Xiao Ran had initially intended to send these children to the nearest ZAFT base, but on second thought, that would not have been appropriate. First, they were still far too close to Earth Force-controlled territory. Although it was said to be only an hour away, that was under ideal conditions and would require the warships to fly at full speed.
Second, even if there really was a ZAFT base nearby, it was likely only a frontline base. It would not be able to properly care for children who had suffered under the Earth Force.
Third, and most importantly, it would make it too easy to expose them. Ordinary ZAFT personnel did not even know of their unit. Going there on their own initiative would be tantamount to exposing themselves. Exposure itself was not a problem, but their connection to ZAFT absolutely could not be exposed.
Going to Orb was different. First of all, Orb had many secret ports, allowing them to enter one without anyone noticing. Furthermore, Asaha held sole authority in Orb, so he did not need anyone's permission to make transfers or arrangements. They also had sufficient personnel and facilities to treat these children.
Both Orb itself and its secret ports could effectively avoid the Earth Force's attention. They could also borrow some things from Orb before returning to Earth. No matter how one looked at it, heading to Orb was a more suitable choice than going to a ZAFT base.
However, Orb was quite far from here. An hour was definitely impossible; at the very least, it would take around two days. But taking two days to reach Orb would let them avoid the Earth Force's eyes and gain more assistance. By any measure, it was better than going to a ZAFT frontline base.
Once Xiao Ran