Project IVA

***“We present these colossus as not only a way to stomp our enemies into submission, but also to as a way to encourage troop morale during battle. Commander... General Branicki, imagine what our rivals would think while seeing one of these fighting alongside your men... Correct, they wouldn't have time to think. They would be already fleeing by then…”***

- **Iva Kobayashi, project leader and founder of the IVAs, NERU Industries meeting with General Branicki, Ortus, 2280. -**

## **Overview**

**Project IVA** was a daring plan to counter the ever growing threat of a mass land based attack organised by rival nations against the Commonwealth. The project consisted in the construction of massive humanoid machines, functioning both as a significantly large combat Mech operated by two pilots and a massive morale booster for Commonwealth armies during engagements. Iva Kobayashi, the founder of the project and the head of *NERU Industries*, invested most of her personal fortune into the creation of the first prototypes, of which later all would be funded by the Commonwealth's Armed Forces as preparations for the invasion of Voice came up.

## **History**

### **From Blood to Steel**

The initial state for the creation of Project IVA came from the (at the time) field medic & surgeon for mech pilots Corporal Iva Kobayashi, a young but extremely intelligent woman who volunteered to fight at the front lines during the Commonwealth Conquest of Yadrani and constantly treated the wounded of the Mech Battalion, commanded by General Branicki himself. Kobayashi was the daughter of the chairman of NERU (North Ethirian Robotic Unlimited) Industries at the time, one of the biggest competitors of Sinon Industries in Curacao, a position that would later be inherited by her in the coming years.

During that time in the army, she questioned the use of the Mechs in battle and proposed a better and most efficient way to utilize them in ways that would ensure the pilot's survival. The plan she formulated was deemed useless by the higher command, so she had to give up on that idea during her service on the war. Most units who suffered hits ended up with their pilots either critically wounded or just straight up killed, and she would end up having to patch up those survivors to maintain them alive. Needless to say, when the war was finally declared over, she moved back to her headquarters on Curacao to put her new ideas - Among much more in-depth knowledge - into use under the Company's name.

### **A Coin Away from Bankruptcy**

As soon as she came back from the battlefield, Iva began designing a new idea for mech designs in future warfare. She started to see these metal killing beasts not only as an enhanced fighting machine, but also as a protective armour for pilots and alike to keep up with the struggle, a characteristic that would carry on during her later projects, focusing on the protection of the pilots and their lives inside combat situations. The beginning of the testing on IVAs were not as vainglorious as one could think however, things would get hectic very fast for the company and its finances in the near future as the leader of the company committed suicide due to unknown reasons and left Iva in presidency of the business.

During said times, NERU Industries lost much of its ground in the competition against Sinon Industries, especially as the cloning industry, in cooperation with the government's BioSoc Division, was completely dominated by their branches. The hit was enough to almost throw NERU into the abyss, the only sector still still considered competitive among the Commonwealth borders was the civilian robotic products and the manufacturing of low range space transportation vehicles. It seemed like the end was near for the company born in the lands of Curacao.

Fortunately, for the survival of NERU, the Commonwealth had a steady focus on increasing it's armies for their newest policing stance in the Galaxy, and Iva managed to sign multiple contracts in the 2270s with the military for new projects, those of which involving the design of combat vehicles and support droids for the army and the navy. These enormous signings provided enough funds to sustain the company and continue with Iva's development of her personal project, the newly promoted **IVA Project**.

### **Initial Tests & The First IVA**

The initial stages of the project were humble and slow, Iva herself initially acted as the first to test the smaller prototypes she created on her free time. As the the project developed more and more, however, it was created a small team of researchers to elevate the project into something deeper, the idea was soon turned into creating the largest mech unit, larger than any other one ever created. The new task saw many difficulties, one of which being the one pilot system being too ineffective for a unit that size, and the other being where to build and maintain those built units. Soon, however, with more encouragement from the military in 2280, the project saw the design of IVA 001, a two pilot combat humanoid mech, with enough power to fuel a Destroyer and capable of attacking entire divisions, destroying surface cities the sizes of the old Earth metropolis and ensuring the survival of the operators of the unit.

