Chapter 325 [Stage Operation]

"What is going on?" Cagalli stared at everything around her in a trance. Her brain, which had been hit repeatedly, was already having difficulty thinking.

Uzumi did not interrupt the work of others, and even stopped Cagalli who wanted to ask questions. He did not ask about the situation until the emperor had passed on all the orders and took a short break.

"Is it time to start?" Uzumi asked

"Well, it's time to announce Orb's toughness to other worlds." The emperor nodded.

"Is it too early?"

"No." As he said that, the emperor called up several intelligence reports and expanded the map of Orb to the whole world, marking the military deployment and marching trajectory of ZAFT and the Earth Army.

"Since last month, ZAFT has been dropping troops to Earth, and the ZAFT army on Earth has also been moving frequently, with all targets pointed here."

"Panama, the ZAFT army is going to trap the Earth army on Earth."

"Panama Spaceport is the last spaceport under the jurisdiction of the Earth Army. Once it is lost, the connection between the Earth and the Moon Crater Base will be completely cut off, and the universe will become the playground of the ZAFT army. Moreover, the ZAFT army with air superiority can also use the Earth as a back garden."

Hearing this, Uzumi knew the seriousness of the matter. Now the war between the Earth Army and the ZAFT Army is still in a delicate balance. Although the Earth Army is at a disadvantage, it can still stalemate with the ZAFT Army.

At the same time, the Earth Army will soon have its own MS troops. Once successful, the balance of victory will tilt towards the Earth Army, but... it is also limited and will not immediately reverse the situation. The next war will enter a more tragic and fierce stage, and military competition will intensify.

But... once the ZAFT army contributed Panama, the Earth army would be trapped on Earth. They would only have two choices: either retake one of the three spaceports, Panama, Victoria or Kaohsiung, regardless of losses, or Orb.

"This is just on the surface."

"On the surface?" Hearing this, Uzumi frowned slightly.

"That's right." Huang nodded, and several more troops appeared on the world map, and the arrows of the marching direction changed.

"This is it!"

"That's right, according to the intelligence received by the United States, the ZAFT army is about to launch a large-scale operation, but the target... is likely not Panama, but the Atlantic Federation Headquarters, Joshua Base in Alaska, or both!"

"... The ZAFT army is preparing to hit hard."

"Haha, if it was just like this, we wouldn't have exposed our strength now." Huang sneered and called up another confidential document.

"This!" Uzumi was horrified when he saw the document.

"That's right. The ZAFT army is not as ruthless as the Atlantic Federation's scum."

"Is the intelligence reliable?"

"Absolutely reliable. The agent who delivered the intelligence joined the operation as an engineer."

"What about others?"

"..."

"Really..."

The emperor's silence told Uzumi the answer, and it was the answer he least wanted to hear. Another unknown hero passed away.

"Lord Uzumi, you should know what the future will be like once the Atlantic Federation succeeds."

"..."

Uzumi was silent. Once the Atlantic Federation's conspiracy succeeded, the flames of hatred would spread like wildfire and would be difficult to extinguish. The whole world would be caught in the vortex of war, and no one would be spared.

"Natural people and adjusters, Atlantic Federation and ZAFT, this hatred... will not be resolved." Uzumi closed his eyes painfully. He was not only worried about the future of Orb, but also felt heartbroken for the world. Orb had set an example. Why couldn't others understand that natural people and adjusters could coexist peacefully?

"Stop kidding! What are you going to do!?" Kagali, who had been silent, roared. She saw that the peace of Orb was about to be broken.

The headquarters fell into a mysterious silence, and everyone looked at Kagali.

"You are doing this to start a war in Orb! I will never allow it!"

"You don't allow it? Then what?" Huang asked Kagali calmly.

"What do you mean?"

"Literally, you don't allow it, then what?"

"Then...then...of course, end the war!"

"How to do it?"

"This..."

"Also, who cares if you don't allow it?"

The indifference of the emperor was like a sharp sword inserted into Kagali's chest.

"I...you..."

Kagali was undoubtedly choked, turned around and wanted to run, but was pulled by Uzumi.

"Where are you going?"

"Of course I'm stopping you! I can't let you destroy Orb!"

"What you want to do will destroy Orb." Huang folded his hands and said calmly.

"What did you say!?"

"Do you know how many people have sacrificed everything for this day, for Orb to stand on the international stage with a strong attitude, to maintain neutrality with a tough attitude, and to make all forces dare not look down on Orb? How many people died in obscurity outside?"

The emperor's question turned into a sharp blade, cutting Cagalli's fragile heart one by one.

"What do you think peace is? Is it just like you, impulsive and willful, not considering anything, and doing whatever you want?"

"I don't have it?"

