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How Lola got her Supernova: a side story
Sep. 23rd, 2013 02:41 pmIt was infatuation at first sight.
That special vintage Brim Ironworks armor plating, with that unmistakable dappled grey hue. Six extended range large Lasers, an expanded bubble cockpit design unique to it's particular production line–
A first generation assault Supernova, in mint condition!
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Supernova
Lola Helmar instantly knew she had to have it, and communicated this to Star Commander Hannah.
“You...want a second-line mech?” Hannah said in a slow, deliberately dull tone. “Instead of your Turkina?”
“Aff! That Mechwarrior Joshua has no idea what he has on his hands! Either they dragged that Supernova fresh out of a Brian Cache, or someone treated it like their pet falcon all these centuries! And now he's...he's...”
Lola spluttered. Her hands clenched at an illusory throat.
“Adding decals!!!”
Right in front of her eyes, Mechwarrior Joshua, clear as day, was engaged in the vile deed Lola described! Shamelessly, remorselessly, he was harraging a Tech that was spray painting a Remembrance passage onto the Supernova's leg through a stencil.
A long Remembrance passage. Onto a mint-condition, unstained Supernova.
“He must be stopped.” Lola snarled. “My pride as a Jade Falcon demands it.”
“Aff, Star Captain.” Star Commander Hannah confirmed.
“Some things cannot be countenanced.”
“You speak quite eloquently on the matter, Star Captain.”
“I am halfway tempted to challenge him to a Trial of Possession for that Supernova.”
“Your current assault mech could definitively outfight his, Star Captain.”
“But trashing that Supernova would go against all that I fight for! Stravag!” Lola Helmar punched a wall. “It will have to be hand-to-hand combat.”
“I have heard that Mechwarrior Joshua is extremely talented in the Circle of Equals. You would be fighting on his terms.”
Lola turned and firmly grasped Star Commander Hannah by the shoulders.
“The Battlemech is the foundation of our society, and second only to our genetics, the thing that makes us great!” She declared, eyes blazing. “I could not live with myself if I did not challenge Joshua, even if wound up losing–!”
She paused.
“Ah. Idea.”
%%%
Joshua set his tray down on the dining hall table, and dug in, kneading carrots, broth, and meatballs together, then gulping it down spoonful after spooful.
Then, while pausing to sip from a bottle, Lola snatched the tray out from under him, and began tasting it.
“What are you–!” Joshua blurted out, standing up with clenched fists.
Seeing Lola's rank bars, he hastily slide into an at-ease posture. “That food is mine, Star Captain!” He barked.
The mixture of food was vile, but Lola choked it down anyway. She swallowed, then smiled a truly malicious grin, the leer of a falcon who's seized something to take back to it's nest of chicks.
“And what of it, eyas?” She drawled. “This is the way of the bird of prey: if she sees something she fancies, she does not quibble over the feelings of others. She takes it for herself because her strength lets her! I did not think your sibko instructors were this sloppy in your training.”
“You–“ Joshua snarled. Then he deflated, and turned away to get another tray. Lola frantically tried to think of something that would escalate the conflict.
“Yes, run away, like a young chick whose feathers are molting! You will never win a bloodline like this if you do not seize what you desire from your lessers.”
She snorted for extra effect. “Fah, you shall be piloting second-line mechs for the rest of your life, quiaff?”
Joshua froze in his steps. Then he turned around, an intent look on his face.
“Neg, Star Captain. Neg.”
Both of them, at that moment, were extremely, pleased with themselves.
%%%
*Sock!*
Lola was dashed to the ground, sliding to the edge of the Circle of Equals.
Jaw aching, she picked herself up, and faced Joshua. She stumbled slightly, arms swaying like some kind of feral ape.
The young Mechwarrior's fist was still extended, legs bent into a low-stance, poised with perfect control. He exhaled, breath misting out in the cool air of the Mechbay they'd chosen to fight in.
Behind him was her prize, a masterpiece of vintage mech engineering. And it would be hers, as long as she lost by a narrow margin.
“Hyaaaaa!!!”
She rushed forward, and hammered at Joshua with powerful sweeping strikes. She took the offensive, holding nothing back, displaying the aggression of a true Jade Falcon–
–and leaving herself wide open.
She got in a jab at Joshua's throat that left him gagging. Then, with a fluid movement, he pushed her arm away and struck at her exposed stomach.
She bent over, gasping as her breath was driven out. She blocked Joshua's incoming knee with two hands...leaving her eyebrow open to a fist blow that left her ears ringing.
She staggered back. Her vision swam, Joshua multiplying and dividing himself in front of her.
“Come on!” She tried to slur. “Knock me out! Make it a convincing blow!”
Joshua obliged.
%%%
Water was drenched over her face. Lola opened her eyes to see the dour expression of Star Commander Hannah above her.
“Did I lose?” Lola asked, slurring her words slightly.
“Resoundingly so, Star Captain.” Hannah said levelly, extending a hand and helping her up. “You need not worry on that account.”
All but a few of the gathered warriors had dispersed. Those few, trothkin of Joshua, were standing around him, giving him hearty pats on the back and words of praise.
The Chief Tech stood close by making notations on his clipboard. He cleared his throat.
“As was bargained in this Trial of Possession,” He declared. “The victor Mechwarrior Joshua now gains Star Captain Lola Helmar's Turkina for his own. May it bring him victory in battle. Seyla.”
“Seyla.” Joshua and his comrades intoned.
Lola shook away the dizzyiness in her head and walked forward.
“An interjection, Chief Tech!”
“Planning to beg for your Omnimech back?” One of the nearby Mechwarriors jeered.
Lola ignored him. “With Mechwarrior Joshua taking possession of the Turkina, his Supernova is now released into the general pool of reserve mechs aboard this ship, quiaff? I hereby claim it for myself.”
The Chief Tech raised his eyebrows. “Ah, it is available now, Star Captain. However, we have more modern, frontline heavy and assault mechs in stock that you may prefer–”
“Neg. I am taking the Supernova.” Lola said briskly, ignored the persistent ache above her left eye.
The Chief Tech gaped for a moment. Then he lowered his stylus to his tablet and made a few notations.
“Aff. I believe it is now yours.”
Lola felt her cheeks splitting.
“Excellent! I want the Supernova's processor settings wiped clean and ready to input my brainwaves by 1700 hours!”
The Chief Tech looked more and more flustered. “Star Captain, reconfiguring the settings takes time on the older models: and to do so on short notice–“
“Are you all whimpering surat pups?” Lola barking, walking up and standing inside the Chief Tech's personal space. “I ask this question because I assumed you lot were Jade Falcon Technicians, who complete tasks instead of bleating about why they cannot!”
She thrust her face forward. “You lot are Jade Falcon, quiaff?” She shouted.
The Chief Tech flinched. “Aff, Star Captain! We'll–ah, we will get it done by 1700!”
He turned and scampered off , striding over to some lower ranked techs, grabbing their collars and shouting just as loudly to them as Lola had to him.
Lola turned to regard her new first generation vintage Brim Ironworks Supernova, and sighed in gratification.
“What–what is this?” Joshua said from behind her, confused. “Why are you pleased? Explain!”
“You never knew what you had, did you?” Lola said. “A priceless Battlemech, one of a kind and in pristine condition.”
She turned around and barred her teeth. “And now it is mine. And I will treat it far better than you did.”
“It...is priceless?” Joshua's face went purple with anger. “Then you deceived me just now!”
“It was a fair challenge, Mechwarrior Joshua. One that you proposed.”
“You goaded me into it, you honorless dog! Provoked me!”
“Goaded?” Lola said, face displaying nothing but innocence. “A strange accusation to make. You set the stakes and won the match, quiaff?”
Joshua made a tea-kettle noise. “I will meet you in the Circle of Equals for this!”
“For what?” Lola drawled. “For winning? For gaining a modern, up-to-date mech? Go on. Make that challenge, and see how quickly you will be mocked. It would amuse me.”
Joshua clenched at thin hair, his entire frame trembling. Finally, with a wordless vocalization of rage, he turned and stalked off.
Lola folded her arms across her chest and smirked as he went off.
Star Commander Hannah tapped Lola Helmar on the shoulder, and offered her a bandage for her skinned eyebrow.
“As meaningless a question as it is now,” she said quietly. “Do you think Joshua would have swapped his mech for yours if you had just asked?”
Lola frowned at the question. “A Jade Falcon warrior ordered to give his Mech to someone else? For no true logistical reason?”
She applied the bandage to her forehead. “That does not seems very Clan-like.”
Hannah snorted. “Neg.” She replied. “It does not.”
That special vintage Brim Ironworks armor plating, with that unmistakable dappled grey hue. Six extended range large Lasers, an expanded bubble cockpit design unique to it's particular production line–
A first generation assault Supernova, in mint condition!
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Supernova
Lola Helmar instantly knew she had to have it, and communicated this to Star Commander Hannah.
“You...want a second-line mech?” Hannah said in a slow, deliberately dull tone. “Instead of your Turkina?”
“Aff! That Mechwarrior Joshua has no idea what he has on his hands! Either they dragged that Supernova fresh out of a Brian Cache, or someone treated it like their pet falcon all these centuries! And now he's...he's...”
Lola spluttered. Her hands clenched at an illusory throat.
“Adding decals!!!”
Right in front of her eyes, Mechwarrior Joshua, clear as day, was engaged in the vile deed Lola described! Shamelessly, remorselessly, he was harraging a Tech that was spray painting a Remembrance passage onto the Supernova's leg through a stencil.
A long Remembrance passage. Onto a mint-condition, unstained Supernova.
“He must be stopped.” Lola snarled. “My pride as a Jade Falcon demands it.”
“Aff, Star Captain.” Star Commander Hannah confirmed.
“Some things cannot be countenanced.”
“You speak quite eloquently on the matter, Star Captain.”
“I am halfway tempted to challenge him to a Trial of Possession for that Supernova.”
“Your current assault mech could definitively outfight his, Star Captain.”
“But trashing that Supernova would go against all that I fight for! Stravag!” Lola Helmar punched a wall. “It will have to be hand-to-hand combat.”
“I have heard that Mechwarrior Joshua is extremely talented in the Circle of Equals. You would be fighting on his terms.”
Lola turned and firmly grasped Star Commander Hannah by the shoulders.
“The Battlemech is the foundation of our society, and second only to our genetics, the thing that makes us great!” She declared, eyes blazing. “I could not live with myself if I did not challenge Joshua, even if wound up losing–!”
She paused.
“Ah. Idea.”
%%%
Joshua set his tray down on the dining hall table, and dug in, kneading carrots, broth, and meatballs together, then gulping it down spoonful after spooful.
Then, while pausing to sip from a bottle, Lola snatched the tray out from under him, and began tasting it.
“What are you–!” Joshua blurted out, standing up with clenched fists.
