Delaz Fleet – MechaBay

The Delaz Fleet was a Zeon remnant military force that operated in the Earth Sphere from UC 0080 to UC 0083. Led by former Zeon colonel Aiguille Delaz, the fleet was composed primarily of forces from Gihren Zabi’s Imperial Guard who had retreated from the Battle of A Baoa Qu at the end of the One Year War. The fleet gained notoriety for conducting Operation Stardust, a devastating attack on the Earth Federation culminating in a colony drop on North America.

History

Formation and retreat from A Baoa Qu

The Delaz Fleet’s origins traced back to the final battle of the One Year War at A Baoa Qu on 1 January UC 0080. During the battle, Aiguille Delaz, then a colonel commanding a fleet in Gihren Zabi’s Imperial Guard, received news that Kycilia Zabi had assassinated her brother Gihren. Overwhelmed with anger at the death of his friend and commander, Delaz ordered all his mobile suits to return to their ships and commanded his entire fleet to withdraw from the fortress.

The retiring ships of Delaz’s force left as the Federation began gaining the upper hand in the battle. They successfully escaped before the space fortress collapsed, becoming one of the largest organised Zeon units to survive the war’s conclusion. Unlike many other Zeon remnants who fled to Axis, Delaz chose to remain in the Earth Sphere to continue the fight against the Federation.

Reorganisation and formal establishment

After the Granada Treaty formally ended the One Year War on 1 January UC 0080, Delaz and his forces settled into the shoal zone created from the destruction of Side 5 during the Battle of Loum. In March UC 0080, they established their headquarters in this debris field, calling it the “Garden of Thorns”. The location provided excellent concealment whilst remaining within striking distance of major Federation installations.

On 15 August UC 0081, formal reorganisation of the Delaz Fleet was completed and the force was officially established. Delaz promoted himself to Vice Admiral and formally designated his organisation as the Delaz Fleet. The reorganised force began conducting guerrilla warfare operations against the Federation, targeting supply convoys and isolated outposts. By UC 0082, the fleet had established mobile suit production facilities at their headquarters, primarily manufacturing MS-21C Dra-C reconnaissance units to supplement their aging One Year War-era mobile suits.

Intelligence gathering and preparation

Throughout UC 0082 and early UC 0083, Delaz strengthened his ties with anti-Federation movements across the Earth Sphere. The fleet’s intelligence network, which included sympathisers within Anaheim Electronics and other corporations, confirmed the existence of the Gundam Development Project in UC 0083. This intelligence proved crucial for Delaz’s grand strategy.

Recognising the opportunity presented by the Federation’s new nuclear-capable mobile suit, Delaz began planning what would become known as Operation Stardust. He established contact with Axis Zeon forces and secured their support for his operation, whilst also recruiting additional forces including the rogue Marine Amphibious Unit led by Cima Garahau.

Operation Stardust

Phase I: Nuclear attack on naval review

Operation Stardust commenced on 13 October UC 0083 when Anavel Gato, the legendary “Nightmare of Solomon”, successfully infiltrated Torrington Base in Australia and stole the RX-78GP02A Gundam “Physalis”, a nuclear-armed mobile suit. With assistance from Anaheim Electronics agent Nick Orville and Earth-based Zeon remnants operating a Jukon-class submarine, Gato delivered the stolen Gundam to the Delaz Fleet.

On 10 November UC 0083, Delaz issued a declaration of war against the Earth Federation, denouncing the Granada Treaty and threatening mass destruction. The fleet divided into three groups for the first phase of the operation. Gato, aboard the flagship “Peer Gynt”, led the main attack force of approximately ten Musai-class cruisers carrying 40 mobile suits towards the Federation naval review at Konpei Island (formerly Solomon).

The Federation leadership, led by Fleet Inspector General Green Wyatt, dismissed the Delaz Fleet as “good as destroyed” and anticipated that their target would be Jaburo. However, Gato’s diversionary mobile suit forces were a deception to cover his approach with the nuclear-armed Gundam. When Gato broke through to the naval review ceremony itself, it was too late to stop him. The nuclear bazooka destroyed two-thirds of the assembled Federation fleet, killing Wyatt and dealing a devastating blow to Federation morale.

Phase II: Colony hijacking and drop

The second phase of Operation Stardust began immediately after the nuclear attack. Cima Garahau’s forces intercepted two Side 1 colonies, “Blade” and “Islands Ease”, being relocated to Side 3 as part of the Colony Reclamation Project. Cima’s troops placed explosive charges on the colony mirrors and detonated them with simultaneous cannon fire from seven Musai-class cruisers and a Zanzibar-class assault ship.

