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#01 The Existence of Aliens and the Unification War (Zero/SDFM)
With the opportunity of the alien spaceship that suddenly fell from space, mankind sought a global-scale agreement. However, the establishment of the Unified Government gave birth to all sorts of opposition, and disputes occurred all over the world. These disputes later came to be called "The Unification War"...

1999; Earth
The ASS-1 falls to South Ataria Island
July, 1999. It all starts with the fall of an enormous object to South Ataria Island, a solitary island in the Pacific. Due to this unexpected encounter, the human race, who had just begun to step into space, was finally forced to have a new awakening.
The shock-wave of the enormous object that suddenly came flying damaged many parts of the world, and a United Nations official announcement reported that it was an asteroid that fell. As a matter of fact, due to an investigation, the very thing had already turned out to be a space ship from intelligent life that differed from Earthlings. However, because the damage to many parts of the world from it's fall was too great, and in order to not cause further confusion, the information that it was an alien ship was concealed. And then, the truth was brought to the leading class in each nation, and a place was established for emergency meetings that differed from such things as aiding in the reconstruction of each region.
For an even more precise investigation of the fallen object, which was given the Code Name ASS-1 (Alien Starship-1), the United Nations designated South Ataria Island as a United Nations controlled area. The UN decided that a research group would be dispatched to the island. As a result, according to the first report of the enquiry commission, it was determined that the ASS-1 was a space battleship aimed at combat, and it was operated until recently by giant aliens who have a height 5 times that of the human race.
The existence of the ASS-1 hinted of not just the war in space being conducted by fellow intelligent alien life, but also the possibility that the Earth, where the human race lives, will sooner or later be swallowed up in that interstellar war. Thus, in order to prepare for a space war with aliens, a movement began to appear that tried to integrate the nations on the Earth.

Caption: July, 1999. A giant object falls from space, like its cutting up the night sky. It urged the "awakening" of mankind.

Caption: The fall of the ASS-1 produced damage that foresaw the apocalypse. However, there was also a boy who was amazed by the beauty of the spectacle at the same time.

Caption: The object that fell exceeded 1,200 m in length, and it sustained a shock when it crashed. The condition it was discovered in was recorded as a prototype space battleship.

Caption: South Ataria Island where the ASS-1 crashed. The United Nations assumed jurisdiction of the area and all military activities were prohibited on it.

The Restored ASS-1 (later the SDF-1 Macross)
The object that crashed into South Ataria Island was designated ASS-1 and was restored by the skills of Earthlings. The reconstruction of this warship took approximately 8 years time, and after taking civilians on board, it came to weather the First Interstellar War.

1999.07
An extra-large meteor falls on South Ataria Island. An investigation of the meteor results in it turning out to be an alien spaceship.

1999.08
A detailed investigation by the United Nations enquiry commission commences. South Ataria Island is designated a United Nations controlled area.

1999.12
The alien spaceship turns out to be one for combat, and the height of the aliens is giant; more than 5 times that of mankind.

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2000 - Earth
The Commencement of Anti-Giant Combat Weapon Development
What mankind obtained from the ASS-1 wasn't only the proof of the existence of aliens. Above all else, mankind obtained a large amount of Over Technology (hereafter OTM) that they had hitherto been unable to possess. For that reason, the Alien Technology Analysis Research Institute "Otec Co.", was hastily established by the joint investment of each of the main countries.
As the analysis of OTM advanced and as such things as the essence of the aliens and their technology became clear, it came to be thought that the Earth should also possess the fighting strength to oppose the aliens. So, in parallel with such things as the investigation and analysis of OTM, development advanced on anti-alien combat weapons that use OTM. This research gave birth to such things as the later extra-large weapon Grand Cannon, land warfare Destroids, and the all-environment Variable Fighter.

Caption: One of the weapons that was developed to fight against the 10 m giants was the all-environment variable system = Variable Fighter.

Caption: The super large-calibre Grand Cannon, which uses the Earth's gravitational field as it's energy source. It boasts the power to instantly erase an 800,000 vessel Zentraadi fleet.

Up: Destroid Cheyenne

Caption: The ADR-3 is the initial period Destroid. The Unified Forces threw the [ADR-3] Cheyenne into combat in the closing years of the Unification War.

