The Oni Yasha's head, hands, and legs were dismembered by GP01 in an instant.
Zoshan Taro stared at the screen in terror as GP01 Gundam White Orchid raised its Beam Saber, ready to slice him and the Oni Yasha Mobile Suit in half.
"Stop. I want to keep this MS and take it back for research," Long Fei ordered the pilot of Gundam White Orchid.
The Beam Saber stopped a hair's breadth away from cutting Zoshan Taro in half. He slumped into the cockpit seat, gasping as he tried to calm his fear. He had thought he was dead for sure. Raising his hands and looking at how badly they trembled, Zoshan Taro knew that although he had survived, he felt indescribable pain inside. He had been utterly defeated.
Several signal flares shot out from the abandoned space transfer station.
Then, an announcement came from the abandoned space transfer station's command center. The Skywing Mercenary Group officially declared its occupation of the abandoned space transfer station.
Captain Fix also announced that Zoshan Taro, leader of the Sea Wolf Pirate Group, had been captured. He ordered the remaining pirates to disarm and surrender.
"Those who surrender will not be killed. Those who refuse will die."
Not a single pirate continued to resist. All of them disarmed and surrendered.
Other than Zoshan Taro, all the pirates were placed aboard several modified spacecraft.
Long Fei and the other Gundam pilots returned to the mothership.
Inside the Albion MS Carrier's hangar, all the Gundam pilots stood in a row and saluted Long Fei.
Among them, the most eye-catching person was not Long Fei, but the pilot of Gundam White Orchid. That was because the pilot was a twelve-year-old child named Yue Yangchun.
Why had a child like Yue Yangchun become a Gundam pilot? That story began more than a month ago.
At the time, an Escort Ship returning from a completed assignment had also brought back a small airship.
According to the captain, they had received a distress signal and rescued the people aboard while returning to base.
They learned that the people aboard the small airship had once been kidnapped by pirates. Most of them had been traveling aboard a tourist spacecraft to another colony when they were intercepted, abducted, and kidnapped by a Pirate Group.
Among them were Yue Yangchun and his older sister, Yue Baixue. They were from the Hanxia Nation.
The siblings had gone on a trip with their parents. Like the others, they had been traveling aboard a space cruise ship when they were hijacked and kidnapped by the Pirate Group.
The Pirate Group's purpose in kidnapping people was to demand ransom.
If they could not get the ransom, they would sell the captives to organ trafficking organizations or human trafficking organizations for profit.
Yue Yangchun, his family, and several other kidnapped people killed their guards while they were distracted and took the chance to escape.
During their escape, they were discovered by other pirates. Many were either captured again or shot dead. To allow the siblings to escape, Yue Yangchun's parents sacrificed themselves.
The siblings and the remaining people boarded the small airship and escaped. That was how the Escort Ship received their distress signal and rescued them.
At first, the Skywing Mercenary Group had planned to contact the countries of those who had been kidnapped and arrange for them to return home.
Yue Yangchun initially asked the Skywing Mercenary Group to destroy the Pirate Group that had killed his parents.
The Skywing Mercenary Group was a private mercenary group. It did not accept unpaid volunteer work, much less a request from a brat. Who would take it seriously?
When Yue Yangchun saw that the mercenary group had refused his request, he secretly climbed into the cockpit of the newly developed GP01 Gundam White Orchid while no one was paying attention. Without any guidance, he actually activated the Gundam.
He even flew off in Gundam White Orchid, intending to avenge his parents. The base immediately sounded the alarm.
Just as he rushed out of the base, he happened to encounter another Escort Ship that was also returning.
The MS units aboard the Escort Ship immediately deployed to intercept him.
As Yue Yangchun operated the machine, he gradually mastered Gundam White Orchid's capabilities. Under his control, not a single GM Mobile Suit sent to intercept him could stop him.
Soon after, quite a few MS units also rushed out from the base.
But Yue Yangchun left them all far behind.
In the end, the Zhou Ya Sisters launched a joint attack. Only after several exchanges did the sisters manage to intercept Yue Yangchun and bring him back to base under escort.
