Roz skillfully changed back into his overalls and flight jacket and headed toward the bridge.
The conversation with the Sinanju Machine Soul, Kara, hadn't actually lasted very long; by the time Roz was ushered out of the cockpit, Shinn had only just arrived at the bridge with Stellar and Graham Aker.
As Roz reached the bridge, Mayu Asuka was handing out gifts to everyone.
At that moment, she was giving Graham Aker a decorative samurai sword she had bought from somewhere; judging by the length, it appeared to be the type known as a wakizashi.
"This blade..."
Graham looked at the somewhat intricate patterns on the wakizashi and reached out to unsheathe a section of the blade.
While it looked nice, Graham could clearly see that the blade wasn't sharpened and was obviously a factory-standard product.
"It is very beautiful, I like it."
Since it was a gesture of goodwill from a young girl like Mayu, Graham intended to keep it in his quarters as a collector's item, even if it lacked actual combat utility.
As for Shinn, Stellar, and Luna, they received three identical red scarves. Murrue Ramius received several bags of coffee beans that Mayu had bought in New Zealand, while Natarle Badgiruel received a cosmetic set.
For the helmsmen, Maho Nishizumi and Miho Nishizumi, it was a wooden assembly model of a tank; everyone else also received a gift of some kind.
"Ah... Big Brother Roz!"
Seeing Roz appear at the bridge entrance, Mayu's eyes lit up, and she ran to a small cart piled with gifts to rummage for something.
Seeing that everyone present had received a special gift, Roz was also curious about what Mayu would give him.
"Big Brother Roz, this is my gift to you!"
After searching for a while, Mayu handed a quite exquisite box to Roz.
"Thank you, Mayu."
Roz took the box. It had a fair amount of weight to it—but why did the size look almost exactly like an HG model box from that "Evil Corporation B"?
"Hurry and open it up to see."
Mayu flashed a brilliant smile, looking at Roz with great anticipation. "Sister Luna and I went to many places before we finally bought this."
At this time, the people on the bridge also looked toward Roz one after another, seemingly curious about what gift Roz had received.
"I see... I understand."
Seeing the situation, Roz reached out and tore an opening from the right side of the gift wrapping, pulling out the weighty box inside. "Thank you both for being so... thoughtful."
However, upon seeing the exterior of the box, Roz froze for a moment, seemingly completely unexpected that it would be this item.
On the box, the silhouette of a mobile suit was drawn in gold lines, with several lines of text written beneath it:
"10th Anniversary Commemorative Gift Box of the Axis Miracle"
"Contains RX-93 (Nu) alloy finished model, with a bonus commemorative badge made of the same material as the original machine's outer armor."
"Produced by Anaheim."
Roz opened the box. Nestled beneath the exquisite packaging, a Nu Gundam model lay there quietly.
As if showing off, the mobile suit model in this commemorative gift box was practically a shrunken version of the real machine; even the tiniest component details featured intricate carving and color separation.
"They say this is a limited-edition release. We found it in a secondhand shop, and the price was actually quite steep," said Luna, who had just finished having her scarf straightened by Shinn.
The Miracle of Axis—though deeply branded into the hearts of those who lived through it—had ultimately turned into a brand name for others to amass wealth?
Looking at the model before him, Roz felt a sense of complexity in his heart.
He touched the badge made of the same material as the Nu Gundam's outer armor, wondering in his mind what the Amuro Ray of this world would think if he saw that the future had turned out like this.
Ultimately, however, Roz decided to clear a space on his display shelf to place this gift from Mayu.
"It's a wonderful gift. I'll treasure it."
-----------------------------------
While the Nahel Argama was busy distributing gifts, the shuttle Haunzen on the moon had already taxied out of the airport.
Kenneth Sleg took two glasses of champagne from a flight attendant who was exchanging flirtatious glances with him and floated back to his seat.
"Already finished?"
Hathaway Noa tilted his head and looked at Kenneth, his tone remarkably calm.
"At least the first step has been taken."
Kenneth handed one of the champagne glasses to Hathaway and took a sip from the other himself. "There's still some time before we return to Earth—enough for me to deepen my relationship with her."
"If things go smoothly, I'll be able to spend a wonderful night with her."
As he spoke, Kenneth looked at Hathaway, a smug smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Want me to teach you? Since you're Captain Bright Noa's son, I'll give you a masterclass in the secrets of being a lady-killer."
"A nightlife killer, you mean."
Hathaway took the champagne Kenneth offered, shook his head, and took a sip. "Forget it. You know how my family upbringing was, so I'm a bit... conservative in that regard."
"Understood. It is Captain Bright, after all."
