Clyne Liberation Incident

The Clyne Liberation Incident was a major international incident in C.E. 77 wherein PLANT Supreme Chairman Lacus Clyne was kidnapped by the DESTINY Movement while en-route to meet with representatives from the Earth Alliance. Thanks to a combined force of ZAFT, it's Allies (notably the Oceanic Union) and Terminal, Chairman Clyne was ultimately liberated.

Kidnapping of Clyne
Following the conclusion of the 2nd Alliance-ZAFT War, the new PLANT Supreme Chairman, Lacus Clyne, pushed for unilateral reduction of armaments both within the ZAFT Organisation as well as the combined military forces of the Earth Alliance. However, by the time of CE 77 tensions had once again begun to mount when Chairman Clyne pushed for total disarmament and met with resistance within the PLANT Supreme Council for fear of the still powerful Earth Alliance seizing control of the PLANTs if the Alliance did not agree to either simultaneous or preemptive disarmament.

In order to better negotiate terms with the Alliance, Lacus Clyne travelled to the Alliance Territory on the Moon, accompanied by the elite Yamato and Joule Teams as well as a retinue of FAITH Operatives (Yamato was without the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam at the time due to the units Symbolic Status, instead piloting a custom GOUF Ignited unit). However, the Committee was intercepted just outside of Alliance Territory by the DESTINY Movement's 3rd Fleet, largely comprised of Ex-ZAFT Forces as well as the renegade Phantom Pain unit of the Earth Alliance.

While the Yamato and Joule Teams engaged the opposing forces, Lacus was taken prisoner by the bulk of her FAITH "Bodyguards" who had managed to conceal their lingering loyalties to the late Former Chairman Durandal to act as moles for the DESTINY Movement. Many of the committee were executed while Chairman Clyne herself was sent aboard a lifepod to be captured by DESTINY Movement Mobile Suits. The external battle fared little better; Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman both had their personal ZGMF-1500 Re-Zaku units disabled in battle against the GAT-X161 Gaia Calamity Gundam and the GAT-X292 Abyss Forbidden Gundam while Yamato was himself defeated in battle by the GAT-X377 Chaos Raider Gundam.

Concerted Response
After making it to the Oceanic Union's Irwin Lunar Base, Kira and Yzak were able to report the event to the PLANT Homeland. The Yamato and Joule teams were ordered to return, and were accompanied by a volunteer team of Oceanic Union Pilots. In an effort to prevent panic by even a partial military mobilization, these pilots were brought aboard the Minerva Kai which set out with one goal in mind; rescue Lacus Clyne.