Chapter Summaries

Cruze arrived in the Destiny Gundam and helped ZAFT break the battlefield stalemate, then reunited with Ray during combat. After Cruze departed, his Dragoons destroyed the Library Librarians' attackers and struck nearby enemies, while Xiao Ran watched the battle.

• Cruze, Luo, and Andrew joined the fight, and Cruze's Destiny Gundam destroyed a Strike-derived Gundam that had been battling Ray.
• Ray recognized the Destiny Gundam and confirmed that Cruze was its pilot, and Cruze told him he had survived and found a treatment for his disease.
• The Minerva crew identified the machine as a Destiny Gundam, but Lunamaria could not contact Ray, while Talia ordered the crew to ask him what was happening.
• Two Library Librarians' MS attacked Cruze and Ray, and Cruze shielded the Destiny Gundam with its Dragoons before saying goodbye to Ray.
• Cruze's Dragoons destroyed the two attackers and an artillery-type unit, as well as several Unknown Faction MS, and Xiao Ran checked the battle's progress.

Xiao Ran analyzed why the Librarian's pilots had overwhelmed the others and concluded that their physical abilities and teamwork made them formidable. With the Junius 7 mission running short on time, he unleashed his mental power and joined the battle to destroy the Librarian's forces.

• Xiao Ran reasoned that the Librarian's pilots were exceptionally strong because the Photocopy People had extraordinary physical abilities, not merely because the others were piloting Zakus.
• Xiao Ran noted that only thirty minutes remained and the mission's completion was still far below eighty percent, so he decided to get serious.
• Xiao Ran activated his mental power and transformed the Chaos Gundam into MA Form as its six Dragon Fangs surged toward the battle.
• Xiao Ran targeted a Duel Custom fighting Athrun's Zaku, forcing it to evade while nearby Librarian machines rushed in to protect it.
• Xiao Ran dodged the incoming attacks and redirected his Dragon Fangs toward the machines attacking him from behind.

Xiao Ran and the allied pilots rapidly destroyed the Librarian MS attacking the Junius 7 fragments, while ZAFT’s demolition operation broke the massive debris into three pieces. As the fragments continued toward Earth and the pilots withdrew, Xiao Ran stayed behind to watch the final demolition.

• Xiao Ran used Chaos Gundam and its Dragon Fangs to destroy three Librarian MS in quick succession.
• Luo and Cruze each destroyed an enemy machine, and the remaining pilots sealed off the Librarians’ retreat and attacked.
• Athrun and Shin destroyed enemies at close range as Xiao Ran swept across a Junius 7 fragment and eliminated more targets.
• Ian Lee told Xiao Ran to withdraw, and Xiao Ran ordered Stella and Orro to retreat while he remained behind.
• ZAFT split the fragment into three pieces, but two continued toward Earth as its MS evacuated; a green Zaku kept supporting the final demolition device.

Xiao Ran completed the Junius 7 side mission at 80 percent and received a Librarian-series mecha development blueprint. After returning to Gadi Ru, he prepared to deliver the three mecha to the Moon and investigate changing factions.

• Eshe's group, Second Archangel, Cruze, Luo, and Andrew escaped after the mission completion rate reached 80 percent, and Second Archangel destroyed another fragment with its positron cannons.
• Xiao Ran completed the side mission and received 50,000 Merit Points, increased favorability with all factions, and an upgraded Librarian-series mecha development blueprint.
• Xiao Ran watched Junius 7's remaining fragments strike Earth and decided not to risk increasing the completion rate further.
• Xiao Ran returned to Gadi Ru, had the Dragon Fangs removed from the Chaos Gundam, and returned the machine to Sting.
• Ian Lee told Xiao Ran that the Moon had ordered Gadi Ru to report there, while Xiao Ran suspected the Librarian's role in the battle would be concealed.

Xiao Ran arrived at the Earth Force Moon Base, where the seized Gundams were examined and he met with a brigadier general. He received the prototype Savior Gundam RGX-04 for modifications, while suspecting the Earth Force planned to use his strength in its coming attack on PLANT.

