"Let's not dig into it."
Athrun said with a helpless, tense expression.
As children of high-ranking officials, they naturally understood the stakes involved.
Not to mention, Fred was a Natural.
No matter what research he was conducting, prying into it carelessly was never a good idea.
If they accidentally discovered something, it would only bring trouble.
"Tch, as if I needed you to tell me."
"Hmm..."
Athrun automatically ignored Yzak's usual tsundere demeanor, instead following his gaze toward Nicol, who nodded obediently.
Once again, it made Athrun somewhat reminisce about Kira.
He wondered how his good friend was doing now.
But according to what he had said, if he went to ORB, he should still be safe for now.
If only they could establish contact.
But Athrun quickly dismissed the thought.
They were too far from L3.
Although communication was possible, their identities were too sensitive to casually open a communication channel.
Not to mention, they had no idea where Kira even was—how could they possibly contact him?
Still, his brother's words from back then remained etched in the young man's mind.
If what his brother said was true, perhaps he would be able to see him within these two years?
Even if it was just his brother comforting him, Athrun felt that Fred hadn't been lying back then.
Maybe he should find an opportunity to ask his brother.
As Athrun looked up at the sky, lost in thought, Fred, still in his study at home, was confirming the details of the plan with Lacus over the communication channel.
"It's all arranged. South America has agreed to our request to use an ordinary refugee transport ship disguised as a cargo vessel for the transaction."
Lacus spoke, though her delicate face showed no sign of relaxation.
Using a civilian ship as a cover for the transaction was indeed beneficial for both sides.
It was also more discreet.
But it was definitely not what the Clyne Faction had originally intended to do.
After all, there were risks involved.
They couldn'tt allow those refugees to do this without any knowledge of the situation.
According to Fred's plan, the ship appeared to be a merchant vessel disguised as a refugee ship, but in reality, it was a genuine refugee ship.
Only, it was a refugee ship without any people—just pre-recorded footage.
In simple terms, it was merely bait.
As for the actual cargo and people, they were temporarily held back.
PLANT still had food reserves, so quietly delaying things wasn't an issue.
This approach was mainly to deceive the ever-present Atlantic Federation spies in South America, which meant only a handful of people were in the know.
"As you said, even in South America, only our two most trusted individuals are aware of this plan."
"But... should we send someone aboard? How do you plan to control that ship?"
Lacus frowned slightly, her expression troubled and pitiable.
Her hesitation was understandable—whoever was sent aboard would almost certainly face certain death.
Although she wasn't exactly a saint, she was still quite reluctant to send someone to their death.
She could send loyalists, but since Fred was part of the plan, perhaps he had a better solution.
"No need to send anyone. Recordings will suffice—they won't be able to tell the difference."
Without good reason, Fred had no intention of sending anyone to their death.
After all, Blue Cosmos only has the same few lines to repeat. As long as they keep insisting they are civilian ships, that should be enough.
Those people won't bother to scrutinize too carefully.
Of course, Fred wasn't without other preparations, especially considering the two Drake-class ships that had escaped earlier.
That commander was no pushover.
There were still many capable people among them, not to be underestimated.
If the operation failed and they insisted on boarding for inspection, it would become even more troublesome.
In that case, leaving someone here would only be a pointless sacrifice.
He wasn't the type to treat human lives as expendable.
And being captured would be even more troublesome.
Thinking this, Fred continued.
"I have an AI system. Controlling a civilian ship and responding with a few lines shouldn't be a big problem."
"The likely attack locations are limited. Having nearby ships monitor other non-critical areas shouldn't be an issue either."
As Fred spoke, he displayed a series of data and flight trajectory charts in front of Lacus.
They were densely packed with various analyses.
The specific plan wasn't overly complicated.
Originally, according to the standard trade route, PLANT cargo ships would land at the Panama Spaceport in South America, which was also the location of the mass driver.
After being loaded with food, they would be launched back up via the mass driver.
However, their plan added a few extra steps. What would be launched up would actually be an unmanned empty ship disguised as a civilian vessel.
And since this was a secret transaction, the ship's documentation would clearly identify it as a refugee ship.
"This approach incurs significant costs and would delay the food trade timeline."
Lacus quickly reviewed the detailed plan and, after a moment of thought, said.
"If this continues for several more trips, it could affect subsequent transactions."
Fred's proposed attack was only a possibility. In other words, while this plan was safe, as long as Blue Cosmos didn't attack, they would have to maintain this high-cost trap.
Moreover, the effectiveness of the AI control wasn't particularly strong. While it could manage basic navigation, they would still need to station some of their people to oversee the process.
"They will launch an attack soon."
Fred said.
On one hand, there was the plot convenience, and on the other, Blue Cosmos had suffered so many setbacks recently that they were surely furious.
This was a perfect opportunity for retaliation. He didn't believe they would stay out of it after receiving the information.
Given the Atlantic Federation's nature, they would definitely want to intimidate PLANT.
These were fanatics who shouted slogans and carried out suicide attacks.
He was analyzing things from their perspective.
Once they took the bait, he could leverage the public outrage to announce the normalization of food supplies and the continuation of Earth-side trade, ensuring a stable transition.
Of course, they would still need to guard against Blue Cosmos causing further trouble later.
But that was a plan for another time. For now, Fred was focused on completing this task.
On the other side, meeting Fred's earnest gaze, Lacus thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"The plan can only last for three months."
"Any longer, and we'll need to find another solution."
"No problem."
Three months would bring them close to the year 69. If there really was no attack, it might diminish the Clyne Faction's trust in him, but he was prepared to accept that.
If successful, his influence within the Clyne Faction would undoubtedly grow, and even with Patrick, the credit would be significant.
For Fred, who had the advantage of knowing the plot, it was a favorable gamble.
"Then I'll arrange the escort personnel."
Lacus said, her eyes glancing over the plan once more.
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