Part 92: Mission 27 (Rand) - The 15-year-old Ghost - Part 1
Mission 27 (Rand) – The 15-Year-Old Ghost
Aimzat thanks Katokk for his work, which allowed for them to safely capture Jamil, but, truth be told, what Katokk wanted most was to put a bullet in Jamil’s head.
Aimzat has been informed that Jamil’s Newtype abilities are nearly all gone but he still thinks there can be some use to him. Katokk sniffs that talking about Newtypes is his third least favorite subject after his dead wife and alcohol.
Aimzat asks what’s his reason for hating Newtypes so and Katokk answers by asking if he’s fought in the war 15 years ago – he hasn’t, only joining the army after it was over. Katokk thought so, figuring it’d take someone who hasn’t felt that kind of hell to have an interest in Newtypes.
Regardless, Aimzat doesn’t plan on preaching the value of Newtypes to him but he’ll allow him to serve on his guard in order to observe the experiment and, hopefully, see how useful his hated Newtypes can be.
Shagia enters, bringing Eureka in tow and Aimzat has read much about her in documents from the Predgio Towers’ Army.
He says Dewey has asked about her but tells the angry girl that there’s no reason to worry – they won’t hurt her until Dewey comes over. Shagia inwardly wonders what is the guy’s interest in this girl and if she’s the reason why the Gekkostate are targets.
Renton and the Freeden crew have been thrown in jail and Renton’s trying to kick the door down to go after Eureka. It falls on Kid to tell him that doing that won’t be any good but Renton’s still worried about what might happen to Eureka after she was taken away.
Tonya wonders what the feds could be planning with the girl and while Renton doesn’t know, he does know Eureka might be punished because she and the others deserted the army way back when. Tex tells him to calm down as our only option right now is to wait for our friends to come rescue us.
Nearby, Garrod’s wondering what were those Gundam-like MSs that surrounded our two units – they flew and attacked with machine-like perfection. Jamil says it was the Flash System and Garrod remembers seeing that name from registering the GX's Satellite Cannon.
Jamil explains that it's a Newtype-specific combat system that, on top of allowing usage of the Satellite System, also allowed the Newtype to remotely control several unmanned mobile suits called G-Bits (the things that attacked us). Garrod takes this to mean that there’s a Newtype in this base that was controlling those things.
Sara’s afraid it could’ve been Tifa but Garrod’s sure, if that was the case, she must’ve been forced to do so.
Katokk shows up to see that everyone’s in one piece but Garrod’s far from happy that the guy tricked us like that. Katokk plays dumb but Garrod’s well aware that it was him who told the feds that we were coming over.
Katokk jokingly confirms, further annoying Garrod, but he says he’s not here to fight us right now – he’s got business with “Mr. Hero” over there. Jamil asks what’s his problem with him and Katokk’s rather miffed that the triggerman for the mass colony drops 15 years ago would ask something like that.
Back then, the Space Revolutionary Army took over some Earth-aligned colonies and threatened to drop them on Earth - it was nothing more than an act of intimidation.
However, Jamil followed orders to use his GX’s Satellite Cannon to destroy one of those colonies and that, in turn, caused the revolutionaries to respond by making good on their threat and dropping several colonies onto the surface.
Jamil admits to everything he said but Garrod protests that it’s not like he wanted to cause that chain-reaction. Katokk is aware of that but he can’t help it considering his wife and daughter were on the colony Jamil destroyed…
For these past 15 years he’s been searching for a place to die but, before he goes, he wants to get revenge against Newtypes or he’d never be able to face his wife in the other world.
He’s been told how Jamil’s been protecting the Newtype girl and asks if he thinks doing that would atone for his sins.
Jamil won’t deny it and says that he might’ve been trying to ease his pain of the past by doing so. Katokk quips that he’s a weaker man than he expected and wonders if such a man will be able to withstand what’ll happen next.
He calls Jamil over, saying the base commander is waiting for him – along with a 15-year-old ghost.
Aimzat was only expecting Katokk to bring Jamil over to him, not all other prisoners, but Katokk figured it’d be fun to have them see that famous Newtype power that Aimzat speaks of.
Aimzat accepts it, saying it’s almost time for Abel’s experiment. Renton cuts in, demanding to know where Eureka is and what they’re going to do with her but Aimzat shushes him, reminding that they’re here only as spectators.
In truth, he only has use for Jamil and Tifa but Jamil says that, whatever he’s planning to do with him will be pointless, as he’s long since lost his Newtype powers. Aimzat’s got that memo but, considering the scarcity of Newtypes, he’s still useful as research material.
Furthermore, he figures Jamil will have plenty of questions to ask about “her” – or has he really lost his powers to the point where he can’t even sense her mind? After all, he’s heard that this woman was quite important to Jamil, 15 years ago.
It’s Lucille Liliant and Aimzat's made her the core of the Flash System after she lost her bodily functions 15 years ago.
In other words, those G-Bits that jumped us were under her control or, rather, she was acting as a conduit for Aimzat’s orders. Sara can’t believe he’d use a person like a weapon and Tex doubts that anyone with a shred of human heart could bear to do this to someone else.
Aimzat doesn’t see any difference in what he does here to what goes on in other worlds: the former Earth Federation’s Cyber Newtypes, the Extended of the Former Earth Alliance…it was their research that allowed him to succeed.
Aimzat tells everyone that, during the war, Lucille was Jamil’s superior officer – a Newtype that trained several others of her kind for the UNE, Jamil included. The odd part is that Jamil heard her mind was totally destroyed by the Flash System at the end of a battle with some revolutionaries.
It was but her powers didn’t disappear and there were a handful of people in the Newtype Research Institute who had eyes on her at the time, so they kept her body alive inside an unit – thus, it allowed them to keep using her power.
The ship transporting her unit sank into the ocean once the colonies hit the surface but Aimzat and co. recovered it and put her to new use.
Garrod angrily asks what he thinks a person’s life is and it pains Jamil to see his friend, someone who hated war, having her power used like this even after she died. Aimzat isn’t finished, though, as he has one more thing to show him…
It’s a new prototype, developed by the New Federation with the utmost secrecy: the Gundam Double X.
Katokk notes that, while it’s a new model, the interior is the same as it was before. This is the ghost he told Jamil about as this unit was based on the very GX Jamil piloted in the past. Abel is acting as the test pilot and Aimzat orders him, since the Moon’s out tonight, to register the Satellite Cannon for use with this unit.
He tries but nothing happens and Aimzat figures that it is, indeed, impossible for someone who’s not fully awakened as a Newtype.
Jamil now understands why the feds have been gathering Newtypes like him and Tifa: Cyber Newtypes cannot properly use the Flash System.
Jamil can’t believe they’d try to take advantage of Newtypes even after they almost destroyed Earth during the war but Aimzat sees that, while they’ve taken opposing methods, they're both coming from the same place: anyone from their generation, having seen the events of the last war, can't possibly escape the curse of the word “Newtype”.
Jamil disagrees, though, saying that he’s met an otherworlder who said there’s no special meaning to them. He doesn’t yet know what he meant by that but that’s why he’s traveling with Tifa and the others.
Shagia and Olba come in, bringing Tifa along with them. She’s not looking too spritely but Olba says they didn’t do anything - she’s just tired.
Regardless, Aimzat tells Tifa that Abel was unable to access the system and, as such, he’d like to request her assistance with this matter - if she cooperates, he promises to consider releasing everyone (except Jamil). Garrod steps up and tells him to back off, which causes Katokk to yell at him to sit down.
He ain’t having it, though, asking if this is how adults do things: blaming the wrong person, playing with other people’s lives and trampling over someone’s heart? He asks Katokk if he’s satisfied now that he’s had his long-awaited “revenge” against Newtypes and, in rage, Katokk decks him one.
Renton asks if the old guy got pissed because what Garrod’s saying is the truth – so much for being the grown-up here. Katokk’s about to give him one, too, and Garrod quips how he’s understood how the adult world is like.
They just mess up the entire world with their problems before the next generation is even born and, when they do, they also get all wrapped up in it – that’s what being an adult is like.
They’re interrupted when the klaxons start blaring as it seems the rest of ZEUTH has broken through their defenses and is coming over. Aimzat orders the experiment halted and to move Lucille to the 2nd hangar while the prisoners go to Block 4.
Renton starts thrashing about, demanding to know where Eureka is and, as they’re dragged away, Katokk apologizes to Tifa and says it’s back to jail for her friends. She says she won’t see them again and Shagia wonders if that’s a vision of the future.
Indeed, Tifa’s seen it in a dream that she wouldn’t be with them again and tells Katokk that her dreams always come true – furthermore, she says she won’t be seeing him again, either. Katokk doesn’t much care either way but she asks him to find a way to live on, for the sake of his kind memories of his family, and to remember what it's like to believe in others.
As everyone deploys outside, Holland’s leading the charge and, as per their plan, he’ll break into the base. Rand and Gauli want to help him out, too, but Holland insists on going alone as, the fewer people with him, the easier he'll be able to move.
Gain and Rand do warn him not to waste his life, lest all the rebel youth of the world get something to cry about. Holland’s not too sure about that but, regardless, Shaia says the damage the Iron Gear took earlier couldn't be repaired fast enough to allow it to move, so we’ll have to make up for it.
Gain says we’ll once again be at a disadvantage if we let this drag out for too long, so he wants Holland to break into the base in, at most, 5 minutes. Jiron’s ready to entrust our friends’ rescue to him while we keep everyone else at bay and Apollo’s eager to pay these guys back for kidnapping everyone.
Inwardly, Holland tells Eureka to hang on as he’s coming to save her.
Mission Objective: Holland enters the base within 5 turns
Mission Failure: Any allied ship or Holland shot down OR if 6 turns come to pass
Skill Point: Within 4 turns, shoot down all enemies and get Holland inside the base
Yah…another Skill Point that has the potential to be annoying. Holland’s more than capable of reaching the base in time, especially with liberal usage of Boost BUT the problem is taking out all mooks by then.
We’re fighting in a group of small islands, so your ground-based units can have a hard time getting closer to enemies but there are also four Marasai squads set in Wide Formation and they won’t move unless you’re rather close; so, you need to be constantly moving forward with everyone, weakening what you can with your flying units and leaving the clean-up to the slower folks.
This isn’t a big fight so don’t be TOO conservative with your SP and get the likes of Kei and Gainer/Gain over to the main island ASAP as they’re very well equipped to deal with those squads.
FYI: The enemy has three Zamza-Zah groups, too, so TRI attacks are your best bet to pop their barriers.
Now that we’re in the battle proper, let’s go over Abel:
Rasvhet (Abel Bauer)
Pilot Skills:
- Newtype (X) L3
- Counter L4
- Morale+ (Hit)
- Focused Attack
Abel’s Voice Actor: Hidetoshi Nakamura (other known works: Unicron in various Transformers stuff, Tassilo Wago in V Gundam and several others).
This guy ain’t all that. He is a decent enough pilot (almost on par with Anemone) and his TRI attack has good power but, once the squaddie are gone, which you can easily do as they’re Daughtresses, you can take him out without much of a hassle as his defenses aren’t very good.
The Rasvhet has decent mobility and accuracy but that’s it – get rid of him quickly with your grounded units (probably Aquarion and Gunleon) and move on.
Everyone get moving forward and Jiron’s the first to get in range. The target’s in wide formation but, as I said, we gotta get the damage going quickly.
Alright.
Kei falls just short of doubling a Gadeel into submission, so Marin’s group joins in.
