The Archangel sailed smoothly through the vast universe. The starlight simulated by the artificial canopy sprinkled through the portholes onto the corridor, yet it could not dispel the tight tension hidden within the ship. Since the secret talk in the conference room yesterday, Murrue Ramius had deliberately kept her distance from Akira. At the morning breakfast and during routine ship inspections, even if they occasionally crossed paths, the two merely nodded slightly as captain and "hostage." Those eyes hiding complex emotions would only quietly sweep over Akira's figure in moments when no one was paying attention, hiding the lingering affection and worry deep within her. She knew well that on this warship loaded with Earth Forces soldiers, even the slightest trace of abnormal closeness could expose their relationship, which would not only plunge Akira into danger, but also disrupt the entire plan for exchanging hostages, and even affect the stability of the Archangel's military morale.
Unlike Murrue's deliberate alienation, Mu La Flaga and Natarle Badgiruel became the people Akira most frequently encountered on the Archangel. Mu, in particular, possessed an easygoing personality unrestrained by status and position. Aside from combat readiness training, his favorite pastime during normal days was chatting and joking with people. Instead, he proactively brought up the past events of the Crater Battle, laughing as he joked about his own experience of being disabled by Akira while piloting a Zero Shiki mobile armor back then, showing no barriers of opposing factions. He often took advantage of free time to quietly come to the room where Akira was placed, or stood side by side with Akira in a secluded spot in the corridor, chatting about past battlefield experiences and mobile armor piloting techniques-after all, the Earth Forces did not yet have mobile suits at this moment, so mobile armors were their main space combat equipment. The topic would occasionally drift, shifting from the unpalatable nutrient paste in the Earth Alliance mess hall to the legendary exquisite pastries on PLANT colonies, and further to the customs of beautiful women from various places, carrying a carefree appearance as if it were not wartime at the moment, and the two were not soldiers of opposing factions who had once clashed on the battlefield.
"Seriously, Major Hawke," Mu leaned against the cold bulkhead, playing with an empty nutrient tube in his hand with a hint of complaint in his tone, "After fighting this war, I've almost forgotten what real food tastes like. Back on Earth, I could still occasionally go to a small shop on the street and eat a bowl of steaming ramen. Now look at me, facing this stuff every day; eating too much makes me almost want to vomit." He paused, turned his head to look at Akira, the casualness in the depths of his eyes fading a bit and replaced by a hint of seriousness, "And you tell me, what on earth is the point of this war being fought back and forth? Naturals hate Coordinators, Coordinators resent Naturals. Killing each other, aren't they all just innocent soldiers and civilians who die?"
Akira stood in front of the porthole, gazing at the stardust floating outside. Hearing this, he slowly turned around, his expression calm yet carrying a heavy weight of power: "Mu, you're right. This war, in essence, is a meaningless internal friction. Its origin has never been simple racial hatred, but the entanglement of interests hidden behind the scenes. The politicians of the Earth Alliance want to control all resources and fear the talent and development of Coordinators; some radical elements in PLANT want to establish the absolute hegemony of Coordinators; and those arms dealer conglomerates hidden in the shadows are the biggest beneficiaries of this war. They constantly sell weapons, instigate conflicts between the two sides, and watch soldiers bleed and sacrifice on the battlefield while reaping the profits themselves, making a fortune."
His gaze swept over Mu and continued: "And then there are those individuals and organizations with ulterior motives, who harbor their own unspeakable conspiracies. Taking advantage of the chaos of war, they push forward their plans step by step, treating everyone as pawns. We soldiers seemingly fight for our own faction, but in reality, sometimes we are merely tools manipulated by these interest groups."
Mu fell silent, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the test tube. Akira's words were like a key, unlocking the doubts that had long been hidden in his heart. Having fought for many years, he had witnessed too many partings of life and death and had long grown tired of the cruelty of war, yet he had never thought that behind this war, such complex scheming was hidden.
"What about you?" Mu raised his head, his burning gaze fixed on Akira, "As an elite ZAFT commander holding heavy troops and distinguished military achievements, why didn't you follow Chairman Zala's intentions to completely encircle and suppress the Earth Forces, but instead took risks to propose a hostage exchange and even tried to resolve the conflicts between the two sides? Also, I've heard of your battle records. When you pilot mobile suits in combat, your strength is extremely formidable, yet you've never directly attacked an enemy cockpit, nor have you ever intentionally killed any pilot. That is extremely rare on the battlefield."
Mentioning this, Akira's gaze softened a bit, and his tone gained a hint of firmness: "Because I've always believed that blind slaughter and mechanically executing orders are not the essence of an outstanding soldier. Executing orders is a soldier's bounden duty; I have never denied this point. But human beings are human precisely because we have our own thoughts and our own criteria for judging the correctness of matters. We are not emotionless machines of war."
"Whether Naturals or Coordinators, we share the same roots; we are all human beings with our own families, friends, and things we wish to protect." Akira's voice flowed slowly, carrying a power that penetrated the heart. "Those enemy pilots driving mobile suits-perhaps they don't want war either, perhaps they were just forced to put on military uniforms and step onto the battlefield. Their lives are as precious as ours; there is no need to deal fatal blows simply because of opposing positions. I don't wish for more families to be shattered by war, nor for more people to be lost to hatred. What I can do is do my utmost to reduce casualties, try my best to resolve the conflicts between both sides, and strive to change all of this, even though this path is destined to be extremely difficult."
While the two were conversing, a slender figure was quietly passing by the corner of the corridor-it was Kira Yamato. He had originally intended to go to the hangar to check the status of the Strike Gundam. Passing by this place, he inadvertently overheard Akira's words, and his footsteps involuntarily stopped as he stood quietly in the dark, listening intently to every word.
During this period, Kira had been in deep confusion. He was originally just an ordinary civilian student skilled in mechanical programming, and he had never thought of getting involved in this cruel war. But as fate would have it, he was forced aboard the Archangel, forced to pilot the Strike Gundam, forced to cross swords with his former friend Athrun, and forced to take up weapons with his own hands to fight ZAFT soldiers. He did not know why he was fighting, did not know the significance of this war, and even less did his future lie. He loathed war and slaughter, yet he was helpless, forced to passively accept everything amidst confusion, completely at a loss.
