The Dawn Gundam, Rebirth Gundam, and Covenant Gundam returned to the Archangel with the heavily damaged Strike Gundam in tow. The crew immediately rushed Mu to the medical bay. The shrapnel wounds were deep, but fortunately, Yang Hui had performed emergency treatment and prevented him from pursuing Creuset, avoiding severe blood loss and shock.
"What happened inside?" Sumeragi asked Yang Hui.
"Creuset and Yzak infiltrated the Colony from another side."
With that explanation and the state of the mobile suits, everyone could guess what had transpired. They were all aware of the inexplicable grudge between Creuset and Mu, so their confrontation spoke for itself.
As for the Rebirth Gundam and Covenant Gundam, they were completely unscathed—either they had instantly defeated the Duel Gundam or there had been no fight at all.
"And now?" Sumeragi pressed.
"I wounded Creuset, and Yzak retreated with him."
Hearing this, everyone nodded. Though surprised that Creuset and Yzak had survived against Yang Hui, they understood their precarious situation and the need to leave this dangerous area quickly, so they refrained from further questions.
Only Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei's eyes gleamed with sharp insight. Creuset had been someone they had long tried to approach, but opportunities had been scarce. It seemed Yang Hui had spoken with him this time, though the details would have to wait for a private discussion. After all, Creuset remained the Archangel's primary enemy, having led the earlier pursuit, and the unresolved enmity between him and Mu made it impossible to openly reveal their intent to recruit him.
"Let's move out. This place isn't safe anymore," Sumeragi said.
"Understood. Have we made contact with our allies?" Yang Hui asked.
"Yes, they're waiting for us."
"...What about the ZAFT fleet and the Dominion?"
"The Dominion retreated toward the Moon. The ZAFT fleet has remained on the outskirts of the L4 Colony cluster—neither poses a confirmed threat at the moment."
"The Dominion retreated? That fool actually allowed it?"
"Likely a direct order from higher-ups. Or they could be lying in wait to ambush us."
"It seems the Atlantic Federation is planning something big. No matter—we'll leave immediately. I'll escort the fleet with Setsuna and the others. We can't risk exposing Mendel," Yang Hui decided.
"Understood," Sumeragi, Lacus, and Murrue acknowledged before ending the video call. The three ships began their departure procedures.
Yang Hui returned to the Dawn Gundam, joining the Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue to escort the fleet. The Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam also accompanied them, while the others were given time to rest.
Meanwhile, the ZAFT fleet stationed at the edge of the L4 Colony cluster could only watch helplessly as the Archangel, White Tiger, and Eternal departed leisurely, their hearts burning with frustration and resentment—yet powerless to act.
"Captain, what are our orders now?" Captain Addis asked Creuset.
"...Rabone and Zell's teams sustained the least damage. Have them follow and track their movements."
"But..." Captain Addis wanted to object. Previously, their entire fleet had been unable to threaten the Three Ships Alliance despite having them surrounded. Now, with their MS units severely depleted, they were only dispatching half the fleet to pursue them—wasn't this practically sending them to their deaths?
"I know it's dangerous, Addis, but the Chairman's orders must be followed. Inform them to maintain a safe distance and avoid engagement. If the situation becomes critical, they are permitted to retreat. Oh, and one more thing—aside from the Vesalius, temporarily reassign the MS units from the other ships to their forces, prioritizing the Gells to ensure combat readiness."
"Understood."
"The remaining forces will withdraw to Boaz Fortress. We're returning to the homeland."
"Returning to the homeland... is that so?"
"Yes. The combat capabilities of these individuals have exceeded the assessments of both Intelligence and the General Staff. With our current strength, we cannot recover or sink the Eternal. I need to report this personally to the Chairman."
"Understood."
...
After several days of travel, the Three Ships Alliance left the L4 Colony cluster and arrived at a hidden asteroid field in deep space. Among these asteroids was one particularly massive one—no longer just a simple rock, but a secret base constructed by Terminal. It housed not only supply depots but also fully equipped production facilities and research zones.
If the Mendel Colony in L4 was Terminal's main headquarters, then this was their secondary base—a fallback location in case the primary base was compromised and needed to be abandoned.
The Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty fleet trailing them had been detected by the Three Ships Alliance early on. Shortly after departure, they lured the pursuers into an asteroid field and ambushed them, eliminating the threat entirely to ensure this location remained secret.
As the three ships docked, resupply operations began immediately. The MS units were deployed to establish patrol and security rotations, while Sumeragi and the others gathered in the base's conference room.
"Liumei, do we have the intel yet?" Yang Hui asked first. They were still in hiding, conserving their strength, and until they determined the right moment to fully enter the war, intelligence was their top priority.
"Not yet." Wang Liu Mei shook her head, though she subtly flashed Yang Hui a meaningful glance before resuming her troubled expression. "After multiple internal purges, we have very few operatives left within the Atlantic Federation. Those who survived can't penetrate the core in such a short time."
