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Episode 36: Stained Wings
The kaiju movie vibes are strong this week, with the mobile armour pulling off an impressive Godzilla homage. There's also some subtle-yet-logical worldbuilding.
Spoiler
The mobile armour awakens with a roar, and McGillis seems unnaturally calm as he calls Iok an idiot. The idiot in question doesn't even realize what's happening, while Mikazuki stares with eyes wider than they've ever been.
Pulling itself free of its tomb, the crane-like mobile armour turns and pecks at Iok's mobile suit, sending him flying away, minus one arm. One of Iok's escorts charges forward and get swatted aside, its cockpit crushed like tinfoil. Iok has a moment to realize what he's looking at.
Mikazuki finally pulls his eyes away as Orga reacts, and McGillis suggests retreating while they can. Orga points out that the mine will be destroyed if they leave, and that backup should already be on its way. McGillis dismisses both points: this monster can't be beaten that easily. At Orga's question, he decides that, now that it's activated, their only option is to destroy it --if they can. As Orga and Mika head for the car, McGillis muses that he took precautions so this wouldn't happen, but didn't count on Iok Kujan's utter stupidity.
Iok hauls his crippled Reginlaze to its feet, angrily dismissing the mobile armour as a piece of 300 year old scrap. He fires his railgun (from dangerously close range) as his guards call for him to retreat and regroup. They're drowned out by Iok's inarticulate battle cry, which only cuts off as the mobile armour disappears behind a sudden ground explosion. Before he can react, the machine is behind him, raising a talon --a trooper tackles him aside, becoming the second person to die for Iok today. A third tries to draw the mobile armour's attention, getting swatted away by a tentacle-like tail. A fourth manages to avoid the tail and actually land on top of the beast, only to get tackled by a leaping pluma. The last survivor is being swarmed by plumas, which Iok only now notices and, naturally, doesn't recognize.
To be fair, Orga doesn't immediately recognize them either, and McGillis reminds him that they're sub-units of the mobile armour, though he didn't think there'd be so many. A mobile worker rolls up and Zack reports that they've finished up rounding up the mine's staff, allowing Orga to give the order to get out of here.
Somehow, at least two of Iok's men are still alive; one sprays gunfire at the Plumas as the other urges Iok to get away in his damaged machine. Iok insists he can still fight, and the finally-angry underling barks that fighting spirit isn't enough to defeat that thing (which gets a shocked reaction from Iok). They offer to hold it off while Iok leaves. He balks at the thought of deserting them, but they remind him of his responsibility to the Kujan family; his life does not belong to him. Iok cries openly in his cockpit, begging their forgiveness as he flees, swearing to avenge them.
As Tekkadan withdraws, Zack gets some long-range footage of the mining facility being overrun. In particular, he spots two plumas with their "faces" buried in a fuel tank, as though feeding. He doesn't understand what he's seeing, and Hush tells him to stay on watch.
Aboard a ship between Earth and Mars, Vidar and Julieta are receiving an update from Rustal: they've lost contact with Iok's advance team. Julieta asks if they've been wiped out, but Rustal can't know --and Mars Branch knows nothing either. Vidar doesn't want to jump to conclusions; the Mars Branch is under McGillis' control, so anything they say is suspect. Julieta grumbles about Iok managing to be a nuisance even when he's not here. Rustal reminds them that they have to follow up on the mobile armour and Iok's team. He needs reliable information, and will be counting on them. As the call ends, the ship's captain reports that they are entering Mars' gravitational influence, and Vidar steps over to talk deployment strategy. Silently, Julieta muses that this is her chance; if she defeats this mobile armour, she can win an Order of the Seven Stars for Master Rustal.
Orga's group pauses at a rocky mesa to regroup, and Shino's scout force reports in: the mobile armour is gone. He's ready to go after it, but Orga tells him to come join up with them. Upon arrival, Dante reports that there are no survivors from the Gjallarhorn team. At Orga's surprise that they got close enough to search, Shino explains that they had no need; all the wrecked cockpits had been completely crushed. McGillis confirms it: that's how mobile armours work.
Before explaining further, he asks Mikazuki what he made of it, and Mika describes it as beautiful --like one of those birds he saw on Earth. McGillis corrects; not a bird, but an angel, a calamity for humanity. These monsters once killed a fourth of the human race (Mika extends four fingers, then one, trying to visualize the amount). McGillis reports that the mobile armours' sole purpose was to kill humans; they were specifically designed and programmed for that. They're the enemy of mankind that Gjallarhorn's founder Agnika Kaieru fought 300 years ago, and the cause of the Calamity War. Hush doesn't even know what the Calamity War was, and Shino and Dante look equally confused at all this. McGillis continues that the mobile armours were angels that hunted humans, and so the humans created demons to fight them: mobile suits, and the Alaya-Vijnana system to control them.
Orga pulls everyone back on track, and Dante reports that the warehouse with fuel and materiel was destroyed. The destruction of empty buildings surprises Orga, but Zack offhandedly confirms that he saw the small things ransacking the place like thieves. McGillis realizes that they're resupplying --unlike Ahab reactors, fuel and propellant can be used up. This is the first bit of good news Orga's gotten: monster or not, it's just another machine, which means it's nothing Tekkadan can't beat. Mika's ready for the fight, and McGillis agrees: Agnika Kaieru defeated mobile armours, and he's confident that Tekkadan are his match. Isurugi (having climbed atop a mobile worker to patch in) reports that he's heard from Chief Arae in orbit: the Third Ground Base has been attacked by the mobile armour. For Orga's benefit, McGillis identifies the spot where they met this morning. It's a big base, so they must have resupplied heavily, and a montage confirms that only wreckage and corpses remain.
Arae has also reported a Halfbeak-class ship from Arianrhod headed this way. Shino asks if they're going to back up the base, but McGillis says no; they wouldn't make it in time, and that area is wide open, with no chance to ambush the enemy. Orga and McGillis reaffirm their alliance; waking that monster up was Gjallarhorn's blunder, and McGillis must take responsibility for it, but Tekkadan are the ones who dug it up in the first place, and Orga won't deny that either. Orga calls for the geographical data of the area, and to find the mobile armour's current location (Hush, Zack, and even Mika hustle to obey), and sends Akihiro's team to scout. Isurugi approaches McGillis, who says quietly that they cannot let go of Mars when they've finally laid their foundation. Besides, that Order of the Seven Stars that Iok mentioned has gotten McGillis' mouth watering.
As they regroup, Isurugi reports that the biggest problem will be the plumas that accompany the mobile armour. Besides attacking, they also serve to repair the main body, which can also produce new plumas as needed. With enough time and material, they can multiply infinitely. Shino and Dante are thoroughly creeped out by this, but Mika breaks it down: if they can isolate it from the plumas, they can defeat them. Isurugi suggests that the mobile armour will head for the most heavily populated area to cause the maximum number of casualties; that's the basic operating protocol for mobile armours --their instinct. McGillis suggests setting a trap in its course instead of chasing after it, and Orga checks the map to look up the nearest population centre. Shino, surprisingly, figures it out first: Chryse City.
Orga's group will head for Chryse, and Mika asks a random Tekkadan crewer to bring Barbatos there for him to pick up. McGillis will have his and Isurugi's mobile suits unloaded too, and will meet up in 3 hours. Orga also gives orders to have the Second Unit (Akihiro's team) keep an eye on the mobile armour and select an ambush point while the First Unit preps and refuels. Shino insists he's still good, and offers to go and meet up with Akihiro, but Orga has another job in mind for him.
High above, Julieta and Vidar drop toward the atmosphere. Julieta suggests starting their search from Iok's landing point, but Vidar points out that splitting up will be more efficient. She acknowledges, and both mobile suits hit atmo on their surfboard-like shields.
In Chryse, Hush is explaining the situation to Kudelia and Atra, and they both shiver at the thought of the mobile armour heading this way. Mika explains that Orga is telling the city execs to evacuate the residents, and he wants Kudelia and Atra to join them. At Atra's question of where, Mika mentions a shelter close by, and Kudelia confirms that it was made when this land was first settled (which suggests it's part of the original pre-terraforming Mars Base) --but is far too small to house Chryse's current population. Hush sees that as reason to hurry, but Kudelia firmly says no: she will not evacuate.
She will not take up space from the less fortunate; she started this company to help people in need, and if she becomes the first to run, nobody will trust her in the future. Just as Mikazuki and Tekkadan risk their lives, she can do no less. After that, Atra isn't going either --the shop manager Haba lives here too, and she's the closest thing Atra has to a parent. Hush looks to Mikazuki to argue, but Mika just accepts what they've said and gets up to go.
The news surprises Orga when he hears it (Mikazuki phrases it as "she won't go unless everybody can," proving that he fully understands her reasoning and isn't just quoting). Orga is frustrated, but Mika's more interested in where they'll be ambushing the Bird. Orga shows him the map; if it's heading for Chryse, it'll have to pass through this canyon.
Chief Nadi rolls up with the Barbatos on a flatbed, and Mika calmly tells Orga that he'll stop it before it gets here. It's not a boast or a plan, simply a statement of fact. Orga takes it as such, counting on his Commando Unit Leader. Meribit has also arrived with Orga's "suit" --his battered Tekkadan field jacket.
From the Chryse Spaceport lobby overlooking the tarmac, McGillis is reflecting that he hadn't expected to need to deploy this machine: Helmwige Reincar (pronounced like "re-incarnation"), an improved version of his old bunny-eared Grimgerde. Unfortunately, he cannot pilot it in his current position (it belongs to "Montag," not McGillis), and tells Isurugi to master it quickly.
Elsewhere on the tarmac, the activity is spotted by Yamagi and Ecco, overseeing their own offloading from Teiwaz. They recognize the Gjallarhorn mobile suits, but don't know what the fuss is about, or why they're deploying at a civilian spaceport. The cargo worker points out that their cargo (the Ryusei-painted Flauros) is pretty scary too, and jokingly asks if they're planning to start a war.
At the canyon, Ride and Akihiro get their first look at the mobile armour and its pluma swarm. For Ride, it's like approaching the Death Star, and Akihiro warns him to cut the chatter and not to get too close; they're dead if that thing detects their Ahab reactors. Ride notes that the whole group is moving pretty slowly, and Akihiro speculates that it has to slow down to not lose the plumas. He sends this data back to Orga, glad that they'll have enough time to get ready to meet it-- and is shocked as a railgun shot comes out of nowhere to strike the mobile armour! The mobile armour changes course, and Akihiro rails at whatever idiot took that shot.
Yup, Iok again, already crowing at serving Justice to his hated enemy.
Back at camp, Orga is worrying about the time it's taking to set up, and their lack of firepower even with McGillis' mobile suits. Merribit reports on the unexpected course change toward the southeast, and Orga checks his map, spotting the public agricultural plant.
Ride breaks ranks from Akihiro's group, going ahead to warn the farm to evacuate, and Akihiro gives the order to back him up.
Mika is in Barbatos when he hears about what's going on, and launches on the spot. Hush is alarmed at not telling Orga, but Nadi waves it off; Mikazuki has full discretion.
Iok has cleared the area without bothering to confirm his kill, and is out of his mobile suit, laughing about his victory. He speaks aloud to his lost men, thanking them for their loyalty, and crediting them with his ability to get back at that monster. Julieta arrives, having seen the attack, and confirms (over her suit's loudspeaker) that Iok was the one who attacked it. He gleefully boasts of his retaliation, right up until she calls him an idiot to his face and points out that he didn't even scratch it from that far away. He insists he was using Reginlaze's maximum output, and she points out that if mobile armours were that delicate nobody would be afraid of them. He climbs back into his cockpit, insisting that his men gave up their lives to give him another chance; he cannot return without taking revenge. She yells at him once again to just stay out of the damn way.
Ride is still traveling, and a Tekkadan controller tells him the plant is lightly inhabited, but they haven't evacuated yet. In the canyon, Akihiro and the others are attacking from behind, trying to get the mobile armour to turn around.
Merribit reports that the Second Unit is defending the plant, and Orga passes word to Mika; they can't change the ambush point, so Mika will have to pull it back on course.
The Second Unit are able to kill a few plumas, but the swarm resolutely ignores them, intent on the targets ahead of it.
In the farming village, people have started to notice the approaching dust cloud and the boom of explosions. The mobile armour pauses, takes aim, and opens up its beam cannon --and Ride interposes himself in its path.
