Chapter 68: As Everyone Knows, Free Things Are the Most Expensive 

When Reid left the commander's office, his fists were clenched tight. Still, everything was within his expectations—Gerard Garcia hadn't pulled any new tricks, merely stalling for time.

Shortly after leaving the commander's office, Reid and Ange regrouped with Flay and Miriallia before being escorted to an office for authorization. There, Reid encountered another familiar face.

Ikucella Mikhailovich Romanov (original character), a mature female officer in her early thirties, originally from Moscow. Rumor had it she came from nobility—widowed, childless, with looks and figure no less impressive than Murrue's. She was the ideal choice for many older bachelors on the base. Holding the rank of colonel, she was in charge of personnel management at the base, directly subordinate to the Eurasian Federation Military Committee. Even Gerard Garcia had to show her some deference.

This was someone Reid still felt somewhat intimidated by even now. Back when he graduated from boot camp and was formally assigned to a unit, it was she who approved his application and brought him to Artemis Fortress. Moreover, after learning that Reid had lost his last remaining family member, she had looked out for him during his rookie days.

So when Reid saw his mentor, he immediately snapped to attention with a crisp salute before speaking in a formal tone.

"It's been a long time, Colonel Ikucella."

Ikucella nodded approvingly at Reid, stood up to return the salute, then responded in a gentle tone.

"It has been a while, Reid. Since you've retired from the Eurasian Federation military, I won't address you by rank. You can use a more personal form of address with me."

It was clear Ikucella wasn't viewing Reid from a military perspective. By avoiding formal titles, she seemed to imply that Reid's return to the Eurasian Federation forces wasn't a good idea.

Seizing the opportunity, Reid smoothly switched gears with a smile.

"Alright, Sister Ikucella, it really has been too long."

Then he promptly pulled Ange forward to introduce her.

"Sister Ikucella, this is Princess Angelise. As for our relationship... well, she's someone very important to me now."

After saying this, Reid immediately turned to Ange.

"Ange, you can just call Colonel Ikucella 'Sister Ikucella' too. She took good care of me when I was a rookie."

Reid's actions were practically like introducing a girlfriend to family. It made Ange blush, momentarily at a loss for words. Behind them, Flay and Miriallia covered their mouths, silently enjoying the drama.

What Reid didn't expect was how the system's identity arrangement would come into play here. Ikucella walked straight over, smiling warmly at Ange as she extended her hand, saying:

"Princess Angelise, there's no need to feel embarrassed. In principle, I've known you longer than I've known Reid. You might not remember, but about ten years ago in Paris, we met at a banquet.

But fate works in mysterious ways—that timid little girl from back then has now grown into a national leader, and the strongest woman alive at that."

Her mention of "strongest woman" was clearly teasing Ange, but it also signaled closeness, indicating this was a private setting.

Hearing this, Ange—though she had no actual memory of it—found herself inexplicably less flustered. Regaining her composure, though her cheeks remained slightly pink, she shook hands and replied—

"Sister Ikucella... it's a pleasure to see you again."

Ikucella nodded with a smile after shaking hands and got straight to business.

"Alright, Reid, no need for formalities. Take a seat wherever. The commander has granted you B-level clearance—basically, you can access most areas except sensitive locations like the data server rooms.

That said, I'd personally advise against wandering into restricted zones. Here are your ID cards—keep them safe."

With that, Ikucella produced four temporary access cards.

Reid didn't stand on ceremony, taking the cards and distributing them before speaking seriously.

"We've got the IDs, but Sister Ikucella, let me give you a personal heads-up—have someone check the fortress's emergency escape routes and evacuation ships. Those areas have always been poorly maintained, but right now, it's best to ensure they're fully operational. At the very least, make sure the paths are clear and fuel reserves are topped up."

At his words, Ikucella's expression turned grave. She cut straight to the point.

"Reid, are you saying Artemis Fortress could fall this time?"

Reid nodded bluntly.

"Yes, that's my personal assessment. Artemis Fortress, the so-called 'impregnable stronghold,' has grown complacent after too long without real threats. The truth is, ZAFT has never committed its main forces to assaulting the fortress—just skirmishes with patrol units.

But this time is different. The East Asian Republic's new Mobile Suits have put significant pressure on ZAFT, and they won't let the Atlantic Federation's new ships and units slip through their fingers. They'll go all-out to crush them in their infancy.

What's more, ZAFT has seized new Mobile Suits from the Atlantic Federation—one of which is equipped with a Mirage Colloid System. It can achieve visual stealth and block all detection methods, from infrared to thermal. It's the Achilles' heel of Artemis Fortress.

The fact that Gerard Garcia is still scheming against the Atlantic Federation for his own career shows just how lax the fortress has become. Either way, Sister Ikucella, it wouldn't hurt to check—just in case."

Ikucella's expression darkened further as she processed his analysis.

"ZAFT has units like that? Reid, why didn't you mention this sooner? Have you reported this to the commander?"

Reid shrugged.

"Not punching that idiot commander is the height of my self-restraint. You really expect me to feed him intel? If it weren't for the fact that there are decent people here—people I don't want seeing Gerard Garcia drag them down with him—I'd have kept this to myself."

Faced with his stubbornness, Ikucella could only sigh. After all, Gerard Garcia's past actions had been far from honorable. And in the end, Reid had shared the intel with her. Without hesitation, she picked up her communicator and dialed the security department in front of everyone.

"Security, this is Ikucella Mikhailovich Romanov. Patch me through to Major Bidarf..."

Ikucella relayed Reid's intel to Bidarf, who would know what to do next.

This was exactly the outcome Reid had wanted. Artemis Fortress's Photon Wave Barrier couldn't remain active indefinitely—the energy drain was immense, even with the fortress's direct power supply.

Therefore, Major Bidarf only had one move to prevent the infiltration of the Blitz—deploying a large number of guards on various vessels for saturation patrols. As long as the patrol density was high enough, it would be difficult for the Blitz to sneak in. After all, the Blitz could only maintain its Mirage Colloid System for 80 minutes, and its physical collision volume still existed.

Additionally, since it had to drift slowly from beyond the fortress's visual range, the time available for infiltration was very limited.

Even if the Blitz somehow managed to infiltrate, the moment it fired its first shot, it would immediately face enemies dozens of times its number. Even just a volley from Moebius units would be enough to overwhelm it. ZAFT wouldn't fail to account for this in their simulations.

However, Reid wasn't worried that his warning would render the Blitz incapable of breaching the fortress. If ZAFT were that easy to deal with, the Earth Alliance would have already won. The Mirage Colloid System's counter to the Photon Wave Barrier was undeniable—as long as they carefully strategized, they would eventually find a blind spot.

At this point, Reid could say he had done his part. After all, he had warned them about a stealth-capable mobile suit planning a sneak attack. If the fortress still fell, it would only highlight the commander's incompetence, and no blame could be pinned on him.

Of course, if Creuset's squad outside really dropped the ball, Reid still had a final option—taking advantage of the external saturation patrols, which would inevitably leave the interior understaffed, to slip away with the Archangel.

After reminding Major Bidarf, Iksela shot Reid an annoyed glare and lectured him,

"Reid, don't let your grudge with Gerard Garcia drag down our comrades here. Next time, share critical intel sooner."

Reid shrugged, brushing it off, and immediately changed the subject.

"Got it, Iksela. If you have time later, could you accompany Ange and the others for a bit? Take them to the base's shops for women's supplies. I need some time to move freely."

Iksela rolled her eyes at Reid's request but reminded him again,

"Fine. Escorting Princess Angelise falls within my duties. But you—watch your step. Gerard Garcia is still the commander of this fortress. If he catches you slipping up, it'll be trouble."

Reid naturally knew he couldn't confront Gerard Garcia head-on. He had to dig a pit and let the man jump in himself.

So, Reid handed over a card containing part of his personal savings for Ange to use freely and left first.

Timing it out, the three from the Archangel should already be under house arrest. Gerard Garcia would likely head inside the Archangel to check on the progress of cracking its systems. It was about time for Reid to return and start spinning his tale.

Reid didn't need a guide in Artemis Fortress. As he made his way back to the Archangel, those who recognized him greeted him warmly, while those who didn't simply saw his temporary pass and let him pass without issue.

Thus, Reid smoothly intercepted Gerard Garcia and his ever-present aide in the Archangel's hangar. The two were standing at a distance, observing the assembly of the Green Astray Gundam—Reid's bait had already taken effect.

However, since it involved the New Misurugi Republic, even Gerard Garcia couldn't get close enough for a proper look. The locals were fearless against authority—despite Gerard Garcia claiming to be the fortress commander, they still barred his way, just as Reid had ordered before leaving that no unrelated personnel were to approach.

