[kari-no-sugata]

Well, that was interesting.

The mood before the OP was very dark. Allelujah reads out the statement from the terrorists and punches the wall in anger. Meanwhile, Lockon is staring out the sea (and the fangirls go wild!) and remembers a scene from his childhood (and the shouta-con fangirls start drooling) with a building destroyed and many body bags - this is obviously what happened to his parents (Lockon's from Ireland). Haro comments that Lockon is angry and he asks Haro to leave him alone for a bit. As he walks off looking very serious, Lockon swears to himself that he's going to snipe the bastards down.

The remaining operators briefly discuss the situation - not a real surprise and with them being in space, no worries for them. They'll leave the action to the people on the ground.

Cue Liu-mei arriving home in a pink (ugh) hover-jet. She's using her contacts to try to trace the terrorists. Meanwhile on a boat in the ocean, the girls are all in bikinis etc and the guys in their normal clothes. Sumeragi says it's for camouflage (hah!), and that there's not much she can do until Liu-mei gets some info - and then goes looking for some cold beer.

Haro goes up to Felt saying "long time no see" and she picks it up, saying "Haro..."

Later, after getting some initial reports (and evidence that all 3 major powers have been attacked), Sumeragi deduces that the terrorists have multiple bases, so they're going to spread the Gundam's out across the world hoping that they'll be close to the bases when found. Lockon tacks Haro back from Felt... who looks really sad (there's going to be more Felt fans after this). All the Gundams launch.

In space, Sergei is following the terrorist actions when Soma comes up and says she doesn't think it involves them. However, Sergei says that CB is the target of the terrorists and since the Gundams might get involved then so could they.

Meanwhile, Graham is flying around and a team-mate comments that they won't find the enemy this way. Graham says he just can't sit around doing nothing, even if it's nonsense.

And cut to Scotland in the AEU where Marina is getting updates from Miss smiles-too-much. However, she gets serious for once - it seems that back home, things are getting very serious. It may be Marina's first and last trip.

In Japan, Saji is talking to Louise. He suggests she goes home to Spain for a brief visit to reassure her parents but Louise doesn't like the idea because her parents were against her going abroad in the first place. Saji hangs up when his sister returns - and she's beat. Saji then shows he has learning potential and comments about how before he felt that CB etc didn't really involve him but after the bus exploded in front of him, he had to change that notion. Looks like he's going to take things more seriously now (at least, if that scene is any guide). He also thinks that CB's stated claim of ending war is impossible. Kinue suspects it's to disguise their real motives.

Tieria arrives in Australia and goes on stand-by. Allelujah is waiting in a desert in the HRL (I think). Lockon's in a South American rain-forest. And Setsuna is in... Scotland.

Setsuna has a brief flashback to childhood. An older boy is leaving to take some action in the name of God (sorta thing) but Setsuna doesn't want him to go - he'll die. The older boy gets angry and asks Setsuna if he's afraid of dying and says that's an insult to god. Later, Ali is giving a memorial service, as it were, with more jihadist BS. (Side note, there's 2 other adults there, so Ali wasn't the only one). Back in the present, Setsuna says there's no God to meet after you die.

There's then a report of a possible terrorist action in the area. He then gets contacted via his ear-piece (sounds like Liu-mei), and then goes off in a rather cool liking taxi-bike. As he's going, the conversation is replayed - some security cameras caught some suspicious people and he's asked to investigate at the scene - Liu-mei reminds him that he can't use the Gundam yet, and Setsuna replies that he knows.

Marina is being moved to a different hotel for security's sake.

Setsuna arrives and is told the terrorists are in a brown car - which spins off. Setsuna gives chase. Marina happens to see his face as he speeds past in the opposite direction, and is rather surprised (to be explained later).

Setsuna tries shooting the terrorist car but it gets away. He then has problems with the police... but Marina comes up to save him with the powers of diplomacy. (What was he going to do if she hadn't come, I wonder? Maybe shot the policeman?) Hmm, does Scotland have armed police in general in this day and age?

-- CM

Marina hopes she didn't do anything unnecessary, and Setsuna says it's okay. She says she was surprised to see someone from her home country - and asks for confirmation about him being from Azadistan. He says he's from Kurdistan. Marina's quite surprised by this, and looks apologetic. Seeming at a loss of words, she introduces herself.

Setsuna introduces himself. Sounds like "Kambal Magilief" (so who was the Soran / Solah from last week? Did he just make up the name?).

Marina asks if he came sightseeing and Setsuna walks off (doesn't even say a word). Marina begs him to stay and talk with her a bit longer.

Meanwhile, Liu-mei's goons have caught the brown car, and send over the driver's biometric data. They get a hit on the organisation he belongs to (sounds like some small group - can't quite pick up all the info).

Back to Marina, who's explaining her country's current situation. They desperately need solar power, but there's a lot of unrest. But with that unrest, it's hard to get someone to help him. At this rate, "they" will turn up - Setsuna says "Celestial Being". Marina thinks that war is wrong, but trying to end it by force doesn't make sense - and innocent people are being killed in their interventions. Marina wonders if CB think they're god.

Setsuna: When war occurs, people die. Marina counters that CB are too aggressive in their interventions, don't explain themselves, cause unrest etc.

Setsuna: People died while we're talking.
Marina: But...!
Setsuna: The country that destroyed Kurdis was Azadistan!
Marina: T... that's true, but in the end a peace was negotiated.
Setsuna: People died until that happened!
Marina: Kambal-kun, you couldn't have...! The war ended 6 years ago. You would have been so young... Did you fight?
Setsuna: I'm fighting even now.
Setsuna: I'm fighting.
Marina: Are you ??? (sounds like "hosh-hano") Did you come to kill me?
Setsuna: Even if I killed you, nothing would change.
Setsuna: The world wouldn't change either.
Marina: Kambal-kun...
Setsuna: No. My code-name is Setsuna F Seiei. I am a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being.
Setsuna: If the unrest doesn't stop, then eventually we'll head to Azadistan.
Marina: ...
Marina: That's not something you can joke about.

Meanwhile, Liu-Mei isn't making much progress, then a whole bunch of new reports come in about lots of other terrorist groups. She comments that the world has moved - to attack them (CB).

There's then a brief scene with the AEU bigwig, which confirms their involvement.

The Gundam's launch.

Setsuna heads back to Exia and remote starts it up. (Nice). He also disengages the optical camo (!).

Back at Gundam Island, the operators confirm that all units have launched. Sumeragi suggests the go the beach and leave things to the Meisters. She adds that after this, they're going back to space, so...

Sumeragi relaxes on the beach while the girls play, and Ian Vasty comes up to comment about the world using terrorist organisations against them in a united way. He suggests that this is a big step forwards (to unite the world) and Sumeragi agrees.

The Gundam's stomp their opponents (rather literally in Exia's case). But there's a mobile armour in the ship Setsuna attacked, which takes a while to dispose of. Interesting that he can use the beam sabers underwater (they're supposed dispersed by air, so you'd think water would have a stronger effect, being 50x denser...)

Marina is on a plane to Greenland (? Queensland?) and can't quite bring herself to believe that Setsuna was telling the truth about him being in CB... when Exia does an awfully close fly-by (what the heck is he doing?)


Next ep, things return back to space (and protests against CB start)