It is A.D. 2072, and the Earth Union is under attack from all manner of monsters, aliens and murderers wielding dangerous technologies. The Defense Forces are on the backfoot, and the few incredible defenders already present need all the help they can get.
You are Major John Devin and you are charged with developing, training, and deploying the Earth Union's own Super Robots.
A quest about building the Earth Union's very own Super Robots running on nonsensical science to punch bad guys in the face. See the previous thread here!
It is the year A.D. 2072, and world peace is under threat.
The murderous, mad and malevolent kaiju continue to ravage the Pacific Districts under the unhinged direction of Dr. George Sheol. The attacks of the bioengineered monstrosities continue to expand in range and in scope, causing untold damage to cities and infrastructure and leaving hundreds, if not thousands dead or wounded. Many more are captured, and never heard from again. And more than just the mindless beasts they appear to be, there is a growing trend of intelligent leaders taking direction from Sheol and gleefully masterminding their own attacks.
The Westphalian Separatist Movement is still an ongoing threat, escalating their attacks with the aim of undermining confidence in the current world government and rewriting history to cast the selfish aims of the Red King and his lackeys as heroic. Worse yet, their armaments grow deadlier, with new experimental war machines and an uneven, but growing, standardization. Combined with their ability to strike and disappear, the geographical Districts remain on a knife's edge, wondering when the next boot will drop.
The KausenFree Brothers, led by the cunning criminal Tyrannous, terrorize the American Districts for their wealth of processed energy even as their warship theoretically allows them global reach. Beyond their base aims to amass wealth and energy, analysts still continue to puzzle over their ultimate goal - if it is not conquest or escape, why are they here? What do they want? And how far are the mechanical life forms willing to go before they are satisfied - if at all?
But the situation, while no less desperate, is no longer quite so dire. For years, Mercury V has presented the first significant threat to the kaiju, and has drawn the most attention of the vengeful Dr. Sheol as its pilot and creators refuse to back down. The stalwart Valiant continues to stand defiance where the Westphalians dare to harm the innocent, and contests the Red King's plans. Even the Free Brothers' own kin harry them and seek to bring them to justice, as the law enforcement paramilitary faction known as the Legio Galbinus, led by its noble leader Galbinus-R, cooperates as best it can with the Union to bring down Tyrannous and his band of thugs, regardless of the cost. Thanks to the efforts of these Super Robots, these combined threats have not gained a ruinous foothold. But their efforts alone will not be enough.
The Earth Union, while battered, has endured. Suffering from attacks both foreign and domestic, navigating through political divisions and inter-District differences and facing the first true test of the Defense Forces (EUDF), these challenges are not taken lightly and the Union has risen to meet them. The Union refused to simply beg others for aid - and having found themselves wanting, have forged their own Super Robots. And the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI) has been the answer.
Disparaged, denied, and dismissed by its critics, the DFRI has regardless produced miraculous technologies that already promise to radically change life in the Union's future. Alone, its Variable Configuration technology has brought EUDF forces new advantages as it fights to simply hold ground with shapeshifting mecha. MAJ Johnathan Devin's preservation of kaiju tissue samples has allowed the eccentric minds at his disposal to reverse engineer kaiju biology to strengthen its champions' bodies, and the creation of Super Artificial Intelligence personalities has exponentially increased their productivity. But the debut of the Super Robot Beowulf, and with more on the way, has shown that while on the backfoot, the Union is clawing its way onto an even fighting ground.
As conflicts continue to rage across the globe, the Earth Union rouses all hands, every resource, and whatever tools are to hand. The Earth Union stands!
Hello and welcome to Super Robot Quest G! I'm Basarin, and this is a continuation and rework of my existing quest. The quest mechanics have been completely overhauled from the first thread - see this link here or on my signature - but please, go ahead and read it! I'll do my best to bring you all up to speed, but this thread continues to build up on all of the achievements and plot points we all have come across before.
What is Super Robot Quest? At its heart, it's a love letter to my favorite genre of anime growing up as a kid - Super Robots. If you have ever watched any of the Yuusha or Brave series of anime (such as GaoGaiGar), Transformers (both Generation One and the Takara universe), or watched old school anime such as Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, even the multiverse of Mobile Suit Gundam to a degree, you will see plenty of nods to them all in this story (I'm not exactly shy on showing where I draw inspiration from, just ask any of my readers). Transforming mecha, shouting your attacks, giant climatic battles against monsters and evildoers with fire in your blood and backed by the power of friendship and justice! The world is in a sorry state, but there is hope that it will get better, and only if we all put the work in for it!
What do we do in this quest? You are in charge of running a government agency charged with the creation, development, maintenance and deployment of Super Robots in order to combat the dangerous and escalating perils facing the world. You exist in a living world with other players involved, both other Super Robots along with friendly NPCs and enemy factions. Through scientific development, engineering and military management, it is your job to address the dangers facing you and the Earth. You all have collectively made quite a bit of progress, and you are a growing consideration in the eyes of many - for good and for ill.
Why is there a new thread for it? There's a lot of old stat blocks and systems that won't quite apply moving forward. Some systems the readers may be familiar with for dice rolling, but the outcomes and the purposes are going to be somewhat different. That said, the previous thread will always be there if you want to see how the systems worked, how it was debated, and how they impacted the story at the beginning. This new thread lets me make a fresh start of things.
Why the delay in updates from the previous thread? I had quite the corrosive mix of a toxic work environment and a series of high stress positions. Combined with the fact that I originally made this a game of stat blocks and number crunching, it became very difficult for me to keep going, and this quest has already had a few hiatuses that lasted months. This last one was for almost a year (not counting my attempted return back into the quest last summer) because I was in a bad spot. But I also loved the story the thread helped to make, I loved the characters, and it didn't feel right to leave an incomplete story. And, thankfully, enough of the readers have chimed in that they still want to read what I have to write. So here we are! And I couldn't be happier!
Why Super Robot Quest G? If you've ever played or seen any of the fantastic Super Robot Wars games, you'll notice a similar naming scheme across the franchise since the original Gameboy (!).
So how does the quest work? I will include more details moving forward, but in brief: this will be a primarily narrative quest with player decisions, with some dice rolling mechanics that influence the narrative in between battle encounters. When it is time for battle, aside from voting on certain directions the scene will take, the characters involved have their own temperaments and opinions and will do what they feel is best in order to meet your objectives. You can choose who to send and what to deploy, so think carefully about if you think they're the right individuals to send out.
All in all, I'm glad to have you with me for the ride if you choose to stay on. Be courteous, be polite, and be ready to discuss plans to punch every bad guy we meet.
The next few posts will be me reserving them in order to secure space for future Informational Threadmarks. Afterwards, we will continue where we left off:
Day of Destruction! Destroy Mercury V!
(Hey, I did say this was a love letter to Super Robot anime, didn't I? Enjoy the ride!)
This post deals with lore about the world as we progress through the quest. This is by no means complete, and more will be added as we go.
In the year A.D. 2040, what would later be called the Unification War ended. With its' end came the founding of the Earth Union.
A supranational government, the Earth Union is a governmental body that holds sovereignty and jurisdiction over its' collective member-states. From the humblest nation to the mightiest superpower, all answer to the Earth Union. In turn, they are allowed autonomy relatively close to pre-Unification, so long as their laws do not contradict that of the Earth Union's.
The Earth Union maintains its power through participation of the member-states. All are allocated proportional representation in a parliamentary system. Representatives are elected domestically by their own populations and representatives, who in turn are entrusted with voting for the Prime Minister of the Earth Union for a four-year appointment.
The Earth Union is separated into Districts, and in turn subdivided by pre-Unification national borders. North America, South America, Europe, the Steppes, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The Earth Union's agencies maintain jurisdiction within these Districts, such as military, law enforcement, and trade.
The Earth Union is not without its own divisions. Many of the member-states, while willing participants, still chafe at a perceived loss of power and prestige in the new world order. Internal politicking and jockeying for position of first among equals is not uncommon. Appointments to positions of power are often a mixture of merit and political bargaining, leading to a general sense of governmental sluggishness.
Nowhere is this more felt than in the armed forces of the Earth Union, the Earth Union Defense Force. While the EUDF has integrated the military talents of the world admirably enough, the friction of political jockeying in the civilian sector often rears its' head in the military as well, leading to the military being an unholy amalgamation of a meritocracy and political dealings. While very few of the military appointments are downright nepotistic, this has led to accusations of failing to maximize the potential talent of humanity's military.
The Earth Union is a young and relatively untested organization, and its rule has not been unchallenged. Though it maintains order from the capital of Unity Station, much of the older generation clamors for the pre-Unification days. Perceiving their new place in the world as a loss of sovereignty at the tip of the nuclear sword, a Separatist Movement across many member-states has been growing for many years.
For all its' flaws, however, the Earth Union and its' Defense Force has without a doubt guaranteed a period of peace. Separatist sympathies notwithstanding, the first thirty years of Unification has seen a period of unprecedented economic growth, scientific advancement, and a flowering of arts. If nothing else, as the EUDF comes to grips with the myriad of threats that have abruptly risen to destroy the Union, many point to the promise of peace and prosperity as something worth fighting for.
The most recent mark of success for the Earth Union has been the establishment of the Defense Forces Research Institute (DFRI). Originally dismissed as a last ditch effort on a minimalist budget, its appointed leadership has shown itself to be surprisingly resilient and resourceful, pulling in talent and differing viewpoints from all across the Earth Union to join in the effort to create the Defense Force's very own Super Robots. While successful, and a feather in the cap of the Earth Union's vision, there are hints of resentment of the DFRI due to entrenched opinions and interests. Despite its growing status, even the DFRI is not completely immune to the EUDF's internal power struggles - just mostly for now.
It is the year A.D. 2072, and the fortunes of the Earth Union are on a wavering needle point.
Called by both its supporters and detractors as the "Grand Experiment," the Earth Union Defense Force (EUDF) is the steady consolidation of all the armed forces on the planet. It is divided into three broad categories: the Ground Defense Force, the Air Defense Force, and the Naval Defense Force (with the integration of member states' respective Marines incorporated into the Navy under the Marine Expeditionary Force).
Each member state of the Earth Union is required by the Pusan Accords to contribute a proportionate amount of their armed forces to a wider EUDF command structure. These personnel who are seconded in this way to the EUDF retain their original uniforms, with the EUDF digital badge sewn into their right shoulder, but are then incorporated into the EUDF formations. It is not uncommon to see a staggering amount of variety in uniform dress; a handful of American Soldiers could be dwarfed by Russian Ground Force uniforms, with the occasional sight of the People's Liberation Army uniform. This has been a source of critique from the older, more and traditional established national militaries.
In recent years, the EUDF has been experimenting with creating dedicated EUDF formations, not simply those contributed from the member states' armed forces. Though very small in number, training camps and officer academies beholden only to the Earth Union have begun operations in the larger member states, with their own traditions and uniforms. Whether anything comes of this is yet to be seen.
The EUDF otherwise operates similarly enough to the armed forces of pre-Unification. There is talk of a fourth branch, the Earth Union Space Defense Force, but this development has been temporarily delayed by the abrupt arrival of the Kausen. Similar talks of creating some sort of unit organized around the small handful of Super Robots directly under the EUDF's umbrella have been hinted at, but at the moment they remain exclusively under the DFRI's purview.
The Yukimura Institute located at the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan, is rightly famous for its greatest and most important contribution to mankind - the mighty Mercury V. The world's very first Super Robot, it was developed and produced over the course of years after Dr. Yukimura Rin's request for exploring his Aeon Particle Theorem was denied by the Earth Union's Board of Sciences. Its original purpose was never to actually develop weaponry at all, let alone a Super Robot. The Aeon Particles, as per Dr. Yukimura's original thesis, were originally envisioned as a means for a cleaner energy source. Yet Dr. Yukimura felt his hands were forced by the actions of his once colleague and classmate, Dr. George Sheol.
When the kaiju became active in the mid to late 2060s, Dr. Yukimura began to solicit as many additional resources within the private sector and the nation-state level as he could. Starting with the development of the experimental Tritonium metallurgy, research into the Aeon Particles accelerated, until he and a small team were able to produce the world's very first Aeon Particle Generator, which is still housed within the Institute to this day. It is still unknown why exactly Dr. Yukimura chose a giant humanoid frame larger than some smaller office buildings, but upon the first confirmed destruction of a kaiju, the results spoke clearly.
Ever since Mercury V's first appearance, the Yukimura Institute has been constantly under siege by agents of Dr. Sheol. Though they have weathered these attacks fairly well, the Institute now resembles a heavily armed fortress in some respects rather than a private academic institute.
Mander Security Solutions - more commonly abbreviated as MSS - is a private security firm based out of London. Its founder, Charles Mander, is a former Naval Defense Force officer (he has rather particular ways of recounting his service, which we will not get into detail of here) who was medically discharged after serving in combat against Separatist forces. On the face of it, MSS simply provides physical security services and security consultation to its customer base (primarily in the European District).
The truth of the matter is far more complex. In the late A.D. 2060s, both during his final years of active service and during his medical convalescence, Mander was already seeing experimental war machines and equipment used by the forces that later coalesced into the Westphalians, and was already anticipating an escalation of force. As a result, unknowingly running parallel to Dr. Yukimura Rin's efforts in Japan, Mander would invest a significant time of money and effort into securing talent, scientists - including a particular Dr. Marcus Dinym - and engineers for a massive project.
True to his fears, the Westphalians began to field larger and more menacing warmachines for the purpose of demoralizing and terrorizing the local populace and political leaders into submission - and to break faith with the Earth Union. After years of failed prototypes and false starts, Mander was able to unveil the Valiant - the second Super Robot active in the world. In a highly conspicuous display, the Valiant, piloted by prodigy and heiress Erika Arthur Drake, destroyed a fleet of Westphalian walker machines and prevented their attack on Westminster Palace.
Much like with Mercury V, there is much speculation that something about Valiant's presence has hyperfixated the Red King's attention on it. However, while Valiant remains the face and main effort of MSS, Charles Mander's operations are also slightly more mercenary - Valiant's creation, operation, and maintenance is quite expensive. Thankfully, the Earth Union Defense Forces is one of Mander's primary customers - and for the duration of the emergencies, business is booming.
