Recaps

Xiao Ran watched ZAFT’s restrained battle against the Earth Force until an enemy fleet carrying nuclear weapons attacked the Minerva’s flank, forcing him to sortie in the Justice Gundam. He identified the scattered nuclear weapons and began targeting them, leaving the battle against the fleet underway.

• Xiao Ran stayed aboard the Minerva while Shin, Ray, Heine, and Lunamaria launched their Gundams and fought the Earth Force fleet.
• After an hour of fighting, Captain Talia reported that twelve Earth Force warships had attacked ZAFT’s right flank, and Xiao Ran launched the Justice Gundam to intercept them.
• Xiao Ran destroyed more than fifteen enemy mobile suits near the Minerva in under ten seconds, then accelerated toward the assault fleet.
• Xiao Ran spotted nuclear weapons among the fleet, unleashed the Justice Gundam’s green particle wings, and used the GN Particles to locate every nuclear-armed ship and mobile suit.
• Xiao Ran sent the GN Dragoons after the nuclear-armed mobile suits and piloted the Justice Gundam toward the Earth Force warships.

Xiao Ran’s attack on the Earth Force nuclear fleet triggered a panicked launch of missiles in every direction, and the ensuing explosions destroyed most of the fleet. After returning to the main battlefield, he joined ZAFT’s assault and pursued the retreating Earth Force ships.

• Justice Gundam and its GN Dragoons attacked the Earth Force fleet, and the terrified nuclear-weapon pilots launched their missiles chaotically.
• Xiao Ran ordered the GN Dragoons to destroy the missiles, whose explosions wiped out twelve warships and numerous MS, leaving him dumbfounded.
• Xiao Ran returned with the ZAFT squad, then joined the battle without the GN Dragoons and began destroying Earth Force MS with Justice Gundam and its Sword-type BITs.
• Ray, Shin, and Heine fought effectively with their Destiny Gundams while Lunamaria’s Impulse Gundam protected the Minerva.
• As the Earth Force fleet began retreating, Xiao Ran charged after it, abandoning the plan to keep ZAFT’s strength hidden.

Xiao Ran led the ZAFT forces to defeat and capture the retreating Earth Force fleet, then set course for the moon to reinforce the stalled assault on the lunar base and Requiem. The chapter left the allied fleet approaching a battle where Earth Force numbers and more than ten Destroy Gundams were holding the line.

• Xiao Ran broke through the Earth Force MS defenses with Justice Gundam while Shinn and Ray attacked the interceptors from either side.
• Xiao Ran destroyed several Earth Force warships, causing the fleet’s battle line to collapse and its forces to surrender.
• Xiao Ran instructed Captain Talia to disarm the surrendered MS, secure the prisoners with one-fifth of their forces, and send the rest toward the lunar battlefield.
• Xiao Ran returned to the Minerva and noted Ray’s exhaustion, resolving to prioritize his treatment after the battle.
• Captain Talia briefed Xiao Ran that the Orb-ZAFT alliance had cut off two relay points but remained stalled at the lunar front against a similarly sized Earth Force fleet and more than ten Destroy Gundams.

Xiao Ran assessed the Orb-ZAFT alliance’s stalled assault on Requiem and ordered the Second Archangel to join the battle from the flank. Facing mounting losses, he authorized preparations for a MED Warhead strike while insisting they first try to break through the Earth Force defenses and evacuate ordinary soldiers from the blast area.

• Captain Talia reported that the alliance had destroyed two relay points but remained pinned down by Earth Force defenses and more than a dozen Destroy Gundams guarding Requiem.
• Xiao Ran ordered the Minerva to advance at full speed, attack from the flank, and have Mwu bring the Second Archangel to rendezvous with the fleet.
• As the battle’s casualties mounted, the Second Archangel joined the Minerva, and Xiao Ran returned to it to have Justice Gundam serviced before going to the bridge.
• Mwu and Luo discussed the MED Warhead’s effects, and Luo explained that careful targeting could limit its expanding devouring range.
• Xiao Ran told Luo to prepare the MED Warhead strike and said they would first work with Kira, Athrun, Cruze, and the Silver Hand to suppress the Earth Force and evacuate ordinary soldiers.

