Part 38: Mission 12 - Blue Sky Fish - Part 2

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy…oh, well.
Rand and company can’t attack anything for now but the AEUG posse has some new toys: Emma is in Quattro’s old Rick Dias, Reccoa is in a new Methuss and Quattro’s got a shiny, new Hyaku Shiki.

Let’s take a look at what matters here:

Hyaku Shiki (Quattro Bajeena)


Quattro’s new Solid Gold Sex Machine (as dubbed by Vibratingsheep) is a lot more impressive when it’s surrounded by Hizacks, Rick Dias and Nemos...in here, I find that it’s just “meh” (oddly enough, it doesn’t have an Anti-Beam Coating which was the source of its color).
It certainly blows his old unit away, with strong attacks that cover his bases nicely: this thing is more than capable as an excellent mook hunter, sporting an ALL and TRI attacks.
Problem is…I find that, as the game goes along, it’s easily outshined by better units and it’ll probably get reduced to a squaddie which is a damn shame, as Quattro’s still an excellent pilot.
It’s best to just switch him to a stronger UC unit but taking people off their own units is not something I like to do…



That said, Quattro’s still pretty damn good for this stage of the game, so let’s have him tear up a nearby squad.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Q_lgCnfI4
Focused Attack really helps with this but, for some reason, the squaddies took the brunt of the damage.

Keep in mind, you REALLY don’t want to move your forces too far in – use Accel if you want but keep a healthy distance.
Camille and Shinn move side-by-side with their respective ships providing cover.



Enemy Phase!



Quattro’s target decides to gun for Shinn and I figure I’d rather bust out his TRI attack to gain some easy morale.












Ok, maybe it was a bit of overkill.



This one’s good, though. A full-health squad of Dagger L’s goes after Camille.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IUxexVGkzM
I really like how dead squaddies explode during the volley, instead of just off-screen.
Camille also gets jumped by a generic Titan in a Marasai and responds with his ALL Bazooka.




Another Marasai went after Eureka but she easily swats him away.
Jerid and Kacricon are closing in but don’t get in range…they’re about to become the lesser of our problems, though.



Player Phase!





Camille gets that feeling again and knows something’s coming: a transformable Mobile Armor called Messala, piloted by Paptimus Scirocco.
Created with thrusters powerful enough to fly in Jupiter and resist its massive gravity pull, Scirocco is having no problems piloting it in our atmosphere. Still, he can feel Earth’s gravity clinging to his body and the sensation is deeply unpleasant to him.
It seems that evil intent Camille sensed was coming from him and Quattro is feeling his mental Pressure all the way across the battlefield – who is this man?

Scirocco sees in us an interesting group of opponents and hopes that we can entertain him enough that his descent to Earth will have been worthwhile. Quattro tells everyone to be careful as we don’t know what that Mobile Armor can do but Reccoa doesn’t even seem to be paying attention.
When Emma asks, she says it’s nothing but Scirocco noticed her looking at him and thinks things are getting even more interesting…



Here we go, the Skill Point is revealed and it’ll require some care: starting now, we have two turns to shoot down Scirocco.
Why is it a problem? Well….



Messala (Paptimus Scirocco)
Pilot Skills:

• Newtype L6
  
• Counter L6
  
• Ignore Size Difference

Features:

• Sword Cut

Squad Leader Bonus: Accuracy Rate +30%, Counterattacking Damage +20%
Scirocco’s Voice Actor: Bin Shimada (other known works: Broly in Dragon Ball Z, Contagio in SRW 2nd OGs, Luke Skywalker in various Star Wars things, and many others).

This guy’s real dangerous and you need to be careful when dealing with him or you might lose someone if they’re unprotected.
That Squad Bonus, paired with a high Newtype rating and MASSIVE stats across the board means he’ll hit pretty much anyone unless you get lucky or you cast Alert.
The Skill Point means you need to get in his face quickly but, if you just rush in to position yourself, you’ll be forced to waste SP while on approach and that’s no good. So, what you need to do is check his range which is, at most, 7 with his ALL Mega Particle Cannon.
Scirocco will prioritize going after Camille or Quattro, so mark that range on the map, set them up as bait at the edge of that range and hope he takes it: once he’s close, swarm and take him out quickly (make good use of the ships’ Support Attacks).
As I said, it’s unlikely he’ll miss unless you use Alert so keep in mind that anyone else will be taking good damage (even squaddies) and, if anything, make sure you don’t lose Eureka as that’s a game over.

