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

Chapter 268 Basque Report

"stand at attention!"

"Alright, don't be shy, please sit down!"

In the conference room of Luna II Base, Tianm, dressed in a lieutenant general's uniform, waved his hand, signaling the dozen or so officers in front of him to sit down.

"I'm sure everyone is already aware of the reason for today's meeting. The Zeon remnants in the Delaz Fleet have been acting very strangely lately. Just yesterday, they even clashed with our patrol team on side 4!"

Tiam was furious when he talked about it. The patrol fleet of Side 4 had been ambushed by the Zeon forces once again. The Zeon forces deployed about a battalion of mobile suits, along with two Musai-class ships to support them. They fought fiercely against the Federation forces' three Salamis and a squadron of GM-C ships. Although the exchange ratio was even, with a score of one to one and a half, and the Federation forces even had the upper hand, four pilots survived among the mobile suits lost.

The problem was that the results were even, thanks to the fact that the Federation patrol had the GM Special Edition, which had just been deployed not long ago, plus the overwhelming anti-aircraft fire of the improved Salamis-class. The density of the Federation's anti-aircraft fire was so intense that it even startled the Zeon mobile suit units. Some pilots almost wet themselves watching their teammates being vaporized by the fire.

In other words, without these, the patrol team would definitely suffer losses!

What angered Tiam was not the casualties, but the actions of the Delaz fleet. These guys were clearly conducting a probing attack; they were assessing and calculating!
"Sir, my men have submitted a report on this matter. Men, the report is on the flexible screen in front of you!"

The Director of Military Intelligence, Lunes, was also in the conference room. He pointed to the flexible screen that had been placed on the table and spoke to his colleagues.

After that, apart from Tiam, who had read the report beforehand, the other Federation Army officers began to peruse it.

This report was submitted by a joint investigation team dispatched by the Military Intelligence Agency to the colony, headed by Colonel Basque Om, a member of the agency.

Most Federation officers had heard of his exploits. In his youth, this officer lost his hair due to illness and became bald. Later, while conducting intelligence work in Side 3, he was captured. Zeon intelligence tortured him relentlessly for a long time, even using torture equipment to cause eye damage. From then on, he could only move normally by wearing goggles. However, this resolute intelligence officer endured the interrogation and was rescued in the Battle of Abaoa. He returned to his post after only six months of recovery.

The fact that Lunes sent this man out speaks volumes about the seriousness of the matter. After all, because of his expertise, the Basque Colonel, who had suffered greatly, had only one thing left to do in his life: to repay the Zeon people with an eye for an eye and blood for blood.

Upon receiving the order, the colonel immediately led his men in several groups to the attack site to collect all relevant information and re-interview the survivors' testimonies. He then submitted this investigation report.

In the report, the colonel clearly recorded the movements of more than thirty brand-new Rick Dom mobile suits. He frankly stated in the report that the emergence of the improved Rick Dom proved that the Delaz Fleet had obviously solved the problem of armament improvement. In addition, considering the transport ships attacked in the recent series of attacks, the Delaz Fleet has even regained the ability to produce mobile suits, because more than half of the transport ships were attacked while carrying ultra-high tensile steel materials. In addition, the remaining transport ships were carrying chips, electronic systems, helium-3 fuel, etc.

These materials are also necessities for military production. Most importantly, the intelligence agency's investigation team also found a batch of shell casings fired by Zeon mobile suits at the attack site. These 90mm shell casings had no production markings at all, but they were brand new. Therefore, they were not produced during the Principality of Zeon period, but recently!
"Now, we can't trap them anymore!"

An officer rubbed his head. An opposition organization with the ability to generate its own resources is completely different from one without. If the normal operation of warships and mobile suits cannot be guaranteed, the Delaz Fleet will degenerate into space savages within five years.

Weapons and equipment are not natural rocks. A gun will rust if it is not maintained for a period of time, let alone sophisticated mobile suits and warships.

But once production capacity was secured, the Delaz fleet could always be replenished regardless of output, so the idea of ​​sending these guys to live like space savages naturally fell through!
"Headquarters has ordered us to launch a targeted operation. Now, tell me what we should do?"

Tiam stroked his mustache and then passed the buck to his officers of various ranks. Although he had a well-established plan, training his subordinates was also of paramount importance. Therefore, he did not rush to issue orders but wanted to see what methods they could come up with.

The officers and generals of the Space Force did not all learn to eat with knives and forks only at military academy. In response to the current situation, each of them had more or less solutions, but in the end, Tiam did not adopt any of them.

It wasn't that the officers' plan was bad, but rather that they were thinking too highly of themselves. However, the Federation fleet on Luna II couldn't execute it. Although the Alexander-class and Birmingham-class warships they wanted to use had already entered service with the Luna II fleet, they hadn't yet achieved combat capability. In particular, the Federation itself was still figuring out the detailed formation and combat tactics for these two types of warships. Therefore, the idea of ​​the fleet launching an attack and flooding the Reef space area with artillery fire would have to wait at least a few months.

Especially the brand-new Birmingham-class, which serves as the core support of the fleet, is a masterpiece created by Falkwellington, bringing together all the designers' efforts. The Federation sailors, who were the last to be launched and only received the ship at the beginning of the year, are still getting used to it.

Of course, not all proposals were rejected. Tiam approved the proposals regarding patrolling the shipping lanes and monitoring the reef area. While these measures might not completely stop the Delaz fleet's reckless actions, they could at least calm those guys down.

After all, these fleets weren't carrying ordinary GM Cs, but rather cutting-edge mobile suits like the Gilai and GM Special Edition!
"Luens, I need the intelligence agency to find a way to obtain the navigation data for the Reef space region, at all costs!"

"understand!"

Seeing Tianm tapping his hand on the table, Director Luens nodded very solemnly.

