"To avoid the explosions, we left the Dawn Society and immediately ran into a battle between your MS and this GINN. To add to that, your MS nearly stepped on us. Considering vehicle safety, we had no choice but to start the GINN after confirming that all ZAFT units had withdrawn. After that, we contacted your MS pilot. I wanted Louise to seek shelter with you while I found another refuge, but she refused. Worried about getting dragged in, we left first. On the way, we were attacked by a white ZAFT MS, but that unit seemed to have problems and fled after firing a few shots. All nearby shelters were full, so we had no choice but to come to the people who destroyed our home and ask for help."
Everything Siegfried said was true. It was not flawless, but it was logically sound, only leaving out Hilde and the real identities of himself and Cagalli. If the Archangel had time, they could have investigated his credibility slowly, but the entire ship was in a rush to escape, and decisions had to be made on the spot. On top of that, Badgiruel and her side were morally disadvantaged as the party at fault, so the atmosphere eased considerably.
After checking Siegfried's ID card, Badgiruel called over Kira. As the temporary pilot of the Strike Gundam not long ago, Kira immediately recognized Cagalli and also confirmed the truth of Siegfried's statement. Back then, the other party had clearly requested shelter, but the girl's stubbornness had led to the current situation.
"One last question," the officer asked. "You are…?"
"A Coordinator. Otherwise how could I even move this thing."
At this point, Siegfried and Cagalli finally gained preliminary trust aboard the Archangel. With Kira as an example, most Naturals already accepted the idea that a Coordinator could pilot an MS. However, since what Siegfried had done was not under their direct supervision, the two were still placed under a degree of monitoring.
After being assigned their room, Siegfried casually took a lower bunk and lay down, tossing Haro in one hand. His thoughts drifted to Hilde, with whom he had lost contact. He wondered if things were going smoothly on her side.
Beside him, Cagalli sat down as well. Even though the room had four beds, she instinctively chose the one closest to Siegfried. Watching the boy toss that strange robot up and down, she sensed a subtle change between them that was hard to put into words.
"Hey, can't you tell me your name yet?" Unable to stand the silent tension, Cagalli forced the topic.
"I already told you your head is not great," Siegfried replied lazily. "I am Shaji Crossroad. Any questions, Louise?" Even Cagalli could tell his mind was elsewhere.
"Are you worried about her?"
"Huh? Worried about her? Even if I died, she probably would not."
"That makes sense, since you are so close," Cagalli said, her tone dropping slightly.
"It is not about being close, it is about trust. Do you understand trust, Louise? Without her, I would have died long ago." Siegfried kept tossing Haro.
"I… I…" Cagalli took a deep breath, as if making up her mind. "My name is Cagalli Yula Athha. I am the daughter of Uzumi, the Prime Minister of Orb."
"I know," Siegfried said, looking at her oddly. "Why say that all of a sudden?" He realized this version of Cagalli felt different from his old impression.
"I said, my name is Cagalli Yula Athha." Under his surprised gaze, she stubbornly held out her hand and kept it there.
"I am Shaji Crossroad, a student of Orb Industrial University."
Halfway through his careless reply, the Haro in his hand was suddenly slapped away by Cagalli. Only then did Siegfried notice the faint redness in her eyes, shattering the tomboy image she usually gave off.
"Do not… do not treat me like an idiot!"
Siegfried silently stood up and picked up the fallen Haro. For the first time, he looked straight into Cagalli's eyes. "Why bother? You have your life, and I have mine. Our worlds were never meant to intersect. Do not think you owe me anything just because I saved you. You will return to Orb, and I will go where I am supposed to go. Names do not mean that much, so do not get so invested."
He tossed Haro into the air again, only for Cagalli to slap it away once more. "Haro, Haro, not a punching bag, not a punching bag," the robot complained as it fled the room.
"Do not be so childish, I said—" After a few seconds of eye contact, Siegfried tried to avoid her gaze. Feeling something inside him slowly breaking, he wanted to end the topic quickly, but the girl stepped closer. As he backed into the wall, all his excuses felt hollow.
"My name is… Cagalli." Her voice carried a nasal tone, and at their nearly equal height, Siegfried saw clear moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes.
With a helpless sigh, Siegfried avoided her outstretched hand and instead placed his palm on her bright golden hair. He gently patted it a few times, then finally made up his mind to grant her wish.
"My name is Siegfried Gilfeis. I do not know who my parents are, and I have no country. I do not know whether I am a Coordinator or a Natural, but since I can pilot a GINN, I am probably a Coordinator. Ever since I can remember, Hilde has taken care of me, and she gave me my name. Whatever we obtained at the Dawn Society will not be used for any country or organization, but I cannot promise it will never be used in war."
After saying all this, Siegfried felt the world become more vivid. Until now, aside from Hilde, he had never truly touched reality itself. At this moment, the warmth in his palm and the moisture in the girl's eyes made him feel something inside him had changed beyond return.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." The sudden voice made Cagalli wish she could crawl into a crack in the floor. Siegfried considerately stepped in front of her and turned to see it was Miriallia.
Holding a tray, Miriallia looked awkwardly at the two fellow "classmates" who had been taken in together. On a warship dominated by Alliance soldiers, having more people like herself made her feel safer, especially since the boy, like Kira, was a Coordinator who could pilot an MS.
"Well, um, logistics just handed out food," she said. "Kira asked me to check if you wanted some. Sorry, the door was open so I just… anyway, I am really sorry."
Seeing that Miriallia had clearly misunderstood something, Siegfried did not know how to respond. Explaining felt unnecessary, since they were barely acquainted, and not explaining would leave an awkward atmosphere once they were alone again.