Part 100: Mission 55 - The Promised Land - Part 1
Location: La Vie En Rose
: Lt., I’ve brought the ambassador.
: Thank you, sergeant.: …Madam Erika, please.
: Yes…
: It’s been a long time, ambassador. We apologize for calling you all the way here.: It was no problem…
: And, with her, everyone is here, yes?
: I believe so.
: Then, Akiyama, please report the situation.: Aye, aye. At 11:12 pm, Japan time, all communications with Earth were cut off.
: All of them…?: Yes. This set all colonies and the lunar cities – meaning the entirety of the Earth Sphere, really – in a state of emergency.: And… not long ago, we’ve received this video. It’s been confirmed to be of Earth.
: Wh-What?!
: Y-You can’t be serious…!
: It looks just like…!
: J-Jupiter…!: And you’re saying this is real…?: It’s like a colossal Tokyo Jupiter… a Terra Jupiter, rather.: You’re correct… that’s an area of dimensional discontinuity.: Just what is going on at Earth…?!: Regarding what caused this, our current investigation has hundreds of theories but the one that’s looking more likely is that Operation Doolittle was executed with the Star of La Mu.: But there was still some time before the operation was scheduled to start, no?: Something might’ve gone wrong… or maybe someone else got their hands on the Star…: This Star of La Mu has such power that it is capable of something like this…?
: It’s got enough that the Bähbem Foundation tried so very hard to have it… so it’s a possibility.: …: And we have no idea of what is going on inside?: We don’t, no…: …The appearance of the Mass-Produced EVAs… the attempted execution of the Human Instrumentality Project… the RahXephon’s awakening… and the sudden emergence of that gigantic winged being over Earth’s surface…: Did all those overlapping events bring this about…?: I wonder what’ll happen to our world now.: … The Magnate Ten might know.
Mission 55 – The Promised Land
: Wh-What is this space…?!
: Where are we…?!
: This… isn’t Heaven, I don’t think…
: All hands, status report!
: Dimensional values are reversed and in the negatives!
: We’re getting quasi-Cherenkov radiation readings from all around us!
: We’ve lost visual with the surface – with all of Earth, even!
: Unable to establish communications with GEAR HQ, the Lydia Lytviak or any installation!
: The Raideen has been recovered – no issues with the pilot!
: The dimensional intersections are getting more and more disorderly!
: I don’t suppose we can get some intel on the situation on Earth or its sector?
: Communications, video feeds and all sensors aren’t completely blank!
: We’ve been trapped in some kind of isolated space…? Or maybe…
: The world around us itself was transformed…
: Cpt. Bright, we should try to get some information on our current situation…
: Right. Deploy all troops… have them scan the area around the Nahel Argama and Nadesico.
: Vice Commander Fuyutsuki, here’s the data we’ve collected thus far.
: A dimensional discontinuity… But this boundary… it’s a fault between dimensions?
: Wait, do you mean we’re inside that barrier that was being formed…?!
: But the inside of Tokyo Jupiter was nowhere near this messed-up!: …Earth may now be en route to a different form of demise than Instrumentality or Tuning.: Different from those…?!: Hm. SEELE and Bähbem presumed that major obstacles could potentially get in the way of their respective scripts… Thus, they arranged safeguards to cause a superficial destruction of the world.
: That was why Bähbem restored the Devil Gundam with Ulube Ishikawa?: Yes, whereas SEELE laid out the AI1 Program.
: Wha—?!: AI1…Program?!
: You mean that same AI1…?!
: So it really was SEELE managing the Tsentr Project from the shadows…!: Correct… the Project itself was no more than a front for the AI1 Program.
: …!: The actual objective of that program was to develop a mobile weapon capable of removing anything that’d impede SEELE’s script: Angels, Dolems, the Devil Gundam and the like…: Said mobile weapon would be equipped with an extremely powerful artificial intelligence, the Lasmunanium and its DG Cell-esque abilities, and a TE Engine. That is what Code MX – the Model X – would be.
: “MX”… Then, that item on the budget was…!: Referring to the AI1 Program.: In that case, our unit and the Medius were…: The founding stones upon which the Model X would be built upon, of course.
