Zeta Gundam Ep. 38: Reccoa’s Shadow

Jerid is informed that the Melord will catch up to the Audhumla in five minutes, and he orders the mobile suits to launch. He boasts that this isn’t Dakar, so he’ll do as he wishes. On the Audhumla, the Zeta Gundam and Hyaku-Shiki are loaded into the cargo bay of a Temptation class shuttle for their return to space. Hayato asks Quattro if there’s anything left to be loaded, and Quattro apologizes for the trouble. Quattro tells Kamille that the Argama won’t be able to come low enough to pick them up, so they’ll have to wait in orbit. However, they should be safe because the Minovsky particle density will prevent any ground-based defenses from targeting a small shuttle. Amuro tells them that the sooner they leave the better since the Titans haven’t given up on attacking them. Amuro tells Char to leave everything on Earth to them, and he responds that Amuro has changed and gone back to the way he was before. Amuro notes that it was Char who changed him, but the battle alert is suddenly sounded when the Titans approach. Amuro says that they’ll cover the launch and gets into his Dijeh. Kamille thinks they should join the fight, but Quattro notes that their duties on Earth are over, and it’s their job now to get back to space. Beltorchika mans a gun turret, and Amuro launches in his Dijeh and Dodai Custom, followed by several Nemos. Jerid’s Byarlant, leading a force of Barzams on Base Jabbers, approaches interception range. The Audhumla ascends and moves the shuttle into position for launch. Kamille asks Quattro if he can pilot the shuttle, and he answers that he’s had training for it. He tells Kamille he should be trained too, and when Kamille mentions he’s already flown a shuttle, Quattro tells him he needs to learn the official way. Kamille tells Char that he’ll learn when it’s more peaceful, and Char responds that he can still call him Quattro. Amuro opens fire and destroys a Barzam, and Jerid wonders why the Zeta Gundam hasn’t come out yet. Jerid notices the Audhumla’s ascent and realizes what they’re up to, so he orders the Melord to attack, even if it means ramming. The Melord fires missiles at the Audhumla, but they’re all intercepted. Kamille thinks they should launch to make the Audhumla lighter, but Quattro reminds him that they haven’t received the launch order yet from Hayato. Amuro tells Hayato to launch the shuttle while he shoots down the Melord. Kamille asks Hayato if he has any messages for Katz, and Hayato responds that he’s happy as long as Katz is alive. The damaged Melord is forced to descend, and Quattro launches the shuttle as Amuro engages Jerid. He tries to give chase but falls off his Base Jabber and is hit by Amuro while in freefall. Amuro wishes Char and Kamille good luck and hopes they don’t die in vain. Kamille comments that he can’t get used to the feeling of leaving the atmosphere, and Quattro mentions that in the old days people endured worse G-forces to go to space. They viewed space as a promised land despite being forced there by the Earth elites, and when they were able to cast off gravity it led to the emergence of Newtypes. Kamille wants to believe in that and make it his responsibility, or else Four won’t be able to exist inside him. The shuttle ejects its booster when it reaches orbit, and Quattro and Kamille see the flashing lights of a nearby battle. Yazan’s Hambrabi team attacks the Argama and he notices that their defenses are weaker than usual. Apolly tells Batch to return to the Argama and protect it while he chases after the Hambrabis. Qum cries because she’s scared, and Fa tells Shinta to stay in the room with her and Haro. Quattro and Kamille blast open the shuttle’s cargo doors and eject all the cargo to lower the shuttle’s weight. Quattro activates the engines at full acceleration to reach the Argama.

Quattro tells Kamille that they’ll reach the Argama in 15 minutes, so he hopes they can hold out that long. Bright yells at the crew for not keeping up the anti-air defenses, and Fa asks him to let her launch in the Methuss, but he doesn’t want it to get damaged. Astonaige calls Fa on the bridge and says they need help because Shinta and Qum locked themselves inside the Methuss’ cockpit. Shinta turns on the panoramic monitor and manages to move one of the arms. They tell Bright over the comms that they’ll protect the Argama in place of Kamille, and he tells Fa to go down to the Methuss and spank them both. Fa bonks them both on the head and makes them get out of the cockpit. On the Alexandria, Gady asks Reccoa how she feels about her old ship being attacked and says they still suspect her of being a spy. He asks what her true objective is, and she answers that she didn’t want to go against what her heart felt. Gady doesn’t believe that she’s ideological, and she counters that her ideology is to follow her heart. Yazan’s team launches again to rejoin the battle. Kamille thinks the Argama can hold out because he saw some new flashes. The Hambrabi team attacks Batch with sea serpents and electrocutes him before blasting his Rick Dias apart. They try the same attack on Apolly and snag his leg, but Fa arrives in the Methuss and cuts him free. Kamille and Amuro launch from the shuttle, and Kamille tells Quattro to get on the Waverider. Quattro notes that the Zeta Gundam won’t make it, and Kamille counters it’s better that one of them makes it rather than both of them not getting there. Yazan grabs onto the Methuss and damages it heavily, so Fa ejects her cockpit pod just before it explodes. When the Zeta Gundam runs out of propellant, Quattro takes off and heads for the battlefield. Bright is informed of their arrival and announces they’ll pick up both suits and return to the Moon. Kamille grabs Fa’s pod and asks why she went out again, and she tells him she wanted to see one more time if she was suited to be a pilot. Kamille destroys an attacking Barzam, and Quattro asks the Argama to deploy the Mega Bazooka Launcher. Yazan chases after it when it launches, but Apolly provides covering fire so Quattro can reach it. Quattro targets the Alexandria, but Kamille has a Newtype sensation and feels Reccoa on the ship. Reccoa warns Gady to fall back because Quattro is targeting the bridge, and he reluctantly orders a retreat. Quattro fires a shot that just barely misses due to the Alexandria falling back. Gady sees that Reccoa was correct and orders a retreat. Quattro wonders how he missed and felt that something was in the way. Gady asks Reccoa to explain how she knew, and she only answers that she felt drawn. After she leaves, Gady complains that he keeps meeting strange people after partnering with Scirocco. Ramsus thanks Reccoa for saving the ship, and she tells him she wanted to prove she’s not a spy. He tells her that he knows her real target is Scirocco’s life, but she laughs and tells him she’s not that good a soldier. She does say she wouldn’t mind attracting Scirocco’s attention, and Ramsus comments that she’s that kind of woman. Apolly thanks Fa for saving him and mourns Batch’s death. Fa tells Kamille that Shinta and Qum tried to pilot the Methuss, and they come over and hug her. Bright welcomes Kamille back to the ship, and Quattro comments on how he played the role of a clown at Dakar. Bright mentions that a bootleg copy of that broadcast was aired across the colonies, so he’s given Spacenoids hope. Kamille takes a shower and thinks to himself that Reccoa can’t be alive.