Hailing from the mechanical planet of Mekaen, not all of the Kausen (singular: Kaus) are hostile. It is only thanks to the efforts and quick thinking of 1LT Callaghan that it was discovered (and is currently highly restricted information) that there is a strong point of internal division. It is also thanks to 1LT Callaghan's efforts that the Union is, if not quite allied, actively cooperative with the friendlier portion.
Dubbed the Legio Galbinus, so-named according to their own cultural norms and in honor of their leader, the Legion is led by Galbinus-R, whose position in Mekaen is analogous to a Captain in a law enforcement/military capacity. Leading a group of thirteen Kaus including himself, both factions of Kausen were brought here through as of yet unknown means. The so-called "Free Brothers" were already known criminals on their homeworld, and while he and his mechs find themselves on a mostly hostile alien world, Galbinus' mission has not changed:
Bring the Free Brother Tyrannous to justice.
Thankfully, despite the initially unfortunate First Contact misrepresented by the Free Brothers' actions, a chance encounter at Fort Brenner between the Defense Force Research Institute's Beowulf and the Legion scout Cavalier built upon a delicate friendship established by Cadet Jessica Satsuma. After intervening and saving both Cavalier and Cadet Satsuma, the DFRI brought Cavalier back to their base and restored Cavalier as best as they could. Reciprocating the show of trust, Galbinus-R and Major Johnathan Devin struck a partnership - including technological exchanges and the construction of an Enclave - that remains strong to this day.
The partnership between the Legio and the DFRI has manifested mostly in technological trade and cooperation. However, this has also resulted in joint military operations. Over the past few years, Galbinus and the DFRI have coordinated skirmishes against Free Brother assets, and the Legio have lent assistance in operations against the Westphalians. Most notably, several operations have targeted specific Free Brother officers, though the specifics of those operations remain classified to those outside of the leadership chains of command for each organization.
Though the presence of the Legion remains highly classified, it is not uncommon to see Legionnaires stopping by to talk shop and assist in projects.
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Dramatis Personea - Mecha, Pilots, and Personalities Roster
The Beowulf holds a special rank of honor in the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI), as it was the very first model that proved the Super Robot development project to be viable. The brainchild of 1LT Wilde and SFC Henry, it began life as the CRX-01 prototype that at first struggled to even walk, let alone prove the concept of Variable Configuration. However, the initial proofs of concept were enough to convince the leadership to continue development. It was further aided by being the first to receive the various initial breakthrough developments. K-Class Materials, along with the critical Man-Machine Interface (MMI), proved to be the critical factor that enabled its successful refinement. It was the first model to realize the potential of Sample Zero, and its protective qualities as the K-Scale Mesh served as the final critical armor layering should its external armor fail. The MMI, in turn, proved to be the final link that enabled fine-tuned and delicate control over the armor as the pilot was convinced he was 'wearing' the Beowulf as a suit of armor rather than piloting a mecha. Insights from this development in turn enabled the simplification of the control schema for its successor production models.
As a consequence of being the very first model, the Beowulf can come across as simple at times, especially when compared to the successive models that have been developed. However, serving as the progenitor unit of the now widely adopted Jackal-class mecha, the Beowulf represents a solid baseline of Super Robot fundamentals. Able to configure into an armored patrol car, the Beowulf represents an excellent balance of speed and protection, excelling in neither but lacking in weaknesses. In the hands of a skilled pilot, such as 1LT Callaghan, the Beowulf has proven to be a vicious close quarters combatant, able to wield handheld cannons - later upgraded to Kausen-grade Blasters while maintaining agility.
The Beowulf is also always backed up by some manner of support vehicle, which in turn it is able to combine with to form a larger combatant model. The Shepherd support truck can combine with the Beowulf to form the Timberwolf, while the V-33 TMU can integrate with the Beowulf to form the Foxhound. These combined forms in turn enable new combat options for the Beowulf, utilizing the Spark Caliber technology to integrate with the Arc Blade or the Arc Cannon, drawing on the shortlived but potent energy cell to deliver a devastating strike. Should those be unavailable, the Timberwolf has also proven to utilize inefficiencies in its engine exhuasts - and the relatively immunity to incidental damage via the K-Class Materials - to wreathe its hands in Blazing Fists.
Until recently, this was the extent of the Beowulf's capabilities - but the Beowulf Fenrir has proven to be a new milestone.
Art by Filippo Angelotti
Art by Daniel Khanna
Art by Daniel Khanna
The Perseus is the second successful Super Robot deployed by the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI). Utilizing the experience gleaned from the prototype and later production line of the Jackal, Lieutenant Wilde and Sergeant First Class Henry in cooperation with Dr. Sam Carlson retrofitted the Buckler-class Infantry Fighting Vehicle into the Phalanx line of mecha.
The Perseus itself is the logical progression to the Super Robot scale of class. Utilizing some of the latest in the DFRI's technologies, the Perseus was revolutionary at its inception, even though it has been somewhat eclipsed by recent developments. K-Class subdermal mesh reverse-engineered from kaiju tissue samples has been overlaid even more thickly beneath the metallic frame, allowing it to absorb damage that would even give the Timberwolf combined form pause. The Perseus is also able to deploy a shield on its left arm to absorb incoming projectile fire, though this has not been extensively tested in melee conditions. On top of heavy high explosive cannons mounted to its forearms, its primary method of attack is as simple as can be - blunt force trauma via its heavily reinforced fists. The experimental Arc Blade, made possible by Lieutenant Wilde and SFC Henry, it is a powerful weapon that projects high intensity electric energy which can be momentarily supercharged if the Spark Caliber battery unit is authorized for deployment - however, this is a planned feature that is not ready as of the time of this report.
The Perseus is a significant departure from the DFRI's current design philosophy, however, in that it utilizes a radically new technology: the Psychic Theater. A mindlink that connects both of its pilots via the Man-Machine Interface that is now standard in the DFRI's equipment, it theoretically allows both pilots to respond to any situation, along with heightening the power and response time of the Perseus itself. However, even by Dr. Carlson's own admission, this is not a fully understood phenomena - and if the pilots cannot agree on a course of action, the link is momentarily stalled, a delay that could be dangerous in combat.
The Perseus, however, has some drawbacks: compared to the Beowulf, the two pilots operating the Perseus are not quite as experienced, in addition to fielding new technology. Additionally, the Perseus, while incredibly durable, is also not particularly fast or agile. Despite the liberal use of the Anti-Gravity treatments, it is a miracle at times that it can move as it can. And due to the hurried nature of the deployment, longer ranged options are somewhat lacking.
Their pilots are also somewhat inexperienced, but only in regards to operating the Perseus. Lieutenant Oscar Tellison is no stranger to operating the CR-line of mecha, having been a Jackal pilot alongside Richard Callaghan in the DFRI's early days. Having had only one live combat encounter with Perseus (and without its current technologies), Tellison is a capable leader, able to coordinate friendly units into rapid battle plans on the fly and does his best to ensure that each component punches at their weight class, if not heavier. Lieutenant Xiu Ying Zhang, however, is entirely new to operating mecha, but as a former infantry officer she is often able to spot quirks of the local geography that most others might miss, and use them to their fullest. Both pilots are defensively minded, which suits the Perseus in theory.
With the developments resulting from Faedium, practical constraints preventing larger combinable configurations have been removed. Perseus was the second Super Robot Core to receive the still experimental prototypes. Despite some teething problems, the inherent problems of unifying different power sources into a single synchronized effort have mostly been smoothed over.
Perseus Megas, then, came as a serendipitous convergence of breakthroughs from the Engineering department. On the heels of the Faedium Block Engine's refinement and the development of the stopgap measure of the Sledder configuration model, Jiro Yukimura and EAI-01 Lana also brought their own developments in the form of the reverse engineered Mega Blaster and the refined Pile Bunker firing mechanism.
Perseus Megas's development, coming after Beowulf Fenrir, has led to further development of the 'armor pack' school of thought in the Engineering Team, which in turn has led to the initial development of the 'Buster' Armor that is currently in use by SAI-01 Banner.
Art by Daniel Khanna
The Thunderbolt is the third core Super Robot developed by the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI), albeit one with a rather complicated history. During an unexpected raid led by the infamous Westphalian operative 'Warlord' against the DFRI Headquarters in A.D. 2071, the customized Pilum-class gunship he piloted was destroyed - but its wreckage remained to be salvaged. 1LT Wilde and Sergeant First Class Henry recovered the wreckage - with a few complications - and set about rebuilding it from the ground up. Its purpose soon took on an additional aspect with the arrival of the Regency of Varulne. After an agreement struck with Major Devin, its C-Crystal sought out a 'Champion' ('Examplar' was another rough translation) to help it regain its homeworld, and in exchange, the Regency would provide technological assistance. The rebuilt chassis of the Pilum soon became the testbed for the C-Crystal's new Champion, Cadet Jessica Satsuma.
On its own, the Thunderbolt is a swift, agile and hard hitting machine, albeit a fragile one in comparison to its more established sibling units. Remnants of the Warlord's Pilum manifest themselves in the various missile and gunports along its body, with room for future improvement. Additionally, drawing power from the C-Crystal embedded onto the pilot and the unit itself, the Thunderbolt can momentarily overcharge its engines to encase its fists in a localized windstorm that delivers a fierce and focused blow. Its capabilities are still somewhat limited in width (if not depth) due to how recent a development it is.
Interestingly, the 'Prime' C-Crystal embedded onto Cadet Satsuma appears to have some sort of subspace pocket that houses or rapidly delivers the Thunderbolt to the pilot herself on command. This is a phenomenon that Dr. Maximiliane Brand struggles to explain, but the C-Crystal is only recently beginning to see wider adoption, so time will tell.
Art by Filippo Angelotti
Mercury V is credited as the world's very first Super Robot. Engineered as a direct response against Dr. George Sheol's kaiju forces, it was the very first successful answer to the extraordinary threats that have begun plaguing the Earth Union beginning in the late A.D. 2060s. Constructed out of the expensive and lab-produced Tritonium alloys, it is built around Dr. Rin Yukimura's Aeon Particle Theorem, drawing energy from a parallel dimension to fuel Mercury V and generate its abilities. Piloted by Hiroki Matsumoto, Dr. Yukimura's protege, it has drawn much of the kaiju's attention - analysts predict that its successful defiance has irked Dr. Sheol enough to draw his exclusive attention, sparing regions that might have come under attack otherwise.
Pilots
Name: Oscar Tellison
Age: 24 (as of A.D. 2072)
Rank: 1st Lieutenant (1LT)
Designation: Infantry, Reconnaissance, Test Pilot
Country of Origin: United States of America
Operations History:
Defense of the Defense Forces Research Institute HQ - 22 January A.D. 2071
Augment to Relief Efforts of New York City - 28 November A.D. 2071
Siege of the Yukimura Institute: 22 November A.D. 2072
Defense of the Legio-Galbinus Enclave: 20 June A.D. 2073
Originally trained as an infantry officer, 2LT Tellison was transferred early to the Defense Forces Research Institute (DFRI) initially as part of a security detail. Thanks to Dr. Sam Carlson's early Man-Machine Interface(MMI) tests, 2LT Tellison was identified as a potential candidate after fellow officer 1LT Richard Callaghan, and was quickly redesignated with his unit (Third Reconnaissance) as pilots for the Jackals, albeit with manual controls.
Further training identified additional qualities that elevated then 2LT Tellison's potential as a pilot. While also adapting easily to the MMI, he also displayed the ability to quickly establish rapport with personalities and units he had never worked with prior. With the development of SCR-02 Perseus, he was chosen as the initial test pilot in time to participate in the attack on New York City. In cooperation with adjacent units, 2LT Tellison was able to maintain an open corridor with the Perseus until First Response Corps elements could arrive, upon which he withdrew for refit and repairs.
Following promotion to 1LT (a more administrative promotion that was accelerated for his accomplishments), Tellison would then be partnered with Shàowèi (2LT) Xiu Ying Zhang in April 2072, another candidate scouted by the DFRI for potential compatibility with the MMI systems. 1LT Tellison and 2LT Zhang would then be the test pilots for the Psychic Theater technology developed by Dr. Carlson.
Name: Zhang Xiu Ying
Age: 32 (as of A.D. 2072)
Rank: Shàowèi (OF-1)/2nd Lieutenant (2LT)
Designation: Infantry, Mechanized Infantry, Test Pilot
Country of Origin: Republic of China
Operations History:
Siege of the Yukimura Institute: 22 November A.D. 2072
Defense of the Legio-Galbinus Enclave: 20 June A.D. 2073
2LT Zhang is a recent addition to the Defense Forces Research Institute (DFRI), having only arrived as of April A.D. 2072. Originally an enlisted Soldier in her country of origin, she progressed to the rank equivalent of Staff Sergeant in the Infantry before her superiors identified her as officer material, and was one of the candidates sent to the Earth Ground Defense Forces officers academy in the East Asia District.
Upon graduation, her specialty was transitioned to Mechanized Infantry before she was then further reassigned to participate in the DFRI's training program on the newly developed Variable Configuration. Showing an aptitude for the Phalanx, she was swiftly headhunted by MAJ Johnathan Devin to be partnered with 1LT Oscar Tellison as the joint test pilots for the SCR-02 Perseus, a newly constructed Super Robot model.
Reportedly, 2LT Zhang's superiors took the reassignment in good grace, as her selection had quickly become a source of pride and prestige in her former unit.
Name: Jessica Satsuma
Age: 22 (as of A.D. 2072)
Rank: Cadet (contracted for commission in First Response Corps)
Designation: Test Pilot, Champion of Varulne
Country of Origin: United States of America
Operations History:
Grand Coulee (Free Brothers incursion): 1 November A.D. 2070
Australia (Westphalian/Kaiju exchange): 21 December A.D. 2072
Jessica Satsuma's contributions to the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI), and arguably to the Earth Union as a whole, has almost nothing to do with her technical or piloting capabilities. A brash young woman from the West Coast of the North American District who signed the oath of contract to pay for her undergraduate studies, she had not done much to distinguish herself from her peers. Perfectly average, somewhat hotheaded (which she has been reprimanded for several times), and unsure of what direction to take her life in beyond her obligated four years upon commissioning.
