Chapter 65: The Terrifying Masked Man

Although reaching L4 from their location at L5 required passing through the Moon, the situation had changed significantly since the previous explosion. The Earth Alliance was severely affected and, according to intelligence reports, was currently unable to launch any offensive operations from there.

Thus, this time, ZAFT had left behind the completed modified Yakin Duv and some MS and warships to guard their base before setting out in full force.

"Captain, how long until we arrive?" 

He Kui asked the captain stationed at the bridge through the internal communication system.

"Approximately ten hours."

"Alright."

After hearing this, He Kui hung up and made his way to the small shuttle.

One of He Kui's tasks was to travel between several flagship vessels equipped with the latest beam weapons to conduct final inspections.

Compared to checking data streams, on-site inspections were much more reliable. Moreover, this was He Kui's first project as the main responsible party, so he needed to maintain a professional attitude.

However, this also led to another issue.

Looking at the white-masked man waiting for him outside the hatch, along with several green-clad individuals behind him, He Kui felt a bit anxious.

"Director He, I've heard so much about you."

Kruze's voice was magnetic, sounding like a refined gentleman.

"Captain Kruze, the honor is mine. Thank you for your contributions to PLANT and ZAFT!"

As He Kui spoke excitedly, he was relieved that he had left Shi He inside the ship; if she saw her idol now, he wouldn't be worried about her actions but rather about what Kruze might do to her.

He truly feared that Kruze might charm Shi He into joining his crew, leaving He Kui with no tears left to cry.

However, he hadn't expected that Captain Kruze would also be involved in testing the beam weapons.

"Those are just things I should do as a ZAFT soldier."

"Captain Kruze is too humble. Then let's not delay. I'll go check the status of the firearms now?"

"Of course, please follow me."

Kruze gestured for He Kui to enter deeper into the hangar.

The inspection was straightforward: first, a physical check of the firearms, then reviewing the data connections to the computers, followed by running a simulation program.

"Does Director He often take such a hands-on approach?" 

Kruze asked, still behind He Kui, wearing a casual smile.

"Not really; I just feel more at ease doing it myself. After all, weaponry is a crucial foundation for ensuring soldiers' lives."

He Kui shone a flashlight into the dark barrel of the gun, his voice echoing in the chamber.

"It's also a weapon that takes lives from our enemies."

"Indeed."

"Director He, what inspired you to create these weapons?" 

"Because I want to serve PLANT and ZAFT."

Having answered, He Kui didn't give Kruze a chance to continue the chit-chat. He stood up and said, "The inspection is complete. I'll head to the main control computer to run a simulation program and then leave. Captain Kruze, you don't need to see me off. Farewell."

"Farewell."

After responding, Kruze didn't pay He Kui any more attention and instead focused on the sleek beam rifle in front of him.

He Kui finished inspecting the twenty beam rifles assigned to the combat team below in no time.

About six hours later, he finally returned to his room.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Seeing Shi He at the terminal writing a report, He Kui asked.

"I've rested already, and if I keep resting, you won't have time to rest, either."

"Take a nap; we're expected to arrive in about four hours."

Shi He pointed to the countdown timer in the upper right corner of the terminal.

"Alright."

He Kui didn't refuse. With the battle approaching, even though Coordinators could sleep less, conserving energy was still essential.

Though it was said to be four hours, under his precise biological clock, He Kui automatically woke up after three hours.

He was surprised to find Shi He had somehow crawled into his bed. Despite the hard steel bed, their bodies touching created a surprisingly soft sensation.

"Not going to sleep anymore?"

Seeing He Kui awake, Shi He smiled and shifted slightly in his embrace.

The warmth of their skin against each other created a comforting atmosphere. However, He Kui was preoccupied with thoughts of potential emergencies that could arise, leaving no room for romantic notions.

As for Shi He, she noticed the serious look in his eyes, which mirrored her own thoughts.

"Yeah, it's almost time."

He Kui glanced at the countdown timer on the desk.

Although he was only responsible for logistics, at this point, they were likely entering enemy territory. If anything unexpected happened, it would be difficult to respond if they continued sleeping.

"Then let's get up."

As she spoke, Shi He quickly sprang from his side, tidying up her appearance, then turned to look at He Kui, who was also getting ready.

"Your shirt is wrinkled."

Shi He gently smoothed He Kui's collar with her delicate hand.

"Thanks, let's go?"

"Mm, I just called Hoss to wait for us on the bridge."

As they spoke, they walked side by side along the handrails to the bridge.

The bridge was busy with activity, having canceled shifts due to being fully staffed.

"Director He, you're here. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you."

He Kui responded to the captain's invitation and took a seat in the observer's position, with Shi He and Hoss following suit.

The computer booted up, connecting to the intermediary computer, which then linked to the flagship's monitoring database.

"Connection complete, data confirmed successfully received, signal strength test passed, connection stability test passed, monitoring system officially online."

"Thank you for your hard work."

With Hoss's report, the computers in front of the three switched to the internal data monitoring interface for the beam weapons.

"Not a hassle; I just really want to get in there."

The one saying this wasn't Shi He but Hoss, who was indeed a battle enthusiast.

"Maybe you'll get your chance later."

He Kui replied helplessly.

"Oh."

Hoss responded with a hint of disappointment.

Watching their interaction, Shi He couldn't help but smile slightly.

Before their departure to the New Star, He Kui had repeated similar refusals in the office, leaving the team members quite frustrated.

At that moment, an announcement came over the intercom.

"Distance to target: 3,500; resource satellite 'New Star'."

As the radar operator reported, the satellite's image appeared magnified on their large screen.

It appeared to be just a massive, irregularly shaped asteroid; however, several protruding barrels peeked out from the crevices, resembling sharp fangs ready to tear apart any intruders.

Although this resource satellite didn't have a Cyclops, it did contain large resource collection facilities, and based on estimates, there was still a long way to go before it was fully excavated. Capturing it would naturally lower material costs.

Of course, the prerequisite was being able to capture it.

He Kui focused his attention, seriously observing the data streams in front of him.

Meanwhile, the activity at the center of the bridge intensified.

"Enemy ship detected; signal confirmed as Earth Alliance's First and Eighth Fleets."

"Commencing battle; neutron jammers activated! For ZAFT!"

As the commander notified the entire fleet, the announcement also served as a rallying cry. The front-line warships began to accelerate in unison, while the beam cannons on the turrets began their preheating process, emitting a faint glow in the dark universe.