Europan Exo

Description

A lightweight Europan mech, the Europan Exo finds itself on the front lines of the conflict surrounding Lost Angels as an intermediary unit, offering mobile, armored support to Europa's traditional human infantry.

Structural Frame

Standing at an approximate two and a half times the height of the average Europan soldier, the Europan Exo features a relatively humanoid structure, comprising of two arms and two legs, each actuated to a central chassis around which its pilot is housed. Its legs consist of an array of hydraulics - piston-like stabilizers arranged around a central ground peg, while its analogous "thigh" assemblies provide locomotion and protection from immobilization in the form of segmented armor plating or possible explosive reactive armor blocks arranged along their frontal sections. Likewise, its arms too sport a similarly blocky physique, with each shoulder and forearm being affixed with simple and rectangular plating meant to protect and withstand incoming enemy fire. Each arm is terminated by a metal facsimile of a human hand, allowing the mech to perform any number of battlefield actions, be they communication between allies, transportation of logistics, or lethal strikes towards unfortunate enemy combatants venturing too close.

Armor

On its front, a triangular, beak-like helmet covers its operator's head, who is similarly guarded by a frontal armor plate that also serves as the mech's single point of entry, folding forwards and downwards in order to gain access to the pilot's position. Facing directly outwards from this protective plating, four square, multi-lens spotlights are arranged in pairs, giving either illumination in dark environments or potentially dazzler protection from infrared guided munitions. A bustle, similar in design to several current day tanks, protrudes from the rear of the hull, possibly present with the purpose of housing ammunition or communications systems, given nearby placement of antenna arrays.

Motor Function

Unlike traditionally piloted vehicles or even other mechs present in the same theater, the Europan Exo's piloting scheme is directly translated from the operator's motor inputs, with leg movements being guided as if the pilot were simply walking and arm functions are communicated via a pair of external joysticks connected to armatures protruding from either side of the cockpit, each housing triggers for commanding weapons fire.

Defensive Countermeasures

The exo sports 16 shoulder mounted smoke grenade and or chaff launchers in sets of four with two per side. Two sets face the front while the other two seem to be angled at approximately 45 degrees from the front for maximum area coverage. These countermeasures are most likely deployed automatically when the exo's sensors detect a relevant threat but could be discharged manually by the pilot either to disrupt enemy targeting systems to protect itself or provide visual cover for its squad.

Appearance

It is painted in a similar militaristic khaki green/brown hue as the uniforms belonging to their pilots, helping to assist with urban camouflage and desert operations. At the same time, the Europan Exo is nevertheless overt, displaying numerous decals across its frame ranging from manufacturers marks, registration codes, factional ownership stamps, and Roman numerals, along with more ad hoc displays added post-deployment by its operators and allies, including inscriptions in multiple languages such as Latin, French, and Spanish, comic iconography of human-esque mice and rats, and - on its left shoulder - a rendition of a hanging American flag marked with crosses in place of stars. It can be inferred from the presence of tow hook loops positioned on the mech's shoulders that one of the the Exo's main methods of deployment and/or recovery is that of aerial insertion, with vehicles such as heavy lift helicopters being able to pick up and deposit mechs when and where they're needed across the warzone, rather than relying on and wasting their own power reserves.

Offensive Capability

The exo is armed primarily with a large caliber auto-cannon, underslung beneath its right forearm. Capable of a moderate rate of fire, this long barreled armament's main usage involves engaging similar or greater sized threats such as enemy tanks or other faction's mechs, launching high explosive rounds to decimate both armor and its surrounding support units in a relatively wide radius. For smaller, more nimble foes, the mech also carries atop its torso a pair of rapid-fire machine guns, capable of tearing apart light infantry should they remain within their field of fire too long. Both systems can be inferred to be guided by a sensor pod mounted on its right shoulder. Should an assailant pass too close for either system to be deployed effectively, the Exo may resort to hand-to-hand combat, crushing the target with either its feet or hands, being shown together to be strong enough to fully lift the turret off of a Euruskan T-90 Tank in order to deploy its aforementioned cannon against its occupants.^[1]

Combat Role

The exo is often found escorted by Europan infantry, suggesting that this is the new mechanized infantry in the world of the Forever Winter. As the exo is unable to target Eurasian Drones due to its limited gun elevation, the supporting infantry are often the ones eliminating the aerial threats for the exo, especially those directly over its head. While the exo has more than sufficient firepower to take out the drones itself, it cannot do so unless the drone puts itself at a disadvantageous height.