"In other words, aside from the military's support, the Ceran Family is the one that can truly influence Orb's direction. Rather than being Orb's Prime Minister, Cagalli is really more of a puppet under the Ceran Family's influence."
Xiao Ran had already anticipated Orb's current situation. When Cagalli and Athrun appeared in Orb, he had guessed that things were probably not much different from the original story. At least, it was reassuring that the military had continued to support Cagalli.
However, Cruze's next words made Xiao Ran realize that the actual situation was even worse than he had imagined.
"Because of your sudden disappearance two years ago and the fact that you never showed yourself again, Cagalli has been under enormous pressure. Your disappearance has been seen as something deliberately arranged by the Asaha family and its followers. With the Ceran Family fanning the flames, rumors have spread that you were placed under house arrest, driven out of Orb, or assassinated. The Ceran Family has instead gained quite a bit of support using this as an excuse. Although the military has always supported Cagalli, they do have some grievances."
"Especially now, when Orb is getting worse by the day. Orb has been restricted by the Alliance in every aspect. Supplies and civilian shipping routes have been severely limited. Akatsuki Works has been forced to scale back, causing a huge reaction. The Alliance also forced Orb to join that nonsensical alliance, and it was Cagalli who signed it. That has caused quite a stir within Orb as well. Although the decision was made collectively by the cabinet, the people only see Cagalli's signature."
"The Ceran Family has also begun stirring things up behind the scenes. Now, all over Orb, people are demanding that Cagalli explain herself and step down. Of course,