Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Background

            The United States Lunar Expeditionary Forces (abbr. USLUNEX Forces^[1], also referred to as “LunEx Forces” or simply “LunEx”) is the name given to the U.S. forces, both military and civilian, sent to the Earth’s moon during the war against the Lunarian Civilization. The USLUNEX Forces began as a small number of U.S. Army divisions, along with NASA Engineers, and CIA operatives. As the war escalated, the LunEx Forces were expanded, and at its peak included: a large number of regular U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force groups, several Special Operations Forces from all branches of the armed forces, a substantial number of CIA members (mostly from the Special Activities Division), many NASA personnel, and many other unaffiliated doctors, engineers, scientists, etc. Despite the many entities and members that composed the LunEx Forces, it was a very well-organized and well-led force that managed to turn around its disastrous early circumstances and put up a determined fight against the Lunarians’ technologically superior Lunar Defense Corps.

            The USLUNEX Forces was created in 1969, a short time before the Apollo 11 mission landed men on the surface of the moon. The Apollo 11 mission made first contact with the Lunarian Civilization, who had been living beneath the surface of the Moon for over a thousand years. The U.S. government had already found out about the Lunarian civilization from captured documents from the Nazi Space Program^[2], and from then on were determined to win the space race against the Soviets and gain access to the advanced Lunarian science and technology. The LunEx Forces were formed for mobilization in the event that the Lunarians refused all offers of trade and/or dialogue. The xenophobic Lunarians refused as expected, and they were even the ones who declared war on the United States later that year, for “desecrating the sacred and pure ground of Luna,” before the United States had even drafted its own declaration of war.

            By 1969, the United States was already beginning to withdraw its military forces from the deteriorating situation in Vietnam. Many of these troops would be part of the first LunEx Forces sent to Luna in 1970. The first act of war was the alleged sabotage of the Apollo 13 diplomatic mission to Luna, which caused its failure. The U.S. would claim it was an accident, but the Lunarians claimed that it was their doing, calling it their first victory of the war. The United States would formally declare war after the Apollo 13 incident, and both the Lunar Capital and the U.S. government consider the year 1970 to be the official beginning of the Lunar War.

Organization and Tactics

            The USLUNEX Forces were organized under a Unified Combatant Command (UCC)^[3] known as the “United States Lunar Command (USLUCOM),” which was, like all UCCs, under the United States Department of Defense. “USLUNEX Forces” would thus refer only to the U.S. Forces on the Moon, while USLUCOM would include both the LunEx Forces, as well as the offices, bases, and installations on the Earth that were supporting the Lunar War operations. Much of the upper organizational structure of USLUCOM remains classified^[4], but it is assumed that as the Vietnam War gradually came to a close, high-ranking officials involved in that conflict were brought into USLUCOM. This assumption comes from the fact that much of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) would be transferred to USLUCOM following MACV’s dissolution in 1973 and the end of direct U.S. military involvement in Vietnam that same year. USLUCOM’s structure was not unlike that of other Unified Combatant Commands, but its main difference is that its command structure is split into two main components: the USLUNEX Forces and the U.S. Ground Auxiliary Forces (USGRAUX). USLUNEX was on the Moon, while USGRAUX was on the Earth. USGRAUX comprised of a large number of facilities and support units from NASA, NORAD, the CIA, and the Armed Forces that managed day-to-day operations on Earth such as satellite monitoring/construction/repair, long-range surveillance/intelligence-gathering, strategic planning, and training of yet undeployed LunEx soldiers.

            The organization of USLUNEX was further divided into service component units, which included the U.S. Army Lunar Command (USARLUN), U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Luna (MARFORLUN), and the U.S. Lunar Air Forces (LUNAF). A number of subordinate unified commands, joint task forces, and support units were also organized, including U.S. Special Operations Command, Luna (SOCLUN)^[5], Joint Lunar Intelligence Group, Lunar Satellite Command (SATCOM), and others. Non-military groups such as NASA engineers and scientists were usually organized into support groups relevant to their specific fields so that civilian operations behind and close to combat zones could be easily managed. There are no accurate figures as to how many troops the USLUNEX actually had throughout the conflict, but there were certainly at least 1,000,000 combat troops deployed on the Moon throughout the entire 14 year conflict^[6]. There would be several Army divisions deployed on the moon, each of which would have infantry, tanks, artillery and support personnel and vehicles. The Marine Corps units were part of an unspecified Marine Expeditionary Force, which also had infantry and vehicles. The Air Force would work closely with NASA units in operating the numerous manned and unmanned satellites and spacecraft in Luna’s orbit.

            Standard battle tactics of the USLUNEX Forces would develop after their first few defeats to the Lunar Defense Corps. Initially undermanned and underequipped, USLUNEX Forces were simply annihilated by Lunar Defense Corps troops in the initial engagements, but as more resources were poured into the conflict, the LunEx troops were able to put up a better fight and eventually drive off the Lunar Defense Corps from their first defensive ring on Mare Tranquillitatis, the primary landing site of the LunEx forces. Lunar Defense Corps doctrine was roughly the same throughout the conflict, while LunEx tactics were constantly transformed and adapted to the hostile environment of the moon and the superior Lunarian technology. In addition, technological advancement (mostly in the form of new military hardware) of the LunEx forces continued throughout the war. This eventually reached a tipping point where the LunEx forces, despite its standing technological disadvantage, were capable of going toe-to-toe against the Lunar Defense Corps in large-scale operations. This change happened sometime in the middle of the war, in the late 1970s, and resulted in the conflict turning into a bloody war of attrition, with an endless back and forth between the two opposing forces^[7]. Eventually, both sides would cease their constant costly attacks and begin building up for a final decisive offensive, which both sides hoped to achieve in the final battle of 1984.

            The key to USLUNEX success was in well-organized joint command operations with extensive use of combined-arms tactics. LunEx infantry were woefully inferior in both numbers and technology to the infantry forces of the Lunar Defense Corps, but they made up for it by being much more determined, in addition to being well-supported by vehicles^[8]. On the rare occasion that an elite Lunarian infantry unit was deployed against LunEx infantry, both artillery (orbital bombardment) and armor support were never far from reach, while the Lunarian infantry would be lucky if they had even one of those on call. Lunar mechanized units were particularly devastating to LunEx forces, however, as they were strong enough to blunt (and sometimes even rout or destroy) a LunEx combined-arms attack. Generally, the only counter to LDC tank formations was the deployment of LunEx tanks in overwhelming numbers, supported by orbital bombardment. LunEx infantry were generally deployed in fortified defensive lines, and rarely initiated attacks on LDC positions without armored support, as infantry unsupported would be easily cut down by the more accurate and better ranged Lunarian weapons. Instead, LunEx forces would try to force the LDC infantry units to leave their fortifications and charge LunEx positions by employing precision orbital bombardment strikes. LDC infantry units with inadequate protection from the orbital weapons would generally attack LunEx positions in massed charges, which were devastating to the LunEx troops, but also costly for the LDC, which would negate its range advantage in the charge. Positions that could withstand orbital strikes were engaged either with an encirclement (forcing LDC troops to withdraw before being surrounded, or fight to the death) or a combined infantry and armored assault. The LunEx forces would also deploy Special Forces incursions behind Lunarian lines.

            The LunEx Forces’ superior tactics and strategy was arguably their biggest advantage; they made the Lunar Defense Corps suffer despite its supposed superiority in strength. Despite this, however, the LunEx did bleed more than the LDC, and a truer scale of the disparity in military technology between Terra and Luna was only realized at the end of the war, when the LDC committed its space fleet and “Judgement” units to the final decisive battle, where the initially successful LunEx forces were utterly and one-sidedly crushed in the Lunarian counter-attack.

Equipment/Technology

            The surface of Luna does not have atmosphere, so soldiers of the LunEx Forces all wore heavily modified spacesuits over a light combat uniform. The spacesuits could easily be removed in situations where atmospheric conditions are normal, such as inside the Lunar Capital, where there is an artificial atmosphere and gravity suited to the Lunarians’ needs (Lunarians are still humans, after all). Packs/pouches on the spacesuit were also easily detachable/attachable, and could be attached to the combat uniform underneath the spacesuit^[9]. These spacesuits, while providing good protection against the vacuum of space, were very easily penetrated by even a grazing plasma bolt from Lunarian rifles. The suits were also difficult to reseal after being penetrated, making the USLUNEX troops very vulnerable to fire. Many were killed not by plasma fire itself but from suffocation after losing all the oxygen from their suits. Lunarian space suits, on the other hand, were more resistant to small arms fire and had a limited capacity to reseal smaller penetrating shots. Later in the war, selected units were issued suits with small astronaut propulsion units, with multidirectional thrusters that allowed soldiers to move faster on the low-gravity environment of the moon. The suits were Extravehicular Activity (EVA) capable^[10] (with necessary add-on equipment) but were optimized for the Moon’s gravity.

            The small arms of the regular LunEx infantry were the standard-issue U.S. firearms at the time, such as the M16 (and other AR-15 variants) rifle and the M14 rifle. However, the LunEx Forces’ weapons are equipped with low-gravity compensators to prevent recoiling the user over a large distance when firing (the compensator can be disabled manually). Heavier weapons such as the M60, M240, and M2 Browning machine-guns needed more powerful compensators. With less gravity and no air resistance on the moon, bullets tend to travel faster and further, making these weapons arguably more powerful on the moon than they are on the surface of the Earth. For man-portable anti-tank weapons, the LunEx troops had access to similarly modified weapons, including the M72 LAW (Light Anti-tank Weapon) for light targets and the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile system for heavier targets. These anti-tank weapons had generally poor performance against Lunarian armor, especially the M47, which required the user to remain exposed as he guided the missile (usually resulting in the user being sniped and the missile missing its mark). Anti-materiel rifles such as the Barret M82 were introduced in the 1980s for use against light armor and other similar threats.

           Tanks and Armor were similarly modified U.S. tanks, such as the M60 Patton Main Battle Tank (MBT) and the M551 Sheridan Light Tank. Most of these tanks were fitted with deployable “feet” to stabilize them and prevent recoil during firing. Other tanks were armed with recoilless guns. As technology on Earth advanced and Lunar technology was reverse-engineered, newer and experimental armored vehicles would be introduced by the U.S. Forces on the moon.

           The M551 Sheridan AR/AAV (Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a light tank, equipped with a 152mm main gun, which was designed to fire standard rounds as well as the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided anti-tank missile system^[11]. The Sheridan would make extensive use of its guided missile system during the Lunar War. The Sheridans were already considered fragile and vulnerable on Earth after experiences from the Vietnam War, and they were even more so against the Lunarians. Small arms fire from Lunar Defense Corps soldiers could easily melt through and penetrate the Sheridan’s armor after sustained plasma fire. Because of this, Sheridan loss rate was very high in combat operations. Regardless, the Sheridan was a reliable reconnaissance vehicle capable of engaging and destroying Lunarian light armor at medium range. The Sheridan saw service for the entire conflict. 

           Most of the LunEx Forces’ tanks were variants of the M60 Patton Main Battle Tank. At the beginning of the war, the M60A1 Patton, armed with a bore-evacuated^[12] 105mm main gun, was the main battle tank of the LunEx Forces. In 1972, several M60A2 variants of the Patton were introduced. The M60A2 model had a lower turret, and was equipped with an improved version of the 152mm gun/missile launcher used by the Sheridan. The A2s were less reliable overall, mainly because of its armament, which could not penetrate Lunarian heavy armor. The A1 and A2 served together until the late 70s, though the A1 was more numerous. By 1980, both the M60A1 and A2 Patton models on both Luna and Earth had been phased out by the M60A3 Patton. The M60A3 was more or less an improvement of the M60A1, equipped with laser range-finders, thermal shroud on the gun tube, better sensors and optics, and superior tracks. Performance-wise, the Patton was most reliable in spearheading combined-arms operations against the Lunarian defense lines; they were excellent at infantry support and attacking Lunarian defensive positions. However, Lunarian main battle tanks were superior in most aspects and the Patton, regardless of variant, had a terrible kill-to-loss ratio against Lunarian tank formations^[13].

