Earth, East Asian Republic. The large military bases at Yokota and Zama—the Far Eastern Base of the East Asian Republic—served as Reid's first landing point on Earth.
Shortly after the meeting with Ambassador Zhao Zhongjian, the New Misurugi Republic received a request from the East Asian Republic the very next morning. The Crimson Wings Mercenary Group was tasked with escorting a shipment of civilian industrial goods from an East Asian Republic-affiliated Colony Satellite in the L3 region back to Earth.
Such requests had become routine for the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group. Civilian shipments from all four major Earth Sphere nations had sought their protection. After all, no space pirates dared to raid convoys guarded by the Crimson Wings.
Other major nations might not expend significant effort to crack down on pirates, but the Crimson Wings showed no such restraint. On one occasion, several pirates had taken refuge in the scavenger-operated space dock, Bana Kuul. Reid led a direct assault on the dock, terrifying the scavengers into thinking the New Misurugi Republic was about to raid them.
However, Reid withdrew immediately after capturing the pirates. The Scavengers' Guild didn't even lodge a protest. Had Reid failed to catch the pirates, they might have had grounds to complain. But since the pirates were apprehended, the fact that no nation pursued the guild for harboring space pirates was already the result of their extensive lobbying efforts.
The collusion between space pirates and the Scavengers' Guild was an open secret. Very few of the warships repaired by scavengers ever made their way back to legitimate civilian corporations or proper mercenary groups—most were absorbed by space pirates. Meanwhile, ships crippled during pirate raids were reclaimed by the Scavengers' Guild, creating a mutually beneficial cycle.
That said, the Scavengers' Guild was still a legitimate organization. To maintain its neutrality while navigating the political landscape of various nations, it couldn't afford to antagonize the Crimson Wings. The guild understood all too well that the mercenary group effectively represented the stance of the New Misurugi Republic.
If they were to obstruct the Crimson Wings for eliminating space pirates, the current leadership of the Scavengers' Guild would be swiftly replaced by the Earth Sphere nations.
Thus, the East Asian Republic's request raised no suspicions from other countries, and the Crimson Wings dispatched the Black Tri-Stars as escorts.
Of course, in reality, the cargo aboard these freighters had already been unloaded during their stop at the Star Palace Colony Satellite (where the Crimson Wings verified that the escorted goods were not contraband).
Now, these transport ships carried the Mystic Swift Thunder Gundam (its engine replaced with an ultra-compact fusion reactor, with all nuclear identifiers erased), the Altron Gundam, the Heavyarms Gundam EW, and two Mass Production Wing Gundams temporarily modified by Reid. These units were equipped with the Hell Lord Electronic Camouflage System, their primary armaments swapped for sniper rifles identical to those of the Immortal Aegis. Their appearance remained unchanged, but their armor was repainted sky blue and reinforced with foam armor. Additionally, two Hell Kings were also aboard.
Reid had secretly boarded the ship at the Star Palace as well. This time, he brought a sizable team—aside from the Xia sisters, there were also Kid Salsamille, Grodek Ainoa, and Ivan Paserov.
Naturally, a large contingent of native ground crew and communications personnel were also brought along to ensure they could commandeer any vessel and depart immediately.
The East Asian Republic warmly welcomed Reid and his large entourage, only for Major Li to pester him the entire way. The major insisted that even if that obviously custom Mobile Suit wasn't for sale, could Reid at least sell them one small MS and one new mass-production transformable model?
Reid could only politely decline—these four units were all useful to him and couldn't be sold.
After failing to get anywhere despite his persistent efforts, Major Li reluctantly gave up for now, declaring he'd continue his pestering once they landed on Earth.
Stepping onto Earth's surface again filled Reid with complex emotions. Honestly, in his previous life, he'd never set foot on this particular land. Who would've thought that after rebirth, the place would become so distinctly East Asian in character?
Especially that glaring red banner hung at the highest point of the base tower, as if afraid people might miss it: "Welcome Dr. Reid for inspection and research visit."