A chance encounter between herself and the Legionnaire Cavalier drastically changed the direction her life would take her. Striking an unlikely rapport with the Kausen who seemed hostile to human life at first, they quickly became fast friends due to mutual curiosity. This friendship soon extended to the entirety of the Legio Galbinus, with its namesake leader Galbinus-R officially welcoming her as the only (at the time) friendly human face since their strange arrival on the planet. After intervention from the DFRI saved both Cavalier and Jessica's life from the Free Brother Bandit, an official partnership was struck between Galbinus and Major Johnathan Devin. More than anything, Jessica Satsuma's primary contribution was salvaging First Contact with Mekaen, and ensuring the Earth Union had steadfast and reliable partners against the Free Brothers.
But the discovery of the Regency of Varulne - and Jessica's qualities as its candidate to bear the C-Crystal Prime - influenced her life even further, equipping her with not just the Crystal, but also the refurbished Thunderbolt. Jessica Satsuma has limited experience so far, but she has already proven herself worthy of joining the ranks of the DFRI's Super Robots.
Leadership
"I am not nearly caffeinated enough to deal with this. What did you all do this time?"
Hailing from the United States in the North American District, Johnathan Devin has had a rather typical career progression. After commissioning through the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) parallel to his college studies, he was commissioned as an officer of logistics. After a few initial postings, he was seconded to the Earth Union Defense Forces as part of the United States' obligation to the Earth Union. His past postings might not have distinguished him overly much - he was an unremarkable, but solidly competent, officer who was good at what he did but did not go chasing after glamorous assignments.
It was his discovery and hasty preservation of the very first kaiju sample that drew attention to him, and showed one Brigadier General Peters that the at the time CPT Devin was willing to think outside of the box. He has since lived up to that perception, as under his stewardship the Defense Force now has not just one, but theoretically four Super Robots undergoing constant development and has spread new weapons developments to the wider EUDF, along with numerous other classified projects.
He also accounts for one of the largest consumers of coffee among the officer corps.
"I am uncertain whether to commend you for quick thinking or chastise you for reckless thinking. I will find a way to split the difference."
Formerly serving in the Japanese Self Defense Forces, CPT Sasaki's previous assignment was that of operations officer, then aide, to General George Armistead of the Third Air Defense Force (with overlap between North America and East Asia). Originally brought on as a means to placate her politically connected superior, CPT Sasaki has since proven herself loyal and committed to the Super Robot project, often serving as the voice of reason and discipline.
(Not that she has proven to be purely above it all)
Effects: Sasaki gains +1d6 to Defense Force Monitoring and Liaison duties due to her professionalism and long conditioning to the madness.
"To any leadership teams watching this, please remember we're professionals."
"Don't try this at home!-uh oh-"
In an organization bursting with eccentric and esoteric personalities, Wilde and Henry have long since stood out. The Duo were headhunted by MAJ Devin after learning of their experimentation in Variable Configuration, and decided to take a risk in recruiting them into the DFRI at its infancy. That trust was well rewarded - what started as a means of maximizing resources by cannibalizing older military vehicles has since become one of the cornerstones of the modern EUDF Super Robots.
Wilde tends to live up to his surname, being excitable about just about every little development and eager to 'throw stuff at the wall and see what does something interesting.' Henry remains constantly stoic in direct opposition to Wilde, but is solid and dependable. Though they seem unaware of it, these professionals have had one of the largest impacts on the EUDF.
Effects: +1d6 to Experimentation, Wreckage Analysis and Refit and Repair.
They remain highly classified, but one of the astonishing achievements of the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI) is the creation of sentient artificial intelligence programs. Referred to as Super Artificial Intelligence (SAI), they were expanded upon by Dr. Boris Ignatov from the remnants of an unlisted pre-Unification server hub. Far from being removed as malicious software, the unlikely discovery of possible sentience was cultivated and nurtured by Dr. Ignatov, and within the span of a few months, the very first AI personalities grew into fully functioning sentience.
Currently there are nine SAI personalities, split between personalities limited to the mainframes and connectivity, and those who are bound to a specific body as part of a Super Robot frame.
"I know you've got this. But I have your back just in case, alright?"
Katarina is the first personality discovered and nurtured by Dr. Ignatov. Appearing as a bubbly and cheerful young woman, Katarina is regarded as the 'big sister' to all of the following personalities by virtue of seniority (having been present long enough to be considered one of the Founding Members) and has gleefully adopted the responsibilities therein. Incredibly cheerful and happy to help where she can, she is one of the few AI personalities who has enough breadth of knowledge to assist anywhere on base she is required.
Effects: Katarina can support just about anywhere without restrictions and at almost full capacity. However, she does not receive bonuses for the more specialized sciences or engineering challenges.
"Hey boss. Melinda here. I, uh, don't have much to add here just yet. But just you watch, it'll happen!"
Currently the youngest AI 'sister' to have developed, Melinda has yet to fully stand out. Appearing almost like an office intern, Melinda is quite energetic, and eager to prove herself - and sharing Katarina's breadth of knowledge, she can - and does - appear almost anywhere that requires an extra helping hand.
Effects: Melinda can support just about anywhere without restrictions and at almost full capacity. However, she does not receive bonuses for the more specialized sciences or engineering challenges.
"All hands, this is the bridge. Stay with me, and we will get through this!"
One of the 'elder' Sisters, Diana originated from the anomalous code discovered with Katarina's discovery and is of the same generation as Ivanna and Lana. Appearing as a disciplined young female cadet, Diana's primary functions are to facilitate the coordination and execution of Super Robot deployments as well as monitoring the Defense Force Network. Diana has also proven herself a deft hand at battlefield command and control.
One responsibility Diana has been saddled with, which she does not enjoy, is liaison duty - which often means chaperoning mad scientists.
Effects: Diana gains +1d6 to Defense Force Monitoring. She also has +1d6 to select groups of friendly factions (Yukimura Institute).
"No one's getting past me! Let's go!"
One of the 'younger' Sisters, Adrianna was scanned from the brainwaves of CPT Haruko Sasaki - a fact that sent the DFRI into a collective panic. The actual personality that emerged...has not done much to dissuade them from this reaction (and one leaving CPT Sasaki somewhat bemused). Appearing as an incredibly excitable and energetic young female cadet, Adrianna's original function was to ensure facility security and counter espionage. While she has excelled at this (to becoming a new problem at her extremes), Adrianna has also proven to be quite proficient at gunnery operations.
Despite a rocky introduction, she has also become fast friends with Erika Drake.
Effects: Adrianna gains +1d6 to Defense Force Monitoring. She also passively can detect intrusion efforts, a legacy of her original function. She has +1d6 to select groups of friendly factions (MSS).
"I swear! Are all of the Super Robot pilots trying to tick me off!? We just fixed this!"
Lana is of the same generation as Ivanna and Diana. Appearing as a no-nonsense young woman in engineering fatigues and an overcoat, Lana has proven herself time and again as not only capable of repair and maintenance functions, but also unique and new creations in her own right. To her chagrin, however, she also finds herself constantly helping to fix up the various scrapes, dents, and other forms of bodily harm that keep managing to surprise and annoy her.
She has a somewhat vitriolic friendship with Jiro Yukimura, with both exchanging insults and jabs as readily as they speak words. But it is difficult to find a more inseparable pair on the facility than these two.
Effects: Lana gains +1d6 to most Engineering projects (with particular mention to Refit, Repair, Design and Experimentation).
"Doctors...please, tone it down..."
Ivanna is of the same generation of Super AIs as Diana and Lana. She also was created with the rather unenviable task of keeping the heads of the research on task - something she has had somewhat limited success in. But much like Lana, she has proven herself capable of unique insights, and has developed a reputation of always being on hand to 'check the math, just in case.' If she is said to have one personality quirk, it is that she finds tolerating blatant breaches of the laws of physics (which happens somewhat regularly) somewhat difficult to tolerate.
Effects: Ivanna gains +1d6 to most Science projects. Brand new fields will prove to be somewhat difficult, but she will adapt over time.
ESP Theory
Normally such an idea would be so outlandish as to be dismissed outright - but one could argue the same about most things espoused by Dr. Sam Carlson. His own studies, which were then expanded upon with direct patronage from the DFRI, showed that a small selection of humanity were developing benign mutations in their brains. On their own, this is nothing to worry about or notice. But when combined with supercomputer interfaces, the ability of the human brain to send signals and turn them into instructions for complex machinery has become key to the operating mechanics of the Super Robots.
Outside of control mechanisms, however, ESP Theory development has stalled somewhat. Beyond finding additional methods to control the Super Robots via its pilots' psychic potentials, efforts to amplify those mutations have not proven as fruitful as hoped. But Dr. Carlson remains bullish about his chances. There are many competing requirements, and not enough time to finish them - ESP will get its chance to shine ever brighter again, by his estimations.
Kaiju Biotechnology
Even as Mercury V was defeating the kaiju, no samples of them were ever recovered for study - the bodies would always decompose. However, then-CPT Johnathan Devin was able to secure a sample by quick thinking and pure luck. It has since formed a core component of the DFRI's efforts.
Derived from the venerable Sample Zero, K-Class as a whole was one of the very first discoveries that soon became a core building block of the Super Robot program. Dr. Sam Carlson and the Biotechnology Department made the discovery early on that Kaiju biodegrade in a form of self-destruction on a rapid scale (ed.- Hah!) after being defeated. However, due to being in deep freeze for so long, the acid simply could not make enough headway and the scale was left alone. What followed was then breakthrough after breakthrough of figuring out what K-Class could and couldn't do.
K-Class
K-Class, or Kaiju Class Components, are organic matter derived from kaiju flesh that is then incorporated into the various pieces of equipment and components building up the Super Robots. Almost a miracle substance in its own right, there are different categories and capabilities depending on which original culture sample was derived from. The DFRI is still exploring this field at a rapid pace, but outside of Dr. George Sheol himself, the DFRI's Biotechnology Department is the foremost authority on kaiju organisms.
Sample Zero - Scale
Sample Zero is a broken piece of Kaiju scale discovered by CPT Johnathan Devin in the aftermath of a Kaiju attack on the Korean peninsula. It has served as the bedrock for many of the technologies that enable the Super Robot program at all. Its derived culture samples can be incorporated into protective equipment or tough bludgeoning weapons in a pinch, but it was found early on due to a quirk of its genetic engineering that fashioning it into a sharpened or offensive weapon is difficult if not impossible.
Sample One - Horn
Also known as the Dragon's Horn, this sample was acquired after the Beowulf's successful engagement against a kaiju attack against San Diego Naval Base. The kaiju sample was the entire horn mounted on the kaiju which was used to focus acidic beam attacks. Having been isolated and frozen in a similar manner to Sample Zero, development from this sample is still in its early stages.
Sample Two - Brain Matter
Bits of brain matter that were able to be salvaged from the Olympic-class kaiju during the siege of the Yukimura Institute. It is not being integrated into the DFRI's toolkit and is being held in cold storage for analysis and study. Dr. Carlson makes very sure that it is kept dormant to prevent any incidents.
Sample Three - Preserved Leg
The Olympic-class kaiju's leg was captured almost intact. Initial studies are pending, but it promises to dramatically push research forward.
Sample Four - Lungs
Samples taken from the Crocalisks and the Olympic-class kaiju during the siege of the Yukimura Institute, the lungs generated the ability for the kaiju to breathe fire and lightning respectively.
Sample Five - Hollow Scales
Samples taken from the Crocalisk-class during the siege of the Yukimura Institute. Though the hollow scales seemed to act as a gestation method for flash breeding Pterawing-class, its hollow nature holds promise for potentially weapons or equipment pods.
Sample Six - Wings
Samples of the wings captured from the Pterawing-class during the Siege of the Yukimura Institute. By itself it will not enable flight. However, it might help with enabling lift combined with propulsion systems.
Variable Configuration
What had started as an odd curiosity developed by 1LT Adam Wilde and SFC James Henry has become another cornerstone of the Super Robot program. In short: the mechanical maniacs have found a way to modify vehicles and turn them into shape shifting robots. This is achieved by ripping out the internal workings of vehicles, cutting the frame down, and rebuilding everything from the ground up.
This was a technology that required a significant amount of trial and error - but MAJ Johnathan Devin recognized the potential, and greenlit their experimentation. When combined with K-Class materials, the Duo's efforts have created the likes of the Jackal, the Centurion, the Phalanx, and the Seeker. But more importantly, they have created the frames on which the Super Robots are built.
Combinable Configuration
This is the logical extension and development of Variable Configuration. Early efforts to simply scale up met with failure. The Engineers' solution was an 'expansion pack' method. Using the earlier models as the 'Core Unit,' they would simply merge (or 'Combine') it with a larger support unit. The support vehicles would reconfigure into a larger frame that the Core Unit could slot into, effectively creating a large suit of armor - and a more powerful Super Robot.
The most famous example of this is the Beowulf. Its ability to combine with a Shepherd or a V-33 TMU to respectively form the Timberwolf and the Foxhound has seen it through some of its most harrowing battles, and work continues to ultimately combine the three into a more powerful form. However, another notable example of this is the Legio Galbinus combined warrior Axiom. Despite concerns about the individual personalities losing a sense of self, Axiom as a warrior form has proven wildly successful and is a key player in Galbinus-R's efforts. Efforts to extend the same treatment to the DFRI's other Super Robots remains an ongoing priority.
- Timberwolf
- Foxhound
- Fenrir
- Axiom (allied)
Super AI
The crown achievement of Dr. Boris Ignatov and his team, the Super AI program was developed by a chance discovery beneath the DFRI Headquarters. What began as strings of Old World coding mutated and developed into sentient life - giving birth to the first Super AI personality, Katarina. Her siblings of various specializations soon followed, and even some of them are now Super AI pilot personalities directly linked to their bodies as opposed to the wider mainframe of the DFRI.
The exact origin of the server banks that held Katarina's original form remains unclear. The technology clearly is ancient by modern standards, but who developed it, and why they went to such pains to keep it hidden from official layouts, is a mystery. The Super AI personalities remain a guarded secret from the world at large - but they are fully welcomed by the DFRI as peers and family.
