Chapter 60: Come On, Sign This Contract

Kruze had escaped, and neither Reid nor Ange could pursue him into outer space.

So Reid directly maneuvered the NT-X Gundam to face the Archangel, weapons lowered but his silent stance clearly conveying the question: "Care to explain what just happened?"

Meanwhile, Ange was more interested in the Strike Gundam's artillery configuration below, hovering above it with an expression that seemed to say, "Hey kid, that cannon pack looks fun—let me try it out."

If Ange's accidental near-miss on the Archangel had given Reid cold sweats earlier, Second Lieutenant Natarle was now similarly drenched. At least Reid's attack had been redirected from targeting ZAFT forces, whereas her own mistake was like a blind soldier taking potshots at charging allies.

Thus, Natarle could only offer a vague apology over comms:

"My apologies, Commander Reid. That was an operational error on our part..."

To her credit, Natarle took full responsibility rather than blaming the fire control operator—though she did make a mental note to have the operator copy the fire control manual as punishment later.

Knowing the Archangel's circumstances, Reid didn't press the issue after Natarle's admission. His tone relaxed as he replied:

"Fair enough, I heard your commands. No harm done, so let's leave it at that. Pity that CGUE pilot got away though—attacking foreign dignitaries takes guts. Typical of a ZAFT CGUE squadron leader, I suppose."

"By the way, Second Lieutenant Natarle, Princess Angelise and I arrived via shuttle. With eight GINNs and one CGUE spotted around the Colony Satellite, plus your four stolen Mobile Suits to secure, there must be at least three motherships out there. Would the Atlantic Federation's new vessel mind giving us a lift until our Republic's heavy transport arrives?"

Under normal circumstances, this request would be outrageous—two armed Mobile Suits boarding could easily hijack or destroy the ship. But the situation was dire. When Reid mentioned nine ZAFT Mobile Suits near the colony, Natarle nearly despaired. With only the Strike Gundam remaining, how could they fight?

Her immediate thought was to leverage the New Misurugi Republic's strength. However, the Archangel had already spotted Murrue Ramius near the Strike, signaling the end of Natarle's temporary captaincy. She could only respond:

"Let's discuss this after landing. My superior officer Murrue Ramius must approve."

Reid agreed readily, instructing his convoy to meet at the Archangel's landing site before coordinating with Ange to touch down at a distance—avoiding proximity to avoid triggering Kira or surprising Murrue with their prior communication with Natarle.

Finally, Reid waited until the convoy arrived—even Mu's heavily damaged Union Flag had landed—before slowly entering the hangar. Still cautious, he parked both Mobile Suits near the exit rather than docking them, while the convoy remained stationed along the access road.

At the same time, Reid confirmed the NT-X Gundam's auto-movement program remote in his pocket. Although the program wasn't intelligent—it couldn't automatically identify hostile targets for attack or avoid obstacles—it could make the machine automatically stand up and charge straight to his location.

As Reid exited his Mobile Suit, Kira had just disembarked from his own. Bargiruel and the surviving crew of the Archangel stared in shock and bewilderment at the student-like figure emerging from the machine. So much so that Mu had quietly slipped to the back of the Archangel's crowd unnoticed.

Reid and Ange were naturally overlooked by the Archangel's crew as well, who were busy questioning Kira about the situation.

It wasn't until Reid and Ange approached the group that Bargiruel finally noticed them and said to Murrue,

"Captain Ramius, my apologies. I forgot to mention something earlier. I gave temporary permission for personnel from the New Misurugi Republic to board the ship. Commander Reid expressed his wish to stay aboard the Archangel while awaiting their rescue vessel. I didn't agree outright but allowed them onboard to discuss first."

Murrue nodded, immediately understanding why Bargiruel had broken protocol to let Reid's group board. Their side was critically short on combat strength. Princess Angelise was famously skilled at piloting Mobile Suits, and she had witnessed it firsthand below—the ZAFT CGUE had been severely damaged in just one exchange. Had the Archangel not accidentally interfered, the CGUE would have been shot down.

Moreover, Reid Isaac wasn't just a super engineer but also a battle-hardened warrior. With these two aiding them, the Archangel's chances of breaking through ZAFT's encirclement would increase significantly.

Thus, Murrue turned politely to Reid and extended her hand, saying,

"Welcome aboard the Archangel. I'm Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of the 5th Special Division, Second Space Region. Princess Angelise, Commander Reid, your request to stay aboard is approved."

Reid looked at the mature and beautiful captain before him, his heart as calm as still water as he shook her hand. Then he spoke earnestly,

"Thank you. However, Lieutenant Murrue, there's one thing I must clarify first. Although Princess Angelise and I are accepting your ship's protection, the New Misurugi Republic is a neutral nation. We will not become combatants for this Atlantic Federation warship against ZAFT.

But we won't take your protection without giving something in return. I found a treasure in Heliopolis and will share its data with you shortly."

