They chatted for a while longer, until the sky outside began to turn amber, before Freed spoke up.
"Tomorrow, wait for my signal."
"After that, I'll send word to your family."
"Okay!"
Hearing this, Kira was completely at ease, and left with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Watching the young man leave, Freed took a deep breath.
A slight smile slowly crept across his face.
The plan was going much more smoothly than he had expected.
Kira still trusted him.
Of course, he considered himself a good man worthy of that trust.
"Alec, come over here."
Freed opened the communicator at his side and spoke.
One major task was done, but the real show was just beginning.
Steal the Mobile Suits, then make a run back to PLANT.
"Yes."
While Freed and Alec were discussing their next moves on one end, in an apartment building in Heliopolis, as the myriad lights of the city flickered to life in the evening, this lit apartment was hardly noticeable.
Inside the room, Yzak looked up from his computer screen.
"The Captain is already in position, and said he's brought Unit 0 along."
"Unit 0..."
Hearing this, Athrun let out a long, relieved sigh.
"But I didn't expect you guys to bring a friend along for this kind of operation," Yzak remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
"It's dangerous, after all. He might know something."
"Besides, we're all Coordinators."
"But this time, we really did put you all out."
Athrun, unusually serious, didn't fire back with a retort but spoke earnestly instead.
"Yeah, yeah, got it!"
Facing Athrun's grateful expression, Yzak waved his hand with a bit of awkwardness.
"Anyway, it's the Captain's orders."
Watching the two interact, Lasty's face remained as stern as ever.
"But who knows if something unexpected might happen during tomorrow night's operation..."
"Captain Freed wouldn't be in danger from a mere infiltration mission, let alone one planned out this thoroughly."
After all the training and sorties during this period, Yzak had grown even more respectful of Freed.
It was almost like returning to how they were before they parted ways.
Even just saying this now, there was a hint of reverence in his tone.
"I wasn't talking about the Captain..." Lasty replied, exasperated.
Of course he didn't think the Captain was in danger—he thought they were in danger.
For their first operation to be a direct behind-enemy-lines mission like this, no matter how he looked at it, it was terrifying.
"Don't worry. Stay calm, prepare thoroughly, and you won't die."
Nicol, noticing the tension in his companion beside him, offered a gentle word of reassurance.
"The Captain said that, right?" Yzak shrugged.
"Yeah."
"Alright, let's take turns resting. We'll be up all night tomorrow."
"Hmph, who said I'd listen to you?"
Though Yzak said that, Athrun's words still brought the discussion in the room to a close.
Meanwhile, in the shadow of an asteroid not far from Heliopolis, a Nazca-class and a Laurasia-class vessel had been lying in wait for quite some time.
On the bridge of the Nazca-class, Flay was gazing out at the massive space colony with a worried expression, her eyes betraying a hint of concern.
Besides worrying about her brother, she was also worried about Kira.
Because of the surprise attack, they wouldn't be able to contact her brother until the operation began—and she had no idea whether he could convince Kira...
And what about Athrun and the others—how did their first mission go?
Though she worried, all she ever did was cause trouble whenever she showed up.
She wanted to become stronger.
Flay gazed at the scenery outside the window, her fists clenched tightly.
...
And amid everyone's tension, time quickly arrived at the day of the operation—also the night before the Archangel was set to depart.
As a technical officer who had arrived early to prepare for the handover, Murrue looked at the list and documents before her with a helpless expression.
"The Mobile Suit systems are still completely unusable."¹
Murrue cast a resentful glance at the Dawn Organization staff member in front of her.
"There's nothing we can do about that."
The staff member let out an awkward chuckle.
"However, our development speed is already being accelerated. According to the plan, a usable trial version of the Operating System update will be available within three months."
"I'm just relaying the message... please understand."
"Hmm..."
Murrue wore a helpless look at that, though she couldn't find anything to say in response.
Since they'd put it that way, there was no point in her pushing.
Her gaze fell on the five Mobile Suits lying in a row not far away, and her expression grew more complicated.
These were their weapons for counterattack.
But was this truly the right path?
She didn't know.
At the very least, Admiral Halberton must have some plan in mind.
With that thought, Murrue's anxious expression eased somewhat, and she nodded.
"I'll report this to the higher-ups."
"Understood."
The staff member sighed in relief.
Since the higher-ups would handle the communication, he didn't care either way.
It was just a job.
"Then please go get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll arrange for your departure according to procedure."
Compared to researching these systems, getting these Atlantic Federation soldiers out of here as soon as possible was the top priority.
The systems could be transported later, but if anyone discovered Atlantic Federation military personnel here, ORB's reputation would be ruined.
"Hmm."
Murrue had just agreed when she felt a massive tremor transmit into this underground warehouse.
"What's going on!?"
Startled, the researcher quickly grabbed the intercom mounted on the wall, while the staff around him instantly wore expressions of tension and panic.
As for the armed guards on duty nearby, they trainedly drew their pistols, released the safeties, and looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
"We're not sure—there's been an explosion at our outer facilities—"
The officer on the other end of the intercom didn't even finish his sentence before the sound of someone collapsing came through.
"Damn it! Emergency close the main door! Lock it tight! Now!"
The researcher in charge reacted quickly, shouting orders the moment he sensed something was wrong.
As a secret warehouse, the main door could indeed be locked from the inside.
But just as the researcher's words faded, gray smoke poured out of the ventilation ducts like a tide.
"What—"
Before anyone could react, under the effects of the high-potency anesthetic, everyone present collapsed to the ground one after another.
"This stuff never fails to work."
Opening the inner door, flanked by six escorts, Fred strode in leisurely, wearing a gas mask.
"It's all thanks to your wise leadership."
The middle-aged Hawk said seriously.
"Stop with the flattery."
Fred laughed and cursed, then immediately added.
"How much longer can the system be hijacked?"
"At most thirty seconds. The satellite's main security office will notice something's wrong by then."
This was the Dawn Organization, after all. If they thought they could slip away unnoticed with just a sedative, they were deluding themselves.
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