Bright Noa

Bright Noa (ブライト・ノア) is a character from the anime series Gundam. In the anime, he is mentioned to be from the city of Hong Kong and is sometimes listed as being British (However, given the anime is made before the deal in 1983 to turnover the city back to China, it is unclear whether Bright Noa is British or Hong Kong Chinese). In the beginning of in Mobile Suit Gundam, Bright is just an officer candidate without a commission from the Earth Federation Space Forces but takes command as the surviving highest-ranking military personnel. Bright's commands include the White Base, the shuttle Temptation, Anti Earth Union Group's Argama and Nahel Argama (though he never commanded the latter), and Londo Bell's Ra Cailum.

Character
Bright is a loyal and dedicated soldier both in war and peace. He enforces strict military discipline and regulations, yet he never hesitates to make the morally right decision for the better of all, even if he has to disobey orders from his superiors. As the most experienced officer on board the White Base, whose crew consisted mostly of teenagers no older than 17, during the majority of Mobile Suit Gundam, he was often placed in the role of father figure toward the crew. A prime example of ability to maintain discipline and make tough decisions for one's own good is throwing the protagonist Amuro Ray into the brig for insubordination and for going AWOL. Bright is not above using physical force to discipline crew members who are either being insubordinate or disruptive; he had slapped Kai Shiden once on the bridge for being loud and obnoxious and had done the same to Amuro after the Gundam Pilot had refused to fight-with Amuro knowing full well that his duties insured the safety of the White Base, its crew and himself. He showed his character in Zeta Gundam when he defected to AEUG after he lost hope in the corrupt Earth Federation, and again when he decided to act pre-emptively during the Londo Bell-Neo Zeon encounter in Char's Counterattack. He is considered to be the most experienced field commander in mobile suit warfare, relying on standard and reliably proven tactics rather than acts of bravado. He is often granted with top-notch military personnels and equipments under his command, such as Amuro Ray, Char Aznable, and Kamille Bidan, but he has proven himself that he can service in unfavorable situations such as in the early part of Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam Double Zeta Gundam.

While Bright is not a Newtype, he has had some experiences with the occurrences of "hearing" a request from Amuro Ray at the end of the One Year War, as well as feeling kinship and Amuro-like qualities/feelings within Kamille Bidan in Zeta Gundam. Many would consider that Bright is one of the most successful field commanders in UC Gundam timeline, as he has led his ships and fleets victorious in the One Year War, The AEUG-Titans/Gryps War, The First Neo Zeon War, and The Second Neo Zeon War.

One Year War
Bright Noa is 19 year old Ensign (A 25 year old of the rank Lt. Junior Grade in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin) and he serves on the White Base as the commanding officer, as they arrive, Tem Ray shows him a picture of his son, Amuro. When Char Aznable attacks Side 7 after discovering the secret V Project, Amuro gets in to the Gundam and tries to fight off the Zakus while Bright gets the rest of the evacuees on White Base. He soon realizes that Amuro (whom he hasn't met yet) is the only living candidate to pilot Gundam.

All the original officers on the White Base are incapacitated, leaving Bright, who is then an officer candidate, with the highest seniority on the ship. Bright assumes command from the wounded Captain Paolo Cassius and tries to find sutiable crew including a woman named Mirai Yashima. Bright and the Captain finally contact Amuro. However, Bright is angry over the fact that the pilot is just a kid and is ready to remove him, but the Captain points out that they have no one else to replace him and later grudgingly sends out the Gundam under Captain's orders when Zeon forces attack them. Eventually Bright gives some respect to him when Char retreats.

The Federation's major perceived value for the White Base turns out to be the Zeon's obsessive attraction to it. The ship becomes a major decoy in Federation operations. Bright remains captain of the White Base throughout the events of the One Year War, participating in the major operations, including the last stand of Zeon at asteroid A Baoa Qu.

After the war, Bright marries White Base pilot Mirai Yashima, and they have two children together, Cheimin and Hathaway.

Gryps Conflict
After the One Year War, Bright, like most of his comrades aboard White Base, was alienated by the High Command of the Earth Federation Space Forces. He was assigned to captain the shuttle spacecraft Temptation, whose primary missions were to escort Federation high-ranking officials, and was even beaten up by Bask Om himself when he objected to a set of orders coming from him.

Bright defected to the AEUG to aid their struggle against the Titans. Considering his veteran experience in mobile suit warfare as the captain of White Base during the One Year War, AEUG commissioned Bright as captain of the flagship of AEUG space fleet, the assault space carrier Argama.

Bright Noa worked together with his former adversary, Char Aznable and later they form the core military leadership of AEUG. Several highlights of Bright's tour of duty above Argama are the attack on Federation Headquarters at Jaburo and Kilimanjaro, Operation Maelstrom, and the final three-way battle between the fleet of AEUG, Titans, and Axis Zeon near the Gryps Two space colony. After the climatic battle at Gryps Two, the AEUG fleet was left crippled and Bright was the sole experienced military commander within the ranks of AEUG leaders.

