Having finally chased Creuset's CiGue out of Heliopolis, we allowed ourselves a moment of relief before making our way to the Archangel. The ship had landed on the surface of the colony interior. The Strike and the Blitz touched down on the ship's starboard leg—the linear catapult deck.
The crew immediately got to work. They began loading the trailer containing the spare parts and weapons for the various Gundam units, as well as the GINN I had shot down and the CiGue's severed left arm with its integrated shield system.
"Captain Ramius!"
A sharp voice echoed across the catapult deck. Checking the Blitz's monitor, I saw a female officer with short black hair marching toward us, leading a group of survivors.
"Ensign Badgiruel."
Murrue's acknowledgment confirmed her identity: Natarle Badgiruel.
...Since I'm in the world of SEED, I should make an effort to save her.
Natarle was a highly capable officer. Letting her go down with Azrael in a suicide pact, as she did in the original timeline, would be a tragic waste. While Murrue technically outranked her, in terms of pure military aptitude, Natarle was superior.
That was to be expected, though. Natarle was a career soldier through and through. Murrue was primarily an engineer—evidenced by her role in the team that developed the Phase Shift Armor.
"I am relieved to see you safe," Natarle said, offering a crisp salute.
"And you as well," Murrue replied, returning the gesture. "You did well to protect the Archangel. We are in your debt."
Watching their reunion, I realized I couldn't stay in the Blitz forever. I popped the hatch and descended to the deck. Kira, seemingly taking his cue from me, climbed out of the Strike as well.
A murmur rippled through the maintenance crew watching us. Their attention wasn't on me, but on Kira.
"Hey, hey, are you kidding me? He's just a kid," muttered Kojiro Murdoch, the head mechanic.
A nearby crewman leaned in, whispering, "And the pilot of the Blitz... have you ever seen him before?"
"No, never. Maybe a test pilot for the G-weapons?"
They probably thought they were being discreet, but with Axel's superhuman senses, I could hear every word.
...I really don't even need to think about it. This body's specs aren't just beyond a Natural; they probably outclass most Coordinators.
"Captain Ramius, who are they?" Natarle asked, glancing sideways as Sai and the other students rushed over to Kira.
Murrue hesitated, unsure how to explain the situation. Before she could speak, a new voice cut in.
"Well, now. This is a surprise."
A man with blonde hair in a pilot suit strode forward. Mu La Flaga, the "Hawk of Endymion."
"Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, Earth Alliance 7th Orbital Fleet. Pleasure to meet you."
"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, 2nd Space Sector, 5th Special Division."
"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, likewise."
"I'd like to request permission to come aboard," Mu said, looking between them. "Who's in charge of this ship?"
Natarle paused for a beat before answering. " The Captain and all senior officers were killed in action. Therefore, I believe Captain Ramius is currently in command."
"Eh?"
"The only survivors are the non-commissioned officers and a dozen or so others. I was lucky enough to escape through the shaft..."
"The Captain is dead... my god..." Mu shook his head, his expression grim. "Man, what a mess. Anyway, I need that permission, Captain Ramius. My ship got taken out by ZAFT, you see."
"Ah, yes. Permission granted."
With Mu's arrival, the chain of command was momentarily settled. Which meant the next topic was...
Mu turned his gaze toward me and the kids.
"So, what about them?"
"As you can see, civilians. Students... mostly," Murrue explained. "The man claims to be a Natural mercenary. The boy happened to be in the factory district during the attack... I put him in the Strike. The mercenary was apparently here in Heliopolis on vacation when he got caught in the crossfire. He protected the Blitz from being stolen by ZAFT."
Technically, I jumped into the Blitz before the Redcoat, Nicol, could steal it. But Murrue seemed content to gloss over that detail. It saved me a headache, though that kind of leniency was exactly why she wasn't cut out for hard military decisions.
"The boy is Kira Yamato. The man is Axel Almer. Thanks to them, we destroyed two GINNs earlier. We even managed to capture one of them largely intact—only the cockpit and head sensor were destroyed."
"You captured a GINN!?" Natarle exclaimed, eyes widening.
"Axel-san crushed the cockpit block with the Blitz. If I recall correctly..."
"Yeah, that GINN is already being moved inside the ship," Murdoch confirmed with a nod.
"I came here to escort the chicks who were supposed to pilot these things," Mu said, his tone darkening. "What happened to the original pilots?"
Natarle answered him. "They were in the briefing room, paying their respects to the Captain upon arrival. The explosion took them all..."
"I see."
Even if he called them "chicks," they were comrades he had traveled with all the way to Heliopolis. Mu's face tightened with grief, but he shook it off quickly. He walked closer, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Kira, then me.
I decided to step in. As the adult in the room, it was my job to shield the kid—especially since Kira was a Coordinator.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"You guys... you're Coordinators, aren't you?"
"...!?"
Kira gasped, freezing for a moment. But then, he nodded.
"Yes."
