"Is the M1... Astray also... a Gundam?" Kira asked in confusion, noting its striking resemblance to the Strike.
"Gundam?" Director Erica Simmons and Cagalli were momentarily stunned, unsure why Kira would refer to the M1 Astray as a Gundam.
"General Unilateral Neuro-Link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver—take the initials, G.U.N.D.A.M., Gundam," Yang Hui explained on Kira's behalf.
"Eh? Is that so?"
Director Erica Simmons and Cagalli looked at Kira for confirmation.
"Yeah..."
"Heh, not a bad way to put it. If that's the case, then the M1 Astray could be considered a Gundam too—just a simplified mass-produced version."
"Oh... By the way, Cagalli, your face..."
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Hearing this, Cagalli turned away, covering her swollen left cheek.
"Got scolded by your old man, huh?" Yang Hui smirked teasingly.
"Sh-shut up! More importantly, why are you here?" Cagalli demanded.
"Obviously to check on my mobile suit."
"Your mobile suit?" x2
Unlike Cagalli and Kira's shock, Director Erica Simmons wore a grave expression. Yang Hui's mobile suit was a closely guarded secret within Dawn Company, yet he had just mentioned it openly in front of Cagalli and Kira. That could only mean...
"Is it time?"
"Yeah."
"I understand."
"Wait, what's going on? What are you two being so cryptic about? And what do you mean by 'your mobile suit'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like—my personal MS."
"Since when do you have a personal MS?"
"Since you kept running away from home for no reason."
"Yang Hui! You jerk!"
With an angry shout, Cagalli grabbed Yang Hui's arm, trying to drag him away.
"What are you doing?" Naturally, Yang Hui wasn't about to let her pull him off—he still had plenty to do.
"Taking you to see your mobile suit, of course!"
"Why?"
"No reason!"
"Um... Actually, I also..." Kira timidly raised his hand, equally curious about Yang Hui's personal MS.
Ever since learning that Yang Hui had programmed the Strike's OS, Kira had suspected that Yang Hui didn't need a Natural-specific OS to pilot an MS. Witnessing his and Lyle's incredible performance in North Africa had only confirmed it.
He had also noticed that both Yang Hui and Lyle seemed awkward when piloting the Desert Specialized Type GINN—clearly, the machine couldn't keep up with their movements. Combined with their seasoned combat skills, it was obvious they weren't new to piloting MS and likely had high-performance personal units.
Kira still hated fighting, and that hadn't changed. But that didn't stop him from being curious about Yang Hui's personal machine.
"..." Yang Hui glanced at Kira, then at Cagalli's eager gaze, and finally sighed. "Fine, let's go. I was heading there anyway."
"Let's go then!" Cagalli happily tried to pull Yang Hui along again, but still couldn't budge him.
"Cagalli..."
"What? Didn't you already agree?"
"...You're going the wrong way."
"Ah..."
The four of them passed through layers of strict identity verification via a side passage. After what seemed like endless travel and descending countless meters underground, they finally arrived at a secret hangar.
"This is!"
Inside the hangar stood four Gundams. Though all were Gundams, they were clearly different from both the M1 Astray and X Series units. Each of the four machines had completely distinct designs.
Cagalli didn't recognize them immediately, though they felt familiar. But Kira immediately identified three of them - Gundam Exia, Gundam Cherudim, and Gundam Virtue. These were the very machines that had protected them in space!
The fourth unit was completely unfamiliar, as Kira had been on standby in Strike's cockpit during that battle and hadn't witnessed the combat situation.
"Let me introduce them. My personal unit, FPF (Fort Promise Force)-01, Daybreak. These are FPF-02 Exia, FPF-03 Cherudim, and FPF-04 Virtue." Yang Hui introduced them one by one to Cagalli and Kira.
"These three units weren't... I see." Kira had been about to ask if Exia, Cherudim and Virtue weren't mercenaries, but the question answered itself as soon as it formed - clearly that had just been cover for Yang Hui's group.
"So why did you build these machines?" Cagalli asked.
"To protect Orb of course..."
"Nonsense! Isn't the M1 enough to protect Orb? Why build these? And if you could make these, why help the Atlantic Federation develop MS?"
"What about funding? Resources?"
"Well..."
"Do you think MS are made by shaping mud with bare hands?"
"...T-there must be other ways!" Cagalli's right cheek flushed red, matching her swollen left one.
"Haha, have you seen the Finance Department's reports? Reviewed the Logistics Department's resource expenditures? Do you know how much an MS costs to build?"
"N-no..."
