The muted hum of the Musai's life support system was a constant presence in the background, a steady pulse beneath the taut atmosphere of the command ship. Char Aznable stood before the holoprojector, his crimson uniform a sharp contrast against the cold steel of the briefing room. The rotating three-dimensional model of Side 7 hovered midair — a sprawling cylinder of metal, lights flickering like distant stars.
His gaze swept the room, meeting the eyes of the assembled officers. Each man and woman was a veteran of countless skirmishes, yet none could match the aura of calm and deadly precision that Char projected. They knew the stakes. Operation V was no ordinary reconnaissance — it was a mission that could tip the scales of war.
"Intelligence from Zeon Command has confirmed suspicious activity on Side 7," Char began, voice low but steady. "High energy signatures consistent with advanced mobile suit development. Federation security has tightened, but their resources are stretched thin."
The holoprojector zoomed in, revealing the labyrinthine industrial bays where the prototypes were believed to be assembled. Char's finger traced a path toward the outer perimeter.
"Our objective is simple: infiltrate the colony, confirm the existence of these mobile suits, and capture clear photographic evidence."
He paused, locking eyes with the lead pilot seated among the group.
"Lieutenant Slender, you will lead the infiltration. Your Zaku's sensor suite has been optimized for stealth operations. Gene and Cooks will flank you — rely on their support."
Slender, a lean man with sharp features and eyes honed by years of combat, nodded crisply.
"We understand, Commander."
Char's voice took on a sharper edge. "Under no circumstances engage unless absolutely necessary. This is a reconnaissance mission. We cannot afford to risk alerting the Federation."
The room was silent, the weight of the order settling like a stone.
"Prepare your machines. We launch in fifteen."
---
The hangar bay was a cavernous expanse bathed in artificial light, the air thick with the scent of lubricants and charged electronics. Three Zaku IIs stood poised — their bulky green frames masked by Minovsky particle cloaks, ready to slip through enemy sensors like ghosts.
Slender settled into his cockpit with practiced ease, the faint hiss of the hatch sealing behind him a familiar comfort. The other two pilots followed suit, and soon the trio was suspended in the launch tubes, waiting.
"Musai to Zaku squadron, status check," came Char's voice over the comm.
"All systems nominal, Commander," Slender responded, his voice calm but taut.
"Good. Remember your orders. Eyes open, weapons cold. Proceed on my mark."
The hum of the launch sequence built steadily, a low crescendo that vibrated through the bones.
"Mark," Char commanded.
The hangar bay doors groaned open. The Zaku IIs slipped forward, propelled by short bursts of vernier thrusters, drifting silently into the void.
Outside, the sprawling silhouette of Side 7 expanded beneath them, its rotating structure gleaming coldly. The pilots maneuvered carefully, weaving through sensor blind spots and exploiting the colony's shadowed recesses.
"Entering outer perimeter," Slender reported, voice steady. "Sensors picking up multiple energy signatures consistent with mobile suit activity. Proceeding with caution."
Gene's voice came softly, "Visual contact on hangar bay six. Three large units inside."
Cooks added, "Security presence minimal, but tight around assembly lines. No hostile patrols detected."
Char's heart tightened with anticipation, but he kept his tone measured.
"Maintain formation. Prioritize stealth."
The Zaku trio drifted closer, the first real glimpse of Operation V looming ahead.
The silence shattered like glass the moment the Federation's hangar bay erupted into frantic activity. The three Zaku scouts — Slender, Gene, and Cooks — had just gotten their first clear visuals of the Federation's "Prototype" mobile suits, and tension crackled in the comm channel like electricity.
"Commander, we've got eyes on the target," Slender reported, voice taut but controlled. "Three large units in the assembly bay — one sleek and white, the others bulky but heavily armed."
"Roger that," Char's voice came calm but firm. "Hold position and observe."
But something was off.
Gene's voice, sharp and sudden, cut through the chatter. "That white unit's powering up. It's activating without orders!"
Slender's tone shifted immediately. "Gene, hold fire! Do not engage unless fired upon!"
"Too late," came Gene's harsh reply. "It's moving!"
The Gundam's eyes flared to life, twin green sensors blazing through the hangar gloom. Its thrusters ignited with a burst, the whole machine shifting with a lethal grace that defied its size.
"Engage!" Char commanded, voice hardening. "Protect the mission at all costs!"
The Zakus sprang into motion, but the unexpected was already unfolding. The Gundam's beam saber ignited with a crackling hiss of energy — a weapon unlike anything the Zeon pilots had seen before.
Gene's Zaku advanced first, firing a barrage of machine gun rounds that ricocheted harmlessly off the Gundam's armor. With a swift, precise stroke, the Gundam's beam saber sliced through the Zaku's arm, severing the weapon and sending the pilot spinning out of control.
"Gene down!" Cooks reported, urgency rising. "It's faster than expected!"
Slender engaged, attempting to flank the Gundam, but the prototype anticipated his movement with uncanny precision. A single swipe of the beam saber tore through Slender's shoulder armor, forcing him to retreat with a cascade of warning alarms blaring in his cockpit.
"Commander, two Zaku down!" Slender's voice was strained, desperate. "We're taking heavy damage!"
From the Musai's bridge, Char's fists clenched, the cold calculation sharpening in his eyes.
"Withdraw immediately," he ordered. "Preserve what remains. The intelligence gathered is worth more than lost machines."
Meanwhile, in the chaos below, a stray blast from one of the Zaku's weapon systems detonated an industrial structure. A nearby block erupted into flames — unbeknownst to anyone, this was where Selene von Zehrtfeld was covertly observing Operation V from her hidden post.
The explosion sent shockwaves through the colony's corridors, forcing an abrupt evacuation of her position. Selene vanished into the smoke and chaos, her fate unknown to Zeon command.
Back in the hangar, the Gundam moved with lethal elegance, cutting down the remaining Zaku with sweeping arcs of its beam saber. The final Zaku, piloted by Cooks, barely managed to limp away, retreating with severe damage.
Char watched the footage replay on the Musai's screens, analyzing every detail. The Gundam was not only faster but more agile and heavily armed with energy weapons that rendered Zeon's conventional arms nearly obsolete.
"This changes everything," he muttered, voice heavy with the weight of realization.
He immediately drafted a concise, urgent report to Dozle Zabi:
"Federation prototype mobile suit 'Gundam' confirmed. Superior mobility and weaponry observed. Zeon's current arsenal insufficient to counter. Recommend accelerated development of countermeasures. Operation V's success jeopardizes Zeon's battlefield dominance."
As evening settled across the Musai, Char sat alone in the dim glow of the command deck. The battle had been a tactical failure but a strategic revelation.
If the Federation can mass-produce machines like this… Char thought grimly, Zeon's supremacy will soon be history.