tankdrop24
Tread First into Hell
- Location
- The Center of the Universe: Toronto, Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Come on, everyone! Path of revengance! It'll be a blast!
Gundam Crucible - [An AU Universal Century Quest]
- Thread starter TheBleachDoctor
- Start date
- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
I'd rather make sure we don't lose anyone than kill someone we're bound to meet up with again.
Besides, Killing him before he realises exactly what he is just won't be satisfying. I want to give him the "Do you feel like a Hero yet?" treatment. Killing him after that I'm totally behind.
Besides, Killing him before he realises exactly what he is just won't be satisfying. I want to give him the "Do you feel like a Hero yet?" treatment. Killing him after that I'm totally behind.
tankdrop24
Tread First into Hell
- Location
- The Center of the Universe: Toronto, Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
If this is like any usual Gundam anime he's going to just be the first in a long list of people for us to revenge ourselves on, and the more we wait for the perfect opportunity for revenge the more behind on that list we'll be.
- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
And I'd rather have less reasons for revenge. Like our mother and/or one of our friends dying.
Like, if a vote to kill him ends up winning later, and we haven't broken him, Shame, but I'm ultimately not complaining, just mildly unsatisfied. My main thing for this particular vote is that this is a situation where the Magellan is very obviously posing a risk to the Bellerophon, and possibly our friends and family, and I value them and Cybele's mental well being over any immediate satisfaction i might get from BD's death.
Now if this somehow ends up being a trick vote where next update is 'Hey, lol, you didn't kill him and now he killed a friend Because', I will gladly vote to kill him regardless of consequences in any future votes, because at that point I have no idea what I'm voting for and attempting to remove any and all problems is the only way to ever be sure.
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I suppose I should also talk about the last update, since the plan didn't play out as expected.
The approach to Von Braun had the Bellerophon decelerate so that the periapsis of its orbit fell until it fell beneath ground level. Their new course has them hitting the ground about a kilometer outside Von Braun. Obviously they'll conduct a landing burn to halt their descent, then coast into Von Braun airspace. The Magellan would have followed roughly the same flight plan, but with a harder deorbit burn executed later so that it could get closer to the Bellerophon.
If it had decelerated, as per the plan, then it would have taken severe orbital corrections to have an intercept again, which greatly lessened the chance of an attack.
But that's not exactly what happened. The Magellan Captain, after getting most of their escort pasted, has gone all in, accelerating and adjusting their orbit so that now they'll arrive at Von Braun before the Bellerophon, with the intent to shoot her down while she's descending or force her back into orbit or a course correction. Either way, their plan is to prevent you from landing, using the only asset they can count on. Their ship.
However, if you're familiar with orbital mechanics, what they're doing is stupidly risky. In order to arrive at your destination before and under you, they've had to increase their speed by quite a lot. If they coasted on their current trajectory, they'd zip right above Von Braun then back into high orbit... And with the speed they're going, perhaps they've achieved Lunar escape velocity. They do intend to execute a deceleration burn just as severe as the one they just pulled, however, so they won't overshoot Von Braun and will instead be waiting for you.
This plan is completely reliant on their main thrusters still working by the time they reach Von Braun. Nobody on the Bellerophon considered that the Magellan might pull what they just did because, quite frankly, this is insane. Damage to the engines or fuel tanks would ensure that they can't brake in time, at which case they only have two options.
1. Purposefully lower their orbit so they crash into the Moon, stopping them but possibly killing them and definitely wrecking the ship. This is actually the choice with the highest chance of survival, crazily enough.
2. Hope that someone rescues them. Which, given the strange orbits this kind of maneuver can cause, isn't likely. Far more likely that they'll enter some strange elliptical orbit and be stuck there for a while. If they're truly unlucky, it won't be an orbit, and instead they'll hit Earth's atmosphere so hard that the ship pancakes against it and explodes.
The approach to Von Braun had the Bellerophon decelerate so that the periapsis of its orbit fell until it fell beneath ground level. Their new course has them hitting the ground about a kilometer outside Von Braun. Obviously they'll conduct a landing burn to halt their descent, then coast into Von Braun airspace. The Magellan would have followed roughly the same flight plan, but with a harder deorbit burn executed later so that it could get closer to the Bellerophon.
If it had decelerated, as per the plan, then it would have taken severe orbital corrections to have an intercept again, which greatly lessened the chance of an attack.
But that's not exactly what happened. The Magellan Captain, after getting most of their escort pasted, has gone all in, accelerating and adjusting their orbit so that now they'll arrive at Von Braun before the Bellerophon, with the intent to shoot her down while she's descending or force her back into orbit or a course correction. Either way, their plan is to prevent you from landing, using the only asset they can count on. Their ship.
However, if you're familiar with orbital mechanics, what they're doing is stupidly risky. In order to arrive at your destination before and under you, they've had to increase their speed by quite a lot. If they coasted on their current trajectory, they'd zip right above Von Braun then back into high orbit... And with the speed they're going, perhaps they've achieved Lunar escape velocity. They do intend to execute a deceleration burn just as severe as the one they just pulled, however, so they won't overshoot Von Braun and will instead be waiting for you.
This plan is completely reliant on their main thrusters still working by the time they reach Von Braun. Nobody on the Bellerophon considered that the Magellan might pull what they just did because, quite frankly, this is insane. Damage to the engines or fuel tanks would ensure that they can't brake in time, at which case they only have two options.
1. Purposefully lower their orbit so they crash into the Moon, stopping them but possibly killing them and definitely wrecking the ship. This is actually the choice with the highest chance of survival, crazily enough.
2. Hope that someone rescues them. Which, given the strange orbits this kind of maneuver can cause, isn't likely. Far more likely that they'll enter some strange elliptical orbit and be stuck there for a while. If they're truly unlucky, it won't be an orbit, and instead they'll hit Earth's atmosphere so hard that the ship pancakes against it and explodes.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Wow, what the fuck.
These are straight up suicide soldiers. The fact that there wasn't a mutiny over that move is telling. The ship's either largely automated or most of the crew are so heavily indoctrinated that they'll accept an uncomfortably high risk of death or going dutchman just to bag one last ship after an atrocity.
Well, that, or they're so hyped up on their own ego that they don't even consider the possibility that the other side gets a say, since their whole plan requires absolutely nothing to go wrong for them to walk away from it.
These are straight up suicide soldiers. The fact that there wasn't a mutiny over that move is telling. The ship's either largely automated or most of the crew are so heavily indoctrinated that they'll accept an uncomfortably high risk of death or going dutchman just to bag one last ship after an atrocity.
Well, that, or they're so hyped up on their own ego that they don't even consider the possibility that the other side gets a say, since their whole plan requires absolutely nothing to go wrong for them to walk away from it.
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- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Something Something Federation BANZAI!
But yeah, that the Feds have gotten ideologically committed to this to the point of attempting ridiculously dangerous manoeuvres indicates that
A) This group is made of crazy people, which I will not rule out
Or, IMO more likely,
B) They can't afford word getting out that they're the reason colonies have been going dark, and want to silence what might be the only leak so far as to their activities
EDIT: In other news, I think all posters may or may not need to take a course in orbital mechanics, since Bleach is Clearly intending to put the 'Real' in 'Real Robot'.
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TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm probably gonna screw up more than once, but I'm trying to do what Gundam always does and try to take physics and orbital mechanics into account. I'm not keeping spreadsheets of fuel consumption and whiteboards full of orbital calculations though, so understanding the basic principles and mechanics is good enough.
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
I mean canon Gundam also cheats by shuffling sides names/numbers around to keep everyone nice and confused.
KnightDisciple
Love God. Do Right. Fear No Man.
- Location
- Midwest, USA
[X] He'd tell you to go save your friends, to go save your mother. Avenging him can wait.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
I don't think any of us could have known any of that from what information we had going into that. Even with a competent understanding of orbital mechanics guessing that specific move is kind of a shot in the dark and unless I misunderstand, we were basically doomed to screw up at least somewhat unless we guessed their intent.
- Pronouns
- Reader
Actually this is a reversal. Instead of us being screwed from not knowing there intent, they might be screwed from not knowing ours, as extensive damage to there ship combined with the too fast entry into atmosphere could see it torn apart.
The armor is totally wrecked over the CIC. Not sure how that will handle reentry heat, but I'd guess not well.
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Magellans are not designed to handle reentry anyways.
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Votes Locked.
View: https://youtu.be/fXnKP2BgU9k
View: https://youtu.be/fXnKP2BgU9k
Vote Tally : Gundam Crucible - [An AU Universal Century Quest] | Page 14 | Sufficient Velocity [Posts: 330-364]
##### NetTally 3.1.4
[X] He'd tell you to go save your friends, to go save your mother. Avenging him can wait.
No. of Votes: 18
[X] BlackHadou
[X] Alectai
[X] GAWR
[X] Grete
[X] Hazardine
[X] hcvquizibo
[X] KnightDisciple
[X] KuroOkami
[X] NHO
[X] Nottheunmaker
[X] OrbitalBeats
[X] Paleb05
[X] RandyTrevelyan
[X] ReaperOfShadows
[X] Rincewind
[X] The3rdCorinthian
[X] veekie
[X] WGDragoon
[X] What your brother would say is irrelevant. You desire vengeance.
No. of Votes: 2
[X] The Out Of World
[x] tankdrop24
[X] Ask Sicilia if she has any Newtype tricks up her sleeves and let her take the controls. If she was some kind of Neo-Zeon CyberNewtype, then surely she can make better use of this Suit than you could! Maybe she could let you have your cake and eat it too!
No. of Votes: 1
[x] ArlequineLunaire
Total No. of Voters: 21
##### NetTally 3.1.4
[X] He'd tell you to go save your friends, to go save your mother. Avenging him can wait.
No. of Votes: 18
[X] BlackHadou
[X] Alectai
[X] GAWR
[X] Grete
[X] Hazardine
[X] hcvquizibo
[X] KnightDisciple
[X] KuroOkami
[X] NHO
[X] Nottheunmaker
[X] OrbitalBeats
[X] Paleb05
[X] RandyTrevelyan
[X] ReaperOfShadows
[X] Rincewind
[X] The3rdCorinthian
[X] veekie
[X] WGDragoon
[X] What your brother would say is irrelevant. You desire vengeance.
No. of Votes: 2
[X] The Out Of World
[x] tankdrop24
[X] Ask Sicilia if she has any Newtype tricks up her sleeves and let her take the controls. If she was some kind of Neo-Zeon CyberNewtype, then surely she can make better use of this Suit than you could! Maybe she could let you have your cake and eat it too!
No. of Votes: 1
[x] ArlequineLunaire
Total No. of Voters: 21
- Location
- England, unfortunately.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Really hoping that the section with the Nu attacking the Mobile armours fuel tanks is meant to be us attacking the Magellan and not BD getting to do something.
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Video is entirely unrelated aside from being Gundam. I just thought it was neat.
Chapter 11: Port in a Storm
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] He'd tell you to go save your friends, to go save your mother. Avenging him can wait.
… If Kaylen were here, he'd sat that avenging him could wait. Go save your friends and your mother.
Tch.
"Hang in there Eris, Theo, I'm on my way," you switch over to MA mode for increased thrust, "Sorry, dog, I'll have to put you down another day."
"Wait!" he boosts forward, trying to grab you but you successfully accelerate out of his reach and towards the Magellan. He won't be able to catch up, although he's trying to.
"I'll be right there," Riddhe says as you near his fight, "Just let me finish this up!"
Nearby, you notice the hijacked Funnels from earlier still erratically moving about. How many did he say he could handle? Five? You lock onto the Proto-Fin Funnels and blast them, then shoot down the excess Fin Funnels. There, five. They immediately stabilize and zip towards the fight.
The Banshee and Delta Kai are locked saber to saber. The Banshee lashes out with a kick, pushing the Delta Kai back. The Federation Gundam starts to emit some kind of blue flame from its joints, but before it can do whatever that was, the hijacked Fin Funnels start to tear into him. Within seconds all the limbs are off, and one shot lands on the backpack. There's a secondary explosion, and it starts to fall.
"Commander!" The Nu breaks off his pursuit and heads for the Delta Kai. Looks like those two are out of the picture.
Riddhe lets the Fin Funnels fall away and links up with you. He grabs onto your Woundwort and uses you as a subflight system, adding his own thrusters to lessen the extra load he's placing onto you.
"I didn't think they'd accelerate," Riddhe's face appears on your monitor as he establishes a video feed, "They're making some pretty severe course corrections too."
"Yeah, this is worrying," you pull up the projected trajectory of the Magellan, "For an approach to a city, this is nuts… unless they're trying to arrive before the Bellerophon."
Riddhe frowns, running his own projections before sending the data to you, "If they keep this up, they will definitely arrive before our ship. Then they can shoot our ship down as it descends."
"Not good…" you mutter, before noticing the shape of the Magellan's orbit. It just keeps accelerating, and although their periapsis is still low over Von Braun their apoapsis keeps rising… and rising… rushing right past high lunar orbit until it's-
"…Oh wow." You giggle incredulously, "What are they even doing… Lieutenant, are you seeing this?"
"…I… I am…" he answers, his expression utterly dumbfounded, "Did they just achieve Lunar escape velocity?"
"They did!" Sicilia pipes up, "Look, they've stopped accelerating!"
She's right, they've stopped, and their trajectory takes them right out of Lunar orbit and into a weird high Earth orbit… that may or may not hit the atmosphere.
"The G forces when they decelerate are going to be brutal." Riddhe remarks, "They must really not want us to land."
"…when they decelerate…" you repeat under your breath, and it strikes you. A grin slowly widens on your face, "…that is, Lieutenant, if they decelerate. Do you get my meaning?"
Riddhe nods, "I get it. Let's hit them."
Sicilia cheers as she warms up the Heat Blade, and you increase thrust to catch up with the Magellan sooner.
"Eris, Theo!" you call out to the two, "On us! We're hitting the engines!"
"Affirmative!" Eris replies, "I'm not having any luck hitting the front anyways, I think they added more armor."
Riddhe releases his grip and begins his own attack run. You switch back to MS mode and do so as well. Two distinct drive plumes can be seen approaching from different angles, most likely Theo and Eris. The Magellan opens up with its AA defenses, the hail of low-power Beam shots missing but still enough to make you do some basic evasive maneuvers.
