Cagalli slumped against the wall, hugging her knees as she wept. She truly knew nothing—not only was she ignorant, but she had also caused trouble and falsely accused Yang Hui and the others.
"Yang Hui..." Kira's expression was complicated. If Yang Hui was telling the truth, Kira could understand his plans and everything he had done for Orb. But in his view, both the process and the goals were too radical. Moreover... once Orb gained the power to challenge the entire world, would it become the next Earth Forces, the next ZAFT?
"As for why I actively attacked Papua New Guinea—aside from expanding Orb's territory and influence—it was also to provide a refuge for our citizens."
"A refuge? What do you mean?" Cagalli lifted her head, pressing Yang Hui for answers.
"Do you think... Orb is strong now?" Yang Hui turned away, gazing out from the hospital rooftop at Orb—the imposing Ministry of Defense, the bustling city, the peaceful life.
"Of course it's strong!" Cagalli answered without hesitation. In her eyes, Orb was indeed powerful—it had its own MS units, super aces like Yang Hui, Lyle, Setsuna, and Tieria, a massive fleet, its own Mass Driver, and the ability to defeat ZAFT Forces. How could it not be strong?
"No, you're wrong. Orb... is still weak." Yang Hui shook his head with a bitter smile. Over the past decade, he had used every conceivable method and means to strengthen Orb, successfully elevating its national power by two or three tiers, truly earning the title of "Sleeping Lion."
But... Yang Hui knew all too well that the lion was still asleep, and a lion was still just an animal, not a human.
"How could that be?!" Cagalli and Kira were stunned. To them, Orb seemed incredibly strong.
"If ZAFT Forces hadn't launched a large-scale operation against Alaska, do you think I would have dared to attack their occupied territories? Even if ZAFT lost 50% of their main forces in Alaska, don't forget—half of those forces belonged to Carpentaria and the other half to the Space Fleet. On Earth, ZAFT still has the Gibraltar Base, Victoria Port, and Kaohsiung Port. In space, aside from the Space Fleet, there's also the Boaz Fortress, Jachin Due, and their homeland."
"Now let's look at the Earth Forces. Although they lost Joshua Base in Alaska, as you know, the actual losses were just disposable pawns like the Archangel and cannon fodder from the Eurasian Federation. The Atlantic Federation only lost one base—hardly a crippling blow. Beyond that, there's still the East Asian Republic and the Eurasian Federation, along with numerous Space Fleets and the Crater Lunar Base in space."
"To them, Orb is still a sleeping lion. Even if it wakes up, they'll just cage it in a zoo for people to admire."
"This..." The two were shocked. They had never understood the full scale of Earth Forces and ZAFT Forces' strength. Now, just hearing Yang Hui's rough summary left them overwhelmed.
"Just wait and see. After suffering such a heavy loss in Alaska, ZAFT Forces will surely retaliate. Now that Orb has demonstrated its strength, once both sides have the capacity, one of them will inevitably target Orb. The Atlantic Federation is the most likely candidate. Orb won't be able to withstand it, so we must send the seeds of rebirth away in advance and evacuate our citizens to safety outside our homeland."
"But... if Orb's mainland falls, wouldn't that mean even if we capture Papua New Guinea, it would be..."
"No, Papua New Guinea isn't officially Orb's territory yet. We're merely responding to the local government's request, providing humanitarian aid to liberate them from ZAFT's tyranny." Yang Hui said with a faint smile.
"Uh, this..."
"All troops deployed to Papua New Guinea will become the official military of Papua New Guinea the moment Orb falls. Until Orb is rebuilt, they will no longer belong to Orb."
"...Alright, I understand." Kira was convinced. He marveled at how Yang Hui remained the same person he knew—always thinking three, even five steps ahead, with every contingency already planned.
Moreover, Yang Hui had truly kept his promise. Even though he knew from the beginning that Orb would inevitably fall once, he never considered using nuclear weapons to preserve it.
"Kira, I won't ask you to stay and help Orb."
"Eh? Why?" Cagalli exclaimed in surprise.
Neither Yang Hui nor Kira answered her. Their intense gazes locked. "I'm giving you the Freedom. Go and do what you want to do. You're not part of ZAFT Forces anymore, nor the Earth Forces, and you're no longer Orb's military either."
"...I understand." Kira nodded. Then, he added, "But you're my friend. I said I would protect you, so... I'll stay in Orb to help you, Yang Hui."
"Thank you." Kira deserved this gratitude. He had chosen to stay and assist Orb entirely of his own will. This time, Yang Hui hadn't employed any psychological hints or guidance—he genuinely left the decision to Kira.
