Zeon's massive fleet advanced majestically towards Luna II. Dozle Zabi stood on the bridge, a somber expression on his face as he gazed out the window.
"Lieutenant General, we've been detected by the Federation."
"Continue the advance."
"But..."
"I said, continue the advance!" Dozle Zabi roared. They were still a considerable distance from Luna II. Being discovered early meant their surprise attack tactic was useless; their only option was a head-on confrontation with the Federation.
But... Dozle Zabi would not, could not, abandon this operation. It was a direct, unyielding order from Gihren Zabi: they must capture Luna II and eliminate the Federation's last nail in space.
Furthermore, the Earth Attack Force had already begun its offensive. Countless soldiers were sacrificing their lives to draw the enemy's attention. If they abandoned the operation simply because they were spotted early, what would those soldiers' sacrifices have been for?
And finally, was Zeon not worthy of facing the Federation head-on? Did every victory have to be won through underhanded means like surprise attacks?
Dozle Zabi refused to accept that. He never believed his fleet would lose to Tianem's.
"Yes, sir!"
"What is the position of the Ghost Corps?" Dozle Zabi asked.
"We don't know. The Ghost Corps cut off contact with the main fleet yesterday."
"Hmm... That's fine. It prevents their communications from being intercepted by the Federation." Dozle Zabi saw nothing amiss. The Ghost Corps was a unit that operated independently, and their mission was to secretly infiltrate the enemy's home base. It was perfectly normal for them to sever all contact.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
At that moment, alarms blared, and everyone's heart tightened.
"What's wrong!?"
"Enemy cannon fire incoming!"
"Evasive maneuvers!"
Dozle Zabi was not careless. He wouldn't be overconfident even in an environment with high-density Minovsky Particles. He decisively issued the order to take evasive action.
As expected, the fleet scattered, executing evasive maneuvers. It was Dozle Zabi's decisiveness that saved many lives. Countless beam cannon shots grazed the edges of the Musai-class ships, while others struck their surfaces directly, blasting away large sections of armor.
"Situation report!"
"The Tris, Barton, and Fujisan have sustained moderate damage! The Kyrgyz, Leon..."
"The 2nd Fleet has five ships with moderate damage, one with heavy damage..."
"Analysis of enemy cannon fire accuracy... 65%!"
"Beep, beep, beep, the next wave of cannon fire is coming!"
"Radar contact! Heat source matches... missiles!"
"Fleet, spread out horizontally! Engage anti-air mode and intercept missiles! At the same time, return fire with main cannons!"
"Yes, sir!"
"MS units, scramble immediately! Depart from the fleet's flanks and advance towards the Federation fleet."
"Understood!"
They couldn't even see the enemy. Countless beam cannon shots and missiles flew back and forth through space. Innumerable explosions lit up the void, and billowing smoke turned the pristine cosmos hazy.
"What is the hit rate of our ship cannons?" Dozle Zabi immediately asked after the exchange of fire.
"T-twenty-seven percent."
"How can it be so low!?" Dozle Zabi was shocked. He grabbed the officer by his collar and cursed, "It must be a calculation error! Recalculate!"
"L-Lieutenant General, this is the result from the central computer... It... it can't be wrong."
"This..." Dozle Zabi released his collar and staggered back a few steps in dismay. In the same environment, the Federation's ship cannon accuracy was more than double their own. And this was after he had ordered evasive maneuvers. If he had been overconfident in the Minovsky Particle combat environment, then the enemy's hit rate...
"New Federation technology!? Damn it!" In a fit of rage, Dozle Zabi snapped off a section of the steel guardrail on the bridge. "Have they already overcome the effects of Minovsky Particles!?"
"No relevant data in the database!"
"Damn it, it's too late to investigate now. All fleets, resume single-file column formation and charge at full speed!"
The Federation fleet was using a new technology that overcame the high-density Minovsky Particle environment. If they persisted in a long-range artillery duel, they had no chance of winning. Their only hope was to risk everything, close the distance as quickly as possible, and force the battle into a chaotic melee. Only then would the Zion Fleet have a glimmer of hope.
Dozle Zabi's greatest confidence in this move was the MS units under his command. Although he knew the Federation had formed its own MS units, they were far behind in both numbers and combat experience. This was their best hope for turning the tables.
"Lieutenant General!"
"Use the fleet as bait! Order the MS units that they must close the distance before we're all wiped out!"
"Understood!"
Most of Dozle Zabi's subordinates were hot-blooded soldiers just like him. Since their commander had given the order, they would follow in his footsteps to fight and seize victory.
Under Dozle Zabi's command, the entire fleet formed into individual single-file columns. Their engines ignited, spewing intense flames, and they quickly reached maximum speed. Like sharp arrows, they aimed to pierce the heart of the Federation fleet.
