Chapter 184 – Reunion
"Captain, it's rare to see you in such a state."
A familiar voice came through the comms. Looking toward the source, Eli saw GP02 charging in this direction.
Realizing it was Arcadia piloting the GP02 brought Eli a sense of relief.
At the same time, surrounding GP02—lightly armed as it was—were several MS units led by GP01: Special Equipment-type GMs, GM Cannons, and Fully Customized Gelgoog units formed a protective formation.
Seeing this, Eli couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
After all, GP01 and GP02 were originally designed to function as a team. This kind of formation truly reflected the intent behind their design.
"Cut the small talk. Any orders from HQ?"
Ever since the White Chaser had begun its assault, the elevated Minovsky particle density had temporarily cut off communication with command.
"Yes. General Revil has entrusted you with nuclear weapon authorization."
"Authorization to use nukes? What about other orders?"
"None."
That was highly unusual.
Normally, authorization for nuclear weapon deployment should come through a formal request from the Unified Command Headquarters, followed by approval from the Federation Security Council.
The process wasn't overly long, but it certainly shouldn't be this short.
Not to mention phrasing like "entrusted to you"…
Unless—
General Revil, do you really trust me that much?
Eli took down a Zeon MS that had exposed a major opening while dodging Dendrobium's missiles with a precise shot from his beam rifle. He then closely followed Dendrobium's lead, charging toward the two MAs.
Compared to Neue Ziel's continued dominant combat performance, the Val Walo no longer showed the same intimidating power.
This wasn't because Kelly had lost his fighting spirit, but simply because the Val Walo as a machine was outdated.
After its surprise-reliant plasma-guided weapon had been destroyed, its only remaining notable armament was a single large MEGA particle cannon.
And this cannon didn't have good rapid-fire capability. On top of that, the primary targeting system had been destroyed. Against Eli's oncoming assault, Kelly was visibly outmatched.
When Kelly tried to call for support, he realized that most of the MS units that had accompanied the two MAs were already gone.
This realization stirred something deep in Kelly's chest.
All four Gundams were visible within the combat zone, and the other mass-production units hadn't strayed far—they were mostly guarding either the GP02 or the two Pegasus-class ships.
Boom!
While Kelly was still processing the situation, a blast erupted to his side, drawing his attention.
Bursting out from the smoke was a standard-armored Gelgoog!
On its back were two electrified needles, which swiftly rotated to face him head-on.
Zzt, zzt!
Twin electric bolts surged forth—Kelly was now on the receiving end of the same stunning jolt that Eli had suffered earlier.
The electrified needles embedded deeply into Val Walo's armor, and the resulting electric discharge rendered the massive MA temporarily inoperative.
Immediately afterward, multiple beam attacks rained in from different angles. The elite pilots present had instantly recognized the shift in the situation and launched coordinated strikes alongside the needle user.
Daryl considered using Neue Ziel's I-field to assist Val Walo, but Dendrobium, piloted by Kou Uraki, closed the gap with a large beam saber, pressuring Neue Ziel and preventing it from approaching.
Multiple beam blasts struck Val Walo, causing thick black smoke to billow from the machine.
"I thought it had an I-field, so I aimed for it first."
A familiar voice sounded through the comms.
But before Eli could respond, Val Walo's claw came swinging in, forcing him to snap back to the immediate battle.
After fending off the enemy Gundam in front of him, Kelly once again readied the MEGA particle cannon for a charged shot.
But Eli, standing directly in front of Val Walo, had long since abandoned any thoughts of persuading him to surrender.
At this critical moment, with the colony satellite falling, if Kelly had made up his mind—then there was no time left for negotiation.
Bzzzz!
Eli's long-range beam rifle fired first, striking near the cannon's muzzle—both sides were still in rapid motion, and landing such a precise shot in that situation was a testament to Eli's superb piloting.
Even though the MEGA particle cannon hadn't been destroyed and was just seconds from firing—evident from the light spilling out from within—Eli suddenly abandoned his usual cautious style, drawing his beam saber and charging straight at Val Walo!
"Gotcha!"
Kelly's eyes widened as he raised Val Walo's left arm—linked to his own—and used it to block the beam saber from reaching the cannon's barrel. At the same moment, the MEGA particle cannon was about to fire!
But just then, Kelly noticed a rocket coming in at a sharp angle—right before the cannon could go off, it struck the muzzle dead-on!
"Nice shot, Amuro!"
Eli shouted his thanks to his steadfast supporter, voice full of sincerity.
GP04 didn't draw its second beam saber with its left hand. Instead, it reached for the beam rifle on its back, the one functioning as a server unit, and fired several precise shots at the base of Val Walo's claws.
With no need to grapple anymore, the beam saber now had full range of motion. Eli thrust it straight into the MA before him with all his strength!
As GP04 pulled away from the red, crab-like machine, Val Walo was completely immobilized.
The Federation units withdrew in formation. The MA that had once aided the Federation in deploying a nuke now truly turned into stardust in space.
GP04 reactivated, flying toward the now-distant battlefield where GP03 and Neue Ziel were fighting—this wasn't just because Kou Uraki had pushed the enemy back. It also seemed like the enemy had deliberately chosen to retreat.
Another unit approached Eli. It was the Gelgoog.
Or more accurately, it was Amuro, who had somehow made his way to this battlefield.
"Amuro… it's been a long time."
Eli looked at the face that had matured noticeably compared to his memory and spoke softly.
"Long time no see, Eli-san!"
Amuro's voice matched the maturity in his expression. But the familiar honorific in his speech brought Eli a sense of comfort.
This kid—after three years—he hadn't turned out crooked.
"Since you're here, then what about Bright and the others…"
"Yes. White Base is launching an assault from the side of the colony satellite. We had just finished dealing with the target coordinates when we heard about the satellite's fall during our return trip… Bright seems to have disobeyed orders and came to support."
Eli's eyes flickered at Amuro's use of the word "disobeyed." That particular detail caught his attention.
But before he could dwell on it, a beam shot passed between them—it was a blast from a Musai-class ship!
The two pilots exchanged glances from inside their cockpits. With the silent understanding of long-time comrades-in-arms, they charged toward the Musai together!
Author Note's: Some Recent Issues
If I want to keep writing, I have to weaken the Federation's power. Whether it's through a nuclear strike or something else, if the Federation isn't weakened, then there's no point in continuing the story after 0083.
With Revil around, they could just follow the standard playbook and go for military reunification.
Given the unique timing of 0083, I decided to follow the original story and go with a nuclear explosion—consider it a homage.
Whether it's dropping Axis early, deploying double the troops compared to the original, or using some other tactic—what I use doesn't matter. What matters is the outcome: weakening the Federation.
The focus was never the nuke itself—it was always about weakening the Federation. But the nuke was the easiest to write. After all, it's hard to come up with other effective ways to wipe out Federation forces.
That said, I admit this part was a bit forced… but there's no way I'd just follow the original. That colony satellite isn't going to fall—you could probably tell, right?
As for my nuke taking out a third of the fleet, I apologize to everyone. I didn't consider the fact that in real combat, ships wouldn't be packed so close together like they are in the animation. I was misled by the TV visuals.
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