I was cloned, Batch XX-221bd43821, designated unit H’Youndie R’heddisien, on Earth Calendar (Galactic Standard) 21 March, 1432.
As I was, at that point, not yet qualified for anything over Regult, I was assigned to the general pool. T’sentrædi assignments went on a restricted lottery system; Previous assignments first, qualifications second.
The qualifications, in order of precedence, was Regult (battlepod), Gluuhaug Regult (light artillerypod), Serauhaug Regult (heavy artillerypod), Del Regult (recon scoutpod), power armor (both the male powerearmor Nousjadeul-Ger and Queadluun-Rau female powerarmor), Recovery Pod, Gnerl (fighterpod), Quel Qualie (theater scout pod), shuttle pod, Frand’lar Tiluvo (re-entrypod), Salan weapons, ship command center (radar and helm mostly), and ships command; Ships command, however, was restricted to the officers, and as a warrior, I was ineligible.
Assignment were Negronta Zugara Salan (repair ship), Negronta Zugara T’sen (hospital ship), Negronta Zugara Fub Relau (supply ships, especially fuel for auxiliary engines), Nous-Grandiel (special forces), Derurigaado (rear-guard to cover ordered retreats, reconnaissance, and planet or spacecraft security; also bodyguard assignments), and finally Kerugadorasu (stormtroopers and main assault units).
Negronta Zugara was considered a minor inconvenience, or perhaps punishment, depending on circumstances. You would generally NOT be assigned to such a unit unless either you asked to (in which case you were considered a t’sen-mot coward), or it had been so long since you were assigned to one that you were due for a little “light and unpleasant duty.” It was, more or less, like the Terran practice of putting lower-ranking personnel on messcook (KP). At a certain stage of your career (after qualifying for recovery pod), you could ALMOST guarantee you would never be assigned to a Negronta Zugara unit again. After qualifying as Quel Qualie pilot, you could ASSUREDLY guarantee you would never again be assigned to a Negronta Zugara unit unless you requested it; At which point you would never again be assigned to a combat unit.
Nous-Grandiel was a reserved assignment, only available to those who requested it AND passed certain HIGHLY DEMANDING standards, including psychological; You had to be able to endure the hardship of continuous micronization for up to 1,ØØØ years. However, if you COULD take it, you were a Honored Among Equals, and would NEVER be returned to a normal combat command again. There was, also, another caveat: you had to have served in ALL types of commands, and qualified in every type of position (less ships command for warriors). Even if you did still otherwise qualify, you could still be refused entry into such a unit on the decision of it’s commander. S/He (usually a she) had to WANT you in their command.
Derurigaado was more or less an R&R command; After several turns at the front, you would be rotated to the rear, and placed in security/policing units. You might be assigned planet side or in a ship’s company, though the vast majority of the latter were at Robotech Factories or NUPETIET-VERNITZS-Class flagships. These commands would last until a routine re-assignment, so less a few unlucky ones, this was a lifetime appointments.
Kerugadorasu were the most common assignment; There were ALWAYS troops at the front dying.
You could also request a re-assignment from a less to a greater unit; For example, someone in a Derurigaado unit could ASK to transfer to a Kerugadorasu command, and for the most part could do so with his bags already packed. But request a transfer from a Kerugadorasu to a Negronta Zugara unit, and might well be killed on the spot unless you were due for a routine transfer.
We were assigned to a ship, to remain there until the ship was declared Negronta t’sen-mot: That the ship had been too badly damaged, by one means or another, to continue to be of service to the empire, and would be towed (usually) into a repair yard or factory to be rendered down, and her crew reassigned. It was here that your new orders would be assessed, based on previous experiences and qualifications; Officers who had performed badly also might be reassigned to subordinate positions, or to the same position at a lesser command. Transfer to a equal position at a similar command (for example, being put in command of a Kerugadorasu at a TOU REDIR, after having just been the commander of such a unit) was a mark of good performance. Advancement to a HIGHER command (for example, transfer from command of a TOU REDIR’s Kerugadorasu to one at a THUVERL SALAN) was a sign of excellent performance.
Such was NOT so for Warriors; Our re-assignments in unit size did not reflect our abilities. At that level, one unit’s the same as the next, as long as the mission is the same; Assignment to a TOU REDIR’s Kerugadorasu was the same as a Fulbtzs-Berrentzs’ Kerugadoras. It was the qualifications that made a difference, and mission was secondary. You might be PROMOTED being sent from a Fulbtzs-Berrentzs’ Kerugadoras to a Negronta Zugara’s Derurigaado, as you had mastered ALL Mecha and duties.
My first assigned was to Grammieir Borotu, on THUVERL SALAN (destroyer) YYT7113827. My first combat was against the Invid in some forgotten system. My ship was ordered to hold a flanking action, preventing the Invid forces from escaping. They didn’t even TRY, and rarely did, but a relief force DID attempt to interfere, and we fought them. I killed an Armored Scout that day.
