Super Robot Wars Coreline #1

“Our orders have come in from command. We are to proceed to the Shoal Zone and patrol for enemy forces.” Bright Noa, formerly captain of the White Base and now of the White Base II said to the others present on the bridge.


Amuro, a brown haired teenager wearing the blue uniform of the Earth Federation military spoke, “That seems like an odd mission for a ship like ours, a waste of our capabilities.”


“True, the brass must not trust us due to their suspicion of Newtypes.Otherwise they wouldn’t be sending us to do grunt work.” responds Slugger Law, an older man with blond hair, in a brown-colored uniform.


Ryu Jose, a heavy set man with a dark complexion said, “There is no use complaining. If they don’t trust us then we just have to prove that we are trustworthy.”


“When does the mission begin?” Sayla Mass, a young blonde woman with a pink uniform asks the captain.


“We leave at 1300 hours, so we have some time.”


He dismissed the pilots with a salute and they began to filter out of the room. Sayla lingered for a moment when Amuro passes. He stops and speaks, “What’s wrong Sayla?”


“Nothing, except,” she pauses for a moment, looking pensive, “I wonder how my brother is doing.”


“Well I’ve heard that the Principality of Zeon is in a bit of an uproar, with Ghiren’s ousting. I think Char is going to be fine, since he has the favor of Kycillia Zabi. I don't think Zeon will become peaceful, but I am glad that the war is over.”


“I am especially glad that Casval is no longer our enemy.”


“Sayla, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why did you return to the White Base? You could’ve gotten off and be living in peace, like Fraw, Hayato, Kai and the kids.”, said Amuro thinking of Letz, Katz and Kikka, the orphans who were refugees on the White Base during the war. Last he knew Fraw and Hayato were trying to adopt them.


“Amuro, this world we now inhabit is not at peace. The war might be over, but with the things we’ve seen I can’t just stand by and ignore them. I want to make a world where our comrades and the children can find happiness.”


“I think I understand. During the war were just trying to survive, working together and watching each others backs. Now we are no longer fighting for survival, but we can fight for peace on behalf of our comrades.”


“Well, we’d better get ready for the mission,” said Sayla.


“Yeah, I want to check out that new Gundam they sent us before we sortie.”


First Sayla began walking away, and after her Amuro followed.


Amuro soon arrives at one of the White Base II’s hangers. It was familiar to him, because it was an almost exact duplicate of that of the original White Base. Amuro looked around at the craft held within.


The most prominent mobile weapon present was the RX-78-3 Gundam “G-3”. The towering machine was predominantly white in color, with blue highlights. Amuro knew the Magnetic Coating that had been applied to his RX-78-2 was originally tested on this machine.


Amuro thought back to when he first used the Gundam. Two Zakus had entered Side 7 and had destroyed most of the Project V prototypes, including two other Gundams. The parts from those Gundams had been salvaged and built into this machine.


Beside the Gundam stood the RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Arms Type, an improved version of the RX-77-2 Guncannon that was used previously used by Kai and Ryu during the war. Currently Ryu Jose was assigned as primary pilot for this machine.


Further there were the three Core Fighters carried by the White Base II. They were designed as the core unit for the mobile suits of the V Project. In addition, they were used to support those mobile suits. The White Base II carried two sets of Core Booster parts, enhancement parts for the Core Fighter. These were quite a bit different than the G-Parts they had used in the One Year War and upon first arriving in Coreline. Those had been destroyed along the White Base in the destruction of the Messiah Devil Gundam.


He approached the Gundam, seeing a maintenance crew member standing in front of its right leg, holding a clipboard. She is wearing a brown Federation uniform and has short brown hair. “You must be Amuro Ray, the Gundam’s pilot.”


“That’s me. How did you know?”


“I’ve seen your picture. Though that was an older version of you…”


Amuro knew what she was thinking about. It was strange knowing there were many different versions of himself, some very similar, others quite different.


“Well you know me, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never met you. So why don’t you introduce yourself?”


“Master Chief Petty Officer Kaywinnet Lee Frye, but you can call me Kaylee. I’m the new maintenance chief for the White Base II.”


“Well, I guess we will be working together then. So how is the Gundam?”


“Well it has the same specifications as your original Gundam, but we’re still working on adjusting it, so it might feel a bit off.”


“I’ll just have to deal with it, unless we can adjust it with the time we have until the mission begins?”


“Well there are a few things we could work on quick, if you want to jump in the Gundam.”


“Sure. I’ll get my normal suit and meet you back here.”


Later Sayla and Slugger entered the hanger. Sayla saw Amuro, leaning out of the Gundam’s cockpit talking to Kaylee. Amuro waves towards Sayla and Sayla waves back, but somewhat haltingly.


As Sayla and Slugger arrive at their Core Boosters, Slugger speaks to Sayla. “Alright, we are going to do a quick sweep through this sector. If we encounter enemy forces we should avoid contact and report back. The Core Boosters have a bit of firepower, but our mission is reconnaissance, not search and destroy.”


“Understood, Lieutenant, Junior Grade.”


The fighters are moved to the launch catapults, Sayla makes final checks, before the launch begins.


“Ensign Sayla Mass, launching in the Core Booster!” she says as her craft is propelled forward by the catapult. As she exits the White Base she forms up with Slugger’s craft. In formation, they head into the debris field.


“It is likely that there will be extensive interference in the field, so keep that in mind.”


As the two craft head deeper into the debris field, Sayla hears a sound like a bell and a intense feeling of someone calling for help. “There is something coming from over there.” Sayla sends a message to Slugger.


“Interf… heavy… follow… you.” comes the response.


Sayla flies towards the location and sees the source of the feeling she received. A single mobile suit, appearing to be a Dom-type and white in color is being pursued by a team of other mobile suits, lead by a red-colored Dom-type.


“Casval?” asks Sayla as she sees the Red Dom. She is certain it is her brother piloting that mobile suit. The white mobile suit is the source of the feeling she had earlier, however.


Sayla pilots her Core Booster towards the red mobile suit, which slows so that they come to fly at each other’s side.


“Casval is that you?” asks Sayla through the contact link.


“Artesia, what are you doing still piloting for the Federation?”


That’s not important right now. What is going on with that other mobile suit?”


“It is being piloted by Lalah. She is defecting to the Federation, and you have to make sure she escapes.”


“How can we fire upon you? The Federation and Zeon have a ceasefire.”


“I’m sorry Artesia, I’ll have to fire upon you. Return to the Tro-the White Base and take Lalah with you.”


“I will, Casval.” Sayla says as she punches her Core Booster to full throttle and flies towards Lalah’s mobile suit as fire from the machine gun of Char’s Rick Dom flies past her into the debris field, ripping through several pieces of broken metal and causing shrapnel to fly towards his subordinates, who dodge ably.


Sayla comes up aside the white Dom and speaks to Lalah, “Hello, this is Ensign Sayla Mass of the Earth Federation, Char’s sister. He told me to escort you back to our ship.”


“Understood.” responds Lalah, and the three fly towards the location of the White Base as they are pursued by the Zeon mobile suits.


Meanwhile, back on the White Base Amuro too senses Lalah’s distress. He heads to the intercom and calls the bridge. “Captain, I request permission to deploy.”


“What for, Amuro?”


“I can tell something is happening out there. It is important for us to deploy.”


“Alright, I trust your judgement Amuro. I am issuing a scramble order.”


Soon the Gundam has been conveyed to the catapult. “Amuro Ray, Gundam ‘G-3’ deploying.”


As Amuro is launched out into space, he can see a White Rick Dom flanked by two Core Boosters emerging from the debris field. Other Rick Doms follow, led by one in Red and Black.


“Char is… chasing Lalah? What is going on?” he says as his Gundam propels toward the red mobile suit. Char’s Rick Dom changes course to intercept his rival’s Gundam.


The two mobile suits clash, beam saber meeting heat saber. “Char! What is going on!”


“I don’t have time to explain Amuro, just fight me while your allies escort Lalah to the White Base!”


“Lalah’s coming to White Base? Alright, I’ll make this look good.”


The two adversaries clash again and again, dodging strikes and then parrying. The two are nearly evenly matched, except that Char’s mobile suit cannot keep up with the magnetically coated Gundam.


“It is almost like old times, Amuro.”


“Old times, Char?”


“Yes, you have the superior mobile suit. Except this time the strength of your mobile suit is matched to your skill.”


“Let’s just hope we don’t have to fight again, but in mobile suits of comparable strength.”


Just then the white Dom is retrieved by the White Base, with the Core Boosters turning back to rejoin the battle.


