Five days had passed since the Archangel and the Kusanagi made port at Mendel. During that time, Cornelia had thrown herself into orbital combat training with a ferocity that bordered on the obsessive. She was currently maintaining a staggering ninety percent win rate against Dearka in their mock battles, a feat that had effectively ground his pride as a ZAFT "Red Coat" elite into fine cosmic dust. Mu and Dearka were still roughly even, which was the only thing keeping the young ZAFT pilot from a total psychological breakdown.
According to Dearka, the Rapiecage was "cheating." He grumbled incessantly that while his Buster required two separate, massive cannons to alternate between solid shells and beam fire, Cornelia's O.O. Launcher handled both simultaneously with a single trigger pull. To him, it wasn't just a weapon; it was a piece of "over-technology" that defied the common sense of the SEED world.
Eventually, the drills evolved into a "Two vs. One" handicap match: Cornelia versus the combined efforts of Dearka and Mu. The report for their latest session arrived just as a simulated beam from the O.O. Launcher "pierced" the Buster and the Rapiecage's Magnum Beak "severed" the Strike's cockpit.
"Archangel, do you read me?"
"Cagalli-san?" Murrue responded, looking at the main monitor.
"One of the Megillots on the L4 perimeter just picked up a hit," Cagalli reported. "An unidentified battleship is closing in on Mendel. The drone's sensors are picking up biometric signatures for Kira and Athrun inside, so I assume..."
"It's the ship Axel mentioned?" Murrue finished, casting a glance my way. I nodded.
"Patch the Megillot's visual feed through to us," I requested.
"On it," Cagalli replied.
I'd noticed lately that the headstrong, "charge-first" girl we'd met in Africa was beginning to fade, replaced by a leader capable of making cool-headed tactical assessments. It wasn't that her fiery nature had changed—she was still a "wildcat" at her core—but the fact that she was consciously tempering her instincts for the sake of the mission was a sign of genuine growth.
The feed from the Kusanagi flickered onto our screen. It was a sleek, high-speed vessel that looked like a radical evolution of the Nazca-class destroyer. Docked at its bow were the METEOR units—massive mobile weapon platforms that resembled the GP03 Orchis from the old UC records. But more than the silhouette, it was the color that gave it away: a vibrant, unmistakable shade of deep pink. In this entire galaxy, there was only one ship that looked like that.
The Eternal.
"That's her," I confirmed. "Lacus Clyne's prize from the ZAFT shipyards. Kira and Athrun are definitely aboard. If you're still worried, Cagalli, feel free to open a channel."
Cagalli let out a breath she'd clearly been holding for days. Athrun was a man she considered somewhere between a dear friend and a soulmate, and knowing he'd walked into the lion's den of the Plants had clearly been eating at her.
"Right!" she chirped, her voice regaining its usual energy. She hailed the Eternal while keeping our channel open.
"Attention, vessel approaching Mendel. This is the Kusanagi of the Orb Union. Please identify yourselves."
"Cagalli? It's me, Athrun. Kira is here too."
"And... oh my, hello there," a soft, melodic voice chimed in. "I am Lacus Clyne. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"So you're Lacus Clyne," Cagalli said, her tone a mix of curiosity and duty. "We've heard the stories. Am I to understand you're joining our fleet? Technically, we're operating under the banner of Orb."
"Yes, that is correct," Lacus replied. Her voice had a strange, hypnotic quality—the kind of natural charisma that made it clear how a mere pop idol had managed to lead a political resistance against Patrick Zala. "Kira and Athrun have told me much about your group. I believe the future you seek is the same one I envision. It may be a small contribution, but I wish to walk that path alongside you."
I caught Cagalli looking at me through her sub-monitor and gave her a small nod.
"No objections here," I said. "Bring her into the Mendel docks. And... Lacus Clyne, do you read me?"
"I do. And you are?"
"Axel Almar. I suspect that ship of yours hasn't had its final calibrations yet, has it?"
"My... you are quite well-informed, aren't you?"
"We'll discuss the details later. For now, bring the Eternal in. We need to have a serious talk about our next move. Lemon?"
"Already ahead of you," Lemon said, standing up. "I'll take a team of W-Series units over to the Eternal to finish the tuning."
The final actors had taken the stage: the Eternal, Lacus Clyne, and Andrew Waltfeld. From this point on, we were racing against the clock.
A few hours later, after the Eternal had successfully docked, our leadership group—myself, Lemon, Cornelia, Murrue, and Mu—met up with Cagalli and Kisaka to board the pink ship.
"I'd say 'it's been a long time,' but given the circumstances, that might be a bit awkward," a voice greeted us as we entered the bridge. "Andrew Waltfeld, at your service."
