The Ambush of the Minerva is a conflict of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, featured in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.
Prelude[]
Following the First Battle of Orb, Uzumi Nara Athha and other major figures towards Orbs' neutral stance in the war were killed leaving only a minority under the wing of his daughter, Cagalli Yula Athha, who was too young to hold any true influence in the country following the First Alliance-PLANT War. In spite of attempts to maintain the unsteady peace between PLANT and the Earth Alliance, the "Break The World" Incident dashed any hopes of peace as the Second Alliance-PLANT War began.[1]
The most influential family in Orb, the Seiran family, would spearhead talks of joining the Earth Alliance in this new war due to the destruction caused by the previous invasion. Cagalli failed to rally enough support to oppose Yuna Roma Seiran's decision and Orb's council eventually agreed to formally join the Alliance. In order to gain favor, Yuna was aware that ZAFT's new warship, the LHM-BB01 Minerva was docked in Orb after returning Cagalli back to the country following the "Break the World" Incident and would make the perfect tribute to appease the Alliance.[2]
Word of this ambush, however, reached the ears of former captains of the Three Ships Alliance, Murrue Ramius and Andrew Waltfeld, who were among those that wished to preserve the late Uzumi's ideals. The pair would use an unencrypted line to contact Minerva captain, Talia Gladys of her predicament. Gladys' suspicions of a potential betrayal by Orb were eventually confirmed as Cagalli paid the Minerva a personal visit to warn them of the trap, and the ship quickly left the docks prematurely before they could be sandwiched.[2]
Upon hearing of the Minerva's flight, the Alliance fleet station near the Orb Archipelago was forced to move out and intercept it before it could reach ZAFT's Carpentaria Base, which was currently in a battle against another detachment of Alliance forces.
The Battle[]
A fleet of four Spengler-class, eight Des Moines-class, and Fraser-class vessels, quickly arrived to confront the Minerva at sea. Additionally, Orb's naval fleet had arrived to block any potential to return to its territory, but as the country had not formally joined the Alliance yet, it did not actually participate in the battle. Nonetheless, the four Alliance carriers sent out several GAT-02L2 Dagger Ls, and their new GAT-04 Windam mobile suits equipped with Jet Striker Packs to swarm the skies around the Minerva, which only had the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam to combat the enemies in the sky and a ZGMF-1000/A1 Gunner ZAKU Warrior and a ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom atop its bridge to provide support fire.[3]
With the ship and its units effectively pinned down by the overwhelming number of Windams, the Alliance commander finally sent out the YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah to charge out against the ship. In response to the larger mobile armor, Gladys ordered for the Minerva's "Tannhäuser" positron cannon to be fired, however, the Zamza-Zah's new Positron Reflector effectively neutralized the powerful beam cannon's attack. As the Minerva did not have any weapons to deal with the mobile armor, Gladys quickly ordered the ship to target the enemy ships instead and avoid the Zamza-Zah at all costs. Seeing the precarious situation, Shinn Asuka quickly used the Impulse to attack the mobile armor to stop its pursuit of the Minerva.[3]
With little choice, the Minerva began to inch towards Orb territory once again, and Yuna ordered fleet admiral Todaka to fire a warning shot to stop the ship's movements towards them. Reluctantly, Todaka complied and issued a warning to the Minerva that it would be treated as an intruder if it were to return. Startled that Orb would actually attack them, Shinn was briefly distracted as the Impulse was grabbed by the Zamza-Zah's Hyper-oscillation Crusher and has its right leg destroyed. Enraged by Orb's actions and desperate not to die, Shinn would activate SEED mode for the first time and quickly escaped the mobile armor's clutches in order to recharge his unit with the Minerva's Deutorion Beam as well as quickly requesting a new Leg Flyer and the Sword Silhouette. Having rejuvenated his unit, Shinn quickly dashed towards the Zamza-Zah, sacrificing his shield and finally destroying the mobile armor with his beam saber.[3]
As soon as the Zamza-Zah was destroyed, Shinn immediately switched to the Sword Silhouette and would hazardously attack the Alliance fleet, smashing through one ship before leaping to another one and doing the same. Shinn's rampage would finally end when the remaining Alliance fleet began to flee.
