UC will eventually reach the stars

"The enemy's artillery aircraft appears to have been destroyed!"

"Let's go! Let's go!"

When he came to his senses, another machine in the squad had almost forcefully knocked him down, retaliating while broadcasting a message telling him to get out of the cockpit.

Nissen struggled to crawl out of the gap the Zaku had cut open. Looking at the familiar short sword lying on its side not far away, he felt somewhat bewildered and stunned. He was then forcibly lifted onto an armored vehicle by several army soldiers.

Chapter 118 Armored Group VS Zaku Squad

The massive steel robots raced across the muddy road. They had received orders that the fighting had begun at the front and they had to rush to the aid of the enemy. Two squads of mobile suits had lost contact with the infantry at the front. This particular mobile suit squad was ordered to a pre-planned ambush position to intercept the enemy's attack.

In previous wars, the Zeon command in the rear would have basically treated these troops as dead. However, now, due to the existence of strong interference sources of Mie particles, the attacking side will inevitably fill the battlefield with Mie particles to interfere with communications, causing the command system to have a complete mess of its grasp of the front lines.

However, it is certain that the enemy most likely did not completely annihilate the forces of several sides, because even far behind the war zone, the rumbling explosions could be heard.

However, the commotion caused by the steel giants' rampage was so great that they almost immediately attracted what they absolutely did not want to encounter.

"Good heavens... What an honest and straightforward good boy! It's been a long time since we've seen such a fool on the training ground! All units stop! Left, 9 o'clock position, first row, first one; second row, last one; the rest, choose any target." The company commander noticed with surprise the three Zakus that were running wildly. They were running wildly in the distance, seemingly near a river, as if trying to use the nearby terrain to ambush any possible Federation forces.

However, they hadn't anticipated that the Zeon forces' defenses had too many gaps, and due to the interference from rice-grain grenades, even if they managed to send out reconnaissance units, they couldn't contact the rear command to report the situation. As for the attack on the rapidly advancing mechanized battalion...

How many lives do they have?!

At the company commander's command, the 22 Type 61 armored vehicles speeding along the road came to a neat stop. All the infantrymen on board immediately dismounted and hid behind the armored vehicles behind them. These old men were about to speak, so they had to get out of the way.

"Armor-piercing grenades! Do not fire steel needles! Distance 1800, wind speed 7 m/s, fire!" The company commander quickly issued the order. Of course, he explained it in such detail mainly for the sake of the few new recruits in both teams who knew nothing!

The roar of artillery fire was continuous, and with the flashes of flame from the cannons and the explosions of smoke and dust, shells, with a sharp whistling sound as they tore through the air, headed straight for the Zaku.

The Zaku, who were running wildly, soon heard the warning from inside the cabin. They looked to one side, and then, in the next instant, their faces turned ashen.

Twenty-two Type 61 tanks, firing three rapid-fire rounds, unleashed a total of 132 155mm shells in less than half a minute. From the Zaku's perspective, it truly looked like a rain of bullets raining down on them.

"Jump! Jump!" The captain of the Zeon MS squad screamed in terror. They were surrounded by shells from all sides. All they could do was follow the instructions in the MS tactics manual that had been issued earlier: jump immediately to break free of the Type 61's lock and try to fire in mid-air.

It can only be said that this idea is good, and theoretically it can indeed cause huge damage to the Type 61 tank units that are acting alone, which can be considered an effective strategy.

Moreover, apart from the Zaku squad leader's aircraft which reacted quickly, the other two did not jump immediately. The one that reacted the slowest was directly knocked to the ground by more than thirty shells. The other one that jumped slowly was also not in good condition. It was hit by three or four shells in the leg. It did not seem to be seriously injured, but it staggered when it landed.

"Hey... which idiot shoved the grenade in there!" the tank company commander said, both angry and amused. The effect was indeed quite good. Because he didn't jump, the shells that predicted his jump hit him directly in the chest. The shells exploded one after another, cleanly blasting open his armor plates. Then, the grenade actually exploded inside the Zaku's body through the gap.

All I can say is that the rice stove is really sturdy, which is why everyone present wasn't wiped out in one go!

