"The first defense line in the north has been breached, the second line is engaging the enemy..."
"Signal lost from the 56th Defense Unit, enemy units are using high-power man-portable tactical weapons..."
"The 42nd Aviation Group requests reinforcements..."
"Western first defense line has suffered 35% losses, nearing collapse..."
"The frontal defense line has been heavily damaged. The enemy has deployed two aviation warships—they are Kirin-class!"
"The first defense line requests permission to retreat to the second defense line..."
It was a very similar scene. One piece of bad news after another echoed through the headquarters, chaotic and noisy. However, unlike others, M'Quve was not panicked at all. He remained sitting calmly on the sofa, sipping his coffee.
"Colonel M'Quve, what time is it now!? How can you still act like this!? The Federation is practically at our doorstep!" Prince Karma Zabi, unable to sit still, rebuked him harshly.
"Calm down, Prince Karma. Everything is within expectations," M'Quve replied calmly.
He had expected the Twelfth Independent Technical Division to appear on the Odessa battlefield from the beginning. He had already received news of the fall of the Australia and North America Theaters. The Federal Army was merely surrounding Odessa with a large force without launching any offensive actions—weren't they just waiting for the arrival of the slaughtering Twelfth Independent Technical Division?
Furthermore, he knew the defense lines couldn't stop the assault of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division. Just like Kycilia Zabi, he had been studying this unit since it first appeared. They had analyzed every one of their battles repeatedly, and the final conclusion was... they were unstoppable.
"But they've broken through the lines! What are we supposed to use to stop them!?"
"There is no need to stop them, Prince Karma."
"What did you say!?" Karma Zabi grabbed M'Quve by the collar and questioned him. Impulsive as he was, he thought M'Quve intended to defect.
"I said, calm down, Prince Karma." M'Quve looked at Karma Zabi indifferently. With a light squeeze on Karma Zabi's wrist, the other man was forced to let go.
"Sss—" Clutching his aching wrist, Karma Zabi glared at M'Quve.
"As a commander, the first priority is to remain calm. I hope Lady Kycilia taught you that."
"You..."
"You had best remember this, Prince Karma." M'Quve leaned in close to Karma Zabi's ear and whispered, "Because you will never hear Lady Kycilia's teachings again."
"You... mmph!!??"
Karma Zabi, his mouth clamped shut, tried to pull M'Quve's hand away. But no matter how he struggled, he couldn't budge M'Quve's slender hand.
"Shh... be quiet, Prince Karma. You wouldn't want to dampen the morale of the troops, would you?"
"Mmph!!"
"Come with me, Prince Karma. Everything is within my plan."
With that, he gave a look to the guards and led Karma Zabi out of the command center. They descended an unknown number of meters via an elevator. Only after they stopped did M'Quve release Karma Zabi's mouth.
"What do you mean!? Why won't I hear my sister's teachings anymore!? What happened to her!?"
"Literally, Prince Karma. Lady Kycilia has martyred herself for the nation."
"How... how is that possible!? Didn't Sister return to the homeland to take over Brother Dozle's duties and rebuild the Space Fleet!? How could she... how could she..."
"She did not, Prince Karma," M'Quve explained in a flat tone, though if one looked closely, his fists were clenching tighter and tighter. "After returning to the homeland, Lady Kycilia did not rebuild the Space Fleet. Instead, she was assigned by the Supreme Commander to the Flanagan Institute to preside over research related to NTs."
"The Flanagan Institute... NT... research."
"Yes, Prince Karma. But unfortunately, the Federation also obtained intelligence on the Flanagan Institute. They dispatched their most powerful ace unit and destroyed the Flanagan Institute. That's right—the very unit currently descending upon us."
"Sister... she really..." Hearing that the Twelfth Independent Technical Division had personally taken action, Karma Zabi was enveloped in a shroud of despondency. He had witnessed the terror of this unit with his own eyes. They... had never failed.
"Yes, Prince Karma. Therefore, I have prepared this for them."
At that moment, the elevator doors opened. Karma Zabi looked out, his pupils shrinking.
"This... this is!"
"A hundred-kiloton nuclear bomb. This is the gift I've prepared for those devils. The most magnificent funeral prepared for Lady Kycilia!" M'Quve's aura shifted abruptly—frenzied, hideous, and terrifying.
Back then, it was Kycilia Zabi who had discovered and promoted him. When he was disheartened and wanted to leave the Zeon Army, it was Kycilia Zabi who invited him back, allowing him to exercise his talents freely and supporting him without reservation.
