"Isn't it possible to analyze this data after returning? Why must you go over there?"
Lacus knew how cautious the other party was. Would he really be so reckless as to go observe the battle at this time? How could that be possible?
Moreover, thinking of the dangers outside, even the usually confident Lacus couldn't completely hide the unease in her voice.
"I just want to move around a bit. Besides, what if someone launches an ambush?"
"There's no guarantee they won't covet Junius City."
As Lacus said, he could easily retrieve the data and analyze it later. But staying in the rear was also to guard against any potential ambush the enemy might launch.
The plot had changed. This time, they had dealt a heavy blow to Blue Cosmos. It wasn't impossible for them to launch a nuclear ambush earlier out of sheer frustration.
He still had to take precautions.
This was also the main reason he was going out.
Of course, it would also be good to gain a more intuitive understanding of MS combat while he was at it.
All things considered, he had to go.
"Hmm..."
Lacus pondered for a moment.
"If it's as you say, it would be best for them to leave Junius City."
"That's the plan. Flay and the others might need to trouble you then."
Fred said seriously.
Although he had made Junius City quite secure,
that was only against the possibility of an ambush.
Knowing full well that an attack was coming, sending Flay and the others with Lacus to April City was the safest choice.
"I'll protect them, don't worry."
Lacus understood his meaning, her delicate and smooth jawline nodding slightly as she continued.
"Come back safely."
Only after saying this did Lacus resume washing the vegetables in her hands.
Amidst the sound of running water, Fred offered a reassuring smile.
"Nothing will happen."
As for Lacus's concern, he didn't think much of it in that way. After all, it was perfectly normal for Lacus to worry about her partner.
Reaching this point, he was no longer just a partner anymore.
He could even be considered a pillar within the Clyne Faction.
Although even within the Clyne Faction, few knew of this pillar's existence.
But that didn't stop the other party from promising to protect his family.
Soon, a meal was quickly prepared with the cooperation of the two.
At the dining table, the rising steam blurred their faces but couldn't hide the spirited expressions of the youths.
Nicol was pulling Athrun aside, talking about things from their previous class, while Yzak chimed in from time to time.
The youths' emotions were written all over their faces, full of vitality.
The gloomy mood from a few days earlier had completely vanished.
...
However, this relaxed atmosphere seemed like the final calm before the storm. A few more days passed, and the alarms arranged outside PLANT were triggered one after another.
Clearly, the Atlantic Federation's massive army had arrived.
At the East Asian base not far from PLANT, Captain Chen now had a clear view of the imposing Atlantic Federation army through the camera feed.
"Captain Chen, the Atlantic Federation is ordering us to follow them."
The adjutant said nervously, but before he could finish, he already knew what his superior's response would be.
"Follow my ass."
Captain Chen snorted disdainfully.
"Those scum who attacked civilians are now giving me orders?"
"But according to our intelligence, they were likely set up last time."
The adjutant let out a bitter laugh.
"That makes it even worse."
"A bunch of fools who rush to their deaths even after being set up—following them would be certain doom."
Captain Chen snorted disdainfully and continued.
"Higher-ups also want us to wait and see, no need to intervene."
"After all, those Eurasian guys probably don't plan to act either."
Contrary to the anger in his words, Captain Chen's eyes showed a hint of deep thought.
This time, the Atlantic Federation was clearly furious.
He wondered what the outcome of the first direct clash between the Atlantic Federation and PLANT would be.
He'd be happy to see the Atlantic Federation suffer a setback.
But the issue of PLANT's rise couldn't be ignored either.
Those people from PLANT, suppressed for so long, might have developed some psychological issues. Releasing that pressure was necessary, but how to release it? And after releasing it, could they hit the brakes? Would they lose control?
In short, there were many problems here.
Thinking of this, Chen's head began to ache again.
Resentment toward the Atlantic Federation resurfaced in his heart.
It remained to be seen whether PLANT would succumb to pressure, sacrifice a scapegoat, and waste all their previous efforts, or whether they would resist to the end.
