The Penelope consists of two parts: the outer armor units equipped with flight components, and the core unit, the Odysseus Gundam.
Roz had also manufactured these two components. Currently, "AllMind"—the machine soul of Roz's Penelope—was using the Nahel Argama as a springboard to surf the internet of this world.
AllMind had already watched the footage of Roz chasing Char through the mall several times. This footage had been captured by the "Mafty Army" (who had been absorbed and dispersed into various regions by Mafty HQ) and circulated in small circles.
Of course, that was an aside. Kenneth's visit to Anaheim today was due to a notification from the head of Department 1 yesterday, stating that the Penelope project had reached its final stages.
However, as Kenneth took in the scene before him, his brow furrowed.
As the supervisor following the Penelope project, Kenneth naturally understood the intricacies of MS manufacturing.
With one look at the hangar, he spotted the issue immediately.
The RX-104FF Penelope project had indeed entered its final phase, but progress had clearly ground to a halt—like a loading bar stuck indefinitely at 95%.
The personnel of Department 1 were all frantically auditing documents, neglecting even the Penelope's integration tests.
"Hey, what happened to the 'final stage'? Why has everything stopped?"
Kenneth spotted the head of Department 1 and grabbed him by the shoulder. "The RX-104FF project is a high priority for the Federation. No one can afford a delay!"
"Colonel Kenneth, it's no longer a matter of a project delay."
The head of Department 1 jumped as his shoulder was grabbed. Seeing it was Kenneth, he relaxed only slightly. "If this isn't resolved, Anaheim might be dismantled entirely. At that point, it won't matter if the project is on schedule; whether Department 1 even exists will be the question."
"What exactly happened?"
Hearing this, Kenneth's frown deepened. He reached out and grabbed the man's collar. "Stop talking in circles. You'd better tell me honestly, clearly, and in detail."
The head of Department 1 grit his teeth, his expression tortured as he weighed his options. Finally, he let out a long sigh and spoke.
"In Oenbelli, the Kimberly Force launched its first large-scale suppression of Mafty, but it ended in failure. The large Mafty camp in Oenbelli was subsequently broken up and dispersed, transitioning into the guerrilla warfare that Mafty excels at."
The department head gestured with the report in his hand. "During this battle, the long-lost Zeon Remnants appeared. In the video logs from surviving MS and Galmit sub-flight systems, a modernized Sazabi and a Delta Gundam Kai were spotted."
"However, after checking our warehouses and various departments, we found that the original Delta Gundam Kai remains in storage, completely intact."
At this, Kenneth's expression turned peculiar.
"A new Delta Gundam Kai appeared, yet the Federation's unit is still in the warehouse..."
Kenneth pondered this for a moment and released the man's collar. The department head took the opportunity to gasp for air.
"Furthermore, we haven't found any discrepancies in the manufacturing materials for the Delta Kai across any of the project departments," the head of Department 1 said after swallowing hard. "Right now, we suspect that a designer from one of the departments, or perhaps someone else, copied the blueprints for the Delta Kai and defected to the Zeon Remnants. The Board of Directors is auditing every single department."
Anaheim's various departments operated with a high degree of independence; each was essentially a "subsidiary" that rarely shared data with others, with the overarching Anaheim Corporation serving as the "parent company."
Such a system also resulted in these departments having their own independent personnel rights; rumors even persisted that one of Anaheim's departments was composed entirely of a mobile suit design team that had retired from the Zeon Remnants.
"But that isn't even the most lethal part."
Just as Kenneth let out a small sigh of relief and prepared to consider which stage the Penelope project should reach today, the words of the Department 1 head caused his heart to lurch instinctively.
"The most lethal part is..."
The head of Department 1 steeled himself and spoke with a pained expression. "Although they only appeared briefly in the footage, and their liveries had been changed, it is glaringly obvious from the final combat records that the Zeon Remnants have three of the Federation's active-duty ReZELs in their possession."
The moment the name "ReZEL" left the official's mouth, he felt a sudden sensation of weightlessness.
Kenneth had lunged forward, grabbing the man's collar with both hands.
He pulled with such force that the veins on the back of his hands bulged, and the fabric of the collar groaned, deforming under the strain.
"What did you say?"
Kenneth pulled the man toward him until they were practically forehead-to-forehead. "Say that again?"
"...But after cross-referencing everything, we haven't found any issues with the ReZEL inventory or the order logs so far."
Having finished his sentence, the official closed his eyes, bracing himself for the beating Kenneth was about to deliver.
To be honest, the official didn't believe a single word of the headquarters' claim that "there were no issues with the ReZEL orders." No one knew the true nature of Anaheim Electronics better than he did.
