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

Chapter 314 Strike Combat Group

“Brother Macarius, don’t you have anything to say to us?”

"This, this was all done by the Commander-in-Chief!"

Seeing the several big shots blocking his way, what could Makarius say? He could only pretend to be stupid and try to shift the blame onto Rebil.

However, this tactic clearly had no effect on the fleet commanders.

However, they weren't really there to cause trouble for Makarius. They knew the heavy responsibility Makarius bore and understood that he was actually just easing their burden. The job of a mobile strike battle group was anything but glamorous. The garrison fleet could go ashore to rest after their missions, but the battle group had to carry out missions for long periods of time, which was like being in prison.

Moreover, Falkwellton didn't just build that many ships; if one batch was gone, there would be another. So, the commanders simply lifted Makarius up, spread his legs, and made him walk to the concrete pillar in the Aruba corridor as punishment.

After Aruba finished building the cement pillar, everyone put Makarius down.

Tianm helped him brush the dust off his clothes and then said something.

"However, if you need any help, feel free to contact me. You're already a general, there's no need for you to be there in person for everything. What are those elite pilots you trained for? Take care, we might not see each other again for several months!"

"Understood, I'll be careful!"

Apart from Tiam, most of the other officers also gave Makarius a few words of advice and made the same promise: if needed, Makarius should just ask, and their fleet would come to his aid immediately.

If the fleet needs resupply, just ask. This can be seen as a way for seniors to mentor juniors.

Marcarius thanked everyone in turn. The most troublesome things about ocean voyages are always the same old issues, especially resupplying at shore. But now, he no longer needs to worry about these things. He only needs to keep an eye on the remnants and beat them up.

Of course, the preparations for the fleet were not immediate; they could not be completed to the point where orders were issued in the morning and ships could be seen by the afternoon.

After Gabro issued his orders, the deployment of ships, the assembly of personnel, and the stockpiling of supplies would all take time. However, Markarius did not need to be responsible for all of these tasks by himself. Gabro would handle most of the work; he only needed to provide a list of elite personnel needed by the fleet.

So, after thanking everyone, he spoke again without any hesitation, saying that he might have to draw some personnel from everyone's fleets, and asked everyone to be lenient.

Faced with this behavior of not stopping after eating what was already in the pot, and even forcing the cook to pack another portion, what could the fleet commanders say? They could only nod and continue repeating the previous actions, making Makarius cry out in pain, and stating that the matter would only end after all the personnel were returned.

This is normal. After all, warships can be used as soon as they are manufactured in factories, but outstanding military personnel cannot be mass-produced in training camps in three months. They all need to be carefully cultivated in various units, just like racehorses in a racetrack. They need to be fed and cared for, plus various training and development.

Makarius simply said, "I need some manpower," and just like that, he pulled away those key personnel. It was like the racetrack spending a lot of money on the racehorses, but the prize money earned had nothing to do with the racetrack. It was an act of picking the fruits of others' labor, which was extremely despicable.

Not to mention that the transfer of key personnel will also affect the combat effectiveness of the troops. Although the fleet can be retrained, how can we calculate the time and resources spent?

Therefore, the procedures for transferring personnel out and bringing them back should be finalized. If necessary, these key personnel should also be given more experience. Only after this is agreed upon will everyone agree to release them.
If Makarius were to abscond with the people without a word, the fleet commanders would be coming to his door with brass belts as a form of bribery.

Fortunately, Makarius wasn't too greedy. He only took a few captains from the front-line fleets to fill the command positions in the strike fleet. As for other departments, such as power and gunnery, there were reserve personnel to fill the positions. In addition, with the new recruits graduating from the naval academy, the strike battle group could still be fully staffed. However, the combination of new and old personnel was naturally not as smooth as an all-veteran team.

Fortunately, these brand-new, highly information-based Lakalam-level systems do not have a high demand for personnel in key positions. Therefore, the combination of new and old personnel will not affect operations too much, and it can be regarded as a training opportunity.

But the mobile suit units are different. A group of elite veterans from the Pezen Combat Center are enough to meet the needs. Makarius is also preparing to transfer two reliable mobile suit squadrons from the Republic of Zeon. Therefore, the combat strength of the battle group is not a concern at all.

Besides these conventional forces, the Red Dragons, formerly under Macarius's command, Char's subordinates, and Amuro's pilots can fill the gap in mid-to-high-end combat power. In particular, the Red Dragons, who have been trained by Macarius for so many years, have, frankly speaking, an average combat skill level that has surpassed that of the elite Zeon pilots during the One Year War, such as the Black Triad.

Even when facing a ace like Crimson Lightning, they can coordinate a retreat in a relatively timely manner, preserving their own strength.

Of course, Makarius was not one to hold back. He would teach all the pilots who studied and trained under him equally. However, because of their different starting points, everyone's level would vary. For example, Matsunaga Shin, nicknamed White Wolf, had a good foundation. After being rigorously trained by Makarius, Amuro, and others, he was even able to fight Char back and forth for dozens of rounds, which even surpassed the level of Crimson Lightning.

While there are good ones, there are also bad ones. For example, a certain blond guy in sunglasses, perhaps because his brain was damaged by some kid, his fighting skills haven't improved much.

However, this is discussed separately. As the barrel effect states, the amount of water a system can hold depends on the length of the shortest plank, not the longest plank. This emphasizes that the overall efficiency of a system is constrained by its weakest link.

Combat prowess is Char's weak point, while fluid movement is his strong point. His escape skills have improved rapidly since the One Year War. The root cause of this situation is probably that two Federation aces beat him up too badly during simulated combat exercises, forcing him to improve.

