Flay's random thoughts were unknown to Lu Tianming. All he knew was that with no one following him, his ears were much quieter, and his mood had improved considerably.
After entering the Bridge, he quickly scanned the area—since it wasn't a combat situation and they had just emerged from a battle, everyone needed rest, so the Bridge was temporarily empty.
Only Murrue was there, lying on a spread-out bedding with her elbow propped on the armrest and her cheek resting on her hand, dozing off in the Captain's seat.
Hearing the automatic door of the Bridge open, she jolted awake like a student caught sleeping in class, instinctively springing upright, hastily hiding the bedding behind her, and then turning around with feigned seriousness.
When she saw it was Lu Tianming, her tense demeanor relaxed slightly:
"Oh, it's you... I thought someone else had come..."
"What, not afraid of being caught sleeping on the job if it's me?"
Lu Tianming shrugged, speaking with amusement.
He had always seen Murrue in her serious, work-focused state, so witnessing such a casual, everyday side of her was quite entertaining.
"...S-so, you still noticed?"
Murrue's cheeks flushed slightly, whether from her earlier nap or the embarrassment of her secret being exposed.
She thought she had acted quickly enough... but she'd still been caught.
"If you're tired, why not just go rest? Why insist on sleeping at your workstation? Does it give you the thrill of slacking off on the job?"
Lu Tianming teased. Hearing this, Murrue shot him an exasperated glance before sighing softly and explaining:
"I didn't plan to sleep here originally. It's just that it got a bit cold during my shift, so I went to get a blanket to cover myself... and before I knew it, I fell asleep."
She felt somewhat awkward as she explained... after all, this kind of thing really damaged her image. Thankfully, it was Lu Tianming who saw... if anyone else had noticed, her authority as Captain would be ruined.
...Huh, that's strange. Why did I consider Lu Tianming an exception? Is it because I've never really maintained my Captain's image around him?
Murrue only then realized that, unconsciously, she had already placed Lu Tianming in a somewhat special position, momentarily stunned by the thought.
"This just means you're still tired. Once the next shift arrives, go get some proper rest."
"It's fine... I've already recovered most of my energy after that nap."
Murrue shook her head, indicating she was alright.
Lu Tianming, however, nodded thoughtfully and pointed to his own cheek with a smile, reminding her:
"True... I can tell you slept for quite a while. You've got marks on your face from pressing against it."
"?!"
At his words, Murrue immediately panicked and touched her cheek... the area where her hand had been resting did feel a bit warm.
Could it really be red?
Seeing she had taken him seriously, Lu Tianming waved his hand reassuringly:
"Don't worry, it's not noticeable unless you look closely. But you should hide the bedding properly—it's undeniable evidence."
"How about I hold onto it for now? If anyone asks, just say I brought it over."
"Th-that works too."
Murrue nodded in a daze. Just as she was worrying about the bedding issue, Lu Tianming quickly offered a solution. Still groggy from sleep, she instinctively gave her approval.
Then, as if her brain had rebooted, her gaze regained its usual seriousness as she added:
"By the way, why did you come here? Is there something you need?"
"Well, I just woke up too, so I came to check on the Archangel's current situation... But it seems you probably know about as much as I do."
Lu Tianming shrugged. He had intended to ask about the situation, but who knew the only person on the Bridge, Murrue, had been out of the loop just as long as he had—now he would have to find someone else.
Hearing this, Murrue shook her head, a hint of confidence flashing at the corner of her mouth as she smiled and said:
"I actually know quite a bit more than you—at least I waited until the Archangel landed before resting."
"The nearby area should be relatively safe for now. Although the radar can't detect very far due to the Neutron Jammer, the enemy is in the same situation."
"The desert is so vast that it's hard to pinpoint our location without a large-scale search—thanks to you choosing a good landing spot."
Lu Tianming nodded. He had expected as much.
Choosing to come to the area where the Desert Tiger was located, aside from being able to meet both the Desert Tiger and ORB's Princess Cagalli, two important figures, there was another reason—it was truly an ideal place for an emergency landing.
The vast desert meant there was buffer time after landing... If they had landed near a city or something, wouldn't they have been found immediately?
Moreover, there were resistance organizations here, potential allies for the Archangel.
And the presence of arms black markets in nearby cities provided the perfect opportunity for Kira to showcase his super assembly skills.
"If possible, I actually planned to try and make contact with the local resistance organizations once we've adjusted..."
Just as Murrue was about to continue, a deafening explosion echoed from the distance, followed by a series of fiery flashes.
As the flames of battle rose, the relaxed atmosphere of their earlier conversation vanished instantly, replaced by the alertness of preparing for combat.
Although it was clear the attack wasn't aimed at them, they still needed to be prepared... After all, the fighting could easily shift their way.
"Can the radar detect the enemy Mobile Suits now?"
"Four BuCUEs... The side being attacked seems to be the local resistance organization. They're fighting back with off-road vehicles and bazookas?!"
Murrue tried to use the monitors and radar to pull up images of the scene, but she was left dumbfounded by what she saw.
Who in their right mind would challenge MS with weapons like that...
"Are you going to sortie to provide support?"
Hearing Lu Tianming inquire about the enemy situation, Murrue had a good guess about his intentions.
Lu Tianming nodded, smiling as he replied:
"Wanting to build a bridge with the resistance organizations... This is a good opportunity, right? So, is the sortie permission granted?"
Seeing Lu Tianming still pretending to ask for approval, Murrue sighed helplessly, resting her forehead in her hand:
"Ah... You're practically the de facto commander of this ship already. Is there really any need to ask me?"
"Procedural Justice, I see—then I'll take my leave first."
With that, Lu Tianming hugged the bedding and turned to exit the Bridge... only to run into the rest of the bridge crew who had rushed over upon hearing the alarm. They stared blankly at Lu Tianming hurriedly carrying bedding out, then glanced at Captain Murrue on the Bridge, momentarily confused:
"Why did Mr. Lu just run out holding bedding?"
Hearing this, Murrue's face instinctively flushed slightly. She cleared her throat lightly and explained in an evasive tone:
"He... said it's a bit cold in the Cockpit, so he came to request some warm supplies."
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