'Golems'
A joint project between the Build Team (or at least one particular member) and Dr. Boris Ignatov, the Golems are derived from the Kausen 'Drones' as a response to a need for additional forces. After witnessing the sentience of the turned Drone Zulu, Dr. Ignatov and Greg Nakamura were inspired to reverse engineer captured Drone salvage and to install more 'basic' SAI personalities into mass production Seekers.
As this is a very recent development, the impacts of this new technology have yet to materialize.
Xeno Technology
A catchall phrase for alien-based technology, the only unifying concept to this field is that the various technologies are either Kausen or Varulne-derived. Everything from the Energy Shards relied upon by both warring Kausen factions, to their energy blasters, to even more experimental technologies such as the Dispersion Field - all are not of Earth.
Kausen Technology
The Kausen of Mekaen's debut of their highly advanced technologies, unfortunately, was courtesy of the Free Brothers' hostile First Contact - at the barrel of a blaster. Over time, and with more positive relations established with Galbinus-R and his Legion, the DFRI has started to accumulate additional samples of Kausen technology for study. Most of it is related to weaponry and protection as a sad necessity, but additional samples such as the refined Energy Shards prized by both sides promise revolutionary changes in the energy industry...after the conflict is over.
- Kausen Energy Blasters
- Energy Shards
- Zirvitium Alloy
- Anti-Gravity Solutions
- Dispersion Fields
- Dispersion Spray
Varulne Technology
The Regency of Varulne's technologies are still not fully understood, even less so than Mekaen's. Despite this, they have intriguing possibilities and have already introduced tangible results.
- Experimental Space Travel
- Empathic Boosters
- C-Crystal Technology
Faedium Crystalline Structures
The most recent acquisition of the DFRI, Faedium is the current name for a newly discovered crystalline formation. Light, durable, yet also having the potential to store vast quantities of energy such as light and electricity inside of its structure, it already promises to revolutionize currently existent fields in the DFRI's toolkit. Despite its current status as the most underdeveloped technology base of the DFRI, it has already begun to fill a niche that the other technologies had not quite realized they were missing. Though the density and structure of Faedium needs to be precisely measured - as Faedium does not deal well with unaccounted-for power spikes so far - its ability to process and redistribute power is unheard of by modern engineering standards.
The most recent development comes from contribution to the prototype Fenrir-class Combinable Configuration. The primary obstacle to making it a reality was the various incompatible energy sources, and a lack of a governing unit to synchronize them all without catastrophic results. Out of inspiration, 1LT Wilde and SFC Henry have developed the 'Block' engine. More and more developments promise to derive from Faedium, leaving Dr. McCullough with a sense of vindication.
- Faedium 'Block' Engine (Experimental)
- Faedium 'Block' Battery Units (in development)
- Kausen Energy Blaster Focus Lens Substitutes (in development)
Equipment
K-Scale Mesh
K-Scale is more or less what it sounds like - protective layers of armor derived from Sample Zero. Incredibly straightforward now, at the time of discovery the Engineering team was still trying to find the best ways to incorporate them into the Super Robots. A chance discovery by 1LT Adam Wilde and SFC James Henry, however, found the answer - creating a biological version of chainmail.
K-Scale has shown to prefer to latch onto structures, much like some crops or kudzu, and then rapidly harden around said structure. Taking that into account, the Engineers then layered the K-Scale samples around vital internals of a production Jackal, and applied a minute electrical charge to stiffen into something resembling ceramics. Combined with Anti-Gravity Solutions, this has become a relatively lightweight measure of protection that has since become standard for the Super Robots as a whole. Entire skeletal limb superstructure can be possibly layered repeatedly with this method, but this is early in development.
K-Circuits
Somewhat less dramatic than K-Scale Mesh, but no less important, K-Circuits are the result of lacing the internal circuitry and wiring of mechanical units with microscopic samples of K-Class. Due to the raw adaptive potential of K-Class as a whole, the K-Class has taken on hyper-conductive properties and increased the responsiveness and power of the mechanical internals as a whole. This is the simplified version, as the author does not possess the mechanical or scientific know-how to properly portray this explanation into words that do not encompass a doctoral dissertation.
K-Fang
Having only been recently added to the arsenal, K-Fang are K-Class culture samples derived from Sample One. Much like how K-Scale did not adapt readily to offensive capabilities, the opposite is true for K-Fang. The potential for developing melee and ranged weaponry with K-Fang is intriguing - but only one example so far.
K-Fang Halberd
There is only one right now, but it's exactly what it sounds like - a polearm axe blade sized for a Super Robot. The single one on inventory right now is basic, but functional - but experimentation could be done to make it stand out more.
K-Suit (Pilot)
The K-Suit developed accidentally, but Dr. Sam Carlson and Ivanna did not let a good accident go to waste. In experimenting with K-Class materials, some researchers and volunteer test subjects were doused in liquid K-Class that had yet to form, and their bodies were utterly caked in the matter. While it took some time and power tools to pry the individuals loose, it was discovered that the material acted more or less as a protective layer of K-Scale, but once parts of it were removed, it actually provided a rather flexible range of motion.
The K-Suit is a more directly applied version of that accidental discovery. Almost appearing chitinous in appearance, it has proven to be bullet and blade resistant, but providing almost no limitation in range of motion. The added benefit is that with small applications of K-Circuits interwoven into the suit, the helmets can serve as a Man-Machine Interface in their own right, with the suit simply 'plugging in' to the Super Robot. This continues to be refined, as the new cockpit scheme of incorporating the Steeds as a pseudo cockpit replacement means that the K-Suit needs to be slimmed down to fit inside, or the Steeds themselves need to be expanded slightly.
Man-Machine Interface (MMI)
One problem discovered early on in the CRX experimental stage was that of tactile control. 1LT Richard Callaghan proved to be a prodigy in this regard, but even the harsh selection criteria placed by CPT Haruko Sasaki could not count on all pilots being this way. As such, a combined effort by Dr. Sam Carlson, Dr. Boris Ignatov and the Engineering Team of (at the time) 1LT Adam Wilde and SFC James Henry sought to find a more intuitive way to provide greater control to the Super Robot units.
The answer was the Man-Machine Interface (MMI). Utilizing Dr. Carlson's extensive research on ESP Theory, it utilizes the subtle 'radio' signals emitted subconsciously by a select number of people to transmit intent. This abstracted intent is then captured and incorporated by a condensed supercomputer embedded into a helmet device developed by Dr. Ignatov and his team. That supercomputer then translates the intent into signals compatible with human motion, and the physical feedback is then returned via the MMI to the human pilot's brain and the process repeats. Discoveries by 1LT Wilde and SFC Henry revealed that the human brain cannot think like a machine, or operate machinery too different from the human form - so their solution in incorporating the MMI's link to the Super Robot was to trick the pilot into thinking they were 'wearing' the Super Robot as a mobile suit of armor, and ensure that the Super Robot's range of physical motion was roughly analogous to the human form.
In short: the human brain uses the MMI to give a rough but firm idea of what the pilot wants to do, and the MMI in turn will run all the calculations on behalf of the brain to translate it into physical motion for the Super Robot.
Ironically, this quest for deeper control then fed directly back into the 'standard' CR lines of mecha distributed for wider use among the EUDF. Having seen what the human brain was abstracting despite still having their hands on the controls, this allowed 1LT Wilde and SFC Henry to simplify the controls for non-MMI users, and the control scheme more or less has become standardized among all CR-line mecha, with exceptions being made for more specialized units.
This technology comes standard with all human piloted Super Robots.
Psychic Theater Link
Another accidental discovery by the ESP Department, the Psychic Theater Link is a radical new development on the Man-Machine Interface (MMI). The simple application of 'more is better' has been applied to the pilots operating the Super Robot - what if they were linked together? In theory, this should result in greater processing power and reaction speed for the pilots, enabling more complex operations to take place as both pilots are free to swap and assume different roles at the speed of thought.
The Psychic Theater has only been put into practice very recently with the Perseus. And while it has worked as intended, some side effects have been observed leading to unintended developments. Further study and examination is required.
Zirvitium Armor
Zirvitium alloy is used primarily in armor plating among the Kausen of Mekaen, and has been brought to Earth by both the Legio Galbinus and the Free Brothers. It is an incredibly hardy and tough metallic alloy, utilizing a baffling mixture of rare earth elements and common metals. In addition to handily resisting kinetic force, it also has proven to be able to scatter Kausen energy weapons to reduce its incoming damage. The Kausen apply it as humans might don combat armor, and the same has been applied to the Super Robot program as a whole.
Originally, its drastic cost fresh out of the prototyping stage by Dr. Maximiliane Brand meant that only the Combined Super Robots were even considered for Zirvitium Armor plating. However, time and experience with fabrication - along with judicious use of Anti-Gravity Solutions - means that it is slowly becoming more and more feasible for Core Super Robot units to begin donning Zirvitium.
Kausen Energy Blaster Launchers
Cliche as it sounds, one of the very first pieces of kit recovered and reverse engineered from the Kausen were their weapons systems - Bandit's specifically. In short, Kausen projectiles are high output energy waves that are narrowly condensed and then focused into a single crystal, which then forces the energy into a narrow coherent beam of destructive heat and light. Thus far, the DFRI have managed to replicate the effect in large scale, via the Heavy Weapons packages for the Super Robots and the gun turrets of the Pegasus-class dropships.
Handheld Energy Blasters [Prototype]
It's not pretty, it's expensive, and it's clunky, but it's also a proof of concept right now. The new blasters developed by Dr. Mary McCullough and Zulu fit somewhere more along the lines of a pistol or a carbine than that of the dedicated and individual blaster packages fitted for the heavy weapons packages or the Super Robot weaponry. In theory you could do a limited production run, but you'll need to experiment more to achieve that end.
The Charged Cannon is an experimental electrical cannon. In short, it fires bursts of high voltage electricity in short packet bursts of electricity, aimed to disrupt and stun rather than outright destruction. The Duo tend to regard this weapon as an incremental stepping stone to the development of the Arc series of weapons and has not seen further development since then.
The Pile Bunker is one of the stranger weapons developed by Engineering, and it remains untested under combat conditions. But in theory, it may prove to be one of the most potent weapons in the DFRI's arsenal. In short, an incredibly sharp metal spike mounted on the forearm of a Super Robot slams into the enemy after contact with the fist, propelled at high speed and power via chemical propellant charge. As a side benefit rather than by design, the build up of static charge abruptly conducts through the spike and into the internals of the enemy, with the potential to short circuit enemy machinery and inflict electrical burns to kaiju.
The very first unit has been installed for use with Perseus Megas. Its initial introduction proved to be far more effective than initially projected, as a well timed and placed strike was able to destroy the hand of the Free Brothers' giant Drone, leaving it stunned and wide open for a follow on strike.
Jiro Yamada left this name in as a placeholder, then officially adopted it when he could not think of an alternative. The Mega Blaster was scavenged from the 'Brute' mega walker fielded by the Westphalians. It is effectively a trio of Kausen blasters rigged together into a, well, mega blaster that sidelines safety protocols in favor of a bigger blast.
Though it backfired on the Brute, Jiro Yamada has shorn it down to something more manageable. Taking inspiration from his uncle Rin's Blizzard Blast installed on Mercury V, he decided to make this a chest mounted unit. In conjunction with the new Faedium 'Block' engine, he had confidence that the enormous energy output could be satisfied, albeit with the warning that this should be used sparingly. Operating on the idea of 'less is more,' Jiro installed Zirvitium-lined barrel rails that unfold in order to act as both containment and as a guidance system, directing the powerful energies towards its intended target.
The very first unit has been installed for use with Perseus Megas. Its initial battlefield usage has proven its raw destructive power, and the Engineering team will revisit the concept for refinement.
The Arc Blade and the Arc Cannon are weapons derived from K-Scale. Sidestepping the normal (and odd) restriction of the K-Scale with offensive weaponry, the Duo simply augmented individual pieces of the weapons and fabricated the weapon itself with high-end steel and titanium. Later models of the weapon could also include choice elements of Zirvitium alloy. Both weapons make use of high-voltage electricity for bursts of high intensity damage at close or long ranges.
The Arc Blade and Arc Cannon make use of a high intensity battery known as the Spark Caliber. Used sparingly, it supercharges the weapon to a ludicrous degree, burning out the Spark Caliber within a minute of activation after being slotted into the weapon in question. This is used to conduct a finishing strike, and as such is only used when said strike is guaranteed or in times of desperation.
Dispersion Combat Shield
Courtesy of the Free Brother known as Bandit, the Dispersion Field was first discovered in A.D. 2070 in the DFRI's first direct engagement with the Free Brothers. The Dispersion Field proved itself to be extremely temperamental - it absolutely performed its function in blocking kinetic energy, but its activation varied wildly. The Legio Galbinus sold the technology to the DFRI on request, though they themselves did not actively pursue development of it.
Dr. Maximiliane Brand and Zulu of the Xenotechnology Department have just begun to fully stabilize the Dispersion Field - however, neither of them have come close to creating an all-encompassing full-body version. Their compromise was to create a shaped field of limited protection instead. The most common application of this now is as a wrist-mounted unit that can be projected in a manner similar to law enforcement riot shields. The Dispersion Combat Shield can block projectiles both kinetic and energy to a point, and even slow down melee attacks, but in its current form it is more of a delaying tactic. Additionally, its power drain is such that only Combined Super Robots can generate enough power to use it without its power output going into the net-negatives.
Anti-Gravity Solution
This technology has its origins in Mekaen, the home planet of the Kausen. Originally exchanged with the DFRI by the Legio Galbinus, this was experimental technology even to the far more advanced civilization of its origin. Since its purchase, however, the minds behind the Xenotechnology Department have found practical means in which to make this applicable, if still experimental and expensive.
The Anti-Gravity Solution is exactly as it sounds - an experimental solvent that reduces the physical gravity of an applied object. What this means in practice is that heavier components can now see their mass effectively reduced, allowing more complex and specialized equipment to be installed onto a Super Robot frame. This has proven crucial to the Super Robot program, allowing Super Robots such as Beowulf and Perseus to fit heavier layers of equipment such as the protective K-Scale Mesh. The trade-off is that the Anti-Gravity Solution does require routine reapplication - without it, the various equipment applied with it become 'sluggish' as the Solution degrades over time. As such it is always factored into maintenance.
