Great, we're doomed now!

Many people embraced and wept, while children rode on their parents' shoulders, pointing to the sky with hopeful eyes.

Sudden--

Waaaaaah!!

The deep and majestic sound of horns rang out from all directions, like an ancient call, echoing throughout the entire Sydney Harbour.

Immediately afterwards, seven bright "stars" appeared at the horizon, arranged in a wedge-shaped array and slowly descending.

Those were the seven warships that participated in the lunar recapture operation; the other five, which sustained minor damage, remained on the moon as garrison ships. One reason this recapture operation is considered a miracle is that not a single warship perished – simply unbelievable!

The seven ships still bear the marks of battle, yet they gleam in the sunlight, hovering hundreds of meters above the ground like seven floating steel fortresses.

The hatches opened simultaneously—

One after another, steel figures leaped out from within!

The mobile suits' back thrusters spewed out dazzling blue streams of ions, streaking across the sky like a rain of falling stars, before landing steadily on the vast ceremonial ground in front of the opera house.

"They're here! It's them! The Gundam Legion!" The cheers of the crowd reached their peak.

The first to land were numerous mobile suits, lined up in two rows like knights, followed by the landing of the remaining eleven Gundams.

The heavily armored body of [Simonli] was as steady as a mountain, the blue and white armor of [Barbatos] was damaged in many places, and the blades of [Vasak] gleamed coldly in the sunlight but were broken in many places... They lined up behind [Agares], like steel demons that had stepped out of mythology.

Confetti was scattered by drones, cascading down from the sky, creating a breathtaking spectacle as cannons roared and colorful smoke billowed, transforming the sky into a magnificent tapestry.

Ye Shou's voice came through the public channel, calm yet clear, reaching everyone's ears:

"The moon has returned to human hands."

The silvery Bayeris star fell from the direction of the sun under the watchful eyes of countless people, but the ion radiance that spread out like ripples on water made the star's brilliance not dazzling at all, but instead coated its edges with a flowing environment.

It never touched the ground, hovering several meters in the air, allowing everyone to see its silhouette.

Both the general public and the MS pilots felt incredibly safe at that moment, as if they had found an unyielding pillar of heaven amidst raging waves.

The thrusters caused a slight vibration, and the six black cables behind them swayed slowly like living things, with the afterglow of ions flowing around them, as if they were wearing a battle robe woven from aurora.

"In the past, we made mistakes. The ultimate creation of technology tore humanity apart and drew the curtain on the Dark Ages."

But from this day forward, the sons of humanity will unite and launch an expedition to reclaim lost lands and restore past glory.

A single sentence silenced the entire arena for a moment, then erupted into even more frenzied cheers. People waved their arms, chanting the names of various demons, tears and laughter mingling together.

At this moment, humanity finally raised its head and looked up at the distant starry sky—no longer timid because of invisible fear, their pride will once again break free from the gravitational shackles of the Earth-Moon system!

-

"Losing the lunar base and the Kabbalah warships would mean that the M·A would no longer be able to blockade Earth's space fleet, which is something they cannot tolerate."

In the huge conference room, Ye Shou stood on the podium, explaining to the technical officials and pilots.

"Ultimately, Earth's productivity is second to none in the solar system. The reason it is suppressed by M·A is because it lost Mars and lacks a few special metals."

The underlying logic of M·A is that efficiently slaughtering humanity and consuming vast amounts of resources to establish a blockade line contradicts its fundamental strategy. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on the moon and Phobos to establish a defensive line, using Kabbalah-class warships as rangers to cut off mineral trade between Earth and Mars.

To completely defeat M·A, we must open up the shipping lanes!

The people below looked at each other, full of confusion.

Agnukka raised his hand—he knew Ye Shou's entire plan, and he asked the question so that others could understand as well.

"Given the current situation, M·A will inevitably amass a large force to wage a decisive battle against Earth. Our attempt to open up shipping routes is merely a premature detonation of this bomb, and it seems there is no time to engage in mineral trade."

“Yes, you’re absolutely right, Agnica.”

Ye Shou smiled slightly: "So, it's not about mineral trading, but about industrial relocation."

"Industrial relocation?"

Everyone was taken aback, but they were all true elites and quickly realized what was happening.

"Send researchers and skilled workers directly to Mars to establish MS and warship factories?"

Good idea!

"Mars itself has a good industrial base, but it has been deliberately technologically blocked by Earth. If the restrictions are lifted now, even if it can't compete with Earth in terms of output, it should be able to support half a legion without any problem."

"Moreover, Mars has a sufficient number of MS to distract M·A and slow down their assembly speed."

"It'll be tough to survive their initial onslaught."

"Yes."

Falk nodded emphatically and volunteered: "So we must send an experienced veteran to oversee the operation. Let me join the first expeditionary force, Lord Kuze!"

"You've never been to Mars, have you?" Birdwin said in an elegant tone. "My family has quite a few connections on Mars. Before the M.A. Rebellion, we frequently traveled between the two planets, and we still have some distant relatives there."

