With the arrival of Yang Hui and the Phantom Corps, the previously precarious Federation fleet displayed astonishing combat power. Douglas Bader laughed heartily; he knew they had already won this battle.
Yet, he remained fired up, his eyes filled with an intense will to fight.
"That brat brought his people to steal our meat again? Do you lot agree to that!?"
"No!" the crew shouted in unison.
"Execute the order! Strike landing!"
"Understood!"
Ultimately, caught in a pincer attack from both sides, the forces of the Principality of Zeon were routed. They were killed, they fled, and those who couldn't escape surrendered. As the Federation fleet and the Gwadan joined forces to break through the gates of A Baoa Qu, the campaign ended in a total victory for the Federation and the Republic of Zeon.
"Hahaha! Well done, Yang Hui kid!" Immediately after the battle ended, Douglas Bader let out a hearty laugh upon meeting Yang Hui, slapping him boisterously on the shoulder. "The strategic weapons are gone, that bastard Gihren Zabi is finished, and this war is about to end!"
"Yes, General Bader. Now we just have to see how General Revil's situation at Solomon Fortress is progressing," Yang Hui said.
"Haha, you don't need to worry about that old guy. He's a fox-wolf—he has the cunning of a fox and the ferocity of a wolf. No prey he sets his sights on can ever escape!" Douglas Bader and Revil were old friends; he understood Revil deeply and trusted him implicitly.
"Haha, a very accurate assessment, General Bader," Yang Hui nodded in agreement.
"It's just a pity, though. I couldn't personally see that psychopath Gihren Zabi off on his final journey," Douglas Bader said with regret.
"That wouldn't do, General Bader. Gihren Zabi must be ended by my hand," Char said to Douglas Bader at that moment. It wasn't that he was particularly close to Douglas Bader, but he had to step forward and assert his presence. Otherwise, as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Zeon who had led the most elite ace unit deep behind enemy lines and achieved such great merit, he would merely be a foil for Yang Hui.
If this were the Prometheus Fortress of the future, he wouldn't mind. But now, he had to maintain the strength and dignity of the Republic of Zeon at all times before the Federation.
"Hahaha!" Douglas Bader maintained his boisterous laughter and said to Char, "It seems the line for that is quite long."
Douglas Bader was not a pedantic man. The Republic of Zeon was now an ally of the Federation. In the preceding battle, the Phantom Corps led by Char had fought side-by-side with them. On the battlefield, no matter where one came from, those who fought beside you were comrades.
As for the Federal Assembly's concerns about whether a second Zabi family would emerge in the Republic of Zeon in the future, that was not his concern. If they became enemies again, Douglas Bader would use facts to prove that however close they were now, he could hit them just as hard then.
"General, a telegram from General Revil."
Just then, one of Douglas Bader's subordinates ran over, bringing a crucial piece of intelligence.
"Oh? It seems things have finished over there as well," Douglas Bader smiled at Yang Hui and Char. He took the telegram, glanced at it, and then handed it to them.
After reading the telegram, Yang Hui and Char shook their heads helplessly.
"Yare yare, General Revil really doesn't know when to stop. Even a donkey in a production team isn't worked this hard."
"Hahaha, those who are capable do more work. I'd go if I could, but I can't," Douglas Bader laughed.
Revil's telegram was divided into three parts. First, it informed them that the battle at Solomon Fortress had ended. Solomon Fortress's advance had been halted and the base occupied. The Principality of Zeon's forces had either fled or surrendered; those who were dead... were not counted.
The second part was an order for Douglas Bader: lead the Federation fleet to occupy A Baoa Qu and wait to hand it over to the Republic of Zeon after the war.
The third part was an order for Yang Hui: proceed immediately toward Side 3 to rendezvous with the main Federation fleet and launch a general offensive to end the war once and for all.
As for how Yang Hui, with just one man and one machine, was supposed to get to Side 3... Revil left it to Yang Hui to figure out.
"That mischievous old geezer is really something!" Yang Hui rolled his eyes when he saw the order. Expecting an MS to travel from A Baoa Qu to Side 3 to rendezvous with the main fleet was simply fantastical.
It wasn't a matter of energy, but speed. He would either arrive on time only for the machine to be scrapped from the strain, or the war would be over by the time he got there.
Therefore...
Feeling an inescapable gaze, Char's mouth twitched, and he rolled his eyes. "General Bader, I'll have to trouble you for the Gwadan's resupply."
"Haha, a small matter. I'll have men resupply you immediately. As for the mobile suits, I'm afraid I'm helpless there." Douglas Bader could provide material supplies, but he could do nothing for machines damaged in combat. Although the Zaku Phantom Series and the Gundam Astray Series were similar, their spare parts were completely different—not to mention Char and Kira's custom machines.
"It's fine, General Bader. We have sufficient reserves of spare parts."
