There was much written here—traces of remote operations, AI debugging, and even data such as the black box ejection and covert data transmission from the decoy ship.
It seemed she no longer needed to raise any questions.
Transmitting records like conversations and ship logs to them via data transfer was the most crucial evidence for the charges against Blue Cosmos.
Otherwise, with only visual materials, it wouldn't constitute a complete chain of evidence.
To avoid raising suspicion, if Blue Cosmos truly launched an attack, there must be no traces of remote operations during the process.
Looking at this comprehensive and meticulous plan, Lacus breathed a long sigh of relief in her heart.
The plan wasn't overly complex, which was actually a good thing.
The more intricate the plan, the more steps involved, and the greater the chance of failure.
Simplicity was good.
Lure them in, hook them, obtain the data, and then expose them.
In essence, it was just these three steps.
Even the subdivided steps weren't overly complicated.
However, the AI Fred mentioned made her quite curious, as she hadn't heard of Fred researching AI before.
"Leave it to you. Also, don't deliberately leak information about civilian ships. They need to discover it on their own."
Fred cautioned once more.
Although most of Blue Cosmos were reckless, those at the top clearly weren't.
They were cunning, ruthless, and likely paranoid—entities that required full vigilance.
"I'll have Flay bring the AI to you when the time comes. I'll head off now—I still need to pilot the MS."
With the serious matters concluded, Fred bid farewell without a hint of hesitation.
Lacus was used to this, though she subtly pursed her lips.
"I know."
This person probably only had piloting Mobile Suits and studying on his mind.
Oh, and cooking.
But cooking was likely just an afterthought.
Remembering Fred's helpless expression when they tricked him into cooking earlier, Lacus couldn't help but cover her mouth with a light chuckle.
"Take care, brother."
"Hmm?"
Seeing the girl shift from frowning to what seemed like a slightly mischievous expression, Fred was already accustomed to it. He simply nodded and closed the Communication Channel.
Stepping out of the dim study, sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the young man in its glow.
It was warm and lazy, tempting one to take an afternoon nap.
Unfortunately, now wasn't the time for sleep.
With that thought, Fred took a deep breath and pulled out his tablet.
There was still plenty of research to do recently, not to mention the plan for mass production in agriculture.
However, his agricultural skills had been steadily improving.
Fred's gaze shifted to the system before him.
[Cosmic Agriculture (Proficient) 44.75/100]
His focus on agriculture had slipped a bit lately. If he had maintained his previous intensity, his agricultural skill should have been over fifty by now.
But he couldn't be blamed—his energy had been more devoted to MS research recently.
Besides, his current level of agricultural skill was sufficient for now.
Faced with increasingly complex situations, research on MS and Battleships was becoming more advanced.
The focus should remain there.
Although he thought this way, putting aside other considerations, the thought that the space grain he had participated in researching was about to enter mass production still stirred a sense of excitement within Fred.
After all, this was a major step forward for space colonization.
In the future, it might even be possible to use this to improve the environment on Mars.
After indulging in these future prospects for a while, Fred took a deep breath and refocused his mind.
There had been quite a few pieces of good news lately. The MS had already entered the trial production phase.
He had also smoothly obtained his second training GINN.
Thinking of this, Fred couldn't help but quicken his pace.
This was exactly why he was heading to the secret port this time!
...
The journey from here to the Central Hub port wasn't far.
As usual, Fred was on the Special Train, reviewing the materials on his tablet.
He paid no attention to the fairy-tale-like scenery flashing by outside the window.
However, this time, Fred and Alec on the Special Train were not alone.
"Andrew, it's rare not to see you with Aisha."
Fred looked up from his tablet and started with a teasing remark.
"She has her own work too, and this time I'm here to teach you how to pilot an MS!"
Andrew spoke with an air of righteousness, but Fred just shrugged in response.
"You just want to fight me, don't you?"
Fred rolled his eyes.
