Chapter Summaries

Xiao Ran secured D.S.S.D’s agreement to relocate its headquarters and space station to Orb and Heaven’s Pillar, then returned to Orb after arranging protection for the move. Back home, he reviewed reports on Cagalli, Heaven’s Pillar’s transfer, and the Second Archangel’s progress.

• Xiao Ran arranged for D.S.S.D’s technologies to be compiled for Luo and planned to share the Radiant Transmitter System with Lacus’s technicians.
• Xiao Ran persuaded D.S.S.D’s management to relocate its headquarters and research to Orb, promising them FOLD Space Jump Engine technology after the war.
• D.S.S.D began transferring its projects and resources to Orb, while the space station was prepared for shutdown and transport to Heaven’s Pillar.
• Xiao Ran left Eshe and three others to guard the relocation, then returned to Orb with Luo and a small escort force.
• Xiao Ran read reports showing that Cagalli had obeyed her confinement, Heaven’s Pillar was transferring equipment and personnel, and the Second Archangel’s damaged units had been repaired.

Xiao Ran reviewed intelligence about the Librarians, including evidence of their mass production of his clones, and went to meet the three Photocopy People held in Orb. After seeing them, he considered safeguards against anyone impersonating him or issuing false orders.

• ZAFT intelligence uncovered two Librarian bases on Earth, while the Second Archangel found a destroyed Earth Force base and classified materials about LOGOS and the Living CPU program.
• Xiao Ran learned that three Photocopy People had been captured, and that their numbers suggested the Librarians might have created as many as fifty-one copies of him.
• The warden told Xiao Ran that the three shared some memories but had distinct later experiences, identical genetic markers, and physical abilities far beyond ordinary soldiers.
• Xiao Ran decided to route his orders through trusted intermediaries and considered ways to verify the identities of military and government leaders.
• Xiao Ran entered the visitation room and saw the three bound Photocopy People, two older and one younger, whose appearances resembled him but whose temperaments differed.

Xiao Ran persuaded three of his Photocopy Persons to reveal the Librarians’ forces, plans, and base locations, then learned that Prayer led their armed forces and that they were preparing to mass-produce powerful soldiers. He planned to join the campaign against the Librarians’ Earth bases while keeping their main space base secret from ZAFT and preparing an Orb-led assault.

• Xiao Ran told the three Photocopy Persons that they were independent people and offered to spare them if they shared what they knew about the Librarians.
• The youngest Photocopy Person revealed that the Librarians had created one hundred copies of Xiao Ran, that Prayer commanded their armed forces, and that Gena Rond led their MS unit.
• The young man disclosed the Librarians’ plans, including the Mass Production of Strongest Soldier Plan, and provided locations for Earth bases and coordinates for their space base.
• Xiao Ran ordered the warden to protect the three, compile their testimony, and keep the information secret.
• Xiao Ran identified Prayer as a resurrected clone of Mu’s father and decided Orb should handle the main space base without ZAFT, while the Earth bases could be targeted jointly.
• Xiao Ran postponed a direct assault because the main base’s strength and the number of Photocopy Persons there were unknown.

Luo joined Akatsuki Works and accelerated the development of Orb’s mass-produced mecha while beginning a customized machine designed around Xiao Ran’s needs. Xiao Ran brought Sven, Emilio, Moody, and Shams to Akatsuki Works and asked Luo to prepare suitable mecha for them as well.

• Orb’s remaining high-level combatants were limited after the other participants left for space, and Sven, Emilio, Moody, and Shams lacked mecha of their own.
• Luo joined Akatsuki Works as technical director alongside Symonds and finalized blueprints for new mass-produced mecha equipped with Dragon Fangs.
• Luo began designing a customized mecha for Xiao Ran to address Justice Gundam’s strain under high-output combat and to better suit his abilities.
• Xiao Ran brought Sven, Emilio, Moody, and Shams to Akatsuki Works and instructed Luo to quickly develop mecha tailored to their different skills and combat styles.

