Soon, Durandal didn't need his subordinates' report to understand what was happening. In the distant flames, he saw three Gundams rise and activate their VPS Armor, each taking on distinct colors of black, blue, and green.
"Gaia! Abyss! Chaos!" Durandal's expression darkened instantly. "Damn Naturals—"
"Ahem, Chairman Durandal, mind your words." Before Durandal could finish, Yang Hui interjected with a reminder. The broad generalization was risky, especially with a Natural collaborator like himself standing right beside him.
Though furious, Durandal maintained his composure and stopped himself, though his expression remained grim. The sudden explosion at the military depot, the unauthorized activation of three Mobile Suits, and their subsequent attacks on allied forces made it clear—Earth Alliance spies had infiltrated and stolen the Gundams.
"Need help?" Yang Hui asked Durandal. Under normal circumstances, such an offer would only pour salt on the wound. Having a guest witness the theft of Mobile Suits was humiliating enough; relying on them to resolve the chaos would only highlight ZAFT's incompetence.
But Yang Hui wasn't mocking him. He genuinely intended to assist—both to minimize unnecessary losses (they were partners, after all, and every bit of strength counted for the upcoming final operation) and because he had an interest in the three young pilots inside those Gundams. They were still young, their worldviews unformed, driven more by fear of LOGOS than conviction. Rather than letting LOGOS use them as expendable pawns, Yang Hui preferred to take them under his wing and reshape their perspectives.
Sure, they were rookies now, but… as Enhanced Humans, their potential could still be cultivated.
"No need, Mr. Yang Hui. Please—"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Explosions erupted incessantly as the three Gundams destroyed more and more Zaku Warriors. Debris scattered dangerously close to Yang Hui and the others, forcing Durandal to abandon his plan of having them evacuated.
"...Please accompany me aboard the Minerva. As honored guests, we cannot allow our negligence to put you in harm's way," Durandal amended.
"Fine." Yang Hui shrugged, then immediately turned serious. "Just say the word if you need help."
"...Understood."
The three remained silent as they boarded the Minerva—currently the safest place in the entire military depot.
"Explosions? What's happening?!"
"Gaia! Abyss! Chaos! Why are they attacking our own forces?!"
Chaos erupted among the Minerva's crew as news of the incident spread—until one person arrived.
"Silence! Arthur, report!"
The speaker was the Minerva's captain, Talia Gladys. Dressed in a white military uniform that concealed her striking figure, her golden short hair tucked beneath her cap, she exuded an air of authority and maturity.
"Yes...yes! The Gaia, Abyss, and Chaos Mobile Suits have activated without authorization for unknown reasons and are attacking allied forces..." reported Vice Captain Arthur Trine in a flustered tone, wearing his purple military uniform.
"What do you mean 'unknown reasons'? Immediately request details from headquarters!" Talia snapped.
"U-understood!"
"Never mind." Before Arthur Trine could turn around, Talia changed her orders. She estimated that headquarters was likely in chaos right now. Rather than passively waiting, it was better to take initiative. The top priority was stopping the Gaia Gundam, Abyss Gundam, and Chaos Gundam from causing further damage to the armory. "Inform headquarters that the Minerva requests permission to begin launch procedures!"
"Eh!?" Arthur Trine was shocked by Talia's decisiveness. "But...our ship is..."
"Stopping the chaos should be our top priority, no?"
"Well..."
"Go report it. I'll take full responsibility. What about our ship's MS units?"
"The Impulse can sortie! Mayu has also volunteered to pilot the Zaku Warrior!"
"Only two units?" The Minerva's maximum MS capacity was eleven at full configuration. Yet when combat was needed, only two were available, which puzzled Talia.
"Due to the Chairman's arrangements, this launch ceremony was purely ceremonial, so the MS complement wasn't fully prepared. The Gaia, Abyss, Chaos, as well as Luna's Zaku Warrior and Rey's Zaku Phantom haven't been loaded onto the ship yet. The pilots for the three Zaku Warriors already aboard also haven't returned."
BANG!
Talia slammed her fist onto the armrest and cursed, "That idiot Gilbert!"
She knew the Minerva had held its launch ceremony unprepared simply because Durandal had invited VIP guests. He'd wanted to put on a show of prestige, but now it had backfired spectacularly.
"Enough. Proceed with the orders—Minerva will execute launch procedures. Have Shinn and Mayu sortie!"
"But—"
Beep beep beep...
"Captain! The Chairman and the Orb delegation have just boarded for evacuation!"
"Eh?" Arthur Trine gasped again.
"The Chairman is aboard?" Talia asked immediately.
"Yes, they're approaching the bridge now..."
As soon as she finished speaking, the bridge doors opened. Durandal, Yang Hui, and Athrun entered. The bridge crew instinctively moved to stand and salute, but Durandal waved them off. "No formalities. Focus on your duties."
"Understood!" came the unified response.
"Talia...Captain Gladys, what's the situation?"
"The Gaia, Abyss, and Chaos units continue attacking allied forces for unknown reasons. This ship requests permission to engage."
"Granted. The Minerva will join combat immediately to stop the Gaia, Abyss, and Chaos. Assist the armory's allied forces in capturing all three units."
"Capture them?"
"Of course. Those are ZAFT's newest Mobile Suits, assigned to the Minerva. They must be recovered."
"But given the current circumstances...Understood." Talia knew Durandal well—he was reasonable when relaxed, but once he gave an order seriously, it wouldn't change.
"And these two...Lord Yang Hui!"
"Eh!?" The bridge crew gasped in unison.
When the crew members recognized Yang Hui's face, they gasped in surprise once more, with Arthur Trine's exclamation being the loudest. He instinctively tried to stand up and salute again, but Yang Hui repeated the same gesture to stop him.
"Focus on the battle at hand!" Unlike Durandal's gentle approach, Yang Hui's reprimand was stern and direct.
This wasn't about asserting his authority or overstepping his bounds—he simply couldn't hold back. From the moment he arrived on the bridge, the Minerva's crew had performed poorly, with the exception of Talia, the ship's Chairman, whose conduct was passable. In fact, saying the others were "poor" would be giving them too much credit.
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