In the name of...

[jianai]

[1]
[The conversation from a few days' back assured Ren into making this decision.

Here they stand, wearing a pilot suit sans helmet - two obvious reasons get in the way of wearing one.]

Hello again. I was taken to your leaders and just a few moments ago it was made official. Starting from now on, I am Unity Group's newest pilot.

[Salute.]

I can't just sit back and wait while everyone is risking their lives. I'll help too! I had some experience piloting mobile suits already, but it seems it's time to add "combat pilot" to the list of things I've done during my life. Also, well.

I love everyone.

But I understand that sometimes, there is no other option than to hurt someone to save someone. I won't hesitate.

[2]

Well then, which one of those would suit me~?

[Ren is checking out Unity Group's hangars, trying to find a unit for themselves. They act more like they're picking up groceries though.]

I must say, the selection is quite amazing! You have some really rare suits... I think. I'm not much of an expert. But some of them don't even look that much used.

Comments

2

[majestic_keiki]

We have a number of people with backgrounds in experimental projects around here. As well as representatives of numerous different military units, it's not surprise we'd have a large number of different units. A lot of them are already taken, though.

[jianai]

Don't worry Kei, I'd never take a unit that is already used by someone else.

They use it much better than I would anyway, I am sure.

[majestic_keiki]

I was just trying to explain about them. And be careful looking too closely, some of these units are classified.

[jianai]

Thanks for being thoughtful. I'll ask before I start peeking into cockpits and such.

So... do you have any suggestions, Kei?

[majestic_keiki]

I'm not sure...There are a lot and they handle very differently and I don't know what you're practiced with.

[jianai]

When I was a guard, I worked with something like this.

[Ren walks up to the feet of a genoace.]

It has some weapons I don't recognize, but I'm pretty sure it's the same mobile suit.

[majestic_keiki]

They updated the weapons recently...But maybe doing some simulator training for one of the other kinds of robots we have would be a better idea.

[jianai]

Why's that?

[majestic_keiki]

I've seen far too many genoaces destroyed to recommend anybody use them.

1

[delouser]

So you've done a lot of things in your life?

[jianai]

Quite a lot, yes. Groundskeeper, store clerk, guard, babysitter, construction worker, farmer, guide... these are just a few of my professions.

Well, most of them did not last very long. I used to move around a lot, you see.

[delouser]

You could do those with horns on your head?

[jianai]

Not easily, I admit. Hats were a help. I also wore my hair tied around them.

And of course, sometimes the situation was so bad and people so desperate, that they did not care about getting help from someone with horns.

2

[ugyuuya]

We've been lucky in that our results have merited increased funding and that we found several units over the course of our missions. I'd say a Huckebein or Gespenst are pretty standard picks.

[Yuuya approaches from behind Ren and nods as she turns towards him.]

I'm Yuuya Bridges, you've spoken with VG and Stella and made an interesting impression. I thought I'd introduce myself more personally and thank you for checking on VG so quickly.

[jianai]

I'm glad we could meet in person, Yuuya. I'm Ren Ubuntu, but you knew that already, right?

VG's robot was shot down while defending me from my kin. I felt... responsible. I'm just relieved that nothing serious happened to him. I knew he wasn't dead - I was so relieved, but I had to make sure he was not seriously injured either.

By Huckebein, you mean those brown units?

[Ren points at one of the mass produced Real Troopers.]

Didn't the ESUN pilot from before pilot something like this?

[ugyuuya]

I'm assuming that knowing he wasn't dead is tied in with those special powers you've spoken about. Thankfully TSFs are designed with pilot safety in mind due to the high impact of piloting. The pilot suit and connections to the control unit make crashes dangerous but not nearly as dangerous as they could be.

Yes the ESUN pilot was using a Huckebein, they are considered a good all around unit which may be a little lower on general specs but makes up for it with general ease of handling and the potential to diversify the load-out more than some other mechs are capable of.

[jianai]

That sounds rather good, doesn't it? Sorry, I really am no expert in mobile suit business, I only know that genoaces are really basic... well, I know that now, that is.

As for my powers, as soon as I saw that TSF crashing down, I tried to save the pilot's life. It didn't work, so I knew that he was not endangered.

2

[caressthedarkness]

[Seta is taking one look at Ren and one look at a unit - she repeats this for as many as there are in the hangar.]

...This is difficult.

[It seems she's also paying more attention to those horns in this case.]

[jianai]

It is not a decision to be made lightly, I agree.

Why are you glancing so much at me, Seta?

[caressthedarkness]

...Horns.

You should pilot something that matches you...so it should have horns.

[jianai]

That's an interesting way to look at it.

But are there even such units? I thought military designers valued utility over aesthetics.

[caressthedarkness]

'One should always strive to maintain an appearance that matches their elegance in battle.'

This is what I was taught.

[And she believes it, too.]

So...there must be one somewhere.

[jianai]

I see. For me, appearance is just a matter of personal preference. But I know that it's more than that for many people.

So, does that mean your own robot follows these rules?

[Ren turns their head curiously, looking for a lithe and flat-chested unit in the hangar.]

[caressthedarkness]

Um...it is white in color...

But...it is not here like the others.

[jianai]

No?

Where is it, then? It's not hidden in a secret underground base, is it?