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

Chapter 259 Even without money, it's still like this

In the boundless depths of the universe, in a dark place undetectable by any probe, lies the stronghold of the Zeon remnants, the home of Axis.

Of course, the above statement is an exaggeration. In reality, Axis is not alone in the dark universe. Its actual location is in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

In 0072, due to the Earth Federation's control, the Principality of Zeon, unable to obtain enough raw materials to build an army, chose to develop its own resource gathering base here, and Axis was one of the targets. In fact, Axis, Solomon, and Abaoakong Fortress are from the same region, all originating from the asteroid belt. When Zeon transferred Solomon and Abaoakong to the Earth Sphere, Axis was the command center in charge of coordinating this work.

In addition, this is also the starting base of the Zeon Jupiter Fleet. However, due to the great distance, Zeon does not have the capacity to carry out large-scale development here and can only barely build an ecological base inside Axis.

However, because the remote environment was not only harsh, but also a heavy psychological burden on the people, the number of people in Axis was also very small, even less than a few hundred.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Axis will remain in this state for several years or even decades until Zeon is able to conduct further space exploration and then rebuild it.

However, in 0079, Zeon encountered an accident. During Operation Britannia, a fallen colony satellite shattered the Zeon's dream of dominating the Earth Sphere and also killed the core ruling power of the Principality. Now, only Dozru Zabi and his daughter Minerva Zabi, who are in federal prison, are still alive.

In fact, this was not the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing was that when the Zeon army of Axis received news from their homeland that Zeon had been wiped out and its land was in ruins, the Zeon escape fleet had even escaped the Earth Sphere and approached Axis, which was far away in the asteroid belt.

This is like an imperial veteran who has endured decades of hardship on the frontier, hoping that a strong nation would bring him back to enjoy a life of comfort, only to find that his own people have finally arrived, only to discover that the empire has collapsed and His Majesty's donkey cart is already at the gate of his outpost.

Fortunately, the loyalty of these Zeon veterans, who have persevered in such harsh conditions for so many years, is beyond question. Even after learning that the fleeing fleet had been exhausted and on the verge of despair after a long escape, they still made every effort to prepare to welcome them.

However, the sheer number of the fleeing contingent of 30,000 people was still a bit overwhelming for the veterans left behind in Aksis, since Aksis base had never seen so many people since its establishment.

Even if the veterans cleared out all the space, it wouldn't be enough for the refugees to put their bunks in. Not to mention, in addition to the living conditions, there was also the more pressing problem of insufficient living supplies.

Although Axis also has a small-scale ecological agriculture module base that can supply food to the garrison, its output is not enough to feed the entire fleet for even one meal.

When the fleeing fleet left Zeon, although they swallowed their pride and dignity and forcibly plundered a large amount of supplies, they had already consumed most of them during the long voyage.

It wasn't that Zeon Regent Maharajakahn, as the commander of the escaped fleet, didn't want to implement a rationing system to make the most efficient use of these supplies through quantitative distribution; rather, it was that he couldn't.

The composition of the Zeon escape fleet was extremely complex. Not to mention the three factions of the Zabi family, there were even the Deikun faction and the so-called Zeon opposition. Just the various civilian officials, colonels, and commanders alone numbered in the hundreds.

These people, along with their families, could easily form hundreds of bands in the escape fleet.

Even after boarding the ship, they found it difficult to give up their past lifestyle. While ordinary Zeon soldiers ate rationed compressed food and drank recycled water, they indulged in red wine and steak, and even held dance parties from time to time.

In this situation, being able to save some food rations was already the greatest effort the regent and the other veterans who could still be considered pillars of Zeon had made.

Not to mention that there were many women and children on board the spaceship. Bringing such a fleet to Axis had already taken a heavy toll on the Regent's life.

Upon arriving in Axis, facing an even more dire living environment than the fleeing fleet, Regent Maharaja knew that things could not continue like this!

If these last remnants of the Principality of Zeon want to return to the Earth Sphere and to Zeon, then they must make changes.

As for the idea of ​​a regent, Mark Bay, the leader of the Kycilia faction, who had also lost a lot of weight but still held his Northern Song Dynasty wine pot, also strongly supported it.

Therefore, Regent Maharaja, in his capacity as regent of the principality, issued the first order during the principality's period of crisis, abolishing all special privileges for officers and officials of all ranks in Zeon.

This order naturally met with a lot of opposition, and some people even cursed it, saying that if they had known they would have to live such a terrible life if they followed them, they would have preferred to be dogs for the Federation. But those voices were only a small minority. The ordinary officers and soldiers cheered, after all, they had been implementing rations for a long time.

Regent Maharaja was also delighted that some insignificant scoundrels were actually going to challenge him. So, the regent, who had been holding back all along, finally stopped pretending. After ordering his personal guards to arrest a few of the ringleaders and throw them into space to demonstrate unprotected human space exploration, the escape fleet finally achieved a temporary unity of will.

What followed was a struggle that could even be described as heroic and moving. The regent reserved all the precious space in the base for the women and children in the fleet, while he and all the officers and soldiers lived on the warship.

After that, everyone in the escape fleet, regardless of rank or gender, began to busy themselves with the task of surviving in this starry sky.

After opening up new living spaces, building new ecological agricultural bases, and expanding residential areas in Aksis, enduring harsh environments, eating dry rations, and even paying a bloody price, Aksis base finally entered a normal stage in 0082.

The escape fleet finally said goodbye to the miserable life of living on ships and moved into a brand-new space base. Although life at the space base was just as simple, it was still much better than the cramped living conditions on the warships.

