Meanwhile, at the other end, as the prelude to this attack, Siegel sat in the secret chamber staring at the screen before him, his face ashen.
On the monitor, his secretary was meeting with the mastermind behind the terrorist attack they had recently identified—the mole that Blue Cosmos had planted among their ranks.
They had actually guessed as much before the investigation even officially began.
Only someone on the inside could have planted the bombs.
However, they never expected it to be the Deputy Secretary-General directly under the Chairman's office.
Looking at the scene before him, Siegel's lingering hopes were thoroughly dashed.
"That's why I told you not to keep just anyone by your side."
"The Deputy Secretary-General of the Chairman's office being a spy—people would laugh their heads off if they heard this."
Patrick criticized without the slightest mercy.
His expression was equally displeased.
Siegel, however, didn't get angry at the remark—or rather, he had no standing to be angry—and could only let out a helpless sigh.
"This should be their trump card."
"This meeting is the same—kill me, and drive the negotiations into a dead end."
They had never wanted peace talks; they simply thought the fighting wasn't fierce enough and wanted to drag the entire world into it. They spoke of rebuilding order, but it was only to implement their own rule over the world.
They claimed the threat was imminent and that they needed to strike first, but in the end, it was all for personal gain.
These were the same tricks left over from over a hundred years ago.
Their words were high-sounding, but their actions were revolting.
Even Blue Cosmos was nothing more than a pawn in the game.
Except that back then, they were the ones controlling the Atlantic Federation, whereas now they had been splintered off by the new powers within the Atlantic.
"We already know all this."
Patrick let out a cold snort.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
"We need to talk, but we also need to fight. If the Neutron Jammer is deployed globally, we'll only lose the support of most nations."
"Fred is right about that."
Siegel took a deep breath and said.
Endless concessions would only make them more brazen.
From the ambush outside Junius City to this incident, it had been the same pattern.
Retreat after retreat, until there was nowhere left to retreat.
Fighting was inevitable, so they might as well enter the battle having secured as many advantages as possible on their side.
Now they had evidence, and they had the right timing, geographical advantage, and popular support.
If it were just a war against the Atlantic Federation alone, they still had a chance of victory.
They hadn't cut off global resource supplies, which admittedly gave the Atlantic time to catch its breath through re-export trade, but at least it preserved their standing in public opinion.
They hadn't completely alienated either the general populace or the ruling parties.
As long as they hadn't burned all bridges, there was still a foundation for cooperation.
Patrick, standing before Siegel, understood this as well. After a brief moment of deliberation, he spoke up.
"If the Neutron Jammer only covers the Atlantic mainland, they'll probably find other ways around it. What about the underwater energy transmission pipelines? Should we blow them up?"
With so many nations on Earth, there was no guarantee the Atlantic wouldn't cooperate with others.
Although they had already tarnished the Atlantic's reputation earlier.
But that was among ordinary people.
Those at the top considered nothing but national interests and personal interests—and often, personal interests took precedence.
There would certainly be no shortage of countries willing to trade with the Atlantic.
After all, no matter how weakened the Atlantic was, its sheer scale still commanded attention.
Not to mention, the Atlantic could hardly be called weak.
It might not be in its prime, but it still had plenty of strength left.
"Whoever cooperates with them, we bring the battlefield to their doorstep, bring the Neutron Jammer to their territory. The pipelines will be blown up as well."
Siegel deliberated for a moment before finally making up his mind.
"But leave an opening through the Mentor, so the lower classes in the Atlantic have a chance to leave."
This order might make life even harder for the common people in the Atlantic.
It wasn't out of kindness on his part—it was because if they truly went to the extreme and left no way out for anyone, the people might actually unite against them.
Then their efforts to demoralize the enemy would instead galvanize them, backfiring completely.
Leaving an escape route not only demonstrated their stance but also allowed those people to continue resenting Blue Cosmos for dragging them into the abyss of war.
Have the Mentor move among the refugees, further counterbalancing the Atlantic's internal dynamics from the grassroots level.
Just as the Atlantic had planned to strike at grain supplies, they would keep public sentiment on their side. When the time came, without them lifting a finger, the countries wanting to cooperate with the Atlantic would tear themselves apart from within.
Of course, it was easy to say, but implementing it would certainly be extremely complicated.
There were countless matters to handle both behind the scenes and in the open.
And clearly, these were things for the two of them and the Supreme Council to resolve.
But with a good start, everything that followed was merely troublesome rather than truly difficult.
"Well then, let's leave it at that for now. I need to get going."
After quickly mapping out the next few steps, Siegel rose from his seat in the secret chamber.
He still had to go, despite the threat of a terrorist attack.
But now that Fred had rescued those moderates, ZAFT held the advantage. If he showed up in person and spoke frankly with those moderates, it would deal another blow to Blue Cosmos.
Moreover, there were many matters he needed to discuss with the moderates from various nations within the United Nations.
Leaving an opening for the people of the Atlantic Federation required not only the Mentor's efforts but also the cooperation of these moderates.
"Hmph, go on then."
"Just make sure you come back alive, or all your plans will be for nothing."
Patrick let out another cold snort.
"Don't worry. Fred's over there too, so it'll be fine."
Recalling that Fred had rescued a councilor just a month ago, Siegel felt a bit more trust in him.
He knew it was the same for his old friend standing before him.
Fred was someone they could trust—and if used well, he might even help them fulfill their long-cherished wishes.
That said, the man had his own pursuits.
Perhaps they were only partners for part of the journey.
But he was someone the Mentor had vouched for as a good man, so Siegel trusted him.
It was just that Lacus's affectionate attitude toward him gave Siegel a bit of a headache.
"Fath... Father, are you going to Copernicus?"
As Siegel stepped out of the secret chamber, he was greeted by Lacus, her face full of worry.
"Yes, I have to go. If I don't, those old foxes will start suspecting me."
Siegel nodded, his expression softening at Lacus's long-unused form of address.
"Don't worry. Your father will be fine."
"Mm!"
Just as her father had said, this trip was necessary.
To whom much is given, much is expected—at the very least, it was what a chairman ought to do.
And Fred was there too, so it should be fine... right?
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