Unexpected

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After half a day of doing nothing, Xiao Ran returned to the standby room and was greeted by Mu's wry smile and a rapidly spinning water bottle. He gulped down more than half the water before wiping his mouth and asking Mu, "What's wrong? Why the long face?"

"Anyone would look bad after something like this," Mu said, floating in mid-air with his limbs spread, his voice laced with a hint of laziness. "I asked Lieutenant Bargyll what happened earlier, and she told me a lot, including many things you said. Heh, I never imagined that while we're out there fighting for our lives, the people back home aren't thinking about how to give us a better chance of survival, but are instead caught up in scheming and all sorts of messy affairs. And those Enhanced Humans, I really don't understand why things have to be this way?"

"If those Enhanced Humans are so powerful, why don't the old guys who just sit behind and give orders become Enhanced Humans themselves? And why don't they let the Enhanced Humans pilot the MA or MS into battle, forcing us ordinary people to fight on the front lines? We don't even understand what's going on with the rebellion on the Menelaus. It's hard to imagine what we'd do if those Enhanced Humans ran amok on the Archangel."

"The Menelaus is finished. Externally, it has to resist ZAFT forces' attacks and act as a shield to block enemy assaults, while internally, it has to deal with those four perverted Enhanced Humans. Please forgive me for using the word 'perverted,' but I genuinely don't know how else to describe them. Just four people managed to take down all the military police and ground troops on the Menelaus. What is this? Four people can resist an entire army, so what do they need us for?"

"I'm a bit lost right now. What was my state of mind when I started fighting until now? They even plot against their own people. In a fighting army, is there really any point for me to stay here?"

Xiao Ran remained silent, unsure of what to say or how to comfort the now-confused Mu. Should he tell Mu that his early confusion was due to Xiao Ran's framing and scapegoating? Should he tell Mu that those four so-called 'Enhanced Humans' weren't Enhanced Humans at all, and that their so-called 'rebellion' was actually a mission to protect Harborton?

Xiao Ran couldn't say any of this, not a single word. He could only let Mu vent his feelings.

After talking for a while, Mu suddenly realized he had gotten too emotional and said too much. He pushed off the ceiling of the standby room and stood on the ground, shrugging at Xiao Ran and smiling lazily, "It seems I've said too many unnecessary things. After all, you only just joined this not-so-great army."

"Heh," Xiao Ran chuckled and shook his head, looking at Mu. "It's different. Our reasons for joining are different, and the timing is different too. I have no sense of belonging or honor towards Earth Force. I'm only here to protect my students, and I'll be leaving eventually anyway, so I don't mind whatever you say."

"That's true. You've always said you don't like Earth Force, and now I think I understand your thoughts a little," Mu paused here before smiling and saying, "Of course, I don't like ZAFT either."

"I don't like them either. Who asked them to chase us for so long, haha," Xiao Ran played along with Mu's joke.

Unknowingly, their conversation had reached the time for the Archangel to officially initiate its descent procedures. When the Archangel's alarm sounded, they only just realized. But as soon as they did, Mu suddenly froze and rushed to the standby room's communication screen: "Bridge, why isn't the kid back yet?"

"He's currently tied up with the Duel Gundam and Buster Gundam and can't return," Miriallia's figure appeared on the communication screen, her face etched with anxiety.

Xiao Ran also walked to Mu's side. "Can I still sortie? I'll go help."

Before Miriallia could answer, another voice cut in, "No, your Ginn can't fight in this environment. The Archangel has already begun its descent preparations. If you go out, you might not be able to return, and you know the consequences of not returning very well."

Seeing Bargyll suddenly appear beside Miriallia, Xiao Ran didn't argue further. He simply said, "Tell Kira to do his best to disengage from the battle. If it's really impossible, then have him actively head towards Earth. With the Gundam's performance, a solo descent to Earth should be possible."

Bargyll frowned. "But those are just theoretical possibilities. No one can guarantee if it can actually be achieved to that extent."

