"We can grow potatoes from what we have, and might be able to get some of the tomato seeds to grow but some of our food is sterilized and most of it doesn't have seeds to begin with.  

Same with the the peppers, and actually I think the onions. The organic trend means that a lot of the officer food hasn't been too heavily treated, but I also cooked the less preserved stuff first. We have fresh oats but I don't know if they'll grow. I'm a cook not a farmer.

Between the sterilization and growth time I don't expect much luck with fruit seeds, but since we don't eat most of them anyway its probably worth a shot. We have a lot of vacuum sealed apple and pears plus some berries and rock fruit.

We'll also need a source of salt."

"Our medical lab can partially test samples of local wildlife for edibility but with completely alien biology we can't know for sure."

"I know how to test it. We just feed it to Char." *snickers*

"Shouldn't we test food on more expendable pilots first." Char quips back and looks pointedly at Kai, making it clear who he thought was expendable. He went through the war academy verbally sparring with jelous nobles, this boy was nothing compared to that.

"Part wear and tear will build up pretty fast, we should do an inventory to know our supply of parts, and know what parts we cannot manufacture using the tools we have with us. You might have spares for the Gundam and Guncannons but nothing for my Gelgoog and the other Zeon suits my squad has for example.

"Cut it out you two. Char's right about the inventory though."

"We'll reconvene once we have updated an updated inventory. In the meantime I want engineering to rig up a communications relay so that if we get any messages from the solar system we'll still be able to receive them from the planet."

A basic probe is quickly modified and sent out to sit just outside the relay, there to capture any communications from sol and send them to the White Base. Not at all a complicated task for the engineering team.

The various departments are called up and asked for a rough inventory. The results are collacted into a report for Bright that quickly finds its way to his terminal. The inventory from the engineering section is very... thourough, as if the engineers wanted to show off their mobile suit knowledge to everyone else.

Inventory:

Combat Technology:

Federation machines:

1x RX-78-3 Gundam

An upgrade to the RX-78-2 Gundam that Amuro piloted during the One Year War. The RX-78-2 was the most powerful mobile suit of its time when it was created, outshining every mobile suit of the One Year War until the Zeonic MS-14A Gelgoog was created. It was jam-packed with every advancement the federation could think of, designed to be a jack of all trades unit for Ace pilots and to collect data to design future mass production models with. To protect that data the cockpit could eject as an FF-X7 Core Fighter that could fly to safety. The revolutionary Luna-Titanium armour it was equipped with also made most physical rounds ineffective against it. The RX-78-3 that replaced it is almost twice as maneuverable as the RX-78-2 due to an improved laser accelerator in the reactor and a better self-learning combat computer. As with most Federation mobile suits, it has an internal Vulcan gun hidden in the head.

Standard external equipment:

2x Beam Saber
 The standard beam saber, emits plasma that is contained within an I-field that shapes it into a sword-like blade.

1x Beam Javelin
 The alternate form to the beam saber, with a longer handle and a three-pronged trident-like tip

1x XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifle
 A mega particle firing, medium to long range weapon. Though a skilled pilot can hit targets of surprising distance with one. Uses E-cap energy capacitors to store mega particle for firing and becomes dead weight once the E-caps are depleted. Fires beams as powerful as those of a battleship cannon, only for use by "Ace" mobile suit models. Has a large external sensor on the top that can link up to a mobile suits own sensor suite. 

1x XHB-L-03/N-STD Hyper Bazooka
 A mobile suit scale rocket launcher of the bazooka design. Mostly used to pummel slower targets like ground or asteroid bases, or warships from medium range so they don't have time to dodge. The Gundam can equip two at once for increased firepower. Not generally suitable for use against mobile suits due to their speed and ability to dodge.

1x RX*M-Sh-008/S-01025 Shield
 A luna-titanium shield, made of the same material as the Gundams armour, its structure is designed for impact diffusion and absorption, is also highly heat resistant and can be used to protect the Gundam during atmospheric re-entry.

1x Hyper Hammer
 A controversial part of the Gundams equipment, a weapon seen by much of the federations design teams as archaic or barbaric. The Hyper hammer is a spiked titanium ball attached to a chain, a melee weapon to be swung for causing crushing damage, vernier thrusters installed between the spikes allow it to change direction mid-swing or impart more force to a blow. 

1x RX-77-2 Guncannon (Other Guncannon still on the other side of the relay)

A medium-range support unit, and the first true mobile suit designed by the federation. Many of its advances would be later used in the design for the RX-78-2 Gundam, like its core block system for example, where the cockpit could be ejected as an FF-X7 Core Fighter that could fly to safety or even engage enemies. It has two 240mm shoulder-mounted cannons built into the frame that can be swapped for missile launchers with a capacity of 24 missiles. The design emphasized heavy armour over mobility and thus has thicker armour plates than the Gundam. As with most Federation mobile suits, it has an internal Vulcan gun hidden in the head.

Standard external equipment:

1x XBR-M-79a Beam Rifle
 A beam rifle similar in design and using the same E-cap technology as the XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifle, but tuned for a much longer range. Pilots report it is harder to aim than the 07G model.

1x YHI YF-MG100 100mm Machine Gun
 A mobile suit sized machine gun, with a smoothbore barrel, folding stock and box magazine. Can use HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank), Armour-piercing Sabot rounds or HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) rounds. While this machine gun might draw less on a mobile suit reactor than a beam rifle, older physical round weapons have trouble hitting faster Mobile suit designs and are unable to penetrate Luna-Titanium armour without sustained fire on a single spot.

2x Hand grenade.
 A mobile suit scale grenade is stored in a compartment in each leg

1x RGM-79SP GM Sniper II

The RGM (or just referred to as GM) line of mobile suits was directly inspired by the combat data collected by the Gundam and shares much of its basic parts and design, though made much cheaper and easier to mass-produce. The Gm sniper II then is the GM line trying to return to the roots of an Ace pilot machine that the Gundam laid down. Powerful sensors and laser sensors in the head are geared for extreme range sniping but the machine itself remains a versatile mobile suit with high manoeuvrability. In overall specifications, it can on paper even be considered more powerful than the RX-78-2 Gundam, though it lacks the self-learning combat computer that enabled the Gundam to pull off the wild maneuvres it did. It even has pieces of expensive Luna-Titanium in its armour. As with most Federation mobile suits, it has an internal Vulcan gun hidden in the head.

Standard external equipment:

2x Beam saber
 -See RX-78-3 Gundam equipment

1x HWF GMG·MG79-90mm Bullpup Machine Gun
 A mobile suit sized bullpup rifle, uses special ammunition for faster bullet speed. Equipped with its own sensor module, that paired with the GM sniper IIs own sensors allow for a surprisingly good target acquisition system and level of accuracy. Its faster bullet speed and better targetting allowed even this physical round firing weapon to stay competitive against faster mobile suits. 

1x HWF GR·MLR79-90mm Long Rifle
 The HWF GMG·MG79-90mm Bullpup Machine Gun's construction allows it to transform into a dockable-type long barrel rifle by attaching a barrel attachment. The added longer barrel combined with the already good sensors allows it to be used as a sort of sniper rifle, though with the ability to attach a 120 round box magazine this defies the standard design sensibilities of a sniper rifle.

