Carpentaria Base, Australia—a massive military port constructed between Arnhem Land and the Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia. Spanning a maximum width of 670 kilometers east to west and approximately 600 kilometers north to south, with water depths reaching up to 80 meters.
To avoid detection, the Aries departed from the Far East base of the East Asian Republic and cut straight across the Pacific Ocean toward Australia.
From any non-East Asian Republic perspective, the Aries appeared to be heading for the Hawaiian Islands. Consequently, the Atlantic Federation urgently dispatched diplomats and a substantial naval force to the archipelago, intending to "invite" Reid back home first.
Unfortunately, Reid made a sharp 90-degree turn mid-journey and headed straight for Australia instead. The Aries navigated while avoiding commercial vessels and, after a week, concealed itself near the now-deserted islands of Saipan and Agana (after ZAFT established Carpentaria Base, they swiftly cleared out the Atlantic Federation forces stationed there. Combined with food shortages, the entire population had perished).
It had to be said—ZAFT had a keen eye. According to reconnaissance by the Mass-produced Wing Gundams, this location was a natural site for a military port: a deep, recessed terrain with substantial water depth, flanked by natural positions for artillery emplacements.
To the front lay the large islands of former Papua New Guinea, serving as a natural barrier.
In an era where ultra-long-range missiles were entirely unusable, the location was exceptionally defensible.
Moreover, the base housed a mass driver, necessitating an overwhelming number of anti-air systems. As Reid watched the footage transmitted by the Mass-produced Wing Gundams ahead, his trypophobia kicked in—his scalp tingled with discomfort.
No wonder, in the original timeline, even when the Earth Alliance held a significant advantage on Earth's battlefields thanks to their vast numbers of Strike Daggers, the Atlantic Federation's [Operation 88] still required a massive detour—launching troops into space first, then airdropping forces into central Australia, while the entire Pacific Fleet attacked ZAFT and the Oceania Union from the sea in a pincer movement.
Yet even then, Carpentaria Base remained unconquered. The Oceania Union defended their territory, avoiding annexation by the Atlantic Federation.
Of course, after this battle, the Oceania Union's dependence on PLANT deepened. Within a year, they had essentially become PLANT's obedient lapdog on Earth.
Reid's observation of Carpentaria Base was in preparation for future conflicts with ZAFT. He couldn't stay away from Earth forever. Even if his system's base was established in the L3 colony cluster, Reid believed he needed a foothold on Earth for peace of mind.
Carpentaria Base was the only facility that remained under PLANT's control throughout both seasons and the movie (all other bases were lost by the end of the first war, hence the peace treaty clause where ZAFT retained only Carpentaria Base while relinquishing all others. However, by SEED Destiny, ZAFT had not only reclaimed most of their former strongholds but also pushed deep into Eurasian Federation territory).
After all, even PLANT couldn't escape Earth's food supply constraints—whereas Reid relied on his system. Still, as he often reminded himself: if the main quest ever failed, if the world descended into apocalypse, if the system truly abandoned him—Reid believed territory on Earth would offer far more security.
Reid's frequent reconnaissance of the Carpentaria Base proceeded remarkably smoothly. The personnel at Carpentaria remained completely unaware, never suspecting that someone would conduct high-altitude surveillance using a Mobile Suit equipped with something like the Mirage Colloid System.
In the current Earth environment, with the pervasive influence of Neutron Jammers, drones had to operate extremely close to their mothership to remain functional. Any significant distance would sever the signal, rendering the drones useless.
Thus, high-altitude drones were not a concern in the Cosmic Era's Earth environment. Similarly, various high-altitude electromagnetic detection systems were rendered ineffective.
The only viable detection methods left on Earth were primitive optical instruments and a few basic radar systems. As for satellites? Did Earth even have functioning satellites anymore? They were nothing more than chunks of scrap metal orbiting the planet. If not for the ongoing war, Earth would likely have organized a cleanup of these useless, obstructive derelicts.
However, the Oceania Union's meteorological bureau had been facing headaches lately. With many weather-monitoring devices now inoperable and the accuracy of large-scale weather radars drastically reduced, they struggled to make reliable forecasts.
Recently, sudden thermal currents had frequently appeared over Carpentaria. But since it was spring—the season when tropical cyclones typically became active around Australia—the Oceania Union repeatedly issued typhoon warnings to Carpentaria.
Yet, without fail, the skies above Carpentaria remained clear the next day, with no sign of an approaching storm.
After several such false alarms, the Carpentaria Base began ignoring the Oceania Union's unreliable weather forecasts altogether.
The meteorologists, being civilians rather than military personnel, paid little attention to these anomalies. After all, with the world at war, environmental and climatic concerns took a backseat.
For ZAFT forces stationed at Carpentaria, locating the Archangel—which had just broken through the Strait of Malacca—was the top priority. The Archangel had already sustained damage in previous battles, making this the perfect time to press the advantage.