"I see... Keep digging. Also, monitor the situation on Earth. Things in space won't escalate anytime soon," Yang Hui ordered.
"Understood. I'll relay the instructions."
"So what do we do now? Just keep waiting?" Murrue asked.
"Exactly. For now, all we can do is wait—wait for the flashpoint of conflict to ignite," Yang Hui explained seriously, addressing Murrue and the others who seemed uncertain. "We can't easily intervene in Earth's battlefields, and there are no large-scale battles in space right now. Both sides are clearly planning something, as even minor skirmishes have dwindled. If we act now, who would we even target?"
"Well..."
"Whoever we attack, we'll be judged as a hostile force and face their full retaliation," Lacus continued Yang Hui's explanation to the group. "Our very presence might even create unspoken cooperation between the Earth Forces and ZAFT, temporarily setting aside their hatred to prioritize eliminating us first. After all, neither side wants a third party interfering during this critical phase of the war."
"...Can't we prevent the war beforehand?" Kira asked with a complicated expression.
"Impossible," Yang Hui shook his head. "The hatred between both sides has nearly peaked. Unless we completely cripple both factions, we can't stop it—and we simply don't have that capability."
"Even if we did, it would only delay the inevitable outbreak of hatred," Sumeragi added.
"How could this be..."
The expressions of Kira and the others grew increasingly grim and sorrowful. Everything they had done, everything they stood for, was meant to stop this twisted war. Yet now... despite their determination, they could only helplessly watch as the conflict continued.
At this stage of the war, every passing moment meant countless more deaths—something none of them wanted to see.
"Stay calm, Kira," Yang Hui reassured him with a pat on the shoulder, then looked at Murrue, Athrun, and the others. "All of you, what we're attempting is extremely difficult—borderline suicidal. We need a complete plan and sufficient patience. Otherwise, we'll all die for nothing."
"...Understood."
After a moment's hesitation, everyone nodded. They understood Yang Hui's reasoning perfectly, but the frustration and helplessness made them want to vent their emotions.
"By the way, Yang Hui," Lowe interjected, "Chairman Madok contacted me. He said there's something he wants to discuss with you."
"Madok? What does he want?" Yang Hui frowned slightly.
"No idea, but he sent me coordinates. Said if you agree, meet him there." Lowe projected an unfamiliar coordinate onto the star chart. Seeing its location, everyone's expressions darkened—it was within the debris field of [Julius 7].
"The wreckage zone? What's Madok planning?" Yang Hui pondered.
Business? Unlikely. This wasn't Madok's first contact with Yang Hui—he knew Yang Hui wasn't interested in sales pitches and would approach him directly for any transactions.
But beyond business, Yang Hui couldn't guess Madok's intentions... Could it be about Madonna and the Mass Driver? That didn't seem right either. While tensions existed between the space and Earth factions, their ideological differences hadn't escalated to actively sabotaging each other.
"I advise against meeting," Tieria spoke up firmly, seeing this as an unnecessary risk to their plans. "The timing's too coincidental, the location's wrong—this reeks of a trap."
"Agreed. I don't support it either," Murrue said, with Natarle Badgiruel, Lacus, and most others nodding in agreement with Tieria's objection.
"I've received some interesting intel that might give us a clue about his intentions." As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Liu Mei projected a piece of intelligence. "The Atlantic Federation is coercing various global factions to unite against PLANT. Their threats aren't just directed at nations on Earth—they're also targeting the Junk Guild."
"You mean...!"
"Heh, seems the old fox can't hold out any longer and is seeking protection." Yang Hui chuckled at this, his smile brimming with satisfaction.
"But that's only one possibility. Another potential scenario..." Sumeragi's face showed clear concern.
"A trap set for me?"
"Exactly."
That was indeed another possibility. If Madok had succumbed to the Atlantic Federation's pressure and joined their anti-PLANT coalition, then this meeting request could be a trap—luring Yang Hui into an ambush with forces lying in wait.
"Lowe, what do you think?" Yang Hui didn't make an immediate decision, instead turning to Lowe. After all, Lowe was a member of the Junk Guild and might have some insider knowledge.
"I'm not sure either. We left right after acquiring the New Home, and nothing seemed unusual at the time. But I think..."
"What do you think?"
"I think it's still worth meeting him." Lowe said to Yang Hui.
"Your reasoning?"
"Madok's a bastard, but he's a bastard with principles. Sure, he's cunning, deceitful, and profit-driven—but his goal has always been to give us junk dealers a stable home. That hasn't changed. Besides, most junk dealers despise the Atlantic Federation. A few threatening words wouldn't be enough to make them submit. So... I believe it's more likely he's seeking your protection." Lowe spoke earnestly.
"Hmm... I see." Yang Hui nodded, having made up his mind. "Let's go meet him. The White Tiger will accompany us, with the Archangel and Eternal providing support. Sumeragi, draft an operational plan."