Chapter 310: The Plot Begins Again 1
Mina looked at Tolle, then at Gina, and said, "Alright then. But your brother-in-law already said it—the key materials are gone. Once the materials are available, we'll help you make it immediately. Now you're satisfied, right?"
Gina heard that although it couldn't be done now, it would be done in the future. She nodded in satisfaction and agreed. "Okay. As long as you promise to help me manufacture it, there's no problem. Thank you, sis. Thank you, brother-in-law."
Tolle shook his head helplessly. He hadn't expected that normally proud Gina would have a side like this. It seemed that as long as one was human, everyone had their weaknesses.
(A Gundam's weakness is its pilot!)
At the same time, after the Archangel had arrived at the Earth Alliance's Alaska base for several days, it still hadn't received any instructions.
Everyone could only stay aboard the ship, unable to go anywhere—not even into the Alaska base itself.
Murrue couldn't help reporting from the Archangel's bridge to the Alaska joint operations command room. "This is the Atlantic Federation's Eighth Fleet battleship Archangel.
I'd like to ask: does base command have any instructions or arrangements regarding the Archangel's next course of action? We can't just stay like this forever, docked in port without even letting people disembark, can we?"
The commander gave a vague, evasive answer. "All instructions for your ship were originally issued by Colonel Sashaland. You have to understand—it's difficult for us as well. We can't overstep our authority and handle things on our own."
Murrue pressed on. "Then could you please help me transfer the call to Colonel Sashaland?"
"Ah, that won't work right now. Colonel Sashaland is currently in a meeting. Communications can't be transferred at the moment—it's a very important operational meeting.
Those of us under him can't casually disturb a superior's decision-making. You should also try to understand the commander's difficulties."
"But… we clearly already reported to higher command that there are ZAFT prisoners aboard the Archangel.
How to handle and transfer the prisoners—on this point alone, you still haven't given us any response at all."
"Higher command's instructions for your ship are that the Archangel is to maintain the status quo. All personnel are to remain on standby aboard the ship.
As for other matters, I have nothing to disclose at this time."
After saying that, the officer immediately cut off the communication without another word, completely ignoring Murrue.
On the Pillar of Heaven, Tolle felt sorry for Murrue for three seconds. The Earth Alliance really was despicable—even their own soldiers got screwed over.
They even pushed them straight into a fire pit, to be buried alongside the ZAFT forces. A bunch of brainless lunatics.
The other crew members aboard the Archangel were all sighing and complaining as well.
Murdoch could only steel himself and, on everyone's behalf, ask Mu, "When will we be able to disembark? When will this ever end? Everyone below is asking me this, and I don't even know how to answer them."
Mu spread his hands helplessly. "I can't do anything either. Higher command still hasn't issued a landing permit. Captain Ramius has been contacting them nonstop, but there's still no clear reply."
Murdoch asked in shock, "Huh? Even at our own military's headquarters base, we need a landing permit?
We've already been in Alaska for so many days, and they still won't let people go out. What kind of insane order is this?"
"I can't help it. It's an order from higher up. Since we're soldiers, we have no choice but to obey."
"Sigh… then there's nothing we can do. But what about the Buster Gundam? Are we supposed to repair it?"
"Uh, I don't know what to do about that either. How about you just use repairing the Buster Gundam as a way to kill time?"
Murdoch said with a dejected expression, "Sigh… I guess that's all we can do. I wonder how Kira and that kid Tolle are doing. I don't know if O orb has found any trace of them."
At the mention of Kira and Tolle, Mu also nodded with some sadness. "I hope both of them are fine. Good people are blessed by heaven. All we can do is pray for them and hope they're okay."
"Yeah, that's all we can do. But Tolle's high-performance GINN—we could help repair that. Maybe when that brat Tolle comes back, he'll be able to pilot it again."
On the other hand, Miriallia aboard the Archangel was still in relatively normal spirits. Because she knew Tolle wasn't dead, she didn't become utterly distraught like before. Everyone else thought she was just putting on a brave face.
Instead, Flay became absent-minded due to Kira's disappearance. Tolle felt the brainwashing had gone a bit overboard.
However, Sai didn't indulge her. Most of the time, he was taking care of Miriallia instead.
Watching this scene, Tolle felt that telling Miriallia early on that he wasn't dead had been an extremely wise choice. Otherwise, there would've been a patch of green grass growing over his head.
After all, there was still a Dearka locked up inside.
Speaking of Dearka, because Miriallia didn't show excessive grief or despair, he missed the chance to meet her in the infirmary and instead became a complete stranger passing by.
On the contrary, when Flay went to the infirmary, she noticed Dearka lying there. But when she hurried off to the armory to get a gun, Sai discovered her.
Thinking Flay was about to do something dangerous, Sai immediately followed her—and ended up saving Dearka in the process.
Later, after the prisoners were transferred, Sai even chatted with Dearka while delivering him meals.
Tolle wasn't worried that Dearka would escape or refuse to join the Archangel when they reached Orb.
After all, that punch to the head during their meeting in Orb hadn't been for nothing. The neo DG cells had already invaded Dearka's body long ago. At a critical moment, a bit of brainwashing would do the trick.
Still, Tolle couldn't help but sigh—he only knew how to brainwash people now. Whenever he ran into trouble, it was straight to brainwashing.
But the effect really was irresistible.
Meanwhile, Natarle, with nowhere to vent her frustration, seized on this matter and once again complained to Murrue. "Captain Ramius, keeping ZAFT prisoners in the infirmary was a mistake in itself.
And when the incident happened, the prisoner was left completely unguarded."
Murrue let out a helpless sigh. "Yes, yes. I understand."
Seeing Murrue's completely unserious attitude toward the issue, Natarle continued to reprimand her. "There are also problems with firearms management aboard the Archangel. This matter must be reported to higher command."
Murrue continued to reply indifferently, "Yes, then go ahead and report it to higher command."
Facing the dispirited Murrue, Natarle could only explain helplessly. "Captain Ramius, I'm not blaming you because of… personal feelings.
What I want to say is that discipline is extremely important for us soldiers.
Whether it's a temporary assignment or an emergency situation, you are the captain of the Archangel. That fact cannot be changed."