The chamber for the peace conference—or rather, the negotiation floor—fell into a heavy silence as we entered. Every eye in the room fixed on us with predatory intensity.
On the side of the PLANTs sat Gilbert Durandal, accompanied by a small retinue of secretaries. Representing the Earth Alliance was a man who reportedly held the absolute confidence of Atlantic Federation President Joseph Copeland, along with his own staff.
The Alliance representative was the first to rise.
"Representative Uzumi, it has been far too long. And to the rest of you, a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Grey Mustang. President Copeland has granted me full plenipotentiary powers for these negotiations on behalf of the Atlantic Federation."
I had expected a blustering, high-handed bureaucrat, but Mustang was disarmingly mild-mannered. Then again, considering Copeland himself was a moderate, perhaps it wasn't so surprising.
"Mr. Mustang, it is good to see you again," Uzumi replied with practiced grace. "I look forward to our progress today."
"Axel Almar, leader of the Shadow Mirror," I added, stepping forward to shake his hand.
Up close, Grey Mustang appeared to be a genial middle-aged Caucasian man in his late forties. However, his eyes held the deep, unreadable glint of a veteran politician.
"Ah, so you are the commander of the Shadow Mirror? The 'miracle unit' from another world that fought through this war and brought victory to Orb? I never dreamed I'd meet you at a table like this. I've wanted to have a proper conversation with you for some time."
"Representative Grey," Uzumi interjected smoothly, "I would appreciate it if we could save the pleasantries for after we've concluded our primary business."
Mustang offered a self-deprecating bow. "My apologies. But a visitor from another world? It sounds like something straight out of science fiction. I've been obsessed with those kinds of stories since I was a boy—movies, novels, you name it."
Given that we're sitting in a world with giant humanoid mobile suits, I'd say we're already well past the threshold of science fiction, I thought dryly.
Durandal, who had been watching our exchange with clinical interest, stepped forward once the air settled.
"I am Gilbert Durandal, acting as the proxy for the PLANTs. Representative Uzumi, it is an honor. And Axel… it is good to see you again."
He shook hands with Uzumi and then me, his touch light and calculated.
"Oh?" Mustang noted, raising an eyebrow. "Does Representative Durandal already have an acquaintance with Mr. Almar?"
"Indeed," Durandal smiled. "We had the opportunity to meet briefly after the Battle of Jachin Due. Axel… though he isn't in this room, Ray is here in Orb with me. He has finally reached a conclusion regarding the 'answer' you sought."
The answer… He was referring to the telomere treatment for the clones that Rau Le Creuset had begged me to handle in his final moments. I wondered what the boy had decided.
The small talk eventually wound down, and we took our seats. Orb had clearly put thought into the layout; a large circular table occupied the center, seating Uzumi, Mustang, and Durandal as equals. I, serving merely as the "deterrent" or observer, sat with Cornelia in a pair of chairs slightly removed from the main ring.
Once everyone was settled, Uzumi opened the floor.
"First, I wish to thank you all for attending. This war began from a tragic series of misunderstandings, but thanks to the intervention of the Shadow Mirror—led by Mr. Almar—the hawks who drove the conflict on both sides have been removed from the board. There is no longer any reason for blood to be spilled. We have sent you the draft of the peace treaty, and I suggest we begin there."
"Representative Uzumi," Mustang began, "I have a question regarding the draft's section on reparations. Specifically, what kind of 'technological compensation' is being requested?"
From there, the room transformed into a battlefield of words. As the commander of a combat group, I simply sat back and watched the politicians do what they did best. Occasionally, they would look to me for the Shadow Mirror's stance, but for the most part, I was a silent statue of military might.
Hours passed. Each side fought tenaciously for their own national interests, grinding through the details until a consensus finally began to form.
The final agreement largely mirrored my original draft, with a few strategic adjustments.
First, regarding reparations: Orb waived all direct monetary payments. In exchange, they secured a twenty-year preferential trade status and tariff exemptions from both the Alliance and the PLANTs. Shadow Mirror, meanwhile, opted for technology and resources over currency. I managed to secure Durandal's commitment to hand over both physical N-Jammer units and their complete design schematics.
As for the borders between the PLANTs and the Earth Alliance, that was kicked down the road for a later date. The PLANTs simply didn't have the manpower to govern their current massive terrestrial holdings and were forced to make concessions to the Alliance. However, the PLANTs were loath to give up regions with mass drivers—their gates to the stars—while the Alliance was desperate for more than just the Victoria base. That future negotiation was going to be a bloodbath, but that was Orb's problem, not mine.
The most heated debate centered on N-Jammer Cancellers. Neither side wanted to blink. Ultimately, Uzumi mediated a compromise where all signatories agreed to a total ban on the military use of N-Jammer Cancellers.
I didn't mind. Shadow Mirror machines ran on fusion and plasma generators anyway. As for Orb, if they continued researching the Sealion, they'd eventually leapfrog from fission to fusion technology on their own. Knowing Uzumi, he'd probably announce the breakthrough as a solution to the global power crisis rather than a weapon system. At least, that would be the public face of it.
The rest of my draft remained largely intact: caps on mobile suit production, the war crimes trials for Azrael and Patrick Zala, the abolition of the PLANT directorate's trade monopolies, unconditional inspections, the ban on Mirage Colloid for military use, and the neutralization of the Moon.
"Regarding the signing of this treaty," Uzumi said, glancing toward me, "at the request of the Shadow Mirror, the ceremony will take place at the ruins of Junius Seven. Axel?"
I stood up, the rustle of my uniform the only sound in the room.
"This war had many causes," I said clearly. "But the spark that ignited the inferno was the nuclear strike on Junius Seven by Blue Cosmos. It is only fitting that the war ends where it truly began. Furthermore, this agreement shall henceforth be known as the Junius Treaty."
The three politicians nodded. I saw no reason to change the name from the original timeline; it carried the necessary weight.
"Then, this concludes our preliminary session," Uzumi announced. "I know it has been a long day, but it was a fruitful one. We have a small gala planned for this evening. I hope you will all attend."
"Good work out there," Cornelia said as we stepped into the hallway.
As a Princess of Britannia, she was used to the soul-crushing boredom of high-level diplomacy. I, however, felt more mentally drained than if I'd fought a ZAFT division single-handedly.
"Axel."
I turned to see Durandal approaching us.
"If this is about the treaty, Gilbert, my brain is at capacity," I warned.
"Nothing of the sort," he chuckled. "I simply wanted to ask if you'll be attending the gala tonight."
"Shadow Mirror can't exactly snub the host. We'll be there."
"Excellent. Ray will be attending as well."
"So, the answer to the offer I made him before the meeting?"
"Precisely. He struggled with the decision, but he has made his choice. Please, listen to what he has to say."
From Durandal's tone, it was clear Ray had decided to leave the PLANTs and join Shadow Mirror. I felt for the kid, but I'd still have to keep him under observation for a while to ensure our secrets didn't leak back to Durandal.
"I understand. Tell him I look forward to it."
Durandal bowed slightly and departed. Cornelia watched him go, her eyes narrowing.
"A sharp one, that one," she murmured.
"Yeah. In the history I know, the Junius Treaty was so unfavorable to the PLANTs that the current Chairwoman, Eileen Canaver, was forced to resign. Durandal was the man who stepped into the vacuum and took over."
"I see. But this isn't that history, is it?"
"No. In this world, the treaty actually favors the PLANTs. If Eileen still ends up resigning, it'll be due to internal politics, not the treaty itself."
"Well, there's no point in chasing ghosts," Cornelia said, hooking her arm into mine. "We have a party to prepare for. And since it's a formal event, I expect you to be dressed to the nines."
"Dressed up? I've never been a fan of stiff collars. Though, I suppose seeing you in a gown will make it worth the trouble."
She laughed, a rich, melodic sound. "Flattery will get you everywhere. But a woman in a fine dress needs a man who can hold his own at her side. You're my escort, Axel. Don't embarrass me."
She began dragging me toward the dressing rooms. We had separate rooms, of course, but our wardrobes were surprisingly well-stocked.
Back when we had the mock battle between the Megillots and the M1 Astrays, we had made a massive bet with Yuna Roma Seiran. We had used his "donated" funds to buy a mountain of high-end clothing, which currently occupied an entire wing of our living quarters on the White Star.
Before that, we were all basically living out of our cockpits. Lemon and I had been sucked through a dimensional rift; Cornelia had vanished in the chaos of the Black Rebellion; Murrue had barely escaped the Cyclops explosion at Alaska. None of us had exactly packed a suitcase. Buying out the Seiran family's accounts for dresses, suits, and jewelry felt like divine justice for the way Yuna had looked at the girls.
"I chose your suit myself, Axel," Cornelia called out as we reached the doors. "So you'd better be grateful!"
"I'm sure I will be," I shouted back.
If nothing else, seeing Cornelia dressed for a ball was going to be the highlight of the year.
Pilot Status: Axel Almar
Level: 38 | PP: 615
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272
Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consume SP to increase machine performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regene, Concentration)
Telekinesis (T-LINK) LV.10
Attacker
Gunfight LV.9
Infight LV.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
[Locked]
[Locked]
Kill Count: 374
-------------------------------
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