The speech was being broadcast all over the world.
On PLANT, Orphee's face was displayed on screens in the streets, and people stopped to watch and listen.
< However, those who are lazy aren't going to like that! They reject evolution, they grow jealous of others, they don't let go of their past fears, and kill one another led by those ugly emotions. They are like parasites who live in the peace of a community but greedily leech on its blessings! So I ask you! Why should we walk alongside such ignorant people? >
Yzak Jule watched the monitor with an expression as though he'd swallowed a bitter insect. He was currently part of the general staff as an intelligence officer.
In the middle of the Foundation Prime Minister's colorful speech, Dearka Elthman quickly walked in and whispered into his ear.
"... Jagannath has moved."
"Damn it!"
Yzak violently got up from his seat.
(during the scene where Cagalli is speaking to Chairmen Lament)
As the monitor showed the leaders in a state of confusion, PLANT Chairman Lament turned as if he was being called out to from the side.
The monitor abruptly cut off, but just before it did, Cagalli saw Yzak Jule approach him and whisper something to him.
Lament was escorted by Yzak and his troops, leaving Aprilius One in an emergency escape shuttle. The shuttle docked on a distinctive bright pink battleship.
It was the Eternal.
When Lament entered the bridge with Yzak and the others, already there were former council members Eileen Canaver and Ezalia Jule. The captain and the crew greeted the chairman with a salute.
"Mrs. Jule, former representative Canaver, thank you for your help."
As Lament approached, Ezalia glanced at her son as she said "I'm glad that Yzak could help you."
Yzak had a slightly disgusted look on his face.
Lament, perhaps thinking about PLANT that he'd just left behind, sighed with a gloomy expression. "...However, we have no choice but to wait and see regarding this domestic turmoil."
Ezalia and the others nodded.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. In the worst case scenario, Requiem may very well be pointed at PLANT again..."
That was what they had to avoid. To that end, it might have been best to assume that PLANT had accepted the Foundations ultimatum. The situation would be safe for now if the anti-Natural faction lead by Jagannath remained in the public eye. Ironically enough.
"Right now, we have to assess the situation and hide ourselves. In order to make arrangements for that--"
Lament turned to look at Dearka, who answered.
"It's not perfect - but there was a resistance supply base in the abandoned Boaz that was entrusted to us by Miss Lacus. We'll head there."
"I see."
Five days left - Lament thinks about his blue home planet - in the meantime, how will the situation change? Or will everything go as the Foundation - those Accord guys have in mind?
They had to change it. Otherwise, the future would disappear.
At the former PLANT military base, the Boaz fortress.
The Clyne faction had been secretly based there, though it was since abandoned.
They weren't expecting something like this to happen. They had hoped that what they had hidden there would gather dust and be forgotten, unused...
Yzak sat in the cockpit as he checked over the aircraft, and grumbled. "Even though they were converted to nuclear power, they still kept old aircrafts like these."
< I like it, though. > Dearka responded with a somewhat nostalgic tone. < The ZAKU control system is easy to use. >
Although the machines the two men boarded were older models, they had new power sources and new control systems. Yuri Amalfi, Ezalia and others had refurbished these previously discarded machines for testing purposes.
The heart of PLANT was controlled by the Jagannath faction. However, they had no choice but to leave things there to other people. Yzak and the others had to do something about the ZAFT fleet. The Requiem could not be allowed to stand for any longer.
"Really! What is that guy doing!?" In his anger, Yzak cursed about someone who wasn't present.
Dearka replied as if he could see right through his feelings. < The moon's pretty far away from the Earth. >
"That's hardly an excuse!"
< You did ask... > Dearka mumbled as preparations for their departure were made.
"Yzak Jule, Duel, launching!"
< Dearka Elthman, Buster, taking off! >
The two of them flew out from Boaz in their first, beloved machines. Both the Duel and Buster were equipped with METEORs. And using the propulsion force of that huge auxiliary equipment, they sped toward the moon in the blink of an eye.
"This is Lieutenant Colonel Yzak Jule from the ZAFT military intelligence ministry. We've received orders from military headquarters!"
Yzak opened communications to the ZAFT fleet.
"ZAFT soldiers following Lieutenant Colonel Jagannath, stop fighting immediately and return to your original station! The coup d'etat in the homeland has already been snuffed out, and Chairman Lament has returned and is in command!"
Just recently at PLANT, a force mainly made up of those from the Clyne faction, including Waltfeld, stormed the council building and took control of the area. Hostages were released, and the ringleaders either killed themselves or were captured. Jagannath and the others no longer represented PLANT, and were merely remnants of the rebels.
Yzak and Dearka came here to persuade Jagannath and get the soldiers to change their minds. As part of ZAFT, they did not want to be complicit in the crime of attacking the Earth.
