Part 43: Mission 14 - The Gathering Strangers - Part 2
Before anything, let’s take a look at our new friend:
Eagail (Corin Nander)
Pilot Skills:
- Prevail L5
- Morale+ (Damage)
- Resolve
- Ignore Size Difference
Corin’s Voice Actor: Yasuhiko Kawazu (other known works: Huang Zhong and Zhang Jiao in Dynasty Warriors, Kamen Rider X in Kamen Rider SD and several others.
Corin, as a pilot, is pretty bulky and when you pair that high Prevail with Ignore Size Difference, you’ll have someone that can deal surprisingly high damage.
His Eagail isn’t all that, though, having low defenses, short-ish range and not that much HP, meaning it’s easy to take him out before he can become a nuisance.
Just don’t leave him alone with low HP or he might really hurt someone.
One last thing to note before we start:
Secret Alert! - Gundam X’s Secret – 3rd Point: Enil must be alive at the end of this mission
- Gundam X’s Secret – 4th Point: Have Garrod use the Convince(説得) command on Enil
Following those two points on Rand’s mission 7, we now have another easy pair of steps towards this secret; Enil isn’t really a big threat, so just ignore her as she’ll tend to focus on Garrod who’s more than capable of dodging.
FYI: If you’re playing on Setsuko’s route, you NEED to get these two points (plus 40 Skill Points as the game goes along) or you’ll lose the secret.
I’ll have Garrod worry about Enil later, though. For now, I wanna deal with these WaDoms quick-like.
Alright, that’s decent.
Witz will be stay WAY back with Roybea and protect the Freeden while Rand will promptly move to wreck the entire SE side.
Loran, meanwhile, finishes Garrod’s target.
Jiron boosts ahead, nearly clearing out an entire batch of WaDs.
Both Rag and Dyke learn Invincible (oh god, I just realized he’s STILL using a Trad!).
Roybea moves ahead a little bit to, at least, take a few shots at from afar.
Aye, that works.
The Freeden goes near him to spread Jamil’s command aura and, while he’s there, they take out another WaD.
Oh! I almost forgot that we got a new teammate.
Borjanon (Joseph Yaht)
Pilot Skills:
- Prevail L3
- Resolve
- Backup Attack
- Accelerate (15)
- Focus (15)
Joseph’s Voice Actor: Setsuji Satoh (other known works: Mickey Smith in Doctor Who, Foxcon in Beast Saga and a few others)
Another pure squaddie in a crummy Borjanon; he’s not as good of a pilot as Gavane but he has useful spirits, meaning I got more use out of him.
Overall, not very special even as a squaddie but Accelerate is always nice – he’ll do better if you get him into a better unit, though.
They’re good enough to take on WaDs, though.
Not a very good first impression, Joseph.
Enemy Phase!
Loran gets jumped by a few WaDs but he can easily deal with those.
Meanwhile, Roybea is getting into a long-range battle with a WaDom.
Alright, that’s good.
Poe goes for Rand and regrets it right away.
Sara soon detects a new group of troops approaching and tags them as New Federation Army.
UNE troops to be precise, led by the Frost Brothers and, despite their name, Olba tells Shagia that he’s only fought in the snow four times before – in simulations but that’s more experience that Shagia has. They were hoping to make use of the chaos of battle to act but, unexpectedly, ran into their prey.
With Garrod around, Tifa is sure to be inside the Iron Gear, so they’ll take her and then take the Fort Severn’s research data on Newtypes afterwards. Carris gets in touch and introduces himself and warns that their presence here can be interpreted as either an act of aggression or an attempt to interfere with their self-governance.
When Olba asks, Shagia says both are correct and his troops start firing on everyone.
As the Moon Race starts firing back, Gainer can only shake his head at how crazy the world has gotten.
Gain agrees but this isn’t the time to discuss the matter – it’s time to knock some heads, as Jiron puts it. Regardless of whoever comes around, though, Garrod’s not letting anyone take Tifa.
FYI: To finish this mission, you need to shoot down Poe, Corin and one of the Frost Brothers (you can’t kill both unless you weaken and take them out with the Iron Gear’s MAP), so keep that in mind as we’re still on a timer.
As expected, Enil goes straight for Garrod but, since we’re trying to keep her alive, he’ll just dodge.
: Enil! Are you really going to keep gunning for me, come rain or shine?!
: That’s right…I’ll kill you. That’s your punishment for rejecting me.: You got it all wrong! No one has rejected you!
: And you have to understand that, Enil!!
Alright.
Here comes Corin, making a beeline for the Turn A.
He’s pretty accurate and I didn’t cast Focus with Loran, so I’ll have Miashey support defend.
: Found you, Gundam!
: This man…he’s also calling the White Doll a Gundam!
