Valkyrie's Flight: The Lost Sagas: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
The Year is Cosmic Era 96. As the Colonials recover from the Colonial Civil War at speed, Ronald Pinkerton takes command of mopping up operations. The end of the Second Neo-Zeon War did not mean the end of the Neo-Zeon Movements. Ronald Pinkerton's Londo Bell continues to keep the peace, proving that despite similarities to the Titans, Londo Bell wasn't just a copy, but a proper successor to the Titans. After the end of the Second Neo-Zeon War, Ron began to hunt the Sleeves, the last remnants of the Neo-Zeon force from the Second Neo-Zeon War, and to get the MSN-06S Sinanju back. However, the Sleeves have a plan to get their hands on Laplace's Box, a mysterious item from the beginning of the Universal Century, and use it to bring about the end of the Earth Federation.
SCVA-76 Nahel Argama and SCVA-75 Argama: near Industrial Seven in the Side 3 colony group
"A quad wing?"
Ron looked it up in the Morgan's warbook.
"Here it is: NZ-666 Kshatriya. Somehow, I think that's a bad model number."
"Why?"
"The ZGMF-X666S Legend. I destroyed it about 9 years ago."
Ron noticed that the entire Londo Bell attack force was destroyed.
"Two Jegans and a Jagd Jegan, lost? What idiot was in charge of that?"
"Captain Penelope Reagan, SCVA-81 Musashi."
"Tell her that the next time she spots this thing, to inform us first! That thing uses Funnels, and lots of them!"
"Yes sir."
"Sir, the reports stated that the ship carrying the quad-wing-"
"The Kshatriya! Use the proper name!"
"The Kshatriya, then, was headed for the new colony in the area."
"Industrial Seven? Set a course, now!"
"Why, sir?"
"The Vist Foundation, Captain, is stationed on that colony. And if I remember correctly, Anaheim was testing a new Mobile Suit there."
Anaheim was getting screwed over by Ron and the SNRI, so they were pumping out MS after MS, but due to links with the Titans and Neo-Zeon, SNRI's Mobile Suits were preferred by the armed forces.
Ron and the SNRI were one step away from absorbing Anaheim and they wanted to delay that as long as they could.
Not likely.
Industrial Seven in the Side 2 colony group
Banagher Links had just rescued a girl about his age, and she was on her way to a mansion to talk with someone.
Then he noticed that two ships just jumped in.
The girl, Audrey Burne, recognized those ships.
One of them was the Argama, formally of the AEUG, now of Londo Bell.
The other was the Nahel Argama, her sister ship.
She ran toward the mansion, and Banagher followed her.
They made it inside just as a shuttle equipped with an FTL drive jumped in just outside the mansion.
They made their way up the stairs when the doors opened.
Banagher saw their leader.
He met him about 6 years ago.
UC 0090: Industrial Seven in the Side 2 colony group
Banagher and his mother were at the spaceport, waiting for a flight to leave the colony.
A woman in an odd uniform walked up to them.
"If you're leaving the colony, you should go aboard the Ra-Cailum.
It may be military, but it'll take you to Earth."
His mother looked at the woman and scowled.
"Colonel Ronald Pinkerton. Sorry, but I plan to take my child away from all this. We can wait."
"I see."
Banagher looked at the Colonel.
"Isn't Ronald a boy name?"
The Colonel turned to look at him.
"I'm stuck in a female body, but I am a man. When you get older, you'll understand."
"I don't get it."
UC 0096
"Colonel Pinkerton."
"I see you recognize me, young man. I never got your name."
"Banagher Links."
The Colonel looked at Audrey.
"I see you're here, too, young woman. How you got off of Axis, I'll never know."
"Don't bother, Colonel. I'm here of my own free will."
"Alrighty, then, Audrey, I won't interfere with your meeting, but you shouldn't worry about the Box. No one can open it, even with the key. I made damn sure of that."
"Really? An all-powerful Innovator can't crack it open?"
Ron shrugged.
Banagher was wondering how these two knew one another.
Ron cocked his head back toward the Raptor, and the Marines left the building.
"You still didn't answer my question."
"I wasn't on Axis for more then a year. I left with the help of-"
"Don't bother, young lady. I've got better plans. Go meet with with Mr. Vist. Tell him that no matter what, Anaheim is mine."
"Of course."
Ron left, hefting his GN G36K onto his shoulder.
Banagher looked at Audrey.
"Care to explain?"
"He's...a friend of the family. He's also very anti-Zeon. Zabi, Haman, Char, Full Frontal: he hates them all, but respects Spacenoids. He was born in space, after all."
"That means he really hates the thought of Spacenoids gaining independence."
"It's not that he hates it. He's from another universe, and before their destruction, his people governed 12 worlds, united as one. Before that, everyone was at each other's throats."
"And if the Federation doesn't keep a tight hold on the colonies?"
"Total anarchy: one colony attacks another, then Earth. That's why he founded Londo Bell: to make sure that the One Year War doesn't happen again."
Banagher walked with Audrey to a room on the east wing.
"I've never experienced war. I was born at the beginning of the One Year War, and my mother kept us moving from colony to colony, so we'd never get killed by either Londo Bell or the Titans or Neo-Zeon."
"I envy you, then."
They entered a room with a large tapestry. Banagher knew it from somewhere.
"The Lady and the Unicorn."
They turned to see a gray haired man at the door.
"I didn't know I'd have guests so early. I'm Cardeas Vist, head of the Anaheim Electronics technical school here on Side 2."
"You didn't hear the Raptor outside?"
"Ah, yes, Colonel Pinkerton. Anaheim's lost great capital thanks to him and the SNRI. We've lost thousands of employees to both Londo Bell's maintainance crews and the SNRI's R&D teams. I hate the man, but he's not one to be trifled with: he'd send his Hallie's Comet PMC after me in a heartbeat, and absorb Anaheim without a fight."
Banagher nodded.
"And he's the pilot of the ADF-X01A4 Morgan."
Cardeas scoffed.
"As if I didn't know that already, but you rise a point, young man. Even if Hallie's Comet only trained Londo Bell personnel, the Morgan would still be my greatest worry."
"My name is Banagher Links. I'm...Audrey's escort. People are after her, and so.."
"You decided to protect her. Admirable. Still, I believe she wishes to talk to me alone. I intend no harm to her, and if I did, with Colonel Pinkerton around, it would be an extremely bad idea. He would kill me."
Audrey put her hand on Banagher's shoulder. She knew that it would calm him down.
"I will be fine. I will meet up with you later."
"I'll hold you to that, Audrey." Banagher left, and closed the door behind him.
"You normally abandon anyone who helps you."
"He's different. He truly understands what I've gone through, although I've told him nothing of my past."
Cardeas sighed.
"To the point then. We no longer have Laplace's Box. Colonel Pinkerton has the damned thing on his personal Minotaur-III-Class battlecruiser, the Luna Santa Maria. The deal's no longer valid, Mineva Lao Zabi."
"He stole the box. So what? I don't care. I was going to tell you not to give it to The Sleeves."
"I wasn't. I was going to give them the RX-0. It's the key to Laplace's Box, but since Colonel Pinkerton has it..."
"It's pointless now."
Outside the colony
The Supreme Commander of Londo Bell was pissed.
"Launch out the ReZELs. I'm tired of Anaheim's stupidity. Corporations don't control the Earth Sphere; the Federation does. They either hand over the RX-0 Unicorn or we take it from them before they give it to The Fucking Sleeves."
Otto Midas, commanding officer, sans Colonel Pinkerton, of the Nahel Argama, nodded.
"All hands, Level One Battle Stations! Knock out any resistance from Anaheim!"
"And if even one fucking Neo-Zeon MS helps the Anaheim forces, contact Bright and tell him that Anaheim as declared themselves an enemy of the Earth Federation. I will not tolerate treason!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
"Was that part necessary?"
"The Sleeves are remnants of Char Aznable's Neo-Zeon forces from UC 0093. That makes them our enemy."
Inside the colony: hanger bay
After 4 hours, Banagher ran back inside, only to end up near a Mobile Suit called the RX-0 Unicorn and when he opened the cockpit, he found a dying Cardeas.
"I figured you'd find me."
"What the hell's going on?"
"No time...give me your hand."
Banagher put his hand on a panel.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew the Morgan had a system akin to this, but to see it on one of Anaheim's MSs...
"Now it will read only your biometrics. You are the only pilot of the Unicorn."
He pulled Banagher inside and sat him on the chair inside the cockpit.
"Why? Why me?"
"Because...You're my son..."
Cardeas touched Banagher's cheek with his bloody hand, then pushed himself away.
The cockpit hatch shut shortly after.
Inside the colony: interior
Riddhe Marcenas hated it when his boss was right.
The fucking quad-wing was here!
And it was slaughtering the RGZ-95s and already took down a RGZ-95C Commander ReZEL.
Then DRAGOON fire barely missed the Kshatriya.
"Fall back! I'll handle it!"
The Kshatriya was developed from the Axis Zeon NZ-000 Quin-Mantha, and although smaller, it had the same firepower of 24 Funnels. Of course, the Morgan had 16 DRAGOONs, 8 Ultra Fangs and 8 Funnels, so it was an even fight.
"Die, Gundam!"
The ReZEL pilot sighed.
The pilot of the Kshatriya just made a huge mistake: never call the Morgan a Gundam.
It was a Gundam-type, that couldn't be denied, but it wasn't a Gundam.
It was like calling the Arche Gundam a Gundam when technically it wasn't a Gundam. (AN: Now THAT'S a tongue twister!)
Ron dueled with the Kshatriya for a few minutes until fire from a custom Rick Dom pissed him off.
"Fangs, kill that retard!"
The eight GN weapons impaled the Rick Dom, destroying it.
Inside the colony: hanger bay
Banagher cried for a couple of minutes.
He just met his father, and now he was dead?
What in the name of the Norse goddess Hel was going on?
Then the cockpit showed an image of the tapestry, The Lady and the Unicorn.
"Sorry, mother, but I have to do this!" (AN: Cue one of the greatest battle songs ever: 'Unicorn', from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Ass kicking time!)
The Unicorn, at Banagher's command, broke free of the gantry, then rushed forward.
He was greeted with the sight of the Kshatriya, then by Funnel fire, which missed the Unicorn completely.
And it rammed into the Kshatriya, barely missing the Morgan.
"Buh? HOLY ZEN!"
Ron engaged Trans-Am, following at high speed. "Holy crap! This pilot is good!"
"Get the hell out of here!"
The Funnels blasted open a hole large enough for the two to pass through.
Then the chair did something, and before Banagher knew it, he was in pain.
Outside, the MS was changing.
Parts were glowing red due to the built-in Psycoframe.
Then the biggest change happened: the face plate changed into a Gundam-type, and the single horn split into the classic v-fin of the Gundams that even the Morgan had.
"You have got to be shitting me. It's a Gundam!"
The Unicorn, or rather Unicorn Gundam, was in Destroy Mode.
The Funnels that Marida Cruz's Kshatriya used were useless against the power of the Unicorn.
Now the MS had weapons: four beam sabers.
And damn, was it putting them to good use!
Ron was a great pilot, but it was like the guy in the Unicorn was actually the damned Unicorn itself!
Anaheim, had they mass produced that technology, would've saved their company with it.
Now, however, it was about to fall into the hands of Londo Bell and the SNRI.
Now, here's the tally on damage to these suits: Kshatriya: 21 destroyed Funnels, two Wing Binders lost, and a bruised ego; Unicorn: zip, zero, nadda.
The Kshatriya ran off, and Ron laughed his ass off.
The Unicorn was awesome!
And it used technology Ron had never thought of!
Partly due to the fact that he was mostly fighting a war, but no longer!
It was his!
SCVA-76 Nahel Argama: 0200 hours
Ron was happy. He had a challenge: analyze the Unicorn Gundam.
The problem?
The fucking hatch wouldn't open!
The Anaheim cockbite onboard were doing a horrible job, and Alberto Vist wasn't making things better.
"Oh, fuck it!"
Ron aimed his GN G36K at the hatch and fired.
5.56mm GN beam rounds damaged the controls, and the hatch opened.
The Gundam Team, plus Kou and Gato, were surprised as all hell to see a kid at the controls.
Then Audrey, or rather Mineva, landed beside them.
Gato held his tongue.
The Zabis were fools, and he was the fool to follow them; Ron showed him that.
To say 'Princess Mineva' would be a bad idea.
Two of Banagher's friends walked down and the military otaku gaped while the girl gasped at the fact that Banagher was piloting the Unicorn.
"Get him to sick bay!"
Banagher was hauled out, and Ron sat down.
Nothing happened.
"Fucking biometrics! The kid couldn't reset them...last known user: Cardeas Vist? Fuck!"
The old fucker (Ron was pushing 96, but who cares) had made sure that only Banagher could pilot the Unicorn.
"Well, that sucks, but there's nothing I can do."
Alberto was about to say something when Ron shot him in the leg.
"Anaheim's using my encryptions, and that means not even I can crack it in time. Give the kid a commission in Londo Bell; Lieutenant Junior Grade."
"Why?"
"Because that kid can pilot the RX-0 as well or better then I can pilot the Morgan!"
That scared everyone present.
A kid as good or better then Colonel Ronald Pinkerton, the ultimate MS pilot?
Then again, the RX-0's NT-D mode let the pilot control the MS like it was his own body.
