Gundam Unicorn: Narrative of Truth
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Unicorn, Gundam Narrative, or the Gundam franchise. Chase Lee and Johann Revil are among my OCs. Seph Matthews, Tina Hendricks, Dr. Lombardi, and Dr. Ming belong to Titanic X.
Lunar Surface, 100 kilometers from Von Braun
September, UC 0097
Seph nervously looked around, his optics wide beneath his visor. He hefted the beam rifle hastily given to him by one of the technicians, trying to keep himself from shaking in his armor. Chase's Delta Plus flew alongside him as they sped across the surface of the Moon. "This is Crux. Dragon report in."
"So far nothing, sir," Seph radioed, still trying to get used to the sensation of using his comm system.
"The standard procedure in your case is to say, 'Dragon, roger'," Chase taught, "but I'll take that as an affirmative for now."
A light blush appeared on Seph's faceplate under his face guard as he nodded. "Right. Sorry," he muttered.
"Hey, there's a first for everything, Dragon," Chase said with a chuckle to break the ice.
The Gundam's wings twitched as he scanned around him with his optics. He still had no idea how to use his scanners, and actually, he was still nervous about this.
Though he was glad to have mobility back, at least.
"Alright, Ensign Kyle," Chase began, "we're going to conduct basic maneuver courses based as prescribed in this report concerning your MS's test run." He was referring to the test course that was originally laid out for Dr. Lombardi's team the day of the mishap. "I'm sending you data of your route."
Seph wasn't sure how he was going to get the updated route, only to yelp in surprise at the sight of his HUD flashing. It... All he could think of was it was like a computer updating. Except it was him getting the update. And it weirded him out immensely. The updated map flashed on his HUD, indicating the route he was supposed to go. "Your HUD has been updated Dragon," Chase said as he broke away into a holding pattern, "get to work."
Seph nodded. "Y-Yes, sir!" he stammered. He adjusted his flight path, preparing to undergo the same test that led him to... his predicament.
Focusing his thoughts on his thrusters, 'Ensign Kyle Ray' accelerated the Dracon to attack speed as the test commanded.
His optics narrowed beneath his visor, but his reactor increased its humming in his chest as he sped on. 'I just hope I can complete it right this time...' he thought to himself.
Chase watched as the Dracon maneuvered along its designated course, simulating the debris field despite the physical lack of one. He marvelled at how the Unicorn Dracon maneuvered.
"Wow..." Chase marvelled, "and without a Wave Rider mode..." The secret lay in the Dracon's wings. With them fully spread, Seph's maneuverability was increased drastically. To Chase, the Dracon reminded him of an ancient dragon from mythology flying through the air. He watched as Seph twirled around some imaginary debris, leaving a small dust trail in his wake. "I've got to admit," Chase said to himself, "whoever designed the Unicorn series designed it well." He watched as Seph drew his wings closer to his back before increasing speed. He flared his wings out and abruptly cut his speed before he fired his thrusters and braked, turning and using his thrusters again to boost to the right, then the left, as if dodging asteroids.
"You're doing great, Dragon," Chase radioed in, "you're almost there."
The dark colored Gundam braked hard, driving his feet into the ground and springing off the dusty lunar surface, doing a flip before he fired his thrusters, coming to a hover and looking back over his shoulder, chest rising and falling slightly as if panting.
"Stellar flying, Ensign Kyle," Chase complimented, "your MS' maneuverability is incredible!"
"Thanks... I think..." Seph replied, looking at his hands. "I had no idea..." He glanced back at his wings and flexed them a bit. "Still can't get used to these..." The Gundam looked around, only for his radar to blare in his head. A yelp escaped his vocalizer as he boosted back, barely avoiding a barrage of gunfire from a cluster of mobile suits belonging to Londo Bell marines. "Commander!?" Seph was rattled.
"Relax, those are training lasers," Chase reminded, "the next course as you probably recall was originally combat evasion. However, I was given the liberty to revise it." The Londo Bell commander then transmitted new objectives to Seph. "Instead," Chase indicated, "you're to engage in direct combat. Your objective is to 'shoot' down the enemy, while still avoiding getting hit. This will be a test of you and the Dracon's basic combat ability, so take it seriously."
The Gundam gulped audibly as he nodded. "R-Roger," he stammered. Seph shivered in his armor as he gripped the beam rifle he had been given for this session. He aimed it with shaky hands, only to peel off when he saw a salvo of lasers coming his way. He weaved through them, relying on his dark colored armor to avoid detection.
"You can do it, Dragon," Chase encouraged, "show me what you've got!"
Seph spun around and aimed again, his arms still shaking. He tried his best to steady them. The targeting reticle danced across his sight as he aimed and fired. The four Jegans dispersed and continued to fire at Seph with their training lasers. The Gundam flipped to the right, firing at the closest Jegan as his optics flared beneath his visor.
The beam actually hit, causing the Jegan pilot to have to withdraw from the fight. Chase saw the hit and just how quickly Seph shot the 'enemy'. "Kid's not bad," Chase noted. In actuality, Seph was surprised he had gotten a hit.
Another salvo of lasers got the sentient Gundam's attention. His wings flared as he crouched and flipped over the lasers, firing as he did so. From Seph's view, he could actually make out 'lines' of sorts from his weapon and the enemy mobile suits. It was as though he was using a laser sight, and he could see the lasers from the other suits' rifles. The whole thing was unnerving. He aimed his rifle again, and fired a few shots off in quick succession. 'The heck is happening here?' he thought. When one of the enemy 'lines' crossed onto his body, his radar alert went off. Seph dodged the beam, his agility making it a nearly effortless feat.
'It's like, I can tell where they'll shoot and when,' Seph thought as he aimed his rifle at where a Jegan was going to be. A series of shots hit the Jegan, making the pilot back off. 'This is so weird!'
Chase observed the maneuvering Dracon and how it was taking on the Jegans. 'Seph's control of the Dracon is incredible,' he thought, 'it's almost like I'm really watching Amuro in action...' It did help that Seph was using the Dracon as his body, though, he figured. 'Still, he will have much to learn on the battlefield...' Chase mused, 'and it's still going to be much harder...'
Landing on the dusty lunar surface, the dark colored Gundam looked around at the last two Jegans coming at him before his visor flashed purple. He flared his wings wide open and, surprising Chase, fired his thrusters without lifting off. Chase gaped at the sudden dust cloud as it concealed the area. He watched for a few moments, half expecting Seph to come out, but instead, the Jegans retreated from the dust as it began to settle, revealing Seph standing there, his beam rifle held up as he crouched, scanning for any more enemies. "There..." Seph muttered as he detected one of the Jegans through the dust. He aimed his rifle and fired a shot, striking the Jegan before boosting back further into the cloud.
The last Jegan then decided to go for broke and pursue the Dracon into the cloud. The pilot activated his thermal to assist in spotting Seph. Seph, however, was plastered against the dusty ground, waiting for his chance. His optics pulsed lightly before he rolled onto his back and fired his beam rifle, one last time. The laser struck home on the Jegan, causing the weapons systems to go red on the pilot.
"Dragon just got his last kill," Chase tallied it up with a smirk, "you're dead, Red Four."
The Jegan retreated as Seph hovered out of the dust cloud, his armor sporting some smudges here and there. He looked around, watching as Chase came closer in his Delta Plus. "Uh... how'd I do?" he asked, rubbing the back of his helm sheepishly.
Chase chuckled aloud. "For the record," he said, "that was awesome!"
"Uh... Okay?" Seph was honestly confused, and it showed in his body language as he subconsciously scratched his headplate. "How so?"
"You handled that mobile suit like no other," Chase indicated, pointing with the Delta Plus' finger, "I couldn't have pulled the maneuvers you did when I was just a rookie like you. You've got some real combat potential to handle that Gundam the way you did just now."
Seph glanced down at his frame, looking himself over. "Okay...? But... I am the Gundam, remember?" he pointed out, flicking his wings a bit as he looked at one of his hands. Then he looked up. "You think that had something to do with how good I did?"
Chase offered, "maybe that, or maybe it could be revealing something about yourself that you never knew..."
Seph felt a bit uneasy and he visibly shuddered, his armor rattling against his metallic hide soundlessly. "Yeah... So... what now?"
"We continue training," Chase said as his Delta Plus lifted off, "we still have time left on our mission clock, so let's make the use of it, Dragon. Follow my lead."
The Gundam nodded and followed after. The two mobile suits soared across the lunar surface towards their next objectives.
Anaheim Electronics, Von Braun, Alberto Vist's Office
The room was quiet as Anaheim executive, Alberto Vist sat at his desk, hands held in front of his mouth as he pondered what was happening at the moment. 'No further information about the Dracon...' Alberto pondered, 'as long as it remains in Londo Bell hands, we are still safe... but if Zeon or the Noblesse get a hold of it and find out I helped to facilitate the transfer...'
The portly executive of Anaheim scratched his head anxiously. Ever since the Laplace Declaration and his reform in character after the death of his love interest, Marida Cruz, the powers that be of the Universal Century were keeping him under watch. In all honesty, he was worried. 'Of course I am worried,' he thought to himself, 'but I can't live like those people anymore. It's not right...' And for good reason. He had seen what was lying beneath the false glamour of his former lifestyle. If they were willing to reprogram a human being, then... he had to do something. But what?
There was a vibration from underneath his desk. Recognizing what it was, he pulled out the vibrating touchpad from the drawer and tapped on it. The touchpad then did a scan of the room for surveillance devices. The device beeped a few times, indicating the room was clear.
Once that was done, Alberto tapped it and up came his contact's image. "Hello Alberto," the wizened image of Dr. Ming greeted the executive.
"It's... It's been a while," Alberto remarked.
"Actually, not so long ago since I first approached you," Ming reminded. Alberto reflected back on that day, after he had been led away by Federation forces, unaware he had been being watched the whole time. When he was left alone after being escorted out, the old engineer had contacted him directly, bringing him into the fold of trusted people within Dr. Ming's underground organization. After a series of some earnest and difficult discussions, Alberto agreed to act as a mole within the Noblesse, while nominally maintaining his position inside Anaheim. He was reluctant to get entangled with another potential conspiracy, but given how the Noblesse were aggressively tying up loose ends and shutting down discussion over Laplace's Box, Alberto had no other choice. Either way, there was no way he was going to simply continue being their lapdog.
So now here he was, acting as a mole for the engineer's organization. Alberto looked up. "Sir... what's the meaning for this communication?" he asked wearily.
"I thought you should know that my friend inside the base made contact with Captain Bright of Londo Bell," Ming started, "and he's confirmed that the Dracon is indeed still in Londo Bell custody."
Alberto let out a sigh of relief. "That's good news..." Then he looked up again. "And the pilot?"
"You probably don't want to know," Dr. Ming warned with a deadpan expression. The executive was curious, but he wisely held his tongue. No doubt he'd learn sooner or later. "Anything else, Doctor?"
"You should also know that Captain Bright, being the distrustful man he can be at times," Ming had an amused tone when he said that, "also dispatched a group of marines heading in your direction."
Alberto tensed at that. "And...?"
"I've got some important information for you to pass onto Captain Bright," the old engineer informed, "it is especially sensitive, and if not handled right, can put a lot of good people in danger."
Alberto frowned at the sound of that. Enough good people had been put into danger, many of them by his own hands. Yet anything involving the Noblesse was bohnd to put lots of people at risk, and Alberto was determined to do everything in his power to now thwart them. "Tell me then. I will make sure it gets to him."
"I'm transmitting the data to you now." The screen lit up with another open window, which showed a quick download in progress.
Alberto watched it, only to blink in surprise once the data was finished downloading. "This... This is..." His eyes widened a bit before he squared his shoulders. "I'll get this to Captain Bright as soon as possible."
"Since those marines are probably inside the facility, of they should find you, or you come across them, surrender yourself and the pad to them immediately," Dr. Ming prompted, "because with the way things could go, your tenure of being Anaheim CEO couls end very soon. Go quickly, before the Noblesse realize what you've done."
Alberto nodded."I'll begone before they know it." He indulged himself a smirk of confidence.
As the call ended, Alberto packed the pad away in its sheath. As he did, he pondered how exactly he was going to get this to the Ra Cailum marines, if they were even inside the place. He stood up and prepared to make his way out of the office.
Elsewhere inside Anaheim...
Nigel slipped down one of the many corridors, his eyes narrowed as he hefted his gun in his grasp.
"Remind me why we are tagging along with Phantom like this," Daryl grunted as he scanned his sectors.
"Because we have a mission," Nigel shot back in a low whisper.
"And knocking heads," Watts chimed, referencing some two security guards whose heads he bonked. Nigel rolled his eyes, but a smirk played across his features. "Okay. You guys got the location?" he asked.
One of the marines checked his data map for their target. "The server room is fifty meters east of our current position. We'll have to go across a large parking lot as the fastest route there." The Tri-Stars and Phantom marines moved on towards the server room, unaware that they were going to run into a familiar face on the way.
Alberto peered around the corner, trying to act as calm as ever, but deep down he was nervous as heck. 'No sign of our 'guests',' Alberto thought as he walked towards his car. As he did, he discreetly felt for the revolver he had under his coat. As he continued to walk, he heard footsteps. 'Please don't let it be security...' Alberto thought as he scanned the parking lot. Much to his surprise, and hidden relief, it was not security, but instead Londo Bell forces.
When one of the marines spotted him, he aimed his weapon in his direction. "Freeze," the marine prompted. Alberto held up his hands, holding the touchpad's case in plain sight. He smiled with a calm look on his face, a completely opposite reaction to the fear and groveling his old cowardly self would have assumed.
"It's Alberto Vist," Nigel recognized the man from the Cheyenne Base, "hold your fire marines. The marines looked at one another before lowering their rifles.
"Hey," Daryl rather rudely pointed, "you're that Anaheim executive Bright encountered at the Cheyenne Base. What are you doing here?"
Alberto simply showed his briefcase. "I'm on a bit of a business trip," he explained, "as a matter of fact, I've been looking for you people." This raised eyebrows among the group, which Alberto expected. He then said, "I need to see Captain Bright ASAP, and I'll need your help getting me and this briefcase safely to him."
Nigel stared at Alberto intently.
"Don't Lieutenant," Watts growled at Alberto, "it could be a ruse to trap us."
"I assure you it's no trap," Alberto insisted, maintaining an even tone and composure, though he was a little nervous underneath.
"Let me handle this," Nigel shot back at Watts, who grit his teeth. Nigel then walked up to Alberto. He was distrustful, but went for a different tact.
"Vist, you were a key figure in the last Neo Zeon War, especially with your presence at the Cheyenne Base when Gryps II was fired. Bright told me that you actually tried to stop your own aunt," Nigel said, "maybe you can be trusted, but how can we be assured of that?"
"Let's just say that what I have here is very vital to the protection of your...newest machine," Alberto said, choosing his words carefully, "also there is information that Bright HAS to see at once... it concerns the fate of the Nahel Argama."
The sound of the Nahel Argama caught Nigel's attention. He grabbed Alberto by the collar and nailed him against a car side. "What do you know of the Nahel Argama!? It's been missing ever since!"
"Just- Just trust me!" Alberto gasped as he fought the strain of Nigel nearly choking him. "A... Anyways... I...I can't... can't go back to... to Anaheim now..."
Nigel was about to ask what that meant, when a red light suddenly danced up Alberto's suit, stopping at his head. A second one suddenly showed on Nigel's tactical vest. "Company!" he cried. He barely managed to throw himself and Alberto to the floor as two shots zipped over where they would have been. The parking lot erupted into gunfire as Anaheim tactical security stormed the area.
Daryl looked over his shoulder. "Got hostiles!" he hissed as he aimed his own gun and fired in the direction the shots had come from.
"Take cover," Phantom leader commanded his marines as the Londo Bell forces used whatever car engine blocks they could find to block the bullets.
Nigel dragged Alberto over to another car and looked back. "Something tells me someone has got it in for you," he remarked as he began shooting back.
"Well, I was thinking about leaving Anaheim," Alberto quipped as he pulled his revolver, "guess I can say that I just got 'fired'." He let out an ironic snicker at his pun.
Nigel looked back at the former executive and a smirk crossed his face. "So... I guess this means you really are on our side," Nigel laughed in spite of himself.
"Yeah," Alberto chuckled, "though we'd better get out of here before we really get FIRED to bits."
"Sir, we need to move. Our company's just getting heated," Daryl remarked.
"Right, and if what Vist says is true," Nigel relented as he laid down fire, "we may not have much time..." He then faced Phantom Leader. "We have what we need. Get Crux on the line!"
The man nodded and brought up his comm unit. "Crux, this is Phantom One. We have the package. I repeat, we have the package! We're in need of extraction, currently engaged with hostiles at the Anaheim plant!"
Back at the lunar training site...
"Copy that, Phantom One," Chase acknowledged, "hang in there!"
With that, Chase turned to Seph. "Ensign Kyle, change in plan," he said, "we've got our guys in a tight spot over at Anaheim. I'm going to have to go help before they get overrun!"
"Uh... Wait... what?" Seph was baffled as Chase started to leave. "Hey! Wait up!"
"Dragon," Chase looked back, "I'm going to need you to provide cover and spotting for me as I go to retrieve Nigel and the others. If I'm trapped at Anaheim, we'll be in big trouble. Can you cover me?"
Seph felt his reactor leap into his throat at that. "R-Roger," he stammered before he gulped audibly over the comm. Or at least made a noise akin to it.
"Relax, Dragon," Chase coaxed, "I'm really counting on you for support. It's rather simple until I can get out of the place." Seph gripped his beam rifle tightly. "O-Okay. I'll do my b-best..." he said. He flew closer to the lunar surface, hoping his dark colored armor would make him close to invisible.
Meanwhile, Chase was racing back towards Von Braun where the Anaheim plant was located. "I'll need to get inside without being spoted," he told himself as his computer began to work potential points of infiltration. He looked around at the monitors as different solutions came up on his screens. It was then that he spied an entrance on his screen and zoomed in on the image. "Ah," Chase noted, "the old maintenance tunnel. Hasn't been used in years." He brought his Delta Plus in and transformed it to Wave Rider mode before touching down close to the tunnel.