And Akira's words were like a beam of light, instantly illuminating his confused inner self. So behind this war, there were such complex entanglements of interests; so not all soldiers were keen on slaughter; so even while standing on the battlefield, one could adhere to one's own bottom line and have one's own judgment. Sharing the same roots, we are all human beings, Not being emotionless machines of war, Protecting the things we wish to protect-these words were deeply branded in the depths of Kira's heart, causing his originally chaotic mind to gradually become clear. He looked at Akira's back, his eyes filled with admiration and yearning. At that moment, he seemed to have found his spiritual backbone and the meaning of his combat-not for a faction, not for hatred, but for protection, for reducing casualties, and for that out-of-reach peace. At this moment, this confused civilian pilot quietly made up his mind that he wanted to be like Akira, adhering to his own bottom line and striving to protect those worth protecting. This accidental listening also laid a deep foreshadowing for the subsequent Earth war and Akira bringing Kira into his fold.
Besides Mu, Natarle Badgiruel had also sought out Akira alone. Hailing from a military family, she had been instilled with the philosophy that "obeying orders is the bounden duty" since childhood. In her cognition, for the sake of victory, any means could be used, and casualties and sacrifices were unavoidable costs of war. Yet on the battlefield, she witnessed with her own eyes the tragic deaths of countless innocent civilians, the terrified expressions of children, and the despair of those young soldiers before death. The convictions in her heart began to gradually waver.
Facing Natarle Badgiruel's doubts and struggles, Akira did not offer excessive persuasion; he merely candidly told her his views on the war and his understanding of a soldier's responsibilities. He told Natarle Badgiruel that victory was certainly important, but it must never come at the cost of sacrificing the lives of innocents; obeying orders was indeed a bounden duty, but one must also have one's own judgment and not blindly follow unreasonable or inhumane commands. "Natasha," Akira looked at her, his tone sincere, "You are an outstanding soldier—calm, decisive, and capable. But you must remember that the ultimate goal of war should be peace, not slaughter. If a war requires sacrificing countless innocent lives in exchange for victory, then such a victory is meaningless."
Akira's words were like a pebble, stirring up layers of ripples in the lake of Natarle Badgiruel's heart. She remained silent for a long time, merely gazing quietly at the universe outside the porthole, sinking into deep contemplation. Indeed, was this war really right? For the sake of so-called victory, was sacrificing so many innocent people really worth it? The principles she had learned since childhood and everything she had witnessed with her own eyes on the battlefield collided fiercely in her heart, causing her once-firm convictions to begin showing cracks. For the first time, she began to doubt whether the "bounden duty" she had always adhered to was truly correct.
Time quietly elapsed amidst the peaceful voyage, and more than a day passed in the blink of an eye. Under Murrue's arrangement, the Archangel successfully sailed to the designated hostage exchange location—a vast, empty region of space devoid of celestial bodies or meteorites, with an open field of vision convenient for both sides to observe and capable of effectively preventing a sneak attack by the Le Creuset Team. Inside the bridge, Murrue stared intently at the navigation data and radar signals on the console screen with a composed expression, speaking in a serious tone to Mu and Natarle Badgiruel beside her: "Pass down the order for everyone to enter a state of alert, closely monitor radar signals, and report immediately upon discovering any trace of ZAFT forces. Natasha, you are responsible for contacting the Vanguard Team to inform them we have reached the designated location, have them make preparations for rendezvous, and remain on standby at all times. Mu, you are responsible for piloting the Zero Shiki, ready to respond to emergencies at any moment to ensure the hostage exchange proceeds smoothly."
"Understood!" Mu and Natarle Badgiruel responded simultaneously, immediately turning to execute their tasks. Murrue's gaze fell upon the screen once more, a trace of complex emotion flashing through the depths of her eyes—she both anticipated that the hostage exchange could be successfully completed, allowing Akira and Lacus to leave safely, and worried that Rau would suddenly appear to disrupt the plan, while fearing even more that the relationship between herself and Akira would suffer an irreparable rift during this exchange. To avoid leaking the plan and to conceal her relationship with Akira, she had not informed the other crew members on the ship, including Kira and Flay, of the specific details of the hostage exchange, which also laid the groundwork for subsequent accidents.
At this moment, in the civilian lounge of the Archangel, Kira was lying on his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He did not know that Murrue and Akira had already arranged the charade of the hostage exchange; in his perception, Akira and Lacus were people of ZAFT, the "enemies" of the Earth Forces, and once they reached the Eighth Fleet's garrison, they would inevitably be treated as captives, with a high probability of having no return trip.
During these days, although Kira had not had much direct contact with Akira, he had silently observed him. He had seen Akira's gentle protection of Lacus, witnessed the composure and wisdom Akira displayed when conversing with Mu and Natarle Badgiruel, and, even more so, heard Akira's words: Sharing the same roots, we are all human beings. In his heart, Akira was not a vicious ZAFT commander, but rather resembled a strong individual who adhered to a bottom line and harbored goodwill; and Lacus, gentle, kind, and with a pure singing voice, was an innocent person who should not be dragged into this war, much less pay the price of her life for the opposition between factions.
"Akira-senpai, Miss Lacus, they are both good people. They can't just be sent to the Eighth Fleet like this..." Kira muttered to himself, his hands tightly clenched into fists, his eyes filled with struggle and torment. He wanted to save them, but he was merely an ordinary civilian pilot without sufficient authority or strength. Once the operation failed, not only would he fail to save Akira and Lacus, but he would also pay a heavy price and might even implicate others on the Archangel.
Yet thinking of the possible fate awaiting Akira and Lacus, Kira's heart ached as if being cut by knives. He remembered Akira's words and his own determination to protect everything. After agonizing and struggling for a long time, Kira finally seemed to have made up his mind, sitting up abruptly from the bed with his gaze turning incomparably firm. Taking a deep breath, he quickly got out of bed and changed into his familiar combat pilot suit. The confusion and cowardice of the past were gone from his eyes, leaving only resolute determination-he was going to save Akira and Lacus, and at any cost, make them leave the Archangel safely.
