In this blog post I will be giving the chapter by chapter summary for the 3rd and final book in the Hathaway’s flash novel trilogy.

This book is about the same length as the 2nd book but has a lot more plot and will likely be a long read.

I should also mention that these books follow the Beltorchika’s children novel version of the Char’s rebellion storyline and not the Char’s counterattack movie version. Although there are many notable differences the only one relevant to Hathaway’s Flash is that Hathaway kills Quess, not Chan Agi. You can find a more detailed blog post about the differences between CCA and Beltochika’s children here

Chapter summaries for 1st book

Chapter summaries for 2nd book

Thoughts of the first movie can be found here

There will be spoilers.

Chapter 1 – Local broadcast

Earth federation cabinet ministers begin gathering in Adelaide as the preliminary summit is about the take place. Defense is tightening.

Kenneth receives word that Gigi was captured at Ayers Rock by Mafty and worries that it will reduce troop moral as his goddess of fortune/victory is no longer around. In his office he berates some of his officers for their lack of planning in the defense preparations and to make things worse the electric beam barrier is still not operational.

Gundam Penelope pilot Lane Aime finds it highly amusing that Gigi was captured and informs his comrades that if they are successful in the defense of Adelaide, it will be them that receives the credit, not Kenneth.

Later that afternoon Mafty hijacks Adelaide’s airwaves and makes a broadcast to all those in Adelaide. The image on screen is of Hathaway in front of bright lights, making it difficult to see his face but Kenneth can immediately tell that it is him. He immediately orders that the signal be backtracked.

“I am Mafty Navue Erin. The one that has executed a number of earth federation government officials like the ones gathered in Adelaide today. We have received much support from the public but despite this, the earth federation show no signs of reflection.”

“The earth federation plan to enact policies that will only further pollute this planet. The earth is still in the process of healing itself so we humans must continue living in space”.

“If these laws are passed it will mean that earth federation government officials will decide who can and cannot live on earth and will allow them to exploit these laws for their own financial gain.”

“We humans began living in space to help the earth regenerate itself but despite this the earth federation is already writing legislation that will undo all that we have strived for these past 100 years”

“To stop these laws from being passed we will eliminate all those located in the Adelaide area, we do not wish to harm innocent civilians so we will give a 2 hour warning. Anyone left in the vicinity after those 2 hours will be a target”

Kenneth while hearing this speech is stunned about how earth federation officials plan to exploit these news laws for their own benefit and starts to agree with some of what Hathaway is saying and orders that the broadcast be allowed to continue.

Once the broadcast ends Kenneth is called by the Chairman to explain Adelaide’s defensive strength. Kenneth speculates that Mafty doesn’t have the man power to conduct an effective attack. The chairman then states that the summit will go ahead as scheduled.

Chapter 2 – Camouflage aggressive

Kenneth and some cabinet ministers are debating over where the attack will come from and informs them that the electric barrier won’t be ready until the evening, possibly even tomorrow.

He then receives word that a few mobile suit explosions were detected a few hundred kilometers away and that they likely belong to Mafty. The cabinet ministers are relieved to hear the news.

Kenneth thinks back to Mafty’s tactics up until now and suspects that this may be a diversionary tactic. He begins to admire Hathaway’s thinking but informs the chairman that the explosion could be a ploy. The chairman responds that the summit will continue regardless and that if they are attacked it will be Kenneth’s job to protect them.

Chapter 3 – Different place

Hathaway is dreaming of his first love Quess Paraya who is taunting him for killing her. He wakes up in a tent to find Gigi there next to him. He tells Gigi that in the past he has met newtypes but doesn’t consider himself one, so all he can do to better the world is it to carry out missions as Mafty. Gigi speculates that Hathaway probably joined Mafty as a means of distracting himself over the death of Quess. Despite this weakness, Gigi confesses that she still likes Hathaway. Hathaway is disappointed that Gigi would fall for somebody with such a weakness and orders that she leave camp by tomorrow morning and not come back.

Gigi leaves the tent an encounters a few other Mafty members who think that the explosion distraction and the airwave hijack were a success thanks to her ‘luck’. They manage to convince Gigi to stay for a little while longer at camp.

Chapter 4 – In the morning

The group receives word from Quack Salva that the summit will go ahead as scheduled, so they begin preparing for the attack.

Hathaway makes a toast to the fallen Valiant crew and informs them that their targets are the command center and mobile suit hangar near Adelaide airport and the Festival Center(where the summit is being held).

