A new Musai-class warship drifted freely through the silent depths of space, with a relaxed atmosphere permeating throughout the vessel.
"Major, are we really just going to keep waiting like this?"
"Do you think we should charge Luna II where Tianem is stationed with just one Musai, Lieutenant Dren?"
"Of course not, but..."
"A hunter without patience will never catch their prey, Lieutenant Dren."
"Under... understood, but... is it really at Luna II? The Federation's [V Project]."
"Isn't confirming its existence exactly our mission?"
"But we can't confirm anything if we just keep waiting like this."
"Let's wait one more week. If Luna II shows no activity by then, we'll have to ask intelligence for other potential targets."
"Understood."
Char gazed at the vast but empty cosmos, growing somewhat impatient himself. The intelligence he had received from Dozle originally came from spies within the [V Project]. The last message they sent indicated they were being transferred to Luna II to join a completely new independent unit, then all communication ceased.
Char suspected these spies had been killed in action. He had been waiting around Luna II for nearly a month based on this intelligence, yet the base showed no activity whatsoever, making Char begin to doubt the information's authenticity.
Though he had no desire to work for the Zabi Family, he needed to hide right under their noses - the classic case of the darkest place being under the lampstand, where the most dangerous spot could also be the safest.
Moreover, this allowed him to strike against the Federation - the very organization his father had dedicated his life to opposing, and which he suspected of assassinating his father. He was quite willing to do so.
"Hmm? What's that?"
"What is it?"
"There seem to be engine flares in that direction."
"What?" Char immediately stood up and seized the optical observation equipment, studying the scene carefully. "That's it! Finally found it!"
Dozens of engine flares, slowly moving silhouettes that looked like wreckage - definitely a Federation fleet. Currently, the only space fleet the Federation had near Luna II was the one commanded by Tianem. Judging by the number of flares, this couldn't be the main force.
As for a small fleet... it wouldn't make sense for them to intercept Zeon's main forces. If it were a patrol fleet, they were rather far from Luna II. Therefore... this had to be a small unit on an independent mission, very likely related to the [V Project] mentioned in the intelligence!
"Major Char..."
"Prepare ship cannons, lock onto enemy vessels. MS units launch - we're capturing this fleet."
"But... if observations are correct, the enemy outnumbers us several times over. Capturing this fleet might be..."
"That's exactly why I'm here, isn't it?"
"Yes! Understood!"
Truly worthy of Char. The prestige of the [Red Comet] ran high within the Zeon Army - his name alone could inspire courage.
As usual, Char didn't bother changing into his pilot suit, directly boarding his red Zaku II and preparing to launch when he received a shocking report.
"Major! MS - Federation MS!"
"What!? How many?"
"Nine units! Heading straight for our ship!"
"MS units launch immediately! Famereu, reduce speed! Everyone else cover me! Annihilate all enemy units, then withdraw slowly." Char didn't believe the Federation could develop MS in such a short time, thinking they were still using toys like the Iron Cavalry. However, considering the enemy MS units' containment and their fleet having detected their presence...
Having lost the element of surprise, capturing the enemy with one Musai and six Zakus would be difficult.
Playing it safe, Char decided to temporarily withdraw. He would eliminate the enemy MS units himself, deliver a warning blow to the Federation fleet, then wait for another opportunity.
But... after launching, when Char saw the Federation MS's appearance, he immediately abandoned this idea and ordered: "All units scatter! Provide fire suppression while retreating at full speed! I'll buy you time!"
...
Ten minutes earlier, Walker had shared the detection of the Musai with Yang Hui. Originally intending to maintain alert without engaging, prioritizing the escort mission, Walker was shocked by Yang Hui's proposal and immediately opposed it.
"Are you serious, Major Yang Hui!? Do you realize what you're saying!?"
"I'm perfectly clear, Lieutenant Colonel Walker. But we've been detected by the enemy. If we don't drive them away, we won't dare proceed with the descent operation."
"Then I'll use the ship cannons to destroy them directly. Your new equipment supports artillery combat in high-density Minovsky Particle environments..."
"No, Lieutenant Colonel Walker. Let our MS units repel them alone. This is an excellent opportunity. Tests are just tests - we haven't conducted actual combat. The battlefield we're about to enter will be large-scale chaos and melee combat, too dangerous for a debut. Now we have a small enemy force right before us - perfect for both our combat debut and field testing."
"..." Walker fell silent. He knew Yang Hui was right from his perspective, but from Walker's standpoint, he definitely couldn't agree. "The [V-X Project] concerns the Federation's future. If it fails, do you know the consequences?"
