"Are you threatening us?"
Badgiruel looked at Felix, her expression grave. Her voice, laced with displeasure and revulsion, questioned him.
Hearing this, Felix chuckled.
"It's not a threat, but a reminder. Our patience has its limits. We cannot be threatened by you indefinitely."
At this point, Felix put on a cold expression, his voice tinged with what seemed like a hint of cruelty.
"Let me be clear. We will not allow you to take Miss Lacus down to Earth, especially not to the JOSH-A Base in Alaska. So, if you're planning to use Miss Lacus to threaten us into ensuring your safe arrival at JOSH-A, you can forget about it."
Murrue's expression faltered at his words, and she turned to look at Lacus, who was present. Lacus met Murrue's gaze and offered her a gentle smile.
"She is the daughter of your PLANT Chairman!" Badgiruel said, finding the cruelty in Felix's words hard to believe. She looked at him and issued a reminder.
Felix chuckled in response, his expression turning grim. "Precisely. That's why I cannot stand by and watch you take her to JOSH-A Base."
With that, Felix's tone shifted. "I've said what I needed to say. I will also honor our agreement and let you leave here safely. But that only applies to leaving this area. If we do not receive a reply confirming Miss Lacus's release within six hours, I will lead my team to take action!"
Without waiting for Badgiruel and the others to respond, Felix immediately cut the communication.
He piloted the Dawn, turning it away from the Archangel.
Seeing their captain's move, Doulens and the others followed suit, piloting their CGUEs to withdraw from the Archangel's vicinity.
Aboard the Archangel, Murrue and Badgiruel stared at the disconnected communication screen, making no attempt to re-establish contact. Both of them instinctively turned their gazes to Lacus. Feeling their stares, Lacus's expression remained poised, unfazed by honor or disgrace. The same gentle smile graced her face as always.
"Two people, come in and escort her out!" Badgiruel averted her gaze and called out over the comms.
After the call, two soldiers entered and led Lacus away from the bridge.
"What should we do?" Murrue, unable to make up her mind, asked Badgiruel. The latter simply shook her head.
"I don't have a solution right now either."
"Then let's leave this area first. We can think about whether to release her later," Murrue said, making a decision that resolved nothing.
After recovering the Strike Gundam and the Moebius Zero, the Archangel began to move again, departing under the watchful eyes of Felix and his team.
"Follow them."
Back on the Athena, Felix gave the order after hearing Aric's report.
Aric acknowledged and ordered the ship to advance.
Just as Felix returned to the bridge and sat down, he received a communication from Creuset.
"Is something the matter?" Felix asked, looking at Creuset.
A faint smile on his face, Creuset inquired, "Will you really do as you said when the time comes?"
"What else?" Felix glanced at Creuset and replied calmly. He then looked back at Creuset and retorted, "Are we supposed to just watch them take Miss Lacus back to Alaska? If that really happens, things will get ugly."
"What's the plan then? Sink that warship directly, or something else?" Creuset looked at Felix, not answering his question directly but posing one of his own.
Felix answered him bluntly. "Sinking it directly is obviously not appropriate."
"So you'll use other means to keep them in space, then?" Creuset said with a smile.
Felix didn't answer, calmly reaching out to end the communication with Creuset.
In the Vesalius's ready room.
"Athrun, don't worry too much. Lacus will be fine. Captain Griffith is such a kind person; he won't give up on rescuing Lacus."
Seeing Athrun's worried expression, Nicol walked over, patted his shoulder, and offered words of comfort.
Hearing Nicol's consolation, Athrun looked up at him without a word before lowering his head again.
Seeing Athrun like this, Nicol didn't know what else to say. He could only pat Athrun's shoulder again before walking over to the water dispenser.
Yzak and Dearka saw Athrun's state but said nothing, nor did they go over to disturb him. They walked to some nearby seats and sat down to rest.
Aboard the Archangel at that moment.
"Why are you using an unarmed civilian as a hostage?"
Standing before Murrue, Badgiruel, and Mu, Kira questioned Murrue and Badgiruel, his face flushed with anger.
Seeing Kira's blatant insubordination, Badgiruel's expression turned stern, her voice severe. "Kira Yamato, mind your position!"
"Don't give me that! Answer my question!"
Faced with Badgiruel's severity, Kira was fearless, retorting directly.
"Hey, no need to be so worked up!"
Just then, Mu, a smile on his face, reached out and slung an arm around Kira's neck, speaking as if they were just friends chatting.
Feeling Mu's touch, Kira was resistant and raised his arm, trying to pry Mu's arm off his shoulder.
Seeing this, Mu applied a bit more force, thwarting Kira's attempt, and explained, "Kira, I know you're angry about this, but we had no choice at the time. If we hadn't done that, we never would have escaped the siege by those ZAFT Forces."
At this, Mu sighed and continued, "I know this makes you think we're shameless, but compared to the lives of everyone on this ship, some shameless acts are necessary. After all, we have to consider the lives of the entire crew."
After saying this, Mu checked Kira's condition.
The boy who had been so furious just moments ago had calmed down considerably. Mu breathed a sigh of relief. It seems my words got through to him.
Though Kira appeared calm on the surface, his heart was in turmoil. Mu's words churned within him. A moment later, a bitter smile appeared on Kira's face.
After the bitterness passed, Kira looked up at Murrue, Badgiruel, and Mu, his tone firm. "When the time is up, you must send her back safely!"
With that, Kira used a bit more force, pried Mu's arm from his neck, and turned to leave.
Watching Kira depart, Mu looked at Badgiruel and Murrue and asked, "Have you figured out what to do?"
"Not yet," Murrue replied to Mu, shaking her head with some dejection.
Hearing this, Mu said, "You two think it over here. I'm going to check on Kira."
Just as Mu was about to leave, Murrue suddenly remembered something and called out to stop him. "Wait a minute."
"Is there something else?" Mu asked, turning back.
Murrue glanced at Mu, then at Badgiruel, and spoke. "Is there some kind of relationship between that ZAFT soldier and Kira?"
The two were stunned for a moment, then their minds raced. They both looked up at Murrue and replied almost in unison. "We don't know what the relationship is! But for two people to look so similar, there must be a connection."
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