Yggdrasil was the space station of the three Council Nations.
The Eurasian Federation had a section, the East Asian Federation had a section, and the Atlantic Federation had a section as well.
According to ZAFT's official statement.
They were only attacking the Atlantic Federation's section.
"Yes."
Hearing this, Chen Shi nodded.
ZAFT was now acting with perfect restraint—they had absolutely no reason to go to war with ZAFT.
They were fighting terrorists, not them.
As long as they kept targeting those Blue Cosmos terrorists, they were more than happy to see it happen.
Their communication was brief, and outside Yggdrasil, the various parties watching the East Asian ships weigh anchor and depart had mixed feelings.
Some thought it cowardly, some envied them, some sneered—but regardless, the forces outside Yggdrasil had already been significantly weakened.
It was against this backdrop that Fred and his team finally arrived outside the Yggdrasil space station.
Looking at the dense array of battleships ahead, Fred took a deep breath.
Though they had done their best to reduce the enemy's numbers, the Atlantic Federation's strength was plain to see.
Unlike the previous skirmishes, this time it was a true large-scale battle.
"Captain Freed, shall we stay here?"
Outside the relatively safe range where the Beam Cannon wouldn't reach, the Laurasia-class Captain asked respectfully.
"Yes, here is fine."
"Keep an eye on the data feedback from those High Mobility GINNs. I'll do a final check on the Neutron Jammer."
"Yes, sir."
Everything aboard the ship was being prepared methodically under Fred's command.
...
"Do you really want to fight and die for Blue Cosmos?"
The all-frequency broadcast from the ZAFT position came through shortly after they approached.
"I'll say it again—you have violated the ban. Please turn back immediately, or it will be considered an act of aggression against the Council Nations."
"Ha! I don't see East Asia here, and the Eurasian Federation only has a few cats and dogs."
"I'll say it again too—we are here to search for the terrorists responsible for the recent lunar explosion. Please cooperate."
Neither side yielded in their verbal sparring.
It looked like they were arguing over an open channel.
But at this point, their words were less for each other and more for their own soldiers.
Like a battle challenge—not to make the enemy surrender, but to boost their own morale and lower the enemy's.
In this regard, ZAFT had the advantage.
After all, for most ordinary soldiers of the Atlantic Federation, they weren't Blue Cosmos, yet they had to fight for Blue Cosmos. With such an indefensible reason, how could they have any morale?
ZAFT, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.
At least in their eyes, what they were doing was defending their own nation.
The two sides had barely exchanged a few words when the Beam Cannon fired from the Atlantic Federation's Agamemnon-class battleship broke the silence of space first.
A massive green beam shot toward the Laurasia.
Though the Laurasia-class attempted to evade, it was still grazed along its belly.¹
Suddenly, a series of explosions erupted.
"Damn Atlantic bastards! Activate the Neutron Jammer!"
With the Commander-in-Chief's command, this space sector instantly became a fierce battlefield.
This battlefield was equally brutal, with explosions erupting throughout the space sector, both sides suffering casualties amidst the dazzling display.
With the appearance of the Neutron Jammer, the Atlantic Federation and the Eurasian Federation lost their higher command and began to fall into chaos.
Some Drake-class ships even collided with their own allied vessels due to operational errors.
However, amid this confusion, many Drake-class ships also decided to fire off all the ammunition aboard their vessels.
Even though the missiles under the Neutron Jammer's influence had lost their original accuracy, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the defenses, and a portion of the Laurasia-class ships and GINNs were hit, erupting in explosions as well.
Watching these brutal scenes unfold before his eyes, Fred's gaze dimmed slightly.
Though he had never harbored any intention of saving everyone, watching lives continuously fade away before him didn't exactly lift his spirits.
But he wasn't needed to command this large-scale battle; at the moment, he simply sat down at the computer.
His job was analysis.
Analyzing the impact of the Neutron Jammer on the battlefield.
Including the accuracy of missiles and its effect on the GINN's targeting systems.
These were data that couldn't be obtained in the laboratory.
The battle continued, but due to the command chaos and targeting failures caused by the Neutron Jammer, the Atlantic Federation's strength was largely restrained.
As for Fred's side—
[Structural Engineering (Mastery) 83.71/100]
[Aerospace Engineering (Mastery) 84.30/100]
There was progress again.
Pausing from his data analysis work, Fred glanced at the progress in his virtual interface, then took a deep breath.
Before he knew it, his skills were nearly at the peak of mastery.
At that point, various research projects would likely become even more effortless.
As long as he completed all his research and mastered the technology from the theatrical film, world peace would be achieved, and he could retire along with it.
"Captain, there's movement from the Moon!"
Before Fred could fully immerse himself in data analysis again, the Captain's voice cut through.
It also broke the solemn atmosphere on the Bridge.
Accompanying the Captain's words, several blurry ship silhouettes appeared on the large screen. Against the bright backdrop of the Moon, though they were only small black dots, they still drew attention.
"Not many—they can handle it," Fred said.
They had naturally prepared for possible reinforcements from the Moon.
As long as the numbers didn't exceed their limits, there was no need for him to act.
After all, they were the reserve of the reserves.
In Fred's view, with the shock the Neutron Jammer had delivered to the enemy, combined with East Asia's withdrawal and the Eurasian Federation's retreat—
If they still couldn't take this position, then there was no point in talking about defeating Blue Cosmos later.
"Understood."
Seeing Fred's composed and strategic demeanor, everyone on the Bridge felt their nerves settle.
The war continued, and Fred continued to improve.
In the end, at the cost of considerable losses, they successfully consumed most of the Atlantic Federation's forces.
A small portion of the fleet retreated toward the lunar base.
As for ZAFT, they had also lost over half their fleet. From Fred's vantage point now, the entire area was filled with the wreckage left behind by both sides' engagements.
He hadn't gone up to help this time.
On a battlefield of this scale, even if he went, he couldn't change the outcome immediately.
Moreover, his greater role lay in research and command.
He learned MS for the sake of protection, not to go to the battlefield.
Of course, seeing that the tide had turned against them, the people of the Atlantic Federation prepared to self-destruct Yggdrasil, but they were stopped by their own people, together with those from East Asia.
The significance of that was somewhat different.