Haman announced that she would take Reid and the others to meet Mineva Lao Zabi first. Reid felt indifferent—after all, Mineva was still just a little girl who understood nothing at this point. He wasn't like Bright Noa, spending every day babysitting on the Mothership.
However, Gaia, Ortega, and Mash were eager to see the daughter of their former leader. While Reid remained expressionless and dismissive during his conversation with Haman, the other three suddenly perked up with interest.
Haman observed everything silently. Like her, Reid was a Newtype—they were drawn to each other but also wary. When experienced Newtypes met, both sides would be cautious about mind-reading, so Haman wasn't surprised by Reid's lack of emotional fluctuation.
But the attitudes of the Black Tri-Stars were easy to decipher. Even if Haman weren't a Newtype, a little knowledge of microexpressions would reveal that the three still cared about Mineva.
As the doors opened, Reid and the others could finally see inside.
It was a massive space that could double as a hangar, modeled after the court of ancient European royalty—somehow, an ancient European throne room had been constructed inside the ship. There were even cranes flying around the room.
Reid maintained his earlier assessment: pulling off something like this inside a massive Mothership either meant they were so wealthy they could squander resources without a care, or they had simply run out of ideas.
Now, looking at Mineva Lao Zabi sitting stiffly on the most prominent throne in the hall, Reid couldn't help but pity her. A nine-year-old girl, still in elementary school, yet seated here—this throne might as well have been her classroom chair.
And surrounding this "chair," lining the edges of the hall, stood rows of soldiers in Zeon Military Uniforms.
The only problem was, none of these soldiers likely held any genuine loyalty to Mineva Lao Zabi. Right now, they were all like schoolteachers watching over this little girl, placing immense pressure on her.
This much didn't even need to be pointed out by Reid—even the three blockheads, Gaia, Ortega, and Mash, could see it. Reid could sense their anger steadily rising after the doors opened.
As Haman led the way forward, approaching Mineva Lao Zabi, the five of them could see her trembling faintly, struggling to suppress her fear.
After all, the aura of these five was overwhelming—each of them had walked out of battlefields drenched in blood.
Gaia, Ortega, and Mash were already scanning the room for familiar faces among the Zeon soldiers, furious and itching for a fight. They wouldn't bother with the rookies here—they wanted to beat up veterans.
Haman, as if completely oblivious to the emotions of the five behind her, slipped into performance mode. Turning around, she formally announced:
"This is the rightful heir of the Zabi family—Her Highness, Mineva Lao Zabi."
At Haman's words, Mineva reflexively switched into performance mode as well. Her trembling stopped instantly, and she gestured for a maid to approach, whispering something to her.
This was clearly a trick to prevent Mineva from being caught off-guard by direct questions—having someone else relay her words ensured she wouldn't freeze up and reveal her fear.
So, after the maid whispered a few words to Haman, Haman loudly declared:
"Her Highness Mineva says: Welcome back, heroes of Zeon. She is very pleased."
Reid no longer wanted to humor Haman's little comedy act at this point. He walked slowly toward Mineva and said:
"I need to verify her identity. You know my former line of work." (Referring to his system-assigned role as secret special forces commander)
When Reid stepped forward, the soldiers behind Haman initially raised their weapons, but she stopped them. She believed Reid wouldn't do anything irrational in public, and while Mineva's situation might fool others, trying to deceive someone like him was laughable.
Reid stopped about two meters from Mineva, not wanting to actually frighten the young girl to tears. After making a show of carefully examining her, he turned and announced:
"This is indeed Her Highness Mineva Lao Zabi."
As he spoke, Reid subtly gave Gaia, Ortega, and Mash a hand signal indicating they were free to act.
The trio immediately dropped their act. Having already identified their targets, they ignored Haman completely and marched aggressively toward the surrounding Neo Zeon officers.
Seeing the Black Tri-Stars approaching, the Neo Zeon recruits reflexively reached for their weapons, but veterans among them quickly pushed the barrels down, smiling as the legendary trio advanced.
Gaia took the lead, grabbing an officer by the collar and roaring:
"I recognize you! Former honor guard from Dozle Zabi's personal security detail, weren't you? Tell me - what kind of madness puts a nine-year-old girl on that throne? How does this honor Lord Dozle's memory? Answer me!"