A slightly beaten up THUVERL SALAN-Class (Human designation “T’sentrædi Destroyer“)
In 1561, I was sent to Garuda. While I was there, I was trained by Tirolian collaborator Garudan Master Trackers. It was here, during one particular patrol, that an event that would DRASTICALLY change my life occurred.
Garudan rebels had staged an offensive in the southern hemisphere; Our unit was dispatched to track down a group that was suspected of operating out of a valley that wound north-northeast. We chased them up the valley, smashing small pockets usually attacking with mere spears and arrows; Occasionally, even a log slide or ram attack. (Many years later, I would see a Human-made movie wherein 2 to 3 foot tall aboriginals used a double-log trap to destroy a Destroid; This was very similar to Garudan tactics.)
Still, we thought we were winning. Little did we realize they were setting us up for a MAJOR ambush. The Garudan had been stripping Regults of autocannons and ammo, then mounting them on crude, wooden wheels and axles, and dragging the deep in the valley, where they’d been amassing them. The western wall of the valley was a veritable WALL of gun posts. When the full division was solidly trapped, they opened fire. Our Regults were practically cut to ribbons.
Garudans, you see, can’t MAKE complicated machines. This DOESN’T mean they are stupid. They are QUITE intelligent, and smaller-scale versions of this same tactic had been seen occasionally. This was just the largest scale version that had been seen to date, with about 2Ø guns being used. (Lasers and P.B.C. require reactors; The Garudans realized that, while doable, the desire to obtain these weapons wasn’t worth the effort with their limited technology.)
My own battle pod was hit SEVERAL times, and therein lay my changing: You see, Hin got into my cockpit. Before I could close the face mask on my suit, I had breathed deeply of Garudan air. Though I WOULD recover, I was forever changed. Physically, I was undamaged. But I spent several days unconscious. My commanders thought I was simply concussed, and I allowed them to believe so. Mostly, I thought this was true myself. I had gotten such a small dose of Hin (especially versus my mass) that the effects were able to remain hidden for many years.
Knowing the Hin links every Garudan together in some unexplained meta-physical way, I have oft wondered if they didn’t do this deliberately; After all, I am the only person I know of who has been dosed with Hin to, outwardly, show no symptoms. At any rate, this opened my mind in some ways, which would bear fruit latter in life.
It is here were I will, for a moment, leave my story for a moment of chastisement: It is often told by Humans that T’sentrædi were both unable and unwilling to treat our wounded. This simply ISN’T true. Our abilities were limited, but those assigned to Negronta Zugara attended to their tasks well. Our abilities, even with the limitations, generally resulted in a 5Ø% recovery rate. Thought FAR outclassed by Human medicines, when one keeps in mind that the Tiresians did not ALLOW us to know much about even our OWN biology and medicine, this rate is PHENOMENAL, and should NEVER be snubbed at. Great BREETIA and Great DOLZA BOTH saw time inside a Negronta Zugara T’sen ship. Great Exedore, due to his misshapen body, routinely went to such ships.
Shortly after recovering, I was transferred to a RIN NADOW LOJM-Class Monitor, and in 1611, we were sent to Carbonara to quell an insurrection there.
A typical T’sentrædi RIN NADOW LOJM-Class (Human designation “T’sentrædi Monitor”)
An anti-Tiresian faction had staged an uprising, taking control of a critical power plant in the northern hemisphere. This power plant fed energy, derived from Sekiton-fueled drives, to most of the surrounding zone (essentially a Terran country). In this sector was MANY factories, several of which supplied war-related matériél. With the factory operating on emergency power, Robotech Scientists decided the power plant HAD to be retaken. Also, they had been shamed for “allowing” the plant to be taken in the first place.
The TRUE history of this stage of the battle lays no fair blame upon the Scientists; Being a true-blue hater of the Masters and their lackeys of ANY sort (including and ESPECIALLY unreformed T’sentrædi loyal to the Masters), it may sound hypocritical of me to say this, but the Scientists defense plan was, for lack of any better word, perfect, vis-á-vis what defense issues they had. The Carbonarans plan, too, was “perfect”; Saboteurs, posing as employees, set fire to a primary control room, then, under the guise of suppressing the fire, shut down the plant.
Their allies outside then stormed the northern gate; This was, in fact, a feint, using a protest group that routinely annoyed the plant. Led to believe that the plant would be in confusion from the shut down, they stormed the gate, with the intent of destroying the generators. This was, however, not meant to be; Rebels had told them this would happen if they did, and they were duped into presenting a diversion. Meanwhile, the REAL rebel force snuck through the south gate, posing as pro-Tiresian security forces. Packing weapons they would legitimately have needed to quell the riot, they turned their weapons on the actual security forces and killed just about all of them. Only the senior administrator escaped along with his driver, bringing the word of the assault to regional HQ, which believed that the riot was under control for several hours (until the arrival of the Scientist).
