ORB-01 Akatsuki

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This article is about a fictional weapon from the Cosmic Era of the anime Gundam metaseries.

Background

The ORB-01 Akatsuki is a high-performance one-of-a-kind mobile suit built by the Orb Union under the order of Uzumi Nara Athha before he died in the defense of Orb against the Earth Alliance in CE 71. It was built and stored in secret to serve as Uzumi's "will" for Cagalli Yula Athha to use when Orb would be, yet again, under siege by its enemies. It appears to be derived from the GAT-X105 Strike (which Orb engineers had copious opportunity to study) due to its structural similarity and compatibility with the Striker Pack system.

The mobile suit itself is armed with a "Hyakurai" beam rifle, a double-bladed beam naginata, that is capable of splitting into two standard beam sabers which can then be mounted as a bayonet on the beam rifle, a pair of head-mounted CIWS and a shield.

The Akatsuki’s bright gold coloration is not for show as the unit is covered with a specialized mirror coating called "Yata no Kagami". This coating is capable of reflecting, and perhaps absorbing, beam shots through an unknown process. This feature renders the Akatsuki virtually immune to beam gun/cannon blasts (but not beam swords/blades) which, in a combat environment where most potential threat mobile suits sport beam weaponry, appears to be a more sensible choice than Phase Shift Armor which is primarily useful against physical melee and projectile weapons. It is unclear if the coating functions simply as an application to the armor which automatically effects beams or if it works in conjunction with an on-board system that requires power and can be manually activated.

In addition, two unique Striker packs are created for the Akatsuki - the "Oowashi" Sky Pack and the "Shiranui" Space Pack. The Oowashi Sky Pack is akin to the Strike's Aile Striker, improving flight and mobility and also similar to the Fatum-00 backpack of the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam since it can detach and fly on its own, although apparently it cannot be ridden as a subflight lifter. The pack is armed with two high energy beam cannons which swing forward under the Akatsuki’s arms at hip level when in use.

The Shiranui Space Pack contains a guided mobile beam turret system similar to ZAFT's DRAGOON system system. Since Cagalli, the intended pilot of the suit, never exhibits enhanced spatial awareness it could be assumed that normal pilots can use this system. If this is true, ORB was two years ahead of the times since the improved DRAGOON system ZAFT uses when the Akatsuki is finally fielded, one which allows normal pilot use, is non-existent when the suit is built. It could also be that the system is intended to be used by one with the proper spatial abilities at Cagalli’s discretion. It is never made clear however and these are just two possibilities.

Regardless of the lack of clarity on how it functions, the Shiranui Space Pack has seven remote units attached to it and each is equipped with one beam cannon, two beam guns and a beam shield emitter. This final feature allows several or all of the units to be used together form a complete beam shield which has been shown to be able to surround something as large as a battleship. It is unclear if the two Striker packs are equipped with the same "Yata no Kagami" mirror coating as Akatsuki, but it is highly probable.

The Akatsuki utilizes a customized version of the General Unilateral Neuro-Link Dispersive Automatic Maneuver operating system.

Akatsuki is initially piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha. She pilots the suit (with the Oowashi Sky Pack) to defend Orb against a ZAFT attack in CE 74, after being informed of its existence by Ledonir Kisaka. Cagalli assumes command of the Orb military and uses the Akatsuki to try and defend Orb against ZAFT's forces. She pilots it well against the standard ZAFT forces but was soon confronted by ZAFT's top ace, Shinn Asuka (in the ZGMF-X42S Destiny), and is easily outperformed and subsequently damaged. Before Shinn is able to strike down the Akatsuki, his attack is stopped by the arrival of Kira Yamato in the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom.

After the battle the Akatsuki is repaired and lent to Neo Roanoke, while Cagalli remains in Orb to take charge of her country. In combat Neo/Mu exclusively uses the Shiranui Space Pack but, when he is first seen piloting the unit, in the lunar city of Copernicus, it was outfitted with the Oowashi Sky Pack.

It plays a major role in ending the Second Bloody Valentine War where it defends the Archangel and the Eternal. During its defense of the two ships it uses its “Yata no Kagami” coating to disperse (or absorb, it’s not clear) a shot meant for the Archangel from the Minerva’s "Tannhäuser" positron blaster cannon, destroys said weapon and then encases both ships (at separate times) in a shield using most of its remote turrets.

