Editing KSGU:Volume 7 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 11===

BOOM! The impact rocked the ship, and it was different from the feeling felt when the beam rifle hit the ship directly. Bright unwittingly tightened his grip on the captain’s armrest, looked back at the main screen of the battle bridge, and the scene that appeared on it shocked him.

Two “Sleeves” mobile suits landed on the bow deck of the “Ra Cailum”, intending to let their green bodies stand still. ''Did the “Garencieres” drop them down as they passed by from above?'' Bright forgot that he was still contacting the base commander as his mouth was slightly agape while he was trying to bellow. “THE ENEMY HAS BOARDED US! WHAT’S ALL THE CANNONS DOING!?” Meran however reacted faster as he yelled, his voice echoing through the battle bridge.

“Even if we can’t use the main cannons, we can still aim with the machine guns. Chase them away!”

“The mobile suit squad can’t launch because of the shots fired from the CIWS guns. Commander Solton’s squad hopes that the guns will stop firing.''

“But stopping the attack in this situation is—”

Meran spoke up, but he was interrupted by the enemy unit swinging its beam hook down on the screen, and a tremendous shock and explosion struck the entire ship. The footage on the screen was interrupted, “Camera 45 is down!” “Switch back to the normal bridge camera!” the bridge’s key personnel were shouting. The battle bridge of the “Ra Cailum” was located lower than the ordinary bridge, and there were no windows in there at all. If the cameras were destroyed, there would be no way for them to know of what was going on outside, and the 6 bridge personnel looked like they were about to gasp, but that was before they switched over to the other cameras. The main screen was back to normal, and upon seeing the enemies from another angle, Bright heaved a temporary sigh of relief, “That’s why I’ve been telling you this!” and then growled into the receiver in his hand.

“Our engines or shot, and we can’t leave the ground even if we want to. Instead of that, please call back the defense squad mobile suits. The enemy suits at the coast are just decoys.”

(I’ve been doing that without you telling me! The “Ra Cailum” just needs to focus on how to leave this base. The enemy’s targeting you guys!)

In a corner of the main screen, the base commander could be seen on the communication window filled with noise, saying such things unabashedly. Naturally, he was an incompetent blockhead, which was why he was sent to this backwater region, but Bright could not seize the command and cause a confusion in the command chain. “We’ll leave once the engine department finishes its emergency repairs.” He said patiently as he looked for the enemies that landed on the ship. A cannon strike then shot out from the bottom, and the machine that leapt out gradually disappeared into the blind spot of the camera.

“The enemy’s attacks are too intense, and we still can’t call back the civilians transferring over to the transport carrier. We’ll try our best to support, but we’ll need to base to cover us once the ship leaves. The base will be in trouble if anything happens to anyone related to the Vist Foundation, you know.”

It was not hard to imagine a commander, wanting to escape from his duty in this backwater region, would immediately follow an order issued directly from the Senate Council. The enemy unit was chased off by a launching “Jesta”, and could be seen retreating from the open air deck; “I-I understand!” the base commander was flushed with anger in a corner of the monitor.

(I’ll tell the defense squad to come back and defend…really, nothing good happens when we deal with “Gundams”!)

The commander let out these words that were either out of spite or his true thoughts as he cut the light. Bright was not willing to focus his attention on the fire as he checked the situation from the feed provided by the external cameras. They chased off the enemy units that climbed onto the ship, but the enemy units teamed up with the other 3 enemy units and were still within the base. Solton and the Tri-Stars were fighting, but the Medea on the runway was still isolated. It was thanks to the “Jestas” moments that the long-ranged sniper that shot down the 3 main cannons on the ship was held of.

The ones making an accurate sniper fire seemed to be an old machine, and was yet toying with the newest generation “Jestas”. Bright wanted to send a squad to take down the enemy sniper, but there was no meaning to it as that would weaken the defenses on the battleship and the transport carrier. It would be best if the base defense squad could return back for battle, but exactly how many friendly units could make it back safely—“This is certainly more thought out than we imagined.” Bright muttered to himself, and Meran, who seemed to have the same feeling, “Is the enemy aiming for Mineva Zabi?” whispered.

“If that were the case, they won’t be so reckless with their fire. They’re probably aiming to get the “Unicorn”…that’s quite the painful expense.”

Meran seemed to have heard Bright’s last line as he frowned in a perplexed manner. Meran did not know about Beltorchika’s information regarding movements of the Zeon remnants. ''It can’t be helped,'' Bright concluded in his heart. If Meran were to know about it, he would refuse to dock at the base even if he had to reject the Vist Foundation’s request, and the ship would have to remain in the air until the enemy’s intentions were clear, which would be meaningless. Bright himself was prepared for the need to bear this sudden raid.

Of course, he had already taken emergency countermeasures beforehand, and even informed the base commander of the basis behind this probable attack. Now that the situation had become like this, even if the base commander had not paid serious attention to it, the remaining responsibility would naturally fall upon him. Bright himself did not expect such severe damage, but there were no casualties amongst the ship crew at least, and he did not intend to have any. ''This isn’t injustice or immorality,'' Bright convinced himself and muttered, “It’s about time.” Meran frowned as his slightly tanned face showed a suspicious look.

“Meran, use the command code. Try and contact the closest Londo Bell ship.”

“Huh? But all the Londo Bell ships are keeping watch over the colonies. The battleships we can immediately send over are…”

“Isn’t there one? Right above us?”

Bright pointed at the top and gave Meran a look, and the lattered seemed to understand the former’s intent as he opened his mouth, “Don’t tell me that’s…”, he eked out a trembling voice. “This is an emergency, and any requests for aid will be permitted no matter how it looks. The Senate Council won’t grumble over this either.” Bright argued back and turned his confident look to the front, believing that they could only do this.

“No need to draft a statement. Make immediate contact with them. Once the circuit’s connected, I’ll personally speak up.”