Second Bloody Valentine War

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The Second Bloody Valentine War is a fictional conflict that occurs within the Gundam anime universe. It is covered in the TV series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.

Contents 1 Background 2 The Armory One Incident (October 2, C.E. 73) 3 The Junius Seven Colony Drop Incident - Operation "Break The World" 4 The Second Bloody Valentine War 4.1 The Battle of Aprilius One 4.2 Operation Spear of Twilight 4.3 Orb enters the Earth Alliance 4.4 The Minerva's Ambush at Orb 4.5 Attempted Assassination of Lacus Clyne 4.6 The Battle of Gulnahan 4.7 The Battle of Dardanelles 4.8 The Battle of Crete 4.9 The Destroy Crisis - The Battle of Berlin 4.10 Durandal Exposes LOGOS to the World 4.11 Operation 'Angel Down' 4.12 Athrun's Desertion 4.13 The Battle of Heaven's Base - Operation Ragnarök 4.14 The Flight of the Eternal 4.15 ZAFT's Invasion of Orb - Operation Fury 4.16 The Requiem Attack on Aprilius One 4.17 The Battle of Daedalus 4.18 Assassination Attempt in Copernicus City 4.19 Durandal Reveals the Destiny Plan 4.20 The Attack on Requiem and Station One 4.21 The Battle of The Messiah 4.21.1 Order of battle

[edit] Background

Almost two years pass after the Bloody Valentine War between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT ends with the Treaty of Junius Seven colony. The treaty places restrictions on the numbers of mobile suits that can be maintained, and offensive nuclear technology such as nuclear weapons, Neutron Jammers and Neutron Jammer Cancellers, as well as Mirage Colloid are banned from military usage. Furthermore, mobile suits are forbidden to run on nuclear power, though, military battleships still do. Any post-war mobile suits are supposed to run on battery power instead.

All territories taken by the Earth Alliance during the war, including the neutral nation of the Orb Union and the United States of South America, are returned to the respective governments of the countries.

The Treaty of Junius Seven fails to ban the anti-Coordinator factions on Earth. Thus, in those two years, one of the primary forces behind the war, the extremist organization Blue Cosmos, reorganizes under the leadership of Lord Djibril, and continues to exercise influence over the Earth Alliance.

The Peace treaty notwithstanding, ZAFT, the Earth Alliance and Orb expand their military assets, new mobile suit units and the banned technologies continue to be developed secretly. A particular example of this is the Girty Lue, an Earth Alliance battleship which is equipped with the Mirage Colloid cloaking system.

[edit] The Armory One Incident (October 2, C.E. 73)

Orb Union representative Cagalli Yula Athha meets with ZAFT chairman Gilbert Durandal to discuss ZAFT and Earth Alliance's military build up. Athrun Zala accompanies her as a bodyguard, under the alias "Alex Dino". The meeting takes place on ZAFT's Armory One station, which is preparing for the launch ceremony of the first post-war battleship, the Minerva.

While Cagalli meets with Durandal, Phantom Pain pilots Sting Oakley, Stellar Loussier, and Auel Neider infiltrate the base, commandeer ZAFT's newest Gundam-type mobile suits, the ZGMF-X24S Chaos, ZGMF-X31S Abyss, and ZGMF-X88S Gaia, and heavily damage the installation as they escape.

Various ZAFT mobile suits engage the three units, including the new Zaku Warrior/Phantom units and the ZGMF-X56S Impulse, piloted by Shinn Asuka. The stolen units escape the colony, and are picked up by the Mirage Colloid-cloaked Earth Alliance battleship Girty Lue, waiting just outside the colony.

The Minerva launches and chases the Girty Lue, engaging in battle several times.

[edit] The Junius Seven Colony Drop Incident - Operation "Break The World"

The theft of the three Gundams is set aside when movement is detected from Junius Seven, which was supposed to be in a stable orbit. A rogue ZAFT force that supports the late Patrick Zala and piloting ZGMF-1017M2 GINN High Maneuver Type II units, plants flare motors on the colony's remains, sending it on a collision course with Earth.

A ZAFT squadron under the command of Yzak Joule is dispatched to break up the colony, and is reinforced by the Minerva's mobile suits. They battle the rogue squadron, most of whom outperform the members of the Joule team. The Girty Lue also arrives, launches the stolen mobile suit units and engages the Minerva, further hampering operations (possibly intentionally, so Blue Cosmos can start another war).

The Minerva's forces successfully break Junius Seven in two as it begins entering the upper atmosphere. As the pieces enter the atmosphere the Girty Lue, it's mobile suits, and the survivors of the Joule team withdrew. The Minerva continues to pursue the debris, breaking it into smaller fragments with her main Tannhäuser positron cannon. The destruction is still insufficient, and the remaining pieces land on Earth, destroying cities and other locations, while pieces that hit the sea cause tidal waves. The most severe damage occurs near the equator.

