Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue relentlessly pursued the retreating Earth Forces fleet. Any unit capable of carrying out nuclear attacks was undoubtedly affiliated with Blue Cosmos—and against Blue Cosmos, they showed no mercy.
Meanwhile, Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam suppressed the forces at Boaz Fortress. The Meteor System's firepower, comparable to that of a fortress, was no exaggeration. Even with just Freedom and Justice equipped with the Meteor System, they managed to pin down Boaz Fortress's defenses, preventing them from pursuing the Earth Forces or interfering with Exia, Cherudim, and Virtue.
However... Kira and Athrun were deeply unsettled by Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria's brutality. The Earth Forces fleet was already retreating in disarray—why continue slaughtering those who had lost the will to fight?
Fortunately, White Tiger, Eternal, and Archangel arrived on the battlefield. The three ships, escorted by their MS units, cut straight through the conflict zone, positioning themselves between the Earth Forces fleet and ZAFT's Boaz Fortress.
"To all Earth Forces and ZAFT units in the combat zone, this is Eternal, Lacus Clyne speaking! The battle is over. If you still hold any honor for the uniform you wear, both sides must cease hostilities immediately!"
With Lacus's arrival, Freedom and Justice returned to the three ships, while Exia, Cherudim, and Virtue halted their pursuit of the remaining Earth Forces fleet.
Though Lacus remained a fugitive within PLANT, her influence was undeniable. The moment her message went out, over half of ZAFT's forces stopped attacking. Meanwhile, the surviving Earth Forces ships, seeing the three demons no longer chasing them, fled for their lives.
But they hadn't gotten far before terror struck again—a golden reaper charged toward them head-on, sending them scattering in panic.
However, Dawn Gundam merely passed them by. Only those who fired upon it were destroyed; those simply fleeing were spared. It wasn't that Yang Hui felt any pity—rather, with Lacus having stabilized the situation, reckless slaughter would only provoke ZAFT's wrath against them next.
Dawn Gundam regrouped with Exia, Cherudim, and Virtue, lining up alongside Freedom, Justice, Rebirth, and Covenant Gundams before ZAFT's forces. Their mere presence was enough to deter any rash actions.
Only once the Earth Forces had retreated to safety did the MS units withdraw, leaving the eight elite aces to escort the Three Ships Alliance as they boldly departed under ZAFT's watchful gaze.
"Those fools! What are they doing!? Why didn't they attack!?" Patrick Zala roared from the rear command.
"W-well... Because of Lacus Clyne—"
"She's a traitor!"
"But her influence in the military... remains significant," Yzak Joule reported with difficulty. Earlier, to quell public outrage and capture Lacus more swiftly, they had been forced to issue a statement claiming "she was deceived." Now, she was brazenly standing in front of ZAFT Forces, halting combat operations. Even those who originally supported Lacus might feel shaken, but their allegiance wouldn't shift overnight.
"Damn it! Such a perfect opportunity—and they still escaped!" Patrick Zala slammed his fist onto the table in fury before collapsing back into his seat. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the others.
"Yzak, Creuset—you two stay."
Creuset and Yzak Joule, who had been about to leave, turned back and waited for Patrick Zala to continue.
"Yzak, send people to investigate. How did the Naturals manage to use nuclear weapons? Where did the intel on the Neutron Jammer Canceller leak from?"
"With all due respect, Chairman, according to technical analysis, Orb's Dawn, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue—these four MS units are all likely nuclear-powered. So..."
"You think Orb leaked the intel?"
"Yes."
"Impossible. I know that kid Yang Hui—he wouldn't leak it to the Naturals," Patrick Zala outright rejected Yzak Joule's speculation.
Patrick Zala prided himself on understanding Yang Hui well. While Yang Hui had indeed done many things covertly—even secretly obtaining the Neutron Jammer Canceller technology from them—he would never hand over such forbidden knowledge to the Earth Forces.
There were three reasons:
First, though Yang Hui often acted ruthlessly, he had an unshakable moral line. He would never willingly deploy nuclear weapons in warfare. Otherwise, Orb wouldn't have fallen so quickly, and the Atlantic Federation would have faced his terrifying retaliation.
Second, the ones who caused Orb's downfall were the Atlantic Federation, the leaders of the Earth Forces. On a personal level, Yang Hui would never give them such critical technology.
Third, Patrick Zala knew Yang Hui's ultimate goal. The future he sought wasn't just about Orb standing at the world's pinnacle—he wanted Naturals and Coordinators to coexist peacefully, recognizing that both belonged to the greater human race. His aim was to ease tensions between them, not escalate conflict.
