Axis was located in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, far, far beyond Mars.
Axis's orbital path was no secret to Char. Even now, after they had been out of contact for a long time, that remained true. Axis's position could not be changed at will; like a satellite, it had to follow its predetermined orbit. If its trajectory deviated, serious problems would arise. In severe cases, it could be flung so far away that it would never be able to return to Earth, or it might collide with a larger nearby asteroid because of an orbital error.
But when the Frontier arrived near the asteroid belt through a FOLD Jump and dispatched Skull Squadron to confirm Axis's location and survey the surrounding environment, everyone aboard the Frontier—especially Char—was stunned to discover that Axis had completely vanished from its original orbit.
"We found no trace of Axis. Has Kycilia become reckless enough to alter Axis's orbit at will? No, that shouldn't be possible. Calculating a new orbit would take years at the very least, especially in an environment as complex as the asteroid belt. This region is also the most resource-rich area Zeon found after investing enormous manpower in exploration. Kycilia would never abandon it." Char stood on the bridge, frowning as he listened to Ozma's report. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Did you find any traces left behind nearby?"
Ozma's fighter was currently positioned where Axis should originally have been, but there was absolutely nothing there. The other members of Skull Squadron had spread out in their fighters, searching everywhere for traces of Axis or anything it might have left behind. As for the other units aboard the Galaxy Diva, they had no ability to travel between planets, so they could not enter the asteroid belt