In the Astray manga, during the colony drop, an alliance of the Junk Guild, the Serpent Tail, and Rondo Mina Sahaku tries to use GENESIS Alpha to push away the remains of Junius Seven but due to the intervention of the RGX-00 Testament the operation fails.

In CE 73 Stargazer, after the drop, ZAFT-made mobile suits attack rescue efforts and Alliance interests; one such unit is a GINN operated by three children which rampages through Fortaleza, South America, before being defeated by Edmund du Clos, Vice Director of DSSD security, using an Alliance tank at the cost of his life.

In the aftermath of the disaster, ZAFT sends humanitarian aid to Earth. Lord Djibril, the new leader of Blue Cosmos, divulges photographic evidence showing the rogue ZAFT units executing the drop, and manipulates the public opinion into blaming Coordinators for the disaster. He also uses his position within the secret society Logos to influence or even directly command the leaders of the Atlantic Federation to start a war against PLANT.

The List of Locations shown getting hit:

Vatican City, Rome, Athens, Shanghai, Palace of the Dalai Lama, Prague, Kuala Lampur, Part of The Great Wall of China, Although not shown, the ONA C.E. 73 Stargazer mentions that Beijing is also destroyed, and in DESTINY, Durandal mentions that Quebec City and Philadelphia are also hit. Plus, it was also shown that Stonehenge was hit as well.

[edit] The Second Bloody Valentine War

President Joseph Copland of the Atlantic Federation sends a list of demands to PLANT's supreme council. PLANT is blamed for harboring the terrorists that had committed the drop, even though all have been killed. The demands require PLANT to dismantle its military, dismiss the current PLANT Supreme Council, and to submit to Earth Alliance inspectors.

Durandal wishes to find a diplomatic solution, but the Earth Forces begins deploying units and PLANT is forced to man its defense line.

Before the ultimatum expires, the Earth Alliance attacks PLANT, officially starting the Second Bloody Valentine War.

[edit] The Battle of Aprilius One

The Earth Alliance main force launchs its battleships and mobile suits against the main PLANT defenses, which repel the attack. Meanwhile, a separate ambush team attacks Aprilius One, the location of the Supreme Council. This squadron of new GAT-04 Windam units carries nuclear missile launchers, but a ZAFT scout unit locates the squadron. A Nazca-class vessel which is equipped with a Neutron Stampeder activtaes the device, emitting high frequency radiation that detonates all the nuclear weapons in the ambush fleet, destroying that Earth Forces fleet. After failing to destroy the PLANTs, the Earth Alliance forces withdraw.

PLANT's citizens are outraged and many push for a retaliatory strike against all Naturals. Durandal, uses Lacus Clyne look-alike idol Meer Campbell to calm people and prevent the conflict from escalating.

Durandal then assigns the ZGMF-X23S Saviour to Athrun Zala, who has re-enlisted in ZAFT. Athrun is also appointed to FAITH, a special forces unit reporting directly to Durandal, and effectively given permission to use his power as his conscience dictates. He departs for Earth to join the Minerva and notify Talia Gladys about her own appointment to FAITH.

[edit] Operation Spear of Twilight

After the failed nuclear attack, ZAFT's Defense Committee drafts a series of proposals meant to strengthen ZAFT's position. Earth Alliance forces begin surrounding ZAFT Earth bases at Gibraltar and Carpentaria. ZAFT forces gathered in the atmosphere make a drop operation to support Gibraltar and Carpentaria, and although they meet fierce opposition from the remaining Earth Alliance forces stationed on the moon, they defeat the Earth Alliance forces around their bases.

[edit] Orb enters the Earth Alliance

The Earth Alliance seeks an alliance with Orb, which possesses a technically advanced and powerful military force.

The majority faction of Orb's governing body, led by Prime Minister Unato Ema Seiran and his son Yuna Roma Seiran, support the alliance. Cagalli Yula Athha, Orb's representative, remains opposed. The council fears the Atlantic Federation's military strength, and wants to avoid the events of the first war, when Orb was attacked by the Earth Alliance and suffered massive casualties. Cagalli is eventually manipulated into accepting the alliance and Orb declares it will sign the International Safety Assurance Treaty.

[edit] The Minerva's Ambush at Orb

Orb's council plans to give the Minerva to the Earth Alliance as a gift of good faith. The Minerva has been docked in Orb, repairing the damage she took in the battle around the drop of Junius Seven.

Warned by Andrew Waltfeld, the ship departs from Orb, but is ambushed by an Earth Alliance fleet as soon as it leaves Orb territorial waters. The Earth Alliance deploys the massive mobile armor YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah, equipped with a positron beam deflector. An Orb fleet is also deployed on the border to prevent Minerva from retreating into Orb territory.

Despite the odds, the Minerva escapes the ambush, destroying the mobile armor and sinking several carrier ships. The new Deuterion Beam technology and Shinn Asuka's SEED factor are instrumental in the battle. The damaged Minerva heads for the ZAFT Carpentaria base in Australia.

[edit] Attempted Assassination of Lacus Clyne

After the First Bloody Valentine War, the main figures of the Clyne Faction live secretly at Reverend Malchio's orphanage in Orb, hiding the Archangel and the secretly repaired ZGMF-X10A Freedom unit.

A commando force of Coordinators attempts to assassinate Lacus Clyne at the orphanage. Many are shot by Murrue Ramius and Andrew Waltfeld. The others board their mobile suits, the new ZAFT aquatic unit UMF/SSO-3 ASH but are incapacitated by Kira Yamato using Freedom. The pilots then kill themselves by self-destructing their mobile suits.

Since the commandos were Coordinators and were piloting new ZAFT mobile suits, this suggests the team was from ZAFT. Many of the characters conclude the assassination was ordered by Chairman Gilbert Durandal, to conceal that he is using a fake Lacus Clyne (Meer Campbell), to support his political position. Before his suicide, the leader of the commando unit stated that they were to leave no evidence that Lacus Clyne had been killed, which seems to confirm this conclusion.

Because of the attack and recent political events, some of the remaining Archangel crew assemble and launch the ship, departing from Orb. Before leaving, Kira Yamato kidnaps Cagalli during her wedding to Yuna Roma Seiran.

[edit] The Battle of Gulnahan

To reach the Black Sea ZAFT base, the Minerva has to break through Earth Alliance forces stationed in the Middle East. With the help of local guerilla units, the Minerva destroys a land-based Lohengrin positron cannon fortification in the Gulnahan ravine, east of Suez. The cannon was previously unassailable due to a Mobile Armor equipped with a positron deflector. The destruction of the fortification, known as the "Lohengrin Gate", results in the liberation of the nearby city from Earth Alliance forces. The locals quickly repay the cruelty shown to them by the Earth Alliance, killing surrendered Earth Alliance soldiers.

In the manga Gundam Seed Destiny: The Edge, Heine Westenfluss is also involved in this battle, together with his team.

[edit] The Battle of Dardanelles

The Minerva leaves the Black Sea ZAFT base, on route to the Gibraltar ZAFT base, but is intercepted by an Earth Alliance fleet in the Dardanelles strait. Because of their new treaty with the Earth Alliance, the Orb Union's fleet of several carriers containing numerous MVF-M11C Murasame mobile suits also engages the Minerva.

As the Minerva is about to fire its Tannhäuser positron cannon on the leading Orb ship, the cannon is destroyed by the ZGMF-X10A Freedom, piloted by Kira Yamato, killing several crewmen from the Minerva in the process. The Archangel intervenes and Cagalli tries to stop Orb officers from attacking the ZAFT forces. Her attempt fails as Yuna Roma Seiran declares her to be an impostor and orders the leading Orb ship to fire on Cagalli's Strike Rouge and on the Archangel.

After Orb commits itself to the battle, the Earth Alliance fleet also joins in, contributing the three Gundam units stolen at Armory One and a number of Windams and Dagger Ls. The Minerva sorties it's remaining mobile suits, a ZGMF-1000 Zaku Warrior, a ZGMF-1001 Zaku Phantom, and the prototype ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited, to back up the ZGMF-X56S Impulse and the ZGMF-X23S Saviour, both of which have already sortied to defend the ship.

The Archangel and the Freedom launch attacks intended to deter combat between mobile suits and disable aggressive units. Kira quickly damages Shinn's ZGMF-X56S Impulse,and cripples Heine's ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited, Stellar's ZGMF-X88S Gaia, and Auel's ZGMF-X31S Abyss.

In anger, Heine and Stellar both attack Freedom, but Heine and his GOUF are sliced in half by Stellar when he unknowingly moves between Stellar and Freedom. (In the manga adaptation, Stella tries to attack Athrun's Saviour as well as the Freedom. She fires at them, but Heine intervenes to protect Athrun. The Gaia then charges the GOUF head on and slices it).

The Earth Alliance disengages from the battle after most of their mobile suits are destroyed or disabled. The Orb fleet also withdraws.

[edit] The Battle of Crete

The Minerva continues towards Gibraltar, but is intercepted again by the same Orb naval fleet under the orders of Colonel Todaka and Yuna Roma Seiran. The Archangel, with Kira's Freedom and Cagalli's Strike Rouge, unsuccessfully tries to stop the Orb forces again by disabling various units and ordering their withdrawal.

The Earth Alliance battle group under the command of Neo Roanoke also participates in the battle, closing the Minerva in a pincer move. The Abyss and Chaos units engage Shinn's Impulse and Athrun's Saviour respectively. With only two mobile suits of limited in mobility on the ship's upper deck as cover, the Minerva is attacked by the Orb mobile suit force, several groups of Murasame units. The attack is repelled, but the Minerva is heavily damaged, including damage to both the catapults, the mobile suit hangar, the main deck and most of the upper armor. Rey Za Burrel's ZAKU Phantom is damaged and Lunamaria Hawke's ZAKU Warrior is destroyed. Athrun's Saviour is damaged beyond repair by Kira's Freedom. All three pilots survive.

