Southern Cross Timeline - 2028
Browse the timeline for the events taking place in the year 2028, or select a month to jump to
that point in the year.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
| Early September 2028 |
- Six new recruits recently graduated from the Robotech Academy are assigned to the
474th ATAC Squadron in Tokyo.
|
| September 19, 2028 |
- A terrorist threat closes down the Tokyo Bay bridge during the morning commute. On
routine patrol at the time, the 474th assists the Civil Defense Unit with crowd control
as rush hour traffic piles up on both ends of the bridge. Two Civil Defense Unit battloids
are destroyed and their pilots killed when an apparent car bomb destroys the bridge.
|
| September 20, 2028 |
- News footage appears on Tokyo television stations showing what appears to be an EBSIS
fighter jet launching missiles at the Tokyo Bay bridge, indicating that the destruction of
the bridge was not from a car bomb at all.
|
| September 21, 2028 |
- Tensions are running high in Japan with the threat of a possible EBSIS invasion of
the island. Southern Cross forces across Japan are on alert. A security patrol consisting of
the 474th and another ATAC squadron detects what appears to be an incoming EBSIS air raid from
the Pacific. Air patrols find nothing and the "attack" is revealed to be a trick
caused by unknown parties hacking into the Southern Cross defense computer network and planting
false data.
|
| September 25, 2028 |
- The 474th is deployed to Osaka to support a GMP raid on the apparent source of the computer
hack into the Southern Cross defense network. The 474th and GMP troops encounter fierce
resistance by unknown enemies, enemies in possession of EBSIS battle mecha. The enemy is defeated
but much of the evidence of their activities is destroyed. The bodies of several enemy
combatants are identified as known EBSIS operatives.
- En route back to Tokyo after the battle, Pvt. Indira Watanabe receives a strange message on
her hovertank's computer screen. Following up on clues from the mysterious message members of
the 474th retrieve the computer core "Black Box" from one of the CDU battloids
destroyed in the Bay bridge explosion. Examination of the data reveals video footage of the
aircraft that attacked the bridge, but the jet's profile does not match that of the jet shown
on the Tokyo news broadcasts. Whoever sent the footage to the television stations had altered
it to make the aircraft appear to be Soviet. The members of the 474th do not recognize the
aircraft silhouette in the unaltered footage they have found. Unsure of who to trust the
474th keeps this knowledge to themselves, but unknown to them one of the squadron members is
really an undercover GMP operative who informs his superiors of the discovery.
|
| September 29, 2028 |
- The 474th receives new orders transferring them to Overwatch Base in Indochina Quadrant.
This is an extremely unusual move and some members of the 474th wonder if someone is trying
to silence them because they know something they aren't supposed to; or if the sender of the
mysterious message that led them to uncover the conspiracy over the attacking jet wants them
to find out some other information.
|
October
| October 2, 2028 |
- Only days after being transferred to Indochina Quadrant the 474th are sent on a mission
deep into the jungle. They are airlifted to the carrier CVS Hyperion which takes them to a
deployment point at the mouth of the Mekong River.
|
| October 5, 2028 |
- The 474th deploys up the Mekong River escorting teams of troops and engineers assigned
to reactivate several deep jungle outpost bases along the river.
- Leaving the river, which they discover has been saturated with anti-mecha mines, the
474th cuts overland to reach and secure the first of the four outpost bases.
|
| October 8, 2028 |
- The 474th reaches the second outpost base, which they discover is under the control of
the Black Legionnaires mercenary group. The 474th dispatches the enemy troops, though Cpl.
Takashi's hovertank is destroyed in the battle forcing him to remain behind as the squadron
moves on to the next outpost base.
|
| October 11, 2028 |
- The 474th attacks and secures Outpost Base Three, encountering further resistance from
Black Legionnaires mercenaries. Two of the squad's hovertanks are destroyed and another badly
damaged, but there are no casualties. The anti-aircraft systems for the bases are disabled
allowing for air support to be brought in.
|
| October 15, 2028 |
- After repairing one damaged hovertank with salvage from the other disabled ones, and
equipping the mecha-less squadron members with replacement equipment (a VF-8 Logan and a
Commanchero attack helicopter) the 474th heads to Outpost Base Four. Upon arrival the
squadron takes fire from a pair of mercenary destroids and from a fully armored RDF Veritech
Fighter. The base is secured, but the 474th loses both Cpl. Takashi and Sgt. Allen in the battle
and the Veritech escapes. The remaining squadron members head off into the jungle in pursuit of
the Veritech.
