"Yeah exactly but they're also the type to take forever to do anything. Besides, she might be engaged? Her parents arranged something and I think she broke it off but I'm not actually sure. Also there was the whole thing with Sleggar, but we don't even know if he's going to make it out of his coma." She suddenly goes very silent.

Oh wow this got dark, uhhh needs more optimism! Distraction! "Weellll we are all trapped in this ship for a loooong time, even after we catch up to those Zeon army guys the trip back will be pretty long too. I bet being stuck together for so long is gonna make plenty of romance bloom~ Love conquers all obstacles and It's not like there's much else to do here for that long, there's gonna be so many people becoming couples~ " She looks eager at the prospect of relationship drama going on around her.

"Being stuck with people really makes people wanna get together. Seriously I'm kinda glad you captured me off that base because we were only isolated there for just a single week and I was halfway towards talking myself into going after Friedrich, that's the pilot you guys got, he's kind of old but the only other choice was Charlie and he was 15! yuck no. Going after Friedrich would have been such a mistake you have no idea, oh god he's so serious! He's the kind of guy who wants to get married instantly." Jacinda looks horrified at the prospect of marriage.

One of the soldiers waves at Jacinda. "Oh, well that's my break over. this was nice, we should talk more sometime~" And off she goes to go back to look at alien squiggles all day.

Sayla thinks some more. Mostly about Amuro. She really should just say something. But she has no idea what. They are a fighting duo with her in the G-fighter and him in the Gundam, but he's so introverted that they don't actually talk all that much. Well hopefully she'll think of something before Pluto.

The captured pilot also gets some break times, he's been well behaved even if he isn't doing work for the white base crew like Jacinda is, so he is allowed out of his room if a guard follows him around. That seems fair enough to him. So off he goes to the common room to maybe pick out some books from the shelves or find someone to talk to, he can only do pushups in his room for so long after all. He takes a look around for anyone seeming vaguely interesting and non-hostile. Though the hostile looks from some of the crew are also fair enough, he's from the other side after all.

Over in the corner the kids and one of the young pilots are doing some sort craft project.

He recognizes that hair. That's the boy in the pilot suit from when he surrendered, he curiously walks over and recognizes the project as little mobile suit models, the detail work is pretty impressive. He sees a Zaku picture on one of the parts boxes. "Uh... hello, excuse me. If I'm not welcome that's perfectly fine, but those mobile suit models look pretty interesting... can I try my hand at a Zaku?"

Letz shoves one into his hands before anyone else can react. So looks like thats a yes.

"Thank you." He neds politely to the boy and takes the box to sit down at the table with it. Opening the box up and examining how the parts clip together to make a finished model, and then carefully assembling it. "I might have ended up a Dom pilot but the Zaku II and Zaku II command type are still my favourite mobile suits. All insane power and almost no control, before the new generation federation machines they were the fastest thing in space."

Given his tendency to run across them in neutral zones Amuro's feelings about individual Zeons are already milder than many in the Federation military, and he is above almost all else a mobile suit otaku. So he is very willing to have this conversation and ignore any negative associations he has around Zaku's.

"Yeah, I think they mostly just needed a reactor upgrade so they could handle beam weaponry. I guess thats kind of what the Gelgoog was but there were enough other changes its hard to say."

His model mobile suit is completed and now just needs the fiddly parts glued on and to be painted, he coats it black so the other paints show up better and starts painting the base colour it will be. A Red Comet shade of red. "The Gelgoog is a fantastic machine, only 80 were made I think. Supposed to be as powerful as the legendary Gundam. I never got to pilot one obviously. " He chuckles. "Only the rich pseudo nobility from the war academy got to do that. It's a lovely design though. And I'm sure everyone can appreciate the better pilot safety rating, that things cockpit will take a lot more of a beating before you have to get worried. Some of them even have cockpit ejectors!" Even federation pilots could surely gripe about how easy it was for pilots to be killed in mobile suits. If a mobile suits reactor didn't explode due to damage and vaporise the whole unit, then the pilot was much more likely to die before the mobile suit actually was destroyed. Mobiles suits were more expensive than pilots after all.

Amuro will make a loose mental note to pass the intel part of this on to Bright on the off chance the Federation hasn't already found out.

"I fought a few. They were more powerful than the Gundam was when I first got it, but not able to match all its upgrades."

"The ejector seat sounds really useful. We had one of our pilots survive his fighter being destroyed because he was hit at just the right angle to be thrown clear but he also smashed his head in the process. I hope he's out of the hospital by now."

"By the way how did the whole academy thing work? I never quite figured that part out."

First the red base coat, then the highlights, now to glue on the Zaku II command types signature antenna. "Oh only the richest sons got to go to the military academy with the exception a very small amount of scholarships, and then you go straight to being a squad leader or having a ship command or something else important, and you can order around pretty much anyone who didn't go even if they match your rank, sort of like a commissioned officer in the army but all exclusive like and you start off as one. Too fancy for the likes of me, enlistees do not get to go to the academy. The Red Comet got a rare scholarship though, rumour has it he got perfect marks on the intake exams, ended up in the class of Garma Zabi of all people."