The ecological base has also initially solved the problem of food for the people of Aksis. The agricultural department even managed to use the frozen embryos they carried to cultivate some livestock and birds to provide the residents of Aksis with some fresh meat occasionally as a treat. Even if they don't eat it, just seeing it is a kind of spiritual comfort!

After finally settling down, the regent, who looked much more weathered than before, did not forget their fundamental goal in building Axis. The escape was only temporary; sooner or later, they would return to Earth!
But here's the problem: how can the escape fleet possibly launch a counterattack, relying on those few Musai-class cruisers that haven't undergone any maintenance in over a year, the Gevakin-class battleship, and a bunch of miscellaneous civilian ships? Not to mention, the entire escape fleet's usable mobile suits are mainly Zaku FZ and Riku Dom, and these machines also lack spare parts and maintenance. It's fair to say that at this moment, Axis is even worse off than pirates.

However, the Axis escape fleet also gathered the last elite forces of the Principality of Zeon. Apart from those gluttonous bureaucrats, there were also various engineers and technicians. After completing the construction of the base, they immediately began their own work, which was to develop new military equipment for Axis and accumulate strength for the counterattack.

"We need more powerful mobile suits, aiming to surpass Gundam. No, not only surpass Gundam, but even completely defeat Gundam. That's right, we want to create our own 'Gundam' for Zeon!"

Regent Maharaja said this at the military conference.

"Not only Gundam, but we also need a batch of high-specification mass-produced mobile suits. Our current scale is not enough to fight a war of attrition with the Federation. In fact, I have already given a lot of thought to the new mobile suits!"

Holding his Northern Song Dynasty pot, Markbe immediately added that he wasn't trying to steal credit or anything like that. In fact, Markbe was also a rather outstanding technical talent. If Kycilia had let him take charge of Zeon's logistics and military equipment earlier, Zeon might have been able to hold out for a little longer.

Unfortunately, after escaping from space back to Zeon, Mark Bay was quickly met with indifference. Although he was eventually reassigned to oversee the development of Zeon's logistics and military equipment, by then the tide had turned. The Federation forces had already completed the renovation of Solomon and were preparing to attack the Abaoa Sky Fortress!

As for the mobile suit that Mark Bay mentioned, it was not the MS14 Warrior that came off the production line when the Principality of Zeon was destroyed, but another product that was responsible for competing with that mobile suit, codenamed YMS15 Strongman!

Unlike the Warrior, this mobile suit is not primarily armed with a beam rifle, but rather with a beam saber, 12 shield-mounted miniature mine-blast bombs, and 56 shield-mounted needle missiles. During their escape, Maxwell had already instructed Zeon's engineers to refine the Strongman's design as much as possible. Now, with a pressing need for new mobile suits to replace older models like the Zaku FZ and Rico Dom, the Strongman, with its mature technology and ability to be put into production quickly, is the best choice.

After all, Axis is only far from Earth, not completely detached from it. If the Federation is determined to pursue it, Axis will need to have the ability to protect itself.

But Mark Bay also understood that the Strongman's design was somewhat outdated. After all, this machine was designed at the end of 0079, which was not considered an advantage over the Federation at that time, let alone now!

Therefore, while creating powerful emergency response units, the design of new mechs should not be neglected either!
The specifications of Zeon's new mobile suits are naturally aligned with those of Gundam. The reason for this alignment is quite simple: someone's performance is simply too dazzling!

Throughout the entire Axis escape fleet, the mobile suit that everyone mentioned most was Gundam, and the Federation pilot they mentioned most was Makarius Skrinni, nicknamed the Red Dragon!
Even many Zeon pilots from the fleeing fleets suffered from what is known as Red Dragon phobia, having survived the battlefield by sheer luck and witnessed firsthand how the Red Dragon had routed their forces.

That red machine truly resembled an invincible dragon, proudly flapping its wings and soaring across the battlefield. Any opponent who dared to provoke it would suffer a merciless blow.

It can be said that Makarius Skrinni has become an inescapable nightmare for the Axis escape fleet. From the high-ranking commanders of the principality to young children, everyone is emphasizing the need to eliminate such an opponent, but no one knows how to do so.

"Colonel Char, why are you silent? After all, based on your experience fighting Gundams, you are the one who has the most authority to speak!"

"Sorry, I'm also thinking about how to defeat such an opponent. After all, Makarius is not only an excellent pilot, he is also a Newtype!"

"A new kind of human!"

"The existence of the New Humans can indeed make up for our lack of combat power to a great extent. Colonel, you have made a good idea. In fact, many of the technicians from the Flanagan Organization established by Lady Kycilia came to Axis with us. I think we should let them resume their previous research as soon as possible. What do you think?"

Markbe looked at Marahajja, who then nodded.

"Indeed, what we need now is to rebuild our military strength as quickly as possible at all costs, whether it's mobile suits, new humans, or warships, we need everything!"

"However, the base is only just getting back on track, and everyone needs to rest..."

"Colonel Char, we have no time to catch our breath now. I know that everyone has had a tough time these past two years, but that's precisely why we need to continue to endure. Otherwise, our children will live under this steel dome just like us, and they will never have the chance to see the sky, the earth, or the ocean in their entire lives!"

"Malahaj said meaningfully."

"I understand!"

"Then, for now, let's continue with this plan. I need you to take over your original tasks as soon as possible, Mark Bay!"

"I understand, Your Excellency Regent. Please rest assured, I guarantee that the required warships and mobile suits will be designed and put into production as soon as possible!"

"Then, everyone, let's do our best, Thirsty Zeon!"

"Thirsty Geron!"

(End of this chapter)