However, he leaned toward the latter.
"They probably plan to use new weapons," Chen said.
"Yes," the adjutant replied.
"That new battleship called the Laurasia-class and the individual combat MS have appeared."
"It's just unclear how they'll perform in actual combat. If those MS can't withstand the first wave of missile attacks, they'll be practically useless."
This was still the era of battleships and cannons, and the adjutant wasn't too optimistic about PLANT's capabilities.
In his view, they were just a bunch of bookworms with no combat experience.
Hearing this, Chen said nothing, only nodding silently.
The gap between the two sides was indeed vast, which made him all the more curious whether those in ZAFT truly believed the weapons in their hands could achieve victory against overwhelming odds.
And would things unfold as they imagined?
More intelligence would need to be gathered through careful observation.
As Chen pondered this, on the other side, at the Atlantic Federation fleet, the commander sneered as he watched both the Eurasian and East Asian forces ignore his words.
"Commander, what should we do now...?" the adjutant asked cautiously, careful not to provoke his superior.
"We'll deal with them sooner or later," the bearded captain gritted his teeth and waved his hand.
"All forces, target PLANT's capital! Advance!"
The arrow was already on the bowstring—if they could intimidate the enemy, that would be best. If not...
At this thought, a cold glint flashed in the bearded captain's eyes.
The Atlantic Federation forces, having received their orders, wasted no time. Soon, a battle group centered around an Agamemnon-class command ship approached the edge of PLANT's space sector.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the ZAFT forces, Fred stood on the bridge of a Laurasia-class battleship alongside Patrick, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
The enemy forces were closing in before their eyes, yet Fred withdrew his gaze from the screen and looked toward Patrick, who sat in the captain's seat ahead of him. A hint of curiosity flickered in his eyes behind the mask.
He hadn't expected the other party to take the initiative and invite him aboard his own vessel.
Even more surprising was that Patrick had personally taken to the field.
The surrounding crew members were even more astonished than Fred.
After all, they had no idea who Fred was. All they saw was a masked man suddenly appearing beside their leader. His expression was unreadable, but the corners of his lips showed no trace of emotion, reminiscent of the master strategists often seen in television dramas.
Now, with the confrontation against the Atlantic Federation imminent, Patrick was still chatting casually with this masked youth.
No one knew what the two were discussing.
Generally speaking, those who could appear by Patrick's side and engage in back-and-forth conversation with him were usually individuals he held in high regard.
Yet, as Patrick's trusted aides, they had no clue where this person had come from.
This was precisely what astonished them.
And it piqued their curiosity even further.
On the other hand, Fred paid no mind to the subtle glances directed his way. He simply leaned down and whispered softly into the other's ear.
"Commander Zala, I didn't expect you to come personally."
The young man's voice was calm, as if the army steadily advancing toward them in the distance didn't exist at all.
His words were soft, but upon hearing them, Patrick was somewhat surprised.
It wasn't because of the other's composure—after all, they had discussed the response plan for this situation countless times beforehand.
The Atlantic Federation was, after all, merely a part of the plan. Even without his specific orders, his colleagues already knew what to do.
Rather, he had assumed Fred would still call him "Uncle."
The Bridge was filled with Ace Coordinators, many of whom possessed keen hearing. Some could overhear their conversation.
It wouldn't have been impossible for Fred to seize this opportunity to establish a closer connection.
Unexpectedly, though thick-skinned, Fred also knew his place.
After all, this was the eve of battle, and they were aboard a Battleship. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to address the Commander as "Uncle" here.
Despite years of interaction, this was the first time Patrick was collaborating with Fred before a battle, and he still felt a sense of surprise.
Moreover, Fred's previous schemes against the Atlantic Federation had succeeded perfectly, creating an excellent advantage for them.
Whether in research or strategy, Fred was second to none.
Though his MS combat skills were still somewhat weaker compared to the Elite, Patrick never expected Fred to charge into battle.
As long as his strategies were sound, that was enough.
