Mariemaia Incident

The Mariemaia Incident was a coup attempt in December AC 196 by the Mariemaia Army led by Dekim Barton against the pacifist Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Taking advantage of the ESUN’s total disarmament following the Eve Wars, the Mariemaia Army kidnapped Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian, occupied Colony X-18999, and invaded Brussels with over 400 Serpent mobile suits. The incident was resolved when the Gundam pilots and Preventers defeated the army, and one of Dekim’s own soldiers killed him after he shot his granddaughter Mariemaia. The event marked the final major conflict of the After Colony era.

Prelude

Post-war disarmament

Following the conclusion of the Eve Wars on 24 December AC 195, the Earth Sphere Unified Nation adopted a policy of total pacifism. All mobile suits were dismantled, and the Gundam pilots agreed to send their Gundams into the sun aboard a disposal block, believing the age of mobile suit warfare had ended.

Chang Wufei alone refused, questioning whether peace built on sacrifice could truly be called peace. His doubts led him to join the Mariemaia Army to test his convictions.

Secret preparation

The Barton Foundation, led by Dekim Barton, had secretly recruited the Mariemaia Army beginning in AC 195. Using his granddaughter Mariemaia Khushrenada—supposedly the daughter of the legendary Treize Khushrenada—as a puppet leader, Dekim rallied supporters claiming to uphold Treize’s ideals.

The Barton Foundation seized production lines at Colony X-18999 and secretly manufactured 500 Serpent mobile suits using the colony’s reconstruction budget. By Christmas Eve AC 196, exactly one year after the Eve Wars ended, the army was ready.

Event

X-18999 occupation (24 December AC 196)

On 24 December AC 196, the Mariemaia Army made their move. They kidnapped Relena Darlian, now Vice Foreign Minister of the ESUN, during a diplomatic mission to X-18999 and took over the colony. Dekim Barton threatened to drop the colony onto Earth if the ESUN didn’t surrender, intending to execute the original Operation Meteor.

Trowa Barton infiltrated the army under the alias “Ralph Kurt” and attempted to assassinate Dekim but was stopped by Wufei and forced to pledge allegiance to maintain his cover.

Gundam retrieval

Quatre Raberba Winner and the Maganac Corps intercepted the disposal block carrying the Gundams to the sun and retrieved the mobile suits, recognizing that they would be needed to stop the Mariemaia Army.

The Gundam pilots used their retrieved Gundams to stabilize X-18999, preventing the colony drop. This allowed Zechs Merquise, operating as “Preventer Wind” in the Tallgeese III, to destroy the MO-III asteroid base with the mega cannon’s maximum output mode. However, Dekim escaped before the base’s destruction.

Brussels invasion

The Mariemaia Army’s main force descended from MO-III to Earth and seized the Presidential Mansion in Brussels, the ESUN capital. Over 400 Serpent mobile suits occupied the city.

Lady Une infiltrated the presidential bunker through a secret passage whilst Zechs in the Tallgeese III and Lucrezia Noin in a Taurus fought as distractions. Three Gundams (Deathscythe Hell, Heavyarms Custom, Sandrock Custom) arrived to help.

The combined Preventer and Gundam forces managed to disable most of the Serpent units without killing pilots, leaving approximately 50 operational. However, they exhausted their energy and ammunition due to the sheer numbers.

A heavily damaged Wing Zero appeared, piloted by Heero, having fought Wufei in the Altron and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The ZERO System reactivated on its own, convincing Heero to complete his mission.

Resolution

Inside the Presidential Mansion, Dekim Barton attempted to shoot Relena, but Mariemaia stepped in front of the bullet, protecting Relena and being left paraplegic. Dekim showed no remorse for shooting his own granddaughter and attempted to shoot Relena again.

One of the Mariemaia Army soldiers shot and killed Dekim, expressing sincere apologies for “betraying” Treize Khushrenada. The soldier’s action demonstrated that even the army recognized Dekim’s goals betrayed Treize’s true ideals.

With Dekim dead and Mariemaia no longer desiring to continue the war, the remaining Serpent units dropped their weapons and surrendered. The incident ended on the same day it began: 24 December AC 196.

Aftermath

Disarmament completion

Following the incident’s resolution, true peace reigned over the Earth Sphere. The Gundam pilots proceeded with their plan to destroy all Gundams, ensuring that these symbols of war could never be used again.

Quatre mentioned that the Winner Family planned to melt down all remaining Serpent units into Neo-Titanium and use them to reinforce colony walls, transforming weapons of war into tools of protection.

Political stability

The ESUN was restored with its democratic government intact. Relena continued her work as Vice Foreign Minister, advancing her vision of total pacifism through legitimate political channels.

The Preventers remained as the ESUN’s covert security force, their necessity proven by the Mariemaia Army’s exploitation of the ESUN’s defenceless state.

Legacy

The Mariemaia Incident served as a final test of the post-Eve Wars peace. It demonstrated both the vulnerability of a completely pacifist state and the possibility of resolving conflicts without mass casualties. The Gundam pilots’ and Preventers’ success in disabling hundreds of Serpent units without killing pilots showed that military force could be used defensively and proportionally.

Mariemaia Khushrenada’s protection of Relena despite her injuries demonstrated that even those raised for war could choose peace. The unnamed soldier’s execution of Dekim showed that Treize’s true legacy—honouring the sanctity of life and recognizing the tragedy of war—lived on in those who had served under him.

Behind the scenes

The Mariemaia Incident served as the plot of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz. Setting the incident on 24 December—exactly one year after the Eve Wars ended—created thematic resonance, suggesting that peace requires constant vigilance and that the anniversary of one conflict’s end could mark another’s beginning.

The incident’s quick resolution (all events occurring in one day) contrasted with the year-long Eve Wars, demonstrating how decisive action by a small dedicated force could prevent escalation into prolonged conflict.

Appearances

The Mariemaia Incident appeared in:

External links

Mariemaia Incident on the Gundam Wiki (via Endless Waltz article)