           In 1977, the USLUNEX Forces would introduce the XM1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (from 1980, simply the M1 Abrams MBT), which was designed to counter the Lunarian main battle tanks. The Abrams was the result of advancements in Earth technology and limited adaptation of Lunarian technology. One of the key features of the Abrams was its advanced composite armor, known as Chobham Armor. The technology used to create this composite armor was based on Lunarian tank armor^[14]. In addition, reactive armor plating used on the Abrams and other U.S. tanks were similarly based on Lunarian armor technology. The M1 Abrams shared the same 105mm rifled gun as the A1 and A3 Patton (but during the closing stages of the war, prototype models of the M1A1 Abrams would appear, equipped with a 120mm smoothbore cannon), a powerful gas turbine engine, among other features. The Abrams could match the Lunarian MBTs in speed and firepower, and while its armor was still behind the Lunarians technology, it could take more hits than the Patton. Abrams tanks did not arrive in sufficient numbers to make a significant impact, however, and the M60A3 Patton was still the primary LunEx Forces MBT until the end of the war^[15].

           As for troop transport, low-gravity modified M113 APCs were used for the entirety of the war, and later on fought alongside the newly introduced M2 Bradley IFV. These troop transports were essential as they provided much-needed cover and fire-support to the LunEx Forces’ infantry, who were otherwise outgunned by the Lunar Defense Corps’ infantry.

           The USLUNEX Forces also had manned and unmanned spacecraft in orbit around the Moon for most of the war (except the first few months). The LunEx Forces used these spacecraft and satellites for a variety of roles, including observation satellites, telecommunication hubs, and even weapons platforms. Many satellites were in orbit 24/7, unless they were damaged and needed repair, but the weapon platforms needed to land on Tranquility Base often as they were the main targets of the Lunar Defense Corps anti-orbital operations, and also continuously needed to reload. These weapons platforms were usually missile platforms that launched OGMs^[16] at Lunar Defense Corps surface targets. The most well-known of these was the Ares Orbital Warfare Platform, which was a large weapons satellite, armed with the Trebuchet Missile System, one of the most powerful OGMs at the time and capable of destroying most Lunarian ground targets with a single missile strike^[17]. The Ares could carry 7 Trebuchet Missiles at once. The Ares also has a complement of smaller “shield-satellites,” which are basically thick and large metal shields with thrusters, deployed when the Ares is under threat and used to fly in the way of incoming plasma or debris to prevent the Ares from being hit. The Ares was the most prominent among the several orbital missile platform models, as the others carried less powerful warheads and were more expendable.

           Surveillance was carried out by a network of small and difficult to detect Oculus Spy Satellites, which could scan and take photographs of the Lunar surface and transmit them to SATCOM and Solitude Station, which was a manned spy-satellite that accommodated only one person, who was responsible for keeping a manual eye on the Oculus satellites. Also orbiting the moon were various manned and unmanned communications satellites that helped transmit information, orders, etc. from USLUCOM on Earth to SATCOM in orbit to the troops on the ground, and vice versa. SATCOM also had its own satellite, which housed a number of LunEx command personnel to oversee the transmission of orders to the ground troops or make quick decisions when there was no time to contact USLUCOM.

Lunar War Operations

           The first wave of LunEx Forces landed on Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility), the landing zone of the Apollo 11 mission, on the near side of the moon on April 25, 1970. They hastily assembled the first Tranquility Base^[18] on the surface as the vanguard troops advanced outward in all directions to secure the perimeter of the lunar sea. Within minutes, the LunEx Forces made contact with an advance force of Lunar Defense Corps Army^[19] soldiers that were lying in wait. The LDC advance troops forced the LunEx vanguard to retreat with heavy losses in that particular area. After several more minutes, two entire regiments of the Lunar Army began advancing on Tranquility. The LunEx vanguard was caught by surprise, cut off, and wiped out as the Lunar Army forces began encircling the Tranquility Base. A number of LunEx troops retreated to Earth using the limited escape modules in Tranquility Base. The remaining soldiers were slaughtered by the Lunar Army, with only a select few being taken prisoner. The casualty rate for the first LunEx operation was 99%.

                All the early LunEx operations experienced very high casualty rates, but the LunEx Forces were quick to adapt to Lunar warfare and began to hold their ground on Mare Tranquillitatis. They would eventually advance and hold areas in the surrounding Lunar Mare. The Lunar Defense Corps, however, was also adapting, consistently having a much lower casualty rate than the LunEx Forces while preventing them from making any significant gains. By 1975, the U.S. had pulled out completely from Vietnam and was focusing its efforts on the Lunar War. Organization, speed, and strategy of the LunEx Forces improved as the war dragged on, despite heavy casualties. At the same time,the science and technology divisions of the LunEx were hard at work gathering data and studying captured technology. Their findings were limited mostly to military usage as they were only making contact with LDC forces. The real objective, the Lunar Capital, was nowhere to be found.

              The experience of a soldier in the Lunar War was not as fast-paced as one may think, however. The near-side of the moon alone was very large, and it was near impossible to hold the entirety of a lunar Mare. Tranquility Base, while large, was still tiny in relation to the size of Mare Tranquillitatis itself. Multiple annex bases and facilities had to be established and maintained as the LunEx Forces advanced across the lunar surface. More than combat, there was marching (or riding, if soldiers were lucky enough to have access to transports) across the vast emptiness of the lunar surface. During campaigns in the flatter Lunar Mare, LunEx entrenchments were generally only constructed after LunEx forces encountered LDC entrenchments. While both sides generally had to travel long distances across the Mare before actually encountering each other, the main LDC defensive lines against invasion were pre-planned and decently spaced from each other that withdrawal from one line to the next was not difficult (LDC offensives did not always build new fortifications when they advanced, instead taking advantage of captured LunEx-built entrenchments. The LunEx Forces, however, constructed defensive lines depending on where they found the LDC, and so the distances between LunEx defensive lines were erratic, but usually more distant than that of the LDC lines. This meant that when the LunEx lost a line to an LDC offensive, retreating LunEx Forces would have to withdraw miles and miles back to their next line of defense.

              Both sides would later abandon massed offensives across the vast Mare in favor of the almost continuous, crater-to-crater battles in the lunar highlands, especially after USLUCOM in 1975 had found out that much of the Lunar gates were located in the highlands, or edges of the highlands, anyway. The edges of the larger craters were natural defensive positions, and the highlands were chock-full of craters of all sizes. The two opposing forces no longer had to travel over long distances of indefensible terrain before engaging each other. From 1976 much of the fighting in the Lunar War was concentrated in Terra Sanitatis, the large "peninsula" of highlands between Mare Tranquillitatis (in the northeast), Mare Nectaris(in the east), Mare Vaporis (in the north), Sinus Aestuum (in the northwest), and Mare Nubium (in the west)

           The Lunar Defense Corps High Command’s refusal to deploy the LDC Navy’s space-faring warships except in very desperate actions was a critical factor in prolonging the conflict, as it allowed the USLUNEX Forces to keep a dominant satellite and spacecraft presence around Luna’s orbit for much of the war. The LDC would be constantly pestered by orbital bombardment, despite their capability to consistently shoot down the LunEx Forces’ unmanned satellites.

                The war continued to drag on in a bloody back and forth, but the Lunarians clearly held the upper hand, with their superior technology and home field advantage. The U.S. was losing the war of attrition, and they still had no idea how to find the Lunar Capital. The LunEx forces launched many reconnaissance operations and special forces incursions to find a suitable entrance, but these all ended in failure. The Lunar Defense Corps forces were deployed to the moon’s surface from many different entrances, many of which were inaccessible to the LunEx Forces. When they finally received reliable intelligence from a yet undisclosed source in 1983, the LunEx launched a large offensive in Sanitatis, drawing LDC troops to the east with a diversion while the western main force advanced all the way up to Purbach Crater before stopping. After this, they began fortifying their positions while gathering strength, preparing for a massive offensive of the Deslandres walled plain.

           Early in 1984, the LunEx Forces launched their final, last-ditch offensive to find and seize the Lunar Capital and hopefully win the war. The Lunarians were aware that the Earthlings were building strength, and deployed much of the Lunar Army in defensive positions on the highlands near Mare Nubium, especially at Deslandres and Regiomontanus, where the LunEx Forces were expected to attack. The massive and swift combined-arms offensive of the LunEx Forces was supported by new technologies, some of which were invented by reverse-engineering Lunar technology. The Lunar Army, expecting the slow and deliberate advance usually made by the LunEx Forces, were caught unprepared by the swift attack. Morale, communication, and order in the Lunar Army broke down during the battle, and the defensive network instead became isolated pockets of resistance, which were still dangerous, but much less difficult to deal with. The LunEx Forces would annihilate these pockets of resistance one by one until they reached their objective: one of many alternate entrances (which the LDC used to mobilize forces to the surface) to the Lunar Capital, which was supposedly deep below the surface of the moon,^[20]. This particular gateway was located in the Hell Crater in Deslandres.

           The entrance to the Lunar Capital was not very wide, so the LunEx forces had to trickle in. Meanwhile, the surviving Lunar Army units withdrew and regrouped with reinforcements from the Lunar Navy. With much of the Lunar Army wiped out by the LunEx Forces’ offensive, the defense of the city was left to a regiment of Lunar Marines, the Lunar Constabulary Troops, and the Lunarian Royal Guards Regiment. The LunEx forces breached the massive “Silver Gates” of the Lunar Capital but, after a day of fighting, were stopped in the lower districts by the aforementioned Lunar Defense Corps troops. Back on the surface, the remaining Lunar Army Mechanized forces, Lunar Marine Divisions from the Navy, and Lunar Navy warships began a massive counter-attack on the LunEx Forces’ positions around the gateway. The LunEx Forces responded by counter-charging across the Mare Nubium flats using their own mechanized divisions, supported by orbital weapons. The LunEx mechanized forces met the LDC mechanized force near Lippershey Crater, but withdrew back towards the Deslandres wall, where they were finally destroyed by the LDC.  The LunEx Forces defending Deslandres and the surrounding craters held for a while, but could not stand up to the still technologically superior Lunar Defense Corps, which had also used new weapons in their counter-attack. The LunEx Forces were driven from both the Capital and the gateway, at which point the Lunar Navy decided to commit all its warships to driving back the Earthlings. The Lunar Fleet defeated the LunEx Navy and destroyed the satellite installations orbiting Luna. After doing this, they joined the ground battle, bombarding the LunEx Forces until there was nothing left but ashes and dust.

           After losing 100% of the active LunEx Forces in the offensive, the U.S. decided to sue for peace. The Lunarians, while victorious, had lost thousands of Lunarian lives^[21], while the offensive nearly annihilated the Lunar Army. This time, the Lunarians agreed to negotiate. An uneasy peace was settled in 1984, and with that, the Lunar Expeditionary Forces were officially dissolved (Despite losing 100% of its forces on the Moon, there were reinforcements assembling on Earth; these forces were disbanded). The remnants of USLUCOM were reorganized into the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) in 1985, which would later merge with the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) in 2002.

Endnotes

^[1] The abbreviation alludes to the cancelled U.S. Air Force “Lunex Project” which was a 1958 plan to conduct a manned mission to the moon and put an underground air force base on the moon by 1968. “Lunex” in this context stood for “Lunar Expedition.”

^[2] From ancient times until the Second World War, Lunarian agents often helped spread war and chaos on Earth by supporting warmongering tyrants and dictators. This was done to distract humanity from making advancements in space technology. The Nazis were not fooled by this, however, and were able to send one rocket into space. The Lunarians, realizing their folly, ended all Earth operations and called back all operatives.

^[3] Some of the other UCCs during the Lunar War period that still exist today include the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) and United States European Command (USEUCOM).

^[4] As far as public knowledge goes, USLUCOM and the USLUNEX Forces do not even exist.

^[5] SOCLUN was a joint-command between USLUCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), under which the Special Forces from all service branches operate.

^[6] The total number of U.S. personnel involved in the conflict, including non-combat personnel and those stationed on Earth, would put the figure at roughly double of the combat troops.

^[7] Prior to 1977, LunEx forces could only hold up to the edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Afterwards, they were able to push out of the Lunar Mare and establish a stable foothold on the near-side of the moon.

