Hanami Goto spends time in the Mech Hangar deciding what upgrades will have the most benefit to her and the operation. Based on her rating, performance data, and the benefits of ongoing research, new options have become available.
Hanami chooses to increase the amount of munitions she can carry for her LR Cannon. Also, she replaces her Adaptive Tracker I with an Adaptive Scope II, capable of rapid, high-resolution zoom with full spherical rotation and night vision.
Ranger now has the following specs:
Designation: Ranger
Class: Artillery / Long-Range
Model: Mark II
Frame: Medium
Chassis: Bipedal
Shield: Standard Shield I
Armor: Reinforced Plating I
Engine: 1x Fusion Core
Heat Management: Heat Sinks I
Jets: Standard Thrusters
Comms: Short-Range Q Point
Targeting: Adaptive Scope II
Modules: Aerial Topography Drone
Armaments
LA – Unarmed Strike (Melee)
LS – LR Cannon (Ranged, Ballistic), 40 rounds
RA – Unarmed Strike (Melee)
RS – MR Artillery Gun (Ranged, Explosive), 15 shells
Attack Rating - 1350
Defense Rating - 1000
Maneuverability Rating - 1000
Heat Rating – 1100
Chase MacArthur, limping a bit but rapidly regaining his bravado, goes to work next. He reviews the available upgrades and opts for speed and a better exit strategy. First, he upgrades from Standard Thrusters to Boost Thrusters, allowing for energy to be routed from the Core for a sustained increase in movement / flight speed.
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Second, having seen Icarus splayed out face first in the mud, he installs a modular upgrade that makes his fighter pilot heart feel more at ease—an ejection seat. Chase is shocked that these aren’t included standard in all the Mechs.
Ronin’s new specs look like this:
Designation: Ronin
Class: Frontline Fighter
Model: Mark II
Frame: Medium
Chassis: Bipedal
Shield: Standard Shield I
Armor: Reinforced Plating I
Engine: 1x Fusion Core
Heat Management: Heat Sinks II
Jets: Boost Thrusters
Comms: Short-Range Q Point
Targeting: Adaptive Tracker I
Modules: Ejection Seat
Armaments
LA – Unarmed Strike (Melee)
LS – Semiauto Cannon (Ranged, Ballistic), 60 rounds
RA – Unarmed Strike (Melee)
RS – Laser I (Ranged, Energy)
Attack Rating - 1000
Defense Rating - 1000
Maneuverability Rating - 1250
Heat Rating – 1200
Reo is a bit upset with losing his Impact Hammer, but now realizes that melee weapons may not be the way he wants to play it. Having studied his Mech carefully and the possibilities of what it can do, he pushes Doctor Yi and the team to modify Bombardier and bring it into a more hybrid fighting style.
Working hand in hand with the crew, Reo installs a Gatling Gun I mounted onto Bombardier’s right arm. He also increases the capacity of his Grenade Launcher and installs a single-use smoke bomb as an upgrade module.
Bombardier’s new specs:
Designation: Bombardier
Class: Demolition / Heavy Weapons
Model: Mark II
Frame: Heavy
Chassis: Bipedal
Shield: Standard Shield I
Armor: Reinforced Plating II
Engine: 2x Fusion Core
Heat Management: Heat Sinks I
Jets: Standard Thrusters
Comms: Short-Range Q Point
Targeting: Adaptive Tracker I
Modules: Smoke Bomb
Armaments
LA – Unarmed Strike (Melee)
LS – SR Missile Launcher (Missile), 4 Missiles
RA – Gatling Gun I (Ranged, Ballistic), 600 Rounds
RS – Grenade Launcher (Ranged, Explosive), 30 Grenades
Attack Rating - 1450
Defense Rating - 1200
Maneuverability Rating - 800
Heat Rating – 1000
Lastly, Kora meets with the crew and reviews all upgrade options. She realizes that she has very little defenses when it comes to ballistic weapons, relying on energy shields to protect herself and her team. She upgrades from Reinforced Plating I to Reinforced Plating II.
Also, thinking outside of the box, she selects a heavy ballistic shield that can be attached to Templar’s back when not in use or equipped two-handed to block against ballistic and explosive weapons. It is rectangular in appearance and dark slate in color, somewhere between a modern riot shield and a medieval tower shield, yet obviously immense in scale compared to a person.
Templar’s updated spec sheet:
Designation: Templar
Class: Shield
Model: Mark II
Frame: Light
Chassis: Bipedal
Shield: Standard Shield I
Armor: Reinforced Plating II
Engine: 1x Fusion Core
Heat Management: Coolant Frame I
Jets: Standard Thrusters
Comms: Short-Range Q Point
Targeting: Adaptive Tracker I
Modules: Deployable Dome Shield Generator
Armaments
LA – Directional Energy Shield / Ballistic Shield (Two-Handed, Unequipped)
LS – None
RA – Directional Energy Shield / Ballistic Shield (Two-Handed, Unequipped)
RS – Retractable Charge Cable
Attack Rating – N/A
Defense Rating - 1050
Maneuverability Rating - 1300
Heat Rating – 1300
And just like that, the four Rank 2 pilots watch their Mark II Mechs get repaired and upgraded, wondering where Operation Aegis Drift will take them next.