Xia Chuan was genuinely surprised as he watched Lu Tianming suddenly bow before him... followed by Mu and the others who joined in the gesture.
When Lu Tianming descended from the cockpit to receive everyone's praise and cheers... truth be told, Xia Chuan felt no jealousy.
He had witnessed firsthand how difficult Lu Tianming's journey had been.
It was Lu Tianming who devised solutions during their initial clash with the CGUE when their controls conflicted; it was Lu Tianming who repeatedly found ways out of crises during their battle against the Aegis; and in the recent fight, without Lu Tianming, Xia Chuan would have been hit countless times, perhaps even unable to escape at all.
Just as Lu Tianming didn't believe he could have succeeded alone without Xia Chuan, Xia Chuan equally doubted he could have made it this far smoothly by himself.
So when Lu Tianming was surrounded by admirers... Xia Chuan truly didn't envy him, really.
...Alright, maybe just a little.
But he also knew he couldn't openly reveal his conscious existence. Beyond the potential butterfly effects causing trouble, the mere possibility of being dissected by unscrupulous allies was terrifying enough.
Or worse, being taken over by Kira again and used as some sort of prop for flirtatious battles with Athrun.
That mental image was too dreadful to contemplate.
So even if he felt some envy, he couldn't actually do anything about it... So what if he was envious? They were brothers after all. Who cared who received praise? He knew the truth in his heart.
Being a lone warrior wasn't so bad either. "Who says only those standing in the light are heroes?" Right?
But Lu Tianming turning around and leading everyone in that bow truly caught him off guard.
What surprised him wasn't that Lu Tianming remembered to return the glory and praise that belonged to him... What astonished him was that Lu Tianming had bowed too.
When he saw the sincerity in Lu Tianming's eyes during that formal bow - all the glory and acclaim he had previously envied suddenly seemed unimportant.
Had Lu Tianming been smiling with amusement, he wouldn't have been surprised, since Lu Tianming had played the joker before - with Kira being the first 'victim'.
Had Lu Tianming looked arrogant with an air of condescension, he wouldn't have been surprised either. He could even imagine what Lu Tianming would say if he could speak: "See? Dad didn't forget his good son, did he?" After all, their father-son rivalry had been ongoing since they met, so seizing this opportunity would be expected.
But he never expected Lu Tianming to genuinely express gratitude with such sincerity.
Joy? Surprise? Xia Chuan himself couldn't define what he was feeling.
He only felt warmth in his heart, feeling... damn, he hadn't misjudged this brother of his.
He inexplicably wanted to say something to Lu Tianming, but when the words reached his lips, he found - he couldn't speak them, nor could he express them clearly.
So he could only maintain the appearance of the steel titan, standing coldly in the fixed frame, watching Lu Tianming with dim monitors as he departed amid laughter and cheers.
Then he silently cursed in his heart:
"Damn, you'd rather pull this sentimental act than call me dad once..."
Leaving the Hangar this time, Lu Tianming wasn't heading for rest but had been invited by Mu... to come to the Bridge.
The mysterious disappearance of the Nazca-class vessel and the Blitz Gundam had always struck Lu Tianming as odd. Without thoroughly investigating the matter, he felt as though a fishbone were stuck in his throat, unable to rest completely at ease.
Coincidentally, the ship's crew members—Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel—felt the same way.
As Mu and Lu Tianming entered the bridge, Murrue and Badgiruel, who had been waiting there for some time, stood up. It could be said that everyone with decision-making authority on the ship had gathered here.
"What are your thoughts on the whereabouts of the Blitz and the Nazca?" Murrue cut straight to the point, voicing the concerns on everyone's minds.
"Could they have another plan? Perhaps they're waiting for us to set sail and let our guard down before accelerating to catch up and launch a surprise attack?" Badgiruel speculated tentatively. The Blitz's primary strategic function was stealth assault, and combined with the Nazca-class's role as a high-speed battleship, such a maneuver seemed plausible.
"I don't think so," Lu Tianming shook his head. "If they truly intended to ambush us, the best opportunity would have been during the previous engagement with the Aegis and the others. Why wait until later if they didn't strike then?"
"Indeed," Mu agreed with Lu Tianming's perspective. "If the Blitz fails to take out the Archangel in one strike, they would be the ones at a disadvantage."
The Strike Suit had a clear advantage over the Blitz, and Mu could hold his own against Creuset. Meanwhile, the Archangel, facing the Nazca-class, could leverage its Positron Cannon to gain the upper hand.
In a three-way comparison, the enemy held almost no advantages. Even if they tried to flee, they might not outrun the Archangel, which was also a high-speed battleship.
"So... Tianming, what are your thoughts?" Mu turned his gaze back to Lu Tianming, sensing that he had something in mind.
Lu Tianming nodded, not withholding his thoughts. After a moment of contemplation to organize his ideas, he continued, "If I'm not mistaken... our next destination isn't the lunar base, but Artemis, right?"
"How did you know? Did Mu tell you?" Murrue was surprised. They hadn't intended to keep this from Lu Tianming; during her last visit, aside from checking on him, she had planned to inform him of this very matter.
However, the sudden attack had prevented her from doing so... so how did he know now?
"Don't look at me... I didn't say anything," Mu shrugged innocently, indicating he had nothing to do with it.
Lu Tianming smiled faintly. Having knowledge of the plot, he knew exactly what was happening... but he couldn't reveal that. Instead, he offered an alternative explanation: "It's just process of elimination. Our current supplies are insufficient to reach the lunar base directly, and the only possible resupply point nearby is the Artemis base."
"But then again... if I can figure this out, it's possible the enemy commander has thought of it too."
"You mean..." Mu's eyes flashed with understanding, as if he had grasped Lu Tianming's implication. Murrue and Badgiruel soon caught on as well, their expressions turning serious.
Lu Tianming nodded slightly, confirming Mu's speculation.
"That's right... I suspect the Nazca-class never intended to target us. Its objective—was Artemis."
"If they can capture Artemis before we arrive, not only will the Archangel face supply shortages, but it will also be caught between two battleships."
"By then, escaping with our lives won't be as simple as it was this time."