Part 255: Special Disk Mission 1-4 - Meaning
And we’re back, having received extra manpower for our Suicide Squad in the form of Beck and Corin. Theeh’s also brought us new toys, so here’s how we’re going:
- Jerid (Baund Doc), Sting, Mauer (Byarlant)
- Schlan, Neo, Enge (Jinba)
- Stella, Auel, Jaboli (Dobeck)
- Anemone, Buran, Kacricon
- Four, Rosamia
- Shagia, Olba, Kejinan (Mexbrute)
- Cynthia, Asuham (Golem), Zakki
- Timp (Brockary), Geraba, Hola
- Löwen, Beck, Corin
Location: North Ameria – New Earth Federation Army’s McConnell AFB
No sooner has Theeh thrust the orders into Neo's hands than he's run off again, busying himself with upgrading Beck's mech. Neo chuckles at how impulsive the guy is.
Amazingly, the new orders are to postpone pursuit of the BG in the interest of providing security for the test of a new weapon. Neo tells the Chimera pilots that they'd better prepare for the worst: if this squad is being sent in as guards, it's almost guaranteed that something bad will happen. He also believes the recent supply delivery was made as a preparation for when enemies show up at this operation.
Indeed, Neo doesn’t think our deployment is made just as a precaution but, at the end of the day, the guinea pigs are never told the purpose of the tests they take part in. Neo’s now thinking that Special Force 13 was not formed as test case but for some experiment -- why else would they have such an odd composition and run into trouble at every turn?
Löwen wonders what that means about our pursuit of the BG, then, and Neo figures that was just an excuse to justify forming this group in the first place. It’s even possible that the BG itself is a Federation unit.
Schlan declares that a soldier needs not bother pondering the meaning behind the orders he's given. Neo fires back that soldiers are still humans and he, personally, wants to know the meaning behind our actions.
Schlan argues that it’s pointless to look for “meaning” in a society that, amid the chaos, can’t even see five paces ahead; to do so is a waste of time and Schlan will have none of it.
Löwen and Neo don’t know what to say and Schlan, figuring he went too crazy with his nihilism, decides to take off to prep his machine. Löwen goes with him.
Neo is left to ponder that he may have a point: if you look at the state of the world, this is hardly the time for the Federation, Plants, Chiram and whatnot to be quarreling with each other. And, yet, humans can’t stop doing so.
He knows he’s part of the problem, blindly following orders even when he doesn’t like them; and if there's one thing he knows it's that the moment one gives up on thinking for himself is the moment where that person has given up on his right to live.
As if on cue, Jerid comes in with questions about the purpose of the 013. He tells Neo that he's got his own opponent to face, and doesn't like spending time on a mission whose goal he can't see. Neo smiles at this, glad to see someone that fights with a goal of their own in mind – not just to fulfill the brass’ commands.
There’s still time before they deploy, so Neo asks Jerid to tell him of this opponent he longs to defeat.
In the meantime, Theeh’s finished Beck's mech, much to the guy’s delight. When Timp asks, Asuham tells of how Beck’s making use of the professor and the resources and funds available to our squad to make himself a new, enormous unit.
Timp can’t help but be impressed at his balls and figures he was wrong to deem him just some random hoodlum. Beck’s heard his quip and, when he comes over, Timp apologizes and says he meant it as a compliment.
Beck’s a professional, though, so he won’t start trouble right after being hired by our folks. Timp, ever the merc, sees in him a kindred spirit and both men exchange a handshake – even if they might only be working together for a short while.
Asuham’s vouched for Beck, so he agrees to put on a good show with his new mech when battle comes. Asuham himself is ready to display his true mettle with the newly received Golem Overman but Timp tells him to watch it, as he figures the brass has an ulterior motive for their recent display of generosity.
In fact, Timp smells fish all over this Special Squad 13 business and tells Asuham to do his job but to not put his life at risk – he can’t well get dropped before bagging the Black Southern Cross, right?
Indeed and Asuham thanks him for the advice. Beck, himself, always has an escape plan ready if things go south – of course, such a large group oughta be able to handle pretty much anything.
Nearby…
: Professor Theeh, are you familiar with the weapon we’ll be guarding? 
: Yup, yup. A genius knows everything about everything, kiddo.: Could you please tell me about it?: Nope!
: Ah…
: If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret weapon!
: Forget about him, Dominic. I bet grandpa here’s just acting like he knows stuff.
: !
: Wh-what?!
: Are you psychic, missy? Why don’t you take a deeper look into my noggin’, then!: Stay away from me, freak!
: Go away! Stop trying to touch her!: Yes! Get angry! Humiliate this old man! : P-Professor… do you really know nothing about this new weapon?: Hmm… I can’t really say no to such a cute boy. Okie-dokie, come a lil’ bit closer and I’ll tell you.: O-Okay…
: Fooooooo~~…
: GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!: Great success!
: He blew into Dominic’s ears…?!
: What the HELL?! What’s wrong with you?!: Aah…uuurgh…: So sorry, Dommy! Lemme make it up to you with some info on that new weapon!: Just come a lil’ closer.: O-Okay…: DOMINIC! Are you gonna fall for that again?!: Whoops! Busted!: That’s it. Go away now before I decide to squish your head with my Dominator!: OK, OK! I’ll tell you a lil’ secret!: This new weapon… it’s called…Orange.: “Orange”…?: And that’s all I’m saying. The rest, you gotta see for yourselves.
Special Disk Mission 1-4 – Meaning
Our people see a bomber up ahead and it looks like its payload is that “orange” – seems like the experiment will be to deploy the weapon.
Kejinan is worried that we’re in the target site but Neo explains that that’s someplace else. We’re to see to the bomber’s safe departure and keep on standby until further orders – at the very least Jaboli isn’t pinging anything on radar, so this area looks safe (for a change).
Asuham figures Timp’s suspicions didn’t pan out but, of course, that’s not a bad thing.
: Psh, what a letdown. And here I was, all excited for this.
: Looking good, man. That’s your new ride?
: You bet! It’s the deadly super machine… BECK THE GREAT RX3!
: What a flamboyant name…!: Tsk, tsk, tsk… I’ll have you know, missy, that it doesn’t just have an awesome name. Everything else is also top tier!
: (Ya oughta curb your enthusiasm, pardner… this job ain’t done yet.)
: …It’s time. The test is beginning.
: Wow, look at how fast it goes!
: Seems they’ll be dropping their payload from high altitude.
: …
: Is something wrong, Jerid?
: No…it’s nothing.
: Keep your head in the game, Lt. You should be putting your all into the current mission. : But, commander…I—: You want to go after ZEUTH, right?: I won’t be able to move on with my life unless I take that guy out.
: And you feel staying here is a waste of time?: Yes…: Well, there’s a way to get your wish. You—: Commander! We’re detecting a growing distortion in the dimensional walls! It’s right at the Orange’s target area!
: What?!
: !*Newtype flash!*
: Argh!
: What is it, Four?!: I felt a sharp pain in my head for a second there…: (What was that just now…? Someone’s mind…?): (I don’t understand… it was like a single person but, also, many…)
: Lt. Dominic, what’s going on with that distortion?!: It’s gone now but I’m detecting movement around ground zero!
: That was a miniature dimensional quake! Did something get warped over?!
: The radar pings are headed this way – fast!
: Th-the hell are those?!
: Monsters, bro! We’ve got monsters!
: Z-zip it, Geraba! Th-this is Special Force 13 they’re dealing with!
: Them’s some gaudy monsters! They even got the sky all rainbow-colored!
: !: (Rainbow-colored sky… butterfly’s wings…the end of the world…): Those are…Coralians…: Sir?
: Your orders, commander? Those unknowns… look like they’re living creatures…
: But it appears they’ve their gaze set on the town behind us.
: They’re going to attack it?! : They’re not responding to my hails… there’s a city at our backs and these creatures appear to be hostile… We’ve no choice – engage.: (It’s very likely we were called here precisely to fight these…!)
: Psh… guess my gut was right on the money!
: The enemy has us outnumbered. Don’t let your flying get sloppy, men!
: (If these are, indeed, Coralians… then, that Orange is the Ageha Project’s…)
: …
Kill everything, don’t lose the Izumo. The Coralians are as accurate and powerful as ever but still have piddly defenses; so long as you keep Focus and whatnot up, you’ll be fine.
To say nothing of that fact that, due to the low amount of units, your leaders should already be pretty beefy with upgrades.
Here we go!
: (Was it really a human mind that I felt…?): (If so, how does it connect to these monsters?)
: Was Professor Theeh aware that these monsters would appear…?!: It’s the Professor. Most likely, he had a hand in the development of the Orange.
: Heh… ever the prominent scientist. : Well, if the Professor’s research is nearing its completion, then we must hurry…!: We have to survive this, Schlan! In the name of our plans!
: (“Our” plans…?) 
: Rainbow sky…Gundam…Black History…: The hell is this…?! What’s going on with me?!: Bah! Why does Beck the Great RX3’s debut gotta be against these freaky things?
