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Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: A Dreamlike Reunion

Before arriving, Yang Hui and Lyle had received intelligence from Uzumi that Cagalli was suspected to have joined a guerrilla resistance group in North Africa.

Yang Hui, who knew the original plot, was aware of this. However, what he hadn't expected was that the seemingly scattered resistance groups were actually part of a single organization—and one allied with them at that!

Moreover, Yang Hui learned from the village elder something Uzumi hadn't told him: Cagalli had been under constant protection.

A towering, dark-skinned man with long brown hair, dressed in distinctly South American attire.

"Dammit, what's Kisaka thinking? Why is he letting Cagalli act so recklessly?"

Ledonir Kisaka was the bodyguard accompanying Cagalli—a colonel in command of Orb's 21st Special Space Forces. He had been protecting Cagalli since childhood and was one of Uzumi's most trusted confidants.

At first, Yang Hui thought Cagalli had shaken off Kisaka, allowing her to act freely and making it impossible to track her exact location. But if Kisaka was with her, why wasn't he stopping her? Didn't he realize the consequences for Orb if something happened to Cagalli?

This wasn't some anime plot where things could be arbitrarily arranged for the sake of drama. This was reality, with no "hand of God" to intervene. How could someone as steady as Kisaka make such a mistake?

"Elder, can you tell me where Desert Dawn is hiding?" Yang Hui asked.

"Of course. However, Lord Yang Hui, I could also send someone to notify—"

"No need. I'll go myself. The fewer people you involve, the safer you'll be."

"Very well. My apologies for troubling you to make the trip personally."

"It's fine. With that girl Cagalli, I won't rest easy unless I go myself."

Sending a messenger to call Cagalli back to Tassil would work, but if someone slipped up and let her know Yang Hui was looking for her, she'd definitely refuse to return and keep running. Then, finding her would become truly difficult.

There was another reason: judging by the timeline, the Archangel should now be with Desert Dawn and had already clashed with Andrew Waltfeld once.

"Wait! If the Archangel has fought Waltfeld, then this place must be..."

"Elder, does ZAFT know about this village?" Yang Hui asked.

"They do, but they haven't troubled us. They treat us as an ordinary settlement..."

"Evacuate the entire village immediately!"

"Why?"

"Waltfeld isn't someone to underestimate. From the village entrance to your home, there are visible caves storing weapons and ammunition. Your concealment isn't thorough enough—he must have noticed. He's only holding back for some reason."

"That... can't be, right?" The elder hesitated. It was common for North African villages to possess weapons even before ZAFT's occupation. Would the presence of arms alone make them suspect a connection to Desert Dawn?

"Better safe than sorry. At least move some food and water to a backup safe point. We can't gamble everyone's lives on an unknown possibility."

"...Very well. I'll arrange it at once." After a brief consideration, the elder agreed to Yang Hui's suggestion.

Under the elder's arrangements, the people of Tassil quickly mobilized. Naturally, Yang Hui and Lyle couldn't stay in Tassil any longer, so the elder arranged for a guide to take them to the frontline command post of Desert Dawn.

...

With a guide, Yang Hui and Lyle no longer needed to search for a needle in a haystack across the desert. Driving a jeep, they soon arrived at the frontline command post without facing the same difficulties they had encountered when entering Tassil.

"Hmm? Why is this ship here?" Lyle asked in surprise as they entered the canyon, his eyes fixed on the Archangel.

"They said there was a deviation in the descent trajectory. Instead of landing at the Alaska base, they ended up here," Yang Hui explained.

"You knew about this already? No wonder you accepted Uzumi's request. Seems you really care about this ship," Lyle teased.

"The Archangel is irrelevant. It's the people on board that I care about."

"Oh? Now you've got me curious."

Under suspicious gazes, Yang Hui and Lyle entered the canyon. Before long, they ran into familiar faces.

"Yang Hui! What are you doing here?"

"Sai? Tolle? Miriallia? Katz? What are you all doing here? And..." Yang Hui feigned surprise, pointing at the military ranks on their collars.

Previously, they had worn military uniforms without insignia, indicating they were only temporary volunteers or militia, not official soldiers. But now, with ranks displayed, it meant they had formally joined the Earth Forces.

Of course, Yang Hui already knew the reason. Flay had turned dark and officially enlisted in the Earth Forces. As her boyfriend, Sai couldn't abandon her and leave the ship. With Sai leading the way, Tolle and the others stayed as well, and Kira naturally remained onboard.

But... Yang Hui faintly noticed a faint green glow above Sai's head. It seemed the term "boyfriend" now came with an unfortunate prefix.

"We joined the Earth Forces. Flay's father died, and she wanted to enlist. We couldn't just abandon her," Tolle explained, while Sai's expression grew complicated.

"Besides, Flay was right. After everything we've been through, we can't just stand by and do nothing. If we have the ability, we should do what we can. Didn't you say that too? It's better to take safety into our own hands than to leave it to others. We just hope the war ends sooner," Tolle added.

"I see... Well, even though you've joined the Earth Forces, you're still citizens of Orb. If you need help, let me know."

