Important note: see the AN and/or the announcement made in the previous chapter regarding changes made to the story made, or the AN at the bottom of this one explaining why I've changed the unit from Gundam OverOn to the Gelgoog Vertex.

Otherwise, please enjoy!

Clemenceau found the surprise that had suddenly rolled into her life to be oddly refreshing.

After all, there were very few things so far in her life as a conceptualized ship given flesh that left her surprised.

Clemenceau always had to be in the know, a step ahead of those who both opposed and depended on her.

Being a step back meant lives were lost. Lives of people who were either doing their utmost to uphold the safety of humanity or people simply trying to get by in this world.

Such is the weight of the responsibility that she must take care to balance. That was her duty and purpose as the head of the Iris's Tribunal.

So suffice to say, surprises were things to be avoided in her line of work. At the very least, they were better left to be given than received.

However, she couldn't say she was displeased with the surprise that tumbled into her life.

It was hard to fully describe this surprise. Being left with so few words was also a rarity, but she truthfully couldn't come up with many.

This surprise wasn't very noteworthy on the outside other than being talented in a mobile suit. He didn't have the same drive or ambition that his brother and father possess. If anything, he seemed a bit lost.

Perhaps with a bit of directing…

Whatever the case, his noteworthiness wasn't too grand. Technically speaking, their paths wouldn't even cross too often considering their differing lines of work.

Yet whenever she was close to him, a strange surge of emotions surged up. Sentimental feelings that were comforting to her heart. To her heart, it was like she'd run into a comrade who's been at her side during dozens of battles.

Like she'd run into a lover she'd longed to see.

She couldn't deny that such attraction was gnawing at her despite the fact they'd only met some time ago.

And it all started with just a bit of eye contact.

Oh, that surprise, her little mystery, seemed to have an inkling about what was occurring between them. What this strange and intimate connection was.

But it looked to be as much of a surprise to Cross Wayline as it was to her.

He didn't have any ill intentions. If anything, he looked to be adamant to avoid her.

So she was willing to entertain whatever this was. It wasn't harmful to anything she had running in the background.

If anything this was a boon. She got another connection to the Commander in Chief of Azur Lane, even if that connection was strained. She also would receive a tie to a potentially powerful asset to the Eagle Union's military own strength.

And she also got a bit of personal enjoyment out of it. After all, finding an untouched treasure to sweep up and call her own, without any interference like the competition for Commander Jacob, was grand in its own way.

He just needed a bit of polishing to truly shine.

Clemenceau put aside her musings as she reached her destination. The entrance to the Eagle Union's gym.

Walking into the gym, Clemenceau's salmon pink eyes swept across the room. At this time in the morning, most of the Eagle Union's personnel had gone to get breakfast, leaving the gym rather empty save for the lone figure hanging from a pull up bar, pulling himself up and down.

Clemenceau watched his movements, appreciating the sinewy muscles of his lean build that were revealed thanks to the navy blue tank top he wore.

"You know," Cross suddenly began, stopping his vigorous movement. He hung from the bar for a moment to catch his breath before he continued. "It's rude to stare."

"Am I not allowed to enjoy the show?" Clem asked, pressing a finger against her cheek when Cross looked over his shoulder at her.

"Not much of a show going on." Cross groused.

"A matter of perspective." Clem said. "And my perspective is certainly an enjoyable one."

Cross dropped from the bar, shaking his hands as he turned in her direction. Sarcasm dripped from his tone. "Glad to hear that I'm good eye candy for you."

"Oh, don't be like that." Clem pursed her lips. "If time permits, I'd be more than happy to join you here one of these days. Let you take in the sight of me in my workout clothes. Or perhaps you could join me for a round of golf in the Royal Navy's sector of the base."

"I can't say that I have the patience for golf."

"It's not like we'd be playing in a competition, Cross. Play however you like. Jean Bart herself has joined me a few times and I think she rather enjoys hitting the ball with little care for where it goes. It's about relaxing and having fun."

"Yeah, well, as good as that sounds, I'm gonna be a bit busy in the upcoming weeks."

"Hmm, yes. We will be a part of the spearhead that'll move to reclaim that red planet. Such an effort certainly will keep us busy"

"Yeah, we-" Cross blinked twice. "What do you mean we?"