^[8] The Moon Rabbits that composed most of the LDC’s infantry, while well-equipped and well-drilled, had low morale compared to Terran or Lunarian soldiers. LDC infantry also rarely had mechanized support.

^[9] The LunEx suits were rather bulky and unwieldy in the normal-gravity environment of the Lunar Capital, so the combat uniform underneath the spacesuit was needed for an assault of the city, where LunEx soldiers would have to remove their suits to move effectively.

^[10] EVA will refer to spacewalk actions (outside of spacecraft in orbit) and not moonwalking (Lunar surface movement)

^[11] The missile system fired a shaped-charge warhead that was effective against lightly armored Lunarian vehicles, but ineffective against the thick composite-reactive armor of Lunarian main battle tanks and other heavy armor.

^[12] bore-evacuator: a device on the gun barrel of a tank which helps prevent poisonous propellant gases from venting back into the vehicle's fighting compartment when the gun breech is opened to load another round.

^[13] As much as possible, U.S. MBTs would not choose to attack Lunarian MBTs unless they outnumbered the Lunarian tank formation 3-to-1 and had support from orbiting missile satellites.

^[14] While Chobham Armor was developed in England, it was based mainly on still unidentified or undisclosed materials used on Lunarian tanks. Unable to reproduce the Lunarian materials, Chobham Armor uses ceramic encased in a metal matrix (Earth metals, not Lunar metals). Details of its construction are still undisclosed.

^[15] The M60A3 Patton was not totally inferior to the M1 Abrams. The A3 Patton had better infantry support potential than the M1 Abrams, because the Patton’s engine did not have a high exhaust temperature like the Abrams (which made taking cover behind the Abrams dangerous) as well as an external phone to allow infantry to communicate with the Patton crew. The Patton’s engine was also more cost-efficient and low-maintenance. The Patton’s 105mm gun, while less powerful than the M1A1 Abrams’ 120mm, could fire a wider variety of ammunition. In addition, Abrams tanks of this time had inferior thermal imaging systems compared to those of the A3 Patton.

^[16] OGM - Orbit-to-Ground Missile

^[17] The longest-serving Ares platform was part of a group of Ares satellites called “Constellation Jester.” The callsign of the surviving platform was Jester-05, nicknamed “Clownpiece” by its operators, who decorated it with American colors and symbols. It survived the destruction of the rest of its group and proved to be a continued nuisance to the LDC, who failed to shoot it down until the end of the war.

^[18] The 1967 “Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies” otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty, prohibits military maneuvers and the construction of military bases, installations, or fortifications on the moon and other celestial bodies, but the U.S. got around this initially by claiming the bases were for the non-military part of the LunEx forces, and that the military forces were only there to enforce peace. Later on, the U.S. would get away with its treaty violations by sharing to a few other nations some of the Lunarian science/technology they were able to obtain.

^[19] The Lunar Defense Corps Army is the largest branch of the Lunar Defense Corps, the armed forces of the Lunar Capital, and is often referred to simply as the “Lunar Army.”

^[20] Tunneling into the Lunar Capital by excavating from the Moon’s surface has proven impossible due to the presence of several ancient physical and magical barriers built by the first Lunarians (some of whom are very much still alive). A strong theory is that the Capital is not actually part of our physical universe but rather a self-contained instance, unbound to the limitations of our universe, explaining the difficulty to reach it and the inexplicable presence of a livable atmosphere, Earth-like gravity, plantlife, water, etc.

^[21] Most of the Lunar Defense Corps personnel were actually Moon Rabbits, a race of humanoids native to Luna and became subservient to the Lunarians after the latter’s arrival on the Moon. Moon Rabbits are weaker, less intelligent, and less durable than Lunarians, but they are very numerous, can communicate with each other telepathically, and make good soldiers. The Lunarian population of the Moon is actually small compared to the Moon Rabbits.There are still many Lunarians that join the Lunar Defense Corps, however, usually as officers and elite troops (Moon Rabbits cannot become commissioned officers). Moon Rabbit casualties in the Lunar War are unknown but definitely in the hundreds of thousands.

Chapter Text

Background

           The Lunar Defense Corps is the military force of the Lunarian Civilization^[1].  The Defense Corps has its origins after the founding of the Lunar Capital, some time after Tsukuyomi, along with his retinue of trusted humans from Eastern Asia, first arrived on the Moon thousands of years ago. Tsukuyomi and his followers believed the Earth to be impure and filled with corruption, and so decided to leave for the pure lands of the Moon. Prior to the founding of the Capital and the Defense Corps, these human settlers, who would afterwards be called “Lunarians,” waged a war against the native Moon Rabbits, resulting in the defeat of the latter and their subsequent assimilation into the Lunarian society. The Lunar Capital was established soon after that, followed by the creation of the Lunar Defense Corps. None of these events can be dated, and the only timeframe we have of the rise of Lunarian civilization was that it happened several millennia ago. The earliest written account of Tsukuyomi is in the Kojiki^[2], dated 711-712 AD, where Tsukuyomi is described as a moon deity, sister of Amaterasu (the sun goddess). It should be safe to presume, then, that the exodus Tsukuyomi led from the Earth to the Moon happened long before the writing of the Kojiki.

           Lunarians and Moon Rabbits, though both humanoid, have different physical, mental, and psychological characteristics. Lunarians are humans, but their residence on the Moon, away from impurities of their home planet (according to the Lunarians, at least), allowed them to become physically and mentally superior to Terran humans. Lunarians are also ageless, have more or less the same average height as Terran humans, and commonly have black, white or silver hair. Lunarians are the officers, specialists, and elite soldiers on the Lunar Defense Corps. Moon Rabbits, on the other hand, are humanoid natives of the Moon, assimilated into Lunarian society but in a subordinate position to the Lunarians^[3]. Moon Rabbits are inferior in physical strength and mental ability to the Lunarians, but have the exceptional ability of being able to communicate with each other telepathically. Though unable to create their own advanced technology, they can become very adept at using Lunarian technology. In addition, their population is exponentially greater than that of the Lunarians. These traits make Moon Rabbits, in theory, excellent rank and file soldiers, sailors, pilots, and crewmen in the Lunar Defense Corps. The ratio of Moon Rabbits to Lunarians in the Lunar Defense Corps has generally been maintained at around 8:1^[4].

           The Lunar Civilization quickly overtook the civilizations of Earth in technology of all fields, including medicine, engineering, and of course, military. By the 13th century, when the first accounts of “hand cannon” gunpowder weapons began to appear on Earth, the Lunarians already had access to advanced firearms^[5]. Around this time, the Lunar Civilization faced a crisis: a sudden and massive invasion by a horde of Youkai^[6] from the valley of Gensokyo, led by Yakumo Yukari. This invasion would be known as the Genso-Lunar War. Hieda no Akyuu in her book, Perfect Memento in Strict Sense describes some of the weapons used by the Lunarians against the invasion: “weapons such as a rifle that can shoot a spread of many bullets in an instant, or small arms with rounds that cause great explosions, or guns that shoot bullets that the users can control after firing.” The first two weapons described by Hieda are comparable to early shotguns and grenade launchers on Earth^[7], respectively. The third (guns with guided bullets) has no close Terran equivalent besides guided missiles or smart bombs, which are not handheld small-arms and fall over a millennium after the timeframe. Despite the tenacity of the Youkai, the Genso-Lunar War ended in a crushing victory for the Lunarians, thanks to their superior technology. The Genso-Lunar War was the first and only major action of the Lunar Defense Corps until the modern Lunar War in the 20th Century.

           Prior to the Genso-Lunar War, the Lunar Defense Corps was a relatively small militia force of semi-organized Lunarian and Moon Rabbit units. On the outset of the Youkai invasion, the Corps was expanded and began organizing itself better to deal with the external threat. By the end of the war, the Lunar Defense Corps had distinguished itself in intense continuous combat, earning much prestige and glory. The resounding success of the Corps would lead to momentous growth and improvement, transforming it from a militia to a professional, well-funded, and multi-branched fighting force that would supposedly be permanently on-alert for new threats. In addition to its organization and equipment, the Defense Corps would develop a place in the Lunar Civilization’s culture, with some Lunarian families raising their children to enter the Defense Academy and become officers in the Defense Corps, Moon Rabbit soldiers taking pride in their service to the Moon, and composers writing marching songs for the Defense Corps. The Corps adopted the primary phases of the moon as their symbols: the new moon represented a shield, the crescent moon a drawn bow, the half moon a sword, and the full moon a mirror. The Lunar Defense Corps also took the words “Courage, Ferocity, Vigor” as its overall shibboleth (the four main branches had their own words as well). However, by the beginning of the Lunar War in 1969, the Lunar Defense Corps, despite its technological edge, faced a number of problems, including stagnation and a crippling bureaucracy, that hampered its ability to wage war to its fullest potential.

Organization and Tactics

            The Lunar Defense Corps is a mix between a conscript and volunteer force: the Corps conscripts Moon Rabbits to maintain its standing forces, but also accepts volunteers from the Lunarian population. Conscripted Moon Rabbits are cycled in and out of service^[8], but for volunteer Moon Rabbits and Lunarians, service in the Corps is considered their permanent career. Only Lunarians can become officers in the Defense Corps. Most officers are graduates of the Lunar Defense Academy, and are assigned to either the Constabulary, Army, or Navy, based on their performance and specializations they took in the Academy^[9]. Generally, fresh graduates are assigned to Moon Rabbit units, such as the Lower Constabulary, Regular Army, and the Navy Sailors (though graduates with piloting specializations are assigned as flight commanders for the Navy’s fighter squadrons). Officers of exclusively Lunarian units or mixed units^[10] tend to be veteran Lunarian officers or exceptionally talented Academy graduates. Lunarians who are not graduates of the Academy but have distinguished service in their military career can apply for a candidate course to become a commissioned officer. Moon Rabbits, while unable to become commissioned officers, fill in non-commissioned leadership roles in their units, such as squad leaders, corporals and sergeants (this does not apply to mixed units, where squad leaders and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) are always Lunarian). Excluding the racial barrier between Moon Rabbits and Lunarians, the Defense Corps is for the most part a meritocracy, where ability is the primary basis for one’s advancement; gender is not a concern. That said, there are still more males than females in the Lunar Defense Corps.

           Many aspects of the Lunar Defense Corps seem to have been modelled after 19th century Western militaries, as evidenced by some of their terminology usage. In the hundreds of years of peace that followed the Genso-Lunar War, Lunarian agents on Earth reported the status of the Earth’s militaries, to keep the Lunar Defense Corps updated on Terran advancements, which were rapid in the field of warfare, as Terran humans were constantly warring each other. Ironically, the technologically superior Lunar Defense Corps would adopt and apply some new doctrines throughout the years, based on the advancements of Terran military science. This process somewhat stagnated in the 19th century, and the Corps rarely updated since then. It could be argued that the Lunar Defense Corps’ policy on adopting doctrine from Terran military advancements instead of formulating their own was largely due to the fact that the Lunar Defense Corps was never at war and thus had no experiences from which to base updated doctrines for the Corps, while the Terran countries were constantly at war and were forced to continually update systems and technology in order to dominate opponents. 

           The Lunar Defense Corps is organized into four main branches - the Army, Navy, Constabulary, and Royal Guard - which are, with the exception of the Royal Guard, subordinate to a special central command group known as Lunar Defense High Command, which is a large staff of officers from all branches, led by the “Lunar Marshals,” (formal title: Marshal of the Lunar Defense Corps) which included the Princess and commanding officers of each branch, ultimately headed by the Grand Marshal of the Lunar Defense Corps, handpicked by Tsukuyomi himself. High Command has its own sub-branches, such as the Civil Operations Command, Training Command, Interior Guard Corps, and the Information Command. The Training Command oversees the curriculum of the Lunar Defense Academy, as well as the training program for soldiers. The Interior Guard is a special armed unit separate from the four main branches that is charged with enforcing High Command orders^[11], delivering sensitive information, and protecting High Command officials and buildings. The Information Command is comprised of both the Military Intelligence and Publication branches of the High Command. The Lunar Defense Corps operates largely independently of the rule of Tsukuyomi, though the Lunar Princess is a member of the High Command, acting as his representative. The structure of the High Command and its relationship with the four main branches was a severe detriment to the speed and coordination of the Defense Corps’ performance during the Lunar War. The system was an unwieldingly complicated bureaucracy^[12] riddled with corruption (ironically), abuse of power, and stagnation. The primary result was a lack of communication among the four main branches, which in turn restricted and discouraged any kind of combined arms / inter-branch operations. This could be seen throughout the Lunar War by the Defense Corps’ reluctance to launch large-scale offensive operations, with the main branches generally working independently of each other in defensive or minor counter-offensive actions, at least until the closing stages of the war, when High Command was suspended and temporarily replaced by a war council that took direct command of all the Defense Corps’ forces. The next few paragraphs will focus on the four main branches of the Defense Corps.

