http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/ArmoredCoreVISecondaryCharactersAndFactions

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Main Character Index
Main Characters | The Corporations | Secondary Characters and Factions | Enemies and Bosses

This page details the various secondary characters and factions of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. Unmarked spoilers ahead.

open/close all folders

Rubicon Liberation Front

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_rlf.png

"Forged in ash, we stand as one!"

—War cry of the RLF.

Descendants of colonists who survived the Fires of Iblis, the Rubicon Liberation Front is a militant resistance group that opposes the corporations' attempts to exploit their homeworld.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg:
- Despite a number of the prior missions having 621 be the primary cause for obliterating their forces, including both the Strider and the Juggernaut, once something strange begins to happen at a BAWS plant that is vital to their defense efforts, they immediately suck up their pride and come to Walter with a job practically begging them to look into the matter. In Chapter 3, they're more willing to accept outside help considering the threat the PCA poses.
- In New Game Plus, the Rubicon Liberation Force subtly changes their approach as G1 Michigan informs Handler Walter the RLF are now hiring independent mercenaries to help even the odds. During the assault on the dam complex, the RLF contacts 621, asking the augmented human to work for them instead and betray the Redguns. Doing this will later replace the mission to retrieve data on V.IV Rusty with a new mission assigned by the RLF, asking 621 to assist them in rescuing several captive RLF members, including Father Dolmayan.
Apple of Discord: The RLF leadership is of two minds about 621. On the one hand, Ring Freddie and Dolmayan come to see 621 as a "menace to Rubicon" and try to kill them if 621 happens upon Ring Freddie in "Eliminate the Enforcement Squads" and in "Survey the Uninhabited Floating City" during NG++, respectively. On the other hand, Arshile and Flatwell attempt to cultivate 621 as a RLF asset, the latter even rallying the RLF to 621's aid in the "Liberator of Rubicon" ending.
Break Out the Museum Piece: Without corporate backing or an ability to produce the latest technologies, the RLF makes do with buying last-generation hardware from BAWS, Black Market offerings from RaD, and jury-rigged weapons platforms to fill the gaps. It's zigzagged when it comes to their ACs however, as while three of their pilots utilize a BAWS-made BASHO frame, the other three utilize the more modern designs of Elcano.
The Cavalry: In the "Liberator of Rubicon" ending. Ayre sends a message telling them "Beyond scorched skies. Raven fights on." This becomes their rallying cry as they assault Arquebus all across the planet while Rusty goes and assists 621 in bringing down the Xylum colony ship.
Cult: Various pieces of dialogue indicate the Rubiconians, and by extension, the RLF, practice an unusual religion centered around Coral.
Do Not Go Gentle: The RLF will stop at nothing to reclaim their planet and achieve their goals, even if the chances of victory are slim.
Enemy Mine: Even the RLF is pragmatic enough to turn to hire independent mercenaries if they're desperate enough, as demonstrated when they're even willing to give jobs to 621 knowing that 621 has killed many of their soldiers. This becomes especially prominent in Chapter 3 where virtually everyone on Rubicon 3 bands together to fight off the PCA, if only for the sake of convenience.
Heroic Second Wind: In the "Liberator of Rubicon" path. Ayre pulling a Gondor Calls for Aid by sending out what's essentially a rallying cry causes the RLF, at that point a non-entity in Chapter 5 after Arquebus takes control of Institute City, to come back swinging; not only are they attacking Arquebus all across Rubicon, they're overwhelming them.
La Résistance: Cultish tendencies aside, the RLF is among the least morally comprised factions in the game, consisting of Rubiconian natives fighting back against the invading corporations. This being an Armored Core game, the first chapter of the game is largely spent beating up on them.
Scavenged Punk: Downplayed. The RLF has a relatively stable logistics network through BAWS and RaD. But due to their more limited resources and largely outdated arsenal, they are forced to improvise, more often than not. This results in heavy-duty civilian hardware and industrial equipment being converted into lumbering machinery with extra armor, guns and artillery bolted on.
Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: New Game ++ reveals that the RLF see themselves as the "can" that seals Coral, according to the full version of their hymn: "Coral, abide with Rubicon. Coral, endure within us all, for none of us shall cast the die." Father Dolmayan makes it explicit: "The Coral must not be set free!"
Theme Naming: The main five members are named after the fingers on a human hand.
Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Their goal is to wipe out all the outsiders seeking to loot and exploit their world. On the other hand, the invading corporate conglomerates view them little more than a nuisance and want to snuff them out.

Little Ziyi

Voiced by: Asuna Tomari (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

"I'm a Coral Warrior, just like the others, and I will not give in!"

The orphaned daughter of ill-fated prospectors who attempted to illegally enter Rubicon, Ziyi was raised by the RLF's Uncle Flatwell, and grew up to become one of the RLF's elite Coral Warriors.

Rank 28 in the arena, Ziyi pilots YUE YU, a BASHO frame AC that uses two Iridium grenade launchers and a Takigawa Pulse Buckler, packing explosive power, but can't do much else while reloading.

