In early February, Cosmic Era 70, the East Asian Republic welcomed its unusual guests. Unlike the earlier visit to Orb, this journey took them deep into a core member state of the Earth Alliance, where security was more complicated and restrictions more numerous. Under highly sensitive diplomatic and military agreements reached beforehand, Lacus Clyne's dedicated civilian spacecraft, the Peace Messenger, received special clearance to land at Jade Capital spaceport, a facility in the distant outskirts of Zhouhang under tight East Asian Republic military control. Akira's own unit-the modified Laurasia-class ship Silver Wing and its embarked mobile suit squad-never entered Earth's gravity well at all. They remained concealed in a remote sector between L4 and Earth, maintaining silent standby like a steel behemoth lurking in the dark, ready to move only upon receiving the highest-priority orders or a distress signal from the Peace Messenger.
This meant that on Earth, Mei Hock directly commanded only six of Silver Wing's finest personnel, including himself, deputy commander Heine Westenfluss, and electronic warfare specialist Katherine. They had arrived aboard the Peace Messenger under the public identities of senior security advisers to a cultural exchange delegation. Heavy mobile suits and warship fire support were tens of thousands of kilometers away, beyond the atmosphere. What they could rely on was chiefly their own exceptional individual skills, limited light weapons, carefully prepared contingency plans, and whatever defensive systems might be hidden aboard the Peace Messenger.
They once again stayed at the Lakeglow Hotel beside West Lake. The East Asian Republic displayed reception and security procedures befitting its deep-rooted traditions, meticulous to the point of severity. Its public etiquette was impeccable, and its joint security arrangements professional and efficient. Yet Akira's ACCORD abilities could clearly "sense" the airtight surveillance network and the polite but distant scrutiny beneath those comprehensive arrangements. The nation maintained a distinctive middle position in the conflict between Coordinators and Naturals, but it harbored an instinctive wariness and curiosity toward ZAFT's military strength, especially a celebrity such as the Silver Wing Angel.
Akira's strategy was "limited transparency and absolute caution." Every public engagement was reported in advance, and all protection operations strictly observed the boundaries established by their hosts. He never displayed any ability or equipment that might be considered provocative. Like a precision human radar, he constantly received and analyzed subtle streams of information from official, civilian, and even hidden channels, attempting to map the spectrum of genuine attitudes toward PLANT within the East Asian Republic: quiet admiration for advanced technology, veiled dissatisfaction with the Atlantic Federation's domineering conduct, and the inevitable doubts and divisions created by the infiltration of Blue Cosmos ideology. This was a potential partner, but also a minefield that demanded the utmost care.
Amid preparations for the performance, the rare outing to West Lake went ahead as scheduled. After permission was obtained from East Asia and both overt and covert protective networks were established, Lacus finally shed the burden of being a "songstress" for a while and immersed herself in the grace of the eastern landscape with a young girl's curiosity. Akira maintained his customary distance as her protector, but his ACCORD abilities allowed him to oversee their safety with something approaching all-encompassing perception. At the same time, he served as his own observational "sensor," carefully taking in the atmosphere of the land and assessing the reaction of everyone they encountered.
The incident in which the little girl fell was indeed unplanned, but Akira's response combined instinct with calculation. His threat assessment was zero, while a display of goodwill-particularly kindness toward a civilian child-was an effective way to break down barriers and cultivate an image different from the rumors of the battlefield. As he crouched, he not only comforted the girl but also caught, from the corner of his eye, the slight shifts of camera lenses at several distant, disguised surveillance posts. The candy he offered was ordinary fruit candy made in PLANT, but its logo, his gentle expression, and his Chinese words earnestly conveying goodwill were all recorded.
At dinner, Akira responded modestly and deftly to the probing questions of a suspected intelligence officer. He avoided politics and military affairs, keeping the conversation firmly focused on cultural appreciation and recognition of East Asia's distinctive development model. "Balance," "wisdom," "inclusiveness"-his chosen words precisely matched the self-image and values of certain sections of the East Asian Republic's elite. That conversation, together with footage of his afternoon "act of kindness," was compiled into a report and circulated within a small circle. In the eyes of certain key East Asian observers, his image did acquire a vague additional layer of "rationality and potential for dialogue," alongside "ZAFT ace" and "dangerous individual." Though that impression could not change national policy, it might influence the judgment of certain crucial individuals in some future crisis.
On February 14, a festive atmosphere filled Zhouhang. Inside the theater during the afternoon rehearsal, Lacus's voice flowed melodiously. Akira stood in his usual shadowed position, maintaining vigilance through ACCORD.
The upheaval came without warning. At around three in the afternoon, local time, Akira's ACCORD core felt as though an invisible sledgehammer had struck it. A vast, tragic "torrent of perception," laden with the lingering embers of destructive energy, swept over him! Almost simultaneously, the terminal concealed against his body-which maintained intermittent, encrypted frequency-hopping contact with the bridges of the Peace Messenger and the Silver Wing-let out a piercing alarm! Public broadcasts and outdoor screens abruptly switched over-
"Breaking news! The Earth Alliance has declared war on PLANT!"
"...Further updates! PLANT's agricultural Space Colony satellite, Junius Seven, is suspected to have suffered a nuclear attack!"
The theater fell deathly silent, then erupted into chaos. The rehearsal stopped.
