Reid's battle against the Titans had turned from a defensive fight into a war of annihilation, but Haman's war against the AEUG was one where she was being pushed back, to the point of being encircled.
The Black Tri-Stars led a group of howling Neo Zeon High Zack grunts to mop up the remaining Titans forces. As Reid prepared to assault the enemy warships, he could hear the comms chatter from the Gwadan:
"Fifth Unit, your anti-air fire is blocking us!"
"Seventh Unit's Mobile Suits can't launch—the ship's catapult is malfunctioning! The front unit crashed on the deck, and now the whole line is jammed!"
"The formation gaps are too wide! Enemy Mobile Suits are slipping right through!"
Listening to this, Reid could easily imagine the chaos over there. The Neo Zeon rookies were probably facing a fleet battle with dozens of warships for the first time, acting completely amateurish—no tactics, no skill. The only reason they hadn't collapsed yet was that Haman had thrown everything she had into this fight.
Meanwhile, the AEUG had left a significant portion of their forces to defend the lunar city of Granada, with only around thirty ships, led by the Argama, joining the battle. However, these ships had been worn down by continuous battles against the Titans and hadn't received any reinforcements, so in terms of Mobile Suit numbers, Neo Zeon still held the advantage over the AEUG.
This was the only reason these Neo Zeon rookies hadn't been instantly wiped out—the AEUG simply didn't have enough Mobile Suits to deploy.
That said, the surviving AEUG Mobile Suit pilots were all veterans who had lived through at least three major battles, and they had the Gundam Team leading the charge. It was only a matter of time before Neo Zeon's forces collapsed.
Still, Reid had no intention of bailing Haman out. Before the battle, Tem Ray and Kid Salsamille, who had been providing technical support to Neo Zeon, had already been retrieved by the Aries. During this time, Reid had also arranged for someone to send Amuro a Haro (the address had been obtained by Tem Ray from Bright Noa back before Haman turned hostile).
The data Reid had promised Tem Ray, along with his handwritten letter, was hidden inside a small encrypted box within the Haro. This was a little invention Tem Ray had taught Amuro during his childhood as part of his mechanical education—in theory, only the two of them knew how to open it without damaging the contents.
As a result, Tem Ray's loyalty had now surpassed 70, and during his work overseeing the repairs on the Colony Laser, he had successfully obtained all its technical data.
In truth, Reid had never planned to hold onto the Gryps II Colony Laser. If Haman didn't lose here, how else would she become more dependent on him?
If Neo Zeon didn't withdraw from the Colony Laser, how else could he ensure the AEUG and Titans would fight to the death?
After all, the Titans still had Paptimus Scirocco waiting in the wings, watching the tigers fight from the mountain. Reid needed to conserve some strength to deal with him.
So, over the comms, Reid issued an order that was undeniably correct:
"All units, eliminate the enemy Mobile Suits quickly! We must crush the Titans fleet before us, or the rookies in the rear won't hold out!"
Reid's command was met with enthusiastic support from all the Neo Zeon soldiers on his side. They howled over the comms as they charged toward the Titans fleet, completely unaware that, in Reid's eyes, they were just as green as the ones they were trying to save.
However, these rookies were at least competent enough to provide covering fire, so Reid had no intention of using these Neo Zeon soldiers as cannon fodder.
Thus, Reid took the lead in his Mystic Lightning, charging forward. There was no need for stealth against these ships—with Neo Zeon soldiers swarming in, the ships' machine gun defenses would be fully active. Getting clipped by a stray shot and being exposed would be rather embarrassing.
Of course, the Titans wouldn't just sit back and take it. The forces originally prepared for the second wave of attacks quickly shifted to defensive positions, engaging in fleet defense.
Still, under the overwhelming assault of Reid's seven high-performance Mobile Suits, the Titans' first fleet was swiftly annihilated like chopping vegetables.
But before Reid could reassess the battlefield, a frenzied consciousness suddenly erupted across the battlefield—a woman's voice, projecting a simple message:
"For my brother, all of you must die!!"
The moment Reid sensed this presence, several thick orange MEGA Particle Beams, each at the caliber of a ship's cannon, swept through the Neo Zeon forces he had brought. In an instant, a third of the High Zack units were obliterated.
At the same time, Reid spotted the attacking Mobile Suit. Emerging slowly from behind the Titans' central fleet was a massive purple MS—the MRX-010 Psycho Gundam Mk-II.
