Welcome to Gundam Plus II, the successor to the original Gundam Plus site.
Episode 1
In the year 0080, the One Year War was coming to an end at the battle of A Baoa Qu. Zeon Admiral, Aguille Delaz finds out that Gihren Zabi was killed in battle and that Kycilia Zabi now has total control of A Baoa Qu. He thinks that Kycilia planned it all along. Zeon Ace Pilot, Anavel Gato curses the ‘Feddie Cannon Fodder’ and cuts a GM in half with his Gelgoog. Admiral Delaz orders his fleet to retreat from the sector. Gato tries to get into his custom Rick Dom but Delaz stops him. He says that Gato’s ship, Doroa, was destroyed and that Gihren Zabi was also killed. Gato says he’d rather die than live on in shame. Delaz floats down by Gato and tells him that he must endure until Zeon can regain its glory. The Battle of A Baoa Qu is lost and the Zeon and Federation sign an armistice. Though the One Year War is over, the seeds of a new battle are sown.
Now in 0083, a high powered GM is being tested against 3 captured Zakus. The GM shoots one Zaku on the shoulder with paint rounds and flies over it. The Zakus make an attempt to hit the GM at once but the powered GM flies over a large piece of debris and shakes them. Ensign Chuck Keith is ordered to stay on the GM’s tail so another Zaku can head it off at the ruins. Keith chases the GM on top of the ruins and while he is up there, it gives way and his Zaku gets trapped in the rubble. Lieutenant South Burning, who is in charge of the test pilots, tells Keith to sit tight and wait for a pickup. Burning orders the GM pilot to continue testing the thruster at maximum output.
Over the pacific ocean flies the new Federation warship, Albion. Captain Synapse enters the bridge and Anaheim engineer, Nina Purpleton, thanks him for allowing her to enter the bridge. He says there is nothing but ocean to see once they left Jaburo. She says that the ocean’s color and pattern changes from place to place. He asks if it is her first trip to Earth. She says yes and asks if they will be over Australia soon. Synapse says the already are. The place they are over used to be Sydney but now is just ocean thanks to Zeon’s Operation British. Watching the Albion from a mountain beside the water is 2 Dom Tropens and the Xamel tank. Our old friend, Anavel Gato, is told that the Federation’s Pegasus class ship is moving in. Gato radios the Jukon submarine, Walfisch, and tells them that Operation Stardust is commencing.
Back at the Federation base, Keith is doing pushups while his dirty Zaku is moved on a flatbed. Lieutenant Burning sees the Albion and says that Jaburo has a lot of money to play with and wishes they would send some their way. Ensign Kou Uraki rushes outside to see the new battleship and immediately recognizes the Pegasus class cruiser. He asks if there are any Gundams onboard. Allen asks when they will get to see. Burning tells them they will get the details at tomorrow’s briefing and dismisses them. Kou walks over by Keith, who is finally finished with his pushup punishment, and tells him the ship is landing. They hop into a jeep and speed toward the Albion. Keith makes a joke about Kou’s way of always getting him into trouble. Kou says he is going to pay the Albion a visit. Keith asks if he is crazy. Kou asks Keith if that isn’t obvious. Keith says he’ll never be bored around Kou and they park near the Albion.
Captain Synapse reports to the base commander and shows him the documentation from Jaburo, allowing a nuclear warhead to be loaded into the Gundam GP-02. The Commander tells Captain it is up to him to choose a test pilot and tells him all the pilot’s records are on file. Kou and Keith drive into the Albion and are in awe at the sight of the new Gundams. Kou points out features on both Gundams like the 01's core fighter and the 02's heavy armor. Keith begins to stare at Nina who walks over to them. She asks if they are from the base and he introduces himself. She does the same. Keith tries to introduce Kou but Kou is long gone, climbing on the GP02. She tries to tell Kou that he’ll need an arrangement to see the Gundams but Keith interrupts her and suggests that they make arrangements. She asks what he means and he says they should grab a beer. A mechanic, Orville, calls to Nina and asks her if she’d like to take a walk after. Nina says yes and Keith asks what there is to see around there. She tells him that it is her first time to Earth and she’d like to see the sunset. Keith offers to take her to ‘the best place’ to watch the sunset. She says she isn’t that desperate to see it. Keith gets tapped on the shoulder several times and assumes it is Kou. He grabs the hand and turns around to find Mora Bascht, the big, boisterous chief mechanic of the Gundams. She says she’d be glad to have a date and offers a dance so long as he likes holding her hand this much.
