Flag

The SDC unit is planning scouting missions in area where the FLAG was believed to be hidden. Once again Saeko's request to accompany the unit was denied. Nadi Olowokandi offered his helping hand.

It was established that the defence capabilities of the armed faction base were much stronger than expected. The SDAC unit decided to launch an operation to retrieve the Flag on the night of the new moon. Preparation of the HAVWC mecha, the key element of the operation, became a race against time, and Saeko spent all night covering the activities of the unit. Meanwhile on the same night, as reporter Akagi was pursuing a young girl, a reincarnate of the goddess Kuhura.

On the night of the new moon, the SDC unit began its campaign to retrieve the flag and was heading towards the "Ruins", the armed faction's stronghold. Shirasu witnessed the crossfire while accompanying the unit. At the same time, the journalists, suspicious of the UN forces, found out about the UN's plan to bomb the city. Akagi had some idea where the target of the bombing would be.

Ichiyanagi stormed into the armed faction's stronghold to retrieve the flag. As the team were following the IC tag signal, something unexpected was waiting for them. They discovered the conspiracy to hinder the ceasefire. Facing return attack from the enemy and with nowhere to retreat, he attempted to break through.

UN forces block access to the bombarded parts of the city and stonewall at the daily press conference, trying to cover up the incident. SDC researches how the flag's military grade IC encryption could have been broken and faked. In that course, more questions are raised. The UN started to move in more weapons into the country in secret, and attacked another target 400 km away without telling the public. This increases doubt on the official narrative in which the temple faction is the only violent actor.

A replacement for the HAVWC mecha lost in the attack of the temple arrives, but training it to accept Ichiyanagi as pilot makes only slow progress. An unknown power penetrates the training camp's perimeter with three helicopters and the prototype of a Chinese XR-2 mecha. Ichiyanagi and Eversalt fight off the intruders in their mechas. This is considered a warning to the SDC, and complicates the situation because obviously a powerful member of the UN security council entered the playing field.

Shirasu spends a day and a night with the indigenous nomads. She assists their medical doctor, who was trained in both native and western medicine, with house visits and learns about the way of life of those people. Olowokandi is interrogated. The flow of news from the UNF to journalists comes to a grinding halt. Highly increased reconnaissance flight activity hints at a brewing political and military storm.

Investigators from UN HQ are sent to SDC, blocking their activity. In the background of a picture of the temple's leader, the flag is spotted. Eversalt, backed by the complete SDC team, decides to ignore orders and launch a fact finding mission into the temple. Ichiyanagi is freed from investigative detention so he can pilot a smaller mecha model he was involved in developing. One member of the investigators, only named Chief, backs the operation by delaying information sent to HQ. Shirasu is instructed by Eversalt to document the operation, for a possible future court martial trial. SDC intrudes the temple and finds the flag, but fails to capture it. Meanwhile, the temple's masked soldiers supported by improvised tanks and a mecha of unknown origin capture UNF's headquarters in a surprise attack and hold staff hostage.

SDC decides to launch a counter attack to take UNF HQ back using their two HAVWC mechas. The operation succeeds because in the last minute massive reinformcent by regular UNF troops arrives. Akagi and Shirasu have eye contact for the first time since she was deployed as an embedded journalist with SDC. Akagi films her in a helicopter labeled with the SDC logo.

The temple leader, in front of the flag, calls for violence and nation-wide the insurgency flares up. SDC embarks on the mission to finally capture the flag. The two HAVWC mechas successfully infiltrate the temple by force, but it's masked soldiers manage to escape with the flag seconds before capture. A fierce battle between SDC and temple forces supprted by helicopters and their mecha takes place. Eventually SDC prevails, with Shirasu capturing the moment one of the mechas can get it's hand on the flag in another iconic photo. Akagi films that scene. Shirasu is arrested by UNF troops on the battlefield.

At Shirasu's release, she is told by an official that her photos will be withheld for censorship because they include footage inconvenient for the UN. She's told she'll never see any SDC team member again and given a last letter from Eversalt. It contains her lucky charm, which she had lost during the battle. At home, she discovers an SD card with her uncensored photo material in it. An accompanying video by the SDC members bides her a heartfelt farewell and encourages her to publish the truth.