第七章「クレヴェナールの影」2
CHAPTER.07 – SHADOW OF KURWENAL (2)

Mehmet and the others in the lab noticed Arlette’s absence only a few minutes after her departure.

“Arlette… What are you up to…”

Looking more troubled than surprised, Mehmet was at his wit’s end. Given the circumstances, it was likely that Arlette had sneaked off to Axis’ surface. If she had headed for the passage leading inwards, there was no way that she could have evaded the Mastema’s eyes.

“Arlette! Arlette!”

He tried calling many times over the comms, but there was no response from Arlette. Wherever she was, she had probably turned off her comms. Being placed in charge of the safety of a civilian, he intended to keep her movements in sight at all times.

However, up until this point, Arlette had been truly cooperative.

Who would have thought that she would have made a move by herself without permission at this time? Even if it was just for a few minutes, Mehmet deeply regretted his mistake of not keeping Arlette within sight.

Or, was she perhaps simply pretending to be an obedient civilian this entire time…?

Recalling how he’d seen Arlette looking down longingly on Axis a few hours ago, Mehmet began to panic.

There was no way that he could leisurely wait for her return.

They couldn’t stay in Axis for much longer.

There was also no way to guarantee that there were no other enemies besides the ones who’d showed up earlier.

Other than the Byarlant that Danton had chased after, the Gundam type that they’d fought against initially should still be lurking somewhere.

They should return to the landing ship as soon as possible.

In the worst-case scenario, he should also consider the option of leaving her behind…

Just as that thought formed in his mind, from the communication device on his normal suit, Mehmet heard a voice calling, heavily distorted by noise.

“…Meh…met…”

“!!”

The Minovsky density around the lab was not that high, and the communication device’s correction functions quickly canceled out the noise.

“…Mehmet, do you read me?”

“Arlette! Where are you!?”

“I’m sorry. I went outside. There was something that I just had to make sure of…”

“Make sure of..?”

“We can leave that for later. More importantly, I have bad news. An enemy mobile armor is heading for the port.”

“Did you say… a mobile armor?!”

Unable to catch up with the bewildering developments, Mehmet could only parrot Arlette’s words.

“It’s probably the Gundam type that we encountered in the very beginning, that has connected with an Armed Base.”

“And you say that it’s heading towards the port?”

“Yes. Danton and the landing ship will be in danger.”

“Gah…”

Inside his normal suit, Mehmet ground his teeth.

He was still concerned about the reason for Arlette’s actions, but if what she said was true, they were in a desperate situation.

Danton’s R-Jarja should still be in combat with the Byarlant.

And now, the sudden appearance of this unknown mobile armor.

If Danton were to lose, and the landing ship be destroyed, they would have no way to return to the Earth Sphere.

“There’s nothing more we can do, can we…”

“No… We still have a chance.”

A strong determination could be heard in Arlette’s words, reverberating from the communication device.

“Huh?! Arlette?”

“Everyone in Mastema, should take the collected data and head to the port immediately.”

“You just said that the enemy mobile armor is headed to the port…”

“I, I will do something about that.”

“What?!”

“Please trust me. Hurry!”

“Hold on…”

Saying no more, Arlette cut off the communications.

Mehmet, still flustered, stared helplessly at the “transmission lost” message displayed on his visor.

“Captain…”

Mehmet shook his head resignedly in response to the nervous inquiry from his subordinate.

“Signal a retreat. We’re returning to port.”

“But, what about her…”

“She said to leave it to her. She has some sort of plan, I’m sure. I’ll take responsibility for it.”

“…Understood.”

Oh boy… Putting on an obedient face, but what a wild horse she turned out to be.

At his wits’ end, Mehmet quickly began to make preparations for a retreat.

He had no choice but to bet on Arlette and the others.

Regardless, they didn’t have much time left.

Wrapping up his preparations, Mehmet looked back at the desolate rocky area outside his window.

“We’re counting on you… Arlette.”

Giving a salute to Arlette, wherever she was, Mehmet and his subordinates made a hasty retreat from the lab.

×　×　×

Sand clouds danced on the surface of Axis.

As if gliding inches off the surface, the Isolde closed in, with its thrusters on at full blast.

Facing it, Danton’s R-Jarja turned over his variable shield, evaded the attack, and while passing the other, pulled out his beam saber. the two sabers met, with sparks flying, lighting up the wasteland of Axis.

