Although the Earth Alliance's new Windams were performing exceptionally well on the battlefield, Reid wasn't actually paying them much mind.
The Windam's modification ceiling was what it was; it wasn't as if the Earth Alliance had managed to produce the Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice ahead of schedule.
Besides, in Reid's view, the Earth Alliance pilots were fundamentally incapable of unleashing the full potential of those two Mobile Suits. Their attacks were mechanical, and ZAFT would naturally find ways to counter them once they grew accustomed to their attack patterns.
Sure enough, as the war dragged on, ZAFT quickly regained its footing. It was a fact that the average Coordinator was superior to the average Natural, and ZAFT had also mobilized other elite red-uniformed pilots to deal with the Earth Alliance's new machines.
Over at the L4 Colony Cluster, the East Asian Republic's forces were ultimately brought to a standstill by the overwhelming strength of the enemy aces, entering a period of attrition with the ZAFT forces led by Athrun.
However, Athrun's ZAFT forces were backed by the Armory One Colony Satellite, which was now PLANT's primary public military arsenal. Their supply of equipment and repair capabilities far outstripped those of the East Asian Republic fleet, which only had a few industrial colony satellites and a single fortress for support.
Therefore, Reid judged that this battle would inevitably end with the East Asian Republic's withdrawal, with both sides returning to a stalemate.
As for the battle in South America, after the Atlantic Federation invaded, their battlefront and supply lines became overextended. The ten new Mobile Suits, along with Neo Roanoke's Phantom Pain unit, could only focus on one thing at a time. Often, just as they captured a location, their rear would be cut off by ZAFT, forcing them to retreat.
As far as Reid was concerned, until he heard back from the Junk Guild, he was more interested in that Phantom Pain unit.
Reid hadn't forgotten the strange sixth sense he'd felt near the wreckage of Junius 7, and he was genuinely curious about who this Neo Roanoke was.
Reid didn't think the three young aces could have given him such a feeling; it must have been the work of the completely unknown Neo Roanoke.
Thus, Reid subconsciously felt that he had to uncover Neo Roanoke's identity, or he would surely regret it.
So, after the Phantom Pain unit became active on the battlefield again, Reid immediately requested to meet the commander who had stolen the Mobile Suits from Armory One, under the pretext of investigating the unit and its connection to hardliners from the Zala Faction.
The Atlantic Federation wouldn't dare let Reid meet Neo Roanoke, so they pushed Ian Lee forward as the commander and arranged a meeting.
However, Reid was clearly dissatisfied with this Atlantic Federation officer who knew nothing about anything.
But since the Atlantic Federation had already presented an actual participant and their propaganda claimed this captain was the one in command, Reid couldn't very well force them to produce Neo Roanoke.
And so, Reid prepared to take a more circuitous route.
If the Atlantic Federation was a dead end, there was still Lacus's international rescue team.
Reid's own identity was rather sensitive. If he were to enter South America openly, it would cause a huge stir.
The Earth Alliance might very well think the New Misurugi Kingdom had sided with PLANT.
And PLANT would certainly do everything in its power to make the Earth Alliance's suspicions a reality.
Therefore, Reid sought out Lacus, who had obtained permission from PLANT to travel around South America rescuing civilians.
Ever since the war began, Lacus's international rescue team had become busy once again.
Although Lacus, as a Coordinator, was not particularly welcome in Europe, she couldn't enter areas controlled by the Eurasian Federation.
But Africa and South America were still happy to have her.
Especially now, Durandal couldn't possibly create another fake Lacus to boost his own popularity, so he could only placate the real Lacus, who was very active on Earth, lest she give a speech that would stir up public sentiment against him.
As Aura's partner, Durandal was well aware of Lacus's capabilities, which was why in the original story he wanted to eliminate her to prevent future trouble.
So Durandal, who was already flying the banner of peaceful negotiations, gave Lacus's international rescue team a free pass, allowing her to go anywhere in ZAFT-controlled territory.
Durandal even invited Lacus to hold a few peace concerts in the warzones, but Lacus, being very perceptive, realized that these so-called peace concerts were essentially concerts to boost military morale, and she flatly refused.
Thus, Reid secretly went to see Lacus when she was returning to Orb in her ship, a Neo-Argama-class vessel painted entirely pink, marked with her organization's cross emblem, and named the Pink Cross.
However, when Lacus heard that Reid wanted to hitch a ride on her ship to the South American front lines with only a few people to capture an Earth Alliance frontline commander, her voice went up an octave.
"No! Reid, how can you, as a third party with no official status, go to the front lines between two armies! You should know, even PLANT won't let you go if they find out you went to South America by yourself."
