Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

Watching as ZAFT forces gradually broke off from the Eurasian Federation's army, He Kui sighed in relief from his high-altitude vantage point. ZAFT had pulled back slightly towards the east, leaving an opening to the west for the Eurasian forces to escape. However, they didn't withdraw entirely; instead, they kept a cautious distance, observing to confirm the intel's authenticity.

"What were you thinking, trusting that person?" Yzak, freshly disembarked from Freedom, angrily grabbed Athrun by the collar.

"Alright, alright, Athrun must have had his reasons," Dearka and Nicol chimed in, acting as mediators.

"Humph." Yzak released Athrun with a cold grunt but still cast a skeptical glance his way.

"The intel doesn't seem fabricated. Faking something like this would require extensive preparation. Besides, our attack plans on Joshua were classified," Athrun explained calmly.

"So, there are two possibilities: either that woman is with the Earth Alliance and used this ruse to make us withdraw, or…" Athrun continued, "if the Earth Alliance did know we'd attack Joshua, why would they only prepare fake intel instead of installing the Cyclops system, as stated? And why would the Eurasian Federation suddenly decide to retreat?"

"They're probably close to reaching Chukotka by now," he added, summarizing the battlefield's current state.

"Commander Andrew advised us to hold back for now. If Cyclops doesn't detonate in time, we can investigate ourselves."

"That's too risky." Now calm, Yzak understood Athrun's logic. Still, there were Alliance soldiers stationed within Joshua.

"We have no choice. A wrong move could mean total annihilation. Nearly a third of ZAFT's forces are here," Athrun said. "And if those troops sense Cyclops about to blow under their feet, they'll likely flee. We can gauge the situation based on their reactions."

Thanks to the neutron jammer, the Atlantic Federation couldn't monitor ZAFT's entry in real-time. According to their estimates, Cyclops would detonate at a time ensuring maximum casualties.

While the two elite squads discussed, on another front, Andrew and Creuset were also communicating.

"Commander Andrew, where did this intel come from?" Creuset asked, his face betraying nothing as he examined the data, identical to what he'd seen earlier.

"Athrun brought it, saying it came from an organization called Pallas."

So, they survived? Or did Pallas indeed have more operatives in the command center?

Yet he hadn't spotted anyone else. Pallas, claiming to safeguard the world's existence, also knew of his actions. But why not expose him directly? Was it due to a lack of evidence, or was Pallas unable to infiltrate PLANT fully?

"I understand."

Regardless, they were dangerous. Returning, he'd need to investigate further.

Before anyone realized, the countdown ended. In a flash of blinding light, the distant Joshua base erupted, splitting the clouds, parting the ocean, and sending waves crashing toward the ZAFT forces. Fortunately, they had evacuated to a safe distance and sustained no casualties.

"Well, that concludes my mission," He Kui said, stretching as he watched from his screen. Still, he needed to return this suit to the secluded island in Orb territory. With his Gaet-X gone, this new aircraft model, while lacking Mirage Particles, was far better suited for atmospheric operations.

As for ZAFT, they'd likely regroup at Carpentaria Base. Any further offensives, such as on Panama, were days away. Not bothering with the shock and speculation brewing on Earth, He Kui returned to his island.

Landing in MS form, He Kui looked at the remaining 38% battery with relief. "TP armor is indeed energy-efficient," he mused. "But with only 38% left, I'll need to get more batteries delivered soon."

He closed the radar's mainframe, deleted all traces of his operations, and began mentally reviewing the mission. Reflecting on his earlier overconfidence with Creuset, he realized the steep price he'd paid for underestimating him. Fortunately, he'd managed to obtain the aerial Assault model, somewhat making up for his losses.

As for upcoming battles, things would likely deviate from the original storyline, though he could make reasonable guesses based on the current intel. Most likely, the next steps would involve political negotiations, disputes, and perhaps stalling tactics between ZAFT, the Atlantic Federation, and the Eurasian Federation.

For now, he needed to find Ro again. But first…

He Kui opened the radar room door, breathing in the cold air of the corridor after nearly thirty hours inside. He sighed in relief, thankful to have prevented further escalation—his days of relative peace could continue.

He also successfully used the name "Pallas" to mislead Creuset, distancing himself from any connection. But "Pallas" would need a full name for realism, given the preference here for acronyms.

"PLS… let's call it the Peace and Liberty Society," he decided with a chuckle, indifferent to the name's meaning.

Not long after, Shi He and Su Lei came over, alerted to He Kui's reappearance.

"Now that you're out, why are you just standing there? Did you get any sleep yesterday?" Shi He asked, gently massaging his temples.

"Yeah, I caught a bit of sleep."

"That's good. Any progress?"

"A lot. I think I've got a good idea for the new frame." He Kui smiled, his enthusiasm genuine. Though this new Assault model shared some transformable elements with the Aegis, it offered plenty of innovations to inspire his own design—especially when combined with the tech of the Magic Crab and Xiao Ba.

Pleased with the mission's outcome, he happily pulled the two girls into a hug.

"Let's eat first…" Shi He said, blushing at his sudden enthusiasm.

"Today's sour fish stew is all Su Lei's doing!"

"Really?" He Kui asked with mock seriousness, contemplating whether to eat it.

"You better finish every bit! Or you're not getting out of bed tomorrow!" Su Lei declared, exchanging a look with Shi He.

"That's right, Lei Lei's right," Shi He nodded in agreement.

"Just kidding." He Kui patted Su Lei's head and, taking both their h

ands, led them along. "Shall we go?"

"Let's!"

Peace and Liberty Society (PLS)

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