Several mercenaries dragged Yue Yangchun out of the cockpit. Many onlookers could hardly believe that a child possessed such superb piloting skills, to the point that two ace pilots had to be deployed to capture him.
His older sister Yue Baixue pushed through the crowd and ran to her brother's side. Like a hen protecting her chick, she begged the mercenaries to forgive her brother's recklessness and apologized on his behalf.
Zhou Ya, who could sometimes be quite sharp-tongued, said, "If apologies were enough, what would we need laws for? If your brother had done this in another country, the military would have every right to shoot him on sight. In a slightly more civilized place, he would be sent to a military court and sentenced to death."
"But he's still a child."
"So children can do whatever they want? Children can disregard everyone else's safety and act however they please?"
Yue Baixue was left speechless and could only hold her brother tighter. Yue Yangchun's gaze was exceptionally defiant.
At that moment, Long Fei arrived at the scene. Someone behind him reported the earlier events into his ear.
"Hello, Boss," the mercenaries greeted Long Fei.
Yue Baixue immediately stood in front of her brother and spread her arms.
Long Fei made a gesture, and two female mercenaries immediately dragged Yue Baixue aside. No matter how she struggled, she could not break free.
Long Fei drew the pistol hanging from his holster and pressed the barrel against Yue Yangchun's head.
Yue Yangchun still stared stubbornly at Long Fei.
"Brat, you've got quite the nerve. You actually dared to steal my newly developed Gundam."
"I only wanted revenge. Once I get my revenge, I'll return the MS to you."
"Heh. Even if you had managed to take it, and even if you reached your enemies' territory, do you think you could destroy them with only a pair of Beam Sabers and the head-mounted 60mm Vulcan Cannons? Your enemies aren't a few kittens. No matter how strong that Gundam is, it can't withstand a group of MS units attacking together. Going there would only be sending yourself to your death. You wouldn't be able to avenge your parents at all."
Hearing Long Fei's rebuttal, Yue Yangchun was momentarily speechless. Yet he still stared at Long Fei with defiant eyes. It was clear that the child was stubborn and unwilling to accept it.
"Brat, I can give you two choices. The first is death. The second is joining our Skywing Mercenary Group, swearing loyalty to me, and working for the Skywing Mercenary Group."
"I can choose the second path, but you have to promise me that you'll destroy the Pirate Group that killed my parents."
"Brat, you really dare to bargain with me. Fine, I can agree to that condition. But first, you must work for me properly. If you satisfy me, I can grant your request. How about it?"
"Fine, I agree."
Long Fei returned the pistol to its holster.
"Commander-in-Chief."
"Here."
"Arrange for relevant specialists to teach this brat."
"Yes."
Just as Long Fei was about to return to his office, Yue Baixue protested, "How can you let a child join your army?"
"Having him join my mercenary group is how he avoids punishment for stealing my MS. Otherwise, I'll shoot him. Or I'll let you, his older sister, choose whether he dies or joins my mercenary group. What do you say?"
Yue Baixue was left speechless and did not dare make the decision for her brother.
"I'll also give you two choices. First, we arrange for you to return home. Second, you stay, and we'll arrange a job for you. We don't keep freeloaders here."
In the end, Yue Baixue chose the second option and stayed behind to look after her brother.
Both siblings joined the Skywing Mercenary Group. Yue Baixue became an ordinary private assigned to logistical work, responsible for cooking and delivering meals.
After receiving guidance for a period of time, Yue Yangchun's potential for operating MS units was gradually brought out. Every time he fought, he brought Gundam White Orchid back completely unscathed, and every time he deployed, he wiped out all his enemies.
After that, everyone in the mercenary group called Yue Yangchun a genius MS pilot.
Captain Fix came before Long Fei and saluted.
"Boss, we'll enter the shipyard inside the abandoned space transfer station in fifteen minutes. The suppression troops have also found quite a few good things. I hope you can come take a look personally."
"All right, I understand. I'll go take a look."
"Ace pilots, you're free to move about for now. Get some proper rest."
Before you continue