• Xiao Ran and Ian Lee met a bald brigadier general after Technicians began analyzing the Chaos Gundam, Gaea Gundam, and Abyss Gundam.
• The brigadier general praised Xiao Ran’s role in stopping Junius 7 and offered him a reward, so Xiao Ran requested a suitable mobile suit.
• The brigadier general assigned Xiao Ran the captured Savior Gundam prototype, designated RGX-04, and said Technicians were modifying it for him.
• Xiao Ran reviewed the Savior Gundam’s specifications and considered how the Earth Force might use him in its anticipated war against PLANT.

Xiao Ran spent nearly twenty days at the Moon Base training Stella, Sting, and Orro while the Earth Force prepared for war against PLANT. A modified Savior Gundam arrived for him, equipped with a nuclear-powered backpack derived from the Rebirth Gundam, and he learned about its capabilities.

• Xiao Ran assessed the Earth Force’s Windams and the Chaos, Abyss, and Gaia units, judging their pilots too weak to use their machines effectively.
• Xiao Ran trained Stella, Sting, and Orro while following reports of disaster relief, Coordinator attacks, and Earth Force actions on Earth.
• The Atlantic Federation and Eurasia declared that they would use military force against PLANT, and a gray Savior Gundam arrived at the Gadi Ru.
• Xiao Ran asked the accompanying Technician about the Savior’s backpack and learned that it had been modified from the nuclear-powered Rebirth Gundam.
• The Technician explained that the backpack provided the Savior with greater flight mobility and energy, along with Dragon Fangs, missile launchers, and large Beam Sabers.

Xiao Ran inspected the Savior Gundam, discovered a hidden self-destruct backdoor in its nuclear-powered backpack, and took the machine out for testing. Stella, Orro, and Sting followed him in their Gundams, while Stella asked whether their transfer meant they would have to fight again.

• Xiao Ran learned the Savior Gundam’s high-output reactor could be strained by its weapons and was told to conduct the practical tests himself.
• Moon Base rejected Xiao Ran’s request for live combat training with Stella, Orro, and Sting, but approved his test and issued transfer orders for them and Xiao Ran to board another warship.
• Xiao Ran used his Scout Skill to identify the Savior Gundam and its X11 Nuclear Composite Combat Backpack as a B-class unit, then found its messy OS and a backdoor that could trigger the reactor’s self-destruction.
• Xiao Ran activated the Savior Gundam and headed for the launch catapult, while Stella, Orro, and Sting climbed into Gaia, Abyss, and Chaos and followed him.
• Xiao Ran led the four Gundams out into space, and Stella asked whether they were transferring to another warship and would have to fight again.

Xiao Ran inferred that the Three strong ones might be the key to changing factions, and he decided to persuade them to leave the Earth Force with him. After modifying his mobile suit and its OS, he set out with Stella, Orro, and Sting for live combat testing.

• Xiao Ran told Stella, Orro, and Sting that he would test and adjust his mobile suit while they transferred to a warship.
• When the three insisted on joining him, Xiao Ran warned them they might face punishment, but they agreed to go with him.
• Xiao Ran reasoned that changing factions might require the Three strong ones to leave the Earth Force after delivering the stolen Gundams and their data.
• Xiao Ran upgraded the mobile suit and X11's backpack OS, then redirected the Earth Force's hidden backdoor to make the PS Armor overload if activated.
• Xiao Ran reconnected communications, launched the mobile suit, and ordered Stella, Orro, and Sting to follow while cutting off Earth Force communications.

Xiao Ran forced a breakout from Moon Base after convincing Stella, Sting, and Orro to leave the Earth Force, then led them toward Earth. He explained that he had taken them with him to save them from the Earth Force’s use of them as Living CPUs, while the chapter ended with their escape underway.

