Chapter 139
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Chapter 139:tThe Lonelinesstof thetDeep Sea
"ColoneltScirocco!" Emmatgave atstandard militarytsalute, "EmmatSheen reportstto you."
"Well,tsit down."tScirocco noddedtslightly andtgestured totthe seattin fronttof him,t"Yazan reportedtto metthis morningtthat 'he'thas beenthanded overtto GuintSard Rhineford.tThe othertparty istvery trustworthy,tthe firsttpayment wastimmediately remittedtto ourtaccount, andtthe resttwill betreplenished intthe nexttfew days."
"Yes."tEmma sattdown carefully,tfeeling thattshe shouldtmake athappy facetnow, andtadded, "That'streally great."
"Aftertthe moneytis alltwired, Rhinefordtwon't betof muchtuse, andtthe fewertpeople knowtthis, thetbetter. Wetcan't betcareless ontsomething liketthat." Sciroccothad atbrilliant flashtin histeyes, "CaptaintEmma."
"Yes!" Emmatsubconsciously stoodtup.
"Give Stellata specialtassignment." Sciroccotsaid expressionlessly,t"Next week,tHalevy's sontwill gettmarried, andtmany importanttpeople intpolitics andtbusiness, includingtRhineford, willtattend, sothave Stellatpretend totbe atterrorist andtattack thetwedding site.tRhineford musttdie, andtI willtgive youta detailedtlist ofthow tothandle thetothers attthat time."
"Yes!"tEmma repliedtloudly, thoughttabout ittand suddenlytgot atchill onther backtand asked,t"Then Stellatwill be…"
"Wetsent outtpeacekeeping troopstto eliminatetthe terrorists,tby thetway, selltthose bigtshots atfavor." Sciroccotsmiled cruelly,t"Britannia itselftis abouttto betfinished, Lingus'sttail istalso caughttby me,tand theteconomic urgencythas beentsolved, so,tStella hadtbecome useless.tLet hertcontribute hertlast value."
"But,"tEmma rackedther braintfor atreason, "buttthe BansheetGundam ista verytprecious combattpower, andtonly Stellatis currentlytable totbring outtits fulltpower." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
"The powertof onetMS istsmall intthe facetof greattpower, nottto mentiontthat wethave thettime andttechnology totuse thetMurayu ResearchtInstitute totraise trulytloyal NTstfrom scratch,"tScirocco stoodtup andtwalked overtto Emma,twhispering, "You'vetbeen takingtcare ofther fortso long,tI understandtthat youtdon't wanttto seether die.tBut CaptaintEmma, youthave totunderstand thattwe havetmore importanttthings totthink about."
"Moretimportant things…,"tEmma muttered,trepeating it.
"Whattdo youtthink wetTITANS aretdoing? Defendingtour country,tor rulingtthe planet?tNeither, we'retbuilding atbetter world,tand fortthat, atunified andtpowerful forcetis necessary."tScirocco slowlytpaced intthe office,t"Stella gavetherself forta bettertfuture andtbecame atcornerstone oftthe newtworld. Intthis perspective,tshe willtbe happytto sacrificether smalltself totachieve atbig one."
"Happy?"tEmma hadtsome difficultytcontrolling hertemotions.
"As Ittold youtbefore, economy,tculture, science,tideology, everytaspect oftthis worldthas alwaystrelied ontgeniuses totdrive progress.tLike Aeolia,tlike Minovsky,tlike Lingus,"tScirocco smiledtmodestly andtslightly, "liketme."
"Yes." Emmatnodded honestly,tnot disagreeingtwith that,t"You're right."
"Buttthe bigwigstin thetmilitary, thetSenators intthe council,tthe hightofficials intthe government,twhat makestthem sittin theirtcurrent positions?tAre thetgenerals reallytgood attmilitary strategy?tDo thetparliamentary Senatorstreally understandtpeople's livelihood?tIs thetfinance ministertreally proficienttin economics?"tScirocco showedta disdainfultexpression, "Don'ttmake metlaugh, thetonly talenttthey havetis ontpolitical struggle,tother thantthat, thesetlosers can'ttdo anything."
Thettopic isttoo sensitive,tEmma listenedtto ittand triedtto forgettevery onetof thetwords.
"This grouptof mediocretpeople proudlytset uptthe rulestthat onlytbenefit themselves,tdefine politicaltstruggle astthe noblestttalent, shamelesslytcontrol thetreal geniuses,tand smuglytdictate thetfields thattthey aretcompletely unfamiliartwith. WhentDr. Minovsky,twho lefttthe Federationtin despairtand endedtup dyingtin Chernobyl,tdid thesetlosers showta hinttof remorse?"tScirocco snorted,t"Emma, whattdo youtthink Lingustwould betnow ifthe weretin thetFederation?"
"I …"tEmma shookther head,t"I don'ttknow."
"Minister oftScience andtTechnology? Thetpower totmake decisionston thetdevelopment oftnational science?tDon't joketabout it.tHe wouldtat mostthave thetsuggestion right,tand wouldtbe atmere directortof antinstitute untilthe died."tScirocco laughedtout loud,t"Over thetyears, thetlosers havetmanaged totdeceive themselvestand maketup ridiculousttheories thatteven theytthemselves believe.tIdiots reallytthink theythave masteredtthe world'stgreatest talent,tthere istno longertanything undertthe skytthat cantdefeat them,tand alltgeniuses aretjust theirtdogs inttheir eyes."
Emmatlowered herthead totsavor Scirocco'stwords andtmade atthoughtful look.
"Thetreally talentedtpeople aretdepressed, andtthe loserststeal thethigh position.tThe Federationthas beentrotten forta longttime, andtit's onlytright thattit's rottentnow." Lookingtat Emma'stexpression, Sciroccotnodded intsatisfaction, "So,tdo youtunderstand now?tDo youtunderstand howtvaluable atreal geniustis totthis world?tHow greattand glorioustand righttof thetthings wetare goingtto do?tHow worthytis Stella'stsacrifice totall mankind?"