           The Lunar Constabulary is the police and law enforcement unit of the Lunar Capital, ensuring peace and order in the 12 districts^[13]. Its symbol is the New Moon (Shield, representing the Constabulary’s duty to protect the population), and their official march is entitled “The Lake Reflects the Pure Moonlight.” The Constabulary is split into two groups: the Lower Constabulary and the Upper Constabulary. The Lower Constabulary is charged with protecting the Lower Districts of the Capital, which are inhabited by the Moon Rabbits and surround the Upper Districts. Constable units of the Lower group are Moon Rabbits with Lunarian officers, with the exception of some Lunarian specialist units. The Upper Constabulary, then, obviously protects the Upper Districts, where the Lunarians live. Upper Constabulary units are exclusively Lunarian.

           The Constabulary is considered the easiest and most lax branch of the Lunar Defense Corps, as the training is less rigid, average crime rate tends to be at zero (with few exceptional cases), and the branch does not involve itself in operations outside the Lunar Capital. The Constabulary is also the least equipped: only specialist units such as the Lower Constabulary’s Gate Guards have equipment for vacuum environments^[14], and their weapons are mostly non-lethal, generally being long sticks or electric rods, with swords and pistols for officers. The Constabulary’s limited number of firearms are generally kept in reserve for extreme cases. Constables have their unarmored uniforms as their main attire, as their armored suits are also limited in number and reserved for emergencies. The Constabulary has special units, such as an the Crowd Control Unit^[15] and the Gate Guards. The Gate Guards, as their name suggests, protect the gates of the Capital. These gates are actually large double-gate complexes located in the Lower City^[16]. The Gate Guards do not allow anyone near a gate complex, whether from the inside or the outside, to enforce the largely isolationist policy of the Lunar Capital, as well as protect the gates from saboteurs.

           The Lunar Navy is the space combat branch of the Lunar Defense Corps, and is the only entity of the Lunar Civilization outside the Royal Family that is permitted to have spacecraft. The Navy’s symbol is the crescent moon (Drawn Bow, representing its  long-range capabilities) and its official march is “Pure Furies^[17].” The Navy is considered the first line of defense as it is charged with protecting the space around the Moon. The early-warning systems of the Lunar Defense Corps are maintained by the Navy. Despite the Lunar Navy’s supposedly significant role, the Lunar Fleet is actually not that large, with only a handful of assorted spacecraft and single-seat fighter squadrons. This does not make them any less dangerous, however. The pride of the Lunar Fleet is the Purity-class Battlecruiser^[18], which has a large crew, energy shielding, and immensely powerful weapon systems. The Navy is the least racially segregated branch of the Lunar Defense Corps, with many mixed units, including fighter pilots, naval engineers, and marines. All officers and NCOs in the Navy are Lunarian, however.

           Aside from the Lunar Fleet, the Lunar Navy also prides itself from its Lunar Marine divisions, who are charged with defending the Fleet’s capital ships, fighting in the zero-gravity vacuum of space, or deploying for surface attacks. The Lunar Marines are trained to fight in normal, low, and zero gravity, and are the most well-equipped force in the Lunar Defense Corps (with the exception of the Royal Guard). Their training is better than that of Regular Army units, and on-par with that of the Army Guards battalions. The Marines are a mixed force of Moon Rabbits and Lunarians with Lunarian officers and NCOs. The Lunar Navy’s commanding officer during the Lunar War was Admiral Junko, and her flagship was the Purity, namesake of the Purity-class battlecruiser.

           The Lunar Army is the largest of the branches in terms of numbers and equipment, and charged with protecting the surface of the Moon from external threats. Its symbol is the Half Moon (Sword, representing its role as the primary fighting force, just as the sword has been the traditional symbolic weapon of the Lunarians) and the title of the Army’s official march is “History of the Moon.” The army is comprised of infantry divisions, mechanized divisions, and artillery batteries. The Army’s specialization was in low-gravity environments, such as the Lunar surface, though they were also trained to fight in normal gravity. The Lunar Army’s organization during the Lunar War was considered obsolete at the time (though of course, the Lunarians would refuse to admit that) as it was difficult for units to support each other, and despite having powerful mechanized units, the majority of the Army comprised the infantry, who were generally deployed in long defensive lines or wave attacks with minimal support.

           The Army’s infantry divisions had little to no mechanized support of their own, and had no infantry support vehicles such as IFVs or APCs like those of the LunEx Forces. Their closest equivalent was the Light-class Infantry Battle Walker^[19], a small one-man anti-infantry walker vehicle. The Infantry was a massive force, and made up around half of the entire Lunar Defense Corps’ manpower during the Lunar War. Infantry divisions are divided into the Regulars Divisions and the Guards Division. The Regulars Divisions are comprised of Moon Rabbits with Lunarian officers, with Moon Rabbit NCOs. Each Army Regulars Division has a number specialized battalions within it: Scout Battalions, Grenadier Battalions, and Sapper Battalions. Scouts are fast-moving light infantry that form the advance force of a division; their jobs are reconnaissance, skirmishing, and taking unoccupied ground and holding it until heavier units arrive. Grenadiers are heavy assault troops with strong armor, powerful weapons, and light explosives; they are tasked with assaulting well-defended positions, spearheading infantry wave attacks, and neutralizing light armor. Sappers are the demolition and builder soldiers, and have good armor, a variety of field tools, heavy explosives, and anti-vehicle weapons; their roles include neutralizing ground vehicles as well as the construction or destruction of fortifications. Non-specialized battalions (which make up more than half of a division’s battalions) are simply called Regulars Battalions. The singular Guards Division, on the other hand, is an elite exclusively Lunarian Infantry Division, known as the “Hangetsu Guard”^[20]. Their organization is similar to a Regulars Division,  but with different titles to distinguish them from the Moon Rabbit units: The non-specialized soldiers (equivalent of Regulars in the Moon Rabbit Divisions) are known as Guards, the Lunarian Scout Battalions are called Rangers, the Grenadiers are Guard Grenadiers, and the Sappers are Combat Engineers. The roles of each remain roughly the same as the Moon Rabbit equivalents.

           The Mechanized divisions are smaller and specialized towards vehicle-to-vehicle combat. Rather than supporting the Infantry, Army Mechanized Divisions are organized and trained to operate independently. Most of the Mechanized Divisions are comprised of Tank Battalions. There are both light and heavy tank units. Mostly Moon Rabbits crew the Tanks, with formation commanders and some tank commanders being Lunarians. Lunarians only compose the crew in commander tanks. The Army Mechanized also has a number of low-altitude attack gunships (similar to Earth attack helicopters). The pride of the Army Mechanized is the Armored Judgement Unit, a special group of elite Lunarian troops who maintain and operate the Judgement-class Heavy Battle Walkers^[21], monstrous machines that are described by LunEx commanders as a “slow moving, but unstoppable anti-everything vehicle.”

           Army Artillery Batteries are technically not independent units, but auxiliary forces that are attached to other Army divisions as required. Moving Artillery Batteries to where they are needed was a slow process because a transfer order/request generally had to be approved by High Command; this meant the papers going slowly up the bureaucracy and then back down to the unit^[22]. An artillery battery normally includes a dozen or more heavy guns, which are multi-purpose and support a variety of ammunition, from standard explosive, bunker/tank-busting, anti-air, and anti-orbital shells.

           The Lunarian Royal Guard is the smallest, most exclusive, and most prestigious branch of the Lunar Defense Corps, dedicated to protecting Lord Tsukuyomi, the Lunar Princess, her Royal Family, and the Palace Complex. Their symbol is the Full Moon (Mirror: as Lunarian reflection magic is the most powerful defense of the moon, the Royal Guards are the most powerful soldiers of the Defense Corps) and their official march is “Cinderella Cage.” Though at first glance their duties seem largely ceremonial, the Royal Guards Regiment is actually a hardened combat unit, comprised of the best and most loyal soldiers of the Lunar Defense Corps. Members of the Royal Guard are handpicked by the Commander of the Royal Guard, who is, in turn, a seasoned and battle-hardened officer handpicked by Tsukuyomi himself^[23]. The Royal Guard unit have an additional advantage over the other branches, in that they do not have to go through the swamping bureaucracy of High Command to take actions. Instead, the Royal Guard are answerable directly to the Lunar Princess (as representative of Tsukuyomi), and in her absence, the Grand Marshal of the Lunar Defense Corps. When the motives of the Marshal and the Princess did not coincide, the Princess generally overruled any order the Grand Marshal wanted the Royal Guard to follow and causing tension in High Command, particularly against the Interior Guards. During the Lunar War, the Commander of the Royal Guard was Watatsuki no Yorihime^[24]. Yorihime held the position since her sister, Watatsuki no Toyohime, became the “official” Lunar Princess^[25], with Tsukuyomi believing that, working together, they would achieve more and help redeem themselves in Lunar society, following their failure to capture a dangerous Lunarian traitor in the past.

            As stated earlier, the Lunar Princess was given the title of “Marshal of the Lunar Defense Corps” as she represented Tsukuyomi in the High Command’s Staff. Toyohime’s sister, Yorihime, also held the position of Marshal as she was the commander of the Royal Guard branch of the Corps. In addition, the sisters had a long-time friend in Admiral Junko, commander of the Lunar Navy and thus also a Marshal. On the strategic level, Princess Toyohime, Commander Yorihime, and Admiral Junko were instrumental in the final decisive victory of the Lunarians over the Terran invasion, as their combined influence in High Command (to the chagrin of the Grand Marshal and some other officers) hastened the response of the Lunar Defense Corps, already bogged down by stagnancy and bureaucracy, to the invasion.

            Tactically speaking, the Lunar Army did most of the fighting, and it was outclassed by the LunEx forces, despite the technological advantage held by the Lunarians. Moon Rabbit soldiers, though numerous, well-equipped, and telepathic (among other Moon Rabbits), were not as adept as Humans (be they Terran or Lunarian) in warfare. Moon Rabbits also generally suffered from low morale, and would easily break and run from a well-committed attack. Lunarians, however, were excellent and nigh unbreakable fighters, but their low numbers and refusal of commanders to commit more Lunarians into battle hindered their usefulness. Moon Rabbits in mixed units tended to perform better. The best Lunarian officers could inspire their Moon Rabbit soldiers to fight harder (generally by leading and fighting from the front), but if the Lunarian officer of a Moon Rabbit unit was killed, the Moon Rabbits would usually panic and retreat.

           The Lunar Defense Corps (but mostly the Army), when not stretched out in long defensive lines, relied in general on swarm tactics and infantry wave attacks, which were sometimes effective, but also took a heavy toll on Moon Rabbit soldiers. Some infantry commanders still arranged their units into closely-formed lines firing in volleys, which was impractical and dangerous considering the technology level of the two opposing sides. Bayonet charges by Lunar Army infantry units were frequent despite the range advantage they held with their small-arms^[26]. Lunar Army Mechanized units were generally deployed in response to the LunEx Forces’ own mechanized attacks. Lunar Tank commanders, well aware of their technological superiority, immediately counter-attacked the center of LunEx tank formations, cutting many Terran tanks apart before withdrawing or continuing the counter-push, depending on the circumstances.

           The Constabulary, Navy, and Royal Guard tactics are largely unknown as they were deployed in very limited roles during the Lunar War. The Constabulary, as a mainly peacekeeping force, performed holding actions until reinforcement from other branches (Marines and Royal Guard, in the case of the Lunar War). The Navy’s tactics (both Fleet and Marines) seemed to lean toward reinforcement and defense of a danger area, followed by a swift and brutal counter-attack^[27]. The Royal Guard are more diverse, capable of being both an unmovable rock on the defensive, and a fast and effective strike force, launching raids on vulnerable positions or spearheading infantry assaults.

