Moon Massacre

The Moon Massacre is an event that occurs in Mobile Suit Gundam: Shadows of Ascent.

Summary
As colony development was reestablished, the New Earth Federation gave most of the attention to the closest colony, the Von Braun City on the moon. Having thought of this as an opportunity to demoralize the EFSF in the following conflict, Gestral forces appeared for the first time in history, led by ''Commander Talion Kuga. ''

Von Braun City was completely taken by surprise, as each of the fifteen million inhabitants of the city tried to hastily evacuate, with no signs of EFSF being near Moon yet. Gestral forces at the scene were ordered to raze the city to the ground, including its inhabitants. With the ship of the White Hearts, the Rhaelwoods, being the only nearby ship capable of providing assistance, Yuka Misaki sortied in the new GAMS-0010 Gundam Ascent to delay the enemy forces before the bulk of the EFSF forces would arrive. Even after the arrival of the EFSF forces, it was found out that the new mobile suit models utilized by Gestral were superior compared to the standard models of the Federation, excluding the newest models used in only small numbers.

In the next few hours, all Gestral forces were driven off by the EFSF, but at a large cost. The city was saved, but a third was destroyed and would take years to rebuild, alongside half a million civilian casualties. Following this unexplained aggression of the nation of Gestral, the New Earth Federation declares war, starting the Gestral Conflict. Following the so-called Moon Massacre, various extremist factions emerge from within the NEF, most importantly, the Crimson Division.