"Medic! We have critically wounded here!"
"Found them! Get over here and help!"
"Slow down, take it easy—watch for secondary collapses."
...
As dusk approached, the devastation of war left Isejaki in ruins. Various units were cleaning up the battlefield—all except the MS units. The Mobile Suit pilots either slumped exhaustedly nearby or had fallen asleep right in their cockpits. Even the battle-hardened Mu collapsed onto the ground the moment he disembarked, his face pale and fatigue etched deeply into his features.
The Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue landed together, forming a triangular formation with the Freedom Gundam and the three newly arrived Gundams. The moment the pilots of these three Gundams stepped out, Tieria immediately drew his sidearm and aimed at them.
"Don't move."
"Oh-ho, is this how Orb treats those who come to your aid?" Dearka lazily raised his hands in mock surrender.
"State your purpose," Tieria demanded. He didn't believe for a second that Athrun and the others had come to Orb in brand-new Gundams just to help them fight.
"We're a special operations unit from ZAFT, here on a classified mission," Athrun replied, his gaze shifting toward Kira and the Freedom Gundam.
From Athrun's expression, Tieria deduced their target was Kira and the Freedom Gundam. But right now, Kira and his machine were crucial assets to Orb's forces—there was no way he'd let them be taken.
"You can leave, but the target stays with us," Tieria stated firmly.
"I know," Athrun nodded. "Our intervention today wasn't ordered by ZAFT or PLANT command. This was a personal decision by the three of us—it doesn't represent ZAFT or PLANT's stance."
Not long after the battle between Orb and the Earth Forces began, Athrun and his team had maneuvered their Mobile Suits toward the combat zone's airspace, spotting the Freedom Gundam in the thick of the fighting.
Yet they hadn't intervened immediately, nor had they made any move against the Freedom. Instead, they silently observed.
There was no denying it—Orb's defensive lines and their commander's tactics had stunned them. The defenses were airtight, flawless, leaving the Earth Forces no openings to exploit.
Only when the Raider Gundam, Forbidden Gundam, and Calamity Gundam appeared did the line begin to waver—but just for a moment. Then the Gundam Exia, Cherudim, and Virtue descended, decisively suppressing the three enemy Gundams and freeing the Freedom to act as the trump card it was, stabilizing the faltering defenses once more.
As they watched, Athrun and the others found themselves unable to stay idle. Faced with the relentless tide of enemy forces, Orb displayed not just formidable combat strength but unshakable resolve—a determination to defend their homeland at all costs. It resonated with them.
They had been lost, uncertain of what they were fighting for. But now, they felt they understood—just a little—the true meaning of a soldier's duty.
It wasn't entirely clear yet, but for now, it was enough. Rather than remaining spectators, they chose to step into the fray and experience it firsthand. So they joined the battle—the Justice Gundam, Rebirth Gundam, and Covenant Gundam reinforcing Orb's defensive lines.
"I don't consider you our allies," Tieria challenged.
"We aren't your allies. We just..."
"Tieria, put the gun down."
At that moment, the surrounding crowd parted to make way as Yang Hui arrived with Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei, stepping directly in front of Athrun, Nicol, and Dearka.
"...I don't trust them." Though Tieria lowered his weapon, he remained firm in his stance. This was a sensitive period, and if the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty intervened further, the situation would become even more complicated. Tieria couldn't allow anything to disrupt the execution of their plans.
"Trust me."
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Tieria turned and left. Leaving the Mobile Suits here wasn't an option—they needed to be returned to the Hangar for repairs and maintenance.
Setsuna and Lyle exchanged a glance but said nothing more, giving a nod of understanding before following Tieria to escort the Mobile Suits back to the Hangar.
Kira also moved to Yang Hui's side, his gaze fixed intently on Athrun. He, too, wanted to know what Athrun's intentions were.
"Found it?" Yang Hui's sudden question left Kira and the onlookers puzzled, but Athrun, Nicol, and Dearka understood exactly what he was asking.
"Not that easy," Athrun replied with a self-deprecating shake of his head.
"So you've at least found a direction?"
"...Yeah."
"What are your plans now?"
"I don't know. I just... feel like I can't stand by and do nothing. I have to act."
"Then head to Dawn Company first. It's been a while—we should catch up properly."
"Alright." The three nodded. They genuinely wanted to talk with Yang Hui. Among everyone they knew, he was the most enigmatic, yet his thinking was the clearest, and his resolve the firmest. Long ago, Yang Hui had already laid out a comprehensive plan for the future and was executing it unwaveringly.
They didn't know the specifics of that plan, but they wanted to understand how Yang Hui could possess such unshakable conviction.
As the group dispersed, the MS units returned to Dawn Company for maintenance. In the lounge of Dawn Company, Yang Hui sat with Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, and Kira, conversing with Athrun, Dearka, and Nicol. Murrue, Mu, and Natarle Badgiruel also joined the discussion.
However, an unexpected guest arrived uninvited—Cagalli.
