Operation Nova

Operation Nova was a military offensive launched by the Romefeller Foundation in AC 195 during the Eve Wars. Led by Duke Dermail, the operation deployed mobile doll armies from the lunar base to crush the Treize Faction—OZ forces loyal to Treize Khushrenada—and the peace-oriented Sanc Kingdom, which had declared total pacifism under Relena Peacecraft. The offensive demonstrated the tactical superiority of automated warfare, overwhelming defensive positions with tireless mobile doll units. The operation succeeded in destroying the Sanc Kingdom and forcing Relena into service as the Romefeller Foundation’s chief representative, marking a turning point in the Eve Wars.

Prelude

Treize-Dermail split

Following Treize Khushrenada’s open opposition to mobile doll technology at a Romefeller Foundation meeting, Duke Dermail relieved Treize of command and placed him under house arrest. This split OZ into two factions:

Dermail faction: Supported mobile doll automation, loyal to Romefeller
Treize Faction: Opposed mobile dolls, loyal to Treize’s philosophy of honourable combat

Several OZ officers loyal to Treize formed a splinter group, eventually operating independently and deemed enemies of the Romefeller Foundation.

Sanc Kingdom pacifism

The Sanc Kingdom, led by Relena Peacecraft (Relena Darlian), had declared a policy of total pacifism. Zechs Merquise (Milliardo Peacecraft), Relena’s brother, defended the kingdom alongside several Gundam pilots who temporarily aligned with the kingdom’s peace ideals.

The Sanc Kingdom’s pacifist stance and growing influence threatened the Romefeller Foundation’s plans for military dominance. Dermail viewed the kingdom as an obstacle to be eliminated.

Operation

Mobile doll deployment

Duke Dermail ordered Operation Nova, deploying mobile doll armies from the lunar base to Earth. The offensive targeted both the Treize Faction and the Sanc Kingdom, aiming to eliminate opposition to Romefeller control.

The mobile doll forces consisted primarily of:

OZ-12SMS Taurus - Space-capable mobile dolls
OZ-06MS Leo - Automated Leo variants
Supporting automated units

These tireless, fearless combat units executed tactical manoeuvres with perfect efficiency, demonstrating the technology’s military superiority that Dermail championed.

Sanc Kingdom defence

Zechs Merquise, piloting the OZ-00MS Tallgeese, led the Sanc Kingdom’s defence. Several Gundam pilots who had sought refuge in the kingdom also participated:

Heero Yuy - Wing Gundam (later transferred to Gundam Epyon)
Other pilots providing support

Despite fierce resistance, the mobile doll armies’ numerical superiority and tireless operation overwhelmed defensive positions. The automated forces could sustain continuous assault without fatigue, attrition, or morale collapse.

Fall of Sanc Kingdom

The Sanc Kingdom fell to the mobile doll offensive. The operation demonstrated Operation Nova’s success in eliminating opposition through automated warfare. The kingdom’s destruction proved Dermail’s vision of mobile doll superiority whilst validating Treize’s warnings about warfare without human cost.

Aftermath

Relena’s capture

After the Sanc Kingdom’s destruction, Relena Peacecraft was forced to become the Romefeller Foundation’s chief representative. Dermail used her status and oratory skills to legitimize Romefeller rule whilst keeping her under control.

Zechs’ departure

Zechs Merquise, unable to prevent the kingdom’s fall, departed after the defeat. He eventually joined White Fang, the colonial rebel group, bringing his military expertise and the captured Gundam Epyon to their cause.

Mobile doll vindication

Operation Nova vindicated Dermail’s support for mobile doll technology, proving automated forces’ tactical superiority. The operation’s success emboldened the Romefeller Foundation to expand mobile doll deployment throughout their military.

However, the operation also demonstrated Treize’s philosophical point—warfare without human cost could be executed without restraint, moral consideration, or honour. The destruction of the pacifist Sanc Kingdom by tireless automated forces showed the dangers of removing human judgment from combat.

Treize Faction dissolution

Many Treize Faction members were defeated during Operation Nova. Survivors either:

Went into hiding
Joined White Fang
Surrendered to Romefeller
Aligned with the Gundam pilots

The faction’s dissolution removed organized opposition to Dermail’s control of OZ, consolidating Romefeller military power.

Legacy

Operation Nova marked the zenith of mobile doll warfare. The operation proved the technology’s tactical effectiveness whilst demonstrating its philosophical problems. Automated forces could achieve military objectives without human casualties but also without human restraint or moral consideration.

The Sanc Kingdom’s destruction galvanized opposition to Romefeller. Relena’s forced servitude created sympathy for her pacifist ideals, whilst the automated assault on a peaceful kingdom demonstrated the extremes of Dermail’s vision.

White Fang’s subsequent capture of the lunar base and its mobile doll production facilities gave them the same automated warfare capability that destroyed the Sanc Kingdom, continuing the cycle of escalation that characterized the Eve Wars.

Behind the scenes

Operation Nova served as a plot device demonstrating the consequences of automated warfare. The operation’s success in destroying the pacifist Sanc Kingdom illustrated that technological superiority alone couldn’t resolve moral questions about warfare’s purpose.

The operation’s name “Nova” (a stellar explosion) evoked the mobile doll offensive’s explosive impact on the Eve Wars’ political landscape, destroying the Treize Faction and Sanc Kingdom whilst forcing Relena into Romefeller service.

Appearances

Operation Nova appeared in:

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (TV series)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: Glory of the Losers (manga)

External links

Operation Nova on the Gundam Wiki (via Eve Wars article)