Over the encrypted channel came the Peace Messenger captain's voice, straining to suppress immense grief and rage. "Captain Hawke! The news is confirmed! It was a nuclear attack! Junius Seven... Chairman Zala has taken control of the PLANT Council, and Chairman Clyne... The situation has changed! Highest-priority orders: Miss Clyne's safety comes first! The Silver Wing has entered full combat readiness and is calculating a trajectory for a forced extraction, but it will take time, and the risks are extreme!"
Despite his earlier warning, despite knowing this was part of history, hearing the confirmation himself and sensing the grief that spanned the sea of stars still took Akira's breath away. He swiftly suppressed his surging emotions. Through ACCORD, he took in the chaotic clamor inside and outside the theater, the energy fields of panic, and the signs of unrest beginning to appear farther away.
"All personnel, execute the Fortress contingency immediately! Secure backstage, establish a defensive line, and prepare to evacuate!" His orders were cold and swift. The team moved silently.
He strode toward center stage. Lacus stood frozen beneath the spotlight, her face deathly pale, the microphone slipping in her hand. Her blue eyes were filled with overwhelming shock, pain, and bewilderment. Junius Seven... our people... Father's ideals...
"Miss Clyne!" Akira's decisive voice cut through her daze. "The war has begun. It is no longer safe here. We must return to the Peace Messenger immediately!"
Lacus jerked her gaze toward him, and her tears finally fell. "Why... how could this... Father..."
"There's no time!" Akira's tone allowed no argument, his gaze steady as stone. "You are a survivor, a witness, and perhaps, in the future... one of our hopes. Right now, staying alive comes first. Move!"
Lacus shuddered. Looking into Akira's eyes, which remained calm amid the immense chaos and even seemed to hold an understanding of some cruel truth, she firmly wiped away her tears, drew a deep breath, and nodded.
The journey back to the Lakeglow Hotel was fraught with tension. The festive atmosphere had vanished from the streets, replaced by a mixture of shock, panic, scattered fanatical slogans, and antiwar cries. East Asian troops and police deployed in large numbers, checkpoints multiplied, and a grim atmosphere settled over the city. Although the hotel maintained its outward courtesy, the manager tactfully but firmly stated that, during this "exceptional period," continuing to accommodate guests who might become "prominent targets" would be "irresponsible" toward the hotel and its other guests. He strongly recommended that they return to the spaceport and leave the East Asian Republic as soon as possible.
Akira did not argue. He knew this was East Asia's natural response under immense pressure: they were eager to distance themselves and avoid being dragged into the fire. Back in the suite, an emergency meeting began.
"East Asia will provide protection. Jade Capital spaceport is currently under partial lockdown, and airspace controls have been tightened. The Peace Messenger's request for emergency departure clearance has been approved," Heine reported, his expression grave. "The Silver Wing is beyond low Earth orbit. Forcing its way into the atmosphere to extract us is practically impossible, and it would also be regarded as an act of war."
"Activate the Nightingale plan," Akira decided. After arriving, he had prepared this emergency fallback using the advantages afforded by the Peace Messenger's civilian status and a few covert channels. "Abandon a direct departure through Jade Capital. Contact Albatross and activate the emergency route we reserved at Old River, the small private aviation hub on Zhouhang's outskirts. The captain of the Peace Messenger should already have received the encrypted instructions I sent in advance and should be calculating whether he can move closer to us. Before the Earth Alliance spies on the East Asia side fully react and seal us in, we need to reach the extraction point, take off, rendezvous with the Peace Messenger in hazardous low-orbit airspace, then break through at full speed and return to the Silver Wing's extraction range."
"Understood! But the Old River flight route is sensitive, and the Peace Messenger's maneuver could be interpreted as hostile action..."
"This is our only chance to survive," Akira cut off the hesitation. "We have no warship escort, and only one chance. Travel light, civilian clothes. We leave within the hour."
He looked at Lacus, who had changed into unobtrusive dark clothes and carefully concealed her pink hair. Grief still lingered in her eyes, but stronger now was a cold resolve born of being driven into a corner.
"The Silver Wing has relayed an order bearing the highest encryption level, issued directly by Chairman Zala of the PLANT Supreme Council," Katherine said quietly, a strange note in her voice. "It requests confirmation of our location and status and strictly orders us to ensure Lacus Clyne's safe return to PLANT at any cost! If necessary, it authorizes... 'any means.' There is a special note at the end... expressing 'recognition' of the value of Captain Hawke's earlier warning."
Akira's gaze shifted slightly. Zala's direct attention and this order granting almost unlimited authority were both a heavy responsibility and an acknowledgment and test of his abilities. Could he safely take Lacus-the former chairman's daughter, perhaps now an even more symbolic remnant of peace-off this planet that was about to be swallowed entirely by war?
Night had deepened. Zhouhang's lights flickered amid the unease, and ominous sounds drifted faintly from afar. Akira checked his disguise one last time and concealed his compact personal weapon. Outside the window, this beautiful ancient eastern city had become a cage riddled with danger.
"Let's go," he said softly, his voice utterly calm.
Like drops of ink dissolving into the night, the group silently left the Lakeglow Hotel and slipped toward the city's outskirts, toward the unknown dangers of Old River. The stars overhead remained unchanged, but one of those "stars"-the silent Silver Wing in distant orbit-and, farther away, the Peace Messenger risking a course adjustment were their only hopes now. The great wheel of war had already mercilessly crushed countless lives, and their flight had only just begun.
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