Following the destruction of the EFSF at A Baou Qu, the exhausted parties of the Federation and Zeon have been forced to sign a peace. Nearly a year has passed since and little can be said to have changed for the better. Both Earth and Zeon have fallen into turmoil and the Sides chafe under the rule of their so-called 'liberator'.
But we aren't heading to Earth or Side 3 today. Instead, let's take a trip to the Moon, the land of Anaheim Electronics, Zeonic, and your new mercenary paradise. Strap in, pilot. See you on the other side.
It has neared one year since the Federation and newly rechristened Republic of Zeon signed an armistice signifying an end to their brutal war. With it came a new dawn that promised peace for all mankind … or so it seemed.
Though the conflict may have come to an end, the peace that was promised never came to the Earth Sphere. Instead, in the months following the signing of the Second Antarctic Treaty, piracy and rebellion became the order of the day as colonial holdouts and rogue Federation formations took it upon themselves to continue the crusade against Zeon.
Despite the achievement of their great victory over Earth, the halls of Side 3's government found themselves under siege from all sides as the overthrow and death of the remaining Zabis collapsed any and all political unity in Zeon. Certainly, a crisis of this magnitude would be dire enough alone for a young nation. Yet it was not the only storm brewing for the republic. The economy had been pushed to its limit attempting to outproduce the Earth and sustain Zeon's armies and navies in the field. The successive losses in the latter half of the war pushed what capacity was to its breaking point as immense losses had to be replaced quickly by an industrial base that was rapidly losing what resources it only just obtained.
In an effort to stem the tide, austerity measures were put in place and budgets slashed across the board. As emerging victorious in a future war took a backseat to winning the peace they had taken, what remained of the armed forces was forced to look to their defenses to supplement what meager sustenance arrived from the homeland. Those unfortunate enough to be deemed fat that needed to be trimmed were given a choice: Begin reintegration back into civilian life and take their own chances on Zeon or find their own path in the heavens.
Such instability would be cause for celebration on Humanity's Cradle… were it not for the Federation's own situation being far more grave. Saddled with devastation from Operation British and the subsequent invasion along with the humiliating loss of all their possessions outside of Earth, the once mighty Federation was a shadow of its former self. Separatist movements that lay dormant since the early days of the Universal Century emerged with a vengeance sustained by equipment left behind by Zeon once the war had ended. Where the spacenoids found themselves fighting in their palaces and banks, the Earthnoids found themselves digging each other's grave.
Yet this was not to say that Earth was without ideologues and firebrands. Reval's speech against the Federation's 'absolute democracy' and civilian leadership fueled inquiries into the very legitimacy of the Federation itself, its mantle of stewardship of the Earth Sphere being found wanting. Many Earthnoids railed against effeminate leadership having been too cowardly to prosecute the war to its fullest extent against the vile Spacenoids. Others embraced native variations on Zeonism and Ereism or turned to ideologies from before the Universal Century for answers. With an unifying enemy such as the separatists, such ideas have been restricted to quiet whispers and backroom meetings. Should it remain that way, perhaps the Federation will find itself weathering the storm and emerging greater than ever. Should it not…
Even in the wake of their defeat at the hands of the Solar Ray, the EFF found itself larger than their pockets were deep. Garrisons on the Sides at the end of the war found themselves being recalled to a homeland that could barely feed themselves. As soldiers and crews were forced to choose between their loyalties and their bellies, strongholds of pirates emerged and struck out at all that was unjust… or would fill their stomachs. Of those remaining, deserters left with their friends and family to wherever their services would be wanted.
Men and women of all stripes found themselves serving alongside one another as soldiers of fortune in a world where their homelands could not afford to have them return. Some were fortunate enough to find work in the various Sides, having a desperate need for a strong arm to protect them in place of their non-existent militaries. Others chose to serve with forces outside of the Earth Sphere like the Jupiter fleets and Mars.
However, there was only one place in the Solar System that could truly afford to sustain them all. One place where conflict and profit went hand-in-hand. A microcosm of the Earth Sphere. A stage for every player to make their mark. A place untouched by war. A place soon to be marred.
It was the
It was comforting in a way.
SYSTEM_INITIALIZING
LOGIN: aghau
PASSWORD: ******
WELCOME ANNA
To be back in the saddle of things.
LOADING…
TACTICAL SIMULATION ACTIVATED
Out there, the human body is vulnerable. Tiny. Insignificant.
LOADING PRESET 1
Out there, it can be crushed. It can be shot. It can be slashed and stabbed and gassed.
TARGETING SYSTEM….. ONLINE
In here, it is metal. Steel. It is protected. In here, you're fast enough. Strong enough. Can see enough.
SENSOR ARRAY …… ONLINE
FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM …… ONLINE
In here, you have the strength to fight for your family. For your friends. For your paycheck and your food. You have the strength to take what you need and protect those who need saving.
ACTIVE MASS BALANCE AUTO-CONTROL SYSTEM …… ONLINE
At least, that's what it was supposed to be.
The start-up sequence of the simulator continues alongside your rumination.