: …: But the Medius Locus we saw is not the actual Model X. Moreover, Mitall Zapato was apparently going to act against the Committee’s command and exclude AI1 from the tenth TE Absorber. : (And that is why Ms. Mitte…!): The Committee’s AI1 Program was one of the various processes involved in the Pluridimensional Instrumentality Project – a backup… : Though I doubt anyone expected the Medius Locus to try carrying out its purpose by absorbing the Star of La Mu.
: You mean the Medius created this space, then?!*Alarm!*
: We’ve a heat signal approaching from below!: !!
: The Medius Locus…!: What happened to the captain and Elde?! Are they inside it?!
: Ms. Mitte! Albero! Talk to us!*…*
: No response…!
: Captain! What happened with you?!*…*
: Kch…!
: You think those two are already…?: No way! The captain wouldn’t die that easy! : What’s going on in the Medius, Aqua?!: I’m getting energy readings on a massively different level from what it’d displayed to this point. 
: That’s because it absorbed the Star of La Mu?!: Yes… 
: Then that thing’s being powered by Mutron Energy now…!: Right. The Lasmunanium was energized to an insane degree because of it.
: And that, in turn, helped it evolve so much more than before…!: Hm… Its size and overall shape underwent major changes.
: But if Albero and Elde aren’t there, then who’s flying it?: I presume AI1 is now the unit’s core…
: Meaning AI1 is piloting this new Medius?: I-I don’t know. But we’re not getting any response from Ms. Mitte and Albero, so it might…!
: Be out of control…?!
: …
: We’re getting even stronger energy readings from the Medius!
: A bunch of smaller units came out of it!
: They’re gonna attack us?!: Maj. Katsuragi, order the troops to engage. They will be doing the same to us.: Because we’re tagged as a threat to the script…?: Yes – that machine bears all of SEELE and Elde Mitte’s malice. : And having both lost its controller and taken in the tremendous energy of the Star of La Mu… I fear AI1, now berserk, will try to absorb everything into itself.
: Absorb... That’s the same damn thing as the Devil Gundam!: No, it may actually be even worse. If the vice commander is right, the Medius will take not only us but all of Earth into itself…!
: But we can get Earth back to normal by wrecking that thing, right?!: There’s no guarantee… but it is worth trying.: “Trying”, huh…?
: …Let’s just go all the way, Captain. There won’t be a home for us to return to if we don’t win it back ourselves.
: Right on! We’ll put this thing down!
: We’ve worked too hard for things to end like this and I ain’t taking it!
: They’re right, Bright. We came back to Earth to stop that end from happening.
: This is the world Ayato chose… He and Quon left it to us and I don’t want to see it gone.
: I’ve some of the responsibility for stuff getting like this… Plus, my mom trusted me with the Star of La Mu, so there’s no way I’m letting the Medius take it!: No… the responsibility is ours.: Right… this only happened because we didn’t stop Ms. Mitte when we should have…!
: You’re wrong. Every one of us must take responsibility – the responsibility of defending Earth’s future.: He’s right. And if I may add to the choir, no one here is willing to accept this kind of finale.
: Yes, there’s no guarantee that we’ll make it back alive… but we won’t just give up.
: We’re still alive, so we gotta go and do everything that’s within our power. Right, Misato?: Absolutely…!
: Captain Bright…!: Give the word, Bright!: Alright…!
: Here are my orders as commanding officer of the Magnate Ten! : Your target is the Medius Locus! All units, muster every ounce of your strength and bring it down!
: Roger!
: Here we go, folks! This is so we can have our world back!
: So we can make real a world where people of different planets can stand shoulder-to-shoulder!
: And so that world is brimming with peace and hope!: Troops, attack!!
Take out the Medius, don’t lose either ship or the Garmraid. This mission isn’t AS hard as the last one but you still must proceed with a modicum of care.
The Medius spawned a bunch of new mooks to deal with us and they’ve got decent HP pools but it’s your only way to build morale. All the while, the main bot will be sniping you down – keeping a steady rotation of Confuse casts will save you a headache.
As before, don’t be afraid to open with some Spirit/Drive/Rouse casts to speed things up for you.
As for what we’re dealing with:
First and foremost, know what everything here is packing S ranks so expect better-than-usual hit %s against your guys. Now, the blue Sinestra drone is the tankier of the two models unleashed: they’ve got 40k HP and a surprisingly high amount of armor BUT, in exchange, their weapons don’t hit as hard and have no accuracy modifiers.
