At this moment, Murrue gathered the crew of the Archangel, along with the Earth Forces personnel who had accompanied the ship to Orb. Though no decisions had been made yet, none of them had left Orb.
"Currently, the Earth Alliance Forces fleet is advancing toward Orb. If Orb refuses to join the Earth Forces in their campaign against PLANT, it will be labeled as a supporter of ZAFT—that is their justification."
"What kind of reasoning is that?!" someone in the group immediately voiced their discontent. Having been thoroughly disillusioned by the Atlantic Federation, they now stood as bystanders, disgusted by the Federation's bullying tactics.
"The Orb government wishes to maintain its neutral stance and is still making diplomatic efforts to mediate. Unfortunately, given the Earth Forces' current actions, it seems this battle is unavoidable. Knowing full well that conflict is inevitable, the Orb government has already evacuated its citizens abroad. What remains in Orb now are only high-ranking officials and the military, which has entered a state of defense in preparation for the worst. Likewise, we must also make our own choices."
At these words, everyone's expressions grew complicated. It wasn't just the possibility of fighting former allies—some no longer wished to remain in the military, fearing they would once again be abandoned, used as bait or cannon fodder.
"Right now, the Archangel and other ships are considered deserters, placing us in a precarious position. Given Orb's current situation, how should we respond? No one is giving us orders, and likewise, we have no authority to command you."
Though Murrue was the one speaking, the other captains standing behind her nodded in agreement. They were no longer soldiers of the Earth Forces, and thus, no chain of command existed between them.
"If war truly cannot be avoided, the battle will commence tomorrow at 0900 hours. We must decide for ourselves whether to stand and fight for Orb or make another choice. Therefore, if any crew members wish to disembark, please do so immediately. Orb's last civilian transport ship departs tonight at 0700 hours."
"The same applies to the crew of this ship."
"And ours as well."
The captains echoed the sentiment. They had already made their choice—like the Archangel, they would remain in Orb and stand their ground. As for their crews' decisions, they would not interfere.
"I am truly grateful that you have followed me this far, despite my shortcomings as a captain."
Not only did Murrue bow deeply at a 90-degree angle to her crew, but Mu, Natarle Badgiruel, and the other captains did the same.
As captains, they had all been inadequate. A captain bears responsibility for every life aboard their ship, yet Murrue, Mu, and Natarle had been thrust into their roles aboard the Archangel unprepared, making numerous mistakes along the way. The other captains, too, had failed to see through the military leadership's schemes, nearly leading their crews to perish alongside Joshua Base.
At this point, everyone dispersed with mixed thoughts. Murrue and the others knew some would inevitably leave the ship, but they also understood their reasoning. If too many departed to maintain normal warship operations, they would stay—either joining other vessels to fight side by side or applying directly to the Orb Military.
As expected, half chose to leave. The Archangel alone saw 11 departures, including Katz, while other ships lost even more crew, some reduced to just a handful.
Upon learning this, Yang Hui immediately sought them out.
"I'm aware of the situation. Thank you for being willing to stand and fight for Orb."
"No, this is our duty too," Murrue replied. Professionally, Orb had sheltered them when they were homeless and ensured their safety—a debt to repay. Personally, she'd stay for Yang Hui himself.
"Now you have two options, especially you captains—your ships no longer have full crews, correct?" Yang Hui glanced at the unfamiliar captains.
"That's right." They felt awkward. While understanding their crew's choices, such mass departures implied their former subordinates lacked courage.
"My proposal is this: Orb's military doesn't urgently need additional naval vessels. Aside from the Archangel, I suggest you take your ships to the Mass Driver or Papua New Guinea to join local Orb fleets as embers awaiting Orb's Rebirth. That's the first option. The second is immediate enlistment into the Orb Military with reassigned posts." He addressed the group, particularly captains and crews of conventional warships.
Their Arkansas-class and Des Moines-class mobile cruisers were comparable to Orb's Kuramitsuha-class—not to call them cannon fodder, but that was the reality. Deploying these ships might even make them priority targets, hastening their destruction.
Thus, abandoning these vessels to integrate their personnel into Orb's forces or relocating them to the Mass Driver/Papua New Guinea as reserves for Orb's resurgence was preferable.
The officers exchanged uneasy glances. While detecting no malice or belittlement from Yang Hui, his words carried undeniable condescension—a painful truth they had to acknowledge.
