"What? Are you joking? Do you really think I'll let you succeed!?" Patrick Zala growled in a low voice. He didn't want Genesis to strike Earth directly, but neither could he bear to see Genesis destroyed—it was the key to Coordinators winning this war.
If Genesis were destroyed, the Earth Forces could still attack PLANT with nuclear weapons. Wouldn't that completely reverse the war situation?
Moreover, constructing Genesis had cost countless resources. Did he really expect to destroy it with just a single command? What kind of joke was this?
"This isn't a negotiation—it's a notice." Yang Hui's expression was icy as he addressed everyone. He had already contacted Sumeragi and learned that the demolition team's infiltration was met with fierce resistance, making progress impossible. If this dragged on, there would be no time left to stop Genesis from firing at Earth. Therefore, Yang Hui had no choice but to order the White Tiger to retreat while the Dawn Gundam charged alone into Genesis to destroy it from within.
This was extremely dangerous. The Dawn Gundam lacked the heavy firepower needed for a one-hit kill. To destroy the massive Genesis in a short time, he would have to locate the nuclear explosives stored inside, detonate them, and evacuate to safety before the explosion reached him.
But there was no time to hesitate. If Genesis fired, Earth would be destroyed, and there would be no future left to speak of.
"Hmph! Then try it if you dare!" Patrick Zala snorted coldly before abruptly ending the communication. His emotions were conflicted—on one hand, he couldn't bear to see Yang Hui destroy Genesis, ZAFT's greatest effort and their strongest bargaining chip in this war. Losing it would render all his years of struggle meaningless. On the other hand, he couldn't shoulder the responsibility of Genesis striking Earth either. Even if they won the war, what would it matter if Earth was annihilated?
"Chairman..." The Adjutant standing behind him was panicked. They were all anxious, unwilling to let Genesis fire upon Earth. According to reports from subordinates, Genesis' system had been locked, making it impossible to override in time. So... letting Yang Hui destroy Genesis might be the best option.
No matter how powerful Genesis was, it was still just a weapon. Without it, they still had their vast Space Fleet, Jachin Due, and Boaz Fortress. The outcome of this war wasn't decided yet.
And even if the Earth Forces still possessed nuclear weapons, what of it? The White Tiger had single-handedly penetrated deep to destroy Genesis, while the Archangel and Eternal were intercepting the Earth Forces' fleet—wasn't this precisely to prevent both sides from using nuclear weapons? If Genesis was gone and the Earth Forces resorted to nukes, would they just stand by and watch?
"Don't panic! Focus on overriding Genesis' system and abort the firing sequence! Order nearby forces to stop Yang Hui at all costs—he must be stopped!"
"But... what about the Earth Forces fleet..."
"The Long Legs and Eternal are holding them off for now—"
"Urgent report from Boaz Fortress! The Earth Forces' main fleet has arrived and engaged in combat!"
"What!?" Before Patrick Zala could finish, he was cut off by this shocking news. He stood up, demanding answers from his subordinates. "What happened? Where are the Eternal and Long Legs? Weren't they supposed to be blocking the Earth Forces fleet!?"
"No... unknown... no sign of Long Legs or Eternal... Wait, detecting Eternal and Long Legs entering the combat zone from G84! Earth Forces nuclear missile units detected!"
"Intercept them all! Don't let a single nuke reach Boaz!"
"Yes sir..."
"Freedom, Justice, Rebirth, and Covenant detected! Earth Forces nuclear missiles successfully intercepted!"
"..."
The relentless stream of reports left Patrick Zala collapsing weakly into his commander's chair. The battlefield had descended into complete chaos—Genesis was on the brink of destruction, the defense forces were thrown into disarray by Dawn, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue, Boaz Fortress was under assault by the Earth Forces' main fleet, and now Archangel and Eternal were adding to the turmoil. He no longer knew what orders to give.
"Chairman Zala..."
"How much longer until the system is unlocked?" Patrick Zala rubbed his throbbing temples as he asked.
"Estimated time remaining: one hour..."
"Useless fools!"
"..." No one dared respond, but the two adjutants exchanged glances, a flash of ruthlessness in their eyes as they subtly slipped their hands into their coats.
"Tell them they must crack the system within the time limit, or they'll face court-martial—" Before he could finish, Patrick Zala felt the cold press of metal against the back of his head. "...What are you doing!? Mutiny?!"
He didn't even need to turn around to know it was a gun—and in this position, only the two adjutants could have drawn their weapons and taken him hostage without a sound.
