The series takes place concurrently with Mobile Suit Gundam, during the One Year War. In UC 0079, the Federation and Zeon troops engage in a fierce battle in the "Thunderbolt Sector", a shoal zone littered with debris from destroyed space colonies, named for the frequent electrical discharges. The story focuses on Federation soldier Io Flemming as he battles Zeon's best sniper, Daryl Lorenz.