After arriving at the council via shuttle, Athrun followed Creuset into the parliament as arranged and completed the presentation of the Mobile Suit data.
Following the wishes of both Creuset and his father, he saved the performance details of the Strike Suit for last to highlight its superior capabilities compared to the other four units.
When he finished his report, saluted, and stepped down, the reaction in the council chamber noticeably intensified.
"Those Naturals actually created something like this... These people are clearly still intent on putting up a desperate fight!"
"Just one unit has such power—it's hard to imagine the heavy blows our forces would suffer if these were mass-produced and deployed on the battlefield!"
"...But this is still a prototype result, right? The actual mass-produced models might not be this powerful."
"Not entirely. When we developed our MS prototypes, they didn't have the advanced performance of this Strike Suit."
"Moreover... the pilot is a Natural."
At this point, someone seemed to have spotted a blind spot: if they were from the same series of Mobile Suits, how could a Natural pilot outperform their Coordinators?
Seeing this, Creuset knew it was his moment to speak. He stood up and explained:
"According to our investigation, the basic performance of the several units is quite similar. The only difference is that our units use a self-modified Operating System, while the Strike Suit's pilot likely uses the outdated OS that came with the unit."
"Our technicians suggest that the outdated OS might be a cover. The Earth forces may have designed a Program Backdoor that can only be activated under that OS, serving as a means to unlock the Mobile Suit's performance limitations."
"In other words, the units in our possession are likely performance-restricted, while the Strike Suit represents their true capabilities."
"Aside from the pilot factor, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Earth Federation has started using drugs or other methods to rapidly cultivate excellent pilots..."
Watching Creuset's explanation, which was almost entirely fabricated, Athrun remained silent for a long moment, sighing inwardly.
In truth, whether there was an issue with that program—others might not know, but they were the ones who understood best. All the explanations Creuset provided and all the materials submitted were, frankly, tactics to create a sense of crisis and win support for his father.
Sure enough, while the councilors were still reeling from the shock, he saw his father—Patrick Zala—rise from his seat and begin a solemn mobilization speech.
He recounted the birth of the Coordinators and the attack on Junius Seven, detailing the hardships they faced in their struggle for survival. Just as they were about to reclaim their place through war, the wicked Federation Army developed MS, attempting to snatch back the rights they had fought for with blood and sweat.
"We have retreated step by step, hoping to secure a space to live. But the more we retreat, the more the greedy Naturals demand."
"Now we have nowhere left to retreat. If we do not fight, we cannot protect the rights of us Coordinators or safeguard the future of our descendants. Then we must fight!"
Patrick stood on the podium, delivering his impassioned speech, while Athrun below could only shake his head helplessly in his heart.
Step by step retreat... In the current state of the war, it's hard to say which side is truly at a disadvantage.
And is the purpose of this battle really to protect the rights of Coordinators? If it were truly just about securing a place for ourselves, ZAFT could easily engage in ceasefire negotiations with the Earth Forces given our current advantageous position.
No, my father's goal... is far from simply safeguarding Coordinator rights.
Even though communication with his father had gradually diminished after joining the military... Athrun could see that what his father truly wanted to achieve was a world inhabited solely by Coordinators.
Coordinators had already evolved into a new race surpassing Naturals. The backward Naturals had no need to continue existing. This world only needed Coordinators to be complete.
Watching his father on the podium delivering calm words with fanatical eyes, and recalling how he himself had been driven by hatred into similar fanaticism during previous battles, he felt only a chilling coldness and terrifying regret in his heart.
As Patrick's speech concluded, the parliament discussed some other trivial matters before finally adjourning.
Athrun emerged from the conference hall with the same troubled and confused expression. While waiting for his father and Creuset at the entrance, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Athrun, long time no see."
"Chairman Clyne!"
Seeing the golden-haired middle-aged man approaching, Athrun quickly saluted.
This was Siegel Clyne, a good friend of Athrun's father. His daughter, Lacus Clyne, was also Athrun's current fiancée - by all accounts, their relationship was quite good.
"No need for such formality, Athrun."
Siegel waved his hand with a smile, then seemed to notice the change in Athrun's demeanor and asked curiously, "You seem to have something on your mind?"
Athrun's eyes widened slightly, surprised that the other had noticed... so he simply nodded honestly.
"I'm not entirely sure... whether my father's views are actually correct."
Seeing no one around, Athrun thought for a moment before quietly voicing his true feelings.
Siegel Clyne was a pacifist, unlike Patrick, which was why Athrun felt both willing and safe discussing this matter with him.
In his heart, while the Naturals' act of deploying nuclear bombs was despicable, he didn't believe his father's decision to eradicate the entire Natural population was the right course of action.
Siegel's eyebrows rose slightly, seemingly surprised that Athrun could develop such thoughts. He looked at Athrun with approval, about to say something before apparently thinking better of it and changing his words:
"Right and wrong depend on the perspective from which you view them."
"For you, what war truly is, whether it's good or bad - these are things you need to see with your own eyes and think through for yourself... Only then can you form a perspective that belongs solely to you."
"Don't blindly trust anyone - not me, not your father, nor anyone else... You must judge for yourself, Athrun."
Hearing Siegel's words, Athrun stood stunned for a long moment before nodding slightly.
Judge for myself?
Though he still couldn't find an answer at this moment, he at least felt he had discovered the method to seek one. The fog in his heart immediately cleared by half.
Just as he wanted to thank Siegel for his guidance, Creuset on the other side had already called out to Athrun, informing him that the next pursuit mission would commence in 72 hours.
Athrun nodded solemnly and responded with a firm acknowledgment. He then turned to Siegel, offering a formal military salute as a gesture of farewell.