MBF-P02Kai Gundam Astray Red Frame Kai

The Astray Red Frame Kai is a variant of MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame developed by the Junk Guild. First appeared in photo series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED VS Astray. This unit is piloted by Lowe Guele.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Originally, the Astray Red Frame was armed with the standard armament of the other prototype Astray suits. These weapons include two head-mounted "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS, two back-mounted beam sabers for close combat, a Type 71 beam rifle and a single physical shield. Red Frame pilot Lowe Guele eventually added another piece of armament to the Red Frame standard armament, which is the "Gerbera Straight" katana. It is also armed with the "Tiger Pierce" Katana, from it's other unit, the Astray Red Frame Mars Jacket. The Red Frame Kai incorporates the newly developed Tactical Arms IIL from it's sister unit, the MPF-P03R Astray Blue Frame 2nd Revise as it's booster pack which also serves at it's close combat and long ranged weapons. This includes it's usual Sword Mode and the new Crossbow Mode, which can fire a powerful beam arrow. It was also revealed that the Tactical Arms IIL can go into Turn Delta mode as well.

Unlike the other Astray units, the Red Frame had an additional feature, which could be used as a weapon. Like other mobile suits, the Red Frame is equipped with hand plugs to exchange energy with weapons the suit carries. The Red Frame has the ability to emit beam weapon-like energy from his hand plugs which could be used as a emergency weapon, for example to temporary blind enemies.

"Gerbera Straight" katana
While Red Frame had the same basic armament of the other two Gundam Astray units, Lowe dislikes the high energy requirements of the beam weapons. Thererfore, he favores using the "Gerbera Straight", a mobile suit-sized katana given to him by the eccentric old swordsman Un No after Lowe repaired the damaged sword. Unlike the swords used by ZAFT suits like the ZGMF-1017 GINN, the Gerbera Straight is extremely sharp, and does not rely on the kinetic energy of a high-speed swing to cut through its targets. It is also covered with anti-beam coating, allowing it to parry beam sabers.

"Tiger Pierce" katana
Same as the "Gerbera Straight", the Tiger Pierce is extremely sharp, and does not rely on the kinetic energy of a high-speed swing to cut through its targets. It is also covered with anti-beam coating, allowing it to parry beam sabers.

Tactical Arms IIL
After the Red Frame is damaged in a fight with Librarian Works' LN-GAT-X207 Nebula Blitz Gundam, the mobile suit is heavily upgraded. The main weapon of the Astray Blue Frame 2nd Revise, the Tactical Arms II was transferred to the Red Frame after the Blue Frame was critically damaged while fighting the MBF-P05LM2 Gundam Astray Mirage Frame 2nd Issue. The Tactical Arms II was modified to Lowe's specifications, renaming it the Tactical Arms IIL ("L" for Lowe). The weapon is mostly identical to the Blue Frame 2nd Revise's and retains the Sword mode and Flight mode, but the unit also adds on the new Beam Crossbow mode and a hand carried beam rifle for standard use.

History
In CE 71, the Orb Union's Morgenroete corporation built five Gundam Astray prototype mobile suits at Heliopolis, the MBF-P01 Astray Gold Frame, MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame, MBF-P03 Astray Blue Frame, MBF-P04 Astray Green Frame and MBF-P05 Astray Mirage Frame, which were used to base the five G Project Gundams that they assisted the Earth Alliance's Atlantic Federation in creating. They successfully copied the EA's beam rifle and saber technology, but Morgenroete did not have access to the Phase Shift armor design, and compensated by making the Gundam Astray units lighter and more agile than their EA counterparts. Unlike Gold Frame, Red Frame was fitted with only Orb hand plugs, and thus could not not use Earth Alliance weapons.

On January 25, CE 71, ZAFT's attack on Heliopolis to steal the Alliance Gundams also unknowingly interrupted the Astray project. In order hide their progress, Orb's military decided to destroy the Astray lab. Coordinator Rondo Ghina Sahaku, an Orb nobleman, disagreed and attempted to save all three suits. He uploaded all the Astray data into Red Frame's computer, including the latest Natural-use OS. This proved fortunate for Junk Guild merchant/technician/pilot Lowe Guele, who discovered Red Frame (as well as Blue Frame and Gold Frame's discarded right arm) shortly afterward, while searching the remains of Heliopolis for valuable salvage. Lowe initially clashed with Gai Murakumo of the Serpent Tail mercenary company, who had been hired to eliminate all evidence of the Astray program, but the two joined forces when Gai's employer double-crossed him; having seen the mobile suits, Gai himself had become evidence of the program's existence.

After the battle against Librarian Works's Lily The Valley and her LN-GAT-X207 Nebula Blitz Gundam, the Red Frame got heavily damaged due to it's Mirage Colloid Teleportation and superior power. Although Lowe survived, he then teamed up with Serpent Tail and repaired the unit, also modifying the Blue Frame 2nd Revise's Tactical Arms IIL for Lowe's Use. The result is the new Astray Red Frame Kai.