Conrad again ordered Lieutenant JG Joanna Pavlova to widen the search range for Wes Murphy, Carl Matsubara and Audrey April. Joanna had given this job top priority and devoted herself to it.

However, it was all the same: the whereabouts of the three was unavailable.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” Joanna said, “Even with the data I’m able to access under my authority, I was unable to locate them.”

“It was the same on my end as well.” Conrad replied.

Conrad simply didn’t push all the work onto the woman. Conrad himself continued to search on the net across the range he could access.

“I’m not making any progress,” he said, “Because if the data were classified or even deleted until then… then there must be someone who knows something. Someone reliable.”

Conrad pulled up a military personnel file on his computer.

“There should be someone who would listen in the appropriate department…”

“You’ll ask the ones on the bottom then?” Joanna asked.

“Right. Those who are in just the right position…”

Conrad scrolled through the list and opened the file of a person whose photo he stopped at.

He gave a faint smile.

“The guy in charge of the section that manages the personnel files for headquarters is a good guy. Pedro Mendoza. Oh, he’s a Lieutenant Commander? The same as me. Looks like he climbed the ladder too.”

“Somone you know, sir?”

“Somewhat. Come meet this guy. We have to fly to Dakar. Find the fastest way to get us to Dakar.”

“There’s no need to worry about that.” Joanna said, smiling, “Since you’re a senior officer, I’ll see about chartering a transport.”

* * *

As he was waiting outside to office following his request to meet with Pedro Mendoza, he heard his loud voice.

“The Legal Affairs Bureau? I don’t have time to deal with that. Send them away.”

His private secretary could be heard answering him.

“There’s a court-martial. They’ve said that it is an important matter…”

Conrad headed for the office door without caring.

“Please wait outside,” she said, turning around.

“I can’t afford to be sent away.”

From the other side of the desk, Lieutenant Commander Mendoza glared at Conrad.

“I don’t care about some court-martial. It’s a waste of time, leave me.”

Mendoza’s facial expression changed in an instant. Flabbergasted, he stared at Conrad. Suddenly, he jumped up, standing to attention, which turned into a salute.”

“Commander Morris. I haven’t seen you for a long time.”

Conrad gave an informal salute in return.

The secretary stared at the back and forth exchange between the two.

“Why didn’t you tell me the name of the person I’d be meeting?” Mendoza asked, “This man was the commander of the mobile suit forces I was in.”

“Oh, no, I just…”

“It’s fine. You may leave.”

As the secretary was leaving, Mendoza spoke to Conrad.

“You’re with the Legal Affairs Bureau now…”

“Since leaving mobile suits behind, I went to law school.”

“I’m indebted to you, Commander. You saved my life numerous times.”

“Do you mind if I sit? Old war wounds still hurt after all.”

“Please, have a seat on the sofa.”

Even though he sat down on the sofa, Mendoza still remained standing.

“You should sit as well, it makes it hard to talk.”

Mendoza finally sat down in one of the desk chairs across from his desk.

“What kind of business do you have here in Dakar? Its related to the court-martial I’m guessing…”

“I need your help.”

“If I’m able to, name it.”

“They are trying to court-martial a young man by the name of Eliard Hunter who was attached to the Titans.”

“Eliard Hunter.” said with a worried look on his face, “I know who he is. He was involved in the ‘Colony 30 Incident’ and has been indicted with various charges.”

“He is under my council.”

“Vaya tela!” exclaimed Mendoza, throwing his hands up in an exaggerated fashion akin to his Latin heritage.

“That is quite the lowly role. There’s just no change of winning.”

“But, I’m trying to do just that.”

“And?”

“I’m searching for three people in the same team as him. Wes Murphy, Carl Matsubara, and Audrey April. I think you’ll know there whereabouts following the war.”

Mendoza immediately became restless.

“But why me…”

“What’re you saying? You’re the one in charge of the personnel files.”

“You should search for it in the military’s personnel files.”

“I did that. But there was no record of Murphy following his release from the hospital. Matsubara and April were discharged from the military and there is no sign of them afterwards.”

“If they were discharged not even I know where they went.”

“Are you making a fool out of me? It’s clear that the Federation Forces is covering up their whereabouts. The reasons are abundantly clear as well. It is all to make Eliard Hunter guilty. The top brass are going to forget certain facts behing closed doors. Because Eliard Hunter is directly affected by that secrecy, I’d like it dealt with.”

Mendoza grew more and more restless.

“But that has nothing to do with me. My job is to bring together the military’s personnel affairs files.”

“Murphy, Matsubara and April. You had to picked up these three files. Besides, it would be strange if you didn’t.”

Mendoza stared down.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”

“So you won’t tell me.”

“Correct.”

Conrad stared at Mendoza for a moment but eventually stood up with his can in one hand.

“I’m disappointed, Pedro.”

As he was exiting the room, Mendoza spoke to Conrad.

“This may be just a persistent rumor, but…”

Conrad froze.

After having shown some hesitation, Mendoza continued.

“I’ve heard the talks about someone who was seriously injured in the war, taking a lucrative job with the Colony Public Corporation. And there was even some talks of a pilot and a mechanic active during the Gryps War taking jobs at a subcontracting factory for Anaheim Electronics and as a Junker on the Moon…”

“All of them are companies under Federation Forces oversight.”

“There just rumors.”

Conrad turned around and smiled.

“Next time, let’s grab a drink since it’s been so long.”

Mendoza stood up again and saluted.

“The Colony Public Corporation, huh?” Conrad mulled it over in his mind. “This is becoming all the more hectic.“