The Handover

(Today, my baby got scratched by a dog's tooth. There wasn't any bleeding, but I still rushed them off for a shot. Scared me to death. Also, the votes haven't been very strong these past couple of days! Please vote, please vote!)

I really hadn't expected the Strike Gundam to be only a C-class mecha. Then what would A-class and S-class mecha be like? Xiao Ran mused to himself. He glanced again at the extra 1,500 reward points he had received for completing the mission and smiled helplessly. Completing the mission only gave me 500 reward points. If I hadn't destroyed two Ginns for another 1,000 points, this mission would have been a complete loss. Oh well, as long as I didn't lose anything, I should be satisfied with getting so much for free.

Shaking his head, Xiao Ran closed his eyes and dozed to recover from the exhaustion of battle. More than two hours later, he woke up, took a shower, and headed for the bridge, grabbing several bottles of water from the cafeteria along the way.

On the bridge, Xiao Ran looked at everyone's exhausted faces. After greeting them, he handed out the water he was carrying, then stood beside Mwu and asked, "How is it?"

"Not good." Mwu shook her head grimly and said in a low voice, "The advance fleet's losses were too severe. So far, the rescue teams have found fewer than ten survivors."

Xiao Ran scratched his head. "Wouldn't a Drake-class battleship have at least dozens of crew members?"

Mwu immediately looked up in astonishment and asked incredulously, "I really don't understand how you can be so clever sometimes, yet know nothing about something as basic as this."

"Did I say something wrong?" Xiao Ran spread his hands and curled his lips. "Doesn't the Archangel currently have fewer than a hundred crew members too? And those battleships aren't even as large as the Archangel."

"Now I really believe you were just an ordinary teacher before this." Mwu gave Xiao Ran a speechless look. The heaviness in her heart from the deaths of their allies had unknowingly eased somewhat, and she began explaining the basics to him. "A Drake-class battleship has a standard crew complement of roughly one hundred thirty to one hundred fifty people. If it carries an MA squadron, that number doubles. The Nelson-class battleship was designed specifically to carry MAs, so its standard crew complement is around five hundred, perhaps even more."

Seeing Xiao Ran's surprised expression, Mwu sighed softly. "Although the Archangel exceeds the three-hundred-meter class, aside from its hangars, its internal space is not much different in size from a Nelson-class battleship. As a new type of vessel, it uses new technology and new concepts. Its overall control systems do not require many people to operate, which is why it can sail normally with fewer than a hundred personnel. But the Archangel's standard complement actually exceeds three hundred people. That still isn't its maximum capacity, though. I can't tell you any more than that."

After listening to Mwu, Xiao Ran fell silent and turned to look beyond the bridge. Wreckage and shattered warships were scattered everywhere. "So in just half an hour of fighting, more than a thousand people died?"

"Yes." Mwu nodded lightly.

Xiao Ran stared into the endless universe for a moment, raised his eyebrows, took a slow breath, then turned to Mwu with a smile. "I'd rather pilot an MS outside and die in battle than stay inside a warship and not even know how I died. That feeling is awful."

"Hehe." Mwu smiled. What Xiao Ran had said was also one of the tragedies of fighting in space. If something went wrong with a warship, even if there was time to escape, there was nowhere to run. Sometimes, before one could even react, one would become another piece of space debris along with the ship.

Not long afterward, the silent Mwu suddenly raised her head as though she had just remembered something. "Right. ZAFT contacted us about an hour ago, but I temporarily refused their request for negotiations on the grounds that we were conducting rescue operations."

Xiao Ran spread his hands. "You're the captain. Decide for yourself."

"I'll arrange the timing." Mwu looked at the two Drake-class battleships parked beside the Archangel. "We'll let these two ships leave first. I'll set the time for 2100. A few hours should be enough for them to shake off the enemy. But you'll have to handle the contact with ZAFT and the transfer of personnel. After all, we're still soldiers. Whether we can do something is one matter; whether we're allowed to do it is another."

"Like making a deal with ZAFT?" Xiao Ran laughed. He did not object to Mwu's arrangement. "No problem. But what about Lieutenant Bargyll?"

Mwu smiled brightly. "No problem. Mwu and I have persuaded her."

Hearing that Bargyll would not be involved, Xiao Ran immediately put on a relieved expression and agreed to Mwu's arrangement.

Not long afterward, Mwu began broadcasting throughout the ship. At first, the civilians did not understand why they were being handed over to ZAFT, and they even sent representatives to speak with Mwu. But after Mwu's explanations and assurances, most of them agreed with the Archangel's decision to send them to ZAFT. After all, ZAFT ships were far safer than staying aboard the Archangel, and ZAFT could even send a dedicated ship to take them away. Remaining aboard the Archangel, which still had missions to complete, was simply too dangerous.

Xiao Ran smiled when he saw that the civilians had agreed. He did not know whether saving these unimportant people would earn him a Side Mission, but avoiding their deaths was something he wanted to see as well.

