Akito turned to look at Sayanami, Naruse Yukiya, and Kousaka Ayano. All three were looking at him too.
They had once entered Brain Raid together, dragged into the same madness by blood, commands to die, and the endless slaughter deep within Akito. They had seen his dead brother, seen how the words "go die" had been driven deep into a child's consciousness, and briefly shared his almost inhuman combat instincts through mental synchronization.
After that, they no longer regarded Akito as a monster who might lose control at any moment.
Kousaka Ayano nodded first, and Naruse Yukiya said, "If that's the case, I'd like to be directly involved in designing the Isolation Interface between the Flight Control System and Brain Raid. I might not look it right now, but I'm actually very good with this kind of technology!"
Sayanami grinned. "If you really do fly up there, don't come back acting like you're the only one who's ever seen Blue Star."
Akito turned back to Lin Cuo, something like a holy light now shining in his eyes.
"Your Excellency, I'm willing to take part."
Lin Cuo's eyes lit up. "Excellent. Starting today, you-"
"But I have a condition. Ryo, Yukiya, and Ayano must join the Mission Safety Committee."
"Of course. Akito himself will have the final right of refusal, and refusing will not affect his rights as a citizen or any future appointments."
Kousaka Ayano still had not fully relaxed.
"What if you suddenly demand a forced launch on the grounds of a crisis threatening civilization, national security, or special authorization from the Regent?"
Lin Cuo fell silent for a moment. This woman had clearly studied his methods beforehand. Surely people weren't going to keep getting harder to fool?
Still, capable workhorses like these were exactly what Great Han needed