It made Reid look like some visiting official, so embarrassing he nearly dug holes through his shoes with his toes. And since when did he have a doctorate? He'd joined the military right after college.
Moreover, Reid strongly suspected this banner wasn't meant for him, but rather for the other three nations in Earth's sphere. Probably within hours, Une would have diplomats from those three countries swarming her doorstep.
While Reid's departure from the East Asian Republic aboard a Mothership would inevitably be noticed by the other three nations, he only needed secrecy during the journey here. So why was the Republic flaunting this so brazenly? Surely they weren't trying to show off to the other three powers?
But Reid soon had no time to ponder whether the Republic was showing off. After disembarking, he went through the familiar airport reception routine—complete with a little girl presenting flowers, likely the child of some military family stationed at the base.
By the end of the ceremony, Reid's smile muscles were cramping from overuse. Only after enduring the welcome formalities was he finally led to a massive docking bay hidden within the mountains.
There sat quietly the warship he'd commissioned—the [Carrier Base]. Its appearance matched the in-game version exactly, though the exterior coating had been changed to dark blue.
The East Asian Republic understood that Reid's group would want to verify the ship's condition before discussing anything else.
Therefore, while transferring the Altron Gundam, Heavyarms Gundam EW, and related materials to their own warehouses, they simultaneously loaded the five Mobile Suits Reid brought plus the three Custom Kampfers that had followed them down into the vessel.
The [Carrier Base] was designed to carry eight MS units. Since two of Reid's units were smaller models, the hangar still had plenty of spare space.
Upon boarding, Reid found the Republic's after-sales service quite satisfactory—at minimum, the ship's Laser Nuclear Furnace was fully fueled, and all anti-aircraft machine guns and missiles were combat-ready.
In effect, the Republic had given him a fully equipped warship ready for immediate deployment.
Reid immediately had his crew take over the vessel. Whether the ship's systems had backdoors didn't concern him—he wasn't planning to clash with the East Asian Republic during this Earth visit anyway.
Once back at the Star Palace, this Mothership would inevitably be fed to the system for reconstruction. Then all programs would be his own, complete with added AI. Any backdoors the Republic might have installed would become irrelevant.
However, the military-industrial products of the East Asian Republic have always been reliable in quality. After a full system inspection, no issues were found. Reid even commanded the ship to leave the docking area and took it for a spin over the nearby sea, requesting a few targets from the base to test the cannons.
Naturally, everything functioned perfectly—this was a ship of excellent quality.
Thus, after completing the tests and returning, Reid borrowed some paint from the base to designate the ship's class and name: the Zodiac-Class Space Carrier, first of its kind, the Aries.
Unlike the Mobile Suit designs Reid had traded to the East Asian Republic, this ship's origins would later be explicitly stated by the East Asian Republic—the blueprints were provided by Reid, and they merely acted as the manufacturing contractor.
As for compensation, the New Misurugi Republic would publicly claim that the ship's design itself was the payment. After all, many nations could build cosmic battleships, but their proprietary designs were one-of-a-kind. As for the Mobile Suits, they would absolutely never admit to anything.
Therefore, the naming rights for this series of ships indeed belonged to Reid. Even if the East Asian Republic later constructed identical vessels, they would alter the appearance enough to make it clear they weren't part of the same series.
Following the ship's trial run came the customary welcoming banquet. Reid would stay at the base for one more day to provide after-sales support—any questions about the two Mobile Suits could be directed to him.
However, Reid didn't give the East Asian Republic a chance to deploy any "honey traps." At the banquet, Xia Yufang and Xia Yulan sat on either side of him, their refined beauty enough to deter any male attendees from causing trouble for the two women.
As for women who dared approach, the sisters would unleash a chilling aura of hostility. Most female officers, sensing this, would naturally retreat.
Thus, the only women bold enough to approach Reid were those accustomed to battlefield environments, possessing both beauty and eloquence, well-mannered and educated. Such individuals were hardly common in a remote East Asian Republic base like this.
The next day, however, the identities of Xia Yufang and Xia Yulan were uncovered by the East Asian Republic. After all, the system-generated identities typically referenced their original world's backgrounds. Everyone born in the East Asian Republic had records, and the sisters were no exception.
