In the anime series Gundam SEED's manga side story Gundam SEED Astray, the Orb Union's Morgenroete corporation built 3 Gundam Astray prototype mobile suits at Heliopolis, the MBF-P01 Gundam Astray Gold Frame, MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame, and MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame, based largely on data from the 5 GAT-X series 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. Gold Frame, unlike the other two, was fitted with both Orb and Earth Alliance style hand plugs, allowing it to use the beam weapons of both nations.
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 Gina Sahaku, an Orb nobleman, disagreed and attempted to save all 3 suits. He commandeered the Gold Frame used a heavy bazooka left behind by the stolen GAT-X102 Duel Gundam to blow a hole in Heliopolis that Gold Frame could fly out through. Unfortunately, Rondo Gina forgot to calibrate Gold Frame's right arm, which was damaged in the process. He discarded the damanged arm (but kept the bazooka), and escaped the dying colony. Afterward, he piloted the Gold Frame (still missing an arm) in several battles with Red Frame and its pilot Lowe Gear .
In the last of those battles, Gold Frame was severely damaged by atmospheric re-entry, and taken to Orb's main island, where Morgenroete upgraded it to the MBF-P01-Re<AMATU> Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatu. The first stage of the upgrade was refiting the suit with a new head with enhanced sensors, and replacing the lost right arm with that of the destroyed GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam. The arm included the "Trikeros" shield, equipped with a beam rifle, beam saber, and 3 "lancer dart" penetrators, as well as the Phase Shift armor and Mirage Colloid cloaking systems. The latter was applied to the entire suit, allowing it to disappear from both visual and sensor detection. The second stage involved two unique weapon designs. One was a pair "Magashira no Hoko" harpoons, which were equipped with Phase Shift technology and thus could penetrate virtually any armor, then be retracted by tether lines. The other weapon was even more revolutionary: the "Maga no Ikutachi" system. This consisted of two large "claws" on the backpack, which could drain energy from the batteries of enemy mobile suits, weakening them while at the same time recharging Gold Frame Amatu's own battery. Initially, physical contact with the claws was required. Rondo Gina piloted Gold Frame Amatu until he was killed in battle by Blue Frame pilot Gai Murakumo.
His twin sister Rondo Mina Sahaku then recovered the damaged suit, and repaired and upgraded it into the MBF-P01-Re2<AMATU> Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatu Mina Custom. This new version's main visual difference was the spiked toes on its feet, but more significant were the improvements to its armament. Amatu Mina Custom featured a perfected "Maga no Ikutachi", which could drain the battery of any nearby mobile suit, and also had two new additional weapons. Mounted on its hips were two "Totsuka no Tsurugi" beam sabers, and on the left wrist was the retractable "Tsumuha no Tachi" triple claw.
Specifications
MBF-P01 Gundam Astray Gold Frame
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc/Orb Union
Users: Orb Union
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Head height: 17.53 m
Base weight: 49.8 t
Special equipment: None
Powerplant: Ultracompact battery
Armament: "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS x2, Type 70 beam saber x2, Type 71 beam rifle x1, shield x1
Pilot(s): RondoGina Sahaku, Rondo Mina Sahaku
MBF-P01-Re<AMATU> Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatu
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc/Orb Union
Users: Orb Union
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Head height: 17.99 m
Base weight: 73.2 t
Special equipment: Phase Shift armor (right arm only), Mirage Colloid
Powerplant: Ultracompact battery
Armament: "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS x2, "Maga no Ikutachi" energy absorption claw x2, "Magashira no Hoko" harpoon x2, "Trikeros" armed shield (50mm high-energy beam rifle x1, beam saber x1, "Lancer Dart" hypervelocity kinetic energy penetrator x3)
Pilot(s): Rondo Gina Sahaku
MBF-P01-Re2<AMATU> Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatu Mina Custom
Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc/Orb Union
Users: Orb Union
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Head height: 17.99 m
Base weight: 73.2 t
Special equipment: Phase Shift armor (right arm only), Mirage Colloid
Powerplant: Ultracompact battery
Armament: "Igelstellung" 75mm multi-barrel CIWS x2, "Maga no Ikutachi" energy absorption claw x2, "Magashira no Hoko" harpoon x2, "Trikeros" armed shield (50mm high-energy beam rifle x1, beam saber x1, "Lancer Dart" hypervelocity kinetic energy penetrator x3), "Totsuka no Tsurugi" beam saber x2, "Tsumuha no Tachi" triple claw x1
Pilot(s): Rondo Mina Sahaku
