Chapter Summaries

Xiao Ran’s Black Astray engaged Yzak’s Duel Gundam while Kira struggled against Athrun’s Aegis Gundam. Seeing the Black Astray in danger, Kira awakened SEED Mode and launched a rapid counterattack against the Aegis and Rage Gundams.

• The Black Astray returned from underwater and attacked the Duel Gundam, while the Skygrasper sortied and the Archangel continued fighting ZAFT’s forces.
• Yzak pursued Xiao Ran and forced the Black Astray into close combat as Kira’s Strike Gundam remained blocked by Athrun’s Aegis Gundam.
• Xiao Ran tried to strike the Duel Gundam’s flight unit, but the machines collided and Yzak’s Beam Sword cut a wing from the Black Astray’s Flight Pack.
• Kira awakened SEED Mode after seeing Xiao Ran’s machine damaged, then threw his shield and fired at the Duel Gundam to protect him.
• Kira maneuvered beneath the shield to attack the Aegis Gundam, severed the Rage Gundam’s claw anchor, and seized its cable while aiming his gun at the Rage Gundam.

Xiao Ran’s Black Astray was crippled during the battle, and Kira’s Strike Gundam fought to protect it from Duel Gundam’s attacks. After the Black Astray plunged into the sea, Xiao Ran found himself face-to-face with Buster Gundam and the disabled Rage Gundam, and launched a sudden attack.

• Kira’s intervention let Xiao Ran escape Duel Gundam, while Strike Gundam tore apart Rage Gundam and disabled Buster Gundam’s aircraft.
• Athrun ordered the ZAFT forces to retreat, but Yzak refused and attacked Strike Gundam and the Black Astray.
• Xiao Ran pulled Strike Gundam out of Duel Gundam’s line of fire and shielded it, but railgun shots and missiles sent the damaged Black Astray crashing into the sea.
• Kira charged Duel Gundam after seeing the Black Astray fall, while Xiao Ran spotted Buster Gundam holding the disabled Rage Gundam nearby.
• Xiao Ran drew the Black Astray’s two Physical Swords and charged at Buster Gundam and Rage Gundam.

Xiao Ran pursued Buster Gundam and Blitz Gundam underwater, then used a Ship-cutting Sword delivered by Skygrasper Unit 2 to disable them. Their apparent destruction stunned Yzak and Athrun, giving Kira an opening to cripple Duel Gundam as Athrun swore revenge.

• Black Astray chased Buster Gundam and Blitz Gundam underwater while Dearka refused to abandon Nicol, and Athrun tried to help them but was held back by Kira’s Strike Gundam.
• Archangel took damage from two Ginns and turned toward nearby islands, while Mu headed for a Submersible Battleship and Skygrasper Unit 2 launched to support Xiao Ran.
• Xiao Ran repeatedly struck Buster Gundam without targeting Blitz Gundam’s weak points, then received Strike Gundam’s Physical Ship-cutting Sword from Skygrasper Unit 2.
• Black Astray dodged Blitz Gundam’s missiles, unleashed its full performance with Xiao Ran’s Mental Power, and struck both machines, sending a plume of water into the air as their signals turned red.
• Yzak and Athrun froze at the apparent loss of Dearka and Nicol, and Kira used the opening to tear apart Duel Gundam before Athrun vowed to kill him.

After Tolle died in the battle, Xiao Ran recovered the surviving pilots and wreckage while struggling to contain his grief. He fell asleep after rescue teams reached the island, then awoke to find them searching for Kira and inspecting the destroyed machines.

• Xiao Ran returned to the island carrying the damaged Gundams and saw Tolle's body in the wreckage of Skygrasper Unit 2.
• Luo arrived, helped Xiao Ran remove Kira from Strike Gundam, and took him away after Xiao Ran warned him not to go to Orb.
• Xiao Ran rescued Nicol and Dearka from their cockpits and found Athrun injured on the beach.
• Xiao Ran argued with Cagalli after she accused him of failing to protect his students, then told her where the captured pilots were.
• Xiao Ran sent the rescue teams the pilots' locations, fell asleep, and later woke to find them searching for Kira and inspecting the wreckage.

After the battle, Xiao Ran reviewed his rewards and worried that the Archangel had departed without Dearka. A new mission tasked him with recruiting Dearka and Nicol to Orb, just as Cagalli arrived to say Dearka wanted to see him.

• Hundreds of people searched the island for Kira, while the person who knew his whereabouts kept silent.
• Athrun, Nicol, and Dearka recovered aboard a medical ship, and Xiao Ran learned that their injuries were not severe.
• Orb secretly transported the Black Astray and the salvaged mobile suits to Akatsuki Works to collect their data and wreckage.
• Xiao Ran tallied 4,000 Merit Points, improved his piloting skill, and found that his exclusive mecha mission was nearly complete.
• Xiao Ran received a side mission to recruit Dearka Elsman and Nicol Amalfi to Orb, with an exclusive mecha as the reward.
• Cagalli entered Xiao Ran's room and told him that the Buster Gundam pilot wanted to see him.

Xiao Ran met with Dearka and pressured him to join Orb, offering to repair and return Buster Gundam and Blitz Gundam. Dearka reluctantly agreed, while Xiao Ran left him to persuade Nicol as well.

• Cagalli led Xiao Ran to Dearka's room, then went to visit Athrun.
• Dearka asked why Xiao Ran had spared him and Nicol, and Xiao Ran said he wanted them to become comrades fighting for peace.
• Xiao Ran asked Dearka and Nicol to temporarily join Orb in exchange for having their Gundams repaired and returned.
• When Dearka refused, Xiao Ran threatened to keep him imprisoned and conceal his survival from ZAFT.
• Xiao Ran also teased Dearka by offering to introduce him to women, and Dearka reluctantly agreed to join Orb and persuade Nicol.

Xiao Ran arranged for Orb to secretly imprison Dearka and Nicol while Athrun recovered and was sent back to ZAFT. He told Cagalli that Orb would soon face war and that Kira was alive, leaving her relieved and eager to learn more.

• Dearka agreed to cooperate with Xiao Ran while secretly hoping to escape with Nicol once they reached Orb.
• Xiao Ran persuaded Cagalli to conceal Dearka and Nicol, and Orb secretly transferred the two pilots to Akatsuki Works for imprisonment.
• Athrun woke and spoke with Cagalli about Kira while Xiao Ran stayed nearby to keep the other pilots' survival secret.
• ZAFT sent an aircraft to collect Athrun, and Cagalli tearfully warned him to be careful before he left with Yzak.
• Xiao Ran told Cagalli that Orb needed to unite its forces against an approaching war and revealed that Kira was alive.

Xiao Ran convinced Asaha to keep Nicol and Dearka in Orb, then released them from their cells under strict restrictions. He showed them Akatsuki Works’ plans to repair and modify their Gundams and told them they would pilot the upgraded units.

• Xiao Ran told Asaha that Orb needed Nicol and Dearka’s strength and piloting experience to prepare for the coming war.
• After Xiao Ran left, Orb’s Intelligence Department activated its spies in the Earth Force and ZAFT.
• Xiao Ran learned from Luo that Kira had been sent to PLANT, then visited Nicol and Dearka after keeping them detained for three days.
• Xiao Ran freed Nicol and Dearka from their cells but kept explosive tracking shackles on their ankles and escorted them to Akatsuki Works.
• Xiao Ran explained plans to improve Buster Gundam’s weapons and armor and give Blitz Gundam a flight pack and stronger armament.
• Xiao Ran told Dearka and Nicol that they would pilot the modified Gundams and that their opinions would help guide the modifications.

Xiao Ran received a mission to escort Kira Yamato and protect the Archangel, prompting him to seek help from Dearka and Nicol. After revealing the threat of ZAFT’s gamma Ray Cannon and his plans to protect Lacus, he persuaded the two pilots to join him.

