Chapter 103: Char's Counterattack
Today, everyone in the Londo Bell team was not in high spirits, because a new leader arranged by the Federation would be arriving soon. Everyone was having a very good time under Colonel Bright's order, so naturally, they don't feel happy about such changes at all.
"Captain Bright, you are a colonel." Aker said righteously, "This Quattro Bajeena is a mere captain, so he can't order you, right?"
"I was personally greeted by my superiors and told to take more initiative to cooperate with him." Bright cursed in his heart, "Besides, from this person's resume, he is a transfer from the civilian system, so he is naturally superior, and I heard that he has been praised by the Prime Minister by name."
"Look on the bright side, at least it shows that we are valued, right?" Mu shrugged and read the information of Captain Quattro, "This experience is legendary, 'I commanded the Battle of Odessa,' wow, I also participated in the battle, how do I not know him? 'MS alley warfare expert,' as a senior pilot, who can tell me what 'MS alley warfare' is? Also, he claims himself to be the fourth genius who is only inferior to Revil, Diamo, and Kowen—"
"Don't talk about the leaders in public!" Bright interrupted him seriously, "Whatever the new leader says, just play dumb. Hathaway is only in elementary school, and I want to retire without a hitch."
Mu whistled and closed his mouth, elbowing Amuro next to him. Amuro has not said anything since just now, concentrating on something, acting quite abnormal.
"Are all the big shots of the Federation blind?" Amuro suddenly spoke, his voice filled with puzzlement and disbelief, "Or has the Federation become corrupt like this?"
"What's wrong?" Bright responded before he could ask, "Is the new leader a NewType? Do you know him?"
Amuro nodded, put up two fingers and made a silent gesture. Everyone in the room understood it at a glance, and was shocked and speechless.
"Char." Amuro pulled the other party into his mind space, "What are you up to? You're wanted and you're making such a big move, do you want to die?"
"Amuro?" Char had an extremely shocked tone, "How come you know this too?"
"Me too?" Amuro immediately understood, "Char, what happened to you on Earth? Explain it right away."
A short time later, the group met the blond man with sunglasses and a teenager by his side. Amuro gave his teammates a wink, suggesting that the teenager was the second NT he had just mentioned.
Char walked straight to Bright, gave a standard Federation salute, and afterward extended his right hand, "Colonel Bright, I've heard a lot about you, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting you today."
Bright also returned a military salute, and extended his hand to shake the other side. He had not yet practiced this kind of blind talk, so he could only make a few casual modest remarks.
Char had no intention of introducing Kamille to everyone either. After going through the motions, he hinted to Bright for a private meeting, and Bright, curious about what he was going to do, took Char and a few of his inner circle men into a conference room.
Char looked around and cautiously asked, "Captain Bright, please forgive my caution. Are you sure there are no problems here, no ears through the walls?"
Bright answered proudly, "This is my ship, and there is no place where you can trust me if you can't trust me."
"Then I'll be frank." Char stood up and removed his sunglasses, "I am Captain Quattro Bajeena of the Earth Federation Army, but there is another thing I would like everyone here to know, I am the man who was once called Char Aznable. "
Char paused here and waited for the shocked expressions and backward gasps of everyone. But strangely enough, everyone was very calm. He looked at Amuro, who was most likely the culprit, and Amuro met his eyes with an expressionless face.
"I have been personally commissioned by the Prime Minister, and His Excellency wishes to take back control of the Earth Federation's army from Scirocco, from TITANS." He continued, "TITANS is now taking the Earth for itself by lying on top of it like a mosquito and sucking blood just like Zabi did to P.L.A.N.T. back then, if not more so."
"Humans flew out into the universe because the Earth was overpopulated, because there were whole new possibilities out there in the cosmos. The history of the Zabi family is the misfortune of not only Coordinators, but that of the entire human race, and we must not let history repeat itself. The TITANS are a group of people whose souls are bound by gravity, who are eating up the earth like parasites for their own selfish desires, and who are fighting in the same room for their own status and funding. All of you here are victims of TITANS and should know what I am talking about more than anyone else."
"At this time when there are still many secrets and challenges waiting for the humanity out there in the universe, and even on Earth, what TITANS is doing… is no longer just holding humanity back, but the wiping out the future of our entire race. All of you, as people with power, are wasting time in the universe and this is a great loss to us, and I hope you will lend me your power."
After saying this long speech, Char quieted down and waited for everyone's answer, aside from Kamille who looked at him adoringly.
Everyone in the room peeked at Amuro, who nodded imperceptibly, signaling that Char was telling the truth. Many people had a look of disbelief on their faces, the guy who had just thrown the satellite to exterminate the human race had suddenly become a man to save the human race from the fire, such a sudden change was not quite acceptable to everyone.