If the remnants of the Principality of Zeon were fanatics for the Zabi family, then M'Quve was a fanatic for Kycilia Zabi alone.
The news of Kycilia Zabi's death had not yet spread. Gihren Zabi had kept it secret to maintain the morale of the Earth Attack Force, but M'Quve had his own intelligence channels, so he knew the news a step ahead of everyone else.
When he first learned the news, he was broken and furious. He hadn't even helped Kycilia Zabi realize her ambitions yet—how could she die first!
Then, he became insane. Because he knew who Kycilia Zabi's enemies were and predicted that the Twelfth Independent Technical Division would come to Odessa, and that the Federation's main army would also attack, he prepared this gift. It was also the funeral he prepared for Kycilia Zabi—using the Twelfth Independent Technical Division and 60% of the Federation's strength to see her off.
"But... but the Antarctic Treaty..." With his sister dead, Karma Zabi was naturally grieving and angry, but seeing the nuclear bomb before him, fear was his only emotion.
"Heh, what Lady Kycilia didn't teach you, I shall teach you in her stead, Prince Karma." M'Quve withdrew his outstretched arms and turned around so Karma Zabi could see his madness clearly. "Treaties are all bullshit. A commander has only one goal, and that is to win! As long as we can win, treaties? Morality? Bottom lines? None of it matters!"
"You... M'Quve..."
"Don't worry, Prince Karma. I have no intention of perishing together with them, nor do I intend to harm you. I have arranged a Shuttle and an HLV. I will depart first by Shuttle to return to space, serving as a decoy for you. Fifteen minutes later, the HLV will launch. Who would expect the young prince of the Zabi family not to be on the luxurious Shuttle, but squeezed into a crude HLV?"
"M'Quve, you..."
"I've already set the nuclear bomb. It will detonate in one hour. By that time, it should be exactly when the defense lines collapse and the Federal Army launches their full-scale assault on the Odessa Base."
"You... you want me to escape alone? Impossible! We still have so many compatriots fighting hard. As a man of the Zabi family, how can I abandon them and escape alone!?"
"That is not for you to decide, Prince Karma." M'Quve looked at Karma Zabi with a cold face. He had never liked this pampered young master, who had nothing but hot-bloodedness and impulsiveness to his name. "Lady Kycilia told me to protect you. I will perfectly execute her final order."
"M'Quve! You—" Just as he was about to shout, Karma Zabi felt something prick his neck. He slowly lost consciousness and slumped into the guard's arms.
"Take Prince Karma to the HLV. Launch in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, sir. And you..."
"I will depart on the Shuttle."
"Yes, sir. Take care, sir."
The guard took Karma Zabi and left the underground. M'Quve gave the nuclear bomb one last stare before taking another elevator out of the underground area. He didn't head for the Shuttle immediately but returned to the command center. He still had final instructions to give; he couldn't let the pawns realize they had been abandoned. They still needed to lure the Twelfth Independent Technical Division in.
"Sir! You're back! We..."
"Don't panic! Order the units at the first and second defense lines to retreat at full speed. Reorganize our defensive strength at the third defense line. Stop the Federation at the third line!"
"Understood!"
"All scout units, take off! Master the situation fifty kilometers outside the third defense line. First-hand intelligence must be passed to the defense units. Once the enemy is spotted, immediately order the artillery units to conduct indiscriminate fire coverage for a preemptive strike!"
"Understood!"
"All aviation units, sortie! Seize Air Superiority! I will also sortie to hold the fort at the front lines personally. I'll leave this place to you."
"Yes, sir!"
The previous panic vanished instantly, and the low morale was reignited. On the battlefield, what could boost morale more than the Commander-in-Chief leading from the front?
But what they didn't know was that the moment M'Quve turned around, his spirited expression was replaced by coldness and cruelty.
"Exert your last bit of value for Lady Kycilia."
The Twelfth Independent Technical Division, which had broken through the second defense line like a hot knife through butter, halted its advance under Yang Hui's instructions.
"Colonel, Zeon has started to retreat. They should be gathering at the third defense line. Something isn't right."
"Yeah. Although we broke through the lines, the main force is still held outside. M'Quve wouldn't give up two defense lines so easily. He must have something in mind."
"Colonel, I have a familiar feeling."
"What kind of feeling?"
"It's very similar to our first mission in the North America Theater."
"You mean... luring the tiger into a trap?"
"Yeah. But it's just a feeling; I don't have evidence."
"...Amuro, Cima, follow me. Everyone else, split into groups of three and attack the third defense line from different directions. Remember, slow down your pace deliberately to create an opportunity for us to infiltrate."
"Understood!"
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