Chapter 159: The Undercurrent of the Universe
Having lost its speed advantage, the Grabro was quickly taken out by Kou Uraki, who seized the opportunity and finished it off with a beam rifle designed for underwater use.
"Damn… Who would've thought that kid had such skill in him?"
The Albion and White Chaser were descending in altitude, skimming the ocean surface to make it easier for the mobile suits underwater to return aboard.
The Albion was primarily tasked with retrieving the GP01, while the White Chaser was focused on recovering the aquatic-type Gundam and the aquatic-type GM units.
With their mothership gone in an instant, the three naval MS units—despite having taken down another wave of Zeon remnants—couldn't help but feel the weight of the loss. The sinking of an entire carrier was a heavy blow to those aboard the two Pegasus-class ships.
Of course, they hadn't forgotten about the search and rescue efforts for survivors either.
Since he was piloting the GP04, Eli delegated the rescue command to Paolo, while he remained behind on the Albion to handle another matter.
Smack!
"Ugh—"
Monsha's body staggered backward uncontrollably. Had it not been for Bait and Adel catching him, he might've taken a serious fall.
"One week in the brig. You have no objections, do you?"
Eli spoke coldly, without a trace of mercy, as he stared at Monsha.
"No, sir."
Monsha offered no resistance.
Even among the Titans, notorious for their disregard of military discipline, missing a sortie due to drunkenness would've warranted an even harsher punishment.
A week of confinement was lenient—likely only because Eli wasn't his direct superior. Formal disciplinary action would be taken later.
At that time, a major demerit, demotion, or even outright discharge were all on the table.
"As for the GP01's follow-up testing…"
Eli hesitated slightly and glanced at Monsha's two teammates.
But the two simply turned their heads away, clearly uninterested in volunteering.
It had long been said that in today's Federation Forces, piloting a Gundam came with significant burdens. Most ace pilots preferred custom-tuned units over the flagship machines.
Left with no choice, Eli turned to Kou Uraki—the one who had performed outstandingly during this sudden assault.
Uraki met his gaze without flinching, standing amid a group of Anaheim employees who had gathered around him.
In UC 0096, Bright once said: "Gundams choose their pilots."
Eli had never believed in such fantastical notions, especially not when applied to machines in a universe like theirs.
But knowing Kou Uraki's connection with the GP01 in the original timeline, even Eli couldn't help but acknowledge fate's hand in all this.
"From here on, Ensign Uraki will be in charge of testing the GP01."
Eli issued the order to everyone aboard the Albion, not bothering to consult anyone.
The Titans trio lacked the will to object, and Anaheim's staff had already anticipated this outcome. The decision was accepted without resistance.
Seeing Uraki's still-youthful and slightly dazed face light up with a sheepish smile—as if he couldn't believe he'd become a Gundam pilot—Eli gave a small smile of his own.
Without further words, he turned and made his way back to the White Chaser, not wanting to linger and disturb the scene.
Frontline pilots only needed to concern themselves with battle. But Eli was no longer just a pilot—his responsibilities now extended much further.
For instance… was this Zeon remnant attack part of Operation Stardust?
——
Creak—
"Truly unexpected… So this is the general pulling the strings behind AEUG."
In a dimly lit room, a man spoke with his back turned to the newcomer who had just entered.
"The same could be said for you—the infamous Nightmare of Solomon, showing up on AEUG's doorstep seeking cooperation."
The newcomer wasn't rattled in the slightest by the fact that his identity had been exposed. Calm and composed, he took a seat on the sofa opposite Gato.
"You've named your organization after anti-Federation ideals, and claim to fight for the rights of space colonists. If that's the case, there's no need for us to argue over political positions. We're comrades, wouldn't you say?"
"Let's not go that far. I'm just a brigadier general, nothing more."
Though his words sounded like deflection, the man was subtly rejecting the idea of being called a comrade.
"I see. No matter. I believe there's still plenty of room for us to work together—Brigadier General Blex."
With that, Gato dropped his respectful tone and adopted a more formal, business-like manner for the discussion.
The man in question was Blex Forer—a brigadier general in the Federation Forces.
Officially, he was a fringe figure in the Revil faction. But in the shadows, he had risen to prominence as the de facto leader of AEUG, the organization rapidly gaining influence and quietly uniting various anti-Federation movements.
"If you're reaching out under the name of the Delaz Fleet, then I assume your goal is to throw the Earth Sphere into chaos once more."
Blex knew that Gato's words weren't empty.
Even if Blex himself held reservations about the actions of Zeon remnants, it was undeniable that AEUG's recent growth had relied heavily on them acting as a decoy. With the remnants drawing the Federation's attention, AEUG had been able to expand its reach unimpeded.
Some Zeon remnants—completely cut off from their original chain of command—had even joined AEUG, leveraging the group's support to gain legitimate identities and return to normal life.
Conversely, voices within AEUG had begun to openly advocate using Zeon remnant forces for their own goals.
That was the very reason why Blex had agreed to this meeting.
"In fact, it's the ideal environment for AEUG's growth."
With no need to maintain a respectful tone, Gato now spoke with striking candor.
To be fair, this general—still positioned within the Federation's upper echelons—was someone who genuinely fought for the rights of space residents. He aligned closely with Gato's vision of justice.
Still, that didn't change the fact that Gato couldn't bring himself to like anyone from the Federation.
"We plan to challenge the Federation once more—not for the sake of the long-dead Zeon, but in the name of all space dwellers."
Gato now shifted the conversation to its core topic.
"In the name of space dwellers?"
If this was just another spiel about justice, then tonight would have been a waste of time.
"Yes. We're going to strike a devastating blow to the Federation. If everything goes as planned, wiping out two-thirds of their fleet isn't out of the question."
Gato spoke with a confident smile, as if he could already see that future unfolding.
"Two-thirds of the fleet? How are you planning to—wait, no…"
"Hah. Since the Federation broke the Antarctic Treaty first, it's only fair that we respond in kind, don't you think?"
"Don't tell me…"
Blex immediately grasped what Gato meant by "retaliation."
Could it be… Axis!?
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