Reid naturally knew that if his identity were exposed in South America, he would face pursuit and interception from all sides.
PLANT would definitely try to place him under house arrest under the guise of protecting him, then send him back to his home country. With a hostage, they wouldn't have to fear the New Misurugi Kingdom actually going to war with them.
But Reid wasn't going to South America unprepared. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lacus. The South American front is also in the Earth's southern hemisphere. If my identity is exposed, units from the Balkis will immediately come down from the sky to rescue me. And the Barge Cannon will be aimed at South America the whole time. I can truly summon a thousand troops with a single signal flare."
Hearing Reid's explanation, Lacus's expression softened slightly, but she still shook her head in opposition.
"No, there's no one in ZAFT who doesn't recognize you. And ZAFT's high command knows most of the people around you, too. When I go to South America, I have to let the local forces board my ship for inspection. No matter how you disguise yourself, the moment the Xia sisters stand next to you, you'll be recognized instantly."
Reid sensed a hint of insincerity in Lacus's words. But that girl always had a lot on her mind, and as long as there was no malice, Reid couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. He said straightforwardly, "Then I won't bring Yufang and Yulan. I'm not a helpless scholar; I can protect myself. I happen to have a completely unknown kid who needs some training. I'll just take him. I'll even pilot a new Mobile Suit."
At this, Lacus flashed a smile like a little fox that had just stolen an egg and replied, "Fine. Since you insist on going, you'll have to pretend to be my bodyguard."
Hearing that this was her only condition, Reid readily agreed. The two arranged to meet in secret off the coast of Orb in three days, with Reid bringing his new Mobile Suit.
After settling things with Lacus, Reid returned to Star Palace City and immediately began building a new Gundam.
Since this Gundam was only for temporary use and wouldn't be passed down to the otherworld subjugation team later, Reid simply picked a rather ordinary-looking design from the many MS blueprints he got from Nein: the GP-08 (Phantom Rose).
(This Mobile Suit is a creative design by Mecha Clear. Its original name was Destiny Impulse Gundam, which I think is a translation issue, otherwise wouldn't the name be redundant?)
The main body of this Mobile Suit was based on the appearance of the Gundam Prototype Unit 3 (Dendrobium) from the last evaluation mission.
In reality, however, that was the only connection the suit had to the Gundam Prototype Unit 3 (Dendrobium).
To maintain its disguise, the engine was just a Minovsky Particle Fusion Reactor of the same type previously given to Orb.
The internal frame used the Justice Gundam's skeletal structure, while the exterior was covered in Electromagnetic Armor.
The backpack was completely replaced. Since the Starlight Transmitter was still not finished, Reid used two Lightwave Thrusters to ensure the Mobile Suit could fly directly out of the atmosphere if it got cornered.
The backpack weaponry was divided into two types. One could choose the melee-focused Multipurpose Anti-Ship Sword, or the long-range firepower-focused dual Long VSBR Beam Cannons.
For handheld weapons, the melee backpack option came with a standard High-Powered Beam Rifle. A beam saber was also installed under the gun's barrel, allowing it to be used as a close-combat weapon in a pinch.
The left arm's shield was a combination of a standard solid shield and an expandable beam shield. Drawing inspiration from the Infinite Justice's shield, the front could transform into a beam saber, the devices on the side also had beam sabers, and it could be fired directly as a projectile.
Additionally, the melee backpack's shoulders were equipped with two Beam Boomerangs.
The artillery backpack's main weapon was a High-Energy MEGA Particle Cannon, the same type as the Zeta Gundam's. This cannon could be used for sniping or as a long spear, making it very convenient.
As for its shield, the artillery backpack was equipped with a small arm shield and a beam shield emitter. The shoulder hardpoints were equipped with a Quadruple Round Magnetic Defense Shield System.
The cockpit was a combination of a Panoramic Cockpit, a Psychoframe, and a Psycommu System. The Lambda Driver was not installed.
In terms of special systems, the melee backpack version was equipped with the PX System. Reid was certain Shinn would choose this Mobile Suit, and with his skills, he was more than capable of handling the PX System.
The artillery backpack, naturally, would have the Obscurant Umbrella System, as this was likely the suit Reid would be piloting, and he needed to ensure he could escape.
It could be said that because these two Mobile Suits were destined to be handed down, Reid didn't install too many special systems or use overly advanced engines, but they were more than sufficient for the current era.
As for the "unknown kid" Reid mentioned he would bring, it was none other than our dear Shinn Asuka.
Reid had heard the guy say that the Delta Plus wasn't cool enough.
