"Arrived already? Orb..."
The warship slowly docked as a dark-skinned man leaned against the railing on deck, gazing at the land that would soon become his new home. Beside him stood four others.
A golden-haired woman rested her head against his shoulder, dreaming of a bright future. A black-haired woman with a high ponytail wore a deep, contemplative expression. Finally, a blond man and a man with long, straight black hair had complex looks on their faces—clearly not entirely willing to be here.
"Rest assured, everyone. Your identities have all been processed. From now on, you can start a brand-new life," Creuset said as he approached from behind them, his artificially altered, raspy voice grating on the ears.
Of course, what was unpleasant wasn't just his voice—it was Creuset himself. Among them, aside from the couple standing close together, the other three had only come to Orb because they had fallen victim to Creuset's schemes.
Yet beneath their anger and resentment lay fear. None of them had ever seen Creuset's true face, nor could they fathom his motives. Just standing before him, doing nothing, filled them with lingering dread—the fear of being manipulated again, vanishing without a trace.
"I'm just fulfilling our agreement. You helped my homeland, so it's only natural I repay Orb in kind," the dark-skinned man said frankly. Unlike the others, he had come to Orb willingly—this was his deal with Creuset.
"Tch, all that talk, but you're just using us for battle, aren't you?" the blond man sneered.
"Not all battles are the same. At least in Orb, unless war breaks out and drags us in, you won't have to risk your lives on the battlefield," Creuset replied calmly.
"Hah, you expect me to believe that? Don't think I don't know you orchestrated what happened in South America."
"Oh? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Tch."
"I don't care about the rest. Just help me find Kira Yamato. Let me defeat him, and I'll give you my life if I have to," the long-haired man said impatiently.
"Of course. A deal is a deal—I won't go back on my word." Creuset chuckled but said nothing more. This man's obsession ran deep, but it wasn't directed at him, so he couldn't care less about the outcome of his fight with Kira. As long as he could contribute to Orb's strength, that was enough.
As the warship docked, Creuset led the five of them forward, eventually arriving at Commander Yang Hui's office in Orb's Defense Headquarters.
"You're back... Hm? Who are they...?" Yang Hui had known Creuset was coming—they had already been in contact—but when he looked up and saw the five people following behind him, he froze. "This is the 'souvenir' you mentioned?"
"Of course. Not bad, right?"
"Not bad at all."
Not bad? That was an understatement. This gift could only be described as extravagant. Yang Hui recognized all five of them. It seemed Creuset's greatest gain from this trip wasn't the mines—it was managing to bring these five back with him.
"So you're Yang Hui? The one they call the 'Golden Angel'?"
"Though I really don't like that title, unless there's a second Dawn, then yes, that's me."
"Edward Harrelson. Looking forward to working with you."
Indeed, the black man was none other than the former Earth Alliance ace pilot, Edward the Ripper, the pilot of the Sword Calamity Gundam. He personally despised the moniker "Edward the Ripper" because he was a gentle and kind-hearted man, deeply beloved by his subordinates during his service.
As for how he earned this title—back when he was still a fighter pilot, he dared to engage in close combat with MS units, using his aircraft's wings to slice an AMF-101 DINN clean in half. His plane was often drenched in enemy oil, and after obtaining the Sword Calamity Gundam, he continued the same reckless tactics, cementing the nickname "the Ripper."
"Edward the Ripper, welcome aboard," Yang Hui said, extending his hand to shake Edward Harrelson's while using the title he disliked—a small act of retaliation.
"Ahaha, if possible, I'd prefer you didn't call me that. It's kind of terrifying."
"Then you shouldn't call me 'Golden Angel' either. It's embarrassing."
"Uh, ahaha, seems like things won't be boring from now on."
Not only Edward Harrelson but also the four men behind him were stunned by Yang Hui's attitude. Yang Hui was not only the Commander-in-Chief of the Orb Military but also the highest-ranking leader of Orb. Among them, the highest rank was merely a captain. For such a high-ranking official to treat them—new recruits—with such casual friendliness was unexpected.
"Hey, you're the one who knows where Kira Yamato is, right?" The black-haired man asked Yang Hui impatiently, his tone and attitude downright insolent.
But Yang Hui didn't mind, merely quirking his lips in amusement.
"Canard Pars, ace pilot of the Eurasian Federation, Kira's younger brother—"
"I am not that guy's brother! I'll prove I'm better than Kira Yamato! I'm the perfected one!" Canard Pars roared, rushing forward to grab Yang Hui by the collar.