Luo assessed Sven, Emilio, Moody, and Shams and built each of them a custom Astray-based mecha while Orb completed D.S.S.D's relocation and fought off an Earth Force interception. After a month of preparation, Durandal invited Xiao Ran to Gibraltar for a joint speech and press conference aimed at LOGOS, and the four new machines were delivered.

• Luo tested the four pilots, identified their combat specialties, and designed suitable mecha for each.
• Orb and D.S.S.D's relocation fleet broke through an Earth Force blockade in space, suffering some losses but reaching safety.
• Luo began manufacturing four Astray-based machines, while Bargyll and the Minerva eliminated Librarian bases in ZAFT territory and uncovered collaborators and spies.
• Orb, the Scrap Merchant Guild, and D.S.S.D completed a new facility on an isolated island, and Durandal invited Xiao Ran to Gibraltar to address the public and confront LOGOS.
• Luo delivered the four machines to Sven, Emilio, Moody, and Shams, each equipped to suit its pilot's abilities.

Xiao Ran led Sven and the other pilots to Gibraltar to meet Durandal and discuss joining forces against LOGOS. The four new units and their pilots arrived safely, while the leaders prepared to negotiate the forces and terms of the coming campaign.

• Luo completed four nuclear-powered units, including Emilio’s transforming quadrupedal unit, and Xiao Ran took them and their pilots toward Gibraltar.
• Xiao Ran left Orb’s defense to the participants, Luo, Murrue Ramius, Mina, and her subordinates, then escorted the aircraft to Gibraltar in the Justice Gundam.
• Shinn’s Impulse Gundam, Athrun’s Blazing Tiger, and other ZAFT units escorted Xiao Ran’s group safely into the Gibraltar base.
• Xiao Ran greeted Durandal and joined him at the base, while Sven, Moody, Shams, and Emilio headed to the Second Archangel.
• Durandal hosted Xiao Ran and the Orb delegation at a formal dinner attended by senior ZAFT and PLANT officials, where both sides prepared to negotiate their campaign against LOGOS.

Xiao Ran and Durandal finalized plans to expose LOGOS and discussed how Orb and ZAFT would confront it. Xiao Ran committed Orb to the effort, beginning with limited forces and expanding its deployment after the revelations took effect.

• Xiao Ran assured Durandal that Orb would fight those who continued to support LOGOS and threaten peace.
• Durandal provided Xiao Ran with intelligence identifying LOGOS members, their associates, and key strongholds, including people connected to Orb.
• Xiao Ran said Orb's implicated figures had already been arrested and named additional people he wanted included in the public list.
• Xiao Ran and Durandal agreed not to interfere in each other's handling of Orb and PLANT or ZAFT while preparing to expose LOGOS.
• Xiao Ran said Orb would initially send the Second Archangel and three fleets alongside ZAFT, then commit all its forces after innocent people had separated from LOGOS.

Xiao Ran and Durandal agreed on Orb and ZAFT’s cooperation against LOGOS, while each secretly planned to outmaneuver the other after the Earth Force fell apart. The next morning, Athrun, Heine, and Lunamaria visited Xiao Ran, and Athrun told him that the press conference was scheduled for that afternoon.

• Xiao Ran and Durandal agreed that Orb would initially deploy three fleets against confirmed LOGOS forces and divided the spoils three parts to ZAFT and one to Orb.
• Xiao Ran and Durandal toured Gibraltar Base, then Durandal escorted Xiao Ran back to his room.
• Athrun visited Xiao Ran the next morning with Heine and Lunamaria, who thanked Xiao Ran for his hospitality and welcomed the chance to meet him.
• Xiao Ran spoke with the three visitors and asked Athrun what had brought them there.
• Athrun told Xiao Ran that Durandal had scheduled a press conference and speech for two that afternoon and asked him to arrive early.

Xiao Ran reviewed the Orb-ZAFT agreement and appeared with Gilhert Durandal at a press conference where Durandal accused the Earth Force of massacring civilians. Miriallia decided that she and Dearka would return to Orb after she spoke with Athrun.

