of the system's current main mission—neither Reid nor Ange could actually destroy any members of Creuset's politically connected squad.

The justification for Reid assisting the Earth Alliance against ZAFT was tenuous but defensible: Creuset's forces had attacked first at Heliopolis, leaving him no mothership and forcing him to seek the Archangel's protection. While flimsy, Reid possessed evidence of the initial assault to maintain plausible deniability.

However, killing any of these legislators' heirs would irreparably escalate tensions between the New Misurugi Republic and PLANT. Despite being soldiers on paper, figures like Athrun, Isaac, Dearka, and Nicol were still politicians' children. Their deaths would guarantee retaliatory escalation.

Reid could theoretically sink an entire ZAFT fleet today without closing diplomatic channels. But eliminating even one of those four would render negotiations impossible—only decisive military confrontation would follow.

This suspicion had long haunted Reid: Creuset's original decision to withdraw with Athrun while sending Isaac, Dearka, and Nicol to pursue the Archangel likely intended to exploit their commanders' absence. Any "accidental" fatalities among these unrestrained young pilots would instantly ignite full-scale war between Naturals and Coordinators.

However, the truth was exactly as stated. Nicol's father, Yuri Amalfi, had originally been a moderate Defense Committee member. After Nicol's death, he completely transformed into a hardliner and spearheaded the development of the Anti-Neutron Jammer.

Before heading out, Reid had privately told Ange that if they encountered any Mobile Suits stolen by the Atlantic Federation, it would be best to show mercy—avoid hitting the cockpits if possible. Of course, if their lives were in danger, she shouldn't hesitate. Better them than us. Worst case, they'd just have to go to war with PLANT outright.

Ange would definitely follow Reid's instructions, so now she could only reply:

"Got it. What a pain. I'll try to steer clear of that red Mobile Suit."

With that, Ange transformed into MA mode and charged toward the GINN squad from the right flank.

Reid naturally didn't say anything more—his own unit was about to engage as well.

The four GINNs in front of Reid were all equipped with heavy anti-fortress missiles. Heavy missiles, by nature, were ill-suited for targeting small Mobile Suits, so these four GINNs could only rely on the triple short-range missile launchers at their waists to suppress Reid with firepower.

Still, the sheer volume of missiles was intimidating. For a moment, Reid's screen was flooded with missile lock warnings.

Unfortunately, these missiles weren't much of a threat—they were simply too slow. Using the Heavy Ion Beam Cannons on the two Bits mounted on the back of his NT-X Gundam, Reid swept a beam across the battlefield, obliterating most of the incoming missiles. The few remaining ones wouldn't have hit him anyway.

Then, these GINNs were utterly screwed. To accommodate the heavy anti-fortress missiles, they had no machine guns or physical blades. Facing the NT-X Gundam emerging from the smoke of the missile explosions was like lambs encountering a wolf.

Reid fired a single shot from his Beam Rifle, instantly destroying one unlucky GINN that had gotten too close. The remaining GINNs, knowing they stood no chance in close combat, abandoned their comrades and scattered like startled birds.

Reid didn't pursue them. Instead, he deployed the two Wired Bits from the back of his NT-X Gundam and swept the Heavy Ion Beam Cannons toward the rear, where other GINNs were already aiming their M69 'Elephant' Modified Enhanced Firepower Heavy Particle Cannons at him and Ange.

ZAFT had never expected the two Heavy Ion Beam Cannons on Reid's Mobile Suit to actually be Bits. When Reid maneuvered the Bits to fire from tricky angles at the GINNs wielding heavy particle cannons, one GINN failed to dodge in time and was instantly blown apart.

Of course, the other Mobile Suits immediately retaliated against Reid. For now, the Empress Custom Flag didn't seem to have any additional weapons beyond what he already knew—just that its mobility and defensive capabilities were on a completely different level compared to the Earth Alliance's Flags.

But the new Mobile Suit brought by the New Misurugi Republic was downright absurd. Its firepower was overwhelming—who would've thought to mount Heavy Ion Beam Cannons on Bits? Where was it even getting all that power?

Still, ZAFT's forces didn't need to communicate to reach a consensus: if left unchecked, their current numbers wouldn't be enough to handle even this single Mobile Suit.

Thus, all the GINNs equipped with heavy missiles immediately distanced themselves from the NT-X Gundam—their loadouts were ill-suited for Mobile Suit combat. Trying to fight it head-on would only result in a massacre.

