Chapter 160: Revil's Orders
"Get ready… we're heading into space."
At the California base, Eli quietly reported to General Revil, subtly hinting at the Navy's possible movements.
Eli was confident that General Revil would handle the matter appropriately.
As soon as they returned to Torrington Base, they were immediately issued a new set of orders.
Technically, the aquatic equipment tests hadn't been fully completed, but since actual combat data had already been obtained, their reliability was considered effectively confirmed.
Moreover, General Revil had received intelligence suggesting that Zeon remnants might target the GP02 and GP03 units currently undergoing testing in space. As a result, the two Pegasus-class vessels were promptly assigned to space to assist with the upcoming tests of these two Gundams.
This also meant Eli was being sent along to ensure the protection of these two critical machines.
If GP01 and GP04 were designed for versatility, then GP02 and GP03 were clearly intended for base assault operations.
After all, during the One Year War, the two most iconic battles were the "Battle of Solomon" and the "Battle of A Baoa Qu."
And let's not forget the incident where Luna II held out for over half a year.
The strategic value of a stronghold in space was evident, and with that in mind, the GP02 and GP03 had been specifically designed for fortress assault and defense.
Currently, the largest Zeon stronghold in space was just one place—
Axis.
"Rear Admiral Jamitov's fleet is already waiting in low Earth orbit. Once supplies are received, proceed with launch immediately."
As soon as the two Pegasus-class ships arrived at Torrington Base, Eli didn't even have time to disembark. Supplies had already been prepared on the tarmac, and once the ships touched down and opened their hangars, loading operations commenced at once.
"Understood! Though… Rear Admiral Jamitov?"
"They say he was on his way to a fleet review. Just happened to cross paths with you all heading into space, so he volunteered to escort you—guaranteeing that Zeon remnants wouldn't get a chance to strike during launch."
By 0082, Jamitov had already left the African theater.
But unlike the original timeline, he hadn't joined the Federation's Finance Bureau. Instead, he remained within the military and became the commander of a relatively remote base in space.
While this position wasn't nearly as prestigious as a continental command, Jamitov himself seemed rather content with it.
Soon enough, resupply was completed, and the two Pegasus-class ships began ascending, heading into space.
Despite some twists along the way, the testing mission was largely a success and could be considered satisfactorily completed.
Unfortunately, the celebration party Paolo had promised was no longer feasible.
But it wasn't a total loss—after all, their next destination was one of Anaheim's mobile dock ships, where the GP02 and GP03 were already stationed.
The GP02's adjustments were nearly complete, though it was still missing the core component of its entire design philosophy—a nuclear warhead.
By contrast, the GP03's adjustments remained incomplete.
As the sense of gravity slowly lifted from his body, Eli realized the Pegasus-class had successfully broken through the atmosphere and entered space.
The armored plates covering the bridge retracted, revealing the vastness of space.
But rather than being captivated by the starry sky, which had long become commonplace in this era, Eli's attention was immediately drawn to a fleet slowly moving in low Earth orbit.
Eli let out a sigh.
No matter what, he would have to meet with Rear Admiral Jamitov.
Most likely, he'd have to sit through the usual spiel about "controlling space colonists" and "restoring Earth's ecosystem."
Those were Jamitov's political ideals—things he felt compelled to constantly bring up.
And so, when Eli arrived at Jamitov's flagship, a Magellan-class ship, he went through the usual motions of listening to another long-winded proposal for managing the space population.
However, Eli could sense that Jamitov's rhetoric had noticeably softened.
"Don't look at me like that, Major Eli. Stabilizing the Federation and improving the lives of space colonists isn't such a bad thing. It's just that… the space colonists don't seem too willing to cooperate right now."
Jamitov sighed as he spoke.
Stationed in space, Jamitov—while certainly living better than the average colonist—had still gotten a tangible sense of life up there.
And based on that experience, he was willing to include improving the lives of space colonists in his future plans for the Federation.
It wasn't out of sympathy. Rather, it was because only by doing so could he ensure that the "non-elite population" forcibly relocated from Earth would be more willing to live in space colonies—thus preserving the stability of the society he envisioned.
But with space colonists currently rising up in a fervent movement for their rights, Jamitov was forced to reconsider his approach toward them.
"Well, let's put that aside for now. Let's talk about something more practical. There's been this group of pirates near the base I'm stationed at—they've been raiding trade routes and causing no end of trouble."
Jamitov rubbed his fingers together as he spoke to Eli.
"You want me to take care of them?"
"Oh, no, not at all. You've got far more important things to handle right now, don't you? Besides, they've disappeared. Haven't made a move in nearly a month. No unusual population surges in nearby colonies either…"
Jamitov deliberately put on a look of feigned cluelessness.
Pirates, in this era, were practically synonymous with Zeon remnants.
And the fact that they had suddenly gone quiet was a clear sign the Zeon remnants were preparing for something new.
At first glance, it seemed like Jamitov was giving Eli a heads-up—but a closer look revealed the glaring inconsistencies in that reasoning.
Did they really think the other three squadrons under General Revil's direct command were just sitting around doing nothing? The fact that Jamitov—now considered part of the Revil faction—still had Zeon remnants operating in his jurisdiction was already highly unusual.
"Please advise."
Eli stepped closer, shedding his previous air of distance and drawing nearer to Jamitov.
At the same time, he had more or less guessed the truth behind all this.
When it came to space pirates in this period, there was one group more famous than any other—aside from the one led by that space mayfly, who else could it be?
And since Jamitov had deliberately allowed them to remain, with General Revil seemingly turning a blind eye as well, it could only mean one thing—it was her.
Jamitov gave Eli a look filled with deeper meaning.
"From here on, you'll be in charge of dealing with this particular informant."
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