Andrew's voice cracked in utter disbelief.
"This is... the technical data for the Neutron Jammer Cancelers equipped on the Freedom and Justice!"
"How in the world did something like this end up in Flay's hands?"
Confusion hung thick in the air. Most of them were completely bewilderedespecially Flay, who had no idea that the "key" she had been clutching was something so catastrophic.
"It was Creuset..."
The door to the lounge hissed open, and Mu, wrapped in thick bandages, floated into the room with Dearka supporting him by the arm.
"Hey, old man, watch your step."
"I am not an old man! Hiss... Ow, ow, ow!"
Mu snapped at Dearka, but the sudden movement pulled at his injuries, making him suck in a sharp breath of cold air through his teeth. "You brat, do me a favor and shut up."
"Tch."
"Honestly, you two..."
The others parted to let Mu settle into a chair to rest. Andrew leaned forward, his brow furrowed.
"You mentioned Creuset just now. Are you telling us that bastard planned on handing the Neutron Jammer Canceler over to the Earth Alliance from the very beginning?"
"That's right," Mu replied grimly. "At first, I had no idea what door he claimed he was going to open. Looking at this now, that had to be it. If the Neutron Jammer Canceler falls into the hands of the Earth Allianceespecially with Blue Cosmos having already seized control of most of the top brassthey won't hesitate for a second to launch nuclear strikes against PLANT. That is Creuset's true objective."
"Captain Creuset...?"
A cold chill ran down the spines of both Dearka and Athrun. Neither of them had ever imagined their commanding officer harbored such monstrous ambitions. The sheer realization terrified them. Had they remained by his side, who knew when they might have been sold out without ever realizing it?
Or worse, maybe they had already been sold out long ago.
"Yzak..."
Dearka's thoughts immediately flew to Yzak, who was still serving in the Creuset Team. Three of their original squad were now gathered aboard the Eternal, leaving Yzak behind as the only one left in their old unit.
The thought darkened Dearka's expression. Athrun noticed and reached over, offering a silent, reassuring pat on his shoulder.
"Damn it! What is that lunatic even trying to accomplish? Does he really want to see the entire human race wiped out according to his twisted design?"
"Whatever he is scheming," Murrue said, her voice steady despite the tension, "rescuing Flay was unequivocally the right call. The consequences would be unimaginable if the Neutron Jammer Canceler data had actually reached the Earth Alliance."
Murrue's words drew unanimous agreement from the room. Everyone turned their gaze toward Mikazuki.
"You really did an incredible job, Mika."
Mikazuki shook his head impassively. "Don't celebrate too early. That guy named Creuset won't give up that easily."
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" Mu looked at him, puzzled.
Just then, the comm screen flickered to life, showing Orga's face. He looked at Mu with a squinted eye and spoke in a low, measured tone. "You know him pretty well, don't you? Do you really believe a man like him would let an opportunity like this slip away? This was his chance to hand the data to the Earth Alliance and push the war between Coordinators and Naturals straight toward mutual annihilation."
Mu's face fell. "Are you saying... even though we took the disk back from Flay, Creuset will still find a way to give the technology to the Earth Alliance...?"
"You already know the answer to that in your heart, don't you, Mu La Flaga?"
"Uh..."
Orga had hit the nail on the head. Deep down, Mu had indeed already arrived at that conclusion, and it lined up almost perfectly with what Orga had just pointed out.
Mu let out a long, weary sigh, his face noticeably pale. "You're right. Given Creuset's twisted, borderline psychopathic state of mind, he is more than capable of doing exactly that. For all we know, the Earth Alliance might already have their hands on another disk containing the data."
Before anyone could even breathe a sigh of relief, the atmosphere in the lounge turned suffocatingly grim once again.
"Rau Le Creuset... Looking at it now, it isn't just PLANT. Even the Earth Alliance, stationed far across the stars, is dancing entirely in the palm of his hand."
Andrew exhaled slowly, a look of profound wariness rising in his eyes. It went without saying: Creuset was far too dangerous to be left unchecked.
"Mika, what do you think?"
Orga turned his gaze toward Mikazuki. It had always been like this between them; whenever a major decision had to be made, Orga would invariably consult him.
"Hmm? You mean that white one-eye?"
Hearing the nickname Mikazuki had given Creuset, Orga let out a brief snort of laughter before shaking his head with a wry smile. "Yeah, that white one-eye. What should we do about him?"
"We just kill him, right? Next time... I will definitely take care of him."
"Then I'm leaving it to you. But... like I always say, don't go reckless on me."
"Depends on the situation."
"You never change..."
Mikazuki maintained his usual calm, indifferent demeanor, yet beneath that detachment lay absolute certainty. Standing off to the side, Lacus could not help the knot of worry tightening in her chest as she listened to their exchange.
Murrue still did not seem to know that Mikazuki had lost sight in his right eye. Lacus knew that Mikazuki had no desire for Murrue to find out, so she had deliberately refrained from mentioning his condition in front of the others.
Orga's warning just now was clearly meant to keep Mikazuki from disengaging the limiter system on the Barbatos any further.
"Well, that's that. You guys keep talking. I'm hungry, so I'm going to grab something to eat."
Without lingering any longer, Mikazuki stepped out of the lounge, leaving Murrue and the others behind as he made his way to the neighboring changing room to swap out of his pilot suit before heading toward the Eternal's mess hall.
"Well then, let's keep discussing our next move. Don't worry. Like I said, Mikazuki will always answer our call. That's just the kind of guy he is... greedy yet aloof, a bundle of contradictions. And that's precisely why he's so strong."
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