"Alright, everyone, let the people around you quiet down, Commander."
Andrew's still nonchalant voice reached the Commander directly through the laser communication channel. His already ashen face turned even darker, appearing rather comical mixed with the red light.
And if the Commander was like this, the other crew members were even more so.
Several of them couldn't help but swallow hard.
Their minds were in chaos.
Having a gun pointed at their heads—even if they were well-trained soldiers—was still terrifying.
Not far away, the few Moebius and Mistral units that had been confronting the MS also dared not act rashly, each withdrawing their hands from the triggers.
But unlike the people on the battleship,
they now breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, continuing to fight would only mean feeding themselves to the enemy.
Now that they didn't have to, it was naturally a relief.
Amid everyone's complicated thoughts,
the battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Of course, the battlefield was already quiet; it was just that the spectacular fireworks were now absent.
"Then make your decision quickly, Commander."
Andrew didn't want to push the other side too far, so he dropped the mockery from his tone, replacing it with seriousness and gravity.
Yet, the determination in his voice remained unmistakable.
At this moment, Sutherland had only a few choices before him.
First, gamble that the other side wouldn't fire and continue the attack.
But the other side were soldiers, not robots.
If their actions truly threatened the life of that pilot over there, he had no doubt they would pull the trigger.
After all, what happened after they died was none of their concern.
Second, they could only retreat.
It was humiliating, but at least it would save their lives.
He was part of Blue Cosmos,
but he had joined only to climb the ranks.
Compared to his hatred for Coordinators, his own life was clearly more important.
He had joined Blue Cosmos for promotion and wealth, not to become cannon fodder.
"Cease the attack!"
His thoughts raced, and Sutherland gritted his teeth before speaking.
Upon hearing this, most of the people on the Bridge breathed a sigh of relief.
They were truly afraid of being sacrificed.
Some genuine Blue Cosmos members were quite dissatisfied upon hearing this, but with the Captain having spoken, they had nothing to say.
And, undeniably, faced with this situation, they too were afraid of dying.
"Do you think doing this will earn the approval of the Council Nations?"
Of course, for the sake of pride, Sutherland couldn't simply retreat. He sneered and reconnected the communication channel to Patrick, speaking with a threatening tone.
"What we want, as we've said, is only this space sector."
Patrick's voice remained calm.
He showed no sign of arrogance due to the favorable turn of the battle, nor any fear in response to the threat.
He continued in a composed tone.
"Of course, if you invade again, we will have no choice."
"Hmph."
Hearing Patrick's words, the Commander only let out a cold snort.
Though he still harbored many thoughts, dissatisfaction, and even simmering hatred, Sutherland looked at the dark muzzle of the gun before him and raised his hand, giving the order.
"Withdraw all forces, fire the signal flare."
With no casualties at present, retreat was the best outcome.
The battleship slowly retreated following Sutherland's command, and Sutherland himself gritted his teeth as he threatened Patrick.
"This time, I underestimated you."
"Next time, you won't be so lucky."
Sutherland's statement this time was not an exaggeration.
If the Atlantic Federation truly mobilized all its space fleets, PLANT would have no chance of holding out.
However, there were many complexities involved. At least for now, Patrick remained unthreatened by the other party, merely replying calmly.
"You're welcome anytime."
"..."
Sutherland offered no further response, only leading his numerous subordinates away in disgrace.
Though space was silent, both sides in the conflict were as clear as a mirror.
As imposing as the Atlantic Federation had appeared upon arrival, they were equally disheveled upon departure.
This referred both to their fleet, battered and smoking like scrap, and to the shattered morale of the Atlantic soldiers, crushed by the sudden suppression.
Watching the Atlantic forces withdraw, Patrick's rigid posture relaxed slightly.
His gaze then shifted to Fred, his expression complex, as he said.
"Come to my office later."
"Yes."
Patrick would be speaking with him afterward, most likely about rewards or the like.
It would likely involve money or status—nothing particularly novel to Fred.
As for why it was "later," it was because Patrick was currently occupied after the recent victory.
Having just won a battle—or at least what they perceived as a victory—the soldiers were exhilarated and excited, while the general populace urgently sought answers.
Patrick would undoubtedly need to address them.
Fred thought to himself, observing everyone on the bridge without exception brimming with excitement, a sense of inexplicable loneliness stirring within him.
ZAFT and the Coordinators rejoiced together in victory, yet he felt no shared sentiment with them.
Ultimately, for them, this battle was the foundation of PLANT's establishment as a nation, but for him, it marked the beginning of a series of brutal conflicts to come.
In those battles, Flay and George would both perish.
Of course, Fred would certainly not allow such things to happen.
Nor would he let them destroy this world.
As for his victory, in the short term, it meant Copernicus had successfully helped the Moderate Faction evade the Atlantic Federation's terrorist attack.
In the medium term, it involved obtaining the G Project data and locating Kira.
As for how far they could progress under his plans in the end, even he could not be certain at this point.
But at the very least, he could strive to guide them toward making this world a better place.
Just as Fred watched the crowd grow increasingly animated under Patrick's speech, in April City, Lacus finally breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the report from the terminal before her.
Everything was proceeding according to their plan—this was beyond doubt.
However, problems had also emerged.
"Have they already set their sights on Junius City?"
Lacus murmured to herself.
Though they had not taken action this time, it had already proven the sinister intentions of Blue Cosmos.
Although that place was likely impregnable and they were prepared, Lacus still felt a chill run through her at the realization of the possibility.
This involved the lives of over two hundred thousand people.
"Lacus?"