Meanwhile, the Zaku had already flown above them, positioned itself, and was ready to land on the ground as the jump pack slowed it down. Then it would be time to deal with these Type 61 tanks!

but……

Dude, what era are we living in? Still playing Animal Chess?! Who wants to play against you one-on-one?!

The anti-aircraft vehicle immediately began firing, launching a series of missiles into the air, in conjunction with the strafing fire of the machine gun.

Zaku could only instinctively raise his hand to shield his eyes from the machine gun, but this action also caused him to lose his vision, and he could only fire in the general direction he had just seen.

In the endless battlefield, everyone knows one thing: never be greedy with your firepower. Once you've fired all your shots, go all out. Otherwise, your anti-aircraft or long-range artillery, which has been exposed, will be subjected to counter-bombing by the enemy in a very short time.

So when the Zaku covered its face, not only did the Type 61 tank that had just fired run away, but even the anti-aircraft vehicle that was firing also ran away while sweeping the enemy's weapons.

The full-speed firing of the 120mm machine gun in Zaku's hands caused no real casualties other than creating a large cloud of smoke and dust on the ground. The only damage was caused by the flying shrapnel, which left some wounds on a few Federation soldiers who couldn't dodge in time.

However, not everyone ran away. Some people actively approached. Two or three hoverbikes with two riders each suddenly moved closer and threw several large anti-tank mines modified into anti-MS mines towards the approximate location where the Zaku had landed! Immediately, the soldiers in charge of driving pulled the handle and sped away.

Unaware of what was happening, the two Zaku tanks landed and immediately destroyed the seven or eight anti-MS mines.

Of course, it's unlikely that these overloaded anti-tank mines can do much to mobile suits, but they can certainly make these Zaku stagger and significantly reduce their mobility.

What's worse, one of them had already been hit by several shells and was already unstable when it landed. Then, the moment the explosion broke out again, the Zaku crashed to the ground and was immediately caught by the Type 61 tank, which was equipped with steel needle bullets, and fired at it until it exploded into a ball of fire.

The remaining Zaku wasn't much better off. Although the Type 61 tanks were mainly busy taking down the damaged Zaku, it wasn't that they were completely abandoned.

Eight more shells were still heading towards him. The Zaku could only stare at the error messages filling the screen and try to dodge them again, but this time he was terribly wrong!

This time, when he dodged, the Zaku's ankle was as straight as if it had been twisted, without any twisting. Then, halfway through his sideways movement, he lost his balance due to the twisted movement and crashed heavily to the ground, sending the Zaku machine gun flying far away.

An armored vehicle not far away saw that the angle was too good—so good that not firing would be against its conscience! So it fired a salvo of four anti-tank missiles directly at the groin area! The Zaku's pants... no, skirt armor, with its 1500mm penetration warhead, exploded!

It must be admitted that the pilot's reaction speed in the cockpit was fast enough. Although he had just fallen to the ground and hadn't yet realized what had happened, he assumed that he had been attacked by infantry and subconsciously pulled the control stick, launching three anti-personnel grenades into the air.

Anti-personnel grenades exploded in mid-air, and dense steel needles and shrapnel swept across the battlefield. However, the dense steel needles did not cause any casualties. Tanks and mobile suits were tearing each other apart, and the infantry had already run away. Those nearby were mostly armored fighting vehicles. Although a lot of their equipment was damaged, there were actually not many personnel losses.

After firing three anti-personnel grenades, the driver even tried to stand up to check the situation. However, he didn't expect that if he didn't move, he might still have a chance to be taken prisoner. But the moment he moved...

Boom!

Armor-based anti-tank warfare.

Win!

A large hole was blown open in the Zaku's driver's seat. Two 155mm armor-piercing rounds, fired in quick succession and spaced 30 centimeters apart, blasted two large holes in the Zaku's body. Watching the billowing black smoke, the driver was undoubtedly molecularized.

"Bang!" After the driver was blown to pieces, Zaku's single eye flashed twice before he collapsed to the ground.