"Lieutenant Colonel Jagannath! Do you want to be charged with treason?!"
Jagannath, however, remained unmoved by Yzak's desperate calls.
"This isn't treason!" he said, looking at his shaken soldiers. "We're the ones who will carry the future of PLANT! We will liberate our compatriots from the tyranny of the Naturals!"
If they left things to ignorant people like Lament, they would just go along with whatever the Naturals want. With the end of the war, the world was returning to its old state of the affairs and favoring the Naturals. Jagannath decided that he could not leave things like this. And his soldiers with him also had those same aspirations. They would not be moved by Yzak Jule's words. He was sure there were still many people back home who agreed with him.
The situation could be resolved by burning down the old world with the Requiem that could be recovered later.
The ZAFT fleet's attacks, which had been sporadic for a while, were picking up again. Yzak and his team mowed down the missiles concentrated on the Kusanagi with the METEORs.
"Surrender, Lieutenant Colonel! Don't let all of your soldiers die in vain!" Yzak repeatedly called out to him, but Jagannath remained adamant.
< Why are you siding with the residents of the old world?! Nothing will change if this continues! > Jagannath shouted in anger. < This world where only a few people are rich and the unreasonable and inconsiderate dominate! >
Yzak had also in the past acted on his own initiative in defiance of military orders. So it wasn't as though he couldn't understand their actions. But...
"You're anachronistic idiots!"
Yzak felt hopeless and powerless. It was true that the world has not changed. But what these guys were doing was the same as Patrick Zala.
People are sensitive to injustice and easily prone to anger. It's so easy to use that to stir up conflict. But people who do that are dirty. They claim that such cruel and unforgivable things were done to them.
Because to them it's much more difficult to compromise and emphasize with each other.
But haven't they all already learned from the past wars what lies ahead when we continue to just kill in anger?
There was a bitterness in Dearka's voice as he watched the beam attack. "We can't do this anymore, Yzak ... they wouldn't keep doing something like this if they were willing to be persuaded!"
"Shit!"
Yzak didn't want to kill ZAFT soldiers who were just like him with his own hands. But something had to be done.
He disconnected from the METEOR and headed toward the ZAFT fleet. The Buster followed suit.
"Have you forgotten! The blood spilled by the dead! The resentment!" Jagannath screamed as he rushed toward the Millenium. "We haven't forgotten!"
(this line I was iffy with but it's just about soldiers who believed in that and died, stuff about forgiveness and people who join forces with naturals and ignore a corrupt society and how he needs to do this himself if he must)
"We haven't forgotten..." Dearka murmered, firing the long-barreled rifle. He took aim at the fellow ship and fired. The beams and missiles hit the Burckhardt's engine.
At the same time, Yzak's Duel approached the bridge and fired its Lancer Darts. The engine exploded, and Burckhardt with a jolt, moved off its course and passed over the Millennium. Then the whole thing was engulfed in flames.
Dearka stared at the fire bitterly. They haven't forgotten. The blood that they shed. Nicol, Miguel, and many others had their blood shed. Not only their own comrades, but their enemy's comrades. There were those who loved those enemies and mourned their deaths. He saw those tears, too.
To kill because someone killed, to seek blood for spilled blood...
< That's why ... this has to stop, so it doesn't happen anymore. >
He heard Yzak's voice. He must have been feeling the same way as him as he watched the fire. Precisely because that blood is precious, it must not be shed again. They must break free of this unfortunate fate with their own wills.
When Athrun rushed to the airspace above the Requiem, Yzak's yelling voice suddenly came from the speaker.
< You bastard! What do you think you're doing!? >
Ignoring the yell that could only be a greeting, Athrun spoke briefly.
"Shinn and the others!"
(they help fire at things and Destiny and Impulse get the METEORs from "their seniors")
Athrun was also looking down at the flaming cannon.
It was finished...
However, nothing was truly over...
The world had received a new wound. And now it was a matter of wondering how long it would take for that wound to heal.
< At least the Requiem will never be shot again. > Yzak spoke as he pulled up next to him. Perhaps he was feeling the same way.
< Oh boy ... things are going to get rough again for a while. > Dearka grumbled.
After this, they were going to have to run around tirelessly to bring down the ZAFT soldiers who'd joined the rebellion and send them back to their homeland.
< What are you going to do? >
In response to Yzak's inquiry, Athrun turns to the other side of the moon. Hidden by the grey satellite is the invisible blue planet.
"I'll keep doing the same thing ... again."
To just keep doing what he can. Just like "her" down on that planet.
Dearka responsed with a quiet < That's right. >
They belong to different places and have different positions. However, no matter where you are, you'll end up thinking the same thing as them.
From now on.