Crossing Orb: Newtype Commander

Chapter 117 Arrival in Orb

The fifth day of the Archangel sailing side by side with the Izumo.

The morning sun cast a golden glow on the sea, and the waves broke into thousands of shimmering scales at the bow of the ship.

The sea breeze blows from the southwest, carrying the humid heat unique to the equator, and a faint, tangible fragrance of the land—the scent of vegetation, the scent of earth, the scent of "home."

Kira Yamato stood at the porthole on the bridge, his eyes fixed on the boundless sea ahead. His arms had mostly recovered, and although the doctor had advised him to rest for another two days, he had already resumed his assault simulation training. His arms still ached slightly, but when he gripped the control stick, the pain actually made him feel at ease—because pain meant he was alive, and being alive meant he could still fight and protect.

"Kira, didn't sleep well." Thor's voice came from behind, holding two cups of coffee. He handed one of them to Kira; the coffee was very hot, and the heat radiated through the thin ceramic of the cup.

"I can't sleep." Kira took the coffee but didn't drink it. "I'm thinking about Orb."

Thor stopped beside him and looked out at the sea. "Isn't this finally home?"

"Um."

Thor took a sip of coffee, wincing as he burned his teeth. "You think Orb is really as he says it is now? 'Humans don't discriminate by race' isn't just a slogan, it's something that happens every day?"

Kira was silent for a moment. He remembered Char's eyes—those eyes lacked the shrewdness of a politician, the coldness of a soldier, and held only a calm, almost pious light. That person had saved him in Heliopolis, and in Artemis...

S protected the Archangel, single-handedly holding off the Kruze squadron in front of the Eighth Fleet. Every word he said could be corroborated by Orb's actions.

"I believe him." Kira's voice was soft, but firm.

Thor looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "That's enough. If you believe, I believe."

On the other side of the bridge, Maru Ramias stood before the tactical table, her fingers lightly tapping the surface. Her gaze was fixed on the flight path on the holographic screen—the Orb Islands. Less than a day remained until their destination. This was the first time she had felt "at ease" since breaking out of Heliopolis. Not because the danger had passed, but because finally there was a place willing to accept them, not for political gain, not for military value, but simply because "they are people who need help."

"Captain, the Izumo has sent a communication." Natal Bakirulu's voice came from the fire control console, steady but with an undisguised excitement. "Commander Sahak said that Orb is ready. The orbital elevator ground station has been cleared of its berths, and the Dawn Society's medical team is waiting. And..." She paused.

"What else?"

"Commander-in-Chief Askha said he would wait for us at Dawn News in person."

A moment of silence fell over the bridge. Mulla Fraga leaned back in his executive officer's chair and whistled. "Personally? The Commander-in-Chief personally greeted them? That's quite an honor."

Maru's voice was calm. "Because he values ​​everyone who is willing to believe that humanity transcends race."

Mu's smile faded. He looked at Maru's profile, at that face that appeared exceptionally gentle in the morning light, and at a light that filled him with respect—not the fortitude of a soldier, but the tenderness of a "human being."

"Captain," Mu's voice was soft, "you value them very much too."

“Because they are my crew.” Maru turned and looked into Mu’s eyes. “From Heliopolis until now, every single one of them has chosen to stay. Not because they had nowhere else to go, but because they believed this ship could take them to safety. I cannot betray that trust.”

Mu nodded and said nothing more.

At 3 p.m., in the territorial waters of Obu.

When the outline of the Orb Islands appeared on the radar screen of the Archangel, a long-suppressed cheer erupted from the bridge. Thor jumped up from his chair, nearly spilling his coffee on the control panel; Miriamia raised her camera and pressed the shutter button a dozen times in quick succession, her eyes reddening through the viewfinder; Sey pushed up his glasses, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his fingers trembled slightly.

Kira stood by the porthole, his eyes fixed on the approaching green island. Orb—the island nation that remained neutral during the war, the nation that stood firm despite pressure from both the Atlantic Federation and PLANT, the pioneering nation known as "humanity without race." It was there, in the sunlight, in the waves, in the peaceful air.

