"The current Earth time is 1200. Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, the Orb Space Force First Fleet and the ZAFT Newly Formed First Fleet have rendezvoused in the space sector where [Julius 7] is located. Representatives from various nations have also arrived. With one hour remaining until the scheduled time, I, Erica Francisca, special correspondent for WN, will be providing full coverage of this event..."
In the space sector where [Julius 7] was located, the fleets of Orb and ZAFT had safely joined forces. The Orb Space Force's First Fleet was naturally commanded by Mina, while the commander of ZAFT's Newly Formed First Fleet turned out to be Durandal—something Yang Hui hadn't anticipated. He had actually come in person.
"This is a historic operation significant enough to be recorded in the annals of history. Naturals and Coordinators, joining hands to eliminate a threat to Mother Earth, taking a major step toward peaceful coexistence—how could I possibly miss it?"
That was Durandal's reasoning, and it made sense. But Yang Hui suspected there was more to it.
"Showing his sincerity, perhaps? After all, since you're personally leading this operation, if he remained safely in the rear, it might be used as ammunition against him," Natarle Badgiruel analyzed.
Natarle's analysis was correct—but only half-right. The other half stemmed from her unawareness of the secret collaboration between Durandal and Yang Hui. Durandal's presence here was also a statement of commitment—to demonstrate his willingness to take risks for the sake of their partnership.
The so-called Newly Formed First Fleet was essentially Durandal's personal guard fleet. For this operation, he had handpicked numerous elite soldiers from the ZAFT Forces to assemble this fleet. After the mission, this newly formed fleet might be disbanded, continue serving Durandal, become a security detail, or even serve as an honor guard.
Among them was a team Yang Hui knew all too well—the Joule Team.
"That bastard... How dare he show his face in front of us again!" Yzak cursed angrily as he watched the Orb fleet on the screen, particularly the smaller [Qilin-class] experimental ship positioned alongside the Qilin.
"Captain Joule, as the initiator and overall commander of this operation, it's only natural for Mr. Yang Hui to be present, isn't it?" Shiho Hahnenfuss remarked. She had some understanding of the complicated history between Yzak and Yang Hui—knowing, for instance, that the first woman Yzak had ever pursued romantically happened to be Yang Hui's fiancée (Shiho: Thank you so much, Mr. Yang Hui!). Naturally, Yzak harbored resentment toward Yang Hui.
"He wasn't talking about Yang Hui, little Shiho," Dearka teased with a grin.
"Vice Captain Elsman, please refrain from addressing me with strange nicknames," Shiho replied coldly, shooting Dearka a sharp glance while subtly checking Yzak's reaction.
"My, my, how harsh," Dearka shrugged, unfazed by Shiho's icy tone. Internally, he added: She's so obvious—only a blockhead like Yzak wouldn't notice.
Shiho Hahnenfuss wasn't much of a talker and was fiercely competitive, which was why she maintained a cold demeanor toward everyone in the team. But many knew that beneath that exterior, Shiho was actually quite girlish and adorable—she just didn't like showing it.
When someone like that suddenly shows a contrasting side in front of others, the outcome becomes obvious.
Shiho Hahnenfuss liked Yzak—who in the squad couldn't see that? Well... except Yzak himself, apparently.
"I wasn't talking about that bastard! I meant Athrun! If he's a traitor, he should just hide and stay out of sight!" Yzak clenched his fists angrily, completely oblivious to how Shiho Hahnenfuss treated him differently from others.
"Athrun? Athrun Zala?"
"Yeah, that Athrun." Dearka nodded, then gave Yzak a helpless look. "Athrun is Yang Hui's bodyguard now. If Yang Hui is heading to the frontlines, of course he'd follow."
"Tch! At least he could change his name! A Coordinator, the former Chairman's son, actually becoming a bodyguard for a Natural—what a disgrace to PLANT!"
"Good grief." Dearka facepalmed.
"Does the Captain get along well with Athrun Zala?" Shiho Hahnenfuss quietly asked Dearka.
"Hmm... that's a complicated question." Dearka genuinely struggled to answer.
Get along? Ever since military academy, Yzak and Athrun had been at odds, with Yzak constantly picking fights—Athrun just never bothered to engage.
Not get along? They had fought side by side, survived life-and-death battles together—that kind of bond wasn't fake. They were comrades who could trust each other with their backs.
So...
"What do you mean? Could you explain?" Shiho tilted her head. She liked Yzak, so she wanted to understand him better. The Yzak she saw now was all commander and subordinate—she didn't really know what he was like in private.
"Let's just say... the nickname Yang Hui gave Yzak fits perfectly."
"Nickname? What nickname?"
"White-haired tsundere."
"Pfft—!" Sorry, but Shiho Hahnenfuss couldn't help it—it was just too accurate, perfectly capturing Yzak's two most defining traits.
Not just Shiho—many on the bridge couldn't hold back their laughter. The Nazca-class Battleship's bridge wasn't large, and with how quiet it was, even Dearka's lowered voice carried.
"Dearka! You bastard!"
"Oop, the Captain's mad." Dearka grinned, raising his hands in surrender as he backed away.
"Bastard! You're staying behind on standby later!"
"I was wrong, I was really wrong. Please, Your Excellency, have mercy and forgive me?"
"Hmph!"
The others watched Dearka and Yzak's comedy routine, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Dearka could tease Yzak—they were comrades who had survived the last war together. But if it were them... they'd probably get chewed out.
"Still, the Chairman really went all out for this operation, didn't he? He mobilized most of ZAFT's elite forces." The teasing over, Dearka's expression turned serious as he thought about their allied forces.
Gathering elite troops wasn't the issue—Dearka had fought alongside the Three Ships Alliance and knew just how crucial ace units were in war.
However, the drawbacks were also evident. The withdrawal of a large number of elites weakened the combat effectiveness of other units, and the overly conspicuous target risked catastrophic losses if they were unlucky enough to be wiped out in one strike—a blow the ZAFT Forces couldn't afford.
The newly formed First Fleet was no Three Ships Alliance. Quantity simply couldn't compensate for the gap in quality. Among Yang Hui, Setsuna, Lyle, Tieria, Kira, and Athrun, who didn't possess the capability to single-handedly turn the tide of battle?
"The Chairman must have his own plans too. You've heard about it, right? That thing."
"Yeah, Dad mentioned it briefly and asked for my opinion, but I refused."
"Why? This is your best chance to redeem yourself!" Dearka, now the deputy leader of Joule Team, remained a Green Coat due to his past defection.
"Of course, it's because I don't trust you. Without me around, you'd probably make a mess of things."
"Tch, mind your own business."
(End of Chapter)