♪ If I’d kept walking and never stopped by that ticket gate
♪ Would I have lived happily ever after, never knowing you?
♪ If I hadn’t jumped over the back gate and escaped outside
♪ The radiance from the stars above
♪ would have turned into stains on my shoes
♪ Stretched out on the linoleum floor Hands scraped from handstands
♪ It was right before dawn when dizziness hit me
♪ upon realizing this place was also on the edge of the galaxy
♪ I heard your voice, and desperate to deliver my answer,
♪ I sparkled, sparkled, sparkled, and cried out
♪ The moment I jumped over the chain link fence, stumbled, and fell,
♪ the world began to take color
♪ Leap out into the depths of the universe,
♪ let the plazma blast through everything in your path
♪ Utterly mesmerized,
♪ oblivious to the bruises and scars to follow
♪ Though we're separated by light years,
♪ there's no stopping me now that I'm on the move
♪ At this moment, your voice sounds so distant
♪ Shining on
~♪
LUNA II
U.C. 0079 - DECEMBER
Gwazine fleet has broken through the southern perimeter defense, Sir.
It would've fallen three days earlier,
had the squad of Big Zams been deployed at the beginning.
But, Sir, then would have owed a favor to Supreme Commander Gihren.
Nonsense. All I care about are practical benefits.
But, excluding Captain Char from our operation
wasn't to our benefit either, Sir.
Are you saying that I'm jealous?
M'Quve, sir!
The what?! What's happening with Solomon?!
Nuclear pulse engines have completed firing.
Acceleration complete. Maintain inertial velocity as scheduled.
Target for descent: Granada Lunar Base.
Confeito has entered planned trajectory.
With this, the Federation Forces will lose all our strongholds in space.
Unfortunately, we have already lost this war.
But we shall take Zeon down with us!
Attention: An emergency evacuation order has been issued...
Lady Kycilia, your Chivvay is ready to take off.
Please prepare for your escape.
If a woman of the Zabi family were the first to abandon those around me,
it would be bad for morale.
I am better off staying here.
Aren't there any other ships that can intercept it?
Virtually all of our fleets have been deployed to capture Luna II.
They'll have nothing to spare at A Baoa Qu, either.
Granada is our homeland's lifeline.
Losing it would render Zeon's independence unattainable.
Yet, we are grateful that Captain Char is still with us.
A raiding squadron of just four ships, you mean?
Perhaps the fate of Zeon is in the Red Comet's hands.
Give Char the official order to intercept Solomon.
Yes, ma'am!
I'm counting on you, young Casval.
Solomon is in inertial motion. It's already entered lunar orbit, Ma'am.
I'm afraid we can't possibly stop that space fortress
with four warships and a mobile suit team.
The situation is hopeless.
What are we supposed to do, then?! Just sit still and watch?!
Compose yourselves...
I have a plan.
It's Solomon's auxiliary dock.
We'll land our mobile suits there,
where we'll split into four teams, and head for the implosion points.
Then we self-destruct an unmanned Zaku at each one,
which will lead to the explosion of the main power reactor.
That should be enough to break off the summit on the front's east side!
Is that even possible...?
They'll carry out a final acceleration to aim it directly at Granada.
If Solomon's center of gravity has been shifted at that point,
it'll go off trajectory...
...and Granada would be safe, then?
But, Sir, the Federation has escort fleets as well.
That means our fleet will have to charge right through the middle.
This ship is Zeon's one and only assault landing vessel.
We must put it to good use, or there is no other way.
Your operation planning is swift.
You must have planned out an attack on Solomon well in advance.
As soon as we win this war, the Zabi family will be our next enemy.
I always have to think ahead.
Swamel, Tokumel, prepare to launch!
We'll use those two as shields to break through the front line!
Full speed ahead!
7-0 until Solomon's point of no return!
Enemy escort fleet detected! They're deploying ahead of us!
Roger.
Gundam, launch!
That's the enemy escort fleet. And mobile suits in their vanguard.
Lieutenant, you and I will cut a way through!
Yes, Captain!
Solomon is at 4-0 from the point of no return!
Good!
We'll break through their defense line at once!
Yes, Sir!
Swamel's velocity is falling!
Leave it! Send the Camel forward!
Damn!
The Bits are out of propellant? They're useless inside Solomon anyway.
The barrage is lesser on the left bank where
the Solar System got them good before!
Move in from there!
Captain! We're about to land on Solomon!
Thank you for your patience, Dren.
All hands, prepare for impact!
We've reached the final destination, Sir!
Open the hatches!
Launch all mobile suits at once!
Tokwan team, go!
Good! 4th team, follow me!
Captain... I'm counting on you.
As expected, no sign of enemies remaining inside the fortress.
We'll now begin placing the self-destructing Zaku.
Self-destruct synchronization program... check.
