Gundam GQuuuuuuX Ep. 7: Machu’s Rebellion

Machu pilots the GQuuuuuuX through an underground tunnel in the Izuma Colony as Kaine and Jezzi chatter over the radio of the last minute change of the Clan Battle’s spawn point to the colony’s interior. Machu dismounts from the suit to switch places with Nyaan. Earlier, at the shrine, Machu told Nyaan that the Pomeranians knew Shuji’s location and that the MPs would get to him. Machu declared that she needed to get the space glider to help Shuji escape. Nyaan asked Machu if she was in love with Shuji. Without a word, Nyaan gets into the cockpit. At work, Tamaki complains to coworkers about all the noise from Police Zaku patrols and they tell her it’s because of Clan Battle, but she doesn’t know what it is. Elsewhere, Side 6 President Pergamino and Cameron meet with Kycilia and her aide, Atharv, who comments that things went much more smoothly compared to their prior dealings with the Rank administration. Kycilia cuts off his flattery and says she wants to get to the point – discussing a top secret project called the “Sunlight Amplification System for Global Environmental Improvement” – aka Solar Ray. Cameron explains that they support the Solar Ray concept to help restore Earth but want to be included in the inspection team that will oversee construction. Pergamino steps in to soften Cameron’s statement by saying that as investors they want to share the responsibility. After the meeting ends, Pergamino boasts to Cameron about getting Kycilia to bow down to him and comments that Zeon was supposed to dominate space but is struggling financially. Cameron wonders if they’re trying to atone for the colony drop but Pergamino doesn’t know what they want to accomplish with a budget large enough to bankrupt a nation. After Police Zakus fly close to the building, Pergamino complains that their training flights are a waste of money. Cameron says they’re trying to crack down on Clan Battle, but Pergamino explains there’s no point in that since the government manages Clan Battle and makes lots of money from it. In her room, Kycilia tells Atharv that something doesn’t feel right about this place and he says he’ll get Xavier in to escort her. Rassit is annoyed that Police Zakus are buzzing the Sodon while Kycilia is visiting the colony. Gates is annoyed the spawn point changed because they’d leaked info to lure the MPs out of the colony. Deux asks if there’s a problem and Gates tells her that due to Minovsky particles being spread inside the colony they won’t be able to use standard avionics. Deux answers that she doesn’t care about that because she loves the smell of Minovsky particles. Nyaan and Shuji emerge in the colony’s interior in their Gundams, and she thinks about how after the battle they’ll rendezvous with Machu and go to Earth. She tells Shuji not to leave her, but he doesn’t understand. A signal flare goes off in the distance and Deux’s Psycho Gundam emerges, accompanied by Gates’ Hambrabi. Nabu tells Kaine and Jezzi to forget about the battle and pack up. Machu, having snuck into Annqi’s office, opens the safe and starts grabbing bundles of cash. Annqi walks in and catches Machu in the aft. Gates spots the Gundams and tells Deux to get rid of them, so she transforms the Psycho Gundam to mobile suit mode. Deux fires finger beam cannons and hits the GQuuuuuuX. Rassit orders the crew to battle stations to intercept the Psycho Gundam. Machu grabs the revolver from inside the safe and points it at Annqi, saying she used to think Annqi was awesome. Annqi tells Machu to be smart and put all the money back, and Machu answers that she’s going to protect Shuji. Annqi declares that Machu doesn’t have the guts to shoot her because getting her hands dirty like this is different from Clan Battle. Annqi thinks it’s pathetic that Machu is throwing away her life over a man and starts walking toward her. Machu pulls the trigger and hits the wall behind Annqi, who in shock has fallen to the ground. Machu drops the gun and screams that Annqi was the one who told her to clear her mind and just go for it. She grabs the money bag and screams that she hates adults as she runs out of the building. Armored Police Zakus enter the colony and chase after Nyaan and Shuji. Nyaan is hit and crashes into the street. The impact causes the cockpit to open and eject her, but she lands in Shuji’s arms. She remembers asking Machu if she was in love with Shuji and Machu turning the question back on her. Shuji says the Red Gundam is telling him that the rose is awakening. Shuji tries to push Nyaan off him, but she hugs him harder and says the two of them should escape by themselves without Machu.

