This group of Phases sets the tone for the rest of the show and offers a taste of what's to come. While the battle sequences are great and well executed, the attack on the JOSH-A base is amazing, what sets this aside is the character development and plots that are set in motion.

The crew of the Archangel, after losing both Talle and Kira, battle their personal demons while waiting for orders while safe at the Alaska base.

Athrun and Cagalli learn more about each other as he explains to her that he and Kira were friends and that circumstances forced him into killing Kira.

We also see that Kira was rescued and brought to the PLANTs to recover while under the care of Lacus Cline. While there he comes to the realization as to what he should be fighting for and what he should be fighting against, and is rewarded with a new toy.

Ultimately the real goals of ZAFT and the Earth Forces are. ZAFT seems bent on destroying all Naturals and the Earth Forces are bent on destroying all Coordinators, both at any cost required.

The pieces have been set in motion and are put into play in the next set of phases.

Individual Phase reviews in the extended entry.

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Phase 31 - Grieving Skies

Phase starts out with a flashback of the battle between Kira and Athrun. The new stuff opens with Mariallia trying desperately to raise the Sky Grasper and Strike while the Archangel has to leave the battle field and any hope of rescuing Kira. Orb, and Cagalli, finds an unconscious Athrun at the scene of the battle and takes him back to Orb to recover. She discovers that Athrun and Kira were friends in a former life and that they're both broken up over his death. A heavy-hearted Archangel makes it to the protection of the Alaska base. The Phase ends on the PLANTS and an injured Kira under the care of Lacus Cline.

Phase 32 - In The Promised Land

The Archangel is housed in Alaska and put in a state of limbo while waiting for orders while an Earth Federation military council plots and schemes. Athrun is debriefed by Rau Le Creuset over flashes of Nicol's family in grief. Kira confides in Lacus the cycle of hatred that led to him being there. The PLANT council, now under the command of Athrun's father, rejects all negotiations with Earth and plots for war, specifically the Alska base.

Back at Alaska the crew of the Archangel is just sitting around doing nothing while the Earth Force commanders tell them to hold. Tensions are running high between the young recruits. Sai, now that Kira is gone, is the one people are depending on, Flay is once again exiled from her former friends and Mariallia attacks Dearka, pilot of the captured Buster Gundam, in rage over the death of her boyfriend Talle. She then saves him when Flay pulls a gun on him.

Phase 33 - Gathering Darkness

This is a recap/soul searching episode.

While the recruits deal with their personal demons that have surfaced over the last few episodes the command crew is put on trial in a kangaroo court where their fate was already decided. Up on the PLANTs Kira agonizes over the lives he has taken while taking comfort in Lacus. Mariallia and Dearka come to somewhat of an understanding.

Phase 34 - Seen and Unseen

Phase opens up with Natarle, Flay and Mu transferring off of the ship, as per orders. In orbit ZAFT forces start Operation Spitbreak, a strike against Alaska. While snooping Mu and Rau get into a fight and Mu discovers that a cyclops system has been installed and the defense force left to fight a lost battle. Flay gets captured by Rau Le Creusetand taken aboard his ship. Kira comes to the realization of what he should be fighting against, and fighting for and earns a gift from Lacus, the powerful Freedom Gundam.

Phase 35 - The Descending Sword

The Earth Forces defense force are putting up a noble effort but the numeric superiority of the ZAFT forces are taking their toll. Mu manages to get back to the Archangel and warns them of the cyclops system and the fight turns into a desperate fight to escape. Kira swopes in in the Freedom Gundam to cover the Archangel's escape and the true power of the Freedom is shown. Once told that a cyclops is installed Kira warns all the combatants to flee.

Once the walls of the Alaska base are breaches the cyclops is activated and what follows shows the ruthlessness of the Earth Forces. ZAFT and Earth Federation machines explode, people explode and ultimately the entire base is destroyed, replaced by a crater.