"The connection operation between the Songstress and the Axis is complete!"
"Confirming successful separation of the first main rotating shaft and the second main rotating shaft!"
"Thirty minutes until complete collapse!"
"Checking the status of control cable connections... intact! Colony Axis, plasma propulsion furnace, high-density ignition preparation!"
"Genoece Graham confirms receipt of Commander Bruza, safely evacuated!"
"Good! High-density ignition for the Axis plasma propulsion furnace! Songstress, proceed at towing speed, control the Axis's posture."
As Grudick issued the command, the four large plasma thrusters of the Songstress and the Colony Axis ignited simultaneously, dozens of cables pulled taut, and the immense towing force gradually pulled the Axis out of the collapsing space Colony.
"It seems the operation was successful, well done!" After successfully rescuing Commander Bruza, Graham's Genoece joined Yang Hui and Flit.
"Glad you're okay, Commander Bruza," Yang Hui said with a smile.
"Hahaha, it's all thanks to Graham's rescue; otherwise, I would have..."
"So, Commander Bruza, stop thinking about sacrificing yourself. There aren't many outstanding commanders like you in the Federal Army."
"Haha... haha..." Commander Bruza felt a bit awkward at this moment, cursing Yang Hui for being such a bastard. Is it really appropriate to say such things in front of a senior officer of the Federation? How am I supposed to respond to that?
However, the old fox, Commander Bruza, knew how to change the subject.
"By the way, Yang Hui, who is that girl..."
"She was rescued along the way, a resident who didn't make it out in time."
"Huh? Yang Hui, have you become so heartless? She's just a child, isn't she?" Graham immediately chimed in, seizing the opportunity.
"Eh? Are you and her in that kind of relationship, Yang Hui?" Flit, still a child but now fourteen, could understand some things, at least... half of them.
"Wait, we're not..." Yang Hui's face turned red as he excitedly tried to explain, but Yurin shyly lowered her head and said nothing. Moreover, the way they were positioned—Yang Hui holding Yurin in his arms—made his argument unconvincing.
"Hahaha, being young is great."
"Isn't this fine?"
Faced with the joint teasing of Commander Bruza and Graham, Yurin's face turned crimson, almost bleeding, as she nervously curled up in Yang Hui's embrace, gripping his clothes tightly.
Yang Hui's face, however, turned completely dark, as black as ink.
"Graham..."
"What? Planning to admit it?" Clearly, Graham had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation.
"Fix the Samurai Gundam yourself. If you can't, just use Genoece; I see you like it well enough."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong!" If he weren't still in the cockpit, Graham would have performed a spectacular move—[720-degree spiral ascent, prostration].
Although the Samurai Gundam didn't meet his expectations, it was still far better than the Genoece, which resembled a drowning puppet.
"And Commander Bruza, Flit, the operation isn't over yet! Can we focus, please!?"
Cough cough. Commander Bruza awkwardly cleared his throat twice, ending the communication. Flit scratched his head, realizing he couldn't quite grasp the adults' convoluted conversations, and it seemed Yang Hui was angry, so he decided to hide.
When the Axis was completely towed away from the space Colony by the Songstress, there were still five minutes until the Colony's complete collapse, more than enough time.
"Songstress, maximum battle speed!"
The engines of the Songstress erupted with blinding tail flames, increasing the towing speed of the Axis even further.
Once the Songstress and the Axis reached the safe zone, the time for Nora's complete disintegration also arrived.
The immense torque twisted and pulled the rotating Nora, tearing it into fragments, which then completely turned to cosmic dust in a violent explosion.
Whether it was the people taking refuge in the Axis or those on the Songstress, watching Nora disappear in a brilliant display of fireworks, their hearts were filled with endless sorrow.
Since the first generation of colonizers arrived at Nora, they had become the second or even third generation. They were born in Nora, lived in Nora, and now their home was gone. They felt sorrow over Nora's destruction, hatred towards the UE, and confusion about the future.
...
The evacuation operation concluded, and the Songstress also established contact with the Federal Army's Commander headquarters. The rescue fleet would arrive in ten hours. In addition to supplying enough resources to the Axis, Grudick also ordered the transfer of all civilians remaining on the ship. His plan had already begun, but this was just the first step; there was still a long way to go.
Grudick wanted to use the power of the Songstress and the Gundam to reveal the true nature of the UE. He certainly didn't believe that the current combat strength alone would suffice, so he needed to gather more military power, and this goal needed to be achieved in the space Colony of Fadin.
"Yurin, are you leaving?"
To be honest, Yang Hui felt a bit reluctant to part with Yurin, not only because of their ambiguous relationship but also due to Yurin's future. If Yurin stayed on the Songstress, it would eliminate the risk of being discovered and kidnapped by Dechiel, ultimately leading to her tragic end.
Moreover, this action would undoubtedly bring about a significant deviation.
"Mm." Yurin also felt a bit reluctant, but she knew Yang Hui and the others were going to fight. She wasn't a soldier and couldn't help him; she might even hold him back. Furthermore...
She still couldn't fully understand her feelings for Yang Hui. She didn't quite grasp these emotions, so she was a bit afraid of continuing to stay with him.
