"Even you noticed it?" Yang Hui asked seriously. The precarious situation of Orb was evident to high-ranking officials, but that awareness was limited to them. Under deliberate information control, Orb remained a peaceful nation where citizens continued their tranquil lives, unaware of the current circumstances.
Yet Barry Ho had seen through it!
"Actually... many people here have noticed, which is why they persist in training," Barry Ho said to Yang Hui, glancing around at the numerous cockpits behind him.
"..." The four of them fell silent, deeply moved. What more could one ask for when a nation had such citizens and an army had such soldiers?
"You know your strengths and weaknesses, right?" Yang Hui shifted the topic.
"I do. My combat style works for sparring or duels, but it's unsuitable for large-scale battles."
"Right. From now on, Setsuna will train you individually. Your combat styles are similar—he'll teach you how to leverage strengths to compensate for weaknesses."
"Understood."
Yang Hui nodded, instructing Setsuna and Barry Ho to return to their Mobile Suits. This time, Barry Ho wouldn't be using M1 Astray data but instead the Outframe Gundam Green's specs for simulated combat.
"This Mobile Suit is...?"
"MBF-P04, Outframe Green. From now on, it's your personal unit."
"...Understood."
Barry Ho accepted the gift without hesitation. As an MS pilot, no one disliked superior machines, and Barry was no exception. Moreover, he had the confidence to wield a custom unit.
"The Outframe Green outperforms the M1 Astray, but it still can't endure your usual tactics. So, control your force according to its specs, or develop a compatible combat style by blending in your martial arts."
"Understood."
The simulation began. Setsuna didn't go all out but maintained enough pressure to challenge Barry while cooperating with him.
Once, twice... By the fifth round, Tieria and Lyle were astonished.
"So fast!"
Their surprise wasn't about Barry's speed but his adaptability. In just five rounds, he had fully adjusted to the Outframe Green's capabilities while tempering his habits, gradually syncing with the machine to form the foundation of a new combat approach.
By the seventh round, Barry had started incorporating the Beam Rifle and shield into ranged combat. By the tenth, he was already experimenting with creative maneuvers using them.
"Incredible adaptability."
"Another monster? He's switched combat styles at least three times already."
"Barry Ho is a martial arts master. His skills have always been there. Such rapid adaptation and style shifts stem from years of martial training."
"Well? Got a clearer picture now?" Lyle asked Yang Hui.
"Some ideas, but I need more detailed data. His combat style isn't fully defined yet."
"Alright, I'll give it a try later. His way of using the beam rifle is quite interesting," Lyle volunteered.
"Not just you—Tieria will go too. His skills are already beyond student level. You can learn from and discuss with each other. It'll be beneficial for both him and you."
Barry Ho's combat style was unique, requiring a certain level of martial arts proficiency to replicate—though a perfect copy was impossible. Still, there was room for adaptation and reference. For instance, aside from excelling in sniping and mid-range shooting, Lyle was also skilled in close-quarters gunplay. When it came to firearm techniques, aside from his brother Neil, Yang Hui had yet to find anyone as exceptional as Lyle.
"What about Kira?"
"For Kira, you can take turns. But his main task is still refining the simulation programs and OS..."
Beep beep beep... Just then, Yang Hui's PAD rang. He picked it up—it was a call from Director Erica Simmons. He answered immediately.
"Young Master Yang Hui, Lowe is here."
"Oh? Understood. I'll head over right away."
After ending the call, Yang Hui gave Lyle and Tieria a few instructions before returning to Dawn Company's hangar, where he met Lowe and his companions.
"Hey, Yang Hui! Sorry to drop in like this!"
"What brings you here?"
"Ahaha, it's a long story..."
Lowe then explained to Yang Hui why they had come to Orb.
After completing Yang Hui's order, Lowe and his team had continued scavenging across space, occasionally taking on jobs for extra cash. Their sudden appearance on Earth was certainly intriguing.
As it turned out, not long ago, a large piece of debris in the wreckage zone had begun drifting toward Earth due to gravitational pull. Left unchecked, it would eventually crash into the planet, causing a massive disaster. So Lowe's team had been hired to deal with the debris.
Then... trouble came knocking. While handling the debris, they encountered the Gold Frame, missing limbs and barely functional. Gina was a madman—the moment he appeared, he invited Lowe to "dance" with him, reminiscent of a certain Leaf Village dance king.