"Hehe, do you know yourself? Do you know how much trouble your previous actions almost brought to Orb? Do you know how many people will have to pay an unbearable price to solve the trouble you caused?"

"I...I..."

"Watch here carefully, Cagalli. Orb needs to survive and stick to its own ideas. What should it do?"

As soon as the voice fell, the emperor waved his hand, and several guards stayed beside Cagalli, not letting her leave the headquarters. On the one hand, as the emperor said, let Cagalli watch the direction of Orb's progress; on the other hand, they did not want Cagalli to cause trouble everywhere at this critical time.

Uzumi looked at Cagalli, and finally ignored her pleading eyes, and continued to discuss follow-up matters with the emperor.

"So what purpose are you going to achieve this time?" Uzumi asked.

"To deter the ZAFT army, so that they dare not put pressure on Orb for the time being, and at the same time let the whole world see Orb's tough attitude and strength, so that Orb can completely step onto the world stage, this is [stage combat]."

"But the Atlantic Federation will push further."

"Yes, once we face the ZAFT army head-on, the Atlantic Federation will definitely publicize that Orb has turned to them, and will use this to increase pressure on Orb."

"How to solve it?"

"No need to solve it."

"No need to solve it?"

"Yes, Orb's philosophy is firm and unshakable, and holding a press conference is enough. As for the rest... the Atlantic Federation will not have time to do anything to Orb in a short time. Once it is about to take action..."

Uzumi was silent. He knew what the emperor was going to say next. According to the current intelligence analysis, the Atlantic Federation's action against Orb is an inevitable result, so whether there is this incident as a reason and excuse or not, it doesn't matter.

"But we have revealed our trump card in advance."

"It's not a big problem. Once the Atlantic Federation takes action, we can't stop it, whether there is a trump card or not." The emperor said a little discouraged.

As soon as these words came out, Uzumi fell silent, and everyone in the command room fell silent.

Very unwilling, very angry, but this is the reality. Orb is too small. Facing the giant Atlantic Federation, Orb is like a small boat in a storm, and it may capsize at any time.

"... I know." As he said, Uzumi patted the emperor's shoulder and looked around at everyone, "Follow your plan, I am still the head of Orb. Even if the sky falls, I will help you hold it up!"

"Lord Uzumi!"

"Lord Uzumi!"

"Lord Uzumi..."

...

"Everyone, Orb... is left to you."

As soon as the voice fell, Uzumi took Cagalli out of the general command room. What should be asked, understood, and said were all completed. Next, the young people can only go and make their own way.

"Father..."

"From now on, either stay in your room or go to the Dawn Society. You are not allowed to go anywhere else."

"Father! I..."

"You have no right to refuse."

"But if you do this, Orb..."

"You don't need to worry about Orb's affairs, and you can't worry about them."

"But..."

"Okay! Cagalli, Orb is standing at the crossroads of fate. It will either be destroyed or stand out. I was too indulgent to you in the past. From now on, every step of Orb will be difficult. I will never let you be willful again."

"Father!"

"Kisaka, keep an eye on Cagalli."

"Yes."

"Father!"

Uzumi left with his bodyguards, and Cagalli wanted to chase him, but was caught by Kisaka.

"Let me go! Kisaka! Father is wrong! He shouldn't do this! They will destroy Orb!"

Faced with Cagalli's pleading and crying, Kisaka remained unmoved, just closed his eyes and grabbed Cagalli. He watched Cagalli grow up since she was a child, and has always acted as a guard, but he is more like a big brother taking care of Cagalli.

With Uzumi's tacit consent, Kisaka also let Cagalli do whatever she wants, such as running away from home to North Africa, but now, he can't let Cagalli do whatever she wants.

Amid crying and begging, Cagalli was forcibly taken home by Kisaka, and a large number of people were arranged to put Cagalli under house arrest. It was unnecessary for her to go to the [Aurora Society] to practice MS driving. Cagalli just needed to be a princess quietly.

…

The Archangel slowly approached the edge of Orb's territorial waters. The ZAFT troops staying outside the territorial waters were eager to see it. Both sides were very nervous. As long as the Archangel's legs stepped out of the border, the battle would begin.

But at this moment, a sudden press conference disturbed everyone's thoughts, especially the ZAFT fleet.

"What did you say!?"

"Yes, Orb is holding a press conference to announce to the world that the surrounding countries will give up part of their territorial waters to Orb to express their gratitude for the humanitarian assistance provided by Orb."

"How could it be..." Suddenly, Aslan thought of a very serious problem and immediately asked, "Are we in Orb now?"

"..."

Everyone was stunned and could not react for a while.

No one answered, and Aslan immediately opened the terminal and watched the press conference being held by Orb. He happened to see the area where Orb's territorial waters had expanded, and then thought of their location.

"Issue a red status alert!"