Circe Unit

The Circe Unit (キルケー部隊, Kirukē Butai) was an Earth Federation Forces task force created in UC 0105 to suppress the anti-government organisation Mafty. Under the command of Colonel Kenneth Sleg, the unit reorganised the failing Kimberly Unit into an agile strike force featured in Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway and the original novel trilogy.

Formation and purpose

From Kimberly to Circe

Following a wave of political assassinations attributed to Mafty, Federation leadership concluded that conventional policing could not match the insurgency’s mobility. The Kimberly Unit, stationed in Southeast Asia, was reorganised and re-equipped under Kenneth Sleg, a decorated veteran of Char’s Rebellion. Renamed the Circe Unit, it received expanded jurisdiction over the Pacific theatre and direct oversight from Prime Minister Emeralda Zubin.

Mandate

The task force’s brief was to locate and neutralise Mafty cells, capture or kill key operatives, and secure the advanced mobile suits underpinning Mafty’s raids. Circe was authorised to employ beam barrier systems, psychological warfare, and satellite tracking assets usually reserved for front-line fleets.

Assets and equipment

Circe operated primarily from Davao Air Base in Mindanao, giving the unit rapid deployment routes across Oceania and Southeast Asia. Its frontline strength revolved around the RX-104FF Penelope, piloted by Lane Aim, with support teams handling intelligence, air cavalry transport, and special forces insertions. Kenneth Sleg also field-tested a layered beam barrier net designed to immobilise fast-moving mobile suits such as the Ξ Gundam, showcasing the Federation’s willingness to experiment with new counter-insurgency technology.

Operations

Haunzen incident aftermath

The Circe Unit’s first high-profile action followed the hijacking of the shuttle Haunzen. Kenneth leveraged passenger testimonies to identify Mafty sympathisers and initiated sweeping arrests that destabilised the organisation’s support network around Earth orbit transit hubs.

Davao siege

Circe’s consolidation at Davao converted the air base into a hardened fortress. Patrols supported by Minovsky particle sensors narrowed Mafty’s movements, culminating in the capture of pilot Gawman Nobil and the discovery of a Mafty resupply point in the Philippine Sea.

Adelaide beam net

The unit’s most infamous operation involved baiting Hathaway Noa into attacking Adelaide. By deploying a layered beam barrier, Circe disabled the Xi Gundam mid-air, enabling Hathaway’s capture. The public nature of the ambush demonstrated the Federation’s technological superiority whilst sparking controversy over the tactic’s collateral risk.

Key personnel

Kenneth Sleg served as commanding officer and the architect of the unit’s strategic doctrine, blending political savvy with decisive battlefield leadership. Test pilot Lane Aim provided the Penelope’s cutting edge on the front line, translating experimental systems into practical results. Circe measured its success against the calibre of adversaries it faced, and the actions of Mafty pilots such as Mace Flower forced the task force to refine its countermeasures and acknowledge the insurgency’s professionalism.

Legacy

Circe’s aggressive tactics crippled Mafty, but the spectacle of Hathaway Noa’s execution provoked public debate over Federation authoritarianism. The unit’s beam barrier technology later informed the Federation Security Council’s anti-Newtype programmes, cementing Circe’s role in escalating the technological arms race of the late Universal Century.

Behind the Scenes

The task force name references the enchantress Circe from Greek mythology, mirroring how Kenneth Sleg attempted to transform an ineffective unit into a formidable instrument. The novels and film depict Circe as a commentary on state power grappling with insurgent movements.

Appearances

Circe Unit activities are depicted in both the Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash novels and the animated film Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway.