Sudden Transport

**Key Features** | »» *"Shinobu"* Holoprojection System»» Warmed, comfy seat (x5)»» *"Sukanaru"* Nano-scanner»» Vector jet (x3)»» Emperor-approved servitude codex

*"Right under their noses!"*

- Sudden Tranport driver while sneaking around.

## Tactical Analysis

* **I'm not really on your side**: The Sudden Transport's, though unarmed, can be most useful on the battlefield. Using a holographic projection system and a nano-scanner, the Sudden Transport can project a startlingly accurate imitation of another unit, be it friendly or hostile. This makes the Sudden Transport a very useful deception tool.

* **I'm not really this vehicle**: The Sudden Transport, however, only projects the external appearance of the vehicle. Its actual physical properties remain unchanged, meaning that its speed and armour are not affected in any way.

* **I'm not really part of your convoy**: The Sudden Transport is as the name indicates, a transport. Here, the holographic projection system proves most useful, allowing the Sudden Transport to slip past enemy blockades unnoticed in order to get its passengers to their destination. And if caught they can fire off holographic decoys that not only confuses the enemy but also distorts the Transport shape, making it harder to target them if found again.

* **I'm not really supposed to be seen**: Since it can disguise itself as an enemy unit, the Empire found it unnecessary to install a weapon on the Sudden Transport. However, this means that the Sudden Transport has no means of defending itself, should it be discovered.

## WWIII Operational History

It may appear different for the foreign watcher, but the Japanese society is not at all one without internal conflicts and struggles. While it seems everyone works for the same goal, there have been numerous conflicts. Some families continue their ancestral disputes, even up to today. Other conflicts have arisen between rival firms on the market, and even between different branches of the same company. One such conflict arose between Mifune Motors, the producer of the Auto Go and the producer of the **Sudden Transport**, Mitsubishi Hoverworks.

What began as a brawl at a nice evening dinner accompanied by women and sake, ended in one of the dirtiest and tragic firm battles of the last decade. The leader of Mitsubishi Hoverworks asked Mifune Motors for a friendly dinner. It was accepted, and went well - at first. But some time after, one of the two started to say insulting things about the other, who was clearly offended by it and started a fight. The result was two broken noses and some wounds, as well as forbidden entry to both to the restaurant.

However, the fight was not over. One woman who was present took a liking to her guest, and also had connections to the Yakuza of Nagasaki. Three days later, the headquarters of Mitsubishi Hoverworks was attacked by the Yakuza in a bloody shootout, with 17 people slain. During the raid, Mitsubishi Hoverworks was coincidentally testing their newest invention, the *"Shinobu Holoprojection System"*.

Under the cover of night when most of the Mitsubishi Hoverworks employees had already returned home, the Yakuza attacked the headquarters, silencing the 17 security guards with blades and handguns. Alerted to this situation while the *Shinobu* system was still being tested, the remaining employees all piled up inside their *"Shinobu"* system equipped van. Nano-scanning one of the Yakuza vans from inside the hangar, they disguised themselves as the jet black vans the Yakuza drove, they were able to flee from the Yakuza, driving past the Yakuza members. Not a single person batted an eyelid at the fact that one of the Yakuza vans was leaving.

After the burial of the victims, Mitsubishi Hoverworks swore revenge on the Yakuza who used the old tradition of a death letter after the attack. They used their own connections to special police forces, and analysing the nature of the attack - the poisoned dagger, the revenge haiku written on the most delicate rice paper - used their new *"Shinobu system"* to track down and destroy the Yakuza headquaters in Nagasaki.

After the *"Shinobu System"* was publicily revealed, the news reached the Shogunate rather quickly. For the upcoming war, the Imperial Army required a way to sneak through enemy lines to deliver ambush troops and the like, such as Tankbusters. Integrating the *"Shinobu System"* into the Model 24 Transport, it was given the formal designation **Model 24, Armoured Transport, Sudden Transport**. During the last war, *"Shinobu System"* equipped Sudden Transports were also known to disguise themselves as friendly units.

There was one encounter between a particularly notorious 20-strong Akula wolfpack and 12 Naginata cruisers, 30 Sudden Transports, a Shogun Battleship and its escorts on the way to reinforce the Imperial footholds in Eastern Russia. The Akula wolfpack upon detecting the scout elements of the approaching Imperial fleet, set out to engage them. What the Akula wolfpack saw was not pleasing to the eye: 42 Naginata Cruisers, a Shogun Battleship and its escorts.

The leader of the wolfpack evaluated the situation, and what happened at the start of the Empire's invasion. The 20 Akula submarines under his command made up one of the most deadly wolfpacks in the Red Navy, but the Imperial Naginata Cruisers outnumbered them by more than 2 to 1.

How could 20 Akula submarines ever hope to fare off against 42 Naginata Cruisers? The Akula wolfpack had no choice but to pull back and report the encounter to Soviet Command, or risk their detection and destruction at the hands of the Imperial Navy. The Soviets knew no better, since thirty of the Naginata Cruisers were Sudden Transports. Throughout the war, Sudden Transports have also disguised themselves as Shogun Battleships, Mecha Tengu, Nanocores and even MCVs.

## Post-War Operational History

Thanks to post-war improvements in computing. The Sudden Transport, and basically every WWIII transport vehicles, can now disembark their passengers without needing a dedicated button and sound system, allowing them to be equipped with a secondary weapon/system. For the Sudden Transport, in light of reports noting its destruction when detected, has been retrofitted with a series of holographic projectors around it that it can use to create copies of itself to confuse the enemy, giving them much-needed time to escape.

## Just the Stats

 **Armour Type** | Light Armour