Chapter 143: Caged Bird
"Gato... can you still fight?"
After carrying his battered old friend back to their quarters, Kelly asked Gato this question.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Gato gritted his teeth, recalling the battle that had nearly cost him his life just moments ago.
That guy was still as strong as ever. If that was the case, then he needed even greater power.
Feeling his left leg—charred and completely numb—Gato clenched his jaw.
"As long as I have the Regeneration P-System, I can keep fighting!"
"Hey... you don't mean—"
Kelly stared in disbelief at his friend, whose face twisted with determination and madness, trying to dissuade him.
[On the television screen, a news broadcast played.]
"Just now, war criminal Dozle Zabi has been executed by firing squad. Under the protection of the Federation's special forces, the Titans, remnants of Zeon who attempted a rescue were neutralized..."
The footage showed a large figure clad in a Zeon uniform, heavily censored by mosaic blurring. Though his face was obscured, anyone could recognize him as Dozle.
Next, the screen switched to the execution site's perimeter—several fallen Zeon Mobile Suits, with Titan-painted GMs standing guard.
"Hand me the knife."
Gato's voice had calmed, though it still carried the edge of gritted teeth.
If Kelly could see past the mask, he would have noticed the sheer madness and stubborn resolve burning in Gato's eyes.
---
"There's no control stick—how was the pilot operating this Mobile Suit?"
Inside the hangar of the White Chaser, Istha reported her findings with a puzzled expression.
With the help of MS teams aboard, Eli had managed to recover the wreckage of the Psycommu Zaku and haul it back onto the White Chaser.
Anaheim Electronics had attempted to intercept them, but when a Strike GM and a Sniper GM II suddenly blocked their path, they abandoned the idea.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of the pilot inside the cockpit—only traces of flesh and fragments of a pilot suit remained.
"Let the Yashima team handle this. I still have Gundam matters to deal with."
Currently, the White Chaser was following the White Base group, heading back toward Luna II.
"The Gundam Unit 7... what an impressive development concept."
Though both were Federation engineering teams, the philosophies of Luna-based developers and Jaburo-based developers were fundamentally different.
Taking this opportunity, Istha was gathering data—because ultimately, the Gundam Unit 7 was borrowed wings. No matter how high Eli soared with it, he would eventually have to return it to Luna II.
This brought up another issue—remember how, after the One Year War, the Federation recalled most Gundam-type MS? That was because the Federation Council had passed a resolution elevating the Gundam's image to an official symbol of the Federation, restricting its use outside of special circumstances.
Experimental units, however, were exempt from this rule.
So, after finally seeing action, Unit 7 was once again stored away in its hangar—waiting for the next mission, if there ever was one.
Eli couldn't help but sigh at the sight.
That feeling lingered as he returned to the White Chaser and checked on his Strike GM. It was still operational.
"Think we could give this guy something similar?"
Eli turned to Istha and asked.
"The reactor output isn't high enough," Istha replied, rubbing her temples.
Engineers often had to deal with the front line's ever-demanding "I want it all" mindset.
"GMs just won't cut it, huh..."
Eli muttered to himself.
---
"Stay put!"
"Why?! This is the future of humanity! As long as we research Newtypes, mankind can expand into the far reaches of space!"
Before Eli stood an Augusta research scientist, his hands bound by military police from Luna II—soldiers directly under Revil's command. They were rounding up personnel outside the Augusta Research Institute.
Nearby, Eli spotted the sentry who had asked for his autograph days ago—now crouched on the ground, hands over his head.
"Keep an eye on them. I'm heading inside."
Eli called up to Io, who was on overwatch from a Sniper GM II.
At first, they hadn't expected to deploy Mobile Suits. However, when the White Chaser suddenly appeared above the Augusta Research Institute, the facility attempted to launch their own experimental MS to stop Undertaker.
But how could mere test pilots compete with seasoned Undertaker battlefield veterans? Even at a technical disadvantage, they swiftly secured the facility.
With that thought, Eli stepped inside.
Inside, personnel were already sorting documents and preparing for the handling of the research staff.
Of course, thanks to Eli's intervention, Christina had not been sent out to the holding area. However, to avoid suspicions that she had exposed Augusta's activities, Eli had the military police put on a show of escorting her to a separate room.
Unexpectedly, she was not alone.
In her arms was a young blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl.
The child was wearing a pilot suit—tailored precisely to her small frame.
"This is another one of Augusta's creations?"
"Yes. They collected war orphans from all over the world, using them to gather data on cyber-Newtypes and conduct all kinds of Newtype experiments."
As Christina spoke, Eli crouched down to examine the girl.
She looked no older than ten.
"...I heard your call. That's why I was able to help everyone."
During his battle against the now-executed Eric, Eli had sensed a voice calling out to him—someone desperately seeking salvation.
Although investigating Augusta had been part of his plan from the start, it was best to tell a small, harmless lie at a time like this.
"Thank you."
The little girl, still nestled in Christina's arms, lifted her gaze and locked eyes with Eli.
She had seen through his lie.
"She really is a Newtype, isn't she?"
Christina remarked, observing their interaction.
"Even Augusta itself confirmed very few true Newtypes. She was one of them—which is why, despite being so young, they forced her into a pilot suit and threw her into an MS cockpit."
Eli understood now.
She must have been the test pilot for the NT-1.
That was why Christina, unable to bear it any longer, had sought his help.
Eli reached out, gently ruffling the girl's hair.
"What's your name?"
"Rita. Rita Bernal."
As her name echoed in Eli's ears, the sound of wings flapping filled the room.
[Note: Assume the protagonist has never watched NT before transmigrating. Their knowledge of Gundam is based on the main TV series. Also, out of the three NT children, only Rita appears—because I'm too lazy to write more characters.]
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