Seeing Lola's rank bars, he hastily slide into an at-ease posture. “That food is mine, Star Captain!” He barked.
The mixture of food was vile, but Lola choked it down anyway. She swallowed, then smiled a truly malicious grin, the leer of a falcon who's seized something to take back to it's nest of chicks.
“And what of it, eyas?” She drawled. “This is the way of the bird of prey: if she sees something she fancies, she does not quibble over the feelings of others. She takes it for herself because her strength lets her! I did not think your sibko instructors were this sloppy in your training.”
“You–“ Joshua snarled. Then he deflated, and turned away to get another tray. Lola frantically tried to think of something that would escalate the conflict.
“Yes, run away, like a young chick whose feathers are molting! You will never win a bloodline like this if you do not seize what you desire from your lessers.”
She snorted for extra effect. “Fah, you shall be piloting second-line mechs for the rest of your life, quiaff?”
Joshua froze in his steps. Then he turned around, an intent look on his face.
“Neg, Star Captain. Neg.”
Both of them, at that moment, were extremely, pleased with themselves.
%%%
*Sock!*
Lola was dashed to the ground, sliding to the edge of the Circle of Equals.
Jaw aching, she picked herself up, and faced Joshua. She stumbled slightly, arms swaying like some kind of feral ape.
The young Mechwarrior's fist was still extended, legs bent into a low-stance, poised with perfect control. He exhaled, breath misting out in the cool air of the Mechbay they'd chosen to fight in.
Behind him was her prize, a masterpiece of vintage mech engineering. And it would be hers, as long as she lost by a narrow margin.
“Hyaaaaa!!!”
She rushed forward, and hammered at Joshua with powerful sweeping strikes. She took the offensive, holding nothing back, displaying the aggression of a true Jade Falcon–
–and leaving herself wide open.
She got in a jab at Joshua's throat that left him gagging. Then, with a fluid movement, he pushed her arm away and struck at her exposed stomach.
She bent over, gasping as her breath was driven out. She blocked Joshua's incoming knee with two hands...leaving her eyebrow open to a fist blow that left her ears ringing.
She staggered back. Her vision swam, Joshua multiplying and dividing himself in front of her.
“Come on!” She tried to slur. “Knock me out! Make it a convincing blow!”
Joshua obliged.
%%%
Water was drenched over her face. Lola opened her eyes to see the dour expression of Star Commander Hannah above her.
“Did I lose?” Lola asked, slurring her words slightly.
“Resoundingly so, Star Captain.” Hannah said levelly, extending a hand and helping her up. “You need not worry on that account.”
All but a few of the gathered warriors had dispersed. Those few, trothkin of Joshua, were standing around him, giving him hearty pats on the back and words of praise.
The Chief Tech stood close by making notations on his clipboard. He cleared his throat.
“As was bargained in this Trial of Possession,” He declared. “The victor Mechwarrior Joshua now gains Star Captain Lola Helmar's Turkina for his own. May it bring him victory in battle. Seyla.”
“Seyla.” Joshua and his comrades intoned.
Lola shook away the dizzyiness in her head and walked forward.
“An interjection, Chief Tech!”
“Planning to beg for your Omnimech back?” One of the nearby Mechwarriors jeered.
Lola ignored him. “With Mechwarrior Joshua taking possession of the Turkina, his Supernova is now released into the general pool of reserve mechs aboard this ship, quiaff? I hereby claim it for myself.”
The Chief Tech raised his eyebrows. “Ah, it is available now, Star Captain. However, we have more modern, frontline heavy and assault mechs in stock that you may prefer–”
“Neg. I am taking the Supernova.” Lola said briskly, ignored the persistent ache above her left eye.
The Chief Tech gaped for a moment. Then he lowered his stylus to his tablet and made a few notations.
“Aff. I believe it is now yours.”
Lola felt her cheeks splitting.
“Excellent! I want the Supernova's processor settings wiped clean and ready to input my brainwaves by 1700 hours!”
The Chief Tech looked more and more flustered. “Star Captain, reconfiguring the settings takes time on the older models: and to do so on short notice–“
“Are you all whimpering surat pups?” Lola barking, walking up and standing inside the Chief Tech's personal space. “I ask this question because I assumed you lot were Jade Falcon Technicians, who complete tasks instead of bleating about why they cannot!”
She thrust her face forward. “You lot are Jade Falcon, quiaff?” She shouted.
The Chief Tech flinched. “Aff, Star Captain! We'll–ah, we will get it done by 1700!”
He turned and scampered off , striding over to some lower ranked techs, grabbing their collars and shouting just as loudly to them as Lola had to him.
Lola turned to regard her new first generation vintage Brim Ironworks Supernova, and sighed in gratification.
“What–what is this?” Joshua said from behind her, confused. “Why are you pleased? Explain!”
“You never knew what you had, did you?” Lola said. “A priceless Battlemech, one of a kind and in pristine condition.”
She turned around and barred her teeth. “And now it is mine. And I will treat it far better than you did.”
“It...is priceless?” Joshua's face went purple with anger. “Then you deceived me just now!”
“It was a fair challenge, Mechwarrior Joshua. One that you proposed.”
“You goaded me into it, you honorless dog! Provoked me!”
“Goaded?” Lola said, face displaying nothing but innocence. “A strange accusation to make. You set the stakes and won the match, quiaff?”
Joshua made a tea-kettle noise. “I will meet you in the Circle of Equals for this!”
“For what?” Lola drawled. “For winning? For gaining a modern, up-to-date mech? Go on. Make that challenge, and see how quickly you will be mocked. It would amuse me.”
Joshua clenched at thin hair, his entire frame trembling. Finally, with a wordless vocalization of rage, he turned and stalked off.
Lola folded her arms across her chest and smirked as he went off.
Star Commander Hannah tapped Lola Helmar on the shoulder, and offered her a bandage for her skinned eyebrow.
“As meaningless a question as it is now,” she said quietly. “Do you think Joshua would have swapped his mech for yours if you had just asked?”
Lola frowned at the question. “A Jade Falcon warrior ordered to give his Mech to someone else? For no true logistical reason?”
She applied the bandage to her forehead. “That does not seems very Clan-like.”
Hannah snorted. “Neg.” She replied. “It does not.”
Once, during their foundling days, before they were thrown into basic training, Dex, Lola, and Matthew found a ruin some distance away from their sibko...a silo of metal and concrete, thrown up in the time of the Exodus and Settlement, and eroded to the extent that it must have been destroyed during the Exodus Civil War.
And in the back corner, covered with a light dusting of rubble, they found the broken chassis of a mech.
"It's a Marauder!" Lola cried out, stepping forward and laying a hand on it's side, noting the top-mounted cannon. "A MAD-2R, with mounted ER PPCs and double heat sinks! This must have...this must have come from the SLDF muster itself, during the Exodus! They must have scrapped it bit by bit for the myomer–!"
"Well..." Dex drawled, kicking a piece of metal across the pitted floor. "At least we know that if you test out, you will be in a state of bliss in the tech caste, quiaff?"
Lola scowled and kicked him in the knee. Dex obligingly fell onto his rear, still chuckling.
"I offer surkai, Lola...neg, neg, I do not regret it at all...oh, your face!"
"Be quiet!" Lola said. "You are standing in the presence of history! The history of us all! This mech deserved better than this mockery, and deserved better than to be striped down bit by bit..."
"Neg." Matthew said quietly, soft voice carrying itself through the silo.
Lola and Dex turned to face him.
"This Marauder did not fall to the hands of greedy techs." He continued, his voice becoming slowly more melodious. "Neg, it did not. For I have heard a story from an old creche keeper with a single eye, about how a long time ago in this place, during the Civil War, this Marauder fell in combat!"
"You hear a lot of stories from this 'one eyed creche keeper'." Dex teased, but fell silent after a poke in the ribs from Lola.
Matthew stepped forward. "It was piloted by a Bandit, one of the many crude wretches who sought to destroy the Great Father's vision, who scorned the Hidden Hope Doctrine and sought to claim power for himself and destroy all the civilians! It was appropriate that he and his fellow rogue Officers piloted Marauders, for they roved all across the land like giants, smashing everything in their way!"
He hopped onto a gutted weapon pod, and raises up a fist.
"But there was one person who stood in their way! A single Ronin, who was tutored in the ways of the Clans by Nicholas Kerensky himself through a hidden HPG unit, and told to prepare the Pentagon Worlds for the coming of the loyal 800! All over the planet, this Ronin was known for his incredible piloting skills on both the land and the air, and for this reason he was known as Max the Genius!
Long he pondered how to take down the Marauder Bandits, for as skilled as he was, they still outnumbered him greatly. And so Max the Genius's genius mind came up with a plan!
Enlisting the help of a group of villagers, he persuaded them to help him set up some loudspeakers in the middle of their village, speakers that could carry any sound far and wide. Then he started playing music, the music of the Star League!
When the Marauder bandit came to loot the village, they heard the music and were shocked! For they were completely without any culture, living only to fight or destroy, and so were amazed and mesmerized by the beautiful, music! And then, Max the Genius swooped down from on high, ambushing them in his custom Land-Air-Mech–!"
"Waitwaitwait..." Lola said, frowning. "A Land-Air-Mech? What kind of genius would use that?"
"And why would a group of highly trained soldiers be hypnotized by music? It does not make sense!" Dex added.
Matthew groaned. "You're interrupting! I was getting to the good part–"
"You uttered a contraction!" Lola blurted out.
Matthew's groans redoubled. "Stravag!"
%%%
Eight years and a long winnowing process later, three cadets leaned on a catwalk the day before their Trials of Position.
"What do you say, Matthew?" Dex repeated, tanned and filled out, stretched out against the railing like a stretching cat. "Together, we can guarantee each other a place in the warrior caste."
"One kill for each of us." Lola repeated. "Then we see how many of our fellow trainees we can down. And we avoid hitting each other's cockpits." She, in contrast to her pint-house days, had shot up above them all, to the point that she was almost too tall to sit in a mech cockpit.
Matthew rested both arms and the railing and looked out at the rows of mechs being prepped by techs. His knuckles were skinned, and a scar traced itself across the side of his neck.
He was silent for a moment. "We are supposed to succeed or fail based on our own merits. In that way we prove our worth to our Clan."
Dex groaned. "Aff, aff, aff! But we are also supposed to not be stubborn, stuck up sticks in the mud, quiaff?"
Lola held up a hand. "Quiet." She rested a hand on Matthew's shoulder. "We are not supposed to fight alone, Matthew. Not on the battlefield. These trials are supposed to mimic the battlefield, quiaff? Further, knowing when it is prudent to work together with others is just as demonstrative of one's personal merit as anything else..."
Here voice trailed off. "Please." She said finally, mouth twisting at the foul taste of the word. "Please trust us, Matthew. Trust in our Genius plan, you stravag pox-ridden surat."
A brief smile touched Matthew's lips for a moment. He turned to face his two remaining Sibkin. "We each get one kill for ourselves?"