Ever since Andrew had gotten his hands on an MS, he had been coming over every few days to pilot it.
It was as if he had gotten a new toy.
But Fred could understand his enthusiasm perfectly well.
Besides, every time Andrew came, he would share insights about the global situation and some internal secrets, and they could also spar and exchange techniques, so Fred welcomed his visits.
"Of course, don't you?"
In response to Andrew's retort, Fred didn't answer directly. He just smiled and said,
"Any missions this time?"
Andrew's experiences were also one of Fred's important sources of information.
"Oh, speaking of that~!"
When it came to stories from the outside, Andrew's expression lit up.
He took a sip of water and began talking nonstop.
In summary, Andrew's recent mission had been to conduct reconnaissance on Earth.
Yes, Earth.
He had gone to South America and even secretly visited some border cities near the Atlantic Federation.
His task was to assess the advantages of combat on Earth, among other things.
"The gravity there is really uncomfortable, and the environment isn't as good as here. If we ever have to fight there, adapting will be quite difficult."
Andrew said with a half-smile.
"Maybe developing an MS similar to a tank could offset the disadvantage of fighting on unfamiliar ground."
In response to Andrew's words, Fred nodded and added.
"...Huh?"
Andrew was taken aback by this.
He had said this partly to gauge Fred's reaction to the idea of attacking Earth.
It was both a test suggested by Patrick and his own curiosity.
But he hadn't expected Fred to immediately propose researching a new MS.
"You don't mind?"
Andrew asked in surprise.
"Given the current situation, preventing war is impossible."
"It's just that everyone has their own stance, that's all."
Fred shrugged.
He had noticed Andrew's probing but had simply gone along with it. Besides, he had already decided to walk this path, so he had no objections now.
"But Andrew, what is your own stance?"
Hearing this, Andrew raised his thick eyebrows slightly, and even Alec behind Fred unconsciously straightened his back.
"...I came to test you, and here you are, turning the question back on me."
Though he said this, the corners of Andrew's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a bright smile.
Clearly, he didn't mind Fred's words.
However, Andrew's smile didn't last long. Soon, his expression turned serious as he replied.
"I think war can no longer be stopped, but once it begins, the more chaotic it becomes, the harder it is to turn back."
"I don't know where the future lies either."
Andrew shook his head frankly.
He knew war was coming, but he didn't know how to end it.
Many ZAFT Elites were troubled by this question.
How to end it, and where does it end?
How many people must be killed, and what must be destroyed?
These were not decisions they could make.
"Yeah..."
Fred nodded along with the other's words.
If he were just an ordinary person here, he might share the same confusion as Andrew.
Of course, if he didn't have the Golden Finger or knowledge of the plot, he likely wouldn't have much influence on the world's situation either.
In the end, he would only be able to watch his sister die...
Thinking of this, Fred took a deep breath and continued.
"Blue Cosmos is the enemy."
"Many young officers among the Coordinator hawks want to make achievements and build careers."
"On the other hand, there are many grudges against Blue Cosmos."
"If it were me, I would choose to direct the target toward the higher-ups of Blue Cosmos."
Seeing Fred's expression, which didn't seem like a joke, Andrew fell silent for a moment before sighing.
"It's not that easy. Those guys are like centipedes—they cling to life dearly."
"Well, we can think about it when the time comes."
Fred didn't press the matter.
After all, he was just trying to gauge the other's thoughts.
As Fred's words trailed off, the train slowly came to a stop.
As a direct train, it had clearly reached its destination.
"Thank you, Andrew, for clearing things up for me."
Fred stood up as he spoke.
Andrew's attitude was roughly in line with his earlier analysis.
He wasn't firmly aligned with Patrick, nor could he be considered Patrick's man.
Having this understanding was enough; persuading Andrew later would be Lacus's task.
After all, from a serious perspective, he himself wasn't truly a member of the Clyne Faction either.
Nor did he plan to stay with the Clyne Faction forever.
He would have to retire someday.
Moreover, his charisma was clearly far inferior to Lacus's.
Everyone has their own areas of expertise.
Recruitment and spiritual leadership were clearly more suitable for Lacus.
With this thought, Fred suppressed the complex ideas in his mind and turned to Andrew with a hint of urgency.
"We've talked enough. Let's hurry and spar."
As he spoke, Fred was already the first to float out toward the deserted Spaceport outside the door.
Andrew, on the other hand, resumed his usual faint, somewhat cynical smile.
"You're one to talk—you're even more impatient than I am."
...
The two of them drifted through the familiar, empty corridor, wasting no time as they quickly made their way to the secret warehouse.
Unlike before, when only a single Training GINN stood alone, two GINNs now faced each other in the warehouse—imposing, though not exactly.
After all, these training GINNs were bald-headed, with crude Propulsion Units on their backs.
Coupled with their fluorescent green color,
they fell far short of the imposing presence of the regular GINNs, which were already in the Mass Production phase.
They looked almost like toys, lacking any sense of grandeur.
"They must know about the existence of MSs by now,"
Andrew remarked, looking at the two machines before him.
"Yeah, they know, but they don't seem to care much,"
Fred replied.
Mass-producing such large machines—how could such a big commotion stay hidden?
It's just that those on Earth think MSs are useless.
After all, it's still the era of Battleships and cannons. If it weren't for Halberton pushing the G Project, they wouldn't even have the Strike Suit.
But that's understandable. Without the Neutron Jammer, PLANT would have been destroyed countless times by those powerful and countless missiles.
There wouldn't even be any talk of MSs.
Of course, later on, that's another story.
With the power of the Glory Defender, MSs basically dominated everything.
And that was only in 75, just eight years from now.
The bizarre speed of technological evolution.
Fred inwardly grumbled.
Meanwhile, Aisha, the warehouse manager stationed here, drifted excitedly toward Andrew, wearing her usual provocative bodysuit.
"Andrew."
Her voice echoed in the slightly empty secret port.
Her deep blue hair flowed freely behind her. Perhaps nourished by love, she looked even more radiant and beautiful than when they first met.
Though she still didn't seem as cute as Lacus. Recently, as Lacus grew older, she had become a proper idol-level beauty.
Fred's neck stiffened almost imperceptibly as this thought crossed his mind, and he quickly averted his gaze.
Lost in the joy of their reunion, the two didn't notice Fred's odd behavior.
Only after exchanging a few intimate words did they snap back to reality at the sound of Fred's light cough.
"Ahem... can we get started?"
Fred looked at them with a hint of helplessness.
"Kids are always in such a hurry~"
Aisha shot Fred a small, playful glare.
By now, the two of them had grown quite familiar, enough to be considered friends.
"Not really,"
Fred shrugged, unfazed by being called a kid, and chuckled.
With Fred speaking up, the two couldn't continue being overly affectionate and soon separated. Andrew entered the Mobile Suit, while Aisha drifted over to the status monitoring equipment.
"The adjustments for both units are complete."
"Let me see."
Fred wasn't in a hurry to enter the cockpit. After speaking, he came to Aisha's side.
"Alright."
Aisha responded and stepped aside to make room.
She already knew Fred was one of the researchers.
If she had been too stunned to speak at first, she had grown accustomed to it by now.
She still had no idea what his true identity was.
But after spending time with him, Aisha had come to realize he was a kind-hearted person at his core. Coupled with the internal confidentiality agreement, she no longer felt the need to dig deeper into his background.
Still, perhaps this young man would achieve fame and success through the upcoming war.
Watching the young man's fingers dance swiftly across the keyboard,
Aisha couldn't help but think with a sigh,
At the very least, Andrew had high hopes for him.
He often said things like "the future belongs to him" or "we're already old," and so on.
Aisha wondered where Andrew got the idea that he was old.