Macross Delta Mission 24: Fatal Judgment

In a jail cell in Derwent, Mirage tells Hayate and Freyja that they won’t be treated too roughly due to the Ormonde Treaty, which outlines the humane treatment of prisoners of war. Guards then take them to the throne room, where it’s announced that they will be placed on trial in front of Heinz. Outside the castle, Arad, Kaname, Reina and Makina hide in the forest and presume everyone else was captured due to lost signals. Berger appears out of nowhere and mentions that some of the parts in Xaos’ surveillance satellites are made by an Epsilon affiliate. Bogue wonders why Heinz is bothering with this, and Hermann tells him to shut up. Hermann asks Heinz’s attendants where Roid is, and they answer that he’s busy investigating the temple. Roid forces Mikumo at knife point into the Temple of Time. Heinz vows that he will accept the judgment reached by the three judges. One of the judges explains that since this is a summary trial there will be no direct examination of the accused by the prosecution or the defense. Mirage asks them to remove the handcuffs, but they tell her not to talk without permission. They then list the charges, which include entering Windermere while bearing arms, engaging in hostilities and defiling the skies above a sacred site. Hayate counters that they didn’t do anything the Windermerians hadn’t done first, which causes Bogue to yell at him. Heinz, noting that they aren’t in NUNS or residents of the Globular Cluster, asks why they attacked Windermere, and Mirage answers that they were contracted to protect the cluster. Hayate adds that they also want to protect Ragna and everyone else. Heinz asks Freyja why she sings, and she answers that Walkure uses their songs to help people afflicted with Var Syndrome. Heinz specifies that he wants to know why Freyja sings, and she answers that a song fills her whole body with happiness. She thinks that if everyone in the galaxy could feel this way, they wouldn’t want to fight. Heinz comments that he’s never felt that way while singing, but when he heard Freyja’s singing he felt a warm color like the sun, and from Mikumo like the color of the stars. Freyja states that Heinz’s singing is frightening to her because it’s transparent and colorless, feeling empty. One of the judges states that Freyja is accused of treason and should be put to death, and Hayate charges at the judges. Two soldiers smack Hayate with the butts of their rifles, and he asks how this can be a trial if the plan was always to execute them. Mirage notes that the lack of a prosecutor, defense and jury violates the Ormonde Treaty, but one of the judges counters that this doesn’t apply to Xaos because it’s not part of NUNS. Freyja pleads with Heinz to end the war, but Bogue tells her to shut up and picks her up by the collar. Hayate runs over to stop him, but Bogue drop kicks him. Berger leads Arad’s group into the room where Wright’s Sturmvogel is stored, and he explains that it was tuned last night and had its legs removed to create space for everyone to fit in. Arad asks Berger why he’s doing this, and Berger answers that he’s a merchant and will want payment later. He then mentions it’s time for him to go because Epsilon is pulling out of Windermere. One of the judges tells Bogue that they are in Heinz’s presence, so it is forbidden to stain things with the Kadun of blood. Heinz tells Freyja he could feel her pain when their winds crossed, but the war will not end until Windermere has its justice. One of the judges states that the accused won’t admit their crimes and are unrepentant, so the trial should end now. The judges unanimously find them guilty and sentence them to death. The image of the Singer of the Stars lights up when Mikumo steps onto the platform. Roid tells Mikumo that during the war seven years ago, something was stolen from the temple and used by Lady M to create Mikumo. He explains that the Singer of the Stars is a priestess of legend left to them by the Protoculture, whose power was inherited by the Singer of the Wind. Roid wonders if those who created her were afraid of her power.

The prisoners are taken outside the castle to a platform next to a precipice, which Freyja recalls from an old story leads to hell. Hermann tells them that there’s no escape, and Mirage answers that it’s not over until it’s over. He tells her that he likes the way she flew, but that she always seemed to be overthinking things. Keith tells Hayate that his wind has no killer instinct, and he needs to have the resolve in combat to kill his opponent. Hayate responds that Messer told him the same thing, but he can’t stain Freyja’s songs with blood. He vows to beat Keith the next time they meet. The judges announce that it is time for the execution, and Bogue wants Freyja to go first. He tells her that traitors usually aren’t allowed to join Windermere’s wind, so she should be thankful for Heinz’s generosity. Hayate volunteers to go first, and Keith agrees to this final wish, over Bogue’s objections. Hayate says it isn’t a final wish and asks Mirage to take care of Freyja as he walks to the girder sticking out of the platform. Despite the heavy winds, he walks to the edge and prepares to jump until Arad smashes out of the castle in the Sturmvogel. Arad fires on the platform to block the entrance, and in the confusion Hayate tells Mirage and Freyja that they have to fly. All three a leap off the edge and are caught by Hayate and Mirage’s Siegfrieds flying on remote control. Arad tells everyone to prepare for a Walkure performance to destroy the Protoculture system, which they’ll be doing without Mikumo. Freyja jumps out of Mirage’s Siegfried, and Arad lets go of his passengers so that he can retrieve his Siegfried. Mikumo hears Walkure singing next to the ruins, and Arad takes off just as the Aerial Knights arrive. Delta Flight engages the Aerial Knights in the sky, and Kaname deploys multi-drones to take down the incoming paraglider troops. Roid tells Mikumo that he thinks Walkure only exists to cover up that she’s the Singer of the Stars, and he mutters “Rudanjaar Rom Mayan” to take control of her. Makina pushes Freyja out of the way when a sniper targets her and takes the shot herself. Laying in a pool of her own blood, Makina urges everyone to sing, which causes the system to activate. The skin of Freyja’s right hand starts to become crusty, and a fold gate opens with reinforcements from Xaos, including Chuck. Mikumo struggles to keep control of herself, but she eventually loses and starts singing the Star Song. Mikumo’s song starts to affect everyone and causes another Protoculture structure to appear. The Walkure Shuttle lands to pick up the group, and several Konig Monsters and Kairoses open fire on Sigur Berrentzs to provide cover while everyone escapes through the fold gate. Freyja is shocked when she sees the crusty white skin on her hand. Mikumo cries as Roid tells her to sing so that the entire galaxy hears her.