After Ange accepted Big Sister Mao's Marine Corps Training Manual, Reid left the port. He still needed to oversee the reconstruction work for Artemis Fortress.
The analysis of the Lightwave Generator's Factory Module had long been completed, but purchasing Lightwave Generators outright would cost too many G-Coins. Instead, Reid opted to have the Colony Satellite's factory produce various components, which he would then assemble himself.
This meant that the relevant parts couldn't be completed in just over a week, so Reid needed to take this time to reorganize the interior first.
At the very least, several critical structural systems had to be reinforced. Otherwise, just as he had entered the fortress like it was his own home, the Eurasian Federation—which possessed the internal blueprints of Artemis Fortress—could easily infiltrate the base through ventilation shafts and side passages once they breached the umbrella defenses.
Moreover, the immigrant forces of the New Misurugi Republic would be stationed at this fortress long-term, so living arrangements had to be settled beforehand.
After a full day of work, Reid finally returned to the Star Palace Colony Satellite. He spent only one night at Ange's place before going back into seclusion.
Reid planned to finalize the MS-compatible Lambda Driver version, immediately design his own custom unit, and then test it in actual combat once production and preliminary trials were complete.
His goal was to gather a team and travel directly to A.C. 195 for the United Earth Sphere Alliance's assault on New Edwards Base.
This operation had to be completed before the submission deadline for the East Asian Republic's special prototype proposal. Reid intended to modify the Shenlong Gundam and the Heavy Arms Gundam to meet their requirements. He was confident they would be satisfied with these two Gundams.
After taking a day off to clear his mind, progress on the Lambda Driver research finally picked up again. After all, the Full Metal Panic original work featured the forty-meter-tall super-large AS, Behemoth, proving that the Lambda Driver could theoretically be successfully installed on massive mobile units.
Two days later, Reid officially cracked the principles of Lambda Driver integration for MS. However, just as he was about to start designing his custom machine, he was interrupted again.
Xia Yufang, having received a communication from Une, hurried in to inform Reid:
"Master, Miss Une just sent word. Visitors from Orb have arrived. Miss Ange has already gone to receive them in the underground meeting room of the government building. She asked you to come immediately."
Hearing this, Reid had no choice but to set aside the X200 frame schematics for the Blitz and head out to meet Orb's delegation.
Truthfully, Reid hadn't expected Erika Simmons to actually come to the Star Palace Colony Satellite to retrieve someone. As the technical director of Dawn Company, even if she were willing to make the trip for Juri's sake, Orb would never permit it.
Losing an MS test pilot was one thing, but Erika Simmons—who held extensive technical knowledge of Dawn Company—would be an irreplaceable loss, far beyond monetary value.
Still, Orb undoubtedly wanted to establish communication with the New Misurugi Republic. Under the East Asian Republic's heavy pressure, they hadn't dared to bare their fangs at the New Misurugi Republic yet—though they surely cursed them in private.
Thus, if only to gather intelligence on their enemy, Orb would seize this opportunity to send a sufficiently high-ranking representative for talks.
However, when Reid arrived at the secret meeting room beneath the government building, the identity of the visitor still managed to surprise him.
Sitting on the sofa chatting with Ange and Une was none other than Rondo Mina Sahaku—Reid had never guessed she would be the one to come.
To be fair, Juri and this woman weren't just unrelated; they didn't even know each other. At this point in time, Rondo Mina Sahaku hadn't stepped into the public eye at all. At most, Juri might have only heard her name in passing as the daughter of the Sahaku family.
Currently, apart from the family head standing openly in the spotlight, the one stirring up trouble everywhere was always Rondo Gina Sahaku. Rondo Mina Sahaku remained a figure entirely hidden in the shadows.
As for why Reid could recognize her at a glance as Rondo Mina Sahaku and not her identical-looking brother, Rondo Gina Sahaku—
Reid could only say that in the comics, Lowe Guele must have either pretended to mistake her or was outright blind. Though her features were somewhat androgynous and her stature tall, her feminine traits were still unmistakable. Even the oversized robe couldn't completely conceal them. The idea that anyone could mistake her for a man left Reid speechless.
So after pausing briefly upon entering, Reid immediately put on a smile, walked up to Rondo Mina Sahaku, and extended his hand.
"I never expected the true power behind the Sahaku family of Orb, Miss Mina, to come in person. This is truly an honor. Though you probably already know who I am, I'll introduce myself as per custom—I'm Reid Isaac, leader of the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group."
Mina naturally rose to her feet with a smile and shook his hand.
"I'm equally surprised that Mr. Reid knows of me. But you're too modest—out of all your illustrious titles, you chose the most unremarkable one to introduce yourself. I've long been familiar with your legendary exploits."
