Originally posted on AO3 for Insert Coin 2016

"The SRX Project is proceeding well, Professor Zoldark. There remain numerous difficulties and roadblocks ahead of us, but I'm sure we can overcome them with our excellent team here. However..." Ingram paused, waiting for the right moment. Begging for more money wasn't something you could just throw out there. It required perfect timing.

He waited. The seconds ticked past. The moment was long gone, but...

"Hm? Oh, Major Ingram. Did you say something?" Professor Zoldark finally looked up from scribbling notes on the project plans. "I'm looking at the weapon loadout for the R-3...don't you think it's a bit weak? Instead of just Strike Shields, wouldn't it better with actual funnels, or swords?"

"B-beam swords, sir?"

"Maybe something more telekinetic, the planned Z.O. Sword? We need the absolute best to defend the Earth."

"That's rid- I mean, I'm afraid that's out of the question, Professor. The R-3's T-Link system is the heart of the SRX Project, but it's highly unstable. Trying to add anything extra at this point would add at least another year to the development timeline." And would knock Aya out every time she tried to use them - she was barely holding the R-3 together as it was. At this rate she was going to have to be written off as a failed sample, leaving the entire project to fall apart.

No. Aya could hold the SRX together, he was sure. Sure to the bottom of his soul. He'd known that when he'd first seen her, though he couldn't say why.

But that didn't make Professor Zoldark's idea any less stupid. He had to make his plea now, before any more bright ideas showed up. "Anyway, we need to talk about the future of the SRX Project. Though we've had many successes, the SRX itself is the combination of many technologies, and-"

"Ah yes, the final form of the project. I hear you've had some trouble with that."

Ingram whispered a prayer of thanks to the Spirit Emperor under his breath. Finally, the right direction! "The combination mechanism in particular is troublesome. Transforming what are effectively three fully-functional mobile suits into a super robot is difficult, and we'll need a grant of at least-"

"Why is it only one form?"

"What?"

Professor Zoldark tapped at the plans in front of him with a finger. "The purpose of this project is to create something that can cover any situation, correct? With three pilots, three forms would allow them to specialize and choose the right pilot for the right situation."

"...three?"

"Like Getter Robo."

"Professor! We are not the Saotome Institute!" Ingram took several deep breaths, willing himself to stay calm. It was fine. He just had to do this one meeting. It was fine.

Professor Zoldark considered that for a moment. "Do you want their help? Professor Saotome is a friend of mine."

It took everything Ingram had not to swear. "Professor Zoldark...please, Professor Hamaguchi is enough outside help. We just need a grant of at least 3,000,000 credits in addition to our normal operating budget to ensure our success in creating the ultimate super robot. Please."

"I suppose we can't just bring in new people, after all. Never mind. And of course you'll have your money. Now, about the Tronium Engine..."

An hour of irrelevant discussion after the sole purpose of the meeting - getting the SRX Project more money - had been completed, Ingram was finally able to get back to his office to work on more of the endless amounts of paperwork the military and the DC together could generate.

The pilots were arrayed outside his door. They'd obviously been there for some time, Ryusei was fidgeting and Aya was shifting her weight from foot to foot. Only Rai was still at perfect rest posture, looking straight ahead.

Ingram paused before they could notice him and tried to figure out why in Zyfuld's name they were here. Was there a problem? Neither Rai nor Ryusei had blackened eyes or split lips, so Aya couldn't be dragging them in for another scolding. Ingram hadn't gotten any alerts… He surreptitiously checked his communicator to verify and saw the reminder, now half an hour overdue: Pilot Report on Recent Training Maneuvers.

He'd get the basics and send them off to make up more motion data. He could already predict the results: Ryusei had run off ahead and would've gotten himself shot to pieces if it weren't all paint rounds. Aya had more hits than misses, but had taken damage in the process. And Rai had cleaned up the rest of the targets with a few scuffs to show for it. It wasn't as if the reports changed. He had better things to do than worry about the subpar performance of his samples.

The pilots all snapped to attention when Ingram approached. "I was delayed. Make your report quickly."

Aya nodded and began recounting the operation, with results exactly as Ingram had predicted - though Ryusei had done better than expected. He'd gotten shot down while posing, but he'd taken out more targets than Ingram had predicted. Aya finished up with "...I'll give the details in the written report, Major. Is there anything else?"

