After some consideration, Lu Tianming accepted Andrew's invitation.
The two walked out of the Archangel and headed toward the dock where Ro's Home was stationed, only to see that the Home had just returned from its salvage operation and was already berthed at the port.
As the mothership gradually docked, the cargo hold of the Home opened—revealing it was filled with the wreckage of the Blitz and the other Blitz.
Previously, the Freedom had only shot through and pierced the connection points of the Mobile Suits, without completely destroying their limbs or lower bodies, so many useful components could still be recovered.
Even the Blitz's underwater combat backpack had been retrieved by Ro... at first glance, it looked almost like an underwater Meteor, quite intimidating.
The Red Astray proceeded to unload the parts one by one. The Dawn Organization had already arranged for transport vehicles to directly take these components away.
After all, these were valuable resources for them.
In an instant, only the sections containing the two cockpits were left untouched on the ground, discarded.
"The pilots inside the cockpits seem to still be conscious. What do you plan to do with them?"
The cockpit of the Red Astray opened slightly, and Ro popped his head out, inquiring about the handling of the two pilots below with Lu Tianming.
"We'll take care of the pilots. As for the cockpits... they can be handed over to the Dawn Organization later as well," Lu Tianming replied. Their main purpose in coming was actually for Dearka and Nicol inside.
As for the Mobile Suits themselves, of course, they would be handled by professionals—it was believed that the technology and data contained in these two units would be of great interest to the people at the Dawn Organization.
"Alright, then be careful. I'll notify the Dawn Organization later and have them wait for your instructions before collecting the Mobile Suits," Ro nodded, then retreated back into his cockpit.
"Previously, quite a few ZAFT MS were also sunk in ORB's territorial waters. They've commissioned me to salvage them as well—so I won't chat with you much for now."
With that, he hurried back to the Home and set out to sea again with his companions... It was clear that ORB had given him a large order.
Now he was working around the clock.
After silently expressing some sympathy in his heart, Lu Tianming and Andrew exchanged glances and nodded.
Andrew made a gesture, and several armed soldiers from the Archangel took up positions in the rear. Meanwhile, Lu Tianming proceeded to 'escort' Dearka and Nicol out one by one.
Once brought out, Nicol and Dearka were disarmed, their eyes clearly showing the unique mix of resentment and helplessness that comes with being captured.
However, when the two came down and saw Andrew, that resentment and helplessness instantly turned into shock.
"You're... that Andrew Waltfeld from the Clyne Faction?!" Nicol was the first to recognize Andrew. If Andrew had previously been just a somewhat famous officer in ZAFT, since Siegel Clyne's defection, his name had become known to everyone.
After all, it was the forces under his command that assisted in covering for Siegel Clyne, enabling the successful defection.
Currently, he had been listed as a key bounty target in ZAFT, with importance only slightly lower than that unidentified "Strike Gundam pilot" and Siegel Clyne.
"Indeed, that would be me—seems the chaos I stirred up earlier has made me quite famous."
Andrew smiled, speaking with a hint of pride.
"Hmph, as a Coordinator, yet serving Naturals... Don't you feel ashamed?"
Dearka merely sneered, attempting to mock Andrew. But to such words, Andrew only responded with a faint smile.
"Coordinator or Natural... what difference does it make in the face of war? Do you think bullets would deliberately avoid your head just because you're a Coordinator?"
As he spoke, Andrew drew the pistol from his waist and pressed it against Dearka's head, his gaze instantly turning icy cold, like a tiger staring down its prey.
Watching Andrew's index finger flip off the safety and feeling the cold, hard barrel against his head... Dearka held his breath nervously, his mouth already shutting obediently out of fear.
"Andrew."
Lu Tianming cleared his throat lightly, signaling Andrew not to go too far and to know when to stop.
"Relax, I know my limits... I was just teaching this arrogant guy a lesson to behave."
Hearing Lu Tianming's reminder, Andrew smiled as he flipped the safety back on, then took two steps back and reholstered the pistol at his waist.
Feeling the threat against his forehead withdraw, Dearka finally let out a long sigh of relief.
His heart was still pounding rapidly... the Desert Tiger's sharp gaze had genuinely made him feel for a moment that he might be killed at any second.
Now, seeing the Desert Tiger's playful expression toward Lu Tianming, he could only feel... as if the earlier experience had been a dream.
It was precisely because of this that both Dearka and Nicol turned their gazes toward Lu Tianming, wondering inwardly—what methods did this young man possess to make the Desert Tiger obey him so obediently?
"Curious about this guy's identity? Then let me introduce him to you."
Andrew noticed their shifting gazes, the corners of his mouth quirking up as he began the introduction with a smile.
"Lu Tianming, former Earth Alliance Mobile Suit pilot, current de facto leader of the Archangel, and also a collaborator with the Clyne Faction, the mastermind behind Siegel's rebellion case."
"Additionally, he has another identity you're more familiar with—the former Strike, current Freedom pilot, the one who has repeatedly defeated you... a Natural."
Andrew deliberately emphasized the words "a Natural," as if responding to Dearka's earlier mockery.
You think Coordinators are superior to Naturals? Now here stands a Natural who completely outclasses you in every way. How awkward is that?
Listening to Andrew's introduction, Lu Tianming could only smile wryly in resignation.
Andrew had cleverly avoided mentioning his military rank during the introduction... because the rank of Private First Class was somewhat embarrassing.
Come to think of it, he should have been promoted to Ensign after joining up with the Eighth Fleet—but the Eighth Fleet was lost too soon, and it hadn't been finalized before Admiral Halberton died.
Then there was... the mastermind behind Siegel's rebellion case, which was a bit of an exaggeration.
He didn't deny that the root cause of the matter lay with him... but putting it that way was still somewhat overstating it.
However, while Lu Tianming knew this, others were unaware.
Thus... upon hearing Andrew's introduction, the looks Nicol and Dearka gave Lu Tianming shifted from their earlier curiosity to astonishment—far more intense than when they had first seen Andrew.
And in their hearts, they couldn't help but echo the same thought that everyone had upon first meeting Lu Tianming:
—Is this guy really a Natural?!