The Minerva follows the Girty Lue into the debris belt that surrounds Earth, and sends Shinn and his comrade Lunamaria Hawke in pursuit of the enemy mothership. However, Neo has tricked the ZAFT pilots into following a decoy. While the three stolen Gundams ambush Shinn and his comrades, the Girty Lue doubles back to attack the undefended Minerva.

Just as all seems hopeless, Athrun devises a plan to help the Minerva escape from the enemy trap. Neo recalls his forces, and the battered Minerva is forced to abandon its pursuit. It seems as if the fighting is finally over, but an even greater crisis is already developing.