The View from the Ground

While much of the first Robotech War was focused on the Zentraedi's efforts to capture the SDF-1, that was not the limit of the conflict. Even before the Zentraedi Rain of Death, the conflict had its effects on the people of Earth.

As soon as the Zentraedi fleet arrived in the Sol system in February of 2009, the UEDF were already making moves to cover up the unfolding events. Macross Island was immediately locked down, with all flights to and from the island turned around or grounded. Likewise, communications were immediately quarantined, which was no mean feat given that news media from across the world were present for the launch of the SDF-1. Likewise, communications to and from the moon base, UEDF fleet and the various orbital facilities were also locked down.

In order to prevent global panic, the UEDF continued to maintain this cover-up following the disappearance of the SDF-1, along with the entirety of Macross Island. The official story was that the entire island, as well as the ship itself along with the attendant surface naval vessels had been destroyed by the Anti-Unification League using nuclear weapons. Furthermore, the area around the island was quarantined, officially to avoid spreading radioactive contamination.

However, the UEDF's losses had not been limited to just those on the surface. Several *Armour* and *Oberth*-class ships had been destroyed by the Zentraedi in space, a loss that could not easily be tied into the destruction of Macross Island. The UEDF used the relative isolation of their space-based forces to try and 'fudge the numbers' so to speak in an attempt to conceal losses.

Within a day of the attack, UEG chairman Alfonse Russo had approved extensive emergency powers both for himself and for the UEDF. Using the threat of a resurgent AUL with nuclear capability as an excuse, the UEDF were granted broad discretionary powers to investigate and intervene if needed in UEG member states in the name of preventing further attacks. However, those powers were instead employed to ensure complete suppression of the truth. At the same time, more than one political opponent of Russo or Admiral Donald Hayes ended up under 'investigation' as a way of sidelining them.

Even though all indication was that the Zentraedi fleet had pursued the SDF-1 to Plutospace, the UEDF were concerned that the aliens might launch another attack on Earth. The UEDF fleet was put on full alert, with ships sent on extended operations. This move helped to further obfuscate the losses the UEDF's fleet had suffered in the initial attacks through shuffling numbers and continual operations.

Extensive salvage efforts were launched, both in the area where Macross Island had been and in space to recover debris from the orbital engagements. From the debris that they were able to recover (Including the wreckage of a Zentraedi cruiser that had been destroyed by a nuclear missile barrage fired by four of the Armour platforms), the UEDF came to the conclusion that they had grossly underestimated both the size of the enemy force as well as its capabilities. This, combined with a review of the performance of their own vessels, lead the UEDF to the realisation that their fleet was hopelessly outmatched and would be little threat to the Zentraedi fleet, should they return to Earth.

Armed with this information, Russo used his emergency powers to pass a number of funding bills for further weapons development. Priority was given to space-based weapons systems, such as the VF-1 Veritech, as well as construction of more *Armour* and *Oberth* vessels in the hope that they could use sheer numbers to make up for their shortfall in capability. Likewise, construction of the *Tokugawa* class ships was also accelerated, although none of them were completed before the end of the war. Finally, priority was given to bringing the Grand Cannon online, while accelerating construction on the Equatorial Grand Cannon.

At the same time, numerous programs for ground-based weapons systems were either cut back or cancelled outright. One of the highest-profile casualties was Destroid production, with efforts being entirely directed towards new Veritechs instead. General Anatole Leonard, the head of the Destroid program strongly objected to the move, which he saw as a way for Hayes to sideline him from the UEDF's central command. As a result, Leonard was reassigned to the Antarctica Base, obstinately to oversee cold weather exercises; a move that ironically saved his life.

These moves were not unopposed by any means. Many objected to the UEG's growing powers and centralisation of control, which ironically lead to an upsurge in anti-unification sentiments across the globe. While these were strongest in those countries that had supported the AUL, most notably the North-East Asian Cooperative Alliance for Prosperity, they occurred even in regions that had been bastions of support for the UEG such as the Western States and Ontario. Ultimately, this discord played right into the UEG's hands, creating even more excuses for further crackdowns.

During this time, the UEDF's intelligence agency were especially active in doing everything they could to suppress the truth of the matter. T.R. Edwards, at that point a senior member of intelligence, is known to have been particularly active during this period and is believed to have engaged in numerous operations across the globe. There are unverified claims that Edwards overstepped even the expanded bounds that Hayes had given him or was following personal agendas, but there is little evidence to support these accusations.

Surviving records paint rather different pictures of Hayes and Russo's reactions to these measures. From what we know, Donald Hayes seems to have seen them as somewhat of a necessary evil, but at the same time, also been grateful for being freed from a lot of civilian oversight while being given the leeway to act as he saw fit without restraint. Conversely, Alfonse Russo appears to have unreservedly embraced the emergency powers he granted himself, enjoying his position as the most powerful man on the planet.

However, for all the UEG's planning, they were still caught short by events beyond their control. The SDF-1's return to Earth in March of 2010 proved that the official story was a lie beyond the shadow of a doubt. Subsequent events also made it clear to Earth's people that they were indeed at war with an Alien force, one possessed of incredible destructive capabilities. The result was a massive loss of faith in the UEG, followed by growing unrest across the world. Despite what had happened to Toronto, more and more UEG member states began to speak out against the government's over-reaching powers and abuse of its authority.

None the less, Russo and Hayes doubled down and stayed the course, feeling that they had no other option. That decision would prove to have catastrophic consequences.