Night fell smoothly over Neo-Verdia, casting a quiet blanket over the city after the wild energy of the summer festival. Inside the primary engineering dock of the White Ark, however, the work had not stopped for a single second. The smell of hot solder, ozone, and fresh paint filled the humid night air.
Klaus and Airi, alongside their tired but dedicated pit crew, wiped the grease from their hands as the final hydraulic clamps disengaged from the central maintenance rig.
Standing tall in the center of the bay was the newly completed Grai Gundam Spec 2.
The machine was a masterwork of aggressive engineering. Gone was the battle-scarred, uncalibrated prototype from days prior. The entire chassis had been restored and freshly painted in a striking command scheme: a clean white base, dark slate-gray torso, pristine white v-fin horns, a sharp red chin and forehead plate, and glowing, emerald-green optical eyes that burned brightly in the hangar lights.
It was built like an absolute fortress. In its right hand, it held a custom high-output Beam Rifle engineered specifically to draw directly from the Gundam's upgraded internal reactor. Attached to its left forearm was an elongated, aerodynamic high-density shield designed to deflect heavy orbital bombardments. Mounted on the right side of its backpack was a devastating multi-barrel Beam Gatling Gun, balanced by an external high-capacity power cell tank mounted on the left. Heavy composite shoulder armor with integrated vernier thrusters had been installed for pitch stability, supplemented by dual emergency micro-beam guns built into the forearm gauntlets. Finally, heavy lower-leg thruster pods had been bolted on to give the machine unprecedented ground-sliding speed and quick-dash mobility.
Klaus stared up at the massive white giant, wiping his brow with an old rag. "She's solid, Airi. No response delays, no reactor spiking. She's fully ready to crush those corrupt Colonial and Federation fleets whenever they show their faces."
Airi gave a soft smile, adjusting her glasses. "You did wonderful, Klaus. Now all she needs is a pilot brave enough to push her."
Just then, the heavy pneumatic doors at the entrance of the hangar slid open with a soft hiss.
Zaki, Maki, Aurora, Airis, Agnes, Gills, and Tasya walked into the bay, still partially dressed in their academy uniforms after finishing their cleanup duty from the school festival. The moment they stepped onto the elevated catwalk and caught sight of the finished Grai Gundam Spec 2, every single one of them stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with genuine awe.
"Whoa..." Gills breathed out, leaning over the handrail. "That thing looks like an absolute demon..."
"It's incredible," Tasya added, clapping her hands together. "Uncle Klaus and Aunt Airi really outdid themselves this time!"
Before anyone could say another word, the sound of fast, barefoot pitter-patter echoed frantically from the nearby pilot changing room.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
"Zaki!"
A black-and-blue blur shot out from the doorway. It was Feres wearing nothing but a simple black sleeveless tank top, long blue jeans, and her tactical goggles dangling casually around her neck. Ignoring her new cybernetic arm entirely, she launched herself into the air and leaped straight onto Zaki's back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck from behind with a radiant, radiant smile on her face.
"You're finally back, Zaki!" she cheered softly, her cheek pressing right against the side of his head.
Zaki completely froze. His entire face flushed bright crimson, his shoulders stiffening as he stared straight ahead, absolutely terrified to turn his head or move a muscle. Even though Feres was safe and her new robotic arm was working great, the crushing weight of his own lingering guilt over her injury still made him shy and intensely self-conscious around her.
"F-Feres! Hey, slow down! You're gonna knock us both over!" Zaki stammered out, his voice cracking as he awkwardly tried to support her weight without touching anything he shouldn't.
Standing nearby, Augustina stepped out of the locker room, dressed in her relaxed off-duty civilian clothes a loose jacket and dark trousers. She took a sip from a warm can of coffee, watching the chaotic scene with a calm, neutral gaze. "Welcome back, kids."
Hearing her voice, Zaki's flustered expression faded. He gently helped Feres slide down to her feet before turning around to face Augustina directly. He bowed his head low, his eyes fixed on the metal floor grating.
"Captain Augustina..." Zaki said, his voice dropping into a somber, deadly serious tone. "I... I want to sincerely apologize again. Because of my hesitation and my poor tactical positioning during the canyon fight, Feres had to throw herself into the line of fire. I failed as your vanguard, and I almost got her killed. I'm so sorry."