With that, Reid signaled the locals outside to open a container. From his position, the torso section of a Mobile Suit was clearly visible inside.

Murrue was stunned at the sight. She had participated in all of Heliopolis's development work, yet the machine Reid was showing was one she had definitely never seen before.

She quickly realized that this machine had been developed by Orb behind the Atlantic Federation's back, likely using stolen G Project technology.

However, this wouldn't help their current situation. Murrue knew full well that no amount of Mobile Suit technology would be useful now. The key was successfully delivering the G Project data back to the Earth Alliance.

So she replied somewhat tactfully,

"Regrettably, Captain Reid, if you remain aboard our ship, conflict with ZAFT is inevitable. They won't cease their attacks against us. And if we're sunk, everyone inside—including your team—will share our fate."

Reid nodded. Of course he understood the situation. However, people rarely valued things given freely, and Reid had no habit of working as an unpaid babysitter. He stated bluntly:

"In that case, what a pity. It seems Princess Angelise and I will have to attempt escorting the shuttle through enemy lines. Let's hope ZAFT's target isn't us and we can depart smoothly."

With that, Reid turned decisively to leave. He'd already discussed with Ange—if Archangel wanted free labor, they'd execute Plan B. He wasn't about to become a charity bodyguard.

Ange naturally followed suit without hesitation.

This left Murrue and Bargiruel in an awkward position. Without the New Misurugi Republic's combat strength, their ship's survival chances plummeted.

As for forcibly detaining them like they'd done with Kira using Atlantic Federation secrets—Murrue and Bargiruel weren't fools. Such threats would trigger immediate hostilities, and the opposing convoy clearly outnumbered their battered forces.

Just as the two officers were sweating under pressure, Mu realized intervention was necessary—their survival depended on it.

Unlike others, Mu knew four ZAFT ships lurked outside. Rau Le Creuset would surely launch a second attack immediately after retreating. Against Kruze and his elite squad with only one Mobile Suit? Ten deaths out of ten attempts. (Mu hadn't yet witnessed Kira's prowess with Strike)

"Now now, no need for extremes, Captain Reid," Mu interjected loudly.

Hearing Mu's voice, Reid recognized room for negotiation. He turned back courteously:

"Mu La Flaga, the Hawk of Endymion. Never expected to meet the Atlantic Federation's ace here. An honor."

Mu deftly deflected the flattery with self-deprecation:

"Please—the same Rau Le Creuset who routed me had his arm crippled in two strikes by Princess Angelise. I'd never presume to call myself the Hawk of Endymion before Her Highness."

He then executed a slightly awkward European royal salute—a childhood-learned gesture he'd rarely used in decades. Remembering it at all was impressive.

Mu's words carried dual purpose: informing Archangel's officers that their opponent was ZAFT's elite Rau Le Creuset squad.

The gesture nevertheless earned Ange's tentative approval. She nodded: "At ease. During missions, I disregard formalities."

  Mu deliberately adopted a relaxed demeanor upon hearing this and continued...

"That's great. I haven't done this in over a decade, so I'm not sure if I'm being rude. But if I may ask, Commander Reid, in this current situation, who makes the decisions between you and Princess Angelise? Also, just to satisfy my curiosity, what exactly is your relationship?"

Reid knew Mu was deliberately beating around the bush to fish for information while asking intentionally impolite questions, so he replied:

"Princess Angelise makes decisions regarding the New Misurugi Republic, while I make decisions for the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group. However, Crimson Wings is merely a mercenary group registered in the New Misurugi Republic, and Ange is one of my members."

Reid deliberately phrased it in this convoluted way, following the principle of obscuring their actual relationship. Everyone present was thoroughly confused, thinking—what kind of tangled mess is this?

But Mu still managed to pick up on something, murmuring:

"Calling her Ange directly... That relationship, hmm—"

Ange didn't avoid the topic either. As if declaring ownership, she hooked her arm around Reid's and said:

"Is it strange? 'Ange' is what friends and family call me. Of course Reid can say it."

At this point, everyone understood—the rumors about the two of them were true. That was all they needed to know.

So Mu spoke up again with a reminder:

"I see. But Commander Reid, the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group... is still just mercenaries, right?"

Reid had been waiting for this. Half-joking, half-serious, he replied:

"Of course. Being mercenaries is our main job. Things like heads of state or Mobile Suit designers are just side gigs."

Hearing this, Murrue and Bargiruel finally caught on. They realized—if he'd just said so earlier! The New Misurugi Republic couldn't fight ZAFT, but the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group had no such restrictions, right? It was just about money.

Without hesitation, Murrue asked:

"As the captain of the Archangel, I'd like to hire the Crimson Wings Mercenary Group as escorts. Would that work?"

Having achieved his goal, Reid naturally wouldn't refuse. He waved to someone behind him, and a local brought over a tablet.

As he began swiping through it, Reid said:

"Of course. But we should clarify the specifics of your request and the terms of employment first, so I can give you a proper quote."