Hathaway is confident about the mission but confides in Emerelda that he is worried about the lack of intel on the beam barrier and its capabilities. Hathaway then tells Raymond that Gigi, Kimberly Hyman and his men will be held as hostages for now and released when the time is right.

Just before launching Emerelda and Raymond share a moment together.

Emerelda gets on board a Messer and Raymond gets on board a cruiser, telling Gigi and the others that they will be released, if they all manage to survive.

Chapter 5 – Touch and go

Hathaway leads the charge in his Xi Gundam heading towards Adelaide with the rest of the crew following behind. Through the communicator Gauman asks about Gigi and Hathaway replies that he threw her out because he suspected she was a spy. Gauman can see through the lie however and tells Hathaway that once the mission is over he should try and make a move on her. Hathaway considers the advice and is happy to have Gauman by his side.

The first day of the summit begins and everybody is on edge, especially Kenneth who knows the beam barrier won’t be ready in time for Mafty’s attack.

Mafty arrive in Adelaide airspace and the Xi Gundam immediately launches it missiles at the Adelaide airport command center. Kenneth instantly takes cover and launches Gustav Karls for the defense.

Chapter 6 – Pinpoint Defense

Lane launches in his Penelope while avoiding the surrounding explosions. He is disappointed at how Mafty could have invaded so easily.

Lane notices Gauman’s team heading towards the Festival Center and gives chase. He engages in battle, going as far as to release his funnels but a mobile suit nuclear reactor explodes nearby causing him to lose concentration, allowing Gauman to escape. He then sees Emerelda’s mobile suit also trying to escape and uses his funnels to shoot down her suit, killing her.

Lane takes note of the exceptional teamwork and formation of Mafty and decides to retreat. Mafty also retreat for now, but plan to come back for a second wave.

Chapter 7 – Get ahead

Kenneth praises Lane’s performance during the battle telling him that knowing when to retreat also makes for a good soldier. Lane starts to think the Mafty was successful because Gigi is with them but Kenneth admits that perhaps it has always just been a coincidence.

Kenneth goes to see an the injured police chief and informs him that the barrier will be ready by the time Mafty come back for the 2nd wave. Although the Circe unit don’t have many suits left, Kenneth also suspects that Mafty are at their limit too. The police chiefs informs Kenneth that before the bombing of the Festival Center, the cabinet ministers passed a few legislations.

Captain Bright’s ship the Ra Cailum heads into earth’s orbit as all members prepare for entry. Bright wonders to himself if Hathaway is ok.

Chapter 8 – Under the forest

Hathaway and the others regroup at a mountain/forest area about 50 kilometers from Adelaide. Their forces have been dwindled and the crew are saddened over the death of Emerelda. Gauman decides to give the a pep talk to one of the pilots in the hopes of lifting the their spirits.

Before the launch for the 2nd wave, Hathaway releases Gigi, Kimberly and his unit. He hopes that he can see Gigi again someday. Hathaway, Raymond, Gauman and about 4 other members make their way to Adelaide and on the visual display Gauman can see Raymond brooding over Emerelda’s death. He wonders to himself if anybody would cry for him if he died.

A handcuffed Kimberly Hyman and his men plead with Gigi to give them the key to their restraints which she was given by Raymond. Gigi eventually gives in but throws the key into the forest. She then runs in the direction she thinks Adelaide is in, hoping to see Hathaway before he dies.

Chapter 9 – Again

The police are helping with the evacuation of the surviving government officials while Kenneth anxiously waits for the 2nd wave. He orders that the ‘Flying parts’ of the Penelope to be removed and communicates to Lane(who is still in the Penelope) that he must lure the Xi Gundam towards the beam barrier. Lane is excited at the chance to take on the Xi Gundam again.

The radar detects Mafty heading towards Adelaide for the 2nd wave and Kenneth orders the startup of the barrier generator. The Xi Gundam arrives and takes out some Gustav Karls with remarkable speed.

Chapter 10 – Be defeated

Hathaway is relieved at Kenneth’s lackluster defense and thinks to himself that the supposed ‘beam barrier’ still isn’t functioning. He begins bombing the airport area again but the Penelope swoops in to engage in battle.

The other Mafty members head towards the Festival Center to continue their attack.

Both Gundams launch their funnels but the Xi Gundam manages to overpower the Penelope, severely damaging it in the process.

Gauman and crew launch a volley of missiles at the Festival Center completely destroying it and the surrounding area, they try to make their escape but are engaged by enemy units.