"Phantom One, Tri-Star One," Chase radioed, "I'm at the old maintenance tunnel, Tunnel A-02. Haul your butts over here in three minutes!"
Phantom One's voice echoed over the comm. "Yes, sir! Glad you showed up."
"Save the thanks for when we actually get out of here," Chase prompted as he began the clock, "move it!"
The team leader barked over the comm to his troops. "Move it! We got our extraction waiting at the exit!"
Chase waited in anticipation as the clock started counting down. He hoped that Nigel would make it out fast enough before he was detected.
Nigel mowed down two of Anaheim's security mercenaries before grabbing Alberto. "Our ride's here," he urged, "what's the fastest route to Tunnel A-02?"
"Well..." Alberto thought as he reloaded his revolver, "since there are numerous service tunnels underneath this facility for service vehicles, I say those are our best chance to get to that tunnel. But... that tunnel's been closed for years, and I'm not even sure if it is safe enough for us to go through."
"Better that then get attacked and captured or killed," Nigel said seriously. "So let's move!"
"There's a shuttle over there," Watts pointed towards an empty tunnel shuttle.
"Good! Let's go!" Nigel barked. The team broke into a run, heading for the shuttle. "Shield Vist from enemy fire," Nigel prompted, "he's our VIP to protect now!" A group of marines started to form a protective barrier around Alberto who hefted his gun nervously, but stayed on the move.
"Grenade out," Daryl called as he tossed a frag grenade. The grenade exploded further away from the group, causing a few of the Anaheim security forces to retreat while others scrambled for higher ground. "Get in," Watts shouted as he turned the switch for the shuttle motor.
Nigel and Daryl leapt into the vehicle, with the former executive and marines clambering in after them. "Step on it," Nigel commanded. Watts floored the pedal, causing the shuttle to jolt forward and speed down a tunnel.
Alberto was almost thrown back if he didn't brace himself. "T-Take a left just a further ways down," he stammered. "It will take you to an intersection. Once you reach that, turn right."
"Backseat prima donna driver..." Watts muttered to himself, but sped up towards the turn. Watts made a hard left and sped down the tunnel. It was then that gunshots hit the rear of the shuttle. "More company at six o'clock." The marines fired back at the pursuing shuttles. Watts tried to shake them, but the shuttle had limited maneuverability. "How much farther?!" Daryl yelled as he leaned out and fired a few rounds in the direction of the other shuttles.
"I'm trying," Watts shouted back, "this isn't exactly a Base Jabber you know!"
The next turn was just ahead. Watts swerved the shuttle down the turn and pressed the gas as close to the floor as he could. The shuttle whined as more power was put to its engine. "We can't have them follow us like this," Nigel muttered. He looked to the marine next to him. "Do we have any launchers to cover our exit?" The female marine nodded. "Yes, sir," she said. She reached down and pulled out a grenade launcher.
"Cause an accident," Nigel prompted with a smirk, pointing at some smoke rounds. The marine nodded and aimed the launcher, targeting the closest shuttle as it came her way. She fired off in the direction of the smoke rounds, the projectile homing in on their location. The round landed inside the cabin, causing it to fill with smoke. The security force members coughed from the smoke, including the driver, who got distracted as he lost visibility. The shuttle veered off course and collided with another one coming up from behind, causing both to flip and crash in the tunnel, blocking the other shuttles as they came up. "See you guys never again," Daryl hollered with a chuckle. With that, Watts veered the shuttle down towards the exit just down the next turn.
"Everyone get your helmets on," Phantom One ordered, "we're about to run out of air in that tunnel soon."
As everyone fitted on their helmets, one of the marines next to Alberto pointed out, "this guy doesn't have a normal suit. Any ideas?"
"Hey," another marine called out, "I think there's an emergency survival cabinet here. There should be some normal suits..." He opened the cabinet, and true enough, there were adjustable normal suits among the emergency kits. Pulling out a suit, he brought it over to Alberto. "Use this."
Alberto took it. "Right, thanks." As Alberto fitted the suit on, Nigel made the call to Chase.
"Crux, we're coming upon the extraction point now," he said.
"We have one VIP in tow, so careful when you pick us up."
"VIP?" Chase questioned as it was not part of the plan. "Your mission was to infiltrate their server room, not bring along passengers," he chided.
"It's Alberto Vist," Nigel answered back, "name sound familiar?"
Now it was Chase's turn to be floored. 'The Anaheim executive and Vist heir?' He narrowed his gaze. 'What game are you playing now, Vist?' He had heard about the man from Captain Bright when the latter had confronted him and Martha Vist Carbine down in Cheyenne. He knew the man well enough by reputation.