All we need now is to secure the body in place.
Tokwan team, over.
The minefield is slowing us down. We're clearing it now.
I'll take it from here.
The rest of you, go and assist Tokwan's team!
Yes, Sir!
Now, then...
Damned Federation...
Given your desperation, this plan is well put together.
I shall put it to good use.
Now, the power reactor will no longer explode.
Solomon will fall on Granada.
And when the Federation and Zabi Family have both fallen,
I'll have my chance for victory.
Mm?
A white Light-Type Guncannon?
...meaning, the Federation Newtype who defeated Vice Admiral Dozle?
It's brave of you to stay behind on your own.
But you're no match for the Gundam!
Artesia?!
How in the world...? In a place like this...?
What is that?!
Return of all Tokwan team members, confirmed!
All that remains is Captain Char, Sir!
The Captain hasn't returned yet?
Large-scale tunnel collapse in the operation area.
Is he trapped inside?! What about the explosives?!
This isn't good.
Solomon won't break apart unless the four bombs detonate in sync!
It's time. We have no choice.
Reverse engines! Go astern!
Captain...
The Sodon is abandoning Solomon.
Looks like the operation has failed.
Perhaps we expected too much... from the Red Comet.
The Psycommu is responding...
but it's not for me.
I wonder... whose mind is it responding to?
What...?! What's going on?!
We cannot determine the cause of the radiance! But ground zero is...
...the Red Gundam!
High-energy response, rapidly increasing!
Detecting abnormal Minovsky particle reaction!
Is the Red Comet causing all of this?
What...?
Our object vanished from the underground lab?!
The Rose of Sharon?!
Is the Rose of Sharon doing this, too?!
What is this voice...?
Is it coming through the Psycommu?!
Captain! Tell me what's going on!
Captain!
Who are you?! Reveal yourself!
Have you come from the other side?!
Who is he talking to?
Other side?! What does he mean by that?!
Captain! You must escape now!
Solomon is falling!
What in the world...?!
I can... see time.
"I can see time."
That was the last transmission received from Captain Char.
This Psycommu runaway, later named "Zeknova..."
...resulted in the Red Gundam and Captain Char going missing.
It's been five years.
The fact that the Red Gundam has reappeared suggests...
...the Captain is still alive somewhere, too.
FALLING ON THE MOON
Is it surprising that I engage in cooking?
N...No, Ma'am...
I understand you've been through a lot in your life.
So, I've been told you wish to study at a university in Zeon.
W...Well...
The Zeon Institute of Technology in Side 3 is distinguished
as one of the leading academic institutions.
Before our independence was recognized,
the colony nations were thought of as worthless gatherings of refugees.
What do you believe has made us strong?
The resentment of the oppressed spacenoids... perhaps?
If it was resentment, it would end once that was dispelled.
You can't become strong unless you look further ahead.
Strong...
If you can do a job for me and live up to my expectations,
I shall promise you a scholarship.
What should I do for you?
I've heard the reports.
I understand that you were at the site where the Zeknova took place in Side 6.
What I require of you... is to bring about another Zeknova for me.
This woman here doesn't dislike me at all...
Where did you learn how to control mobile suits?
I happened to come across one while escaping Side 2...
Sorry... I shouldn't have asked.
So, are you counting on getting the scholarship money?
Not at all.
I have no interest in studies whatsoever.
Well, you'll need a degree for your permanent residency, so I get it.
It's tough being a wanderer. I was just lucky.
You must be talented.
I don't know... I was just desperate.
Oh, this? Just visited the cemetery.
We were in school together.
We had so much to look forward to...
A lady...?
A guy... why do you ask?
This makes it two people.
The pilot candidates died, one after another.
That new mobile suit must be cursed.
But... you did bring us a third one, yes?
GRANADA NAVY YARD RESEARCH LABORATORY, ZEON AFF
What is this?
A mobile suit, GFreD. It's the second GQuuuuuuX.
Got yourself an escort? Ensign, Sir?
Been a while.
This is my classmate Miguel.
And this is Nyaan. She's from Side 2 originally.
Hmm...
So she'll be the third one, I see.
The third one...?
Ah... well, you know...
A pilot candidate for the GFreD.
You're the third one.
A little bit unusual that they picked a civilian instead
of someone from the School.
Speaking of the School...
I still remember the farewell party we had with the four of us.
Four of you...?
When I got chosen to pilot the GQuuuuuuX,
Miguel baked a cake for me, and we all celebrated the occasion.
There's only two of us classmates left now though.
Seems you were close friends. I'm jealous.
Jealous?
I've never had any friend bake a cake for me.
Hmm... "Nyaan," was it?
Then I'll bake a cake for you. As a welcome present, okay?
Who does this mobile suit remind me of...?
But still, why do they keep dying as soon
as they're chosen as GFreD pilot candidates?