They’re mostly there to slow you down and force you to waste resources since you’ll NEED to deal with a bunch of them for morale (they’re the most numerous enemies).
On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve the red Dextra. These have piss for armor and less HP but come packing a whole lot of firepower and high accuracy modifiers (less range, though).
If possible, they should be the ones you focus on for quicker morale, though half of them are in the enemy’s back line – send your speedier guys there.
Medius Locus
Mech Features:
- TE Sphere
- Debuff Immunity
- 10% HP Regen
Hulked-Out Medius is a beefy enemy but doesn’t hit as hard as some of the stuff we’ve dealt with. Consider it an MP EVA with 150% more HP and capable of attacking as far as twelve tiles away with its best weapon. It’s accurate enough, though held back by the fact that AI1 isn’t that capable a pilot: all of its stats are lower than said EVAs, Zero, the Gulfer Emperor and it doesn’t hit as hard as they do.
As with the Dextras, he’s here simply to stonewall you and make you waste resources, so try to conserve as much as you can. You know better than to expect a Pilot Skill-less boss to be the end of it, right?
Let’s get to work, setting that EWAC right up front.
It’ll start off slow but we’ll get there as soon as we can start hitting the Dextras.
Takes a good 40% of my entire team to get just this one Sinestra down. At least they don’t regen like the EVAs.
Off it goes.
One down, another couple dozen to go. Would it be a spoiler to say that I’m sending Masato up ahead to blast away a big chunk of HP off a bunch of them?
Enemy Phase!
AI1 can’t touch Light.
Eastern batch of Sinestras split their attention between Rom and Kazuya, with varying degrees of success.
Rom slaps them away, though Kazuya either can’t parry their rocket punches or he got bad rolls (didn’t take TOO much damage).
Ginga, meanwhile, abuses his infinite power to cut down the western group as they gang up on him.
Player Phase!
Maybe you didn’t feel the need to use too many Support Attacks along the game (or couldn’t, like in the last one) but this mission really wants you to bust as many as possible to maximize damage while conserving SP.
Ruri’s always good to lead an attack with how strong the Gravity Blast is, while Bright’s Commander skill adds a hefty punch if you can pair it with strong hitters like Hugo.
After the captains are done, it’s an easy kill for Shinji.
While Ginga further blasts his group, we’re still working to the east.
Might as well send some guys over.
This is all to keep us busy while Masato gets in position. Once he blasts everything, we’ll really tear them up.
Tetsuya finishes the job with some help from Rain, Boss and Rom.
Enemy Phase!
Here comes AI1, going after Shinji.
: My mom and dad both loved our world…: And I… I’ll also fight to keep it safe!!
Surprisingly, he dodges a 75% hit.
Rom dances with the western Sinestras this turn.
Masato is doing the usual.
I actually have him stop blasting enemies after the second, lest his MAPW wreck half our available Dextras – we gotta share those!
Player Phase!
Rather than having to hold my folks back for another, I just pop Zeal with Masato.
: This world means so much to me! I’m finding my way back to it and that means I have to beat you!
Four Dextras get killed and everything else loses a bunch of HP.
And now we go to town: one for Domon, one for Boss, one for Light and one for Maillot…
One for Asuka too.
Now this is so much simpler. FYI, I saw fit to max her (and Shinji) out in accordance to that vote we had before.
And I reckon you’ve gotten the gist of it. I didn’t care to go after all the mooks simply because the more distant Dextras didn’t get blasted by Masato and held back until the last possible moment. At that point, I had more than enough morale.
With that, fast forward another turn and we move to engage the Medius.
Here are its two cool attacks, too:
: Concentrate all fire dead ahead. We’ll be bringing down this being and returning to Earth.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mYtvD72vQc
: Bring it on, beastie! We’ve come too far to get dropped right at the finish line!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhIxOPEzKCU
: All gun batteries forward! Have all our units provide covering fire to the Nahel Argama! We stop the Medius here and now!
: I’m not letting a rampaging rust-bucket have its way with our world!
: My master… and Schwarz… So many warriors loved our Earth! And I will take it back!
: Wolf Blade, I beseech you…! Strike down this monstrosity and guide us to that blue planet once more!
: His Excellency, Marshal Guiltorre, loved Earth… and I’ll rip it out of your clutches!!: You purple piece of crap, put our planet back in its place!
: I’m getting back...! I’ll be tearing you to pieces and, then, getting back to Erika!
