Traveling to space, before the Universal Century era, was a fairly troublesome affair.
People had to board rockets and constantly resist the pull of Earth's gravity and the G-forces brought by high-speed movement during the ascent.
By the time the UC era arrived, along with the maturation of space shuttle technology, traveling between Earth and space gradually became normalized.
Comfort also increased significantly; one could say that taking a shuttle to the cosmos was as common as taking a high-speed train to another city.
In the year UC 105, leaving Earth by shuttle to visit various colonies was no longer difficult.
The hardest part was actually the background checks required to return to Earth, as well as the planetary flight environment.
As living on Earth became a symbol of status, entering the planet required rigorous identity verification.
Moreover, because Earth's environment had entered a cycle of continuous deterioration, the Federation began using "Man Hunters" to deport those with problematic residency permits, or small numbers of ordinary civilians, to the peripheral colonies of the Federation's territory.
None of these problems existed for Hathaway Noa. As the son of the "Federation Hero" Bright Noa, many of the Federation's "privileges" were open to him—a treatment common for many "second-generation" elites.
Hathaway, wearing a blue suit and a white shirt, sat in a seat on the shuttle flipping through a promotional brochure, looking every bit like a bored young man.
Char, meanwhile, had applied a fake beard for disguise and wore brown contact lenses.
Dressed in a red suit, he posed as a narcissistic businessman heading to a lunar city to negotiate a contract.
He sat to the rear-left of Hathaway, leaning into his persona as he conversed with a rather stout man.
"Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts. The shuttle Ernst is about to depart."
The captain's notice came over the intercom. Hathaway took a deep breath and tucked the brochure back into its slot.
Boarding the shuttle was the easiest part. Next, Hathaway had to plan his itinerary, navigating the delicate balance between Bright and Anaheim Electronics.
"The simplest part is over..." Hathaway thought to himself. "The rest of the journey will be like walking through hell."
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In preparation for today's meeting with Hathaway, Bright had tidied himself up early, even going so far as to shave off his signature mustache.
Were it not for the faint streaks of white in his hair, it would have seemed as if Bright had never aged at all.
He stood in the terminal with a sharp, vigorous posture, waiting for Hathaway to disembark from the shuttle.
Not long after the latest shuttle touched down, Hathaway appeared before Bright, dressed in his blue suit and carrying a bag in each hand.
"Father."
Seeing that familiar silhouette, a genuine smile spread across Hathaway's face.
"Hathaway."
Bright looked at the young man before him, his heart swelling with joy.
"It's been a long time. As soon as I heard you were refitting at the Moon Base, I headed straight here."
Hathaway handed the bag in his left hand to Bright. "Mom and my sister asked me to bring this to you. They miss you very much back on Earth."
"I suspect that before long, they'll start getting annoyed by me being around them all day once I retire," Bright joked, taking the bag and peering inside.
There was a picture frame containing a drawing by Cheimin, a bag of bread handmade by Mirai, and... a bookmark Hathaway had made from a certain plant leaf.
Though none of these items were expensive, seeing such thoughtful gifts filled Bright with a profound sense of happiness.
"Let's head out then..."
Bright lifted the bag and nodded to Hathaway.
"The Ra Cailum is undergoing its final inspections. It's been a long time since you've seen her, hasn't it?"
For a "Federation Hero" and the Captain of the Ra Cailum to take his son to see his warship was one of those "privileges" the Federation Navy was more than willing to turn a blind eye toward.
"Yeah... it really has been a long time since I last saw the Ra Cailum."
Recalling his past experiences, Hathaway's smile faltered, becoming tinged with a subtle shadow of grief.
"...Is it because of Quess?"
Seeing Hathaway's strained expression, Bright realized his mistake. "I'm sorry. I didn't take that into consideration."
Bright was well aware of Hathaway's psychological struggles, and he offered his apology without hesitation.
Personally shooting down the "white moonlight" of his first love had left Hathaway with severe psychological trauma.
At the time, Bright had followed every step of Hathaway's counseling and recovery process. It had taken many years for Hathaway's mental state to improve to this point.
"No... that was her choice."
Hathaway took a deep breath, steadying his emotions. "Let's not talk about such depressing things today. I'm a bit hungry; I heard the food at the Lunar Federation Navy guest house is quite good."
"Is that so? Then let's go grab a meal first."
Seeing Hathaway's mood shift back to normal, Bright felt a wave of relief. "You're in for a treat; the toasted bread at that guest house is legendary."
"So that's why you're always talking about opening a bakery after you retire whenever you call home, Father?"
