Author's Notes
Sorry for the longer wait! I mentioned before that a lot of homework was coming up, and, well, I've had a ton of homework these last couple of weeks because the semester is ending. Next week I have even more due, so the next chapter will likely take another two weeks. Please bear with me!
It also took a long time because put a lot of effort into this chapter. It contains some pivotal events, so I wanted to make it as perfect as I could. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: All of the characters, except for Aleda and Titan, belong to Bandai and Sunrise. Aleda and Titan are characters I made up, so they're mine.
Chapter 9: Titan the Guardian
While humans slept inside darkened, plush homes, and all but the red-shift worker mobile citizens recharged at their stations, a soft rumble pattered over the suburbs of Neotopia, behind a five-foot caped shape. Moonlight glinted off a straight, gold v-fin and boxy, navy-blue armor. Glowing brown eyes intently searched the surface. The figure came to a five-shop outlet and paused to observe a larger building with mismatching structures: a front and a roof of white, new plaster, and lightly weathered grey brick for the rest of the walls. "This is it. Where now?" the figure pondered in a deep, male voice. He descended slowly to the parking lot, his square feet landing with a surprisingly gentle thud. He scanned the surrounding pavement and scouted the building on all sides for several minutes, but then he finally grunted in frustration. "Not a trace of a trail. These mobile citizens work quickly."
He turned his face to the moon, exposing the slanted vents in his mouthguard and the slatted visor overhanging his eyes. "I'll have to wait until I can sense her magic," the Gundam said to the glowing disc in the sky.
...
Aleda stretched and yawned, opening her exposed true mouth—a flexible hole in her white metallic face with a tongue and a visible throat in the back that had puzzled Neotopian scientists for over a decade. She slid her feet off the bed. From her nightstand, she collected her shoulder guards from her pile of exterior armor and clicked them over her joints. She walked into the attached bathroom, grabbed a mini, powered buffer on the edge of the sink, flicked the switch, and rubbed it gently over her face. She sucked in elastic white lips to brush the buffer over tiny flakes caking around the edges of her mouth. Once her face was satisfactorily polished, Aleda clicked off the buffer and turned her head in the mirror to check the smooth ridges curving down the back of her head like a stiff facsimile of a bob cut. She ran her fingers along them, thinking, I need to ask Zero what they're for. She grinned as she thought, I wonder what he and Baku have under their helmets?
The Gundamess suited up the rest of the way, first attaching her skirt armor, then popping on her mouthguard, and finally sliding her helmet over her head. She flew out the door just before 6 am.
This early, the kitchen was still, quiet, and pitch black. No windows opened in, so she did not have the privilege of seeing the sun rise. Aleda flipped the light switch to illuminate her secondary domain (secondary only in relation to her own room, where she drew and relaxed in private).
She had the bacon and eggs on the stove when something tickled her CPU. Zero's awake, she noted with a smile. After nearly four weeks of strengthening her magical abilities, Aleda had started to be able to detect proximal use of magic, including that of Lacroan anti-gravity flight boosters. It was a natural side effect of magic use, according to her knightly tutor.
Suddenly, a shrill siren screeched into her audio receptors, and she jumped, nearly tossing the eggs. "Ah! Ah! Ah!" She scrambled to slide the eggs back into the pan and turn off the burner. The flame snuffed without her touch—thank goodness for magic!—and she breathed a momentary sigh of relief.
"Dark Axis assault in the industrial district! All Gundam Force members report immediately to the launch deck! I repeat! Dark Axis assault in the industrial district!" Juli's voice rang over the intercom.
I hope it goes well, Aleda thought worriedly.
...
It was not going as well as usual. The site of the skirmish was the grounds of a factory at the outskirts of the city. A thick, gated concrete wall six feet tall surrounded it, creating a square enclosure that allowed only a stone's-throw width of moving room to the combatants. The smooth sides of the factory and its gate provided no extra terrain for land-based robots to climb. The building itself appeared taller in the darkness than it actually was; its 30-foot height seemed to tower over the clashing robots. The Komusai laid in wait outside of the wall, looming over the edge and giving the scene below a slight purple glow. Swarms of Zakos scuttled within the factory gate's walls.
