After finishing their meal, time seamlessly transitioned to the next day.
It was the dead of night in Alaska, and a streak of light resembling a meteor streaked across the dark sky.
This "meteor" was none other than He Kui and his team.
"Temperature normal, cooling system activated," Shihe reported as the flames around the cargo container dimmed slightly.
Under the faint starlight, it was barely noticeable, especially since there was no one around.
"Reverse thrust initiated, automatic attitude adjustment commencing."
The cargo container's thrusters opened from within, and after minor adjustments, it plunged vertically into the water with a thunderous roar, sending up a spray of water over ten meters high.
"All systems normal, cargo container stability confirmed, depth normal," Shihe announced from the depths of the ocean.
By now, the cargo container had already embedded itself into the seabed.
Made of Gundanium Alloy, the container wasn't crushed by the pressure of the shallow coastal waters. Instead, as the airbags gradually inflated, it halted its descent and began to slowly rise toward the surface.
Meanwhile, the container's attitude adjustment nozzles transformed into a small engine, propelling it steadily toward Alaska.
"According to the original plan, we should arrive at the Alexander Islands, controlled by the Atlantic Federation, by dawn," Sulei said, glancing at the radar display and positioning system.
The screen detailed the operational data He Kui had previously obtained, marking the locations of battlefields and the intensity of the fighting.
Though there was some delay, it was still a crucial reference.
"Understood," He Kui replied.
As per the plan, his primary objective with the Aegis was to disrupt the Atlantic Federation's supply lines.
This was the optimal strategy He Kui had deduced after analyzing the overall battlefield situation.
The frontlines in Alaska were terrifyingly strong.
Not only were the Three Small Strongs' Mobile Suits enhanced with performance boosters, but the Reborn Gundam was also present.
There was even a possibility of encountering Creuset. On the ZAFT side, there were Athrun Team and Yzak Team.
Both sides boasted world-class combatants piloting top-tier Mobile Suits.
Although He Kui had the capability to compete with them, his high-spec GAT-X was still outmatched.
However, in a pinch, he could take control of the Liberator, which was currently being piloted by Dearka.
But this was a last resort and not entirely reliable.
"Let's rest a bit before we arrive," He Kui said with a smile, sending work files to each of their computer screens.
"You call this resting?" Sulei shot him an exasperated look.
She'd much rather be controlling Little Bird, soaring freely over Earth, than dealing with tedious work.
"Work needs to be done, my directors," He Kui chuckled, holding up the development draft for the nanorobots.
"And I have my share too."
"Alright, alright," Sulei pouted, standing up to cut him off.
She kissed him until she had to catch her breath, and only then did they part.
"Consider that interest," she said.
"Fine," He Kui shrugged, but before he could finish, Meyrin leaned in and kissed him too.
"Meyrin, you don't have work to do, do you?"
As the secretary, Meyrin helped him organize documents, and her workload was much lighter compared to the other two.
"Me too."
Meyrin replied with a blush.
"Then Shihe."
Since he had already kissed her, He Kui decided to kiss the honest Shihe, who was already holding documents and ready to work.
This scene didn't seem like they were about to head into battle at all.
He Kui thought with a mix of helplessness and amusement. Gradually, everyone in the radar room quieted down.
They all went about their respective tasks.
Time flew by as they worked, and after a while, the computers in the radar room began to emit a series of alert sounds.
"Attention! All content is available at 69shu!"
"We've reached the Alexander Archipelago, slightly later than the estimated arrival time."
By the time they reached this boundary, it was already sunrise.
Watching the golden hues gradually spread across the distant horizon, He Kui smiled.
Before them lay a region composed of large and small islands.
Part of Alaska, but the inland area belonged to Canada. This was also the Atlantic Federation's naval base after the fall of Alaska.
The largest port was Prince Rupert Port, which had been an important trade hub for Canada. After the formation of the Atlantic Federation, Prince Rupert gradually transformed into a combined trade and military port.
Of course, such a large port was beyond their current capability to attack. Their target was merely the small supply bases on the nearby islands. The strategy was to sustain the war effort by fighting, and as long as they could force the elite Red Coats to return for reinforcements, it would be considered a success.
Athrun and the others would handle the rest.
Soon, under the cover of night, He Kui didn't pilot the GAT-X directly but instead emerged from the container in the Aegis.
The GAT-X was too conspicuous and hard to conceal. Since this was a covert sabotage mission, the Aegis was far more suitable.
With quantum concealment, as long as she could avoid detection, she could destroy the base, much like the Three Small Strongs infiltrating the Armory in his memories.
The Aegis swam swiftly, and it didn't take long to reach the base's port.
Just as He Kui had anticipated, the radar didn't detect his presence.
Once confirmed, He Kui didn't hesitate. After using the Little Bird to scout and ensure no one could see him, he quickly stood up and controlled the Aegis to dash into the base.
The base wasn't large, with only four Dagger Squads, totaling twelve Mobile Suits guarding the area.
Correspondingly, the warehouse didn't hold much.
However, if they could infiltrate the server, they might be able to steal some intelligence.
"Why do we even need to patrol when it's so calm here? We might as well go back to sleep."
A patrol soldier walking along the metal-paved main road of the base looked drowsy.
Early morning was the sleepiest time for those who had just woken up, and soldiers were no exception, especially those stationed in the comfortable rear.
"Come on, it's like this every day. Do you want to be locked in the black room?"
"Who's going to attack us here anyway?"
"Have you forgotten about the Mirage particles incident?"
The other soldier retorted irritably.
"But didn't they upgrade the radar?"
The Mirage particles incident referred to the nuclear-powered Mobile Suits equipped with Mirage particles that were sent here to cause havoc.
Initially, they achieved some good results, but later on, it became less effective. The people here aren't fools; the early motion detection radar used by He Kui had already been leaked by Creuset.
Although it couldn't detect Mobile Suits moving by inertia, where on Earth would they find a meteor to leverage?
So, unfortunately, sneak attacks using Mirage particles no longer worked on the Atlantic Federation, at least in many parts of it.
(End of Chapter)