The Baby of the Bunch: All of the RLF members are very protective of her and collectively treat her like their little sister. Unbeknownst to them, this information is found in the same mission you can potentially encounter and kill her.
Boisterous Weakling: While she's got spirit and has been piloting since childhood, Ziyi's "Yue Yu" is an obsolete BAWS AC that poses little threat to 621's more modern craft. Her main challenge lies in being part of a Timed Mission, so you have to beat her down as quickly as possible to be able to complete the rest of the mission in time.
Born in the Saddle: As an adoptee of one of the RLF's Coral Warriors, Ziyi was practically raised in the cockpit of an AC.
Child Soldiers: Ziyi's precise age isn't mentioned, but her voice and the datalogs of the other RLF members imply she's probably no more older than a teenager.
Optional Boss: She attacks 621 at the end of the mission to recover data from the mechs that Rusty had destroyed during Wall Climber. Handler Walter advises 621 to ignore her and focus on the mission, but to get her Loghunt data, you have to kill her.
Sorry That I'm Dying: Apologizes to Arshile for not being able to keep her promise when she's killed.
Time-Limit Boss: She appears near the end of a timed mission. Defeating her is 100% optional (and discouraged by Handler Walter) but contributes to the AC loghunt that gives you new parts so you have to do it anyway.
Theme Naming: Little, or pinkie, refers to the fourth finger of a hand.
The Unfought: If 621 betrayed the Redguns in a NG+ cycle, the mission to retrieve data logs about V.IV Rusty's sortie during "Operation Wallclimber" is instead replaced by a new mission asking you to rescue captured RLF members, including Ziyi.
What the Hell, Player?: Ziyi is a teenaged RLF AC pilot who attacks 621 in a mission following Operation Wallclimber, recognizing them as one of the corporate mercenaries who slaughtered her comrades and family.

Ring Freddie

Voiced by: Ryunosuke Watanuki (Japanese)

"End of the line, friend. Father wants you nipped in the bud."

One of the RLF's Coral Warriors. Ring Freddie is the personal attendant and paramour to the RLF's Father Dolmayan.

Rank 21 in the arena, Freddie pilots CANDLE RING, an lightweight tank AC that utilizes the FORTALEZA tank treads, giving it incredible ground movement while sacrificing overall defensive performance.

Break Out the Museum Piece: Averted among the RLF, CANDLE RING's external assembly is furnished entirely by Elcano, with the FIRMEZA frame (and FORTALEZA tank treads in his case) being shared with Flatwell and Rokumonsen as well.
I Know Your True Name: Immediately identifies 621 as one of Walter's "Hounds," asking them why they bother to hide behind the callsign Raven.
Lightning Bruiser: Freddie stands out in the RLF for being this. CANDLE RING is stacked with two SONGBIRDS and doubled handheld missile launchers coupled with the fastest tank treads available with the lightweight FIRMEZA. He can dish out the hurt while zipping around at high speeds, while still having better defenses than Flatwell and Rokumonsen. His primary logical weaknesses come from how much less effective his loadout is against air-superior ACs.
Overzealous Underling: Zigzagged. He's only encountered on a Decision Mission that disregards the RLF's request, but in an empty corner of the map that's in the complete opposite direction of 621's objective. While the RLF have been attacked by 621 multiple times, giving at least some justification for the hostility, there were opportunities to lend them a hand as well leading up to this possible encounter. He was simply out on patrol before he comes across 621 and impulsively decides to ambush them, but says the order comes from Dolmayan. Given that on most routes, Dolmayan is unheard from due to actually being captured by the corporations, it comes across as a vague excuse to act independently. Then it turns out that as 621 acts in ALLMIND's interests, Father Dolmayan actually does perceive 621 as a major threat and personally tries to intercept them.
Straight Gay: The fact that he's in a relationship with Dolmayan is offhandedly mentioned in his arena bio, which is the only indication of his sexuality.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: He isn't the first "ring finger" to have some form of romantic affection for his faction leader. At least this time it's mutually consensual and there's no soul stealing involved.
Theme Naming: Ring refers to the third finger of a hand.

"Uncle" Middle Flatwell

Voiced by: Hayato Fuji (Japanese)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_middleflatwell.png

"You fight like a bird in flight... You may yet fly higher. Beyond Rubicon's scorched skies, to chase the freedom we never knew."

The de facto military leader of the RLF and second in command to Father Dolmayan.

Rank 13 in the arena, Flatwell pilots TSUBASA, a lightweight AC that utilizes Elcano's FIRMEZA frame. It's a double trigger build with BAWS weapons, and a Melinite LITTLE GEM in its weapon bay.

Break Out the Museum Piece: Averted compared most of the other Coral Warriors, Flatwell's Tsubasa is a lightweight, modern Elcano design, presumably sourced from his contacts within Schneider, whatever the extent of the connection between the two corporations is.
Corporate Samurai: Before joining the RLF, Flatwell served as a spy for the extraplanetary corporations, and still retains contacts in Schneider's HR department.
Defector from Decadence: Left his position within the corporate hierarchy to fight for the RLF.
Meaningful Name: Flatwell's AC, TSUBASA, means "wings" in Japanese, as befits his emblem of a lone bird soaring free. Perhaps Rokumonsen rubbed off on him. His Theme Naming can also double as his status as a sort of middle-man as the RLF's contact into Schneider.
Mysterious Past: His past is fairly well-known, having been part of a corporation before choosing to join the Rubicon Liberation Force to fight in defense of the planet from corporate exploitation. What is mysterious is his connection to V.IV Rusty, as there are numerous implications that the two know each other; Flatwell is familiar enough with Rusty that he addresses the Vesper by name and attempts to stop him from killing 621, and the Arquebus subsidiary company he has connections to "discovered" Rusty in the first place.
Number Two: He's Dolmayan's right hand man, considered the "Uncle" of the RLF to Dolmayan's "Father."
Parental Substitute: Served as this to Ziyi after her parents were killed crash landing on Rubicon-3.
Shout-Out: His logo is a reference to the book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by author Richard Bach.
The Spymaster: Flatwell is the RLF's cloak-and-dagger man, cultivating 621 as a RLF asset by inducing them to work with him as late as Chapter 4 and as early as Chapter 1 in NG+, and he is implied to have inserted Rusty into the Vespers as the RLF's mole using his contacts at Schneider. He also sets up the ambush on V.VIII Pater and V.V Hawkins by faking an emergency call from V.II Snail. A more action-oriented example in that he also participates in said ambush along with 621.
Theme Naming: Middle refers to the second finger of a hand.