• Xiao Ran hosted Athrun, Lunamaria, and Heine for breakfast, then planned how to build their trust in Orb.
• Xiao Ran reviewed the final agreement for the press conference and found its terms matched what he and Durandal had agreed upon.
• Miriallia recognized Xiao Ran, Athrun, and others at the press conference, then told Dearka she wanted them to return to Orb after she spoke with Athrun.
• Xiao Ran and Gilhert Durandal greeted the reporters and took their seats as cameras flashed.
• Durandal showed footage of Earth Force attacks on civilians and the Destroy Gundam, condemning the Earth Force for its atrocities.

Durandal publicly blamed LOGOS for perpetuating war and vowed to destroy it, then Xiao Ran endorsed his accusation and described how LOGOS manipulated the Earth Force. Xiao Ran began laying out Orb’s failures and his own experience in the Earth Force, leaving the reporters poised to hear more about LOGOS’s control.

• Durandal accused LOGOS of creating wars and revealed the identities and information of its members to the world.
• Xiao Ran praised Durandal, then took the microphone as reporters and representatives gathered around him.
• Xiao Ran acknowledged Orb’s concessions and failures to prevent war, mediate between ZAFT and the Earth Force, or expose LOGOS sooner.
• Xiao Ran said the Earth Force had left Junius 7 without assistance, then revealed that he had served aboard a LOGOS-commanded ship and disobeyed orders to help destroy the falling colony.
• Xiao Ran explained that LOGOS had deceived Earth Force soldiers and used them to fight for its own interests.

Xiao Ran declared war on LOGOS and urged Earth Force personnel to defect to Orb, triggering widespread rebellion and defections that weakened the Earth Force and strengthened Orb. As Durandal considered the threat posed by Orb’s rapid growth, he studied a document revealing an Earth Force and LOGOS superweapon on the Moon capable of destroying Orb.

• Xiao Ran declared Orb’s war against LOGOS, called on Earth Force personnel to leave, and promised Orb would protect those who defected within three months.
• Durandal realized Xiao Ran’s appeal would draw more defectors to Orb than to ZAFT, while civilians and Earth Force soldiers erupted into riots across Earth Force territories.
• Earth Force ships, aircraft, and MS units defected, and regions including the East Asian Federation withdrew from the Earth Force and joined PLANT and Orb.
• Xiao Ran returned to Orb aboard the Second Archangel as three fleets headed to the western Eurasian Federation to support the fight against LOGOS.
• Durandal chose to let the Earth Force fracture rather than attack, but worried that Orb’s growing strength threatened his plans.
• Durandal examined a photograph of a lunar superweapon jointly built by the Earth Force and LOGOS that could destroy Orb.

After returning to Orb, Xiao Ran triggered Main Mission Two and prepared to lead an operation against LOGOS, while also changing his plans to strike the Librarian before it could join forces with LOGOS. He coordinated with Durandal to attack the Librarian’s space base and assembled the Silver Hand and Orb forces for deployment.

• Mina welcomed former Earth Force soldiers into Orb, offering military service or legitimate identities and generous compensation for the ships and MS they brought.
• Cagalli tried to leave her residence to confront Xiao Ran but was stopped and returned to her room, while rumors about her conduct spread with Mina’s tacit approval.
• Xiao Ran’s return and press conference triggered Main Mission Two for him and the Orb faction, requiring participants to dismantle LOGOS and reach 60% individual completion.
• Xiao Ran reconsidered his plans after recalling the Librarian’s past cooperation with the Earth Force and decided to attack its headquarters before it could join forces with LOGOS.
• Xiao Ran contacted Durandal, who agreed to send ZAFT fleets and the Minerva to join Orb’s operation against the Librarian base.
• Xiao Ran gathered the Silver Hand and prepared to head into space, bringing the Kusanagi back into service because the Second Archangel could not carry all their MS.

