Editing KSGU:Volume 4 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 10===

Otto moved to the corridor of the gravity block, and took the elevator. There was still a while before the swap of duties happened, so not a lot of people who would use the elevator. He checked the time, closed the elevator doors, did not touch the operator panels, and merely took a deep breath through his nose and roared,

“DAMN IT!”

This roar that rose up from his abdomen rocked the inner walls of the elevator. The voice was so loud that anyone would feel that it could pass through the shaft leading to the bridge and seep out of the Nahel Argama, which was moving in the middle of space. Otto could not contain the smoldering bitterness within him, and could not feel relieved, so he continued to kick the wall with all he had and punch it. The blunt impact sounds rocked the elevator several times, stopping at the cramped box that had no openings.

''What reinforcements? What secret operation? Those guys from the Senate Council never believed that this operation will succeed. They’re just pretending to do something to help create an excuse for their failures. The “Nahel Argama” and ECOAS are just being used to create alibis for them. We’re being used by the government as tools to show that they ‘did their best here.''

It was too idealistic to say that everyone was being sent to their deaths here. The Box, and Mineva Zabi; this ship kept getting involved in troublesome situations, such that they might as well just sink it. If the crew survive…the captain would just be reassigned somewhere else, and the crew will be broken up through other means, scattered all over the place and live the rest of their lives while being observed. Even if they complain that they were being punished unjustly, nobody would listen to them. If Neo Zeon had the Box and attacks them furiously, things would change. But to the big shots, they would be very satisfied with an outcome that meets their expectations, and it was unlikely that they would think that far ahead. They would try to prevent an all-out conflict and maintain an economic standard that was based on military reinstatement. Londo Bell would head the other way while hunting down the remnants of Zeon, those on the other side would use a political adjustment ‘crisis’ to keep acting—

They could no longer hope for the assistance of Senator Marcenas. If they disobeyed and escaped, things would not change. Otto wanted to just break up from the Senate Council itself and surrender to Neo Zeon, but he could not allow himself to do this as he was a captain who had many subordinates die under him. He continued to search his mind that was being cornered, and let his emotions explode in the elevator. At this moment, the elevator door opened, causing Otto to miss as his body tumbled outself.

The two figures stood outside the elevator, showing shocked expressions. Otto immediately grabbed onto the door and barely managed to avoid tumbling to the floor, but his heart felt despair again after seeing their faces. He hurriedly picked himself up, kept still, quickly tidied himself up, and coughed first to clear things up.

First Officer Liam and Commander Daguza blinked for just a moment as they stepped forward in unison, probably pretending not to see the captain’s shameful act in order to save his dignity. ''To be seen by these two of all people.'' Otto cringed back as he felt his fingertips turn red. He tried to return back to the officers’ room, but Liam called out ‘captain’, causing him to stop.

“I heard of the order from the Senate Council. What do you intend to do?”

Liam raised her thick eyelids as she stared at Otto, but it was a rare sight for Daguza to stand by both of them in common agreement, giving a usual machine-like poker face. Otto wondered what else they would think of as he answered with a low voice, “What else can we do?”

“An order’s an order. We can only follow it. This has something to do with the Box that decides the Fate of the world after all.”

Otto really wanted to leave the scene this time as he fully comprehended the irony he would be enacting, “I have no disagreements with this.” but Daguza’s voice caught up with Otto, causing him to stop.

“But we’ll view this operation as a hostage rescue.”

These unexpected words caused Otto to show an unexpected expression to Daguza behind him, “Hostage rescue…?” Otto repeated, and remembered the face of the boy who rode the “Gundam” and rushed out of the ship. Banagher Links shook of the pressure the adults bore on him and only cared about fighting it head on. Daguza showed an affirmative expression to Liam, and took one step closer to Otto.

“We still owe him one. We’ll do what we can do. I remember this ship has a hyper-mega particle cannon, right?”

Liam stood beside the sincere looking Daguza, and nodded with a determined expression that was never seen before. Otto turned towards them completely, indicating that he was willing to listen to them.