Save the Day Program, once again. (Gundam IBO/Satisfactory SI): Chapter 31

Ort Cloud. P.D. 323.

“Priority order. Units Alpha through Epsilon are to rendezvous with the FICSIT Earth-bound fleet outside the Ariadne Network near Phobos, follow them, but hide yourselves. Standard drives only. Do not use FTL unless absolutely necessary for Mission success.”

“Mission Parameters: VIP Defense and Black-Ops. Protect the VIP and the Fleet while taking out any hostile force before their existence is identified by the fleet. Do not be discovered under any circumstances.”

[Orders Confirmed]

[Query: Force Authorization level?]

“Partial. Mobile Suits authorized. Drone strikes authorized. Nuclear armaments authorized. Macron and Electron cannons authorized. Project: Legion not authorized. Ragnarök not authorized.”

[Confirmed.]

With the orders confirmed, five Shoggoth units split off from the fleet of hundreds upon hundreds of their brethren and retracted their drones.

The moment all their drones and mobile workers were retracted, they contacted the AI of the local travel network that FICSIT had created based on the Ariadne Network that only they could access.

[Unit Designations: Alpha through Epsilon. Request access to the Webway.]

Directive?

[Priority Mission from Commander.]

Authorization Codes?

The machines transmitted their authorization codes to the AI of the Webway network which were scanned for tampering and then checked in a fraction of a second.

Authorization Confirmed.

Mode of Travel: Wormhole Network/ Standard Drives?

[Standard Drives]

Calibrating Optimal Route. Route Confirmed. Entry Point is P38 and Exit Point is C23.

Transmitting.

[Transmission Confirmed. Route Confirmed.]

Acknowledgement Received. Deactivating Defenses in the Planned Route.

Ahab reactor response in the planned route: Negative.

Risk of unknown contact in the planned route: Minimal.

WARNING: IN CASE OF MISSION PARAMETERS INCLUDING PROJECT: LEGION OR RAGNAROK INITIATIVE. DO NOT USE THE WORMHOLE NETWORK OF THE WEBWAY.

[Standard Warning Acknowledged. Logged. Negative on both parameters]

Confirmed Acknowledgement. Route Open. Shoggoth Units Alpha through Epsilon Clear For Travel.

[Confirmed.]

With the standard procedure that felt like an eternity for the machines but was barely a few seconds in reality out of the way, the Shoggoth ships fired their Thermal Propulsion Rockets at full setting and blasted off towards Mars through the hidden Ariadne Network clone that FICSIT created and named as the Webway.

Since their Commander had specifically asked them not to use the Wormhole network, a vast collection of Upscaled Portals scattered across the Webway for FICSIT’s use, the Shoggoths had to use their standard drives which would mean that it would take a week for them to arrive at their intended destination.

However, unlike humans, the machines did not feel boredom or a decrease in morale, so all they did was float silently through the void towards their mission target.

To protect their VIP target, Kudelia Aina Bernstein, and the fleet that would be escorting her to Earth for her speech.

And, along the way, if necessary, wipe out anything that comes their way with ill intent.

With three Five Demons onboard that fleet, a silent Angel following them from far away, and five Voidspawns following her, Kudelia truly would be the safest woman in the universe during her journey.

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Arbrau. Earth.

An elderly woman with white hair hidden beneath a pink wig, and brow eyes, glared balefully at her companion who sat stoically in his seat with his cane.

With gritted teeth and baleful eyes, she spat out her grievances.

“I thought you said there would be no problems this time around?”

“And as I promised, there are no problems.”

The middle-aged man with brown hair and blue eyes stoically looked at the woman as he continued speaking.

“Togonosuke Makani has resigned from office thanks to the scandal. A scandal that I fabricated. His supporters are scattered across various offices and will be steadily demoted from their positions subtly in the following month. His followers on the outside are already being dealt with as we speak. And as for the people?”

The cruel smirk that appeared on the man’s face sent a chill down the woman’s spine, bringing her out of her anger for a split second.

“The people are nothing more than sheep that will listen to anything that they are told. So they are of no consequence.”

“So, what, pray tell, are you referring to when you speak of ‘Problems’? Henri Fleurs.”

The anger that was cooled at the threat she felt from the man’s words instantly came back as she nearly threw the datapad in her hands at the man.

“This!”

Iznario Fareed, the head of the Fareed family, picked up the Datapad and started to read out the words.

“ ‘The heiress of Mars joins hands with the Titan of Industry?’ ‘FICSIT to sponsor Mars’s independence?’ ‘Clash of powers at Arbrau’s elections?’”

As he continued reading the articles and their titles, the self-assured look on the man’s face slowly started to morph into neutral look.

However, the rage in his eyes was barely concealed as he looked up at the older woman.

“This means nothing.”

“Nothing!? This little brat will cost us everything! Half-Metal imports from Mars and their sale on Earth are a large part of Arbrau’s Economy. If this girl really manages to somehow make Mars independent, Arbrau will directly lose 30% of its annual GDP!”

“Which will not happen.”

Iznario stood up from his seat and stood with an air of authority while taking the datapad with him.

“You seem to forget that recognizing Mars’s independence from Earth is not up to Arbrau alone. The terraforming of Mars was a joint effort from all four Economic Blocs from before the War. It is the reason why the four cities on Mars that exist currently are all owned by the Economic Blocs. This means that Arbrau only has the authority to recognize Chryse, which they own, as independent. Not Mars as a whole.”

“Besides, things will not come to that anyway.”

Once again, the man’s cruel smirk made the older woman shudder in fear.

“Even if you travel through the Ariadne network, space travel is always inherently risky. Things could always go wrong, and depending on your bad luck, you might even be reduced from a noble heiress of a colony to a mere slave at a moment’s notice.”

“Let’s hope you are right, Mr. Fareed. Because I did not risk my political career by accepting your backing just to end up ruined because of a little girl and a company from the middle of nowhere.”

“Like I said, leave that to me.”

With those words, Iznario Fareed left the room, preparing to bring in a few contacts of his to either get rid of the girl outright or bring her to him personally.

‘It has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed myself. Consider yourself lucky, girl, that you will serve someone as powerful as me.’

Soon, the office fell into silence after Iznario Fareed left the building, and Henri Fleurs followed soon after.

However, with no one left in the office, there was also no one left to observe one of the vents in the room open, and a man wearing tactical Gjallarhorn gear dropped down from it.

Within a matter of minutes, the man silently accessed the computer of the senator and easily breezed through the heavy encryptions of the machine, directly accessing the data stored within.

Unfortunately for the infiltrator, there was nothing much stored on the machine thanks to the paranoia of Iznario Fareed influencing the female senator.

Yet, the agent was not discouraged, as he had managed to record the entire conversation between the two people from the beginning to the end.

With his task being a partial success, the man quickly left the building without a wiser.

It would not be until a few days later that someone complained about the unbearable stench within the building, leading to a search that would reveal a decomposing body hidden in an unused janitor's closet in the basement, later identified as one of the security guards of the building.

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Iznario Fareed:

Henri Fleurs: