Armored Core: Children of Rubicon

by Strayed4194

Rubiconians are said to be hardy people. For years, they suffered under the grip of the Institute, then the Planetary Closure Administration, and then the interstellar corporations that came to exploit their resources. Even after winning their independence, they have not forgotten. Now, Rubicon's children take the fight to the stars. (Spoiler Warning)

2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you so much to those who read and reviewed!

/-\

Sol System
Jupiter

Although technically a part of the United Earth Government's influence, it is really an independent colony in all but name. Its moons are the breadbasket of the outer planets of the Sol System, producing more than 70% of its food. Jupiter's moons are filled with agricultural domes that contain farms that produce everything crops to even livestock. And their recent partnership with Rubicon also meant access to easy to grow mealworms. Protein was also a difficulty to cultivate, especially in artificial environments. With mealworms, that problem has essentially been rectified.

"JOSHUA!" came a rather loud and young female AC pilot. Everyone knows her as Little Ziyi since she was the youngest AC pilot for the Rubicon Liberation Front. She had been raised by the RLF since she was an infant. Her parents were Belters, people who lived in the massive asteroid belt of the Sol System. Living in constant poverty, her parents came to Rubicon, but the ship smuggling them was shot down by the PCA's closure system. 6 month old Ziyi was the only survivor, having been found in the wreckage by RLF scouts.

And when Joshua was taken in by the RLF after being rescued, Ziyi was his first friend, and surrogate sister. With how well they got along and how well they fight as a team, many like to joke that they're twins.

Joshua laughed and gave the short-statured girl a hug. "Good to see you, squirt."

Ziyi punched his arm. "I drink milk!"

"You're still short!" called out one of the former RLF MT pilots, now serving under the command of Rusty, commander of Fang, an elite independent unit within Rubicon's military. Joshua was given the offer to join them, but felt like he wanted to carve out his own path. They all understood of course. Still, he'd work alongside them on many occasions. Surprisingly though, Ziyi also decided to walk the path of an independent mercenary.

"Say one more word and I'm kicking your ass, Hansen!" Ziyi spat before turning to look up and glare at Joshua. "And you too, Josh."

Joshua snickered and held up his hands. "Alright, alright. Still, good to see you. How's things?"

"Sol is already bracing for the war that's raging." Ziyi nonchalantly spoke. "PCA was stretched so thin from losing so much of their shit to us and Arquebus that they were completely recalled to Earth. Whole damn system is on the brink as tensions between Earth and Mars are high. Apparently, an attempt was made on the Martian Princess's life. Mars is blaming Earth."

Joshua's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Which one? There's two of them."

"The blonde one." Ziyi clarified. "Asseylum Vers Allusia."

When hearing the name, he wanted to laugh. It seems that fate wanted to mess with him. That name brought back so many memories, both good and bad.

"You okay?" Ziyi asked with a little nudg to his shoulder. "I know you told me that you once had the hots for her."

"That was then, Ziyi." he calmly said. "I just find it funny that my past decides to catch up to me in the most peculiar way." he chuckled and then let out a heavy sigh with his hands on his hips. "And here I thought I let it all go."

"I'm sorry, bro."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Zi. Just how it is."

/-\

"Any luck in establishing dialogue?" Joshua inquired as he entered the conference room that sat the numerous commanding officers of the different units in this operation.

Michigan was the one to shake his head. "I even mentioned you, they don't believe me at all."

Rusty let out a heavy sigh. "Looks like we really could be heading for a collision with Mars as well."

"Damn Arquebus…" grumbled G2 Red.

Sitting down, Joshua took a deep breath and nodded. "Well… guess I'm going to have to do it directly. If anyone can listen, it's my parents. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done as the whole star system is on the brink of war and a single spark can ignite it all."

"What's the current geopolitical landscape?" Rusty inquired

"The Jupiter War 15 years ago did involve Earth and Mars." Joshua said as he nodded to Michigan in respect for his exploits in that conflict. "Currently, Earth's broken moon Luna is under the control of Vers, but it did see the death of Emperor Gilzeria, causing the previous Emperor Rayregalia Vers Rayvers to step in. Unfortunately, his health is deteriorating. The current heir is Princess Asseylum."

"What about her younger sister?" G2 Red asked.

Joshua shook his head. "Lemrina can't inherit. She was a product of an indiscretion between Gilzeria and an unknown woman. The people, especially the nobility, will never accept her as a possible candidate to the thrown. She was also born with weak legs. She can only stand on her own two feet when in zero-gravity."

Rusty frowned as he understood what that meant. "Fueling the public's view of her being imperfect."

"But we're getting a little off track." Joshua went on. "Establishing peaceful dialogue is, right now, extremely difficult. Mentioning my name didn't really work, I'm not surprised. I've always been a bit of a pariah among the nobility due to being… imperfect. Biggest reason why I fell for Arquebus's advertisement on their youth program."

Michigan grunted. "So looks like we gotta do a bit of might makes right. Unless your folks get the news that you're alive and well, we're gonna have duke it out."

Joshua nodded. "Orbital Knights of the 37 Clans are a haughty bunch, but don't underestimate them. Their mechs are a cut above the average LC and HC with their unique Aldnoah tech. One could manipulate and create a field of ice, one could manipulate gravity, the possibilities are endless."

Michigan nodded as well. "I remember your old man's unit. Tough one to fight."

"Which is why we cannot underestimate them." Joshua reiterated. "I won't lie, I do have my reservations about the possibilities going up against my family in a fight, but too much is at stake. If Arquebus gets their hands on Aldnoah technology…"

The repercussions would be severe.

"So what's this about an attempted assassination on Princess Asseylum?" Joshua inquired as he leaned forward and laced his fingers together. There was a look of concern in his expression as said princess was beloved by all, even had a following on Earth. "This is news to me."

"Conflicting reports." said Rusty as information was then provided to everyone in the room through the data pads at their side, as well as the screen on the wall. "Some say it was Earth extremists, others say it was an inside job. Hard to say. Princess Asseylum is, officially, listed as missing. Only reason war hasn't broken out yet is because of an ongoing conspiracy within the Vers Empire."

"Ah." Joshua understood. "I know what you're talking about. A faction within the empire that has been wanting to go to war. Princess Asseylum had always been an advocate for peace…"

"And that kind of view will make enemies." Rusty concurred. "Well… despite all this, our offensive against the PCA continues."

"Total annihilation of the PCA?" Joshua guessed.

"Or close to it." shrugged Michigan. "Either way,-"

"Excuse me!" came a young soldier entering the conference room. "News from Earth! Hostilities have broken out between Earth and the Vers Empire. Several landing castles have made planetfall and have begun an invasion!"

Michigan snorted. "Well… this is gonna be one hell of a field trip."

/-\

Once operating a BAWS-designed BASHO AC, she had since swapped to a modified Schneider AC, the nimble NACHTREIHER, whom she had renamed LIMING, meaning dawn. Her weapon loadout was nearly identical to Joshua's MEDRAUT with a pair RANSETSU-RF rifles and SONGBIRD grenade launcher. The difference here is that she favored a faster melee weapon like the pulse blade. And like Joshua, she favored the Elcano FIRMEZA arms and the RaD SHADE EYE head.

"So what's the real reason you chose the SHADE EYE head?" Joshua asked as their ACs stood side by side at the hangar, technicians working on them and preparing them for their next sortie.

"It just looks cool." Ziyi unashamedly said as she shrugged. "Come on, admit it. You thought the same."

Joshua snickered, but nodded in agreement at his friend's words. "No arguments here. It really is a cool head. Sleek and menacing."

Ziyi concurred. "Mhmm."

In some ways, they were still children. They couldn't really find the time to act their appropriate ages due to having to fight for Rubicon's future. War waited for no one.

"You two ready?" came Rusty as he approached the pair.

Ziyi turned to grin at the man and nodded. "You bet!"

Joshua did so as well. "Just as planned, Ziyi and I are going to hit the PCA garrison at Tanegashima. We'll be inserting through the disguised cargo hauler, then drop from orbit in pods. Once the job's done, we'll be picked up by friendlies and taken to a safe area and await further orders."

"Don't overdo it." Rusty reminded them. "The objective is to get their attention and let them know that we've come for them. Do as much as damage as fast as you can, then get out."

"Roger that." they both acknowledged.

"One more thing." Rusty added. "I don't need to remind you two that war between Earth and Mars has begun. Watch yourselves out there. Happy hunting, you two."

/-\

Rusty would be lying if he said he wasn't worried for the two of them. He had only recently got to know the two since he was an undercover agent for RLF, infiltrating Arquebus and working up the ranks. They were the little siblings of the RLF, and many didn't want them fighting on the front lines despite them insisting that it was their choice. None could deny their skill and desire to fight. They were also a hell of a team when working together.

"Those two are something." Michigan said as he approached Rusty, watching the two young AC pilots get ready for their mission.

"Yeah." Rusty concurred. "Their exploits somehow spurred the other surviving victims of Snail's youth program to take up arms. Even started their own group within the RLF, doing missions of their own."

"Not even Balam and Arquebus could catch them." Michigan admitted. "Hell, me and the Redguns couldn't either. They just kept taking little bites and scurrying off before anyone could even notice."

"Hit-and-run tactics." Rusty said with approval. "It's what they do best. And even then, when they're in prolonged fights… With the way fight together as a team, they might as well be twins."

"Volta learned that the hard way at Operation Wallclimber when the two got the jump on him." Michigan stated. "But why were they pulled back after that?"

"They were needed at another front." Rusty confessed. "We honestly thought the Wall wouldn't fall. Never expected him to take it."

The leader of the Redguns snickered. "Raven really is something. And now he passed what he learned onto Joshua over there. The new G13."

"A legacy." Rusty said. "That's what it is. Just like I created a legacy when I decided to mentor Ziyi."

Michigan chuckled excitedly as he looked on at the two young pilots. "Gonna be fun watching them cause a stir once they hit planetside. "Hey, maggots! Have fun on your field trip! Take some pictures!"

Both AC pilots turned towards them with a nod and gave them a thumbs up.

Rusty let out a snort and shook his head at Michigan's antics.

/-\

Somewhere in Earth's Orbit

Vers Landing Castle – Castle Saazbaum

House Saazbaum was among the oldest of the Vers Empire's 37 clans and direct relatives to the imperial family. They are also among the most noble of the Orbital Knights. Although their influence is great, things had gotten complicated over the past few years.

They had a troubled child, addled with one problem after another. Their only son, the youngest of two, struggled in not only his studies, but in his training to be an Orbital Knight. His behavior was, at times, erratic. With the family being related to the imperial family, they were naturally gifted with the Aldnoah factor, a key element to the Aldnoah drive technology. Unfortunately, that was not passed on to their only son. And when it that revelation was discovered by the other noble clans, there were doubts as to whether he is a child of House Saazbaum.

"Still no word?" Orlane Salius Saazbaum asked.

Count Saazbaum looked at his wife and sat down across from her. "We're getting new information. Activity in Jupiter. I can't promise anything though…"

"It's been five years." Orlane said. "Today is the day he disappeared…"

"I know, my love." Saazbaum said.

"I should have been a better mother…"

"Everyone is to blame, Orlane." he said. "Myself included. I should have tried to understand his plight, not push him to the brink. My foolish pride as an Orbital Knight caused him to do the unthinkable. I kept ignoring his cries for help when he was being bullied in school back on Vers…"

"He wasn't born with the Aldnoah factor." she lamented. "The problem must have been from me…"

"Wife… you mustn't say such things."

"Make our family whole again, husband. We need to be whole once more."

"We will, my love, we will."

/-\

Several Days Later

Earth
Tanegashima Peninsula, Japan
Planetary Closure Administration Garrison

"Where'd they come from!?"

"It's just two ACs, shoot them down!"

The radio chatter was in a state of absolute panic as Joshua and Ziyi did what they did best, cause mayhem in the battlefield. The pair of ACs sped across the field, firing off volleys from their rifles and grenade cannons. The garrison was fortified, there is no doubt about that, but they were not sufficiently prepared for such a swift attack.

"This is a lot easier than I expected." sneered Ziyi as her unit's left arm swapped to the pulse blade and bisected an oncoming LC that tried to tackle her with its shield.

"Probably because we're a lot more experienced now." Joshua reasoned as he fired off another volley from his rifles, riddling an LC with holes and obliterating the cockpit.

"These guys are supposed to be pros." Ziyi argued as she activated her assault boost and gave an enemy MT a high-impact kick.

Joshua shrugged as he swapped to his pile bunker and impaled an HC's chest with it. "They must have depleted most of their experienced pilots then." An alert then popped up on his heads-up display. "Ziyi, heat signatures. Looks like two warships trying to take off."

