Den Mother

Specifications
Use	Artillery command and control Gear
Production Code	HACS-01HG-ART
Manufacturer	Northco
Height	4.8 meters (5.6 w/MRP)
Speed	Walker: 35 kph SMS: 57 kph

Produced at a time when new Gear chassis were designed every two or three cycles, the Den Mother was first a command-and-artillery control version of the Bear which evolved into its own design soon after. Modifications included the XVD-90A communication equipment (replacing the somewhat obsolete Rod-6 comm system), an MSU-010 satellite uplink, high resolution displays, long range camera sensors and a slightly higher performance secondary movement system (SMS), all of which necessitated significant internal reengineering.

Several plates of armor were added, most of them to the front, but the armament remained identical to the Bear’s. In some later models, the guided mortar was removed to get ride of some excess weight which was impairing the machine’s speed and combat performance.

Several of the already-existing engine problems remained, however, and although the application of 475 HP S-V900K was considered as a permanent solution, pilot complaints about that engine’s excess vibrations were enough to discourage the engineers. The shoulder mounted GU-4 machinegun also had a muzzle flash problem which was never truly resolved and eventually abandoned as the engineers were assigned other projects. It was finally agreed that an anti-flash nozzle cannot be installed on a gatling-type weapon and that was the end of that problem.

The latest version of the Den Mother is equipped with the treaded feet of the Grizzly, as this type of movement system has been judged more efficient for such large, lumbering machines. Most pilots have found the Den Mother a reliable if slow machine. Its performance as an artillery or command unit is often praised, even if the machine’s sheer bulk and size make it more noticeable than would be preferable. It should be noted that Northco has ceased producing spare parts for the Den Mother, as it has for the Bear, and has sold the maintenance rights and responsibilities to Neil Motor Works. This transfer of responsabilites has made replacement parts for these models somewhat more difficult to obtain and more expensive.

Usage

Like its predecessor, the Bear, the Den Mother has enjoyed quite an extended career. Even today, it is used as mobile artillery control Gear, and although it is much older than the Grizzly, it frequently serves as close fire support unit from time to time. It is now being replaced by a special variant of the Grizzly, though the latter’s high cost slowed down the transition. As a result, the Den Mother’s latest version is very likely to remain in operation for another ten to twenty cycles.

The initial release of the Den Mother was not equipped with satellite uplinks and its electronic components had not yet been perfected to the point at which they currently are, but the result was nonetheless a strong support Gear which was often favored by more prudent commanding officers. During the War of the Alliance, the initial Rod-6 communication system was replaced by the XVD-90A comm equipment, which turned the Den Mother into a very efficient command unit. Furthermore, as the war progressed and more weapon satellites became available to the Terranovan forces, the Den Mother was equipped with a satellite uplink designed to call in orbital fire or very long range fire support.

The Den Mother has one major claim to fame: Mayia DeLourdès. First known for her unbroken streak of victories on the Death Track 1000 field between TN 1904 and TN 1911, she performed all of her races in her customized Den Mother. At the beginning of the War of the Alliance, she was drafted into the Northern Guard and was allowed to keep her Gear (although some people tell another version of the story where she would have been forced to contribute her Gear to the war effort). She briefly participated in the Baja Campaign, but an elbow injury temporarily put her out of commission. She then met Field Marshal Anders von Breslau, who was impressed both by her attitude and her competence, and assigned her an dangerous sabotage mission behind enemy lines. Although she realized her chances of survival were slim, she went, and never returned. DeLourdès' life has often been serialized on trideo. Most of the times, her Den Mother Gear is portrayed as a very alert and unusually responsive (some even say intelligent) machine. Although she is presumed dead, DeLourdès' exact fate remains unknown.