"That's good then."
After a brief exchange, they went their separate ways. Yang Hui and the Phantom Corps would soon be sortieing again, so they didn't stay long at A Baoa Qu. Once resupplied, they departed for the designated coordinates to rendezvous with the main Federation fleet.
Unexpectedly, three days later, they successfully joined the main force, but they saw no enemy troops. All of Side 3 was like an empty shell waiting for the Federation to take over.
"What happened?" Yang Hui asked Revil directly upon meeting him. They had destroyed the Solar Ray System, eliminated all the Bigros, sunk the Dolos-class flagship, killed Gihren Zabi, and wiped out a significant portion of the Principality of Zeon's military, but Side 3 should still have had considerable forces remaining.
Not to mention the Principality of Zeon units that fled from A Baoa Qu and Solomon Fortress had all escaped toward Side 3. Combined, they should have been a force to be reckoned with. How could they just vanish?
"The person who surrendered to us is Degwin Sodo Zabi's secretary. Marahukan Kahn returned to the capital in secret two days ago. After confirming Gihren Zabi's death, he took over the Principality of Zeon's government using Degwin Sodo Zabi's scepter and issued the surrender order.
According to him, although the remaining forces of the Principality were intent on forcibly seizing power to fight to the bitter end, the citizens of the Principality also put immense pressure on them. This prevented them from seizing power, leaving them with no choice but to flee into the distance. They likely plan to go into hiding, waiting for an opportunity to emerge and cause trouble again," Revil explained the current situation to Yang Hui.
"The direction they fled?" Yang Hui asked with a frown. The whereabouts of this group were very important.
First, if this group didn't die, he didn't know if the main mission could be completed.
Secondly, this world was the talent cultivation base Yang Hui valued most. He had already recruited a large number of talents, but he knew very well that more would emerge in the future. Therefore, he had to maintain this world's stability.
If they couldn't wipe out these Zabi family remnants in one fell swoop, there was no telling what trouble they might stir up later.
The Delaz Rebellion? The Neo Zeon War? The Sleeve Clan? Mafty... Cough cough, that probably wouldn't happen. Although Brad was still with Miley Bashu and the "unfilial son" would likely be born, the entire environment had changed drastically. He could still be saved. At the very least, he wouldn't form an anti-Federation organization just because of a few words from Char.
"Marahukan Kahn said they headed toward Mars."
"Mars? How will they get there?" Yang Hui's frown deepened. In the original historical trajectory, the Zeon remnants could go to Mars primarily because of the existence of the Axis fortress.
Now, Axis had been captured by the Federation, and A Baoa Qu and Solomon Fortress had also fallen. With only a space fleet, and a remnant one at that, how would they reach Mars from Side 3?
"They seized Colony Satellite Malhara, an industrial colony..."
"Heh, then we just need to set up a defensive line between Side 3 and Mars. Those who are still alive are short-sighted fools."
In Yang Hui's mind, these Zeon remnants were no longer a concern. If the colony they had stolen were an agricultural one, Yang Hui might worry about them hiding away, but an industrial colony... even if it had some supplies, how long would they last?
With a rough calculation, the Zeon remnants would face a food crisis in a month at most. No matter how much they rationed, they would run out of food in two months.
They only had two paths ahead: either starve to death or come back and fight for money, food, and territory.
"Yes, however, this task can only be left to Char to complete." As he spoke, Revil's gaze fell upon Char. According to the pre-war allocation, Solomon Fortress and Axis would be managed by the Federation, while A Baoa Qu and Side 3 would be received by the Republic of Zeon. Therefore, the defense of Side 3 did not fall under Federation jurisdiction.
Of course, this was only the current situation. The Republic of Zeon and the Earth Federation would eventually merge, and then there would be no distinction between Federation and Zeon. But to achieve that goal... perhaps ten years. He didn't know if that would be enough.
"No problem, I will arrange it." Char wasn't overly concerned about the remnants of the Principality of Zeon. Their numbers weren't so great as to be unstoppable. So many people had defected to the Republic of Zeon, and most of Earth's territory would be returned. The surrendering troops were also very disorganized; once reorganized, they would have ample military strength. Add to that the military technology provided by Yang Hui that surpassed the Principality, and if Char still couldn't win... he might as well commit suicide; living would be a disgrace.
"Next... it's about time for Creuset to make his move." Yang Hui calculated the time and spoke to Revil and Char.
"Mhm. Gopp has already taken his seat as the Chairman of the Federal Assembly. The only remaining issues are Granada and Von Braun City. Koneman's fleet is also advancing toward Granada," Revil said.
"You guys handle Von Braun City. I'll take a trip back to Granada," Yang Hui said.
"How many people do you need?"
"Just give me back my unit."
"Tsk tsk. I feel sorry for them for three seconds."