"You are... Deputy Captain Natarle?"
Lacus was somewhat unfamiliar with Badgiruel who had suddenly burst in. After thinking for a moment, she vaguely recalled having seen this person when she first arrived on this battleship.
Truthfully, the only person Lacus was truly familiar with on this battleship was Lu Tianming... or perhaps she could add Xia Chuan to that list.
Although she would occasionally use Haro to pick locks and sneak out for some fresh air, she generally avoided crowded areas to avoid causing trouble for Lu Tianming. Therefore, strictly speaking, she had no interactions with others.
Seeing that Lacus was even somewhat unfamiliar with her... Badgiruel awkwardly cleared her throat while covering her mouth with a fist, a faint blush coloring her cheeks before quickly returning to her previous serious expression.
"First, explain to me clearly... what exactly did you say to Lu Tianming?"
She took a deep breath, seeming to realize her previous actions were too agitated, then pulled up a chair to sit down, attempting to communicate with Lacus calmly.
"I'm afraid that would be difficult... some matters were agreed upon to be kept secret."
Lacus shook her head. If she were to truthfully explain the whole story, it would inevitably involve the parts she and Lu Tianming had agreed not to disclose.
Hearing these words, the fire Badgiruel had just suppressed suddenly flared up again.
What exactly have you done to him? How did you even end up with something as ambiguous as secrets between you two?!
She slammed the table and stood up, wanting to loudly reprimand her, but then heard Lacus continue:
"...But if limited to just my reasons for wanting to stay here, I can tell you that."
This reversal left Badgiruel momentarily confused. She had already slammed the table, stood up, and was just about to loudly scold her... and now you can talk?
She couldn't quite understand what difference there was between what Lacus was now willing to say and what she had originally wanted to ask.
Then again... if this can be said, then what exactly became the secret you two can't reveal—
Suppressing her curiosity and urge to complain, Badgiruel could only take another deep breath and sit down again:
"Then tell me, why exactly do you want to stay here?"
"Because I want to live... for that, I need Mr. Lu. Mr. Lu similarly doesn't want his fate to be controlled by others, so he needs me too."
Lacus explained with a smile, condensing the complicated explanation into a single sentence... though from Badgiruel's perspective, this condensed information was somewhat cryptic.
She could roughly understand the first half... after all, if Lacus were to return now, she would likely become a tool of the Patrick Faction or be directly killed. Therefore, her wanting to stay here with Lu Tianming's help to survive was understandable to Badgiruel.
But what did the second half mean?
"Who wants to control Lu Tianming's fate? When has his fate ever been controlled by anyone?"
Badgiruel asked somewhat puzzled.
"Miss Natarle... perhaps you should ask it this way—whose fate hasn't been controlled by someone?"
Lacus didn't answer directly, but instead guided with a question, prompting Badgiruel to discover the answer herself.
"...What are you trying to say?"
Badgiruel seemed to detect an underlying meaning in Lacus's words, her brows slightly furrowed as a serious glint flashed in her eyes.
Her instincts told her that Lacus was about to say something... potentially dangerous.
"Miss Natarle, do you truly believe... that everything will improve once we continue onward and reunite with the fleet?"
Lacus merely posed another question, but this time, before Badgiruel could respond, she shook her head and said:
"It won't. With our current limited strength... as Mr. Lu would say, we'll likely soon be dragged back into the Mobius loop of war."
"Fighting endlessly, surviving only to be thrown into the next battle without rest, repeating this cycle until death or the war's end. Is this the future you desire, Miss Natarle?"
"Of course not... but what can we do? We're in the midst of war! Is there anyone who can break free from this cycle?"
Badgiruel lightly bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before retorting.
She knew that while no one could break free, some people were never part of this cycle to begin with.
Those... so-called politicians.
But as someone from a military family and a soldier of the Earth Alliance... she absolutely couldn't voice this answer—it was too rebellious.
Fortunately, Lacus didn't pursue this line of thought either, instead steering the conversation back to Lu Tianming:
"I don't know who can break free, nor how to break free... but I believe Mr. Lu might have a way."
"I can sense that hope in him, and he shares the same intention."
"He doesn't want to remain trapped in the cycle, nor does he want you, as his companions, to be trapped... Though he has ideas and plans, he lacks an opportunity or the power to create one."
"And I can give him that opportunity... that power."
Badgiruel was about to instinctively refute and question what power she possessed, but she suddenly froze.
Because she realized—the young woman standing before her was named Lacus Clyne.
A name that alone could cause an uproar in ZAFT and PLANT.
But this raised another question: Did Lu Tianming intend to seek help from PLANT's forces? And was this related to the secret the two had mentioned earlier?
Badgiruel only felt that the young woman before her grew more mysterious, and along with her, Lu Tianming's figure became equally enigmatic.
Since when had he started thinking about, or rather, planning all this?
Noticing the shift in Badgiruel's expression, Lacus pondered for a moment before stepping closer to offer further reassurance:
"Miss Natarle, you may doubt my words, but please trust Mr. Lu."
"Some of his actions may be difficult to understand, but he has always treated you as companions..."
"Enough."
Before Lacus could finish, Badgiruel lightly slapped the table in front of her and stood up.
She didn't want to hear any more... But as she reached the door to leave, she turned back to Lacus and added:
"Don't think that just because you've spoken with him a few times, your understanding of him surpasses everyone else's... My trust in him runs far deeper than you can imagine."
After saying this, she gave Lacus no further opportunity to respond and walked straight out of the room.
She had once mistakenly doubted Lu Tianming before... She would never make the same mistake again.
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