Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer is a side story to the anime TV series, Gundam SEED Destiny. It has been streamed on Bandai Channel as an Original Net Animation. The show was directed by Susumu Nishizawa and written by Shigeru Morita, both staff members of Gundam SEED Destiny. Taking place immediately following the Break the World incident, Stargazer stars Sven Cal Payang, a 19-year old male Natural who is a member of the Phantom Pain special forces and pilots the GAT-X105E Strike Noir. It also features Selene McGriff, a 28-year old female Coordinator and a researcher of the "Stargazer Project" for the Deep Space Survey and Development Organization (DSSD).

The series consists of three episodes, each running at 15-minutes long. The web broadcast began in July, 2006, with a new episode showing monthly. A DVD containing all three episodes as well as the two 5-minute long Gundam SEED Astray animated shorts was released on November 24. This DVD also contained a different ending for Stage 3 in which several scenes after the Phantom Pain attack are shown.

STAGE 1
The episode starts off with the Break the World incident shown in Gundam SEED Destiny and how the planet is in a state of chaos after it. During this time, two members of the DSSD, Selene McGriff and Edmond Du Clos, are contacting Sol Ryuune L'ange at mission control because Selene is worried about the launch schedule of the "401", the new Stargazer mobile suit. While they talk a huge tsunami is approaching Selene and Edmond's position, so the two flee to higher ground, though many others are not so fortunate and washed away. Watching the pieces of Junius Seven coming down from another location.

Across the world, various cities are now under water or have been completely decimated, while rescue and humanitarian efforts are underway everywhere. Edmond and Selene find refuge in a large building where Earth Alliance forces have taken up positions. One of the soldiers recognizes Edmond, who used to be a tank platoon commander and known as the legendary demon director. Suddenly, a ZGMF-1017 GINN Insurgent Type attacks and starts to destroy everything around it. Edmond and Selene are able to secure a single Inflatable boat on which only Selene rides to the DSSD launch site. Edmond instead goes back and boards a tank driven by the young soldier who recognized him. Edmond has the tank close in on the GINN as much as possible before it turns around and aims it's bazooka at the tank. The tank rapidly fires multiple shots which breaks its barrel but succeeds in crippling the GINN. However, the GINN's bazooka manages to fire and badly damages the already crippled tank. Selene meanwhile arrives at the launch pad and has boarded the shuttle together with Sol. From the wreck of the tank, a dying Edmond sees the shuttle take off, causing him to smile. With the battle over, the Earth Alliance forces open up the GINN and are shocked to find three children inside the machine.

At an Earth Alliance base, reports are coming in from all over the world regarding the ZAFT insurgents which include southern Australia and South America. Phantom Pain is sent out to assist a base that is under attack by one of the remants of ZAFT mobile suits loyal to Patrick Zala. Mudie Holcroft pilots the GAT-X1022 Blu Duel, Shams Coza pilots the GAT-X103AP Verde Buster, and Sven Cal Payang pilots the Strike Noir. The first two mobile suits are lifted out by helicopter, but Sven launches in the Strike Noir through the base's catapult towards the conflict.

STAGE 2
Continuing from Stage 1, ZAFT insurgents continue their assault at the Kirgitz plant and gun down many civilians. One of the Alliance soldiers looks up and is relieved to see Strike Noir, Verde Buster, and Blu Duel land and easily wipe out the insurgents. At the commander center, Sven's commander noted with his superiors that the insurgents were a lot better armed than expected and he suggested they refrain from launching a full-scale retaliation.

In a bar Shams, Mudie, and Sven along with several Alliance soldiers watch a video that was made by the three children that piloted the GINN Insurgent Type in South America. It is revealed that the children had lost their parents, who were Coordinators, to Naturals and thus called for the extermination of Blue Cosmos and Naturals. Shams scoffs off at the news while Mudie comments on how her teacher noted, "the only good Coordinator is a dead one." At the same time Sven has a flashback to his childhood where he wanted to become an Astronomer. Unfortunately, his parents are killed in a terrorist bombing at a space museum and thus he is taken into the anti-coordinator training program for the Alliance.

Later on, Sven and a team of GAT-01A2R Slaughter Daggers are ordered to eliminate a Coordinator refugee camp which is believed to be training terrorists. Sven questions if his targets are only the terrorists but his superior asks him if he can distinguish between terrorists and civilians. The team lands in front of shocked refugees and Sven has another flashback of his training at the anti-coordinator program. Muruta Azrael appears in Sven's flashback seemingly watching over Sven's progress. Sven then gives the order and the entire camp is slaughtered with himself standing over the ruins in the aftermath.

