Summary

A number of Hanawan rise out of the mud sea and head towards the Iron Gear, which is on the rocky shore. Plopopieff hears a noise and goes to the deck where Jiron is kicking a metal toolbox at the Xabungle, eventually causing it to break open. He says he is angry because they are being pursued due to his attack on the Innocent and that he will leave. Jiron puts his things in a sack and departs the Iron Gear. Meanwhile, Lovely Rose tends to Elchi, who is in bed with a headache. Plopopieff comes inside, saying Jiron was acting strangely and that he’ll go and see where he has went. Meanwhile, Jiron opens an inflatable raft but is quickly attacked by a number of Hanawan. Later, Elchi goes to the bridge, asking Kotsett where Jiron is. Kotsett complains about the constant repairs they have to make due to Jiron, but that he did see him carrying a sack with him. The Hanawan bring a bound Jiron into a large cavern, and then kick him down some stone stairs when he complains. Jiron is brought further inside and is brought before a number of female Hanawan. Jiron says he won’t be a good hostage and the Iron Gear won’t come after him. One of the women, Muuna Tat, asks for his forgiveness and says she wants to ask him some questions about the location of the Hanawan’s Holy land. She says it was where they were born and upon returning there they will be able to live under the sun again. She says their recent fighting is in order to find it. Jiron says he knows nothing about it. Meanwhile, Rag instructs the Sand Rats on hiding weapons and that they will be able to seize the Iron Gear during a Hanawan attack. Rag says they are not going to go after Jiron. Dyke wonders if Jiron would side with Elchi. They hide when Elchi walks into the room, looking for Jiron. Meanwhile, a group of Hanawan gather around a fire. The chief of the Hanawan, Genna, talks about how Kid Horla told them a book showing the location of their Holy Land is aboard the Iron Gear and that he gave them aqua ships and aqua canoes to help them fight. He says now that they know how to fight they don’t need Horla anymore and will fight on their own. The crowd mostly agrees, although a few still sit, saying half of those they sent out died and they don’t want to sacrifice any more. Genna slaps them and continues to talk up how they should seize back their holy land. Horla comes in, asking if they are going to let the weapons he gave them rust up. Horla attacks one of the non-supporters with a whip and says he expects a lot of them after selling them weapons at half price. Meanwhile, Muuna is told by Jiron that Horla was sent by the innocent and they are trying to get the fighting to continue. She wonders if what they’ve been told about the book on the Iron Gear is a lie and apologizes for what they put him through. Suddenly, Genna comes in, not wanting to let Jiron go. On the surface, Chill finds Jiron’s sack and raft. Jiron and Genna are tied together at the wrist, to fight before an audience with knives. Genna quickly gets Jiron to the ground, but he turns the table on him and escapes his hold. They continue fighting, with Genna shortening the distance between them and attacking. Genna is able to knock Jiron to the ground and force a knife to his face.

Meanwhile on the Iron Gear bridge, Elchi complains about her headache as Rag and the others bring her back Jiron’s sack, saying the Hanawan will likely attack. Kotsett continues to work on repairs, with Elchi complaining about it. Jiron bites the knife that Genna is holding to his face and spits out several pieces, enabling him to get up and continue the fight. Horla leaves, swearing he’ll make Elchi and the Iron Gear his. Muuna begs for Genna to stop fighting and wraps herself around Genna. He says he is chief and even she could face consequences by disobeying. Muuna severs the rope and Jiron flees, although she is injured by his knife. Genna orders the Hanawan to attack Jiron and he is chased by a number of them, wielding spear guns. Jiron climbs up a shaft and is able to throw a giant rock at the pursuing Hanawan. He is soon found by other Hanawan and jumps back down the shaft, running another way. He soon falls down another shaft, but grabs a hold of a stalactite, until it breaks. Jiron eventually makes his way to a shaft where there are many aqua canoes, but numerous more Hanawan appear. He makes his way onto one of the aqua canoes and flees. Horla angrily watches and asks Geraba about the hover boards they have as he isn’t confident in the Hanawan. Even though they are under repair he wants to go out now. Genna orders the others to recapture Jiron and sees Horla leaving. He swears he’ll show the power of the Hanawan. Horla and Geraba head out on the Galabagos. Elchi refuses to let the Sand Rats leave the ship, even to look for Jiron, but eventually relents and they go out on the Xabungle. Muuna asks Genna to not listen to Horla, but he feels he owes him and wants to restore the Hanawan to being on the surface. She asks why he has changed so much. On his landship, Horla asks a crew member if they have enough forces and is told yes. Meanwhile, many more Hanawan also head out. The Sand Rats watch them approaching from the surface, ready to attack, but spot Jiron coming. Elchi talks to Plopopieff, Lovely Rose and the dancers about how to defend the Iron Gear and gets in the second Xabungle with Fatman. Jiron returns to the shore and tells Rag and the others they should transform the Xabungle, which they do. A torpedo quickly hits them as the Hanawan appear on the surface of the mud sea. Genna swears he’ll get Jiron as Muuna was accidentally injured during his escape. Jiron spots Horla’s Walker Machines approaching, surfing on hover boards. Mud starts seeping into the Xabungle as it goes under the mud. The Xabungle blasts to the surface, taking out a Walker Machine, then jumps on a hover board and uses it himself. Horla wonders what Genna is doing and wants him to attack. The Xabungle strikes another Walker Machine as they surf on the mud sea. Meanwhile, Elchi is having trouble, fighting in the other Xabungle on the surface. Jiron approaches and says he will take her spot in it, as Elchi is sick and not performing well. Both Xabungles now in the mud sea, they continue to fight off the Hanawan and the enemy Walker Machines, including Horla’s Galabagos. Elchi notices the Hanawan ramming the Xabungle. The hover board is soon destroyed causing the Xabungle to sink into the mud sea. The Hanawan flee, with Genna saying he’ll sink them the next time. Later, Kotsett says they need to move the Iron Gear as the Hanawan will attack again. Fatman simply flexes his muscles, causing Kotsett to kick him. Jiron is sure they’ll attack again. At a cave entrance, Muuna looks out and wonders why the men fight, thinking they won’t be able to enjoy the sun if its gained through bloodshed.

Commentary

This episode fleshes out the Hanawan in further detail as Jiron gets captured by them and is brought into the caves where they dwell. Here we see some in-fighting, as Muuna and others want to avoid the fighting that Hanawan chief Genna wants to pursue. Genna wants to return the Hanawan to their position on the surface. Frankly, it seems kind of misguided to me. The Hanawan have clearly lived underground long enough to evolve that they can’t live in the sunlight. Even if they were to defeat the Iron Gear, they wouldn’t be able to truly return. It seems that Horla has completely manipulated them and taken advantage of their belief in a Holy Land legend. Anyway, the episode features a decent enough duel between Jiron and Genna, but the chase sequence that occurs afterwards is quite drawn out. It was rather fun to see the fighting on the mud sea, including Walker Machines riding hover boards as if they were surfing.

Overall Rating
2.5/5

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