We’ll start bringing people over to deal with Scirocco but, in the meantime, we’ll kill whatever gets in range.
Next turn, however, everything but the Messala will be ignored to give us leeway for the Skill Point.



Now, we can’t really move the AEUG/Zaft posse any further or they’ll be in Scirocco’s range, so Bright will take a potshot at that nearby Marasai group.








Good man.





Quattro switches to Wide Formation, just in case, and takes out the remaining Hi-Zacks that survived Bright’s bombardment.



Jerid will, obviously, make a beeline for Camille, so Holland will take this time to soften him up with his ALL attack.


















“You think someone bound by military regulations can beat me?!”
Odds point to a resounding “no”, Holland.







Eureka further damages Jerid, leaving him ready to be killed when he attacks.
Rand, meanwhile, takes out another of the generic Marasais.




Shinn switches to his Blaster pack and takes a shot at Kacricon, too.



Enemy Phase!







A batch of Dagger-Ls moves after the Gekko and Talho blasts them back with some missiles (while dodging two of their three attacks).
Eureka, meanwhile, simply smacks a Hi-Zack around.



Clever girl…Kacricon decides to TRI attack Quattro – the only one that isn’t capable of hitting back.






Of course, that’s not going to hit Quattro.



You are too predictable, Jerid.



: Camille! We finally meet again!
: 1st Lt. Jerid?!
: No matter what happens to the world, you will always be my enemy!
: I’m taking you out right here and now - for Lila!
: You…you’re fighting for a personal grudge even with all that’s going on?!








And he didn’t even get a chance to attack as Camille countered.



Jerid drops another Chobham armor and gives everyone a level up: Reccoa learns Support Defend L2





Jerid doesn’t understand why he can’t win but vows to find a way to do so – for Lila and for his own pride.



Here comes Scirocco and I’m already worried: Camille, with focus, has an 82% chance to be hit.
Rather than risk a dodge failing and him eating a critical hit (which might oneshot), I’ll just have him defend.



: This pressure…it's coming from him?!
: The pilot can sense my pressure and, despite that, is trying to push back?
: What a waste…! You have such potential but you’re going to die without making any use of it!
: As if I'd let you have this your way!






Not about to take chances here.



Player Phase!

Alright, let’s get this started!
I’ll be using Strike/Sense whenever possible.



: Even the Hyaku Shiki is having a hard time keeping up with him…!
: The pilot of this gaudy unit seems to be quite skilled… Still, this is as far as you’ll go…!
: This man’s pressure…it’s different from Amuro’s…! It’s like a bottomless abyss…!

































: I wonder which is superior: the maneuverability of my Messala or of your LFO…?
: This guy…he ain’t like the others! He’s keeping up with my Lifting?!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvC-otIsCXg
Holy shit, did I get lucky here. Matthew evaded a 95% shot.



: Zaft’s latest model? Hmhm…it seems that, even in different worlds, human designs don’t change.
: …Is this guy toying with me?!
: However, even a Gundam from another world will be no match for me!














Damn it, Scirocco, I spent that wall-of-text talking about how accurate you were and you just missed and 80%/70% shot on, respectively, Shinn and Ray?!
I guess I’m just absurdly lucky today…



Either way, I don’t expect Camille to be able to do nearly 4000 damage on him without upgrades, so let’s have Talia take him down just a wee bit more.












Should be good now.




Now, I wasn’t sure if the mission would end when Scirocco was killed (it doesn’t), so I played it safe and went for Kacricon quickly.



Talho learned Lucky for taking out his Marasai buddies.



Get to it, Eureka.












Boosh!
He drops another Magnet Coating.





Kacricon quickly realizes that teaming up with the Coordinators has given the AEUG a major boost in strength and retreats before things get worse.



Take him out, Camille.


















And I was right to have weakened him with Talia as that did little over 3400.



Everyone takes two levels and Emma learns Alert.









Scirocco figures he can’t hang around anymore, lest he be late to his meeting with Jamitov.
He still thinks he can deal with our group any time he feels like it and retreats. Shinn has to wonder who that was, as it seems he was of a different branch of the Titans.
One way or another, he was really powerful.




Well, that’s just unfair – they all ran off, leaving a squad of Dagger-Ls and two Hi-Zacks to fight us.
Rand promptly strikes a critical hit for a massive overkill.



Enemy Phase!




Talho dispatches the other Daggers when they attack her.



And Camille will handle the rest.










Or, rather, he would if the enemy wasn’t in Wide formation…



Player Phase!



Fine, then.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG3cjb5fbC8
“Don’t you understand that the Earth Federation will become another Zabi Family?!”
…I’ll admit that that attack looks pretty snazzy for a basic beam saber.

Also, here’s Setsuko’s dialogue for this mission:

-Vs. Anything-
: I’ll complete with Virgola together with the 1st Lt…!
: I can’t die before that! I will live on!!


-Vs. Jerid-
: Glory Star’s cheerleader! So you still live!
: 1st Lt. Jerid…!
: You think acting like you know me going to save your life? It won't! You’re a traitor!
: I'm not about to any such thing! I've a reason why I must survive and that's why I'm still fighting!
: I won’t give up – even if that puts me against the Titans!





No sooner does the battle ends, the Izumo squad returns – it seems their retreat was merely to have the Titans exhaust us to make their job easier.
Furthermore, they were able to get reinforcements which means they can carry out their mission. Jürgens agrees and prepares to, first off, cripple the Nirvash to stop it from zipping around.



: There are too many! Eureka can’t shake them off!



: UWAH! Way this is going, we'll--!
: Sorry…Nirvash…
: Oh, right…! The Amita Drive!
: That’s…
: I’ll…protect you! I’ll protect you and this unit with this Amita Drive!
: What?! How did that kid--!
: My grandpa told me that if we plug it in, it’ll open the “Satori” and this LFO, the Nirvash Type Zero, will truly awaken! So…!
: Amita Drive! SET OOOOOON!!



: !

*Tooooeeeeeeeeeeep.*

: The Nirvash stopped moving!
: Not good!
: Now! Take down the Type Zero!!
: W-wait! Why aren’t we moving?! Why?! Is my life going to end right here?!
: It’s going to end at just 14 years old?! H-hold on second! WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!
: It’s alright…
: !
: Trust me.



: Everyone, run!
: Why?!
: If you value your life, get out of here! NOW!!
: Captain! Unknown particles are appearing from the LFO’s crash site!
: What is it?!
: All units, retreat! Something’s happening!
: Trapar field is rapidly increasing!
: Can it be…? Impossible!
: It’s that kid! He delivered the Amita Drive to the Nirvash!
: It’s coming...a Seven Swell!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVkXQo7OwXU





: RAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

*Crash! Break! Smash!*

: All KLF units destroyed! That glowing unit has neutralized them all!
: What is this…?!
: The Seven Swell…
: (However, this proves that his theory is correct…)
: Jeez…
: Leaving behind something that causes stuff like this…you really bring misfortune to your parents…
: And, on top of that, you got your son involved in it as well. This is the light that destroys and guides us towards death…
: But...it sure is beautiful…




Back at Axel’s house, Holland is saying that Renton is fine, aside from having been knocked out, and is resting in his room.
As for the Nirvash, the entire area around it has been reduced to pillars of salt – the same effect that happened with Holland’s master. Either way, it’s been a long while since he and Axel ever saw face-to-face and, truth be told, Holland wouldn’t have expected it to happen again.
Axel wants to know why he’s come over here and sighs that he always manages to make a mess out of his life whenever he shows up. He reckons Holland is nothing but trouble but allows him to say just one thing.

Holland wants to thank him and Axel has an idea of why he came here with the Type Zero, even after promising never to return.
He’s asks if Holland has made a decision and says, after what happened, he'll no choice but to take some responsibility, regardless of what happens to them. Axel still wants to give Renton a chance to find ordinary happiness here but, Holland asks, is that really what the kid wants?
Axel thinks the kid’ll, someday, understand which side is right.



If that’s the case, why did Axel tell Renton to deliver the Amita drive, when it meant he’d have to do something so dangerous?
Holland thinks the old man doesn’t really believe what he’s saying or, rather, he’s just fooling himself into thinking he believes it.
“You’re wrong! I do believe it! What does a vagrant like you know about that?!” Axel snaps and Holland wonders, then, why was he holding onto the Amita Drive all this time. It’s because it was Axel’s son, Renton’s father, who made it and he figures, besides him, Renton’s the only one worthy of having it.
He doesn’t intend to forgive Holland but, given the circumstances, there’s no one else he can entrust it to and, in tears, Axel tells Holland to just go away. Holland can only apologize as he starts to do so.