First Neo Zeon War
He continued to command the Argama during ZZ Gundam. After taking the Argama to the colony Shangri-La to repair the Argama and take Kamille to the hospital, he and the crew of Argama was attacked by an old foe Yazan who was helped by Judau Ashta and his friends. While Judau attempted to steal the Zeta Gundam, as he was able to make it move, Bright compared him to Kamille and Amuro. Eventually when Yazan revealed his true colors, Judau in the Zeta Gundam defeated him and left before Bright could ask his name. While in Shangri-La, Bright had to deal with multiple attacks by Mashymre Cello's troops and Judau's attempts to steal the Zeta Gundam, but all the encounters ended with Judau defeating the Neo Zeon forces and then returning the Zeta Gundam. Due Judau's abilities, Bright believed he could be a major help to the AEUG, and would send him the Zeta Gundam to train him and force him to join the Argama. Eventually he was successful, and all of Judau's friends and Judau himself joined the Argama. Soon afterwords Roux Louka would join the Argama, as a liaison to La Vie en Rose, for supplies. After a struggle with Mashymre's forces, the Argama successfully leaves Shangri-La. After docking with La Vie en Rose, he meets old friend Emary Ounce who gives Judau the ZZ Gundam and upgrades the Argama to have the Hyper Mega Particle Cannon. After Fa leaves the AEUG, he creates the Gundam team which made of Judau and his friends whom uses the ZZ Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Gundam Mk-II, the rebuilt Hyaku Shiki and Mega Rider. Throughout the show he attempts to train the Gundam team to be real soldiers. While his friend Emary housed romantic feelings for him and was very attractive, Bright remained loyal to his family. On a mission in Dublin, he met Fa and Kamille once more. When he learned Haman planned to drop another colony, the Argama and Karaba, were able to rescue a portion of the population of Dublin at the price of destroying most of Karaba's force and highly damaging the Argama. He and the Gundam team went back to La Vie en Rose, to get the new Nahel Argama. Bright despite being assigned as the ship's captain, was separated from it in combat and he with Shita and Qum returned to La Vie en Rose. He later met with Sayla Mass and Leina Ashta, who discussed of Char's whereabouts and possible plans. He and the rest of the AEUG forces would later arrive at Core 3 to back up the Nahel Argama's crew in battle only to find the battle over. He later confronted an emotional Judau and allowed Judau to punch him. He later saw off Judau and Roux to the Jupiter Fleet. After the Axis Zeon was defeated, AEUG forces were integrated back with the Earth Federation, and Bright was re-instated as an officer of the Earth Federation with the rank of Captain.

Second Neo Zeon War
He was later made the commanding officer of Londo Bell Task Force, as seen in the movie Char's Counterattack. He was rejoined by his former subordinate Amuro Ray. They played critical roles during the events in Char's Counterattack when they encountered and fought Char Aznable's Neo Zeon rising faction for the last time.

Third Neo Zeon War
In UC 0096, Bright Noa would later appear in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn and he is still the commanding officer of the Londo Bell corps. His ship, the Ra Cailum, has been equipped with a Minovsky Craft System, enabling it to operate on Earth and in space. Bright is present at the Battle of Dakar where a Zeon mobile armor lays waste to the city. He is ordered by Ronan Marcenas to either secure or destroy the Garencieres, which housed the key to Laplace's Box. Bright sees the job as a personal request, however. Ronan also asks Bright to take his son, Riddhe, on board the ship with his Delta Plus. Upon meeting, Riddhe requested that he not be given special treatment, to which Bright states he'll receive none. As Riddhe turned away to look at a picture of Amuro, Bright received a call that the Garencieres had moved.

The Ra Calium moved to Torrington to repel a Zeon remnant assault on the city and military base. They are later witnessed to the Unicorn Gundam transforming into Destroy Mode and battling the Shamblo. Once the battle is over, Bright orders Riddhe to take the Gundam into custody. However, the Vist Foundation launches its own RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee, which swiftly captures the Unicorn.

All three suits are then brought aboard the Ra Calium, while at the same time the ship became occupied by Vist Foundation member, agitating the crew. Bright calmed his crew, reminding that they still serve General Staff HQ and they should consider the Foundation people to be part of them. Although their operating circumstances changed, Bright states that their mission was to hunt down the Garencieres.

