Part 8: Mission 3 - Prologue

There will be a LOT of new characters being shown here today. I’ll be doing my best to identify them.


Kazuma updates the ship's log with the latest events, our current cooperation with the Space Knights and, more importantly, our current, bankruptcy-averting mission to blow away Nergal's new boat.
Whatever that ship is called and the fact that it’s a new concept model doesn’t faze him one bit, as he’s sure that the combined power of the Valstork and its passengers should be more than enough to take it down.


Mihiro and Shihomi then call him over to the mission briefing.
Kazuma does so while exclaiming that his tension is in the “red zone”, as it were.



Meanwhile, at a Federation base, Corbett is taking Misumaru(that’s the guy with the ‘stache in the transmission) to task for letting the Nadesico escape from under his nose.
Misumaru understands the problem and says he has sent his Far East forces in pursuit, but Corbett is hardly satisfied and is adding the strength of some of the orbital forces.



They want to stop the Nadesico before it can break through the Radam's orbital blockade and escape the Earth sphere.
Corbett is adamant that the Nadesico's great power be added to the Federations' forces – they need it for the battles ahead.



Misumaru sounds rather dubious that just capturing the ship will put its warpower at their disposal.
Corbett doesn't want to hear that, and asks if Misumaru isn't softpedaling things just because his daughter is the Nadesico's captain.



Forreston then points out that Misumaru Yurika was undefeated in strategic simulations at the Federation academy.
Moreover, she's got the former Federation admiral Fukube Jin aboard - that, plus the Nadesico's formidable armaments, make it a ship *not* to underestimate.
Corbett figures no video game-playing girl can beat him and, furthermore, he takes Fukube for an old fool, who left the Army after the First Battle of Mars.



But he's not finished: he blames this whole mess on the fact that the GGG and various civilian research facilities were allowed to possess their own mecha.
Misumaru points out that these are the Federation's first lines of defense against the Zondar and Dr. Hell's forces: no one here has the authority to order them around.



Corbett, furious, insists that that kind of thinking is what let the Nadesico escape, until Forreston points out that Corbett hasn't done a particularly good job of capturing the Tekkamen either.
He tries to blame that on interference from Rose Abrovall, secretary-general of the UN, but Forreston, who happens to be the director of the intelligence bureau, is rather impressed with Rose's work.



He supposes she's quite the fly in certain army folks' ointment, though he smoothly refuses to engage Corbett in a head-on argument.
Corbett sniffs and inwardly dismisses Forreston for his lack of actual boots on the ground, who can be dealt with with force if necessary.



In any case, Forreston says that what's key right now is the recovery of the Nadesico and the subjugation of Nergal, lest their example lead to the collapse of Federation government authority.
Given the rumored underground ties between Nergal and the military-industrial complex, not to mention the Federation government, something serious must be done.



Corbett is sick of this talk, and tells Misumaru it's his responsibility to track down the Nadesico, and if it resists, to shoot it down as an example to Nergal.
Misumaru slowly agrees, and Corbett says that the brass will run negotiations with Nergal.
He orders Forreston to give Misumaru the necessary info and leaves the room.



This pretty much confirms Forreston's suspicions that the hawkish brigadier general has a hidden agenda.
Of course, Nergal probably has their own agenda too.



Misumaru thanks Forreston for minimizing the time he has to look at Corbett's mug.
When asked, Misumaru slowly describes the Nadesico as a threat...that is, his daughter's beauty and stunning figure are.
He's far cagier about the ship itself, whose Transposition Engine could well turn the tide of battle in Forreston's view.
Still, misuse of its power would not just be a loss for all mankind, but might send shockwaves through the entire military establishment.



Misumaru is perfectly well aware of that, and Forreston will say nothing more than to remind him not to lose sight of his mission.
Misumaru ends with a haiku that "A parent's feelings / For an unknowing daughter / Nurture her growing".
Even he isn't sure what his daughter is thinking...



Aboard said Nadesico, the crew has been gathered by Prospector ( THE SWORD THAT CLEAVES EV…wait, that’s another game.) to hear the captain, Misumaru Yurika, speak about their next moves.



Yurika starts by telling Akito to start being honest with himself and just admit that he loves her.
After all, he followed her aboard the ship, didn't he?



Akito stoutly refuses (while Megumi (Purple-haired girl )yells at Yurika for putting words in poor Akito’s mouth), saying that he's only the cook and warning that he'll leave the ship depending on what the plan turns out to be.



Yamada "Daigouji Gai" Jirou is quick to remind Akito is his vow – the one he made when he piloted Gai’s “Geki Ganger” to find off some Radam attackers.
Gai proclaims that Akito made a vow to protect Earth with him, though the cook has no such recollection of actually agreeing with that.



Gai’s talk makes Uribatake (the crazy lookin’ guy) yell at him not to call the Aestivalises weird names like that.
Gai refuses to do so as long as Uribatake doesn’t to start calling him Gai Daigouji and not Yamada Jirou – even if that is his actual name, Gai Daigouji is his SOUL name!



This is all very puzzling to the women, deriving as it does from the (fictional) Geki Ganger 3 anime.
Minato's (That’s the brown haired woman.)not very interested in anime, but Akito readily admits to watching reruns of that fabulous, moving series over and over as a kid.



Superfan Gai Daigouji figures that Geki Ganger is the inspiration, THE SOUL, for all mecha, including the Aesti he pilots, which is why he thinks he’s justified in his nicknames.
In any case, he's sure that Akito's soul promised to defend the Earth, despite Akito still professing no memory of any such thing.



Yurika wants to hear the cry of Akito's soul, but Ruri reminds her that the Federation is in hot pursuit.
It seems the Nadesico is bound for Mars, and Akito badly wants to see Mars' Utopia Colony with his own eyes.



[Fukube (The old man) looks sad at this, but the imposing Gort informs Akito in no uncertain terms that personal wants have nothing to do with the ship's direction.
It's the ship's owner, Nergal's will that dictates its course - and no one really expects Nergal's on-site overseer to say any different.
Of course, Minato knows more than most that Gort also has a soft side...
Yurika, in accordance with Akito's (and Nergal’s) wishes, orders the ship to head straight to Mars with the mission of info gathering and recovery of any survivors.



Of course, there's the little problem of the Jovian Lizards who control all of Mars - enemies fierce enough that even the Federation gave up trying to steal Mars back.
What good could there be in Nergal sending a lone ship into the wolves' den?
Yurika has no clue, so Prospector volunteers to explain a bit as, essentially, he's pretty much the power behind every throne aboard the ship, and was directly responsible for recruiting everyone aboard.



What is sending the Nadesico to Mars is Nergal's "Scaparelli Project", named in honor of an old-school Italian astronomer who studied Mars.
Minato is very impressed at their genius operator, whom she nicknames Ruriruri.
Simply put, there is a Nergal lab on Mars, and Nergal needs some data, items, and a researcher or two from that lab for some of its plans.



He is about to turn the mic back to Yurika to explain their detailed flight plan, including a "certain matter" when…





The Federation forces catch up and are moving to attack.
Akito and Gai quickly scramble to launch to fend them off, unless they want their trip to be interrupted already.



Next update, our journey into madness and the subversion of anime tropes with the Nadesico begins!