Preface – Explanation
This preface aims to give basic information/background about the lore of the story.
Everything will be explained throughout the fiction so it's not the only time you will know these explanations, but it'll help you understand better if you are a bit lost, since the lore is a little complex. You can see this like the "beginning explanation" on the first eps of an anime haha.
About geopolitics:
The world is separated into 3 blocks: AEU (Advanced European Union), UNION (countries in Oceania and America) and LRH (countries in Asia (there is Japan here in this fiction).
Each block has the management of an orbital elevator in which it obtains its stock of solar energy, which has become the most used energy in the world.
Since countries in the Middle East and Africa have not participated in their expensive construction, they are not entitled to access them and have fallen into more violent poverty, exacerbated by ethnic wars and oil restrictions. They are called Off-Blocks.
The 3 blocks have joined their main military force (in the Earth Federation therefore) and are allied, but there are great tensions between them for now, especially on questions of sovereignty and competition on several domains. Basically, they are into a logic of power struggle and diplomatic issues (which sometimes will cause our protagonists to be caught up in power struggles linked to their belonging to one block rather than another).
Feldt = AEU (France); Setsuna = LRH (Japan); Allelujah = AEU (England); Marie = LRH (Japan); Lasse = UNION (Mexico); Lichtendahl = AEU (Austria); Christina = UNION (Brazil); Neil = AEU (Ireland); Mileina = AEU (Germany); Nena/Michael = UNION (USA); Tieria = LRH (Japan)
About protagonists' situation
Our protagonists are military students for the Earth Federation. They are either "Coordinators" or "Meisters". Until 16 years old, they are in a separated school.
- Coordinators are mostly women. They make a pact with Mobile Suits, which mean that they are the only ones able to invoke (through a process of quantum generation) the MS that they made a pact with. After being built, nobody can touch a MS without the permission of its Coordinator. MS are ultra-developed military robots using a rare technology (GN particles) and which are impossible to handle for ordinary mortals. Coordinators are strategists, operators and a general support for their Meisters and take in hand the management of their MS. However, they are unable to pilot it. Recruited at 10 y.o, after a compatibility test which is saying if they can become Coordinator or not.
They make a pact with their MS at age 16 through an event called "Consecration". It's the Mobile Suit, through a mysterious process (I can't say it right now), which choose her/his Coordinator.
Coodinators can time the death of their MS with their own.
- Meisters are mostly men. They are trained to protect their Coordinator and are thus specialized in combat more than Coordinators, even if Coordinator know how to fight. They are the only ones able to pilot MS with particles GN and are trained all their youth, through simulators and normal MS. Recruited at 10 after a compatibility test which is saying if they have the inner capacity to become Meister or not.
Coordinators and Meisters enter into a partnership at 18 after a Calling (or Ritual). During this Calling, a strange process happened (I can't explain how it works for now) and it creates a link between a Meister and a Coordinator. The link has a genuine meaning since the Meister and the Coordinator will see a mark appeared in their skin, which mean that another partnership as long as the other is alive is impossible and that the MS of the Coordinator can from now on only be pilot by his attributed Meister. In others words, these are Coordinators, who, following a "Calling" or "Ritual", designate their Meister, who will become the only one able of piloting their MS.
Additional knowledge: It is possible that a Coordinator does not designate any Meister, or that a Meister is not designated by a Coordinator. In this case, they are considered as "Discordant" and in the worst case, end up becoming "Deficient" (for details, chapter 8 when It'll come out), who are forced to pay all the fees the Federation has used for them. As the Federation ruins itself to give luxuries to the Meisters/Coordinators, Deficients are not able to repay and are in debt all their lives, hateful and in a precarious situation.
- After the Calling, they'll eventually change establishments to join the official Academy altogether. At the official Academy, the new course is an alternate cursus, which means a part is done in real external mission and another part takes place in the Academy for lessons. There are 6 classes of 89 students. The 2/4/6 classes (even number) and the 1/3/5 classes (odd numbers) take turns between academy/mission.
PS : Why the Federation is taking extra care of Meisters and Coordinators (in a different way than casual soldiers) ? Because they are the only ones, because of their inner ability, able to use the most developed war machines existing, making of them their best future military strength and an interesting diplomatic weapon.
About the Mobile Suits:
MS are rated by power, from F to SSS, F being the lowest rank and SSS the strongest.
Gundams (Exia, Dynames, Virtue, Kyrios, Thrones) are SSS ranked.
We are currently into the first generation of Gundam in 00.
They are all using GN particles but only Exia, Dynames, Virtue, Kyrios and Gun Archer (a SS ranked MS) are using green particles. All the other units are under red particles.