: We can’t lose this one…! No machine’s gonna gets its hands on Musashi’s beloved Earth!
: Get over here, monster!
: Earth’s our home and we’re gonna make you give it back!!
: We’ve always found our way back to that beautiful green land and we’ll do so again after you’re beaten!!
: My mom risked her life to protect the Star of La Mu! You’ll pay for using it for evil!: Neither me nor the Raideen are going to let you continue to exist!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdDaQ7ZXcCw
Here are the convos we didn’t get:
: Not just we but so many people put their lives on the line to protect Earth! How could we ever let the Medius take it?!--
: (This mech… it’s no ordinary piece of weaponry, just as I suspected…): (I can sense the evil of so many people… is that what impels it…?!)--
: You’re not getting away with this…! I’m not letting a crazed weapon take hold of our future!!--
: Let’s do this, freak! I’m turning you into scrap and getting back to Leina by dinnertime!!--
: In your final moments, AI1, you’ll have learned two things… 
: The meaning of the words “tenacity”… and “defeat”.--
: Let's do this, girls! Time to settle this once and for all!
: Roger! We'll clean that AI's clock!
: When you clean an AI's clock... Maybe it overclocks them... Heheheh...: …: The target has stopped moving!
: Did we get him?!: N-No! The energy readings are still off the charts!!
: Wh-What the hell?!: It used the Lasmunanium to regenerate?!: But its appearance is…!
: It’s not a humanoid bot or the monster it was just now…!: Th-That’s…!
: What, did you figure something out?!: That’s the Medius’ core section, where AI1 was stored…!!
: What?!: And the core itself is growing bigger and bigger…! : Then that whole thing’s AI1?!: Yes…! But it’s still an artificial intelligence… how can it do something like this by itself?!: E-Energy readings are spiking – they’re growing nonstop!: This isn’t Mutron Energy… It’s Terminus Energy?!: Space-time anomaly detected! Time is being dilated at an estimated one-to-twelve ratio to the outside!!: Twice that of Tokyo Jupiter…!: Dimensional values are dipping further into the negatives! Unable to quantify!
: At this rate, this dimensional fault itself will break apart!: What’ll happen when it does?!: Worst case scenario, it could unleash an Anti-A.T. Field, making it impossible for isolated life-forms to sustain themselves!: What?!: Meaning every person would revert back to LCL, the primordial soup.: It’d be no different from Instrumentality. To think SEELE’s old men’s wish would be realized like this …!: They may define that as Instrumentality but…!: Hm. It'd be incapable of restoring the world or humanity… this is nothing more than a means with which to unify all through death. Even should Instrumentality succeed, there will be nothing beyond it.: So those weirdo eggheads just wanna end the world, screw everything else?!: The Lasmunanium’s liquefying! Target’s energy readings are increasing further!: It’s still evolving?!: Is this rampage a side-effect of its pooled data being loaded at once…? Or was it programmed to do this from the very beginning?!
: Hmhmhmhm…Heheheh…Ahahahahahah… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!: !!: That voice…! It’s!
: AAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes, it’s me!!: M-Ms. Mitte…!: She’s still alive?!: I am! My sweet AI1 brought me back to life as part of its control systems!: Wh-What?!: This is wonderful… superb! This is AI1’s end result! The apex of his evolution! His true form!: It’s magnificent! Truly magnificent! AHAHAHAHAHA!!: Ms. Mitte…!: But you don’t want to stop, do you, AI1? How far will you go? What will you show me?
: Ms. Mitte, please stop this!!: Oh, if it isn’t Aqua…? You still live, I see.: What you’re doing’ll mean the end of the world! What do you expect to gain from this?!: Ahahahahaha! An appropriately Aqua-esque interjection!: !!: Didn’t I tell you before? All I care about is seeing the final outcome – whatever outcome AI1’ll produce!: But!: This is how I’ve been from day one! It’s not my fault you had me all wrong! HAHAHAHAHA!!: Th-This broad is…!
: Doing this only for her self-satisfaction…?!: Ms. Mitte…!: And I’ve had more than enough of your worthless notions of right and wrong! I’ll show you a world that has no need for such nonsense!!: Ms. Mitte… you’re being controlled by AI1! But it’s not too late – let go of it!!: Trying to talk me down won’t get you anywhere! I’ve already made up my mind to reduce every single one of you to dust!: There will be no gods, humans or their weapons! My sweet AI1 will pass judgment upon all!!: Urgh, she’s not even listening to us!