Eris is the first to strike. You see two flashes from her rifle, and there are two small bursts of metal debris as the rounds tear deep into the uppermost right engine. The blue glow of the thruster immediately gutters out, and it instead spews red flames. A couple of secondary explosions sends the engine's guts flying out into space.
Theo fires off all his Saberfish's missiles and rides in with them, only pulling away at the last second. All six missiles hit the uppermost left engine, and the thruster dies. It didn't explode, though, so it was probably only enough damage to trigger an emergency shutoff. Riddhe ensures it never turns on again when he hits it with four AP rounds from his Revolving Launcher, the glowing munitions punching deep into the engine and blowing it apart the next second.
The bottom left engine is yours, and with no small amount of exhilaration you rip into it with Heat Blade and Claw, When the vulnerable guts of the thruster inside are exposed, you fire into it with the Claw's Beam Gun. The resulting explosion basically shatters it, leaving the Magellan with only one main thruster left!
"Good, they won't be able to decelerate in time with only one main thruster," Riddhe sighs with relief, his Banshee backing off, "They'll overshoot Von Braun entirely."
He's stopping there? You scowl. No way. These bastards massacred your colony, and Riddhe thinks that he can just let them go? Not on your life! With a scream, you deploy your Heat Blade again and start tearing into the fourth and last engine.
"Cybele! What are you doing?!" Riddhe grabs onto your arm, "Without that, they could enter an unstable orbit! They might even crash into the atmosphere!"
"Yeah," you snarl, "That's the point!"
You break free from his grasp and plunge the Heat Blade into the engine, and another burst of flame signals the death of the Magellan's last thruster. You pull back, putting distance between you and the Magellan. Seeing it trailing flames, smoke, and debris feels kind of satisfying.
"So, lithobraking or aerobraking?" you chuckle, "What's it gonna be, fellas?"
Your group links back up, beginning the return trip to the Bellerophon. Riddhe grabs onto the Woundwort's arm and his face appears on the monitor. He looks horrified.
"Cybele, what have you done?" he stares at you accusingly, "We didn't need to go that far! Do you realize how many people might die now?!"
"I do realize," you answer, still giddy at the satisfaction of enacting some vengeance for Island Cascadia, "In fact, I'm betting on it. I hope every last soul on that ship dies. They all need to face justice for what they did to my home."
"Cybele, most of the crew on board Federation ships are just enlisted service members," he continues, his outrage growing, "They had nothing to do with what happened to your home! It's awful, yes, but blaming their janitor isn't going to bring back your colony! What would your brother think of you?"
You give Riddhe a cold glare, "Don't you put words in my brother's mouth. Don't you dare do that, ever. And I'll blame their goddamn janitor if I want to. So what if most of the people aboard that ship were just regular men and women? I don't even care if they were drafted! Did they stop the Federation from razing my home? From slaughtering my friends, neighbors, and family? No! I don't see why I should extend to them the respect they won't even give me."
The Magellan's maneuvering thrusters roar to life at full power, and the ship begins to dive slowly. Their course correction is slow, but if they keep this up they'll probably crash just as they pass the city's No-Fire zone.
Eris whistles, "Looks like they've made their choice, Cybele. That's going to be one rough landing."
"All those people…" Theo mutters, "Did we really need to do that?"
You should answer that, but you don't. The excitement is wearing off a bit. His words cut a bit deeper than you thought they would.
"…What's done is done," Riddhe shakes his head in disappointment, "but we're going to talk about this later."
"Sure." You dismissively look away, "We saved everyone on the Bellerophon. That's all I care about."
He bites back whatever retort he was going to say, and just cuts the video feed.
You run out of fuel about halfway back, but Eris gives you a boost, and you still have your Plasma Jets. Thank god for those, and that the main engine on the Zudah is so freakishly overpowered, or else you'd have to walk to Von Bruan!
By the time you land back at the Bellerophon, it's already begun its descent into Von Braun's spaceport. The four of you land on the top of the hangar and ride it down through the gates. Riddhe gives the Captain his report privately over comms, and you can't help but worry a bit. What is he going to say about you?
"Hey, Big Sis," Sicilia touches your arm comfortingly with a smile, "It's okay, we won! We should celebrate!"
You give her a pat on the head, "Yeah, you did a great job, we totally should do something to celebrate."
"Oh! Oh, I know!" she practically bounces in her seat with excitement, "Are there parfaits in Von Braun?"
"I'm sure there's at least one parfait place here," you can't help but laugh a little at her behavior. She really is just a kid, huh? Sure, she can get unnervingly serious when it comes to Mobile Suits, but that must be whatever CyberNewtype shit Neo Zeon did to her. At heart, she really is just a little girl.
As the Bellerophon enters port, you whistle in appreciation at the sheer size of this dock. Such a high ceiling, this waste of space wouldn't be seen in a colony! But the dock itself is pretty large, big enough to hold six warships. And it looks like it's almost full to capacity. There's an old Columbus being used as a civilian freighter, an old Gwazine from the Republic of Zeon, and… a Clop in Federation colors.
"Um, Captain?" you open a line to the Bellerophon's bridge, "Are you seeing that?"
"Relax, Cybele," Sarina replies promptly, "Von Braun is a neutral city. The Feds won't start anything here. Likewise, don't you instigate anything either. The city authorities are pretty strict on the matter."
You nod. Wouldn't do to piss off the cops. You'll behave so long as those Feddie scum do as well.
"No way…" Eris gasps, pointing to another ship as it comes into view, "Cybele! Look!"
What's got her all excited? You zoom in on the ship she's pointing at and… oh, very nice.
"An old Agarma-class," you look over the ship, bow to stern, "Haven't seen one of those in a while. It's got civilian markings, but it still has the guns. Cool."
"No no, you're looking at the wrong thing!" she points again, "The name, look at the name!"
You zoom in on the registration markings on the side. You squint. No fucking way.
"…Agarma. The Agarma?" You scrutinize the ship again, "Wasn't that thing sold for scrap a while back?"
You remember the event. It was about five years ago. Didn't receive much news coverage, but among Military Hardware Enthusiasts it was really big news. The Earth Federation was selling the Agarma for scrap. While it had been repaired and refit by Karaba during the First Neo Zeon War and subsequently got absorbed by the Federation Armed Forces, the damage to the spaceframe was deemed too severe, and so it was retired. Rather than making it a museum piece or a memorial, the Feds decided to sell it to the scrapyards. A historical preservation society tried to scrape together the funds to buy it, but some salvage company out of Shangri-La outbid everyone. From there, news about that ship kind of just dried up.
"Well damn," you laugh at how excited Eris is getting, "Maybe you should head over there! They're flying a museum piece, you're flying a museum piece, I bet the lot of you would get along nicely."
"Heh, maybe I will!" she replies, and you can almost see her Zudah shaking with excitement.
…
Oh, no, that's just the ship slowing itself for landing.
With a shudder, the Bellerophon sets down.
At long last, you're safe. Temporarily, but safe all the same.
You let out a long sigh, the tension flowing out of you, and slump in your seat. The past two days have been… awful.
You place your head in your hands, close your eyes, and just clear your mind. Maybe you and Sicilia can go have some fun? Would your mother want to come along? Will your mother forgive you for taking such risks?
You… You hope so.
The hangars of the Bellerophon are awash with activity. City officials are going through the refugees, getting paperwork sorted for everyone who wants to disembark. Some Londo Bell personnel from the local branch are bringing in supplies and a few of the ship engineers are talking with them about ship maintenance.
You look around, but your mother's nowhere to be seen. Sicilia helps you look around for a bit, but eventually Captain Sarina shows up and motions you over.
"You better come with me," she whispers. Your heart freezes in your chest. Did something happen to your mother?
The trip through the ship is nerve-wracking, and your fears become reality as Sarina leads you to the Medbay. Your mother is sitting upright in one of the beds, but she's staring off blankly into the distance. She doesn't acknowledge you as you enter.
"She had a breakdown after you left," the Captain says quietly with a somber tone, "she was hysterical to the point that one of the soldiers sedated her. When she woke up, she was like… this."
You rush to her bedside, "Mom? Mom, it's me, Cybele!"
She blinks, slowly turning to look at you. She smiles, but her eyes are still unfocused, like she's looking through you.
"…Cybele… my baby girl… have you seen your father?" her voice is soft, almost frail, "He probably went out with Kaylen… you know how your father loves to take him out into the city…"
Why… Why is she talking about them like that?
"Mom… I'm…"
"Please… tell them to come home soon?" She continues like you didn't say anything, "Your father probably lost track of time again…"
You reach out and take her hand. She doesn't give any indication that she feels it.
"I'm sorry, Mom," you lean close, hugging her tightly, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I was just… I was just trying to protect you."
Lie. You were chasing vengeance.
She doesn't move to reciprocate, and you eventually let her go. She just goes back to staring blankly at the wall, muttering something indiscernible to herself, like a conversation with the air.
The Captain leads you back out of the room, and you shut the door behind you.
"What happened?" you ask quietly, not daring to raise your voice lest your grief escape from your chest.
"I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist, but… I've seen this before, or something similar," she sighs, gaze distant, "My uncle had a family, they lived on Island Iffish at Loum before the war. He was away on a business trip when… well, you know what I'm talking about."
She closes her eyes, the painful memory twisting her features, "He used to be such a cheerful, open guy. Always took me and my sisters out for ice cream when he visited. After the colony drop, he came to live with us, but the man who arrived at our house… he was barely a shadow of himself. At first he was withdrawn, spent all his time in bed, usually crying. Then he just went into denial, started talking to his wife and our cousins like they were still there. Stopped responding to us entirely. He was living in his own delusion. He passed away just a couple of years ago."
"Yes, but… I'm here!" you choke back a sob, clutching your hand to your chest, "I'm still here, aren't I? I'm not dead! I was just leaving for a short while, I wasn't going off to die!"
Sarina just shakes her head sadly, "I'm sorry, I wish I could say more. But she clearly needs help. We can set you up here with a doctor if you want to stay in Von Braun but we have an expert in Londenion who has personal experience with mental trauma, if you're willing to stay with us."
You… You need to think about it. You mumble as much before pushing past her and staggering down the hallways towards your room.
The door slides open and Sicilia says something to you. You don't hear her. You shut the bathroom door behind you and lock it. She's still talking, and hitting the door, but you aren't listening. Clutching your arms together you slump against the bathroom wall and slide to the ground, this feeling of despair rising up in your throat.
Don't break down. Don't cry. You can't. You won't. You…
You scream. Grief, Fear, Despair, it's all there, pouring over you.
It's all you are now.
…
You don't know when Sicilia overrode the door. You don't know when she dragged you into bed.
What a strong little girl.
You stare at the ceiling for a long time. Your Little Sis is really worried about you. You mumble some words, enough to reassure her that you aren't comatose like your mother. You're still here… although you wish you weren't.
If only that Blue Hound hadn't killed your brother.
If only he'd taken you instead.
Your older brother would have known what to do, how to act, how to handle the loss. He's always been the strong one. Isn't that right, Kaylen?
You… You couldn't even take care of your own mother. What kind of daughter are you?
Sicilia eventually leaves to go get some food. She doesn't come back. Good. Better to stay away from you. You just want to disappear.
The clock says that half a day has gone by when the door chimes, and it opens after you don't answer.
"…Cybele?" Captain Sarina steps inside, "Are you alright?"
"…No," you shake your head slowly, "but that doesn't matter, does it?"
"Maybe it does," a new voice cuts in, an older male, maybe mid-30s or early 40s with short cropped light brown hair, somewhat sharp features, and wearing an immaculate business suit with an Anaheim pin steps in after Sarina, "it depends on whether you're in any state to make a deal."
You finally turn to look at them. He nods in greeting, although he's looking down at you. You can see it in his eyes.
"My name is Wong Lee, I'm with Anaheim Electronics." He introduces himself, "I would like to welcome you to Von Braun, and if you have the time I would like to discuss a potential business arrangement with you."
"…What?" you finally sit up at the sheer incredulity of that statement, "I'm a penniless kid from a colony that just got reduced to space dust. What could I possibly do for Anaheim Electronics?"
Wong Lee frowns slightly, "It's not about what you can do, Ms. Naese, it's what you have in your possession."
"That Gundam you have, the TR-6, we wish to purchase it from you. It's the only known intact example in the Earth Sphere. I was surprised to hear that a child was the owner of such a Mobile Suit, but as the Captain here has informed me," he takes a moment to glare at Sarina, "the TR-6 is legally yours by right of salvage, minus the horrid… modifications you made to it. I am authorized to negotiate the selling price if you-"
"No," you cut him off, "The Woundwort is not for sale. It's mine."
You… You feel oddly attached to it. In a similar way that you feel attached to Sicilia. A person and an object you met just days ago, and yet it feels like you've known them forever.
"…Very well," Wong Lee looks rather disappointed, "I have an alternative proposal, then. The Woundwort is a singular example of revolutionary technologies that we thought were lost to time. It would be a shame if it was destroyed without its design studied. So, if you will allow an Anaheim technician to accompany you and study your Mobile Suit, we will lend them to you as a mechanic for the TR-6 as well."
That… That is actually a good offer. You spend a good minute thinking about that. It's a great deal, but…
"…I want more," you finally answer him, "Give me something else in addition to that and I'll agree."
His frown deepens, "As I said, I can negotiate, but there are limits. This is already a very generous offer."
"Generous maybe, but you said the TR-6 is a one-of-a-kind, right?" you grin slightly at him, "I bet there are a lot of people who would jump at getting to work on and study my Gundam, with their reward being whatever engineering marvels it has. So why should I give the privilege of studying the Woundwort to Anaheim?"
Wong's eyebrow twitches. Got him.
"What," he clenches his fist, seemingly restraining himself from becoming violent, "did you have in mind?"
"What indeed?" you smile, feeling a whole lot better than you did minutes ago, "Well…"
[][Deal] You want your pick of equipment to add to the TR-6 out of Anaheim's catalog. Nothing illegal, of course, but price shouldn't be an issue.
[][Deal] Theo is flying a Saberfish right now. Eris is piloting a museum piece. That won't do. Your friends get their pick from Anaheim's lineup of MS.
[][Deal] Psychoframe Cockpit. Gimme.
[][Deal] Anaheim Electronics sold a Mass Production Nu Gundam to the Federation. You want any backdoor codes to that Mobile Suit that they have.