"Report! My 14th Combat Group destroyed three Zaku tanks!" The company commander was very satisfied with the result of the battle, although three or four of his armored vehicles were seriously damaged by the anti-personnel grenades fired by the Zaku tanks, and one of them even lost its mobility.

However, even if the five armored vehicles are damaged and repaired, the Federation Army headquarters would probably be laughing all the way to the bank if they were replaced by three Zaku tanks on the other side.

Change it! Anyone who doesn't is a fool.

"Company commander, the scouts who just flew out say they spotted the Zeon forces ahead engaging in firefights with soldiers at the Chuanbei base. It seems the Chuanbei base troops are about to be overwhelmed," came the report from another Type 61 tank driver over the comms.

As the battlefield expands, the interference from rice grains on communications is becoming increasingly severe, so the scouts who have run some distance seem to have overheard friendly communications.

"Ugh..." The company commander looked disgusted. "A bunch of greenhorns! Let's go and give them a hand. They have the newest equipment and the most manpower, yet they're dragging our feet everywhere! But they're still our own people, we can't let Zeon bully them! Have the communications officer find out their location."

"Yes, sir!" At this moment, the company commander looked up at the sky. "I wonder if Commander Ye Yun and the others have started their air jump yet. I hope we can lure the Zeon bastards to our side as much as possible before they launch their attack!"

"Those cowards in the Zeon army, they're dreaming if they think they can kill Commander Ye Yun."

"Hahaha! That's right! Let's go show off our skills to the newbies!"

Chapter 119 People of War

Two metal giants weighing sixty or seventy tons collided. The pilot of the short sword raised his shield to protect himself, but in the next instant, the Zaku's axe, raised high, severed his head. The pilot seemed to instinctively try to draw his electro-thermal sword for a final stand, but the Zaku's reaction was far faster!

He jumped back to clear the axis, and his wingman opened fire on the cockpit with his 120mm machine gun! A few seconds later, the headless dagger slowly slumped to the ground.

"Captain Matsui Izumi, this is your sixth kill, right? Congratulations! After this battle, you should be able to get the Cross Medal!" The Zaku pilot who fired the shot glanced around and congratulated his captain. "Looks like the newly issued land-based mobile suit is really good!"

"Let's not talk about that now! Stay alert, the Federation forces are very active nearby. Hoffman, how's the situation on your end?" Matsui Izumi put the axe back on his waist, picked up the TYPE59 90mm machine gun from the ground, checked the drum magazine, which was about half full. He put the drum magazine back in and then took three magazines from the short sword as spare ammunition.

"Not bad, one rocket launcher round left. These must be new recruits. The difference in combat effectiveness among the Federation's mobile suits is really huge!" Hoffman, piloting a Zaku 2J, carried the rocket launcher while simultaneously pulling the electric axe from the short sword's body on the ground and hanging it back on his waist. "But even new recruits... the Federation's new recruits are getting stronger and stronger." As he spoke, Hoffman silently saluted the remains of the short sword still clutched in his hand. Putting aside their opposing identities, they were a group of brave men.

Although they only had two aircraft facing them, the two recruits piloting the short swords did not run away. They fought them for more than ten minutes, successfully covering a group of retreating federal military vehicles. They fought to the very last moment and took the initiative to destroy all the armored vehicles that might pursue them.

Such warriors command the respect of even the Zeon army.

"I heard their simulators are excellent. Once you complete the simulator training, you'll be able to perform basic driving, and they can even directly pilot industrial robots for initial training," the black-haired young man said with a smile. "Captain Quan, shouldn't we continue towards point F as ordered?"

“Pera, I don’t think this is appropriate. Point F should have already been breached by them. After all, we’ve already encountered their retreating forces in area E! This means their offensive spearhead…” Hoffman turned to look behind him, his tone uneasy, “may still be behind us! The entire engagement area is currently cut off from communications due to the Earth Federation Forces’ chaff and jamming flares. The base has no idea about the specific situation on the front lines. Advancing rashly…”

“We'll just be walking headlong into the Federation's trap.” Matsui Izumi sighed. “But… I'm sorry, guys, you know what my orders were, Major Karl…”

"Stop talking, that bastard just wants you dead!" Pera pouted, clearly very dissatisfied with the situation. "I bet he's already started fueling that huge battle carrier, and if things go wrong, he'll just sit on it and run away! Zeon... what kind of trash is Zeon for the sake of space dwellers? If I wasn't afraid of my family being thrown into the decompression chamber, I wouldn't have bothered joining the army."

