Gundam SEED DESTINY Phase 26: The Promise

Shinn pulls Stella out of the Gaia Gundam‘s cockpit just as the Saviour Gundam lands. As Athrun exits from his cockpit, Shinn grabs Stella and takes off in the Force Impulse back to the Minerva. Athrun reports to Talia that Shinn is apparently heading back to the ship, and Arthur wonders who gave Shinn permission to act as he wishes. Shinn lands in the Minerva‘s hangar bay and hurries to the infirmary with Stella in tow. He demands that the doctor treat her immediately, but the doctor says he can’t treat an enemy soldier without Talia’s permission. As Shinn pleads with the doctor, Stella comes to and chokes a nurse. Talia arrives with an escort of soldiers, and Shinn pulls Stella off the nurse and tells her to calm down. Stella screams out she is afraid of dying before she passes out. Later, Talia lectures Shinn for violating military regulations by bringing an enemy soldier aboard. She asks Shinn what he would’ve done if Stella caused some damage or injury to someone, and he apologizes. Talia asks Shinn how he knows Stella, and he explains that he rescued her from drowning near Diocuia. At the time, because of the things she said he thought she was just a victim of the war. The doctor calls Talia and asks her to come down to the infirmary. In the infirmary, Shinn asks why Stella is tied down to a gurney with straps. The doctor says it’s for her own protection. He explains that she’s one of the Extended and that her body has been altered via drugs and other techniques. Because of her condition, he’s not sure how effective their medicine will be. Stella wakes up and doesn’t recognize Shinn. She panics when she realizes she is on a ZAFT ship and begins to thrash underneath her straps, as well as digging her nails into her hands until they bleed. The doctor injects her with a sedative to make her unconscious again. He says he thinks that her memories and other brain functions may have been manipulated as well.

Aboard the John Paul Jones, Neo and another officer discuss how the Alliance has written Stella off as a loss. Neo asks one of the technicians to remove all memories of Stella from Sting and Auel’s brains. Elsewhere, the Minerva takes off and heads out its next destination, the Port of Tarcuius. In his room, Athrun thinks about his recent meeting with Kira. Lunamaria looks at the photos and the disc from her covert surveillance of Athrun. Shinn sits at Stella’s side in the infirmary and refuses to believe that she can’t remember him. He pulls out the small shell she gave him, and she suddenly wakes up and says his name. Elsewhere, with the Archangel submerged underneath the ocean’s surface, Kira looks out into the ocean from one of the observation lounges. Lacus joins him, and he tells her he’s confused again because of what Athrun said. He wonders if they themselves are doing the right thing. Lacus wants to find out what’s going on in the PLANTs by going there herself. Kira objects, but Lacus says she has to go. On the bridge, Andy watches a TV news announcement that Meer’s concert tour of ZAFT bases is coming to a close. Later, Lacus shows up at ZAFT’s Diocuia base along with Andy, who has disguised himself as Meer’s manager King T@KED@. The ZAFT officers are all surprised that Lacus is there early, and Andy insists that they have to leave quickly. As the shuttle is prepared, Lacus signs autographs for the soldiers. Just as the shuttle is readied, Meer arrives in her limo and is upset that no one has come to greet her. As the shuttle pulls away, King T@KED@ realizes what’s going on and says that Lacus is an impostor. As the shuttle takes off, BABI and GAZuOOT squads scramble and attack. Andy tries to climb as the missiles and energy blasts approach, but they’re all negated by a blast from the Freedom Gundam. Kira swoops down and disables the BABIs before doing a quick run by the control tower. He flies back up to the shuttle and asks to come along, but Lacus tells him he has to protect Murrue and Cagalli. Andy tells Kira that he’ll protect Lacus with his life. As the shuttle continues to ascend, Kira pulls away.