Crossing Orb: Newtype Commander

Chapter 123 Orb's First Encounter with Starlight

Orb, headquarters of the Dawn Corporation.

The season when cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

The cherry blossoms on Obu Island bloomed earlier than usual. Pink and white petals drifted down in the breeze, carpeting the paths of the Aurora Society grounds. The sea breeze, blowing from the east, carried a faint salty scent and floral fragrance, swirling the petals up and down as if performing some kind of silent dance.

Char Langlad Ashar stood by the window of the Dawn Society's main building, a cup of coffee that had gone cold in his hand. His deep red eyes were fixed on the falling petals outside the window, but his thoughts drifted far away.

The Archangel has been gone from Orb for three days.

According to the latest intelligence from VEDA, the Archangel has safely passed through the Strait of Malacca and is sailing towards the Indian Ocean. Mu La Fraga has replaced Kira as the pilot of the Strike Gundam—although his piloting skills are not as exceptionally gifted as Kira's, his rich experience and calm demeanor are sufficient to handle most unexpected situations. Kira remains in Orb, recuperating at the Dawn Corporation's medical facilities.

Aslan Zala and Nicole Amalfi were also placed in the Dawn Society's medical facilities. Neither of their injuries were serious, but their psychological trauma would require more time to heal. Nicole spent her days reading in her room, occasionally chatting with the nurses, appearing more mature than her peers. Aslan, on the other hand, was mostly silent, sitting alone by the window, staring blankly at the distant elevator cables.

Lux Klein

Char put down his coffee cup and turned to walk towards the office door.

She has been in Orb for five days.

"VEDA, where is Lux Clyne now?"

Miss Lux Klein is visiting the civilian technology exhibition hall of the Dawn Corporation. Dr. Erica Simmons is accompanying her.

She is expected to visit your office after the tour.

Char nodded and walked back to his desk, sitting down. Several documents were spread out on the desk: the Orb Defense Forces' expansion plan,

He had a report on the White Base's sea trials and a coded communication from General Halbarton. He was supposed to handle these documents, but he couldn't concentrate.

His new human abilities trembled slightly.

It wasn't a warning, nor was it murderous intent; rather, it was a gentler, warmer feeling. It was like someone calling his name from afar, the voice so soft it was almost inaudible, yet undeniably present.

Lux Klein.

A year has passed. The war has become more brutal, the hatred more profound, and the death more frequent. But her singing has not faded, her faith has not wavered, and her eyes remain as clear as ever.

"Commander-in-Chief Ashar," came the secretary's voice from the doorway, "Miss Klein has arrived."

"Please come in."

The door was pushed open.

Lacus Clyne entered the office, dressed in Orb-style casual wear—a pale purple dress, a white cardigan, and long pink hair cascading over her shoulders. She still held the green Harosh gift that had been sent to her years ago through secret channels of the Clyne faction. A smiling face appeared on Haro's screen, emitting a soft "Hello!" as if in greeting.

"Commander-in-Chief Ashu," Lux said, bowing slightly as she approached the desk. "Excuse me."

"Please have a seat." Xia stood up, gesturing for her to sit on the sofa. "Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Tea, thank you."

Char pressed the intercom on the table and instructed his secretary to prepare tea. Then he walked to the sofa and sat down opposite Lux.

Their eyes met in the air, and they remained silent for a moment.

"How are you feeling?" Xia broke the silence.

"It's beautiful." Lux's voice was soft, her eyes sparkling with a warm light. "The flowers are beautiful, the sea breeze is so refreshing, and the people are so gentle. Dr. Erica showed me around the civilian technology exhibition hall. The solar power generation platform, the vanadium redox flow battery energy storage system, and the civilian applications of E-carbon fiber—every technology impressed me deeply. Orb's technological level far exceeds my imagination."

"Dawn Corporation has an excellent technical team." Char's lips curled up slightly. "Erika is the most outstanding among them."

"Dr. Erica—" Lux lowered her head, looking at the green Haro in her arms, "Her eyes soften when she mentions you. Although she tries to maintain a professional demeanor, that tenderness is impossible to hide."

Char's fingers paused slightly. He did not answer.

The secretary brought over a cup or two of steaming hot tea, the deep red liquid swirling in the ceramic cups. Lux picked up the teacup, gently blew on it, and then took a sip.

"Good tea," she said. "Is it from Orb?"

"Yes. It comes from tea plantations in the northern part of Obu Island. The soil and climate there are suitable for growing tea, and although the yield is not large, the quality is very good."

"Commander-in-Chief Ashar knows Orb very well." Lux put down her teacup, looked into his eyes, "Not just politics, military, and technology, but even the origin of the tea leaves."

Xia looked at her, a hint of warmth flashing in his deep red eyes. "After all, it's my home. A person should understand their own home."

Lux was silent for a moment. Her fingers lightly swiped across Haro's screen, and Haro let out a soft "Hello," as if in response to her touch.

"Commander-in-Chief Askha, I have a question."

"Please speak."

"Why did you choose to believe me?" Lux's eyes met his, their violet light shimmering in the sunlight. "In the Junius 7 wreckage, you piloted the Golden Unit to rescue me. Before that, you had Veda monitor PLANT's movements, giving them advance warning of the Blue Cosmos attack. You could have peacefully waited for the war to end in Orb, but you chose to risk venturing deep into PLANT's territory. Why?"

Xia didn't answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down.

"Because of your singing." His voice was calm. "I heard your singing. Through my senses. There is a power in your singing, a power that can soothe hearts and awaken hope. In that world filled with hatred and killing, such singing is priceless."

Lux's fingers tightened slightly. Her eyes were slightly red, but no tears fell.

"Commander-in-Chief Askha, you're exaggerating." Her voice was soft. "I'm just singing. I can't change the war, I can't change the hatred, I can't change the fate of those who died in the war."

"You can't change the war, but you can change people's hearts." Char's voice remained calm. "If people's hearts change, the war will change. This isn't an exaggeration; it's the truth."

Lux stared at him for a long time, then lowered her head to look at the green Haro in her arms. "Commander-in-Chief Ashar, you know, in PLANT, some people call me 'the symbol of peace.' But I know I'm not. I'm just a girl who sings. I have no power, no authority, no ability to change the world. All I can do is sing on stage, comfort the wounded in wards, and distribute food in refugee camps. Anyone can do those things."

“But nobody else did it,” Char continued. “Only you did it. That’s the difference.”

Lux's fingers paused slightly.

"Lacus, do you know what 'symbol' means?" Char's voice deepened. "It's not about 'possessing power,' it's about making people believe in possibilities. Your song makes people believe that peace is possible, that hatred isn't the only answer, that there's still kindness and gentleness in humanity. That's the meaning of 'symbol.' Not because of your strength, but because you remind people of those forgotten things deep within themselves."

Lux looked up into his eyes. There was a light in those deep red eyes that made her heart race—not a command, not an expectation, but "belief."

"Commander-in-Chief Ashar, I want to know what I can do." Her voice trembled slightly, but every word was clear and firm. "I want to contribute to your ideals with my singing. Not for politics, not for strategy, but because I believe. I believe what you said: that humanity transcends race, evolution transcends paths, and the future transcends camps."