“Pera, keep your voice down.” Hoffman sighed, shook his head, and said with a hint of helplessness, “Show some respect for me as a member of the Kihren Guard.” There was no way around it; the Kihren Guard here had a bit of a military police oversight role.

"Hoffman, why haven't you figured out where to get him out yet?" Pera said irritably. What else could the Gihren's SS be but military police planted in the army? Are the Zeon high command so afraid... no, they really have every right to be afraid. If he were really pushed to the limit, these guys had better not give him a chance; he would definitely wipe them all out!

"Double pay, good benefits." Hoffman rubbed his temples. Although he sometimes participated in chanting slogans, he didn't really believe in what Commander-in-Chief Killian said—awakening! National character! Racial superiority theory…

He had overheard someone about to be thrown into a decompression chamber complain, "Excellent new-human cosmic residents, they still have to go into the decompression chamber." Then the next day, he learned that an accident had occurred, and the person had been sucked into space...

Then Hoffman saw the significance of staying in the Gihren SS as double pay and extra subsidies. Although the uniform was intimidating, it also offered many hidden benefits.

“That’s… truly an unbeatable reason.” Pera’s complaint was abruptly interrupted, leaving her speechless. How could you be so realistic? What happened to the Gihren’s SS’s fanatical loyalty? Huh? Where did it go?

"Hahaha... Hoffman, you're one of the few who can leave Pera speechless, impressive! So what's your suggestion? Shall we head towards the base? To kick the Federation Army's ass?" Matsui Izumi didn't expect Hoffman to not only answer, but also give a powerful reason that was completely irrefutable, a final decision that made him quite amused.

“If we go straight back, we’ll likely be sandwiched in the middle. We’ll have to take a detour. If nothing unexpected happens, we should be behind the Federation’s lines right now. Perhaps we can move outwards and try to get out of the area affected by the grains of rice. Then, under the pretext of combat disorientation, we can seek new orders from the base, or decide on our own mission after understanding the situation.” Hoffman said, while cautiously scanning his surroundings. Now that they knew they were likely behind enemy lines, they naturally had to think about how to break out.

As for a centripetal assault? A direct strike at the heart of the enemy? Please! You're asking someone who says he stayed in the Gihren's SS because of the double pay to risk his life, to break through the Federation's offensive lines and head straight for their rear command center?! Hoffman doesn't want to die.

Moreover, in a battle like this, the three of them wouldn't have enough ammunition on their mobile suits. He only had one rocket left. Don't be ridiculous.

“Good idea. We’re already on the edge of the battlefield. If we keep moving towards the edge, we should be able to get through the Federation’s frontal attack…” Matsui Izumi suddenly paused for a moment, gripping the Type 59 90mm machine gun in his Zaku. “Hoffman.”

The flock of birds flying at the foot of the distant mountain instantly made Matsui Izumi's expression serious, and all traces of his usual joking demeanor vanished.

"Okay, Perrin, get moving!" Hoffman picked up the shield of the short sword from the ground and took the electric axe from his waist again.

"It's already on its way." Perrin, piloting the latest Zaku II land-based fighter, sped off to one side.

"61 or..." Hoffman murmured softly. To be honest, if the skill level of the enemy's Dagger pilots was about the same as before, he would rather encounter more Dagger pilots than the increasingly slick and no longer naive tank drivers of the Earth Federation Forces. The most common ghost story he heard now was that these bastards were ambushing them, the mobile suits, from the corners. You know, even a 155mm grenade, if it hits a mobile suit, is a huge destructive force, and even more troublesome.

After all, when you're hit by an armor-piercing round, you can clearly see which area was damaged; the bullet hole is right there! But grenades are different. Damaged equipment is usually damaged by the shockwave, and the location can be incredibly varied. You might be hit from the front, but some part in the back might be damaged by the shockwave.