"But... fine, understood." Yzak Joule kept his thoughts to himself. Still, since Patrick Zala had spoken, the investigation would proceed. Even if there were no Earth Forces spies, how Orb obtained the Neutron Jammer Canceller tech alone warranted an internal probe.
"Dismissed."
After Yzak Joule left, Creuset stood quietly by, awaiting Patrick Zala's next words.
"What's your take on the Naturals using nukes again?" Patrick Zala asked, eyes closed as he massaged his throbbing temples.
"Expected, Chairman," Creuset replied calmly. "The barbaric Naturals have reclaimed their fireworks of victory. They'll stop at nothing to secure final triumph—even if it's nothing but a fleeting illusion."
"Hmm... You're right. I originally intended to be more moderate, but now it seems... they're not appreciating it. Let them realize who should truly be the masters of this world." Patrick Zala suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of ruthlessness flickering in his pupils as he resolved to use what had only been meant as a deterrent.
Hearing this, Creuset smirked—his goal had been achieved. Though Patrick Zala was radical and stubborn, he wasn't insane. He had built weapons capable of destroying the world but had never intended to use them, keeping them solely as a threat (Note: Old Zala's wife is still alive, so he isn't that deranged!). This didn't align with Creuset's plans.
Now, the Earth Forces had done him a huge favor—not only deploying nuclear weapons outright but also igniting the ruthlessness in Patrick Zala's heart. Two birds with one stone.
"By the way, go to the military factory and find Yuri. Your new Mobile Suit is ready. The Gells won't be enough to contend with Yang Hui," Patrick Zala instructed Creuset.
"Yes, Chairman."
Creuset maintained his calm demeanor, but inwardly, he was nearly laughing with delight.
Yang Hui was strong, and the Dawn Gundam was formidable—that much was undeniable. Creuset's plans had repeatedly faltered due to Yang Hui's personal prowess and his powerful allies. Creuset believed his own piloting skills were not lacking, but without an excellent Mobile Suit to unleash his full potential, he couldn't match Yang Hui.
Now, the Mobile Suit Patrick Zala had ordered him to receive couldn't possibly be inferior—it was likely a nuclear-powered machine from the same series as the Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam.
...
Meanwhile, the Three Ships Alliance had retreated to a hidden sector of space to rest. The toll of their long-distance assault was heavy, especially on their spirits.
"The Earth Forces used nuclear weapons. The war has now escalated completely," Sumeragi announced to the group. Everyone nodded grimly in agreement. Regardless of whether the Earth fleet's nuclear strike inflicted damage on the ZAFT Forces, the mere fact that they had deployed such weapons was enough to incite fury across all of ZAFT.
"Reliable intel suggests ZAFT is also preparing powerful nuclear weapons," Wang Liu Mei added.
"What!?" Athrun, Dearka, and Nicol were stunned. During the Bloody Valentine incident, ZAFT hadn't retaliated against the Earth Alliance with nuclear weapons—why would they now?
But soon, the three of them understood. The current leadership was Patrick Zala, a radical extremist. To achieve his goal of "Coordinators being the masters of Naturals," he wouldn't hesitate to wield such devastating power.
"What do we do? If ZAFT retaliates with nuclear weapons, the Earth Forces will respond in kind. Neither side will hold back anymore—pressing the nuclear button will be no different from pulling a pistol's trigger," Andrew Waltfeld asked gravely.
"We'll have to split our forces," Yang Hui stated.
"Split our forces?" The group was taken aback.
"Yes, we'll split our forces. The Archangel and Eternal will head to the Moon's crater base. Any large-scale fleet deployment will definitely be carrying nuclear weapons - we must intercept them. The White Tiger will penetrate deep into PLANT territory to locate and destroy ZAFT's nuclear arsenal."
"No! That's too dangerous!" Everyone present objected to Yang Hui's plan. Their combat strength was already stretched thin - they shouldn't divide their forces. Moreover, sending the White Tiger alone deep into ZAFT territory looked like a suicide mission.
While the Archangel and Eternal would also face the main Earth Forces, remember that in the last battle, the Earth Forces lost approximately two mobile fleets and were thoroughly demoralized.
But ZAFT Forces suffered minimal losses. Kira and Athrun never went for the kill - their mobile suits and warships could be repaired and reused, with most key personnel surviving. Worse, the White Tiger would have to bypass both the Boaz Fortress and Jachin Due to reach PLANT territory.
"What's the alternative? Should we try to stop them every time both sides go to war? Would we even make it in time?" Yang Hui challenged the group. He knew the risks but saw no other choice.
"About the Earth Fleet..."
"Liumei will give you Halberton's contact information, Murrue. Reach out to Halberton and find a way to take control of the crater base. Only by securing the crater base while simultaneously destroying ZAFT's nuclear weapons can we prevent this world-ending war!"
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