Chapter 122: Chasing the Pegasus!
Before long, it was time for Eli to leave.
"Eli-san."
Amuro widened his eyes and looked at Eli.
"When will we meet again?"
"Who knows? Maybe I'll happen to visit your military academy for a lecture, or maybe not until you return to the White Base. No one can say for sure."
Eli didn't give a definite answer.
This was a real world—how could he possibly be certain of such things?
But Amuro wasn't weak; he simply felt the sorrow of parting.
He understood better than anyone how unpredictable the future could be.
"But we'll meet again, won't we?"
"Of course. By then, though, you'll probably be much more mature, Amuro."
Just as he was about to board the ferry, Eli smiled and said this to Amuro.
"You too, Eli-san."
Eli chuckled one last time and waved at this guy, who—perhaps due to their farewell—was acting much more amusing than usual.
The hatch closed before Eli's eyes, cutting off Amuro's gaze.
Eli let out a slight sigh, turned around, and found a seat.
Then, he pulled out his tablet once again.
There was still no intel on the Pegasus-class vessel, but Arthur had compiled a list of twenty candidates for Eli to pick as his pilots.
Everyone on the list had performed exceptionally well in the recent battle.
Of course, no top-tier ACE pilots would be included.
Eli skimmed through the names and quickly spotted a familiar one.
"Arcadia… this guy is pretty impressive."
According to the report, Arcadia had piloted a Gyan Krieger during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, taking down thirteen mobile suits and two Musais.
Eli raised an eyebrow and checked his name.
Then, he added Ryan, who had fought alongside Arcadia.
And finally, Eli spotted a name that was all too familiar.
Seeing a "friend" rise through the ranks gave Eli a strange excitement, so he added Sanders to the list as well.
Next, Eli carefully reviewed the data on each candidate.
That was when he noticed something… slightly unsettling.
Sanders and Eli aside, Arcadia and Ryan both had instances of being the sole survivors in their units.
If the Grim Reaper hadn't already left him and vanished somewhere, Eli might have seriously considered naming his team after it.
Afterward, Eli selected four more pilots from the remaining names, forming a second squad.
Now, Eli was about to transfer to a shuttle that would take him straight down to Jaburo.
Yes, his team was primarily assigned to ground operations.
The Pegasus-class ship would also be stationed at Jaburo, along with the new mobile suits assigned to Eli's squadron.
Just like when they left Earth, returning was just as easy for humanity now.
A nap, and they'd probably arrive.
Still, Eli leaned against the window, watching the entire descent process.
The last time he descended to Earth en route to Southeast Asia, Zeon's air force had ambushed them, leaving him no time to admire the view.
The descent didn't take long. Soon, they passed through the stratosphere, revealing a full view of South America and the Amazon rainforest.
The landing was smooth, with the pilot's expert handling ensuring a steady touchdown.
"Oh, by the way, Major, there's a celebration at Jaburo later—don't forget to join us!"
At the last moment, the pilot gave Eli a thumbs-up.
The next day, Eli went straight to the Pegasus-class hangar.
A battleship had been waiting for him there.
"White Base II."
That was its original name.
Back when the White Base arrived at Jaburo, some parts had to be replaced urgently. Since manufacturing new ones in time wasn't possible, they had stripped components from this unfinished Pegasus-class ship.
Now that the war was over, this vessel had been selected as a testbed for new technology. After being upgraded with the latest equipment, it stood before Eli in its new form.
"White Pursuit."
That was its new name.
And its captain was someone Eli found hard to believe.
Paolo Cassius.
Wasn't the former White Base captain supposed to have died from his injuries?
Eli was about to salute the lieutenant colonel, but Paolo stopped him.
"No need for that, Eli. You're my squadron leader now."
Paolo had personally requested to become White Pursuit's captain, disregarding the fact that he still held the rank of lieutenant colonel.
"Just think of it as me fulfilling a dream, haha!"
The easygoing lieutenant colonel patted Eli on the shoulder and walked off on his own.
After a brief tour of the ship, Eli finally arrived at the place that mattered most to a pilot.
The hangar.
The squadron had been assigned nine mobile suits—all GMs.
Among them was one GM Sniper II, two GM Strikers, and the rest were RGM-79C units, later known as GM Customs.
Of course, these GM Customs weren't the standardized versions developed in the Federation's 0081 reorganization plan. Instead, they were Jaburo-modified early-model GMs.
By later classifications, they would be considered RGM-79C Block 1 units.
But for now, they were simply GM Customs.
"All GMs, but unexpectedly high-quality models."
Eli raised an eyebrow as he observed the mobile suits lined up in the hangar—clearly, he was satisfied.
While GM Customs weren't outstanding, they were more than sufficient now that large-scale battles had ended.
After all, their primary mission was hunting down Zeon remnants.
Moreover, the GM Custom was a solid platform, allowing easy modifications to armor and weapons at frontline bases.
Eli had no expectations of acquiring a Gundam.
In fact, the Federation was already recalling all Gundam models on a large scale. Even the RX-78-2 from the White Base was supposedly being sealed away at Luna II.
As Eli pondered the reasoning behind this, a voice called out from behind him.
"Captain!"
A vehicle towing a cargo container drove into the White Pursuit's hangar, and someone leaned out of the passenger seat, waving at Eli.
"Yo, Sanders! Didn't expect you to arrive so soon."
Eli raised an eyebrow, surprised by Sanders' quick arrival.
"Come on, Captain. The moment I got the call, I rushed over! I was worried I'd be late."
"Actually, you're the first to arrive."
Eli stepped forward and exchanged a firm hug with Sanders, then turned his gaze toward the cargo being unloaded.
"EZ-8? You actually managed to bring it? I thought all the Gundams were supposed to be…"
That's right. The Federation had categorized the Ground Gundam as part of the sealed units.
"The Federation seems to be treating this as an official production model and made a few units. Since you're here, Captain, this Gundam should be yours."
Eli looked up at the EZ-8's dual-camera sensors and suddenly grinned.
"No, Sanders. You're keeping it."
He patted Sanders on the shoulder and stood beside him, watching as the EZ-8 was lifted upright.
"Get ready, Gundam pilot."
—
(Author's Note)
Sorry, everyone! I originally planned for Paolo to be the captain from the start, but I forgot to mention that he survived!!! Please forgive me just this once!