"I mean we. The English term for oneself and others together. In this case, you and I. Not Oui, meaning yes in my mother tongue" The emotions of confusion, frustration, and indignation at being talked down to like a child flashed across the youngest Wayline's face. Cute. "Come now. Is it so surprising that I'm assigned to the expedition?"

"A bit. Aren't you the head of a national intelligence agency?"

"Just because I won't be in the Earth sphere doesn't mean the Tribunal will suddenly topple over. Besides, my people already mostly move on their own and just keep me in the loop. I don't step in unless I need to or have reason." Clemenceau tilted her head. "Though, I must ask, do you think that the reason I'm joining this operation is because I wanted to follow you?"

Cross's mouth opened and closed, struggling to get anything out while his skin visibly reddened.

"My, don't you have quite the imagination." A giggle escaped Clemenceau's lip, watching the young pilot clam up and turn his gaze away. "But sadly, reality doesn't often line up with our fantasies. I was going to join the 1st expedition wave from the start because I wish to take stock of the state of Mars and the Siren's fortifications. There are also some areas of interest that need investigating."

Cross's brows pushed together inquisitively. "Like old stations and facilities that were abandoned during the retreat from Mars?"

"I'll leave that to your wonderful imagination."

Cross sighed. "Yes, well, even my imagination can't think of you coming here as another coincidence like when you were just passing by the simulation room the other day. So, to what do I owe your visit this time around?"

"I simply wished to accompany you to inspect your newest unit."

Cross's eyes widened at that, a hint of childlike glee leaking into his voice. "You mean-"

"Gelgoog Vertex Afina has arrived." Clemenceau smiled. "Whether it can prove it deserves its wings or not is up to you. So you best hit the showers and change into your uniform."

"I could just chan-"

"Shower first." Clemenceau shut him down. "You've waited the past few days to see it, a few more minutes to make sure you have proper hygiene won't kill you."

Cross's face scrunched up at her words, but sighed once more in resignation. "Right then, shower first. I trust you're not going to go peeking on me."

"Oh, no need to worry, Lieutenant." Clemenceau said. "Much like you, I have quite the imagination myself."

After a hasty shower and slipping into my uniform, Clem and I left the Eagle Union sector of the port to make our way to the hangar where the Gelgoog Vertex was being stored.

Strangely, we weren't heading for the hangars where the Eagle Union's mobile suits were typically stored from what I knew. After taking two sets of elevators, I found Clem leading me onto the tram lines.

I asked Clem a question I probably should've asked before getting om. "Mind telling me where the hell this is going?"

"The Iron Blood sector of the base." Clemenceau answered, not turning my way as she kept her eyes on the starry backdrop of space as the tram began to traverse on the exterior wall of the port.

"Strange for an Eagle Union pilot's machine to be stored in an area under the Iron Blood's jurisdiction." I mumbled, leaning further back into my seat.

"Astral Lane is an organization where nations come together as one to defend mankind's existence." Clem turned to me with that usual smile she dawned on her face. "So collaboration is to be expected regardless of our national backgrounds."

"I'm all for working together, but that still doesn't tell me why they've got my Suit."

"I imagine it'll have to do with your ship assignment for what comes next."

I frowned, but didn't press her any further as she turned back to enjoy the stars before we disappeared into the interior of the port once more. I couldn't help but be a bit freaked by her words though. I was hoping my first assignment would be aboard a Clop or maybe even a Ra-Cailum. Being aboard a Zeon designed ship never sat right with me.

But who knows. Chances were that it would be an Alexandria, the heavy cruisers being exclusive to Astral Lane for the purposes of collaboration between the different factions for both publicity and resource management.

Still, even if that were the case, that doesn't explain why Nagi had it sent over to the Iron Blood's neck of the woods. Having it dropped off in Hangar 7 would've been far more convenient for Vandham, the other supporting mechanics, and I.

What exactly was the Iron Blood after?

After arriving at our stop, Clemenceau guided me through a series of halls to another elevator that required both of us to use our military IDs. After presenting mine and bemusedly watching Clem present her staff to the scanner, the elevator parted open and allowed us to ride it to our destination.