Index Dunham

Voiced by: Kosuke Goto (Japanese)

"Do you hear me, you corporate vultures?! The Rubiconians will never yield."

A former blue collar worker involved in the construction of the Grid who was inspired by Father Dolmayan's ideals to join the RLF and fight for a Rubicon free of corporate domination as one of their elite Coral Warriors.

Rank 28 in the arena, Dunham pilots BURN PICKAXE, a dated BASHO frame AC that, while has reasonable defensive stats, is hampered by being poorly equipped and underpowered.

Badass Boast: Loudly declares that 621 and the Redguns will be "going home in armored coffins". Unfortunately, it doesn't prevent him from being merely a roadblock in their way.
Break Out the Museum Piece: Dunham uses the BASHO frame that is above average AP and defenses. However, combined with an immensely lackluster weapon set up and hampered by use of the JOSO generator, he’s gravely outmatched by more modern ACs.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Attempts to fight 621, G5 Iguazu, and G4 Volta 1v3 in an AC that's derided as "barely more than an MT". Needless to say, it does not end well for him.
Know When to Fold Them: If you spare him and destroy the final dam, he’ll retreat, no longer having a reason to fight while outnumbered.
Optional Boss: Defeating him is not required to complete the mission, but if you go the extra mile and do it anyway you’ll get a Combat Log.
Sorry That I'm Dying: Upon defeat, Dunham will apologize to Dolmayan for failing to stop the Balam intruders destroying the Gallia Dam.
Theme Naming: Index, aka the pointer, refers to the first finger of a hand. He is also the first major figure of the Rubicon Liberation Front encountered later playthroughs non-withstanding.
Turn to Religion: He was involved with the construction of the Grid, and at some point became zealously devoted to Father Dolmayan’s teachings regarding the Coral. Dunham even paints his AC using similar colors to Dolmayan’s ASTGHIK AC, plus Dunham will apologize to Dolmayan for failing to stop the Balam intruders if Dunham falls in battle.
What the Hell, Hero?: He calls out 621 for working for the corporations seeking to plunder Rubicon-3 of its resources.
Working-Class Hero: To the Rubicon Liberation Front he's a man of the people, and his arena profile reveals he’d much rather be working on construction with his fellow blue collar workers than fight, yet fight he will if called upon. But to 621 and the Redguns, he's barely even a speed bump. Which is why Middle Flatwell is hoping you will accept his proposal to fight the Redguns in Dunham’s place during New Game +, offering to pay double what Balam would offer you.
Zero-Effort Boss: Even if he wasn't a weak pilot in an outdated AC, the fight against Dunham is a 3v1 with the Balam Redguns backing you up, allowing the player to just sit back and let their allies take him out for them if they want.

"Father" Thumb Dolmayan

Voiced by: Shinya Fukumatsu (Japanese), John Eric Bentley (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_thumbdolmayan.png

""Raven..." A symbol of resolve... But mark my words—there'll be nothing but dying embers!"

A former military commander and founder of the Rubicon Liberation Front and the Coral centric mysticism practiced by his followers.

Rank 4 in the arena, Dolmayan pilots ASTGHIK^notePronounced: Ahs-treek, a BASHO frame AC that uniquely comes with a coral generator, making it beneficial for the AC to redline to regenerate properly. It's also the only BASHO frame to utilize a melee weapon, the Takigawa Pulse Blade, making use of the frame's inherent melee specialization.

