VOTOMS Ep. 14: Assemble EX-10

Rochina and Battentain track Chirico’s location. After a temporary system failure, they’ve determined that Chirico has entered the Kingdom of Kummen. Battentain isn’t pleased by this development because Kummen is at war against the Melkian government. Rochina thinks the only thing they can do is wait, and he believes Chirico won’t stay long in Kummen because it’s too unstable. Elsewhere, Chirico and the other mercenary recruits are driven to the base Assemble EX-10. After registering, Chirico is given vaccines and takes an X-ray. Captain Kan Yu addresses the men who will be serving under him and introduces Assemble EX-10 commander Major General Gon Nu. Gon Nu tells the mercenaries that each week five percent of the troops don’t return from battle, and it’s up to them whether or not they’re part of that five percent. After the speech, a doctor informs Kan Yu that something strange came up in Chirico’s X-ray. As Chirico searches for his barracks, he runs into Gotho. Gotho is happy to see Chirico and asks him what he’s been doing since escaping from Woodo City. Gotho shows Chirico around and takes him to the AT hangar. He explains that because of all his black market connections, he is the exclusive arms dealer for Assemble EX-10. He shows Chirico the new underwater AT Diving Beetle and offers him one, but Chirico says he’d rather stick to what he’s used to. Two soldiers come to arrest Chirico, and he knocks the gun out of one and shoots it out of the other. He takes one of the soldiers hostage and goes outside where Kan Yu is waiting with several other soldiers. Gotho demands to know what’s going on, and Kan Yu says they think Chirico is a Melkian spy because they picked up a tracking beacon in his X-ray. Chirico is taken to the infirmary where the doctor uses a laser to destroy the beacon. Kan Yu then beats Chirico and demands to know everything. Gotho and Gon Nu interrupt the interrogation and order Kan Yu to stop. In Gon Nu’s office, Chirico explains everything about the mission in Lido and the people chasing him. He says it’s because he saw a PS, which Gon Nu knows is a Perfect Soldier. Kan Yu insists that Chirico is hiding something, but Gon Nu says that for now he’ll accept that Chirico isn’t a Melkian spy.

Gotho drives Chirico out of the Assemble base in a jeep and heads for the village of Niitan. Chirico says that Gon Nu seems to know a lot about Perfect Soldiers, and Gotho warns him to watch out for Kan Yu. After arriving at Niitan, Gotho takes Chirico inside the Fantom Club. Vanilla spots Chirico and is overjoyed to see him. Coconna runs down the stars and nearly trips while running over to see Chirico. Vanilla explains that he and Gotho own the club, and Chirico says he doesn’t like the name much. They sit down for a drink, and Vanilla asks Chirico if he’s after Fyana and the Society. Chirico says he came to Kummen to forget about all that, which pleases Gotho and Vanilla. Kan Yu enters the club with several soldiers and tells Vanilla he’s supposed to cut off the lights and music at nightfall. Gotho explains that they were just about to, and Kan Yu reminds him that the Veela guerilla attacks can be devastating. Just then, several explosions are set off outside. Veela guerillas launch a missile attack against Assemble EX-10. Kan Yu orders all soldiers to return to Assemble EX-10 immediately and prepare for combat. Kan Yu launches in his Diving Beetle, while Chirico chooses a Marshydog. AT Fly helicopters airlift the ATs and drop them north of Niitan where the Veela are hiding. Kan Yu orders Chirico to take point so that he can see how dangerous the Veela are. Chirico proceeds by himself and is attacked by a full squadron of Standing Tortoises. The other Assemble pilots want to help Chirico, but Kan Yu orders them to stand their ground. A group of Standing Tortoises led by a blue Snapping Turtle attack Kan Yu’s forces from behind. Chirico fights off the Standing Tortoises attacking him and returns to find his teammates under fire. He engages the Standing Tortoises and soon takes notice of the Snapping Turtle. He attacks it, but it dodges his attacks and knocks him to the ground. It tries to smash him with its rifle, but Chirico knocks it away. He then gets out of his cockpit, and the Snapping Turtle pauses for a second before smashing the Marshydog. As Chirico is knocked away in the explosion, he knows that the enemy pilot with such incredible skill has to be Fyana.