Three days had passed since Tasya Lowe, Maki Kimeza's best friend, was secretly whisked away from her school. Now, on the surface of Earth, Neo-Verdia City—the fortress of luxury and the central government hub for the Colonian Mars Council on Earth—was a forced illusion of peace. This city stood as the ultimate symbol of Colonian domination, a place where Martian citizens enjoyed extravagant facilities and lived under the full, watchful supervision of the Council of Kings.
Zaki and Maki Kimeza, accompanied by Aurora, were deep inside the city on a disguise mission to gather information. They decided to take a short, much-needed break by heading to the Neo-Verdia Open Mall, a futuristic shopping center explicitly designed to cater to the elite Colonian palate.
"I feel weird," Maki muttered, adjusting her scarf to better resemble a Colonian resident. "We are at the heart of the enemy's power, and we're just looking for the best bubble tea. Is this what they consider 'normal'?"
Zaki nodded. "This is exactly what they consider normal, Maki. This city is an illusion. This is what we are fighting against." Aurora looped her arm through Maki's. "Just enjoy the respite."
Just as they were about to enter the shopping center's gates, their steps faltered. Standing in front of a luxurious ice cream parlor was a figure they knew well: Gills Treyman, the Student Council President at their school and the son of the Colonian Prime Minister, accompanied by a younger teenage girl, Anette, his little sister.
Gills offered a strained smile upon seeing Zaki and Maki. "Zaki? Maki? Aurora? I didn't expect to see you here. I'm just taking Anette out for a quick trip. She just arrived from Mars for a short holiday in Neo-Verdia."
Anette, possessing a burst of raw energy, immediately rushed toward Maki. "You're Maki Kimeza! Big brother Gills talks about you all the time. You guys are famous at school! You're so cool!"
Maki, usually reserved, blushed slightly at the genuine compliment. "Ah, hello, Anette. Nice to meet you."
After strolling past several glittering shops, Gills seized an opportunity to approach Zaki privately.
"Zaki, I need to talk to you, seriously," Gills said, his tone suddenly heavy and intense.
"Sure, Student Council President. What is it?" Zaki asked, wary of the sudden shift.
Gills took a deep breath, his eyes glancing toward Maki with profound concern. "It's about your group, about the resistance. I... I want to join."
Zaki frowned immediately. "You know that's impossible, Gills. You are the son of the Colonian Prime Minister. Your presence would be too great a security risk for us."
Gills looked up, his eyes radiating a painful honesty. "I know, I'm an outsider. But Zaki, please hear me out! I was raised on Mars, surrounded by the arrogance of the Council of Kings. I see how they dominate everything. I can't just stand by and enjoy all the luxury amenities in this city while the people I care about—people like you and... and especially Maki—are risking their lives in old Mobile Suits against that elite golden Gundam. It's wrong, Zaki! I know the Colonies are corrupt! I want to do something right for the first time in my life, even if it means betraying my own father!"
The words struck Zaki hard. He saw absolute sincerity in Gills's eyes.
"Gills... I appreciate that. But this isn't a game. If you are caught, you'll be branded a traitor and your family will bear the consequences," Zaki warned him sternly.
"I know the risks! I'm not asking for a Mobile Suit cockpit. I'm asking for anything! Information, logistics, anything I can do behind the scenes. I just want to help Maki and all of you," Gills pleaded desperately. "I can't stand idly by anymore. I will be your spy in this Colonian City."
Zaki began to seriously consider the proposal, but their conversation was sharply interrupted.
BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP!
Zaki's communication watch blared a piercing emergency alarm. Simultaneously, Maki's watch vibrated violently.
"Something is happening," Maki stated, her eyes locking onto Zaki's. "High-level Mobile Suit energy output detected just outside the city."
Zaki nodded grimly. "I feel it too. We have to leave. Now!"
"Go where? What's going on, Zaki?" Gills asked, his face pale with alarm.
"This is none of your business, Gills! Look after your sister!" Zaki commanded, pulling Maki away abruptly from the promenade.
Gills didn't budge. "No! I won't stand still! I want to see what's happening! I won't let you go alone!"
Aurora looked at Gills for a moment, her tactical mind working rapidly. "Enough! Zaki, we need cover, and we need Gills. Gills, shut up and follow us! Anette, hold your brother's hand and stay silent!" Aurora commanded, her voice sharp and decisive.
And so, the five teenagers—two rebels, one ally, and two Colonian elites—ran through the suddenly panicking Colonian crowd.
"Where should we go, Zaki?" Maki asked, keeping pace.
"The old Logistics Factory! It's the closest reliable site. We'll call AIRIS there!" Zaki pointed toward the outskirts of Neo-Verdia City.
They reached the back fence of the Neo-Verdia Logistics Factory, slipped through a gap, and hurried up to a small, dusty control room on the second floor.
In the sky, battle had erupted. Two unfamiliar Mobile Suits—the QUEEN (white-purple) and the TORTOISE Gundam (white-blue)—were locked in a fierce, chaotic fight against the Royalty Gundam (gold-black), piloted by the ruthless Felisio Nova.