"But I also promise you this, Yang Hui. If one day you stray from your original path, if Orb ceases to be the Orb it is now, then I will become your enemy." Kira spoke solemnly. He would help Yang Hui ensure Orb remained steadfast in its absolute neutrality and rose to the pinnacle of the world.
But! If Yang Hui changed, no longer content with neutrality and pursuing greater ambitions, Kira wouldn't hesitate to take up arms against him.
If the future Orb was to become the world's observer and mediator, then Kira would be its overseer.
"No problem."
With that, the conversation ended. Yang Hui left the hospital alone. His rest time was limited, and there was still much work to be done.
Meanwhile, Cagalli, Kira, and Flay remained on the rooftop terrace, gazing at Orb's peaceful scenery.
"I really... understand nothing." Cagalli muttered dejectedly.
"It's not your fault, Cagalli." Kira comforted her. This wasn't something anyone could easily grasp. Who would have thought that children as young as six were already laboring day and night for their country?
Flay was equally shocked, as she had never imagined that Yang Hui had been struggling in the darkness and striving for the nation since he was six years old. Meanwhile, she... had been a spoiled, naive, and ignorant rich girl until her father's death. After experiencing so much, she had grown somewhat, but upon learning all these things, she realized Yang Hui indeed had every right to look down on her.
But that was it. Dislike was dislike—she still detested Yang Hui. Matters of state, Orb's ideals—none of it mattered to her. The only thing she cared about was whether Kira could stay by her side.
"Kira, Flay, what you heard today must never leave this room," Cagalli said seriously to the two of them.
"No problem," Kira replied, though he felt a bit awkward. Of course, he understood the gravity of what they'd just heard—it couldn't be revealed, at least not until the White Dove Plan was completed. But... honestly, Cagalli, you're the one who needs to be the most careful about keeping secrets, aren't you?
As for Flay, Kira would keep an eye on her. He'd talk to her privately and persuade her. He doubted she'd even care about these matters anyway.
...
Beep beep beep...
"Lord Uzumi, it's me, Yang Hui."
"Come to my office."
"Understood."
After receiving the call, Yang Hui immediately headed to Uzumi's office. Inside, he found not only Uzumi but also Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei, along with Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, and Mu.
"You arrived just in time. Let's watch this together."
Yang Hui took a seat beside Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei as Uzumi turned on the television, just in time for the Atlantic Federation's press conference to begin.
"Our brave garrison forces fought to the last man. We must engrave the fall of Joshua Base into history alongside the immense pain in our hearts and never forget it.
But we will never yield! By what right do these Coordinators strip us of our peaceful land and tranquil skies!? Our sacrifices have been great, but we must overcome our grief and face this challenge with courage!
For the safety and peace of Earth, for the sake of our future, we must now stand united and fight these arrogant Coordinators to the bitter end!"
Yang Hui turned off the TV at this point—he couldn't stomach any more of these politicians' despicable theatrics.
"While it's understandable, it's still hard to bear," even Mu, a former Earth Forces major, remarked.
"Concealing the truth, suppressing information, manipulating public opinion—standard Atlantic Federation tactics. They can turn black into white," Yang Hui said with a shrug.
"The Atlantic Federation is also pressuring neutral nations, even declaring that any country refusing to join the Earth Forces in the war will be treated as an enemy. And since Orb launched an attack on ZAFT-occupied territory during this operation, they naturally assume we're ready to side with them..."
Yang Hui scoffed at Uzumi's words. "What conditions did they propose?"
"...Only one."
"Oh? That's not like the Atlantic Federation's usual style," Yang Hui said, surprised. Normally, the Atlantic Federation would demand technology transfers, military disbandment, leadership resignations—a whole list of demands.
"..."
Uzumi looked deeply at Yang Hui, allowing him to guess the condition proposed by the Atlantic Federation.
"Me, right?"
"What!?" Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, and Mu exclaimed in shock.
"Correct." Uzumi nodded. "The Atlantic Federation has only one condition—hand you over to them. If we refuse, they will declare war and treat Orb as an enemy nation."
"Hah... Hahahaha..." Yang Hui covered his face and laughed, his smile suddenly turning dangerous. "...Then let them come! If we worry about scarcity but not inequality, we've already fought ZAFT twice. Wouldn't it be too biased if we didn't give them a taste as well?"
"Yang Hui..." Uzumi's expression was complicated. Naturally, Orb would never hand Yang Hui over. Whether strong or weak, Orb would never betray any of its citizens to secure its own interests. Moreover... they couldn't even if they wanted to. Yang Hui was already the uncrowned king of Orb.
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