SBI - G1- HA Myrmidon

STARBLADE BATTALION

SBI (Starblade Industries) SBI - G1 - HA "MYRMIDON"

Story - Shawn Hagen (www.netroute.net/~hagen)
HTML Sheet - LITTLE LOCUS (www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/6243)

**Mekton Stats:**
Configuration	MV	MR	LAND MA	AIR MA
Humanoid	-3		5	14

Maneuver pool:

+66%

Main Systems: x0.8

Powerplant XS: 1

Space, Artic & Desert

Supercharged Powerplant

+2 Verniers (mated thrusters)

Virtual Controls

Hvy. Hidraulics(+1K,-1Spc)

**Mecha combat skills:**
Mecha piloting	+MR=
Mecha fighting	+MR=
Mecha melee	+MR=
Mecha gunnery	+MR=
Mecha missiles	+MR=

Name	Weight	Height	Cost	Speed
MYRMIDON	75 Tn	18 m	645.3	1.75 G
Cockpit	#Crew	Type	Enc.	Options
Torso	1	Virtual	Armrd	M-Pod

SERVO	LEVEL	KILLS	ADD+	ARMOR	SP	DC
HEAD	MW	6	-	M. Hvy	8	4
TORSO	LH	14	-	H. Hvy	8	4
R.ARM	MW	7	+1	M. Hvy	8	4
L.ARM	MW	7	+1	M. Hvy	8	4
R.LEG	MW	7	+2	M. Hvy	8	4
L.LEG	MW	7	+2	M. Hvy	8	4
R.U.WING	MW	6	-	M. Hvy	8	4
R.L.WING	MW	6	-	M. Hvy	8	4
L.U.WING	MW	6	-	M. Hvy	8	4
L.U.WING	MW	6	-	M. Hvy	8	4

Subassemblyes	Loc	K
Weapon Mount	Torso
Anti Theft, Liftwire, Stereo	Torso	-
2 Spotlights, Damage Control	Head	-
Micromanipulator	R. Arm	-
+1 Cool (Bárbaro!)	All	-
1000 Km Fuel (6.8 Tn)	All	-
Weight Eff. (-28.8 Tn)	-	-

**Notes:** Fited with ASP
Sensors	Main	Backup
Loc	Head	Torso
Range	20 Km	1 Km
Comm	1800 Km	300 Km
Kills	2	2

**Movement Systems:**
System	Loc	K
Thruster (2 MA)x6	var.	-
on Wings & Legs

SHIELD	DA	SP	DC	AbC	Loc	Notes
Standard	-2	9	4	-	LA	Mounted

Weapon systems:

Weapon	WA	Range	Damage	Shots	Kills	Location	Notes
Right / Left Hand	+0	-	1K+2K each	-	1 / 1	RA/LA	Quick, Handy
Laser Pod	+3	-	"2"	inf.	1	Head	Dedicated Counter-Missile, Fragile
Swarm Missiles	+1	8	1K	40	3	Torso
Heavy Missiles	+1	10	8	4	3	Torso
Type 1 Plasma Rifle	+1	11	5K	inf.	5	1H	Burst Value 2
Hvy Gauss Cannon	+1	14	10K AP	10	10	TMT	HEAP Ammo
Battle Ax	+0	-	6K + 2K AP	-	6	1H	AP, Thrown (range 4)

OPTIONAL ARMAMENT: Substitude a Roberts MK III VH Plasma Cannon (WA +1, 20K, range 18, W-Up 1, 20 Kills, Wide 60 deegres) for the Heavy Gauss Cannon; requires a second, QCM-ed (for ease of field substitution), Torso Weapon Mount. Add 0.4 Tn fuel to maintain operative range. Total operative mass creeps up to 79.4 Tons (100 Kg more and the MV would have droped!). Total cost 803.7 CP (boy, this gun is COSTLY!)

Edward liked a bit of spectacle. He had everyone in a glassed in booth above the design bay. The bay was completely dark, the light from the room reflected off the glass so all the people inside the booth could see was themselves.
"Ladies, Gentlemen," he smiled. "I would like to present the Star Blade Battalion's new HA design. I give you the 'Myrmidon'."

