Marauder Echelon

Marauder Echelon was a Mark VI American Jaeger that fought in the Second Kaiju war. The Jaeger is most famous for destroying the Australian Land Breach in a similar fashion to Gipsy Danger destroying the breach and ending the First Kaiju war ten years prior. Other notable achievements include six kaiju kills and two assists during a relatively short service life of just over a year.

## Combat Specifications

### Energy Core

Z06-670 Hybrid Nuclear-Electric Energy Core

### Weapon(s)

4x 16” heavy cannons2x24” superheavy cannons

11x B58 “Spearhead” guided missiles

60x VQR-E “Mosquito” light rockets

### Pilots

Jackson Shelby, Mirenne Vestin, Ray Freeman (deceased)

## Overview

Marauder Echelon was designed with the intention to be both a capable brawler and a fire support Jaeger, but served mostly in the latter role for most of its career. It carried a wide variety of ranged weapons, but no melee weapons other than its large physical size and fists. It was also notable for its three-pilot setup, a rare feature only seen on other Jaegers like Bracer Phoenix and Crimson Typhoon.

## Service History and Deployments

### Early Career

#### First Deployment

Marauder Echelon’s first deployment came when the Category 4 Kaiju Nightshade attacked Los Angeles, where Marauder was stationed at the time. Marauder was deployed in support of Echo Warsaw, which had been battling Nightshade for some time. Marauder served exclusively in a fire support role during this battle, but did have a crucial impact on its outcome.

During the battle, Nightshade managed to overcome Echo Warsaw, but heavy fire from Marauder’s cannonry forced the Kaiju off of Echo. Nightshade then took to the skies, but Marauder once again attacked it with accurate cannon fire as well as firing 3 Spearhead Guided Missiles, 2 of which hit and “shot down” the Kaiju, enabling Echo Warsaw to finish it off by slicing it with chain swords.

#### Battles of Hong Kong and The Philippines

During the Kaiju attacks on Pacific Asia, three Kaiju attacked Hong Kong; Nightshade, Onslaught, and Slattern. Initially, Gipsy Avenger stood alone against the three Kaiju, but Marauder Echelon arrived as backup, as well as Scarlet Hades and Coyote Artemis. While the other three Jaegers engaged Slattern and Onslaught, Marauder fought Nightshade alone. Nightshade once again took to the skies early in the battle, and once again Marauder used its cannons as well as 3 Spearhead missiles to “shoot down” and injure the Kaiju, causing it to crash through a skyscraper. However, this gave Nightshade an opportunity to disappear into the city, causing Marauder to go on an extended search to find the Kaiju.

However, Nightshade would ambush Marauder, nearly destroying the Jaeger with its horn had Marauder not turned at the last second. Despite heavy damage to Marauder’s back, it kept fighting by firing its chest cannons and shoulder rockets at close range. Coyote Artemis also arrived at this point, and began slashing at Nightshade with its swords until a tail strike sent Coyote backwards, which gave Nightshade enough time to take flight again.

Once Nightshade was in the air, Coyote Artemis disengaged while Marauder Echelon fired at the Kaiju with its cannons, its Spearhead launcher having been disabled earlier. Nightshade circled and attempted to swoop in on Marauder while under fire, taking hits in the process, but was finally brought down by a K-Stunner missile from Bracer Phoenix, which had been deployed to Hong Kong to assist in the battle. Once Nightshade was on the ground, Marauder pounced on the Kaiju and began pummeling it with melee attacks, and finally killed it by snapping its neck.

After the battle, Marauder Echelon remained on standby in Hong Kong in case of any further attacks. One such attack occurred when Leatherback was dangerously close to making landfall in the Philippines. However, Marauder arrived in time to prevent Leatherback from making landfall, and engaged the Kaiju in the coastal waters between two islands. Marauder fired off all of its remaining cannon and rocket ammo, which significantly injured Leatherback, but took a blow to the chest which also caused heavy damages to the jaeger.

Left with no choice but to brawl it out, Marauder got the upper hand on the injured Leatherback and began beating it down. During the melee, two Spearhead missiles which had been disabled in Hong Kong by Nightshade were brought back online by Ray Freeman, Marauder Echelon’s weapons officer. Marauder picked up Leatherback and threw it, then fired the two missiles, which both hit Leatherback in the head, killing it instantly for Marauder’s second kill of the deployment.

### Battles in Australia

#### Melbourne

After the Australian Land Breach was opened, Marauder Echelon was redeployed to the Brisbane Shatterdome to reinforce the Jaeger fleet in that area. Their first deployment would be to Melbourne alongside Murder Dreadnought and Scarlet Hades, when four Acidquills attacked the city. The three Jaegers fired their ranged weapons at the four Kaiju with limited results, then engaged in melee combat.

One of the Acidquills grappled with Marauder Echelon and pierced the Jaeger’s shoulders with its tendrils, but Marauder responded by firing its chest cannons as well as a pair of Spearhead missiles, which had devastating results on the Acidquill. Despite this, the Kaiju was able to knock Marauder down. Once on the ground, Marauder suffered heavy damages from the Acidquill, but was eventually able to kill the Kaiju by kicking it off balance, getting back up, and finishing it off with a Spearhead missile.

The other three Acidquills were also killed, albeit two of them dying due to Scarlet Hades self-destructing at the last moment before its Conn-Pod was crushed, and the third being killed by Murder Dreadnought. Two Category IVs would be detected approaching the city; one was Leatherback, the other was a new Kaiju that had never been seen before. This was, in fact, the first appearance of Copperhead. LOCCENT ordered all Jaegers to retreat, which Marauder Echelon and Murder Dreadnought did while Marauder Zeus held off the two Kaiju. However, Zeus was torn apart, and like Scarlet Hades, self destructed in its final moments, killing Leatherback.

#### Meridian City

Marauder’s next deployment would come after the Category IV Hammertail attacked Meridian City and destroyed the Mark V Jaeger Banshee Echo. Despite having already fought Banshee, Hammertail was very tough to kill, due to its electromagnetic signals which disrupted Marauder’s Spearhead missiles, its most powerful weapon.

Marauder closed the distance when Hammertail disappeared into a cloud of smoke, but it was an ambush. The two got into a brutal melee battle. After exchanging blows, Marauder backed up and fired its cannons at Hammertail, which seemed to be effective. The Kaiju retaliated by using its tail to fling rubble at Marauder, knocking it backwards. However, Marauder did not allow Hammertail to gain the upper hand, and fired more cannon rounds into the Category IV before rushing in and using its superior strength to pummel the Kaiju. Eventually, Marauder would go on to finish Hammertail off by firing cannon rounds into the Kaiju’s head.

### The Breach Strikes

#### Operation Pitfall

Marauder Echelon was chosen to be the bomb carrier for Operation Pitfall, the planned destruction of the Australian Land Breach. They formed the strike team along with Murder Dreadnought, Coyote Artemis, and Cloud Striker. Defending the breach were four Category III Kaiju: Acidquill, Pyros, Yamarashi, and Abomination.

Once the strike team arrived near the breach, Yamarashi and Abomination began to approach them while the other two Kaiju stayed back. Due to being the bomb carrier, Marauder avoided direct combat with the Kaiju, and only acted as fire support with its cannons, which produced some results against Yamarashi, who was killed by Coyote Artemis, but seemingly had no effect on Abomination. In addition, Abomination single-handedly destroyed both Coyote Artemis and Murder Dreadnought. Marauder Echelon and Cloud Striker were able to retreat, and Operation Pitfall was deemed a complete failure.

#### Operation Midnight

Shortly after Operation Pitfall, the PPDC launched Operation Midnight, a last-ditch attempt to destroy the breach. If it failed, the entire Australian continent would have to be evacuated and the Kaiju would have a permanent foothold on Earth. Once again, Marauder Echelon would carry the bomb, and the strike team would consist of Volcanic Riot, Cloud Striker, Crimson March, and Aegis Revenger.

Once the strike team arrived at the breach, the three remaining Kaiju from Operation Pitfall emerged from the breach to defend it. Early in the battle, Marauder stayed to the rear of the formation and provided fire support, mostly against Acidquill. Later on, Acidquill managed to overpower Volcanic Riot, forcing Marauder to charge in and assist. This lead to a brutal melee battle in which Marauder was able to kill Acidquill at the expense of taking heavy damages.

Marauder began carrying Acidquill’s corpse towards the breach, prepared to enter it, but Otachi, who had breached earlier to reinforce the kaiju, which were both dead at this point, flew in and attacked Marauder. This caused Marauder to drop Acidquill into the breach, and after briefly grappling with Otachi, the two also fell into the breach. Within the breach, Marauder’s cannons began running out of ammo, slowly giving Otachi the upper hand as each weapon went black. During the fight, Marauder’s pilots initiated the detonation of the payload. However, Ray Freeman became trapped inside Marauder’s reactor chamber when one of Otachi’s attacks collapsed the service hatch, and he was killed when the payload went off. Regardless, Marauder Echelon successfully delivered the payload, killing Otachi and destroying the Australian Land Breach.

## Kaiju Kill Roster

 Nightshade
 Leatherback
 Acidquill
 Hammertail
 Yamarashi (assisted)
 Acidquill
 Otachi