UC will eventually reach the stars

“No, that won’t work. To ensure that the secrets are not leaked, we need to make two detours to bypass Luna 2.” Paul shook his head regretfully. He understood Ye Yun’s thoughts. After all, they hadn’t done anything, and the other party had already come knocking on their door. It was hard to say whether the whereabouts of Operation V had been leaked. Moreover, the “strange-looking M’Sai” sounded like some kind of spy ship, which was very likely heading towards the White Base.

“Well, it seems that a high-profile voyage won’t work either.” Ye Yun took a deep breath, his eyes somewhat speechless. “If nothing unexpected happens, the Zeon forces will realize in a few hours that one of their fleets has lost contact… Is there a relatively central route? Being discovered by Luna 2 would be quite troublesome.”

“Yes.” Paul agreed with Ye Yun’s idea. After all, they had already encountered the Zeon army’s mobile suits, and no one knew what would happen before they reached Side 7.

“We will maintain long-term shifts on guard, and we hope that the warships can also increase their vigilance.” Ye Yun paused for a moment, then added, “If we cannot sail silently, let’s get to the vicinity of Luna 2 as soon as possible, so that at least we can feel a little safer.”

"Captain, an explosion has been detected nearby," a CIC member suddenly said. As he operated the device, the image was projected onto the electronic display screen and quickly magnified.

Two short swords, led by a short sword 105, are engaged in fierce combat with Zeon mobile suits amidst the wreckage. The two sides have clearly been fighting for some time.

"Huh?!" Ye Yun looked at the scene, which wasn't very clear, but he could still clearly see that the Short Sword 105, wielding a 180mm heavy cannon, had actually destroyed the opposing Zaku II with a single shot at close range. Simultaneously, it pulled out a machine gun and broke the leg of another Zaku II. The Short Sword 105 next to it drew its electric sword and lunged forward, but was instead rammed by another Zaku II, which chopped off its head with an axe. However, the decapitated Short Sword retaliated by thrusting its sword forward first. "Distance?"

"Uh..." The radar operator, who was watching the fierce battle, was stunned for a moment. Finally, the weapons controller revealed the distance as "31000".

“The Musai and Salamis-class ships have already been sunk. If we don’t rescue them… we’ll all die.” Scanning the screen, Ye Yun made his judgment. Their location wasn’t too far from Luna 2, but it was already beyond the flight range of a mobile suit. Judging from the current situation, if no warship passed by, they were likely to not receive support for a short time. “Captain.”

“…” Paul thought for a moment, “Although this ship is a classified project, we can take them to SIDE7 and then they can disembark directly. Adjust course and turn to 610. Colonel Ye Yun, the specific salvage operation will be more complicated.”

"It's my duty. Please inform the squad on guard to be alert. We've entered the chaotic battle zone around Luna 2 and may need to launch an attack at any time." Ye Yun turned to Gao Long and nodded in acknowledgment. Gao Long didn't waste any words and floated directly towards the cabin.

The White Base's legs can only carry 3 mobile suits. Even if overloaded, it can only carry two more. Therefore, the 666 Squadron that followed Ye Yun into space stayed in the cargo hold in the belly of the White Base (the place where the Gunpelli was originally parked).

Squads 08 and 09 were stationed at the Suez and Baikonur bases respectively and did not come up. After all, the Zeon forces were still causing trouble and needed some skilled personnel who could be deployed to suppress them at any time.

"It's over. The efficiency of the MS battle was really high." Captain Paul said with a somewhat hesitant attitude. He was a traditional space naval officer, and his previous understanding of MS was still limited to them as products that replaced space fighters.

However, the previous battle between Ye Yun and the Zeon patrol and attack fleet had already touched him somewhat. It was just that Ye Yun was now piloting the Federation's most advanced V Operation Gundam (in terms of technology, the Dagger series was no match for this one; the GAT-X series under development was on the same level as this one), equipped with a large number of advanced technologies, which made it able to demonstrate overwhelming combat power, so it didn't seem surprising.

