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

Chapter 237 Gathering at Dawn

The happiest people about Makarius's appointment were not Gao Yun, nor the high-ranking officials of the headquarters, but his many classmates at the Command Academy. The Federal Advanced Command Academy, as the name suggests, is a military academy where most students are officers. Generally speaking, senior officers in the Federal Army are promoted after decades of service, when they are already past their prime. Therefore, most of Makarius's classmates were veterans in their forties and fifties. It was naturally conspicuous for a young man to be among them, and they themselves did not have any impressive qualifications to overshadow him.

Therefore, the older students had a very difficult time in their studies because they had to compare themselves to Makarius in everything they did: research reports, physical fitness tests, and even sometimes they would be criticized by the teacher for dozing off in class. "Look how well he can stay awake in class!" So when they learned that Makarius was about to interrupt his studies to take up his post and fight against the anti-Federalists, they were overjoyed. In fact, as soon as Gao Yun delivered the transfer order, they booked a farewell banquet for Makarius.

However, sending Makarius away was one thing, but when they learned that the young man was going back to the battlefield, many people also felt a sense of loss and envy. Although war is cruel, without war there is no military merit. Everyone wants the opportunity to stand out, and the desire for war and the aversion to war are not contradictory.

"Don't be too sad, everyone. I'll be back when it's all over!"

"Besides, I'll bring my books with me, so I won't fall behind in my studies and I can still learn together with everyone!"

The group of veteran comrades were immediately devastated. They had been hoping that Markarius would cause trouble for the next term. So why did this guy like them so much?
However, at the moment of bidding farewell to Makarius, these veterans still offered their heartfelt blessings.

May you achieve a resounding victory!

At the same time, the Federal Parliament also passed a bill to launch a special military operation against the Nanyang Alliance. Considering the special circumstances of the Nanyang Alliance, the Parliament limited the target to the Order Church and directly and decisively added it to the Federal Parliament's list of cults. After all, the federal agents had obtained clear evidence, including evidence of the other party's human experimentation, development of illegal weapons, and collusion with remnants. The evidence of collusion with remnants was particularly clear, with video footage showing Revan Hu himself and several Zeon remnants who were still on the federal wanted list.

Of course, considering the relationship between the Nanyang Alliance and the Order Church, there is no difference between attacking the Order Church and attacking the Nanyang Alliance. After all, the other side has now replaced the legitimate government of the Nanyang Alliance and turned the whole country into a theocratic state, which is exactly what the Federation prohibits!
Therefore, the Federal Council has a legitimate reason to act and doesn't need to worry about the legality of its actions. Moreover, the space residents can't help but think of the day their home was destroyed whenever they see a Zaku, especially after learning that the Southern Alliance is still building new Zakus, which makes them feel even more uneasy.

In reality, there were no dissenting voices within the Federation regarding this action. After all, the Federation hadn't initiated war mobilization, which meant the situation wasn't too serious. There was no need for tax increases or conscription, so everyone could continue dancing, drinking, and living happily as usual. Of course, it was impossible to expect absolutely no opposition. Some anti-war and religious media outlets did express criticism, but these were all still within a controllable range.

Immediately after the parliament issued the order, the Federal Navy fleet sailed to the border of the Nanyang Alliance to prepare for a naval blockade. Instead of engaging the overwhelming Federal fleet, the Nanyang Alliance monks chose to retreat across the board.

The Nanyang Alliance naturally had military talent. They knew that with the Nanyang Alliance's current strength, it had no chance of winning in a head-on fight against the Federal Army. Even the Federal Navy's Water Jim, although it was often discharged from the Jim guild by the Federal Army for its embarrassing performance, was not something that the Nanyang Alliance's Water Zani could mess with.

After all, the latter doesn't actually have any professional underwater combat capabilities; it's just that some extra parts have been added to allow the machine to move underwater. The Water GM, on the other hand, has a multi-missile launcher and a beam pick.

Moreover, in addition to the Water Jim, the Federation forces also have a large number of surface ships and naval air force support. The monks of the Nanyang Alliance could not possibly fight these forces to the death. Therefore, shrinking the defensive line and concentrating the forces was the wisest choice for the Nanyang Alliance.

