Wednesday 5 June 2013

ThreeA - WWR : Peaceday Dropcloth 1.5U












If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed.
- Leo Tolstoy.

The next step in changing the world.
- Peace Corps.

A (mis) interpretation :

Category : Warbot.
Unit type : Mass production tactical warbot - security provision.
Model type : Dropcloth 1.5U.
Designation : Alfred.
Manufacturer : Herbert and Spencer Corporation.
Affiliation : 24th "Peace Day" Division (excommunicated, 1940), Peace Corps, United Space Colonies Federation.
Powerplant : Single turbo BRINK supercharger diesel engine.
Armour type : Super hardened ceramic steel composite alloy.
Armour thickness : 60mm.
Height : 6.5 feet.
Weight : 500 kg.
Std. armaments : "Rest In Peace" - 9 x 19mm 1C5O sub-machine gun x 1; "Peacemaker" - 12 gauge 1C5O semi-automatic shotgun x 1; "Peace Out" - .45 1C5O semi-automatic handgun x 2; Paix Coupeur - SdA coupe coupe machete x 1; Sarong - carbon nano-weaved protective mantle x 2; Auspex - multi-scanners and sensors; Task Intelligence System (T.I.) ver. 2.

The Peace Corps was originally a volunteer group established by the Rothchild family dynasty under the auspices of the politically neutral and isolationist United Space Colonies Federation (USCF). Their work focused primarily on social and economic development due to the impact of the Great War. Officially a non-profit organisation, it was primarily funded by the Rothchild Corporation as part of its philanthropy endeavour. In actual fact, the Rothchild Corporation used the group to evade tax/tithe payments, for slush funding, conducting covert operations on behalf of the mega-corporation interest as well as steering the political/ideological directions of the nations the volunteers were sent to. Its headquarter was based on "Mother Teresa" space colony, Site 3, L2. Equivalent counterparts to the Peace Corps was the Crisis Corps, which consisted of the global EMGY TRG garrisons, and the Newel Medic Corps. The Peace Corps was equally equipped with warbots to effectively carry out its objectives as well as participating in low intensity operations.
The Great War began on 28th July 1914 upon the secession of the Archduchy of Mars from Terra following the declaration of independence. The seven ruling nations of Terra formed a united global army known as the Terra Coalition Armed Forces and mobilises against Mars. After the Terra Coalition defeated the Archduchy Army in a series of successful offensives, Mars, which had its own trouble with theocratic revolutionaries, agreed to an armistice on 11th November 1918, ending the war in victory for Terra. The Archduchess Llana of Gathol, abdicated, effectively ended the ruling dynasty established by the Archduke Jon J. Carter, the first man to land on the red planet in 1865.
After the war, the Paris Peace Conference imposed a series of peace treaties on the former Archduchy of Mars government officially ending the war. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles forced Mars, despite its vehement protests, to admit guilt for starting the war back in 1914, and therefore being liable for huge reparations. The great majority of Martians felt humiliated and resentful on this point, and it became a major campaign issue for the Ecclesiarchy Movement in the 1920s. The Principality of Mars was then established by Terra. The puppet government was doomed from the start, saddled with hyperinflation, massive unemployment and violent, societal upheaval. Theocratic nationalist movements emerged and became popular amongst the local population. One particular party, the Ecclesiarchy Movement, gained tremendous popularity during such tumultuous time. This was due to the fiery "sermons" of self-appointed "saviour" of the local population and leader of the party, the charismatic demagogue and hierophant,  Baldassare  Giovanni. Giovanni preached and convinced the majority of the Martian population that the atheist, oligarchic aristocracy governments of Terra and the Principality was religiously and morally bankrupt. He stressed that the failure of the Archduchy governance was due to the lack of faith, and more seriously, convinced the population that the defeat was due to political betrayal by those new immigrant Terra "heretics" amongst them. Giovanni also wants to extend the political sphere of Mars to Terra due to economic and living space issues. Sustainable living space was a monumental problems, as regardless of the atmospheric stations capabilities, calculations showed that Mars would lose its current terra formed environment in the next 100 years. Subterranean towns and few hive cities were beginning to establish to avoid the increasingly harsh surface environments of Mars. The Ecclesiarchy Movement subsequently began a series of guerrilla warfare against the Principality under the leadership of Giovanni. The latter was briefly arrested after a failed coup known as the March on Olympus Mons in 1923. In prison, Giovanni wrote a 20 volumes texts called "The Martian Dilemma".
A series of guerrilla assaults or "incidences"  eventually cumulated at the Marcus Paulus Space Harbour Incident in 1927 which marked a full military conflict between the two factions. Terra sent military auxiliary reinforcements but were ineffective due to  its own military and logistical shortfall after the first conflict. A flu pandemic also swept across Terra during this period which killed several hundreds of thousands. The Principality Army was finally defeated and surrendered after the Mars Revolution by 1928. Giovanni seized power and established himself as the Ecclesiarch, de facto religious leader and head of the planet nation's government known as the Ecclesiarchy of Mars, a totalitarian theocratic government. Pogroms were launched and hundreds of thousands perished. Due to the Treaty of Lausanne, massive population exchange between Terra and Mars occurred in which several tens of thousands people were believed to have died. The new government immediately embarked on a full re-militarisation programme. Giovanni, now officially known as the Ecclesiarch Boniface the First, began to secretly plan a large scale military operation upon Terra which he called The Great Crusade.
The Ecclesiarchy declared independence and simultaneously launched an all-out war against Terra, embarking on a full scaled military operations on 1st September 1939, marking the beginning of the second phase of the Great War. The Martian forces launched surprise attacks against Terra's navy harbours, military outposts and forge centres, effectively crippling majority of their navy fleets on  Side 1, Side 2, and Side 4 space colonies on L5 and L4. Attacking a mere three seconds after officially declaring war (a fact that was sardonically referred to as the "three second warning"), the Ecclesiarchy army, known as the Frateris Militia, used the Rothchild Corporation warbots to eliminate Terra Space Navy Forces resistance. It was during this time that Luna and Site 3 at L2 declared its neutrality in the conflict.  The Ecclesiarchy then launched Operation God's Hammer, which involved dropping two derelict colony cylinders onto the Tokaido City and Aus City. However, particle cannons from Terra's remaining defence orbital satellites caused the colony cylinders to disintegrate. Two largest chunks hit Perth district in Western Aus Republic, Oceania and Kowloon sub-sector in Sino City Two, Eastasia respectively. Its impact wiped out 16% of the both continents, creating a 300-mile crater on each area. The opening conflict and first week of war, known as the One Week Battle, resulted in the near complete destruction of primary sectors of Eastasia, Eurasia and catastrophic climate change on Earth, killing 50% of Terra populations. Terra was caught by total surprise and any battle was one-sided. 
