The ZAFT forces retreated in disarray, with neither the Orb fleet nor the Archangel pursuing them through the passage opened by Orb's military to Alaska—Yang Hui's fate remained unknown.
"What about that Mobile Suit? Where's Yang Hui? What's his status!?"
"Interference still persists, too much noise to confirm!"
"Unknown Mobile Suit... Yang Hui! Yang Hui! Respond if you're alive!"
"Let me sortie! I'll go find Yang Hui!"
...
Just as the Strike Gundam prepared to launch into the sea, the Dawn Gundam burst through the surface. Its gray wings were scorched black, parts of its armor deformed, and it dragged the severed remains of the Blitz Gundam—now reduced to half a wreck.
"Whew—!"
Seeing the Dawn Gundam unharmed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yang Hui! You bastard!" Natarle Badgiruel cursed, not caring whether Yang Hui could hear her.
Yang Hui didn't dare respond, only offering an awkward chuckle from the cockpit. Truthfully, he could have easily avoided being dragged underwater by the Blitz Gundam. With his skills and the Dawn Gundam's capabilities, he could have obliterated the Blitz the moment it touched him—whether through a barrage of Bit attacks or a swift slash from his Beam Saber or Solid Sword. But he chose not to.
First, he had no intention of killing Nicol, hoping to avert that tragedy. Second, the [Stage Operation] was meant to intimidate ZAFT, not provoke an irreconcilable blood feud. If he hadn't held back—not out of arrogance—none of the four Gundams (Duel, Buster, Blitz, and Aegis) would have survived.
This outcome was enough. Sparing Nicol this way would still ignite Athrun, Yzak, and Dearka's fury, serving as the final trial for Kira's transformation.
"Set sail, Archangel. We'll... meet again someday."
The Dawn Gundam didn't return to the Archangel, offering only a brief farewell before landing on an Orb warship with the Blitz Gundam's wreckage in tow.
By then, Orb's escort fleet had halted its advance. Though still shy of the border, their mission was complete—the Archangel would face no further enemies before leaving Orb's territorial waters, and the [Stage Operation] had succeeded.
So, alongside the Dawn Gundam, they watched as the Archangel departed.
"I hope they all make it safely," Yang Hui sighed. The future's trajectory had already shifted dramatically, beyond his predictions. With Nicol alive, would Tolle still perish? Would Kira and Athrun still clash to the death? Would Kira still be sent to PLANT for treatment and receive the Freedom Gundam from Lacus? Without the Freedom, could the Archangel survive the ordeal at Alaska?
All of this... had slipped beyond Yang Hui's control.
"Commander, awaiting orders."
The fleet commander, Togao, requested instructions over the comms.
"Commander?" Yang Hui frowned at the title.
"Correct. Lord Uzumi just issued an order appointing you as Supreme Commander of Orb's armed forces, with the rank of General. Ms. Huang has been named Chief of Staff, holding the rank of Lieutenant General."
"..." After a brief silence, Yang Hui grinned. It seemed Uzumi had already received an explanation from Sumeragi. Yang Hui couldn't help but marvel at how quickly Uzumi had acted, immediately coordinating with them.
Over the past few years, Yang Hui and Sumeragi had earned the recognition of all officers in the military, though they had never held official positions. There were two reasons: first, they couldn't yet step into the public eye, and second, their youth made it difficult for lower-ranking soldiers to accept them, as they had limited exposure to Yang Hui and Sumeragi.
Beyond the uninformed rank-and-file soldiers, Orb's upper echelons weren't entirely united either. If Yang Hui and Sumeragi were suddenly placed in high-ranking positions with control over Orb's military, many would use it as an excuse to challenge Uzumi.
But now, with Yang Hui and Sumeragi making their debut in an official military operation, they had demonstrated their capabilities to everyone. The soldiers no longer questioned them, and the scheming higher-ups had lost their pretext.
"How did the battles on the other three fronts go?"
"All concluded—our forces achieved a complete victory!" Togao's voice trembled slightly. Even at nearly fifty, known for his steadiness, he couldn't suppress his excitement.
Why? Orb had been humiliated for too long! The ZAFT Forces and Earth Forces had clashed near Orb's territorial waters time and again. Each time, Orb's fleet could only watch helplessly as the conflict spilled over into their waters, never receiving orders to engage, forced to return home and see nothing but weak condemnations and protests on the news.
This time, however, Orb's military had finally vented their frustration, delivering a solid punch to ZAFT's face. No longer were they reduced to watching politicians grandstand at press conferences while they stewed in silent resentment.
