Half a month passed quietly, with everyone too busy to catch their breath.
"Finally repaired."
"Yes, it's time for us to leave Orb."
Murrue and Natarle felt reluctant to part. Their relationship with Yang Hui... could be considered established now, yet they had to separate again.
These past two weeks in Orb had given them entirely new feelings—peace, relaxation, simplicity yet warmth and happiness. Someone with weaker resolve might have already become intoxicated by such a life.
But they couldn't. They were soldiers with unfulfilled duties, so they had to leave.
Their feelings for Yang Hui also frightened them—fear of losing themselves, forgetting their identities and responsibilities. That's why they needed to part ways with him.
"What Yang Hui said... what do you think?" Murrue asked Natarle.
"...I don't know."
"Pfft—"
"W-what's so funny?"
"Nothing. It's just... you've changed too, Natarle." Murrue chuckled softly, genuinely pleased. There had always been ideological conflicts between them, making their relationship strained. But Yang Hui had become the bond connecting them.
Moreover, Natarle had truly been changed by Yang Hui. In the past, she would have immediately retorted with something like "Nonsense! Obeying orders is a soldier's sacred duty!" without hesitation.
Yet now she hesitated, conflicted—proof that the firm convictions instilled in her since childhood had begun to waver.
"Haven't you changed too?" Natarle countered softly, her fair cheeks tinged pink.
Murrue paused, her own face flushing similarly.
"Yes... isn't that just like him?" Murrue sighed.
An ordinary person might not notice Murrue's transformation, but Natarle could. Murrue represented another traditional type of soldier—completely different from Natarle's ironclad discipline, yet someone who might question or argue with superiors' orders but would ultimately execute them.
Now even she was conflicted, her wavering more pronounced than Natarle's.
If upon reaching Alaska Base, military command issued orders separating them, Natarle might merely be torn—but Murrue would likely follow Yang Hui's advice, choosing to remain aboard the Archangel, perhaps even asking others to stay with her.
"Beep beep—"
"Here."
"Captain, departure procedures are complete. Please come to the bridge."
"Understood. On my way."
Ending the communication, Murrue and Natarle exchanged glances and sighed simultaneously. Yang Hui's words lingered in their hearts, impossible to dispel. But they were about to part—perhaps forever. They could only bury those feelings deep inside and focus on their immediate duties.
As for the future... they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.
Arriving on the bridge, they found everyone already at their stations, all eyes turning toward them. Arnold and others showed traces of reluctance and emotion—who wouldn't prefer peaceful days?
Meanwhile, Miriallia and Sai's gazes held deeper sorrow, for Orb was their homeland. Given the choice, who would willingly leave their country to become soldiers for another nation?
Murrue and Natarle gazed out through the bridge windows. Beside the Archangel, Uzumi had come, Cagalli had come, the Yamato couple had arrived, along with Tolle, Miriallia, Sai, and Katz's parents—but conspicuously absent was the one figure they longed to see most.
Murrue and Natarle remained silent. They both wished Yang Hui would come to see them off, yet also hoped he wouldn't. But now that his absence was confirmed, an inevitable sense of loss and sorrow settled in their hearts.
"Has he given up on us?"
"Perhaps... but it doesn't matter anymore."
"...Commence departure procedures!"
"Understood. Departure procedures initiated. Begin water injection!"
...
Cagalli watched the Archangel preparing to leave, her teeth clenched and fists tightly balled.
She had originally intended to depart with the Archangel—even packing her belongings—only to be stopped by Uzumi.
"Do you want to leave with that ship?"
"Yes."
"So you intend to fight for the Earth Forces against PLANT? Is this your desire for battle?"
"That's not it! I don't want to fight!"
"Then why?"
"I want to help them! To end this war quickly!"
"Do you think your participation will end the war?"
"...But—"
"If you kill someone's husband, his wife will hate you. Kill someone's child, and his mother will curse you. If you were under someone else's command... I too would despise them with every fiber of my being. Why can't you understand such a simple truth?!"
"Of course I know! But I can't stand staying safe in Orb while others—"
"What can your shallow, self-righteous sense of justice possibly achieve?!"
"..."
"Picking up a gun isn't the only way to fight. Orb's peace isn't complacency—hasn't Yang Hui already taught you that?"
"Father..."
Cagalli understood these principles, yet refused to accept them. She felt powerless, unable to find any means of struggle beyond bearing arms.
"Where's Yang Hui? Why isn't he here?" Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Cagalli glanced around, realizing the person who should have come to bid farewell to the Archangel was absent. If her desire to help the Archangel was born of impulsive passion, Yang Hui had sailed with them for far longer—their bonds far surpassed anything Cagalli could claim.