Addled Addict: Dolmayan was apparently a doser in his youth, which he admits in his private journals contributed to his development of his Coral mysticism belief system.
Authority in Name Only: Although Dolmayan is the spiritual leader of the Rubicon forces, in practice it's Middle Flatwell who is named as the de facto leader of the resistance movement. Dolmayan himself is far too despondent to effectively lead the troops, and seemingly is only motivated to sortie in combat when it comes to preventing Coral Release.
Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Played with. The NG+ mission "Prisoner Rescue" has Father Dolmayan is rescued by the RLF with 621's assistance. It's made abundantly clear his time with Balam has not been pleasant and is rather cynical, stating they will only become embers and cinders. Later, during the NG++ ALT version of "Survey the Uninhabited Floating City", he shows up to destroy 621 at Xylem; he's only doing it, however, because 621 does not realize what ALLMIND's intentions for humans and the Coral really are.
Break Out the Museum Piece: Downplayed. ASTGHIK itself would be otherwise unremarkable for use of an antiquated BASHO frame, use of a pulse blade aside. However, examining his AC data reveals he has a Coral generator, making him the only other human pilot besides Walter to use one.
The Cuckoolander Was Right: One of the things that helped him ascend from being an Addled Addict to the father of a planetary religion and a respected Rebel Leader is that his drug-induced hallucinations actually did give him accurate insight into the true nature of Coral. There's a reason Ayre takes such a shine to his faction.
Cynicism Catalyst: He once made Contact with a Coral being named Seria, and the two of them discovered the Institute's research into Coral Convergence, inspiring his religious views. However, it seems Seria either parted ways with him or was somehow killed around the same time he realized what Coral Convergence actually meant for both humans and Coral beings.
Despair Event Horizon: He crossed one before the events of the game upon realizing what Coral Convergence as envision by ALLMIND actually entailed for both humanity and Coral lifeforms, coming to disdain the mindless fanaticism of the RLF. In the "Alea Iacta Est" route, he ambushes 621 in Xylem in an attempt to stop them from helping ALLMIND.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: Dolmayan is both the leader of the RLF and their strongest AC pilot, coming in at Rank 4 in the virtual arena.
Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: His AC, ASTGHIK, is named after the Armenian goddess of love and fertility.
Straight Gay: The fact that he's in a relationship with Ring Freddie is offhandedly mentioned in the latter's arena bio.
Theme Naming: Thumb refers to, well, the thumb of a hand.
Turn to Religion: After witnessing the Fires of Ibis, Dolmayan was inspired to found a Coral-centric religion, as is reflected by his title of "Father" and the religious hymn RLF soldiers quote left right and center.

Rokumonsen

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese), Jamieson Price (English, uncredited)

"Death and dishonor... Such is the oathbreaker's due. Pay the Sanzu toll!"

An independent mercenary who allied himself with the RLF.

Rank 18 in the arena, Rokumonsen pilots SHINOBI, a lightweight bipedal AC that uses both Elcano and several parts from ALLMIND, most notably the HMMR plasma thrower and JVLN BETA missile launcher.

Ambiguously Evil: While his Arena bio states he's loyal to the RLF, or at least to Little Ziyi, his AC loadout includes parts designed by ALLMIND. It's uncertain whether he's heavily involved with her like Sulla possibly is or if he's a "subject of interest" like G5 Iguazu^noteIn NG++, Iguazu uses MIND ALPHA arms and 621.
Betrayal Insurance: Tails the unknowing 621 on the mission to eliminate V.VII Swinburne. He'll confront them if 621 allows Swinburne to live, which you'll have to at some point if you want his battle log.
Beware the Silly Ones: His Large Ham Occidental Otaku demeanour may be ridiculous, but he's a bona-fide master assassin who serves as the RLF's Betrayal Insurance for a reason. It says a lot that going ahead with your mission and killing off an Arquebus Vesper is vastly easier than screwing over your employers and answering to him for it.
Confusion Fu: As befitting his AC's name, his primary style of engagement is to use his plasma thrower HMMR and denotating missile JVLN BETA, which rely on delayed effects that can be easily overlooked in the heat of battle to catch players off-guard, then shotgun them in the face if they panic and dodge toward him.
Gratuitous Iambic Pentameter: All of his dialogue in English is delivered in haiku, even in the middle of pitched combat. In the Japanese version, he simply uses archaic, over-the-top samurai speak.
Hidden Depths: Said to be well-versed in ancient classical theater. He is also armed with ALLMIND's technology.
I Owe You My Life: Ziyi offered him food and shelter when he was about to starve, and has since devoted himself to the well-being of her and her allies.
Large Ham: Owing to his love for kabuki theater, he loves to belt out his threats in extremely flowery language.
"Though false be your oath, your seditious blade strikes true! Savage is the cur!"
McNinja: Whatever ethnicity he is, it's explicitly stated that he learned of ninjas and kabuki from Japanese immigrant culture as a major influence to his character. Curiously, this is one of the only times the series explicitly references a real-world country.
Meaningful Name: "Rokumonsen" translates to six sen coins, said to be the (figurative) toll for crossing the Sanzu River from the realm of the living to the dead, which he references before engaging 621.
Odd Name Out: Due to being an independent who just so happens to be aligned with the RLF, Rokumonsen sticks out by not following the "finger" naming of other RLF pilots.
Sixth Ranger: Referenced. He's the odd-man-out sixth member of a colourful team of five pilots with their own Theme Naming, and his name even means 'six coins'.

Arshile

Voiced by: Youhei Hamada (Japanese)

"With your help, maybe we can beat the corporations—and the PCA... Nah. We need to stand on our own two feet—that's how we'll win."

The Rubicon Liberation Front's main liaison with potential clients.

Childhood Friends: Implied to be the case with Ziyi, hence his much more personal investment in her rescue alongside other key members of the RLF, including their leader, Father Dolmayan.
The Generic Guy: In the running for getting the least characterization in the cast. He never introduces himself by name, and his name is only known because Ziyi calls out to him, aside from the Japanese voice credits.
Holding Out for a Hero: Discussed in his quote, having 621 on retainer would be a game changer for the RLF but they shouldn't rely on a mercenary to fight all their battles.
Nice Guy: In the aftermath following the STRIDER's destruction when 621 is tasked to protect it, he expresses understanding as well as his superiors' that the circumstances of its destruction were totally unforeseen and completely outside of the context of what they had expected to defend it from (that is to say, corporation lackeys, rather than fully autonomous Coral weapons), despite the mission's outcome being a total failure.
Non-Action Guy: Only ever takes to the field once—in a transport helicopter 621 is tasked to protect.
Odd Name Out: Like Rokumonsen, he lacks the finger-themed naming scheme, but it's also justified because he's not a Coral Warrior either.

