Athrun has arranged a meeting with Kira and Cagalli, but they no longer see eye to eye. Even after hearing of the assassination attempt on Lacus, Athrun still believes in Chairman Dullindal's good intentions, and he returns to the Minerva after urging his friends to keep Orb from participating in the war.

The Minerva travels to the Lodonia laboratory to retrieve Rey and continue the investigation. This abandoned facility proves to be a laboratory where the Earth Forces experimented on children to create Extended soldiers. At their own nearby base, the Extended of Phantom Pain are shocked to hear that the Minerva has discovered the laboratory where they were raised.