Gundam: From Piece to Player

When the flagship is in a bad situation, it is much better to have subordinates fly fighter jets to other warships to continue commanding than to be captured.

Being captured only sends one signal: the enemy can defeat you without even having to exert their full strength.

The blow to morale is extremely devastating.

Kalmar's 101st Division was assigned to the reserve forces for the Battle of Loum, and Gihren granted him the authority to operate independently.

In other words, Karma can play independently, or even not participate in the battle.

...He still has to do something, because one of the conditions for opening the Gravity Front is Zeon's victory in the Battle of Loom.

SIDE5 Rum, a colony.

It still appears to be cylindrical in shape.

Inside, you go to the core compartment, which has been converted into a temporary maintenance dock. Six Magellan-class ships are connected like revolvers at the top cross-section of the colony's cylinder.

Engineering workers are carrying out final modifications and inspections on the hull.

"Is that so? General Rebil has departed?" Tiam walked onto the bridge, listening to his subordinate's report.

"Yes, we released false intelligence, saying that we would depart on January 10, but in fact we will depart today. General Reibille believes that the Zeon forces will implement the strategy of besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking their reinforcements (Loum). After Zeon discovers the 5th and 6th Fleets, they will make them their priority targets. He asked us to coordinate from the inside and outside to attack the Zeon forces from one center."

"Does he think the Zeon army will take the bait?"

"I guess so."

Tiam looked up at the space outside the bridge, where stars twinkled.

He doesn't think so.

"How is the patrol and flight operation of the fighter reconnaissance squadron progressing?"

"The entire fleet has launched 424 sorties. The pilots have all undergone emergency training according to Dr. Han's latest training methods and carried out reconnaissance operations. They visually confirmed the enemy and then transmitted the information back to their own ship via high-power laser communication. Considering the interference of Minovsky particles on communication information, the laser frequency can continuously irradiate to ensure the redundancy of communication information."

"...at least the problem of basic fleet communication has been solved."

"It solves the communication problem in non-combat situations, General," said the bespectacled adjutant. "In the event of combat, the military currently lacks an effective integrated communication system."

"How are the weapon system adjustments going?"

"The ship's electronic systems have been adjusted, but the radar targeting system is unable to guide the target. It can be switched to optical targeting and firing mode. The equipment has been modified, and the gunners have undergone preliminary training."

“Okay,” Tianm continued, “how are the fleet’s air defense preparations?”

"A group of maintenance personnel have been urgently trained and have learned to operate the anti-aircraft beam turret by hand."

"Is this a journey back to the Pacific theater? The Yamato battleship's practically non-existent hand-cranked anti-aircraft system?"

Tiam's words made the members of the bridge laugh.

"General, our anti-aircraft turrets can be telegraphed and guided by image capture, but they can be operated by the operator like in an FPS game."

The technicians are still taking it seriously.

"...Can't an electro-optical aiming system be used?"

Perhaps finding it hard to accept operating the anti-aircraft guns by hand, Tiam still asked a question.

"You're referring to passive infrared detection methods, right? Unfortunately, although the name might be misleading, it's still a type of electromagnetic wave. While it's not as affected as radar waves, it's still unusable."

"If infrared rays can indeed penetrate electromagnetic waves, then missiles with infrared heat sources can be used, providing better air defense."

Only then did Tianm accept this fact.

Indeed, if the Minovsky particle dispersion, as Zeon's secret weapon, had such an obvious flaw, Zeon would not have launched a war.

Tianm suddenly remembered what that brat from the Zabi family had told him a year ago.

I believe there are no absolutes in war. If the Red Team dares to launch an attack on the Blue Team, it must be because they are confident of winning the tactical battle.

"Is the tactical advantage now actually on the Zeon side?" Tianm exclaimed. "We still have a slight numerical advantage."

Suddenly, the elevator doors on the bridge opened, and a colonel wearing a yellow pilot's suit and sporting a beard walked into the bridge.

"...General, there is an urgent military situation."

“Speak, Colonel Blakes.”

"Zion has launched an attack on Miranda, the capital of Loum. The port has been destroyed by the enemy. Ports in other large colonies have also been attacked, and the extent of the damage is incalculable."

Did Zeon use a nuclear weapon?

No eyewitness reports.

Tianm looked at the communications officer on the CIC.

"How much longer until General Rebil reaches the airspace near Loum?"

"8 hours."

“Eight hours.” After a moment of contemplation, Tianm finally made up his mind. “The Zeon army doesn’t have that much patience.”

"Inform the commanders of each fleet and each air squadron to enter Level 1 combat readiness."

Chapter 67 The Reason for the Battle

Tiam's orders were always absolute, and no advisors questioned them.

But this time there were dissenting opinions.

