It has been several days since the incident involving the disappearance of Kira and Cagalli. Supplies salvaged from the other side—specifically ammunition compatible with the Archangel—have arrived safely, and the majority of the crew is currently fully engaged in resupply operations.
Amidst this bustle, four of us—myself, Murrue, Natarle, and Mu—were gathered at the Desert Dawn's command post, discussing how to deal with the Desert Tiger.
"This area is riddled with abandoned mine shafts. On top of that, we've laid a minefield here," Saheb explained, pointing to the map. "If they want to turn this place into a battlefield, this is the spot. They'll likely come to the same conclusion, and we'd be fools not to use the traps we've gone to the trouble of setting."
There was a quiet but undeniable resolve in Saheb's voice. To be sure, a minefield is a powerful weapon. In our first contact with the Desert Dawn, they managed to take out several BuCUEs using similar tactics. However...
"Are you really sure about this?" Mu voiced the concern I had been holding back. "We can handle ourselves, but with your equipment, you're going to take heavy casualties."
The resistance fought primarily with technicals and self-propelled artillery. Worse, they rode in them exposed, without armor. Fighting mobile suits like the BuCUE in vehicles like that would inevitably lead to slaughter. In fact, during the pursuit after the burning of Tassil, the Desert Dawn had suffered immense losses.
"If we obeyed the Tiger—if we worked under him, for him—I'm sure we'd be promised a peaceful life. Just like Banadiya. I've even heard some of the women say we should do just that," Saheb replied, his voice low. "But the hand of a ruler is fickle. How many hundreds of years do you think our people have wept because of that? We will not be ruled, and we will not rule. That is all we desire. And if we can retake the eastern mining district the Tiger seized, that desire becomes reality."
We will not be ruled, and we will not rule...
That philosophy explained why they had formed a friendship with the Lion of Orb, Uzumi Nara Athha.
"We're the ones asking to borrow your strength here. Is that understood? There is no need for misplaced concern."
"I... I'm okay with it," I said. "Murrue?"
I looked to the captain for her decision.
"Understood," she nodded firmly. "In that case, we gladly accept your cooperation for the operation to break through the Lesseps line."
And so, the joint strategy between the Archangel and the Desert Dawn to take down the Desert Tiger was set in motion.
A faint vibration ran through the Archangel's cafeteria.
The ship had likely begun moving alongside the Desert Dawn members. We were heading toward the decisive battleground against the Desert Tiger.
If the events play out according to the original canon, the Duel and Buster Gundams will be part of the enemy forces. Fortunately for us, since they haven't adjusted their OS for desert combat, the Libyan Desert will be a battlefield where they can barely move.
That leaves the question of assignments. Should I take on the LAGOW piloted by Waltfeld, and leave the Duel and Buster to Kira and the Desert Dawn?
I considered it, but if I want Waltfeld to survive, it might be better to leave him to Kira, just as it happened in the original story.
If only I had the [Mercy] Spirit Command in my arsenal, things would be easier...
"Haaah..."
"Haaah..."
Hmm? Hearing a heavy sigh synchronize with my own thoughts, I looked around. My eyes met Kira's; he had been scanning the room just as I was.
"Sorry, I didn't notice you there. You eating too, Kira?"
"Yes."
"Hey, hey, what's with the heavy sighs from the both of you? Don't just space out—eat up. Here, take this. You too, Axel."
Mu, who had approached us unnoticed, handed a kebab to both Kira and me. He then immediately bit into his own, savoring it with a look of pure bliss.
"Mmm, nothing beats locally sourced food."
"Major, you're still eating?"
"We're about to head into battle, right? Can't fight on an empty stomach. Here, try the yogurt sauce. It's way better."
"...Well, fair point. Moping around here won't change anything. Thanks, I'll take it."
I took the yogurt sauce Mu offered, poured it over the kebab, and took a bite. The spiced lamb matched perfectly with the refreshing acidity of the yogurt. It was delicious.
Watching Mu and me, Kira seemed to recall something, his expression clouding over.
"What's wrong, Kid?"
"No, it's just... the Tiger said the same thing. That yogurt sauce goes best with kebabs."
"Huh. A man of taste, then. But listen—it's better not to know things like that about your enemy. Forget it. Fast."
"Eh?"
"You're about to go out there and trade lives with him. Knowing him as a person just makes it harder to pull the trigger."
Kira fell silent, likely remembering Athrun. Watching him sink into thought, I continued to eat my kebab.
BOOOM!
The explosion roared through the hull just as I finished my last bite.
The way the shockwave traveled through the floor told me the explosion wasn't inside the ship. That meant outside... Ah, I see. ZAFT is clearing the mines.
Possessing knowledge of the original story, I knew the reason for the blast, so I remained calm. But for everyone else in the cafeteria, it was a bolt from the blue.
I exchanged a nod with Mu and Kira, then moved to the wall-mounted comms unit to contact the bridge.
"Murrue, that explosion just now?"
"It occurred in the minefield laid by the Desert Dawn. Most likely..."
"The Desert Tiger is clearing the path."
"Yes. Axel, are Major La Flaga and Ensign Yamato with you?"
"Yeah, they're here."
"Then all three of you, get ready to launch immediately. They'll be on us any second."
With that, the connection cut. The bridge was undoubtedly swamped with combat preparations.
"Sounds like that's our cue."
I turned around to find both Mu and Kira nodding, their expressions grim.
"It's going to be a tough fight... Let's go, you two."
