Part 58: Wanderers of ZEUTH

We're hovering over the Baltic Sea, and everyone in ZEUTH is happy to see one another. This is one of those scenes that exists to catch you up on the goings-on in the space route, since ordinarily you can only play one at a time. Anyway, ZEUTH is still wondering how they were stolen away so specifically - and how to get back.



Oh, and they have to be filled in on the parallel Eureka Seven thing, too. In turn, they tell the story of the Vajra, the Trinities, and the Red Dancouga.



Zero still claims he's here to protect Japan from the forces that threaten the whole world. C. C., only half-ribbingly, quietly asks why he doesn't just say he's entrusting its fate to Euphemia.

Ana, the little girl who follows Gainer around, blurts out that ZEUTH knows a creepy dude in a black mask too. A man who wanted to control the world partly for shits and giggles. But she can tell that Zero isn't doing what he's doing for fun. Zero thanks her, and everyone watching sees that he's come out of his shell a little bit. Sumeragi, Ozma, and Zero all reaffirm that they're not here out of obligation - they all want to see the Imperium off the face of the earth.



And that brings us to ZEUTH. They've come to trust GOONZ and see that we're not the bad guys here, but they don't feel that they have the right to stick their noses into this world's mess. If that's their decision, they're welcome to it, but it's a dangerous place out there, and it would be better for both GOONZ and ZEUTH if they joined forces. Even so, everyone in ZEUTH wants to head out - to see the world for themselves, to find their missing friends, and to settle their own business with Asakim Douwin and Ime Liard.

We've done all we can, and GOONZ won't force the matter on ZEUTH. If they really want to leave, we'll see them off.



Aslan's been keeping quiet. He tells Kira he doesn't want ZEUTH to be the spark that sets off a war. Shinn reminds him that their leaders, Sandman, Amuro, and Quattro, aren't there to lead their way; ZEUTH has to find their own path.


Chapter 28: Wanderers of ZEUTH



ZEUTH is scarcely out of the ship when they realize they don't actually know where they want to go. Compared to the chaotic frontier of the Z multiworld, this one is much more stable and civilized. Won't the governments look askance at a big old mass of robots wandering the globe? Also, how are they going to make their livelihood? (This one came from Apollo, who is very concerned about where their meals are coming from.) Because Z2 isn't a frontier, it's also not exactly rife with odd jobs for giant robot pilots. But can they really go back to GOONZ now, or to one of the nations asking to be sponsored? There's a reason they left GOONZ to begin with... and there's the matter of Zero, too. What if he's an alternate version of the same black mask they once knew? Just the thought that that man is out there makes everyone shudder.

ZEUTH has been fretting about this for a while now. They're starting to feel like they should at least pick a direction, but none of them are confident enough to make that call without their leaders. Kira and Aslan, in particular, are paralyzed by the possibility that they might step in the wrong place. But then...



AEU units!



Patrick glides in and declares he's taking ZEUTH in. They've been guaranteed freedom to move as an independent arm of GOONZ, but Patrick says the AEU can make them a better offer. Why don't they come back to his base and they can talk it out?

This is clearly legitimate. Kira politely refuses on behalf of Aslan and the rest of ZEUTH, so Patrick's unit opens fire. ZEUTH is in AEU territory, and the AEU will have them by persuasion or by force. Sorry, but the higher-ups are pulling out all the stops to build up their forces against the Imperium.



Shots are fired across Patrick's formation, but no one in ZEUTH fired the first shot...



It's Baron Ashura! S/he's brought his/her Talos and Kingdon X10 for the same reason Patrick did: to capture ZEUTH and put their might to the service of Dr. Hell's plans for world domination!



But ZEUTH has their own thoughts about what to do with a bad guy who wants to take over the world. They may be displaced, but they still fight for justice and against evil. Even Kira and Aslan can't argue with that!




Pretty soon, they detect a single unit approaching the area...



It's these people! ZEUTH recognizes it as a Dancouga, but not the Nova, and its pilot Shinobu introduces it as Final Dancouga. They're here to help, which is good enough for ZEUTH.


Final Dancouga (Shinobu Fujiwara, Sara Yuuki, Ryo Shiba, Masato Shikibu, Alan Igor)
Skills
Go Wild
Prevail L5
Morale
Spirits
(Shinobu)
Guts
Accel
Invincible
(Sara)
Focus
Snipe
(Masato)
Gain
Trust
(Ryo)
Alert
Strike
(Alan)
Scan
Analyze
Guard
Weapons
Pulse Laser (10 ammo)
Iron Fist (10 EN)
Daigun (6 ammo)
Severance Cannon Formation (30 EN, 110 Will)
Severance Sword (40 EN)
Final Severance Cannon (80 EN, 130 Will)
Ace Bonus: When "Go Wild" is active, +30% critical rate.

Hey it's that skill we're not supposed to know Aoi is going to get. The activation animation is going to say something completely different, but I am a maverick who doesn't play by the rules. All it actually does is increase damage output by 10%, anyway.

It's a Dancouga. It's got all the big weapons, I don't know what else you expected.

Can we get a nice boss sometime? This one has us flying all the way out to the middle of nowhere.
Be nice. If nothing else, he did save our lives.
Sara's right. Besides, we're supposed to be fighting evil anyway.
Yeah, yeah, I got it. Jeez, you don't need to all tell me off at once.
That's enough pointless blathering. Attack, Fujiwara!
I don't need your permission, okay? I can barely hold myself back as it is!







Ooh, remember this attack?





Here's another one.



A pack of Damons moves in from the opposite side!



The Rhinodamon charges in, as it does best. Athrun flies in to intercept it.

