0
Episode 6: As For Them
After last week's action, the show demonstrates that it still knows how to let the characters breathe.
Spoiler
We get a brief replay of Isaribi's daring slingshot manoeuvre from last week --this time viewed from the bridge of another ship, where someone is in hysterics about the damage they're doing, while an elegant-yet-dangerous-looking man (whom we've seen glimpses of in the opening credits) smirks quietly.
Shirtless-Gaelio storms onto the bridge of Gjallarhorn's ship, and demands a sitrep. McGillis tells him to sit down before he hurts himself, but Gaelio is raring to pursue "that twerp" and have his vengeance. McGillis throws a bucket of water on this, pointing out that they have too much work on Mars now that Coral is dead. He also can now (thanks to Todo) confirm that Kudelia Aina Bernstein is on that ship --which means they'll be en route to Earth; they'll meet again soon enough.
Aboard Isaribi, the crew confirms that there's no Ahab signature behind them; they're not being pursued, though Biscuit points out that they have to stay on guard.
Below decks, Nady and his crew are struggling to repair the Gundam, and Nady irritably takes a moment to explain that the Gundam's nanolaminate armour is nothing like their mobile workers' armour. He's poring through ancient records, but can't find anything helpful, and he hasn't touched mobile suits since he was a kid (I suddenly want to know more about the Old Man's history). He reiterates just how old the Barbatos is, and adds that most mobile suits other than Gjallarhorn's are antiques as well. He also gives us a bit more background on the Calamity War; a war fought with mobile suits that could've destroyed the planet.
Elsewhere, McGillis is giving Gaelio the same history lesson (plus the Gundam backgrounder that he missed out on while he was busy getting his ass kicked). Apparently there were 72 Gundams in all (including the Barbatos), and McGillis confirms from sensor data that Barbatos has two Ahab reactors, specially designed for that machine. Gaelio credits the Gundam's capabilities, and McGillis points out that a machine is only as good as its pilot --though the Alaya-Vijnana system was specifically designed to optimize a Gundam's abilities.
Elsewhere, Mikazuki continues to devour what he can of the known universe. Atra calls him on it, and he says he gets hungry after work (and before work. And during. And when he's asleep). Atra, having probably never been in a fight before today, wonders if that's going to happen again, and he doesn't sugarcoat it. She asks if he's scared of dying, and he thinks for a moment before pointing out that he's wearing her good luck charm. It seems to calm her without actually answering the question.
On the bridge, Orga and his cabinet are coming up with a new plan. They can't count on Orcus anymore, so they need another guide. Orga points out that they don't just need a guide, they need someone strong enough to look after the people back on Mars, too. Someone strong enough to watch their backs. Teiwaz is the only option: a conglomeration based in the Jupiter Sphere(!), and Kudelia has heard rumours that they're really a Mafia. That's what Orga is counting on. Biscuit confirms that Teiwaz has some pull on Earth, so Gjallarhorn won't attack directly --but Norba and Eugene point out that there's no reason for Teiwaz to support kids like them. Orga points out that they can't go to Earth or return to Mars, so they might as well head to Jupiter (which appears to be almost in conjunction to them, beyond both the sun and Earth).
They're interrupted by Chad fanboying over Fumitan's latest act of hypercompetence; she's hacked Gjallarhorn's Ariadne network to get in touch with Mars. Ariadne is a system of satellite beacons that Gjallarhorn uses to get around the interference that their Ahab reactors cause --the transponder the inspectors were using back in the first episode as a communication relay. Eugene worries about Gjallarhorn intercepting them, and Fumitan points out that their communication is encrypted, so it shouldn't matter. She offers to continue helping, and Orga is sufficiently impressed that he hires her on the spot as communications officer (she even gets a last name out of the deal, "Fumitan Admoss") --which only gives Kudelia further reason to feel useless.
She's still musing over that when Mika and Atra find her. She wonders why Mikazuki wasn't at the strategy meeting, and he drawls that he doesn't like dealing with difficult things, and wouldn't understand most of it anyway. They're on their way to deliver lunch below decks, and Kudelia volunteers to come along.