The entire hangar went quiet. Feres's smile dropped, her eyes widening as she looked between Zaki and her sister.
Augustina stared down at the top of Zaki's messy hair for three long seconds. She let out a long, heavy, exasperated sigh.
Clack.
She dropped her coffee can onto a nearby crate. Then, without a single word of warning, Augustina reeled her right fist back and slammed it straight into Zaki's cheek with a brutal, heavy CRACK!
"Zaki!" Aurora screamed out in panic.
The sheer force of the punch sent Zaki spinning, crashing heavily onto his side against the cold metal floor of the catwalk. He lay there for a second, coughing slightly, his hand instinctively coming up to clutch his throbbing, reddened jaw.
Feres instantly flew into a rage. "Sis! What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted, stepping in front of Zaki and glaring up at her older sister with her fists clenched. "Why did you punch him?! He didn't do anything wrong! I made the choice to jump in front of that attack!"
"Step aside, Feres," Augustina commanded coldly. Her eyes weren't angry, though. As Feres looked closely into her sister's face, she saw something rare a deep, painful layer of quiet sorrow lurking beneath Augustina's tough exterior.
Augustina looked down at Zaki, pointing a sharp finger at him. "Get up, Zaki."
Zaki slowly pushed himself up, rubbing his jaw as he looked up at his captain.
"Don't you ever hang your head down in front of me again," Augustina growled, her voice trembling slightly with raw emotion. "I don't respect weak, pathetic men who drown themselves in guilt over past mistakes. You think you're the only one who messed up out there? I was the commander on the field! If I had cleared my sector faster, if I had eliminated Dr. Lena's vanguard sooner, I would have been there to back you, Maki, Airis, and Feres up! I failed to protect my own squad! So if anyone is to blame for Feres losing her arm, it's me!"
Zaki blinked, the stinging pain in his jaw completely forgotten as he processed her words.
Augustina took a deep breath, extending her gloved right hand down toward Zaki. A rare, genuine, albeit slightly cocky smirk broke across her face. "So stop apologizing like a child. We survived. Feres is alive. We learn from it, we adapt, and we make sure the enemy pays ten times over next time. Are we clear, pilot?"
Zaki stared at her extended hand for a brief moment. A weight he hadn't realized he was carrying suddenly lifted off his chest. A confident, determined smile finally returned to his face. He grabbed Augustina's hand firmly, letting her pull him right back up to his feet.
"Clear, Captain," Zaki nodded firmly.
Standing up on the upper observation gantry near the nose of the Grai Gundam, Klaus and Airi watched the entire interaction unfold. They couldn't help but smile warmly at each other.
"They've got good people around them, don't they, Klaus?" Airi whispered softly, resting her hand on her husband's arm.
"Yeah," Klaus chuckled, his deep voice filled with pride. "They're not fighting alone anymore."
Salia, dressed in her formal military uniform, walked up the gantry steps, stopping beside the married couple. She folded her arms across her chest, watching Zaki and Maki laugh with their friends down below. "Your twins really are something else, Airi. To be honest... they've already surpassed me as pilots. Their instincts under pressure are terrifyingly sharp."
Airi turned her head, looking at Salia with deep, genuine affection. She reached out, gently placing her hands over her old friend's hands. "Salia... as my dearest friend, I have one request. If anything ever happens to Klaus and me in this war... please, watch over them. Guide them and keep them safe. You have a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone I know, and I trust you with their lives."
Salia looked into Airi's soft, pleading eyes. Her stoic expression softened. She stood up straight, bringing her right hand up to her forehead in a crisp, formal, and deeply emotional military salute. "I give you my word, Airi. On my pride as a commander, I will protect those kids with my life."
The warm, peaceful atmosphere in the hangar felt like a rare blessing. But in their world, peace was always a fragile, fleeting thing.
BZZZZZZT—!
Suddenly, the ambient light in the hangar flickered wildly.
"Agh—!"
Aurora, Maki, Tasya, and Agnes all clutched their heads simultaneously, letting out sharp gasps of agony. A violent, static-filled wave of electromagnetic resonance ripped through their minds. Their hidden Mind Space Communication abilities their telepathic spatial awareness had just been forcibly triggered by an overwhelming, hostile signal.
