Chapter 216: A Slight Heart-to-Heart
"So I hear the great busy man summoned me?"
Just as Eli was pondering whether that narrow-minded bastard Char could grasp his true intentions, a familiar voice rang out.
He looked up to see a tall woman in a Federation military uniform leaning against the doorframe, staring at him from across the desk.
"What can I do for you, Captain Garahau?"
"Seriously? I join the Federation military and all I get is Captain?"
"Not having you executed already took every ounce of my restraint."
Eli didn't bother to hide his distaste when facing Cima. Nor did he have any desire to waste time chatting with her.
This former Zeon soldier was now one of his subordinates.
Forgiving their past crimes didn't mean they could enjoy true freedom within the Earth Sphere.
At minimum, they had to either serve under Federation supervision or remain within the military, under Eli's direct command.
As their leader, Cima chose to remain in the military, and most of her subordinates—who had only survived thanks to her—chose to stay as well. Only a few opted to leave.
It's worth noting that only Cima and a few of her adjutants actually held military rank. The rest were retained at the base in the capacity of mercenaries.
This was done with consideration for the sentiments of other Federation soldiers.
Although Eli had hoped to ease tensions between the pureblood Federation troops and Cima's unit, that plan had ultimately gone nowhere.
After all, even he struggled to view them without bias.
"So? What exactly did you call me here for?"
Cima stepped into the office and casually shut the door behind her.
The Federation uniform looked wildly out of place on her.
Still, Eli didn't comment on it.
"The Federation is about to deploy a new resource fleet. Though the next-generation Jupitris-class vessel is still under construction, I'm planning to assign you to the current expedition in advance."
"Hah? Isn't that a little sudden?"
Cima had been about to settle herself on the edge of Eli's desk out of habit, but stopped mid-motion at the mention of the assignment.
"You want me to go to Jupiter? That godforsaken wasteland? Are you serious?"
"You can take all your subordinates with you."
"Ahem. Alright, let's hear the details."
She'd been ready to turn him down on the spot, but now she casually walked over to the liquor cabinet on the side of the office, took out some whiskey, dropped in a few ice cubes, and poured herself a drink.
"It's simple. I need you to confirm the status of the Jupitris. I suspect the Axis Fleet launched an attack on the Helium-3 storage base, which means there's a good chance they'll target the Jupitris next."
"It takes over a year to get from here to Jupiter. If Axis has already done something to the Jupitris, isn't it too late to do anything by now?"
Now that they were formally discussing the matter, Cima settled down and spoke with a calm tone.
She took a sip of her drink to wet her throat and voiced her doubt.
"Of course the Federation has considered that possibility. That's why I have an opening to sneak an entire squadron into the Jupiter fleet. This isn't just a recon mission to check on the Jupitris—there's a chance you'll be tasked with retaking it."
Eli waited for a while, but when Cima didn't pour him a drink, he sighed, got up to grab a glass for himself, poured some whiskey, and sat down across from her.
"There's even the possibility of launching a strike against Axis."
"A strike, huh? Then this Jupiter fleet deployment is quite the operation."
A gleam lit up in Cima's eyes.
"Let me guess—besides Und Tek, the Titans are sending troops too?"
"Exactly."
Eli nodded. The two raised their glasses and drank.
"Whew—aren't you afraid they'll start fighting en route? And you're really sending me in there alone?"
"Of course not. I'll be assigning other personnel to accompany you."
Eli cut her off before she could spiral into wild speculation.
"…Alright then. Isn't it about time you told me what you really want me to do?"
So sharp. No wonder she'd managed to find a sliver of survival in such a tangled web of circumstances.
"Make sure the Titans don't get all the Helium-3. I don't care if you defect and hand it over to Axis instead."
"…?"
Cima tilted her head slightly.
"What's this now? Have you finally let power go to your head, resorting to political backstabbing even if it sabotages human progress?"
She chuckled lightly and jabbed.
…
Eli couldn't reveal what he knew about the atrocities the Titans would commit down the line.
"This isn't about power… But yes, I am looking to benefit from this situation."
His eyes darted away for a moment, as if embarrassed by what he was about to say.
"Let's just call it working toward a greater good. If the Titans—no, if the Federation continues down this path…"
In the end, Eli didn't voice the ideals behind his actions directly. He left it vague and suggestive.
"What you're trying to do could get you executed."
Cima's tone turned serious, the teasing completely gone.
She wasn't a Newtype, but she had long since mastered reading people.
"If you're going into this with half-baked resolve, you're definitely going to fail."
"I know that."
Eli stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
Staring out at the view beyond the colony, he downed the rest of his drink in one go.
The burn seared down his throat and into his gut. He slowly exhaled a breath of hot air.
"Our predecessors already tried this. I'm just a poor imitation."
Cima watched Eli's back, gently rotating her whiskey glass in her hand.
"When you're able to stand before the world and declare your vision out loud, that's when I'll do what you're asking."
She didn't say yes. She didn't say no. With those words, Cima turned and left the office, leaving Eli alone.
I know. If I can't even articulate the kind of society I want to create, how can I expect to change it?
But now isn't the time…
The conflict hasn't escalated yet. The first to lose control will fall behind—that much is certain.
Eli believed Blex thought the same way. That's why everything AEUG had done so far remained within the bounds of what society deemed acceptable.
He raised his glass again and slipped a few ice chips into his mouth to ease the pain from biting his tongue during battle earlier.
When it comes down to it, Eli was still only twenty-four. Asking him to make decisions of this magnitude was a tall order.
"…But I can't keep being just a pilot anymore, Char."
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