The Penelope is almost out of action but Lane begins guiding the Xi Gundam towards to allocated point. Just as Hathaway is about the land the killing blow to Lane, the barrier is activated. A powerful electronic pulse surges through the Gundam and Hathaway’s body making him unconscious. Lane lowers himself to the Xi and opens the cockpit to see Hathaway laying there, almost dead.

He recognizes him as the man he met in Davao.

Chapter 11 – Willy willy

Hathaway wakes up 4 days later in an earth federation hospital, slipping in and out of consciousness and a severe pain throughout his entire body. He is visited by Kenneth who congratulates him on a well fought battle and considers him lucky to be alive because the barrier was supposed to destroy the Gundam and kill the pilot inside.

Kenneth asks Hathaway about Mafty and Quack Salva, but Hathaway responds that he knows nothing. Kenneth states Hathaway will be questioned later but he is lying because in the text we are informed that a parliamentary meeting took place yesterday and it was decided that Mafty Navue Erin would be executed without a trial as soon as he wakes up. Kenneth is deeply angered by this decision and the earth federation’s constant corruption and decides to hand in his resignation soon afterwards, citing his reason as his failure at defending the Adelaide summit effectively. Kenneth informs Hathaway that the remaining Mafty members went underground after the attack and haven’t been active since he was captured. He then lets Hathaway rest.

Kenneth goes back to the command center and is told that Bright is waiting for him.

Bright unfortunately arrived in Adelaide a day after the attack was over and Mafty was captured.

Kenneth is aware of Bright and Hathaway’s relationship but Bright still doesn’t know that Hathaway is Mafty. He feels an enormous emotional weight when talking to Bright, and does his best to not let Mafty’s real identity slip out while they are talking. Kenneth tells Bright that he handed in his resignation yesterday and that Bright will likely be made to take his place once he leaves.

Kenneth also theorizes that the reason Bright’s resignation is always refused is because in times of war Bright always manages to find exceptional Newtype pilots like Amuro and Kamille and provide exceptional results. In essence the earth federation are probably keeping him as a ‘hostage’ hoping he can keep finding newtypes and winning wars.

Later on in the day Kenneth meets with top earth federation general Googenheim. Googenheim tells him that the execution will take place tomorrow morning and that it will be an ‘off the record’ execution due to the unethical nature of executing a criminal without a trial. Googenheim states that it should be Bright that carries out the execution seeing as he is in line to take Kenneth’s place. Kenneth however knowing Mafty’s true identity thinks that the burden of having a father executing his own son is too heavy and takes it upon himself to carry out the execution as a last act before resigning.

Chapter 12 – Before the day

Googenheim tells Kenneth that he has no interest in knowing the true identity of the captured Mafty member because Mafty is an organization and that ‘if you cut off the head, another will appear in its place’. Regardless, Kenneth decides to tell Googenheim and only Googenheim that Mafty is Bright’s son, Hathaway Noa. Kenneth swears Googenheim to secrecy.

Later in the day Bright is told that he will take over as commander in the Adelaide district after Kenneth resigns but that he will be allowed to resign in 3 months while they look for his replacement. After Mafty’s execution, it is expected that things will quieten down in Adelaide so Bright’s job won’t be too difficult which means he will have time to go and see Hathaway who he still thinks is studying in Manado.

Later in the evening Bright goes to the hangar where the Xi Gundam is being held. The mechanic analyzing the Gundam is appalled that a ‘Gundam’ would be used to carry out terrorist acts. Bright remarks however that for generations the Gundam has always been piloted by rebellious individuals fighting for what they believe in and ultimately the Gundam always ends up destroyed, missing a head or missing some limbs.

Chapter 13 – Shooting

Hathaway is told by soldiers that he will be executed tomorrow morning by a firing squad. He isn’t phased by the news as this was something he had mentally prepared for when joining Mafty, just over a year ago. He wishes that he could see Keria just one last time.

Hathaway asks the attending nurse for a word processor as he may write a will before he is executed. The nurse thanks him for giving a 2 hour warning before the attack as it meant that she and a lot more innocent people could make their escape.

Hathaway thinks to himself “Everybody dies at one point or another, I can do it too”. He takes the word processor and thinks of writing a letter to his family but decides not to because of his uncertainty about whether the world knows his identity yet. He finds it ironic that he will end up dying before his parents.

