* The first in a trilogy of re-edited specials to the Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED television series, loosely covering episodes 1 to 21. In the year 71 of the Cosmic Era , Kira Yamato accidentally becomes a mecha pilot when he stumbles onto the top secret Strike Gundam during an attack on his home satellite-colony, Heliopolis. Although the war is technically between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT , it is really a conflict between the human Naturals and the genetically enhanced Coordinators . Left without much choice, Kira, a Coordinator himself, is dragged into this conflict when he tries to protect the colony and his friends on it, subsequently enlisting on the EA prototype battleship Archangel . It is on this empty battlefield between the stars, that he once again meets his best friend Athrun Zala , the son of ZAFT's leader , and the enemy's songstress of hope , Lacus Clyne . Meetings that will change his life forever. Note: This special was aired in two parts on Japanese TV on March 22, 2004 and March 23, 2004 and received a DVD release on August 27, 2004. It was followed by The Far-Away Dawn . While the story is overall the same, there are some changes to it; it was re-edited, leaving out scenes from the original series but also adding some newly produced cuts, and featuring a new dub.