Unlike in the original timeline where Char's outburst led to him being restrained, Gaia, Ortega and Mash were now on the verge of actual violence. Yet the Zeon veterans still prevented the recruits from intervening - to them, Char had been a Federation traitor, while these three were their own. The veterans understood their rage.
However, Reid had no intention of letting the trio start an actual brawl. This was all part of their good cop/bad cop routine. Just as Gaia was about to strike, Reid intervened:
"Gaia, Ortega, Mash! No fighting in front of the child! Everyone here traveled to resource-starved Axis, where each person must contribute to survive. That includes Her Highness Mineva - without parents or guardians, serving as a spiritual symbol is perhaps the best role available."
Turning to Haman, he continued:
"That said, Miss Haman, I still find your arrangements for Her Highness unsatisfactory. Though considering you yourself bore Axis' burdens as a teenager, I won't judge harshly. After all, I abandoned everything in Zeon to form a mercenary group where old comrades could find shelter."
Reid was carefully balancing his approach - projecting enough independence to maintain credibility while ensuring Haman didn't view him as completely uncontrollable. This delicate dance of testing boundaries continued.
However, Reid didn't realize that his words had actually struck too deep. The pressure weighing on Haman's heart was known only to herself, making her prone to emotional outbursts and even yandere tendencies—all consequences of burdens far beyond what someone her age should bear.
Thus, Reid's acknowledgment pierced straight into the softest part of Haman's heart, instantly raising her favorability toward him. She felt that Reid was someone who could understand her struggles, not just another arrogant fool who would immediately question and pick fights with her.
So, Haman allowed a rare, genuine smile to surface as she replied,
"I'm relieved that you understand my difficulties, Colonel Reid. That's why I personally hope for your return. I believe Lady Mineva's circumstances and burdens would ease considerably with your support."
Reid still wasn't ready to directly respond to Haman's overtures and instead said,
"Understanding is one thing, but I don't intend to change my stance. In this war, let's simply demonstrate our respective strengths. Haman, you don't need to prove yourself superior to us—our environments have shaped us differently.
But don't expect me to stay if you perform poorly. My men have already died once before. They've clung to life this long, and I won't let them perish again because of someone else's incompetence. That's my responsibility."
There was nothing objectionable about Reid's words. Neither Haman nor the surrounding Neo Zeon officers showed any displeasure. This was exactly the kind of decisive attitude a leader should have.
Meanwhile, the Zabi restorationists in Axis were now considering whether to add Reid to the list of potential future leaders for Neo Zeon. Based on his performance, Colonel Reid seemed more mature and reliable than Haman, and his forces consisted of highly capable former Zeon soldiers.
Moreover, the Zabi faction had already begun analyzing the Mobile Suits piloted by Reid's team. Though they couldn't access the cockpits, the armor appeared to be a new, high-performance material—proof that Reid commanded considerable research and development capabilities. The men he brought today might just be the tip of the iceberg of his organization.
Haman had now decided to take a slow, steady approach with Reid. Confidently stepping forward, she said,
"I believe I'll win you over. Coincidentally, the AEUG has sent an envoy to meet with me. Would you like to join me in seeing how I handle external affairs?"
Reid had no objections and turned to the Black Tri-Stars.
"Gaia, Ortega, Mash—return to the ship and fetch some pudding and juice. Just ask Ange for it; she brought some along. Give them to Lady Mineva. A little girl should enjoy sweets, right?
Also, bring Dr. Minovsky along. He has history with the AEUG."
Naturally, the three had no objections. "Understood, boss," Gaia responded before leading his brothers away.
The Neo Zeon officers wouldn't stop them, leaving Reid to follow Haman and meet with Kamille.
Haman's performance in this sector with Mineva had clear objectives: first, to absorb the remnants of the old Zeon forces still active in Earth's sphere, and second, to draw the attention of the Titans and AEUG, who were already at each other's throats.
Haman intended to play both sides, creating the perfect conditions for Neo Zeon and Axis's return.
So she never even considered refusing the meeting with AEUG. She brought Reid to a small room in the hangar to meet Kamille.
After receiving the preliminary terms from AEUG, Haman smiled and said directly:
"Alright, I understand. But there's no need for your delegation to come. I'll go directly to the Argama for the talks."