But unfortunately, all of this was destined to be a fleeting illusion.
"Cannon fire on the left flank! It's... it's the Federation fleet!"
"What!?" Dozle Zabi was utterly stunned. At their current position, a Federation fleet had suddenly appeared on their left flank, and at the very moment they were charging in single-file columns. This was clearly a pre-arranged ambush waiting for them. "Why is a Federation fleet in that position!?"
"We... we don't know."
"45th, 46th, and 47th Fleets on the left flank, turn to intercept the Federation fleet!"
"Under..."
"Message from the MS units! They are being intercepted by Federation MS units and cannot break away in the short term!"
"How could this be..." Dozle Zabi finally began to panic, but his iron-willed military demeanor allowed him to calm down immediately and continue commanding the fleet. "23rd, 24th, and 25th Mobile Fleets, break off and support the MS units on the right flank! 14th, 15th, and 16th Mobile Fleets, support the left flank and annihilate the Federation fleet! The main fleet will continue to advance!"
"Understood!"
"Signal the Ghost Corps! The main fleet is buying them time. They must complete their mission before we are all annihilated!"
"Understood!"
...
"Ho ho? Quite the heated battle." The Luna, having detached from the 11th and 12th Fleets, had now arrived at the left-rear of the Zeon main fleet. Watching the battle before him, the fighting spirit in his chest began to burn.
"Colonel, are we joining the battle now?" Natarle Badgiruel asked.
"Hmm... Follow behind the Zion Fleet. In fifteen minutes, we begin the operation."
"Understood."
Yang Hui left the bridge and headed for the Hangar. He boarded his mobile suit and, after completing his preparations, issued orders to each squadron: "Same old speech. First order: get the job done, and then all of you come back to me alive!"
"Heh heh, yes, sir!"
"Second order..."
"The scheduled operation time has been reached. Operation start. All hands to level-one combat stations. MS units, launch in an orderly fashion. I repeat, operation start. All hands to level-one combat stations. MS units, launch in an orderly fashion!"
"Heh heh, the Colonel's timing is as perfect as ever," the pilots chuckled. Every time, Yang Hui would give the launch order at the exact moment Natarle Badgiruel announced it. Perhaps this was the tacit understanding between a husband and wife.
"...Second order: the hunt begins!"
"Understood!"
...
In another direction, Dozle Zabi could never have imagined that the Ghost Corps, in which he had placed all his hopes, was actually behind the Zion Fleet, waiting for the chance to stab them in the back.
"Captain Ramius, what's the situation?"
"The Federation fleet has completely suppressed the Zion Fleet. Dozle Zabi's response was good; the fleet adopted a single-file column charge, intending to drag the battle into a massive melee. It's just a pity..."
"Hmm... Tianem is truly worthy of being one of the Federal Twin Walls, to have set an ambush here. But... why only on the left flank and not the right?" Char wondered as he observed the battle. If it was an ambush, why leave the right flank open and only deploy a fleet to attack the left?
If it were due to insufficient forces, Tianem would be even less likely to make such a deployment. It would be better not to ambush at all than to only ambush one side, as it couldn't form an effective encirclement or pin down the main fleet's advance.
Besides, when had the Federation ever experienced a manpower shortage? The factories on Luna II had never stopped production.
"Could there be other arrangements... No, the best opportunity for an ambush was right after they resumed the single-file column. At that moment, the fleet had just changed formation, their turrets hadn't turned, and they hadn't built up speed. Missing that chance would make it difficult to deal an effective blow to the Zion Fleet... Wait, that direction!"
Having thought of something, the corners of Char's mouth curled up. The subsequent report confirmed his suspicions.
"Federation warship detected to the left-rear of the Zion Fleet! Database comparison... It's a Qilin-class!"
"Just as I thought!" With his guess confirmed, Char wasted no more time. If he didn't go and grab a piece of the action, Yang Hui would probably laugh at him for the rest of his life. "Captain Ramius, launch the MS units immediately! Gwadan, send a signal to the Federation warship, identify ourselves, and then rendezvous with them."
"Understood." Murrue nodded. Identify themselves? There was no need. The captain of that ship was her own good sister; they would know each other's identities at a glance.
Char immediately went to the Hangar and boarded his personal Zaku Phantom. He still hadn't chosen the Messala, as its operational difficulty was too high. Even among the aces in his team, only two or three could pilot it with ease. Considering all factors, Char had chosen Zaku Warriors and Zaku Phantoms for everyone. This facilitated standardization and also reduced initial costs, as he wasn't exactly flush with cash.
He glanced around at the variously colored Zaku Phantoms—red, white, blue... The ambition hidden in his heart could no longer be contained. He removed his mask, revealing a wild, savage grin.
"Zabi Family, the ghost of Deikun has returned. Are you ready?"