The "Three Ships" Alliance
The Three Ships Alliance is a separatist group created admist the chaos at the latter end of Bloody Valentine War, to end the escalating tension between Naturals and Coordinators. As its name suggests, the group's focal primary force is comprised of three ships: the former-EA Atlantic Federation's renegade new prototype space battleship, the Archangel; the Orb Union's Izumo-class battleship, the Kusanagi; and ZAFT's abducted new support ship, the Eternal. After the war, this group is renamed Terminal.
Beliefs
The ideology of the TSA/Terminal were best exemplified by its two spiritual founders: Siegel Clyne and Uzumi Nara Athha. Siegel was a coordinator and previous PLANT Supreme Council Chairman, however he did not believe in coordinator superiority over naturals, but rather advocated for peaceful coexistence between the two, noting that there was no reason to fight as they were all humans. Despite never meeting him, ORB leader Uzumi, also held the same sentiments as Clyne and understood well that naturals and coordinators could live in harmony, also being well aware of the radical and increasingly genocidal ambitions of both sides. Both men were wise and wished for nothing more than the war to end and peace be restored, thus they both symbolized the third voice in the war: peace and understanding. Despite both men being martyred (Siegel was assassinated and Uzumi sacrificed his life to save his allies) their teachings and beliefs were inherited by their loved ones, allies, and followers, thus forming what would become the Three Ships Alliance and later Terminal.
Terminal
After the Bloody Valentine War, the Three-Ship-Alliance (composed of the Clyne Faction, moderate elements of the Atlantic Federation, and remnants of the Orb Military) changed into a moderate military and political organization called Terminal. Terminal was strengthened in numbers and technology thanks to defecting Earth Alliance and ZAFT officers; and thanks to backing from the Orb Union, Terminal became one of the world's main political and military organizations. Spawned for the same reasons as the Three-Ship-Alliance, to achieve and maintain peace and stability between Coordinators and Naturals; the figurehead of Terminal was Lacus Clyne.
Despite considerable military expansions by ZAFT and the Atlantic Federation (strongest member of the Earth Alliance); Terminal too developed advanced military hardware. The ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom, ZGMF-X19A ∞ Justice, and DOM Troopers are generally more advanced than their ZAFT and Earth Alliance counterparts. Towards the end of the Break The World War, Terminal consisted of one Archangel Class, the Eternal, three Izumo Class, two to three Agamemmnon Class, at least four Nelson Class, at least two Nazca Class and at least two Laurasia Class assault carriers. Their mobile suit forces were spearheaded by the Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice, Gaia Gundam, Akatsuki, three DOM Troopers; and body comprised of dozens of Murasame and Dagger-L and Windam mobile suits.
History
The Archangel's Defection - Descent of the Freedom
After nearly being killed in his battle against the GAT-X303 Aegis piloted by Athrun Zala, Kira Yamato was brought to Lacus Clyne in the PLANTs, with the help of Reverend Malchio, so he could safely recover. However, when her father, Siegel Clyne, received a call from Eileen Canaver about Patrick Zala's true intended target of ZAFT's Operation: Spitbreak - that their target was the Earth Alliance Alaskan HQ JOSH-A, rather than the expected target of Porta Panama - Kira desired to return to Earth to save his friends aboard the Archangel stationed at JOSH-A. To fulfill his need, Lacus provided him the means to fight and protect by entrusting him with the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam. With it, Kira escaped the PLANT's and descended to Earth.
At JOSH-A, the Archangel discoveres that the Atlantic Federation created and armed a large Cyclops system directly beneath the base, and used both the Archangel and the remaining Eurasian forces as live bait to lure the incoming ZAFT forces into the base, where the Atlantic Federation will activate the system and self-destruct the base. However, prior to the system's detonation, the Freedom intervenes in the battle taking place at JOSH-A and rescues the Archangel from iminent destruction. From there, both the Freedom and the Archangel retreat away from the battlefield as the base self-destructs, destroying a majority of ZAFT's forces and the Eurasian forces in one blow. With Kira reunited with the Archangel and in light of the Earth Alliance's betrayal, the Archangel defects to Orb.
Birth of The Clyne Faction
In reaction to the events at JOSH-A and the theft of the Freedom which did not go unnoticed, Patrick Zala orders a extensive manhunt for the arrest and/or persecution of Siegel and Lacus Clyne. He also restrains several PLANT committee chairmen believed to be associates, advocates, or informates of the Clynes. At this time, Athrun Zala returns to the PLANTs and meets with his father, who informs him of the theft of the Freedom aided by Lacus as well as his subsequent manhunt for treason. He assigns Athrun with the task of recovering or destroying the stolen Freedom and eliminating all person(s) and places associated with it, by providing him with the Freedom's sister unit, the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam.
