After shooting down the missile and confirming that the Neutron Jammer remained unaffected, Felix breathed a sigh of relief. If this device had been compromised, the subsequent operations would have become far more difficult.
"All units, gather around the Neutron Jammer and begin descent toward Victoria Spaceport."
Monitoring the screen, Felix relayed the orders to the others via the modified laser communication system.
With the commands issued, Felix shifted his focus entirely to the display.
Meanwhile, at the Victoria Spaceport Defense Force Command Center:
"What's happening?" Lieutenant General Humphrey demanded, observing the interference plaguing their equipment. A soldier turned and stood at attention, saluting as he reported.
"Commander, our radar and other systems are experiencing severe interference. They've been rendered ineffective and can no longer function."
"Commander, our communications are also being jammed. We're unable to establish radio contact with other units," a Communications Officer added, turning to address Humphrey.
Humphrey's expression darkened as he recalled rumors from the recent Yggdrasil Defense War. It was said that ZAFT Forces had deployed some kind of device during that battle capable of disrupting radio communications, radar, and reactors, leading to devastating losses.
Three fleets had been decimated, with less than a third managing to escape the battlefield. The Second Fleet was completely annihilated, with no survivors.
Facing a similar situation now, Humphrey felt a wave of unease, a foreboding sensation spreading through him. Shaking his head, he suppressed his apprehension. Though his face remained grave, his voice was steady and calm as he issued orders.
"Switch to wired communications between units. Deploy Communications Officers to establish wired connections where possible, ensuring all forces remain linked.
Since radar is disabled, launch Optical Sensor Reconnaissance Aircraft equipped with fiber optic communications to conduct aerial surveillance. We must not lose control of the skies!"
"Yes, sir!" the Communications Officer responded, immediately switching to wired communications to contact the nearest units.
After verifying their status, the officer relayed the orders to the communications corps, dispatching teams to set up wired communication systems across all units.
On the Victoria Spaceport tarmac, reconnaissance aircraft fitted with fiber optic communications and optical sensors were towed from their hangars. Remotely controlled, they ascended to patrol the airspace around Victoria Spaceport.
Back at the Defense Force Command Center, Humphrey continued issuing commands while monitoring the temporarily restored aerial surveillance feed.
"Order all Vanguard Fighters to launch and prepare for combat. Dispatch a small detachment to airbases without wired communications to alert them to do the same."
The Communications Officer relayed the orders to the Vanguard Fighter squadrons.
The Vanguard Fighters on the tarmac, already in standby mode, began taking off in three-unit formations upon receiving the launch command.
Formation after formation ascended, and soon all four hundred Vanguard Fighters stationed at Victoria Spaceport and the four nearby airfields had taken to the skies.
The densely packed Vanguard Fighters swarmed across the sky, resembling a locust plague from a distance.
Inside the Defense Force Command Center
"Commander, all reachable airfields have successfully launched their Vanguard Fighters," reported the Communications Officer, relaying updates from the units.
Humphrey nodded slightly upon hearing this and asked, "Have any Vanguard Fighters been dispatched to notify other airfields?"
"According to footage transmitted by optical sensor reconnaissance aircraft via fiber optic communication, a small number of Vanguard Fighters have broken away from the main force and are heading in designated directions," the soldier reported, interpreting the feedback displayed on the large screen.
In the Air
The ascending Vanguard Fighters split into two groups: one continued climbing to 10,000 meters for combat readiness and defense, while the other surged even higher.
Upon reaching 20,000 meters, the Vanguard Fighter pilot gripped the control stick tightly, expression stern, and fixed his gaze on the higher altitudes. Through the optical sensors, the transmitted imagery prompted him to engage in combat.
Meanwhile, on ZAFT's Side
Felix, piloting the White GINN alongside other ZAFT Forces, had descended to 21,000 meters and was about to deploy the GU-W Flight Support for linkage when, leaning forward, he observed the situation around 10,000 meters through the optical sensors.
Seeing the mobilized fighters, he set aside his initial plan and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger. The White GINN raised its Heavy Assault Machine Gun and fired.
The initial experimental shot missed its target, but the Automatic Trajectory Correction Program quickly adjusted based on data from the database.
With the second shot, the bullet accurately struck a Vanguard Fighter mid-air.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted in the sky.
After destroying the Vanguard Fighter, Felix observed another one's evasive maneuvers through the display. Judging its movements, the White GINN's Attitude Adjustment Thrusters adjusted its posture accordingly.
The rapid and instantaneous adjustment generated G-forces that made Felix frown in discomfort.
"Combat on Earth is so annoying!" he muttered in irritation, though his hands never stopped moving.
The White GINN turned and fired another shot, the bullet racing toward the Vanguard Fighter.
The Vanguard Fighter pilot, startled by the attack, swiftly executed a high-G maneuver. The sudden intense G-forces exceeded the protective limits of his Anti-G Suit, sending waves of discomfort through his body.
Though overwhelmed and tempted to ease off, he knew yielding to that urge would mean more than just discomfort.
"I have to endure this!" he gritted his teeth, encouraging himself.
Having barely withstood the extreme maneuver and narrowly dodged the bullet, he had no time to relax before his fighter was pierced by another round of gunfire.
The explosion instantly engulfed the fighter. Until his death, the pilot never saw where the bullet that struck him came from.
Inside the White GINN cockpit
"Fighters really have this disadvantage!"
Felix sighed as he watched the Vanguard Fighter he had shot down, commenting on the aircraft. In this moment of evaluating the differences between fighters and MS, Felix seemed to forget that as a Coordinator, his physical capabilities far surpassed those of Naturals, and the G-force limits he could withstand were much higher than Naturals.
The White GINN turned under Felix's control, adjusting thruster angles to evade incoming bullets with minimal movement.
Raising its arm and aiming the rifle, he fired a shot!
The bullet flew straight toward another Vanguard Fighter.
The fighter pilot attempted evasive maneuvers, but Felix fired again.
Boom!
The bullet pierced through the Vanguard Fighter.
The pilot who had desperately tried to dodge died to the second shot.