The Chapter get Retranslated
Mikazuki reached the top floor of the building and looked down at the crisscrossing roads in the distance. Popping a Mars Date into his mouth, he turned his gaze toward Factory 37, the place Orga had mentioned.
That was where Morgenroete and the Earth Alliance were co-manufacturing and hiding the Gundams.
From his vantage point, he could easily see a long convoy parked on the road. The street was devoid of any other vehicles, having clearly been blockaded.
Mikazuki stared up at the false sky of the Space Colony, a sudden intuition taking hold. he whispered softly to himself, "It's coming..."
In the space surrounding Heliopolis, the two ZAFT warships that had been hovering on the periphery finally made their move.
Inside the Space Colony port command room, alarms began to blare incessantly.
"This is Heliopolis. Approaching ZAFT vessels, please respond. ZAFT vessels, respond immediately..."
The port controller floated over, his expression grim but his voice steady. "Stay calm. Silence the alarms first."
He snatched a headset from a staff member and shouted into the mic, "Approaching ZAFT vessels, be advised that your actions are infringing upon our nation's sovereignty. Please halt your advance immediately!"
However, only the crackle of static returned through his earpiece. An operator sitting at the console turned to the controller. "There is heavy electromagnetic interference coming from the approaching ZAFT ships. We've lost contact with the interior of Heliopolis. This is an overt act of war."
"What?"
The controller's forced composure finally shattered, his mouth hanging open in shock.
On a Nazca-class high-speed battleship, a golden-masked man dressed in the white commander's uniform of ZAFT watched with a faint smile. He gave a sharp wave of his right hand.
Seeing the signal, the vice commander sitting in the captain's chair roared, "The operation begins! Deploy electromagnetic interference! Detonate the charges! Launch the MS teams and advance the ship! Notify Yzak and his group to infiltrate and seize the machines immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Everyone, move out!"
With its Mobile Suit launch deck extended, the Vesalius charged toward the Heliopolis docking port, followed closely by the Laurasia-class Gamow.
Throughout it all, Rau Le Creuset, his face hidden behind his mask, maintained his smile. He had absolute confidence in his subordinates; this operation was as good as won.
Of course, that was assuming no accidents occurred.
Deep within the mountains of Heliopolis' Sector 7 sat a hidden factory. Docked inside was a white warship nearly four hundred meters long. Its overall structure was a wide catamaran typeto put it simply, it looked like a ship with two long legs.
This Archangel-class ship was a new type of vessel developed by the Earth Alliance to complement the Gundam units.
The Captain of the Archangel and his crew were frantically preparing the units for launch.
"Fueling of the Archangel is underway. We are at twenty percent!"
The Captain nodded. "Good. Increase the speed!"
Just then, an intelligence officer called out, "Report, Captain! We are under attack by ZAFT from the outside. It appears they have deployed Mobile Suits!"
"ZAFT? Damn it, did they get wind of our intel? No matter, let Heliopolis handle them for now." He turned to a female officer behind him. "Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, supervise the rotation axis work. While you're at it, notify Captain Ramius to accelerate her boarding preparations. Tell her that if an accident occurs and the MS fall into enemy hands, she is authorized to destroy them. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
With a crisp military salute, Natarle left the prep room along with a staff sergeant without a moment's delay.
However, not long after Natarle left, disaster struck. An explosion ripped through the maintenance area. Before the Captain and senior officers in the command room could react, a wall of flame burst through the windows and swept them away.
The blasts from the mountains and underground triggered a violent earthquake throughout Sector 7. This was no planet, but a man-made Space Colony; earthquakes were impossible unless caused by a meteorite impact.
Yet, a meteorite was out of the question. Heliopolis' defenses in space were designed to shatter any incoming debris.
Simultaneously, alarms echoed throughout the entire colony.
"Heliopolis is under attack by ZAFT forces. All civilians, proceed to the shelters immediately. Repeat..."
The people looked up at the artificial sky as several black dots descended. They were ZAFT GINNs.
"Those are Mobile Suits! ZAFT really broke in! Run! Move!"
"Damn it, why is ZAFT in Orb territory?"
"What are the Heliopolis soldiers doing? How did those MS get in?"
"Stop talking and get to the shelter! Those Coordinators are starting a war!"
Realizing the tremors were caused by a ZAFT raid, the people of Heliopolis fled in a panic toward the nearest shelters.
Meanwhile, Mikazuki stood calmly atop his building, looking down at the unfolding chaos. He leisurely tossed another Mars Date into his mouth and spoke into the headset pressed against his cheek.
"Orga, they've started."
"Yeah, the explosion was right under your feet. Since they've made their move, the convoy transporting the Gundams should be acting too. Mika, should we send the Barbatos in now?"
"Yeah."
Mikazuki nodded. He raised his wrist and pressed the launch button displayed on his watch screen.
Hidden in the mountains, the Barbatos shed its camouflage, its green eyes erupting with a brilliant, piercing light.
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