"One must always plan for the future, Hathaway." Bright smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "Remember: when you are prepared, accidents won't happen."
Just as the father and son were about to leave, Bright seemed to spot something. He frowned slightly and looked toward a specific direction.
"What is it?"
Noticing Bright's reaction, Hathaway froze for a second and followed his gaze. That single glance sent Hathaway's heart leaping into his throat.
There stood Char, dressed in his red suit, positioned before a screen in the terminal. He appeared to be watching the news with great interest.
Char, of course, had felt Bright's gaze. However, he made no move to acknowledge it, maintaining his persona of a businessman watching the broadcast.
Just moments ago, their eyes had met for a split second, and Bright had immediately sensed something.
It had to be said that while Bright didn't look much different from the past, Char had already noticed the graying hair at his temples.
His old rival was growing old while he himself remained young... the realization gave him a strangely hollow feeling.
"...No, it must be an illusion. Probably."
After staring at Char for a moment longer, Bright turned back to Hathaway. The only reason he had noticed the man was a sudden, inexplicable sense of familiarity radiating from him.
But at a moment of family reunion like this, it wasn't the time to go investigating, so he buried the thought for now.
"Let's head out. The car is ready."
"Right, okay."
Only then did Hathaway feel his heart drop back into his chest. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, keeping his expression carefully neutral as they walked away.
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An open-top jeep sped along the roads of the lunar colony, the lunar landscape projected onto the tunnel walls as if they were driving through a passage made of glass.
Sitting in a jeep that was almost identical to the ones from years ago, watching the indicator lights flash past, Hathaway couldn't help but clench his fists.
The two didn't exchange many words along the way. Both clearly had much to say, yet the words wouldn't come. For a time, the only sound was the roar of the wind whipping against the vehicle.
Whether it was Bright's struggle with his rejected retirement applications or the agonizing internal conflict Hathaway felt over his actions as Mafty, both men buried their burdens deep within.
They simply wanted to present their best selves to one another during this brief time together.
The jeep drove all the way back to the base. Bright first took Hathaway to the guest house, intending to let him settle his luggage. It was there that they encountered an unexpected guest.
Dressed in a sharp white suit and twirling a car key around his finger, Kenneth Sleg walked out of the guest house building humming a little tune.
As the supervisor for the "Penelope" project and the future commander of the Pacific theater currently undergoing his appointment process, Kenneth was temporarily staying at the guest house.
Given his current status, it wasn't quite appropriate for him to stay with any specific unit, so he had moved his luggage in with his usual decisive flair.
At that moment, he was busy calculating which bar in the lunar colony might offer the best chance for a romantic encounter tonight.
"Oh... Captain Bright!"
Seeing the familiar figure, Kenneth's eyes widened slightly. He was surprised to see Bright here. "I didn't expect to run into you again. Haven't set sail yet?"
"A family visit. Departure has been pushed back a day or two," Bright replied with a nod. "This is my son, Hathaway Noa."
"I remember him! Back when he was just a little brat, he hijacked a Jegan and charged out there—gave us all a hell of a heart attack."
Kenneth nodded toward Hathaway. "I didn't expect him to be so grown up now."
Reunited with old acquaintances, Kenneth thought it over and immediately scrapped his plans to head into the lunar colony.
"It's getting late—have you two eaten yet?"
Kenneth checked the time and smoothly used the dinner question to open the conversation.
"Hathaway wants to try the food here at our Federation Navy guest house. I was just about to take him to drop off his luggage," Bright replied, shaking his head as he explained their plan.
"Oh, Hathaway did his homework, I see..."
True to the bold and straightforward nature often associated with the name "Kenneth," he spoke up jovially. "Fine! It's not every day Hathaway visits the Moon. This time, it's on me."
"You already treated me when we met last time; I can't let you do it again," Bright countered with a shake of his head. "This one is on me. I should at least fulfill my duties as a father..."
"That said, Kenneth, why don't you join us?"
"Haha! If I get the chance to eat a meal treated by Captain Bright himself, I won't be polite."
Kenneth didn't push back further, gracefully accepting the invitation to join the gathering.
Hathaway, watching the two of them converse so warmly, felt a momentary lapse in his composure.
Kenneth's presence introduced a dangerous variable. Hathaway was scheduled to head to Anaheim Electronics for negotiations later... if Kenneth was around, the risk of exposure skyrocketed.
Hathaway's mind raced for a few seconds, his grip tightening almost imperceptibly on the handles of his luggage bags.
He hadn't been wrong. This trip to the Moon truly was a journey through hell.
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