Terra retaliated by bombarding Mars with asteroid missiles through Operation Meteor, devastated most of the atmospheric stations and wiped out majority of surface dwelling human population cities and towns.  However, the Ecclesiarchy of Mars remains intact, as majority of the military installations and forge centres were located underground, with the primary target, the headquarter of the Ecclesiarch, located beneath Olympus Mons, making it impervious to any conventional inertia drop assaults. Majority of the asteroid missiles also did not reach the surface due to Mars' twin orbit defence rings. Terra's 1st Navy Fleet, which carried out the operation, was exhausted, due to the just concluded military suppression of the Zeon Uprising on Ceres and could not push through Deimos and Phobos twin defence rings, and was forced to withdraw.
Twelve months into the Great War, the total human casualties reached approximately 8 billion on both sides, due to the indiscriminate use of weapons of mass destructions by both forces. The Peace Corps stepped in and acted as mediator to both forces, resulting in the Treaty of Antarctica, which resolved the issues regarding the rules of war. It resulted in a unanimous agreement of total ban of all forms of weapons of mass destructions. NBC strikes and inertia assaults such as space colony drops and asteroid missiles were prohibited. Neutrality by Luna and Site 3, L2 were recognised and enforced. Both factions had examined their military and political positions during that time, and each had positive strategic interests and tactical advantage in signing the treaty. But no one was more delighted than Darwin Rothchild himself, whom had brokered for the treaty. It simply meant the Great War was confined to conventional warfare and a prolong war. 
After the annihilation of Terra's Navy Forces, the Ecclesiarchy of Mars had conquered a large swathe of Terra's territory, totalling two-thirds of the Earth's land mass, including most of Eastasia, Oceania, Eurasia, Europa and United Kingdom of Afrika, through a series of blitzkrieg assaults. Unfortunately, they did not possess enough troops nor logistical and resources to maintain control over all of the territories and thus were forced to defend captured key forge and resource centres. Although the newly established Terra Coalition Armed Forces received the equally advance warbots from the Rothchild Corporation, it was still lagging behind in terms of military numerical superiority compared to the Frateris Militia. The Terra Coalition also struggled for military cohesion as well as the question of resource allocations. Both factions were now locked in a symmetrical warfare, each too weak nor strong enough to claim an absolute victory over another.
Thus a conference to discuss on an agreement for truce was suggested and agreed upon by both factions after several delegates met from both sides. Representing the Terra nations  was Foreign Representative Archduke Heinrich Solvil, and  on behalf of Mars, the Cardinal Palatine of the Ecclesiarchy, Gordianus Von Marianus. The date was set on 2nd September 1945 and the convened site for the conference was agreed to be at the "Geneva" space colony, Site 3, L2. The Peace Corps was unanimously appointed by both factions to provide a neutral security for both attending delegates and invited dignitaries. A special division was raised for the conference, the 24th "Peace Day" Division, consisting entirely of Dropcloth 1.5U version. According to Herbert and Spencer Corporation proposal, the historical event was an opportunity to showcase their latest infantry warbot, an upgraded version of the Dropcloth series. Telecasted live from Terra to Mars, the event was filled with much fanfare and positive anticipations. Each representatives took turn to make official speeches. By the end of Marianus's speech, 100 doves, the traditional symbol of peace, were released much to the excitement of the attendees. The thunderous applauses suddenly came to a halt and replaced by the sound of firing bullets. The horror then started.
The 24th Peace Day Division had suddenly began shooting at the doves and before their shot out, flaming carcasses hit the tarmac, the Dropcloths then turned upon the attendees. Firing indiscriminately, everyone present were killed in the ensuing massacre, including Solvil and Marianus. Screams and cries of terror were echoing everywhere before being silent forever as bullets continue to fire and the sound of fleshes being chopped. Prior to the conference, a garrison of the EMGY TRG from the Crisis Corps had been ordered to be stationed nearby as security backup in case of Martian zealots or Terra ultras attack. The EMGY TRG garrison responded 10 minutes too late, and by the time they engaged the trigger-happy 24th, no one and nothing were left standing. The Crisis Corps ordered the EMGY TRG to eliminate the 24th with extreme prejudice. The fighting lasted half an hour. Only three Dropcloths from the EMGY TRG were left standing. The sickening scene of death and shattered warbots, some tangled together in their death throes, filled the entire conference area, now resembling a warzone.
Any chances for peace were shattered forever by the incident, infamously called "The Peace Day Massacre". Any thin treads of trust connecting both factions toward the path of ending the war were burnt off perpetually. The Great War resumed, with ever greater intensity and hatred between the two factions. The timing could not had been better for Darwin Rothchild, as he re-watched the vid vox recordings of the massacre over and over again within one of his secret hideouts on Terra after the Assault on Rothchild City by The N.OM. Legion. The Herbert and Spencer cyber-engineers, tabled an official report from their diagnosis on the 24th Peace Day Dropcloth and pointed out that its Task Intelligence's SAFQL programme had been infected with virus of unknown origin, causing heightened aggression as well as mistaken the doves as SPAZ ammunitions. With no witness due to 100% casualty, all pic vids and vox recordings confiscated, both factions accepted this as the official cause. The USCF were blamed, which in turn forced the Peace Corps to accept absolute responsibility for the incident. Although the Peace Corps was not dissolved, all its directors underwent trials and sentenced to lifetime imprisonment on the penal colony of Butcher's Bay, Site 7, L3. Terra and Mars each independently began to politically harass the USCF, including demand for reparations for the incident and military threats. The USCF  eventually caved in to the political pressures, leading to the Ecclesiarchy of Mars'  military occupation of Site 1, L5 and establishment of the Tannhäuser Gate, an asteroid military and supply base of which became the primary staging area for attacks on Terra. Site 8, L1 itself was annexed by Terra and re-established as the Vichy of Terra. The Great War then evolves into numerous proxy wars amongst various factions. All doves were culled worldwide on Terra, leading to their extinction and the only surviving dove during the massacre, nicknamed Edwin, was secured by the Herbert and Spencer Corportion. Upon its death, it underwent taxidermy and was displayed on Darwin's desk whom occasionally glanced at it and always brought a smile on his face.

