The void of space trembled as the Federation armada emerged from warp. Countless thruster flares streaked across the dark like comets, weaving into a grand offensive pattern that spanned the breadth of Solomon's defensive perimeter. The vanguard moved first—General Timothy's forward army—followed by Tianem's twin divisions advancing from both flanks. Behind them, the steady, disciplined heartbeat of the fleet: General Revil's main force, a wall of steel and resolve.
From the flagship Pegasus Kai, Revil stood before the tactical display, his expression unreadable.
"Operation Starfall begins," he said softly. His tone was not a command, but a sentence. "Solomon will fall—or humanity's faith will."
His adjutants saluted sharply. Seconds later, hundreds of GM units launched into the void, followed by waves of Balls, their spherical frames armed with cannon arrays. The Federation advance became a storm—organized chaos, yet relentless, endless.
---
Within Solomon Fortress, the alarms were deafening. Red lights pulsed across the walls like blood through arteries.
"Contact confirmed—Federation fleet closing fast!" shouted a comm officer.
Dozle Zabi stood unmoved, towering at the heart of the command bridge. His cape shifted slightly as he turned toward the forward viewport, where the light of approaching ships burned against the stars.
"Let them come!" His voice thundered across the chamber. "This is Zeon's heart! As long as I stand, Solomon will not fall!"
Admiral Delaz stood beside him, his posture rigid.
"We'll hold the outer line," Delaz said quietly. "But the scale of their numbers… it's worse than Jaburo."
Dozle's glare softened just enough for a grim smile.
"Then we show them the spirit of Zeon. Prepare all units for launch—defense formation Sigma!"
Immediately, the fortress came alive. Hangars opened like iron lungs, breathing forth the Zaku II, Rick Dom, Gouf, and Gelgoog units. Massive mobile armors—Bigro and Big-Braw—deployed from lower bays, their heavy thrusters vibrating through the metal decks. The outer void became a battlefield before the first shots were even fired.
---
In a side hangar of the Iron Serpent, Tanya von Zehrtfeld stood before her squad. The GED—Zeon's elite strike team—fifteen mobile suits in total. Around her, mechanics rushed to complete final calibrations.
Mila, her second-in-command, was running through the squad's communication grid, her voice efficient and calm. "Signal routing confirmed. Ritcher, you're clear on channel four for sniper telemetry. Zhou, adjust your thruster balance—we're cutting close on fuel ratios."
Ritcher sat on the wing of his Gelgoog Sniper, quietly checking his targeting optics. His tone was colder, detached. "Already calibrated. I'll take high orbit once we launch."
Two pilots stood a few paces away, uneasy in their stance. Machu, the pilot of Gquuuux, and Nyaan, her counterpart in Gfred. Both were Federation defectors once tested under Tanya's watch. They'd fought skirmishes—but never this.
Machu's eyes followed the massive hangar doors. "That's… thousands," she murmured. "All moving toward us."
Nyaan gave a nervous laugh. "And we're fifteen."
Tanya adjusted her pilot suit's gloves. "Fifteen trained blades can do more damage than a thousand dull ones." She looked directly at them, eyes like sharpened steel. "Fear is allowed. Panic is not."
Machu swallowed. "Do you really think we can hold them, Major?"
Tanya turned toward her cockpit, her voice steady. "We don't hold them. We break their rhythm. Every second we buy is a breath for Zeon."
Around her, the squad straightened unconsciously. Even Mila, usually unreadable, looked at Tanya with quiet respect. "Orders, Major?"
Tanya climbed into her Gelgoog, the cockpit sealing with a hiss. "Formation Delta-Nine. Mila, coordinate. Ritcher—rear overwatch. Gquuuux and Gfred, maintain reserve line until I call you forward. GED, prepare to launch."
---
The sirens changed pitch.
"Launch sequence confirmed!" shouted the deck officer.
Tanya's heart beat once, steady.
"This is Major von Zehrtfeld. GED Squad—launch."
Her Gelgoog catapulted into the black, thrusters igniting like twin suns. One by one, her unit followed, streaking into the darkness. The moment they cleared the hangar, Minovsky particle interference swallowed all long-range communication. Only short-wave remained.
Before them, the Federation fleet glittered like a city of fire. GM and Ball units advanced in endless waves, their beams painting the void with lethal light.