Seeing Lacus frozen in place, Flay worriedly stepped forward and took her hand.
"...Flay."
The girl, snapping back to reality, gazed into Flay's bright eyes, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
"It's fine. Your brother helped us drive them away."
As she spoke, the smile on Lacus's face grew even warmer.
"Yeah! My brother is the best~!"
Hearing Lacus's words, Flay's worries subsided.
Heather and the others behind Flay felt the same way.
Looking at the familiar family of three, Lacus took a deep breath. Having made up her mind, she pulled Flay aside to a corner, away from her parents, and asked.
"Flay, would you like to move in with us?"
Lacus's voice was soft, but her meaning was clear.
"Huh?"
Flay, who had been wondering what Lacus wanted to say, widened her round eyes in surprise at the sudden invitation.
"But I sometimes stay over anyway."
Flay asked.
Even as she said this, she had a guess in her mind.
"Your whole family."
Seeing Flay's adorable, dazed expression, Lacus's heavy heart lightened slightly.
"We... move in?"
Flay asked again, her guess confirmed.
She wanted to find the reason for the invitation on Lacus's lovely face, but unfortunately, she saw nothing—only that increasingly cute and charming face, matured with age.
"Yes!"
Lacus met Flay's gaze and nodded openly.
Junius City was in danger. The reason she invited them was not only because she was close to them but also, undeniably, because of Fred.
Fred cared about his family. As long as she sincerely treated his family well, he would naturally trust her more.
Moreover, she didn't want Fred to turn dark or anything like that.
If that person really did something harmful to the world... it would likely be more troublesome than any other threat.
Her intuition told her so.
In short, for both public and private reasons, she had to protect them.
And since Fred had sent them to her this time, it meant he trusted her.
Perhaps he had the same idea himself.
Now was the perfect time to bring it up.
"Will my brother move in too?"
Flay asked again.
"Probably."
Lacus nodded, and Flay's expression soon turned a bit strange. She then gave her friend a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Lacus... I'll convince my brother to move in!"
Flay's thinking was simple: if she couldn't figure it out, she wouldn't dwell on it.
After all, Lacus wouldn't harm her, and if Lacus was inviting her brother too, she couldn't help but suspect there was more to it.
As for whether she felt jealous or anything like that—
She didn't.
After all, Lacus is a princess, and already an idol renowned throughout PLANT.
In Flay's heart, if there was anyone worthy of her brother, it would undoubtedly be Lacus.
Moreover, with Lacus as her sister-in-law, wouldn't she be able to strut around PLANT with impunity?
The idol adored by so many out there would be her own sister-in-law.
Just with that thought, Flay felt quite exhilarated.
"..."
On the other side, watching Flay's gestures, Lacus maintained a calm expression, but the tips of her ears couldn't help but flush slightly.
Having realized Flay's misunderstanding, Lacus felt a rare twinge of embarrassment in her usually composed heart. Fortunately, her reaction was subtle enough that Flay didn't notice.
Quickly gathering her emotions, Lacus merely gave a delicate cough before continuing.
"This is for safety reasons. What are you thinking about?"
"But there's no rush. You can go back and ask your brother first."
Suppressing her shyness, and seeing that Flay didn't know how to respond, Lacus wasn't in a hurry.
She believed Fred had a plan to settle his family.
Besides, they had just driven back the Atlantic Federation, which would likely lie low for a while, analyzing their strength before making any moves.
After all, the Atlantic Federation was malicious, not foolish—they wouldn't recklessly swarm in knowing there were issues with their MS and battleships.
Moreover, the Moderate Faction within was exerting its influence.
So, according to Lacus and the prevailing view among the higher-ups here, the world situation would likely experience a period of calm.
As for Fred, whether he intended it or not this time, giving him a choice was enough; there was no need to force anything on him.
"Alright."
Flay beamed with a bright smile and nodded in agreement.
Although she wasn't entirely sure of Lacus's intentions beyond her brother, she knew Lacus wouldn't harm them, so she didn't ask too many questions.
Besides, it wouldn't be bad to be with Lacus, except...
"What about my brother's classes if we come over?"
Flay couldn't help but ask.
"Classes..."
Lacus paused, wanting to say they were probably already gone.
After learning about the Atlantic Federation's ambush just outside Junius City, those uncles and aunts would likely take their children back home soon.
With war on the brink and Junius City potentially facing another ambush, who would feel safe leaving their children there? Not to mention, Fred, their teacher, might also be leaving.
Thinking about it now, the peaceful days they once knew were likely over.
At least not until the war was completely over.
And in the future, after experiencing the brutality of war, would they ever be able to return to their former relationships?
Even Lacus had no answers to these questions, only silently praying for them.
"I understand."
Though Lacus didn't say it directly, seeing the hint of melancholy in her expression, Flay bravely nodded and let out a light laugh, as if to comfort her.
"Even if we can't meet for a while, we'll still be friends, right~"
As she spoke, Flay's warm hands gently covered the back of Lacus's hands.
They had all grown up.
According to the typical enrollment age for Coordinators and here, they could even start university next year.
This separation, though somewhat sudden, was still within Flay's expectations.
"Mhm."
Feeling the warmth on the back of her hand, Lacus also let out a soft laugh.
She put away her worried expression and leaned forward to give Flay a gentle hug.
Flay was sensible, and it pained her to see her this way.
Once they had embarked on this path, they were no longer in control of their own fate.
However, ever since Fred's father joined the Atlantic Federation, they had inevitably been drawn into this conflict.
What the future held, she did not know.
But she would never let Fred down.