Ryouma should be able to take out Jiron’s target.
Yup. And Tekkouki, always useful, leaves one of the squaddies nearly dead.
Finally, Holland charges ahead and takes it down.
Enemy Phase!
Holland gets swarmed by all remaining Daughtress/Gadeel squads, killing two, and also slaps away Abel when he tries to get clever.
Strangely, he ate a 21% attack while dodging Abel’s 65% (just to be safe, I’ll have Shaia heal this).
Player Phase!
Other people can deal with Abel, though. Gain and his TRI attack have a job to do with these lazy Marasais.
You’re so damn reliable, Gain…
Kei’s also coming over but, before that, he and the twins work on the last full Gadeel squad, killing the leader – Talho and Shaia each take one of the remaining squaddies.
Stoner pops Analyze on Abel because I want those squaddies dead right now before he TRIs someone.
Boosh! There they go.
Apollo won’t be all that helpful against the nearby groups of Zamza-Zahs, so he punches Abel a bit; meanwhile, Rand gets to work (with Rag and Dyke failing to break the barrier).
Holland’s still going but we can get him just in range of something to hit.
Not a whole lot of damage on the leader but it does a number of his Windam squaddies.
Jiron swoops on over and dispatches all three with a TRI attack.
That earns him Prevail L7 – almost as much as Rand.
Marin can get in range, so he might as well help out with these Marasais and, while that goes on, Ryouma and Tekkouki blast the next Zamza-Zah posse.
Enemy Phase!
Following the schedule, the group Gain attacked goes after him and all but one get destroyed.
Bello takes Support Defend L2 out of the deal.
Marin’s group is also looking for payback.
One less.
The Zamza-Zahs gun for Rand and Gainer, immediately regretting their decision.
The last Daughtress casually kamikaze’s against Holland.
He can now surf 6x better.
Oh? Didn’t think he’d go after him with the ships so close.
Bah…at least Holland’s safe.
Player Phase!
Kei positions himself as a juicy target while tearing a new one into the farthest Marasai; meanwhile, Jiron almost finishes what Rand started.
Burume learns Prevail L5 from this.
Alright, you take it.
Yes, this is pretty much TRI Attack – The Mission.
Everyone profits and Dyke learns Prevail L4.
Talho blasts Abel (learning Lift Technique L5) and Marin cuts the last squad down to size.
Gotta give Apollo some morale to start punching things.
Good man. Abel also drops a new Booster.
Abel is aghast that he, a Newtype, was defeated but he’s not willing to lose his life here and retreats.
Moving right along, Gainer and Ryouma perform clean-up duty on two weakened squads.
We’re not gonna wrap this on this turn, so let’s just have Gain conserve ammo.
Right in the kisser.
Shaia repairs the damage Abel did on th Gekko and profits two levels, learning Support Attack L3.
Enemy Phase!
Marin easily wipes a weak Hi-Zack, triggering Gainer’s OverSkill.
FYI: Gain and Adette STILL don’t have Oversense L3, so they can’t use theirs (Adette is still on L1, for crying out loud!).
And this one took the bait!
No problem at all.
The last pair of Hi-Zacks decide to get cute and attack Ryouma, who can only kill one.
Player Phase!
Thanks, Gain!
And in goes Holland, granting our Skill Point!
No sooner does Holland break into the base’s perimeter, the G-bits are launched along with a huge mobile armor. Rand tells him to run but it’s too late and Holland’s shot down.
Witz and Roybea quickly recognize it as the same mech that they fought in Fort Severn way back when - it was originally a Space Revolutionary Army unit but it seems the UNE’s dirty enough to go about using its enemy’s weapons.
The part what worries Roybea is that this unit only works with a Newtype, so who’s piloting it? The familiar “Lorelai’s voice” that comes from it leaves no doubt in Jamil’s mind: Lucille’s aboard the unit...
Expect the last part of this mission on Wednesday.
See you all then!