Hathaway’s Flash 2nd Book: Story summary/ Spoilers/ Chapter breakdown

In this blog post I will be giving a chapter by chapter run down of the 2nd book in the Hathaway’s flash trilogy novel. This is the shortest book clocking in at 216 pages(the first was 300+ pages) and in comparison to the first book, would be considered much slower as it doesnt progress the overall story at the same pace the 1st and 3rd book do.

I should also mention that these books follow the Beltorchika’s children novel version of the Char’s rebellion storyline and not the Char’s counterattack movie version. Although there are many notable differences the only one relevant to Hathaway’s Flash is that Hathaway kills Quess, not Chan Agi. You can find a more detailed blog post about the differences between CCA and Beltochika’s children here

There will be spoilers.

Chapter 1 – Standing position

Gigi is making herself at home in the cottage provided to her by Kenneth, though she feels extremely lonely.

In the text it is explained that the earth federation’s policy of moving the growing population into space while leaving the elites and those of high social standing on Earth caused unrest with those living in the space colonies so people would illegally migrate to Earth. This led to the earth federation unofficially forming a task force known colloquially as ‘Man Hunters/Hunters’ that would hunt illegal immigrants and send them back to space.Which in turn led to anti earth sentiment causing Mafty’s rise to prominence, eliminating the very government officials that were responsible for the Hunters.

Earth federation soldier Kimberly Hyman was ordered to oversee an earth federation summit taking place in Adelaide, Australia. But due to his ineffectiveness in fighting Mafty was replaced by Kenneth Sleg. As a last ditch effort to save face before being replaced, Kimberly takes his unit known as the Kimberly Unit and heads to Oenberry where he believes a huge force of Mafty members are residing.

Gigi wonders to herself whether Hathaway is on his way to Oenberry.

Chapter 2 – Keria Dez

On board the Mafty mothership, the Valiant, Hathaway is informed that earth federation radio communications between Davao(in the Philippines) and Kwancho(in Hong Kong) have increased. The coded messages indicate that reinforcements are being sent to Kwancho, which would imply that the summit is being moved from Adelaide to Kwancho. Hathaway however suspects that these messages are being used to deliberately trick them and insists that Adelaide is where the summit will take place.

Hanging around the mobile suit deck Keria comes to greet Hathaway who is acting standoffish. Keria has noticed that Hathaway has become more distant since the Haunzen incident.

In the text it is explained that after the 2nd Neo Zeon war, Hathaway was put on trial for stealing a mobile suit and piloting it. However, given that he was able to shoot down an enemy suit, he was given a pardon. Regardless, Hathaway became depressed and was sent to earth to train to become a Botanic inspector in Manado. He lived in Hong Kong and during this time he met Keria. Keria would often visit him while studying and the two eventually became lovers. Keria was an illegal earth immigrant however and so they were unable to marry. During his studies, Hathaway was visited by a man that went under the alias Quack Salva, presumably someone of high standing that was once (or is) an earth federation general. Quack teaches Hathaway of the corruption of the earth federation enticing him to join Mafty. He decided to join and Keria also joins in hopes that it will bring them closer together.

Chapter 3 – Valiant

On board the Valiant and the sister ship Shirak, captain Brinks Wedge commences preparations for the upcoming Oenberry scout mission. Hathaway launches in his Xi Gundam and Keria watches in worry.

Vice captain Iram assures Keria that this mission is no different than any other and that Hathaway is in a special Gundam so he will definitely make it back safely.

Keria feeling embarrassed asks to be sent on a mission, to which the captain replies that he was thinking of sending her on a reconnaissance mission to Darwin.

Chapter 4 – Pass through canal

After a slight skirmish with a few Gustav Karl enemy units, Hathaway and crew eventually arrive at a gorge overlooking Oenberry and to their shock they see the town has been absolutely devastated by the Kimberly unit. Hathaway and the other mobile suit pilots analyze surveillance data and confirm thousands of dead bodies, a few Kimberly unit mobile suits and a few remaining resistance members.

