Maliu's Appearance

"But I think if you've got all that energy and nowhere to let it out, finding yourself a cute girl would be a lot quicker."

"Lately, I bet plenty of people have been asking for your contact information."

Hans opened the training unit and spoke in a muffled voice.

"Yeah."

Xu De nodded, having already chosen his unit and the setting.

As if he hadn't heard a word, he crooked a finger at Hans.

"Let's get started!"

"...All right."

Unable to refuse his good buddy, Hans let his shoulders slump.

Oh no. His buddy wasn't going to turn gay, was he?

The training session flew by as they put their heads down and worked hard.

As they walked down the corridor leading to the mess hall, Xu De's presence attracted few glances amid the slightly stale air.

After all, three whole fleets were gathered here.

Their hundred new recruits weren't particularly noticeable.

Even Xu De, who had become the top recruit among the hundred, was no exception.

Nobody was going to go out of their way to publicize it.

After all, even if he was a Natural superman, he was still from East Asia.

For them, whether someone was an Adjuster or not might be the latest way of dividing people.

But that didn't mean the old standards had disappeared.

His background meant the military was never going to trumpet his existence.

Xu De didn't mind, though.

The more famous you were, the more trouble you attracted. Staying unknown was a kind of protection.

It was enough for the people who needed to know to know he was capable.

As for everyone else, it didn't matter whether they knew.

"By the way, has the air quality here gotten worse?"

Hans muttered under his breath.

"Well, it is a decades-old relic."

The lighthearted remark hadn't come from Xu De. A young man had caught up to them from behind.

A strikingly beautiful, mature woman walked beside him.

Her maturity wasn't just in her bright, beautiful features; it showed in her gorgeous figure, too.

Both of them were warrant officers, though.

Xu De wasn't distracted by the somewhat familiar woman for long. He simply raised his hand in salute.

"Sir!"

"Mm. No need to be formal."

"You're Xu De, right?" the young man asked. He looked rather frivolous, which made him hard to read.

"Yes, sir!"

Xu De answered loudly.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Libby, a lieutenant with the 28th Flight Squadron under the Third Fleet. I serve under Colonel Revil."

The lieutenant nodded in response to Xu De's salute.

At that, Xu De's heart gave a little jump.

He hadn't expected to run into Maliu here.

The Special Operations Division was responsible for research and transportation.

Considering that this would be the Moebius's first real combat deployment on the front lines, it made sense that Maliu would be here.

"Hello. Libby told me about you," Maliu said with a smile.

Her bright features seemed even more charming when she smiled.

"It's an honor," Xu De replied.

"Maliu, let's go get something to eat," Libby said with a smile, stepping closer to her.

"Mm..."

Maliu stepped back to avoid him, then turned and walked away.

Libby didn't follow her right away. He shot Xu De a glance before turning to leave.

"Are they a couple? That ensign's pretty cute," Hans said, watching them go.

"Maybe."

The man's gaze had held a coldness that didn't match his outward manner.

His slight frown made it clear he wasn't pleased with Xu De.

They might be a couple, but it looked like he was still trying to win her over—and not having much luck.

Still, it had nothing to do with him.

"But I reckon you'll be one of them before long, Xu."

"We'll see."

Xu De shrugged and continued.

"Come on. Those gluttons eat like they're drinking water. If we're late, all that'll be left is salad."

Xu De headed for the mess hall.

"Either way, it's the same few things every time," Hans grumbled, but didn't dwell on the two they'd just met.

The food in space wasn't very good. Most of the time, they got a set meal of sandwiches, chicken, salad, and yogurt.

It wasn't because they were short on money.

The mess hall was part of the old space station.

It had been there even before the lunar city was built.

There was no artificial gravity.

Anything that wasn't solid would drift all over the place.

"If only officers had private dining rooms. Then we could order food," Hans said, looking at Xu De hopefully.

"Even warrant officers can only order their own meals," Xu De replied, exasperated.

"I just want you to show me what it's like! What kind of person do you take me for, Xu De?"

"A glutton?"

Xu De shot back without missing a beat.

"Get lost."

They traded a few jokes, and two days passed in no time.

It was an ordinary Friday. Xu De had just finished training and was about to go to bed when the sudden blare of an alarm jolted him fully awake.

"Showing up now, they must be coming in force."

There was only one day left until the seven-day deadline, and ZAFT had chosen to attack in the early hours, when they were at their sleepiest.

They used Atlantic time in space, so there was no trouble figuring out the time.

"First battle alert. All combat personnel, report to your stations immediately."

"Repeating..."

As the announcement echoed throughout the World Tree, Xu De blended into the chaotic crowd and quickly found his station.

He grabbed a stimulant from the cockpit and swallowed it, then started up the system.

There were already plenty of messages on the military frequency.

ZAFT had taken out their advance reconnaissance team, delaying the return of intelligence.

Now, they were only about two hours away from entering firing range.

And ZAFT had dozens of warships in this attack. They had clearly gathered most of their forces.

Their numbers still didn't match the three main fleets, twelve combat groups, and four Garrison Forces on their side.

But they were clearly prepared to fight to the death.

"Both sides have been plotting."

"Too bad the Atlantic side is so eager for quick gains. But then, they're merchants, after all."

After a brief sigh, Xu De refocused.

Whichever side won, it would be the people at the top who benefited.

It had nothing to do with a low-ranking soldier like him.

His job now wasn't to weigh the gains and losses. He needed to survive the battlefield, and if possible, earn a couple of merits.

Then he could head to the moon with the main force and make plans from there.

Just as Xu De was about to begin the system's self-check, his communications channel opened.

"Corporal Xu De, this is your first time piloting a Moebius. Would you like help with the system check?"

A clear, melodious woman's voice echoed through Xu De's cockpit.

It had a slight huskiness to it. He knew that voice well.

"Sorry for the trouble, ma'am."

"No need. Maintaining the Moebius is part of my job."

"But do you remember me?" Maliu asked curiously.

Even the gloom of the enemy forces bearing down on them lifted a little.

They'd only met once, yet he remembered her name.

And he was an elite who seemed rather aloof.

That was a considerable boost to her vanity.