While the underwater battle raged fiercely, the aerial combat was relatively less intense.
"Tch! These guys are persistent!"
The Skygrasper found itself relentlessly pursued by a [DINN], struggling to shake it off. The enemy pilot seemed to disregard the Archangel's anti-aircraft fire, fixated solely on the Skygrasper as if life and death no longer mattered.
Just then, the sea erupted in waves as the explosion of a [GOOhN] caused the [DINN] pilot to momentarily lose focus.
"Perfect opening!"
As an elite sniper, Lyle never missed such opportunities. After blocking Marco's machine's attack, he immediately discarded his shield, locked onto the [DINN] chasing the Skygrasper, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
His uncanny sniper shot streaked like a meteor, piercing through the [DINN]'s waist and leaving a ghastly hollow in its wake.
"Nice shot!"
With the [DINN] destroyed, Mu's pressure eased significantly. The Skygrasper turned around and fired, severing one of Marco's machine's balance wings.
"Damn it!"
Marco's machine was about to retaliate against the Skygrasper when a sudden chill of instinct made him yank the control stick.
A split second later, a golden bolt of lightning flashed by, cleanly severing the machine's right leg at the root.
Caught between the Skygrasper's harassing fire and the [GINN]'s deadly sniping, Marco Morassim found himself overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, the sea continued to churn violently as allied signals dropped one after another. He knew the battle was lost.
"[GOOhN] team's down? Damn it! All units, retreat!"
With his machine in tatters, the [DINN] swiftly withdrew. His subordinates, following orders, also disengaged from the Archangel—but unlike Marco Morassim, they lacked his skill and luck. The moment they turned, two Electromagnetic Cannon rounds tore through them. Before they could even explode, the CIWS Array's barrage shredded them completely, scattering debris across the ocean.
"Whew… glad I didn't mess that up." Yang Hui wiped his sweat, a relieved grin spreading across his face.
The Valiant Linear Cannon's rotation was limited to a vertical 360 degrees, leaving few opportunities to engage enemies within its firing arc—and those windows were fleeting. With only one hand available for operation, Yang Hui had missed several chances earlier. Fortunately, the retreating enemies gave him a shot at redemption.
"Well done, Yang Hui!" Natarle Badgiruel cheered excitedly.
Her outburst drew everyone's attention. Natarle, of all people, showing such enthusiasm? And with the battle not yet fully concluded—was this really the same iron-willed Captain Badgiruel?
Feeling the weight of their astonished stares, Natarle's cheeks flushed red before she quickly regained her composure. "Ahem! The battle isn't over yet. Stay focused!"
The crew turned away, stifling their laughter. Yang Hui hadn't been wrong—this gap moe was undeniably adorable.
Still, they agreed with Natarle's praise. That last opportunity had been incredibly rare, and the angle was tricky. Operating with just one hand was inevitably cumbersome, yet Yang Hui had seized the moment to take down both remaining [DINN] units simultaneously. That was top-tier weapons control.
"Heh." Murrue chuckled softly before turning to the radar operator. "Enemy positions?"
"No radar signatures. Jamming is dissipating—ZAFT Forces have retreated!"
"Alright!"
"Victory!"
...
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Although there were no losses in this battle, it was still better to avoid combat whenever possible. From the moment they descended to Earth until reaching Alaska, every battle could be an invitation from the King of Hell.
"Where's Kira? Have him return to the ship."
"Understood. Strike, please respond! Lieutenant Yamato, please respond!"
"This is Kira Yamato. Is the Archangel alright?" Kira's exhausted and tense voice came through the comms.
"The enemy forces have retreated. How's your situation?"
"Yeah, all targets have been eliminated."
"Good. The battle's over—return to the ship immediately."
"...Understood."
The Archangel had successfully weathered its first crisis after entering the ocean. But what they didn't know was that such dangers would keep coming—each one more perilous than the last. And... their relentless pursuers were about to cross paths with them again.
...
At the ZAFT Forces' Gibraltar Base, two small crafts that had just descended from space landed on the ground. The hatches opened, and the four mobile suits—Duel, Buster, Blitz, and Aegis—emerged one after another.
After securing their units, Athrun and the others disembarked and followed Captain Creuset to the second briefing room.
"Captain Creuset, where is Long Legs now?" Yzak asked impatiently as soon as they entered the room. Failing to sink the Archangel in space and allowing it to descend to Earth, even the Desert Tiger had been defeated by them—the proud Yzak felt utterly humiliated.