The beam hits Ride's Shiden, splashes off, and somehow arcs around to strike the town behind him. If anything, the beam scatter might actually do more damage. Buildings and civilians are blown to ashes, and Ride has a moment to wonder why his death is taking so long--
Chad is horrified at the mobile armour's power, and Akihiro worries about Ride's fate, but Chad points out that the beam weapon is 300 years old, so the mobile suit's nanolaminate armour can handle it.
Sure enough, the beam fades to reveal Ride's Shiden still (mostly) intact, but as his scopes clear of static, he looks back to see the massacre behind him --the massacre he was powerless to prevent. Akihiro calls out to him, but he can't answer, and as theInsecticons pluras swarm forward he turns his rage on them. Despite his fury, the damned things swarm over him, burying him even as they begin to tear the Shiden apart.
Ride prepares again to meet his death, but a loud boom releases some of the pressure --and again, as the pluras are knocked off him and sent flying. Barbatos has arrived.
McGillis and Isurugi are racing across the dessert to the rendezvous, as McGillis worries over this unexpected change of course. He reflects that things don't always turn out according to plan, but Isurugi notes that he sounds like he's having fun. McGillis assures him that this isn't something he especially enjoys; unexpected moves can mess up his game plan. One of those unexpected moves announces itself with a proximity alarm: an unfamiliar Ahab signature is in their path. They skid to a stop as Isurugi queries the strangers' IFF --it's a Gjallarhorn machine code. McGillis gazes up at the Vidar, instantly recognizing a Gundam frame.
If nanolaminate armour was created during the Calamity War in order to counter beam weapons, suddenly the use of human-shaped mecha wielding close-range weapons makes perfect logical sense --brute physical force is just more effective than directed energy technology. The complete absence of AI also makes sense now; even if the technology still existed, there are probably ironclad laws and social mores against anything that resembles the AI-driven mobile armours --like genetic engineering after the Eugenics Wars.The mobile armour awakens with a roar, and McGillis seems unnaturally calm as he calls Iok an idiot. The idiot in question doesn't even realize what's happening, while Mikazuki stares with eyes wider than they've ever been.
Pulling itself free of its tomb, the crane-like mobile armour turns and pecks at Iok's mobile suit, sending him flying away, minus one arm. One of Iok's escorts charges forward and get swatted aside, its cockpit crushed like tinfoil. Iok has a moment to realize what he's looking at.
Mikazuki finally pulls his eyes away as Orga reacts, and McGillis suggests retreating while they can. Orga points out that the mine will be destroyed if they leave, and that backup should already be on its way. McGillis dismisses both points: this monster can't be beaten that easily. At Orga's question, he decides that, now that it's activated, their only option is to destroy it --if they can. As Orga and Mika head for the car, McGillis muses that he took precautions so this wouldn't happen, but didn't count on Iok Kujan's utter stupidity.
Iok hauls his crippled Reginlaze to its feet, angrily dismissing the mobile armour as a piece of 300 year old scrap. He fires his railgun (from dangerously close range) as his guards call for him to retreat and regroup. They're drowned out by Iok's inarticulate battle cry, which only cuts off as the mobile armour disappears behind a sudden ground explosion. Before he can react, the machine is behind him, raising a talon --a trooper tackles him aside, becoming the second person to die for Iok today. A third tries to draw the mobile armour's attention, getting swatted away by a tentacle-like tail. A fourth manages to avoid the tail and actually land on top of the beast, only to get tackled by a leaping pluma. The last survivor is being swarmed by plumas, which Iok only now notices and, naturally, doesn't recognize.
To be fair, Orga doesn't immediately recognize them either, and McGillis reminds him that they're sub-units of the mobile armour, though he didn't think there'd be so many. A mobile worker rolls up and Zack reports that they've finished up rounding up the mine's staff, allowing Orga to give the order to get out of here.
Somehow, at least two of Iok's men are still alive; one sprays gunfire at the Plumas as the other urges Iok to get away in his damaged machine. Iok insists he can still fight, and the finally-angry underling barks that fighting spirit isn't enough to defeat that thing (which gets a shocked reaction from Iok). They offer to hold it off while Iok leaves. He balks at the thought of deserting them, but they remind him of his responsibility to the Kujan family; his life does not belong to him. Iok cries openly in his cockpit, begging their forgiveness as he flees, swearing to avenge them.
As Tekkadan withdraws, Zack gets some long-range footage of the mining facility being overrun. In particular, he spots two plumas with their "faces" buried in a fuel tank, as though feeding. He doesn't understand what he's seeing, and Hush tells him to stay on watch.
Aboard a ship between Earth and Mars, Vidar and Julieta are receiving an update from Rustal: they've lost contact with Iok's advance team. Julieta asks if they've been wiped out, but Rustal can't know --and Mars Branch knows nothing either. Vidar doesn't want to jump to conclusions; the Mars Branch is under McGillis' control, so anything they say is suspect. Julieta grumbles about Iok managing to be a nuisance even when he's not here. Rustal reminds them that they have to follow up on the mobile armour and Iok's team. He needs reliable information, and will be counting on them. As the call ends, the ship's captain reports that they are entering Mars' gravitational influence, and Vidar steps over to talk deployment strategy. Silently, Julieta muses that this is her chance; if she defeats this mobile armour, she can win an Order of the Seven Stars for Master Rustal.
Orga's group pauses at a rocky mesa to regroup, and Shino's scout force reports in: the mobile armour is gone. He's ready to go after it, but Orga tells him to come join up with them. Upon arrival, Dante reports that there are no survivors from the Gjallarhorn team. At Orga's surprise that they got close enough to search, Shino explains that they had no need; all the wrecked cockpits had been completely crushed. McGillis confirms it: that's how mobile armours work.
Before explaining further, he asks Mikazuki what he made of it, and Mika describes it as beautiful --like one of those birds he saw on Earth. McGillis corrects; not a bird, but an angel, a calamity for humanity. These monsters once killed a fourth of the human race (Mika extends four fingers, then one, trying to visualize the amount). McGillis reports that the mobile armours' sole purpose was to kill humans; they were specifically designed and programmed for that. They're the enemy of mankind that Gjallarhorn's founder Agnika Kaieru fought 300 years ago, and the cause of the Calamity War. Hush doesn't even know what the Calamity War was, and Shino and Dante look equally confused at all this. McGillis continues that the mobile armours were angels that hunted humans, and so the humans created demons to fight them: mobile suits, and the Alaya-Vijnana system to control them.
Orga pulls everyone back on track, and Dante reports that the warehouse with fuel and materiel was destroyed. The destruction of empty buildings surprises Orga, but Zack offhandedly confirms that he saw the small things ransacking the place like thieves. McGillis realizes that they're resupplying --unlike Ahab reactors, fuel and propellant can be used up. This is the first bit of good news Orga's gotten: monster or not, it's just another machine, which means it's nothing Tekkadan can't beat. Mika's ready for the fight, and McGillis agrees: Agnika Kaieru defeated mobile armours, and he's confident that Tekkadan are his match. Isurugi (having climbed atop a mobile worker to patch in) reports that he's heard from Chief Arae in orbit: the Third Ground Base has been attacked by the mobile armour. For Orga's benefit, McGillis identifies the spot where they met this morning. It's a big base, so they must have resupplied heavily, and a montage confirms that only wreckage and corpses remain.
Arae has also reported a Halfbeak-class ship from Arianrhod headed this way. Shino asks if they're going to back up the base, but McGillis says no; they wouldn't make it in time, and that area is wide open, with no chance to ambush the enemy. Orga and McGillis reaffirm their alliance; waking that monster up was Gjallarhorn's blunder, and McGillis must take responsibility for it, but Tekkadan are the ones who dug it up in the first place, and Orga won't deny that either. Orga calls for the geographical data of the area, and to find the mobile armour's current location (Hush, Zack, and even Mika hustle to obey), and sends Akihiro's team to scout. Isurugi approaches McGillis, who says quietly that they cannot let go of Mars when they've finally laid their foundation. Besides, that Order of the Seven Stars that Iok mentioned has gotten McGillis' mouth watering.