Meanwhile, at the Federation Army base in Gabro, four Pegasus-class assault landing ships and elite troops from various locations had also arrived.

"The last time this place was this lively was during the One Year War!"

"Yes, four Pegasus-class ships, that's truly magnificent!"

Captain Woody Malden stood on a corner of the dock, gazing at the warship whose hatch on the spaceship's cantilever arm had already opened, and couldn't help but sigh.

As he continued to gaze into the distance, a brand-new C88 Media transport plane flew in from above the base. Looking at the bright roses on the transport plane's fuselage, Captain Woody's lips curled into a smile.

Because the captain of this Midia was none other than his wife, Lieutenant Matilda Malden.

"Calling ground control, this is transport aircraft K1145, requesting the opening of the first landing deck. This aircraft is carrying important VIPs!"

"K1145, landing deck is open, welcome back!"

The Media transport plane then slowly landed on the upper landing deck not far from Captain Woody, who had intended to wait until the VIPs left before going to greet his wife.

But as the side hatch of Midia closed, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and quickly called to his men.

"Quickly, line up on the landing deck!"

The bewildered federal soldiers then saw their superior officers rush over as if their backsides were on fire, but they soon found out why!

As another squad of military police jogged down to the landing deck in perfect marching form, the moment the mysterious VIP stepped down the stairs, a command to stand at attention rang out. Immediately, both the military police and the federal officers present stood at attention facing the aisle.

"salute!"

Makarius, with a smile on his face, returned the salute to the two lines of people in front of him.

He hadn't expected to receive such treatment at the Gabro base, and many of the people there were old acquaintances. If his car hadn't been waiting by the roadside to pick him up, he would have loved to chat with them for a bit.

After Makarius got into the car and left, the military police and other federal soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, and then some of them laughed.

"My goodness, even Red Dragon has been recalled! The Nanyang Alliance has such a huge influence!"

"Yeah, yeah, now Red Dragon's battle record is probably going to break 500?"

The soldiers were chatting enthusiastically. For them, no commander's battle plan could inspire their fighting spirit as much as a real ace, since the latter was something tangible and real!
Meanwhile, in the headquarters, all the mid- to high-ranking officers of the strike fleet had gathered together and were listening to a briefing on the enemy situation.

Captain Bradnoa of the White Base was also among them. At this moment, he was sitting obediently in the first row, staring intently at the two empty seats in front of him.

To this day, they still do not know who the two commanding officers of this strike fleet are, and the briefing given by the intelligence officer is so dry that it makes people drowsy. If they were not in the first row, several captains would probably have already started yawning and slumping over.

However, they soon found out that the intelligence officer giving the briefing also found it boring and yawned, which immediately made the whole conference room burst into laughter.

Just as everyone was laughing, the door suddenly burst open, followed by a loud shout from the officer on duty.

"Everyone stand and salute!"

As the footsteps drew closer, two figures appeared before Brad, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Alright, everyone, sit down!" Lieutenant General Djamitov placed his teacup on the table and then waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

"I will be in charge of the strike fleet for this operation, and the person next to me is the deputy commander. I think everyone should have no problem with that, right?"

Seeing the expressionless Jamitov and the calmly smiling Makarius beside him, how could the Federation officers possibly have any objections? On the contrary, many of them were already mourning for their opponents. They could even foresee how those anti-Federal elements of the South Pacific Alliance would be cleanly and neatly kicked to death on the roadside.

"Very good. Since everyone has no objections, I will add some of the latest intelligence on the Nanyang Alliance!"

Jamitov immediately stood up, took the baton from the intelligence officer, and began to explain to everyone present the latest information gathered by the intelligence department, including the targets of the Nanyang Alliance army and the special situation in the area.

"So, Colonel Klinney, do you have anything to add?"

After a short while, Jamitov, having explained all the latest information, looked at Makarius.

"Then I'll add a few more words!"

Makarius then stood up and looked at the crowd in front of him.

