Chapter 254: Char's Speech
"You've got a pretty solid approach, Eli."
Far out in space, Char had also received the broadcast of the speech.
Eli had taken the will and authority from his superiors and expressed it in his own words.
This made Char glance down at the speech manuscript in his hand.
Looking at it now, it felt rather disconnected from the current reality.
His hair slicked back for the first time, he appeared before the AEUG members without the slightest attempt to conceal his face.
This, too, was an outward sign of a change within Char.
Whether it was by choice or not, Char had finally taken up the responsibility that was his to bear.
"It's time, Colonel."
A knock came at the door just then, prompting Char to begin shifting his gaze away from the television.
"Boom!"
But at that very moment, an explosion resounded from the broadcast.
Char immediately turned back, just in time to see the body of a GM crash through the wall behind Eli, collapsing onto the floor of the parliamentary hall.
And Eli—Eli was raising his fist and shouting with passion!
From the perspective of the assembly members and the cameras, they could see the NT-X standing atop a platform, refraining from opening fire out of concern for those present.
Yet, that collapsed GM Q inside the building was still slowly raising its rifle, aiming it at the Gundam in the sky.
"Look at this scene! Soldiers consumed by violence ultimately end up doing nothing more than scorning the Federation government. Violence without restraint will only breed deeper hatred!"
Char clearly saw a line of blood trailing down from Eli's forehead, cutting across his entire face.
That blood eventually dripped onto the podium—onto the emblem of the Federation—staining nearly half of it, as if forming a pair of wings.
"Mr. Eli…"
The person who had come to notify Char was Beltorchika. Seeing that moment, she instinctively clasped her hands tightly against her chest.
Yet she wasn't worried. Because within the camera's frame, the NT-X was rapidly closing in—
Amuro was someone you could always place your trust in.
"Colonel, it's time!"
Casting one last glance at the screen showing the NT-X approaching fast, Beltorchika turned to Char with a particularly serious look.
"Yes, I understand."
Char wasn't wearing an AEUG uniform, nor a Zeon military outfit.
He was dressed in nothing more than a simple suit.
But if any of the old Zeon veterans who had served since the days of Zeon Deikun were to see Char now, they might have mistaken him for someone else—for this suit was nearly identical to the one Zeon Deikun wore during his final, fateful speech that had shaped Zeon's destiny.
Char stepped into the hangar of the Argama.
There, a podium had already been prepared for him.
Behind the podium stood an object covered with cloth.
"Signal link is stable. We can go live at any moment, Char."
Haman, who was in charge of overseeing the preparations, gave Char a solemn salute.
"Understood. I'll leave intercepting Undertaker to you, Haman."
Returning the salute, Char stepped forward and gently tucked away a loose strand of Haman's hair.
"Try to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. I believe it's possible for us and Undertaker to coexist."
Even in front of others, Haman—who had feelings for Char—did not show any joy at such an intimate gesture. Instead, she simply turned and waved her hand, ordering the MS troops to launch immediately.
And Char finally stepped onto the podium.
This was probably the first time Char had stood on such a stage.
Yet his heart remained calm and unshaken.
Perhaps he had long since prepared himself for this day.
Or perhaps it was the legacy of his family's bloodline.
His father had died on a podium, and his sister was still to this day working in politics.
And now, he had simply made the decision to once again carry the name of Deikun.
"To everyone watching this broadcast: I am Captain Quattro Bajeena of the AEUG. But I believe most of you are more familiar with another name—Char Aznable."
Char stood tall on the podium, facing the AEUG cameras, facing the AEUG personnel, openly declaring the name he had long used.
But that wasn't the identity Char wished to present.
"However, today, I am not addressing the Earth Sphere as either of those personas. Instead, I speak to you under a name I had nearly forgotten—a name that represents my beliefs. That name is Casval Deikun. I am the son of Zeon Deikun!"
Char's resolute declaration was captured by the camera and turned into a broadcast signal, sent to the Side 5 government, to certain lunar trade associations, and to many prepared individuals across Earth.
People in the Earth Sphere had barely finished hearing Eli's speech when they were met with the bold voice of this blond man, bringing back a name nearly forgotten by the world—yet still etched into its memory.
"Char… I didn't expect you to be the first to respond to my call."
On his way back to the White Chaser by helicopter under escort, Eli could only hear Char's voice through the communication channel.
But he could already envision the man who would become the Supreme Commander in the future.
However, from the tone—so much younger than that future version—Eli could tell that Char was no longer consumed by the same rigid obsession.
"My father—Zeon Deikun—was a space colonist who fought for the independence of the colonies. He was assassinated by the Zabi family. After that, the Zabis, under the name of the Principality of Zeon, initiated a war of independence against Earth. I'm sure everyone knows how that turned out—the Zabi family was defeated."
Char—no, Casval Deikun—had, from the very start, used his identity as the Deikun heir to deny the legitimacy of the Zabi-led Principality of Zeon!
It was only then, following Casval's declaration, that the remaining remnants of the Principality in the Earth Sphere truly acknowledged their defeat.
In the original timeline, such a statement would have triggered internal divisions among the former Zeon members within AEUG.
But in this world, they had already seen how Artesia Deikun governed the remnants of Zeon, and how the Zabi faction, exiled to Axis, fought among themselves for power.
They no longer held blind faith in the Zabis!
Now, with Char stepping forward—
"This may not be a bad thing. But it has emboldened the arrogance of the Federation government. The corruption within the Federation military gave rise to violent organizations like the Titans—groups formed out of anger and driven purely by brute force!"
"The Sweetwater colony is a hybrid-type colony, poorly constructed and unstable. And yet, the Titans couldn't even tolerate such a place for refugees to settle. For their own short-term interests, they slaughtered the people inside, and even dragged the entire colony out of this sector!"
"Today, I've seen people within the Federation who are determined to change. I believe it is possible to change this reality! And so, I intend to eliminate the root of war—those in power who still lust for privilege and continue to divide this world into ranks and classes. Everyone! For the sake of paving your own future! For the refugees to gain political rights—I ask you to lend me your strength! Let us bring the Federation back on the right path!!!"
As Char cried out with such passion, the cloth covering the object behind the podium was suddenly pulled away.
Revealed beneath it—
Was the original Charter.