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A short time after the battle with the pursuers of Zeon defector Lalah Sune, the White Base II has begun to move to a position where they can send a communications signal. To their surprise they receive a signal before they have a chance to send one.
“Alright, let’s hear the signal.” says Captain Bright Noa, sitting in his position on the bridge of the White Base.
“Celestial Being to White Base II, do you copy? This is Commodore Kati Mannequin of the Londo Bell task force.”
“White Base copies, Celestial Being. What is the situation?”
“Captain Noa, the 13th Autonomous Corps has been reassigned to the Londo Bell task force, under my command. This is under the authority of the newly formed United Earth Federation Alliance, formed by the Treaty of Lagrange One. The Earth Federation is now part of the United Earth Federation Alliance.”
“Understood. However, there is something I must bring to your attention. During our sweep of the Shoal Zone we encountered a team from the 300th Independent Corps of the Principality of Zeon. They were pursuing a modified Dom, designation MS-09R4 “Schnee Weiss”, piloted by Ensign Lalah Sune. However, they indicated that the pursuit was a ruse to hide their complicity in Ensign Sune’s escape.”
“Ensign Sune told you this?”
Not just her. One of our pilots had contact with Major Char Aznable.”
“Char Aznable is involved in this? His animosity with the Zabi family is known to our intelligence. He could plausibly betray his superior, Kycillia Zabi of the Mobile Attack Force. What is his motivation, however?”
“We believe we know what that is. According to the Ensign, the Principality of Zeon has had covert contact with the Earth Cradle Faction of the Divine Crusaders. They are supposed to receive an advanced control system from the Divine Crusaders within the day. This control system is called the GEIM system and is potentially dangerous. Ensign Sune was supposed to be the pilot of a mobile weapon using the GEIM system, which is supposedly why Major Aznable arranged her defection.”
“This information is quite valuable. If at all possible we must prevent the Principality of Zeon from receiving the GEIM system. However, there is something you must do before then. A shuttle has carried several mobile weapons into space and is due to rendezvous with you. Your orders are to carry out the rendezvous, transfer the mobile weapons and their pilots to the White Base and Ensign Sune’s Dom to the shuttle. You are then to bring those mobile weapons and their pilots to the Celestial Being along with Ensign Sune. Until you arrive at the Celestial Being Lalah Sune is to be under observation at all times and kept away from sensitive areas of the ship. She will receive a full debriefing after you arrive. I will be using Veda to calculate a potential route for you to take in order to intercept the transfer between the Divine Crusaders and Zeon.”
“Do these mobile weapons belong to the United Earth Federation Alliance?”
“No, they are civilian operated. They include Mazinger Z and Diana A of the Photon Power Labs and the Proto-Getter Robo belonging to the Saotome Labs. These are extremely powerful mobile weapons known as ‘Super Robots, ‘ so we are hoping they will work alongside us to secure the Earth Sphere. Treat the pilots well, they aren’t military so they aren’t expected to adhere to military codes.”
“Understood, Commodore.”
On the Celestial Being Commodore Mannequin leaves her cabin and heads towards the bridge. When she arrives, Londo Bell personnel and the Innovades, artificial beings originally designed to help fulfill the plans of Aeolia Schienburg, the man who initially envisioned the creation of the Celestial Being, as well as the organization of the same name that were intended to carry out Schienburg’s plan for world peace, are hard at work operating the vessel. Commodore Mannequin didn’t entirely trust the Innovades, but for now they seemed content to serve the UEFA.
One of the officers on duty said, “Commodore on the bridge!”
“At ease, Commander.” responded the Commodore, “We have to calculate a trajectory for one of our vessels using Veda.”
She then proceeded to tell the bridge crew the situation with the White Base and the GEIM system. Veda, the A.I. system originally used by Celestial Being to help them plan their armed interventions. Now it was, at least nominally, controlled by the UEFA. It was connected to the UEFA military network, though given that Celestial Being also had access to Veda the connection is highly encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
“Alright, we know that the Divine Crusaders will be leaving from the Earth Cradle, in Senegal. The 300th Independent Corps is based at Granada at the moon. The White Base II’s coordinates are already in the system. Given these variables, where are they likely to meet and what route should the White Base take to intercept them?”
“Understood, beginning analysis.” said an Innovade on the bridge. The Innovades began to operate the computers with extreme efficiency. Indeed, they barely touched the keyboard, being able to operate the computer through the use of quantum brainwaves.
After a moment, the Innovades stopped, with the one saying “Likely coordinates located, along with the route the White Base should take.”
“Alright, send the navigational data to the White Base.” says Commodore Mannequin, “I will be returning to my cabin.”
Commodore Mannequin turns back and heads back to her cabin. With her luck her husband would be waiting for her, to regale her with stories of his last mission. She loved Patrick, but he could be irritating at times.
Several hours later the White Base II rendezvoused with the shuttle and began transferring machines between the vessels. Kaylee is on hand in the hangar to oversee the procedure.
The first machine to enter had a head that appeared like a castle tower of black iron. The coloration on the body was largely black and white, with the forearms and lower legs being blue. Their were also two large red plates mounted on the chest, that curved upwards in the middle before straightening out again. It was propelled forwards by rockets in each of its feet. Kaylee direct it to land and park in one of the mobile suit bays, next to the G-3 Gundam where the Guncannon Heavy Arms had been previously.