Endnotes

^[1] Also referred to as the Lunatic Kingdom

^[2] “Records of Ancient Matters,” the oldest extant chronicle in Japan; it is a collection of Japanese myths.

^[3] Moon Rabbits have more or less been accepting of their assimilation, as in exchange they gained shared access to the advanced technology and higher living standards of the Lunarians (they are still considered tools/pets to most Lunarians, however).

^[4] 8 is considered one of the luckiest numbers in Chinese and Japanese culture. Perhaps the 8:1 ratio of personnel is there to make up for the fact that there are 4 main branches of the Lunar Defense Corps, 4 being an unlucky number in both Chinese and Japanese culture.

^[5] Relative to the time period, which is roughly 1,000 years before the 21st century.

^[6] Youkai (in Touhou terminology) is an umbrella term referring to any supernatural being, ranging from monsters to evil spirits and beyond.

^[7] Primitive grenades were contemporaneous with the timeframe of the Genso-Lunar War, while the first handheld shotgun-type weapons would appear in the 17th century with the introduction of the blunderbuss.

^[8] The number of years varies depending on unit, with Constabulary having the shortest period of service, followed by Army and Sailors with moderate periods of time, and Pilots and Marines having the longest service.

^[9] Unlike the other three branches, Royal Guard officers are selected only from officers who have already distinguished themselves in another branch of service.

^[10] Some of the exclusively Lunarian units are the Upper Constabulary and the Army’s Hangetsu Guard battalions, while mixed units include the Lunar Marines and Naval Engineering Group, both under the Lunar Navy.

^[11] In cases where going through the chain of command for any particular branch will take too long, or when a branch is not immediately compliant with the order in question.

^[12] The specifics of High Command’s decision-making structure/processes are still classified and described as “so convoluted that it is impossible to explain in any kind of concise manner anyway.”

^[13] The 12 districts are named after the 12 “seas” of the Moon.  Each district actually has a small magical lake representing each district’s respective sea.

^[14] Constabulary units are only expected to operate inside the Lunar Capital anyway, where there is artificial gravity and atmosphere at levels similar to Earth’s

^[15] Equivalent to Riot Control units in Terran police forces.

^[16] The Lunar Gates are massive gate-complexes that are the only physical entrances into the Lunar Capital, the meeting places between the scientific Moon and the “magical” Moon.. Each complex consists of a large, spacious staging area sealed off from the Lunar Capital by a huge silver-grey inner-gate. Opposite the inner-gate (on the other side of the staging area), is a smaller outer-gate that opens to a tunnel that leads to the moon's surface. Since outside the outer-gate there is no air or atmosphere, the Lunar Gates are built such that the two gates cannot be opened at the same time. If the Inner-gate is opened, the outer-gate is locked closed, and vice-versa. When the outer-gate is closed, the Inner gate will not be allowed to be opened until the staging area is re-pressurized and filled with breathable air again.

^[17] Furies in this context refer to the Greek goddesses of vengeance, also known as the Erinyes.

^[18] Only two Purity-class ships were known to be in existence during the Lunar War, one of which, Heavensword, was already out of commission for some time. The operational ship, Purity, was only used right before the war’s end.

^[19] Nicknamed “Light Walkers” by both the LunEx and Lunar Defense Corps soldiers.

^[20] Hangetsu translates to “Halfmoon,” thus, “Halfmoon Guard”

^[21] Nicknamed “Heavy Walkers” by the LunEx Forces and “Judges (Yama)” by Lunar Defense Corps soldiers, referring to Enma, the judges of the dead, whom the Lunarians revere.

^[22] A recurring and frustrating experience for Lunar Army commanders was when they put in orders to transfer an Artillery Battery to a division further from the front line in order to avoid being caught in an expected attack and destroyed. In the time it took for the orders to be processed by High Command and sent down to the Artillery Battery, the LunEx forces had already launched an offensive, routed the front line Lunar Army units, and destroyed all the guns of the concerned battery.

^[23] Tsukuyomi actually has his own personal guard unit in addition, called the Night Guard, who are never really seen as Tsukuyomi is never really seen as well.

^[24] Yorihime, a controversial figure in Lunar society, rose to prominence in the Lunar Defense Corps during the Genso-Lunar War. Yorihime was a strict and talented commander who led from the front, and it was said that no one could match her swordsmanship. Despite her reputation, the Royal Guards were undyingly loyal to her, and she was very highly regarded by all branches of the Lunar Defense Corps, with the exception of some Army and High Command officials who viewed her as “dangerous and uncontrollable.”

^[25] Technically, both Watatsuki sisters were princesses in title, but Toyohime held the actual position and duties of “Lunar Princess,” which were mainly diplomatic in nature.

^[26] As explained earlier, this may be due to the fact that, especially later in the war, LunEx forces had a devastatingly effective orbital bombardment system in place, and getting Lunar Infantry units into close-combat with LunEx positions would make it too dangerous for LunEx missile satellites to target them, for risk of friendly fire.

^[27] The Lunar Navy’s Marines preferred to rely on superior marksmanship and positioning rather than the brute force of massed volleys and bayonet charges used by the Lunar Army’s Infantry units. Whether this thinking was influenced by their respective branches’ symbolism (bow for Navy, sword for Army) is uncertain.

Chapter Text

Equipment/Technology

                The Lunarians are the most technologically advanced civilization known to mankind. The Lunar Capital itself, where the Lunarians and Moon Rabbits live, is an almost self-contained, livable, and sustainable instance, previously thought to be inside/under the moon’s surface. The prevailing theory maintains that the lifeless Moon that we know is the “scientific Moon” while the Lunar Capital is a separate “fantasy/magical Moon^[1],” well-hidden and protected by still inexplicable magical barriers. Whether the Lunarians created this artificial environment for themselves or simply found it and prospered in it is uncertain.

                The Lunar Defense Corps reflected the technological prowess of the Lunarian civilization; its soldiers were well-armed and well-protected. As far as equipment was concerned, the Lunar Defense Corps surpassed the USLUNEX in all areas. Moon Rabbit soldiers, though seen more as tools than as people by the Lunarians, were fully equipped for whatever roles they were required to fill, and in many cases this meant they had the same equipment as Lunarian soldiers. This meant that despite their low position in society, the Moon Rabbit soldiers were valued and not simply cannon-fodder, because they represented a substantial investment in time (training) and resources (equipment).

               All LDC soldiers that operated outside the Lunar Capital had EVA-capable combat suits^[2]. There were many variants of the suits, for different operators and specializations, which will be discussed later. In general, though, the LDC combat suits were comfortable and flexible, capable of giving satisfactory protection against bullets, debris, and shrapnel, for their weight. Unlike LunEx space suits, that are difficult to reseal in a combat zone (thus usually resulting in death from suffocation), LDC suits have a limited foam-like resealing substance that is activated automatically when the suit is punctured or pierced. LDC suits also have more efficient and better-protected oxygen storage, as well as an automatic sun-visor and built-in visor HUD (heads-up display) for the helmet. LDC suits are also lighter and less bulky than their LunEx counterparts, meaning they could be used within the Lunar Capital without any detriment to the wearer. Moon Rabbit helmets also have protrusions for their ears to fit in.

                Lunar Army Regular suits were standard, almost identical to the general description above. Lunar Army specialists, on the other hand, were issued specialized suits. Lunar Army Scouts had lighter suits which were less-protected from enemy fire, but more maneuverable; Scout suits had multidirectional thrusters which gave Scouts even more speed and maneuverability. Grenadiers had heavier armor with more storage for light explosives and ammunition, fitting their role as assault infantry. Sappers also had heavier armor than Regulars (but lighter than Grenadiers), and larger packs for explosives, anti-armor weapons, and tools. The Hangetsu Guard Division is equipped in roughly the same manner for its Guards and specialists, albeit with better adorned armor. Lunar Army combat suits bore some resemblance to traditional Japanese armor, and to some USLUNEX personnel, Lunar Army soldiers looked like “futuristic space Samurai” (especially Hangetsu Guard armor, which was clearly inspired by dō-maru armor of the early Samurai).

                The Lunar Navy has spacesuits for its Pilots, Sailors, Engineers, and Marines. With the exception of the Marines, the Navy suits are roughly standard-issue but with thrusters for EVA and larger oxygen tanks. The Marines, on the other hand, had arguably the most versatile suits in the Lunar Defense Corps. Lunar Marine spacesuits had better armor than the standard Army suits (roughly on par with a Grenadier suit), and also had multidirectional thrusters intended for use in both EVA and surface operations^[3]. They also had the most oxygen storage, as Marines were expected to be deployed in an atmosphere-deprived environment longer than other units. While Army suit design had a traditional Japanese aesthetic, Lunar Navy spacesuits were more inspired by traditional Chinese wear. This aesthetic was seen most clearly in the Lunar Marines, whose armored spacesuits resembled heavily-armored traditional Chinese soldiers.

                The Lunar Royal Guard suits were described as menacing yet beautiful by many soldiers (both LunEx and LDC). Royal Guard suits initially appear very ceremonial and majestic with their ornate suits, but they are much thicker in armor than any other combat suit, with only superficial reduction in bulkiness and maneuverability. The Royal Guard fight harder and better than other units, and coupled with their terrifyingly powerful armor, they are comparable in performance to Lunar light tanks, and sometimes even better. The Royal Guard armor design is said to be inspired by traditional ō-yoroi armor of the early Japanese Samurai.

                Lunarians were fond of using plasma in both their long-ranged, close-ranged, and melee weapons. Lunarian small-arms were reputed to be powerful and pinpoint accurate, but with slow rates of fire. The standard-issue Lunarian rifle during the Lunar War was designated the Moonlight Rifle MLR1 by USLUCOM^[4], whichfired white bolts of searing plasma at incredible speeds. They were powered by a magazine-type battery charge that could fire a large amount of shots (estimates are at 50 per battery) before needing to be changed (and LDC soldiers of course carried multiple magazines), though each shot had to be charged with a bolt-action type mechanism before firing. The plasma rifles also carried a bayonet slot. Aesthetically, the ML1 was very similar to rifles/muskets of the 18th and 19th century, albeit with a synthetic black and metallic chrome finish^[5]. Later in the war (late 1970s), a semi-automatic variant of the standard rifle, designated as the MLR2, was introduced to some LDC units.

               Automatic weapons were not popular with the Lunar Defense Corps, and this mentality did not change much during the war as their weapons were extremely accurate and outranged the Terran small-arms that there was little need to develop automatic plasma small-arms. There were automatic plasma cannons on vehicles, however (though these had relatively slow rates of fire compared to the automatic weapons of the LunEx forces). In addition to pure plasma weapons, the LDC had a number of projectile small-arms and light weapons. One of which was the Lunar equivalent of the shotgun, designated the Moonrock Scattergun MRSG1, a short-barreled weapon that fired a spread of plasma-coated flechette-type rounds. Another, and one of the more terrifying, was the Moonbow Anti-Material Sniper MBAMS, classified as a light weapon, but requiring two to operate: a spotter with the weapon’s digital console and a gunner operating the sniper itself. The MBAMS fired a solid plasma-coated round that exploded after impact. What made it special, however, was the spotter’s ability to “guide” the bullet. The weapon system had a complex array of sights that allowed the shooter to find targets behind cover or otherwise obtrusive terrain. The bullet could not go through thick cover or terrain, but the spotter used the console plot the course of the bullet, maneuvering it to a position where the target’s cover was useless before actually moving to hit the target and explode, killing or damaging anything surrounding the target. Lunarian grenades were also smart, in a sense; they would heat up quickly after activation, and could not be thrown back as they would be superheated (enough to burn through a Terran spacesuit, or even Lunarian one for that matter) right before they explode in a blast of plasma and shrapnel.