Her tone at this moment was so gentle that Kamille was completely stunned, thinking to himself that she hadn't been like this the last time they met.
Haman clearly sensed Kamille's confusion. With Reid standing behind her, she didn't want him to think she was harsh with others, so she proactively explained:
"There's no need for that reaction. I'm not an arrogant person. I naturally treat normal meetings with courtesy."
Seeing his mission accomplished so easily, Kamille relaxed considerably and offered to wait on the deck before taking his leave.
At this point, Haman's confidant, after Kamille had left, immediately cautioned:
"Lady Haman, isn't this too risky?"
Haman looked at Reid with a smile and replied to this question:
"With Colonel Reid here, I believe my safety is assured."
Reid saw this as a perfect opportunity to enjoy the show. Moreover, Haman was the faction leader, and he certainly wouldn't let her fail so easily. Calmly, he responded:
"Naturally. After all, I've chosen to stand on your side in this war. There's no scenario where the commander is lost before the battle even begins. I'll ensure your safe return."
Haman admired confident and composed men, so she told her confidant:
"You heard him. Colonel Reid will protect me. I trust in his capabilities as a former commander of a covert special forces unit."
With Haman's words, her confidant had nothing more to say.
After the Black Tri-Stars returned with desserts and Tem Ray, Haman immediately announced their departure.
The Qubeley flew at the forefront, with Reid and his team forming the second echelon, escorted by eight Gaza-C units.
This time, however, with Reid accompanying her, Haman refrained from performing risky maneuvers like skimming the bridge—lest he think her childish—and instead docked properly in the hangar.
But with so many Mobile Suits, the Argama's hangar couldn't accommodate them all. Only Reid's Mystic Lightning and Haman's Qubeley were allowed inside, while the others had to park on the flight decks on either side of the Argama before floating into the hangar.
Once everyone had regrouped, Reid, Haman, and their entourage followed Kamille in a grand procession to the bridge for the talks.
However, the moment Reid's group stepped onto the bridge, Char—under the alias Quattro Bajeena—immediately removed his glasses, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head as he gasped in shock:
"Gaia! Ortega! Mash! You three are alive?!"
Bright Noa, the Argama's captain, had the same reaction. He too felt like he was seeing ghosts and exclaimed:
"Dr. Tem Ray... you're not dead?"
With these outbursts, the talks immediately went off track.
Gaia, Ortega, and Mash looked at Char with nostalgia. Unaware of Char's role in the downfall of the original Zeon, they greeted him warmly, patting his shoulders as they surrounded him.
"Major Char, it's been a long time. You've finally taken off your mask. Seeing old comrades makes climbing out of hell worth it."
Meanwhile, Tem Ray approached Captain Bright Noa. He still recognized Bright, having met during the development of the RX-78. Later, his own son had worked under this man's command.
So Tem Ray stepped forward and extended his hand, saying:
"Ensign Bright Noa—no, Captain Bright now. Though the situation is complicated, I'm no ghost. I simply had to disappear and remain hidden. By the way, do you have any news of Amuro? Is he well?"
After shaking hands with Tem Ray, Captain Bright could only acknowledge that the man before him was indeed alive. It seemed there had been more to Tem Ray's supposed death back then. He'd nearly been scared to death just now.
So Captain Bright responded as if meeting an old friend:
"Dr. Tem Ray, it's truly been too long. No—I should say, seeing you alive might be the best thing to happen in recent times. Amuro is on Earth, doing well. He's now part of AEUG."
Receiving confirmation of Amuro's safety, Tem Ray smiled in relief and, without another word, returned to stand behind Reid after their handshake.
Seeing that even Tem Ray had withdrawn, the Black Tri-Stars ignored Char's bewildered expression and likewise turned back to take their positions behind Reid.
This left Reid as the center of attention for everyone on the Argama's bridge.
Reid wondered why they were all staring at him—he was just here to observe. But since the others were clearly waiting for him to speak, he had no choice but to say:
"Don't look at me. Ms. Haman is the one you should be negotiating with. She's the leader of Neo Zeon. My team and I are merely bodyguards now."
With that, Reid deliberately took a step back, moving from Haman's side to a position slightly behind her.