Unit 1: The Ultimate Prize is the first chapter of the manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray R.
Summary[]
Plot[]
In January C.E. 71, Junk Guild technician Lowe Guele discovers two prototype Gundam Astray mobile suits in the ruins of Orb's space colony Heliopolis. Although Lowe discovers the Blue Frame suit first, Serpent Tail mercenary Gai Murakumo steals it and heads out into space. Kisato Yamabuki informs Lowe that Gai is helping his partner, and both Lowe and Liam Garfield realize Gai was betrayed by his employers, who wanted him to erase all evidence of the Astrays. Lowe asks them to help him dig out the Red Frame so that he can go save Gai. Aboard the HOME, the Professor watches Gai and Elijah fight off a group of Moebius mobile armors. Lowe arrives in space and slices at the Moebius' weapons. Later, Gai and Elijah leave and take the Blue Frame with them. Although Lowe says he is happy to have Red Frame and a spare arm from Gold Frame, his personal computer 8 thinks he's lying. The Professor wonders why so many ships are gathering around Heliopolis and wonders if they'll run into any pirates. Gai and Elijah disable a pirate ship and escape. Portia, the young commander of the pirate ship, sends out an S.O.S. signal. In the H.O.M.E.'s hangar, Lowe paints the Junk Guild logo onto the Red Frame and customizes it by spray painting his name onto it. Liam does some research on the Red Frame and discovers that its weapons cannot be used by other mobile suits. Kisato doesn't understand the reasoning, and Lowe explains that it prevents the enemy from using your weapons. The Professor tells everyone about the S.O.S. signal, and Liam thinks they should ignore the signal because pirates often use S.O.S. signals to lure in their prey. He also says rescue ships are already on their way to help, but Lowe insists on helping the ship. Lowe and the others go over to the pirate ship, and Portia lies and says they were attacked by pirates. Lowe lets it slip that he has a mobile suit, and Portia asks if she can see it. After seeing the Red Frame, Portia calls Boss and tells him she's found the ultimate prize. The H.O.M.E. is hit by several missiles, and Boss demands that they hand over the Red Frame. Lowe has an idea to fight back and asks everyone to help him build some junk. Gold Frame's arm is attached to the assembled junk, allowing it to use Red Frame's beam rifle and acts as a turret and a decoy. They then bombard the pirate ship with junk (Red Frame is attached to one of these junks) and Lowe attacks with his beam saber. The beam saber goes out of control and causes substantial damage to the pirate ship's hull. Lowe can't believe he's caused so much damage and offers the pirates a discount on replacement parts.
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