The area of ​​the Reef Space where the Delaz Fleet is hiding is too vast. It is a dark space between the Earth and the Moon, composed of a dense cluster of asteroids. Since the beginning of Earth's exploration, the Federation has not yet figured out the details of its interior.

While the Delaz fleet, which was hiding there, probably didn't have a detailed understanding of the entire space region, they had at least carved out several routes for the fleet to roam. Every time the Federation forces organized a pursuit, those guys would run into the reef space region. At first, the Federation forces could keep up, but after circling around for a while, they lost track of the enemy and had to return along the original route.

Therefore, familiarity with the terrain is essential for entering the Reef Space Zone and engaging in a decisive battle with the Delaz Fleet.

Director Lunes, who was in charge of this important task, dared not slack off in the slightest. After all, if other work was not done well, it could be done again, but if the flight path was not handled well, the progress of the entire Federation Army would have to be suspended!
Therefore, after leaving the conference room, Lunes immediately ordered his secretary to contact Colonel Basque, who was traveling all over the world.

When he returned to his office, a man wearing goggles and a baseball cap was already waiting on the communications channel.

"Sir!"

"Colonel, your investigation can be put on hold for now!"

"A new mission?"

"Yes, I need you to find a way to get the navigation charts from the Delaz fleet!"

"Flight route map, understood. However, I have something else to report!"

"what's up?"

"Regarding the remains of the Rakshasa that our army captured, the technical department analyzed their propellant and found that the propellant composition had changed compared to before!"

"What do you mean?"

A glint of light flashed in Lunes' eyes as he looked at the man in front of him.

The latter then said, "Either the Delaz fleet improved the propellant themselves, or they received some assistance. I lean towards the latter; the propellant composition is entirely new!"

"Axis!"

"That's right!"

"Well done, Colonel!"

"It's my duty. Also, sir, since we need to find a way to get the flight path map, I need the Shadow Force's help!"

"I will send them over to meet you. Also, there is an order from headquarters in Gabro, authorizing you to deploy friendly forces and colonial security forces. However, Colonel, you'd better be polite when dealing with local colonial departments!"

"I'll try my best, as long as they don't get in the way!"

Basque revealed a rather sinister smile.

"Yes, but we can't be too polite. We need to let them know who the real master is!"

"understand!"

"Then, go for it, Colonel!"

"understand!"

Looking at the screen that had dimmed in front of him, Colonel Basque snapped his fingers with a broad smile. Then, the dim lights quickly came on, and the electric curtains covering the portholes slowly opened.

Through the porthole, Colonel Basque could clearly see rows of huge metal cylinders slowly rotating in the distance.

At this moment, the Salamis-class cruiser carrying his joint investigation team was docked in the side 4 Moore space area. On the other side of the colony cluster, a huge space fortress could be seen floating in space, shining brightly. That was the Abaoa Sky Fortress, where the Federation Forces' side 3 fleet was docked.

Behind Abaoakun lies the Republic of Zeon.

When the colonel looked in that direction, the smile on his face vanished instantly, leaving only a burning flame of hatred in his cloudy eyes behind his goggles.

"Daninghan!"

"Sir?"

A federal lieutenant colonel heard Basque's voice and then pushed open the door and entered the room.

"Notify the captain to replenish the Bosnia's reserves; we may have to go on another long voyage!"

"Where are we going, sir?"

"Go to side 6!"

Basque picked up a small snack from the table, slowly put it in his mouth, and began to chew.

As a seasoned intelligence officer, Colonel Basque has an inexplicable talent for hunting down his prey. The Delaz fleet's continuous attacks started from side 6, so he must have found the answer he's looking for there!
That's the skill of a veteran intelligence officer!
With such talent, after the One Year War, the Colonel relentlessly pursued hundreds of Zeon remnants who had escaped federal trial and purges. Most of them were his old adversaries, agents belonging to various Zeon intelligence agencies. Hunting them down was the Colonel's happiest moment, especially when he grabbed their heads and made them feel the same pain in their eyes as he did.

Subsequently, the Salamis-class cruiser, whose paint scheme was no different from that of ordinary Federation warships but which had an intelligence agency insignia below its hull number, set sail again for the Abaoa Fortress. There, the ship was refueled and supplied, and Colonel Basque also used Gabro's order to retrieve a batch of light weapons ammunition from the armory.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Special Forces, under the Federal Military Intelligence Agency, arrived at Abaoa Air Fortress aboard a Hive-class aircraft carrier, escorted by two Lepanto frigates.

After rendezvousing with the Salamis-class, the small fleet set sail again, heading towards side 6, located on the other side of the moon at point l4.

"Captain, keep the fleet in stealth and do not enter through public shipping lanes!"

"understand!"

The captain of the Salamis-class ship had no doubts about Basque's orders, nor did he dare to, since they were both from the military intelligence agency and Basque's rank was higher than his. However, Basque did not issue orders all the time; the daily operations of the warship were still the responsibility of the captain.

And so, without attracting anyone's attention, the small fleet commanded by the Basques approached the Side 6 space region from the dark edge of the universe.

Upon entering the border of the Side 6 space domain, they immediately received a message from the security forces. Although the latter knew their identities, they still conducted a screening to avoid being attacked by pirates again.

"Then, Colonel Basque, could you tell me the mission and purpose of your unit's visit here?"

"Sorry, this is confidential!"

"Okay, I understand. Then you can dock at berth number 5!"

"Thank you. Also, please inform Minister Hardman that I will be visiting him in an hour!"

Minister Hardman, the white-haired security minister from Side 6, sighed helplessly when he learned that a federal army unit had secretly arrived at Side 6 and that the person in charge wanted to have a talk with him.

"Damn it, I knew I couldn't avoid it!"

(End of this chapter)