Sudden Change 12

Before the words had even faded, the man's voice rang out again, carrying a condescending laziness that interrupted D'Costa's thoughts.

Turn around immediately and return to the Gnar deck. I personally advise you to do so. It would be such a pity to shoot down a newly built ship that has just completed its final adjustments, wouldn't it? This ship has an excellent design, smooth lines, and a very reasonable armament layout. Wasting it would be a desecration of beauty.

The owner of the voice spoke of shooting down a warship as though he were appraising a work of art. His casual attitude toward life and death sounded especially grating and arrogant amid this hair-trigger tension. The air on the bridge seemed to grow thinner because of those words, and several crew members stopped breathing for a moment.

Bartfield's pupils contracted. At last, he matched the voice to the face in his memory.

"Orphee—!" D'Costa practically forced the name through clenched teeth. He looked up at the deep expanse of space, his fist trembling slightly from the force of his grip. To every member of the Klein Faction, that name represented betrayal and disaster.

Yo, Andrew Bartfield.

With that greeting, the main display on the bridge flickered and was forcibly switched. The screen, which had shown the starfield ahead and the deployment map of the enemy MS units, was replaced by an enlarged male face. His short golden hair was impeccably groomed, and the collar of his ZAFT uniform stood stiff and straight. A calm smile rested on his handsome face. His eyes were a deep blue, and they now surveyed everyone on the Eternal's bridge through the screen with evident interest.

I never expected the commander leading this band of traitors opposing our great PLANT to be you, the