Shinn destroys the Abyss, killing its pilot Auel Neider, decimates the Orb mobile suit force, then directly engages the Orb fleet, sinking several ships. The Orb aircraft carrier Takemikazuchi explodes and sinks. Colonel Todaka choses to go down with his ship, but orders his most loyal crewmembers to join the Archangel and fight for Orb's true ideals, rather than returning to the Earth Alliance.

[edit] The Destroy Crisis - The Battle of Berlin

After Lord Djibril assigns the massive mobile suit GFAS-X1 Destroy to Neo Roanoke's supervision, the designated 'Extended' human pilot Stellar Loussier goes on a rampage, leveling several cities in Western Eurasia - former Eurasian Federation territories that have sided with ZAFT - as an object lesson on the cost of siding with ZAFT.

The Destroy is intercepted by ZAFT over the city of Berlin, but Berlin is heavily damaged and ZAFT forces in Berlin are obliterated. Soon after, the Archangel and its mobile suits (including a group of MVF-M11C Murasame's from the Takemikazuchi) arrive and battle the Destroy, much to the surprise of the ZAFT ship Minerva, which arrives shortly afterwards.

Kira Yamato in the ZGMF-X10A Freedom engages the Destroy and is joined by Shinn Asuka in the ZGMF-X56S Impulse. Cagalli Yula Athha in the Strike Rouge and three Orb Murasames engage the ZGMF-X24S Chaos. Both the Minerva and the Archangel provide fire support to their mobile suits.

When Shinn cuts open the Destroy's cockpit, Neo Roanoke communicates that the pilot is Stellar. Shinn's feelings stop him from finishing the Destroy, and Stellar's feelings for Shinn cause her to stop fighting too. Then the Freedom approaches and Stellar panics and prepares to fire the Destroy's chest beam cannons despite Shinn being in the way. The Minerva also prepares to attack the Destroy, but Kira disables it, saving Shinn and the Minerva, and mortally wounding Stellar. Stellar dies in Shinn's arms.

Sting Oakley, the pilot of the Chaos, is overwhelmed by the Archangel's Murasame units. As he attempts to retreat the mobile suit is critically damaged and explodes. Oakley is initially believed to be dead but he survives. Later he is stationed at Heaven's Base.

Kira Yamato, sensing something familiar in Neo Roanoke, disables his Windam. Neo is captured by the Archangel.

[edit] Durandal Exposes LOGOS to the World

With Berlin nearly destroyed, tension increases between the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations. And when Gilbert Durandal reveals Logos on international TV shortly after, Lord Djibril's plan to keep Eurasia in line with the Destroy backfires.

Durandal explains that even the Alliance's Blue Cosmos rulers are just a tool of Logos and shows the photos and names of several Logos members including Djibril. Civilians attack and even murder some members of Logos.

The crew of the Archangel, after seeing the broadcast, head back to Orb fearing it might be attacked because Orb is affiliated with the Earth Alliance. Several Earth Alliance naval fleets defect and station themselves at Gibraltar shortly after the news conference.

[edit] Operation 'Angel Down'

Operation 'Angel Down' begins when an AWACS ZAFT mobile suit picks up the Archangel on its sensors. ZAFT sends the Compton class land battleship Uhlenbeck, one of their newer model of land battleships, and its mobile suits, a complement of BuCUE's and BABI's. The operation's goal is to destroy the Archangel and the Freedom, as the ZAFT HQ claims that they have only caused confusion during the war.

The Minerva is also ordered to take part in the battle. The Impulse engages the Freedom and repeatedly blocks it from defending the Archangel or escaping. The Impulse's pilot, Shinn Asuka, has studied the moves of the Freedom with help of Rey Za Burrel, and uses an array of preplanned surprise tactics to outperform Kira.

Talia Gladys, Captain of the Minerva, tells the Archangel to surrender and they will be spared. Captain Ramius of the Archangel politely refuses. The land battleship resumes its attack, claiming that Gladys is too soft.

The Archangel begins diving into the sea, while the Minerva fires its Tannhauser positron cannon in a last attempt to stop the Archangel. The positron beam hits the ocean, generating a massive explosion, which heavily damages the submerged Archangel, but does not destroy it. Captain Ramius then orders one of the damaged engines to be jettisoned and detonated as a ruse to buy time for their escape.

Kira Yamato's Freedom is torn apart by the shockwave of the explosions. Shinn Asuka believes that his attack had completely obliterated the Freedom and he has therefore avenged Stellar's death.

The shielded cockpit of the Freedom survives intact, and Kira is rescued by his sister, Cagalli Yula Athha. ZAFT's underwater search team later confirms that the Archangel has survived and escaped.

[edit] Athrun's Desertion

Athrun Zala is angry that ZAFT destroyed the Archangel and the Freedom. Kira Yamato was his friend and Athrun believes that they were trying to reduce the bloodshed. Gilbert Durandal says that they have only caused confusion throughout the war. After he unveils the ZGMF-X42S Destiny and the ZGMF-X666S Legend, Athrun refuses to pilot the Legend.

Durandal and Rey Za Burrel believe that Athrun's attachment to the Archangel prevents him from being useful to their purposes anymore. Thus, they decide to frame him as a traitor, which Meer Campbell overhears. After Meer warns him of his impending arrest, Athrun ambushes the MPs sent to arrest him.

Athrun hides in CIC officer Meyrin Hawke's room after Meer refuses to go with him. Meyrin decides to help Athrun escape and lies to the soldiers about Athrun being in her room. She then sets off a false alarm to distract the soldiers and drives Athrun to the mobile suit hangar.

Rey Za Burrel tries to stop them, but Athrun and Meyrin escape in a GOUF mobile suit. The pair are then pursued by both Shinn and Rey in the Destiny and Legend respectively. Athrun tries to convince Shinn that he is being deceived by Durandal and Rey, but Rey convinces Shinn that Athrun and sold them out to Logos. Shin then destroys the GOUF and believes he has killed Athrun and Meyrin.

However, Athrun and Meyrin are rescued by Ledonir Kisaka, the former Kusanagi captain and Cagalli's bodyguard from the first war, who was posing as an officer on board one of the defecting Earth Alliance ships. The two are transferred to the Archangel's infirmary in Orb.

Meanwhile, Durandal fabricates evidence that Athrun and Meyrin were working for Logos, and that they accessed classified information before they left.

[edit] The Battle of Heaven's Base - Operation Ragnarök

ZAFT and defected Earth Alliance forces mobilize for a siege of Heaven's Base, the headquarters of the Earth Alliance's Blue Cosmos rulers. They give them the choice of handing over the LOGOS members and dismantling or being attacked.

Before the time limit expires Heaven's base attacks, using rockets, a great number of mobile suits (including some new mobile armors), as well as five GFAS-X1 Destroy units (one unit piloted by former ZGMF-X24S Chaos pilot Sting Oakley). Many of the ZAFT-allied Earth Forces' ships and mobile suits (conveniently placed near the front of the formations) are destroyed and ZAFT forces begin suffering heavy casualties.

In response, ZAFT drops a great number of mobile suits from Earth orbit to attack. However, Logos is prepared for this and activates the powerful Nibelung weapon, which sends out a massive energy burst (similar to the GENESIS superweapon), destroying all units coming from above.

The Minerva launches the Destiny, Legend, and Impulse (piloted by former Gunner ZAKU Warrior pilot Lunamaria Hawke) which quickly turn the tide of the battle. Lunamaria leads a group of ZAKUs, BABIs, DINNs and GOUFs against the Windams, while GOOhNs, ZnOs and ASHs take out the aquatic Forbidden Vortex units and shoreline defenses. Shinn and Rey attack the five Destroy units. Lunamaria joins them and the three pilots eliminate the Destroys. ZAFT forces gain the upper hand and successfully penetrate the base. After Sting's Oakley's Destroy unit is lost, Lord Djibril abandons the other Logos members and flees in a submarine towards Orb.

[edit] The Flight of the Eternal

Meanwhile, in space, Martin DaCosta journeys to the Mendel colony to retrieve evidence about Durandal's plans (how the Clyne Faction learned of this is unknown). While DaCosta is examining the abandoned genetics laboratory on Mendel, he discovers a research notebook which he takes and returns to the Eternal (followed discreetly by a reconnaissance-type GINN). Aboard the Eternal, Lacus and Andrew Waltfield examine the journal and ponder the meaning of the "Destiny Plan" mentioned in it; however, they are interrupted by an alarm signaling that they have been discovered by ZAFT forces.

Lacus orders the Eternal to launch so they can try to deliver the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom and ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice to the Archangel as well as draw ZAFT away from the Clyne Faction's hidden mobile suit factory. As they approach Earth, they are ambushed by two more ZAFT ships and multiple squadrons of ZAKU's and GOUF's. Waltfield launches in his ZGMF-X88S Gaia but is fighting a losing battle.

Back on Earth, Kira is alarmed when the Archangel receives news about the Eternal's situation. He launches in the Strike Rouge (with an attached booster to enable it to reach space). Arriving on the scene, Kira is able to back up Waltfield and disable a few ZAKU's and GOUF's, but the Strike Rouge is overpowered by the newer models and takes heavy damage.

Waltfield contacts Kira, telling him to dock with the Eternal and retrieve his new unit. Kira receives the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom from Lacus and launches in it. He decimates the attacking mobile suit force and disables the weapons and engines on the ZAFT ships chasing the Eternal.

