BM-004 Berga Dalas

The BM-001 Berga Dalas is a mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha. It is a commander use mobile suit utilized by Cosmo Babylonia, as well as the renegade Crossbone Vanguard.

Appearance
The original XM-04 Berga Dalas, but larger and more refined. As with others, it lacks the original model's beam sabers, but otherwise holds no further changes. Standard color is Cosmo Babylonian light grey, but as with most other MS types, a number of ace custom versions exist. For example, Dorel Ronah's unit is light purple (the canon color), while Zerik Ronah's unit is notably dark green.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Developed as a successor to the prior Denan series, the BM-004 Berga Dalas is a high performance suit, meant to be used by commanders and other officials of Cosmo Babylonia. For this purpose, the Berga Dalas was designed to be faster, more maneuverable and more powerful than the earlier BM-001 Denan Zon and the BM-002 Denan Gei being used by regular soldiers, while at the same time keeping to the themes and combat motifs of Babylonian mobile suits.

Unlike most later generation mobile suits used by other militaries, the Berga Dalas'  basic armaments is not changed from the basic shot lancer and complimenting beam shield, though later into the war the model is retrofitted to carry two beam sabers. Rather, the Dalas' main defining feature is its "Shelf Nozzle" Apollo Thruster pack. Another staple of Cosmo Babylonian technology, the "Shelf Nozzle" is a flexible thruster unit, which grants it exceptional speed and mobility that most mobile suits cannot hope to match. The Berga Dalas is the first unit to field this kind of thruster, and though somewhat imperfect compared to later units, the resulting data would lead to the development of more refined units such as the BM-005 Berga Giros.

Armaments

 * XBS04 Beam Shield
 * The Berga Dalas mounts a single beam shield on its left arm. Though little different in design from others of its type, the shield is the Dalas ' central means of protection, especially with its lighter than average armor. As a result, pilots are trained specifically to use the shield while executing higher maneuvers, often in cohesion with the shot lancer.


 * XSL04 Shot Lancer
 * Cosmo Babylonia's trademark mobile suit weapon. Designed for high speed medium-to-close range combat, the shot lancer comprises of two beam machine guns melded to a kinetic pile driver lance, which the Dalas wields with a trigger grip. The lance is primarily driven through electromagnetic acceleration, through which it can pierce most forms of armor with little hindrance, and can likewise be launched off as a missile. The beam machine guns are of otherwise standard design (though some what more powerful than average due to the Dalas'  higher power output), but remain very effective when complimented with the Dalas' speed and mobility.


 * XSB04 Beam Saber
 * Originally a weapon developed under the Earth Federation's Project V, beam saber technology would eventually end up being copied and applied by Outer Power forces as well, up to and including Cosmo Babylonia. When activated, the hilt generates a focused blade of beam energy; this is revolutionary compared to standard melee weapons at that point, which can only generate a beam "edge" over a designated area. The blade can be shortened or lengthened at the pilot's command, allowing it to be utilized as a dagger when necessary. Once activated, the beam saber does not rely on the mobile suit's reactor and can be thrown or discarded as a decoy. The beam saber is most often used for close range combat or as an emergency weapon once all others have been depleted or lost.

Special Equipment and Design Features

 * Shelf Nozzles
 * Another staple of Cosmo Babylonian tech, the Shelf Nozzle is a new type of thruster configuration that grants exceptional speed and mobility. Essentially a type of modular Apollo Thruster, the nozzles' design allows it to generate more propulsion compared to most standard units, as well as be physically flexible for greater maneuverability. The Dalas mounts six of these units on its backpack, being the first mobile suit to field this kind of technology.

History
Designed and built further into the Galactic War than its Denan predecessors, the BM-004 Berga Dalas was meant to serve as the premiere command unit of Cosmo Babylonia, with the intention of eventually supplanting the Denans as a main production unit. As a result, full scale production would not begin until August of GC 379, with the first units off the assembly lines being passed out to prominent military officials, namely members of the Ronah family. Among noteworthy recipients was Admiral Dorel Ronah, Patriarch Carozzo "Iron Mask" Ronah's biological heir and commander of the Third Fleet, as well as Commander Zerik Ronah. The latter would be the first to take the Dalas into actual battle, specifically against the forces of the Earth Federation carrier Ark Royal and Anaheim repair ship La Vie en Rose at System J-292. And finally, as with other Cosmo Babylonian suits, the Crossbone Vanguard would also utilize captured (or units whose pilots defected) Berga Dalas for their own forces.