You can't fight it alone, Athrun!
I have to! I have to protect all of you!
Athrun...



Kira flies to his side. Aww.

Kira...
You don't have to bear that responsibility alone. We can all do it together.
And no matter what, I'll always be with you.
Kira...
Let's go...
Yeah!



I'm told SEED isn't normally this suggestive. The Rhinodamon is still twitching, so Shinn finishes it off. There's no special animation or anything, but it shows Athrun that he can depend on his friends once in a while.



And speaking of not going it alone, GOONZ has arrived! I'm sending out Aoi and Watta for their friends and Crowe and Kouji for their enemies.

GOONZ' captains may have accepted ZEUTH's decision, but GOONZ didn't. The world is, as they've surely seen, a very dangerous place, and they couldn't bear to see their new partners - and friends - all lost and alone in it. And there's no worry of them imposing on GOONZ; they're already part of our family.

Shinobu decides that ZEUTH's need for him has passed. ZEUTH thanks him for his help. Don't worry about it, says Shinobu: "Apparently, we're all in the same boat." And what boat is that? "I guess we're 'accursed wanderers.' Anyway, see you around."

Ashura's pretty hopping mad, but screw him/her - we've got the combined forces of ZEUTH and GOONZ!

Yeah... that's right. We did all eat at the same table, didn't we?
Let's blow this place! I'll fight with... our new family!




Heh. GOONZ isn't just the same kind of mixed-up fighting force as us. They think just like us too!
So I guess we know where we need to be for now.





GOONZ isn't like those soldiers. They're treating us like people.
Let's pay them back! We'll fight together as people working for a good cause!




I'll fight... No matter where I am, I'll still fight for what I believe.
I know they're fighting for the same thing. That's why we can fight together, side by side.





GOONZ didn't want us just for our firepower!
They're just like us! So let's help them out!




What was I so worried about?
I've got Kira and Shinn with me, and my friends from ZEUTH. And now I have GOONZ...
I'm not alone... I'll fight with all my comrades by my side!




Whatever world we're in, I'll fight anyone who tries to bring chaos and strife...
GOONZ is the same way, the same as us. We can fight on their side!




Heh... I totally forgot to pay thanks for that meal.
Are you saying we're going to help GOONZ?
I'm just gonna do whatever I want... but yeah, it looks like that's going to keep us with them.
Okay!



Guess every world has bad guys!
And those who fight against them. Us... and GOONZ as well.
Damn straight, Touga! So let's show them how we do things!
Indeed! We shall shine Sol Gravion's power upon this world!



Here's some Aquarion and Gravion videos, because they're my favorite ZEUTH robots.

(If we'd managed to keep going after this, we'd just be fighting everyone who wanted to take our power...)
(But GOONZ isn't like that. If there's anything good we can do, we'll find it with them.)





Athrun's still trying to do everything himself, and Kira always overthinks everything...
I guess it's up to me! I'll give it all I've got no matter where we are!




Heh. Friends. We can't really say no when they put it that way.
Watch this, Watta! I'm gonna show you how the totally awesome Kappei Jin beats the bad guys!





Hooray for ZEUTH!




Anyway, it's turn 3 - the last turn for the bonus time limit - and this is what we're looking at.

(This doesn't smell right. What are the Damons doing out here in the middle of nowhere?)
(I don't want to believe it, but... did the Imperium send them after us?)






Great, now for Kingdon.














Hooray! Kouji loots an Electromagnetic Receiver, the thing that grants 10% EN Regen.

As usual, Ashura wails that s/he'll get us next time and flees. Eiji chuckles that every world has one of those, too. Athrun thinks he knows where ZEUTH needs to be...



with GOONZ, as he tells his comrades back on the Quarter. Allying themselves with a country would be dangerous and irresponsible, but as we've seen, he thinks he can trust GOONZ to do the right thing. The reserves bring up all the shady business going on in GOONZ - the Gundams, the Black Knights... if nothing else, they'll put a target on the group's head, and they're not convinced they aren't actively causing trouble themselves. But Athrun proposes they watch out for that from under GOONZ' roof. GOONZ is an organization that fights to protect the world, and that includes their less savory members.

Kira agrees, and has a second point: as ZEUTH, they have a responsibility. ZEUTH is sitting on power, real military power, and they have a duty to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. And while Kira agrees that laying down their swords is one option, it's painfully obvious that this world needs some firepower right now. Like it or not, ZEUTH is part of this universe now, and the universe needs them. It just needs them in the right place, and GOONZ is that place.

Athrun agrees that maybe they still aren't making a fully informed decision. But for the moment, it's a safe bet to continue fighting under GOONZ as they keep learning and considering.

He seems to be the only one with doubts, though - all the other pilots are committed to GOONZ. And since they've made their decision for themselves, Sumeragi and Jeffrey have no objection to taking them back in. Of course, the pilots are glad to have new allies by their side... and gladder to keep their new friends close. Now we can finally move against the Imperium.



Meanwhile, the summit between the Peackeeping Council and the Imperium is beginning, and Shioni starts things off right by warning Elgan and Dorian to afford her the respect she deserves as the representative of the New World Empire. What is the Imperium's game, coming to this talk at all?



Now that we're back from the route split, as usual, I won't demand votes or anything but I'll still point out a chance to talk about units for the next leg of the game. The other reason I bring it up now is that we've got fourteen plus the Brasta next chapter and there is going to be a cool dude whose list of conversations is "every single main character" (including ZEUTH, bringing us up to twenty-four potential conversations). My ability to show them off is limited, so if you have favorites, now's a good time! Also, fifteen slots give or take is the magic number for the whole segment.

So that's the preview. See you next chapter.