"Our forces have made encouraging progress at the Alaska base of the Atlantic Federation."
"And on the lunar front, our ZAFT army has also secured the territory of Ptolemy."
As the morning news broadcast played on the television, He Kui squinted his eyes.
"They didn't mention anything about Creuset."
Sulei, knowing what the two had been up to, spoke with a serious expression.
"Yeah, but they didn't mention Creuset's name either."
As a nominally unrelated party, He Kui couldn't inquire about any lunar news to avoid suspicion.
Of course, he had his own sources of information.
"I'm heading to May City for a bit."
"Going to pick up Setona again, huh?"
Sulei said with a hint of annoyance.
"That's not the only reason; I need to go back and check in. After all, I'm the director."
"Finally said something sensible."
"..."
"Sulei's little days are coming."
Watching He Kui's rare moment of embarrassment, Shihe explained with a smile.
"She's two or three days late; she thought..."
"That's not what it's about!"
Sulei shot a proud glare at Shihe, her face already flushed a deeper shade.
"Let's go! This time, Meyrin and I will accompany you back!"
With a look of disdain, Sulei was about to lift her foot to kick He Kui, but he quickly caught her.
"Even if it's a little day, Lei Lei's feet are still fine."
Sulei, wearing sandals, had her five delicate toes resembling jade grapes waiting to be picked.
"We're about to board the ship!"
Realizing what He Kui intended to do, Sulei curled her toes, looking adorably cute.
"We can do it on the ship; I'll arrange for them to be seated further back."
"We're in first class; we won't be seen."
"Just in time, your master can also teach Meyrin a thing or two, right?"
Hearing He Kui's whisper in her ear, Sulei decided to physically block his mouth.
"A whiff of breakfast."
After they separated, Sulei said with disdain.
He Kui had already released Sulei's ankle.
"I'm really sorry."
He smiled, not taking it to heart.
Once on the ship, just as He Kui suggested, Sulei, as a good master, demonstrated some leg techniques to Meyrin.
And Meyrin, being an exceptionally capable Coordinator, quickly grasped the essentials before the shuttlecraft arrived.
"I'll cover for you while you go pick someone up."
Sulei said irritably as she took Meyrin's hand.
"I heard the shops here are quite cheap; shall we go take a look together?"
"Okay?"
Although she didn't know who they were picking up, Meyrin obediently nodded.
"And we need to buy shoes too."
Sulei said, casting a resentful glance at He Kui; there was no washing area on the shuttlecraft.
She still felt the stickiness inside her shoes.
"Mm."
Meyrin, feeling uncomfortable from Sulei's comment, quickly nodded.
"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time."
"There's no next time!"
"Then there won't be a next time~"
At this moment, He Kui, having gained quite a bit of ability, was very easy to talk to.
"Hmph."
After giving He Kui another glance, the two girls temporarily left, while He Kui headed to the Waste Merchant Guild.
It was still a familiar place, with familiar people.
Seeing Setona, who had grown even softer and more delicate, He Kui's face broke into a gentle smile.
"Setona."
"He Kui~ You finally came~!"
After waiting for a long time, the girl who had been waiting for He Kui excitedly hugged him.
Setona's embrace was somewhat similar to Lacus's but still different.
After all, Setona had been in the hibernation pod for several years, making her a bit smaller than Lacus.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
Under the disapproving gaze of Mattias, although Setona was sweet and soft, He Kui quickly let go of the girl.
"How's the situation on the moon?"
He Kui asked directly.
"I'm not too clear on the specifics."
Although Mattias was well-connected, he didn't have access to internal decision-making.
"However, it seems that Creuset hasn't been seen at the lunar base these past few days."
"If he isn't on a secret mission, then he must be under control."
With such a significant blemish, they certainly wouldn't disclose the truth, as it could destabilize the military morale.
"If verified, if he can be used, just rig a bomb and continue using him; if not, find a time to secretly execute him and fabricate a death record at the front."
"Mm."
Hearing Mattias's words, He Kui's expression remained stern.
"Not good?"
"Not that; I just think it won't go that smoothly."
"That's true; your Creuset is quite cunning."
Even he had almost fallen for it once.
"Have your people arrived?"
"They're almost there; they'll reach your signal location in about five hours."
"Good."
Hearing what Mattias said, He Kui finally breathed a sigh of relief.
His energy was running low.
Even though he was floating, without food, the girl couldn't hold out for long.
After taking the person away, and after Meyrin and Sulei had changed into new shoes, He Kui headed straight to the Design Bureau in May City.
The Design Bureau was as usual; He Kui's nano workshop was still busy processing orders, but this time He Kui came for another matter.
After leaving Setona in his villa here, He Kui went to one of the secret hangars underground in May City.
As the hangar doors opened, the massive lights turned on with a 'bang.'
Instantly, the dark hangar was illuminated as bright as day.
In this vast space, there was only one Mobile Suit in the center.
It was a classic Gundam with blue, white, and red colors.
The design was a tribute to the Z Gundam, and even the transformation structure inside was perfectly executed.
The joints used PS Armor, while the armor was made of Gundanium Alloy.
It had defensive capabilities comparable to PS Armor, and the extra energy was added to the engine, allowing it to soar through the atmosphere.
"Let's start the basic functionality test."
He Kui called his team members in after welcoming them.
Unlike before, Amalfi was also present, looking even more nervous than He Kui.
Perhaps due to the situation with Creuset, her expression was tense.
"Are you confident?"
"Yes."
As the main person in charge, He Kui was naturally responsible for the entire Mobile Suit test.
However, he had done so many Mobile Suit tests that he was already quite familiar with the process.
"By the way, this Mobile Suit is definitely going to Earth, right? Who will be using it?"
He Kui asked curiously.
"Although you might think I used connections to say this, it's scheduled for Nicol."
Amalfi rarely showed a faint smile.
"No, Nicol is indeed a very good pilot."
Currently, those two were among the strongest pilots in ZAFT, and they were on the front lines, so it wouldn't be surprising to give it to them.
"Dearka is probably going to cause a scene."
Hearing He Kui's words, Amalfi's smile widened a bit.
Her colleague's son was indeed full of energy.
(End of Chapter)