Fanaticism was like a stimulant—it had its limits. Under Lacus's influence, both sides in the brutal conflict experienced a brief pause, allowing the frenzy to gradually subside. Then, as their respective allied forces stepped forward to restrain them, the hesitation grew. Finally, Yang Hui and the others arrived just in time, their overwhelming presence cooling the fevered minds completely.
"Get those fools back here now!"
"Seize this moment to restrain them!"
The commander of Boaz Fortress and Duan Halbaton immediately issued orders. The ZAFT Forces were in a slightly better position, with Boaz Fortress as their stronghold, but the Earth Forces fleet had no such advantage. If the Orb Military were to declare war on them now, given their current combat strength, even a strategist like Duan Halbaton could think of no way to stop the Orb Military from annihilating the Earth fleet—short of using sacrificial pawns to lure them into a nuclear detonation.
But there was one thing none of them knew: Yang Hui, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria also breathed a sigh of relief when both sides ceased fire and retreated. They were utterly exhausted, running on their last reserves.
Think about it—ever since crossing into PLANT territory, the White Tiger had been engaged in continuous, high-intensity combat. They had stormed Genesis, faced Jachin Due's heavily fortified defenses head-on, and then rushed at full speed to reinforce Boaz Fortress after destroying Genesis. There had been almost no rest in between. Even an Iron Man would have melted under such strain.
Yet none of the four dared to relax. They had fought hard for this chance at peace, and if their true condition were exposed now, their deterrence would weaken, potentially reigniting the war.
Only when both forces had withdrawn to a safe distance, ensuring no immediate resumption of hostilities, did Yang Hui and the others allow themselves a moment of respite. Coincidentally, the White Tiger arrived just then, and the four Gundams—Dawn Gundam among them—returned to the ship.
"Haah... haah... haah..." All four of them needed support just to stand after disembarking. The moment they removed their helmets, sweat sprayed everywhere, their hair soaked, faces pale with exhaustion.
The crew around them immediately helped the four to the rest area, even summoning doctors to check their condition. Only after confirming it was just fatigue and weakness did everyone relax.
"Seriously... we didn't die in battle, but we almost dropped dead from exhaustion," Lyle complained with a weak laugh.
"It's... about the same as that time," Setsuna said.
At that, the four chuckled softly. Others wouldn't understand, but they knew exactly which "time" Setsuna meant.
"The plan succeeded. It was all worth it," Tieria murmured, the faintest smile tugging at his lips—a rare sight that left their attendants stunned.
"Don't let your guard down yet," Yang Hui reminded them. "The White Dove Plan isn't perfectly complete. There's still one final step."
"That's your job now, not ours," Lyle teased.
"Uh..."
He was right. The last phase of the White Dove Plan involved post-war negotiations and Orb's reconstruction—diplomacy, politics, infrastructure. That was the domain of Yang Hui, Sumeragi, and Wang Liu Mei. Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria were soldiers; their duty was combat.
"I swear... No, I think you guys should pitch in too—"
"Get lost!" x3
Even Setsuna and Tieria couldn't help but join Lyle in cursing out loud upon hearing this. These were matters they had zero aptitude for - they'd much rather shoot politicians than waste words on them.
"Didn't you recruit an assistant?" Lyle asked.
The lounge fell silent at his words, all four men wearing grave expressions. Yang Hui waved for the others to leave, keeping only their quartet for discussion.
"He can't appear publicly. You all know this."
"...I still maintain my position. That man is dangerous and shouldn't be kept alive." Tieria's suggestion was reasonable. From a purely logical standpoint, considering both his crimes and his inherent nature, he didn't deserve to live. Public execution and exposing his schemes to the world would be the optimal solution.
First, it would focus global hatred on him, placing war responsibility on his shoulders and giving war-weary people an outlet for their negative emotions. Second, it would give both PLANT and the Earth Alliance a face-saving way to deescalate without pushing either side into a corner. Third, having the Orb Military capture and expose the mastermind who'd remained hidden would elevate Orb's global prestige to new heights - not just through military deterrence, but through earned respect and gratitude.
Yet... sparing him could also yield tremendous benefits. Unlike execution's one-time gains, these would be long-term advantages.
Creuset, the man who'd manipulated the entire world - his cunning and methods needed no elaboration. His ability to control global events from the shadows suggested he must possess extensive intelligence networks and connections. Perhaps they could extract information from Creuset that they'd long sought in vain.
