Gundam Crucible - [An AU Universal Century Quest]

[X][Amuro] Explain your mission. Ask for his assistance. Leave out anything related to the time difference.

… Yeah, you have absolutely no idea how to properly inform Amuro that he's missing out on five years of history without sounding like a lunatic. Hell, you're having a hard time believing it, even when the proof is right in front of you!

Well, despite all of this you still have a mission to finish. You have Alex Team to find, and your own teammates to rejoin. If you're toting Amuro around, you might have a problem with that, so he should fly himself. Plus, having the Sazabi tag along with help if you run into any enemies.

So… how to convince him to follow, while explaining your mission, without telling him about the whole time-displacement fiasco? Carefully, you guess.

"Er, Captain Ray-" You start to speak, but he stops you.

"Please, Amuro is fine." He smiles gently, "I can tell you're new to all of this. I'm not going to hold you to protocol."

Oh. Alright then.

"Amuro, then. Uh, I'm not actually here to search for you. I'm here on another mission."

"Oh?" Amuro pauses, a bit taken aback, "I see… Is Bright even looking for me at all?"

"I wouldn't know," you deflect the question, "I'm just a new recruit, after all."

"A new recruit piloting a Gundam…" He mutters, shrugging, "Well, it's not like there isn't precedent. Anyways, go on."

"My ship came here with two Mobile Suit teams. We were investigating reports of…" Ah, wait, the Federation were friendlies in his time, right? How to spin this…

"…reports of illegal salvage operations going on in Axis airspace." Technically a lie, but that unknown group is definitely looking for something here, "I led my team to scout out their forces, while the other team entered Axis. My team confirmed the enemy positions and numbers, but when we returned to our ship, we discovered that the other team missed their check-in."

He nods knowingly, "I see. So your team went in to look for the others… and did you say you lead your own team? I take it your teammates are kids like you, probably your friends?"

"Uh, yeah," you blink owlishly, "how'd you know that?"

He chuckles with an amused grin, "Nothing, nothing. Just feeling nostalgic. Please continue."

Oh, right, he was just a kid when he first piloted the Gundam too, right? You suppose the other pilots on White Base were his friends from his colony. Come to think of it, wasn't Judy… Judau, right, Judau, wasn't he a kid too? The "Gundam Team" was comprised of his friends as well.

You're seeing a pattern here.

Although you guess Ka… Ka.. Kammy? Kamille? Yeah, Kamille, he'd be the odd one out, since you think you remember that most of the pilots he flew with were actual adults.

"So, we encountered the scavengers." You continue your explanation, "They were piloting stolen GM IIIs. The resulting fight separated me from my team. I tried to get my bearings, then came upon scavengers trying to get through the airlock into here. I took them out, then… well, here I am."

He nods, "Good thing you came along when you did. If you were able to get through that door, that meant those scavengers had just cracked the lock."

Actually, you had someone with authorization… but you're not going to complicate things by explaining that Sicilia is a Neo Zeon Cyber Newtype. So, you let his assumption go unchallenged.

"Sorry, Amuro, but as much as I'd love to give you a ride, I need to find my team, then find the other team. I'm pretty sure I'm going to run into more scavengers too… So, sir, if you could accompany me in this Sazabi, things might actually go smoother for the both of us."

He seems to consider it, but frowns slightly. He must be thinking about those system diagnostics that he thinks is bugged.

"Look, I'll help you check the vital systems, then we'll go." You offer, "Things will go faster if there's two of us, right?"

"I don't like doing a half-baked job… but alright." He agrees, "Let's get to work. The sooner we finish, the sooner I can help you find your team."

Yes! One Amuro Ray acquired as a temporary team member!

---

"So," Amuro's voice comes across slightly staticky due to the state of his MS, "These scavengers, what kind of Mobile Suits are they using aside from GM IIIs? Those alone must have been hard to get ahold of."

"They have modified Jegans, GM IIs, and they have one Mobile Armor." You send him the images you took during your earlier reconnaissance.

He goes silent for almost a minute.

"…A Mobile Armor?" He asks, entirely incredulous, "Who are these people?"

"Hell if I know," You shrug as you trigger the airlock, the door sealing behind your Woundwort and his Sazabi, "but they fired at my team on sight, so they are not friends of the Federation or Londo Bell."

Technically true! Although you don't mention that Londo Bell and the Federation aren't best of buds anymore.

"Oh, by the way, what weapons does that Sazabi have?" You look at his patchwork Mobile Suit, noting all the jury-rigged fixes and the empty Funnel rack.