Mu sprinted out of the room. Kira and I followed close behind, heading for the pilot changing room.
"That's right! Launcher on Unit 1, Sword on Unit 2! Why? ...Because it's faster for me to switch planes than to wait for you guys to swap the Striker Packs!"
In the pilot ready room, Mu, already suited up, was barking orders to the mechanics in the hangar via the comms. Just as I had suggested before, he must have decided that switching mobile suits offered more tactical flexibility than swapping equipment mid-battle. Mu glanced our way as we watched him work.
"I hate to say it, but we can't rely on the resistance's firepower."
"Yeah."
Kira nodded in agreement.
"That means the only thing that can counter a mobile suit is another mobile suit. Axel, Kira—we're counting on you two. Hang in there. Though, seeing Axel's piloting skills and the way the Strike has been moving lately, I'm not too worried."
"We can't afford to let the ship sink here. I'll do my best."
I replied while listening to the alarm Klaxons blaring throughout the ship, then headed for the MS hangar. Behind me, I heard Kira asking, "What's a Berserker?" but Mu was already answering him, so I left it to him.
I could have told him that a Berserker is a Heroic Spirit with the God Hand ability and multiple layers of resurrection magic, which might have been amusing... No, it would probably just confuse the poor kid.
"Brother, what's the loadout?"
Murdoch asked the usual question as I approached.
"Give me the Giant Beam Rifle and the Assault Machine Gun. I hear the enemy has numbers on their side. I want to save the Blitz's battery power in case this turns into a war of attrition."
"You got it. We'll have 'em ready in a flash, just get in the cockpit and wait."
I climbed into the Blitz. True to his word, Murdoch had the Giant Beam Rifle and Assault Machine Gun prepped and equipped onto the Blitz in record time. I moved the machine onto the catapult deck.
"Blitz, Axel Almar, launching!"
The linear catapult shot the Blitz forward. The moment I cleared the ship, a swarm of ZAFT combat helicopters filled my view.
"Tch, they deployed fast!"
Complaining under my breath, I activated the Phase Shift Armor. Heavy caliber rounds from the helis ricocheted harmlessly off the PS armor.
"A waste of energy, but eat this!"
I locked onto a heli and pulled the trigger of the Giant Beam Rifle held in my left hand. The beam swallowed the attacking helicopter and the one directly behind it, reducing both to expanding balls of fire.
A quick glance at the radar confirmed that the Desert Dawn members had already scattered in their vehicles; they weren't close enough to get caught in the crossfire.
The Archangel's Igelstellung CIWS guns roared to life, spraying a curtain of lead into the swarm of helicopters, shredding a significant number of them and scattering their debris across the desert sands.
As I watched, I noticed pillars of dust approaching rapidly. BuCUEs.
"Kira, the BuCUEs are here! Don't get too distracted by the helis!"
I opened a line to the Strike, which had launched right after me equipped with the Aile Striker.
"Yes, understood!"
Kira responded while simultaneously gunning down helicopters with his own head-mounted vulcans.
DOOOM!
A heavy thud resonated in the pit of my stomach. Simultaneously, the sand near the Archangel erupted. Artillery fire from the Lesseps.
I have to watch out for support fire, not just the mobile suits and helis... Whoa?!
A BuCUE closed the distance at breakneck speed, slashing at me with the beam saber mounted in its mouth. It was a tricky, low-angle strike aiming for my legs. I fired my thrusters, leaping vertically to evade.
I immediately fired the thrusters again in mid-air to shift my position. A split second later, a railgun round from a second BuCUE tore through the space where the Blitz had just been hovering.
"Too slow!"
I landed squarely on the back of the BuCUE that had tried to slice my legs off, crushing the railgun mounted on its spine. In the same motion, I fired the Giant Beam Rifle at point-blank range, piercing straight through its torso.
I kicked off the dying machine, thrusters flaring, and leaped away just as the BuCUE exploded behind me.
"Next... Tch!"
Using the explosion as a smoke screen, two fresh BuCUEs lunged at the Blitz.
It was a coordinated assault. One went for a low sweep with its beam saber, identical to the previous attacker, while the other jumped, aiming to slash my upper body from above.
If I stayed put, I'd take both hits. In that case... I have no choice.
I swung the Giant Beam Rifle up like a club, smashing it with full force into the torso of the airborne BuCUE.
Used as a blunt instrument rather than a firearm, the massive rifle successfully battered the incoming mobile suit out of the air. However, the impact shattered the barrel of the weapon.
Dammit. It didn't have much power, but it was a good way to attack without draining the Blitz's battery.
But the battlefield wasn't forgiving enough to let me mourn a weapon. Next!
As I jumped again, I caught a glimpse of Mu's Skygrasper in my peripheral vision, shooting down ZAFT helicopters one after another.
Giving him a brief glance, I turned my attention to the first BuCUE—the one that had tried the low sweep. I swung the beam saber built into the Trikeros shield down...
Tch, fast!
The BuCUE had already vanished from that spot, backing away to gain distance.
And so, the prelude to the battle against the Desert Tiger began.
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 35
PP: 540
Melee: 246
Shooting: 264
Technique: 256
Defense: 253
Evasion: 281
Accuracy: 303
SP: 422
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Increases unit performance by consuming SP)
Growth Type: Versatile / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: B | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (SP 4)
Gain (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Zeal (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recover & Focus)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Limit Break (Will)
Geass (Gray)
???
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Shot Down Count: 265
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