Zeta Gundam Ep. 16: Through the Haze of Darkness

The Sudori flies through heavy fog and receives a message from a relay station stating that they are to cease pursuit if the enemy manages to reach the Pacific Ocean. Buran is annoyed and sees that the Titans want to lure the Audhumla toward New Guinea to destroy it, but he doesn’t want them to get the credit. Ben Wooder asks Buran if he’s going to change the message in the communication capsule, and Buran answers that he will, saying that the Murasame Lab in Japan should watch for activities in New Guinea. Buran wants Wooder to use the Newtype Lab’s encoding system so that the Titans can’t decipher it. Buran asks how many mobile suits they can currently launch, and Wooder lists six Hi-Zacks and the Asshimar. The Sudori launches its communication capsule, which is then picked up by personnel from the relay station. Elsewhere, Amuro asks Beltorchika if she’s going to guide them to Hickory, and she answers that this is what she came here from. She says it’s Karaba’s responsibility to send Quattro and Kamille back to space, and Amuro notes that she dislikes fighting. Beltorchika elaborates that she hates war, but that’s not the same as fighting when one has to. Amuro asks if she despises him, and she answers that he’s essentially spent the last seven years sleeping, but it’s time to wake up so that things go back to how they were. Amuro feels he doesn’t have the confidence, so Beltorchika kisses him. He says he doesn’t want her pity, but she answers that if a woman can rouse a man by caressing him, she will. She asks if he knows why, and Amuro says it’s to test the man. Beltorchika agrees and says that a woman will test a man because she wants to find a man suitable for her. But if the man isn’t worthwhile, he’ll get dumped. Amuro recalls Beltorchika mentioning that she lost her parents in the war, and she confirms that she’s a war orphan. She says she’s the one who wants sympathy, so Amuro kisses her and vows to get Quattro and Kamille back to space. Amuro kisses her again, and Quattro walks by to tell Beltorchika that Hayato wants to talk to her. Amuro asks Quattro if he can leave a mobile suit behind, and Quattro answers that Kamille is more accustomed to the Gundam Mk-II, so that’s not possible. Amuro mentions the Rick Dias, but Quattro says that’s an AEUG mobile suit and also out of the question. Quattro notes that the final battle between the Titans and AEUG will be in space, so he asks Amuro to join them up there. Amuro doesn’t want to because he’s terrified of the feeling of no gravity, but Quattro thinks he’s scared to see Lalah. Quattro thinks that Amuro believes he can’t meet again someone who has died, but somewhere inside he believes it is possible, which scares him. He says there are certain things people can do while alive and that those things are the best tribute for the dead. Amuro tells him to shut up and recalls the moment during the One Year War when he accidentally killed Lalah. In the hangar, Kamille works on repairing the damage that Katz caused by using the Gundam Mk-II, and he comments that what Katz did would make anybody angry. Kamille lowers the crane so they can talk to Quattro, who reports that he has permission from Hayato to take Katz up to space. Quattro notes that he won’t go easy on Katz, and as he walks away he sees Amuro get into the cockpit of the Rick Dias. Hayato uses binoculars to scan the horizon and tells the crew that they’ll use the fog as cover to approach Hickory. One of the crew asks if they’ll be able to see Hickory, and Hayato mentions that the pigeon released by Beltorchika should reach Hickory soon, and then they’ll see a signal. A Karaba member reads the note attached to the pigeon about sending up two mobile suits and orders that fires be lit along the runway and flares fired. Karaba members then light fires in oil drums lining each side of the runway. Buran tells Wooder that the Audhumla will try to launch mobile suits to space from somewhere nearby. The Audhumla descends when it spots Karaba’s flares. Quattro offers to let Katz ride down with him in the Hyaku-Shiki, but Katz wants to go instead with Amuro in the Rick Dias. Amuro and Beltorchika kiss before she gets into her Comet for takeoff. Amuro asks Katz why he wanted to ride together, and Katz says he was happy to see Amuro piloting a mobile suit again. Hayato calls Amuro and Quattro and tells Quattro to take care of Katz. Beltorchika’s Comet takes off, followed by Kamille and Quattro riding on a Dodai Custom and Amuro and Katz riding on another. In the distance, Amuro spots the Sudori deploying its seven mobile suits, and he ascends to intercept. Beltorchika descends through the fog enough to see the runway.

As their Dodai Custom lands, Quattro thinks that Amuro got lost along the way. Quattro asks Karaba members if they can also load the Rick Dias onto the shuttle, but one of the men says the orders from the Argama are to prioritize the Hyaku-Shiki because it’s newer. Buran spots the Audhumla and opens fire, and Hayato gives orders to descend into the clouds but not approach Hickory. Amuro ascends out of the clouds and fires at Buran, who dodges, but he then manages to shoot down a Hi-Zack. Amuro fires at Buran and then hides in the cloud for cover. Hayato is informed that two Nemos are launching, and he orders that unmanned units be launched on Dodai Customs to act as decoys. With less than five minutes left before launch, the Hyaku-Shiki is securely locked in place on the HLV. Kamille takes off on a Dodai Custom to go get Katz. Beltorchika gets caught in the crossfire, but Amuro shields her from an attack. Amuro shoots down another Hi-Zack and asks Beltorchika why she hasn’t landed yet, and she notes that the shuttle is about to launch but he still has Katz with him. Beltorchika points the direction to Hickory, and Amuro gives Katz the gun he used to shoot at Char during the One Year War. Amuro drops off Katz at the shuttle and declares that he’ll protect it during launch. Quattro still wants to get Kamille aboard, but Katz pulls out the gun and says Quattro is too important to the AEUG and has to get back to space. Kamille jumps off his Dodai Custom to evade an attack from Buran, and the remaining Hi-Zacks target the Audhumla. A Nemo launches on a Dodai Custom and destroys one of the enemy Base Jabbers. In the shuttle cockpit, Quattro notes to Katz that a shuttle pulls lots of Gs and that a gun won’t fire well, especially with the safety on. Quattro then mentions that he’s scared and would rather be moving about. Buran attacks Kamille and destroys his Dodai Custom, but he then comes under fire from Amuro. Amuro lowers altitude so that his Dodai Custom can catch Kamille. Amuro comments that Beltorchika is probably heading back to the Audhumla, and Kamille wonders how he can be thinking about a woman at a time like this. Amuro tells Kamille where to fire his bazooka at, but Kamille can’t see where he’s shooting and misses Buran. Kamille jumps in front of the Comet to protect it, and Amuro performs a quick fly-by attack and damages a Hi-Zack’s backpack. Kamille yells at Beltorchika to get back to the Audhumla because she’s in the way. Buran destroys one of the decoys, and Kamille uses his beam saber to destroy a Hi-Zack and its Base Jabber. Kamille fires his vulcans and damages the Asshimar, but Buran gets close and steals one of the Gundam Mk-II’s beam sabers. Kamille has a flash of Fa in his mind, and Amuro swoops in and slices off Buran’s hand before he can attack. The shuttle takes off, and Amuro stabs the Asshimar in the cockpit and destroys it. Kamille returns to the Audhumla and tells Beltorchika that Amuro was picked up by the crew at Hickory. Beltorchika comments that Amuro has awoken from his long sleep and that she might have to change her opinion of him. A helicopter airlifts the Rick Dias back to the Audhumla, and Beltorchika rushes to embrace Amuro. Amuro apologizes to Kamille, but Kamille thanks him for the help. Hayato receives a message from Kai and asks a crewmember if they’ve contacted Luio & Co. in New Hong Kong yet, but they can’t do that from Hickory. Kamille thinks about Fa and wonders how she’s doing.