Chapter 83: SEED – Cagalli
Mu La Flaga could only take a step back, showing that he had no intention of doing anything that might harm Cagalli Yula Athha.
Cagalli Yula Athha continued speaking.
"Why were you sitting in that thing?"
She then swung an angry punch at Kira Yamato. Luckily, Kira reacted quickly, firmly catching his sister's delicate hand.
After staring at Cagalli Yula Athha for a while, Kira finally remembered that this girl was the blonde he had rescued back in Heliopolis.
"You're the one… from that time, at the Morgenröte factory."
Realizing that Kira Yamato, this idiot, had only just recalled who she was, Cagalli grew even angrier, struggling to wrench her hand free.
"Let go of me, you fool!"
The moment Kira released her, the force of her struggle carried through, and Cagalli's arm swung around and landed a sharp slap across his face.
To most onlookers, Cagalli looked like a jilted woman throwing a hysterical fit, irrational and unreasonable—people who didn't know better might have thought she and Kira had once been romantically involved.
Tolle Koenig only shook his head, sighing that aside from Athrun Zala, no one would take interest in this tomboy for no reason.
Perhaps Athrun Zala only took her in consideration of her being Kira Yamato's sister—after all, Asucchi's true love was clearly Kira.
Should he maybe find a way to turn one of them into a girl so the two of them could be together?
No, that thought was way too dangerous—absolutely not. Better drop it. That scene would be far too disturbing to watch… enough to make someone sick. (?w?)
After Murrue Ramius negotiated with them, the Archangel followed the Desert Dawn resistance group back to their base to stay temporarily.
Inside the cave base, Mu La Flaga looked around at their harsh, simple conditions and remarked:
"You really live in a place like this?"
Sahib Ashman replied:
"No, this is just a frontline base. Everyone usually lives in town."
Then, after a moment of heaviness, he added:
"Well, at least before some of those towns were burned to the ground. Many here are people whose homes were destroyed by ZAFT forces.
We're a group formed by volunteers from those towns…"
Murrue Ramius, Natarle Badgiruel, Mu La Flaga, and Sahib Ashman talked at length, hoping to obtain from him a channel for purchasing supplies on the black market.
After all, no matter the world, as long as people exist, there will always be a black market. There are always those willing to risk everything for money—even if it means betraying their country.
During their talk, Mu La Flaga curiously asked about Cagalli Yula Athha's identity and learned that she was known as the "Goddess of Victory" of Desert Dawn.
She went by the alias Cagalli Yula, and apart from her bodyguard, no one knew that she was actually the daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha, Prime Minister of the neutral nation Orb—in other words, Orb's little princess.
Elsewhere, Cagalli Yula Athha, wearing a sulky expression, went to find Kira and said to him:
"Sorry about earlier. I didn't really mean to hit you."
Kira Yamato had no idea what she meant. She had clearly meant to slap him just before, yet now she was claiming otherwise. He could only respond with a helpless, "Ah."
Cagalli herself realized her apology sounded wrong, not making much sense, so she lowered her head and muttered to herself:
"Uh, that doesn't sound right either. I just got carried away in the moment. Please forgive me."
Watching Cagalli fumbling like a fool, Kira found it funny and couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing him laugh, Cagalli grew furious again. "What's so funny?"
But then she calmed down, and with an unexpectedly sweet expression, she smiled and said:
"I've always wondered what became of you after that."
Her expression shifted once more, brimming with anger.
"To think you'd show up inside that thing. And on top of that, you're with the Earth Alliance now!"
If Tolle Koenig had seen Cagalli's rapid-fire changes of expression, he would surely have said she looked like she'd just escaped from a mental institution—like a case of split personality combined with mania.
Kira Yamato could only sit on the little hill, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"After that, a lot happened… so many things."
Now that Kira was growing into a man, he had learned to deflect conversations. He turned the question on her instead:
"Then why are you here? Aren't you from Orb?"
With that, he smoothly sidestepped, leaving her unable to answer.
Meanwhile, Sahib Ashman was discussing military affairs with Mu La Flaga and the others.
"Although this is within ZAFT's sphere of influence, not every part of the desert is occupied by their forces.
But three days ago, after the fall of Victoria Spaceport, their momentum only grew stronger."
Mu La Flaga was taken aback. "Victoria Spaceport has fallen?"
Sahib Ashman went on.
"This is the African Community, which has always leaned toward PLANT.
The African Community fought hard, but in the end, the Earth Alliance abandoned them. The dividing lines of power shift every single day."
Mu La Flaga tried to comfort him. "In such harsh circumstances, you're still doing your best."
Unimpressed, Sahib shot him a glare and continued.
"To us, both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance are the same—they both come here to dominate and plunder."
Mu La Flaga, Murrue Ramius, and the others could only look at Sahib with awkward expressions.
Sahib then steered the conversation elsewhere.
"How's that ship holding up in the atmosphere? Can it still fly back up?"
Natarle Badgiruel shook her head. "The Archangel can't reach that altitude."
Sahib sighed helplessly.
"If you can't cross the mountains, then you'll have to break through Gibraltar."
Mu La Flaga said with a self-mocking smile, "With this little force? Don't make it too hard on us."
"Well then, try pushing through the Red Sea."
"From the Indian Ocean into the Pacific?"
Natarle Badgiruel sounded discouraged.
"Without securing supplies, crossing the Pacific in one go is impossible."
Mu La Flaga added, "The Oceania Union is already under ZAFT control. Is the Equatorial Union still neutral?"
Sahib shook his head.
"You're thinking way too far ahead. There's still Banadiya, where Le Creuset is stationed."
"So… that's what you meant by pushing through?"
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