 In the 72nd year of the Cosmic Era, mankind s long war of bitter hatred has come to a close. Although peace has been achieved, it has been at the cost of innocent blood and broken dreams. Among those who has suffered deeply from the loss of both is the young Coordinator Shinn Asuka. Caught in the conflagration of the final battle of ORB, Shinn could only watch as his family was consumed, victims of chance and misdirected anger. Now, filled with a rage of his own and a desire to never see the innocent slaughtered again, he has left the peaceful nation that was his home and has joined with the ZAFT militia. But youthful anger and sorrow are no weapons to keep peace among the stars, and soon, the desire for power and the renewal of hatreds subdued but not forgotten send humanity tumbling back towards the horror and fear of a war that is not yet truly over...