The shortage of supplies had been fully replenished. No matter which course they chose, they wouldn't have to worry about resource shortages before reaching the lunar base.
However... deciding which path to take next became a dilemma for the three of them.
"The debris zone? It's indeed the shortest route, but..." Mu frowned at the star chart. From their current position, passing through the debris field was certainly the most direct path. However, the debris zone was essentially a massive collection of space wreckage gradually pulled together by Earth's gravity. One wrong move, and the Archangel could become just another piece of debris.
Choosing alternative routes would mean significant detours. Although they had temporarily shaken off ZAFT pursuers, there was no telling when the enemy might catch up. Taking longer routes meant more travel time and significantly increased chances of encountering enemy forces.
Moreover, the final piece of intelligence Madok had provided also gave the trio much to consider.
"A surprise... Frankly, the last thing we need right now is surprises," Mu said with a shake of his head.
"But... Lieutenant Badgiruel, are you certain they already know our identity?" Murrue sought confirmation from Natarle.
"Not certain..." Natarle shook her head. Even if the Junk Guild had its own intelligence network, the Archangel's information was classified even within the Atlantic Federation—they couldn't possibly have obtained it.
Considering Madok's response to Natarle's reaction, it was likely just an educated guess, and her own response had confirmed it for them?
At this thought, Natarle wished she could slap herself.
"...But the possibility is high."
"I see..." Murrue found it difficult to judge immediately. She agreed with Mu—the Archangel least needed surprises right now.
"Wait! I just thought of something," Mu suddenly exclaimed.
"What is it?"
"This intelligence... could it have been... meant for us all along?" Mu voiced a possibility, but quickly dismissed it, "No no, probably not. Yang Hui did say their relationship with the Atlantic Federation isn't great. And given their modus operandi, they wouldn't freely give intelligence to first-time customers. Yang Hui might be an exception though..."
"Should we... ask Yang Hui to analyze this?"
"Hmm?" X2
Murrue and Mu were momentarily stunned by Natarle's suggestion, their expressions turning peculiar.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just surprising that you'd want Yang Hui's input."
"Right..."
Natarle's suggestion genuinely astonished the other two. Given her personality, the three of them were currently discussing the Archangel's course of action—a matter of Atlantic Federation military affairs. Inviting Yang Hui, an Orb official and outsider, to participate would be unthinkable. Even if Yang Hui volunteered, Natarle should have rebuffed him with reasons like "internal military affairs" or "classified information."
"...I just considered that Yang Hui understands them best. Rather than the three of us speculating blindly, we might as well ask Yang Hui for analysis. Of course, the final decision still rests with the captain," Natarle explained, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Murrue and Mu exchanged glances, smiling simultaneously.
"Alright, let's have Yang Hui weigh in on this."
"Yes, Captain."
Soon, Yang Hui was roused from sleep and brought to the captain's office by Natarle Badgiruel.
"Captain Ramius, Lieutenant Flaga, what assistance do you need this time?" Yang Hui asked with visible frustration. He hadn't rested properly in ages, and just as he'd fallen asleep, Natarle had dragged him from his bed.
Murrue and Mu were taken aback by the clear complaint in Yang Hui's tone, both turning questioning looks toward Natarle to understand what she'd done to upset him.
"It's... it's urgent. The Archangel's navigation route takes priority. Sleep can wait—"
"Ah..."
They immediately understood—Yang Hui had been resting when Natarle hauled him here.
"Well, Yang Hui, we genuinely need your help right now. The Archangel can't remain stationary here indefinitely, so... please bear with us," Murrue apologized.
Sigh "Isn't the Archangel's next course of action internal military business? Is it really appropriate for an outsider like me to participate?" Yang Hui asked wearily.
"Ah..." The three froze momentarily before chuckling self-deprecatingly. They'd previously worried about Yang Hui potentially gathering intelligence or secretly manipulating the Archangel, yet his first words were about maintaining appropriate boundaries.
"Here's the situation. The reason we called you—"
Murrue then explained their dilemma and why they'd sought his counsel.
After listening, Yang Hui frowned in thought. After two or three minutes, he finally responded.
"Madok isn't the type to act without incentive. He'd never provide intel for free—there's definitely an ulterior motive," Yang Hui told them.
"A trap?" Their brows furrowed deeply, ready to dismiss the idea of navigating through the debris field entirely—until Yang Hui continued.
"It's highly likely to be a trap, but... Madok never acts without purpose. Given his cunning, even if this is a trap, there must be compelling bait—something so valuable we couldn't possibly refuse."
"Bait that significant? What could it be?"