"Alright, take care of yourself, Yurin. I believe we will meet again in the future."
"Mm, I believe you."
Saying this, Yurin took off her pink scarf and handed it to Yang Hui: "This is a token of our promise, and also... a talisman."
"Mm, I will keep it safe and return it to you in person when we meet again."
"Mm."
Though reluctant, time was limited. Urged on, Yurin boarded the shuttle heading to the Axis.
"Is it really okay to let her go like this?" Graham approached Yang Hui and asked in a low voice.
"There's nothing wrong with it. If it's meant to be, we will meet again. If we can't meet again, then it's just not meant to be," Yang Hui replied with a smile.
"Huh? You understand these things now?" Graham was surprised. The Yang Hui he knew was completely inexperienced in matters of the heart, and taking the initiative had nothing to do with him. Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, and Kati had all taken the lead in their relationships. Before confirming their relationships, outsiders could see their actions clearly, but he had failed to understand.
"I can grow up too, right?" Yang Hui rolled his eyes. He admitted he had once been so foolish that even Nuwa would want to reshape his emotional intelligence, but after going through so much and having three wives, if he hadn't made any progress in emotional matters, it wouldn't just be foolishness; it would be emotional cancer, and a terminal one at that.
"Then you just keep it up, great romantic."
"Wait." Yang Hui grabbed Graham, startling him.
"What... what is it? Didn't I already apologize?"
"I was almost forgetting if you hadn't mentioned it."
Graham's face fell; he wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to bring it up?
Just as he was about to perform his "finishing move," Yang Hui's words gave him a temporary sigh of relief.
"Let's put that aside for now. Come with me to meet the new captain of this ship; I want to have a serious talk with him."
Upon hearing this, Graham also put away his playful demeanor and accompanied Yang Hui to the captain's room.
...
The two arrived at the captain's room and found that besides Grudick, the expected Commander Bruza was also present. It seemed there had been some argument.
"Yang Hui, Graham, is there something you need?" Grudick asked in surprise. His plan certainly required Yang Hui's support, not only for their personal combat strength but also for the Yang Corporation behind them, a military-industrial enterprise that provided MS to the Federation. Even providing a few Genoece would enhance combat strength.
But now, Commander Bruza's issues hadn't been resolved, and it was clearly not the best time.
"Our goals should be the opposite of Commander Bruza's," Yang Hui and Graham entered, locking the door from the inside to prevent anyone from barging in.
"Opposite?" The two were taken aback, and a look of surprise appeared on Grudick's face.
"Exactly. As the Federation's newest warship, including the captain, all crew members have gone missing, and even their identity records have been completely deleted. Sending a message from Nora to the Federal Commander headquarters—[Giant Ring] requires multiple transfers. It's impossible to complete this within the time from when you went to inform Captain Diane to when you announced the emergency appointment at the Giant Ring base, so..."
Yang Hui spread his hands, leaving his statement unfinished, but the meaning was clear: Grudick's appointment as captain of the Songstress was fraught with issues.
"...It was indeed my doing, so what do you want?" With Yang Hui putting it this way, Grudick could not refute it and directly admitted while questioning Yang Hui.
"I checked your records; your wife and child should be victims of the [Day the Angels Fell], right?"
"That's right..." A flash of sadness crossed Grudick's eyes at this, and he instinctively glanced at a photo beside him, a family portrait, the last memento left by his wife and child.
"Then before I state my purpose, I want to ask about yours, Captain Grudick."
"Yang Hui!" Commander Bruza was astonished because Yang Hui had changed how he addressed Grudick, indicating that Yang Hui temporarily recognized Grudick's identity as captain of the Songstress.
"My goal is simple: to defeat the UE!" Grudick said firmly.
"With just the Songstress and three Gundams?"
"No, I need to gather more military strength. Going to Fadin is also part of this goal."
"I see, Zaram and Euba? Still not enough. Although they have warships and MS, they are just a rabble with little combat power."
"So I need your assistance, Yang Hui. I know that even with the entire Yang Corporation added to our current strength, we cannot defeat the UE. My goal is to expose the true nature of the UE. This will draw the attention of the Federation's higher-ups, concentrating the entire Federation's power, which is the only way to possibly defeat the UE. So... I beg you."
Grudick bowed in request. Yang Hui and the Yang Corporation were the most crucial part of his plan, and he could not afford to fail.
"Mm... alright, I agree."
"Really?" Grudick was overjoyed, while Commander Bruza was shocked.
"But Yang Hui, this is..." Commander Bruza wanted to say something but was interrupted by Yang Hui waving his hand.
"I have my own goals. On the point of exposing the true nature of the UE, my objectives align with Captain Grudick's. The UE is currently still unidentified, so it cannot attract the Federation's high-level attention. Once the Federation takes notice, they will vigorously develop military capabilities. Furthermore, important members of the Yang Family are involved in the operation to expose the UE, and they play an irreplaceable role. These two points are beneficial for the development of the Yang Family. Lastly..."
Yang Hui paused, a fearsome smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"...I've been unhappy with the UE for a long time. I don't care about wars between armies, but when it comes to harming civilians, that really pisses me off!"
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