Murrue didn't dwell on this. While she personally had no money, the Atlantic Federation had plenty. As long as the price was reasonable, she could have the military settle the bill once the data was delivered. If not, she could charge it to the G Project's development budget—after all, protecting G Project data could easily be classified as defense expenses.

So she stated directly:

"We need protection until we return to the Atlantic Federation's Earth-controlled territory and safely enter a base."

Reid shook his head at this request and replied bluntly:

"No. I have no intention of landing on Earth for now, and Ange can't land there either. At most, we can escort you until you rendezvous with the Earth Alliance's space forces—either at a lunar base or with a numbered fleet. Of course, you'll be responsible for our supplies during the contract period."

Murrue considered this. It seemed acceptable—once they reached a lunar base or joined a numbered fleet, they wouldn't need the two as escorts anymore. As for supplying them, that was only fair, so she nodded in agreement.

Seeing Murrue's approval, Reid continued:

"Also, Ange and I will be involved in formulating the subsequent action plans and have battlefield decision-making authority.

Let me be blunt—I personally have doubts about this ship's space combat capabilities. Between the earlier misfire, what I'm seeing now, and your military ranks...

It's clear most of the crew here were rushed into service. I believe my combat experience far surpasses yours."

Reid's words were quite blunt, but none of the Archangel's officers could refute them. The Earth Alliance had widely publicized Reid's exploits. Everyone knew that during his time as a pilot at Artemis Fortress, he had single-handedly taken down a GINN while piloting a Moebius, demonstrating exceptionally rich combat experience.

After that, Reid hadn't rested on his laurels—he'd cleverly captured a Laurasia-class battleship without harming a single enemy, proving his strategic acumen as well.

As for Princess Angelise, her reputation as the strongest woman in Earth's sphere was well-deserved.

So in the end, Murrue nodded in agreement, though she added:

"Fine, you can participate in tactical planning meetings and take command during frontline combat. But the overall strategy must follow our lead. Agreed?"

Reid naturally wouldn't refuse reasonable demands. Besides, what grand strategy did the Archangel have? It was just fleeing back to Earth.

After concluding this discussion, Reid handed a tablet to Murrue, saying:

"Check the tablet for our hiring fee. Don't complain about the price—this is already the friends-and-family rate. Ange and I could easily be rated as Earth Alliance ace Mobile Suit pilots, and we're bringing our own advanced units plus a full support engineering team."

Murrue looked at the tablet—three hundred million Atlantic Federation dollars.

For an individual, this sum would be staggering, but for the Atlantic Federation, it was pocket change. And Reid wasn't wrong—they were absolutely worth that price.

In fact, if Reid told any of the Earth Alliance's three major powers that he'd join them for a three hundred million transfer fee, all three would likely pay without hesitation to bring him aboard.

So Murrue nodded:

"Agreed on the price. However, I currently can't provide an advance payment, nor can I offer Atlantic Federation military assets as collateral. Payment will have to come after mission completion."

This was exactly the outcome Reid wanted—this money was meant to tie Murrue and Bargiruel down later. He smiled:

"Understood. Out of respect for the Atlantic Federation's reputation, I'll waive the advance. But Captain Murrue, you and this ship's executive officer must personally guarantee payment. You'll need to sign the guarantee—if the Atlantic Federation reneges later, I'll come to you."

Reid's demand was reasonable. As mercenaries, working without even an advance payment would leave them vulnerable to being stiffed.

Truthfully, for two unknown Atlantic Federation officers like Murrue and Bargiruel to guarantee three hundred million was already extraordinary trust—Reid was taking enormous risk. If payment failed, selling both women wouldn't cover the debt.

So despite trembling internally at the astronomical sum, both Murrue and Bargiruel signed their names in the guarantor section.

Reid immediately saved the contract. The Atlantic Federation would pay? He didn't believe it for a second. Murrue and Bargiruel had no idea how unwelcome they'd be upon returning the data to the Earth Alliance after all their hardships.

So the Atlantic Federation definitely wouldn't foot this bill. As for Duane Halberton of the Eighth Fleet, he would die shortly after rendezvousing with the Archangel. Such a huge sum was something he wouldn't pay out of his own pocket—it would have to go through official channels. And once he was dead, those channels would grind to a halt.

Bargiruel's situation wasn't much better. She came from a military family, but that didn't necessarily mean wealth—at most, it meant more connections within the forces.

As for Mu, whether he even had that kind of money was unclear to Reid. How much of his father's inheritance he'd received remained a question mark. In any case, he stayed silent—after all, he hadn't known Murrue an

d Bargiruel much longer than Ange.

So, for Murrue Ramius and Natarle Badgiruel, this contract was nothing short of a binding agreement. It was Reid's justified reason for recruiting them—and after completing his escort mission, his legitimate grounds for intervening in matters concerning the two of them.

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/LegendaryTL

Thanks!