1x NFHI RGM-M-Sh-AGD Shield
 While not made of the expensive Luna-Titanium that the Gundams shield is made from, Its Titanium and ceramic composite armour coating with anti beam coating still holds up very well against enemy fire. Its curved shape helps deflect fire rather than absorb the impact.

1x YHI YF-MG100 100mm Machine Gun
 -See RX-77-2 Guncannon equipment

1x hand grenade
 A mobile suit scale grenade is stored on the waist.

1x XBR-M-79E Beam Rifle
 Almost identical to the Gundams XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifle, the only difference being a newer model of external sensor that was smaller was installed. Meant for medium to long ranges.

1x BR-M79L-3 Sniper Beam Rifle (R-4 Type Beam Rifle)
 This weapon is based on the Guncannons XBR-M-79a Beam Rifle, with enhanced beam convergence and is specifically designed for precision shooting. It has minimal built-in sensors and is instead designed to rely on a sniper type mobile suits own sensor and fire control systems.

1x XBR-X-79YK Long-Range Beam Rifle
 Another long-range beam rifle design. The power for shots was able to be supplied in two ways. In standard firing mode, the rechargeable E-cap of the rifle is charged for a while by the mobile suit's reactor and then it can only fire a few shots, but the E-cap can then recharge for further firing. Or, in its alternate powering mode the E-cap is bypassed completely and the rifle is hooked up via power cable to an external power supply. When hooked up to an external power supply the rifle has increased range and output, able to destroy even armoured ships with one shot. This mode does limit the maneuverability of the mobile suit almost completely.

1x YHI ERRL-TYPE.Doc-04/380mm Rocket Launcher
 A Mobile suit scale portable rocket launcher, similar in design to the N-STD Hyper Bazooka. Designed for use on earth and in gravity, it has a shorter than normal barrel to make jungle use easier. Comes with 6 round banana-shaped magazines for repeat firing and is compatible with more munition types than the Hyper Bazooka. Also comes with its own built-in targetting systems that can link up with the mobile suits sensors.

1x BG-M-79F-3A Beam Gun
 Sitting between the short-range rapid-firing beam spray gun, and the medium to long-range beam rifle, the BG-M-79F-3A Beam Gun occupies a new niche in ranged beam weapon designs. Accurate at medium ranges, this weapon has a large beam accelerator and extra battery pack that changes the beam shots into a type of beam that would cut through and disrupt internal systems as it passed through the target, making shots that did not destroy a target much more likely to cripple it anyway. 

1x G-fighter

A support unit for the Gundam. Acts as a scout or harassing fighter when on its own. It is equipped with powerful Beam cannons and a 2 tube missile launcher. But, its true power shows when combined with the Gundam and other support modules to create the G-armor. The G-armor form is a way to transport the Gundam towards the battlefield quickly, and with the combined reactor power of the G-fighter and Gundam, its Beam cannons could be fired for much longer than the Gundams XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifles E-cap would allow. But the G-armor is not a suitable form to use during mobile suit combat due to its slow turn speed.

Standard external equipment:

2x RX-M-SH-008/S-01025 Shield
 -Only in combined G-armor form.

2x FF-X7 Core Fighter (spares in case of damage, but fully functioning)

The core fighter is a space and atmosphere fighter that was designed to double as the cockpit of the RX line of mobile suits: the RX-75-4 Guntank, the RX-77-2 Guncannon and the RX-78-2 Gundam (and RX-78-3 Gundam). In fact, it is more accurate to say it is a cockpit that doubles as a fighter. It is equipped with 25mm Vulcan guns in the nose that are not suitable for use against the heavy armour of mobile suits. And a 4 shot missile launcher that can be fitted with different kinds of missiles. It can go toe to toe with Zeonic fighter craft but should not be used to engage enemy mobile suits. 

1x 6×6 Cargo Truck

A 6 wheel drive cargo truck, with a mounted machine gun on top of the cabin. Has an enclosed armoured cabin that seats 2. Used to transport cargo. Runs off of its own reactor. Is currently stored in parts and needs to be assembled.

2x civilian model electric buggy, modified.

4 wheel drive 4 seater buggies built for rough terrains like sand or mud. Modified with a roll cage and a more powerful engine. The buggy does not have an enclosed cabin and seating is open to the elements, but a specially fitted tarp can be fitted over the roll cage to protect passengers from the elements. Has a small space behind the seating for storage and carrying supplies. Runs on a battery that needs to be recharged.

1x Fast buggy.

A smaller 4 wheel drive vehicle, only 2 seats, built for speed rather than rough terrain. Also does not have an enclosed cabin and is open to the elements. Battery-powered.

Zeonic machines:

2x MS-09R Rick Dom

The space version of the MS-09B Dom. The MS-09R Rick Dom is a heavy, but high mobility space type mobile suit. It became the main space type mobile suit the Zeon forces produced later in the One Year War. The very thick flared legs and large armoured skirt of the Rick Dom contain thermonuclear rockets enabling it a sustained 40-second acceleration of 6Gs, and its manoeuvering thrusters are nothing to scoff at either. It has a chest-mounted scattering beam gun that is very weak for a beam weapon, due to its mega particles being scattered, but it can blind enemy pilots and knock out sensors.

Standard External equipment:

1x Heat Saber
 Based on the Heat Hawk of the Zaku line of mobile suits, the Heat Saber superheats a sword-like metal blade to incredible temperatures, enabling it to melt through standard armour. It can also send electrical discharges down the blade to damage the internal systems of mobile suits it hits. The I field stopping the metal from deforming too much can briefly deflect a Beam Sword during duels. The blade however does degrade quickly with use and is normally discarded after the metal degrades too much.

1x H&L-GB05R/360mm Giant Bazooka (Rick Dom #1 has 3 rounds remaining, Rick Dom #2 has 6 rounds remaining)
 A bazooka with a 10 round magazine. Built specifically for the Zeonic MS-09R Rick Dom mobile suit. Uses powerful but expensive warheads that are meant to be used at a relatively short distance by a fast mobile suit, this tactic is to prevent dodging.

1x M-120A1 120mm Machine Gun (ammo can be manufactured)

 A physical round firing automatic rifle scaled for mobile suits. Relatively accurate, can switch between semi-auto and automatic firing. Cannot penetrate Luna-Titanium armour.

1x MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type (Char's custom)

The MS-14A Gelgoog was designed as a direct response to the RX-78-2 Gundam and RGM-79 GM line of mobile suits, those mobile suits could handle powering beam weapons, while Zeonic suits could not, giving the federation mobile suits a distinct advantage. But the Gelgoog was designed from the ground up to support beam weaponry just like Federation mobile suits could. It was the first Zeonic mobile suit to have the requisite reactor output to be able to be equipped with a beam rifle and beam sabers. It was also a very high spec mobile suit that could match even the RX-78-2 Gundam in speed and power, but not in armour since it lacked the Luna-Titanium armour of the Gundam. It is also one of the few Zeonic mobile suits with an ejectable cockpit. The MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type is an improved version of the MS-14A Gelgoog for Ace pilots that is designed to be even faster and has an even more powerful generator than the MS-14A. Char has further customized his Gelgoog with the thruster backpack from an MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type, making his suit even faster but draining the reactor faster and giving him a shorter operational time. The Gelgoog has no built-in weaponry at all and suffers from a risk of being disarmed.

