[ Claudia interrogation room / September 21, 0078 07:30 ]

"So."

"So?"

Major Teana Lanster and Dr. Jail Scaglietti were seated across each other at the table in a small interrogation chamber. Except for two Church Knights standing motionlessly at the sides of the door, they were alone. A bright ceiling lamp illuminated them.

"The Cradle."

"What about it?"

Teana glared at the Doctor. He beamed a joyous smile at her.

"Are you going to talk?"

"Oh, I do enjoy intelligent conversation!"

"Then start talking."

"Please, ask away."

Teana took a few deep breaths.

"How do we destroy the Cradle?"

Scaglietti grinned.

"The question that occupied every military commander of the Belkan era, without doubt."

"How?" Teana repeated intently.

The Doctor leaned back on his narrow chair. His hands were still cuffed.

"Think back to three years ago, Major Lanster. You will find that I have already given you the answer to that question for free."

Teana looked at him incredulously, then ordered Cross Mirage pull the records of the Incident.

"You launched the Cradle from the Eastern Mid… Climbing to L2… Harnessing the power of the moons, whatever that means… Commander Yagami's strike team boarding, reactor destroyed, reactor powering up…"

"You already missed it. That small detail."

Teana scrolled through the reports.

"The Einherial system? You mean the Cradle can only be destroyed by ground fire?"

"Not at all," Scaglietti smiled cheerfully. "Any fire would do, as long as…"

"As long as… the Cradle's AMF shields are not active."

"Indeed."

"That means, had the fleet arrived before the Cradle's shields regenerated…"

"…the Cradle would have been destroyed right then. Along with your strike team."

Teana's spiteful stare bounced off Scaglietti's cheerful grin.

"We need to know where the Cradle attacks next. Is there a system to its raids?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Cross Mirage."

It took Scaglietti only a few minutes to read through three years' worth of reports.

"As I suspected," he concluded contentedly.

"What do you see?"

"Oh? I am surprised you don't yourself. I estimated your abstract thinking to be on par with Enforcer Testarossa's… Maybe you didn't read it carefully enough? Including your own Walder report?"

Teana thought back. The landing, the silhouette of the Cradle in the skies, the Gadgets…

"It is looking for something. The ruins were all Ancient Belkan. Most of them predating the Cradle itself."

"Warm. And the winning question is…"

"What is it looking for?"

"Here is a tip: the Vessel."

"The Vessel? Captain Takamachi's daughter? Her body wasn't…"

Teana fell silent, her thoughts racing.

"The key to the Cradle's activation. Body wasn't found. Use her later. The Cradle still not at full power. The key… Vivio refused to cooperate. Killed her… now looking for a replacement. But why ruins?"

"Why indeed?"

"DNA samples? No, Cradle not equipped with cloning facilities. Relics, but what for? Mind control?"

"Or energy source."

"Is it looking for another Vessel?"

"Yes," Scaglietti nodded.

"Does one exist?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"How do you make another Vessel?"

"How do you make another Sankt Kaiser, Major?"

Teana stared at him.

"I think I have told you enough," Scaglietti leaned back with his trademark smug grin.