"To Artemis Fortress, this is the Allied Forces battleship Archangel requesting permission to enter your fortress."
After an uneventful journey to their destination, the crew of Archangel arrived at this waypoint in their voyage.
Gazing at the fortress ahead, illuminated by countless Umbrella of the Moon defenses, everyone felt a sense of relief and joy.
At least they had reached friendly territory, where they could temporarily find a safe haven.
"This is Artemis Fortress. We find no record of your vessel in Allied Forces registries."
"Unable to confirm your ship as friendly. Please depart immediately!"
"Repeat, unable to confirm your..."
Yet the eager crew of Archangel received such a response.
Those who had been hopeful that safety awaited them here now wore frozen smiles.
"How could this be?"
Murrue listened to the communication still urging them to leave, turning back in confusion to those around her.
"Hahaha, the battleship hasn't been registered yet. That's unavoidable, given it was secretly manufactured," Mu offered weakly, trying to soften the blow.
"So, what do we do now?"
He looked directly at Wang Hu, the de facto captain of the ship.
After a moment's thought, Wang Hu stepped forward.
In the original timeline, the fortress had accepted Archangel's request for shelter without hesitation.
This time...
"Heh heh heh." Wang Hu chuckled softly, quickly piecing together the reason.
Back then, Archangel had only two ZAFT battleships chasing it.
Artemis, protected by the Umbrella of the Moon, had no reason to panic.
They were certain that ZAFT, already embroiled in diplomatic turmoil after attacking Heliopolis, wouldn't dare escalate further at this point.
In fact, the Eurasian Federation had even been foolish enough to covet Archangel.
But now, with his presence, the situation was entirely different.
On the way to Artemis, Archangel had not only sunk four enemy battleships but also nearly crippled ZAFT's elite Creuset Team.
This fully demonstrated Archangel's formidable combat capabilities and its threat to ZAFT.
As a result, enemy fleets summoned by Creuset were gathering to blockade Archangel.
If things went wrong, ZAFT's top commander might even launch a full-scale battle outside this fortress!
Unlike East Asia or the Atlantic Federation—Archangel's actual owner—the Eurasian Federation had no reason to wade into these troubled waters.
As valuable as Archangel was, it had become a hot potato for them.
Naturally, it was best to avoid getting involved.
Why not stay safely tucked in their shell, enjoying peace in this war-torn world?
"To Artemis Fortress, this is Archangel. I am Wang Hu, Captain of the 3rd Training Battalion, Nova Fortress, East Asian Army."
"Military identification code DYJXX41811922001, currently escorting the battleship Archangel back to our headquarters. Given the long-standing friendship between our two forces since ancient times..."
"We hope you will grant us sanctuary and allow us to use your fortress's high-power long-range communication system to send a message to East Asian Space Force Headquarters."
"With the combined military strength of our forces, protecting Archangel from ZAFT's clutches—"
"—along with the newest model Mobile Suit, Strike Gundam, aboard this ship—should be beyond any doubt."
"Wang Hu!" Before the Eurasian Federation forces could respond, Natarle Badgiruel, standing behind Wang Hu, stepped forward, unable to contain her anger.
"You!" Her chest heaved violently—to her, Wang Hu wasn't just talking about ZAFT.
Every word out of his mouth was practically inciting the people inside Artemis Fortress to collude with the East Asian Army, carving up the Atlantic Federation's property—Archangel—between them!
"Did I say something wrong?"
With Li Chengzhi stifling a laugh, Wang Hu turned and looked seriously at the furious Natarle.
"Can't Eurasia and East Asia protect a single Archangel? If not, we might as well surrender to ZAFT now and save ourselves the trouble."
"You—!"
Trembling with rage, Natarle glared at Wang Hu, who feigned ignorance, then at the helpless expressions around her.
The dutiful officer nearly choked on her fury—just as a response finally came through.
"Qilin of the Nova! The Strongest Natural! Fangs of the Alliance!"
"So it's Captain Wang Hu himself! Quick, open the Umbrella of the Moon! Prepare to welcome Captain Wang Hu!"
The attitude from Artemis Fortress did a complete 180—from disdain to overwhelming enthusiasm.
Even without seeing their faces, everyone aboard Archangel could imagine it:
Their tongues practically wagging like eager hands, ready to seize the Atlantic Federation's property and devour its riches at the feast!
"You—! All of you!"
Natarle pointed accusingly at Wang Hu, who wore an innocent, clueless expression, and Li Chengzhi, who shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Bandits! You're all bandits!"
She seethed, powerless against these two smiling hypocrites, their masks hiding nothing but malice.
The usually disciplined officer, who held herself to the highest military standards, now seemed small and alone.
Who could she turn to?
Murrue? Mu? Or the others on the bridge?
Meeting only averted gazes, Natarle finally lowered her head in defeat.
"Let's proceed," Wang Hu said softly to Murrue, a faint smile on his lips.
"R-right." Murrue steeled herself, glancing at the helpless Natarle.
Seeing no further objections, she gave the order.
Then she looked at Artemis—supposedly an ally, a safe haven—now feeling more like a den of wolves than ZAFT's pursuit.
"I hope we're making the right choice."
Murrue spoke in a low voice to Mu and Natarle Badgiruel, her emotions unusually complex.
"Don't dwell on this issue. We of the future shouldn't judge the choices we make now based on the circumstances of the present with the perspective of the future."
Mu shed his usual carefree, roguish mask, revealing his true self for once.
"After all, we're human, not gods. We don't have eyes that can pierce the fog of the future."
"To always believe our present judgments are imperfect—that is the original sin of human arrogance."
"Mu?" Murrue found herself looking at the man beside her in a new light.
"Lieutenant Mu." Natarle Badgiruel perked up.
Yes, he was right. As long as they did everything they could in the present...
Then someday in the future, when they looked back on this day, they could do so with a clear conscience!
With that thought, Natarle patted her own cheeks.
Later, when Wang Hu shamelessly conspired with the Eurasian Federation to seize the Archangel...
She would wield righteous indignation like an unstoppable blade, exposing the enemy's disgraceful schemes and revealing their vile nature for all to see!
Justice resided in the hearts of the people—was there truly no place for reason under the vast heavens?
Regarding the previous chapter's portrayal of Natarle, especially the part about her little moment of smugness—I didn't handle it well. Thanks to the readers who pointed it out; I've already revised it. Since edits cause paragraph comments to disappear, I'll express my gratitude here instead. I welcome any further feedback on my mistakes—thank you!
(End of chapter.)