Chapter 258: Reunion
This was an unremarkable beach.
Long before their arrival, Eli had ordered someone to take Rem out and sweep the area using an active phased-array radar. No large-scale machinery was detected.
In other words, at the very least, this wasn't an ambush set up by the Titans.
"Switch on the searchlights. Let's move closer to the shore."
After Captain Otto confirmed there was nothing that could threaten the White Chaser, he gave the order to approach the coastline.
The moment the lights came on, the surrounding waters lit up.
Thanks to the phototaxis of the fish, tossing in a few lines now would surely yield a decent haul.
But who would be thinking about that right now?
Certainly not anyone aboard the White Chaser.
"What a dramatic entrance. How am I supposed to catch fish like this?"
A fishing rod was slowly raised. Seeing the empty hook, the man knew that, even with an excuse, it wouldn't change the fact that he'd come up empty—again.
He was a space-dweller, originally from the ground forces. So how had he ended up this far from land?
"They should've noticed me by now, right?"
Muttering in annoyance, he raised his hands to shield his eyes, gazing out at the flashy warship announcing its presence in no uncertain terms.
"So confident… Then again, he was already an ace pilot back then. It's not surprising he'd carry that same self-assurance now."
"Whoosh—"
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew in, bending the fishing rod in his hands.
If he hadn't grabbed the line in time, the hook might've been flung up and hurt someone.
Although, in this nighttime scene, he was the only one here.
That gust of wind—he knew it well.
It was the kind of turbulence caused by an MS flying past.
A beam of light suddenly illuminated the beach.
The man raised a hand to block it from his eyes, watching as an MS approached, riding a flight board.
But he soon lowered his hand, calmly and openly displaying his presence.
"Should be enough for you to recognize me now, Eli!"
"Well, this is a surprise… even he's come back—Shiro Amada."
——
"Hey! You're really pulling off something big, Eli."
The man, dressed like a fisherman, stood beneath the feet of a row of towering mobile suits, yet looked utterly at ease.
Beside him stood Amuro.
He wasn't the one who had retrieved Shiro Amada and brought him aboard the White Chaser—he had simply rushed to the hangar at the first opportunity.
To Amuro, this man was something of a legend. Naturally, he wanted to confirm a few things for himself.
Shiro Amada had formed a bond of deep friendship with an enemy pilot on the battlefield—so deep, in fact, that he was willing to trade all his military achievements for a pardon and retirement.
Amuro had witnessed this firsthand.
At the time, he'd even made a youthful mistake.
It was hard to define it as a true mistake, but Amuro still felt it was something he needed to face head-on.
He had imagined Shiro Amada might be angry, or might ignore him in silence.
What he hadn't expected… was for Amada to break into a hearty smile upon seeing him.
"You're no slouch either, Shiro Amada. How's Aina doing these days?"
At that moment, Eli entered the hangar and joined the conversation.
"Haha, she's living somewhere safe with our two daughters."
At the mention of his wife and daughters, Amada's smile grew even wider.
Eli blinked in surprise.
Shiro Amada was too capable—he had two daughters already?
Meanwhile, he and Sayla… had shown no progress at all.
Wait—what Eli actually meant was, "Somewhere safe?"
"Well, let's skip the pleasantries. Shiro Amada, in what capacity are you standing before me right now?"
Eli's expression shifted from nostalgic reminiscence to the serious demeanor of the ship's commander.
"Come on, lighten up a little. I've been waiting here for you for quite some time—
—as a member of Karaba, the Earth-based anti-Federation organization."
——
"A message from Karaba? That's a relief."
Aboard the Argama, Char received news that Karaba had successfully rendezvoused with the White Chaser.
Karaba operated as an underground anti-Federation group on Earth. As AEUG's influence grew in space, the two factions eventually merged.
Limited by personnel and equipment, Karaba had effectively become AEUG's "support organization" on Earth.
So once contact was established with the White Chaser, Karaba immediately relayed the news to Char in space.
"Pass this along to the White Base as well."
Learning that another major figure caught in the storm was safe—that was good news no matter how you looked at it.
At present, the Argama was leading the charge, maintaining a delicate distance from both the White Base and the Albion.
Close enough to observe each other's movements, but still outside main cannon range.
"I can understand helping Undertaker get Eli out, but why send Karaba to make contact? Most of their key members are Federation-affiliated."
After Char relayed the news to the White Base, a voice rose behind him—it was Haman.
"Now that Undertaker has openly opposed the Titans, it's not impossible that Karaba, being similarly Federation-aligned, would want to approach them. But wouldn't that weaken our own power base?"
Haman voiced her concern.
After all, Karaba's political ideals included opposing Titan tyranny and restoring Earth's ecological balance.
Both of those goals had been publicly advocated by Eli during Federation sessions.
This gave Karaba every reason to throw its support behind Undertaker.
"Haman… to be blunt, Eli and Amuro's value is high enough that I'd be willing to sacrifice all of Karaba for them. If that's the premise, then what does it matter if we hand Karaba over?"
Char, now far removed from the arrogance of '79 and the confusion of recent days, carried a look that inspired conviction at a mere glance.
"Think of it as a return gift—for that warship and that Rick Dias. If Karaba really does want to follow Undertaker…
Then the more important question is: how will AEUG use the true power it possesses?"
She knew what he meant—helium-3, right?
Haman gave a slight nod, indicating she understood.
But did she truly understand?