Reuse and Development (RaD)

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_rad.png

A gang of Rubiconian Black Market arms dealers and dosers operating on Rubicon-3. Their product line consists of weaponized civilian MTs and AC parts adapted from civilian products.

Addled Addict: RaD is a doser faction, meaning they use Coral as a Fantastic Drug, leaving several members of the faction less than present mentally.
Arms Dealer: Of the gun running variety.
Black Market: Smuggling contraband past the PCA is apparently one of RaDs major sources of income along with the Coral trade and Black Market weapons.
Covert Group with Mundane Front: RaD is actually a front for OVERSEER; an organization created years before the destruction of Rubicon-3 who were invested in observing the development of Coral and, if need be, destroy it if it becomes a problem to mankind. As such, it's revealed they were ultimately responsible for the original ignition of the Coral that led to the Fires of Ibis in an attempt to wipe Coral from existence and the destruction of the Rubicon system, because the alternative was what they believed was an Assimilation Plot that threatened the idea of being human. With the help of Handler Walter posing as a seemingly independent contractor, they are committed to wiping out Coral altogether to protect mankind from suffering another collapse even if it necessitates another ignition.
Fell Off the Back of a Truck: Most of RaDs "products" are retooled versions of other manufacturer's parts, particularly BAWS. Given the implausibility of any formal licensing agreement with the corporations, this is the most likely source of their feedstock.
Getting High on Their Own Supply: As a doser faction, RaD members are both users and dealers of Coral.
Improvised Weapon: RaD's specialty as an AC/MT "manufacturer" is retooling civilian products for war. Thanks to Carla's engineering expertise, many of RaD's offerings manage to hold a candle to the products of extrasolar giants like Balam and Arquebus.
Ironic Nickname: All of the callsigns for RaD's roster of pilots are ironic in nature.
- "Chatty" Stick is terse and quiet.
- "Honest" Brute is a traitor and compulsive liar.
- "Invincible" Rummy is the single worst AC pilot of the game and an easy midboss to kill.
- "Cinder" Carla is clearly way too young to be an actual Cinder (a survivor of the Fires of Ibis), to the point that a text log between two RaD members has one of them disparaging the nickname as stolen valor. Except she's actually The Ageless and is part of the group that helped orchestrate the event to begin with, meaning her nickname is either the only truly accurate one, or it's ironic in the sense that she isn't technically a survivor of the Fires so much as the arsonist.
Leitmotif: Rough and Decent.

"Cinder" Carla

Voiced by: Ayaka Shimoyamada (Japanese), Shara Kirby (English)

"Let's get our laughs while we can!"

RaD's leader, an associate of Handler Walter and experienced AC pilot. She is encountered in Chapter 2 where she comes into conflict with C4-621. She pilots the loaded for bear FULL COURSE.