"You have your own convictions, don't you? How does that make you a 'failure'?" Yang Hui smirked at Canard Pars.
"You bastard! Don't call me a 'failure'—"
The term "failure" was Canard Pars's taboo. Anyone who uttered it would face his wrath, so his fist was already drawn back, ready to smash into Yang Hui's face like a cannonball.
Canard Pars's sudden outburst shocked Edward Harrelson and the others. Regardless of the circumstances, they were now in Orb, and Yang Hui was their highest-ranking superior. Assaulting a superior officer was a court-martial offense in any nation or military.
Aside from Edward Harrelson, the other three weren't familiar with Canard Pars—they had only formed a temporary squad to hunt Edward down.
So don't drag us into your death wish! Don't ruin our future lives, you idiot!
But before they could intervene, they gaped in astonishment as Yang Hui effortlessly caught Canard Pars's fist with one hand.
"You—ugh!" Before Canard Pars could react, an immense force twisted his wrist outward, then downward, forcing him into a contorted kneeling position.
"Let go, you bastard—!"
"He's quite spirited, just lacking in manners. Compared to you, I think he fits the title of 'Mad Dog' better, don't you agree?" Yang Hui said this while looking at the blond man, whose codename was "Mad Dog Under the Moon." His real name was Morgan Chevalier. Like Canard Pars, he was an ace pilot of the Eurasian Federation and one of only two people present with Spatial Awareness—capable of operating Wired Pods and Dragoons. The other was naturally Canard Pars.
As Yang Hui spoke, Morgan Chevalier distinctly felt the temperature in the room drop, sending chills down the spine of even the most battle-hardened veterans.
This was intentional on Yang Hui's part. From the moment the five entered the room, he had assessed their attitudes. Edward Harrelson had come willingly, while the others harbored varying degrees of resistance—most notably Canard Pars and Morgan Chevalier. One carried the arrogance and pride of a seasoned warrior, the other a mad dog obsessed with his own fixation.
As for the remaining two women, it was clear they held no animosity toward Orb but had their own reservations.
Releasing Canard Pars, Yang Hui looked down at him. "No one here will experiment on you, and no one sees you as a 'failure.' But if you see yourself as one, then you are. Understand? The person you need to overcome isn't Kira—it's yourself."
"You…" Canard Pars remained furious, yet Yang Hui's words gave him pause. Though Dr. Ulen Hibiki had deemed him a failure, he was still a genuine Coordinator—a product of the doctor's own work—and his intelligence was far from lacking.
Seeing Canard Pars hold back his outburst, Yang Hui approached the two women and extended his hand. "Welcome to Orb, Rena Imelia, 'Cherry Blossom Storm,' and Jane Houston, 'White Whale.'"
"So you already know about us," Rena Imelia said with a wry smile.
"As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' You are all aces of the Earth Forces."
"I have a question, Mr. Yang Hui."
"Go ahead."
"Why did you have this… Mr. Vidar," she said, casting a wary glance at Creuset, "bring us to Orb? What is your goal?"
"Hmm?" Yang Hui blinked, then chuckled after a glance at Creuset. "You are the Earth Forces' elite pilots. Orb welcomes talent from around the world—as long as they embrace our ideals and abide by our laws."
"If we're talking about ace pilots, there's likely no one more skilled than you, sir," Jane Houston remarked.
"Thank you for the compliment, Ms. Houston. But Orb's strength and the world's peace can never be maintained by one person alone. That's why we welcome—and need—more like-minded individuals to join us in safeguarding that peace."
"...How do you plan to assign us?" Rena Imelia asked.
"People are like the five fingers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I intend to have each of you play to your strengths. For example, Ms. Imelia, you were originally an MS instructor for the Earth Forces, and the five designated pilots for the G Weapons were your students. Therefore, I plan to have you join the training corps to oversee the instruction of Orb's Mobile Suit pilots. Ms. Houston excels in underwater combat, and Orb has also established an Underwater Unit, so I hope you will lead Orb's underwater MS units. As for Mr. Shubalie, your Spatial Awareness is a rare talent. You will be temporarily assigned to Dawn Company to assist in the development of spatial weaponry. Of course, nothing will be done to you—do you know Major Mu La Flaga? He will be your companion. As for you..."
Yang Hui looked at Canard Pars, the only one yet to be assigned, with a faint smile on his face.
(End of Chapter)