This had nothing to do with their personal relationship; it was determined by Lacus's nature and the original storyline.
Although the girl had a somewhat mischievous cuteness, she was absolutely reliable when it came to major matters.
If even Lacus couldn't be trusted, then no faction in this world could be trusted.
No matter how capable he was, he couldn't possibly stand against the entire world.
Only with Lacus's assistance could he achieve his goals.
On the other end, faced with Fred's trust, Lacus blinked her eyes, momentarily stunned—a rare and rather adorable expression.
"Thank you for your trust, Brother."
Lacus had many things she wanted to say and ask, but in the end, she lowered her gaze and solemnly expressed her gratitude.
If it were anyone else, Lacus might have suspected they were acting out of affection for her.
After all, she knew she was quite likable.
But Fred was different.
He was definitely not the type to act recklessly based on personal emotions. In this regard, the two of them were surprisingly similar.
In other words, Fred's actions clearly demonstrated his complete trust in them.
This was different from the preliminary trust established during their earlier collaboration.
Lacus then added solemnly, "We will not betray your trust."
"Yes, I know."
Fred smiled and stood up as well.
"The new Mobile Suit should be completed in about two months. I'll arrange for the data and experimental procedures remotely."
"Alright, then I look forward to working with you~"
Hearing Fred's words, Lacus didn't ask further questions. She simply stood up gracefully, offering Fred a gentle smile and extending her hand.
"Good."
Their hands clasped, marking the foundation of their upcoming collaboration.
Soon after, Lacus left to handle the aftermath, while Fred remained where he was, not moving.
He and Lacus still had to return to Junius City together once she returned.
For now, Fred wasn't reading. Instead, he turned to Alec, whose eyes were wide open in astonishment.
"Alright, sit down. Let me explain."
Since Alec was one of his own, Fred had no intention of hiding anything.
"Ah... okay."
Alec snapped back to reality and quickly agreed.
Heaven knew how shocked he had been listening to their conversation. He had been marveling at Fred's strategic prowess, but before he could fully process it, he heard the two of them discussing matters that seemed to imply Fred had developed a new Mobile Suit while keeping it hidden from ZAFT to secretly collaborate with the Clyne Faction.
But that wasn't entirely accurate either, since the Clyne Faction was part of ZAFT.
In any case, it had left him utterly bewildered.
Once Alec was seated in front of Fred, Fred slowly explained his dealings with the Clyne Faction.
"...So, you've already developed a new generation of MS?"
Alec still found it hard to believe.
"Not exactly. Strictly speaking, it's just an improved High Mobility Type."
Fred's research followed a systematic approach, strictly adhering to the official design blueprints he had studied earlier, progressing step by step.
The greatest advantage of this method was its solid foundation—not only did it steadily enhance his basic knowledge, but the research itself was also thorough and reliable.
Skipping ahead in research was possible, but it risked hitting roadblocks and was more prone to development accidents.
It would also slow down his research pace.
In short, taking one step at a time was the way to go.
"..."
Although Fred said this, Alec still wore an expression of surprise.
After all, even if it was just a version upgrade, their side had only just introduced the official version and was preparing for mass production.
"So why keep it hidden from the Zala Faction?"
Alec asked.
"If we didn't, they'd probably get even more excited inside, talking about destroying Naturals or something."
Hearing Fred's words, Alec paused for a moment, as if searching for a rebuttal.
But in the end, he let out a bitter laugh.
Indeed, based on his understanding of his own faction within the Zala Faction, there were likely those who would advocate for exactly that.
"But Councilor Patrick wouldn't do that."
Alec shook his head.
"Can you guarantee that everyone involved with this new Mobile Suit will follow Patrick's orders?"
"..."
Faced with Fred's question, Alec fell silent for a while before shaking his head helplessly.
If Patrick followed the formal research channels, it would involve many people and prying eyes, with plenty of Radical Faction members mixed in. There was no telling if someone might leak the information.
Fred's approach, on the other hand, was far more cautious.
To prevent the Radical Faction from being blinded by power or having his own work exploited for aggression, Fred's arrangement was understandable.
He couldn't say Fred was wrong.
In truth, Alec himself had no desire to fight the Naturals to the bitter end.
"You're thinking far ahead."
Alec sighed.
"Just learning from history."
Fred shrugged.
Of course, the history Fred referred to wasn't actual history but the future events of this world, or rather, a recurring theme in Gundam.
Research materials were always stolen or seized back and forth between both sides.
This had been the case since the Strike Suit, and incidents involving the Freedom and others would only become more frequent in the future.
With such precedents, it was only natural for him to be extra cautious.
He didn't want his research used against him.
After careful consideration, Lacus's side seemed safer, at least for now.
Just as Fred finished speaking, the door to the communication room opened again.
"Fred, we can go now."
Lacus glanced between Fred and Alec, and as if realizing something, her smile brightened even more.
"Alright."
Fred responded, standing up briskly.
He still had many matters to resolve—this was just a small interlude.
The year 68 held many events to come: secret agreements with South America and Oceania, the Atlantic Federation's food export restrictions.
Each of these would serve as a spark for future conflicts, and he needed to plan accordingly.
Of course, the clearest main objective among them was still to complete the High Mobility GINN, and also to save all the members of the Moderate Faction on Copernicus.
Even if they couldn't protect them forever, they had to save them at least once, to let them know they were being targeted by Blue Cosmos. That way, naturally, more people would begin to restrain Blue Cosmos.
There was still a long road ahead.
Thinking this, Fred clenched his fists tightly.
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