Running through Fred's achievements over the years in his mind, Patrick felt even more satisfied with him.
His tone now carried an added touch of warmth as he responded.
"This is likely our first war. I had to be here."
Around them, hearing Patrick's unusually amiable reply, the others were once again taken aback.
Although Patrick's face remained tense at this moment, he spoke quite a bit.
For the usually taciturn and serious Patrick to say so much was enough to show his high regard for this young man.
"And you? Why have you come again?"
Patrick's question carried a double meaning.
It was both asking why Fred had come this time and why he had come in the first place.
It wasn't that he was probing only now; he simply took the opportunity to ask.
If even one step had been taken wrong, Fred would have ended up on the opposite side.
"To gather firsthand information and guard against an ambush."
Fred replied.
Hearing Fred's words, Patrick furrowed his brows but quickly relaxed them again.
"You still think they'll ambush Junius City?"
"Yes!"
As he spoke, Fred turned his gaze to the data of the enemy fleet displayed on the screen before him.
It wasn't the Fourth Fleet led by that strategic commander, but the Second Fleet of the Atlantic Federation's Space Force.
Seeing this, Fred wasn't sure whether to feel relieved.
At least from his interactions a few years ago, his impression of the strategic commander was favorable. If necessary, he could be saved.
Someone like that was capable of ending the war.
Of course, the most important targets remained the conglomerates behind Blue Cosmos.
Like a centipede that refuses to die, completely eradicating them would require immense effort.
Naturally, if everything went smoothly, he could also use this opportunity to secure a position in the military.
At the very least, covert operations needed a legitimate cover; otherwise, even if Athrun enlisted in the future, it would be difficult for him to serve under Fred's command.
This could also overlap with the assistance of the Clyne Faction.
As Fred's thoughts drifted further, Patrick spoke up again.
"I've already stationed three battleships over there. Don't worry."
Of course, even as he said this, Lenore on their side had returned to December City, and Fred's family had gone with Lacus to April City.
Since this cunning Fred had spoken so convincingly and with sound reasoning, Patrick couldn't afford to take risks either.
"Alright, thank you for your trouble."
Fred acknowledged, his eyes once again fixed on the Atlantic Federation fleet before him.
At this time, the Moebius of the Atlantic Federation was still a new type of Mobile Armor, not yet widely deployed, with only a few elite units equipped with it.
Facing a battlefield mostly filled with Mistrals, their MS would undoubtedly dominate.
As for the ambush on Junius City, according to the original plot, it wouldn't happen so soon.
But the plot had already been significantly disrupted by his butterfly effect.
Who knew what variables might arise?
Although his own family, along with Athrun and Lenore, had evacuated, the lives of over two hundred thousand people in Junius City were an undeniable reality.
After running through the plan in his mind for what felt like the umpteenth time, the Atlantic Federation fleet drew closer and closer.
Its massive hull blotted out the starlight before them, advancing with imposing might.
Fred had already stepped back to stand beside Patrick, returning to his role as Adjutant.
The others had long since averted their gazes from Fred, holding their breath with tense vigilance. Some, amidst their nervousness, revealed a fanatical anticipation.
A massive military force was at the gates. One wrong move could spark a regional conflict, or even ignite a full-scale hot war.
But if handled correctly, the Atlantic Federation would be forced to back down. They might very well be able to formally establish a nation—a nation belonging solely to Coordinators.
Amid these complex thoughts, the only sound left on the bridge was the hum of machinery, a silence so heavy it felt suffocating.
Meanwhile, as the two sides slowly closed the distance on a cosmic scale, the numerous soldiers of the Atlantic Federation caught sight of the strangely shaped, dark-green battleships before them.
Like iron mountains in the dark expanse of space, they stood blocking the path to PLANT's many space colonies.
Witnessing this scene, aboard the lead Agamemnon-class vessel, everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the commander seated calmly at the center.
Some eyes burned with fervor, others held solemn resolve, and still others flickered with fear.
Yet without exception, they were all here, facing this perilous task.
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