Full Metal Panic! Ep. 16: The Rising Wind in the Homeland, Part 2

The team is still being pursued and fired upon. Gray remarks that it’s because of the nuke and Jackson says Mithril could make use of it. Sousuke spots something on radar and they are attacked by military Hinds. Jackson shoots them down and asks why the country’s military is attacking them. Gray says that they’re probably the ones buying from the arm dealers. Andy says that they still can’t use their ECS to cloak due to the sandstorms and Jackson destroys some Savages. They’re eventually surrounded at the edge of a cliff. Jackson says they can’t get away while dragging the nuke and suggests throwing it off the cliff. Sousuke tells them to go down the cliff and use the hilly terrain to hide. Andy asks how he would know that, and Sousuke replies that he used to fight here. They open fire on the Savages and use the cover of the resulting dust cloud to jump over the cliff. When the dust clears one of the enemy soldiers says that they couldn’t have survived the fall, but the Shadow’s pilot recognizes the tactic Sousuke used. At the bottom, Gray uses the last of their painkillers on Batiste and says that they need to extract the bullet. Andy asks if they have a surgery kit, and Gray replies that Bill had it. Jackson tells Batiste not to die because he still owes him money. Sousuke says that they have excess baggage, and Jackson angrily asks if he’s implying they leave Batiste behind. Sousuke says he was referring to the nuke and apologizes for the misunderstanding. Gray tells them to stop arguing and check the M9s. Andy asks if she got in touch with headquarters and she says that she can’t get a strong enough radio signal. Jackson suggests they hide the trailer and go to the nearest town to find a telephone. Sousuke is against the idea, stating that it’ll take three days to get to the nearest village and by that time they’ll be spotted. They should attack instead. Jackson and Andy protest that it’s a hopeless tactic and Sousuke says that it’s better than running away. Jackson tells him that it’s their plan and he has no right to give them orders. Batiste interrupts and tells them Sousuke was right and Bill would still be here if they had listened to him. Andy tells him he understands and to save his strength. Batiste passes out and Gray tells Sousuke that his suggestion is unfeasible. Getting Batiste to a doctor should be their top priority, and Sousuke says he understands. They move out again and Gray asks Sousuke if it’s true he was a guerrilla fighter because the civil unrest in the area was a long time ago and he’s just a teenager. Sousuke says that he’s been fighting since he was eight years old and that this area is like his backyard. The rest are shocked by this. Gray says that child fighters must have been rare and Sousuke says that he had a comrade only three years older than him named Zaied. Sousuke remembers blowing up a Savage with Zaied and sitting with the other fighters around a fire at night. Gray asks if he was picked on and Sousuke replies that they had a good relationship but most of them are probably dead now. They hide under a cliff to avoid being spotted by the Hinds, and Gaulon asks why they haven’t been found yet. Zaied says that they’ll get them because Sousuke hasn’t noticed his presence yet. Gaulon asks if Zaied’s letting his emotions control him and he replies that he won’t waste his life for passions and ideals. Gaulon says that he still needs to see his skills. Back at Merida, Tessa is imagining that Sousuke has returned.

Andy complains that they’re moving too slowly and Gray asks how long before they get to town. Sousuke replies that they still have ten hours but only if they don’t get spotted. Batiste’s painkillers wear off and he starts to moan. Jackson says he doesn’t want to lose more people, and Sousuke says they might be able to find a surgery kit at his old camp. The location is out of their way and very risky. Gaulon is informed that the team has changed direction and asks if they’re planning to attack them. Zaied says that they won’t and are likely heading to the old guerrilla camp. The team reaches the abandoned camp and head inside. While Sousuke searches for the kit, Jackson asks him if he really lived in the rundown place and remarks that that fighting in a camp is a losing battle. Sousuke confirms that and manages to find the kit. He tells them that they need to disinfect the tools and goes out to stand watch. Later Gray comes out and tells Sousuke that they’re done but they must wait for Batiste’s fever to go down. She thinks they can hide here for a while but Sousuke says they’ll be found sooner or later because Gaulon knows this location. Gaulon was among the enemies who attacked the camp and killed all the occupants while Sousuke was away by coincidence, or he’d have died like Zaied. Gray tells him that she was born in East Europe, an area that suffered many civil wars. She was part of a resistance group and was once surrounded by enemy soldiers and the group had to fend for themselves since reinforcements never arrived. Eventually she ended up with Mithril. Andy, Jackson and Batiste had similar experiences but they wouldn’t speak about it. Grey asks Sousuke to join their group and to think about it until they return. She also asks him if it feels strange returning to his homeland and whether someone is waiting for him back in Japan, which Sousuke denies. Back in Japan, Chidori is staring at the night sky when Mao brings her a canned beverage. Mao asks Chidori if she feels more secure with Sousuke guarding her and she denies it. Mao tells her that they’ll inform her as soon they get a call from him, and assures her that he’ll come back fine. Back at the camp, Sousuke explains the defense plan to the team and Zaied is able to predict it completely. The next day, the Codarl’s power is restored and Sousuke takes a sniping position at the top of the valley. Gray asks if he’s ready and Andy tells him that although he doesn’t like him, he asks him not to die until they return home so he can knock him out. Sousuke says that he’ll try. Gaulon and his troops approach. Sousuke is waiting for them to get closer when he’s suddenly fired upon by Hinds. Sousuke jumps behind a rock wall and fires back with his shot cannon. Zaied lies in wait.