Stelle: The universe... The Astral Express... Aeons... Did I get dragged into a science fiction movie or something? This "Stellaron" thing is in my body...
Stelle almost fell asleep as she was looking above the cosmos at a whale swimming into deep space. She looks at her hand reminding her of how she became a walking nuclear bomb with the Stellaron inside her body thanks to Kafka. But all those thoughts when March bothers her, waking her up completely.
March 7th: Are you trying to catch the stars?
March giggles and Stelle moves to the side as her fellow friend sits beside her.
March 7th: I've done stuff like that before. But, it wasn't stars for me though... it was lights.
Stelle then listens to March 7th's past, of how she was recruited and found by Welt, Himeko, and Pom-Pom from the Express.
March 7th: When I first woke up after being rescued from the ice, I could see clusters of stars in front of me. I reached out for them automatically, but they turned out to be the carriage ceiling lights. The whole crew was watching me — it was pretty embarrassing.
Stelle: Rescued from an ice?
March 7th: Oh, I forgot to tell you.
Flashback
March 7th: Before all this and meeting Y/n's crew, I was stuck in a huge block of ice drifting through space.
In the past, March was in a cryosleep while encased in her Six-Phase Ice. She's drifting through space, not knowing how she was put to sleep in the first place.
But suddenly a shining light reflects on the ice, she is near collision with a giant silhouette figure who picks her up and brought towards the train.
March 7th: Himeko and Mr. Yang and someone who has metallic silver hair and wears a metallic blue coat. It's hard to describe who it is but it resembles Y/n, in a way.
Inside the train, Himeko and Welt are observing the Ice with someone else beside them. This someone walks towards them as he observes it but then he notices that the girl's eyes are slowly groggily opening.
March 7th: They figured out a way to melt the ice and saved me.
He then opens his hand and aims it at the ice. A silver goo started to crawl its way around the ice. It then covers the entire ice block and starts melting it. The size is slowly losing shape and shrinking while the two trailblazers watching are worried about the girl.
When it's done melting, the goo is suddenly being absorbed. They covered their face and stood their ground from the absorption. After it was absorbed completely, they discovered that the girl was standing a little bit with silver blood veins appearing on her naked body.
Flashback end
Stelle: Wait, do you remember what happened before they found you frozen?
March 7th: That's the problem, I don't remember a thing.
She frowns at this issue as she continues, not noticing the AR Gundam girls watching behind the scenes.
March 7th: Who I am, where I'm from, my name... it's like everything was erased from my mind. "March 7th" was the day they found me, so it stuck in my head as my name.
She then summons her bow which is modified to be filled with GN Particles in the coloration of her colors like the other Trailblazers of the crew.
March 7th: Ever since then, I've been hanging out on this train and following it to whatever destination it decides to stop at. I'm hoping that one day, I can find my past.
But then she saw the mood slowly turning into a gloomy one and disturbed it by shaking her head off from those thoughts.
March 7th: Ugh, what am I talking about this for? Way to get everyone down, huh?
Stelle doesn't have words to answer as she's processing the information she got but her thoughts were quickly disturbed by March's cheerfulness.
March 7th: Cheer up, Stelle! It's not every day someone gets to ride on the Astral Express. Not to mention, the hardest yet the best mentors of combat I've ever met!
Stelle smiles knowing that Y/n has some good allies he trusts and trains with. However, she has this feeling that Kafka and Y/n are somehow related to each other. However, she heard March seeing the conductor go towards them.
March 7th: Ah, here comes the conductor!
Pom-Pom: The Express has reached a safe distance from the space station. We'll be jumping in about ten minutes. Return to your seats please, both of you. Things could get bumpy even though we got ourselves a few upgrades!
March 7th: Uh... thanks, Pom-Pom. But did you have to come and remind me? I'm not a newbie, you know~
Pom-Pom: Well, it wouldn't be necessary, but Ms. March 7th likes to challenge herself *sighs* and falls over every time.
Pom-Pom's face has the expression of being dumbfounded by March's doing of staying balanced while the train is warp jumping. But March couldn't care less as she sees this as positivity and not idiocy.