"Aff." Dex said.
"And then we aim for the legs?"
Lola nodded.
Matthew exhaled, then nodded himself. "Well bargained and done, then. We aim for each other's legs."
%%%
Matthew, in the end, has what can be called two nemeses. Wayne Waco, leader of Waco's Rangers, who killed his trothkin Dex in a rear-guard action during the early weeks of the Great Refusal–and his old trothkin Lola, now a Star Commander, and part of Peregrine Galaxy during it's assault on Terra. One the object of his revenge, and the other a friend now placed on the opposite side by cruel fate.
Waco's Rangers, hired by the Word of Blake to act as a 'dirty tricks' force and as agent provocateurs, comes into conflict with the White Chalice several times, particularly during assaults upon secret WoB bases...and thus Matthew and Waco himself come into conflict. Wayne Waco's grudge against Clan Wolf stems his son's death at the hands of Wolf's Dragoons. Matthew's grudge comes from Waco's Rangers killing his sibkin Dex in combat. Eventually, I see them both realizing that they have a bunch in common, to their mutual displeasure. In their climactic confrontation, Matthew will have to let go of his hate and forgive Waco in order to defeat him, paradoxically enough.
When Lola and Matthew meet on the field of battle during Jade Falcon's all out invasion, things will be more complicated. In there battles, it is less the case of two rivals clashing, and more two estranged friends reconnecting, and coming to understand how each has changed and grown over time
Matthew, in his many battles to protect Terra, has mellowed on Crusader dogma, and follows the koan of Kamina.
Lola has risen in rank, potentially gotten a bloodname, and picked up some of the 'Joanna' grit, making her a bit more verbally derogatory towards 'Spheroids', but also more cunning and devious.
Still, she's as much of a tech Otaku as she ever was: she pours over report sheets on new Omnimech models, Clan and Inner Sphere alike, and will be beguiled by the more interesting varieties of Earth Sphere mecha technologies, trying to think about how they can be incorporated into Clan Tech ("This Psycommu technology...what if it could accept sensory input from Enhanced Imaging Tattoos?")
Matthew will try to talk to her about the experiences he's had, and the new convictions he's gained: Lola will suspect Matthew of having been brainwashed by the 'Spheroids': Matthew will actually consider this possibility for a bit: after all, these things have been known to happen.
However their battle ends, they will renew their friendship. They may wind up joining forces to fight a common enemy again. Perhaps Jade Falcon will be driven back, and Lola will send a final farewell to Matthew before heading off. Perhaps Matthew captures Lola as his Bondsman.
The ultimate outcome will develop naturally, I think.
And in the back corner, covered with a light dusting of rubble, they found the broken chassis of a mech.
"It's a Marauder!" Lola cried out, stepping forward and laying a hand on it's side, noting the top-mounted cannon. "A MAD-2R, with mounted ER PPCs and double heat sinks! This must have...this must have come from the SLDF muster itself, during the Exodus! They must have scrapped it bit by bit for the myomer–!"
"Well..." Dex drawled, kicking a piece of metal across the pitted floor. "At least we know that if you test out, you will be in a state of bliss in the tech caste, quiaff?"
Lola scowled and kicked him in the knee. Dex obligingly fell onto his rear, still chuckling.
"I offer surkai, Lola...neg, neg, I do not regret it at all...oh, your face!"
"Be quiet!" Lola said. "You are standing in the presence of history! The history of us all! This mech deserved better than this mockery, and deserved better than to be striped down bit by bit..."
"Neg." Matthew said quietly, soft voice carrying itself through the silo.
Lola and Dex turned to face him.
"This Marauder did not fall to the hands of greedy techs." He continued, his voice becoming slowly more melodious. "Neg, it did not. For I have heard a story from an old creche keeper with a single eye, about how a long time ago in this place, during the Civil War, this Marauder fell in combat!"
"You hear a lot of stories from this 'one eyed creche keeper'." Dex teased, but fell silent after a poke in the ribs from Lola.
Matthew stepped forward. "It was piloted by a Bandit, one of the many crude wretches who sought to destroy the Great Father's vision, who scorned the Hidden Hope Doctrine and sought to claim power for himself and destroy all the civilians! It was appropriate that he and his fellow rogue Officers piloted Marauders, for they roved all across the land like giants, smashing everything in their way!"
He hopped onto a gutted weapon pod, and raises up a fist.
"But there was one person who stood in their way! A single Ronin, who was tutored in the ways of the Clans by Nicholas Kerensky himself through a hidden HPG unit, and told to prepare the Pentagon Worlds for the coming of the loyal 800! All over the planet, this Ronin was known for his incredible piloting skills on both the land and the air, and for this reason he was known as Max the Genius!
Long he pondered how to take down the Marauder Bandits, for as skilled as he was, they still outnumbered him greatly. And so Max the Genius's genius mind came up with a plan!
Enlisting the help of a group of villagers, he persuaded them to help him set up some loudspeakers in the middle of their village, speakers that could carry any sound far and wide. Then he started playing music, the music of the Star League!
When the Marauder bandit came to loot the village, they heard the music and were shocked! For they were completely without any culture, living only to fight or destroy, and so were amazed and mesmerized by the beautiful, music! And then, Max the Genius swooped down from on high, ambushing them in his custom Land-Air-Mech–!"
"Waitwaitwait..." Lola said, frowning. "A Land-Air-Mech? What kind of genius would use that?"
"And why would a group of highly trained soldiers be hypnotized by music? It does not make sense!" Dex added.
Matthew groaned. "You're interrupting! I was getting to the good part–"
"You uttered a contraction!" Lola blurted out.
Matthew's groans redoubled. "Stravag!"
%%%
Eight years and a long winnowing process later, three cadets leaned on a catwalk the day before their Trials of Position.
"What do you say, Matthew?" Dex repeated, tanned and filled out, stretched out against the railing like a stretching cat. "Together, we can guarantee each other a place in the warrior caste."
"One kill for each of us." Lola repeated. "Then we see how many of our fellow trainees we can down. And we avoid hitting each other's cockpits." She, in contrast to her pint-house days, had shot up above them all, to the point that she was almost too tall to sit in a mech cockpit.
Matthew rested both arms and the railing and looked out at the rows of mechs being prepped by techs. His knuckles were skinned, and a scar traced itself across the side of his neck.
He was silent for a moment. "We are supposed to succeed or fail based on our own merits. In that way we prove our worth to our Clan."
Dex groaned. "Aff, aff, aff! But we are also supposed to not be stubborn, stuck up sticks in the mud, quiaff?"
Lola held up a hand. "Quiet." She rested a hand on Matthew's shoulder. "We are not supposed to fight alone, Matthew. Not on the battlefield. These trials are supposed to mimic the battlefield, quiaff? Further, knowing when it is prudent to work together with others is just as demonstrative of one's personal merit as anything else..."
Here voice trailed off. "Please." She said finally, mouth twisting at the foul taste of the word. "Please trust us, Matthew. Trust in our Genius plan, you stravag pox-ridden surat."
A brief smile touched Matthew's lips for a moment. He turned to face his two remaining Sibkin. "We each get one kill for ourselves?"
"Aff." Dex said.
"And then we aim for the legs?"
Lola nodded.
Matthew exhaled, then nodded himself. "Well bargained and done, then. We aim for each other's legs."
%%%
Matthew, in the end, has what can be called two nemeses. Wayne Waco, leader of Waco's Rangers, who killed his trothkin Dex in a rear-guard action during the early weeks of the Great Refusal–and his old trothkin Lola, now a Star Commander, and part of Peregrine Galaxy during it's assault on Terra. One the object of his revenge, and the other a friend now placed on the opposite side by cruel fate.
Waco's Rangers, hired by the Word of Blake to act as a 'dirty tricks' force and as agent provocateurs, comes into conflict with the White Chalice several times, particularly during assaults upon secret WoB bases...and thus Matthew and Waco himself come into conflict. Wayne Waco's grudge against Clan Wolf stems his son's death at the hands of Wolf's Dragoons. Matthew's grudge comes from Waco's Rangers killing his sibkin Dex in combat. Eventually, I see them both realizing that they have a bunch in common, to their mutual displeasure. In their climactic confrontation, Matthew will have to let go of his hate and forgive Waco in order to defeat him, paradoxically enough.
When Lola and Matthew meet on the field of battle during Jade Falcon's all out invasion, things will be more complicated. In there battles, it is less the case of two rivals clashing, and more two estranged friends reconnecting, and coming to understand how each has changed and grown over time
Matthew, in his many battles to protect Terra, has mellowed on Crusader dogma, and follows the koan of Kamina.
Lola has risen in rank, potentially gotten a bloodname, and picked up some of the 'Joanna' grit, making her a bit more verbally derogatory towards 'Spheroids', but also more cunning and devious.
Still, she's as much of a tech Otaku as she ever was: she pours over report sheets on new Omnimech models, Clan and Inner Sphere alike, and will be beguiled by the more interesting varieties of Earth Sphere mecha technologies, trying to think about how they can be incorporated into Clan Tech ("This Psycommu technology...what if it could accept sensory input from Enhanced Imaging Tattoos?")
Matthew will try to talk to her about the experiences he's had, and the new convictions he's gained: Lola will suspect Matthew of having been brainwashed by the 'Spheroids': Matthew will actually consider this possibility for a bit: after all, these things have been known to happen.
However their battle ends, they will renew their friendship. They may wind up joining forces to fight a common enemy again. Perhaps Jade Falcon will be driven back, and Lola will send a final farewell to Matthew before heading off. Perhaps Matthew captures Lola as his Bondsman.
The ultimate outcome will develop naturally, I think.
Unit: Nova (EX-Omni-Mount: Messenger)
Matthew, having caught the Ace Custom bug from his fellow Trothkin, has been putting together a upgrade for his mech based on two minor gadgets: the 'Heat Hawks' used by old Principality of Zeon units as melee weapons, and the 'space coating' that Clan Wolf technicians jury-rigged to help cool down their Battlemechs in the heat retaining environment of space during the battle of Evolution's End.
Though technically the Nova Messenger is a downgrade in firepower, having lost two medium lasers, it's maneuverability, rate of firepower, and versatility are greatly increased, as well as it's capacity to fight in space. It can do dezgra melee attacks now too!
And, like all good Clan mechs, the upgrades are modular, allowing the various components to plugged in and unplugged, improving maintenance.
Features:
10 ER Medium Lasers (Downgrade from 12)
Four Radiator Fin Katars.
Optional Rocket Pack (Grants the Nova an 'A' Rank in Space Maneuvering, and a 'B-' Rank in Aerial) with four Radiator Fins. (A portion of this upgrade that will come later on in the game.)
