Chapter 16

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From this point forward, I'm throwing the release schedule out the window.

I've decided to release chapters as soon as I finish them. The reason for this change is that I'm starting to feel a bit burned out from constantly writing this story. However, I'm not dropping it.

To put it another way: have you ever been in a classroom, listening to the teacher, but just couldn't concentrate? That's exactly how I'm feeling right now. If I keep forcing myself to write, I worry that I'll end up giving up completely, and that's the last thing I want. I really want to finish this fanfic.

So, to reiterate, the previous release schedule no longer exists, and I will release a chapter whenever it's finished. At the same time, I'm planning to start writing a second fanfic. I won't share details about it yet because I'm not sure how it will turn out, and if it ends up being terrible, I don't want to waste your time.

- BigLizard

P.S. I'm going to leave a few questions below, and if you could answer them or share your opinions, I would be grateful. :)

1-A name for the second Gundam Reinhard is building?

2-Romance? Yes or No?

3-Any ideas for the story? If I find any of them interesting, I might add them, or they might inspire me!

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(P.O.V) Aston

C.E. 70, June 18

Onboard the ZGMF-1017 GINN

I am a genius among coordinators. Growing up, that was something I discovered early on in my childhood.

I was abandoned in an orphanage on Junius Seven at the age of four without a single memory. Thankfully, the matron of the orphanage treated every child as though they were her own. I had a happy childhood filled with love, and I considered every orphan in the facility my sibling. During this time, I had yet to discover how different I was from the rest of my siblings; all I knew was that we were all coordinators.

I began to notice those differences when I started school. While coordinators are granted extraordinary potential due to the genetic modifications they undergo at birth, that doesn't mean anything if we don't practice, train, and learn properly. So, we still had to go to school, which, thinking back on it now, was something I missed.

As I started studying, I quickly realized I was different from other students. While my peers took about the same time to grasp new concepts, I could learn them in half the time. It wasn't just academics—I mastered sports at a ridiculous pace, leaving even teachers gobsmacked. During this time, I started to wonder if I had undergone a different procedure during my genetic modifications. Perhaps I was some sort of experimental subject who had been cast aside due to being deemed a failure. But if that was the case, then I could only be considered a success, as I was already superior to every single coordinator I knew. However, that was just a theory I created to explain why I was different; I truly had no idea if it was true. Maybe if I asked a doctor to examine my genetics… No, it was probably best I didn't mention this to anyone.

After excelling at everything, I noticed how my teacher looked at me with pride while my peers regarded me with awe and envy. Their reactions made me understand that I was a genius—an exceptional rarity when everyone else was also considered a genius. This realization led to arrogance; each time I succeeded, whether in grades or sports, I delighted in my superiority.

When I turned ten, I was scouted by a college—a ridiculous situation for a ten-year-old. I was being recruited to bypass the rest of my curriculum to join a college! Naturally, I accepted, having already learned everything I could from regular school. This was my chance to keep growing.

So, I left Junius Seven and moved to Maius City to study mechanical engineering. Upon arriving and starting my education, I immediately understood that I would have to give 100% to succeed. While I hadn't underestimated my new curriculum, I knew I couldn't slack off if I wanted to maintain the same high standards, I had set for myself.

By the time I graduated at sixteen, I did so with honors and was on the path to a promising career as a mechanical engineer. However, before I could proceed with my career, I was approached by a man who wanted to recruit me for ZAFT, which had yet to be revealed to the world. Hearing his proposition piqued my interest. I was aware of the growing tension between the PLANTs and Earth, and it was easy to see where it was headed. The sponsor nations grew greedier each year, and soon enough, their demands would become impossible to meet.

I accepted the offer to join ZAFT and was taken to their base of operations. I began my training, which I unsurprisingly excelled in. Eventually, I was selected as one of the test pilots for ZAFT's main weapon against Earth forces. The first mobile suit I piloted was a YMF-01B Proto GINN. The feeling of piloting it was exhilarating, although initially it was a nightmare due to the multiple bugs in the OS that complicated the piloting process. However, once those bugs were ironed out, I knew that the Earth forces stood no chance.

After my success with the Proto GINN, I was reassigned as a test pilot once more—this time for the successor, the ZGMF-1017 GINN. Comparing the two was like comparing a bicycle to a sports car; they were in completely different leagues. It was at this point that I was promoted to a red uniform. While it didn't grant me higher authority than the green uniforms, it did signify that I was considered an elite soldier.

In 69, the sponsors appeared to have had enough. After Junius Seven through Ten were transformed into agricultural colonies, they sent a fleet to intimidate us. It was then that ZAFT had its first official assignment. Every available pilot was ordered to remain inside the ZAFT ships and to stay in their mobile suits in case battle began. I don't really know what happened, but a skirmish broke out, which led to us deploying and obliterating the enemy fleet. After the battle, I vomited due to the amount of blood I had shed and was having a panic attack until a fellow pilot punched me and brought me back to reality. I was grateful for that; I realized that if we hadn't done what we did, countless coordinators would have been killed.

Things escalated quickly, and eventually, war was declared. I still remember the first battle of the war and how it ended with the destruction of Junius Seven due to Earth forces launching a nuclear missile. I had been on the battlefield and only survived because I was on the outskirts, eliminating ships and mobile armors. When I saw Junius Seven being destroyed, I remembered that the woman who had raised me was inside the colony. Something snapped, and I felt a cold rage blooming inside my head, compelling me to exterminate the enemy forces without regard for my own life. By the end of that battle, I had destroyed twenty-five mobile armors and ten warships, earning me the Order of the Nebula, a medal created by ZAFT to honor soldiers for their outstanding acts of service. But I couldn't care less about some medal not after what had just happened.

In the following months, I fought in countless battles and skirmishes against Earth forces. Each time I entered the battlefield, I felt possessed by a cold-hearted demon. My mind seemed to shut off anything it deemed unnecessary, and my focus was solely on the fight. Eventually, I was assigned to the Gwyn and was headed back to the PLANTs so resupply and repairs.

On the way home, we discovered a suspicious ship. The captain assumed it was part of a group of marauders that had been attacking our supply lines—no doubt the work of Earth forces. Eventually, I deployed alongside my team with the task of capturing the ship to confirm whether it really belonged to Orb.

When the cargo bay opened, a mobile suit emerged. Seeing this, I scoffed, thinking the Earth forces had finally created an imitation mobile suit. I ordered my team to attack it, but instead of being destroyed, it dodged every single one of our shots and completely outclassed us. It systematically disabled each of my team members until it was just me against it.

Knowing that it outclassed me, I calmed my heart and cleared my mind. I attempted to ambush the enemy by overcharging my thrusters and moving behind its back before it could notice. Just as I was about to strike with my sword, it dodged upwards.

We both remained motionless for a moment before it made the first move. I tried to repeat the same ambush, but it didn't work. Soon enough, we were dancing around the battlefield, trying to defeat each other, multiple times I almost managed to land a blow but he all seemed to dodge at the last moment while I also barely dodges his attacks, but we were evenly matched—or so I thought—until the enemy mobile suit disabled my GINN before I even had a chance to react.

I don't remember what happened in the following ten minutes; I felt terrible from the G-forces I was experiencing during the fight and was on the brink of passing out. Then I heard a voice over the comms asking for my name, which I realized belonged to the enemy pilot. After we exchanged names, I heard him compliment me before he left. I sat there in my cockpit, blank-faced, before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"Oh god, I was such a dumbass! I completely forgot that there exists something above a genius." I touched the main panel, bringing up a recording of the previous fight and pausing it just before the enemy mobile suit sliced off my GINN's head. I focused my gaze on the mobile suits head. "A monster." I muttered, looking at the screen and clenching my hand. "How interesting."

(P.O.V) Reinhard

C.E. 70, June 24

Onboard the Block, approaching the Ame No Minashira

"Are you sure they won't reveal the Fafnir's existence?" I asked Neil, who was sitting beside me on the bridge as he landed the ship.

"For the last time, yes. I am sure," he replied, exasperated by my constant questioning since we left the battle. "I told you I convinced them that we belong to a mercenary group called Celestial Being, hired to test an experimental mobile suit that will eventually be developed into a deep-space exploration probe. They were still a bit doubtful, but when you mentioned that coordinators can be arrogant, I used that to convince them you were a coordinator based on the skills you demonstrated while piloting the Fafnir. Everything after that was easy. I apologized for not being completely honest about our affiliation and explained we were carrying critical information about Junius Seven, which began to sway their belief. I offered them a choice: continue this battle and die for nothing, or surrender and let us go, during which I would provide them with details about the true perpetrators of the attack on Junius Seven." He explained as the ship entered the space station.

I still had a nagging feeling this could come back to haunt us, but there was nothing I could do now.

"Also, what happened when you were fighting that customized GINN? Honestly, it looked like you were struggling," he said with a teasing tone.

"I wasn't struggling; I had everything under control," I replied, which was true. "I wanted to see how far a coordinator could go, and I was pleasantly surprised. That pilot was pretty good. If he had a more advanced machine, I don't doubt he could have made me exert some effort. That's not me being arrogant; currently, the only weapons capable of damaging the Fafnir are ship cannons and perhaps GINNs equipped with bazookas. Their bullets are completely ineffective against E-Carbon and X-Titanium. Now, if they had beam weapons, that would be a different story."

However, I suspected that the kid with the customized GINN might have accessed SEED mode. While I didn't have any proof, I couldn't think of another explanation for how he had been able to keep up with the Fafnir. Still, I was fighting non-lethally, which forced me to be more cautious. Had I fought to kill, I could have ended it quickly.

As the ship finished docking inside the space station, the cargo bay opened to allow the Fafnir to be moved to the shuttle that would take it down to Earth. The cargo ship couldn't perform atmospheric entry, meaning the personnel onboard the space station would see the Fafnir. While I preferred to keep its existence a secret until the right moment, I had no choice. With the war escalating, the orbit around Earth was filled with ships from the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, engaging in skirmishes. I wasn't confident about entering the atmosphere in the Fafnir without being discovered.

Exiting the ship, I saw personnel already removing the Fafnir with a crane and transporting it to the shuttle. A large number of crew members were looking at the Fafnir in awe. We walked through the station, making our way to the hangar where the shuttle was waiting, eager to leave before anyone began asking questions about the Fafnir.

When we passed through the gate to the hangar that held the shuttle, I mentally cursed when I saw someone standing there, watching the Fafnir being loaded into the shuttle.

Standing on the catwalk was a woman radiating authority, her sharp red eyes framed by long black hair cascading over her shoulders. Wrapped in a purple cape adorned with gold epaulets, a lavender cravat, and purple pants, she exuded cold elegance.

"What are you doing here, Mina?" I asked, my voice cold. I was curious about her presence; our arrival was meant to be kept a secret. Only Uzumi and a handful of others should be aware of it, and the Sahaku family wasn't among them. So why was the eldest daughter of the Sahaku family here?

Mina turned around, greeting me with her signature smile. "Why, hello there, Reinhard! What a surprise to see you here," she said, though I doubted her sincerity. "I came to inspect the Ame no Minashira since it was placed under our jurisdiction. I'm sure you're aware of this. I noticed that some personnel had been ordered to prepare a transport shuttle for orbital descent and remain on standby until the cargo ship that left Heliopolis arrived, before transferring its cargo to the shuttle and not mentioning anything about what they saw. I found this strange since neither my father, my brother, nor I gave such an order; the only person with higher authority over the Ame no Minashira is the Chief Representative. I wanted to see what cargo required such secrecy, and lo and behold—a mobile suit! But it isn't one of the five Astray prototypes." Her expression turned serious. "So, Reinhard, would you mind explaining where you acquired this mobile suit?"

Goddammit, why did she have to come perform an inspection today of all days? "If you're so curious, this mobile suit was designed by me, and that's all I will say. The rest is classified," I replied, mentioning only that I had created the Fafnir.

Mina fell silent for a moment. "You made it?" she asked, clearly confused. "How strange. I was under the impression that your expertise lay in programming, considering that the only thing you have created since joining Morgenröte was the OS that enabled naturals to pilot mobile suits." She paused, glancing back at the Fafnir. "But it's impossible that you created this mobile suit after joining Orb; the time frame to develop and perfect it is too short, meaning you crafted it before arriving on Orb."

