"To be honest, Natarle, sometimes your naivety is almost endearing," Yang Hui said calmly to Natarle Badgiruel.
"What did you just say!?"
"Do you really think... Orb isn't already embroiled in war?"
"Of course not! Your nation has always advocated neutrality, hasn't it? You swore never to join any conflict! So why would—"
"So in your eyes, war is just about pointing weapons at each other and fighting? Well, I suppose that makes sense—you're a soldier, after all. That's all you see."
"What exactly are you implying!?"
"Economic warfare, trade wars, diplomatic conflicts, espionage battles..."
"Wha—"
Natarle froze at Yang Hui's words, her hands loosening their grip on his collar as she fell silent.
"Orb has long been at war—a war far more dangerous than open combat, one without gunfire or explosions." Adjusting his collar, Yang Hui spoke plainly, not just for Natarle but also for Lowe, Yamabuki Juri, and Liam Garfield, forcing them to confront the true nature of their reality. "For years now, the Earth Alliance, led by the Atlantic Federation, has been pressuring neutral nations on Earth—cutting trade, imposing sanctions, political coercion. It hasn't stopped for a moment. I can't speak for other countries, but Orb has been struggling more and more, forced to make concessions. This deal is just one of them."
"..."
"Furthermore, if Earth Forces' cutting-edge warships and new MS models appear in Orb's Colony, what do you think PLANT will assume? That we've already sided with the Earth Alliance? Would they launch a preemptive strike to eliminate Orb before we become a threat? And if they attack, how will Orb defend itself? What will we use... to protect our people?"
"...You could request aid from the Earth Alliance. We would—"
"Do you even believe that yourself?"
"..."
Natarle couldn't answer. She wanted to say, Yes! The Earth Forces would absolutely protect Orb!
But... after everything she had witnessed, the words caught in her throat.
"Weapons don't exist for the sake of war. And war... is never the goal—just a means to an end." Yang Hui spoke with ease, his gaze lifting toward the Astray Gundam Red Frame. "The Atlantic Federation seeks political hegemony—even the eradication of all Coordinators. The Earth Alliance fights for greater power. PLANT's original goal was simply to secure peace and equality for Coordinators. And Orb... just wants to protect its nation and its people. A simple goal, yet an incredibly difficult one."
"...You could join the Earth Alliance. Then—"
"And what would happen to Orb's Coordinator citizens?"
"..."
Orb was unique in the world—not only did it stubbornly maintain neutrality, but it was also the only nation on Earth where Naturals and Coordinators coexisted peacefully. For the sake of all its citizens who placed their trust in Orb, it had to remain neutral, refusing to side with either PLANT or the Earth Alliance.
"In order to achieve this goal, Orb must become stronger—strong enough to protect its nation and people from both the Earth Forces and the ZAFT Forces. Do you... understand?"
"..." Natarle Badgiruel understood Yang Hui's meaning and agreed with his reasoning. Though they belonged to opposing factions, the desire to protect their homeland was something they shared.
"I will... report this truthfully to my superiors," Natarle said solemnly. It was her duty.
"No problem. That's what you should do. And..." Yang Hui paused, then pointed at the Astray Gundam Red Frame as he continued, "This was always part of my deal with Brigadier General Halberton."
Why had Yang Hui allowed Natarle to follow him to the Junk Guild? Why had he deliberately taken detours to let her observe the scrap dealers in detail? Why had he knowingly brought her along to meet Lowe, fully aware that he would showcase the Astray Gundam Red Frame? Why had he gone into such lengthy explanations?
All of it was to plant seeds in Natarle's mind—seeds that would eventually sprout, bloom, and reshape her rigid thinking.
Yang Hui's assessment of Natarle: A competent soldier, but a failed officer.
Raised in a military family with an ironclad doctrine, Natarle prioritized military rules over the duty to protect civilians. If greater tactical gains could be achieved, she wouldn't hesitate to exploit civilians.
This mindset had gradually shifted in the original timeline through her clashes with Murrue, but that change had also led to her eventual tragedy. Rather than let history repeat itself, Yang Hui decided to forcefully broaden her perspective now—so that when the time came in Alaska, she would trust him and not separate from the Archangel.
Nodding, Natarle stepped aside, refraining from further comment.
Meanwhile, Lowe scratched his head and approached with a sigh. "Look, we're just junk dealers. Is it really okay for you to be telling us all this?"
Though Lowe often seemed carefree and single-minded, he wasn't stupid. He recognized that Yang Hui's words weren't just for Natarle—they were meant for him and his crew as well.
"So, how about joining me?" Yang Hui grinned.
"You still haven't given up, huh? No thanks. My dream is to be the greatest junk dealer—I'm not getting dragged into a war," Lowe refused outright.
"Figured as much." Yang Hui shrugged, unfazed. He'd lost count of how many times Lowe had turned him down.
