Cima's blackmailing apparently works, as Anaheim asks Nina to be reassigned away from the Albion and out of the mobile suit development team altogether. Keith, who dates Mora, offers Kou movie tickets so he can ask Nina out after a field test. He does make a move, but a remark about the tests angers Nina again. Meanwhile, Kelley gets paid in gold bullion for his work on the Val Walo, but is shocked to hear that the Zeon forces do not want him piloting it for the new campaign. Incensed, Kelley takes out the mobile armor and challenges Kou to fight him so he could prove himself worthy of joining the Delaz Fleet again. When Nina gets in the way, Kou finally admits his feelings for her and defeats Kelley, who does not bail out from the exploding Val Walo because he never installed an escape system.

The Albion arrives at Anaheim Electronics' La Vie En Rose research ship to get the GP03 Dendrobium Stamen, where they are met by designer Lucette Auduvie and Federation officer Nakaha Nakato. Almost immediately, Nakato tells the crew that the GDP has been suspended and they are all confined to the Albion until further notice. Lucette shows Kou the GP03's diagrams and later sacrifices her life to stop Nakato killing Kou as he takes over the GP03 with the Albion crew's help and leave La Vie En Rose. Meanwhile, the Federation command expresses indifference at the upcoming Zeon colony drop on the Moon. The Konpeitoh survivors mobilize and try to stop it, but run out of fuel when Cima maneuvers to have Von Braun City's laser station activate the colony's engines to redirect it toward Earth. Gato also meets up with the Axis Advance Fleet, where he gets the massive Neue Ziel mobile armor and tries it against a small Federation patrol.