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| The exact history of COBRA COMMAND is not clear. What little is known is that James ARBOC appeared around 1984 or 1985 in the United States working for a criminal team called the vultures, led by mastermind called only The Claw. ARBOC appears to have dropped out from the vultures by 1986, going into business for himself. He tried to go legitimate as an arms developer, but the US Army would not allow him to demonstrate his offering based on the then-unproven claims about his criminal history. ARBOC next tried to get on with various defense contractors, but each attempt was a failure. Nobody wanted anything to do with him. With these failures stifling him, ARBOC appears to have returned to crime, this time supplying high-quality weapons to various anti-governmental or anti-American groups. This led to financial success, especially as the Global Civil War began to ramp up in intensitity in the late 1990's. this financial success led to his ability to form his cult, The Cobras, in the open and legally. He preached unity and strong leadership, but never preached specific hate, which is why he was allowed to continue by the various world governments (some of which, including both the USSR and USA, openly wanted him shut down). He also sold his services, and the services of his followers, to the highest bidder in some regional conflicts; Some of these conlficts turned on the intervention of ARBOC'S cult while others continues as before. Very noteworthily, the losses to his own forces in those conflicts were minimal, and the gains to the the cult always sunstantial. Decades later iw would be discovered that ARBOC would adjust the claimed value of various bids so as to allow him to send his troops to whichever region he wanted as cover for extremely high level burglaries. In View Nam, he backed the national government which had been teetering on collapse under the combined weight of a peasent uprising and Chinese assault), successfully putting the Chinese operation out of business (and thus allowing the goverrrnment in Hanoi to focus on the uprising), but the Viet Namese government also discovered their gold depository had beenthoroughly looted (even much of the copper and other structural materials had been taken). ARBOC plead innocence and even ignorance of the theft, but speculation continued until 2301 when proof positive of ARBOC'S direct involvement (planning and ordering the burglary) became known. At the end of the FIRST ROBOTECH WAR, ARBOC began making preparations to leave Earth using rebuilt T'sentraedi ships. Although tiny by T'sentraedi standards, and SALAN-Class picket was selected by the reorganized COBRA COMMAND as their collective ark. ARBOC'S stated goals to his followers was to leave Earth and find "a new home far from the corruption of the tyrants we currently are forced to treat with." Once the ship was rebuilt, ARBOC'S followers boarded and they lifted off. The next few years appears to have gone relatively well for COBRA COMMAND, making minor trade deals with the UEG, but in late 2013 they disappeared; It would be 2 years before they reappeared, with 2 new faces in control; A married couple Baron DESTRO-MCCULLEN and Baroness Anastasia CISAROVNA "DeCobray" now ruled, having deposed ARBOC in the days before COBRA COMMAND disspaered (and thus casueing the dissapearaance). Now under their leadership, COBRA COMMAND had become once again profitable, and the people were happy- Or so the couple claimed. The Baron and Baroness had two daughters, Tomax and Xamot, who as they grew older became part of the business. For a brief period, the women operated a perfectly legitimate trading firm, Extensive Enterprises headquartered in the old United States. However this was merely a front company for COBRA COMMAND'S espionage operations, which the women were leading. Through EE, COBRA COMMAND was able to sell minerals to various intrests on Earth, and to purchase equipment and in some cases finished materials which they used to their own ends. It was also through EE that COBRA COMMAND was able to smuggle operational personnel for various operations (most illegal) onto Earth. The next hundred and fifty or so years seems to have moved quietly, though in 2260 a schism formed in COBRA COMMAND. Baroness CISAROVNA had been preaching a feminine supremacy, and now had left the organization with around half the women who made up the members (a little over a third to total organization). Noteably, the twins did not defect with their mother, and in fact continued to operate under their father's commands most ably. It was during the three years that DeCobray was gone that the twins found the ship that would become COBRA COMMAND'S home. In 2263, the DeCobray revolt imploded; The Baroness' promises that exiting the organization would either force Destro to make social changes or lead to their full freedom not only never materialized, but brought the DeCobrays into full revolt against their leader. She was stripped to her panties and shoes, with a pole through her elobows so her hands could be cuffed in front of her, collared and leashed with the bitter end of the leash clipped to an ATV, and forced to march through the new COBRA COMMAND mothership like this. Males along the route tried to aver their eyes, but the women refused to, and in some case physically turned men around to look at the Baroness. The female Cobras took no pity whatever on the Baroness, such that a male security circle had to be formed to prevent the women from abusing her any further (she'd already been whipped, pelted with rocks and bottles, and generally abused, any more and it was feared she'd be injured). As the Baroness was brought before Baron DESTRO-MCCULLEN, a hurried force of security forces were in place; Despite most of the team being males, they were sufficiently professional that they kept their weapons trained on the heads of the Baroness's three armed female captors, who in turn kept their weapons on the baroness's head. A fourth woman served as their speaker, offering the Baroness "in whatever manner the great Baron DESTRO-MCCULLEN chose" in exchange for being allowed to come home. He agreed. The Baroness was locked in a dungeon deep within the Terror Drome and the defectors were allowed to return home but not to assume their old place in COBRA COMMAND society. They were now forever third class citizens with few rights. Though the cult was reunited, the matter wasn't as "finished" as one might think; About a hundred years later, the daughters orchestrated a coup against Destro; With his dying breath he commended his daughters in their skillful ascension in the organization. They'd managed to twist the Crimson Guards to not only stand aside but in fact assist them. Having gained control of the cult, the twins turned to rebuilding the COBRA COMMAND but had a very serious problem; They were sisters and therefore couldn't issue a single heir. The sisters, however, settled the issue as Tamox had a daughter and Xomat a son; Three generations later they decedents had children who could have a child, who dubbed herself Seprentress as she assassinated her father and assume the throne- With her first official act being to have her mother executed immediately.
Serpentress's successor was her great-grandaughter Arraina, who took the name Golobulus The First upon ascension; After seizing the throne, Golobulus had her body modified with Ayidian S'haied snake DNA. Empress Golobulus' rule continues to the present. She has recognized the dangers of being in the universe without allies, and has aggressively sought out alliances with all of the various anti-UGC factions, to only some succees. The Syhith of Rakata, Mumruh of Greysuhl, and the rogue Cybermen-Dalek Decpti have made an informal "alliance of evil." Despite being the founder, the one who risked so much to create this alliance, Golobulus is treated as a significantly minor element of the alliance, almost as if she wasn't a member at all. This has led many of her followers to question her fitness to rule, but for the moment it's not endangering her rule. Her heir apparent, Crystal, is already starting to make the moves to eventually take the throne but the Galactic Information Bureau doesn't expect anything to come of these moves for the next 60 to 80 years. Critically, Cystal must step down as a member of the Night Stalkers (and Crimson Commando) to assume the throne, a move she has declared she has no interest in at this time. Golobulus was the first Imperial of Cobra to formally take on an Imperial Consort, a former Viper named James. "Old Snake" as he's called to his face, James keeps his old Viper's armor, and has never left the royal Chambers without his helmet on. It's known he's a descendent of COBRA COMMAND'S founder James ARBOC, so it is assumed he wears it our of respect for his ancestor. James is the part of Golobulus' reign the UGC most fears; James has served COBRA COMMAND his entire life, fighting on many worlds and dealing with the REF on several. As a result, he knows UGC laws almost as well as UGC prosecutors, and thus how to avoid the pitfalls of so many of his Queen's predecessors in Cobra's leadership. Equipment With the exception of the ARBOC, COBRA COMMAND'S equipment is generally second-rate. Their main infantry weapon is the KL-5A, a laser version of the ancient Terran AKS-74U. The stock was permanently removed and the trigger moved in from of the magazine, making the mag itself the grip. With a short e-clip, it's fully concealable (hence the CM-2 "concealment mag" designation), yet can be handled as either a shouldered assault weapon or hand-held pistol. It's not nearly as powerful as it could be, but then it's mainly for concealment, surprise attack, and terror. Their other main infantry weap is the KL-8, a laser version of the Terran OTs-03 Dragnuov SVU Sniper Rifle Shortened. This is used when pitched battles are expected, or when concealment is not an issue in enemy territory. Rarely is a KL-8 seen onboard the ARBOC outside of training or troops preparing to deploy. COBRA COMMAND'S armor has changed much over the centuries; The first tank of the heavy Armored Infantry Support Vehicle the High Speed Sentry, or HiSS. The HiSS fleet was steadily improved and upgraded over time to the current HiSS V, which while not perfect is considered good by most metrics- At least against unarmed villagers and third-tier Regional Forces. The HiSS V would have been excellent against pre-GCW American tanks and even held their own (in numbers) against GCW or early FIRST ROBOTECH WAR armor, but against current RDF or REF armor are somewhat outmatched, even in numbers.COBRA COMMAND continues to struggle in the area of Power Armor; Their first attempt, the SNAKE, was an abysmal failure, too slow and lightly armored to provide any real protection, and too lightly armed to provide any real support. Their current Power Armor, In Air support Cobra does shine a little bit; Their Conquest Aerospace Attack/Fighter was based on plans stolen from the United States, and by various upgrades over time has continued to serve them very well- Well enough that the UGC would press them into REF service were it not for potential Friend/Foe Identification failures. Various RDF's do use a variant of the fighter. In shuttle terms Cobra does much better- In fact, they are on par with the REF and then some. Their HOOD-Class Assault Shuttle bridges the gap between shuttle and Corvette, with very little to really desire. Cramped and spartan, the HOOD-Class nevertheless delivers Cobra Vipers anywhere they need to go in a timely fashion, then provides more than moral support for said Vipers in combat. (Il)Legal Status COBRA COMMAND is technically a freebooter colony on a ship cruising through non-UGC territory, making them outside of UGC jurisdiction. As long as they ply their business inside of UGC borders, there's not much the REF can do about them. However, COBRA COMMAND has engaged in criminal and militry acts within UGC borders, and when these are discovered it becomes part of the casus belli; Sooner or later, things will come to a head with them and the ARBOC will find herself on the wrong side of a UGC Battle Fleet. For the mean time, COBRA COMMAND has been very careful about deploying their Vipers into UGC affairs; Officially, the Vipers caught in these events have left the order, and are not Cobra members any longer. In point of fact, in several cases their return has been requested "to stand trial" or outright refused ("Let him/her/them rot in your prisons for all we care"), and they've tried wherever possible to keep to a support role (arms sales and training). Philosophy ARBOC had preached peace under strong leadership (his naturally), that strong leaders made strong societies. As a result, strength is considered the supreme attribute of Cobra. It's little surprise then that when Destro and DECOBRAY revolted, his final words before his summary execution were to congratulate them on their excellent coup, rather than condemn them as traitors or even ask for a quick death. He did ask about what form his death would take, and upon being told he was to be shown a bulkhead and shot threw what witnesses later would call "a bit of a hissy fit" for the quick and clean nature of it; He'd expected a grand spectacle, perhaps drawn and quartered in from of his followers, or hung in a crow's cage, but none of this was to be. They wanted him dead, and efficiently. It is said he "grumpily" accepted his fate. This has continued to be the way of the Cobra cultists since then. Most are happy to be part of the larger body, but some seek to rise up. To do so, you must depose those above you, or ascend into their place when they die, "for nature abhors a vacuum in any form" (ARBOC). After he died, it was discovered "James ARBOC" wasn't only not his name, but in fact that he was not Human; Rather, he was one of hundreds of aliens who'd emigrated, legally and illegally (illegally, in his case) to Earth (he'd stowed away on a Zircanian Star Cruiser when she delivered a group to Earth). At best, women are second class citizens. They exist to serve men- In any fashion. Homosexuality is banned upon pain of death, but lesbian trysts are quietly ignored as long as it doesn't become common knowledge. As a result, these matters are quietly encouraged behind closed doors. It was quietly known that Empress Serpentress had female lovers, and openly known that Empress Golobulus does ("The Queen can do no wrong"), but as long as they have husbands, it's considered acceptable. Misogyny And Rulership Newly initiated outside observers occasionally marvel at the number of female rulers and co-rulers cobra has considering the degree of open misogyny in the cult; Women are lesser beings, an unmarried woman in COBRA COMMAND isn't even considered a human being, and they act like it. Even the Rakatan Dancing Girls are treated with more dignity; Short of rape or murder a COBRA COMMAND male could get away with anything with an unmarried woman, and even then the rest of the cult would at most treat him like "just an asshole." It's because women come into the cult knowing that's the way it is. They come to the cult declaring their desire to be treated that way. Psychologist the galaxies wide are absolutely perplexed at the degree of self-hatred new recruit women in the cult have, and can't unravel it at all. Girls born into the cult are not considered part of the cult until they choose to join it (at which point they get their Blue Suit, until then they are required to wear dresses and sunglasses). An outsider female (even the daughter of a cult member) who is harmed in any way by a member of the cult without justification is considered strictly a victim- Her attacker (male or female) might find themselves on the wrong side of an airlock, depending on the severity of the attack. So how is it then that a cult where raping unmarried women is considered just part of the world has so many (by percentage) women leaders? At least 75% of COBRA COMMAND'S leaders have been women. It's because they lean into the narrative. With the exception for the DeCOBRAY, the female leaders of the cult have always "embraced the suck" of their world and encouraged it in others. As they show they themselves are as tough as the men around them, they rise in esteem. The simple fact is, the men around them become afraid of them; They know this leader-to-be can beat their asses. This is the secret of their success in the organization, and the reason it will remain both misogynistic and female venerating at the same time for a long time to come. Reputation Cobra members are extremely bitter that they're barely known of, since they believe they deserve a lot more recognition- And to some degree rightfully so. Other groups have stolen credit for many of the operations they've been involved in, with COBRA COMMAND getting secondary credit as "supporting roles." General Information Name: COBRA COMMAND Colors: Blue/Red And Black Symbol/Crest/Banner: A stylized seremnt's head. Owner: The Cobra Empress. Commanding Officer: The Cobra Empress. Executive Officer: Department Heads. Tactics: COBRA COMMAND operates as a mercenry army, arms merchants to non-UGC aligned factions, and terrorists. For more information see Tactics. Size and Orientation: Mercenary Army (3ØØ)Large Mercenary Army (500). Features: |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||
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Baroness Anastasia CISAROVNA. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Paranoid (4Ø); But far from impregnable, as multiple infiltrations and other covert operations (from competitors and the UGC) have proven. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Line Infantry: Usually low-grade "common foot soldiers." (AKM)Line Officers: Better educated, usually possessing some kind of vocational training before entry. (Dagonov)The Line Infantry and Line Officer's Garrison Uniform does not vary; It is a blue two-piece ensemble with the white and purple "Masked Viper" patch.Vipers: Troopers who have undergone genetic augmentation.Crimson Commando: Dedicated Vipers of Cobra, the Crimson Commando can be identified by their unique red Garrison Uniform and by the Crimson Commando patches on their field uniforms. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| KL-5A Rifle KL-8 Battle Rifle Infantry Amor G-18 Cobra Powered Armor | PA Jet Pack CC-3 Sepent Transport | HOOD-Class Assault shuttle HiSS VII IFV FANG Support Helicopter Conquest Fighter | ARBOC Dreadnought Air Chariot Throne COBRA ONE; This was the T'sentraedi warship COBRA COMMANDER ordered rebuilt; Ensconced in the ARBOC'S holds), COBRA COMMAND still claims ownership though she hasn't operated in over 100 years. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tactics: COBRA COMMAND operates as a mercenry army, arms merchants to non-UGC aligned factions, and terrorists. The highest risk operations, terrorists-for-hire, requires clandestine insertion. The Cobras fighters (usually Troopers for an operation like this) will land by commercial flight, or land a common shuttle far into the wilderness (or badlands if possible) and take an off-road vehicle to the edges of civilization where it's typically abandoned. The team will then insert themselves in the society, passing as best as they can for legitimate residents "new to town" and set up an operations base in a hotel or apartment. At this point they will at least make a pretext of getting a job (sometimes successfully) and begin making KL-5A assault weapons and basic body armor if needed, but mostly they will begin surveilling the territory looking for good targets; Clubs, bars, etc. They will also note the location of the local police and fire stations. Once they begin their attack, the first thing they do is bomb the police and fire stations to keep them occupied and confused, then begin shooting up their target locations. Hand grenades are also used extensively in this stage of the attack. As the attack winds down, they will begin working their way out of town, leaving their identification on dead bodies to make it look like they died in the attack. The next highest risk operations are open combat mercenry contracts in contested territories. Before landing operations begin, one HOOD-Class will launch fighters. Then as many shuttles as the contract calls for (as a measure of the size of the army, is 1 ship to every 1,000 or so fighters) will approach the planet until they are in the atmosphere; One group of about 100 Vipers will paraglide to the landing areas to secure that, then one at a time the shittles will land and discharge their armor and then troops (typically Troopers and Vipers). Once a shuttle has discharged their troops