After "repelling" the Earth Alliance fleet, Reid immediately returned to the Star Palace Colony Satellite. He needed to get back to the Factory Module to continue operations and achieve his ultimate goal before anyone could react. The longer he delayed, the lower the success rate of his plan would become.
However, upon returning to the Star Palace Colony Satellite, Reid first had to deal with a major problem.
This problem wasn't caused by ZAFT—the surrender on the main battlefield had gone relatively smoothly, as there were only a handful of truly stubborn holdouts.
Moreover, the New Misurugi Republic had a good reputation when it came to treating prisoners of war. The crew of that Laurasia-class ship had spoken favorably about the Republic after their release, so ZAFT knew that the New Misurugi Republic treated its captives well.
Of course, Reid had no intention of doing anything to these prisoners now. He wasn't short on food supplies for a few extra mouths, and keeping them well-fed would only drive up the cost of their upkeep—meaning PLANT would have to pay a higher ransom later.
As for the covert strike team sent by Graham Huber, they had indeed slipped through to attack the Solar Ray System. Unfortunately for them, they ran into Ange, who was on her way to the Satellite Cannon port to oversee the Eternal.
The outcome was predictable. The strike team, led by three GuAIZ units with over a dozen High-Mobility GINNs in tow, was turned into space debris by Ange in her speed-enhanced Immortal Aegis.
The team's only achievement was that the last GuAIZ managed to damage one of the Sunlight Reflectors with its Beam Rifle—after all, those things weren't much tougher than actual mirrors.
As for the foreign diplomats stationed in the Star Palace Colony Satellite, they had all fallen silent. The New Misurugi Republic's strength far exceeded their expectations. Every plan and policy had to be reevaluated, and without new instructions from their home nations, none of them dared act recklessly.
Meanwhile, the colonists within the Star Palace Colony Satellite were in a state of jubilant celebration, rejoicing that they had chosen to live under the protection of a powerful nation.
Since ZAFT's forces weren't the issue, the Earth Alliance had retreated, and the colonists' morale had only grown more stable after this battle, the only real problem left for Reid was Lacus and her group.
No sooner had Reid returned to the Star Palace Colony Satellite than Ange arrived, bringing along Lacus, Kira, Athrun, and Cagalli—the strongest 16-year-old squad in the Cosmic Era universe.
Of the four, Lacus and Athrun, both Plant natives, remained relatively calm. Kira, however, was looking at Reid with an intensely complicated gaze, as if seeing him in a completely new light. As for Cagalli, the first thing she did upon meeting Reid was rush forward and demand:
"Reid! What the hell is that giant Sunlight Reflector array outside?! What are you planning with that thing?!"
If anyone else had shouted at him like that, Reid would have taught them a lesson. But this was Cagalli... well, she had clearly donated all her brain cells to Kira. There was no point arguing with a creature whose body moved faster than her mind.
So instead, Reid flicked her forehead—right as she got in his face—causing her to yelp, clutch her head, and stumble back a few steps. She glared at him furiously, her expression screaming, "Why did you hit me?!"
After disciplining Cagalli, Reid immediately retorted:
"Cagalli, stop yelling at me. Even if you have questions, think them through before asking. Can't you tell what that Sunlight Reflection Array outside is? Even a grade-schooler understands its principle—it's just a defensive superweapon."
Cagalli was clearly dissatisfied with Reid's response. With an expression that screamed I'm not illiterate, don't try to fool me, she retorted,
"What?! A defensive weapon? What kind of defensive weapon can wipe out three of ZAFT's main fleets in one strike? Who do you think you're fooling?"
Seeing Cagalli still fixated on the issue, Reid decided to redirect the problem and let her brother handle it. Turning to Kira, he said,
"Kira, give your sister a proper rundown on how sunlight reflection works—its pros and cons. Then let her come back and discuss with me whether this thing is defensive or not."
Kira's emotions were complicated at the moment, but since Reid had called on him, he decided to voice his opinion first.
