Just as Yang Hui had planned, the moment Zannald's fleet and Jehart's fleet retreated to a safe zone, a dispute erupted between them.
In fact... it could no longer be called a dispute, but rather a full-blown conflict.
The two fleets faced off against each other, their menacing cannons aimed at one another, with MS units deployed and ready for battle.
"Jehart! You bastard! Tell me, are you colluding with the Earthlings!?" Zannald shouted through the video communication.
"Zannald, such accusations require solid evidence. Do you have any?" Jehart coldly retorted.
"If there's no collusion, why did your fleet suffer so little damage? Why did the Federal Army elites spare you and focus on me!?"
"How laughable. Your failure to see through the Earth Federation's scheme is your own incompetence. I was about to inform you, but you, in your arrogance and eagerness for glory, jumped right into the Earth Federation's trap. Now you're trying to shift the blame onto me? How shameless!"
"Hmph! Then your fleet should have followed immediately! Instead of staying on the sidelines watching!"
"Because of your arrogance and stupidity, countless comrades lost their lives. Do you expect me to be as foolish as you, to gamble with the lives of our comrades?"
"You!"
Jehart's words struck a nerve with Zannald.
While not entirely accurate, most of it was true. Zannald had indeed been reckless in his pursuit of glory and had little regard for the lives of his subordinates.
Zannald only cared about himself—how much credit he could gain, how high he could climb.
If he continued to climb step by step, he might even disregard Lord Ezelkanta.
This was something Zannald's subordinates were well aware of, though they were too afraid to speak up.
And this... was exactly what Jehart wanted to see.
The more arrogant, selfish, and cruel Zannald became, the easier it would be for Jehart to sow discord between him and his subordinates.
Jehart aimed to lead VEGAN to defeat the Federation and secure a brighter future for their people. This couldn't be achieved with just one fleet. He needed to gain the recognition of more comrades and build a stronger force to overthrow Ezelkanta's brainwashing rule and truly lead VEGAN to the dream of Eden.
And Zannald... was the perfect pawn.
Jehart had been looking for opportunities to undermine Zannald, to shake Ezelkanta's authority and gain more supporters, but he had never found the right moment.
Now... Zannald had handed him the opportunity on a silver platter.
"Hmph! But the fact remains that you weren't attacked by the Earthlings' elites!"
"Ha, is that so? If I hadn't intercepted the Captain of the Celestial Being unit and his two adjutants, do you think you would have had the chance to retreat safely?" Jehart sneered.
"You! But the three Reapers were all targeting my fleet! And that ridiculous plan of yours—the Plasma Bomb failed to destroy Lost Loran and instead caused heavy losses for my troops. Why did you set a timer? Why not detonate it immediately!? I think you're colluding with the Earthlings to—"
"I'm not like you. I won't use the lives of my subordinates as stepping stones for my own glory!"
"You..."
"The timer on the bomb was precisely calculated. At the moment of detonation, my troops and I would have just withdrawn to a safe distance. We just didn't anticipate that the Federation had already prepared for it. Our plan was seen through from the start."
"Hmph, isn't that your mistake?" Zannald finally found a chance to counterattack.
The operation plan had been devised by Jehart and approved by Ezelkanta. Although Zannald was dissatisfied, he had to follow the plan.
And the reason for the heavy losses in the fleet was that Jehart's plan had been seen through. Therefore... all the blame could be shifted onto Jehart.
"Ha, I admit my plan wasn't perfect. I will request punishment from Lord Ezelkanta. But you, Zannald, the responsibility for the unnecessary sacrifice of our comrades, I will also report to Lord Ezelkanta. Don't think you can shirk your responsibility!"
"You!"
"Let's end this here, Zannald. Instead of engaging in meaningless conflict here, we need to return to space immediately and consolidate our control over Earth's orbit!"
With that, Jehart abruptly ended the communication, leaving Zannald fuming with rage.
"Jehart! You traitor! I'll—"
"Lord Zannald! Please calm down!"
Seeing Zannald lose his temper and about to issue reckless orders, the adjutant quickly intervened, stopping him before he could finish.
"What? Are you also turning traitor?"
Zannald grabbed the adjutant by the collar, lifting him up, his bloodshot eyes glaring at him from close range.
"Gulp~" The frightened adjutant swallowed hard and quickly explained, "Lord Zannald, I haven't betrayed you. It's just that our fleet has suffered heavy losses, and we're in no position to confront Jehart's fleet. Just... just look at the numbers... if we fight, we'll definitely lose..."
