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Mafty

Anti-Earth Federation resistance organisation that operated in UC 0105.
Jenxi Seow Published 17 Jun 2025 Updated 17 Jun 2025
Mafty

Mafty (マフティー, Mafutī) was an anti-Earth Federation resistance organisation that operated in UC 0105. Formally known as Mafty Navue Erin, the group was dedicated to opposing the corrupt Federation government through targeted assassinations of high-ranking officials and terrorist operations. The organisation was led by Hathaway Noa under the pseudonym “Mafty Navue Erin.”

History

Formation

Mafty was established in UC 0105 by an anonymous benefactor known only as “Quack Salver”, a mysterious figure rumoured to be a former Earth Federation Forces vice admiral who had overseen military logistics from UC 0079 to UC 0093. Quack Salver possessed extensive knowledge of Federation operations and was able to delete Mafty’s bases from Federation records whilst providing the organisation with funding, intelligence, and mobile weapons through connections with Anaheim Electronics.

The organisation recruited Hathaway Noa, son of the famous Federation hero Bright Noa, whilst he was working as a botanical observer on the Minahasa Peninsula in Sulawesi. Hathaway, still haunted by his experiences during Char’s Rebellion and disgusted by the Federation’s increasing corruption, agreed to join the group and eventually became its operational leader under the alias “Mafty Navue Erin.”

Ideology and objectives

Mafty’s primary ideology centred on environmental preservation and opposition to Federation corruption. The organisation sought to force all of humanity to leave Earth and migrate to space colonies, believing this was necessary to allow the planet’s ecosystem to recover from decades of war and pollution. This represented an extreme interpretation of the Contolism philosophy advocated by Char Aznable.

The group opposed the Federation’s “Man Hunter” policy, which forcibly deported civilians deemed “undesirable” to space colonies whilst allowing the wealthy and privileged classes to remain on Earth. Mafty viewed this as a corrupt system that allowed the elite to exploit Earth’s resources whilst exiling those who could not afford to stay.

Operations and activities

By April UC 0105, Mafty had conducted a sustained campaign of terrorism against the Federation government. The organisation was responsible for the assassinations of eighteen Federation cabinet members and hundreds of associated civilian casualties. These targeted killings were designed to pressure the government into abandoning legislation that would further strengthen the privileges of Earth’s ruling class.

Mafty’s operations were characterised by sophisticated planning and advanced mobile weapons. The organisation operated primarily in the Western Pacific region, using the submarine tender Valiant as a mobile headquarters. The group maintained cells in various locations, including a significant presence of approximately 30,000 supporters concentrated in Oenbelli, northern Australia.

On 25 April UC 0105, Mafty broadcast a public demand threatening to continue assassinations unless the Federation voted down a bill that would allow the privatisation of Earth’s lands by the privileged class. Despite this ultimatum, the Federation cabinet proceeded with their scheduled conference in Adelaide, Australia.

The Adelaide operation

Mafty’s final major operation targeted the Federation cabinet meeting in Adelaide. The organisation planned to use the recently acquired RX-105 Ξ Gundam to assault the conference and force the ministers to abandon their legislation. The operation began with diversionary attacks in other locations, including Oenbelli, to draw Federation attention away from Adelaide.

During the operation, Hathaway successfully infiltrated Adelaide and seized control of the cabinet building using the Ξ Gundam. He issued broadcasts declaring Adelaide a safe zone for Federation officials whilst threatening to hunt down any who attempted to flee. However, the cabinet members attempted to escape through Adelaide’s airport, leading to a final confrontation between the Ξ Gundam and the Federation’s RX-104FF Penelope.

Dissolution

The Adelaide operation ended in failure when Federation pilot Lane Aim successfully trapped the Ξ Gundam using beam barrier technology. Hathaway was captured and, in an unprecedented move, the surviving cabinet members sentenced him to death without trial as an example to other anti-Federation groups.

The Federation attempted to use the execution as a propaganda victory by falsely claiming that Bright Noa had personally ordered his son’s execution. However, this tactic backfired spectacularly, as Hathaway’s martyrdom only increased public sympathy for anti-Federation movements and exposed the government’s corruption to an even wider audience.

With their leader’s death, Mafty’s organised operations ceased. The remaining members went underground, though the organisation’s ideals continued to inspire other resistance movements throughout the Earth Sphere.

Organisation

Structure

Mafty operated as a loosely organised network of cells rather than a traditional military hierarchy. The organisation employed a decentralised structure that allowed different groups to operate autonomously whilst maintaining coordination through shared intelligence and resources provided by Quack Salver.

The primary operational unit was the group directly commanded by Hathaway, which included approximately a dozen active operatives supported by a larger network of sympathisers and intelligence gatherers. This core group operated from the submarine tender Valiant and conducted the most high-profile operations.

Separate cells operated independently in various locations, including the “1st Mafty Army” based in Oenbelli, Australia. These groups sometimes acted without direct coordination from the central command, leading to operations such as the hijacking of Haunzen Flight 356 that were conducted by imitators rather than official Mafty operatives.