"I'll handle it!" she cheerfully said as she used her assault boost to quickly make her way towards the warships. It didn't take long for them to go down as she unleashed a fury on them, stabbing the bridge of one of the ships with her pulse blade. "Hey Josh, I'm seeing some kind of bunker entrance. Scans indicate it connects to the other islands in the peninsula. Not PCA, specifically says United Forces of Earth on the door. Underground complex maybe?"

"Leave it alone." he ordered. "Could be a shelter. Concentrate on the PCA forces. We only have less than an hour left till we have to pull out."

"Roger."

"You damn Rubiconians!" came a voice as Joshua turned his AC's head to spot an HC emerging from one of the mech hangars. "We were maintaining order on your damn world! You damn terrorists and those damn corporations just had to ruin it all."

"Hmph." he scoffed, then charged forward, not giving the much larger mech any room to make a move. The enemy unit swung its energy blade but he skillfully dodged it with a quick boost, spinning around as he fully charged his ASHMEAD pile bunker. Using the momentum of his spin, he slammed the massive tungsten rod into the back the HC, hitting its cockpit.

"How…?" the HC pilot coughed out. "This HC... was… cutting edge."

Joshua didn't bother saying anything as he retracted the tungsten spike and just watched as the enemy machine fell face forward. That was the weakness of the PCA. They relied too much on their technological advantage, believing them superior no matter what. Their pilots became complacent.

"I'm done over here!" Ziyi announced. "How's things on your end?"

"We're clear here." Joshua replied as his AC stood on the wreck of a PCA Cataphract. "We still got time left, so take a breather."

"Well I'm going to take pictures of that sealed bunker." said Ziyi as she approached the location of interest. "I'm sure it'll make some guys at RIB (Rubicon Intelligence Bureau) curious."

Unsealing his cockpit, he stuck his head out to get some fresh air, then reached for a chocolate ration packet. Opening it with his teeth, he took a bite off of it. He was honestly surprised at how successful this mission was. They went in expecting fierce resistance, to which there was, but the skill of the enemy forces was lower than expected. In just a little over a year, the quality of the PCA's pilots deteriorated.

"Pictures are done!" Ziyi announced. "What's the ETA on our extraction?"

"15 minutes." he answered. "We'll hold until then."

He took in the sight of the Tanegashima peninsula. What was once a whole island, was now a group of small islands with the main crescent-shaped island in the distance a few dozen kilometers away. The cause of the island becoming fractured was the war between Earth and Mars nearly a hundred years ago. Heavens Fall had devastated this entire world. It made him wonder… What if Rubicon suffered the same fate?

"Contact, northwest bearing 005!" Ziyi barked. "One ship, Bougainville-class amphibious assault ship. IFF reads the UES Wadatsumi."

"Have they spotted us?" he inquired as he got back into his AC's cockpit.

"Negative." Ziyi reported, then whistled. "Damn, that ship's seen better days. Looks like it had a tumble with the Martians."

"Could be fleeing and carrying refugees." he said, making a rather accurate guess as he looked at the ship's direction. It was heading for the main crescent-shaped island where there used to be a United Earth Forces base. This entire peninsula had since been under the jurisdiction of the PCA, but they were no longer a factor. "Ziyi, do not engage." he ordered. "I'm not gonna butcher civilian refugees."

"Copy." Ziyi acknowledged. She shared the same sentiments. Their fight was with the PCA and Arquebus. "So what's the plan?"

"They're gonna have visual on us soon enough." he said with a shrug. "Just stand there… menacingly."

Ziyi let out a humorous snort. Sometimes, a bit of dramatic flair was all that was needed to be a deterrent.

/-\

"CAPTAIN!"

The entire bridge of the Wadatsumi was stunned and horrified at the sight. They could see two machines, Armored Cores from the looks of it, standing victorious over the lifeless metal husks of what used to be PCA mechs. One was a black and gray AC with sharp features and armed with a pair of rifles, a pile bunker, and a double-barreled cannon on its back. It stood over the husk of a PCA Cataphract. Another was a cyan and orange machine with similar features and similar weapon configuration.

"An entire PCA base…" Captain Darzana Magbaredge, whispered in horror. "...destroyed by two machines…"

"I'm not getting IFF signatures." one of the bridge officers said. "But they're clearly Rubiconian."

"Captain, we can't fight them." First Officer Kaoru Mizusaki said. "None of our units can stand against them. If just two of them can destroy an entire PCA base along with their garrison…"

"Open a channel." Darzana ordered.