Ablative radiation coating: (A mirror finish heat reflecting material layered onto the Nova in strips, adapted from Clan Jump-ship solar sail technology, a low-weight coating that can be applied onto the armor of other mechs too. Aids in the Nova's heat dissipation process, and can take two to three shots from a mook beam weapon before completely ablating away. Coating also flakes off when Nova is at critical temperatures. See Nova Flare for more details.)
Special Moves:
Messenger Alpha Strike [Reliability of Alpha Strike improved: at 'chill' reactor temperatures, capable of two consecutive Alpha strikes before reaching emergency shutdown levels. Alpha Strike is now possible in Space (without exploding, that is).]
Nova Flare: [Available only when the Nova's temperature is at critical, near meltdown levels. The radiator blades, glowing at white-hot temperatures, achieve their maximum cutting power. The adhesive that binds the ablative coating to the Nova's hull will also break down, causing strips of the foil to flake off in a cloud around the Nova. This creates a 'haze' that spoofs heat-seaking missiles and confuses close-range targeting computers for as long as the Nova is overheating. This 'move' is stumbled upon during combat, in the field.]
Quil Purge: [The radiator fin packs are hooked into the emergency coolant purge vents: A bypass system allows coolant to be purged in the normal way. If the bypass is overridden, however, the coolant backs up into the radiator fins, and launches them out bottle rocket style, skewering close range foes with red hot transparent carbon-tungsten alloy. This will also be discovered in the field]
Dom Surf: [Upgrades to verniers allow Nova Messanger to hover and jet around with the grace and speed of a Dom: this mode lasts until the jump jets run dry and need to recharge.]
And...
Nova Falcon Turtle Smasher!!!!!!!!: [A super awesome unstoppable ultimate attack only to be used in silly 4koma situations. The Nova triggers it's jump jets, does a death from above attack on an opponent, snatches it up with it's falcon-esque claw feet, then flies off high into the sky. It drops the enemy mech from a great height onto a sharp rock, cracking open it's armor and allowing the Nova to feast on the enemy mech's entrails.]
Forward the forces of the Earth Sphere came:
lasers blasting, missiles burning, against the Invaders:
slime-spawned, all-devouring, bane of the living.
Terra behind, the brave champions charged
through space and star dust, defying despair.
And first to fight, flying far ahead,
Great and terrible, the Getter Team.
Ryouma Nagare: tomahawk thrower,
dinosaur breaker, hurling Getter Beams like hail.
Hayato Jin: war leader, drill wielder.
Ripping through rock and roaring maws.
Benkei Kuruma: long of reach,
bringing these abominations the Great Avalanche.
Sing, honored warriors, of Terra's salvation
by this righteous group, by Shin Getter Robo.
Sing of the pilots of soaring Shin Dragon
Rescuing the Getter Team, rising from re-entry.
Shattering Janus, with but one Getter Bolt.
Shattering space, to fight on at Saturn.
Shattering the parasites, addicts to evolution.
Mad Caine, Laura Ericks, and Kei Kuruma
who kindled a Spark with the Getter Team,
sealing a space quake, awful and all-consuming.
The great three made their farewells, to fight ever on
beyond space and time, to protect Terra.
Warriors of the Clans, we have a new legacy
To live up to, and someday surpass.
The Remembrance
Jan. 12th, 2013 03:43 pmhttp://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/theclans/remembrance.html
For when you want to be literary...
...well, literary in the genetically engineered upper-tier warrior caste sense.
For when you want to be literary...
...well, literary in the genetically engineered upper-tier warrior caste sense.
More Plot Details
Jan. 12th, 2013 01:23 amSome plot musings on what happened to Matthew during his time in Sandra Pryde's star, after the battle with Waco's Rangers and before landfall on Terra and his fateful run in with the Demon Leader Kamina.
For Sandra Pryde, the commander of his Star, he had nothing but respect. She embodied honor and courtesy in her every interaction, was cordial and polite to people of every caste and Clan, and was efficient and clear-headed in the field of battle. And she seemed to do this all casually, and without a hint of faltering confidence, a state of Zen that Matthew longed to achieve someday.
She helped defuse a Circle of equals once using pudding.
Chandra was cool-headed person on the surface, gruff and restrained, but with a rather intense side to her that would come out at times. Matthew remains cautious around her in social situations, attempting not to jog her brooding side. Given that he can be very prickly and loud, he didn't always succeed.
One time, he had gotten into an argument over the appropriate level of deception and trickery in Clan Tactics (Chandra was in favor of more dirty tricks than he), and it degenerated into a Circle of Equals.
Sandra Pryde, ever studious in regards to Clan Traditions, supervised the Circle of Equals, suggested the fight take place on pontoon raft in the middle of a lake by the Garrison they were holding against the Wolves... and provided large amounts of chocolate pudding captured from the Inner Sphere to the entire Star at dinner before the trial. Chandra and Matthew's Trial of Grievance soon became uncomfortable for both of them as they wrestled on the rocking raft, and after having to take several rest breaks to keep from vomiting, they mutually called it off.
There's still some rivalry going on: but Matthew wouldn't have anyone else at his back in the battlefield.
Eileen in comparison to many strutting, arrogant Jade Falcons, is quiet and subdued. Not because she's meek, but because she is as impish and subtle as the most strategic and cool-headed poker player. When she boasts or declares challenges, she does so with an economy of words and a self-assured confidence of victory.
And she snatches victory from the jaws of defeat quite often, outmaneuvering her opponents in mech to mech combat with consummate guile
She also pulls pranks on her fellow Star members from time to time. She was the one who suggested the pudding to star captain Sandra.
Now Tynall...of all the members of the Star, Matthew is closest to her, thanks to an incident shortly after he joined Sandra's Star.
Matthew, hoping to prove himself a true Jade Falcon (with all of the attendant issues that implies) to his new Starmates, heard that Tynall Vickers was an Ex-Wolf. In his first interaction, he attempted to mock and belittle her (something that would be inflicted on him in turn by Tynall's trothkin Resnick).
She immediately clocked him in the face. He immediately clocked her back, and it went downhill from there.
After getting chewed out by Star Captain Pryde and mutually performing the rite of Suraki, they avoided each other for a time. A chance meeting that opened with a few verbal putdowns on each side turned into a honest-to-god academic comparison of Clan Wolf's version of the Remembrance versus Jade Falcon's version.
They kept discussing this topic regularly, during meal times, while checking up on their mechs, while on patrol, etc.
Eventually, they grew friendly, and Matthew shared his recollections about the battle with Waco's Rangers, his Trothkin Dex who has killed, and his thirst for revenge. Tynall replied in turn by talking about her Trothkin Isaac, who was killed during training by one of his fellow sibkin, and how she desired revenge as well.
They bonded over revenge.
There was a time during a trial of position for the planet Bad News where both of their mechs had been highly damaged in battle against a vintage Warhammer, and they had to frantically run around it and finish it off...with two measly small lasers, all their other weapons having been damaged.
It was funny in retrospect.
For Sandra Pryde, the commander of his Star, he had nothing but respect. She embodied honor and courtesy in her every interaction, was cordial and polite to people of every caste and Clan, and was efficient and clear-headed in the field of battle. And she seemed to do this all casually, and without a hint of faltering confidence, a state of Zen that Matthew longed to achieve someday.
She helped defuse a Circle of equals once using pudding.
Chandra was cool-headed person on the surface, gruff and restrained, but with a rather intense side to her that would come out at times. Matthew remains cautious around her in social situations, attempting not to jog her brooding side. Given that he can be very prickly and loud, he didn't always succeed.
One time, he had gotten into an argument over the appropriate level of deception and trickery in Clan Tactics (Chandra was in favor of more dirty tricks than he), and it degenerated into a Circle of Equals.
Sandra Pryde, ever studious in regards to Clan Traditions, supervised the Circle of Equals, suggested the fight take place on pontoon raft in the middle of a lake by the Garrison they were holding against the Wolves... and provided large amounts of chocolate pudding captured from the Inner Sphere to the entire Star at dinner before the trial. Chandra and Matthew's Trial of Grievance soon became uncomfortable for both of them as they wrestled on the rocking raft, and after having to take several rest breaks to keep from vomiting, they mutually called it off.
There's still some rivalry going on: but Matthew wouldn't have anyone else at his back in the battlefield.
Eileen in comparison to many strutting, arrogant Jade Falcons, is quiet and subdued. Not because she's meek, but because she is as impish and subtle as the most strategic and cool-headed poker player. When she boasts or declares challenges, she does so with an economy of words and a self-assured confidence of victory.
And she snatches victory from the jaws of defeat quite often, outmaneuvering her opponents in mech to mech combat with consummate guile
She also pulls pranks on her fellow Star members from time to time. She was the one who suggested the pudding to star captain Sandra.
Now Tynall...of all the members of the Star, Matthew is closest to her, thanks to an incident shortly after he joined Sandra's Star.
Matthew, hoping to prove himself a true Jade Falcon (with all of the attendant issues that implies) to his new Starmates, heard that Tynall Vickers was an Ex-Wolf. In his first interaction, he attempted to mock and belittle her (something that would be inflicted on him in turn by Tynall's trothkin Resnick).
She immediately clocked him in the face. He immediately clocked her back, and it went downhill from there.
After getting chewed out by Star Captain Pryde and mutually performing the rite of Suraki, they avoided each other for a time. A chance meeting that opened with a few verbal putdowns on each side turned into a honest-to-god academic comparison of Clan Wolf's version of the Remembrance versus Jade Falcon's version.
They kept discussing this topic regularly, during meal times, while checking up on their mechs, while on patrol, etc.
Eventually, they grew friendly, and Matthew shared his recollections about the battle with Waco's Rangers, his Trothkin Dex who has killed, and his thirst for revenge. Tynall replied in turn by talking about her Trothkin Isaac, who was killed during training by one of his fellow sibkin, and how she desired revenge as well.
They bonded over revenge.
There was a time during a trial of position for the planet Bad News where both of their mechs had been highly damaged in battle against a vintage Warhammer, and they had to frantically run around it and finish it off...with two measly small lasers, all their other weapons having been damaged.
It was funny in retrospect.
(no subject)
Dec. 7th, 2012 05:52 pmFor personal reference:
Matthew's Trinary before his capture at the hands of the White Chalice force.
Warhawk (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Warhawk)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Warhawk (Sandra)
Summoner (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Summoner)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Summoner (Eileen)
Mad Dog (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mad_Dog)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mad_Dog (Chandra)
Nova (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova (Matthew)
Hellbringer (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hellbringer)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hellbringer (Tynall)
Sandra, Eileen, and Tynall are with Ranna nominally. Matthew, of course, landed with Kamina.
Chandra landed with Ryouma...
*Shudders*
One can only imagine what blatently unfair martial arts challenges he's throwing at her.
Matthew's Trinary before his capture at the hands of the White Chalice force.