Standard external equipment:

1x Twin Beam Sword (Beam Naginata)
 Uses an I-field to shape emitted plasma into a sword-like blade. The Twin Beam sword is a beam sword that can emit a blade from both ends of its handle at once. Can be used as a normal beam sword by only emitting a blade from one end if desired.

1x Beam Rifle ( Zeonic XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifle Knock-off)
 -functionally identical to the XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifle, see RX-78-3 Gundam equipment

1x M-120A1 120mm Machine Gun (NONE AVAILABLE IN STOCK)
 -see MS-09R Rick Dom equipment

1x H&L-GB05R/360mm Giant Bazooka (NO REMANING COMPATIBLE AMMO)
 -see MS-09R Rick Dom equipment

1x Gelgoog Shield
 Its curved shape and anti beam coating let it deflect a surprising amount of fire before breaking. It cannot sustain head-on heavy fire for very long though. But it is not meant to, the Gelgoog should always be in motion and be taking glancing shots whenever possible. It is mounted on the arm of the mobile suit rather than held, and its connection point can pivot and adjust the angle the shield is held at. Can also be attached to the back.

1x MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type

The last production model of the MS-06 Zaku II line of mobile suits. Very few MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type were made before the end of the war, however, seeing as how the main production space unit for the Zeon military was made the MS-09R Rick Dom during the later stages of the war. While being descended from the MS-06 Zaku II, the MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type shares little in internal design with its ancestor. Its internals reworked to increase fuel capacity and thruster count and acceleration and a new more powerful reactor fitted to power it all. The leg thrusters even have a new fuel cartridge system to improve resupply and operational time. Its cockpit has also been changed to a revolutionary ejectable one, an advancement that was later carried over to the MS-14A Gelgoog.

Standard external equipment:

1x Shoulder Shield
 A high tensile steel shoulder-mounted shield with a rectangular flat shape, easy to produce even if its defensive qualities were not very high.

1x M-120A1 120mm Machine Gun (Ammo can be manufactured)
 -see MS-09R Rick Dom equipment

1x H&L-GB05R/360mm Giant Bazooka (4 rounds remaining)
 -see MS-09R Rick Dom equipment

1x Heat Hawk
 The classic Zaku Heat Hawk. An Axe shaped weapon that superheats a metal edge to incredible temperatures, enabling it to melt through standard armour. More bulky and resilient than a Heat Saber but is powered by the heat from a mobile suits reactor that is transferred into the Heat Hawk through the palms of the mobile suit, a design unique to Zaku mobile suits.

x4 MIP-B6 Cracker Grenade (Only 2 remaining)
 A grenade designed to be thrown by mobile suits, the "cracker" explodes into several smaller munitions after being thrown, covering a wide area in explosions. alternatively also comes in a flash variant to blind mobile suit sensors. Attaches to the waist armour of Zaku Mobile suits.

1x MSM-07 Z'Gok (space custom)

An amphibious mobile suit, the MSM-07 Z'Gok relies entirely on internal weapons. It is a very heavy mobile suit trading versatility and speed for performance in a few specific areas. Instead of hands like other mobile suits, the Z'Gok has huge rounded arms with large claws at the end that it can use in close combat, as well as a pneumatic metal spike it can drive out of its "palm" into enemy suits. It has such a focus on close combat because water resistance slows down physical rounds and scatters mega particle beams. It also has six 240mm missile tubs on the top of its head, used to fire at enemies when the head is above the surface like a submarine of old. When it does have to fight above water, its main short to medium ranged weapons are mega particle cannons fitted in the "palms" of its "hands" that hook up directly to its very powerful reactor, but the reactor cannot support the rapid-fire of these mega particle cannons. This particular model has been modified to work in space by adding a few external thrusters.

Spare mobile suit equipment:

2x XBR-M-79-07G Beam Rifle
5x Beam Saber
1x Beam Javelin
1x XHB-L-03/N-STD Hyper Bazooka
2x RX*M-Sh-008/S-01025 Shield
2x YHI YF-MG100 100mm Machine Gun
10x Mobile Suit hand grenade.
2x HWF GMG·MG79-90mm Bullpup Machine Gun (with HWF GR·MLR79-90mm Long Rifle attachment parts)
1x NFHI RGM-M-Sh-AGD Shield
1x XBR-M-79E Beam Rifle
1x YHI ERRL-TYPE.Doc-04/380mm Rocket Launcher
2x BG-M-79F-3A Beam Gun
1x BR-M79L-3 Sniper Beam Rifle (R-4 Type Beam Rifle)
1x Twin Beam Sword

Spare mobile suit parts:

1x full set of replacement limbs for RGM-79SP GM Sniper II
1x full set of replacement limbs for RX-78-3 Gundam
1x replacement RX-78-3 Gundam right arm.
1x damaged RX-78-3 Gundam left arm in need of repair.
1x replacement RX-78-3 Gundam right leg
1x replacement RX-78-3 Gundam left leg
2x full set of replacement limbs for RX-77-2 Guncannon
3x replacement shoulder cannons for RX-77-2 Guncannon
1x replacement missile launchers for RX-77-2 Guncannon
1x Replacement treads for RX-75-4 Guntank (found hidden behind other parts in storage)
1x replacement RGM-79 GM head (compatible with federation suits in inventory)
1x damaged MS-09R Rick Dom chassis with unrecoverable left limbs and little armour. (Friedrichs mobile suit.)

Other technology supplies:

•The engine booster contains 26 remaining functioning mobile suit reactors in various states of repair. Going full burn using the booster has worn out critical internal components in 4 reactors and made them nonfunctional, but could otherwise be used for spare parts and materials.

•The stock of Luna-Titanium armour plates remains strong, enough to re-armour all the parts of the Gundam once.

•The stock of titanium-ceramic composite armour plates remains strong, intended to repair critical parts of the White Base. Luckily the White Base has taken negligible damage in the last few encounters and thus we haven't had to dip into the supply.

•The stock of steel remains strong. There will be enough to repair or build whatever you want unless you want to start building buildings out of it.

•The machine and repair shops, in general, remain well-stocked with fibre optic cables and sensors and other components we cannot make ourselves.

•Gunpowder and chemical stocks have enough remaining to resupply the basic ammunition for the Zeon machine gun weapons if we produce some ourselves. but we fear we will run out quickly if we get into a lot of combat. Also, the rounds won't be very powerful since we are just making them ourselves without knowing the specific chemical blends used for those rounds.

•No current stock of high explosives to produce missile or rocket warheads to resupply the Zeon rocket launchers with. Or our own once we run out of spare munitions for them.

•Just so much ammo for the Federation weapons. Not in danger of running out soon. They really oversupplied us, maybe they expected a siege at the superweapon.

•Enough personal arms to equip 30 of the crew with a main weapon and a sidearm. Mostly assault rifles, some LMGs and a few Sniper rifles. Enough regular service pistols to equip everyone with. Also found a box of old emergency survival laser pistols that fire very few shots before needing to be recharged but don't require ammunition.

