When Yang Hui went to find Uzumi, Cagalli indeed recovered her composure after venting her emotions, just as Yang Hui had predicted. She sought out Kira again, who of course had Flay by his side. Also present were Miriallia, Sai, and Katz.
"What's going to happen to us now?" Katz asked with his head lowered.
"We... aren't soldiers anymore, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Archangel has left the military, hasn't it? So we..."
"Desertion in the face of the enemy is a serious crime under military law with no statute of limitations." Seeing Katz's cowardice resurfacing, Sai directly shattered his wishful thinking.
"Actually... I've kept this all along." Katz pulled out a taped-together document from his pocket. "My previous discharge approval."
Hearing this, Sai couldn't bear to listen anymore and ignored Katz, turning his attention to Kira instead. Though still feeling awkward, the pain of loss had helped him mature.
"Kira, how have you been in ZAFT?"
"Um... good. Lacus has been taking good care of me," Kira replied somewhat sheepishly.
"Eh? Lacus? You mean the Lacus who was on the Archangel before?" Everyone was shocked. If they remembered correctly, wasn't Lacus also a noble lady from PLANT? Her status should be similar to Cagalli's in Orb.
Flay tightened her grip on Kira's hand, her trembling eyes pleading for an explanation.
"That's her. I'm not entirely sure about the details myself. I just know that after I woke up, I was at her place, and she's been looking after me ever since. Apparently, someone called Mentor Malchio sent me there."
"Kira!" Flay called out urgently, on the verge of tears, looking as pitiful as an abandoned kitten.
"Don't worry, Flay. Lacus and I are just friends," Kira reassured her. "I think Lacus is taking care of me because of Yang Hui."
"Why is Yang Hui involved now?" Miriallia asked, confused. The relationships seemed to be getting more complicated.
"I don't know the specifics, but the Freedom... Lacus said it was prepared for me by Yang Hui. And..." Kira trailed off, recalling Lacus's close relationship with Yang Hui during her time on the Archangel. Some things were better left unsaid.
"Argh! This doesn't make sense! Isn't the Freedom ZAFT's newest MS? How could it have been prepared for you by Yang Hui? I don't get it!"
"Ahaha, honestly, I don't get it either," Kira laughed awkwardly. These matters were too complex, and with their limited knowledge of the behind-the-scenes dealings, it was impossible for them to understand all the intricacies.
"Kira... you're all here?" Cagalli approached. Though seeing Flay clinging to Kira still irked her, she managed to control her emotions well. She had something important to discuss with Kira.
"Cagalli?"
"Kira, can I talk to you alone?" Cagalli requested.
Hearing this, Flay hugged Kira tighter, eyeing Cagalli warily.
Caught in the middle, Kira found himself in a dilemma. However, Miriallia, Sai, and Katz misunderstood the situation and, with knowing smiles, took their leave to give them space.
But just as they were about to leave, the news Cagalli shared left them utterly stunned.
"By the way, did you have another companion named Tolle?"
"Cagalli!"
Tolle was a forbidden topic among them—no one dared mention him, especially with Miriallia present. She still hadn't recovered from Tolle's death.
"That's not what I meant." Seeing their angry glares, Cagalli quickly realized the misunderstanding and explained, "I meant to say... that guy is still alive."
"What!?" Everyone stared at her in disbelief. Miriallia lunged forward, clutching Cagalli's clothes, tears streaming down her face. "Are you serious? He's really alive?"
"It's true. Weren't you all in a fierce battle near the Marshall Islands? The Strike and Aegis were destroyed together." Here, Cagalli instinctively glanced at Kira. "We sent a search team and found two ZAFT pilots... and your friend. He was nearly dead, but we managed to save him in time."
"Is... is this real? Tolle... Tolle is really alive?" Miriallia trembled, torn between hope and fear that Cagalli might be lying.
"It's true, but..."
"But what?"
"Though he survived... his condition is terrible." Cagalli hesitated. Tolle was alive, yet not truly living—some might say death would have been kinder. Paralyzed from the waist down, with one arm and half his face destroyed, he remained comatose with no signs of waking.
"What exactly happened to him?" Kira and the others pressed. Kira's deadly duel with Athrun, his journey to PLANT to obtain the Freedom—all of it stemmed from Tolle's sacrifice.
If Tolle hadn't died, Kira wouldn't have destroyed the Buster Gundam in rage, Athrun wouldn't have resolved to kill Kira, and their fatal clash might never have happened. Everything afterward would have been different.
Now, learning Tolle was alive left them shocked but overjoyed. The past was the past—survival alone was a miracle.
"Well... never mind. Just come with me. I'll take you to see him," Cagalli said.
"Great! Let's go!" Katz and Miriallia didn't overthink it—they just wanted to see Tolle immediately. But Sai reminded them of their current situation.
