"Wait!"
"Wait!"
"Wait!"
At the same time, three people told Yang Hui to wait.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean, what's wrong? Aren't you getting off the ship? I didn't give you permission to board!"
"I refuse! Are you asking me to fight again? I don't want to participate in combat!"
"That's an unfinished mobile suit. Are you really going to deploy it into battle again?"
Faced with the barrage of questions from the three, Yang Hui sighed and wasted precious time explaining to them one by one: "Captain Ramius, Creuset's team is waiting outside. Without the Strike Gundam, can you really escape? Or rather... aside from Kira, is there anyone else who can pilot the Strike Gundam in combat?"
After addressing Murrue and Badgiruel, he turned to Kira and the others: "The alert level in Heliopolis has been raised to level 9. Even if Captain Ramius and Lieutenant Junior Grade Badgiruel are willing to let you go now, you won't be able to enter the locked-down shelters. A battle is likely to break out soon, and Heliopolis is no longer safe. Will you choose to gamble on luck in Heliopolis, or take your fate into your own hands?"
For a moment, Kira and the other four fell silent. They didn't know how to choose. On one hand, they didn't want to be dragged into the war between the Earth Forces and the ZAFT Forces. On the other hand, having witnessed the battles, they couldn't convince themselves that Heliopolis was truly safe.
"I'll help."
In the end, Kira made his decision. He believed Yang Hui was right. Having personally participated in combat, he knew that in the heat of battle, there was no time to worry about the situation in Heliopolis. Even battles outside the Colony could destroy Heliopolis. So, leaving now and praying for luck was the most dangerous option.
Instead, Kira trusted Yang Hui. Even though they hadn't seen each other in years, he still believed in him. Although he was being dragged into the war he hated the most, with Yang Hui around, his worries lessened. He believed Yang Hui wouldn't disregard his wishes and treat him as a tool or a pawn.
Tolle and the other three had no choice. Kira was their backbone. Since Kira had already made his decision, they couldn't abandon him and act alone now. Otherwise, they wouldn't have given up on going to the shelters despite knowing they might be detained.
"...I understand. Let's proceed this way for now." Murrue was also struggling. She had seen through Yang Hui's plan—he wanted to use this opportunity to stay on the Archangel. She wanted to refuse, but given the current situation, she couldn't.
Moreover... she was pondering Yang Hui's true motive for insisting on staying on the Archangel.
"Captain Ramius!"
"Is there any other way?"
"Well... we could have Lieutenant Flaga pilot the Strike Gundam..."
"That won't work. He can't pilot the Strike Gundam." Murrue immediately rejected Badgiruel's suggestion. Neither the original OS nor the one modified by Kira was usable by a Natural.
"But..."
"Enough, Lieutenant Junior Grade Badgiruel. Let's focus on overcoming this crisis first. I'll take full responsibility and report this decision to our superiors."
"...Alright, follow me." Murrue Ramius reluctantly agreed and led Tolle and the other three to arrange their rooms.
However, as she passed by Yang Hui, she gave him a stern glare and whispered, "I'll be keeping an eye on you."
If Murrue could think of it, Murrue Ramius certainly could as well. Given the urgent situation, she couldn't afford to argue excessively, but she would never allow someone like Yang Hui to act recklessly on the Archangel. She was determined to see through his schemes.
In response, Yang Hui could only shrug and remain silent.
"Let's go, Kira. We're heading to the hangar."
"Okay..."
The two arrived at the hangar. Due to the special status of both Yang Hui and Kira, no one initially paid them any attention, and some even regarded them with distance and hostility.
But after Yang Hui and Kira began working together to adjust the Strike Gundam's OS, the resistance from the crew, led by Chief Mechanic Murdoch, gradually faded.
"This is impressive," Murdoch remarked, stroking his chin as he watched the two work with lightning speed.
"Everyone has their strengths. The maintenance of the machine will be up to you, Mr. Murdoch," Yang Hui said, looking up at Murdoch without slowing his hands.
"Leave it to us. Our survival depends on this young man here," Murdoch said, giving Kira a thumbs-up.
Whether Natural or Coordinator, recognizing strength is instinctive. Although Kira was a Coordinator and Yang Hui's status was also unique, the abilities they demonstrated had already earned the respect of the maintenance crew. Moreover, Yang Hui didn't act arrogantly because of his status. Instead, he communicated and joked with them as equals, greatly bridging the gap between them.
"Yang Hui, there's an issue with the power transmission system. Sensors 46-51 are malfunctioning. Earlier, to ensure normal combat, I had to directly connect the control module to the molecular ion pump of the simulated cortex, but that's also causing problems," Kira reported the issues he had identified to Yang Hui. Given his lack of goodwill toward the Earth Forces, he used Yang Hui as an intermediary to relay the information.
"Got it. Mr. Murdoch, did you hear that? These issues will need your attention."
"OK! Leave it to us! We might not be able to restore it to brand new, but it'll be perfectly combat-ready!"
