“Ah!
There really is a warship here.”
After much effort and searching, Murrue Ramius indeed led the young boy and girl to find the Archangel, docked in the shipyard, whose situation they were still unclear about.
“Let’s go!”
Murrue Ramius did not hesitate, calling everyone to find a way to board the Archangel.
Unexpectedly, halfway there, they encountered Natarle Badgiruel and others who were searching for survivors.
“You’re safe, that’s great!
Captain Ramius.”
Natarle looked at the young boy and girl behind Murrue Ramius in surprise, then saluted Murrue Ramius.
“Lieutenant Badgiruel, are you all safe too?”
Seeing Natarle Badgiruel and the others, Murrue Ramius visibly relaxed.
Their presence at least proved that there were still people who had survived the attack here.
Otherwise, relying solely on her and the young boy and girl following her, they would not be able to start up the Archangel.
“The situation is very bad.
Captain, we are the only ones who survived here.
Most of the crew perished in the attack.”
Natarle Badgiruel shook her head, glanced at the Archangel, then looked back at Murrue Ramius.
“Captain, are you planning to activate the Archangel?”
“Yes.
The current situation is extremely dire.
We need the Archangel.”
Murrue Ramius paused, organized her thoughts, and then informed Natarle Badgiruel and the others about what was happening outside.
“What?
Two Strikes?
How is that possible?
And one of them is piloted by Lieutenant Vance?”
Clearly, Natarle Badgiruel was also startled by the appearance of the Sky Raider Gundam, piloted by Leon Vance, which had a blood relation to the Strike Gundam.
“What is this colony satellite doing?
Secretly using G-Project technology on other Mobile Suits we don’t know about?!”
“No.
Now is not the time to dwell on that.
We must activate the Archangel as soon as possible to deal with ZAFT’s attack.”
Judging from the caution Leon Vance had shown, the upcoming attack would likely be even more intense than before.
“I agree!
Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel, if you’re still hung up on the relationship between the Strike Gundam and the Sky Raider Gundam, you might end up being blasted to bits by ZAFT’s main cannons.”
At that moment, the mechanical cat Bao Bao, who had been quietly following Murrue Ramius with little presence, suddenly jumped onto a floating box next to Murrue Ramius and spoke up to remind them.
“A talking cat?
A mechanical cat?
Are you Lieutenant Vance’s mechanical pet?!”
While surprised, Natarle Badgiruel quickly recognized this famous mechanical cat.
After Leon Vance became famous at the age of ten with a paper proving the “Motor Neurons and Electrical Signal Conduction Equations of Quadrupedal Organisms,” the existence of the mechanical cat Bao Bao gradually became known to the world.
“No, you have self-awareness?”
A trace of shock flashed in Natarle Badgiruel’s eyes.
“No.
I am speaking to you through Bao Bao.
I am Leon Vance.”
The mechanical cat Bao Bao gently swayed its tail, transmitting Leon Vance’s voice from his side.
“Leon Vance.
Have you made any new discoveries over there?”
Murrue Ramius quickly asked.
She was deeply concerned that ZAFT might attack again while they were searching for the Archangel.
“ZAFT has not launched another assault, but the situation may become even more severe.”
Inside the cockpit of the Sky Raider Gundam, Leon Vance glanced up at the screen, watching the blond man standing beneath the Strike Gundam conversing with Kira, and spoke slowly.
“Just now, an Earth Alliance captain named Mu La Flaga crash-landed an MA near us.
After we rescued him, he provided some intelligence.”
“It seems Rau Le Creuset of ZAFT is mobilizing fleets.
Based on our analysis, it’s likely that one or two ZAFT fleets will be dispatched to Heliopolis by Rau Le Creuset.”
“What?
Three ZAFT fleets?
Does ZAFT intend to destroy this colony satellite?”
Natarle Badgiruel gasped sharply and demanded.
Leon Vance pretended to think for a moment, offering a plausible speculation.
“In the previous battle, the performance level displayed by the Sky Raider Gundam I piloted may have caught Rau Le Creuset’s attention.
Otherwise, judging by his usual conduct, he wouldn’t easily let others take credit.”
Natarle Badgiruel fell silent for a moment before speaking.
Moreover, with our current shortage of personnel, merely operating the Archangel is already a significant challenge.”
Natarle Badgiruel promptly relayed the current situation, hoping to make Leon Vance consider their next strategy more carefully.
“I don’t think we need to worry about the personnel issue.
The AI chip installed in Bao Bao can help alleviate some of the manpower shortage.”
A faint smile touched Leon Vance’s lips—he had finally seized the opportunity.
“Bao Bao?
Can Bao Bao assist us with the Archangel’s operating systems?”
Murrue Ramius pondered briefly before asking.
Ever since she became Leon Vance’s neighbor, she had often seen the mechanical cat Bao Bao wandering around.
If not for its cold metallic body constantly reminding everyone it was a mechanical cat, someone might have already mistaken Bao Bao for a living creature.
“Yes.
If it’s about operational system coordination, Bao Bao should have no problem.
However, piloting the Archangel for navigation and combat still requires human operation.”
Leon Vance gave a firm assurance.
“That’s enough!
Although I don’t know to what extent your mechanical cat can perform, as long as it can ensure the stable operation of the Archangel, navigation and combat won’t be an issue.”
Natarle Badgiruel slowly let out a sigh of relief, her gaze firm as she looked at Murrue Ramius.
“Captain Ramius, among the officers present here, your rank is the highest.
According to wartime regulations, you should assume the role of acting captain of the Archangel.”
Murrue Ramius paused thoughtfully, looking at Natarle Badgiruel as she asked.
“Is it really okay?
Rather than a half-baked substitute like me, you should be the one to serve as the acting captain of the Archangel.”
“No!
This is the most appropriate plan at the moment!
Lieutenant Ramius, we don’t have much time.
Please make a decision immediately!”
“Alright!
I’ll have to trouble everyone!
Then, let’s begin operations right away.
Get the Archangel moving at the fastest possible speed to support our Mobile Suits!”
Murrue Ramius, who had adapted so quickly, gave Natarle Badgiruel and the others a sense of reassurance on the spot, and they responded loudly.
“Yes, Captain!”