Seeing Gerard Garcia's covetous expression, Reid decided to throw him a bone. He walked straight up to him with a strange smile and said:

"Commander Garcia, there's no need to be so impatient. It hasn't been that long, and you're already itching to tour the Archangel?"

Gerard Garcia knew Reid must be displeased with him, but some things went without saying. He maintained his smile and replied:

"Naturally. Setting aside the Atlantic Federation's new vessel, I had to come see the Mobile Suits you've newly developed, Reid. This is a lesson for me—had I not mistakenly loaned you to the Atlantic Federation, these units would belong to the Eurasian Federation now. I must face my errors."

Gerard Garcia was still putting on his act of remorse, which left Reid somewhat exasperated. To spare himself further annoyance, Reid cut straight to the point:

"Enough, Commander Garcia. If I'd never left Artemis Fortress, the Eurasian Federation's military protocols would never have allowed me to develop Mobile Suits in the first place. There's no point dwelling on that now.

"Instead of standing around here, come with me. I'll take you up close to see that assembled unit."

With that, Reid led the way under Gerard Garcia's slightly surprised gaze.

Gerard Garcia eagerly followed, and upon seeing the Green Astray Gundam—its torso and lower body already assembled—he marveled:

"So this is your new design, Reid? It's built with weight reduction in mind, isn't it?"

Reid gave Gerard Garcia a surprised look, not expecting him to actually know something about Mobile Suits, and answered:

"This unit is indeed lightweight. But it's not my design—it's a souvenir I picked up in Heliopolis. It wasn't even developed by the Atlantic Federation. I just took advantage of the downtime and the fortress's ample spare parts to have it assembled."

Gerard Garcia immediately grasped Reid's implication. This was something Orb had developed in secret—something negotiable.

His eyes lit up, and he said cheerfully:

"Oh, so it's just a salvaged unit? Interesting. Reid, feel free to use any parts from the fortress. Once it's fully assembled, how about sharing the data with me?"

Reid glanced at Gerard Garcia and replied coolly:

"Oh? I suppose there's no need to keep this unit's data confidential—it was found, after all. But Commander Garcia, are you planning to get it for free?"

Gerard Garcia was unusually forthright:

"For free? I'm the commander of Artemis Fortress—of course I wouldn't take it for free. Name your terms, Reid. I'd even hand over my commander's position to you right now if you asked."

Gerard Garcia wasn't joking this time. If Reid wanted to become the commander of Artemis Fortress, he would immediately step down. Because that would mean Reid was rejoining the Eurasian Federation, and upon returning home, Garcia would be promoted at least one rank. The position of Artemis Fortress commander wasn't worth keeping anyway.

However, Reid wasn't about to fall for this trap. He simply stared at Gerard Garcia's subordinate for a few seconds.

Understanding the hint, Gerard Garcia promptly dismissed his entourage.

Reid then leaned close to Gerard Garcia's ear and whispered:

"Actually, getting something for free isn't impossible. To be precise, Commander Garcia, you don't really need to pay any price. You should be able to easily obtain the Archangel's data, right? Just copy that data onto the fortress server's hard drive for me.

Also, those two female officers from the Atlantic Federation—I've taken a liking to them. How about doing me a favor tonight?"

Reid's words made Gerard Garcia smile even wider. The Archangel's data was nothing—while the ship was powerful, the Eurasian Federation could certainly build something similar; it was just a matter of cost-effectiveness. So he hadn't paid much attention to the Archangel's technical data in the first place.

Gerard Garcia didn't know that the data for the five Gundams was hidden within the Archangel's database. Therefore, he had no reason to refuse this opportunity to profit at someone else's expense.

As for Reid wanting those two Atlantic Federation female officers—that was even less of an issue. Garcia's only fear was that Reid might be a man without any desires. Beautiful women? That was nothing. Help him now, and later he could use this to drive a wedge between Reid and Princess Angelise, making it easier for Reid to return home. So he immediately agreed:

"These are trivial matters. I'll have everything ready for you by tonight. However, Reid, as your former superior, let me give you some advice—after you're done with those two female officers, it's best to find a way to dispose of them. If you can't, I can even help you with that. And if you like beautiful women, the Eurasian Federation can send you plenty more. Don't worry, I'll keep it secret from Princess Angelise."

Hearing this, Reid knew Gerard Garcia had taken the bait completely. The most expensive things in life are free—this time, he had to make Garcia understand that clearly. Smiling, he nodded without saying anything else, then simply instructed that the native Green Astray Gundam could be assembled with the help of Artemis Fortress technicians. With that, he turned and left the hangar.

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