"What... is going on?" Cagalli stared blankly at her surroundings, her mind reeling from successive shocks.
Uzumi didn't disturb the others at work, even stopping Cagalli when she tried to step forward and demand answers. It wasn't until Sumeragi had relayed all her orders and a brief respite arrived that he approached to inquire.
"Is it time?" Uzumi asked.
"Yes. It's time to declare Orb's resolve to the rest of the world," Sumeragi replied with a nod.
"Isn't it too soon?"
"No." As she spoke, Sumeragi pulled up several intelligence reports, expanding Orb's map to a global scale. Marked on it were the troop deployments and movement trajectories of both the ZAFT Forces and the Earth Forces.
"Since last month, ZAFT has been continuously airdropping forces to Earth, and ZAFT's military movements on the planet have been extremely frequent. All signs point here."
"Panama. ZAFT intends to trap the Earth Forces on Earth."
"The Panama Spaceport is the last spaceport under Earth Forces control. If it falls, the connection between Earth and the lunar base at the crater will be completely severed. Space will become ZAFT's playground, and with air superiority, they'll treat Earth as their own backyard."
Hearing this, Uzumi understood the gravity of the situation. Currently, the war between the Earth Forces and ZAFT was in a delicate balance. Though the Earth Forces were at a disadvantage, they could still hold their ground against ZAFT.
At the same time, the Earth Forces were on the verge of deploying their own MS units. If successful, the scales of victory would tip slightly in their favor—but only marginally. The war wouldn't turn around immediately. Instead, it would escalate into an even more brutal and intense arms race.
But... if ZAFT captured Panama, the Earth Forces would be completely trapped on Earth. Their options would narrow to two: either reclaim one of the three spaceports—Panama, Victoria, or Kaohsiung—at any cost, or turn to Orb.
"And that's just the surface-level situation."
"Surface-level?" Uzumi frowned slightly.
"Correct." Sumeragi nodded, and several additional units appeared on the world map, their movement arrows shifting direction.
"This is—!"
"Exactly. According to intelligence Liumei received, ZAFT is undoubtedly preparing for a large-scale operation. But their target... may not be Panama. It could be the Atlantic Federation's central command—the Joshua Base in Alaska. Or perhaps both!"
"...A feint to mislead, while the real strike comes from elsewhere. ZAFT is planning something ruthless."
"Hmph. If that were all, we wouldn't be revealing our strength now." Sumeragi smirked coldly, pulling up another classified document.
"This—!" Uzumi's face paled at the sight of the file.
"Indeed. ZAFT's ruthlessness pales in comparison to the Atlantic Federation's scum."
"Is the intel reliable?"
"Absolutely. The agent who delivered it infiltrated the operation under the guise of an engineer."
"Where is he now?"
"..."
"I see..."
Sumeragi's silence gave Uzumi his answer—one he had dreaded most. Another nameless hero had fallen.
"Lord Uzumi, you must be aware of what the future holds if the Atlantic Federation succeeds."
"..."
Uzumi remained silent. Should the Atlantic Federation's scheme prevail, the flames of hatred would spread uncontrollably, impossible to extinguish. The entire world would be plunged into the vortex of war, sparing no one.
"Between Naturals and Coordinators, between the Atlantic Federation and ZAFT... this hatred... will become irreconcilable." Uzumi closed his eyes in anguish, not only concerned for Orb's future but also grieving for the world. Hadn't Orb already set an example? Why couldn't others understand that Naturals and Coordinators could coexist peacefully?
"Stop joking! What exactly are you planning to do?!" Cagalli, who had remained silent until now, suddenly roared. She could see it clearly—Orb's peace was about to be shattered.
The command center fell into an eerie silence as all eyes turned to Cagalli.
"By doing this, you're pushing Orb toward war! I won't allow it!"
"You won't allow it? And then what?" Sumeragi asked Cagalli calmly.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. You won't allow it—and then what?"
"Then... then... of course, we'll end the war!"
"How?"
"This..."
"Also, who cares about your 'not allowing' it?"
Sumeragi's indifference pierced Cagalli's heart like a sharp blade.
"I... you..."
Cagalli choked on her words, turning to flee, only for Uzumi to grab her arm.
"Where are you going?"
"To stop you, of course! I can't let you destroy Orb!"
"What you want to do is what will destroy Orb," Sumeragi said flatly, arms crossed.
"What did you say?!"
"Do you know how many people have sacrificed everything for this day? How many have died namelessly abroad, all so Orb could stand strong on the international stage, maintaining its neutrality with such resolve that no faction dares underestimate us?"
Sumeragi's questions cut into Cagalli's fragile heart like knives, one after another.
"Do you even know what peace is? Is it acting impulsively and recklessly, doing whatever you want without a second thought?"