IVA 001, otherwise known as *'El Crusader’*, was constructed and maintained in a underground silo inside a secret facility at a Barren Moon close to the Biluan border, in preparation for an upcoming invasion of the Mind, years later. The two pilots, Lily and Erina Aleksandrowicz (Half sisters), beared a strong psychic bond, making them suited for piloting the IVA and cooperating under combat situations. During three years after its construction, the unit constantly trained and prepared itself for its first true combat experience, and in 2289, that moment would finally arrive.

### **Baptism of Fire in Voice - The Fall of the Titan**

When the war was first declared and Task Force Manticore entered Biluan space, the IVA was secretly loaded in a single transport vessel and shipped to Voice along with the main army of General Branicki, ready to enter its first real combat experience. Apart from the rest of the main army however, IVA 001 was dropped on the southern pole of Voice in a isolated sector of the planet in the period designated as the Second Wave of the Invading force, without any support or ground troop to assist its attack in the ruined grounds of the old Biluan cities that lied desolated. It was there that the mech and its pilots would stand their ground and fight savagely to their last bullet.

Moments after the landing, the fight became extremely fierce, in few minutes Biluan drones were swarming the old city in main course against the enormous invader, who utilized it's entire arsenal in total capacity. Unlike other regions, however, IVA 001 was not tasked with protecting any of the dig sites present in Voice, instead carrying out the objective of drawing as much attention to itself and relieving the closer sites from Biluan swarms. Initially, the plan was a success, the dig sites maintained themselves active and the defenders managed to fend off the attacking drones. After the hour long ceasefire taking the planet, however, it would all change for the worse.

When the second wave of, this time, hastily created and deformed Biluan drones appeared, the situation changed dramatically. Those dig sites present at the southern pole were completely overrun in less than an hour, the IVA, although proving as a massive distraction for the initial attacks, was swarmed with a force that engulfed the city, quickly running out of ammunition. What happened after that is mostly unknown, the communications arrays present inside the IVA were heavily damaged in the second swarm and it was never actually known if the pilots managed to survive until the very end of the battle. For the psionic readings, however, it was noted by Task Force Ethereal not the two readings from the pilots like before, but one single huge reading from the region were the IVA fought. Whether the mech succumbed to its wounds or evolved into something greater, it may never be known.

Not long after contact was lost though, General Branicki sent detonation codes for the destruction of the planet and the Biluan mind as a whole. The navy did not have the time to evacuate all troops, and so the first IVA was left behind on the surface of Voice. More than 20 million, along with the Army's most famous and veteran leader, were left behind to their deaths on the living planet, never to be forgotten by the Commonwealth and the Galaxy.

### **A New Hope in the Thadrakos Families**

The message was clear. Of the 30 Million to embark, only 2 Million would ever get out, a blow that affected the entire Commonwealth. Without the active support of General Branicki and his Mech Battalion, the IVA Project could not prolong itself anymore, forcing Iva and her team to halt the production of the Two other IVAs already in assembly line. Along with that, the government forced the demilitarisation of the Commonwealth's ground army, ending all of its contracts signed up with NERU Industries and sending the company once again into the abyss, this time, without any chance of recovery in the lands of the Eagle.

The loss of IVA 001 was a clear enough sign that the high command was not interested in the business of Colossal Mech Units, upon that notice, Iva reorganized her headquarters and requested NERU to move into Thadrakos territory, hoping to regain support for her project and restructure her Corporation among the space elves. The families took her request and gladly accepted it, funding NERU Industries and taking multiple contracts both for the military and the transportation sectors of their nation. It was unclear to Commonwealth officials if the Thadrakos actually accepted the production of new IVA units for their own armed forces, since such topic was heavily laid in secret, but new wars and conflicts eventually proved that rumour, as such Mechs would nevertheless premier their combat presence in the behalf of the Thadrakosi this time, instead of the Commonwealth.

Beginning once more from zero, Iva wouldn't even think to take more chances. Her personality shifted drastically after Voice, losing dear friends and even her own home nation brought a new and obsessive vision to her mind, one that would serve her, and only her own needs, living to eventually ignore the greater good of the coming future.