"Kira, look!" Thor pointed out the porthole. "Is that the orbital elevator?"

Kira looked in the direction he was pointing. On the horizon where the sea met the sky, a thin, silvery line shot straight up from the sea, shimmering dazzlingly in the sunlight. It was so thin, as thin as a spider's thread, yet so high, as if it were piercing the heavens. It was a miracle of human engineering, a symbol of Orb's independence, and the first symbol that Char Langlad Ashar left for this nation.

"The Heavenly Pillar," Kira whispered. "The orbital elevator. A plan proposed by Commander-in-Chief Athha in CE58, which took ten years to build. He said that Orb could achieve low-cost access to space from that time onwards."

Thor stared at the thin, silvery-white line, his mouth agape. "Amazing—is Commander-in-Chief Asuka really human?"

Kira didn't answer. He was pondering the same question. Was that person truly human? If so, why could he see things others couldn't? Why could he do things others couldn't? Why was there always a reassuring light in his deep red eyes?

"Perhaps," Kira whispered, "he's not an ordinary person. But it's precisely because he's not an ordinary person that he can do things that ordinary people can't."

The Archangel sailed slowly in Orb's territorial waters, flanked by the Izumo and other Orb warships in an escort formation. On the sea, Orb naval patrol boats circled around, their crews standing on deck, waving to the Archangel. In the sky, Orb Air Force early warning aircraft circled, their wings gleaming silver in the sunlight.

Maru stood by the porthole, looking at the unfamiliar faces. There were Naturals and Coordinators. There was no hatred or fear on their faces, only a calm, confident light. It was the light of someone who "believes in their country," the light of someone who "believes in the future."

"Captain Bakiruru," Maru's voice was soft.

"exist."

"Do you think Orb is really the place we hope for?"

Natal was silent for a moment. She remembered Char's words, "The doors of Orb are always open for you." It was in Alaska, in the corridor of a military exchange meeting, that the man had said those words to her. At the time, she hadn't believed it, thinking it was just a politician's polite remark. But now, standing on the bridge of the Archangel, watching the Orb soldiers waving to them, she began to believe.

"I hope so." Natal's voice remained steady, but her eyes betrayed her, revealing a light she had never seen before. It wasn't wariness, nor doubt, but anticipation.

4 PM, ground station of the rail elevator.

As the Archangel slowly entered the dock of the orbital elevator ground station, Kira saw that person.

Char Langlad Asha stood below the gangway in the dock, dressed in the dark blue uniform of the Orb Defense Forces, without any medals, only the Asha family crest on his chest gleaming gold under the lights. Behind him, Mina Sahak and Erica Simmons stood side by side, one in the black uniform of a Space Force commander, the other in the white research coat of the Dawn Society. Further away, high-ranking officers of the Orb Defense Forces, core technical personnel of the Dawn Society, and representatives of the five great families stood in neat rows.

This is not the protocol for welcoming a "foreign warship." This is the protocol for welcoming "family."

As the gangway of the Archangel was lowered, Murrue was the first to step down. Her steps were steady, her eyes fixed on Char, a slight smile playing on her lips. She walked up to him, stood at attention, and gave him a Atlantic Federation salute in her own unique way.

"Commander-in-Chief Ashar, the Archangel has arrived safely."

Char returned the greeting, a hint of warmth flashing in his crimson eyes. "Captain Lamias, thank you for your hard work. Welcome to Orb."

Maru's fingers trembled slightly, but her voice remained steady. "Thank you. Thank you for picking us up."

Char's lips curled into a slight smile. "You're welcome. I've said it before, the door to Orb is always open for you."

Natal Bakiruru was the second to descend the gangway. She stood behind Maru, her military uniform impeccably pressed, her hair neatly pinned back, her blue eyes fixed on Char. She didn't salute, but stood quietly, like a statue.

Char walked up to her. "Captain Buggyuru, thank you for your hard work."

Natal's fingers tightened slightly. "Commander-in-Chief Ashar, all personnel on the Archangel have been safely evacuated. The extent of the damage to the ship is being assessed, and the MS Assault requires repairs."

Char looked at her, and in those deep red eyes was a light that made her heart race—not scrutiny, but admiration. "Captain Bugiluru, you did very well. Even better than I expected."