• Xiao Ran learned the other three Gundams lacked sortie authorization and decided to break out of the spaceport by force.
• Xiao Ran told Stella, Sting, and Orro that Stella could be cured and urged them to leave the Earth Force; Stella attacked and destroyed the control room.
• Stella and Sting fled the spaceport as Xiao Ran covered them, and Xiao Ran received confirmation that Stella, Sting, and Orro had met the conditions for his faction change.
• Xiao Ran used the Savior Gundam and its Dragon Fangs to disable the Earth Force MS surrounding the three Gundams, then grabbed the Gaea Gundam and led the group toward Earth.
• Xiao Ran told Sting and Orro that the Earth Force treated them as Living CPUs and that their medication might have left them with little time to live.

Xiao Ran led Stella, Sting, and Orro away from the Moon Base and toward Orb, fighting off the Earth Force pursuers before guiding the four Gundams through atmospheric entry. The units safely descended toward the sea near Orb.

• Xiao Ran turned the Savior Gundam back to attack the pursuing Earth Force units, then ordered Stella, Sting, and Orro to keep moving while he covered their escape.
• Xiao Ran told Sting and Orro they were heading to Orb, and the four Gundams escaped before the Earth Force could organize a larger pursuit.
• As the group reached Earth's boundary, Xiao Ran had Stella calculate an entry route into Orb's territory and instructed Sting to assist Orro with the Abyss Gundam's descent.
• Stella supplied the trajectory, and the four pilots transformed their Gundams and began descending through the atmosphere.
• Xiao Ran guided the others through a smooth atmospheric entry, and the four Gundams slowed their descent toward the sea.

Xiao Ran brought Stella, Sting, and Orro to Second Archangel after defecting from the Earth Force, reuniting with Mwu, Cruze, Mu, and Bargyll. He asked the crew to keep his return secret while he assessed the complicated state of the world.

• Xiao Ran guided the four Gundams through Orb waters and contacted Mwu, who arranged to meet them near the underwater harbor.
• Xiao Ran spoke with Cruze, who welcomed the group aboard Second Archangel and agreed to observe Stella as a possible pilot for Sheryl.
• Xiao Ran reunited with Mwu, Mu, Cruze, and Bargyll in the hangar, and Mu said the crew had spent two years searching for him.
• Xiao Ran told Bargyll to conceal his return from Cagalli and Kira while he observed the world's situation.
• Sting reminded Orro and Stella that they remained Neo's subordinates, while Stella said she would stay with Neo and obey his orders.

Xiao Ran revealed his identity to Stella, Orro, and Sting and brought them into his group, promising to help Orro find his mother and arranging medical care for the three. He then asked Cruze about Orb and learned that Cagalli’s government had lost control to the Ceran Family while Orb’s military still supported her and many people wanted Xiao Ran to return.

• Xiao Ran told Murrue that Stella, Orro, and Sting had been his Earth Force subordinates, then revealed to the three that he was the former acting Prime Minister of Orb.
• Stella said she wanted to stay with Xiao Ran, while Orro and Sting agreed to follow him; Orro asked Xiao Ran to help save his mother, and Xiao Ran agreed while warning him about recovering painful false memories.
• Xiao Ran introduced the newcomers to Murrue, Cruze, Mwu, Bargyll, and Maddock, then asked Murrue to arrange a place for them to rest and said he and Cruze would prepare their treatment.
• As Xiao Ran and Cruze headed to the medical bay, Cruze reported that the Ceran Family had regained Orb’s authority, Akatsuki Works had lost much of its personnel, and Heaven’s Pillar had become effectively independent.
• Cruze said Orb’s military still supported Cagalli, but many people wanted Xiao Ran to return and lead Orb.

Xiao Ran learned that the Ceran Family had weakened Cagalli’s position in Orb by exploiting his disappearance and Orb’s worsening crisis. He planned to return openly during an impending upheaval, while keeping his return secret for now, and Cruze prepared to leave with Luo to help resolve trouble at his former employer.

