Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 202: Politics?

After bidding farewell to Christina and Rita—who would remain at the Augusta Institute—White Chaser returned to space once more.

It wasn't that Eli didn't want to bring Lalah along, but rather that the Side 1 base lacked any Newtype research facilities, so there was no way to bring her into space at the moment.

However, Eli had already used Undertaker's authority to instruct the Augusta Institute to begin setting up a branch facility at the base.

After all, how could a Newtype research institute not be located in space?

"Message from the General Staff!"

Eli, currently sitting in the captain's chair to let Captain Paolo rest, raised an eyebrow slightly.

Taking the telegram from his adjutant—sent from Jaburo Headquarters—Eli noted that it contained just a single sentence:

"Regarding Side's proactive request for joint defense, after discussion, the decision is that Undertaker will carry it out at its own discretion."

Here we go again—this kind of deliberately vague phrasing.

I like it.

Gazing at General Revil's signature on the document, Eli pondered silently for a moment before carefully putting the paper away.

Unless follow-up instructions came through, this document alone gave Eli considerable room to maneuver.

For instance, in terms of defining Undertaker's role.

When Undertaker was first formed, being attached to General Revil's command had allowed it to grow quickly.

The downside, however, was that it couldn't expand its scale or authority as shamelessly as the Titans.

As a result, although both Titans and Undertaker were officially recognized as independent combat units, Titans had already become a full-fledged fleet—and was still expanding—whereas Undertaker remained a small fleet.

This was because Undertaker had always been developed within the "anti-insurgency unit" framework prescribed by General Revil.

And it had now reached the maximum size such a unit could be.

So the new director Jamitov and newly appointed commander Eli had reached a consensus: Undertaker needed to transform.

Even after stepping away from the front lines, General Revil still had a keen grasp of the overall situation.

"You know what you need to do, right?"

When Eli returned to the base and entered Jamitov's tastefully minimalist office, Jamitov—who had been waiting—didn't even lift his eyes as he spoke.

"Yes, I understand."

Eli also didn't look at Jamitov. Instead, he gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him.

Through the glass, he could see a gathering crowd below.

Apparently, having seen the military jeep Eli arrived in drive into the office building, they had quickly organized another protest.

One of the signs they were holding up even boldly read: Make Zeon Great Again.

The corner of Eli's eye twitched when he saw it—only for the sign to be snatched away by another protester and stomped underfoot.

"At this rate, the internal contradictions the Federation has been suppressing with sheer scale are going to explode. That would be a crisis capable of toppling the entire Federation."

Eli watched as his troops began engaging with the protesters, raising riot shields to keep them back from the building.

"So, Eli, whether or not you agree with my perspective, our top priority now is to face this contradiction head-on."

Bang!

Almost as soon as Jamitov finished speaking, a gunshot rang out from outside.

Warning shots—fired into the air by the soldiers.

The protestors were stunned. This was the first time Undertaker had shown such a stance.

In the past, both sides had kept the peace: protesters staying behind the barricades, Undertaker soldiers stationed on the other side, simply maintaining a standoff.

Barricades?

It was only now that the frontmost protestors realized—they had somehow, without noticing, been pushed past the line by the crowd behind them.

Those at the front, seeing the crowd freeze in fear at the gunshots, tried to push back and retreat.

"Undertaker is killing us! Everyone, charge! Let them see the price of bullying us space-dwellers!"

Suddenly, several people at the back began shouting loudly, sparking chaos in the crowd and driving everyone forward in a surge.

Immediately, several armored vehicles rolled out from within the base, dispersing the mob with high-pressure water cannons mounted on their roofs.

Moments later, squads of elite soldiers stormed in from the flanks, breaking into the crowd and apprehending the ringleaders.

"If we only suppress them, this kind of thing will keep happening again and again. If possible, I want to resolve this contradiction once and for all."

His troops, following his orders, had captured the main instigators. Next came helping them "recall" why Undertaker had earned the name "Pallbearers."

Of course, the real goal was to uncover who these people were.

With such a well-organized and disciplined protest, there had to be powerful forces supporting it from behind the scenes.

As the chaos gradually died down, Eli turned to Jamitov.

If possible, Eli hoped to reach a point where these incited civilians wouldn't even consider taking to the streets.

Of course, they would still face punishment in the aftermath.

"You keep referring to 'this contradiction,' but I've never actually heard you define it. What do you mean by it, Eli?"

Jamitov finally set down the document he had been reviewing, now genuinely curious as he looked up at the young man before him.

"Well, I think…"

Eli drew upon knowledge from another world that still lingered in his memory.

"I think it's the contradiction between the space-dwellers' growing demand for basic living resources and an unequal system of social distribution."

Drawing from the familiar phrasing in his mind and the things he had seen in the Universal Century, Eli articulated his own perspective for the first time.

To his surprise, Jamitov simply shook his head.

"Eli, you're an exceptional soldier—but it seems you lack political talent."

Jamitov wasn't belittling him, nor did he offer his own definition.

"Go ahead and act on your understanding. Try to resolve the contradiction as you see it. You still have time to gain experience. For now, I'll support you fully."

Silently, Eli saluted, accepting Jamitov's goodwill.

He didn't ask how long that support would last.

There had never been any formal agreement between them—just a shared interest that aligned for now between superior and subordinate.

But how long that shared interest would hold was anyone's guess.

The difference lay in their ideologies.

Even now, Jamitov still believed in his vision of Earth as a sacred homeland and a nation led by elites.

Whereas what Eli longed for was a much broader, more inclusive social system.

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