Still riding your high off of wringing that sweet deal out of that Anaheim suit, you decided to go into the city with Sicilia to grab some parfaits. The local tourism bureau was more than happy to recommend a few places! Sadly Theo and Eris declined to come with. Apparently the Agarma is owned by heroes from the First Neo Zeon War, and your friends are palling it up with them. Interesting, but you did promise Sicilia parfaits, so…
As the two of you walk down a busy street, you can't help but notice the… unusual individuals mixed into the crowd. A Federation uniform there, Londo Bell here, Republic of Zeon over there… it's so strange to see them all together here in this time of strife.
Well, you suppose people are just people, at the end of the day.
You're about halfway to the shop when you run into a crowd gathered in front of a large television screen hung on the side of a building. They're all watching with mixed reactions of curiosity, horror, and elation. On the screen is a blonde woman with short hair cropped at the neck and eyes of deep blue. In her early 30s at the most, she's speaking animatedly on a podium, dressed in a red version of a Zeon official's uniform… Huh, she reminds you of-
"Big Sis, I can't see!" Sicilia reaches up, and you pick her up to rest her on your shoulders. Together, you watch the broadcast.
"-years the Federation has promised peace and stability. And yet their actions prove their dishonest intent." She speaks somberly, gravely, her words weighed with passion and mourning, "Even now, we learned of the atrocities committed at Island Cascadia, the last surviving colony of Loum. The refugees arrived at Von Braun just yesterday, and their stories chill the soul. Millions dead, slaughtered without reason or rationale. They were not the collateral damage of a battle, they were deliberately targeted and exterminated! Mothers, Fathers, Children, Infants all wiped out! And for what?! Millions of innocents die at the hands of our oppressors, how can we be content to just let this happen? Is this the world we want to leave to our children?!"
She falls silent, shaking her head slowly.
"No. It is not… Like a good friend of mine, I wanted to believe in Humanity. I still do, but also as a Human Being I can no longer stand by and do nothing when I know it is within my power to affect change. It is within my power, within our power, to end this cycle of hatred!" The roar of a crowd can be heard from the broadcast. The woman lets it run its course.
"My brother knew the power of our name when he assumed the mantle of Zeon. It's a heavy burden, and one that I do not assume lightly. I take no joy in this, but there are things that must be done. May my father forgive me for using his name once more when it already has been abused by so many, but I do this so that future generations may not suffer as we have."
Wait, her brother? Zeon? Her father? No. That eye color, that hair, she can't be-
"As daughter of Zeon Zum Deikun, I, Artesia Som Deikun, hereby accept the position of Prime Minister of the Republic of Zeon. From this day forth, we proclaim our complete independence from the Federation! We will harbor all refugees from the Federation's tyrannical rule! Newtypes may find safe haven in our borders! We do not desire war with the Federation, but if we are challenged, we will respond with force!" She raises her hand in a Zeon salute, and you notice that she hesitates for just a moment, "For the freedom of all Spacenoids, and for a brighter future for Humanity, Sieg Zeon!"
The chant is repeated through the broadcast, and the crowd around you starts to mutter and argue.
"-Can't be, Deikun's daughter?"
"-probably a fake."
"There wasn't even an election, I heard it was a straight up coup!"
"-Federation won't stand for this."
"Just another fucking Zabi!"
"Sieg Zeon!"
That… That wasn't from the broadcast. You look up, and see Sicilia fixated on the screen, her arm raised in salute.
"Sieg Zeon!" she shouts, drawing the attention of everyone around you, "Sieg Zeon!"
Everyone is staring. Many of them are unkind. There are a few who are looking at her with respect though. A man in a worn military jacket raises his own arm.
"Sieg Zeon!" he cries out, looking around and motioning for others to follow him, "Sieg Zeon!"
"Zeon bastards!" a Federation soldier grabs the man by his shirt. Another man grabs him off and throws him to the ground.
"You Fed pigs are all the same! Fuck you!"
"Get off him you Zeek!"
"Sieg Zeon! Sieg-!"
"Let go of me! I said-!"
Sicilia is still chanting. The crowd is turning violent, turning on each other. It's only a matter of time before you get pulled into it, but for the moment people are choosing to stare at the pile of men tearing at each other's faces.
[][Riot] Run. Von Braun enforces neutrality. This won't end well.
[][Riot] Fight.
-[] Side with the Zeon rioters.
-[] Side with the Federation rioters.
[][Riot] Hide. You need to get Sicilia out of the spotlight, ASAP.
… If Kaylen were here, he'd sat that avenging him could wait. Go save your friends and your mother.
Tch.
"Hang in there Eris, Theo, I'm on my way," you switch over to MA mode for increased thrust, "Sorry, dog, I'll have to put you down another day."
"Wait!" he boosts forward, trying to grab you but you successfully accelerate out of his reach and towards the Magellan. He won't be able to catch up, although he's trying to.
"I'll be right there," Riddhe says as you near his fight, "Just let me finish this up!"
Nearby, you notice the hijacked Funnels from earlier still erratically moving about. How many did he say he could handle? Five? You lock onto the Proto-Fin Funnels and blast them, then shoot down the excess Fin Funnels. There, five. They immediately stabilize and zip towards the fight.
The Banshee and Delta Kai are locked saber to saber. The Banshee lashes out with a kick, pushing the Delta Kai back. The Federation Gundam starts to emit some kind of blue flame from its joints, but before it can do whatever that was, the hijacked Fin Funnels start to tear into him. Within seconds all the limbs are off, and one shot lands on the backpack. There's a secondary explosion, and it starts to fall.
"Commander!" The Nu breaks off his pursuit and heads for the Delta Kai. Looks like those two are out of the picture.
Riddhe lets the Fin Funnels fall away and links up with you. He grabs onto your Woundwort and uses you as a subflight system, adding his own thrusters to lessen the extra load he's placing onto you.
"I didn't think they'd accelerate," Riddhe's face appears on your monitor as he establishes a video feed, "They're making some pretty severe course corrections too."
"Yeah, this is worrying," you pull up the projected trajectory of the Magellan, "For an approach to a city, this is nuts… unless they're trying to arrive before the Bellerophon."
Riddhe frowns, running his own projections before sending the data to you, "If they keep this up, they will definitely arrive before our ship. Then they can shoot our ship down as it descends."
"Not good…" you mutter, before noticing the shape of the Magellan's orbit. It just keeps accelerating, and although their periapsis is still low over Von Braun their apoapsis keeps rising… and rising… rushing right past high lunar orbit until it's-
"…Oh wow." You giggle incredulously, "What are they even doing… Lieutenant, are you seeing this?"
"…I… I am…" he answers, his expression utterly dumbfounded, "Did they just achieve Lunar escape velocity?"
"They did!" Sicilia pipes up, "Look, they've stopped accelerating!"
She's right, they've stopped, and their trajectory takes them right out of Lunar orbit and into a weird high Earth orbit… that may or may not hit the atmosphere.
"The G forces when they decelerate are going to be brutal." Riddhe remarks, "They must really not want us to land."
"…when they decelerate…" you repeat under your breath, and it strikes you. A grin slowly widens on your face, "…that is, Lieutenant, if they decelerate. Do you get my meaning?"
Riddhe nods, "I get it. Let's hit them."
Sicilia cheers as she warms up the Heat Blade, and you increase thrust to catch up with the Magellan sooner.
