Part 24: Mission 7 (Setsuko) - Prologue
Setsuko Route Chapter 7 Prologue
Last time on Super Robot Wars Z, Two guys and a bunch of maids combined into one... giant robot they were piloting. Also the Earth Federation continues its pattern of "Let the heroes solve the problem, then come and arrest them." Which would be annoying if it wasn't so amusingly evil.
Current Top Aces
1. Denzel - 13 Kills
2. Kouji - 12 Kills
3. Duke Fleed - 12 Kills
4. Setsuko - 12 Kills
5. Toby - 11 Kills
The Gran Kaiser gets the starting touch up, a point in HP, armor, and Accuracy. And that's enough for now, on to the plot.
Runa catches Kappei skulking around the halls of San Germain, probably lost - and dressed in the Zambird's pilot suit. They're all supposed to sit tight to avoid giving the Alliance any excuse to move on them, but Kappei begs her to let him go - his dad's coming, and he wants to be there to meet him.
"Your dad?"
Kappei's dad is carrying a passenger: Toshiya Dan, a spacefarer he's giving a lift. Fate must have brought a space sailor and a sea sailor together," he chuckles, and besides, Toshiya's destination of Trinity City is just on the way to Gengoroh Jin's own hometown of Suruga Bay. Gengoroh's sense of brotherhood reminds Toshiya of his own father, another settler on Jupiter's moon Io, where humans have been working for six months to build a new life and a new community without worrying about Naturals and Coordinators. Toshiya points out that on Io, one false move could have killed the lot of them; it's an environment that will not tolerate discrimination over anything so petty. Gengoroh agrees: living on the sea is the same way.
What's Toshiya doing back on Earth, though, wonders Gengoroh? And not just Earth, but the floating ocean city of Trinity City. Well, Tetsuya explains that as someone who lived on Io, he's been called to test drive a new super robot with a miraculous new power reactor. Running into Captain Gengoroh when he got back, though, that was a twist of fortune.
And he definitely owes the Captain one and offers to return the favor any way he can. Gengoroh already has an idea: "When we get to Japan, I want you to find my son. Tell him everything you saw and felt on Jupiter. He has to learn about this vast world we live in and everything in it.
Meanwhile, our little crew has just discovered Kappei's escape. However, Tria, the chief mechanic maid (I'm not kidding, they're all maids), points out something suspicious: there's no way Kappei could have taken the Zambird out undetected unless someone else opened the mech hangar for him. It must have been an inside job.
Runa's guilt is all over her face, of course. She confesses what Kappei told her, that he was going to see his dad. Eiji keeps ripping into her, but Sandman pulls her into his office to explain. Privately.
Meanwhile, Mizuki and Raven explain: Runa's dad is a sensitive subject for her, since she lost hers in a Zeravire attack. He was a member of Earthgertz too, studying the Zeravire. That's why she's a Gran Knight - to avenge her father. And that's why she couldn't keep Kappei away from his dad.
Raven admits that what Runa did won't go unpunished, but that's up to Sandman. Our concern should be Kappei. Maria doesn't think he'd be so stupid as to put his dad in danger from the military (ha!), but Raven is still worried at what might happen to Suruga if he shows his face there. Just in case, he sends for Cookie, the combat maid, and advises we be ready to deploy again, just in case.
But where's Toga? He hasn't been seen all day.
Toga found a ferret and offers to take it back home.
"You talking to animals now?" snips Eiji. Toga innocently explains that he found Ferret ("No, that's what it is, not its name!") on his morning walk and, as we can see, is trying to find its home. Eiji points out that he's in the south tower, where Sandman has forbade them to go, and Toga rightly points out that so is Eiji.
Eiji's got a reason, though. The way he figures it, Sandman is hiding the truth about Ayaka from him, so anywhere Sandman tells him he can't go is a place that's likely to have a clue about her.
A girl who is not Ayaka appears, calling for "Lolotte," and the ferret runs to her.
: What are you doing here? Does Sandman know about this?
: ...
: What's your name?: ...
: We know you can talk! Answer him!: Uh...
: Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to sound mad.
: Don't worry. Eiji's always mad, but he's really nice.: I said I'm not mad!: You sound mad.
: Ugh...
: ...: What's your name?
: ...Leele.
Sandman catches them, and Leele calls him "Uncle." Sandman explains that she's another G-Factor host - and the pilot of the G-Shadow.
Back in Suruga, Tsukikage and Quinstein are here to see Professor Kazami, who looks exactly like a young Doctor Wily. He asks his assistant, Rie, to show them to the command room.
This is Julie Noguchi, and he's wondering why they're not going out to pick up the test pilot of the Unit 1 over the ocean as planned. Kazami explains that Tsukikage needed them to analyze the data they collected from those aliens urgently. The pilot will have to make it to Trinity City on its own. Yes, their sponsor, one Mr. Multino, wanted the new robot's development rushed - and Kazami knows that this robot could well change the world. But that depends on what happens with Tsukikage here, and Kazami wants Juli to sit in on the meeting.
Gengoroh and Toshiya have made it to Suruga only to find that the villagers are blaming the Jin family for the alien attacks, by way of a crowd of angry rioters surrounding his boat as soon as it pulls in to dock. To Kozuki, it's obvious that the aliens attacked their town for the battleship and battle robot they have for some reason despite not being military or anything. Gengoroh tries to explain that the Gaizock have come for the Earth, not just for them, but none of the villagers are buying it. Kozuki drives it in - all the villagers consider him and his whole family a threat. Kozuki personally, though, wants a word with Kappei before they drive the Jins out of their village for good - "and, sorry, old man, but I'm going to need you to be my hostage." Toshiya protests, and they just take him too.
Aki and Michi came out to tell him. But even they're having their doubts - is he an alien? Is that why the aliens came for Suruga? Kappei refuses to take this and runs off to confront Kozuki.
Chiyonishiki takes point while Kappei comes around...