3rd person POV:

Aibella and Ryuka sat across the advanced artificial intelligence made by Nexstar industries to help run the business, Aiba.

Aiba: What kind of business do you wish to conduct?

Aibella: This.

She brings out a smart device that projects what the captain wanted from Nexstar industries.

Aiba:...

Aiba: In accordance with the Majesty's System Peace Regulations, Rule 10.

Aiba: "Independent contractors, companies and other none military organizations are not allowed to develop or advance weaponry.

Aiba: Unless granted permission, in which case all blueprints for said weapons are made public knowledge."

Aiba: Along with that, Nexstar industries doesn't give away its secrets.

Aiba: Sorry for not being able to aid you.

Aibella: Hold on, I have this.

She swipes to a different page. Revealing a pardon for said rule, allowing them to make weapons while not requiring to reveal the blueprints for said weapons, letting them keep their secrets.

Aiba: You should have simply shown this at the start.

Aibella: So how much?

Aiba:... You can't afford it.

Ryuka: What? We're government-funded. We can afford anything.

Aiba: The governments that fund you are mostly all shut off from each other, leaving you dry in the currency department.

Aiba: That leaves us in a paradoxical state, where if we give you the products and you lose the battle, we gain nothing.

Aiba: But if we do not give you the product, you will most certainly lose, and we'll gain nothing.

Ryuka: Now what?

Aibella: She's going to tell us what she wants.

Aiba: Correct. We know about the Solar Gear. In exchange for its blueprints, we shall supply you with all your needs for the fight against Crescent.

Aibella:... Sadly we don't have any useful blueprints of that Gear. And we don't have time to give it to you for study.

Aiba: I see.

Aiba:...

Aiba: Then give us a three-dimensional model of the Gear.

Aibella: A 3D model?

Aiba: With its exact dimensions.

Aibella:?

Aibella: What are you going to do with that?

Aiba: Build similar-looking gear to confuse the enemy.

Aibella: And if we give the dimensions, you'll supply us with everything we need.

Aiba: As long as you give us the pardon.

Aibella:... Against my better judgment. Agreed.

She transferred her part of the deal to Aiba.

Aiba: Thank you for your purchase.

Ryuka: How long do I have to wait for my Gear.

Aiba: If you follow me, we can do our best to custom make a Gear for you.

Aiba: The second Gear you wanted, we won't be able to create here on Mercury.

Aiba: So I've taken the liberty of forwarding the request to Mars where our more advanced factory resides.

Aibella: It will have to do.

Ryuka then followed Aiba out of the room. Before Aibella could leave, she was stopped by a holographic call which made the holographic figure of the caller.

???: Aibella Nexel...

Aibella:?

(CEO of N.I: Decardo Vonford)

Aibella: What do you want?

Decardo: I heard you were in one of my buildings. Thought I drop by, in hologram form.

Aibella:... And?

Decardo: And tell you that you're welcome back any time, simply ask.

Aibella:?

Decardo: I just thought I'd tell you that, so next time you sneak your way into this company, we can skip all the drama when we find out.

Aibella:...(sigh) I have no idea what you are on about.

Aibella: Now go back to doing whatever pricks, like you, do.

Decardo:(smiles) Listen. I'm just a guy passionate about advancing technology, like the founder.

Aibella:(frowns)...

She leaves the building and waits for Ryuka outside.

(Hours later)

Once landing on Mercury, Solas and Yn embarked to the mines of the planet, getting rid of the Crescent.

But every mine he went to only had the stragglers who were cleaning up after the main forces already left.

Fighting them wasn't much use, only a waste of time.

He needed to find them while in the middle of taking whatever it is that they wanted from the mines.

So taking the most recent report of Crescent sightings near a mine, Yn and his Gear, Solas rushed over there.

Upon arriving, he immediately saw a difference between this mine and the other.

There was no Crescent outside and about. Simply ships parked outside which looked like they belonged to the miners.

Entering the cave with Solas, Yn attempted to be as stealthy as possible with a giant robot in a cave.

Yn: I got a good feeling about this, Solas. They have to be here...but what for?