As they regroup, Isurugi reports that the biggest problem will be the plumas that accompany the mobile armour. Besides attacking, they also serve to repair the main body, which can also produce new plumas as needed. With enough time and material, they can multiply infinitely. Shino and Dante are thoroughly creeped out by this, but Mika breaks it down: if they can isolate it from the plumas, they can defeat them. Isurugi suggests that the mobile armour will head for the most heavily populated area to cause the maximum number of casualties; that's the basic operating protocol for mobile armours --their instinct. McGillis suggests setting a trap in its course instead of chasing after it, and Orga checks the map to look up the nearest population centre. Shino, surprisingly, figures it out first: Chryse City.
Orga's group will head for Chryse, and Mika asks a random Tekkadan crewer to bring Barbatos there for him to pick up. McGillis will have his and Isurugi's mobile suits unloaded too, and will meet up in 3 hours. Orga also gives orders to have the Second Unit (Akihiro's team) keep an eye on the mobile armour and select an ambush point while the First Unit preps and refuels. Shino insists he's still good, and offers to go and meet up with Akihiro, but Orga has another job in mind for him.
High above, Julieta and Vidar drop toward the atmosphere. Julieta suggests starting their search from Iok's landing point, but Vidar points out that splitting up will be more efficient. She acknowledges, and both mobile suits hit atmo on their surfboard-like shields.
In Chryse, Hush is explaining the situation to Kudelia and Atra, and they both shiver at the thought of the mobile armour heading this way. Mika explains that Orga is telling the city execs to evacuate the residents, and he wants Kudelia and Atra to join them. At Atra's question of where, Mika mentions a shelter close by, and Kudelia confirms that it was made when this land was first settled (which suggests it's part of the original pre-terraforming Mars Base) --but is far too small to house Chryse's current population. Hush sees that as reason to hurry, but Kudelia firmly says no: she will not evacuate.
She will not take up space from the less fortunate; she started this company to help people in need, and if she becomes the first to run, nobody will trust her in the future. Just as Mikazuki and Tekkadan risk their lives, she can do no less. After that, Atra isn't going either --the shop manager Haba lives here too, and she's the closest thing Atra has to a parent. Hush looks to Mikazuki to argue, but Mika just accepts what they've said and gets up to go.
The news surprises Orga when he hears it (Mikazuki phrases it as "she won't go unless everybody can," proving that he fully understands her reasoning and isn't just quoting). Orga is frustrated, but Mika's more interested in where they'll be ambushing the Bird. Orga shows him the map; if it's heading for Chryse, it'll have to pass through this canyon.
Chief Nadi rolls up with the Barbatos on a flatbed, and Mika calmly tells Orga that he'll stop it before it gets here. It's not a boast or a plan, simply a statement of fact. Orga takes it as such, counting on his Commando Unit Leader. Meribit has also arrived with Orga's "suit" --his battered Tekkadan field jacket.
From the Chryse Spaceport lobby overlooking the tarmac, McGillis is reflecting that he hadn't expected to need to deploy this machine: Helmwige Reincar (pronounced like "re-incarnation"), an improved version of his old bunny-eared Grimgerde. Unfortunately, he cannot pilot it in his current position (it belongs to "Montag," not McGillis), and tells Isurugi to master it quickly.
Elsewhere on the tarmac, the activity is spotted by Yamagi and Ecco, overseeing their own offloading from Teiwaz. They recognize the Gjallarhorn mobile suits, but don't know what the fuss is about, or why they're deploying at a civilian spaceport. The cargo worker points out that their cargo (the Ryusei-painted Flauros) is pretty scary too, and jokingly asks if they're planning to start a war.
At the canyon, Ride and Akihiro get their first look at the mobile armour and its pluma swarm. For Ride, it's like approaching the Death Star, and Akihiro warns him to cut the chatter and not to get too close; they're dead if that thing detects their Ahab reactors. Ride notes that the whole group is moving pretty slowly, and Akihiro speculates that it has to slow down to not lose the plumas. He sends this data back to Orga, glad that they'll have enough time to get ready to meet it-- and is shocked as a railgun shot comes out of nowhere to strike the mobile armour! The mobile armour changes course, and Akihiro rails at whatever idiot took that shot.
Yup, Iok again, already crowing at serving Justice to his hated enemy.
Back at camp, Orga is worrying about the time it's taking to set up, and their lack of firepower even with McGillis' mobile suits. Merribit reports on the unexpected course change toward the southeast, and Orga checks his map, spotting the public agricultural plant.