Aftermath[]
The failed ambush on the Minerva would eventually lead the ship to finally make its return to ZAFT-held territories as it would begin many more operations against the Alliance. Despite the Alliance's miserable defeat after receiving aid from Orb's treachery, Yuna maintained Orb's decision to eventually join the Alliance as a way to safeguard its people, and would pressure Cagalli into a political marriage to keep Orb stable and united.[4] This would be the final straw for the former members of the Three Ships Alliance, who would later abduct her before they abandoned the country too.[5]
Gallery[]
.PNG "Andrew Informing the Minerva 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep11).PNG (1.87 MB)")
.png "Spengler-Class Carrying Windums 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep12).png (4.32 MB)")
.png "Zamza-Zah Front 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep12).png (3.05 MB)")
.png "Zamza-Zah Positron Reflector Shield Blocking Positron Blast 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep12).png (2.79 MB)")
.png "Aegis-Class Carrying M1 Astrays 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep12).png (4.65 MB)")
.png "Zamza-Zah Destroyed 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep12).png (3.41 MB)")
Notes & Trivia[]
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
- First Appearance
- PHASE-12, Blood in the Water
- Conclusion
- PHASE-13, Resurrected Wings
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
References[]
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-08, Junction
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-12, Blood in the Water
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-13, Resurrected Wings
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-14, Flight to Tomorrow
| Cosmic Era Conflicts and Events | |
| Pre C.E. - C.E. 9 | |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction War | |
| C.E. 15 | |
| Coordinator Revelation | Jupiter Exploration Mission | |
| C.E. 30’s - C.E. 50 | |
| Coordinator Boom | |
| C.E. 50’s - C.E. 60’s | |
| Assassination of George Glenn | Flaga Estate Burning | Blue Cosmos Attack on Mendel | |
| C.E. 60’s - C.E. 69 | |
| Mandelbrot Incident | Attack on the Junius Colonies | Mendel Accident | |
| C.E. 70 | |
| First Alliance-PLANT War Tragedy of Copernicus | Bloody Valentine Incident | Invasion of South America | Battle of Yggdrasil | First Battle of Victoria | Operation Uroboros | Battle of Carpentaria | Battle of Coral Sea | First Battle of Jachin Due | Grimaldi Front (Battle of Endymion Crater) | First Battle of Casablanca | Battle of El Alamein | Battle of Nova | First Nova Recapture Operation | October Talks | |
| Unrelated Conflicts First Attack on the Graveyard | |
| C.E. 71 | |
| First Alliance-PLANT War Battle of Kaohsiung | Battle of Heliopolis | Skirmish near Artemis | Battle of Artemis | Second Nova Recapture Operation | Clash at Junius Seven | Skirmish in the Debris Belt | Battle near Junius Seven | Skirmish in the North African Desert | Skirmish towards Earth | Battle of Orbit | Second Battle of Victoria | Blue Cosmos Attack on PLANT | Desert Dawn Campaign (Attack on the Archangel | Attack on Tassil | Retaliation of the Desert Dawn | Blue Cosmos Attack in Banadiya | Battle of Talbadiya) | First Equatorial Skirmish | Second Equatorial Skirmish | Skirmish on an Uninhabited Island | Strait of Malacca Breakthrough | First Battle near Orb | Orb Infiltration Mission | Second Battle near Orb | Battle of the Marshall Islands | Theft of the Freedom Gundam | Operation Spitbreak | Shoot Out at White Symphony | Mission to Recapture the Freedom Gundam | Battle of Porta Panama | Battle of Orb | Assassination of Siegel Clyne | Third Battle of Victoria | Attack on a ZAFT Fleet | Theft of the Eternal | Battle of Mendel | Second Battle of Casablanca | Operation 8.8 (Ayers Rock Landing Operation) | Operation Elvis (Battle of Boaz | Second Battle of Jachin Due) | |