: Though I guess that’s a bit better than those guys who go on and on about their new world order, revolution, rebirth or whatever…: Elde Mitte… You’re…!: Aqua…!: …I know. And I’ll do as I must: I’ll put a stop to her.: Can you actually do that? You never amounted to anything more than being a student of mine.: I can, Elde!
: !: It’s true that I learned so much from you… : But I’ve learned so much more after meeting Hugo and the Magnate Ten!: Aqua…: Hmhmhm… But if you think that’ll enable you to stop me or AI1, you better think again!: Elde Mitte… I’ve a question for you: what happened to the Captain – to Albero Est?: Hmm… What did happen to him, I wonder? Maybe AI1 revived him like me and propped him as a biological component somewhere?: Or maybe he’s already dead… : !!: Either way, it doesn’t matter to me! He was always meant as just a control module for the Medius Locus…! But AI1’ll function if he has me even without a component like him! The man had outlived his usefulness!: You bitch!!: Aw, did I hurt your feelings? Still, I think I now agree a bit with what he said. : What?!: Humans are a necessary component to push a machine beyond the limits of its specs…! AI1 learned that from him and that’s why he brought me back! : Although it looks like the man himself couldn’t make good on his will to survive!: …: “Find out how to live through the unlivable”? “Defeat your enemy and come back alive”? “Revenge”? “Make peace with the past”? Such hilarious things he rambled about! AHAHAHAHA!: AI1 rejected him precisely because he was bogged down by worthless sentimentality! AHAHAHA! HAAHAAHAHA! Worthless! Worthless! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!: Yeah, it may be worthless… to you, at least.: ?!: But if this theory of yours holds water, then why are we still here? How did we manage to beat the Medius Locus?: …!
: You and your AI1 simply don’t get those “worthless” notions…! : It’s that will to survive – the resolve to pull through with your own power – that wins battles!
: Someone so obsessed with seeing the end result that she’d even sell out her own life has no chance in hell of taking us out! You haven’t what it takes to end a world where so many people are trying to go on living!: We’ll have to put that to the test, then! Say your goodbyes to all around you!
: Hmph, that’s our line.
: Yeah. If you’re the source of this whole phenomenon…
: Then the solution is simple!: Elde Mitte and AI1! Our fists will tear you apart! : Good, good! You’ll all watch as AI1 reaches his zenith!: No one here has any interest in watching as things end in destruction!
: And it might be arrogant of us to try and decide the fate of the entire world by ourselves… but the correctness of our actions is something that can only be decided if said world endures.: HAHAHAHAHA! And what guarantee do you have the world’ll go back to normal even if you manage to beat us?!: But there is no guarantee that things will play out your way, either.
: That’s right – because we’re all still here!
: The problem is that it was your egomania educating AI1… Still, we can give you AN outcome to see. : We already know what that’s gonna be, though.: That’s right… The outcome we want made real is for every person who loves peace to have their future!: Then I’ll just unify all that you are – down to that iron determination – and join you with AI1 himself… Everything’ll be “All In 1”!!
: Ahaa, so that’s what the name means.: No one here’s gonna be becoming “1” with you, freak!
: Yup. That’s a bit too graphic for public consumption.
: Even if it wasn’t, we’d still pass on it.: Then it seems everyone’s mind is set! Grant us your final command, Mr. Bright!: …Not even I know what awaits us at the end of this battle… But there has to be a reason for why we’re all standing here right now.: That’s an answer I want to find, so I’d like everyone to lend their strength to make it so.: You don’t even need to ask, Bright.: We do this to be reunited with our loved ones, too…: To take back memories once lost…: And for all the folks waiting for us to get home…!
: Today…: Today, our hands will finally seize our victory and our future!!: Final target: AI1! All units, open fire!!: Let’s do this thing, people! Time for one last showdown!!: Hell, yeah! We’ll show that crazy bint that the world ain’t ending while we’re keeping watch!!: AHAHAHAHA! AI1 is everything to me – nothing else matters! : Go, AI1! Evolve! To the apex! The zenith! To the level of God and beyond!!: We won’t let someone like you have control over this world’s future! : Elde! I’ll carve out our and the Captain’s way of life – our will to live – into AI1’s body!!