Sazzarran collecting giant species of stinzoa (creatures) across their part of the galaxy. The Imperium needed something that could easily handle any of the giant creatures.
It took several years, and several prototypes. They tried with a two man crew in the head of the MECHA. The physical manipulation of the MECHA was extremely difficult with just one pilot, considering the MECHA was 60 metres tall. With two pilots they could manage it better. But the physical aspect required some skill and much effort that would physically drain the pilots after a day's work moving around in it.
It took many months of field testing, but eventually the Research teams were able to devise a mind link system that allowed one pilot to manipulate the MECHA. Although, it would still be a lot of effort to move the MECHA and engage in combat while commanding others. A two-person crew would allow one of them to be Commander and Gunner, while the other concentrated on piloting the MECHA. A three-person crew was best for a MECHA. One would Command, one would operate the weapons, and the third would pilot the MECHA, mainly just operating the legs.
However, the powers that be wanted to experiment with single pilot MECHA. So, the scientists eventually developed a mind link with just one pilot in an enclosed gel padded cockpit. The pilot would be in a light power armoured suit and attached to the MECHA through mind linking cables to his legs, arms and helmet. The pilot had better control over legs for movement and arms for using any weapons. However, it still took a lot of concentration and mental effort to maintain it for any period of time.
The official designation of the single pilot MECHA was Experimental Prototype MECHA (XPM)-01. It stood 60 metres tall, carried a plasma rifle in its right hand, two internal mounted torso missile launchers, and detachable leg missile launchers.
The first to pilot it was not Colonel Nogel. It was Battle Major Davvis Sewik-Rando. The two of them had become a good team since the MRD started. Vankar wanted his friend, Davvis, to have first shot at piloting the MECHA. The man had gone through a lot to get to this point in history, and Vankar was willing to let him have the honour and glory.
XPM-01 performed admirably in agility, reaction time, and targetry. However, it had to be tested in a near real firefight to determine if the pilot, and the MECHA could perform just as well under a more stressful situation. So, they transported the MECHA with the 39th PI Battalion (PIB) to the closest contested world, Orrim.
Orrim had a small colony of a few thousand people of mixed allied species. They had recently been taken over by an under strength battalion of Sazzarran soldiers. The Sazzarran apparently had a giant four legged, centaur-like creature with them. It was 40 metres tall, carried a massive double-bladed axe in its right hand, and had several long barbed tail whips that could easily catch anyone on the ground or as high as 20 metres into the air.
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| The "Brawler" class stinzo (creature). |
Once the Djoreli space navy was able to eliminate any Sazzarran ships in orbit, they sent down their dropships and assaulted the Sazzarran garrison located outside the colony. While the 39th PIB took on any Sazzarran ground and air troops, XPM-01 headed straight for the centaur creature, later called the Brawler class by the Djoreli.
Battle Major Sewik-Rando fired a salvo of six missiles at the centaur as it charged towards his MECHA. Although the targeting system was working, four of the missiles appeared to either bounce off the centaur's hide, or miss altogether. The two that did hit, struck a front leg and the torso. The creature lost its balance for a moment. but due to its momentum still carried it closer to the MECHA.
XPM-01 fired the MECHA sized plasma rifle. The centaur suffered some burn damage from the shots as it closed in. The thing was massive, angry, and apparently determined to take the MECHA down. As it closed within melee range, XPM-01 placed the rifle against its back, using a magnetic clamp system, and ignited the energy blades from its two forearms as it adopted a defensive stance.
A second before the centaur slammed into the MECHA, the creature swung its massive axe in an overhead arc in an attempt to strike the head. Battle Major Sewik-Rando, seeing this, shifted his stance enough for the blade to screech off the field grey armour, cutting a deep groove into the MECHAs head and left shoulder.
XPM-01 used its right arm to jab upwards into the creature's torso, while using the left energy blade to block the axe arm and try to cut it off. The creature, seeing what the MECHA was trying to do, took a couple of steps back, then lifted its body up and used it front legs to kick at the torso of the MECHA. The impact knocked the MECHA off its feet and back 30 metres.
BM Sewik-Rando was stunned by the attack, and attempted to get back up as his internal systems were screaming for attention. He turned the alarms off, and found that the torso had been caved in enough to cause an open fracture. Another hit like that and the MECHA's engine could be compromised.
As XPM-01 got back up, the centaur did not pause as it immediately advanced on the MECHA, and proceeded to stamp down on it with its hooves. XPM-01 used its left hand to grab the front forward leg and cut at it with the right forearm blade. The energy from the blade cauterized the wound as it severed the limb. The creature fell back and to its right side, screaming in anger and pain. The centaur glared at the MECHA, and threw its axe dead center at the MECHAs torso. The blade embedded itself deep enough into the MECHA to severely damage the fusion powered core.
BM Sewik-Rando knew he did not have much time to escape the MECHA before it blew apart, so he moved the MECHA on top of the centaur creature and hit the emergency escape button. it did not work. In fact, most of the systems were going offline. Seconds later, as the centaur tried to get away from the MECHA, XPM-01 exploded, forming a small nuclear explosion, destroying everything within one kilometre of it, and causing severe damage to anything within another three kilometres of the blast.
The Battlemaster will conclude on Monday, December 11th.
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