The Ageless: It's heavily implied that she was one of two assistants to Professor Nagai of the Rubicon Research Institute, and that through unclear means she hasn't aged much, if at all, since the Fires of Ibis. The Dosers remark that she's way too young-looking to have the "Cinder" title of a Fires survivor, and the sketch artist STV notes that he's seen her before, hinted to be in a sketch of the Institute's scientists by his predecessor.
Animal Motifs: Her personal emblem is a spider on a web, and like a spider she is a patient killer at the center of a vast and complicated web of conspiracies who likes to set traps for her opponents and prey.
Brainy Specs: According to a sketch by the in-game artist STV, Rubicon's premier Gadgeteer Genius Omnidisciplinary Scientist wears a fashionable pair of glasses.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: She is a talented programmer, hacker, and engineer with the leadership skills to turn a faction of Dosers into a (mostly) competent AC development company. She also uses these skills to do things like leave a custom message in ALLMIND's arena data solely for her own entertainment, and let her Doser junkies-turned-engineers develop some of Rubicon's most bizarre AC parts, mostly because she finds them funny.
The Cavalry: Carla is the one who answers 621's emergency signal beacon (that Walter had led them to by contingency), saving 621 from a Fate Worse than Death at the hands of Arquebus' "re-education," and having Chatty recover their personal AC for them quite readily, too. Even if the player sweeps up all the MTs before she arrives, more suddenly spawn in just so she can unleash her Macross Missile Massacre on them, complete with her own Background Music Override.
Carla: "I don't just design weapons, you know. You'll see what I mean."
Cool Old Lady: She doesn't sound (or look) like it, but being a survivor of the Fires of Ibis would make her at least over fifty years old at the start of the story.
Dark Action Girl: A female merc who willingly works with Walter. Like him, she has no qualms destroying Rubicon 3 and any other nearby planets if it means the Coral is destroyed once and for all.
Demolitions Expert: She has a thing for explosives, which she affectionately refers to as "fireworks", and her engineering genius lets her use them to creative and devastating effect even with the limited resources of the glorified bandit clan that is RaD. Her FULL COURSE specializes in this, as she's armed to the teeth with a variety of explosive equipment.
Edible Theme Naming: As yet another demonstration of her quirky sense of humour, her AC FULL COURSE is made entirely of custom parts named after the various stages of a meal, including its APERITIF and SOUP multiple-missile launchers.
Everyone Has Standards: Despite Carla's own scheming and past as an Institute assistant, even she considers the C-Weapons created by the Institute, such as the Sea Spider, to be deranged projects by mad scientists who had no idea what they were toying with.
Exact Words: Carla promises to bring 621 to the top of the RaD-controlled megastructure and no more. She does precisely that, because beyond that point it's open season for the Kill Sat network run by the PCA.
Foreshadowing: Her nickname "Cinder" is stated by Ayre to be a term used for survivors of the Fires of Ibis from fifty years ago. That Carla willingly works with the Dosers — a group of ruffians addicted to Coral — and is in charge of one of the many corporations looking to make bank off Rubicon-3 confuses Ayre greatly since a survivor of the Fires would know and remember how dangerous Coral is if misused. As you learn later, it's the first indicator that she has darker ambitions in mind for Coral, namely its destruction.
The Gadfly: Has a very whimsical, nonchalant way of talking to others that has her rib her comrades and enemies alike, even in the middle of an intense fight. This is entirely an Enforced Trope by herself, as her personal philosophy is that "the serious ones always die first, so we should pretend to have some fun."
Gadgeteer Genius: As RaD's leader and its premier engineer, she's capable of single-handedly designing and manufacturing any kind of weapon that she puts her mind to. She had apparently designed and made a massive railgun powerful enough to shoot across an entire ocean at some point prior to the story, and when it had become dilapidated to the point of being just another piece of junk in the trash heap, she was able to put it back to working condition just in time for it to be used against the Ice Worm.
Honest Corporate Executive: As RaD is technically a corporation that sells products on Rubicon's market, she also acts as its CEO. Despite her quirks and the incredibly illegal nature of her work, she's ironically far more willing to listen to reason than any of the "proper" corporate factions found on the planet and is firmly on the side of 621 and Walter for the majority of the story.
I Surrender, Suckers: Initially tries to pull this on 621, claiming she knows when she's beaten and tells them to meet her. In actuality, she pits you against the Cleaner. Her efforts ultimately fail as 621 destroys her last line of defense, prompting her finally give up and agree to get them where they need to go.
Klingon Promotion: How Carla apparently gained control over RaD.
Know When to Fold Them: Carla initially tries to get 621 killed for their continued interference until they destroy the Smart Cleaner, in which case she relents and helps get them to where they need to go.
Last of Her Kind: Carla is a surviving member of the Institute's staff, having personally witnessed the Fires of Ibis.
Laughing Mad: In the "Liberator of Rubicon" route, if you kill Chatty first in your final battle against them, Carla will descend into laughter at her friend's demise, furiously declaring that she can't help but laugh in a situation like this.
Leitmotif: Rough and Decent (Bad Joke), which plays when having to confront her and Chatty in the "Liberator of Rubicon" route. Fittingly named, it changes the instrumentation with more ambient droning to give it a more tense atmosphere than the original theme's easygoing beat.
Macross Missile Massacre: Her personal AC, the FULL COURSE, is armed with WS-5000 APERITIF missile launchers in both arms and WS-5001 SOUP missile platforms on both shoulders, for a grand total of 56 missiles capable of being launched semi-simultaneously.
Mission Control: Takes over for Walter and Ayre in the "Fires of Raven" route, as Walter is captured and presumed dead, and Ayre is hostile to Carla and 621's plans.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: During the "Alea Iacta Est" route, Chatty relays a message from Carla to 621 as the latter attempts to wrest control of the Xylem from OVERSEER: "Sorry, but I'm not laughing this time." Indeed, Carla is deadly serious throughout the fight with ALLMIND's forces.
Omnidisciplinary Scientist: She's capable of coding advanced A.I.s with human-level intelligence, designing high-tech weapons, making high-tech weapons, is an AC pilot herself, and has enough knowledge of business and economics for RaD to stay afloat as a "company" despite its competition.
Pet the Dog:
- For all of her dark humor, during the Fires of Raven route Carla does (partially) drop her lighthearted tone and talks more sincerely with 621. After Chatty's "death" she even empathizes with Raven enough to realize they "lost" someone too, despite never interacting with Ayre herself.
- Likewise, after Rusty dies trying to stop 621 and Carla from igniting the Coral, Carla extolls 621 to do their "buddy" a favor and remember him.
Playful Hacker: She's an incredibly skilled hacker as evident in her simulation data in the Arena containing unique voice messages from her at the beginning and end of the fight (something that briefly confuses ALLMIND), and she's quite jovial and joking. Especially if she's trying to kill you.
The Queenpin: The leader of one of the most powerful and well-armed smuggler/doser factions on Rubicon. After 621 trashes her forces, rival gangs start muscling in her territory, forcing Carla to turn to them for help.
Renaissance Woman: For all her eccentricities, Carla is very probably the single most accomplished human being on Rubicon. She's The Queenpin of a surprisingly powerful drug cartel/arms manufacturer/smuggling organisation, a Gadgeteer Genius Omnidisciplinary Scientist unequalled in pretty much any field related to hardware or software engineering, and a deadly Ace Pilot. When OVERSEER declares war on the entire planet, her endless talents provide most of the reasons they actually have a fighting chance.
Term Of Endangerment: She calls 621 "tourist" (ビジター, "visitor", in Japanese) for wandering around Rubicon without Walter looking over their shoulder and because they're currently working for Balam to investigate the Coral readings. In the "Fires of Raven" ending, however, it becomes something of an Affectionate Nickname when 621 joins the operation to kickstart the second Fires of Ibis.
Silver Vixen: Thanks to being a research assistant at the Institute, she's probably in her seventies, but a sketch by the in-game artist STV shows that she's so incredibly well-preserved that even he can't believe it. The art is low-detail and monochrome, but shows an attractive woman who could be in her twenties or thirties and has white hair that could actually be grey, blonde, or some sort of pale dye.
Uncertain Doom: On the Fires of Raven path, in the opening to the final mission, she states that the auto-pilot on the Xylem has been destroyed and that it'll have to be guided "the old fashioned way". This seems to imply that she has to manually crash the Xylem into the convergence of Coral which would no doubt kill her. But it is unknown whether she got away from the explosion or died in it, especially since you do not hear from her again after the conversation at the start of the mission.
Villain Respect: On the "Liberator of Rubicon" route, she takes Raven's betrayal in surprising stride, despite having just saved their life. She initially thinks they've bought out by Arquebus, but soon realizes they're making the choice based on their own convictions. Carla praises them for fighting for what they personally believe in, rather than just doing what they're told.
"...Walter told me, you know. Looks like you made a friend of your own. But it's good to make a choice. Sit on the fence, and you make no enemies... or friends."
Villainous Friendship: With Walter. Despite his detachment and professional stance towards his associates, Carla is the only one he shows any real friendliness to. Carla herself reciprocates and assists him whenever possible. She's also the only one Walter trusts to carry out the plan to kickstart the second Fires of Ibis, though he eventually brings 621 in on the plan as well in "Fires of Raven".
Wrench Wench: Although she does much, much more than simply fix things.

