Zechs is lying in a bed in the sickroom of the small airport, which is used as a front base. The sun has already set and it's pitch dark outside the window."His irregular pulse has mostly settled. However, his circulation acts in a quite unusual way."
After taking away the electrodes used for the diagnosis from Zechs' bare upper body, the military doctor says this in a calm voice while he carefully puts away said electrodes.
Zechs is lying in a bed in the sickroom of the small airport, which is used as a front base. The sun has already set and it's pitch dark outside the window.
"Oh yes, and you will have to stay in bed for a while."
At the added words of the military doctor, there's a small sound as if somebody was shocked. Holding the bag full of medical instruments, the doctor salutes slightly and leaves the sickroom.
"I guess it's time to say that I was lucky to get away alive."
After Zechs has said this with the hint of a self-depreciating smile, Noin, standing to the side, bends forward over the edge of the bed.
"Zechs, what did happen?"
Noin's voice when she asks this is more vehement than usual. It's not anything like her voice when she is angry when an order is ignored. It's just that she becomes annoyed at Zechs' action which possibly could have wasted lives. But more than that she worries about Zechs' health.
"I have not taken Tallgeese seriously enough. It completely ignores the pilot. It's an audacious design which makes fun of modern, legitimate weapons."
"It doesn't think of the pilot?"
"Because it is thinking of all the battle patterns, it was given the capability to be completely victorious with just one machine. Or so I am thinking on my side. I have become a coward. The more I wanted to use the abilities of the mobile suit, the more I cornered myself. I was thinking 'Zechs, are you strong enough?'. This is not a mobile suit for battle, but for a duel. A courageous pilot can use its full abilities for the first time."
As if searching for the words expressing what he has felt, Zechs speaks slowly and while thinking.
"A courageous pilot?"
"One who says 'I'll win even if I die'."
Noin catches her breath at Zechs' words, uttered as if it didn't matter.
"I am still very much afraid of destroying my own body."
After showing again his self-depreciating smile, Zechs starts to rise from the bed.
"So, we'll start again for Sanc Kingdom!"
Zechs says this totally with a voice as if he were going for a walk. Noin cries out and holds his shoulders when he wants to rise.
"This is reckless! If you were a normal human being, you would be dead now!! I'll go! You wait here please!!"
"Absolutey not!"
Zechs discards Noin's plea with just two words. With the liberation of his home country before his eyes, he is not allowed to linger in such a place.
"I'll allow it if you don't go in Tallgeese."
At Noin's words, said in an even more vehement voice, Zechs loses his patience and openly sharpens the tone of this voice.
"Noin! Tallgeese is necessary to me, no, to us. The thoughts behind his design should be the same as for the Gundam."
"The Gundams?"
Noin cannot understand how the Gundams relate to this situation in Sanc.
"As I said earlier, the Gundams have inherited the reckless design of Tallgeese, which has become the prototype for all mobile suits. That's why I have to master it. To defeat the Gundams."
Zechs' expression, hidden by his mask, is not visible. But his voice is stiff. He has to defeat the Gundams also because of the five subordinates he lost. That's why Tallgeese is a necessity.
Noin cannot understand why Zechs clings to the Gundam in such way. Wasn't the fact that Zechs sunk one of the Gundam at JAP point a victory? Didn't Zechs avoid a complete defeat this way? Noin understands only one thing. Namely that Zechs will certainly die if he makes a sortie now.
"You might not be able to hold still with Sanc Kingdom before you, but please listen to what I have to say."
Whether Noin intended it or not, with her firm tone and serious expression, Zechs compromises to the best of his abilities.
"So, we make our sortie tomorrow evening."
"Yes, Sir! Understood!"
Noin salutes, feeling relieved on the inside.
**********
At this time, outside the door to the sickroom, there's Lieutenant Otto, equally heavily wounded. Just like Zechs, he comes from Sanc Kingdom. By telling Zechs that he absolutely wanted to accompany him on this operation, he made him agree.
He has come to pay a visit to Zechs, and has finished overhearing the conversation of Noin and Zechs. He nods as if it were hard.
"So this Tallgeese is indeed a machine for special attacks. Then I also understand the Gundams' actions. These guys are looking for a field worthy of their death."
With an expression like he has decided upon something, Otto leaves the sickroom behind him.
"This body anyway will never be completely healthy again. So...."
Having murmured this, Otto heads towards the outside of the buildings of the airport, dragging his wounded body along.
It is somewhat later when the noise of an engine comes thundering into Zechs' sickroom.
"What's going on?"
"Tallgeese has taken off!"
As if answering to Zechs' exclamation, an officer comes running in.
"What!?"
Requesting the officer's help, Zechs heads towards a cargo plane where a communication device is located and where he can contact Tallgeese. The cockpit's picture is immediately displayed. Seeing Otto's face there, Zechs belows "What are you doing! Come back immediately, Otto!"
"If I have this Tallgeese, I can suppress the central institution in Sanc Kingdom. Because I know the power of Tallgeese!"
"Stop! You'll die!"
At Zechs' shouting, Otto shows a seemingly painful smile, then continues talking.
"If it's for Lieutenant Zechs, I don't care about it. Please let me participate in your dream. I don't want to work for OZ, I want to work for Lieutenant Zechs! That's why I followed you here today."
"Otto!"
"In exchange for my life, go and gain a victory!"
Then, communication is cut off.
"Otto! What are you saying!? Come back, Otto!!"
Zechs continues shouting in vain at the now pitch dark screen.
**********
Otto lets Tallgeese fly as if it were winding its way through the evening fjord. It's a dangerous flight - if he makes an error in the eye measurement, he will either crash into the surface of the sea before him or into the mountains approaching the sea from both sides. But it's an effective method to evade the radar of the coast base.
Nevertheless, he is spotted as he approaches the Sanc Kingdom base. The base's weapons fire at him vehemently.
"Don't interfere.... because I don't have that long."
Otto moans this out loud, then pushes the capacity lever for the Vernier engines forward with all his might.
The Gs throw Otto's body into the seat.
Tallgeese descends straight through the middle of the bombardment like a shooting star.
"Long live King Zechs!!"
Lieutenant Otto's exclamation disappears within an instant together with a roaring sound.
The next morning, Zechs arrives with a helicopter at the Sanc Kingdom base. Upon seeing Tallgeese, which rammed into the base in a position as it if were striking something, Zechs deeply bows his head.