Indonesia Quadrant
Estimated Population: ~18,500,000
Spared the massive devastation faced by other parts of Asia in the Zentraedi assault, the nations of the Quadrant (Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and parts of Malaysia, and New Guinea) were prepared to cement their position as dominant forces in the Reconstruction, but it was not to be. Trouble appeared first in the Philippines, where various ethnic and political factions began a series of armed insurgencies, throwing the island nation into chaos. Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia were next; overwhelmed by Muslim refugees from the devastated Middle East. Already burdened with refugees from China and Indochina, the Malay and Indonesia governments tried to relocate the new refugees to other islands. Indonesia invaded New Guinea and tried to send the refugees there, but met heavy tribal resistance and eventually drew the UWG into the battle. Its forces stretched thin and resources at the breaking point, Indonesia collapsed into anarchy. Malaysia suffered a similar fate and soon the whole Quadrant had descended into anarchy.
Today the area is home to a large number of independent feudal states controlled by various groups. The islands of the Philippine archipelago are divided, each controlled by a different faction. Communists, Muslim extremists, surviving Triads from China, rogue UEG military officers, and many others each claim one or more islands as their territory and there is frequent conflict between them as alliances are made and broken on a regular basis. The islands of Sumatra and Java are home to a dozen small territories, each controlled by a warlord and each vying for the islands' resources. The island of Borneo is mostly refugee camps and small feudal city-states. The exception in the region is the old Sultanate of Brunei, which remains strong. The nation's oil rich rulers, bolstered by the riches of the surviving Arab sheiks who fled there, were able to afford a large mercenary army to protect their interests. Brunei remains a strict Muslim state and is staunch in its defense of its mineral and oil resources. Much of New Guinea is divided between tribal states and Indonesian factions. The southeastern tip of the island is under the control of the United Earth Government, control which is backed up by the military power of the Southern Cross. The numerous small islands in the Quadrant are home to a variety of groups, from primitive tribes to small feudal states, and more than a few are home to the new breed of high-seas pirates that ply the South Seas.
- Manila: an independent city-state in the Philippine archipelago. The criminal rulers of Manila operate it as an open city, neutral territory in the battle zone that the Philippines has become. Members from all the factions co-exist more or less harmoniously. Order is maintained by threat of boycott, any faction whose members cause too much trouble in Manila face being banned from the city, and no faction is willing to risk being cut off from Manila's trade network and black market connections. The city's elite rule from a fortified city core while the rest of the area is the very picture of a post-holocaust urban environment.
- >Borneo Base: a major Southern Cross installation. Originally a support facility for the RDF Overwatch Base in Indochina Quadrant, the base is now the central command base for much of Indonesia and Indochina. Forces from Borneo Base frequently act as peacekeepers in the volatile region as well as dealing with high-tech bandits and pirates.
- >Port Moresby: this city is still officially the capital of Papua New Guinea, though except for the peninsula where the city is located the rest of the country is under the control of various warlords. Port Moresby was the site of the landing of UEG forces sent to combat the Indonesian invasion. The city and surrounding area are still under military control. The command center set up by the UEG forces has grown into a major Southern Cross base.
Australia Quadrant
Estimated Population: ~3,500,000
Next to Scandinavia Quadrant and pockets of North America Quadrant, Australia Quadrant (Australia and New Zealand) is the most industrialized on Earth. While the major urban centers of southern and eastern Australia (including Sydney and Adelaide) were destroyed, the city of Perth on the west coast was relatively undamaged and New Zealand escaped the Zentraedi bombardment with minimal destruction. Australia is a major industrial center while New Zealand is a major agricultural center for the Quadrant. Western Australia is also rich in minerals and petroleum. The Quadrant is a vital member of the United Earth Government.
- Perth: the largest city in the Quadrant and a major industrial, manufacturing, and technology center. During the Reconstruction, Perth was considered as a potential site for the new headquarters of the Unified World Government. Oslo, in Scandinavia, was eventually selected but Perth is still home to several government agencies. The city is also the site of a major Southern Cross base, one of the four major ASC headquarters on the planet (along with Monument City, Maracaibo, and Lillehammer).