Xiao Ran shook his head, exchanged a look with Mu, and remained silent. After the communication ended, before they could say anything, they noticed a shuttle being ejected from the Archangel's second hangar just as the Archangel was about to land on Earth. Xiao Ran then remembered that there were still shuttles on board to transport the students from the industrial university.

Xiao Ran immediately turned his head. "Mu, did all the students from the industrial college get on board?"

Mu thought for a moment. "You mean the maintenance crew kids? It seems one or two got on board. Because the battle started, most of them stayed behind, preparing to leave after reaching Earth. What's wrong?"

Xiao Ran shook his head. "Nothing, I'm just a little worried. After all, this is too close to the battlefield, especially the battlefield of the Strike, Duel, and Buster Gundams."

After speaking, Xiao Ran thought to himself, "I never expected that I would actually prevent those civilians from being killed by the enraged Yzak by boarding the shuttle. Although I had anticipated that the Archangel would still land in the desert without interference, I didn't expect a shuttle to appear here. Those students who boarded the shuttle won't escape this calamity. Is this their fated demise?"

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking about it. He watched Mu switch the screen to show the Strike Gundam and the Menelaus, then sat down in the standby room chair and secured himself.

From the screen, it could be seen that the Strike Gundam was trying to disengage from the battle and return to the Archangel several times, but each time it was either held back by the Duel Gundam or its retreat route was blocked by the long-range fire from the Buster Gundam. Each instance caused Xiao Ran and Mu's hearts to leap.

Mu's heart leaped because the Strike Gundam couldn't disengage, while Xiao Ran's heart leaped because the Strike Gundam showed signs of disengaging. Xiao Ran, hoping the plot wouldn't change, naturally wanted the Strike Gundam to land on Earth as it was, eventually crashing in the desert. As long as this step could be reached, Xiao Ran would dare to act more freely in subsequent missions, even small changes to the plot wouldn't affect the future.

Secondly, he also hoped to meet Cagalli, so that when the Archangel arrived at Orb, Xiao Ran could propose joining Orb. He believed that with his friendship with Cagalli, it wouldn't be a problem.

And if the Archangel didn't land in the desert, but anywhere else, then Xiao Ran's plan would be meaningless. Therefore, at this very moment, Xiao Ran was continuously praying in his heart that the plot would not change in any way, so that his previous hesitation and inability to go all out wouldn't be in vain.

"The Menelaus has been breached? Damn it!" Mu's suppressed angry voice brought Xiao Ran back to his senses. When he looked up at the screen, the Menelaus, which had been firing back, was now completely still. Even its thrusters had stopped firing, with no flames.

Just then, a beam of light streaked across from afar and appeared in front of the Menelaus, with its four beam sabers on its arms and legs fully deployed.

"Aegis Gundam! Damn it, attacking a defenseless warship?" Mu watched helplessly as the Aegis Gundam transformed, its limbs spread to reveal the Sea Serpent's multi-purpose energy cannon in its abdomen, which began to glow with concentrated energy.

Xiao Ran, who had never watched the Aegis transform from MS to MA so intently, murmured, "Aegis?" upon seeing its speed, which was even faster than the Strike Gundam equipped with a Flight Pack.

Everyone on board who saw this scene couldn't help but lower their heads, closing their eyes in sorrow for the sinking of the Menelaus and the death of Harborton. But at this very moment, six beams of different colors suddenly lit up on the Menelaus. Xiao Ran, who had been staring intently, recognized the meaning of three of those colors combined. Although he didn't know the meaning of the other three combined, it didn't prevent Xiao Ran from understanding the Menelaus's actions at that moment, especially when the Aegis Gundam's Sea Serpent multi-purpose energy cannon began to dim.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran's mouth fell open, his eyes wide. He exclaimed in disbelief, "It can still do that!?"

Hearing Xiao Ran's voice, Mu also looked up. When he saw the scene on the screen, he was also stunned and exclaimed in surprise, "Surrender!?" (A great event with freebies, cool phones await you! Follow the Qidian Chinese Network official account (add friends on WeChat -> add official account -> enter qdread) to participate now! Everyone wins, follow the qdread WeChat official account immediately!)