### **Shadow Works**

Believed to be weak willed and fractured, many Thadrakos enterprises tried taking advantages of NERU's exile and fractured state, hoping to weaken even more the small remains of the company. Kobayashi would have none of it. Allying with Quensal Family, who saw the growth of a Commonwealth-born industry vital in technological matters for the Families, they together brought down opposition one by one, let it be on the courts of Suthar-Rackos or in more violent measures, buying mercenary companies, like The Shadow Templars, and letting them accomplish their dirty work for reasonable prices, all for NERU's own growth. With the increase in years, the military robotics market of the Thadrakos would be dominated, and Iva would eventually reside to more… Questionable experiments of her own will.

Benefiting from extensive slave works in the nation at first, Iva began works on her second great project, a second jewel for a crown of accomplishments, IVA 002, a larger and more powerful mech than ‘El Crusader’ ever was. Buying an entire inhabited Moon for the creation of training grounds, research centres, and construction lines for future IVAs, NERU began works on the second Titan of its kind, a perfecter of war for Thadrakos standards.

### **Second IVA & War of Idiots**

Finishing up works in 2310, IVA 002, named ***‘El Perfector’*** by scientists designing it, was ready for trials. It fought on cities, battlefields and even seas simulated at the barren Moon, proving its worth on every single scenario no matter the circumstances, a death machine ready to bring down chaos on its very shoulders. El Perfector's pilots, however, were not identified at launch, with Iva alternating, presumably, to not release not a single paper detailing said pilots over more shadowy reasons.

With war breaking out on July 2313, Iva fearlessly lobbied for a ground invasion of sorts on Entente lands to get a Mech into action and prove its worth to the families. That day finally arrived in 2314, at the great Battle of Fenn'Halor.

Dropped off with a special Thadrakos detachment to assist the invading F'thgrans, IVA 002 clashed at the coast of the main continent of the planet, stomping whatever it found along its way. The defending Entente troops stood in pure shock, not knowing how to stop the ever looming threat, they were left with the only option left for themselves, retreat and regroup at the nearest large scale fortification grounds, with some officials even issuing their concerns with the Commonwealth, a nation that, after clashing with the new IVA, was thought to be involved with the scandal too. After many months of non stop heavy fighting, the Entente forces defending the planet unconditionally surrendered with the death of their defending commander. Days later, IVA 002 would be recalled to orbit and taken to NERU's headquarters, never to be seen again by civilian media.

The presence of El Perfector had the desired effect. With its triumph, there also came the request for more units to be constructed and integrate the Thadrakos Armed Forces. As it seemed, Iva was at her highest level, and she would do anything to stay at the very top of her accomplishments.

### **The Machine Army**

With every passing year, NERU grew to become something greater than ever, with Thadrakos support, Iva seemed plagued by the progress and obsessed with ever more extensive measures to ensure the security of the company, archiving a great load of military and biological secrets acquired and discovered over the decades to prevent further leaks like the ones after Voice. Nevertheless, with the recent successes of their most powerful weapon yet, NERU was officially ordered to streamline the building of new Mechs. Soon, more updated designs would rise up to take the lead role of their famous predecessors. Those designs were later commissioned by the Thadrakos military as ***'El Salvatore’*** and ***'El Destructore’***, NERU's most capable machines of early 2320 and 2321, built specifically to land and counter the Roknim Mog Revolution of 2318, a growing threat that, although neglected at first because of the ongoing conflict, was another opportunity to display the Mechs’ power to the families.

As it seemed, the road they paved headed only to greatness, until, of course, the second slave uprising arrived, something that inevitably changed all they accomplished during those shadowy years.

### **Death of a Corrupted Mastermind**

For the rebels, it was obvious to make Iva, the head of such a large military enterprise, a high priority target and therefore crucial to be taken out. That opportunity presented itself in December of 2322, during a high class meeting between all the members of the Thadrakos courts, a meeting Iva also presented herself to gather more support for her cause. Unfortunately for her life, however, a daring assassination was conducted during said meeting, and she was caught up within the struggle, succumbing to her wounds mere seconds after the initial attacks against the family members.