"...Not sure. Something that would tempt both sides equally... Wait! The debris field—Julius 7!" Yang Hui suddenly realized what the bait might be.
The ruins of Julius 7 at the center of the debris zone. At this point in time, only one thing held enough value to serve as such irresistible bait for Yang Hui:
Lacus Clyne!
Having traveled between Orb and PLANT multiple times for cooperative purposes, Yang Hui had established connections with PLANT's leadership—Siegel Clyne and Patrick Zala—and had naturally met Lacus as well. In fact...
Truth be told, after several interactions, he and Lacus had developed a rather good friendship. If events followed their original trajectory, with Lacus traveling to Julius 7 to prepare memorial services, she would currently be in grave danger!
But... that didn't quite add up either!
Because in the original storyline, Kira had encountered the reconnaissance-type GINN sent for rescue before finding Lacus. Logically, without the Archangel's appearance, she should have been rescued by the ZAFT Forces. Could there have been some unforeseen variable?
If that were truly the case, then Lacus would indeed be in grave danger. No matter what, Yang Hui had to make his way to the wreckage zone.
While Lacus was important to Yang Hui, what was the critical factor for the Archangel?
If Madok had guessed that the Archangel was an Earth Forces warship, he would certainly realize that its course couldn't be easily influenced by Yang Hui alone. Therefore, the intelligence he provided wasn't meant for Yang Hui's ears only—he wanted the Archangel to head for the wreckage zone as well. So then...
What bait would Murrue and Natarle Badgiruel find impossible to ignore?
"The Eighth Orbital Fleet... the Vanguard Fleet...!"
Pure analysis of the intelligence at hand wouldn't have led to this conclusion, but Yang Hui knew the plot. After the Archangel went missing, Duan Halberton had dispatched the Vanguard Fleet to rendezvous with it. However, before they could meet, the Creuset Team would ambush them, resulting in total annihilation.
During the rescue mission, the Archangel only narrowly escaped when Natarle Badgiruel threatened Lacus's life—otherwise, even the Archangel would have been destroyed there.
"But... the timing, the route, the events have all changed. Would things still unfold the same way? Or perhaps... could they turn out even worse?"
Seeing Yang Hui deep in thought, the three of them dared not disturb him. Even now, they still regarded Yang Hui as their pillar of support. Despite not being an Earth Forces soldier, they would still seriously consider his suggestions.
"Let's go. We'll know once we see for ourselves," Yang Hui finally decided.
"But... what if it's a trap? What should we do then?" Murrue voiced her concern.
"Right. With the Archangel's current combat capabilities, we wouldn't survive an attack from the ZAFT Forces," Mu added.
"Then we'll find reinforcements to bolster our strength."
"Reinforcements? You mean allies? But right now, we're..."
"No, not the Earth Forces."
"Not the Earth Forces?"
"Exactly. Wait here a moment."
With that, Yang Hui left the captain's office and returned shortly, bringing with him a sophisticated device they had never seen before.
"What's this?"
"I smuggled this aboard along with the Strike Gundam. It's a quantum communication device I developed independently, capable of long-distance real-time communication. Since it's still in the experimental phase, it hasn't been widely distributed. I only gave it to those who might need emergency contact under critical circumstances," Yang Hui explained as he activated the device.
"Long-distance real-time communication?!"
"Wait, wait, wait! Is that even possible?"
"You made this yourself? That's... that's just..."
The three of them were stunned. As soldiers who had experienced isolation without reinforcements, they understood full well what this meant. Had they possessed such a device earlier and established contact with the Eighth Orbital Fleet from the start, their crisis would have been reduced by more than half.
"Bzzzt... bzzzt... Request received... bzzzt... Responding... bzzzt..."
"It looks like the connection went through." Yang Hui smiled upon hearing the voice on the other end of the communication. This was just a prototype with limited maximum range, and the other party's location was unpredictable. Whether they could establish contact had been uncertain, but fortunately, it worked.
"This is Yang Hui. Please respond if you receive this."
"Received... static... This is... [Serpent Tail]... static... Never thought... would use... one day... static... Mission details..."
"How long would it take to reach the debris field near the ruins of [Julius 7]?"
"Calculating route... static... requires... three days..."
"Three days... That should work. I'm officially commissioning you to rendezvous with me near the ruins of [Julius 7] for a protection detail. As for payment... I heard from Lowe—you've already acquired that Mobile Suit, right?"
"That... junk dealer... static... correct..."
"The payment will be a custom modification for your Mobile Suit by [Dawn Company]. How does that sound?"
"...Agreed... I'll depart... static... immediately..."
"My life is in your hands this time, Gai."
"...Since it's a commission... static... will... complete it..."
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