After departing from the Gryps II Satellite Cannon Space Zone, the Gwadan and Aries rendezvoused with the Argama and Radish in the prearranged space zone as agreed.
From the Argama's perspective, the details of what transpired behind Gryps II remained unclear. However, Haman had kept her promise, so Char still needed to return to the Gwadan to express his gratitude.
Of course, Char was more interested in seeing Mineva again. In his eyes, Haman was no longer worth his concern—in fact, they might even become enemies in the future.
Reid wasn't involved in this part of the events, so it was unknown whether Haman had infuriated Char by using Mineva as she did in the original story.
Now, during the post-battle respite, Reid decisively declined Haman's dinner invitation, citing the need for rest.
Considering that Reid's forces, despite their brief combat engagement, had achieved remarkable results, Haman didn't press the matter. She merely expressed her hope that Reid would later come aboard the Gwadan to receive a commendation from Mineva.
This was something Reid couldn't easily refuse. Turning down a commendation would be detrimental to unity—even if that unity only lasted a month. So, mentally resigning himself to playing along with Mineva's little ceremony, he agreed.
Naturally, this would have to wait until Reid had properly rested. The collaboration between the Gwadan and AEUG was still ongoing, with their next target being Sedan Gate—the site of the decisive battle during the One Year War, the A Baoa Qu fortress (referred to as A Baoa Ku in the old TV version, though A Baoa Qu made more sense).
Having just ambushed the Gryps II Satellite Cannon, the Titans' trust in Haman had plummeted to rock bottom. Thus, Haman naturally wouldn't foolishly charge straight in. There would be a period of preliminary negotiations, during which Reid could take his much-needed rest.
Well, in reality, he didn't get much rest at all. Ange grew jealous, and to prevent Reid from potentially having a one-night stand with Haman, she decided to exhaust him thoroughly first.
In the end, Reid was only roused when Haman had already established contact with Jamitov Hymem and needed to discuss their next steps with him.
By then, Reid was well-rested mentally and, thanks to Ange, had been granted Liu Xiahui's buff—rendering him utterly immune to temptation.
Reid remembered that this negotiation was particularly perilous, as both Haman and Jamitov Hymem, leader of the Titans, were fully prepared to eliminate each other.
Thus, to ensure their campaign didn't fail due to unforeseen circumstances, Reid really needed to have a serious talk with Haman.
Upon arriving at the bridge, Reid took the initiative to establish communication with her.
The moment the call connected, Haman's displeasure was evident—she had likely guessed that Reid had spent his rest time engaging in "adult activities."
With a sour expression, she said,
"Colonel Reid, have you rested well? You've been rather... indulgent in your leisure time."
Reid knew he was at fault here, so he had no intention of dwelling on the topic. Besides, what did Haman—a 21-year-old maiden with no experience in such matters—even understand? There was no point discussing it. So, he cut straight to the chase.
"I've read the follow-up mission briefing sent by Gwadan. I have no objections to using Axis to collide with A Baoa Qu. Axis is much sturdier than the already hollowed-out A Baoa Qu. When the two collide, it's A Baoa Qu that will be destroyed, while Axis won't suffer much damage."
"But I think it's too dangerous for you to go alone to negotiate with Jamitov Hymem and delay his departure. I believe I should at least accompany you."
Reid immediately expressed concern for her safety and was willing to venture into danger with her. Haman's lingering resentment toward him vanished instantly. What she feared most was that Reid, like Char, would suddenly lose interest in her and become indifferent.
In truth, Char was somewhat wronged in this regard. Before meeting Kamille, he considered Haman the greatest hope for leading the spacenation toward the right path. That's why he voluntarily handed over control of Axis to her.
Unfortunately, due to the manipulations of the Zabi family's revival faction, reconciliation between the two was no longer possible.
Now, Haman had transferred almost all the feelings she once held for Char to Reid. This time, when Char came to visit Mineva, she felt much more at peace, not even bothering to mock him. She also didn't teach Mineva any words to provoke Char, so he wasn't as furious as in the original timeline.