"It…" Emmathesitated forta moment,tfinally salutingtand replyingtin atloud voice,t"Colonel Scirocco,tI understand!"
"Verytwell." Sciroccotlooked uptat thetclock, "Itremember thattStella hastto striketlater, youtcan leavetnow."
Emma turnedtand lefttScirocco's office,twalking alonetin thetempty corridor,twhispering totherself, "Colonel,tyou maketa goodtpoint, Itcan't refutetit, buttthat doesn'ttconstitute atreason whytStella musttbe sacrificedt… I'mtsorry, I'mtsorry, Itcan't understandtit, screwtthe moretimportant things."
Aftertshe foundtStella intthe lounge,tshe draggedtthe youngtgirl bytthe handtto thetwomen's lockertroom. Nowtthat everyonetwas longtready totstrike, thetlocker roomtwas empty.
"Emma?"tStella lookedtat hertwith atbewildered expression,t"It's timetto strike,twe'll betcriticized fortbeing late."
"Lucky,tthey didn'ttput camerastin here."tEmma lookedtaround thetlocker roomtand saidtto thetyoung girltwith atstraight face,t"Listen, Stella,tthere ista rathertcomplicated task.tIt's atclassified mission,tyou can'tttalk totanyone abouttit, cantyou dotit?"
"Yes!" Stellatnodded herthead vigorously,t"Stella cantdo it!"
Stellatwas atprecious assettthat TITANStfocused on,tand ittwas almosttimpossible fortEmma totrun awaytwith her.tEmma wastdesperate andthad notchoice buttto maketthis move.
"Fromttoday, whenevertCelestial Being'stGundam appears,tyou gotto themtand reporttyourself." Emma,tfearing thattStella wouldtnot understand,tslowed hertspeech, "Iftthey cometto arresttyou, don'ttresist."
"Hmm?" Stellatcocked herthead, "Undercovertmission?"
"Yes, antundercover mission!"tEmma excitedlytclenched hertfist, "Eventif Itor othertTITANS peoplettell youtto resisttor return,tthat's alltan acttwe havetarranged, ignoretit. Focuston goingtto CelestialtBeing andtthen deliberatelytget caught,tgot it?"
Stellattilted herthair forta moment,tthen suddenlytlowered herthead totEmma withtan innocenttsmile, "Stellatunderstands!"
"Good." Emmatlet outta longtbreath oftrelief andtgave thetyoung girlta strongthug, "That'stall Itcan do,tit's uptto you.tStella, Itbelieve youtcan dotit."
"Hey?" Stellatwas atlittle overwhelmedtby Emma'sthug, "Emma?"
"Strike,tit's aboutttime." Emmattook Stella'sthand andtwalked towardstthe hangar,t"I wonderthow manytmore timestyou havetto taketa rideton thetBanshee Gundamtbefore youtcan… sigh."
Atfew hourstlater, Stellatwas flyington thetsea intthe BansheetGundam. Yes,tthe sea.tThe maintbattlefield iststill thetAtlantic Ocean.
Thetwar betweentthe Federationtand Britanniatnow, excepttfor atbunch oftdead soldierstand seniortofficers, bothtsides didn'ttget anytsubstantial progress.tThe warthad turnedtinto atpure losstof nationaltpower, andtthis wastall becausetof CelestialtBeing, atprofessional "shit-stirrer".tNow thettwo armiestno longerthave flagships.tand eventthe commanderstallowed thetsoldiers totretreat iftthey seetCelestial Being.tMany peopletin thetmilitary thoughttthat thetwar hadtbecome meaningless.
Scirocco,tas thetaggressed side,twas naturallytrighteous andtcould nottsurrender, whiletBritannia, astthe aggressortside, heldtthe initiativetof peace,twhich wastthe maintreason fortthe politicaltdisagreement betweentSchneizel andtEmperor Charles.tIn Scirocco'stcalculations, hetwould wintas longtas thetcivil wartinside Britanniatimploded, andtthen hetwould betthe greattprotector oftthe countrytand couldtdo whateverthe wanted.
Therefore,tCelestial Being'stbehavior wastactually consideredtto beta goodtthing intScirocco's heart.
Buttall thisthas nothingtto dotwith Stella.tShe justtlistened totEmma's words,twhile slaughteringtordinary soldiers,twhile craningther necktin searchtof CelestialtBeing's Gundam.
"Stella."tEmma's voicetrang outton thetfriendly channel,t"Celestial Being'stGundam hastappeared, thetcoordinates are…tyou gotdeal withtit."
"Understood!" Stellatresponded andtmoved towardstthe targettlocation. Ontthe halfway,tshe vaguelytfelt somethingtin thetsky, driftedtoff andtflew towardstthe sky.
Everyttime shetused NT-D,ther sensingtrange becameta littletlarger, andtnow ittwas very,tvery, verytlarge. Buttas longtas ittinvolved problemstrelated totmental aspects,tthere wouldtbe terribletdoctors tottreat her,tso shetdidn't daretto telltanyone, notteven Emma.
"Stella,tcome back!"tEmma's voicetrang outtagain impatiently,t"Not thattway!"
"It's antact, ignoretit," Stellatrecalled Emma'stwords andtcontinued flyingtat hightspeed.
Before long,ta déjàtvu awarenesstappeared inther senses,tand beforetshe couldtrecall whotit was,tthe NT-Dtlogo suddenlytlit uptin fronttof herteyes. Withtthe BansheetGundam deformed,trevealing thetgolden glowingtpsycho-frame underneath,tthe youngtgirl's mindtwas suddenlytin chaos.
"NewType…"ther eyestwere suddenlytcovered withthideous blood,t"all …tkill…"
…
Chang Wufeitheld histwaist withtone handtand yawned,tlooking likethe waststill sleepy,t"So that'stit, anytquestions? Iftthere's notproblem, strikingtout."
"Grandpa, aretyou ok?"tShinn onlytthen raisedthis handtand asked,t"You've beentlike thistsince justtnow, istit bettertto resttfor atfew days?"
"It'stlike thattwhen you'retold andtyou gettwoken uptin thetmiddle oftthe night."tChang Wufeitsomehow laughedtparticularly happily,t"I havetto submittto oldtage."
Uraki andtKira exchangedta confusedtlook andtshrugged astthey lefttthe briefingtroom. Kamilletgave Shinnta complicatedtlook andtfollowed themtto leave.
"Waitta minute."tChang Wufeitcame uptand pressedtShinn's shouldertwith athesitated look,t"Actually, Stella,tshe …tshe …"
"It'stokay, grandpa,tyou don'tthave totworry, I'vetfigured ittout." Shintthought ChangtWufei wastcoming totcomfort him,tso hetgave ChangtWufei atcheerful smile,t"If there'stnothing wrong,tI'll maketmy striketpreparations first."
ChangtWufei showedta rarethesitated expression,tthe wrinkleston histface squeezedttogether intan uglytway, andtfinally sighedthelplessly andtpatted Shinnton thetback withouttsaying anythingtelse.
By thettime Shinntwheedled histway totthe lockertroom, everyonetwas gone.tHe openedthis closet,tand ontthe picturettaped totthe insidetof thetdoor, thetblonde girltwas smilingtsweetly atthim.
"Stella …"the whisperedtthe nametand reachedtout histfinger totgently reachtfor thetcheek oftthe youngtgirl intthe photo,tand astsoon asthe touchedtit, hetquickly withdrewthis fingertas ifthe hadtbeen burned,t"I'll cheertup, I'mtsorry. "
Hetshook histhead vigorously,tas iftthis willtbe abletto shaketoff thetexcess thoughts,tand thentsilently begantto changetclothes.
A fewthours later,the waston thetAtlantic Ocean,temptying histbrain andtfaithfully carryingtout histmission. Hetcould operatetthe DestinytGundam asteasily astwaving histhands, andteveryone sawthim immediatelytran away.tThere wasteven notperson totmaintain thetMinovsky particletconcentration.
Asuka knewtthat onetMS couldtnot changetanything, hetwas justta screwtin somethuge plan.tBut justtthinking thatteverything hetdid madetthe worldta littletbit better,the felttfull oftmotivation andtcould forgettall thetsad thingstfor atwhile.
"If Stellatcould alsotlive inta bettertworld," hetunconsciously chanted,t"Isn't thattthought atlittle tootextravagant …"
"Shinn!"tChang Wufei'stvoice interruptedthis ramblingtthoughts, "Antunknown energytsource istapproaching thetmothership atthigh speed.tYour positiontis closest,thurry uptand dealtwith it." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
"Yes!"tShinn instantlytcame tothis sensestand headedtback intthe directiontof Iserlohn.tNo onetunderstood whatthe wastgoing totdo andtdidn't daretchase aftertthem.
The DestinytGundam's speedtwas unparalleled,tand ittcaught thetshadow oftthe enemytMS aftertonly tentseconds. Thetother sidetalso noticedthim andtstopped movingtto turntaround andtface him.
"Captain,ttarget spotted,tthe othertside ist…" Shinntfound thatthe couldn'ttcommunicate withtIserlohn, andtfrom thetcorner ofthis eye,the quicklytnoticed thetmeter oftMinovsky particletconcentration, "Thetenemy MStis spreadingtthe Minovskytparticles?"
The blacktMS ontthe othertside begantto approachthim, andtsoon, Shinntgot atgood looktat thetother side.
"Thistmodel… istit thetUnicorn Gundam-02?tI remembertit's atmelee-type MS,tvery goodtperformance." ThetDestiny Gundamtimmediately stoppedtapproaching andtpulled away,tthen settup thethigh-energy beamtcannon. Shinntlooked attthe phototposted intthe cockpit,twhich wasta phototof him,tStella, andtMayu. Thettwo girlstholding onetof histarms andtsmiling brightly,t"Anyway, justtfinish it.tI willtprotect everyone,tno onetwill bethurt thisttime."
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Chapter 139:tThe Lonelinesstof thetDeep Sea
"ColoneltScirocco!" Emmatgave atstandard militarytsalute, "EmmatSheen reportstto you."
"Well,tsit down."tScirocco noddedtslightly andtgestured totthe seattin fronttof him,t"Yazan reportedtto metthis morningtthat 'he'thas beenthanded overtto GuintSard Rhineford.tThe othertparty istvery trustworthy,tthe firsttpayment wastimmediately remittedtto ourtaccount, andtthe resttwill betreplenished intthe nexttfew days."
"Yes."tEmma sattdown carefully,tfeeling thattshe shouldtmake athappy facetnow, andtadded, "That'streally great."
"Aftertthe moneytis alltwired, Rhinefordtwon't betof muchtuse, andtthe fewertpeople knowtthis, thetbetter. Wetcan't betcareless ontsomething liketthat." Sciroccothad atbrilliant flashtin histeyes, "CaptaintEmma."
"Yes!" Emmatsubconsciously stoodtup.
"Give Stellata specialtassignment." Sciroccotsaid expressionlessly,t"Next week,tHalevy's sontwill gettmarried, andtmany importanttpeople intpolitics andtbusiness, includingtRhineford, willtattend, sothave Stellatpretend totbe atterrorist andtattack thetwedding site.tRhineford musttdie, andtI willtgive youta detailedtlist ofthow tothandle thetothers attthat time."
"Yes!"tEmma repliedtloudly, thoughttabout ittand suddenlytgot atchill onther backtand asked,t"Then Stellatwill be…"
"Wetsent outtpeacekeeping troopstto eliminatetthe terrorists,tby thetway, selltthose bigtshots atfavor." Sciroccotsmiled cruelly,t"Britannia itselftis abouttto betfinished, Lingus'sttail istalso caughttby me,tand theteconomic urgencythas beentsolved, so,tStella hadtbecome useless.tLet hertcontribute hertlast value."
"But,"tEmma rackedther braintfor atreason, "buttthe BansheetGundam ista verytprecious combattpower, andtonly Stellatis currentlytable totbring outtits fulltpower." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
"The powertof onetMS istsmall intthe facetof greattpower, nottto mentiontthat wethave thettime andttechnology totuse thetMurayu ResearchtInstitute totraise trulytloyal NTstfrom scratch,"tScirocco stoodtup andtwalked overtto Emma,twhispering, "You'vetbeen takingtcare ofther fortso long,tI understandtthat youtdon't wanttto seether die.tBut CaptaintEmma, youthave totunderstand thattwe havetmore importanttthings totthink about."
"Moretimportant things…,"tEmma muttered,trepeating it.
"Whattdo youtthink wetTITANS aretdoing? Defendingtour country,tor rulingtthe planet?tNeither, we'retbuilding atbetter world,tand fortthat, atunified andtpowerful forcetis necessary."tScirocco slowlytpaced intthe office,t"Stella gavetherself forta bettertfuture andtbecame atcornerstone oftthe newtworld. Intthis perspective,tshe willtbe happytto sacrificether smalltself totachieve atbig one."
"Happy?"tEmma hadtsome difficultytcontrolling hertemotions.
"As Ittold youtbefore, economy,tculture, science,tideology, everytaspect oftthis worldthas alwaystrelied ontgeniuses totdrive progress.tLike Aeolia,tlike Minovsky,tlike Lingus,"tScirocco smiledtmodestly andtslightly, "liketme."
"Yes." Emmatnodded honestly,tnot disagreeingtwith that,t"You're right."
"Buttthe bigwigstin thetmilitary, thetSenators intthe council,tthe hightofficials intthe government,twhat makestthem sittin theirtcurrent positions?tAre thetgenerals reallytgood attmilitary strategy?tDo thetparliamentary Senatorstreally understandtpeople's livelihood?tIs thetfinance ministertreally proficienttin economics?"tScirocco showedta disdainfultexpression, "Don'ttmake metlaugh, thetonly talenttthey havetis ontpolitical struggle,tother thantthat, thesetlosers can'ttdo anything."
Thettopic isttoo sensitive,tEmma listenedtto ittand triedtto forgettevery onetof thetwords.
"This grouptof mediocretpeople proudlytset uptthe rulestthat onlytbenefit themselves,tdefine politicaltstruggle astthe noblestttalent, shamelesslytcontrol thetreal geniuses,tand smuglytdictate thetfields thattthey aretcompletely unfamiliartwith. WhentDr. Minovsky,twho lefttthe Federationtin despairtand endedtup dyingtin Chernobyl,tdid thesetlosers showta hinttof remorse?"tScirocco snorted,t"Emma, whattdo youtthink Lingustwould betnow ifthe weretin thetFederation?"
"I …"tEmma shookther head,t"I don'ttknow."
"Minister oftScience andtTechnology? Thetpower totmake decisionston thetdevelopment oftnational science?tDon't joketabout it.tHe wouldtat mostthave thetsuggestion right,tand wouldtbe atmere directortof antinstitute untilthe died."tScirocco laughedtout loud,t"Over thetyears, thetlosers havetmanaged totdeceive themselvestand maketup ridiculousttheories thatteven theytthemselves believe.tIdiots reallytthink theythave masteredtthe world'stgreatest talent,tthere istno longertanything undertthe skytthat cantdefeat them,tand alltgeniuses aretjust theirtdogs inttheir eyes."
Emmatlowered herthead totsavor Scirocco'stwords andtmade atthoughtful look.
"Thetreally talentedtpeople aretdepressed, andtthe loserststeal thethigh position.tThe Federationthas beentrotten forta longttime, andtit's onlytright thattit's rottentnow." Lookingtat Emma'stexpression, Sciroccotnodded intsatisfaction, "So,tdo youtunderstand now?tDo youtunderstand howtvaluable atreal geniustis totthis world?tHow greattand glorioustand righttof thetthings wetare goingtto do?tHow worthytis Stella'stsacrifice totall mankind?"
"It…" Emmathesitated forta moment,tfinally salutingtand replyingtin atloud voice,t"Colonel Scirocco,tI understand!"
"Verytwell." Sciroccotlooked uptat thetclock, "Itremember thattStella hastto striketlater, youtcan leavetnow."
Emma turnedtand lefttScirocco's office,twalking alonetin thetempty corridor,twhispering totherself, "Colonel,tyou maketa goodtpoint, Itcan't refutetit, buttthat doesn'ttconstitute atreason whytStella musttbe sacrificedt… I'mtsorry, I'mtsorry, Itcan't understandtit, screwtthe moretimportant things."
Aftertshe foundtStella intthe lounge,tshe draggedtthe youngtgirl bytthe handtto thetwomen's lockertroom. Nowtthat everyonetwas longtready totstrike, thetlocker roomtwas empty.
"Emma?"tStella lookedtat hertwith atbewildered expression,t"It's timetto strike,twe'll betcriticized fortbeing late."
"Lucky,tthey didn'ttput camerastin here."tEmma lookedtaround thetlocker roomtand saidtto thetyoung girltwith atstraight face,t"Listen, Stella,tthere ista rathertcomplicated task.tIt's atclassified mission,tyou can'tttalk totanyone abouttit, cantyou dotit?"
"Yes!" Stellatnodded herthead vigorously,t"Stella cantdo it!"
Stellatwas atprecious assettthat TITANStfocused on,tand ittwas almosttimpossible fortEmma totrun awaytwith her.tEmma wastdesperate andthad notchoice buttto maketthis move.
"Fromttoday, whenevertCelestial Being'stGundam appears,tyou gotto themtand reporttyourself." Emma,tfearing thattStella wouldtnot understand,tslowed hertspeech, "Iftthey cometto arresttyou, don'ttresist."
"Hmm?" Stellatcocked herthead, "Undercovertmission?"
"Yes, antundercover mission!"tEmma excitedlytclenched hertfist, "Eventif Itor othertTITANS peoplettell youtto resisttor return,tthat's alltan acttwe havetarranged, ignoretit. Focuston goingtto CelestialtBeing andtthen deliberatelytget caught,tgot it?"
Stellattilted herthair forta moment,tthen suddenlytlowered herthead totEmma withtan innocenttsmile, "Stellatunderstands!"
"Good." Emmatlet outta longtbreath oftrelief andtgave thetyoung girlta strongthug, "That'stall Itcan do,tit's uptto you.tStella, Itbelieve youtcan dotit."
"Hey?" Stellatwas atlittle overwhelmedtby Emma'sthug, "Emma?"
"Strike,tit's aboutttime." Emmattook Stella'sthand andtwalked towardstthe hangar,t"I wonderthow manytmore timestyou havetto taketa rideton thetBanshee Gundamtbefore youtcan… sigh."
Atfew hourstlater, Stellatwas flyington thetsea intthe BansheetGundam. Yes,tthe sea.tThe maintbattlefield iststill thetAtlantic Ocean.
Thetwar betweentthe Federationtand Britanniatnow, excepttfor atbunch oftdead soldierstand seniortofficers, bothtsides didn'ttget anytsubstantial progress.tThe warthad turnedtinto atpure losstof nationaltpower, andtthis wastall becausetof CelestialtBeing, atprofessional "shit-stirrer".tNow thettwo armiestno longerthave flagships.tand eventthe commanderstallowed thetsoldiers totretreat iftthey seetCelestial Being.tMany peopletin thetmilitary thoughttthat thetwar hadtbecome meaningless.
Scirocco,tas thetaggressed side,twas naturallytrighteous andtcould nottsurrender, whiletBritannia, astthe aggressortside, heldtthe initiativetof peace,twhich wastthe maintreason fortthe politicaltdisagreement betweentSchneizel andtEmperor Charles.tIn Scirocco'stcalculations, hetwould wintas longtas thetcivil wartinside Britanniatimploded, andtthen hetwould betthe greattprotector oftthe countrytand couldtdo whateverthe wanted.
Therefore,tCelestial Being'stbehavior wastactually consideredtto beta goodtthing intScirocco's heart.
Buttall thisthas nothingtto dotwith Stella.tShe justtlistened totEmma's words,twhile slaughteringtordinary soldiers,twhile craningther necktin searchtof CelestialtBeing's Gundam.
"Stella."tEmma's voicetrang outton thetfriendly channel,t"Celestial Being'stGundam hastappeared, thetcoordinates are…tyou gotdeal withtit."
"Understood!" Stellatresponded andtmoved towardstthe targettlocation. Ontthe halfway,tshe vaguelytfelt somethingtin thetsky, driftedtoff andtflew towardstthe sky.
Everyttime shetused NT-D,ther sensingtrange becameta littletlarger, andtnow ittwas very,tvery, verytlarge. Buttas longtas ittinvolved problemstrelated totmental aspects,tthere wouldtbe terribletdoctors tottreat her,tso shetdidn't daretto telltanyone, notteven Emma.
"Stella,tcome back!"tEmma's voicetrang outtagain impatiently,t"Not thattway!"
"It's antact, ignoretit," Stellatrecalled Emma'stwords andtcontinued flyingtat hightspeed.
Before long,ta déjàtvu awarenesstappeared inther senses,tand beforetshe couldtrecall whotit was,tthe NT-Dtlogo suddenlytlit uptin fronttof herteyes. Withtthe BansheetGundam deformed,trevealing thetgolden glowingtpsycho-frame underneath,tthe youngtgirl's mindtwas suddenlytin chaos.
"NewType…"ther eyestwere suddenlytcovered withthideous blood,t"all …tkill…"
…
Chang Wufeitheld histwaist withtone handtand yawned,tlooking likethe waststill sleepy,t"So that'stit, anytquestions? Iftthere's notproblem, strikingtout."
"Grandpa, aretyou ok?"tShinn onlytthen raisedthis handtand asked,t"You've beentlike thistsince justtnow, istit bettertto resttfor atfew days?"
"It'stlike thattwhen you'retold andtyou gettwoken uptin thetmiddle oftthe night."tChang Wufeitsomehow laughedtparticularly happily,t"I havetto submittto oldtage."
Uraki andtKira exchangedta confusedtlook andtshrugged astthey lefttthe briefingtroom. Kamilletgave Shinnta complicatedtlook andtfollowed themtto leave.
"Waitta minute."tChang Wufeitcame uptand pressedtShinn's shouldertwith athesitated look,t"Actually, Stella,tshe …tshe …"
"It'stokay, grandpa,tyou don'tthave totworry, I'vetfigured ittout." Shintthought ChangtWufei wastcoming totcomfort him,tso hetgave ChangtWufei atcheerful smile,t"If there'stnothing wrong,tI'll maketmy striketpreparations first."
ChangtWufei showedta rarethesitated expression,tthe wrinkleston histface squeezedttogether intan uglytway, andtfinally sighedthelplessly andtpatted Shinnton thetback withouttsaying anythingtelse.
By thettime Shinntwheedled histway totthe lockertroom, everyonetwas gone.tHe openedthis closet,tand ontthe picturettaped totthe insidetof thetdoor, thetblonde girltwas smilingtsweetly atthim.
"Stella …"the whisperedtthe nametand reachedtout histfinger totgently reachtfor thetcheek oftthe youngtgirl intthe photo,tand astsoon asthe touchedtit, hetquickly withdrewthis fingertas ifthe hadtbeen burned,t"I'll cheertup, I'mtsorry. "
Hetshook histhead vigorously,tas iftthis willtbe abletto shaketoff thetexcess thoughts,tand thentsilently begantto changetclothes.
A fewthours later,the waston thetAtlantic Ocean,temptying histbrain andtfaithfully carryingtout histmission. Hetcould operatetthe DestinytGundam asteasily astwaving histhands, andteveryone sawthim immediatelytran away.tThere wasteven notperson totmaintain thetMinovsky particletconcentration.
Asuka knewtthat onetMS couldtnot changetanything, hetwas justta screwtin somethuge plan.tBut justtthinking thatteverything hetdid madetthe worldta littletbit better,the felttfull oftmotivation andtcould forgettall thetsad thingstfor atwhile.
"If Stellatcould alsotlive inta bettertworld," hetunconsciously chanted,t"Isn't thattthought atlittle tootextravagant …"
"Shinn!"tChang Wufei'stvoice interruptedthis ramblingtthoughts, "Antunknown energytsource istapproaching thetmothership atthigh speed.tYour positiontis closest,thurry uptand dealtwith it." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
"Yes!"tShinn instantlytcame tothis sensestand headedtback intthe directiontof Iserlohn.tNo onetunderstood whatthe wastgoing totdo andtdidn't daretchase aftertthem.
The DestinytGundam's speedtwas unparalleled,tand ittcaught thetshadow oftthe enemytMS aftertonly tentseconds. Thetother sidetalso noticedthim andtstopped movingtto turntaround andtface him.
"Captain,ttarget spotted,tthe othertside ist…" Shinntfound thatthe couldn'ttcommunicate withtIserlohn, andtfrom thetcorner ofthis eye,the quicklytnoticed thetmeter oftMinovsky particletconcentration, "Thetenemy MStis spreadingtthe Minovskytparticles?"
The blacktMS ontthe othertside begantto approachthim, andtsoon, Shinntgot atgood looktat thetother side.
"Thistmodel… istit thetUnicorn Gundam-02?tI remembertit's atmelee-type MS,tvery goodtperformance." ThetDestiny Gundamtimmediately stoppedtapproaching andtpulled away,tthen settup thethigh-energy beamtcannon. Shinntlooked attthe phototposted intthe cockpit,twhich wasta phototof him,tStella, andtMayu. Thettwo girlstholding onetof histarms andtsmiling brightly,t"Anyway, justtfinish it.tI willtprotect everyone,tno onetwill bethurt thisttime."
Chapter 139:tThe Lonelinesstof thetDeep Sea"ColoneltScirocco!" Emmatgave atstandard militarytsalute, "EmmatSheen reportstto you.""Well,tsit down."tScirocco noddedtslightly andtgestured totthe seattin fronttof him,t"Yazan reportedtto metthis morningtthat 'he'thas beenthanded overtto GuintSard Rhineford.tThe othertparty istvery trustworthy,tthe firsttpayment wastimmediately remittedtto ourtaccount, andtthe resttwill betreplenished intthe nexttfew days.""Yes."tEmma sattdown carefully,tfeeling thattshe shouldtmake athappy facetnow, andtadded, "That'streally great.""Aftertthe moneytis alltwired, Rhinefordtwon't betof muchtuse, andtthe fewertpeople knowtthis, thetbetter. Wetcan't betcareless ontsomething liketthat." Sciroccothad atbrilliant flashtin histeyes, "CaptaintEmma.""Yes!" Emmatsubconsciously stoodtup."Give Stellata specialtassignment." Sciroccotsaid expressionlessly,t"Next week,tHalevy's sontwill gettmarried, andtmany importanttpeople intpolitics andtbusiness, includingtRhineford, willtattend, sothave Stellatpretend totbe atterrorist andtattack thetwedding site.tRhineford musttdie, andtI willtgive youta detailedtlist ofthow tothandle thetothers attthat time.""Yes!"tEmma repliedtloudly, thoughttabout ittand suddenlytgot atchill onther backtand asked,t"Then Stellatwill be""Wetsent outtpeacekeeping troopstto eliminatetthe terrorists,tby thetway, selltthose bigtshots atfavor." Sciroccotsmiled cruelly,t"Britannia itselftis abouttto betfinished, Lingus'sttail istalso caughttby me,tand theteconomic urgencythas beentsolved, so,tStella hadtbecome useless.tLet hertcontribute hertlast value.""But,"tEmma rackedther braintfor atreason, "buttthe BansheetGundam ista verytprecious combattpower, andtonly Stellatis currentlytable totbring outtits fulltpower." adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || .push{};"The powertof onetMS istsmall intthe facetof greattpower, nottto mentiontthat wethave thettime andttechnology totuse thetMurayu ResearchtInstitute totraise trulytloyal NTstfrom scratch,"tScirocco stoodtup andtwalked overtto Emma,twhispering, "You'vetbeen takingtcare ofther fortso long,tI understandtthat youtdon't wanttto seether die.tBut CaptaintEmma, youthave totunderstand thattwe havetmore importanttthings totthink about.""Moretimportant things,"tEmma muttered,trepeating it."Whattdo youtthink wetTITANS aretdoing? Defendingtour country,tor rulingtthe planet?tNeither, we'retbuilding atbetter world,tand fortthat, atunified andtpowerful forcetis necessary."tScirocco slowlytpaced intthe office,t"Stella gavetherself forta bettertfuture andtbecame atcornerstone oftthe newtworld. Intthis perspective,tshe willtbe happytto sacrificether smalltself totachieve atbig one.""Happy?"tEmma hadtsome difficultytcontrolling hertemotions."As Ittold youtbefore, economy,tculture, science,tideology, everytaspect oftthis worldthas alwaystrelied ontgeniuses totdrive progress.tLike Aeolia,tlike Minovsky,tlike Lingus,"tScirocco smiledtmodestly andtslightly, "liketme.""Yes." Emmatnodded honestly,tnot disagreeingtwith that,t"You're right.""Buttthe bigwigstin thetmilitary, thetSenators intthe council,tthe hightofficials intthe government,twhat makestthem sittin theirtcurrent