Lacus and Andy reunite with the crew of the Eternal. Meanwhile the Minerva travels across the ocean on its way to deliver a sickly Stella to a ZAFT research facility, when they are ambushed by the joint forces of the Earth Alliance and Orb off the coast of Crete.

Stella is brought aboard the Minerva for medical treatment, while the Archangel works at getting Lacus and Andrew Waltfeld back into space.

The abandoned facility turns out to be the place that creates the Extended pilots. The truth about this creation and the bodies they find traumatizes every ZAFT personnel tasked with securing the facility. The three Phantom Pain pilots hear of ZAFT at the lost facility, causing Auel to snap, and Stella to go berserk in [...]

After the battle at Dardanelles, the Minerva returns to base for repairs. Athrun temporarily leaves the Minerva to contact the Archangel with the help of freelance photographer Miriallia Haw. Meanwhile, Rey Za Burrel and Shinn are ordered on a recon mission of an abandoned Earth Alliance base nearby, and are disturbed by what they find. [...]

Cagalli intervenes and orders the Orb forces to stand down. But Yuna orders the Orb forces to attack to begin a three way battle. Kira’s interference agitates the other pilots as he disables mobile suits on both sides, making him the prime target of Heine and Stella. As Stella charges to attack the Freedom, she [...]