Seeing Reid's concern for her, Haman felt a warmth in her heart and smiled as she replied,
"I'm glad you're willing to accompany me into danger. But Jamitov Hymem is very cautious—he only allows me to approach him alone. However, I managed to secure the meeting location in the outer space zone near Sedan Gate. The Titans' escort ships can't surround us, and the Aries will also have to standby at a distance."
"Of course, I'll have some elite troops hidden in the shuttle to ensure my escape. It would be a waste of your talent to give up piloting an MS and join such a high-risk team."
"Our allies, the Argama and Radish, will standby even further back. Regardless of the outcome of my negotiations with Jamitov Hymem, they'll come to support us."
"So my safety is somewhat guaranteed. You don't need to come with me."
"After that, it'll be AEUG's time to shine. I've sacrificed Axis, so AEUG must ensure the Titans' fleet is pinned down at A Baoa Qu. This way, we can eliminate at least half of the Titans' elite forces in one strike, and Gryps II will be hard for the Titans to hold."
Reid made it clear that his concern wasn't about failing to destroy the Titans—it was about her, the faction leader, potentially dying in an accident.
In a tone that brooked no argument, Reid said,
"Haman, wait for me on the Gwadan. I'm coming over right now, and we'll discuss this face to face."
With that, he abruptly ended the communication.
If anyone else had done this, Haman would have been furious—her pride wouldn't tolerate being ordered around. But with Reid, she immediately applied a double standard, interpreting it as his concern for her. She turned and headed straight to the hangar to await his arrival.
Reid moved quickly this time, arriving on the Gwadan in his Mystic Lightning within minutes.
After disembarking from his Mobile Suit, Haman noticed Reid carrying a large bag and asked in surprise,
"Reid, did you bring equipment for me?"
Reid confirmed her guess outright, saying,
"Yes, Haman. Find us a room where you can change. I'll explain what I've brought with me."
Hearing this, Haman's face flushed slightly. A room to change clothes—wasn't this implying they would enter her bedroom? However, she didn't refuse and simply turned to lead the way.
"Alright, follow me."
Reid didn't think too much of it, assuming Haman would take him to where she changed into her MS pilot suit. Instead, they entered a room that resembled a royal palace.
After dismissing the maids, Haman, visibly blushing, said,
"Alright, it's just the two of us now. Say what you need to directly."
Reid now sensed the awkward atmosphere. Unfortunately, not only did he dare not touch Haman, but even if he had any thoughts, his body was completely drained.
So he pretended not to notice anything, opened the backpack behind him, and revealed the third iteration of the modified Luna Titanium Scale Bulletproof Suit.
"I brought you life-saving equipment. This Luna Titanium Scale Suit is a full-body undersuit that can be worn beneath clothes and pants. It's designed with cushioning—ordinary pistol bullets will feel like a light punch, while standard rifle bullets won't penetrate, though the impact will still be significant.
I also added an anti-metal detection coating. Ordinary metal detectors won't pick it up. The downside is it's a bit uncomfortable to wear and makes using the restroom inconvenient."
Haman's eyes lit up immediately. While synthesizing Lunatitanium wasn't as difficult as it had been nine years ago, crafting it into fine scales small enough for an undersuit was another challenge altogether. The synthesis environment for Lunatitanium made it hard to use ultra-small molds for scales—too little material made final shaping difficult.
Even with molds, cutting and polishing were still required. Considering Lunatitanium's hardness and heat resistance, this suit was priceless. Axis didn't have the technology for it. If done manually with machinery, the time and effort alone would make the cost higher than that of a Gaza-C (mainly because the Gaza-C was among the cheapest MS).
Haman picked up the undersuit and ran her hands over it delightedly before looking at Reid with flushed cheeks.
"So, are you planning to watch me change here?"
Reid immediately fled in panic, locking himself in the bathroom and shouting that Haman should call him once she was done.
Amused by his flustered state, Haman couldn't help but laugh. If not for the fact that certain actions might interfere with her plans, she would've loved to tease him further.
Since it concerned her life, Haman quickly changed into the Lunatitanium undersuit and then called Reid out.
When Reid emerged, he saw Haman standing there without her outerwear, her body shimmering with a metallic sheen that accentuated her alluring curves.
However, Haman was pressing a hand to her chest, looking somewhat exasperated as she said,
"Reid, isn't the chest area of this suit a bit too... generous?"
Reid wasn't surprised. The suit had just been exchanged from his system, but without Haman's exact measurements, he had to use data from Ange, who was roughly the same height. Noin's proportions were too tall, while Xia Yulan and Yulan's were too petite.
So Reid could only awkwardly explain,
"Uh, this outfit is Ange's spare. After all, I couldn't have prepared bulletproof gear tailored to your measurements in advance..."
Reid's explanation made Haman slightly unhappy—so she was just getting someone else's hand-me-downs.
But reason told her this wasn't Reid's fault. There was no way he could have prepared a custom-fitted bulletproof undersuit for her when he set out.
Besides, when she thought about it, she was now wearing the clothes of Ange—Reid's primary wife. That realization was oddly thrilling.
So Haman pushed the "secondhand clothes" matter out of her mind. In any case, she had no intention of returning this outfit after wearing it. Reid was already giving her a legendary life-saving garment for free—who was she to complain?
Thus, Haman leaned in close to Reid again, planting another kiss on his cheek before pressing against his chest and murmuring:
"Fine, I won't give you a hard time. I'm very satisfied with this outfit. Now you can rest easy about sending me to negotiate with Jamitov Hymem, right?"
Reid desperately wanted to turn and flee—Haman's "I want to devour you" aura was back in full force.
But running wasn't an option. At the very least, he had to ensure Haman survived this negotiation.
So he gripped her shoulders and gently pushed her away, creating some distance from their intimate proximity. Then, putting on a serious expression, he began his performance:
"Haman, remember this—in Neo Zeon, anyone can die except you.
I'll be waiting right outside the negotiation ship to extract you. Don't worry, I have a stealth system—the Titans won't detect me. Actually, I could just ambush and destroy their ship when it arrives. You don't even need to go inside for negotiations."
For the first time, Haman genuinely felt Reid's concern for her. He truly feared her death. A sweet warmth blossomed in her chest as she shook her head and replied:
"I need to confirm Jamitov Hymem is actually aboard that ship. And if the Titans offer enough, switching sides isn't out of the question. But if negotiations fail, blow up the battleship after I'm out. Jamitov Hymem is better off dead if he remains our enemy."
Seeing Haman's resolve, Reid stopped pressing the issue. He'd done all he could—she already had backup plans anyway, with Neo Zeon commandos ready to rescue her. Plus, the hydrogen cyanide suicide gas bomb concealed in her earring.
Soon, Jamitov Hymem's Lombardy-class battleship arrived. Both sides recalled their Mobile Suits before the two warships approached each other.
This time, Reid decided not to conceal the Mirage Colloid System's existence. For the campaign to continue, Haman's survival took priority.
So he activated the Mystic Lightning's stealth in full view of all Neo Zeon personnel in the hangar.
Watching the Mystic Lightning vanish before everyone's eyes, Haman finally understood why those battleships had exploded so easily during Gryps II. This Mobile Suit had maxed out assassination skills—no warship could withstand it. Truly a machine designed by someone from special forces.
Still, Haman could sense Reid's general direction, confirming this Mobile Suit wasn't as threatening to Newtypes as one might assume.
Thus, Haman boarded a small shuttle carrying the most elite special forces of Neo Zeon and set off. Now she could sense Reid following closely behind, filling her with a sense of security.
Meanwhile, aboard the Lombardy-class Battleship, Jerid Messa—the newly appointed bodyguard of Jamitov Hymem—felt an overwhelming threat emanating from Haman's approaching location.
Yet both optical cameras and radar showed nothing but a single shuttle in that direction, so Jerid Messa assumed the threat he sensed was Haman herself. Turning to Jamitov Hymen beside him, he said:
"Sir, I can feel Haman's hostility. It seems she comes with ill intentions this time. We should exercise extra caution."
Jamitov Hymem was aware of the Newtypes' mysterious perceptive abilities, but he had long anticipated the risks of this meeting with Haman and remained unfazed.
The recent battle at Gryps II had made Jamitov Hymem realize he might have underestimated Neo Zeon's combat capabilities. He needed to speak with Haman again—today, she must choose between annihilation or submission.
Whether Haman bore malice or not was irrelevant. What mattered was the choice she would make.
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