The medical bay of the White Ark smelled of antiseptic and the faint, ozone-heavy scent of recharging capacitors from the nearby hangar. A few hours after the harrowing journey into her mind, the Federation doctors—now part of the Neo-Verdia Alliance—had finished their final rounds.
"Physically, she's a miracle," the lead medic whispered to Maki. "Vitals are stable, neural pathways are re-knitting. But the psychological scarring... that's a different story."
Agnes sat propped up against the pillows, her eyes tracing the rhythmic pulse of the heart monitor. She looked small. Without the orange pilot suit and the cold, arrogant sneer of the Saturnian Princess, she was just a seventeen-year-old girl who had been hollowed out by three years of systematic brainwashing.
"Agnes?" Maki's voice was soft as she sat on the edge of the bed. "You've been staring at that wall for twenty minutes. Want to try something else?"
Agnes turned her head slowly, her voice a mere ghost of a sound. "I don't know... what I'm supposed to do. My father... he told me every breath I took was for the throne. If I'm not his pilot, then... who am I? Am I even real?"
Maki felt a pang of protectiveness. She reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of well-worn paperbacks and vibrant comic books. "When I get stressed or feel like the world is too loud, I read these. This one is about a girl who travels through time, and this comic is just... really dumb humor. It helps."
Maki spent the next hour talking, not about war or Gundams, but about the mundane things—the best ramen shop in Neo-Verdia, the annoying way Zaki snores when he's tired, and the latest pop trends. For the first time, Agnes didn't look like a prisoner. She looked curious.
Outside in the hallway, Zaki and Aurora stood by the reinforced glass window, watching them.
"She's lucky Maki is her first 'real' contact," Zaki said, leaning his back against the wall. "If it were anyone else, she'd probably still be catatonic."
Aurora nodded, her eyes distant. "The Kings use people like batteries, Zaki. Agnes was just the first one we saw up close. There are others out there, puppets dancing on wires made of neural filaments. We're fighting a system that views human souls as spare parts."
"I know," Zaki muttered, checking the charge levels on his pilot watch. "And I know they aren't going to let her stay here quietly."
As if the universe were answering his grim prediction, the lights in the hallway suddenly flickered and turned a harsh, strobing crimson.
BEE-BEE-BEE-BEE!
"ALERT. BATTLE STATIONS LEVEL 1. UNIDENTIFIED FLEET DETECTED IN NEO-VERDIA AIRSPACE. ALL PILOTS TO HANGAR IMMEDIATELY."
The mechanical roar of the alarm shook the floor. Inside the room, Agnes gasped, her eyes flying wide with terror. She lunged forward, grabbing Maki's wrist with a grip that was surprisingly strong.
"Don't go!" Agnes pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please... don't leave me. They're coming for me, aren't they? He's coming to take me back!"
Maki looked at the door, then back at the trembling girl. The "White Bird" pilot in her wanted to run to the cockpit, but the friend in her couldn't move. She saw the sheer trauma in Agnes's eyes—the fear of the dark room and the needles.
"I'm staying," Maki shouted over the alarm. She turned to the intercom. "Zaki! Aurora! Go! I can't leave her like this. She's having a panic attack!"
Zaki gripped his hair in frustration. "Maki! We need the twin-sync for the White Gundam!"
"I said I'm staying, Zaki! Trust me!"
Zaki and Aurora sprinted toward the Command Center, where Klaus and Airi were already staring at the main tactical holomap. A fleet was descending through the clouds—not the orange of Saturn, but the regal gold and deep black of the Jupiter Colony.
At the head of the formation were two sleek, menacing machines: the Nova Alpha, a beast of black and matte-grey armor, and the Nova Beta, a striking unit of pale orange and white.
"It's the Solva siblings," Airi whispered, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "Prince William and Princess Olive. Jupiter's finest."
A massive holographic projection flickered to life in the center of the base, intercepting a wide-range broadcast from the lead Gundam. The image showed a young man with ruffled brown hair and eyes that looked far too weary for his age.
"This is Prince William Solva of the Jupiter Union," the voice echoed through the White Ark. "We are not here for a massacre. We are here for the Princess of Saturn. Return her to us, and we shall depart. However..."
William paused, his Nova Alpha raising a massive beam halberd.
"I have heard much of the 'White Ghost' and the legendary 'Grai Gundam.' If you wish to keep her, then prove your worth. I challenge you to an honorable duel. Two on two. No interference. If we win, the Princess returns to the colonies. If you win... we leave, and I will personally ensure Jupiter's neutrality for the coming month."
