Cagalli Yula Atha

...it's hard to believe that it's been so long.

[ Cagalli is doing a very admirable job of not tearing up! ]

Everything that happened here, all the battles, all the trials we pushed through... I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world. Now... now we all go our separate ways, at least for the time being. Most of us, anyways.

All of you who I don't get see, I'll miss you so much... but...

[ She shakes her head. ] This might not be the best time to be making job offers, but while I still have all of you paying attention... if anyone needs a place to go, a place to stay, a place to work, I've got a lot of pull in Orb, and I can guarantee you all of that. Morgenroete is looking to hire technicians, programmers, engineers, test pilots... and any experienced pilot would get a favorable transfer into Orb's military, even if you bring a non-standard unit.

Now that that's out of the way... I'm not gonna be able to hang around much longer, so... if I don't get to see you in person, this is good bye for now.

Anyone looking out into space... like, at all in the general direction of Akatsuki is bound to see it. It's about as unstealthy as a mobile suit gets after all.

However, as a turret separates from the Shiranui pack and zooms out towards a floating target, various psychics around base might notice it for a different reason. An odd sensation, like that of a Newtype doing something Newtype-y, only somehow artificial, brief, and more clearly defined when it's on or off.

"I'm in space and it's still not as responsive..." Cagalli mutters to herself. The battle at Orb and that thing with Santa were the only times she'd gotten the kind of response out of the remote weapons that she's been looking for. This? This is frustrating.

The comms are open, of course, so she's perfectly buggable.

[Like Athrun, Cagalli was taken to the infirmary upon her return - a secure infirmary, at least until someone decided that she was no longer a threat. Unlike Athrun, she has no visible wounds, though she was unconscious when she was removed from the cockpit of the Akatsuki.

Cagalli isn't injured. She is simply... exhausted.

Physically, mentally, emotionally at the end of her rope, she drifts in and out of fitful sleep, staring at the ceiling when she is awake, alone with her thoughts.

She is, however, allowed visitors, one at a time, and she has open communication within the station itself (some secure infirmary), so maybe she won't have to spend all of her waking moments parsing over what happened and what she did.]

Cagalli had effectively cut herself off from most of the GDF while she straightened things out in Orb - or tried to anyways. However, her utter failure in battle, coupled with an alliance that she doesn't want and doesn't have the charisma to work her way out of, has taken its toll on her. And now... the news hasn't gone public yet, but she's set to be married - to Yuna Roma Seiran of all people. She cursed her luck, and the archaic system that got her into it.

Her options were few, in the political climate of Orb. If she remained, her power would be chipped away at by an arranged marriage into the Seiran family, and she had little remaining influence to stand on her own if she refused to marry him. She could flee to the GDF, they'd certainly take her in and she had more than enough friends... but she couldn't focus on their mission while Orb was in such a state, and she didn't want to ever again be in a position where firing on Orb troops was the best solution.

But then... if she fled independently, would the people see her as a coward, or a rightful ruler forced into hiding? She could fight on her own terms, make Orb's treaty unattractive by interfering with their 'guardians' while not fighting them directly, and when she returned... she would be loved or hated, probably both but nothing in between. An all-or-nothing gamble, the sort of decision that the GDF had saved the world on in the past.

...

Reports were slow to reach even the ears of important politicians and officials, and will likely be slower to reach the public outside of Orb, but many of those who most strongly supported the treaty didn't bat an eye when Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Atha was determined to be missing from Orb entirely.

The Titans... they... how do they think they'll get away with this?! There's no way they can cover up something like that, and anyone who'd take their side would have to be insane!

We can't let something like this happen again; there's no reason any more not to use Double X and Wing Zero and the Hagane and anything else with that kind of firepower and track down as many of their bases and fleets as possible. Even A-LAWS has to know that they can't side with them any more and remain credible to anyone, and I'm sure we'll have ZAFT's support even if they don't help directly.

People want to sign a treaty with groups like A-LAWS and the Titans... even self-preservation has to have its limits in the face of such atrocities, doesn't it?

[Cagalli is hunting Athrun down. While it might seem prudent to check his room first, she heads straight for the hangar before looking elsewhere if he isn't there.

She has something behind her back, wrapped in plain paper with a red ribbon. It's pretty obvious what it is; Cagalli isn't Japanese, but it gives her an excuse to actually do something for Athrun and not just with him.]

[Filtered to Athrun]

Hey Athrun... I've got some free time and I really need to just get out and do something fun for a while. You wanna... go get lunch or see a movie or something?

*Cagalli is in the hangar on board the Kusanagi, leaning against the Strike Rouge and staring down at her feet. Streaks of dried tears are still apparent on her face.*

Dammit... we tried so hard and barely saved anyone... we even had a chance... but that red mobile suit....

I don't care who's piloting it, next time I see that thing I'm taking it down.