Food supplies (Measured in how much time the crew could survive eating only that):

•4 months of emergency calorie bars.

•2 months of standard rations. Various varieties. (Will stay good for another year at least) The majority are sandwich-style, the sandwich-style rations that deplete the fastest are the Pork cutlet and Egg salad varieties due to popularity. The BLT deplete the slowest due to the tomato and lettuce not surviving as well through the vacuum seal process, making them unpopular.

•3 months of officers dinner kits. (But much of it will expire within the next 2 months unless otherwise preserved) Various varieties. Includes fresh fruit and vegetable ingredients. Includes alcohol.

•3 weeks of various bags of dry snack foods. Including granola, trail mix, roasted nuts, sunflower seeds, etc.

•2 weeks of junk food. (Guestimating due to the crew having personal supplies) Salted chips, chocolate bars, various candy, pretzels. Recommend the salted snacks be kept for a salt supply, the rest are recommended to not be requisitioned from the crew for morale reasons.

•Enough vitamin and mineral supplements to last 16 months with a sufficient calorie supply.

"It looks like our main constraint is calories. Extra nutrition won't hurt but 16 months should be enough for us to expect resupply. Tamura has indicated that potatoes are the best option for this. The ship's encyclopedia indicates that they need warm weather ideally with moderate to high rainfall. So that is what we will be searching for. The same areas should also be reasonably suitable for most of our other crops. Ideally we can find an area that also has access to an ocean or salt lake but that is less important. 
I'm asking engineering to see if any of our chemical supplies can be used as fertilizer but we will likely be relying on manure."

"You mean poop."

"Since you clearly understand you can help organize it."

"We'll need the engineering team to start building plows and other farming supplies but have some time while we search for sites."

"It looks like there is abundant life on this world that looks so similar to ours. Let us not assume the wildlife will be safe to be exposed to, it could be dangerous in ways we can't even imagine. Just think of the stranger insect species on earth that burrow into living animals to lay eggs in them that burst out later, or plants that create acid to digest insects with. Alien creatures could be stranger still." Char gives specific details because he knows much of the White Base crew is from side 7 and might never have been to earth, and not learned about its dangerous creatures. While the colony cylinders mimicked an ecosphere, they were totally devoid of any species dangerous to human life.

"There are also an awful lot of resources just slowly floating away, plenty of good metal and possible parts in that ship wreckage. It should at least be collected to together so it doesnt disperse too much before we go to the planet, so we can collect it later if we need to. We don't know that the relay will stay online and that we wont be stuck here for considerably longer than a year. We might need all that already machined titanium and steel later." It would be dangerous to allow the plans to proceed that were simply assuming they could be resupplied in a year. Char had survived this long by planning for the worst.

One of Chars squad speaks up. "If the Pluto team ain't using them. Maybe they could send some mobile suit wrecks through the relay? For spare parts?" Sounding unsure about suggesting something Char did not think of, not wanting to disrespect him.

All of the crew has been to Earth, but typically for a short enough time to still be pretty shocked by just how bad the wildlife can get.

"We still haven't re-established communication, but I'll ask them to send through what they can if we do. I'll send some of the mobile suits to corral the wreckage."

"We'll start with aerial surveillance and wear normal suits until the site has been secured. We'll do some mixture of ground clearing and fortification but I want a site before we get bogged down on details." 

"If there isn't anything else we'll head to the planet as soon as the debris is handled."

Nobody has any objections to that plan. So some of the mobile suit pilots go out and collect larger peices of ship wreckage and tie them together, then tie that collection of metal to the relay so it can't get too far.

So, off they go towards the planet. If Bright wants to conserve fuel and the integrity of the engine boosters reactors, travelling without the booster at normal ships speeds to the planet will take a week and a half. The FTL relay on this side is much closer to the habitable planet than the Sol FTL relay is. The FTL relay on this side just orbits the star, instead of orbitting another body, unlike the one in Sol that orbits Pluto.

He'll take the slower trip. Without a clear timeline on how long it will take potatoes to grow this is a bit of a risk, but the food timeline looks more promising then their chances of getting new boosters.

Now all the emergencies and combat and meetings are all over, Char is left just akwardly hanging around on a Federation ship. The soldiers he was with have all left to go see what can be done about refilling their Mobile suits ammunition with the White Base engineers, but Char's mobile suit only uses beam weapons so that isn't something he needs to join them in.

He decides to go see his sister, Sayla, or as he knew her, Artesia. The war is now over and he avenged their father, they no longer have to be on opposite sides of the war anymore and he doesn't need to hide the fact he is related to her anymore, everything keeping them apart has been resolved. He doen't actually know where she is stationed, but it's not a particularly large ship outside of the mobile suit bays, so he just wanders around looking for blonde hair.

A number of other people also seem to be wandering around.

As a group.

With rather more weapons than are usually issued when not expecting a boarding action. Though at least all of them are holstered or shouldered as appropriate.

"Hey Char I have a question for you. You're supposed to be all about Spacenoid rights right? So why'd you destroy our side but save Earth? Don't get me wrong I'm glad we saved earth but all my stuff was on Side Se-"

"Forget your stuff my familly was there! And they didn't make it off because you fired a rocket into the evacuation line."

There was definitely a explosive fired into the evacuation line by a member of Char's command. Char shooting up part of the side, and her family not making it out also happened. She may be conflating some of these details, but it turns out having your town turned into a war-zone and your family killed isn't the best circumstance for forming 100% accurate memories.

He responds to Kai. "That was the Zabi family's propaganda to stir up the troops, if you recall I blew up two of the Zabi family and got another one killed. If you don't know why then ask your captain, I am pretty sure he knows the reasons. Do not assume me a fanatic loyal to the cause. "

And as for the girls claims. She was probably talking about Gene, that glory hound idiot, got himself killed for it too. He turns to her. "I never actually fought at side 7, I was on foot taking pictures. But, one of my men initiated combat, against orders, during a recconaisance mission and then the fight escalated further when another one of my men stayed to back him up. But he was under my command so some responsibility does lie with me." He says calmly. "But the Federation had hidden a military research facility on your civilian colony, had cilians evacuating nearby military weapons that were targetting my men, was launching a warship that I had to fire at. Who put you more in danger really?" Glaring at Fraw. There were no good sides to this war, while he retains some responsibility the Federation were essentially using them as shields.

"However, I still understand why you might all hate me, I was your enemy for much of the war, but everything I did, I did to defeat the Zabi family. Your anger is understandable, but I will defend myself regardless." He readies himself, he doesn't yet reach for his sidearm but he is prepared to doge and take one of the crowd hostage.

While Fraw takes a second to consider things reasonably one of the peanut gallery with less listening comprehension contributes:

"There wouldn't have been a research station if you hadn't started the war."

"I didn't start this war, I have spent longer than any of you have fighting the people who started this war, If I hadnt shot Ghiren and Kycilia as they were trying to retreat this war would still be happening. And if you dont blame the Federation for using you as human shields, you dont get to blame the other side for hitting the shields when trying to shoot at them." Some anger edging into his voice, the calm mask of Char Aznable slipping a little, and the angry little boy Casval Rem Deikun showing his face.

Kai is many things, most of them negative. But he is not stupid, or particularly loyal to the government that exiled his family to space on top of all the things Char said. He is however argumentative.

"Nobody said we like the Earthnoid elite, but we had to pick a side and the Federation was it."

"As for all of that other stuff, it makes sense but we basically just have your word. Some of it checks out, like it not being a red suit that fired that shot. But saying that the fight started against orders or that you were against Zeon from the start sounds like stuff I'd expect you to say either way. Do you have any actual whats the word proof?"

He could bring up Sayla, she knows who he is, why he did what he did, but he doesn't want to bring her into this. They might blame her for the war too if they knew their true identity, knew who their father was.

"Ask your captain. I am reasonably certain he knows why I did what I did, and I am quite sure Federation intellgence knows everything at this point, and if you haven't been told then it must be classified." He knows that wont satisfy them. But he has been Char so long and hidden his real identity so long he instinctively flinches from telling people. Though he hadn't been all that careful about information security since the end of the war, that he had killed Kycilia and Ghiren because he hated the Zabis was something he was fine sharing, even if that was a hint to who he was. 

The crowd is kinda buying it. They trust Bright, though invoking him may just be a ploy, and Char isn't acting like a homicidal maniac. But there is a lot of built up resentment, and even the truth still leaves them with a grievance against Char. 

But while this conversation has been taking place three more people have been coming from another direction.

"Give me my father back you son of a bitch!"

The kids lunge at Char and make a rather ineffective attempt at pummeling him before anyone has a chance to ask where Katz learned that word.

Char just sort of lets it happen, he's not going to kick them away even if they are attacking him. He is more baffled at first than anything else.

Then, the pang of guilt hits him. The whole incident was more emotionally removed when it was adults or near adults he could discuss things with, ones that had picked a side in the war and had their own sins to work out the morality for. It just hit alot harder when he realizes these very young kids were also victimized. They didn't even have a chance to pick a side, it just happened to them. They reminded him of himself when he lost his own father.

It wasn't like he had never thought of the victims of his actions while leading a mobile suit squad for the Zeons, it just was a lot harder to justify when there were crying children right there beating on your legs.

He lets none of this show on his face, an easier thing to do when he was wearing a mask.

Fraw Bow snaps back to reality. She have not forgiven and only temporarily forgot but this is not the path she wants for her the children.

"Lets all settle down, and Katz who taught you that word?"

The kids will now switch from crying with violence to violently crying, which is sort of like settling down.

"This isn't over, but we'll talk to Bright before we go any further."

With that Kai turns on his heel and struts out clearly expecting the crowd to follow him as their leader. The fact that this works on a crowd people who have met him before is a testament to the power of confidence. Or perhaps just a sign of how awkward this scene has become.

Char extricates his body from the gaggle of crying children now they stopped attacking him, his pants were lightly armoured so they probably hurt themselves more than they hurt him. This is incredibly awkward.

"I was just looking for Sayla... So if we are done here I will... Just go keep doing that?" It is very hard to keep the appropriate level of gravitas in a situation this strange. Going from violent tension and veiled threats to dealing with children was definitely not something he had practice at.

Sayla is helping Amuro nerd at the Zeon mobile suits help Char's soldier's with the ammunition issue which just goes to show you should never split the party.

Before Char has a chance to figure this out, Kai and some of the others will find Bright whose whereabouts are known. They just barely have the sense to put up their weapons first.

Because Kai is their brave leader convenient fall guy if this goes south the mob lets him go first.

"Hey Captain we have some questions about Char."

"I have some answers. They might be the ones you're looking for."

"He claims that he's actually been against Zeon from the start as some kind of double agent except not actually working for the Federation either. Also that destroying Side Seven was against his orders."

Good he was expecting either this or for them to start questioning his decision to allow Char to stay on board and he didn't want to have to make an example of Kai for insubordination.

"I have independently confirmed that he has a grudge against the Zabi family that predates the war, and deliberately killed them. I don't have direct information on what orders he gave at Side Seven, but it fits with what else I know. Char wouldn't be walking around my ship if he was a Zabi loyalist."

"I don't like or completely trust Char, but we're stranded with him and he helped saved the Earth so we're cooperating as long as he is."

He doesn't say "thats an order" but it clearly is.

"Right that clears things up."

It's taken awhile due to his personality but Kai has mostly figured out when it is an extra bad idea to push Bright and the issue is clearly closed. The actual information is something he'll need to thing about.

Bright's very tempted to add that Char is where the money for his vintage glasses came from, but he doesn't want to cause issues for Sayla.

After the bridge has cleared out Mirai observes:
"At New York, we only survived because he wanted Garma dead."

"Probably."

Char is now much more careful about avoiding people in the halls while he looks for his sister, he doesn't find her anywhere, so he gives up looking and heads back to the mobile suit hangar to meet up with his men and warn them about angry feddies.

Oh! Theres Sayla’s recognisable blonde hair! ...and also recognisably curly brown hair belonging to Amuro. Char very much doesn’t want to talk to Amuro right now, its been months but the death of Lalah still felt pretty raw. He wasn’t going to challenge him to a dramatic duel to the death that resulted in vengeance or suicide or anything, half a year ago he still might have, but talking to him outside of a professional setting would be too much for right now.

He just just sort of stands awkwardly by the entrance to the hangar, unsure if he wants to go over there. For the millionth time he is glad for his mask so he just looks like he’s mysteriously brooding instead of insecure.

Amuro doesn't want to talk for basically the same reasons and will pretend not to see him.

Sayla doesn't want to talk for only slightly overlapping reasons and will join in the pretending not to see game.

Char heads over to his comrades, who just happen to be near Amuro, but it’d be weird if he just left as soon as he saw them and didn’t speak to his buddies.

“Hey there captain. Looks like we will be able to reload our guns. But since this isn’t a proper ammunition factory they probably wont have the same muzzle velocity as the standard rounds. But who knows if the standard rounds would even scratch some freaky alien anyway.” The soldier chuckles at his own joke.

Another of the squad pipes up. “Wait we have to fight aliens? I don’t want to fight no creepy green men who can mind control you.” He looks nervous.

the first soldier smacks his comrade on the back. “Who else would we fight doofus! Ain’t no other humans out here, and you read too much old pulp, they probably have tentacles and aren't shaped like people at all.”

The bickering continues as the two others in the squad join in in arguing about what the aliens will look like, they are obviously a pretty closely knit group. Char does not join in, even among his own men he is a bit of an outsider.

“Glad we have the supplies to rearm, for... whatever's out there.” And more pointedly pretending Amuro and Sayla aren’t right there in front of him, 

Sayla is very good at the pointedly pretending game.

Amuro breaks. 

"Char do you have a minute? I have something I want to show you."

Char stops the grimace from crossing his face. It’d be weird if he refused.

”Okay.”

Amuro get ups and leads him to the break room. He hasn't exactly thought things through, but plans to ask him some of the same questions Friedrich had as a warm up to the really hard ones and has a vague idea of using the red Zaku as a transition.

The break room is mostly empty to begin with and clears out completely when Amuro and Char show up.