Meanwhile, in the room where Akira and Lacus were staying, the two were also making preparations before departure. They had already changed into lightweight white spacesuits. The spacesuits were designed to be light and resilient, capable of resisting the low temperature and radiation of outer space while equipped with a simple life support system and communication devices. Akira was carefully checking the various parameters of the spacesuit to ensure there were no issues, while Lacus stood aside, looking at him tenderly with a relieved smile on her face-in a little while, they would be able to leave the Archangel safely.
"Have you checked everything?" Lacus asked softly, a trace of imperceptible anticipation carrying in her tone.
Akira nodded, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair, and spoke gently: "Everything is checked and there are no problems. Wait a little longer, Murrue and the others will arrange everything, and we can smoothly leave here and rendezvous with the Silver Wing squad."
Lacus nodded gently, leaning against Akira's shoulder to feel his body temperature, her heart filled with stability and steadfastness. During these days, although they were on an enemy ship, moving step by step amidst great danger, as long as Akira was by her side, she feared nothing.
At that moment, the room's door was suddenly pushed open forcefully, and a familiar figure walked in briskly-it was Kira Yamato. He was wearing a combat pilot suit, a trace of haste on his face, and a bit of sweat still stained his forehead, clearly having run all the way here.
"Akira-senpai, Miss Lacus!" Kira's voice carried a hint of panting and urgent tone, "Quickly, I've come to take you back! The guards at the door have been knocked out by me. Now taking advantage of everyone resting and the ship's guard being relatively lax, let's hurry and leave; if we wait any longer, it will be too late!"
Akira and Lacus froze simultaneously, expressions of surprise surfacing on their faces. Akira reacted extremely quickly, instantly understanding the situation-to avoid leaking the plan, Murrue had not informed Kira about the hostage exchange, which was why Kira mistakenly believed they would be sent to the Eighth Fleet for disposal and had thus ventured to rescue them.
Following the brief surprise, a faint smile appeared on Akira's face. He had not expected Kira to be so brave and kind, actually taking such a huge risk to come rescue them. And this sudden unexpected rescue not only did not disrupt his plan, but instead allowed the plan to proceed even more perfectly-having Kira pilot the Strike Gundam to escort them away could both avoid the attention of other crew members on the Archangel and better cope with possible unexpected situations, such as Rau's sneak attack.
"Kira, thank you for your effort." Akira's tone was gentle, carrying a hint of praise. He quickly grabbed Lacus's hand and nodded toward Kira: "Alright, we will go with you. Move quickly and make sure not to be discovered by others."
Seeing that Akira and Lacus were willing to leave with him, a joyful smile appeared on Kira's face as he nodded repeatedly: "Great, follow me quickly to the hangar. I've already checked; the Strike Gundam is ready to start at any moment. As long as we can successfully board the Strike, we can safely leave the Archangel."
The three no longer hesitated, walking quickly toward the room's door. Kira walked in front to clear the way, vigilantly observing the surrounding environment to avoid patrolling crew members; Akira held Lacus's hand, following behind Kira with his ACCORD ability maintained in a state of alert, quietly scanning the surrounding movements to ensure no abnormalities; Lacus closely followed by Akira's side with a calm expression, showing no panic. She trusted Akira and trusted Kira, believing they would surely leave this place smoothly.
The three moved at a brisk pace, carefully shuttling through the corridors of the Archangel. Relying on Kira's familiarity with the ship's internal environment and Akira's precise perception, they successfully avoided patrolling crew members and surveillance cameras, rapidly advancing all the way toward the hangar. The corridors along the way were dead silent, leaving only the sound of three pairs of hurried footsteps and the distant hum of operating equipment. The atmosphere was tense and oppressive, every step feeling like a race against time.
Just as they were about to reach the hangar entrance, a crisp female voice suddenly came through, breaking the silence of the corridor and startling Kira: "Kira? Where are you going in your combat suit? Is there a battle? Or has something happened?"
Kira froze all over, instinctively stopping his footsteps and turning around slowly. He saw Flay Allster wearing a pink dress standing at the exit of the nearby observation deck, a trace of confusion and curiosity on her face as her gaze fixed directly on the three of them. Clearly, Flay was not asleep either; perhaps worried about her father's safety or overwhelmed by too many thoughts in her mind, she had come to the observation deck to clear her head and happened to see Kira, Akira, and Lacus hurrying past.
The sudden turn of events left Kira completely at a loss. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but did not know what to say-he could not tell Flay that he was rescuing Akira and Lacus to leave. Once Flay shouted out, their plan would be completely exposed, and not only would they fail to save Akira and Lacus, but he himself would fall into a desperate situation. Flay looked at Kira's panicked appearance, then glanced at the spacesuits worn by Akira and Lacus. The confusion on her face deepened, and a trace of vigilance gradually surfaced in her eyes: "Kira, what on earth are you trying to do? They..."
Just as Flay prepared to question further, Akira instantly lunged forward fiercely. His movements were extremely fast, benefiting from the enhancement of the SEED Factor and long-term training. In the instant before Flay could react, Akira was already before her, extending his palm and precisely chopping down on the back of Flay's neck.
"Ugh..." Flay let out a muffled groan, her eyes instantly scattering, her body going limp as she collapsed downward, losing consciousness.
Kira watched Akira's action, completely stunned, an expression of disbelief appearing on his face: "Akira-senpai, you... why did you knock Flay out?"
Akira had no time to explain excessively, quickly catching the falling Flay and speaking urgently to Kira: "Kira, there's no time to explain. Quick, we must leave this place as soon as possible! If Flay is allowed to shout out, our plan will be completely exposed, and by then, none of us will be able to leave! Besides, your unauthorized rescue behavior is extremely dangerous in itself; having Flay by our side is also a safety guarantee-with her here, even if we are discovered by Earth Forces personnel, they will have misgivings and won't easily launch an attack against us, not to mention that according to Captain Murrue's personality, she would never rashly order fire just because Flay is by our side."
Although Kira still harbored some doubts, he knew that what Akira said made sense. Asking no more questions, he nodded and spoke in a firm tone: "Alright, Akira-senpai, I'll listen to you. Let's hurry and go!"
