GN-000 II 0 Gundam II

The GN-000 II 0 Gundam II (aka 0 Gundam II), is the upgraded version of the original GN-000 0 Gundam, created for Sterling Aarden during the latter chapters of Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Super Soldiers & Innovators. It was used up to and including Celestial Being's battle against Ribbons Almark and the Innovators.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Designated a 3.5 Generation Gundam, 0 Gundam II is the enhanced version of the original 0 Gundam, the genesis of GN-powered mobile suits. To give the 0 Gundam greater combat capabilities, the CB engineers went back and used the knowledge gained from the development of Exia. The aim was to improve the 0 Gundam's mobility in the atmosphere, in space, and on the ground. To this end, the 0 Gundam's arms and legs were removed and rebuilt from the ground up. Like Exia, its legs were given the best human articulation as possible to improve its Active Mass Balance Auto Control (AMBAC), the same being done for the suit's arms. The rear of the suit shows noticable differences as thrusters were added to the rear calves and rear shoulders. The suit is still able to generate its trademark GN Particle Wings, only now thanks to fine tuning of the Clavicle Antenna, the wings actually increase the 0 Gundam II's aerial agility. The fact that the suit's joints are more exposed is made up for by the fact that the 0 Gundam II now possesses mobility similar to that of the other 3.5 Generation Gundams, along with Sterling's piloting skills.

Also like Exia, the 0 Gundam II utilises both solid state swords and beam sabers in its weaponary, allowing it to effectively combat other mobile suits that utilise GN Particles (and GN Tau Particles).

When the 0 Gundam II requires an extra edge in battle, it can be equipped one of two additional weapon packs; either the Sniper Pack or the Sword Pack. Also, the suit can be equipped with two GN 0 Swords (enhanced versions of Exia's GN Sword), in place of its GN Beam Rifle II and GN Shield.

Armaments

 * GN Beam Rifle II
 * Developed as the 0 Gundam II’s primary ranged weapon, the GN Rifle II is essentially a modified version of the suit’s original GN Beam Gun. Physically, the weapon is longer and more streamlined, thanks to the advances in technology made since the 0 Gundam’s creation. The weapon is as powerful as Cherudim’s GN Sniper Gun II, though its range is lower. The weapon also has an improved rate of fire, similar to Arios’ GN Twin Beam Rifle.


 * GN Shield II
 * Like the rest of the 0 Gundam II’s equipment, the GN Shield II is virtually the same as before. The main difference is that the shield is made from GN Composite Armour, increasing its defensive capabilities. In addition, the shield can generate a large beam saber from its base, giving the 0 Gundam II a powerful melee weapon if necessary.


 * GN Beam Saber
 * The improved 0 Gundam II features two beam sabers the same kind carried by Arios and Seravee. The beam saber hilts are stored on either side of the GN Drive cone, similar to the original 0 Gundam's single beam saber. Unlike 0 Gundam's original beam saber, the lengths of the beam blades can be adjusted. However, the sabers have to be removed when either the Sniper or Sword Pack is equipped.


 * GN Vulcan
 * These weapons are smaller cousins to the GN Beam weapon. Typically locations include head and wrist mounted system, both ensuring a wide field of fire. Purely secondary weapons, they are used to engage soft targets, and in a defensive capacity.

Special Equipment

 * GN Gatling Rifle (prototype)
 * The GN Gatling Rifle was designed as a more versatile armament for the 0 Gundam II, able to handle a variety of situations. The weapon was intended to incorporate the rate of fire of the GN Vulcans along with the firepower of Cherudim’s GN Sniper Gun II. After a few failed designs, the Celestial Being engineers decided to adapt a tried and tested design for the weapon. They used the same principle employed in the Gatling-type rotary cannons carried by many late 20th century jet fighters; multiple barrels that rotated, giving a high rate of fire. As a result, the GN Gatling Rifle is an ideal weapon for point defence, although it is just as effective when attacking. However, as the weapon is still in development, it suffers from occasional malfunctions, such as burning out under continuous fire. When carried by the 0 Gundam, the weapon is mounted across the suit’s rear skirt armour.


 * GN Feathers
 * The GN Feathers was an unintended by-product of high particle generation through its drive. 0 Gundam releases large amounts of GN Particles (together with control by the Clavicle Antenna) to form huge wings of light. In addition to midair stability and radar, it can also be used as a defense mechanism. Due to its inefficiency, the system was not re-used for later generation Gundams. However, the 0 Gundam II's newer GN Drive is easily able to provide sufficient particles, so the system was retained.


 * Trans-Am
 * Optical Camouflage


 * Sniper Pack
 * The Sniper Pack consists of a GN Launcher II and a copy of Cherudim’s GN Sniper Gun II. The GN Launcher II is a reverse-engineered copy of GNW-001 Gundam Throne Eins’ GN Launcher. The weapon is mounted on a rack that connects to the top of the 0 Gundam II’s GN Drive cone, and is positioned behind the right shoulder. When the Sniper Pack is connected, Sterling can access a sniping module inside the cockpit (similar to Dynames and Cherudim) for long range firing of both the launcher and the GN Sniper Gun II. The launcher is easily able to destroy a mobile suit with a single shot, but in Mega Launcher mode, the weapon is as powerful as Virtue’s GN Cannons, only with a more focused beam for greater accuracy and precision. In High Mega Launcher mode, it rivals Seravee’s GN Double Bazooka Hyper Burst Mode; however because of the particle output required, Trans-Am is necessary for its use.


