Mobile Suit Gundam Storm
is a fanfic by Vent Noir, posted on the Mechatalk forum. It was originally planned as a Mobile Suit Gundam 00 fic, and specifically a response to the way the series handled the character of Soma Peiris, but was changed to become a self-standing alternate universe.
The story begins with Super-Soldier Athene Gold transferring to the Commonwealth battleship Gallipoli, joining Big Brother Mentor Alan McDermott and talented youngster Shane Yamada in a new squadron piloting the prototype MS known as Gundams in their war with LunaPact. As the war progresses, Athene discovers more about herself, and must help decide the fate of her fellow supersoldiers...
Gundam Storm contains examples of the following tropes:
- Ace Pilot: Most of the named pilots in the series. Even Khadija is a skilled pilot, although she operates a rescue MS rather than a combat one.
- Action Girl: Athene, and any other female supersoldier. Also Lunapact pilot Nicole Perez.
- Actual Pacifist: Khadija is a member of this universe's equivalent of the Red Cross and a committed pacifist. Naturally, she and Athene don't get along.
- Attack Drone: The Storm Cell's MUBs (Multi-Use Bits), although they can function defensively as well.
- Bald Head of Toughness: Athene and the other Super Soldiers (of both sexes) have shaved heads. As she begins to break away from the organisation that created her, she starts to let her hair grow.
- Can't Refuse the Call Anymore: When Athene returns to Forge and faces possible brainwashing in order to try and save her fellow supersoldiers.
- Dark Action Girl: Pallas to an extent, although apart from being on the other side, she isn't all that much darker than Athene. And then Athene herself after she is Brainwashed.
- Expy: Athene is one of many "Artificial Newtype" characters in Gundam, most specifically Soma Peiris, although deliberate contrasts were introduced - for example, where Soma is very pale and has long hair, Athene is black with a shaved head.
- Feminist Fantasy: One of the author's goals is to take Gundam's "Artificial Newtype" concept and, to quote Joss Whedon, "create someone who was a hero where she had always been a victim".
- Gender Is No Object: The supersoldiers see no difference between males and females - superiors are always addressed as "Sir", and they refer to each other as "siblings", never "brothers" or "sisters". At their home base they have mixed-gender barracks and showers.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Shane speculates that it's awfully convenient that tensions between the Commonwealth and Lunapact broke out into war just as the supersoldiers were about to become ready. He's proven to be right. More directly, Athene and Pallas are brainwashed into thinking they're from opposite sides, so that they will fight each other.
- Little Miss Badass: Hippolyta and the rest of the second-generation supersoldiers are fourteen. And we haven't seen them in action yet, but the third-generation ones are ten, and Athene says they are better trained than most soldiers.
- Phlebotinum Girl: The supersoldiers. Note that there are no "natural" Newtypes or similar in this universe.
- Shout-Out: Most of the chapter titles are songs from Gundam or other mecha shows.
- Super Prototype: Naturally, since it's a Gundam story.
- Super-Soldier: Athene, Pallas, Ares, and Hippolyta have had significant roles so far, and there are several more back at Sparta Base.
