[DELICIOUS DATA] Mission.01 The Night Before the Outbreak

Since we had a (as of this moment) tie between more manga and delicious data, I'm completing my second post of the day, which involves some old school data from one of the RPG books. The book mixes some first hand accounts along with data dumps throughout the book before turning it over to you to play out your own adventures in the One Year War! I can't recall if I released this particular part of the chapter, but either way, I went back and retooled it. I've included a text version below since it can be a bit hard to read on the spread.

RECORD OF THE ONE YEAR WAR

Mission 1: The Night Before the Outbreak U.C.0079.01.03

STORY 00: TAKEN BY STORM

"So it's back to the grind starting today, huh? We only got leave for three lousy days."

January 3 U.C.0079. Onboard the Salamis-class cruiser Burgundy moored in a port at Side 1, there were likely more than a few complaints like this. But the fact is, they were lucky just to have received leave at all for New Years. After all, there were plenty of personnel who got an unlucky draw and couldn't take any time off.

Looking back, it had been a terrible year last year. In February, the Federation saw frequent transport accidents between the colonies and considered them to be caused by Zeon interference, so in April, they increased their garrison forces in each of the colonies. This resulted in the greatest military tension between the two states since the declaration of the Principality of Zeon in U.C.0069.

"Hey, someone is headed our way!"

Due to Minovsky particle dispersal by the Zeon Forces, radar wasn't particularly effective today. For that reason, it had been a long time since people had to directly monitor to locate things like approaching meteors or debris.

"It's three people."

"Who is working outside of the ship today?"

When the officer on duty furrowed his brow at the operator, telling him that there shouldn't be anyone outside, everything started going to hell.

"T-those aren't people!!"

"T-they're huge! They're r-robots! Robots are approaching us! N-now one is firing something at us! Waah!!"

The giant, mysterious robot charged the Burgundy while firing off something like a machine gun.

"Calm down! Fire our anti-aircraft guns!"

A bullet fired from one of the robots pierced the bridge just then. But, of course, there was no reason to wear a normal suit during peacetime. Losing consciousness the moment he was thrown out into the vacuum of space, the officer had remembered. Those robots were, without a doubt, the secret weapons of the Zeon Forces…

"The spaceport has been silenced. Continuing on with the invasion of the colony."

"Roger that."

While destroying the spaceport, the three robots headed inside.

"This Zaku sure is amazing. Feddie battleships just can't compare to it."

In the cockpit of the Zaku, the Zeon's robot, the pilot marveled at its performance.

This was the first actual battle it was formally put into for the huge, humanoid robot Zaku, more commonly known as a mobile suit. There were doubts about how much power it would have against the Federation Forces' regular forces, but they seemed quite capable.

"Good, destroy the final bulkhead."

"Shall we prep the gas rounds?"

From this moment forward, the horror of what I was about to do crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off. We were just soldiers, after all…

SITUATION U.C.0079 STATE OF AFFAIRS RIGHT BEFORE THE OUTBREAK

MAP OF THE EARTH SPHERE

Seventy years have passed since emigration into space began at Side 1 in U.C.0001. By the 0060s, six more Sides saw construction, with emigration beginning to Side 7's first colony in May 0078. During these times, although there haven't been any publically acknowledged conflicts in space, the reality was that there had been a quarter-century-long conflict between the Earth Federation and Side 3, the Principality of Zeon.

In U.C.0058, Side 3 declared itself the Republic of Zeon. In response, the Federation government imposed economic sanctions on Side 3 and established a space force to maintain security in the Earth Sphere. To counter the pressure being applied by the Federation, Zeon hastened to bolster their national guard. Around this time, Luna II, initially brought into lunar orbit from the asteroid belt to mine for colony construction, was converted into a base for the Federation Forces.

By U.C.0069, conflicts escalated as Zeon transitioned from a republic to a principality. In the 0070s, both sides began working on building up their military forces.

The Federation Forces commissioned several new spaceships, such as the Salamis and Magellan classes, thus exerting pressure on the Zeon with their overwhelming amount of resources. As another response to this, the Zeon countered by building space fortresses by moving asteroids from the asteroid belt and even began development on new tactical weapons, known as mobile suits, for use under Minovsky particle dispersal environments.

As U.C.0078 rolled around, the situation was progressively going downhill. Things started in February when a number of accidents occurred on transportation routes between the colonies when transport ships started going missing. The Federation government declared that this was the work of the Zeon and promptly reinforced their garrisons stationed at each of the colonies.

By October, the Principality of Zeon issued a national mobilization order, raising public awareness of the crisis. In response to this, the Federation Space Forces held a massive naval review and attempted to defuse the situation and keep Zeon in check.

However, the following year on January 3, 0079, the Principality of Zeon declared war against the Earth Federation government, kicking off what would later become known as the One Year War.

COMPOSITION OF BOTH ARMIES AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR

(see attached chart)