Where had it all started? You barely remembered attending one of Zeon zum Deikun's fiery speeches on Side 3. You had just been visiting on vacation, but the possibility of participating in something grander took hold of your family. Your parents were enthralled by his messages of Spacenoid independence. Doubts about the Federation's true intentions had long brewed since the first colonists realized that it was only the poor and unwanted that were moving to space in droves despite promises that Earth would be free of all human taint and be cared for by all humanity. Such doubts turned to fear and resentment when the movement to the colonies was declared 'complete' and any plans for the Sides to be made stewards of Earth completely shelved.
Your sister was more skeptical. Certainly, Spacenoids deserved independence. The closest representation they had in the halls of Dakar was the hopeless pleas of their governors for further development and greater say. Yet, Deikun's inflammatory ideas were also helplessly naive. The Sides had no armies or navies. Nor would they ever be allowed to ever form their own as long as the EFF had garrisons for security. Freedom from the Federation would have to come by a miracle; otherwise it would be easier to simply work on improving life as it was. Heck, maybe it might even be more practical to move to Mars or somewhere even more distant and far from the pull of Earth.
For you? You had been too young to really take any of it in at the time. It was more fun to be a part of the crowd and cheer and jeer alongside them. As the years rolled by, however, you realized it had been …
[ ] Intoxicating Could you be blamed? Spacenoid independence! Freedom! Liberation! Even without understanding, those words remained with you throughout the years as you went back home. As your parents connected with those they met that day, their connections filtered down to you. Your youth was filled with trips and meetings between your parents and fellow idealists while you listened in and played with their children. Many went on to later join Deikun's government and prepare Zeon for its great struggle while their children served Zeon in various ways..
[ ] Intriguing Your sister's words rang true in your ears. As much as your parents would go around waving pamphlets and talk your head off with their speeches, you were more interested in finding something more productive to do with your time. There wouldn't be much worth in pamphlets if everyone was too busy to read them. Your youth was filled with trips to local workshops and whoever would let a nosy child in to help out. Your name even managed to get in the papers once you proved yourself of use, quite a notable act when it turned out that your story got picked up and shown to the whole Side, even if it was just for a brief moment.
Deikun's death had forced your family's planned emigration to Side 3 in a tricky predicament. With the helmsman of the coming revolution dead, they had been uncertain as to whether or not his Autonomous Republic of Munzo could remain the center of the Contolism movement. Would the Zabis remain dedicated to the cause or capitulate to the Federation entirely? Their fears were overridden with a lust for glory when the Zabis declared the Republic of Zeon and restructured the defense force into a full-fledged military. Though small, it was the chance for your family to be on the ground floor of something amazing.
While outwardly welcoming those dedicated to the Spacenoid cause, the Zabis had remained quite fearful of any possible threat to their power. Thus, when your family arrived at Side 3, they had been relegated to a colony dedicated for outsiders to reside pending the granting of citizenship. With so many applicants and Zabi reluctance to speed up the process, it would take years for so many to even set foot in Zeon proper. The only way to expedite the affair would be to join the military. Your mother and father had been deemed too old, despite their experience and heritage, and so your sister went to serve instead.
You had soon followed suit, thoug-
A loud banging from outside the pod brings you away from your thoughts.
"Oi, Anna. You in there? Y'need to give us a heads up the next time you start the sim ahead of us. It asks us if we're gonna join the session that's already in progress."
Oh. Right. You had some training to give.
"Sorry about that. I'll be sure to remember next time."
"Hey, no skin off my teeth," his voice goes silent for a moment before continuing at a whisper. "I just don't want one of the cadets to go over my head and tell their corpo sugar daddies that we're wasting their time."
Ah, the wonders of your new lunar lifestyle. Corporate contracts were always a minefield. Usually mistakes were minor enough that you'd just get reamed out. Mess up big enough or piss off a corpo brat though and their connections could see you blacklisted from more than just your contractee.
"I hear you loud and clear. Just tell 'em to get in the pods and I'll handle the rest. Maybe catch some shut-eye, Adam. Last time I saw you, I'm pretty sure your bags were hitting the floor."
"Yeah, yeah. Go do your thing."
His footsteps' fading echo reverberates throughout your pod as you hear him turn to give the cadets instructions in the next room over. It seems today's play is about to get underway. Hopefully you can pick a good stage.
It'll be the first time these cadets will have been outside of the pure-white training maps under your supervision. Where will you choose to bring them?
[ ] Luna An obvious choice given the literal ground beneath you. The combination of low (but not zero) gravity, relatively uniform landscape, and numerous pockmarks make the Moon a unique environment to operate in.
[ ] Earth Given there's an entire planet's worth of ground to cover, you'll start with a nice forest. The tree cover makes for good obstructions of line of sight while the gravity is a bit alien to those who've only grown under Lunar gravity.
[ ] Space No obstructions, no obstacles. Just empty simulated void somewhere out in orbit. While your bodies obviously won't be floating around in the real world, having to operate without any thing to gravitate yourself towards will be like throwing them into the deep end. It'll be fun though! Why walk when you can run?
[ ] Loum's Shoal Zone No. Not again. Not yet.
I've been putting this off for a while, but thought I might get this out here given the contest that's underway. Welcome to what I hope to be an intriguing dive into a post-Zeon victory timeline, if you can call it that. If you couldn't tell by the date, the war's lasted a year longer so I can rationalize a lot of the timeline for both events and MS development. All changes will be revealed in time and you may even get to see a few characters we know from the series. Sit back and please enjoy the ride.
