CE71, January 28, around 12:00 standard time
After surging a long way forward with the main thrusters running at full power, the Archangel confirmed that there were no pursuers within its sensor range. The crew, who had become rather jumpy, finally breathed a sigh of relief along with the main thrusters.
After ordering the Archangel to enter what should be a relatively safe inertial-silent cruise for the time being, Murrue, as captain, began making arrangements for what to do next.
"Chief Petty Officer Neumann, I'll leave the bridge in your hands for now.
Major La Flaga, Lieutenant Badgiruel, shall we discuss what to do next?"
At the order from Captain Ramius, who had just been promoted to major, Chief Petty Officer Arnold Neumann was the first to respond.
Unlike former Captain Ramius, who had already been a mid-ranking officer, former Captain La Flaga and former Ensign Badgiruel still had a long way to go. Although Brigadier General Halberton was also planning to promote Chief Petty Officer Arnold Neumann to ensign, the final step was difficult and the procedures were complicated, so there hadn't been enough time to complete it during the Archangel's brief stop at Artemis Fortress.
By contrast, the promotion of Petty Officer Murdoch to chief petty officer had been completed just as quickly as Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel's promotions.
Kira and his friends' "voluntary enlistment" and receipt of military ranks was also a complicated process, though for different reasons than Neumann's promotion, so it remained unfinished as well.
In short, the Archangel's bridge needed an officer on duty, and Chief Petty Officer Neumann hadn't yet completed his promotion to ensign.
So the renewed "discussion about the road ahead" could only take place between Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel.
The only difference from when the three of them had left Heliopolis was that they had all been promoted by one rank—a change that did nothing to help their current situation.
"I'm hungry anyway. If you don't mind, why don't we eat while we talk?"
As usual, Mu tried to lighten the mood.
Badgiruel felt it was inappropriate, but given the situation, the bridge wasn't the right place to discuss the issue openly. After all, it would only worsen the crew's mood—and, more importantly...
"Grr."
Badgiruel's stomach voiced its approval of Mu's suggestion before she could. Even the usually stoic Badgiruel blushed with embarrassment.
"All right. Let's do that."
As Mu chuckled awkwardly, Murrue, as captain, made the final decision.
Murrue first made an internal call, and then the three of them left the bridge together and headed to her captain's quarters.
Soon, a crew member from logistics brought in the premium officers' meals they had just replenished at Artemis Fortress. The three sat around the table and began discussing the Archangel's way forward.
After taking a long drink of an energy beverage, Mu made a noise as if he'd just downed a bottle of fermented fruit juice, then spoke first.
"First, we need to decide on our destination.
The lunar headquarters, the 8th Fleet's base in geosynchronous orbit, and surrendering to 'Celestial Being' on the spot—that gives us three options, doesn't it?"
Hearing Mu, Badgiruel hurriedly swallowed her food, rinsed her mouth with a little of her drink, and voiced her objection.
"I object. Surrendering to an armed group of unknown origins like 'Celestial Being' shouldn't even be considered!"
Mu quickly held out both hands, palms down, signaling Badgiruel not to get too worked up.
"Easy, easy. I'm only putting forward one possible option.
Besides, after seeing 'Celestial Being's' fleet and mobile suit forces with our own eyes, anyone can tell that those clearly mass-produced, standardized weapons belong to a regular military, right?
And judging by 'Celestial Being's' actual actions, this ship may have been used as a pretext for their armed intervention.
From that perspective, surrendering to 'Celestial Being' might actually be the option they'd least want us to choose."
Faced with Mu's "joke," Badgiruel opened her mouth to argue, but when the words reached her lips, nothing came out.
After all, just as Mu had said, at Heliopolis the most striking forces belonging to "Celestial Being" had been the single ship, the Gwameir, and the single unit, the "Time Observer."
But during the assault on Artemis Fortress, both their fleet and their mobile suit forces had deployed clearly standardized, mass-produced weapons from the same series.
Considering that "Celestial Being" had mobile suits at least on par with ZAFT's, as well as large mobile armors clearly superior to those of the Earth Alliance, they had to be regarded as a regular military backed by a powerful force.
Moreover, "Celestial Being" had only sent that white, large mobile armor to pursue the Archangel as a test. The purple mobile suit that had defeated the entire Creuset Team hadn't even been deployed. Mu's guess that "Celestial Being" had deliberately let the Archangel escape might well be true.
Fortunately, Murrue, having eaten enough to take the edge off her hunger, stopped and calmly stated her decision.
"Perhaps things are exactly as Major La Flaga says. Surrendering may be the choice that gives 'Celestial Being' the biggest headache.
But I don't want to betray Mr. Halberton's trust. Even if it costs me my life, I want to deliver this ship and the last remaining Strike Gundam from the 'G' Project into Mr. Halberton's hands at the 8th Fleet."
Faced with Murrue's firm resolve, Mu wanted to say something, just as Badgiruel had earlier, but in the end he said nothing. Instead, he turned his attention to the steak on his plate.
He cut the steak up as if it were an enemy, then gritted his teeth and swallowed a piece. Only then did he respond under Murrue and Badgiruel's gaze.
"I understand. Then we'll set our destination as the 8th Fleet's base in geosynchronous orbit."
Murrue and Badgiruel both nodded firmly, and Mu continued by raising their second problem.
"So, what route should we take?
The 8th Fleet's base—in geosynchronous orbit between Earth and the Moon—is in the Second Space Domain, while we're currently in the Fifth Space Domain, on the opposite side.
If there's any upside, it's that we can reach it by passing through the First, Third, or Fourth Space Domain, right?"
After hearing Mu's "cold joke," Murrue, responsible for deciding that the Archangel would head for the 8th Fleet's base, put down her salad fork and began explaining while gesturing over the table.
Murrue first placed a drink lid in the center of the square table.
"This lid's center is Earth, its edge is the Debris Belt, and the whole lid represents the First Space Domain."
The scale was obviously far from accurate, but Mu and Badgiruel both agreed that it worked as a rough illustration.
Badgiruel, sitting between Mu and Murrue, took the initiative and stacked two round sugar tins back-to-back to make something like an hourglass. She placed it to her left, a little closer to Mu, and explained:
"This is Plant, at L5."
Then Mu followed Badgiruel's lead and set out his own props.
First, he picked up a bean with his fork and placed it a little way in front of him, right beside the spot where Murrue had put the lid.
Then he placed a square butter dish close in front of himself.
"This bean represents our destination: the 8th Fleet's base in geosynchronous orbit, beyond the Debris Belt's orbit.
And although it isn't our destination, let's use this butter dish to represent the Moon, which both sides are fighting over."
With all three of them working together, the main battlefield between the Earth Alliance and Plant had taken shape on the table.
Murrue nodded to Mu and Badgiruel, then set a square butter dish close in front of herself.
Finally, Mu took the butter dish Badgiruel handed him and placed it in front of the empty seat to his left, opposite and symmetrical to the "hourglass" Badgiruel had made.
With that, thanks to the three of them working together in perfect sync, the "Tabletop Earth-Moon War Zone Map" was complete as a "Tabletop Earth-Moon Full Map."
Before you continue