March 7th: That's just called never giving up! Hehe~
Pom-Pom just sighs and goes to the control car and assists the CB members including Eri as they're about to warp jump to their next destination. But before that, she saw Suletta sitting beside her as she greeted her.
Suletta: H-Hello, Ms. Stelle.
Stelle: Um, who are you?
Suletta: My name is Suletta Mercury or you can just call me Suletta.
Stelle: I've never seen you before with the other members, when did you join?
Suletta: Um... It's a long story... But maybe another time, 'cause we're about to warp jump. This could get really bumpy like that bunny conductor and my sister says.
As she left hurriedly to get to her seat, Pom-Pom announced herself in the loudspeakers.
Pom-Pom: Hello? Hello hello? All passengers, please return to your seats.
March is muttering that she won't fall over, again.
March 7th: ...I won't fall over! I won't fall over!
Pom-Pom: The train is about to make the jump! Hold on, everyone!
Stelle suddenly feels the train tremoring from the start of the jump.
Pom-Pom: 5!
GN Condenser's running up at a fast pace.
Pom-Pom: 4!
GN Particles start to form around the train.
Pom-Pom: 3!
The whole stars are about to become small light trails as the train's boosters is going to the required speed to warp jump.
Pom-Pom: 2!
Stelle closes her eyes as the whole train wraps in blue energy fused with GN Particles.
Pom-Pom: 1!
The train now warp jumps into their next destination, to fulfill Akivili's and Setsuna's trailblaze missions.
*Opening 2 plays*
As the train exits the jump to hyperspace, they look out the window to see the planet their train is parked at. Himeko knows this place too as she was one of the early Trailblazers of the Astral Express. She was disheartened to see the planet she knew of had become like a snow globe in the past few years.
Himeko: After all those millennia... is this what Jarilo-VI has become?
March 7th: Huh? So that snowy planet is our destination this time?
Y/n: Looks like it, the train sometimes brakes hard on its own whenever there's like an anomaly on the Star Rail.
Speaking of anomaly, Eri and Pom-Pom come out from the control room and report to the team about the Star Rail status.
Pom-Pom: Spatial readout anomaly! Star rail stability is down to 12%! Schedule alteration: Seven-day stopover time extended indefinitely!
Eri: Also, we couldn't get any satellite communication readings or active relays over there. Looks like if you go down there, you need to place the beacons we made to have some stable communication.
Stelle is confused by this anomaly Pom-Pom talked about and asks to Himeko.
Stelle: Anomaly?
Himeko: The complex locality of this world has been affected somehow. The star rail has been blocked off by something. Take an ordinary train as an example: It's like the tracks up ahead have suddenly snapped, and the way forward leads straight into a collapsing abyss. The only sensible thing to do would be to brake hard, right?
Pom-Pom: If we try to force our way ahead, there could be a hefty price to pay!
Chall: Even with our upgrades in the train, it still might not suffice to sustain great damage. If only we could find his trail here...
She muttered those words that only be heard by Dan Heng, Welt, and Himeko who were paying attention very well. March is minding her own business and plans for her travel goals on this planet and Stelle is just confused as to who she was talking about.
March 7th: So the cause of this planet to look like an ice planet is...
Welt: Correct, it stems from a Stellaron, as always.
Stelle: The Stellaron...
Chall: The same energy that wakes you up and becomes a walking arsenal.
Y/n: Don't worry. It's not the first time we encountered a Stellaron before. Stellarons are mysterious— even ours and Herta's team in the Genius Society aren't able to fully understand them. But at least we know how to neutralize their influences. 'Like what we did on averting a catastrophic destruction to Miorine's wedding...'
Welt: The only thing we can say for sure is that their arrival causes massive changes to civilizations and ecosystems. They also generate distortions in space such as Fragmentums.
Y/n: Then there has to be a connection between the Stellaron we're dealing with here, and Jarilo-VI becoming a frozen planet.
Himeko: Our current theory is that Stellarons are seeds of disaster planted by the Destruction. We can't continue to trailblaze without removing the source of the disaster.
Stelle: So it means...
March 7th: Yep Stelle, we've gotta get busy!
Himeko: Stelle, I'd like to entrust this trailblazing expedition to March, Dan Heng, and you. What about you, who you will assign on your team to go with them?
He spoke first for those who would stay on the train and enter the NVG Simulated Universe.
Y/n: Suletta I would like you to enter SU's 11945 world again, and Sophie you will be the next player to enter the Honkai world. Me and Chall would go with the three.
Sophie: You got it, boss.
Suletta: Ok, Y/n.
Himeko: The objective is clear: Find the Stellaron responsible for the disaster and the spatial distortions, and bring it back to the Express. We'll deal with the rest.
March is now smiling as she looks at Stelle with her hands on her hips, confident to get this through.
March 7th: Awesome! We get to work as a team again, Stelle!
Stelle: I'm glad. But... you're not coming, Himeko?
Himeko: Someone has to stay on the train, or Pom-Pom will get lonely. Not to mention, Nanook threw us a glance back there and apparently at Y/n. If we're targeted by the Antimatter Legion, then things could go south very fast.
Welt sighs as he just sighs from boredom of not going with them, again. He only was able to journey with them back when the Jepella Rebellion crisis happened and knows the responsibility for this, the Stellaron Hunters.
The hunters though got away immediately when the Express arrived to check on some things. The survivors were the civilians and the good people from the remnants of the brotherhood. They were awarded handsomely but they insisted on taking only half amount of it and keeping the other half for their needs.
Welt: So it's still not our turn...
Himeko: I know you want to go, but we should give the youngsters a chance to get out there on their own. It'll be a good opportunity for them to bond.
Y/n: Stelle, March, if you two are ready, why not go and fetch Dan Heng? He's probably already started collating the info all we needed for Jarilo-VI. It's always good to know things about the next stop of your journey before you trailblaze it by yourselves. We'll meet you on the surface. *runs off*
Stelle: But wait, how are you-
The Gundam Meisters began to spread out to get to their assignments before Stelle could even ask a question to him of how they gonna get down to the planet's surface. March then explains it briefly.
March: Don't worry, when it comes to us getting down there, we just have to put on the beacon first for fast and safe travels. We need Dan Heng's guide on the location to put the beacon in place, so you have to talk to him about our departure in Jarilo-VI.
Stelle then approaches Dan Heng who comes out of the door leading to their passenger cabin and greets him.
Dan Heng: Oh, hello Stelle. Are you doing okay after your first experience of warp jump? Dizziness or retching are normal reactions. You'll feel better once you get used to it.
Stelle: To be honest, I feel fine, considering.
Dan Heng: So you have high compatibility with the Express. That's good.
Dan Heng pulls out his phone and reveals the amount of information data he gathered about Jarilo-VI.
Dan Heng: I went through the Express database, and it seems the environment on Jarilo-VI has undergone drastic changes in the past few centuries. It was not a frozen planet, to begin with...
Stelle: Welt says it was caused by a Stellaron.
Dan Heng: He said so? Hmm... considering the spatial obstacles that the star rail has encountered, it's highly possible.
Dan Heng: By the way, I'll inform our Gundam pilots that I've conducted a preliminary survey and found that there's one area with a relatively normal temperature on the surface of the planet to place the first beacon. By that, I mean a temperature that just about allows for human survival.
Stelle: OK, thanks. But also Himeko wants you, me, and March 7th to go together after the pilots place the beacon and meet up with them.
Dan Heng remains impassive from this feeling that he's used to this sort of trailblazing assignment.
Dan Heng: As I expected. Before you came, whenever March wanted to go anywhere, Himeko would make Mr. Yang and me go with her or if not the two of us, it would be Y/n and Sophie. Even after you arrived, I didn't suppose I'd be the one to be liberated of that duty. Anyway, I'll join you two once I'm ready.
Stelle nods and sees him go to Welt and Himeko and talk to them. She returns to March who was looking out of the window.
March 7th: Did you talk to Dan Heng? How'd it go?
Stelle just sheepishly smiles and answers her truthfully.
Stelle: He doesn't seem very enthusiastic...
March 7th: *sigh* That's our Dan Heng, always trying to look cool with his poker face. Don't mind him~.
But then a shadow passed over them so fast and Stelle looked out the window and saw the Gundams have launched out of the Express' catapults to enter the planet.
March can see that Stelle is looking out the window after she sees the Gundams fly off into the planet and can see the GN particles leaving on it's trail.
Meanwhile, Chall's Gundam team is now descending into Jarilo-VI. Y/n speaks up on Chall's coms.
Chall: Prepare for atmospheric re-entry, it's gonna be like we're in a boiler room.
Dynames: Exy-chan, ready for a tan?
Exia: Never agreed to that, Dyna!
Both of the Meister are now on top of their Core Fighter and use it like a surfboard. They are now entering the planet as the heat is building up underneath their core fighter armor.
From the planet's surface in a city that's snowing, a young woman with three long curly hairs wears a short white dress with blue and gold details, two purple and blue earrings, thigh-high black boots, and translucent gloves. She has a blue and black hair tie and wears a golden symbol on her left breast that has the appearance of a mask.
She is walking by the streets and enters her home. She then changed her clothing to her sleepwear and was about to go to her bed for a shut-eye. She suddenly looked out the window and saw two stars falling on their planet.
She felt threatened but also curious about this. She couldn't describe if it was a threat or something else based on the green particles it was leaving behind.
The Gundams finally touched down from a distance near the coordinates Dan Heng sent to them to place the beacon. Not knowing their touchdown was felt by the people underneath the land they stand on.
The people under the mountain were troubled by this, whether enemy or ally. Especially a young woman with long purple hair and light purple eyes. She wears a purple scarf with red and white details, as well as a white, black, and purple outfit with black shorts.
On her left arm is a red band tied together with a purple sleeve, and on her right a fingerless glove that goes up to her elbow. She also wears a pair of black and blue boots of different lengths.
She's holding a scythe as she looks at the rocky ceiling above them. She then felt her chest sting a little bit as she looked at a symbol that had a runic mark on her chest. It was that mark that was making her hold and wield the scythe only, it glows bright purple like it was calling towards something or someone.
She looked up determined and ready to face the challenge that was to come as she twirls her scythe with grace and aggression.
Back at the Express, Stelle and March are continuing their chat while waiting for Y/n and Chall's work to be done. They already know that the other members are in their Simulated Universe room made specifically for their simulated universe missions
March 7th: Relax, Stelle! Me, Dan Heng, Chall, and Y/n are experienced trailblazers! We got your back!
Then they receive a text message indicating that the beacon is ready and testing out if the text messaging is still working even though it was snowy on the surface. March smiles texting them that they're on the way so she puts away her phone and asks Stelle.
March 7th: Well, are you ready?
Stelle: Geared up and ready to go.
March 7th smiles as she grabs Stelle's arm and immediately meets up with Dan Heng on the beacon teleporter or what they originally called Space Anchors. As they walk towards where Dan Heng is waiting for them, March starts to think about Jarilo-VI's shape and landscape.
March 7th: When I first saw this planet, I thought: "A world covered in ice... could it have something to do with my past?" *pouts* Now I can't stop thinking about it.
March flexes her protection skill which forms a small ice sculpture of her Gundam suit.
March 7th: Still, the ice that trapped me was Six-Phased Ice — a very rare substance. I don't think you can find it on your average planet.
Stelle: Well, we'll never know if we don't get down there and have a look with them.
March 7th: To be honest, I think I'd be kind of annoyed if I found out this was my homeworld. It looks freezing... Pretty girls aren't frost-resistant!
As they arrived to where they were they looked out the window to admire the planet once more. Not noticing that Dan Heng goes to where the two girls are, he looks out the window with his eyes filled with the wonder of what they will face down towards the Stellaron-influenced planet. But he suddenly saw March looking at him for too long and asked.
Dan Heng: What? Is there something on my face?
March 7th: Nah~ I was just imagining all the fun we're gonna have here... hee-hee!
Dan Heng: *sigh* I feel sorry for this world. First the Stellaron, and now you...
Stelle: Let's go.
March 7th: Alright! Here comes, the Jarilo-VI Trailblaze Team!
The said team now feels their bodies glowing as they're now teleported onto the surface of the planet.