Crossing Orb: Newtype Commander

Chapter 90 Restriction Lifted

"VEDA, remove all limiters from the gold machine."

"Confirmed. After removing all limiters, the structural stress on the machine will exceed the design value. Continued operation may result in [removal]."

VEDA paused for a second. "Limiter released. Minovsky nuclear reactor output power - 120%. Thruster thrust - 150%. Warning: System load has exceeded safety threshold."

"Enough." Char placed his right hand on the quantum interface. "Golden Machine, Char Langrad Athha, launch."

The catapult activated, propelling the machine into space with tremendous thrust. The golden machine flew out of the Archangel's hangar, transforming into a golden meteor as it hurtled towards the Kruze team's lines.

The bridge of the Menelaus.

Halbarton stared at the rapidly approaching golden dot on the radar screen, his dark brown eyes filled with shock.

"What is that?"

"It's Commander-in-Chief Asha's golden machine!" the radar officer exclaimed. "It's charging towards the enemy lines alone!"

Halbarton's pupils contracted. "What's he trying to do? Take on thirty mobile suits all by himself?"

Char's voice came through the communicator, calm and firm: "General Halbarton, order the Archangel to descend to Earth. I will cover you. The Eighth Fleet will withdraw immediately after confirming the Archangel has entered the atmosphere."

"Commander Asha, are you insane? One person, one '7'!"

"General, trust me."

Communication was lost. Halbarton stared at the golden dot on the holographic screen, remained silent for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth. "Order all ships to provide cover for the Archangel's descent to Earth. All warships, concentrate fire to protect the golden machine!"

"yes!"

In outer space, in front of the Kruse team.

The golden machine weaved through the barrage of bullets, its beam rifle firing continuously, each shot precisely aimed at the cockpit of a GINN.

The first shot pierced the armor of the foremost GINN, the second hit the thruster of the second GINN, and the third grazed the shoulder armor of the third GINN. All three GINNs were rendered combat ineffective within three seconds, and the explosions silently erupted in the vacuum of space.

"Scatter!" Kruze's voice boomed through ZAFT's communication channel. "Don't get close to that gold machine! Its maneuverability is far beyond your imagination!"

The remaining twenty-two GINNs quickly dispersed, firing simultaneously from different directions. Linear rifle shells exploded around the golden machine, shrapnel striking its armor with a piercing metallic clang. But the golden machine did not slow down; it weaved through the barrage, its golden armor drawing bright arcs in the starlight.

The Duel Gundam charged in from the flank, and Yzak's voice boomed through the communicator: "So you're that Red Comet? Let's see what you've got!"

The beam rifle fired at the Golden Frame's cockpit. Char pulled the control stick, and the Golden Frame veered at the last moment, the beam grazing past without causing any damage. He pressed the communication button, his voice calm: "Yzak Jule, you're still too young."

As the golden machine shifted to the side, it turned around, its beam rifle aimed at the Duel Gundam's cockpit. Char pulled the trigger, but Yzak pulled the control stick at the last second, sending the Duel Gundam lurching backward. The beam grazed the chest armor, leaving a deep burn mark on the phase-shift armor.

"Damn it—!" Yzak's voice was filled with rage.

The Storm Gundam launched an attack from the other side, its high-energy beam cannon's orange beam aimed at the side of the Gold Frame. The Gold Frame adjusted its attitude by firing its nozzles, performing an almost impossible sideways maneuver in the vacuum, thus dodging the beam.

Diego's voice came through the communicator, tinged with surprise: "What's with this guy's reaction speed? It's beyond human capabilities!"

Nicole's Thunder Gundam emerged from the shadows of the debris field; the Phantom Particle System had shut down due to insufficient energy. Beam sabers unleashed beams that illuminated the starry sky. He pushed the control stick, and Thunder Gundam hurtled toward the back of the golden machine at astonishing speed.

But Char "senses" him.

The golden machine turned at the last moment, its beam saber also drawn. The two beam sabers crossed in the starry sky, sparks flashing in the darkness. Nicole's pupils contracted—the eyes of the golden machine pilot, those deep red eyes, showed no emotion, only a calm, almost cold, clarity.

