Alaska was about to initiate its plan, but first, Lacus's trip to Orb had to be addressed.
Following the coordinates provided by He Kui, they indeed found a corpse, but the accomplice was nowhere to be seen.
There were traces of a small explosion at the scene, yet no remnants of Little Bird or any signs of the ambushers could be found.
It seemed they had arrived a step too late.
However, He Kui had already blown Little Bird into smithereens, so even if they recovered the fragments, it would be of no use.
The core technical components were already shattered.
"Still searching for the person, shall we go?"
After arranging everything, Cagalli turned to He Kui.
With the matters here settled, Cagalli, also a princess of Orb, had come primarily to receive Lacus.
"Alright, let's go."
He Kui replied, and the two of them headed straight into the base.
Due to the recent incident, Lacus had just emerged from the shelter.
However, her demeanor didn't seem like someone who had just been attacked. Upon seeing Cagalli approaching, she gracefully stood up.
"Miss Cagalli, it's a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
"Miss Lacus, on behalf of the people of Orb, I welcome your arrival."
Having been tempered by her previous position as the head of the anti-terrorism unit, Cagalli now spoke official words with great fluency.
"Thank you, and who is this~?"
Lacus looked at Xiao Liu beside Cagalli. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with this child.
Moreover, the familiar sight of wearing a mask... "He is my advisor, Xiao Liu."
"Miss Lacus."
He Kui also bowed slightly upon hearing this.
"How impressive~ Xiao Liu is already an advisor at such a young age."
The praise in her voice would have been uplifting to most, and although He Kui was immune to Lacus's influence, he still feigned a slightly pleased expression.
"Overpraise~ Miss Lacus."
"Hmm"
Lacus pursed her lips, still unable to shake off the sense of familiarity.
The feeling he gave her was very much like Aegis.
Though it was just an intuition without evidence, she believed it to be true.
Could they be the same person? "Regarding the multiple terrorist attacks in Orb, we are also grateful for the assistance from PLANT."
Meeting Lacus's gaze, Cagalli stepped forward, blocking Xiao Liu with a smile.
As the attacks in Orb targeted Coordinators, PLANT had indeed contributed significantly.
Their aid and intelligence sharing had been crucial.
Otherwise, He Kui alone couldn't have suppressed the terrorist attacks so quickly.
"You're welcome, your country is an important partner to ours."
Noticing Cagalli's action, a trace of curiosity flashed in Lacus's eyes.
But since Cagalli clearly didn't want her to look, she averted her gaze.
At that moment, one of Cagalli's little birds completed its mission and flew back, affectionately perching on her shoulder.
"This little bird looks familiar, Miss Cagalli, where did you buy it~?"
Familiar with Lacus's ways, He Kui knew full well the hidden meaning behind her words and the suspicion in her tone.
For now, it wasn't the time for Lacus to know the truth, but arousing her suspicions could deepen their interactions.
Ultimately, their interests aligned, and Lacus wouldn't truly harm him. Even if she unexpectedly found out now, he estimated that at most, she would just demand more benefits in their cooperation.
Now that he was a council member, as long as he firmly refused to vote for the Clyne Faction, Lacus wouldn't really do anything to him.
Moreover, as their rapport improved, she would gradually come to understand.
"The gift was given to me by someone else!"
If it were the past, Cagalli would have definitely let it slip.
It has to be said, there's been progress.
He Kui watched the interaction between the two women from behind, feeling quite proud.
After all, he had personally guided and nurtured her.
Although she still couldn't match Lacus in wits, at least she wasn't foolishly falling into traps anymore.
"Is that so?"
"Given by someone else, huh~"
Lacus's suspicions were something He Kui could easily guess.
It was nothing more than wondering why his Little Bird had come here and was given to someone else.
Was it sent by a third party, or did he give it directly?
Clever people often think in such interconnected ways, and for a moment, she didn't realize Xiao Liu's role in this.
Of course, he had also taken the precaution of hiding his Little Bird beforehand.
"Considering the recent attack, perhaps we should escort Miss Lacus directly to the military island?"
"We shouldn't succumb to the fear they bring, should we?"
Lacus chuckled softly upon hearing this.
"Alright."
Cagalli had always been wary of this princess from PLANT, but upon hearing the words from the pink-haired princess, she felt a sense of mutual understanding.
Her smile immediately became more genuine.
At this moment, He Kui, following behind the two, seemed somewhat superfluous.
The activities in Orb's capital were quite simple—just making an appearance in front of the public media and delivering a speech outlining PLANT's basic stance.
"The recent attack was a shocking and unfortunate event, and I am deeply saddened. Many innocent people were harmed, which is a heavy blow to all who seek peace."
"But I firmly believe that violence and fear cannot shake our desire and pursuit of peace."
"As a neutral nation, Orb has always been a guardian of peace. I hope that through this visit, we can further strengthen the understanding and cooperation between PLANT and Orb, and indeed the entire Earth sphere, to jointly oppose those forces that seek to destroy peace with violence."
Listening to Lacus speak eloquently to the reporters on stage, Cagalli's lips twitched slightly.
"It's alright, you're not the same type of person. Cagalli has her own way."
He Kui held Cagalli's hand and whispered softly.
Lacus naturally had a certain charisma.
Language and song were inherently her most powerful weapons.
But Cagalli was different. She naturally inherited Asuha's popularity, and with her own personality, as long as she stayed true to her path, she would surely gain affection.
"Hmm."
Hearing He Kui's words, the lingering resentment in Cagalli's heart eased a bit.
"Miss Lacus, as a prominent figure from PLANT, your visit to Orb is not an official diplomatic trip, but it has undoubtedly garnered significant attention. Are you here with any official intentions for cooperation?"
As the two of them were speaking, a reporter in front asked a slightly pointed question. Unlike in PLANT, the
media here is controlled by entities other than Asuha, and even Asuha it
self often finds it challenging to navigate.
The reporter who asked this question was, in fact, under the influence of the Sahak family.
(End of Chapter)