Explosions from Destroyer Dom's missiles briefly illuminated the bold words emblazoned on the side of the factory: "Lyn Enterprises." Blasts flashed throughout the grounds, revealing for a split-second Baku in mid-slash, Grappler Gouf and Captain locked in sword-to-beam-saber combat, and Zero rolling in the skies to evade Zapper Zaku's bullets, before the early-morning darkness swallowed them once more. Eyescreen glows, magical flashes, and gunfire littered the dim scene.
"Boom! Boom!" Destroyer Dom cheered and let rip another barrage of missiles.
Zero raised his shield, and one ricocheted off it toward Baku, who caught sight of it and slashed it just before impact. The chopped missile parts exploded behind the samurai, doing no harm except for the temporary blindness that came with the rapid readjustment of his visual sensors' light filtration settings. But, the Blazing Samurai was still unpleased. "Zero, are you trying to kill me?! Watch where you bounce those things!"
"Where they bounce would be no problem if you used a proper shield," Zero quipped back. He ducked behind his shield again, and another missile impacted it, though it detonated harmlessly against the surface, this time.
"I don't need a shield! My swordsmanship is good enough for defense and offense!" Baku sliced the air with one sword, sending a flaming slash through a cluster of Zakos and crisping them all.
"Then don't complain!" Zero swiped his sword, and the Lacroan Crescent pulsed into Zapper Zaku.
"Hey! Ow!" Zapper screeched.
"Allies should avoid hitting each other!" Baku yelled at Zero.
Captain locked his beam saber with Grappler's blue sword. His data processor attempted to pinpoint the exact material the sword was composed of, based on temperature readings, the melting rate—which, from the effectiveness of his saber, was extremely low—and his stored information on the periodic table. But, while it chugged on that, Captain figured he should gain another advantage if possible. The wheels on his heels spun, and he pushed forward against Grappler, who stumbled, his one purple eye flashing in surprise. Captain brought his saber down to de-arm his opponent, but his proximity sensors alerted him of a threat, and he altered his trajectory to fall into a roll. The missile slammed into him, anyways, knocking him a few feet away. "Hah, Dom hit Gundam!" Dom bragged as he rolled to Grappler.
"Ugh," Captain groaned as he dragged himself to his feet. Dirt and ash layered his steaming armor.
Grappler righted himself. "Heh, you're not so tough when you don't have the human around to power you up," he mocked the Gundam.
"I'm tough enough to beat you," Captain said, spreading his feet in preparation to lunge.
Baku somersaulted over Dom, startling the two Dark Axis 'bots. Dom fired his missile launcher. The shot knocked Baku off-course, and he fell on his shoulder. "Ouch!"
"Bakunetsumaru!" Captain called out in concern. He intercepted another stab from Gouf.
"Ai ya~" Baku hissed in pain as he stood. "Where are you, Captain?"
"Over here!" Captain shouted in the dark.
The samurai started to run in the direction of Captain's voice and glowing beam saber, but his leg sparked, and he stumbled and caught himself. "Aw, great."
...
Under a tree, a boxy, caped Gundam woke to the sound of distant rumbling and the feel of a quake under his helmet. His brown eyes came fully online, and he levitated off the tree roots. "A battle."
...
Chief Haro, Kao Lyn, Juli, and several other staff witnessed the battle from the monitors in White Base's command center. "Captain Gundam to SDG Base," came a voice over the comm.
"Chief Haro, here. We read you, Captain."
"Bakunetsumaru's leg has been injured, and he is struggling to maintain mobility, sir."
Chief Haro put a hand to his chin. "That is problematic. Stand by for assistance."
"Understood. Over and out."
"What unit should we send, sir?" Juli requested.
The chief was silent in thought for a moment. "Aleda," he finally said.
"Excuse me, sir?"