• Cruze explained that the Ceran Family had used Xiao Ran’s disappearance and Orb’s hardships to fuel demands for Cagalli to explain herself and step down.
• Xiao Ran told Cruze he would wait for Orb’s coming upheaval before returning as Acting Prime Minister, and revealed his plan to exploit the war between PLANT and LOGOS.
• Xiao Ran and Cruze found the Enhanced Treatment Pod too complicated to set up without Luo, so Cruze contacted him and asked him to return with his machine.
• Mwu told Xiao Ran that Kira and the others had settled in and described how Mu had become involved with Erica Symonds.
• Xiao Ran ordered Mwu, Mu, Bargyll, and Cruze to keep his return secret while he investigated Orb, and Cruze said he would leave with Luo after Luo returned.

Xiao Ran agreed to let Cruze accompany Luo as he dealt with trouble connected to the Librarians, while Luo inspected and improved the four machines aboard the Second Archangel. Yamakiburi Juri’s feelings for Luo became clear, and Luo departed with Cruze and two machines after finishing the work.

• Xiao Ran agreed to send Cruze with Luo and ordered that four people be given Orb Army identities but answer directly to him.
• Luo arrived at the secret port with Yamakiburi Juri and Liam Jafield, and told Xiao Ran that his troubles involved the Librarians and other matters.
• Xiao Ran teased Yamakiburi Juri about liking Luo, and she denied it before running after him when Xiao Ran offered to introduce him to other girls.
• Luo installed the Enhanced Treatment Pod and inspected the four machines with help from Xiao Ran, Stella, Sting, and Orro.
• Luo found no machine faults, improved their imperfect parts, and made replacement components before leaving the Second Archangel with Cruze and two machines.

Xiao Ran used the Enhanced Treatment Pod aboard the Second Archangel to treat Stella, hoping to free her and the other Enhanced Humans from their dependence on medication. Stella’s treatment finished, and she asked Xiao Ran whether her illness was cured.

• After Cruze and the others left, Xiao Ran saw that Stella, Orro, and Sting were showing symptoms from being without their medication.
• Xiao Ran gave Stella, Orro, and Sting one of the five emergency capsules he had, explaining that they needed to recover before treatment.
• Xiao Ran took the three to the medical bay and had Stella change into the treatment pod’s clothing before entering it.
• Stella entered the Enhanced Treatment Pod, reassured by Xiao Ran’s promise to stay with her.
• After two hours, the pod opened and Xiao Ran carried Stella to a hospital bed; she woke dazed and asked whether her illness was cured.

Xiao Ran learned that Stella, Orro, and Sting had been cured of their illnesses, though he concealed their remaining health problems. As the Earth Force declared war on PLANT and Orb prepared to expel the Minerva, he planned to wait for Cagalli to leave before taking control of Orb and entering the conflict.

• Xiao Ran treated Stella, Orro, and Sting, curing their illnesses while privately recognizing that their lifespans and health still needed further treatment.
• Xiao Ran considered Stella and Lunamaria as possible dedicated pilots for Sheryl, judging Lunamaria steadier but harder to reach.
• Mwu told Xiao Ran that the Earth Force had declared war on PLANT and that Orb planned to expel the Minerva.
• Xiao Ran ordered Eshe and the others to protect the Minerva as it left Orb, and told Bargyll to help Cagalli leave if Lacus or Kira asked.
• Xiao Ran explained to Mwu that Cagalli's absence would let him take full control of Orb, then planned to declare war on both the Earth Force and PLANT.
• Xiao Ran reassured Stella and took her, Orro, and Sting out to enjoy a few days of freedom before fighting began.

Xiao Ran watched the Minerva’s battle against an Earth Force fleet and saw Eshe and three other newcomers turn the fight in the Minerva’s favor. When more Participants arrived to defend the Earth Force, Xiao Ran assessed their machines and prepared to intervene if the newcomers faced B-class opponents.