|
| October 16, 2028 |
- Deep in the Indochina jungles the 474th uncover a massive salvage operation working from
the wreckage of Zentraedi carrier, where they are ambushed by a group of Zentraedi Quadrano
power armors. The senior members of the squadron are killed and only the timely arrival of
the 21st ATAC prevent it from becoming a total massacre.
|
| October 24, 2028 |
- The survivors of the 474th ATAC are transferred to the 21st ATAC, operating from Dundee
Base in Australia Quadrant.
|
| October 28, 2028 |
- A pair of unidentified fighter jets with Soviet markings stage a surprise raid on Perth
in Australia Quadrant. The fighters disappear as quickly as they appeared and the EBSIS denies
they were behind the attack.
|
November
| November 2, 2028 |
- A squadron of Southern Cross Phantom Fighters attacks EBSIS holdings in Africa. The Southern
Cross denies any involvement.
|
| November 6, 2028 |
- The Soviet mystery fighters launch a swift strike against the major Southern Cross base at
Ascendance City in South America. The EBSIS again denies knowledge of the incident but tensions
between the two superpowers reach a new high.
|
| November 10, 2028 |
- Southern Cross forces begin mobilizing to war-level footing. Convoys ferrying troops, mecha, and supplies
begin making their way from the Far East sector through the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean to reinforce
UEG forces in India and Africa. The hazardous journey opens the convoys to attack by pirates operating in
Indonesian waters.
|
| November 13, 2028 |
- A convoy being escorted by the 21st ATAC is attacked but the soldiers fight off the pirates and their
mercenary allies.
|
| November 22, 2028 |
- Half of the 21st ATAC is deployed on a top secret assignment, supporting special forces Gryphon squad on
a search and destroy mission.
|
| November 27, 2028 |
- Gryphon squad fails to meet the 21st ATAC at the scheduled rendezvous point in the Himalayan mountains
of the Kashmir region.
|
| November 28, 2028 |
- With no sign of Gryphon squad, the 21st ATAC is ordered to complete the mission themselves, the location
and destruction of an EBSIS convoy transporting WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) from a secret facility in
the Middle East to EBSIS positions in East Asia.
|
| November 29, 2028 |
- The 21st ATAC locates the EBSIS convoy but evidence on the scene leads Captain Mace to think they have
been set up. He breaks cover and opens a dialog with the commander of the EBSIS escort mech squadron, Major
Mikhail Krueger. The convoy is revealed to be carrying desperately needed fuel oil, not WMDs. A squadron
of Southern Cross fighter jets approaches but when they do not give an appropriate response to the 21st's
coded communications Captain Mace orders them shot down. Examining the wreckage reveals that the pilots
are not Southern Cross soldiers. Major Krueger takes half of his squadron and joins the 21st ATAC to search
for the fighters' base of operations.
|
| November 30, 2028 |
- The combined team of the 21st ATAC and 92nd Battalion discover a huge mecha construction
facility hidden in a mountain in the Himalayas. The base is guarded by mecha matching no
known configuration and one of the 92nd's mecha is destroyed in the battle. The facility
itself has recently been abandoned and suicide bombers that remain behind destroy much of the
base.
|
December
| December 1, 2028 |
- With the mysterious enemy vanquished, tensions between the 21st ATAC and the EBSIS soldiers
resumes. Each group begins separate salvage operations to recover what information and material
they can from the wreckage of the base. When the 21st realizes that Soviet reinforcements will
arrive and take control of the site long before the Southern Cross could the Blackjacks
switch tactics and destroy as much of the remaining material in the base as they can before
leaving to prevent it from falling into the hands of the EBSIS.
|
| December 2, 2028 |
- Pvt. Geoff Richards celebrates his 17th birthday on the road with the rest of
the 21st ATAC as they make their way back to UEG-controlled territory in India.
|
| December 5-6, 2028 |
- The 21st ATAC discovers a massive military buildup in northern China Quadrant, preparations for what
appears to be an invasion of Manchuria Quadrant.
|
| December 12, 2028 |
- The city of Shanghalla, in Indonesia, plays host to a peace conference between the UEG and EBSIS. The 21st
is present providing security for the UEG, with the 92nd Robotik under Major Krueger present for the Soviets.
The unknown enemy attacks but the delegates are evacuated, but the city is destroyed by a sea-launched nuclear
missile, killing millions including Major Krueger. After this incident the unknown enemy openly declares itself,
calling itself the New World Order.
|
| Mid-December 2028 |
- World War IV begins as New World Order-backed nations and terrorist organizations begin massive assaults
against the UEG, EBSIS, and their respective allied nations.
|
| December 21, 2028 |
- The 21st ATAC are assigned brand new prototype VHT-1A1 hovertanks from the Tokyo research facility to replace
the mecha lost in the Shanghalla incident.
|