The Battle of Mendel had reached its silent conclusion. ZAFT had vanished into the debris, and the Dominion, carrying the remnants of the Alliance fleet, had limped back toward the Moon. This outcome signaled a tectonic shift in the war: the Earth Alliance was effectively out of the running. With Muruta Azrael—the heart and soul of the Blue Cosmos movement—captured, the Atlantic Federation's leadership was paralyzed. They had neither the coordination nor the immediate resources to launch another offensive.
That left two remaining threats: GENESIS, the extinction-level weapon held by Patrick Zala's hardliners, and Rau Le Creuset, the man fanning the flames from the shadows.
I laid all of this out in a briefing room within the Mendel colony. My audience included our newest "additions": Yzak Joule, who had effectively defected, and Natarle Badgiruel, our formal prisoner. I didn't hold back, explaining the stakes of the current crisis just as I had once done for Uzumi Nara Athha.
"...Absurd," Natarle whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "What is Patrick Zala thinking? To aim a weapon at Earth that would wipe out the majority of biological life?"
"And what about the Alliance?!" Yzak exploded, his face flushed with fury. "You say they were going to target the Plants with nuclear weapons again?! Was Junius Seven not enough for them?!"
Having seen the data on what the N-Jammer Cancellers would facilitate, Yzak was vibrating with rage. Around the table, the veteran crews of the Archangel, Kusanagi, and Eternal watched them with weary, knowing smiles. They had all stood where Yzak and Natarle were standing now; they understood the crushing weight of realizing your side had lost its soul.
Currently, our three ships were undergoing emergency repairs and resupply in the Mendel docks. While none had taken critical damage, the gauntlet they'd run against the Nazcas and the Alliance fleet had left them battered.
"This is why we've intervened," I said, bringing the room back to order. "By bringing Orb in as a third power—one that belongs to neither side—we intend to strip both the Alliance and ZAFT of their nuclear and genocidal options. Yzak, am I to understand you're with us?"
"If what you say is true," Yzak growled, "then this madness must be stopped. But! If I find out any of this is a lie, Axel Almar... you'll wish you'd left me in space."
"Fair enough. And you, Natarle?"
Natarle looked down at her right leg, which was wrapped in thick bandages—courtesy of the Archangel's medical bay after Azrael's bullet had been removed.
"I... I always believed a soldier's only duty was to follow orders," she said softly. "But after seeing Azrael's madness firsthand... and knowing I couldn't even protect my own command from his whims... I have no home left in the Alliance."
"So?"
"If the world is truly on the brink of extinction, then I will lend you my strength."
A genuine smile touched Mu's lips. "Then, Natarle... would you consider returning to the Archangel's C.I.C.? Murue is a fine captain, but when the shooting starts, we could use your tactical edge."
"Murue?" I glanced at the Captain.
"Natarle, please," Murue said, reaching out to clasp Natarle's hand. "We need you."
"Captain Ramius... yes. If you'll have me."
With that, the Archangel's bridge crew was restored to its peak configuration.
"So, what's the plan for Yzak?" Dearka asked, leaning back. Yzak was currently glaring at the wall, looking like he wanted to punch something.
"He'll stay on the Archangel," I decided. "The Kusanagi is a dedicated Megillot carrier now, and the Eternal is built specifically to support the Freedom and Justice. It makes more sense for Yzak to be on the same ship as you, Dearka. Unless, of course, he'd rather bunk with Athrun on the Eternal? I can talk to Lacus if—"
"I don't care where I sleep!" Yzak snapped, turning his glare toward me. "And don't think I've forgotten! We have words, you and I. Later!"
He was still fuming over the Blitz incident. I mentally cataloged the various ways I'd toyed with him and the Duel during the war. Yeah... I couldn't really blame him for the grudge.
"Fine," I sighed. "We'll talk after this."
"Good." Yzak nodded, satisfied for the moment.
I turned to Lemon. "The ships are being refitted. How long until we're combat-ready?"
Lemon closed her eyes, running the maintenance schedules through her head. "For a minimum viable launch? Two days. To be at one hundred percent? Four."
"Two days versus four..." I mused. We didn't know the exact progress of GENESIS. Speed was a priority for a surprise attack, but a botched raid would be fatal. "We'll take the four days. We need to be perfect."
"Agreed," the table murmured. Natarle and Yzak, however, were frowning.
"Axel Almar," Natarle spoke up. "From this sector—L4—to the Plants in L5 is a five-day journey, even for a high-speed Nazca-class. That puts us nine days out from a confrontation. Is that GENESIS weapon going to wait that long?"