Inside the TORTOISE Gundam cockpit, Dr. Lena's brow furrowed in intense worry. Her unit shuddered violently from near-misses. In the QUEEN Unit's cockpit, Tasya Lowe was displaying exceptional, almost impossible reflexes.
"Mom! He's too fast! Those Knife Funnels are like angry flies! I can't lock onto his core target!" Tasya shouted over the internal comm link.
"Hold position, Tasya! Don't be baited into attacking! We must conserve energy for defense! Remember, your Neural Link is working extremely hard, don't overexert it!" Dr. Lena shot back, her voice thick with maternal fear.
"But, Mom! If we only defend, we'll be destroyed! Let me try the Triple-Boost maneuver! I can break through his formation and reach him!" Tasya urged, her adrenaline spiking.
"No! I said no! That is too dangerous! That Neural Link system is already a risk! If you force a triple-boost, the energy feedback could cripple you!" Lena screamed, her scientific and motherly instincts battling for control.
"I'm fine, Mom! I can handle this!" Tasya retorted, pushing her limits. "I will prove this Neural Link is safe!"
Felisio Nova sneered from the Royalty cockpit. "A mother and daughter spat? Barbarians!" He shot forward, activating his Golden Iron Sword, aiming directly for the slower TORTOISE.
"Lena! Fall back! Felisio is targeting the Tortoise!" Tasya yelled.
Lena attempted to evade, but the TORTOISE was too sluggish. Suddenly, Tasya made a daring, instantaneous decision. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I have to! Triple-Boost active!"
The QUEEN Unit unleashed three consecutive energy thruster bursts, propelling it forward at insane speed. It sliced through the Knife Funnel formation, firing a volley of mini-missiles at the Royalty Gundam's back, completely disrupting Felisio's momentum. His Golden Sword narrowly missed the TORTOISE. Tasya felt a sharp feedback—a brief, stabbing pain in her temple—but she had succeeded.
"What?! What kind of interference is this?!" Felisio screamed, utterly shocked by the unexpected speed.
Lena, having just narrowly escaped death, gasped. "Tasya, you're insane! Return! You must return immediately!"
In the Logistics Factory control room, Zaki and Maki finished their setup.
"AIRIS! We need you! Immediately!" Zaki commanded into the comm unit.
"AIRIS is listening, Zaki."
"Neo-Verdia Logistics Factory! We need the White Gundam here now! Full landing mode, maximum camouflage! Execute now!"
"Processing. White Bird will arrive at the designated location in 3 minutes. Preparing Optical Camouflage," AIRIS's calm voice responded.
They waited, accompanied by the sounds of distant explosions outside.
"Zaki... I don't know what you're doing, but I... I hope you know what you're doing," Gills whispered, his eyes wide with terror and wonder.
"I do, Gills," Zaki replied, his gaze fixed on the battlefield monitor. "I have to stop this before Neo-Verdia is destroyed. Aurora, keep Gills and Anette safe. Gills, stay quiet and watch."
A low whoosh sound signaled the colossal Mobile Suit had carefully landed in the factory yard, shrouded in light distortion.
"Maki, we have to be fast. Aurora, Gills, Anette, you stay here! Do not go outside until we return!" Zaki commanded.
Zaki and Maki ran down the stairs toward their Mobile Suit.
They entered the cockpit. Maki quickly powered up the systems. "All Mobile Suit systems ready, Zaki. Release camouflage?"
Zaki nodded, his hands gripping the control levers. "AIRIS, release camouflage! Full power to Boosters! We are going to stop this foolish battle!"
In an instant, the optical distortion around the White Gundam vanished. The bright white light of the Mobile Suit suddenly revealed itself. Zaki slammed the levers forward. The White Gundam's thrusters roared to life, launching it upward, tearing through the factory roof.
In the air, Felisio saw the movement below. "What is this now?! A white Mobile Suit! Old design, but the energy signature... It's that Mobile Suit!" Felisio screamed, his fury reaching a boiling point.
"Processing. Mobile Suits identified: ROYALTY Unit, QUEEN Unit, TORTOISE Unit. WHITE BIRD entering combat zone," AIRIS's calm voice replied over an open channel.
Dr. Lena froze in the TORTOISE cockpit. "The White Ghost?! It's... the rebel Mobile Suit."
"No way! The White Ghost in Neo-Verdia?!" Tasya gasped, her face draining of color.
Felisio Nova shrieked. "IT'S JUST THAT ANNOYING WHITE GHOST! I will crush that piece of scrap metal first!"
The Royalty Gundam turned its attention entirely toward the White Gundam. The White Gundam stood firmly between the three fighting units.
"Maki, we have to stop them! ROYALTY! QUEEN! TORTOISE! Cease fire! This city will be destroyed!" Zaki shouted over an open frequency with his voice changer activated, his pilot helmet concealing his identity.
"There he is... the White Ghost," Gills muttered, watching the legendary Mobile Suit's emergence from a distance, his eyes filled with fear, awe, and full realization of the truth.
The White Gundam, now known as White Bird, had just become the focal point of a three-way conflict over Neo-Verdia City.
To be continued....