Kaylee knew this to be Mazinger Z, a Super Robot. Its photon energy reactor gave it power comparable to that of a Mobile Armor, despite being slightly smaller than the Gundam. Its armor was Super Alloy Z, considerably stronger than the Luna Titanium used by the Gundam and Guncannon. Unfortunately, it had no maneuvering thrusters, limiting its mobility in space.
Kaylee saw the pilot wave to her from the cockpit, which was contained in craft like a Core Fighter. It detached from the head and landed in one of the bays used for the non-mobile suit craft. The pilot climbed out, and Kaylee could see that he was wearing a white helmet of an odd shape and a pilot suit that was red, a darker shade of red in places.
“Hey, you are pretty good looking for a military officer,” he says as removes his helmet, revealing a spiky haircut with large, forward pointing bangs.
“Uh, thanks,” responded Kaylee, who had not been expecting such behavior. Then the second machine landed, appearing similar to Mazinger Z, except more slender and feminine, with a largely blue and pink color scheme. This was the Diana A, companion machine to Mazinger Z.
“Koji, you aren’t bothering that woman, are you?” came a voice from the robot.
“No, of course not Sayaka! Hey, I think I will go and see how Ryoma and the rest are doing!” says Koji as he flees the hangar.
The Diana A moves to the final mobile suit bay in the hangar. Then something happens that Kaylee does not expect. A beam of some kind projects from the back of theDiana A’s head to the floor of the hangar. Then Sayaka comes riding down the beam on a motorcycle, parking and stepping off. She is wearing a pilot suit much like that of Koji, the helmet being white with a red triangle extending from the visior back. The suit was largely yellow, but had purple gloves and boots as well as a purple sash on her waist.
“Where did that lout get off to? I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know his way to the other hangar. I’d better find him.”
“Wait,” interjects Kaylee. “My name is Kaywinnet Lee Frye, but you can call me Kaylee. My rank is Master Chief Petty Officer. I just wanted to ask you about that light that came out of your machine? Was that some kind of solid light projection?”
“That’s called the Aurora Road. I don’t know the details, but it is solid light, hence why I can drive on it. My name is Sayaka Yumi and the dumbass who just ran out of here is called Koji Kabuto. We’re from the Photon Power Labs.”
“Oh, that is amazing. I’d love to visit the labs sometime and see what other awesome technology you guys are working on. I love machines and I am in charge of maintenance on this ship. Though, I was already briefed on your names and identity. The captain said that he wanted the new arrivals to meet him up on the bridge, so I guess I better help you find your friend.”
In between the two hangers, in the pilot’s ready room, Amuro Ray and Ryu Jose are watching Lalah Sune. Lalah says, “The Schnee Weiss is going on that shuttle and I’m staying here. I wonder if that is because I am considered less important than it.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. Our mobile weapons here on the White Base II are not that advanced. I even heard about a mass-produced psycommu-capable mobile suit, though production was actually canceled shortly after it began.”
“Amuro, that’s not really the sort of thing we should be discussing with Ensign Sune.”
“Oh, yeah. I know she isn’t a spy, but…”
Amuro’s sentence is interrupted by Koji barging into the room.
“Oh, hey, I’m Koji Kabuto from the Photon Power Labs.”
“That name,” responds Amuro, “You are the pilot of that Super Robot, Mazinger Z. Do you think you could show it to me later?”
“Yeah sure. Right now though I’m hoping to avoid Sayaka. She’s mad at me for flirting with another girl again…”
“You really care about Sayaka, don’t you?” suddenly asks Lalah.
“Uh yeah sure. We’ve fought together in countless battles.” Koji nervously responds.
“Koji, this is Lalah Sune, she’s sort of our guest. I’m Amuro Ray, pilot of the RX-78-3 Gundam ‘G-3’ and this is Ryu Jose, pilot of the RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Arms.” says Amuro. Lalah says right after, “I’m sorry if my question made you uncomfortable. I am just… sensitive to these sorts of things.”
“No problem, you just surprised me, that’s all.”
Ryu Jose speaks up, “Lalah Sune is what is called a ‘Newtype,’ so she has certain abilities the rest of us don’t. We members of the White Base crew have also been called Newtypes, but so far as we can tell only some of us like Amuro have the power. True Newtypes seem to have a sixth sense and can even operate special equipment. Unfortunately, we don’t really have time to talk about it for too long. The captain wants to see you and the others.”
“Well I better go and see him though I don’t know the way,” he says just before the door opens behind him. Sayaka is standing there.
“Well there you are! This isn’t the time to be running around! We are wanted on the bridge!”
“Oh, hi Sayaka, these guys were just telling me that.”
“Well, we better hurry up and go then.”
“Amuro, why don’t you show our new friends the way to the bridge? I’ll escort Ensign Sune to her quarters.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll do that,” says Amuro, not entirely enthusiastically.
The two groups split up. Amuro and Kaylee guide the new pilots to the bridge, while Ryu and Lalah head towards the living quarters. The White Base continues onwards towards the rendezvous point for the Zeon and Divine Crusaders exchange...