On the way back to Earth, Revil and Yang Hui's casual chat never stopped. He wanted to better understand this inscrutable young man.
"What do you think of the Federation and Zeon right now?"
"Zeon is just a flash in the pan. Their new combat style, built around the MS, caught the Federation off guard. But once the Federation reacts, Zeon's advantage will shrink until they are eventually surpassed and defeated."
"It seems you have a high opinion of the Federation."
"After all, their sheer size is a factor. An army needs resources: money, minerals, manpower... all things Zeon lacks."
"The things they lack are in the enemy's hands, and if they want them, there's only one way to get them." A sharp glint flashed in Revil's eyes.
"Plunder."
"Exactly. Zeon is already preparing to launch an attack on Earth."
"They've made two-pronged preparations. On the surface, they're preparing for peace talks, but secretly, they're preparing for a descent to Earth."
"Heh, peace talks? Now? That's not called peace talks, that's called surrender!" Revil said angrily.
"The key is that many people have been terrified by Gihren Zabi's madness."
To be honest, Yang Hui, who had personally experienced Gihren Zabi's insane Operation British—which directly used a Colony as a bomb—had also been terrified. One could not possibly grasp that kind of fear just by imagining it: a Colony, like a small asteroid, falling from space to Earth, creating a sense of powerlessness akin to a mere mortal confronting a natural disaster.
(PS: This refers to the point where it has entered the atmosphere and can no longer be stopped.)
At the time, the open-type Colony of Side 2, Isherwood Island, was fitted with a Nuclear Pulse Engine. The 32-kilometer-class (actually 40 kilometers long) Colony, with a diameter of 6.4 kilometers and a mass of nearly 600 million tons, would have a destructive force 3 million times that of the "Little Boy" bomb upon impact. Even the Federal Army headquarters at Jaburo, built under a solid rock stratum and capable of withstanding a direct nuclear hit, could not have endured a direct impact.
If that wasn't clear enough, due to the interception by the Second and Fourth Federal Fleets stationed at Luna II, Isherwood Island deviated from its intended trajectory and began to break apart. However, its relatively intact front half smashed into the eastern coast of Australia, creating the largest man-made crater in history and causing the complete destruction of one-third of the Australian continent, with 17% sinking into the Pacific Ocean. The fragments of the rear half scattered across the eastern Pacific Ocean all the way to the North American continent, devastating a quarter of North America. The resulting tsunamis annihilated the Federal Navy fleets in the Pacific and destroyed all pan-Pacific cities.
The direct death toll, including those missing, reached 320 million, while the indirect casualties and missing persons due to meteorological changes and other factors numbered as high as 2 billion.
The ecological after-effects of this disaster (changes in Earth's rotational axis, atmospheric system anomalies) lasted for several years, bringing immense difficulties to post-war reconstruction efforts.
A cataclysmic scene akin to the end of the world, artificially created and repeatable—it was enough to make anyone's legs go weak with fear.
"Hmph! Gihren Zabi is a madman!"
"Even a madman has a shred of reason and a few bottom lines, but Gihren Zabi... with all due respect, it would be more appropriate to call him a psychopath."
"Indeed, but even so, we cannot surrender! The Federation has not lost yet! If Gihren Zabi intends to use a Colony as a bomb again, he will certainly not succeed!"
There was confidence in his voice, but Revil was mostly venting his passion and indignation. In space, only the forces at Luna II remained relatively intact, and they were struggling to hold on under the Zeon Army's assault.
If Gihren Zabi were to drop another Colony on Earth, the Federal Army, having lost most of its Space Fleet and lacking complete MS units, would have a hard time stopping it.
However...
"Gihren Zabi won't be using a Colony as a bomb again anytime soon."
"Heh, a normal person can't fathom the thoughts of a psychopath."
"We may not be able to fathom Gihren Zabi's thoughts, but we can understand the thoughts of others."
As he spoke, Yang Hui projected a piece of intelligence. This intelligence could be considered both unimportant and important. It was unimportant because it was a clandestine survey of the Zeon Army's internal views on Operation British. But it was also important because it provided the most direct insight into whether the Zeon Army was united.
The internal unity of an army is directly linked to its combat effectiveness.
"This is... Heh, he who is unjust is doomed to destruction. A truth that has persisted since before the Common Era."
This intelligence revealed that the internal divisions within the Zeon Army were also very large. The influence left behind by Zeon Deikun during the era of the Zeon Republic was still strong. Many Zeon soldiers still held to a noble warrior spirit and were already suspicious of the Zabi Family regarding Zeon Deikun's sudden death. After Gihren Zabi successively ordered the Zeon Army to carry out several inhumane operations, their opposition to the Zabi Family grew even stronger.