The lights came on in the bay, illuminating the suit that stood there. It was a large unit, but still a little shorter than other HAs were. It's head looked like some fearsome charicture of a demon, until one realized all the eyes were actually spotlights. It's left arm was partially hidden by the shield it carried. In its right hand was a rifle--the weapon had a long, thin, tapering barrel.

A cannon, almost as long as the suit was tall, was mounted on the suit's left shoulder, swung forward, pointing at the booth.

Edward gave them some time to take the entire weapon system in, time to wonder about some of the other features. He was not too much of a showman, but what he was showing made up for that. "Let us begin with the basics. The suit below you is 18 meters in height, and weighs in at 75 tons. Its ground speed is 90 kilometers per hour, and it can reach a flight speed of 453 kilometers per hour. Just to give credit where credit is due, we have Miss Belin to thank for the flight system."

"It's primary weapon is the rifle in its right hand. The rifle is a type 1, Roberts type, plasma rifle."

"An energy weapon?" someone asked.

Edward nodded. "May I ask that you hold your questions until the presentation is finished. Now, as I was saying, the plasma rifle is its main weapon. This weapon has penetration and damage comparable to the Crossbones' rail rifle and the GRM-14, so no problems there. We also have an unlimited ammunition supply, or unlimited as long as the suit's power plant is still functioning.

"The cannon you see on the left shoulder is similar to the Manticore's main weapon, though ours is not a rapid-firing weapon. It is more accurate though. The lack of automatic fire makes it more stable, and it can be fired with just the support of the weapon mount," as he spoke the cannon began to track back and forth, then swung back, folding behind the suit in its storage position.

"Other weapon systems include four heavy missiles in the left side of the torso, and forty, long-range swarm missiles on the right side. We have also given it a rather unique melee weapon."

Below them the suit smoothly locked the rifle into a set of clamps on the rear of the shield, then reached over its right shoulder. A moment later it pulled forth a battle ax. "The ax as been designed not only to cut through armour with ease, but it is also balanced for throwing.

"Again, I owe thanks to Dr. Roberts for the anti-missile system, which, like the rifle, is energy-based. The cockpit design is a gift from Miss Belin, as is the armour. Now, I'd like to move this down to the floor where we can take a closer look at the suit, and I can point out more features. After that I will take your questions. Later today we will be having a demonstration of the suit's capabilities. Now if you will follow me," he started towards the door.

"What do you think Dr. Ryuzaki?" Tess asked as they followed with the others.
"It's an efficient design, quite well thought out. I've already seen the specs, and some of the testing that Dr. Lars has already performed. I suspect it will give the ODF and the SAC quite the surprise the first time they face it."

