At this point, there was no turning back for any of them.
Unless Blue Cosmos was destroyed or the world settled into peace.
But perhaps Fred could achieve that?
As this thought crossed his mind, Siegel's expression grew even more complicated.
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Haken and the others had smoothly returned to the transport ship.
"You've all worked hard."
Back on the transport ship, in the hangar, Fred stepped away from the remote control console and saluted Haken and the others, who had just disembarked from their Powered Armor.
Though it was his first time saluting, his gesture was remarkably straightforward and sincere.
He meant it wholeheartedly—without their assistance, his side wouldn't have succeeded so easily.
"Not at all. It was thanks to Director Freed's support that we managed to keep them here."
The one speaking was Haken, who led the group. Although she had gradually come to accept the news along the way, her expression as she looked at Fred was still filled with astonishment.
She hadn't expected that in such a short time, Fred would give her so many surprises.
After speaking, Haken didn't dare to act arrogantly and promptly returned Fred's salute.
The others behind Haken followed suit, performing the same gesture in unison.
Their synchronized movements conveyed their sincerity at a glance, stirring an involuntary surge of excitement.
"Haha, there's no need for the two of you to defer to each other."
Wolf, who had just arrived in the hangar, wore an equally radiant smile.
This operation had been a resounding success, with no casualties on their side. It was hard not to feel overjoyed.
On the other end, Fred merely lifted the corner of his mouth slightly, offering a faint, almost imperceptible smile before continuing.
"Captain Wolf, we should leave now. Forces from other factions could arrive at any moment."
Although the battle here seemed to have lasted a long time, it had actually been less than half an hour.
However, there were many other factions and nations with space colonies nearby, and they would undoubtedly have noticed.
Now was the best opportunity to escape, and they could even disguise themselves as a refugee ship to avoid suspicion.
"Don't worry, we've already begun final preparations for departure."
Hearing that Fred remained vigilant even now, Wolf's smile deepened.
If possible, he would have liked to collaborate more with this Freed.
Cautious, bold, and meticulous—he was the perfect commander. All Wolf had to do was pilot the ship.
There could hardly be a more effortless job than this.
As Wolf muttered to himself, true to his word, they didn't delay much longer before setting off.
Meanwhile, in the East Asian fleet stationed outside April City, the battle near Mendel had also been observed.
"In such a short time, they actually managed to take down those Blue Cosmos forces…"
Captain Chen narrowed his bright, piercing eyes as he read the report before him.
"The firepower is simply terrifying."
In front of him, the familiar Adjutant lowered his gaze and sighed.
So many missiles, plus a Beam cannon.
While it was far from powerful compared to their main forces, this was relative—at the very least, for Blue Cosmos, which only had a single Drake-class vessel, it was an overwhelming force.
"This isn't just about firepower alone."
Captain Chen looked at the clever missile trajectories before him and smiled meaningfully.
"Is that so?"
The adjutant, realizing he couldn't see the issue, grew slightly flustered.
"Hmm, the commander is likely no ordinary figure."
"..."
The adjutant stared intently at the video feed, a faint understanding dawning on him. Soon, his eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed,
"Were those missile launch trajectories deliberately adjusted?"
At first glance, it might seem like mere luck, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that the three hidden battleships had intentionally adjusted their firing angles, even coordinating with the missile launches by rotating to provide greater inertia.
"Exactly, which is why I say the commander is remarkable."
"You still have much to learn."
Captain Chen patted the adjutant on the shoulder, causing the latter's face to flush slightly.
"Yes, sir!"
The adjutant didn't dare argue and quickly raised his hand in a salute.
"Alright, the opponent is probably an old fox too. It's normal that you didn't notice—just keep learning."
With a mix of criticism and encouragement, the adjutant nodded vigorously, silently vowing not to disappoint his superiors.
After a moment of thought, however, the adjutant turned to Captain Chen with a puzzled expression.
"Why did they send us this information? Are they from PLANT?"
"Uncertain. Those three battleships are heading toward L3, where there's nothing."
Captain Chen shook his head.
Space was vast. If they truly wanted to hide, it would be difficult to find them. With enough resources, they could even dismantle the three battleships, leaving no trace behind.
Without waiting for his adjutant to say more, Captain Chen continued,
"Still, we should keep an eye on some of the cargo ships that have recently passed through Mendel. Two departed from April City, and four from February City."
February City, being medically oriented, had legitimate trade with Mendel, while April City, as the capital, produced various goods.
But all were somewhat suspicious.
"Should we investigate this matter?"
The adjutant asked nervously.
"No, overall, it's not our concern. However, with such power and causing trouble over there, we still need to issue a warning."
Captain Chen chuckled.
Whether the higher-ups were truly behind it or not, they had no evidence, so the goal was simply to warn them not to disrupt trade too severely.
This applied to both Blue Cosmos and PLANT.
They were merely responsible for the PLANT side, nothing more.
"Understood."
Hearing this, the adjutant let out a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Fred had appeared on the bridge and was speaking with Captain Wolf and Haken.
"Captain Wolf, have they been properly concealed?"
Fred was referring to the three heavily armed vessels from earlier.
"Yes, they've been fully concealed."
Wolf replied with a smile, his face clearly showing satisfaction with the successful completion of the operation.
After all, he had secretly carried out many operations, but none had gone so smoothly. It had to be said that Fred's meticulous planning had truly been a great help.
This also made Wolf even more satisfied with Fred.
"If only Director Freed could stay on our side."
After Wolf finished speaking, everyone behind him, including the previous rescue team, couldn't help but nod in agreement.
With Fred's flawless calculations, if he joined them, not only could casualties be minimized in every operation, but they could also achieve the greatest results.
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