Mikazuki popped a Mars Date into his mouth with an indifferent expression, chewing slowly as he watched Athrun.
Athrun let out a long breath and looked up at everyone around him before speaking. "Based on everything I have seen and heard in Orb... no, in PLANT and on Earth, I have thought about a great deal.
Is it right or wrong? What do I know and what do I not? I still haven't fully figured it all out. It's just that the world I long for is, frankly, the same as what you all envision. You may not believe it, but this is truly how I feel and what I think right now."
As his words settled, Mu, who had been listening seriously, broke into a smile. "You're quite strong, aren't you? You're very different from how Kira was at the start."
Kira blinked, surprised to hear Mu comparing him to Athrun, but he didn't take offense. Instead, he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's been that way since we were kids."
"Since we've decided, then let's head out."
With that, the small fleet composed of the Earth Alliance, ZAFT, and the Orb Union determined their next destination and began their advance.
After the matters had been discussed, Mikazuki turned to Athrun and asked, "When you left, was Lacus still safe?"
"Uh..." Athrun paused, composing his thoughts before answering. "She should have been safe then. Lacus's treason was only made public to the citizens right before I left PLANT. I don't know how things stand now..."
"I see." Mikazuki didn't say anything further after the question, nor did he show any major emotional fluctuation.
Athrun was somewhat dissatisfied with this response but had no recourse. After all, as Mikazuki had said before, if worrying were useful, they could spend all day worrying and never get anything done.
Cagalli sensed something unusual in the air and whispered into Murrue's ear, "Who is this Lacus?"
Murrue raised an eyebrow but still answered Cagalli's question. "She's similar to you, a princess of PLANT. However, the current Chairman is no longer her father. Furthermore, she assisted Mikazuki in stealing the Freedom and the Sassari from PLANT.
Now, it seems she is being treated as a traitor to PLANT for treason. This girl is very close to Mikazuki. The last time he borrowed your Orb shuttle and Mass Driver to go to PLANT, it was to find her. They've known each other even longer than I have..."
Murrue spoke with a hint of jealousy, even shooting a sharp glare at Mikazuki.
Mikazuki didn't notice. He was deep in his own thoughts; had he seen Murrue glaring at him, he would have surely been confused.
"I see..." Cagalli's brow furrowed.
Five days passed, nearly a week.
The Archangel and the other two ships continued their voyage through space toward Lagrange Point 4 (L4). Meanwhile, the situation between Earth and PLANT was becoming increasingly dire.
On Earth, the Earth Alliance forces that had retreated from Orb had suffered a defeat. Due to various factors, they no longer targeted Orb, recognizing its neutral stance and publicly promising not to interfere with its regime or national ideology.
However, this did not mean they had given up on their need for a Mass Driver. If they couldn't seize the one in Orb, they would simply steal another.
And so, they set their sights on ZAFT's Victoria Base. In less than a day, they successfully occupied the base, and the Mass Driver fell intact into their hands.
Muruta, who had been wearing a dark expression for several days, finally looked relieved upon receiving news that the Victoria Spaceport had been captured and the Mass Driver was functional.
"Hmph. Those people in the military make such a fuss just because a few of our own were killed. Isn't accidental injury in war perfectly normal?" Muruta said nonchalantly from his seat. However, as the computer on his desk displayed images of the Barbatos and the Freedom,
his face darkened again. "No, if these machines are truly nuclear-powered, then I must have one. Before that, I need to head to the Lunar Base... As for Orb and this monster..."
When Muruta saw the demon-like Barbatos on the screen, he remembered the sight of his fleet being chased and slaughtered by a single Mobile Suit, resulting in catastrophic losses.
"Once I've dealt with those Coordinators, I'll take care of you..."
He pressed a button on the microphone on his desk and spoke. "Captain, notify the troops. Land as soon as possible for maintenance. We begin transporting the forces to the Lunar Base in two days."
"Yes, sir."
On the other side, in PLANT, Chairman Patrick was already overwhelmed. Aside from the days spent hunting the Clyne father and daughter across the satellites, the news of Victoria Base's fall added to his mounting headaches.
Today, as Patrick heard the report from the intelligence department, his furrowed brow relaxed slightly.
"Is that so? Siegel has already been shot on the spot? Good. Then is there any news of Lacus Clyne?"
"No, not yet. Although we have cracked the channel she used to broadcast her speeches and traced the signal to an address, there was no one there when we arrivedonly equipment left on playback."
"Hmph. Then keep searching. We cannot let her continue to mislead the public with her lies."
"Yes, sir!"
"Has there been any word from Athrun yet?"
"No, sir."
Patrick fell silent for a moment. "...Fine. I understand. Report any further developments to me immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
As the head of the intelligence department left, Patrick turned to another official. "With the fall of Victoria Base, the Earth Alliance will surely send their army into space with great fanfare. Strengthen the combat power of our defensive lines in all sectors. Also, call Rau Le Creuset back."
"Yes, sir!"
Inside a PLANT satellite, in a very ordinary residential house, Lacus sat before a set of equipment. She took off her headphones and let out a long sigh, staring at the ceiling and murmuring to herself.
"Mikazuki... wait for me. Andrew Waltfeld."
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