"I don't—"
"Really? You know the truth. Are you aware of how much trouble your past actions nearly brought upon Orb? Do you realize how many people would have to pay an unbearable price to clean up the messes you've made?"
"I... I..."
"Watch carefully, Cagalli. See what it truly takes for Orb to survive and uphold its ideals."
With that, Sumeragi waved her hand, and several guards stationed themselves around Cagalli, preventing her from leaving the command center. On one hand, as Sumeragi had said, it was to let Cagalli witness Orb's path forward. On the other, it was to keep her from causing trouble at this critical moment.
Uzumi glanced at Cagalli but ultimately ignored her pleading gaze, continuing his discussion with Sumeragi about the next steps.
"So this time, what exactly do you aim to achieve?" Uzumi asked.
"To intimidate the ZAFT Forces and temporarily deter them from pressuring Orb, while simultaneously showcasing Orb's resolute stance and strength to the world—this is the essence of the [Stage Operation], ensuring Orb firmly steps onto the global stage."
"But the Atlantic Federation will push their advantage."
"Exactly. Once we openly confront the ZAFT Forces, the Atlantic Federation will loudly proclaim that Orb has sided with them and use it to intensify their coercion."
"How do we resolve this?"
"We don't need to."
"We don't need to?"
"Correct. Orb's principles remain unwavering. Holding a press conference will suffice. As for the rest... the Atlantic Federation won't have the bandwidth to act against Orb in the short term. If they do decide to move..."
Uzumi fell silent. He knew what Sumeragi was about to say. Based on current intelligence, the Atlantic Federation's aggression toward Orb was inevitable. Whether this incident served as a pretext or not was irrelevant.
"But we've revealed our hand prematurely."
"It hardly matters. Once the Atlantic Federation makes its move, whether we have cards left or not, we won't be able to stop them," Sumeragi said dejectedly.
Her words plunged Uzumi into silence, and the entire command center followed suit.
Frustration and anger simmered, but this was reality. Orb was too small, a mere leaf boat in the storm against the Atlantic Federation's colossal might, perpetually on the brink of capsizing.
"...Understood." Uzumi patted Sumeragi's shoulder and scanned the room. "Proceed with your plans. I remain Orb's leader. Even if the sky falls, I'll bear the weight for you all!"
"Lord Uzumi!"
"Lord Uzumi!"
"Lord Uzumi..."
...
"Everyone... Orb is in your hands now."
With that, Uzumi left the command center with Cagalli. All questions had been asked, all explanations given. Now, it was time for the younger generation to forge their path.
"Father..."
"From this moment on, you will either stay in your room or go to Dawn Company. No exceptions."
"Father! I—"
"You don't have the right to refuse."
"But if we do this, Orb—"
"Orb's affairs are not your concern. Nor can you influence them."
"But—"
"Enough! Cagalli, Orb stands at a crossroads—either destruction or ascendance. I've indulged you too much. From now on, every step Orb takes is precarious. I won't tolerate your recklessness any longer."
"Father!"
"Kisaka, keep an eye on Cagalli."
"Yes."
"Father!"
As Uzumi departed with his guards, Cagalli tried to follow, but Kisaka seized her arm.
"Let me go, Kisaka! Father is wrong! He shouldn't do this! They'll destroy Orb!"
Despite Cagalli's pleas and tears, Kisaka remained unmoved, eyes shut as he held her fast. He had watched her grow up, serving as her protector—less a guard and more an elder brother.
With Uzumi's tacit approval, Kisaka had often indulged Cagalli's willful behavior—her running away to North Africa being a prime example. But now, he could no longer allow her such recklessness.
Amid tears and pleas, Kisaka forcibly brought Cagalli home and arranged for a large security detail to place her under house arrest. There was no need for her to go to Dawn Company to practice MS piloting anymore. All Cagalli needed to do was quietly play the role of a princess.
...
The Archangel slowly approached the edge of Orb's territorial waters. The ZAFT Forces stationed just outside the maritime boundary watched with bated breath. Tension hung thick in the air—the moment the Archangel crossed that border line, battle would commence.
But at that very moment, an unexpected press conference disrupted everyone's thoughts, especially those of the ZAFT fleet.
"What did you say!?"
"It's true. Orb is holding a press conference, announcing to the world that neighboring nations, in gratitude for the humanitarian aid Orb provided, have ceded portions of their territorial waters to Orb."
"How could this…?" Suddenly, Athrun realized a critical issue and immediately asked, "Are we currently within Orb's borders?"
"..."
Everyone froze, momentarily unable to process the implications.
When no one answered, Athrun quickly opened his terminal and tuned into Orb's live press conference. Just then, the expanded boundaries of Orb's territorial waters were displayed—and he realized exactly where they were positioned.
"Sound the red alert!"
(End of Chapter)