She tilted her head slightly. "That said, I wonder if I've disappointed you, Mr. Reid. You originally invited Director Erika Simmons, yet here I am instead."
Reid simply chuckled at that before taking a seat on the single sofa's side chair.
"Disappointed? Not at all. The reason I asked Director Erika Simmons to come was because she sent subordinates to cause trouble on my turf. If she wants to retrieve them, it's only proper she comes to explain herself."
He leaned back casually. "But Miss Mina will do just fine. After all, you're the main driving force behind Orb and the Atlantic Federation's joint Mobile Suit development. Miss Juri might not know it, but you're one of her highest-ranking superiors."
At his words, Rondo Mina Sahaku fell silent. She truly hadn't anticipated Reid's knowledge to be this detailed.
In principle, she had only strategized from the shadows. The cooperation with the Atlantic Federation was handled by her father, while the secret development of the Astray Gundams in Heliopolis was her brother's doing. She herself hadn't participated in any events directly—there should be no one in the Atlantic Federation who knew of her involvement.
If this information had still leaked, the spy could only be from the Sahaku inner circle, someone extremely close to the family.
Rondo Mina Sahaku was certain none of her immediate circle were spies. Even if one existed, they'd have had no opportunity to relay information outside. To avoid falling for Reid's possible bluff, she merely shook her head and said—
"You jest, Mr. Reid. The reason I could come here is precisely because the Astray Gundam was indeed developed under Sahaku's leadership. In my family, I'm the only one without significant responsibilities—my father and younger brother each have their duties, while I remain quite idle. As a member of the Sahaku family, I ought to contribute in some way, don't you think?"
Faced with Rondo Mina Sahaku's continued probing, Reid could only shake his head helplessly. Dealing with clever people meant every sentence carried eight hundred hidden meanings. He still had to design his own custom Mobile Suit later and didn't have the energy to engage in mental sparring with Rondo Mina Sahaku here.
So Reid cut straight to the point:
"Alright, Miss Mina, no need for modesty. I've heard of your reputation as Orb's 'God of Shadows.' I doubt even Uzumi Nara Athha would dare ignore your opinions, despite your differing ideologies. Still, you two play the good cop and bad cop roles quite well together.
At the very least, Uzumi Nara Athha knowingly turned a blind eye while the Sahaku family secretly collaborated with the Atlantic Federation to develop new Mobile Suits.
Now, enough mutual flattery. Miss Mina, regarding Juri infiltrating a military factory, photographing its interior, and attempting to assault a junk dealer cooperating with our nation at the Star Palace—how do you plan to handle this matter?"
Seeing how well-informed Reid was about Orb's affairs and his direct approach, Rondo Mina Sahak had no choice but to shelve her long list of suspected spies for now. She met Reid's gaze and asked,
"What would you suggest, Commander Reid? Frankly, a mere MS test pilot is expendable. My main purpose in coming here was to meet the legendary Princess Angelise and you."
Reid understood this was her way of warning him not to push his luck—after all, a test pilot wasn't exactly a crucial figure.
So Reid didn't mince words either:
"I'll be visiting Orb in the future. When that time comes, I'd like you, Miss Mina, to accompany me personally throughout my stay. That's all I ask."
This demand took Rondo Mina Sahaku by surprise. She had traveled all this way just so she could later act as his personal escort (dining, drinking, and sightseeing included)? Was this some kind of insult?
But after calming down and thinking it through, she quickly grasped Reid's intent.
As previously mentioned, Orb didn't trust sending Erika Simmons, Dawn Company's technical director, to the Star Palace alone.
By the same logic, would Reid dare to visit Orb without safeguards? Though his reasons for going were unclear, if he did, he'd need someone whose presence would deter Orb from acting against him—and that someone was her. If Reid were attacked, his allies would likely eliminate her first.
Weighing the pros and cons, Rondo Mina Sahaku suddenly found the idea not so unreasonable. After all, Reid Isaac's value alone could rival Dawn Company's entire worth. Having her accompany him hardly counted as humiliation.
With a smile, she replied,
"If Mr. Reid wishes to visit Orb, it's only natural for me, as your host, to accompany you throughout your stay. As long as Princess Angelise doesn't mind, of course."
Ange certainly wouldn't undermine Reid's position at this moment. Moreover, this Rondo Mina Sahaku was far too cunning—Reid would definitely find her troublesome. Even with Une, whose loyalty was guaranteed, Reid hadn't shown any intention to act. So Rondo Mina Sahaku was even more out of the question.
Reid wasn't the type to let his lower head control his upper head—Ange was absolutely certain of that. Besides, right now, his lower head was practically drained dry by her and Noin working together.
