Although in Heliopolis both of ZAFT's high-speed warships had been heavily damaged and were forced to return to ZAFT's homeland for repairs, ZAFT was, after all, a power rooted in space. Rau Le Creuset easily located a nearby ZAFT patrol fleet.
After completing the data transfer for the four Gundams seized from the Earth Alliance, the two damaged warships continued back to ZAFT territory for repairs. Meanwhile, Creuset, along with the pilots of the four Gundams, transferred to the patrol fleet with their machines to continue their mission: destroy the Archangel and the Strike Gundam.
The patrol fleet's personnel were somewhat displeased, but after confirming that the orders came directly from ZAFT headquarters, they accepted the fact that they would be temporarily under Creuset's command.
Although the ZAFT Council was quite satisfied with the results of this special operation and even praised the task force, at this moment, the Gundam pilots—who should have been basking in glory—sat in the lounge with their heads down, the air heavy with gloom.
"Damn it… that cub…"
Yzak Joule, his white hair glinting under the lights, squinted his eyes as if he could tear apart the Jegan that had destroyed the propulsion systems of the two warships with his bare hands.
Without a doubt, that hit-and-run assault had not only taken out the ships' propulsion systems and some of their cannons, but two GINNs that had scrambled for an emergency launch were also destroyed by Jegan. The outcome was like two resounding slaps across the faces of every ZAFT Red uniform present.
Though Yzak wanted to lash out at Athrun, after reviewing the battle footage, he could only swallow his anger.
"You just wait, cub. The next time we meet—"
"All right, Yzak, calm down for now."
Nearby, Nicol, with his head of soft green curls, stood at the center of the room, trying to ease the tension.
"Our top priority is to locate that 'long-legs.' Besides, that cub should be with it as well."
"Tch… Dearka, next time we run into that cub, you're coming with me."
Yzak had clearly marked Jegan as his must-kill target.
"Yeah, I got it."
Leaning against the wall, the blond, dark-skinned Dearka gave Yzak a thumbs-up.
"By the way, Athrun, what are you thinking about?"
"…The one piloting the Strike Gundam is a childhood friend of mine. He was supposed to have emigrated to Orb."
Athrun sat in his chair, his face dark with thought.
"The Earth Alliance forced your friend to pilot that Gundam?"
Dearka's usual smile faded, his expression turning serious.
Anyone would feel conflicted upon discovering that a friend stood among the enemy on the battlefield.
"…I don't know."
Athrun's voice was firm, but filled with uncertainty.
"I just remembered… there are quite a few Coordinators who emigrated to Orb."
"You mean… you think that cub's pilot might also be a Coordinator?"
Hearing that speculation, Nicol frowned.
"I hope not… but those smooth movements…"
Athrun scratched his head. Normally the calmest among them, even he felt restless now.
To have his friend standing opposite him in battle—and to face someone who might also be a Coordinator—was throwing his mind into turmoil.
"…If you can't pull the trigger, leave it to me."
Yzak, who had been furious moments before, had now calmed down slightly.
"No matter who they are, once they stand on the opposite side of the battlefield, they're our enemy."
"What are our excellent pilots chatting about here?"
At that moment, the lounge door slid open, and Rau Le Creuset drifted in.
"But whatever you're talking about, put it aside for now. Go get ready for sortie."
"We've caught the trail of the 'long-legs.'"
-----------------------------------
"So, you really aren't a Coordinator?"
Inside the Archangel's hangar, Murrue let out a small sigh of relief.
Just preparing to cover up the fact that Kira was a Coordinator once they entered Artemis Fortress was already giving her a headache. If Roz turned out to be one too, Murrue might have had to start looking for other options.
"I swear, even if you ran a genetic test on me, I'd still come out as a Natural."
Roz raised his right hand helplessly.
In this era of space colonization, the genes of Naturals living in space did change slightly due to the environment, but not by much — Earth's genetic tests accounted for a normal variance range. Coordinators, however, had deliberately altered genetic markers in certain fixed positions to better adapt to space environments, making them easy to identify.
"Newtypes should still count as Naturals, right?" Roz thought to himself.
"All right… remember to lock your unit."
Without really thinking, Murrue said those words. Then, realizing something, her cheeks flushed slightly. She made up a random excuse and left quickly.
"What was that about…"
Roz scratched his head, clearly not understanding what Murrue was thinking.
"As expected, you really are dense."
Christina, who had been watching for a while, shook her head.
"The Artemis Fortress is under the Eurasian Federation, while the Archangel and Captain Ramius belong to the Atlantic Federation. When we arrive at Artemis, there will definitely be… complications."
"Oh… I see…"
Roz understood then. In the end, it was still the same — internal power struggles. However, Roz had already made some preparations long ago.
