As soon as Andrew spoke, the pupils of both Lacus and Aisha constricted.
"Andy, is that true?" Aisha asked, her expression growing grave.
Andrew smiled and spread his hands. "I said it was just a guess, but I'd say it's probably nine times out of ten. After all, Creuset is a madman. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if a misanthrope like him did something so deranged."
Aisha gave a bitter laugh. "I finally understand why you hate him so much. You must have known what kind of man he was long before you met me."
"Something like that. I met him a little before I met you, Aisha, but not by muchjust a few months. From the moment I first saw him, I could tell he was a deeply calculating man. My subconscious practically screamed at me to stay away from him. I never wanted anything to do with him."
Andrew was blunt about his feelings; he simply loathed the man. "On that note... Mikazuki should feel exactly the same as you, right?"
Orga's face appeared on the Eternal's bridge screen. Andrew smiled. "Ah, Mr. Orga. Is the resupply of the Sastry complete?"
"Yeah," Orga replied. "Aside from the pilots' quarters and the necessary rest areas for the maintenance crew, even the bridge is stacked high with supplies. It's more than enough to cover the needs of all four of our warships once we leave L4."
Only Tekkadan would be able to pile supplies onto a combat ship's bridge like that. After all, Orga could operate the Sastry entirely on his own; he didn't need a helmsman or controllers.
Of course, since the ship had taken on the M1 Astray units, they now had pilots, maintenance crews, and medical staff. While the ship was no longer empty, its complement was still far smaller than that of the other three vessels.
"Anyway, Mr. Orga, what were you saying earlier...?"
"Oh, I was saying that Mikazuki feels the same way about that Creuset guy as Captain Andrew does."
"He hates him?"
"Yeah, he hates him." Orga closed one eye and nodded. "Mikazuki has clashed with him a few times and always held the upper hand. After the battle, I asked him what he thought of the guy.
He said... he was annoying, an enemy that had to be eliminated. When Mikazuki said that, it actually caught me off guard. Usually, he just thinks about whether or not he needs to defeat someone; he doesn't usually bother saying it out loud."
"I see," Andrew said, nodding in realization.
"What?" Lacus and Aisha were a bit confused, not quite following Orga's train of thought.
Andrew chuckled. "The boy must have sensed something from Creuset early on, even if it was just a vague feeling. Mikazuki seems to have a certain intuition about people... Or perhaps instinct is a more accurate word."
"A wolf's instinct," Andrew added.
Orga nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Back then, Mikazuki recognized a masked McGillis instantly. It's like the sharp intuition of a wild beast."
The two women looked at each other, still only half-understanding. Andrew laughed heartily, while Orga explained helplessly.
"Well, just consider it a talent of Mikazuki's. He's never wrong about people. Since he said those words, it means Creuset is truly dangerous. It's best to get rid of him as soon as possible."
Andrew lowered his head and muttered in a low voice, "Agreed. Creuset is far too dangerous. Just looking at Kira's current state shows how good that bastard is at manipulating people. He could probably twist the members of the PLANT Supreme Council around his little finger with just a few words."
Lacus frowned deeply. Andrew wasn't just being dramatic; the possibility was very real.
"But before that, we need to get out of this situation," Lacus said. "Is there still no movement from that Nazca-class?"
Andrew shook his head. "No. It seems they're waiting for something."
"Waiting for the Dominion...?" Lacus sank into thought for a moment before looking up. "How are the resupply and repairs for the Kusanagi and the Archangel?"
Aisha checked the computer in front of her. "Everything is finished. The resupply for the Eternal was completed ten minutes ago as well."
"Connect me to the Archangel and the Kusanagi," Lacus ordered. "Since the resupply is done, we can't just sit here waiting for death. Once the Dominion arrives, it will be much harder to escape. We have to leave now."
"Understood."
Andrew and Lacus informed Murrue on the Archangel and Cagalliwho had just arrived on the bridge of the Kusanagiof their intent to leave L4 immediately. Both agreed with Lacus's proposal and promptly issued the orders to set sail.
In the hangar, Mikazuki opened his eyes inside the cockpit of the Barbatos. "Are we leaving now?"
Orga gave a slight nod on the screen. "Yeah. Those three ZAFT ships have been hovering behind the satellite this whole time. They're probably waiting for the Dominion to show up and cause trouble so they can pick us off after both sides are exhausted.
But since the commander is Rau Le Creuset, it's probably not that simple. To be safe, we're moving out now. That said, the ZAFT forces won't just stand by and watch us leave. We'll be in combat soon."
"I understand," Mikazuki said. "Barbatos is ready to sortie at any time."
"Good. I'm heading off to get busy myself."
With that, Orga disappeared from the screen. Mikazuki exhaled a long breath and leaned back into his seat, closing his eyes to steal a few more moments of rest. Even so, his focus remained sharp, waiting for the final signal to launch.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).