Gundam: A Gundam Enthusiast's Journey with a Mecha Girl

Clearly, the driver, Andrew, was getting impatient.

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Under Andrew's driving, the car smoothly drove out of Spaceport and first drove around the ring road on the edge of Aprilius City One. Raven and Kira, like tourists, took in the street scenes of the entire city along this road.

"Although it can't compare to the natural landscapes on Earth, it's not bad to see such a completely man-made scene once in a while, is it?"

Lux said.

"This urban design style, which combines extreme pragmatism and futurism, can not be seen on Earth. It can probably only be seen in a completely artificial environment like a colony satellite."

"I didn't expect Mr. Raven to have such an interest in aesthetics?"

Lux turned her head slightly, her voice tinged with surprise.

"It's just something I learned on the spot."

Raven pulled out a PLANT tourist brochure, shook it in his hand, and Lux ​​chuckled.

"This is Aslan's hometown..."

On Raven's other side, Kira leaned against the car window, gazing absently at the scenery outside.

Although Kira is also a Coordinator, this is his first time in PLANT.

Was Aslan raised in this kind of environment?

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Andrew suddenly slammed on the brakes.

"Mr. Butterfield, what happened?"

Lux leaned forward and asked.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lux, it seems we're having a run of bad luck."

Andrew shrugged.

"Could it be..."

"That's it, another traffic accident up ahead. A public bus collided with an out-of-control drone. This road is probably going to be blocked for an hour or two."

Raven gleaned some information from their conversation that caught his attention.

"Judging from your tone, these kinds of traffic accidents are quite common lately? Doesn't PLANT have an intelligent traffic control system that can manage the city's traffic in real time?"

"But you need someone who knows how to use them. The war has been going on for so long, those experienced people have long been transferred to the front lines. The young and middle-aged people who can stay in the country now are either government employees or technical backbones in military factories. I remember the last batch of new recruits for my Butterfield team were all just young boys who had just come of age."

Andrew complained.

Outside the car window, despite the traffic accident ahead, people were surprisingly calm, and no one showed even the slightest panic.

Clearly, people here have become accustomed to these kinds of traffic accidents.

Lux lowered her head sadly after hearing Andrew's words.

“Many of my friends have also joined ZAFT, and I haven’t been able to contact them for a long time.”

While PLANT appears peaceful on the surface, the devastating consequences of war are gradually becoming apparent. Although it possesses a productivity equal to that of the entire Earth, war is ultimately something that requires the consumption of a large number of lives to continue. With only 6000 million people, PLANT's fate was sealed the moment it was dragged into an endless war of attrition by the Earth Alliance.

Despite ZAFT's rapid advance on the front lines, the cost has been the gradual depletion of PLANT's vitality.

"Whether it is the people of Earth or the people of PLANT, they are all suffering because of war."

Kira frowned as he looked out the window at the seemingly peaceful scene.

"That's why we need to work hard to end this war before it's too late."

Raven's voice rang in his ears; it wasn't loud, but his tone was extremely firm.

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A meeting is being held inside the PLANT Council building.

"What's the use of bringing up the Albany concession now? Operation Breakthrough has been approved. Next, ZAFT will completely crush the Earth Alliance's will to resist."

"However, this is a good opportunity for us to demonstrate our intention to make peace to the Earth."

Siegel stood up and tried to persuade the other members of parliament.

"Of course, I don't intend to accept all these terms, but wouldn't it be better if we could use this as an opportunity to get what we want at the negotiating table? Fighting inevitably involves sacrifices, so wouldn't it be a better choice for us if we could reduce some of them?"

However, the Supreme Council's stance clearly contradicted his wishes.

"Former Speaker Klein, the fact that people have put forward such absurd peace terms already makes their attitude clear! Our army has the upper hand now, but they are acting as if victory is in their grasp! They have absolutely no intention of making peace!"

"The fact that they're only bringing out something like this now is just a way for people to stall for time."

"It is said that Albany's side also failed to reach a consensus among all the member states, and the so-called concession proposal is just a piece of paper."

In the end, Siegel could only leave the Supreme Council meeting room with deep disappointment.

He had already lost the election to Patrick, and now he no longer held the position of speaker, nor even the qualification to serve as a member of the council. The discussion on the Albany Concession was over, and Siegel could only leave in disappointment.

But just as he walked past Evidence 01 in the lobby, he saw Lux with two strange men.

Author's message

That's strange, why is the number 64 a prohibited word?

Chapter 66 Crack

Lux, what are you doing here?

Siegel's voice carried a hint of surprise. He was quite surprised; he had thought his daughter was just going to the port to pick someone up, but he hadn't expected Lux ​​to take the person directly to the council building.

“Because Ray… Mr. Edward said he wanted to see the fossil in person. So I brought him here.”

Lux's gaze swept over Siegel's deeply troubled face as she asked.

"Father, you finished work unusually early today. Did something happen?"

Siegel recalled the rather unpleasant meeting just now and subconsciously wanted to sigh, but then he remembered that this was in front of his daughter and Halbarton's envoy, so he suppressed it at the last moment.