As a result, Carpentaria's DINN patrols kept only a minimal presence around the base, while the rest flew daily sorties into the territory of the Equatorial Union.
The Equatorial Union was a minor player in the war, but ZAFT's indiscriminate deployment of Neutron Jammers had hit them hard. Rural and coastal areas fared slightly better, but some inland cities, heavily reliant on external food supplies, faced devastating conditions—some even reduced to near-desolation.
Though the Equatorial Union couldn't openly defy ZAFT—allowing DINN units to fly over their anti-aircraft-free airspace and ZAFT ships to navigate their waters—they were willing to aid any force opposing ZAFT.
The Archangel was naturally one such beneficiary. In theory, after passing through the Strait of Malacca, the ship would have been easily spotted among the numerous islands—unless ZAFT had good local relations.
But the Equatorial Union actively helped conceal the Archangel's movements, turning the archipelago into a maze of false leads. Despite the Archangel's damaged state and inability to conduct repairs, ZAFT failed to locate it.
Unfortunately, the Equatorial Union itself was on the brink of collapse, unable to provide repairs or supplies. Otherwise, the Archangel might have emerged from their territory in peak condition.
In the end, the Archangel successfully navigated past the Philippines via the Strait of Malacca and entered the Pacific.
Reid calculated the days and directly left Saipan and Agana on the 20th, then disappeared into the depths of the Pacific to observe the situation near Orb's waters adjacent to the Oceania Union.
The Archangel was punctual as always. On the 22nd, Xia Yulan's routine patrol in the mass-produced Wing Gundam detected traces of the Archangel. By the 23rd, the Archangel, now stripped of the protection of numerous islands, was discovered by ZAFT.
That afternoon, Reid personally piloted the Mystic Lightning, hiding at high altitude to watch the spectacle below—the four elites cooperating with Guerrilla forces to besiege the Archangel.
Yes, in the original plot, only Athrun, Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol were involved in the assault on the Archangel.
But reality couldn't possibly play out like that. The Aegis, Duel (Corpse Armor version), Blitz, and Buster all relied on Guel support for atmospheric flight, their mobility and speed far inferior to the DINN. Their operational range from the mothership was even worse than the Guerrilla units in the water.
Thus, the four mobile suits—Aegis, Duel, Blitz, and Buster—had to be transported by underwater motherships, and the Guerrilla units deployed the same way naturally arrived as well.
With the Carpentaria Base right nearby, unless the base commander's entire family was made of steel, there was no way they'd let the four elite pilots charge in alone against the Archangel, which had already taken down the North African commander. (After Nicol's death, ZAFT mobilized nearly all available forces in the next battle. At the time, they were in the deployment phase of the Ouroboros Plan and truly had no extra troops to support Athrun and the others.)
In Reid's eyes, the Archangel was in dire straits. After he took the Green Astray, Mu had no choice but to continue piloting the Union Flag, which by now was battered and barely functional after the journey through the Strait of Malacca without repairs. Clearly, the Archangel was running low on spare parts.
Moreover, the Union Flag was primarily equipped with ballistic weapons, putting it at a severe disadvantage against the four G Weapons. It could only circle beneath the Archangel, picking off Guerrilla units that surfaced to fire missiles.
As for the Archangel itself, it not only had to deploy anti-air barrages against aerial attacks but also keep the Valiant Electromagnetic Cannon trained on the water's surface. A single Union Flag couldn't cover the entire underside of the ship, so additional firepower was essential.
Fortunately, after all the battles along the way, Kira had finally matured. Piloting the Aile Strike, he held his own against four mobile suits of the same caliber.
Of course, part of the reason was that only two of the four G Weapons could perform at full capacity. The Aile Strike was also inherently better suited for aerial combat than the other four.
The Aegis Gundam was severely handicapped on Earth—its Scylla Energy Cannon was useless, it couldn't transform freely, and its high-speed assault capabilities were halved.
The Blitz Gundam fared even worse. What good could a stealth-less assassin do in a head-on fight against heavy-armored warriors? Nicol's piloting skills were already subpar, leaving the Blitz to provide long-range support with its beam rifle and little else.
In contrast, the Buster and the Corpse Armor Duel Gundam were relatively better adapted to Earth's combat environment. Their armaments were largely unaffected, especially the Buster. On Earth, even with a god-tier helmsman, the Archangel's evasion capabilities and maneuvering space were severely limited, allowing the Buster to unleash its firepower endlessly.
However, Athrun and the others had learned their lesson. They no longer focused on taking down the Strike before targeting the Archangel. Instead, the Aegis and Blitz worked to tie up the Strike, while the Corpse Armor Duel and Buster poured their firepower directly into the Archangel.
This decision was correct. In the vast expanse of the ocean, as long as the Archangel sank, the Strike wouldn't even need to fight—it would just have to stall for a while before running out of power and plunging into the sea.