When had she started paying so much attention to me? Could it be that Koto had been spying on me, and she was able to acquire that information from him? "And what if I created this mobile suit before I joined Orb? You seem to forget, Mina, that I work directly for the Chief Representative. If you have any questions about me, you can talk to him," I said, stepping toward the shuttle.

"So, despite having the experience of creating a functional mobile suit, you simply decided to create—or perhaps recreate—the OS and leave it at that. Let me ask you, Reinhard, why don't you help Erica complete the mass-produced Astray faster with your abilities?" Mina inquired, which made me stop and turn around.

"Are you asking as Rondo Mina Sahaku, a member of the Sahaku family, or as Rondo Mina Sahaku, a citizen of Orb?" I asked.

Mina frowned, confused by my question. "What's the difference?" she asked.

I shook my head and answered. "First of all, in case you're asking as a citizen of Orb, even if I helped with the mass-produced Astray, I wouldn't be able to decrease the timeline for its completion since it's being built simultaneously with the prototypes at Heliopolis. Secondly, why would I help the Sahaku family with their personal desires for Orb?" I said, observing her shocked reaction. "That's right; I know you're planning something. What exactly, I don't know yet, Mina, but the fact that you and your brother initiated the cooperation between Morgenröte and the Earth Alliance leads me to believe you want to use their technology for some other goal besides maintaining neutrality. And I have no intention of helping you," I said, ignoring her shocked expression.

It took her a moment to recompose herself before her face hardened. "So, you won't do anything to help Orb because of us?" she asked.

"I didn't say that." I replied, shaking my head. "I'm already helping Lord Uzumi, and if Orb is ever attacked, I, alongside my team, will defend it to our last man." I glanced at Neil, who had sneaked off to the shuttle when I started talking to Mina. "But, against my better judgment, I want your help." I pulled out my PDA and sent her some schematics and an operational plan. "Mina, I know that you are different from your brother, and that is why I am placing my trust in you. I've sent something to your personal email, and I ask you to use what I sent not for the Sahaku family's goals, but because I believe that you deep down also want best for Orb." I concluded as I moved toward the shuttle.

(P.O.V) Rondo Mina Sahaku

C.E. 70, June 24

Ame No Minashira

The first time I heard of Reinhard was when I found my father raging in his office, shortly after my brother and I were summoned to HQ, right after Reinhard had left. He explained that, thanks to the Chief Representative, he had been forced to give the position of chief engineer to Reinhard and was told that Reinhard would be granted complete autonomy over his work.

When we heard what had happened, it was safe to say we were outraged. After all, the Sahaku family had always held complete authority over Morgenröte, yet the Chief Representative had just forced my father to hire someone against his wishes. My brother, infuriated by our father's words, suggested eliminating Reinhard, but after my father and I convinced him that was a bad idea, we decided to wait a month and see what would happen.

During that month, my father ordered someone to investigate Reinhard, but we didn't find anything. It was as if Reinhard had simply appeared out of thin air, or perhaps someone had been actively erasing any information about his existence.

After a month, Reinhard managed to achieve something that countless other programs at Morgenröte had failed to do: he successfully built an OS that enabled naturals to pilot mobile suits. This achievement forced my father to reluctantly accept him, even if he didn't like the fact that Reinhard constantly missed meetings.

Hearing of his accomplishment piqued my interest, leading me to choose to meet him face to face. When I first saw him, I felt a moment of terror wash over me, but that feeling quickly dissipated. I couldn't explain it, but Reinhard exuded a some kind of aura.

I realized he didn't trust me, but I was perplexed when he asked if, like my brother, I also wanted to kill him. It seemed my brother had encountered him as well. I laughed off his comment as a joke, feigning ignorance. We exchanged words for a while before going our separate ways, and afterwards I felt conflicted. I had intended to gauge whether he would pose a threat to my brother's plans for Orb, but I didn't even notice that he had led the conversation. I noted that he might be a potential risk to us.