Our man, Orville, is seen driving in a jeep. He contacts Walfisch and says that it is ready and everything is on schedule. What would this guy have to do with the Zeon Jukon sub? Captain Synapse enters the nuclear warhead building to find a nuke for the GP02. The base commander says it is the first time they’ve opened it since the Antarctica Treaty. Synapse says that if he could, he would never see it opened again. Orville made contact with Gato and his fellow Zeons and gives him a Federation officer’s uniform. Gato tells his men that even if it is a backwater base, they need to keep sharp.
In the Federation base’s mess hall, Lt Burning and 2 Ensigns eat and talk about the improvements made on the GM. Ensign Allen says he can’t wait to try it on the new suits. The other Ensign with him asks what he means when he says ‘HE can’t wait to try’. Lt Burning says that a test pilot hasn’t been chosen yet. Allen says that he and Burning are the ace pilots from the One Year War. The other ensign says he’s stuck piloting a crappy Zaku day after day. Nina Purpleton, who is walking by, says that the Zaku is a fine machine. The Ensign asks who the hell she is. She introduces herself as Anaheim’s system engineer. Burning and Allen stand up and apologize for the other’s rudeness. Nina introduces Mora Bascht, the new chief of the maintenance team. Mora asks if she can join them. Burning welcomes them. Burning talks to Nina about the powered up GM. Allen asks about her choosing test pilots for the new Gundams. She says she needs a highly capable pilot who can push the limits of the suit’s capabilities. She looks at the 2 expectant pilots and says to Mora that they should return. Kou Uraki gets up to the front of the food line and asks for no carrots. The man serving the food either didn’t hear him or is a dick because he drops a rather large amount onto Kou’s plate. Kou walks up to Nina and asks if the GP02 is an anti nuke unit and can mount a tactical nuke. She doesn’t give him an answer and he says he knew it and was just asking.
Orville arrives back at the base and shows his badge to the federation guard. He is let in and tells Gato, who is hiding under a blanket in the box, that it is clear. Gato asks if it is lax security. Orville says the Federation is like that all over. Gato says he doesn’t get how they ever lost to the Federation. In the Albion, they load the nuclear warhead into the GP02. Kou and Keith enter and Keith says it looks like they did something with the Gundam. Nina yells at them but Mora approaches her and asks if they should load the Vulcan ammo into the GP01. Nina tells them to get the hell out and Keith says she would be perfect if she lost that attitude. Kou says that she is obviously not interested in Keith and he agrees. Keith says he wants to go drown his sorrows. Gato enters and they salute him, thinking he is a normal Federation officer. Gato asks if they’ve finished loading the warhead. Kou says yes and Gato decides to try it out. He takes the elevator to the cockpit. Nina assumes it is Kou and Keith causing trouble but sees Gato getting inside the GP02. Nina yells at Gato to get out of the mobile suit. Kou realizes something is wrong. The GP02 begins moving and Nina yells for someone to stop the GP02. Kou runs and almost gets smashed by the GP02's foot as he gets into the GP01. Mora says they are still loading ammo and he asks her to hurry. Nina picks up a headset and tells Gato to get out of the Gundam and they will go easy on him. Gato says that with the Gundam and the warhead, Zeon will rise again.
Gato cuts the side of the Albion open and the bridge hears confirmation of the damage report. Suddenly, missiles from the Xamel tank rain down on the base. As the test pilots suit up, Lt Burning tells them to watch their asses. A powered GM and Zaku launch as one Dom Tropen approaches. The Dom Tropen’s pilot sees the captured Zaku and decides to give it a mercy killing. It cuts the Zaku in half as 2 other pilots cower around the corner. Gato orders his allies to withdraw. Suddenly, Kou comes up behind him and tells him he is not going anywhere. Kou ignites the beam saber and prepared to face off Gato.
Paul Jr’s Thoughts:
Here we have the series that is supposed to give a little more of a preview on the times between Mobile Suit Gundam and Zeta Gundam. Anavel Gato is said to be as famous to the Zeons as Char Aznable. A lot happened in this episode and we have a set stage for Kou and Gato’s rivalry but will Kou even be a match for Gato? Also, Kou isn’t a fan of carrots? Anyways, Zeon has a nuke and Kou is the only thing in Gato’s way. Can Kou help stop a tragedy waiting to happen?
Author’s note: I am using the names from Mobile Suit Gundam. In this show, they use a different translation, giving names like Kishiria and Jabrow rather than Kycilia and Jaburo.