: Somewhere in my head, there’s a memory of a Gundam screwing me over, you know! I want to erase that!: You mean you have a problem with Gundams?!
: (Is it a memory from before his cryogenic imprisonment…?): Yes! And that’s why I’ll be taking you down, GUNDAAAAAAAAM!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6y2zD0eUw
Several Daughtresses attack the Moon Race troops, taking out a WaD while also dealing some damage to Poe and Corin.
This one makes a worse decision and attacks Rand, losing nearly all his health in the process.
Olba decides to focus on the Freeden and, while I could try firing back, he’s still very dodgy and I’m gonna be focusing on Shagia.
: Blast the New Federation...! With their overwhelming forces, they're simply taking away the people's freedom in the name of order!
: However, I won’t allow them to do as they please with Newtypes or the world!
I suppose this is good because it means Olba isn’t going after our more fragile units (looking at you, Witz…).
Shagia seems to be going after Garrod and, along the way, he trades blows with a WaDom.
Player Phase!
Time to go get that secret point: just move Garrod adjacent to Enil and the Convince option will appear.
: Stop it, Enil! We’ve no reason to fight!: Even if you don’t, I do! That’s all that matters!: Just because I didn’t pick you?!: That’s right…we need each other to dispel the loneliness we feel…: And, despite that, you chose that Tifa girl!: And you’ll kill me for that?! That’s gonna satisfy you?!: Yes, it will. If I can’t have you, then I’ll erase you with my own hands!: I…I don’t want to fight you!!Oh, well. Despite Garrod’s lack of success, we only need to keep Enil alive for the rest of the mission and we’ll be done collecting points for the Gundam X Secret!
Once you get four points, you just need to purchase a Bazaar item later in the game and you’ll be good (only in Rand’s route, mind).
Poe is rather low on health and I don’t want to risk the Daughtresses killing her, so let’s wrap that loose end.
: Mustachioed Doll! All this misery started with you!
: That’s not true! Weren’t you the ones who started attacking in the first place?! 
: That is not what Her Majesty wants!: And what does a traitor of the Moon Race know about that?!
She drops a Strategy Manual (戦技マニュアル) which, when equipped on a squaddie, makes it so they gain full experience/PP from battle.
A loss here will have a large impact on the Diana Counter and Poe can only cry at her incompetence, especially after being chosen by Phil to lead the attack.
Without their commander, the regular Moon Race troops retreat and Sochi yells that, no matter how many times they come back, they’ll kick them off again. While Gavane is impressed with her gung-ho attitude, Diana is disappointed that she missed her chance to contact the Soreil.
We’ll deal with Corin in a bit but, for now, let’s get Gainer a kill to build morale.
Alright.
I should’ve mentioned this before but, can you see that “Pls/5” showing above Corin (the camera’s a bit far to see it clearly but it’s there)? That’s the “Placement Bonus” which means he’s taking 5% extra damage due to being flanked by two units.
If we had him surrounded on all four sides, he’d be showing “Pls/10” which would mean he’s taking +10% damage (sadly, those Daughtresses are in the way); always keep an eye on that as a way to squeeze some extra damage and remember that this can also apply to our own units.
As Elchi leaves Corin near death, he does manage to score an impressive hit against her.
I’m not about to underestimate his Prevail, though, so I’m sending Rand to deal with the rest of his HP.
Boosh!
Corin leaves his Apogee Motor behind, so that’s nice.
Corin still wants to keep fighting, though, so Diana asks Loran to move the White Doll close to him.
She calls and thanks him but says his mission is over and asks him to retreat. Corin doesn’t understand, though, as there’s still a Gundam right there but Diana asks if Gundam’s have mustaches – they don’t!
She repeats her order to retreat and says she’ll have him executed if he doesn’t comply. He retreats, saying all he's done was for her sake.
Loran is flabbergasted but she says she heard about that man from “Diana” in Inglessa and, since they look so much alike, she figured she could confuse him. Sochie is very impressed with her and so is Loran, thinking Kihel to be as awe-inspiring as the real Diana.
Garrod didn’t get a chance to deal with Corin but they did have lines to each other:
: Another Gundam! I’ve hit the jackpot today!: Open your eyes, old man! There're two Gundams with the Feds, too!: Wrong! Gundams are white!: Tch! I’ve no idea what his problem is but I ain't letting him drop me!
Jiron strikes a TRI attack on a nearby Daughtress squad and manages to miss an 89% shot…the RNG isn’t on my side today.
Roybea also takes the time to weaken another squad.
Might as well have Jamil kill this one to stop them from being able to TRI attack.
Damn it!
The Borjanons aren’t pulling their weight, either…
Enemy Phase!
Enil keeps wasting her attacks on Garrod.