Meanwhile, the four GINNs carrying heavy ion beam cannons at the rear adopted standard multi-stage firing tactics. Knowing Reid wouldn't dare take their beams head-on, they began suppressing fire on the NT-X Gundam. Their goal wasn't to shoot Reid down, but to force him into constant evasive maneuvers and reduce his attack frequency.

The only problem was - when their shots missed, the Colony Satellite below suffered the consequences.

Similarly, Reid had to shoot while dodging. Even with his Spatial Awareness, his current Mobile Suit piloting skills meant his accuracy wasn't high.

Thus, Heliopolis' interior was quickly riddled with holes from both sides' stray fire.

Of course, the remaining heavy ion beam cannon-equipped GINN wasn't idle either. Piloted by Miguel Aiman, it charged straight toward the Archangel. Having seen the Strike Gundam that had forced him to self-destruct earlier, he ignored Reid entirely and made a beeline for it.

The Aegis Gundam did the same, firing just two symbolic shots at the NT-X Gundam to force Reid out of its path before also rushing toward the Archangel.

On another front, Ange faced a rain of small missiles from the four remaining Fortress Missile Jin units.

For Ange, these small missiles stood no chance of hitting her. A rapid climb combined with a Herbst maneuver easily made the laser-guided missiles lose their target.

Unfortunately, most of these missed missiles struck the nearest Colony Satellite support beams, severing several steel cables connecting to the outer walls.

At least these GINNs could only cause limited damage now. Ange had already closed the distance, and with the vast skill gap between them, their destruction was merely a matter of time.

While Reid and Ange tied up most of the GINNs, the three units that had initially slipped past Reid's defense were already ganging up on the Archangel.

For Kira, this was his first real battlefield experience. Even as a Super Coordinator, he couldn't immediately adapt to the combat environment.

The whizzing of bullets and constant alarms from his Mobile Suit's systems were tormenting his nerves.

Fortunately, Kira remembered Reid's parting advice - stay close to the ship and provide long-range support.

However, Kira still lacked the resolve to kill. His beam rifle never aimed at enemy units, instead focusing solely on intercepting incoming missiles.

Mu in the rear wasn't faring much better. The Moebius Zero was simply too fragile - even a kick from a GINN (which lacked mid-to-close range weapons) could take it down.

Thus, Mu could only use his wired gunbarrels to keep the GINNs at bay, denying them opportunities to use their fortress missiles at close range.

As for the GINNs' long-range attacks, Kira had become remarkably adept at shooting down missiles. The occasional one or two that slipped through his anti-air fire would still be intercepted by the Archangel's sixteen 75mm 'Porcupine Array' Anti-Air Automatic Vulcan Cannons.

But the Archangel's respite ended there. Miguel Aiman's GINN, having broken through Reid's defensive line, charged at the Strike Gundam like a mad dog. Cunningly, he adjusted his firing trajectory to align both the Strike and the Archangel.

The green beam from the heavy ion beam cannon raced toward the Strike. This being Kira's first real battle, when the lock-on alarm sounded and he saw the weapon's muzzle - remembering the destructive power Reid had demonstrated earlier - he instinctively maxed out his thrusters to evade.

As a result, the Strike naturally evaded the beam, but the Archangel's left flank took a direct hit. Fortunately, the laminated armor held up, and the GINN's heavy particle cannon wasn't as powerful as the system-produced versions capable of rapid or sustained fire. A large red-hot area spread across the hull before gradually dissipating, leaving the ship itself undamaged.

However, this gave the bridge crew quite a scare. Bargiruel, no longer concerned about Murrue's earlier warning to avoid damaging the Colony Satellite, immediately ordered:

"Gotterdämmerung Aim, target the Mobile Suit ahead—FIRE!!"

The fire control officers didn't hesitate, unleashing four 225cm high-energy beams at the GINN piloted by Miguel Aiman.

Being an ace pilot, Miguel was well aware of the mothership's threat. With his heavy particle rifle cooling and unable to counterattack, he simply stalled and dropped, narrowly avoiding the shots.

Unfortunately, the missed beams melted nearly half of the dozens of chains connecting the Colony Satellite's outer shell to its support beams.

Murrue immediately intervened, shouting,

"Be careful! We can't afford to cause any more damage to the Colony Satellite!"

But Bargiruel wasn't about to indulge Murrue's pacifism and snapped back,

"How exactly do we 'be careful'? Should we just sit here and wait for the enemy to shoot us down?"

Murrue was left speechless and could only turn away in silence.