[edit] ZAFT's Invasion of Orb - Operation Fury

ZAFT intelligence tracks Blue Cosmos leader Lord Djibril to Orb, where he is being sheltered by the Seiran family. Carpentaria forces gather for an invasion along with the Minerva. Chairman Gilbert Durandal issues an ultimatum demanding that Orb hand over Djibril. Yuna Roma Seiran responds with an obvious lie, claiming Djibril is not in Orb. This enrages ZAFT leaders and Durandal authorizes the invasion of Orb to begin.

The ZAFT fleet deploys forces in the air and underwater, while ground forces begin drilling into Onogoro. On the Archangel, Cagalli Yula Athha is enraged by Seiran's announcement, fearing that Orb will be destroyed, especially since the civilian population has not been informed of the situation. Cagalli receives her father's legacy, the ORB-01 Akatsuki, from Morgenroete Chief Engineer Erica Simmons and Colonel Ledonir Kisaka, and launches in the Akatsuki with the forces from the Takemikazuchi

Yuna Roma, who is clearly losing against the ZAFT forces, is removed from command after Cagalli tricks him into acknowledging her as Orb's military commander. Cagalli then orders Yuna's arrest on the charge of treason and assumes command of the Orb fleet. She rallies her remaining forces and Orb begins to push back ZAFT until she is confronted and almost killed by Shinn Asuka in the ZGMF-X42S Destiny.

Kira Yamato, at that moment, returns from space piloting the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom and saves Cagalli, then engages Shinn (who is shocked to find out that Kira is alive). Shinn and Kira's battle ends when Rey Za Burrel orders Shinn to withdraw. The Freedom then goes to assist Orb's forces. Three ZGMF-XX09T DOM Trooper units from the covert organization Terminal also join in the defense of Orb.

While the Archangel engages the Minerva, Cagalli goes to Orb's National Military Defence HQ, and demands that Yuna tell her where Djibril is, but he does not know.

Lacus Clyne also arrives to deliver the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice unit to Athrun Zala. Athrun, after talking to Lacus and overcoming some initial reluctance, launches in the Infinite Justice to aid Kira despite still being injured.

A resupplied Destiny launches again, this time with Rey in the ZGMF-X666S Legend as backup. The pair are winning against the Freedom until Athrun arrives to aid Kira. While Kira fights Rey, Athrun attempts to reason with Shinn who is shocked and angry that Athrun is alive.

The Archangel then submerges and destroys several ZAFT submarines and surface ships, including the flagship St. Helens.

In the confusion, Djibril launches in the Seirans' private shuttle. The Orb fleet sends Murasames in pursuit while the Minerva's Commanding Officer Talia Gladys orders Lunamaria Hawke to shoot down the shuttle in the ZGMF-X56S Impulse. The shuttle escapes into space despite Orb and ZAFT sending units after it. Gladys orders a retreat and ZAFT forces disengage from the battle. Athrun collapses as the ZAFT forces withdraw and is rushed back to the Archangel by Kira for emergency medical treatment.

While there is no official confirmation if Djibril has indeed escaped, Durandal agrees with Talia's decision. Post-battle, Cagalli addresses the world regarding the ZAFT invasion, but she is interrupted by a broadcast by Meer Campbell (again posing as Lacus Clyne). In response, the real Lacus interrupts Meer's broadcast, introducing herself and declares that she supports the Archangel and Orb. She then says that she does not approve the actions of Chairman Durandal nor of Lord Djibril, and that people should stop blaming everyone but themselves for the war.

[edit] The Requiem Attack on Aprilius One

Lord Djibril makes it to the new Daedalus lunar base on the far side of the Moon and authorizes the activation of the Requiem superweapon. Designated as an "Orbital Area All-Range Strategic Cannon", the Requiem consists of an enormous beam cannon site on the moon and several orbital relay stations built from abandoned colonies that use oversized Geschmeidig Panzer systems to change the course of the beam. Fired from the moon site, the beam is then bent at each relay point, and guided to the target.

Djibril orders it to be fired at PLANT's capital, Aprilius One, in order to eliminate PLANT's Supreme Council. However, due to damage from a battle at the final relay station between the Earth Alliace escort fleet and the Joule squad of ZAFT, the beam goes slightly out of alignment and instead hits Januarius 1 to 4, with Januarius 4 colliding into Decemberius 7 and 8 in its destruction, killing an estimated 1,000,000 or more Coordinators. The Joule team destroys the damaged relay station in retaliation, but there are still multiple relay stations that Requiem could still use after it recharges.

Around the same time, the crew of the Archangel discover Durandal's true intentions. He plans to implement the Destiny Plan, where every human is given the role for which they are best genetically suited for at birth, to fulfill his ideal of perfect genetic determinism. The crew of the Archangel decide to head to space in order to stop Durandal's plan from succeeding.

[edit] The Battle of Daedalus

While Lord Djibril waits for the Requiem to recharge for another attempt at destroying Aprilius One, Chairman Durandal orders the ZAFT Lunar Fleet to attack the relay stations. ZAFT forces (including the Joule Squad) attack furiously but are at a stalemate with the defending Earth Alliance forces.

The Minerva, along with the Rey Za Burrel's Legend and Shinn Asuka's Destiny units, attacks the Daedalus lunar base as a diversionary tactic to allow Lunamaria Hawke in the ZGMF-X56S Impulse to infiltrate the base and reach Requiem's firing chamber through a connecting service tunnel. The Earth Alliance scrambles its fixed defenses, its last three GFAS-X1 Destroy units, several mobile armors and countless GAT-04 Windam units to defend the base.

ZAFT knocks the Fourier relay station out of position before Requiem is fully recharged, but Djibril orders that Requiem be fired anyway to wipe out the ZAFT forces there, and so he can use it as a cover to escape to the Arzachel lunar base in the Girty Lue.

However, Lunamaria succeeds in destroying the Requiem control center before it can fire, and the Minerva along with Shinn's and Rey's units destroy the base's defenses. Shinn destroys the base's hangar and command centre, while Rey destroys the Girty Lue, killing Lord Djibril.

The defending Earth Alliance forces then surrender, and seem to be treated well by the ZAFT forces.

[edit] Assassination Attempt in Copernicus City

When the Archangel and its crew reach space, it docks at the free city of Copernicus on the moon, where Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, Lacus Clyne, and Meyrin Hawke go scouting under the guise of a shopping trip. After they are sighted, ZAFT bodyguards assigned to protect Meer Campbell set a trap with the objective of eliminating Lacus Clyne. Using Meer's Haro, they send a note to Lacus and the others claiming that Meer is about to be killed.

Although Athrun and Meyrin suspect it is a trap, Lacus states she wishes to see Meer. They meet with Meer, who becomes enraged to see the real Lacus. After trying to shoot Lacus with a pistol, Meer comes to her senses and accepts that she is not Lacus Clyne. However, several gunmen attempt to eliminate Lacus by gunning down the group. Athrun kills most the bodyguards, while Kira and Meyrin provide support, but Meer is killed in the firefight. Kira calls for Neo Roanoke in the ORB-01 Akatsuki to take them back to the Archangel so Meer can receive medical treatment, but she dies before she can be moved.

[edit] Durandal Reveals the Destiny Plan

Almost immediately after the assassination attempt in Copernicus City, PLANT Chairman Gilbert Durandal appears in a global broadcast, taken aboard the ZAFT space mobile fortress Messiah, assuring the world that Logos has been defeated. However, he announces that there is one more enemy that humanity has to face, an enemy he addresses as "ignorance and ambition". He then announces that he has the solution to this problem, and reveals the Destiny Plan.

The Atlantic Federation refuses to follow the plan, and the Arzachel Lunar Base mobilizes its remaining forces in defense while President Copland of the Atlantic Federation (who is at Arzachel Base) attempts to contact Chairman Durandal. Without responding to the request for contact, Durandal uses the captured and repaired Requiem superweapon to destroy the Arzachel Lunar Base, some of the Alliance fleet, and kills Copland.

The Orb Union and the Kingdom of Scandinavia are the only other nations that reject the Destiny Plan outright, and soon Orb and Terminal (the organization that the Three Ships Alliance grew into between the wars), mobilize their military forces to destroy Requiem.

The Orb Union launches its space fleet from the lunar free city of Copernicus, consisting of the Archangel, the Izumo class battleship Kusanagi and two other Izumo class battleships). Lacus Clyne's flagship, the Eternal, leads a number of Earth Alliance and ZAFT battleships loyal to Terminal: and a fleet of Earth Alliance ships that survived the attack on Arzachel. The Earth Alliance forces attacking the Requiem consists of at least two Agamemnon class carriers, at least two Nelson class battleships and four or more Drake class escort ships, and their ZAFT forces consist of two or more Nazca class destroyers and at least two Laurasia class frigates.

[edit] The Attack on Requiem and Station One

As the Archangel and Eternal approach Station One, Requiem's first relay station, Lacus Clyne attempts to convince the defending ZAFT forces to stand down. This fails and battle breaks out between Terminal and ZAFT.

Terminal takes out numbers of ZAFT mobile suits and ships at Station One and before ZAFT's Lunar fleet, led by the Minerva, joins the battle. In a battle between the Archangel and the Minerva, Neo Roanoke regains his memories as Mu La Flaga and destroys Minerva 's positron cannon shortly afterwards. Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman (piloting a custom-coloured ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited and a ZGMF-1001 Blaze Zaku Phantom respectively) switch sides, protecting Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala (in the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom and ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice respectively) while they use their METEOR unit's heavy beam swords to slice Station One in two.