But the scene before us was quite different. The MS units were charging at each other in a frenzy. Even the Short Sword B, wielding a 180mm heavy cannon, would step into the melee zone when necessary. I wonder if the mechanics will fight the pilot back home after he uses the 180mm heavy cannon like a stick to beat people up.

And the battle was over in just a few minutes; the danger of the fight sent chills down Lieutenant Colonel Paul's spine...

"GAT-1B, Dagger Type B, Sima, launch!"

"GAT-1B, Dagger Type B, Emilia, sortie."

"GAT-1B... Yutherford, sortie!"

The communicator crackled with the sound of three Dagger 105s launching an attack. Soon, through the porthole, three Daggers could be seen taking off from the cargo hold and flying towards the approximate direction of the distant battlefield. Because they might be under attack, they were deployed at full strength.

"It seems this journey hasn't been easy," Captain Paul remarked with a touch of melancholy.

“Yes, the Zeon forces are currently seizing the opportunity while they still have the advantage, trying to suppress the Federation forces in space, and then deliver the final blow as soon as possible. So…” Ye Yun turned to look at Lieutenant Colonel Paul. According to the Federation headquarters’ intentions, when Operation V is completed, I need to cause a great disturbance in space.

Chapter 149 New Life

“Daryl, you’re here?” Kara looked at Daryl, a young man who was completely different from the one he was a few months ago. “How does the new prosthetic limb feel?”

"Kara, it's much better than before, and the response efficiency is much higher." Looking at his hand with five fingers back, Daryl smiled from the bottom of his heart. Kara didn't say anything when he spoke to her affectionately; instead, she smiled shyly.

In a sense, the two people, who were in the same boat, were together almost every day after settling down at Ye's Heavy Industry. At the very least, they saw each other every day, whether for work or life, which can be considered a very fast pace.

More than friends, but just one thin layer of paper separates them from lovers.

"Auntie... you had some water and soil incompatibility a couple of days ago, are you feeling any better?" Daryl was asked to place his hands and feet on the data interaction device next to him and begin to observe the various data statuses of his prosthetic limbs, and he was particularly attentive to them.

“They’ve recovered; they’re still very excited about being able to live on Earth.” Daryl’s smile held a hint of expectation. “Yes, how’s the recent batch doing?”

After Ye Yun had Rachel screen the veterans, and instead of prioritizing those already in Dakar, invitations were sent to disabled veterans, the number of veterans receiving treatment under Kara's command increased significantly. Of course, many who had been injured or disabled in previous conflicts, or even earlier due to the crash of a space colony, also began receiving treatment.

Of course, these civilians will be charged. The lowest and second-lowest level prosthetics, although not very functional, and many functions have been completely removed, are priced very low, which can be considered as doing charity.

Due to the war and the devastation caused by the previous satellite crash, many families were already impoverished, and some simply couldn't afford the losses. In this situation, Ye's Heavy Industries offered loans or repayment through labor. After all, Ye's Heavy Industries was severely short-staffed, and these people using simple prosthetics could work; it just meant slower repayment.

“They’re all veterans, and they’re very obedient and polite.” Dr. Kara gazed at Daryl and smiled slightly.

As for the ordinary people, they were naturally even more obedient. After all, in Kara, if you dared to cause trouble, these veterans would really beat you up.

“How can you not be so polite? You are their hope for returning to a normal life.” Daryl immediately flattered his soon-to-be girlfriend.

"Haha...you make me sound so great~" Kara laughed. Yes, this was the meaning and value of her studies. Although she knew that curing these veterans might be helping the Ye siblings win people's hearts, did it matter?

Kara felt she was helping more people, which was her dream, a dream shattered by Zeon. So as long as Ye Ning's basic prosthetic limb didn't increase in price, she could continue working here. Besides...

Kara looked at Daryl and laughed. Daryl scratched his head shyly, wondering why Kara was laughing like that.