Well, seeing this machine and hearing the psychic scream about "for my brother," Reid immediately knew who had arrived.
A pitiful Cyber-Newtype—a test subject from the Earth Federation Forces' Augusta Laboratory—Rosamia Badam.
Due to mental conditioning during her enhancement process, her emotions were often unstable. She had undergone multiple memory wipes, only to recall her past again and again. After several cycles, calling her "schizophrenic" would be an understatement—outbursts were routine for her.
That said, while Rosamia Badam could undoubtedly be classified as mentally ill, her combat prowess in the Psycho Gundam Mk-II was undeniable.
The Psycho Gundam Mk-II was a walking slaughterhouse, bristling with cannons, clad in heavy armor, and equipped with Intelligent Beam Reflectors covering its entire body (though many games give it an I-Field, official settings confirm it doesn't have one—in the original story, Rosamia even used her hand beam to deliberately blast off her own leg. The poor beam effectiveness in the plot was due to hits being deflected by these reflectors). Even elite aces found this machine a nightmare to deal with.
But Reid's side wasn't lacking in elite aces. While this machine could bully grunts, both the Mystic Lightning and the Immortal Aegis could easily handle it. Even if they sent the Wing Gundam or NT-X from the rear, it would just take a bit more time. Of course, the Black Tri-Stars would need all three members to engage.
However, just as Reid prepared to personally take down the Psycho Gundam Mk-II and capture it—
A distress call came from the Neo Zeon forces guarding the Colony Laser. The captain of the Gwadan, a die-hard loyalist to Haman, urgently reported:
"Colonel Reid, the AEUG's Zeta Gundam has led a Gundam Team through our defenses. Lady Haman has already sortied. Losing the frontline to so many enemies is humiliating, but we must request your immediate assistance!"
Upon hearing this, Reid glanced back at the battle situation near the Gwadan. He noticed that the AEUG fleet had suffered minimal losses, while Neo Zeon's defensive line had already been breached by the Zeta Gundam. Currently, the Qubeley was leading its forces in a desperate attempt to hold back the Gundam Team.
Realizing the urgency, Reid made a decisive call—he couldn't allow the AEUG to seize the Colony Laser too easily. Moreover, if Neo Zeon retreated now, it would likely turn into a rout, which would be disastrous for future battles.
Without hesitation, Reid responded to the Gwadan's captain:
"Understood. I'll find a way to force the AEUG to recall the Zeta Gundam and their frontline units. Even if you have to block beams with your own head, hold out until reinforcements arrive!"
The captain of the Gwadan immediately assured him:
"Yes! I'll hold out until you arrive."
After ending the communication, Reid switched to his team's internal channel and issued orders:
"All High Zacks, fall back for now. Ange, go distract that big guy, but don't destroy it—I still have a use for it.
"Une, I'll be heading to support the AEUG's battlefield shortly. Once I'm gone, you'll take command here. Focus on whittling down the enemy's forces—no reckless advances. If their main fleet pushes forward, don't stubbornly hold the line. Retreat if necessary."
With that, Reid maneuvered the Mystic Lightning behind the wreckage of a relatively intact warship and activated the Mirage Colloid System to cloak himself.
His current stealth wasn't for ambushing the Psycho Gundam Mk-II—instead, he intended to locate the person controlling Rosamia Badam.
Reid planned to play a game of "setting a wolf against a tiger," sending Rosamia Badam to wreak havoc among the AEUG fleet. To achieve this, he needed her to chase him relentlessly, regardless of consequences.
The simplest and most effective way to accomplish this was to eliminate the "older brother" currently controlling Rosamia Badam.
If Reid remembered correctly, this "brother" couldn't stray too far from Rosamia Badam, especially in a battlefield saturated with Minovsky Particles. Moreover, his Mobile Suit was easily identifiable—a gray-painted NRX-055 Hound.
Soon, as Ange lured the Psycho Gundam Mk-II into firing wildly, Reid spotted the Hound transformed into MA Mode lurking in the rear.
Stealthily closing in, Reid knew the Hound's pilot wasn't a Newtype but an enhanced human from the Augusta Research Institute. His enhancements were relatively minor—his mental strength surpassed that of an ordinary person, but he lacked the supernatural abilities of a Newtype. His only function was a one-sided mental link with Rosamia Badam, who piloted the Psycho Gundam. The upside was that he was controllable, now serving as a Titans pilot.
To ensure Rosamia Badam would see who killed her "brother," Reid decloaked behind a battlefield wreck and charged straight at the Hound.
