01x17 - I Won't Forget

[bunniefuu]

August 27th, Stellar Year 2149

Are you okay?

I guess

Where are we?

Their target's the forward base.

Yeah.

sh*t!

What's going on—

Don't look.

Someone, come help!

Over here, too!

My arm!

Anju, please.

Of course.

Kiri did this

Let's go.

Shinei, you're not going

to do this, right?

You're not going

to end up like Kiri, right?

Yeah.

The first barrage hit the 8th Mechanized's

forward operating base, FOB14.

Seventy-two minutes later,

FOB13 was struck.

Fifteen hours later,

the 5th Infantry's FOB28 and FOB30 were struck.

The a*tillery strikes wiped out all FOBs.

August 28th, Stellar Year 2149

The four regiments stationed at these bases—

approximately 20,000 people—

were wiped out.

The ultra-long-range a*tillery behind this

is believed to be a new type of Legion,

that we will refer to as the "Morpho."

Its estimated specs are as follows:

800 mm caliber,

effective range 400 km,

initial velocity 8,000 meters per second.

This would be impossible

for a normal cannon.

We believe it to be a railgun.

A railgun.

This was in their report

when we took them in.

Yes.

It's incredibly powerful.

We believe the 15 hours between the second

and third strikes were used to replace the barrel.

During this time, the western front's forces

loaded up every cruise m*ssile they had

and launched a saturation strike

immediately after the fourth volley.

The strike seems to have dealt some damage,

but did not destroy the railgun.

With regard to the damage,

Crown Prince Zafar Idinarokh

The United Kingdom of Roa Gracia

our autonomous units infiltrated Legion-held territory

and managed to observe the Morpho.

You didn't land a direct hit,

but you severely damaged it.

If you could get that close,

Lieutenant General Bel Aegis

Alliance of Wald

couldn't your machines

have eliminated the Morpho?

Unfortunately, they can't carry

that kind of payload.

And many have to be destroyed

just to get one in.

I see.

So you spent quite a lot on this.

We're all about to embark

on a joint operation.

There's no sense in hiding anything.

Mutual trust is the most powerful way

to bind two humans, or two nations.

The issue at hand is how we deal with the Morpho

and these supposedly sentient Legion.

Sentient Legion commanders.

We've seen them here.

The Legion's weakness was that

they rely on their numbers and strength,

but are tactically simple.

That large offensive may have been an attempt

to lure more troops to the front lines.

It makes my head hurt.

Continuing

From its movement speed

and last known firing position,

the Morpho is likely a train-based weapon

that uses the old high-speed railway network.

Given the available routes

and its movement radius,

every one of our nation's capitals

could be within its firing range.

Its current location

is the train terminal in Kreutzbek City.

We estimate it will take

a minimum of eight weeks

for repairs and for it

to become combat capable again.

If we can't find some countermeasure by then

we will be defeated.

What countermeasures do we know will work?

No we know of.

Our anti-air g*ns aren't fast enough

to sh**t it down, and we don't have enough to try.

We're bringing in more cruise missiles

from the other w*r zones,

but Legion jamming means

we can't guide them.

And their slow speed makes them

easy targets for Legion AA.

The Morpho itself seems

to have powerful AA weaponry.

Another air strike likely would not work any better.

Without air superiority, an air-to-surface

attack will be extremely difficult,

and yet it lies far outside

our a*tillery range.

Then we'll have to eliminate it directly

using ground troops.

An all-out offensive by every soldier

in the western theater into Legion-held territory.

A strike 100 km deep into enemy territory,

swarming with Legion.

Even if we bring in

all our immediately available reserves,

we lost 26% of our forces on that front

in the last attack.

Pulling troops from the other

battle lines isn't an option,

so we'll have to do it

with what we have here.

We've brought down the numbers of Legion

in that area by roughly the same amount, but

They outnumber us by so much

to begin with.

Their manufacturing plants are unharmed.

In two months,

there'll be even more of them.

It's a handy thing to have

The power to predict destruction,

but nothing else.

Whatever unit we choose

to eliminate it will die.

Yes.

That's why we should choose those

who are most likely to succeed,

and least likely to be missed.

August 29th, Stellar Year 2149

So you're the Eighty-Six?

Of course, I've seen your ages,

but you really are still kids.

I'm sorry.

I've read the reports.

You have incredibly strong combat abilities

and aren't even afraid of death.

But you're not in the Republic anymore.

Don't do anything reckless.

The Federacy isn't like the Republic.

Nobody here is replaceable.

For better, or for worse.

Shinei, what's wrong?

Nothing.

You still tired?

That last fight was

probably really noisy for you.

Didn't you get overwhelmed near the end?

You didn't even notice the Legion's retreat.

I knew it.

That's not how you usually fight.

I synchronized with you,

but you didn't respond at all.

You didn't even notice?

You should all get some rest,

especially Shinei.

You know at the bottom of your hearts

that you're all exhausted.

At a time like this?

That'd be rough.

Maintaining a soldier's mental health

is an important part of the military.

Especially since you're Eighty-Six,

you'll be given some special consideration—

I don't want that.

I don't want to be treated

differently out of pity!

Eighty-Six

Kurena.

I much prefer to be looked at that way.

I'm used to it.

Well

We got lucky this time, but the whole base

could be blown up at any moment.

Everyone's on edge.

They said that it would take two months

to repair the Morpho,

and we shouldn't expect any attacks

until then.

That estimate's based off five seconds of footage

from some shady foreign country

and some weird psychic power.

I bet they feel like they can't trust it.

But Shin knows the truth.

They didn't believe it

till they heard that voice.

Yeah

But still, there's been

no major trouble or confusion.

The Federacy trains its soldiers well.

The Republic's soldiers

would turn tail and run.

I wonder if the Major's still alive.

Theo!

Oh

She wouldn't run.

Kurena!

What?

Don't tell me he doesn't realize it

Is there anything we can do

about the Morpho?

We've got two months

to come up with a plan.

Even if we do,

it probably won't be a good one.

It'll probably be us again.

Probably.

Are you okay with that?

I just told you!

August 28th, Stellar Year 2149

You want me

to give it to him again?

There's no answer.

Can I take a look?

It's easier to blame it

on somebody else.

Be careful on your way home.

I'll make sure he gets it.

September 1st, Stellar Year 2149

Why did you abandon him?

Why didn't you save my brother?

You k*lled him, right?

Yeah.

I was waiting for him to come back!

You knew I was waiting!

Give my brother back!

Why is it always you?

Why should you be the one to survive?

You have no reason to live!

You have no one waiting

for your return!

That's right.

If you'd died instead of him

I won't forget!

Major

Lieutenant Nouzen,

General Richard wants to speak with you.

All right.

You can hear the Legion's voices.

You know where they are.

Do I understand that correctly?

Yes, sir.

Where are they?

Forget the Republic.

That's enough.

It seems you're telling the truth.

If you have that ability,

you're even more suited for this operation.

It's quite simple.

Our three nations will launch

a full as*ault as a decoy,

lure the enemy's main forces

to their respective fronts,

and then withdraw.

A special as*ault force

will then make an aerial entry

into Legion-held territory,

which will now be less defended.

They will destroy the Morpho.

I'm assigning Lt. Shinei Nouzen and the 15 members

of Nordlicht to this special offensive.

You'll be at the vanguard

of the largest joint operation in history.

The edge of the spear

that pierces the Legion's defenses.

Spearhead.

Give this your all.

Permission to speak, General?

What is it, Wenzel?

This is a suicide mission!

Why them—

Because you're Eighty-Six!

I don't think that's what he's saying.

Well, it's what he means.

We can't assign anybody with a family

to this insane mission, huh?

I guess Eighty-Six aren't welcome,

no matter where they go.

She knows that,

and she's still getting mad.

She can't change it!

Like that princess.

I don't know anything about that!

Wow, I can hear the voices of the Legion

all the way in the Republic's capital.

Did the white pigs all die?

They're on their way to hell!

I don't know if hell exists,

but it's all the same when you're dead.

Die as scum.

Or die with pride.

It's how you live that's important, right?

We lived with pride!

Right up to the very end!

But that was only

because of you, Undertaker.

Our Reaper!

Don't forget that!

Thanks!

Thanks!

I'm left behind always.

I won't let you die.

Then I wanted you to live longer

than we did.

Don't leave me.

That was my wish.

I won't forget.

Goodbye.

Somebody has to do it.

In that respect,

you have experience in Legion territory.

If you've done it once,

you can do it again.

The Federacy saved you

from the b*ttlefield.

If you've come back to it,

it means you were willing to do this.

w*r is a soldier's job.

Dying in battle

is part of the job.

Understood.

Are you disillusioned, Lieutenant?

That the world you ended up in

was no better than this?

It's the best solution

to the problem at hand.

Without taking out the Morpho,

no matter the cost,

it will be difficult for the Federacy

to maintain its battle lines.

Yes.

But all we need for this mission

is your power.

As long as the Morpho is destroyed,

I'm allowed to say how the operation is done.

I'm sending the other foreign units

on this mission.

You don't have to go yourself.

You and your friends must stay here.

And when this is over,

quit the military.

You've fought more than enough for your homeland,

which refused to protect you.

So—

So

You want us to cease being

who we are,

for the sake of your "pity"

and your "sense of justice"?

Is that right?

I'm grateful that you saved me.

But that does not give you

the right to pity me.

It doesn't give you the right

to tell me not to fight,

or to run from the battle

and make someone else fight for me.

I refuse to be like the Republic

or turn my eyes from the w*r

until the day the end comes!

We

There may be a time lag

that causes the mission to fail.

I'll take direct command

of the as*ault team.

I guess we can't keep quiet

about it any longer.

I'm sorry for making you

do the hard job, General.

It's fine.

This is a division commander's responsibility.

Do you think he'll be able

to come back? Even alone.

Strategic Planning HQ says the odds

of survival are close to zero.

The soldiers would be furious if one of their friends

was sent on a mission like that.

But they'll accept it

if we send the Republic's monsters.

They'll smirk and say it's an

appropriate mission for the Eighty-Six.

If you're a match for a monster,

that means you're a monster yourself.

If death is so attractive to them,

then why don't we let them have it?

September 2nd, Stellar Year 2149

Any questions?

Commander,

I appreciate you not abandoning us, but

I can't just watch kids the age of my and

my relatives' children going off to die.

If you change your mind,

that's fine.

Tell us to go without you.

Well, it's a bad enough plan

that they're saying that.

The Lieutenant Colonel has told us

we're free to refuse.

No way.

If we run now, we're no different

from the white pigs.

You snapped at her, too, right?

We feel the same way.

But we were chosen for the most dangerous part

because we're Eighty-Six, right?

Yeah.

Well, we're going 'cause we're Eighty-Six.

But I feel kind of lonely.

Yeah.

Shin!

Let's go eat!

What's for dinner today?

I want something hot.

This place is cold.

Right!

You think?

It's too cold for girls.

September 2nd, Stellar Year 2149

Special Visual Commentary Episode