Xiao Ran arranged for missiles from his Storage Slot to be transferred to the Second Archangel and the ZAFT fleet before they reached the battlefield. The fleet opened its attack on the Earth Force with a massive missile barrage, whose explosions lit up the moon’s outer reaches.

• Mwu suggested using small MED Warheads to avoid the uncertain effects of detonating a Large MED Warhead near the moon.
• Xiao Ran asked Luo to find a nearby Scrap Merchant Guild ship, and Luo arranged to borrow a transport vessel.
• Xiao Ran unloaded Micro Missiles from his Storage Slot into the transport ship, then transferred them to the Second Archangel and the ZAFT fleet, keeping the MED Missiles for the Second Archangel.
• The Second Archangel’s crew finished transferring the missiles while repairing the Justice Gundam and replacing its GN Dragoons.
• Shin, Rey, Heine, and Lunamaria launched from the Minerva to intercept Earth Force MS as the fleet approached the battlefield.
• The Second Archangel and the other warships fired a massive missile barrage that broke through the Earth Force formation and erupted in huge explosions.

The Second Archangel and Minerva led a fleet that attacked the United Forces’ flank with high-explosive missiles and warship fire, while Xiao Ran, Shin, Ray, and Heine broke through the enemy MS. Their assault disrupted the United Forces’ defenses and set up further support for the Orb-ZAFT forces on the frontal battlefield.

• The Second Archangel and Minerva’s fleet launched missiles that engulfed the United Forces’ interceptors in bright explosions and boosted allied morale.
• Xiao Ran led the Justice Gundam into the flank assault, shielding Shin, Ray, and Heine as their machines charged through the enemy barrage.
• Shin, Ray, and Heine coordinated their Destiny Gundams’ attacks at close, medium, and long range, destroying numerous United Forces MS.
• Xiao Ran used the Justice Gundam’s GN Dragoons and Sword-type BITs to attack and defend while wondering whether the Destiny Gundam’s bursts of red light came from SEED abilities.
• The four aces disrupted the United Forces’ interception, allowing ZAFT MS to join the fight as the fleet maneuvered toward the frontal battlefield.
• The allied warships fired their main guns and another volley of missiles, forcing United Forces ships and MS to divert their attacks to intercept the incoming missiles.

Mwu and Captain Talia used the Second Archangel and the Minerva-led fleet to attack the Earth Force from several directions, while Luo defended the Second Archangel alone in the Red Dragon Gundam. After devastating the Earth Force fleet with Super King of Haro Movie Bullet, Luo escaped its center as the fleet remained under attack.

• Mwu ordered the Second Archangel and the fleet to launch missile barrages that obscured the battlefield, then sent the Second Archangel below the Earth Force fleet while the Minerva-led ships drew its fire.
• Mwu timed another missile assault to hit from below as the Earth Force faced pressure from the front, flank, and rear.
• Luo launched the Red Dragon Gundam against Earth Force MS attacking the Second Archangel and intercepted them with its beam-bladed longswords.
• Luo used Super King of Haro Movie Bullet to destroy the MS intercepting the missiles and plow through several Earth Force warships.
• The Earth Force surrounded the Red Dragon Gundam with attacks, but Luo blocked them with the GN Shield and used Super King of Haro Movie Bullet again to escape the fleet.

Second Archangel’s MED Missiles devastated the Earth Force fleet, prompting Durandal and the Orb-ZAFT alliance to protect the ship and press their attack. As Earth Force resistance faltered and its soldiers began surrendering, Xiao Ran’s forces advanced toward Requiem on the Moon.

