Infiltrating Heliopolis

"The list will be on your desk before three this afternoon."

Sheng Lan did exactly as she said.

At 2:47 that afternoon, a list of twelve technical evaluation team members appeared on Lin Yuan's encrypted terminal. Two materials specialists, three propulsion systems experts, two weapons ballistics experts, three control software experts, and two structural mechanics experts.

Lin Yuan scanned the names, made no changes, and approved it directly.

At the same time, in the L3 Sector more than forty thousand kilometers from Earth, at the seventh cargo port of the Heliopolis colony satellite.

A medium-sized freighter bearing an East Asian civilian registration number was slowly docking.

The hull bore Shenghe Logistics' blue logo, and the cargo manifest listed maintenance parts for colony communications relay equipment.

Ye Qingluan stood in the freighter's internal communications compartment, dressed in the logistics company's gray work uniform. Her short hair was tucked beneath a safety helmet, and the small screen before her displayed a live feed of the port.

"Is Team One in position?"

A reply came through her earpiece. "Team One has entered Zone Three. Their identities as communications testing personnel were not subjected to a second verification."

"Team Two?"

"Team Two's maintenance contractor credentials passed inspection. They are waiting for the Dawn Society logistics department to assign work orders."

Ye Qingluan tapped the location of the Dawn Society factory district on the screen with her fingertip.

"What is the Dawn Society's security level?"

"Class B inside the main plant, with biometric identification and dynamic passwords. But the maintenance passages for the outer power lines and exhaust treatment system have only Class C access controls. Third-party contractors can enter with work orders."

"What about the database?"

"It is physically isolated. The core unit parameters are not connected to any network. But the engineers' personal terminals and backup servers run on an internal LAN, and the maintenance port is beside the energy pipeline monitoring room."

Ye Qingluan closed the display and turned toward the encrypted communications console in the compartment.

"Connect me to the director."

Three seconds later, Lin Yuan's voice came through the encrypted channel.

"Report."

"Qingluan is in place. Teams One and Two have entered their designated positions. The Dawn Society's outer defenses are lax in their review of third-party contractor chains. The core internal data is physically isolated, but the engineers' private backups and secondary servers have exploitable access points."

"What about Orb's security forces?"

"The colony satellite garrison has fewer than two thousand personnel. Their routine patrols are concentrated in residential districts and the port. The factory district relies on the Dawn Society's own security."

Lin Yuan was silent for two seconds.

"Change the order of contact."

"Go ahead."

"Do not touch the database first. Have Team Two enter the energy pipeline monitoring room under the guise of maintenance and map out the physical topology of the entire factory district. Record every power node, the cooling system routes, and the locations of the emergency lockdown doors."

Ye Qingluan narrowed her eyes.

"You want more than just data."

"Data is the first priority. But if circumstances permit, I also want to know the physical storage location and transfer routes of the G Weapons. When ZAFT arrives, that information will be useful amid the chaos."

"Understood." Ye Qingluan paused. "Director, there is something I need to report."

"Speak."

"Among the cargo ships that entered port during the morning shift, there was a bulk carrier registered in the Middle East. It declared industrial lubricants as its cargo. But my people saw three men in the port passageways whose physical condition clearly exceeded that of ordinary crewmen, and their walking rhythms were highly uniform."

"Characteristics?"

"Young, exceptionally fit, and extremely alert. When one of them passed the security checkpoint, he made a deliberate sweep of the surveillance camera locations."

The channel fell silent for a beat.

"ZAFT personnel." Lin Yuan's voice did not waver. "Three days earlier than I estimated."

"Should we alter the plan?"

"No."

Ye Qingluan waited.

"They are scouting the site, not making a move. A raid requires warship support. ZAFT would never send only a few people to seize the G Weapons. They are doing the same thing you are—mapping the internal layout."

"If they discover our people?"

"Your people will not appear in the same passageways as theirs." Lin Yuan spoke rapidly. "ZAFT's target is the actual units. They need to get close to the main plant and the MS hangars. Your people are operating around the outer energy pipelines and data maintenance layers. Your routes do not overlap."

"Understood."

"But keep a close watch on them. Record their numbers, faces, and times of entry and exit. Once this group returns, ZAFT's official assault will come within two weeks."

Ye Qingluan swiftly jotted down several notes in a paper notebook.

"Director, one final confirmation of the mission priorities."

"First, a complete backup of the engineering data. Second, the physical topology of the factory district. Third, the engineers' personal information and contact methods. Complete all objectives before ZAFT makes its move."

"What if the data backup takes longer than the available window?"

"Then finish it on the day ZAFT acts. Chaos is the best cover."

"Understood. Anything else?"

"One red line." Lin Yuan's tone remained unchanged, but his pace slowed by half a beat. "No matter what happens, your people are not to take part in any combat. Do not rescue anyone, do not fire, and do not expose yourselves. Once you have the goods, withdraw."

Ye Qingluan closed her notebook.

"Rest assured, Director."

"Qingluan."

"Yes."

"Once this batch of data returns, East Asia's MS development will go from starting at zero to standing on the shoulders of giants. What your people are doing will one day be written into military history."

The corner of Ye Qingluan's mouth moved in what barely counted as a smile.

"I do not care about military history. As long as it means fewer of our soldiers die."

The communication ended.

Ye Qingluan removed her earpiece and walked to the freighter's porthole.

Outside lay the artificial sky along Heliopolis's inner wall. The city beneath the blue dome looked peaceful and orderly.

The residents of this colony satellite did not yet know that, within two weeks, war would descend from the sky.

And what she had to do was carry away the spark before the flames consumed everything.

Team Two's voice came through her earpiece. "Team Leader, the Dawn Society logistics department has assigned a pipeline inspection work order for tomorrow morning. The area covers every power supply node between Factory Three and Factory Five."

Ye Qingluan put her earpiece back on.

"Received. Tell everyone that from this moment on, we are entering silent operations. Report any anomaly first, then act."

She took one last look toward the port, where the Middle Eastern-registered bulk carrier sat quietly at its berth, its lights going out one by one.

"We are not the only ones watching the prey."