"All forces, return to base!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the fleet returned to port, the Dawn Gundam escorted the wreckage of the Blitz Gundam back to Dawn Company. Cheers erupted along the way, and Yang Hui smiled at the jubilant scene, not wanting to dampen the mood.
The battle report had already reached him—an unprecedented victory with minimal losses. ZAFT's Mobile Suits had suffered heavy damage, and Orb had stepped onto the world stage with undeniable force.
Orb needed this victory to boost morale and release years of pent-up frustration, even if it meant facing crises ten or a hundred times worse in the future.
"My, my, what an unfortunate start, Commander."
Yang Hui rolled his eyes as Erica Simmons immediately teased him the moment he landed, leaving him speechless.
"Still, it wasn't a total loss. We brought back a souvenir."
Though the wreckage of the Blitz Gundam wasn't intact, the torso remained mostly whole, and the right arm could still be salvaged later. While Dawn Company didn't have spare parts for the Blitz, they had already acquired its technology, making full restoration feasible.
For Dawn Company, the Phase Shift Armor was inconsequential—they had long since obtained that technology. The real prize was the Blitz's unique Mirage Colloid System. By releasing mirage particles that refract light and absorb radar waves, then using magnetic fields to bind them around the Mobile Suit, the system rendered the unit completely invisible—both visually and on radar—achieving perfect stealth.
This system has many drawbacks, the biggest being its inability to function simultaneously with Phase Shift Armor, leaving the Mobile Suit as fragile as paper when the Mirage Colloid System is activated. Additionally, its energy consumption is extremely high—the Blitz Gundam can only maintain the Mirage Colloid System for 80 minutes at most.
Moreover, there are numerous countermeasures against this system. In the original storyline, Murrue neutralized the Blitz Gundam's long-range beam attacks using anti-beam particles, then employed anti-air scatter shots to blanket the general area as a response.
That said, despite its flaws, this system remains an exceptional tool, especially for covert operations.
The deformed cockpit hatch was cut open, and the crew lifted out Nicol, who had lost consciousness from excessive blood loss. After emergency treatment, he was immediately sent to the medical bay.
"How long will it take to fully repair this Mobile Suit?"
"Hard to say. We already have a lot on our plate," Erica Simmons replied helplessly.
The Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue had also returned. Though they sustained no major damage, they still required maintenance and repairs. Following them were one after another damaged M1 Astrays.
For this Stage Operation, Orb's MS units weren't fully exposed—only the first batch of selected elites participated in combat. Given that this was their first time piloting MS in battle, this level of damage was expected.
"Three squadrons were deployed, four units were lost, but everyone else made it back alive. Still, repairing the Mobile Suits is another task."
"Hmm... Prioritize maintenance for the Dawn Gundam, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue. Assign a team to decode the Blitz's technology, especially the Mirage Colloid System—we must secure it. Then handle the damaged M1 Astrays. As for repairing the Blitz... we'll get to it when we have time."
"Understood."
Undeniably, the Blitz Gundam is an excellent Mobile Suit—at least for now. Excluding the Dawn Gundam, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue, which don't belong to this world, the Blitz Gundam, rated C+, is currently among the best.
Unfortunately, Orb currently lacks a pilot suited for the Blitz Gundam. Their only ace, Barry Ho, performs nearly as well in the upgraded Outframe Gundam Green, which suits him better than the Blitz.
"Oh, by the way, the Blitz's arm has been recovered, but..."
"Gina wants it?"
"You knew?"
"Haha, he wouldn't tolerate his Mobile Suit remaining one-armed forever."
"Pfft—hahaha!"
What had been a dilemma for Erica Simmons suddenly became amusing when Yang Hui phrased it that way.
"Let him have it. It's just an arm."
Even if the Gold Frame were equipped with the Blitz's arm and the Mirage Colloid System—or even the complete set with the Calamity Life Katana and Calamity White Spear—Yang Hui wouldn't be concerned.
"...I understand."
Erica Simmons was actually in a difficult position. Personally, she was willing to follow Yang Hui, but ultimately, she was just an employee. The Sahaku family was also her superior. Even if she was dissatisfied with Gina, she had to consider his status. If he made a strong demand, she couldn't defy it.
"Hahaha! This battle was fought brilliantly! Yang Hui!"
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Gina, in the midst of his wild laughter, didn't hold back his praise for Yang Hui. However, everyone's gaze toward him was far from friendly, as his tone made it seem like he was the main character, the greatest contributor to the [Stage Operation], even placing himself above Yang Hui
.
"Gina..."
"You did well, showcasing Orb's..."
Slap!