Inside the pilot lounge of the Eternal, Mikazuki had not even had the chance to head to the locker room to change out of his pilot suit before Lacus and a large crowd filed inside behind her.
"Mika, are you all right?"
The moment Lacus stepped in, she asked about his physical condition. She was terribly worried that he might have released the limiter of his Alaya-Vijnana System; after all, that earlier scene had been perilous.
Mikazuki was already blind in one eye. If he were to release the limiter again...
"Yeah, I'm fine. By the way, why did all of you come over here?"
"After the sudden scene you caused in the hangar just now, anyone would be concerned."
"Mika, why did you hit Kira?" Cagalli asked with a hint of grievance in her voice. After all, it was now certain that Kira was her brother. Seeing Mikazuki abruptly step up and punch him without a word would upset any sister.
Just as she asked, the lounge doors slid open. Kira, Flay, and Athrun floated inside.
"Kira," Cagalli called out softly in concern.
Kira forced a weak smile and shook his head. "I'm fine."
With that, he drifted past Cagalli and came before Mikazuki. His face was filled with guilt as he hung his head low.
"I'm sorry..."
Kira harbored no anger toward Mikazuki for the punch, nor did he ask why. He understood full well why Mikazuki had hit him; he had deserved it.
Mikazuki looked at Kira, his tone indifferent. "You should know how important that machine is, right?"
"Yes."
"And I made it clear that the Freedom was only on loan to you, right?"
"Yes..."
"You also promised me that you would return it in one piece, didn't you?"
"...Yes."
"Then how do you explain the state the Freedom is in right now?"
"...I'm sorry."
With every question Mikazuki asked, Kira's head sank lower.
Pausing for a moment, Mikazuki turned his gaze toward the hangar visible outside the viewport.
"All that talk of yours about ending the war was nothing more than a joke, wasn't it? Just learning about something that happened who-knows-how-long ago from someone else, and you ended up looking half-dead. On the battlefield, looking like you were ready to roll over and dieif the Archangel and Athrun hadn't been covering for you, you would have been captured long ago."
"I'm sorry..."
Kira seemed to have no words left other than an apology. Just as Mikazuki was about to say more, Lacus gently waved her hand.
"Mikazuki, Kira didn't mean for it to happen. It is only natural to be shaken after learning something like that. Besides, the Freedom wasn't captured. Please forgive him."
Kira quickly raised his head and pleaded, "I promise I'll protect the Freedom with my life. Nothing like this will ever happen again. So... please lend me the Freedom for a little longer, Mikazuki. I beg of you."
Saying this, Kira bent forward into a deep ninety-degree bow. In zero gravity, his floating body tilted awkwardly, making the gesture look clumsy and off-balance.
Hearing Kira say this, Mikazuki had mostly forgiven him in his heart. Naturally, he hadn't truly been angry at Kira for his own sake; the only reason he had punched him was because of Lacus.
The Freedom was a machine Lacus had entrusted to him. He had taken it upon himself to lend it to Kira, only for Kira to bring it back in such a mangled state, which made Mikazuki feel as though he had let Lacus down.
Turning his head, he looked at Lacus. "Are you really all right with this, Lacus? You were the one who gave that machine to me."
Lacus was taken aback for a moment before realizing why Mikazuki had been upset. She smiled softly and shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. In the end, the Freedom is just powera weapon. And because it is a weapon, the day will inevitably come when it breaks. The Eternal is the dedicated tender for both the Freedom and the Justice. Aside from the spare parts for the Barbatos, the ship is stocked with spares for those two machines. It will be repaired in no time."
Mikazuki shook his head. "Since Lacus put it that way, then I'll lend the Freedom to you for a while longer, Kira."
Hearing those words, Kira was overjoyed and straightened up immediately. "Yes! Thank you so much!"
Seeing the matter resolved, Murrue smiled and clapped her hands. "All right, let's leave it at that. Flay, it really has been a long time, hasn't it?"
Flay, who had been floating behind Kira, drifted closer. Seeing the gentle smile on Murrue's face, she froze for an instant.
"Captain Murrue!"
Flay threw herself directly into Murrue's embrace, weeping uncontrollably. No one ridiculed her; she was only an ordinary girl, and managing to hold herself together until now was already a testament to her strength.
Murrue gently patted Flay on the back, murmuring softly, "There, there. It's over now. You're safe."
Only after a long while did Flay lift her tear-streaked face from Murrue's chest. She glanced around the room with reddened eyes; most of them were familiar faces, though there were quite a few strangers as well.
"Oh, right... this..."
Flay retrieved a data disk she had kept on her person and handed it to Murrue.
Taking the disk, Murrue looked at her in confusion. "This is...?"
"A ZAFT commander named Creuset gave it to me. He told me it's the key to ending the war, and asked me to deliver it to the Earth Alliance."
At the mention of the name Creuset, everyone in the room furrowed their brows.
Andrew said in a low voice, "The key to ending the war? Given by that bastard Creuset?"
"Yes."
Murrue, Lacus, and Cagalli exchanged glances. Lacus spoke up, "There's a computer right here. We'll know what kind of key it is once we look at what's inside."
Aisha took the disk from Lacus's hand and walked over to the nearby computer terminal. She inserted the disk, and the monitor mounted above the bench where Mikazuki and the others sat flickered to life, revealing dense walls of data.
The moment their eyes fell upon the contents, the pupils of everyone in the roomsave for Mikazukicontracted sharply, their faces draining of all color.
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