"Send Aleda as a medic to heal Bakunetsumaru with her magic. The Dark Axis has made a strategically advantageous choice for the setting of this fight. Captain Gundam has no SoulDrive boost, because Shute is still asleep and cannot be retrieved in time. The site is full of many mobile citizens, as well as sensitive research for the SDG. We absolutely need everyone running on all legs for this one." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Just make sure Aleda is informed that she is, under no circumstances, to engage in combat, and that she is to return to base as soon as she has completed her mission."
"Yes, sir."
...
Aleda had stayed in the kitchen and continued to cook, hoping to help by having something energizing and delicious ready for after the fight. The intercom crackled on, as it had many times in the last ten minutes, but to her surprise, this time it crackled, "Request Aleda to launch deck. Aleda to launch deck, immediately!"
"Huh?" The Gundamess dropped her cooking ware. The stove flushed off, and Aleda zipped out.
...
"We're sending Aleda to repair Bakunetsumaru in the field," Juli said over the comm.
Captain grunted as another explosion from Dark Axis's pyromaniac impacted his shield. "Inadvisable. Aleda has no combat training," he said. The mention of The Lady's name yanked Zero's eyes to Captain for a split-second before the graze of gunfire against his helmet recaptured his attention to the horde of Zakos at hand. He flung a magical flash into the crowd, toppling them like bowling pins.
"She will only be a medic. You and Zero must defend her until she has fulfilled her mission. Once Bakunetsumaru is able to move normally, then she will return to base."
Baku leapt to Destroyer Dom, but his leg buckled upon landing, and Dom skittered out of the samurai's reach.
"Very well. Tell her to be careful," Captain said grimly. "Over and out."
"Over and out."
"Zero! Bakunetsumaru!" Captain called. "Our medic is coming!" He slapped a missile away with his shield, and it exploded harmlessly in the sky. "Zero! You and I will protect her while she makes repairs!"
Zero frowned into the remaining clusters of trembling Zakos. Aleda? Here? He didn't like that at all.
...
"Taxi down Launcher 4," a male SDG staff member directed the Gundamess. Aleda glided down the designated launcher—the ring finger—as the intercom blared, "Head directly northwest 21.3 kilometers of White Base to find Bakunetsumaru."
"Okay," Aleda squeaked. She flung herself from the tip of the launcher and glided away from the rising sun. Blasts echoed, and explosions flashed in the dark distance. As she drew closer, Aleda could see the factory site. Solar panels lined its roof, and the tall walls were impenetrable grey. A factory that makes mobile citizens, Aleda realized from the name in bold silver words on the side of the building.
Dom blasted the factory building's walls, causing the structure to quake. Captain fired on Grappler Gouf with his beam rifle, which kept the foe dancing at a distance. Zero and Zapper were sword-to-axe, exchanging fierce blows that sparked against each other's blades. Defeated Zakos piled in the narrow turf space within the defensive outer wall. A gleam of bright red burst out of a crumbled section of the gate; Bakunetsumaru gave a determined shout and charged at Destroyer Dom, swords at the ready but his left leg sparking at the knee joint. Dom wheeled and fired missiles before he even crossed half the distance. Baku gathered his legs underneath him and crossed his swords in front of him. When he pushed off, a flaming X flew forward and cut the missiles, but he tripped over his sparking knee and fell to his face. "Gah!"
Aleda zoomed towards Baku. Zero caught sight of her gold-and-white form in the corner of his eyescreens. "Aleda!" he cried. Zapper's foot kicked him under the GunSoul. "Oof!" As he stumbled, he brought his shield forward to block Zapper's axe swing, and the curved blade meant for his chest clanged off the hard surface.
In the meantime, Dom fired more missiles Baku's way, in such a wide spread that a couple veered towards Aleda. Eyes wide, the Gundamess jerked to the side and missed one. The other headed for her face. A purple beam shot knocked it aside and detonated it far enough away that only a gust of heat reached her. "Careful!" Captain shouted to her as he fired Vulcan cannon shots at Grappler. Another beam shot sent Dom reeling.
"Thanks!" Aleda gasped, and she landed by Bakunetsumaru.
"I can't believe they sent you here," Baku said as he pulled himself to his feet. "Make it quick. I don't want you dying on me."
Aleda knelt down to touch his knee. "I'll be careful."