Warhawk (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Warhawk)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Warhawk (Sandra)
Summoner (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Summoner)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Summoner (Eileen)
Mad Dog (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mad_Dog)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mad_Dog (Chandra)
Nova (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova (Matthew)
Hellbringer (Link: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hellbringer)http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hellbringer (Tynall)
Sandra, Eileen, and Tynall are with Ranna nominally. Matthew, of course, landed with Kamina.
Chandra landed with Ryouma...
*Shudders*
One can only imagine what blatently unfair martial arts challenges he's throwing at her.
Useful Canon Links.
Dec. 6th, 2012 10:23 pmhttp://www.hakujin.net/Games/BTech/Wolf/clanterm.html
Clan lingo.
For when you need to talk without sounding like a freebirth!
Clan lingo.
For when you need to talk without sounding like a freebirth!
Finished setting up an AIM account under the name aldo salt, aka "Aldo Salt".
It's a made up Star Wars-esque name that's very dear to me, dating back to my earliest experiences with Mechwarrior, and this intro cinematic in particular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3GD0UnBCk
But anyway, good to go with the RP.
It's a made up Star Wars-esque name that's very dear to me, dating back to my earliest experiences with Mechwarrior, and this intro cinematic in particular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3GD0UnBCk
But anyway, good to go with the RP.
Name: Colesign
Journal Name: gurrenbrigbonded
AIM Contact: aldo salt
Character Name: Matthew
Canon: Battletech (SRW UG@ continuity)
Tag Name: Matthew (Battletech)
Notes:
Matthew's a Jade Falcon Mechwarrior, a genetically engineered Trueborn trained and bred to be the ultimate warrior. As a devout Crusader, he is sworn to conquer the Inner Sphere, reclaim Terra, and bring both glory and Ilclan status to his Clan. The moment of the Jade Falcon invasion of Terra was the greatest moment of his life.
And then he done got his butt whupped by a mech with a freaky face on it. And now he's the bondsman to some freaky loudmouth with wicked shades.
And yet...the guy's kinda coooolllll...
As he settles into the antics of White Chalice life and the challenges of being a Gurren Brigadeer, Matthew's torrent of emotional conflict...WILL ONLY INTENSIFY.
Who the hell does he think he is, indeed.
(In brief, Matthew's an ascended NPC Battletch character who was featured in the Mission “Battle of the Behemoth's”, he's been mentioned subsequently as Kamina's bondsman: who hangs around, looks surly, and is eager for glory.
I want to see if I can flesh him out and milk all the bizarreness of having a grim real robot warrior caste guy working for the Invincible Kamina for all it's worth.)
Background: *REQUIRED*
Matthew had a Clan upbringing. A Jade Falcon clan upbringing, raised in a huge 'sibko' of young warriors decanted at the same time, a veritable pack of young energetic children raised with the expectation of of becoming the greatest warriors in the galaxy.
Matthew had no parents, no relatives, no genetic family members. But he had what could be termed as dozens upon dozens of close, close friends, pushing, teasing, wrestling, challenging, and looking out for each other as brothers and sister do...and doing all the things high-school teenagers do with each other too.
These were the times that were unambiguously happy: A Cast of young, energetic ruffians, pushing each other to greater heights of daring, dreaming of their future as saviors of the universe, the ones that would set things right and complete the conquest of the Inner Sphere once the truce expired.
Every Sibko has it's share of stories and myths, told around campfires and in longhouses: tales of the early years of the Settlement of the Homeworlds, of masterless ronin warrior wandering the countryside slaying bandits and evil kings, defeating mutant Clan Totems, bandits, Inner Sphere pirates, and the like.
Matthew wasn't one of the eager listeners: he was one of the Storytellers. With a loud, clear voice, an ability to do thousands of accents, falconer bird whistles, and an instinctive grasp of drama, he knocked his sib's cheap , recycled Clan socks off.
He told stories from the Remembrance, occasionally spiced up with strange new Battlemechs from alien civilizations, evil sorcerers, pirates, and mysterious lone swordsmen. He told tales of an adventuring Yeti, wandering across a snow planet, fighting evil with his severed arm as he searched for a doctor to sew it back on. A young gun-toting Clan warrior riding across a mysterious empty planet with a sentient motorbike.
Above all, he told stories about heroic warriors, honorable and fearless, who could do the impossible and stand against entire armies with passion and guts.
These tales made an impression on his sibko; they made an even greater impression on himself. And when bandits raided the Sibko camp, he stood against them with a homemade spear, defying them in a proud clarion call-voice akin to the Falcon's cry itself.
And then one of the bandits shot him in the throat. His Sibko managed to take down the bandits. But a Trothkin of his named Saul was shot...and paid the bandit back before he died. He was younger than Matthew, and very shy and quiet...but he loved Matthew's stories.
Matthew survived and acquired a scar...and never told stories quite as often afterwards.
The Sibko was shaken by this event...which made it easier for the instructors of Jade Falcon to break apart their group dynamic during their training regimens, encouraging antagonisms, foster competition and one-upmanship, severing their old ties and bonds so that military bonds could be forged.
Matthew pondered defying this, but didn't.This was the second regret of his life.
Yet in the cockpit of a battlemech, he was just a dramatic as ever, passionately embracing the honor codes of Zelbrigen, charging forward to the attack, and proclaiming himself in grand language sprinkled with Remembrance quotes. This was all behavior in line with the Jade Falcon spirit, but he had a decided knack for it. He wound up reconnecting ever so slightly with two of his former Trothkins, Lola and Dex, during the final training exercises, coming up with group taunts and smack talk
(Lola was the tech geek, and Dex the clownish, teasing type).
During their Trials of Position, they each quietly held off on attacking each other until they had each downed a mech. From then on, they had developed a new camaraderie. Matthew, of the three, was still the most distant. This was the third regret of his life.
They were all transferred to a frontline Galaxy near the Lyran Commonwealth, and for a year were involved in numerous garrisoning activities, skirmishes, and raid. Then the Refusal War broke out, and in the chaos of the mobilization, Waco's Rangers, an Merc group with anti-Clan leanings hired by some Lyran Politicos for purposes of diplomatic deniability, raided the border regions, and Matthew's garrison was attacked.
The Mercs played it smart, and challenged the garrison according to the tenants of Zelbriggen, manipulating the bidding process so as to strip away the Garrison's heavier units.
The battle was grueling, long, and didn't go well. The inexperience of the base commander let to their munitions being exhausted.
Before Matthew's Cluster could be properly savaged, an order from the Council came, ordering them to abandon their posts and reinforce the front lines against Klan Wolf. The Wacos refused the request of Hegira, and so a Trinary was sacrificed as a rearguard to hold off the Merc company long enough for the Dropship to make liftoff.
Dex was assigned to the rearguard. Matthew barely managed to say goodbye before retreating with the rest of the Cluster, and never got to say the things to his fellow Sib that he'd wanted too. This was his fourth regret.
Afterward, he was transferred out of his old Cluster, separated from his comrade Lola. After many battle, skirmishes, and duties, he came to serve under commander Sandra Pryde, who he held in very high esteem for embodying honor as easily and casually as someone breathing air.
And then, on a Jumpship bound for Morges...a rift in space and time sent him and a Jade Falcon Expeditionary force to Terra itself. With visions of Bloodnames, glory, and lines in the Remembrance dancing in their heads, the mighty forces of Jade Falcon made landfall to claim Terra...
Personality: *REQUIRED*
(Show us you know the character. At least 3 or 4 paragraphs is a good length for this section.)
He was Jade Falcon. The shining star among the Crusader Clans, their conviction and zeal shall sweep aside the corrupt and weak Inner Sphere and claim Terra, rising to the exalted station of IlClan, bringing a golden age to all.
He is now of the Gurren Brigade, but Matthew still believes in his former Clan, and still believes in the Crusader ideology with all his heart, even as he may work to defend Terra from other Crusader Clans.
But among the many varieties of Clan warriors, he could be classified as one thing in particular:
A Punk.
He's a young, aggressive, dogmatic Mechwarrior, who takes everything too seriously and acts 'Mature' in that very special way only the immature can manage. Full of energy and obsession with all the life goals of a Clanner, he has no personal life or rewarding hobbies, and has not yet realized why devoting all his attention to duty, Bloodnames, and Glorious Victory is a bad thing.
He attempts to put on a persona of a grim, disciplined warrior, whose passion and zeal for combat, honor, and eventual death in battle follows the orthodoxy of Jade Falcon. Poke him, however, and his somewhat Tsundere tendencies come out.
At slights to his honor, challenges, taunts, and things that offend his Crusader sensibilities, he will mouth off like nobody's business, and often put his money wherever said mouth goes. Any thought of tact when dealing with freeborns and mercenaries will fly out the window when he's riled.
And when he profoundly moved by something, or in a more private setting, he'll let slip his inner love of the dramatic, his panache for storytelling and stories, and his fanboy tendencies for hot-blooded heroes of justice and impossible deeds.
Bring up his dere moments, and he'll call you a Surat.
This is his initial characterization. As time goes on, he'll grow in many varied ways. He'll mellow out. He'll learn to work with his inner drama queen rather than try to seal it away. He'll come to respect his Fellow White Chalice/Gurren Brigade members, then admire them, then become a true and loyal companion. His ideals will evolve, and he'll learn to fight for his own destiny and glory outside of the framework of Crusader dogma.
Or in a nutshell:
As Matthew journeys with the White Chalice and the Gurren Brigade, he'll learn to tell stories again.
Capabilities and Resources:
He's a genetically engineered super soldier: top physical condition, high reflexes, solid intellect, and almost-literally spartan training in war, piloting, and tactics. He doesn't quite have the head for strategy though, and he's an amateur at anything not related to bashing the enemy on the battlefield.
On the battlefield, he's bold, has good reflexes, and is a good shot. He tends to focus exclusively on dealing damage to his opponents, however, forgets to utilize cover, and ignores damage when he really shouldn't. Techs glare at him when he brings his mech back in from the field.
As with other Clan protagonists, his character arc will have him mellow out and learn to do and appreciate new things.
He believes himself to be a tranquil, disciplined, and serious fighter, the pinnacle of the ideals of a Clan warrior. Nobody else is fooled for an instant.
Not very deep down, Matthew is a hot-head. Not just any type of hot-head, but a hammy hot-head. It was destiny that brought him into the ranks of the brotherhood of manly souls, and who knows what the burning depths of his passion may lead him to under the proper tutelage.
He's also a very good storyteller. He can write stories nicely, but where he truly shines is around a campfire, gesturing, shouting, whispering, gesticulating, and the like. Think Dillios from 300, minus the leather underpants (and historical inaccuracies).
(*REQUIRED* if you have a robot)
Robot Name:
Nova: (Very Private Nickname, The Winged Star)
Robot Description:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova_(Black_Hawk)
There are many Real Robots like it, but this one is his.
The Nova is one of the earlier Clan Omnimechs, and a devastating opponent in land combat even up against heavier tonnage: it's also a mecha that's not gentle, and will turn on the pilot if he/she's careless.
It's a medium class mech with good land speed, potent jump jets, good armor, and a large assortment of heat sinks. In appearance, it resembles a squat wide shouldered bird/kangaroo, with a jet-like cockpit, chicken legs, and squarish forward facing arms with fists.
The heat sinks don't help as much as you'd think, because it mounts over 12 extended range medium lasers. In group fire, they shred armor like nobody's business. Against infantry, they can decimate and suppress. They can down all but the heaviest of mook mechs when fired in a single Alpha Strike. And maybe, just maybe, the Nova won't explode right after.
Besides the dangerous heat curve that the Nova runs, it lacks a proper torso: as a result, it can't circle strafe a target in the usual Battlemech fashion. A skilled user, however, can use the Nova's jump jets, properly feathered, to side-step, strafe, leap over, and otherwise evade enemy fire. Matthew is still working on mastering that skill.
(What weapons does it have and what can they do? Is your mecha a super (superhero-y) robot or a real (military-ish) robot? Does it have any special armor or forcefields? Magical powers? Traits? Can it fly? How? Feel free to link to a wiki or fansite to give an overview, but write the details down here.)
Terrain Stats: (This is optional, but for those who have played SRW, this is a good way to give us a quick judge of how good your mech is overall. For those of you who haven't played the games, they are measured: --, D, C, B, A, S, with -- or D meaning it can't fight there at all and S being the best. Note that only upgrades tend to have an S unless they are entirely gimped or unusable in other areas.)
Land: S
Air: C
Sea: C
Space: Default D (Rank A later when Matthew modifies the jump jets and attaches the Deep Space Modules.)
Upgrades: (if any)
Upgrade 1: Nova Messenger
Matthew eventually has a revelation about his trusty old Nova.
One, it overheats too rapidly, even with it's large array of heat sinks. And yet there's no room for additional heat sinks on the outside, not without nerfing it's striking power anyways.
It doesn't have provisions for close combat. A Earth Sphere Mech gets in close, and it can punch the coolant out of him like nobody's business...and too many of these Stravag-Freebirth Snot encrusted Earth Mechs have brutal melee attacks...and sweet pointy sunglasses–no, focus!
Lastly, every other Earth Sphere Mech and it's cousin can maneuver and fight in space. The Nova has potent jump jet capabilities, but in it's current form, it can only flail about or cling to the side of a ship.
How to solve these issues? Plot elements and character growth will lead to Matthew shucking some trueborn-related conceits, and he'll start studying and hanging with the Tech Castes.
He'll read about old-style radiators for spaceships, that dissipate heat in the vacuum of space through superheating metal fins until they glow.
He'll also read about the heat axes and sabers that were used by Zeon in the One Year War.
Idea.
The Mark II Nova Messenger is what results from this brainstorm. It attaches maneuvering jets at strategic locations on the Nova's torso and legs. It adds two thruster modules to the Nova's back and shoulders, that can sync with the reactor to propel out reaction mass and let it maneuver and travel in space.
(The weight of the modifications make it slower while walking, but the additional rockets and tweaked jump jets allow it to do 'rocket charges').
Sticking out from these thruster modules are six large metal radiators that taper to points, made of an endo-titanium/tungsten core plated with ferro-fiber-infused quartz. They radiate outward from the thruster modules in a fashion that resembles wings at a distance, and can move and rotate on gimbals, facing forwards, backwards or out to the sides
Two smaller radiator fins are also attached to the sides of the Nova's arms. As with the main radiator array, they are mounted on gimbals, and can flip forward to act as punch-dagger style swords.
When the Nova is running cool, the radiators glow a dull red and can cut through armor somewhat better than a normal sharp blade. As the Nova Messenger's heat curve runs higher and higher, the radiator blades grow hotter and hotter: When the blades are glowing bright orange/yellow, conventional armor is like butter–any hotter and the radiator blades will start to melt. Both the arm radiators and thruster radiators are tough enough to be used in melee, giving the modified Nova a potent porcupine-esque edge.
The additional radiators help the Nova Messenger even on the ground: it can now Alpha Strike without shutting down or exploding. It's still a Sauna of a Mech, though, and still as dangerous to foolish pilots as it ever was.
Upgrade 2: Do the Impossible and Kick Reason to the Curb...
Assuming he hangs around the Gurren Brigade long enough, strange things may start happening waaaayyyy in the future. His radiator fins might start looking more and more like drills. His lasers might get a little greener and more powerful...and 'gattais' may happen...
Until that hypothetical 'then', he'll stay thoroughly real robot.
Job: (if any)
Personal bondsmen to members of the Gurren Brigade: he has to be their servant, do chores and dirty work, and learn the ways of his new clan. When judged worthy, his bond-cord will be severed and he may arise as a Mechwarrior once more.
However, this is Kamina and the Gurren Brigade we're talking about. They don't grok Bondsman protocols. They might 'try' to let him get back in his Mech right off the bat, in blatant disregard of Clan traditions. They might nudge him into doing Gurren Lagann esque stuff. This shall frustrate him at first.
But Honor and Loyalty...and secretadmirationhush...will keep him true and steadfast.
Suggested Event List: (The event list should consist of important combat actions that would make good material for missions, or special events and logs that require mod or NPC intervention. Feel free to label an event as a Mission or a Log. At this point, canons should not have more than 20 events total.)
Matthew will quite likely play a role in the Battletech and Gurren Lagann canons if he's deemed worthy of approval. But in terms of original story missions based around his character, here are some ideas...
Mission 1: Everybody Wants to Kick a Merc!
More invaders from the Battletech Universe come barging in! It's not the Word of Blake or the Clans this time–It's goddamned Mercenaries! And not just any, but Waco's Rangers, the merc group that played dirty and killed his Trothkin! Matthew's got a score to settle against these evil profiteers, and he's going to let them know it (All the while not realizing that his regret for his Trothkin's glorious death is somewhat unclanlike).
Wayne Waco*, when confronted will have a blank look on his face until he's reminded which particular battle Matthew is worked up about. How shall this hamper Matthew's ability to think clearly, and how shall the Wily Wacos exploit this?
* http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Wayne_Waco
Mission 2: We Meet Again, My Friend:
Jade Falcon's next wave hits the Earth Sphere, and the White Chalice finds itself in battle again against a scouting cluster...led by Lola, her old Trothkin friend and survivor against the Rangers! Once members of the same clan, he finds himself pitted against a true companion, trapped and obligated by honor! Will he be forced to do something awful, or will the lessons taught to him by the brotherhood of manly souls convince him to find a better way?
Mission 3: Showdown at the Waco Corral:
Wacco's Rangers are back! Instead of working for the Lyran two-faced bastards, they're working for the dezgra surat-spawned Word of Blake, backing up a Blake Task Force looking to reclaim Terra with WMD tactics!
No matter what, Matthew will give his all, will lay down even his life, to destroy his enemies...and Avenge All His Fallen Friends!
Sample Post: *REQUIRED* (This should be in character, though it could be a journal entry or an action post or what have you. The purpose of this is to get a feel for your writing style and portrayal of the character.)
Matthew breathed out and in, drawing in moist, scorching air as the Behemoth finally fell, head smoking and ruined from the final flamer unit blast of the Terran Mechwarrior. It struck the ground, and it's mass and internal explosions cause the earth to rumble, resonating up through his Nova's legs and into his cockpit.
“Seyla.” He whispered, eyes brimming with what he firmly convinced himself to be the stinging sensation of his cockpit air.
But still...such bravery, such fearlessness in the service of comrades...this warrior was truly a credit to all freeborns everywhere, of the same rank as the great Mirioberg herself.
Matthew, Mechwarrior of Jade Falcon, swore to himself privately that his death in combat would surpass that of this Earthborn warrior.
But then his ruminations were cut off, as the Clan Wolf in Exile leader Ranna challenged Star Captain Sandra Pryde to a duel, bidding herself, the Wolf mechwarrior that Tynall had mentioned once in the dinning hall with a scowl, and three strange Earth Sphere Mechs.
Their features and limbs looked wrong to him, as if they were mechs truly designed by the aliens the Inner Sphere freeborns had initially thought them to be. They were...
“Like Beasts.” He whispered. “Fell horned demons from some great netherworld, summoned by an evil conjurer and set against all mankind. And against all their power and malice, against their conceit, the warrior of Jade Falcon rode...”
His voice trailed off. He pushed away the prose that rose up in his head, forcing himself to focus on the excitement of the upcoming bid, tensing, waiting...
“Mechwarrior Matthew!” Star Captain Pryde barked. “You shall form part of our Battcall. Fight well and cautiously. The freeborns Star Commander Ranna bring are no fodder.”
“Aff!” Matthew said, mouth breaking open into a wide, wide grin. “I shall destroy the enemy, Star Captain, and trod upon their Isorla-marked hindquarters amidst the wreckage!”
He reached for the throttle to moved his mech forward. The warrior Resnick of Clan Wolf transmitted a message!
“Freeborn warriors! Tell them who you are!”
Then on the public frequency, a new voice blared out as a crimson mech–
Matthew blinked. A torso for a face?
–raised it's remaining arm up the sky, posing on top of the wreckage of one of the scarab enemies.
"The leader of the Gurren Brigade, that which leaves any mere clan quivering in fear and envy, the hero of Jeeha who broke free and will leave his mark on the world forever! When they're talking about that man, they're talking about me! The Invincible Kamina!"
Everything fell away from Matthew's mind. Thoughts of composure, of death in battle, the calculations of possible Isorla and progress towards rank and the opportunity to fight for a Bloodname. His eyes widened, and a smile krept across his face without noticing. From deep inside himself, as it had long ago, words came. He moved his mech forward to face the one with a face, light exploding behind his eyes.
“Then I will be for you,” He growled, “Man of Men, Invincible Kamina!”
The others made their challenges, but Matthew barely noticed the other events, his vision, his world, narrowing down to the crimson mech with a face, this glorious opponent to be crushed with magnificent bombast.
This was destiny. This was greatness. This was the launch of his rising star.
“With falcon sight we choose our foes.” He said, voice pronouncing each syllable with verve. “On falcon wings we harry them. With falcon claws we smite our foes. And with falcon tenacity we win!”
He stroked his controls as he faced the mech of the man called Kamina, tying his lasers into several weapon groups. He bared his teeth in a grin, ready to bring the sunlight of his 'Nova' down upon this glorious upstart of a freebirth demon leader–
It charged! A projectile flew forth! He–
%%%
“You Sacrifice Yourself For Armament?” Matthew snarled. This **** is this?
“It was broken anyway!”
That...that does not...
%%%
–Crash!–
“Damned Freebirth! Fight with some honor!”
By which Matthew meant, STOP PUNCHING!
“A real man fights with his fists! Learn that before your talking to me about honor!”