At around 1800, the two Drake-class battleships docked beside the Archangel ignited their engines at the same time. Within moments, they accelerated to maximum speed and departed this star system. Watching the two ships recede farther and farther on the radar, Mwu finally contacted ZAFT and requested that their Shuttlecraft arrive at the Archangel at 2100.

Afterward, Xiao Ran found Kira and told him about the arrangement to return Lacus and the green-uniformed pilot named Moriya. Seeing Kira's grateful expression, he sent Kira to Lacus so they could spend this final stretch of time together.

Kira was naturally grateful because Xiao Ran had proposed returning Lacus. During their past few days together, Kira and Lacus had become close friends who could confide in each other. As for whether Kira had already fallen for Lacus, Xiao Ran did not know. But in any case, whether it was Lacus or Kira, perhaps each had already left their mark on the other's heart, laying the deepest foundation for the future Freedom Gundam incident.

More than two hours later, the appointed time finally arrived. A white Shuttlecraft appeared in front of the Archangel, escorted by the Aegis Gundam and a Ginn flying alongside it.

The Strike Gundam, piloted by Kira, flew over from the side and stopped directly in front of the Aegis Gundam, blocking its path. "We will dispatch personnel to inspect the Shuttlecraft and ensure that it carries no dangerous items."

Several seconds passed. Then, after a silence, a voice suppressing its anger came through. "We agree to your inspection of the Shuttlecraft."

"Athrun..." Kira shook his head hard inside the Strike Gundam's cockpit, his face full of sorrow. He was about to say something when an arm wrapped in a spacesuit sleeve reached out from behind him and shut off the communications.

Kira turned around and saw Lacus's gentle smile. He froze for a moment, then lowered his head.

Perhaps sensing Kira's hesitation and sadness, Lacus reached around the seat and gently embraced him, letting him lean against her. She comforted him softly. "The battle is already over. You don't want to fight, and I could hear the same feeling in Athrun's voice. Why are you still sad? I believe that one day, the two of you will reconcile."

A trace of longing appeared on Kira's face as he murmured, "Thank you."

Two workboats slowly flew out from the Archangel. After linking up with the small white Shuttlecraft, they stopped. Following half an hour of extremely thorough inspection, the white Shuttlecraft slowly entered the second hangar, which had never been used before, under the Archangel's guidance.

Once the hangar doors had closed and the chamber had been repressurized, Xiao Ran, who had been waiting there, lightly waved his hand and had the isolation door in front of him opened. He slowly walked forward. Behind him, more than a dozen Earth Force soldiers in uniform stood on guard, weapons aimed at the Shuttlecraft's hatch.

"Hiss!" The sound of venting echoed through the empty second hangar as the Shuttlecraft's door slowly opened. A staircase extended from the craft and touched the floor with a soft sound. That sound was like a level-one alert aboard the Archangel, instantly putting all the soldiers on edge.

"Is this how the Earth Force treats its guests?" The speaker had yet to appear, but his voice carried out. The magnetic male voice made the soldiers exchange glances, though without orders, they kept their weapons trained on the open hatch.

Xiao Ran smiled upon hearing that voice. He was certain the speaker was Cruze. Sure enough, just a few seconds later, Cruze appeared before him, dressed in white and wearing a mask. His calm demeanor suggested that he did not care in the slightest that more than a dozen weapons capable of taking his life were aimed at him.

"Lower your weapons." Xiao Ran lightly waved his hand, stepped forward with a faint smile, and extended his right hand toward Cruze, who had not yet descended from the Shuttlecraft.

Cruze's eyes behind the mask examined Xiao Ran with interest. With a light push of his feet, he floated out and landed on the ground, taking Xiao Ran's outstretched hand. "You're the pilot of that Ginn?"

"Yes." Xiao Ran smiled. He was also quite interested in this man whose tragic past had turned him mad. Once they released each other's hands, Xiao Ran shrugged. "But I'm only a civilian. I fought only to protect my students and the other civilians aboard this ship. And the person responsible for all this happening—isn't that you, Captain Rau?"

"Hehe, then I can only express my apologies for what you have experienced." Cruze's lips curled slightly. His eyes swept over the many civilians already waiting there. When he saw a woman wearing a green ZAFT Combat Suit, his eyes narrowed slightly. Then he asked, "Where is Lacus Clyne?"

"Calling her by name alone? As far as I know, most people in ZAFT or PLANT would at least address her as Miss." Xiao Ran smirked. "It seems you have little respect for her or her father."

Xiao Ran's words made Cruze turn his head back at once. Although both of his eyes remained hidden behind the mask, Xiao Ran could still feel a sword-like sharpness from him.

Perhaps realizing that his reaction had been somewhat strange, Cruze gave a light snort and said, "Although Lacus Clyne is the daughter of the PLANT Chairman, she is still merely a civilian. She is important, but not worthy of any particular respect from me."

"Hehe, sorry." Xiao Ran nodded as though he understood. "Don't worry. Once the civilians have all been received, you'll see her."

Cruze raised a hand slightly with a faint smile. "Please."