• Second Archangel fired MED Missiles that swallowed Earth Force warships and MS in expanding black holes, throwing the fleet into panic and disarray.
• Earth Force commanders sent their MS to destroy Second Archangel, while Durandal ordered it protected and Mina dispatched Strike Freedom Gundam and Infinite Justice Gundam to intercept the attackers.
• Xiao Ran saw the Meteor-equipped Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice repel the Earth Force MS and learned that both machines had reached A-class.
• Durandal demanded the remaining Earth Force forces surrender, and many soldiers abandoned their weapons as the Orb-ZAFT alliance pushed forward.
• Silver Hand, ZAFT’s Ace Unit, and Xiao Ran’s forces advanced through the collapsing Earth Force defense, with Xiao Ran reaching a view of Requiem on the Moon.

The Orb-ZAFT Alliance destroyed Requiem and defeated the Earth Force, completing the Participants’ mission. After the battle, Xiao Ran learned that Participants from Orb and ZAFT wanted to meet him now that his identity had been exposed.

• Mwu felt relieved that the battle no longer required using a Large MED Warhead as the Orb-ZAFT Alliance broke through the Earth Force’s defenses.
• Xiao Ran and the other B-class pilots destroyed four Destroy Gundams, then Akatsuki and Midnight breached Requiem’s beam shield and destroyed the weapon before it could fire.
• The explosion annihilated Requiem’s base, prompting the remaining Earth Force troops to surrender and ending the battle.
• Xiao Ran left the cleanup to Mina, Bargyll, and Mu while the Participants’ time limit disappeared and their mission was effectively complete.
• Eshe told Xiao Ran that Orb and ZAFT Participants were simultaneously requesting meetings with him, and he considered their timing and possible intentions.

Xiao Ran considered how the Orb and ZAFT participants might threaten the Burning Legion by probing him or leaking information, then asked Eshe to identify promising recruits. He left Eshe to arrange recruitment before their meeting and heard her recommend killing everyone else to protect the legion’s secrets.

• Eshe warned Xiao Ran that some participants might be testing him or seeking to sell information about him to other legions.
• Xiao Ran weighed the risks of exposure and decided to strengthen the Burning Legion while keeping its other faction territories secret.
• Eshe assessed the participants and estimated that about twelve could be suitable recruits, while others were already in legions, too ambitious, or untrustworthy.
• Xiao Ran told Eshe to invite suitable candidates to join the legion before arranging a formal meeting with the participants.
• When Xiao Ran asked how to handle the rest, Eshe decisively recommended killing them to prevent the legion’s secrets from leaking.

Xiao Ran weighed whether to kill participants who would not join the Burning Legion, then accepted Cruze’s advice to eliminate them and keep the legion’s Faction Territory secret. After eleven new members appeared on the roster, Cruze began the operation while Xiao Ran stayed away from Orb.

• Eshe urged Xiao Ran to kill the participants who could not be recruited, and he explained his concerns about the Burning Legion’s reputation and future enemies.
• Xiao Ran consulted Cruze, who advised hiding the legion’s existence and Faction Territory by making the remaining participants disappear.
• Xiao Ran agreed to Cruze’s plan, and Cruze said he would take Ray to the Second Archangel for treatment and retrieve a MED Warhead.
• Xiao Ran left Orb under the public pretext of inspecting a base and discussing a new alliance, postponing his meeting with the participants.
• Several days later, eleven new names appeared on the Burning Legion’s roster, and Cruze’s operation began.

Cruze orchestrated the covert elimination of targeted Participants aboard a transport and the Second Archangel, with Athrun, Mu, and others carrying out the first operation in space. Xiao Ran’s guided tour cleared the Second Archangel before MED Micro Missiles swallowed the warship, leaving the remaining Participants aboard it.

• Cruze arranged for targeted ZAFT Participants to be trapped aboard a transport while Athrun, Mu, Mayu, and Billy planted MED Warheads and evacuated the loyal crew.
• The transport vanished with its trapped Participants, while the escaped crew were handed over to a ZAFT warship.
• The Archangel and Second Archangel docked near the Earth Force base, and Xiao Ran brought officials on tours while Burning Legion Participants handled patrol duties.
• Cruze used the tour and the other Participants’ assumptions to clear the Second Archangel of its ordinary crew and officers.
• After Mwu and the officers evacuated, MED Micro Missiles detonated and swallowed the Second Archangel as Xiao Ran watched from the departing convoy.