"Eris, Theo!" you call out to the two, "On us! We're hitting the engines!"
"Affirmative!" Eris replies, "I'm not having any luck hitting the front anyways, I think they added more armor."
Riddhe releases his grip and begins his own attack run. You switch back to MS mode and do so as well. Two distinct drive plumes can be seen approaching from different angles, most likely Theo and Eris. The Magellan opens up with its AA defenses, the hail of low-power Beam shots missing but still enough to make you do some basic evasive maneuvers.
Eris is the first to strike. You see two flashes from her rifle, and there are two small bursts of metal debris as the rounds tear deep into the uppermost right engine. The blue glow of the thruster immediately gutters out, and it instead spews red flames. A couple of secondary explosions sends the engine's guts flying out into space.
Theo fires off all his Saberfish's missiles and rides in with them, only pulling away at the last second. All six missiles hit the uppermost left engine, and the thruster dies. It didn't explode, though, so it was probably only enough damage to trigger an emergency shutoff. Riddhe ensures it never turns on again when he hits it with four AP rounds from his Revolving Launcher, the glowing munitions punching deep into the engine and blowing it apart the next second.
The bottom left engine is yours, and with no small amount of exhilaration you rip into it with Heat Blade and Claw, When the vulnerable guts of the thruster inside are exposed, you fire into it with the Claw's Beam Gun. The resulting explosion basically shatters it, leaving the Magellan with only one main thruster left!
"Good, they won't be able to decelerate in time with only one main thruster," Riddhe sighs with relief, his Banshee backing off, "They'll overshoot Von Braun entirely."
He's stopping there? You scowl. No way. These bastards massacred your colony, and Riddhe thinks that he can just let them go? Not on your life! With a scream, you deploy your Heat Blade again and start tearing into the fourth and last engine.
"Cybele! What are you doing?!" Riddhe grabs onto your arm, "Without that, they could enter an unstable orbit! They might even crash into the atmosphere!"
"Yeah," you snarl, "That's the point!"
You break free from his grasp and plunge the Heat Blade into the engine, and another burst of flame signals the death of the Magellan's last thruster. You pull back, putting distance between you and the Magellan. Seeing it trailing flames, smoke, and debris feels kind of satisfying.
"So, lithobraking or aerobraking?" you chuckle, "What's it gonna be, fellas?"
Your group links back up, beginning the return trip to the Bellerophon. Riddhe grabs onto the Woundwort's arm and his face appears on the monitor. He looks horrified.
"Cybele, what have you done?" he stares at you accusingly, "We didn't need to go that far! Do you realize how many people might die now?!"
"I do realize," you answer, still giddy at the satisfaction of enacting some vengeance for Island Cascadia, "In fact, I'm betting on it. I hope every last soul on that ship dies. They all need to face justice for what they did to my home."
"Cybele, most of the crew on board Federation ships are just enlisted service members," he continues, his outrage growing, "They had nothing to do with what happened to your home! It's awful, yes, but blaming their janitor isn't going to bring back your colony! What would your brother think of you?"
You give Riddhe a cold glare, "Don't you put words in my brother's mouth. Don't you dare do that, ever. And I'll blame their goddamn janitor if I want to. So what if most of the people aboard that ship were just regular men and women? I don't even care if they were drafted! Did they stop the Federation from razing my home? From slaughtering my friends, neighbors, and family? No! I don't see why I should extend to them the respect they won't even give me."
The Magellan's maneuvering thrusters roar to life at full power, and the ship begins to dive slowly. Their course correction is slow, but if they keep this up they'll probably crash just as they pass the city's No-Fire zone.
Eris whistles, "Looks like they've made their choice, Cybele. That's going to be one rough landing."
"All those people…" Theo mutters, "Did we really need to do that?"
You should answer that, but you don't. The excitement is wearing off a bit. His words cut a bit deeper than you thought they would.
"…What's done is done," Riddhe shakes his head in disappointment, "but we're going to talk about this later."
"Sure." You dismissively look away, "We saved everyone on the Bellerophon. That's all I care about."
He bites back whatever retort he was going to say, and just cuts the video feed.
You run out of fuel about halfway back, but Eris gives you a boost, and you still have your Plasma Jets. Thank god for those, and that the main engine on the Zudah is so freakishly overpowered, or else you'd have to walk to Von Bruan!
By the time you land back at the Bellerophon, it's already begun its descent into Von Braun's spaceport. The four of you land on the top of the hangar and ride it down through the gates. Riddhe gives the Captain his report privately over comms, and you can't help but worry a bit. What is he going to say about you?
"Hey, Big Sis," Sicilia touches your arm comfortingly with a smile, "It's okay, we won! We should celebrate!"
You give her a pat on the head, "Yeah, you did a great job, we totally should do something to celebrate."
"Oh! Oh, I know!" she practically bounces in her seat with excitement, "Are there parfaits in Von Braun?"
"I'm sure there's at least one parfait place here," you can't help but laugh a little at her behavior. She really is just a kid, huh? Sure, she can get unnervingly serious when it comes to Mobile Suits, but that must be whatever CyberNewtype shit Neo Zeon did to her. At heart, she really is just a little girl.
As the Bellerophon enters port, you whistle in appreciation at the sheer size of this dock. Such a high ceiling, this waste of space wouldn't be seen in a colony! But the dock itself is pretty large, big enough to hold six warships. And it looks like it's almost full to capacity. There's an old Columbus being used as a civilian freighter, an old Gwazine from the Republic of Zeon, and… a Clop in Federation colors.
"Um, Captain?" you open a line to the Bellerophon's bridge, "Are you seeing that?"
"Relax, Cybele," Sarina replies promptly, "Von Braun is a neutral city. The Feds won't start anything here. Likewise, don't you instigate anything either. The city authorities are pretty strict on the matter."
You nod. Wouldn't do to piss off the cops. You'll behave so long as those Feddie scum do as well.
"No way…" Eris gasps, pointing to another ship as it comes into view, "Cybele! Look!"
What's got her all excited? You zoom in on the ship she's pointing at and… oh, very nice.
"An old Agarma-class," you look over the ship, bow to stern, "Haven't seen one of those in a while. It's got civilian markings, but it still has the guns. Cool."
"No no, you're looking at the wrong thing!" she points again, "The name, look at the name!"
You zoom in on the registration markings on the side. You squint. No fucking way.
"…Agarma. The Agarma?" You scrutinize the ship again, "Wasn't that thing sold for scrap a while back?"
You remember the event. It was about five years ago. Didn't receive much news coverage, but among Military Hardware Enthusiasts it was really big news. The Earth Federation was selling the Agarma for scrap. While it had been repaired and refit by Karaba during the First Neo Zeon War and subsequently got absorbed by the Federation Armed Forces, the damage to the spaceframe was deemed too severe, and so it was retired. Rather than making it a museum piece or a memorial, the Feds decided to sell it to the scrapyards. A historical preservation society tried to scrape together the funds to buy it, but some salvage company out of Shangri-La outbid everyone. From there, news about that ship kind of just dried up.
"Well damn," you laugh at how excited Eris is getting, "Maybe you should head over there! They're flying a museum piece, you're flying a museum piece, I bet the lot of you would get along nicely."
"Heh, maybe I will!" she replies, and you can almost see her Zudah shaking with excitement.
