Irisdinia is believed to be a survivor of an attempted coup d'etat by betraying her own family to the Stasi, the repressive secret police of Eastern Germany who did not take kindly to treason or spies. However, Earth was now under threat from an alien race known as the "BETA" that devours any human they find. Irisdinia was now a hero, captain of the 666th Squadron "Schwarzesmarken", responsible for wiping out Laser Class BETA which were the greatest threat against human forces due to their long range beams.

While out repelling an invasion they come across a distress signal from a lone UN TSF. Katia is rescued and is taken in by the squadron under asylum as they needed someone capable to replace one of their lost members. Watched over by Theodore, Katia reminds him a lot of his sister Lise who he got separated from while trying to flee from the Stasi to the Western border. As Katia continues to secretly search for her convicted lost father despite the risk of being apprehended by the Stasi, Theodore continues to be haunted by his own ordeal with the Stasi but he soon finds himself fighting against more than just the BETA.

This is an OVA that's a prequel to the Muv Luv spin-off "Muv Luv Alternative" that takes place 18 years prior. It gives you a quick crash course on the Alternative universe during the opening first episode but it would probably be best if you you've seen the older prequel, Total Eclipse which gives a better picture of the world setting.

Like Total Eclipse it starts off similarly filled with angst, doom and gloom but doesn't lighten up as the show goes on. You have to pay attention fairly closely to understand what's going on and even then, you'd need a bit of historical background on Germany to know what's what. As usual, the character development keeps the show interesting as you watch them grow through their struggles and there are some intense fights but there are also a few "WTH!?" out-of-the-blue random moments. Fan service and gore are both mild compared to Total Eclipse but there are some brief scenes of sexual exploitation.

Be sure to watch on after the ending credits as there's more to each episode.