After Murdoch and the maintenance crew left, Kira finally stopped what he was doing, let out a sigh of relief, and rubbed his tired eyes.
He was exhausted—not just physically, but mentally as well. His peaceful school life had been abruptly shattered, and he was forced to pilot an MS and join the battle. All of this had left him drained. The tension had kept him going, but now that he had relaxed, the fatigue hit him hard.
"If you're tired, go rest in the lounge," Yang Hui continued working as he spoke to Kira.
"Huh? But there's still work to be done..."
"You haven't changed, Kira. Do you really think this work can't be done without you?" Yang Hui paused for a moment, glancing at Kira.
"Then why did you bring me along?" Kira asked, puzzled.
"To keep you on the Archangel."
"Why?" Kira was shocked, his peripheral vision catching sight of the Strike Gundam. He asked anxiously, "Do you also want me to pilot an MS and fight? I refuse! I've said it before, I don't want to be dragged into this war!"
"Because staying on the Archangel is your only chance of survival."
"What!?"
"I've looked into Creuset. He's cunning and ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. Neutral nations and international laws won't restrain him. He's already taken four-fifths of the Federation's G Project, and he won't let go of the last fifth. He'll either take it or destroy it. So the enemy will definitely attack again."
"How could this…"
"Moreover, the war has reached a boiling point. The moderates in PLANT might care about Orb's status, but the radicals have gained the upper hand in the council. Even if Orb condemns and protests to PLANT, it won't achieve much because PLANT knows Orb won't side with the Earth Alliance over this. So Heliopolis, which has become a battlefield, could be destroyed at any moment. Once the evacuation level rises to 9, even the highest administrative officer won't be able to unlock it. The safest place right now is the Archangel."
"…" Kira fell silent. He was just a student, unlike Yang Hui, who could see the bigger picture. He had never considered so much before. His thoughts were simple—he didn't want to join the war; he just wanted to live a peaceful life.
"Actually… everyone has been fighting since the day they were born. Babies fight to grow, students fight to advance in school, adults fight for a better life… Everyone is fighting, just in different ways and for different purposes."
"But Orb…"
"Being a neutral nation isn't easy, Kira. You're just a student, so it's normal that you don't understand these things." At this point, Yang Hui also stopped what he was doing and rubbed his temples.
If we're talking about exhaustion, Yang Hui's fatigue far surpassed Kira's by countless times. From a very young age, he had already begun laying the groundwork globally—building intelligence networks, establishing connections, supporting Yang Hongyu in stabilizing Orb's political situation, secretly paving the way for Orb to become a world power, and maneuvering between the Earth Alliance and PLANT…
While many were still in elementary school, Yang Hui had already started working tirelessly. His exhaustion was known only to people like Sumeragi, and he wouldn't confide in anyone because this was the responsibility he had to bear—the necessary preparation to achieve his ultimate goal.
"…The original OS of this MS, you wrote it, didn't you?" Kira asked after a long silence.
"You noticed?"
"Yeah, several core lines of code are also in Tori's program."
Tori was a gift Athrun gave to Kira when he graduated from elementary school—a mechanical bird. The internal program of Tori was jointly completed by Athrun and Yang Hui. Although Yang Hui had already graduated several years earlier, because of his covert efforts to develop connections in PLANT, he and Athrun would meet from time to time.
The program for Dolly was impeccable, something that even professionals would find hard to believe was created by two children. Among it, the most crucial lines of core code were written by Yang Hui.
These special codes were independently developed by Yang Hui, and to this day, no one has been able to crack or replicate them. That's why Kira immediately recognized that the original OS of the Strike Gundam was written by Yang Hui—or at least, Yang Hui had a hand in it.
"You're right, I wrote it."
"Why did you create such a complex OS? I've looked through it—it's flawless, with no defects, but… no one can actually use it," Kira said.
"…How do you know no one can use it?" Yang Hui replied with a mysterious smile.
"You…"
"Don't underestimate the world, Kira. You're a genius, but… the world is vast. You're not the only genius, and there are those who surpass you."
"If that's the case, why me and not you? You know I don't want to fight," Kira questioned Yang Hui.
"Because of my identity. Helping the Atlantic Federation develop MS can be explained as another form of international trade. But if I were to pilot the Strike Gundam and fight against ZAFT, it couldn't be disguised as a transaction. At that point, Orb would have no choice but to join the war—either siding with the Earth Alliance, PLANT, or standing against the entire world," Yang Hui explained.
"…" Kira remained silent, listening quietly. He didn't want to, nor did he need to, consider international affairs, but he could sense Yang Hui's helplessness.
"Kira, I know you don't want to fight, and I won't force you to. You're a citizen of Orb and my friend. I'll protect you."
As he spoke, Yang Hui was about to revert the OS Kira had adjusted back to the version he was accustomed to.
But just as Yang Hui's hand was about to touch the keyboard, Kira stopped him.
"I… I'll fight."