Editing KSGU:Volume 2 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 15===

Snow dances about in the sky, and this snow is coming from the colony, glowing as they enter the darkness. Of course, these things aren’t real snow, but the sand, rubble and burnt remains of the plants or electric cars that are flowing out of the hole. They’re giving off light by reflecting the sunlight, forming debris in the shoal space region and disappearing into the darkness. That scene seems to look like the colony’s shooting out snow.

As compared to the large space colony, that hole looks like a fingertip—however, the diameter is no smaller than 50m. the hole will spin together with the colony, sucking away the surrounding objects and the air. The small objects that look like snowflakes gather together, and Riddhe instinctively turns the camera of the <<ReZEL>> over there and looks at an object on the enlarged monitor. He feels that goosebumps rising up on his skin.

It’s a burnt car. Riddhe stares at the object that’s completely distorted in shape, and notices the fact that there’s no one inside. He hurriedly closes the enlarged screen and opens the visor of his helmet and wipes the sweat off before closing the visor again. He wants to wipe away the sweat floating out from his chest, but the normal suit he’s wearing won’t allow him to do so. His underwear is wet too, and he knows his socks are wet. He hasn’t even shot once, never even met an enemy, and yet—

It’s been past 30 minutes since the battle started. Even though he entered the battle zone <<Industrial 7>> together with the <<Nahel Argama>>, the Ian squad, including Riddhe, hasn’t seen any signs of enemies. They just know from the unconfirmed broadcast that half of their comrades were shot down, but they have no idea about what happened to the Norm’s squad inside the colony or how many enemies there are. Time passes just like that, and even the reliable laser communicator can’t receive intel due to the wall of the colony. Right now, what Riddhe and the rest, and the <<Nahel Argama>> can only do is to listen to the messy communications and decipher what’s going on through the interrupted information.

(Avoid fighting inside the colony! Don’t take risks and go in.)

(Romeo 005’s communication is cut. Please respond!)

(The manhunters…ECOAS’ tank is destroyed. How’s the aid!?)

(The enemy’s equipped with psycommu! We’re being picked off!)

(Just one unit…! One mobile suit actually…!)

Half of Norm’s squad is wrecked. Riddhe remembers the voices of the wireless communicator, and checks where the allied machines are around the colony. Including his own unit, there are four <<ReZELs>> and 2 <<Jegans>> flying around, matching the relative velocity of the colony and starting at the large cylinder that has become a battlefield. If he were in a different group, he may be part of the group being watched; he may be fighting against the enemy’s machine with the psycommu, and then poked holes all over the place by the <<Funnels>>, just like the machines that are blown up and scattered inside the inner walls of the colony.

(Romeo 002 notifying all units. Ian’s squad is to cover the mothership. Don’t let down your guard to the surroundings. The enemy unit may come out from the hole in the colony.)

Squad leader Ian seems to detect everyone’s jumpy emotions. If he wasn’t controlling them, the squad that’s coming out of their lines might be jumpy and head to the colony. Riddhe can understand this feeling, and he’s of the same too. It’s too painful to wait and watch them fight a tough battle, and it’ll be easier to just rush into the battlefield directly. However, even though he wants to get some credit in his fire battle, he can’t help but think that this is a joke after knowing that there’s only one enemy, and that enemy wrecked an entire squad. Even if the mobile suit is equipped with psycommu, that pilot’s way too abnormal.

“Newtypes…that’s just a superstition on those spacenoids’ part.”

This term is used to represent the different status of the space residents. Riddhe feels that the humidity of the ‘home’ is filling the cockpit, wants to lick his mouth, and steps on the pedal. The machine frame of the <<ReZEL>> shakes slightly as it floats towards the moon. The wall of the colony is moving on the monitor, and he sets the front screen onto the colony builder that’s in front of the colony itself.

Riddhe looks at this ‘Wheel’ that takes up one-quarter of the colony and the head that looks like a ‘Snail’. He remembers the name of the ‘Snail’ is called <<Magallanica>> and looks at the command module that’s on the enlarged monitor, which is about the equivalent of a snail’s head. He sees the front end of the command console room that’s not moving, and there’s a white object the size of a thumb. That’s the pure white ship body of the <<Nahel Argama>>

This first-of-its-kind large ship of the Federation army is just the size of a toy to the <<Magallanica>> that’s over 5000m. Riddhe adjusts the wireless frequency and tries to probe for the communications between the <<Nahel Argama>> and the <<Magallanica>>. The radio channel is less effective than the basic wireless, but even with the Minovsky particles affecting, he should be able to hear something from such a close distance. Soon after, (We don’t permit…you to enter the dock). A voice with static echoes, and the noise start to mess up the speaker inside the helmet.

“This facility is recognized by the colony association, and is legal for use by Anaheim Electronics…)

(We have a war here! As a Federation ship, this ship has the authority to carry out counter-terrorist measures!)

The voice covers the operator who’s speaking emotionlessly, as Captain Otto’s angry words echo through the static. This mobile suit squad is on the brink of collapse, and the badger-like old man who’s normally cool-headed can’t remain calm. Riddhe hears,

(<<Magallanica>>. I’m Alberto. Open up now.)

Another voice suddenly enters this conversation. Alberto—the associate Anaheim sent to ride on this ship. Riddhe remembers this man’s face as he yapped about the <<Laplace's Box>> in the captain’s room that will make anyone unhappy, and can’t help but blurt, “That fatso. Why so arrogant at such a time…” Once he said that, a roar came from the other side of the wireless radio (Did, did you hear that!?), and the awkward voice of the operator on the other side can be heard, (Yes, I hear you.)

(Even the Vist Foundation doesn’t have the authority to refuse the army. Open up.)

(But the chairman…)

(I’ll take responsibility! Let us in if you don’t want the manhunters to kill all of you!)

''Does this guy think that he’s controlling the entire army? '' Riddhe hears what can be said to be arrogant words, and feels uncomfortable again. However, the light that appears next cause him to widen his eyes. The guiding lights of the <<Magallanica>> start to light up, and the two beams in the vacuum form a road.

The main thrusters exhaust behind the ship start to tremble slightly, and the <<Nahel Argama>> start to move forward slowly. The <<Magallanica>> opens its gateway and prepares to let the ship enter. From this move, it seems that Alberto’s command was really effective. Ridhe sees that the wireless channel has been switched to the port master of the <<Magallanica>> instructing the ship. Riddhe looks forward, and can’t close his mouth for several seconds.

“Who is that guy…”

He says he’s just a subordinate, but why is it that a guy who only introduces himself as an associate of Anaheim can cause the subordinates of the large shareholder Vist Foundation to collapse just by saying his name? He finds that this is weird. Riddhe stares at the <<Nahel Argama>>, and his heart suddenly jumps by a sudden impact. Squad leader Ian, who unknowingly approached in his <<ReZEL>>, knocked into Riddhe’s machine and taps on the calf of the machine’s left leg.

(The mothership will send out the launch. Ensign Riddhe, go support the mothership.)

Captain Ian’s voice can be heard through the contact loop better than the wireless communicator. “Yes” Riddhe answers, shaking up as he doesn’t realize that Captain Ian was approaching him at all. ''I can’t survive like this. '' He thought. “But we’re in a battle now. Who’s going to take the ride? And we’re sending escorts?”

(It’s the guests. The bigshot from Anaheim wants to enter the colony builder. The enemy doesn’t seem to have snuck in, but don’t let your guard down.)

After saying that, Ian’s machine moves itself away and floats down to the right. He feels that he’s been removed from combat duty, but Riddhe shoulders this unhappy feeling and moves towards the <<Nahel Argama>>. It’s better to move his body than to wait for the enemy that might appear at random moments. Since the guests from Anaheim want to start moving, he wants to see what they’re intending to do.

At the gravity zone right in the center of what looks like a snail’s shell, the spacegate of the <<Magallanica>>, which itself is at least 300m in diameter, opens slowly as it bends down both sides of the solar panel. The large body of the <<Nahel Argama>> moves in. Riddhe slides through the partition from the right side, and activates the brake thrusters to restrict his movements in front of the second gate. The first gate closes, and the area is starting to be filled with oxygen. As the digital indicator of the pressure gauge is rising, the <<Nahel Argama>> opens the back launcher, and a launch appears on the catapult.

The launch is a term borrowed from the navy. It refers to a small space submarine for communication use riding on a ship. The launch on the <<Nahel Argama>> is an old-styled ship used since the One Year War. There are handrails all over the sub, so the people outside can ride on it. In emergency use, this can also be used as an escape boat.

Right now, many people in normal suits are holding onto the handrails. The launch is carrying the people that look like a bouquet of lilies as it floats on the catapult. What’s weird is that these people are all wielding recoilless rifles, and from the looks of things, it’s like they’re land soldiers ready to land. Their expressions are all covered by the helmet visors, which makes it impossible to see them, but from the way they’re holding their weapons, one can assume that they’re trained. This scene doesn’t make them look like they’re investigating a civilian outfit.

“What’s going on…”

“Why is this happening…?”

It’s like he’s leading a private army—he can’t tell if Alberto is inside the sub as he stares at the thruster jet light that flies out from the catapult. Soon after, the second gate is opened, and the <<Nahel Argama>> follows the launch and enters the <<Magallanica>>’s dock.