most of the shuttles will return to orbit until contact with the enemy is planned; One will remain behind to provide fire support. As the troops push their way forward the shuttles will rotate fire support missions while the fighters provide forward precision strike support. Sooner or later the Cobras will make contact with the enemy they've come here to fight, and the battle develops from there. The safest operations are open contract landings within friendly territry; Typically they will be landing at their client's camps. The shuttles will then mostly operate as contested landings, but without paratroops and more importantly the troops will march off the shuttles in proper formations; Two tanks will roll forward, then 5 columns of twenty infantry each, then repeating it until the shuttle is completely cleared. Once the ships are empty, one will stay landed, one will rise to assume fire support, while the rest return to orbit. The fighters will return to their ship, launching on their assigned patrols. Deployments: Deployments are the bread and butter of any mercenry army- Unless you're COBRA COMMAND. Then it's just a thing you do sometimes. For common troopers, deployment options are many- And inevitable. Most troopers deploy at least three times in their career, serving as common infantry (cannon fodder) for "other people war's." They are expected to also engage in weapons sales, training client forces, and evangelizing COBRA COMMAND'S brotherhood for recruiting purposes. They rarely do the last part. They are often ordered to steal property of their clients or their clients enemies- And this IS something they do, because failure to do so can mean death upon return. For Officers, deployments are far fewer. Cobra officers have specific technical abilities, and as such are only sent when and where their skills are needed. Most in fact settle off the ARBOC, living their lives as doctors, lawyers, etc. rather quietly. Crimson Commandos do not deploy unless it's in support of specific Cobra objectives (either weapons sales, theft of valuables of their client or their client's enemies, or to police Troopers on deployment). So rare is it to see a Crimson Commando deployed that far fewer than 1% of all Crimson Commandos have ever deployed. For Vipers, deployments are fewer and further between than Troopers, but that's also because they've been augmented at great expense to Cobra, and the Emperors/Empresses expect to get their money back if something happens to their 'chosen ones.' Whereas a Trooper runs around 4,000 credits per month to a client, and Viper runs 16-20,000 credits per month, plus a bonus if they're killed in the line of duty of another 6 months worth. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| W ith the exception of the ARBOC, COBRA COMMAND'S equipment is generally second-rate. Ships In shuttle terms Cobra on par with the REF and then some. The ARBOC The armed Colony Ship ARBOC is Cobra's ultimate home base. Typically seen on the edge systems of UGC territory, the ARBOC is a 100 mile long star station of unknown origin, discover by the Crimson Twins (and future Empresses) Xamot and Tomax in 2262 during a routine search for resources. The ship had been abandoned for over a thousand years, with no identifiable cause. The hull was intact, the powerplants were off line but could be brought online relatively quickly, the weapons systems needed only minor repairs; There was simply put no reason to abandon her. Small clues as to the cause came in the form of evidence not discovered; There was no sign the ship had ever been occupied, leading to the supposition that she'd been built and her builders then either forgot she existed (a highly unlikely scenario) or had died off before they could board her (which was much more likely). In any case, she was now COBRA COMMAND'S ship. The twins estimated that the then current headquarters of Cobra, the Terror Drome on Haumea, could be disassembled in 6 months and reassembled on the new ship in about the same amount of time. This would leave their father, the current leader of the cult, exposed for about a year but was not a terribly high concern, since they could place him aboard the new ship in very secure conditions before anything else began. From there it would simply be a matter of moving him once again once the Terror Drome was rebuilt onboard. The ARBOC has served as COBRA COMMAND'S colony ship ever since; As she is not part of the UGC (legally a freebooter), she is not subject to most UGC laws, but may pass through UGC space under innocent passage. A major hint that Cobra is about to strike is when she leaves UGC space; Legally the UGC can not follow her into a system that isn't part of the council (though that rarely stops the GIB), and legally she can not disgorge troops inside of a UGC system. By being beyond the UGC's legal limits, she can launch shuttles unimpeded. HOOD-Class Assault Shuttle The HOOD-Class Assault Shuttle bridges the gap between shuttle and Corvette, with very little to really desire. Cramped and spartan, the HOOD-Class never the less delivers Cobra Vipers anywhere they need to go in a timely fashion, then provides more than moral support for said Vipers in combat. Aerospace In Air Support Cobra does shine a little bit; Their Conquest Aerospace Attack/Fighter was based on plans stolen from the United States, and by various upgrades over time has continued to serve them very well- Well enough that the UGC would press them into REF service were it not for potential Friend/Foe Identification failures. Various RDF's do use a variant of the fighter. FANG Gyrocopter X-30 Conquest Fighter CC-3 Serpent Transport The CC-3 Serpent Transport is a near one to one clone of the ancient RDF EC-27 Tunny. The originals were trans-atmospheric as the costs to improve the craft to that level were thought to be too high to be cost effective; not Only in the last 50 years (since the defeat on J'horne) have these upgrades been made, and minimally at that (grav pods, Cheron shields, auxiliary life support connections, and dual phase aeration). Until then the only alterations of any interest are purely cosmetic, wither the Serpent's Head motif making up the nose of the craft (the forward ailerons were molded into the "hood" of the viper head). Personal Equipment Standard Kit In the field Cobra fighters have very little gear; They have their combat uniforms, armor, weapon(s), and a backpack with a minimum of three days of food and water. Their radios are integrated into the helmets and their face masks double as a heads up display showing terrain, radio information, IFF indicators, weather, and toggle sights for their weapons (along with some other information). They carry as little as possible to be as flexible as possible.
