Yes, she can’t get enough of Haro’s…evil laughter.

On February the 6th, 2308 the forces of Celestial Being devastated a wedding and a Spanish resort fortress of Saragossa in a brilliant operation that annihilated the Halevely clan as a major power on Earth in a single decisive battle. It signaled to the world and most importantly to the Allies that CB meant serious business. While the Sumeragi-Wang Faction had either ignored or denied the signs that the Trinity-Corner Faction members were war criminals in the making. The Battle of the Saragossa and the subsequent massacre of Halevey forces sowed the seeds of suspicion and increased the already high level of dissent amongst the meisters.

Or so Lagna and Veda thought, but they both over looked the fact that most of the airfields remained intact, and coupled with the industrial might of the Allies most of these bases would later be rebuilt.

Like his ancestor Collin Powell, the Union Chief of Staff would also have his credibility spent.

Prelude

On October the 6th 2307 the forces calling themselves Celestial Being began making a series of raids against all three major power blocks on earth. Their stated goal was the eradication of war, but it soon became apparent that these raids while given the euphemism of intervention served no such purpose. Regardless of whether a group was a state or a terrorist group, Celestial Being struck everywhere and any where around the globe with impunity. They were able to move their forces in total secrecy despite the very transparent atmospheric entry methods and the HRL’s newly devised tachyon detection grids. While the subsequent failures of the Human Reformation League, Advanced European Union, and Union to defeat let alone capture one of Celestial Being’s mighty and nigh invincible Gundams drove them into an tacit alliance, they were soundly defeated by CB strategic reserves despite having extensive tachyon grids, over a 100:1 advantage in mobile suits, numerous artillery pieces, and a huge logistical advantage in the Taklaman desert. In the ensuing chaos the three previously unknown Gundams struck deep into Union territory and assassinated Professor Eifman in his ivory tower, thus ending all hope for any rapid independent development of Terran mobile suits. Quite why the Union air defense network was nearly nonexistent in a heightened state of alert or why there were no underground bunkers for the troops stationed there will never be known.

They will, so look forward to crushing them mein Leutnant.

Absolute Zero does exist…in your brain.

Subsequent attacks by CB on AEU bases in Italy and the Union bases provided ample impetus for the three rivals into forming a stronger alliance in response to the new CB doctrine of “world peace by annihilation of the other side and their puppies.” Within the newly Allied Armies morale was mixed while some formations such as the elite Union 8th Squadron emerged from the disasters with renewed resolve, other formations began colluding with the fifth columnist press and sold vital information much of which would never reach the ears of Allied Intelligence and would severely damage the war effort.

While all three major powers had suffered immensely the Union 8th Squadron had suffered four casualties all of whom were “aces.” The most notable victim was Howard Mason who’s breaking of formation and subsequent death for the sake of pride dealt a serious blow to the surviving members of the 8th Squadron. At the time few said anything regarding the affair, but subsequent generations of piya heitai would hail Mason as a man who died a noble death for the sake of pride, while most veterans and Prussians saw it as little more than a foolish act for such a petty and stupid cause. As Oberst Katie stated regarding the Mason affair it was “a great waste of a good Flag.” Leutnant Soma, spoke of Mason’s actions as, “magnificent but it is not war.” It was against this back drop that Celestial Being staged their first intervention at a wedding.

So why not hold an intervention?

Great thanks for the help Private Major…we appreciate your dereliction of duty.

Commanders

Obercivilian Louise Halevey, 5th Duchess of the Love Canal (Halevey Imperial Guard)

One of the most infamous Rukia all-stars character to desecrate Spanish soil Louise was the scion of a rather un-Spanish looking family. Her only proven skills up until this point was only to pout, dress semi-decently, wear the same tired outfit, and cling to her beloved Saji like a leech. Despite her acceptance into the University of Phoenix, School of Engineering, she spent more time on her myspace account than any actual engineering. She was seen as an un-imaginative ball and chain who’s hogging of air time was her sole reason for her renown, and generally disliked by all except the piya heitai. While with no real rank to her credit the responsibility for the Imperial Guard was thrown randomly unto her lap like a bridal bouquet. It was to be a cruel irony that she was to be the sole survivor of the intervention.

Kramer Kommando Nena Trinity (Celestial Being)

The only female descendant of the old line of Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière and Shana, Nena Trinty was not known for her work ethic or sanity. Often derailed by most scholars as a wonderful woman who had been struck hard enough with the stupid to piddle on Setsuna as a desirable mating partner, Nena was a formidable warrior if only fore her passion of a Gundam. While her brother Johann held nominal command of the Trinity Corps, during the battle Nena snubbed her superior and engaged Louise’s 1st and Only Imperial Guards Army without out orders and its was believed to be on a whim.

