"Oh? Earth Forces' MS units?" Creuset remarked with surprise upon receiving the report as he studied the tactical map. However, this was within expectations. After all, considerable time had passed since the G Project, and the data on Strike must have been acquired by the Earth Alliance by now. It wasn't strange for them to produce their own mass-produced MS.
"They're deployed directly in front of Foster's team."
"Perfect. Let their precious MS become sacrifices to Gungnir as well."
Creuset was genuinely pleased—not because the Earth Forces' MS units were few in number and incomparable to ZAFT's, nor because their MS units would surely fail to anticipate their operational objective.
Rather, it was because, given the current state of the battle, even if the Earth Forces deployed MS units, they couldn't influence the outcome. These MS might have electromagnetic pulse protection, but its strength was negligible. They wouldn't withstand Gungnir's EMP, leaving them as helpless as lambs to the slaughter.
There was another reason for his delight: he was glad the Earth Forces finally possessed MS units. This would balance the combat capabilities between the Earth Forces and ZAFT Forces. Otherwise, without MS units, the Earth Forces would be utterly defenseless against ZAFT's relentless assaults.
Though this was just the beginning, he believed that with the Earth Alliance's vast resources, MS units would soon be mass-deployed. And when that time came...
"Still, there's no need to worry for now. After all, ZAFT still has that advantage and can maintain its lead for some time. The only question is... how should I deliver this key into Azrael 's hands?"
"Captain Creuset."
"Hmm? What is it?" The adjutant's call interrupted Creuset's thoughts.
"Gungnir's deployment has begun."
"Proceed as planned. Once Gungnir activates successfully, the Earth Forces will be nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter."
"Yes!"
The drop pods landed, and the MS units that had penetrated inland quickly assembled around them, forming a tight defensive perimeter around Gungnir at the center.
The Earth Forces, naturally sensing something amiss, mobilized a massive force and launched a fierce assault on ZAFT's fortified position. The exchange of fire was exceptionally intense, with countless lives lost every second.
With Gungnir set up and the activation code entered, the countdown began. The ZAFT soldiers wore expressions of cruel excitement. One hundred and eighty seconds—if they could hold out safely for just that long, victory would be theirs.
One hundred and eighty seconds—a mere three minutes—passed in the blink of an eye amid the chaos of battle.
As the countdown reached zero, Gungnir activated. A ferocious electromagnetic storm erupted in a hemispherical wave, causing sparks and thick smoke to burst from all electronic devices in its path. Fighters plummeted from the sky, tanks ground to a halt, MS froze in place, and command centers plunged into darkness, their personnel clueless about what had happened.
Meanwhile, Panama's most critical Mass Driver cracked and crumbled under the electromagnetic storm before collapsing entirely.
From within his submarine command center, Creuset smirked triumphantly. The plan had succeeded. This victory not only redeemed their earlier failure in Alaska but also set the stage for the next act of the grand play he had prepared.
"With this, the Earth Forces have lost their means to reach space. The Atlantic Federation will undoubtedly target Orb next. So Yang Hui... the time has come to prove your worth."
...
On the battlefield, the Earth Forces had completely collapsed. With their command center destroyed, soldiers who knew they'd lost emerged from tanks, Mobile Suits, and bunkers to surrender. Yet...
"Hahahaha! Show me your arrogance now, Naturals' toys!"
"This is for Hanna's sacrifice in Alaska!"
"What use do we have for Natural prisoners anyway!"
...
Yzak stood atop a vantage point in his Duel Gundam, watching his allies mercilessly slaughter unarmed Earth Forces soldiers below. Though disgusted, he could neither stop them nor justify intervening. The losses at Alaska had left everyone seething with unquenchable hatred.
"Tch. What's the point of fighting enemies who can't fight back?"
Unable to bear the bloody carnage and echoing screams, Yzak turned away.
...
"Yang Hui, we have news from Panama," Wang Liu Mei reported with intelligence in hand.
"How bad?"
"A massacre." Her expression darkened as she handed over the files. "This was the last transmission from our operative before contact was lost. Probably..."
Even before reading the details, Yang Hui's face fell. The operative had been embedded in the Earth Forces. Knowing the original timeline, Yang Hui understood the atrocities ZAFT Forces would commit after capturing Panama Spaceport.
Now that ZAFT had won again—still reeling from Alaska's devastation—history was repeating itself. That operative... likely hadn't survived.