"Char, I have a question." Amuro spoke up, "Is what you just said a statement from Char Aznable? Or was it just as a sounding board for the Prime Minister?"
Char sensed the importance of this question from Amuro's eyes and consciousness, and even Kamille stared at him nervously. He was silent for a long time and said slowly, "I am saying the above words as the surviving son of Zeon Deikun, Casval Rem Deikun."
Bright had already gotten the answer from Amuro's expression, but as the captain of everyone, he needed to take responsibility for the Londo Bell team. It was not wise to say yes or no rashly here, there were so many more things to consider.
"Captain Bright and everyone here can take their time to think about it, I'm just showing my sincerity." Char smiled sighingly, "After so many years of being a politician, I suddenly realized after retiring that sometimes it's easier to achieve your goals openly and honestly than by plotting and scheming."
Mu whistled wistfully, yet no one found him rude, after all, Char's reputation was dismal. Without Amuro being a layer of security, there would not be a single person here who would believe even a single punctuation mark in his speech.
"I'll get started when you all come to a conclusion. I'm pressed for time, there's no time to lose." Char continued to talk and laugh, not feeling the least bit embarrassed, "I can reveal in advance that our first stop will be Anaheim. His Excellency has only promised to provide us the right to action, and we will have to find funds ourselves."
A few days later, in the government office building of the lunar capital, the three NewTypes sat opposite each other in the Director's office while the Director herself was not there instead.
"What an interesting meeting." Char smiled and looked to his left and right, "The three NTs of the world are gathered together to discuss the fate of humanity, it is possible that this conversation will go down in the history books."
Amuro looked at him speechlessly, Ade didn't mind demolishing the stage and corrected, "The two major NTs of the world, thank you."
"Are you still bothered about the photo, Lingus?" Char shook his head in mock sadness, "I just couldn't wait to share the happy news that you were still alive with your family, it was just a moment of carelessness, it was all a mistake made because of youth."
"Amuro, let's go to my house for dinner tonight." He turned his head, deliberately not to look at Char, "Mineva is getting cuter and cuter, sticking to me like crazy, you must see her."
"Lingus!" Char roared, "What a small-minded man!"
"It was so worth it to see Char lose his temper like that." Amuro laughed happily, "Adrien, it's great that you're alive, all good news today."
"I feel so good to be alive too." Ade and Amuro looked at each other and smiled, "So in order for the people we hold dear to live well, we have to take some risks."
"But what you said… this is really…" Amuro frowned, "the enemy is so powerful, and your mission is too dangerous. Any wrong step would get us all killed. "
"These are things that people must do, and these are things that only I can do." Ade smiled in relief, "We have to do such awesome and unbelievable things, how can we just stay here and find everything had been done? Or the resourceful Commander-in-chief Char coming up with a foolproof plan?"
"There is no foolproof plan, it's already a miracle for you to think of a logical way to let us all move on." Speaking of this, Char also felt a bit powerless, "I only saw that there are problems in Misurugi, I did not expect things to be serious to the point of life and death."
"The time to show your skills has come, Char." Ade looked at him derisively, "This time, please try to cheat Emperor Charles, can you handle it?"
"No need to play this trick on me, I will naturally do what I will do, and I will never do what I won't do." Char thought for a moment, "It would not have been an easy task, but combined with the intelligence obtained before and the network of connections recently made, it might not be that difficult again. I assure you that Britannia's forces will appear in the right place at the right time and will not let your sacrifice go to waste."
Ade gave a satisfied "hmm~", "For the sake of your help, I'll let you meet Mineva today."
Char was dumbfounded. He could sense that Ade was telling the truth, but he didn't get the causal logic of it at all. Amuro looked at Char's dumbfounded look and held back his laughter.
The three discussed the details next, it was mainly Ade and Char discussing and Amuro listening. Amuro understood his position well, he was a powerful force that needed to be used in the right places under the right guidance.
"Just how much faith you have in me, Adrien?" Amuro laughed dumbly at the task assigned to him, "I'm just a mere mortal too."
"I think in some areas, everyone is mortal except you, that's how much confidence I have in you." Ade patted his chest, "I'm a civilian, and I'm willing to take such a big risk. You, Amuro, the strongest ACE, don't want to take some more dangerous tasks?"
"Since you say so, well, I think I can't refuse." Amuro smiled lightly, "Although I have little confidence in myself, I have great confidence in the Gundam you made."
"That's pretty much it." Char felt that he didn't what to listen to this bad conversation anymore, "Today is the weekend, the elementary school is not in session. Lingus, let's hurry back to see Mineva."
After Ade made a phone call to the home, he took Amuro and Char both back, and Ange, who was guarding the door before, was in charge of driving. By the way, Ange learned to drive on her own, and her driver's license was gotten through Lacus.
Char and Amuro sat in the back seat and watched Ade and Ange's intimate interaction with great displeasure. He gestured for Amuro to open a mind space chat room and pulled Ade in as well.
