m a r s o p e r a t i o n

 

Confused by his failures to capture the SDF-1, Breetai devises a plan to lure the battlefortress to the abandoned Mars Sara base by faking a transmission, and therehold it via deployed gravity mines. He is not sure whether his own forces will be ableto complete the complex operation, and doesn't want to be responsible in case of anotherfailure, so he calls up "reinforcements" - Khyron's division, despite Exedore's disapproval.
It is obvious Breetai has no need for reinforcements with his Imperial Fleet of one million battleships and countless mecha; what he needs is a commander proved to be successful, and a possible scapegoat.

Upon arrival Khyron's ships ram into 4 Breetai cruisers, including the flagship; Exedore is stunned when he discovers Khyron and Grel were betting on how many ships they'll crash into when defolding. Breetai settles the matter by threatening Khyron to take
his command, and orders him to perform the operation.

Khyron positions his troops in a creek near Base Sara, while executive officer Gerao buries his scout pod close to the SDF-1 landing site to monitor micronians and gravity mines. Soldiers grow very nervous because of long waiting, but the mines haven't accumulated full power yet. One trooper breaks up and launches his pod to intercept the enemy; Khyron is nfuriated by disobedience and personally shoots him down to prevent detection. The explosion is detected nevertheless; soon a micronian recon plane flies over the creek and reports hundreds of battlepods ready to attack. SDF-1 tries to take off, but the gravity mines are now at full power; without the main engines the fortress is helpless and Khyron gives permission to attack.

Weak destroid opposition is quickly exterminated by highly maneuverable Regults; Khyron attacks the Veritech squadrons, success within his reach. Unfortunately, one micronian was able to explode the Base's core reactor; gravity mines and many battlepods are destroyed by the blast, and SDF-1 escapes. Khyron is enraged by the defeat and swears vengeance.