: Get over here, monsters! Come take a good look at the amazing Beck’s masterpiece as you’re getting dunked into the next life!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RCvKM7EOkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khoSdyQ9wIM
Now this is nice - they added new, glorious attacks for Beck in the special disk!
: Face me, monsters! You will not best Asuham Boone easily! 
: I’m a man on a mission! And if I must walk over your corpses to fulfill it, then so be it!
: (These creatures are the Antibodies described in the Ageha Project, I think.): (Probably. We must make haste now that Dewey Novak’s setting his plan in motion.)
: That bad feelin’ was a bulls-eye alright…! Is it really gonna be an endless string of messes while I’m with this bunch?!: I’m tough but ya don’t survive by being stupid…! I gotta seriously start thinking about bailing on this!
: What are these things?! Just looking at them’s making me sick!
: You’re all going down! That’s what you get for showing your faces around here!
: Here we go...! Whatever enemy comes around, I’m making it through this!: I’m not dying until I’ve crushed Camille Bidan!
: Trying to mob me only means I’ll have to destroy every last one of you!: Come on! Let’s see if I can’t break my high score!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azR9Rw1wrT0
Have we ever seen the dynamic finish of Cynthia’s best attack?
: Sent to dispatch some unknown monsters… they’re working us to the bone.: Damn it…! Orders or not, our lives are being treated like dirt!
Once all Coralians are defeated, even more show up. They’re acting a bit strange, though, and quickly explode. Jaboli and others aren’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Sting doesn’t like this debacle one bit and even Auel wonders if we were brought over simply to dispatch these things – that’d mean the Orange’s explosion triggered their arrival and the brass knew it.
Neo gets a ping from HQ signaling the end of the operation but tells everyone not to expect any answers, as this whole thing has been deemed highly-classified. The Frost brothers now realize that Dewey's plans must be very far along indeed.
Dominic likewise knows that he and Anemone are soon to face their real battle.
Jerid, meanwhile, has had just about enough of being toyed with the brass – just what is the actual purpose of this squad?!
Location: Izumo, Bridge
: …: …: …: So, did they send us here to deal with those things?: Anemone…!: That mission has been deemed highly-classified. Even the participants are forbidden from talking about it.: I don’t care about any of that, four-eyes! What, are you gonna tell on me?!: Hm… Maybe…: That’s it! I’m sick of being played like this! : My patience’s at its limit, too. We all want to know what the brass has planned for us.: …
: They have a point, commander. If we’re simply going to keep being abused by the brass’ fickle whims, then I’m afraid our cooperation must end here.: (It’s pointless to look for “meaning”…hm? At least this group hasn’t given up on their own lives.): (And I feel the same way as they.)*Phone ring!*
: Commander, we’ve received a transmission from HQ: our target, the BG, has been spotted.: …You’ve heard it, folks. We’ll be heading off in pursuit.: Commander…! Are you just going to ignore the questions we raised?!: Do you remember what I said during this last battle, Lt.?: That there’s a way to get my wish?: That’s right. There’s only one way: we fulfill “Mission: Code 13”.: Mission: Code 13…: Our squad was created with what in mind and, once it’s done, it will be dissolved. : …I understand.: Jerid…: What I want is to go after ZEUTH. So, to make that happen, I’ll bring this squad’s mission to an end.
: Hear, hear! Breaking up this crazy squad ASAP is the best thing for everyone!: Well, if this group’s ending, that’ll mean the same for my contract. One more mission and then it’s hasta la vista.
: Hey… and if our mission’s done, that means we can go back to Mr. Kids?
: Indeed, Ms. Cynthia. And I’d also be able to resume my hunt for the Black Southern Cross.
: No one in this squadron likes being here, I suppose.: Indeed… still, I believe we are all in agreement. : I’ll say it once more, troops. We will now be pursuing the BG. The next time we lay eyes on him, we must do everything in our power to fulfill our mission and bring Special Forces 13 to its end…!
At the bazaar, Corin is still fretting over the end of the world and rainbow colored skies. Beck asks if he’s waxing poetic but Corin doesn’t listen, now mumbling about Gundams, Black History and the Great Power.
Beck wonders if the shock of having to fight those weird monsters set a screw loose inside his head. Corin still ignores him, deathly afraid of something, and Beck tells him to pull himself together in preparation for the big battle.
There’s a nice bonus coming their way once the job’s finished so, when it’s all done, they might as well go somewhere nice and relax. Corin is just staring into the distance…
Next mission is, indeed, the last of this set so feel free to go all out upgrading your strongest guys. Obviously, I spent a truckload of cash maxing out BECK THE GREAT RX3!
And if you don’t agree with that, get the hell out of my face!
And, by popular request, here's the most
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0NO9Sz6Qvc