Xiao Ran, back in Orb, had no idea what Durandal was calculating. Even before he returned, many soldiers who had fled the Earth Force had already arrived in Orb. Unable to tell how many intelligence operatives might be among them, Mina still arranged to take them in immediately.
She also told the soldiers that if they were willing to remain and fight for Orb, they would later be formally incorporated into the Orb Army. If they were weary of war, Orb would provide them with legitimate identities so they could live in Orb permanently or temporarily.
Some soldiers chose to join the Orb Army, while some who had fled the Earth Force no longer wished to continue fighting and chose to leave the military. Some of them were eager to join Orb, while others merely wished to stay there for a while before returning to their hometowns once the war ended.
But regardless of what these soldiers chose, it was undeniable that what they had brought greatly strengthened Orb. Mina sensibly gave them generous rewards, mostly in money—enough for them to live without worry for a long time, at least far more than they would have received through a normal discharge.
The actual cost of a warship or an MS was not low. The Earth Force MS these soldiers had brought alone numbered no small amount, not to mention the considerable number of warships. Compensating them with money was still an extremely worthwhile deal for Orb. Mina also remembered what Xiao Ran had said: a development strategy regardless of cost or consequences. Spending that much money in exchange for so much combat power and time fully matched the development requirements Xiao Ran had set.
Although Mina did not understand why Xiao Ran had chosen such a no-expense-spared approach, one that