You Have No Choice But ZAFT

"Captain Le Creuset has been hit, maintenance crew prepare!"

Because they were in the middle of equipping the D-Equipment, Eno and the others who had yet to sortie heard the announcement from the CIC bridge.

"Huh?"

"Captain Le Creuset?"

"How is that possible?"

The soldiers who heard the commotion could not help but show looks of astonishment.

As a recipient of the Nebula Medal, Captain Le Creuset's strength was plain for all to see, yet such an existence had actually been hit here.

In Athrun's mind, the image of that young, tender face flashed subconsciously. Could it be... No, that's impossible, it shouldn't be him.

However, he dismissed this thought as soon as it surfaced. It was impossible; Kira could not possibly be piloting an MS in combat—

The CGUE, all things considered, was not severely damaged.

After successfully returning to the hangar, Le Creuset opened the cockpit and floated out.

"Captain Le Creuset, are you alright!"

The medical team rushed over upon seeing him.

"I'm fine. All combat personnel, assemble on the bridge immediately!"

Le Creuset left a curt remark and ran toward the corridor leading to the bridge.

His mind felt chaotic right now. Could a pilot from the Earth Alliance really pilot an MS to that degree?

Even if this were an exception, given the scale of the Earth Alliance, such exceptions would soon become the norm.

Inside the space colony at this moment.

Because Kira Yamato was a Coordinator, a minor conflict had broken out between them and Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel of the Archangel.

However, under the mediation of Mu La Flaga, the conflict was quickly downplayed and set aside.

After all, this was hardly the time to argue about Coordinators and Naturals. If they didn't have the combat power of the Strike Gundam, the Archangel would have no choice but to wait for slaughter.

It is worth mentioning that because all the superior officers had been killed in action, the original deputy captain of the Archangel, Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, had temporarily become the captain.

Second Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel continued in her original role as combat information officer.

Just as the Archangel was holding an operational meeting and making various preparations, Le Creuset and the others were also gathered together inside the Vesalius.

"This is the combat footage brought back by Michel."

Le Creuset pointed to the combat content on the projection and said, "You are all very familiar with the initial performance of these units, but the movements of this particular MS were exceptionally agile. I cannot understand how this is possible, but one thing is certain."

At this point, Le Creuset's gaze swept across the pilots gathered on the bridge: "This unit must be captured. If it cannot be captured, destroy it on the spot! In any case, we must never let an MS with this kind of performance fall into the hands of the Earth Alliance!"

Le Creuset truly wanted to destroy the Strike Gundam now.

He hoped for the Earth Alliance and PLANT to suffer mutual destruction, so it was best if the combat power of both sides remained relatively balanced.

But now, the MS advantage belonging to ZAFT had vanished.

Under these circumstances, once the Earth Alliance mass-produced this type of MS, faced with the absolute logistical power of the Earth Alliance, ZAFT would have no path left other than to kneel and beg for mercy.

Two parties with a fifty-fifty split will have peace.

Two parties with a forty-sixty split will fight over interests.

Two parties with a thirty-seventy split will fight to the death for their respective interests.

A ten-ninety split... kneel and call them daddy.

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

Eno and the others replied quickly upon hearing this.

They then turned and left the bridge, running toward their respective units.

"Eno Kamal!"

Suddenly, just as Eno was about to leave, Le Creuset called out to stop him.

"Hm?"

Eno stopped his drifting body and turned back to look.

"I look forward to your performance. Minister Patrick is also watching you," Le Creuset said with a light chuckle.

Eno couldn't help but raise an eyebrow upon hearing this. This guy—

"I wish you good fortune in battle—"

Le Creuset met Eno's gaze and issued his dismissal.

"Yes!"

Ino responded with a passionate shout, then tapped his toes against the ground and drifted toward the hangar corridor.

"You have no choice but ZAFT—I truly hope you come to realize that sooner."

Le Creuset recalled Ino's intelligence and situation, unable to help but mutter to himself.

Though, it remains to be seen how he intends to choose—

Come to think of it, that guy Durandal is also very concerned about him; I wonder what exactly he possesses that is worth Durandal's attention.

"D-Equipment, are we really okay just watching like this?"

In the pilot lounge, Nicol asked Yzak and Dearka with some uncertainty: "Athrun has already gone out, and we..."

"Our mission is to ensure the integrity of the Mobile Suit data; if that guy Athrun wants to show off, let him do it himself."

Dearka replied bluntly.

Their mission was to ensure the integrity of the new Mobile Suit data, so Le Creuset had ordered them to remain on standby inside the warship.

After all, if the newly acquired Mobile Suit were accidentally damaged, the trouble would be immense.

Even Le Creuset wouldn't dare let them rush out before the Mobile Suit data had been fully collected.

After all, only what is already in one's mouth is truly one's own.

He wasn't the type to drop a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed.

"Athrun..."

Hearing this, Nicol fell silent, only looking toward the Aegis Gundam as it moved onto the catapult track with a sense of unease.

He couldn't fathom the reason for Athrun's sortie at this moment.

Before, it was because of Ino, but now—

Beep, beep, beep—

"Captain Murrue Ramius, Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel! Please report to the bridge immediately!"

"What is it?"

"MS heat signatures detected outside!"

Jackie shouted out the intelligence he had discovered.

"So they really won't let go."

Mu La Flaga finished speaking and looked toward the captain's command chair.

Watching the hesitant and anxious Captain Murrue Ramius, Mu suddenly laughed and said: "Captain, if you need comfort, as a gentleman, I can generously lend you my shoulder. My shoulders are highly rated, you know."

"Hmm?"

Murrue Ramius was stunned by these frivolous words, but she quickly reacted and said: "Thank you for your kindness, Lieutenant La Flaga, but that won't be necessary. However, once we leave here alive, I will throw you out."

Having said that, Murrue Ramius shouted: "Archangel, prepare for departure! All hands to battle stations!"

"Yare yare, what a heartless woman."

Mu shook his head with a smile, then sat in an empty seat at a battle station.

Because his Moebius had not finished repairs, he could only help out inside the warship for now.

Fortunately, due to years of war, although he had never operated a warship specifically, he still knew the general idea of how it should be handled.

The alarm sounding inside the ship naturally could not be hidden from the non-combatants on the bridge.

Because the battle had broken out suddenly, some of Kira Yamato's classmates had not managed to enter the air-raid shelter in time.

Fortunately, the appearance of the Archangel saved them from the danger of becoming space dust.

"Kira... will he be alright?"

Listening to the alarms, Miriallia whispered quietly.

After hearing this, Miriallia's boyfriend Tolle reached out and held her shoulders tightly: "It will be fine. Kira will be fine, and we will be fine; nothing will happen to us."

Listening to Tolle's comfort, Miriallia silently curled her body even tighter.

Outside.

Violent explosions shook the space colony.

Under the support of heavy armaments, new holes quickly appeared in the outer wall of the colony.

As the only one leading the Ginn unit, Ino piloted his Mobile Suit and charged in.

"Archangel..."

With just one glance, Ino saw the white warship floating high in the sky.