"Silly boy, go help out in the lab. There are four more surgeries to do today. Remember to pick me up at 10 pm." Kara was a little exasperated with her silly boyfriend. It seemed she had to take the first step herself. So after saying that, Kara kissed Daryl on the forehead.

"Uh...okay...okay! I'll come and wait for you when I'm done." Daryl went from being confused to excited, then quickly turned around and tried to rush out, only to bump into the door that hadn't been opened yet.

"Hahaha..." Kara was amused by Daryl's clumsy appearance, gave him another hug and kissed him on the cheek, and watched Daryl walk out the door with his hands and feet moving in unison.

"Dr. Kara, the surgical preparations are complete!" At this moment, a nurse walked over and whispered, "Dr. Kara, you seem very happy today. Was that Mr. Daryl just now? Did he confess his feelings to you?"

“No, my boyfriend is too clumsy, so I had to do it myself.” Kara smiled as she watched Daryl disappear around the corner, took today’s surgical preparation checklist from the nurse, and quickly flipped through it. “Two soldiers and two civilians… Is this a mother and child?”

"Yes, they were brought from the coast. They were injured while clearing the rubble. Because they were employees of Yip's Heavy Industries, Yip's Heavy Industries provided them with insurance."

"You hire minors too?" Kara looked at the nurse next to her with some surprise.

“This is a relief-related employment.” The nurse suddenly seemed a little excited, and hesitated for a moment before saying, “My sister’s family lives in Zhejiang. They lost everything in the previous tsunami. If it weren’t for this kind of employment from Ye’s Heavy Industry, they might still be living in a tent.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know. Zeon really deserves to die.” Kara took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. “Let’s go, let’s get these two soldiers back to their bodies!”

"Okay professor!"

——————————————————————————————————————

"Daryl! You're here early today." A burly man with two long scars on his face greeted Daryl from a bench in the locker room.

"Johnson, are you off work? Is your nerve pain any better today?" Daryl asked as he walked to his locker, took a deep breath, and then attached his prosthetic arm.

“I’m taking painkillers. Compared to this iron arm, a little pain is really nothing.” Johnson looked at his nimble hands with a dreamy gaze. “By the way, be careful today. Someone said a bomb was found in Sector C. Nobody knows who did it. The supervisor was furious this morning. The patrolling guys are looking to catch whoever did it.”

Johnson, 33 years old, was among the first batch of trainees in the Endless Battlefield. After the attack on the mining base, he was transferred to North America. During the guerrilla warfare, he attacked a Zeon army logistics convoy and was wounded by a Zaku's 120mm machine gun. His left leg was amputated below the thigh, and his left arm was also amputated.

With the sound of machinery starting up, Daryl's cabinet opened. It wasn't a typical square cabinet, but a cylindrical one, reaching all the way to the ceiling. The panel quickly displayed the word "Passed," followed by Daryl's basic identity information. After facial recognition, the cabinet door opened further, revealing a set of exoskeleton-like equipment. Next to it was a rack with various pieces of gear, from shields to stun batons, tasers, and pistols. There was even a machine gun that looked almost exactly like a Type 59 90mm machine gun, along with shotguns, batteries, ammunition, and additional armor plates.

Daryl turned around, stepped onto the exoskeleton boots, then reached into his hands. The exoskeleton armor then began to automatically install and tighten according to a preset program, completing the outfit in a few seconds.

"Mr. Daryl, your brainwaves are unusually active today. Is something good happening?" As a series of data began to be analyzed...

“Something good happened.” Daryl wasn’t going to nitpick. “Headquarters is assessing today’s safety level.”

"Alert level: Low, but we recommend carrying light safety equipment." The girl on the screen said softly, "Also, there is production line 19 in the factory area. You may need to drive an industrial Rio. The time is tentatively set for 10:40. Please pay attention to the time."

