A Baoa Qu – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam

A Baoa Qu (ア・バオア・クー, A Baoa Kū) was a massive space fortress that served as the Principality of Zeon’s largest and most powerful asteroid base during the One Year War. Located at the L2 Lagrange point directly opposite Side 3, it functioned as Zeon’s final line of defence and was the site of the war’s climactic Battle of A Baoa Qu.

The fortress’s name derived from an obscure Malayan legend about a monster called “A Bao A Qu” that guards the “Tower of Victory”. This ethereal creature was said to await on the steps of the tower for a man brave enough to attempt the climb.

History

Origins and construction

A Baoa Qu began its existence as an asteroid mining facility, much like Luna Two and Solomon. Originally transported from the asteroid belt for resource extraction purposes, it was captured and transformed into a military installation by the Principality of Zeon forces in the years preceding the One Year War. The space fortification work was completed within six months.

The fortress represented a remarkable feat of engineering, being constructed from two large asteroids fused together vertically to form a distinctive umbrella-shaped structure. This configuration created the widely recognised T-shaped silhouette that would become synonymous with Zeon’s military might.

Military significance

A Baoa Qu was strategically positioned at the L2 Lagrange point, placing it directly opposite the Zeon homeland in Side 3. This location allowed it to serve as the rearguard fortress, whilst Solomon provided frontline defence. The positioning created a formidable defensive line protecting the approaches to Zeon’s core territories.

The fortress functioned as the Zeon Military Force’s general headquarters for their space fleet operations. Beyond its command role, A Baoa Qu housed extensive mobile weapon production facilities, making it both a strategic stronghold and an industrial centre crucial to Zeon’s war effort.

The final battle

The Battle of A Baoa Qu commenced on 31 December UC 0079, marking the One Year War’s climactic engagement. Despite the Solar Ray destroying one-third of the approaching Earth Federation fleet, the remaining forces pressed their attack under the rally point of the assault carrier White Base.

The fortress’s defensive perimeter was divided into four main fields: N Field (facing Side 3), S Field (facing Earth), E Field (facing behind the Moon), and W Field (opposite to E Field). Each sector was heavily fortified with vessels, mobile suits, and fighter craft, including the deployment of massive Dolos-class carriers.

The battle raged throughout the fortress’s interior, with Federation forces eventually breaching the outer defences. The fighting became so intense that the RX-78-2 Gundam and MSN-02 Zeong engaged in close combat within the fortress itself. When Kycilia Zabi ordered the base’s surrender fifteen minutes after her planned escape, Char Aznable assassinated her, effectively ending organised Zeon resistance.

A fire broke out in the missile factory at the fortress’s centre at 1215 hours, causing most of A Baoa Qu to lose power and rendering it virtually defenceless. The fortress finally fell to Federation forces on 1 January UC 0080, leading directly to the signing of the Granada Treaty and the end of the One Year War.

Post-war fate

Under the terms of the Granada Treaty, A Baoa Qu was the only asteroid base retained by the newly formed Republic of Zeon. This provision recognised both the fortress’s strategic importance and served as a face-saving measure for the defeated Spacenoids.

In June UC 0087, the Republic of Zeon handed over A Baoa Qu to the Earth Federation’s Titans special force, who renamed it the Gate of Zedan (ゼダンの門, Zedan no Mon). According to the Zeta Gundam novelisation, this name honoured Jamitov Hymen’s ancestral hometown of Sedan in the Ardennes, with “Zedan” being the German pronunciation of Sedan.

The fortress’s story reached its ultimate conclusion on 18 January UC 0088 during the Gryps Conflict. Haman Karn of Axis Zeon deliberately rammed the mobile asteroid base Axis into the Gate of Zedan as part of negotiations with the AEUG. The collision completely destroyed the ancient fortress, splitting it in two and ending its long history as a strategic stronghold.

Design

A Baoa Qu was a fusion of two asteroids into one, creating a distinctive umbrella-like shape that resembled a disc mounted atop a weight. Various sources provide differing size estimates, with measurements ranging from 13.5 kilometres tall and 9 kilometres in diameter to 33.75 kilometres tall and 22.5 kilometres in diameter. The larger measurements are derived from a detailed diorama displayed at the former Gundam Front Diver City establishment in Odaiba, Tokyo.

At the fortress’s top-centre stood a lone enormous tower, though small in relative scale to the massive asteroid beneath it. This tower presumably housed Zeon’s elite command staff and provided an observation point overlooking the surrounding battlefield.

Internal structure

The fortress contained extensive internal facilities including mobile suit hangers, weapons factories, command centres, and living quarters for its garrison. The internal layout was complex, with multiple levels and sections designed to maximise both defensive capabilities and operational efficiency.

Production facilities within the fortress manufactured various weapons systems, including missiles and mobile suits. The MSN-02 Zeong was completed in the A Baoa Qu Mobile Suit Factory, demonstrating the facility’s advanced manufacturing capabilities even in the war’s final stages.

Defensive systems

A Baoa Qu’s defensive perimeter was organised into four main fields of fire, each protected by substantial numbers of warships and mobile suit squadrons. The fortress mounted numerous beam guns, missile launchers, and other defensive weaponry throughout its structure.

The facility included anti-air emplacements positioned to engage incoming Federation vessels and mobile suits. These defensive systems proved formidable during the final battle, though they were eventually overwhelmed by the Federation’s concentrated assault.

Strategic importance

A Baoa Qu represented more than just a military installation; it symbolised Zeon’s determination to maintain independence from Earth Federation control. Its position guarding the approaches to Side 3 made it an essential component of Zeon’s defensive strategy.

The fortress’s dual role as both military headquarters and industrial centre made its capture or destruction a primary Federation objective. Loss of A Baoa Qu would effectively cripple Zeon’s ability to continue organised resistance, making the final battle’s outcome decisive for the war’s conclusion.

Behind the scenes

The fortress’s name derives from “A Bao A Qu”, a creature from Jorge Luis Borges’ 1967 Book of Imaginary Beings. Borges described this legendary Malayan creature as dwelling on the steps of the Tower of Victory in Chitor, from which one could see “the loveliest landscape in the world”. The creature would await visitors brave enough to attempt the climb, gaining form and consciousness only through human contact.

Size estimates for A Baoa Qu vary significantly between sources. The larger measurements (33.75 km tall by 22.5 km diameter) derive from a 1/7500 scale diorama measuring 4.5 metres tall by 3 metres wide that was displayed at Gundam Front Diver City in Odaiba, Tokyo.

Legacy

A Baoa Qu’s destruction marked the end of an era in the Universal Century timeline. The fortress had served as a symbol of Zeon independence and military prowess, making its fall particularly significant for Spacenoid morale and identity.

The location’s strategic importance was such that even after its destruction, the debris field remained notable. The fortress’s legacy influenced subsequent space fortress designs and defensive strategies throughout the Universal Century era.

In Gundam Build Fighters, a 1/144-scale physical replica of A Baoa Qu materialised when Chairman Mashita’s Arista reacted with a giant one hidden beneath the Gunpla Battle stage. Even at this reduced scale, the fortress proved large enough to break through the stadium’s dome, demonstrating the massive scale of the original structure.

Appearances

Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam (episodes 42-43)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (as Gate of Zedan)
Gundam Build Fighters

Movies

Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space

OVA

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO
Gundam the Ride: A Baoa Qu

Manga

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin

Novels

Mobile Suit Gundam (destroyed by Solar Ray)

Games

Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation
Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs series
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series

External links

A Baoa Qu on the Gundam Wiki
Operation Star One on the Gundam Wiki