Chapter 239: Sensitive Identity? Then I’ll Lay My Cards on the Table!

"The New-Type Warship? It wasn't taken out?"

"A warship? Inside the Colony?"

"The Archangel?"

As the Archangel set sail, everyone froze in place.

But Creuset was the quickest to regain his composure. Abandoning the Strike Gundam, he charged toward the Archangel.

"We've passed through the port and entered the Colony's interior. The impact caused minimal damage, and the ship's hull is only slightly compromised," Arnold reported.

"Heliopolis has sustained severe internal damage. The Strike Gundam is active—no, it's in combat mode!"

Receiving the report, Murrue Ramius immediately issued an order through the bridge's glass as the CGUE's approach became visible to the naked eye: "Evade! Hard to starboard!"

In this critical moment, the Archangel veered to the right, narrowly dodging the CGUE's shots. Although a couple of shells landed on the Archangel, they merely sparked weakly against the armor's surface, producing a series of "ding-dong" sounds before being deflected.

"Enhanced High-Velocity Armor-Piercing Shells can't even penetrate the New-Type Warship's armor? Is the Federation's new warship a monster?" Creuset cursed.

The CGUE's ammunition was running low, and he was only equipped with light weapons, making it impossible to take down the Archangel in a short time. So, he shifted his focus back to the Strike Gundam.

"I'll start with you…"

"Beep, beep, beep…"

"What!?"

The alarm blared. Just as the CGUE turned around, the Strike Gundam, wielding a massive sword, was rapidly closing in. The beam threads on the sword's blade stimulated Creuset's survival instincts, and the cold glint of the blade's tip seemed to pierce his skin.

The CGUE raised its shield across its chest, slightly turning its body while hiding the 76mm machine gun behind the shield. Creuset calculated that after blocking the Strike Gundam's sword, he could immediately swing it aside, leaving the Gundam's center exposed for a direct strike to its core.

"Your movements are too predictable. Are you a rookie? Perfect…"

However…

"Sizzle~!"

The confident expression froze on Creuset's face. The thick shield offered no resistance to the massive sword, which sliced through it as effortlessly as cutting tofu. Along with the shield, the CGUE's left arm holding it and the machine gun hidden behind were also cleaved in two.

"What!? That kind of power?"

Creuset was stunned by the Strike Gundam's performance. Whether it was its incredible jumping ability, instantaneous explosive power, or the destructive force of the Sword Rifle's Ship-Slaying Sword, the CGUE was no match for it alone.

With the Strike Gundam's threat level heightened and his own mobile suit now incapacitated, Creuset didn't hesitate. He turned the CGUE around and fled, retreating through the previously opened passage back into space.

"Stop…"

"Don't chase him!"

The Strike Gundam wanted to press its advantage and finish off the enemy, but Yang Hui's voice cooled Kira's tense and heated mind.

"There are ZAFT warships outside Heliopolis, and more than just this one MS. Don't walk into a trap."

"…Understood."

With the CGUE temporarily retreating, Yang Hui breathed a sigh of relief. The greatest crisis had passed, and compared to the original events, Heliopolis had suffered far less damage. The steel cables connecting to the central axis hadn't been severed by the Archangel's missiles, nor had the Strike Gundam blasted a massive hole in the Colony's walls.

However…

"It's all up to human effort now."

Yang Hui was deeply conflicted about the decision regarding Heliopolis. If left to its natural course, Heliopolis would disintegrate and collapse without his intervention. However, the current damage was not severe enough, leaving it in an awkward position.

Even so, the final outcome of Heliopolis would be determined by the next battle. The three GINNs carried heavy equipment designed for fortress and ship combat. Even a single missed shot could cause far more damage than several ship-launched anti-MS missiles.

"What comes next..."

Yang Hui looked up as the Archangel slowly descended, signaling that his perilous journey was about to begin. With his involvement, whether the Archangel's journey would become easier or more difficult... was still unknown.

...

As the Archangel landed, everyone boarded the ship via the Strike Gundam's large hands, which extended from the catapult deck's exit.

"Captain Ramius!"

As soon as they arrived, Murrue Ramius came forward with the survivors to greet them.

"Lieutenant Ramius!"

"It's a relief to see you're safe!"

"You're the ones who really saved us by activating the Archangel."

The two exchanged salutes, both relieved to see each other alive. ZAFT's attack had been brutal, nearly wiping out the Earth Alliance forces. Every survivor now felt like a victory.

At that moment, the cockpit of the Strike Gundam opened, and Kira stepped out, drawing the attention of Murrue and the others.

"Wait, what's going on? He's just a kid! Was he the one piloting that thing?" Kojiro Murdoch, a highly skilled mechanic, found it hard to accept. He knew the X Series wasn't something just anyone could pilot.

The five Gundams of the X Series had undergone preliminary simulation tests on Earth, with five elite pilots selected by the Atlantic Federation. However, even taking a couple of slow steps was their limit, let alone maneuvering flexibly or engaging in combat.

The reason they had come to Heliopolis was to seek Professor Kato's help in finalizing the adjustments to the problematic Operating System, making it capable of normal combat. Otherwise, the heavily funded G Weapons would be no better than scrap metal.

Now, seeing a teenager like Kira pilot the Strike Gundam and successfully repel ZAFT's MS was nothing short of unbelievable.

"Captain Ramius, this is..."

"Ah..."

Murrue felt awkward. She herself was in a state of disbelief. The MS, which was still under development, had been perfected on the spot by Kira, who had even defeated ZAFT's MS twice in a row. She didn't know how to explain it, and... she had already begun to suspect Kira's identity, which was a sensitive topic in the current situation.

"Hey, that was quite a shock," a cheerful and carefree voice broke the awkward silence. Mu, still in his pilot suit, stepped forward to join the group. "I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Earth Alliance's 7th Mobile Fleet. Nice to meet you all."

The purple-toned pilot suit accentuated his lean yet well-proportioned figure. His slightly wavy golden hair, azure eyes, and bright smile gave him the air of a dependable older brother.

Seeing that Mu was of the same rank, Murrue quickly saluted and introduced herself to him: "I am Captain Murrue Ramius from the 5th Special Task Force of the 2nd Space Region."

"I am Ensign Natarle Badgiruel from the same unit."

"I need a boarding permit. Who is in charge of this ship?" Mu asked. His mothership had been sunk, and he, now "homeless," needed a new place to stay.

"..." Upon hearing this, Badgiruel paused for a moment before giving a sorrowful reply, "From the captain down, the main officers of this ship have all perished in battle. Therefore, it should now be Captain Ramius who assumes this position..."

"Huh?" Murrue was momentarily stunned, wanting to ask for clarification, but Badgiruel continued.

"...Currently, only the officers and a dozen or so soldiers who were inside the ship at the time are safe. I was inside the central axis, which is why I survived..."

"The captain... how could this happen?"

"Ah, what a mess," Mu, who had been trying to lighten the mood, couldn't help but feel a headache. His mothership was sunk, his comrades who he had spent every day with were all dead, and now his only hope was also a half-wreck, making the future seem quite bleak.

"Anyway, give me a permit, Captain Ramius. The ship I was on was also sunk."

"Mm... alright, I grant it."

Murrue also felt it was surreal, being thrust into the role of the Archangel's commander. She couldn't immediately accept all of this, but the situation was urgent, and there was no other choice. They couldn't just leave Mu as a "wandering ghost," could they?

"By the way, who are they?" With the boarding permit secured and a place to stay, Mu now had the energy to worry about other matters.

"As you can see, they are civilian youths, and..." Kira and the other four were easy to introduce, but Yang Hui's identity... it was too sensitive.

"You are! Yang Hui... why are you here?" Badgiruel also knew Yang Hui's identity was sensitive, so she immediately stopped herself from directly revealing his identity.

Only now did Badgiruel notice that Yang Hui was also present. As one of the participants in the [G Project], although Badgiruel's rank wasn't high, she came from a military family and received better treatment in the unit than even Captain Murrue. So, like Murrue, she also knew Yang Hui.

"Long time no see, Ensign Badgiruel. This is [Heliopolis], the territory of Orb. Is there a problem with me being here?"

"That's not what I meant, I was asking..."

"Moreover, I had a hand in this thing. I'm here to witness its final outcome." Yang Hui pointed to the Strike Gundam beside him and explained to Badgiruel.

This statement, mentioning both Orb and the Strike Gundam, and being connected to both, sparked whispers among those present.

"You..."

Badgiruel was angry. Knowing full well that his identity was sensitive and that the [G Project] was top-secret, he still declared his involvement here, wasn't he making things difficult for them?

Although Orb had always been a target of the Atlantic Federation's efforts to win over, and Yang Hui himself was the same, she didn't think that Orb, which had repeatedly rejected the Atlantic Federation, and Yang Hui were ready to take a stance.

"It seems your identity is quite extraordinary," Mu remarked, though he didn't know Yang Hui personally. His keen eyes could tell that Yang Hui's demeanor and the implications of his words suggested a significant background.

"Well then..." Yang Hui shrugged at Mu before turning serious, his gaze fixed on Murrue. "...In the name of Yang Hui, son of Yang Hongyu of the Yang Family, one of the five great families of Orb, I hereby lodge a formal protest with the Earth Alliance. Your forces, along with ZAFT, have openly engaged in combat within the neutral territory of Orb's Colony, Heliopolis, in blatant violation of international neutrality laws. Orb demands an official explanation and compensation for the damages inflicted upon Heliopolis.

Of course, the same protest will also be sent to PLANT. Rest assured, this is not a targeted action against the Earth Alliance or an indication of favoritism toward PLANT. Orb's neutral stance remains firm and unchanged."

"This..."

Everyone present was stunned. Mu, Arnold, and others who didn't know Yang Hui were taken aback by his identity. Meanwhile, those who did know him—Murrue, Murrue Ramius, and even Kira—were shocked by his sudden transformation.

Especially Murrue, who had been thrust into her role as the acting leader without much preparation. She was completely overwhelmed by Yang Hui's direct questioning and protest. Even if a protest were warranted, it shouldn't have been directed at her but rather at her superiors or the Atlantic Federation or Earth Alliance government. In the current situation, she couldn't even report this matter if she wanted to.

But what no one anticipated was that this was merely the appetizer. Yang Hui's next words left them utterly speechless.

"Additionally, as a collaborator in the G Project, and in the spirit of our contractual agreement, I request permission to board your ship to ensure the completion of the G Project."

"Wha—!?"

(End of Chapter)