The security officers nearby instantly raised their rifles. But one person stepped right into the line of fire.
"What the hell is this!?" Tolle shouted, shielding Kira. "Coordinator or not, Kira isn't the enemy! Did you see what just happened? What is wrong with you people!?"
"Well, he's got a point," I added dryly. "Watching us fight and then deciding we're enemies does seem a bit irrational."
"Axel-san..." Kira murmured.
I stepped forward, standing beside Tolle.
"Like the kid said. You watched us fight for you, and now you treat us like hostiles? ...Fine. But if that's how you want to play it, I'll have to respond in kind. You sure you want to do that?"
"Wait, Axel-san!"
Murrue's voice rang out across the deck. She stepped between me and the security team.
"Lower your weapons!"
"Captain Ramius, what is the meaning of this?" Natarle asked sharply.
"Is it really so surprising? Heliopolis is a colony of a neutral nation. It's hardly strange for Coordinators to move here to escape the war. Isn't that right, Kira-kun?"
"Y-yes. I'm a first-generation Coordinator."
"Meaning your parents are Naturals," Mu said, scratching the back of his head. "My bad. Didn't mean to start a riot. I just wanted to ask. On the way here, I watched simulations of the guys who were supposed to pilot these things. They were struggling just to make them walk. It was pathetic."
He looked at Kira, impressed. "And then I see you moving like a pro."
"...For the record," I interjected, ensuring the conversation didn't drift too far, "as I said before, I am not a Coordinator."
"Yes," Murrue confirmed. "However, as we discussed, I will need you to undergo a check later. Is that still acceptable?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Hah? You?" Mu looked at me skeptically. "You're really not a Coordinator?"
I nodded.
"So what? You destroyed a GINN with that sluggish movement... while being a Natural? If that's true, you're a monster."
"When you're a mercenary, you don't get to make excuses just because the opponent is a Coordinator. You fight, or you die."
"Fair point. ...So, give me your mercenary opinion. You think they're coming back?"
He didn't need to specify who. The Creuset Team.
"Without a doubt. They only managed to steal three of the five machines. Whether they aim to destroy the rest or steal them... they'll definitely attack again."
"Yeah. Especially with Creuset out there. Knowing how persistent that guy is, there's no way he'll just leave us be."
"Creuset... Rau Le Creuset," I mused aloud. "I see. Then you, Mu La Flaga... you must be the 'Hawk of Endymion.'"
"Oh? You're well-informed."
At the mention of the title, a buzz went through the Archangel's crew. The Hero of the Grimaldi Front. Thanks to Alliance propaganda, his nickname was famous.
Of course, I knew all this from the original story, but pretending to realize it just now was the safer play.
"Given their persistence, I doubt we have time to relax," I said. "The mercenary here agrees they're coming back. Shouldn't we hurry up and prep our defenses?"
"Agreed," Murrue said, switching back to command mode. "Kira-kun, you and your friends wait in one of the crew quarters for now."
"Understood."
Kira nodded, and Murrue turned to me.
"Axel-san, as mentioned, please submit to the Coordinator screening. You don't mind?"
"Go ahead."
"Maintenance team, load as much water, food, and ammunition as possible onto the Archangel. Lieutenant, Ensign, we're going to the bridge."
"Roger that."
"Understood."
With Murrue's orders, the ship scrambled to prepare for the inevitable return of the Creuset Team.
"And the result?"
"It's negative, Captain. Axel Almer is definitively not a Coordinator."
In the bridge of the Archangel, Murrue, Natarle, and Mu listened to the report from the medical officer.
...Honestly, that's a relief.
This body was undoubtedly Axel's, and I hadn't undergone genetic modification. However, I possessed numerous cheat abilities and had absorbed people using my slime powers. There was a non-zero chance my DNA had been altered enough to trigger a false positive.
"Understood. You may return to the infirmary," Murrue said.
"No need."
The medic saluted and left the bridge.
"So, my name is cleared?" I asked.
"Yes. I apologize for the unpleasantness," Murrue said, bowing her head slightly.
I waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. You saw a Natural piloting a Mobile Suit. It'd be weird if you didn't suspect something."
"Well, there are Naturals like me with rare spatial awareness abilities," Mu chimed in. "A Natural piloting a Mobile Suit isn't completely impossible."
"True. ...So, Axel Almer. Can we take it that you are willing to cooperate with us?" Natarle asked, her tone business-like.
I nodded.
"Yeah. My gut tells me sticking with you is my best bet for survival."
STATUS SCREEN
Name: Axel Almer
Level: 35
PP: 490
STATS:
Melee: 246
Shooting: 264
Skill: 256
Defense: 253
Evade: 281
Hit: 303
SP: 422
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: Versatile / Special
TERRAIN ADAPTATION:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: S
SPIRIT COMMANDS:
Accel (SP 4)
Gain (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Zeal (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
SKILLS:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recover & Focus)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Will Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
???
???
???
???
???
Kill Count: 255