• Nicol asked about Blitz Gundam’s upgrades, while Dearka requested that Buster Gundam retain its combined long-range weapons; Xiao Ran agreed to both requests.
• Xiao Ran kept Dearka and Nicol at Akatsuki Works, where they shared piloting advice and secretly provided combat data for Orb’s MS Unit.
• Xiao Ran received Main Mission Three: escort Kira Yamato safely out of PLANT and protect the Archangel until it returned to Orb.
• Xiao Ran suspected that PLANT’s factions were in upheaval and told Dearka and Nicol that ZAFT planned an assault on Alaska and had built a nuclear-powered gamma Ray Cannon capable of devastating Earth.
• Xiao Ran removed his mask and asked Dearka and Nicol to help protect Lacus and pursue peace; Dearka and Nicol agreed to join him.

Xiao Ran secured Asaha's support to travel to PLANT and investigate ZAFT's nuclear weapons, with orders to rescue Siegel Klein if the Klein Faction faced a purge. As Akatsuki Works rushed to prepare the mobile suits, Xiao Ran began adjusting his Black Astray for the mission.

• Xiao Ran won Dearka and Nicol's cooperation, freed them from their shackles, and asked Erica Symonds to prepare the Buster Gundam, Rage Gundam, and Black Astray.
• Xiao Ran warned Erica that ZAFT had developed an N-Jammer Canceller and a Nuclear Induction Gamma Ray Cannon, and she agreed to keep the information secret and prepare the mobile suits within a day.
• Xiao Ran asked Erica to contact Luo and arrange transport for three mobile suits, while Nicol and Dearka went to Akatsuki Works to help with repairs.
• Lord Asaha approved Xiao Ran's trip to PLANT and ordered him to rescue Siegel Klein if ZAFT began purging the Klein Faction.
• Xiao Ran rested overnight, then went to Akatsuki Works, where Nicol and Dearka worked on the Blitz Gundam and Buster Gundam while he adjusted the Black Astray.

Xiao Ran, Nicol, and Dearka launched into space aboard an unmanned Transport Aircraft after completing major upgrades to Buster Gundam and Blitz Gundam. They reached the Salvage House’s ship and found a battle underway, so Xiao Ran rushed to aid the apparent friendlies while Dearka guarded the ship.

• The Technicians completed the upgraded Buster Gundam and Blitz Gundam after working through the night.
• Erica gave Xiao Ran a storage card with the ship’s coordinates and warned that the Transport Aircraft would self-destruct one minute after reaching its destination.
• Xiao Ran, Nicol, and Dearka launched from Orb aboard the unmanned Transport Aircraft and piloted their mecha out once it reached orbit.
• The three mecha regrouped and flew toward the Salvage House’s ship, where they found Astray Red Frame, BuCUE, Astray Gold Frame, and an unknown unit fighting.
• Xiao Ran ordered Nicol to support the Red Mecha and BuCUE and told Dearka to protect the ship; Dearka fired Buster Gundam’s combined cannons at Astray Gold Frame.

Xiao Ran and the arriving reinforcements turned the battle against the Gold Astray and Sword Calamities, and the Black Astray destroyed Artillery Calamity. The Gold Astray and two Sword Calamities regrouped, then vanished or fled in separate directions.

• The Black Astray, Buster Gundam, and Rage Gundam arrived, forcing Sword Calamity to abandon its attack on Luo’s BuCUE.
• Xiao Ran identified more enemy machines, ordered the BuCUE back to the ship, and charged Artillery Calamity in the Black Astray.
• Buster Gundam’s fire split Artillery Calamity from the second Sword Calamity while the other allies held off the Gold Astray and Sword Calamity.
• Xiao Ran dodged Artillery Calamity’s fire, damaged its right arm with the combined Beam Rifles, and destroyed it with a follow-up beam strike.
• The Gold Astray and two Sword Calamities regrouped, then Rondo shouted that he would win as the Gold Astray vanished and the Sword Calamities charged in opposite directions.

