"Sorry!"
Before him now was that Captain, though he had lost all his former vigor. Disheveled and covered in wounds, he wore handcuffs, and his once handsome, square-jawed face was bruised purple and blue.
It seemed he had suffered greatly during this time.
"I... I did suggest boarding for inspection, but my Adjutant urged me to go straight in. I failed to be cautious... I misplaced my trust!"
"Leader, it's my fault!!"
"I have failed your trust!"
The Captain spoke in a continuous stream, tears and snot streaming down his face.
He crawled toward the Leader, then wrapped his arms around the other's thin legs.
"Failed to be cautious?"
The old man sneered.
"The story I heard was different from yours."
As the old man finished speaking, a recording of the previous operation began playing in the room. The ease with which he had dismissed Barnes' proposal for a boarding inspection then contrasted starkly with his current wretchedness.
As the recording continued, the Captain's bruised face grew increasingly grim. By the time it ended, he looked like a ghost.
Pale and bruised, he appeared quite terrifying.
Yet he knew he couldn't just admit guilt—if he did, death might await him, or worse, a fate worse than death.
At this thought, the Captain bowed his head and wept again.
"I was wrong—"
"Hmph."
Seeing the man still trying to evade blame, the old Leader wasted no more words. He brought his cane down once more, this time striking the other's head.
Though an old man, the blow carried the force of vented anger, instantly opening a bloody gash on the man's face and eliciting continuous wails.
It made the dim room feel even more horrifying.
"Take him away. Don't let him die too easily."
As the old Leader spoke, two shadowy figures appeared and removed the Captain as if they had never been there.
"I recall that Adjutant was named Barnes?"
"Yes."
A middle-aged man resembling a secretary nearby respectfully lowered his eyes upon hearing this.
He was accustomed to such scenes, showing not the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Make him the Captain of the special Action Team. Have him stand by at all times."
The old Leader gritted his teeth fiercely, his expression dark.
"We must teach those Coordinators a lesson!"
"Yes!"
Their exchange was brief. Meanwhile, in PLANT's Junius City, Fred walked with Lenore across a rice paddy.
Though the ground beneath their feet was quite muddy, neither paid it any mind.
"I heard this was your plan?"
Lenore asked while reviewing data on her handheld device.
"In a way, but it succeeded thanks to Clyne's cooperation."
Fred replied frankly.
"That's still impressive."
"Patrick mentioned it to me earlier too. He was quite moved, saying something about heroes emerging from the young."
"If he weren't so busy with ZAFT matters lately, he probably would have come to see you."
Reyna remarked with a sigh.
Her husband now talks most about how heroes emerge from the young.
Right after learning of Fred's successful plan, he even spoke of adopting Fred as a godson.
Although he didn't bring it up again after calming down, and only mentioned it in front of her.
But his high regard for Fred is undoubtedly clear.
Hearing this, Fred didn't feel pride or anything of the sort, only lowering his head modestly and saying.
"You flatter me."
After speaking, Fred raised his eyes again, sweeping them over the rice fields before him.
What appeared before him were the dense data hovering above this expanse of rice fields.
"This batch of rice fields is also progressing very smoothly. The yield might be significantly higher than we estimated."
Fred smiled.
Compared to praise, the success of countless such rice fields made Fred even more eager.
Success here means it can succeed on Mars and even farther places.
Then reaching Jupiter with their footprints is not a dream,
even reaching places beyond.
"This is our future."
Lenore echoed Fred's words with a sigh.
Her thoughts were clearly different from Fred's.
But Fred only nodded and then changed the subject.
"Soon, the Atlantic Federation probably won't be able to hold back."
Although they've recently been transferring anyone who could possibly be a spy,
they can't manage the entire space colony of over a hundred thousand people—there will always be those selling information or directly causing sabotage.
Of course, they can't enter the Plantation or other core areas where Fred is, but these outer areas are also quite dangerous.
And as the plan advances and production sites multiply, the pressure to protect them grows.
These are just internal threats; externally, the threat from the Atlantic Federation is even greater.
"We've made so many preparations. It'll be fine."
Lenore said solemnly.
"Hmm..."
Fred certainly knew how many preparations they had made, but the gravity in his eyes deepened.
Facing the approaching war, Fred now felt a trace of unease.
But it was quickly extinguished.
He had prepared everything. War was inevitable, and what he had to do was just those few things.
"Director Lenore, once production stabilizes, I'd like to return to research."
"And, the time for MS deployment might be coming soon. I want to observe."
"Even without you saying it, Park has already arranged it that way."
Lenore blinked and smiled.
...
Their conversation didn't last long, and they soon bid each other farewell.
As soon as Fred returned home in the Plantation, he was surrounded by Athrun and the others.
All in their growth spurts, their heights were now nearly matching his.
Their eyes sparkled, a sight that brought joy.
"What's up? You're all grinning mischievously."
Having composed himself, Fred looked at them curiously.
After all, when they first learned that the Atlantic Federation had shot down their refugee ship, they all wore expressions of deep bitterness.
Especially Yzak, who was itching to grab a gun and enlist.
It took a lot of persuasion from Yzak's father to pull him back.
And now, this impulsive youngster was actually smiling at him.
Though it was just a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth, it still made Fred feel rather awkward.
"Lacus told us."
Athrun was equally excited, though there was a hint of resentment in his words as well.
"Brother, why didn't you tell us?"
"Yeah, you made us worry for so long!"
"Well, it was confidential after all."
Fred shrugged.
He hadn't intentionally hidden the details of this operation, but it wasn't something he should have disclosed either. His original intention was to use the opportunity to temper their characters. After all, they had followed him for several years now, so they should be calmer than they were in the original storyline.
Judging from their earlier reactions, he was quite satisfied. Although Yzak was still rather impulsive, at least he could be restrained and hadn't resorted to harsh words or anything like that.
Still, he didn't think Lacus was meddling. After all, tempering their characters was about enough. It wasn't possible to keep it hidden for long anyway.
Moreover, he had guessed some of Lacus's intentions. These were the children of city representatives, and their parents represented the entire decision-making layer of PLANT. Telling them would also elevate Fred's image in their minds.
He just didn't know what the Zala Faction thought about it or whether they approved of Lacus's actions.
As Fred was lost in thought, Yzak on the other side bowed his head deeply.
"I'm sorry..."
"Hmm?"
Fred looked over curiously. Although Yzak had lost his temper earlier, he hadn't dared to direct it at Fred, so Fred didn't know why he was apologizing now. He had even just praised him in his mind.
"Earlier, I thought you didn't care at all..."
Yzak awkwardly turned his head away.
Hearing this, Fred found it somewhat amusing. So, Yzak had been silently criticizing him earlier and was now apologizing for it. That was... quite honest of him.
Fortunately, he hadn't turned out badly.
Under Fred's gaze, Yzak's usually proud head lowered even further, looking utterly guilty. At the same time, his admiration for Fred grew even stronger.
He had always thought Fred was just a researcher and teacher working behind the scenes. Even though Flay had vaguely hinted that Fred was involved in other research, he hadn't paid much attention to it.
But now, after Lacus explained Fred's role in this operation to them, he realized that Fred wasn't just impressive—he was downright extraordinary. Strategizing from afar and securing victory from a distance, he was practically a hero among heroes.
Thinking this, Yzak felt his heart surge with excitement as he looked at the masked man before him. He couldn't help but wish he could follow him to conquer the Atlantic Federation.
"I forgive you."
Fred smiled and skillfully ruffled the boy's hair, messing up his perfect mushroom cut.
"Mmm..."
Yzak's face flushed red, but unlike before, he didn't proudly turn his head away.
Fred, somewhat surprised by this uncharacteristic behavior from the proud young man, added, "But next time you feel impulsive, think about the purpose and the plan first."
"Okay!"
Yzak, hearing the other's words, had no reason to refuse.
Not only did he agree, but he even looked excited.
Seeing this, Nicol and Athrun also playfully pestered Fred, asking about the details of the previous operation.
Fred, of course, did not refuse.
Meanwhile, Lacus watched the scene from a distance, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"Is it really okay for you to reveal this privately, Lacus?"
Compared to Lacus's relaxed demeanor, Flay beside her seemed somewhat uneasy.
After all, what Lacus had shared was confidential information. Even though her friends were all close connections, confidentiality protocols still existed.
"It's fine. I asked my father," Lacus replied, shaking her head.
"It's better for them to know, so they won't keep looking so troubled all the time."
"And..."
Lacus didn't finish her sentence, but as she watched the excitement and admiration on the faces of the group outside, she felt reassured.
They were all Elite Coordinators, with parents serving as city representatives.
It was inevitable that they would grow into a formidable force in the future.
For Fred to be able to guide them in a positive direction was a great thing.
After all, as a girl and a child of the Clyne Faction, there were many things she couldn't easily address.
At present, it was unlikely that she would earn their admiration and respect.
But Fred could, and he was also capable of steering them toward the right path.
That alone was enough to put her mind at ease.
Moreover, all three of them deeply loved PLANT.
Even if Fred were to leave PLANT someday and abandon his own path, their loyalty to PLANT would remain unwavering.
Thus, there was nothing to worry about.
Of course, while she had considered this as a safeguard, Lacus didn't believe Fred would ever betray his own path.
They were all comrades striving for peace.
Fred, in particular, was a strong leader.
The lively atmosphere continued for a while longer. Finally, after recounting the events to the three of them, Fred stood up under their admiring gazes.
"Alright, I'm going to cook."
His cooking skills had improved, and the greater the benefits, the more motivated he felt to cook.
"I'll help."
Lacus, who had been observing nearby, raised her hand.
According to their arrangement, it was her turn to assist with cooking this time.
"Alright."
Fred agreed, and soon the two of them entered the kitchen one after the other.
Seeing this, the others exchanged glances.
"I think they make a good match."
Nicol rubbed his chin. If he weren't afraid of being a third wheel, he would have wanted to join and help as well.
Lacus had been gradually maturing lately. Though still a bit short, she had grown into a bright and lovely young woman, no longer just a girl.
"Hmph, I don't think my brother has any such intentions."
After what had happened earlier, Yzak now referred to Fred as "brother" quite naturally.
In his eyes, Fred was a great hero—how could he possibly be interested in such trivial matters of romance?
"What do you think, Athrun?"
Used to Yzak's tsundere attitude, Nicol turned to the quiet young man beside him.
"Well... matters of the heart should be left to fate."
Athrun was also a little curious.
He wondered whether two people from such different backgrounds could truly find happiness together.
"Sounds like you've been through it yourself."
Yzak let out a disdainful snort.
There was none of the obedience he had shown in front of Fred just moments before.
"I'm just speaking from the heart."
Athrun shot Yzak a glare.
In their back-and-forth, the tension between them instantly escalated once more.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the lively living room, Fred wasn't doing much at the moment—he was simply discussing his recent conversation with Athrun with Lacus.
"You want to go observe?"
Hearing that Fred intended to visit what could potentially become the front lines in the future, Lacus paused her vegetable washing for a moment.
She let the water flow over her fair, slender wrists.
"Yes, but only from a distance."
Though Fred said this, it was clear Lacus didn't believe him.