It had been roughly two weeks since the fall of the Panama Base. In that window, the Shadow Mirror and the Orb Union had forged a formal alliance. The terms were simple but weighty: in exchange for providing military strength during emergencies for a period of one year, the Shadow Mirror was granted control of the subterranean facility within Morgenroete, where the Gate had been established.
For now, the public remained in the dark. The existence of the alliance was a card held close to the chest, intended for release only after the Earth Alliance delivered its final ultimatum. The goal was psychological: to show the citizens that even when faced with the greatest superpower in the sphere, they were not standing alone. It was a calculated move to kindle hope.
That ultimatum had just arrived at the Orb government's doorstep.
"...Ignoring the current global climate, the Orb Union continues to shirk its responsibilities as a nation of Earth, stubbornly pursuing nothing but its own isolationist peace. Furthermore, despite repeated requests for cooperation, Orb has maintained a stance of defiance. Therefore, the Earth Alliance, representing its constituent nations, issues the following demands:
The immediate resignation of the current Orb administration.
The total disarmament and dissolution of the national military.
Should these demands not be met within 48 hours, the Earth Alliance will designate the Orb Union as a ZAFT-supporting state and respond with full military force."
The voice of Homura, Uzumi's brother, echoed through the conference room as he read the document. It was a blatant provocation, devoid of any real room for negotiation. Azrael likely wrote this himself, I thought.
The room was packed. From Orb, there was Homura, Uzumi, and representatives from the influential noble houses—excluding the Seirans. From our side, the Shadow Mirror leadership was present: myself, Lemon, Cornelia, and Murrue. Representing the Archangel were Mu and Kira.
"A farce," Uzumi spat.
Because we had provided him with intelligence regarding this day long ago, he didn't show the same raw indignation he might have in the original timeline. However, judging by his tone, his disgust was no less potent.
An Orb official broke the silence while observing Uzumi's reaction. "The Earth Alliance fleet is already moving south through the Pacific."
"Just as the Shadow Mirror predicted," another added. "They want the Mass Driver and Morgenroete."
"Our reports confirm the southward fleet consists entirely of Atlantic Federation forces."
Uzumi, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.
"If we side with the Alliance, the Plants become our enemy. If we side with the Plants, we make an enemy of the Alliance. Ordinarily, we would be left with only those two choices—or a third: to follow Orb's principles into isolation and certain ruin."
He was right. In the original history, ruin was the only destination. But this Orb had a different hand to play.
"However," Uzumi continued, his gaze hardening, "we now possess a reliable ally in the Shadow Mirror."
Every eye in the room shifted toward us. Everyone here had witnessed the mock battle between the Megillots and the M1 Astrays. Their expectations were carved in stone.
"Leave it to us," I said, meeting their collective gaze. "In accordance with our treaty, the Shadow Mirror will provide the necessary force."
The tension in the room dissipated, if only slightly. I watched them with a faint, wry smile; there was something almost mercenary about how quickly their moods shifted when they realized they had a bigger hammer.
Homura spoke up next. "Even with the Shadow Mirror's help, the mainland will likely become a battlefield. We should issue an evacuation order immediately. I refuse to let our children be sacrificed to the whims of the era."
"Agreed," I replied. "We have no intention of letting the enemy set foot on Orb soil, but there are no certainties in war. If there's even a chance the mainland becomes a front, evacuation is the only logical step."
As I spoke, a memory flickered in my mind. In the original SEED Destiny timeline, Shinn Asuka's family didn't flee until the fighting had already started. Why hadn't they left during these 48 hours? Perhaps there was a reason, but just in case, it might be worth sending a specific warning to Kou Asuka—Shinn's father.
"Then it is decided," Uzumi concluded. "The military will prep for combat, and the government will issue the evacuation order."
With the broad strokes settled, the joint meeting between Orb, the Shadow Mirror, and the Archangel adjourned. It felt almost too brief, but with two days until the shooting started, there was no point in burning out now. We needed to save our energy for the actual crisis.
As we filed out, the Orb leadership remained behind, likely to hammer out the finer administrative details.
"Axel, I'm heading back to the Archangel," Murrue said, catching my attention.
As we'd discussed, she would be taking command of the ship for this battle. She was going to gather the crew, give them her formal greetings, and offer a way out for anyone who had seen enough of war.
"Right. We've got plenty of prep on our end, too. I'll see you tonight."
"I'll be waiting." She gave a small nod and headed toward the Morgenroete docks with Mu and Kira in tow.
I watched her go for a moment before turning toward the White Star. As we drove through the city in our electric vehicle, an emergency broadcast cut through the air. I pulled over to the curb, my eyes turning toward a large public screen.
"A major announcement from the government will begin shortly. We urge all citizens to stay tuned to this frequency."
A spokesperson stepped aside, and Uzumi Nara Athha appeared on the screen.
"Citizens of Orb, I am Uzumi Nara Athha. In this time of national crisis, I have stepped forward once again to serve as your Representative Chieftain. At this moment, a massive Earth Alliance fleet is moving south through the Atlantic toward our borders."
He didn't sugarcoat it. He explained the destruction of the Panama Base, the Alliance's demand for the Mass Driver, and the threat of being labeled a ZAFT supporter.
"The Orb government refuses to bow to the military coercion of the Alliance. We will maintain our neutrality. Consequently, conflict is unavoidable. I am ordering an immediate evacuation of all urban centers and areas surrounding military facilities."
He paused, letting the weight of the order sink in before his expression shifted to one of iron-clad resolve.
"The enemy is the Earth Alliance—a titan of power. But citizens, do not despair. We are not alone. Weeks ago, we entered into a defensive pact with a group known as the Shadow Mirror. It may sound unbelievable, but they are visitors from another world... I know, many of you will think this a fantasy. However, they possess technology and military might far beyond our own, and they have proven to be true friends of Orb. Until now, our exchanges have been peaceful, but they have decided they cannot stand by and watch the Alliance's tyranny. Look at this footage."
I watched the screen, feeling a bit awkward. They're making us out to be knights in shining armor, I thought. The broadcast cut to the recording of the Megillots effortlessly outclassing the M1 Astrays.
"That's the mock battle footage, isn't it?" Lemon asked.
"The Lion of Orb is thorough. You have to give him that," Cornelia replied with a smirk.
"What you are seeing," Uzumi's voice continued over the footage, "is a test between our newest M1 Astrays and the Shadow Mirror's Megillots. As you can see, their strength is overwhelming. And they have pledged to deploy these units by the hundreds to our defense. Citizens, rest assured. Orb will not fall. Together with our allies in the Shadow Mirror, we will weather this storm."
With that final, powerful declaration, the broadcast shifted back to a news anchor detailing evacuation routes. I pulled the car back into traffic.
I wondered how the public would take the "invaders from another world" bit. Probably with a healthy dose of skepticism—at first. But once we drove the Alliance back, the "where" of our origin wouldn't matter nearly as much as the "what" of our results. Of course, there was always the risk they'd start fearing our power, too.
"Hey, Axel," Lemon said, breaking my train of thought. "What happened to the plan of evacuating people to the White Star?"
"It fell through. The Seiran family was sniffing around. Once I told them we'd be placing them under constant surveillance if they came aboard, they backed off pretty fast."
"I see," Cornelia mused. "They wanted a peek at our tech and intel."
"Probably. And considering their ties to Blue Cosmos, they likely planned to slip some saboteurs or spies into the mix."
The heir, Yuna, had been terrified of us since the mock battle, so he wasn't the issue. But his father, Unato Ema Seiran, was a different beast. I hadn't met him yet, and he was exactly the type to try a backroom play.
"More importantly, Lemon—how many Megillots do we have ready?"
"Let's see..." she said casually. "At current capacity, about 1,200. If we push the limits over the next two days, I could probably get that up to 1,500."
I blinked. I'd expected maybe a thousand. 1,500 was an army.
"...No, stick to the original 500 for now."
"Understood. And what's my role? Commanding the Galunlunda, or heading out in the Vaisaga?"
"I want you on the Galunlunda," I decided.
The Alliance had their naval ships, submarines, Strike Daggers, and the late-model GAT-X series, with some air support as a side dish. With the Galunlunda and the Sea Lion, we shouldn't lose, but the Galunlunda was our trump card. I didn't want to take any chances with it.
"Understood," Lemon replied.
"Heh, sorry Lemon," Cornelia teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'm claiming the seat right next to Axel on the battlefield."
Lemon didn't miss a beat. "Oh, please. It's because I'm the most trusted that he's entrusting the Galunlunda to me. It seems Axel's faith in me is on a completely different level than his faith in you, Cornelia."
I stayed out of their playful bickering as we made our way back to the White Star.
"...Well, this is a pain."
I stood before a sea of 500 Megillots.
These were the units intended for Orb's defense, but the logistics were a nightmare. If we moved them via the Gate and used cargo elevators to bring them to the surface a few at a time, we'd be here all year. The solution was my "Space Warehouse" skill.
However, to store things in the warehouse, I either had to touch them personally or focus on everything within a five-meter radius. Doing that 500 times was out of the question.
"Just pack them into the containers!" I ordered.
By stuffing the Megillots into massive shipping containers, I could store the entire container at once, saving me the trouble of individual units.
Once this is over, I thought, looking at the mountain of metal, we really need to build a high-capacity elevator between the Gate facility and the surface.
Status Screen: Axel Almer
Level: 36 | PP: 165
Stats: Melee (254), Ranged (274), Skill (264), Defense (264), Evasion (294), Accuracy (314)
SP: 446 | Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to buff unit performance)
Spirit Commands: Accel (4), Effort (8), Focus (16), Strike (30), Awakening (32), Love (48)
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 / SP Regen / Concentration), Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Morale Limit Break, Geass (Gray), [??? x5]
Kills: 288
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