"It's been a long time. It looks like you've been doing well lately."
"You're doing pretty well yourself, fighting another big battle."
"Don't even mention it. I almost died of exhaustion this time."
"You? Exhausted? Haha."
When Yang Hui and Char met again, they arranged to meet directly on the Luna. The two gave each other a very "warm" hug!
The internal structure of the Luna was not a major secret to Char. Furthermore, the Gwadan-class warship Yang Hui had prepared for the Zeon Republic was not much inferior. Since they were allies now, they would learn these details sooner or later anyway.
"When are you returning to space?" After the pleasantries ended, Char got straight to the point.
"You still have the leisure to worry about space? Worry about Earth first. Don't think you can rest easy just because the Federal Assembly gave you these territories," Yang Hui said, rolling his eyes.
"Don't I have you guys?"
"That also takes time. The Aristocrat Faction has already begun making arrangements, but it won't be finished in a short while." The network of the Aristocrat Faction was intricate. Some people could be won over, some needed to be purged, and others needed to be intimidated. It wasn't something that could be settled overnight. After all, they had to consider the stability of the Federation; during war and the immediate post-war period, stability was valued above all else.
"Alright. Actually, I've thought about it, and I'm prepared to consolidate a bit," Char said. Currently, the Zeon Republic's territories on Earth were scattered and fragmented. It was difficult for him to manage them, let alone defend them if the Federation eventually turned hostile.
Moreover, many of these places had no strategic value in terms of occupation. It would be better to concentrate his forces and take one or two important territories, which would also better suit the Zeon Republic's current size.
"North America should be yours, but don't even think about Odessa."
"How did you know I wanted Odessa?"
"Haha, the only places on Earth worth your interest are North America and Odessa. South Africa isn't worth considering, Australia is a wasteland, the Federation will never let go of Asia, and you can forget about Europe—General Revil has gone there to hold the fort himself, which shows how much the Federation values it."
"Hmm... Australia and South Africa, which do you think is more suitable?"
"Each has its pros and cons. Although Australia is a wasteland, it is full of potential for reconstruction. You can rebuild it according to your own ideas. Furthermore, Australia can threaten Asia to the north and South America to the east. Jaburo is in South America, so it can serve as a deterrent. But the problem is this land... it's been wiped too clean, and strategic resources are scarce.
"If it's South Africa, the strategic significance and development potential aren't as high, but it has more abundant resources than Australia. Going upward, the Middle East and Europe are within its range. Oh, and South America is too. It depends on what you choose."
"Then I choose Australia," Char decided immediately.
"A wise choice."
Australia and South Africa seemed similar, but there were subtle differences. The Federation didn't want the wasteland of Australia either. By choosing Australia, Char was proactively making a concession to the Federation, which would lower the Federal Assembly's guard against the Zeon Republic.
At the same time, if Char could achieve excellent results in the reconstruction of Australia, it would change the perspective of the Federation's civilians, especially the refugees who survived in Australia. This would be conducive to the final grand integration of Space Residents and Earth Residents, which was the ultimate goal shared by Yang Hui, Revil, Gopp, and Char.
After all, this world was a logistics world for Prometheus Fortress, and stability was essential. To achieve stability, grand integration had to be realized.
Beep beep...
"Yang Hui, I've brought the person."
"Come in."
The door opened, and Natarle Badgiruel arrived with Haman Karn, who had been confined on the Luna. Haman Karn's expression was quite unpleasant.
She knew she would be sent to the Zeon Republic, but... what was the meaning of bringing her, a prisoner, into combat? Did they plan to die with her if the mission failed?
"Haman Karn?" Char asked, looking at the purple-haired girl before him.
"I am Haman Karn, Casval... Lord Casval."
"No need to be nervous, Haman. There are no outsiders here. If you like, you can just call me Char. This guy calls me that anyway," Char said, pointing at Yang Hui.
"Yes, Lord Char..."
"You don't need to call me 'Lord' either, just my name is fine." In public, he was the heir of Deikun and the Prime Minister of the Zeon Republic; no matter how embarrassing it was to be called "Lord," he had to endure it. But in private, he truly disliked people calling him that.
"Uh, yes, Mr. Char."
"This little girl seems to be a fan of yours," Yang Hui teased, putting an arm around Char's shoulder.
"..." Char gave Yang Hui a side-eye, then looked helplessly at Haman Karn, only to see the girl shyly lowering her head. "Sigh."
"But don't look down on her because she's young. Her strength is actually quite good. She held out against me for three minutes," Yang Hui praised.
"You!" Haman Karn glared at Yang Hui indignantly. Holding out for three minutes—was he praising her or insulting her!? Especially in front of the person she admired, it was hard not to get emotional.
But to Haman Karn's surprise, Char remarked seriously, "That really is quite extraordinary."
"Mr. Char...?" Haman Karn was confused. Was lasting only three minutes against someone really that impressive? Shouldn't defeating him be the real achievement?
"It seems you still don't realize what kind of monster you were facing," Char said with a smile. "You won't find five people in the entire world who can last three minutes against Yang Hui."
"Ah?" Haman Karn looked blankly at Yang Hui. She knew he was powerful, but she hadn't realized he was powerful to such an extent. The so-called strongest MS pilot was still the strongest even if they were only slightly better than the tenth place. The battle in the Reef Starfield was Haman Karn's first combat, so she had no frame of reference and didn't realize the fact that Yang Hui was essentially a monster.
"This guy was once played with like a toy by me for a long time," Yang Hui teased, patting Char's shoulder.
"Tch, you have the nerve to say that while relying on your machine's performance?" Char shot a look at Yang Hui and complained. The performance gap between a Zaku II and the Astray Gundam was like the difference between heaven and earth. Moreover, Yang Hui's piloting skills already surpassed Char's, so being bullied was only natural.
"Want to compare now, then? I'll let you use a Zaku Phantom."
"Not interested."
"Haha."
Char was intimidated; everyone present could see it.
Char wasn't afraid of losing face. Yang Hui's actual age was over a hundred years old, and he had fought across several worlds. What kind of battles had he not seen? Char was still a young man; he wouldn't compare himself to an old monster, nor did he have any interest in seeking out a beating.
Furthermore, in private, Char had learned through casual conversation that the Astray Gundam couldn't even bring out Yang Hui's full power. They were under many restrictions in this world; if Yang Hui had brought his custom machine, there wouldn't be this much trouble—he could have steamrolled the Federation and Zeon fleets by himself.
"Alright, take her and go, or I'll be dragged down by you." Char's visit to the Luna had been disguised, and Stan Lee Hawkins wouldn't say anything. The people outside were all from the Twelfth Independent Technical Division and wouldn't gossip.
But there were many eyes and ears around the Luna. A brief meeting didn't matter, as any observant person could see a bit of the relationship between Yang Hui and Char. But if Char stayed too long, it would make those with persecution complexes wonder if the two were plotting something against them.
"Fine. In a while, I'll go to Geneva to discuss territorial matters with the Federation. After that, I'll return to space."
"Then we're about the same. I'm heading to Odessa immediately."
"Odessa, huh... be careful. I received word that Mark Be seems to have prepared a surprise for you."
"I will."
Char left with Haman Karn. After the Twelfth Independent Technical Division received supplies and the Luna and White Base completed their repairs, they immediately set off for the European Theater. Odessa was the Principality of Zeon's last important military base on Earth. As long as the Odessa base was reclaimed, they could not only cut off the supply lines between Zeon and Earth but also move the main stage of the war to space.
As for the remnants on Earth... those scraps would be left for others to deal with.
"They're finally here?" Revil stood on the landing pad that had been cleared in advance, watching the Luna and the White Base slowly descend.
"General, the Twelfth Independent Technical Division has arrived. The Odessa operation can finally be executed."
"Mhm. Let's go and greet our great heroes."
"Yes, sir!"
The Luna and the White Base landed steadily. Revil led a group of high-ranking officials forward to welcome them.
Logically, given Revil's status, he didn't need to personally greet anyone. However, the Twelfth Independent Technical Division had made massive contributions to reclaiming the Australia Theater and the North America Theater. Greeting them personally showed how much Revil valued them and served to boost morale.
"General Revil, the Twelfth Independent Technical Division has arrived as ordered. Please give your instructions." Yang Hui led the core members of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division in a salute to Revil.
"It's been hard on you all. You've just finished a major battle and haven't even had time to rest, and now there's another mission for you."
"A soldier's duty is to obey orders."
"Mhm. A fine resolution. Follow me."
"Yes, sir."
Yang Hui led the core members of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division along with Revil and the others to the central war room of the frontline headquarters for the strategy meeting.
As the Twelfth Independent Technical Division arrived, the officers waiting in the meeting room all looked toward them. They were unique; among the people present, the lowest rank was Lieutenant Colonel. Yet, among the core members of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, Yang Hui held the highest rank, followed by Natarle Badgiruel as a Lieutenant Colonel. The others held relatively low ranks.
Brad was a Major after becoming the captain of the White Base. Among the nine captains, only Jung and Kajima Yuu were Majors; the others were Captains, and the Vice-Captains were even lower. Amuro, who served as Yang Hui's exclusive assistant, was only a Chief Petty Officer.
Logically, they weren't even qualified to attend a meeting of this level; Yang Hui's presence alone should have been enough.
However, considering their combat record and the important responsibilities they were about to undertake, no one raised an objection.
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