"He's here."
He Kui responded and quickly opened the door.
Standing outside was Badgiruel, not wearing her military uniform. Although she had temporarily left the Atlantic Federation, it was clear she had no intention of joining Orb's military.
"Miss Badgiruel, what's the matter?"
"You're from Pallas, aren't you?"
Badgiruel looked directly at the child before her, cutting straight to the point.
She hadn't had the chance to speak with him alone before, but ever since the incident at Kaohsiung Spaceport, the doubts in her mind had only grown.
The conversation that day, and the events that followed in East Asia—though there was no clear causal link—her intuition told her otherwise.
After all, Xiao Liu's existence was strange in itself.
A child of that age should have grown taller over several months, yet Xiao Liu hadn't changed at all.
"Come in and talk."
He Kui shrugged—though the gesture wasn't visible on Xiao Liu's body.
"I've heard about you, Miss Badgiruel."
As He Kui spoke, the detectors inside his body activated, quickly confirming there were no listening devices before continuing.
"The war is over. You're free now."
"Free..."
Hearing Xiao Liu admit it so plainly, the prepared accusations and arguments she had in mind suddenly felt impossible to voice.
"Do you still plan to return to the Atlantic Federation?"
"Yes."
Badgiruel hesitated but answered honestly.
"Then go back."
"What!?"
Badgiruel's expression twisted in confusion at He Kui's sudden shift in tone.
"The Atlantic Federation isn't the same now. The influence of Blue Cosmos and the Merchants of Death has been purged."
"Your story would be perfect for propaganda. I'm sure both Orb and PLANT would step in to protect you."
"I can't promise a bright future, but there won't be much danger."
He Kui analyzed.
Sending Badgiruel back was also a way to plant someone within the Atlantic Federation. If anything happened, they wouldn't be completely passive.
Besides, if Badgiruel hadn't compromised her principles before, she certainly wouldn't now.
Even if she refused to share information, it wasn't a big deal. She'd find her own way.
After He Kui finished speaking, Badgiruel fell into silence.
Only after a long pause did she speak again.
"Would Orb agree?"
"It's negotiable. And if it's your wish, Murrue would help you too."
Hearing this, Badgiruel was visibly tempted.
"What's your goal?"
"To be an informant. But if you don't want to, that's fine too. Just contact me if you encounter something your conscience can't ignore."
"...Alright."
Though it went against her former principles, those principles had already quietly shifted.
If she had the chance to return, she would rebuild the Atlantic Federation's military into the ideal force she envisioned.
If she truly couldn't resolve something on her own, cooperating a little with Pallas wouldn't be unacceptable.
"Then, a pleasant partnership."
"A pleasant partnership."
Their hands clasped together.
But just as they reached their agreement, the ship's first-level combat alarm suddenly blared wildly.
"Captain Badgiruel, report to the bridge immediately."
Badgiruel's portable communicator beeped, and Kisaaka's voice came through.
"What's happening?"
"We've been targeted by pirates, likely deserters from the Atlantic Federation. Three Nelson-class ships."
Kisaaka's tone wasn't urgent.
"Just as a precaution, Kira and the others are already in position."
"Miss Badgiruel, you should come too."
"Understood."
For the experienced crew of the Kusanagi, dealing with pirates wasn't an issue at all.
They just needed to be cautious about potential regular military forces mixed among them.
With that, Badgiruel left, and He Kui followed her toward the bridge as a precaution.
"Do you think this is just a regular attack?"
Badgiruel turned to look at Xiao Liu, who was walking behind her, and asked.
"Not sure, but it's better to be safe."
As they spoke, they quickly made their way to the bridge amidst urgent alarm bells.
"What's the situation?"
Badgiruel walked straight to the guest seat next to the captain and asked.
Cagalli, who was also present, nodded at Xiao Liu when she saw him arrive.
"The warning was just issued, but they didn't comply."
"We have no choice but to send them out."
"Try not to kill anyone—just disable their engines and notify the local military—"
Badgiruel stopped mid-sentence.
This sector was originally under the Atlantic Federation's jurisdiction.
Perhaps because of that, stability here had rapidly declined after the Atlantic Federation lost control.
"There's a junk dealer port nearby in this sector. We can notify them."
Kisaaka studied the sector map and suggested.
"Alright, for now, just disable their engines."
"Understood."
Watching three Daggers and three GINNs emerge from the Nelson-class ships, the bridge crew remained vigilant, each carrying out their duties methodically.
Soon, Kira's Warrior equipped with a Flight Pack and Mu's Strike armed with a Dragoon Pack charged toward the six Mobile Suits.
The two of them moved like gods of war, swiftly disabling all the Mobile Suits along with the three Nelson-class ships' engines in no time.
Mu and Kira effortlessly resolved the situation.
Listening to the pirates' pleas for mercy over the comms, He Kui's frown didn't ease.
"See? Nothing to worry about."
As the pirates were swiftly dealt with, Cagalli whispered to him.
"Don't let your guard down."
If this was a probe, it was still a possibility.
"I'll be careful, don't worry."
Hearing this, Cagalli didn't argue and just patted He Kui's shoulder.
"We'll see each other soon~"
"Can you not jinx it?"
He Kui let out a bitter laugh.
They were still five hours away from PLANT's radar station border.
Not too far, and even if this was a probe, an attack wasn't guaranteed. Even if they were attacked, he was still here.
"Just call me if anything happens."
"You're leaving again?"
Cagalli frowned in displeasure.
"You're coming over, and I have work to do too. Plus, there are still a lot of basic tests to complete."
"But I'll stay connected."
"Oh, fine."
Only then did Cagalli's irritation fade slightly at He Kui's words.
She then reached out and gently patted He Kui's head again.
"I heard PLANT arranged the highest-standard hotel for all of us."
"Of course."
He Kui nodded matter-of-factly.
Hearing his words, Cagalli's face flushed slightly.
"Take me on a tour when we get there."
He Kui didn't ask why she wanted to tour the hotel—instead, he simply took Cagalli's hand tenderly.
"Of course."
(End of Chapter)