The Captains' Meeting 3

Xia Ya looked at her and gently shook his head. "...I didn't do anything. I merely raised a question. Captain Bartfield made the choice himself. Mr. Bartfield's choice must have been—to keep living alongside you from now on."

His final words made Aisha blush slightly. She looked up at Bartfield beside her, her eyes brimming with love.

"Hehe, that really is wonderful." A beautiful smile bloomed across Aisha's face.

She also extended her hand and lightly shook Xia Ya's. The two exchanged smiles; everything needed to be said had been conveyed without words.

Everyone around them, including Murrue, Natarle, and the crews of the Archangel and Eternal, silently watched the scene. People from different sides had come together because of shared ideals, and that atmosphere touched everyone present.

Though they wanted to savor this hard-won harmony a little longer, this was not the time. Once the brief welcoming ceremony ended, all the key personnel quickly got to work.

Murrue said to Bartfield, "Captain Bartfield, please let your crew rest first. We'll arrange the supplies and mobile suit maintenance. Right now, we need to hold an emergency meeting, exchange intelligence, and discuss our future course of action."

"I understand." Bartfield nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you, Captain Ramius."

The group headed toward a large conference room deeper inside the harbor. Xia Ya walked among them, his gaze searching for someone. He saw neither his older brother Mu nor Muruta Azrael.

"Ms. Murrue," Xia Ya said quietly as he approached her, "where is Mr. Muruta? Didn't he come with you?"

Murrue's expression became slightly complicated as she answered, "Mr. Muruta remained at Heavenly Pillar. He said it was closer to the center of intelligence and that he could be of greater use there."

"Is that so..." Xia Ya nodded.

The reason