"Yzak, don't be so impulsive," Creuset soothed. Their descent to Earth wasn't for pursuing the Archangel. Operation Break the Situation was the most critical mission assigned to him by the Supreme Council, and it was also a pivotal part of his own plans. Compared to the variable that was the Archangel, Operation Break the Situation took precedence.
"But—"
"I understand how you feel, Yzak. And no matter what, we must prevent Long Legs from reaching Alaska with that data. But that's now the responsibility of the Carpentaria Base."
"This is our job, Captain. We have to finish them ourselves!"
"Exactly, I feel the same way, Captain!"
Yzak's proposal was naturally supported by his close friend Dearka. Like Yzak, Dearka was a proud individual, and allowing the Archangel to land on Earth was their mistake. They both wanted to personally erase that disgrace.
Athrun and Nicol remained silent. They didn't share the same burning obsession with chasing the Archangel—especially Athrun, who had no desire to fight Kira. Of the four, he was the most reluctant to pursue the Archangel.
"Of course, I share your sentiments. But unfortunately, I'm tied up preparing for Operation Break the Situation," Creuset feigned regret.
"Then we'll go ourselves!" Yzak insisted urgently.
"Well, since you're all so determined... why don't you try going on your own?"
"Yes!" With Creuset's permission, Yzak and Dearka were elated—especially Yzak. If they went alone, they'd form a new squad, and naturally, a new leader would need to be chosen. Confident in his abilities and considering his Duel Gundam's role as a commander unit, he believed he was the most suitable candidate.
But Creuset's choice left him bitterly disappointed.
"Then Yzak, Dearka, Nicol, and Athrun will form a squad to continue pursuing Long Legs. As for command... Athrun, I leave it to you."
"Eh?" Athrun was stunned. Both Yzak and Dearka wore unpleasant expressions. Though their bonds had strengthened after Athrun's severe injury, the rivalry among them hadn't disappeared.
"I'll arrange for the Carpentaria Base to prepare a mothership for you. Depart immediately."
"Captain, you want me to lead?" Athrun asked in confusion. Logically, he was the least likely candidate among the four. During previous battles, he'd held back due to his friendship with Kira. The one time he'd fought seriously, he'd been severely injured. Moreover, Creuset knew about his relationship with Kira—even to avoid suspicion, he shouldn't have been given command.
"That ship has deep ties with you." Creuset walked over and patted Athrun's shoulder. "I understand your difficulties, but I also look forward to your performance, Athrun."
"The Zala squad, huh..."
"Hmph, to think a defeated man would have the nerve."
"Yzak! Dearka!"
"My apologies~"
"Tch, just stating facts."
Athrun paid no attention to their bickering, lost in his own tangled thoughts.
...
Meanwhile, the Archangel had chosen not to take the shortest route to Alaska Base, opting instead to resupply in Orb. They also avoided deep waters to minimize threats, sticking to shallow regions.
"Ah, I really want to reach Orb soon," Katz grumbled impatiently while studying the navigation chart in the mess hall.
"Same here, but we can't rush it," Tolle replied.
"Right. It's already rare that we get to stop by Orb. Our final destination is Alaska Base, after all—going via Orb adds a huge detour," Sai pointed out.
"Exactly, so be grateful. If not for Yang Hui, we wouldn't even get to return to Orb. After all, we can't just retire mid-operation," Miriallia added.
"I know, but I can't help thinking about it..."
"Having something to look forward to isn't bad, right? So cut Katz some slack."
"Yang Hui?" x4
"Yo, I'm hungry. Came to grab some food." Yang Hui sat down beside them with a tray.
"Thank you, Yang Hui, for giving us a chance to return to Orb," Miriallia said gratefully.
"I didn't divert the Archangel to Orb for your sake. It's just a transaction, so no need for thanks."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it—political dealings," the four teased. After spending so much time together, they'd grown to respect Yang Hui. Their past resentment and anger had long since faded. Though his words could be sharp and his tone unsparing, they knew it came from a place of care.
Moreover, they'd noticed a change in him. Unlike before, when he'd felt distant, his interactions now felt more genuine.
Of course, some things he still kept to himself—but they understood.
Like this trip to Orb. Yang Hui was heading to North Africa to find Cagalli. Couldn't he have returned to Orb with her without the Archangel?
Of course not. The fact that he had entrusted the Archangel to escort him and Cagalli back to Orb, even engaging in diplomatic exchanges with the Atlantic Federation—wasn't that already helping them?
It was just that due to Yang Hui's position, the truth couldn't be publicly acknowledged. Everyone understood without needing it spelled out.
At that moment, Kira entered the mess hall, and Tolle and the other three fell silent—especially Sai, who kept his head down, avoiding Kira's gaze.
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