The reports confirmed his fears: Panama fallen, the Mass Driver destroyed, no prisoners taken. Surrendered Earth Forces troops had been systematically executed. Attached at the end was the operative's final letter.
"This... has gone beyond war," Yang Hui said through trembling lips, his grip tightening on the PAD until his knuckles whitened.
He could accept ruthless measures during combat—but slaughtering disarmed soldiers after surrender? That crossed every line.
"Yang Hui, we must—"
"Yes. We will end this meaningless war." His eyes snapped open, blazing with resolve. The conflict had warped into something grotesque, escalating from political maneuvering to genocidal hatred where both sides craved the other's annihilation.
Such a war would only bleed humanity dry and ravage Earth itself.
When extraterrestrial life had already been confirmed... what point remained in this petty infighting?
Beep beep beep—
"Lord Uzumi."
"Yang Hui. You've heard?"
"Just received the reports."
"...It was a massacre! Not warfare!"
"I know. Both sides have lost all restraint. Any reaction from the Atlantic Federation?"
"After the fall of Panama, the Atlantic Federation has demanded that we hand you over and join them. Otherwise, they will declare us as a PLANT-affiliated nation and wage war against us."
"Lord Uzumi, hold a press conference to announce our stance to the world and immediately begin evacuating our citizens."
"Understood."
"Lord Uzumi, after the press conference, you should also—"
"We will not leave." Before Yang Hui could finish, Uzumi had already guessed what he was about to say, but there was no way he or the heads of the Five Great Families would agree.
"Lord Uzumi..."
"Young people like you are the future of Orb. If you are still standing firm, how could we old folks possibly flee at this critical moment?"
"...I understand. Sumeragi and I will refine the plan further to buy more time."
"We leave it to you."
The communication ended, and Yang Hui's expression was complicated. Uzumi's words, "We leave it to you," weren't just about refining the plan or buying time—they were entrusting the future of Orb to them.
"Yang Hui..."
"I admire their resolve."
To be honest, in Yang Hui's plans, Uzumi and the others didn't need to share Orb's fate as in the original timeline. Yang Hui had prepared in advance, unlike the original scenario where they clung to false hope until the Atlantic Federation's fleet was at their doorstep before hastily setting up defenses.
But Yang Hui understood the significance of Uzumi's actions. They were paving the way for Yang Hui and his group, using their lives to proclaim Orb's unyielding spirit. At the same time, they were vacating the top leadership positions, allowing Yang Hui and the others to fully utilize their talents without restraint.
Though Yang Hui had already sidelined them politically, the public didn't know. In their eyes, Uzumi and the others were still Orb's highest leaders. Even if Yang Hui seized power, it would cause significant turmoil.
How could one not admire leaders willing to go this far for their nation's future?
"How many of our agents remain in the Atlantic Federation?" Yang Hui asked Wang Liu Mei.
"Not many, and none have penetrated the core."
"...Keep a close watch on the Atlantic Federation. I need to know their every move."
"Understood."
After Wang Liu Mei left with her instructions, Yang Hui briefed Sumeragi on the situation and then headed to Dawn Company, where he happened to run into Kira and the others.
"Yang Hui?"
"I have bad news. Panama has fallen."
"So quickly!?" Everyone was shocked. Alaska had fallen rapidly because the Atlantic Federation had abandoned it, but Panama was different—the Federation's main forces were stationed there. How could it fall in less than a day?
"ZAFT Forces dropped high-powered electromagnetic pulse bombs from orbit, disabling all electronic equipment and destroying the Mass Driver."
"What!?"
"If Panama's Mass Driver is destroyed, then Orb—!"
Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, Mu, and Kira immediately grasped the danger facing Orb.
"Exactly." Yang Hui didn't hide it from them. Orb indeed needed to prepare for the Earth Forces' pressure.
"Yang Hui..."
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Why did you come to Dawn Company?" Yang Hui ended the heavy topic, as they hadn't made a final decision yet—this was Orb's internal affair.
"Director Erica Simmons called us here."
"Oh? You're here? Young Master Yang Hui, you're here too?"
"Yes. What did you need them for?"
"Because of this." Erica Simmons pointed at the Strike nearby. "After retrieval, we've repaired it. The OS is still the one Kira set up, but considering it needs to be handed over to someone else to pilot, so..."
"I'll do it." Mu stepped forward eagerly. He'd wanted to pilot an MS for a long time, and now the opportunity had arrived—a surge of heroic spirit radiated from him.
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