Gundam Ep. 18: Zeon’s Secret Mine

Kycilia leaves her lunar base at Granada and heads for Earth to visit M’Quve’s mining operations. In a deserted city, Amuro hides the Gundam and eats some food out of a can. He hears a noise and sees the mobile armor Adzam fly overhead, which is carrying Kycilia and M’Quve. On the White Base, everyone discusses what to do with Amuro if he returns. According to military regulations, deserters are to be executed, but Fraw thinks that’s too harsh. She leaves the ship in a jeep to search for Amuro. As she drives across the desert, she sees the tracks from the Gundam’s feet and follows them to the abandoned city. When she approaches the Gundam, Amuro nearly shoots her. She explains to him that they won’t punish him too much if he returns, but he refuses. He gets in the Gundam to leave, and she tells him that he’s just acting this way because he doesn’t trust in his skills as a pilot. He says she doesn’t understand him and leaves. Amuro walks through the desert with the Gundam, and Fraw follows him in the jeep. He reaches a hill and suddenly stops when he sees it is a Zeon mining facility. He looks around and sees Kycilia and M’Quve, but he doesn’t know who they are. He thinks that this facility is part of Revil’s Odessa Day plan, and he tells Fraw to drive back to White Base and tell them about it. M’Quve assures Kycilia that the resources will be put to good use, and she states they must have control of the mines to help subjugate the population after the war ends. Fraw leaves, and Amuro investigates further. When he sees that there are no mobile suits protecting the facility, he decides to attack the mine. He believes that by attacking the mine he can prevent the EFF from having to mobilize and at the same time show off to Bright and Mirai. He targets the base and begins destroying mining towers and Magella Attacks.

With his surprise attack, Amuro is able to destroy much of the mine. Kycilia tells M’Quve she isn’t happy that he didn’t detect the Gundam beforehand. She sees that the Gundam is more powerful than Garma said, and she sees this as a good opportunity to test the Adzam. Amuro thinks that the battle is over until he is surrounded by Magella Attacks and shot at by hidden underground beam cannons. Using his beam saber and shield, he’s able to destroy them all. However, Kycilia and M’Quve launch in the Adzam and begin attacking him. He quickly recovers his beam rifle and shield, and he sees that the Adzam moves very quickly. It then sprinkles sand on him and unleashes its leader, which sends an electrical charge throughout the Gundam and overheats it. The Gundam’s systems respond by releasing nearly all the suit’s energy to protect the cockpit. Fraw returns to the ship and gives them Amuro’s position, and Bright says it’s too far south of the mine that Revil wants to attack. Amuro manages to break free of the leader and destroy it. He then jumps into the air and uses the beam trident to rip the Adzam’s cabin open. Kycilia orders M’Quve to destroy the mine so that the EFF doesn’t get their secrets. M’Quve objects because men are still in the base, and she says it’s a matter of national security. The base explodes, and they shake the Gundam off of the Adzam and escape. Amuro goes inside the ruins of the base and is angered when he discovers it’s an insignificant outpost that isn’t part of Odessa Day. He leaves and gives water to an injured Zeon soldier. Amuro tells the soldier someone will come for him, and he gives him a flare. The soldier tells him not to go soft on his enemies because he can’t waste his life. The White Base arrives at the mine and they see that Amuro must have left thinking he was a hero. Ryu comments that the Zeon will fight harder now and they will pay the price for Amuro’s actions. Fraw leaves the ship to search for him again.