Just as Cagalli had said, the capital's air force base in Orb was already under tight security. Several squadrons of fighter jets soared through the azure sky, while on the ground, numerous Red Astrays equipped with aerial combat Backpacks stood ready.
Rather than protection, it seemed more like a display of power.
The main event, of course, was the space shuttle slowly descending from the sky.
At this moment, He Kui had already used his Little Bird to survey the surroundings, but he found nothing. Had they cleaned up too thoroughly, or were they just well-hidden? Still, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
In the hidden corners around the airport, He Kui's Little Bird continued to fly, scouting the area.
Meanwhile, the Aegis was concealed in a nearby park.
The rooftops were out of the question—they were undoubtedly filled with snipers.
As He Kui remained vigilant, Lacus's familiar pink figure appeared at the airport.
Although she no longer held the title of the daughter of the former chairman and was not officially a PLANT official, Lacus was still recognized by other nations as a representative of the Clyne Faction, thanks to her father's connections and her own reputation.
It was easy to imagine that once Lacus entered PLANT's administrative center, she would likely develop within the diplomatic committee.
While He Kui was still pondering, Lacus, surrounded by her entourage, approached a high-ranking official from Orb's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Orb's foreign minister was also a member of the five great families, specifically from the Kiyou family—a bespectacled, seemingly amiable man.
Despite the name Kiyou, he clearly had Western features.
From this, it was evident that he wasn't a direct descendant of the family, likely adopted, much like Cagalli and Sahak.
Had the legitimate heir abandoned their responsibilities and run away? Watching Orb's tabloid news on the screen, He Kui was slightly surprised.
It seemed that no matter where you went, there were people like this, though the daughter was quite beautiful.
Come to think of it, He Kui had met the young lady of the Kiyou family before.
When she was with Cagalli, she seemed to be in charge of Orb's external affairs, specifically within an official organization called the Orb Disaster Relief Team (ODR), which fell under the jurisdiction of the International Cooperation Agency, a peripheral group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The name was long, abbreviated as ODR, and its primary role was to assist various countries in protecting the lives and property of their overseas citizens amidst the increasingly severe war.
Internally, it was composed of three MS squads, making it a small but somewhat powerful overseas force.
As He Kui investigated the young lady of the Kiyou family, Lacus had already met with the head of the Kiyou family.
"Welcome to Orb, Miss Lacus," the foreign minister said with a gentle smile, matching his amiable demeanor.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Kiyou," Lacus replied, performing a graceful curtsy. Behind her were three Haros, crafted by He Kui himself.
"However, I am just a civilian. To receive such a grand welcome from you is truly humbling," Lacus continued, speaking in a refined manner, her eyes taking in the countless MS around her.
Her gaze showed no signs of surprise.
Seeing the young girl so composed, the man who had expected her to be startled was disappointed.
After all, Lacus was only in her teens.
Even by Coordinator standards, she was just reaching the age of independence.
He had thought this display would impress her and allow him to probe more about PLANT's situation.
But clearly, he was mistaken.
Though just a young girl, she was no less adept than seasoned politicians.
Thinking this, Kiyou suppressed his slight underestimation and led the group into the base.
After a brief tour of Orb's capital, they would head to the military island.
There, after the talks concluded, Lacus would return to PLANT via the Kaguya Mass Driver.
The two-day itinerary was quite packed, and with the risk of a large crowd, there would be no concert.
Orb couldn't afford any losses, so there were only a few interviews with Orb's media.
"Was I really worrying for nothing?" He Kui wondered.
Those people were ruthless enough to nearly kill Siegel.
Would they really let such a good opportunity slip by?
Even if they failed, they would likely try.
Never assume the impossible—sometimes, that's exactly what they're aiming for, making it easier to succeed.
Only by covering all bases could one truly be safe.
As He Kui pondered this, a loud explosion suddenly erupted from within the base.
"That's coming from the MS hangar?"
"Was that an MS explosion?"
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He Kui could see the park's visitors, who had been enjoying themselves, now swiftly making their way to the shelters upon hearing the explosion.
Meanwhile, He Kui headed in the opposite direction.
That explosion couldn't possibly threaten Lacus, so there were two possibilities: first, it was a warning, meant to hinder cooperation between the neutral nation and PLANT.
It was effective, but not significantly so.
Second, it was a diversion.
There would be a second wave.
On the other side, Lacus was being escorted by her bodyguards to a nearby shelter, while the communication channels within Orb were in complete chaos.
"The route from the base entrance to the shelter looks like this, and from the angle of fire, there are 32 possible sniper points in the surrounding area," He Kui calculated on his computer, while the Little Bird flew overhead to scout.
As for being seen? Everything was in chaos, and few would notice the Little Bird.
Even if someone did, they might not care, or at most, they'd just see a bird.
While the Little Bird scouted, the Aegis was also on the move, heading toward the base's hangar.
Since Lacus had the Haros with her, she should be fine.
Ordinary long-range weapons couldn't harm her.
But that didn't include MS and certain specialized firearms.
Soon, an alert from the Little Bird appeared on He Kui's screen.
As he had suspected, at one of the sniper points, there was a person who stood out from the rest.
According to the Little Bird's trajectory analysis, he was targeting Lacus's bodyguards.
"In position, awaiting orders."
"Wait for the target to fire."
"Understood. Five. Four. Three."
As the sniper counted down, He Kui showed no mercy, controlling the Little Bird to dive straight for the man's head.
Focused entirely on Lacus, the sniper didn't notice the anomaly until the Little Bird's powerful impact knocked him unconscious.
"If the gun can't penetrate, then the remaining assassins must be among Orb's guards?"