Relight Of Gundam: The One Year War - Artesia Som Deikun/Sayla Mass and her Mobile Suit Progression

 

As depicted in the first four volumes of my Relight of Gundam: The One Year War series Books I - No Man's Sky through IV - Forest For A Tree, Sayla Mass (later revealed to be Artesia Som Deikun, younger sister of Casval Rem Deikun alias Char Aznable) is the faithful and kind second-in-command of the Gundam Force. She helps evacuate Side 7 by taking Red Gundam and becoming its pilot for many weeks before Red is wrecked by her brother Casval going off the handle upon the deaths of Lalah Sune at the hands of the Zeon Newtypes and Ryu Jose by Casval in his betrayal attack on and escape from White Base to close out what will be the Battle of Terra Luna. With her status as a Newtype and the lost princess of Zeon gradually manifesting over the course of the War, we soon learn Sayla is the true and final heroine.

Throughout most of the One Year War, the Red Gundam piloted by Sayla serves her faithfully as the persona of fire or volcano/desert/light to illuminate the Gundam Force as protectors of nature that Earth bequeathed to all humanity to nurture and protect. Originally wanting to become a doctor and find her brother before meeting Amuro Ray, Sayla appreciated the sacrifice of her potential boyfriend Amuro better than anyone. It was through it she would reunite with her brother and try to help him through his issues while finding a path as one of many Newtypes before destiny would conspire to split the heirs to Zeon forever as Sayla leads a revolution of Side 3 against the Zeons' occupation.

Over the course of the final two volumes of my Relight of Gundam: The One Year War series Books IV - Forest For A Tree and V - Waves Of Peace, Sayla takes her original name of Artesia Som Deikun as she is now forced into leadership of the Gundam Force as her Red Gundam was wrecked by her brother Casval Rem Deikun (formerly Char Aznable) flying off the deep end upon the deaths of Lalah Sune at the hands of the Zeon Newtypes and Ryu Jose by Casval in his tragic betrayal attack on and escape from White Base. With her Red Gundam contributing replacement parts and components alongside the remains of Fraw's Pink Gundam, Ryu's Yellow Gundam, Hayato's Green Gundam, Kai's Blue Gundam and Lalah's White Gundam to create the RX-78-2 Gundam for Artesia, she is the prodigal daughter to reunite all the Solar System for the Battle of A Baoa Qu to end the Principality of Zeon and Cult of Char's genocidal terrorist campaigns.

Throughout the rest of the One Year War, the RX-78-2 Gundam composite prototype has been researched by the White Base crew. Finally, it is ready for Artesia to pilot alongside her friends with Hayato in the RX-75-4 Guntank, Kai in the RX-77-2 Guncannon and Fraw in the RGM-79 GM to lead the Earth Federation and Munzo (Side 3) Independents against the Principality of Zeon led by Gihren Zabi and the Cult of Char led by Casval. During the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Artesia clears a path for the joint Earth and Munzo forces just before she boards A Baoa Qu to redirect it into crashing onto the ruins of the Zeonic Corporation and Anaheim Electronics' bases on the Moon. Engaging in a final battle with her brother Casval piloting Amuro's stolen Black Gundam which he painted custom red, Artesia is forced to kill her brother and flee in her Gundam's Core Block Fighter with the body of her slain brother in guilt over having to kill him to end the war.

Mobile Suit Gundam Characters and Situations ®, ™ and © Bandai Namco Holdings, Nippon Sunrise, and the Tomino and Yatate Family Estates. Produced for the Nagoya Broadcasting Network (名古屋テレビ放送株式会社) and TV Asahi (株式会社テレビ朝日).