Chapter 149: Who Here Isn't Elite?
"At the end of the day, he's just some pampered young master playing soldier. Bet he'd wet his pants before even firing a shot on the battlefield."
Monsha's words had already escalated to outright personal attacks, but with Anaheim and Hachishu's female staff watching, he saw this as the perfect moment to flaunt his masculinity.
"Alright, Monsha, don't say things like that."
Alpha A. Bait, a fellow Titans member who had been teamed up with Monsha since the One Year War, pressed a hand on Monsha's shoulder to keep him from getting physical.
"What if you make the young master cry?"
"Hahaha, fine, I won't say it then!"
Though Bait appeared to be stopping Monsha, his words made his stance clear—he had no objections to Monsha's behavior. He just didn't want things to get out of hand.
"You bastard—!"
"Stand down, Ensign Uraki!"
Just as Kou Uraki was about to lose his temper, a firm female voice stopped him in his tracks.
It was Christina Mackenzie, who had just returned from birdwatching outside the base with Rita.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Christina had now been promoted to Technical Captain. As she was responsible for maintaining the new recruits' mobile suits during testing, the pilots were naturally inclined to listen to her.
Not to mention, as Amuro's military academy friend, Kou would occasionally share Amuro's embarrassing stories and photos with Christina, earning him a bit of her favor.
"Damn, what a beauty."
Monsha, who had been about to leave, immediately perked up and shamelessly strode toward Christina.
"Captain, may I have your name? I'm Lieutenant Bernard Monsha, a member of the Immortal 4th Team—a true elite!"
"Christina Mackenzie. If possible, could you refrain from interfering with our work?"
Christina's response was cold and firm.
Immortal 4th Team? Never heard of it. Did he think that title was more impressive than the achievements of the White Base team?
"That won't do. That kid over there looked like he was about to throw a punch. Shouldn't he be confined for a few days according to military regulations?"
Monsha first cast a smug glance at Kou before turning back to Christina with a bright, insincere grin.
"Of course, if the captain agrees to go on a date with me, I might be willing to let it slide~"
He stroked his chin as he made his sleazy proposition.
"You're annoying."
Just as Monsha was about to get even closer to Christina, a child's voice rang out.
It was Rita, who had been holding Christina's hand the whole time.
"Huh?!"
Monsha turned his sharp gaze on Rita, only to be met with her vacant yet piercing stare. He instantly lost his nerve.
Rita tilted her head and bluntly stated, "At least you're still human. Not bad. You better grit your teeth and endure this."
At that moment, Monsha felt a heavy grip land on his shoulders, bringing with it a painful pressure.
"Who the hell—?"
Whipping his head around, his eyes landed on a strong, muscular arm.
Following it up, he saw the rank insignia of a captain! And there was another one pressing down on his other shoulder.
Arcadia and Io were both smiling at him, but behind them, Monsha's teammates, Bait and Adel, had already been restrained by four lieutenants each.
"Hey, I didn't even do anything!" Adel protested.
Before them stood the elite pilots of the Earth Federation's RGM Special Forces, a unit directly under General Revil.
No matter how arrogant the Titans were, there was no scenario where their ranks could surpass those of the Federation's officers. Against the RGM Special Forces, all they could do was back down.
"Well done, kid."
Io gave Kou a nod before dragging the three Titans away amid the cheers of the surrounding staff.
With that, order was restored to the scene.
"I'll help out too!"
Kou, a mechanical enthusiast who had originally run over just to see the Gundam, immediately volunteered.
"Sorry, but I need to take this child elsewhere."
Christina crouched down and picked Rita up to prevent her from getting lost in the crowd.
The Augusta Base personnel understood the situation and simply nodded.
However, the newcomers to the base were still clueless.
"What's with that child?"
A gentle female voice reached Kou's ears.
Turning his head, he saw a blonde, blue-eyed woman.
It seemed she had taken an interest in Rita due to their similar appearance.
"That's classified. I can't disclose it."
Since it involved Augusta Research Institute's past, it wasn't something he could freely talk about.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't know. My apologies. I'm Nina Purpleton, a technical officer for the Gundam project."
"I'm—"
"Ensign Uraki, right? I heard earlier. Thank you for helping out our staff."
Nina expressed her gratitude in a soft tone, but Kou, instead of feeling flattered, was already scanning his surroundings for any sign of a Gundam.
"Quit looking, kid. The Gundam's already been taken away."
A somewhat rough female voice called out.
It was Mora Boscht, the chief mechanic of the Albion. During Albion's time in space, she had already gotten acquainted with Nina.
"Huh? How do you know—?"
"With guys like you, it's obvious. I could tell just by looking at you."
Mora was a tall woman with a slightly tanned complexion, exuding an air of boldness and confidence.
Having just dealt with Monsha, Mora found Kou refreshingly straightforward. Nina felt the same way.
"Oh, your captain's back, huh?"
Just as Kou was about to ask if he could see the Gundam, Mora cut him off and glanced toward the horizon.
Another Pegasus-class ship was approaching.
"The White Chaser. Yeah."
"Must be nice. With an ace like that, they'll surely make a great Gundam pilot."
Nina gazed at the incoming White Chaser with admiration.
Hearing this, Kou's expression darkened slightly.
It was true—every pilot in the RGM Special Forces was an elite, with outstanding records and good character. No matter how he looked at it, the position of a Gundam pilot would never fall to someone like him.
Beside him, Nina noticed his dejected look.
As the sun set, a new chapter began.
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