"General, why can't we wait a little longer?" the staff officer reminded him. "We should wait until General Rebil arrives before launching our attack."

"Should we wait until Zeon uses nuclear weapons to kill tens of thousands of people in Loum before we launch our attack?"

Tiam walked to the captain's seat, but did not sit down.

He tapped the back of the command chair with his fist. "How much tax did it take to build this space fleet?"

"If we refrain from attacking in order to achieve victory, wouldn't that just confirm Kihren's propaganda that our Federation forces' role is to suppress space colonists?"

"Even if we win, it will be meaningless. Are we going to be cowards at this moment just to win?"

"No!" Tiam's words ignited the fighting spirit of the crew members.

"Then let's get started, everyone."

"Yes."

Having completed his mission, Brex turned and walked toward the elevator, wiping away the tears streaming from the corner of his eye.

After recovering all the crew members, the Federation fleet ignited the nuclear engines at the stern, and the disguised colonial shipyards were also dismantled by detonation. The Federation fleets in more than a dozen colonies were also defaced.

The optical signature signals emitted by hundreds of nuclear engine thrusters were quickly detected by the telescope.

The Valkyrie, the flagship of the Zeon army, thousands of miles away.

Dozru stood in front of the intelligence gathering platform, his grip on the railing finally loosening.

"How are the preparations going on the assault troops?"

"Rear Admiral Kycilia has turned the fleet toward our forces, and our MS units are in the process of recovering their equipment."

"Alright, all ships enter Level 2 combat readiness. Target: Tiam fleet. MS, complete refueling and reloading, and replace all with anti-ship rocket launchers. Launch them 30 minutes before engagement."

"Should we reserve MS for fleet air defense, General?"

“No one will be spared,” Dozru said. “Every extra bit of fighting power can determine the outcome of the battle, and the one who strikes first has a greater chance of winning.”

One of the motherships under the Space Attack Force, in a low-gravity environment, Char drifted toward his red personal machine.

But they saw that there were already drivers waiting.

"Captain Char Aznable."

"Oh, it's Lieutenant Akurus. Captain Ral isn't planning to participate in the operation?"

Akurus is Ramba Ral's subordinate and underling, and he has a good impression of Simon... so Char has a pretty deep impression of him.

“Yes,” Akurus said. “The captain instructed me to assist you as much as possible in the battle. Aren’t you wearing a pilot’s suit?”

"Thank you for your concern." Xia shook his head. "It's not necessary. I'm prepared to be killed if I lose the battle."

"Can?"

"Lieutenant, you should take care of yourself. This battle will be more brutal than you imagine, but if you survive, you can become a war hero."

Char saluted the other party, then leaped into the cockpit of the 06 Zaku, deactivated the power limiter on the cockpit, confirmed that the display screens were in normal condition at all angles, and fastened the safety buckle around his waist.

Leaning back against the seat, I gripped the joystick tightly... as if I were holding my own destiny in my hands.

"I must earn enough military merit in this battle," Char thought to himself.

Outside the 101st Fleet, 10 Swordfish fighters painted in dark green were circling and landing; these were spoils of war captured by Kalma in previous battles.

In his vision, the future use of forces will separate reconnaissance and attack units.

He felt there was no need to convert the precious MS into a so-called combat reconnaissance type; reconnaissance aircraft would suffice.

The reason for strengthening reconnaissance is that in the Minovsky particle universe environment, the side that discovers the enemy first and opens up the field of vision is bound to gain more initiative, and the first-mover advantage is even related to the initiative in the battle.

Inside the hangar, Kalma knocked on a green Type 06 Zaku, which was testing the MS camera and sensors to see if they were working properly. Hai Wen looked up.

"Girl, once the battle starts, I'll cover you, and you'll have to destroy at least four warships."

"Brother, this is too much! Can the transport ships be included?"

“At least Salamis level,” Kalma said. “Then I’ll apply for you to be promoted from warrant officer to lieutenant.”

Why is promotion so important?

"Because your future work will involve dealing with other officers, and in the Zeon army, rank matters, even in the 101st Division. If I assign you a command position, rank will be necessary."

"Oh."

Haiwen nodded and then said, "Brother, I mean, if I could take down Tiam's flagship... wouldn't that be an even greater military achievement?"

"Leaving aside whether you can kill him or not, if you do kill Tiam, you'll be in the spotlight, and I won't allow that."

"Understood, just like you said, don't paint the body with any color you want."

“Good understanding. Being painted over makes you a big target on the battlefield and attracts a lot of hatred.” Karma nodded in agreement.

The Type 06 Zaku tank by Haiwen has also undergone some modifications, with the addition of heat dissipation windows on the torso and chest, and specialization in the storage of fuel and propellant.