“Understood!” Daryl jumped down from the shelf with ease, stretched his limbs, and the exoskeleton moved smoothly amidst a faint crackling sound. “The new version is a bit better than the old one.” He then took off the Taser and pistol, hanging them on his hips, followed by the stun baton and shield, and walked outside.

"Ye's Heavy Industry's unique feature: ultra-fast iteration speed." The veteran shook the bottle at Daryl, "It's just that I've taken painkillers, so even drinking isn't very satisfying."

"Drink less, it can easily trigger neuralgia," Daryl kindly advised.

"Go to work. I finally got off work. I'm going to take a nap first. After I wake up, I can go for a walk. I wonder if it's really like the legend says, that Colonel Ye will one day summon us again." Johnson stretched his limbs, put on his coat, and walked out the door with Daryl.

“You…are you really looking forward to returning to the battlefield?!” Daryl looked at Johnson with a complicated expression. He had also come from the battlefield, and all that the battlefield left him with was pain. Even though he and Kara were working at Ye’s company and had received care from Ye’s company, they still couldn’t be like these veterans who were looking forward to following Ye Yun into battle again.

"Hahaha... You were rescued from Zeon's side, you wouldn't understand!" The old soldier looked at the slowly opening gate in the distance with a nostalgic gaze, as if opening the gate to memories. "When we were charging after Colonel Ye's back, everyone knew that they were striving for the right thing. That feeling of everyone burning their lives and desperately rushing forward, even if it was just taking one step forward, you people who were forced to the battlefield by Zeon, no, by the Zabi family, will never understand."

"Following Ye Yun...?" Daryl was shocked by Johnson's words, then suddenly remembered something, "I heard today that two veterans from the Dhaka base are undergoing surgery in the Kara lab."

“Oh? Dakka’s old buddies? I’ll go check on them before I go to sleep, see where these unlucky bastards came from!” Johnson’s lips curled into a somewhat sinister smile, and he patted Daryl on the shoulder. “Alright, let’s go. Your job is to take good care of Dr. Kara.”

"Uh... you know?"

"With that smile of yours, who doesn't know you?"

Chapter 150 Ye Yun and Tim Ray's Less-than-Unpleasant First Meeting

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Tim Ray." Ye Yun extended his hand to shake hands with Tim Ray, who looked surprised and embarrassed, in a very natural manner.

"They only told me they would send two top Federation Army aces to assist my experiment, but they didn't actually inform me that it would be you and Captain Gao Long." Tim Ray's expression was complicated, but his smile was generally appropriate, though a little stiff, and didn't break down.

An ace is an ace, and indeed a top-tier ace.

However, the person standing in front of him was the younger brother of Kinias's fiancée, with whom he had just fought. He was also one of the co-founders of Dawn Heavy Machinery Manufacturing, the Earth Federation Forces' main MS supplier, the proposer of many MS development concepts, and the founder of the Federation Forces' MS application concepts.

Simply put, if you want to mess with MS, this person in front of you is an insurmountable obstacle!

So, seriously speaking, the very fact that Ye Yun, who is already an elite force commander and a commander of a large base, was sent to SIDE7 to serve as a test pilot is enough to show that the Earth Federation's emphasis on Operation V has exceeded Tim Ray's expectations.

"So it's a pleasant surprise, isn't it?" Ye Yun maintained his smiling demeanor, seemingly unconcerned about the other party's astonishment. After all, when he first received this order, Ye Yun's own doubts weren't much better than the other party's. Given his status, it would be suspicious if he were to go and fiddle with V-Operation's stuff like this, as it would seem like he was stealing their knowledge.

However, considering that it was his sister calling, Ye Yun suddenly realized that this was probably no longer a matter of stealing someone's skills, but rather that the two sides had already communicated and exchanged benefits, and he, unfortunately, was just another link in that chain.

Moreover, the steel artery that they have been working on recently is a complete surprise to the Earth Federation Forces, so in order to protect this strategic transport line, they need Zeon to shift their focus away from it.

So how can a big news story be covered up?