"Lingus, I am seriously doubting whether or not that complicated relationship of your family will have bad effects on Mineva."
Poked in the sore spot, Ade was speechless. He actually also worried about this problem, just that he did not know how to solve it. But can the event of him being stabbed be considered a bad influence on Mineva?
"Adrien, although I'm not really qualified to say anything about you in such matters." Amuro interjected, "But dealing with one passionate and proactive excellent woman is already exhausting, you're kind of asking for death to have such a complicated relationship with so many women."
"Wait, you sound like you have a girlfriend?" Ade immediately found the opportunity to change the subject, "When did you meet her? A wonderful woman who is passionate and proactive? Name? Photo? Give me an explanation."
"I met her when I returned to Earth to recuperate after the satellite incident last year… I'd say she's a fan of mine." Amuro's tone sounded as if he was bragging, "She was aggressively pursuing me during my convalescence, an overly enthusiastic girl, and her name is Beltorchika Irma."
"That Amuro Ray actually has a girlfriend." Char looked shocked.
"When is the marriage?" Ade immediately asked, there were so many examples of marriages around him that he couldn't help but be concerned.
"Beltorchika doesn't like rigid ties, and I'm actually okay with that." Amuro thought about it, "Let's see how it goes, it's okay to get a marriage license if it's necessary."
They came to Ade's home, just as soon as they step into the home, Mineva had jogged over. Char took two steps forward and squatted down, Mineva jumped into his arms and was hugged tightly by him.
"Uncle Char!" Mineva said loudly, "I miss you so much!"
Char was so excited that his body trembled slightly, and he didn't know what to say for a while. Amuro and Ade couldn't help but smile at such a heartwarming scene.
Mineva was hugged for a while and then gently struggled, Char released her uneasily and looked a little overwhelmed. Mineva then trotted over to Ade, tilted her head, and held out her hands, "Uncle Ade, I want a fly up to the sky hug!"
"Say hello first." Ade stroked Mineva's little head, "This is Uncle Amuro."
"Hello, Uncle Amuro, and Sister Ange, you're also back!" Mineva gave Amuro a very ladylike salute, then continued to raise her hands, "It's the weekend, we can play the Lift-up-high!"
Ade smiled helplessly at Char, picked up Mineva, and lifted her up, and Mineva let out a happy cheer.
Ade teased Mineva for a while, and Ange then picked Mineva up using the reasoning that Ade had just recovered and shouldn't be moving for extended periods of time. It may be the same Lift-up-high game, but in Ange's hands, it was like sitting on the roller coaster, which caused Char to hold his breath while watching.
"Calm down, it will be fine." It was Amuro who stopped Char, "This girl's combat literacy is not just ordinarily excellent, it's at least a top ACE level, she won't hurt Mineva."
Amuro raised an eyebrow at Ade, the meaning is self-explanatory, but Ade looked at the sky and played dumb.
Finally, with Ade's encouragement, Mineva and Char sat together. The father-daughter duo finally warmed up and began to exchange feelings like nobody's business. But Char was obviously still upset in his heart and tried to pick a fight during dinner.
"Lingus, I'm amazed at your life." Char said unkindly, "Even Amuro didn't—"
"If you dare to make me unhappy, I will make your daughter unhappy," Ade said quickly as he pulled Char into the mind space chat room.
"—didn't suffer so much like you." Char didn't change his expression while he said, "You need to do scientific research, as well as dealing with diplomatic relations and worrying about the world situation. Even for the sake of Mineva, you need to take care of your health more. Mrs. Lingus, please take care of him with his diet."
Amuro hurriedly lowered his head, lest he be seen holding back a laugh.
Ange gently squeezed Ade's thigh under the table and muttered in a small voice, "Isn't this Char some big politician and conspirator? Is his brain broken?"
C.C. glanced covertly at Ange and Ade and did not speak.
Lacus acted equally uncharacteristically, and exchanged a few polite words with Char. For some historical reason, Char used the identity of Quattro Bajeena in front of Lacus.
Halfway through the meal, Char suddenly froze, "Am I forgetting something important …?"
Ade also froze almost at the same time, then stood up abruptly with both hands on the table, "Tiffa?!"
At this moment, Kamille was strolling alone in the streets of a busy part of the moon's capital.
"He said he would contact me after the meeting, why hasn't the meeting finished yet? I'm so hungry." He was walking with his head down while muttering to himself, "He couldn't have forgotten about me, could he? … No way, Quattro-san, no, Char-san is not that kind of person."
That Kamille, who was walking without looking at the road, suddenly felt that he had hit something. He lost his balance and fell backward to the ground.
"Hey." He shouted, "How did you—"
"Boy." The old man he hit interrupted him in a deep voice, "Don't you apologize when hitting an old man?"