Kaoru's eyes widened. "C-Captain?"

"Open a channel." she repeated herself. The communications officer nodded and did so, connecting them to the two ACs. "Attention Rubiconian ACs, this is Captain Darzana Magbaredge of the UES Wadatsumi. We ask that you not fire on us, we are carrying civilian refugees and have been fleeing from the destruction of Shinawara by the Vers Empire's meteor strikes."

"This is Kestrel piloting the AC MEDRAUT." came the voice of a young man from the other side. "We acknowledge your request. Our beef is with the PCA, not you."

"We'll be heading for the abandoned base on the main island." she announced. "See what we can find."

"Understood, captain." the dark AC replied. "We'll keep an eye out for a bit."

/-\

Vers Landing Castle – Castle Saazbaum

Saazbaum didn't want this war. He had been preparing to fight his own war against Arquebus after he had discovered that it was they who were responsible for his son's disappearance. The Arquebus Youth Program, said to be a special recruitment program that invites young men and women, mostly teenagers, into what they believed to be a path for a better, different life. Arquebus promised adventure, prospects for a fruitful career, they could be scientists, engineers, soldiers, and explorers.

"Desperate as he was in wanting to prove himself, he fell for it." he lamented. "And he was in Jupiter recently, you say?"

A knight serving under him nodded. "I was able to confirm it visually when I was there. I even took a few photos."

"Show me."

And there it was. His eyes softened at the image of his son, now truly a man grown with a burn scar adorning a left part of his face, no doubt earned from battle. His hair was the exact shade of black like Orlane, but had his purplish eyes. They sadly no longer held the look of innocence and naivety. They had the eyes of someone who had seen war.

"There was also an incident involving him apparently." the knight went on. "They were on Terra Nova. It seems that they eliminated a unit of our mechs there by mistake. They were expecting Arquebus forces."

He frowned at that. It was obvious. Arquebus must have orchestrated that. But that could have only been possible… There is a traitor in Vers… It was no secret that the popularity of the imperial family had dwindled. Vers's failure in winning the Jupiter War and conquering the gas giant was a black mark on them. Even worse since Emperor Gilzeria himself perished in that battle, slain by the infamous Hell on Four Legs Michigan when he still used to work for Furlong Dynamics. Not even Saazbaum could defeat Michigan as their duel came to a draw.

"He was serving under Michigan, my lord." the knight said, as if reading his mind. "Michigan is one of the principal commanders of this force coming to Earth. Another is a former Arquebus Vesper, Rusty, whom was actually an agent for Rubicon Liberation Front."

Saazbaum smiled amusingly. "It seems that fate has decreed our paths cross once more. And to think that my son fights alongside him. I was truly a poor father…"

"My lord…"

"No." he stopped the knight. "I cannot deny the truth. All that matters now is bringing my son home. That is if he wants to come home. You've seen him. He's garnered a reputation for being a fine warrior."

"It is as you say, my lord."

He smiled warmly. "And for that, I am filled with pride."

/-\

Earth
Tanegashima

"Our extraction should have been here ten minutes ago." muttered Ziyi over the comms. "Somethings not right."

Joshua nodded as he checked his scopes and saw nothing. "Wadatsumi, this is Kestrel. My team's extraction is a no-show. We believe something could be wrong. Do you see anything on your radar?"

"Negative, Kestrel." Captain Magbaredge replied. There was a slight nervousness in her tone. "Could your friends just be late?"

"They're ten minutes past the deadline."

That was not a good sign.

And right on the mark, a beam of green energy shot out from the low-flying clouds and damaged the Wadatsumi. Emerging from the clouds was a pair of machines. Its bottom were shaped like acorns with six legs spread out, using their thrusters for stability in flight. But instead of the red Coral powering them, they were green.

"Ah shit..."

They were now face-to-face with a pair of IA-13 SEA SPIDERs powered by synthetic Coral.

Author's Note: Now for Ziyi's AC

AC: LIMING
Head: HC-2000/BC SHADE EYE
Core: NACHTREIHER/40E
Arms: EL-TA-10 FIRMEZA
Legs: NACHTREIHER/42E
L Arm: HI-32 BU-TT/A
R Arm: MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF
L Back: MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF
R Back: SONGBIRDS
Booster: ALULA/21E
Generator: VP-20C
FCS: FCS-G2/P05
Expansion: ASSAULT ARMOR