Mila's voice came through the static. "Multiple contacts, bearing twelve o'clock high! Range closing—fast."
Tanya's eyes narrowed. "All units—engage."
---
The first clash was like thunder in vacuum. Beam fire illuminated the dark as Zeon's defense line collided with the Federation vanguard. Explosions bloomed across the perimeter—silent suns devouring friend and foe alike.
Delaz's forward units were already in combat, Rick Doms charging through the debris fields to ram GM formations. The Federation's numerical advantage was crushing; every time a Zaku fell, three more GMs took its place.
Ritcher's voice cut across the chaos. "Sniper nest ready. Targeting GM commander unit." His Gelgoog Sniper released a flash, a beam bolt tearing through a GM's cockpit. "Confirmed kill."
"Good shot," Tanya replied. "Keep them guessing. Mila, with me—left flank intercept."
The two Gelgoogs moved in perfect tandem, weaving through explosions to strike at the Federation's mid-line. Mila's movements were sharp, surgical—every motion calculated.
Meanwhile, Nyaan and Machu stayed behind the main formation, their Gundams forming the rearguard. Gfred's sensors flared as Nyaan locked onto a cluster of Balls. "Target acquired—firing!" Her beam lance shot out, shredding two units instantly.
Machu followed up, her Gquuuux deploying its unique shield system to deflect incoming fire. "Rear line secure—for now."
Ritcher's distant voice returned, colder. "Don't count on 'for now.' They're regrouping. More coming from vector seven."
---
Tanya's breathing remained steady, her voice clear over comms. "Listen well, GED. Solomon stands because we make it stand. You are Zeon's edge—prove it."
Her words cut through fear like a blade. The response was instant—pilots straightening, their tone fierce. Even the younger elites echoed back, "Glory to Zeon!"
Nyaan whispered, "She's terrifying."
Machu allowed herself a small smile. "No. She's certain. That's what keeps us alive."
Together they rejoined the formation, covering the retreating Rick Doms as Federation fire intensified.
---
Minutes stretched like hours. The void became a battlefield of light and wreckage. Federation waves continued to pour forward; Solomon's outer ring burned. Yet, somehow, the GED held.
Every time the line faltered, Tanya's Gelgoog appeared—striking, directing, steadying. Mila kept formation data flowing through the jamming haze, coordinating pilots blind to sensors. Ritcher's shots reached across kilometers, picking off Federation officers.
But even Tanya felt the pressure. The radar was a sea of red. Each new signal another Federation squadron breaking through.
"Mila," Tanya called, "status?"
"Outer line crumbling. Delaz's units down to sixty percent strength."
Ritcher's voice interjected, "We'll be surrounded in ten minutes if they keep pushing."
Tanya's hands tightened on her controls. "Then we push back harder."
Her Gelgoog accelerated, thrusters blazing as she slashed through a GM at point-blank range. Mila followed, her beam naginata cutting another.
"GED, regroup at Bravo-6! We form the wall here!" Tanya commanded.
---
The Federation's assault hesitated for the first time. The concentrated counterattack by GED blunted their advance, forcing them to regroup.
From the command tower, Dozle saw the momentary pause and slammed his fist against the console. "That's it! That's Zeon's will!"
But even he knew it wouldn't last. More ships were approaching from the rear—Revil's reserves.
Amid the chaos, Tanya's sensors flared. Two massive energy signatures registered on the long-range grid.
She knew what they were.
"So… Zeon finished it."
In the distance, two enormous figures came online—Elmeth, its remote bits forming a deadly halo, and Great Zeong, rising like a mechanical god, its reactor flaring with silver light.
For a brief moment, even the Federation advance slowed—pilots staring at the new behemoths emerging from Solomon's core.
Tanya's Gelgoog hovered amid the debris field, its armor scorched but standing firm. Around her, Mila and the surviving GED members reformed into a rough defensive arc.
She spoke quietly into the static-filled channel.
"All GED units, regroup. This battle isn't over. It's only begun."
The comm cracked, but her words carried through every cockpit still alive.
Beyond them, Solomon burned like a dying star—yet its defenders had not fallen. And as Great Zeong's eyes ignited, a new light rose over the battlefield: Zeon's final hope, and perhaps, its final tragedy.