Ride breaks ranks from Akihiro's group, going ahead to warn the farm to evacuate, and Akihiro gives the order to back him up.
Mika is in Barbatos when he hears about what's going on, and launches on the spot. Hush is alarmed at not telling Orga, but Nadi waves it off; Mikazuki has full discretion.
Iok has cleared the area without bothering to confirm his kill, and is out of his mobile suit, laughing about his victory. He speaks aloud to his lost men, thanking them for their loyalty, and crediting them with his ability to get back at that monster. Julieta arrives, having seen the attack, and confirms (over her suit's loudspeaker) that Iok was the one who attacked it. He gleefully boasts of his retaliation, right up until she calls him an idiot to his face and points out that he didn't even scratch it from that far away. He insists he was using Reginlaze's maximum output, and she points out that if mobile armours were that delicate nobody would be afraid of them. He climbs back into his cockpit, insisting that his men gave up their lives to give him another chance; he cannot return without taking revenge. She yells at him once again to just stay out of the damn way.
Ride is still traveling, and a Tekkadan controller tells him the plant is lightly inhabited, but they haven't evacuated yet. In the canyon, Akihiro and the others are attacking from behind, trying to get the mobile armour to turn around.
Merribit reports that the Second Unit is defending the plant, and Orga passes word to Mika; they can't change the ambush point, so Mika will have to pull it back on course.
The Second Unit are able to kill a few plumas, but the swarm resolutely ignores them, intent on the targets ahead of it.
In the farming village, people have started to notice the approaching dust cloud and the boom of explosions. The mobile armour pauses, takes aim, and opens up its beam cannon --and Ride interposes himself in its path.
The beam hits Ride's Shiden, splashes off, and somehow arcs around to strike the town behind him. If anything, the beam scatter might actually do more damage. Buildings and civilians are blown to ashes, and Ride has a moment to wonder why his death is taking so long--
Chad is horrified at the mobile armour's power, and Akihiro worries about Ride's fate, but Chad points out that the beam weapon is 300 years old, so the mobile suit's nanolaminate armour can handle it.
Sure enough, the beam fades to reveal Ride's Shiden still (mostly) intact, but as his scopes clear of static, he looks back to see the massacre behind him --the massacre he was powerless to prevent. Akihiro calls out to him, but he can't answer, and as the
Ride prepares again to meet his death, but a loud boom releases some of the pressure --and again, as the pluras are knocked off him and sent flying. Barbatos has arrived.
McGillis and Isurugi are racing across the dessert to the rendezvous, as McGillis worries over this unexpected change of course. He reflects that things don't always turn out according to plan, but Isurugi notes that he sounds like he's having fun. McGillis assures him that this isn't something he especially enjoys; unexpected moves can mess up his game plan. One of those unexpected moves announces itself with a proximity alarm: an unfamiliar Ahab signature is in their path. They skid to a stop as Isurugi queries the strangers' IFF --it's a Gjallarhorn machine code. McGillis gazes up at the Vidar, instantly recognizing a Gundam frame.
Iok came into this about as well-prepared as President-Elect Trump, and has managed to ruin everything twice in a 24-hour period. It looks like he's trying for the hat-trick next episode. He'll either die there, or end up so utterly broken and humbled that someone (possibly Tekkadan) will have to take him in.
With Vidar seemingly about to make his move against McGillis, and Iok finally realizing what a complete failure he is, Julieta seems to be the only Arianrhod officer still on-mission --which may mean she'll end up fighting alongside Tekkadan to take down the mobile armour. I've been wanting her to get a look at how the "other side" lives; she and Mikazuki (or even Hush) would have an interesting conversation about loyalty (and someone so prideful deserves to see what real Alaya-Vijnana-equipped Gundam pilots can do).
It's also interesting that, while McGillis doesn't seem likely to have known about Vidar, he "happened" to put someone else into a distinctive mobile suit wearing McGillis' own colours and an impractically oversized weapon (while he rides a practical and understated Graze Ritter). Next week's confrontation will be informative.
McGillis is curious: last season, he made a big speech about how he cannot afford friends or sentimentality, yet his every decision this season has been motivated by his friendship with Tekkadan and his sentimental attachment to Gjallarhorn's original ideals.