"Apologies, Chairman Zala. We cannot allow your stubbornness to destroy both PLANT and Earth," one adjutant said regretfully.
"Hah! Stubbornness? Destroy PLANT? Everything I've done has been for PLANT, for our people—"
"No. You've done it for yourself. Please issue the evacuation order, Chairman."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we must be discourteous." After the apology, one adjutant kept his gun trained on Patrick Zala while the other stepped past him to address the room. "All personnel, evacuate Genesis immediately! Notify all nearby forces to stay clear of Genesis—"
Before the adjutant could finish, Patrick Zala's voice cut off abruptly. Everyone in the command center had already noticed the situation unfolding above them, freezing in place as they looked up. The once-noisy room fell into dead silence.
They, too, wanted to evacuate Genesis. The tech team had already confirmed that unlocking the system would take at least an hour—meaning they couldn't stop Genesis from firing. And with Yang Hui having breached its interior, his resolve made it clear he wouldn't spare them just because they hadn't left. No one wanted to stay and wait for death.
But before the adjutant could finish speaking, the situation took another drastic turn. The moment the adjutant's guard slipped, Patrick Zala spun around, wrenching the gun from his hand and firing two shots into his chest without hesitation. He then turned again, two more bullets blooming crimson in the other adjutant's body.
"Hmph, traitors deserve no mercy," Patrick Zala said coldly, ordering everyone present to return to their posts and continue their duties.
Everyone froze, momentarily unsure of what to do. Fear and panic left them bewildered.
At that moment, gunshots rang out again.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Ugh—!"
The adjutant, presumed dead, suddenly moved. With great difficulty, he twisted in midair, gripped his pistol, and fired two shots at Patrick Zala—one striking his abdomen, the other piercing his left chest.
"This... is enough... Go... now... everyone... leave!" His roar was his final act, a last blaze of brilliance before his life came to an end.
He was dead. The other adjutant was dead. Patrick Zala was dead. The oppressive weight over everyone had vanished. Instinct for survival drove them to flee frantically, rushing to escape Genesis as quickly as possible.
Inside Genesis, chaos erupted. The chain of command had abruptly collapsed, leaving everyone directionless. The fortunate encountered fleeing comrades along the way, learning the truth and escaping together. The unlucky ones wandered aimlessly inside Genesis like headless flies.
The demolition and assault teams from the White Tiger had fought a retreating battle upon receiving orders and successfully returned to the ship.
"Sumeragi! Where's Yang Hui? Is he really going through with this?" Lowe asked urgently. As a mechanic, he understood better than anyone how perilous it was for Yang Hui to single-handedly destroy Genesis from within.
"Yes, Dawn has already entered Genesis and is searching for the nuclear explosives. We—"
"We should go help him—"
"No!" Sumeragi immediately stopped the Astray Gundam Red Frame as it turned to re-enter Genesis. "Red Frame's performance can't match Dawn's. You'd only hold him back."
"But... damn it!" Lowe knew Sumeragi was right. If it were just Dawn Gundam, its mobility might allow it to escape the blast radius after detonating the explosives. But the Astray Gundam Red Frame couldn't.
And precisely because it was the truth, Lowe felt all the more frustrated.
"Trust him, Lowe. He's never let us down," Sumeragi said.
"...Inhale—exhale— What do we do now?" Lowe took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration and impulse, awaiting Sumeragi's orders.
"Red Frame and Blue Frame will escort White Tiger's retreat. Rendezvous at S45 and wait."
"Understood." X2
The same orders reached Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue. The three pilots were startled but quickly cleared the enemies around them, regrouping toward the White Tiger.
"Seriously, is he really planning this?" Lyle grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Yang Hui has always been like this," Setsuna replied flatly.
"No need to assist him. He'll complete the mission flawlessly," Tieria stated with certainty.
"Tch, I just hate this feeling."
"Mm. Me too." Setsuna nodded in agreement. None of them liked how, since arriving in this world, Yang Hui always placed himself in the most dangerous positions.
"So count me in when you beat him up."
"Huh?" For a moment Lyle thought he'd misheard—was this really something Tieria would say?
"If you don't call me, I'll help him beat you up instead."
"Alright then, seems you've made progress too."
"Tieria, growing."
"Hmph, shut up!"
Though the three continued bantering, their movements never slowed. Thanks to their earlier efforts, the ZAFT Forces' defensive formation had already been in disarray. Now with their command system in chaos, the disorder only worsened. They didn't bother pursuing any particular MS or warship, merely clearing White Tiger's retreat path before escorting it toward the designated coordinates.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/QueenTL
Thanks!