Xiao Ran assembled Orb, ZAFT, and the Silver Hand for a joint operation to destroy the Librarian’s base. After the fleets converged in space, he began briefing their leaders on the threat they faced.

• Xiao Ran prepared to join the operation with Luo, while Mina stayed in Orb and Mayu remained behind for her safety.
• Luo completed a new twin-engine backpack for the Midnight Gundam, which Kira adjusted, while Athrun was assigned the black Savior Gundam.
• The Second Archangel and Kusanagi joined two ZAFT fleets in space, and Cruze’s Orb Fleet arrived at the rendezvous.
• The combined force headed deeper into space instead of toward the Moon, confusing the Earth Force, which had prepared defenses there.
• Bargyll briefed the assembled captains on intelligence and coordinates for the Librarian’s main base, then Xiao Ran warned them that its technology rivaled Orb’s and ZAFT’s.

Xiao Ran warned the fleet about the Librarian’s formidable forces and loaned Athrun a black Savior Gundam for the coming battle. As the fleet approached the hidden headquarters, Xiao Ran’s Justice Gundam accelerated and fired into the Mirage System’s concealment.

• Xiao Ran briefed the commanders on the Librarian’s powerful Photocopy Person pilots, advanced mobile suits, Mirage System, and unknown forces.
• Xiao Ran offered Athrun the black Savior Gundam, and Captain Talia agreed that Athrun would pilot it for the battle.
• Athrun returned to the Minerva in the Savior Gundam, surprising Lunamaria, who recognized the machine and asked about its origins.
• The fleet approached the Librarian’s hidden base, led by Xiao Ran’s Justice Gundam, Cruze’s Destiny Gundam Custom, and Luo’s Red Dragon Gundam.
• Xiao Ran’s Justice Gundam surged ahead and unleashed green rays at the Mirage System hiding the headquarters.

Xiao Ran unleashed Justice Gundam’s full GN Particle power and exposed the Librarian’s hidden base, starting a battle between the combined Orb and ZAFT fleet and a large enemy force. As the fighting began, Durandal suspected that Rau Le Creuset was piloting Destiny Gundam Custom and feared that he had joined Xiao Ran.

• Justice Gundam spread green GN Particles across the starfield as Xiao Ran used his Innovator abilities to process the battlefield’s information.
• Xiao Ran’s GN Dragoons destroyed several Mirage System-equipped units and revealed a massive structure and hidden MA near the fleet.
• Bargyll and Captain Talia ordered their warships to disperse and launch Anti-Beam Flares as enemy mobile suits emerged and attacked.
• Durandal ordered Meyrin Hawke to compare Destiny Gundam Custom’s movements with data for Rau Le Creuset and Destiny Gundam from two years earlier.
• Meyrin discovered that Cruze’s official record listed him as MIA, while Durandal worried that Cruze had allied with Xiao Ran and learned his plans.

Durandal grew fearful that Cruze and Orb were manipulating events, then learned Orb’s Destiny Gundam Custom closely matched ZAFT’s Destiny Gundam. Meanwhile, Xiao Ran’s forces battled the Librarian’s fleet, where specialized weapons countered Justice Gundam’s Dragon Fangs and left the fight unresolved.

• Durandal suspected Cruze had joined Orb and feared that Cruze, Xiao Ran, and Lacus could expose his role in Junius 7’s fall.
• Meyrin reported that Orb’s Destiny Gundam Custom shared an eighty-five-percent similarity with ZAFT’s Destiny Gundam, leaving Durandal stunned.
• Xiao Ran’s GN Dragoon detected and attacked Blitz Gundam derivatives, revealing the Librarian’s massive space base and triggering a battle between its forces and the United Forces.
• Cruze engaged the Fubuki Destiny Gundam, while Gena Londe’s Purple Astray Mirage Unit gained the upper hand against Red Dragon Gundam and its allies.
• A massive Librarian MA deployed anti-Dragon Fang weapons that destroyed several of Xiao Ran’s GN Dragoons and restricted Justice Gundam.
• Xiao Ran switched combat modes to fight at range and in melee, and the battle began to shift after Kira and Athrun joined the fight.