Renton then walks in, confused as to why his father created something like this and his grandfather kept it around.
In fact, he doesn’t know why any of this happened and wonders what he should do. “That’s for you to decide”, says Holland, “To choose what you believe in and to make your decisions – that’s all your responsibility”.
Like all Lifters, it’s his call whether to ride the wave or to let it die out.
However, Holland figures he already has his answer as there’s no way he could’ve pulled the Cutback Drop Turn if he didn’t believe the wave – he believed in the world and was answered in kind. Of course, he could simply stop right now and it might not be a bad call.
However, Holland remembers something his master once told him: “Don’t beg, earn it. Then, it’ll be given to you,” the same words Renton’s father told him.
He asks what Renton believed in as he was inside the Nirvash and, while Axel tries to end their conversation, Holland says there’s nothing else to be said as Eureka’s coming to speak with the kid.



Eureka, indeed, finds Renton to be very interesting and says that Nirvash likes him, too.
It's been a long time since she met someone like him and doesn't want to leave him behind now – she adds that there's a really good wave coming...



At the Gekko Go’s hangar, Renton’s getting sized up by the team members, including someone we haven’t met before: Moondoggie .
They were kind of expecting someone extraordinary to make Eureka smile, but all of them are bummed by how ordinary he is – not funny enough for Matthew and really out of style for Gidget. The crew starts dispersing, disappointed at how they set him up so high only to have their time wasted.
The only one who stays behind is Talho, who Renton recognizes as the model for ray=out.



She gets close to the VERY blushing kid and pinches his cheeks before leaving.
Rand, observing this, quips the kid has a lot to learn and Holland figures, considering how he’s partially responsible for Renton “running away from home”, he’ll have to take him in as part of the crew. He also extends an invitation to Rand but he prefers to keep his feet on the ground.
Still, he wouldn’t mind a lift to the middle of the Pacific – sure, he’s a wanted man but so is Holland. He agrees, since Rand helped out Eureka and Renton.
Meanwhile, in Setsuko’s path, Holland unceremoniously hands Renton a tent and tells him to camp out in the hangar as there are no rooms available. He doesn’t even know what he’ll do with the kid but figures he’ll think of something.



Renton’s thinking of his new crewmates when a boy, Linck, comes over and kicks him in the shins.
Eureka quickly chides him but the kid tells his “Mama” that he doesn’t even know this guy. Renton protests that he’s also a member of the Gekkostate but doubles back to that “Mama” bit.



Another boy (Maurice) and girl (Maeter) also come in while glaring at Renton and Eureka introduces them as her children.
Renton, in panic, switches back to his inner monologue telling her sister that these Gekkostate people are REALLY weird.



Aboard the Argama, Torres has confirmed that all the KLF's who didn't flee were destroyed by whatever that LFO did.
Any mobile suits caught in the blast were either neutralized or suffered internal explosions, too. Saegusa is about to send a full report on the event, as requested by Plant, for further analysis.
As per the information we’ve available, the Seven Swell phenomenon occurs when the polarity of a Trapar field is reversed but that’s pretty much all we have – studies on the Trapar are very recent. Still, having seen what happened today, Bright understands why Durandal is so worried about the possibility of another Summer of Love occurring.





When the Summer struck Promised Land, prior to the “Break the World”, where most tech was based on Trapars, the result was widespread instances of machinery going out of control and lifelines failing.
Naturally, societal order was severely strained shortly after, bringing the world to the brink of total chaos, until the phenomenon was stopped by Adroc Thurston.
In the report we got from Zaft’s intelligence bureau, they mentioned Adroc’s family living here and the Gekkostate came to town precisely to visit them. Looking for something related to the Summer of Love, maybe?

Durandal seems to know something, though, since he ordered both the Minerva and Argama to get in touch with the Gekkostate. Bright somberly thinks that, due to the dimensional collapse, the AEUG’s resources sharply fell so, right now, they’ve no choice but to work together with Zaft – no questions asked.
Quattro sighs that things didn’t change that much since their original world – there are still people running the war from the shadows. At least they and Zaft are on the same page of what must be done: eliminating those who distort the New Federation’s purpose – the Titans and Blue Cosmos.
These groups are, essentially, a cancer inside the New Federation.




Furthermore, despite the massive military corps that was formed from the birth of the New Earth Federation, their officials remaining nothing more than puppets at the hands of the government.
Though they’ve proclaimed themselves as the world’s police and intervene in all conflict zones, the reality is that they simply use the banner of upholding law and order as a way to forcibly annex regions and eliminate the opposition. One way or another, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the Earth is almost completely unified under the New Federation and, even if they don’t have direct control, several countries and organizations have joined hands with them with hope of mutual gain.