"Get his butt over here," Chase firmly commanded, "Bright will want to hear this."
"Yes, sir!" Nigel saluted. The comm went dead and Chase shot a glance back over his shoulder, wondering how Seph was doing.
'Shouldn't be too much...' Chase thought, 'I mean... he's watching my six.' The Londo Bell veteran settled back, only to notice the shuttle coming out of the tunnel exit. "Right on cue..." the Delta Plus ace muttered as he began to power up his engines. The Delta Plus transformed into its mobile suit form as it knelt. The shuttle peeled to a stop close by and Nigel waved. Zooming in with the main camera, he was able to confirm the survival of both the Tri-Star and Phantom Teams. True enough, their 'guest' was indeed Alberto Vist, wearing an Anaheim normal suit. In all honesty, this was unexpected, but he was not one about to turn down any advantage they could get.
"Good to see you all made it." Chase lowered his mobile suit's left hand towards the operators. "Let's beat it before they spot us." The team scrambled, along with their 'guest', out of the shuttle and bolted for the left hand of the Delta Plus. "I can already guess that Anaheim was less than hospitable, weren't they Tri-Star One," Chase quipped.
"You got that right, sir," Nigel remarked with a sarcastic laugh.
With everyone safely aboard, Chase slowly lifted off from the moon's surface and away from Anaheim. While he activated his ECM to disrupt detection systems, the Delta Plus pilot still took care to move slowly.
"Where's the kid?" Nigel asked, referring to Seph.
"I had him stay put and watch my six, until I could pick you all up. Speaking of which..." Chase switched frequencies, "Dragon, come in."
An audible squeak came over the comm before Seph's voice filtered through. "I r-read you loud and clear, sir," he responded.
"We're done over here," Chase informed, "let's bring it on home."
"Roger." Seph cut the comm and Nigel turned to try and spot the Gundam. "There he is," Nigel pointed towards the Gundam taking off from its position.
Chase could hear some mutters coming from the team as they saw Seph. From his perspective, it seemed kind of eerie seeing him emerge from his hiding spot like a ghost. He gave a shy wave to the Delta Plus. "Any signs of us being pursued?" Chase probably had no need to ask that, but he did just to see how Seph was doing under pressure.
"No sign of any hostiles," Seph reported, although he was a bit nervous with the way his wings twitched.
"Roger that, Dragon," Chase cheered, "thanks for watching my back."
The Gundam nodded. "Sure." He flicked his wings a bit before he flew after the Delta Plus, although he was shaking in his armor slightly.
"Roger, mission complete, Crux and Dragon returning to base." Chase's Delta Plus sped ahead slowly, still carrying its passengers.
"Hey, wait up!" Seph huffed as he accelerated.
On the Delta Plus' hand, Alberto was observing the dark colored Gundam. Alberto recognized the Gundam off the bat. It was the Dracon. But there was something off about it... For instance, was the Dracon actually shaking?
'Mobile suits don't shiver,' Alberto thought. It was then that he remembered how Dr. Ming did not want to talk about the pilot. Was there something he didn't want mentioned? Alberto frowned to himself. "What is going on with the Dracon?" he muttered under his breath.
Ra Cailum, Captain Bright's Quarters
Captain Bright mused over his meeting earlier with Joseph Revil. "... Just what is going on here?" he muttered. He thought he had seen it all up to the Laplace Declaration, but clearly, there was still very much he had yet to understand. And now, to top it all off, Alberto Vist was on the run from his own company.
'So many variables, and too many for mere coincidence,' Bright mused. He received word from Chase via Londo Bell's coded lines concerning Alberto's apparent defection from Anaheim, and that he had information concerning not only the Dracon, but the Nahel Argama of all things. For once, he was unsure of what to make of this. And things were only bound to get more interesting once Alberto showed up.
The intercom then beeped. "Captain," the CIC operator reported, "Crux and Dragon are returning to base with the package in tow."
Bright looked up and toggled the comm. "Excellent. As soon as they've landed and docked, get the package to my office."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "And make sure Dragon doesn't cause a mess when he's landing."
"Yes sir." With that, the line cut.
Bright pondered over Alberto's arrival. 'Must have to do with these Noblesse Revil was talking about. If so, we must tread carefully going forward...'
Ra Cailum Hangar Bay
The bay was a bustling madhouse as the crews started to get the place ready for the incoming mobile suits. Of course, some of them were also trying to rig a crash net in case one of the two didn't exactly land on point.
"Commander Lee's Delta Plus is on approach," the catapult control radioed the recovery team, "get ready!"