An even bigger news! Or at least it looks bigger.

In a sense, Operation V fulfills all the necessary conditions to cover up the steel artery! It is the Federation Forces' newest and most powerful MS development program.

On paper, it's a product that completely outclasses the Zeon army's current main weapon, the Zaku II, by a whole era! The Federation army's most numerous short sword is, technically speaking, completely outclassed by this one, unless you include the Short Sword 105 and the backpack system which is not yet fully developed.

And now, with the addition of an ace pilot, who is a Newtype, unlike Amuro who relies entirely on the improvisation of the manual...

Oh, and perhaps we could add one more thing: the technical development of Operation V is nearing completion. Even if something happens... the Federation will still be heartbroken. This time, no extra money is needed.

"I saw the combat log of Unit 1... It really surprised me!" Tim Ray showed Ye Yun the utmost respect for this. The other party did not deliberately suppress the performance of the Gundam to prove that his own Dagger was excellent. On the contrary, the record of killing three Zaku in one minute and two squads of MS plus two M'sai in 2,5 minutes has caused a sensation among the upper echelons of the Federation.

How can I describe how big of a sensation this was?!

The Federation military high command hesitated, wondering whether to continue using Project V to distract the Zeon forces. The project's combat capabilities were too intimidating, and they seemed reluctant to give it up if something went wrong.

But now that the die is cast, there's no time to find something else at the last minute. After all, if something with such strategic influence is just a facade, the Zeon forces, unless they're stupid, will definitely notice.

So even though the conclusion is not yet reached, some rumors have already been released that the Federation's mobile suits have gained battleship-level firepower capabilities.

Luna 2's first batch of trained MS pilots: Where did this news leak from? We only received 10 artillery combat packs! The news already leaked, and not everyone has even had a chance to use them! Damn it! Luna 2 has spies!

Then these pilots stopped pretending. Since they were already exposed, when they were fighting the Zeon forces, they directly pulled out their artillery and started fighting the Zeon forces! After firing three shots, they switched to a particle storage pack, fired again, and then grabbed their Type 59 tanks to tear into the enemy...

Anyway, recently, many Zeon soldiers who were hunting near Luna 2 have suddenly been killed! After reconnaissance, it was discovered that the enemy attacked the bunker where the Zaku 2 was hiding, and killed them in a series of forced kills.

Well, the fact that the short sword carries a beam weapon has been almost confirmed in a short period of time, which was quite an unexpected accident.

"Yes, to be honest... the performance of Gundam Unit 1 shocked me." Ye Yun's face didn't show much expression. The almost worry-free battery life brought by the MIRV, the powerful firepower output brought by the beam particle weapon, and the terrifying defensive power brought by Luna Titanium (Unit 1 was not hit, so this needs to be verified). If this is not a hexagonal monster MS, what is?

It can be said that, apart from its explosive price, the current RX-78 Gundam, at this point in time (0079), is a perfect MS model. Of course, we still have to add that, apart from the "price".

"So as long as Gundam enters mass production, the Federation will win!" Tim Ray glanced back at Ye Yun. "I think you'll understand, right? After you've actually operated it."

"..." Ye Yun noticed that people generally have two reactions when they're speechless: "Ah~ right, right, right!" or they laugh out loud. So he smiled helplessly, "Doctor... let's focus on the mission. I wonder what tests we have today." He decisively changed the subject; if he continued, Ye Yun felt he was about to lose his composure. Federation mass-produced Gundam??

While small batches are still a quantity, the idea of ​​mass-producing Gundams is, in any case, a bit of wishful thinking on Tim Ray's part. If they really had that kind of financial resources, the Federation wouldn't be resorting to heavy taxes everywhere, causing deep resentment among the people.

"What, you don't agree? After all, your achievements have already proven that the combat power of one Gundam is at least equivalent to 6 Zaku and 2 Musai!" Seeing that Ye Yun didn't support him, Tim Ray immediately thought of his previous argument with Kinias, and instantly felt a bit emotional again! After all, the performance of the short sword was indeed mediocre, so what right did it have to sit at the same table as the V Project that he led?