We were taken straight to a short hallway that led towards an open entrance where the sound of bustling mechanics shouting and tools being put to work leaked from.

Entering the MS Hangar, my eyes were immediately drawn to the largest object in the room.

Propped up against the adjacent wall was a Mobile Suit rack where a 19 meter tall humanoid machine stood. A mono eye'd mobile suit that resembled Zeon's last ditch effort to create a production suit that outpowered the Federation's suits in the Universal Century.

A majority of its armor was painted in a dark blue paint with only the bicep and thigh armor plates being painted in stark white. From behind the machine, large black binders spread out from the backpack like wings.

This was meant to be the pinnacle of the Gelgoog line. The Gelgoog Vertex.

From what I knew about the Vertex series, it was a project meant to use a reliable design as the core with the ability to install ad hoc customizations, with the core design being the Gelgoog High Mobility Type with aspects of the Regelgu model implemented in things such as the backpack, the binders, and arms.

Looking over the manual given to me though, it looked like my Gelgoog Vertex Afina was based on the R Type Gelgoog instead of the HMT.

The main difference between the two variations being that the R Type had large thruster units installed on its legs, large enough that the removal of the armor around the calves was needed to accommodate them. If I remembered correctly, the whole reason the variation was dubbed the R Type was because the leg thrusters resemble the ones used on the Zaku 2 R Type.

And its main equipment would certainly be different from what I'd seen used by the Vertex line before. Though it looked like the maintenance team and their manjuus were still unpacking them from the cargo boxes.

"Hello again, Familiar~" A sultry voice that sent a shock up my spine began right next to my ear. Jerking back, I found myself flailing in the gravityless air momentarily until I felt a pair of hands catch me by my shoulders from behind. Flicking my eyes back, I saw it was Clemenceau who had caught me with eyebrows raised.

Before I could let out a thank you, I could feel a playful pressure come from my ambusher.

"Already throwing yourself into the arms of another in front of me?" August giggled. "My, how am I going to punish you for such disloyalty, Familiar?"

"Familiar?" Clemenceau asked slowly.

…I can't tell if it was my newtype abilities acting up or my ears, but there seemed to be an edge in the Iris woman's tone.

"What else would I call the one I've bound to me?" August asked, the smile she had worn no longer reaching her eyes, much like Clem.

Clem's hands tightened around my shoulders. "I must say, you're as eccentric as I've heard, August von Parseval."

"My eccentricities are nothing unique among our allies, I assure you." August said. A squeeze on my arm forced me to look down to see that August had reached out to grab me, gripping my forearm tight enough that it started to sting. "Aren't you a clingy one? I thought the Orthodoxy preached modesty in such matters."

August began to pull me towards her, which only resulted in Clem clamping down on my shoulders a bit harder.

"I was always one to be a bit more loose when it comes to such things. One must be flexible in life, after all. Especially with the lives we lead."

"Indeed. So. Do you mind getting your hands off my familiar?"

"I'm simply keeping him from flying off, what, with how you frightened the poor thing."

Girls were fighting over me for the first time in my life, but I couldn't feel any sort of positive emotion about it since I was too afraid they might break me like a t-bone with how their grips were tightening like a vice in opposite directions.

I used to joke about being pleased to be in such a position, but there was no pleasure at the moment, only pain!

A ding sounded from the elevator that Clem and I had come from, stopping the two shipgirls from claiming a half of me for themselves as we all turned to see who my savior was.

The doors parted and revealed Nagi standing next to a woman dressed in a sleeveless black uniform top that clung tightly against her large bosom, with a black cape with a red underside that had a fur lined collar hung from her shoulders. Her top was tucked into a matching mini pencil skirt while her legs were clad in metal plated boots that went up to her knees.

Golden blonde hair pour out from underneath the ornate officers she wore atop her head that was complemented her sky blue eye-

I hissed as a recognizable sensation shot through my systems once more, wincing as I witnessed the woman do the same. A woman who formed a pit in my stomach the moment I recognized her.

"Are you alright, Herr Bismarck?" August asked, though she cast a side glance at me that basically asked me the same thing.

"I am fine, August." Bismarck spoke, her voice accented heavily like Friedrich's. "Just a momentary spell is all."

