Crossing Orb: Newtype Commander

In July of CE70, the entire Earth sphere was ablaze.

Since PLANT deployed neutron jammers to Earth, the scale of the war has exceeded everyone's expectations. ZAFT's mobile suit forces descended upon the African continent, swiftly seizing control of several resource-rich regions. Despite their numerical superiority, the Earth Alliance forces suffered repeated defeats against this new weapon—traditional tanks, aircraft, and warships were like paper against GINN's mobility and firepower. The Atlantic Federation media dubbed the war "the war for Earth's survival," while Blue Cosmos' propaganda machine broadcast the Coordinators' atrocities 24/7. Anti-Coordinator sentiment reached its peak within the Earth Alliance—Coordinator refugees were dragged from internment camps and publicly beaten, and PLANT's ceasefire negotiators were besieged at airports by angry mobs. Hatred spread like a plague, and reason had long since vanished.

In this situation, the neutral nations found themselves in an extremely difficult position. The Scandinavian Kingdom declared "armed neutrality," significantly increasing its military spending and deploying missile defense systems on its borders. A military coup occurred within the Equatorial Union, with pro-Earth Union warlords overthrowing the moderate government and declaring their allegiance to the anti-PLANT camp. The Oceania Union sided with PLANT, allowing ZAFT to establish military bases on its territory. One by one, neutral nations disappeared, leaving Orb an isolated island.

The only isolated island that hasn't fallen.

On July 10, Char Aznable submitted the "Orb Defense Forces Reorganization Plan" at the Defense Conference. The data and structural diagrams on the holographic screen completely filled the front wall of the conference room. The core of the plan was to transform the Orb Defense Forces from a "homeland defense type" to an "area denial type"—not an army capable of external attacks, but an army that would render any adversary powerless to attack.

The MS force was secretly expanded to include 120 Zaku and 40 GM units, totaling 160 MS equipped with Minovsky nuclear reactors, granting them unlimited endurance. These 160 MS were distributed in three directions: in space, 60 were used to intercept enemy ships attacking from orbit; in coastal and terrestrial areas, 80 were used for homeland defense; and around the orbital elevator, 20 served as a mobile reserve. The force structure was also expanded accordingly—the original Griffin squadrons were expanded into Griffin battalions, comprising three squadrons. Each squadron had 30 to 40 MS, equipped with independent command, logistics, and intelligence support units.

Other reforms followed. The Orb Space Force was officially established as an independent force, comprising three MS battalions and one battleship detachment—including the Izumo and the White Base under construction. Mina Sahak, as the head of the Sahak family, concurrently served as the commander of the Space Force. The Orb Air Defense Command integrated all ground-based air defense forces—24 missile sites, 3 large radar stations, 12 early warning aircraft, and laser anti-aircraft gun emplacements distributed throughout the island. The Orb Special Operations Group was responsible for high-difficulty infiltration missions—underwater infiltration, reconnaissance behind enemy lines, and MS decapitation strikes. The first batch of members, totaling 12, were selected from the Griffin Squadron, all of whom were elites among elites.

There was another reform that seemed long-term but was the most crucial—the MS Department of the Orb Military Academy. Char stood on the podium, his tone calm: "War isn't something that can be fought in a day. Even if Orb wins every battle, the war itself could last for years. We need to train our own pilots and technicians; we can't rely on selecting from the Air Force and Army forever."

Some people in the audience whispered among themselves—this was a recipe for war that would consume an entire generation. Char did not deny it.

Uzumi stared at the proposed reorganization on the screen, remaining silent for a long time. 120 Zaku and 40 GMs—this was the absolute limit of Orb's industrial capacity. If this force wasn't enough, Orb had no future. He finally nodded: "Approved."

On July 25, the Atlantic Federation Special Envoy visited.

The arrival was Robert Hayes, Under Secretary of State for the Atlantic Federation, a career diplomat in his fifties, gray-haired but vigorous, impeccably dressed but with sharp eyes—a typical Washington bureaucrat, adept at expressing a tough stance with polite language. He was accompanied by several officials, one of whom Xia recognized—an observer from Blue Cosmos, who had previously served in George Allsta's staff. This meant that Blue Cosmos was behind this "diplomatic visit."

The meeting took place in the conference room of the Orb Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. Uzumi sat at the head of the table, with Char to his right. Mina, Erika, and high-ranking officers of the National Defense Forces were also present. Hayes sat across the long table, his hands folded on the table, a smile on his face.

"Lord Uzumi, Commander-in-Chief Asha, the Atlantic Federation is paying close attention to Orb's military development."

Char's tone was indifferent: "Thank you for your attention."

Hayes' smile remained unchanged: "After the Junius VII incident, the world has become a battlefield. PLANT's ZAFT has landed in Africa, established military bases in Oceania, and deployed a fleet in lunar orbit. Their goal is to control the Earth Sphere and place Naturals under the rule of the Coordinators. The Atlantic Federation needs all peace-loving forces to unite and fight against the PLANT threat."

Char listened without any change in expression.

"Therefore," Hayes said, taking a document from his briefcase, "the Atlantic Federation wishes to establish a comprehensive military partnership with Orb."

The document was pushed to the center of the table. The cover featured the flags of the Atlantic Federation and Orb side by side, and the title was "Framework Agreement on Military Cooperation between the United Heads of State of Orb and the Atlantic Federation".

Char picked up the document and flipped through it—joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, logistical support, the establishment of Atlantic Federation military bases on Orb territory, Orb's defense forces accepting "technical guidance" from the Atlantic Federation, and finally, Article 8—if the Atlantic Federation and PLANT enter into a state of war, Orb should provide "all necessary military assistance" as an "ally." In short, the Atlantic Federation was demanding that Orb join the anti-PLANT camp, meaning Orb would abandon its neutrality and become a vassal of the Atlantic Federation.

Char put down the documents, looked at Hayes, and asked the most crucial question: "What are the specific details of the 'cooperation'?"

Hayes listed them one by one—joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, logistical support… In the event of war, Orb should stand on the side of the civilized world—that is, the Atlantic Federation.

Char didn't answer immediately. He looked into Hayes's grey eyes and recalled the slogan from the Blue Cosmos propaganda film—"Cleanse the monsters from the universe." Coordinators were portrayed as mutated monsters, PLANT was the monsters' lair, and anyone connected to PLANT was an accomplice. Orb had Coordinator citizens, trade relations with PLANT, and secret connections with the Klein Faction. In the eyes of the Atlantic Federation, Orb was one of the "accomplices of the monsters."

Xia Ya let out a cold laugh, his voice not loud, but everyone in the conference room heard him clearly. He looked directly at Hayes: "The civilized world? Is your civilization built on racial discrimination?"

Hayes's expression immediately darkened. The smile vanished from his eyes, replaced by a cold scrutiny: "Commander-in-Chief Asha, please watch your words. The Atlantic Federation is the most powerful nation on Earth, and we are committed to protecting the future of humanity—"

"Protect the future of humanity?" Char's tone was flat, but every word carried weight. "Your Blue Cosmos used nuclear bombs to kill 60,000 civilians, including thousands of children. This is not the future of humanity; it is a disgrace to humanity."

Hayes jumped to his feet, his chair sliding back half a meter, the metal legs scraping the floor with a harsh sound. His entourage of officials also stood up, some already reaching for their briefcases—which might contain something, perhaps just documents, perhaps not.

No one moved on Orb's side.

Uzumi sat calmly in the chairman's seat, his hands resting on the table, his gaze steady. Mina leaned back in her chair, her red eyes coldly fixed on him, like a snake poised to strike. In the corridor outside, Kanard's hand was already on the holster at his waist.

