The next day, the official visit of the Orb delegation began. Yang Hui brought Athrun to attend the Supreme Council meeting. This occasion wasn't suitable for Creuset's presence, so Yang Hui had him take Canard Pars to assist PLANT in capturing the remaining members of the Zala Faction who were hiding and preparing to stir up trouble.
This was one of the agreements Yang Hui had reached with Durandal. True to expectations, Durandal hadn't disappointed Yang Hui and Creuset. He accepted their terms and conditions, becoming one of their partners. He would support Yang Hui's proposal during today's meeting while also having Creuset assist him during the visit.
"Welcome once again, Supreme Leader Yang Hui of Orb."
"You're too kind, Chairman Durandal. PLANT has been Orb's partner since before the war, and I hope this relationship can continue."
"That is also our wish, Mr. Yang Hui. Orb has always been PLANT's best partner."
"I hope so."
"Mr. Yang Hui, may I ask which area of cooperation you personally came to PLANT to discuss?"
"The reason for my visit..." Yang Hui paused mid-sentence, scanning the assembled representatives before continuing, "...is to request that PLANT and Orb jointly deploy forces to destroy the wreckage of [Julius 7]."
"Impossible!" A representative from the radical faction immediately stood up in opposition. "Mr. Yang Hui, with all due respect, you must understand the symbolic significance of [Julius 7] to PLANT. We cannot agree to its destruction."
Though now just ruins, [Julius 7] was a symbol of tragedy. Its existence united all Coordinators in PLANT, binding them together to resist the Earth Alliance.
For many Coordinators, the wreckage of [Julius 7] also served as a gravestone for their families. Their loved ones had perished there, leaving no remains behind. Only by gazing upon [Julius 7] could they feel their lost family members had a place to return to.
"I understand your opposition, Representative White. I'm fully aware of the profound significance [Julius 7] holds for PLANT. But the reason I'm making this request is because there's an unavoidable necessity—a critical reason that compelled me to come personally and discuss this with all of you."
For ordinary diplomatic matters, Yang Hui wouldn't have needed to appear at all—not even Wang Liu Mei or Sumeragi. A single diplomatic envoy would have sufficed.
But this cooperation involved [Julius 7], an entity of immense importance. Had anyone else proposed this, they might have been flatly rejected the moment they spoke, without even being given a chance to explain.
However, given Yang Hui's status and position, no matter how much they opposed or resisted, they had to patiently hear him out when he insisted on explaining.
Seeing that no one else spoke up, Yang Hui took out a PAD and projected a document in the conference hall for all representatives to see clearly.
"This is—!" The contents of the document shocked everyone present, filling them with horror.
This document presents the orbital trajectory prediction for [Julius 7]. Due to Earth's gravitational influence, within five years, [Julius 7] will crash into Earth, triggering an unimaginable catastrophe.
This is the calculated outcome without any external interference. If external forces come into play... it might enter a collision course the next second and destroy Earth.
"As you can all see, [Julius 7] is no longer a symbol of PLANT but the Damocles sword hanging over the entire world. Its destruction is inevitable. Since we've detected this threat in advance, why not eliminate it now?"
"But... there's still so much time. Who knows what changes might occur..."
"Exactly, Representative Adaman. Precisely because none of us can predict future changes, we must resolve this threat as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the Damocles sword falls, it'll be too late."
George Adaman was left speechless. He hadn't expected Yang Hui to turn his own argument against him so effectively that he couldn't counter it.
"...We could immediately begin relocation operations to move [Julius 7] to a safe zone..."
"Then may I ask, what exactly constitutes a safe zone?" Yang Hui questioned Representative Eduardo Lee.
"Naturally, an area free from Earth's gravitational pull. That way, [Julius 7] would pose no threat to Earth."
"Is that so? As Representative Adaman just said, we can't foresee future changes. For instance... might someone use [Julius 7]'s debris as a catalyst for war, or even as an ultimate weapon?"
"This!"
"That's slander!"
"We would never do such a thing!"
...
Truth be told, Yang Hui hadn't anticipated such vehement opposition to his reasoning. He wasn't implying those present would use [Julius 7]'s wreckage as a giant bomb against Earth. Their intense reaction almost felt like a case of "protesting too much."
"I never said anyone here would do that," Yang Hui explained with a helpless glance at Durandal.
"Then what did you mean?"
"Have you all forgotten that [Blue Cosmos] still exists?"
"That... that's impossible." Yang Hui's explanation was immediately refuted. "Even if [Blue Cosmos] wanted to restart the war, Earth is their home, their territory. They wouldn't destroy Earth..."
"What if... they just carved off a small piece and dropped it on Earth? Say, targeting their enemies' territories... like Orb?"
"This..."
"Or what if they secretly incited certain ambitious individuals, then stepped in as saviors to stop them, staging an elaborate performance?"
"..."
"Also, let me remind everyone here - your nations' former radical factions... haven't been completely eradicated."
"..."
If Yang Hui's previous reasoning had only left everyone deeply conflicted, these words now turned their expressions downright grim. The moderates and neutrals aside—who merely found his statement highlighting their ineffectiveness—the hardliners present, especially former Zala Faction members like Orson White, took it as a direct accusation.
"Therefore... only complete destruction can eliminate this threat once and for all. This is the most secure course of action—for me, for everyone here, for Orb, for PLANT, and for the entire Earth! Precisely because I recognize the symbolic significance of [Julius 7] to PLANT, I hoped to obtain your approval and assistance. But... it remains merely a hope. Should you persist in your stance, this request for cooperation will become a notification. Orb will seek aid from other nations to carry out the destruction of [Julius 7]—or execute it alone if necessary!"