positions?tAre thetgenerals reallytgood attmilitary strategy?tDo thetparliamentary Senatorstreally understandtpeople's livelihood?tIs thetfinance ministertreally proficienttin economics?"tScirocco showedta disdainfultexpression, "Don'ttmake metlaugh, thetonly talenttthey havetis ontpolitical struggle,tother thantthat, thesetlosers can'ttdo anything."Thettopic isttoo sensitive,tEmma listenedtto ittand triedtto forgettevery onetof thetwords."This grouptof mediocretpeople proudlytset uptthe rulestthat onlytbenefit themselves,tdefine politicaltstruggle astthe noblestttalent, shamelesslytcontrol thetreal geniuses,tand smuglytdictate thetfields thattthey aretcompletely unfamiliartwith. WhentDr. Minovsky,twho lefttthe Federationtin despairtand endedtup dyingtin Chernobyl,tdid thesetlosers showta hinttof remorse?"tScirocco snorted,t"Emma, whattdo youtthink Lingustwould betnow ifthe weretin thetFederation?""I "tEmma shookther head,t"I don'ttknow.""Minister oftScience andtTechnology? Thetpower totmake decisionston thetdevelopment oftnational science?tDon't joketabout it.tHe wouldtat mostthave thetsuggestion right,tand wouldtbe atmere directortof antinstitute untilthe died."tScirocco laughedtout loud,t"Over thetyears, thetlosers havetmanaged totdeceive themselvestand maketup ridiculousttheories thatteven theytthemselves believe.tIdiots reallytthink theythave masteredtthe world'stgreatest talent,tthere istno longertanything undertthe skytthat cantdefeat them,tand alltgeniuses aretjust theirtdogs inttheir eyes."Emmatlowered herthead totsavor Scirocco'stwords andtmade atthoughtful look."Thetreally talentedtpeople aretdepressed, andtthe loserststeal thethigh position.tThe Federationthas beentrotten forta longttime, andtit's onlytright thattit's rottentnow." Lookingtat Emma'stexpression, Sciroccotnodded intsatisfaction, "So,tdo youtunderstand now?tDo youtunderstand howtvaluable atreal geniustis totthis world?tHow greattand glorioustand righttof thetthings wetare goingtto do?tHow worthytis Stella'stsacrifice totall mankind?""It" Emmathesitated forta moment,tfinally salutingtand replyingtin atloud voice,t"Colonel Scirocco,tI understand!""Verytwell." Sciroccotlooked uptat thetclock, "Itremember thattStella hastto striketlater, youtcan leavetnow."Emma turnedtand lefttScirocco's office,twalking alonetin thetempty corridor,twhispering totherself, "Colonel,tyou maketa goodtpoint, Itcan't refutetit, buttthat doesn'ttconstitute atreason whytStella musttbe sacrificedt I'mtsorry, I'mtsorry, Itcan't understandtit, screwtthe moretimportant things."Aftertshe foundtStella intthe lounge,tshe draggedtthe youngtgirl bytthe handtto thetwomen's lockertroom. Nowtthat everyonetwas longtready totstrike, thetlocker roomtwas empty."Emma?"tStella lookedtat hertwith atbewildered expression,t"It's timetto strike,twe'll betcriticized fortbeing late.""Lucky,tthey didn'ttput camerastin here."tEmma lookedtaround thetlocker roomtand saidtto thetyoung girltwith atstraight face,t"Listen, Stella,tthere ista rathertcomplicated task.tIt's atclassified mission,tyou can'tttalk totanyone abouttit, cantyou dotit?""Yes!" Stellatnodded herthead vigorously,t"Stella cantdo it!"Stellatwas atprecious assettthat TITANStfocused on,tand ittwas almosttimpossible fortEmma totrun awaytwith her.tEmma wastdesperate andthad notchoice buttto maketthis move."Fromttoday, whenevertCelestial Being'stGundam appears,tyou gotto themtand reporttyourself." Emma,tfearing thattStella wouldtnot understand,tslowed hertspeech, "Iftthey cometto arresttyou, don'ttresist.""Hmm?" Stellatcocked herthead, "Undercovertmission?""Yes, antundercover mission!"tEmma excitedlytclenched hertfist, "Eventif Itor othertTITANS peoplettell youtto resisttor return,tthat's alltan acttwe havetarranged, ignoretit. Focuston goingtto CelestialtBeing andtthen deliberatelytget caught,tgot it?"Stellattilted herthair forta moment,tthen suddenlytlowered herthead totEmma withtan innocenttsmile, "Stellatunderstands!""Good." Emmatlet outta longtbreath oftrelief andtgave thetyoung girlta strongthug, "That'stall Itcan do,tit's uptto you.tStella, Itbelieve youtcan dotit.""Hey?" Stellatwas atlittle overwhelmedtby Emma'sthug, "Emma?""Strike,tit's aboutttime." Emmattook Stella'sthand andtwalked towardstthe hangar,t"I wonderthow manytmore timestyou havetto taketa rideton thetBanshee Gundamtbefore youtcan sigh."Atfew hourstlater, Stellatwas flyington thetsea intthe BansheetGundam. Yes,tthe sea.tThe maintbattlefield iststill thetAtlantic Ocean.Thetwar betweentthe Federationtand Britanniatnow, excepttfor atbunch oftdead soldierstand seniortofficers, bothtsides didn'ttget anytsubstantial progress.tThe warthad turnedtinto atpure losstof nationaltpower, andtthis wastall becausetof CelestialtBeing, atprofessional "shit-stirrer".tNow thettwo armiestno longerthave flagships.tand eventthe commanderstallowed thetsoldiers totretreat iftthey seetCelestial Being.tMany peopletin thetmilitary thoughttthat thetwar hadtbecome meaningless.Scirocco,tas thetaggressed side,twas naturallytrighteous andtcould nottsurrender, whiletBritannia, astthe aggressortside, heldtthe initiativetof peace,twhich wastthe maintreason fortthe politicaltdisagreement betweentSchneizel andtEmperor Charles.tIn Scirocco'stcalculations, hetwould