At this very moment, across the entire Anaheim Corporation, people in every department were already cursing: "Which 'Commissioner Smith' did this? Stand up and face the music!"
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Kenneth didn't end up beating the official. Although hearing that "Commissioner Smith sold ReZELs to the Zeon Remnants" sent his blood pressure skyrocketing, the lack of hard evidence made it difficult to draw a final conclusion.
Having fought in numerous battles alongside Bright Noa, Kenneth understood exactly what the Zeon Remnants were capable of.
He hadn't expected them to still be active in UC 105. But now wasn't the time to obsess over the Remnants; the most critical task was completing the Penelope project. He had, after all, signed a military pledge with the Federation.
Moreover, word was that this machine would accompany him to the Kimberly Force to facilitate their takeover and integration. The battle Kimberly's forces had fought at Oenbelli was so pathetic it had left the Federation military leadership utterly dissatisfied.
Forcing the chaotic situation in Department 1 under control, Kenneth ordered the technicians to resume integration testing for the Penelope.
'Finally, the progress bar is moving again,' Kenneth thought.
"Colonel Kenneth."
A fairly youthful voice spoke up from beside him. Kenneth turned to see a brown-haired young man in a blue-and-white pilot suit, carrying a helmet.
"Lane Aim..."
Kenneth said the young man's name. "Given your outstanding results in simulation training, I have assigned you to my special operations group. Your subsequent training will take place on this machine."
"This is a Gundam—a true Gundam. It is not just an honor; it is a trial. I hope you understand that."
"Yes, sir!" Lane Aim instinctively snapped to attention. "I won't let you down, Colonel."
"Before the Penelope is deployed to the Kimberly Force and descends with me, you must become completely familiar with this machine. Understood?"
Though Lane was young, Kenneth didn't intend to be overly gentle. Lane was, at the end of the day, a Federation soldier, and a soldier's duty is to obey orders.
Besides, if Lane ever hit a "rebellious phase,"
Kenneth felt he wouldn't mind trying out the legendary "Bright Slap."
The legend of Bright Noa slapping the rebellious Ace Pilot Amuro Ray was still whispered among Londo Bell veterans, serving as prime material for reminiscing about the glory days over tea.
"But for now, the most important thing is getting the Penelope project right..."
Watching Lane run toward the Odysseus Gundam—the core of the Penelope—to begin debugging with the technicians, Kenneth let out a long sigh.
Recalling the intelligence he'd seen from the department head and combining it with his own analysis, he realized just how troublesome a 20,000-strong Mafty force, scattered across the globe and utilizing guerrilla tactics against Federation officials, was going to be.
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On Earth, aboard a modified cargo ship named the Valiant.
Char watched this "mobile base" as it sailed across the sea. Feeling the sea breeze blowing against him, he relaxed slightly.
'I see. Mafty's base is mobile; no wonder the main headquarters is so hard to capture.'
"You've been watching for a long time. Aren't you going to take that mask off, Mafty?"
Sensing the somewhat chaotic brainwaves coming from behind him, Char let out a sigh and turned around.
To be honest, aside from Amuro's brainwaves—which were so distinct they felt like an approaching wall known as the "Wall of Sighs"—Char couldn't quite remember anyone else's specific psychic signature.
As for why he felt certain the person approaching him was Mafty, it was simple deduction.
Koren, who had just finished dispersing the troops and establishing the link with Mafty HQ, was currently on another modified cargo ship named the 'Kaikou', busy organizing the unit's restructuring for guerrilla warfare.
The other Mafty members were occupied training the newly vetted recruits. When he thought about it, the person currently most free—and most likely to seek out the "Ghost of Char"—was Mafty himself.
As if his bluff had hit the mark, the pumpkin-masked Hathaway pondered for a moment before placing his hands on the mask.
Inexplicably, looking at the Char before him, Hathaway kept remembering the day Char and Amuro rolled around on the grass—the same day Quess suddenly "defected."
"I never imagined it would end up like this..."
Hathaway took a deep breath, snapped his eyes open, and pulled off the pumpkin headpiece.
The voice changer that had been mimicking Gawman let out a low, distorted hum as it was removed, then entered standby mode. Hathaway's voice returned to its natural tone.
"Seeing you always brings me back to the year 0093..."
Hathaway revealed his face and looked at Char. "I don't know if this is the right thing to do, but I felt I should meet you with my real face."
Looking at Hathaway, Char felt a wave of numbness wash over him.
'This guy calling himself Mafty... did I know him or meet him in the future?'
Ultimately, Char resorted to his most frequent and reliable response.
"...Eh? ↗"
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