Not to mention, there were two women aboard that ship who loved him.
"He's where he needs to be."
"Tch. Heartless bastard."
Uzumi sighed at her outburst, recognizing it as frustration rather than malice toward Yang Hui. Yet this very reaction highlighted the vast gap between Cagalli and him.
"Enough. Just focus on being a princess, Cagalli."
In this moment, Uzumi finally resolved the conflict between emotion and reason that had tormented him, reaching a firm decision.
...
"Message from Orb Forces: No enemy vessels detected in vicinity. Proceed as scheduled."
"Acknowledge their transmission."
Some were surprised Orb had dispatched an escort fleet to see them off, using multiple ships to deceive ZAFT Forces—deepening everyone's gratitude toward the nation.
But this was merely the beginning. As the Archangel cleared the dock, radar operators tensed with renewed vigilance.
"Radar contact detected! Heat signature analysis confirms four MS units!"
"What!?"
"How is this possible!? We're still within Orb's borders!"
Everyone assumed the four rapidly approaching Mobile Suits were the Duel, Buster, Blitz, and Aegis, shocked by their audacity to violate Orb's sovereignty to attack them.
But soon, they realized they were wrong.
"Database comparison... These are the four unidentified MS units from the Eighth Fleet battle!"
"What!?"
Not the enemy, yet this revelation stunned them even more.
The mercenary organization [Celestial Being] had always been an enigma to major factions. Every power sought to establish contact—whether to recruit or destroy them—yet none succeeded.
Moreover, many speculated that Orb stood behind [Celestial Being].
Orb had never confirmed it, leaving the theory as mere conjecture.
Now, four Mobile Suits emerged from Orb's territory, flanking the Archangel alongside the escort fleet in full view of the astonished onlookers. Wasn't this an outright admission of the connection between [Celestial Being] and Orb?
"Yang Hui! You..."
Murrue and Natarle Badgiruel were speechless, their suppressed emotions surging forth as warmth and sweetness filled the void in their hearts.
This was his way of telling them—he hadn't given up on them. He would still protect them.
"Captain."
"Set sail!"
"Roger that!" (xN)
...
Inside the dock, Cagalli stood dumbfounded, watching as the Dawn Gundam, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue suddenly appeared, escorting the Archangel on both sides. Her mind went blank.
"He is where he should be."
The words echoed in her mind like a deafening bell tolling right beside her.
"That damn bastard!"
Cagalli scowled, furious that he hadn't warned her about this beforehand!
"Let's go, Cagalli."
"Where to?"
"Central Command at the Ministry of Defense."
Seeing Uzumi's grave expression, Cagalli swallowed her protests and obediently followed. A gut feeling told her more surprises—no, shocks—awaited.
Upon arriving at the Ministry of Defense's command center, Cagalli froze again. The room buzzed with activity, every officer working diligently like precision gears, driving Orb's military machinery at full speed.
And the one orchestrating it all was someone she never expected—never even dared to imagine.
"Sumeragi!"
Indeed, the commander was none other than Sumeragi, her childhood friend whom she thought she knew inside out.
Noticing Uzumi and Cagalli's arrival, Sumeragi merely nodded in acknowledgment before refocusing on the urgent tasks at hand.
"Any updates from the drone reconnaissance?"
"ZAFT submarine fleets detected outside Orb's territorial waters at coordinates (021,023), (031,876), (901,010), and (755,890)."
"Signs of MS units?"
"None detected!"
"Adjust the route. Switch to Plan B and transmit the revised course to the escort fleet and the Archangel immediately."
"Understood!"
"Message the Daybreak, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue units. Proceed directly to Phase B2 as planned."
"Roger that!"
At this moment, Wang Liu Mei established communication with Sumeragi.
"How's the situation?" Without any pleasantries or greetings, Sumeragi directly asked Wang Liu Mei.
"The deal is done. Orb's territorial waters have been extended by ten kilometers."
"Excellent! First and Second Fleets, set sail and execute planned Operation C1."
"Understood! First and Second Fleets departing immediately to designated standby positions. Repeating, First and Second Fleets departing to designated standby positions."
"Third and Fourth Fleets, prepare for
departure. First and Second Air Squadrons on standby. First MS Strike Team on standby."
"Press conference in five minutes to announce Orb's territorial expansion to the world!"
"Understood!"
"Good. [Stage Operation] begins now!"
"Roger that!" (Multiple voices)
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