- >Brisbane: once a popular tourist destination, after the Zentraedi onslaught Brisbane became the destination of thousands of refugees fleeing the destruction to the south. Demand for food and medical supplies was high and the wave of refugees threatened to overwhelm the city's ability to cope. At the peak of the crisis a group of rogue UWG troops led by a soldier named Michael Hogan attacked the city, stealing much of the vital supplies and killing thousands of civilians and refugees in the process. The action earned Hogan the title "The Butcher of Brisbane" and he went on to become a major mercenary leader during the Reconstruction known as "The Jackal". The loss of the supplies would have caused a much worse humanitarian crisis if not for timely aid from Western Australia and New Zealand. Today Brisbane is still a city on the mend. Many refugees never left and now a second generation makes its home in shantytowns and makeshift shelters strewn across the area's beaches.
- Queensland Base: a space launch facility and TASC and Cosmic Unit base. The proximity to the Indonesia Quadrant means this base is frequently on alert for attacks from raiders and other factions. The base also provides support to the Southern Cross forces in nearby Port Moresby.
- Alice Springs: an isolated location before the Zentraedi onslaught, Alice Springs is even more so since the destruction of the north-south rail link that passed through the city. Located near the geographic center of Australia, the city's main resource is the sixty-year old space monitoring station at nearby Pine Gap. The continued operation of this facility allows for a regular flow of supplies into the city. Besides that, Alice Springs is very much a frontier town, home to weary travelers, prospectors, and people looking to disappear. There is a sizable Aboriginal population in central Australia as well, and there are frequent confrontations between natives, locals, and transients.
- Darwin: after the Zentraedi planetary bombardment this northern coastal city became the destination for boatloads of refugees fleeing Indonesia. Fearing a repeat of the Brisbane massacre, military forces withdrew from the area. Today the city is a wild place, where refugees fleeing from Indonesia cross paths with mercenaries, rebels, and soldiers heading into the neighboring Quadrant. Add in the occasional Southern Cross soldier on leave and spies and black marketeers to this mixture and the city becomes an even more volatile location. Authorities have drawn up several plans over the years to move in and pacify the city, but most have been rejected due to large casualty projections.
- Dundee Base: the Southern Cross command headquarters for Northern Australia. Forces from the base patrol the central Outback as well as the Indian Ocean and the southern part of the Indonesia Quadrant. The base is home to several TAF, TASC, ATAC, and TC squadrons; as well as a special ops team and a fairly large GMP contingent.
- Fort Gibson: one of the last three major Robotech Defense Force bases left on Earth, this base was set up when the Southern Cross took control of the primary UEDF base in the region (now Dundee Base). Fort Gibson has a large contingent of Veritechs and Destroids, but these are mostly older models (there are a few REF mecha, but not enough to form full squadrons so most are assigned as part of existing squadrons). The Fort has a strong rivalry going with nearby Dundee Base and troops on leave from both locations often get into fights in the nearby city of Gibson, which lies halfway between the bases.
- Gibson: once a small frontier town this city owes its current prosperity to its location, halfway between two major military bases. Military traffic between the bases and civilian traffic running from Perth to Darwin make Gibson a major crossroads with a large transient population. Military personnel from both bases often spend their off-hours in one of Gibson's many entertainment establishments.
- Wellington: a large city, and fairly modern since it escaped major damage in the Zentraedi assault. The city is home to a major seaport for the transfer of vital agriculture supplies to nearby Australia. The military presence here is minimal as the the islands are protected as much by distance as by the Southern Cross forces based in Australia.
- Oceanus: an undersea base operated by the Southern Cross Sea Squad. Oceanus sits on the Exmouth Plateau about 350m below sea level, overlooking the North Australian Basin (which drops to ~5.7 km below sea level). The base is almost entirely self-sufficient and is powered by geothermal energy. Oceanus acts as a submarine base for Southern Cross naval operations in the Indian Ocean and nearby Indonesia Quadrant and also serves as an oceanic research station studying aquaculture as well as undersea mining and drilling technologies.