My brother had convinced me to assist him in seizing control of Orb as the opening move in his grand plan to dominate the Earth sphere. The first step was to provide the Atlantic Federation with the resources and technical assistance needed to complete the G-project prototypes while simultaneously stealing the data from the G-project to develop a mass-production mobile suit for Orb. However, the Chief Representative discovered that my brother had offered assistance to the Atlantic Federation, forcing me to scramble to save our plan. While my brother raged his office, I managed to convince Lord Uzumi to proceed with the plan to offer assistance and acquire the data from the G-project.

Everything was going according to plan until I discovered that Reinhard possessed a functional mobile suit. I grew curious about why Lord Uzumi had once again gone over our heads and given a direct order to the personnel onboard the Ame no Minashira. When I confronted Reinhard about the mobile suit, I was shocked to find out he was somewhat aware of our plans and wondered silently if he had warned Lord Uzumi.

What shocked me even more was that he asked for my help, despite knowing that my brother and I were plotting something. After sending me an email, he left, and I remained rooted in my spot before exiting the hangar. As the shuttle was about to depart, I made my way toward my office.

Along the way, I pondered why he chose to trust me. It didn't make any logical sense; after all, he was aware of our intentions. When I reached my office, I quickly accessed my email and saw that he had sent two files along with an audio message.

Curiosity swelled within me as I opened the file labeled "Over Flag." My eyes widened in surprise upon seeing schematics for a mobile suit, along with several designs for armaments that could utilize both physical projectiles and beam weapons, a new type of carbon that was up to ten times stronger than carbon nanotubes, and an anti-beam coating that increased resistance to beam attacks.

After analyzing the schematics, I immediately understood that they were authentic, and we could begin producing these mobile suits. However, I noted that it was designed as a transformable high-mobility aerial mobile suit, and each unit would need to be calibrated for its individual pilot, which baffled me. Why didn't Reinhard design it so that any pilot could operate these mobile suits?

I then noticed the remaining file, titled "Operation Last Stand," and decided to play the audio message labeled "Important."

When the recording began, I heard Reinhard's voice. "Hello. If you're listening to this, it means I felt you were trustworthy enough to help Orb. I hope you will forgive me; I prerecorded this message and designed the schematics attached to this file, along with the operation plan, sometime after I began working in Morgenröte." So, he designed the mobile suit after joining Morgenröte. "Moving on, I assume you are aware of the Astray project. I ask this because it is the main reason I designed the Over Flag. The M1 Astray will be a general-purpose mobile suit, but with the completion of the G-project, the Earth Alliance will also begin mass-producing general-purpose mobile suits. I don't know if they will reach the same level as the Astray, but I do know that we will likely be outnumbered and possibly outmatched in experience. While my team fights to protect Orb, we can't be everywhere at once. That's why I created the Over Flag—to establish a fast-response team should Orb ever find itself under attack.

It isn't designed to be a mass-produced mobile suit; instead, multiple squads of five Over Flags will deploy to various battlefields requiring emergency backup. As for the pilots, I'll leave it to your discretion; I assume you have the ability to recruit pilots who can be trained to become aces. Well, that's pretty much it. Oh, one last thing: please don't use the Over Flag for any personal goals. Instead, it should be utilized to help Orb itself."

When the recording ended, I remained seated, contemplating what I had just heard. I couldn't believe Reinhard had designed a mobile suit that surpassed the M1 Astray in technical specifications out of concern for a possible attack from the Earth Alliance. Had I not known how deeply Blue Cosmos had infiltrated the Earth Alliance, I would have deemed him a fool. Still, I could see the logic in establishing a quick-response team, especially since the entire Earth Alliance had greater manufacturing capabilities than Orb.

Part of me wanted to ignore his request and simply use the schematics for my brother's plan to conquer the Earth sphere. However, another part of me wouldn't allow it. While I supported my brother and always would, I have such grand ambitions as my brother; I was satisfied with protecting Orb. Therefore, I would continue to aid my brother, but the plan didn't require the Over Flag's technology to succeed. I would also follow Reinhard's plan as a contingency for the worst-case scenario.

Remembering that I still hadn't read the last file, I opened it and raised an eyebrow at its contents. As I read the reason behind the plan, I couldn't help but laugh. "This plan was made in case of a FUBAR situation."