It started with as basic a job as they come: The Society of Banners and Bright Returns (SBBR), a rookie outfit based in Oxbridge, was tapped for a contract as a support unit in a rescue op. There was a little town called Obelle on the border between the Apostolosian Barranca and the Prophet's Path, where damn near the only free folks in the Principality made their home.
Some sort of VIP was making landfall just northwest of the spot, and while another crew was doing the pickup, SBBR (which was just the engineer Kal'mera Braun, the alien empath Valence, and that big goddamn robot, Thisbe at the time) had to tilt the scales in favor of a smooth getaway. Drop in, knock out a sensor dish, blow up some reserve fuel, and (if they were feeling especially confident) incap a couple of Troops before they could get up and moving. But SBBR wouldn't be SBBR if they didn't find a way to do a milk run in reverse...
This week on PARTIZAN: The Seaside Town of Obelle
///Operation Dossier\\\
//Organizations\\
The Society of Banners and Bright Returns (SBBR): A daring mercenary outfit that takes on reconnaissance, espionage, sabotage, and theft missions. Independent, but operating under Stel Orion and the Scrivener's Guild.
Scrivener's Guild: An organization of (armed) clerks who mediate negotiations, draft contracts, and keep records of all industrial, commercial, and private business operations with Orion-aligned organizations. Unhappy with SBBR's performance.
The Oxblood Clan: What started as a group of orphans turned into a labor guild and criminal enterprise with connections across Partizan. Occasionally run rough-and-tumble military ops for extra cash. Allies with SBBR.
The Swordbreakers: An Apostolosian squad blessed by the divine Commitment and led by Cas'alear Rizah, the adopted sibling of the Apokine and Princept Dahlia. They're known across the war as legend killers who punch above their weight.
//People\\
Kal'Mera Broun (they/them, played by Alicia Acampora): SBBR's in-house technician with a focus in designing and deploying specialized artillery. Apostolosian born, Orion trained.
Valence (they/them, played by Andrew Lee Swan): An empath from a culture beyond the Partizan gate, searching for allies for their culture, the Nobel. Serves as "face" for SBBR.
Thisbe (she/her, played by Janine Hawkins): A large, humanoid labor robot whose design is based on the ancient Hypha people. Recently unearthed by farmers, and then traded between mercenary units until she wound up in SBBR's control.
Kueen Overture Rooke (she/her): SBBR's contact at the Scrivener's Guild. A former ace pilot, lead mechanic, and battlefield commander, KO now uses her expertise to dispatch and guide mercenary units across Partizan.
Anchor Afton (she/her): Commander of the Oxblood Clan unit deployed in Obelle. Upper middle age. Silver hair, weathered complexion. Dark eyes. Muscular as shit. Third generation Ox.
Jesset City (he/him): On mission as support unit & on-site repairs for Oxblood. Young and eager to make friends. Doesn't know much about this mission. Pilots a Cloud unit, a "re-appropriated" Apostolosian recon model.
Cas'alear Rizah (cas/cas', they/them): Leader of the Swordbreakers. Cas has brown skin with dark green hair up in a bun, with a few strands hanging down in front of their face (which is framed with similarly colored scales covering cas' jawline and neck. Broken sword tattoos under their eyes. Reputation as being beautiful and brave by allies, unflinching and unpredictable by foes. Pilots the notorious Hallow, Ataraxia.
//Places\\
Obelle: A small, seaside town between Apostolos territory to the north and the independent lands of the Prophet's Path to the south. Sleepy agricultural town with tiny small tourist industry, as its often used as a resstop for those walking their pilgrimage down the Prophet's Path. Because it is far from Apostolos' northern border with Kesh, their military holdings here are diminished.
//Things\\
Hallow/Hollow: The (often, but not always humanoid) mechs that serve as the backbone of Divine Principality military units. "Hallows" have received the direct, personal blessing of a Divine (and whatever benefits, material, social, or spiritual that come with that). "Hollows" have not. Both serve their purpose.
Three Cheers!: Kal'mera Broun's hollow, a heavily modified Adamant Arms and Artifice (aka AdArm) machine. Humanoid with the ability to take a mobility form. Equipped for long range volleying. Easily removable/replaceable plates with non-standard rivets.
Hippocampus: Valence's hollow, an AdArm Prototype Loveliness. A small, ovoid cockpit that has two "chicken legs" attached to it. Helicopter blades fold out from inside the cockpit and onto the top of the mech to give it basic flight.
Mow: A recovered Zenith-A Project Eudaimonia prototype model. The build of a gorilla, quadrupedal & topheavy, a saddle horn-like addition on the back, battered but lovingly maintained.
AdArm Troop: Designed by The de facto "grunt" mech of the Divine Principality. 55~ feet tall bipedal hollow, mid sized but bulky in aesthetic. Blocky, visible cabling. Head is a rectangular unit (with a long, flat LED-lit single "eye") that functions as a sensor suite, and attached to its right (above the shoulder) is a heavy cannon. Left arm has actuator/clasper, right has bayonet.
Zenith-A Cloud: A small (35 feet, standing) transforming Apostolosian recon and support hollow. Two large, rear jointed legs allow it to leap high into the air and enter flight mode, keeping it safe from harms way and providing additional visuals. Torso has four arms, two of which have high-precision tools for repairs. Remaining two have light weaponry, incl. Anti-infantry machinegun and smoke grenades.
//Additional notes\\
SBBR's Mission Objectives: Primary: Support Oxblood's mission by destroying the Apostolosian fuel depot at point Barnacle and sensor station at point Carp, each outside of Obelle proper. Secondary: Destroy any hallows or hollows at Point Dory, in the Apostolosian base west of the river in Obelle.
Rules of Engagement: No harming civilians or civilian property inside of Obelle--destruction of fields is incidental and acceptable collateral damage. Do not enter Point Albacore under any circumstances.
A transcription is available for this episode here.