Your story is full of interesting details, which is always what makes a story excellent I have found. The doscovery of the dueling pistols and the way in which they function is an example of this.
I enjoy the way in which you also do not make Nooj a superman in any way. He doesn't know anything about machina and must rely on Gippal for such matters. This also shows the ways in which the team really is unusually well-matched. I like that Nooj has second thoughts about his recordings.
Nooj's growing pride is his group of misfits is believably carried out through short passages in each chapter. He keeps stepping up his praise of their various abilities, although, since he is Nooj he still tempers his praise with doubt.
Your depiction of Nooj remains realistic and the character development subtle.
Author's response
I am obviously wallowing in your praise. I have been writing Nooj, exclusively, for more than a year and should understand him pretty well by now. No, he is no superman. He is someone trying desparately to hold himself together until he can find an honourable ending to an increasingly hideous -to him- life. BTW: Judas pistols such as I describe have actually existed. They are rare, but real.