The shuttle Haunzen landed smoothly at Davao Airport.
In the original plan, Kenneth intended to follow the Haunzen to Adelaide before transferring to Davao.
However, due to the hijacking incident, he had taken advantage of the situation to change plans, directing the Haunzen to change its destination directly to Davao.
After all, entering Davao and the Pacific meant entering his own territory.
"That wasn't easy... but at least we landed without further incident."
Kenneth curled his lip in disdain as he watched the emergency slides deploy.
The group of arrogant Federation officials—who had been screaming miserably moments ago—were now putting on a facade of elegance as they descended one by one to the ground.
To be honest, he was still incredibly frustrated by the man in the black suit who had grabbed his gun to stop him from fighting back. It was only due to his rank that he couldn't take more extreme action.
'If I were Mafty, I'd definitely step up the intensity and gun these guys down... wait, what am I thinking?' Kenneth shook his head and took a deep breath, trying to push such thoughts to the back of his mind.
"What is it? Does it hurt?"
A familiar female voice sounded in Kenneth's ear. The flight attendant, who shared a significant history with him, was currently bandaging his wounds.
However, this was only a temporary treatment; Kenneth would ultimately still need to go to a hospital.
"No... just thinking about some things."
Kenneth shook his head again and looked at her. Their gazes met, and for a moment, a faint spark seemed to flicker between them. Kenneth felt that setting aside the pursuit of Gigi for a while might not be a bad idea.
"Kenneth, your colleagues are here to pick you up... are you alright?"
Just as a heat was about to ignite between Kenneth and the flight attendant, Hathaway appeared before them.
At this moment, Hathaway was holding one of the rifles used by the hijackers, guarding the surviving captives.
Of course, if they didn't receive medical treatment soon, their lives would also slip away.
"Don't underestimate me; I'm a Federation soldier. It was just two shots," Kenneth said, raising his healthy left arm in a mock muscle-flexing gesture. "As for you—are you holding up okay mentally?"
"...I'm fine."
Hearing Kenneth's words, Hathaway's hand subconsciously trembled twice as it gripped the gun.
Seeing this, Kenneth estimated that Hathaway still had some psychological barriers and let out a sigh.
'I'm truly an incompetent adult, failing to resolve everything myself and instead letting someone with psychological issues like Hathaway fight again...'
'But you're truly strong, Hathaway.'
"I'll have a word with the Bureau of Investigation. When the time comes, your questioning should just be a matter of following procedure; they won't make things difficult for you."
Kenneth nodded toward Hathaway as he spoke.
"However, if we follow the standard procedure, you'll be resting at a hotel managed by the Bureau. That won't be a problem, will it?"
Faced with Kenneth's kindness, Hathaway didn't know how to respond and could only stammer out a reply.
"Um... that should be fine."
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Kenneth certainly kept his word. Before being whisked away by the hospital ambulance, he specifically sought out the adjutant who had come to receive him and spoke a few words; afterward, the adjutant also held a brief conversation with Hathaway.
After Hathaway had waited for a while in the VIP lounge of the terminal, two Man Hunter agents wearing ID badges approached him for a casual chat about the events on the Haunzen.
After stuffing a card into Hathaway's hand, they departed.
The entire process was swift and formulaic. Beneath their polite expressions, Hathaway could clearly sense an air of "indifference," as if they were only thinking about clocking out early.
Hathaway glanced at the departing agents until they vanished from his sight, then looked down at the white card in his hand.
It was reportedly an anonymous card that could be used indefinitely; no matter how it was spent, money would be deposited into it, and the destination of those funds would never be traced.
"Another privilege..."
Hathaway gripped the card tightly, until the edges left indentations in his palm.
'Is it simply because Kenneth said a few words, or because my father is Bright Noa?'
Hathaway took a deep breath, trying his best not to show any signs of abnormality. He then tucked the card into his pocket and left the airport.
Now was not the time for wallowing in sentiment; with eight officials staying overnight in Davao, this was a golden opportunity.
"First, I'll go meet with Damien..."
As the thought crossed his mind, Hathaway suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening slightly.
'When did I start subconsciously relying on Damien so much? It used to be me discussing things with the other comrades.'
'Is it because his suggestions are more mature than mine? Or is it because I've spent too much time with him and have been charmed by his personality? Or some other reason...'
Hathaway shook his head slightly. Regardless, it was best to consult with his partners first.
Ask Damien, and ask the comrades; only then could the plan be sound.
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Hathaway skillfully found a communication shop on the street and purchased an anonymous SIM card.
In this era of U.C. 0105, there were far too many "illegal residents" on Earth. If they used registered SIM cards, it would be no different from placing themselves right under the noses of the Man Hunter units.
Therefore, these shops also sold unregistered cards; after all, ten bucks was still ten bucks.
He hadn't ruled out using a landline, but that carried a risk of being traced. It was better to be cautious.
Hathaway expertly dialed Char Aznable's number.
"It seems our young master's journey went quite smoothly."
As soon as the call connected, Char's slightly relaxed and casual voice came through. Faintly, Hathaway seemed to hear the sound of ice cubes clinking against a glass; clearly, Char was enjoying a very comfortable time on his end.
"...I wouldn't call it smooth. We were attacked by a 'Mafty' unit midway."
Hathaway briefly summarized the events.
"I'm guessing it certainly wasn't one of the groups we recently integrated into our ranks."
"You guessed right." Hearing Char nail the truth so quickly, Hathaway sighed. "But let's talk business first. Eight high-ranking Federation officials were on the Haunzen with me. Due to the hijacking investigation, they are currently resting at a hotel in Davao."
Hathaway's description was detailed. Eight Federation high officials represented a massive target, and the fact that they were staying overnight in Davao made it a golden opportunity.
"So, what are your thoughts?"
Hearing that these targets were gathered in Davao, Char's interest was piqued.
"As we've done in the past—form an MS squad and assassinate these officials."
Hathaway's proposal remained simple and blunt.
"No, the risk is too high. Mafty is currently undergoing a transition. Besides, Anaheim mentioned that the Federation's new Gundam has likely been deployed down there; you might run right into it. If Gawman and the others are captured, you'll be in extreme danger."
Char rejected Hathaway's idea without hesitation. He set the wine glass he had been swirling down on a low table beside his chair. "Furthermore, I heard that the Kimberley Unit has a new commander."
Silence fell between them for a moment. Hathaway walked through the narrow alleys of Davao while Char tapped the armrest of his chair with his free left index finger.
"When are these officials leaving?"
After a moment of reflection, Char posed a question. "What's the transport method? Sea, land, or air?"
"In about two days, the Kimberley Unit will arrange military aircraft for their transport... I managed to get this from the Kimberley Unit's adjutant. Those officials had a massive reaction to the hijacking and are strongly demanding military transport and escort."
Hathaway recalled his conversation with Kenneth's adjutant, the man's helpless expression still fresh in his mind. "They will head directly to Adelaide."
"In other words, no one else will be on board?"
Sensing a turning point, Char sat up straight and inquired.
"Likely... yes."
Hearing Char's words, Hathaway frowned. "Are we going to ambush them in the sky?"
Hathaway himself didn't support this plan. In his view, relying solely on Messer units wouldn't allow them to retreat safely after striking the current Kimberley Unit. After all, now that Kimberley had a new commander, there was no telling what might happen.
"Not 'we.' It's 'me'."
Char's airy voice drifted through the communicator.
"What?"
"The Zorin Soul is a machine from the same generation as the Federation's new MS. Including testing, it only needs three days to be ready for sortie. If we skip the testing phase, the Zorin Soul can deploy directly in two days."
Char stood up and began walking toward the Zorin Soul's hangar. "I will handle the evacuation from the Moon and the task of eliminating the targets. This also benefits you—it will strip away any suspicion directed your way."
"...I used the excuse of my mental health issues to gloss over why I knew how to use a gun," Hathaway said after a brief silence, revealing his method for covering his tracks.
"Still, one can never be too careful."
Char pushed open the hangar doors, his pace quickening. "Besides, I intend to use a grand entrance as a declaration of war against that Full Frontal."
"...I'll discuss this with the other comrades first."
Faced with Char's sudden surge of passion, Hathaway felt a bit overwhelmed and could only hang up the phone.
Char listened to the busy signal from the phone, casually swiped the screen off, and tucked it into his pocket.
"Old man, cancel the testing phase for the Zorin Soul. Once assembly and inspections are complete, we're sortieing immediately!"
"Bullshit!"
In the noisy hangar, the old man's voice rang out, full of vigor and punctuated by a rhythmic, German-accented cursing.
"How can you pilot a machine that hasn't been tested?! Are you looking for a death wish?!"
"There's a battle in two days."
Char's lips curled into a grin, his tone carrying a trace of unmistakable excitement. "Combat is the best possible test!"
"Let me see it for myself—the performance of the Federation's new MS."
.....................