Zeta Gundam Ep. 5: Father and Son

During a strategy meeting, Bask asks Jamaican if he thinks being born on Earth isn’t a good enough reason, and Jamaican says yes. He notes that Quattro’s Rick Dias has the ability to influence units in its vicinity, so to effectively counteract the AEUG, Bask has to compromise on his policies. Bask asks for a specific recommendation, and Jamaican notes that they have a shortage of mobile suits. Bask orders Jamaican to continue pursuing the AEUG with the Alexandria, Bosnia and Sichuan. Bask intends to return to Gryps on the Brunei and tells Jamaican it’s up to him to discover the AEUG’s secret base. Jamaican wonders if they should attack Granada, and Bask answers that for now he wants to root out sympathizers in the regular EFF. Bask tells Jamaican to show no mercy and do as he wishes with the enemy. On the Argama, Quattro tells Blex and Henken that the Titans probably don’t expect the AEUG to launch an attack on them. Henken notes that the expected course of action is to return to base after capturing the Gundam Mk-II units, and Blex asks if they have enough combat power. Quattro proposes using only one Gundam for the operation, and Reccoa notes that Astonaige is repainting the Gundams to get rid of the Titans colors. In the hangar, mechanics disassemble two of the Gundams, but Franklin yells at them and criticizes their work. Franklin seizes a laser torch from one mechanic to show him how to work on armor in the foot. Astonaige tells Franklin he has to consider his situation, and Franklin answers that he’s keeping that in mind and giving his best effort. He then presses the laser torch against Astonaige’s stomach and demands to have a look at the Rick Dias. Astonaige hesitates, so Franklin reminds him that the laser torch is powerful enough to kill. Franklin takes Astonaige hostage and reveals that he intends to steal the Rick Dias and take it back to the Titans. Astonaige mentions that Bask held him hostage, and Franklin responds that now Bask will owe him. Franklin believes that bringing back the Rick Dias would allow him to have free rein in the Titans’ technical division. After reaching Quattro’s Rick Dias, which is docked outside next to the launch catapult, Franklin pushes Astonaige away into open space. Franklin is impressed by the suit’s panoramic monitor, and Henken receives a call about the theft. Quattro runs to an elevator and calls Henken with instructions to send Apolly and Roberto in pursuit while he tries to catch up. Franklin is impressed with the Rick Dias’ acceleration and handling, and Apolly and Roberto launch and pursue. Quattro heads down to the hangar and finds Kamille struggling with Reccoa while trying to get into the cockpit of the repainted Gundam Mk-II. Kamille apologizes for Franklin’s actions, and Quattro responds that he has nothing to apologize for. Kamille thinks that he should be the one to chase Franklin, and Quattro asks Kamille if he’s capable of shooting his own father. Kamille continues to struggle after Quattro gets in the cockpit, and Reccoa tells Kamille that he’s not ready for this. Commenting on what a troublemaker Franklin is, Quattro launches in the Gundam Mk-II and catches up to Apolly and Roberto. He warns them to stay on alert because Franklin isn’t a typical engineer. Blex asks Henken if he’s ever heard of the Red Comet, and Henken answers that he was stationed on a rear guard Salamis at the Battle of A Baoa Qu, so he didn’t see the Zeong, but he sensed the power of the Red Comet. Henken mentions that he gets the same feeling now coming from “Quattro.” Kamille tells Reccoa that he can’t forgive Franklin for running off to see his mistress on Green Noa and that Quattro shouldn’t have to deal with this. Reccoa tells Kamille that he’s mistaken, and he yells at her to stay out of this, saying that people who have lived a fortunate life can’t understand a child’s position. A small transport craft moves supplies from the Alexandria to the Brunei, and unidentified craft are detected on sensors. Jamaican orders the Hi-Zack team to launch and intercept. Jerid stops a pilot from boarding one of the suits and insists on going because Jamaican has given him a chance to reclaim his honor. Franklin can’t find the Alexandria and wonders if he took the wrong course, and at that moment Quattro catches up and opens fire from behind. Franklin turns to fight and is distracted by Apolly and Roberto, which allows Quattro to slip in from behind and restrain Franklin. Incoming fire from the Alexandria destroys half of the Gundam Mk-II’s right leg, allowing Franklin to break free. The Hi-Zacks open fire on the AEUG suits, and Franklin is amazed that he gets to test the Rick Dias in battle against a suit he designed. Jerid wonders if the AEUG is fighting amongst themselves, and Bask cancels the supply transfer so that he can move over to the Brunei. Henken fires the Argama’s mega particle cannon as a feint to draw away the attention of the Titans. Jamaican doesn’t want to give away their position and orders the crew to hold fire until Bask finishes transferring to the Brunei.

Kamille returns to the hangar and lies to Astonaige that the bridge is ordering all pilots to launch. Kamille then gets into Gundam Mk-II Unit 1, which is missing its left arm, but he insists it’s OK because he can still use the rifle. Reccoa shows up and tells Astonaige to stop Kamille, but it’s too late. The Argama continues to fire shots near the Titans that come close to hitting Bask’s transport craft. Jamaican decides that they can’t wait any longer and tells Gady to open fire, so all three ships begin their attack on the Argama and Mont Blanc. One shot damages the Alexandria near the bridge, rocking the ship and breaking the cable connection between it and the Brunei. Against Astonaige’s advice, Reccoa goes to open the hatch to the catapult because she believes Kamille can handle it. Astonaige gives up and opens the hatch so that Kamille can get on the launch catapult. Henken is informed that Kamille is launching, and Blex tells him to allow it because they can use this chance to test Kamille’s aptitude. Kamille launches and thinks to himself about how Franklin hurt Hilda by being with Margarita. Bask’s transport craft uses maneuvering thrusters for its final approach until it is secured by the Brunei. Gady tells Jamaican that because of the damage incurred they’ll have to transfer to the secondary bridge. Kamille scans the battlefield and finds Franklin’s Rick Dias, which he approaches and grapples onto. Kamille tells Franklin that he’s pathetic, and Franklin is surprised to hear his voice before pushing him away. Kamille then aims his rifle at Franklin, and Franklin responds by asking Kamille if he’s going to shoot his own father. He comments that he doesn’t remember raising Kamille this way, and then he opens fire. Franklin asks if this is how Kamille repays him for being a father, and Kamille shouts back that Franklin never understood him. Kamille dodges Franklin’s attacks and tries to move in close, and Franklin shouts that the Gundam Mk-II is no big deal because he’s already thinking about new mobile suits. Franklin tries to use his bazooka as a melee weapon to hit Kamille with, and an incoming stray shot hits his Rick Dias. Quattro radios Kamille to tell him that this is a battlefield and hesitation can be deadly. Franklin exits the cockpit, but the Rick Dias explodes and he’s killed in the blast. Kamille angrily hits his console and calls Franklin a fool. Jerid sees a retreat signal flare and laments that he didn’t have a chance to redeem himself. Kamille blames the Titans for everything and keeps firing, but Quattro stops him and says not to waste ammo. Bask tells Jamaican that he’s going to speed up the mobilization of Gryps and is leaving pursuit of the Argama to him. Bask tells Jamaican to not expect the AEUG base to be at Granada and to assume that half the EFF is secretly AEUG. Even though three Titans ships are in pursuit, Blex doesn’t think the Titans will be able to figure out their course. Henken tells Torres to bypass Luna II and set course for Earth. Kamille sits in a room with Reccoa and Quattro and comments on how he tried to shoot his own father. Quattro responds that even if he hadn’t shot Franklin, someone else would’ve. Emma reports for duty in an AEUG uniform and asks Quattro if he still thinks she’s a spy, and he answers that he does. He notes that since her parents live on Earth they’re practically already hostages. Emma admits that Quattro’s viewpoint is realistic. Quattro adds that they’re fighting an enemy who used a kid’s parents as shields. Emma comments that she thinks her parents would understand and forgive her, and Kamille says it must be nice to have adults who act like real parents. Emma tries to reassure Kamille, and he angrily shouts that Franklin and Hilda weren’t parents. He says he just wanted them to act like normal parents, and he elaborates that his father was a cheater and his mother was so preoccupied with work that she never paid attention to his father. Kamille asks if military work is really so important and says he can’t stand always being ignored just because he’s a kid. Quattro says he understands what Kamille is saying, but he has to work to create a better world for the next generation of children. Kamille refuses to take that responsibility and says he watched both his parents die, so no one can say anything about him and his parents. Quattro asks Kamille if he’s ever heard of Char Aznable, and Kamille answers that he respects him highly, but notes it was foolish to try and take on Zeon alone. Quattro doesn’t disagree and asks if Kamille would listen to what Char would have to say, noting that they’re in similar positions. Quattro says that the most important thing is to overcome emotions, and Kamille declares that the Titans and AEUG mean nothing to him. Even though his parents were foolish and ended up in situations that killed them, they were still his parents. Kamille angrily runs off, and Reccoa tells Quattro that what he said was unpersuasive. Kamille cries uncontrollably in his quarters.