"Ahh, it feels so good to drain the battery completely and come back to recharge..."
After the Archangel entered the atmosphere and the operational environment became safer, Lu Tianming followed the maintenance bay's guidance to return the long-depleted Strike Suit to the restraint rack for charging.
As soon as the power was connected, he heard Xia Chuan's grating exclamation.
Lu Tianming shot a glance at the guy making strange noises and couldn't help but complain:
"Could you not make it sound like you're clearing out bowel obstruction? If you keep this up, I can't guarantee I won't break character next time you operate at %."
"But it really hits the spot, sigh... I can't explain it to carbon-based life forms like you."
Xia Chuan seemed to realize his words were odd, but after a cheeky grin, showed no sign of remorse.
After all, between these two, being able to disgust each other might be considered an honor.
Seeing Xia Chuan's "dead pig is not afraid of boiling water" attitude, Lu Tianming was speechless. Ever since becoming a mechanical body, this guy's shamelessness had only increased.
Now his face really could stop bullets.
"Alright, alright, you're a Gundam so you're awesome. Why do I feel you're becoming more and more accepting of your identity as a Gundam?"
"What's wrong? Wouldn't you enjoy being a Gundam?"
Hearing Xia Chuan's smug boasting, Lu Tianming seriously considered it... and indeed, what man wouldn't want to become a tall, handsome Gundam capable of unleashing super robot finishing moves?
Even if the cost was losing certain important things.
"Oh right, everyone's waiting for you down below the mobile suit. Hurry up and get down, stop nitpicking here with me."
Xia Chuan glanced beneath the Strike Suit where a large crowd had gathered, waiting for Lu Tianming - the hero of the hour - to emerge for celebration, as was customary aboard the Archangel.
Lu Tianming nodded, but seemed uneasy about leaving Xia Chuan... Before he could dwell on it, Xia Chuan anticipated his concern and added:
"By the way, don't bring people to worship me this time. If you keep doing this, I'll feel guilty about taking advantage of you."
"If you really want to thank me, how about sincerely calling me 'daddy'..."
Before Lu Tianming could respond, he was both angered and amused by Xia Chuan's shamelessness:
"Get out of here, can't go three sentences without trying to get one over on me, can you?"
Lu Tianming rolled his eyes. Since Xia Chuan put it that way, he didn't bother with further pleasantries, opening the cockpit and sliding down - as he descended, Xia Chuan saw him approaching the ground and gave an impatient shake of the rope, sending Lu Tianming tumbling down.
Lu Tianming was somewhat exasperated by Xia Chuan's eagerness to clock out early, but couldn't show it in front of everyone.
He could only mentally note it down for future revenge.
The moment Lu Tianming turned around, he saw Mu excitedly clapping his shoulder:
"Those wire-guided cannons were impressive this time, even better than during simulation training. Looks like you're a genuine combat specialist."
In the recent battle, aside from the final sword strike and beam cannon barrage - the most remarkable feat was Lu Tianming using the wire-guided cannons to take on three enemies single-handedly, nearly achieving combat kills.
In Mu's perception, the wire-guided cannon was being operated by Lu Tianming as if it were an extension of his own limbs—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an additional appendage of the Strike Suit. The way it weaved through combat gaps, provided support, and executed ambushes... even he couldn't claim to handle it with such proficiency.
"What a shame though... this thing becomes useless once we re-enter the atmosphere."
Mu sighed with regret as he spoke. He had just discovered Lu Tianming's exceptional skill, only for it to lose its practicality in their current situation.
"Hard to say. Perhaps we'll have another chance to return to space someday?"
Lu Tianming smiled faintly. The Archangel couldn't possibly remain grounded on Earth forever—sooner or later, war circumstances would likely force them back into space. Though he wondered whether the wire-guided pack would still be useful by then.
"But... Mr. Lu, you needn't worry too much. The Manta Ray still maintains operational capabilities within the atmosphere."
Kira mustered his courage, stepping forward from the crowd to speak.
"And... if we can acquire some additional components, I should be able to complete the Aile Pack assembly."
"Oh? That would be excellent news indeed."
Lu Tianming felt a surge of pleasant surprise upon hearing this. He had assumed they'd be limited to the Strike Suit's standard configurations alongside the Manta Ray for future combat—never expecting the prospect of obtaining the Aile Pack.
Though this raised another question: where would they source the necessary materials?
The thought instinctively drew Lu Tianming's gaze toward Murrue—the last time he'd checked a map was when she had requested confirmation of their landing coordinates. Beyond that, he genuinely had no knowledge of their external circumstances.
It was time to assess their situation.
Noticing Lu Tianming's look, Murrue seemed to understand his concerns and spoke up:
"We're currently descending. Even if we do land within enemy territory, our predetermined landing zone is in the desert—we shouldn't attract significant attention immediately."
"Furthermore, if we intend to take any action... both the Archangel and the Strike Suit's OS require adjustments for atmospheric operations."
"Rather than anxiously waiting here, wouldn't it be better to rest properly while conditions remain stable?"
She could tell the previous battle had taken its toll on Lu Tianming. Pushing himself further now would only be counterproductive.
This was also to ensure they maintained combat readiness should they encounter attacks later.
"Reasonable advice. You've been working tirelessly—go get proper rest. I'll handle things aboard the Archangel."
Mu patted Lu Tianming's shoulder with a reassuring smile, his expression conveying that everything was under control.
Though Lu Tianming initially wanted to continue working, seeing both Murrue and Mu's insistence made him recognize the futility of rushing.
Very well—he'd take a brief respite.
——————————————
Aboard the Nazca-class vessel
"Well, Athrun—you've arrived."
In the conference room, Creuset sat in his chair, watching the red-uniformed figure enter through the sliding automatic door as he offered a faint smile.
"My apologies, Captain Creuset. We still failed to capture the Strike Suit this time."
Athrun bowed his head in contrition. Beneath the frustration of defeat, his subdued tone hinted at additional preoccupations.
Creuset didn't dwell on it, assuming it was merely another conflict with Yzak after their loss—such tensions between them were commonplace.
"Nothing unexpected. The Strike Suit's unpredictability has long been accounted for in our calculations... Or rather, the fact that the Strike Suit has demonstrated such significant threat is actually beneficial."
Creuset's lips curled slightly upward as he spoke with a light laugh.
"What?"
A flicker of astonishment passed through Athrun's eyes, as if taken by surprise.
"Don't you understand? For your father... for the Patrick Faction, the greater the threat posed by the Strike Suit and the Archangel, the better."
Creuset continued with a smile, his tone carrying a subtle undercurrent of... fervor and anticipation.
"Moreover, with the Archangel's originally planned landing site being Alaska, this intelligence will perfectly facilitate the early approval of that operation."
"That 'Operation Spitbreak'."
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