And indeed, his piloting of the Delta Plus was a bit rough on the machine. The Delta Plus's frame was clearly not designed for mindless forward charges, and every time he returned from a real battle, the ground crew would groan and complain.
But Shinn Asuka's talent was undeniable. In the battle at the Junius 7 wreckage, he alone had taken down six Mass-produced Prototype Zakus and four High-Mobility GINNs.
In the CE Universe, that combat record would earn him the title of ace in any country.
So, there was no problem with Reid giving Shinn a new Mobile Suit; it wasn't a case of special favoritism.
However, sending someone with Shinn's personality on a covert operation… Reid couldn't help but feel it was a bit unreliable. So, he decided to have a chat with him before they left.
The next morning, Reid met an excited Shinn Asuka, who was standing ramrod straight, in his office.
It had to be said, Shinn Asuka's military posture was quite good. It seemed he had been well-trained at the academy.
So Reid smiled and said, "Second Lieutenant Shinn Asuka, at ease. You can relax a little."
Shinn Asuka wasn't so dense as to be oblivious to the situation. When Reid told him to relax, he merely shifted to a slightly more relaxed stance.
For Shinn, the man sitting opposite him was Chairman Reid, who had displayed god-like skills on the Junius 7 battlefield and was the benefactor who had saved Mayu years ago. He dared not show the slightest disrespect.
Reid nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Second Lieutenant Shinn Asuka, I've received the combat report from your battle at the Junius 7 wreckage. I never expected that the green boy from two years ago would have now grown into an ace pilot for our army."
Shinn was a little embarrassed by Reid's praise and said shyly, "You praise me too much, Chairman. My achievements are nothing compared to yours."
Reid thought to himself that this little bird had high ambitions, wanting to compare his record with his own.
But Reid felt this was a good thing. With Shinn's temper and personality, he certainly couldn't lead a team anytime soon. He could only be a warrior, and having a big goal wasn't a bad thing.
So Reid stood up, handed him a file folder, and said, "Combat records are built up bit by bit. You're still very young, with plenty of time ahead of you. However, I have a secret mission for you."
Shinn Asuka quickly took the folder, opened it, and saw that the mission was to act as Reid's attendant on a secret mission abroad.
Feeling that he was being entrusted with great responsibility, Shinn Asuka immediately stood at attention and said, "Understood! I guarantee I will complete the mission!"
Reid nodded and continued, "Come with me. For this mission, we'll need to pilot new Mobile Suits to hide our identities. I heard you've been saying the Delta Plus isn't cool enough. Let's see if you're satisfied with the new Mobile Suit this time."
When Shinn heard that Reid knew about his complaints, sweat immediately beaded on his forehead. He didn't dare respond and quickly followed in silence.
Fortunately, Reid only intended to verbally reprimand the loose-lipped kid. After all, the Delta Plus was highly sought after in the military.
Although the Ghost Jegans' performance was not bad, most soldiers felt the Delta Plus was more elegant and cooler.
When they arrived at the underground hangar and saw the two Phantom Rose units, Shinn was completely rooted to the spot. His eyes screamed, "I love it, I want to pilot it."
At that moment, Reid realized that Shinn's dislike for the Delta Plus might not have been because it wasn't cool enough, but because he was disappointed it wasn't a Gundam. (At least, it really didn't look like one.)
So, once Shinn had his fill of looking and came back to his senses, Reid said with a smile, "Second Lieutenant Shinn Asuka, to commend your performance at the Junius 7 wreckage, you can choose one of these two GP-08 (Phantom Rose) units as your personal Mobile Suit from now on. The blue and white one is focused on melee combat, and the purple one is focused on artillery."
When Shinn heard Reid let him choose, he suppressed his excitement, pointed at the blue and white Mobile Suit, and said, "Chairman, I'll choose this melee one. After all, my mission is to be your guard. I can't let you, the Chairman, charge ahead, can I?"
Reid wasn't the least bit surprised. But the fact that Shinn was actually coming up with a reason… it seemed he was afraid Reid wouldn't agree.
However, Reid wasn't going to tease Shinn anymore. He said with a serious tone, "Second Lieutenant Shinn Asuka, since you've made your choice, get in the cockpit and make your adjustments. You only have one day. You'll rendezvous with me the morning after tomorrow."
Hearing this, Shinn quickly saluted and said, "Yes, sir!"
Reid then nodded and left directly. The systems for the GP-08 (Phantom Rose) artillery backpack were already adjusted for when he deployed, so he certainly didn't need to stay here and work alongside Shinn.
(End of Chapter)