FLAG Ep. 5: Hyperbolic Curves in the Night

Akagi reflects on how when he first left Japan he couldn’t get used to how dark the nights were in Subasci, but over time that darkness began to feel more natural. He visits the bar frequented by foreign journalists and meets with Lisa. She jokingly asks if he’s interviewing other journalists, and he answers that there’s no way of knowing what’s gonna happen to everyone after tomorrow. Shirasu rides in a helicopter with Olowokandi and records the journey to the Metazone Temple. Lisa tells Akagi and other journalists that a source informed her of a potential large-scale offensive by the UN. Another journalist doesn’t buy it and says the UN wouldn’t try something like this so close to the signing of the peace accords, but Lisa counters that insurgent attacks in Subasci have been increasing lately. Lisa thinks attacking right now would be a way to avoid international condemnation. As journalists talk to their sources, Akagi thinks about how they’re all unable to let even one scrap of information go by without investigation. Akagi thinks of the bar as a command center for freelance journalists where the intel flows to them. Earlier, Shirasu spoke to Su-Ming and Eversalt about the attack plan, which involved Nikkanen taking out the temple’s defenses and radar to then allow Ichiyanagi to get in. The plan also included sending in a recon UAV to try and detect the flag’s signal. Shirasu also recorded mechanics spray painting over any UN markings on the HAVWC, but Ichiyanagi asked them to leave a moth icon in place. Akagi complains that the UN’s daily press conferences are the same news over and over again about the upcoming peace agreement. However, at the most recent press conference, North described any factions opposed to the agreement as being “terrorists” who have infiltrated the country. Akagi wonders if the UN knows how many innocent people have been killed in the operations that they refer to as “terrorist eradication.” Later, at the bar a journalist tells Akagi and the others that he’s heard from a source about a top secret UN email that’s going around. One of the journalists, a former hacker, cracks the UN’s security. As the helicopter travels across the desert, Shirasu is surprised to see light from many yurt huts. Another journalist tells Lisa that he heard from a source about a warning sent among UF personnel to not go out into the city tonight. One journalist notes that there are double the normal amount of troops manning checkpoints and that the streets are empty, so something is going down. Akagi gets a bad feeling because he knows that nighttime attacks with no moon are a regular military tactic. The UN’s plan to launch attacks in Subasci are retaliation for recent insurgent attacks, but they’re also a diversion to provide cover for the SDC’s operation. The SDC helicopters enter the communications blackout range.

Journalists in the bar work their sources and pore over maps of Subasci to try and determine where the UN will be attacking. Lisa laments that they can’t pinpoint where the attacks will occur, but the hacker comments that they can take the addresses of people recently rounded up as terrorists and cross check against the dangerous parts of town. Akagi thinks that while the UN claims they use precision-guided munitions, the journalists know that’s a lie and that one bomb can easily take out a whole city block. The hacker runs his check and comes up with four potential target areas. In the desert, Olowokandi transmits landing radar images to the HAVWCs and tells Shirasu that they’re going in. The transport heli descends and drops Nikkanen’s HAVWC. Akagi realizes that one of the targets is next to where the former Kufura lives. He frantically runs through the darkened streets to try to get to her, but his progress is stopped by UN roadblocks. Elsewhere, Nikkanen gets into position and confirms the target. Shirasu stands next to the HAVWC and Eversalt tells her this is a situation where her safety can’t be guaranteed. Shirasu answers that she understands and starts filming as Nikkanen takes aim and Olowokandi releases the UAV. Akagi calls informants to see if they knew any secret routes to get around the city that the UN wouldn’t be aware of, and he meets with Naraya in a dark alley. Naraya tells Akagi that back streets are his specialty and says to follow him. Nikkanen fires at the first target and destroys it, but his position comes under fire from the next target. Shirasu briefly panics but continues filming as Nikkanen destroys the second target. He then moves on and destroys the final target. In Subasci, Akagi chases after Naraya through darkened alleys. Olowokandi reports that the UAV has been shot down and Eversalt orders him to move in. Nikkanen switches round to provide support fire as Ichiyanagi’s HAVWC begins its parachute drop over the temple. Ichiyanagi’s HAVWC touches down and transforms to robot mode, while Nikkanen blasts the door open for it. Akagi spots a fighter jet in the air just before an explosion rocks the area. Ichiyanagi enters the temple to begin his search for the flag.