By Cookie and Cracker work their field on Mars and wonder when Biscuit will return home. On Earth, Biscuit stands on the beach thinking about his sisters. Mikazuki comes to tell him that Orga wants him because Gjallarhorn is coming. He asks if something is wrong, and Biscuit mentions that he and Orga argued about what to do next. Nadi’s team works on preparing the mobile suits and Mobile Workers for launch. Orga reports to Makanai that they’ve spotted the approaching Gjallarhorn ships, and Kudelia wonders how it is that they’re coming. Makanai explains that Tekkadan has caught the eye of Carta, the heir to the most powerful of the Seven Star families. Because they’re on a desert island where Ahab reactors aren’t prohibited, it’s easier for Gjallarhorn to manipulate information. Makanai asks what Tekkadan will do, and Orga answers that they’re going to run away with Kudelia. Orga says this job will cost Makanai, who wants to get to the Arbrau Parliament in Edmonton. Kudelia asks them to leave the transportation planning to her. Atra serves soup to the crew, and Shino gives some to Yamagi, who wonders if they’ll be able to make it back to Mars and not be on the run. Elsewhere, Takaki and Ride plant explosives around the mansion where Makanai is staying. Shino asks Mikazuki to back him up, and he answers that they’ll crush anything in their way. Kudelia tells Makanai that the transportation arrangements have been made. On the Montag ship, McGillis tells Todo how Kudelia is using him like a servant. Orga thinks about Biscuit quitting, and Biscuit comes to talk to him about that. Orga has things he wants to say as well, but not until after they leave the island. Biscuit goes to help with maintenance and tells Nadi that he and Orga will talk once they leave the island. Orga tells Merribit that he wasn’t able to ask Biscuit to stay with Tekkadan, but she says he’ll have many chances to do it. On a Gjallarhorn ship, Corlis Stenja is eager to get revenge for his younger brother, Orlis. The Gjallarhorn ships open fire, and Mikazuki activates the Gundam Barbatos, carrying a large wrench mace. Lafter and Azee fire from the shore in their Roueis, and Akihiro tries to snipe the ships with the Gusion Rebake and misses. Mikazuki tells Akihiro to follow his senses, which allows him to score a hit on Corlis’ ship. The ships launch Graze Ground Types, and Shino’s Ryusei-Go is attacked from above by Carta’s descending Graze Ritters. The Graze Ritters toss their re-entry shields as weapons, but Mikazuki and Shino dodge. The Graze Ritters line up for Carta to introduce them, but Akihiro just starts shooting.
The Graze Ritters charge forward in a line, and Mikazuki breaks their formation by attacking one with the wrench mace. Shino fights another with his axe while Akihiro shoots another one. Shino boasts that this is an easy fight because they have Alaya-Vijnana. Carta demands to know where the navy is and is informed they’re being held back at the shore. Two units slip by, so Akihiro destroys one of them. Takaki reports to Orga that Gjallarhorn forces are approaching the mansion. Orga tells Biscuit that Gjallarhorn is moving just as he expected and going for the bait. Biscuit drives their Mobile Worker to the next destination, and Orga tells the Mobile Worker pilots to pull back from the mansion. Carta doesn’t want her family to be shamed like this, and she’s told the mansion has been occupied. Just then, the mansion explodes and kills the ground troops. Everyone from Tekkadan starts assembling along the shore, where Gjallarhorn landing ships have been seized. Orga and Biscuit reach the battlefield where Mikazuki and Shino are fighting. Biscuit notices something near Shino’s feet, and Shino is warned that he’s about to fall into their own trap. Mikazuki grasps onto Carta’s Graze Ritter, but he stops when Orga calls with orders. Carta is able to break free and gives chase to Biscuit and Orga while two other Graze Ritters occupy Mikazuki. Biscuit turns quickly, which causes Orga to fall off the Mobile Worker just before Carta strikes it with her sword. Orga gets up and sees that Biscuit has been mortally wounded. Mikazuki picks up Carta’s suit with the wrench mace and starts smashing it. Orga stumbles over to the smashed Mobile Worker, which Biscuit is trying to crawl out of. Biscuit tells himself that he can’t die here because he has to get back to Mars. With his dying breath, Biscuit reaches out and takes Orga’s hand. At the shore, Kudelia hopes that everyone is safe. Orga cries out in anguish at Biscuit’s death.
The Tekkadan crew finally leaves the island, but not before experiencing a death you can see coming from a mile away. This episode has so many flags pointing to Biscuit’s death that the effect of the actual event is blunted. You just know that him thinking of his family, his sisters thinking about him and the decision to put off his talk with Orga until later all mean he’s going to die, and thus he does. It seems like a pretty unnecessary death, as there was no need to Biscuit and Orga to expose themselves at the mobile suit battle. A character as important as Biscuit shouldn’t have died from such a dumb mistake, but that’s how it is. On a lighter note, I was amused when Akihiro interrupted Carta’s useless pomp by shooting at her men during their introduction. This episode also introduces Corlis Stenja, and I have to wonder what the point is of introducing the sibling of a minor character who only appeared in the very first episode. Overall, it’s a decent episode, but a surprising death for Biscuit would’ve been more shocking than the one so blatantly telegraphed.
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