Akira nodded, turning to speak to Lacus: "Lacus, sorry for the trouble, help Flay put on a spacesuit. We must take her with us."
Although Lacus was also somewhat dazed and did not understand why Akira insisted on taking Flay away, she subconsciously obeyed Akira's words and nodded: "Alright, Akira, I understand." With that, Lacus stepped forward immediately, and together with Akira, carefully supported Flay to a nearby wall corner, quickly taking out a spare spacesuit to begin dressing Flay. The spare spacesuit was the standard Earth Forces model with a black main body matched with silver lines. Although not as lightweight as the ones Akira and Lacus wore, it could meet basic space travel requirements and ensure Flay's safety.
Akira stood aside, vigilantly observing the surrounding environment to prevent other crew members from appearing. His ACCORD ability operated at full capacity, scanning the surroundings for any movement to ensure no anomalies. Lacus's movements were gentle and swift. Relying on her exceptional meticulousness and tacit understanding, she quickly dressed Flay in the spacesuit and carefully checked all parameters to ensure there were no issues.
"Alright, Akira, she's dressed." Lacus said softly.
Akira nodded, reaching out to pick up the unconscious Flay, and spoke urgently to Kira: "Kira, quick, let's head to the hangar and launch the Strike Gundam, as fast as possible!"
"Got it!" Kira acknowledged, turning immediately to lead Akira and Lacus as they ran quickly toward the hangar entrance. At this moment, Kira had only one thought in his mind: to quickly take Akira, Lacus, and Flay away from the Archangel and ensure their safety.
The hangar was dead silent, with only a few spare mobile suits parked quietly to the side. Indicator lights emitted a faint glow, illuminating the spacious hangar. Kira familiarly led Akira and Lacus to where the Strike Gundam was parked—this G Series mobile suit, secretly developed by the Earth Alliance Forces, was entirely white, accented with blue and red lines, boasting a sleek design and equipped with multiple advanced weapons, including a beam rifle, beam sabers, and a shield. Its technological level far surpassed that of ordinary mobile suits of the same period, making it one of the ace units of the Earth Alliance Forces.
"Akira-senpai, Miss Lacus, please wait a moment while I start up the Strike and make flight preparations!" Kira said to Akira and Lacus, immediately boarding the cockpit of the Strike Gundam. He skillfully operated the console inside the cockpit, inputting startup commands, and a series of complex operations became effortless in his hands-after all, during this period, he had already piloted the Strike Gundam in combat multiple times and was completely familiar with the performance and operation methods of this mobile suit.
Hum-!
The Strike Gundam emitted a deep hum, its fuselage slowly starting up as its head sensors lit up. Along with the startup of the mobile suit, a harsh alarm siren instantly blared across the Archangel's bridge and various corridors, shattering the battleship's peace.
Inside the bridge, Natarle Badgiruel, who was on duty, heard the alarm, her expression changing instantly as she looked at the console screen and shouted urgently into the communicator: "What's going on? Where is the alarm sounding? What is the situation?"
Before the crew member on the other end of the communicator could respond, a rough voice came urgently over the ship's intercom—it was the hangar's chief mechanic: "This is bad! Major Natarle Badgiruel! That Coordinator kid, Kira Yamato! He started up the Strike Gundam, and he's also taken away that ZAFT songstress, along with that ZAFT commander, Mei Hock! This is bad, the hangar doors have already been opened by him, it's too late to stop him! All personnel in the hangar, evacuate immediately! Hurry!"
As the words fell, the chief mechanic's voice cut out entirely. The ship's alert prompt sounded immediately afterward, cold and mechanical: "Warning! Warning! Mobile suit launch system activated! Strike Gundam is about to detach from the battleship! Repeat! Strike Gundam is about to detach from the battleship!"
Natarle Badgiruel's expression grew increasingly gloomy, her eyes filled with shock and anger: "Kira Yamato! He actually dared to start up the Strike without authorization and take away the enemy! Contact Mu La Flaga immediately, have him launch the Zero Shiki right away to guard against a ZAFT sneak attack! In addition, notify everyone to enter a state of Level 1 alert and closely monitor the movements of the Strike Gundam!"
"Understood!" The crew member on the other end of the communicator acknowledged immediately, swiftly executing Natarle Badgiruel's orders.
On the other side, Mu heard the alarm and the news from the communicator, his expression changing instantly without the slightest hesitation. He turned around immediately and ran quickly toward the parking location of his mobile armor. Skillfully donning his combat suit, he boarded the Moebius Zero, which was Mu's custom unit and also the craft he had piloted during the Crater Battle where he was disabled by Akira. It had accompanied him through battles for many years and earned him distinguished military achievements.
"Maintenance squad! Hurry up! Get ready for launch for me! Immediately! Right now!" Mu shouted to the hangar maintenance squad with an urgent tone. He knew that Kira unauthorizedly starting the Strike and taking Akira and Lacus away would lead to unimaginable consequences once they detached from the Archangel-not only would it disrupt the hostage exchange plan, but it could also attract the attention of Rau's forces, bringing catastrophic disaster to the Archangel.
The maintenance squad personnel dared not slacken in the slightest, moving immediately to rapidly prepare the Zero Shiki mobile armor for launch, checking various parameters and replenishing energy and ammunition.
Meanwhile, the Strike Gundam had slowly sailed out of the Archangel's hangar and entered the vast outer space. Kira piloted the Strike, holding the unconscious Flay, Akira, and Lacus in his arms against his chest, relying on the spacesuit's securing devices to stabilize his body-due to the limited cockpit space of the Strike Gundam, it could only accommodate one pilot, and coupled with Flay being unconscious and unable to secure her body independently, the four of them had to make do this way. Fortunately, outer space lacked gravity; although the posture was somewhat awkward, it posed no major issues and could barely be maintained.
"Akira-senpai, Miss Lacus, hold on tight. I am now piloting the Strike toward the area where ZAFT forces might appear, and I will contact Athrun to have him come rendezvous with us!" Kira's voice transmitted through the communicator into the ears of Akira and Lacus, carrying a firm tone.