The combined Terminal/Orb fleet attacks Requiem's main cannon, but are unable to penetrate Requiem's positron deflectors. Without warning, ZAFT's mobile fortress Messiah appears from behind the moon and fires its Neo-GENESIS superweapon, destroying part of the combined fleet.

[edit] The Battle of The Messiah

The Terminal fleet regroups with the Orb fleet and engage the ZAFT forces defending the Messiah space fortress and the Requiem. However, with Requiem's backup relay station moving closer into firing position to destroy Orb, Kira Yamato tells the Archangel and Athrun Zala to leave, break through the Requiem's defenses, and destroy it while he and the Eternal attack the Messiah. The defensive hole this leaves is filled in by Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman, as well as at least one ZAKU Warrior with an orange shoulder.

On the way to the Messiah, Kira is engaged by the ZGMF-X666S Legend, piloted by Rey Za Burrel, who blames Kira for his flawed existence. However, Rey is shaken by Kira's reasoning as to his own life, and the Legend is nearly destroyed by the Freedom.

Athrun is attacked by Lunamaria Hawke piloting the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Athrun easily disables the Impulse, but is attacked by the ZGMF-X42S Destiny, piloted by Shinn Asuka. Lunamaria eventually tries to put herself between the two to stop the fight, but Shinn (still unable to overcome his blind rage while in SEED mode) almost destroys the Impulse trying to get to Athrun. Athrun saves Lunamaria, disabling Destiny and sending it crashing to the Moon. Lunamaria goes to look after Shinn.

Shortly after this, the Minerva is severely damaged by the Archangel, which destroys its weapons, while Athrun disables its engines. The Minerva crash-lands on the Moon, but the crew survives.

ZAFT Chairman Gilbert Durandal authorizes the firing of the Requiem on Orb and orders the Neo-GENESIS to fire on the Orb fleet. As he informs his forces of this, Yzak Joule, tells the Eternal to move their fleet out of the way. The weapon fires, destroying some of Terminal's Earth Alliance ships and part of the ZAFT fleet pursuing them. As the Requiem prepares to fire to destroy Orb, the Infinite Justice and the ORB-01 Akatsuki penetrate the Requiem's positron deflector shields and destroy its power core.

The Strike Freedom and the Eternal destroy the Messiah's Neo GENESIS superweapon at about the same time. Kira then infiltrates the Messiah. Rey and Talia Gladys, captain of the Minerva, also arrive at the Messiah to seek Durandal.

As Kira and Durandal come to a tense standoff, with pistols drawn by all, until Rey, shaken by Kira's words, shoots Durandal. Rey had been raised to believe that as a clone his only purpose was to help Durandal implement the Destiny Plan, to end all wars. Hearing Kira's words and realising that the Destiny Plan would rob all of humanity of the very thing he was denied (a future of his own), he realized the Destiny Plan was too high a price to end war.

Rey and Gladys choose to stay on board the Messiah to accompany Durandal to his death, and they die along with Durandal as the Messiah explodes. Kira escapes the Messiah before it crashed on the Moon.

In "Final Plus", the extended version of the last episode, Athrun also enters the Messiah. He also escapes and later rescues Shinn and Lunamaria from the moon's surface.

[edit] Order of battle

ZAFT forces included the massive suit carrier Gondwana and the Minerva, the Messiah mobile space station, and the captured "Requiem" cannon. Their mobile suit forces consisted of prototype units and mass produced units, including the ZGMF-X101S ZAKU Splendor, ZGMF-X3000Q Providence ZAKU, ZGMF-X56S Impulse Unit 03, ZGMF-X56S Impulse Unit 00, ZGMF-X42S Destiny, ZGMF-X666S Legend, and large numbers of standard ZGMF-601R GuAIZ Rs, ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warriors, ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantoms, and ZGMF-2000 GOUF Igniteds, plus some older ZGMF-1017 GINNs, and at least one ZGMF-600 GuAIZ.

The opposing side consisted of some of the Earth Alliance fleet, some ZAFT defectors, Orb and Terminal ships. Their ships totalled to:

• Archangel
• FFMH-Y101 Eternal
• Izumo class battleship x 3 (Kusanagi, Susanoo, and Tsukumiya)
• Agamemnon class carrier x 2-3+
• Nelson class battleship x 4+
• Drake class escort ship x 5-6+
• Nazca class destroyer x 4+
• Laurasia class frigate x 3+

Their primary MS forces consisted of 72 GAT-02L2 Dagger Ls and Windams, 33 MVF-M11C Murasames, unknown number of MBF-M1 M1 Astrays, and three MVF-M12A Ootsukigatas. Their more powerful mobile suits were the ORB-01 Akatsuki, ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom, the ZGMF-X88S Gaia (though this was not used in this battle), three ZGMF-XX09T DOM Troopers, and the ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited and the ZGMF-1001 Blaze Zaku Phantom belonging to Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman respectively. It is likely (but never seen) that the seven ZAFT vessels belonging to Terminal also had ZAFT mobile suits on board, which would have been used in this battle.