Kenaf Luchini

The night sky of PLANT possesses a brilliance that Earth can hardly match.

At this late hour of the night.

A manor situated atop a hillside glowed with soft, warm light.

Siegel Manor, the residence of Siegel Clyne, the current Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council, and also the home of Lacus Clyne, the premier songstress of PLANT.

Knock, knock.

A tapping sound came from the tightly shut wooden door of the study.

Siegel Clyne, who was busy processing official business, looked up toward the sound.

The door slowly creaked open.

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

"Father, please have something to eat."

As she spoke, Lacus placed the tray onto the coffee table in the center of the study.

"You could have let Saya handle these things."

Siegel looked at his daughter, a smile appearing on his face.

"Saya has been busy with me all day and is already very tired, so it is better to let her rest a bit more."

Lacus replied with a gentle laugh.

"Heh."

Siegel chuckled at her words, then turned his gaze back to the documents before him.

"This is your favorite coffee."

Seeing this, Lacus understood his intent and brought the coffee over to him.

"Just leave it there; I need to look over these documents first."

Siegel did not reach for the cup immediately, choosing instead to bury his head back into the paperwork.

In truth, it is often not that the person involved does not want to rest, but rather that once certain tasks are begun, they cannot be set aside.

Any pause in the middle would break the train of thought, requiring a great deal of time to reorganize.

Lacus did not urge him further upon hearing this, but instead stood to the side, reading by the light of the lamp.

This was a proposal for negotiation provided by Mentor Malchio from Earth, sent on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Earth Alliance.

However, the contents of this contract—

Lacus knew in her heart that this negotiation would, in all likelihood, end in failure.

The study returned to silence once more.

It is unknown how much time had passed before Siegel finished reviewing the documents and, having reached a decision, sighed and wrote his annotations upon the pages.

"Human effort can change things; there is no need for you to be so anxious, Father."

Having observed everything, Lacus Clyne spoke up to comfort him.

"But the time left for us is already running short."

Siegel had no intention of hiding the truth: "In these turbulent times, every moment we slack off is a desecration of the soldiers on the front lines."

Listening to her father's reply, Lacus did not offer further opinions or comfort, but simply walked behind Siegel and began to knead his shoulders.

After closing his eyes to savor the moment for a while, Siegel patted the back of Lacus's hand and reached out to pick up the coffee on the desk to take a sip.

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

Siegel thought of the time Lacus had gone out a few days prior.

"Very well."

Lacus smiled.

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

Facing Siegel's gaze, the expression on Lacus's face did not change in the slightest.

"I am sorry."

Looking at Lacus's youthful face, Siegel could not help but say: "Forcing you to bear such pressure on your shoulders."

"It is nothing; I do not dislike Athrun Zala."

Lacus shook her head and said.

"I know, but some things, in the end..."

Siegel did not know what else he could say.

At times, he was very proud of his daughter because she was sensible, obedient, and hardworking.

But it was precisely because of Lacus's obedience and sensibility that he, as a father, felt even more heartache.

Fortunately, Athrun Zala was indeed an outstanding individual; whether in character, ability, or background, he would have no psychological burden in entrusting Lacus to Athrun Zala.

Yet, when she thought about the things intertwined with this marriage...

"Father, there really is no need for this. Both Athrun and I understand the responsibilities we carry."

Lacus did not actually know what kind of feelings she truly held for Athrun.

Of course, to say she had no affection for him would be a lie, but that affection was not what one would call romantic love.

In truth, she was well aware that Athrun felt the same way about her.

The two of them were currently struggling to adapt to one another under the pressure of various circumstances.

Naturally, she also believed that one day in the future, Athrun would become the person suited for her, and she would become the person suited for him.

"Responsibility, is it..."

Siegel fell into silence after hearing this.

Could a marriage brought together by responsibility truly be happy?

C.E. 70, October 22nd.

In order to break the stalemate and alleviate the starvation of the Naturals on Earth.

The October Talks, with the ultimate goal of ending the war, were held under the mediation of Reverend Malchio.

Secretary-General Albany of the Earth Alliance held a secret meeting with Chairman Siegel Clyne.

Unfortunately, these final negotiations ultimately collapsed.

This breakdown made both Siegel and Albany deeply understand the inevitability of war.

Of course, all of this had little impact on those belonging to ZAFT.

Because in the eyes of ZAFT soldiers, the war had already begun, and there was no possibility of compromise.

The words of Minister Patrick Zala were deeply ingrained in the hearts of every soldier on the ZAFT front lines, becoming the conviction that pulled their triggers.

C.E. 71, January.

The L5 Nova military fortress, seized by ZAFT from the Earth Alliance, was completed and officially renamed the Boaz military fortress.

The fighting on the Pacific Tropic of Cancer front intensified.

With the possession of an outpost base.

The Supreme Council approved the operational deployment of Minister of Defense Patrick Zala, and ZAFT increased its troop commitment to the equatorial blockade operation.

They began preparing their forces with the mass driver located in the East Asian Republic as their target.

At the same time.

Le Creuset, wearing a fur-lined cold-weather coat and sunglasses, walked into a dimly lit bar.

After glancing at the interior furnishings, Le Creuset walked up to the bar and said to the bartender, "Hello, two glasses of Kennett No. 6, please."

The bartender's movements paused slightly at these words, and he smiled. "Certainly, please wait a moment, sir."

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

Seeing this, Le Creuset was in no hurry, simply sitting quietly at the bar and enjoying the soothing music.

A while later.

The song ended.

As the music switched, a man wearing a black trench coat and a top hat walked over.

The man removed his top hat, revealing the face hidden beneath.

He was a man with hair that spiked out to both sides and a sharp, impressive gaze.

An ordinary person might have been filled with wariness the moment they laid eyes on him.

Kenaf Luchini, an intelligence merchant who walked in the shadows.

"You are quite late; it seems you have something satisfactory."

Clearly, this was the person Le Creuset had been waiting for.

"My goods will certainly not disappoint you, Excellency."

Kenaf Luchini said this as he placed his hat on the table and sat down right next to Le Creuset.

The bartender walked over, carrying the drinks he had prepared earlier. "Please enjoy, gentlemen."

After speaking, the bartender silently left the bar and headed back to the kitchen.

Le Creuset picked up his glass and took a sip, feeling the cloying sweetness on his tongue, and said with some discomfort, "Change it to something else next time; I don't like the taste of this."

"Who knows when the next time will be."

Kenaf Luchini finished his sentence, pulled a disk from his clothing, and handed it over. "Everything you wanted is in here."

"Thank you for your hard work. Drink this yourself; I look forward to our next meeting."

After taking the disk, Le Creuset did not linger, stood up, and left immediately.

Kenaf Luchini, a man he didn't particularly care to associate with.

The other party's ability was one thing, but more importantly, he possessed so much intelligence that it left Kenaf with too many choices to keep under control.

Besides, information is a peculiar thing; it has an expiration date.

"What a tasteless fellow."

Kenaf finished speaking, downed his drink in one gulp, and said to the bartender, who had since changed into a new set of clothes, "How did it go with the people I told you to contact?"

"Everything is arranged. The shuttle is already at the port, ready to depart for Ame no Mihashira at any time," the bartender replied.

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

Kenaf finished the last of his drink and walked out of the bar.

Although information has an expiration date, that very fact gives it the quality of being resalable.

Information brokers, after all, never do business with just one client.