A few days after the development of the M1 Astray's OS, I found myself on the Archangel's bridge, listening to Kisaka alongside Murrue, Natarle, and the bridge crew. Outside the bridge, within the dock, repairs on the Archangel were continuing at this very moment, with Morgenroete technicians bustling about everywhere I looked.
"The biggest cause for concern in the current situation is Panama. Thanks to rumors of a large-scale ZAFT operation, there's been a flurry of activity at Carpentaria," Kisaka explained.
"How much is actually known?" Natarle asked. As an Alliance soldier, she naturally wanted to gather as much intelligence as possible.
"Hard to say. Orb is in a difficult position as well. We want information, but we're wary of poking a sleeping bear. However, for you all intending to head to Alaska, this might actually work in your favor."
"Even if a pursuit battle were to occur, once we cross the Tropic of Cancer, we'll be right inside the Alaskan defense perimeter. They likely wouldn't chase us that deep," Neumann muttered while checking the map displayed on the bridge console.
Murrue nodded at Neumann's assessment before turning back to Kisaka.
"What about the movements of that unit that chased us this far?"
"There have been no ship sightings in the seas near Orb since the day before yesterday."
"So they've withdrawn?"
"There was apparently quite a bit of back-and-forth through diplomatic channels, so I'd like to believe so."
"Is it true that former Representative Athha knew nothing about this ship or the Mobile Suits at the time?"
"Lieutenant Badgiruel!" Murrue warned.
"It is true; the former Representative knew nothing," Kisaka answered calmly. "It was an unauthorized action taken by our cabinet ministers who bowed to pressure from the Atlantic Federation. Collusion with Morgenroete was also uncovered. I understand the arguments of those who say Orb should clarify its stance and pick a side. But if we do that and get dragged into the war, it is the citizens who will suffer the consequences. Just like at Heliopolis. Lord Uzumi is determined to prevent that at all costs, even if it means being unreasonable and holding his ground now. It may look naive to your eyes, however."
...Is that really the case, though?
Having actually met Uzumi recently, my impression was that he is a genuine statesman, not just some politician. Would a man of his caliber really hesitate to develop Mobile Suits, clearly effective weapons?
I understand not wanting the citizens to suffer the fires of war, but the Alliance has already proven that resisting Mobile Suits with conventional weapons is nearly impossible if the Alliance or ZAFT were to actually attack. There is no way the Lion of Orb wouldn't understand that.
In that light, the pressure from the Atlantic Federation might have actually been a godsend in a way. At the very least, it shortened the development time compared to Orb trying to build them entirely on its own.
"What is the status of the repairs?"
"We've received word they should be finished by sometime tomorrow."
"Just a little longer, then. Hang in there."
The bridge crew saluted Kisaka as he offered his encouragement. I simply gave a light wave. Seeing this, Kisaka returned the salute to Murrue and the others with a wry smile.
As he turned to leave the bridge, Murrue called out to him.
"Captain Kisaka."
"Hm?"
"Thank you, truly. For everything."
"No, you helped us as well. I have no family left, but I was born in Tassil. Even knowing that a temporary victory might be meaningless, once I saw the situation, I couldn't just overlook it. Plus, we were finally able to bring our spirited runaway daughter home. So, I should be thanking you."
Kisaka bowed slightly and this time left the bridge for good.
Watching him go, I decided to head out as well.
"Axel?"
"I'm going to the hangar. I heard the overhaul on the Blitz and the Strike is finished, so I want to check their condition."
"Right. We'll be leaving Orb soon. When we do, we'll likely be throwing down with that ZAFT unit again. Axel Almer, I'm counting on you."
I waved lightly to Natarle, who seemed somewhat softer than before, and left the bridge. ...Is that Mu's influence, I wonder?
When I entered the hangar, I found Kira, Mu, and Murdoch gathered around the Skygrasper. And sitting in the Skygrasper's cockpit was Tolle.
Ah, that's right. In the canon timeline, Tolle sorties in the Skygrasper in the next battle, and in the battle after that, he gets shot down by Athrun's Aegis.
...I need to stop this. If we were fighting normal ZAFT grunts, it might be manageable, but against the Creuset Team—now the Zala Team—red coats all around, the burden is too heavy for a beginner.
"I'm telling you, I'm fine! I aced the simulations. I can do this," Tolle said, sounding somewhat triumphant.
Hearing this, Murdoch sighed.
"Well, it certainly would help if we could launch two of these things, but..."
"...Don't do it. You'll only end up dead."
I called out, cutting off Murdoch's hesitation.
"Brother."
"You should know this, Murdoch. War isn't that simple."
"Axel-san, it's okay! I practiced properly in the simulator."
"A simulation is just a simulation. Reality isn't as forgiving as a game. Besides, if the enemy chasing us were normal ZAFT soldiers, I wouldn't say a word. But do you understand? The enemy is a squad of ZAFT elites who stole three of the G-Weapons."
"That's..."
"Coordinators in G-Weapons. In other words, they are the same as Kira. Do you honestly think you can go toe-to-toe with Kira and walk away in one piece?"
"But Brother, on the ground... especially over the ocean, it's going to be tough with just the Strike and the Blitz, right? Having Major Flaga's Skygrasper as our only air support is pushing it."
I couldn't help but smile wryly at Murdoch's words.
"Did you forget we captured a Guul in the last battle? It was loaned out to Orb, but it should have been returned along with the Blitz."
"Oh, right. It's back, but... you intend to use that?"
"With the Guul, our aerial forces will be the Blitz and Mu's Skygrasper—two units. And we have Kira's Strike to guard the Archangel. Tolle, there is no need for you to go out of your way to sortie."
"But! Leaving all the fighting to Kira while we sit back carefree..."
"Tolle, I don't think that at all," Kira tried to interject, seeing Tolle spill his true feelings, but I held up a hand to stop him.
"I understand how you feel. But I don't think you understand the true nature of combat."
"I'll be fine!"
"...Alright then. I want to run a little test. If you can endure it, I won't say another word. You can take the Skygrasper out to the battlefield or do whatever you like."
"Hey, Axel!"
Just as I had grabbed Kira's shoulder earlier, Mu grabbed mine. I turned to Mu and signaled him with my eyes: Leave it to me. Seeing that, Mu reluctantly backed down. He decided to trust me.
"Axel-san, you're a mercenary, not an official crew member of this ship, right? Then you don't have the authority to test me, do you?"
"...No, I'll authorize it. Whether you sortie or not depends on Axel's test. I am a Major, after all. I have that much authority."
With Mu, a Major, saying that much, Tolle—a mere Private—couldn't argue. He climbed down from the Skygrasper and obediently stood before me.
"So, what does this test involve?"
"Oh, it's simple. If you can stand in front of me for five minutes, you pass. However, if you take even a single step back or your legs give out, I'll fail you on the spot. Is that acceptable?"
"Eh? That's it?"
Tolle stood before me, looking underwhelmed. It made sense. If you just thought about standing still for five minutes, it seemed incredibly easy. ...Assuming I did nothing, of course.
"Mu... given that you authorized this, you shouldn't be the timekeeper. Murdoch, time us. Five minutes."
"You got it. Alright then... Start!"
At Murdoch's signal, the test began.
First, I simply stared into Tolle's eyes. That alone seemed to intimidate him slightly, but as we entered the second minute, I began to let my sakki (killing intent) seep out. Tolle started looking around nervously, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Third minute. I slammed him with a denser wave of bloodlust. His knees were shaking violently, but he was still holding his ground. ...Hoh, not bad. At the Desert Dawn hideout, Cagalli had reached her limit by this point.
Then, we entered the fourth minute. I unleashed a killing intent that was less 'dense' and more 'suffocatingly heavy' directly at him...
The next instant, Tolle's eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
"Tolle!"
Kira rushed over to him in a panic. Watching them, I retracted my killing intent.
I glanced around and saw Mu, Murdoch, and the other mechanics looking at me with pale faces.
"Needless to say, I assume we agree the test is a failure?"
I looked at Mu. He nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Y-Yeah. But didn't you overdo it? I seriously thought you were going to kill him."
"Really? If he's going to the battlefield, I think he should be able to at least shrug off that level of killing intent."
"Don't be ridiculous. Look around you."
Following Mu's advice, I looked around. Several mechanics had lost the strength in their legs and were sitting on the floor.
"...I didn't intend to go that far."
In my live combat training with Wodan, it was normal for us to slam each other with killing intent far stronger than this, so my gauge was a bit off.
In the end, it was decided that it was too early for Tolle to take the field, and he would continue his usual duties on the bridge for the time being.
However, he seemed surprisingly resilient. After waking up from his faint, he came up to me and declared, "I won't lose next time!" before returning to the bridge.
...Actually, the guy has quite a bit of guts. My main impression of him had just been his lighthearted personality, similar to Mu's, and his couple-comedy routine with Miriallia.
"So, how's the Blitz? It's been brought in, right?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. It's in the usual spot."
I asked Murdoch, who was nearby, and he looked toward the Blitz's designated bay. Sure enough, it was there.
"Since the wear and tear on the joints was severe, apparently they focused on swapping them out for new joint drive parts."
"Is that the only change?"
"There wasn't much time, after all. They managed to improve the Strike's performance a fair bit, but Brother, your Blitz was so worn out they apparently spent all their time just fixing it."
"Well, as long as it works, I'll manage. More importantly, like I said earlier, make sure the Guul is calibrated. We're likely to run into that unit immediately after leaving Orb."
"Seriously?"
Yes. If things proceeded according to the original story, Kira and Athrun should have already met near Morgenroete. And Athrun would have realized the Archangel was being harbored in Orb.
"If my hunch is right."
Leaving Mu and Murdoch looking exasperated, I muttered that to myself and began the adjustment work on the Blitz.
Status Window
Name: Axel Almer
LV: 36
PP: 115
Stats:
Melee: 254
Shooting: 274
Skill: 264
Defense: 264
Evasion: 294
Accuracy: 314
SP: 446
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to increase Slime performance)
Growth Type: Versatile / Special
Terrain Ratings:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: S
Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate: 4 SP
Gain: 8 SP
Focus: 16 SP
Direct Hit: 30 SP
Zeal: 32 SP
Love: 48 SP
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recover & Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Limit Break (Willpower)
Geass (Gray)
???
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Shot Down Count: 278
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