Meeting at Heavenly Pillar 2

When Cagalli saw those MS in Heliopolis, she had mistaken them for a decision made by her father, Uzmi. This left Uzmi deeply remorseful, believing he had failed to restrain the other factions within the country, and he had once resigned from his post as representative chief out of guilt.

However, Chief Uzmi could not possibly have known nothing about what the Sahak siblings had been doing.

Even with full knowledge of it, he had still sent them to Heavenly Pillar and granted them authority to manage this vital facility.

He had not promised to provide the Dominion group with comprehensive assistance, merely treating this place as a relay station.

What political considerations lay behind this? Was he testing House Sahak, or using them to keep some other party in check?

Muruta and Mina had already let go of each other's hands.

Without sparing Muruta another glance, Mina turned gracefully, passed by him, and walked straight toward the pilots.

She stopped where she could take in every pilot at a glance. Her gaze swept one by one across the faces of Jiliang, Lacus, Nicol, and the others before finally settling on Xia Ya.

Then she spoke, saying something that surprised most of those present.

"Xia Ya La Flaga."

Her voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone clearly, carrying an unquestionable certainty.

"What?"

Xia Ya responded almost instinctively. He did not remember ever meeting this heir of House Sahak.

Thus, when she called his name so directly, he could not completely conceal his surprise.

Yet by the time he realized that his startled response had seemed somewhat improper, it was already too late.

Mina turned around, fully facing him. Her eyes shot straight at him, and in those deep eyes appeared an undisguised, intense interest.

"So, you are..." she murmured,