"Kira Yamato, Strike Gundam launching!"
With Kira's report, the electromagnetic catapult activated, launching the artillery-equipped Strike Gundam from the Archangel.
Using its propulsion system, the Strike Gundam briefly hovered in the air before landing on the desert. The dozens-of-tons-heavy Strike Gundam sank into the soft sand, immediately causing the mobile suit to lose balance.
Feeling the feedback from the machine, Kira manipulated the controls. The Strike Gundam planted its Flame God Hyper Impulse Cannon into the ground like a walking stick, temporarily stabilizing its unbalanced state.
"The environment here is completely different from space."
Sitting in the cockpit, Kira murmured to himself.
Just as he was about to adjust the Strike Gundam's parameters, urgent alarm sounds rang out. Kira looked at the screen and saw missiles rapidly approaching his position.
His finger pressed the trigger.
The anti-ship Vulcan Cannon opened fire.
Dense large-caliber bullets shot toward the incoming missiles.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!!
Violent explosions erupted in the air.
Observing the Strike Gundam's situation through binoculars from a distance, Andrew curled his lips into a slight smile.
"This guy isn't in good condition."
Putting down his binoculars, Andrew ordered his subordinates.
"Go test the situation!"
"Yes!"
Replies came through the communications from his subordinates.
Three BuCUEs activated in the desert, rapidly charging toward the Strike Gundam in their tank forms.
Inside the BuCUE cockpits, the pilots looked at the Strike Gundam's situation with smiles on their faces, boasting confidently.
"This desert is our BuCUE's domain."
As they spoke, their fingers pressed the triggers.
The dual electromagnetic cannons on their backs opened fire.
Electromagnetic cannon shells left their barrels, heading toward the Strike Gundam at extremely high speeds.
Inside the Strike Gundam's cockpit, Kira used feedback from the optical sensors and photoelectric detection system to maneuver the Strike Gundam through difficult movements in the desert while pressing the trigger.
The anti-ship Vulcan Cannon fired!
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!!!
Under the cover of counterfire, Kira began adjusting the Strike Gundam's parameters.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep——!!!
Urgent alarm sounds rang out.
With a tense expression, Kira quickly manipulated the controls.
The Strike Gundam, not yet having its parameters adjusted, was currently very cumbersome and completely inadequate against the agile BuCUEs.
Boom!
A violent impact sound erupted.
The heavy Strike Gundam was pounced on and knocked down into the desert by BuCUEs that had transformed into beast mode.
After completing the attack, the BuCUEs leaped up and moved away from the Strike Gundam. Once they had retreated, the Strike Gundam, under Kira's control, clumsily stood up in the desert.
Before the mobile suit could stabilize itself, BuCUEs attacked from another direction.
"Damn it!"
Watching the approaching BuCUEs, Kira growled with frustration.
Boom!
The Strike Gundam was knocked down again by the BuCUEs.
"Captain, this guy is very clumsy!"
The BuCUE pilots reported the situation to their captain through communications.
Hearing this, Andrew warned through the comms.
"Don't underestimate the enemy!"
"Yes!"
The pilot responded verbally while slowly developing a sense of underestimation in his heart.
With this mindset, the pilot controlled the BuCUE to launch another attack at the Strike Gundam.
Seeing this, Kira pressed the pedal firmly, adjusted the angle of the rear propulsion nozzles, and simultaneously pushed the thrust lever forward.
Propelled by the thrust, the Strike Gundam shot diagonally upward.
While dodging the BuCUE's attack, Kira operated the controls again, adjusting the nozzles and thrust output.
Taking advantage of the brief hover, the Strike Gundam completed a standing maneuver mid-air. Seizing this opportunity, Kira pulled the trigger.
The Flame God Hyper Impulse Cannon fired.
A thick, layered beam shot toward a BuCUE on the ground.
The BuCUE leaped agilely across the desert, evading the Strike Gundam's fire. Its back-mounted electromagnetic cannon aimed at the airborne Strike Gundam, the muzzle glowing as two electromagnetic cannon shells were launched.
The descending Strike Gundam used its attitude adjustment thrusters to maneuver and evade mid-air, barely dodging the attack before landing on the desert.
The soft sand once again affected the Strike Gundam.
Kira reacted quickly, using the thrusters to leap up again.
"How long can you keep jumping like that!"
Watching the Strike Gundam's movements, the BuCUE pilot sneered with a hint of contempt.
He pulled the trigger, firing at the Strike Gundam as it leaped into the air.
The Strike Gundam evaded mid-air, its body descending before landing back on the desert. Almost immediately after landing, Kira controlled the Strike Gundam to leap up once more.
Inside the cockpit, Kira watched the screen while rapidly typing on a small keypad, adjusting parameter after parameter.
After completing the final adjustments, Kira breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the BuCUE on the screen.
When the Strike Gundam landed on the sand again, it displayed a different condition—the previous instability had disappeared.
Seeing this, Kira relaxed.
Aiming at the BuCUE ahead, he raised the Flame God Hyper Impulse Cannon.
In the distance, Andrew observed the Strike Gundam's condition through binoculars and issued a decisive order.
————
"Retreat!"
The command reached the BuCUE cockpit.
Though puzzled, the pilot promptly executed the order. Under the pilot's control, the BuCUE rapidly retreated.
Watching the BuCUE's agile evasive maneuvers, Kira attempted multiple times to lock on through the targeting system but failed to capture the swiftly retreating machine.
The BuCUE disappearing into the distance left Kira frustrated, but he had no choice but to abandon the attack and lower the raised Flame God Hyper Impulse Cannon.
"Lieutenant Yamato, return to base!"
Badgiruel's voice came through the comms.
Kira acknowledged and piloted the Strike Gundam back toward the Archangel.
Elsewhere
"Commander, why did we retreat?"
The returning BuCUE pilot asked Andrew over the comms.
Hearing his subordinate's question, Andrew calmly explained.
"That MS pilot completed adjustments to his machine during the battle. Continuing to fight would have been risky—retreat was the best option."
"Commander, couldn't three BuCUEs handle just one of them?"
Despite the explanation, the BuCUE pilot remained somewhat dissatisfied and questioned further.
Andrew listened to his subordinate's dissatisfied inquiry, his voice growing stern as he said, "They managed to escape Creuset's team and reach Earth with just one Mobile Suit and one battleship. Do you think that Mobile Suit Pilot's skills are poor?"
"Could someone incompetent handle the Mobile Suit adjustments during the recent battle?"
As he spoke, Andrew's tone sharpened further. "Have you all thrown the caution and warnings against underestimating the enemy I've repeatedly emphasized to the dogs?"
"I—I understand my mistake, Captain."
"Go back and thoroughly reflect on your underestimation of the enemy in this battle. If this happens again, you're out of Barthfeld's team."
Hearing his subordinate's admission of fault, Andrew's anger subsided somewhat, but he still issued an extremely stern warning.