"Mr. Reid, I actually agree that this Sunshade Reflection Array should be classified as a weapon of mass destruction. Its lethality is too great—those hit by it have no chance of survival. I believe weapons like this only deepen the cycle of hatred. They shouldn't be used."
Reid stared at Kira, internally telling himself not to lose his temper. This kid is just too idealistic, completely brainwashed.
So Reid countered directly,
"Alright, Kira. Suppose I hadn't used this weapon today. After days of brutal fighting, half of ZAFT's forces are destroyed, and the rest retreat. Is that the outcome you wanted?"
Kira, not yet realizing the trap in Reid's words, was about to nod when Athrun—far more pragmatic—stopped him and whispered,
"Kira, as much as I hate to admit it, ZAFT is the aggressor here. Eliminating invaders at the lowest cost is what a national leader should do. And the New Misurugi Republic hasn't used any weapons banned by international humanitarian conventions. At least for now, the Solar Ray Reflector isn't classified as one."
"As for whether it counts as a weapon of mass destruction—of course it does. But no one will blame Mr. Reid for this. He used it on his own soil against invaders."
Kira couldn't quite grasp why Athrun was defending Reid. He had clearly been devastated watching ZAFT's three main fleets get annihilated.
But the next moment, Lacus also sided with Reid, cutting off any chance for Kira to argue further. She knew that playing the victim or preaching peace wouldn't work on Reid.
Lacus said earnestly,
"Athrun's right, Kira. If Mr. Reid had chosen to engage ZAFT's fleet in prolonged combat, the total casualties on both sides would've been far worse." (Lacus didn't know the Mass-Produced GM Astrays were unmanned Mobile Dolls.) "And the longer the fighting dragged on, the more hatred would've festered between them."
Kira was at a loss. But there was no way around it—on the battlefield, one side obliterating the other actually bred less hatred than a drawn-out, evenly matched battle. It was counterintuitive.
Yet it was the truth. Because hatred needs people to spread it. In a one-sided annihilation, the losing side generates far less resentment than in a brutal stalemate. What lingers in the decision-makers' minds isn't rage—it's fear.
As for the general public, the families of the victims are ultimately a minority among all citizens of a nation. Since this wasn't an exceptionally brutal massacre, it wouldn't even take a year—just a few months—before only the victims' relatives and friends would still remember the fallen soldiers. (The modern internet has demonstrated just how quickly people grow numb to even the most inhumane atrocities.)
A glance through history books reveals plenty of such examples. On the contrary, in countries where decades of sporadic, fragmented skirmishes result in fewer than ten thousand casualties, the hatred runs far deeper, with both sides wishing they could drink each other's blood and devour each other's flesh. (There are real-life cases in Africa.)
Seeing that Kira and Cagalli's worldviews had already been shaken by the combined efforts of himself, Athrun, and Lacus, Reid decided not to push them further. Instead, he turned to Lacus and Athrun—these two were the real headaches.
So Reid cut straight to the chase:
"Alright, let's get down to business. Lacus, Athrun, what did you come to ask me? Speak freely—I'll tell you whatever I can."
Lacus and Athrun exchanged a glance, nodded at each other, and Lacus took the lead:
"Mr. Reid, first, we'd like to ask—under the New Misurugi Republic's plans, when will this war with PLANT end?"
Hearing Lacus inquire about the conditions for ending the war, Reid found the question simple. Given Patrick Zala's current deranged state, he didn't even need to make excessive demands—Patrick would reject them outright anyway.
So Reid answered with utmost seriousness:
"I can tell you this, and you're free to relay my terms to the PLANT Council through your own channels.
Since PLANT initiated this conflict, peace is straightforward:
Patrick Zala must step down immediately and retire from politics permanently.
PLANT must publicly admit defeat and apologize.
Finally, they must pay reparations to the New Misurugi Republic—the exact amount can be negotiated. As for the prisoners, their ransoms will be handled separately.
Meet these conditions, and peace between our nations will follow."