So Ange replied with complete nonchalance:
"Of course I don't mind. It's just a business trip—no big deal. And it's not like there's a shortage of women around him anyway."
Rondo Mina Sahaku hadn't expected Ange to be so generous. After all, Reid was a national treasure-level figure. She had even used her own body to tie him down, yet now she was willing to let him run around freely. She couldn't fathom how such trust had been built. The longer one stayed in a position of power, the fewer people they could fully trust—aside from blood relatives.
Mentally mocking herself, Rondo Mina Sahaku realized that projecting her own mindset onto others only made her seem petty. Nodding in acknowledgment, she said:
"Very well. In that case, I accept this deal. If Mr. Reid ever comes to Orb in the future, I'll be sure to welcome him with open arms."
Seeing the first step of their cooperation completed, Reid smiled in satisfaction and stood up.
"Then it's settled. When the time comes, I'll ask you personally to meet me in Orb's offshore waters."
"Of course, as the host today, I should properly entertain you, Ms. Mina. Come, let's head to the factory—I'll show you the Gundam Green Astray. It's been heavily modified, and I can't give you the data, but I can let Ms. Juri or even you take it for a test drive."
Reid wasn't just being generous to earn goodwill by letting Mina experience the Gundam Green Astray.
The main purpose was to test the newly developed Lambda Driver for Mobile Suits and its responsiveness to both ordinary Earthlings and elite Coordinators.
While the Star Palace Colony Satellite had Naturals and Coordinators available for testing, the results wouldn't be as effective as with these two. In any case, the Lambda Driver would remain locked during their test runs, but the recorded mental wave parameters would still provide valuable data. This would allow them to analyze the differences in Lambda Driver performance between Earthlings and Coordinators.
Seeing Reid's generosity, Rondo Mina Sahaku naturally didn't refuse. Her main purpose in coming to Star Palace was to gauge the extent of Reid's technological capabilities.
Know thy enemy, know thyself—only then could she ensure victory. Right now, Orb could only glimpse the tip of the iceberg of Reid's technological prowess from public sources, making it impossible to assess how many cards the New Misurugi Republic—a nation threatening Orb's status as the leading neutral power—actually held.
Of course, Rondo Mina Sahaku knew that whatever Reid allowed her to see wouldn't be his most cutting-edge technology. Still, it would be closer to reality than what was publicly available.
Soon, the group secretly relocated to the factory inside the Star Palace Colony Satellite.
Xia Yulan had already moved the Gundam Green Astray from the Factory Module to the colony's internal factory. At the same time, Reid's personal bodyguard, Xia Yufang, arrived with Juri, who trembled at the mere sight of Reid.
When Juri realized Rondo Mina Sahaku had come to retrieve her, it felt like seeing family again. Over the past two days, Une hadn't mistreated her—she'd simply been confined to a room with a private bathroom. Meals and water were delivered regularly, and she could even watch TV to pass the time.
Still, Juri had been living in constant fear. She knew Director Erica would never come to the Star Palace Colony Satellite for her sake. Every second, she dreaded the door bursting open to reveal three or five burly men ready to brutalize her.
At night, the nightmares were relentless, leaving her mentally exhausted. Now, seeing Rondo Mina Sahaku, she nearly broke down in tears on the spot, grateful to be freed from this torment.
But with Reid and Xia Yulan present, Juri didn't dare shed a single tear. She was genuinely terrified—Reid Isaac was nothing short of a demon.
No one in the room cared about Juri's inner turmoil. Rondo Mina Sahak simply noted that she was unharmed, with no signs of disability or abuse, and didn't press further. For a captured spy, avoiding torture was already a blessing.
Xia Yulan, however, caught Rondo Mina Sahaku's attention. Just standing beside her, Rondo could sense a palpable threat. The girl kept stealing glances, as if calculating where to strike for a clean kill. In short, she was extremely dangerous.
But the moment Rondo Mina Sahaku laid eyes on the newly refurbished MBF-P04 Gundam Green Astray, she dismissed the threat beside her. She was already deep inside the Star Palace Colony Satellite—if Reid truly wanted to act against her, resistance would be futile.
The Green Astray's previously exposed skeletal joints, originally left bare due to cost constraints, were now fully armored. The gray plating confirmed it was equipped with Phase Shift Armor. Though it currently lacked a Striker Pack, Rondo knew the Astray Gundam could equip any of the Strike Gundam's packs. Even as it stood, this machine was at least on par with the Strike.
After Reid mentioned she could test the machine at any time, Rondo Mina Sahaku turned to Juri and said,
"Juri Wu Nien, you're the Astray's test pilot, correct? Now's your chance to redeem yourself. Get in and experience its performance firsthand."
(End of Chapter)