"This is precisely the opportunity to prove its success, isn't it? No matter how excellent the test performance, it's still just testing, not actual combat. All weapon development needs final validation in real battles. If we fail here, we shouldn't continue developing flawed results from this project that would cost more soldiers' lives!"
"..." Walker felt Yang Hui's determination and was convinced by his reasoning. "What are the odds?"
"From my personal perspective, 100%." Yang Hui was utterly confident. The UC version Astray Gundam was still a Gundam - aside from name and appearance differences, it was no different from the RX-78 series Gundams developed under the original [V Project].
If a rookie reading the manual while piloting could achieve one-against-two victories, then nine properly trained pilots led by a monster like Yang Hui should easily defeat six enemies - unless some deity was deliberately manipulating the outcome.
"...And your objective assessment?"
"We'll know after we fight them."
"Understood. It's yours, Major Yang Hui. Use the MS you created to teach those arrogant Zeon bastards a harsh lesson!"
"Roger that, Lieutenant Colonel Walker."
"Good luck in battle."
As the communication ended, Yang Hui looked at the split screen showing his seven subordinates, already suited up in their pilot gear and sitting excitedly in their cockpits. He smirked. "You all heard that?"
"Roger!" x8
"Sortie! Let's secure our first victory!"
"Understood!" x8
The hatches of the four Columbus-class transport ships opened sequentially. Nine Astray Gundams in various colors launched from the Columbus-class transports, forming a conical formation as they charged toward the Musai-class ships with eight neatly aligned exhaust trails.
Leading the formation was a gray-purple unit holding two beam rifles with shield panels mounted on both shoulders. Close behind were a deep blue and a dark gray Astray Gundam equipped with standard shield-and-rifle armaments. Following them were red, blue, and brown units - the red one wielded an offense-shield system with twin Gatling guns and a shield, the blue unit carried no beam rifle or shield but instead a high-output super mega particle cannon, while the brown unit held strong shield standard armaments but featured additional 230mm cannons on both shoulders. The remaining three units featured classic blue-white-red, red-black, and blue-gray color schemes respectively, all carrying standard armaments.
All Astray Gundams were equipped with specialized space-use propulsion packs featuring four stabilizer wings and two main thrusters, with two balance thrusters on the sides. The stabilizer wings were armed with eight anti-MS missiles.
"Huh? What's that!"
"A red Zaku! So fast! It's Char! The 'Red Comet' Char!"
Now both sides could visually identify each other's mobile suits. Seeing the red machine approaching like a meteor, the confident expressions of Yang Hui's team turned serious. They couldn't help but wonder if facing a major boss like the Red Comet in their first battle was setting the difficulty too high.
"Char? Leave him to me. You handle the other enemy units. Don't get shot down."
"Understood." x8
Hearing this, the seven nervous pilots relaxed. While Char's combat record was indeed fearsome, they had never experienced it firsthand. And Yang Hui... he was a monster who enjoyed bullying opponents!
"So it's really you, Char. Heh, been waiting long? Care to play?" Yang Hui smirked, immediately issuing orders to scatter before charging solo toward the red meteor.
"What is that!" Seeing an unfamiliar mobile suit heading straight for him, Char felt a sense of danger he hadn't even experienced in the chaotic Battle of Loum. He couldn't afford to divide his attention to harass others anymore, focusing entirely on the enemy coming for him.
"Zing~"
Spotting the enemy's arm movement, Char pulled the control stick just before the brilliant beam fired, narrowly avoiding the attack while maintaining high speed toward the enemy machine. But the enemy's beams came in rapid succession, blocking his advance path and forcing him to zigzag erratically through space.
"Just what is..." Char gritted his teeth, constantly dodging the enemy's shots without any opportunity to close in. And...
What frustrated Char most was realizing his opponent wasn't trying to kill him - every shot precisely blocked his intended path, forcing him to change direction, only to have another beam appear to herd him back to his original course, repeating the cycle endlessly.
Like an invisible birdcage, it confined Char, this little bird, allowing him to move only within the cage, unable to fly freely.
"Ding~"
"What is this? This feeling..." Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck Char's mind. He had a sudden intuition—the enemy pilot felt strangely familiar. This person... he might know them.
But the sensation was elusive and hard to grasp. The moment he tried to seize it, it vanished, only to reappear when he gave up and refocused.
"Damn it, what is this!?"
"Major! Major! Ah~!!!"
Just as he heard a desperate plea over the comms, Char watched as his subordinate was pierced through the chest by a beam, instantly exploding into a firework display in the cosmos.
"A single shot with the power of a cruiser's ship cannon!? Hey! Are the Federation's MS all monsters!?" Cold sweat dripped down Char's forehead. Thankfully, he was accustomed to evading, or else...
"Retreat! Full speed retreat!"
"Understood!" xN
(End of Chapter)