"Sit quietly and don't speak, or get out."
That was Yang Hui's condition for her presence. Otherwise, who knew what nonsense the impulsive girl might spout?
Cagalli obediently agreed. Yang Hui meant what he said—if she refused, she'd be thrown out immediately. And it wasn't just Yang Hui she had to contend with; Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei were also present. After learning that they were key architects and executors of the White Dove Plan, Cagalli had been eagerly seeking information about them, only to realize just how formidable they were.
Wang Liu Mei was one thing—her expertise lay in intelligence work, a field too covert for Cagalli to grasp. All Cagalli knew were Wang Liu Mei's diplomatic achievements, which were nothing short of extraordinary.
Then there was Sumeragi. Cagalli had witnessed her performance firsthand in the command center during the battle. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Cagalli even thought to herself—if Sumeragi hadn't been in command, perhaps First Island would have fallen?
Yang Hui explained the current situation to Athrun, Dearka, and Nicol, as well as the reasons why Orb had to go to war with the Earth Forces.
"Haha, this is really..." The three of them smiled bitterly. As members of the ZAFT Forces, they had always held a poor opinion of the Earth Alliance, especially the Atlantic Federation, but they never expected the Atlantic Federation to be this shameless this time.
During the conversation, Murrue also revealed the content of Uzumi's discussion with them, which shocked Athrun and the others greatly.
"That's right, it's tough, but we won't give up just because it's difficult," Yang Hui said to them.
"Why not seek help from ZAFT?" Dearka asked Yang Hui.
"And then what? Join ZAFT in fighting the Earth Forces? How is that any different from agreeing to the Earth Forces' demands?" Yang Hui countered.
"Tch."
"Orb is the only remaining neutral nation and a benchmark. Its existence is meant to show everyone that this world shouldn't be divided into two. Whether Naturals or Coordinators, we are one, part of the same human race, just like people of different skin colors."
"But Orb has no chance of winning. I think you know that very well," Dearka said.
"I know, but we still need to take a firm stance—to give hope to those who long for peace and to preserve the faith of those who still believe in Orb."
"But if everyone dies, won't it all be for nothing?"
"True, so... I don't plan on dying," Yang Hui quipped.
"What do you mean?" Athrun, Nicol, and Dearka were taken aback.
"The Orb you see now is already a shell. Apart from those of us still holding out here, all the citizens have already been evacuated."
"Eh? Then why are you all still—"
"This land will undoubtedly fall. There's no question about that. But as long as the people survive, Orb will not perish—it will only await rebirth."
"I see. That's just like you, Yang Hui," Athrun, who knew Yang Hui best, shook his head with a wry smile. He understood what Yang Hui was planning—it was his usual tactic of letting two sides fight while he reaped the benefits.
"This is our path, not yours—at least not yet. I'm glad you agree with Orb's ideals, but you can't simply replicate them directly. So... take some time to talk it over. Maybe things will become clearer." Yang Hui stood up, patted Athrun on the shoulder, and then left with Wang Liu Mei and Sumeragi to meet with Uzumi.
"I have just one question, Yang Hui," Athrun called out to him. "The Neutron Jammer Canceller equipped on the Freedom Gundam—you..."
"Not interested."
"Huh? Are you joking? That's—"
"We obtained it long before your Mobile Suits were even built. So we have no interest in the Freedom."
"What did you say!?" The three of them were stunned. Their Mobile Suits were ZAFT's top-secret project, and the Neutron Jammer Canceller was classified beyond that. They had only learned about it recently, yet Orb had already acquired it long ago?
Moreover, if Orb already possessed the Neutron Jammer Canceller, didn't that mean they had access to nuclear energy? Did that mean this war was—!?
"I know what you're worried about. If we were going to use them, we would have done it already. Why would we be fighting so desperately today?" Yang Hui rolled his eyes at Athrun and the other two.
"But... why not use them? With those weapons, Orb could be preserved, couldn't it?" Dearka asked. They were talking about nuclear weapons! Orb was on the verge of annihilation—why not use nukes to deter the Atlantic Federation? At this critical juncture, were they still pretending to be morally superior?
"And then what?" Yang Hui countered with the same rhetorical question, answering helplessly, "After forcing back the Atlantic Federation this time, what about facing the entire Earth Alliance next? Or perhaps both the Earth Forces and ZAFT Forces together?"
"This..."
Hearing this, vivid images already formed in their minds. If even a nation like Orb could regain control of nuclear weapons, the Earth Alliance—as the dominant power on Earth—would never stand idly by, even countries previously friendly with Orb would act the same.
At the same time, ZAFT couldn't just watch as an energy-rich Orb continued to develop, eventually posing a threat to them.
Coordinating with the Earth Forces might be impossible, but maintaining a certain tacit understanding to jointly attack Orb was entirely plausible.
The end result would inevitably be the destruction of the world.
"Moreover, what separates humans from beasts is having principles. Once you cross that line, there's no going back—it's either zero times or countless times."
(End of Chapter)