"The Mega Particle Cannon on the waist still works, but otherwise everything else is spent or broken." He answers with no small amount of regret, "I tried to find something more substantial, but the district I was holed up in seems to have been dedicated to the development of Psychoframe-related technologies, so there wasn't much in the way of weapons."

Psychoframe, huh? You mark the area on your map. Londo Bell should sent a recovery team here later. Better your side has the stuff than anybody else.

The two of you must look like an odd sight as you leave the airlock. A Titans MS painted in dark colors being followed by a half-destroyed bright red Sazabi.

…

You really hope that nobody shoots Amuro on sight.

As you head through empty passageways, you brief him on the Mobile Suits of your team and Alex team, since his MS isn't going to automatically tag them as friendlies, and the last thing you need is the White Meteor accidentally killing one of your friends.

"Bright couldn't give you a more cohesive lineup?" He asks with exasperation as he looks at your team's makeup, "And what's with the one your friend Theo is piloting? I've never seen this type before."

"Oh, they're not Londo Bell Suits. They're ours." You quickly offer him an explanation, although it feels like a blatant deflection to you, and there's no doubt that Amuro is picking up on it too.

"Oh? Owning Mobile Suits when you're so young… you'll have to tell me the story behind that when we're done here."

You sigh in relief. Good, he's accepted that for now.

Pushing open some dead blast doors, you float into a large storage area, with containers piled high. In the center, some of the containers have been rearranged into a makeshift perimeter. There are tents, wrecked vehicles, and smashed Mobile Suits strewn all over it. Unlike the MS from the unknown group, these ones are marked.

"…Federation forces," Amuro remarks, moving forward to survey the area, "They've been torn to bits! No less than six Jegans, with supporting Petits."

He stares particularly hard at some of the bodies, "This was recent… probably within the last couple days or so. Did Neo Zeon do this?"

You stare indifferently at the carnage. You can't particularly say that you mourn these people. The Federation did far worse to your home. They deserve this.

You do wonder what they were doing here, but the answer is likely the same as that strange group. Salvage. Axis has a lot of tech that hasn't been stripped yet. The reason it's been mostly untouched all these years is the general consensus of "Axis is Haunted". Not literally, of course, just a general sentiment. Whatever, these corpses aren't your problem.

"Come on, we should get moving, there's nothing here that concerns us." You move towards one of the room's exits.

"Hold it." Amuro speaks, but his tone brooks no argument. Immediately that Pressure from earlier is back, easily twice as strong. Sicilia feels it too, and you hear her whimper.

Turning, you face your Woundwort towards his Sazabi, and you can tell, he's ready to fight.

"Miss Naese, I believe you owe me some answers." He says grimly.

"…I don't know what you mean." You try to deflect again, but your nervousness creeps into your voice, "I've told you the truth so far, Amuro."

"That's Captain Ray to you, Ensign." He replies firmly, "That is, if you're even with Londo Bell."

"I am." You answer, perhaps a bit too quickly, "I… You're going to have to be more specific. What's wrong, Captain?"

"When we saw this," he gestures to the carnage, "I would have expected concern, pity, sadness, those kinds of emotions… but that's not what I sensed from you, Ensign. Do you know what I felt?"

You don't reply, because you're sure he's going to be right.

"Disgust. Contempt." He continues, "These people weren't your allies… you didn't consider them to be, anyways. You show up under strange circumstances, piloting an unusual Mobile Suit, with a team so mismatched it almost beggars belief. One of you is flying a Mobile Suit that I've never seen before, and believe me Ensign, there is no modern MS that I have not at least heard of. There are way too many strange, unexplainable things going on, and I think you have the answers I'm looking for."

It's… It's almost hard to breathe. Your vision is narrowing, your hands gripping the controls. Are… Are you going to have to fight Amuro Ray? No, no no nononono

"Well? Ensign? Was my first impression of you wrong? Or were you just pretending to be a good person?"

Your throat feels dry. You try to swallow. It's like… It's like staring down the barrel of a gun. Deflect, right, you can't talk about this right now, he wouldn't believe you!

"T-This isn't a good time to talk about this, Captain, er, besides, you're not saying you'll attack me if I don't answer, right?" You try to laugh. It comes out weak, "I mean, Sicilia is in the cockpit with me. You wouldn't attack a child, right?"

He doesn't answer. The Pressure doesn't let up.

You stare each other down.

"I… I'm not your enemy, Captain." You force the words out even as you prepare to arm the Composite Shield Booster, "You don't want to do this."

"You're right." He says, "I don't want to. But if you continue to lie to me-"

Then there's something, almost like a roar in your mind, fast approaching from the left, beyond the wall. Your eyes snap to that direction, and you feel Amuro react similarly. Simultaneously, the two of you jump away from as metal and concrete caves in with a spectacular explosion.