Akira nodded, responding into the communicator: "Alright, Kira, thanks for the hard work. Be careful, closely monitor radar signals, and notify us immediately upon discovering any trace of ZAFT forces. In addition, keep an eye on our rear; Mu will likely pursue us in the Zero Shiki."
"Understood!" Kira acknowledged, immediately operating the Strike Gundam to accelerate its speed and fly toward the designated hostage exchange zone. Skillfully manipulating the mobile suit, he dodged small meteorites in outer space while closely monitoring the signals on the radar screen.
Before long, Kira discovered the ZAFT forces in the distance via the onboard radar—several ZAFT warships were resting quietly in outer space. Joy welled up in Kira's heart as he immediately opened the general communication channel and shouted loudly toward the direction of the ZAFT forces: "This is the Strike Gundam! I am Kira Yamato! Please have the ZAFT forces halt their advance immediately and refrain from launching attacks! I have Miss Lacus Clyne and Major Mei Hock here with me. I demand that Athrun Zala come rendezvous immediately to receive the hostages! Repeat! Please have Athrun Zala come rendezvous immediately!"
The patrolling mobile suits of the ZAFT forces turned vigilant upon hearing Kira's broadcast, instantly reporting the situation to the warship bridge. The ZAFT soldiers inside the bridge were also startled by this sudden development-never had they expected that the Earth Forces' Strike Gundam would actively approach with Miss Lacus and Major Akira, while also demanding Athrun to come rendezvous. At first, everyone assumed this was a trap set by the Earth Forces designed to lure them out and ambush them, so they did not respond immediately, merely monitoring the movements of the Strike Gundam closely while preparing for combat.
Just as both sides fell into a stalemate, Lacus slowly raised her head and spoke softly into the communicator on her spacesuit. Her voice, gentle and pure, transmitted through the general channel to every warship and mobile suit of the ZAFT forces: "Hello everyone, I am Lacus Clyne. Please do not worry, I have not suffered any harm, and Akira-senpai is also safe. Mr. Kira has come to send us back; please do not launch attacks and allow Athrun to come rendezvous with us."
Hearing Lacus's voice, the soldiers of the ZAFT forces instantly let down their guard. Lacus Clyne, as the daughter of former PLANT Chairman Siegel Clyne and the "songstress" of ZAFT, held immense prestige and influence in the hearts of ZAFT soldiers; no one would doubt Lacus's words.
Inside the warship bridge, Athrun's expression changed instantly upon hearing Lacus's voice, his heart filled with joy and worry-he had finally found Lacus and finally confirmed her safety. Without the slightest hesitation, Athrun immediately piloted the Aegis Gundam to launch from the warship and flew rapidly toward the direction of the Strike Gundam.
The Aegis Gundam was entirely red, boasting an imposing design, outstanding mobility, and formidable firepower. It was the custom unit Athrun had captured from the Earth Forces' G Series mobile suits. Piloting the Aegis at extreme speed, Athrun arrived before the Strike Gundam in the blink of an eye and slowly came to a halt.
Inside the cockpit, Athrun looked at the unconscious Flay, Akira, and Lacus held in the arms of the Strike Gundam, a joyful smile appearing on his face as he spoke urgently into the communicator: "Lacus! Akira-senpai! It's good that you're both safe! I've finally found you!"
Lacus looked at the Aegis Gundam before her, a gentle smile also surfacing on her face as she responded into the communicator: "Athrun, we are fine. Sorry to have made you worry."
Akira nodded slightly toward Athrun, speaking in a calm tone: "Athrun, thanks for the hard work. Now, please rendezvous with us. Let's first board your Aegis and then return to the warship."
"Understood, Akira-senpai!" Athrun acknowledged, immediately operating the Aegis Gundam to approach the Strike Gundam slowly. Extending its mechanical arms, it carefully received Akira and Lacus from the hands of the Strike, placing them onto the hand-securing device of the Aegis Gundam.
The hostage transfer process proceeded exceptionally smoothly. Watching Akira and Lacus safely board the Aegis Gundam, a relieved smile appeared on Kira's face as he spoke earnestly into the communicator: "Akira-senpai, Miss Lacus, I wish you a safe journey."
Akira nodded toward Kira, speaking in a gentle tone: "Kira, thank you. Today, without you, we wouldn't have been able to leave the Archangel so smoothly. You should return to the Archangel as soon as possible as well. After returning to the ship, Murrue and Natarle Badgiruel might scold you, but don't worry, Mu will help mediate for you. Remember what I said to you: adhere to your own bottom line and do not lose yourself. In the future, we may still have the chance to fight side by side."
Kira nodded heavily, his eyes filled with admiration and firmness: "I'll remember it, Akira-senpai! I will!"
Just as Kira prepared to operate the Strike Gundam and turn back toward the Archangel, an unexpected event occurred!
"Kira!" Athrun suddenly shouted into the communicator with an urgent tone, "Wait! Kira, come with me! Don't return to the Archangel anymore! That is an Earth Forces warship, and they will never truly accept you! Come back to PLANT with me; together, let's fight for the future of Coordinators. We are still best friends, just like before!"
Hearing Athrun's words, Kira froze all over, instinctively stopping his movements and plunging into deep hesitation. On one side was his former friend, the Coordinator faction, and Athrun's invitation; on the other side was the Archangel, the people he had once protected, Akira's exhortation, and the direction he had just found. He did not know how to choose, nor whether he should return to the Archangel or follow Athrun back to PLANT.
It was precisely this brief hesitation that gave the enemy hidden in the shadows an opportunity to exploit!
Hum-!
A harsh buzzing sound suddenly rang out, and a white figure rushed out rapidly from the distant stardust like a phantom, charging fiercely toward the direction of the Strike Gundam and Aegis Gundam! It was a custom CGUE mobile suit, entirely white with red patterns, possessing a menacing design and extremely high mobility-it was none other than Rau Le Creuset's custom unit! Clearly, Rau had been hiding nearby, closely monitoring the movements of both sides while waiting for the best moment to strike. He had not expected Kira to unauthorizedly rescue Akira and Lacus, nor had he anticipated that the hostage transfer would proceed so smoothly, so he had remained inactive until the moment of Kira's hesitation, choosing to launch a sudden attack in an attempt to annihilate Kira, Akira, Athrun, and the others in one fell swoop.