* Translator's note: was flagged as an error in the initial edition, and was originally: "The MBR-04 series was the first practical Destroid model."

2000 - 2001; Earth
The outbreak of the Unification War and the inauguration of the Earth Unified Government
After approximately one year from the ASS-1's fall, the existence of aliens was finally made public around the world. The human race faced an era of interstellar war that was expected to arrive in the near future. The actions that the human race took first originated from true globalism that transcended such things as nations and countries, and established the Unified Government = the government that governs the Earth. Even though the United Nations became the provisional Earth Unified Government, in a world that is a patchwork state of such things as the barriers of national borders and national consciousness, powers that rejected the intent of the unification also naturally existed. Thus, there was an outbreak of disputes between the Unified Government and the Anti Unification Alliance. This strife took the name of the Unification War, and the wartime catastrophe extended to the whole world.

Caption: The object that fell was officially announced to be an alien spaceship. The Unified Government was established following the announcement.

Caption: Disputes occurred with the Anti Unification Alliance, who opposed the Unified Government, and the whole world was swallowed up into what became the Unification War.

2001 - 2004; Earth
The start of the ASS-1 restoration reconstruction plan and the VF-0's development
In the middle of the Unification War, the plan to repair the ASS-1 and reuse it in the armed forces commences. After this, the ASS-1 is renamed the SDF-1 (Super Dimensional Fortress). By all rights, it's repair was scheduled to have been advanced after the conclusion of the Unification War. However, as the dispute was at a stalemate and the repairs needed 10 years even at their shortest, work continued in preparation for an alien invasion that was coming at an unknown time.
Both the Unified Forces and the Anti Unification Alliance started the development of weapons that put OTM to use in parallel to the restoration. The VF-0 also appeared among those weapons; it was the pattern for the VF-1, which later became the main fighter of the Unified Forces.

Caption: Along with the SDF-1's repair and restructuring plan, civilians began immigrating to South Ataria Island. Those people later became the inhabitants of the SDF-1.

Caption: In opposition to the Variable Fighter that the Anti Unification Alliance threw into the war, the Unified Forces organized an experimental combat force with the VF-0, and committed it to the fighting during the closing years of the Unification War.

2000.04
Start of the development on anti-giant combat weapon systems (Battroids and Destroids).

2000.06
The existence of aliens is officially announced.*

* Translator's note: revised with an errata sticker. Originally was: "The official announcement of the existence of aliens. The proposal for the Earth Unified Government is prepared and officially announced."

2000.07
Disputes break-out in the Middle East.*

* Translator's note: revised with an errata sticker. Originally was: "Disputes break-out in the Middle East. Hereafter, such things as disputes and civil wars frequently occur all over the world. These were collectively referred to as the Unification War."

2000.12
The guidance on the creation of the Earth Unified Government is officially announced. The Unified Government ideology is announced by the United Nations, and the Earth Unified Government is launched provisionally.*

* Translator's note: added with the errata sticker.

2001.01
Establishment of the Anti-Unification Alliance.*

*Translator's note: not on the original sheet.

2001.02
The inauguration of the Earth Unified Government. The establishment of the Earth Unified Forces.*

*Translator's note: takes place in 2001.01 on the original.

2001.02
The commencement of the plan to restore and remodel the crashed alien spaceship and reuse it as an Earth Unified Forces battleship. Thereafter, the spaceship is called the SDF-1.

2001.05
Construction of the Unified Forces headquarters in Alaska commences. Construction begins on the Grand Cannon No.1 in the same base.

2001.05
The disputes in many parts of the world intensify. They develop into the Unification War.

* Translator's note: added with the errata sticker.

2001.07
The beginning of the settlement of civilians on South Ataria Island in order to restore the SDF-1.

2002.07
The First South Ataria Island Defensive Battle, due to an Anti-Unification Alliance attack.

2003.11
Construction of the SDF-2, a purely Earth produced space battleship, begins in Apollo Base on the Moon's surface.

2004.03
Construction of the Grand Cannon II begins in Australia.

2004.10
Construction of the Grand Cannon III begins in Africa.

2004
The VF-0 No.1 craft is completed.

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© Aaron Sketchley