"That will be all, Captain. Thank you for your report. The team is to spend the rest of the day creating motion data and memorizing the limits of their machines. Especially Second Lieutenant Ryusei. Clear?"

"Yes sir!" Rai and Aya chorused, while Ryusei raised his hand.

"You're not at school, Ryusei," Ingram said while internally bracing himself. "What is it?"

"Instructor, listen. I think it would be really cool if-"

"No."

"You didn't even hear all of it!"

"He doesn't need to, Ryusei," Rai said. "Anything you think would be 'really cool' is just going to give the rest of us a headache."

Ryusei broke formation to turn on Rai. "We're creating the ultimate super robot under the heavens here, right? Then we need to act like super robot pilots!"

Between them, Aya looked like she was getting a headache already. Ingram felt the same way. That meeting, and now this? Rai started detailing the exact problems with Ryusei's 'stand and pose as a team before taking on the enemy' plan, with plenty of sideswipes against Ryusei's piloting ability because of course Ingram's one experienced pilot couldn't get along with his teammate. Ingram gave him exactly one minute before he broke in with "Both of you have somewhere to be right now, and it isn't here. I've given you work and I expect it done. Team dismissed!"

Ryusei looked like he was about to protest, but Aya neatly elbowed him on her way to a salute and that took care of that. The pilots marched off, leaving Ingram able to finally sit down in his office, look at the pile of paperwork, and realize he was out of aspirin.

Two hours later, the pile of paperwork in Ingram's inbox hadn't shifted one bit. Every time he finished one form - in triplicate, copy-paste disabled, and the field positions slightly different from the last one - someone sent a new one to his inbox. A Mechanical Testing Approval Form A-10 from Professor Oomiya, three Restricted Materials Requisition Forms G-255 and one T-64 from Professor Hamil, several things from General Oka he didn't actually need to sign but had to read in detail, and a Requisition Form B-2 from Aya asking for an extra beer ration on Friday. He vetoed that one.

Under such circumstances, normally he'd be happy for a distraction. An attack by Zeon remnants or Dr Hell, for instance. Even some of Big Fire's meddling.

But not these innocuous-sounding beeps out of his communicator. The trilling notes that meant only one thing: a top secret coded dispatch from Euzeth Gozzo himself.

It was too soon and not soon enough. The SRX Team hadn't been in real combat yet. The Zendradi were almost here and ready to snatch Earth away from the Seventh Fleet. The R-2 and R-3 still couldn't even start up. He'd found another powerful psychodriver for the glory of Ze Balmary Empire. With more than a faint hint of trepidation, he drew the communicator out from his pocket and activated the root crack that kept the Earth from knowing where his communications were coming from.

"Ingram-" it began, "The fleet is on its way. I trust you have been keeping a full and accurate record of everything of interest to Ze Balmary Empire." A threat. Ingram had been keeping records, enough to spin standard reports out of, but the fundamental truth was that there was always more to report on.

"I have seen no reports from you, but I assume you have simply been waiting for our arrival so as to not risk discovery. I expect great things - Levi Tolar has been most useful, and I'm sure you can find more psychodrivers of that level on the planet of Nashim. The fallen fortress the Zendradi are chasing should contain ample supplies of Tronium as well - do not let it fall into the hands of the Spirit Emperor's enemies." How much did Euzeth know? He might yet be able to deny finding anything in the depths of the ASS-1, even with the warning of the dangerous game he was playing. He'd have to deny Ryusei's power as well, for all the good that would do. At least Ryusei hadn't awakened yet, that bought him some time.

He was so absorbed in the remainder of the message, "Remember who dragged you from the darkness of space and gave you home and purpose. Should not such generosity be repaid? I look forward to your success," and his swirling ideas for dealing with this new, terrifying wrinkle in his plans that he didn't notice the person in front of him until they coughed.

Ingram looked up. One of the innumerable lower-level DC assistants stood before him, looking vaguely apologetic. "Sorry to interrupt, sir," he started, "But Doctors Shirakawa and Hamil sent me to find out why you were late for the meeting."

Automatically, Ingram switched the crack off and saw the blinking reminder, now ten minutes overdue: Discuss Tronium Engine Challenges with Shirakawa and Hamil, as well as notices for another ten items in the inbox.

"I'll be right there," Ingram said, eyes closed and head pounding. The day wasn't even half over.