Thanks to Shinn's fighting prowess, the Minerva has overcome the Earth Alliance fleet. As the ship continues on to Carpentaria, the Orb government concludes its alliance with the Atlantic Federation. Yuna Roma Seiran, the son of Orb's prime minister, pressures Cagalli to accept his marriage proposal in order to unite their nation.

Now that Orb has aligned itself with the Earth Alliance, Kira and his friends are considering leaving for the PLANT. But their plans are disrupted when their home is attacked by Coordinator special forces who have been sent to assassinate Lacus, and Kira is forced to enter the battlefield once again.