It is time for Tekkadan’s space debut. Once they have left Mars they found themselves betrayed by Orcus and up against Gjallarhorn’s Major Coral and his forces no thanks to Togo’s tip off. Major Coral wanted to set it up so he can take out the ship Kudelia was in and make it look like it was an accident, as causality caught in the crossfire of the fight. Orga however handle the situation like the true commander he is, along with a touch of cheeky revenge.
What goes around comes around, Togo had karma bite him in the ass when he was publicly thanked by Orcus’s captain. I am relieved he was caught red handed so soon because it drives me nuts when I know who is the traitor, and continue to see them get away with it. Orga didn’t kill him for it, but instead handled it in a far classier manner- by shipping him off to Gjallarhorn with a message written on his stomach, “This looks like one of yours, so deal with him.”
It was great to see Eugene finally step into the limelight. His character appeals to me for having the ability to be independent so he doesn’t have to rely on Orga to make up his mind, wary and is willing to step up to the plate when no one else will. My favourite scene of the episode was the one where Orga was prepared to go out himself to attach the abandoned mining asteroid to their ship but Eugene stepped up and told him to stay put because he’s the leader and he will take take of it himself. Eugune understands the importance of having Orga as a leader and respects him for it regardless of his ambitious decisions he may not always agree with. He even told the others off, telling them to stop relying on Orga all the time- and it’s true, at least from what we have seen so far. Better yet, both Orga and Eugune have absolute faith in each other. Eugune doesn’t have the sweetest way of expressing how he cares, but he showed us today through his actions how he most certainly does.
And of course there is Akihiro who showed up just at the nick of time in epic fashion. He was also sent into the fight using a Graze, but we quickly learned he does not have the Alaya-Vijnana system like Mika does, and we saw just how different and difficult it is for those jumping into new situations without it. This makes me wonder if this situation increases the possibility there will be a new treatment plan or something of the sort for those without it- specifically because those like Akihiro lack experience and if they want to survive this mission, they will need all the knowledge and experience they can get to keep themselves alive.
I am glad Mika was able to identify the two he was up and struggling against were Fareed and Galeio. Their involvement with this fight will be crucial to remember since now it will at least provide them a valid reason not to trust them. Fareed showed us his true colors, following up why I couldn’t bring myself to trust him in the first place. He spoke about the plan of capturing Kudelia and keeping her within their custody in order to have her sing from their palm. In other words, they want to have her to help control the Martians. Knowing these two are from Earth as well, it shows it will be a challenge for Kudelia to advocate for the Martians’ independence.
There were a few of what I call Easter eggs that were dropped earlier in the episode. They are relics referencing back to the Calamity War. The first was the moon. I couldn’t tell if they were referring to one of Mars’ moon or Earth’s moon, but I get the sneaking feeling it is most likely Earth’s moon. We learned it was supposedly called Mikazuki, and that is where Mika’s name came from.
The second was Fareed reviewing an analysis regarding Gundam Barbados and learning what it is, and how it turns out to be a very important historical piece. The machines with that name has appeared many times at historical turning points and has a great influence. This is particularly why Fareed is so fired up to deal with it, specifically because he retains knowledge of its history.
With that being said, it is clear the Calamity War is not simply something from the past. There is much to learn about it, such as how or why it has happened, how the Moon Mikazuki was destroyed because of it, and many more questions that will arise and prove to be important later on.
Finally, I was kind of surprised to see Atra so boldly ask to join their mission by being their ship’s chef. She had already quit her job so she was prepared to join them no matter what. The problem however is that, she has no idea what she is in store for. This mission won’t be sunshine and rainbows, it’s a dangerous one. I just hope at the very least she is aware of what she signed up to be a part of…