The "Desert Tiger" stood before us. The heavy scarring on his face was a grim reminder of the day his LaGOWE was torn apart. He was surrounded by a small group of ZAFT "Green Coats"—members of the Clyne faction. Standing just behind him was his loyal adjutant, Martin DaCosta.
"Axel Almar," I replied. "Leader of Shadow Mirror, allies of Orb."
"Hmph. So you're the one," Waltfeld said, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. He then turned his gaze toward the others.
"I am Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel—currently integrated with Shadow Mirror," Murrue said, her voice steady despite the obvious surprise. "I must admit... I didn't expect to see you again."
"The feeling is mutual, Captain."
"No, it's not just that," Murrue continued. "Axel told us you were on this ship... but after that battle in the desert, we all assumed..."
"Well, life has a funny way of dragging you back when you're not done with it," Waltfeld chuckled, though there was a trace of bitterness in it. He turned to me. "But the fact that you knew I was aboard this vessel... you're a far more mysterious figure than the rumors in the Plants suggest."
I offered a wry smile. "I'll give you the full story when we have more than five minutes to breathe."
As the introductions wound down, a girl in a flowing white ceremonial gown stepped forward. Lacus Clyne.
"I am Lacus Clyne," she said, her voice carrying across the bridge with effortless authority. "I have sought a 'Third Way'—a path that leads neither to a ZAFT victory nor an Alliance triumph. After speaking with Kira and Athrun, I am convinced that your group holds the key to that future. Will you accept my hand in this endeavor?"
I looked her in the eye. "Our objective is to ensure Orb emerges as the victor of this conflict. Does that sit well with your 'Third Way'?"
"It does," she said without hesitation. "The Alliance has nuclear weapons. ZAFT has GENESIS. If the nukes are used, the Coordinators are gone. If GENESIS fires, life on Earth ceases to exist. If the cost of preventing those two nightmares is an Orb-led peace, then I accept you as the victors."
"And if we turn out to be just as monstrous as the people we're replacing?" I challenged.
Lacus didn't flinch. She met my gaze with eyes that were soft yet possessed a terrifying, unbreakable strength of will.
"In that case... we shall become the sword that strikes down Orb and Shadow Mirror. We will stand in your way until the very end."
I stared at her for a beat, then let out a sharp, genuine laugh. "Did you hear that, Lemon?"
"I did," Lemon replied, a faint, amused smile playing on her lips.
The crew of the Eternal bristled, clearly offended that their leader was being laughed at, but I raised a hand to silence them.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not mocking her. It's just been a very long time since someone told me to my face that they'd become my enemy if I stepped out of line. Lacus Clyne... I accept you as a partner in ending this ridiculous war."
I extended my hand. Lacus took it, her grip firm. The alliance was sealed.
"So, tell me," I said, once we'd moved to a more private briefing room. "How much does the Plant leadership actually know about me?"
Waltfeld's expression turned grim. "There's plenty of data, but no one can agree on what's real. We had the benefit of talking to the boys—Kira and Athrun—but the rest of the Plants are just drowning in rumors."
"Except for the high command?"
"Right. The footage of your battle against the Alliance at Orb was sent up by the ground forces. But Chairman Zala didn't like the idea of a 'Third Power'—one that isn't even made of Coordinators—possessing such overwhelming strength. He's suppressed the intelligence. He wants the populace to believe ZAFT is the only relevant force in the galaxy."
"The footage from Orb... how did Zala get his hands on it?" I asked, though I already suspected.
"Rau Le Creuset brought it in personally," Waltfeld said. "God knows how he got it, but he's the one who put it on the Chairman's desk."
"That man again..." Mu muttered under his breath. "The goddamn harbinger of doom."
"Well," I said, stepping forward. "Since Kira and Athrun have likely given you the gist, let's make it official."
I gestured to my team. "I am Axel Almar, commander of Shadow Mirror. This is Lemon Browning, head of our technical and research division. Cornelia li Britannia, our frontline combat commander. And Murrue Ramius—technically Shadow Mirror personnel, currently serving as the Captain of the Archangel. The four of us represent the leadership of this unit. We have one more officer still on the ground in Orb, but you'll meet her when the time is right."
Lemon offered a playful wink, Cornelia a confident nod, and Murrue a warm, professional smile. The "Third Power" was finally whole.
Axel Almar - Status
Level: 37
Current Location: Mendel Docks (L4 Sector)
Allied Fleet: Archangel, Kusanagi, Eternal
Key Allies: Lacus Clyne, Andrew Waltfeld, Athrun Zala, Kira Yamato
Kills: 294
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