Yn: They want resources, no duh. But what the stardust are they going to use raw materials for?

Yn: I'm no expert, but I think raw iron isn't going to be made into any decent Gear.

Yn: They need somewhere to forge the materials into something useful...and someone who knows how to do that.

Yn: Hmm... Man, I should be a theorist or something. That's a pretty Swick theory I had there.

Solas exited the tunnel he was going through and reached an opening in the cave which disproved Yn's theory.

Yn: What the stardust!?

Solas and Yn found themselves in an armory of sorts. Metal beams and walls held up the facility.

The whole area seemed as if it held a few Gears amongst other things some time ago, but now it appeared to be raided.

Yn: So the crescent were looking for places like this and stole the raw material as a cover-up?

Yn: Guess I need to work on my theories...

(Bzzzzst)

Yn:???

A large Gear-size holographic projection of Luna then appeared.

Luna: Solar Gear pilot, can you hear me?

Yn:(speaker) Yeah, but your voice sounds a little weird, can you fix that?

Luna: .... Do you know what this place is?

Yn:(speaker) Yeah just avoid the question...Anyway, is it an armory?

Luna: Correct. But do you know what type of weapons this armory was full of?

Yn:(speakers) Gear..? Guns...? Gears for a gun? Guns for a Gear?

Luna: This is one of the probably many places hidden around the Solar System which houses technology more advanced than we currently have available.

Yn:(speaker) So now you have it... Big whoop! Solas and I will melt it to gunk!

Luna: That wasn't what I was getting at. This proves that I'm right. And it's simply the tip of the iceberg.

Yn:(speaker)... Oh, okay. I'm no moron. I can tell where this is going.

Luna: I'll cut to the chase then... Join me.

Yn:(speaker) And together we can rule the solar system?

Luna: I do not wish to rule it. Not for long at least. Just until I fix this corrupted system.

Yn:(speaker) And you think you know better?

Luna: Anybody can tell right from wrong, I'm the only one willing to enforce the punishment of the wrong.

Yn:(speaker) I might be one to talk, but there's a better way to do things than declare war on every nation.

Yn:(speaker) You could just show some proof. At worst, beat up the people responsible until they confess.

Yn:(speaker) Which is probably something I'd do... But not start a war!

Yn:(speaker) Like seriously?

Luna: How is what I'm doing any different from what the hero Nexstar and his Red Gear did?

Luna: He did not solve the problems plaguing the world with talk. He used violence to force others to listen and change.

Yn:(speaker) This isn't the 4000s! And he didn't make an army to fight his battles for him!

Yn:(speaker) So what's your deal? Why go so far? There have to be alternatives to making an army and starting a war with everyone.

Luna: I once tried to do things peacefully...even after what others' greed had cost me.

Luna: But after what they did... I knew there was only one way to end the immorality affecting everyone in the shadows.

Yn:(speaker) Wish I could sympathize, but without any specifics, I can't... My plans are the same.

Luna: Your plans? Do elaborate.

Yn:(speaker) With my unyielding spirit, I will find you and beat some sense into you before I set my sights on the bastards that pushed you over the edge!

Luna: Your "unyielding spirit"?

Yn:(speaker) My burning determination! The fiery emotions that push me to go beyond! Get it now?

Yn:(speaker) With that I'll stop this nonsense!

Luna:(chuckles)

Luna: What are you? Some kind of cartoon protagonist?

Yn:(speaker) Bitch, I might be!

Luna:... Tell me your name.

Yn:(speaker) Yn Direx, and don't you forget it.

Luna: When we finally meet face to face, Yn, it will be on the battlefield. For with the Solar Gear on your side and the Lunar Gear on mine...

Luna: It is practically destiny that we will fight.

Yn:(speaker) I don't know what having these Gears means for us... But if we're fighting...just know, I won't hold back against you.

Luna: Then know this... Neither will I.

The hologram call ends just as Solas is shot in the back.

Yn:(grunts)

Yn: Huh?

Before he could turn to see who shot him, the ceiling of the opening was shot causing it to collapse above him.