               The Lunar Defense Corps prided itself with prowess in melee combat. Training with the Bayonet/sword/polearm^[6] was an essential part of LDC training. The blades themselves were crafted with “Lunarian steel”, a powerful alloy created with unknown purified metals, which gave the blades silver to shining dark-blue colors. The polearm and sword designs were Traditional East Asian in crafting, with the Katana (and similar designs, e.g. nodachi, wakizashi, kodachi, etc.) being the most common sword type, though the Jian and Dao are also popular^[7]. Those who preferred the Jian, Dao, or smaller Katana variants over the classic/standard Katana generally preferred a one-handed sword style (the Katana was designed mainly for two-handed use), which enabled them to carry a sidearm, grenade, or other piece of equipment on their non-dominant hand. Bayonet design was similar to the European sword-bayonet, while polearm designs included Chinese Guandao, Japanese Naginata, as well as simple spear designs. More than simple sharp blades, Lunarian melee weapons also utilized plasma. All Lunarian bladed weapons were equipped with a mechanism that, at a push of a button, engulfed the blade in translucent fiery-hot blue plasma that increased the cutting power and pain inflicted by the weapon^[8]. Some high ranking officers chose to have personalized swords: Commander Watatsuki no Yorihime, for example, had a uniquely decorated Katana with a pommel, collar, blade collar, and guard colored shining gold, a handle colored blood red, and a blade of blue-silver Lunarian steel, with the button giving a short burst of opaque white-blue fire (which Yorihime applied during her strikes) instead of sustained translucent blue. Admiral Junko, on the other hand, preferred a plainly designed Jian with a hilt and handle of dark gold, a regal red tassel attached to the hilt, a dark-silver Lunarian steel blade, and translucent white plasma flames.

               LDC ground combat vehicles included several types of mechanized walkers and tanks. These vehicles were classified by size and mass: light, medium, heavy, and superheavy. The LDC fielded at least three tank models during the war, including: (1) the Suzaku-class light tank, (2) Byakko-class medium tank, and (3) the Seiryu-class heavy tank. LDC tanks, like their Terran counterparts, were tracked armored vehicles. LDC tanks, however, required no modifications for different gravitational environments, unlike the LunEx tanks which had specific modifications for the low-gravity of the lunar surface. It is speculated that whatever adaptive technology used by Lunar tanks is built-in to their systems/construction. All Lunar tanks had advanced composite-reactive armor hulls, with materials still unknown and/or unavailable to Earth, giving the tanks a seamless “slab-sided” appearance that was also smoothly angular in the frontal and rear design. Terran tanks that used Chobham armor (such as the M1 Abrams), an attempted imitation of Lunarian composite armor using Terran materials, would also take on this “slab-sided” appearance, albeit in a cruder fashion than that of the elegant Lunarian tank designs. Lunar tanks also had advanced targeting systems, making their shots very accurate, even while moving at high speeds.

               The Suzaku (Vermilion Bird) light tank was an exceptionally mobile vehicle used by the Lunar Army, and later by the Lunar Marines as well^[9]. Compared to the LunEx Sheridan light tank, the Suzaku was faster, better armed, and better armored, but had a slightly higher profile. Its thin hull was able to repel LunEx small-arms fire, while its reactive armor gave good protection against light anti-tank weapons. It could not defend against main battle tanks and heavy anti-tank weapons, and light anti-tank weapons such as anti-materiel rifles could still damage its tracks and render the light tank immobile. The Suzaku’s armament was a repeating plasma cannon, which fired large plasma bolts that were effective at dispatching infantry and light armor (such as Sheridan tanks, M113 APCs, and Bradley IFVs). The Suzaku was crewed by a team of three: commander, driver, and gunner. The Suzaku saw service throughout the entire conflict, its primary roles being reconnaissance and hit-and-run strikes.

               The Byakko (White Tiger) medium tank was the most numerous tank in the Lunar Army mechanized divisions at the beginning of the war. The Byakko had a respectable composite armor thickness, capable of taking a few hits from 105mm HEAT rounds fired by LunEx M60 Pattons, or other similar AT projectiles, such as the Shillelagh missile, thanks to its advanced composite-reactive armor. Its armament was a heavy plasma cannon, able to knock out a Patton tank with one well-placed shot. The range of the plasma cannon was slightly less than the range of the Patton tank’s main gun. The Byakko also had a plasma repeater (equivalent to a Terran machine-gun, but fired plasma bolts at a comparatively lower rate of fire than the average machine gun) as a secondary weapon for dealing with infantry. The Byakko had a crew of three (commander, driver, and gunner) Unlike the Suzaku, which served throughout the conflict, the Byakko only appeared for the first few years of the war. At the start of the war, the Byakko was already in the process of being replaced. By the middle stages of the conflict, the Byakko had been completely phased out by the more advanced Seiryu heavy tank.

               The Seiryu (Azure Dragon) heavy tank was actually a recent addition to the roster of the LDC’s Army Mechanized at the start of the war. It was designed some years before hostilities were declared in order to replace two older tank models, addressing the weaknesses of both and rolling all their advantages into one superior vehicle class. The first tank in question was the Genbu (Black Tortoise) heavy tank, which was heavily armored and had a powerful long-ranged armament, but had a very high profile and was deemed too slow for the LDC Army Mechanized Divisions’ quick and mobile doctrine of warfare. The Genbu had already been completely phased out of LDC service at the start of the Lunar War. The second tank type being replaced by the Seiryu was the earlier mentioned Byakko medium tank. The Byakko was fast and maneuverable but its weapon had short range and a slow rate of fire, while its armor was seen as insufficient. The Seiryu used a completely new hull and turret design that had a lower profile than both the Byakko and the Genbu. Its composite-reactive armor was thicker than the Byakko’s but thinner than the Genbu’s. In addition, the Seiryu had a powerful engine that outperformed that of the Byakko despite the Seiryu’s thicker armor. A new main armament was also created for the Seiryu: instead of a pure energy weapon like the plasma cannon, a powerful long-range projectile gun (about 120mm) was used instead, capable of firing different types of rounds, the most common of which was called “APEP^[10]” similar to a Terran HEAT round, but was coated in scorching hot electrical plasma. This particular round would penetrate armor and explode, and the plasma explosion was more than capable of killing anything still alive after the round penetrated. The Seiryu’s new main gun also had a higher rate of fire than the Byakko’s, provided the loader was well-trained. The Seiryu’s secondary armaments were two plasma repeaters, one on the hull and one co-axial. Though classified as a Lunarian heavy tank, the tank very much fits in Terran classification as a “Main Battle Tank (MBT).” The Seiryu had a crew of four (commander, driver, gunner, and loader).

               The Seiryu began to appear in large numbers some three years into the war as it replaced the Byakko as the mainline tank of the LDC, where it quickly earned its reputation as one of the most terrifying and devastating weapons of the war. LunEx armored units simply could not stand toe-to-toe against Seiryu tank formations, and even after the introduction of the American M1 Abrams, the Seiryu still outperformed the new LunEx tank. Most LunEx tank rounds simply bounced off the frontal armor of the Seiryu^[11], while hits to the side were rarely fatal^[12]. The Seiryu was in service for the entirety of the war, and was the model for nearly all the Earth’s (the western world in particular) main battle tanks developed in the 1970s and beyond.

               Lunarian walker vehicles were unique in the sense that the US LunEx forces did not have any direct equivalents for them, and they operated in a wider role than the Lunarian tanks. They differed widely in size, role, and shape. The three walker vehicles seen during the Lunar War were the (1) Hikari (Light) class light walker, (2) Kumogatarui (Arachnid) class medium walker, and the (3) Hanketsu (Judgement) class superheavy walker.

               The Hikari-class light battle walker, nicknamed the “light walker” by both sides, was an armored bipedal combat walker that filled an anti-infantry role in the Lunar Army, Marines, and Royal Guard. It is neither very large nor heavy, being roughly twice the height of the average Lunarian soldier. The Hikari may be comparable to an exoskeleton or powered armor, in that it is built to fit onto a humanoid body. The Lunarian or Moon Rabbit walker pilot enters via the rear torso of the Hikari, inserting his/her limbs into the Hikari’s arm and leg slots. The rear torso hatch then closes, securing the pilot inside, who controls the Hikari simply by moving his/her legs as one normally would to move around, turning his/her head to look around, and moving his/her arms to aim the walker’s arm mounted weapons: a heavy plasma repeater on the Hikari’s right arm for medium-range, a flechette scattergun on the left arm for short-range and limited armor-piercing (light vehicles and cover), and large retractable lunar steel blades on both arms for close-quarters^[13]. The Hikari could also be used to lift some heavy equipment/supplies when needed, and could sometimes be used to hold bulletproof shields to protect advancing infantry during a bayonet charge. The Hikari’s armor was light in order to keep it maneuverable, so it was able to shrug off most small-arms fire while protecting the pilot from blast concussions and shrapnel to an extent, but it was vulnerable to higher-caliber bullets^[14] and other anti-armor weapons. Hikari walkers would typically be seen advancing alongside Lunar Infantry in bayonet charges, shielding some of them while providing covering fire. Hikari walkers of the Lunar Marines and Hangetsu Guard have boosters that can give the walker a short forward speed burst, or, in low gravity, boost the walker above the ground and then slam it down feet first, knocking back nearby enemy soldiers and killing anyone caught by the stomp. The Lunarian Royal Guard had a few customized upgraded models of the Hikari-class with more powerful boosters and thicker armor plating.

               The Kumogatarui-class medium support walker (USLUNEX designation: Arachnid) was a relatively tall walker vehicle, with eight legs which give it an arachnid/spider-like appearance. Its role on the battlefield involved multiple forms of support as well as “cleanup” operations. The walker was crewed by two: a pilot and a copilot. Kumogatarui/Arachnid walkers were equipped for either medical, repair, or logistical support via a compartment slot that was representative of a spider’s rear “abdomen.” A medical support pod would house a team of rescue paramedics and appropriate equipment for rescue and medical operations. A repair pod would have a team of mechanics, tools and equipment, as well as spare parts. A logistics pod would have rations, ammunition, specialist weapons and equipment, overseen by a team of soldiers led by a quartermaster. All these support pods had their own life-support independent of the Arachnid’s systems. Arachnid walker’s eight legs give it excellent all-terrain mobility, which includes its capacity to traverse steep slopes and over crevasses that most other vehicles cannot overcome. The support pod of the Arachnid is stabilized by gyroscopes so that it is stable regardless of the terrain being traversed by the walker. The Arachnid is taller than the standard Lunarian tanks and its hull (not including legs) is slightly wider than that of a tank’s to accommodate more supplies and personnel. It was not heavily armored^[15] and thus was almost never seen on the frontlines. The walker was armed with two plasma repeaters for defense. The strangest feature of the Arachnid was an underbelly chemical emitter that released a compound of unknown gases that was supposedly meant to clean up, or specifically, “purify” the area that the walker moved over^[16]. This action was typically done after a battle.

               The largest and most intimidating of the LDC’s walker vehicles is the Hanketsu-class superheavy battle walker. Designated as “Judgement”-class walkers by USLUNEX and sometimes nicknamed Yama (Judge of the Dead) by LDC troops, the Hanketsu-class is the pride of the Lunar Army, the most powerful land vehicle that the LDC can field. The Judgement walkers themselves are towering humanoid figures clearly built in the image of the god Enma/Yama. Each walker has two legs and four arms^[17], while the “head” of each individual walker is unique in design, mimicking the different headpieces that the god Yama is often depicted wearing. The head also has three “eyes” (Yama is usually depicted with three eyes), which are not viewports but part of the Judgement’s many powerful weapon systems. Their metal plating is tinted in different shades of blue or red, another reference to artistic depictions of Enma/Yama. The weapon systems of the Hanketsu include devastating focused-energy beams from its three “eyes,” as well as a variety of heavy plasma and ballistic weapons incorporated in the arms and torso of the walker. In addition, the high-powered legs and feet of the Hanketsu could stomp the ground and cause a crippling shockwave in the immediate radius of the walker. For defense, the Hanketsu’s armor plating probably uses the same composite alloy as their Seiryu tanks, albeit much thicker, giving it all-around protection against anything the USLUNEX can throw at it. In addition, the Hanketsu also has energy shield emitters. The Judgement walkers are few in number; the most that have ever appeared at once were a dozen^[18].