The Blue Astray intervened in the battle, helping the Red Astray defeat Lund’s Gold Astray and forcing the remaining enemies to retreat. After the pilots escaped aboard the Junk Guild ship, Xiao Ran explained his plan to Murrue Ramius and Luo: assess ZAFT’s Gamma Ray Cannon and protect Lacus Klein.

• Murrue Ramius arrived in the Blue Astray and severed the Gold Astray’s arm and hooked katana, freeing Luo’s Red Astray.
• Luo disabled the Gold Astray, and Murrue destroyed it; together with Blitz, Buster, and Duel, they drove off the Sword Calamitys and Black Astray.
• The Junk Guild ship recovered the Astrays and Gundams and fled, while an Orb warship later recovered the Gold Astray.
• Murrue told Xiao Ran he would support the mission in exchange for using Akatsuki Works’ equipment to modify the Blue Mecha.
• After Dearka and Nicol went to rest, Xiao Ran told Murrue and Luo that they must determine the Gamma Ray Cannon’s status and protect Lacus Klein, then wait for an opportunity.

Xiao Ran reunited with Lacus and Kira in PLANT, learned that ZAFT planned to attack the Alaska base, and urged Lacus to help prevent the use of a devastating weapon. Kira decided to return to Earth to protect his friends, while Xiao Ran arranged for Dearka to accompany him and warned them about Alaska’s Cyclops System.

• Yamakiburi Juri and Liam entered April City first, allowing Xiao Ran, Nicol, and Dearka to reach the Klein estate without inspection.
• Lacus introduced Xiao Ran to Kira, who grieved over Tolle’s death and blamed himself for failing to protect him.
• Xiao Ran told Lacus about ZAFT’s N-Jammer Canceller and the Nuclear Induction Gamma Ray Cannon, and Lacus learned that ZAFT planned to attack the Alaska base rather than Panama.
• Kira decided to return to Earth and fight to change the situation, and Lacus prepared uniforms for the group before announcing that she would sing the Song of Peace.
• Xiao Ran asked Dearka to accompany Kira, warned them about the Cyclops System beneath Alaska, and told them to rescue the Archangel and then go to Orb.

Xiao Ran and Lacus helped Kira take the Freedom Gundam from the ZAFT base, while Nicol and Dearka joined their cause. As the Freedom battled the newly appeared Rebirth Gundam in space, Xiao Ran rushed to summon his machine, leaving the Archangel’s peril unresolved.

• Lacus led Kira and Xiao Ran into the ZAFT base, where Kira entered the Freedom Gundam and launched into space.
• Lacus took Xiao Ran to a hideout in May City, while Nicol and Dearka returned to the ship and decided to support Lacus’s efforts for peace.
• Kira fought off Ginns in the Freedom Gundam before a transforming ZAFT machine confronted him, and Dearka and Nicol intervened with the Buster Gundam and Blitz Gundam.
• Xiao Ran received confirmation that Nicol Amalfi and Dearka Elsman had been recruited, then left April City with Lacus aboard a Shuttlecraft.
• Lacus and Xiao Ran saw the Freedom Gundam battling the Rebirth Gundam, and Xiao Ran contacted George to have Luo bring his machine to the battle.

Xiao Ran joined the battle in the Black Astray, helped Kira and the others escape, and then turned back to confront the disarmed Rebirth Gundam. He left the chapter preparing to destroy it with Nicol’s support.

• Xiao Ran boarded the Black Astray from a Transport Aircraft and raced toward the battlefield.
• Xiao Ran destroyed several Ginns and disabled a GOUF while telling Kira to escape with the Buster Gundam.
• Kira freed the Freedom Gundam from the Rebirth Gundam and carried the Buster Gundam away, while Xiao Ran and Nicol withdrew in the Black Astray and Rage Gundam.
• The Rebirth Gundam pursued Xiao Ran and Nicol, but they kept their distance and forced it to stop.
• Xiao Ran turned the Black Astray back toward the disarmed Rebirth Gundam and asked Nicol to support his attack.

Xiao Ran and Nicol fought the superior Rebirth Gundam and destroyed it with a coordinated attack. They escaped the explosion, and Xiao Ran received a mission reward, an exclusive mecha, and a promotion to Corporal.