"That seems to be becoming quite an issue recently." Clemenceau said. She then leaned in next to my ear. "You wouldn't happen to know the cause of it, would you~?"

If I did, I'd be doing my damndest to avoid it.

Cause if there were certain kansen I wanted to avoid getting snared in this newtype bullshittery, it would be the leaders of the factions. And the flagship of the Iron Blood was definitely among the ones I didn't want to get entangled with no matter how much I liked her as a character.

…actually didn't I also have her maxed out in everything too? Grinded her to max affinity also. In fact August was in the fleet that I used to grind that out which also got her and the other Iron Blooded Kansen I'd oathed up to 200 in affinity.

Was this only happening to girls I'd oathed? But that didn't make sense since I tossed a free oath ring Hornet's way and no sort of resonance occurred when we actually met.

"Lieutenant?" Nagi's voice pulled me from my worrying speculations, the Rear Admiral giving me a questioning look as he floated up to me. "Is something the matter?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. Just a bit surprised that the leader of the Iron Blood decided to come here is all."

"Project Vertex was a collaborative effort between the factions." Bismarck spoke up. She approached from behind Nagi, her figure and expression showing no signs of the discomfort she had felt only a moment prior. "However, it's a project spearheaded by the Iron Blood in terms of both mechanical developments and materials. I also had a personal hand in some parts of its advancements, so I wished to meet the one assigned to pilot it."

My brows raised. "You helped build the Vertex?"

"Jawohl." Bismarck placed her hands behind her back, stepping into the space between August and I with her steel gaze locked onto the Vertex.

"I have actually quite an interest in Mobile Suits. Humanity has always focused on creating tools that act as an extension of themselves. Extensions that can subjugate obstacles that stand in their way. Whether those obstacles be of nature, other humans, or even against unknown horrors. To me these humanoid machines, Mobile Suits, are like an extreme physical representation of that line of thinking. I can't help but be fascinated by them, despite their ill purposes."

"That so?" I said, turning to lean against the railing and look at the docked Gelgoog. "I can't say I've thought that deeply about it. To me, they're just really damn cool. But I do agree that mobile suits need to be seen as an extension of ourselves. If a pilot doesn't treat their machine like it's their own body, then their chances of living through engagements aren't gonna look that pretty when the going gets rough. Though, that's the bare minimum that a pilot needs to learn if they're ever gonna be considered first rate."

"Oh?" Bismarck raised an eyebrow, her blue irises turned to look at me from the corner of her eye. "If such a thing is the bare minimum, then what exactly must a pilot do if they wish to be considered first rate?"

I found myself looking back at Nagi, who was watching us speak with interest, then looked to Bismarck and parrotted the same words that the old man had once said to me after a Mobile Suit exercise. "A pilot can't be considered first rate because of his skills alone. He has to fulfill his duty and return safely with his machine. And not until then can he be called a first rate pilot."

"Mmm." Bismarck hummed in approval, the corner of her lips crooking ever so slightly upwards as she turned to me. "Well said, Lieutenant. Then, I trust you've thoroughly gone over the operation's manual?"

"Front and back, multiple times. Its internals are definitely a different beast from what I've worked with before, but I have to ask," I hesitated for a heartbeat, "is uh, there a reason a section of the manual was blacked out?"

"You're referring to the B-10 System, correct?" I nodded. "I cannot say I do. I was more involved with the development of the binders and leg thrusters. The details of the B-10 were restricted, even for me."

"The B-10 system is actually a device known as the Biosensor." Nagi interjected. "A project that is intended to help expand the studies of Wisdom Cube technology"

I did my best to keep a frown from appearing on my face.

So, psycommu systems were already being implemented in this universe then? I'd heard that the Zeta Gundam had been deployed during the fight for the moon, but nothing I've come across made mention of the Biosensor. I guess I just sub consciously assumed it wasn't built with one.

"It's meant to have a human mimic a Kansens ability to control machines with their thoughts. The purpose of the Biosensor itself is to enhance a machine's responsiveness by supporting the control system with the pilot's thoughts via brainwaves. The one installed in the Zeta Gundam during the Avarice Rebellion showed great results, however consideration for mass production has been shelved for the time being."

"I imagine costs must be one of the contributing factors to that decision." August said.