               The size, height, and slow movement of the Hanketsu walkers made them easy for tanks and other weapons to hit, provided one could get in range without being disintegrated^[19], but most earth weaponry at the time had little effect on the armor to begin with^[20]. As with the Seiryu tanks, orbital bombardment was considered the best counter to these monstrosities, but even that option was severely limited against the Hanketsu. When threatened by a powerful weapon such as a Trebuchet OGM, the Hanketsu could deploy its energy shield system, which absorbs any incoming impact/blast that might hit the walker itself. This shield system can take plenty of punishment^[21]; the downside is that the walkers also cannot fire their weapons through the shield, making it situational yet necessary (especially against the orbital strike capabilities of the USLUNEX). Only one Hanketsu walker was ever knocked out of commission by USLUNEX forces; it was only disabled and not destroyed (and later recovered by the LDC). Not much is known about the internal workings of this walker, including the location of the cockpit, as even now the Lunarians keep them a closely guarded secret. It is speculated that the walker is crewed by at least five specially-trained and handpicked Lunarian officers from the Lunar Army Mechanized units. Since the Lunarians worship Enma as their primary god, these walkers hold some sacred/religious value in Lunarian society as well, and it is considered a holy event whenever the Hanketsu is deployed into battle, which is rare, as they are apparently only called upon in dire times of need.

                The Lunatic Kingdom is, and always has been, an isolationist society. Thus, only the Lunar Defense Corps can legally possess spacecraft and, within the LDC, only two branches, the Royal Guard and the Lunar Navy, are allowed to keep and operate them. The Royal Guard maintains a number of unarmed or lightly armed transport spacecraft for use by important individuals/groups such as the Lunar Princess, Lunar Emissaries, etc. These transports come in various sizes, but all are relatively small, providing luxury accommodations for their few passengers, with additional room for 2 to 4 squads of Royal Guard escorts. These transports are most commonly (and perhaps exclusively) used for diplomatic missions to the Earth.

                The Lunar Fleet, despite the supposed significance of its role, actually had relatively few operational spacecraft during the war, which severely reduced its capability to intercept the hordes of landing craft and satellites deployed by USLUNEX. This oversight probably came from the Lunar Defense High Command’s allegedly obsessive resource focus on the Lunar Army. With only a limited pool of ships, the Navy was conservative in its use of fleet ships; this came with uncertainty regarding the capabilities of the Terran space weaponry. For most of the war, the Navy would only deploy quick and limited strike forces of 1-3 ships, usually their corvettes or destroyers, but sometimes a sub-capital cruiser was used. These strikes were hit-and-run attacks done primarily to disrupt the USLUNEX satellite network by destroying as many orbital installations as they could, though sometimes the ships would bombard US ground forces. It was only in the final stages of the war that the entire fleet was finally committed to action, and the Navy was finally able to prove their potency as a force.

                The Lunar Fleet’s spacecraft are all primarily combat vessels with limited support capabilities. Since the fleet’s ships are few in number, each ship is capable of operating on its own. The smallest are the corvettes, which are light and agile, generally used for raiding, patrolling, scouting, or escorting larger vessels. There is only one class of corvette in the LDC, the Suisei (Comet)-class corvette. Corvettes are the fastest LDC spacecraft, with the exception of the single-seat fighters, but they are also the most lightly armed, with only one heavy plasma gun battery, two point-defense plasma guns, and a handful of plasma torpedoes. Destroyers are larger and better-armed, capable of doing more head-on fighting than a corvette. Destroyers can also work independently/alone better than corvettes, and for longer periods of time. Two ship designs were designated as “destroyer,” the Gingakei (Galaxy)-class assault destroyer and the Kido (Orbit)-class escort destroyer. The Gingakei-class was built for direct attacks at close range, and it had 4 heavy gun batteries, 6 torpedo tubes, and 10 point-defense guns, with a complement of 6 single-seat fighters, and a light shield generator^[22]. The Kido-class was built for escorting the larger ships, which carried devastating long-range weapons. To fit into this role, the Kido had less in terms of armor and raw firepower than the Gingakei, but it had better long-range weapons and a larger fighter compartment: 2 heavy gun batteries, 2 torpedo tubes, 6 point-defense guns, 1 guided plasma missile launcher, and 12 single-seat fighters. Corvettes and Destroyers fall under “light” warships and USLUNEX estimates of their operational numbers were around 7 corvettes and 6 Destroyers (4 Kido, 2 Gingakei)

                The fleet’s largest warships were the sub-capital cruiser and the capital battlecruiser. Both of these heavy ships were armed with long-range cannons that would fire large, red energy beams in short bursts. These thick, red beams were focused in the center, with smaller, lighter beams twirling around it in a curved pattern; this pattern was widest after leaving the gun barrel but normalized after a short distance. The energy beam’s pattern was said to resemble a red water lily, so the Navy nicknamed the weapon, “Satsui no yuri” or “Lillies of Murderous Intent.” In addition, the heavy warships had high-powered shield generators that could take heavy fire and be sustained for long durations. The Justice-class sub-capital cruiser was the heaviest Lunar Navy spacecraft encountered until the deployment of the capital ship at the end of the war. There were reportedly only 3 operational Justice-class cruisers during the war, and an additional 2 that were out of commission during that time. The Justice-class had 7 heavy gun batteries, 4 torpedo tubes, 20 point-defense guns, 2 guided missile launchers, 2 long-range “Satsui no yuri” energy beam cannons (mounted on one turret) and 24 fighters.

                The Purity-class capital battlecruiser was the pride of the Lunar Navy. Only two of these ships were ever constructed, and only the first unit, Purity, was operational during the war. Purity was the flagship of the Lunar Fleet, captained by Admiral Junko herself. Purity was armed with 10 heavy gun batteries, 6 torpedo tubes, 26 point-defense guns, 4 guided missile launchers, 6 “Satsui no yuri” cannons mounted on two turrets (three guns per turret), and a complement of 30 fighters. Both Purity-class ships, the Purity and Heavensword, were also equipped with an experimental light wave manipulation weapon. The Lunarians had discovered that it was possible to induce a severe form of dementia (officially named “lunacy” by US researchers) through rapid wavelength manipulation of the red band of the visible light spectrum^[23], which somehow consequently affected a person’s brainwaves. Lunar scientists and engineers put this concept into application via a large spotlight-like device that was attached to the hull of a Purity-class and integrated into its weapon systems. The device, when activated, saturated a wide area with the red light, which the device then used as a medium for the wavelength manipulation, inducing dementia in all living things that exposed their eyes to the shifting red light^[24]. The Lunarians nicknamed this weapon, “Kyōki no hitomi,” or “Lunatic Eye,” and intended it as a terror weapon more than anything.

               As mentioned earlier, Moon Rabbits have the amazing ability to communicate telepathically with each other. Of course, unrestricted telepathic communication may negatively affect the performance of Defense Corps Moon Rabbits, so the LDC plants inhibitor devices in/on the ears of LDC Moon Rabbits. The inhibitor designs of the Lunar War appeared like two buttons, one on each ear, but, these were replaced by a clip-type device placed on a single ear after the war. These devices do not completely disable the telepathic abilities, but limit the telepathy range to the unit, usually the squad or fireteam level, and perhaps platoon-level for sergeants and other NCOs. Limiting the telepathy in this manner allows the Moon Rabbits to perform better as a team, calling out and communicating with each other silently and instantly, provided they are trained well.

                During the war, a number of Lunarian scientists were also secretly working on different kinds of augmentations to Moon Rabbit soldiers, experimenting with active LDC Moon Rabbits as test subjects. These experiments were illegal, according to Lunar Defense High Command, explaining that the Moon Rabbit subjects were kidnapped from their units as well. The project was shut down shortly after its discovery, and many of the details behind the case were either thrown out and lost, or hidden behind closed doors. What we do know is that there were a variety of augmentations that proved “successful” in the experiments, with most of the successful test subjects being returned to normal military service after the program was shut down. Not all of the successful augmentations are known, but some of the individual abilities gained by the Moon Rabbit test subjects were allegedly leaked, and these included: (1) being able to fire projectiles/bullets through other dimensions, (2) temporarily increasing physical/mental strength by consuming ordinary rice flour dumplings (dango), and even (3) having the “Lunatic Eye” technology scaled down and implanted to a Moon Rabbit’s physical eyes for smaller-scale tactical use^[25]. Each moon rabbit was augmented with one ability. The abilities gained by the other Moon Rabbits remain unknown, as it is certain that there were more than 3 test subjects, and a different ability was being tested on each Moon Rabbit.

Lunar War Operations

                The manner in which the Lunar Defense Corps managed combat operations during the Lunar War was a matter of controversy during and after the conflict. Their objectives were supposedly clear: to destroy/defeat the invading US forces and prevent them from finding and breaching the Lunar Capital. From the very beginning, the LDC had the advantage in technology, manpower, intelligence, and time^[26]. Though very successful in the early stages, the LDC never really exploited their advantages to the fullest, as they were hampered by outdated doctrines, a sluggish chain of command, and poor logistics/support systems. The combination of these factors allowed the USLUNEX to eventually push the LDC from its overwhelming advantage and turn the war from a massacre into a stalemate, before the LDC fixed its problems and finally crushed USLUNEX.

                The initial USLUNEX landings in 1970 were terribly under-equipped and ill-prepared^[27] for the Lunar Defense Corps, which only deployed one Lunar Army division to the lunar surface to combat the landing forces. This single division was able to encircle and destroy the USLUNEX forces around their landing site at Mare Tranquillitatis. Succeeding USLUNEX landings would not be so easily repelled, however. USLUNEX would begin deploying orbital missile platforms and observations satellites before landing, to prevent any attacks while the ground forces deployed to the surface. The LDC response was to deploy more Army divisions and launch intense infantry attacks, and rarely sending in mechanized forces. Bringing in the artillery units was done too late, as the USLUNEX had already built fortifications around Tranquillitatis and were beginning to expand out of it. The Navy was limited to small-scale raids, which allowed the USLUNEX to create a significant network of orbital installations.

                The impressive orbital overwatch provided by USLUNEX satellites forced the Lunar Army into launching many costly offensive operations against the USLUNEX, too many for a supposed defensive war. These offensives generally involved several divisions of infantry, with few artillery batteries in support, and mechanized units on standby. “Combined arms” was near non-existent in most Lunar Army operations, mainly because of the Army’s outdated doctrine that stressed massed infantry warfare, in addition to their chain of command, which was already slow and confusing by itself and would likely make the handling of such operations a nightmare. Coordination among units involved in the offensives was also poor. Despite having a lower casualty rate than USLUNEX, Moon Rabbit units of the Lunar Army had particularly poor morale, so there were cases where the USLUNEX lines were easily penetrated in multiple sections, while in other areas the LDC troops were routed with few casualties. The battle lines became unclear and chaotic as the LDC operational commanders were flooded with conflicting reports on the fighting. No one was where they were supposed to be and the different units did not know how to support each other. In addition, logistical support was not getting to where it was needed; soldiers and tanks ran out of ammunition and could not resupply, or the oxygen resupply areas were too distant from the front lines for LDC units to advance further. This would eventually lead to the USLUNEX forces reorganizing and sending support to where it was needed while the LDC forces were still fighting in chaotic, semi-isolated groups that would eventually be routed. In these battles, the USLUNEX lost many more soldiers, but their lines held, making them failures for the LDC.

                The LDC generally fared well in its defensive operations, however. As these were less demanding in terms of movement, the LDC was effective in creating defense networks and holding them from USLUNEX attacks, which were usually controlled, steady, and non-concentrated advances as well. The LDC was still slow in issuing orders, however, which cost them several minor defensive positions to quicker USLUNEX attacks. The USLUNEX, realizing that rapid blitzkrieg-type offensives would take the slow-reacting Lunar Army by surprise, began building up for a final offensive. The LDC took note of this force build-up, and began deploying more Army forces to strengthen their defensive lines, believing that the USLUNEX would simply attempt their usual offensive operations on a larger scale, which they could definitely repel by brute force alone. This was the LDC’s error, however, and they were not prepared for a concentrated lightning offensive.