"Do you know how much trade with other nations earns us? The market prices of these materials?"
"N-not really..."
"Are you aware how much pressure the Atlantic Federation and PLANT have been putting on Orb? How they've been trying to annex us?"
"No..."
The rapid-fire questions made Cagalli increasingly ashamed. She hung her head, unable to meet Yang Hui's gaze, hands fidgeting awkwardly in front of her.
"So Cagalli, you should just be a proper princess and leave these matters alone."
"You! What's that supposed to mean? Of course I should care! I'm part of Orb too!"
"Then tell me, what can you actually do besides cause trouble?"
"I... I..." After stammering, inspiration suddenly struck. "I can fight..."
"Do you really not know your own skill level?"
"Urk..."
"So go home and stop being willful here."
"...Yang Hui! You're such a jerk!"
Cagalli ran away with tears in her eyes. Kira reached out to stop her, but his hand froze mid-air. He realized he had no reason to keep her, and Yang Hui's words to Cagalli... weren't entirely wrong.
"Was that really necessary?" Erica Simmons crossed her arms and asked Yang Hui. She also thought Cagalli was a willful princess, but... being spoken to like that by Yang Hui was rather pitiful.
"What else could I do? Let her keep acting recklessly?"
"That's not an option, but... I doubt she'll obediently listen."
"I agree, so..."
Before he could finish, Cagalli stormed back, glaring at Yang Hui with eyes burning in humiliated fury, as if she wanted to incinerate him on the spot.
"Teach me..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but Yang Hui could still hear it clearly. Yet...
"What was that?" Yang Hui feigned confusion, pretending not to have heard.
"I said teach me! Didn't you promise? You said you'd teach me how to pilot an MS! Are you going back on your word, you jerk?!"
"Is that how you ask for help?" Yang Hui teased.
"You bastard! Ah~!!! Are you going to teach me or not?!"
"Later. I'm busy right now—no time for lessons."
"Damn it! Yang Hui! You really are the worst!"
Cagalli ran off again, but this time, she didn't look back.
"Do you really plan to teach her how to pilot an MS?" Erica Simmons asked once Cagalli was out of sight.
"Why not?"
"Does Lord Uzumi know?"
"What if he does? What if he doesn't? To borrow your earlier words—if I don't teach her, does that mean she won't try anyway?"
"...I see."
"Right. Director Simmons, our top priority is completing the modifications on all four units. I'll handle the rest."
"Understood."
"Kira, let's go."
"Huh? Oh."
Kira had been standing silently on the sidelines, not daring to interject. The exchanges between Yang Hui, Cagalli, and Erica Simmons had left him dumbfounded, even making him forget why he was there in the first place.
Yang Hui led Kira out of the secret hangar. Erica Simmons would handle the energy modifications for the four Gundams, while he took Kira to address the OS issues for the M1 Astray. However...
"Yang Hui, what do you need me to do?"
"Just check if the current OS needs any improvements," Yang Hui replied.
"But... you don't really need me for that, do you?" Kira pressed. After all, Yang Hui was far more skilled at OS programming than he was. He couldn't believe Yang Hui couldn't finish an OS for Naturals on his own.
"It's mostly done. Consider this a chance to relax while double-checking for any gaps."
"I see..."
Kira understood now—this task didn't actually require him. Yang Hui had called him to Dawn Company for some unknown reason.
"What? Wondering why I specifically brought you here?" Yang Hui guessed Kira's thoughts and smiled.
"Yeah..."
"On one hand, we genuinely need you to help identify any gaps. Although I've already developed the OS, it still requires others to spot potential issues. Perhaps you could offer better suggestions?"
"R-really?"
"Yes. On the other hand... do you want to become stronger?" Yang Hui asked Kira.
"Huh?"
As they walked, Kira suddenly realized this wasn't the way they'd come. Under Yang Hui's guidance, they arrived at a completely different area—a vast space lined neatly with numerous MS cockpits. The indicator lights inside kept alternating between red and green, accompanied by occasional complaints and curses echoing through the area.
"What is this place?"
"The MS pilot training facility. So? Want to give it a try?"
"This... wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
Kira truly didn't dare accept, growing increasingly wary of Yang Hui's true intentions. Ever since arriving at Dawn Company, he'd been continuously exposed to Orb's classified secrets—the M1 Astray, the Dawn Gundam along with three other Gundams, and now this training facility. None of these were things an outsider like him should know.
"Wondering why?"
"...Yes."
"I believe that one day, Kira..." Yang Hui patted Kira's shoulder and walked toward the front of the training facility. "...We'll fight side by side."