By Elchi rests in the tub, being studied by Innocent scientists. After getting out she is given a silk dress and brought to a wildlife area, which she is quite pleased at. Biel comes over to greet her, to her pleasure. Meanwhile the Iron Gear lays still during a rain storm while Jiron, Kotsett and others work on repairs. Dyke complains about Elchi being kidnapped and having a nice meal. Jiron and Blume have a hard time hearing each other in the storm then laugh at Rag almost falling off the ship. While Elchi enjoys herself, Biel talks to Horla, who still seems concerned for her. Horla wants her assigned to him as a subordinate, but Biel knows he is in love with her. Biel refuses his request and Horla provides a veiled threat about the Innocent dome not being protected once he is gone. Horla departs on his Gavalier landship. Elchi says all her fatigue vanished after being in the bath. She realizes she completely forgot about her friends when Biel mentions the Iron Gear. The sky clears up and the Iron Gear‘s tired crew returns to the bridge. Jiron wants to head out immediately but Rag refuses to go out and search for Elchi, getting into an argument with him. The other Sand Rats also seem in no hurry to rescue her. The Iron Gear is suddenly struck by attacks from the Gavalier and Horla starts sending out Walker Machines. Jiron yells at Horla, telling him to return Elchi, but Horla tells him he handed her over to the Innocent. Horla tells Geraba they should retreat to Point K. Horla tells Geraba that it will be to their benefit for Jiron and the Iron Gear to attack the Innocent, which is why he has retreated. One of the Innocent, Stan, gets worried about the forces approaching their dome. Biel tells him not to worry and to take refuge underground. As the Gavalier retreats the Iron Gear pursues, approaching the Innocent domed villa. Jiron wonders if they should take a hostage. The Iron Gear blasts the legs of the domed villa, then blasts a hole in the window, worrying Stan.
The Iron Gear comes to a stop and Jiron heads into the Innocent dome along with the Sand Rats. Blume comes across one of Stan’s servants, who tells him he is underground. They find a large shaft and start heading down it, as Stan flees, making it to a vehicle on the ground floor that doesn’t work due to the power being cut out. Stan tells them he is a second level administrator and asks if they’re willing to make a deal with him. They say they instead will be taking him hostage. Stan is worried, saying he has a hard time breathing the outside air. Stan begs for them to not bring him outside as they bring him up to Jiron and Rag. Jiron has them bring him onboard their ship where he is found to have a fever. Horla returns to Biel’s Innocent dome but is called out for abandoning Stan and letting the Iron Gear enter holy ground. Biel issues him one final order, to rescue Stan, or he will kill Elchi. Horla returns to the Gavalier and angrily tells Geraba they need to head out. Plopopieff is shocked to find sores appearing all over Stan’s body. Horla’s forces soon reach the Iron Gear and launch an attack. Rag refuses to head out and fight for Elchi’s sake, causing Jiron to repeatedly slap her. She soon starts slapping him over and over as well. Plopopieff comes to the bridge, with the sick Stan right behind him. Due to being distracted, the Gavalier makes its way into the Iron Gear and Horla soon leads a force of men into the ship. Horla makes his way to the bridge. An Innocent hoverheli arrives asking for Stan to be handed over. Horla messes up, revealing Stan is dead and Biel doesn’t care about Horla’s threats of investigating Stan’s body to learn more about the Innocent. The hoverheli then blows up. Horla tells Jiron he wants a truce and wants to attack Point K, which Jiron agrees to. Jiron heads out on the Gallier, with the Xabungle piloted by Rag heading out behind him. Horla also heads out on his Galabagos Walker Machine. The Gavalier makes its way through an open hatch into the Innocent dome. Biel orders them to evacuate the dome and wonders if this is Dowas’ doing. The Gavalier blasts a hole into the Innocent’s city within the dome and the Walker Machines soon go on a rampage. Biel brings Elchi up on an elevator, calling Jiron and the others the destroyers of civilization, and that he’ll fly her to another paradise. Jiron blasts the elevator to no avail and a plane with Elchi and Biel on board flies away from overhead. The Sand Rats think of how they didn’t gain anything from this battle, aside from knowing that the Innocent can die.
With Elchi kidnapped by the Innocent, things begin to escalate, and quite a lot happens in this episode. We meet another Innocent character, Stan, a mid-level administrator who unfortunately gets caught in the cross hairs of the conflict between Biel and the Iron Gear. With him dying of a mysterious fever once they bring him out of the dome, it seems that the Innocent aren’t able to survive outside? That would explain why we only see them within their domes and relying upon either hired Breakers or robots to do the fighting. Horla’s desire for Elchi results in him deciding to call a truce with Jiron and the Iron Gear, at least for now, and we see them fight on the same side for the first time since the start of the show, back when Elchi’s dad was still alive. The episode concludes with Jiron and the others having destroyed two Innocent domes in one episode. It’s quite a lot of power they have displayed, and the Innocent seem a lot more vulnerable than they were early in the show. To be fair, much of it is their own technology being used against them.
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