The Core Fighter's Escape

The Core Fighter's Escape (コアファイター脱出せよ Koa Faitā Dasshutsu Seyo) is the 7th episode of Mobile Suit Gundam. It first aired on May 18th, 1979 in Japan and on July 31st, 2001 in North America. This episode was written by Yoshihisa Araki.

Summary
Things have finally calmed down, giving White Base ample opportunity to drop off the evacuees, which Reed suggests. However, Bright argues that they can't drop infirmed and elderly in Zeon territory. A number of the evacuees, who are upset over the entire situation, plan to take action.

Back at Garma's HQ, he looks over the data they'd amassed about Gundam. He is amazed at what he sees, and realizes that its greatly superior to anything Zeon has come up with. Char comes in, and Garma congratulates him for doing as well as he can. The two plan to attack before Gundam can regroup.

As the White Base recovers from the battle, Sayla, Ryu, and Hayato run into the bridge, shouting that the older evacuees have begun a standoff, and have taken some of the children hostage. Fraw has offered herself hostage so she could watch the children. Unfortunately, Amuro can't focus on this, as he must implement their latest plan.

He runs to the hangar and jumps into the Core Fighter, which he plans to fly over Zeon lines to Federation territory using added boost from White Base's catapaults. Garma and Char see White Base bringing up its bow to allow for the necessary trajectory, and Char realizes what they are trying to do. As Amuro launches, Garma and Char watch, and Char and Dren launch in the Komusai to intercept him.

The crew walks into where the evacuees are, weapons drawn. The evacuees demand to know what is really going on, and want to definitely know how long it will take until they are released. The reason for their actions is that they didn't believe they were being taken seriously up to now. Bright reassures them that they're trying their best, when Mirai tells him over the intercom that there's an emergency.

All communications with the Core Fighter have been lost, and Char is a minute away from intercepting him. On board the Core Fighter, Amuro has lost consciousness. White Base fires missiles to spook the Komusai away, but Char easily sees through the ruse, realizing that they cannot actually hit them. Amuro finally regains consciousness just as Char begins firing on him. He realizes that it's the Komusai, which is designed as a re-entry capsule and not with air combat in mind. He easily outmaneuvers Char, and begins firing on him. Char dives out of range after some direct hits, but Dopp Fighters have made it to the scene. Amuro, who can't take them all on, is called back. Kai mentions how he'd said earlier the plan wasn't going to work, and Bright slugs him across the face, knocking him off the chair and halfway across the room. Bright threatens to literally throw him out of the ship if he shows that attitude again.

Amuro finally makes it to White Base, and the fighters make it in range of the ship's defenses. He is put directly into Gundam, which he must use in aerial battle. The Komusai drops Char's Zaku, and Char begins freefalling just as Gundam is. The two begin battling in free-fall as Kai watches. He goes to run off when the older evacuees storm the bridge. They beg Bright to let them down, but Bright tells them to go back to their rooms. The frustrated evacuees sit and refuse to move until they are freed.

Amuro takes a powerful hit, and is called back. White Base gives him sufficient missile coverage to escape, and Char touches down on ground, where Garma contacts him. They have discovered the fact that the mobile suit is divided in three parts, the center being a normal fighter, and take this to mean that Gundam is actually one choice amongst an array of different combinations for different situations. Char wonders how it could be possible to fight such a weapon.

Amuro walks on the bridge to find the evacuees sitting there. They tell everyone that they're not selfish, but just want to finally walk the earth once more. Bright wants them to wait until they make it to Federation territory, but the evacuees don't know if they'll make it that far alive, pleading for Bright to find a safe place and drop them off soon as possible. Amuro finally snaps listening to this, and shouts that he is fighting for them, and that they make him want to quit before Mirai takes him away.

Important Events:
 * First signs of the evacuees' frustration and dissatisfaction with the crew's actions.