But those are not your actual fists–
–Thunk, Crash!–
%%%
Alarms were going off in Matthew's cockpit as he hung limply in his straps, his HUD's damage display blinking yellow, his mech battered from the fall, but otherwise still intact. Matthew wasn't sure whether that was fortunate, or extra humiliating.
There was a crackle on the radio.
“That's what you get for going up against the Gurren Brigade! Heh-Heh Hahahahaha!!!”
There was a thump and a rocking of the Nova's chassis as the madman Kamina placed a foot on his Mech's flank, not seeking to crush him in the cockpit, but merely for the sake of a victory pose.
Matthew finally put together a concrete thought and statement.
“What.”
Journal Name: gurrenbrigbonded
AIM Contact: aldo salt
Character Name: Matthew
Canon: Battletech (SRW UG@ continuity)
Tag Name: Matthew (Battletech)
Notes:
Matthew's a Jade Falcon Mechwarrior, a genetically engineered Trueborn trained and bred to be the ultimate warrior. As a devout Crusader, he is sworn to conquer the Inner Sphere, reclaim Terra, and bring both glory and Ilclan status to his Clan. The moment of the Jade Falcon invasion of Terra was the greatest moment of his life.
And then he done got his butt whupped by a mech with a freaky face on it. And now he's the bondsman to some freaky loudmouth with wicked shades.
And yet...the guy's kinda coooolllll...
As he settles into the antics of White Chalice life and the challenges of being a Gurren Brigadeer, Matthew's torrent of emotional conflict...WILL ONLY INTENSIFY.
Who the hell does he think he is, indeed.
(In brief, Matthew's an ascended NPC Battletch character who was featured in the Mission “Battle of the Behemoth's”, he's been mentioned subsequently as Kamina's bondsman: who hangs around, looks surly, and is eager for glory.
I want to see if I can flesh him out and milk all the bizarreness of having a grim real robot warrior caste guy working for the Invincible Kamina for all it's worth.)
Background: *REQUIRED*
Matthew had a Clan upbringing. A Jade Falcon clan upbringing, raised in a huge 'sibko' of young warriors decanted at the same time, a veritable pack of young energetic children raised with the expectation of of becoming the greatest warriors in the galaxy.
Matthew had no parents, no relatives, no genetic family members. But he had what could be termed as dozens upon dozens of close, close friends, pushing, teasing, wrestling, challenging, and looking out for each other as brothers and sister do...and doing all the things high-school teenagers do with each other too.
These were the times that were unambiguously happy: A Cast of young, energetic ruffians, pushing each other to greater heights of daring, dreaming of their future as saviors of the universe, the ones that would set things right and complete the conquest of the Inner Sphere once the truce expired.
Every Sibko has it's share of stories and myths, told around campfires and in longhouses: tales of the early years of the Settlement of the Homeworlds, of masterless ronin warrior wandering the countryside slaying bandits and evil kings, defeating mutant Clan Totems, bandits, Inner Sphere pirates, and the like.
Matthew wasn't one of the eager listeners: he was one of the Storytellers. With a loud, clear voice, an ability to do thousands of accents, falconer bird whistles, and an instinctive grasp of drama, he knocked his sib's cheap , recycled Clan socks off.
He told stories from the Remembrance, occasionally spiced up with strange new Battlemechs from alien civilizations, evil sorcerers, pirates, and mysterious lone swordsmen. He told tales of an adventuring Yeti, wandering across a snow planet, fighting evil with his severed arm as he searched for a doctor to sew it back on. A young gun-toting Clan warrior riding across a mysterious empty planet with a sentient motorbike.
Above all, he told stories about heroic warriors, honorable and fearless, who could do the impossible and stand against entire armies with passion and guts.
These tales made an impression on his sibko; they made an even greater impression on himself. And when bandits raided the Sibko camp, he stood against them with a homemade spear, defying them in a proud clarion call-voice akin to the Falcon's cry itself.
And then one of the bandits shot him in the throat. His Sibko managed to take down the bandits. But a Trothkin of his named Saul was shot...and paid the bandit back before he died. He was younger than Matthew, and very shy and quiet...but he loved Matthew's stories.
Matthew survived and acquired a scar...and never told stories quite as often afterwards.
The Sibko was shaken by this event...which made it easier for the instructors of Jade Falcon to break apart their group dynamic during their training regimens, encouraging antagonisms, foster competition and one-upmanship, severing their old ties and bonds so that military bonds could be forged.
Matthew pondered defying this, but didn't.This was the second regret of his life.
Yet in the cockpit of a battlemech, he was just a dramatic as ever, passionately embracing the honor codes of Zelbrigen, charging forward to the attack, and proclaiming himself in grand language sprinkled with Remembrance quotes. This was all behavior in line with the Jade Falcon spirit, but he had a decided knack for it. He wound up reconnecting ever so slightly with two of his former Trothkins, Lola and Dex, during the final training exercises, coming up with group taunts and smack talk
(Lola was the tech geek, and Dex the clownish, teasing type).
During their Trials of Position, they each quietly held off on attacking each other until they had each downed a mech. From then on, they had developed a new camaraderie. Matthew, of the three, was still the most distant. This was the third regret of his life.
They were all transferred to a frontline Galaxy near the Lyran Commonwealth, and for a year were involved in numerous garrisoning activities, skirmishes, and raid. Then the Refusal War broke out, and in the chaos of the mobilization, Waco's Rangers, an Merc group with anti-Clan leanings hired by some Lyran Politicos for purposes of diplomatic deniability, raided the border regions, and Matthew's garrison was attacked.
The Mercs played it smart, and challenged the garrison according to the tenants of Zelbriggen, manipulating the bidding process so as to strip away the Garrison's heavier units.
The battle was grueling, long, and didn't go well. The inexperience of the base commander let to their munitions being exhausted.
Before Matthew's Cluster could be properly savaged, an order from the Council came, ordering them to abandon their posts and reinforce the front lines against Klan Wolf. The Wacos refused the request of Hegira, and so a Trinary was sacrificed as a rearguard to hold off the Merc company long enough for the Dropship to make liftoff.
Dex was assigned to the rearguard. Matthew barely managed to say goodbye before retreating with the rest of the Cluster, and never got to say the things to his fellow Sib that he'd wanted too. This was his fourth regret.
Afterward, he was transferred out of his old Cluster, separated from his comrade Lola. After many battle, skirmishes, and duties, he came to serve under commander Sandra Pryde, who he held in very high esteem for embodying honor as easily and casually as someone breathing air.
And then, on a Jumpship bound for Morges...a rift in space and time sent him and a Jade Falcon Expeditionary force to Terra itself. With visions of Bloodnames, glory, and lines in the Remembrance dancing in their heads, the mighty forces of Jade Falcon made landfall to claim Terra...
Personality: *REQUIRED*
(Show us you know the character. At least 3 or 4 paragraphs is a good length for this section.)
He was Jade Falcon. The shining star among the Crusader Clans, their conviction and zeal shall sweep aside the corrupt and weak Inner Sphere and claim Terra, rising to the exalted station of IlClan, bringing a golden age to all.
He is now of the Gurren Brigade, but Matthew still believes in his former Clan, and still believes in the Crusader ideology with all his heart, even as he may work to defend Terra from other Crusader Clans.
But among the many varieties of Clan warriors, he could be classified as one thing in particular:
A Punk.
He's a young, aggressive, dogmatic Mechwarrior, who takes everything too seriously and acts 'Mature' in that very special way only the immature can manage. Full of energy and obsession with all the life goals of a Clanner, he has no personal life or rewarding hobbies, and has not yet realized why devoting all his attention to duty, Bloodnames, and Glorious Victory is a bad thing.
He attempts to put on a persona of a grim, disciplined warrior, whose passion and zeal for combat, honor, and eventual death in battle follows the orthodoxy of Jade Falcon. Poke him, however, and his somewhat Tsundere tendencies come out.
At slights to his honor, challenges, taunts, and things that offend his Crusader sensibilities, he will mouth off like nobody's business, and often put his money wherever said mouth goes. Any thought of tact when dealing with freeborns and mercenaries will fly out the window when he's riled.
And when he profoundly moved by something, or in a more private setting, he'll let slip his inner love of the dramatic, his panache for storytelling and stories, and his fanboy tendencies for hot-blooded heroes of justice and impossible deeds.
Bring up his dere moments, and he'll call you a Surat.
This is his initial characterization. As time goes on, he'll grow in many varied ways. He'll mellow out. He'll learn to work with his inner drama queen rather than try to seal it away. He'll come to respect his Fellow White Chalice/Gurren Brigade members, then admire them, then become a true and loyal companion. His ideals will evolve, and he'll learn to fight for his own destiny and glory outside of the framework of Crusader dogma.
Or in a nutshell:
As Matthew journeys with the White Chalice and the Gurren Brigade, he'll learn to tell stories again.
Capabilities and Resources:
He's a genetically engineered super soldier: top physical condition, high reflexes, solid intellect, and almost-literally spartan training in war, piloting, and tactics. He doesn't quite have the head for strategy though, and he's an amateur at anything not related to bashing the enemy on the battlefield.
On the battlefield, he's bold, has good reflexes, and is a good shot. He tends to focus exclusively on dealing damage to his opponents, however, forgets to utilize cover, and ignores damage when he really shouldn't. Techs glare at him when he brings his mech back in from the field.
As with other Clan protagonists, his character arc will have him mellow out and learn to do and appreciate new things.
He believes himself to be a tranquil, disciplined, and serious fighter, the pinnacle of the ideals of a Clan warrior. Nobody else is fooled for an instant.
Not very deep down, Matthew is a hot-head. Not just any type of hot-head, but a hammy hot-head. It was destiny that brought him into the ranks of the brotherhood of manly souls, and who knows what the burning depths of his passion may lead him to under the proper tutelage.
He's also a very good storyteller. He can write stories nicely, but where he truly shines is around a campfire, gesturing, shouting, whispering, gesticulating, and the like. Think Dillios from 300, minus the leather underpants (and historical inaccuracies).
(*REQUIRED* if you have a robot)
Robot Name:
Nova: (Very Private Nickname, The Winged Star)
Robot Description:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Nova_(Black_Hawk)
There are many Real Robots like it, but this one is his.
The Nova is one of the earlier Clan Omnimechs, and a devastating opponent in land combat even up against heavier tonnage: it's also a mecha that's not gentle, and will turn on the pilot if he/she's careless.
It's a medium class mech with good land speed, potent jump jets, good armor, and a large assortment of heat sinks. In appearance, it resembles a squat wide shouldered bird/kangaroo, with a jet-like cockpit, chicken legs, and squarish forward facing arms with fists.
The heat sinks don't help as much as you'd think, because it mounts over 12 extended range medium lasers. In group fire, they shred armor like nobody's business. Against infantry, they can decimate and suppress. They can down all but the heaviest of mook mechs when fired in a single Alpha Strike. And maybe, just maybe, the Nova won't explode right after.
