N.B.: ships and mobile suits images appear in order of quotation

VII. SIDE WAR I (UPSET IN FRONTIER SIDE).

After last failing attack against the Earth, the Federation enjoys about thirty years of peace: JRA’s remnants, after Axis’ destruction, with few resources and without their commander, find shelter in a dismissed base on Mars, at Mount Olympus’ feet, where the Federation itself, during the civil war, started building a powerful particles cannon in order to assure Jupiter missions’ safety, and slowly reorganize themselves in the so called Oldsmobile Army. 

On the Earth, meanwhile, both Federal Assembly and Government transfer their office to Adelaide, in Australia, and start reforms, such as the institution, in September 93, of SNRI (Strategic Naval Research Institute) and, in February 95, the creation of Manhunter Corps, with the task of preventing unhautorized landings from the colonies and expelling all illegal residents on the Earth: actually, the Assembly has approved an Earth’s preservation program, according which global Earth’s population must be kept under 900 millions’ people in order to restore the climate, tearing definitively apart the Earth and the Sides and determining this way the birth of lots of terrorist groups against the creation of a sort of privileged elite. Among them the most active is Mafty, founded in 100 U.C. by Mafty Navue Erin and Noah Bright’s son Hathaway Bright, and provided with some mobile suits, including the powerful RX-105 Xi Gundam and the Me-02R Messer, both commissioned to Anaheim Electronics. Mafty’s terrorist activity’s beginning coincides with UNT’s decision of scaling down federal mobile suits since Side 3 has been reconquered and the colonies seem to be pacified. In 103 the group, after a terrorist escalation, destroys an orbital surveillance satellite and so the Government forms a task-force called The 13^th Independent Corp, provided with new experimental mobile suit RX-104FF Penelope, and mass production mobile suits FD-03 Gustav Karl, developed by SNRI. On April 105, then, Mafty’s short history comes to its end. After attempting to shoot down a governative shuttle Hausenka, it strikes the Tasadai Hotel in Adelaide, and then even the Government office, asking for Earth’s frontiers opening, but the 13^th IC turning up puts an end to its action: Penelope and the Xi Gundam destroy each other and Navue Erin is captured and publicly executed on 1 May 105.

In November of the same year Federal Government calls for tenders for new mobile suits’ supply to UNT-Spacy, and both Anaheim Electronics — with new series MSA-0120 Atmos — and SNRI — with the Formula projects — are answering, but the winner is the latter and this will mean the end of private robotics industries. By the way, it's remarkable that from now on all the new mobile suit types will ever be no more than 16 m tall, in order to increase their weight/power ratio.

Anyway, these years’ most important event is surely the birth, inside the Bugh Concern Group, of the Crossbone Vanguard, a secret military organization depending on the Ronah family, group’s owner since far 68, aiming to create a perfect society, inspired to Platon’s Republic and alternative to the terrestrial federal order. Inside the group becomes then operative the Bugh Aerodynamics Company, that starts developing mobile suits for the CV and, particularly, the Lafressia project concerning a powerful mobile armor’s building.

Between 109 and 111 U.C. SNRI completes the first Formula project rolling out the Gundam F90, in its various options A, D, E, H, M, P, S and V, the Gundam F90II, with I and L options, and the Gundam F90III Y Cluster; moreover, they give a serial mobile suit out, the RGM-109 Heavygun. On its own, Anaheim puts all its resources in the Silhouette Formula project, and in the same year rolls out the RX-99 Neo Gundam, an old RX-93 development, trying to quickly compete with SNRI.

In December 111, meanwhile, new Colony Public Corporation’s vice-president, Engeist Ronah, has the Federation financing Side 4 rebuilding, that is now renamed Frontier Side. Most colonies of this area were actually destroyed during the “one year war”, and the Crossbone Vanguard counts on it to realize its secret project. Anyway, federal establishment doesn’t like Ronah’s family policy and in 118 Hauserie Ronah, Engeist’s brother, is cruelly murdered. Next year, however, XMA-01 Lafressia is completed and other mobile suits, XM-01 Den’an-Zon and XM-02 Den’an-Gei, get out from Bugh Aerodynamics’ factories together with the first ships Gar and Giri: Crossbone Vanguard’s plan is going ahead.

In 120 a new age of war begins. On 25 October Jupitoris class ship Kobaiashi Maru is attacked and plundered near Mars by old Zack and Gouf of the Oldsmobile Army, who has repaired Mount Olympus base and its powerful particles cannon, planning to attack the Earth again. Three days after, in Frontier Side area, JRA remnants strike back stealing a Gundam F90 prototype during a test flight. Federal reaction is quick, and on 30 October the 13^th Independent Corp, with brand new Gundam F90, is sent to Mars to wipe them out. In March 121 the Oldsmobile Army is definitively defeated: F90 are too strong for JRA’s old mobile suits, and the cannon explodes together with the Olympus base at the first firing attempt. Just a little group of AMS-119 Geara Doga manages to reach safety on an old dismissed colony in a Frontier Side area called Zebra Zone. But their hiding is short: in February 123 they’re involved against their will in the first engagement with the Crossbone Vanguard. On 18 February, during a test flight in the Zebra Zone, two prototypes RX-F91 Silhouette Gundam and a RGM-111 Hardygun by Anaheim come across the Dark Tiger Force, a training Crossbone Vanguard mobile suit assault squad. After a short battle, XM of CV quickly make off without being identified, and Anaheim supply ship Blaywood has to take shelter on the dismissed colony for engine troubles: trying to take the unexpected chance JRA’s Geara Doga come out, but they’re soon intercepted and destroyed by Anaheim mobile suits.

On 16 March 123 mobile suits of Crossbone Vanguard launch a surprise attack against Frontier IV colony in the Frontier Side quickly defeating the local federal garrison, and conquer it. Three days after they take control of Frontier II and III too and declare the colonies independent with the name of Cosmo Babylonia. On 24 March they also capture a Thousand Jupiter cargo carrying Helium 3. The Earth Federation is astonished and its reaction is week because of the threat of CV stopping Helium 3 supplies, so the Government let the conflict break out among the colonies. Local federal garrisons then join at Frontier I, and together with civilian groups form a resistance force relying on new mobile suits of SNRI second Formula project: a Gundam F91, at the command of young pilot Seabook Arno, and several F71 G-Cannon, RGM-89 Jegan and 109 Heavygun, as well as the battleship Space Ark and some Cairum class ships.

Meanwhile on Frontier IV, now Cosmo Babylonia capital, they found the One Hundred Wise Men Council chaired by the family patriarch Meitzer Ronah, who appoints Karozo Ronah as Army chief, while Bugh Aerodynamics’ factories roll out the cruisers Jess and Narda and new mobile suits XM-06 Dahgi-Iris and XM-07 Vigna-Ghina for the Black Vanguard, at the orders of lieutenant Zabine Chareux, and the Dark Tiger Force, under the command of Dorel Ronah.

After a first attack driven back by colonial defense and its week counterattack against Frontier IV, on 30 March Karozo Ronah’s troops lay siege to Frontier I with Lafressia and deadly drones Bug, while assault mobile suits squads launch inside the colony. Besiegeds’ resistance is effective and the Black Vanguard is almost wiped out, while the Gundam F91 manages to destroy Lafressia: but nothing they can do against Bug’s action laying waste in the colony. By conquering Frontier I too Ronahs establish their final power on Frontier Side, and Cosmo Babylonia’s independence is assured for they’s got control on courses to Jupiter, essential for Helium 3 supplies.

index

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

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