Natal's face flushed slightly, the color spreading from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head, her voice so soft that only she could hear it: "—Thank you."

Kira Yamato was the third to descend the gangway. His left arm was still bandaged, and his face was still somewhat pale, but his steps were steady, and his eyes were resolute. He walked up to Char, stopped, and bowed deeply.

"Commander-in-Chief Asha, thank you for saving us. In Heliopolis, in Artemis, and on the front lines of the Eighth Fleet, you were always there to protect us. I—" His voice choked with emotion, "I don't know how to thank you enough."

Char reached out and gently patted his shoulder. "Kira, you don't need to thank me. You survived, and that's the best thanks you can give."

Kira looked up, meeting Char's eyes. In those deep red eyes, there was a reassuring light—not a command, not an expectation, but trust. This man trusted him, trusted that he could protect the Archangel, trusted that he could protect those on board, trusted that he could finish the rest of the journey.

"Commander-in-Chief Asuka," Kira's voice was hoarse, "I will continue to fight. Not for hatred, but to end the war."

Char's lips curled into a slight smile. "I know. You've always done it this way."

Mu La Fraga was the fourth to descend the gangway. He was dressed in military uniform, a smile playing on his lips, his blond hair gleaming in the lights. He walked up to Char and extended his hand.

"Commander-in-Chief Askha, we meet again."

Char grasped his hand. "Mu, the Dawn Society has already analyzed the technical data of the Sky Overlord. Your piloting skills have surprised our technical team."

Mu laughed. "Surprised? A good surprise, or a bad surprise?"

"Okay." Xia released his hand. "Okay, I'm surprised."

Lacus Clyne was the last to descend the gangway. She wore a white dress, her long pink hair cascading over her shoulders, and she carried the green Haro in her arms. Her eyes shimmered with a violet light under the lamplight, and a gentle smile played on her lips. She walked up to Char, stopped, and gave a slight bow.

"Commander-in-Chief Ashar," her voice was soft, but every word was clear and powerful, "Thank you for saving me on Junius 7, thank you for letting the Archangel arrive in Orb alive, thank you—for making me believe that peace is not just a pipe dream."

Char looked at her, her image reflected in his deep red eyes. "Miss Lux, your singing adds hope to the future. Every time, your singing makes me believe that the war will not last forever."

Lux's eyes reddened, but she didn't cry. She lowered her head, looking at the green Haro in her arms. "Commander-in-Chief Asuka, you've made me believe one thing."

"What?"

"I believe that even in war, there are people willing to work for peace. Not with slogans, but with actions."

Char did not answer, but simply nodded slightly.

As everyone disembarked from the Archangel, the dock lights suddenly dimmed. It wasn't a malfunction; it was intentional. Everyone looked around in confusion. Then, spotlights shone on the Archangel's hull. The silver-white armor gleamed under the lights, and the twin beam cannons at the bow pointed skyward, as if announcing to the world that this ship had arrived alive in Orb.

"What is this?" Maru's voice was tinged with surprise.

"An Orb tradition." Mina Sahak walked to her side, a hint of a smile in her red eyes. "Every foreign warship arriving in Orb for the first time receives a welcoming light. Not an inspection, but a tribute. A tribute to your courage in war, a tribute to your perseverance in dire circumstances, a tribute to your arrival alive."

Murrue stared at the warship gleaming under the spotlight, tears welling in her eyes. She remembered the ruins of Heliopolis, the darkness of Artemis, the corpses in the Junius VII wreckage, the scorching heat of the Sahara, and the fierce battle in the Red Sea. Each time, she wondered, "How much longer can we hold on?" Each time, the answer was, "Just a little longer." Now, "Just a little longer" had become "We've finally arrived."

"Thank you," Maru said hoarsely. "Thank you all."

Applause erupted in the dock. It wasn't the polite, formulaic kind of applause, but a heartfelt, enthusiastic, even somewhat frenzied applause. Orb soldiers, Dawn Society technicians, and representatives of the five great families were all applauding, for the ship, for the people on board, and for the miracle of "arriving alive."