However, despite the internal discord, no open chaos had erupted. After all, even those among them from prominent families did not dare to challenge the Zabi Family's might. The Ral family, home of the "Blue Giant Star" Ramba Ral, was the best example. The Ral family had fallen into decline, and although Ramba Ral was exceptionally capable and valued by Dozle, his dissatisfaction with the Zabi Family's methods had led to his dismissal from military service. Now, he could only live idly, venting his depression, indignation, and helplessness with alcohol.
"These people, is there any possibility of winning them over?" Revil asked Yang Hui. Setting aside their ability to maintain their principles in such a corrupt environment, many renowned elite aces were also dissatisfied with the Zabi Family. If they could be brought into the Federation's camp, the elite pilots lost earlier could be replaced, and Zeon would suffer a heavy blow at the same time.
The idea was wonderful, but reality was harsh. In response to Revil's thought, Yang Hui's shake of the head brought Revil a sense of regret.
"That's impossible, General Revil." Poaching? Was Revil better at it than Yang Hui? He had started his poaching plan so long ago, yet how many had he managed to recruit?
The Federation was easier; most of the well-known figures were from grassroots backgrounds, so the difficulty was not high.
But on the Zeon side, about half of the famous individuals were born into Zeon's great families and were inseparable from the nation of Zeon, making them impossible to poach.
However...
"That is truly a pity. So many outstanding warriors can only struggle to survive under Gihren Zabi's oppression."
"General Revil, you've fallen into a misconception."
"Oh? What is it?"
"They are loyal to the nation of Zeon, not the Zabi Family."
"What do you mean?"
Yang Hui smiled without fully explaining, leaving room for Revil's imagination. Although his cooperation with the Federation was basically confirmed, it wasn't official yet, was it? Char was also an ace up Yang Hui's sleeve, one that would be more effective if played at a more critical moment.
Seeing that Yang Hui wasn't elaborating, Revil didn't press further. An old fox had met a young fox, both with a hundred and eight tricks up their sleeves. Pressing would yield no answers, and forcing or threatening would only sour the relationship, which wasn't worth the cost.
"Young Master, we are about to enter the descent trajectory."
"Contact Lieutenant General Tianem."
"Yes, sir."
Soon, Tianem's tense face appeared on the projection. Revil's safety was of paramount importance, and with the Federal Army at an absolute disadvantage in space, he feared an interception by Zeon forces.
"General Revil, Mr. Yang Hui, our escort ends here."
Over the past few days, Tianem had had considerable contact and conversation with Yang Hui and had realized he was no simple man. Coupled with Revil's good relationship with Yang Hui—the two, despite their age gap, got along like old friends on equal terms—his respect grew.
"We appreciate your efforts, Lieutenant General Tianem."
"Thank you for your hard work, Tianem."
"It is my duty. This fleet will return to Luna II immediately after your vessel enters its descent trajectory."
"We're counting on you in space. You must hold out until the time for our counterattack."
"Yes, sir." Although Revil currently had no authority to command Tianem, Tianem was still willing to follow his instructions.
Seeing that their conversation had ended and receiving nods from both, Yang Hui gave the pilot his instructions: "Break from the Second Fleet's formation and begin the descent procedure."
"Yes, Young Master."
From within the massive fleet, the Shuttle, minuscule compared to the warships, began its descent. It left the protection of the warships and headed for Earth. Tianem personally watched as the Shuttle, trailing a fiery red glow, passed through the atmosphere and safely entered Earth's airspace before ordering the fleet to return.
"The moment of counterattack... how exciting." Thinking of what he had seen and heard during the journey, Tianem's confidence in the Federation's inevitable victory grew even stronger.
...
The Shuttle stabilized and returned to a normal temperature, heading directly for the Federal Army headquarters at Jaburo. However, it did so without fanfare, landing quietly at a secret landing pad in Jaburo, so as not to let everyone know that Revil had returned.
"Welcome back, old friend. You look to be in good shape." Gopp's eyes lit up when he saw Revil striding out of the Shuttle, full of vigor. The people who had come with him to welcome Revil were Jin Kolini, Hymen Jamirov, Green White, John Kowen, and Vic Hancock.
This lineup was beyond luxurious. To put it bluntly, apart from those who couldn't leave their posts, all the top officers of the Federal Army were present.
Oh, there was one person missing: Elan, the Zeon spy who was originally supposed to have earned great merit and Revil's trust for carrying out the Revil rescue plan. Since the rescue plan was no longer a drama co-directed by Degwin Zabi and Kycilia Zabi, he didn't have this opportunity to distinguish himself. He was still just a Commodore, assigned to an unimportant position.
Yang Hui, who emerged after them, also marveled. As expected of Revil. He comes home quietly, and the entire top brass of the Federal Army comes to greet him. This was far more impressive than any grand welcome ceremony!
"Yes, I've gained a great deal." Revil hugged his old friend Gopp. Although their styles of conduct were complete opposites, the years of friendship had forged a rapport that others could not hope to match.
"This is our great hero, the third young master of the Vist Foundation, Mr. Yang Hui." After separating from Revil, Gopp introduced Yang Hui to the others present.