Stage 53 – The Final Victor

And the next mission appears. White Fang is finally making their final move. Zero confronts Quattro, who’s feeling rather uneasy due to him previously working for Millardo and Treize, but he assures Zero that he’s with ZEXIS.

Dorothy didn’t expect for Relena to come here on her own free will. Though what did Relena think she could do coming here? Millardo has already made his own mind up upon this matter. Relena still wanted to try but Dorothy questions the use of doing such things. Dorothy than explains that Millardo is doing this so that humanity will finally lose its appetite for war, so there’s nothing Relena can do to convince him off this course.

However, Relena could kill Millardo if she disagrees with him that much. Relena states that assassination is never the way towards peace with Dorothy saying that pacifism has no place here, her way will not put an end to this war. With that Dorothy angrily storms out, Relena can’t help but feel sorry for Dorothy. Millardo than enters, he questions why she’s here. Relena asks her brother if he has any shame for baring the Peacecraft name and bloodying himself in so much blood and military power.

Millardo is willing to shoulder such things, besides the world has shown how rotten it can be. What he’s doing will ensure that there’s peace. Relena counters that everyone should just stop trying to kill each other with their weapons and work towards peace through dialogue. Millardo questions how that would even work out but Relena says that she’s Relena Peacecraft, she will follow her views of absolute pacifism to the last.

Millardo tells Relena that her pacifism isn’t needed now, though she has grown quite strong. Her kindness will be needed after the fighting is over, he doesn’t want her to lose that. Relena asks if it’s her beloved brother that’s comforting her or that blood stained Zechs. Millardo apologizes but he must leave because ZEXIS has finally arrived. As he leaves to prepare for battle Relena can only beg for him to come back.

ZEXIS is surprised when they finally see Libra up close and that colony, it’s freaking huge! The Mobile Doll army appears to confront ZEXIS though Zechs is nowhere to be seen. The Zeuth guys have seen this kind of thing already and say they can’t let something like this come to pass. Zero is surprised by their resolution. Quattro has faith in Zero and Amuro and him banter over what Zechs really is trying to do, colony drop for EVERYONE!

Tieria tells Heero where he can enter the colony, Setsuna says that they’ll make an opening for Heero to get there so he needn’t worry. Kallen goes further and says that Heero better get his ass moving and he better save Relena. Heero acknowledges his mission.

Relena is surprised that Heero is worried for her, but she says she can’t leave until she has had a chance to speak to her brother once more. If her words can end his rampant crusade than she still has to try, Heero decides that Relena may accompany him than. Besides, there are some things Heero would like to ask Zechs himself. Relena says that Heero is something else but he makes no note of it. Instead Relena presses that he has given her the strength she needs but he says that he’s nothing in comparison to her, he can only fight while she can change the world.

As they share a moment they’re interrupted by Lady Une whom both are surprised to see. She asks why they’re here with Heero saying he’ll put an end to all this on his own. When Relena protests he tells Relena that she has done enough and that her role in all this is over as Relena is escorted out by Lady Une. Heero than escapes and when pressed he says that he has taken care of everything, now all there’s left to do is destroy Libra. Of course the Quinze will have nothing of that, ZEXIS figures out he plans to drop Libra on earth as a last ditch effort.

Doctor J. than appears and explains what White Fang is trying to do with Libra, to restart Operation Meteor. Naturally Lelouch calls BS on this and says that this wont make peace for anyone, instead it’ll just make people hate each other even more. Professor G agrees and says that they wont let Quinze have his way. Quinze berates them and says that his way will bring about the true Operation Meteor and then humanity will finally progress, Doktor S says that isn’t something anyone can be sure of and they aren’t willing to bet on it.

Quinze can’t believe they’re trying to modify Operation Meteor yet again, had the Gundam pilots done as was originally planned then everything would be better! They’ll die if they oppose him! Instructor H thinks nothing of it, besides haven’t they all lived long enough? Master O agrees that this is the least they can do. Quinze again tries to convince them to stop but Doctor J tells him that the Gundams were more than enough already. Doctor J explains to Heero what the Zero System is and that it was originally planned to be used in unison with the Twin Drive System.

In fact the scientists used to be members of Celestial Being but due to a disagreement they left the organization along with their work. Ian takes this moment to freak out, the thought of the Zero System and the Twin Drive System working in unison together makes him soil his pants in joy. Professor G explains that they built a flaw into Libra which they’ll use to bring it down. Doctor J tells Heero and Setsuna that they’re in charge of their legacy now and not to misuse those systems. With that out of the way they proceed to put their finishing touches on dismantling Libra.

Quinze screams for them to stop interfering with Operation Meteor but Doctor J tells him they have no intention of such things and tells Professor G to press the button. Libra explodes and the scientists all die alongside Quinze. Duo is surprised those old men died like that and Libra is really gone. Trowa pays his respects but Quatre is sad, Wufei says that they made their own decision and they should respect their sacrifice. As Quatre mourns Wufei quickly says that it isn’t over. Crowe wonders what he means and Wufei says that they aren’t dead!

Sure enough Trieze, Mr.Bushido, and Millardo finally man up and appear with a small force. Wufei wants to fight Trieze, Heero wants to settle things with Millardo/Zechs, and Setsuna wishes that Mr.Bushido would stop stalking him already. Mr.Bushido gives his little samurai speech and says that today is really the day that they’ll settle things between Gundam and himself. So he swears upon his HONOR! Millardo takes this moment to congratulate ZEXIS for forcing his hand. Trieze doesn’t mind, he prefers fighting his battles personally anyway.

Mr.Bushido is defeated and is glad that he finally could settle things with Gundam at long last. With that he accepts his defeat and makes no attempt to escape as his mecha explodes. Toudou remarks that a great man has now passed on, Mr Bushido was a most worthy warrior who lived with honor and thus Toudou respectfully bids farewell. Setsuna understands, though he suspects this isn’t the last he’ll see of the man behind the mask.

Trieze is thankful for the great battle, they all fought well. ZEXIS is confused as Trieze continues that he couldn’t have asked for better opponents. He than explains his philosophy on war with Wufei yelling that he’s being irresponsible, Trieze is not getting away until they settle things! Wufei chases after Trieze and says that they’ll now settle things which Trieze doesn’t mind at all. Trieze wonders why Wufei isn’t fighting with all his weapons, Wufei wants a fair battle between them! Wufei than demands to know if Trieze knows how many people have died for him! Trieze says he knows and gives Wufei an accurate number.

Wufei is shocked as Trieze says that he always remembers those that have died for his battles. He than tells Wufei to attack already, or does he lacks the balls? Wufei charges Trieze who doesn’t resist, Trieze than says that Wufei got him good. Wufei demands to know why Trieze didn’t defend himself, why did he let him win!? Trieze says that Wufei is his only friend, he also says that he was glad that he could fight against the Gundams and ZEXIS.

Trieze addresses Quattro and tells him not to make the same mistakes he has which gets Quattro all teary eyed. As he dies Trieze apologizes to Millardo, his old friend. Quattro silently mourns the passing of Trieze as Wufei has a nervous breakdown, this was not how he wanted to win! Millardo says he will honor the memory of Trieze and that his old friend can rest easy now. By honor he means he’ll avenge Trieze through battle!

Upon his defeat Millardo moves away from the Colony and states that he will bring about peace through his actions which surprises Noin. Heero tells Millardo that he’s just like Trieze, he uses the weak yet never does anything to help them. Millardo says the strong make the weak and to attain peace humanity must disarm and fully taste the horrors of war! Heero explains that he hates the weak because they fear attack, can’t trust anyone, and have no opinion of their own. However… They too are weak! Millardo says that he isn’t weak and he’ll prove it!

Heero says that Millardo is wrong and he will end it between them. Millardo isn’t convinced and has no intention of dying. Heero says that humanity is already moving towards peace on their own, why can’t Millardo see that? Millardo refuses to believe and instead tells Heero to draw his beam saber and fight him, they than clash. The end results shocks Millardo who wonders why Heero hasn’t killed him. Heero says that Relena would be sad if he killed Millardo.

Finally Millardo understands that he was wrong, he than says a strong heart will be needed for peace – a heart like Heero’s. However, don’t think Millardo will die here today! He announces that he will live to the bitter end and they will meet again one day. Heero can only look on as the Epyon explodes, he says he looks forward to the day they’ll meet again.

With that Libra and White Fang are destroyed, mission accomplished. Just than Lady Une appears and says she recorded the entire battle to show the world what ZEXIS is really trying to do. ZEXIS is surprised but Lady Une says through this battle humanity has started to unite together. Quattro suspects the truth which Lady Une confirms that this was what Trieze and Millardo truly desired, they had no intention of winning.

Lady Une explains that all of this was to get humanity to hate White Fang and to get humanity to enter dialogues towards peace. The alliance with Uther and Insalaum was never real, it was only meant to sell that this alliance was the enemy of humanity. Lady Une than gives a speech that humanity has indeed started moving towards peace and that she become to disarm its weapons, much progress has been made. ZEXIS than feels bad because they were had and that Millardo used them to bring about peace through shouldering the hatred of the world.