A shadow crosses Friedrich's face. "Hey you guys don't get censored news, is it true the Red Comet was the one to kill the Zabis? Everyone who hasn't surrendered Isn't allowed to get news from the now Republic of Zeon, and you weren't allowed to talk about how the Zabis died either."

"We don't know all the details because so many witnesses are dead. But it looks like Degwin was killed by friendly fire when he tried to negotiate a peace without warning the rest of the fleet he was moving in the path of the colony laser, but I've heard a rumor it was intentional to stop the negotiations. Char did actually shoot the bridge of that command ship so there is no one left that really knows."

He had almost finished painting his Zaku II model in Red Comet colours, and after getting confirmation that Char had shot the command ship, stops. He had never believed that rumour so to have it confirmed so matter of factly was a shock.

He didn't know what to think now. Char Aznable had been THE example for almost every enlisted soldier, proving that a nobody could rise through the ranks, that a nobody could join the war college and become someone important no matter where you came from. To most of the troops, Char had been the example of Spacenoid (and possibly Newtype) supremacy over the Earthlings, and not the ruling Zabis.

But it had been Supreme Ruler Degwin Zabi to take up the mantle of Spacenoid rights and Spacenoid freedom from the Earth Federation from political philosopher and prime minister of Side 3 Zeon Daikun after his tragic death, to name the newly independent state after Zeon and turn Side 3 from just another colony to a nation that could rival the forces of earth, despite being outnumbered 20 to 1. It had also been the Zabi children acting as generals who were leading their forces to victory after victory and giving their people something to be proud of.

And to add on top of all that the possibility that Supreme Ruler Degwin had been killed by his own side, maybe Char had acted to get vengeance for Degwin? Friedrich really had no idea what to think anymore.

"I see... that is troubling news..." He reigns in his emotions and keeps his composure, though someone having paid close attention could have seen the emotions on his face directly after hearing the news. "If it's allowed... Could I have access to basic unclassified intel on the war, our officers told us Degwin died in glorious battle and it seems I might have been kept ignorant of many other facts, I will, of course, assume it is full of propaganda but it will at least tell me what I wasn't supposed to hear."

After a long moment, he decides to continue painting his Zaku II, whether Char was a traitor or not it was still a cool machine.

"I'm not sure if its allowed but I'll ask."

Wow Char really has a way of making things complicated. He probably should just leave things there but without really meaning to he adds:

"I met Char on side 6 once. It was pretty weird. I don't think he recognized me. My buggy got stuck and he helped me tow it out."

"Were you dressed as a civilian? Seems like the sort of thing he would do is help out some random civvie."

"Thats the thing, I was in uniform. He said something about how normally he shouldn't help me but since we were on neutral ground he'd make an exception. I don't remember the exact words."

"I don't think I would have done that, helped out a feddie soldier, I was much angrier when the war was in full swing. I wouldn't have broken Side 6 neutrality but I might have spat as I drove by. Didn't realize yet the war was over the second the feddies got mobile suits, you always had the massive economic and population advantage and mobile suits were the only reason we were winning."

Looks meaningfully at the federation mobile suit models Amuro had been making for the kids.

"Didn't realize it till I got shot down and had time to think at that base you grabbed me from, seeing everyone around me be much too young or green as hell. The proud Zeonic forces were no more, a whole generation thrown into the meat grinder and having nothing to show for it, and seeing the Federation filled with young folks like you made me realise that was true for both sides. No offence but kids shouldn't have to go to war."

He does all the finishing touches on his model, all the command insignia and the fiddly bits like the antenna were painted and it was as done as it could be with the skill at painting Friedrich had.
"All done, if one of you smaller kids wants it you can have it." He says to the orphan trio.

Letz will take it.

"This was right before the end, so I think he had already realized and just wasn't ready to give up once he was back on the battlefield. I'm not sure through. I was forced into the war and never really paid much attention to the reasons for it."

This is really awkward, but strangely kinda nice. Civvies don't understand, and the rest of the crew does but it would be weird to talk to them about anything Zeon without focusing on the part where they attacked their home then chased them across the system.

"I'd say the Zeonic forces wouldn't force people to join, but they started to as soon as Side 3 Surrendered and became a republic. That educated lady Jacinda wasn't given a choice for joining the forces, and honestly the fact I was surrounded by brainwashed kids and conscripts was half the reason I surrendered. The people in charge didn't deserve me going out in a blaze of glory for them, not anymore, and someone had to look after who they left behind."

He stands up. "Well this was fun, I haven't really had much chance to talk soldiering or mobile suits with anyone, the guards who take turns following me around aren't very chatty, and Jacinda is a bit too much sometimes and doesn't really care about this sort of stuff, and Sofie just is always angry about Charlie dying all the time, and hates me for not trying to kill as many of you as I can. So this was enjoyable." And leaves the break room, to go back to his room/cell.

"See you around I guess."

Later on Amuro will pass on the tiny amount of maybe actually relevant mobile suit info to Bright. Who will in turn include it as a low priority attachment next time the White base phones home. He'll also go ahead and ok access to civilian news sources for the prisoners.

After finishing some simulator time Sayla will find herself in front of angry girl's cell. 

To start off with she won't actually say anything just look in.