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[while flying to the engagement]

Shinn: <<By the way...um, I recognize that design! It's GN-001 Exia. What's that doing here?>>

Rusty: <<I got this from a decommissioned hangar, Shinn. It's not stolen. At least I wish it isn't.>>

Dr. Saotome: <<How familiar are you with it? Are its origins similar to Destiny?>>

Shinn: <<Not at all. That machine is made of stuff that's almost alien even to us at Compass. And its pilot...you said you were gonna take note of the name Setsuna F. Seiei, right, Doc?>>

Dr. Saotome: <<I have. Now I see his relevance to this conversation.>>

Shinn: <<Because if the Exia is here, that means Setsuna was, too. And if he was here...>>

Rusty: <<Then whatever's pulling you lot here knows what you really are.>>

Shinn: <<Right. I'm not that smart compared to my superiors, but I can put two and two together, too. And you have no idea how much fear is building up inside me right now.

Rusty: <<What is Celestial Being, anyway?>>

Shinn: <<Long story. But simply put: If you think Compass is an elite force, then Celestial Being is the zenith as a fighting force. They can do with one ship what we need several for, and their machines are the fastest out of anything in our neck of the woods. You won't ever see them coming, and they leave both flowers and rubble in their wake. The miracles you think Kira and I are capable of? It's a daily routine for them. And Setsuna represents the best of that philosophy.>>

Rusty: <<You say you've worked with them?>>

Shinn: <<Multiple times. They're the tip of the spear for every fight we fly with them.>>

Rusty: <<Seems like they're the best kind of army for what we're gonna do.>>

Shinn: <<And that's why I'm tense. Exia is supposed to be an older-generation Gundam, and it wasn't due a refit until way later.>>

Dr. Saotome: <<Another displaced pilot...heavens, how much further will this go?>>

Shinn: <<I have a harder question for you, Doc. The one you only answered halfway. Why pull us all in here? If it was just Kira, it would've been easy to call it a quirk of fate or his fame finally haunting him, but I'm here. So is Char Aznable. So is Elan Ceres. And now the implications deepen. How is it doing this to us, and why bring us here? Who is it really looking for? Actually, scratch that last question. I hate to curse the next pilot I name to this fate.>>

Dr. Saotome: <<In time, Shinn. It will all fall into place.>>

Rusty: <<He's right. Isn't it enough that we trust you with this?>>

Shinn: <<I don't know anymore. All I want is to stop a cycle. A vicious one. This world can't keep looking for heroes forever.>>