BR/ESU-S4xA/NU-017 Red Unicorn

- 100mm HAMG

- Armored Crest

## Technology and Combat Characteristics

Since the Kingship’s last use (basically after the conclusion of the DUALITY Side Story), it had never been repaired and was left untouched. This was primarily because of Will Palmer's orders to cut fielding this machine until the errors of the BURST RAID System were fixed across the board. The Kingship was eventually taken out of storage and fielded after being given a set of surplus Castel GT weapons and a BR System with a minimal influence AI. This would allow it to maneuver at speeds similar to its original performance, as well as allow use of the Hunter on its left shoulder (the other two were destroyed but never replaced).

Much of the armor was haphazardly replaced with stock Castel GT armor plates, as well as a number of weapons commonly seen with the aforementioned Mass-Production Units. The only identifiable features of the Kingship that made it remotely resemble its former self was its single hunter (revealed later) and broken Armored Helm. It’s also relatively obvious from its faded red colors and, of course, its pilot.

## Armaments

- Hunter: The Kingship still retains the use of one of its original Hunters, as the other two were destroyed in combat. It is controlled by the NU METACOM System and can latch onto enemies using its claw, immobilizing them with a built in StunLock node. While it can no longer perform an all-range attack, the one hunter it still has can perform with deadly efficiency. At first, this weapon is concealed behind a large shoulder armor, and is revealed upon activation.

- 80mm Autocannon: The Kingship still uses its pair of Autocannons from the *Cruel Duality* Novel, which allow for close range armor penetrating shots. They use an internal twenty-round magazine and an automatic reload subroutine.

- Armored Helm: The Kingship still retains its armored helm, albeit with some minor alterations. It still performs the same as it did when it was in service many years ago.

- 100mm HAMG: The missing shoulder armor on the Kingship’s right arm has been replaced with a 100mm HAMG, allowing for mid-range, high-firepower attacks. This cannon in particular has a ten-round internal magazine, though this has been standard issue for most units.

- Nanolaminate Altered Shield: A standard issue shield with a handful of extra Nanolaminate plates added on for more defensive capabilities. While it is just as structurally weak as its stock counterpart, it still provides protection against a handful of attacks before becoming vulnerable. When not in use, it can be purged or stored on the back. The Kingship used this shield during its last fight against the Magnum.

- Giga-Claymore (JOC): This replica of a FGC-era weapon with the same name has been customized to fit John’s fighting/aesthetic style. It is equipped with a heated blade and his insignia printed on the side, along with a tally of his kill count. After many years of inactivity the blade is still intact, though dents and entire chunks of the weapon have broken off but were never mended.

## Special Equipment and Features

- Damaged HMT Thruster Kit: Despite the Kingship retaining (most) of its HMT Kit over the years, its performance has significantly decreased. After losing both of its lower legs during its last battle, they were replaced with Castel Legs retrofitted with HMT-Style boosters. This would get the Kingship nowhere near to a complete hovering state, rather just coordinated dash boosts that allows for moderate High-Mobility. Most of the time, the Kingship must move without the help of hovering at high speeds.

- BURSTRAID System: After the original system was ripped from the Kingship and experimented on by the Mercury Legion (Chelsea), a replacement was needed in order to operate many of the Kingship’s systems. Thus, a very primitive version of the BURST RAID System was added to manage the bare minimum of equipment needed to remain functional. While the Kingship’s performance was already low as is, this extra control system would substantially improve its combat capabilities and allow it to still beat tougher opponents.

## History

After it was discovered that Dom had betrayed the LCR and was now the leader of the SoTM, the rest of his former faction was preparing to fend him off from capturing Midnight Base. Among these faction members was John Orion himself, who had up until then relegated himself to an administrative role since his departure from Garrisai combat. After rediscovering his old machine, the Ruby Kingship, he knew that his final acts should be of valor instead of cowardice. Thus, he took the controls of his machine for the first time in years, and set out.

Trivia Article: The Kingship was originally found in the Silent Citadel similar to the one that kept other Project X Units, alongside the former hangar of its sister units Urban Dreadnought and Dark Pegasus. Due to its damage since the second invasion (from being piloted by another ace) it was sent to this warehouse to await repairs. However, after the Mercury Legion captured the Dreadnought and ripped the LESLIE System from the Kingship (its lack of legs made it impossible to move), the machine was left untapped for many years. When the LCR passed by this Citadel for repairs, the Kingship was found there and stayed as a result of its damage. In the end, John traveled out to the Citadel again in hopes of still finding the Kingship there. After promptly doing so, he began to issue repairs on it with spare Castel GT parts, notably in the shoulders, legs, chest, and its backpack thrusters, as well as many of its weapons.

## Trivia

- The Red Unicorn's original name was "Starlight," representing its old name (Kingship) having a similar "leader" tone to it. This was later changed to "Red Unicorn" in order to parallel the naming scheme of the Dark Pegasus.

- Its name is also a nod to the Kingship's original name—the M024 Super Unicorn (HMC-024).

- Its alternate name, Kingship Repair, is a nod to the Majestic Repair.

- “Hello again, old friend. It’s time to get back to work.”