Chapter 32: The Threat
"What do you mean?"
While struggling to fend off Amada Shiro's attacks, Norris also had to dodge Sundass' beams.
"Our forces will delay the enemy warship, and reinforcements of mobile suits are on their way. If we hold out a little longer, we might still survive this crisis."
Ramba Ral was also under pressure from Amuro's pursuit. Piloting a unit with a damaged arm made things even harder.
If not for the flight-capable Tiger's aerial mobility, Ramba Ral believed he'd have been shot down already.
Dodging another beam shot in midair, he glanced in another direction. On the horizon, a glimmer of light approached in the dark of night.
It was his team's ground hovercraft battleship, the Gaw-class.
While not particularly powerful in terms of firepower, it could still pose a threat to the enemy warship.
In this situation, there was no room for hesitation. He had to order his subordinates to risk their lives and hold back the White Base.
The Gaw-class was also carrying three mobile suits. Though few in number, they were among the few remaining assets Zeon could bring into play.
The shriek of artillery shells tore through the battlefield, heading straight for White Base. Several Dopps followed, swarming the ship.
Seeing White Base hastily activate its anti-aircraft defenses like a startled porcupine, Ramba Ral felt a slight sense of relief.
At least the Trojan Horse wouldn't seal the battle's fate for now.
With that, he refocused on the battle before him.
Fortunately, the Tiger still had a functioning Gatling gun integrated into its shield, along with a short heat whip. These were all the weapons the unit could rely on.
However, Ramba Ral's primary concern wasn't weaponry—it was the overheating turbines and thrusters on the mobile suit. Prolonged use had gradually raised their temperatures.
If this stalemate continued, the turbines might overheat and shut down.
Once grounded, losing mobility would spell certain doom against this relentless opponent.
Staring down at the humanoid visage of the Gundam from above, Ramba Ral felt a shadow cast over his heart.
The White Devil—its reputation was well-earned.
While Ramba Ral still had the presence of mind to issue orders to his subordinates, Norris on the other hand was at his limit.
The Type-06 unit joining the battle instantly became the backbone of the enemy's operations.
Under the cover fire of Eli, Norris had no chance to disengage. He had to cautiously confront the beam saber wielded by the ground combat Gundam before him.
Meanwhile, another ground combat Gundam was relentlessly providing long-range support and pursuit.
But what troubled Norris the most wasn't his dire predicament—it was the final ground combat Gundam moving toward the Apsalus' core component!
"Aina!"
Seeing that Gundam place its hand on the Zaku serving as the core component, Norris' eyes widened in desperation.
"Aina, come with me!"
"Let's leave this war behind together!"
"You don't belong in a machine like that!"
From the start, Shiro's pleas over the comms were constant.
Eli couldn't comprehend how such a deep connection could form in mere hours between the two, but he knew one thing—he couldn't let Norris interfere with Shiro's actions.
Taking advantage of Norris' distraction, Eli swung his beam saber downward, targeting the thruster engine on the Tiger's back!
"Shimata! (Damn it!)"
Norris immediately realized his lapse and braced himself for the consequences.
Sure enough, even though he attempted to mimic Ramba Ral's earlier evasive vector thrust, Eli anticipated this. Adjusting his saber's path, Eli's strike sliced off a stabilizer wing and grazed the outer armor of the Tiger's jetpack.
Though Eli didn't hit the thruster directly, and Norris felt no relief.
As mentioned earlier, the flight system was already unstable. Even fragments of broken outer armor sucked into the system could cause a shutdown or meltdown.
As expected, the right thruster stopped working. The blue glow extinguished, and after sporadic sparks, it shut down completely.
"It's not over yet!"
Despite the dire situation, Norris slammed the pedal again.
The last working thruster roared, lifting the Tiger into the air once more!
Norris was risking an explosion, determined to drive Shiro away from Aina.
The Tiger quickly intercepted Shiro's ground combat Gundam, its heat saber glowing orange-red.
But before Norris could land a decisive strike, a beam pierced the Tiger's arm and detonated in front of it, shrouding the battlefield in smoke.
Despite losing the ability to deal a finishing blow, Norris, blood dripping from a head injury caused by the blast, relentlessly pushed forward.
With the Tiger's oversized foot, retrofitted for additional engines, he kicked Shiro's distracted Gundam to the ground.
Norris then lunged forward, using the Tiger's only remaining arm to grab the Gundam's head.
Accompanied by the creaking of the Tiger's strained joints, the ground combat Gundam was lifted into the air.
This made Eli, who had raised his beam rifle, hesitate.
"Everyone stand down! Or do you not care about this guy's life?"
Norris, disheveled and his few remaining strands of hair hanging over his forehead, shouted through the Tiger's external speakers.
He prided himself as a soldier and typically despised such tactics.
But for Aina, Norris was willing to abandon his principles.
"Step away from the Apsalus!"
Despite his menacing tone, Norris felt a sense of futility.
The Tiger was no longer capable of threatening the Gundams. Its only hand was merely lifting Shiro's unit.
Using the captured Gundam as a shield was undoubtedly a smart move.
But while Norris accounted for Eli's reactions and Shiro's intentions, he overlooked one crucial individual.