As time reached night according to Orb Standard Time, a curtain of darkness covered the residential sectors of the Mendel colony. In a luxurious estate, the Seiran father and son were conversing in a study.
"The ZAFT battleship is already docked at Morgenroete's shipyard," Yuna said to his father as he took a seat. "What's next? I assume you're ready to notify the Earth Alliance."
"Yes, exactly. Let's contact them now to avoid any complications from delays." Sitting behind the desk, Unato Seiran pushed up his glasses. Fantasizing about the upcoming plan and the vision of Orb finally falling into his hands, he couldn't help but chuckle. "After all, the thought of such sweet power makes one quite impatient."
In the "quiet" night, a secret transmission was broadcast from the Seiran estate.
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On the other side, news of the ZAFT warship entering Mendel reached Cagalli's office. At this hour, the administrative center of Industrial 7 was still brightly lit, deep in overtime.
Since Cagalli and Lacus signed the treaty and organized the joint entity known as "COMPASS," her workload had increased significantly. She was responsible for Orb's economic recovery as well as the allocation of the organization's various support materials. Though she didn't know if this would truly stop the war or allow Orb to return to Earth, Cagalli was willing to try.
Cagalli had just taken a sip of coffee, using the bitterness to clear her head, when a folder was placed on her desk.
"What is this..." Thinking it was another document requiring a signature, Cagalli picked up her pen and opened the folder.
The contents were sparse—just a single sheet of paper—but upon seeing what was on it, Cagalli's eyes widened. There were two slightly blurred photos, yet one could still clearly identify the ZAFT warship that had recently battled the Nahel Argama. Currently, besides the Nahel Argama, only ZAFT's Minerva possessed such a distinct layout.
The rest was docking information and related data. Everything on the paper pointed to one fact: "The ZAFT battleship has entered Mendel, which is under the Seiran family's control."
Cagalli couldn't fault Morgenroete for accepting the contract to repair the Minerva. Although the company was closely linked to Orb, it remained a neutral commercial organization at its core. Cagalli could only intervene in business practices that directly disrupted Orb's economy.
However, there was no doubt that the Seiran family would seize the opportunity of the Minerva's repairs to take action.
"There is a high probability the Seiran family will contact the Earth Alliance to conduct a capture at Mendel. They'll likely use it as leverage to gain more benefits from the Alliance..."
Frey, her hair tied up and wearing a uniform and glasses, looked at Cagalli and continued, "But regardless, this is an opportunity to bring Mendel firmly back under our control."
Because the other families of Orb were watching Cagalli closely, she had long wanted to remove the Seiran family to prevent Orb from being dragged into the Earth Alliance. However, to avoid a civil split caused by the maneuvering of various noble houses, she had been waiting for the perfect timing.
The evidence in her hands—combined with any proof of the Earth Alliance approaching or entering Mendel's airspace—would be the ultimate chance to purge the Seiran family.
"...It's not enough yet, but we must prepare for rain before it falls."
Thanks to the preservation of the staff from the Uzumi era, and under the tutelage of those idealists, Cagalli had matured slightly. At the very least, she thought more deeply now.
"Frey, have our moles on Mendel check the communication relay station records. Look for any contact between the Seiran territory and Earth or the Moon. We need to be ready on this end as well. Which ships are available for sortie?"
As she spoke, Cagalli stood up and straightened her coat, like a young lion grooming its mane before baring its fledgling fangs.
"The Izumo-class and Nazca-class are patrolling the Industrial 7 area... the Eternal is reportedly busy with the design of new MS. The only ship currently capable of a sortie is the Nahel Argama." After a brief recollection, Frey reported the status.
"Then have them prepare to launch. If everything goes as we expect, I need to be present to pass judgment on the Seiran family. After all, I am still the current Prime Minister of Orb." Cagalli walked to Frey's side.
Fortunately, Orb was still relatively peaceful, allowing Cagalli to delegate work to her current staff and personally step away to resolve this matter.
"Oh, and remember to prepare Roz's commission fee." At this, Cagalli's expression turned complex.
Roz's current status had become quite delicate since COMPASS and Orb began their cooperation. On one hand, COMPASS's "strongest" ship, the Nahel Argama, was Roz's private vessel, though crewed by the former Archangel staff who had joined Orb. On the other hand, he hadn't officially joined either COMPASS or Orb, still identifying himself as a "Space Junk Technician," despite possessing the power to bring both factions to their knees.
To avoid any unnecessary trouble, Cagalli prepared his commission. Although Orb was not at its former peak, a "starved camel is still larger than a horse," and they could certainly afford the fee.
"Speaking of which, Chief Erica from the Morgenroete MS Research Institute seems to be looking for you," Frey added, reminded by Cagalli's mention of the commission.
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When Cagalli arrived at the MS Research Institute, it was already late at night by Orb Standard Time.
The surroundings were silent, save for the occasional mechanical hum of machinery. Erica stood beneath a streetlamp, calmly waiting for Cagalli's arrival.
"You've arrived," Erica said with a smile. "I heard you're preparing to head out with the Nahel Argama near Mendel. It's perfect timing, as I have something that needs to be handed over to you."
"What exactly is it?" Cagalli asked, momentarily stunned.
"Just follow me." Erica offered a mysterious smile and led Cagalli into the heart of the MS Research Center.
They navigated through a maze of corridors. Aside from a few dim lights, the center was clearly closed for the night. Without the usual daytime crowds, the hallways felt vast and empty. As Erica led Cagalli into a specific hangar, the sudden burst of mechanical noise caused Cagalli to blink in momentary confusion.
Then, the object before her captured her entire focus.
"This is the gift Lord Uzumi left for you." Erica gazed at the magnificent Mobile Suit standing in the room, her expression filled with emotion. "Lord Uzumi commissioned us to develop this machine the moment he initiated the Industrial 7 project."
"This... a golden machine?" Cagalli's eyes widened as she stared at the MS, which was entirely gold and shimmered brilliantly under the spotlights.
"Yes. The Akatsuki. While we only have the 'Oowashi' pack for Earth use ready, the space-use 'Shiranui' pack is currently under design and should be manufactured very soon."
Erica let out an involuntary sigh, recalling the day's work on the new Freedom design. Roz had solved several major engineering hurdles using various bizarre and unconventional ideas. They were right: working with Roz meant constantly oscillating between being mentally crushed by his genius and having your blood pressure spike from his total disregard for safety protocols.
Regardless, the core concept for the new machine was complete; the rest was just a matter of optimization. Given that development speed, Erica felt certain the Akatsuki's new pack would be finished in no time.
"Akatsuki..." Cagalli whispered, her eyes tracing every line of the machine.
"This newly forged sword has found its perfect moment to be drawn," Erica said, looking at Cagalli with a smile. "Now, take this machine and do what you must do."
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