"Maki! Aurora!" Zaki yelled out, immediately rushing to support Aurora as she stumbled against the railing. "What's wrong?!"
"A... a presence..." Maki gasped out, her teeth gritted as sweat beaded on her forehead. "It's... it's right on top of our network!"
ALARM! ALARM! UNAUTHORIZED SIGNAL OVERRIDE IN SYSTEM MAINFRAME!
Red emergency lights flashed across the entire hangar. Down on the primary command deck, the massive central monitor screen suddenly glitched out into static before resolving into a crystal-clear, high-definition video feed.
Everyone's eyes locked onto the screen, and the air instantly sucked out of the room.
Sitting inside a dark, claustrophobic, crimson-lit cockpit was a face that was horrifyingly familiar. It was Ichi, the mysterious, pale girl with long, snow-white hair whose face was an exact, identical carbon copy of Maki Kimeza. She was wearing a sleek, dark pilot suit, her cold, lifeless red eyes staring directly through the camera lens as if looking straight into their souls.
She was sitting inside the cockpit of the ominous Black Gundam.
"White Ghost..." Ichi's voice echoed through the hangar speakers, cold, flat, and entirely devoid of human emotion. "I know you can hear me. The time for games is over."
Zaki and Maki stepped forward toward the screen, their expressions turning deadly serious. "Ichi..." Maki whispered, her fists trembling.
Ichi tilted her head slightly, her grey eyes locking onto the twins. "If you want answers... if you want to understand why I exist, and why my machine carries your face... come alone. An abandoned industrial city in the central sector of Germany. Coordinates are being transmitted now. Bring the White Gundam. No fleet support. No extra units."
The screen flickered violently once more. "If you fail to show up... or if you bring an army... I will drop a high-yield tactical warhead directly onto Neo-Verdia. You have three hours."
BZZZZZZT!
The video feed snapped off, leaving the hangar in dead, suffocating silence.
Airis's eyes flashed blue as she rapidly processed the incoming data transmission. "Signal origin verified. The coordinates lead to the ruins of Sector 4 Industrial Complex in Germany. Atmospheric conditions there are clear, but local terrain is heavily obstructed by abandoned infrastructure."
Zaki's face hardened. He turned toward his sister also Airis and nodded. "We're taking the White Gundam. Airis, power up the main thrusters."
"Hold your horses, kid!" Augustina shouted, stepping into his path with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed. "Are you out of your mind?! That is the most obvious, textbook ambush I've ever seen! She's luring you into isolated territory so the Colonial forces can surround you and wipe you out without the White Ark giving you fire support!"
Zaki and Maki looked at each other. Then, slowly, both of them broke into matching, confident grins.
"We know it's a trap, Captain," Zaki said, his eyes burning with an unshakeable resolve.
Maki stepped up beside her brother, smirking. "In fact, we're counting on it. Ichi thinks she's backing us into a corner. But by accepting her invitation, we force her and her hidden backing force out into the open. Once we draw their main unit out, the rest of the crew can spring a counter-ambush from behind and take them down together."
Augustina stared at the twins for a long moment. She blinked, caught completely off-guard by their absolute confidence and sharp tactical instinct. Then, she threw her head back and let out a boisterous, booming laugh that echoed off the high steel ceilings.
"Ha! Well, look at you two!" Augustina laughed, slapping Zaki hard on the shoulder. "Now that's the kind of crazy, fearless attitude I like to see from my pilots! You finally got your fire back, kid!"
Klaus walked over to the edge of the gantry, looking down at his son and daughter with an approving smile. "It's a solid plan. We'll deploy the White Ark under stealth mode and stay five kilometers back. The second things go south, we provide full artillery coverage."
Zaki and Maki turned toward the rest of the team Aurora, Feres, Tasya, Agnes, Gills, Feres, Salia and his parents. "Everyone, get your gear ready. This isn't just another defensive skirmish. We're going to end this Black Gundam nightmare once and for all."
"Right!" the crew shouted in unison.
With their hearts locked in absolute unity, the crew of the White Ark mobilized into action. The ultimate showdown between White and Black was about to begin in the ghost town of Germany.
To be continued in Part 2...