Seeing the GINN now positioned beneath the ship's blind spot, Bargiruel urgently called Reid over the comms:

"Reid, fall back and assist! We're under attack! The GINN has moved beneath the ship!!"

Hearing the distress call, Reid glanced at the two remaining heavy particle cannon-equipped GINNs he had been chasing down after successfully turning the tables on them. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he disengaged, recalling his Bits and boosting back toward the Archangel with his rocket thrusters. At the same time, he barked orders to the others:

"Ange, break off from the GINN and return to defend the Archangel!

"Mu, go help Kira! Three GINNs without machine guns are giving you trouble? You're the 'Eagle of Endymion,' for crying out loud!"

Ange, irritated by the last GINN in front of her that was only capable of erratic evasive maneuvers, reluctantly turned her machine around.

Mu, meanwhile, was drenched in sweat, too exhausted to even retort. Sure, he was piloting a Moebius Zero, but taking on three GINNs—even without machine guns—was no easy feat.

Reid didn't have time to monitor their actions further. As he spoke, the NT-X Gundam had already rushed beneath the Archangel, where Miguel Aiman's GINN was preparing to strike from below. Perhaps too focused on the Archangel—and not expecting Reid to return so quickly—Miguel failed to react in time.

Just as his heavy particle cannon was charging, Reid fired a single beam rifle shot, detonating it. The resulting explosion from the weapon's own energy buildup sent Miguel's machine flying. His GINN remained mostly intact—far better than his fate in the original timeline—and he likely survived, though the shockwave might have knocked him unconscious.

This wasn't Reid intentionally sparing him, however. The moment the Aegis spotted the Strike, it had been lurking at the edge of the battlefield. But the moment Reid moved in, Athrun inside suddenly regained his tactical awareness and attempted a diversionary attack, firing a shot at Reid instead.

As a result, when Reid was targeting Miguel Aiman's GINN, he was practically shooting by instinct. Hitting the heavy particle beam rifle was already a stroke of luck blessed by the goddess of fortune.

Moreover, after dodging the Aegis's shot, the latter immediately swung its beam crutch (the author always thought the Aegis's four-beam saber configuration should be called two beam crutches and two beam foot blades) and thrust straight at him.

Reid mentally scolded himself for being an idiot to engage Athrun in close combat with his measly sub-300 melee stats, even if this Athrun was still in his rookie phase.

So Reid reactivated the Bit's rocket thrusters and instantly distanced himself from the Aegis.

Seeing he couldn't catch up immediately, Athrun resorted to verbal warfare, shouting through laser communication:

"Reid Isaac! Wasn't your New Misurugi Republic neutral? Why are you helping the Atlantic Federation now?!"

Reid, helpless against this young master he couldn't kill, had no choice but to break his wartime principles and respond:

"You should ask your Captain Creuset piloting the CGUE about that. He attacked us first—I have video evidence. With four ZAFT motherships blockading us now, plus your captain's unit initiating the assault, we'd never leave this Colony Satellite without allying with the Atlantic Federation's ship.

My trip to Heliopolis with Princess Angelise was public. I suspect ZAFT wants us dead in Heliopolis so you can seize my technology from the Star Palace Colony Satellite!"

This was Reid shifting blame, but Athrun was a reasonable kid with little battlefield experience. He couldn't immediately tell if Reid was lying. If true, his side would indeed be at fault.

It was also thanks to Athrun's princeling status—otherwise, Reid would've ambushed him during those seconds of hesitation, regardless of whether he could shoot him down, just to seize the initiative.

But the reality was, you couldn't harm the princeling. So Reid simply turned and left, planning to have Kira hard-CC Athrun—at least keep him from causing trouble.

Seeing Reid flee, Athrun quickly gave chase. Even if Reid had a point, he couldn't let him kill his comrades.

Thus Reid decisively led Athrun toward Kira. Ange had already returned for support, scattering the three GINNs instantly and freeing Mu, who vented his frustration by teaming up with Ange to destroy two GINNs carrying anti-fortress missiles.

Yet fate was inescapable. When Kira and Athrun met, they did indeed hard-CC each other.

But now the two heavy particle cannon GINNs Reid had been chasing earlier closed in. The Archangel, blessed by its god-tier helmsman, dodged their beams with what could only be called a drift maneuver.

Unfortunately, those two beams struck the Colony Satellite's support axis. Then came the junk dealers' favorite sight. The overstressed axis finally gave way, exploding and fracturing. The Colony Satellite's outer shell, torn apart by the gravity simulation system due to the axis's collapse, split cleanly in half.

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