Therefore, it was necessary to remove the outer armor plates and carry out a large-scale, piecemeal overhaul...

"It's a short sword! Looks like we're in luck!!" Perrin exclaimed in surprise. After all, the short swordsmen they encountered in this direction were basically assumed to be new recruits from the Chuanbei base!

"Don't let your guard down! Cover fire! Hoffman and I will go after them!" The sudden appearance of the enemy from behind the low hill was indeed a surprise, but after recognizing the Dagger, Matsui Izumi felt a sense of relief. "Take them out as quickly as possible. We need to move out of the Minovsky particle coverage area. We need to at least re-establish contact with command and get the situation back!"

"Yes! Jump in 10 seconds!" Hoffman responded quickly, without saying much. He fired the rocket directly at the target while piloting the Zaku 2J, then dropped the launcher and started running, preparing to jump and pounce on the opponent's face, just like before.

"Ground missiles! Fire!" Perrin launched her triple missile launcher on her leg before Hoffman jumped. Unfortunately, she had already used one set in the battle that had just ended, otherwise there would have been six missiles.

"Die!" Matsui Izumi pressed the trigger. He knew he had to put enough pressure on the enemy, otherwise the jumping Hoffman would be subjected to concentrated attacks, especially the Type 59 90mm machine gun that was standard on the Short Sword 2, which was equipped with 155mm shrapnel rounds. It wasn't very lethal to a mobile suit, but it could create huge openings. If he wasn't careful, he would be finished off by the enemy.

This is a lesson learned the Zeon forces through blood and tears on multiple battlefields! Federation MS pilots are indeed not suited for close-quarters combat, but they have found a solution in a very unconventional way!

The Zeon forces' current solution is to use a combination of attacks, combined with the newly issued Zaku J-type, to unleash a barrage of disruptive projectiles, buying themselves time to perform a high jump, and as long as they can enter close combat, the Federation's 155mm short sword shrapnel rounds will be reduced to a minimum!

"Hoffman! They're not newbies! They've drawn their swords!" But the opponent's response sent a chill down Matsui Izumi's spine. Instead of raising their guns and preparing to meet Hoffman with 155mm shrapnel as they had expected, the person in the lead short sword drew their sword with a very fluid motion! And jumped!

"it is good!"

The 120th squad to enter battle: Squad 08

"Captain! We've spotted a Zeon mobile suit! It should be the Zeon mobile suit unit mentioned in the casualty evacuation convoy's communications! It's..." Kallen shouted quickly. "Our rescue target is most likely already dead."

During their march, Squad 08 heard a Federation military convoy calling for help. Upon inquiry, Amada Shirou discovered that the convoy wasn't calling for help for them, but rather for two short swords that had been scattered by the troops after a chance encounter. The convoy wanted to leave the MiLi range, reconnect with the data link, determine their location, and check if there were any supply points nearby to replenish their batteries and ammunition.

However, on the way, they encountered a three-man squad of Zeon soldiers. The enemy was very strong. As soon as they engaged in battle, the two short swords told them to take the time to retreat and call for reinforcements. They listened to the advice and, while running away, listened in fear to the explosions behind them and kept calling for reinforcements, trying to rescue their two teammates.

That's how Squad 08 found them, but as the camera zoomed out, the two Daggers lying on the ground, along with the Type 59 90mm machine gun in Zaku's hand and the Dagger's shield, all indicated that these two Daggers had completed their final rearguard mission! Moreover, the burning remains of the Zeon armored forces on the ground proved that they had done a great job.

"Zeon!" Amada Shirou's eyes narrowed. Ever since the retreat from Side 2, his attitude towards Zeon had been singular. So, seeing the enemy launch three missiles and one of their Zaku jump, he didn't hesitate to raise his shield, ignite his thrusters, and draw his electro-sword to respond. "Spread out! Concentrate your fire on the one launching missiles from a distance! He's also carrying a 120mm machine gun; at this range, we have an accuracy advantage!"

"Captain!" Kallen's lips twitched. Although the outcome of those two brave short swords had also made her very angry, her captain's fighting style of charging in headfirst like that... wasn't appropriate!

