r A P T O R - m K I I I

The Raptor MK III is a Mech hunter unit. It is a small, two manned vehicle that usually works in packs of 5 to 10 similar units. The idea is to be quick and small and cause damage to larger mechs in a hit and run type tactic. The raptor can also be utilized in the role of close combat attack and infantry support. The Raptor is armed with due 20mm cannons and various missiles and rockets mounted on the stub wing hard points and pylons. This is a model that I created a little while back and decided to re-visit it and re-design it a bit. I like this version a bit more than previous. I used Lightwave 6.5 and Photoshop CS 1 to create this image.

h E L L H A M M E R - e X P R E S S _ p A R T I I

Escape Part II
By Nathan Carlisle ©2014

The Alien drone had a small weapon on it and it open fired briefly at the strike team on the ground as it began to shriek out a warning signal to nearby troopers. The strike team was quick to respond with their on volley of fire which managed to knock the drone around a bit til it slammed into the side of a nearby building, thus rendering it silent.

Cursing their luck the team loaded into the Hell-Hammer as quickly as possible, all the time being alert as to whether enemy troopers were approaching. The team member who took up the driver's position eased the Hell-Hammer into gear and the enormous mass that made up the mobile base started to move down the alley like some prehistoric beast.

The end of the alley was blocked by a couple of abandoned cars which were pushed out of the way by the vehicles massive bumper assembly which was attached to an articulated base that allowed the driver to operate the unit in a similar manner to a blade on a Bulldozer. This feature came in handy when trying to move various types of obstacles encountered on the battlefield.

The hub motors were a bit rusty and they made more sound that they would have liked as they progressed out of the industrial park. Other than the slight grinding sound of the wheels the hissing of boiling water the whole of the area seemed to be draped in a cloak of silence. Not wanting to be caught off guard the remaining team members took up various positions around the vehicle.

The team commander took the seat to the right of the driver which was the co-pilot and navigator position. From this position one could operate the forward facing weapons systems but could also override the other weapons systems if needed as well as monitored the active defense systems. The next team member took up the forward facing turret while the remaining member took up the rear facing turret. Both turrets had 360 degree rotation capabilities but with two almost guaranteed full coverage of the vehicle.

As the vehicle continued on its journey the grinding sound of the hub motors seemed to become less and less but the tension was still high. The strike team knew that the alert that the alien drone sent out was heard and was responded to yet they had not seen any enemy troopers as of yet. They knew that it was only a matter of time.

All of a sudden they were taking fire, coming from the top of some of the abandoned buildings that lined the street like so many corpses. The alien troopers were well hidden and the guns they were using had very high kinetic impact that seemed to rattle everything that was not bolted down on the interior of the ACV. Both top mounted turrets whirled into action, finding targets and opening up with their 20mm guns.

The enemy positions exploded with a cloud of glass, steel and concrete that came tumbling down to the streets like a hail storm. The team commander reminded them to conserve ammunition by selecting their targets and not to just spray the area, which was much harder said than done considering the circumstances and how easy it was to burn off a few hundred rounds in a matter of seconds. Nonetheless the team was well trained and were making  progress when more fire came from the rear of the vehicle.

The commander activated the automated rear defense systems since the team members in the turrets were still occupied with the buildings to the sides of them. The quad 7.62 gun on the rear of the vehicle immediately burst to life and seemed to almost fire continuously as it dodged from left to right. That's when the Hell-Hammer's alert went off indicating an approaching vehicle coming from in front of them. Not wanting to be surrounded, the gunner engaged the gas/nitro-methane turbine engine which actually blew out some of the nearby widows as it roared to life. The massive vehicle shot out from its position like a jungle cat sending debris flying to the side in giant waves.

The alert in the ACV changed tone to indicate that the approaching enemy vehicle was now in firing range and that is when the saw it, an enemy drop-ship.

To be continued.... 

I created this image using Lightwave 6.5 and Photoshop CS1.

