Anime episodes are generally divided into an A-part and a B-part, and some even have a C-part.
Simply put, when an anime has a transition in the middle, the part before it is the A-part and the part after it is the B-part. That transition was originally there so commercials could be inserted during broadcast.
After the "plot" explanation on the Archangel side, this episode also moved into its B-part.
At this point, the Stage cut back to a scene from a little earlier.
Because the Blitz was entering the center of the enemy formation, it had temporarily cut contact with this side.
Sitting in the bridge's command room, Le Creuset was holding a teacup and elegantly sipping his tea.
Everyone else was extremely tense, afraid the Blitz might be discovered by the enemy.
But Le Creuset was not worried at all.
Whether it was discovered or not, either outcome delighted him.
In fact, it would be even better if it were discovered.
If Athrun and Lacus were captured together, or even died together, that would be wonderful.
"That little setup over there should be almost ready too…"
Le Creuset calculated.
"Nani?!"
Vice Captain Frederic Ades suddenly cried out.
"Damn it, it looks like the Earth Alliance forces discovered one of our reconnaissance GINNs!"
The Blitz had not been discovered.
Instead, one of Le Creuset's own reconnaissance GINNs had been spotted.
Everyone had been worrying that the Blitz would be discovered, only for their own side to drop the ball.
The Earth Alliance fleet over there had already begun to move.
Large numbers of Moebius units launched, and the outer fleet began changing formation.
The swarming Moebius units were like a disturbed nest of hornets, flooding the sky.
When Le Creuset set down his teacup, its base struck the metal tabletop with a crisp sound. Every operator subconsciously sat up straighter at the sound.
"Since we've been discovered, there's nothing to be done. My, my, what an excessively enthusiastic welcome." The thin lips beneath his mask curved upward. "All hands, Level One battle stations. Have the Buster and Duel prepare to launch!"
Le Creuset's composure calmed everyone else down.
In the distance, the heavy armor of the Agamemnon-class warship Doolittle looked like a moving fortress against the field of stars. But in ZAFT's eyes, those clumsy escort ships were nothing more than lambs waiting for slaughter.
The Agamemnon-class was an aircraft carrier built mainly around operating carrier craft, so its firepower was actually inferior to the Nelson-class. It did have swarms of Moebius units, but in front of ZAFT's GINNs, the so-called Moebius was practically a joke.
"We've received intelligence from the Blitz!" the communications officer said. "Lacus-san is currently not aboard the Archangel. She's in a safe area nearby!"
"Tch."
Le Creuset, who had been perfectly calm a moment earlier, instead became quite displeased when he heard that Lacus was safe.
"If Lacus isn't there, then launch a full-scale attack."
He had been outmaneuvered again.
Le Creuset's plan was that even if Lacus was still alive, he could make sure she died in the chaos of battle.
After all, this was a battlefield.
Dying by suicide after being shot eight times in the back at home would be a little unreasonable, but dying on a battlefield after being hit by eight stray shots in the back was perfectly normal.
"Open the MS decks across the fleet. Prepare the first wave of GINNs for launch." The CIC's voice echoed through the shipwide broadcast.
"All right, let's get these clowns off the stage first." Le Creuset curled his lip.
Those Blue Cosmos clowns… had completely failed to live up to his expectations!
While Le Creuset was in a bad mood, Blue Cosmos on the other side was also in complete chaos.
This sector of space was considered under Earth Alliance control and had no particular strategic value, so they had never imagined ZAFT would attack them now.
At most, they had expected some force to trail the Archangel here, only to be frightened away by a fleet of dozens of large warships.
That was why, before the fighting started, Sutherland had still been thinking about seizing command.
"What's the situation?!" By the time Sutherland reached the Doolittle's bridge, the place was already in complete disorder.
"Radar failure! Every sensor is sounding alarms!" The Doolittle's CIC was filled with shrill warning tones.
The adjutant who entered with Sutherland grabbed the edge of the command console and stared at the wildly jumping noise on the display.
"It's electromagnetic interference! ZAFT has deployed three Nazca-class destroyers!"
"Send the Moebius units out to scout! It's only three Nazca-class ships. We still have the advantage! Those damned monsters!" Even while giving orders, Sutherland did not forget to curse the Coordinators.
Moebius units swarmed out from among the escort ships like a cloud of metal insects.
But at that moment, the adjutant cried out again. "Blitz! The Blitz is right beside us!"
The Archangel's bridge had been "headshotted" in one blast.
"Disengage from the Archangel! Now!"
When Sutherland heard that the Blitz was right beside them and had blown away the Archangel's entire bridge with a single shot, he was scared witless.
It was like two people shaking hands when someone suddenly appeared beside the other person and killed the one you were shaking hands with right in front of you.
This was practically a horror movie!
Fortunately, the Blitz did not linger. After "headshotting" the Archangel with one blast, it quickly withdrew and vanished again.
"D-Don't panic!"
Only after Nicol flew the Blitz away did Sutherland regain his composure.
In truth, he had been the most panicked person just now.
"It's fine! We still have the advantage! The Archangel's combat strength was never part of our calculations!"
Sutherland knew the advantage was his.
[Eight hundred thousand against six hundred thousand. The advantage is mine]
[Maybe stop jinxing it]
[Looks like the big shots in the discussion forum were pretty close after all. The Earth Alliance relies on human-wave tactics, while ZAFT uses elite soldiers]
[That just shows how terrifying the Archangel's earlier battles were]
"Why haven't we disengaged yet?!" The Archangel was still "hanging" off the side of the Doolittle.
On a battlefield, docking like this was practically suicidal.
"Some personnel are still withdrawing…"
Sutherland frowned. "Now! Immediately! Force the disengagement!"
"Yes…"
The Doolittle unilaterally disconnected from the Archangel. Some officers were still inside the connecting passage when it separated, and they were instantly dragged out into space.
They did not die to a ZAFT attack. Instead, they were killed by their own people.
But after cutting loose the Archangel, that "burden," the Doolittle could finally turn smoothly and enter battle formation.
"That's horrible!"
Kira and Athrun happened to be in a corridor with a porthole at the moment, and from there they could see what was happening outside.
"Blue Cosmos…" Although he knew the dead were also Blue Cosmos lackeys, Athrun could not feel happy about it.
Blue Cosmos was already cruel enough to kill its own people without hesitation.
"But what do we do next?"
Athrun's original plan had been to meet up with Inori, then head to the Archangel together.
But now, the Archangel had been cast off…