The Assassination Attempt of Lacus Clyne is a conflict of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, featured in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.
Prelude[]
Following the First Alliance-PLANT War, Lacus Clyne, a key figure in the PLANT Colonies for her anti-radical broadcasts against then-Supreme Chairman, Patrick Zala, and a leader of the Three Ships Alliance that put the bloody war to an end, opted for a quiet solitary life with her boyfriend Kira Yamato in the Orb Union, helping Reverend Malchio's Orphanage.[1]
Despite her self-imposed exile, current PLANT Supreme Chairman, Gilbert Durandal, needed as much public support for his ambitions and wished to bring Lacus' influence to his side. To do this, he first hired Meer Campbell, an independent singer with an identical voice, who eventually had surgery to match Lacus' looks. From there, a covert assassination attempt was ordered to silently eliminate Lacus, who would've likely retaliated to the theft of her identity.[2] A small hiccup to the plan, however, was that Lacus and her companions relocated to the estate of former ZAFT commander, Andrew Waltfeld and former Archangel captain, Murrue Ramius, due to their original cabin being destroyed during the descent of Junius Seven.[3]
The Assassination Attempt[]
The commando team sent for the assassination silently reached the beach near the estate under the cover of night and began sneaking into the mansion in search of Lacus. Unfortunately for them, their presence was noticed by Haro, who woke everyone up immediately. Murrue and Waltfeld were the first to respond, quickly grouping Lacus and the other non-combatants with Kira. By this time, a fire fight ensued between Waltfeld, who attempted to slow the assassins' advance into the mansion with Murrue protecting the group's rear as they made their way towards the mansion's bunker.[2]
While Waltfeld went toward the bar to fight most of the assassins, Murrue killed one assassin as he attempted to ambush the group at a hallway. Seeing that he had caused enough of a diversion, Waltfeld escaped to the bar's door, but his prosthetic arm was struck with a hidden assassin's knife. In response, Waltfeld detached his prosthetic to reveal a gun barrel underneath and proceeded to shoot his attacker. After killing the commando, Andrew overheard the orders from the dead soldiers’ radio, learning that Lacus was the target. After making his way back to Murrue and the others, Lacus was nearly killed by an assassin hiding inside the vents, but she was saved by Kira, and Murrue and Waltfeld quickly killed the assassin. Afterwards, the group was finally able to get behind one of the bunker's armored doors.[2]
Finally given a small break, Waltfeld was able to theorize that the attackers were too well-trained to be simple assassins and believed them sent by ZAFT. Since they did not have the power to hack or breach the bunker by themselves, the ZAFT team instead decided to use their UMF/SSO-3 ASH. With even the bunker no longer able to sustain further attacks, Lacus reluctantly gave Kira her keys, unlocking the hangar to his restored ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam. With the means to finally defend themselves, Kira entered his mobile suit to engage the assassins, while the rest of the group hid within the bunker's second level.[2]
Before the assassins could finally breach the bunker, Kira emerged from the hangar and quickly disabled one of the ASHs. Two then attempted to fire their beam cannons, but Kira dodged all their attacks and disabled both with the Freedom's Full Burst Mode. When the fourth assassin tried to retaliate with his beam cannons, the Freedom dashed forward and cut both the ASH's arms before destroying its legs with his "Balaena" Plasma Beam Cannons. Kira then engaged the last assassin with a beam saber, who dodged the initial attack and tried to charge with his beam claw, only to be overturned by Kira, who promptly shot all of its weapons and limbs. Defeated, the lead assassin opted to detonate his unit rather than be caught and interrogated, with all four remaining assassins quickly following suit.[2]
Aftermath[]
This brazen attack and the sudden introduction of Meer trying to piggyback off of Lacus' influence for Chairman Durandal left a deep mark within the survivors, who would never believe nor trust Durandal's words at face value for the rest of the war. Because of this attack, and Orb now leaning towards the Alliance in the war, Kira, Lacus, Murrue, and Andrew were spurred back into the fray, recruiting several former members of the Three Ships Alliance and reactivating the Archangel which would make its return by "kidnapping" Cagalli Yula Athha during her wedding.[4]
Still suspicious over Durandal's grand ambitions behind the glowing public reception, Lacus would eventually try to leave for space to further investigate the Chairman and the PLANTs.[5]
Gallery[]
.png "ZAFT Commando Team 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep13).png (3.37 MB)")
.png "Andrew Shooting an Assassin 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep13).png (2.88 MB)")
.png "ASH Team 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep13).png (5.11 MB)")
.png "Freedom Gundam Returns 02 (SEED Destiny HD Ep13).png (4.58 MB)")
.png "Ash Damaged 02 (SEED Destiny HD Ep13).png (3.39 MB)")
.png "Freedom Gundam Rear 05 (SEED Destiny HD Ep13).png (4.47 MB)")
Notes & Trivia[]
- When the bunker is closed, there are 6 ZAFT commandos left, but when they begin attacking the mansion with their mobile suits, there are only 5 commandos left. It is unknown what happened to this last commando.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-13, Resurrected Wings
- First Appearance; Conclusion
- PHASE-14, Flight to Tomorrow
- Mentioned Only
- PHASE-13, Resurrected Wings
References[]
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED After-Phase Between the Stars