A tense atmosphere hung in the conference room. Hayes knew whose turf he was on—Orb, the Orb of the Red Comet, the neutral nation that had single-handedly repelled the Eighth Fleet. He took a deep breath, sat down, and gestured for his accompanying officials to sit as well.

"General Asha, I will pass your message on to Washington." His voice regained its calmness, but the coldness in his eyes deepened. "But before that, I want to confirm Orb's final reply."

Char turned to Uzumi. Uzumi nodded slightly—this decision should be announced by Char.

Char stood up, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly. "Orb's stance will not change. We will not invade other countries, we will not allow other countries to invade us, and we will not intervene in the conflicts of other countries. These three principles are the foundation of Orb's nation. No matter how the war expands, no matter how much external pressure is applied, Orb will not become a vassal of any country."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Hayes and each of the officials accompanying him. "Ob will not sign this agreement. If the Atlantic Federation wants to cooperate, that's fine. But cooperation is contingent on equality, mutual respect, and non-interference in internal affairs. If the Atlantic Federation wants a subservient state—Ob is not, and never will be.

He pushed the document back in front of Hayes.

In the hallway, Cagalli stood by the door, her back against the wall. She wasn't eavesdropping—at least she told herself she wasn't; she had simply stopped involuntarily as she passed by and heard voices inside. She heard Hayes' arrogant demand, her brother's indifferent response, and those words that made her heart race—"Ob's stance will not change."

At that moment, she felt that her brother's silhouette was higher than the cable of the elevator.

That evening, Cagalli entered her father's study. Uzumi was reading, taking off his glasses to look at his daughter. He noticed that Cagalli's eyes were different from usual—not the innocence of a young girl, but a deeper, more profound light. Cagalli spoke: "Dad, what my brother said today—'No aggression, no intervention, no letting other countries invade.' Is this what we must insist on? Even if the whole world is at war, even if all countries are forcing us to choose sides, we must still insist?"

Uzumi looked at her, thought for a long time before answering, "Kagari, sovereignty isn't given by others. It's earned. Orb is small, with no resources, no population, and no history. The only things it has are these three principles. If it abandons its principles, Orb will cease to exist."

Cagalli lowered her head, pondering those words repeatedly in her mind: "Sovereignty isn't given by others; it's earned through one's own efforts."

She nodded. "I understand, Dad."

As she left the study, she glanced back at her father. Uzumi had put his glasses back on and continued reading. The sound of the pages turning was soft, like some ancient, unshakable rhythm. She knew her father was getting old—his temples were turning grayer, and the wrinkles around his eyes were deepening. But as long as he sat behind that desk, the foundation of Orb would not waver.

Heliopolis, mid-August.

Kira Yamato stood by the laboratory window, gazing at the starry sky outside. The artificial sunlight in Heliopolis had been shut off, and the artificial starry sky of "Night" twinkled on the dome. In the direction of Orb, the cables of the orbital elevator were faintly visible in the starlight.

In his hand lay an internship invitation letter from the Dawn Society. It was signed Char Langlad Asha.

"Kira, you're still here?" Thor poked his head out from outside the door, holding a backpack.

"Let's go." Kira put the letter in his pocket and picked up his bag.

Walking back to his dorm, he kept thinking about the invitation. The Dawn Society—Orb's core technology organization. If he went there, he could learn more, participate in more important projects, and… get closer to those deep red eyes.

"Why did Commander-in-Chief Askha want to see me?" he wondered.

Because he has the ability.

He stopped and looked up at the starry sky.

"I want to go."

In August CE70, the lion of Orb raised its head high. 160 mobile suits were arrayed on the ground and in orbit, missile sites stood guard along the coastline, and early warning aircraft circled in the sky. Diplomatic pressure from the Atlantic Federation did not make it yield, nor did the military threat from PLANT make it tremble. It stood there, a monument on the isolated island.

Not because it is the strongest. It is because it is the most steadfast.