After the kids moving cargo, they find Akihiro doing hanging crunches (confirming for me that there is artificial gravity and they're not just wearing magnetic boots), who tells Mikazuki to meet him in the simulator later.
As they switch decks, Atra asks if they're going to see "that Teiwaz person," and Mikazuki thinks that Teiwaz is a company, not a person. Kudelia confirms, but notes that it's not going to be easy since they have no one to mediate. She's baffled that Mikazuki doesn't seem to care, and he just shrugs; Orga will take care of it. He doesn't even know why Kudelia's going to Earth in the first place; he's just along for the ride. Atra flips that they're going to Earth (because she hadn't even heard that), and starts complaining that she doesn't have any fashionable clothes, and that people from the Homeworld will tell she's a country girl. Kudelia interrupts to explain that she's going to Earth to win freedom for the Martian people.
She repeats the backstory we know (and which Mikazuki genuinely doesn't); after the Calamity War, the nations of Earth united into four economic blocs, and the Outer Spheres (like Mars and Jupiter) were divided up and placed under their government. Chryse belongs to Arbrau, but the unfair Trans-Planetary Economic Pact means that people are being unjustly exploited. That's why she's been negotiating with the Arbrau government, and now Arbrau's leader,Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis Togonosuke Makanai, has finally agreed to hold talks. She intends to win economic independence for Mars and its people.
Atra is greatly impressed, but Mikazuki seems to challenge her, asking if she's going to save them. When she doesn't back down, he shows a rare ghost of a smile.
Nady's crew are still going over the Gundam's armour parts when they arrive. Nady says they can stop for lunch whenever they're ready, and everyone immediately drops everything. Naturally. While the girls hand out lunches, Mika asks Nady if he can help out here, and Nady says that they can use him for the heavy lifting --right now they're just doing fine tuning, and Mika can't read. Kudelia overhears and is shocked, but Mika says that he doesn't need to; piloting a Gundam is basically like a mobile worker, and the rest is instinct. She asks about school, and he points out that the people who went to school are a minority here. Nady agrees; most of these kids were too busy just surviving, though there are some who had the opportunity to pick up a few things. Atra joins them, and Mika asks her if she can read, and she confirms that the shop keeper (whom she calls "obaasan") taught her.
Kudelia offers to teach Mikazuki how to read and write, pointing out that it'll be useful, and that he can expand his own world. He thinks about reading different types of books, and says he'll give it a try. A bunch of Nady's crew overhear and want in too, and Kudelia has suddenly become Kudelia-sensei.
On the bridge, Orga is reading up on Teiwaz, complete with an org chart that sets my worldbuilding heart a-flutter. He can't come up with any connection for them to exploit, and leaves the bridge in Fumitan's hands while he goes below decks. As he leaves, she gets a not-at-all suspicious look in her eyes.
On Mars, Nobliss has been informed of Coral's death, and responds with a hearty "good riddance." He continues to be impressed by the Tekkadan kids --the Young Knights protecting the Princess.
McGillis interviews Ein (who is at so much attention that he might sprain something), and asks for his honest opinion of the CGS battle. Ein admits to being impressed with the Gundam pilot's skill, reporting that he'd never encountered anything like that in training. Ein blames himself for the loss of multiple superior officers, and requests permission to join the pursuit force to redeem himself. McGillis agrees to think about it.
Aboard Isaribi, class is in session, as Mika, Takaki, and four of the younger kids are trying to write their names (in Romanji) on touchpads. Two of the kids (Embi and Elgar, who appear to be twins) master it quickly, but Mikazuki is visibly struggling. They mock him, and Takaki steps in to crack the whip and get them back to practicing. He points out that without the adults, they all have to contribute now. Kudelia is impressed, and Mika explains that Takaki is the leader of the younger children, so he's trying hard to catch up with "us," which I assume is Orga's command crew.
Outside the door, Orga is eavesdropping, and smiles wistfully to himself before walking away.
Biscuit finds him, needing to discuss business. Biscuit thinks it might be impossible to negotiate with Teiwaz, and wonders if this job might be too much for them right now. Neither of them is about to give up and hand Kudelia over to Gjallarhorn, but Biscuit thinks they could subcontract another company to do it. He feels that Orga is taking the most dangerous path on purpose, and Orga says he doesn't have a choice; he's being watched.
He sees how Mikazuki watches him, strong and cool and courageous, always moving forward. Looking to him. Orga can't betray the faith Mikazuki has in him. Because of those eyes, he has to be the best he can be.
Later, it's Mikazuki's turn to find Orga; he saw him watching them earlier. Orga asks why Mika wants to learn to read and write all of a sudden, and he says it's just cause a teacher appeared. If he can't read, he can't help with mobile suit maintenance, and he talks again about wanting to read all sorts of books. And study vegetables --Orga remembers that Mikazuki once said he wanted to run a farm like Biscuit's grandmother.
Mikazuki asks if Orga is tired, and Orga brushes it off and turns it back at him, but Mikazuki isn't tired either. They're a long way from Earth, but the die has been cast, and they have nowhere to go but forward. Orga says they've finally found their place.
Back in class, Kudelia is helping the children with sentences, and one of the twins catches her staring at his dataport. He misunderstands her dismay, and starts boasting over how cool the ports are, and how much work he can do with them. It hurts, but he's considering getting the surgery again. His brother (Elgar) recoils at how painful it was, and he (Embi) points out that if he can't take the pain, he'll never be like Mikazuki. Kudelia is growing sick to her stomach.
Orga and Mika are musing about how much they haven't changed, and Orga quotes another ancient philosopher, Popeye. That's when the alarms sound.
They've received a stop signal from another ship, but they can't get a fix on its position. Eugene asks if it's Gjallarhorn, but Biscuit can't find anything on sensors.
And then Maruba appears on the main screen, demanding (vociferously) that the space-rats turn over the Will-O'-the-Wisp.
We get a brief replay of Isaribi's daring slingshot manoeuvre from last week --this time viewed from the bridge of another ship, where someone is in hysterics about the damage they're doing, while an elegant-yet-dangerous-looking man (whom we've seen glimpses of in the opening credits) smirks quietly.
Shirtless-Gaelio storms onto the bridge of Gjallarhorn's ship, and demands a sitrep. McGillis tells him to sit down before he hurts himself, but Gaelio is raring to pursue "that twerp" and have his vengeance. McGillis throws a bucket of water on this, pointing out that they have too much work on Mars now that Coral is dead. He also can now (thanks to Todo) confirm that Kudelia Aina Bernstein is on that ship --which means they'll be en route to Earth; they'll meet again soon enough.
Aboard Isaribi, the crew confirms that there's no Ahab signature behind them; they're not being pursued, though Biscuit points out that they have to stay on guard.
Below decks, Nady and his crew are struggling to repair the Gundam, and Nady irritably takes a moment to explain that the Gundam's nanolaminate armour is nothing like their mobile workers' armour. He's poring through ancient records, but can't find anything helpful, and he hasn't touched mobile suits since he was a kid (I suddenly want to know more about the Old Man's history). He reiterates just how old the Barbatos is, and adds that most mobile suits other than Gjallarhorn's are antiques as well. He also gives us a bit more background on the Calamity War; a war fought with mobile suits that could've destroyed the planet.
Elsewhere, McGillis is giving Gaelio the same history lesson (plus the Gundam backgrounder that he missed out on while he was busy getting his ass kicked). Apparently there were 72 Gundams in all (including the Barbatos), and McGillis confirms from sensor data that Barbatos has two Ahab reactors, specially designed for that machine. Gaelio credits the Gundam's capabilities, and McGillis points out that a machine is only as good as its pilot --though the Alaya-Vijnana system was specifically designed to optimize a Gundam's abilities.
Elsewhere, Mikazuki continues to devour what he can of the known universe. Atra calls him on it, and he says he gets hungry after work (and before work. And during. And when he's asleep). Atra, having probably never been in a fight before today, wonders if that's going to happen again, and he doesn't sugarcoat it. She asks if he's scared of dying, and he thinks for a moment before pointing out that he's wearing her good luck charm. It seems to calm her without actually answering the question.
On the bridge, Orga and his cabinet are coming up with a new plan. They can't count on Orcus anymore, so they need another guide. Orga points out that they don't just need a guide, they need someone strong enough to look after the people back on Mars, too. Someone strong enough to watch their backs. Teiwaz is the only option: a conglomeration based in the Jupiter Sphere(!), and Kudelia has heard rumours that they're really a Mafia. That's what Orga is counting on. Biscuit confirms that Teiwaz has some pull on Earth, so Gjallarhorn won't attack directly --but Norba and Eugene point out that there's no reason for Teiwaz to support kids like them. Orga points out that they can't go to Earth or return to Mars, so they might as well head to Jupiter (which appears to be almost in conjunction to them, beyond both the sun and Earth).
They're interrupted by Chad fanboying over Fumitan's latest act of hypercompetence; she's hacked Gjallarhorn's Ariadne network to get in touch with Mars. Ariadne is a system of satellite beacons that Gjallarhorn uses to get around the interference that their Ahab reactors cause --the transponder the inspectors were using back in the first episode as a communication relay. Eugene worries about Gjallarhorn intercepting them, and Fumitan points out that their communication is encrypted, so it shouldn't matter. She offers to continue helping, and Orga is sufficiently impressed that he hires her on the spot as communications officer (she even gets a last name out of the deal, "Fumitan Admoss") --which only gives Kudelia further reason to feel useless.
She's still musing over that when Mika and Atra find her. She wonders why Mikazuki wasn't at the strategy meeting, and he drawls that he doesn't like dealing with difficult things, and wouldn't understand most of it anyway. They're on their way to deliver lunch below decks, and Kudelia volunteers to come along.
After the kids moving cargo, they find Akihiro doing hanging crunches (confirming for me that there is artificial gravity and they're not just wearing magnetic boots), who tells Mikazuki to meet him in the simulator later.
As they switch decks, Atra asks if they're going to see "that Teiwaz person," and Mikazuki thinks that Teiwaz is a company, not a person. Kudelia confirms, but notes that it's not going to be easy since they have no one to mediate. She's baffled that Mikazuki doesn't seem to care, and he just shrugs; Orga will take care of it. He doesn't even know why Kudelia's going to Earth in the first place; he's just along for the ride. Atra flips that they're going to Earth (because she hadn't even heard that), and starts complaining that she doesn't have any fashionable clothes, and that people from the Homeworld will tell she's a country girl. Kudelia interrupts to explain that she's going to Earth to win freedom for the Martian people.
She repeats the backstory we know (and which Mikazuki genuinely doesn't); after the Calamity War, the nations of Earth united into four economic blocs, and the Outer Spheres (like Mars and Jupiter) were divided up and placed under their government. Chryse belongs to Arbrau, but the unfair Trans-Planetary Economic Pact means that people are being unjustly exploited. That's why she's been negotiating with the Arbrau government, and now Arbrau's leader,
Atra is greatly impressed, but Mikazuki seems to challenge her, asking if she's going to save them. When she doesn't back down, he shows a rare ghost of a smile.
Nady's crew are still going over the Gundam's armour parts when they arrive. Nady says they can stop for lunch whenever they're ready, and everyone immediately drops everything. Naturally. While the girls hand out lunches, Mika asks Nady if he can help out here, and Nady says that they can use him for the heavy lifting --right now they're just doing fine tuning, and Mika can't read. Kudelia overhears and is shocked, but Mika says that he doesn't need to; piloting a Gundam is basically like a mobile worker, and the rest is instinct. She asks about school, and he points out that the people who went to school are a minority here. Nady agrees; most of these kids were too busy just surviving, though there are some who had the opportunity to pick up a few things. Atra joins them, and Mika asks her if she can read, and she confirms that the shop keeper (whom she calls "obaasan") taught her.
Kudelia offers to teach Mikazuki how to read and write, pointing out that it'll be useful, and that he can expand his own world. He thinks about reading different types of books, and says he'll give it a try. A bunch of Nady's crew overhear and want in too, and Kudelia has suddenly become Kudelia-sensei.
On the bridge, Orga is reading up on Teiwaz, complete with an org chart that sets my worldbuilding heart a-flutter. He can't come up with any connection for them to exploit, and leaves the bridge in Fumitan's hands while he goes below decks. As he leaves, she gets a not-at-all suspicious look in her eyes.