Hathaway and his team engage in battle with the enemy Gustav Karls which are made short work of thanks to the powerful Xi Gundam. Only 3 Gustav Karls manage to escape. Hathaway and team push on into Oenberry.

Chapter 5 – Mark of Oenberry

Hathaway and crew manage to chase the Gustav Karls back into Oenberry and take them down along with a small cruiser. He then heads in deeper into Oenberry only to see thousands of rotting bodies laid out. He wonders to himself how humans could do this to each other.

He meets up with some of his crew at what appears to be a Supermarket that was used as the base of operations for the Kimberly unit. He hears that some of the Kimberly unit members have been captured and are being held. Seething with rage Hathaway demands to see the hostages.

Chapter 6 – Mafty Navue Erin

In her cottage, Gigi calls Kenneth to tell him that she will be leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow and that she would like to see him tonight.

Kenneth is busy with the Adelaide summit defense preparations and is unable to meet with her but prepares her flight for tomorrow morning and promises to he will come to pick her up from the cottage.

Hathaway and crew begin questioning a captured Kimberly Hyman and some of his crew. Kimberly tries to act tough on them but his men soon cower once they are threatened with torture. Hathaway informs them that the resistance stationed in Oenberry were not actually Mafty but that they are more that willing to hand them over for execution, given their inhumane acts in Oenberry.

Hathaway and Gauman deliberate on what they should do next. Gauman sees no point in keeping them alive as they are not related to Kenneth’s Circe unit and so have no valuable information. Hathaway however thinks they will make good bargaining chips.

The leader of the Oenberry resistance, Fabio Rivera, is also in Oenberry and questioned by Hathaway. Hathaway is furious that Fabio would resort to dirty tactics like using the Mafty name to carry out terrorist acts like the Haunzen attack, but acknowledges Fabio’s capability as a leader and the damage they have done to the earth federation. Hathaway is informed that a recording of the Oenberry massacre was made and that it is on its way to space so that it can be broadcast for the whole world to see, which will effectively lead to distrust of the Earth federation government.

Hathaway and his team decide it is time leave Oenberry but before departing Fabio informs them that their group also received information suggesting that the summit will be moved from Adelaide to Kwancho and that they plan on attacking a nearby airport to secure a plane so they can make their way there.

Chapter 7 – Gigi and Kenneth

The next morning Kenneth makes his way to Gigi’s cottage to pick her up. He starts talking about recent government affairs and Gigi is sympathetic.

Kenneth thinks to himself he may feelings for Gigi but nothing long lasting. He much prefers the stewardess he met on the Haunzen, Mace Flower, who he has tried calling at her apartment.

Kenneth notices that Gigi is adept and being able to read people’s emotions but she insists that it is just her female intuition. Kenneth suspects that she may be a Newtype.

Before leaving Gigi has Kenneth tell her Hathaway’s contact details as she plans to contact him.

On the plane from Davao to Hong Kong, Gigi hears some cabinet ministers mention Adelaide.

Chapter 8 – Apartment

Gigi arrives in Hong Kong and is taken to her apartment. At the same time, Mace Flower receives an urgent request from her agency that she needs be a cabin attendant for some cabinet ministers heading to Davao right away. It is implied that Kenneth is responsible for this request.

Gigi arrives at the apartment and begins furnishing it almost immediately, making sure that it is prepared for Cardeas who is to arrive in a few days.

Chapter 9 – Underwear on the bed

Hathaway, Gauman and crew arrive back on the Valiant to find out that Keria and other crew member Julia have been sent to Darwin in Australia for recon as well as to secure supplies for the Adelaide mission. Their intel suggest that there is a mobilization of troops in the Adelaide area.

Gigi goes outside to find a public telephone so that she can call Hathaway, as she suspects that the phone in her apartment may have been bugged by Kenneth.

When Gigi calls, Hathaway’s teacher Amada Mansan picks up and informs Gigi that Hathaway is away and that he is not sure when he will back. Gigi tells Amada to relay a message to Hathaway, “I want our next date to be in Adelaide”. Amada says he cant make any promises but that he will try to relay the message to Hathaway. Gigi then states that she just might end up going back to Kenneth in Davao and then hangs up.

She returns back to her apartment and sees a broadcast reporting on a massacre that happened in Davao involving Man Hunters and some civilians.

After much contemplation, Gigi decides living a life with Cardeas would be unfufilling and that she must leave him. Although she feels sorry for Cardeas, she also has feelings for Kenneth and Hathaway.

As she leaves for Davao she remarks to herself “I may be going off to die”.

Chapter 10 – Approach walk

The Valiant arrives on the Australian continent while avoiding enemy units. They are headed for Binoe harbor where they will do a resupply of equipment and then leave the Valiant to head off farther into the Australian continent. Hathaway also suspects that Fabio’s resistance crew will also be in the area.

The crew receive Gigi’s message from Amada and take it as confirmation that the summit will in fact be held in Adelaide.

Gigi makes it back to Davao and is greeted by Kenneth who is surprised to see her back so soon.

Gundam Penelope pilot Lane Aime however is less than amused that Kenneth would invite ‘another’ blonde woman back to the base and remarks to himself that he much prefers Mace.

Kenneth orders Lane and some other mobile suit units to head out towards Oenberry and find and eliminate any Mafty members that may be in the area.

Chapter 11 – Girl and Woman

Kenneth is organizing the defense of the Adelaide summit which includes police, army and an electronic protective barrier and sending them to Adelaide. All of this while tending to Gigi is making Kenneth exhausted. He is soon to make his way to Darwin airport where he will pick up some cabinet ministers and take them straight to Adelaide.

Gigi is led to Kenneth’s office and upon entering sees Mace. Immediately Gigi senses that Kenneth and Mace have been intimate and likely have had sex. After some light conversation with Mace, Gigi goes for the attack and asks Mace how the sex with Kenneth has been(more explicitly, what kind of acts has she done for him) which results in a slap across the face from Mace. A frustrated Mace then announces that she is heading back to Hong Kong.

Kenneth doesn’t see the incident but is able to surmise what just happened, Gigi however warns Kenneth not to see Mace anymore as she is ‘bad for his health’. Gigi also states that she has a feeling Lane’s mission will go well, she predicts that ‘something’ from Mafty will be captured but then corrects herself to say that “it will sink to the bottom of the ocean“.

Gigi announces that she wants to go and see Hathaway in Manado(in Indonesia) and as Kenneth is on his way to Australia he decides to give Gigi a lift and drop her halfway.

During the flight they receive a communication saying that the Mafty mothership, the Valiant has been shot down by Lane. Gigi’s prediction came true and Kenneth uses this an an opportunity to formerly introduce Gigi to the rest of the crew as ‘the goddess of fortune’

Chapter 12 – Departure from Darwin

3 hours before being shot down, the Valiant arrives at Binoe harbor for its resupply and they meet with Julia who has secured the location. 2 hours later they rendezvous with Fabio and his crew and formulate a plan.

Fabio and his crew will head for Darwin airport, kill any government officials present and hijack a plane, making it seem as though they believe the summit will be head in Kwancho. Hathaway and some of his men will continue on to Adelaide by land. Fabio must hurry with his attack however as the government officials will likely be departing from Darwin airport soon. Fabio and his team leave to make their way to Darwin airport.

Hathaway and crew head farther into the Australian continent making a brief stop at the Darwin coast where they meet with some reconnaissance members. The reconnaissance team inform them of earth federation activity happening at the aiport and mention that huge amounts of electronic components are being transported from Darwin airport, which causes slight unease in Hathaway as he wonders what they could be for.

At Darwin airport while aboard a transport plane Gigi feels unease and says she doesn’t like the atmosphere at Darwin. Kenneth instantly takes this to mean danger is coming and orders all the planes to take off at once. Kenneth’s transport plane manages to leave just before the attack but the remaining planes aren’t as lucky and are destroyed.

Just as planned, Kenneth suspects the attack was to secure planes to head for Kwancho.

Chapter 13 – Information

In this chapter it is explained that the Adelaide summit will be one in which a number of the earth federation cabinet ministers will gather to enact legislation that will effectively force all illegal earth immigrants off of earth and essentially legitimize the Man hunter organization. The legislation itself will essentially give preferential treatment to earth federation government officials and will give them and only them the power to decide who can live on Earth.

The Oenberry massacre tape finally makes it way to space and is given to a news outlet who broadcasts it for the entire world to see.

The police chief in charge of the Adelaide defense preparations Hunley Yorkson is on the phone with the Cultural education minister McGovern who is worried that the broadcast will reduce public support for the earth federation. Yorkson however assures McGovern that measures are being taken to ensure the broadcast ends and that the incident will be written off as a piece of propaganda, fake news.

Chapter 14 – Damage in dark bottom

*This is a fairly short chapter so not much of note of happens that progresses the story*

Hathaway arrives at the rendezvous point in Ayers Rock and is told that the Valiant as well as some of the advance forces were shot down. He begins to realize that he is participating in a war of attrition.

Chapter 15 – Gigi’s spring

After leaving Darwin airspace Kenneth’s transport plane arrives at Alis Springs, a few hundred kilometers from Ayers Rock. They decide to spend the night in the hotel.

While relaxing in her room, Gigi thinks to herself about why she chose Kenneth over Hathaway. She also regrets that her ‘predictions’ have been favorable to Kenneth’s cause but harmful to Hathaway’s. Gigi also senses that Hathaway is close by.

Kenneth comes to visit Gigi in her room and Gigi announces that she would like to do some sightseeing in Ayers Rock in the morning. Kenneth suspects that Mafty might be in the area and decides that it would be best to send a small mobile suit squad with Gigi just in case. Kenneth and Lane will make their way to Adelaide while Gigi will head to Ayers Rock.

Chapter 16 – Bose Londenion

In their home on side 1, Bright Noa informs his wife Mirai that he will be headed to earth to act as a support unit to Kenneth’s Circe unit in a mission tomorrow. His wife however is annoyed as they had made plans to do location scouting for a possible restaurant, New Hampshire.

Originally Bright had aspirations of retiring from the army to become a politician but fatigue from the war and the earth federation’s trend towards corruption have swayed him into leaving the earth federation altogether.

He handed his resignation 6 months ago but his capability as a captain and his military record have made him a invaluable asset to the earth federation and as a result they continually reject his resignation. This time however he has received word that once he has finished with this mission that he will be allowed to retire.

Bright remarks that once he finishes with the mission that he will go to see Hathaway in Manado.

Kenneth informs Lane and his team that they are to move on ahead to Adelaide while 2 Gustav Karls and a cruiser(with Gigi on it) will head to Ayers Rock for sightseeing and but also to sniff out Mafty.

Lane is frustrated that Gigi is being allowed to participate in a recon mission and begins to doubt Kenneth’s sanity. He shouts to the heavens “There’s no way Mafty is at Ayers Rock!”

Chapter 17 – Uluru

The Gustav Karls and the cruiser arrive at Ayers Rock which alerts Hathaway and his team causing them to commence a pre-emptive strike.

Hathaway in his Xi Gundam manages to down the Gustav Karls and captures the cruiser ordering they surrender. He can hear Gigi’s voice on board the cruiser. She tells him “Take me as a hostage”

Once all the members have evacuated the cruiser he orders them to hand over Gigi to which they have no choice but to comply. Using the Gundam, he takes Gigi, leaves the crew alive but destroys the cruiser.

Chapter 18 – Narrow space

Hathaway opens the hatch of the Gundam to let Gigi jump inside. They are elated to see each other and embrace is a longing hug. Gigi informs Hathaway that Kenneth has his suspicions but doesn’t know that Hathaway is Mafty. Hathaway suspects Gigi may have been sent as a spy but somehow doubts it. Regardless, he is happy to see her.

Summaries for book 1 here

Summaries for book 3 here