Crossing Orb: Newtype Commander

The Nevada Desert.

The night was as dark as ink, and a cold wind howled. Char did not go himself—as the commander of the Orb Defense Forces, he could not risk being captured by entering enemy territory. But he dispatched an elite squad of Orb special forces, personally led by Ron Mitchell.

VEDA provided intelligence support throughout the operation—it infiltrated part of the Phoenix facility's surveillance system, providing the team with a real-time security deployment map. The team's movement route was precise down to the second, and every turn was simulated and planned by VEDA.

The operation lasted forty-seven minutes.

When the squad withdrew, they took a ten-year-old boy with them—Karnard Pars.

The boy was imprisoned in a laboratory deep within the facility, his body riddled with tubes and electrodes. He was thin and pale, but a stubborn light burned in his eyes. When Ron opened the cell door, the boy asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"

"The person who will take you away from here," Ron said.

The boy stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded and followed him out of the cell.

A firefight broke out during the evacuation. In the chaos, Kanard displayed astonishing reaction speed and combat instincts—he took down two guards with his bare hands, grabbed a rifle, and accurately shot a third guard through the shoulder joint. It wasn't fatal, but it completely incapacitated the guard.

Ron looked at him in surprise: "You've been trained?"

"They trained me to kill," Carnarvon said coldly, "but I have my own will."

Three days later, Kanard was secretly sent to Orb.

Char met him in a private hospital room at the Dawn Division. The boy, dressed in casual clothes provided by Orb, sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes warily scrutinizing everyone who entered the room.

"Hello, Kanard." Char sat down opposite him, his tone gentle. "My name is Char Langlad Athha. This is Orb, you are safe now."

"Ob?" Karnad's voice was hoarse. "That neutral country?"

"Yes."

"Why did you save me?" The boy's eyes were sharp. "What do you want? My abilities? My genes?"

Xia shook his head.

"Because you are a prisoner, and I happen to have the ability to save you and believe in your future. That's all."

Karnad stared at him for a long time.

"You're not like the others," he finally said. "Everyone else has desire in their eyes. Yours doesn't."

"Because I have nothing to take from you," Char said. "If you want to stay in Orb, we'll provide you with accommodation, education, and any help you need. If you want to leave, we'll prepare your passport and travel expenses, and send you wherever you want to go. The choice is yours."

Kana lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

"I have nowhere to go," he said softly. "That laboratory... is my only 'home.' Even though it's hell."

"Then stay in Orb," Char said. "This can be your new home."

Perhaps influenced by Char's Newtype abilities, the boy raised his head, and something seemed to be melting in his gray-blue eyes.

"Can I call you...brother?" he asked softly.

Xia was slightly taken aback, then gave a warm smile.

"Can."

From that day on, Kanard Pars became Char's adopted brother. He called Char "brother," Uzumi "father," and Cagalli "sister." In the Athha family mansion, he experienced the feeling of "home" for the first time.

But Char knew that Kanard's abilities—those combat instincts enhanced through experiments—would one day come in handy. He didn't deliberately train Kanard to be a warrior, but he also didn't prevent him from learning military skills. He simply gave the boy a choice at the appropriate time.

Sahak's private residence.

Mina Sahak invited Char to dinner. It wasn't a formal business meeting, but a private gathering—but between the two of them, "private" often meant something more important.

After the meal, the two moved to Mina's study. The flames in the fireplace flickered, bathing the room in a warm orange hue.

"Xia," Mina said, holding a glass of red wine, her crimson eyes gleaming in the firelight, "you didn't just come to see me for dinner, did you?"

"Yes." Char put down his glass, his expression turning serious. "I want to discuss something with you—the possibility of establishing a 'Space Force' in Orb."

Mina's hand paused slightly.

"Space Force?" she repeated. "You mean, a force that specializes in fighting in space?"

