The moonlight bathed the Taklamakan Desert, casting a white glow over the ridges of the dunes. Yet, no one had the heart to admire such beauty; every eye was fixed on a single spot.
It was a patch of molten sand, spreading across the ground like lava. Beside it, numerous tanks—shattered and sliced by high-energy currents—were fused together with the mangled lower half of a GAZuOOT and the liquid glass of the sand, creating a grotesque "work of art."
To their knowledge, this was the first time the Penelope had dealt a lethal blow. Although it had caused significant environmental damage before, the AEU pilots had all survived. But after the attempt to persuade the pilot, "Lane Aim," to surrender, it was as if his restraints had been cut.
"Dammit..."
Seeing one of her long-range strike positions neutralized, Kati Mannequin instinctively slammed her fist against the command console. "Check the records for this 'Lane Aim' immediately! Focus on the discharge, MIA, and KIA lists—but don't overlook any other records!"
Unfortunately, she was destined never to find the "Lane Aim" mentioned by the Lord God squad; after all, it was merely a persona crafted by Roz Links.
"Where are the 8th and 10th Aerial Tactical Squadrons? What about the UNION and Human Reform League units?!"
Kati had no intention of sitting idly by. She rapidly began deploying forces to intercept the Penelope.
One by one, Hellion units in various configurations scrambled from the base, soaring toward the Penelope.
Not far from the Penelope's position, the Human Reform League's Tieren units and the UNION's Flag units were also closing in, forming a three-pronged pincer movement alongside the AEU forces.
Meanwhile, the Agrissa—piloted by the instigator, Black Flag—slipped away from the Penelope's vicinity amidst the chaos, heading toward the already exhausted Exia.
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"...Shinn, move in."
Looking at the panoramic cockpit display filled with triangular markers representing the forces of the three superpowers, and the artillery barrage raining down from the distant batteries, Roz's voice was low and heavy. "Rescue the Celestial Being units. Don't hold back—that's an order."
"Furthermore, commence the annihilation of the AEU's anti-Gundam forces. I authorize you to judge the timing for yourselves."
"...Understood."
Over the comms, Shinn Asuka heard the weight in Roz's voice and understood his current state of mind. They had originally hoped to minimize casualties, but to wipe out these "Lord God" pests, they now had to dismantle the regular forces they were hiding amongst. It was like a rotten egg being cracked into a bowl of fresh ones; you had no choice but to throw the whole batch away.
Shinn knew that once Roz steeled his resolve, he would be absolutely merciless.
"We are commencing entry to execute the Celestial Being Gundam rescue mission. Battlefield Minovsky particle concentration is rising to combat levels. Please take note."
"Copy that."
Roz took a deep breath and pulled the trigger against the shells flying through the sky.
Purple beam cannons erupted from the Penelope's shoulder binders, firing in a sustained burst.
The suit pivoted sharply as the shoulder cannons, under AllMind's control, twitched at a supernatural speed. The purple beams traced lethal arcs across the heavens.
Artillery shells, Hellions, and newly launched missiles were all swept by the purple light. A series of violent explosions lit up the night sky, and mangled wreckage rained down like a downpour of metal.
The encirclement that had been gradually forming was torn open, and the speed of the pincer movement visibly slowed. Roz didn't care how fast they closed in; if a GAZuOOT was here, it proved those Lord God bastards were here too.
'Thump, thump, thump...'
The Human Reform League's Tieren units began firing at the Penelope. Shells impacted the PS armor, bursting into showers of sparks.
"Lane Aim! Even if you defeat us with that machine, the three superpowers have unified! We will eventually crush all of you in Celestial Being!"
At that moment, several young voices broadcasted through the external speakers of the remaining Hellions.
These Hellions maintained continuous fire as they drew their Sonic Blades, the high-frequency vibrating edges closing in on the Penelope.
The Penelope turned slightly within the smoke of the explosions and pulled the trigger on the Tieren units that were firing.
A thick, purplish-red beam emerged from the haze, shattering the smoke concealing the Penelope and striking several Tieren units with pinpoint accuracy.
The Tieren's heavy armor offered no protection at all, melting and disintegrating instantly under the Beam Magnum. Even those Tierens nearby that had begun evasive maneuvers had parts like shoulder shields and arms sheared off by the raging purple high-energy electricity.
In this zone of freshly melted sand, one unlucky pilot was sliced clean in half from top to bottom by the high-energy discharge, falling into the magma-like slurry of sand.