Xiao Ran completed his mission after establishing Earth Unified and returned to Prometheus with his companions, where both teams received their mission rewards. He reunited with Sheryl and the others, and they agreed to rest before discussing what came next.

• Xiao Ran destroyed Second Archangel after using it to conceal the participants' deaths, while Durandal understood and kept the secret.
• The world’s powers established Earth Unified, with Durandal as its speaker, and formally dissolved the Earth Alliance.
• Xiao Ran received notice that his mission was complete and returned to Prometheus with Cruze, Mwu, and Luo.
• Xiao Ran and his followers received their mission evaluations and chose rewards, including attribute points, evaluations, and plugins.
• Sheryl scolded Xiao Ran for leaving her behind, then accepted his apology, and Xiao Ran told everyone to rest.

Xiao Ran gathered the Burning Legion after its members returned from separate missions and confronted the deaths of four rookies. He called for the Legion to grow closer and announced regular large-scale assemblies to reduce future losses.

• Xiao Ran gave the Legion a day to rest while its members pursued their own plans and he spent time with Sheryl.
• Xiao Ran messaged Legion members to gather at Headquarters the next day and asked Eshe and Nalu to contact potential recruits.
• Xiao Ran arrived at Headquarters and found the Skull Squadron, rookies, and newly joined participants sitting in separate groups.
• El-Elf told Xiao Ran that four members of one squad were missing and had been wiped out.
• Xiao Ran addressed the Legion, mourned the four deaths, urged its members to act as one, and announced regular assemblies on the second day of every mission cycle.

Xiao Ran announced new systems to unite the Burning Legion through mission reports, shared training, points, and mutual support. He planned to take the entire legion into the 00 World using the Ultimate Mission Card after handling Orb Territory, while giving members three days to get acquainted.

• Xiao Ran told the legion that members would submit mission reports for him to review and share, and explained the points system, Legion Warehouse, territory benefits, and training tournaments.
• Xiao Ran decided to use the Ultimate Mission Card from the 00 World to bring all legion members into a Legion Mission, hoping to face a World Intruder and obtain a true Twin Drive Synchronization System.
• Xiao Ran reviewed the final squad's report and arranged for veteran members to pair with newcomers and introduce one another to legion affairs and mission experience.
• Xiao Ran postponed the internal tournament until after the 00 World and planned to deal with Orb Territory before the legion departed.
• Xiao Ran gave most legion members three days to get acquainted, while leaving Skull Squadron free to choose how to spend the time and maintain its special status.

Xiao Ran and his allies planned a management structure for the growing legion, with El-Elf proposing that its territories handle training and administration. Xiao Ran established Orb as a Legion Territory and arranged systems and staff to connect it with the Legion Headquarters; three days later, five new members had joined.

• Cruze warned Xiao Ran that the legion would need a proper management tier as it expanded, and El-Elf proposed managing training and legion affairs through the Fleet World and 0079 Faction Territories.
• Xiao Ran approved El-Elf’s plan and assigned him to organize the territories’ management and training systems.
• Xiao Ran and Cruze confirmed Orb as a Legion Territory, bought a portal, recruited Native inhabitant employees, and purchased a system to connect the territories with the Legion Headquarters.
• Three days later, five participants had joined the legion, including a new female member of W Team.

W Team joined the Burning Legion after Nalo offered them access to custom B-class mecha and Legion support, then discovered that their new leader was Xiao Ran, the participant who had deceived and coerced them in 00 World. Xiao Ran gathered the Legion and announced that he would lead everyone into a Mission World for their first Legion Mission.

• Nalo recruited W Team by explaining the Burning Legion’s benefits, and Xiao Ran offered to build them suitable B-class mecha at cost once they advanced.
• W Team accepted the Legion’s strict terms and learned that it possessed a Faction Territory.
• At the Legion gathering, W Team recognized Xiao Ran as the participant who had threatened and manipulated them in 00 World, while Eshe’s group exchanged sympathetic looks with them.
• Xiao Ran issued plans for Legion communication devices and an information system, then announced that he would take all members into a Mission World together.

