Asuka's peeling away also marked her as a target for the ZAFT machines, and even as the deadly red light shot through vacuum, her target was already launching a volley of missiles from ports on its legs - naturally, that didn't stop it from getting hit square in the "chest" and exploding. Of course, its two nearest comrades opened fire as well, adding their own totals to a deadly swarm that was homing in on the girl's X-Wing.

"Watch out!" Kira spun around, drawing the suit's beam rifle and snapping off a quick quartet of shots that intercepted some of the projectiles mid-flight, detonating them prematurely and giving Asuka a bit more breathing room.

In the same breath, he squeezed another trigger, and the cannons over his shoulders erupted red-white fire that took the heads clean off the GINNs that had fired their missiles at his wingman, leaving them drifting but otherwise intact.