Roz didn't stop. He turned and raised the Penelope's sharp, integrated shield, effortlessly impaling a Hellion that had tried to sneak into close quarters. The Hellion's upper torso was shredded with ease, its raised Sonic Blade falling uselessly into the sand.
As Roz held down the trigger, the Penelope's head-mounted Vulcans roared, turning the Hellion wreckage in front of him into scrap before he tossed it aside.
The machine vibrated again as several Union Flags streaked past the Penelope's rear. Their air-to-ground missiles struck the PS armor, resulting only in more harmless sparks.
"No damage! Repeat, no damage! Prepare for a second pass!"
Watching the Penelope remain completely unfazed after taking direct hits from air-to-air missiles, the sweat began to pour from the palms of the Flag squadron leader.
Roz didn't hesitate. After tapping a few commands on his control stick, he pulled the trigger.
On the Penelope, various hatches began to deploy. Hexagonal plates, previously thought to be mere armor seams, slid open to reveal Funnel Missiles nestled within. Even the interior of the skirt armor concealed several of these guided projectiles.
A massive swarm of Funnel Missiles, mixed with standard missiles, erupted from the Penelope, streaking toward the remaining Flags and Hellions in the sky.
As the Psycho-Frame resonated with Roz's consciousness, he began to manually intervene in the missiles' trajectories.
With the pilot's seat shifting into its combat configuration, the previously grey "panel lines" across the machine suddenly pulsed with a crimson light, looking eerie and oppressive under the moonlight.
At that moment, the pilots of the Flags and Hellions saw their displays completely overtaken by lock-on warnings. The roar of incoming missiles and the shrieking of radar alarms filled their ears. Instinctively, they pushed their machines into desperate maneuvers across the sky, trying to shake off the Penelope's Funnel Missiles.
"Releasing chaff... It's not working?!"
"Mayday, Mayday... We are locked on, repeat, we are—"
"Missiles! Watch the missiles! They're moving sideways—!"
Desperate cries filled the comms as the missiles found their marks one after another. A large number of Hellions and Flags were swatted from the air, coating the desert floor in a thin layer of mechanical wreckage.
"Phew... if that's all..."
The Flag squadron leader, who had been barking orders, managed to evade a shuttle-like Funnel Missile by a hair's breadth as it grazed the belly of his suit.
But just as he prepared to catch his breath, the scene before him left him dumbfounded.
The Funnel Missile, which had already flown past his Flag, performed a sharp, acute-angle turn under Roz's sensory control.
The Flag, unable to maneuver in time, was struck precisely in the upper chest. The shrapnel and blast instantly vaporized the cockpit and the upper torso of the machine.
Following a series of violent explosions, the Flags and Hellions were reduced to smoldering scrap on the ground, leaving only a few Tieren units that had completely lost their combat effectiveness.
The burning wreckage illuminated the dark night, turning the area into a literal hellscape. The Penelope hovered silently in mid-air, like a dragon admiring its masterpiece after the destruction of its enemies.
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"The 8th and 10th Aerial Squadrons have been wiped out. The Union forces as well. Only a few individuals from the Human Reform League are barely clinging to life because they dodged in time and the Tieren's armor held up."
As one piece of dire news after another reached her ears, Kati grit her teeth, staring fixedly at the distant battlefield that had been transformed into a purgatory.
"Report! New targets detected, they're approaching the Raven... So fast!"
"Approaching the Raven?"
Kati's brow furrowed, and she was just about to ask for clarification.
"Wait! Detected incoming missile strike!"
At that moment, the radar operator let out a sharp, panicked cry.
Following the sound of an explosion, a missile detonated beside the Penelope. Clouds of smoke were released and rapidly dispersed, but no damage was found near the site of the airburst.
"Phew... It's likely some kind of smoke grenade or a supply drop hidden in the mist."
Seeing this, Kati breathed a small sigh of relief. "Contact Patrick. Tell him to prepare to fall back for defense."
However, the communications officer, who should have been springing into action, remained motionless.
"...What are you dazing off for? Time is of the essence; this is no time for daydreaming!"
Seeing the operator looking as if they had been scared witless, Kati couldn't help but frown.
"Colonel Kati..."
The operator's face was a mask of sheer terror as they uttered words that made Kati's eyes widen in shock.
"The communication signals are cut—they're gone!"
The operator shouted in a near breakdown. "All channels are completely silent! Our orders can't get out; we can't contact anyone!"
"The radar too!"
The radar operator also spoke up loudly, their voice laced with anxiety. "The radar has been jammed by that unknown weapon from just now! I can't find anything!"
A succession of urgent, devastating news made Kati feel as though she had been plunged into a cavern of ice.
......................