Kapitel 206: Chapter 206: Reinforcements from the Sky
"Careful, they're closing in!"
In the fast-moving mothership, He Kui's radio crackled to life with a clear warning signal.
"We need to deploy," Andrew said, his voice tense. "That red unit alone won't be able to hold them off."
"He Kui, stay at the rear to defend and provide support."
He Kui nodded. Offense was indeed the best defense in their current situation. Staying put would make them sitting ducks, risking a catastrophic explosion if the enemy targeted their mothership.
"Understood."
Moments later, He Kui and the others launched from the mothership.
In the dim moonlight, the desert sands shimmered with a silver glow, and the tranquil night was soon shattered. Over the horizon, He Kui spotted jet-black Daggers and Sky Graspers. Six elite, black-colored, airborne Daggers carved trails of dust across the desert as they approached with thunderous force, reminiscent of a vast cavalry charge. Meanwhile, twelve black Sky Graspers formed an arrowhead formation, tightly pursuing them from above.
Blending into the night, their matte black coating reflected no light, and were only visible by the faint glow of their boosters, making it hard for He Kui to track them.
"They must be an elite special operations unit. It seems they've left part of their force back at the auction to engage the guards," Andrew noted grimly, observing the formidable force facing them.
With six modified Daggers and twelve Sky Graspers, their chances of survival seemed slim. If not for the guards holding off some attackers, their numbers might have been doubled.
"This is a warning to the vessel ahead: surrender unconditionally, or we cannot guarantee the lives of your crew."
"We're a Junk Guild vessel on a legal trade and transport mission. We're not involved in any military actions and have no interest in this conflict," Rau announced over the radio.
"Surrender immediately."
"The Atlantic Federation has truly abandoned all pretense," Andrew muttered, exasperated.
This was technically a neutral zone, largely under ZAFT's control. Yet the Federation had blatantly intercepted a Junk Guild vessel, which held a supposedly neutral status.
But with Blue Cosmos's influence, the Federation clearly felt confident they wouldn't face repercussions.
"They're elite troops. This won't be as simple as last time," Andrew cautioned.
"I understand," He Kui replied, steeling himself.
Even with Rau's Red Astray supporting them, they were up against superior numbers.
This would be a grueling battle, and unlike in Gibraltar, there were no reinforcements coming to their aid. They were truly isolated this time.
As the enemy approached, He Kui raised his beam rifle, keeping his other hand poised to activate the shield if necessary.
"I'm the luckiest guy alive!" Rau's voice suddenly boomed over the comms.
"Lucky? What do you mean?" He Kui asked, momentarily glancing at the Red Astray positioned nearby, also aiming its beam rifle.
"You haven't heard?"
"No…"
Before Rau could explain further, the enemy opened fire.
The airborne Daggers closed in quickly, flanked by twelve Sky Graspers, unleashing a barrage of beam fire. Whether by overconfidence or a desire to capture them alive, none of the beams seemed to target He Kui's cockpit directly.
The radar alarms blared as He Kui deftly boosted off the mothership, returning fire and managing to down one of the Sky Graspers in the process. The mothership, armored with layered plating, withstood several hits with minimal damage.
Meanwhile, Andrew was fully engaged, battling three Daggers and two Sky Graspers, unable to provide backup. Rau, too, was under heavy fire, barely evading the shots with the assistance of his AI, Hachi.
"If only Freedom were here," He Kui muttered as he blocked another shot with his beam shield, while Shi He used the waist-mounted beam claw to fend off one of the Daggers. They were under intense pressure, even after downing one Dagger, with two more Daggers and three Sky Graspers circling above, ready to swoop down at any moment.
"Behind you!" Shi He called out.
He Kui instantly dropped down to the mothership, narrowly dodging a beam aimed at his arm.
"We can't keep this up," he muttered.
While the enemy numbers weren't overwhelming, they were all elite pilots, making each engagement a challenge. He could probably handle two on his own, but the constant aerial harassment kept him on the defensive.
As he evaded another blast, he noticed something streaking across the sky—a set of four descending pods.
"Is that… our drop pods?" Shi He asked, her surprise evident as the pods split into four distinct shapes.
"Yes," He Kui replied, his gaze fixated on the pods. "And the signal shows it's a GAT-X experimental model equipped with the new wing system."
As they spoke, one of the units engaged the enemy mid-air, darting around the Sky Graspers with remarkable agility, thanks to its elastic wings. Within moments, it had taken down several of the Sky Graspers.
The other three units, also high-performance GAT-X models, continued to press the assault from above. The tide of the battle shifted instantly.
"I told you my luck's unbeatable!" Rau shouted, elated.
"Looks like it." He Kui smiled, marveling at Rau's apparent "main character luck"—finding Hachi, meeting Kira, and now miraculously escaping danger time after time.
"He Kui?"
A familiar voice came through the comms, confirming what he had already guessed.
"Courtney, what are you doing here?"
He Kui was surprised but pleased. According to the original plan, Courtney was supposed to return shortly after they left for Tassieu, yet here she was, dropping in to save the day.
"I received an urgent mission after I returned, stating that a Baku head needed retrieval. Our intel indicated it was at the desert auction, and then we spotted signs of your battle."
"Guess my plane got shot down," He Kui said dryly, relieved.
The conversation was short, but within minutes, the enemy was in full retreat. The six Daggers, despite t
heir modifications, were no match, and soon the remaining units descended back to the mothership.
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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