Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Recap/Ep 19 Fangs of the Enemy

Archangel crewmen and Desert Dawn fighters arrive in a city in a pair of jeeps, dropping off Cagalli and Kira. Kira stares off into space as the jeeps drive off; Cagalli reminds him that he's supposed to be her bodyguard. He asks her if she's sure that they're in the Desert Tiger's headquarters, given how lively and peaceful the people in the city look. She tells him that looks can be deceiving, leading him off the main road to show him twisted and burnt wreckage left by an explosion. She explains that the city belongs to ZAFT, and the Desert Tiger, because he mercilessly kills anyone who rebels. At a cafe across the street, Andrew Waltfeld sits at a table in civilian clothes, watching Kira and Cagalli surreptitiously.

At the Desert Dawn encampment, Murdoch complains that Kira practically lives in the Strike's cockpit as he cleans the trash out of it with Flay's help. Murrue and Mu watch from a distance, discussing Kira's relationship with Flay. Murrue is surprised by it, because she thought Sai was Flay's boyfriend. Mu says he's not sure if Kira's beginning to lose it because of his relationship with Flay, or if the relationship started because he's beginning to lose it, but it's not good for Kira either way. A flashback shows Kira sleeping in Strike's cockpit; Flay arrives to check on him, and Mu overhears her talking to him. Murrue and Mu say they should've been paying more attention to the situation, but they forget that Kira's just a child with no military training because he's such a skilled pilot. Mu says that Kira's been putting a lot of pressure on himself by trying to protect the ship single-handedly. Murrue asks if Mu has any ideas on how to improve the situation, but Mu ends up checking out Murrue instead of answering. On the bridge, Sai thinks about Flay, remembering her clutching him for support, reacting to her father's death, telling him she spent the night with Kira, and Kira manhandling him. Miri and Tolle enter the bridge, Miri saying that she's having trouble relaxing with Kira away, but Tolle saying that they'll do whatever they have to to protect the ship while he's gone.

In the city, the Archangel crew and Desert Dawn fighters meet with businessman Al-Jairi. Sahib argues with him, but he agrees to provide them the supplies they need. Meanwhile, Kira and Cagalli pick up items for the Archangel's crew, though Cagalli complains about Flay's requests for beauty products. They take a break at a restaurant and Cagalli explains that they're eating doner kebabs, which she says are good when you add chili sauce. Andrew Waltfeld, still in civilian clothes, approaches the table to insist that doner kebabs are much better with yogurt sauce instead. He argues with Cagalli, and they end up putting both sauces on Kira's kebab (which Kira decides he likes). Cagalli demands to know who Waltfeld is and why he's bothering them, but before he can answer, they're attacked by men going after Waltfeld. As they launch a rocket, Waltfeld upends the table and they take cover behind it. The attackers shout anti-Coordinator slogans as they charge, and Cagalli identifies them as Blue Cosmos. Several of Waltfeld's men, previously blending in with other patrons at the restaurant, help repel the assault. Kira notices another attacker approaching from behind, so he grabs a pistol dropped near him by a fallen Blue Cosmos member and throws it at the attacker, which surprises/distracts/confuses him long enough for Kira to kick him in the face. With the last of the attackers taken care of, one of Waltfeld's men wastes no time shooting the man anyway, to Kira's displeasure. Cagalli immediately asks if Kira even knows what a gun is for. DaCosta approaches Waltfeld, checking that he's okay. Waltfeld replies that he's fine, thanks to Kira, and removes his hat and sunglases, allowing Cagalli to recognize him.

Al-Jairi talks with the Desert Dawn fighters at a warehouse, saying that he's already gotten food, water, and fuel for them, and allowing them to inspect ammo for the Archangel. Natarle and a crewman agree that it's high-quality merchandise, but believe that they're being overcharged. Sahib allows Cagalli's chaperon, who he calls Kisaka, to look over the price; Kisaka simply agrees to pay. Elsewhere in the city, Waltfeld insists on bringing Kira and Cagalli into his HQ to repay them for helping him (and for getting sauce all over Cagalli). Inside, they meet an attractive woman who immediately takes Cagalli off to get cleaned up, leaving Kira with Andy. In Andy's office, Kira looks at a miniature replica of a fossilized winged whale, which Andy identifies as Evidence 01. He says that its existence is problematic, since it gave people hope for human beings to go much further, which is the same reason why the war started. As they talk, Cagalli bathes and the woman gives her a dress to wear as well as doing her hair for her. The woman brings a clearly embarrassed Cagalli back to Andy's office, where Kira remarks that Cagalli really is a girl. This does not go over well. Before she can do more than gesture threateningly at Kira, though, the tension is disarmed by Andy and the woman breaking out laughing at the two of them.

Kisaka speaks to Murrue on the Archangel over the radio, telling her that Kira and Cagalli are late returning. He asks if Murrue has heard from her other crew in the city, and when she says no asks her to have them return to his location as well. Kisaka informs them of the Blue Cosmos attack, saying he needs more men to do a search of the city. Sai reacts angrily to the news, and Murrue orders a crew member to contact Natarle. Back in Andy's office, he observes that Cagalli seems used to wearing fancy clothing, though she doesn't talk like a proper lady. She demands to know if dressing her up is his idea of fun; he replies that it was Aisha that picked out the dress, not him. The conversation grows heated, and Andy reveals that he knows Kira is a mobile suit pilot. Kira begins to pull Cagalli toward the exit, but Andy retrieves a gun from his desk, leveling it at them. He warns them not to try anything, saying that even if Kira is a berserker, he still couldn't fight his way out of the building, which is guarded by Coordinators like him. Cagalli gasps at learning that Kira is a Coordinator. Andy cites several of Kira's accomplishments, saying that even among Coordinators Kira is impressive. On the Archangel, Sai climbs into the Strike's cockpit with a determined expression. Andy explains that although he doesn't know Kira's reasons for fighting against ZAFT, they're enemies as long as he does so. Then he lowers his gun, saying that Kira saved his life, and that they're not currently on the battlefield. He lets them leave, saying he enjoyed talking with them, though he wasn't sure if it was beneficial or not. Sai tries to take the Strike out, but can't control it properly and it falls to its hands and knees. He screams in frustration as other crew members wonder what would make him do that, while Flay runs out of the hanger with tears in her eyes.

Tropes used in this episode:
"Mu: Any ideas I've got may not be worth mentioning.
 * The Berserker: Andy refers to Kira's Super Mode as this.
 * Furo Scene: Cagalli gets a brief one while Aisha letting her get cleaned up.
 * Heroic BSOD: Sai has a minor one at the end of the episode.
 * Luminescent Blush: Cagalli gets one when she's reintroduced to Kira after being all dolled up.
 * Male Gaze: Mu checking out Murrue when he's supposed to be thinking of ways to help out Kira.

Murrue: Yeah, I kinda sensed that."


 * Reaction Shot: Every person on the Archangel's bridge gets one when Kisaka says that Kira and Cagalli are late returning. Seems a bit melodramatic given that we already know what's happened to them.
 * Tsundere: Cagalli, oh so much. She goes from shy and demure to almost physically assaulting Kira in the space of about ten seconds when Kira tells her that seeing her in a dress reminded him that she's actually a girl.