Outside the satellite, when Creuset learned that Wang Hu was aboard that battleship—and might even be piloting the Gundam that hadn't been seized—he felt a peculiar stirring in his heart. Rubbing his hands in anticipation, he prepared to eliminate a major threat.
This time was different from the original timeline. This time, our Captain Creuset had absolutely no intention of holding back!
Meanwhile, as the ZAFT Forces outside were eagerly preparing to settle the score with Wang Hu...
Inside the Archangel, within the satellite—
"Hurry, prioritize gathering water and other supplies!"
"No, retrieving spare parts for the Strike Gundam should come first!"
The ship's interior, with its open hatches, was in chaos as the few remaining crew members scrambled. The ZAFT attack had been too sudden—many of the battleship's personnel had perished in the enemy's first wave of strikes.
Moreover, the ship wasn't even scheduled to depart until tomorrow, meaning many preparations were still incomplete. Faced with the current crisis, they were overwhelmed by countless urgent tasks, unsure where to even begin.
Especially—
The hangar crew sighed helplessly as they watched Li Chengzhi and Natarle Badgiruel finally conclude their argument.
"Let's table this for now. Our priority is securing the ship and the Gundam."
Rubbing his temples, Li Chengzhi—being the bigger man—chose to concede. He had a feeling that this disciplined military woman could argue with him all day without breaking a sweat.
"Fine." Natarle's chest rose and fell slightly—she wasn't normally one for arguments. In fact, she looked down on women who relied solely on verbal battles. But today, facing this East Asian soldier, she refused to back down!
"You handle coordinating the battleship's supplies. ZAFT won't give us much time."
Loosening his meticulously fastened collar, Li Chengzhi prepared to head to the bridge—or find Wang Hu for a situation report.
"Understood." True to her reputation as the most responsible officer in the original timeline, Natarle agreed without hesitation.
Then, ever dutiful, she strode toward the group still bickering in the hangar—debating whether supplies or Strike Gundam parts were more critical.
"You—yes, you! Instead of wasting time arguing, get moving!"
Her stern, icy voice cut through the noise. The authoritative Natarle seemed to have forgotten she, too, had just finished an argument.
"That woman..." Li Chengzhi chuckled briefly before schooling his expression.
As if seeing through the metal floors and walls, his gaze turned toward the bridge.
"Tch." He sighed, already dreading the reality awaiting them.
"A jinx? Me?"
Stepping into the elevator, he couldn't help but wonder if he was cursed—why did major disasters follow him wherever he went?
On the bridge—
Wang Hu, Murrue, and the other highest-ranking officers aboard stood facing each other in silence.
"Creuset is outside. Let's hear it—what should we do next?" Mu shrugged as he asked.
Staring at the two men before her, Murrue signaled that she'd follow their lead—whatever they decided.
"Mu, is your Moebius Zero still operational?"
Wang Hu quickly assessed the group and realized he couldn't rely on them, so he took charge.
"Yeah, it's intact, thanks to you."
Mu glanced at Murrue, who might as well have been invisible, then turned back to answer Wang Hu.
"Our immediate enemy is Creuset's team. Knowing I'm here, he'll throw everything he has at us."
His expression grave, Wang Hu weighed the situation against his memories before issuing orders.
"My Qilin is aboard. I can hold off Creuset. Mu, your Zero can handle a few GINNs, right?"
Mu's eyes flickered with surprise—Wang Hu was outright declaring he'd stall Creuset. Even Mu himself didn't have that kind of confidence, daring to face Creuset's MS in an MA.
"Problem?" Wang Hu pressed when Mu stayed silent.
"No, no issue. If it's just GINNs, I can manage," Mu quickly replied.
"But don't forget they've reclaimed four Gundams. My solid ammunition won't work against their PS Armor."
"No need to worry." Wang Hu raised a hand, cutting him off.
"The Allied Forces—or rather, Orb's programmers—were sloppy. I've seen the systems on those units. Even if the Coordinators took them back, they'd need time to recalibrate."
"They won't be combat-ready in such a short time. There's a difference between just moving and mastering a machine."
"And don't forget—we have a Gundam here too."
"Huh?" Murrue, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Wang Hu, are you planning to pilot the Strike Gundam?"
Her eyes brightened—compared to Kira, she trusted Wang Hu more.
"Can't." He shut down any hopeful assumptions. "Only Kira can. Same logic as with the Coordinators—without proper system optimization and familiarity, there's a big gap between piloting and piloting well."
"Is that so?" Murrue's expression dimmed slightly as she turned to Mu. "Lieutenant Mu?"
"Hey, hey, don't look at me." Mu waved his hands, gesturing at Wang Hu.
"If he can't do it, I definitely can't. Are you trying to send me to my death?"
"Alright." Seeing both men refuse, Murrue had no choice but to accept it.
She then moved on to another question—just as Li Chengzhi walked in.
"Which of you will be the acting captain?"
Murrue glanced at Li Chengzhi before continuing.
"I heard both Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi were top students in battleship command at the military academy—only circumstances led you to frontline fighter piloting."
"You take it." Wang Hu met Li Chengzhi's gaze, then deferred to Murrue.
"Me?" Murrue was stunned, instinctively shaking her head. "I can't do it."
Mu's eyes flickered with various emotions at Wang Hu's suggestion.
Why would Murrue be made captain? Mu turned his gaze toward the rather unremarkable captain.
Then his eyes landed on her headlights.
Hmm? Stroking his chin, Mu wondered if it was because of her headlights.
Damn it, I didn't notice that right away!
I lost this round!
"Both Li Chengzhi and I can serve as combatants when needed, and Mu will be piloting the Moebius Zero. Other than you and Natarle Badgiruel, who else has a higher rank?"
"And your rank is higher than Natarle's, got it?"
"Also, don't worry about not doing well. Li Chengzhi can usually assist you as your deputy captain."
"Me?" Even after the explanation, Murrue still didn't feel confident enough. She lacked the self-assurance.
But Wang Hu didn't give her a chance to refuse further. Firmly placing both hands on her shoulders, he stared directly into the eyes of this mature beauty.
"Believe in yourself, and trust my judgment."
With the man so close she could feel his breath, Murrue blushed and turned her head away awkwardly.
"I understand." She agreed softly, no longer refusing this time.
Damn it! Witnessing everything, Mu turned away, feeling like he might cry.
This time, he had lost completely.
A defeat without a single shred of justification!
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