"I'm currently fourth on the Earth Federation Forces' kill list. Oh, if you include the ones you mentioned, I'm third now, just one Zaku away from the Gao Long..." Ye Yun shrugged. Using me as an example? Are you not going to use steamed buns as rations anymore?

"!" Ye Yun's words were truly shocking, and Tim Ray was instantly speechless. "But it's still much better than a short sword!"

"One Gundam, including its armaments, could probably buy a squadron of short swords, right?" Ye Yun wasn't going to let it go. After all, he and Gao Long were just test pilots, not there to be punching bags. If things really escalated, it was hard to say who would come out on top!

"Colonel Ye Yun, the Gundam is a technology demonstrator. Comparing it to the Dagger is a bit of an exaggeration." Gao Yun walked over and saluted Ye Yun. He really didn't want to come and oversee things, but ever since he learned that Ye Yun had actually become a test pilot, he had no choice but to come. After all, Ye Yun's status was there. If he really wanted to do something underhanded, not only would he be punished, but Gao Pu and the others would "understand".

Therefore, Gao Yun could only anxiously rush over. If a similar situation were to actually occur, he could still use his status as the main executor of the plan and his military rank to put pressure on Ye Yun.

“Yes, this comparison is meaningless.” Ye Yun smoothly transitioned the conversation, forcefully turning the page. This left Gao Yun, who had been preparing to persuade Ye Yun, somewhat stunned. After all, he hadn’t heard the previous argument and realized that Ye Yun might not be the one to start it, given that the previous brawl had made Tim Ray and Kinias infamous within the Federation Army headquarters…

After all, the fact that the main developers of Operation V and Project G were fighting each other is itself a juicy story.

"Ahem..." Gao Yun coughed to cover up his embarrassment. "The specific testing will begin after the factory completes the testing of Unit 1. Colonel Ye Yun can change into civilian clothes and go to SIDE7 for a visit. After all, SIDE7 is one of the few places that has not been affected by the war, and it is basically full of military families, so the safety level is guaranteed."

Although Ye Yun was transferred here as a test pilot, his status remained unchanged. He had simply received orders from the Federation Headquarters, and he remained the commander of the 13th Mobile Force of the Earth Federation Army. Gao Yun did not have the authority to directly issue orders to Ye Yun.

Furthermore, Gao Yun also wanted to have a good talk with Tim Ray. Although Ye Ning brought Ye Yun here to ensure the fulfillment of their agreement—that after completing the testing, Ye Yun would take Unit 1 to Ye's Heavy Industries for backpack system adaptation and modification—the Federation Headquarters was happy to see this, which was why Ye Yun came.

Then Gao Yun and Tim Ray should make the most of this opportunity. After all, the top three on the Earth Federation Forces' kill list are currently serving as test pilots at the base. If they don't conduct full test flights and modifications of the V-type combat aircraft, it would be a waste of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Okay!" Ye Yun didn't really want to argue with Tim Ray. He wasn't Kinias, and he couldn't argue with him about data and technology. Besides, the performance of Unit 1 was indeed very strong. It was much more ferocious to pilot than the Short Sword. The 105 Short Sword was completely inadequate without a backpack.

"See you the day after tomorrow!"

Chapter 151 Leisure

"Colonel! We've come to relieve you!" Sima walked to the door of the duty room, knocked, and woke Ye Yun, who was dozing off.

"Oh! Is it time to change shifts already?" Ye Yun, who was leaning against the sofa, was still half asleep when she heard Xima's voice. She woke up abruptly, sat up, rubbed her face, and took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm a little disheveled."

Sima shrugged at this, saying it was much better than when they were engaged in high-intensity combat in the rainforest of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Back then, everyone was in a terrible state, and every morning they would just splash water on their faces to finish washing up.