After Reid finished speaking, both Lacus and Athrun visibly relaxed. His demands weren't excessive at all—he hadn't even insisted on specific punishments for Patrick Zala, clearly sparing Athrun's feelings.
Had the Earth Alliance achieved these results, they wouldn't have stopped short of military occupation and dismantling PLANT unless their entire leadership had suddenly turned vegetarian.
So Lacus smiled for the first time since entering the room and replied,
"I'll find a way to deliver this message back to PLANT. I'm sure the Council will send envoys soon."
Seeing her smile, Reid thought she was celebrating too soon and added,
"That's for you to decide. I've only stated my terms. If you want to be a third force, don't consult me on everything.
However, let me be blunt—I've laid out my conditions, but the New Misurugi Republic won't just sit around waiting for a response.
Doing nothing only gives ZAFT time to regroup or hatch new schemes."
So the New Misurugi Republic's army will soon march to attack PLANT. The goal is simple: if the PLANT Supreme Council doesn't agree to my terms, I'll personally charge into PLANT and drag Patrick Zala down from his position as Chairman.
The conditions won't be as favorable then. Out of respect for Athrun, I won't kill Patrick Zala, but I will imprison him permanently—equivalent to a life sentence."
As soon as Reid said this, Lacus and Athrun grew visibly anxious. The New Misurugi Republic was planning to counter-invade PLANT? This would escalate the war.
Lacus immediately objected:
"Mr. Reid, this won't do. If the New Misurugi Republic's forces march to invade PLANT, the Council will never agree to the terms you just proposed. No one would believe in peaceful intentions while staring down the barrel of a gun!"
Reid countered without hesitation:
"Lacus, if you'd said this before the war began, it would've made sense. To seek peace, one shouldn't point guns at each other—at most, a show of force as deterrence. That's exactly what I did. Before PLANT declared war, I knew your arrival would provoke Patrick Zala, so I preemptively deployed the Barge.
But you saw the result. PLANT thought I was weak and launched the war without hesitation.
They decided when the war started, but I'll decide when it ends.
I have zero trust in the PLANT Supreme Council under Patrick Zala's control. So unless Patrick Zala steps down, don't talk to me about ceasing military operations.
If nations were people, the current situation is like someone already shooting at my head. Even if I blow off the hand holding the gun, they still have another. If they won't surrender, I won't hesitate to chop off all their limbs to force their surrender!"
Reid's words dripped with killing intent, his Newtype psychic pressure fully unleashed. Though no one present could visually perceive this mental force, they all felt their chests tighten, making it hard to breathe. Reid was dead serious.
However, Lacus tapped into her own mental gifts, stubbornly resisting Reid's psychic pressure as she continued arguing:
"Mr. Reid, I understand your perspective. But this approach is wrong. You've already won the war—ZAFT suffered devastating losses in this battle, and with the Earth Alliance watching closely, they lack the capacity to attack again."
Had it not been for Genesis, Lacus's argument wouldn't have been entirely incorrect. So Reid decided to give the Three Ships Alliance something concrete to focus on, lest they interfere with his plans.
Fixing Lacus with a stare, Reid said:
"Lacus, you're underestimating ZAFT. No capacity to attack? Why don't you lead a team to these coordinates?"
He transmitted a set of coordinates before continuing:
"You should know ZAFT's nuclear-powered mobile suit program extended beyond just Freedom and Justice. To my knowledge, both the Reborn Gundam and Covenant Gundam are stationed there. Moreover, this location houses the prototype of another ZAFT superweapon."
That thing's finished product is far more terrifying than my short-range Solar Ray System that can only be used for defense. A single shot could reach from PLANT to Earth and completely destroy Earth's ecosystem."
Once Reid said this, Lacus couldn't refute it.
Everyone knew Reid had a secret intelligence network—it seemed there was nothing in this world he couldn't uncover. So, Lacus tacitly acknowledged that what Reid said was true.
If ZAFT truly possessed a superweapon even more outrageous than this Sunshade system, Patrick Zala would absolutely never surrender.
And Reid would have the perfect justification for launching an expedition to PLANT.
