Onboard the Nahel Argama, Roz Links finally met the Gai Murakumo that Lowe Guele had spoken of.
He was a man with brown hair, appearing to be roughly the same age as Mu La Flaga, wearing a pair of orange-tinted glasses that obscured the color of his pupils.
However, Roz Links vaguely noticed a string of blurry symbols on the pupils hidden by the glasses.
He assumed they were just colored contact lenses and didn't think much more of it.
At this moment, Lowe Guele was recounting what he had previously scouted.
"We previously infiltrated the agricultural colony and inspected the connection mechanism. If we want to safely detach that Library area from PLANT's agricultural colony, Brough, we must go into that area and dismantle their connection devices."
Lowe Guele pointed to a slightly abstract geometric shape on the screen as he explained.
"That connection device is a one-way lock, fixed onto crucial points of the agricultural colony. If we try to use explosives to dismantle it, it might cause the entire colony to fracture."
"...If they were acting alone, they shouldn't have been able to secure the connection to the colony to this extent, much less embed it in critical points."
Mu La Flaga frowned, looking at Lowe Guele's abstract geometric schematic. "I see... this is their plan: using the most advanced cloning technology to ensure their own safety."
"Due to the Bloody Valentine incident at Junius Seven, ZAFT will respond with the highest level of attack intensity to any assault on a colony." Gai Murakumo, who had been silently observing the conference room, spoke up. "The difficulty is that we might not only have to fight the Library's mobile suits but also ZAFT's reinforcement troops afterward."
"But since that area is still part of the agricultural colony, wouldn't ZAFT fight us if we went to dismantle it?" Roz Links squinted, looking at the abstract schematic drawn by Lowe Guele.
"I investigated the agricultural colony side. They basically don't know what this component is for. They all assume it's an original design flaw," Gai Murakumo shook his head, recounting his findings. "In short, if that area is removed, they won't make a move in the short term."
"Well then... here is the general plan."
Lowe Guele drew a cube and several arrows on the tablet on the table. "These connection mechanisms require Roz and me to infiltrate and disconnect them. Murakumo will pilot his mobile suit outside to watch over our units, waiting for us to regroup."
"...That is too dangerous. It's completely unfeasible. Was this just a spur-of-the-moment idea?" Natarle Badgiruel was the first to object upon hearing Lowe Guele's plan.
"In this situation, we should first dispatch ground troops..."
"Natarle, this isn't the Earth Alliance anymore. We don't have ground troops." Murrue Ramius shook her head upon hearing Natarle's proposed plan. "However, we definitely need to think about the details of the plan more carefully."
Lowe Guele sighed, drawing a few more lines on the tablet.
"I naturally considered your concerns, but the dismantling of those connection components requires at least two mechanics. Otherwise, the forces between the two blocks will accumulate on a single component, causing damage to the node. This is the only method I can think of right now."
At this point, everyone's attention turned to Roz Links.
As the most critical member of Lowe Guele's plan, his opinion was extremely important. If he disagreed, the operation to dismantle the block would have to be replanned.
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"Do you still have the leisure to be on vacation there?"
Onboard the Minerva, which was pursuing the Archangel-class that stole the Gundams, Gilbert Durandal was in a dimly lit room, looking at a tablet and listening through an earpiece to the communication.
"Someone has shown up on our doorstep. As a partner, PLANT is your territory. Won't you deploy forces to show a presence?"
A slightly hoarse voice came through the communication, clearly irritated about being cornered.
"As long as the opposing party hasn't taken any extreme actions, this is still classified as a dispute between civilian organizations. If I rashly order the deployment of troops, your organization will be exposed, which I assume is an outcome you wish to avoid." Durandal calmly picked up the glass of water on the table and took a sip.
"Furthermore, as partners, if I need to take care of every problem that arises, why should I continue this cooperation with you?"
"In short, ZAFT cannot intervene until the agricultural colony Brough is damaged."
"...Really? It seems the people attacking us this time include that Unicorn mobile suit. Doesn't that tempt you?" Seeing Durandal remain unmoved, the voice on the other end of the line offered a temptation.
"While I am very interested, given your mobile suit data—whether it was the original Phantom Beasts I and II or the recent Phoenix—you possess no relevant technical specifications. I don't believe your Library can acquire the data for this newest Unicorn, much less the pilot's identity and genetic information."
Durandal heard the name Unicorn, leaning back in his chair, seemingly deep in thought, yet his tone remained unchanged.
Considering that the mobile suits Roz Links previously piloted—whether the Jegan or the Jesta—both ended in self-destruction, coupled with Roz's caution regarding Psycho-Frame technology and the NT-D program, the mysterious organization Library, which claimed to "collect all mobile suit technology in the world," only had visual image data for these units. The actual manufacturing technology remained completely unknown to them.
