Mutation 13

"Ugh...!"

On the bridge, a crewman let out a pained groan. He slammed a fist into the console before him with a dull thud. The frustration of failure and the humiliation of having been played spread through the confined space. Bartfield, too, felt fury rising in his chest, mixed with intense unwillingness, giving him the urge to roar at the screen. But he held it back. As commander, he could not show even the slightest wavering before his subordinates.

"Then I shall give you one final chance. This is also the mercy of Chairman Patrick Zala." Orphee adopted a more solemn posture, though the smug look on his face remained utterly unchanged.

"Shut down your engines immediately and turn back to the hangar deck. Disarm yourselves completely and accept ZAFT's reorganization. If you are willing to repent and swear to devote yourselves to our great PLANT and the future of the Coordinators, then the Chairman has personally promised that your betrayal this time will not be pursued. Well? This is an exceptionally generous offer. You should be kneeling to thank the Chairman for his magnanimity."

As his words fell, everyone on the bridge glared at him through the screen, their eyes blazing with anger. Surrender? Surrender to that treacherous little man? Surrender to Chairman Zala, who had led PLANT toward extremism and war? It was the greatest insult to their convictions.

"Thank you for your advice, Orphee."

Bartfield's steady voice cut through the heavy air on the bridge. He rose from the captain's chair, braced both hands against the command console, and leaned forward slightly. His gaze was sharp as a blade as he stared directly at Orphee on the screen.

"However, there is somewhere we must go, and a mission we must complete. We appreciate your goodwill."

Faced with