Kenneth laughed and finished his champagne in one gulp.
The two fell into silence once more. Kenneth leaned back in his chair, seemingly lost in thought, while Hathaway looked through the window a seat away, watching the blue water planet as they gradually approached it.
Meanwhile, the blonde young woman, who had been pestered by elderly Federation officials since boarding the shuttle, politely declined various requests while occasionally observing Kenneth and Hathaway—or rather, she was simply observing Hathaway.
A small group of elderly Federation officials, whose wives were present and thus prevented them from harassing the blonde girl, were discussing Earth's political topics with another group.
However, they avoided the issues of the grassroots populace as if they were deep taboos, refusing to mention them.
Indeed, strictly speaking, the passengers here were either high-ranking Federation officials or those related to them—such as the officials' wives, Hathaway, and the blonde girl.
Feeling the sense of indifference and greed surrounding him on the Haunzen, Hathaway sighed.
Perhaps he shouldn't have been so willful as to board this shuttle. After experiencing the Oenbelli incident, harboring any illusions about this group of Federation officials was a complete waste of time.
It would have been better to listen to his comrades' suggestions and return to Earth earlier.
"I heard that Mafty's activities on Earth have become increasingly frequent lately... Earth isn't safe anymore," Hathaway remarked with feigned casualness, trying to fish for information from Kenneth. "The pressure must be quite high for you to take office at a time like this."
"In fact, the pressure on me is already high enough; adding a little more won't be a problem."
Kenneth opened his eyes and shrugged indifferently. "If anything, I'm actually hoping a Mafty agent would appear in front of me right now, so I could fire a few shots to vent the rage I have from being screwed over by my predecessor."
"But we're in space now. There's no intelligence suggesting Mafty has headed into orbit. You probably won't see them until after you land on Earth."
Hathaway observed Kenneth's reaction without revealing a hint of emotion.
Inexplicably, Hathaway felt a sense of being watched. Driven by instinct, he subconsciously looked toward the source of the gaze.
It was a blonde young woman wearing an off-white dress. She was politely rejecting a cluster of elderly Federation officials surrounding her—men who, like fat peacocks in full display, were doing their best to show off their feathers.
At that moment, the blonde girl's eyes met Hathaway's. She blinked at him, and Hathaway could feel her formulaic smile take on a hint of genuine emotion.
"They're just like peacocks in spring, aren't they?"
At some point—likely as the shuttle completed its ascent and entered a smooth cruising state—Kenneth had left his seat and floated over to Hathaway's side. "Oh, she's actually looking over here. It seems that compared to those peacocks, she might prefer your style?"
"Maybe she's looking at you."
Hathaway gave a light laugh, brushing the topic aside. In his subconscious, he inexplicably felt that this blonde girl was the "troublesome" type.
"Eh, could that really be it?"
As he spoke, Kenneth skillfully straightened his pristine white suit.
"...What are you doing?"
"If you never try, you'll never know the result, Hathaway."
Kenneth held up an index finger in front of Hathaway. "When you see your target, strike bravely. That is the first lesson this master of the ladies is teaching you."
-----------------------------------
On the Moon, within the Anaheim hangar complex.
Since Kenneth Sleg had urgently requested a batch of Penelope parts before his departure, the First Engineering Department had not been disbanded or reorganized.
Instead, they continued the production and customization of Penelope components.
At this moment, Char Aznable leaned against a railing, watching the Zorin Soul, which had already taken its general shape and was currently undergoing painting.
"Thanks to the company increasing its resource investment, the Zorin Soul will be in your hands very soon."
The old man with a slight German accent stood beside Char, holding a cup of coffee.
"I'm getting old; I can't do this kind of work that requires both physical strength and precision for long periods anymore."
In response to this "former Zeon remnant's" explanation, Char simply adjusted his sunglasses and offered a small smile.
"Come to think of it, compared to the upper body and the skirt armor... the Zorin Soul's legs seem a bit slender, don't they?"
"An MS's legs are only responsible for attitude control, support, and ground movement."
The old man shook his head and downed half a cup of warm coffee in one go. "If you're getting into a melee brawl, legs aren't exactly the most useful thing."
"Ultimately, legs are just decorations. There are plenty of designs that can replace their functions; what's the use of having so many complicated ornaments?"
Having said this, the old man finished the rest of his coffee, vaulted over the railing, and floated toward the roughly formed Zorin Soul.
"But then again the brass wouldn't understand."
Hearing the old man's words, Char's expression became somewhat strange.
After all, the last machine he had piloted happened to be exactly the kind of "legless" machine the old man was talking about.
....................