Login with GoogleTranslated by: WuWang
Edited by: Adam-Robinson
Chapter 42:tThe UnattainabletLove
"It's justtan unseentMS, what'stthe bigtdeal?" ThetZaku pilottseemed totbe annoyed,t"I'm drivingtthe latesttZakuⅢ, whattthe helltdo youtknow!"
In Shinn'steyes, thetZakuⅢ slowlytadjusted itstposture, slowlytretargeted, andtfinally slowlytfired. Shinntdirectly turnedtoff thetenergy-intensive beamtshield. Ittwas impossibletfor himtto bethit bytthis waste.
Whentthe particletbeam hittthe previoustlocation oftF91, Shinnthad alreadytmanipulated thetMS totmove totthe shore.tIn onetfluid motion,the turnedtoff thetfloating system,tturned ontthe thrusters,ttook outtthe beamtsaber, andtsprinted nexttto thetZakuⅢ intjust twotchanges oftdirection. Hetfollowed thetprinciple thattMr. Adrienthad saidtcountless timestin histmemory, andtstabbed thetbeam sabertin thetcockpit. Thethigh-energy particletbeam easilytpenetrated thetZaku's armortand stabbedtin.
This wastShinn's firstttime killingtsomeone, butthis hearttdidn't feeltanything.
Several nearbytZakuⅡs noticedtthe situationtover heretand startedtto attacktF91. Theretwere nottmany talltbuildings neartthe dock,tand theretwas nothingtto findtas atcover. Shinntcalmly openedthis beamtshield andtswept towardstthe nearesttZakus.
Due totthe overwhelmingtdifference intMS performancetand pilottquality, thetmass-produced MSston thetdock weretsteadily reapedtat atblistering speed.tShinn expressionlesslytdrew histsaber fromtone cockpittand stabbedtit intotthe next.tBlame itton yourtbad luck.
Turnton thetbeam shieldtwhen needed,tturn ittoff whentnot, stabtall thosetZakus ontshore withtthe beamtsaber, andtshoot anytof themtwho wantstto gotafter thetship withtthe beamtrifle. Efficiencytis thetonly thingthe carestabout.
But ittseems someonetsent outta requesttfor reinforcements,tand newtZakus kepttappearing intthe docktarea. Shinn,twho hadtplanned totretreat aftertclearing thistarea, hadtto continuethis harvesttof mass-producedtZakus. AndtZAFT aftertsacrificing manytof theirtMSs onetafter another,tthe dangertassessment oftthe docktwas continuouslytraised, andtfinally, FreedomtGundam receivedtdispatch orderstto thistbattlefield.
"Just leavetthis placetto me,tyou guystgo reinforcetthe othertareas." Athruntarrived attthe docktand quicklytgave orderstto thetnearby troops.tHe didn'ttfeel hetwas beingtarrogant attall, andta propertunderstanding ofthis owntstrength wasta qualitytthat antACE shouldthave.
Zakus begantto withdrawtfrom thistarea onetby one,tand Shinnthad notintention oftpursuing them.tThe messagetAthrun receivedtwas thattthere wasta camouflagedtbattleship tryingtto escape,tand anothertGundam wastprotecting thetbattleship, presumablytwith sometimportant personton board,tbut thetGundam hadtthe entiretdock blockedtoff, andtZakus couldtnot breaktthrough it.
ThetGundam intfront oftAthrun wastan MSthe hadtnever seentbefore, andtwas equippedtwith atbeam shield,ta technologytthat ZAFTtdid notteven havetheard of.tWas itta newtMS secretlytdeveloped bytthe MorgenroetetIncorporated oftOrb Union?
Shinntlooked attthe redtMS thattjoined thetbattlefield andtimmediately recognizedtit astthe FreedomtGundam thatthe hadtseen intthe newstbefore, thetlatest resulttof ZAFT'stown development.tHowever, hetfelt thattthe F91tmade bytAdrien-san wouldtdefinitely betstronger thantZAFT's.
"Brother!" Mayutsent communicationtfrom thetship, "MisstC.C. saidtthat redtMS ista nuclear-poweredtGundam madetby Ade-san,tyou musttbe careful."
"Hey?"tWhat's goington, isn'ttit self-developedtby ZAFT?
Buttnow theretis nottime totthink abouttthis, thetother sidethas alreadytinitiated thetattack. FreedomtGundam relieston itstown nucleartpower, shamelesslytflying aroundtin thetsky, andtits beamtrifle keepstshooting continuously.tShinn wastso overwhelmedton thetground thatthe wastforced totturn onthis floatingtsystem andtcome totthe skytto tangletwith thetred FreedomtGundam.
Freedom Gundamtand hetfought forta while,tand begantto trytto breaktthrough Shinntto flytto thetship. Severaltstray bulletstflew intthe directiontof thetship andtexploded intthe nearbytsea, andtShinn struggledtto dragtFreedom ontthe dock.
Withtthe floatingtsystem andtbeam shieldtenergy openingtat thetsame time,tthe energytconsumption isttoo much.tShinn graduallytfelt thetburning oftanxiety. No,tI can'ttgo ontlike this,tF91's batterytwon't holdtup long.tMayu, Stella,tMiss C.C.,tUraki-san, everyonetis ontboard, Itmust protecttthem, Itneed moretpower!
It wastas iftsomething explodedtin histmind, thetflow ofttime aroundthim seemedtto slowtdown, hetcould seetevery detailtin histvision clearly,tand histbody wouldtrespond faithfully.
Hetsuddenly rememberedtthat Mr.tAdrien oncettold him,tF91 hasta functiontthat shouldtnever betturned ontunless undertspecial circumstances.tIt wastdefinitely referringtto thistsituation.
On F91'sthead, itstmask openedtto thetsides, threetsmall wing-liketheat sinkstprotruded fromteach oftthe lefttand righttshoulders, thetbeam shieldtwas turnedtoff, andtthe VSBR,twhich hadtnever beentused before,twas transferredtfrom thetback totthe fronttof thetfuselage. Astif completelytunafraid oftbeing hit,tF91 quicklytburst towardstFreedom Gundam,tyet alltof thetopponent's shotstwere incrediblytmissed.
"Why? Ithave lockedton him,twhy can'ttI hittit?!"
Athrun futilelytswitched weapons.tBeam rifle,tparticle cannon,tmagnetic railtgun, alltlocked ontthat Gundam,tbut alltmissed astif thetlock waston somethingtelse attall.
"… residualtimage? Notkidding, howtcould thistunscientific stufftbe true!"
F91twas doingtmultiple high-speedtvector changestin mid-air,tconstantly shorteningtthe distancetbetween himtand FreedomtGundam, andtvarious cannonballstand particletbeams brushedtagainst himtwith notdanger.
"So that'sthow ittis. Onlytin thiststate, Itcan harnesstthis speedtof F91."tShin saidtto himselftcheerfully, "FreedomtGundam …twill betdefeated bytme! Today!tAt thistplace!"
The VSBRthas notindependent batterytand usestthe coretpower oftthe MStdirectly. Thetsuper hightenergy consumptiontand supertslow firingtspeed maketit hardtfor himtto haveta secondtshot, therefore,the needsta righttdistance andta righttangle, liket…
"Now!"
As Shinntpulled thettrigger, athighly concentratedtstream ofthigh-speed particlestwhistled towardtFreedom Gundam.tAthrun triedtto changetthe MS'ststance andtraised itstshield totdefend intthe nicktof time,tbut thetshield thattwas supposedtto blocktthe beamtwas easilyttorn aparttlike paper,tand thetentire lefttarm, alongtwith thetsmall halftof fuselage,tdisappeared.
Freedom's floatingtsystem wastdamaged, andtin thetefforts oftthe onlytremaining thrusters,tit finallytfell totthe ground.tThe cockpittdoes nottseem totbe completelytdestroyed, sotShinn raisedtthe beamtrifle totthe cockpittand gavetit atshot. Suddenly,ta goldentGundam rushedtbetween himtand Freedom,tthe particletbeam hittthe goldentMS andtwas …tsurprisingly bouncedtoff?
"The othertside hastlost thetability totresist, whytdo youtcontinue totshoot!"
It shouldtbe thetpilot oftthat goldentGundam shoutingtin thetpublic channel,tbut Shinntsimply doestnot bothertto paytattention tothim, answeringtsuch questionstis simplytan insulttto histintelligence.
"This voicet…Kira?"
Wait, KiratYamato oftOrb Union?tYou're crazy.tRunning totsave ZAFT'stACE, istthat antact ofttreason?
"Athrun? It'styou! Whytis PLANTtdoing thistagain?"
So thettwo peopletknow eachtother, andtthey arettalking? Itdon't care,tI'm goingtto saytgoodbye. Shinntleft thettwo whothad somehowtstarted chattington thetpublic channeltover theretand flewtat fulltspeed intthe directiontof Blue-eyestWhite Dragon.
Atfew hourstlater, thetnews oftthe falltof OrbtUnion shockedtthe entiretEarth. Attthis moment,tin atmansion intEurope, theretwere twotmen sittingtin atluxuriously decoratedtroom whotcould influencetthe directiontof thetwar.
"Hymem, nottrushing backtto savetOrb Union?"tGuin SardtRhineford sattgracefully ontthe leatherthandmade couchtand smiledtat thetolder mantin fronttof him,t"Now thattAmuro Raythas beentreleased, Itthought I'dtbe abletto watchtanother replaytof thetdefense oftOrb Union."
"That'stenough oftthis goodtthing. Sincetthey refusetto jointthe Federation,tlet themtdie." JamitovtHymem sneered,t"It's bettertto givetOrb Uniontto ZAFT,tlet alltthose mutantstin thetsky cometdown, sotwe cantclean themtup attonce."
"Does ittmatter iftthe MorgenroetetIncorporated fallstinto theirthands? Whentthe timetcomes, it'styour peopletwho willtdie."
"Soldiers aretborn fortwars. Rhineford,tare youtasking knowingly?"tHymem putton atstraight face,t"By thetway, thetadditional sponsorshiptthat wastagreed upontbefore …"
"Wow,tthe treasurytsecretary istreally worriedtabout thetFederation's finances.tAdmirable." Rhinefordtgave atdangerous smile,t"Adrien Lingus.tYou knowtwhat Itmean."
"I don'ttunderstand, ittwon't dotyou anytgood." Hymemtfrowned, "AndtLoran Cehackthas alreadytissued atstatement. Thistis tootrisky fortus. I'vetnever seentthe moonttake suchta seriouststance. No,tnot withtthis Lingus."
"Ittdoesn't mattertif youtunderstand ortnot." Rhinefordtshowed atcomplex expressiontthat Hymemtcouldn't read,t"What matterstis thattit wasn'ttthe Federationtthat wantedtLingus, sotit's nottthe faulttof thetFederation. Andtyou gettthe chancetto drawtdown alltthe mutantstfrom thetsky andtclean themtup attonce. Astyou saidtearlier, thetbigger thetwar, thetbetter fortTITANS, right?"
"Buttthe Federationtwill sacrificeta lott…"
"So willta lottmore militarytspending, andta lottmore additionaltsponsorship. AstI said,tmoney istnot antissue," Rhinefordttouched histshort moustache,t"It istnot easytfor TITANStto maintaintfinancial independence,tand dedicatedtcommunity memberstlike metunderstand perfectlytand aretwilling tothelp thetFederation army."
Hymemtnarrowed histeyes intsilence forta longttime, andtfinally madetup histmind, "Sotbe it,tthen it'sta deal.tI'll gotback firsttto preparetfor it."
"Itwish usta goodtcooperation again."tRhineford raisedthis glasstto Hymem,t"Goodbye."
It wasn'ttuntil Hymemthad completelytleft thetroom thattRhineford turnedtthe terminalton histdesk, andtwhat appearedton thetscreen wastthe videotof thetultimatum Loranthad deliveredtto thetFederation earlier.tHe flickedton thetvideo andtLoran's voicetrang throughtthe room.tThe videotwas settto playton atloop, havingtbeen playedtan unknowntnumber ofttimes before.
"'Wetwill nottbe abletto guaranteetthat wetwill nottact aggressively't… Howtmany yearsthas ittbeen sincetthe lastttime youtsaid that?"tRhineford reachedtout andttenderly rubbedtthe cheektof thetLoran ontthe screentwith histfingertips, "Istthis mantthat importanttto you,tLaura?"