Hearing Andrew's question, Aisha tapped a few keys on her keyboard.
"It's the computer! That child sent his planned maneuvers to the computer of the Long-Distance Transport Booster Kutan Type-III. The computer is currently navigating and attacking according to the trajectory he established!"
"How is that possible? The computer? You mean to tell me that flight path is just the computer following a route the boy programmed into it? Are you for real?"
Andrew took a sharp breath, unable to suppress his shock. On a battlefield where everything changed in the blink of an eye, it was considered impossible to know many situations in advance.
If those actions were being manually performed by Mikazuki while piloting the Barbatos, that would be one thing. But for the computer to be executing commands Mikazuki had prepared ahead of time meant that he had predicted the current situation long ago.
The Long-Distance Transport Booster Kutan Type-III's movementsdodging missiles, launching strikes, and maneuveringlooked exactly as if Mikazuki were at the controls himself. Every move was daring and precise.
"What terrifying intuition..."
While the members of the Three Ships Alliance were marveling at the feat, Mikazuki had already secured the escape pod and was leaving the combat zone.
Aboard the Dominion, Muruta snapped out of his daze first.
"They're getting away! Pursue them! Those two mobile suits have already left; we cannot let them take that so-called Key!"
Muruta shouted for over ten seconds, but no one responded. He turned his head and glared at Natarle.
"What are you standing there for? Move!"
Natarle composed herself and looked at Muruta with clear dissatisfaction.
"Do you honestly think our units have the performance capabilities to catch that machine? Besides, the energy levels for the Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider are all approaching the critical limit. How exactly do you expect them to give chase?"
"Then use the warships..."
"The only ship capable of catching those four is the Dominion at maximum flank speed. The Agamemnon-class ships can't possibly keep up. Do you really think a single warship has a chance against four high-speed space vessels?
"Furthermore, the Nazca-class is still ahead of us. The situation is far too chaotic. We must retreat."
"Tch... Damn that Barbatos."
Muruta now knew the name of the machine that had left such a deep impression on him. Whether it was the inquiry after the Archangel left Alaska or the reports from Natarle, the name Barbatos had been brought up repeatedly.
Natarle swept a glance over Muruta and asked, "Do you actually believe in this so-called Key?"
"People don't usually talk that way, do they? The Key that ends the war...
"Fine! Another good opportunity wasted for nothing. I'm going back to my room. Don't look for me until we reach the Lunar Base."
With those words, Muruta left the bridge with a grim expression. He wasn't a fool; he knew that trying to chase the Archangel and the others now was unrealistic. He could only return to the Lunar Base and wait for the next chance.
Natarle paused for a moment before issuing the order.
"Transmit the retreat signal."
Over on the ZAFT Military side, Rau Le Creuset's eyes nearly bulged out of his head behind his mask when he saw the Barbatos appearing eerily beside the escape pod.
"The Wolf? Dammit, how did I overlook such an unpredictable variable? Curse it all."
Creuset could only watch helplessly as the great gift he had intended for the Earth Alliance was snatched away by the Wolf. However, his anger lasted only a few seconds before his lips curled into a smile again.
"Luckily, I prepared a backup plan. Otherwise, the Eurasian Federation would truly be left empty-handed."
Just as the Dominion and its fleet turned to retreat, the returning fleet's radar detected another signal, drawing Muruta back out of his room...
Having successfully escaped the pursuit of the Nazca-class, the four ships of the Three Ships Alliance regrouped. Murrue from the Archangel and Cagalli from the Kusanagi boarded a small transport ship and headed toward the Eternal.
They arrived just as the maintenance crew finished decrypting and opening the escape pod's hatch. Kira floated down from the Freedom, landing before the crowd with a nervous, apprehensive look as the hatch slowly creaked open.
"Kira!"
Wearing a bulky spacesuit, Flay rushed out of the escape pod and threw her arms around Kira. Her visor flipped up, and salty tears spilled out.
Kira hugged Flay back with equal intensity. The two held each other for a long time, and the others, including Murrue, stood by in respectful silence. Finally, Mikazuki disconnected from the Alaya-Vijnana System and slowly floated down from the Barbatos.
Only then did the two separate. Kira turned his head toward Mikazuki, his face full of gratitude.
"Mika, thank you..."
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Before Kira could finish, Mikazuki drove a fist straight into his stomach. Everyone around them jumped in shock.
Cagalli opened her mouth to say something, but Murrue and Lacus both placed hands on her shoulders, signaling her to remain silent.
Seeing Kira get hit, Athrun couldn't just stand there. He hurried over to support Kira, who was clutching his stomach, his face turning pale.
"Hey, Mikazuki! What are you doing?"
Mikazuki spared Kira a cold glance before looking up at the Freedom, which was missing its head and its left wing.
"It seems lending it to you was a wrong decision, Kira Yamato."
Leaving those words behind, he ignored Kira's frozen expression. Mikazuki kicked off lightly with his legs and floated toward the corridor. Murrue, Lacus, and Cagalli shared a look before leading their respective crews out of the hangar to follow him.
Athrun and Flay supported Kira from either side.
"Are you okay, Kira?"
Kira shook his head slowly. He looked up at the broken Freedom, feeling a surge of emotion he had never expectedand certainly never wanted.
"Let's go as well."
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