Even though Graham had been released from his handcuffs, the crew of the Nahel Argama continued to keep a close eye on him.
Sitting in the Nahel Argama's cafeteria with Roz, Graham could feel at least three different gazes fixed on him.
While he prided himself on acting with integrity and having a clear conscience, he still felt a prickle of pressure, causing him to instinctively pick up his glass and take a sip of water.
On the table, a tablet was playing Aeolia's "Final Speech," patched through by Roz from the bridge.
After watching for less than ten seconds, they surmised that Aeolia's location had been discovered by someone with ill intent.
Aeolia had likely been killed and something had been stolen, triggering this recording—which was clearly filmed during the same period as his original "Declaration of Intervention."
"To those who possess the GN Drives... I do not know if you are the inheritors of my will..."
On the screen, Aeolia was dressed in formal attire, sitting in a chair and leaning on his cane, speaking with profound calm.
"However, I am willing to entrust the final hope and the full potential of the GN Drives to you."
"I hope that you will continue to fight to win true peace and to eradicate war. Do not fight for the organization of Celestial Being, but wield your swords out of your own free will."
The video ended there. Graham took a deep breath.
"Eradicating war through one's own will... even making everyone on Earth unite?" Graham sighed. "That old man's vision is incredibly grand."
"But the goals and framework he left behind are too vast and empty. There are too many loopholes to be exploited."
Roz shook his head in response. "Don't forget, people like 'ambitionists' are experts at finding those loopholes."
Roz agreed with Aeolia's ideals, but he held a very pessimistic view on whether the outcome of the plan would be manipulated or twisted into something distorted by those seeking power.
After all, it hadn't been long since some unknown schemer used the Trinity siblings to bypass VEDA's logic and hijack Celestial Being's operational authority.
Beep beep beep...
Just then, Roz's communicator rang.
"Roz, we've received word from Celestial Being. They've monitored a new batch of GN-X units from the three major powers heading to space via the orbital elevator."
Murrue's voice came through the comms. She was clearly surprised by the speed at which the three powers were mass-producing units and developing new weaponry. "Fifty units in total. It's reported that ten of them are custom-type GN-X units equipped with new weapons."
"The three powers joined together... and their production speed is this high?!"
Evidently, Graham, who previously had little concept of the collective might of the three-nation alliance, now realized exactly how powerful they were.
"Additionally, according to Celestial Being, Alejandro Corner has brought along his own machine, joining the campaign to subjugate them as a 'devoted supporter,'" Natarle Badgiruel's voice added, providing a supplement to the intel.
"Hmph, 'devoted supporter.' I remember Blue Cosmos used that exact same excuse when they launched their attack," Roz said, curling his lip in disdain.
"Speaking of Alejandro Corner, I actually dug up a few things myself earlier," Graham chimed in, frowning as he shared his own findings. "The AEU's Anti-Gundam team is basically defunct now, but Alejandro Corner once attempted to recruit members from that squad."
"Meaning, he has people on his side..."
Roz frowned and spoke into the communicator. "Murrue, get ready. We're heading to space."
"Heading to space? Are you going to use the orbital elevator?"
Graham's expression turned peculiar. "The Nahel Argama is still under surveillance by the three major powers. You won't be able to get near the elevator."
"Who said we're using the elevator?"
Roz patted Graham on the shoulder. "We'll just fly straight up."
"Fly... fly up?"
Hearing this, Graham blanked for a moment. For a battleship to reach space without using an orbital elevator for transport went entirely against his common sense.
"Anyway, do you want to leave? This is a good opportunity."
"No... if I go back now, I'll likely be part of the operation against Celestial Being..." Graham shook his head. "The thought of being led by the nose by Alejandro and those power-hungry schemers fills me with a strong sense of revulsion."
"However, if I were to leave the ship, what would you do to clear me of suspicion?"
"I'd give you a good beating and toss you overboard. When they ask, just tell them you were brutally tortured, remained unyielding unto death, and were eventually thrown into the sea."
Roz shrugged. "You'd have to suffer a bit, but it's the best way."
"...I think I'll choose to stay."
Graham looked at Roz's arms, estimated the force of his punch, and decisively gave up on that idea.
Was he joking? Being beaten and then tossed into the sea—given his estimation of Roz's strength, he would definitely lose consciousness and sink like a stone!
"However, since I'm staying here, could you let me pilot a Gundam?"
