"Aren't you going to see them? Athrun, Durandal already told me—Yzak and Dearka are right across from us." On the bridge of the Sword of the Heavens, Yang Hui asked Athrun.
"There's no time for that now, is there? The operation begins in half an hour. Besides, given my current status, contacting them wouldn't be good for them either," Athrun replied, his expression tinged with sadness. Of course, he wanted to reunite with his friends, but now wasn't the right moment.
On one hand, the operation to destroy [Julius 7] was about to begin, leaving no room for him to wander off.
On the other, what identity would he even use to visit the ZAFT Forces' fleet and meet Yzak and Dearka? Athrun Zala, son of former Chairman Patrick Zala? Or Athrun Zala, Yang Hui's bodyguard?
"Fine. After the operation, I'll give you a few days off. Since we're not far from [Heliopolis], try to arrange a meeting with them during the mission."
"Thank you."
"What's there to thank me for?" Yang Hui gave Athrun a playful shove. After so many years of friendship, was there really a need for such formalities over something so trivial?
"Commander, Representative Duan Halbaton of the Atlantic Federation has requested communication," Natarle Badgiruel reported.
"Put him through."
"Understood."
Beep
"Commander Yang Hui, it's been a while."
"Likewise, General Halberton. I didn't expect the Atlantic Federation's representative to be you."
"Hahaha! What can I say? We're cut from the same cloth, aren't we?" Duan Halbaton laughed heartily, his tone both self-deprecating and sardonic.
In a way, Duan Halbaton and Yang Hui were indeed similar—both were men despised by the Atlantic Federation's higher-ups and [Blue Cosmos].
"That's an honor, General Halberton. But… I take it the delegation members are growing impatient?"
"...Wouldn't you be? I doubt anyone could stay calm at a time like this." Halberton paused briefly before resuming his cheerful demeanor, though he clenched his fist a few times as he spoke.
"Please bear with us a little longer, General Halberton. The scheduled time is almost upon us."
"Of course."
Once the communication ended, Yang Hui's smile vanished, replaced by grim seriousness. He immediately ordered the CIC to send an encrypted message to Durandal.
"Natarle, inform Mina. Execute Plan B."
"Plan B?!" The announcement stunned everyone present.
The operation to destroy [Julius 7] had two contingency plans. Plan A assumed a smooth, uninterrupted mission, while Plan B was devised under the assumption of interference—reducing the fragmentation forces and maintaining high alert throughout.
"Who would dare cause trouble at a time like this?" Natarle frowned deeply after sending the message. With the whole world watching, what faction would be reckless enough to defy global condemnation?
"I don't know yet, but it's definitely linked to the Atlantic Federation," Yang Hui stated firmly. Halberton's clenched fist might have seemed like an expression of excitement, but it was actually a signal—every member of the accompanying delegation was one of his own.
Then...this made Yang Hui even more cautious. Participating in the destruction of [Julius 7] was a great honor and an easy merit. For safety reasons, having Duan Halbaton participate aligned perfectly with the Atlantic Federation higher-ups' life-preserving tendencies.
But...the rest of the delegation shouldn't all be Duan Halbaton's people. At the very least, there should be some monitors or similar figures present, right?
So...are they sacrificial pawns? Bait? Or one of the targets to be eliminated?
Whatever the case—or even if none of these—it was best to remain vigilant.
"Can't be certain, but it's better to be careful."
"...Understood." Natarle Badgiruel nodded. "Commander, prepare to sortie."
"Understood."
Yang Hui stood up and headed to the hangar with Athrun.
"Yang Hui, are you really not planning to conceal the Quasi-GN Drives?" Athrun asked along the way.
"No need. Quasi-GN Drives and GN Particles will eventually be promoted worldwide. Besides, this is Orb's proprietary technology. What price must be paid to obtain it, who gets it and who doesn't—isn't that all up to us?"
"I see."
"And you're overthinking it now. One of the GN Particle Furnace's greatest characteristics requires a gravity environment to be properly observed. In space, they won't notice much."
"True..." Athrun pondered. Indeed, the anti-gravity characteristic of GN Particles wasn't easily discernible in space. All they'd see were orange glowing particles scattering and...
"Wait, what about electromagnetic interference?"
This was the second major characteristic of GN Particles—disrupting electromagnetic signals. Unless electronic equipment was specially treated like Orb's, all devices would suffer severe interference.
If this trait were discovered, it would become highly coveted among the major factions.
And that was just one aspect. Right now, with the operation about to commence, if GN Particles interfered with ZAFT's fleet electronics, the entire fleet would descend into chaos.
"Don't worry, it's already arranged. The ZAFT fleet has deployed, and their defensive zone lies outside the maximum diffusion range of GN Particles. They won't be affected."
Currently, only six Mobile Suits are equipped with Quasi-GN Drives: the Dawn Gundam, Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, Gundam Virtue, Freedom Gundam, and Justice Gundam. The other units don't even use GN Particle storage tanks, so the diffusion range is limited to the areas around these six Gundams. Though the Gundams are somewhat dispersed, they still won't affect ZAFT's forces.
Unless...someone actively enters their defensive zone.
"Could someone cause trouble?"
Just as Yang Hui boarded the Dawn Gundam, he received communications from Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria.
"Just a possibility. Better safe than sorry."
"True. But the Atlantic Federation's decisions are indeed unsettling."
"They wouldn't dare."
"Not the overall decision, but someone might act smart on their own."
"So stay alert. If threats emerge, we'll handle them. Kira, Athrun, ready?"
"Ready." X2
Two more figures appeared in the multi-person communication channel. Kira and Athrun nodded, signaling they were ready to sortie at any moment.
Though Kira wasn't a soldier of the Orb Military, this large-scale operation would contribute to world peace. Yang Hui didn't need much persuasion to bring Kira out of retirement. This also served to strengthen the bonds between Kira and their group—even the strongest ties could weaken without maintenance over time.
"It's time." Yang Hui activated the fleet-wide broadcast through the Sword of the Heavens. "All units, this is Operation Salvation. Mission begins now."
"Roger!" (Multiple voices)
"Path cleared. Electromagnetic catapult charged. Dawn, you are cleared for launch."
"Roger. Dawn, Yang Hui, launching!"
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