Besides the dangerous heat curve that the Nova runs, it lacks a proper torso: as a result, it can't circle strafe a target in the usual Battlemech fashion. A skilled user, however, can use the Nova's jump jets, properly feathered, to side-step, strafe, leap over, and otherwise evade enemy fire. Matthew is still working on mastering that skill.
(What weapons does it have and what can they do? Is your mecha a super (superhero-y) robot or a real (military-ish) robot? Does it have any special armor or forcefields? Magical powers? Traits? Can it fly? How? Feel free to link to a wiki or fansite to give an overview, but write the details down here.)
Terrain Stats: (This is optional, but for those who have played SRW, this is a good way to give us a quick judge of how good your mech is overall. For those of you who haven't played the games, they are measured: --, D, C, B, A, S, with -- or D meaning it can't fight there at all and S being the best. Note that only upgrades tend to have an S unless they are entirely gimped or unusable in other areas.)
Land: S
Air: C
Sea: C
Space: Default D (Rank A later when Matthew modifies the jump jets and attaches the Deep Space Modules.)
Upgrades: (if any)
Upgrade 1: Nova Messenger
Matthew eventually has a revelation about his trusty old Nova.
One, it overheats too rapidly, even with it's large array of heat sinks. And yet there's no room for additional heat sinks on the outside, not without nerfing it's striking power anyways.
It doesn't have provisions for close combat. A Earth Sphere Mech gets in close, and it can punch the coolant out of him like nobody's business...and too many of these Stravag-Freebirth Snot encrusted Earth Mechs have brutal melee attacks...and sweet pointy sunglasses–no, focus!
Lastly, every other Earth Sphere Mech and it's cousin can maneuver and fight in space. The Nova has potent jump jet capabilities, but in it's current form, it can only flail about or cling to the side of a ship.
How to solve these issues? Plot elements and character growth will lead to Matthew shucking some trueborn-related conceits, and he'll start studying and hanging with the Tech Castes.
He'll read about old-style radiators for spaceships, that dissipate heat in the vacuum of space through superheating metal fins until they glow.
He'll also read about the heat axes and sabers that were used by Zeon in the One Year War.
Idea.
The Mark II Nova Messenger is what results from this brainstorm. It attaches maneuvering jets at strategic locations on the Nova's torso and legs. It adds two thruster modules to the Nova's back and shoulders, that can sync with the reactor to propel out reaction mass and let it maneuver and travel in space.
(The weight of the modifications make it slower while walking, but the additional rockets and tweaked jump jets allow it to do 'rocket charges').
Sticking out from these thruster modules are six large metal radiators that taper to points, made of an endo-titanium/tungsten core plated with ferro-fiber-infused quartz. They radiate outward from the thruster modules in a fashion that resembles wings at a distance, and can move and rotate on gimbals, facing forwards, backwards or out to the sides
Two smaller radiator fins are also attached to the sides of the Nova's arms. As with the main radiator array, they are mounted on gimbals, and can flip forward to act as punch-dagger style swords.
When the Nova is running cool, the radiators glow a dull red and can cut through armor somewhat better than a normal sharp blade. As the Nova Messenger's heat curve runs higher and higher, the radiator blades grow hotter and hotter: When the blades are glowing bright orange/yellow, conventional armor is like butter–any hotter and the radiator blades will start to melt. Both the arm radiators and thruster radiators are tough enough to be used in melee, giving the modified Nova a potent porcupine-esque edge.
The additional radiators help the Nova Messenger even on the ground: it can now Alpha Strike without shutting down or exploding. It's still a Sauna of a Mech, though, and still as dangerous to foolish pilots as it ever was.
Upgrade 2: Do the Impossible and Kick Reason to the Curb...
Assuming he hangs around the Gurren Brigade long enough, strange things may start happening waaaayyyy in the future. His radiator fins might start looking more and more like drills. His lasers might get a little greener and more powerful...and 'gattais' may happen...
Until that hypothetical 'then', he'll stay thoroughly real robot.
Job: (if any)
Personal bondsmen to members of the Gurren Brigade: he has to be their servant, do chores and dirty work, and learn the ways of his new clan. When judged worthy, his bond-cord will be severed and he may arise as a Mechwarrior once more.
However, this is Kamina and the Gurren Brigade we're talking about. They don't grok Bondsman protocols. They might 'try' to let him get back in his Mech right off the bat, in blatant disregard of Clan traditions. They might nudge him into doing Gurren Lagann esque stuff. This shall frustrate him at first.
But Honor and Loyalty...and secretadmirationhush...will keep him true and steadfast.
Suggested Event List: (The event list should consist of important combat actions that would make good material for missions, or special events and logs that require mod or NPC intervention. Feel free to label an event as a Mission or a Log. At this point, canons should not have more than 20 events total.)
Matthew will quite likely play a role in the Battletech and Gurren Lagann canons if he's deemed worthy of approval. But in terms of original story missions based around his character, here are some ideas...
Mission 1: Everybody Wants to Kick a Merc!
More invaders from the Battletech Universe come barging in! It's not the Word of Blake or the Clans this time–It's goddamned Mercenaries! And not just any, but Waco's Rangers, the merc group that played dirty and killed his Trothkin! Matthew's got a score to settle against these evil profiteers, and he's going to let them know it (All the while not realizing that his regret for his Trothkin's glorious death is somewhat unclanlike).
Wayne Waco*, when confronted will have a blank look on his face until he's reminded which particular battle Matthew is worked up about. How shall this hamper Matthew's ability to think clearly, and how shall the Wily Wacos exploit this?
* http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Wayne_Waco
Mission 2: We Meet Again, My Friend:
Jade Falcon's next wave hits the Earth Sphere, and the White Chalice finds itself in battle again against a scouting cluster...led by Lola, her old Trothkin friend and survivor against the Rangers! Once members of the same clan, he finds himself pitted against a true companion, trapped and obligated by honor! Will he be forced to do something awful, or will the lessons taught to him by the brotherhood of manly souls convince him to find a better way?
Mission 3: Showdown at the Waco Corral:
Wacco's Rangers are back! Instead of working for the Lyran two-faced bastards, they're working for the dezgra surat-spawned Word of Blake, backing up a Blake Task Force looking to reclaim Terra with WMD tactics!
No matter what, Matthew will give his all, will lay down even his life, to destroy his enemies...and Avenge All His Fallen Friends!
Sample Post: *REQUIRED* (This should be in character, though it could be a journal entry or an action post or what have you. The purpose of this is to get a feel for your writing style and portrayal of the character.)
Matthew breathed out and in, drawing in moist, scorching air as the Behemoth finally fell, head smoking and ruined from the final flamer unit blast of the Terran Mechwarrior. It struck the ground, and it's mass and internal explosions cause the earth to rumble, resonating up through his Nova's legs and into his cockpit.
“Seyla.” He whispered, eyes brimming with what he firmly convinced himself to be the stinging sensation of his cockpit air.
But still...such bravery, such fearlessness in the service of comrades...this warrior was truly a credit to all freeborns everywhere, of the same rank as the great Mirioberg herself.
Matthew, Mechwarrior of Jade Falcon, swore to himself privately that his death in combat would surpass that of this Earthborn warrior.
But then his ruminations were cut off, as the Clan Wolf in Exile leader Ranna challenged Star Captain Sandra Pryde to a duel, bidding herself, the Wolf mechwarrior that Tynall had mentioned once in the dinning hall with a scowl, and three strange Earth Sphere Mechs.
Their features and limbs looked wrong to him, as if they were mechs truly designed by the aliens the Inner Sphere freeborns had initially thought them to be. They were...
“Like Beasts.” He whispered. “Fell horned demons from some great netherworld, summoned by an evil conjurer and set against all mankind. And against all their power and malice, against their conceit, the warrior of Jade Falcon rode...”
His voice trailed off. He pushed away the prose that rose up in his head, forcing himself to focus on the excitement of the upcoming bid, tensing, waiting...
“Mechwarrior Matthew!” Star Captain Pryde barked. “You shall form part of our Battcall. Fight well and cautiously. The freeborns Star Commander Ranna bring are no fodder.”
“Aff!” Matthew said, mouth breaking open into a wide, wide grin. “I shall destroy the enemy, Star Captain, and trod upon their Isorla-marked hindquarters amidst the wreckage!”
He reached for the throttle to moved his mech forward. The warrior Resnick of Clan Wolf transmitted a message!
“Freeborn warriors! Tell them who you are!”
Then on the public frequency, a new voice blared out as a crimson mech–
Matthew blinked. A torso for a face?
–raised it's remaining arm up the sky, posing on top of the wreckage of one of the scarab enemies.
"The leader of the Gurren Brigade, that which leaves any mere clan quivering in fear and envy, the hero of Jeeha who broke free and will leave his mark on the world forever! When they're talking about that man, they're talking about me! The Invincible Kamina!"
Everything fell away from Matthew's mind. Thoughts of composure, of death in battle, the calculations of possible Isorla and progress towards rank and the opportunity to fight for a Bloodname. His eyes widened, and a smile krept across his face without noticing. From deep inside himself, as it had long ago, words came. He moved his mech forward to face the one with a face, light exploding behind his eyes.
“Then I will be for you,” He growled, “Man of Men, Invincible Kamina!”
The others made their challenges, but Matthew barely noticed the other events, his vision, his world, narrowing down to the crimson mech with a face, this glorious opponent to be crushed with magnificent bombast.
This was destiny. This was greatness. This was the launch of his rising star.
“With falcon sight we choose our foes.” He said, voice pronouncing each syllable with verve. “On falcon wings we harry them. With falcon claws we smite our foes. And with falcon tenacity we win!”
He stroked his controls as he faced the mech of the man called Kamina, tying his lasers into several weapon groups. He bared his teeth in a grin, ready to bring the sunlight of his 'Nova' down upon this glorious upstart of a freebirth demon leader–
It charged! A projectile flew forth! He–
%%%
“You Sacrifice Yourself For Armament?” Matthew snarled. This **** is this?
“It was broken anyway!”
That...that does not...
%%%
–Crash!–
“Damned Freebirth! Fight with some honor!”
By which Matthew meant, STOP PUNCHING!
“A real man fights with his fists! Learn that before your talking to me about honor!”
But those are not your actual fists–
–Thunk, Crash!–
%%%
Alarms were going off in Matthew's cockpit as he hung limply in his straps, his HUD's damage display blinking yellow, his mech battered from the fall, but otherwise still intact. Matthew wasn't sure whether that was fortunate, or extra humiliating.
There was a crackle on the radio.
“That's what you get for going up against the Gurren Brigade! Heh-Heh Hahahahaha!!!”
There was a thump and a rocking of the Nova's chassis as the madman Kamina placed a foot on his Mech's flank, not seeking to crush him in the cockpit, but merely for the sake of a victory pose.
Matthew finally put together a concrete thought and statement.
“What.”