"Things have indeed been going poorly, but given the current situation, there's nothing we can do about it."

Siegel quickly changed the subject, his gaze passing over Lux's shoulder and landing on the two young men behind her.

"You are the 'envoys'?"

Raven nodded.

“I am that raven, you can call me Edward now. He is my student, you can call him Sakurai now.”

"Skyfire Raven," Siegel recalled the title the Alliance had given this young man. Able to advance technology in the laboratory and also display exceptional skill on the battlefield, even among the Coordinators, few possessed Raven's talent.

He had wanted to meet Raven after Lux mentioned him before, and he never expected that his wish would come true so soon.

Siegel's gaze swept back and forth between the two men.

"Just as Lux said, he's young and promising. But did you two come all this way just to see this fossil?"

In front of Raven was a whale skeleton fossil as tall as a building, but unlike ordinary whales, this whale had a pair of wings on either side of its spine that shouldn't have been there.

This is Evidence 01, a fossil brought back from Jupiter by George Glenn, the first Coordinator in human history, decades ago.

"Since I've come all this way to PLANT, I have to see it with my own eyes."

Raven's gaze slowly moved along the curve of the fossil spine, upwards to the outstretched wingtips.

"It is a symbol of humanity's exploration of the universe. In the vast universe, there are all kinds of life. And we humans are just a tiny speck of dust in this sea of ​​stars. The war that is currently going on is, in the grand scheme of the universe, just one or two tiny sparks."

Siegel suddenly felt a strange sense of unease. The young man's gaze was not looking at the present, but rather across time and space, looking at the world a thousand years in the future.

"That's certainly a novel perspective, but when we look up at the stars, let's not forget that our feet are always on the ground."

"I know."

Raven replied.

"That's precisely why we need to end this war as soon as possible. There are still many things waiting for us to explore in this starry sky. How can we stay stuck in the same place because of something as boring as war?"

Raven's words were so idealistic that even Siegel, who was often criticized as an "idealist who couldn't see reality," felt they were unrealistic.

However, this era may be exactly what needs young idealists to reawaken the dreams in humanity's heart.

"Now I know why you came to me."

Siegel's mood improved for the first time in a long time, but the sound of footsteps behind him broke the atmosphere.

“That’s an interesting idea, Siegel. Is this young man your student?”

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, with a steady and regular rhythm—the distinctive gait of soldiers.

Patrick Sara slowly emerged from the shadows of the corridor. The Supreme Council had just announced a temporary recess, and like Siegel, he was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Unconsciously, he strolled to the central exhibition hall where Evidence 01 was located.

Although he had been elected as the chairman of the Supreme Council, Patrick still chose to attend the meeting dressed in a purple military uniform, displaying a military demeanor in every move.

Siegel's expression froze briefly, but he quickly regained his usual gentle composure.

"His name is Edward, and he's my... newly hired secretary."

"Hello, Chairperson Sarah."

Raven nodded slightly to Patrick, echoing Siegel's words.

"Edward?"

Patrick raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze lingering on Raven's distinctly Asian face for a few seconds.

“My mother was born in an East Asian republic.”

Patrick nodded, accepting the explanation.

"How is your father now?"

Siegel paused for a moment; Patrick wasn't the type to meddle in other people's business.

"I am an orphan now."

Patrick's face darkened, and he thought of Junius 7 once again.

"I see."

Patrick's voice softened considerably as he stepped forward and patted Raven on the shoulder.

“Edward, you’re right. This war should indeed end as soon as possible. We should carry on George Glenn’s ideals and head towards outer space. But in the future, the leaders of humanity will be the Coordinators, and only the Coordinators.”

He made no attempt to conceal Siegel's presence and spoke solemnly to Raven.

"I assure you, this war will be over soon."

After saying that, he turned around, his figure gradually disappearing into the shadows until it vanished into the depths of the corridor.

But Raven didn't hear what Patrick said at the end. He froze on the spot, staring blankly ahead, his pupils slightly dilated, as if he were looking at something thousands of miles away.

"Mr. Edward?"

Lux, sensing something was amiss, gripped his sleeve tightly and tugged at it twice, but Raven didn't react at all.

In his perception, the universe was suddenly torn apart from the other side by something in that instant.

Something is happening.

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At the same moment, in the ZAFT space fortress, Yakin Duvi.

Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the fortress, and several operators in the observation room sprang to their feet.

An unusual glowing phenomenon was occurring on the screen in front of them.

First, there was a tiny point of light, which then suddenly expanded into a pink sphere of light. After the sphere of light dissipated, there was a green band of light that swayed like the aurora borealis.

This phenomenon lasted for less than half a minute, and after all the mysterious lights disappeared, all that remained was a red sphere of unknown purpose.

"That's... the MS's cockpit?"

The observer speculated.

Chapter 67 Siegel's Approval

In the following days, Siegel did not rush to discuss cooperation with Raven. Instead, he had Lux ​​take Raven on a tour of various cities in PLANT under the guise of a concert tour.

Lux's popularity is undeniable; every concert is sold out. Whether students, workers, or well-dressed social elites, everyone is drawn to her gentle voice.