"Sure enough, all the shelters have already been ejected. Heliopolis's evacuation rate is 99% complete—all that's left is these few kids." Murrue hung up the call.
On the Archangel's bridge, Badgiruel, Murrue, and Mu were in discussion.
"Doesn't that mean there's no way to send them down now?" Mu mused. "Also, what did you mean just now by 'sure enough'?"
"Mm—it's because that Inori, the Songstress of Orb, she seems to have a way of monitoring Heliopolis's entire situation. She could even get me in contact with the Archangel while there was radio interference. But I can't vouch for her allegiance." Murrue disclosed a little about Inori, but not everything.
"No wonder." Badgiruel had a moment of clarity. Murrue's earlier crystal-clear comms had put her on guard; now it made sense.
"That songstress, huh. I hear her MVs are circulating across every network—impossible to block even if you tried. I used to think it was just fanatical fans, but thinking about it now, could she have some kind of electronic-warfare weapon or gear?"
This world's networks had many walled-off "local" segments, yet Inori's MVs could spread across the whole world's networks without being taken down—that in itself was a terrifying thing. Since bans didn't work, many places had chosen to just let it be; to the authorities in those places, the other party was probably just a batch of die-hard fans illegally promoting an idol. And fanatical fans—what wouldn't they do?
But after hearing this from Murrue, Mu thought of another possibility—could this songstress, or the team around her, simply be skilled at electronic warfare to begin with?
"Could she be a spy?" Badgiruel asked.
"Captain Flaga's guess is hard to say, but Ensign Badgiruel, the possibility you're raising is very slim. In the course of contact with her, I believe our information is very likely one-way transparent to her."
[TL;DR: if she got serious, we'd have been dead long ago]
[No lie, true]
[The Archangel's current crew all put together isn't enough for one basic attack]
[Horror story: the progress bar]
[Where'd a livestream get a progress bar]
[Check the broadcast start time]
[Damn, it really is a horror story!]
The first episode actually still had plenty of runtime left, but because it was a "cinematic" extended cut, it gave people the sense it was already almost over.
Murrue's little speech left Badgiruel at a loss. "Aren't you exaggerating?" Badgiruel asked.
"Not in the least. In fact, when we received the Strike, it wasn't yet fully complete—it was only finished in the end with her and that Kira's help."
"That's really something. Neutral nations are full of talent, every one of them. From the look of her she's probably a Coordinator too—just seems a bit spacey."
When Mu had met her earlier, Inori had worn that blank, emotionless expression from start to finish; to him, she certainly seemed a bit dazed and dopey.
"Then all the more reason not to let them leave. They've seen our Earth Alliance military secrets, and they may well have grasped our weaknesses. If ZAFT found out, we'd be in a very unfavorable position." Badgiruel felt this couldn't go on.
"So we'll have them escape with us? There's bound to be a hard fight once we're outside." Mu asked.
"All the shelters have been ejected—those kids have nowhere to go," Murrue said. "Staying on Heliopolis is even more dangerous. But as for using forceful means… that probably won't work either."
The scene fell into silence.
"Then let's get back to the main topic." Murrue felt time shouldn't be wasted. "Since it's the Le Creuset Team attacking us, we have to prepare in advance. As for the small matter of the songstress, questioning her in person once we get the chance later isn't a problem—for now they're not staying on the Archangel, and they've got nowhere else to go anyway."
Right now the safest place really was aboard the Archangel. Everywhere outside was unsafe.
Murrue paused. "As things stand, we need the Strike as combat power in order to stand a chance against the Le Creuset Team."
"Committing it straight to actual combat?" Badgiruel asked, surprised.
"ZAFT threw the G weapons into real combat the moment they seized them—we have no choice now but to commit the Strike too," Murrue said.
"Then we can only find that little girl to keep piloting." Mu felt a pang. "It feels like moral blackmail."
"This time Captain Flaga can pilot it, right?" Badgiruel looked at Mu. But Mu spread his hands. "Don't be ridiculous, there's no way I can use that thing. I can't handle that OS the girl rewrote."
Badgiruel still wouldn't have it. "Then the original system—"
"There is no original system," Murrue sighed. "Of the five G weapons, the Strike is the only one that was never completed. The OS was written by Kira on the fly while she piloted."
In the "original," the Strike at least had a not-very-usable OS; here there was only half a crude thing to make do with.
"Then have her rewrite the system so a Natural can use it. If that doesn't work, the simulator kind should work too, right? In any case, we can't let someone from a neutral nation—and a Coordinator no less—pilot our military secret!" Badgiruel reasoned.
"That won't do. Those five rookies' simulator OS is sluggish—it'd just make me a target. Besides, writing an OS on the fly is asking way too much… well, though that little girl did actually do it."
[This Mu really does look out for Kira]
[Turns out the only one who can pilot the Gundam is Kira after all]
[Inori should be able to pilot it too]
[Inori's never piloted a Gundam solo—maybe the AI has some kind of restriction?]
[Feels a bit like moral blackmail]
[No choice—they've got nowhere to go, and ZAFT's using siege weapons, they're definitely gonna wipe out this colony]
"Murrue, go ask that little girl again. Apart from her, we can't count on anyone else."
Murrue sighed. "It's the only way now."
After the three finished talking, the view had already cut back to Kira's side. She was standing in the corridor just then, gazing out at the sight of Heliopolis beyond.
"Um." Cagalli walked over. "I never properly thanked you before."
[See, she can talk like a normal person]
[Her personality's been patched, lmao]
[The brat finally settled down after getting beaten up]
"No, it's nothing." Kira lowered her head.
"Ah, don't be so gloomy. So what if you're a Coordinator—Orb welcomes everyone!" Cagalli said, then leaned in. "If they try to do anything to you, just tell them my identity! I'll handle the rest for you!"
"Thank you." Kira gave a small smile.
"Don't keep such a straight face." Cagalli said. "Honestly—someone who looks so much like me, and this pretty too, how can you keep frowning all the time?"
"Mm." Kira's voice dropped even lower.
Kira and Cagalli were somewhat alike around the brows, but Kira's overall looks still blew Cagalli's out of the water. That didn't stop Cagalli from feeling that warm, familiar closeness from Kira.
Cagalli smiled. "Kira really is adorable—it's like I've gained a little sister…"
(Good stuff)
(Playing dead—get up and keep going…)