Gundam: The 08th M.S. Team Ep. 9: Front Line

On a Big Tray land battleship several EFF officers watch a battle simulation of the Apsaras II attacking an EFF fleet in space and entering Earth’s atmosphere unhindered. The Apsaras heads for South America and destroys the headquarters at Jaburo. Kojima and Ryer want to find out more about Apsaras, and Ryer has a plan that involves using the 08th M.S. Team. He says he has Shiro under close observation in the event that he is a spy In the skies, a Medea transport carrying the members of the 08th M.S. Team nears its destination. Shiro reviews the plan to parachute from the plane, and he also welcomes Eledore back to the team. He says their primary objective is to gather intelligence, not enter combat. Michel mentions Aina, and when Eledore is told she is a Zeon pilot, he thinks Shiro is a hopeless romantic. Sanders tries to tell Shiro something, but he is interrupted by the Medea pilots. The Medea reaches the drop point, and Karen is the first to jump out. However, directly underneath the Medea is a Gaw transport plane. It begins to fire at Karen, and Shiro jumps out in his rebuilt Gundam Ez8 to help her. He grapples the front of the Gaw and tells its commander, Bjorn Abust, to stop firing at Karen or be destroyed. When Bjorn agrees, Shiro jumps off the plane and proceeds to the landing point. At the Zeon base, Yuri awaits the return of the Gaw transport to begin evacuating his men to space. As the members of the 08th M.S. Team spread out on the ground, Karen is attacked by an Acguy near a river. It severs the head of her Gundam and starts smashing her cockpit. Michel drives around like a maniac in the Bloodhound to distract the Acguy. Eledore gets next to the beam rifle and helps Karen manually aim it. She destroys the Acguy, but she fears Eledore is dead when he goes quiet. Actually, the only reason he went quiet was that he pissed in his pants. She thanks him for saving her, and he says if she died it would ruin his plans for their future. She doesn’t understand, and Michel keeps driving around on the river like a maniac.

Back at the Zeon base, Bjorn asks Yuri to let him take some Magella Attack tanks out to help buy time for the evacuation. He also is hoping to meet up with the Gundams again and get his revenge. Michel and Eledore link up the camera of Karen’s beam rifle to her Gundam so that she can see. Shiro is forced to modify the plan because of the damage to her Gundam, so only he and Sanders will carry out the mission. In the Zeon base, Aina helps out by delivering medical supplies. She is shocked to find drugs being used to stimulate the workers constructing the Apsaras III. She asks if Ginias ordered it, and the doctor says it was his own decision because the completion of the Apsaras III will end the war. Norris informs Ginias that Yuri needs support for his evacuation, and Ginias refuses because it might reveal their location. Norris says those men have marched all the way from Odessa to get back into space, and Ginias says they are irrelevant compared to the Apsaras III. As Shiro and Sanders walk through the field, Sanders tells Shiro that Ryer wanted him to keep an eye on him. Shiro remembers him as one of the men at his court-martial and sees that the EFF doesn’t trust him. Shiro steps on a mine, and Bjorn’s Magella Attacks begin firing. Sanders’ Gundam is damaged, leaving only Shiro to fight. The Magella Attacks begin falling back, and Bjorn decides to buy some time with psychological warfare. He asks Shiro why he was spared, and Shiro says he didn’t want extra casualties. Bjorn says that Shiro is weak and that he doesn’t want pity from the EFF. Aina asks Ginias to stop working on the Apsaras III, but he refuses. Shiro realizes he’s been distracted and attacks Bjorn. He destroys the Magella Attack, but Bjorn escapes with the Magella Top. He returns with his soldiers and talks with Yuri about returning to space. As they enter the cavern that leads to the base, the door closes. Ginias tells Yuri that the order to stop the Apsaras project hasn’t been relayed to Gihren Zabi yet. Ginias says if Yuri dies in battle, he can’t relay the order to Gihren. He sets off a bomb in the cavern that kills Bjorn and Yuri. Shiro sees the explosion and wonders what it is.