Shuji asks where they should go, and Nyaan answers that she doesn’t know but somewhere they can be free. The cockpit of the Red Gundam begins to glow and the Sodon’s crew detects the formation of a Zeknova. Deux feels pain in her head from the kira-kira and starts randomly firing the Psycho Gundam’s mega diffuse beam cannons at the surrounding buildings, causing massive devastation. Kycilia has a headache and hears a strange sound but Atharv says he doesn’t hear anything. He asks her to follow him to the roof and she looks outside the window at the Zeknova and wonders if it’s the same light she saw at Solomon. Shuji floats in the air and says he can see the other side. A bubble envelops the Red Gundam and causes it and Shuji to vanish. After the light of the Zeknova dissipates, Nyaan is left behind with a large hole where the Red Gundam once was. Deux is angry that the kira-kira is fading away and ejects the Psycho Gundam’s reflector armor bits, which she uses to destroy the Police Zakus. The Sodon charges toward the Psycho Gundam and fires its mega particle cannon, but the blast is deflected by the Psycho Gundam’s I-field barrier. Machu runs through abandoned streets and wonders what’s going on and what happened to the Clan Battle. She reaches the large hole where the Zeknova happened and finds the GQuuuuuuX abandoned. Police shine spotlights on her and perform a facial recognition scan that identifies her as Amate. With guns drawn, the police call her a terrorist and order her to step away from the mobile suit. Machu tries to explain that she’s not a terrorist and the GQuuuuuuX starts moving on its own, causing the police to open fire and hit Machu’s money bag. She moves quickly and is able to get in the cockpit and take off. Kycilia and Atharv reach the roof as the Psycho Gundam clumps up the side of the building. The Sodon attempts to ram the Psycho Gundam but takes damage from its spinning ring of reflector armor bits. Xavier then arrives in a Gyan and breaks past the ring to defend Kycilia. The Psycho Gundam readies its finger beam cannons but comes under attack from Challia’s Kikeroga. He performs an all-range attack and kills Gates in one shot. Deux demands for the kira-kira to come back and Challia asks if she’s an artificial Newtype. He dodges her attacks while countering with all-range attacks, destroying the Psycho Gundam. Xavier is amazed to see that Challia can do Mav maneuvers by himself, and he tells Xavier to take care of Kycilia. Machu comes under fire from multiple Police Zakus and is mad that she can’t experience the kira-kira without Shuji. The GQuuuuuuX’s eyes change color and Machu then feels a psychic attack from Challia, who tells her to calm her anger. The GQuuuuuuX then descends out of control but Challia transforms the Kikeroga into a mobile suit and catches it. Police investigate the abandoned Pomeranians headquarters. Machu’s school friends are shocked to see her on the news as a terror suspect, as is Tamaki at work. Nyaan and Conch wander through the streets until she’s spotted by Xavier’s Gyan, which lands in front of her. Xavier knows she piloted the GQuuuuuuX and says she has no idea the talent she possesses. Nyaan asks Xavier if he wants her to join Zeon and he answers that an important person wants to meet her. As the Sodon leaves Izuma Colony, Kycilia thanks Challia for his efforts and says he’ll have to report to his next mission immediately. Kycilia’s ship, the Purple Widow, arrives to pick her up. After transferring over, Xavier asks if it was wise to have him leave the Sodon, and she explains that today’s events proved that he’s not a spy for Gihren. She then tells Nyaan that if she has any family or friends they can be brought over to Zeon as well, but Nyaan answers that she has no one. On the Sodon, Challia drinks red wine with Simus and discusses the Zeknova and the Red Gundam’s disappearance. Challia comments that Zeon is at a precarious balance and in order to preserve peace, they’ll need to eliminate both Kycilia and Gihren. Elsewhere, Machu sits alone in the Sodon’s brig.