Hell-Hammer Express

Escape
By Nathan Carlisle ©2014

The Geiger counters were reading off the chart as the Recon team waded through the steaming water in an attempt to evade capture by the alien forces. The team had been successful in their mission. A mission to bring down one of the monsterous alien command ships that had been parked off the coast of the city for the past year. They had managed to utilize a laser designator on the command ship enabling Allied forces to target it with a tactical nuclear strike, one of the only weapons in Earth's arsenal powerful enough to break through the alien defense shields. Years of struggle had led up to this point and they finally seemed to be getting somewhere in countering the alien threat.

Even though the mission was successful the resulting explosion sent the alien command ship into the nearby ocean causing a small Tsunami to flood the downtown area of the city with boiling and highly radioactive water. The Recon team had expected to meet up with their extraction transport but that changed when it was wiped out by the Tsunami as it washed over the city. The aliens were quick to respond and dispatched various search units to locate the source of the laser designation signal that was detected just before one of their command ships was brought down. The aliens did  locate the Recon team and a vicious firefight ensued. Despite the enthusiasm of the team the commander ordered them to disengage and to fall back. They managed to evade capture and were now seeking alternative means to get clear of the city.

Fortunately one of the team members had grown up in this city and knew of numerous back alleyways and hideouts that they could utilize. This knowledge had proved quite useful  as the team evaded several alien patrols, but they knew that their time and luck was running out. The team had  managed to avoid another alien patrol when they came upon a most welcomed site, the Hell-hammer ACV.

Hell-hammer
 Armored Command Vehicle
Manufacturer: Vortech Arms
Length: 10.44 m
Width: 3.71m
Height: 4.1m
Weight, combat: 14,500 kg
Range: Dependent on model type but can range from 12,000 - 30,000 km
Engines: 4 Herekles independent hub motors, 1 Razorback Gas/Nitro-Methane motor.
Crew: 5, Commander, Driver, Com Officer, 2 gunners.

The team found the Hell-hammer sitting behind a warehouse in the now abandoned industrial sector of the city. It looked as though it had been there for some time, quite possibly since the initial alien invasion four years ago. Despite looking a little rough it looked to be in fair condition. The Recon team knew they needed something to increase their odss of getting out of the city alive and the Hell-hammer Armored Command Vehicle could very well be exactly what they were looking for.

The Hell-hammer ACV was manufactured by Vortech Arms Industry as a highly armored information hub and troop transport initially developed for their Mars based military forces dealing with rebel forces and pirates. The unit was so successful that a manufacturing plant was established on Earth and the Hell-hammer was sold to select corporations and governments around the globe. This particular unit was probably on such a mission years ago during the alien invasion and was most likely part of the defense plans for this industrial sector. There were quite a few signs of combat on the outer hull but since it had 4 layers of armor it could stand up to a fair amount of punishment without loss of integrity. The team approached cautiously not only to avoid detection or possible traps but to guard against any hope that they may harbor that the vehicle would be in operating condition. Even if the vehicle were not in operational condition they could at least get out of the radioactive water that they were wading through for the past few hours, even if only for a moment.

When the team finally reached the Hell-hammer, the lead team member used the hatch beneath the vehicle to access the interior. A few tense moments passed as the watchful Recon team awaited for a response. The lead member who entered the vehicle finally made contact and informed them that the vehicle appeared to be in very good condition and that there was still power. The lead member inside the vehicle began the initial prepping of the on-board systems and engines as the reamaining members guarded the outside from alein patrols. The team's hope seemed to grow as the exterior lights kicked on as the hum of the electric wheel hub motors spooled to life.

All the Hell-hammer's systems seemed to be in almost perfect running order along with a fair amount of supplies and ammunition in storage. The active defense systems were working as designed along with the two quad 7.62 forward and rear facing guns. The top of the Hell-hammer had two Minion turret systems which consisted of a 20mm Gatling gun with two full missile pods that contained a variety of missile types. An armored communications and electronic counter measures pod sat atop the turrets giving the Hell-hammer a massive and domineering presence.

Just as the initial prep of the vehicle was done, an alien drone flew over their position with its distinctive buffeting sound echoeing off of the surrounding buildings. The drone's sensors picked up the energy readings coming off of the Hell-hammer and stopped.

To be continued.... :)

The Centurion II.