.....................................................................................................................

This is my first Dropcloth, a infantry type, typical tin-can designed robot from 3A as based on Ashley Wood's stylised art. This is the "1.5" version, so, in addition to the neck/collar shield, there's an additional pair of arm protectors and dual eyes, instead of mono. Comes with a sub-machine gun, shotgun, and a chopper. The art and design layout of the box is now taking the direction of the Caesar and Harold, with a short write up, and schematic of the accessories which comes with the figure. The Peace Day colourway is not new. It's first debut  was in the form of the first version, as a special drop during Christmas 2009 and was highly sought after in the aftermarket, commanding insane, flippers price, typical of those exclusive, secret drop and what not from 3A. If I am not mistaken, there is a Peaceday Square as well, which comes bundled with another hard to find EMGY first generation Droppy. Fortunately, the 1.5U version was offered as a standard release, with other random drop, including the ever popular EMGY version. If I were to turn back the clock, I would have had focus the WWR line exclusively only on the EMGY line. Simply because it comes with that additional riot shield and a crowd control baton. Bloody hell, even the Caesar was twin shields with SMRTGUN. But that would mean more money to be spent on the secondary market. I have since decided not to think about EMGY, I even sold off the Armstrong at a good price after the announcement of Meat is Murder superset, as I veered towards the JEA colourway instead. After all, aren't the bots were meant for war? Again, I taken liberty of information courtesy of Gundam Wiki, the One Year War and ThreeA Wiki. Officially, in the WWR universe, the Earth Coalition (EC) is a religious based faction while Mars is atheist. I reversed it around. It's all fan fiction.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment