#long-tone

@long-tone: Having rewatched the scene, i think you’re right! He did go for the cockpit, and he’s familiar enough with MSes (and especially Jeturk MSes) that he’d know it’s where the pilot is. I think part of it is because his dad going for the head means a strike at the ‘torso’ area would be a guaranteed hit, and it makes sense that he’d go for the kill in a life-or-death situation.

I don’t think he necessarily intended to kill (even before he realized it was his dad), but in that moment he was in a situation where he had to fight back instinctively—so like, it’s not an accident, but it’s also not entirely premeditated? (Heat of battle and all; his top priority was surviving.)

I think the desperation in his voice when tried to establish communications again after landing the blow (“It’s me, Guel Jeturk, Vim Jeturk’s son! I’m not your enemy—”) threw me off a bit during my first viewing, because it reads to me like he thought his opponent would be in a functional state and clarifying his identity would be important. But now that I think about it, he might just be panicking after the immediate danger was over (and a part of him realized that he just caused grievous injury to another person?)

(also! it’s kinda interesting that Vim went for the head while Guel went for the cockpit? Guel primarily fought in duels—where the goal is to break the fin on the opposing MS’s head—while his dad had supposedly killed people to advance... and the surefire way to get rid of rival pilots is to deal damage to the cockpit.