On the other side, Siegel, who was watching with a slight delay, also wore a thoughtful expression as he observed the scene before him.
Although he lacked his daughter's abilities, as a seasoned politician, he still possessed a basic eye for judging people.
In his view, Fred had indeed changed somewhat.
He didn't know where these changes originated—perhaps from the first time he had taken a life.
But there was no doubt that Fred now gave off a stronger presence.
This strength wasn't external but rather an inner vitality, evident in his body language, tone of voice, and posture.
For people like them, a single moment of clarity could lead to a breakthrough, and perhaps Fred was experiencing just that.
"Father, can our countermeasures break the deadlock?"
Seeing Siegel still lost in thought, Lacus couldn't help but interject, her expression unusually tense. Even her small hands had clenched into two little pink fists, betraying her anxiety.
"Yes, one Drake-class ship alone isn't enough to take them down."
"Fred took three of our specially modified transport ships with him."
Siegel shook his head.
Although he didn't understand why Fred hadn't ordered the ambushing forces to act, Fred undoubtedly had his own calculations.
In fact, Fred deserved praise. If he hadn't insisted on bringing maximum firepower, they wouldn't be as confident as they were now.
Initially, Siegel had thought Fred was simply trying to ensure his own survival.
Now, it seemed Fred had been planning far ahead.
"I see."
Hearing that Fred had made arrangements, Lacus's eyes brightened even more.
"Yes, and it looks like he intends to end the battle swiftly with a single round of attacks."
Siegel sighed as he watched Fred's calculations on the computer screen in his surveillance feed.
Given Fred's abilities as he understood them, his knowledge was indeed sufficient to perform such calculations.
Siegel also understood Fred's intention: to minimize collateral damage, specifically to Mendel's structures and personnel.
As he thought this, Siegel felt a growing sense of urgency. After all, he had many plans in Mendel and naturally hoped the colony would remain unharmed.
But this was a battlefield, not their own home. As long as one wasn't a machine, people would always be influenced by their environment. Yet, Fred at this moment seemed almost robotic—calm and calculating with incredible speed.
Suddenly, Siegel recalled the lunar incident from over two years ago.
Fred, on the battlefield, facing life and death, had remained exceptionally calm.
Perhaps this trait was the reason he had been able to create miracles back then.
And now, Siegel realized that this trait wasn't a coincidence for Fred at that time—it was an innate ability.
Unlike rigid sparring, on the battlefield, bolstered by vast knowledge, his combat capabilities multiplied exponentially.
If Fred joined their side, their military strength would likely increase exponentially as well.
The question now was whether Fred's calculations could bury Blue Cosmos with minimal losses.
"So, Chairman Siegel actually let you bring this much heavy firepower?"
In the spacious combat room with only the two of them, Alec looked at Fred, who seemed almost done with his calculations, and the markers on the map displayed on the screen before him, unable to suppress a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Those were two transport ships equipped with twenty-four missile launchers each, plus one carrying a concealed beam cannon.
With that kind of firepower, they could probably take on an Agamemnon-class ship without escort fighters.
Against a Drake-class, as long as they operated skillfully, victory was almost guaranteed.
And the people sent by the Clyne Faction were undoubtedly all aces.
They definitely had the skills.
He didn't even doubt they were stronger than the ragtag Blue Cosmos forces on the other side.
So, it was basically a sure thing.
No wonder he had been so calm earlier.
No wonder Captain Wolf wanted to send the ambush forces out immediately. With this setup, catching the enemy off guard, wouldn't it just crush them outright?
"Then why didn't you let them come out?"
Alec quickly followed up, voicing the doubt in his mind.
"It wasn't time yet, but..."
"Now it is."
Fred's confidence was hidden beneath his calm words, complemented by his exquisite mask and gradually maturing physique. Even in this critical moment, his composed demeanor added a touch of elegance to the young man.
It also deepened Alec's trust in him at this moment.
If it were him, he could probably not only handle research but also strategize flawlessly on the front lines.
As for Fred, he didn't notice the look in Alec's eyes, nor did he pay it much mind for now. His hands, which had been dancing swiftly across the keyboard, gradually came to a stop.
"Captain Wolf, speed is crucial in warfare. Can a single volley bury them completely?"
Fred reconnected with the captain.
"That might be a bit difficult."
Wolf was taken aback for a moment but quickly replied.
"Although they've moved closer to the asteroid where we're hiding, their anti-aircraft guns are still operational."
As Wolf said, although their three heavily armed transport ships were lying in ambush behind the asteroid, positioned behind the enemy's four vessels, as soon as they activated their fire control radar and launched missiles, they would be detected.
Their first volley consisted of forty-eight missiles.
The enemy's four ships included a Drake-class with three close-in weapon systems, while the other three transport ships converted into frigates each had two close-in weapon systems.
That made a total of nine close-in weapon systems.
Based on the current interception probability of the automatic interception system, if they fired a concentrated volley at the enemy, considering the impact points of the missiles, they would likely only take out one ship at most.
"I know, but things are different now."
Fred didn't hesitate. The young man quickly sent over the data he had already calculated.
"The missiles can be concentrated on the engines at their stern, and we still have that one cannon."
"The expected outcome is to first bury the Drake-class and simultaneously disable the three transport ships. That way, they'll be trapped like fish in a barrel."
Fred's tone remained unchanged, but Wolf's expression grew increasingly astonished as he looked at the data sent to his computer.
The boy's calculations were extremely meticulous, based on the current efficiency and blind spots of the Atlantic Federation's automated Close-in Weapon System defenses.
He also had to simultaneously account for the course positions of several Battleships.
Selecting the most suitable angle of attack.
No wonder Fred had told them not to attack first—currently, the four Blue Cosmos Battleships were on stable courses, which significantly reduced the computational load.
But even so, such detailed calculations took only three minutes?
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