But this is good too. Macarius has just prepared a mobile suit that suits Char perfectly, and the Cyanberry is very suitable for his style.

Although the nuclear arsenal was not activated, preventing Char from experiencing the thrill of wiping out a fleet with a single shot, the dedicated MLRS launcher could still inflict considerable damage on enemies within a localized area.

Char only needs to quickly enter and exit, attack and retreat repeatedly, and that will be enough to make the enemy suffer.

Of course, Makarius didn't ask the other party if they were willing. Since they had already abandoned darkness and embraced light, they had no choice!

After the meeting in Gabro, Makarius immediately returned to side7.

"How about it?"

Upon learning of Makarius's return, Amuro kicked open the door to Makarius's office before he could even catch his breath, eagerly inquiring about the outcome of his trip.

"It's settled. Form a battle group. I'll be in charge. You and Xia will go together!"

"Got it. This is really annoying. These damn remnants. Boss, who do you think is their commander?"

"I'm not sure, but I reckon we should be quite familiar with each other. After all, Xia also said that there are only so many high-ranking generals in Axis with names and titles. Maybe it's that old bastard Mark Bay!"

"That old bastard isn't dead yet?"

"Don't underestimate that guy. His talent is something even Kycilia relies on. If that old woman hadn't been so lustful and abandoned him, the war might have dragged on for several more months!"

"No, Markarius, are you sick in some kind of illness? Why are you still going on and on!"

Just as Macarius finished saying he was lustful, another blond man with parted hair and sunglasses appeared behind Amuro. He first poked Amuro hard in the groin with his finger, making the man jump and yell. Then he yelled at Macarius, "I didn't name names, what's your hurry? Or are you the one being lusted upon?"

"I………"

Just as Char was about to speak, Amuro suddenly said something.

"Oh, Lala, when did you get here!"

Now it was Char who jumped up.

But when he turned around, he found that there was nothing behind him.

"See, this is what happens when a thief has a guilty conscience!"

Amuro said to Macarius while rubbing the spot where he had been poked.

Char rolled his eyes, gave up, and plopped down on the sofa, letting the two of them laugh.

"Alright, alright, stop laughing. I still have something to ask Xia Ya!"

"I refuse to answer!"

That means I loved!

"I………"

Char couldn't hold back any longer. He clearly didn't want to fall into the trap, but somehow he ended up walking into Makarius's trap again.

"Just kidding, but this is a serious question. Are you ready, Char or Captain Kuvatolo?"

Which one do you want me to be?

"What we hope to have with you has no direct relation to what you are. Rather, it's about what decision you make at this moment. If you want to back out, you can still do so now, but once you've made a choice, there's no going back!"

Makarius then repeated.

"So, are you ready, Char or Captain Kuvatolo?"

Xia did not answer, but closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before opening them.

He didn't say anything, but simply stood up and saluted Makarius.

"Well then, welcome to the strike combat group, Captain Cuvatoro!"

Makarius nodded.

He wasn't a bad person and wouldn't force Char to go to the battlefield and fight his old friends, but he also didn't want any unspoken understandings to emerge on the battlefield. He wanted to wipe out the Axis remnants in one fell swoop and cleanly cut off their hand that had reached into the Earth Sphere. This was the goal set by Macarius, so he wouldn't tolerate any unstable factors.

But now that Char has made his stance clear, that's enough. Makarius believes in him and is willing to believe in him!
"So, which old acquaintance do you think is leading this operation?"

"I'm highly likely to suspect Mark Bay for this move, no, it's definitely him!"

Xia crossed his legs and said with great certainty.

"He never showed his face from beginning to end, relying only on a few small pawns to carry out the operation. That's so typical of his style!"

"I thought this guy was going to seize power in Axis!"

"It's not impossible, but Mark Bay is unlikely to succeed. Harman, although young, is quite capable, and Mark Bay can't control her!"

"Then, is it possible that this guy was also exiled?"

Amuro suddenly interjected.

"Just like before, Xia, weren't you also kicked out by them?"

“That’s different. The troops under Mark Bay’s command are still very important to Axis, unlike me, who is just an ordinary officer. So, if he is really the commander-in-chief, it should be his own choice! Mark Bay has a strong strategic awareness. He was probably the first in Axis to recognize the threat from the Federation!”

"So, this guy came prepared!"

"Or rather, it was highly purposeful!"

Although the battle group has yet to be seen, this does not prevent Makarius from analyzing his possible opponents. Although he cannot determine the specific identity of the opponent, Makarius knows that the small-scale skirmishes of the remnants are not enough to shake the foundation of the Federation. Therefore, the opponent must still be accumulating some kind of move.

However, the Earth Sphere still offers many targets for the enemy to choose from: colonies, satellite cannons, the moon, and Side 3. These places could all become targets for the remnants, because if it were Makarius, he would do the same.

Most importantly, the main fleet of the remnants has not yet appeared. Makarius does not like this game of hide-and-seek at all. He wants to find the enemy's target and then use it as bait to lure the enemy to show up or reveal their secrets.

That way, the initiative will fall into his hands!
After all, Markarius possesses a powerful mobile force, and only by taking the initiative can he maximize its combat effectiveness.

It seems I need to contact Ramball!
As Marcarius thought this, his gaze suddenly swept over the two people in front of him. If Rambalar's Zero Team had these two, he probably wouldn't be so troubled.

However, it doesn't matter if there isn't one. He still has great faith in Rambarr's political wisdom. If he wants to find a breakthrough, he has to start from this aspect!
(End of this chapter)