To many, this single action represented the collapse of NERU as a whole. With all power being held directly by Iva, it was no surprise the entire main structure went down as soon as the heads began rolling all around. Whilst those who still sided with Iva and her mad creations succumbed to slave uprisings and inside paranoia from their colleagues, others became slaves to only one thing: Survival. In the end, none of the two combat ready IVA's were actually operating, their pilots dead the exact second Iva was killed (A secret mechanism devised and installed by herself to prevent any backstabbing action), a hair-raising discovery for the scientists who were relying on that for protection for the slaves, so another decision needed to be made, one that uncovered everything NERU was hiding during all those years.

Their last hope was to request asylum towards the Commonwealth, and although the nation barely accepted anything with them, it was more than enough to save those stranded in the conflict-ridden Thadrakos Moon. It was when the rescue teams arrived, however, that they saw the true scale of the situation they faced.

### **The Darkest of Secrets**

Commonwealth officials and soldiers stormed through hundreds of research and robotics complexes, claiming remaining researchers and ravaging what they could from the quiet though haunting facility. Something else was also found in the Moon, however. **Underground Sector No. 0203**, a place even the most trusted scientists still alive didn't had a clue about.

What was found there shook even the most stone-faced officers breaking in. Clones, found mostly in the thousands, some adult, some teenagers, but almost all children. Some found alive and awaken, even at the most barren of conditions, some overlooked as victims of the most terrifying experiments of the body and mind, but most were encountered dead everywhere the eyes could see. Those were the clones of the first known pilots of IVA Project, the Aleksa Sisters. As for how Iva got her hands on cloning devices, it was never documented, but estimations number the recreation of 5,000 copies of the pilots daily, with almost the exact same number of clones being systematically killed for their lack of psionic power. It was a breeding ground for the most ambitious psychic project yet recorded, and the government now possessed more than 200,000 clones on their hands, a situation they couldn't bare in secrets for much longer.

> *"We had the production capacity for the IVA's in the thousands. With continuous support from Thadrakos houses, we could have easily gone* [Maintained a corporate military lead] *for some more decades, if not a full blown century. The problem was the sisters, or, to say, the lack of them. The Aleksandrowicz were dead long before we relocated out from the Commonwealth, so Iva had to rely on other means to crew her monstrosities effectively. The result, as you know already, came to acquiring a blueprint [And later on secretly obtaining techniques via shadowy connections] for cloning procedures on the sisters, whom we thought an identical psionic output would be provided. That theory failed. As the newer cloned versions gained consciousness, we quickly noticed the power had a sense of biological randomness to it, yet it didn't discourage Ms. Kobayashi to get abled pilots. You might think Thadrakos labour would be capable of crewing such machines, and you'd be right, but the paranoia behind allowing the equivalent of a slave on a military machine capable of erasing cities discouraged our president on the matter; this project was entirely relying on paid skilled labour, despite the myths behind it. The copied sisters also proved to be quite susceptible to complacency over their less than acceptable living standards, not to mention the amount of biological research we could have with a clone pool. These individuals knew nothing about the outside world. Nothing except their lives in tubs and the frequent testing in laboratories. As you might expect, we experimented a lot with both physical and mental elements of the sisters. Mental fatigue, stress, high rates of excitement. No eyes. No mouths. Ears. Limbs. Debilitating conditions… It was truly limitless. Since the chances of finding a psionic on the pair was astronomically low, the remnants of the tests were recycled for experimentation and then repurposed for further cloning. The production rates were steadily climbing in the latter years. We managed 80,000 in a week of March XXXX, and there were talks of doubling that number by the end of the year, but the rebellion threw most plans off the window and essentially killed our business. And then you lot came in, to butcher the rest of us…"*
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> *Section-Assistant from Psionic Cloning Division, subject L-YJH/2801, retrieved for Commonwealth interrogation after her death-switch failed to implode. The individual succumbed to natural organ failure two weeks later. She was 29.*
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Information about the found was sent out to media shortfully after, and the response was equally as emotional as the first person to set foot at Sector 0203, shock. In the end, the clones that still found themselves alive were also exterminated in Commonwealth soil, all but one of each template, who were rightfully handed over to the request of their Aramathi foster mother, Nadiya Aleksandrowicz. The reputation of NERU was busted, and the company was no more. From a humble dream to a horrific tragedy, the IVAs maintained their role of destruction and servitude to their master, one that only caused more pain to those still alive in the Galaxy.