So Reid watched as the Archangel went from lightly damaged to moderately damaged, its laminated armor barely holding together, smoke billowing from multiple sections of the hull.
At that moment, Reid noticed the Strike's movements suddenly change. In moments of crisis, the mobile suit's reaction speed and attack accuracy seemed almost cheat-like.
First, it seized an opportunity to shoot down the Duel's Guel with a single shot, sending it crashing into the sea and rendering it combat ineffective.
Then, it outright discarded its beam rifle, maxed out its thrusters, and rammed straight into the Blitz, knocking it off its Guel before driving a sword through the Blitz's Guel and destroying it.
Next, facing the Aegis' counterattack, the Strike continuously adjusted its position mid-air while leaping back onto the Archangel's deck, narrowly dodging every shot Athrun aimed at its limbs. Upon landing, it picked up its beam rifle and resumed firing.
Seeing this, Reid knew Kira's SEED had fully awakened. In this state, a person's neural processing speed skyrocketed instantly, and their physical capabilities were pushed to the limit. Even a Natural, once their SEED activated, could surpass a Coordinator in physical prowess.
If Newtypes relied on precognition in battle, SEED awakeners fought purely on reaction speed.
In actual combat, neither ability was inherently superior—it simply came down to whether enhanced reflexes could offset the advantage of predicting an opponent's attacks and evasions.
Of course, if a Newtype had a psychoframe, it was like equipping a signature weapon. As of now, SEED holders didn't seem to have anything equivalent. At this stage, SEED would fall completely behind Newtypes.
But Kira's efforts still couldn't turn the tide. The Archangel could be shot down at any moment.
By now, the battle had reached Orb's territorial waters.
Reid had spotted the Archangel a full day in advance. Given Orb's constant surveillance of the ship—and with Cagalli aboard, along with her bodyguard Ledonir Kisaka providing updates—it was no surprise Orb had long known the Archangel would pass through here.
Thus, the Orb Navy had been lying in wait, ready to put on a show for ZAFT once the Archangel drew near.
The appearance of the Orb Navy diverted both sides' attention.
Seizing the opportunity, Kira found an opening in the Buster's defenses and shot down its Guel, sending it to join the Duel at the bottom of the sea.
But Dearka clearly had no intention of taking a dip. As he fell, he maxed out his engines, buying just enough time to stay airborne. Then, combining his weapons into a 350mm anti-armor shotgun, he fired a devastating shot straight into the Archangel's engines.
Half of the Archangel's propulsion was instantly crippled, leaving it powerless as it plummeted into Orb's territorial waters.
What followed was pure theater. Cagalli's broadcasted self-revelation, demanding the Orb Navy stand down, made Reid shake his head inside his cockpit. This girl was far too naive—no wonder she nearly got swindled by the Seiran family two years later, almost sacrificing her marital happiness.
Fortunately, the Orb Navy commander was professional and quick to react. Sternly rejecting Cagalli's unreasonable demand, he opened fire on the Archangel as it crashed into their waters and promptly dispersed ZAFT's forces.
However, as long as Athrun wasn't blind, he could clearly see that Orb wasn't actually attacking the Archangel. All the shells were landing in the sea around the ship, creating massive water columns to give the appearance of full-scale bombardment.
But now Athrun had no choice but to retreat. Commander Creuset's actions in Heliopolis, which dragged the New Misurugi Republic into the conflict, had earned him a severe reprimand from the council. Athrun had attended that meeting as an observer.
Therefore, Athrun couldn't possibly pursue the Archangel into Orb's territory. The captain of the accompanying Voskugorov-class Submersible Carrier also lacked Creuset's audacity—without direct orders, he wouldn't dare attack a neutral nation.
Thus, ZAFT had no choice but to withdraw, lurking just outside Orb's territorial waters to observe the situation.
Seeing this, Reid returned to his ship—it was time for his own performance.
Two hours later, Reid ordered the Aries to boldly sail into the same waters where the Archangel had entered Orb, deliberately firing a few signal flares toward Orb's territorial waters right in front of ZAFT's ships.
The poor Orb Navy had just returned to port and barely had time to rest before receiving an urgent military order to turn back to the waters they had just left. This time, it wasn't an act—the New Misurugi Republic's intelligence vessel had arrived at their borders without any prior notice. This could easily be interpreted as a provocation, and it wasn't impossible for the situation to escalate into an act of war.
Thus, the Orb Navy quickly mobilized and returned to the area in full combat readiness.
However, Reid now acted like a spoiled young master making a grand entrance, broadcasting on all frequencies:
"Orb Navy, I have been personally invit
ed by Lady Rondo Mina Sahaku, the young mistress of the Sahaku family—one of Orb's Five Great Noble Houses—to visit Orb. Hurry up and bring her here to receive me! As for the rest of you, don't bother—I won't acknowledge anyone else!
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