As he exited the briefing room, Meran informed him that the supplies delivered to the Garuda are fit for royalty. He then visits Banagher Links, the Unicorn's pilot, in his cell and kindly questioned him. Banagher laments that if anyone finds the coordinates to Laplace's Box, "that place" would become a battlefield and that more people like Loni would die. Bright asks if Banagher escaped the Garencieres, but he says that the group simply let him go, and that Zinnerman was unhappy with the operation. Bright agrees based on the movements of the ship, and asks if he was given free will despite being a technical prisoner. Banagher says that he never felt as though Zeon was an enemy, since was a civilian and not a soldier taught to discern friend from foe. As Bright leaves, he tells Banagher not to give up because he has strength, though he says it was dumb luck that he found the Unicorn. Bright says that it may have been pure luck, but those were the circumstances of all the Gundam pilots before him, and that he chose to pilot the Gundam on his own. He asks what gave Banagher the resolve to pilot the suit, and he says there's someone he wanted to help: Mineva Lao Zabi.

Bright and Meran then go to a private terminal and get in contact with Beltorchika Irma, who confirmed that the General Revil had been deployed on a covert mission for General Staff HQ. Bright suspected they are targeting the Nahel Argama, as its crew know of Laplace's Box. Beltorchika asks if they should warn the Nahel Argama, because it would not stand a chance against the General Revil. Bright then stated that they need to get contact with the Garencieres and had Kai Shiden negotiate a plan to save Mineva from the Garuda and get the Unicorn away from the Foundation.

As the crew prepared to transfer the Unicorn to the Garuda, Banagher broke away from his Vist bodyguards to try and talk to Riddhe. Bright catches him and while the Tri-Stars occupy the bodyguards, he inform Banagher of the plan.

As the Tri-Stars, the Banshee and Riddhe/Delta Plus make their way to the Garuda, the carrier is assaulted by the Garencieres. The Ra Calium attempted to go on alert, but Meran stopped them, reminding everyone to remain focused on the mission. Bright and everyone else were later witness to the psychofield generated by the Unicorn enabling the Garencieres to make orbit with the Nahel Argama.

As the Ra Calium sets out for space to rendezvous with the Nahel Argama, Bright received a reprimand from Martha Vist Carbine for allowing the Unicorn to fall into the Sleeves' hands. Bright admits that his plan backfired, with Frontal capturing the Nahel Argama due to his quick response. Martha asks how he could lose track of the group, and Bright explains that the standard patrol fleets were removed from the area due to the nature of the General Revil's mission, and subtly implies the Vist Foundation's hand in the conflict. He confronts Martha on what Laplace's Box actually is, and she tells him about The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry that has been a Vist keepsake. The "box" is guarded by a white unicorn and a black lion, and Martha tells Bright that if they can't protect the box, then they'll destroy it as she dismisses the services of Londo Bell.

Bright is later informed by Kai that the Federation had rebuilt the Gryps Laser as Gryps II with the intention of destroying the Magallanica where the Box is located before it falls into anyone else's hands. With the Nahel Argama engaged in battle and no means of warning them nor being able to evacuate the colony, Bright orders the Ra Calium to descend to Earth. Upon arriving at Cheyenne Mountain, where Gryps II's control centre is based, Bright declared his authority as Londo Bell commander to inspect the place. When he enters the command center, he finds Chairman Ronan in the process of inserting the activation keys for the superweapon. He attempts to protest the decision, vowing to turn against the Federation if Ronan goes through with the plan, to which his superior calls his bluff. After he inserts the final activation key and starts charging Gryps II, Bright turns to leave, but then Alberto Vist revealed that Riddhe was piloting the Banshee and was in the line of fire. Bright turned to the base commander and insisted they shut off Gryps II, to which he was refused, as the laser was approaching critical mass and any accident would endanger the thousand people aboard the superweapon.

Ultimately, the Magallanica is saved as the Unicorn and Banshee create a three-layered psychofield to deflect the laser. Soon after, Princess Mineva begins broadcasting to all of Earth and space, revealing the Box's secret, that it was the original Universal Century charter, which stated that Newtypes were meant to take part in government. Martha ordered that the General Revil intercept the Magallanica and stop the transmission, Alberto declares that the conspiracy is over with the Box's opening. Bright then tells Martha that the military will be taking over and that she as a civilian had no say. He then takes her in to questioning.

U.C. 103
20 years after the events of the Second Neo Zeon War, Bright ends up in a position that no father should ever be forced into: As an officer of the Earth Federation military, he condemns Hathaway to death after Hathaway's capture as leader of the anti-Federation terrorist group Mufti. Apparently, Bright didn't know who the Mufti leader really was until the time of his execution, when he was completely unable to do anything to stop it; whether this was an unfortunate coincidence or the doing of his fellow commanders is unknown.

This incident triggers Bright's definitive retirement from the military. After witnessing the execution and spending a long time in a heavy depression, Bright finally regains his spirits enough to open a small restaurant with his remaining relatives, Mirai and Cheimin.

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