Gigi who was eventually rescued by some soldiers is staying a residence provided to her by the earth federation. On the phone she is told by Kenneth about Hathaway’s upcoming execution and asks to be taken to the execution site to speak to Kenneth. She is given permission to go but is told she will not be allowed to see the execution itself.

On the way Gigi sees Bright Noa in a facility not too far from the execution site and wonders why he would want to watch his son die.

Gigi sees Kenneth and demands an explanation. Kenneth informs her that Bright still doesn’t know the truth and that he is keeping Bright away from the execution site so that he doesn’t find out. Gigi wants to see Hathaway but Kenneth tells her that this is no place for her and that she must leave now. She runs away in tears.

Hathaway is brought to the site and placed in a standing position, Kenneth makes sure that Bright is nowhere around.

For his last words Hathaway says that “One day humans will realize that they have a duty to protect the earth and until that day comes Mafty will continue its work”.

Kenneth whispers to Hathaway that he will always consider him a friend and Hathaway responds that he will too.

Kenneth back away and then gives the order.

The shots ring out throughout the area.

Chapter 14 – After that

Hathaway’s body is put into a coffin and the lid closed. Kenneth looks back to make sure Bright didn’t see the execution and it appears as though he did not.

He signs the death report and notices that Hathaway’s name isn’t written anywhere on it. He thinks to himself that Bright and the rest of the world will probably never know what happened to Hathaway.

Kenneth and Bright have a conversation and Kenneth feels a lot more at ease now Hathaway’s body has been taken away and will probably be cremated. Bright confirms that he still has plans to open a restaurant with his wife in Side 1 once he resigns.

Later on in the day, Kenneth and Bright finish the handing off procedures and with that Kenneth bids Bright a good luck and farewell.

Kenneth together with Gigi head to Adelaide airport and once they arrive are greeted by a recently promoted Lane Aime and about 100 other soldiers. Lane thanks Kenneth for the opportunity , as it helped him grow into a more mature pilot and hands him a small gift. Kenneth thanks Lane back and heads into the plane with Gigi headed for Davao, once they arrive they have become ordinary citizens.

They arrive at a hotel and Kenneth is given the cold shoulder by Gigi who shuts the door on him. The events of the last couple of days as well the burden of having to execute Hathaway finally get to him and he breaks down in tears.

Chapter 15 – Murrumbidgee

Kenneth is woken up the next morning by Gigi who shows him a newspaper revealing that Mafty Navue Erin is Hathaway Noa.

The article states that Bright Noa was aware of Mafty’s true identity and took it upon himself as a father to carry out his son’s execution, despite protests from government officials. Kenneth knows the article is a lie and sees that the article quote is attributed to Googenheim, the only person Kenneth told the truth to.

Kenneth immediately regrets saying anything to Googenheim and feels sorry for Hathaway’s family and mostly for Bright who probably wasn’t told anything before the article was published.

Kenneth fears that knowing the truth means that the earth federation will come to silence him sooner or later so he immediately books 2 tickets to Japan and leaves the hotel with Gigi promptly.

On the plane Kenneth wonders whether stopping Bright from seeing Hathaway was the right thing to do and regrets that there was no official documentation stating Hathaway was Mafty, so Bright who will be looking for answers probably wont find any and will run out his remaining days in the army without any closure.

Gigi is looking forward at being able to visit the place Hathaway’s mother is from and when asked what he will do, Kenneth replies that one day he would like to create an organization that brings in people like Amuro, Char and Hathaway and use it to stamp out the corruption of the earth federation or whatever ends up taking its place in the future.

The novel ends with Gigi commenting that Hathaway’s name will be passed down through the generations like an undying stream, just like the Murrumbidgee river.

Side note

For a while I have a seen a lot of misinformation on the internet about some of the events that happen in the Hathaway’s flash books. Of course the books still aren’t available in English so this is quite understandable. I hope these summaries can create a clearer picture of the story.

To address some of the misinformation I have seen;

• No, Quess does not appear in a vision to Hathaway before he dies telling him he is worthless.
• No, the Xi Gundam doesn’t get caught in a large fishing net.
• No, Bright does not unknowingly order Hathaway’s execution. In fact we have no idea how he reacts because the book ends before we get to see his reaction to the news .
• No, Gigi is not the reincarnation of Quess.
• No, Amuro isn’t secretly the Mafty leader.

Fairly recently a Japanese youtuber condensed the story of all 3 books into a compact 20 minute video. Of course the video is in Japanese but has nice little animations to illustrate the flow of the story and might also have an English subtitle option.

For anybody interested check out the video in the link below.