The soldiers covered their ears.
Within seconds, their heads buzzed as liquid flowed from their ears down their necks, and all sound abruptly vanished.
Even Ogsha, who had covered her ears, wore an expression of agony.
Then, seven or eight colorful balloons the size of palms fell from the sky.
The balloons landed precisely on the soldiers' heads and burst instantly, drenching them in the liquid inside.
Some splashed toward Ogsha-Clyne in the corner, but she was prepared, blocking it with her arm.
Though the trained soldiers remained composed despite their sudden deafness, the assault of unknown liquid on their heads now unsettled them.
They shouted, demanding to know what was happening, but received no response—only the relentless buzzing in their ears.
Instinctively wiping their faces, they inadvertently smeared the liquid into their eyes, causing immediate searing pain as if their eyes were on fire.
Blinded and deafened, the five elite soldiers descended into chaos.
Stumbling backward, they collided with each other, flailing wildly in panic, mistaking their comrades for attackers.
Ogsha-Clyne watched from the sidelines, touching her damp sleeve and sniffing—the pungent scent of black pepper filled her nose.
Then, a tool hammer dropped from above, its head striking the ground and leaving a small dent.
Her gaze fixed on the hammer, her eyes gleaming with calculation...
...
Twenty meters above, on the rooftop.
Zhou Tianming observed the scene below with a smirk, gathering the water bottles, portable pump, balloon packaging, and black pepper container into a plastic bag before leaving.
He exited through the opposite alley, tossing the bag into a roadside trash bin, then leaned against the wall near the entrance to wait.
A chorus of screams soon echoed from the alley.
Moments later, Ogsha-Clyne emerged.
Her white lab coat was bundled around something in her hand.
The pale pink fitted dress beneath bore conspicuous red stains on the chest and hem.
Zhou Tianming sighed inwardly—truly Lacus's mother. Ruthless. Absolutely ruthless.
"Hello, Ogsha-Clyne. I just saved you. I'd like to propose a deal."
To his surprise, Ogsha-Clyne froze, eyeing him from head to toe before settling on his face. Hesitantly, she asked, "Tianming? Zhou Tianming? You're awake?"
"Huh?"
Soon after, Ogsha-Clyne strode ahead with Zhou Tianming in tow, the two conversing as they walked.
"You're actually quite famous among us researchers. Aula loves mocking Hibiki's failure by bringing you up—she's even fought your mother over it. But she never learns."
Zhou Tianming was speechless. No wonder she acted like a brat in the movie version—she was already like this before shrinking.
"I only got to know your mother Zhou Hanxiang after learning about you first. When Lacus was born and I didn't know what to do, your mother helped me a great deal."
Zhou Tianming hadn't expected their relationship to be closer than he imagined. Since that was the case, he decided not to hold back.
"Since you already know about my situation, Sister Ogsha, I'll be direct. I want to leave the Satellite. Do you know of any way?"
Ogsha gave Zhou Tianming a deep look. "I'm curious how you knew my surname is Clyne. At the research institute, I don't go by that name, and Hanxiang shouldn't know either."
"A secret."
This question was too complicated to explain, so Zhou Tianming dodged it with a cheeky grin.
Ogsha glanced back as she walked, her willow-like brows curving into a smile as radiant as blooming flowers. "Perfect timing—I'm leaving this place too. Let's go."
"Who were those people earlier? They looked like soldiers."
"They were indeed soldiers, but I'm not sure if they were from the Eurasian Federation or the Atlantic Federation. Siegel was accidentally discovered and attacked."
Zhou Tianming understood. According to the original timeline, this was during the conflict between PLANT and the Earth Alliance. Siegel, being a key leader, being targeted for assassination wasn't surprising at all.
The two arrived at a main road, where Ogsha used her overwhelming charm to coax a random passerby.
The man, wearing a dazed smile, escorted them to a very remote location, glancing back longingly with every step as he left.
After marveling at Ogsha's sheer lethality, Zhou Tianming surveyed their surroundings.
They were at the Satellite's edge, where not a soul was in sight—only rows of square warehouses neatly arranged.
Ogsha led Zhou Tianming to the warehouse at the very back, right against the Satellite's inner wall.
She entered a password into the lock of a small door beside the massive warehouse gate and stepped inside, with Zhou Tianming following closely.
As soon as they entered, bright fluorescent lights illuminated the space. The center of the warehouse was completely empty, with only equipment and miscellaneous boxes lining the edges.
Zhou Tianming's gaze swept across and noticed what looked like a large door on the opposite side, with an MA parked in front of it.
He was inwardly shocked—he was certain Siegel had secretly dug a passage leading straight to outer space within the Satellite.
Ogsha strode swiftly to a communication device with a display screen, her fingers dancing across the keyboard as she rapidly input a communication code.
Soon, the screen lit up, revealing a short-haired woman in a white spacesuit and a round helmet, her pretty face frozen in astonishment.
After a moment of stunned silence, the woman hurriedly turned and shouted behind her, "Lord Siegel! It's a call from Lady Ogsha!"
Then, a man in an equally bulky white spacesuit came flying into view.
He was moving so fast he nearly overshot, but he grabbed the back of a chair, his lower body swinging wildly from momentum before he wrestled himself back into position.
Behind the helmet was a square-jawed face framed by golden short hair. His voice was urgent but filled with relief. "Ogsha! Are you alright?"
In contrast, Ogsha remained perfectly calm. "Siegel, is Lacus safe?"
"She's fine, asleep. What you did earlier was too dangerous—you should have left it to me."
Ogessa shook her head. "You're more important than me. Everyone is waiting for your return."
Siegel struck the chair back heavily with his arm. "I was too careless. I never expected one oversight would lead them to our trail, nearly endangering you and Lacus."
"Don't blame yourself. Both Lacus and I are fine now. How long have you been gone?"
"We just departed," Siegel said with frustration. "Damn it, I should have waited a bit longer."
Ogessa shook her head again. "You and Lacus are the priority. The shuttle is safer."
Zhou Tianming listened to their conversation nearby. It seemed immediate departure was impossible now.
Yet this warehouse also made him realize Siegel's capabilities. Even if they couldn't leave immediately, any subsequent troubles wouldn't be problems for Siegel.
While Ogessa was still communicating, Zhou Tianming looked around. The warehouse appeared to be a simple hangar with almost no extra items stored.
His gaze quickly fell on the only object present - that MA. Its yellow spherical body had four mechanical arms gripping a metal base beneath it, with two machine guns mounted on either side.
After some mental searching, he recalled information from memory's corner - this was the earliest MA in the SEED universe: the Mistral.
Originally a basic vehicle for cargo transport, metal cutting, and ship repairs, it had also served as a space fighter before newer MA models were developed.
Suddenly, Ogessa's voice came from behind: "Stop staring. Go change into a spacesuit. We'll be using it soon."
Zhou Tianming blinked in surprise, following Ogessa to the changing room nearby. "We're using this MA? Even if it can reach space, it won't fly very far."
Ogessa pulled out a white spacesuit and began undressing as she spoke. "Siegel will have the shuttle return nearby to pick us up. We just need to fly beyond the satellite and wait."
Seeing Ogessa strip down to her underwear without hesitation, Zhou Tianming blushed and averted his eyes. "Is there a spacesuit here that would fit me?"
Ogessa paused while putting on her suit, her expression turning wry. "Actually... no, there isn't."
BOOM!!
A sudden explosion startled them both.
Zhou Tianming rushed out of the changing room to see a dozen soldiers in combat gear, rifles raised, storming through the breached door.
"Targets spotted! Targets spotted! Located deep in the southwest corner of the storage area. Confirmed as Siegel Clyne's secret dock."