The morning came with a cruel brightness over Odessa. The Federation's third wave had been readied through the night, soldiers rising from restless sleep, mechanics working until their hands were raw, and pilots tightening straps inside cockpits that already smelled of sweat and metal.
The air rumbled with the heavy engines of Big Tray-class land battleships, each one crawling across the scarred plains like titanic beasts of steel. Their shadows loomed over the trenches, rolling with Federation flags high in the wind.
Above, the Daidalos-class carriers hung like thunderclouds, their hangars opening to release swarms of GMs, Core Boosters, and fighters. Morning had not even reached its full heat, and yet the sky was already filled with contrails and fire.
Zeon's lines waited with taut nerves. The soldiers crouched in bunkers and trenches, rifles clenched, knuckles white. Tank crews wiped grime from their goggles. Pilots sat within cockpits, waiting for orders, fingers tapping on controls as if each heartbeat might be their last moment of calm.
Ace pilots had already been dispatched, for this was no time for delay. Ramba Ral's Gouf roared to the front, Norris Packard's custom unit holding steady like a sword poised for strike. The Black Tri-Stars positioned their Dom team with ruthless precision, and Tanya von Zehrtfeld led her GED squad out once more, her Zudah gleaming under the pale sun.
The Federation's counter came swift. Amuro Ray's Gundam, already scarred from yesterday's duel, cut through the battlefield with the precision of a veteran far older than his years. Beside him, Athrun Zala's Aegis unfolded its limbs with terrifying elegance, while Lockon Stratos in the Buster Gundam leveled his enormous cannons like an executioner preparing the sentence.
Kai and Hayato moved their Guncannons into firing position, heavy artillery ready to rain shells across Zeon's defensive lines. Federation commanders coordinated through tight communication channels, every crack in the Zeon defense noted, exploited, widened.
And above them all, General Gopp stood firm at his post. His binoculars swept across the landscape, reading the movements like a chess player who had mastered the board. Calm, calculating, yet never blind to the sacrifices being made.
For hours, the clash unfolded. Explosions blossomed across ridgelines, mobile suits clashed in duels that blurred into smoke and fire. The battlefield was a sea of noise—beam fire screeching, tanks exploding, planes spiraling into flame.
Then noon came, and with it, something unexpected.
At first, it was a whisper in the comm channels. Reports of new contacts. Anomalies on the radar. A cluster of heat signatures descending from orbit.
Federation officers scrambled over maps, disbelief on their faces. Reinforcements from space? That wasn't supposed to happen.
And then the first volley struck.
Zeon reinforcements slammed into the Federation's rear lines like lightning. Suits painted in the colors of Granada and Solomon rained down fire, Dom units bursting through armor columns, Zakus firing into supply convoys, and new experimental machines joining the charge.
Gopp stiffened at once, eyes narrowing. "Reinforcements from orbit? How did Intelligence miss this?!" His fists tightened against the edge of the command table. "Where is my rear guard?! Redirect them immediately!"
The battlefield rippled in confusion. Federation soldiers turned to meet the unexpected attack, commanders shouting orders into their radios, mobile suits scrambling to adjust formation.
But in the middle of this chaos, one man already knew.
Gary Lin's cockpit flickered as the system's voice cut through.
[Warning: Detected anomaly in enemy movement.]
[Designation: Grievous.]
Gary's heart skipped. He muttered under his breath, "Of course. Who else would drop in like some Sith Lord speedrunning a boss raid?"
The system continued coldly.
[Probability of target engagement: 87%. Probability of survival: 42%.]
Gary let out a short laugh. "Forty-two? Come on, system, at least make it a cool Gundam reference. Can't I get a 'double-oh' survival chance or something?"
[Correction: Reality is not an anime script.]
"Could've fooled me," Gary shot back. His hand gripped the Strike's controls. "Because right now, I feel like I'm about to headline a crossover episode."
He didn't wait for orders. The Strike Gundam roared to life, hangar lights flashing red as alarms blared about unauthorized launch. Mechanics shouted, but the catapult fired anyway, hurling Gary's machine into the chaos.
Gopp's aides rushed to report, but the old commander raised a hand, calm in the storm. "Let him go." His eyes stayed fixed on the maps. "Sometimes, the reckless ones are the only ones who change the tide. Dispatch a GM squad to support him."
The Strike's thrusters lit like fire across the sky. Gary's voice carried half a smirk, half a grim focus. "Alright, Grievous. You want your duel? I've been saving all my skill points for this boss fight."
On the Zeon side, morale surged. Reinforcements had arrived, and their commanders saw an opportunity. Soldiers cheered from the trenches, pilots pressed forward harder than ever, and for the first time in days, the shadow of defeat seemed to recede.
Tanya's voice cut through the Zeon command net, sharp and resolute. "All units, tighten formation! Push them back—Odessa will not fall today!"
Her Zudah shot forward like a streak of lightning, rifle snapping bursts that forced Lockon Stratos to shift his aim. The Buster's giant barrel swung, lining up a devastating shot on the newly arrived Zeon forces.
"Got you," Lockon murmured, finger tightening on the trigger.
But Tanya was faster. Her Zudah surged directly across his sights, forcing his aim wide.
Lockon's eyes widened. "What—?!"
"Not today," Tanya spat, her words cold, nearly venomous. "If you want to hit them, you'll have to get through me first."
Lockon clicked his tongue, pulling back just in time to avoid her counterfire. "Persistent little devil…"
The battlefield roared around them. GM squads clashed with Zakus, Dom units ripped into Federation lines, and across it all, the Strike Gundam carved its path, Gary Lin's laughter and curses echoing through his cockpit.
"Damn, this is insane… It's like every mech show I ever binged rolled into one. Except this time, the death flags are real. System, tell me I don't have one flying over my head right now."
[Analysis: Probability of host carrying death flag: 68%.]
"Not funny!" Gary snapped, but his grin returned as he pushed the Strike forward. "Fine then. If the universe wants me dead, it better send more than Grievous. Because today, I'm writing my own episode."
The battle of Odessa raged on, Federation and Zeon locked in brutal chaos, and the storm of destiny tightened its grip around every soul still fighting beneath the blackened sky.