Xiao Ran assembled the Burning Legion for its first Legion Mission and used an Ultimate Mission Card to send all fifty-three members into the 00 World. The mission required them to unify the world within half a year and protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats, and the chapter ended as the fleet began checking its status after arrival.

• Xiao Ran explained why the Burning Legion was ready to undertake a Legion Mission and kept the Ultimate Mission Card's risks secret from its members.
• Xiao Ran assigned the legion's members between the Burning Legion and the Frontier, leaving Mwu and Jeffrey in command of the two warships.
• Xiao Ran converted the 00 World Ultimate Mission Card into a Legion Mission, which required world unification within half a year and protection of Earth from extraterrestrial lifeforms.
• Xiao Ran selected all legion members, and the fifty-three Participants lost consciousness as the mission began.
• Mwu ordered Bobby, Moses, and Billy to check the Burning Legion and its surroundings while the others prepared for combat.

Xiao Ran’s forces arrived in the 00 World near Jupiter, where he warned the group that using his Innovator abilities could draw the ELS to him. He sent an eleven-person team to Earth, where their arrival triggered a search by the Federation and A-LAWS and drew the attention of Celestial Being and Ribbons.

• Mwu and Moses confirmed that the Burning Legion and the Frontier had appeared in Jupiter’s orbit, and Xiao Ran warned that the ELS might be there and could target him if he used his Innovator abilities.
• Xiao Ran ordered the fleet to hide in the Meteor Belt between Mars and Earth’s orbits while an advance team went to Earth to assess the situation and contact their established forces.
• Xiao Ran chose an eleven-person advance team, including Sheryl, El-Elf, Cruze, Graham, Luo, and W Team, and led them toward Earth in six Variable Fighters.
• The six Variable Fighters entered Earth and landed on an uninhabited shore, then hid beneath the sea while the team left the area.
• The Federation and A-LAWS searched for the unidentified objects, and the incident drew the attention of Celestial Being and Ribbons.

After returning to Earth four years after his departure, Xiao Ran gathered information about the world and prepared to contact trusted allies while hiding most of his companions. Celestial Being and Ribbons detected the group's high-speed arrival, and Tieria and Ribbons began to suspect that Xiao Ran had returned.

• Xiao Ran divided his companions into three groups to gather information and conceal the less familiar members from the world's intelligence networks.
• Xiao Ran learned that four years had passed, the Earth Federation had expanded under Ribbons's influence, and terrorist attacks had eliminated many opponents.
• Graham tried to contact Billy Katagiri, while El-Elf searched the network and Cruze and Luo relaxed on the beach.
• Celestial Being and Ribbons received reports that several unknown objects had entered Earth's atmosphere at extreme speed and vanished.
• Miss Huang investigated the unclear orbital photographs, while Tieria used VEDA to reconstruct a clearer image and recognized a possible return by Xiao Ran.
• Ribbons saw the reconstructed evidence and wondered whether Xiao Ran had returned to fulfill their deal.

Xiao Ran assessed Celestial Being’s divided leadership and planned to secure its base while preparing to support a coup against the Federation. After his team detected danger, he ordered his allies to regroup and protect their identities, while Miss Huang and Tieria mobilized Celestial Being to protect Alex.

• Xiao Ran reviewed the mission’s six-month deadline and decided that supporting a coup against the Federation was the most feasible route to establishing a new World Government.
• Graham reported that Laguna had reduced his support for Celestial Being and that Wang Liu Mei controlled its intelligence and supply networks, possibly in connection with Ribbons.
• Xiao Ran concluded that he needed to determine Wang Liu Mei’s position and planned to deal with her and Laguna while bringing his Legion members into the conflict.
• El-Elf warned Graham that trouble was approaching, so Xiao Ran told him to contact Katagiri, let Cruze pursue influence in the Federation, and send W Team to Laguna.
• Sheryl and Graham left to retrieve a mecha while Graham stayed with Xiao Ran, and Sheryl promised not to abandon him.
• Miss Huang and Tieria independently detected A-LAWS activity and ordered Celestial Being to deploy to protect Alex.