Prior to his departure, however, Athrun visited the Clyne mansion in hopes of meeting with Lacus to hear her side of the story. He later discoveres her Pink Haru, which led him to a concert hall where Lacus was being hidden. Confronting her on stage at gunpoint, Lacus divulges the reasons for her actions to Athrun and asks why he's doing these things, as a person and a soldier of ZAFT. However, their discussion is interupted by a squad of agents trailing Athrun to find and kill Lacus. Fortunately, members of ZAFT's military loyal to Lacus protect her against the agents and escort her safely away. As she leaves the stage, she tells Athrun he'll find Kira on Earth, which persuades him to pilot the Justice and descend to Earth.
While events unfolded on Earth, soldiers and personel loyal and/or in support to the Clynes and their beliefs form a faction opposed to Patrick Zala's methods and ideals, later named the "Clyne Faction". While moving the Clynes safely across the PLANT colonies, they promote a platform promoting diplomacy and peaceful coexistence in contrast to Patrick Zala. Lacus uses several media outlets to broadcast her speeches and talks across the colonies. However, during this time, Zala's agents find and gunned down Siegel Clyne, but soldiers loyal to the Clyne Faction continue to aid and help Lacus.
Earth Alliance Invasion of Orb - Departure of the Archangel and the Kusanagi
On Earth, with the retaliation of ZAFT in the seige of Porta Panama, the Alliance tries to conquer Orb to gain control of their mass driver to compensate for the loss of their last device at Panama. Aided by the repaired Archangel and the Freedom, Orb forces withhold the Earth Alliance forces and their new GAT-series machines. During the battle, Athrun Zala pilots the Justice into Orb and assists Kira in holding off the Earth Alliance forces. But as the battle progresses it becomes apparent the Alliance will eventually overtake Orb. To that end, Orb's Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha gathers everyone to announce his decision to abandon Onigoro island. As Orb makes its last stand, Lord Uzumi places the remaining Orb forces onto the Kusanagi, along with his adopted daughter Cagalli. As the Earth Alliance attacks Orb's Morgenroete facility, the Kusanagi and the Archangel launch from the mass driver into space, aided by both the Freedom and the Justice. When both ships safely launch, Lord Uzumi, along with various other Orb officials, detonate the facility and the mass driver, at the cost of their lives.
While both the Archangel and Kusanagi regroup and depart for the Mendel colony, Athrun asks Kira for assistance in returning to the PLANTs to confront his father on his ideals and plans regarding the war. Leaving behind the Justice, Kira escorts Athrun in an Earth Alliance shuttle to the boundary of Jachin Due.
The Flight of the Eternal - The Alliance is Formed
Shortly after Athrun Zala was arrested at Jachin Due for piloting an Earth Alliance shuttle into ZAFT territory, he's brought before his father, who in a fit of rage demands for Athrun's explanations. When Athrun retorts by asking his own questions and discovering his fathers true motives, he is shot and taken into custody to be interrogated. When the Clyne Faction learns of Athrun's return and his subsequent arrest, Lacus decides to send soldiers to help free Athrun while she and the rest of the Clyne Faction departs from the PLANTs. Let by Andrew Waltfeld, the Clyne Faction abducts ZAFT's newest support ship for both the Freedom and the Justice, the Eternal. As the Eternal departs from its hangar, it rendezvous with a ZAFT shuttle carrying Athrun and the Clyne Faction soldiers.
With both Athrun and Lacus safe, the Eternal joins the remaining space forces of Orb on the Kusanagi, and the defected Earth Alliance, the Archangel, at the Mendel Colony. Both the Freedom and Justice, are soon transferred to the Eternal, which is equipped with two METEOR support units specifically built for both mobile suits. Thanks to the assistance of Reverend Malchio, the ships are able to make contact with several peace-seeking groups in Orb, the Earth Alliance, and the rest of the Clyne Faction headquartered in the PLANTs. Also, the group receives a tender ship, the ReHOME, complements of Reverend Malchio and the Junk Guild.
The new rogue faction became known as the Three Ship Alliance (TSA) and secretly headquartered on the abandoned Mendel colony. Their purpose was to put an end to the war sprialing out of control, as both the Earth Alliance (now under the control of Muruta Azrael and Blue Cosmos) and ZAFT (under the command of Patrick Zala and his radical extremist faction) are willing to commit genocide to the other group, believing it was the only way to quickly end the war.
Intervention at the War's Climax
After the battle at the Mendel Colony against the Earth Alliance's new battleship, the Dominion, and the subsequent destruction of Boaz using nuclear weapons, the TSA mounted a counter-offensive against the Earth Alliance fleet (controlled by Muruta Azrael aboard the Dominion) approaching the PLANT sponsored nations to prevent any launched nuclear missile from striking the colonies. Amist the battle, Patrick Zala unveiled ZAFT's newest superweapon, GENESIS. After firing GENESIS and destroying the majority of the EA fleet, the TSA split their counter-attack force, with the Archangel confronting the Dominion and the remaining EA forces, while the Kusanagi and the Eternal confronted the ZAFT forces at Jachin Due and GENESIS.