Body Armor Cobra's Body amor isn't very impressive. It's rolled homogonous steel weave over cintron ballistic vest over a kriv impact vest. The triple layers of protection do work, and it's not so heavy as to be unwearable, but it's not the greatest and doesn't provide nearly the kind of protection other empire's armor provide (20 MDC, half protection against laser and particle beams, -20 prowl). Cobra uniforms do also provide some protection (10 MDC), while Crimson Guards (as the royal bodyguards and enforcers) receive the best armor available (50 MDC, full protection, -10 prowl). Cobra engineers have been trying to develop a new generation of armor that gives the kinds of protection the fighters actually want, but to little success. Infantry Weapons KL-5A Assault Weapon The main infantry weapon is the KL-5A, a laser version of the ancient Terran AKS-74U. the stock was permemntly removed and the trigger moved in from of the magazine, making the mag itself the grip. With a short e-clip, it's fully concealable (hence the CM-2 "concealment mag" designation), yet can be hadled as either a shouldered assault weapon or hand-held pistol. It's not nearly as powereful as it could be, but then it's mainly for concealment, surprise attack, and terror. KL-8 Battle Rifle The other main infantry weap is the KL-8, a laser version of the Terran OTs-03 Dragnuov SVU Sniper Rifle Shortened. This is used when pitched battles are expected, or when concealment is not an issue in enemy territory. Rarely is a KL-8 seen onboard the ARBOC outside of the Terror Drome except in training, or on troops preparing to deploy, although they have been seen from time to time in the hands of Crimson Guards in the performance of their duties. They are never seen in the hands of Troopers onboard ARBOC; even when they are to be issued, they are kept stowed until the transports have left the station. Power Armor
Cobra continues to struggle in the area of Power Armor; Their first attempt, the SNAKE, was an abysmal failure, too slow and lightly armored to provide any real protection, and too lightly armed to provide any real support. Their current Power Armor, the CCPA-18, was in part developed from technologies acquired from XXT-5K. The CP-1 Jet Pack was developed to give the SNAKE flight capabilities, with the development of the CCPA-8 the flight capabilities were built into the power armor itself and thus the additional pack became redundant, as the technology advanced so did the flight and related capabilities. The CCPA-18 has full space and underwater capabilities, with variable weapons options. The armor is good enough for taking on average infantrymen, though pitted against even a squad of REF regular infantry a single CCPA-18 will be hard pressed to hold the line for long- If no reinforcements come soon the Trooper will be forced to disengage. CP-1 Jet Pack CF-12 Flight Pod It's an open secret that Cobra first developed the tactics that made the Individual Assault Pods ("Trouble Bubbles") into an effective weapons system (flying bombs). Though IAP's continue to be inferior weapons platforms, Cobra still tries to field them effectively- to little avail. They typically fail to even reach their objectives since they're vulnerable to infantry fire. The CF-12 has made improvements on the ancient Trouble Bubbles of the GCW, but not enough to justify continued development, and REF analysts are puzzled at the attempts to do so. The one area where the flight pod does somewhat shine is escape and evasion; When it's time to simply bug out, the flight pod excels with excellent speed and just enough firepower to force pursuers to reconsider their plans long enough to effect the escape. Armor COBRA COMMAND'S armor has changed much over the centuries; The first tank was the heavy Armored Infantry Support Vehicle, the High Speed Sentry (or HiSS). The HiSS fleet was steadily improved and upgraded over time to the current HiSS V, which while not perfect is considered good by most metrics- At least against unarmed villagers and third-tier Regional forces. The HiSS V would have been excellent against pre-GCW American tanks and even held their own (in numbers) against GCW or early FIRST ROBOTECH WAR armor, but against current RDF or REF armor are somewhat outmatched, even in numbers. The very first prototype HiSS was a heavily modified civilian Ripsaw built by Howe & Howe Technologies. H&H objected quite strenuously to being associated with the HiSS, claiming they'd never sold a unit to Cobra, and could prove it (which they did). How James ARBOC came into possession of the vehicle remains a mystery, and one nobody's now interested in solving. The hull was rebuilt to accommodate up to 5 troopers, and a heavy auto cannon turret was added on top to give them some support. The original HiSSes were not very good, however, and rarely fared more than a reasonable chance of escaping from combat when faced against regular armor. HiSS V MBT As the technology of Cobra advanced so did their armor, until sometime in 2230 when a bifurcation of the HiSS commenced, starting with the HiSS V and VI. While the VI continued to be a heavy IFV, the V was trimmed down into a dedicated MBT. The hull was built so as to be able to rise, allowing it to fire over hills and obstructions, or ducking down below them as needed. The lifting mechanisms were vulnerable to attack, but the drivers and gunners quickly learned to duck down until actually firing, which protected the critical equipment for the most part. A main particle bean cannon was mounted to the turret and in early models twin rotary cannons were mounted to either side of the hull; In later models the rotary guns were replaced by missile launchers, and in the current iteration it consists of a 6 tune launcher of most peculiar configuration; Four of the tube house medium range missiles, but the middle inboard houses 4 short range missiles stacked one on top of the next and the top inboard 12 mini-missiles in four stacks of three. This is a dangerous method, but the stacks are separated by a two piece shield in the form of an overlapped V which direct the exhaust towards holes along the sides of the tubes; As the missiles exit the launch tube, the V is opened to expose the next set and seal the holes. HiSS VII IFV The HiSS VII continues the IFV tradition, with space for up to 8 troopers supported by twin heavy auto cannons. The VII isn't much to see nor write about, with a top speed of only 80 mph. Starting with Block 3, 10 MRM tubes a pair of stacked SRM's were added, but it's still not very much overall. It's still far better than the Global Civil War era HiSS, which would have found itself well at home on the battlefields of World War One but was outmatched by the armor of World War Two, nevermind the battlefields of the GCW.
Robots And Mecha Cobra does not have mecha in any fashion; Mecha by definition are powered by protoculture, which they can not reliably get. They do however have a transforming robot, the CCV-2 Cyclonus. The REF Patrol chasing a suspected clandestine Cobra ship led the UGC to discovering XXT-5K, the Machine-World that now serves as the GIB's second headquarters. As a result, Cobra was able to access some of XXT-5K's secrets before the UGC even knew of the planet's existence, and therefore were able to develop proto-veritechnology completely independent of the UGC (which is legal under UGC law, even if the tech is via illegal archeological operation in UGC territory). By merging this with their X-30 Conquest Fighter they were able to develop a workable prototype (which will be on line by 2523). Cobra has also struggled a lot with robot technology; Even their power armor program hasn't born the kind of fruit their labors would suggest, although information developed as a result of XXT-5K has given them a significant leap forward. The CCV-2 Cyclonus is not ready for combat yet, and won't be for some time to come, but they will eventually get there (the first successful combat sortie will be flown in 2523). Drones Cobra has made significant strides in drone technology; In particular, they were able to reverse engineer the MDD-03 Micro Drone, thus allowing them to build the significantly scaled up version, the Soundwave Battle Android Trooper. The Soundwave's larger frame meant greater options, and as such each Soundwave holds on board an integrated control system with superiority of control dictated by serial number; In other words, each Soundwave carries the power to become the top of their chain of command, and in so doing has a chain of command. This chain of command places them below even the lowliest trooper but mistakes have happened in the heat of battle- Especially when it applies to civilians caught in the cross fire (they do not differentiate between enemy combatants and civilians at all). | | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| COBRA COMMAND has three basic types of personnel; Troopers wear basic blue utility suits with suspenders and are equipped with a helmet and KL-5A rifle. Once deployed in the field they may be issued KL-8 rifles. Troopers also make up all the sundry support personnel. Troopers are the lowest on the totem pole and are typically recruits and trainees. Under Cobra law, they have very few rights other than to serve and be clothed, fed, and cared for as would be normal to anyone in any other service. Their labors are not paid in cash but rather in allowances. Most (99%) have never been in combat, and therefore have not proven their fitness to advance. A Trooper can rise to the level of a Viper without combat by agreeing to the process after 5 years of loyal service. Troopers can have non-combat specializations but in combat do not. the specializations include personnel, electronics repairs, engine mechanics, medical/dental, sales and support, Cobra Troopers make up around 74% of COBRA COMMAND'S membership. Vipers are trusted members of COBRA COMMAND, having proven themselves in battle. They have undergone genetic modification to make them stronger and faster. They can be identified by their armor, which while crude by universal standards is still adequate for most of the environments. Deployment of vipers is a sign of how seriously COBRA COMMAND takes the matter in question; It is considered a must-win conflict, or the client has paid a lot of money to get them there. Vipers will also be deployed in some cases at Cobra's expense when there are 1,000 or more Troopers to serve in command roles. All vipers have a specialization; Infantry, Artillery, Armor (specifically drivers), Engineers (specifically bridge building and mine clearing and laying), Air and Space Pilots, and Collections. They may continue in the Trooper specialization if it has combat applications, but generally do not. Vipers make up around 20% of COBRA COMMAND'S members. Crimson Guards are the elite of COBRA COMMAND; They are Vipers who have proven their loyalty beyond question, to the degree they are allowed to bear arms in the presence of the Emperor or -ess. They make up the personal bodyguard of the royals and addition to being the enforcers of COBRA COMMAND. They are NEVER seen not bearing arms, and can be seen aboard ARBOC bearing the KL-8 outside the Terror Drome (though this is relatively rare, and only when resistance is expected). Their specialization as such is the bodyguard of COBRA COMMAND, though they carry over their previous Viper specialization into the new duties. Crimson Guards only make up around 5% of COBRA COMMAND'S members. The Kohburuluh are COBRA COMMAND'S Royals, who can trace their lineage back to the first COBRA COMMANDER, James ARBOC. "Kohburuluh" as a word traces its' existence back to a corruption of "Cobra-La," a mocking terms for the personal home of COBRA COMMAND'S leaders in the days of The Barons. The Kohburuluh make up 1% of COBRA COMMAND'S members, and all have been Vipers at one time in their lives. While Vipers are eligible for (and required to get) body modification to increase strength and endurance, Kohburuluh are required to get far more modifications- Such that their skill Vacuum Survival is equivalent to a species far in excess of the Human/Davannan norm; Kohburuluh have been seen intentionally exposing themselves to hard vacuum for up to 5 minutes with no apparent after effects. | | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| COBRA COMMANDER. | | |||||||||||||||||||
| James ARBOC came to Earth in 1958 after having been exiled from his native world of Davanna as "a dissident." Although chronologically he was 63 at the time, by Davannan biology time he was more equivalent to a 19 year old human; Physically his body was closer to a 25 year old. In any case, he arrived and began trying to put his life back together; After working with the vultures for a few years, ARBOC attempted to go straight as a wepaons developer. However, no one would touch him for his association with that group, and he was forced to sell his designs on the black market; A shame, since ARBOC would have given the United States Army the first fully functional laser pistol in 1968, in time for the Tet Offensive, had they taken it. Over the next dacade, ARBOC began preaching leadership through strength, a message that resounded in the ears of many of the down trodden; The message of food, clothing, and housing resoiunded in the ears of many homeless as well. His Cobra Cult was formed. To pay the bills, ARBOC hired out his people as mercenries throughout Latin America and Africa, and eventually got into the weapons market; Later, they became terrorists-for-hire throughout the world. As the Global Civil War loomed, weapons sales increased, and his share of the market grew due to his willingness to sell to any anti-governmental and andti-unificationist group. His mercenry services grew as well, with his biggest contract being a full war for Viet Nam against Chinese invasion. His forces did their jobs admirably, but the Viet Namese government noted their gold repository (most of it gold stolen from South Viet Nam at the close of their invasion of that country) had disappeared, and accusations began to fly- Accusation ARBOC vehemently denied. As the came to a close, ARBOC took stock of his situation; Most of his own people had survived, a T'sentraedi ship had crashed nearby but could easily enough be rebuilt, and there was very little keeping him on Earth. It was time to go. His first attempt was to try Davanna; However he discovered that while he'd been gone, a major civil war of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons had broken out. He found only around 8,000 of his people still alive, and these were suffering from radiation poisoning and the then unknown bioweap. He took the few in that he could on the condition they breed with Humans; he saw his species time had come to a close, and hoped in so doing he could slow the clock. In so doing he inadvertently created what would come to be called the Kohburuluh species (of which every Cobra Royal is a member). His own son, James, would inherit his mother's title of Baroness DESTRO-MCCULLEN and Laird of Castle Destro in Scotland as Baron James DESTRO-MCCULLEN XXIV."K-Otics 1987 World Tour" shirt. The K-Otics were a jam band Larry Hama was in. | | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The Terror Drome was originally conceived as a mobile fortress for COBRA COMMAND in the early part of the Global Civil War; A building 6 decks high capable of serving as the headquarters of Cobra world wide.
During the reign of Baron DESTRO the facility was disassembled and moved to the abandoned ship that would eventually be named the ARBOC, located in amidships. The Terror Drome lives up to it's name in spades; This is where members of COBRA COMMAND are brought to be interrogated and tortured, but also where Troopers go when they ascend to Vipers, which is itself a painful process involving torture for it's own sake (officially it's to ensure the would-be viper can handle it, but very little torture has been inflicted on cobra members in the field, and what little they do know wouldn't hurt the organization much, so nobody buys the testing story outside of COBRA COMMAND). This is also where traitors to the cult are brought to be held, and sometimes where very important captives are held. The top deck remains the private apartments of the Empresses, though far less opulently than when The Destro held the title; Whereas in his day the entire deck was his home (and thus covered), now it's only one little pod at roughly the center. Around this now are much more important constructs needed for the cult to function- A reform begun under Serpentress, continuing under Golobulus, and expected to be fully implemented under Crystal. The building covers an area of one square acre. Well over a thousand Cobras work here at any given hour of the day or night, with around 75% of all support business occurring here less supply and training (supply and training are headquartered here but only a few desks for oversight are found here). Even most manufacturing control occurs here (the original factories were in fact in this very building, on the first deck, and some of that equipment remains there; all of the factory control stations are still located here except quality control and equipment repair). Cobra has sold clones of the Terror Drome to many groups (for a very substantial amount of course) with minor alterations; Firstly, the shell is not armored (that's proprietary), second the vertical fighter launch tubes are not installed, and thirdly the upper main weapons turrets and lower secondary weapons mounts are not armed; The turrets and pintles are perfectly capable of mounting a weapon, but cobra will not deliver them installed. The buyer must do that on their own. They must also deliver any computer or computer related systems they want installed, and the powerplant they want installed. On the plus side, they are delivered otherwise ready to use immediately- Grav pod technology works wonders for the little period they are installed in the platforms and can "for a modest price" be LEFT in place.+++++++ | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Organizational History. The organizational history of COBRA COMMAND is a bit murky; It's known that after ARBOC lost his bids to become a weapons developer he turned back to crime, delivering surprisingly high quality weapons to the black market. Battle History. Because wars happen in the open, much more is known of Cobra's militry history; Global Civil War. Cobra fighters served on every continent, including Antartica, through the Terran Global Civil War serving as terrorists-for-hire but extremely GOOD terrorists; Unlike most common terrorists, they didn't generally target civilians unless they were trying to draw the militry out. Noteably, they only served anti-governmental and anti-Unificationist groups. Their client's goals had to align in both respects. The few major exceptions to this rule were the contract with Viet Nam, which was being threatened with invasion for China (which Cobra fought valiantly, but also used as cover for several extremely sophisticated robberies, including the Viet Namese #6, 8, and 19 Gold Reserves), the contract with Russia to form the first forward scouts on their very ill-fated Antarctica operation (no Cobra personnel were even injured, and COBRA COMMAND was still paid for their assistance), and a brief contract in Kenya and Ethiopia when their respective governments tried to seize foreign-owned oil wells (those contracts were voided when the Kenyan and Ethiopian governments collapsed and COBRA COMMANDER realized they weren't going to be paid). FIRST ROBOTECH WAR. COBRA COMMAND mostly sat out the Frist Robotech War, taking only minor security contracts in many different regions (some even securing the privately owned assets of their main enemy's, the US and UK). When the Rain Of Death ended, COBRA COMMAND was still mostly intact, and after looting anything they could from their now former clients the survivors made their way back to the Terror Drome. As T'sentaedi ship had crash landed just off shore of Cobra Island, and COBRA COMMANDER ordered her rebuilt for the groups use. As soon as she was rebuilt, they began using her as part of an exodus from earth. (In order to avoid a confrontation with the RDF, and specifically with the SDF-1, all T'sentraedi bodies, dead or alive, were handed over.) Cavean War. COBRA COMMAND accepted a contract to support the rebel Interglobal Regional Forces during the cvil war on Cava; The war did not go well for IRF and they were forced to evacuate. However, Cobra fighters earned a lot of respect in their handling of the war. As the governmental forces closed in on the rebel's last stronghold at Kitien, an armored company of 12 HiSS V's began making a dedicated fighting retreat, using dirt berms as cover. One group of four held the first line while the second group of four set up on the second line and third group formed up on a fourth line. the first line held as long as they could, then retreated to the fourth line and set up again as the second line covered them. The second line then held until the Cavean forces had gotten too close and retreated as well to the fifth line, and so on. This continued until the second group reached the last possible line where they set up, as did the other two groups as then reached the line (or at least what was left of them, at this point 4 tanks). The company commander ordered his tankers to set their self destruct to 15 minutes and man their Flight Pods (abandoning their tanks), set his own self destruct to 20 minutes, and then continued to man his gun after relieving her. He stayed at his gun firing as quickly as he could to cover the retreat of his remaining comrades (as this point 16 of the 24) until they could make their escape, before dying in an explosion that blew part of the berm out. Due to his efforts, only 14 IRF rebels and 2 Cobra fighters (a Trooper and a Viper) were captured, and none of the HiSS's were recovered intact (between the 12, there was enough left to build a mockup of one). Most of his body was later recovered, for which the UGC paid 1,000 credits- Then delivered him draped in a captured COBRA COMMAND flag to the ARBOC with full honors and a recommendation of being awarded Cobra's highest honor. With this recommendation, the then reigning COBRA COMMANDER Jasime ARBOC-DESTRO (just before she took the title of Emperor Serpentress) bestowed up him said highest honor; The naming of a full hall aboard ARBOC The Viper Jackson Hall (a training building). The UGC also paid for and returned the bodies of the other Cobras killed in the battle (but only in body bags, with no particular honors), but did nothing for those captured "We're not interested in discussing them, your Highness, we only want the dead", UGC Ambassador MITCHLIEN). (The UGC also paid a hefty amount to get the HiSS remains for study, and as a result now know at least as much as COBRA COMMAND does about them.) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Cobra is not intended as a player group but rather as another potential enemy the players should be aware of. If playing UGC members, they should be treated as a thorny problem, since the UGC doesn't want a war with Cobra at this time (later yes, but not now); Extraordinary discretion is advised. If playing non-UGC, they should be treated with a little freeer hand (the UGC doesn't want a war with them, and won't allow PC's to start a full scale war with Cobra, but would tolerate 'a minor border dispute' over resources as long as it doesn't grow too far out of control). If playing an anti-UGC faction other than a Cobra ally, not only would the UGC tolerate a war but they might covertly fund the PC's. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The HOOD-Class Assault Shuttle HiSS V MBT HiSS VII IFV G-18 Cobra Powered Armor Cobra "Flight Pod." PA Jet Pack | KL-8 Battle Rifle Cobra Battle Armor The CCV-2 Cyclonus Fighter X-30 Conquest Fighter CC-3 Sepent Transport FANG Support Helicopter | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| One of the reasons the UGC does not want to deal with Cobra at this time is the Global Information Services Is Using Them. In fact, the GIS is Cobra's biggest single payee. When the UGC has turned their eye to an independent system that is refusing annexation, the GIS has been known to use proxies (such as The Fessors) to create problems. Cobra provides them with a ready made solution that they neither control nor created (unlike the Fessors), thus giving them not only plausible but absolute deniability. GIS agents then find factions in the targeted system that are unsatisfied with the current regime and give them the money to hire mercenries like Cobra to stage a rebellion or coup. When no such faction can be found, GIS agents have in the past hired Cobra (and their competitors) to launch large scale terror attacks to foment anxiety, which more often than not will open a door for a politically ambitious local to walk through- Which very often results in the hiring of Cobra in any case. When the GIS hires Cobra directly, the agents do so behind a smokescreen, usually posing as other diplomatic enemies or as criminals interested in destabilizing the current regime (though in a few cases using the attack as a decoy was part of the cover story). COBRA COMMAND has no clue they've worked with the GIS, and the GIS has worked very hard to ensure they stay ignorant of this fact; They've even dispatched agents on missions to thwart the very operations they themselves have begun to ensure the cover story stays in place, and some of those agents have died trying to complete their mission. The GIS is not concerned about a major leadership change (and therefore a policy shift) any time soon; Crystal has declared she has no intention of leaving the Night Stalkers any time soon and in fact is an active Stalker at the moment; To assume the throne she has to resign from the Night Stalkers. That doesn't mean she couldn't launch a coup then resign, but at this time she seems very content to remain where she is. The GIS has a few infiltrators in Cobra; One is even a Crimson commando. Additionally they have dozens of informants within cult, many of whom are unaware who they really work for; Most think they work for other social climbing members of Cobra. A lot of this is the result of FP STRATTON'S information. | Felix P. STRATTON | ||||||||||||||||||||
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He appears to be serving here with a third rate mercenry outfit. Date and location unknown. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Felix P. STRATTON is the only Cobra to ever defect; In pint of fact, he was a Corporal in the UGC Marine who intentionally got drunk just before standing sentry duty, then struck an officer to force a Courts-Martial. At the Courts-Martial he pled guilty to the basic charges in exchange ffor a dishonorable discharge and no further incarceration; Two months later he was joining cobra, and worked his way up from Trooper to Crimson Command. Then he deserted Cobra. While fighting on Festial, he simply disappeared one day; COBRA COMMAND thought he'd been killed and left it at that. Felix then made his way back to UGC territory and surrendered to the first Galactic Investigation Services office he could find. He revealed that his attack on the officer had been a ruse to get discharged, because he wanted Cobra thinking he was a truly "bad guy." To support this, he called for an Marine attorney who'd been holding documents for him without knowing the contents; In the document he laid out his entire "plan." He offered to surrender on the condition that he was to be held at either a psychiatric or low-level penal colony, Instead he was offered a normal colony but was also offered three women that were serving lifetime paroles (typical "lottery Girl" candidates), in a villa at the outskirts of the capital- Where GIS agents could meet with him whenever necessary. Felix now lives on XXT-5K's Admin District, as the information he revealed was astounding; First, COBRA COMMAND will only accept people who are at least half-human; Those who are not are rejected for a reason. After proving your loyalty as a Trooper, you can be allowed to promote to a Viper, but to do so you must pass a test at The Terror Drome; You are bitten by a Renoid Viper, a species native to Terra's Northern California. They evolved in the wake of Kara Qalliph Diel'are Kah Yar and produce a poison that causes intense pain and often death; However, those who survive the process are physically and mentally stronger (+6 to all except IQ) but slightly duller minded (-6 IQ). | Non-humans either intrinsically can not survive the process or are unaffected by it, either way this is why only Humans and half-humans can be accepted. Humanoid alone isn't good enough; They have to be genetically identical to Homo Sapien Sapien, even Tiresians (and the T'sentreadi that came from them) aren't close enough. Those that survive the process (most do) then serve about 5 years as Vipers, fighting wherever COBRA COMMAND tells them to; After that they are eligible to advance to Crimson Command, and most request to do so; about one third are finally accepted. (Felix was one of these.) Again you are brought to the Terror Drome bitten; The second dose causes pain, but not nearly as great as the first time, and you come out of it stronger, faster, and even smarter (+6 to all stats, and an additional +4 to IQ). The Viper must wait 5 years for the toxins that created them to fully reconfigure their DNA and to have said toxins fully flushed from their bodies or they will not survive the process of "advancement." This is the secret to Cobra's loyalty; You are forever tied to the process that created you. You're better than a human now, and you act like it. It's also in part their weakness; The process only works on humans, and therefore they're trapped in the limitation of recruit pool. There was talk about a non-human auxiliary when Felix defected, but there doesn't seem to be any progress in that direction even now. Since then Felix has been a useful source on Cobra's next moves, and served with a variety of mercenry outfits in various regions as a common infantryman and trainer. He also helped the GIB to develop the plans necessary to infiltrate Cobra, allowing them to develop a picture of what Cobra is doing. When he's not working as a mercenry, he often can be found on XXT-5K working on another plan to undermine his former "comrades" (whom he really hates) with his five wives (recruited from Lottery Girls that did not get selected by Sierra Bravos). | ||||||||||||||||||||