“Good bye, Amuro. Take care of them, Lalah and my sister...” Char says as he disengages from the battle. Char disappears into the debris field followed by his wingmen. The Gundam is called back by the White Base.


Later Amuro exits the cockpit of the Gundam to find Lalah waiting for him. He leaps out of the mobile suit to join her on the ground, “Lalah!”


“Amuro!.”


Sayla walks up to the pair, “I’m sorry Lalah, but there isn’t any time for pleasantries right now. The captain wants to meet you.” Amuro is baffled as he senses as small amount of hostility from Sayla towards Lalah.


“Certainly, he will want to hear what I have to say.” responds Lalah as she accompanies Sayla out of the hangar.


Later, Lalah Sune arrives in the captain’s cabin, accompanied by Ryu Jose and Ensign Job John, a young man with curly blond hair.


“So, you are Ensign Lalah Sune of the Principality of Zeon’s Mobile Suit Corps.I am very interested to hear why you seek to defect to the Earth Federation, with the assistance of the Red Comet, Char Aznable no less.”


“I know it sounds suspicious to you, but I assure you that Char asked that I defect in spite of the wishes of our superiors and I agreed, though not without reservations.”


“Those reservations being?”


“That I did not wish to be parted from Char. However, he felt concerned about Kycilia Zabi’s plans and wished that I be removed from her command. For the reason that the Newtype Corps is engaging in research into dangerous variations on the psycommu system and other dangerous control systems. He didn't want for me to get involved in that research.”


“Understood. I think those questions will be sufficient for now, but the military will likely want to debrief you further. For now you will be kept under guard and limited to certain sections of the ship. Understood?”


“Yes, sir.”


Lalah was escorted out of the room by the two pilots, while Captain Bright remains. Then there is a knock at the door. “Yes, who is it?”


“It is me Bright,” came the voice of Mirai Yashima, White Base’s helmsman and Bright’s close confidante.


“Come in.”


Mirai, a young woman with brown hair that is cut at her neckline, wearing the same pink uniform as Sayla, steps into the room. “So what do you think, Bright?”


“It is hard to say. Amuro and Sayla vouch for her, but many aspects of her story seem far to convenient. Ultimately, we will keep her under watch and report this to the top brass.”
Later on the space fortress Aboa Qu, headquarters of the Legitimate Zeon faction, Char meets with Kycillia in a meeting chamber. Char is accompanied by his wingmates and two armed guards stand silently along one wall. Kycillia is wearing a purple bodysuit with a black cape and gold epaulets.


“Char, can you explain to me why you allowed Ensign Sune to escape?”


“I am sorry, Rear Admiral. We had almost caught up to her, when the crew of the White Base appeared. They have been granted another vessel and new mobile weapons. You should know that I would not wish to let her go myself.”


“Yes, I am aware of your relationship with the Ensign. That does not absolve you, it only makes things more suspicious. There is also the matter of you firing upon the Federation craft.”


“We were parlaying and they indicated a desire to take Ensign Sune into custody. We could not allow that, so when the enemy craft attempted to leave with the Ensign I opened fire.”


“Despite this you were unable to prevent the enemies’ escape.”


“Begging your pardon, Rear Admiral, but we couldn’t keep up with the Schnee Weiss or the enemy fighters. Not with them being able to maneuver through the debris field so well. Then Char fought the Gundam, while we pursued Ensign Sune.” said one of the other pilots.


Kycilia considered this for a moment. “Very well, it seems that we have no choice but to consider Ensign Sune a loss, at least for the moment. I will have to try to smooth things over with the Federation, without giving my brothers an advantage. In the meantime I have a replacement pilot for the Elmeth and we are working on finishing the upgrades of your Geloog to the specifications sent by Axis.”


“A replacement pilot for the Elmeth?” asks Char.


“Yes, and she should be suitable for our special projects as well. Ensign, come in.”


A young woman in a Principality of Zeon uniform in an orangish-brown color with pink hair walks into the room, and makes a sharp salute.


“Ensign Kuzco Ai, reporting for duty!”


Lalah Sune has escaped to an uncertain fate and Kycilia continues her scheming unabated. It seems that Kuzco Ai is on the path to the same fate that her fellow Newtype Corps member avoided. How will Lalah effect the interactions of the crew of the White Base? Find out in the next installment of Super Robot Wars Coreline.