"Not good! It's Le Creuset!" Akira reacted instantly, his expression changing drastically as he shouted urgently into the communicator: "Kira, watch out! Launch immediately!" At the same time, Akira immediately turned around to also lift the unconscious Flay onto the Aegis, "Athrun, return to the warship quickly!"
At this moment, Rau's custom CGUE had already closed in, wielding a physical sword that carried a sharp gale as it slashed fiercely toward the cockpit of the Strike Gundam! And at this moment, the Strike Gundam was still holding the unconscious Flay (although Flay had been transferred to the Aegis, Kira's attention was diverted and he failed to prepare defenses in time), rendering it unable to launch a defense in time or dodge flexibly, plunging into a desperate situation!
Meanwhile, in the distant outer space, a red figure was also rushing over rapidly-it was the Moebius Zero piloted by Mu! Seeing the unfolding crisis, Mu's expression changed drastically as he shouted loudly into the communicator: "Kira! Watch out! I'm coming!" Exerting all his strength to accelerate his speed, he wanted to rush over and support Kira, but the distance was too great-it was already too late!
At the critical moment, Akira shouted: "Kira! Don't hesitate! Start the mobile suit immediately and engage Le Creuset in battle! Trust me, Athrun will take us away safely, and Mu will soon rush over to support you!" Akira's voice transmitted into Kira's ears through the communicator, carrying a firm tone endowed with a convincing power.
Hearing Akira's words, Kira snapped back to reality instantly. His hesitation completely dissipated, and his gaze turned incomparably firm. No longer agonizing over Athrun's invitation or worrying about other matters, he immediately operated the Strike Gundam to back away rapidly while retrieving the beam rifle and shield from its back, starting up the mobile suit and pulling the trigger fiercely toward Rau's custom CGUE!
Hum-!
A dazzling beam shot forth from the Strike Gundam's beam rifle, carrying a sharp gale as it flew rapidly toward Rau's custom CGUE!
Athrun also reacted extremely quickly, immediately operating the Aegis Gundam to turn around and begin its return flight upon hearing Akira's command. "Hmph, what a pity." Rau's voice transmitted through the general communication channel, carrying a hint of playful amusement. He operated his custom CGUE to dodge flexibly, avoiding the Strike's attack, but the fuselage was still grazed by the beam at one corner, leaving a shallow scar and sustaining minor damage.
The Aegis Gundam moved at extreme speed, disappearing into the distant outer space in the blink of an eye as it flew toward the ZAFT warships. At this moment, the Zero piloted by Mu had finally closed in as well, joining forces with the Strike Gundam in a pincer formation to jointly engage Rau's custom CGUE.
"Kira, are you alright?" Mu asked Kira in an urgent tone.
"I'm fine, Mr. Mu, thank you." Kira responded with a firm tone, "Let's defeat him together!"
"Alright! Let's defeat him together!" Mu acknowledged, immediately operating his mobile armor to launch a fierce attack against Rau's custom CGUE! The main cannon of the Zero possessed immense firepower, sending dazzling beams shooting toward the CGUE; the Strike Gundam held its beam rifle, cooperating with the Zero's attacks to continuously fire while flexibly dodging the CGUE's counterattacks.
Rau's piloting skills were exceptionally superb, far surpassing Kira and Mu. Even though his custom CGUE had sustained minor damage and experienced a slight drop in mobility, he still maintained a certain advantage. Operating the CGUE, he flexibly dodged the attacks of the Strike and the Zero while firing, launching counterattacks from time to time with intense barrages that forced Kira and Mu into continuous dodging and defensive passivity.
However, the performance of the Strike Gundam far surpassed Rau's custom CGUE—as a G Series mobile suit secretly developed by the Earth Alliance Forces, the Strike's mobility, firepower, and defense capabilities were a tier higher than the CGUE. Although Kira's piloting experience was inferior to Rau's, his talent was exceptional and his learning ability formidable. Amidst the combat, he continuously adapted to Rau's combat style and adjusted his tactics, cooperating with Mu's attacks to gradually reverse the passive situation and begin launching counterattacks.
Before long, the Strike Gundam seized an opening, wielding a beam saber to slash fiercely toward the leg of Rau's custom CGUE! Rau attempted to dodge, but it was already too late; the beam saber struck the CGUE's leg directly, severing one of its mechanical limbs!
"Ugh!" Rau let out a muffled groan, operating the CGUE to stagger backward as the fuselage shook violently, clearly suffering non-negligible damage accompanied by a drastic drop in mobility that rendered him unable to dodge flexibly as before.
Meanwhile, on the ZAFT warship, Akira and Athrun had already brought Lacus and Flay aboard successfully. The moment they stepped onto the warship, Akira immediately carried Flay and pulled Lacus over to the ship's communicator. He nodded gently toward Lacus with a firm gaze.
Lacus understood instantly, reaching out to press the communicator button to open the all-ship broadcast while switching the communication channel to the general channel to ensure Rau could hear her voice. Taking a deep breath, she spoke slowly in a voice both gentle and firm that transmitted through the communicator across the entire ZAFT fleet and reached Rau's ears: "Captain Le Creuset, I request that you return to base and cease combat immediately. My coming here was merely as a condolence delegation to visit Junius Seven, a colony destroyed by war. And the Earth Forces also out of goodwill safely returned me and Akira-senpai through a hostage exchange. Your behavior of taking advantage of others' vulnerability to launch a sudden attack is truly not the conduct of an outstanding soldier, nor does it accord with ZAFT's military code. Please detach from the battlefield immediately and halt your attacks, so as not to continue causing unnecessary casualties."
Hearing Lacus's voice, Rau operated the CGUE to halt his attacks, his expression turning gloomy. Looking at the Strike and the Zero before him, and then glancing at the distant ZAFT warship, he knew clearly that in the current situation, he could no longer gain any advantage-his custom CGUE had sustained heavy damage with severely reduced mobility, making it impossible to continue skirmishing with the Strike and the Zero; moreover, the soldiers of the ZAFT fleet held Lacus in extremely high regard and obeyed her commands. With no reinforcements and unable to mobilize the forces of the ZAFT fleet, continuing the fight would only plunge himself into a desperate situation.