| South American War for Independence Attack on South American Forces Base 12 | Duel at the South American Shore | Battle in the USSA Neutral Zone | Ambush in Low Orbit | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Campaign on the ZAFT Supply Route (Attack on a ZAFT Supply Station | Battle at ZAFT Supply Station 4) | Skirmish at Heliopolis | Pirate Attack on the H.O.M.E. | Recapture of Artemis | Skirmish at Artemis | Second Attack on the Graveyard | Actaeon Hostage Incident | Skirmish at Liteiria | Barnacle Incident | First Attack by the Gundam Astray Gold Frame | First Attack on the Lesseps | Second Attack on the Lesseps | Confrontation in the Deep Sea | Infiltration of the Lesseps | First Battle of the Giga-Float | Second Battle of the Giga-Float | Battle of Ame-No-Mihashira | Battle of the Gundam Astrays | Third Attack on the Graveyard | Find Kira Yamato Operation | Skirmish at Mendel | Raid on the Dreadnaught Gundam’s Transport | Attack on the Serpent Tail Transport | First Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | Attack on Supply Station 15B | Escape from Artemis | Assault on Ptolemaeus Port Seven | Attack on the Ortygia | Attack on Ame-No-Mihashira | Battle at the Abandon Colony Zone | Battle at the Mobile Suit Auction | Clash at Mendel | Second Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | Assault on the Sahaku Force | Erudou Breakthrough | Third Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | First Battle of GENESIS Alpha | First Attack on GENESIS Alpha | |
| C.E. 72 | |
| First Alliance-PLANT War Nairobi Peace Conference (Attack on the Junius Treaty Ceremony) | |
| South American War for Independence Battle for South America | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Battle of the Blue Cosmos Asteroid Factory | |
| C.E. 73 | |
| Second Alliance-PLANT War Attack on Armory One | Battle of the Debris Belt | "Break The World" Incident | Battle of Aprilius One | Operation Spear of Twilight | Ambush of the Minerva | Assassination Attempt of Lacus Clyne | Kidnapping of Orb's Chief Representative | Battle of the Indian Ocean | Attack on Lohengrin Gate | Battle of Gulnahan | Battle in Lunar Orbit | Battle of Dardanelles | Skirmish at Lodonia Lab | Lacus Clyne Shuttle Hijacking | Battle of Crete | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Second Attack on GENESIS Alpha | Third Attack on GENESIS Alpha | Second Battle of Genesis Alpha | Attack on Ed the Ripper’s Shuttle |Attack in Fortaleza | Attack on Kirgitz | Declaration of the Sky | Attack on The Clan Space Station | Assault on the Coordinator Refugee Camp | |
| C.E. 74 | |
| Second Alliance-PLANT War Minerva Breakout | Attack on the Bonaparte | Destroy Crisis (First Attack on Eurasia | Second Attack on Eurasia | Third Attack on Eurasia | Battle of Berlin) | Campaign Against Logos | Operation Angel Down | Desertion of Athrun Zala and Meyrin Hawke | Operation Ragnarök | Eternal Chase | Operation Fury | Battle of Requiem Station Gounod | Battle of Daedalus | Assassination Attempt in Copernicus City | Proclamation of the Destiny Plan | Attack on Requiem Station One | Battle of Messiah | |
| Unrelated Conflicts Attack on Toroya Station | Foundation Shock | Freedom Hijacking Incident | |
| C.E. 75 | |
| Blue Cosmos Campaign Battle of Aldrin City | |
| Foundation Conflict Eldore Incident | Moscow Tragedy | PLANT Coup d'état | Millennium Hijacking | Lacus Clyne Rescue Operation | Battle of Requiem | |