Finally it aids in the destruction of the Requiem superweapon by using its DRAGOONs in conjunction with the Infinite Justice’s Fatum-01 backpack.

Specifications

ORB-01 Akatsuki

Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc.
User: Orb Union
Unit type: prototype all purpose multi-mode mobile suit
First Deployment: Cosmic Era 74
Head height: 17.92 meters
Weight: 71.53 metric tons
Special equipment: "Yata no Kagami" anti-beam coating, hardpoint for mounting backpacks
Powerplant: unknown
Armament: MSM5D 12.5 mm CIWS x2, Type 72D5 "Hyakurai" beam rifle x1, Type 73J2 dual-blade beam saber x1, Type 71 defensive shield x1
Pilot(s): Cagalli Yula Athha, Neo Roanoke/Mu La Flaga

ORB-01 Oowashi Akatsuki

Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc.
User: Orb Union
Unit type: prototype all purpose multi-mode mobile suit
First Deployment: Cosmic Era 74
Head height: 17.92 meters
Weight: 82.35 metric tons
Special equipment: "Yata no Kagami" anti-beam coating, hardpoint for mounting backpacks
Powerplant: unknown
Armament: MSM5D 12.5 mm CIWS x2, Type 72D5 "Hyakurai" beam rifle x1, Type 73J2 dual-blade beam saber x1, Type 71 defensive shield x1, Type-73F Kai high energy beam cannon x2
Pilot(s): Cagalli Yula Athha, Neo Roanoke

ORB-01 Shiranui Akatsuki

Manufacturer: Morgenroete, Inc.
User: Orb Union
Unit type: prototype all purpose multi-mode mobile suit
First Deployment: Cosmic Era 74
Head height: 17.92 meters
Weight: 87.24 metric tons
Special equipment: "Yata no Kagami" anti-beam coating, hardpoint for mounting backpacks, DRAGOON (Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network) system
Powerplant: unknown
Armament: MSM5D 12.5 mm CIWS x2, Type 72D5 "Hyakurai" beam rifle x1, Type 73J2 dual-blade beam saber x1, Type 71 defensive shield x1, Guided mobile beam turret system: M531R remote control unit (beam cannon, beam gun x2, beam shield emitter) x7
Pilot(s): Neo Roanoke/Mu La Flaga

Trivia

• The name Akatsuki means "dawn" in Japanese; it's also bears the meaning of "beginning" and "ending". Morgenroete, the company that built Akatsuki, means "dawn" in German. The kanji of "Akatsuki" is engraved on the right shoulder of ORB-01 Akatsuki as well.

• "Yata no Kagami" is named for a legendary mirror that is one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan.

• Cagalli's insert song for Phase 24 of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED was Akatsuki no Kuruma, or Wheels of Dawn. This song was also heard in Phase 40, when the Archangel and Kusanagi evacuated the Orb Union to escape the attacking Earth Alliance.

• The beam naginata does not actually function like a true Japanese naginata weapon; the name only refers to the shape of the weapon and it is a reference to a similar weapon used by the MS-14 Gelgoog in Mobile Suit Gundam.

• The Akatsuki is reminiscent of the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which also had a reflective gold coloration related to beam-resistant armor. The Murasame, in turn, is similar to the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam. The Akatsuki (with the Shiranui backpack system) is also reminiscent of the RX-93 Nu Gundam from [[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]], which had fin funnels that could be used as a beam shield. The Hyaku Shiki also however, sported vertically pointed wing binders very reminiscent of Shiranui Akatsuki.

• Cagalli loaned the Akatsuki to Neo after using it for a single battle, making it the fastest handed-down Gundam mobile suit ever.

• While the official website calls this unit 'Akatsuki' the model kits for the ORB-01 call it 'Akatsuki Gundam'.
• * The model kits also have Mu, as Neo Roanoke, listed as the designated pilot of the 'Shiranui Akatsuki' while Cagalli is given as the designated pilot for the 'Oowashi Akatsuki'. This seems to reflect who used each variation for combat rather than who "owns" the suit since, technically, it is Cagalli's.

Sources

http://www.mahq.net