Amuro goes over to the model boxes and starts pulling stuff out until he get the red Zaku and puts it on the table. He pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts and see if Char is going to ask any questions.

“My old Zaku command type... It’s not badly done. It’s nice and all but you brought me here to show me a toy?”

Char was confused as to what Amuro wanted, why he brought him here. 

"One of the Zeons we left behind on Pluto made this. He had some questions for you, and since he's not here I'm going to ask them instead."

"Why did you do... everything really. Why did you fight for Zeon to begin with and why did you kill the Zabi's when you did? Why did you..." He was going to ask why Char got Lalah involved but isn't quite ready to go there. Also its not something Friedrich even remotely asked about.  "Just why."

Char locks the door to the room before answering. Then takes off his mask.

“I suppose you, my greatest foe, deserve to know.

My name is Casval Rem Deikun, son of Zeon Deikun the beloved prime minister of side 3. The Zabi family poisoned my father and twisted his ideology of Spacenoid independence into a call for war and Spacenoid supremacy, riling the people up into the coup that lead to Side 3 becoming the Principality of Zeon. Using my fathers name for their twisted abomination of what he would have wanted.

I escaped to earth as a little boy to avoid being used as a tool or assassinated myself, and swore I would kill them all. Once I was old enough I adopted the identity of a spacer drifter named Char Aznable and joined the Zeon war college until the war broke out, and then rose through the ranks of the Zeon army. Waiting for a chance to kill them.

Sorry for using you as a tool to kill Garma, but it was the perfect opportunity.”

Char may or may not have had the dramatic reveal speech mostly prepared beforehand. In case anyone found out.
He doesn’t mention he wasn't alone when he escaped to earth, his sisters identity is not his secret to share, and she obviously had a thing for the boy. He wouldn't sabotage her chances with Amuro, even if he still resented Amuro for killing Lalah.

Char is treated to the flattest "What" he has heard in his life.

Amuro doesn't know what he was expecting but that could not have been less on his radar if it was hiding behind every I-field in the solar system.

"Wait thats so crazy it actually makes sense. But do you have any proof, and why did you have to bring Lalah into the war. Also why do you look like Sayla?"

“I uhhh... suppose a DNA test would show proof I am the son of Zeon Deikun. I cannot imagine his DNA wouldn’t be on record.” And there was enough of his father in his face that a look at a photo would be convincing enough, he wore the mask for a reason.

“And Zeon Deikun had two children who fled to earth. Anything else about Sayla Isn’t my story to tell.” Fuck, Amuro could tell just from their faces, sorry Artesia.

“And Lalah... I found her in a brothel in india, I could tell immediately there was a newtype nearby she was that strong. She started travelling with me and I handed her off to the Flanagan newtype institute before I was sent to spy on the Federation mobile suit program. When we met again she was even stronger, almost too sensitive to whatever it is newtypes are sensing for her to handle. I was distracted from my revenge by the potential she showed as a next step for humanity. Perhaps my fathers beliefs influenced me in that, I became obsessed with the idea of humanity reaching that next step.

Then Kycelia found out who I was and I agreed to keep serving Zeon as long as they kept pushing forward research of newtypes, I put aside my revenge for that goal that was so clear in my mind. Lalah was grateful to me for rescuing her and wanted to help me fight and show the Zeons the power of newtypes so they would continue the research.

And well... you were there for what happened next, Lalah died, I wanted revenge on you, then Sayla reminded me of my original motivations at A Baoa Qu and I left to go kill Kycelia. Then the war ends and nothing much happens till my men get called in to this superweapon.” He's had a lot of months to think over what happened and put all the pieces together. He doesn't know what took him over back then, he was so convinced about newtypes that he set aside his revenge for them, and now it seems a hollow goal.

Amuro is much more familiar with the face of his almost girlfriend than even well known historical figures, also his guess was like 50% newtype intuition.

"Ok that. Um. I'm gonna go lie down for a bit then talk to Sayla."

After a much shorter amount of time than it would have taken him to get up, Sayla goes to Amuro's room.

"I should probably tell you some things about Char if he hasn't already."

"He told me that Zeon was his father and that his whole life has been a convoluted revenge plot except for a bit where he got obsessed with newtypes. He didn't want to tell me you're his brother but he took his mask off so I got suspicious. I think he thought I'd recognize the family resemblance with his father but not you even though I see you every day and barely remember Zeon Deikun from my textbook."

In fairness to Char even most feddies would be more familiar with Zeon Deikun than Amuro, 'too busy reading technical manuals to notice an evacuation alarm', Ray, and Char spent the recent portion of his life in a country literally named after the guy. 

"I should have told you sooner, but I wasn't. It was just never the right time."

"I think its ok I just need some time to think. By myself."

"Ok. I'll be around when you're ready. Maybe don't tell the rest of the crew. Bright knows because it was relevant to the mission and I needed to explain were I got the gold. That was a gift from Char he wanted me to use it to run away from the war. But no one else knows."

"Oh that explains that then. Wait you mean its Char's fault Kai could afford those glasses?!?"

"I really need some time to think."

That was a bit of a disaster but much less than she was expecting.

Amuro is not going to be truly ok anytime soon, for example before the heat death of the universe, but will rebound to basically functional before the reach the planet.

The rest of the crew is still a little bit nervous about having their arch-nemesis walking about on board, but are starting to get pretty excited about the new planet. It is sinking in that they are making history, in a way that doesn't involve massive explosions for once. Also, while being cut off from "home" isn't great most of them don't actually have a home to go back to. Side 7 is toast and even the rest of the Sol system isn't looking that great after the One Year War.

During the trip towards the planet, the comm relay that the White Base left by the alien FTL relay forwards a transmission that came from a probe that came through from the other side. News from Pluto has finally arrived.

Jacinda writes that she is sure they are all still alive and that everyone on Pluto is fine, they have more than enough supplies in the Pluto base and even more that were salvaged from the blown up ships. Though most of the food that survived the ships was the boring emergency nutrient paste.

They managed to get the relay pointed away from earth but havent been able to fix the issue of it causing objects to have too much mass coming out. Jacinda also figured out the the relays have a dedicated communications system, so you dont have to shoot lasers or radio through the FTL system while it's activated to communicate, though that is still possible. The other method seems to use another unknown system that isnt the normal FTL system, that is supposedly instant if she is reading the glyphs correctly. She sends an image of a point on the relay where it picks up light, and relays the light level it is getting to the other side in real time. So just pointing laser comms at that point should work, since Job John set up a comms relay near that point to read the light flashes that got sent through. If she doesn't get a reply using the system she showed them, she will assume they can't get it to work and already has comm relays hoping to pick up comms sent via the FTL system, and to respond she will send probes through like this time.

The Pluto team has contacted the Federation and the Federation says it will be at least 10 months before supplies from the Jupiter fleet can get there, and it will take 14 months for the Federation technicians and further supplies and personnel to be organized and travel to Pluto.

The communication ends with Jacinda writing that Job says hi, and Friedrich was bummed to not be able to meet the famous Red Comet.

Fraw Bow can totally make their communications system interface with the relay's ftl one.

Everyone will say hi back to John Job. The crew is small enough that everyone at least kinda knows him.