For his part, the Tiresian and his Carbonaran driver did all that they could do, but both were convicted of cowardice; The Tiresian was executed, but the Carbonaran’s actions were excused, on the grounds that his SOLE duty was to attend to the Scientist.
With the power plant firmly under their control, the rebels demanded a general armistice do discuss terms; However, shamed once for losing the plant, the Regional Commander, a Bioroid Terminator by the name of Ghead (said “Gee- Hod”) preferred a military solution, and sent 5 full Legions of T’sentrædi Kerugadorasu Warriors, plus a supporting legion of Derurigaado as scouts. This was to be their plan; The Derurigaado were to sneak in, determine strengths and positions, then withdraw to develop the big plan. After this, if possible, they would be sent back in to kill senior members of the rebels to sow confusion. Then, the main assault force (which we believed would number as many Regults as there were insurgents) would attack from four directions; Not the cardinal directions, but in fact half of them. This was due to a believe that this would demoralize the rebs due to their religious beliefs. We discovered, however, that this had no effect either way. When the main force was launched, they fired many missiles. (If you ever watch a medieval-period movie, you would see a sky of arrows; That was what it looked like.) This barrage smashed our forces, and we were forced to retreat in disarray (those of us as survived, that is).
Normally, such a defeat would result in the T’sentrædi who showed such cowardice being killed; However, on special orders from the Scientist, this normal punishment was suspended for those willing to redeem themselves by returning to the battle (less the wounded). This tactic of suspending the rules was commonplace, in truth, to discourage demoralization (the Tiresians weren’t stupid; just greedy), especially in large-scale actions like this.
It is my assumption that all volunteered to return, as any that refused would have been made example of. I would not however know myself, as my Regult had been hit by at least 3 missiles and multiple near-hits; Shattered, a chunk of armor must have fallen on my head, as I suffered a cranial fracture- My skull was broken, and I was transferred again to a Negronta Zugara T’sen (treatment) ship to recover. A concussion left me incapacitated for several months. I was, in fact, expected to die. T’sentrædi medicine, while limited, COULD resuscitate even one so wounded as myself.
After I was released from the Negronta Zugara T’sen, my file was sent to Great DOLZA. He liked what he saw; Survivor of the Hšššhah Valley Ambush (Garuda), Survivor of the Assault on Brackohr (Carbonara), and I was 3 centuries old. I WAS A SURVIVOR. I was reassigned to Frien Borotu, which was a TOU REDIR-Class (Salan Scout) assigned DIRECTLY to Trati Kemma DOLZA, leader of the T’sentrædi Forces. This was a MAJOR career boost; I, T’sen H’Youndie, was a PERSONAL bodyguard to THE Leader of the T’sentrædi, Lord BOLDOZA’a OWN Derurigaado.
A factory-fresh TOU REDIR-Class (Human designation “Salan Scout”)
We shipped out to a highly contested world; The Tiresians coveted it as a forward base for the re-taking of Peryton; The Invid sought to keep it from them. We fought an on-going battle, seesawing back and forth.
It is here I would speak of Trati Kemma DOLZA; Human historians, ZEITGEIST, HAYES-HAYES, even SEIMBIEDA, have all called DOLZA “evil”, and “bloodthirsty”; Even “diabolic.” NOTHING could be further from the truth. Though DOLZA’S plan for his people was flawed, it WAS a good plan, based only on the Tiresians greed being put, FOR ONCE, to good use.
Lord BOLDOZA, Supreme Commander of all T’sentrædi forces.
To reinforce this, I would tell you OF the T’sen himself; I saw Lord BOLDOLZA, in mere body armor, rushed to a stricken Regult to help it’s pilot escape; Under HEAVY fire, he lifted the left side of the pod, rolling it over enough that the pilot could open the hatch and escape. This is not the actions of a power-hungry warlord; This is the actions of a TRUE leader, who seeks to help his people. And before you ask, Great DOLZA DID this; I knew the man PERSONALLY, and could have identified his body armor even if he had repainted it and put it upon another T’sen; Even a female. Further, I could have identified HIM, even if you were to dress him up in anothers armor.
Lord BOLDOLZA’s plan for the T’sentrædi people may have been wrong and mistaken taken in light of the outcome of history, but one should NOT apply this hindsight to this great leader; And a great LEADER he was.