C-Crystals, according to the Regency, are many things. A symbol. A badge of office. A source of power. Even an authentication key for the 'pure and just of heart,' which is language straight out of children's cartoons and comic books. It is vaguely integrated into the Thunderbolt prototype, but it has also not been tested or even fully evaluated yet. Dr. Boris Igantov and Dr. Maximiliane Brand have finally cracked the fabrication and authentication system behind it - however, wider dissemination has been slow, both from a sense of caution and production capabilities serving as a practical bottleneck.
To date: Jessica Satsuma, Richard Callaghan, and Ichiro Banner now bear the C-Crystals in some shape and form.
Funnels are essentially remote-control, flight capable directed weapons systems. Housed in a small dart-like platform, the Funnels house three key components: a small engine for thrust, wings derived from the Pterawing kaiju, and a directional laser blaster derived from Kausen weapons technology.
This technology has had something of a troubled development, particularly for a flight capable weapons system meant for terrestrial combat. Beginning with Dr. Boris Ignatov, its development was later completed by Jiro Yukimura. It has yet to be tested.
1300, 22 November A.D. 2072
Outskirts of the Yukimura Institute
The Yukimura Institute. Established in the latter half of the 2060s by Dr. Yukimura Rin following the failure of his dissertation, for years it had been an idle curiosity in the idyllic shadow of Kyoto's many peaks. The grounds were kept crisp and clean, the air sweet and clear, the construction of the sky-blue building sweeping in graceful arcs reminiscent of some architects' visions of the far future from a century before. Aside from some small public grants from the Japanese government's programs and private investment outside of the District Administration's purview, it had stayed out on its own, researching, developing. Creating.
And when the dreaded Kaiju began to make landfall, Dr. Yukimura revealed Mercury V to the world with its victory over the Kaiju. The very first victory against a foe that had once seemed impossible, yet years of sacrifice and sweat had brought it about. Such a victory, however, came at a cost:
It has been a very, very long time since the Institute has been quite so idyllic.
"Hurry up! Hurry it the hell up!" Large boxy structures were emerging from the ground, the grassy patches revealed to be disposable astroturf that were shunted aside in great plumes of green and brown as hollow black cylinders protruded from inside their frames. The air around them seemed to chill with the mists of the early morning despite how late in the afternoon it was. "Cannon One, up!" The hollowed out cylinders began to glow a faint blue, and the mists around the base of the cannons began to intensify.
"Cannon Two, up!" Another of its fellows emerged further back, right along the driveway that would lead straight to the Institute in more peaceful times.
"Cannon Three, up!" More and more of the weapons jury rigged into firing platforms emerged across what had once been beautifully landscaped grounds. Components that had once been test beds for the weapons systems that were now carried into battle by Mercury V, now finding new purpose for one final test of arms. The whole ground seemed to hold the damp nature of the early morning, obscuring the sweeping arcs of the building behind a fog.
"Job's done!" The engineer, an older man with a scowl on his face, glared towards the direction where the kaiju were coming from. "Y'know these things ain't gonna stop the kaiju by chuckin' harsh language at 'em?" he demanded, his body already shivering slightly from the lowered temperatures around him as he hopped back into his truck alongside his crew.
"They're not supposed to," the voice on the other side of the line assured him. Crisp, professional - very likely some EUDF officer who had come in to help. "What they'll do is buy us some time until help arrives."
"Well, they'd better, that's all I'm sayin'," the engineer groused as the heavy duty tires squealed, the driver understandably wanting to put as much distance between themselves and the giant monster dinosaurs stomping their way towards them. Five other trucks around him in the distance were doing likewise, with tire marks undoubtedly destroying the painstaking efforts the landscapers had put in. They'd probably complain more if they were eaten. Probably also give the kaiju a big ass bellyache. The engineer glanced upwards, the strange Defense Force dropship - honestly looking more like what the old world war ships looked like - but flying - with gun turrets constantly scanning the horizon with those strange jets they'd brought with them. Nothing he'd ever seen before either.
"It'll do," the voice assured him. "Just - hang on." The voice cut off momentarily before she replied again. "You might want to swing towards the hangar side rather than maintenance."
"What for?"
"Infiltrators, and they're armed with guns."
1315, 22 November A.D. 2072
Yukimura Institute, Inner Reception
"If Sheol ever finds a way to arm the actual kaiju with guns, I'm going to complain," Keiko grumbled as she slid a fresh magazine into her rifle. "Violently." All around her, the sounds of spent shell casings clattering onto the ground, the oddly cheerful sound of a belt being fed into the one machine gun she was able to finagle out of her old contacts at Okinawa, and the reassuring sounds of mild swearing beneath her friends' breaths filled the room.
The slumped over figure of one of the infiltrators hung over the makeshift barricade of the knocked over desks and piled furniture. The skin on its' face seemed to almost hang loosely from its frame now, as if only the bare minimum required to put on a paper-thin disguise had been implemented, and a scaly, if now perforated, texture could be seen beneath the green-tinged blood that was leaking from the corpse. None of the defenders were getting too close to the blood stains - they all knew what happened with the big kaiju. Good enough to pass a casual inspection, but once their blood and anger got up their faces were nothing like an actual person.
They also shouldn't be allowed to tank assault rifle rounds without actual body armor. That just felt like cheating.
Keiko never saw action against the Westphalians in her time as GDF infantry, but there were some things you just never forgot. And if she was honest, the whole layout of the Institute made it oddly easy to conduct the fighting retreat like they have. Keiko would have thought that old man Yukimura designed the whole damned place from the ground up like this - she'd have to ask Hiroki about that sometime, even if Yukimura had contracted or cooperated with someone else to actually build the place. But for now, it made defending things easier.
And now they even had extra help.
"Ms. Hamakawa-"
"Told you, just make it Keiko," she grunted. Some of her fellow defenders were already sneaking forwards, a loose belt of explosives and grenades in hand as they proceeded to wire them in ways that she was conveniently looking the other way to notice too hard. "Thanks for the heads up, but I'm assuming we've got more, Diana?"
"Afraid so." The woman sounded as fresh as when she'd landed almost a day ago, yet there was that underlying fatigue beneath her voice that was unmistakable to anyone familiar with running perimeter defenses. She still seemed to work like a machine. "I'm sending you another fallback point - you can probably take one more engagement before you'll need to pull back. Dr. Yukimura's assistants have already evacuated to the center, so no risk of blue on blue."
"Good. What about your Super Robots?"
"They're approaching now. They're going to buy us some time until Dr. Yukimura can get Mercury online, along with the prototype weapons from the 'Grand' line."
"Music to my ears." Keiko cocked her head at the sounds of skittering footsteps echoing down the halls. "Better play our part too. Alright, everyone, safeties off, we've got more friends coming…"
1320, 22 November A.D. 2072
Outskirts of the Yukimura Institute
"Configuration engaged."
The thought ran through - echoed through? - Oscar's head as the Perseus began to unfold. As the torso rotated and the legs expanded, stomping into being he was - no, Zhang was - already running down the diagnostics list. The K-Circuits thrummed as they distributed power all along the giant's frame, with enough rhythm that it almost, almost, felt like a heartbeat.
'This Psychic Theater link is weird.'
'Could you keep it quiet? Still going through weapons pre-check.'
'And your voice is a movie theater box.'
'That sounds like a "you" problem to me.'
Oscar Tellison rolled his eyes at Xiu Ying Zhang's sass, but put his own portion of attention back to letting her get back to the pre-battle checks and his to the battlefield itself. The head unit of the Perseus - still scarred on one eye from a separatist shrapnel round - flared to life as its eyes glowed a deep green, and without missing a beat, two minds fed directly into the machine's thoughts - and in unison, both wills began to stretch the Perseus's arms, before one thick metal fist slammed into an open palm, the sound of metal on metal echoing like an artillery round. Immediately the tactical situation began to feed itself directly into his vision via the Man-Machine Interface. This technology would have been unthinkable just two years ago - yet four particularly crazy minds, and one or two particularly sane people who could recognize talent had made it all happen. Now here he was, in a pilot armor crafted from kaiju flesh and in a transforming robot that itself was only made possible through kaiju and alien technologies. Built like a mountain, and ready to crash onto someone like an avalanche.
On his feed, he could see the Seekers in the air. The Twenty-Fifth Marine Air Wing had volunteered months ago to be their particular guinea pigs for what Lana and Jiro were focusing on as a next-generation model. If the Perseus was a wonder of technology - and it still didn't quite hold a candle to the Beowulf - the Seekers were something else entirely. Triple-changing mecha, with the ability to wage a land, air and sea campaign on their own - and all were piloted by veterans who were falling in love with the technologies and daring enough to push their luck and their new frames to the limit.
It still didn't quite feel like enough as he stared at what was coming in the distance.
The two kaiju approaching seemed to be rapidly approaching mountains of their own. Both of them were four-legged, with thick, hardened scales readily apparent even from this distance. Entire patches of ground seemed to shake and disappear with each step they took, and dull roars from even this distance seemed to rock the Perseus's frame.
"Two kaiju…'standard' isn't the word I'd use for them, but they don't have anything obvious that stands out just yet." Diana's avatar appeared in between their consoles, her arms crossed and one hand tapping her chin. "Sheol isn't known for recycling his monsters. And I just don't have enough information on them yet. Dr. Yukimura's team is entirely focused on trying to get Mercury online."
'Do they have an ETA on that?' Zhang's thoughts 'spoke' even as she was still finishing the diagnostics, with a small list at the corner of Oscar's vision showing an almost completely green readout.
"Negative. This attack came at a really bad time since Mercury was undergoing repairs and upgrades." Diana looked incredibly frustrated - and for a moment, despite knowing she was sentient, Oscar forgot that she was a digital life form. "Stand by to-"
Diana was cut off as something exploded from the kaijus' direction. Scales and what looked disturbingly like the acidic blood splayed in all directions, mingling with a veritable cloud of dust. But rather than simply revealing the hopeful vision of the kaiju having suffered some catastrophic error in their biological programming…
"This is Chimera-One, I am reading ten…twenty…thirty…" The marine pilot's voice sounded strained as Oscar and Xiu Ying could see the readout for themselves as their entire screen began to light up with contact after contact, all emerging from the explosion. "...screw it. Lots of bogeys, all in bound. Permission to engage?" Even as he asked for permission, the hilariously outnumbered flying defenders were already charging forwards to meet the challenge - just thankfully without the 100% likelihood of death the old conventional machines would have guaranteed them.
What seemed like an entire murder of flying beaked kaiju were all screeching, creating a noise echoing across the battlefield that sounded like what crows must have sounded like in hell. Even as the fliers were streaking upwards into the air and practically blotting out the skyline, the two remaining ground kaiju were still trampling towards the Institute - and by extension, the Perseus. At a glance they looked considerably less bulky, but these were giant dinosaur monsters - and the defending forces were abruptly very, very outnumbered.
And they still had one more coming after these things.
"Chimera-One, this is Perseus," Oscar spoke out, having finally found his voice - and remembered to use it with people without the Psychic Theater link this time. "Objectives are the same - defend the Institute until Mercury V comes online. Here's the plan…"
'…that I'm coming up with on the fly, because how the hell do you have a plan for this?'
Notably, this time Xiu Ying had no sassy reply for his thoughts.
The Yukimura Institute is under siege, and is facing an existential Crisis. The city of Kyoto is being utterly wrecked by three kaiju sent by Dr. Sheol. One of them is of a larger class than any sent before, with two smaller but no less dangerous kaiju on par with what Mercury V has fought previously sent ahead in order to cause as much damage as possible to the Institute's infrastructure and delay or destroy any efforts to launch Mercury V.
Meanwhile, the Yukimura Institute itself is under attack by converted 'infiltrator' units sent ahead as an initial raiding force. Hamakawa Keiko, a friend of Hiroki's, and a cohort of her retired Defense Force fellows are cooperating with the Institute's staff to force a delayed fighting retreat, taking full advantage of the fact that this is far from the first time the Institute has faced attempted infiltration (though armed invasion is an unfortunately novel experience). Their objectives are fairly clear - fight towards Mercury V's maintenance bay while causing as much secondary damage to people and installation as possible.
Mercury V is undergoing emergency repairs, having already taken damage from a previous engagement. Hiroki is waiting impatiently in the Falcon Mobile, and is this close to just launching out and doing something to contribute to the fight, but both Yukimura and Hamakawa have overruled him - he's just as vital as Mercury V is and they can't risk him.
The Perseus is the second successful Super Robot deployed by the Defense Force Research Institute (DFRI). Utilizing the experience gleaned from the prototype and later production line of the Jackal, Lieutenant Wilde and Sergeant First Class Henry in cooperation with Dr. Sam Carlson retrofitted the Buckler-class Infantry Fighting Vehicle into the Phalanx line of mecha.
The Perseus itself is the logical progression to the Super Robot scale of class. Utilizing some of the latest in the DFRI's technologies, the Perseus was revolutionary at its inception, even though it has been somewhat eclipsed by recent developments. K-Class subdermal mesh reverse-engineered from kaiju tissue samples has been overlaid even more thickly beneath the metallic frame, allowing it to absorb damage that would even give the Timbewolf combined form pause. The Perseus is also able to deploy a shield on its left arm to absorb incoming projectile fire, though this has not been extensively tested in melee conditions. On top of heavy recoilless cannons mounted to its forearms, its primary method of attack is as simple as can be - blunt force trauma via its heavily reinforced fists. The experimental Arc Blade, made possible by Lieutenant Wilde and SFC Henry, it is a powerful weapon that projects high intensity electric energy which can be momentarily supercharged if the Spark Caliber battery unit is authorized for deployment - however, this greatly reduces the effectiveness of the Arc Blade afterwards.
The Perseus is a significant departure from the DFRI's current design philosophy, however, in that it utilizes a radically new technology: the Psychic Theater. A mindlink that connects both of its pilots via the Man-Machine Interface that is now standard in the DFRI's equipment, it theoretically allows both pilots to respond to any situation, along with heightening the power and response time of the Perseus itself. However, even by Dr. Carlson's own admission, this is not a fully understood phenomena - and if the pilots cannot agree on a course of action, the link is momentarily stalled, a delay that could be dangerous in combat.
The Perseus, however, has some drawbacks: compared to the Beowulf, the two pilots operating the Perseus are not quite as experienced, in addition to fielding new technology. Additionally, the Perseus, while incredibly durable, is also not particularly fast or agile. Despite the liberal use of the Anti-Gravity treatments, it is a miracle at times that it can move as it can. And due to the hurried nature of the deployment, longer ranged options are somewhat lacking.
Their pilots are also somewhat inexperienced, but only in regards to operating the Perseus. Lieutenant Oscar Tellison is no stranger to operating the CR-line of mecha, having been a Jackal pilot alongside Richard Callaghan in the DFRI's early days. Having only one combat experience with Perseus (and without its current technologies), Tellison is a capable leader, able to coordinate friendly units into rapid battle plans on the fly and does his best to ensure that each component punches at their weight class, if not heavier. Lieutenant Xiu Ying Zhang, however, is entirely new to operating mecha, but as a former infantry officer she is often able to spot quirks of the local geography that most others might miss, and use them to their fullest. Both pilots are defensively minded, which suits the Perseus in theory.
The Peagasus is an in-house developed solution of the Stork-class dropships used by the Earth Union Defense Force. Originally merely designed as both a worldwide transportation option alongside localized command and control, the engineers and science teams of the DFRI grew, by their own somewhat proud words, 'We were constructing a flying drop ship of doom and destruction from discount parts because we could.'
Resembling a flying version of 20th century seagoing warships, the Pegasus houses numerous technologies that make it viable as both a transportation and C&C unit as well as a fire support platform. Utilizing technologies bartered for with the Kausen Legio Galbinus, the Pegasus can boast five turrets that house experimental energy projector cannons. In addition, taking lessons from previous conflicts, the Pegasus also sports multiple hardpoints of anti-aircraft rotary cannons. It also can be almost entirely autonomously run, thanks to its ability to stream in its Super AI advisors from DFRI Headquarters.
The cannons, however, do not fire particularly quickly, having to spend considerable time venting heat out of the turret before it can be considered safe to fire again. And while it has seen some engagements in the past, it has never been fully committed to the frontlines. It is also the only unit of its class in existence, and the DFRI will not risk losing it if conditions prove to be too dangerous - it is the only escape venue for the Super Robot team if conditions grow dire.
The Super AI Diana operates the command and control unit of the Pegasus. She is no stranger to its operation, but while she can provide fire support, she is also multitasking in aiding the Yukimura Institute's defenders. Normally not a burdensome task for the Super AI personalities, but stress and mistakes are all too human phenomenons that the Super AI have been known to make previously.
Technically on loan from the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), the 25th, or 'Chimeras,' are all veteran pilots who had jumped at the chance to volunteer to operate new experimental weaponry. So far, they have not been disappointed. The CR-11 Seeker model is the most recent development from the DFRI's Engineering department, and it greatly expands on the Configuration technology pioneered by them.
Rather than simply one alternate mode, it now has two, effectively making it a 'triple changer.' The primary form is that of an air superiority fighter jet that had yet to see mass production, sporting the ability to contest enemy air assets with high velocity missiles and autocannons. Should it be forced onto low altitude operations, it can also shift into a ground buggy mode armed with a flak cannon - not nearly as potent but it allows the Seeker unprecedented flexibility in terms of mobility and maneuver. Finally, its mecha mode incorporates the weapons of both, allowing it as well the ability to fight in the air as well as on the ground.
But much like the Perseus, the Seekers are brand new - and the 25th Air Wing has not tested them in combat scenarios. They also are not here in full strength - one squadron of twenty-four are present, and much like the Pegasus, they will not be able to afford sustained losses. But these pilots are brash, and somewhat hotheaded - a personality trait that is as much of an asset as it is a hindrance, depending on the situation.
Welcome to combat! For those who have been following from the previous thread, you'll have some inkling on how things will work here from the discussions recently.
Combat is an entirely narrative affair. Under normal circumstances, you would have had time to prepare for an engagement in terms of developing and refitting your Super Robots, training your pilots, and maybe mustering in a support team. However, this engagement is one that was about to go underway from the previous thread, and I figured this would be a good view into how deployments and combat will go from now on.
Pilots will have their own mindsets, and while you can lay out a general objective, they are going to go about them in the way they think is best, and perhaps in ways you don't agree with! Oscar and Xiu Ying, for example, are rather mild in this respect - they tend to be a little more defensive in mindset, and will try to pick and choose their attacks unless things get desperate. But someone like, say, Jessica Satsuma, is going to charge and punch at the problem until it's no longer a problem. The players will have choices to make in between turns as well, but this is now going to be much more from the pilots or supporters' perspectives rather than a topdown approach as is traditional.
This is going to be a learning experience for all of us, so bear with me as I smooth out any wrinkles this new playstyle will incur!
One last note: the experimental cannons will fire of their own accord as the battle progresses, so there's no need to focus on them. Fixed defenses in Super Robot anime are never meant to last, after all!
What is your plan? This time, write in said-plan! Just know that there won't be dice rolls for this unlike the previous thread, they will act as they see fit.
Scheduled vote count started by Basarin on Jan 20, 2023 at 2:04 PM, finished with 58 posts and 18 votes.
[X] Plan Play to our Strengths
-[X] Perseus
--[X] Defend the Yukimura Institute Power Generators until the Mercury V's upgrades are complete.
-[X] Pegasus
--[X] Co-ordinate with 25th Air Wing for air defence to cut down the fliers. Save energy projector cannons for defense if engaged by the ground kaiju.
-[X] 25th Air Wing
--[X] Co-ordinate with Pegasus for air defence to cut down the fliers. Kill or harass the fliers to "herd" them as a group into the Pegasus' arc of fire. Once aerial supremacy is secured, support ground forces freely.
[X] Perseus
-[X] engage the Kaiju directly with the intent of stalling it until reinforcements (ex Mercury V) arrive or the institute is at risk of falling
[X] Pegasus
-[X] Fire the energy cannon at the kaiju if it looks like Perseus in trouble or it's certain it could be taken down with one shot is otherwise It should use its rotary cannons for air-to-air or CAS.
[X] 25th Air Wing
-[X] have the squadron coordinate with Pegasus and "heard" the airborne kaiju into the firing arcs of Pegasus rotary cannons. If air superiority is achieved then land and transform into buggy mode for rapid response.
1350, November A.D. 2072 The Siege of the Yukimura Institute
To the human staff helping to operate the bridge of the Pegasus, it looked as if nothing was amiss from Diana. Commands were continuing to be routed to different stations. Readouts of the swarm of flying kaiju 'fighters' for lack of a better word were still being fed into the tactical displays through which the staff could still route directly to the Perseus and the Seekers of Chimera Flight. To their unaugmented senses, she even looked as if she were still fully in motion, not having stopped a moment.
That would be flattering to know, but incredibly far from the truth.
"-Chimera Twelve, incoming bogeys, watch six 'o clock low-"
"-forward prototype cannons are focusing fire on target designate K-1, minimal effect-!"
Diana had thought she'd known combat. She'd dove through all of the engagements Lieutenant Callaghan and the rest of the DFRI had participated in. The defense against the Westphalian commander that attacked the DFRI grounds. The attack on New York City. She had even been there for the defense of San Francisco and the raid that saw the Kaus known as Bandit.
-the sounds of air being ripped apart as rapid fire rotary cannons tore through a pack of the shrieking, clawing monstrosities that tried to force their way to the bridge-
-the world was nothing but flashes of bright lights. Thunderous roars. Booming echoes as the sound barrier was breached by those around the ship-
-she winced as she felt the scrapes of the kaijus' claws as they scraped and grasped at her hull, only for her to reach out and force some of the point defense cannons to sweep the bits of the hull they were clawing against, like picking out a scab-
-the sight of the laughably outnumbered Seekers flying with a devil-may-care attitude, sometimes only visible beneath the swarms of scale and chitin by missile contrails and the flaring of their guns-
But she had never been directly involved. Never directly risked. And for the briefest of nanoseconds, too quick for the human staff to even realize, the Tactical Super AI known as Diana froze. Utterly transfixed by the beautifully horrible canvas being painted over and over again in front of her. Completely unable to even upload a single thought to the tactical database, a weakness that could have been fatal for someone of flesh and blood.
But just as quickly, Diana's subroutines kicked back into operation. She narrowed her eyes as she saw a particular cluster of the 'fighters' breaking off from the Seekers. Diana knew she had to use the gun batteries of the Pegasus sparingly - but this felt like one of those times.
She grouped that particular batch of targets and uploaded them into the targeting computer as a recommended firing solution. And then she turned her attention back to the battle - outside and inside of the Institute.
Diana sectioned off the part of herself that was terrified, and resolved to reconcile it later.
To the pilots of Chimera, this furball - and there was no other way to describe it - was an engagement that they could only dream of.
A Seeker frame shuddered as multiple claws forced its acceleration to a half - only for the frame to reconfigure into buggy form, slowed only by bits of kaiju having gotten crushed in between configuration hardpoints. Its tires were already screeching as they turned into impromptu buzzsaws against the relatively fragile kaiju trying to grapple it. Its flak cannon roared, coated in viscera and the occasional spray of acid, finding no shortage of targets around it.
Outnumbered, in some ways outgunned, and fighting for their lives in a Close Air Patrol. Engagements that were the stuff of traditions passed down to them from the proxy battles of the Unification Wars. From even the distant twentieth century.
"Chimera-One, be advised-crap!" The pilot reconfigured just at the last moment, the frame's wing just missing a spray of spikes from the pterodactyl-lites. "Bogeys have rocket pod analogues!" The mecha form fell into freeform for just a moment, before both forearms unveiled their gunpods. "Need a hand here!" As the pilot wrenched the controls, the frame spun about, feeling more of the spiked rockets slam into her frame as she aimed her forearms at the swarm bearing down on her, the Seeker's forearms shuddering as flak clouds erupted above her with each shot.
Were this engagement fought two years ago, they would have all died to the last pilot standing. But now they had something that could give them a fighting chance.
"Nine, punch out! Punch out!" Chimera-Nine's Seeker was in freefall, its thrusters gummed by acid and spiked rockets as it fell rapidly towards the Earth. Nine was not the first to meet such a fate - and more than likely, as distant smoking trails falling to the Earth could attest to, he wouldn't be the last.
"This is Nine! Punching out!" The Seeker's frame exploded as escape charges blasted apart the rest of the hull that held its pilot in place - and a smaller mecha form emerged from the clattering remains, spreading its arms and legs out in an impromptu imitation of a low altitude drop. Retrorockets fired downwards from its back mount, decelerating just enough for a parachute to unfurl, further slowing its descent to the ground below.
And they had far more tools than they could have ever hoped for.
"Pegasus, this is Chimera-One, Group Alpha is in the strike zone."
"Clear out, Chimera-One. Party gift's inbound."
The Pegasus dropship's turrets turned ominously towards one particular ball of fighters, their attention turned towards what the animalistic minds must have thought of as easier prey. With an echoing screech, they all barreled towards the dropship - a predator species that never once thought they could be herded like prey.
A brilliant pink blast of energy roared from the turrets and practically bleached the color of the world away from it, the energy blast blindingly bright and seemingly sucking all air around it out of its flight path as the balls of energy expanded. The cacophony of shrieks rose in volume and then abruptly cut off, only shadowy forms breaking into pieces visible even through polarized vision.
When the blast receded in the distance, only bits of bone and a cloud of falling ash could be seen, slowly descending to the ground like snow. "Chimera-One, confirm target impact."
"This is One - there's no target left to impact." Yet despite that congratulatory note, the ash cloud parted - only to reveal even more, bulging eyes and screeching mouths apparent even from this distance. "Don't think we're done yet."
And as above, so below.
A massive armored fist slammed into a shrieking mass of leather wings and now broken teeth, silenced only as the fist recoiled from the massive forward guns embedded above the wrist. In one smooth motion, the writhing corpse was then sent flying, a massive foot slamming into the twitching remains as it was hurled skywards into its oncoming fellows. More cannon fire was leveled to bear, yet the mass of flyers dispersed, spreading into different directions in order to seek some way into the Institute that didn't involve going around the massively armored giant on the ground.
The Perseus was disinclined to allow them this. Its eyes glowed a baleful green as its twin wills urged it forward, fresh shells already being racked into the firing chamber.
"Chimera-Nine, are you good?"
"This is Nine, just a little beaten up." The smaller entity's frame wearily rose to its feet. Perseus paid it no heed as one of the controlling wills was already sighting the great beasts' avenues of approach. "I can still fight-"
"Get inside the Institute," the first of the wills commanded. "Your weapons are infantry to light vehicle grade, and there's more enemies to take down inside. Link up with Four and Seven-"
Perseus turned its attention away from the lesser beings, its wills having the situation well in hand. It aimed its forearm slightly - then twitched to the right before firing, both wills indicating where the shot had to be led. A burst of flack erupted, shredding some of the more foolish creatures and rendering them nothing but dismembered limbs and impotent shrieking. More of the flying creatures had broken off from the flocks that swarmed the mother vessel fighting above, a sleek, metallic dagger piercing its way through even as Those-That-Seek were gradually being forced to retreat, one by one. Soon, even the flying horse would be forced to withdraw if things did not change.
And Perseus's eyes could only focus on the bigger prizes.
The emplaced defenses erupted in bursts of blinding blue cold as they fired upon the encroaching beasts - kaiju - running towards the Institute. Running towards Perseus. Rending claws cut apart the defensive cannons in clouds of circuitry and metal. Molten hot fire belched from their mouths as more metal and circuitry melted, the cold being forced to yield to the primordial flames as even the grass around them was set alight.
It was all too easy to see the divide, where the defenses lay and where the beasts prowled. A haze of blue, slowly giving way to a burning orange.
'You feel it too, don't you?' The second whispered.
'Yeah. Perseus wants to fight.' The first replied.
Its fists clenched at those words. A low rumbling snarl emanated from deep within its engines, circulating through its K-Circuits in a low building heat.
Perseus wanted to fight.