Meanwhile at the DSSD space station Selene greets a group of scientists that all know her and she goes to check on the mobile suit 401. 401 was commented to have a learning AI system that also has an optional two-seater cockpit so that the computer can learn from the pilot's experience to be more efficient. Selene also worked on a new propulsion system the Voiture Lumiere which works as a solar sail and will be attached to 401.

On a cold northern plain of Russia the Earth Alliance ground carrier Bonaparte, which is carrying a GFAS-X1 Destroy, is under attack by several ZAFT units. Mudie takes off and engages several ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warriors and TMF/A-802 BuCUEs with Shams on top of the carrier providing covering fire. A BuCUE catches Mudie by surprise and disables her with a trio of TMF/A-802W2 Kerberos BuCUE Hounds finishing her off by tearing Blu Duel apart with their beam fangs. Sven destroys the remaining ZAKU Warriors and quickly intercepts the Cerberus BuCUE Hound and easily dispatches them. Unfortunately, Mudie is already dead, much to a dismayed Shams. Later onboard, Sven passes by Neo Roanoke and Sting Oakley who are carrying Stella Loussier on a stretcher. Shams wonders what was going on and Sven comments that "it" was probably a ruined "extended" seeing as how they don't live long. Shams then informs Sven of their new orders to infiltrate DSSD and steal the new mobile suit being produced there and have full authorization to use whatever means necessary.

Selene's co-observer Sol in the mobile suit during the propulsion system test calls 401 a Stargazer after remembering words from Edmond. She then enters the name into the computer as Stargazer. The AI Unit takes its new name as Stargazer. They test the Stargazer and the unit responds under all expectations as a new unit capable of utilizing the new propulsion method.

STAGE 3
The Phantom Pain attack the DSSD space station in an attempt to capture the Stargazer for its AI so they can copy it for use in unmanned combat mobile suits. The assault force consists of the Nana Buluku (a Girty Lue-class battleship), several Slaughter Daggers, the Strike Noir and the Verde Buster. Simultaneously, several squadrons of soldiers force a landing on the DSSD satellite and begin gunning down DSSD personnel.

Selene sorties in the Stargazer and uses its Voiture Lumiere as an offensive weapon, redirecting beams fired by Phantom Pain units to strike back at them. In the mean time, Shams Coza depletes the batteries of the Verde Buster while opening fire on the DSSD station. Upon losing power, he is destroyed by several DSSD Astrays. During this time, the Stargazer and the Strike Noir are engaged in combat, but when Sven hesitates after Sol is ejected from the Stargazer thinking the pilot abandoned the mobile suit and Selene is able to bind his unit.

Selene orders DSSD to fire the propulsion beam, which hurls the Stargazer and the Strike Noir out somewhere between Earth and Venus. After salvaging energy from the Strike Noir, Selene brings Sven aboard the Stargazer and sets a course for Earth using the Stargazer's solar sails. She also administers a drug that increases oxygen absorption which will allow them to last for a period of around 27 days. After the closing credits, Selene and Sven are found 669 hours (27 days and 21 hours) later by Sol, but fail to respond when he hails them at the end of the episode.

Japanese cast

 * Edmond Du Clos - Jouji Nakata
 * Mudie Holcroft - Rina Sato
 * Selene McGriff - Sayaka Ohara
 * Shams Couza - Hiroshi Kamiya
 * Sol Ryuune L'ange - Jun Fukuyama
 * Sven Cal Bayan - Daisuke Ono

Staff

 * Director: Nishizawa Suzumu
 * Screenplay: Morita Shigeru
 * Character Designer: Ohnuki Kenichi
 * Mechanical Designer: Okawara Kunio, Yamane Kimitoshi, Fujioka Kenki, BEECRAFT
 * Music: Oohashi Megumi

Openings, Endings and Insert Songs
Ending:
 * Stargazer ~Hoshi No Tobira~ (Door Of The Stars) by Satori Negishi

List of Mecha
Phantom Pain:
 * GAT-X105E Strike Noir
 * GAT-X1022 Blu Duel
 * GAT-X103AP Verde Buster
 * GAT-01A2R Slaughter Dagger

Deep Space Survey and Development Organization (DSSD):
 * GSX-401FW Stargazer
 * UT-1D Civilian Astray DSSD Custom

Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty (ZAFT):
 * TMF/A-802W2 Cerberus BuCUE Hound
 * TMF/A-802 BuCUE
 * ZGMF-1017 GINN Insurgent Type


 * See Cosmic Era Mobile Units for more information.

Spinoffs
The manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Δ Astray is a tie-in to Stargazer, and expands upon the technologies and organizations from this show. It is also the sequel to the Gundam SEED Destiny spinoff, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Astray.