With the Archangel destroying the Dominion and ending the EA threat against the PLANT, attention focused squarely on GENESIS, where Patrick Zala intends to fire it at Earth. To prevent this, the Justice and the Strike Rouge infiltrates Jachine Due and GENESIS to disarm it. The Freedom confronted ZAFT's latest mobile suit protecting GENESIS, the ZGMF-X13A Providence, piloted by Rau Le Creuset. Incapable of disarming the weapon at Jachine Due, Athrun piloted the Justice into the core of GENESIS and self-destructed the mobile suit, escaping on the Strike Rouge. Though the Providence was destroyed, the Freedom was badly damaged in the aftermath of the battle.
The Bloody Valentine War came to an end with the help of the Three Ship Alliance, which managed to counteract the threats on the civilian population by the EA's nuclear missiles and ZAFT's GENESIS, and put and end to the war, in September, Cosmic Era 71.
Post War and a New War
After the war, the TSA went again underground, their ships were hidden. Most of the crew moved to Orb, under pseudonyms. When the Second Bloody Valentine War began, these individuals took the Archangel and Freedom and fled Orb, which had joined the Earth Alliance and became involved in the conflict. While the Eternal has had a quiet role in the war to date, the Archangel has actively tried intervened to reduce the amount of bloodshed and destruction caused in various battles but failed. Their interventionist policies have created tension with both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, and they have undoubtably caused chaos in the battlefields.
At a later stage in the war, the Archangel and ZAFT's battleship Minerva joined forces and fought together against the Earth Alliance's prototype mobile fortress, the GFAS-X1 Destroy. However, ZAFT's command structure declared them to be an enemy of ZAFT. The Minerva later participated in Operation "Angel Down", with the objective of destroying the Archangel. During this conflict, Minerva fired its positron cannon on the fleeing Archangel, and Impulse was able to defeat Freedom with the clever tactics of its pilot Shinn Asuka using Kira Yamato's unwillingness to kill, as the Freedom's pilot. However the Archangel managed to survive despite being badly damaged while the Freedom was destroyed. Kira Yamato, was saved by Cagalli in the MBF-02 Strike Rouge and the Archangel then continues en route to Orb. The Archangel finally arrives at Orb, where it is repaired in a secret base by Morgenröete.
It also appears that the Clyne Faction was secretly working on new mobile suits on the Eternal if there would be a new war. These suits are the ZGMF-X19A ∞ Justice, ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom and three units of the mass production model ZGMF-XX09T DOM Trooper. These units later, together with the Archangel, defended Orb when ZAFT attacked the country. After Cagalli regained control over Orb, the crew of the Archangel were formally included into the Orb military. After Dullindal exposes his Destiny Plan ships from both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance join the Eternal in a combined fleet and the Archangel leading a fleet of Izumo class ships including the Kusanagi.
The group once again had the distinction of helping to end the war, when the ORB-01 Akatsuki and ZGMF-X19A ∞ Justice units destroyed the Requiem laser cannon, while the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom unit destroyed the Messiah mobile space fortress.
Members
Leader
Commanders
Pilots
- Kira Yamato
- Athrun Zala
- Cagalli Yula Athha
- Mu La Flaga/Neo Roanoke
- Dearka Elsman
- Yzak Joule (GSD, though indirectly)
- Asagi Caldwell
- Juri Wu Nien
- Mayura Labatt
- Jean Carry
- Barry Ho
- Hilda Harken
- Mars Simeon
- Herbert von Reinhard
- Shinn Asuka (post GSD)
- Lunamaria Hawke (post GSD)
Ship Operators
Mobile Suits
C.E. 71
- MBF-M1 Astray (multiple)
- 1x MBF-M1 Astray Jean Carry Custom
- ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam
- ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam
- GAT-X105 Strike Gundam
- GAT-X103 Buster Gundam
- MBF-02 Strike Rouge Gundam
- MBF-M1A M1A Astray
C.E. 73
- MVF-M11C Murasame (multiple)
- 1x MVF-M11C Murasame Andrew Waltfeld Colors
- 3x MVF-M12A Ootsukigata
- ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam
- MBF-02 Strike Rouge Gundam
- ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam
- ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam
- ORB-01 Akatsuki Gundam
- 3x ZGMF-XX09T DOM Trooper
- ZGMF-X88S Gaia Gundam
Veichles and Spacecrafts
- LCAM-01XA Archangel
- 1x FX-550 Skygrasper (C.E. 73)
- FFMH-Y101 Eternal
- 2x METEOR Support Units
- 3x Izumo-class
- ReHOME
- 1x Agamemnon-class Carrier (C.E. 73)
- 3x Defected Nelson-class Battleships (C.E. 73)
- 3x Defected Nazca-class Destroyers (C.E. 73)
Allies
- Reverend Malchio
- Clyne Faction
- Orb Union
- Junk Guild
Trivia
- In Super Robot Wars J, the Kusanagi was missing from the Three Ships Alliance and replaced by ND-001 Nadesico from Martian Successor Nadesico instead.
- In Super Robot Wars L the Minerva and it's crew (except Rey and his Legend Gundam) join the Three Ships Alliance in the Battle of Messiah against ZAFT.