The shuttle's descent shook the hull as it pierced through the thin veil of lunar atmosphere. Outside, the vast gray plains of the moon stretched endlessly, interrupted only by the sprawling silhouette of Granada. The Zeon fortress city was alive with lights and activity, its domes glowing faintly against the harsh void. Beneath those domes, soldiers and workers moved with the urgency of a nation preparing for war.
Inside the shuttle, the atmosphere was tense. Jason Arkadi adjusted the strap of his tool belt and glanced out the viewport. For him, Granada was supposed to be just another stop—another base where mechanics like him were shuffled around to lend their expertise. Yet he knew better. Every step deeper into Zeon's war machine carried consequences that were far larger than his official assignment.
Char Aznable sat across from him, composed as always. His helmet reflected the dim cabin lights, hiding his expression, but his body language radiated calm assurance. The Red Comet carried himself like a man always in control, but Jason had learned enough to recognize there were layers beneath that polished surface.
Between them sat Griveous, towering and silent. His frame was human, but there was something unnatural in the way he moved, something mechanical in rhythm. He did not fidget, did not shift, did not breathe in ways that felt ordinary. He simply sat, his gaze fixed forward, and that was enough to make the air heavier than it should have been.
The shuttle jolted as landing thrusters roared to life. Dust and debris scattered across the pad, and then came the hiss of pressure equalizing. With a metallic groan, the ramp lowered.
The three disembarked, boots striking the steel deck. Zeon soldiers saluted as Char passed, their eyes flicking nervously toward Griveous before snapping back to their duties. Jason caught those looks, knowing he wasn't the only one unsettled by their companion.
Granada's interior was a fortress of steel and reinforced glass. Corridors stretched long and wide, filled with officers, mechanics, and scientists rushing between stations. Announcements echoed through loudspeakers, orders shouted over the clamor. War was in the air, thick and undeniable.
Char walked with confidence, his cape brushing lightly behind him. Jason kept pace, his eyes darting to every detail of the massive lunar base. Griveous moved without hesitation, each step measured, his broad shoulders making soldiers instinctively step aside.
As they entered the heart of the command complex, the weight of Zeon's war machine pressed in. The walls themselves seemed to hum with energy, a reminder of how many lives and how much power were concentrated here.
At the end of the corridor, a set of heavy doors parted, revealing Dozle Zabi's chamber. The massive man himself rose from his seat, his grin broad and his presence larger than life. His laughter rolled like thunder as he slammed a hand onto the table.
"Char Aznable, Jason Arkadi, and you," Dozle said, his eyes landing on Griveous. "Our newest… creation. You've arrived just as I wanted. The Federation grows bold, but Zeon does not falter."
Char bowed slightly, his voice calm. "General. We are ready to serve."
Jason said nothing, standing respectfully behind the two, his role more observer than participant in this moment.
Dozle's eyes lingered on Griveous. "They say you are a weapon made flesh, forged to tear apart the lies of Newtypes. I want to see that strength with my own eyes."
Griveous inclined his head, his tone cold and direct. "Point me at your enemies, and they will fall. That is enough."
Char's jaw tightened beneath his mask. The words echoed wrong, carried a weight that set his instincts on edge. He shifted slightly, unconsciously stepping farther from Griveous, as though his very presence demanded distance.
Jason caught it immediately. Char was careful, always precise with how he carried himself, but this wasn't strategy. It was instinct.
High above, hidden in the shadowed gallery of the chamber, two figures observed silently. Kycillia's agents leaned close, their eyes sharp as they studied the scene below.
"Did you see that?" one whispered.
"Yes," the other replied softly. "Aznable keeps away from the subject. No one else does. He senses something."
"Could he be…?"
The reply was a silent nod. A coded message was prepared immediately. Within minutes, it would be transmitted securely to Kycillia Zabi herself.
Below, Jason forced his expression to remain neutral. His reason for being here was clear enough on paper: a mechanic sent forward to support the machines of the frontline. But inside, he knew his position was far more delicate. Watching Zeon's secrets unfold firsthand meant he carried knowledge dangerous for any man.
Dozle motioned impatiently, his booming voice cutting across the room. "Bring them the scientists. Let them see what we've been building."
The chamber's side doors opened, and a group of men in lab coats entered hurriedly, clutching datapads and speaking in clipped tones. Their leader bowed low before Dozle, his excitement barely contained.
"General, the preparations are complete. If you would allow, we will show them now."
Dozle gestured grandly. "Then let us waste no more time. To the hangar."
The group moved quickly, led by the scientists through the fortress's inner corridors. Jason's boots echoed on the floor as his mind spun with possibilities. Char walked in silence, ever composed, though Jason noticed his pace subtly quickened whenever the distance between him and Griveous grew too small.
Griveous himself strode ahead, his face unreadable, but there was a hunger in the way he carried himself. He did not look at the soldiers they passed or the machines lined along the bays. His attention was fixed forward, as though he already knew what awaited.
At last, the final blast doors rumbled open, metal grinding against metal. The floodlights inside burst to life, illuminating the vast hangar.
The air seemed to still.
There it stood, towering under the lights—the Gelgoog Psychommu Type. Its frame was sleek yet imposing, conduits running along its armor like veins of power. The silhouette carried the strength of Zeon's engineering, but its aura was something more.
Jason's breath caught. This was no ordinary machine. This was the next step, a mobile suit meant to rival the Gundam itself, a weapon not yet meant for the public eye.
Char's eyes narrowed behind his visor. A rival to the Federation's white devil. A machine powerful enough to shape the war.
Griveous's lips curled faintly into something between a smirk and a grimace. His eyes locked on the machine as though it had already chosen him.
The scientists began to explain, their voices full of pride, but their words were drowned out by the sheer weight of the moment.
For Jason Arkadi, the sight was terrifying. For Char Aznable, it was unsettling. For Griveous, it was destiny.
And from the shadows above, Kycillia's agents slipped quietly away, carrying their report that would shift the Zabi family's perception of both Char and their so-called predator.
The Gelgoog Psychommu Type loomed in silence, waiting.