Perhaps it was because of those technologies, or perhaps because of Cagalli's sincere smile in those photos—photos of her holding Xiao Ran's arm and Shanamia's arm—that Asaha came to believe that everything Xiao Ran had said was true. But as Orb's leader, even if he fully believed Xiao Ran in his heart, he would still take the necessary precautions.
Xiao Ran had never particularly liked taking pictures, but things had changed after Shanamia became pregnant. With the smart mask in hand, he took plenty of photos every day and had others take plenty of photos of him as well. The pictures Asaha saw had all been taken when Cagalli and the others came to visit Shanamia.
After heading to Akatsuki Works, Xiao Ran gave the Technicians there, including Symonds, a detailed explanation based on his own understanding and knowledge of the technology. After that, there was nothing left for him to do. After all, he had not come from a technical background, and there was no point in staying at Akatsuki Works.
The Nadeshiko appeared to have already headed for Mars, but the fact that it had escaped after the Earth Force surrounded Nigal Heavy Industries had caused major changes in the world situation. From Asaha, Xiao Ran also learned the Earth Force's true intention behind surrounding Nigal Heavy Industries in an attempt to seize the Nadeshiko.
The Earth Force already planned to issue a military warning to PLANT—or rather, launch a deterrent attack to force PLANT completely under Earth Force control. The prerequisite was possessing a special Military Strength capable of suppressing ZAFT, which was why the Nadeshiko and the units belonging to various special organizations had become Earth Force targets.
But the Nadeshiko escaped, and certain institutions, such as the Photon Research Institute, came under even greater pressure