Crashing through are two Mobile Suits. A red Bawoo, familiar and striking, pushing an unfamiliar Gundam through the wall. Locked saber to saber, both combatants give off killing intent, directed at each other. You look back at Amuro, and an understanding passes between the two of you. You'll finish this later.

You're dreading later.

The Bawoo Pilot is startled to see the two of you, although you think they're more shocked at the Sazabi, and that gives the Gundam an opening. It grabs a hold of the Bawoo and rolls backwards, kicking it into the roof.

"Neo Zeon?" Amuro asks as he tries to figure out who to aim his sole weapon at.

"Zeon Republic!" You level your Long Blade Rifles at the Gundam, "Unknown Gundam-type, this is Ensign Cybele Naese with Londo Bell! State your affiliation!"

It doesn't answer, just turning to face you. There's killing intent, sharp, and without delay it rushes you.

You fire both rifles, but it blocks with its shield. Damn, the thing has anti-beam coating! Then, as it's mere meters from you, Amuro grabs the head from behind and slams it into the ground.

That's the White Meteor for you! You're so glad you're not fighting him right now.

"Stand down," Amuro orders, "This is your final warning."

Through the opening made by the Bawoo and Gundam, another MS rushes in. One of those modified Jegans, holding a strange rifle that doubles as a beam lance!

"Amuro, look out!" You position the Woundwort in the way, and cross your Heat Blades to catch the lance and force it into the ground. The Jegan grounds to a halt, and the two of you are face to face.

The Gundam under Amuro flares its thrusters at full power, slamming him into the ceiling. It quickly changes direction and tackles you. Your Woundwort shakes from the impact, and the Jegan breaks free. Together, the two of them try to flee back where they came.

"Oh no you don't!" Sicilia shouts, taking control of the right Composite Shield Booster and launching it at the fleeing pair. The Gundam shoves the Jegan in front of it, sacrificing its comrade. The Shield Booster switches to Claw mode and latches onto its torso.

With a battle cry, Sicilia pulls at the controls and the Woundwort yanks, swinging the Jegan up and dragging it across the ceiling before slamming it down into the ground on the other side of you. Then before letting go, she fires the Beam Gun, finishing off the pilot.

Whoa. That was cool. She gives you a thumbs up, looking giddy. You return the gesture. She's scary sometimes.

"…Brother?" a familiar voice comes over the radio, "No, it isn't… It can't be… Amuro?"

Onscreen, two video feeds pop up. Artesia Deikun in the Bawoo, and Amuro Ray in the Sazabi. Both seem stunned to see the other.

"Sayla?" Amuro gapes, "Why are you in a Zeon… what are you wearing? You look like…"

She cringes, "Don't say it. Please."

Wait, wait, this is a chance!

"Ah, Captain, I know that you don't trust me, but you can trust her, right?" You look to Artesia, "Miss Deikun, please, can you tell Amuro that I'm not an enemy? I'm not trying to lie to him, it's just things are… complicated."

She still seems rather shocked, but nods, "Ah, yes, complicated. I… I think I see what you mean. I'm not sure what's going on, Amuro, but she's an ally. That said… I have a lot of questions."

"That makes two of us," Amuro shakes his head in frustration, "Who were you fighting? That was a Gundam, wasn't it? I don't recognize the model."

"I don't recognize it either," Artesia replies as he helps her Bawoo down from the ceiling, "but it belongs to a private military group called Birnam. We think they're trying to steal Psychoframe from the ruins of Axis."

"…What happened in the week I was gone?" He asks, completely and helplessly confused.

Artesia looks at him with astonishment, "A… A week? It hasn't been-!... I think you two better come with me back to my ship. It isn't safe to talk here."

He nods, but you interject, "Wait, but what about my team? What about finding Alex Team? Captain, we can't just leave them here!"

"Don't worry," Artesia reassures you, "I can let my teams know to look out for any Londo Bell units. I'll have them directed to my ship to join us."

"That's…" you trail off, mulling over her offer. It's a good one, but you'd rather find your team by yourself.

That being said, you're not sure you should miss out on the talk Artesia is going to have with Amuro. It might be the only chance to redeem your reputation in his eyes. You don't feel right leaving things like this.

---

[] Insist on continuing to search for your team and Alex team. However, you'll be doing it without Amuro's help. Some backup from Artesia's forces would be appreciated, though.

[] Accept Artesia's offer and accompany her back to her ship. It seems like the Republic of Zeon knows more about what's going on here than Londo Bell anyways, so this is an opportunity.