The Honor of a Great Power

Episode 9 Kanji Title - 大国の威信) English Title - The Honor of a Great Power Original Air Date - December 1, 2007

Plot
Lockon takes flowers to his parents' grave and finds that someone has already places flowers there. A man who looks exactly like Lockon watches him from the nearby tree line. Nearly four months have passed since Celestial Being first appeared, resulting in about 60 interventions. The number of conflicts around the world has lowered. The Union and AEU decide to retaliate only if Celestial Being attacks a nation within their borders, but the HRL has decided to actively oppose the group. In space, Sergei addresses the members of the task force Choubu and explains that they have two goals: destroy Celestial Being and capture the Gundams. Elsewhere, the Gundam Dynames docks with the Ptolemaios, followed by the Gundam Exia. Setsuna wants to assist with the maintenance, but Ian tells him to get some rest. The HRL deploys thousands of small duplex communications units, which gives them 80% coverage of their geosynchronous orbital range. Because the Gundams' GN particles disrupt communications, if a group of probes suddenly go dark, that's where Celestial Being is. An officer named Ming asks Sergei if the plan can work, and Sergei comments that it'll have to because they can't stage such a resource-draining operation too many times. In Tokyo, Louise is surprised by the sudden arrival of her mother. Saji introduces herself, and she says that she's taking Louise back with her because the world is too dangerous now. She takes Louise away, and Saji is unable to say anything clearly in protest. At JNN headquarters, Kinue asks her editor for permission to conduct an investigation on Aeolia to determine Celestial Being's true intentions. A news report announces that energy-starved Azadistan is receiving assistance from the United Nations. At the Azadistan airport, Marina meets with the UN's representative: Alejandro. Marina thanks Alejandro, but he says there isn't much they can do because of budgetary problems. Shirin is suspicious of Alejandro because at this time the UN has nothing to gain from helping Azadistan. On the Ptolemaios, Lichtendahl finds Christina alone on the bridge because Feldt wasn't feeling well, so he offers to take over. Lockon walks into an observation room and finds Feldt crying. Christina attempts to eat in the mess hall, but the oppressive silence from Setsuna and Tieria makes it too awkward. Lichtendahl fails to notice a warning on Feldt 's console, and Ming pinpoints an area where probe communication was lost. Sergei orders the task force to launch, and several Laoho mobile suit transports take off from the station. Sergei cautions Soma to avoid a repeat of what she did last time. Feldt tells Lockon that her parents were second generation Gundam Meisters and that today is the anniversary of their deaths. Because Celestial Being members are sworn to secrecy, she doesn't know anything other than the fact that they're dead. Lockon then reveals that his real name is Neil Dylandy and that his parents were killed in a terrorist attack in Ireland. When Christina returns to the bridge and sees the warning on Feldt 's console, she realizes they've been found.

Sumeragi sets course for the orbital ring and orders the Gundam Meisters to standby. Ian reports that the Gundam Exia is ready, but the Gundam Dynames can't be uses because of leg generator repairs. Sumeragi is annoyed because that's the suit she needed the most, and she orders Tieria and Allelujah to launch first. Ian attaches a temporary peg leg on the Gundam Dynames so that Lockon can launch. Sergei concludes that the Gundams' launch point is a spaceship, and he decides to respond to their diversion with one of his one. Three of the Laohos launch their Tierens, and then two of them detach their bridges and switch to autopilots while the Tierens form a line behind the first ship. The Ptolemaios reaches the orbital ring, and Christina picks up four ships closing in. Sumeragi wants to contact Tieria and Allelujah, but they can't because of the orbital ring's electromagnetic interference zone. Sergei sees a computer-enhanced image of the Ptolemaios and is surprised that Celestial Being is large enough to have such equipment. Sumeragi concludes her tactical analysis and realizes that the enemy isn't responding as she expected. She was hoping that all four ships would close in on them, allowing Allelujah and Tieria to perform a pincer attack. However, two ships broke off to engage the Gundams. Sumeragi believes that both those ships probably already launched their mobile suits, meaning that Allelujah and Tieria are wasting time on a pointless attack. Allelujah examines the Laoho wreckage and sees no mobile suits. Lockon asks Sumeragi what the basis is for her prediction, and she explains that the same tactic was used in a battle 18 years ago by Sergei, the "Wild Bear of Russia." Setsuna launches in the Gundam Exia, while Lockon stays on deck with the Gundam Dynames to snipe enemy targets. Christina wonders if they'll be ok because the ship isn't armed, but Lichtendahl says they have the Gundams. Lockon shoots at a Laoho and misses, so he concludes that his rifle's calibration is off due to the change in mass of the missing leg. The Laoho fires a volley of missiles, and the Ptolemaios deploys a GN field when Setsuna and Lockon are unable to shoot all the missiles. The unmanned ship closes in for a kamikaze attack, causing Christina to panic and freeze up. Lockon destroys the ship with small explosives, but the debris hits the Ptolemaios due to Christina's inaction. She continues to panic, and Feldt shouts out that they will live on. Suddenly, 36 Tierens appear from behind where the Laoho was. They begin to scatter when Setsuna and Lockon attempt to shoot them. Sumeragi examines the situation and realizes that she's fighting Sergei and that he intends to capture a Gundam. As Allelujah returns, he's caught up in a minefield. More suits launch from the fourth Laoho, including Soma's Tieren Taozi. Her proximity to Allelujah triggers a reaction, causing him to feel intense pain in his head.