"Your [Simonli] is still not fixed?"

"No problem going to the battlefield!"

—Clang!

The penetrating sound of the bell silenced the room, and everyone's gaze turned to the maid who was sitting comfortably below the podium, having just placed a small bronze mallet down.

Liuli was dressed in military uniform and listened in as a secretary, but everyone fell silent and waited for Ye Shou's next instructions.

From Agnica downwards, most pilots held Ruri and Lucy in awe.

The former represents Ye Shou's will, replacing the monarch who doesn't concern himself with trivial matters, handling most of the government affairs, and arranging everything in an orderly manner with astonishing efficiency.

The latter perfected the Alaya-vijnana surgery, which made all the Gundam pilots very grateful. She and Ye Shou can be said to have given them a new life.

"To send an advance force to Mars, establish production lines, and organize a resistance, we need a sufficient number of Gundams to support this."

Ye Shou continued, "I plan to send all ten Gundams from the next batch to Mars, and complete the production of at least eight more units there. As for the leader of the vanguard, although I'd love to take on that role myself... you two, Birdwin and Falk, will take on that responsibility, understand?"

"Yes!"

The two men stood up and saluted: "We guarantee to complete the mission!"

...After the meeting ended and Ye Shou left, the crowd gradually dispersed. They had all received their next tasks and were eager to contribute their strength to the revival of human civilization.

Several high-ranking officials were called to another room for a small gathering, which was hosted by Agnukka.

"The Mars campaign is a crucial part of defeating M·A. Lord Kuze has entrusted you with such an important mission, so you must do your utmost and not let him down, understand?"

"Of course!"

"We're not beginners anymore, don't worry."

“Yes, I have no doubt about your abilities.” Agunica nodded, then glanced at the others. “There’s one more thing, which is inconvenient to say in the meeting just now, but there will be an internal meeting of the Gundam Legion soon, so I’m giving you a sneak peek.”

"A classified mission?"

The Asian-looking Barbatos pilot looked up in surprise: "Higher security level than the expedition to Mars?"

"really."

Agunica gave a mysterious smile, then his expression turned somewhat somber.

"In Lord Kuze's plan, reclaiming the moon and Mars and opening up the route to Jupiter are necessary steps to defeat M·A. But before that, there is actually a very important thing that should have been done first, but... that lord was too merciful, which caused it to be delayed until now."

"You mean... Earth?"

The Gundam pilots exchanged glances, not particularly surprised; Baldwin, for example, even seemed somewhat excited.

"Are we finally going to deal with those hypocritical bastards?"

"That's right. If humanity wants to truly revive, the power of Sydney alone is far from enough. We must unite the power of the entire planet!"

Agunica frowned: "In fact, Sydney's resources alone are insufficient to produce more than thirty-five Gundams. We had already taken more megacities into account when we formulated the production plan."

"That's right!"

Someone stood up excitedly: "It's time to integrate the Allied Forces. Now many cities are willing to accept our nominal command and provide technical personnel and military supplies. Only a few die-hards are still demanding the original data of the Gundam."

If these people aren't suppressed, Sydney's leadership will be shaken sooner or later, which will affect Lord Kuze's expedition plans!

"Hmm~"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

In theory, spreading the Gundam frame globally would enhance humanity's overall strength, but doing so would only result in chaos, with hard-won advantages being eroded by internal competition.

The reason is simple: the various forces in human society today cannot achieve true unity and it is difficult for them to work together on an equal footing to accomplish something.

On the contrary, when one side gains a clear advantage, it is easier to mobilize other forces in the form of "commands".

So, who is more suitable to be the absolute leader than Kuze Yoru?

Gundam pilots have no other choice!

"Deal with those disobedient warlords and conglomerates, expel the runaway AIs from Earth's surface, integrate the Earth-Moon system, enter the universe with unprecedented power, and reclaim humanity's homeland—"

This is the Great Expedition!

Agnica proudly surveyed the crowd: "Feel honored, everyone!"

We will follow that great man and share this glory!

We will write a new chapter in human history!

-

A week after returning to Earth, Ye Shou sat in his office, flipping through a beautifully printed book, nodding and sighing from time to time, his brows always slightly furrowed.

Liuli brought over a hot drink, looking at Ye Shou, who was deep in distress, with heartache, and couldn't help but glance at the book as well.

"I don't understand... This might be inappropriate, but it's not a big deal, is it?"

"Hmm?" Ye Shou raised his head and asked the maid with his eyes.

Liuli thought for a moment and said, "We will only stay in this world for one year, and according to your 'prophecy,' even if we can return to this world, it will be three hundred years from now."

Three hundred years... No influence can last that long without changing its nature.

In other words, whatever this book promotes now, its future form is uncertain. Even if we revise it, we can't change its inevitable transformation, can we?

“That’s true.” Ye Shou nodded.

"But even if we can only maintain the right direction for the first few decades, our efforts must not be in vain."

Are you going to deny the sweetness and deliciousness of an apple just because it will eventually rot?

“This…” Liuli pursed her lips.