 * Sword Pack
 * The Sword Pack was conceived as an evolution of the Seven Swords System designed for the GN-001 Exia. The pack is broadly similar to the Sniper Pack, but instead of the GN Launcher II and GN Sniper Gun II, it is fitted with two GN “Claymore” Anti-Ship Swords (the swords are based on those carried by the ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam), mounted on either side of the 0 Gundam II’s GN Drive cone. The swords are the largest melee weapons ever carried by a mobile suit, measuring a staggering 18.4 metres in length. However, as they are attached to the Sword pack at the base of the actual blade of each weapon, there is no risk of them hindering the 0 Gundam II’s mobility on the ground. The swords work in the same fashion as all other solid GN swords; a sheath of GN particles surrounds the blade, enhancing its cutting ability. As their name suggests, the swords were designed to be used directly against capital ships at close range. However, they are just as effective when used against mobile suits. The two swords can also be joined at the hilts to form a double-bladed weapon.

History
After Celestial Being's costly victory during Operation Fallen Angels, Celestial Being went into hiding, both to avoid being hunted down by the UN forces, and also to recover its strength. As the 0 Gundam's original GN Drive was needed for the development of the GN-0000 00 Gundam, the suit was left without a powerplant. So while the majority of CB's engineers were working on the other Gundams, Sterling and a small team of engineers left for Jupiter. Once there, they worked on creating a new GN Drive for the 0 Gundam II, while at the same time working on the weapon packs and the 0 Gundam II's other new weapons.

The newly minted 0 Gundam II made its return 4 years later, during the A-LAWS operation at space colony Proud. With its new weapons and systems, the 0 Gundam II proved more than a match for the A-LAWS' GNX-609T GN-XIII and GNX-704T Ahead, with Sterling easily managing to drive the A-LAWS away, Saving Setsuna and a badly damaged Exia.

Following the return of Sumeragi Lee Noriega and the arrival of Lyle Dylandy, the new Lockon Stratos, and the activation of the 00 Gundam, the Ptolemaios II headed back to Earth. Having received information from Wang Liu Mei on the whereabouts of Allelujah Haptism, the crew decided to launch a rescue operation. Just before the battle, Ian Vashti equipped the 0 Gundam II with the Sniper Pack, as Sterling had been given the role of supporting Setsuna and Tieria with covering fire, along with Lockon and Cherudim. Once again the 0 Gundam II proved itself to be a very effective machine, with Sterling managing to bring down a number of A-LAWS mobile suits.

In the months and battles that followed, the 0 Gundam II continued to deliver amazing results, despite the fact that it was almost twenty years old compared to the other Gundams. Even when Celestial Being encountered the Innovators and their machines (GNZ-003 Gadessa & GNZ-005 Garazzo), the suit was able to match the performance of both machines, apart from the Gadessa's raw firepower.

In the final battle at Celestial Being, the 0 Gundam II and Sterling proved to be a key factor in deciding the outcome, when over 500 GNZ-004 Gaga mobile suits attacked the Ptolemaios. With the suit's GN Gatling Rifle, Sterling was able to protect the ship long enough for it to land inside the large mothership. Then Sterling was engaged by Hiling Care in her Gadessa, drawing him away from the main fight. However, as the 0 Gundam II was equipped with the Sniper Pack, it was more than a match for the Gadessa, allowing Sterling to stop Hiling with relative ease, especially once Setsuna activated the 00 Raiser's Trans-Am Burst, the immense concentration of purified GN Particles allowing the two pilots to communicate directly with each other.

The battle, however, was not yet over. Ribbons Almark took to the battlefield personally, piloting his own Twin Drive mobile suit, CB-0000G/C Reborns Gundam/Reborns Cannon. Overwhelmed by the Reborns Gundam's power, and having already sustained major damage, Arios and Cerudim were defeated quickly, leaving Setsuna and the 00 Raiser to fight Ribbons alone. After a few minutes, Setsuna was about be defeated when Sterling abruptly joined the fight, charging Ribbons head on. Ribbons was furious when he recognised the 0 Gundam, despite its slightly changed appearance, and the two began to fight in earnest. Eventually, both suits landed on Celestial Being's asteroid surface, the Reborns Gundam's cannons having been destroyed. Ribbons refused to accept defeat, drawing his suit's beam sabers and charging Sterling. But his actions proved to be his undoing. Sterling dodged the attack, the 0 Gundam II's twin GN “Claymore” Anti-Ship Swords slicing the Reborns Gundam in two. After defeating Ribbons, the 0 Gundam II returned to the Ptolemaios, where it was planned to by shelved again, just as it had been years earlier. However, it did sortie one last time before that happened. After Princess Marina Ismail had given a speech to the rebuilt capital of Azadistan, everyone was surprised to see the 0 Gundam II fly overhead, its GN Particle Wings fully deployed. The crowd gazed in amazement, before the suit disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived.