Chapter 167: Tallgeese II
Noin pulled a blanket over Zechs and spoke softly to comfort him.
"I know the Sanc Kingdom is right before your eyes, and asking you to just stand by must be very hard. But this time, you must listen to me. We'll attack tomorrow evening. For now, you need to rest."
Outside, Otto, the mechanic who had been listening to Zechs and Noin's conversation, forced himself—despite his injuries—to approach the Tallgeese and said,
"So, the Tallgeese is basically a suicide machine, huh? Now I finally understand those Gundam pilots. They're all searching for a battlefield where they can die a meaningful death."
Determined to help Zechs reclaim the Sanc Kingdom, Otto saluted the tent where Zechs rested, then climbed into the Tallgeese's cockpit and took off, flying toward Sanc.
Hearing the commotion, Noin called out to the soldiers outside,
"What's going on out there?"
A soldier answered, "The Tallgeese has been taken—Otto flew off with it!"
Zechs' expression changed instantly. Otto had already been injured once piloting the Tallgeese just like him—if he forced himself again, it would kill him. Supported by Noin, Zechs immediately opened his communicator and shouted,
"Otto! What the hell are you doing? Bring the Tallgeese back right now!"
Otto's voice came through, calm but resolute, full of determination to die.
"The Tallgeese has enough power to wipe out the core facilities of the Sanc Kingdom. I know its performance better than anyone."
"Stop it! You'll get yourself killed!"
"For your dream, Lieutenant Zechs, I'm willing to sacrifice my life. Let me help you achieve it. I'm not doing this for OZ—this is for you personally. I'll exchange my life to bring you victory."
"Otto! What nonsense are you spouting?! Get back here immediately! Otto!"
Ignoring Zechs' desperate pleas, Otto cut off the communication, accelerated, and charged straight toward the Sanc Kingdom. He opened fire with the Dober Gun at the Aries suits intercepting him midair.
One shot after another—each Aries was destroyed in a single blow. It didn't take long before Otto broke through the Kingdom's encirclement and advanced directly toward the central command area.
Even under the fierce barrage of anti-air fire from the ground, Otto relied on Tallgeese's heavy armor—refusing to evade or retreat—and endured every blast head-on.
Then, spinning at high speed, he retaliated with continuous Dober Gun fire. Otto unleashed every bit of the Tallgeese's potential; with that single mobile suit, he completely annihilated the enemy's defensive base and reclaimed the Sanc Kingdom.
But the immense physical strain of piloting the Tallgeese took its toll—his organs failed, and Otto died with a faint smile on his face. The Tallgeese knelt in the ruins of the base, motionless.
Having reclaimed his homeland, Zechs returned to the long-lost royal palace. Standing before a portrait of his father, he removed his helmet, sorrow clouding his features.
"To set foot here again, I've spent thirteen long years… Father, please forgive my incompetence.
So many have died for my sake; the rivers run red with blood. You believed in pacifism, yet I live a life that defies your teachings.
My hands are drenched in blood—someone like me has no right to inherit the Peacecraft name.
But I believe… if my sister Relena inherits it, she will rebuild the kingdom you dreamed of.
That is the purpose of my battle… Father, please forgive this unfilial son."
Ironically, elsewhere, in her hotel room, Relena gazed at a photo of her father, murmuring to herself.
"I can't believe I came all the way here just to chase after a boy. You must be surprised too, Father.
But I can't suppress this desire to see Heero again. Father, can you understand how I feel?"
Her eyes softened as she spoke.
"I know that until his wounded heart heals, he needs my support and understanding. But he keeps trying to push me away…"
At that moment, an explosion rocked the nearby OZ base—Heero and Duo had launched their attack, piloting their Gundams.
The Deathscythe Gundam was the first to charge into the base, its beam scythe slicing through OZ mobile suits one after another.
Arriving moments later, the Wing Gundam fired its Buster Rifle—obliterating a swarm of OZ suits in a single blast.
While the rifle cooled down, it switched to its shoulder Vulcan cannons and head-mounted machine guns, pouring fire into the surrounding OZ units.
Breaking through the encirclement, Heero reached the energy and ammunition storage area. Another Buster Rifle shot turned half the base into rubble.
Early the next morning, Relena drove to the school Heero attended, afraid he might leave her again. But just as she arrived at the gate, she spotted Heero and Duo walking to class. Duo waved casually, but Heero merely glanced at her with his usual cold indifference before walking off.
Relena gazed dreamily at Heero's departing figure.
"Please… let me stay by your side a little longer. I feel like I can become as strong as you are."
…
When Treize's shuttle landed at a base near the Sanc Kingdom, he saw the Tallgeese standing upright on the field and said to Trowa,
"Leader, this Tallgeese looks a lot like the mobile suit you gave me. Its armor is incredibly thick."
Trowa—momentarily uneasy at the mention of their similarity—replied with calm confidence,
"Of course. It's the prototype for several Gundams. I forgot to mention before—the one I gave you is a modified version of this machine. It's called the Tallgeese II.
I incorporated every bit of MS technology I've collected, reducing the strain the acceleration puts on the pilot. Otherwise, piloting the prototype directly could very well kill the pilot mid-mission."
"Oh? Then could you help Zechs by modifying his prototype too? Reduce the burden on him a bit—I'd hate to lose such an excellent officer."
Trowa nodded firmly. "No problem. Have someone send it to the hangar later—I'll take care of it myself. Once I'm done, Zechs won't have to worry about that happening again."
At that, Lady Une frowned slightly. "Sir Treize, I don't think Lieutenant Zechs should always be given such special treatment."
Treize only smiled faintly. "An exceptional pilot deserves an exceptional mobile suit. What's wrong with that?"