Escape from Luna II

Escape From Luna II (ガンダム破壊命令 Gandamu Hakai Meirei) is the 4th episode of Mobile Suit Gundam. It first aired on April 28th 1979 in Japan and on July 26th, 2001 in North America. This episode was written by Masaru Yamamoto.

Summary
White Base has finally made it to Luna II, but there seems to be a problem. Luna II refuses to let them stay. They have been in danger, and don't want the added risk, despite Bright's pleas and explanations about how they've barely escaped Side 7 and have a large group of evacuees. The head of the base, Commadant Gene Wakkein comes out and reads the other officer's report of the situation. He states that he cannot take civilians at this time, and that all the civilians will be taken to Earth. He then picks out a few of the civilians who will not be leaving: Bright, Mirai, Ryu, Sayla, Kai, Hayato, and Amuro. Soldiers draw their weapons on the group. Waukkein tells Bright that these civilians and cadets have gained control of top secret military technology, and that there will be a court martial. White Base will be impounded, and Gundam will be secured. The Captain is taken off to receive medical help, and Gundam is restrained. Bright tries to warn that Gundam should not be deactivated with the Musai not far behind them, but Wakkein dismisses him.

Under Luna II, the Musai is waiting. Luna II is unable to detect them on the radar, so they lie there, waiting for the right time to attack. Char gets flashes of Sayla, and wonders if she is, indeed, his sister, Artesia. After he comes back to reality, he announces that they will not be using the Musai, but will go out in spacesuits to destroy or capture Gundam and White Base.

On Luna II, the crew of white Base has been locked up in cells. When their food is brought to them, Bright tries to tell them of the impending Zeon attack, but with no results. As he warned, Char and a large group of soldiers float through space in their suits, killing some guards and finally finding a way in. When they make it to th hangar, Char realizes that there is an infared security system, so they will have to be very careful in their mission.

In the guys' cell, Amuro is explaining to them how Gundam is self learning, and therefore gets better as it fights more, without Amuro's help. Suddenly, an explosion sends them flying to one side, and the gravity has been cut, likely due to the power station being knocked out. More explosions rock Luna II, and Wakkein watches, wondering how they could have made it in. He orders for them to deploy the Magellan warship.

Bright is banging on the door, trying to get out, when the door slides open a bit. Since the power is gone, the power locks are as well. They get out and find Mirai and Sayla, and they all escape. In the hangar, the Magellan is leaving, but White Base and the evacuees are still left behind. Fraw asks two soldiers why they are not evacuating the White Base, but they say they've not gotten orders from the commadant. The little orphan girl, who is standing with her, notices someone behind him, and waves. She kicks on soldier, distracting them long enough for Amuro and Bright to take them out.

The Magellan has almost made it out of Luna II, when a large number of charges set by Char around the area causes it to crash, lodging it in the tunnel, and blocking the way for White Base. Wakkein comes out of the ship and sees what's going on, trying to stop the White Base crew at gunpoint. Bright and Mirai try to talk him down, but it is the Captain who finally ends the standoff, who tells him that they're the only ones equipped to handle it, and he will take full responsibility.

Char comes in his Zaku, flanked by the two he'd gotten from the supply ship, just as Gundam makes it around the Magellan. Char takes out his heat hawk and they fight arm-to-arm, and Ryu manages to distract the other Zakus in the Core Fighter and keep it this way. On White Base, Wakkein finally relents that the only way to make it out is to destroy the Magellan, and allows them to do so. Outside, using the beam Saber, Amuro is able to take out a Zaku that comes up behind him as he fights Char. The Magellan is finally destroyed using a large cannon on White Base. The blast destroys the second Zaku and almost hits the Musai. Char throws his heat hawk at Amuro, then flies off to the Musai.

Bright informs the Captain that they have been victorious, but finds that the Captain has finally succumbed to his wounds. As they come closer to Earth, a funeral is held for him, and, after Bright makes a promise to make it safely to Earth, his remains are jettisoned into space. As the casket floats off, Amuro wonders where his father is.

Important Events:
 * Captain Paolo Cassis dies. Bright officially becomes captain of White Base.