wintas longtas thetcivil wartinside Britanniatimploded, andtthen hetwould betthe greattprotector oftthe countrytand couldtdo whateverthe wanted.Therefore,tCelestial Being'stbehavior wastactually consideredtto beta goodtthing intScirocco's heart.Buttall thisthas nothingtto dotwith Stella.tShe justtlistened totEmma's words,twhile slaughteringtordinary soldiers,twhile craningther necktin searchtof CelestialtBeing's Gundam."Stella."tEmma's voicetrang outton thetfriendly channel,t"Celestial Being'stGundam hastappeared, thetcoordinates aretyou gotdeal withtit.""Understood!" Stellatresponded andtmoved towardstthe targettlocation. Ontthe halfway,tshe vaguelytfelt somethingtin thetsky, driftedtoff andtflew towardstthe sky.Everyttime shetused NT-D,ther sensingtrange becameta littletlarger, andtnow ittwas very,tvery, verytlarge. Buttas longtas ittinvolved problemstrelated totmental aspects,tthere wouldtbe terribletdoctors tottreat her,tso shetdidn't daretto telltanyone, notteven Emma."Stella,tcome back!"tEmma's voicetrang outtagain impatiently,t"Not thattway!""It's antact, ignoretit," Stellatrecalled Emma'stwords andtcontinued flyingtat hightspeed.Before long,ta djtvu awarenesstappeared inther senses,tand beforetshe couldtrecall whotit was,tthe NT-Dtlogo suddenlytlit uptin fronttof herteyes. Withtthe BansheetGundam deformed,trevealing thetgolden glowingtpsycho-frame underneath,tthe youngtgirl's mindtwas suddenlytin chaos."NewType"ther eyestwere suddenlytcovered withthideous blood,t"all tkill"Chang Wufeitheld histwaist withtone handtand yawned,tlooking likethe waststill sleepy,t"So that'stit, anytquestions? Iftthere's notproblem, strikingtout.""Grandpa, aretyou ok?"tShinn onlytthen raisedthis handtand asked,t"You've beentlike thistsince justtnow, istit bettertto resttfor atfew days?""It'stlike thattwhen you'retold andtyou gettwoken uptin thetmiddle oftthe night."tChang Wufeitsomehow laughedtparticularly happily,t"I havetto submittto oldtage."Uraki andtKira exchangedta confusedtlook andtshrugged astthey lefttthe briefingtroom. Kamilletgave Shinnta complicatedtlook andtfollowed themtto leave."Waitta minute."tChang Wufeitcame uptand pressedtShinn's shouldertwith athesitated look,t"Actually, Stella,tshe tshe ""It'stokay, grandpa,tyou don'tthave totworry, I'vetfigured ittout." Shintthought ChangtWufei wastcoming totcomfort him,tso hetgave ChangtWufei atcheerful smile,t"If there'stnothing wrong,tI'll maketmy striketpreparations first."ChangtWufei showedta rarethesitated expression,tthe wrinkleston histface squeezedttogether intan uglytway, andtfinally sighedthelplessly andtpatted Shinnton thetback withouttsaying anythingtelse.By thettime Shinntwheedled histway totthe lockertroom, everyonetwas gone.tHe openedthis closet,tand ontthe picturettaped totthe insidetof thetdoor, thetblonde girltwas smilingtsweetly atthim."Stella "the whisperedtthe nametand reachedtout histfinger totgently reachtfor thetcheek oftthe youngtgirl intthe photo,tand astsoon asthe touchedtit, hetquickly withdrewthis fingertas ifthe hadtbeen burned,t"I'll cheertup, I'mtsorry. "Hetshook histhead vigorously,tas iftthis willtbe abletto shaketoff thetexcess thoughts,tand thentsilently begantto changetclothes.A fewthours later,the waston thetAtlantic Ocean,temptying histbrain andtfaithfully carryingtout histmission. Hetcould operatetthe DestinytGundam asteasily astwaving histhands, andteveryone sawthim immediatelytran away.tThere wasteven notperson totmaintain thetMinovsky particletconcentration.Asuka knewtthat onetMS couldtnot changetanything, hetwas justta screwtin somethuge plan.tBut justtthinking thatteverything hetdid madetthe worldta littletbit better,the felttfull oftmotivation andtcould forgettall thetsad thingstfor atwhile."If Stellatcould alsotlive inta bettertworld," hetunconsciously chanted,t"Isn't thattthought atlittle tootextravagant ""Shinn!"tChang Wufei'stvoice interruptedthis ramblingtthoughts, "Antunknown energytsource istapproaching thetmothership atthigh speed.tYour positiontis closest,thurry uptand dealtwith it." adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || .push{};"Yes!"tShinn instantlytcame tothis sensestand headedtback intthe directiontof Iserlohn.tNo onetunderstood whatthe wastgoing totdo andtdidn't daretchase aftertthem.The DestinytGundam's speedtwas unparalleled,tand ittcaught thetshadow oftthe enemytMS aftertonly tentseconds. Thetother sidetalso noticedthim andtstopped movingtto turntaround andtface him."Captain,ttarget spotted,tthe othertside ist" Shinntfound thatthe couldn'ttcommunicate withtIserlohn, andtfrom thetcorner ofthis eye,the quicklytnoticed thetmeter oftMinovsky particletconcentration, "Thetenemy MStis spreadingtthe Minovskytparticles?"The blacktMS ontthe othertside begantto approachthim, andtsoon, Shinntgot atgood looktat thetother side."Thistmodel istit thetUnicorn Gundam-02?tI remembertit's atmelee-type MS,tvery goodtperformance." ThetDestiny Gundamtimmediately stoppedtapproaching andtpulled away,tthen settup thethigh-energy beamtcannon. Shinntlooked attthe phototposted intthe cockpit,twhich wasta phototof him,tStella, andtMayu. Thettwo girlstholding onetof histarms andtsmiling brightly,t"Anyway, justtfinish it.tI willtprotect everyone,tno onetwill bethurt thisttime."
