Crossing Orb: Newtype Commander

During a training break, the drivers ate in the canteen.

Noah sat down opposite Ken with his plate, and Lina followed behind, sitting down cautiously.

"Tell me," Noah said in a low voice, "who exactly is the Commander-in-Chief?"

Ken looked up at him: "What do you mean?"

"I've met many amazing people," Noah said. "The elite among the Coordinators, the Earth Federation's ace pilots, PLANT's red-clad elites... but none of them are like him. His piloting skills, his knowledge, his understanding of mobile suits—it doesn't seem like something 'learned,' it's more like..."

"Like what?" Lina asked softly.

Noah thought for a moment: "It's like he always knew. It's like those things were always in his head."

Ken put down his chopsticks and looked at Noah.

"Warrant Lieutenant Reyes, I don't care what you're thinking. But I need to make one thing clear—who the Commander-in-Chief is doesn't matter. What matters is that he's leading Orb in the right direction. When I was in the Army, I saw too many people doing dirty things under the guise of 'patriotism.' The Commander-in-Chief is different. He genuinely wants to protect this country."

Noah remained silent for a moment.

"You're right." He picked up his chopsticks and continued eating. "I'm just... curious."

Lina lowered her head, poking at her rice with her chopsticks, and whispered, "I think the Commander-in-Chief is like...like some kind of being we don't yet understand. Not in a bad way, but...like someone on a higher level, with a special kind of attraction."

Noah and Ken both looked at her.

Lina blushed and quickly waved her hands, "I... I was just saying!"

On the other side of the cafeteria, Xia walked by with a coffee cup in his hand. His gaze swept over the young pilots—some were Coordinators, some were Naturals; some were veterans, some were new recruits; some were geniuses, some were hard workers.

But they all chose Orb.

They all chose to protect.

While the Griffin team was undergoing intensive training, construction of the first Izumo-class ship was also accelerating at the space production base of the "Amanohira" space station.

The ship's keel—a 250-meter-long skeleton—has been assembled in a microgravity environment. The E-carbon fiber frame gleams silver-gray under the lights, its welds precise and strong.

"The progress is faster than expected," Erika told Char during a video call. "If all goes well, CE68 can be launched by the end of the year."

"What about the powertrain?"

"The two units of the Minovsky nuclear reactor have been assembled at the space station and are ready for installation at any time. The thruster testing has also been completed, and the thrust is eight percent higher than the design value."

"Weapon system?"

"The beam turret is still being tested. The equipment in the MS mounting area is in place and can accommodate six MS at the same time."

Char nodded.

"Keep pushing forward. By the end of CE68, I want to see the Izumo sailing through space."

In August CE67, the Jupiter Vanguard sent back an exciting message.

The Harrow Explorer probe has discovered an ideal base location in Ganymede's orbit—a stable Lagrange point surrounded by asteroid belts rich in mineral resources. More importantly, the probe detected a unique particle signal in Jupiter's upper atmosphere that closely matches Char Aznable's description of "GN particle precursors."

"This means," Char said at the team meeting, "that the core component of the GN Drive—the TD Blanket—can be manufactured in the Jupiter Sphere."

The TD Blanket, short for "Topological Defect Blanket," is the most crucial and mysterious part of the GN Drive. It is a special topological structure formed under ultra-high gravity conditions, capable of converting particle-antiparticle pairs into pure GN particles. Without the TD Blanket, there is no true GN Drive.

"The 'Builders' of Harrow have begun constructing the base's infrastructure," Christina reported. "At the current pace, prototype production of the TD Blanket can begin in CE68."

"How long will it take to build the first solar furnace?" Erica asked.

Char remained silent for a moment.

"Even with fairly comprehensive data, the actual production time is at least one year," he said. "The manufacturing process of TD Blanket is extremely complex, and even in the high-gravity environment of the Jupiter Sphere, the success rate is not high. We need to be prepared for multiple failures."

"But if we succeed," Erica's eyes lit up, "we'll have a completely new energy source."

"Yes," Char said, "an energy source that can change the fate of humanity."

In the distant Jupiter sphere, the three Haro's are busy at work.

The Explorer orbits Ganymede, scanning the mineral composition of each asteroid. Its database already records the coordinates of hundreds of potential mining sites, providing ample resources for future base expansion.

The "Builder" is the busiest of them all. It directs a group of small engineering robots to build the framework of the base at the Lagrange point. Habitat, laboratories, warehouses, energy systems—every module is precisely positioned under its command.

The "Guardian" is responsible for the base's security. It monitors the surrounding space, preventing meteorite impacts and unknown threats. Occasionally, it receives communication signals from Earth—instructions and data from VEDA.

"Hello!" The builder floated over a newly completed section and emitted a satisfied electronic sound.

"Hello~" came the explorer's reply from afar, his tone tinged with weariness.

"Hello! Hello!" the guardian encouraged his companions with an even louder voice.

Three tiny spherical robots are silently building humanity's future under the enormous shadow of Jupiter.

December 31, CE67, Lunar New Year's Eve.

Char stood on the observation deck of the Dawn Society, holding the second letter that Kanard had written to him.

The boy's handwriting was much neater than it had been a year ago:

"Brother, I've learned a lot this year. Sister Mina is teaching me how to pilot a mobile suit, and she says I have talent. But I want to be like you even more—not the strongest warrior, but the most steadfast guardian. I will work hard. Happy New Year."

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

Jupiter is just an inconspicuous point of light in the night sky, but that direction carries the hopes for Orb's future. The prototype of TD Blanket is about to begin, the construction of the Izumo-class is accelerating, and the Griffin Squadron's training is progressing smoothly.

"VEDA," he said, "is reporting on the year-end summary."

"Yes." VEDA's calm voice rang out in the night breeze. "In CE67, the Orb Defense Forces completed the first batch of mobile suits rolling off the production line and undergoing testing. The Griffin Squadron was formed, and its thirty pilots have acquired basic combat capabilities. Construction of the first Izumo-class ship is 40% complete. Infrastructure at the Jupiter base is 60% complete. The VEDA system is operating stably, having defended against 31 cyberattacks throughout the year without a single breach."

"Where are our enemies?"

"PLANT's GINN has entered the mass production preparation stage and is expected to be officially deployed in CE68. On the Earth Alliance side, the Atlantic Federation has launched a weapons development program. Blue Cosmos' influence continues to expand, and anti-Coordinator violence incidents have increased by 40 percent compared to last year."

"How much longer?"

"Based on existing data models, the probability of a large-scale armed conflict would reach 60% in CE69 and 85% in CE70."

Char closed his eyes.

Two years. Three years at most.

"VEDA," he opened his eyes, his gaze resolute, "to record a document."

"Please speak."

Title: Orb Defense Forces CE68 Annual Operational Readiness Directive. Contents: 1. The Griffin Squadron completes full training and achieves full combat capability; 2. The first Izumo-class destroyer is launched and completes sea trials; 3. Jupiter Base completes the prototype preparation for TD Blanket; 4. The Minovsky Particle Defense System deployment is initiated. Objective: Before the outbreak of war, Orb possesses a defensive force sufficient to deter any enemy.

"Recorded."

Char took a deep breath and looked into the deepest part of the starry sky.

CE67 has come to an end.

The griffin's wings have spread, the keel of Izumo has taken shape, and the spark of Jupiter is burning.