"Please decide quickly," Yang Hui urged, as time was scarce. "Option one requires preparation to escort civilian transports leaving Orb tonight. Option two means immediate assignment."
"...Lord Yang Hui, allow us ten minutes to confer."
"Very well."
Yang Hui stood to leave, with Murrue following to give them privacy—she'd remain with the Archangel and thus couldn't participate in their discussion.
"Yang Hui... is this battle with Orb truly unavoidable?" Murrue asked with concern. She had indeed witnessed Orb's strength, but even that had its limits—it was nothing compared to the Atlantic Federation's overwhelming might.
"You don't know the demands the Atlantic Federation has made, do you?"
"What demands? Isn't it just about the Mass Driver?"
"The Atlantic Federation demands the dissolution of Orb's government, the disbandment of its military, and... handing me over," Yang Hui said.
"How could they?!" Murrue was shocked. She had no idea about this. They only knew the Atlantic Federation's forces had arrived, but not that they had made such outrageous demands—not just the annihilation of Orb as a nation, but Yang Hui himself! That last demand alone was something Murrue couldn't accept.
"So, this battle between Orb and the Atlantic Federation is unavoidable. And even if it could be avoided, it shouldn't be. If we dodge this fight, can we dodge the next? Once our spine is broken, Orb will forever be at the mercy of others."
That was why the White Dove Plan was imperative. This battle had to be fought.
"Is... there any chance of victory?" Murrue asked worriedly. She couldn't see how Orb could win, but she trusted Yang Hui had a plan.
"In this battle, there is no chance of victory."
"Then—"
"But Orb still has hope."
"..." Murrue gently embraced Yang Hui, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I'll help you."
Murrue didn't know what else to say. She knew Yang Hui must have a plan, but she didn't know the details. All she could do now was support him and stand by his side.
"Don't worry. My plan won't fail. We'll both live to see Orb reborn."
"And then we'll go to Prometheus Fortress together, travel to other worlds." These words, of course, remained unspoken—just a thought in Yang Hui's heart.
Ten minutes passed quickly, and Yang Hui received their answer.
"Lord Yang Hui, we choose the first path."
"Good. Please prepare yourselves. You'll depart tonight. I'll inform Guelt, and someone will receive you when you arrive."
"Thank you."
Everyone dispersed to prepare for their voyage that night. Yang Hui understood their choice. They, too, had little faith in Orb's chances and didn't want to perish with it. Choosing the first path was their way of securing survival—and leaving themselves a way back, to see whether Orb would endure or be reborn. As things stood, Orb wasn't yet worthy of their unwavering sacrifice, even if they owed it a debt.
After seeing them off, Yang Hui and Murrue headed to the Archangel. Since its arrival in Orb, apart from running into Kira and the others at the hospital, Yang Hui hadn't had the chance to properly reunite with his old comrades—he'd been too busy.
"Yang Hui, you're here?"
"Yeah. How are things?"
"Not bad. Orb is still peaceful... though that peace won't last much longer."
"Don't worry. Even if we're broken, we won't be destroyed. As long as people survive, there's always hope."
"Spoken like a true leader. We're entrusting our lives to you now."
"Rest assured—I plan to have you working for me your whole lives."
...
After some casual conversation, Yang Hui bid farewell to the group. With the Atlantic Federation fleet nearly upon them, he needed to head to the Defense Ministry for final confirmation and check on Sumeragi's preparations.
"The operation plan is complete. Take a look." As she spoke, Sumeragi marked her deployment strategy on the tactical map, along with the predicted route of the Atlantic Federation fleet.
"What a shame. If we had Aquatic Mobile Suits, we could ambush them here first." Yang Hui sighed, staring at a particular stretch of ocean. The area was unique—filled with underwater reefs that would have been perfect for Aquatic Mobile Suits to hide undetected by sonar. Moreover, the Atlantic Federation currently lacked underwater forces, leaving them virtually defenseless against such an attack.
"Add another layer of anti-air firepower here." Yang Hui outlined another zone behind the port's defensive line. His memories reminded him that the Atlantic Federation didn't just have a naval fleet—they also deployed airborne troops, which had been the primary reason for Orb's defensive collapse in the past.
"Here... airborne troops?"
"Exactly."
Hearing this, Sumeragi immediately began repositioning units to reinforce Orb's defensive perimeter.
(End of chapter)