Kenaf Luchini

PLANT's night sky was brilliantly beautiful, beyond anything Earth could match.

Late that night,

soft lights glowed in a manor perched on a hillside.

Siegel Manor, the residence of Siegel Clyne, the current chairman of PLANT's Supreme Council, was also where PLANT's top songstress, Lacus Clyne, lived.

Knock, knock~

There was a knock at the closed wooden door of the study.

Siegel Clyne, who was handling official business, looked up.

The door slowly opened.

Lacus, dressed in casual clothes, walked in carrying coffee and food.

"Father, have something to eat."

As she spoke, Lacus set the tray in her hands on the coffee table in the middle of the study.

"Saya could have taken care of this."

Siegel smiled at his daughter.

"Big Sister Saya has been busy with me all day and is already very tired. Let's let her rest a little longer."

Lacus replied with a soft laugh.

"Heh."

Siegel smiled at her words, then turned his attention back to the documents in front of him.

"This is your favorite coffee."

Seeing that he was busy, Lacus understood and carried the coffee over to him.

"Just leave it here. I'll look over these documents first."

Siegel didn't reach for the coffee right away. Instead, he bent his head over the documents again.

Often, it wasn't that people didn't want to rest. It was just that once they started certain tasks, they couldn't take a break.

If they stopped midway and lost their train of thought, it could take a long time to get everything organized again.

At his words, Lacus didn't urge him. She simply stood nearby and read by the light.

It was a proposal for talks and negotiations from the Earth Alliance's secretary-general, delivered by Mentor Malchio of Earth.

But the terms of the agreement—

Lacus knew that these negotiations would most likely end in failure.

The study fell silent once more.

After an unknown length of time, Siegel finished reading the documents and reached a decision. With a sigh, he wrote his comments on them.

"Things can still be done, Father. You don't have to be so anxious."

Lacus Clyne, who had watched everything, spoke up to comfort him.

"But we're running out of time."

Siegel made no attempt to hide his thoughts. "In these turbulent times, every moment we slack off is an insult to the soldiers fighting on the front lines."

Hearing her father's answer, Lacus offered no further advice or comfort. She simply walked behind Siegel and began massaging his shoulders.

After closing his eyes and enjoying it for a while, Siegel patted Lacus's hand, then picked up the coffee on his desk and took a sip.

"By the way, how are things going between you and Athrun?"

Siegel thought of Lacus's outing a few days earlier.

"Very well."

Lacus smiled.

Hearing his daughter's answer, Siegel set down his coffee and turned to look at her.

Under Siegel's gaze, Lacus's expression didn't change in the slightest.

"I'm sorry."

Looking at Lacus's youthful face, Siegel couldn't help saying, "I'm sorry you've had to bear so much pressure."

"It's all right. I don't dislike Athrun."

Lacus shook her head.

"I know, but some things are still..."

Siegel didn't know what to say.

At times, he felt very proud of his daughter. She was sensible, obedient, and hardworking.

But Lacus's obedience and maturity also made his heart ache as her father.

Fortunately, Athrun Zala really was an outstanding person, in personality, ability, and background alike. He had no qualms about entrusting Lacus to Athrun.

But when he thought of everything entangled in this marriage...

"Father, you really don't have to feel this way. Athrun and I both understand the responsibilities we bear."

Lacus herself wasn't sure what she felt for Athrun.

Of course, it wasn't true that she had no affection for him at all. But it wasn't the romantic love people spoke of between a man and a woman.

She also knew very well that Athrun felt the same way about her.

For now, they were both trying to adapt to each other under pressure from all sides.

Of course, she believed that one day Athrun would become the right person for her, and she would become the right person for him.

"Responsibility..."

After hearing that, Siegel fell silent.

Could a marriage born of responsibility really bring happiness—

October 22, C.E. 70.

To break the stalemate and improve the desperate situation of the Naturals on Earth,

the October Talks, which aimed to end the war, were held with the mediation of Mentor Malchio.

Earth Alliance Secretary-General Albany and Chairman Siegel Clyne held a secret meeting.

Unfortunately, the negotiations ultimately fell apart.

Their failure made Siegel and Albany deeply understand that war was unavoidable.

Of course, none of this had much effect on those serving in ZAFT.

In the eyes of ZAFT's soldiers, the war had already begun, and there was no possibility of compromise.

Minister Patrick Zala's words had been deeply instilled in every ZAFT soldier on the front lines, becoming the conviction that guided their fingers as they pulled the trigger.

January, C.E. 71.

The military fortress at L5 Nova, captured by ZAFT from the Earth Alliance, was completed and officially renamed the Boaz Military Fortress.

Fighting along the Tropic of Cancer front in the Pacific Ocean intensified.

With a forward base now in place,

the Supreme Council approved Defense Minister Patrick Zala's operational plans. ZAFT increased its forces for Operation Equatorial Blockade.

It also began preparing troops to target the mass driver in the East Asian Republic.

At the same time,

Le Creuset, dressed in a fur-lined winter coat and wearing sunglasses, walked into a dimly lit bar.

After glancing around, Le Creuset went to the counter and said to the bartender, "Hello. Sorry to trouble you, but could I have two Kennett No. 6s?"

The bartender paused for a moment, then smiled. "Certainly. Please wait a moment."

With that, the bartender turned and headed toward the kitchen.

Le Creuset didn't seem impatient. He simply sat at the counter and listened to the soothing music.

After a while,

the song ended.

As the music changed, a man in a black trench coat and a top hat walked over.

The man took off his top hat, revealing the face beneath it.

His hair swept up into sharp points on either side, and his keen gaze made him hard to forget.

An ordinary person might have felt wary of him at first glance.

Kenaf Luchini, an information broker who operated in the shadows.

"You're so late. I assume you've got something worth my while."

Clearly, the man was the one Le Creuset had been waiting for.

"My goods are sure not to disappoint you, sir."

As Kenaf Luchini spoke, he set his hat on the table and sat down right beside Le Creuset.

The bartender brought over the drinks, which had been prepared earlier. "Enjoy."

Then the bartender quietly left the counter and went toward the kitchen.

Le Creuset took a sip. The sugary taste on his tongue made him grimace slightly. "Get something else next time. I don't like the taste of this."

"Who knows when there'll be a next time."

Kenaf Luchini took a disk out of his clothes and handed it over. "Everything you asked for is on here."

"Thanks for your efforts. You can have the drink. I look forward to our next meeting."

After taking the disk, Le Creuset didn't linger. He stood up and walked straight out.

Kenaf Luchini wasn't someone he particularly liked dealing with.

His abilities were one thing. More importantly, he had so much information that he had too many options, making him impossible to control.

And information was a peculiar thing. It had a limited shelf life.

"What a man with no appreciation."

Kenaf finished his drink in one gulp, then turned to the bartender, who had changed into a different outfit. "How did it go with the people I asked you to contact?"

"Everything's arranged. The shuttle's at the port and ready to leave for Ame no Mihashira at any time," the bartender replied, now in his new clothes.

"Then let's go. Time is money. We can't afford to waste it."

Kenaf drained his glass and walked out of the bar.

Information had a limited shelf life, but that was also what made it possible to sell repeatedly.

An information broker never did business with just one customer.