Lowe wasn't one for fighting, and his energy reserves were nearly depleted from debris disposal, so he kept evading Gina's attacks. This led Gina to believe Lowe and the Red Frame were no match for him, and he became determined to eliminate them. In his eyes, a worthless junk dealer like Lowe had no right to pilot the same Astray Gundam as him.
In the end, Lowe managed to outsmart Gina, sacrificing one of the Red Frame's arms to repel the Gold Frame. But by then, the Red Frame had already been caught in Earth's gravity and began plummeting toward the planet. Fortunately, Professor used the Home as a shield, relying on debris fragments to survive atmospheric re-entry, landing safely—albeit with a few close calls.
However, this left the Home nearly crippled.
Luckily, Lowe encountered Andrew Waltfeld on patrol. Both had heard of each other's reputations, and after his battle with Yang Hui, Andrew had been influenced by him, secretly recruited by a certain faction within PLANT. This had also granted him access to previously unknown intel.
So Andrew Waltfeld didn't give Lowe and his team a hard time, even kindly providing simple repairs and supplies for the Home and Red Frame.
Even so, the Home couldn't return to space with just this minor assistance. To get back to space, they'd need to use a Mass Driver. Currently on Earth, there was the Panama Spaceport under the Atlantic Federation's control, plus two more at ZAFT-occupied Victoria and Kaohsiung ports. None of these spaceports would lend them facilities, leaving only Orb as their final destination. After all, the professor was old acquaintances with Director Erica Simmons, and Lowe's team had always maintained good cooperative relations with Orb.
"Haha, seems your shitty luck balances out your misfortune equally," Yang Hui mocked.
Regular debris zone cleanup was a commission jointly entrusted to the Junk Guild by several major powers. Previous cleanups had gone smoothly, yet Lowe happened to encounter that madman Gina—a coincidence Yang Hui found amusing.
"Ahaha, who knew? But surviving reentry in this state proves my ultimate shitty luck, right?"
"Fair point."
"Though the Home's done for. Need to get a new ship."
"Orb doesn't have spare spaceships lying around for you."
"I know, wasn't planning to buy from you anyway. But there is something I'd like your help with."
"What is it?"
"Come with me."
Yang Hui followed Lowe to a small warehouse, immediately understanding his intention upon seeing the massive metal object inside.
"Can you help process this rare metal? I tested its composition en route—it's definitely a new type of rare metal. I can't figure out how to work with it."
"Sure. Give me half."
"Deal!"
Lowe wasn't angry at Yang Hui's opportunistic demand. First, he couldn't shamelessly ask for free labor; second, their team's funds were nearly depleted after purchasing a new ship; third, this rare metal chunk was too large—the Red Frame couldn't use it all anyway, so it might as well cover processing costs; finally, Lowe and Yang Hui were close—if Yang Hui genuinely needed it, Lowe wouldn't begrudge him.
"Another thing—I need your help too."
"What is it?"
"The Green Frame's assembly is complete. I found a suitable pilot, but his combat style is... unusual. I want your help modifying the Green Frame together."
"Oh? A pilot that gives you headaches?" Lowe exclaimed in surprise. He knew full well how exceptional Yang Hui was at MS design—on par with himself, to be narcissistic.
"It's different. My designs mostly follow conventions—a drawback of formal training. Not like your unorthodox approach with those brilliantly unconventional ideas."
"Wow! I'm honored you think so highly of me."
"Spare me the flattery. In or out?"
"In! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Good. I'll send you his simulation data tonight. Study it, then we'll discuss modification plans."
"Why not finish today?"
"I've got other matters. So do you."
"Like what?"
Yang Hui smiled without a word, looking at Lowe with amusement. The next second—
"Lowe! You're here!"
A beautiful figure suddenly ran over, directly linking arms with Lowe and hugging them tightly against her chest.
"Wha— Who are you!?"
"Hmph~ How~ could~ you~ forget me so quickly~? After doing such things to me~"
"What nonsense! Stop making things up! I don't even know you!"
"Eek~! You walked all over me without permission and touched my body, how could you forget? Or perhaps... you've found someone new?"
"Stop spouting nonsense! I've done no such thing!"
(End of Chapter)