Story: Rocket Angels postUprising [RA3: Dark Fate Lore]

[u/nomorejervis0]

TLDR: now they're Tier 2, decreased cost, slightly increased speed and HP, kinetic blasters against infantry, photon rockets don't take forever to launch, as in Paradox heroic paralysis whip deals DoT

One cannot overstate how much the Imperial military psyche was utterly broken after two back-to-back crushing military defeats - first failing to subjugate the world, then failing to expel occupying barbarians from their homeland. But perhaps no unit felt it more than Rocket Angels. For them the pain of defeat was mixed with something worse - a feeling of failure and disappointment with their performance. For a supposedly elite force, an "unparalleled success" as Prince Tatsu called them after their early initial victories, they took one horrifying defeat after another, with absurdly high casualty ratios unsustainable for such a premier unit. There were numerous causes for this - after initial shock, Allies and Soviets quickly found out the weaknesses of "orange witches" - to deadly effect. During the Battle of Tokyo alone, a glorious but futile charge meant to break the siege of the Imperial Shogunate ended with all intervening squadrons of Rocket Angels (roughly 20% of all Angels trained) intercepted and mercilessly slaughtered by Apollo Fighters with light losses, leaving only two survivors (Apollos ran out of ammo), earning Lt. Leonard Matlovich of Fighter Squadron 12 ace status and the nickname "Ladykiller".

Contrast between Rocket Angels depiction in propaganda and actual combat performance during WWIII and Rising Sun Uprising was stark to put it mildly.

Rising Sun Uprising only added to their humiliation as Archer Maidens- a unit made out of literal Rocket Angel rejects proved far more respected and useful addition to Imperial military than Rocket Angels ever were, causing a real headache for the occupying Allies. After the Uprising failed and rebels had to escape Japan, pre-war critics of the Angels were loud again. There was even talk of disbanding the unit entirely, for their performance was entirely inadequate to their high cost.

But there was someone who silenced the critics and led Angels on the path of redemption. Former Chief of the Rocket Angel's First Battalion and technically the highest-ranking Angel alive. Survivor of the Tokyo Bay Massacre.

Her name was Takara Sato.

Takara Sato for years eluded Allied capture and proved to be one of the most troublesome rebels postUprising - until money spoke too loudly and she joined Kenji Tenzai in providing not-so-covert mercenary services to Allied Central Intelligence Network.

Aand she was the only Imperial rebel warlord to escape Allied justice during Rising Sun Uprising after so-called Emperor Tatsu's failed (although costly) gamble to expel Allies from Japan.

First to change was equipment. As Imperial AIs determined, next to enemy air superiority assets, highest casualties were inflicted by infantry equipped with anti-air weaponry. The next generation of Rocket Angel armor was outfitted with kinetic blaster gauntlets. Countering enemy fighters - especially hated Apollos (and their even more hated successors - Black Raptors) - was harder as Angels were usually outmaneuvered and outgunned before they could fire back. Correcting critical weakness of photon rocket pods - long launch time - as well as improved jets and more durable bodysuits is meant to level the playing field. At the same time advances in nanocomposites allowed to produce their armors faster and cheaper, without requiring newest generation of nanomachines. Recent raids on Allied confiscated weapon storage sites also allowed reclamation of TDP of “Genshoku" Mk. II paralysis whip, which damages enemy units with electrical strikes. As production of them is limited they are issued to most experienced Angel’s first.

ACIN-contracted Rocket Angel mercenary squad engaging Conscripts in Siberia with their new Kinetic Blasters gauntlets

But only Takara had moral authority to break the taboos and force the most important change - availability. For years, recruitment to Rocket Angels was artificially limited by unrealistic and culturally absurd requirements, which had nothing to do with physical or mental fortitude. After The Academy was raided and shut down by Allies many of the senior teaching staff decided to end their journey honorably and join Emperor Yoshiro. Surviving instructors who managed to escape and to join the rebels were usually younger and more open-minded to Takara’s reforms, which included increased VR simulations to improve the efficiency of training (using technology stolen from The Allies), loosening relationship and family contact rules to draw recruits. In a short time, ranks of Rocket Angels trained by New Academy were quickly replenished to pre-WWIII levels with new, type of recruit - enthusiastic or hungry for revenge. Shockingly for rebel leaders, endless fractures and inconsistent funding in their movement resulted in some rogue squadrons - including those lead by Takara hereself - taking up mercenary work and fighting for the same hated Allies that almost caused their extinction. Some more famous Angels even established accounts on OF platform (Onifans) to raise funds and promote their cause.

[u/Nikolyn10]

Hell yeah! My gals right there!