“I guess he has the upper hand when it comes to mobility…”

The bulky R-Jarja, designed with hand-to-hand combat in mind, had trouble keeping up with the Byarlant’s overwhelming propulsion.

Danton continued to evade Isolde’s attacks, coming in from all directions, with as little movements as possible.

“Good, good, White one! Entertain me more!”

Walter cheered in delight from Isolde’s cockpit.

Even when in the military, or when Birnam took him in as a mercenary, he had never felt such joy in battle.

To him, enemy Mobile Suits were no more than a target, prey to hunt for profit.

However, this one was different. He’s completely different from the others.

It feels as if he is freely controlling the MS as if it is his own body.

He never had the chance to meet anyone like this on the battlefield up until now, but this must be the “Ace Pilot” that everyone talks about.

Being able to fight someone like this- perhaps being a mercenary isn’t all that bad.

“However…”

While passing each other, the Isolde made a long reach out with its left arm.

“!!”

Sharp talons bit into the R-Jarja’s shoulder armor.

That left arm, was the one that had lost its Mega Particle Gun to a gunshot in the previous close-quarters battle. Ever since then, he had been fighting in close quarters with the right arm’s beam saber. Those attacks were all to lull the other into thinking that the left arm could not be used. However, it could still move. It could at the very least stop his opponent’s movements.

“This is the end…”

The Isolde impaled it’s right arm into the torso of the immobilized R-Jarja.

The mega particle cannon is still fine. If I fire it at close range…

“Arggggggggggh!!”

Danton roared.

The R-Jarja, raised its beam saber up high, and cut off the Isolde’s manipulator that had been grabbing it, along with his own arm, in one fell swoop.

“What!?”

Supporting itself on the off-balance Isolde, the R-Jarja rolled over and went behind it,

“I…”

And, swung down the raised beam saber.

“There’s no way that I’ll die in a place like this!”

“Ugh!”

Together with Danton’s cry, the blade of the beam, cut into the Isolde’s back.

“Guh…”

The light in the Isolde’s mono-eye flickered for a while, before finally fading away.

The R-Jarja stood still, looking down on the disabled Isolde.

Inside the cockpit, Danton breathed heavily.

“It… It’s finally over…”

Looking back, he saw Mastema’s landing ship, hidden in the port.

Danton let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he managed to protect their means of return.

Zz… ZZzz…

From the comms, a voice could be heard behind the noise.

“…Hah… I lost I lost… You’re… Pretty strong…”

It was probably the pilot of the Byarlant in front of him.

Hearing a younger voice than he had expected, Danton responded tiredly.

“You’re pretty strong yourself.”

“…Can I ask you something…”

“What is it?”

“You’re not in the military, aren’t you? Just what are you?”

“I’m… Just a simple laundry owner.”

“…What?!”

Hearing the young enemy pilot’s bewildered response, Danton unintentionally let out a strained laugh.

“Drop by if you happen to be in Libot. I’ll give you a discount.”

Having said that, Danton sunk into his sheets.

That’s all, then. All that’s left is to wait for Arlette and the people from Mastema to return.

I’ll just rest a while until then…

At that very moment.

A red icon flashed on his monitor, and a warning alarm rang through the cockpit.

“What!?”

He hastily verified his surroundings.

“What… What the heck is that…”

The R-Jarja’s main camera caught in its sights a massive shadow, heading directly for it.

The Byarlant’s pilot noticed it too, and a nervous voice leaked through the comms.

“Big bro…?”

With the darkness of space behind it, the massive mobile armor… Kurwenal, rapidly approached them.

×　×　×

At that time…

Arlett had piloted a Petite MS back to the lab.

There was no sign of Mehmet and the others.

They had probably headed for the port first, as planned.

No time to lose.

Danton should still be fighting with the Byarlant.

If that mobile armor were to intercede, even Danton would not have any chance of winning.

Arlett jumped out of the Petite MS, and ran to the back of the lab.

The docks that spread out beyond the hatch in the back.

There slept a machine that had been abandoned partway through tests.

The only way to save Danton, the landing ship, Mehmet and the others, would be to awaken it.

“Captain… Please…”

While running, Arlette whispered to herself, tightly holding the console on her chest.

“Just this once. Just once… Please give me strength…”