Chapter 38: First Encounter Ends in Setback
"This level of mobility!"
Staring at the screen where three mobile suits effortlessly evaded a barrage of gunfire, Bright was instantly infuriated.
"Aim carefully before you fire! Make sure to keep them outside the defensive perimeter!"
Boom!
As soon as Bright finished speaking, the Guncannon stationed on the deck under Eli's suggestion fired its 240mm cannon. The shell traced a parabolic arc, heading directly toward the black MS that was skillfully dodging the white fortress's Vulcan gun barrage.
Despite the high speed of the MS, it managed to change direction immediately and escaped the explosion range of the shell.
These MS units were simply too agile on the ground, rendering most attacks ineffective since the battle began.
It was like trying to target a high-speed hover truck.
"Could it be…the Dom?"
Eli, piloting the Ground Type Gundam that had positioned itself in front of the three MS, immediately recognized what the machines were.
Three Doms… Could it be the Black Tri-Stars?
Eli's expression grew tense.
Even though he had faced elite pilots like Norris and Ramba Ral, the Black Tri-Stars, known for their team-based prowess, were a whole different level of threat.
They were so formidable that even Amuro had been put in grave danger because of them.
"Amuro, take this."
Eli maneuvered his mobile suit to hand a beam rifle to the Gundam piloted by Amuro.
Now, the Gundam was armed with a beam rifle in each hand.
Unlike the jungle, aboard the White Base, even if a beam rifle malfunctioned or got damaged, it could be repaired immediately. That's why Eli considered it suitable as the main weapon.
"What about you?" Amuro asked as he took the beam rifle.
"The 100mm machine gun will be enough for me. Amuro, support me from the back. As soon as I pin one down, you shoot to destroy it."
It was a risky strategy.
Using beam weapons risked triggering a nuclear explosion in the reactor, and Eli, being so close, would have no chance of survival.
"That's too dangerous!" Amuro protested.
"Don't worry, Amuro. I trust you."
Watching Eli launch forward with his thrusters to intercept the enemies, Amuro felt his lingering resentment over being forced to pilot the Gundam begin to dissipate.
Unaware of the shift in Amuro's attitude, Eli was relieved in another way.
As he got closer, he could sense a familiar presence within the three attacking Doms.
Ramba Ral.
So, it wasn't the Black Tri-Stars after all.
The Tri-Stars were infamous for their seamless teamwork and high-speed maneuvers with their Doms, which often overwhelmed first-time opponents.
Even if Ramba Ral was no less dangerous, at least Eli didn't have to worry about being sliced apart by three simultaneous strikes.
While airborne, Eli drew his beam saber, though he didn't ignite it, simply holding it in hand. Meanwhile, his left-hand 100mm machine gun kept firing.
Bullets struck the barren, rocky terrain of the minefield, kicking up clouds of dust.
Eli wasn't surprised his attacks missed.
But he had to keep firing to ensure the Doms couldn't accelerate, forcing them to keep maneuvering.
Eli's eyes remained fixed on Ramba Ral's Dom.
The veteran pilot, always considerate of his subordinates, often led attacks himself.
Sure enough, Ramba Ral's Dom accelerated first, its rocket launcher aimed at Eli's Ground Type Gundam.
As the rocket neared, Eli sidestepped with a small jump to the left, evading the projectile. He immediately noticed the Dom, with its hover engines, charging forward across the ground while drawing its heat saber.
Watching the Dom fire its rocket launcher and rush forward recklessly, Eli smirked.
Though it appeared chaotic, the Dom had a nasty trick for close combat—its chest-mounted scattering beam cannon.
However, since Zeon's beam weapon development was still lacking, this "cannon" served more as a flashbang for melee combat.
The Dom deliberately held its heat saber low on the right while gripping the rocket launcher with its left hand, intending to use the flash to blind its opponent.
But if it was a contest of flashbangs, the Ground Type Gundam was the true expert!
As the two sides exchanged a few more shots, they entered melee range.
The Dom suddenly lowered its rocket launcher, slightly decelerated, and raised its chest. Recognizing the maneuver, Eli immediately pulled back on the control stick and closed his eyes.
Sure enough, the screen was flooded with blinding white light in the next instant.
Simultaneously, Eli pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A low, muffled sound different from conventional gunfire rang out.
The Ground Type Gundam's multi-launcher had just fired a flashbang!
"Argh!"
Ramba Ral felt a piercing pain in his eyes from the sudden burst of light.
Expecting to gain the upper hand with his flash cannon, he had closed his eyes just before firing and reopened them immediately to seize the initiative.
But to his surprise, the enemy had also deployed a flashbang, catching him off guard as he reopened his eyes.
"Did we have the same idea?"
Unaware that Eli had anticipated this tactic, Ramba Ral could only assume his opponent had also planned to use the same strategy to gain an advantage in melee.
Struggling to open his eyes, Ramba Ral saw the Ground Type Gundam closing in.
Its beam saber ignited just then.
In haste, Ramba Ral raised his heat saber to parry.
Sizzle…
"Ramba Ral, isn't it? Chasing me all the way here must've been tough for you," Eli remarked.
"And you, persistent as ever. Crawled out of the jungle, did you?"
In previous skirmishes, it had already been confirmed that this Ground Type Gundam had joined the White Base crew.
This raised the threat level of the White Base, which was already formidable, to an even greater degree. Many of Ramba Ral's subordinates had fallen to this pilot.
The two locked weapons in a stalemate, each awaiting reinforcements.
With the Doms' speed, the other two units could surround the mass-produced Gundam in no time.
But no matter how fast a mobile suit is, could it possibly outpace a beam shot?
A pink beam shot from behind the Ground Type Gundam, grazing its head and striking the Dom square in the torso!