Bright will be boring and responsible and give an update on all of the actual information they've gathered including attaching pictures and scans. He'll also forward their farming plans and ask if they can be reviewed by people with any idea how agriculture works.

He doesn't say anything about there not being a name for the planet yet because he's still working on ideas and doesn't want anyone to pre-empt him after being reminded that that is still something that needs to be worked out.

Amuro will use Sayla as a go between to strongly hint to Char that it would be really nice if he were to respond to his figurative fanmail from Friedrich.

She isn't thrilled by the prospect, but agrees with the sentiment and kinda likes having an excuse to talk to her brother while still avoiding the everything.

Char isn’t a federation soldier, and thus has no duties on board during the trip, and space travel without something to do is incomparably dull. So when he sees his sister show up his mood is brightened considerably.

He has been trying to speak alone with her this whole trip and it seemed like she was avoiding him, but surely that was just a coincidence. She must just have been busy with her duties or something surely. Artesia had always been such a good child who always wanted to follow her brother around, she wouldn't ignore him.

Ok she can do this. They'll probably end up talking about... stuff but she can ease into it.

"So Cha" she glances around to make sure they're alone, "Casval."

"Did you hear we have comms to Pluto back up? They think it will be ten months, maybe more, to get more supplies and at least 14 months to fix the relay."

"Oh and also Friedrich, one of the defectors who helped us take Pluto, said he was disappointed he didn't get a chance to meet you."

“Artesia, I’m glad we can finally talk. I haven’t been able to catch a hold of you this whole trip. Captain Bright must be keeping you very busy.

It’s a relief we will get supplies relatively soon in case the agriculture plans don’t work, and that we can call home and get information.”

He doesn’t really know how to act around her, last he really got to talk with her was when she was still a little girl, the pleas to defect during the war didn’t really count as conversations. Now she was a young woman with much more serious eyes and a force of personality he wouldn't have expected that little girl to grow up having.

”I’m glad it wasn’t just my squad on the Zeon side that saw that the destruction of the Earth isn’t something you can allow to happen. I suppose once the Pluto team is relieved by the Federation repair team they will be sending, they can rejoin us here and I’ll be glad to meet him, otherwise if he is staying there he will have to wait for the relay to be fixed.”

Ok he missed the hint but she tried and they do have a lot to talk about.

"I don't think they have craft to send people through now but it wouldn't surprise me if he comes through with the supplies. I'm not sure anyone's shown you the models yet but he was pretty good at them. You should try making one if we have any left."

"Anyway I've mostly been helping Amuro, and trying to get a feel for how the rest of the crew is reacting to you. I think they've calmed down for now.

“We are heading to an alien world, and somebody must have made those relays. Who knows what threats are out there. It would be foolish to fight amongst each other right now, and we might need every man we can get in case something goes wrong or something attacks us.

And if I get chased off, my men would leave with me, depriving you of 5 mobile suit pilots and mobile suits. The fact that my mens mobile suits have been resupplied shows your captain understands the situation.”

Char had a good deal of respect for Bright Noa, His tactics were adaptable. He survived clashes with foes (some of whom Char sent his way) that would have crushed most older and more experienced captains. That Bright seemed level headed enough to also understand It was pointless to fight right now, just cemented that respect in Char’s mind.

"Bright did a lot of the calming people down. It really helped that you killed so many of the Zabis." She allows herself a tiny smile at this. She didn't approve of the cost he was willing to pay for revenge, but she is still happy to have it. "Besides sticking together in a new world is just common sense."

"Not that I really expect 5 suits to make the difference against anything that could build an array like that and just leave it arround. But there could be other threats or things where we need the manpower for colony building."

She breaks into the first actually sisterly smile she's done in a long time, almost an actual laugh.
"After all what if we need to someone to check if we can eat the space mushrooms."

Artesia had changed a lot, but that smile he recognised. He allows himself to smile back at her.

“I am absolutely not the one who will be trying the local flora!  I made that mistake on earth and that was with plants we evolved alongside. Never again am I trusting a trooper who says any kind of wild mushroom is edible and that their grandad totally taught them which ones were safe. I was in bed for a week!” He recounts the story fondly however. Even during his revenge quest against the Zabis, he couldn't help becoming fond of the men under his command. Even when they accidentally gave him food poisoning.

He wondered if Artesia had made friends like that here on the White Base. She had always been shy as a child but she was so different now.

Thinking of the White Base crew had reminded Char of something.

”Ah... Artesia... Amuro guessed we were related when he saw my face... I should have thought of that before doing so, but he demanded to know my reasons and identifying myself seemed the easiest way to explain. He at least deserved to know who I was, after everything that happened.”

He hadn’t wanted to cause trouble for his sister, he knew she had feelings for Amuro.

”I hope this has not interfered with your relationship. I dislike the boy but I wouldn't want to interfere in your personal life like that.”

It kinda did but she doesn't want to be a dick about it.

"Well I'd been looking for an opprotunity to talk to him about my past anyway..."

She doesn't actually look happy about this.

Char has never had an actual relationship either, some one night flings, but no real relationships. So, he doesn’t have much advice to give besides vague impressions he got hearing about other peoples relationships. As the older brother however, he should seem confident when giving advice.

”If he is worthy of you he won’t hold your past against you. As far as I know you’ve been loyal to the federation since our escape from side 3. If he holds the circumstances of your birth against you, or who you happen to be related to, then you deserve better.”

Char doesn’t even like Amuro, but Artesia clearly does, so he feels like he needs to help somehow.

”Maybe get more involved in his hobbies? The boy looks at mobile suits worshipfully, the way a soldier looks up to a war hero, or the way a husband might look at his long time wife.”

He's not wrong per se. but.

"Thats actually most of how we got to know each other. I fly the G-Fighter and have been making models with him."

"Thats... Nice I suppose. I worry he might still be getting over the death of Lalah. Even without a physical relationship I could tell those two had an intense newtype connection. And those feelings are easily confused as romantic ones."

It feeling romantic was true for himself as well. He still didn't really know how he had felt about Lalah, she had feelings for him and their newtype connection was strong, so maybe he had just been reflecting the feelings he felt from her through that. He wasn't the type to fall in love but it felt like something had been there between them. But then Amuro and Lalah had connected so strongly during that fateful battle that even he could sense it, and if all it took was a strong newtype connection for Amuro to feel like that, then were his own feelings even real?

But Artesia didn't need to know about his own relationship troubles, just how things might have affected her own target of affections.

Who? Wait not she can't just admit to not knowing any of this.

"He really still isn't over the war as a whole."

"The war started much earlier for me, and It's been such a big part of my life for so long. Honestly now it's all over I didn't really know what to do with myself, nothing seemed worthwile anymore. But an alien world! that seems livable! A way to travel through the deep dark of space and explore distant stars! That is something exciting, that is something I can structure my life around again.

I think Amuro will also pick up now he has something to strive for."

Maybe he gave away too much about himself there, but it was Artesia, if there was one person he should be able to trust it would be his sister.

"Probably... I'll see you around."

Char puts his mask back on. "It was nice to talk to you for longer than a sentence in the middle of a battle, You've changed a lot but I think it will be nice to get to know the new you."

He might have said father would be proud, but Char wasn't sure that was much of a compliment with what a complicated figure their father was.