"It's a trap," Augustina hissed, slamming her fist onto the console. "Klaus, don't listen to him. Let's launch the Pioneer units and the Lavender. We can swarm them before they settle!"
Tasya nodded, her hand on her holster. "They're just trying to lure us out so their Bishop units can snipe us with those shotguns. Look at their formation!"
Airis, standing by the main computer, tilted her head. "Calculations complete. Sensors detect no hidden energy signatures or cloaked units within a ten-kilometer radius. Prince William's power output is steady. Biometric analysis suggests... he is being sincere. He truly desires a trial of strength."
Zaki's phone vibrated. It was a text from Maki.
Zaki, I can't leave her. She's shaking. If I go, she'll break. You have to do this without me. I'm sorry.
Zaki looked at the screen, then at Aurora. The White Gundam was a two-seater for a reason; the mental load of the Eagle-system was too much for one person.
"I'll do it," Aurora said, stepping forward. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were burning with a purple light. "I'm a Mind Space specialist. I can bridge the gap Maki left. I won't be as good as her at the physical maneuvers, but I can help you read their movements before they even make them."
Klaus turned to his son. "Zaki, it's your call. This is a duel of honor. If we lose, we lose Agnes—and likely our pride. But if we win, we gain a massive tactical advantage."
Zaki looked at the monitor, at the Nova Alpha standing tall in the sky. He thought about Agnes crying in the medical bay and Maki's determination to stay by her side. He thought about his father, who had lived as a ghost for fifteen years.
"We accept," Zaki said, his voice dropping into a low, serious register. "Dad, you take the Nova Beta. Aurora and I will handle the Prince."
Klaus smirked, a rare, genuine glint of battle-hunger in his eyes. "Right. Let's show these 'Royals' that the Earth hasn't forgotten how to bite. Prepare the Grai Gundam Spec 2 for launch!"
The hangar doors of the White Ark slid open, groaning under the weight of the massive machines.
First came the Grai Gundam Spec 2. It was a titan of charcoal grey and silver, its frame reinforced with the new lunar titanium supplied by Neo-Verdia. It carried a massive Buster Rifle on its back and a heavy-duty shield. It looked like a dark knight, reclaimed from the scrapheap and polished to a lethal shine.
Then, the White Gundam Eagle stepped onto the catapult. With Maki absent, the second seat was occupied by Aurora. She wore a simple white pilot suit, her long hair flowing behind her.
"System link, active," Airis's voice rang through the cockpit. "Zaki, Aurora... synchronization levels are at 99%. It's not the 100% you have with Maki, but it's stable."
"It'll have to be enough," Zaki said, gripping the controls. "Aurora, stay with me."
"I'm already in your mind, Zaki," Aurora whispered, her eyes glowing. "I see what you see."
THWISH—BOOM!
The two Gundams launched into the morning sky, soaring over the skyscrapers of Neo-Verdia toward the wasteland where the Jupiter fleet waited.
The Nova Alpha and Nova Beta were hovering, their capes made of thermal-energy film fluttering in the wind. Behind them, several Pioneer and Bishop units stood in a ceremonial line, their weapons lowered in a sign of temporary truce.
William Solva watched the two machines approach. "So, the Ghost and the Creator finally show their faces. I am honored."
"Save the flattery for after the fight, Prince!" Klaus's voice boomed over the open channel. "You want a duel? You've got one. But don't think for a second that we'll go easy on you just because you've got a fancy title."
"I would expect nothing less," William replied. He shifted his Nova Alpha into a combat stance, the beam saber humming with purple energy and funnel unit from it one left wing. Beside him, Olive Solva in the Nova Beta ignited her twin beam sabers and funnel unit from it one right wing.
The air grew heavy with tension. Below, the citizens of Neo-Verdia watched through the news helicopters, their breaths caught in their throats. It was a scene straight out of an epic poem: the Kings of the sky versus the Guardians of the earth.
Back in the medical bay, Maki sat by Agnes, both of them watching the live feed on a small monitor. Agnes's hand gripped Maki's so hard the skin turned white.
"William..." Agnes whispered, her eyes fixed on the black Gundam. "Why did you come? Is it for me... or for him?"
Maki squeezed back. "We're going to find out. Just watch, Agnes. Watch how free you can really be."
High above, Zaki slammed the throttle forward. The White Gundam's emerald eyes flared.
"Aurora, now!"
"Targeting heartbeats... reading intent... Move left, Zaki!"
The duel that would decide the fate of a Princess—and the soul of a city—had finally begun.
To be continued...