Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 29: The Hunt for Apsaras

"It can't be mistaken. It's the Apsaras."

From his standby position, Amada Shiro, closest to the sound's origin, immediately reported his observation over the comms.

"I can see them—two flying Tigers. No visual confirmation of the Apsaras yet."

Upon awakening, Amada Shiro promptly raised the periscope camera to assess the situation. Fortunately, the strong desert winds of the night had covered much of the camouflage netting with sand, making the Land GM blend seamlessly into the environment. This allowed Shiro to observe right under the enemy's nose.

"Dopps… nine of them."

"No, twelve. A squad just flew over my head," Eli quickly supplemented Shiro's intel.

"Twelve Dopps, six Zakus, two Tigers, and that big guy. Captain, are we still going in?"

Sanders, after cross-verifying the intel with his own perspective, posed the question.

"This isn't good. Not with these numbers," Eli muttered, shocked by the scale of Zeon's defensive deployment.

While Dopp fighters posed little threat to mobile suits, Eli hadn't expected even one Tiger in flight mode to appear. He was well aware that there would be differences between this reality and the story he knew, but the disparity was overwhelming.

Such a force would easily constitute an armored unit that could keep frontline troops on edge. For the manpower-strapped Zeon to deploy it in the rear lines meant one thing—almost bringing down the Apsaras must have put them on high alert.

"By now, the White Base should at least have reached this region," Eli speculated.

While he had confidently reassured Karen before, the thought of leading two comrades into a direct assault against such a force still weighed on him. If White Base could provide support—arriving swiftly after the battle started—Eli would be more confident in giving the attack order.

"Damn it…"

In the original story, Amada Shiro's team waited nearly a week to encounter the Apsaras. While Eli could afford to wait, White Base couldn't remain idle at the Southeast Asian base indefinitely.

Before Eli could think further, the clouds overhead were suddenly cast into shadow.

The Apsaras descended, piercing through the clouds and entering their field of view.

"That's… the Apsaras II, isn't it?"

Eli recognized its altered appearance and immediately identified it.

The Apsaras project consisted of three units: the first tested the Minovsky craft system, the second the MEGA particle cannon, and the third was the fully completed version.

This Apsaras had an additional MEGA particle cannon mounted on its front. Just looking at the weapon made Eli uneasy—it was a weapon capable of obliterating half a mountain peak at full power. In the story, Michel only survived his encounter with the Apsaras II due to Aina's mercy.

Eli gulped nervously.

"What now, Eli?"

Shiro's voice crackled through the comms, his tone subdued, betraying his effort to restrain his fighting spirit and await Eli's orders.

"Give the command, Captain."

Sanders, disciplined as ever, readied himself.

Should he gamble? Should he bet that White Base was nearby and would arrive as soon as the attack began?

Eli bit his lip, staring at the Apsaras ahead.

The Apsaras was clearly moving slower—slow enough for even a running mobile suit to catch up.

A flicker of realization crossed Eli's eyes.

The compassionate Aina, likely concerned for the Zakus and infantry stationed on either side, hadn't accelerated.

This alone was reason enough to attack.

But…

Against such firepower, even the Land GM's armor wouldn't hold up for long.

As Eli hesitated, two squads of six Dopps suddenly broke formation and flew southward, some even passing directly overhead.

"What's going on?"

Eli quickly adjusted the periscope camera and saw the Dopps, now mere specks on the horizon, engaging in combat. Missiles and machine gun fire lit up the distant sky.

In that instant, Eli's ears seemed to buzz with static.

"It's Amuro! He's flying the Core Fighter!"

"What? That boy?"

Shiro, similarly adjusting his camera, could not discern the combatants from such a distance.

"Another hunch?"

While Shiro remained in shock, Sanders had already steadied himself, pressing buttons to awaken the steel giant.

"It's more than a hunch—it's something even harder to believe. But regardless, we're going in!"

Eli gripped the control sticks tightly. His screen switched to the dual-camera feed.

The Land GM rose, shaking off the sand and camouflage netting. A large plume of hot air vented from the cooling fins on its left chest.

Meanwhile, its beam rifle was already raised.

"Buzz!"

A pink beam sliced through the night, directly piercing a Zaku by the ravine as it attempted to turn.

---

"Enemy fighters are in the vicinity. The Dopps have gone to intercept them," Norris reported, his brow furrowing.

A single fighter wouldn't normally warrant concern, but like Eli, Norris immediately grasped the implication.

A warship had to be nearby.

With this realization, Norris transmitted photos from his subordinates to another nearby Tiger in flight mode.

The pilot of that Tiger was none other than the Azure Comet, Ramba Ral.

"Commander Ramba Ral, is this fighter affiliated with the Trojan Horse?"

Norris asked as he forwarded the images, his tone grave. Aina's safety was at stake, and Norris dared not take risks.

"Yes, it belongs to the Trojan Horse. That means it's already nearby… Sharp instincts, indeed," Ramba Ral replied, instantly recognizing the familiar red-and-blue fighter.

Norris nodded, maneuvering his machine closer to the Apsaras' Zaku core.

"Miss Aina, ascend immediately and retreat. The Federation is attacking."

"What? They're here… What kind of force?"

"It's the Trojan Horse's mobile suits—"

"Buzz!"

Before Norris could finish, a pink beam suddenly struck a nearby Zaku, destroying it instantly.

The camera zoomed in, revealing a now-familiar figure that had become notorious in the Southeast Asian frontlines.

"The devil marked with 06. What dreadful timing…"

Confirming the number on the enemy mobile suit, Norris cast a sidelong glance at the screen showing the Apsaras' cockpit.

The turbines of the experimental flying Tiger roared as it ascended.

Meanwhile, beams from two other directions also struck down Zakus.

"I'll protect Miss Aina at all costs!" Norris vowed.