Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

"Apologies. Marlet was acting on impulse."

As it turned out, He Kui's judgment had been correct; Marlet's actions were indeed insubordination.

While ZAFT granted each red-uniformed pilot a degree of discretion on the battlefield, this freedom was not without cost. They had to justify the correctness of their decisions.

Insubordination would be overlooked if it led to victory, but if it jeopardized the mission, the consequences could be severe—potentially even a court-martial.

ZAFT's policy made sense. If every red-uniform acted on their own without repercussions, the battlefield would descend into chaos. They might as well disband ZAFT and let volunteers take the field.

Marlet's actions had clearly violated basic ZAFT protocol.

Marlet said nothing, though he cast a defiant glare at He Kui, brimming with resentment.

"If I'd been allowed to use the new pack, I'd have taken down the enemy's Mobile Suit."

"Marlet!"

Lika, who had been speaking up for him, turned, her face stern.

"You've crossed the line, Mr. Strauss."

Courtney Hieronymus, who had been silent until now, frowned as he spoke up.

"Hmph, I could beat He Kui in a rematch."

Marlet's hostility was not lost on He Kui.

Back in their academy days, Marlet had bested He Kui in Mobile Suit piloting, though He Kui himself didn't care about the loss. It was Marlet who couldn't let it go.

"No need. I won't pursue the matter, Mr. Strauss. Make sure you know your place."

"Are you scared?" Marlet sneered, his handsome face twisted with malice.

"No. It's just unnecessary. Remember your rank, Mr. Strauss."

Using his surname was not an act of fear but a deliberate severing of any remaining camaraderie. He Kui had no obligation to duel with Marlet. As a white-uniform, He Kui outranked Marlet, who was still a red-uniform. Even if he won, it would be pointless—a waste of time he'd rather spend with Su Lei, gaining useful insights.

"You!"

"Marlet!" Lika cut in again, giving He Kui an apologetic glance before dragging Marlet, who was on the verge of further confrontation, away.

"Director He's classmates are… unique," Courtney Hieronymus chuckled, shaking his head.

Even as a test pilot without a military background, Courtney could see Marlet's lack of military discipline, despite his piloting skills.

"He's probably feeling a bit… insecure," He Kui shrugged, sending Courtney off with a nod. Left alone in the hangar with Su Lei, he could finally relax.

"He seems like the vengeful type. Why not report him to the Defense Council?" Su Lei whispered, holding his hand as they ensured privacy.

"ZAFT is short on personnel right now, so reporting wouldn't do much good."

Even that old sociopath was still around, and so was Yzak, who had recently been confirmed to have shot down an Orb civilian transport. Orb had lodged a protest, but Yzak was still here.

If a soldier could bring value to ZAFT, they would be protected. At least, that's how it worked during wartime. When the war ended, there would likely be a reckoning.

Yzak would likely escape severe consequences; with his connections in the Council, his family could shield him. Reporting Marlet would likely only lead to him being sent off on a mission with Ash Gray—hardly the outcome He Kui wanted.

"He'll only escalate if left unchecked," Su Lei frowned.

"Errors tend to pile up," He Kui replied.

Su Lei, feeling He Kui was perhaps too forgiving, nodded slightly, accepting his decision.

"Well, it's time for us to get to work."

Together, they headed back to the room, where they sat before a screen to analyze the data from the recent battle.

"The mission is considered complete," He Kui sighed, watching the three Mobile Suits' performance on screen.

"Won't the Defense Council be disappointed?"

Su Lei examined the data with concern. Their four units had been needed to hold off a single enemy.

"Perhaps, but the opponent's shield tech is hardly mass-producible. It's likely a prototype, like the Strike. While our own weapons aren't slated for mass production on GAT-X units either, they're far more economical."

The data was concrete; the Eurasian Federation would see it, too.

"Besides, I almost destroyed their shield and Gundam. Not all their pilots will be this strong. In fact, only a few in the Eurasian Federation likely have this level of skill."

Setting aside personality flaws, Marlet and Lika were top-tier from their generation, as was Hieronymus, with his sniping skills surpassing that of many elite red-uniforms.

Yet they'd only managed to force a retreat.

Most likely, the Eurasian Federation would be more unsettled than they were, realizing their mighty Gundam had been bested by a few elite production models.

"So, now that it's over, we'll stop by Julius Seven before heading home."

Handing a Haro unit to Su Lei, He Kui chuckled.

"Home…"

After finishing the data analysis on the three GAT-X models, their Nasca-class cruiser reached the ruins of Julius Seven.

"Why are you testing the escape pod here?" Su Lei asked as He Kui climbed into the vehicle, now hovering like an airship with retracted wheels.

"If anything happens, the quickest escape is through the colony," He Kui explained.

"Don't jinx it," Su Lei chided playfully.

"Just being cautious."

"Well, hurry back! We'll be heading home soon!" Su Lei's cheeks turned pink as she spoke, her words a little out of order but clear to He Kui, who nodded with a slightly mischievous smile.

"Yes, I'll be quick. Go ahead and take a bath."

"Hmph, don't be too late, or I'll be asleep!"

As Su Lei playfully warned him, He Kui activated the escape pod and headed toward Aegis' location.

The area was secluded, and with the Nasca-class on guard, he felt safe enough to decline Iron Wall's offer to follow. Alone, he descended to the ruins of Julius Seven.

Using the Mobile Suit's radar, he activated Aegis and quickly retrieved the dormant machine, which had been lying in the town hall since the Battle of Archangel.

Its outer appearance was as good-looking as ever, though its body bore various scorch marks, evidence of intense damage from prior engagements.

"It's nothing serious. A bit of repair work will fix it."

Compared to the five million they might have lost, this level of damage was incredibly fortunate.

With that thought, he stowed Aegis in the car's trunk and returned to the Nasca-class.

Upon entering his quarters, He Kui found Su Lei fresh out of the shower, wrapped in only a towel, droplets of water still clinging to her pink, fair skin and slipping down onto the metal floor.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

"How beautiful~"

Barefoot, Su Lei leaned close, whispering playfully in his ear.

He Kui's response was quick, expressing his answer through action.

Meanwhile, back in the Artemis strategy room, the strategist looked grimly at his subordinate.

"You're sure they only deployed production models?"

"According to intelligence, the models match ZAFT's new GAT-X series, though they appear to be custom units, using PS armor and advanced weaponry."

"What about the specs?"

"The data suggests they're slightly weaker than the Hyperion," the soldier continued.

"Report it to the Federation."

Exhausted, the strategist waved him off.

Their Gundam, paired with an experimental Coordinator, had been defeated by four enemy units, one of which was a long-range sniper.

Unless they upgraded their radar system or added smaller stations nearby, their shield system remained vulnerable to both Mirage Colloid and sniping.

However, the same applied to ZAFT's Boaz base.

But the real problem was reaching Boaz, which seemed impossible when they co

uld barely break out of Earth's atmosphere.

"Let the Atlantic Federation's zealots take the lead for now," he muttered, finally surrendering to fatigue.

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