Beat the Coordinator Back Home

"I remember."

"Ensign Murrue Ramius."

The captain of the Archangel.

For Xu De, this was a name that would be difficult to forget even if he wanted to.

"There's no need to call me 'Officer'; I'm just a technical officer."

Amidst Murrue's gentle voice, the sound of her fingers tapping rhythmically against a keyboard could be heard.

Being a technical officer didn't mean there was no hierarchy, but the relationship between the two wasn't as rigid as that of a superior and subordinate.

"It's all the same."

Xu De said.

"You're quite different from Libby."

Murrue laughed.

If it were that Libby, he would have likely taken the opportunity to push his luck.

He certainly wouldn't be this serious.

Xu De seemed different from the other men here, and at this thought, Murrue's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

However, Murrue quickly composed herself and became even more meticulous with her inspection.

It would be terrible if, because of her own oversight, the young man ran into trouble during battle.

"I'm just doing my duty."

Xu De smiled.

"Then I hope you achieve victory, young man."

Given the composure Xu De was displaying in the face of danger.

If he didn't die here, he was destined to be an elite in the future.

Setting aside that faint, subtle flicker of emotion, Murrue said as much.

"I'll take your kind words to heart."

As Xu De finished speaking, the stream of data before him slowly came to a halt.

"Functions are normal. Next time, you'll have to handle this yourself."

No sooner had Murrue finished speaking than she felt a faint trace of regret.

She wasn't a naive little girl who didn't understand how things sounded.

Realizing her words were full of ambiguity, she hurriedly tried to make amends.

"...May fortune favor you in battle."

Murrue didn't interact with people much; as someone whose primary focus was research, her social intelligence wasn't as high as it would be when she eventually became a captain.

At this moment, her speech carried a touch of charming, bashful innocence.

"Understood."

Although Murrue's words were slightly ambiguous, Xu De, whose mind was entirely focused on the impending battle, didn't notice anything amiss.

He wasn't a man devoid of desire or emotion, but there was a time and place for everything.

Right now, there was simply no room in his mind to think about such things.

"By the way, Officer, you remember the location of the escape pods, right?"

"Ah... hm?"

Still feeling embarrassed, Murrue was stunned to hear Xu De say this, but she replied nonetheless.

"I remember."

"That's good."

He didn't continue; he had done what he needed to do.

Besides, if Murrue were to come over, he wouldn't need to say much—she would be able to survive and return on her own.

A single reminder was enough.

No longer concerned with the affairs of this captain he had met by chance, Xu De turned his gaze back to the array of instrument panels and control sticks before him.

He then took a deep breath.

That familiar sensation surged from the depths of his heart straight to his mind.

The experiences here gradually merged with the memories of his past life, causing the corners of Xu De's mouth to curl upward.

A sense of confidence began to linger in his heart.

"I never imagined that in this life, I would actually have the chance to go into space and pilot a humanoid robot."

As he thought this, Xu De's focus sharpened, fueled by the stimulant's effects.

This was his first battle since arriving in this world, and he could not afford to lose.

Only by taking this step would he have the chance to keep moving forward.

Otherwise, in this dangerous world, standing still would only lead to being swept away by the torrent of the era, dying without even knowing how.

He would be the strongest, or he would be nothing at all!

Bolstering his resolve, Xu De listened to the order to launch and engaged his engines.

"Xu De, Garrison Squadron Three, launch!"

As the name implied, this garrison squadron was tasked with defending the entire space station.

There were four squads in total, each responsible for a specific sector.

Each squad consisted of five Moebius units, twenty Mistral units, and three Drake-class warships.

The operation was commanded by a Major.

However, their mission was merely to assist in defense and intercept missiles launched by the enemy Ginn units.

The upside was that they had a high degree of freedom.

It could be said that if the frontline forces held their ground, his squad would have no use at all.

As previously mentioned, most of the people here were children of high-ranking officials who had paid a high price or used their connections to get assigned here.

They were just here to pad their combat records and gild their resumes.

Those twenty Mistral units were less there to protect the World Tree and more there to protect them, the pilots of the Moebius units.

Of course, that did not include Xu De.

In the current formation, Xu De was excluded from the inner circle.

"Bella, how long do you think the Coordinators can hold out this time?"

Someone in the squad's internal communication channel asked with a chuckle.

"I'd say an hour is about right."

"I heard the higher-ups brought most of the nuclear warheads this time."

This Bella was a rare female pilot, and her voice was sweet.

Upon hearing Bella's words, the squad's communication channel immediately erupted.

"No way, they're bringing nukes again?"

"Well, they want to wipe those monsters out in one fell swoop, don't they?"

"Ahem."

The commander's cough forcefully interrupted their engrossed conversation.

"Stop discussing military secrets, or you might find yourselves before a court-martial."

Although he said that, the commander, well aware of the connections these people had, did not sound too stern.

"Understood~"

The one called Bella replied, obediently falling silent.

Being children of high-ranking officials did not mean they were all spoiled brats.

Or rather, there weren't that many truly spoiled ones.

Otherwise, the world would have been in chaos long ago, just like in the dramas.

In reality, having received elite education from a young age, every one of them was a sharp individual capable of inheriting their family's legacy.

As for their attitude toward Xu De, it was quite simple.

It was indifference.

After all, they lived in different worlds; there was no point in mocking him and creating unnecessary enemies, but that didn't mean they held him in high regard.

They simply couldn't be bothered with him because they belonged to different worlds.

It was just like how they wouldn't randomly insult a servant, but they wouldn't chat with one either.

Different worlds meant that saying anything would only lower their own status.

For Xu De, it was just as well that they didn't talk to him.

He didn't need to coordinate with them anyway.

If a real fight broke out, these young masters would likely just hold him back.

However, by silently listening to their gossip, Xu De managed to grasp the overall plan of the Atlantic Federation.

It was a national-level strategy, after all.

They still had some brains.

If not for the N-Jammer Canceller of the Coordinators, the resistance of those Coordinators would likely have ended right here.

After all, a single volley of nuclear missiles would likely wipe out the main ZAFT fleet.

There would be no need for any fancy Gundams at all.

And having lost the majority of their fleet, ZAFT would have no other option but to surrender.

However, it was a pity that the appearance of the Neutron Jammer had completely shattered their plans.

No one was safe here, and the importance of Gundams would surely continue to rise in the future.

Returning safely from the World Tree, staying far away from unnecessary battlefields, and accumulating strength.

That was what mattered most.

He didn't actually want to serve the Atlantic Federation or anything of the sort.