Branch is a hacktivist group in ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON. They are responsible for leaking the rediscovery of Coral on Rubicon 3 by the Planetary Closure Administration to the public, which lured extraplanetary corporations to the planet and precipitated the Coral War.
History[]
Branch is a hacktivist group that is active in the Rubicon system. As a rule, Branch limits its membership roster to four active members, all of whom are free to rotate out of the group at any time. Members are usually highly experienced mercenaries. At the time of the Coral War, the group consisted of the AC pilots King, Chartreuse, and Raven, and an unnamed operator. King was the most senior member of the four at the time.
It was Raven who leaked the survival of Coral on Rubicon 3 to wider human civilization despite the Planetary Closure Administration's efforts to keep the information concealed so as to prevent any possibility of a repeat of the Fires of Ibis, the catastrophe that burned the Coral fifty years previously. The leak was facilitated by King and Chartreuse carrying out a raid on LOC Station 31, an orbital PCA facility that controlled the weaponized satellites of the Closure System that enforced Rubicon 3's quarantine. When the extraplanetary corporations Balam Industries and Arquebus Corporation picked up the leak, they rushed to Rubicon 3 to survey for the Coral and exploit it, igniting the Coral War. Subsequently, PCA forces targeted Raven for elimination and tracked them to the Contaminated City. Raven lost the ensuing battle, but managed to eject from their AC, NIGHTFALL, and return to Branch. The wreck of NIGHTFALL was later found by C4-621, who stole Raven's mercenary license and assumed their identity to hide that they had landed on Rubicon 3 illegally.
Later in the conflict, Branch learned of the theft of Raven's name and decided to challenge the usurper to test their worthiness. In one scenario, the original Raven dueled C4-621 at Old Bertram Spaceport. In a second scenario, Branch allowed itself to be hired by Arquebus Corporation to evict the Rubicon Liberation Front from the Gallia Dam Complex, intending to use the attack on the RLF to draw C4-621 into a trap. King and Chartreuse led the assault on the RLF's forces and engaged C4-621 first, while Raven arrived on the scene later. In both scenarios, C4-621 emerged victorious and defeated Branch, proving they had the strength to bear the title of "Raven". Raven's Operator noted that Branch would continue to monitor C4-621's activities.
Members[]
Technology[]
Parts[]
- HC-2000/BC SHADE EYE (Developed by RaD, but comprehensively rebuilt by Branch)
- VE-42B (developed by ADD, the specs were stolen and leaked by Branch)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The fact that the Defend the Dam Complex mission is a trap for C4-621 is evidenced by the Branch members' dialogue when the player is destroyed. If King and Chartreuse are both still intact, King will abort the attack on the remainder of the Gallia Dam Complex, much to Chartreuse's surprise, and make it clear that C4-621's elimination was Branch's true purpose in accepting a job from Arquebus against the RLF.
- King and Chartreuse make heavy use of Arquebus Advanced Development Division VE-class parts that are not used by any other pilots, even other Vespers who would logically be the first ones to field experimental weaponry and parts made by Arquebus' internal special R&D division. If the VE-42B's description is anything to go by, it would appear that the Branch made off with several other designs they stole from Arquebus ADD.
- Promotional material description:[1]
BRANCH A group of independent mercenaries. Little is known of its members, and their presence and intentions on Rubicon remain a mystery.[1] |