The people are none the wiser of what’s actually going on, like with that story about the fall of Junius Seven causing the dimensional collapse. However, the former Earth Alliance had pictures of theirs and Zaft’s movements during the fall and that “evidence” was all that was needed to push the masses towards the anti-Zaft movement.
Bright can only shake his head at the absurdity of all this, that they would use a disaster for such baseless propaganda, which is why, Quattro says, we have to keep fighting, to sow confusion amidst the Titans and Blue Cosmos’ ranks and allow Durandal to play his hand.
At least tailing the Gekkostate provides good cover for that real aim.



In Setsuko’s path, Camille comes in and brings her along.
Bright is glad to finally meet her face-to-face, considering how many times the Glory Star helped them and she’s equally thankful for his help in the past. During these months, Emma has briefed them on the Glory Star and their duties on the Moon, and they regret to hear what happened to Denzel.
Setsuko sadly remembers that, in the end, he showed her what she must do in this world and Quattro, unfortunately, informs her that, despite previous investigation, they weren’t able to compile a lot of information on Toby, so there’s not much to give her.

However, Bright would like to ask if she’d be willing to help them once again: as she’s aware, the Titans’ influence plays a major role in the control of the world and, despite their alliance with Zaft, the fact remains that the AEUG’s military strength has suffered big losses and still isn’t where it needs to be.
Furthermore, the Titans also displayed her and her team as traitors after the “Break the World”, despite the good will behind their actions. They WILL be coming after her but, if she stays with the AEUG, she’ll be safer.

The AEUG took a stand against the Titans because they realized the danger they represent so, if anything, they’re in the same boat as Setsuko. She does agree with their ideals and she understands the threat of the Titans ever since coming to this world.
However, she cannot join with them as there are things she needs to do and the first one is to find Toby. Bright respects her wishes and offers to take her wherever she wants – to the middle of the Pacific ocean, a focal point of information from all over the world.



Quattro tells Camille to have Astonage service her Virgola and, also, to use both data from the Hyaku Shiki and the Methuss to develop a customized unit.
It’s just as a precaution but both of them need to prepare for solo combat if necessary and Camille quickly asks if Quattro distrusts Durandal in some way.

“I may admire the Chairman’s skill...but a man with that tone of voice seems like he might have an ulterior motive…” he says.



Location: New Earth Federation Headquarters – Sage Council



Kuzemi(old man), Coda(green lady) and Braya(bearded guy), having received confirmation of the Seven Swell, realize that Adroc Thurston’s Ageha Project was correct.
With that, Braya approves rebuilding "that man's” squad and Jamitov asks if they’re saying this world’s going to be destroyed sooner than expected.



Coda confirms it will, if they stand around doing nothing.
Which is why they’ve summoned the man most qualified to deal with this issue.



That’d be Dewey Novak, a LtCol. of the old United Federation of Predgio Towers.
Jamitov has heard of him, the one supposed to be the heir of Adroc Thurston’s dying wish. Dewey pledges all his strength to protect whichever world is at risk and Jamitov tells him to do whatever he deems necessary, including mustering troops.
Kuzemi thinks that’s excessive but Jamitov figures, if the world’s destroyed, they’ll all go with it. Still, Braya wonders if it’s wise to split the Predgio Towers’ troops like this as it might open the way for other problems – despite the Rivalry Zones, space seems to be quite troublesome nowadays.
Jamitov figures those “Logos’ upstarts” can deal with the Coordinators while they handle things down here. However, he did bring in some help, too.




That would be Scirocco, who greets the Sages and Jamitov, and professes to be deeply honored to meet them.
He’s been called by Jamitov to assume command of a special squad with the purpose of eliminating anyone who opposes them and Coda sees that he has a certain “presence” that’s different from the regular Titans. Jamitov adds that, not only is Scirocco Jupiter-born, he was present during the Seven Swell and survived unscathed.

Dewey is impressed at Jamitov’s right-hand man but Scirocco says it wasn’t difficult. Regardless, Dewey will execute the Anti-Coralian Plan, promising to bring the fruits of his labor soon, and Scirocco will eliminate anyone who gets in the way.
Koda proclaims that it’s all to restore peace to this chaotic world and Scirocco only replies with a faint smirk.
Dewey, meanwhile, has someone in mind: “Wait just a bit more, Holland…The 'King' has returned…”.