"The opponents we are facing this time are not traditional enemies. Their identities are rather ambiguous. At the same time, due to the special nature of their religion, the locals will not have any goodwill towards our army. I hope that all the officers will remind their subordinates to avoid any unnecessary casualties. It would be too shameful for veterans who have not been defeated in a year of war to fall at the hands of a mere armed cult!"

"Of course, I will also be traveling with the combat troops. Everyone, I cannot guarantee that I will be the first to arrive at the battlefield, but I can guarantee that I will be the last to leave the battlefield. So, for the sake of victory, I urge everyone to unite, work hard, and cooperate sincerely!"

That's all I wanted to say!

After speaking, Makarius quickly returned to his seat as if granted a pardon, while Lieutenant General Djamitov nodded approvingly beside him.

"Well said!"

"You are too kind!"

Subsequently, after finalizing the operational plan, the strike fleet's first military meeting concluded quickly and successfully. The next step for the entire fleet was to wait for the supplies to be loaded before taking off.

"Well then, it's time for us to take our positions. How does it feel to be a fleet commander for the first time?"

Djamitov looked at Makarius beside him and asked with a smile.

"I feel a little panicked, but I'll adapt as soon as possible!"

"What, the Federation's top ace can panic at a time like this?"

"Yes, before I only had to worry about myself, but now, the lives of thousands of officers and soldiers in the entire fleet are in my hands. The responsibility is immense!"

"Very good. With this kind of awareness, you are already a qualified commander. Let's go, young man, it's time to set off!"

Jamitov nodded in satisfaction, then got up and walked towards the door.

"You probably haven't seen the Spartan yet, have you?"

"I heard it's the latest Trojan-level malware?"

"Yes, this is the first assault landing ship to roll off the production line, based on the experience gained from the previous batches. This is its first public appearance!"

"That's sure to bring good luck!"

The Spartan that Jamitov mentioned was the last of the last batch of warships built by the Union Army during the One Year War. Although the ship was designed relatively early, it incorporated the experience of the previous batches of White Trojan-class ships, so the design was modified and improved. As a result, the One Year War ended just as the ship was being built.

Fortunately, the Federation did not dismantle the ship. After all, the White Trojan-class assault landing ship has a special status. It is currently the only space warship in the Federation military that can maintain flight in the atmosphere, so it is very necessary to keep the ship.

The flagship of the strike fleet was naturally chosen to be this new warship, which had only been launched a few months ago, because its bridge information integration was much higher than that of other early warships, making it the perfect place to set up the command center.

When Macarius boarded the ship, his mobile suits were already fully loaded: the NT1 Gundam in full armor mode, and an additional improved version of the Flying Tiger. In fact, if Macarius needed it, Matilda's Midia fleet could guarantee to send another Sniper GM SP2 and GM Commander within a day.

This is the special treatment given to ace pilots. After all, whether a mobile suit can be used to its fullest potential depends on the skill of its pilot. Makarius is certainly worthy of it. If he wanted, he could even kick the mobile suit force that came with the Spartan onto the aircraft carrier and replace all the mobile suits in the hangar with his own.

However, that would be a bit too arrogant, and Macarius was too embarrassed to do that. Besides, these two mobile suits were actually enough. The Flying Tiger was for aerial combat, and the NT1 was for ground combat. As for naval combat, Macarius would not participate; that was the mission of the Atlas Gundam, which had not yet been delivered.

Of course, Macarius didn't think anyone would have a chance to fight a water battle in front of him. After all, the fully armored NT1 Gundam also had an extra long-range beam rifle, which was perfect for blasting fish!
Thanks to the efforts of a large number of federal army logistics units, the supplies needed for the strike fleet were quickly loaded.

"Sir, requesting permission to depart!"

After receiving a clear signal to proceed, Captain Vincent Pike of the Sparta looked at Djamitov, who was sitting in the command post. Djamitov glanced at his watch and then waved his hand dismissively.

"Let's set sail, Captain Pike!"

Then, the base's launch channels, camouflaged under layers of cover, slowly opened, and then, with the roar of its engines, the massive hull of the Spartan gradually broke free from the constraints of gravity and soared into the still slightly dark sky.

(End of this chapter)