The crew scrambled to their positions to receive the Delta Plus. Chase watched the landing bay come into view and he prepared to touch down. "Watch me, kid," he radioed the sentient Dracon. "And try not to mess up."
"Copy that, Crux," Seph said as he watched Chase make a fast carrier landing. While Seph was a trained MS pilot, carrier landings were not exactly his forte. And on top of it, given his... condition... he had to deal with an entirely different perspective when it came to landing. He made sure to line up behind Chase, and to help in his descent, he spread his wings as wide as they could go.
Seph hovered above the ship, maintaining his position as he watched Chase come in hot. His wings twitched as he gulped nervously. This wasn't his first time even performing a carrier landing, but it was his first time performing one as a Gundam.
Chase expertly guided his blue Delta Plus in, making prudent use of his microthrusters to make it as smooth as landings could be with passengers in his grip. His machine approached the landing bay and some people got ready to latch down the Delta Plus once it was down. He felt the cockpit shake a bit as he made a soft landing. As the crew moved to secure him, the catapult controller radioed, "nicely done, Crux."
"Thanks," he said. Then he called Seph. "You're up next, Dragon."
"Oh, right... copy that," Seph had to stop thinking so hard about this. This was just training, nothing more.
"Dragon, you're clear for approach. Initiating guidance." Seph lined up with the launch bay doorway and started to descend. He slowly spread his wings to full width to aid in his landing. He gulped nervously. "Maintain your approach," control radioed, "looking good there."
Seph slowed a bit, trying to keep in alignment as best he could. However, given his...condition..., he wasn't fully used to his new height yet, which was throwing off his trajectory a bit.
"You're coming in too fast, lower your speed," the controller warned.
The Gundam yelped a bit and slowed a bit more, flaring his wings as wide as he could get them. He leaned back, pulsing his flight thrusters on his back to try and slow his speed. Chase watched Seph anxiously as he moved his Delta Plus aside. He really didn't want his passengers in the way of the rookie's flight path. The sentient Gundam slowly came in, his speed decreasing.
'He's getting the hang of it,' Chase thought to himself, 'I guess he'll make it through this stint with us.' Seph came in for a landing, but unfortunately failed to shut off the microthrusters, tripping and stumbling forward. The Gundam let out a surprised squeak as he staggered, tripping over his own two feet and crashing headfirst into the crash net. Chase had to stop his jaw from dropping at the less than graceful finish.
Seph struggled to get out of the crash net, but unfortunately he wound up getting tangled even further. He finally stopped squirming at seeing Chase's machine looking at him as if he had sprouted a tail. A flush dusted his face guard and he looked away. "Sorry..." he whined.
It was then that the controller sighed over the coms. "You made it, but your landing needs work," the flight controller said, "standby for your next sortie."
"Understood..." Seph muttered as he struggled. After a few minutes he waved a hand. "Uh... a little help here?"
Chase glanced at the passengers in both palms of the Delta Plus staring incredulously at what had just happened. He hummed to himself. He then radioed, "Bridge, have some MPs ready to receive our guest. I'm dropping him and our marines off to help Ensign Ray with his machine." He lowered the left arm of the Delta Plus to allow his passengers off.
Nigel just shook his head as he stepped off. "Quite a tangle he's in," he quipped, "good luck getting him out, Commander." Daryl and Watts snickered to themselves, as the marines and Alberto look on in incredulous wonder and amusement.
"Hey, Ensign," Chase radioed, " I'm going to hold you still so the guys can cut you loose. Don't move."
The Gundam let out a squeak at that and fell limp against the wall of the hangar as Chase's Delta Plus knelt down beside him, placing a hand on his free shoulder and the other on his untangled leg.
"Just... be careful of the wings..." he squeaked.
"Just don't move," Chase ordered as he held Seph down, "struggling with those wings will make it worse." Seph nodded and held as still as he could. "Alright," Chase looked to the recovery crew, "do your thing, but mind the wings."
Seph's optics pulsed with worry as he watched the techs and crew start crawling over his tangled frame. He struggled to keep his wings from twitching as one of them got a little too close to the joints. "Heheh..." Seph laughed slightly from the sensation, a subtle attempt to warn that tech who was cutting some of the net next to his left wing.
Chase noticed this as Seph shuddered a bit. Was the kid... ticklish? He asked, "Seph, are you snickering?"
"I can't help it! My wings are ticklish!" the Gundam responded.
Chase grunted. The psychoframe seemed to be especially sensitive in the sensory output. He tightened the Delta Plus' grip on the Dracon. "Hey you," he prompted the techie cutting around the wings, "watch it with the wings. He's ticklish."
