"To the end of the war that ravaged our world, and to those who have chosen to make the White Star their new home… Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The roar of voices erupted across the hall, followed by the rhythmic clinking of glasses. I surveyed the room; the turnout was larger than I'd anticipated, with roughly fifty people filling the venue.
It was a diverse crowd. There were the bridge crews from the Archangel, led by Neumann and the other former students; Murdoch's rowdy engineering team; and even representatives from the Kusanagi and the Eternal. For those from the Eternal, this was likely as much a security detail for Lacus Clyne as it was a social gathering.
In one corner, I was surprised to see Erica Simmons and the three 'Astray Girls'—Juri, Mayura, and Asagi—deep in conversation with the Shadow Mirror technical staff. Despite having just met, they were already geeking out over specs and schematics. A few sparks seemed to be flying between them; I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of engineering-driven romances blossomed by the end of the night.
The atmosphere was genuinely warm. Even the usually prickly Yzak Joule seemed to be having an… interesting time. He was sandwiched between Dearka and his mother, Ezaria, looking increasingly flustered as the two of them double-teamed him with teasing remarks.
"Here, Axel. You look like you could use a break."
Lemon appeared at my side, holding a plate piled high with food. Given the scale of the party, we'd outsourced the catering to one of Orb's finest restaurants. Of course, 'outsourcing' was easy when I could just stash the freshly prepared dishes in my spatial warehouse and bring them out whenever needed—zero transport costs and perfectly fresh.
I took a bite of the roast beef. It was succulent, rich, and perfectly seasoned. "Incredible. Uzumi certainly knows his restaurants."
"You should enjoy it while you can," Lemon said, her eyes softening. "Next week, things are going to get busy again."
"Right. The Junius Treaty signing ceremony."
Next month, I'd be heading back into deep space. I'd originally wanted nothing to do with such a tedious political circus, but Uzumi had been persistent. He argued that as the leader of the organization that effectively ended the war, my presence was a necessary deterrent. A silent reminder of the 'big stick' Shadow Mirror carried.
At least Lemon and the others were coming with me. I felt a pang of guilt; they were already swamped with the development of my new unit.
"Are you sure about this, though?" I asked. "Won't the ceremony interfere with the machine's progress?"
Lemon gave me a radiant smile—the kind that could light up a hangar. "Don't worry. We've reached a major milestone with the T-LINK frame."
"Already?"
"I wouldn't say 'already.' It gave us more trouble than almost anything else we've built," she admitted. "But the path forward is clear now. On paper, it's perfect. Now we just need to build the prototype and iron out the inevitable bugs. It's the most critical part of your new unit, Axel. I'm not cutting any corners."
She threaded her arm through mine, her body pressing against me with a comfortable familiarity. I could feel the soft curve of her breast against my elbow, and despite everything we'd been through, I felt a familiar heat rise to my cheeks.
"I… I can't eat like this, Lemon," I muttered, trying to maintain some semblance of cool.
"Then I'll feed you," she replied simply. She took the fork from my hand, speared a slice of beef, and held it to my lips. "Come on. Say 'ah.'"
"Lemon, really—"
" 'Ah,' Axel. I've been working so hard for your sake; don't I deserve a little reward? Besides, if you keep hesitating, the gravy is going to drip on the floor."
She was right; the rich brown sauce was wobbling precariously on the edge of the meat. Sighing in defeat, I opened my mouth and let her feed me.
"See? Doesn't it taste better when your lover feeds it to you?"
"I'll admit it has a certain… unique flavor," I grumbled.
I realized then that the room had gone quiet. I looked up to see dozens of eyes pinned on us. To my left, Tolle was jokingly trying to do the same to Miriallia with a piece of terrine, though she was swatting him away with a laugh.
"You two are as close as ever, I see."
Kira Yamato broke the silence as he approached, flanked by Lacus and Flay.
"Look who's talking," I retorted. "You seem to be handling your own 'entourage' quite well."
Lacus giggled, her eyes sparkling. "My, Axel-san. Do you really think so?" She stepped forward with a graceful dip of her head. "I apologize for the late greeting. Thank you for inviting us to such a wonderful gathering."
"No need for formalities, Lacus. As you can see, it's just a rowdy party."
"It is lovely," she agreed. "So different from the stiff, formal affairs in the PLANTs."
Next to her, Flay was busy fussing over Kira, handing him a plate she'd meticulously assembled. "Here, Kira. Try the marinade. It's delicious… though, the taste is oddly familiar."
"You have a good palate, Flay," Lemon noted, stepping away from my arm to join them. "That marinade is a specialty of the Orb government's private chefs."
I turned to Kira. "Are you coming to the treaty ceremony next month?"
"I'm scheduled to attend as one of the representatives for the PLANTs," Lacus answered for him.
"And you, Kira?"
