EX02 Tell me, Sharon. About the Assault Frame.

"Want to hear about the Assault Frame?"

"Yeah. Dad said you'd be the one to ask."

"True enough. I'd be better at explaining than a Lieutenant, wouldn't I?"

Leave it to me, Sergeant says, tapping her chest.

"I'll teach you to be a mechanic as fast as Mio can be!"

"No need to go that far."

"...Is that so."

The Sergeant, coolly rebuffed, lowers her shoulders slightly and touches her left gauntlet, summoning several three-dimensional images.

"Then let's start with something Mio's already familiar with."

◆ ◆ ◆

・Assault Frame

A humanoid weapon used by the移民 fleet.

A steel giant measuring approximately twenty meters.

A shield of humanity scattered across space, existing solely to counter ASID.

A weapon developed from the Acid Frame, originally derived from a humanoid ASID captured and modified from the home planet.

Not designed solely for combat, it is also used as a humanoid heavy machine for tasks such as asteroid mining and repairing immigrant vessels.

The majority of current models are equipped with the following:

An Ether Reactor with an output of approximately ten Lammy.

Nano-skin armor that averages out damage to some degree.

Reaction speed without latency via Ether communication.

Ether coating with increased strength when using the same amount of Ether, due to advancements in convergence technology.

Ether rifles with enhanced penetration against enemy Ether, likewise due to convergence technology.

Ether daggers that generate blades of high-density concentrated Ether.

Ether thrusters that enable movement through the expulsion of Ether.

Inertial control to moderate acceleration.

The development of Ether convergence technology gives it the greatest advantage over ASID.

Operational efficiency varies by a factor of four to five.

Even in one-on-one engagements, it can hold its own against opponents up to fifty Lammy in strength.

Since most functions rely on Ether, the Ether Reactor constitutes its greatest vulnerability.

It is equipped with at least minimal specifications sufficient to maintain combat superiority over standard-type ASID, even when operated by new recruits.

Against General-type ASID, two squads of four units each are typically sufficient.

Engagement with Queen-type ASID is not anticipated.

Average Queen-type ASID requires a fleet centered on a Lombardia-class battleship for response.

For stronger opponents, a Longinus-class mobile battleship is assigned.

Thus, it does not possess particularly formidable firepower.

Except, that is, for the less disclosed Gryphon.

・Raven

Assault Frame Type 11.

Assault Frame designated as the eleventh model.

Adopted as the primary unit across most fleets, including the Third Fleet.

Its neutral handling characteristics are highly rated, considered a masterpiece.

The curved nano-skin armor features surface flow of nanomachines.

This design aims to deflect attacks that have penetrated the ether coating.

Currently, the effect is negligible.

Third Fleet-spec units are colored black as ink.

Inertial control has improved over previous models, and weapon payload capacity has increased.

Reactor output remains unchanged, but ether convergence technology across all components has advanced further, resulting in overall performance enhancement.

Astro Package — designed for space combat.

Orbit Package — designed for gravity well combat.

Ground Package — designed for surface combat.

Such optional equipment exists.

By equipping the appropriate package for each combat domain, maximum potential can be achieved.

Maximum speed with the Astro Package is 5 km/s. Inertial control reaches its limit, so it is typically maintained around 2 km/s.

Jin and his unit, Raven, are specialized variants.

The standard Ether coating allocates more Ether to weapons and thrusters.

Manual adjustment allows further redistribution, requiring a custom Ether supply line within the unit.

Additionally, Jin's unit features a deactivated Reactor limiter command.

It achieves three times the normal output, but after activation, the reactor ceases functioning after approximately ten minutes — a final resort.

• Leopard

Assault Frame Type 82.

Minor change version of the eighth assault frame model.

Frequently used as a training unit, an outdated model.

Overall performance is inferior to Raven, but sufficient against standard ASID units.

Angular, straight-line armor configuration.

Common in models preceding Leopard.

High defensive capability against frontal attacks.

Equipped with the same optional gear as Raven, but Leopard lacks the Astro Package, rendering it nearly immobile in space.

A consequence of the weak main thrusters.

Since the unit is never deployed without a package, this is not a significant issue.

Jin once performed the extreme measure of loading Raven's settings onto this unit.

Manually adjusted the controls to force a passage through a maneuver beyond the capability of a standard pilot.

With the Astro Package, Jin achieved approximately 4 km/s, but inertia control was already at its limit, imposing significant strain at such velocity. Not to be imitated.

Design redundancy had already been exhausted; no further enhancement was possible.

Scheduled for full retirement in the near future.

・Griffin

Assault Frame Type 15.

The fifteenth and most recent model of Assault Frame.

A machine with inherent flaws, capable of acceleration and turning beyond the reach of an ordinary pilot.

Operated exclusively within the Second Fleet, where the Cyborg Squad exists; no plans for deployment in other fleets.

The overall trend in design favors larger size; while other units are around twenty meters, the Griffin measures approximately twenty-five meters.

Equipped with two large, flexible Ether Thrusters for dynamic operation.

A larger Ether rifle than the current model.

Ether Vulcan built into the lower arm of the frame.

Ether Dagger embedded in the palm.

Reactor output has increased nearly double, reaching approximately twenty Lami.

The higher the output, the more difficult it becomes to mass-produce Ether Reactors.

Currently, only the First Fleet and Second Fleet can mass-produce Ether Reactors for assault frames exceeding ten Lami.

In that sense, this frame can be considered unproducible by other fleets.

Additionally, the existence of a cyborg pilot enables the Griffin Unit to maintain the top performance record among all移民 fleets.

Incidentally, and entirely unrelated, the ace who effortlessly surpasses such limits in their natural form is universally detested.

◆ ◆ ◆

"Approximately like this. Understood?"

Got it! Griffon’s a dangerous one! Raven’s a good one! Leopard’s the grandpa!

“Technically inaccurate… but cute enough to overlook!”

The sergeant, about to elaborate on minutiae only an expert would grasp, held back.

Correct.

Had he continued explaining, Mio, already losing interest, would have made a break for freedom.

“By the way, what was Type One like?”

“Type One was the Harmonious model. Plenty of data remains, but all records of its design philosophy—those details—were erased. Hard to say what it really was.”

“Huh? Oh right, that battleship from the story—what was that?”

“Ah… no, it’s getting late. Let’s save that for another time.”

“Okay!”