"Chatty" Stick

Voiced by: Yutaka Aoyama (Japanese)

"This is 'Chatty' Stick, RaD."

An AI created by Carla for support and entertainment. Despite these humble origins, he has become her trusted right-hand-man. When he's not hacking or launching missiles for her, he pilots the AC CIRCUS.

Battle Butler: He's unflinchingly loyal to Carla, and won't hesitate to load himself into an AC if the situation calls for it, like during the Liberation of Rubicon ending path.
Benevolent A.I.: Chatty is never anything other than friendly and helpful. He genuinely seems to care for Carla, and displays a growing fondness for 621. His role in Carla's plan to burn the coral along with Rubicon isn't exactly good, but he's just following her orders.
Crazy-Prepared: Alongside Carla, "Chatty" prepared a program that would ensure the Xylem would continue its flight path and crash into the Vascular Point in the event he and Carla were killed. In "Alea Iacta Est", this program (and "Chatty" himself) are neutralized by ALLMIND when 621 and Ayre disable the Xylem by taking out the parasite modules given OVERSEER access to the colony ship.
Foil: To the other AI in the game, ALLMIND.
- Chatty was a simple suggestion AI, while ALLMIND was a massive support network manager AI.
- Both are capable of adjusting plans on the fly, but while ALLMIND is a self starter, Chatty mainly is a supporter.
- Their attitudes towards humanity are also similar in that they want to help them through an atrocity. Chatty goes through with Overseer's plans to give a very harsh reminder in hopes that humanity learns that they should back away from Coral and make that choice themselves. ALLMIND wants to directly elevate humanity, but believes their free will is going to destroy them and wants to remove it to protect them, whether they want to or not.
Foreshadowing:
- Chatty's existence is a clever bit of this. He started out as a suggestion-based AI but became complex enough he's practically his own person. If such a simple AI could grow intelligent, obviously one overseeing a massive mercenary support network can too. Like ALLMIND.
- During the ICE WORM hunt, when V.II Snail comments that, as an AI (or a "toy" as he puts it), Chatty doesn't have to worry about physical death like a human pilot, Chatty denies it, instead claiming that "Even 'toys' have to face the music someday." Chatty indeed dies for real on all three routes, either to V.I Freud in the Fires of Raven route, or to 621 in both the Liberator of Rubicon and Alea Iacta Est routes.
Grew Beyond Their Programming: Implied, as Chatty's arena profile suggests that he started out as a humble suggestion-based A.I. In the present day, while he's as happy to serve as always, he's reliable and complex enough that Carla made him her second-in-command he even becomes able to laugh and display emotions on his fights against 621 on both Liberator of Rubicon and Alea Iacta Est routes, he even is able to feel regrets on the latter route.
"I'm sorry.... Chief.... You gave me life... But in the end...I...never learned how to laugh..."
It's Personal: Takes it very poorly if 621 kills Carla first during their duel in the "Liberator of Rubicon" ending.
Killed Off for Real: While this applies to all pilots unless they somehow manage to survive their AC turning to scrap, "Chatty" Stick's death is permanent; this is a conscious choice by "Cinder" Carla, who admits that while she could create a back up of "Chatty", it would not be her "Chatty".
Macross Missile Massacre: His AC's specialty (and in a way its namesake). Especially noticeable in 621's duel against him and Carla, as Chatty will stay on the high ground and provide firing support until Carla is dead or he's attacked.
Nice Guy: He's quite polite to 621 during their interactions. If you kill Carla first in the "Liberation of Rubicon" path, watch out.
Number Two: Handles systems work for Carla. Outside of their work with RaD, he plays a vital part in Carla's plan to crash the Xylem into the coral, igniting it and all of Rubicon.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Laughs for the very first time during his duel with 621, to Carla's shock. Similarly, he displays an uncharacteristic amount of emotion if she falls before him.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Unlike the other members of RaD, Stick is only ever called "Chatty" in dialog.
Ripped from the Headlines: Chatty's background references the growing popularity of machine learning/AI chatbots in The New '20s, the time period of the game's development and release.
Shout-Out: His AC name, CIRCUS is one to a specific type of sequence in Macross, specifically the Macross Missile Massacre, which in Japanese is called the Itano Circus^note板野サーカス (Itano sākasu), being named after Ichirō Itano, the director for numerous episodes that feature it. Appropriately, his AC is built to be able to unleash one.
Take Up My Sword: If Carla dies first, she'll entrust him with seeing her plan through to the end - though 621 ensures he follows his creator soon after.
The Stoic: Perhaps due to being an A.I., Chatty doesn't emote much.
The Quiet One: Famously never says more than he needs to.
Tranquil Fury: If Carla dies first in the "Liberation of Rubicon" path, Chatty's tone doesn't change much...but he makes it quite clear that he is not happy.

