The new members of the W-0 unit attempt to desert, but this is prevented by Akito and Leila. The team (with Leila joining them) is then sent behind enemy lines to the city of Slonim, where they are ambushed by Euro Britannian forces led by Shin, Akito's brother. Akito, Leila, and the three Japanese recruits manage to survive, as a result of the BRS synchronization phenomenon. Meanwhile, Suzaku Kururugi and Julius Kingsley have arrived in St. Petersburg from the Britannian mainland.