"Yes," Char said. "The current Orb Defense Force is essentially a ground force plus a small amount of naval and air power. But in the future, the main battlefield of war will no longer be on the ground, but in space. PLANT is in space, and so are the Earth Federation's military satellites. If Orb does not have a force capable of operating effectively in space, we will always be the one on the defensive."

Mina remained silent for a moment.

"This is not a small decision," she said. "Establishing a space force requires a lot of resources—ships, mobile suits, training facilities, and logistical support. Moreover, it will be seen by the outside world as a clear signal of military expansion."

"So we need to do it in secret," Char said, "at least before the war breaks out."

Mina put down her glass and walked to the window. Outside, the city of Orb was bathed in nighttime light, with countless lights twinkling in the darkness.

"The Sahak family has a private military satellite," she said slowly. "Located in low Earth orbit, it was originally used for communications and observation. But its structure is robust enough to be converted into a training base."

Char's eyes lit up slightly.

"Are you willing to provide it?"

"I'm willing." Mina turned around and looked at Xia. "But there's one condition."

"Please speak."

"The first commander of the Space Force was a member of the Sahak family," Mina said. "Not because I coveted power, but because of the Sahak family motto—'Sword and shield, protect Orb.' If Orb is to venture into space, the Sahak family must be at the forefront."

Xia thought for a moment and nodded.

"That makes sense. Where should we choose someone?"

"I will take on this role myself," Mina said. "I am the head of the Sahak family and one of the people in Orb most familiar with the space environment. If the Space Force needs a flag, I am willing to be that flag."

Xia looked at her, his red eyes burning with a determined flame.

"Alright," he said. "From today onwards, the Orb Space Force is officially established. Mina Sahak, you are its first commander."

Mina bowed slightly, a smile appearing on her lips.

"It would be my great honor."

Late at night, when Char left the Sahak family mansion, Mina saw him to the door.

The winter night was bitterly cold, and their breath condensed into white mist in the air. The two stood on the porch, speechless for a moment.

"Char," Mina broke the silence, "how much time do you think we have left?"

Char looked up at the night sky. Countless stars twinkled, one of which pointed towards the "Heavenly Pillar" space station.

"At most three years," he said. "PLANT's mobile suits have already entered the combat testing phase. The Earth Alliance will not stand idly by. The arms race has begun, and war is only a matter of time."

"Three years..." Mina murmured, "Will that be enough?"

"It's not enough," Xia said honestly, "but we will use these three years to do what others take ten years to do. Because we have no way out."

Mina looked at him, her deep red eyes reflecting starlight.

"You know," she said softly, "sometimes I wonder what Orb would be like without you."

"Maybe it will be better," Char said.

"No." Mina shook her head. "Without you, Orb would have been crushed between the Earth Alliance and PLANT. You are Orb's good fortune."

Char didn't answer, he just smiled slightly.

Goodnight, Mina.

Goodnight, Char.

He turned and walked into the night. Behind him, Mina stood on the porch, watching his figure disappear into the darkness.

In the last three days, Orb accomplished two major tasks: the change of commander-in-chief of the National Defense Forces and the secret establishment of the Space Forces.

Char stood on the observation deck of the Dawn Society, holding a letter Kanard had written to him. The boy's handwriting was crooked and messy, but every word was written with great care:

"Brother, thank you for saving me. I don't know what I can do, but I will try my best to be a useful person. I won't let you down."

He put the letter away and looked up at the starry sky.

"VEDA," he said, "make a record."

"Please speak."

Title: Orb Defense Force Three-Year Development Plan (CE67-69). Contents: 1. Complete preparations for mass production of mobile suits; 2. Complete the construction of the first ship of the "Izumo-class" battleship; 3. Complete the initial establishment of the Space Force; 4. Complete the full militarization of Minovsky particle technology. Objective: Before CE70, Orb will possess a space force capable of self-defense.

"Recorded."

Char took a deep breath.

"Let's begin."