To begin with, Jegan used the same biometric system as Unicorn — scanning the pilot's physiological data down to the capillaries for identity verification. Even its data connection port was completely different from standard models. If anyone tried to read the data using a makeshift connector without the proper authorization code, the linked device would burn out within 1.5 seconds.
After all, in Gundam productions, mobile suits being hijacked for various reasons was practically a tradition — Roz couldn't take chances. Even if Jegan wasn't likely to be stolen, he had decided from the start to lock it down.
"There's nothing wrong with the unit. Just some fatigue in the leg frame, and the battery's a bit low."
Christina withdrew her customized tablet and unplugged the data cable from Jegan.
The Jegan's armor, which had been open for maintenance, folded back into place and locked with a click.
"Roz, you can't keep using Jegan's legs to kick other mobile suits like before. Otherwise, the leg frame will snap."
"All right, I understand. I'll be careful."
Roz nodded and closed the cockpit hatch.
"Phew… if I'm not fighting, I'm repairing. I'm starving. Let's go eat, Christina."
Before Christina could respond, Roz grabbed her hand and started walking toward the cafeteria.
Inside, a few civilians, anxious but doing their best, had taken on cooking duties.
However, judging by the fact that the only thing on the menu was sandwiches, it was clear that the ship's supplies were running dangerously low.
-----------------------------------
"How's the situation now?"
After stopping by the infirmary to have the wound on her shoulder checked, Murrue returned to the bridge.
While she was in the infirmary, one of the Orb civilians—originally a surgeon—was astonished to see that her wound had already scabbed over and was even beginning to grow new tissue. He kept muttering things like "a medical miracle" inside the infirmary.
Even in the era of space colonization, a gunshot wound like Murrue's would normally take two to three days to heal to this extent, even with the most advanced medical pods.
Listening to the doctor ramble, Murrue couldn't help but recall the emergency surgery Roz had performed on her back then—or rather, the "ZAFT-made healing spray" he had used afterward.
Unfortunately, the doctor told her that he had "never seen any so-called healing spray, at least not in the civilian market."
Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Murrue focused on the situation.
The Archangel had already established contact with Artemis Fortress and was undergoing identity verification.
"They've tentatively confirmed that we belong to the Earth Forces. So far, things seem to be going smoothly."
Beside her, Natarle was in charge of communication with the officer at Artemis Fortress and had just received clearance to enter.
"Don't let your guard down, Ensign Badgiruel. Until we return to the Atlantic Federation, we're not safe yet."
Mu did not relax. On the contrary, he became even more alert.
Just then, a transmission came through.
"This is Artemis Fortress. Welcome, Archangel."
It was the communicator from Artemis Fortress. On the bridge screen, the fortress's massive gate opened, releasing guidance beams to lead them in.
"Our radar has detected two ZAFT warships behind you. Please enter the fortress immediately. We're about to activate the Artemis Umbrella."
The Artemis Umbrella was a shield system that enveloped the entire asteroid housing the fortress. Powered by the fortress's massive reactor, it provided formidable defense—this was the very reason Artemis was known as the "Impregnable Fortress."
However, because they always raised their shields the moment they encountered ZAFT, many ZAFT soldiers mockingly called Artemis Fortress a "Turtle."
-----------------------------------
"Artemis Fortress… So the first stop for the long-legged one really is the Turtle for resupply."
From a distance, two ZAFT Nazca-class fast battleships watched the now-shielded Artemis Fortress.
To Rau Le Creuset, facing an enemy that immediately went all-out on defense was rather dull.
Still, there were some interesting things among the Gundams they had captured from the Earth Forces. Perhaps something among them could crack that shield.
"Nicol, if I recall correctly, the Blitz Gundam has a Mirage Colloid Stealth System, right? Then let's make this your debut."
Creuset smiled suddenly and began issuing orders.
"Have the ships pull back. Nicol, launch in the Blitz Gundam and destroy Artemis Fortress's shield generator. Once the shield is down, we'll move in to attack."
The two Nazca-class warships began to retreat, leaving Artemis's detection range.
After they turned away, one of the ships opened its launch catapult.
A black mobile suit was ejected—and vanished into the void of space.
-----------------------------------
After the Archangel came to a stop, Roz checked the mobile suit's lock status.
"Kira, remember to lock your unit. Make sure no one but you can start it."
Roz quietly approached Kira and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Although the ship hadn't completely docked yet, that uneasy, prickling feeling from all directions kept ringing in Roz's mind.
"Ah? Roz?"
Still sitting in the cockpit, Kira froze for a moment, clearly not understanding yet.
"Listen to him, Kira. Lock the unit."
At that moment, Mu appeared in the hangar from somewhere, his expression serious.
"They're not coming with good intentions."
Roz glanced at the hangar door and narrowed his eyes.
"Remember, Kira—don't say anything when the time comes. Leave it to me and Uncle Mu."