                The USLUNEX began their assault with concentrated orbital strikes on the center of Lunarian lines. This was immediately followed by combined mechanized and infantry assaults, which quickly broke through and proceeded to attack the Lunarian flanks in the rear. They repeated this for each succeeding Lunar Army defense line, and the Lunar Army units caught in the attacks were taken completely by surprise. As many of these units, comprised mostly of Moon Rabbits, were attacked in the rear, panic ensued, leading to mass routs in different directions (which were pursued and destroyed by USLUNEX forces), though some units stood their ground and fought to the death. By the time the USLUNEX had halted their advance, most of the Lunar Army Infantry and Artillery had been wiped out^[28], and the Lunar Army’s combat-effectiveness was reduced to its mechanized units and a handful of Guards regiments.

                It was during this attack that some members of Lunar Defense High Command, including the Lunar Princess and the Marshals of the Navy and Royal Guard, defied the Grand Marshal in order to take direct control of the Lunar Defense Corps and prevent the ongoing disaster from escalating^[29]. As USLUNEX forces began entering the streets of the Lunar Capital, Princesses/Marshals Yorihime and Toyohime and the Royal Guards took over High Command, accusing the Grand Marshal of treason and dereliction of duty. Meanwhile, Admiral Junko independently ordered the entire fleet to be mobilized, personally commanding from her flagship. Junko sent a battalion of her best marines to help the Lunar Constabulary hold the USLUNEX in the lower districts of the capital, while the rest she mobilized to the surface to support the Lunar Army in its counter-attack. Yorihime established a temporarily centralized control, bypassing the bureaucratic process, from which Princess Toyohime would coordinate the forces of all four branches, while Yorihime and Junko would lead from the front. Yorihime, along with a number of Royal Guards, took command of the Constabulary and Marines inside the city, driving the USLUNEX back out. Junko coordinated with the Army Marshal through Toyohime, and launched an all-out combined arms counter-attack with the Army’s remaining tank divisions, Hangetsu Guards, and Judgement walkers, alongside the Navy’s warship fleet and Lunar Marines.

                The Lunar Army tanks advanced first, with the Judgement walkers following closely behind. A tank battle ensued between the USLUNEX mechanized forces and the Lunar Army tanks. The USLUNEX tanks were routed and, at the same time, the US orbital weapons network had concentrated around the US defensive lines in response to the massive mechanized assault. As the USLUNEX fired its orbital weapons at the LDC tanks and walkers, the Lunar Fleet flew into the combat space, its ships focusing their weapons on the concentrated satellite formation, destroying much of the USLUNEX orbital weapon platforms. Junko’s ship, Purity, then deployed the “Lunatic Eye” on the USLUNEX defensive positions, crippling the entire US frontline. The weapon was deactivated, and the remaining LDC ground forces (tanks, walkers, Guards, Marines) assaulted the USLUNEX positions, slaughtering the now brain-dead US troops and causing the survivors to begin retreating.

                The remaining satellite weapons focused their fire on the Lunar Fleet and, in desperation, unarmed satellites or satellites that had used all their ammunition were put on crash courses to either LDC ground forces or fleet ships, to give as much time as possible for the USLUNEX to retreat. Despite taking heavy damage from satellite “kamikaze” attacks, the fleet did not slow down and was able to cut off any retreat back to earth. The USLUNEX forces were driven all the way back to Tranquillitatis, and were killed to the last man, largely due to relentless orbital bombardment from the Lunar Fleet.

                The final offensive of the Lunar War proved disastrous for both sides, despite the clear Lunarian victory. The Lunar Army Infantry was almost completely wiped out. There were so few Moon Rabbit survivors from the battle, that “worker” Moon Rabbits had to be conscripted for years afterward to make up for the lack of “warrior” Moon Rabbits. The Lunar Army was humiliated as a result of its failures: it was forced to reassess the effectiveness of its organizational structure and then completely discard its old doctrine, creating a new one from Lunar War experiences. The Army Marshal was also sacked, replaced, and just barely pardoned from execution. The lower districts of the Lunar Capital were in chaos; the districts that were breached by USLUNEX became intense combat zones that the Lunar Constabulary failed to evacuate properly, leading to many civilian Moon Rabbit deaths^[30] (the Constabulary Marshal was actually killed in the fighting). The Lunar Navy had lost several ships from its already diminished fleet, as well as several important Marine officers (some of which were killed by Lunar Interior Guard during the coup). After total Lunarian victory on the lunar surface and capital, both sides finally agreed to truce negotiations. Princess Toyohime negotiated the truce with the United States through the United Nations, at a hidden mountain facility near Geneva, Switzerland^[31]. The decision to further centralize command in order to facilitate combined-arms operations would become permanent after the Lunar War, when Watatsuki no Yorihime was appointed Grand Marshal of the Lunar Defense Corps.

Endnotes 

^[1] What the Lunarians call the “true Moon.”

^[2] All Lunar Defense Corps soldiers also had an unarmored battle dress attire (similar to standard Terran military uniforms), with differing designs depending on branch/unit, for parades and non-combat activities within the Lunar Capital. Constabulary troops were the exception, as they used this attire as their standard uniform.

^[3] Marine suit thrusters could even be powered strong enough to be used as a jump-pack in the normal gravity environment of the Lunar Capital

^[4] USLUCOM terms are used because the Lunarian proper names/designations for the firearms are yet undisclosed.

^[5] All Lunarian firearms were metallic and synthetic in material, usually with a chrome or silvery finish on the metallic parts and matte/flat (non-reflective) black on the synthetic parts.

^[6] Not all LDC units use bayonets; Light Infantry (Lunar Army Scouts and Rangers) generally use swords instead of bayonets (the short Dao design especially), while some Grenadier units prefer to keep swords and polearms instead of bayonets. Officers almost always have a sword and NCOs of assault units usually have polearms (if they don’t have a shotgun).

^[7] The Dao design was popular among light infantry units and Marine NCOs as it was a short and quick one-handed chopping weapon suited for brutal massed close-quarters combat, while the Jian was almost exclusively an officer’s weapon; the Jian (also a one-handed sword) had a more refined dueling-type combat style, focused on swift thrusting with its long, straight blade that could also be used for quick slashing, which allowed a skilled user to keep his/her distance in a melee.

^[8] Lunarian steel is strong enough to endure the heat without compromising the quality of the weapon.

^[9] The Lunar Marine Corps received a company of light tanks by the end of the war, deployed alongside Marine foot soldiers in some of the rare combined-arms operations of the LDC. Light tanks were used as they could quickly and easily be deployed by low-orbiting Lunar Navy spacecraft without requiring the ships to land.

^[10] APEP round - Armor Piercing Electro Plasma round; the high-energy electrical plasma used in the APEP round also had high potential to damage mechanical/electrical systems should it score a non-fatal hit in an area close to those systems.

^[11] This is assuming the LunEx tank (usually an M60 Patton), without being knocked out/destroyed, got in range of a Seiryu tank, and found time to aim and fire, to begin with. For Abrams tanks, this was less of a problem.

^[12] The prototype M1A1 Abrams tanks, with their 120mm smoothbore guns, stood better chances against the Seiryu in a head-on engagement, but were still outclassed in mobility and armor. Like all tanks, the Seiryu’s top and rear armor were most vulnerable, so the best counters to the Seiryu were orbital missile strikes, which were indeed used against them often.

^[13] The dual blades of the Hikari walkers were standard issue, though some elite pilots would also equip massive custom-built swords or polearms which they used with both hands of the Hikari in close-combat.

^[14] Sustained fire from .50 caliber guns could rip apart a Hikari if the pilot was not careful, and high-powered anti-materiel rifles could disable a Hikari (and sometimes kill the pilot) if the walker was hit in the right spot.

^[15] The Kumogatarui walker could take small-arms fire but its tall profile and weak armor made it a very easy target for tanks and light anti-armor. Sheridan light tanks, with their speed and guided anti-tank missiles, could easily catch and destroy an undefended/poorly defended Kumogatarui.

^[16] The specific effects of these chemicals are unclear, but it is suspected that the compound is lethal and corrosive to most, if not all, biological material. This compound does not appear to be weaponized however, as it dissipates shortly after its release, and the gas does not affect humans with sealed space suits. This has led to the theory that it is used for eradicating any unwanted/foreign biological elements that may have survived in the airless and atmosphere-deprived environment of the lunar surface.

^[17] Yama is commonly depicted with 4 arms (sometimes even more) in both Rigvedic and Buddhist iconography, though images of the god in East Asia more commonly depict him with 2 arms. This suggests that the Lunarians had probably encountered and used the South Asian depictions of Yama, and predated the common East Asian image of the two-armed Yama.

^[18] It is speculated that these 12 walkers were all the Hanketsu units the LDC had.

^[19] Hanketsu walkers generally had tank escorts, making targeting one of these walker even more difficult.

^[20]The only ground units that were capable of penetrating the armor were the M1A1 Abrams tanks, and even then they needed to hit the same area multiple times in order to cause a penetration. The best chance that US tanks had was to aim for the head and joints of the walker.

^[21] The shields can take up to two direct Trebuchet OGM strikes before overheating/breaking and can be ready to be deployed again within 10 minutes. Naturally, it takes even more shots from tank cannons to bring the shield down. 

^[22] Fleet shield generators worked similarly to the Hanketsu walker shield in they work both ways, blocking fire from both inside and outside the shield.

^[23] How this wavelength manipulation is done and how exactly it induces dementia remain unknown to this day, and the answer is obviously a very well-guarded Lunar Defense Corps secret, but it is speculated that lunar energy has a natural property to degrade the nervous system, which humanoids such as Terrans, Lunarians, and Moon Rabbits, are resistant to because of their more powerful brains. Thus, the Lunarians use the red light wavelength manipulation to concentrate and channel the normally slow-working/negligible energy into lethal levels, disrupting the frequency/wavelength of human brainwaves as well, damaging then destroying the nervous system.

^[24] The key to the weapon was exposure/eye contact, as the concentrated lunatic energy entered the nervous system through the red light that enters the eyes. In theory, one could avoid the weapon’s effects entirely by avoiding eye contact with the red light, but the employment of the weapon was so sudden and its effects near-instant that few had time to react. It is said that even milliseconds of exposure can cause permanent brain damage and moderate dementia, while several seconds of exposure will result in near-total death of the brain. These are the effect times on humanoid brains (including Lunarians and Moon Rabbits); species with smaller/weaker brains will likely be dead in less.

^[25] If the dubious sources are to be believed, the Lunatic Eye ability did not come from scaled down device implants inserted to/replacing the physical eye, but direct augmentations to the Moon Rabbit’s physical eyes that gave them direct control of the ability through their own nervous system, including the ability to activate and deactivate the effects. Most Moon Rabbit eyes are naturally colored red, but the Lunatic Eye augmentation is said to pronounce the red tint of the eyes, causing them to glow red in the dark, even when not active.

^[26]Whether the LDC truly had the “home-field” advantage is disputed, however, as neither the Lunarians or Moon Rabbits actually live on the lunar surface where most of the war was fought. The LDC (the Lunar Army in particular), however, is specifically trained to fight on the lunar surface, so they are definitely more accustomed to the environment.

^[27] The first USLUNEX force consisted entirely of infantry; they had no vehicles, no equipment for constructing entrenchments and fortifications, and no orbital support.

^[28] Countless Moon Rabbits were killed during this offensive as they either committed to suicidal charges or chaotic routs, in desperate attempts to escape USLUNEX encirclement.

^[29] The takeover was not quiet, as the Interior Guard protected the Grand Marshal and his supporters. The Royal Guards easily dispatched the Interior Guard units protecting the High Command HQ, while Lunar Marine units subdued the Interior Guard positions throughout the rest of the city. The Army Marshal was initially supportive of the Grand Marshal, but she was quickly convinced to change sides as the Army was devastated and she had no more troops to commit, other than those already moving to counter-attack the USLUNEX. The Constabulary Marshal was too occupied with holding the USLUNEX in the capital.

^[30] It has been said that perhaps the “true” victims of this war were the Moon Rabbits, who had lost countless numbers of their species in a conflict of greed and jealousy between Lunarian humans and Terran humans.

^[31] The truce would eventually become a full peace treaty, and some people are hopeful that, in the future, it will blossom into friendship between the Terrans and Lunarians (but as we know, there are many obstacles to overcome before that becomes a possibility).