• Xiao Ran and Nicol decided to destroy the Rebirth Gundam so Luo and the other Scrap Dealers would not be drawn into the conflict.
• Xiao Ran and Nicol attacked the Rebirth Gundam with the Black Astray and Blitz Gundam, but its speed and performance gave it the advantage.
• Xiao Ran detached the Black Astray's Flight Pack to evade a strike, and Nicol continued to engage the Rebirth Gundam with the Blitz Gundam.
• The Rebirth Gundam trapped the Blitz Gundam, but Xiao Ran used his Mental Power to slash off both mechas' arms and the Rebirth Gundam's shoulder appendages.
• Xiao Ran stabbed the Rebirth Gundam with the Black Astray's Beam Swords, grabbed the Blitz Gundam, and escaped with Nicol before the Rebirth Gundam exploded.
• Xiao Ran received 4,000 Merit Points, completed his mecha-exclusive mission, converted the Black Astray into an exclusive mecha, and was promoted to Corporal.

After Xiao Ran and Nicol returned from destroying the Rebirth Gundam, Kira and Dearka found Earth Force holding the Alaska front with powerful mass-produced G Series machines. The Freedom Gundam’s arrival triggered a side mission for every participant to destroy it, and more than ten machines immediately aimed at it.

• Xiao Ran and Nicol withdrew to the salvage ship after destroying the Rebirth Gundam, earning Xiao Ran 4,000 Merit Points and a clearance promotion.
• Xiao Ran credited Nicol for helping him defeat the Rebirth Gundam, while Luo worried over the damage to their machines.
• Kira and Dearka found more than twenty powerful G Series machines defending Alaska for Earth Force, while participants on both sides pursued their faction missions.
• The Freedom Gundam landed beside the Archangel, triggering a side mission for all participants to destroy it for 5,000 Merit Points and an exclusive machine.
• More than ten machines aimed their weapons at the Freedom Gundam.

Participants from both factions accepted a Side Mission to destroy the Freedom Gundam for five thousand Merit Points and an exclusive unit, but some withdrew after judging the target too dangerous. Kira unleashed the Freedom Gundam’s All-gun Deployment against the attackers, leaving the battlefield filled with explosions.

• Harvey urged Sman and Barnes to pursue the Side Mission, but Barnes and Eshe warned that the Freedom Gundam was dangerous and withdrew from the fight.
• Sman and Barnes retreated after meeting their mission requirements, while Harvey destroyed two warships to earn his remaining completion points before withdrawing.
• More than half the ZAFT participants and over a dozen Earth Force participants accepted the mission and attacked the Freedom Gundam as it stood near the Archangel.
• Mwu ordered evasive maneuvers, and Kira told Dearka to protect the Archangel before the Freedom Gundam evaded the attacks and rose into the sky.
• Kira activated the Freedom Gundam’s All-gun Deployment and rapidly fired at the Earth Force and ZAFT units, destroying attackers across the battlefield.
• Participants who had accepted the mission watched their units get hit, while some continued charging the Freedom Gundam and a chain of explosions brought the battlefield to a halt.

Kira and Mu warned the Earth Force and ZAFT that the Cyclops System beneath Alaska was about to self-destruct, then worked to get both sides to evacuate. Yzak ordered ZAFT to retreat after Eshe rescued him, while Flay remained missing.

• Kira learned Flay was missing and blamed Mu and Bargyll for letting her leave the Archangel.
• Kira announced the Cyclops System’s imminent self-destruction, and Mu ordered the Earth Force to surrender and evacuate.
• Dearka told Yzak to retreat and revealed he had stopped fighting for ZAFT, but Yzak charged the Archangel to take him back.
• Kira disarmed Yzak and ordered him to leave, and Eshe’s DEEN carried the Duel Gundam away from the battle.
• Eshe asked Yzak to order ZAFT to retreat, and Yzak used Ezalia Joule’s name to command the forces to evacuate.