"You're not a Coordinator—what are you?" Nicole's voice trembled slightly.

Char didn't answer. The golden machine's left fist slammed into the Thunder's chest armor. The phase-shift armor absorbed the impact, but the machine's balance was broken. The Thunder tumbled in the vacuum, and Nicole frantically pulled the control stick to regain its balance before crashing into debris.

"Niccol, retreat!" Aslan's voice came through the communicator. "You're no match for him!"

"But-

'

"That's an order!"

Nicole gritted her teeth, pushed the joystick, and Thunder retreated.

Bridge of the USS Wesalis.

Kruze stood in front of the holographic screen, his eyes behind the mask fixed on the golden mech that swept across the battlefield. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, the rhythm faster than usual—a habit he had when nervous.

"Captain, Duel, Storm, and Thunder have all been damaged." The adjutant's voice carried a hint of anxiety. "Nine out of twenty-two GINNs have been shot down. The combat power of the Golden Machines far exceeds expectations."

Kruze's lips curled into a slight smile. "Interesting. Very interesting. Order Aslan to take to the skies in the Aegis."

Target—the Eighth Fleet flagship, the Menelaus. The golden machine will hold them off from the front; he can infiltrate from the flank.

"Captain, the Aegis is our only trump card on the battlefield."

"Precisely because it's an ace, it must be used at the most crucial moment." Kruze turned around, his gaze behind the mask icy. "Sink the Menelaus, and the Eighth Fleet will be leaderless. No matter how powerful the gold machine is, it's just a mobile suit. A fleet without a commander is nothing but lambs to the slaughter."

"yes!"

The bridge of the Menelaus.

Halbarton stared intently at the battle situation on the holographic screen, his deep brown eyes heavy with worry. The golden machine was holding back most of the enemy forces at the front, but Kruze's team still had a dozen GINNs and three G-series. The Archangel was moving towards Earth, but it wasn't fast enough; if Kruze's team broke through the defenses, the Archangel would be sunk before entering the atmosphere.

"General, high-speed target detected on the right flank!" The radar officer's voice was filled with panic. "Signal signature: Aegis Gundam! It's approaching our ship!"

Halbarton's pupils contracted. "All cannons, aim at the Aegis! Don't let it get close!"

The Menelaus's guns shifted to the right flank, beams drawing a dense net of fire across the starry sky. But the Aegis's maneuverability far surpassed the Nelson-class battleship's anti-aircraft firepower—it weaved through the barrage, its MA-mode thrusters firing at full power, the machine closing in on the flagship at an astonishing speed.

Aslan sat in the cockpit, his amber eyes fixed on the massive warship ahead. His heart pounded, but his hands remained steady. He knew what he was doing, and he knew the consequences. But this was an order, and also his chance to prove himself.

"Athrun Zala, Aegis Gundam, move to attack position."

The Aegis transformed into its mobile suit form, raising its beam rifle and aiming it at the bridge of the Menelaus. Athrun's finger rested on the trigger, ready to pull it.

Just then, a golden figure rushed out from the flank.

Gold-colored machine.

Char sat in the cockpit, his crimson eyes fixed on the red machine. His Newtype abilities were fully activated at this moment; he could "sense" Athrun's emotions, his hesitation, his struggle, and his desire to "prove himself."

"Athrun Zala," Char pressed the communication button, his voice calm, "Do you really want to kill those people? Those people like you, with names, families, and dreams?"

Aslan's fingers paused slightly. "What do you understand? This is war. In war, there is no right or wrong, only positions."

"No," Char's voice was calm. "In war, there is right and wrong. Slaughtering civilians is wrong, attacking non-military targets is wrong, fighting for hatred is wrong. If your mother, Renoia Sara, were still alive, would she want you to do this?"

Aslan's pupils contracted. "How do you know my mother—" "I know a lot," Char interrupted him. "I know your mother was a gentle woman. She wouldn't want her son to become a killing machine. She wanted you to live, to be happy, to live in the peaceful sunshine. Not here, not in the darkness, not in hatred."

Aslan released his finger from the trigger. His eyes were red, but no tears fell. He looked at the golden machine hovering in the starry sky, its golden armor gleaming coldly in the starlight, like an insurmountable barrier.