Why would I join the army if I can’t drive a Gundam!

Chapter 128 Sending a Letter to My Brother
"Sir, please have something to eat!"

In a house that had mostly collapsed, Colonel Cleveland's orderly held a piece of dry bread and a small glass of water, looking at his superior with eager eyes.

After being surrounded, the Zeon army's ammunition and medical supplies were relatively stable, but food and fresh water were the only problems. Food was not a big issue, as everyone could survive for two days without food, but fresh water became the most pressing problem for the besieged Zeon troops.

Even without physical activity, normal people need to drink water constantly to ensure that their bodily functions operate normally. Under high-intensity physical activity, ordinary soldiers need to replenish even more water.

The half-cup of water in the orderly's cup was something he had painstakingly saved.

"I can't eat!"

Cleveland simply took the water glass, moistened his parched lips, and then handed it to the Zeon officer beside him. The officer took a small sip and passed it on to the next person.

"So, the division command still can't provide us with support?"

After greedily sucking up every last drop of water from the cup, a Zeon officer placed the cup back in the orderly's hand and then began examining the electronic map. He had practically worn out the device from pressing the buttons, but unfortunately, no matter how he looked at it, the clearly defined red and blue areas on the map remained completely unchanged.

With a steady stream of logistical reinforcements, by the afternoon of the following day, the Union forces had amassed more than six divisions and four brigades on the front lines. Three of the divisions were deployed to reinforce the defenses of Salt Lake City, while the remaining three divisions and four brigades formed an iron clamp, firmly locking down the airport.

Now, Colonel Taylor is waiting for the artillery in the rear to move to new firing positions before launching a general offensive against the airfield.

Meanwhile, the Zeon forces at the airport were still anxiously waiting for rescue from the division command, but by 3 p.m., only two Dopp fighters had appeared above the airport.

"What are they here for?"

Colonel Cleveland frowned as he watched the Dopp aircraft fly low overhead. Then he saw the two Dopp aircraft landing at the airport.

"Sir, we are ordered to bring you back!"

After landing, Dopp's pilots rushed to Cleveland and told him their purpose directly.

Rescuing the trapped troops was no longer possible. Aerial reconnaissance showed that more than a dozen federal divisions were on their way to the front and would arrive soon. Clearly, a federal counter-offensive was imminent. The divisional command could no longer afford to waste its mobile forces on breaking through the defenders' lines. The two fully equipped armored divisions, whose technical skills had been greatly improved after the bloody battle, made the divisional command unthinkable about the cost of breaking through their lines.

However, the pretense still had to be put into action. The Zeon army immediately began to bombard the 4th Panzer Division's positions with heavy artillery fire and sent troops to the front line to prepare for a strong attack.

Afterwards, the division command sent a modified Dop to try to bring Colonel Cleveland back, since there were not many elite commanders in Zeon who were proficient in ground combat.

"I will not abandon my troops!"

But Colonel Cleveland flatly refused the order. He couldn't bring himself to calmly walk to the fighter jet, sit in the back cockpit, and escape alone under the watchful eyes of countless people.

"But……"

"No buts. If anyone in my command wants to leave, you can take them with you!"

Colonel Cleveland then simply signaled for the pilots to leave.

Left with no other option, the pilots asked other officers, who explained that their cockpits had been urgently modified so that two people could squeeze out if they were to do so.

Subsequently, three Zeon officers did indeed choose to evacuate with the pilots.

"Sir?"

Seeing their acquaintance walk out of the command post with his head down, the other Zeon officers couldn't help but look at Cleveland, after all, the former could be considered to have deserted in the face of battle!

"Let them go!"

Cleveland remained expressionless. He had another sentence to say: the infamous Red Dragon was crouching on the opposite mountain, and he didn't think the other side would let those two Dopps leave so easily.

Then, the three Zeon officers followed the pilot past the soldiers who had nowhere to stay and could only sit by the terminal and runway, and walked toward the fighter jet. No one spoke, but everyone's eyes were fixed on the three men, making them lower their heads as if they were being pricked by thorns. Then, perhaps unable to withstand the inner torment, or perhaps unable to bear the gaze directed at them any longer, one of the Zeon officers changed his mind at the last moment before boarding the plane.

He then saluted his two colleagues without hesitation and returned to the command post without looking back.

The remaining two Zeon officers could only huddle in the cabin, wishing they could bury their heads in their shells. They didn't have the courage to stay, but they also didn't have the audacity to ignore the soldiers' scrutiny.

Fortunately, Dopp soon began to climb, which made the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.

"We probably..."

Before the pilot could finish speaking, his aircraft exploded into a fireball, and the next second, another Dopp also turned into flames.

After silently watching the wreckage crash to the ground, Colonel Cleveland immediately put on his helmet.

"Get the brothers ready, the Federation forces are about to launch their attack!"

The division command then received news of Dop's downing and realized that no one could escape from the encirclement. Subsequently, the highest commander of the 2nd Division sent a collective commendation order to Cleveland.

"They're afraid I'll surrender to the Federation army!"

Looking at the praise and the so-called highest honor medal he received, Colonel Cleveland sneered. Anyway, he didn't need to receive the medal and other rewards. The division command had already filled the list without any hesitation. In the end, they even promoted Colonel Cleveland by one rank, from colonel to brigadier general.

"He wouldn't even give me a new military uniform!"

The distinction between ranks in the Zeon army is not only in military rank, but also in the different styles of eagle patterns on their chests, each level is different, but Cleveland doesn't care, the one he's wearing is good enough!

"Forget it, send a telegram back to the division command and tell them that my unit will fight to the last moment, all for Zeon!" After this farewell message was sent, an extremely piercing whistling sound came from the other side of the horizon.

This is the Federal Army artillery, which has already completed its relocation, beginning its artillery preparations for the attack.

With almost no adjustments needed, the artillery observation teams positioned on the high ground had a clear view of the Zeon army's defensive layout. All the artillerymen had to do was fire over every inch of the land according to the coordinates.

The moment the shells fell, all Markarius could see was dense smoke.

Conventional self-propelled artillery, rocket launchers, and even mortars in the hands of infantry were all unleashing their fury on the Zeon soldiers in the encirclement.

As the bombing reached its climax, the sharp, piercing sound of bombs falling into the air could be heard.

These flying rays that came to support the operation were not carrying small bombs weighing 500 kilograms or so, but heavy aerial bombs weighing several tons. Although each flying ray could only carry two bombs, if there weren't enough bombs, the planes would make up for it.

The bombs dropped by hundreds of flying rays even made the mountains tremble.

Then, when the artillery fire was over and the smoke from the battlefield dissipated, what came into view was a desolate white expanse.

"Is it even possible for anyone to survive?"

"Yes, don't underestimate the Zeon people!"

As three signal flares were launched, the Federation forces outside the encirclement quickly deployed into an attack formation. Hundreds of mobile suits, hundreds of tanks, and tens of thousands of infantrymen surged toward the Zeon positions.

As the lead GM stepped onto the ruins, the roaring 120mm machine gun blasted away its monitor and blasted several large holes in the machine, causing it to collapse and fall asleep immediately.

However, his allies behind him reacted quickly, raising their guns and destroying the Zaku land-based combat vehicle that was half-buried under the rubble.

This exchange of fire was just the beginning. Subsequently, the Zeon soldiers who survived the shelling emerged from every corner like cockroaches that could not be killed.

These Zeon soldiers already knew their fate, so they fought with the mentality of taking someone down with them even if they died. Even if they were covered in wounds, they would still roar and fight to the end with every weapon at their disposal.

"Kill them!"

The attacking Federation forces were also in high spirits, and with their troops fully equipped, they retaliated with even more intense firepower against the dying counterattacks of the Zeon.

"12 o'clock position, Zaku (land-based combat vehicle), distance: 300 meters!"

"Armor-piercing rounds, good!"

Just as a Zaku ground combat vehicle, its entire body emitting sparks of electricity, was about to raise its rocket launcher, dozens of armor-piercing rounds shot out from all directions, instantly turning the Zaku into a jumbled mess of parts.

As the Federation tanks relentlessly crushed past them on the road, a group of Zeon soldiers, who had been hiding in the ruins, crawled out of their bunkers to prepare to attack with rocket launchers, when the roar of Gatling guns firing came from above.

A GM, tasked with supporting the tanks, swiftly and decisively eliminated the Zeon soldiers with its head-mounted Gatling gun. Even after the barrage, the pilot, still not entirely at ease, used a beam saber to pierce through the rubble to confirm that no survivors remained before handing the position over to the infantry.

The Zeon's bravery was no longer their winning formula; any fight to the death would only lead to destruction.

The Red Dragons had received orders to fire freely, and the sniper GMs then used their beam sniper rifles to suppress the few Zeon mobile suits below.

Whether it's the ground-based Zaku or the Tiger, they are nothing more than moving targets in the face of the particle beams fired from above. No defense can withstand the beams, and the mobile suits are mercilessly destroyed as soon as they peek out. This makes Brigadier General Cleveland's plan for a counter-offensive by mobile suits even more futile.

Because they couldn't even muster the few mobile suits they had, they could only watch as these machines were picked off one by one by the Federation forces in battle.

In less than half an hour, the Zeon forces in the encirclement lost all their outer positions, and no surviving Zeon soldiers were able to safely retreat to the airport. Now, all that remains in the hands of the Zeon forces is this last airport!
"Fire! Fire! Kill these sons of bitches!"

With the roar of its engine, a Federation hovercraft broke through the fence outside the airport and rushed onto the runway. Then, the gunner operating the Gatling gun unleashed a torrent of ammunition at the Zeon soldiers who had no cover and could only lie on the edge of the runway for shelter.

Although the hovercraft was quickly destroyed, the roaring storm of metal before it was destroyed claimed the lives of hundreds of Zeon soldiers.

Then, more Federation troops rushed into the airport, and the firepower falling on the Zeon forces became increasingly concentrated. Because the positions were compressed to the extreme, every shell fired by the Federation forces could take away several Zeon soldiers.

The Zeon army had lost its previous ferocity. Some desperate soldiers chose to end their own lives, while others tried to hide in drainage ditches or other corners. However, the Federation soldiers' flamethrowers would then mercilessly pour flames into these dark corners.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Let them burn as much as they want!"

As several Zeon soldiers, engulfed in flames, crawled out of their bunkers screaming and groaning in agony on the ground, a Federation officer ordered his men to put away their weapons. Everyone watched as the Zeon soldiers rolled and wailed on the ground until their charred bodies fell silent. Only then did the Federation officer approach and spit on the corpses.

"This is for Sydney! You bastard!"

Upon hearing the approaching gunfire, Brigadier General Cleveland, who had been waiting at the command post for some time, picked up his rifle. This was the moment he had chosen for his death. After leaving a letter for his family, he led the last dozen or so officers and soldiers in a counterattack against the Union troops approaching the command post.

On the open airfield, these dozen or so Zeon soldiers were extremely conspicuous. A GM, unaware of their identities, instinctively fired a shot from its shoulder-mounted 240mm cannon.

Then, Brigadier General Cleveland, as if drunk, staggered and fell to the ground, lifeless, leaving only crimson blood spreading across the track beneath him.

Two hours after the attack began, the Union flag was raised again over the ruins of Salt Lake City International Airport, which were no longer recognizable as they once were.

The Zeon forces occupying this area no longer offer any organized resistance. There may still be scattered individuals hiding in the ruins, but their organizational structure can be completely erased from official documents.

From then on, in the central battlefield of the Americas, where Salt Lake City is located, the Zeon forces completely lost the strategic initiative. After losing four regiments of main combat troops in one go, the Zeon forces in the central battlefield had no offensive capability. Next, it was the Federation forces' turn to launch a counterattack!
The day after the Battle of Salt Lake City ended, a special guest arrived at the Zeon base in California!

(End of this chapter)