"Yeah, it was nice."

The White Base somehow manages to avoid hosting significantly more drama before reaching orbit. Mostly because it was such a short trip.

As the ship gets close enough to orbit, the cameras are able to pick up a lot of detail. No obvious buildings or cities or anything resembling civilisation, which matches the complete radio silence and lack of the other signs of technology they scanned for earlier.

The plant life looks planty, even if the leaves are more a blue-y green rather than the normal leafy green of earth plants. The coasts seem to almost exclusively have what looks like mangrove forests. Very few places that you could call an actual beach exist, because of all these coastal plants. There is large animal life that can be picked up on camera that look like what you would expect animals to look like. The details are a bit fuzzy but the ones they can spot have legs and bodies and heads.

Many a soldier loses a bet about it all being tentacled monsters or giant insects or ooze monsters. 

There are plains that are either covered in a grass equivalent, or moss, or something else planty that is short enough to make areas look like a plain, there really is not enough resolution to tell from orbit. Mountains are rare, and the ones that do exist are all clustured and look like severe tectonic shear at work. The foresty/jungly areas have extremely dense tree cover, there are no forests with spread out trees like you might find on earth. There are a chain of active volcanic islands making an incredibly obvious tectonic boundary line in the oceans, a neater line of islands you could not wish for.

The atmosphere is confirmed to be a nitrogen/oxygen mix perfectly breathable by humans, if a smidge higher in oxygen than was normal on earth, but not high enough to be health threatening even with long term exposure. The volcanoes are spewing enough sulfur gas to choke out humans on many of the volcanic islands. The cameras can see huge cyclonic storms building over the oceans, something to be mindful of when picking a landing site. 

Ok so probably not on the shore, though its worth sending a scouting team to check the mangroves. Particularly if there are regular enough prevailing winds to predict where storms are likely to land.

The forests might be suitable for slash and burn, but they look intimating and the crews knowledge of slash and burn is having heard of the term plus a few paragraphs in the the ships encyclopedia.

The plains sound like the best choice preferably nearish to a river and in a fairly tropical region. That basically fits their slight knowledge of potato framing. If the weather on the planet were less of an unknown or everything was being built by hand then being right next to a river would be ideal. As it is doing some mobile suit assisted irrigation sounds like a better plan than building in a potential flood-zone.

Bonus points for a site near enough to the transition(s) between biomes that they can access them all by buggy. That way they can plant at multiple sites to hedge their bets. Also, with the planned rescue timeline they'll stick to their existing building materials and using modern tech for light and heat, but if things stretch on they'll want access to lumber.

Bright will order a landing at the point best fitting that description.

Char is against any idea involvling mass environmental damage like slashing and burning, and is glad they picked a relatively empty looking area to land and set up in.

There is a point on one of the relatively larger landmasses that fits that description. Even though it is a larger landmass for this planet, it is barely bigger than Italy, and much less mountainous than italy. No Alps here, because no land continents are smashing into each other. An area near one of its craggier peaks has a decently sized plain, with a river coming out of a spring heading down the mountain and cutting through the plains. The river continues to cut through a forested area and then finally reaches the sea. Following the river it would take about an hour to get to the sea by buggy (assuming a path was cleared).

It is much easier to chart a path to the surface than on earth, with the utter lack of space junk and lack of interference meddling with scanners. Descent goes as well as it possibly could since it is a calm sunny day over the landing site. Though landing during one of the storms raging over other parts of the planet seems like it would be very difficult.

Mira is actually still pretty new at deorbiting as opposed to docking or flying through space-lanes, but given that she managed to do it right under fire when she had barely started piloting the White Base this is easy by comparison. 

She makes sure to bring them to a hover then do an air to ground landing with a nice little fly over of the area they're landing in.

Char is worried about contaminating the local bioshpere, or being contiminated in turn by the local biosphere, but reentry would have burned off any stubborn bacteria on the outside of the ship, and there are quarantine protocols meant for visiting space stations with a pandemic that should suffice for exiting the ship without taking out or bringing in anything dangerous.

The place the ship lands is nicely flat, covered in a blue-green grass analogue. None of the animal herds seen from orbit are nearby. The river is not too far away. If it wasn't for the wrong colour of the grass this could be easily mistaken for a field on earth.

Bright will make sure everyone follows the protocols at least long enough for them to have the medical lab analyze things. Now to come up with a name.

Kai will rush to be the first one to technically set foot on what he dubs New Shidenland.

"We're not calling it that."

"Is there even an old Shidenland to compare it to?"

"Thats not really the point, besides I was here first."

"We should name it after side 7. But new side 7 is a silly name so it should be Blue Noa or something similar."

That Noa is also Noa's name is a very nice coincidence but its nice to have another reason she can use.

"If we just want a 7 it could be Septimus."

?

"Latin"

"So we're agreed on New Shidenland?"

"No"

"No"

"No"

"No"

"Imo"

"No"

"No we are not a naming a planet after you."

"Actually, I just meant the island." *snickers"*

He totally meant the planet.

"We aren't doing that either!"

"Hey, I was here first."

"The landing site can be Shiden field, now shut up."

Honestly giving this much of a concession is probably a mistake but Kai was out first and he's feeling pretty generous given the planet is on track to be named after him side 7.

"So Blue Noa for the planet, Septimus for the star, and maybe New Atlantis for the island?"

The first two are only logical. New Atlantis was just the first island name she could thing of but it feels right.

"The first two make sense. New Atlantis is a bit odd, but it does sound nice.

"Its settled then. Let's move on with the exploration."

"You lot sure settle things easily, I'm not disagreeing with any name, but this is a pretty momentous occasion. The naming of a whole new world feels like it should be more of a big deal.

This all feels... anticlimactic. Future generations will watch the cam footage and expect a proud line of humanities finest marching out the door ready to conquer a brave new world. This feels more like a field trip."

Not that it feeling like a field trip was a bad thing. The white base crew sure were very relaxed for a military crew, but it must be a good way of doing things since they went pretty much undefeated during the war.

"Quick decision making has always been one of our strong points. I do have a speech planned, but am saving it for the flag raising and official naming."

This is not technically a lie in that he is planning it now. 

"The flag is still secured in storage from the descent. If Fraw fetches it while we get the site set up we'll be ready to go."

"I'm on it."

Bright manages to pull together a short little speech in the time it takes to set everything up.

"On this day November 11th 0080 on the island of New Atlanis, on the planet Blue Noa of the Septimus system I, Captain Bright Noa of the Earth Federation, declare the foundation of man’s first interstellar settlement."  

"After a year of war humanity can once again look to the stars with hope, and with the knowledge that we are not alone in the universe. On this new planet which is neither Earth nor space we can build a society that is prepared to meet the creators of the technology that brought us here or serve as worthy replacements should they have fallen to the depths of time."

He plants the flag.

A good enough speech that even Char manages to refrain from slow clapping and claps genuinenly.

Kai will complain that the speech didn't include anything about being on Shiden field but does have enough sense to wait until after the applause ends.

Sayla will and the others will start taking samples back to the medical lab for analysis.

Fraw will use the comms relay to forward a recording of the speech back to Pluto, and from there presumably Earth.