More importantly, Lacus held immense influence within ZAFT. If he stubbornly defied Lacus's orders and continued fighting, not only would he be viewed as a rebel by ZAFT soldiers, but he would also thoroughly alienate Lacus and Akira, potentially even affecting his subsequent plans. Weighing the pros and cons, Rau ultimately had no choice but to compromise.
"Hmph, truly uninteresting." Rau's voice transmitted through the general communication channel, carrying a hint of lingering dissatisfaction and playful amusement. "Since Miss Lacus has spoken, I shall spare their lives for the time being." With that, Rau operated the damaged custom CGUE to turn around and fly rapidly toward the distant outer space, disappearing into the stardust shortly after as he completely withdrew from the battlefield.
Seeing Rau retreat, both Kira and Mu breathed sighs of relief, their tense nerves finally relaxing. They chose not to pursue-Rau's piloting skills were extremely high, and they were unsure whether Rau had reinforcements. Rashly pursuing might lead them into an ambush, and furthermore, the Archangel required Kira and Mu to return for maintenance and resupply. Thus, they could only watch helplessly as Rau withdrew.
"Alright, Kira, let's return to the Archangel as well," Mu said to Kira in a calm tone. "Murrue and Natarle Badgiruel should already be waiting for us on the ship. Besides, the Archangel also needs to rendezvous with the Vanguard Team as soon as possible for personnel and ammunition resupply."
"Alright, Mr. Mu." Kira acknowledged, immediately operating the Strike Gundam to turn around alongside Mu's Zero and fly rapidly toward the direction of the Archangel.
In the distant stardust, the Archangel slowly started up, accelerating toward the Vanguard Team's location—upon learning that Rau had retreated and that Kira and Mu were safe, Murrue had immediately ordered the Archangel to accelerate toward the rendezvous point with the Vanguard Team for maintenance and resupply. As for what would happen after Kira returned to the Archangel, with Murrue and Natarle Badgiruel playing good cop and bad cop to sternly reprimand Kira for starting up the Strike without authorization and taking away the enemy, while Mu helped mediate on the side to defuse Kira's crisis—that was an internal matter of the Archangel and temporarily had little to do with Akira and Lacus.
However, Flay being taken away by Akira was an accident that had never occurred in the original plot. Flay's father was an Earth Alliance diplomat currently stationed with the Eighth Fleet's Vanguard Team. Once he learned that his daughter had been taken away by the ZAFT commander Mei Hock, he would inevitably fly into a rage and might even refuse personnel and ammunition resupplies to the Archangel on that account, or perhaps order a full-scale encirclement and suppression of the ZAFT fleet where Akira was located, which would trigger yet another new wave of turmoil and crisis.
On the other side, aboard the ZAFT warship, Akira carried the unconscious Flay to his temporary lounge. Gently placing Flay onto the bed, he carefully removed her spacesuit and changed her into lightweight civilian clothing-which he had prepared in advance to prevent Flay from being treated as an enemy by ZAFT soldiers upon waking up. Since Flay was dressed in civilian attire and Akira had not deliberately explained her identity, the ZAFT soldiers on the warship simply regarded Flay as a hostage hijacked by Akira from the Archangel, probing no further and asking no questions. They merely followed Akira's orders to post guards outside the lounge responsible for watching over her and ensuring Flay's safety.
After settling Flay, Akira turned and left the lounge, heading toward the warship's bridge-he needed to rendezvous with Lacus immediately, explain to Le Creuset why he had appeared on the Archangel, and concurrently report the situation to ZAFT military headquarters while requesting them to dispatch a spaceship to escort himself and Lacus back to PLANT. Lacus had been led by Athrun to the warship's lounge to rest temporarily while awaiting Akira's news.
When Akira arrived at the bridge, Lacus was already waiting for him there, accompanied by Athrun and several senior ZAFT officers standing to the side with serious expressions as they looked at Akira. Seeing Akira walk in, Lacus immediately greeted him, gazing at him tenderly with a soft inquiry: "Akira, is Flay settled in? Is everything alright?"
Akira nodded and spoke gently: "Don't worry, Lacus, I've settled her in. She was merely knocked out by me and hasn't suffered any harm; she will wake up shortly." With that, Akira turned his gaze to the communicator in the center of the bridge, speaking in a calm tone: "Open a communication channel with Captain Le Creuset; I need to speak with him privately. In addition, report the situation to ZAFT military headquarters immediately, stating that we have found Miss Lacus and successfully retreated from the Archangel, and request headquarters to arrange a spaceship for me to escort Miss Lacus back to PLANT."
"Understood, Major Hawke!" A ZAFT soldier acknowledged immediately, swiftly operating the communicator to connect with Le Creuset while sending the reporting information to ZAFT military headquarters.
Soon, Rau's figure appeared on the communicator screen. His expression remained gloomy, a trace of confusion and playful amusement lingering in his eyes as he looked at Akira and spoke in a cold tone: "Mei Hock, what business do you have seeking me? What? Having just escaped from the Archangel, are you eager to flaunt your battle achievements to me? Or do you harbor some conspiracy to plot against me?"
Akira looked at Rau on the screen with a calm expression devoid of any emotion, speaking slowly: "Captain Le Creuset, I seek you for no other reason than to have a private chat regarding why I appeared on the Archangel, concerning Miss Lacus, and regarding our subsequent plans. I believe we have many matters that require a thorough discussion. Let us set the location in your captain's room; I am coming over to see you right now. How is that?"
Hearing Akira's words, the confusion in Rau's eyes deepened. He did not know what Akira's intentions were, why he wanted to initiate a private conversation, or what "plan" Akira spoke of. Yet he also harbored intense curiosity, wanting to see what kind of games Akira was playing and what words Akira had for him. Furthermore, he was not worried that Akira would pose a threat to him.
Pondering for a moment, Rau hooked the corner of his mouth into an eerie smile, speaking to Akira in a playful tone: "Very well, I agree. I will wait for you in my captain's room. I want to see what on earth you have to say to me. However, Mei Hock, you had best not play any tricks, or you will bear the consequences."