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-13, Resurrected Wings
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-08, Junction
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-14, Flight to Tomorrow
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-26, The Promise
| Cosmic Era Conflicts and Events | |
| Pre C.E. - C.E. 9 | |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction War | |
| C.E. 15 | |
| Coordinator Revelation | Jupiter Exploration Mission | |
| C.E. 30’s - C.E. 50 | |
| Coordinator Boom | |
| C.E. 50’s - C.E. 60’s | |
| Assassination of George Glenn | Flaga Estate Burning | Blue Cosmos Attack on Mendel | |
| C.E. 60’s - C.E. 69 | |
| Mandelbrot Incident | Attack on the Junius Colonies | Mendel Accident | |
| C.E. 70 | |
| First Alliance-PLANT War Tragedy of Copernicus | Bloody Valentine Incident | Invasion of South America | Battle of Yggdrasil | First Battle of Victoria | Operation Uroboros | Battle of Carpentaria | Battle of Coral Sea | First Battle of Jachin Due | Grimaldi Front (Battle of Endymion Crater) | First Battle of Casablanca | Battle of El Alamein | Battle of Nova | First Nova Recapture Operation | October Talks | |
| Unrelated Conflicts First Attack on the Graveyard | |
| C.E. 71 | |
| First Alliance-PLANT War Battle of Kaohsiung | Battle of Heliopolis | Skirmish near Artemis | Battle of Artemis | Second Nova Recapture Operation | Clash at Junius Seven | Skirmish in the Debris Belt | Battle near Junius Seven | Skirmish in the North African Desert | Skirmish towards Earth | Battle of Orbit | Second Battle of Victoria | Blue Cosmos Attack on PLANT | Desert Dawn Campaign (Attack on the Archangel | Attack on Tassil | Retaliation of the Desert Dawn | Blue Cosmos Attack in Banadiya | Battle of Talbadiya) | First Equatorial Skirmish | Second Equatorial Skirmish | Skirmish on an Uninhabited Island | Strait of Malacca Breakthrough | First Battle near Orb | Orb Infiltration Mission | Second Battle near Orb | Battle of the Marshall Islands | Theft of the Freedom Gundam | Operation Spitbreak | Shoot Out at White Symphony | Mission to Recapture the Freedom Gundam | Battle of Porta Panama | Battle of Orb | Assassination of Siegel Clyne | Third Battle of Victoria | Attack on a ZAFT Fleet | Theft of the Eternal | Battle of Mendel | Second Battle of Casablanca | Operation 8.8 (Ayers Rock Landing Operation) | Operation Elvis (Battle of Boaz | Second Battle of Jachin Due) | |
| South American War for Independence Attack on South American Forces Base 12 | Duel at the South American Shore | Battle in the USSA Neutral Zone | Ambush in Low Orbit | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Campaign on the ZAFT Supply Route (Attack on a ZAFT Supply Station | Battle at ZAFT Supply Station 4) | Skirmish at Heliopolis | Pirate Attack on the H.O.M.E. | Recapture of Artemis | Skirmish at Artemis | Second Attack on the Graveyard | Actaeon Hostage Incident | Skirmish at Liteiria | Barnacle Incident | First Attack by the Gundam Astray Gold Frame | First Attack on the Lesseps | Second Attack on the Lesseps | Confrontation in the Deep Sea | Infiltration of the Lesseps | First Battle of the Giga-Float | Second Battle of the Giga-Float | Battle of Ame-No-Mihashira | Battle of the Gundam Astrays | Third Attack on the Graveyard | Find Kira Yamato Operation | Skirmish at Mendel | Raid on the Dreadnaught Gundam’s Transport | Attack on the Serpent Tail Transport | First Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | Attack on Supply Station 15B | Escape from Artemis | Assault on Ptolemaeus Port Seven | Attack on the Ortygia | Attack on Ame-No-Mihashira | Battle at the Abandon Colony Zone | Battle at the Mobile Suit Auction | Clash at Mendel | Second Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | Assault on the Sahaku Force | Erudou Breakthrough | Third Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | First Battle of GENESIS Alpha | First Attack on GENESIS Alpha | |
| C.E. 72 | |
| First Alliance-PLANT War Nairobi Peace Conference (Attack on the Junius Treaty Ceremony) | |
| South American War for Independence Battle for South America | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Battle of the Blue Cosmos Asteroid Factory | |
| C.E. 73 | |
| Second Alliance-PLANT War Attack on Armory One | Battle of the Debris Belt | "Break The World" Incident | Battle of Aprilius One | Operation Spear of Twilight | Ambush of the Minerva | Assassination Attempt of Lacus Clyne | Kidnapping of Orb's Chief Representative | Battle of the Indian Ocean | Attack on Lohengrin Gate | Battle of Gulnahan | Battle in Lunar Orbit | Battle of Dardanelles | Skirmish at Lodonia Lab | Lacus Clyne Shuttle Hijacking | Battle of Crete | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Second Attack on GENESIS Alpha | Third Attack on GENESIS Alpha | Second Battle of Genesis Alpha | Attack on Ed the Ripper’s Shuttle |Attack in Fortaleza | Attack on Kirgitz | Declaration of the Sky | Attack on The Clan Space Station | Assault on the Coordinator Refugee Camp | |
| C.E. 74 | |
| Second Alliance-PLANT War Minerva Breakout | Attack on the Bonaparte | Destroy Crisis (First Attack on Eurasia | Second Attack on Eurasia | Third Attack on Eurasia | Battle of Berlin) | Campaign Against Logos | Operation Angel Down | Desertion of Athrun Zala and Meyrin Hawke | Operation Ragnarök | Eternal Chase | Operation Fury | Battle of Requiem Station Gounod | Battle of Daedalus | Assassination Attempt in Copernicus City | Proclamation of the Destiny Plan | Attack on Requiem Station One | Battle of Messiah | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Attack on Toroya Station | Foundation Shock | Freedom Hijacking Incident | |
| C.E. 75 | |
| Blue Cosmos Campaign Battle of Aldrin City | |
| Foundation Conflict Eldore Incident | Moscow Tragedy | PLANT Coup d'état | Millennium Hijacking | Lacus Clyne Rescue Operation | Battle of Requiem | |