His bold approach naturally caught the Hound's attention. Its pilot, Gates Kappa, instinctively fired a Scattering Mega Particle Cannon to halt the Mystic Lightning's advance.
But this time, Reid was determined to finish the job.
Facing the Scattering Mega Particle Cannon, Reid activated the Lambda Driver at full power, generating a Beam Warping Field. The beams from the Scattering Mega Particle Cannon were all deflected and bent away into the empty void.
Gates Kappa was clearly stunned by this sight. Then, without hesitation, Reid closed in and swung his Heat Blade, cleanly slicing the Hound in MA Mode in half, causing it to explode into two bursts of fireworks behind him.
Rosamia Badam's consciousness was linked to the pilot of this Hound. The moment it was ambushed, she sensed it immediately and turned back to save her "brother."
Then, she witnessed the scene that shattered her heart—her "brother" was dead...
After less than a second of stunned silence, Rosamia Badam's agonized scream, carried by her psychic waves, echoed across the battlefield:
"AHHH!!! Brother, my brother!!! That black-and-gold Mobile Suit!!! I'll kill you!!!!!"
Rosamia Badam roared, completely losing control. The Psycho Gundam Mk-II's weapons indiscriminately fired in all directions as it charged toward the Mystic Lightning.
Reid had achieved his goal. Staying just outside the range of the Psycho Gundam Mk-II's numerous 6.3MW-rated MEGA Particle Cannons, he lured it forward.
At this point, only the Psycho Gundam Mk-II's chest-mounted 3-Tube Scattering Mega Beam Cannons (with a combined rated output of 32.1MW) could reach Reid. However, three cannons—and scattering-type ones at that—posed no threat to him at all.
Reid even had the spare focus to dodge missiles fired by the AEUG.
The Mystic Lightning's actions made its intentions obvious to the AEUG fleet—if they weren't fools.
But most of the AEUG's Mobile Suits had already been deployed to the frontlines, leaving only a handful in the rear. So when Reid saw just five Reams sortie to intercept him, he couldn't help but smirk.
Effortlessly evading the grunts' attacks, Reid ignored them entirely, breaking through the defensive line and charging straight for the AEUG fleet.
Rosamia Badam was now beyond distinguishing friend from foe. The moment she saw Mobile Suits blocking her path, she obliterated them without hesitation. The five Reams didn't even get a chance to fight back.
Once Reid reached the AEUG fleet, he deliberately drew missile fire, then shot them down with his head-mounted Vulcan Guns. Using the explosions as cover, he slipped beneath a warship and activated the Mirage Colloid System.
Seeing the black-and-gold Mobile Suit that had killed her "brother" vanish, Rosamia Badam immediately assumed it had hidden inside one of the fleet's ships. She screamed:
"Come out, you murderer of my brother!!!"
Still roaring, she blasted the nearest AEUG ship to pieces with her 3-Tube Scattering Mega Beam Cannons.
Without pause, she rushed to another ship and smashed its bridge with a single punch.
At this point, no matter how wronged the AEUG fleet felt, they had no choice but to retaliate—after all, this was a Titans' Mobile Suit, an enemy by default.
But the Psycho Gundam Mk-II was far stronger than they had imagined. Anti-aircraft guns barely scratched its thick armor, and missiles were shot down by its beams.
As for beam cannon fire, Rosamia Badam knew better than to take such attacks head-on. Her current rampage was driven by vengeance, so she maneuvered the Psycho Gundam Mk-II to evade the lethal ship-based beam attacks.
Now that the Psycho Gundam Mk-II had already charged into the fleet, the other AEUG ships were hesitant to fire for fear of hitting their own allies. Only a handful of vessels even had a clear angle to target the Psycho Gundam Mk-II.
The Psycho Gundam Mk-II wreaked havoc within the AEUG fleet. As the overall commander, Captain Bright couldn't just stand by and watch his forces be torn apart by this monstrosity. He issued orders:
"Recall the Mobile Suit units for defense. The Gundam Team will engage this thing directly. All ships, activate auto-cannons and try to locate the 'Ghost.'" (During the A Baoa Qu Fortress battle, Bright had witnessed Titans ships mysteriously exploding and had a rough idea that Reid's unit was responsible—though he wasn't sure which Mobile Suit it was, hence the codename "Ghost." Coincidentally, the Titans also referred to the Mystic Lightning as "Ghost.")
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