The resulting collision put one colony on a trajectory towards the lunar city of Von Braun. However, this was another deception in Delaz’s plan. Through Cima Garahau’s relationship with Anaheim Electronics, the fleet coerced the corporation to use their refuelling lasers to ignite the colony’s manoeuvring thrusters, redirecting it towards Earth and Jaburo.

Support from Axis

During the operation, the Delaz Fleet received crucial support from Axis Zeon forces. The Axis Advance Fleet, led by the Gwanban-class battleship Gwanzan, rendezvoused with Delaz’s forces and provided supplies and equipment. Most significantly, they delivered the AMX-002 Neue Ziel mobile armor to Anavel Gato, giving the Delaz Fleet a powerful new weapon for the final phase of their operation.

Betrayal and destruction

As the hijacked colony approached the “Point of No Return” in its descent towards Earth, Cima Garahau revealed her true allegiance. She had been working as a double agent for the Earth Federation, seeking revenge against Zeon for making her a scapegoat during Operation British in the early days of the One Year War. Cima’s marines seized control of Delaz’s flagship, the Gwaden, and took Delaz prisoner.

When Delaz refused to call off the colony drop and instead encouraged Gato to continue the mission, Cima executed him with a shot to the head. However, her betrayal came too late to stop Operation Stardust. Though the colony’s trajectory was altered to miss Jaburo, it still impacted North America, destroying much of the continent’s agricultural capacity and causing widespread starvation.

The remnants of the Delaz Fleet engaged in a final battle with Federation forces led by Bask Om near the Solar System. The Solar System’s activation destroyed approximately 75% of the remaining Delaz Fleet forces. Anavel Gato, in his Neue Ziel, died fighting Federation forces, whilst some survivors managed to escape to the waiting Axis Fleet.

Following the conflict, the Titans organisation erased all records of the Delaz Fleet’s existence, officially classifying the colony drop as a “transport accident”.

Organisation

Command structure

The Delaz Fleet operated under a military hierarchy with Aiguille Delaz serving as Fleet Admiral and supreme commander. Delaz had promoted himself from colonel to vice admiral after the retreat from A Baoa Qu, though he was commonly referred to by the higher title of admiral. His second-in-command was Anavel Gato, who held the rank of Lieutenant Commander and served as the fleet’s premier mobile suit pilot and tactical commander.

The fleet maintained a traditional Zeon military structure with clear chains of command. Senior officers included veteran commanders who had served under Gihren Zabi during the One Year War, ensuring ideological cohesion and military discipline. The fleet also incorporated intelligence operatives embedded within civilian organisations, particularly Anaheim Electronics.

Allied forces

The Delaz Fleet formed strategic alliances with other Zeon remnant groups to strengthen their forces for Operation Stardust. The most significant alliance was with Cima Garahau’s Marine Amphibious Unit, though this ultimately proved to be Cima’s infiltration as a Federation double agent.

The fleet also secured crucial support from Axis Zeon forces under Haman Karn. The Axis Advance Fleet provided supplies, equipment, and the AMX-002 Neue Ziel mobile armor that proved instrumental in the later phases of Operation Stardust.

Base of operations

The Delaz Fleet operated from the “Garden of Thorns”, a secret base constructed within the debris field of the destroyed Side 5 space colonies. This location provided excellent concealment from Federation patrols whilst maintaining access to resources from the surrounding wreckage. The base included mobile suit production facilities capable of manufacturing new units and maintaining the fleet’s aging One Year War-era equipment.

Military

Fleet composition

The Delaz Fleet comprised a relatively modest but well-organised naval force centred around the Gwazine-class battleship Gwaden, which served as Delaz’s flagship. The fleet included approximately fifteen Musai-class light cruisers, several Zanzibar-class mobile cruisers, and various support vessels including Papua-class and Pazock-class supply ships.

Despite its relatively small size compared to the main Zeon forces during the One Year War, the Delaz Fleet was considered the largest and most organised Zeon remnant force operating in the Earth Sphere, second only to the Axis Zeon forces based at the Axis asteroid.

Mobile suit forces

The fleet’s mobile suit forces numbered approximately 80 units, primarily consisting of late-war Zeon designs. The core of their mobile suit strength included:

MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2: Approximately 60 units of these late-production Zaku II variants formed the backbone of the fleet’s mobile suit forces
MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II: Around 20 units of these space-optimised Dom variants provided heavy firepower
MS-21C Dra-C: Approximately 30 units of these reconnaissance mobile suits were manufactured at the Garden of Thorns
MS-14A Gelgoog: Limited numbers of advanced Gelgoog units
RX-78GP02A Gundam “Physalis”: The stolen nuclear-armed Gundam that became central to Operation Stardust

The fleet’s ace pilot, Anavel Gato, operated several high-performance units including the stolen Gundam and later the AMX-002 Neue Ziel provided by Axis Zeon.

