Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Chapter 9: Walking Advertisement

Ayre watched as Raven loaded up yet another simulation. The day after their mission to the Hjalmar Mine and the arrival of the PCA suppression fleet, the mercenary support system ALLMIND had granted Raven access to a massive library of simulation data collected from all known ACs operating on Rubicon.

He'd spent most of his waking time since then studying and learning to fight their specific loadouts. There were no missions available that weren't as suicidal last stands against the superior PCA forces that were currently trying to squash the corporations.

In the meantime, Ayre had taken to trying to scrape what information she could from netboards regarding PCA hardware. Subject Guard MTs were fairly well known, being more mobile and better armed than BAWS' offerings, but still muscle tracers nonetheless.

Their Light Cavalry units, on the other hand, were mass produced machines that could go toe to toe with an AC. They'd seemed larger than OBSIDIAN WING during the sortie, but after reviewing the combat footage, Ayre was floored to find that the LC appeared to be almost twice the height of a standard AC, which stood at 10 meters. They encountered two types, one equipped with a long range laser cannon, while the other was up-armored with a missile launcher, a rifle with an under-slung grenade launcher, and carried a physical shield on the left arm.

If rumors were to be believed, there were numerous other permutations of the machines out there, including a model labeled "high mobility." If it needed a special designation for that, it would likely be a nightmare to fight against. There were also whispers that PCA was also preparing a heavier model.

Ayre began assembling an entire document with the information she'd found while her partner finished her latest combat sim. She needed to make sure Raven had as much info as possible on these unknown threats

...

The combat sim ended as 621 delivered a fatal blow, his simulated opponent bearing the loadout of V.I Freud. Over the past two weeks after they started to lay low it had drilled on the simulator data to learn the weapon loadouts and tactics of the skilled AC pilots on Rubicon.

Anyone not on the list was likely completely unremarkable and not worthy of special preparation for.

"Raven, I've been gathering information on the PCA." Ayre informed, "Take a look."

It could feel anticipation, and contentment. Ayre was proud of whatever it was she'd done.

621 opened the document, perusing over the loadout dossiers and combat footage analysis, along with estimates for internal component specifications based on available information. It was a report on the hardware the PCA enforcement squads fielded.

There was also a section on models not yet encountered, including a truly massive machine with the label "Heavy?" It was noted to have a laser weapon and a shield, possibly employing pulse weaponry and defenses.

<<Thank you.>>

"I'm your Operator, it's my job to do this sort of thing. And..." Ayre paused, "I want to help keep you safe."

621 could feel the sensation of being embraced, a face resting against its head as it relaxed in the darkness of the AC cockpit.

<<And I you.>>

The COM system announcing that there was an incoming transmission disturbed them, Ayre losing her focus on 621 at the noise.

"Well, Raven, might as well see what it is." she suggested.

It was tagged as arriving from Arquebus' Vespers.

"Hey, Raven. It's me, Rusty, your old buddy from the Vespers." said Rusty, "Haven't talked since we climbed the Wall... I'd love to catch up, but I'll cut to the chase. The PCA has deployed its suppression fleet, and now it's laying down the law all over Rubicon. We've already lost several survey bases, and Balam's in a sorry state too. For their part, the Rubicon Liberation Front sees this as an opportunity."