"Just be ready to run." His knee glowed blue.
A loud whistle pierced the Musha Gundam's audio receptors. His brown eyes widened at the sight of another barrage of missiles from Dom. "Run!" He crossed his swords, stepped in between Aleda and the missiles, and braced himself.
Crash! Boom! The missiles exploded, but the blasts washed around a thick, navy-blue form. Aleda opened her eyes. In front of Baku, another robot, with boxy armor and a light blue cape, had planted himself between Dom and the Gundams. Cracks marked the ground adjacent to his square feet, and a glowing blue force field surrounded him.
"Not fair! More Gundams!" Dom whined, flailing his fists.
The new Gundam flew forward and rammed Dom into the side of the factory building.
"Woah! Great work!" Baku called.
But, then the Gundam whipped around, revealing his visor-veiled face and a tall shield in each hand, and he charged at them. "What?!" Baku braced himself to defend Aleda, but the mysterious warrior stopped in front of him, knocked him aside with a shield, and snatched Aleda by the arm.
"What?! Hey, let go!" Aleda protested as he tugged her.
Zero, hearing her cry, whirled to see an unknown agent pulling Aleda towards the shadowy trees. "Aleda!" He slashed Zapper's arm and kicked off his chest to fly to his lady's aid. "Aledaaa!"
The strange Gundam glanced over his shoulder, slowed, and turned. He maintained his hold on Aleda with one hand and held up one shield with his other hand. A dome with a blue sheen surrounded them. In its glow, a peek of green could be seen through the slats of his visor. "Stay back!" the Gundam commanded in a deep voice.
Zero decelerated uncertainly. "You are a Knight Gundam," he said. "What are you doing to that defenseless maiden?"
"I am her guardian!" the Gundam declared. "Stay back, or I'll use force!"
"Zero!" Aleda strained against the strange Gundam's grip to no effect. In desperation, she demanded of her captor, "Let me go!"
"Release her!" Zero cried.
"I won't!"
Meanwhile, Captain and Grappler leapt at each other. A couple of swipes, and sheared claw tips clinked onto the gravel. Grappler held one stubby claw to his eye, groaning, "Aw, great."
Captain spun, kicked the Dark Axis 'bot away, and rocketed with his booster pack toward his distressed friends. "I have been granted special dispensation to use weapons in defense of Neotopia!" He landed beside Zero and pointed his beam rifle at the unknown Knight Gundam. "Use of weapons in the city is prohibited! Lay down your weapons at once!"
"I know your laws well, but I must refuse," the Knight Gundam growled. "Let us go, milady." The glowing bubble dissipated, and he flew up sharply.
"No! Let go!"
Zero rushed after them. "Stun Chamber!" he cried, raising his sword, and glowing lines of energy enclosed the fleeing Gundam and Aleda. But, his foe bashed a shield into the cage, and it shattered and fizzled out.
Unseen by the Gundams, Grappler Gouf hauled Zapper Zaku towards the park Komusai outside the gate. "Stupid lugnut," he growled at the wounded robot. "Get better at this so I don't have to haul your heavy bulk to safety every time."
"What's that, you declawed pile of scrap?!" Zapper retorted.
"You heard what I said." Grappler's eye shifted. "Dom! Get over here! We're not hauling your sorry rear again!"
"Uwuuuuuuh," Dom groaned, sliding precariously towards them. "Wait for me..."
In the air, Zero and the bulky Knight Gundam danced around each other. Zero tried to corral him in, only for the kidnapper to roll out of reach. Aleda flung herself free in the roll, but her captor immediately roped her back. Thrusters ignited near the bases of the strange Gundam's shields, and he and his captive shot higher.
A huge laser beam zapped overhead, stopping him. The Gundam Force turned to see the Komusai barreling their way. Grappler rode the hull of the ship; Zapper and Dom rested inside, unseen. "I'm taking you down, Gundams!" Grappler yelled.
Aleda's captor extended his free hand, and his two shields floated ahead of him. The next beam reflected off the barricade and into the ship, sending it flying through the air. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" The horned Zakorello Gate appeared and swallowed Grappler's cry and the Komusai.
Once the Gate vanished, the Gundam Force turned their sights on their Knight Gundam foe. Baku limped to his comrades' side and glared up at the enemy. "What coward dares to attack me by surprise?" he demanded.
The strange Knight Gundam surveyed his opponents. "I am Titan," he answered.
Aleda's GunSoul pounded as she wracked her processor for a spell that could help her escape.
"I've never heard of a knight called Titan," Zero said.
"I have no title worth mentioning." The Knight Gundam turned aside. "And I have no time to answer questions. We'll be leaving, now."
"No!" Aleda screamed, thrashing wildly, which forced Titan to grapple with her.
"Aleda!" Zero charged in.
Captain's v-fin flashed yellow. "Captain Gundam, the Gundam Force is to withdraw at once," said Juli over the comm. "Retreat to coordinate A439.1 for pickup."
"Our ally has been captured!" Captain protested.
"Captain, this is Chief Haro," another voice interjected. "Titan will not harm Aleda. Return to debrief."
Zero tried to ram shield-first into Titan, but the foe knight curled protectively around Aleda, and Zero's shield bounced harmlessly against his shoulder. Titan shoulder-butted Zero in return.
"Zero!" Aleda snapped her fingers, fire filled Titan's visor, and the Gundam recoiled and released her. She zipped to the side of her knight, who shook off the impact and slipped between her and Titan.
Titan's visor flipped open, clipping the fire. His brown eyes glinted greenish in the morning rays. "Milady, I'm trying to protect you!" he said to the Gundamess. "The SDG is using you!"
Aleda and Zero both blinked in surprise. "What?" "How do you know that name?" Zero demanded.
"The SDG is not interested in helping those from other worlds," Titan stated. "They are only interested in defending their own city." He angled the shields in his grip so that their lengths aligned with his arms like over-sized tonfa. "I swore to my master and companions fifteen years ago to protect this child Gundamess, and I am going to keep that promise. I won't allow these Neotopians to use her for their own ends."
Slowly, cautiously, Zero lowered his sword and shield. "Sir Titan, we are fighting against the Dark Axis, for the sake of Neotopia and all of Sola Diorama. Please, cease this fight, and we will explain."
"There is nothing to explain. The SDG used our pattern to create the Gundams of Neotopia, and then they abandoned us to the whims of this world," Titan growled. Aleda reeled.
Below them, Captain called, "Zero! Aleda! We're ordered to retreat!"
"Follow them, milady," Zero urged as he continued to stare down the opponent. "I'll hold him off." He waited for the sound of flight boosters puttering away from him, but his audio receptors only heard silence. "Aleda?" He turned his head to see the Gundamess trembling.
"Don't go back to them," Titan warned her. "I told them everything I knew, and submitted to every test they desired, for the promise of returning to my home world, but then they said it was impossible. Then, over the last ten years, they made an army with my data, and now they are sending you, a civilian, into battle against the Dark Axis!"
"That... that can't possibly be true!" Baku protested loudly.
"Kao Lyn is known as the creator of all Gundams and mobile citizens," Titan said. "He was the one who studied me all those years ago."
In Aleda's data processor, Kao Lyn's grey hair colored brown, and his wrinkles smoothed. Behind the yin-yang glasses was a brown-eyed, kind smile. "Don't worry, Aleda. None of this will hurt you. Stay very still, though, so the scans can be accurate."
He knew about me all along, Aleda internally digested. All along, I felt so alone, when he could have done something...
"Milady." Zero fully faced her. "I don't know what this is about, but we'll get to the bottom of it." He extended his shield arm. "Let's return to White Base," he pleaded. His begging baby blues stirred Aleda from her shocked stupor, and she reached to take his arm.
"Stop!"
Zero sensed a burst of magic behind him, and he wheeled to see Titan charging. "Oh, Mana!" His magic circle spread in front of him as a shield. Mere inches away, Titan braked.
"It is the lady's choice," Titan growled. "Leave her alone so she can decide!"
The baby blues heated with white-hot rage. "You have some nerve!"
"Leave!" Titan raised his shields threateningly.
"I will not leave without Lady Aleda!"
The piercing scream of a beam rifle silenced them. All three Lacroans looked down to see Captain cocking his beam rifle. "Everyone, calm down!" he ordered. "This is a meaningless fight."
"How is it meaningless?" Titan scoffed.
Captain lowered his rifle. "Ten years ago," he said, "when the SDG was founded by Chief Haro and Kao Lyn, dimensional transport was not at all possible. But, since that time, the SDG has made a dimensional transport device capable of transport between Sola Diorama and this dimension." Gazing straight at Titan, he said firmly, "I'm certain that Chief Haro and Master Kao Lyn have been working tirelessly all of these years to return you and Aleda to Lacroa."
Titan pondered this in silence.
"Let us talk about this," Zero entreated. "There must be a misunderstanding."
A heavy patter of helicopter rotors and gusts of air interrupted them. Shadows flickered wildly under the flapping trees. A Gunperry landed a few feet behind Captain and Bakunetsumaru. When the plank folded down, the green-masked leader of SDG stepped out. "Chief!" Captain called in surprise, saluting.
Chief Haro watched the boxy Knight Gundam in the sky. "Titan," he began, causing the Gundam to clench his shields tighter, "it's me. I'm here to retrieve my units and allies."
"You have much to explain," Titan said.
"Yes, I do." He bobbed his big green mask in agreement. "Come with us, and we'll tell you everything."
"If the lady will go, then I will, too," Titan stated.
Chief Haro and the rest looked at Aleda expectantly. She numbly nodded. Zero and Titan allowed their weapons to dissipate. "Milady," Zero said softly, holding out a hand. Aleda took it, and the knight, grasping her hand tightly, tugged her down to the Gunperry with anxious haste. He sensed that at any moment, like a canary staring at an open door, she could slip through his fingers, fly away, and never be seen again.
All of the Gundams entered the aircraft. They knocked shoulders, Zero against Baku, and Captain with Titan. Zero pushed back against Baku to ensure that Aleda had room to breathe. "Zero, watch it," Baku complained.
Chief Haro clung to a safety handle a few feet away from them to avoid being crushed. "I'm sorry it's such a tight fit," Chief Haro apologized.
"I guess I can tolerate rubbing shoulder plates with pansy knight," Baku said sarcastically. "Hah, hah..." His laughter stopped when he noticed Zero wasn't making a comeback.
The Winged Knight watched his lady, who snuck uncomfortable glances at both Titan and Chief Haro. Her hand still clung to his. "Milady..." he began uncertainly.
"Taking off," called the Gunperry pilot.
The Gunperry jolted as it rose with its heavy load, throwing Aleda headlong into the knight's arms. "Are you alright?" Zero asked, gripping her shoulder guards to steady her. But, she, shivering, buried her face in the nook between his shoulder and his neck. "Lady Aleda?"
"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, her voice warbling at the end from condensation in her voicebox.
Zero hugged her back. "It's alright." Titan peered their way, and Zero squeezed her tighter. "It's alright."
...
Kao Lyn slumped in their midst like a deflated air dancer. The Gundam Force, Titan, and Chief Haro had gathered in his lab, one of the few locations in the base that had no wire taps. This vast, dimly-lit space was usually brightened by Kao Lyn's cheery aura, but at the moment he absorbed the shadows. Chief Haro stood beside him. "So... where to start?" Kao Lyn mumbled.
Titan stepped forward, causing the Gundam Force to tense. "Please explain this Dimensional Transport Device and why you never alerted me of its development."
Chief Haro raised a hand. "Hold on. I think everyone needs some common context, first."
Titan grunted. "Very well."
"Would you like to do the honors, Titan? Or would you like me to explain how you and Aleda are related?"
"I can explain." Titan turned to the Lady Gundamess, his brown eyes reflecting green in the sharp spotlight of Kao Lyn's giant lamps. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Milady, Sir Zero, and you Gundams from Ark and Neotopia, fifteen years ago, I was a young knight-in-training in the land of Lacroa…"
Author's Notes
Yeah, I know, I'm mean. Sorry to cut it off there for the next two weeks, but I tried putting it all together before, and it was just too darned long. Like, it would have been over 15 pages single-spaced 12-point TNR font kind of long. Plus, by having this as the stopping point, I get the time to make the background explanation a series of immersive flashbacks instead of just listening to character monologues.