…
Oh, no, that's just the ship slowing itself for landing.
With a shudder, the Bellerophon sets down.
At long last, you're safe. Temporarily, but safe all the same.
You let out a long sigh, the tension flowing out of you, and slump in your seat. The past two days have been… awful.
You place your head in your hands, close your eyes, and just clear your mind. Maybe you and Sicilia can go have some fun? Would your mother want to come along? Will your mother forgive you for taking such risks?
You… You hope so.
The hangars of the Bellerophon are awash with activity. City officials are going through the refugees, getting paperwork sorted for everyone who wants to disembark. Some Londo Bell personnel from the local branch are bringing in supplies and a few of the ship engineers are talking with them about ship maintenance.
You look around, but your mother's nowhere to be seen. Sicilia helps you look around for a bit, but eventually Captain Sarina shows up and motions you over.
"You better come with me," she whispers. Your heart freezes in your chest. Did something happen to your mother?
The trip through the ship is nerve-wracking, and your fears become reality as Sarina leads you to the Medbay. Your mother is sitting upright in one of the beds, but she's staring off blankly into the distance. She doesn't acknowledge you as you enter.
"She had a breakdown after you left," the Captain says quietly with a somber tone, "she was hysterical to the point that one of the soldiers sedated her. When she woke up, she was like… this."
You rush to her bedside, "Mom? Mom, it's me, Cybele!"
She blinks, slowly turning to look at you. She smiles, but her eyes are still unfocused, like she's looking through you.
"…Cybele… my baby girl… have you seen your father?" her voice is soft, almost frail, "He probably went out with Kaylen… you know how your father loves to take him out into the city…"
Why… Why is she talking about them like that?
"Mom… I'm…"
"Please… tell them to come home soon?" She continues like you didn't say anything, "Your father probably lost track of time again…"
You reach out and take her hand. She doesn't give any indication that she feels it.
"I'm sorry, Mom," you lean close, hugging her tightly, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I was just… I was just trying to protect you."
Lie. You were chasing vengeance.
She doesn't move to reciprocate, and you eventually let her go. She just goes back to staring blankly at the wall, muttering something indiscernible to herself, like a conversation with the air.
The Captain leads you back out of the room, and you shut the door behind you.
"What happened?" you ask quietly, not daring to raise your voice lest your grief escape from your chest.
"I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist, but… I've seen this before, or something similar," she sighs, gaze distant, "My uncle had a family, they lived on Island Iffish at Loum before the war. He was away on a business trip when… well, you know what I'm talking about."
She closes her eyes, the painful memory twisting her features, "He used to be such a cheerful, open guy. Always took me and my sisters out for ice cream when he visited. After the colony drop, he came to live with us, but the man who arrived at our house… he was barely a shadow of himself. At first he was withdrawn, spent all his time in bed, usually crying. Then he just went into denial, started talking to his wife and our cousins like they were still there. Stopped responding to us entirely. He was living in his own delusion. He passed away just a couple of years ago."
"Yes, but… I'm here!" you choke back a sob, clutching your hand to your chest, "I'm still here, aren't I? I'm not dead! I was just leaving for a short while, I wasn't going off to die!"
Sarina just shakes her head sadly, "I'm sorry, I wish I could say more. But she clearly needs help. We can set you up here with a doctor if you want to stay in Von Braun but we have an expert in Londenion who has personal experience with mental trauma, if you're willing to stay with us."
You… You need to think about it. You mumble as much before pushing past her and staggering down the hallways towards your room.
The door slides open and Sicilia says something to you. You don't hear her. You shut the bathroom door behind you and lock it. She's still talking, and hitting the door, but you aren't listening. Clutching your arms together you slump against the bathroom wall and slide to the ground, this feeling of despair rising up in your throat.
Don't break down. Don't cry. You can't. You won't. You…
You scream. Grief, Fear, Despair, it's all there, pouring over you.
It's all you are now.
…
You don't know when Sicilia overrode the door. You don't know when she dragged you into bed.
What a strong little girl.
You stare at the ceiling for a long time. Your Little Sis is really worried about you. You mumble some words, enough to reassure her that you aren't comatose like your mother. You're still here… although you wish you weren't.
If only that Blue Hound hadn't killed your brother.
If only he'd taken you instead.
Your older brother would have known what to do, how to act, how to handle the loss. He's always been the strong one. Isn't that right, Kaylen?
You… You couldn't even take care of your own mother. What kind of daughter are you?
Sicilia eventually leaves to go get some food. She doesn't come back. Good. Better to stay away from you. You just want to disappear.
The clock says that half a day has gone by when the door chimes, and it opens after you don't answer.
"…Cybele?" Captain Sarina steps inside, "Are you alright?"
"…No," you shake your head slowly, "but that doesn't matter, does it?"
"Maybe it does," a new voice cuts in, an older male, maybe mid-30s or early 40s with short cropped light brown hair, somewhat sharp features, and wearing an immaculate business suit with an Anaheim pin steps in after Sarina, "it depends on whether you're in any state to make a deal."
You finally turn to look at them. He nods in greeting, although he's looking down at you. You can see it in his eyes.
"My name is Wong Lee, I'm with Anaheim Electronics." He introduces himself, "I would like to welcome you to Von Braun, and if you have the time I would like to discuss a potential business arrangement with you."
"…What?" you finally sit up at the sheer incredulity of that statement, "I'm a penniless kid from a colony that just got reduced to space dust. What could I possibly do for Anaheim Electronics?"
Wong Lee frowns slightly, "It's not about what you can do, Ms. Naese, it's what you have in your possession."
"That Gundam you have, the TR-6, we wish to purchase it from you. It's the only known intact example in the Earth Sphere. I was surprised to hear that a child was the owner of such a Mobile Suit, but as the Captain here has informed me," he takes a moment to glare at Sarina, "the TR-6 is legally yours by right of salvage, minus the horrid… modifications you made to it. I am authorized to negotiate the selling price if you-"
"No," you cut him off, "The Woundwort is not for sale. It's mine."
You… You feel oddly attached to it. In a similar way that you feel attached to Sicilia. A person and an object you met just days ago, and yet it feels like you've known them forever.
"…Very well," Wong Lee looks rather disappointed, "I have an alternative proposal, then. The Woundwort is a singular example of revolutionary technologies that we thought were lost to time. It would be a shame if it was destroyed without its design studied. So, if you will allow an Anaheim technician to accompany you and study your Mobile Suit, we will lend them to you as a mechanic for the TR-6 as well."
That… That is actually a good offer. You spend a good minute thinking about that. It's a great deal, but…
"…I want more," you finally answer him, "Give me something else in addition to that and I'll agree."
His frown deepens, "As I said, I can negotiate, but there are limits. This is already a very generous offer."
"Generous maybe, but you said the TR-6 is a one-of-a-kind, right?" you grin slightly at him, "I bet there are a lot of people who would jump at getting to work on and study my Gundam, with their reward being whatever engineering marvels it has. So why should I give the privilege of studying the Woundwort to Anaheim?"
Wong's eyebrow twitches. Got him.
"What," he clenches his fist, seemingly restraining himself from becoming violent, "did you have in mind?"
"What indeed?" you smile, feeling a whole lot better than you did minutes ago, "Well…"
[][Deal] You want your pick of equipment to add to the TR-6 out of Anaheim's catalog. Nothing illegal, of course, but price shouldn't be an issue.