Their distinctly East Asian features made their origins obvious at a glance. Combined with the rarity of twins and their relatively identifiable age, tracking them down was effortless.
The result? Early the next morning, Zhao Zhongjian stormed into Reid's room with a grave expression, cutting straight to the point about the sisters. His tone was heavy as he spoke:
"Mr. Reid, we've conducted an investigation into the identities of the two girls by your side. It's been confirmed—they are the same two girls who went missing eleven years ago and were presumed dead.
Therefore, we must insist on a detailed explanation: How did these girls end up with you, clearly having undergone specialized training and hardened by battle?
Were they acquired from some... particular institution? You must understand this—our nation cannot tolerate its citizens being raised as tools."
Reid wasn't angered by Zhao Zhongjian's attitude. When a nation gained sufficient strength, it naturally grew firm on matters of principle.
In any case, the system had provided the Xia sisters with thoroughly detailed backgrounds—even the ruins of the enhanced-human laboratory they'd escaped from were surely arranged. Thus, Reid replied plainly:
"These two girls were, in principle, picked up by me. Well, that's not entirely accurate—they actively fled to the Star Palace Colony Satellite and were then recruited by me."
"I asked them about their background. They said they escaped from an enhanced human laboratory somewhere in the Pacific. They weren't entirely sure which country the lab belonged to, but they did have the coordinates."
With that, Reid turned to Xia Yulan beside him and said,
"Yulan, give Ambassador Zhao the coordinates of the lab you escaped from."
Yulan naturally understood that Reid was asking them to provide the information from the identity the system had assigned them. Without hesitation, she recited a set of coordinates.
Zhao Zhongjian couldn't tell whether Reid was lying, and the Xia sisters' expressions remained as unreadable as ever. His tone softened slightly as he replied,
"Very well, Mr. Reid. We will verify these coordinates. However, the Xia sisters are our citizens..."
This time, Zhao Zhongjian was cut off mid-sentence. There were things Reid was willing to explain, but some lines could not be crossed. His tone turned firm as he interjected,
"Ambassador Zhao, let's not spoil the mood by suggesting that Yulan and Yufang should 'go home.' They no longer have a home in the East Asian Republic. To put it bluntly, your country failed to protect their original families. Now, their home is with me, and I will take responsibility for them both. So, it's best you don't finish that sentence."
Zhao Zhongjian clearly wasn't convinced by Reid's reasoning and opened his mouth to argue.
But before he could speak, Yulan and Yufang snatched ballpoint pens from the table and pressed them against his throat from both sides, their eyes brimming with murderous intent as they hissed,
"Try to separate us from the Captain, and we'll kill you!!"
Zhao Zhongjian swore he could feel their genuine desire to slit his throat. A pang of regret hit him—why hadn't he brought guards into the room? This was an East Asian Republic base, after all. But now, he didn't dare move a muscle, terrified that any further provocation might get him killed in his own facility.
Reid, of course, couldn't let Zhao Zhongjian die here. His death would force Reid to fight his way out and instantly freeze relations with the East Asian Republic.
So he immediately barked,
"Yulan! Yufang! What are you doing?! Release Ambassador Zhao!"
At Reid's command, the two reluctantly withdrew, though their displeasure was palpable.
Reid then pulled them close, pressing a hand against each of their backs as the three of them bowed deeply to Zhao Zhongjian in unison.
"My apologies, Ambassador Zhao. These two still haven't adjusted to normal life and are prone to overreacting. Please forgive them."
Zhao Zhongjian watched as Reid played the part of a parent apologizing for his misbehaving children. There wasn't much he could say—nor did he have the face to hold a grudge against two girls under eighteen. With an internal sigh, he replied,
"Mr. Reid, I forgive the Xia sisters for their actions. However, as I said earlier, we will investigate the laboratory. If we find any connection to the old or new Misurugi Empire, my country will not let this matter rest."
Reid's expression made it clear he had no objections—go ahead and investigate, it's none of my business.
In the end, Zhao Zhongjian never brought up repatriating the sisters again. The topic wasn't mentioned even once before Reid left the Far Eastern Base.
However, the East Asian Republic's plan to test their cadres ended in failure, as they discovered that Reid seemed to have no particular vices. The women around him were of exceptionally high caliber—status, beauty, and figure all impeccable. Ordinary honey traps were utterly ineffective.
Moreover, Reid didn't appear to care for money. According to the East Asian Republic's investigations, he neither managed the funds of the New Misurugi Republic nor those of the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group. He only kept a modest sum from his anti-bandit operations and the meager retirement subsidies provided by the Eurasian Federation.
As for fame, the East Asian Republic couldn't offer Reid anything greater—he was already the shadow ruler of a nation. How could they possibly elevate him further?
When it came to food, Reid did enjoy eating, but certainly not enough to abandon his principles for a meal.
Thus, on the third day of Reid's stay at the base, the East Asian Republic could only bid him farewell as he departed their borders. Of course, Reid managed to secure some parting gifts—eight Crane Unmanned Auxiliary Flight Devices, modeled after ZAFT's Guuls and designed to assist the Celestial Soldiers and Heavenly General-Class units.
The Aries couldn't simply launch into space as it was. Reid and the East Asian Republic agreed that if he couldn't find another way into orbit after touring Earth, he would head to Kaohsiung Port to equip the ship with a large rocket for the journey.
Naturally, his next destination was Orb—but not immediately. Having left the Star Palace at the end of February, he spent three days posing as a civilian transport unit to reach Earth, followed by another three days at the East Asian Republic's Far Eastern base. It was already March 7th.
Under normal circumstances, Athrun and Cagalli should have spent these days alone on an island, undressing each other and sharing a passionate night, laying the groundwork for their future union. (And also preparing for the inevitable mind-reading by thinking of something suitably scandalous.)
In the original timeline, the Archangel would have broken through the Malacca Strait around March 15th, but with significant damage to the hull, it would arrive in Orb around the 23rd for over half a month of repairs and maintenance. Along the way, they'd help Orb complete the two remaining technologies of the G Project—Phase Shift Armor and the Natural OS.
If Reid went straight there, it would seem far too deliberate. Instead, he planned to first conduct reconnaissance on ZAFT's Carpentaria Base from a distance. The two mass-produced Wing Gundams he'd brought, equipped with Electronic Camouflage Systems, were perfect for this task.
The mass-produced Wing Gundams could simply activate their Electronic Camouflage Systems and fly over for reconnaissance. In the Full Metal Panic world, the reason jets couldn't use stealth and propulsion simultaneously was because their Arm Slaves couldn't fly—once the engines were engaged, stealth became meaningless. But at high altitudes, what did it matter if there was exhaust? Standard military radar detected metal, not heat, and the scent of ozone at such heights was hardly an issue.
On Earth, no one used military thermal sensors to scan the skies. Standard thermal detection was meant to locate heat sources hidden in cover or jungles—who would bother looking upward? Besides, the range of such high-precision thermal radar couldn't even reach altitudes of several thousand meters.
From what Reid knew, ZAFT's Dinn couldn't fly nearly as high as the mass-produced Wing Gundam. Unless the Wing Gundam broke the sound barrier and created a sonic boom cloud, the chances of being detected were practically zero. The only exception would be if they had incredibly bad luck and ZAFT's aerial patrol happened to fly right past the Wing Gundam and spotted its exhaust flames.
Of course, if Carpentaria as a military base had weather radar installed, Reid would consider that his loss. Weather radar could still detect heat changes at high altitudes. Even if ground observers dismissed one or two sudden heat signatures as natural phenomena, repeated trajectory changes would eventually reveal the pattern.
If everything went smoothly, after a few days of reconnaissance, Reid planned to delib
erately reveal himself. He'd time it perfectly with the Archangel's port arrival and contact Rondo Mina Sahaku. She had promised to be his tour guide in Orb—if she went back on her word, wouldn't it be perfectly reasonable for him to come find her in a Mobile Suit?