Mina led the group into the White Tiger, the first of the White Tiger-Class battleships, for a tour.
"Hmm? It feels similar to the Archangel!" As soon as they entered the White Tiger, everyone sensed a strange familiarity, which became clear when they reached the bridge.
"It's the same; the Archangel was also produced by Dawn Company. Although the exterior is from a completely different series, the internal structure follows the same model," Mina explained. "The White Tiger-Class battleship is 371 meters long, can carry a maximum of 12 MS, has 2 MS catapults, and is powered by nuclear energy, with two plasma fusion drives as auxiliaries. The ship is armed with two 225cm twin-mounted high-energy beam cannons, the Gottfried Mk-71, four 225cm single-mounted high-energy beam cannons, the Gottfried Mk-70, 14 CIWS Arrays, and three 10-tube missile launchers that can load all types of missiles..."
To be honest, when they first saw the White Tiger from the outside, they thought it was a firepower monster, and hearing the specific configurations only confirmed that notion.
"Wait! There's no Lohengrin?" Natarle suddenly asked.
"..." The group fell silent, exchanging subtle glances at Natarle.
"Wha... what's wrong?" Natarle's face flushed as she asked in a low voice.
"Uh... how about I equip the next White Tiger-Class ship with two Lohengrins just for you?" Yang Hui raised an eyebrow at Natarle, having completely forgotten about her fondness for the Lohengrin Positron Buster Cannon.
"I! I didn't mean that! I meant... the Lohengrin's power is immense; it can turn the tide of battle when necessary, so... so..."
"Yeah, no need to explain, I get it," Yang Hui patted Natarle on the shoulder, a subtle smile on his face.
Natarle: (#｀へ)
"Ah~!""
"Hmph!"
Yang Hui was now very curious about who designed the military uniforms for the Earth Forces. Why on earth were standard issue women's shoes high heels!?
"That's enough!" Everyone present laughed with glee, who told Yang Hui to be so mischievous? Except for Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, and Murrue, who hadn't been on the receiving end of Yang Hui's sharp tongue?
"So, is this battleship... being handed over to us?" Murrue asked.
"No, while the operating systems are identical, the differences from the Archangel are still significant. The Archangel isn't much inferior to the White Tiger either. Rather than having you readjust to this ship, it's better to use the familiar Archangel. The crew for this ship has already been prepared and can be on duty at any time. I brought you here to help you get acquainted with your comrades in advance."
"Is that all? Are you sure you're not just trying to show off?" Natarle squinted at Yang Hui, posing a sharp question.
"Uh~!" Yang Hui felt awkward but quickly plastered on a bold face and leaned toward Natarle, "Darling, you really understand me... Puhaha~!"
Before he could reach Natarle, a heavy elbow struck Yang Hui's stomach, and in an instant, he felt the world spin, his soul nearly leaving his body.
"That's enough!"
Seeing Yang Hui getting schooled by Natarle twice in a row, everyone felt delighted. Yang Hui was a very reliable companion, but he could also be quite mischievous behind the scenes, and no one could really discipline him. Now, heh heh heh, they were planning how to let Natarle discipline Yang Hui more often.
...
After touring the White Tiger, everyone dispersed, as they would be staying at Ten no Miya for a week, and time was tight.
"Have you made your decision?" After everyone had left, Yang Hui found Athrun, Nicol, and Dearka. They had participated in the defense of Orb, but that didn't mean they would join the subsequent battles. After all, they were still ZAFT soldiers, and in the upcoming battles, they would fight alongside their own country and comrades.
Moreover, leaving their military was a serious matter, especially since all three of their fathers were leaders in that army.
So Yang Hui needed to confirm whether they would be allies or enemies moving forward. If they were allies, they would fight side by side; if they were enemies, he would ask them to leave now.
"..." The three exchanged complex expressions. They understood the reasoning and the difficulty of the choice, but they still made a decision. "In Orb... no, whether in PLANT or on Earth, I've seen and heard a lot, and I've thought about many things. I'm not sure what's right or wrong, and I don't truly understand anything right now."
"Yeah, after seeing so much, I still can't see the way forward. It's really frustrating."
"But I think... the world we want should be the same as what you want. That's how I feel now. Athrun and Dearka should think the same, right?"
"Exactly." Athrun and Dearka nodded in agreement. Especially Dearka, who was a bit of a flirt and loved to chat up girls. But after arriving in Orb and meeting several young women, all frontline soldiers, including crew members of battleships and MS pilots, he was puzzled as to why these girls were so unafraid of danger in battle.
The answer he received was hard for him to accept: because Orb was their country. Just that simple statement shook Dearka.
He began to reflect: when he fought as a ZAFT soldier, was it for his country or for his own pride?
Later, during his free time, Dearka would chat with Asagi, Mayura, and Juri, asking them if they would still join the military to fight if Orb had not faced war. Their answer was that without war, who would want to fight? Wouldn't it be better to put on beautiful makeup, find a boyfriend, and go shopping or watch movies?
Then, Dearka wavered again.
Fighting for one's country—was it merely following orders from the higher-ups? What was the right way to fight for one's country?
He didn't know. His current actions could be seen as betraying his country, but... he was just wondering what the world and his country would be like without war. Perhaps... it would be like the old Orb.
"Alright, I believe in you."
"Yang Hui... thank you."
"Don't thank me; this is your own choice. Since you've chosen, stick with it. No matter how heavy it gets, you have to bear the consequences. You're men, right?"
"Uh..." The three were momentarily taken aback, then exchanged smiles. "Of course!"
"Okay, now I need to ask you for a favor."
"Wait... we just answered you, and now you want us to do something?" Dearka complained.
"Those who can do more work, right? You know that Orb's MS pilots lack experience in space combat. I'd like to ask you to help out. I said 'ask,' not 'command.'"
"But did you give us a chance to refuse?"
"Nope, hehe."
"..." The three narrowed their eyes, turned, and walked away, muttering, "Next time, let Lieutenant Natarle teach you a lesson or two. You really need it!"
Their voices weren't loud, but Yang Hui still heard them. He paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile. It seemed that the only woman who would discipline him was Natarle; the others, even if they could, wouldn't do so.
But... there was no helping it; he just had to endure it. After all, who told him to be so flirtatious?
Ending his daydreaming, Yang Hui headed to the Kusanagi, bringing Cagalli down and handing her over to Mina.
"What do you mean by this?" Mina looked at Cagalli, then back at Yang Hui.
"I'm leaving her with you. Find a room for her to stay in. If she leaves the room without permission, she'll be treated as a traitor, and so will her accomplices."
Mina paused for a moment, a surprised smile creeping onto her face. "Finally willing to let go?"
"There's nothing to let go of. I gave her a chance; she didn't cherish it."
"Leave it to me; I'll have someone keep an eye on her."
"Wait! On what grounds are you making decisions about me? I don't agree..."
"You don't have the right to refuse." Yang Hui shot a cold glance at Cagalli, his tone indifferent.
"Why don't I have the right?"
"Because I'm the Supreme Commander of the Orb military. With Lord Uzumi gone, I hold the highest rank in Orb. Mina is the appointed Supreme Commander of the Orb Space Forces, a position approved by Lord Uzumi during his lifetime. What are you?"
"I... I... I'm Attha..."
"My last name is Yang, and Mina's last name is Sahaku."
"..." Cagalli was left speechless. She was on the verge of tears but couldn't find a reason to refute Yang Hui. In terms of rank, she held none; in terms of family, the Yang family and the Sahaku family were both among the five great families. As for ability... she certainly couldn't compare. What reason could she use to disagree? What qualifications did she have?
"Yang Hui, boo hoo, you can't do this! I can fight too! Don't lock me up! I really know I was wrong! Please, I beg you! Boo hoo hoo..."
Seeing Cagalli like this, Mina sneered, while Yang Hui shook his head in silence. She was still the same, crying at the drop of a hat. If being tough didn't work, she would switch to being soft; if confronting him didn't work, she would start begging.
This time, Yang Hui truly wouldn't indulge Cagalli. He stood up and left directly.
"Yang Hui! I hate you!" Cagalli shouted at his retreating figure, but Yang Hui didn't look back.
"Heh, you don't have that qualification," Mina said coldly.
"You..."
"Do you know? If Yang Hui hadn't been sending people to protect you and cleaning up your mess, you wouldn't have made it this far."
"What... what are you saying?" Cagalli froze, even forgetting to cry, her mind going blank.
"Do you remember when you snuck out of Orb when you were ten?" Mina crossed her arms, coldly addressing Cagalli. "From the moment you left Orb's border until Kisaka brought you back, you went through four kidnappings, and eleven of his men sacrificed themselves. You didn't notice anything unusual the entire time."
"How... how could that be..."
"And on your thirteenth birthday, there was no cake. You cried and threw a tantrum in front of everyone because that day's cake had been poisoned. Everything you've eaten since childhood has been checked in advance by someone; and then there was that incident in North Africa..."
"Stop talking! Don't say any more!"
"Do you really think Kisaka could protect you all by himself? How naive!"
"Why... why me..."
"Because you're an Attha, the daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha."
"And Yang Hui..."
"Heh, you can't even imagine how many assassination attempts, kidnappings, and attacks Yang Hui has faced. You wouldn't believe how many killers and kidnappers have died at his hands."
"I don't know... boo hoo hoo... I really don't know..."
Mina took one last look at Cagalli before leaving, saying to Kisaka, "Someone will come to take you to your room soon. Keep an eye on her."
"I understand." After seeing Kisaka nod, Mina left. In truth, Mina was the one who most hoped for Cagalli's demise. Cagalli was too prone to losing control, and Mina wouldn't allow any factors that could affect her plans to exist. Moreover, the enmity between the Sahaku family and the Attha family didn't end with the previous generation; Mina herself harbored a strong dislike for the Attha family.
If it weren't for Yang Hui, she would have found a way to eliminate Cagalli long ago.
(End of Chapter)