[][Deal] Theo is flying a Saberfish right now. Eris is piloting a museum piece. That won't do. Your friends get their pick from Anaheim's lineup of MS.
[][Deal] Psychoframe Cockpit. Gimme.
[][Deal] Anaheim Electronics sold a Mass Production Nu Gundam to the Federation. You want any backdoor codes to that Mobile Suit that they have.
Still riding your high off of wringing that sweet deal out of that Anaheim suit, you decided to go into the city with Sicilia to grab some parfaits. The local tourism bureau was more than happy to recommend a few places! Sadly Theo and Eris declined to come with. Apparently the Agarma is owned by heroes from the First Neo Zeon War, and your friends are palling it up with them. Interesting, but you did promise Sicilia parfaits, so…
As the two of you walk down a busy street, you can't help but notice the… unusual individuals mixed into the crowd. A Federation uniform there, Londo Bell here, Republic of Zeon over there… it's so strange to see them all together here in this time of strife.
Well, you suppose people are just people, at the end of the day.
You're about halfway to the shop when you run into a crowd gathered in front of a large television screen hung on the side of a building. They're all watching with mixed reactions of curiosity, horror, and elation. On the screen is a blonde woman with short hair cropped at the neck and eyes of deep blue. In her early 30s at the most, she's speaking animatedly on a podium, dressed in a red version of a Zeon official's uniform… Huh, she reminds you of-
"Big Sis, I can't see!" Sicilia reaches up, and you pick her up to rest her on your shoulders. Together, you watch the broadcast.
"-years the Federation has promised peace and stability. And yet their actions prove their dishonest intent." She speaks somberly, gravely, her words weighed with passion and mourning, "Even now, we learned of the atrocities committed at Island Cascadia, the last surviving colony of Loum. The refugees arrived at Von Braun just yesterday, and their stories chill the soul. Millions dead, slaughtered without reason or rationale. They were not the collateral damage of a battle, they were deliberately targeted and exterminated! Mothers, Fathers, Children, Infants all wiped out! And for what?! Millions of innocents die at the hands of our oppressors, how can we be content to just let this happen? Is this the world we want to leave to our children?!"
She falls silent, shaking her head slowly.
"No. It is not… Like a good friend of mine, I wanted to believe in Humanity. I still do, but also as a Human Being I can no longer stand by and do nothing when I know it is within my power to affect change. It is within my power, within our power, to end this cycle of hatred!" The roar of a crowd can be heard from the broadcast. The woman lets it run its course.
"My brother knew the power of our name when he assumed the mantle of Zeon. It's a heavy burden, and one that I do not assume lightly. I take no joy in this, but there are things that must be done. May my father forgive me for using his name once more when it already has been abused by so many, but I do this so that future generations may not suffer as we have."
Wait, her brother? Zeon? Her father? No. That eye color, that hair, she can't be-
"As daughter of Zeon Zum Deikun, I, Artesia Som Deikun, hereby accept the position of Prime Minister of the Republic of Zeon. From this day forth, we proclaim our complete independence from the Federation! We will harbor all refugees from the Federation's tyrannical rule! Newtypes may find safe haven in our borders! We do not desire war with the Federation, but if we are challenged, we will respond with force!" She raises her hand in a Zeon salute, and you notice that she hesitates for just a moment, "For the freedom of all Spacenoids, and for a brighter future for Humanity, Sieg Zeon!"
The chant is repeated through the broadcast, and the crowd around you starts to mutter and argue.
"-Can't be, Deikun's daughter?"
"-probably a fake."
"There wasn't even an election, I heard it was a straight up coup!"
"-Federation won't stand for this."
"Just another fucking Zabi!"
"Sieg Zeon!"
That… That wasn't from the broadcast. You look up, and see Sicilia fixated on the screen, her arm raised in salute.
"Sieg Zeon!" she shouts, drawing the attention of everyone around you, "Sieg Zeon!"
Everyone is staring. Many of them are unkind. There are a few who are looking at her with respect though. A man in a worn military jacket raises his own arm.
"Sieg Zeon!" he cries out, looking around and motioning for others to follow him, "Sieg Zeon!"
"Zeon bastards!" a Federation soldier grabs the man by his shirt. Another man grabs him off and throws him to the ground.
"You Fed pigs are all the same! Fuck you!"
"Get off him you Zeek!"
"Sieg Zeon! Sieg-!"
"Let go of me! I said-!"
Sicilia is still chanting. The crowd is turning violent, turning on each other. It's only a matter of time before you get pulled into it, but for the moment people are choosing to stare at the pile of men tearing at each other's faces.
[][Riot] Run. Von Braun enforces neutrality. This won't end well.
[][Riot] Fight.
-[] Side with the Zeon rioters.
-[] Side with the Federation rioters.
[][Riot] Hide. You need to get Sicilia out of the spotlight, ASAP.
What's the pros of that psycho frame on this Gundam? I really want it because of how rare it'll probably be compared to the other options.
[][Riot] Hide. You need to get Sicilia out of the spotlight, ASAP.
Don't want to chance Sicilia with her starting things and whatever her secret origin is.
[][Riot] Hide. You need to get Sicilia out of the spotlight, ASAP.
Don't want to chance Sicilia with her starting things and whatever her secret origin is.
TheBleachDoctor
Secretly a Cat
- Location
- The Plane of Infinite Kittens
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I should probably mention since a friend pointed out how lopsided the deal vote options are, if you don't pick the MS for your friends, they still get new MS, it's just mass production units (still better than what they're flying though), and Psychoframe cockpit won't be available immediately, that takes time to manufacture and tune.
Cybele doesn't know this, but I wrote the votes from her POV.
Cybele doesn't know this, but I wrote the votes from her POV.
The Anaheim choice is pretty hard. The only one I'm not interested in is the backdoor for blue dog's Nu Gundam. We'll run into him again of course, but he won't be the only enemy we're going to run into.
TR-6 is all about the extra equipment so getting Anaheim's entire catalog of components for free is obviously a good idea. We'll probably have some options even without it but going a little crazy with the extra bits is what the Woundwort was built to do.
If keeping our friends alive is a priority giving them access to some quality Mobile Suits would definitely help. Even excellent mass production units like the ReZel (which has comparable stats to the Zeta Gundam) get torn apart on the regular.
As for the Psychoframe Cockpit? It's definitely the option we're least likely to find elsewhere, but we aren't getting it immediately either.
TR-6 is all about the extra equipment so getting Anaheim's entire catalog of components for free is obviously a good idea. We'll probably have some options even without it but going a little crazy with the extra bits is what the Woundwort was built to do.
If keeping our friends alive is a priority giving them access to some quality Mobile Suits would definitely help. Even excellent mass production units like the ReZel (which has comparable stats to the Zeta Gundam) get torn apart on the regular.
As for the Psychoframe Cockpit? It's definitely the option we're least likely to find elsewhere, but we aren't getting it immediately either.
- Location
- SV's Only Complete Persona Quest
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X][Deal] Psychoframe Cockpit. Gimme.
[X][Riot] Hide. You need to get Sicilia out of the spotlight, ASAP.
[X][Riot] Hide. You need to get Sicilia out of the spotlight, ASAP.