Lifting his arms, Solas caught the collapsing ceiling and held it up.

Yn: Ugh... Think you can bury me alive? We'll see about that!

Quickly pushing aside the debris on top of him, Solas leaped into the tunnel he came in and quickly began propelling himself down it with flames that jetted out of his legs.

Just as he arrived at the entrance of the tunnel, an explosion meant to collapse the entrance went off.

Sliding across the ground of Mercury like a rag doll, Yn and Solas slowly got up to see the nearby ships that were parked outside the mine, fly off with their Crescent pilots.

Yn wasn't given enough time to comprehend what was going on once again, he was shot in the back.

(Bang)

Yn: Gha! Who did that!?

Turning around, all he managed to see was a blur.

(Bang)

Getting shot again in the back, Yn turned yet again to only see a blur.

Solas then flipped to avoid getting shot a fourth time. This time, Yn was able to see who his attacker was.

It was a large spherical machine with two arms sticking out from its sides along with two gun barrels sticking out from its top.

The sphere then transformed, revealing itself to be a humanoid Gear.

(Mercury's project: Hermes)

(Hermes theme)

Yn:(speaker) Hey, what's the big idea, shooting a guy in the back? Too scared to take me head-on?

Hermes pilot:(speaker) I know my Gears strengths and weaknesses. It can take a hit from you, but it can outmaneuver!

Transforming back into its flying sphere form, Hermes began flying around Solas like a planet orbiting the sun.

To avoid getting shot in the back constantly, Yn started flying forward to make some distance but Hermes caught up quite easily.

Swirling around, Yn tried to punch Hermes who backed away from the attack leading to Yn firing a non-Overdrive Solar Gun at him.

The blast hit but wasn't powerful enough to destroy the Gear, but that hit was enough to motivate Yn to try even harder.

Pointing finger guns at Hermes, Solas sent a barrage of intensely concentrated flames towards the Mercury Gear, who zipped across the battlefield to avoid the shots.

Yn:(speaker) As soon as I get my hands on you, that Gear of yours is toast!

Hermes pilot:(speaker) That's If you can get your hands on my Gear!

With the pilot's consciousness transferred into the Gear, he did not need to worry about damaging his body because of the G-forces that would harm him if he went too fast.

The pilot was free to go as fast as he wanted, which they did.

(Boom)

Breaking the sound barrier, Hermes zoomed around Solas, in an almost random pattern.

Luckily for Yn, Solas's sensors were able to keep up with Hermes, so all he could do is wait for the right moment to strike.

That was until someone spoke to him on the coms link.

Ryuka:(coms) Got a fly problem I see...

Yn: Ryuka?

Looking around while dodging Hermes' blasts, Yn fails to see Ryuka.

Ryuka:(coms) Don't worry, I got the perfect thing for flies like that.

(BANG)

An ear-shattering bang went off, followed by the sound of metal shattering.

Hermes crash to the ground, with a large chunk of it being blown to smithereens.

Yn: Holy Stardust!

Hearing footsteps of a Gear, Solas turned around to see Ryuka uncloak herself in her new Gear.

A tall purple with neon green highlights and copper brown armor plating surrounding the large majority of its body. With a sniper rifle as tall as the Gear itself, Ryuka piloted it next to Solas.

(Genesis series, custom: Freyja)

Yn: Wow... They made it that fast?

Ryuka:(coms) Yep... And it feels perfect.

Aiming her rifle at the struggling Hermes she aims.

Ryuka:(coms) The movements are smooth. Its armor is light but just as strong as Venus's pride and joy...

Ryuka:(coms) With stealth capabilities and a powerful rifle that can fire both solid and beam projectiles...

(BANG)

With a single shot, she scattered the Hermes all across the ground.

Ryuka:(coms) This Gear is made for me... Because it was made for me.

Yn: Good to know you're happy with your new Gear, just try not to strip with joy.

Ryuka:(coms) I just might not be able to help myself this time... Anyway, if you're done, we've got a few more things the Cap wants us to do.

Yn: Lead the way.

TO BE CONTINUED...