Chapter 53: Ch 53 powerless to resist
[To the respected Divine Pilots, this is the Goddess of Wisdom.
I am contacting you in this manner because I will soon be assuming control over the Federation. This action is necessary due to circumstances I have judged to be essential for the long-term development of humanity.
What is coming has the power to transform our current state—something you understand more than most. Therefore, I will activate the override protocol. With sufficient cause and strategic precedent, I am invoking my right to assume command of the Federation. That time... is now.
I ask all of you to stand by me. Ensure that no internal conflict erupts. We are transitioning——to a better future.
Though the message was short, it carried the weight of tectonic shifts.
Floating next to Estonia’s mech, Astaroth let out a quiet breath, then said, "It’s... unsettling. Something major is happening in the Federation. And we weren’t even aware of it. That’s astonishing."
He turned toward her. "What do you think of the message?"
Estonia’s voice came through, steady and cold. But there was a note of gravity behind it.
"I don’t know," she said plainly. "But you read it. She didn’t say might. She said will. Something is going to change. Drastically. Whether it’s for better or worse... I don’t know. But supporting her won’t hurt us. It may even benefit us."
She paused. "And in the end... we’re bound to protect humanity. Like it or not—we’ll follow her command."
Astaroth nodded slowly. "You’re right. We don’t have a choice."