However, without a doubt, Karen immediately followed her captain's orders, maneuvering her short sword to make a series of small jumps to the left while simultaneously firing her machine gun fiercely! Even though the accuracy of this shot wouldn't be very high, it was enough to counter the Zaku II's suppressive fire.

"When will the Zaku be able to launch missiles?" The question from his teammates was obviously the same for everyone, but Karen and the others didn't think too much about it. After all, it's not surprising to see any strange configurations on the battlefield. Recently, the Dagger 105 has even started to steal the explosive reactive armor from tanks. What else could be surprising?

Amada Shirou's short sword collided with the Zaku in mid-air. The Zaku swung its axe, attempting to strike the head of the short sword. Without hesitation, Amada Shirou swung his sword upwards, severing the Zaku's forearm before it could react, and then chopped the raised arm down.

Although Hoffman, who was piloting the Zaku 2J, had already taken control of his Zaku and tried his best to push the short sword away, the blade of the electric heat sword still managed to scrape a huge gash in the Zaku's shell, almost splitting the entire cockpit open.

The screen shattered, and a gust of wind rushed in, howling throughout the cockpit. Fragments of the broken display even shattered Hoffman's face, blood quickly filling his vision. The immense pain caused him to scream in agony.

"Hoffman!" Matsui Izumi immediately responded, firing his Type 59 90mm machine gun fiercely at the short sword that had just landed.

After a long battle, all the Zeon MS pilots were certain of one thing: the Federation MS's movements were very refined, and their overall piloting style was quite uniform. Therefore, Matsui Izumi could roughly guess what the opponent's Dagger would do next.

Unfortunately, the Federation's mobile suits basically all receive the same simulator training, and the mobile suit operation and tactics they learn are all the same. This has its advantages and disadvantages, of course. It makes it easy to train mobile suit pilots quickly and allows them to quickly understand their teammates' intentions in battle, resulting in better teamwork!

The downside, of course, is that if the opposing team is truly elite, then sorry, MS pilots trained in such a systematic way will only make them think, "How come their movements and flaws are exactly the same!"

Furthermore, with the iteration of operating systems, most non-essential detailed operations are handled by the system, so how could the action style be inconsistent? Because, in a sense, these detailed actions are all completed automatically by the computer, they are naturally identical...

"Good, good... It seems the Zeon army's incompetents haven't figured out how to control and fire the Type 59." Amada Shirou had already finished sheathing his sword in mid-air. After landing, he immediately made two consecutive small jumps to dodge the enemy's fire. A series of explosions on the ground, the scattered flashes of the explosions, were completely unlike the accuracy that the Type 59 should have when it was in the hands of a short sword.

"Damn it..." Matsui Izumi gritted his teeth, fired the last bullet from the drum magazine of his Type 59 90mm machine gun, and then locked the gun. However, due to system incompatibility, there was no ammo count on the Zaku. So when he realized what was happening, it was several seconds after the firing stopped!

"My turn!" Amada Shirou grabbed his Type 59 90mm machine gun and showed it to the other side. The Type 59 90mm machine gun was truly accurate. At a distance of less than 100 meters, it produced dense bullet holes with a dispersion of up to 30 centimeters in the chest and abdomen of the Zaku 2. The shells even penetrated the back of the Zaku 2, causing an explosion on the ground.

With a dull thud, Zaku, his arm severed, collapsed to the ground, billowing smoke. Despite having only one arm, he remained defiant, attempting to ram Amada Shirou's short sword and create an opportunity for Matsui Izumi to kill him.

"Hoffman!" Matsui Izumi roared as he charged forward, throwing away his empty Type 59 90mm machine gun. He tried to draw his axe, but in the next instant, he leaped back abruptly, dodging two short-range shots fired from a distance. "Pera...retreat..."

Matsui Izumi practically spat out this order through gritted teeth. Their squad was assembled quite unexpectedly: one had lost a member, another's unit had been scattered, and the last was a lightly wounded patient pulled from the hospital. They retrieved MS from the warehouse that were originally destined for Europe and formed a makeshift squad...

Just when everyone was starting to get along, was the team about to be finished again?