The End Is Near

"Could they be planning to establish some kind of stronghold? As a forward base?"

"Hmm..."

Handing the report back to the secretary, Durandal nodded and instructed, "Understood. Make reports on this matter the highest priority from now on. Also contact the Alliance Lunar Base and demand that they explain exactly what is going on. I refuse to believe they know nothing about something like this."

"Yes, sir."

The secretary took it and returned anxiously to his seat.

At that moment, Messiah was already close at hand.

Looking at the fortress towering in the darkness, Durandal could not help but let out a quiet chuckle.

Lacus Clyne's appearance had certainly been surprising.

But that was all it was.

The world was already dancing according to his arrangements.

The board he had laid out beforehand had been so meticulous that, no matter how stubbornly they resisted, it was nearly impossible for them to turn the tide now that the outcome was already set.

The end was near, Lacus Clyne.

"The Gounod is twenty minutes from the designated point."

The operator reported the status.

A moving point of light blinked on the large sector map.

"Requiem reactor operating rate at eighty-five percent. Units twenty-three through fifty-five have reached criticality."

"Energy transmission is stable. Super-mirror reflector critical error: 0.3129."

"Activate backup cooling system GR. Connection omitted."

Inside Daidalus Base, the elevated main control room overlooked the entire operations center.

The panels displayed Earth, the Moon, and the colonies. A blinking point of light was slowly moving toward the colonies. That was the final relay point, as well as the target currently under heavy escort by the Alliance fleet.

Including this base and the moving final relay point, there were five points of light in the sector, displayed on five panels labeled Frei, Vivaldi,