Thus, Lacus felt she had to personally verify this. If it were true, she had to find a way to stop ZAFT from firing that superweapon at Earth—otherwise, everything would be lost.
So Lacus nodded seriously and replied:
"Very well, we'll go check that location immediately. If it's true, we'll stop ZAFT.
But Mr. Reid, if you actively escalate the war in the future, you'll also become a target we must stop."
Reid had no objections to this—by the time Lacus returned from Genesis Alpha, he would have already achieved his objectives. Even if she harbored dissatisfaction afterward, she'd have no choice but to grudgingly help him destroy Genesis first.
So Reid nodded with a smile and said:
"Hmm, now that's what your so-called third faction should be doing. Murrue's Archangel will assist you, and I'll allocate two fully supplied Antietam-class Freighters to you. As for personnel—Lacus, Athrun, you can recruit from ZAFT's prisoners. I'll allow you to take a hundred with you.
Of course, whether those hundred will actually help you depends entirely on your own skills. The children of Siegel and Patrick, inheritors of Plant's original Zodiac Alliance founders—let me see if you have the same potential as your fathers.
Also, personally, I don't care if you oppose me in the future due to dissatisfaction with my actions. Just be prepared to face me as an enemy—I won't hold back.
If you disagree with my understanding and plans for peace, stop me through action. If words could prevent war, human history wouldn't be a chronicle of conflict."
Seeing that Reid was still willing to provide support—even releasing prisoners—Lacus became even more convinced he was telling the truth. There must indeed be something wrong with those coordinates. Reid simply couldn't handle it himself, hence sending her.
But this was an overt scheme. Lacus suddenly felt manipulated by Reid—indeed, the man her father had favored wasn't so easy to deal with.
Fortunately, Lacus only sighed inwardly for now. The immediate priority was to investigate those coordinates.
A common trait among successful people is strong initiative. With a clear goal, Lacus immediately left with Athrun and the others, splitting into two teams: Kira and Cagalli would retrieve the two Antietam-class Freighters, while she and Athrun recruited from the prisoners.
In truth, Lacus still underestimated Reid. Allowing them to recruit from prisoners might seem generous, but it was actually far from beneficial.
As long as Lacus and Athrun show their faces, it will essentially confirm that these two heirs, who were placed with high hopes by the citizens of PLANT, have completely betrayed PLANT and joined the New Misurugi Republic's faction.
At the very least, in the eyes of these prisoners, Lacus and Athrun won't leave a favorable impression.
As for the hundred recruits, Reid is confident that Lacus's passive ability will easily charm (brainwash) them, so he isn't worried about them switching sides mid-battle.
The mission to investigate Genesis Alpha will definitely be completed. The Reborn Gundam and Covenant Gundam might even end up captured by the Three Ships Alliance. (Without the [Junk Guild] supplying the Three Ships Alliance, the Reborn Gundam wouldn't leave Genesis Alpha to attack them.)
However, this conversation has already proven many things.
Reid is certain that he and idealistic pacifists like Lacus, Kira, and Cagalli won't be able to understand each other anytime soon.
Reid wouldn't say they're outright wrong—after all, if the world didn't have naive people like them to hit the brakes, and was filled entirely with utilitarian people like himself, that wouldn't be a good thing either.
But he also won't factor in the emotions of Lacus, Kira, and Cagalli when making his plans. If these three really try to stop him, while he wouldn't go so far as to kill them, a good beating would be unavoidable.
He's been looking for an excuse to spank these three for a while now. If given the chance, he'll make sure they properly understand the harsh realities of the adult world.
Thanks to 08a for the 200 Qidian coin tip.
The side story Genesis Alpha conflicts with the main story. If the Earth Alliance had already stolen the Covenant Gundam and learned of Genesis Alpha's existence before the final battle, they shouldn't have been completely unprepared for Genesis and caught off guard.
Thus, this part is omitted in this work—the Earth Alliance never discovered Genesis Alpha's existence, and there was no plotline about them stealing the Covenant Gundam.
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