"We can't leave the Archangel right now."
"Don't worry. I'll take you. No one will say anything," Cagalli assured them, thumping her chest confidently.
Though Kira and Sai deeply doubted Cagalli's confidence, they shared Katz and Miriallia's longing to see Tolle again. After exchanging nods, they quietly followed Cagalli off the Archangel.
Their departure didn't go unnoticed, of course. Unlike Yang Hui, Cagalli acted impulsively—leaving traces, ignoring consequences, doing as she pleased.
"Captain..."
"I suppose I'm no longer the Archangel's captain, am I, Natarle?"
"No. You are and always will be the Archangel's captain. No one can dispute that."
Upon hearing this, Murrue froze for a moment before breaking into a happy smile. "I'm glad you're back, Natarle."
"...Let's not dwell on that for now, Captain. Just now, Kira, Flay, Miriallia, Sai, and Katz followed Cagalli off the ship."
"What? What exactly happened?" Murrue asked in surprise. They weren't permitted to disembark—Orb had already generously taken them in. If they caused any trouble now, they'd be in an impossible position.
"Apparently... Tolle Koenig is still alive. Cagalli took them to see him."
"What!?" Murrue's eyes widened further as she stood up in shock. "Is this true?"
"The details aren't clear yet, but Cagalli told them this, so it should be accurate." Natarle also found it hard to believe Tolle was alive. After all, Skygrasper Unit 2 had been shot down, and fighter safety measures couldn't compare to those of an MS, let alone the Strike Gundam.
But then again, if Kira could miraculously survive the Aegis Gundam's self-destruction, then perhaps there was hope for Tolle too.
"...Let them go," Murrue decided after some thought.
"But—"
"With Cagalli leading them, I trust Orb won't give us trouble."
"But in that case, Cagalli will... Well, I suppose she's used to being scolded by now."
"Pfft—" Murrue suddenly laughed at Natarle's remark. "When did you become so mischievous?"
"Wha—!"
"Seems like Yang Hui's influence on you hasn't been entirely positive, huh? Hahaha!"
"Stop... Stop laughing!"
...
Not only Murrue and Natarle knew—Yang Hui had also received the news. However, he didn't intervene. They would have learned about Tolle's survival sooner or later. Though Cagalli's impulsive actions had accidentally revealed it early, at least it would ease their minds. As for Cagalli breaking the rules...
As Natarle had said, she was already used to being reprimanded.
After finalizing post-operation matters regarding Papua New Guinea with Uzumi, Yang Hui found himself with some free time. He decided to visit the hospital as well—there were certain things he needed to explain personally to Kira and the others.
He already understood why Cagalli had broken the rules to take them to see Tolle.
"That girl... She's making progress, but why can't she apply it in the right way?"
...
Cagalli led Kira and the others to the hospital's intensive care unit. Due to Tolle's critical condition, he was still under observation, so they could only see him through the glass.
"Tolle! Waaahhh..."
"He's really... Tolle is really alive!"
"Thank goodness... This is such a relief!"
Upon confirming that the figure lying in the hospital bed was indeed Tolle, Kira and the others couldn't hold back their tears.
"What exactly is Tolle's condition now?" Kira asked Cagalli.
"..." Cagalli hesitated, turning her face away to avoid their gazes. "Complete spinal nerve damage resulting in lower-body paralysis, left arm amputated, and half his face disfigured. Though his life was saved, he remains in a coma with no telling when he'll wake up."
"How could this be..." Upon learning of Tolle's tragic condition, Miriallia covered her mouth and stumbled back, collapsing weakly against Sai. If not for Sai and Kira catching her in time, she would have fainted on the spot.
"Tolle..."
"Kira, I hope... you can stop Yang Hui." Cagalli couldn't bear it either, but her purpose in bringing Kira and the others to see Tolle was to let them witness his suffering firsthand, to experience the brutality of war, and then... support her!
"What's going on? What exactly happened? What does Tolle have to do with Yang Hui?" Kira urgently asked.
"You all saw it, didn't you?" Cagalli glanced sideways into the hospital room, gritting her teeth as she spoke to Kira and the others. "War... is this cruel. We can't let it continue! But Yang Hui... Yang Hui is... he's a liar! He deceived all of us!"
"What exactly do you mean? Explain clearly!" Kira pressed.
"He proactively declared war on ZAFT, dragging Orb into it, launching an attack on Papua New Guinea. He lied to us! He never intended to protect Orb! He just wanted to start a war! So Kira... I beg you, help me, help me stop him, save Orb. If this continues, Orb will..."
"Will what?"
Yang Hui's voice suddenly rang out. Cagalli turned in shock to see him standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at her with cold, emotionless eyes.
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