Once this episode got going it got pretty good. An advance fleet sent by the Earth Alliance fleet is sent to meet the Archangel. Aboard this advanced fleet is an Earth Alliance minister, and father to, Flay Allster, a vocal anti-coordinator civilian aboard the Archangel.

Rau Le Creuset, sent to search for the missing Lacus Clyne in the last episode, stumbles upon this meeting and sends his soldiers to destroy the Earth Alliance fleet. The inferior technology of the Earth Alliance is no match for Athrun in the Aegis Gundam and a complement of Jinn mobile suits.

The crew of the Archangel, knowing there is no way out, take battle stations and send Mu La Flaga and Kira out to battle. Before reaching the Strike Gundam Kira promises Flay everything will be okay. Wrong move, nothing ever works out in Gundam lore.

The help from the Archangel is too little too late. The entire advance fleet is destroyed sending Flay to seize Lacus Clyne to use her as a bargaining chip. Which they do as a last resort when the ZAFT forces close in on them.

This has been one of the smoothest episodes of SEED yet. No slow character story instead it's incorporated into the main plot.