"It is. That, and the availability of people who can actually use it effectively is fairly limited."

"In what way?"

"It requires people with unique and powerful brainwaves to bring out its potential. We don't exactly have a designation for such people, but there is a common denominator that we can look for. A person's level of affinity with wisdom cubes. Such people have unusually high brain waves that are suitable to operate with the Biosensor."

Unusually high brain waves meant you tended to have a high affinity with wisdom cubes, huh? Since wisdom cubes were the heart of the Kansen, didn't that mean Kansen themselves should be sensitive to the presence of a newtype? But then again, neither Hornet, Yorktown, or Enterprise were able to tell that there was anything truly off about me.

And now that I thought about it, I couldn't feel the same level of pressure from them that I'd been feeling from Clem or August. In fact, now I could feel the same sort of tug coming from Bismarck, who felt like she was doing her best to distract herself from something.

Clem, August, Bismarck. All shipgirls I've oathed in the game, but unlike Hornet, I've maxed out in affinity. That was about the only factor I could think of that led me to resonating with them. And if max affinity was the root cause, then I had a 'few' more problems I needed to avoid from sprouting.

Nagi continued. "Lieutenant Commander Edelweiss was chosen to pilot the Zeta not just for her skill, but her notable affinity with Wisdom Cubes. Your own brainwaves, Cross, share similar characteristics to hers and your brother's. So you've been chosen to pilot the Gelgoog Vertex since the Lieutenant Commander's been ordered to stay in the Earth sphere."

I was about to ask how in the hell did they get the time to scan my brain, only to recall that one time they actually did during a medical check up at the academy. My class had been hooked up to machines following the defense against the Sirens and we were told they were looking at our brain's activity during the psychological evaluation portion to see if we were mentally fit for duty in areas that saw high stress combat.

Sly sons of bitches. I'd have really preferred to pilot mobile suits without any sort of newtype bullshit acting like a crutch.

"I've heard only bits and pieces about this Biosensor. Is the one installed in the Vertex Alfina an improved version?" Clemenceau asked.

"From what I've been told, yes. Its ability to translate a pilot's thoughts into the Gelgoog's systems should be much smoother and from what I know you should be able to control the binders with relative ease thanks to it, Cross. Something I'm sure you'll get a chance to test tomorrow with lady August von Parseval."

I blinked at that.

"Are… we going to perform an exercise together?" I asked, looking over at August who turned to me with a suspiciously impish smile on her face.

"Of a sort. You will simply be helping me test my newly fitted Mobile Suit catapult system." August answered.

"You recall what I said earlier about your ship assignment?" Clem said, leaning next to my ear once more. Looking at Clem from the corner of my eye, a sense of dread came over me from how her false smile was accompanied by a pointed gaze.

It was as if she was telling me to not get any funny ideas.

"In an effort to further enhance the combat abilities of our fleets, the Iron Blood's engineers have begun a project to have KANSEN and mass produced carriers carry a complement of Mobile Suits." Bismarck explained. "A collapsible mobile suit catapult has been fitted onto the starboard side of August's hull next to the hangar bay door. Her hangar itself is large enough to store her own fighters vertically, so we've modified a section to allow it to carry a mobile suit team."

"So, for the coming days, I shall be your mothership, my familiar." August maneuvered to my side, but her smug gaze was looking past me and at Clemenceau. "Which means I shall have plenty of time to teach you who belongs to who."

Bismarck cleared her throat. "If it is alright with you, Rear Admiral, I'd like to begin an inspection of the Gelgoog Vertex's systems with the Lieutenant."

"I think that would be for the best for our Lieutenant's safety, so go ahead, Lord Bismarck." Nagi gave me a look that was mixed with pity and bemusement.

"Come along, Lieutenant." Bismarck said.

With little effort, she vaulted over the railing, and pushed off it to float over to the cockpit block of the Gelgoog Vertex.

Not wanting to let this rescue line go, I slipped out of Clemenceau's gloved grasp and followed after the billowing cape of the Iron Blood's flagship.

Locking my arm out in front of me, my palm pressed against the cold metal surface of the Alfina's cockpit hatch, stopping my forward motion next to Bismarck who was emitting a pressure that felt oddly none too pleased.