"I don't really have an official title," Kira said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Besides, I've got a lot of work at Morgenroete."
"What are you working on?"
"The underwater variant of the M1 Astray. Writing the maneuvering software for combat in a high-pressure aqueous environment is… challenging, to say the least."
"The Second Mobile Suit Development Division?" I asked.
Kira blinked. "Yes. How did you know? They aren't exactly a high-profile department."
"I'm friends with the chief there, Kou Asuka. I actually invited the whole Asuka family tonight, but they were too busy to come. I'm surprised they let you off the hook."
Kira gave a sheepish grin. "Chief Asuka told me that since I helped end the war, I should at least take one night to breathe."
"I see. And you chose to spend that breath with your two lovely companions."
"Oh, Kira's 'companion'… how flattering," Lacus teased, blushing slightly.
"Wait, Axel-san! It's not like that!" Kira protested, his face turning bright red.
I let out a soft laugh but then looked him in the eye, my tone turning serious. "Listen, Kira. Your kindness is your greatest strength, but don't let it turn into indecision. Pick a path and stick to it."
"…Right. I understand."
It was rich coming from me, a man currently juggling three relationships, but advice is always easier to give than to follow. Kira's group moved on to mingle with others, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Giving relationship advice now? You really have grown, Axel," a familiar voice joked.
I turned to see Mu La Flaga, with Natarle and Rey in tow.
"Don't start, Mu. I know my own weaknesses."
"Do you? Because I remember you telling me you were an 'expert' in these matters once," Mu smirked.
"I was riding a high back then," I admitted. "I didn't realize how much Murrue was worrying about me."
"Oh? I'd love to hear more about that," Murrue said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
"Murrue! Done with Murdoch's crew?"
"They're busy arguing about engine tolerances. I figured I was just getting in the way," she said.
"Captain Ramius. It is good to see you," Natarle said, snapping a crisp, instinctive salute.
Murrue sighed and gently lowered Natarle's hand. "Natarle, you're the Captain of the Archangel now. And I'm no longer a Lieutenant Commander. I'm just Murrue." She then glanced at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Or rather, I'm Murrue Ramius, the woman of the man who leads Shadow Mirror."
Natarle's face turned scarlet. "I… I see."
Mu didn't miss a beat. He wrapped an arm around Natarle's waist and grinned. "In that case, I guess this is Natarle Badgiruel, the woman of the Shadow Mirror ace, Mu La Flaga."
"Mu! Not here!" Natarle barked. Her face, already red, deepened to the color of a ripe tomato as she buried an elbow into Mu's ribs.
"Guh!"
"Honestly… have some sense of time and place!"
As Mu doubled over, I looked at Rey, who was watching the exchange with a rare, faint smile.
"How are you holding up, Rey? Getting used to these two?"
"Yes," Rey replied, his voice calm. "Mu-san and Natarle-san have been very kind."
He looked like a normal child for a moment, free from the shadow of being a clone or a tool for someone else's ambition. It was a sight that made all the struggle feel worth it.
"Axel."
I turned. Cagalli was walking toward me, Athrun at her side. Her usual boisterous energy was gone, replaced by a grim, focused expression. My gut tightened. A serious face at a 'no-protocol' party usually meant bad news.
"Can we talk?" Athrun asked.
I nodded to Lemon, who gave me a knowing look, and followed them to a quiet corner of the hall.
"What is it?" I asked once we were out of earshot.
"We've received reports that the Seiran family is moving in the shadows," Cagalli said. "My father—Representative Uzumi—wanted me to make sure you were informed."
The Seirans. Unato and Yuna. I knew those names well from the original Destiny timeline. But something didn't add up.
"Why move now?" I asked. "Even if they have ties to Logos or Blue Cosmos, Orb is currently on an unprecedented upward trajectory. As a 'victorious' nation, our influence is peaking. Why sabotage that?"
"Athrun and my father are wondering the same thing," Cagalli said, her brow furrowed.
"It's possible they value their standing within the global elite of Logos more than they value Orb's sovereignty," Athrun suggested. "To them, Shadow Mirror is an outsider—an anomaly that upset the world order they rely on."
"I see. I'll keep my eyes open," I promised.
"We'll be monitoring them from the government side, but please, be careful," Cagalli added.
I nodded and watched them walk away. As I headed back toward Lemon and Murrue, a strange sensation prickled at the back of my mind—a cold shiver of intuition. My Psychodriver abilities were flared, whispering of a danger I couldn't yet see.
The party continued, the laughter and music filling the air, but for the first time that night, the shadows felt a little longer.
Status Update: Axel Almar
Level: 38 (PP: 615)
Stats: Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost
Abilities: Psychodriver Lvl 10, Attacker, Morale Limit Break, Geass (Inactive)
Total Kills: 374
-------------------------------
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