Mikazuki and Akihiro sat on crates at the feet of the Barbatos, eating hot meals prepared for them by the kind people of Orb. Nearby, the maintenance crew worked feverishly, putting in overtime to prioritize the servicing of the Barbatos.
Murrue and her companions were resting and discussing matters not too far away, though they frequently glanced over at the boys.
"Anyway, you've got to stay sharp," Akihiro said, taking a large bite of a warm sandwich as he spoke to Mikazuki. "That black Graze has a serious grudge against Tekkadan. If that thing really has managed to split into copies, we're bound to end up facing a whole swarm of those monsters eventually."
Mikazuki swallowed a mouthful of food and picked up his water bottle, giving a short nod. "I know."
"Mika!"
"Hmm?"
Mikazuki looked up to see Murrue and Cagalli walking toward them together. He paused his drink and asked, "What is it?"
Murrue smiled. "I wanted to let you know that the Archangel will be heading to space alongside the Orb ship, the Kusanagi."
"Is that so?" Mikazuki's reaction was characteristically flat. He simply put the straw of his water bottle in his mouth and continued drinking.
Seeing this, Murrue shrugged helplessly at Cagalli. "See? I told you. Even if we tell him, he won't have much of a reaction."
Cagalli nodded, looking a bit deflated.
Mikazuki's unshakable composure left both women feeling a mix of frustration and genuine admiration. The ancient saying, 'Not moved by worldly gain nor personal loss,' seemed as though it had been written specifically for him.
"Are we all leaving at ten tonight?" Mikazuki asked after putting his water bottle down.
He didn't bother asking if the rest of the crew agreed with Murrue's decision. It was a redundant question; if the crew hadn't been in agreement, Murrue would never have come over to tell him.
"Yes," Murrue replied. "The Kusanagi and the Kshatriya will both use the Kaguya Mass Driver tracks to break through the atmosphere and enter space. The Archangel is currently being equipped with the Kusanagi's spare boosters.
When the time comes, we'll also use the positron acceleration generated during the firing of the Lohengrin cannons to further boost our speed, achieving the same effect as a Mass Driver."
Mikazuki and Akihiro traded a blank look.
"Did you understand any of that?" Mikazuki asked.
Akihiro shook his head bluntly. "No... You know I'm not exactly an academic. I only know about the Mobile Workers and Mobile Suits from our side."
"Me too," Mikazuki muttered. He looked back up at the women and said, "Though I don't really get the details, it means all three ships can leave Earth, right?"
Murrue had overheard their exchange and could only offer a wry smile. "That's exactly right."
"Good."
Mikazuki stuffed the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed. He finished off the water in his bottle and stood up, looking at Akihiro. "Full?"
"Yeah, stuffed."
Akihiro set his empty bottle aside and joined Mikazuki by a pile of supply crates. He reached down and hoisted a stack of three crates that stood higher than his waist.
When it came to pure physical strength, Akihiro was every bit Mikazuki's equal.
Mikazuki followed suit, lifting another stack of three crates. Between the water and food inside, each crate weighed over a hundred pounds. A stack of three meant they were each carrying three hundred pounds.
Cagalli and Murrue were startled by the display of strength. Cagalli spoke up urgently, "Mika! A forklift will be over in a bit to move those. There's no need for you two to waste your strength on this!"
Mikazuki tilted his head and looked at her. "It's fine. Everyone is busy, and I can handle this kind of labor. Besides fighting, this is the only other work I can do. Just moving things doesn't help much, but it's something. These go in that vehicle over there, right? Step aside, Akihiro, you go first."
"Right," Akihiro replied.
Akihiro led the way, with Mikazuki following close behind. They passed right between the two stunned women.
It wasn't until Mikazuki disappeared around a corner that Cagalli shook her head and whispered, "That's not true... You've already helped Orb. You've helped me more than I can say."
"Cagalli..." Murrue placed a comforting hand on Cagalli's shoulder, though her eyes remained fixed on Mikazuki's back as he walked past an M1 Astray toward the transport truck.
Ten o'clock that night, at the Kaguya Mass Driver tracks in Orb.
Two warships accelerated one after the other, detaching from the tracks and soaring into the night sky. Uzumi stood in the command center, watching the screen as the ships vanished into the starlit expanse.
He let out a sigh, his expression heavy with complex emotions.
"Did I just choose to run away again? I truly am a failed father... I'm sorry, Cagalli. You must come back safely. When that day comes, I will explain everything to you."
Inside a room on the Kusanagi, Cagalli sat in a daze, staring at a photograph. Her father's words, spoken just before the ship took off, still echoed clearly in her mind.
"Cagalli, the truth is, you have a brother."
Uzumi had handed her the photo just before the Kusanagi's hatch sealed shut and he turned away.
The photo showed a woman holding two infants in her arms. Cagalli turned it over. On the back, two names were written.
One was hers. The other was... Kira.
"Kira... is my brother?"
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