Part 86: Post-mission 23 Intermission and Mission 24 - Prologue
Well, that was a big mission but we don’t get to relax as we’re about to be thrust into another finale. Before that, though, the intermission and your top aces:
Bless’ MAPing antics have tied him with Kazuma.
Also, it should be noted that Blade’s position is in jeopardy – after all those Gatling Drivers, Gai is officially tied with him at 50 kills.
Before anything else, let’s sell that Repair Kit for some extra cash.
BP Upgrades:
Boss’ shenanigans has given him quite a haul of BP (mind you, he doesn’t get anything if he uses his final attack – it DOES destroy him). He spends in evenly inbetween Melee and Defense.
Kazuma also spends his BP evenly: 2 in melee, 2 in shooting.
Skill Parts:
I don’t think any of our main attackers will have an issue reaching the maximum level of Multicombo, so I just pick Gai to give him a boost right away.
Unit Upgrades:
Valhawk/Valstork and Shin Getter gain a boost to their weapons.
Great Mazinger and Golion get more HP and Armor.
Finally, Mao and Kurz gain extra EN(for Uruz Strike) and Mobility.
Unit Parts:
The only “worthwhile” piece that we got was the Cobham Armor from Wufei. It goes straight to the Nadesico because every other Super/Battleship already has something.
That’s all there is to it. Now, on with the next mission’s prologue:
Inside Minato’s room, she receives the news that Tsukumo’s words helped the Jovians see the error of their ways; Yukina is also relieved that her brother didn’t die as his spirit lives on.
Regardless, Minato still feels like there’s a hole in her chest and,by way of cheering her up, Yukina promises to become Minato's "son-in-law" if it'll make her feel better - which actually provokes a smile.
Minato figures the answer to her previous conundrum, in that she'd rather be the one doing the protecting, and at least resolves to do her new "son-in-law" proud.
It’s December 26th, and Kazuma reports that the mess caused by the uninvited guests on Christmas Eve has finally calmed down.
Rose has actually taken Marimea under her venerated wing; though if Marimea is a present, that would make Dekim Santa Claus.
Anyway, the uproar has helped distract Kazuma from his lack of a girlfriend to spend Christmas with; he's heard rumors of Minato's resurgence, and as a secret fan of hers he hopes she recovers soon.
Gai breaks some interesting news to our team: believe it or not, we’re heading back to Mars.
This is of course the logical next step after the Jovian withdrawal from Earth, especially with the Ruins still in Jovian hands.
Akito is worried that we're going back to the old "might makes right" tactics, but Akatsuki points out that our indomitable force, which actually moved the Jovians' hearts, isn't in that line of work.
There's a tinge of sarcasm in his words, but no falsehood: our strategic objective isn't slaughtering the Jovians, it's reclaiming the Ruins.
Kogane grasps the concept right off - take away the Jovian trump card, and we might just get them back to the peace table: maximum reward for minimum sacrifice.
Zechs relates that we must move there quickly too but not to prevent the Jovians from mastering the Martian tech; more troublesome is the fact that federation army is building massive fleet, spoiling for a decisive battle and probably out to capture the Ruins too.
Given that it's now proven that we can talk with the Jovians, the Federation army's insistence on force is all too extreme...as though those in charge never acknowledged the Jovians as human to begin with.
This sounds like the hallmark of Blue Cosmos, a political body at the spear point of the anti-Coordinator sentiment.
Rumors place this body's power base at the center of the New Earth Federation government and military: a cancer that shocks the righteous Princess Fahra to her core.
Mao is quite vehemently against such discrimination, a more liberal stance than Kurz has heard her take; with a nasty smirk, she tells him that no matter if you shoot a Coordinator, a Jovian or a Natural - all of them die.
Anyway, we've got to get Mars under control before the flames of war engulf it, and Mamoru will be coming along as a fully-fledged member of Wärter.
He explains that the Primevals haven't been seen on the Earth for two weeks and it’s making the folks at GGG get worried; Kouji suggests that J might have dealt with the rest of them but it’s also unlikely as the J-Ark hasn’t been sighted for a long time, too.
As such, Mamoru will be coming along with Leo and Liger to patrol the solar system, using his sensory skills to detect the Primevals; also, considering our previous run-in with Arm on Mars, it’s safe to assume that the remaining Primevals are also there.
If that’s true, we’ll need Mamoru to deal with them.
Mamoru has told his family (and Hana) the whole truth, and to his vast relief none of them has been treating him any differently.
What he did promise them is his safe return to Earth, and Sousuke guarantees that he'll make that happen.
In fact, Kaname had helped him talk to his family, and was crying her eyes out by the time they were done.
Mamoru also has a gift from Miyuki for her brother, a beautiful Amaryllis flower.