Note about Kao Lyn's workshop: I forgot how it looked. It's that place in episode 19 where Captain and Baku are being treated, right? Or is that a temporary set-up? _ I forget. Later, when Kao Lyn installed emotional expression into Captain, the room seemed different from that, so... Yeah... it wasn't ever very clear. If someone could clarify that for me, that would be great.
About Titan: I didn't have him when I first wrote this fic, but when I decided to explore the idea that Aleda was a model for the Neotopian Gundams, I knew that that wouldn't quite make sense by itself. Aleda's a Gundamess, and if she were the sole model, the Neotopian Gundams would have come out more feminine. So, there had to be a male model, also. I decided to create a character for this purpose who would also be able to participate in the overall story. To make it easier for me, I looked for a model to base him off of, and I thought that the TR-1 Hazel was ideal. It was notably different from the other Knight Gundams featured in the show (I wanted him to be distinctive), and it was "similar" to Zephyranthes (one of Captain's inspirations) according to the Gundam Wiki. I couldn't name him "Hazel," though, because that sounds too feminine, so I settled on Titan—a reference to the group that created the Hazel and served as the "villain" organization of Gundam Zeta. The name Hazel was referenced in Titan's eye color, which, in case I didn't make it very clear, is hazel, an odd eye color that can appear different depending on the lighting. Btw, let me know if that eye color wasn't clear so I can go fix it and make it clearer. Titan's a bit of a wild card, and I still haven't decided what he'll choose to do after the fallout of this revelation. He'll probably let me know in the next chapter. I can tell already that he's going to be trouble XD
Another factor in choosing the Hazel for Titan's model is that it was in the same stories (non-anime) as a mobile suit that I'm adopting for Aleda's model. I'd never gotten around to a detailed drawing of her, and I was having trouble getting a solid picture of her in my head—because when I did try to draw my ideas, it wasn't working out practically. So, I've been browsing the Gundam Wiki for possible models, and I found a beauty called the TR-6 Woundwort. It's scary how close its feel is to I wanted for Aleda. The main thing missing is a skirt. In order to get her a skirt and to give her a model from Gundam Wing like Zero and the other Lacroan Gundams, I'm taking the Hydra's skirt. There's a third source that I'm also taking for her, but revealing that outright would give spoilers. :) So, if you wanted a clearer picture: Woundwort + Hydra skirt + elongated chest and gold angular wing motif on shoulders. I'm in the process of drawing her, but I've always had issues with Gundams because of the precision and sharp angles required, so don't expect a presentable visual anytime soon. The previous descriptions that I gave for her still apply; I didn't see any conflict with the new models.
Also, some more Gundam "biology": all of the Sola Diorama Gundams have mouths that resemble Genkimaru's. This lets them eat food and express themselves in otherwise impossible ways such as kissing ;) And Genkimaru gives me a canon excuse to have it that way. The armor that Sola Diorama Gundams have is a combination of nanite-grown parts and crafted parts. Lacroan armor in particular magically grows to continue to fit the wearer—otherwise Aleda and Titan wouldn't have Lacroan armor that fits, would they? Full Arkian armor is crafted to the wearer when he/she comes of age, and then nanites work with it to help it grow or shrink along with the wearer's size and to repair it along with the wearer's injuries. The features on the top/back of the head under the helmet of Sola Diorama Gundams serves as natural protection and grows with the Gundam, but it does not need to be trimmed or maintained like actual hair.
So, review and let me know how this went. Is my imagery good? Are the characters acting realistically and in-character? I tried hard to make a vivid battle scene and set up the environment of the fight. Were you surprised by Titan's revelation? Is he an interesting character? What are you looking forward to in the next chapter? I worked my darndest to put out a great chapter, so please review so I can know if it was good or not and where I can improve.
See you next chapter!
-Penelopi