The techie blinked in surprise, but nodded as he resumed cutting, this time trying to be extra careful. The Gundam let out a quick sigh of relief, only to tense briefly before relaxing as best he could.
Chase smiled to himself. 'Landing was not perfect,' he thought, 'but we can probably get off easy with freeing Seph at least.'
The techies finally finished cutting the net from around his frame, and Seph twitched in the Delta's grasp. Seeing that he was free, the Delta Plus pilot pulled the sentient Gundam to his feet.
"Thanks, Commander," Seph sighed in relief.
"Don't mention it," Chase replied, "though we can always work on your landings."
Seph looked down at his large metal feet, feeling his faceplate burning with embarrassment. "Yeah," he muttered.
"Hey," Chase encouraged, "carrier landings tend to be some of the trickiest landings for any pilot, be they aircraft or mobile suits. You'll get more practice and get better overtime."
"Yeah... if I don't trip," Seph moped as his shoulders sagged. "Landing like this..." Here he glanced down at his hands. "...is a lot harder than it seems."
"Hey," Chase said in a sympathetic tone, "I've seen far worse things happen to rookies on landing. At least you're tough enough to not end up as scrap."
Seph looked at him in confusion as he tilted his helm to the side briefly. "Uh... thanks...?"
Chase chuckled, "anyways, let's get our suits back in their cradles. I'll need to meet with Nigel and Bright in debriefing our new guest."
Seph actually shuddered. "Uh... can I not, sir? That thing is uncomfortable!" he protested.
"Ensign Kyle," Chase reminded as they started walking back into the hangar, "we're on a military base. It's against protocol to have mobile suits moving about without authorization."
Seph was about to protest again. "But..." His voice trailed off as he realized that some of the techs and crew were looking at him and he quieted his vocalizer, although he dreaded being back in an MS cradle.
"Fine..." he muttered. "Just wish they weren't so cramped..."
"You can have Tina adjust the cradle as needed," Chase reminded, "your care is what she's here for."
Seph nodded, feeling some sense of relief. Tina stood beside the cradle, waiting for him to enter it. In truth, Seph wished he didn't have to be in the thing. But he just had to suck it up and deal with it as best he could.
The Delta Plus and Dracon walked in from the airlock, both of them returning to their assigned cradles.
"All hands, secure mobile suits."
Seph nervously backed up into the assigned cradle and he winced as the gantries swung into position, locking his frame in tight. At least his wings weren't pinned against his back this time...
From his side, Seph watched as the Delta Plus was secured, and the cockpit hatch opened. Chase leapt out of the mobile suit, removing his helmet and exiting the hangar in due speed. The Gundam's wings twitched a little with envy. "Lucky..." he muttered.
Tina frowned as she and her supervised crew secured Seph. "You're lucky too, remember that," she reminded.
Tina looked up at Seph. "Think about it, had Londo Bell had not found and arrested you, you would have been killed by the Federation. As it is, they're the ones keeping you alive." She paused to look at some of her own fellow techies. "You're also keeping us alive, just by Londo Bell wanting to help you. Then there's that Revil guy, who seems awfully generous..." She had a wary tone about Colonel Revil, as she was still not sure of what to make of him.
"Uh..." Seph was genuinely confused, but at the same time he knew she had a point. He was basically being kept safe, and by extension, the others too. "I guess you got a point," he muttered. He looked down at the floor beneath his feet.
"So what's going to happen with the others on my team? Hunter, Martha, all of them?" Seph had not stopped thinking of them ever since that day. Chase hardly said a word about them, but Seph did not bother to ask until now.
Tina shrugged as she prepared to adjust the locks on the cradle to give Seph a bit more wiggle room. "I'm not sure," she said honestly.
Seph's optics dimmed as he emulated a sad expression. 'I hope they'll be alright... some of them were former Zeon after all.'
Tina felt a pang of sympathy for the Gundam. She slowly reached out a hand and hesitated before she laid it on the dark colored armor of his arm. Surprisingly the metal felt warm, compared to the usual cold metallic feel of a normal mobile suit. "Seph..." Tina breathed.
He glanced down at her, and he noticed her hand on his arm. His reactor leapt into his throat and he gulped softly. He felt his reactor increase its humming softly at her touch.
Both stared at each other for a moment.
"I don't know why," Tina smiled softly, "but I just have the feeling that Chase won't let anything happen to them..."
Seph for some reason found he couldn't speak at first. It felt like his vocalizer couldn't transform his thoughts into words, or like the programming was missing. Maybe it was because he was just entranced by her smile. It was so beautiful...
"Yeah... I think so too..." he murmured, not even realizing what she had said, only half listening to her speak.
End Chapter 5