Shihomi notes that, in the language of flowers, this blossom connotes "pride" - a perfect fit for D-Boy; Mamoru tells D-Boy that his sister is doing fine in GGG America, and wants him not to worry about her.
As Aki points out, D-Boy now has a reason to come back alive, too, but he wasn't planning otherwise – he still has his own mission to deal with.
Gai adds that Taiga and Lady Une will be along too, on what Kazuma cheerfully calls the "greatest and final" battle.
Duo warns him not to jinx them with words like "final", though that sounds unconvincing coming from someone known as the "Grim Reaper"; what Kazuma meant was that our people surely have nothing to fear when gathered together.
Gai agrees – we’ll certainly put a stop to the fighting on Mars.
Except perhaps for whoever has seen fit to strike before we even get underway: Yurika gets on the comm and reports the approach of a fleet of Federation ships heading towards Orbit Base.
Ines figures they are coming to make sure we don’t get to Mars before them but both Yurika and Akito are determined not to let them slow us down.
The "Exo-Earth Mankind Suppression Force" arrives sooner than expected; Leo asks what’s the purpose of this newly-made force and its commander claims it's the will of the Security Council, and indeed all of humans living on Earth, that they go and smite the exo-Earth humans who fled to Mars.
He claims that any attempt to impede his mission will be considered treason against the entire world, making Hyuuma call them on their pretentiousness of thinking they act on behalf of the entire world.
Taiga points out to this commander that as our forces are directly attached to the Federation executive branch and we're entitled to act on your own - that is, he has no right to obstruct our trip to Mars.
The commander regards these as extenuating circumstances that supersede our rights; he says that anything that might pose a threat to the crucial battle to come, on which the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, must be eliminated.
He plans to stop us by force if necessary; Hyuuma asks if we can’t just charge through these guys but Freeman reminds that him it really would be best to avoid outright war with the Federation army if possible.
Luckily, it's not only possible to avoid fighting here, Ines has already made the necessary arrangements to do so.
Akito realizes he's been summoned to the bridge because he's somehow involved.
Ines asks him and Yurika to envision the red vastness of Mars with her, planning to replicate the Boson Jump that brought the Nadesico back to Earth in the first place.
The Feds detect the expanding field across our ships but it’s too late: the tulip crystals are already active and both Nadesico and Valstork are surrounded by the field.
With the image in place, Ines asks them to initiate the jump.
Akito focuses on stopping the war on Mars, and our fleet vanishes.
The Fed commander realizes all too late that we were capable of Boson Jumping…
Mission 24 - Various “Like Yourselves”
Back on Mars, Yamasaki is having trouble with the Ruins, several of whose innermost recesses are dimensionally partitioned from the rest of the complex.
He tells Kusakabe that it's going to take a while longer to claim the treasure of this, the largest "City" they've found yet; Kusakabe tells him to hurry, so they can head back to the Earth.
He then addresses his new set of troops, telling them the time has come to collect reparations for their comrades who were sapped of their fighting spirit by the unfair Earthlings' tactics.
Yamasaki is grimly amused at the efficiency with which Kusakabe has cleansed the memory of what really happened to said comrades from the record, all in the name of "Justice".
When Genichirou asks, Saburouta tells him that Genpachirou's ship is in the rear echelon, thanks to trouble with its Transposition Engine.
Regardless, Saburouta is sure that their defensive lines are safe: he even requested Tsukumo's beloved Daitetsujin for the purpose of helping guard the Ruins.
He plans to see that Tsukumo's "unfulfilled wish" comes true in the next battle against the earthlings, which puts a rather bitter expression on Genichirou's face.
Genichirou now realizes the full extent of the damage his bullet has dealt the Jovians' future, and inwardly asks his victim for forgiveness.
Just then, the Jovian forces detect an incoming Boson Jump and are aghast by our people showing up right next to them, giving them the unpleasant realization that our forces have mastered biological Boson Jumping.
Akito and Yurika are very surprised that the whole thing actually worked but quickly realize the ruins nearby and initiate the attack before the Jovians have a chance to organize themselves.
Yessir, it’s time for the Nadesico Finale and, again, this calls for voting time!
Mind you, to avoid losing my sanity when going up against 3 Distortion Field’d bosses, I’m going to deploy Volfogg.
With that taken care of, you guys have 14 slots to choose from. Mind you, Akito has deployed as an event unit, so choose from these units below:
- Gaogaigar, Enryuu, Fuuryuu, Rairyuu, Hyoryuu, Mike
- Sousuke, Mao, Kurz
- Ryouko, Hikaru, Izumi, Akatsuki
- Shin Getter
- Kouji, Tetsuya, Sayaka, Boss
- Blade, Blue Earth
- Golion
- Heero, Duo, Trowa, Zechs, Quatre
See you all then!