After Kira finished locking the unit, Mu immediately sent him back to his quarters.
"You're not leaving?"
Mu frowned when he saw Roz still standing motionless in the hangar.
"Mu, let me ask you something."
As the moment approached, Roz somehow felt calmer.
"…Go ahead."
Mu didn't understand what Roz was getting at, but he still replied.
"Do you think that I, and Kira, are your comrades—and everyone's comrades aboard the Archangel?"
Roz's brainwaves had already detected it—dozens of hostile presences had boarded the ship.
"Are you kidding? Of course we're comrades. Without you two, it would've been hard for us to escape Heliopolis."
Mu was clearly not following Roz's train of thought and looked stunned.
"Good. Mu, we didn't fight outside Artemis Fortress, so they don't know what we're capable of."
Roz nodded, his tone serious.
"From this moment until we leave Artemis, your identity is the temporary pilot of the Strike Gundam. I remain the pilot of the Jegan."
When Roz said that, Mu immediately understood.
Roz intended to erase Kira's identity as the Strike's pilot. After all, Kira was a Coordinator, and in the Earth Forces, most people harbored hatred toward Coordinators. No matter where such a person came from, being discovered would cause serious trouble.
"…I understand. Be careful on your end too."
Just as Mu finished speaking, two teams of assault troopers in space suits entered the hangar.
-----------------------------------
Because Roz and Mu held different statuses, Mu, along with Murrue and Natarle, were directly escorted by the marines to the command center of Artemis. Roz, however, was taken to the cafeteria together with the maintenance crew.
After being brought to the cafeteria, Roz glanced around briefly.
Christina was sitting near the entrance, idly toying with a pencil in her hand.
Kira and his friends had been seated further inside.
"I've already tapped into their communication channel."
Christina's voice came through Roz's earpiece, but her lips didn't move at all.
Only faint data streams occasionally flickered in her eyes.
Maintaining an uncharacteristically casual attitude that Kira and the others had never seen before, Roz sat down across from Christina, near the door.
"Murrue, Natarle, and Mu have all been detained. I've already found the fortress map in their system."
Roz placed his hand on the table and began lightly tapping it with his fingers, like playing a piano—without making a sound.
Although others couldn't tell, Christina's artificial eye could precisely read the Morse code Roz was tapping out.
His index and middle fingers represented short taps; his ring finger, long ones.
"Wait for the opportunity"—that was the message Roz conveyed.
Christina made no other movement. From a hidden compartment in her left leg, covered by her lab coat, a small mechanical arm extended through her trousers, handing Roz a custom-made pistol.
An RE45 Auto handgun—Roz's customized version could switch between single-shot and three-round burst modes, something he had built himself out of boredom in the factory.
Reality wasn't a game; when you got shot, there was no respawn beacon.
Under Christina's cover, Roz took the pistol and stored it away.
"…Linked to friendly communicators."
Christina silently connected to the maintenance crew's headsets.
"This is Christina. I've tapped into their internal comm line. Don't make any other movements. Stay silent."
Kojiro Murdoch, the usually short-tempered head of the maintenance crew, froze for a moment when his headset quietly connected to Christina's feed.
After all, Christina was still sitting there fiddling with her pencil, not saying a word.
At that moment, internal communications from Artemis began to come through the channel. The more Murdoch listened, the tighter his hand clenched.
-----------------------------------
After being detained by Artemis Fortress's commander, Gerard, and locked inside a room, Murrue and Natarle were pacing anxiously.
In contrast, Mu was inexplicably calm.
There were no communication devices here, not even surveillance cameras.
"Beep… beep…"
At that moment, the earpiece in Murrue's pocket began receiving a transmission request.
When Natarle and Mu looked at her, Murrue suddenly remembered that she still had a communication earpiece with her.
She adjusted the volume so everyone in the room could hear the faint voice coming through.
"This is Murrue Ramius."
"This is Christina. Captain Ramius, I'll skip the small talk—right now, the entire Archangel has been seized by Artemis's marines."
In the Archangel's cafeteria, Christina was staring coldly at two imposing officers who had just entered.
"These are the communication logs I intercepted from them. Please wait for the next contact. Roz and I are preparing to act."
Christina stopped spinning her pencil and gripped it in reverse.
"Where are the two MS pilots and the technician of this warship?"
Having just inspected the hangar, Gerard was in a good mood. He had not only captured a warship and two mobile suits belonging to the Atlantic Federation but also gained an unexpected bonus—a completely unknown MS.
However, both machines had been locked, which irritated him slightly.
"MS pilots? What about them? Didn't our captain tell you?"
Facing the overbearing officer before him, Arnold, the Archangel's helmsman, replied mockingly.
Being forcibly detained in the cafeteria by supposed Earth Alliance comrades, the Archangel's crew was already seething with anger.