As for the Jegan D-Type Roz sold to Orb previously, only one unit was manufactured on the mainland. Before it could even be fully debugged, the mainland had to be detonated due to the Earth Alliance attack. The Library never had a chance to collect the data, and now they don't even know the location of the retreating Orb main forces.
"Tsk... When we manage to obtain the data for that machine called Unicorn, you had better prepare sufficient bargaining chips."
Clearly, the Library, despite possessing extensive MS technology and many modified units, did not fully understand the enemy they were facing.
"Talk to me when you succeed..."
Durandal did not believe they could defeat the Unicorn. After all, the pilot of that powerful mobile suit was the ace who managed to fight the "Phantom Beast Type" to a draw with Rau Le Creuset, and even suppressed Creuset for a period.
Even the crash of the Phantom Beast II only happened after it was exhausted from fighting the giant mobile armor Shamblo from the Kingdom of Foundation, allowing Creuset's team to claim the kill. Even Yzak's Duel Gundam was destroyed in the end, returning to PLANT as nothing more than broken wreckage.
"In any case, I will continue to observe your battle. That's all."
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Near the PLANT agricultural colony Brough, a GINN squad was conducting a routine patrol.
Although some ZAKU Warriors were beginning to be equipped on a small scale, it was clearly not the case for this area yet.
This relatively remote area was exceptionally calm compared to other colonies near the war zones. Even the slightly messy external structure of the "useless zone" showed no signs of unknown signals.
'Why don't the higher-ups just scrap this useless area and melt it down for reuse?'
The GINN pilot pondered for a moment, then flew away.
"Adjusted LED displays, and a signal camouflage device... clever."
If those GINN units had approached a short distance above the "discarded area," they might have been able to spot a slightly unnatural bulge hidden on the external structure with the naked eye.
But with adjusted LED screens covering the bulge and a signal camouflage device disguised as a piece of turbomachinery, this "camouflage apparatus," which was actually two containers loaded with mobile suits, achieved an effect similar to a mirage system.
Gai Murakumo watched the GINN squad fly past nearby without detecting him, or the containers holding the Unicorn and the Red Astray placed on his left and right.
"Anyway, this area is ZAFT's rear line; their vigilance isn't that high," Roz Links' voice came through the communication.
"Also, where's Mu?"
"I'm here, I'm here. Everyone on the Nahel Argama is on standby."
Mu La Flaga maneuvered the Strike, connecting the Hyper Impulse Cannon of the Multiple Assault Striker Pack to the Nahel Argama's energy supply. "Just give the word, and Captain Murrue will immediately activate the Nahel Argama's thermal ram to crash into that Library section and rescue you."
"By the way, I was the pilot of the Moebius Zero, so why am I constantly stuck in the sniper role lately?"
"Given the current combat intensity, how long would the battery of the Strike, fitted with three packs simultaneously, last?" Roz Links explained the situation. "In short, Lowe and I are in position and starting the operation now. The long-range sniping against the Library is all on you."
"Understood, understood."
On a catwalk within the agricultural colony Brough, Roz Links, already dressed in his red and white pilot suit, checked the weapon in his hand.
Beside him was the first connection component he needed to target.
After much discussion on the Nahel Argama, they were forced to use Lowe Guele's method due to the lack of ground troops.
Fortunately, apart from the two main connection components, most of the other connection devices did not require deep penetration into the "Library" area.
However, considering Lowe Guele's individual combat capability, Roz Links intended to modify the plan.
"Lowe, let's start the operation."
Roz Links flipped over to the next level of the catwalk, casually pulled out the wrench he was carrying, dismantled the external locking component of the connection device, and tinkered with it.
Under Roz Links' manipulation, the connection device loosened its fixings, creating a loud noise.
"Huh? What's going on over there?"
Behind a nearby door, a Library member, attracted by the loud noise, sounded confused and opened the door.
"Bang..."
A crisp gunshot echoed in the passage. A bullet flew from Roz Links' gun muzzle, drilling precisely into the head of the unlucky person who had just stepped through the door.
"Roz... you didn't attach a silencer?" Lowe Guele's voice came through the communication, sounding surprised.
"Are you done on your end?" Roz Links calmly asked, glancing at the corpse of the Library member on the floor.
"I've finished one here."
"Oh, oh... I've finished one too."
"Keep going, Lowe, don't stop."
Hearing the situation outside apparently turning chaotic, Roz Links raised his gun and walked toward the next target.
This was Roz Links' modification to the plan: compared to himself, who could shoot proficiently, Lowe Guele was a relatively "ordinary" mechanic. For the plan to proceed smoothly, Roz Links had to attract as much attention as possible.
Since they couldn't use explosives and needed to avoid damaging the agricultural colony, nothing would cause more chaos than an unsilenced gunshot.
.....................