"What is that!?"
At this moment, Three Small Strongs was in a panic after witnessing the command post behind them being destroyed.
While others fled in fear, their panic only made them more aggressive.
They even began to attack each other.
"They don't have much time left on their drugs; hold them off."
Athrun said in the team voice chat.
After facing off for so long, if they still didn't understand the opponent's tactics, it would truly be a waste of their lives.
Although the closer they got to the end of the drug's effect, the more frantic and fierce their attacks became, their agitation also meant more openings.
For these elite fighters, the enemy's strength was actually diminishing.
"Wait until the Yuel Team arrives to capture them alive. If the situation doesn't allow it, there's no need to force it."
If they could capture an Enhanced human and have him stand in front of the screen to denounce the atrocities of the Atlantic Federation, along with the inhumane treatment and illegal surgeries, mental control, etc., they believed public opinion would soon turn in their favor.
"Understood!"
After Nicol and the other team members responded, their offensive became even more intense.
"Annoying!"
The MS pilot they were fighting was still entangled with Nicol's Z-Gundam in the air.
Both Mobile Suits had Z-Gundam slightly faster in terms of maneuvering, but Raider's armament was more powerful, so Nicol was just continuously entangled with the opponent.
"Surrender! We can break your drugs."
Nicol said sternly.
"You are Coordinators! Hahaha!"
"Kill you all!"
There was no possibility of communication; all Nicol received were twisted voices filled with murderous intent, "They've all been brainwashed; there's no need to communicate."
"If you don't surrender, you'll be killed."
Nicol recalled Captain Andrew's words from before.
That carefree man was right; he should have understood this.
After so many battles, he should have known that the enemy was not someone they could communicate with.
"Nicol, be careful!"
Athrun suddenly called out, and their long-standing tacit understanding made Nicol instinctively control the aircraft to climb.
At that moment, a thick yellow beam flashed through Nicol's original airspace.
Although it wasn't as powerful as a Destroyer rifle, it was equivalent to the main cannon of a battleship.
"ZGMF-X11A, it's the Reborn Gundam!"
As soon as Athrun's voice fell, the Mobile Suit transformed into turret form, moving like a nimble spider.
Meanwhile, in Panama, in the presidential office, He Kui was sitting across from the president with the defense minister next to him.
"You said it has been verified; that person is indeed a spy."
"Mm."
He Kui looked as if it were a matter of course.
He had been tracking directly; it would be strange if he got it wrong.
The South American president didn't ask how He Kui discovered this.
He simply handed He Kui a document.
"These are the materials we've recently dismantled; you can pick out fifty million from them."
With South America out of money but still needing materials, the two found common ground.
He Kui didn't hesitate to take the document from the president's hand.
Many of the materials inside were quite common, including some PS Armor generators, mainly dismantled from mass-produced Forbidden units, while another part consisted of some Anti-Beam Shields, which were rarer and only equipped on command units.
He Kui quickly selected several pieces of armor and handed the form back to the president before leaving.
"He's chosen all the essential materials for manufacturing deep-sea Forbidden units."
The defense minister frowned.
"Yes."
"Is he planning to create an army here?"
"With just these materials, he can't build an army."
"Then why?!"
The defense minister asked anxiously.
"She is not one of us; if she turns to the Atlantic Federation, we will have no room to struggle!"
Indeed, there was none. He Kui had participated in the defense system of the entire base to some extent.
Especially the light shield; although their people claimed they hadn't detected any backdoors, who knows?
If it weren't for the president's insistence, Aegis would have been driven away long ago.
"But if it weren't for her, the cost of completing the installation of the light shield and deploying the Neutron Jammer would be even greater, and our lifeline would also be grasped by PLANT."
PLANT prioritized its own survival; what if the Atlantic Federation agreed to negotiate?
They would merely become pawns in the game between both sides, and the food transported here would become dispensable.
Rather than that, it would be better to take a gamble on that organization called Lass.
"And that person is not an emotionless machine."
"How do you know?"
"Otherwise, why do you think she created Forbidden?"
"Why?"
Hearing the defense minister's words, the president looked at him with exasperation.
"To prepare an escape route for her little girlfriend."
Although this place was a mass driver, if a fight broke out, it would definitely be the most intense at the mass driver.
Escaping by water was comparatively safer.
As long as they could reach a nearby ZAFT base, their lives would at least be preserved.
The scene shifted; He Kui had returned to the secret room of his estate to begin assembling a new Mobile Suit.
After several rounds of work, he had gradually pieced together a Forbidden unit.
Of course, the president's idea was only half right.
He Kui wanted to create Forbidden not just to provide Ailina with an escape route but also to have a Mobile Suit that could be remotely controlled. Strike PLUS was strong, but it was too obvious a target. When he and Ailina were underwater, remote-controlled assault operations would be much safer.
After all, while there were Sonic Cannons and torpedoes underwater, both were generally slower than missiles and beams, and with limited aquatic resources, He Kui also had Electronic Deception to use.
It was absolutely safe; of course, he still needed to upgrade quantum communication and Electronic Deception.
"Aegis, you're still here~"
Without any defenses against Ailina, the girl easily found her way to the deepest part of the underground hangar.
"Mm, yes."
He Kui smiled, but his hands didn't stop working.
"It's already very late."
Ailina looked at him discontentedly, as he often stayed up late.
"It's fine."
"How can it be fine? I have something to tell you~"
He often stayed up late, but according to PLANT's time, it was only afternoon, not bedtime.
However, He Kui still paused his work and turned to look at the girl.
"Ailina, what's wrong~?"
The girl remained as she always was, her eyes filled with burning passion.
"Once we defeat the Atlantic Federation, let's go to space together!"
"Okay~"
Faced with the girl's fiery words, He Kui smiled.
"Let's go to space together in the future."
(End of Chapter)