Moreover, as a covert operations unit, they only took orders from their direct superior officers.
Gerard maintained his sneer, but his adjutant suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Arnold by the collar.
"Well now… no need to get so tense."
Seeing Kira being restrained by his friends, Roz put on a nonchalant, almost playful expression and stood up.
"This is an internal Earth Forces matter. Civilians, stay out of it."
Gerard's adjutant looked at Roz with disdain but didn't let go of Arnold.
"Oh? Weren't you people looking for me all along?"
Roz moved slightly closer to Gerard and his adjutant, while his left hand, hidden behind him, made a gesture toward Christina.
"Currently, the only ones piloting MS on this ship are me and Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, who temporarily operated the Strike Gundam."
"So, what is it you're looking for from me?"
Before Kira's shocked eyes, Roz casually stripped him of the identity of Strike Gundam's pilot.
"Hmph… fine then. In that case, hand over your mobile suit's data."
Gerard, failing to notice Roz's subtle actions, narrowed his eyes greedily.
"Ah, that won't do. I'm just a space junk dealer—I don't do losing trades."
Roz shrugged, standing at a perfect distance.
"…You dare bargain with me?"
Gerard, long accustomed to authority, had never been treated this way. Instinctively, he reached out, trying to grab Roz by the collar.
The moment he stepped closer, Roz's expression changed instantly. From his sleeve, a pistol slid into his hand, and with a casual motion, he fired—hitting Gerard in the thigh.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out. As the marines began to react, intending to fire back, a piercing shriek filled their earpieces—and in the next instant, a figure in a white lab coat moved through them at a ghostlike speed, leaving behind bloodstained visors and punctured suits.
-----------------------------------
The world seemed to come to a halt before her eyes — everything frozen still, except for herself, moving freely within it.
It had been a long time since Christina had entered this state.
The cybernetic component called Apogee Sandevistan, as Roz referred to it, was operating within Christina's body. Movements that once seemed swift to her enemies now appeared as slow as crawling turtles.
Christina reached out her hand — the immense strength granted by her cybernetics, combined with the acceleration from Sandevistan, allowed her pencil to easily pierce through the marines' space suits, stabbing into their necks and arms.
Then, with elegance, she withdrew the pencil and moved on to seek her next target.
A strange sense of unreality washed over her. Under such acceleration, the world felt like a slowed-down game.
But fortunately, Christina still remembered her mission. She reached out, pinned the last marine to the ground, and drove the pencil precisely through his palm and neck.
The acceleration ended — and the world roared back to life.
The marines all collapsed in unison, each in a different pose. Gerard was pinned to the floor by Roz, held down in a suffocating grip with a handgun pressed tightly against his temple.
At the same time, Gerard's adjutant, having just regained his senses, reached for a fallen weapon.
A second later, a bloodstained pencil shot straight into his temple.
Gerard barely had time to react before he saw his adjutant fall dead before him — a bloody pencil protruding from his head.
"You… you…"
By now, Gerard was completely terrified. The battle had ended almost in an instant, leaving the civilians around them in stunned silence.
"...Someone about to die shouldn't waste words."
Roz nodded to Christina.
Immediately afterward, Gerard's communications began to play over the ship's intercom.
"Ever since you boarded this ship, I've been monitoring your transmissions."
From the speakers came Gerard's own voice, shouting things like: "Eliminate everyone aboard the Archangel," and "Purge the civilians if necessary." The crowd's expressions turned furious as they listened.
"Uncle Murdoch, can I leave the hangar to you?"
Roz glanced toward the mechanics who were already arming themselves.
"Don't worry, leave it to us!" Murdoch had already prepared for battle. Earlier, they'd hesitated out of loyalty to their fellow soldiers, but after hearing the truth, all they could do was pull the trigger.
"...Christina, can you still hold on?" Roz asked, watching as she clutched her head with one hand. He sighed softly. "Do you remember what I told you? If you start feeling disoriented or unreal — stop immediately. Are you still lucid?"
"...Yes. I'm fine. I can keep going."
After using Sandevistan, the feeling of unreality that constantly surrounded Christina's senses eased slightly at Roz's words.
Then she glanced at the new squad of marines rushing into the cafeteria. The white sleeve of her lab coat suddenly split apart, exposing her arm — which unfolded, revealing two sharp, mantis-like blades.
Her eyes gleamed a dangerous red as she extended the twin mantis blades, darting forward and piercing through the marines' bodies with ease.
Before the stunned faces of the Archangel's crew and the terrified expressions of the civilians, Christina calmly pulled her mantis blades free from the now-lifeless soldiers.
...........
📢Advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: [email protected]/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
1. 20 advanced chapters of The Witcher: Wolf School's Hunting Notes.
2. 30 advanced chapters of What year is this? You're still writing a traditional diary?.