"Rest assured, Captain Le Creuset, I shall play no tricks." Akira said calmly, "I am coming to see you right now." With that, Akira hung up the communicator and nodded gently toward Lacus, speaking softly: "Lacus, wait for my return; I will be back shortly. Stay here and wait for me properly, don't run around, and Athrun will protect you."
"Alright, Akira, I will wait for you. Be careful." Lacus nodded, her eyes filled with worry and lingering affection as she reached out to gently grasp Akira's hand: "Le Creuset is crafty, you must not let your guard down. If anything happens, contact me immediately."
"I know, don't worry." Akira gently patted Lacus's hand and turned, walking toward the captain's room. Athrun watched Akira's back and spoke to him in a firm tone: "Akira-senpai, go ahead with peace of mind. I will protect Miss Lacus well and ensure she suffers no harm."
Akira did not look back, merely nodding slightly to indicate he understood, and his figure quickly vanished around the corner.
After Akira left, Athrun walked up to Lacus, his tone carrying a touch of concern as he inquired softly: "Lacus, during this time on the Archangel, did you suffer any grievances? Akira-senpai has been accompanying you-has everything been alright?"
Lacus shook her head gently, a gentle smile still lingering on her face, yet inadvertently increasing the distance between herself and Athrun. Her tone was polite yet detached: "I am fine, Athrun. Thanks to Akira-senpai, I was able to escape safely." This detachment was not deliberate hostility; firstly, her heart had long since been anchored on Akira, and she wished not to cause misunderstandings with Akira through excessive closeness to Athrun; secondly, and more importantly, she felt a profound aversion from the bottom of her heart toward PLANT's marriage system-PLANT's laws forcibly assigned marriage partners to Coordinators based on genetic compatibility and even mandated that both parties must bear offspring to ensure the continuation of the Coordinator race. For Coordinators who were already emotionally detached, this was both a protection and an inescapable shackle. Especially now that she had someone she loved, this forcibly arranged marital contract became an even harder-to-accept fetter.
Athrun watched the deliberate distance she maintained, a trace of realization flashing through his eyes, though he did not point it out. Although they were designated fiancés under PLANT law and childhood playmates who grew up together, he knew better than anyone that Lacus appeared gentle but possessed an exceptionally strong will in her bones. He sighed softly, shifting the topic to recount the events of this period. The two chatted back and forth; the atmosphere was peaceful yet constantly maintained a thin layer of distance.
At that moment, Lacus's peripheral vision caught sight of a figure at the bridge entrance. A smile instantly bloomed in her eyes, and her tone turned brisk as she waved toward the entrance: "Akira, you're back!"
Athrun turned his head following her gaze just in time to see Akira walk in, his expression remaining calm and composed. He acutely perceived the change in Lacus-that deliberate detachment had completely faded, replaced by irrepressible joy and reliance, a change belonging solely to Akira. Athrun's heart stirred slightly, but he said nothing more, merely shaking his head gently. He had known Lacus since childhood and sincerely wished for her happiness; now that she had found the one who stirred her heart, he ought to be happy for her. It was simply that PLANT's laws were like invisible shackles. Thinking of this, Athrun pursued the matter no further; he was fundamentally just a warrior whose mind rested entirely on the battlefield, and he truly wished to avoid entangling himself in such complex trivialities intertwining politics and emotion, trusting that Lacus had her own judgment.
Akira walked into the lounge, his gaze sweeping over everyone before nodding slightly first toward Athrun, then looking at the two familiar figures standing to the side-Yzak Joule, Dearka Elsman, and Nicol Amalfi, all three of whom were his juniors from his days at the ZAFT military academy. Speaking of those years, Yzak possessed a fiery temper, always eager to outdo others in the military academy, and had frequently provoked Akira out of defiance, resulting in his fair share of discipline from Akira. Fortunately, relying on his exceptional talent, Akira graduated from the military academy six months ahead of schedule; otherwise, Yzak probably would have endured a few more "lessons."
Seeing Akira, Yzak's expression darkened instantly. His brow furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with defiance yet helplessness-he knew clearly in his heart that his own strength fell far short of Akira's. Back then in the military academy's mobile suit simulation combat, when he teamed up with Athrun, Dearka, and Nicol, they had all been easily "schooled" by Akira. This disparity was one he could never bridge, forcing him to quietly bottle up his frustration and contend with himself.
Dearka was much more composed and easygoing than Yzak. He and Nicol raised their hands slightly toward Akira, greeting him with a smile: "Akira-senpai, long time no see." With that, he turned to gently pat Yzak's shoulder, a hint of playful teasing in his gaze as he silently placated his hot-tempered companion.
Looking at them, Akira's mouth hooked into a faint smile as he nodded in response, his tone calm yet carrying the gentle warmth of an elder toward juniors: "Long time no see, you guys haven't changed much." A simple greeting lightly brushed past the past days at the military academy without deliberately mentioning the past contests, giving Yzak ample room to save face.
After exchanging brief pleasantries with everyone, Akira walked over to Lacus and spoke softly: "Lacus, we should go; the aircraft arranged by military headquarters is ready." Lacus nodded gently, her eyes filled with obedience as she took the initiative to follow behind Akira.
The two walked out of the bridge together and boarded a small aircraft waiting nearby. At this point, several hours had passed since Akira left the Archangel. Gazing out the window at the vast universe, Akira pondered inwardly: according to time calculations, the Archangel should by now have successfully rendezvoused with the Vanguard Team and completed maintenance and resupply operations. In the original plot, Yzak's attack on the civilian shuttle driven by a desire for merit after losing to the Strike and suffering defeat would likely not occur now that he was intervening to mediate.
With these thoughts in mind, Akira lowered his head to look at the communicator in his hand, his fingertip gently pressing the exclusive communication channel of the Silver Wing squad-he needed to contact his "Silver Wing" squad to inform them that he and Lacus were about to embark on their return journey to PLANT, provide the rendezvous coordinates, and simultaneously instruct the squad to closely monitor the movements of the Archangel and Rau's forces to guard against any unexpected occurrences.
Before you continue