Hearing this, Zannald glanced around, his gaze eventually landing on the tactical map, where a dense array of markers surrounded them. His anger subsided somewhat.
Seeing this, the adjutant pressed on, "Moreover, Lord Zannald... we're still on Earth. If we fight among ourselves, regardless of who wins, it will be difficult to maintain control over the occupied territories... and... and Lord Ezelkanta will surely hold us accountable... Even if we must fight, we can't be the ones to strike first... I think... I think we should report the situation to Lord Ezelkanta and let him decide?"
"Hmph!"
Zannald released the adjutant's collar and pushed him away.
"Full speed back to the occupied zone, then return to space!"
"Yes." XN
This order brought a collective sigh of relief—no need to fight their own allies.
Everyone had heard Jehart's accusations against Zannald, and many had taken them to heart.
Jehart's men were naturally moved. What soldier wouldn't appreciate a leader who cared for his subordinates?
As for the survivors on Zannald's side, their feelings were more complicated. Many of them had served under Zannald from the beginning, but they were also deeply dissatisfied with his tyranny.
Now, with the comparison, many began to consider switching sides.
Of course, not everyone felt this way. In Zannald's forces, there were still many who were just as cunning, cruel, and selfish as he was.
But these people... were precisely the ones Jehart intended to eliminate.
"Fram, how much do you know about Zannald's subordinates?" Jehart asked after returning to his office.
"Quite a bit."
"How many do you think we can win over?"
"Many. In fact, a lot of people in Zannald's fleet are unhappy with his brutal rule. Only a few scoundrels share his rotten nature."
"Go ahead and compile a list."
"Yes." Fram Nara accepted the order and left, but she quickly stopped and asked, "Lord Jehart, should we try to win over those who are close to Zannald? Those people only need a little incentive to—"
"No need. Such people don't deserve to enter Eden."
"Understood."
Fram Nara's lips curled into a smile. This was the answer she had hoped for.
"Jehart Garrard... an interesting man."
With this thought in mind, Fram Nara left, and Dolph Frost approached Jehart.
"Lord Jehart, is it really appropriate to entrust such an important task to Fram?"
Dolph Frost was not only concerned about Fram Nara's youth and lack of experience but also worried that she wasn't fully loyal to Jehart, fearing she might secretly act against him.
"Don't worry, Dole. I trust her."
"But..."
"Mr. Yang Hui once said, 'If you use someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt them, don't use them.' Trust is mutual. To earn her trust, I must first give her mine, just like we did back then," Jehart explained.
"Yes, Lord Jehart." X3
The three of them were pleased. After all, hadn't they decided to join Jehart's side in the first place because of his trust in them?
"Lord Jehart, I must say, this time we can consider it a great victory. Not only have we weakened Zannald's forces, but we've also shaken the loyalty of most of his fleet. Now, Zannald is no longer a threat to you," Dit said.
"No, Dit. We lost," Jehart said, rubbing his tired eyes.
"How so?" The three bodyguards were puzzled.
"No matter what conflicts exist between me and Zannald, the failure of the Lost Loran operation, the heavy losses of our comrades, and the loss of control over Earth's orbit... these are all failures."
"But Zannald..."
"Dole, Dit, Orfa, I want you to remember this: we are VEGAN. Our goal is to lead more of our people to Eden."
"Lord Jehart..."
"Even the strongest fortress can be breached from within. And now... cracks have appeared within us. So... we lost. We lost to the Federation, and we lost to Mr. Yang Hui."
Why had VEGAN always been able to suppress the Federation?
First, it was technology. But with the research frenzy led by Yang Hui and Flit, that gap had been closed.
Second, and more importantly, it was their belief.
Born and abandoned on Mars, living every day in harsh conditions, VEGAN could unleash immense fighting power for a better future, and they were fearless in the face of death.
Their unwavering belief was like a strong fortress, with each VEGAN citizen's small belief being a brick in that fortress.
Now, cracks had appeared in that fortress. Repairing them would be difficult, and... the enemy would surely not give them the chance to do so. Instead, they would try to widen those cracks until the entire fortress collapsed.
When Zannald managed to retreat safely under the combined attacks of Yang Hui and his team, Jehart sensed something was wrong. Now, as his disputes with Zannald grew more intense, he understood.
"'To conquer a city is inferior; to conquer the heart is superior.' An ancient saying from Eden, isn't it? Truly... terrifying, Mr. Yang Hui," Jehart thought to himself.
(End of Chapter)