Gundam's Rendezvous

"Although I have already introduced myself, let me do so formally once more. I am Lieutenant Eli Li, leader of the 86 Squad of the Far East Front Independent Mechanized Regiment, Kojima Battalion."

"Same unit, Second Lieutenant Shiro Amada."

"Same unit, Sergeant Karen Joshua."

"Same unit, Sergeant Terry Sanders."

By the time Amuro piloted the Gundam back into the White Base hangar as the last one to return, the four members of the 86 Squad had already exited their Mobile Suits and were saluting the captain who had rushed to the hangar.

"Ah, I am Bright Noa, rank of Second Lieutenant, and... I am the captain of this White Base."

Clearly, Bright had also overheard Karen's earlier comments.

Faced with Eli, a lieutenant, and Shiro Amada, a second lieutenant, he didn't quite know how to position himself.

"No need to be nervous, Captain Bright. We can just address each other by our ranks and duties."

Upon seeing Lin Youde, another legendary figure associated with the Gundam, Eli couldn't help but trigger his so-called system.

Bright Noa 19 years old Port-Side Critic, Best Slapper, Master of the Force of Rotation

Eli guessed that the system must have extracted comments from netizens in his previous life to set these character tags.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be this bizarre...

Eli stepped forward and extended his hand, signaling for Bright not to be so tense.

At this moment, Bright was still a green youth, far from the legendary captain who would eventually command countless Gundams.

That's right, only nineteen—the same age as Eli.

Bright visibly relaxed.

Eli could see his eyes widen significantly, no longer squinting into tiny slits as they had been when he first arrived.

"Understood, Captain Eli."

Bright reached out, grasped Eli's hand, and shook it firmly.

Heaven knows, ever since SIDE 7, Bright had been tasked with leading a ship full of civilians on the White Base to break through the Zeon Forces' blockade and descend to Earth.

The few Mobile Suit pilots on board were all unruly characters, which had left Bright physically and mentally exhausted.

And after descending to Earth, most of the Federation Forces they encountered were scattered, defeated remnants.

Now, within the Federation, people were calling the White Base a miracle ship, but who could understand the immense pressure Bright was under as a captain who had just graduated from the military academy?

It was no wonder he felt uneasy in front of regular soldiers like Eli and his team who still maintained contact with Federation headquarters.

Eli's hand was being squeezed so hard it actually started to hurt.

"Are these... mass-produced versions of the Gundam!"

Fortunately, a young man's voice interrupted Eli's thoughts at that moment.

Following the sound, he saw Amuro, who appeared to have jogged over.

He was looking up at the four Mobile Suits lined up, his tone a mix of excitement and disappointment.

"Amuro, mind your military discipline!"

If there were no outsiders present, Bright wouldn't have minded Amuro's casual nature.

But in front of four real soldiers, Bright was still nervous and wanted Amuro to offer a salute.

This was actually a form of protection for Amuro, though the latter didn't seem to appreciate it, running off on his own to the feet of the Gundam Ground Type.

"Apologies, that guy gets like this whenever he sees anything related to machinery."

Just as Bright was feeling anxious, a gentle female voice reached them.

Eli, Shiro, and the others looked behind Bright to find two women in red military uniforms.

"Frau Bow, Mirai Yashima, why have even you two come here..."

Seeing the two women arrive, Bright's expression stiffened even further.

It was clear he still wanted to project a tough, reliable military demeanor in front of Eli and his team, but he was being thwarted by unexpected situations time and again.

"Because that guy Amuro is a machine fanatic... Besides, the Gundam was designed by Amuro's father. It's only natural for him to be moved upon seeing the mass-produced models."

Frau, true to her gentle image, spoke as if a doting mother were indulging her child.

What Frau called "natural" was a plea for the soldiers before them to forgive Amuro's impulsive behavior.

"Ah, I didn't realize that was the case..."

Shiro Amada lowered his salute, clearly surprised by Frau's words.

The father was the designer of the Gundam, and the son was its pilot.

For the father, was this a blessing or a curse?

Shiro Amada couldn't help but wonder.

Judging by the expressions on Sanders and Karen, they were clearly thinking the same thing.

Only then did Eli speak up.

"It's fine. I believe Amuro, as a Gundam pilot, is certainly qualified to inspect the Gundam Ground Type."

Since Eli, as the captain, had already said as much, Bright had no choice but to swallow whatever else he wanted to say for the time being.

After giving the Gundam Ground Type a once-over, Amuro walked over toward them.

"This thing is incredible."

At this moment, Amuro looked nothing like the ace pilot who struck fear into the hearts of Zeon; he was truly just his age, still possessing a touch of childlike innocence.

With that thought in mind, Eli looked at Amuro with a hint of amusement.

But soon, he couldn't laugh anymore.

"So, does this mean I don't have to board the Gundam anymore?"

"Amuro!"

The dissatisfaction Bright had just suppressed was reignited by Amuro's single sentence.

"That is insubordination!"

Still far too young, Bright's temper was lit on the spot.

"What do you mean, insubordination? Since the Federation can already produce MS, it doesn't matter what happens to this Gundam anymore! The same goes for this warship—it doesn't matter what we do anymore!"

Hearing such words from Amuro, Bright's mouth hung open, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word for a moment.

When they had just departed from SIDE 7, he had believed the Federation needed the various prototypes aboard this ship.

But after seeing this mass-produced model of the Gundam, that justification naturally vanished into thin air.

"Regardless of anything else, our duty is to follow the orders from Jaburo and bring this ship back!"

For a moment, Bright, whose resolve had been shaken by Amuro's brief remark, could only use military orders to demand compliance from Amuro, as much to steady himself as anything else.

"I am not a soldier; you of all people should know that best."

To Bright's surprise, Amuro did not shout his thoughts aloud as he had in the past; instead, he spoke to Bright as if he had calmed down.

"If I could, I would like to be like Doan—someone who stays far away from war."

Amuro's gaze met Bright's directly, making the still-green captain realize in a flash that he had been treating Amuro like an adult, placing far too much pressure on his shoulders.

He was only holding on because the lives of everyone on the ship depended on him alone.

Now that Amuro had encountered actual Federation soldiers and MS pilots, the crushing weight was gone, and it was only natural that he would no longer wish to board an MS.