"Is… everything alright, Bismarck?" When she turned her head to face me abruptly, I found myself tripping over my own tongue at the intense look in her eyes. "I-I mean, Lord Bisma-"

"Just Bismarck, is fine, Lieutenant." She said, "And yes, I'm fine, I've just discovered an answer to a question that has been bothering me, that's all."

"Was it about the biosensor?" I asked.

Bismarck shook her head. "No, not that. It's just that when the MS catapult project was first proposed, many of the Iron Blood carriers turned down the idea of using their hulls as the test bed, despite the installation of the catapult being a simple external attachment that would only take a few days in drydock."

"Guess a lot of them weren't comfortable with having machines that aren't their own birds aboard them."

"Ja," Bismarck nodded. "August had been among them, however, when we were looking for volunteers again a few days ago after Admiral Nagi had offered your unit to be the tester, August had stepped up readily. It confused me to see her so eager, though I didn't press her on the matter. But it looks like that confusion has been cleared. August has taken quite the shine to you it seems."

I look back momentarily to where August was. The Unhulde was now leaning against the railing and looking down at me with a sultry gaze. Behind her Clemenceau looked to be discussing something with Nagi though I could feel her salmon pink eyes wander in my direction.

"Well, it wasn't like it was something I tried doing on purpose."

"You speak as if you've done something wrong." Bismarck smiled, amusement radiating off her person.

…And I was just given a stark reminder of why I'd oathed her in the first place.

A few moments of silence passed before Bismarck turned away, a red tint coloring her porcelain cheeks.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me like that?"

I should probably be flustered at being asked such a blunt question. But seeing someone like Bismarck so flustered in front of me, the impulse to tease her won out in the end.

"It's because you've got a real pretty smile."

"Is that so?" Bismarck's lips quirked upwards again, only for her to quickly cover her mouth with a gloved hand and clear her throat. "I believe we have a system check to get to, Lieutenant."

"That we do." I began searching around the hangar, picking out a large burly man with a beer gut and a bleach blonde horseshoe mustache amongst the mechanics and the manjuus who were assisting with the manual labor. "Chief Vandham! We're opening the cockpit to do a systems check!"

Vandham's head snapped up from the tablet he had in his hands, and was about to say something snarky, only to pause when he noticed Bismarck next to me. It seemed even the chief was hesitant to be a bit brash when in the presence of the Iron Blood's Flagship kansen.

"Alright then, power him up and holler if there's anything wrong! We're still doing a check on its equipment, so don't do anything stupid while I'm not looking, ya hear?"

"Roger, roger!" I affirmed, hands already searching for the cockpit hatch lock. As my hand was about to trace over it, Bismarck's gloved hand smoothly opened the panel and pulled down on the lever inside.

She then lightly pulled me to her side as the circular hatch opened with a hiss and lowered downwards.

"Uh, thanks?"

Bismarck simply nodded, her cheeks still dusted with red as she began pulling me alongside her into the cockpit. I offered no resistance because I wasn't if I was even capable of doing so.

And from behind me I could feel the stares of two certain shipgirls who certainly didn't feel positive about Bismarck's actions, but both seemed to be partly amused.

An unpleasant feeling was beginning to tighten around my heart at the attention.

Just think positively, Cross. You've got three wonderful women who were some of your favorites from the game pining for you. Don't think too hard on the fact they're powerful women in terms of positions in their factions and the fact that they all pretty much outclass you physically.

Or that you don't really like how unnatural their affection towards you is starting to feel…

God, I really wanted to get back in the air.

A/N: A relatively uneventful chapter once again. This took a bit of time to get down because of changes I've made to things going forward. If you haven't read the AN for the previous chapter or the changes made to it, to make things clear here, I've decided to step away from doing the OverOn as the focused unit and made it the Gelgoog Vertex. My main reason is that I don't know much of how the OverOn works and that I just overall like the Gelgoog Vertex line more cause Gelgoog's are just great, best grunt unit in my opinion.

But thanks for reading! Apologies if you're disappointed by the change, but I'll still do my best to keep working on this weird fusion world I've made for this fic. School's starting up again so it might be a bit longer till the next chapter, so I'll see you next time! Have a good day or night wherever you are in the world!