At that moment, a thought seemed to strike Graham. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "After all, I see you have so many machines here, it looks like you have more than you can use."
"Ahahaha, no."
Roz laughed, then suddenly his face shifted, his expression becoming dead serious.
"Because you are not a member of the Nahel Argama... though that is only one of the reasons."
"A Gundam—though it is just a model of machine—the name represents something more. It is something into which a pilot pours their own life and soul... Do you have the resolve to shoulder the weight of such a machine and keep moving forward?"
"...Of course."
Graham nodded with a look of absolute sincerity. "I have that resolve. My heart is telling me that joining you is not a mistake."
"That kind of thing isn't proven by empty words; it's shown through action."
Roz shook his head. "In that case, let the upcoming battle be your test. I'll also head over and give your Flag a few small upgrades."
"After all, with the way you fly, who knows when that thing might just blow up."
-----------------------------------
At this moment, within the Joint Fleet of the three nations surrounding the Nahel Argama.
Standing on the bridge, Kati Mannequin stared at the screen, using high-definition cameras to observe the Nahel Argama from a distance, which had long since deactivated its Mirage Colloid system.
In this state—surrounded and clearly visible—there was no longer any difference whether the Mirage Colloid was active or not.
The three major powers could simply re-lock onto those "ghost wakes" and launch an attack. Since that was the case, the enemy seemed to have decided to simply carry out their operations openly.
"Colonel Mannequin, the Raven's ship hasn't made any moves yet. Shall we continue observation? Or should we prepare for boarding operations?"
The vice-captain standing nearby spoke up, asking for Kati's opinion.
Yes, boarding. Since the three major powers' current mobile suits—even the GN-X—could not suppress the Ravens, they would resort to boarding. They would leap onto the Raven's battleship, forcing them into a situation where they were too wary of collateral damage to fight back effectively.
To this end, almost every ship had provided one to three boarding squads, preparing to execute a "saturation-style" boarding maneuver.
"Mhm. Then, according to the plan, wait thirty minutes before commencing the operation."
Recalling the combat records of the Nahel Argama lifting off from the sea surface, Kati frowned slightly.
That altitude... no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the ship had just weakened the effects of gravity enough to act as a ground-effect vehicle or something similar. It's not like you can actually fly...
"Wait, Colonel Mannequin! The target is moving!"
While Kati was lost in thought, the radar controller let out a startled cry.
"What?!"
Hearing the news, Kati instinctively looked at the feed from the specialized camera. It showed the Nahel Argama's bridge slowly sinking until it was completely encased in armor.
Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Nahel Argama:
"Bridge entering combat mode. Vessel ascending. Bow Lohengrin beginning charge."
Seated in the captain's chair, Murrue Ramius expertly buckled her safety belt. She tapped a few keys on the side keypad, and the necessary data immediately populated her screen.
As the bridge was encased in armor, the previously bright room grew dim, illuminated only by the external views projected onto the inner surface of the armor plating.
"Understood. The ship is ascending."
Taking her turn at the helm, Maho Nishizumi pushed the throttle to the third gear and yanked the control yoke back.
The Nahel Argama, which appeared somewhat cumbersome due to its massive size, suddenly erupted with thick plumes of flame from its rear thrusters.
The force was so immense it not only blew back the seawater behind it but vaporized a significant portion of it instantly.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire fleet, the Nahel Argama's bow reared upward. Maho Nishizumi expertly adjusted the heading to the optimal angle.
"Positron Cannon charging complete. Fire!"
Seeing that the angle was clear and free of interference, Murrue issued the command.
Four red-and-white particle beams surged from the Lohengrin positron cannons deployed at the bow, piercing into the sky and creating a brilliant emerald interference corridor before everyone's eyes.
"Ahead Warp Four! Breaking Earth's gravity!"
Following Murrue's order, Maho Nishizumi reached forward and pushed the throttle up another notch.
Erupting with an even more massive tail-flame than before, the Nahel Argama was skillfully guided by Maho as it dove headfirst into the newly opened interference corridor.
"Are they... escaping?"
Kati's eyes widened at the spectacle.
"All forces, attack! Bring it down!"
But even as Kati issued the order, the Nahel Argama had already streaked through the interference corridor toward space, leaving behind several dozen warships frozen in a useless encirclement.
To this moment, the crews of those ships remained in a state of shock.
After all, the idea of a ship breaking orbit and flying directly from Earth to space without using the orbital elevator was something that utterly challenged the worldview of these "new generation" people.
...................