Not just about this world, but others too. Creuset's methods and temperament made him uniquely suited for the dirty work in the shadows - precisely what Prometheus Fortress's team currently lacked.
After over a decade of governing in this world, witnessing endless darkness and corruption while wearing false masks, Yang Hui had come to deeply appreciate the importance of the shadows. He'd always known light and shadow were two sides of the same coin, that the world wasn't simply black and white, yet he'd kept himself and his entire team firmly in the light.
Men like Creuset were perfect candidates to fill Prometheus Fortress's need for shadows. Only with both light and darkness could the world be complete.
"...Let's use him for now. Otherwise, all our efforts to spare him would be wasted, no?" Yang Hui shrugged.
"Hah, you call that 'effort'?" Lyle rolled his eyes sarcastically.
"Of course. It took tremendous willpower not to run him through with my sword."
"Whatever. It's your call, but..." Lyle paused, his expression now identical to Setsuna and Tieria's, "I'll be watching him. If needed, I won't hesitate to put a bullet in him."
"Or a sword."
"Or a cannon shot."
"Should I chime in with 'or a hammer'?"
Watching the three men deadpan this comedy routine, Yang Hui facepalmed.
At that moment, the door opened, yet the four continued their conversation undisturbed. Since Yang Hui had already instructed not to be interrupted, the only ones who could enter unhindered were Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei.
"How are you feeling?" Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei sat on the edge of Yang Hui's bed, their faces filled with concern.
"Just tired, no injuries." Yang Hui smiled gently and took their hands in his to reassure them.
"If only we had a GN Drive..." Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei sighed. They knew Yang Hui's exhaustion stemmed not just from prolonged high-intensity combat but also from using Innovator Mode without the aid of GN Particles. The strain of maintaining that form without their support was immense.
"There's no helping it. We can't return for now, and bringing out a GN Drive is impossible. Unlocking fortress technology would cost too much—it's beyond our current means." Yang Hui shook his head wryly. He longed for a GN Drive; with one, both their ships and MS could solve atmospheric flight issues more easily, and GN Particles would significantly extend his combat endurance.
"Yang Hui, I recall you researched Quasi-GN Drives before we left our world, didn't you?" Tieria asked. As the one most invested in GN Drives, he remained steadfast in his commitment to Celestial Being's ideals, even applying them across different worlds.
"I did. Given time, I could build a GN Condenser..."
"Then—"
"But it wouldn't be practical." Yang Hui shook his head, knowing Tieria wanted to temporarily substitute GN Drives with Condensers.
The idea had merit—while inferior to true GN Drives, Condensers still possessed GN Particle traits like anti-gravity and electromagnetic interference. However, one critical issue had to be resolved first, or else boosting combat capability might backfire catastrophically.
"Condensers lack TD Filtration Layers. The GN Particles they produce are too toxic—I'd need time to solve that filtration problem. And don't underestimate Condensers; their resource demands surpass nuclear engines and Neutron Jammer Cancellers, let alone new ultra-compact energy batteries.
Another point you might've overlooked: Condensers can't self-recharge. Their operational time is limited, currently making them inferior to nuclear engines..."
"That is problematic." The red GN Particles from Condensers carried severe toxicity, causing irreversible damage to both humans and the environment. Without solving this, Condensers would indeed be less valuable than nuclear engines.
Similarly, supporting Yang Hui's Innovator Mode for combat or communication required high-concentration, high-purity GN Particle fields. Red Particles lacked sufficient purity, and without self-generation, achieving the needed density would be difficult.
"Still... GN Particle traits are crucial. If nothing else, I'm sick of relying on flight units," Lyle remarked. Setsuna and Tieria nodded in agreement.
"Hmm... After the peace talks conclude, I'll try to resolve the toxicity filtration issue. If that works out, then we can test the Twin Drive System."
"I'll leave it to you."
"By the way, Sumeragi, what's our current flight route?" Yang Hui asked.
"The Eternal will return to L4 and be handed over to Terminal. The Archangel and White Tiger will head to Ame No Minashira. Then we'll all descend to Earth and return to Orb."
Yang Hui had no objections to this arrangement. The Three Ships Alliance was a cooperative effort, not a subordinate relationship. The Eternal remained a ZAFT vessel and didn't belong to Orb, so returning it to Terminal was the correct decision.
The Archangel had already joined the Orb Military during the defense of Orb, so naturally it would return alongside the White Tiger.
"...Contact Mina. Have her relay my orders to the forces on Earth - they can come home now."