Combat doctrine

The Delaz Fleet employed asymmetrical warfare tactics that emphasised speed, deception, and precise strikes against high-value targets. Their strategy relied heavily on intelligence gathering, infiltration, and the element of surprise to overcome their numerical disadvantage compared to Federation forces.

The fleet’s operations demonstrated sophisticated planning and coordination, with multiple phases designed to maximise psychological impact whilst achieving strategic objectives. The successful theft of the GP02A and subsequent nuclear attack on the naval review showcased their ability to conduct complex special operations.

Society and culture

Ideology and motivation

The Delaz Fleet was fundamentally motivated by loyalty to Gihren Zabi and his vision of Spacenoid supremacy. Unlike other Zeon remnant groups, the fleet represented the most dedicated followers of Gihren’s ideology, viewing themselves as the true inheritors of his legacy. This ideological commitment was strengthened by their personal loyalty to Delaz, who had been a close friend and supporter of Gihren.

The fleet rejected the Granada Treaty and refused to accept Zeon’s defeat in the One Year War. They viewed the Earth Federation as fundamentally corrupt and believed that only through renewed conflict could the ideals of Spacenoid independence be achieved. This ideological fervour sustained the fleet through three years of exile and hardship in the shoal zone.

Recruitment and morale

The Delaz Fleet maintained high morale despite their exile status, largely due to Delaz’s charismatic leadership and their shared commitment to avenging Zeon’s defeat. The fleet attracted dedicated volunteers from various Zeon remnant groups, as well as sympathisers who had remained hidden within Federation society.

The announcement of Operation Stardust served as a rallying call for Zeon remnants throughout the Earth Sphere, with various units and individuals joining the fleet’s cause. This demonstrated the continued appeal of Zeon ideology and the effectiveness of Delaz’s leadership in uniting disparate remnant forces.

Internal tensions

Despite their shared ideology, the fleet faced internal challenges, particularly regarding the integration of Cima Garahau’s forces. Delaz never fully trusted Cima due to her reputation and the circumstances of her exile from mainstream Zeon forces. This mistrust proved justified when Cima’s true allegiance was revealed during the final phase of Operation Stardust.

The fleet also struggled with resource limitations and the psychological strain of prolonged exile. The successful execution of Operation Stardust represented both their greatest triumph and their ultimate destruction, as the operation consumed the fleet’s remaining strength.

Legacy

Impact on Federation policy

The Delaz Fleet’s actions had profound and lasting consequences for the Earth Federation. Operation Stardust provided the justification for the creation of the Titans organisation, an elite military unit tasked with eliminating threats to Federation security. The colony drop also led to increased militarisation and more aggressive policies towards Spacenoid populations.

The operation’s success despite the fleet’s limited resources exposed fundamental weaknesses in Federation security and led to significant reforms in intelligence gathering and anti-terrorism procedures. The Federation’s initial dismissive attitude towards the Delaz Fleet became a cautionary tale about underestimating determined adversaries.

Influence on subsequent conflicts

The Delaz Fleet’s tactics and ideology influenced later Zeon remnant movements, including the Neo Zeon forces led by Char Aznable. The fleet’s use of asymmetrical warfare, infiltration, and psychological operations became standard tactics for subsequent anti-Federation movements.

The fleet’s relationship with Axis Zeon also strengthened the latter’s position as the primary successor to the Principality of Zeon. The support provided during Operation Stardust enhanced Axis’s credibility among Zeon remnants and contributed to their eventual return to the Earth Sphere as Neo Zeon.

Memorial and remembrance

Following the conflict, the Titans systematically erased records of the Delaz Fleet’s existence, making them largely forgotten in official Federation history. However, among Zeon sympathisers and remnant groups, the fleet became legendary. Anavel Gato in particular achieved mythical status, inspiring subsequent generations of Zeon supporters.

The symbols and iconography associated with the Delaz Fleet continued to appear in later anti-Federation movements, including the Neo Delaz Fleet that emerged in UC 0084. This demonstrated the enduring influence of Delaz’s ideology and the continued relevance of his struggle against Federation dominance.

Behind the scenes

The Delaz Fleet was created for the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory as a way to bridge the gap between the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. The fleet’s actions provide the in-universe justification for the formation of the Titans organisation that serves as the primary antagonist in Zeta Gundam.

The faction’s design drew inspiration from various historical military organisations, particularly those that continued resistance movements after formal defeats. Their ideology and dedication reflected themes of loyalty, honour, and the costs of extremism that run throughout the Gundam franchise.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 Rebellion (manga)
Gihren’s Greed (video game)

External links

Delaz Fleet on the Gundam Wiki
Delaz Conflict on the Gundam Wiki