Gundam: The 08th M.S. Team Ep. 10: The Shuddering Mountain, Part I

The EFF begin a massive assault on the Zeon mountain base. Jet Core Booster IIs drop so many bombs on the mountain that the shape of it changes. Norris uses his Gouf Custom to expertly destroy several Jet Core Boosters. Nearby, the 08th M.S. Team is stationed in a ruined city at the base of the mountain. In the Bloodhound, Eledore and Michel monitor the sonar to give firing coordinates to three Guntanks stationed in the city. Norris and his men retreat into the mountain, and he sees that they are losing the fighting spirit. He tells them that Aina is preparing the Kerguelen to launch so that they can return to Side 3. On the Big Tray, Ryer orders the 07th M.S. Team to investigate an entrance to the Zeon base. It is booby trapped and several GM Ground Types are destroyed. Kojima says they can’t keep losing soldiers like that, and Ryer suggests blowing up the mountain. Kojima says that would require nuclear weapons, and Ryer notes that GMs have thermonuclear reactors, so if they exploded the effect would be the same. Kojima can’t believe that Ryer is suggesting they sacrifice their own people. Ryer tells him that Operation Star One will begin soon, and he doesn’t want General Revil laughing at him for not destroying the Zeon base. In the city, Shiro destroys a Zaku with the Gundam Ez8. Karen is attacked by a Dom, and it knocks her down. As it is about to destroy her “GM head” Gundam, she is saved by a Guntank. Inside the base, Norris tells Aina she has become stronger now that she is in love. She says she can’t stand by and allow the soldiers to be killed because of Ginias’ delusions. She tells Norris that she considers him to be like a father to her, and he feels honored. Norris then decides that he will go out to battle again and clear a path for the Kerguelen. Shiro tells everyone to take their lunch break, but Eledore detects the sound of an underground elevator rising. The Gouf Custom bursts through and jumps onto a building near to where Sanders and a Guntank are positioned. Karen fires at Norris, but he avoids her and drops into an empty building. Sanders tries to shoot through the building, but he misses. Norris destroys the Guntank, and Sanders sees that he is an ace pilot because he toyed with them to get to the Guntank.

Shiro decides to put Eledore in command of the 08th M.S. Team because he needs his sonar skills to direct everyone where to go. Norris fires at the ground in front of Karen to create a concealing dust cloud. As she searches for him, he slams into her and knocks her Gundam into a building. When Sanders locks on to him, Norris has already reached the second Guntank and destroys it with his saber. He escapes and jumps onto a highway. Inside the base, Ginias gives the Apsaras III scientists poisoned wine, which causes them to cough and choke. Shiro hesitates in front of Norris and sees that he wants him to fall back. He blindly fires his rifle at Norris, and Norris knocks him around. Shiro jumps backwards and slams into a silo. As he falls, he fires his rile and head and chest vulcans, but they all miss Norris. Norris realizes he won’t be able to join Aina on the Kerguelen because he’s found the place where he’s going to die. He fires a red signal flare, which signals to Aina that she should launch the ship immediately. In another part of the base, Ginias leaves a grenade in the room where the unconscious scientists are. The grenade explodes, and he laughs that the Apsaras III is his now. Norris fires a device that disables the Ez8’s arm, and Shiro is forced into a corner without ammo. Norris fires again, and the Ez8 suddenly loses all power. As Shiro scrambles to hotwire the Ez8, Norris takes the suit hostage so that Karen and Sanders can’t shoot him. Shiro manages to hotwire the Ez8 and rips off the Ez8’s disabled left arm to attack Norris. He says he’s going to live and marry Aina, and Norris realizes that Shiro is Aina’s lover. He falls back and prepares for his final attack. The Apsaras III launches from the mountain with two Gouf Flight Types as escorts. Aina fires and destroys several GM’s from the 03rd M.S. Team. Norris rushes towards Shiro, and Shiro slices the Gouf Custom in half. As Norris dies, he knows he has won because he manages to fire at the third Guntank and destroy it. Shiro can’t believe that he lost and wasn’t able to protect the Guntank. Shiro announces to the rest of the 08th M.S. Team that he is quitting the EFF.