Gundam Wing Ep. 19: Assault on Barge

Zechs wakes up in an unfamiliar room and is surprised to still be alive. Howard then walks in and asks Zechs if he can walk. He says he’s surprised that anyone other than a Gundam pilot could control the Tallgeese. When Zechs asks who he is, Howard explains that he was one of the designers who worked on the Tallgeese. Zechs asks Howard why he saved him, and Howard says it’s because Zechs has become OZ’s enemy. Howard takes Zechs to see the Tallgeese, which he has fitted with atmospheric vernier rockets. He asks Zechs if he can go to space because it’s about to undergo a dramatic transformation. In space, Une (as her gentler self) makes more cooperative agreements with the colonies. She tells fawning representatives that she hopes the day will come that everyone understands OZ. Nichol reports to Une that they have the “item” and that she needs to return to Barge. After changing back into uniform, Nichol reports that they’ve picked up a Gundam HLV carrier. She orders the Tauruses to capture the HLV and jokes that they should only let the pilot live if he’s ugly. Several Leos approach the HLV to tow it to Colony C102, but Duo destroys them. He’s then attacked by several Tauruses and suffers some damage. The Tauruses continue to bombard him with weapons fire, causing the Gundam Deathscythe‘s power output to drop. A Taurus then fires a beam cannon shot that blows off the Gundam Deathscythe’s right arm. Although he doesn’t want to copy Heero, Duo tries to self-detonate and is unable to. After he passes out, the Tauruses fire towing lines and take it in. Trowa watches a video of OZ pulling Duo out of his cockpit and arresting him. He wonders if people are so used to control that they can’t see the Gundams as an ally. Trowa sees that he’s too far to help Duo, but Heero is closer and will probably take action. Heero conducts research at a school computer and is surprised to find no reference to the assassination of the original Heero Yuy in AC 175. Heero sees the video of Duo’s arrest and decides to eliminate all negative factors.

Heero later sneaks onto Colony C102 through a transport ship. Citizens cheer in the streets as the damaged Gundam Deathscythe is hauled through the colony. An OZ officer tells Duo that he’ll be executed and that his death will unite the people of the colonies for OZ. Duo is then knocked out and wakes up inside a dirty cell. The door suddenly opens when Heero knocks out the guard. Heero then pulls a gun on Duo, and Duo says he’d rather die like this instead of being used by OZ. He asks if Heero is really going to shoot him, but Heero gives him the gun instead and helps him out of the cell. Duo asks him where the Wing Gundam is, and Heero explains that he left it on Earth because it would generate too much attention and get him captured. Heero then detonates several explosives that he’s planted throughout the base, which creates a diversion for them to escape. The OZ officer orders his men to increase security and is informed that Duo has escaped. More explosions go off around the base, except for the mobile suit gate. The OZ officer realizes that’s where they’ll escape from, so he orders the launch of Taurus mobile dolls. Barge sends out several Leos as backup, but the Shenlong Gundam appears and destroys them. Nichol is worried because Une’s shuttle is now on an approach course for Barge. Wufei is unimpressed by the strength of his enemies. Nichol orders his men to fire Barge’s beam cannon at Wufei, even though it would mean killing their Leo pilots too. Barge’s beam cannon fires and destroys three Leos, but it also blows of the Shenlong Gundam’s right arm. Une’s shuttle flies over Wufei, and she tells him to give up his futile fighting because it isn’t needed in space. Nichol asks for orders to attack, but Une says they don’t need to fight in space. Nichol then countermands her and has the Tauruses fire on the damaged Shenlong Gundam. Wufei stabs himself and uses the thrust generated from the explosion to escape the Tauruses. Nichol wonders which Une he’s supposed to follow. Duo asks how they’re going to escape from the mobile dolls, but Heero tells him he isn’t planning to escape. After more explosives are set off, Heero launches motherships with unmanned Leos, which the Tauruses destroy. The Tauruses now see all Leos as enemies and begin firing on every suit. OZ officers realize too late that their astro suits have also been designated as targets. Heero and Duo escape in a shuttle during the confusion. Duo wants to get his Gundam, but Heero says they’re worthless now because the engineers are working for OZ. He plans to kill them. Back on Earth, Zechs launches in the booster-equipped Tallgeese and heads for space.