Throughout her career rumors and jokes of Nena’s Purple Haro having a purple python which she rode to battle dogged her until she died. Like many apocryphal tales scholars think that it may have had some basis in fact. (funny how taking random screen caps sometimes produce interesting results…)

Obercivilian Louise was not known for her rapid responses to situatuions. Why she failed to sound the waring and head for the air raid shelters will never be known.

Plan for Offense

Celestial Being

Suffering form acute boredom Nena trinity left behind no operational orders to that alluded to her master plan. However, what is clear is that she relied totally on surprise and generous application of brute force to ensure victory in battle. Her only force was the 7th Gundam Army Drei and no tactical reserves.

Plan for Defense

Halevey Imperial Guards

At the time of the battle the HIG boasted some 87 divisions all concentrated at the Northern Spanish Fortress at Saragossa. Among these included Lousie’s own 82nd Mechnaized, the Elder Halevey’s 768th Grenadiers, the 1st Groom, 41st Bride, and the 56th Best Man. Lousie’s plans did not anticipate any assault upon her fortress and much of her time was devoted to celebratory matters. Such was the lax state of alert that the cake was perfect 41st Bride was in her Sunday best and the 56th Best Man did not lose the ring. The deployment of the HIG forces was similarly lacking with formations essentially on top of one another with little room to maneuver. Thus the seeds of the subsequent disaster were sown well before contact with enemy forces was made.

Combat footage from the 7th Gundam Army clearly shows the lax security of the elite of the Halevey Imperial Guard Divisions. It came as little surprise that the 768th Halevey the Elder Grenadiers, 1st Groom, 41st Bride, and the 56th Best Man were cut down in the opening barrage.

Thus did the dying screams of the Imperial Guard echo across the redoubts of Saragossa.

The Battle

At 10:25 contact with Fortress was lost but no report was made by the 1st Saji. HIG ground control paid no notice to the break down in communications while the garrison continued with the festivities. At 10.40 the 82nd under the direct command of Louise made visual contact with the Army Group Trinity. At 11:13 Nena lead her 7th Gundam Army in a lightning raid upon HIG positions at Saragossa. At 11:24 the first HIG pickets made contact with the leading spearheads of the 7th Gundam. Given the many hours of drinking champagne and food coma from the cake the HIG forces did not react rapidly and man the air defenses. With their communications cut Louise made no effort to alert local AEU forces. At 11:37 the 7th Gundam opened fire in earnest smashing the meager defenses of the HIG. By 11:57 the bulk of the HIG was massacred where they stood, the 1st Groom, 41st Bride, 56th Best Man, and the 768th Grenadiers were annihilated. Subsequent rearguard actions by the 82nd Louise to cover their own retreat were poorly planned and executed resulting in their heavily mauling by the second barrage of the 7th Gundam. By 12:07 the 82nd Louise had lost all cohesion and became a mad mob that scrambled for cover. At 12:23 Nena conducted an orderly withdrawal to rejoin Army Group Trinity.

She did it for the lulz.

I bet it was Lousie.

The Aftermath

After the Saragossa debacle the Allies had learned the importance of civil and air defense. The lessons they learned were severely tested at the Iris Weapons Factory. While 800 civilian defense contractors were killed in the raid, the timely arrival of lead elements of the Union 8th Squadron prevent a total disaster and forced the 6th Gundam into a tactical retreat. The remnants of the 82nd Louise were retired from the front and while Allied High Command did not dole out punishment upon the 1st Saji for failing to report the communications glitch it was felt by many that exposure to the shattered 82nd would instill upon the 1st Saji the consequences of their laxity. In the aftermath of the Battle of the Saragossa Louise Halevey stood to gain the entire Halevey fortune as the last surviving member of the once prominent family. Most importantly of all the capture of a CB beam saber by the Mighty 8th gave the Allies their first captured piece of CB weaponry that was of some worth. However subsequent intelligence garnered from it remains controversial in overall value as the lead researcher was the quisling Private Major Billy “Goat” Katagiri.

Like Blucher before him Aker was beginning to show signs of Herpes and Syphillus. Many would attribute these diseases as the root cause of Aker’s bold and often reckless actions.

The Black Knights never lose! Have at you!

The assault upon civilian targets marked the beginning of Celestial Being’s policy of total war. While Lagna had hoped that the foolish mortals would collapse under the might of CB it merely alerted the Allies that there were traitors in their midst. The Sumeragi-Wang faction was divided and forces under Sumeragi would hence forth divorce themselves from Veda and reject their hither to Jominian Strategies with mixed and often little success as the blind charge of the 1st Gundam Jesus would later show.

It is speculated that Obercivilian Louise held off on getting prosthetics to garner sympathy from Allied High Command. Within a few months Louise would use 6 Million Euros to get a new lease on life and as the AEU Chief of Staff mused, “A girl barely alive. We can rebuild her. We have the technology. We can make her better than she was. Better…stronger…faster…possibly smarter.”

Qi Pao means serious business.

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