In Lord BOLDOLZA’s service I fought on many worlds; In the Atorian Sector, I was part of the invasion of Flyjt (said “flite” or “flight”), a mineral-rich planet inhabited by independence-minded Mi’cronne Humanoids with small noses and short, pointed ears. Their bodies were about 5 foot 3 inch to 7 foot 6 inch, with palish skins, hues ranging in light, sickly green, a pukish yellow, a haunted grey, and a light brownish-red. (Apparently, these colors denoted races, much as skin color in Humans shows ancestry.) The Atorians, then allies of the Tiresians, wanted the planet for these minerals, and to build factories were they could manufacture semi-finished goods. The Flyjt’s wanted nothing to do with the Atorians, and had (or so they believed) the means to resist.
Two pics of Flyjt Aero-Space Fighters. The bottom one has a nuclear missile (fixed near the nose).
We were brought in to bring the Flyjt’s in line. The invasion lasted a few months, and more than 1Ø million Flyjts would die. Hundreds of thousands were placed in shackles and sold as slaves. Few survived the war intact. The Atorians built their factories, mostly worked at by slaves from other parts of the Empire; In fact, a few t’sen-mot cowards were placed in the factory as security and cowardly Tiresians Bioroid Terminators who, for whatever reason, were spared death, were placed as administrators. These, effectively, were slaves as well, and understood their plight- They understood they’d been brought to Flyjt to be surrounded by people who wished to kill them to escape.
The only location deemed “appropriate” for TRUE security (by way of Bioroids) was the spaceport; Even here, Atorian Security forces formed the backbone of security. Because the spaceport would be a primary target in the event of servile insurrection, the spaceport was secured by well over 1ØØ Atorian-built combat robots, 5 times that many power armors, heavy assault rifles set on tri- and quad-axis pintles, and etc. This was augmented by 25 Bioroid Mechas with assault sleds, and a second army of 2ØØ T’sentrædi warriors that included 1Ø fighter pods, 2 Gulag Officer Pods, and a few dozen recon pods.
This force should be an indication of the importance of the spaceport; A single Regult had the power to quell any would-be insurrection on the planet short of a full, planet-wide insurrection. Even this could EASILY be quelled by nothing more than a squad of a half-dozen or so Regults by themselves. It was to remind the people of the planet not to even TRY to revolt. To the best of my knowledge, no insurrection was attempted until after the Tiresians/T’sentrædi forces were withdrawn from the world amidst the collapse of the Masters Empire.
My next few centuries were mostly filled with more of the same; In the year 1945, however, my ship was attacked by Inspection Forces which ambushed us. My ship was not outright destroyed, but the force was badly mauled. My ship had to be abandoned.
I was, again, wounded, and transferred to a Negronta Zugara T’sen. One evening, as I rested, a female entered my quarters. I will not speak of what happened that evening but to say this; Any OTHER T’sentrædi Warrior may not have been able to handle it. It was here that the Hin experience of so many years before came to bear it’s first fruit; She, I suppose, had had some experience of her own. What, I don’t know.
It was not long after that Zor’s Battle Fortress was located- Maybe a few months. I never again saw her, and do not know, to this day, what, if anything, came of her.
That is not to say no T’sen ever showed an independence; There were some who showed an artistic bent. But these were treated suspiciously, as this t’sen-mot behavior often belied a hojoka sprit. Some things were tolerated, however- Amongst the T’sentrædi, we even had a few world class artists. But it T’sentrædi culture, for artwork to be tolerated, it had to show the glory of the T’sentrædi. Scenes of massed T’sentrædi death were tolerated, provided it showed the surviving T’sen fighting heroically. Historically accurate pictures were tolerated, no matter what it showed; This was the only time death scenes, such as the massacre of Forueth Gulch (there is a short pause at the end of Forueth). The greatest of our artists did that scene (tragically lost with the death of Trati Kemma DOLZA), where an absolute sea to dead T’sen can be seen, bits of Mecha sticking out of it like flotsam. When one considered this must mean that the bodies pile up to cover whole Regults, one realizes how many dead are out there. (T’sen Grean also fought in that battle. He died in a Regult that tradition says was destroyed by Trati Kemma Max STERLING shortly after he joined Vermillion Squadron.)
For the majority of us, though, such a bent was not well. small things, such as a doodle of a scene could be tolerated, but those who showed an artistic bent MIGHT find themselves spaced as a threat to their fellows. It would really depend on the situation; If he had showed cowardice, or had other problems then he could easily “break the camels back” with this straw; If he had shown to be a TRUE T’sentreadi, a warrior’s warrior, then his stuff would be tolerated. There were limits; Sexual material, in the hands of ANYONE, was instantly suspect. Anything a human would call “landscape scenes” was also regarded as suspect.
During the War with Sol 3 (Terra/Earth), I was once again on a THUVERL SALAN. My unit was NOT supposed to attack Zor’s Battle Fortress directly. Ours was a Negronta Zugara Salan ship.