"Call me when the kid wakes up. I'm the first, last and only one he talks to!"
SCVA-76 Nahel Argama: 0800 hours
Banagher woke up to the sight of Colonel Ronald Pinkerton looking over him.
"Welcome back. Quick question, and you don't have to answer: why did Cardeas make you the pilot of the Unicorn?"
"He told me...that I was his son."
"One of his sons. Alberto Vist is your half-brother. He's suffering from GN Tau particle poisoning, though, so he won't live long."
"You've murdered thousands. What's one more?"
"I do feel remorse for my deeds; I just feel it later. By the way, nice job on the ass kicking you gave to the Kshatriya. Couldn't've done it better myself."
"Don't patronize me."
"No, seriously. It would have been a royal bitch to take out that-"
Then the Nahel Argama rocked from a shot hitting the ship.
"We're under attack! Stand by in the Unicorn!"
Banagher got up and got dressed, then ran down to the hanger deck.
Then he heard Ron's voice over the PA.
"All hands, we're under attack by the cockbite I've wanted to kill for the past three years! Full Frontal and the Sinanju are here! Prep all MSs for combat! Launch ReZELs when ready!"
He remembered the Sinanju. The Unicorn was built from the Sinanju and Hi-Nu Gundam's data. And Ron created it and the Turn A Gundam.
He got into the cockpit and found the pilot suit, then put it on quickly.
It was defend the ship and Audrey or die trying.
More of a civilian point of view then just military.
Mobile Suits of the Chapter:
RGZ-95C ReZEL Commander Type
General Characteristics
Overall Height: 20.5 meters
Empty Weight: 25.80 metric tons
Power Plant: Ultracompact Minovsky Fusion Reactor
Power Output: 2220 kW
Propulsion: Rocket thrusters: 81500 kg
Sensor Range: 14920 meters
Accommodation: Pilot only, cockpit in chest
Armor: Gundarium alloy
Armaments: 2 x 60mm Vulcan Gun (mounted in head), 2 x Beam Saber (hand-carried, stored in right forearm when not in use), 2 x Grenade Launcher (stored in left forearm), Shield, Beam Gun
Optional Equipment: Beam Rifle
While no different from the normal ReZEL in specs, the difference is in the paint job. Kind of like the Commander Type Brave.
RX-0 Unicorn Gundam
General Characteristics
Overall Height: 19.7 meters (Unicorn Mode,)21.7 meters (Destroy Mode)
Empty Weight: 23.7 metric tons
Power Plant: Ultracompact Minovsky Fusion Reactor
Power Output: 3480 kW
Propulsion: Rocket Thrusters: 142600 kg
Sensor Range: 22000 meters
Accommodation: Pilot only, cockpit in chest
Armor: Gundarium alloy
Armaments: 4 x Beam Saber (2 x mounted on forearms; 2 x stored in backpack, usable in Destroy Mode only), 2 x Beam Vulcan Gun (mounted in shoulders, usable in Destroy Mode only), 2 x Vulcan Gun (mounted in head)
Special Equipment and Features: La+ Program, Newtype-Destroyer (NT-D) System, I-Field Generator
Optional Equipment: Beam Gatling Gun, Beam Magnum, Full Armor Pack, Hyper Bazooka, Shield, I-Field Generator
This thing is EVIL. And I mean it. If Ron could develop a new Morgan, he'd use the F91, the Dart, the Strike Freedom and this as the basis! Seriously. This thing was based on Nu Gundam and the Sinanju! Piloted by civilian Banagher Links.
NZ-666 Kshatriya
General Characteristics
Head Height: 22.3 Meters
Max Weight: 74.02 Metric Tons
Empty Weight: 29.7 Metric Tons
Power Plant: Ultracompact Minovsky Fusion Reactor
Power Output: 16,540 kW
Propulsion: Thruster:197,800kg
Sensor Range: 18,500m
Accommodation: Pilot only, cockpit in chest
Armor: Gundarium Alloy
Armaments: 6 x Beam Saber, 24 x Funnel, 12 x Mega Particle Cannon (4 on chest, 8 on binders)
Special Equipment and Features: Psycoframe Cockpit, 4 x Sub-arms
Optional Equipment: Beam Gatling Gun
The quad-wing and royal pain in the ass piloted by Puru #12, Marida Cruz. That is a lot of Funnels. That's all I have to say.
Next Time, on Valkyrie's Flight: The Lost Sagas: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn: The Sinanju attacks, but so does the Turn A Gundam. The Universal Century ends next time, on Valkyrie's Flight: The Lost Sagas: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn!
Ja Ne!