• Xiao Ran entered Orb in disguise, left Stella, Orro, and Sting to explore, and drove toward the coast as the Earth Force fleet approached.
• Xiao Ran climbed onto a news van and watched Orb’s fleet force the Minerva out of territorial waters into battle against a much larger Earth Force force.
• The Earth Force’s amphibious MA blocked the Minerva’s positron cannon, but Eshe and three others emerged from beneath the sea in flying G Series machines and attacked the fleet.
• The Impulse Gundam destroyed enemy machines and attacked an Earth Force warship, helping the Minerva gain the upper hand.
• Four or five unfamiliar units arrived and engaged Eshe’s group and the Impulse Gundam; Xiao Ran identified some machines and judged that the two modified units were not B-class.
• Xiao Ran decided the Earth Force Participants were unlikely to destroy the Minerva and stayed alert to protect the four newcomers if the battle escalated.

Xiao Ran watched the Earth Force retreat, then explained why he would not intervene in Orb’s political crisis while Cagalli remained there. He planned to wait until Kira took Cagalli away, then move against the Ceran Family and take control of Orb.

• Eshe’s group of four, Shinn Asuka, Lunamaria, and Ray helped force the Earth Force fleet to retreat, while Xiao Ran judged that the Earth Force Participants had chosen to cover its withdrawal.
• Xiao Ran watched the coastal mansion where Kira, Lacus, Bargyll, Mu, Andrew the Tiger, and Aisha lived, then spent the day wandering around Orb before reuniting with Stella, Sting, and Orro.
• Mu, Mwu, and Bargyll questioned Xiao Ran about his decision not to step forward and about his message to cooperate if Kira and Cagalli left Orb.
• Xiao Ran explained that intervening while Cagalli remained Prime Minister would deepen Orb’s divisions and make him appear to be usurping power.
• Xiao Ran said he would keep his return secret and take over Orb only after Kira took Cagalli away, allowing him to remove the Ceran Family without directly opposing Cagalli.
• Xiao Ran argued that Orb’s crisis had to be handled in light of the wider Earth Force–ZAFT war, since keeping Cagalli, Lacus, Kira, or Athrun in Orb could draw the country into the conflict.

Xiao Ran prepared to take control of Orb after Cagalli left, while Kira and the others lost faith in Orb after an attack went uninvestigated. As Cagalli’s wedding to Yula Ceran arrived, Xiao Ran and his allies set their plans in motion and headed for the venue.

• Xiao Ran told Mu and Bargyll that he wanted Cagalli to leave Orb freely so he could take over the nation without making her a figurehead, and Mwu decided to go with Kira while Mu and Bargyll stayed.
• Xiao Ran learned that Kira, Lacus, Mu, Bargyll, Mwu, Andrew, and the others had been attacked at their seaside mansion, while Cagalli had been placed under house arrest by the Seran family.
• Kira decided to use the Archangel to rescue Cagalli, while Mwu, Mu, and Bargyll prepared the ship and gathered allies for Xiao Ran’s planned takeover.
• Xiao Ran planned to arrest the Seran family, their supporters, and Earth Force representatives at the wedding, then invoke Orb’s constitutional authority to assume control and prepare for war.
• On the morning of Cagalli and Yula Ceran’s wedding, Xiao Ran put on his former Orb Supreme Commander uniform and headed toward the venue with his allies.

Xiao Ran prepared to disrupt Cagalli’s wedding and prevent the Ceran Family from seizing control of Orb. After Freedom Gundam took Cagalli away, Xiao Ran’s soldiers surrounded the venue and arrested the Ceran patriarch, leaving the guests stunned.

• Xiao Ran waited near the wedding venue while Bargyll reported that Orb forces were positioned inside and outside, and that Cagalli was on her way.
• Xiao Ran learned that representatives from PLANT and Mars were attending, so he ordered Sman to alert Eshe and the others and have Mu keep the Savior Gundam ready.
• Cagalli arrived in tears and was led toward the venue by Yula Ceran.
• Freedom Gundam swept over the venue, exchanged fire, and flew away after taking Cagalli.
• Xiao Ran entered the chaotic venue and signaled his soldiers to draw their guns and surround the guests.
• Soldiers tackled the Ceran patriarch as gunfire stopped people from rushing to his aid.