"Thanks, Yang Hui. But why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be back in Orb?" Tolle asked.

"I'm here to find someone."

"Someone?"

"Yeah, a certain reckless idiot of a girl."

"Uh... okay. Is she here?"

"Yeah."

"Who is it?"

"It's—"

"Yang Hui?!" A familiar—and headache-inducing—voice called out from behind Yang Hui and Lyle. "Y-you... what are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Yang Hui turned around, looking at Cagalli with a mix of exasperation and resignation. "If a certain willful young lady hadn't caused trouble, I'd be negotiating with the Supreme Council in PLANT right now."

"I... I don't need you to worry about me!"

"Yang Hui? Why are you here?"

After Cagalli appeared, familiar faces followed one after another. First, Kira arrived with Flay, then Murrue and Mu. Even Natarle Badgiruel greeted Yang Hui over the Archangel's broadcast.

"Let's talk later," Yang Hui responded to each of them before turning to Cagalli. "Come with me."

"I don't—"

"Do you want to expose your identity here?" Yang Hui whispered to her.

"..."

Cagalli froze for a moment, then obediently followed Yang Hui as they slipped away from the crowd.

This scene left Kira and the others bewildered, while Murrue, Mu, and Natarle Badgiruel fell into deep thought.

They had already harbored suspicions about Cagalli's identity. Unlike the members of Desert Dawn, who had lived in the desert for a long time, Cagalli's complexion clearly wasn't that of a local.

If that were the only oddity, she could have been dismissed as a willing collaborator. But the moment she saw the Archangel and the Strike Gundam, she immediately recognized their model numbers and names—something no ordinary collaborator could do. Moreover, Cagalli was just a young girl, making her identity all the more questionable.

And now…

Though reuniting with Yang Hui again felt almost dreamlike—especially when they were at a loss on how to deal with the Desert Tiger's attacks—his sudden reappearance, bringing the same sense of security and reliability he always had, made them wonder if fate was smiling upon them.

But the fact that Yang Hui sought out Cagalli first, postponing any reunion with them, only reinforced that her identity was far from ordinary. Combined with Yang Hui's own status, it was almost certain that Cagalli was also a high-ranking member of Orb.

Still, Murrue and Mu didn't pursue them. They trusted Yang Hui—if there was something they needed to know, he would tell them. For now, they would wait and simply enjoy the joy of their reunion.

But… there was one person hiding in the crowd, forcing a smile while concealing deep hatred beneath.

"It's you again… you murderer, the one who killed my father. I thought I'd never get another chance, but since you've come back, you can just die!" Flay thought venomously, stealing a glance at Kira. "Better yet, die by his hand!"

...

Moving past the base and climbing a dune, Yang Hui only stopped with Cagalli once he was certain no one was around.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing!?" Yang Hui demanded sternly.

"None of your business! You're the one who betrayed us first! What's wrong with what I'm doing!?"

In Cagalli's eyes, Yang Hui's secret assistance in developing MS for the Earth Forces was a betrayal of Orb—a violation of its neutrality, dragging the nation into war.

After returning to Orb earlier than Yang Hui, Cagalli had gone straight to Uzumi, reporting Yang Hui's betrayal and demanding his arrest and trial.

But her passionate accusations weren't met with approval. Instead, Uzumi scolded her harshly.

"Everything Yang Hui has done is for Orb's sake. As the heir of the Athha family, how could you slander him? You grew up together—if anyone should understand him, it's you!"

Cagalli couldn't comprehend why her most respected father, Uzumi—who had always insisted on Orb's neutrality—would defend a traitor.

Without further questioning, Cagalli was also disappointed in Uzumi, even suspecting that Yang Hui's actions were orchestrated by Uzumi—that Uzumi was the biggest traitor in Orb.

In a fit of anger, she secretly left Orb and traveled to North Africa, joining a resistance group to help the local people fight against ZAFT.

If you've betrayed us, then I'll join the fight too! You want to help the Earth Forces? Fine, I'll fight ZAFT as well!

Now Yang Hui had found her, offering no explanation but instead interrogating her, shattering the last shred of hope Cagalli had in him.

"I did not betray Orb."

"Then why are you helping the Earth Forces develop MS!? Isn't that siding with them? If you can do it, why can't I!?"

"Has Orb officially joined the war?" Yang Hui asked Cagalli.

"This..."

"I'm asking—has Orb officially joined the war!?"

"...N-no..."

"Has Orb publicly declared its alliance with the Earth Alliance and entered the conflict?"

"No..."

"Then how can you accuse us of betrayal?"

"I... I..."

"Have you even considered the consequences if your identity is exposed!?"

"...I... I..."

"Let me tell you what will happen. Uzumi Nara Athha's daughter, Cagalli Yula Athha, representing Orb, declares war on PLANT and the ZAFT Forces! Orb officially joins the Earth Alliance and enters the war!"

"That's not true! I didn't—"

"But that's what everyone will think! Both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance will make sure the whole world believes it! At that point, Orb will have only two choices: either join the Earth Alliance and become their accomplice, or refuse to join and face the combined assault of both superpowers—leading to the nation's destruction. That is the outcome. That is reality!"

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