Leadership

The organisation’s leadership was deliberately obscured through the use of the fictitious persona “Mafty Navue Erin.” This composite identity allowed the group to operate without revealing the true identities of its leaders whilst creating a symbolic figurehead for the movement.

Hathaway served as the operational commander of Mafty’s most active cell, making strategic decisions and personally piloting the organisation’s most advanced mobile weapons. However, the true founder and financier, Quack Salver, remained anonymous throughout the organisation’s existence.

Support network

Mafty relied heavily on external support from Anaheim Electronics, which provided the organisation with advanced mobile weapons including the Me02R Messer series and the RX-105 Ξ Gundam. This relationship was facilitated by Quack Salver’s connections within the military-industrial complex.

The organisation also received intelligence support that allowed them to obtain detailed schedules of Federation cabinet meetings and military movements. This intelligence network enabled Mafty to conduct precise strikes against high-value targets whilst avoiding major Federation military forces for most of their operational period.

Military capabilities

Mobile weapons

Mafty possessed some of the most advanced mobile weapons available in UC 0105, obtained through their relationship with Anaheim Electronics. The organisation’s primary mobile suits were variants of the Me02R Messer series, which were specifically designed for guerrilla warfare operations.

The Me02R-F01 Messer Type-F01 served as the organisation’s main combat unit, optimised for hit-and-run tactics in cooperation with the Galcezon transport aircraft. These mobile suits featured Zeon-inspired design elements, possibly to disguise Anaheim Electronics’ involvement in their development.

For command operations, Mafty employed the Me02R-Fc Messer Type-F Naked (Commander Type), which featured reduced armour for improved manoeuvrability and enhanced communications equipment for coordinating multiple units.

The organisation’s most powerful weapon was the RX-105 Ξ Gundam, a fifth-generation mobile suit equipped with an integrated Minovsky Flight Unit and advanced beam barrier technology. This unit was specifically procured for the Adelaide operation and represented the pinnacle of mobile suit technology available at the time.

Support vessels

Mafty operated the submarine tender Valiant as their primary support vessel and mobile headquarters. This ship provided maintenance facilities for the organisation’s mobile weapons and served as a base of operations for their Pacific campaigns.

The organisation also utilised Galcezon transport aircraft for deploying mobile suits and conducting rapid insertions into combat zones. These aircraft were essential for Mafty’s guerrilla warfare tactics, allowing them to strike Federation targets and withdraw before substantial reinforcements could arrive.

Tactical doctrine

Mafty’s military operations emphasised speed, precision, and psychological impact over prolonged engagement. The organisation typically conducted surprise attacks against specific targets before withdrawing to avoid Federation countermeasures. This approach allowed their relatively small force to achieve strategic effects disproportionate to their numerical strength.

The group’s operations were carefully planned to minimise collateral damage to civilian populations whilst maximising political impact. However, the nature of their urban operations in populated areas inevitably resulted in civilian casualties, which the organisation accepted as necessary for their larger objectives.

Legacy

Despite its brief existence, Mafty’s impact on the political landscape of UC 0105 was substantial. The organisation’s assassination campaign succeeded in exposing the depths of Federation corruption to the general public, whilst Hathaway’s martyrdom galvanised anti-Federation sentiment throughout the Earth Sphere.

The manner of Hathaway’s execution, conducted without trial and falsely attributed to his father’s orders, served as a catalyst for further resistance movements. Kenneth Sleg, the Federation officer who had pursued Mafty, resigned in disgust and later organised his own resistance cell to continue the organisation’s work.

The organisation’s ideals continued to influence subsequent anti-Federation movements, whilst the advanced mobile weapons developed for Mafty established design principles that would influence mobile suit development for years to come. The RX-105 Ξ Gundam in particular demonstrated the potential of integrated flight systems and beam barrier technology.

Etymology

The name “Mafty Navue Erin” was derived from a combination of words from multiple languages. The full designation translates to “The King of the Rightful Prophet” (正当なる預言者の王, Seitou naru Yogensha no Ou) in Japanese. “Mufti” refers to a Muslim scholar and interpreter of Sharia law, “Nabiyy” means “prophet” in Arabic, and “Ríg” is an inflection of “rí,” meaning “king” in Old Irish.

Behind the scenes

Mafty was created by Tomino Yoshiyuki for the Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash novel series, published between 1989 and 1990. The organisation was conceived as part of Tomino’s continued exploration of the themes of environmentalism and political corruption that had been central to the Gundam franchise since its inception.

The organisation’s mobile weapons were originally designed by Moriki Yasuhiro for the novels, with later redesigns by Kazumi Fujita for the SD Gundam G Generation video game series. For the 2021 anime adaptation, Katoki Hajime and Nakatani Seiichi refined the designs whilst maintaining their connection to the original novel illustrations.

Appearances

See also