'Not yet, big man,' the second said. 'Let them soak up the damage. And the Institute has more tricks ready.' The various hidden infrastructure panels glowed alight in its tactical mind, tiny blips on its HUD.
'We'll get our chance. But we fight as a team.'
The Perseus backed down, begrudgingly. Another of the flying annoyances fell to its fists, stomped underneath its foot and its body left to the earth. It would hold.
But Perseus wanted to fight.
A shriek - and then an unhealthy sounding crunch echoed in the maintenance bay entrance as the infiltrator was mulched beneath the forklift's treads.
"C'mon, you overgrown lizard men!" The forklift slammed into the nearest group of overturned vending machines and shipping crates - and another trio of shrieks were soon followed by yet another crunch noise.
"This is my maintenance bay!"
The burly-looking man in the grease stained coveralls dove out of the forklift right as machine gun rounds pierced through the engine block, but that seemed to only make him more irate. Grabbing a nearby toolbox, he found a heft enough looking monkey wrench and rolled up his sleeves.
"I just had it set up the way I liked it! And you're messing it all up!"
From the corner of the man's eyes, he could see his team throwing themselves into the scrap too. Tenkawa, with a massive twenty pound fire extinguisher held with both hands over his head, was chasing after one unfortunate lizard man whose face was exposed from smacks to the face and its human face hanging off by a thread. Mikawa was cackling like a madman, the high pressure water hose he was controlling literally blasting more of the infiltrators back out of the maintenance bay and causing a slipping hazard to everyone involved. Even timid little Nijima was operating the huge maintenance crane, dropping the damaged components Mercury had come back with literally on top of their heads.
"Oi, old man." The radio crackled to life. "We're getting pushed back closer to the launch bay. Can you hold on your end?"
"What, you're saying ol' GSDF infantry can't hold the ground?"
"Yeah, screw you too, jarhead." Hamakawa's retort had no heat behind it - or that was the sound of assault rifle fire echoing in the radio. "Can you hold?"
Sendo Daichi grinned as his massive arm slammed down against one infiltrator trying to reach for a nearby pistol, knocking the thing unconscious with a vicious thwack. "Do your thing, Hamakawa. We'll hold and get Mercury fixed up right quick. Nobody messes with my maintenance bay but me!"
QM Note: It wouldn't be a show inspired by a Go Nagai production if there weren't a quirky group of surprisingly competent support characters.
Even as literally most of Diana was left to keep things running on the Pegasus, she had enough processing power to split off and keep helping with the fight inside. She was still trying to figure out how to explain the whole 'I'm a Super AI, nice to meet you!' part, as only Dr. Yukimura really knew, and there just wasn't enough time in the day to explain that.
Problem for future Diana, not current Diana. Future Diana can cuss me out all she likes later.
"Keiko, you've got a good chokepoint behind you. Mind the vents above, they might try something there."
"Dr. Yukimura, you have one attempted breach in the-nevermind, your engineers got them."
"Forward Cannons Five through Nine just went offline. They'll be within targeting range of the midline defense soon." Diana grimaced. It was all she could do to keep the flyers from just overwhelming the whole Institute but she was already starting to lose more and more of the Seekers. There were literally more of them inside the Institute joining the gunline Keiko had set up - or if they weren't, there were almost enough of them that she could probably set them up as an impromptu quick reaction force.
Detonate fire extinguishers in Hallway 15B. A small group of infiltrators were immediately forced back, the explosion and the resulting foam likely tricking them into thinking the hallway was defended by a grenade launcher.
Overheat kitchen ovens. The kitchen erupted - Diana blinked at just how much cooking oil was being used, and the resulting infiltrators rallying for another push against the gunline were coated in fire, cooking oil that set on fire, and…a surprising amount of boiling hot miso soup that did nothing to put out the fire. Glad I can't smell.
As much as she could, Diana created as many small distractions as her mainframe access allowed in the Institute, while hoping Captain Sasaki - or Major Devin - wouldn't be too upset at how much property damage she was causing. But how did Dr. Sheol have this many converted infiltrators? Where were they coming from - and why weren't they suffering the usual effects of shock on morale that all of her databases were telling her should be taking effect by now? Small bits of shock were enough to force them back, but they would come back. They were proving they were always coming back. And without a good look at their numbers, or even a notable command and control unit, she had no clue what the actual balance of the battle was.
Only that at this rate, they would be reduced to scavenging for whatever slapdash blackmarket weaponry the enemy were holding to keep going on ammunition-
Her attention was wrenched back to…the Mercury launch bay!? How did they get in there!? Diana nearly panicked - until she saw that most of those who made it in there were already dealt with.
An irate Matsumoto Hiroki standing on the gantry leading to the Falcon Mobile, his fists already slightly bruised, easily explained why. "Get the hell away from Mercury!" Another infiltrator, its eyes doing nothing to hide their reptilian nature, found its face caving in as it was knocked over the safety railings and tumbling downwards to earth. Another found an armored foot slamming into its ribcage, Hiroki having managed to spin around mid swing to ringout this one as well-
-yet one distant kaiju convert was aiming a rifle straight at the swirling mass of fists and feet. We can't have that.
With a single thought, the section of gantry the rifleman was perched on simply collapsed in on itself - and so focused was the wouldbe assassin on aiming down sights it simply fell, joining its fellows in the rain of kaiju men making interesting splatter patterns down on the ground below. "You missed one," Diana commented over Hiroki's helmet.
"Uh, thanks?" With one final jab, the last of the attackers was sent below. Hiroki paused to catch his breath, noticing that the gantry that collapsed was resetting itself. "Who's this?"
"My name's Diana. I'm the…" Diana thought about evading the question about her nature. "...oh screw it. I'm an artificial intelligence sent by the DFRI to help out."
"Oh. Cool!"
Diana blinked at the straightforward response, even as her avatar superimposed itself over his helmet's visor. "You and Dr. Yukimura both are taking this pretty well."
"I've got a super robot that punches dinosaurs in the face, and I get to fight literal lizardmen. Honestly, an AI's not too far off if you think about it."
This was...not at all how she envisioned these conversations going. She raised a finger, as if to try and raise a counter point, but it just sort of fell to her side. "...y-you...you're supposed to-"
"Eh, life's too short to worry about details." Hiroki paused, and tilted his head. "Are there more coming?"
Diana glanced over. "Afraid so. Keiko and the others are dealing with them though."
"And I'm stuck here. Joy."
"I wouldn't worry about that too much." A moment passed as both iterations of Diana synched together and shared information - and this iteration frowned at what she was seeing. "Those things are getting closer."
The two large kaiju are getting closer to the Institute. They only haven't arrived yet due to the deployment of the excess prototype weapons set up as impromptu cannons, but it is now clear they're not going to accomplish much more than that.
Both kaiju are of similar make. No longer carrying swarms of 'fighters' on their bodies - designated Pterawings by Diana until a better working name can be found - they are fast, strong, and can tear through the defenses in short order and have a fire breathing attack. They will be on the Institute - and Perseus - soon.
The Pterawings are still numerous - but there is a notable difference between when the engagement started and now. That said, in a straight up war of attrition, the odds are still well within the kaijus' favor.
The situation inside of the Institute is stable, but hard pressed. The engineers at the maintenance bay are delayed in installing the final parts to render Mercury V operational, but they are not at risk of being overrun yet. The Perseus pilots have also identified old unused pieces of infrastructure hidden on the Institute grounds that could prove to be of use.
The large kaiju - the one spotted on sensors and by scouting elements months before - has mostly broken its way through Kyoto, and will be within visual distance of the Institute. Estimated time of arrival is uncertain, as it is found to be somewhat easily distracted by JSDF and EUGDF elements spoiling its avenue of approach.
Perseus has seen some light engagement, but has mostly restricted itself to keeping guard over the Institute and preventing those few stragglers from getting inside or preying on the ejecting pilots. Its systems are showing some abnormal reactions, but the pilots do not seem overly concerned by this.
The Pegasus itself has taken some damage from the swarms of Pterawings. It is still in the fight, but it is being forced to give aerial space in order to prevent being completely swarmed like ants over a picnic lunch.
The 25th Air Wing are down approximately a third of their numbers. Thanks to the DFRI's insistence on installing their cockpit units as miniature mecha Steeds in their own right, there are no casualties - and the pilots have been redirected inside of the Institute to help bolster their defenses. The remaining Seekers are also being forced to rotate in and out of the Pegasus for refueling and hotswaps of missile and cannon ammunition. It can keep at this pace for now - morbidly made slightly easier due to less Seekers to resupply and refuel - but this is not sustainable for too long.
Orders? Remember to vote by plan.
[] Perseus
[] Send Perseus directly into the fray. There will be no point in keeping it held back if the kaiju manage to get within clawing distance of the Institute - and kaiju have been known to overly fixate on anything resembling a Super Robot.
[] Hold back and conduct a delaying action. The old infrastructure panels could be of use still in funneling these creatures.
[] Write-in
[] Pegasus
[] Plunge straight into the Pterawing swarm. As suicidal as it sounds, it's guaranteed to put a really big dent in that swarm.
[] Continue to pull back, and maintain the Institute's air space. Even if they've got more Pterawings than we have energy cells and ammunition - we can't risk losing the Pegasus.
[] Write-in
[] 25th Air Wing
[] Continue to fight a delaying action, even down to the last Seeker if need be, we need to buy Mercury V time!
[] Pull back, fighting only as Close Air Patrol support for the Perseus. We can't risk losing all of the Seekers.
[] Write-in
This took me a lot longer than I was expecting. But I hope it was at least entertaining enough to warrant the wait. Thanks for your patience!
Scheduled vote count started by Basarin on Jan 28, 2023 at 2:57 PM, finished with 46 posts and 23 votes.
[X] Plan Distract and defend.
-[X] Perseus
--[X] Send Perseus directly into the fray. There will be no point in keeping it held back if the kaiju manage to get within clawing distance of the Institute - and kaiju have been known to overly fixate on anything resembling a Super Robot.
-[X] Pegasus
--[X] Continue to pull back, and maintain the Institute's air space. Even if they've got more Pterawings than we have energy cells and ammunition - we can't risk losing the Pegasus.
-[X] 25th Air Wing
--[X] Continue to fight a delaying action, even down to the last Seeker if need be, we need to buy Mercury V time!
[X] Plan Big Risk for Big Robots
-[X] Perseus
--[X] Something has to be controlling the small kaiju mooks (both infiltrators and flyers) and the most likely thing on the field doing that are the kaiju that summoned them via some psychic theater effect. Go punch the kaiju in the face with your mecha and your will to distract them and the horde
-[X] Pegasus
--[X] Plunge straight into the Pterawing swarm. As suicidal as it sounds, it's guaranteed to put a really big dent in that swarm.
-[X] 25th Air Wing
--[X] Continue to fight a delaying action, even down to the last Seeker if need be, we need to buy Mercury V time!
1427, November A.D. 2072 Approach to the Yukimura Institute
"FINALLY!"
The pilot exhaled, letting go of the control interface to wipe some sweat off of her brow. The controls - and she was still grumbling at how Sheol tried to make the whole control scheme some freaky interface directly into the brain or something, ew! - were fairly cheap bioplastics, but she could put up with that. They were about as sturdy as a high quality arcade machine - at least she thought so - but they held up for now. They were probably gonna break at the end of the engagement, but, eh, it only had to last that long.
Then the Titanosaur could be put back to cruise control. The old man had some weirdass grand word for it, but as far as she was concerned, it was cruise control - she let the kaiju cruise, and she held control!
Her hand brushed past once pale skin that was now decidedly scaly in texture, and her eyes went back to viewing what was left of the final checkpoint leading up to the Yukimura Institute.
Not that there was much of it left.
The urban center behind the Titanosaur looked as if a kid had stomped through their building block set, with squat, blocky buildings tilting to their side and with a few on fire (she didn't remember setting anything flammable - must've been that tank she kicked like a rock for…one of them, she just didn't remember). A trail of wrecked military vehicles dotted her path like breadcrumbs on a trail.
Guntrucks torn in half, their guts belching fire and smoke to the open air in addition to ammunition cooking off randomly. Helicopters with their rotary wings bent at pathetic angles, guaranteed to never fly again as their windshields were cracked and caked with the blood of the pilots unable to get out. The tanks whose turrets were ripped apart from the hull entirely before being thrown as impromptu weapons.
All sights that warmed her shriveled little heart. Friggin' Union.
But one sight that made her frown…"Since when do the normies get to have giant robots that ain't Mercury?" she wondered out loud. One of the tanks wasn't a tank at all - it had turned into a giant robot with a big ol' gun on its arm and tried to take her head on. Still stupid, but it lasted a few more seconds than the rest of them did. She was sure its head was somewhere over the horizon - it might get to the Institute before she did.
Still a nasty surprise though. And as she let her consciousness slip into the kaiju's awareness - the one part of the interface Sheol didn't bother pretending to listen about - she could sense the other kaiju she had sent ahead. Not well, mind - she could only 'see' in terms of emotions and vague shapes this far away from them, but what she saw told her enough.
The sight of a flying dagger spewing fire all around, dragonflies circling around and preventing the swarm from devouring its prey-
-the great prowling beasts were clawing past exploding icebergs, chasing after the great beached whale-
-a man of metal, NOTMERCURY standing in their way as it reared its fist-
She winced as the connection severed, rubbing her forehead. "Ow," she complained. It always hurt when she did that - and she felt the impact of someone punching her in the face.
"Okay. That's it."
Both hands gripped the controls. The Titanosaur growled and huffed, as if trying to buck her control, but it yielded. As always. And its attention was turned forward.
Ozawa grit her teeth, multiple rows of fangs glinting in the natural biolight. "If you want anything done right…"
1436, November A.D. 2072 The Siege of the Yukimura Institute
Battle!
The impact of a charging kaiju slamming into the Perseus's raised guard sent bone-jarring impacts up Xiu Ying's arms. "Tch!" She bided her time until she could feel the momentum bleed away from the charge – and that took a frightening five seconds and deep furrows plowed into the earth courtesy of their legs. Oscar was already bracing their legs as she leaned forward, and Perseus's crossed arms swung forward, forcing the kaiju back.
Battle is joined!
Oscar was already unveiling the gunports in both forearms as Xiu Ying guided Perseus's right fist, already reared back for a punch. The kaiju was in the midst of trying to recover from the broken momentum of its charge as a concentrated mass of steel and kaiju mesh slammed into the creature's nose. Another impact shuddered up their arms, joined by another as the roar of the fore-mounted cannon echoed, granting an even bigger impact to the punch and providing enough recoil to bring back its fist.
The kaiju had just finally broken through the next to last layers of the ad hoc defensive weaponry, and had finally met the angry road block known as Perseus. That had been about five minutes ago. It was just a little bit ago. It was forever ago. Time began and then began again just as it was ending as Oscar's perspective overlapped with Xiu Ying's, one action bleeding into another as both consciousnesses fed into a single entity, a pulsing, shifting mass of metal and repurposed flesh.
The second sent a mental command through the mother vessel. Perseus felt a slight nod from elder sister, and the earth heeded their commands.
The second kaiju was mid charge when the massive infrastructure panel they were fighting besides raised forty-five degrees in a jittering rush of metal and hydraulics, emerging in a cloud of uplifted roots and dirt. Unable to stop its momentum, the kaiju was already sailing through the air, yet it was already attempting to brace itself to land.
"Gotcha!"/"Gotcha!" Two voices raised inunisonand tempo as both arms lifted to the sky, and cannon fire flashed brightly as high explosive rounds impacted the softer belly of the kaiju. A shriek of pain echoed wildly across the battleground as chunks of flesh and acidic blood fell to the earth.
It was Perseus. And its desire to fight had been fulfilled-!
Oscar hissed as the Theater's feedback fed him pain shooting up his left arm, as the first kaiju's teeth snapped onto the Perseus in a vicious chomp. A muffled roar was shaking up his limbs as the creature made its displeasure known, heightened only by the fresh burn marks pockmarking its face from the Perseus's weapons. "God, this thing's ugly!" This close to the Perseus's face, the maw of the burnt kaiju looked like an oversized crocodile sized up to what he imagined as T-Rex proportions-his eyes widened as he felt rapidly rising heat building up where their arm was serving as a chewtoy. "Zhang-!"
"-shield!"/"Up!" Perseus responded to its wills, and clenched its fist as its right foot braced against the impact. Before the great beast's maw could spew out its wicked flame, it abruptly found its jaw widen as its shield unfolded. Perseus felt a strange sensation as it heard the beast's jaw crack from the shield's expansion, and the stream of fire was blunted, the metal already beginning to char and crack from bearing the brunt of the heat.
Disconnect! It hoped its wills could comprehend, especially as the other kaiju was already scrambling to its feet, and charging at speed-
"Disconnect!"/"Right!" Small charges detonated along Perseus's left forearm as the shield began to disintegrate from the heat, and they yanked their arm back just before the creature's distended jaws slammed down, crunching through the shield like a stubborn jawbreaker. Even as they turned, however, they were too late to do anything about the second kaiju's charge.
Xiu Ying felt the wind knocked out of her gut as tons of like-sized angry lizard crashed into them, knocking them onto their backs and creating an impromptu irrigation ditch as the kaiju began to slam its claws into its chest. She forced their arms into a guard position – and she felt Oscar sluggishly catch up to him, just in time to catch the next blow with their forearms. Both of them winced as the kaiju's claws dug deep into the barrels of the left forearm cannons, leaving a jagged edge behind.
"Pegasus! I need a fire support mission!" Oscar yelled as both he and Xiu Ying forced the Perseus's knee upwards, jamming straight into the kaiju's gut. It didn't seem to faze it much, as despite the numbness creeping up their left knees, it only slowed the kaiju down a little. "Yes, damnit, on top of us-!"
A wash of energy screeched directly over them, slamming directly into the kaiju and forcing it off of the Perseus. Streams of the concentrated energy blast seemingly refracted against the protective scales, the kaiju practically rolling away almost like an armadillo to favor presenting its tougher hide, and tiny miniature beams curved all around it, digging small, sharp lines into the earth around them.
"I can't give you many more of those!" Diana's avatar momentarily appeared in the corner of their eyes, and a smaller display of the Pterawings – and a shrinking cordon of Seekers stubbornly holding the flying monstrosities at bay – forcing the Pegasus further and further back from their air space. The dropship itself was now sporting a hundred little gashes along its prow, and the bridge's reinforced viewport had jagged cracks running down the center. "They almost have Mercury online, but they need more time!"
"How almost is almost!?" Xiu Ying snarled. Another signal later, and the next charge by the kaiju was blunted by the timely raise of another infrastructure panel. Perseus was already backpedaling as fast as its bulk would allow, its remaining forearm cannons raised as claws violently scraped their way through the panel. Clearly the creatures could learn, which was unfortunate.
"Depends-" Diana's avatar flickered, and for a moment another silhouette seemed to merge with her. Then she resolidified, "-depends on if I can keep the infiltrators out of the hangar bay."
Oscar mentally nudged Xiu Ying, and with a nod, both of them willed Perseus to thrust its arm upwards, palm extended – just as an extended claw swiped forward, knocking the blow aside and forcing the kaiju to overextend. Perseus, almost ahead of their input, was already grabbing onto the creature's head in time to forcefully bring its snout directly against the knee with a bone-jarring crunch.
"Grab the pilots-!" With a lurch, Perseus leapt backwards, getting some distance between themselves and the somewhat battered kaiju, the hull momentarily glowing blue on their left side as one of the last remaining prototype cannons fired a dissipating stream of Aeon particles. Their left forearm was starting to spark and smoke, the gunbarrels all but useless, and the timer in the corner of their eyes helpfully reminding them that yet more was coming. "Get the pilots to lend a hand-!"
"-they already are-!"
"-with Mercury!" Xiu Ying finished. Both pilots glanced at each other, and nodded in mutual thought.
"They need time?"
"We'll get it to them."
They spoke as one. "ARC BLADE!"
The scabbard loosened from its back, and with a flourish Perseus brought its bright blade to bear. If one could have seen its face, its lips almost looked as if they were curled upwards. The sword forged of impossibilities would aid them through this.
"Let's cut them up, Perseus!"
With a sudden lurch, Perseus surged forward.
Perseus would not bow down so easily.
"Tritonium plates set!"
The corridor light up with rapid bursts of flame, the crew served weapons now healthily augmented by the additional dull roars of autocannons. One of the strange new machine armors the new additions had come in with all had some weapons on them. More had already run out - but they were clearly more than happy to lug around the big guns Keiko had managed to scrounge up.
Even as the infiltrators continued to press forward - and seriously, how many were there!? - they were now finding it incredibly difficult to make any ground. And that gave Sendo time to actually focus on finishing the repairs to Mercury. The familiar and comforting form of the black, white and blue giant was hunched over, but it already looked considerably healthier than the nasty surprise it had run into before.
"Capacitors One through Five, inserting now!"
Keiko grudgingly admitted that though they probably could have held, the Steeds the pilots had ejected with were making it more and more of a sure thing. Some of them were even managing to help install the parts into Mercury at Sendo's direction - she hadn't known he was a former maintenance chief in the MEF until mutually shared profanity between pilot and wrench guru asserted a rough rapport. The corridor couldn't also take everyone, so they were the ones hooked to elevation wires and inserting by hand the capacitors into Mercury where they would have been massively slowed down due to some of the maintenance machinery having been wrecked in the fighting.
So…they were very helpful.
Even if they were Marines.
"Doc!" Sendo yelled out. "Everything's set!"
"Understood, Daichi." Dr. Yukimura's voice came in quietly. "Begin Aeon Particle charge."
At once, the room's color seemed to bleach away, replaced with an overwhelming white and blue that bled into all corners of the hangar. The tall, hulking form of Mercury V seemed to slowly stand straighter, the dull blue plates beginning to glow brighter and brighter-
The lights began to spark, then explode one by one, arcs of electricity surging through the ceiling and raining shards of glass down onto the people below. "Abort, abort!" Dr. Yukimura ordered.
"We can't!" Sendo was already trying to rip out wires from the console, but was abruptly sent flying back as a nasty surge nearly cut up his chest. "Mercury's takin' everything we've got!"
"Ms. Diana-!"
"Roger! Engaging emergency power-!"
Red lights further down the corridor began to flicker to life, yet the hangar itself remained bathed in shadows. The Steeds were already switching on the high beams from their alternate mode, the hallway further illuminated by additional gunfire as they fought off another wave.
"Check right, check right!"
"Box them in! Don't let 'em among us!"
"I'm out! I'm out!"
"Changing!" Keiko was already slamming in a fresh box of munitions into the Steed's smoking chamber, stepping back as the mechanoid racked the charging handle and was already stepping forward to add its fire to the orchestra. I have to get me one of those. Discarding that thought, Keiko tapped her communicator. "Diana, Doctor, please give me some good news."
"...I have bad news, and worse news," Diana told her bluntly.
"Bad first."
"The Pegasus has been pushed back to just the airspace over you. We're fighting the Pterawings as much as we can, but-" Diana paused as she seemed to look over something. "-I'm down more of the Seekers and there's rooftop fighting at this point. I think there's less, but this is not sustainable and I'm having problems getting firing solutions against the ground kaiju." Diana's voice sounded a little tinny, as if she were speaking through two radios. "Until main power's restored, I also can't get you any tactical info."
"And the worse news?"
Doctor Yukimura responded. "The third kaiju is on approach."
Keiko's blood ran cold, even as the light flowing into Mercury brightened. "Sendo! Hurry it up!"
"I'm tryin'! Just make sure the punk's ready to go!"
"I wil-" Keiko paused. "...Hiroki's still at the launch pad, right?"
The resulting silence was more deafening than the gunfire right next to her ears.
"Hoooo yeah!" The Falcon Mobile was already corkscrewing its way through the flying kaiju-lites, and Hiroki's hand on the stick was already twisting ahead to bank right before the next flying mob could get on him. The nimble fighter was mostly known as the cockpit for Mercury-
-but it was still a fighter jet!
The Falcon Mobile's nose brightened as a stream of Aeon particles speared its way through one of the flyers about to chomp down on one of the weird jets. Another simply disappeared as he slammed through it, his cupola momentarily darkened by the various guts he'd just smashed through. And-
"Hiroki." Diana's avatar appeared, her arms crossed and looking rather…cross. "Why are you out there?"
"Hangar went dark, doors went open, and I was a sitting duck," he replied glibly. Pushing the stick forward, he forced the Mobile into a dive - and blinked as he saw another giant robot ramming its sword straight through the arm of one of the kaiju. "You all have another one!?" he exclaimed, a gleeful grin crossing his face. "Awesome!"
"Hiroki-"
"One sec!" Rockets let fly from the wingtips as they scattered around the second kaiju, explosive wisps of super-charged frozen air momentarily freezing the ground solid and slowing the kaiju's motions. Just enough time for the giant robot to yank its sword away and pull back from over extending. "What is that?"
"The Perseus. Now, can you pleasenot get shot down while another kaiju is approaching!?"
"You sound like Keiko, you know."
"She's also mad, by the way."
His face fell. "Aw, crap."
The two kaiju - currently designated as Crocalisks by Diana - are fully engaged in combat with the Perseus. Oscar and Xiu Ying have been able to fend them off surprisingly well, and both sides have already landed wounds against the other relatively evenly despite the numerical advantage. Xiu Ying has been able to utilize the infrastructure hidden beneath the earth to their advantage, but the kaiju are rapidly learning.
The situation in the air has become more grave. Though the Pterawing swarm seems to have lessened, the 25th Marine Air Wing are down to half strength - twelve Seekers - and are only able to maintain the Pegasus's own air space. The Pegasus in turn is no longer in a position to engage in fire support missions against the ground targets without risking hitting the Perseus.
Additionally, the third kaiju is on approach - and it massively towers over the Perseus, and by extension the two kaiju sent forward. Reports of destroyed EUDF and JSDF elements along its avenue of approach confirm its lethality, and there can only be one target on its mind.
Mercury V is almost online, despite the difficulties being faced inside. The Steeds operated by the downed pilots have been put to good use, in a mixture of assisting with holding the gun line and being drafted into helping with finalizing repairs.
One complication: Hiroki has taken off in the Falcon Mobile, and has joined the fight.
The Psychic Theater is proving its worth beyond a shadow of a doubt, though certain idiosyncrasies are already being observed. Yet despite having taken damage to its weapons and its hull, the Perseus - piloted by Oscar and Xiu Ying - are more than holding their own against the two Crocalisks.
There is no telling how long that will last against the third incoming kaiju. But even if withdrawal was possible, it would only allow ground to be given to the kaiju.
The Pegasus is keeping the majority of the Pterawings out of the Institute, but only around its immediate airspace. The Perseus is also too heavily engaged in melee combat to allow safe fire missions on its behalf, even if it is likely that they will request it anyway. It has also suffered damage to the hull - the bridge is holding for now, and morale is holding steady among the human crew, but there is no telling how long this may last.
Fire missions against the third kaiju, however, are another matter even if it may draw attention.
The Seekers have been reduced to twelve from an original twenty-four. Morale remains inexplicably high among the remaining pilots, and all survivors are engaged in defending from the ground or inside the Institute.
[] Perseus
[] Focus on the two remaining kaiju. They have their number, though there's no telling what effect the third kaiju will have on them.
[] Break off, draw the third kaiju's attention. We need to slow it down as much as possible at this critical juncture.
[] Write-in
[] Pegasus
[] Focus exclusively on the Pterawing swarm. This close to Mercury's activation, we cannot allow any interference.
[] Focus on fire support for the Perseus, even if there are risks involved with friendly fire.
[] Focus fire on the incoming kaiju, even if that may draw attention to the Pegasus.
[] Write-in
[] 25th Air Wing
[] Focus exclusively on the Pterawing swarm. This close to Mercury's activation, we cannot allow any interference.
[] Form up around the Falcon Mobile and protect the Mercury's pilot. We do not need to stress how disastrous losing him would be despite his enthusiasm.
[] Write-in
Sorry for how late this is, but it's still Sunday in my neck of the woods so I'm counting as sorta on time!
Also, if anyone has any feedback for this format is going so far, I'd welcome it!
Also, this is what the Falcon Mobile looks like:
I was able to commission another art piece. It will be unveiled next update. Stay tuned!
