The Drake-class Frigate, with a total length of 130 meters, is currently one of the mainstay ship types among the three major powers of the Allied Forces.
At first glance, its size seems impressive, but as a frigate, it suffers from weak armor and firepower.
There's no helping it—originally designed based on the tactical strategies of its time, the Drake-class was primarily intended for anti-aircraft purposes.
Thus, ships built for this purpose found themselves in a dire situation during ZAFT's military technological revolution, reduced to relying solely on their onboard torpedoes for effective combat.
Moreover, due to its initial design limitations, subsequent upgrade plans by the Allied Forces could only resort to securing MS units to the deck with steel cables.
This alone speaks volumes about how cramped the internal hangar space for Moebius units must be.
And compared to ZAFT's current mainstay weapon, the MS GINN, the Moebius units produced by the Allied Forces—
"Are nothing more than stopgap measures, disposable tools meant to buy time for the Allied Forces' headquarters to update their arsenal."
Wang Hu, seated in the cockpit of his Moebius, gripped the control stick and muttered coldly.
This wasn't meant to disparage the Moebius—it was simply the truth.
Currently, the only unit in the Allied Forces' space arsenal capable of standing toe-to-toe with ZAFT's MS GINN is the upgraded Moebius Zero.
But the Moebius Zero, equipped with four wire-guided missile pods, demands an exceptionally high level of piloting skill—particularly superior spatial awareness.
Across the entire Allied Forces, only a dozen or so pilots meet this requirement.
"And even among these so-called elites..."
As the magnetic catapult launched his Moebius from the Kangji, the force pressing him into his seat brought an unreadable smirk to Wang Hu's face beneath his helmet.
"...the quality is inconsistent at best. Even the so-called Third Fleet they were assigned to was utterly crushed by the Coordinators in the previous battle at the lunar Endymion Crater."
"Only Mu, due to political necessity and his actual achievement of downing five GINN units, earned the title 'Eagle of Endymion.'"
"The Allied Forces have no other notable victories to speak of!"
Muttering to himself, Wang Hu swiftly maneuvered his craft to join his squadron.
Their formation consisted of one Nelson-class Cruiser supported by three Drake-class Frigates.
On the surface, they appeared formidable as they advanced toward ZAFT's Laurasia-class Cruiser—but the reality of their prospects remained uncertain.
On paper, it was four ships against one. In terms of mobile weapons, a Coordinator warship could carry a maximum of six MS units.
Wang Hu glanced back casually—their Moebius units outnumbered the enemy several times over.
As a certain historical figure once said, "The advantage is ours."
But—
"Damn it! Li Hongxin's been shot down!"
"Shut up! Hu Chaoxuan's gone too!"
The moment they engaged the enemy, the comms in Wang Hu's Moebius erupted with panicked shouts from his comrades.
A grand opening—just not for their side, but the enemy's.
From the distant Coordinator warship, the MS GINN emerged and immediately scored the first victory—with a burst of gunfire, two Moebius fighters from our side were reduced to debris in the starry void.
Undoubtedly, this outcome cast a shadow over the already psychologically strained Moebius pilots, who were already under unprecedented pressure due to their poor combat performance.
"Don't panic! Close in on them and leverage our teamwork!"
At this critical moment, Yang Wei, the squadron commander of Wang Hu's fighter unit, spoke up.
Over the squadron's comms, he loudly rallied his men.
"Coordinators are human too—one shot and they die. At worst, it's a life for a life."
"We are soldiers—soldiers of East Asia. Behind us is our homeland; we have no retreat left."
"If we must die, should it be us or the civilians behind us? Search your hearts for the answer."
Without waiting for a response—or perhaps never intending to hear one—Yang Wei, a battle-hardened veteran who had survived numerous engagements, slammed his foot on the pedal and charged forward without hesitation, his wingman following close behind.
Soon, it wasn't just Yang Wei. Across the remaining Moebius squadrons, the veteran commanders—each a seasoned warrior—led by example, embodying the essence of a soldier's duty.
The thick, blazing trails of their fighters symbolized their resolve as their machines sliced through the cosmic darkness like swords.
Forward without fear—to meet death with defiance.
With pride, these veterans illuminated the path for their younger comrades.
"Let's move!"
Inspired by the veterans, the East Asian soldiers—already steeled in their convictions—felt their morale surge. The Moebius throttles were pushed to the limit.
As the first wave of the fleet's engagement, the Moebius fighters clashed with the GINN units in an instant.
Yet, while willpower can sometimes overcome superior weaponry, there are moments when human effort simply falls short.
No matter how fearless the veterans or how unparalleled the fighting spirit of their successors—
"Hahaha, foolish Naturals."
The Coordinator piloting the GINN manipulated the massive humanoid weapon's machine gun, its optical scope locked onto the Moebius fighters as they twisted and turned through evasive maneuvers.
If not for the Neutron Jammer's disruption of radar systems, the combat framework favored by ZAFT's Coordinators would be laughably primitive compared to the Union's radar-assisted targeting and comprehensive tactical support.
But under these specific battlefield conditions—dominated by the Neutron Jammer—the relatively outdated optical targeting system became the Coordinators' trump card, compensating for their weaker military training and amplifying their already formidable physical prowess.
Bang, bang, bang.
The simulated gunfire echoed through the GINN's cockpit as the Coordinator gleefully watched the Moebius he'd targeted explode into flames.
Listening to the artificial explosion reverberate inside the cabin, his face flushed with exhilaration.
"Hahaha! This is for the victims of Junius 7—you uncivilized Naturals!"
"For the sake of our fallen comrades, I will send every one of you to hell, to console the departed souls of those brethren!"
As he spoke, he effortlessly changed directions several times, dodging the Moebius fighters attempting to coordinate an attack on him.
MS GINN nimbly turned around, its arms swinging slightly. Relying on the Coordinator's superior physical abilities, he fired several more shots with exhilarating ease.
It was like shooting turkeys—one after another, multiple Moebius units that had closed in were shot down.
And it wasn't just him performing so exceptionally. All six GINN units on the battlefield were displaying the same prowess.
In the short time since the Moebius squadrons had engaged until now, the once-numerous fighter group that had initially departed from the warships had become sparse and scattered.
By visual estimation, they were no longer capable of stopping ZAFT's MS GINN units from approaching the core fleet's four warships.
Witnessing the expected performance of their own mobile weapons, the Coordinator's Loroasia-class warships, lagging behind, decisively advanced.
Just as this GINN unit was growing tired of dealing with the few remaining Moebius fighters and thought about switching targets to engage the warships—
to add more achievements to his record of merits—
Wang Hu, who had anticipated this but was constrained by his low status, piloted his Moebius head-on.
(End of Chapter)