FLAG Ep. 10: SDAC + 1

Although tensions are running high in Subasci ahead of the peace accord signing, insurgent groups have not taken any provocative action. During the Festival of Thanka, Ru Pou releases a message that gives Akagi a bad feeling. At the SDC base, the team looks over the combat video of the fight with the Longku. Shirasu asks Ichiyanagi if the newly arrived UN inspector is going to investigate Nikkanen, but he tells her not to worry. Shirasu visits Nikkanen’s quarters and finds him under guard by an MP who says he isn’t allowed to have visitors. In the hangar, Shirasu records the inspector and comments that he seems full of himself. He looks at Shirasu disdainfully until Eversalt explains that Shirasu was sent here by Command HQ, which changes his disposition. He makes a statement that internal investigations are important to keep everyone in line. Eversalt asks him to allow Shirasu to document his investigation process, and he agrees. Shirasu then asks why Nikkanen is under investigation and confined to quarters, and the inspector dodges the question. After the inspector leaves, Aqbal comments that she thinks after the peace treaty is signed there will be lots of Freedom of Information requests about UN activities in the country, including the Metazone operation. Beroqui thinks Nikkanen is going to become a scapegoat and when Shirasu asks why, he explains that Japan is the UN’s second largest contributor. Shirasu doesn’t understand the connection and Ichiyanagi laments that Nikkanen always gets the short end of the stick. Shirasu notes that Eversalt seems to be in good spirits despite everything, but Ichiyanagi comments that she’s madder than all the rest of them. Shirasu goes to the command center and records Eversalt asking the inspector what responsibility the General Staff Office has for creating an operation on bad intelligence. Eversalt is concerned about Nikkanen being brought up on baseless charges and proclaims that she’s against any actions that aren’t in the pursuit of peace. The inspector answers that idealism is nice but it needs political backing to be more than a pipe dream. Eversalt answers that this kind of self-preservation hiding behind a mask of realism is what allowed tragedies to happen in Rwanda and Kosovo. Another officer dismisses Eversalt and she leaves the room. Later, Shirasu interviews Olowokandi and he mentions that his country is considered a failed state, but he wants it to be an example that the people of a failed state won’t give up and can achieve peace. Shirasu then interviews Aqbal who talks about a past mission in an African country where rebels rounded up citizens who supported the government. They knew those people were being sent to die, but they couldn’t do anything without orders from the UN. She says she doesn’t want to watch another tragedy unfold in front of her while she does nothing about it. Aqbal says she can’t forget the faces of all those people in the truck who had no idea what awaited them. Shirasu finds Eversalt on the roof and Eversalt explains that everyone on the base has a purpose and is trying to accomplish something, even at the risk of their lives. She adds that not everyone in the UN feels that way and maybe she’s an unrealistic idealist. Eversalt asks Shirasu what gives her the urge to take pictures, and she answers that she’d like to think she’s been doing it with something in mind, but maybe she just clicks the shutter when the thought occurs to her. Su-Ming runs up the roof to report that the flag appears to be in Ru Pou’s video. In the command center, they examine a video still and can’t make a conclusive identification because the whole flag isn’t in frame, but it appears to be the same. Eversalt thinks losing the flag could risk their chance for peace and cause Uddiyana to sink into civil war. Su-Ming thinks that was Ru Pou’s objective all along and Shirasu asks why he’d want a war. Su-Ming explains that Ru Pou’s Buddhist sect was once a death cult of assassins. Later, Olowokandi tells Shirasu that Uddiyana has seen countless tragedies, but they’d thought the death cult was just old folklore.

Su-Ming tells the team that the UN intends to do nothing more than try to negotiate with Ru Pou for the return of the flag, and Aqbal thinks there’s no chance he’d agree to that. Eversalt asks a UN official why they’re not taking action over the flag and he answers that Ru Pou’s message can be seen as an opening challenge to create a civil war. He adds that recklessly attacking Ru Pou could end the peace process permanently, and that they aren’t just dealing with mere insurgents, but a faction backed by the P5. Eversalt notes that they’re only five days away from the signing of the treaty and that the country will lose its last chance for peace without the flag. She thinks only her team can do this, and he wonders what’s driving her. Later, Eversalt asks the team to help her out, even if it means facing reprimands. Everyone unanimously agrees and Shirasu asks if it’s okay to be recording all this. Eversalt wants everything documented, and Ichiyanagi wants people to know what they did. Beroqui explains that the HAVWCs are too big to use for confirming the flag’s authenticity, so they need to use an exoskeleton. Su-Ming explains to Shirasu that Nikkanen has to pilot it since he was involved with the exoskeleton’s development. Eversalt orders everyone to prepare the HAVWCs for deployment. Eversalt tells everyone that the Ru Pou Temple is likely to be on high alert, but her goal is to avoid combat if possible. Beroqui attaches Shirasu’s telephoto lens to the exoskeleton so they can document the photographic evidence they need. She asks him to make sure it doesn’t break because she hasn’t paid off the loan for it yet. Shirasu later records the inspector asking Eversalt why Nikkanen is walking around freely, but she only answers that they’re in a hurry before trotting away. The inspector yells at Eversalt and tells her to expect a court-martial. Eversalt speaks to her commander and asks him to have a HAVWC dispatch order ready for her once they confirm the location of the flag. In Subasci, Akagi leaves the bar after being contacted by Naraya. He meets Naraya in an alley and is told about a network of tunnels that run under the city. Akagi mentions having heard rumors about them, and Naraya explains that the UN doesn’t know about them yet. Naraya then explains that his network got a warning about not using the tunnels tonight. Akagi asks who sent that message and Naraya confirms it was Ru Pou, adding that it was the Gelut sect that built the tunnels. Naraya thinks the Gelut sect is planning to do something tonight. The SDC transport heli approaches the temple and doesn’t pick up any Longkus as it drops Nikkanen’s exoskeleton. He then smashes through the roof to infiltrate the temple. Masked Gelut security forces and an armored vehicle approach the UN hotel as Nikkanen confirms the flag’s presence. A Longku appears and opens fire on the UN forces. Inside the temple, masked fighters open fire on Nikkanen, but he blasts his way out of the temple and parachutes to safety. The Gelut sect takes control of the hotel where the UN was headquartered.