One squad does manage to sneak up and take a shot at the Yapan Militia.
Can’t expect more than that from Panthers, though.
Gainer gets jumped by four Daughtress squads; he dodges them all and takes two kills, which activate his OverSkill.
The fifth squad will be taking the brunt of it.
The leader holds on but his squaddie isn’t as lucky.
Jamil is still tanking Olba.
Shagia, however, gets clever and decides to snipe at Garrod from very far away.
: So you survived the “Break the World”...I can’t help but be impressed by your stubbornness…: That’s my line! But I would’ve been damn happy if you’d just been warped to another world!: Meeting you like this may be something of a divine omen, I think.: That is, the girl...Tifa Adil will be ours today.: Not gonna happen! Meeting me here only means you’re gonna get your asses kicked!
Surprisingly, both Garrod and Carris dodged that.
Player Phase!
We’ll be wrapping things up on this phase but, before that, Gauli takes out another Daughtress with a TRI attack.
Elchi could’ve killed another two but, of course, she missed one.
In better news, though, she learns Lucky!
Let’s see if we can’t feed a kill or two to Witz and Roybea.
Took an assist from Loran but they got it!
I try to give something to Jamil but the Freeden isn’t having it; Gavane takes the kill and that’s that.
I’ll try to get a flanking bonus on Shagia before sending in the main attackers.
: The white Mobile Suit from the Promised Land…is this all you're capable of?: This man knows something about the White Doll?: Very well, then. Disappear with your untapped power…!
: Galia and I are men! We won’t lose even against cutting-edge MSs!
: Jirooooon! I’m here tooooo!
: If the UNE was taken in by the New Federation, does this mean the Exodus repression will get even worse?
: Get your head in the game, Gainer! If you don’t pay attention, you’re gonna get hit!: I know that! But you’re the one out in the open, so you be careful, too! 
: Well, I guess so…
Good man.
Shagia drops another High-Spec Radar.
Shagia realizes that it'll take some time to perfect his steed.
Witz and Roybea aren’t planning on giving him the chance but Shagia tells them not to be so hasty as their fight has just begun. Both brothers agree to withdraw but Shagia promises Garrod that they’ll meet again and, when that happens, they’ll be taking Tifa.
The remaining UNE troops leave with them and Garrod isn’t happy to know that they haven’t given up on kidnapping Tifa. For that matter, Jamil wonders what they and the Federation want with Newtypes.
Enil figures she should be going, too, but Garrod wants her to stop coming after him.
She won’t give up on killing him, though, and tells him to remember that. As she leaves, Garrod wonders why she can’t understand.
Olba did have some lines against Garrod and Loran:
-Garrod Vs. Olba-
: Olba, today's curtains for you! Let’s end this right now!
: Sorry but, to us, you're not even worthy of consideration.: What?!: You’re the protector of our target, Tifa Adil. Nothing more than an obstacle.: Yeah, and I’ll protect her by taking you both out!-Loran Vs. Olba-
: These men…weren’t they the ones who attacked during the Bostonia Castle party?!
: White Doll…leaving you be could have unpredictable results. So I’ll simply remove you here and now…!
Both enemy groups have pulled back and Carris is very thankful to everyone for helping him protect his town.
Of course, Garrod was happy to help. Kihel, meanwhile, is silent and, when Loran asks, she says she was thinking about Corin.
Loran figures he was a weird man, holding a grudge like that and, inwardly, she thinks she must hurry if Corin was released. If that’s the handwork of “that man”, the entire Earth could become a battlefield…
Diana gets the word that the forces sent to Fort Severn were all destroyed and Milan says it was a preemptive strike by the Fort Severn security force with help from the Federation.
Phil points it as proof that the Earthlings are try to get rid of them but, of course, Diana asks if it couldn’t be her forces that attacked first. Phil swears it wasn’t and, with that, Diana has reached a decision.
It’s not an order to attack but to move to the Galian continent. Milan remembers that the Sunbelt region in North Ameria is their “Promised Land” but Diana reminds him of the legend that said that the Promised Land is forbidden.
The people the area avoided the advanced technology buried out of respect for that tradition but, of course, Gwen came along and decided to excavate those forbidden machines right as they descended upon Earth. Then comes that “Break the World” and the New Federation just confiscates their Promised Land.
It’s a clear sign that they intend to resist their return until the very end, Phil thinks. However, Diana figures that, just like the world changed so much after that incident, they need to do the same.
Milan asks, then, why leave North Ameria entirely instead of just the Promised Land and Diana figures Galia is far from the New Earth Federation's control, and there shouldn't be anyone to bump into when establishing a new life there.
Milan's heard that it's pretty rough terrain, but Diana tells him it's a cinch compared to the state of the Earth when their forbearers left it. Milan accepts it and tells Phil to prepare to move all troops.
Inwardly, Phil has now decided that Diana cannot be entrusted with the command of the Diana Counter anymore.
Diana figures she’s bought the Earthlings some time without Moon Race assault but she knows she needs to use that time to find the real Diana.
It’s then that Harry shows up and reports that the Inglessa Militia were part of the Fort Severn battle. She asks if Kihel was there and he confirms both her and Loran were present and seemed to be in good health, much to her relief.
Furthermore, it seems they’re also headed towards Galia which means they might run into each other again. Inwardly, Harry wonders why she’s so concerned about them.
Either way, Diana asks Harry to keep following and telling he about their movements.
Aboard the Freeden, his old comrades give Garrod a warm welcome, very impressed that he’s alive.
The feeling is mutual, after what Garrod heard from the Frost Brothers but Tonya says the Freeden isn’t that easy to sink. Shingo confesses that it wasn’t easy, though, as the brothers did some serious damage to Witz and Roybea’s Gundams.
Sara says, after that, they did some quick repairs and were searching for Tifa when the Break the World happened and Garrod sees they’ve been through some tough times. Witz says that, after it all went down, they came to Fort Severn to get help from Carris and, in the meantime, Kid did an overhaul on the Airmaster and Leopard.
Garrod is impressed and Kid feels the same – he didn’t think the “Gundam boy” would have died like that but he didn’t expect him to bring Tifa along. On that subject, Tonya asks how things are going between them and Garrod stammers that he didn’t have time to do much with how crazy the world got.
Jamil is very glad to see Tifa safe and she says it’s thanks to Garrod’s protection.
Jamil thanks him for taking care of her but Garrod doesn’t need that – he only came this far because of Jamil’s help and he wanted to keep her safe, regardless.
Sara is happy for Jamil but Roybea quips that she’s looking at him so passionately, it’s a good thing he’s wearing sunglasses – of course, he says he’ll make her look at him like that someday.
The Freeden’s doctor, Tex, sees that Tifa’s mind seems stable and figures it’s because of Garrod.
Everyone else enters the hangar at this point, with Gain figuring this’ll be farewell. Garrod apologizes but thanks Gain for hiring him in the first place.
Gain understands, saying that just like he’s an Exodus Contractor, they all have their own stuff to do and Jamil takes the time to extend his thanks for helping the kids. Jiron asks what they’ll be doing from here.
Jamil will be taking the Freeden elsewhere both to investigate the New Federation’s movements and to keep Tifa safe. Carris understands seeing how the immediate threat is gone, they should follow their own path.
Garrod thanks him again and Carris says he was repaying them for all their help in the past.
As for Gwen, he’ll be going to Galia – much to Elchi’s surprise.
With his country taken by the New Federation, he hopes to amass enough firepower to figure a way to take it back and Galia seems the best place for him to do so. Jiron is looking forward to going back home after being warped and so do Gainer and company, who’ll finally be able to rejoin the Exodus (they do wonder if Yapan’s Ceiling is safe, though).
This all means the Sandrats and Gain’s team will be leaving Gwen’s employ as they have the Exodus contract to fulfill and the UNE won’t be making things easy. So, as soon as they reach Galia, the Iron Gear crew and the Militia will have to go their separate ways but, knowing the circumstances, Gwen understands.
Garrod wishes his best to Loran and adds that he still owes him one while Loran only wishes for him to keep Tifa safe.
Of course, with the
Gainer, of course, starts stuttering and, when Sara asks what they’re talking about, says it’s nothing – it might be a while before this goes anywhere, Garrod thinks.
Gain asks what Rand’ll do and he says he might as well have asked the clouds where the wind is taking them
Jiron thinks it took forever for them to meet again and figures he should come with them but Chil notices Mel is missing and Rand tells them what’s what. Of course, Rand is sure he’ll find her and, for that, he’ll travel all across the world with nothing but the clothes on his back.
When Gain asks, he confesses he doesn’t have any clues as the Moon Race info is no longer in reach. Tifa, however, says he’ll meet Mel again soon and, as Garrod would testify, she can see the future in her dreams!
In that case, Rand will trust their little “oracle” and, on Jiron’s suggestion, will hitch a ride on the Iron Gear for a while at least. Elchi allows it so long as he repairs their mechs a bit and Rand’s more than happy to lend a hand until they reach the next point of commerce.
Setsuko’s also gets the same prophecy from Tifa and Jiron also offers to give her a ride and, when she asks if it’ll be alright, Gain switches his suaveness on and says she came to their aid back then – almost as if their meeting was fate – and Elchi agrees, so long as Setsuko’s fine with handling Garrod’s share of the work.
With that, she introduces herself and asks for a lift until the next point of commerce.