Notes: Well, when Lars offered me the chance to give this thing a shakedown I jumped at the chance. From all I had heard it was the hottest thing in all of space at that point. Everyone was saying the Myrmidon was going to put all the other suits in their place. I don't know about that, but I will say the other HAs out there better watch their butts.
The first thing I think any pilot is bound to notice it that cockpit. Bunch if different names for it, but I like 'fishbowl' the best. Heard that is what the lady who designed it calls it. Anyways, you enter the cockpit through a hatch in the chest, no head cockpit in these baby's. The hatch is reassuringly thick, and opens with a combination. Damn pad is hard to get at though so I think I'll just leave it unlocked. Anyway, you kind of have to spin about once you get the hatch open, reach up, grab these bars, and pull yourself up, into the seat. All right in low gravity situation, but in normal gravity, pilots without a lot of upper body strength might find it hard to get into their suits. Easily solved though, more push ups for pilots.
Anyway, once you've got yourself pulled into the seat, the seat tilts up, so you don't have to worry about falling any longer. Once you release the handholds, the seat pulls back into the fishbowl, locks into place, nice and secure. Most of the controls are on your arm rests, real easy to get at, with a forward panel that swings into place once you've got yourself all nice and settled.
After I had done this the first time, I was sitting there, wondering what was what. No one had explained the fishbowl to me, so I wasn't up to speed on it. I'm sitting in the spherical space, the interior covered by these odd, gray tiles. Then Dr. Lars is chatting on my head set, telling me to begin power up procedures.
So I do as he says and then, a few seconds later, bam! I'm hanging up midair, looking all around me, trying to figure out where the mech went. You see, the fish bowls interior is covered by high definition flat screens. You got a true three hundred and sixty degree picture of what is going on around you. Look behind you, you see what is behind you, look below your legs, you see what is below you. Wild really, but that first time I was more than a little freaked out.
After I calmed down a little I began to appreciate the fishbowl. Not only can you see three sixty, but wherever you look, the computer tracks you and puts up the sensor data and all that close to where you are looking. Handy, but it can get a bit cluttered. I talked to the Doc about this and he reprogrammed the software. No I choose what info I want to jump around, and the rest remains at the front.
He also added in a faint sort of outline that shows you where the parts of your suit are. It does not interfere with vision and it sure helps in tight quarters. It also makes me feel a little better. That feeling of just floating, with nothing around you, it can get a bit scary, as it were. I think pilots getting use to this thing are going to get a bit freaked at first.
Well, after a while I got use to the cockpit, so, I started working out the rest. Out in space I got to give it a hard ride. What can I say. I'm hooked. This thing is fast. Oh, not as fast as the interceptors or the soldiers, but faster than you'd expect her to be. She just motors, and handles well, for such a monster. No complaints there, though the way they got everything hooked up, you start loosing thrust, you also start getting sluggish. Nothing you can really do about it, but I think I'll do what I can to keep from getting hit, not matter how tough this armour is.
The Plasma rifle is nice, nothing special, but not having to worry about ammo gives makes things easier. Same goes for the laser pod. Takes missiles down real nice. Hear they might be adding another antimissile system to this thing, putting it in the shoulders. Wouldn't say no to that. Missiles can spoil your day big time.
Not much in the way of missiles for this thing, but I like them. They're dumb, but that's okay. I figure I'll use the big ones against ships, nice, easy to hit targets anyway, and use the swarm pack to saturate an area before I go in with the plasma rifle.
When it is time to get up close, that battle axe does the trick. We set up a couple of old mining suits with a lot of boiler plate bolted on just to make them a little tougher, but that thing just went straight through them. And you can throw it as well. The first time any enemy sees that they'll be pretty surprised, and then I figure they'll be pretty dead. What can I say. I like it.
The shield on the left arm is nothing special, but it is big and you can swing it about nicely. Probably will come in handy every now and again. As for the antiship cannon, well, it will probably do its job well enough. That's all I'd ever use it on, unless I was really desperate. I've got lots of other choices after all.
Speaking of other choices, you should see what the feet of this thing can do. They've been shaped so that they cut through armour as well as the axe. You kick something with one of these things, odds are they are going to feel it bad.
As for the rest, well, I'd like some more fuel, but I guess you can't win them all. Also the clips they put on the rear of the shield to hold the rifle when you are not using it kind of suck. After putting the rifle in them, and pulling it out several times, they started giving me grief. Twice the weapon fell out, and once I couldn't pull it free. Lars tells me it is a minor problem and will be easy to fix. I hope so, otherwise that little problem could cause some major inconveniences.
After five days of putting Myrmidon through its paces with a vengeance, I have found no real problems with it. It is a good suit and I have no complaints. Well, perhaps one. It has not been designed to work underwater, or in any other adverse environments. Lars tells me that while such modifications can be made, they won't be used on all suits. It's a matter of saving money. A little disappointing, still I hope to be assigned one.

-An excerpt from the pilot log of Geoffrey Lin, Charybdis test pilot.

"So, what's new?"
"Dr. Roberts built a new cannon for the Myrmidon."
"Energy?"
"Yes."
"So she really did not need my help."
"Guess not."
"I hate her."
"Join the club."
"So, what's it like?"
"The cannon? Pretty impressive from what I have heard. The most powerful weapon to ever be mounted on a suit. It takes a bit of time to charge up, but it can blanket a large area of space and rip most suits apart with one blast."
"Sounds like a fun toy."

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