But it didn't matter. Someone like Lowe could only be a friend or an ally—never someone forced into action. Knowing him, Yang Hui was certain Lowe would eventually oppose the war on his own. He just hadn't experienced enough yet to reach that point.
With the Astray Gundam Red Frame in his possession and ties to Serpent Tail, Lowe was already on an extraordinary path. Sooner or later, he'd willingly join the cause. And besides...
Yang Hui still had the Prometheus Fortress as his trump card. Given Lowe's nature, he'd never resist the allure of infinite worlds.
"By the way, isn't this your Mobile Suit? Want it back?" Lowe jerked a thumb at the Red Frame behind him.
"Would you sell it?"
"Of course not!" Faced with Yang Hui's rhetorical question, Lowe responded with a cheerful and straightforward answer.
"Then that settles it." Yang Hui rolled his eyes, silently wondering when Lowe had learned to tease people.
"Hehe, this is my treasure—I'd never give it to anyone else. We're the closest of partners!"
"..." Yang Hui shot Lowe another barrage of eye rolls. He had literally just picked up the Red Frame from the wreckage of Heliopolis, and they'd fought together at most once. How could they already be the "closest of partners"?
"I have no problem giving you the Mobile Suit, but you'll have to let me copy its data," Yang Hui demanded.
"No problem... Oh, right!" Lowe suddenly remembered something and pulled Yang Hui to another corner of the hangar, where a pile of scattered parts lay before them. "I found these in the ruins of Heliopolis too. They might be useful to you."
Yang Hui stared at the parts in shock, then turned to Lowe, a surge of exasperation making him exclaim, "You... Are you seriously telling me your 'universe's greatest luck' isn't just a joke?"
The parts scattered before Yang Hui were numerous and disorganized, but they could roughly be divided into two colors: green and purple. If Yang Hui couldn't recognize what these parts belonged to, he might as well crawl back into the womb for a do-over.
The Outframe Gundam Green and the Outframe Gundam Purple!
From what Yang Hui remembered, though he didn't have much recollection of these two Mobile Suits, he knew their eventual fates. One was accidentally acquired by Orb's ace pilot Barry Ho, who nearly turned a Real Type machine into a Super Type through sheer skill. The other was taken by the nefarious organization Librarian Works and modified into something just as absurd.
And now... How had Lowe managed to scavenge both of these units, which should still be in pieces?
"Yep, I really am the universe's luckiest guy," Lowe boasted, rubbing his nose smugly.
"Name your price. I want all of them."
"Why so formal? I'll just give them to you—after all, you're the one who gave me this." Lowe pointed at the Astray Gundam Red Frame with a grin.
"No, let's keep things separate. I'll pay you the full market price for each unit."
"You..."
"It's settled, Lowe. Friendship is friendship, but business is business—they shouldn't mix. I've already gotten my reward for the Red Frame: the priceless data on how a Natural can freely pilot an MS."
"Oh? Then I guess I got the short end of the stick."
"Hahaha, not at all."
Yang Hui didn't immediately copy the Red Frame's data, nor did he take the Green and Purple Frame parts with him. If the Archangel and G Weapons were Atlantic Federation secrets, these were Orb's—no way was he bringing them onto a Federation ship where they could be seized.
Instead, he placed another commission with Lowe's team, tasking them with escorting the parts to Orb's Dawn Company and Ame No Minashira. The data for the Green and Red Frames would go to Director Erica Simmons, while the Purple Frame was to be delivered exclusively to Mina—not her identical twin brother Gina, nor her father, no matter what.
Since it was a friend's request, he naturally wouldn't refuse. Moreover, the payment for this delivery job was a free modification opportunity for the Red Frame, which both Dawn Company and Ame No Minashira could handle. Lowe would never turn down such compensation.
After concluding his conversation with Lowe, Yang Hui left with Natarle Badgiruel. They had just received word that the supply replenishment was complete, and now they needed to discuss refugee reception matters with Madok.
"That Lowe... is he a Natural?" Natarle asked along the way.
"Yes."
"But he—"
"Don't even think about recruiting him. I've tried countless times and failed every time. You people... stand even less chance."
"Don't underestimate us. The Atlantic Federation—"
"Invitation, threats, and ultimately coercion?"
"Well..."
"It's useless. Lowe responds to kindness but not force. You can only be his friend, never pressure him. And Shinn wasn't joking earlier—that guy's dumb luck is genuinely terrifying."
"...Understood. But I'll still report everything I've seen to my superiors."
"Suit yourself."
Yang Hui truly didn't care about Natarle's intention to report. It was a soldier's duty to follow protocol, after all. Besides, he was certain the Atlantic Federation wouldn't take it seriously even if she did report. Even if they did, they wouldn't sincerely attempt recruitment—they'd more likely resort to forceful coercion.
Which, in turn, would perfectly set the stage for Yang Hui to win these people over.
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