Rolled over?

"This is impossible! You must be mistaken!"

Kaidō snatched the identification card and patted it in disbelief, his face a mask of utter astonishment.

"Kid, I'm afraid I can't help you with this."

Flaga spread his hands, indicating his inability to assist. If Noer were just a Coordinator, he might have been able to say a few words, but with his ID card broken...

"Take him down! And get him out of here!"

Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage waved a hand, and two soldiers immediately stepped forward, flanking Noer.

"Wait a minute! I have something to say!" Noer panicked, quickly raising his hand.

These guys really wouldn't give him any room to explain, it was ridiculous!

"Save whatever you have to say for the military judge when we get back to Earth!"

Baggage finished speaking, then waved her hand again, pointing towards the detention area on the Archangel. "Take him away!"

"Are you even going to listen..."

"Wait a moment!"

Just as Noer was about to be dragged away, Kira, standing nearby, couldn't help but step forward.

Hearing Kira's voice, Noer couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

All his elaborate performance was just a gamble that Kira wouldn't turn a blind eye to his situation.

A Coordinator on a warship full of Naturals, and in possession of its only weapon – the Strike Gundam.

Anyone could guess what his fate would be.

Furthermore, Kira had only just boarded and hadn't truly protected anyone on the Archangel yet.

While everyone on the Archangel treated Kira with courtesy due to his unique ability to pilot the Strike Gundam, it was a courtesy born of necessity. Emotionally, he was bound to face rejection and isolation.

Or rather, psychological rejection and isolation, which couldn't be masked by expressions or actions.

In such circumstances, if a Coordinator with the same plight suddenly appeared, Kira, with his protagonist's personality, would surely not ignore it.

"Hm?"

Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage frowned, turning to look at Kira with an impatient expression.

Kira had indeed helped them, but due to him being a Coordinator, she still harbored significant hostility and wariness towards him.

"Can we hear what he has to say? And I don't believe he's from PLANT!" Kira gritted his teeth and said, enduring Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage's gaze.

"Give me one reason!" Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage retorted, frowning.

"If he really is a spy, doesn't that mean I'm a spy too?" Kira, being a Coordinator, quickly found a breakthrough as his mind raced.

"What do you mean?" Flaga frowned, unsure of Kira's meaning for a moment.

He certainly didn't think Kira was speaking in jest. Although Kira was young, that was relative to Naturals; for a Coordinator, a sixteen-year-old mind was considered nearly mature.

"Are you guys genuinely stupid, or just pretending?"

Seeing an opportunity to explain, Kaidō quickly broke free from the soldiers flanking him and addressed Flaga and the others. "It's understandable that you suspect me of being a spy from PLANT. If I were in your shoes, I'd suspect me too. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But the crucial point is, if I were truly a spy sent by PLANT, then how could I possibly guarantee that I would successfully board this ship under those circumstances?"

"There were so many escape pods at Heliopolis. How is it that I just happened to end up in one that was... are you Kira?"

Kaidō asked Kira's name as if feigning ignorance towards the end.

All the trouble he had caused was essentially to find a chance to defend himself.

It was like trying to reason with a soldier – a scholar facing a soldier, where logic fails!

These were all military personnel, and in a combat situation at that. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't give a suspicious individual a chance to explain.

Kira nodded quickly upon hearing Kaidō's question.

Seeing this, Kaidō continued, "Under those circumstances, how could I possibly ensure that the escape pod I was in would be rescued by Kira? What if he didn't save me? What if he didn't notice me?"

"Besides, what kind of idiot would choose this method to infiltrate as a spy!"

"And, let's just say, for the sake of argument, that I really am a spy sent by PLANT. As a spy, how could I possibly be discovered by you the moment I arrived, with even my identification card being broken? Have you ever seen such a foolish spy?"

Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage and Captain Flaga fell silent.

Even the onlookers who had been watching the scene fell silent.

Because the points Kaidō raised were indeed critical. A spy from PLANT wouldn't be this stupid, or rather, PLANT wouldn't be this stupid!

This method of infiltration had too many uncertainties.

"And another thing!"

Seeing the thoughtful expressions on their faces, Kaidō continued, "Shouldn't a spy constantly hide their presence? At the very least, they shouldn't engage in overly conspicuous behavior. If I were a spy, I would definitely pay attention to concealing my existence and try my best not to attract your attention. Only then could I secretly transmit information. Now, who among you doesn't know I'm a Coordinator?"

"Under these circumstances, you're bound to be wary of me. So no matter what I want to do, you'll be watching me constantly. Wouldn't that render me useless as a spy?"

"Then why is your identification card broken?" Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage asked, unable to help herself after listening.

Here, she had basically ruled out Noer being a spy, but still maintained her guard.

Or rather, even if Noer had proven he wasn't a spy, her attitude would have remained the same.

This was because her impression of Coordinators was simply "hateful things" – a 100% enemy.

"I don't know either! I'm just as confused about this as you are! I was perfectly fine when I was in Heliopolis," Noer replied with a bitter expression.

"Captain, what do you think?" Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage asked, her brow furrowing slightly. She couldn't think of a better solution either.

"Huh?" Flaga was taken aback. Why were they asking him again?

"What do you think we should do, Captain?" Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage continued to press.

If Flaga hadn't been present, she would have had the right to take Noer away directly. But with Flaga here, she had to consider his opinion. This wasn't about personal favors, but about the restrictions of rank.

"Well..."

Flaga was speechless. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?

But looking at Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage's expectant gaze, he felt he couldn't just say nothing.

Flaga glanced in Kira's direction, thought for a moment, and then said, "In this situation, I don't believe he's a spy sent by PLANT."

His words immediately settled Noer's fate.

In fact, Flaga had another thought he didn't voice: if Noer truly was a spy, then Kira, who brought him aboard, would absolutely be implicated.

Even if Kira was innocent, he would be caught up in it. At the very least, Kira wouldn't be allowed to pilot the Strike Gundam.

And given the Archangel's current situation, everything had to make way for Kira, or rather, for the Strike Gundam. If they lost the Strike Gundam, the Archangel would have no choice but to crash when facing Cruze.

One option was to let Kira pilot the Strike Gundam and fight for a sliver of hope; the other was instant death. Did he even need to think about which to choose?

Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage pondered for a moment, then said, "You're absolutely right. If PLANT were to send a spy, they definitely wouldn't send someone like you!"

Her reasoning was simpler. She didn't think as deeply as Flaga. She just thought it was too foolish for a spy to try and board the ship this way.

"Phew~ You guys finally..."

"Take him down and escort him away!"

However, before Noer could even sigh in relief, Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage suddenly waved her hand. Two soldiers stepped forward, flanking him once more.

"Why?" The sudden turn of events left Noer stunned.

Isn't this proving my identity? he thought. No, wait, that's not right!

Both of them have already acknowledged my identity, so why are they still arresting me?

"What you said makes sense, and we do believe you're not a spy. But that's just our belief; we don't have any concrete evidence to prove your innocence. Therefore, until we have actual proof to clear your name, we cannot allow you to move freely!"

After speaking, Lieutenant Junior Grade Baggage instructed the soldiers, "Take him to a room and keep him under strict guard! He is not to step outside that door!"