Chapter 333: The Spirit of Drawing the Sword
Although Uzumi was left rather embarrassed by Mu's words, as a politician, he was still highly skilled at persuading others.
He immediately explained to Mu and the others, "I understand this point as well. Although Orb's ideal of peace is indeed a simple and impractical ideal, precisely because it is an impractical ideal, if we abandon it, then one day we will inevitably walk the road to mutual destruction.
And if we only regret it when that time comes, it will already be too late.
Or to put it another way—if this truly is the reality of this world, are we supposed to just sit here and wait for death?"
Uzumi looked at everyone, who had fallen into silence and were standing on the brink of inner conflict, and then played his trump card. "Which path you choose is your freedom. If you cannot betray the uniform you are wearing, I can also lend a hand.
After all, you are still young and capable, so you will surely be able to see clearly what kind of future everyone truly hopes for.
And most importantly, you still have enough time."
Tolle curled his lips inwardly. As expected of an old fox—everything he said earlier was just a means to make Murrue, Mu, and the others voluntarily join Orb.
Those final words were the real warning: join, or if you don't want to, then get lost.
Kira, who had been swayed by Uzumi's long theoretical speech, could no longer hold back and asked seriously, "Then, Lord Uzumi, what do you think?"
"My view is that the 'sword' can no longer be just a decoration."
Kira was very satisfied with this answer and smiled.
Cagalli, on the other hand, looked completely confused. She clearly didn't understand what everyone was talking about at all. Still, she stared fixedly at Tolle, as if waiting for him to express his opinion.
At this point, Tolle could only helplessly bring out that whole "founding general Li Yunlong" routine and speak up in agreement. "I also strongly agree with Lord Uzumi's view.
Our longing for a beautiful future must never be abandoned. The sharp sword in our hands is the final barrier that protects that longing and those ideals.
Without a sword, we can only become weak lambs, left to be trampled and slaughtered at will by bullies.
If we possess a sword and dare to draw it, then it can become the remedy that allows us to protect ourselves and even save other weak people.
Although the process of defending one's ideals will inevitably involve injury and sacrifice, if we don't even have the courage to draw our swords, then what is the point of having those swords at all?
At that point, those swords will only become weapons that harm ourselves, or even tools used by the bullies."
The old fox Uzumi nodded in agreement with Tolle's words and added, "Yes, Tolle put it very well. That is precisely why Orb, while upholding the ideal of peace, still manufactures those 'swords.'
Without strength, there is no way to defend our territorial sovereignty."
Kira looked at Tolle excitedly, feeling that the two of them were thinking along the same lines once again.
Cagalli now seemed to understand things roughly. At least, she lowered her head in visible shame.
At this moment, Tolle felt it was still necessary to give them a warning—at the very least, to reduce Orb's eventual losses from national destruction. "Lord Uzumi, may I make a tactical forecast regarding Orb's near future?"
As soon as Tolle mentioned a tactical forecast, Mu knew it wouldn't be anything good and said dejectedly, "Sigh—Tolle, whenever you open your mouth, it's never good news. Is fighting going to break out here too?"
Uzumi looked curiously at Mu's expression, then at Tolle, and said, "Oh? Is your tactical forecasting very accurate? There are no outsiders here—go ahead and say it."
"Alright, Lord Uzumi. My forecast is that ZAFT will soon launch an attack on the Earth Alliance's Panama Base.
Moreover, this attack will be one they are absolutely determined to succeed in. Even if it fails, they may very well destroy the entire base, just like the Earth Alliance did."
Mu suddenly looked enlightened. "I get it. Because the mass driver is there. If the Panama Base is destroyed, it would temporarily cut off the Earth Alliance's route from Earth to space.
For ZAFT, which has already been badly weakened, that really is the only way to ease the pressure—to buy themselves more breathing room and prepare for the next stage of the war."
Cagalli asked, half understanding and half confused, "I get that part, but what does this have to do with Orb?"
Uzumi understood immediately. Looking at his disappointing daughter, he explained, "Cagalli, you really need to study more.
If the mass driver at the Panama Base is destroyed, then on Earth there will only be two places left with mass drivers—the Earth-based ZAFT base, and Orb's Morgenröte facilities.
What do you think the Earth Alliance will do then? When that happens, how can we possibly remain uninvolved? That's why defending peace also requires strength."
Cagalli lowered her head silently and said in shame, "I understand now, Father. I was wrong about you before."
Tolle reminded him once more, "So, Lord Uzumi, please make arrangements early and prepare in advance—both in terms of stockpiling supplies and strengthening defensive capabilities."
"Yes, I will make those arrangements," Uzumi nodded in agreement. Then he said to Murrue and Mu, "My apologies, you two, but I'll be borrowing Tolle for a bit.
He is now an Orb Army colonel.
Once his dedicated warship arrives from the Pillar of Heaven, he will be transferred to the special independent unit established by the Sahaku family."
Hearing that Tolle was about to be transferred, Kira, Murrue, and Mu all looked at him in shock.
Cagalli panicked and cried out, "Huh—?! Why didn't I know about this? The Sahaku family's special independent unit? Isn't that the one Mina and Gina founded? Why is Tolle going there?!"
Tolle nodded and smoothly brushed it off. "Yeah. After all, they saved me, so I need to repay that favor. And it just so happens that I have the right abilities, so that's how it turned out."
"Tch, I was one step too late," Cagalli said unwillingly, but she quickly perked back up. "But it's fine—either way, we're all in Orb's military. Then why don't I transfer to that special independent unit too?"
Uzumi coughed helplessly. "Ahem. Cagalli, don't mess around. Your main task right now is to learn how to properly govern a city—a nation.
Only when you become a mature and qualified leader can you consider studying other things."
Tolle couldn't help but complain inwardly. By the time Cagalli became a mature and qualified leader, she absolutely wouldn't be running around anymore—and there would be no way she'd join that special independent unit.
A political mind really is dark. A single sentence with two meanings—cold-blooded and ruthless.
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