Xiao Ran abandoned long-range attacks and used Justice Gundam’s speed to fight back against the coordinated enemies that had restricted its GN Dragoons. Kira and Athrun joined the main battle, with Athrun engaging the Purple Mirage Unit while the others went to support the fleet.

• Kira and Athrun cleared the Blitz Gundam derivatives, then found the allied forces struggling against the Librarians’ units and the Purple Mirage Unit.
• Xiao Ran realized that enemy coordination and magnetic floating devices had neutralized Justice Gundam’s GN Dragoons, so he switched to high-speed close-range combat.
• Kira and Athrun rushed toward the main battlefield, and Kira asked Athrun to help Mu, Luo, and Billy against the Purple Mirage Unit.
• Athrun’s Black Savior Gundam attacked the Purple Mirage Unit, then engaged it directly as Luo, Mu, and Billy withdrew to assist elsewhere.
• Justice Gundam became a streak of red light and resumed its assault, while Black Savior Gundam and the Purple Mirage Unit fought at close range.

Xiao Ran used Justice Gundam to test his close-range combat skills after his GN Dragoons were restricted, cutting through the enemy formation and destroying both Freedom customs. He then flew toward the massive MA as the battlefield struggled to understand how he had escaped encirclement.

• Xiao Ran relied on Justice Gundam’s speed and evasive movements to charge through enemy fire toward a Freedom custom.
• Justice Gundam destroyed four units that tried to restrain it, then evaded another group and reached the first Freedom custom.
• Xiao Ran blocked the Freedom custom’s attacks with a GN Sword-type BIT shield and destroyed it with a Beam Saber through its cockpit.
• While enemy attacks and magnetic remote devices closed in, Justice Gundam vanished and reappeared near the second Freedom custom, which soon exploded.
• Justice Gundam flew toward the massive MA, leaving Kira and Durandal stunned by how Xiao Ran had escaped encirclement.

Xiao Ran redirected Justice Gundam to support the main battle after discovering Midnight Gundam could counter the giant MA’s magnetic weapons. With Kira assigned to destroy the MA, Xiao Ran entered the melee and began a devastating assault on the Librarians.

• Durandal watched Justice Gundam appear elsewhere and suspected its teleportation-like movement came from the green particles.
• Kira followed Xiao Ran and launched Midnight Gundam’s Dragon Fangs, which proved immune to the magnetic floating devices.
• Xiao Ran recognized that Midnight Gundam’s Yasakani no Magatama Armor protected its Dragon Fangs from the magnetic weapons and ordered Kira to take on the giant MA.
• Xiao Ran redirected Justice Gundam to the fiercest fighting and requested replacement GN Dragon Fangs from Bargyll aboard the Second Archangel.
• Justice Gundam joined the battle with its GN Dragon Fangs and Sword-type BIT, beginning a slaughter of the Librarians.

Xiao Ran halted the battle after Prea requested surrender and offered information about the Librarians’ worldwide bases and plans. Prea asked for help rescuing the Photocopy Persons, and Xiao Ran agreed on the condition that all Photocopy Person data and those being manufactured were destroyed.

• Xiao Ran’s Justice Gundam overwhelmed the enemy forces, while Prea’s damaged Blizzard Destiny Gundam approached and asked to stop fighting.
• Xiao Ran ordered his forces to cease combat, and Talia relayed the order to ZAFT with Durandal’s approval; Prea also began withdrawing the Librarians’ forces.
• Prea offered to surrender and reveal the locations of Photocopy Person bases and the people controlling them, explaining that the Librarians planned to seize power across Earth and space.
• Xiao Ran questioned Prea about special Photocopy Persons and considered whether accepting the surrender would satisfy his Side Mission.
• Prea asked Xiao Ran to rescue his compatriots and provide them a place to survive, and Xiao Ran agreed on the condition that all Photocopy Person data and those being manufactured were destroyed.