Chapter 35: Farewell
The next day, Eli was at the frontline field base, preparing his mobile suit.
The mission for Squad 86 had been completed, and their designation would soon be retired.
With Amada Shiro deciding to leave the frontlines, Eli might end up becoming the squad leader for Sanders and Karen.
"Do you think we could mount the beam saber on the forearm or integrate it into the shield? Having to crouch down and draw it every time is just too obvious," Eli suggested to the maintenance crew as they worked.
The ground-type Gundam didn't have beam sabers stored on the sides of its backpack like the Gundam, as it was designed for jungle warfare to avoid snagging on tree branches.
However, this setup required a significant movement to draw the saber during combat, giving the enemy ample time to prepare for close-range engagement.
"Spare us, please. That would mean adding energy conduits to the left arm's hardpoints. And aren't you worried about the shield exploding if it's destroyed? It's not exactly a large shield," one of the mechanics groaned, rubbing his head in exasperation.
"And under these conditions, are you asking me to use a welding torch to make modifications?"
He gestured around them, and Eli followed his gaze.
The surroundings were cluttered with scattered wrenches and tools.
The storage area had somehow become this desolate without him realizing it.
"Alright, fine... I guess there's no helping it," Eli sighed helplessly.
"I was even considering modifying the ground-type Gundam to resemble the regular Gundam..."
"Gundam? What Gundam?"
A third voice interrupted from inside the warehouse.
Eli turned to find Amuro standing there.
"I just wanted to make some modifications to my mobile suit. After all, leaving all these spare parts unused seems like a waste," Eli explained, pointing to the two ground-type Gundams from Squad 06 nearby.
Amuro's eyes lit up as he looked at the suits.
"Mr. Eli, if you don't mind, I could—"
"Amuro-kun, this is not the time for that," an unfamiliar female voice interrupted.
"Oh, Lieutenant M'quve! What brings you here?"
At the warehouse entrance stood a woman with striking orange-red hair, exuding a confident demeanor.
Eli immediately greeted her.
Though her rank wasn't high, as the de facto commander of the Medea squadron, she enjoyed considerable support within the Earth Federation Forces worldwide.
She was one of the most popular figures in all Federation bases.
"Urgent orders from Jaburo: the White Base is to depart immediately and participate in the Odessa Campaign!"
Eli stood at attention upon hearing the Jaburo order, but the directive turned out to be unrelated to him—it was an order for the White Base.
"Additionally, the former Squad 86 leader is to accompany the White Base to Jaburo to report on the Apsalus operation!"
"Understood... wait, what?"
The message contained a staggering amount of information.
Firstly, "former" Squad 86.
This was understandable; Squad 86 had been formed specifically for the Apsalus mission. With the mission accomplished, disbanding the unit to avoid overburdening the Southeast Asian frontlines made sense.
Secondly, Eli was to accompany the White Base.
Since the White Base was being deployed to the Odessa Campaign, this meant Eli was being ordered to participate in that campaign as well.
Lastly, reporting on the Apsalus operation in person.
There was absolutely no need to travel to Jaburo for this.
Eli was left wondering what the higher-ups were thinking.
"Understood... but what about my mobile suit?"
"It will naturally be brought along, along with another unit as backup. Jaburo seems quite interested in the combat performance of the ground-type Gundam and is considering further development," Lieutenant M'quve replied, gesturing to the maintenance crew to begin loading Eli's suit and one of the ground-types from Squad 06.
Eli rubbed his temples, clearly struggling to process the situation.
He had anticipated staying on the Southeast Asian frontlines after the Apsalus operation, seeing off the White Base, and continuing to fight until the Odessa Campaign concluded.
Then, he planned to focus on eliminating the Zeon forces attempting to return to space and, once the One Year War ended, work toward his discharge from the Federation Army.
Now, he was being summoned to Jaburo.
Taking a deep breath, Eli said, "Understood. Please allow me to bid farewell to my team."
With that, he turned and left the warehouse.
His plans were completely upended...
"I believe you have the power to change this war, perhaps even the world," Shiro's words echoed in his mind.
Eli shook his head and stepped outside, where Sanders, Karen, Eledore, and Michel were already lined up, standing at attention and saluting him.
Eli stood in silence for a moment before returning the salute.
"Hey, kid, while you're in Jaburo, can you promote my songs over there?"
It was Eledore who broke the silence, his previous solemnity disappearing as he cheerfully threw an arm around Eli's shoulder.
That instantly broke the "tragic wall of formality" they had erected.
"You idiot, didn't one of your songs already win an award? Just focus on writing new songs. I'll look forward to hearing them on the radio," Eli teased, nudging Eledore's arm with his elbow to avoid being suffocated by the overly enthusiastic gesture.
"Karen, Sanders, I won't say much to you two. You're both excellent pilots, so I trust you'll survive this war. If you can survive..."
Eli paused, realizing he was about to tempt fate.
"Well, we'll talk about that when the time comes, squad leader who only ever went on one mission," Karen quipped, catching on to Eli's hesitance with a hearty laugh.
Even the usually stoic Sanders managed a faint smile with a hint of rugged tenderness.
"Take good care of the new members, alright?"
"Rest assured, I'll make sure the newbies survive," Sanders, once nicknamed the Grim Reaper, now spoke with pride in his voice.
"Waaaaah!"
As the group finished their farewells, a loud wail suddenly erupted.
It was Michel, using his shirt to furiously wipe away tears.
"Michel..." Eli was touched.
He and Michel hadn't interacted much, yet the latter seemed so deeply affected by his departure.
It was truly moving—
"Captain, Captain, he just got dumped by his girlfriend, that girl named BB," Eledore interjected with a mischievous grin, deliberately speaking loud enough for Michel to hear.
"Hey, can I get a photo of you all?"
Amid Michel's renewed sobbing, a journalist appeared, camera in hand, and snapped a shot of the group.
Click.