Episode 02: Those Who Seek War

As Yzak's team leaves Rhodes Colony, they detect a single recon-type GINN. Yzak orders 2 pilots to launch and capture the rebel GINN pilot for interrogation. Dearka asks Yzak if it wouldn't be better to simply destroy the GINN, by Yzak says he's still worried about the rumors of ZAFT-rebels gathering at Rhodes, and fears that the reason they left was because they had already determined a course of action. Dearka shrugs and moves to the edge of the Nazca's bridge to watch as the two GuAIZ mobile suits approach the GINN. The GuAIZs and GINN exchange several shots, but one of the GuAIZ mobile suits manages to get behind the GINN and grab onto it while the other GuAIZ cut off the Ginn's arms and legs. As the GuAIZs return to Yzak's Nazca with the captive, the rebel pilot initiates his suit's self destruct. Yzak curses in frustration as the GINN and the GuAIZ towing it explode. The second GuAIZ is severely damaged, but still operational. Dearka orders the Nazca to open its hangar and pick up the damaged GuAIZ. Yzak wonders if he was too late and failed his mission. A communications officer alerts Yzak that the Minerva is nearby and that he is ordered to rendezvous with the new warship at best-possible speed. Yzak orders the Nazca trio to set-course for the Minerva and stares out at the empty starfield, wondering where the Zala-loyalists scurried off to.

On the Minerva, Cagalli asks Durandel why ZAFT is funding new armament-production, like the new warship they are on, rather than increasing its presence in the Asteroid Belt and Lunar mines to strengthen ZAFT's economy and access to resources. Cagalli says that the colonies will never be able to stand on their own so long as they rely on goods imported from Earth, and that the Earth itself cannot afford to sustain those living in space indefinitely. This problem will only increase as the newly-constructed L2 colonies are completed. Durandel counters by saying that the new weapons serve an equally important purpose, being symbols of strength that are necessary for ZAFT to maintain an ordered national identity. Cagalli asks if such things are truly necessary, and Durandel says that the greatest deterrent to war has always been the threat of war. ZAFT's new weapons are not enough to fight a war, he says, but they may be enough to prevent one from occurring. Cagalli says she doesn't understand what he means; all weapons do is encourage fighting. The easier it is for two opponents to fight each other, she argues, the more likely it is that they will. Durandel says he can understand her perspective, but suggests that an inspection of the new mobile suits might help her to better understand his.

On the Minerva's bridge the captain, Talia Gladys, drinks a cup of coffee while the bridge-crew go about their routine. An officer announces that three Nazca-class ships are coming into range. Talia asks if they can open up a comm channel, but is told that there is still too much interference. Another crew member reports some unusual readings in the distance towards the debris belt. Talia asks if it might be the result of solar activity or comets, but is told that it appears to be artificial. Talia says that as soon as they meet up with the Joule-team, they will make a short-detour to the debris belt to investigate before continuing to L2.

Mechanics and maintenance workers swarm about the Minerva's hangar deck, moving the mobile suits out of their locks and into a neat line on the deck for the Chairman's inspection. Shinn is talking with fellow pilot Rey za Burrel near the normal-suit changing room as Lunamaria runs past. Shinn stops her for a moment and asks her what all the commotion is about. Luna tells him that Chairman Durandel is preparing an inspection to show-off the new mobile-suits to ORB's representative. Shinn is mildly shocked, and wonders if Cagalli is truly so far removed from her father's ideals that she enjoys the aura of machines designed to kill. Rey smiles and says that now is the time for them to show everyone why they were good enough to pilot the new mobile suits and Luna agrees with him. Rey and Shinn head to their bunks to change into their formal uniforms.

Shinn, Luna, Rey and the rest of the Minerva's pilots stand at attention while Durandel and Cagalli enter the hangar. Standing at attention like human soldiers are eight of ZAFT's newest mobile-suit prototypes. The first five are prototypes for ZAFT's new mass-production line, the ZGMF-1000 ZAKU, painted a soft shade of blue with pale-gold trim. The ZAKUs utilize trans-phase armor and therefore have superior durability. The last three mobile suits are Gundams. The first is Rey za Burrel's unit, the Gaia Gundam, painted black and red. The second is the Saviour Gundam, painted bright red and piloted by Lunamaria Hawke. It is designed for superior speed and mobility, and is therefore somewhat lacking in defensive capability. The last mobile suit belongs to Shinn Asuka, the Impulse Gundam. It is a well-balanced machine with above-average speed, armor, mobility and firepower.

Durandel and Cagalli walk down the stairs from the main catwalk to the hangar floor, followed by several security officers. Durandel says that though ZAFT lacks the resources to fully mass-produce these mobile suits, simply producing a visible quantity of them will cause the warmongers to think ZAFT can mass-produce them and thus serve as a deterrent. Cagalli asks Durandel if he really thinks such a half-hearted defense will be feasible in the long-term. Durandel laughs and tells Cagalli that in war the actual capability of an army is usually less important that the perceived capability of that army. So long as ZAFT appears to be strong, it will be able to stand on a position of strength.

However, Durandel says, he does plan on constructing enough new mobile suits to defend PLANT should the need arise. Cagalli asks Durandel who poses enough of a threat to ZAFT to warrant such actions, reminding him that most of the Earth nations are too busy with internal troubles to worry about what happens in space. Durandel tells her that as long as Naturals have weapons, they will almost certainly turn those weapons against coordinators. Without a fundamental shift in human nature, the envy between Natural and Coordinators will never end, and that envy will almost always lead to violence. Durandel tells Cagalli that Blue Cosmos is not simply an organization--it is a way of thinking that pervades the mindsets of many Naturals. So long as the distinctions of "Natural" and "Coordinator" exist, humanity will be divided. Durandel tells Cagalli that long ago people used flimsy notions of ethnicity and religion as excuses for war, and that attitude took millennia to diminish, though it still exists. Coordinators and Naturals are truly different; there are no semantics, and the gap between the two groups is, therefore, much harder to bridge. Cagalli says that Durandel may be right, but that so long as people continue to think like he does the world will never change.

While Durandel and Cagalli talk, they slowly move down the line of mobile suits. At the end of the assembly, Shinn shifts his footing uncomfortably.

Yzak sits in the captain's chair of a Nazca-class vessel. An officer tells him that the Nazca group will rendezvous with the Minerva in three hours. Dearka crosses his arms and leans against a bulkhead. As the Nazcas cruise through space, an alarm klaxon sounds on the bridge. An officer shouts that a trio of CGUE mobile suits--presumably from the rebel ZAFT forces--are approaching the Nazcas at combat-speed. Yzak angrily asks where the CGUEs came from, but no other ships can be detected. Yzak gives the order to launch all mobile suits to defend the Nazcas. Dearka head toward the hangar and Yzak starts to follow, but Dearka stops him and tells him that the captain needs to stay on the bridge until he knows exactly what his happening. Yzak snarls and tells Dearka to hurry.

Dearka and 5 other GuAIZ pilots launch from the Nazcas. The CGUEs closed fast, and three of the GuAIZ were destroyed while launching from their respective Nazca-carriers. Dearka boosts upward while two of the CGUEs charge Yzak's Nazca, and destroys one of them. The other CGUE cuts down a GuAIZ and then goes after Dearka. After exchanging fire with one another, neither Dearka nor the CGUE are able to land any direct hits. Dearka gets the CGUE to follow him in a wide arc, luring the CGUE directly in front of the Nazca's 66mm Dual Railgun. After the Nazca destroys the CGUE. Dearka watches as the remaining Joule-team GuAIZs rout rout the CGUEs. Two CGUEs flee the battle after the others are destroyed, and Yzak orders the Joule team to follow them in hopes of finding the Zala-loyalists.

On the bridge of a Laurasia-class vessel, a Zala-loyalist captain is informed that they've been discovered by the Nazcas, and that the CGUE force was nearly destroyed. An officer informs the captain that repairs on the engine are still under way, and that they won't be able to outrun the Nazcas. The captain complains that they won't be able to make it to the operation-point in time, and that their discovery could very well have jeopardized the operation. The captain tells his crew that the time has finally come to crush the naturals, and that it is their sacred obligation to fight off the ZAFT ships long enough for "Operation Skybreak" to succeed.

Cagalli and Durandel near the end of the inspection. Cagalli tells Durandel that the only reason Naturals fight Coordinators is because Naturals feel threatened by Coordinators, and increasing ZAFT's military will only heighten that threat. Weapons incite violence, she says. Durandel says that may be true, but Shinn shouts at Cagalli and calls her a hypocrite. Shinn tells Cagalli that Durandel is doing the same thing her father, Uzumi Nara Atha did, and by chastising the Chairman she is shaming her family. Shinn asks Cagalli what is wrong with fighting to preserve ones beliefs. He asks her if she didn't do the same in the Bloody Valentine war. Before Cagalli can answer to Shinn's barrage, however, Rey and Luna drag him take him away. Rey bows to Cagalli and apologizes on behalf of Shinn, and tells her that Shinn lost his family in the battle for ORB. Cagalli starts to apologize, but Durandel stops her and tells her such things are not necessary

On the bridge of the Minerva, Talia is told that the Joule-team is engaged in battle with an unknown force. The Minerva's sensors pick up a single unregistered Laurasia-class warship headed toward the debris belt at a reduced speed. Talia speculates that its engines are damaged. The sensor officer then informs Talia that the Joule-team is advancing on the Laurasia-class at combat-speed. Talia then orders the Minerva, too, to advance on the Laurasia and orders all crew members to battle-stations. Rey and Lunamaria try to ask Shinn why he got so upset at Cagalli, but he is unresponsive. The call to battle stations resounds throughout the ship, and the three test-pilots head off to their respective Gundams.

Episode 02 - END

Next Episode: A Call To Arms