A-LAWS commanders converged on the town after Xiao Ran returned, and Ribbons visited him before they arrived. Ribbons revealed that he planned to unify the world by destroying opposing forces, while Xiao Ran warned that his methods would provoke Celestial Being and risk war.

• A-LAWS's independent authority and its transformation under Ribbons were described as Kati Manikin, Sergei Smirnov, and Goodman headed toward Xiao Ran's town.
• A-LAWS surrounded the town, cleared out its residents, and confined Xiao Ran there as its commanders moved to decide his fate.
• Ribbons arrived before the others and greeted Xiao Ran, who let him into his room and questioned why he had come in person.
• Ribbons recalled their four-year agreement and asked whether Xiao Ran was satisfied with the state of the world.
• Xiao Ran criticized Ribbons for failing to unify the world and warned that worsening conflict could make future dialogue turn into war.
• Ribbons said he planned to destroy opposing forces with satellite weapons and urged Xiao Ran to return to the Federation, while Xiao Ran warned that Celestial Being would oppose him.

Xiao Ran rejected Ribbons's coercive vision for guiding humanity and demanded that he join Xiao Ran's plan to unify the world before the coming dialogue. The chapter ended with Ribbons sensing Xiao Ran's overwhelming power and asking whether they truly had only half a year.

• Xiao Ran considered using Ribbons's influence to help unify the world, while insisting that people who could aid the coming dialogue should not die needlessly.
• Xiao Ran warned that Ribbons's rule by force would deepen resentment, then learned that Aeolia was dead and Ribbons had taken control of VEDA and claimed Aeolia's plan as his own.
• Xiao Ran explained that Innovators should protect and cooperate with humanity, rather than rule it as inferior beings.
• Xiao Ran said the coming dialogue was only half a year away and gave Ribbons a choice: join his methods or become his enemy.
• Ribbons laughed at Xiao Ran's challenge and asked what power he had, while Xiao Ran threatened to kill him and destroy VEDA if he refused.
• Xiao Ran's golden-eyed Brainwaves suppressed Ribbons, who became serious and asked whether the half-year deadline was true.

Xiao Ran convinced Ribbons that the ELS would arrive in six months and made him choose between becoming an enemy or joining his side. They agreed to work toward unifying Earth and preparing for the coming contact, with Xiao Ran naming Setsuna F. Seiei as the person who would become a pioneer.

• Xiao Ran used his Innovator abilities to convince Ribbons that Earth had only six months to prepare for the ELS and warned that he would kill him if he became an obstacle.
• Ribbons accepted Xiao Ran's terms and asked what he intended to do next.
• Xiao Ran proposed overthrowing the Federation government, establishing a New Government, covertly strengthening military forces, and preparing humanity to understand the ELS through merging.
• Xiao Ran named Setsuna F. Seiei as the only suitable person to become a pioneer, and Ribbons concealed his dissatisfaction.
• Xiao Ran outlined a plan to spur Celestial Being, opposition forces, and a Coup d'état faction into replacing the Federation government while he controlled events from the shadows.
• Ribbons praised the plan after realizing it would bring resistance forces under control while leaving power in their hands.

Xiao Ran accepted Ribbons's challenge to survive a day and prove his strength, but Celestial Being's arrival changed the situation. He sent Cruze's team to support the battle while keeping his own forces' identities concealed, and promised Ribbons he would show him overwhelming power.

• Ribbons proposed a twenty-four-hour wager: if Xiao Ran survived, Ribbons would follow him; if Xiao Ran died, Ribbons would carry out Xiao Ran's plan himself.
• Xiao Ran accepted and contacted Cruze, telling him to prepare the others and reveal their strength to Ribbons.
• Cruze reported that Celestial Being machines equipped with Green Solar Furnaces were descending toward the town.
• Segal sent his MS to protect Xiao Ran's hotel while Goodman redirected his forces to intercept Celestial Being.
• Xiao Ran ordered Cruze to help disable Celestial Being's machines, told Graham to contact them, and directed Luo and Sheryl to return with them afterward.