On Mars, Nobliss has been informed of Coral's death, and responds with a hearty "good riddance." He continues to be impressed by the Tekkadan kids --the Young Knights protecting the Princess.
McGillis interviews Ein (who is at so much attention that he might sprain something), and asks for his honest opinion of the CGS battle. Ein admits to being impressed with the Gundam pilot's skill, reporting that he'd never encountered anything like that in training. Ein blames himself for the loss of multiple superior officers, and requests permission to join the pursuit force to redeem himself. McGillis agrees to think about it.
Aboard Isaribi, class is in session, as Mika, Takaki, and four of the younger kids are trying to write their names (in Romanji) on touchpads. Two of the kids (Embi and Elgar, who appear to be twins) master it quickly, but Mikazuki is visibly struggling. They mock him, and Takaki steps in to crack the whip and get them back to practicing. He points out that without the adults, they all have to contribute now. Kudelia is impressed, and Mika explains that Takaki is the leader of the younger children, so he's trying hard to catch up with "us," which I assume is Orga's command crew.
Outside the door, Orga is eavesdropping, and smiles wistfully to himself before walking away.
Biscuit finds him, needing to discuss business. Biscuit thinks it might be impossible to negotiate with Teiwaz, and wonders if this job might be too much for them right now. Neither of them is about to give up and hand Kudelia over to Gjallarhorn, but Biscuit thinks they could subcontract another company to do it. He feels that Orga is taking the most dangerous path on purpose, and Orga says he doesn't have a choice; he's being watched.
He sees how Mikazuki watches him, strong and cool and courageous, always moving forward. Looking to him. Orga can't betray the faith Mikazuki has in him. Because of those eyes, he has to be the best he can be.
Later, it's Mikazuki's turn to find Orga; he saw him watching them earlier. Orga asks why Mika wants to learn to read and write all of a sudden, and he says it's just cause a teacher appeared. If he can't read, he can't help with mobile suit maintenance, and he talks again about wanting to read all sorts of books. And study vegetables --Orga remembers that Mikazuki once said he wanted to run a farm like Biscuit's grandmother.
Mikazuki asks if Orga is tired, and Orga brushes it off and turns it back at him, but Mikazuki isn't tired either. They're a long way from Earth, but the die has been cast, and they have nowhere to go but forward. Orga says they've finally found their place.
Back in class, Kudelia is helping the children with sentences, and one of the twins catches her staring at his dataport. He misunderstands her dismay, and starts boasting over how cool the ports are, and how much work he can do with them. It hurts, but he's considering getting the surgery again. His brother (Elgar) recoils at how painful it was, and he (Embi) points out that if he can't take the pain, he'll never be like Mikazuki. Kudelia is growing sick to her stomach.
Orga and Mika are musing about how much they haven't changed, and Orga quotes another ancient philosopher, Popeye. That's when the alarms sound.
They've received a stop signal from another ship, but they can't get a fix on its position. Eugene asks if it's Gjallarhorn, but Biscuit can't find anything on sensors.
And then Maruba appears on the main screen, demanding (vociferously) that the space-rats turn over the Will-O'-the-Wisp.
This ep puts us-the-audience in the unusual position of knowing more about the world of the story than the characters themselves. So this is what "As You Know" dialogue feels like from the other side. Interesting.
This is where my bias as a life-long reader shines through --I love that we have a Gundam series talking about the value of literacy. I hope we get to see how it changes Mikazuki; reading means learning, which means he can't stay the passive human attack-animal he is now. He may not know it yet, but he's started on a Journey he will never be able to come back from.
And given how quickly he talks about wanting to read, it suggests to me that this idea has been in his head for a while.
Orga's speech was genuinely moving. I know I've made this comparison before, but you could put that same speech into the mouth of Captain Picard, or General Hammond, or Admiral Adama, or Rose Quartz, or Optimus Prime, and it wouldn't change; these are the words of a Leader.
I continue to be impressed by Biscuit's professionalism; this was a textbook example of "how to handle your disagreements with the CO in private."
