The ground shook with every impact as the Federation pressed forward. Jungle trees snapped like twigs under the barrage of GM squads, their rifles stitching the Zeon lines with fire. The smell of scorched earth filled the air, thick and suffocating.
Inside her cockpit, Tanya von Zehrtfeld gritted her teeth. Her Gouf Flight Type lurched with each evasive maneuver, but she never lost control. The Federation's momentum was dangerous. If they broke through the perimeter, the Apsalus Project would be exposed.
"Mila, status!" Tanya's voice cut through the din of overlapping comms.
"Still holding! Richter nearly got himself clipped, but we're keeping them back!" Mila snapped, her Dom blasting apart a GM's shield. "We can't keep this up forever, Commander."
"I'm fine!" Richter insisted, though the nervous edge in his tone betrayed his inexperience. His Zaku sprayed fire wildly, a round finding its mark in a GM's visor. "See? Got one!"
Zhou Wei's voice was cold, sharp as a blade. "Your luck won't last, rookie. Stay behind me if you want to live." His Dom crashed forward, smashing another GM aside with brutal force.
Ahead of them, Amuro's Gundam advanced like a phantom, its movements sharp, precise, unstoppable. One Zaku fell, then another, each cut cleanly by the beam saber. Athrun's Ground Gundam kept pace, its blade intercepting Mila's strike with mechanical grace.
Overhead, Lockon Stratos in his Guncannon provided covering fire, shelling Zeon positions whenever they tried to regroup. His aim was sharp, unyielding. Every shot forced Zeon pilots deeper into cover.
"Damn them," Tanya muttered. The Federation was tightening the net around them. Then a warning light flashed across her console.
"Energy spike!" Juno's voice shouted through the comms. "It's massive!"
The ground split with a scream of power. The Apsalus cannon came to life, its core glowing with unholy brilliance.
"No…" Tanya's eyes widened.
The weapon fired. A blazing beam tore across the battlefield, erasing two full GM squads in a heartbeat. Trees evaporated, earth turned molten, and Federation pilots vanished in screams cut short.
But the devastation didn't end there. The shockwave tore into Zeon lines as well. Zaku after Zaku disintegrated, their pilots' cries filling the comms before falling silent forever.
Tanya slammed her fist against her console. "Damn it, Ginias! That was our own men!"
On the command channel, Ginias' manic laughter blared. "Do you see? The Federation cannot stand against my masterpiece! The future belongs to Zeon!"
"Glory?" Tanya spat. "You're nothing but a butcher!"
Federation pilots reeled, their formation crumbling under the sudden annihilation. White Base staggered, systems sparking as the shockwave rolled over it.
On the bridge, Bright held tight to his chair. "Report!"
"Multiple systems hit! Hull integrity compromised!" his crew cried.
Before anyone could regain footing, another blow fell.
"Enemy contact from the rear!"
Ramba Ral and his squad stormed from the jungle shadows, striking like a hammer against the Federation's command unit. His Gouf cleaved through a GM with brutal precision. Command officers screamed as their units were gutted in seconds. Coordination collapsed instantly.
Ral's booming voice echoed across the open frequency. "Federation cowards! Face a true warrior!"
From the ridge, Lockon steadied his Guncannon, lining his sights. Heavy shells ripped across the battlefield, pinning Ral's squad down.
"That old warrior…" Lockon muttered, narrowing his eyes. "He fights like someone half his age." His hands tightened on the triggers. "I'm not in my Gundam anymore… but I can still hit where it counts."
Explosions erupted around Ral's Gouf, forcing the veteran to weave between them. Ral only laughed. "Fine shooting! You'll have to do better than that!"
Mila seized the opening, her Dom's bazooka firing on Athrun's Ground Gundam.
"Keep pressure on him!" she shouted.
Athrun countered with his shield, sparks flying as the impact rocked his machine. "You won't break me that easily!"
"Richter, flank him!" Zhou Wei barked.
"I'm on it!" Richter replied, swinging his Zaku around, though his motions were still raw. He locked blades with Athrun, grunting as his weapon strained against the Gundam's power.
"Reckless!" Athrun snapped, shoving him back.
But Zhou Wei slammed into Athrun from behind, his Dom's melee weapon crashing down. Athrun barely twisted away, sparks spraying across the jungle.
Elsewhere, Norris Packard's Gouf Custom carved through GM after GM. His voice was calm, collected, even amidst the chaos. "Commander Tanya, leave this flank to me."
"You're overextending, Norris!" Tanya warned.
"This is my duty," Norris replied evenly. "A knight shields those entrusted to him." His Gouf Custom surged forward, hammering at White Base's defenses.
On White Base's bridge, alarms screamed. Bright clenched his jaw. "If he breaches the hull, we're finished! Keep him back!"
Lockon swung his cannons again, shells bursting around Norris, but even he couldn't cover every angle. "Damn it, too many targets!"
The battlefield dissolved into chaos. Amidst it all, the Apsalus charged again, its cannon glowing with unbearable light.
Tanya's sensors flared. "Not another shot!" she growled, kicking her thrusters into overdrive. "That thing will wipe us all out."
But another presence drew her eyes—a white silhouette advancing through the firestorm. Amuro Ray.
"There you are," Tanya whispered. Her lips curved into a feral grin.
"Commander, wait—!" Mila tried to cut in, but Tanya muted her comm.
She rocketed forward, the Gouf Flight Type's thrusters screaming. The Gundam turned toward her, its beam saber igniting.
"Another Gouf?" Amuro muttered, his grip tightening on the controls.
"Not just another," Tanya's cold voice cut across open comms. "I'll show you what Zeon's fangs look like."
Their blades met in a shower of sparks. Tanya's heat sword moved with brutal speed, boosted by her thrusters. Amuro parried with the Gundam's saber, his reactions precise, almost inhuman.
Around them, Mila and her squad clashed with Athrun, Dom weapons hammering against Gundam steel. Norris' Gouf Custom battered White Base, while Lockon's cannons thundered in desperate support.
The Apsalus loomed, its weapon charging, the battlefield teetering on the edge of annihilation.
But all of it—the noise, the chaos, the madness—faded for Tanya. Her world narrowed to the duel. Gouf against Gundam. Soldier against prodigy.
Tanya snarled, driving her blade down with fury. "Show me if you're worth the legend they whisper about, Amuro Ray!"
Amuro's eyes narrowed, sweat dripping down his brow. His voice came back steady, resolute. "Then come and find out."
The two machines collided again, locked in a violent dance of fire and steel, as the fate of the battlefield hung in the balance.