I realized I hadn't briefed the newcomers on our greatest advantage. "We aren't flying there, Natarle. The Shadow Mirror possesses the System XN—a long-range spatial transfer device. We can jump directly to Jachin Due the moment we're ready."
Yzak and Natarle stared at me as if I'd just claimed I could breathe fire. "Teleportation? You have technology like that?"
"Our world is decades—perhaps a century—ahead of this one in certain sectors," I said simply.
"It brings back memories, doesn't it?" Lemon added with a wry smile.
"Memories of what?" Cornelia asked.
"The Inspectors," Lemon replied. "When the aliens invaded our world, they used exactly the same 'warp-and-strike' tactics Axel is proposing. It was terrifying to be on the receiving end of it."
"Aliens..." Kira whispered. The mention of extraterrestrials always caused a stir in this world; the discovery of the "Evidence 01" fossil on Jupiter was the cornerstone of the Coordinator mythos.
"Yes," I said, cutting off the tangent. "The Inspectors, the Aerogaters... we've fought them all. In fact, our original base, the White Star, was a captured alien fortress before I 'requisitioned' it into my storage. But that's a story for another time. In four days, we hit Jachin Due. Kira, how is Flay?"
Kira's expression dimmed. "She's sleeping. Being thrown into the void in that pod... it brought back a lot of trauma from Heliopolis. She's fragile right now."
"Understandable. Give her time. And the disk?"
Kira reached into his flight suit and handed me a data storage device.
"Now, let's see if history repeats itself," I muttered, inserting the disk into the briefing room computer. The screen flickered to life, displaying the blueprints for the Freedom, the Justice, and—crucially—the N-Jammer Canceller.
"Creuset...!" Mu hissed, his voice dripping with venom.
I ejected the disk and looked at the group. "Should we destroy this? Or keep it as a contingency?"
"Keep it," Lemon said firmly. "If this disk exists, we have to assume Creuset kept a copy for himself. If that data is used to arm the Alliance with nukes, we'll need the original specs to develop a counter-measure. We can't afford to be blind."
No one argued. The logic was airtight. I touched the disk and sent it into my Spatial Storage.
Yzak watched the disk vanish, his face a mask of grief. Only hours ago, Creuset had been his respected commander. Now, he was looking at the proof that the man was a monster willing to burn the world.
"One more thing," I said. "Status on Azrael?"
"He's in the brig," Cornelia answered. "After the medics looked at him."
"How bad was it?" I asked. I'd seen the Slime spear him; I'd assumed he was in critical condition.
"Critical?" Cornelia snorted. "The spear grazed his side. He lost some skin and a bit of meat, but it was a flesh wound. We disinfected it, bandaged him up, and he was fine."
"Then why was he unconscious on the bridge?"
"Near as we can tell? Pure, unadulterated terror. He fainted."
...Azrael. Typical.
"Fine. Keep him locked up until we return to Orb. He's our designated scapegoat for the Alliance. He needs to be healthy enough to stand trial. Athrun?"
"Yes?"
"If Azrael is the face of the Alliance's crimes, your father will be the face of ZAFT's. He's looking at life imprisonment, at best. Are you prepared for that?"
Athrun took a shaky breath, then nodded. "My father lost himself when my mother died at Junius Seven. He's on a path he can't stop himself from following. As his son... it's my job to stop him."
"Then we're done here," I said, standing up. "Rest today. Tomorrow, the work begins. Dismissed."
The room cleared as people headed back to their ships or the mess hall. Murue, Lemon, and Cornelia lingered by my side.
"Well," Murue said, slipping her arm through mine. "The Alliance is broken, Azrael is in a cage, and we have a few days of peace. I think we've earned a night of actual rest, don't you?"
Lemon and Cornelia smiled in agreement. We turned to leave the room, feeling the tension finally begin to drain...
"Wait right there!"
Yzak Joule was standing in the doorway, blocking our path. He wasn't looking at the girls. His eyes were locked on mine.
Pilot Status: Axel Almar
Level: 37
Kill Count: 361
Spirit Commands: Accel, Effort, Focus, Direct Hit, Awaken, Love.
Tactical Update: System XN jump to Jachin Due scheduled in 4 days. Natarle Badgiruel has officially rejoined the Archangel. Yzak Joule is now an ally.
Objective: Survive the "talk" with Yzak. Prepare for the final assault on GENESIS.
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