The military investigation bureau found nothing suspicious at all.
Just that they suffered heart attacks during training...
That couldn't possibly be by chance.
Assassination, you mean?
Well, that's certainly not impossible.
The Supreme Commander's office is demanding that the second unit's pilot
be chosen to pilot the second mobile suit.
But we're all Zeons...
Just saying... if she does die or whatever,
it won't be seen as something that happened "by chance..."
Um.... Am I going to be killed...?
Lady Kycilia and Supreme Commander Gihren
have not met once since the end of the war because...
...they are each wary of an assassination attempt.
The Supreme Commander probably isn't happy that
Lady Kycilia has a monopoly on Psycommu technology.
So the rumor is that he's developing clone Cyber-Newtypes in response,
and they'll be deployed in actual combat soon.
He probably doesn't want a pilot for the GFreD
to be chosen before that happens.
Who knows where assassins might be hiding, even here in Granada.
But, there's no need to worry.
Miguel and I will protect you.
The selection exams will start tomorrow, so you should rest well tonight. See ya.
Ensign!
Was the cake he made for you tasty?
Even after Ensign Xavier had left Granada,
I'd bake a cake to celebrate like this every time a classmate was selected.
Once the tests start, we won't be able to meet up like this.
So I figured, today or never, you know?
Looks delish...
Seeing our classmates get selected
as official pilots for Zeon's latest mobile suits...
...was like a dream come true for orphans like us.
So... you are one of us, too.
If I eat this... will my heart stop too?
And to think Ensign Xavier trusts you so much...
I'd not expected that our third candidate would be found out this quickly.
The reason why you can keep a calm face is because you
have no idea what Kycilia is trying to do.
And who wouldn't do what I did if they knew the real reasons why
the GFreD was developed in the first place.
Miguel!
What are you doing?!
What a shrewd little lady.
Tell me this isn't true--
that you're a spy working for Supreme Commander Gihren!
It doesn't matter!
Yeah, his intelligence bureau directed me to cooperate...
...but the two that I killed, I did it out of my own initiative...
...because I couldn't bare the thought
of having my dear friends turned into Diablos!
Diablo...?
They were good people.
What I did was to protect their gentle spirits.
What the hell are you talking about?!
Dammit!
Miguel, don't!!
Th--there!
This mobile suit...
...looks just like Lady Kycilia...
You're a damned spy for Kycilia!
I may have graduated from the School, but I'm just an ordinary person.
And, as an ordinary person, I will do what's best for humanity.
Now you won't have to become a Diablo.
I'm going to protect your human heart.
No way! How can she control the Psycommu without a Psycho Suit?!
Have you become a Diablo already?!
Nyaan! Get away!
Wow...
This is so much bigger than my room.
Having a window is like one of the greatest luxuries in Granada.
Since when did you become Lady Kycilia's golden child?
I just got lucky.
Lucky...? No...
A true talent needs no explanation.
Only those without talent want to give it some explanation.
But it was you... that talked about luck in the first place.
A genuine Newtype that hasn't been cultivated in the School...
How rare she is, in this time of peace.
She brought the newly developed but disabled mobile suit back to life...
...so she must be the real thing.
The Supreme Commander's spy that gave the poison to Miguel Serverto... was you.
I was only thinking of Zeon's future.
We must not allow Yomagn'tho to operate.
That is nothing but an instrument of pure evil
that would annihilate all of Zeon and humanity.
And that is the reason why it must not be in the hands of the Supreme Commander.
We found this girl during our pursuit of the Gundam.
If it is truly fate guided by the Red Comet...
...then I must take good care of her.
♪~
This way please, Miss Tirza.
It turns out that we can carry our equipment on the same flight.
You sure look happy, Shirouzu.
Of course, I do.
I get to see Dr. Leo Lionni once again.
Oh? Tell me it's not because you were assigned to the Yomagn'tho site?
I'm sure my father is pleased as well, and I know he likes you.
Now the additional budget has been approved
and the Gundam FreD project has a bright future ahead.
Suddenly everything is moving again smoothly.
I think it's a sign that our work is demanded by the times.
You're right.
Now, if we can only find the missing Rose of Sharon...
Are you sure?! That can't be...
You're kidding?!
They are saying the GQuuuuuuX escaped from the Sodon.
I wonder how it's even possible for it to have escaped
from a military vessel mobilized for an operation.
Surely it must be somebody you know?
Machu is the real deal, so...
Machu must've gone to Earth alone...
Where is Earth?
You can't see it.
We're on the far side of the moon here.
~♪
TO BE CONTINUED
PREVIEW
I'm detained for stealing the GQuuuuuuX...
Where are they taking me all locked up in solitary confinement?
And then, once again, I get a message from an unknown sender.
Next episode: The Rose of Sharon.
I wonder what her name is...?
THE ROSE OF SHARON