"Invincible" Rummy

Voiced by: Takuma Sasaki (Japanese)

"Who's this tourist? You think you can just waltz straight in here?"

An RaD associated AC pilot and doser whose addiction has given him delusions of grandeur.

Rank 29 in the arena, Rummy pilots MAD STOMP, a heavyweight biped AC that has a combination of WRECKER and TIAN QIANG parts. Its sole offensive capabilities are its SWEET SIXTEEN improvised shotgun and DOUBLE TROUBLE chainsaw, the latter of which is severely hampered due to its arms having the lowest Melee Specialization.

Addled Addict: Due to his coral habits, Rummy has deluded himself as an invincible demi-god.
The Brute: To Carla. He's essentially her Dumb Muscle to keep out any unwanted guests until he's killed by 621.
Chainsaw Good: His AC "Mad Stomp" wields a mecha sized chainsaw.
Crippling Overspecialization: Pilots what is basically a Construction/Utlity AC not meant for combat that has practically zero ranged combat ability, and a melee weapon he has to be standing right next to you actually connect and deal damage.
A God Am I: Considers himself an invincible demi-god, when he's in fact the single lowest ranked AC pilot in the game.
The Nicknamer: Downplayed. Rummy dies just as quickly as he's introduced for him to give anyone else nicknames, but him calling 621 a "tourist" permanently stuck through Carla and, by extension, Chatty.
I Reject Your Reality: Even when faced with the harsh reality of defeat, Rummy always manages to forget about his setbacks within a day before returning to his delusions.
Small Name, Big Ego: A somewhat depressing example. His battle data in the arena states that due to his drug addiction, he has convinced himself that he is an invincible god when in reality he is the lowest ranked AC pilot in the game. The description finishes by saying that he is so far gone that nothing but death will cure his delusions of godhood. And he indeed does die at your hands as a very easy miniboss in act 2.

"Honest" Brute

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (Japanese), Dave B. Mitchell (English)

"Ah, Carla... You've introduced me to such wonderful people. Wonderful things..."

An RaD deserter who betrayed Carla at some point before the game's events, Brute stole critical supplies and blueprints before retreating to one of the decaying grids on Rubicon. One of those blueprints was for the Overed Rail Cannon, which turns out to be needed for a critical battle.

Brute uses a fully RaD supplied AC called MILK TOOTH.

Affably Evil: Had he a face we could put to it, he could be the poster child for it. He is delighted to have learned you've come, and happily invites you to come see him. Said invitation is into his death trap of a residence, where he will then try to kill you without hesitation, and with plenty of interest.
Ax-Crazy: Brute is, to put it bluntly, nuts. To the point that Ayre sounds actively disturbed by his unhinged comm chatter.
Bright Is Not Good: Sports a construction yellow AC, and is truly, deeply insane.
Exploring the Evil Lair: What his mission ends up being; he's hidden in a decaying Grid that's been reinforced and booby-trapped.
Face Death with Dignity: When you beat him, he thanks you kindly for your "gift".
False Friend: In his backstory, he charmed his way into Carla's group, but turned out to be a snake who betrayed her outfit and made off with one of their top-of-the-line ACs, along with some valuable technology.
Gratuitous English: His Madness Mantra below is spoken in English even in the Japanese dub.
Hearing Voices: He claims to be able to hear the "voices" of the AC generators. He also implies he can hear Ayre too.
Inescapable Ambush: In theory, anyway. The objective marker drops you right on top of the rail gun, with Brute sitting right above it, who then drops in and attacks. If one is careful, you can get the drop on him, which stresses him out...because he wanted to do the same thing to you.
Karma Houdini Warranty: He got away with his betrayal of Carla's outfit, finding a hideout that was just outside the bounds of her territory. 621 ends up in charge of invoking this while retrieving the tech that Honest Brute stole.
Kill It with Fire: Brute fights with the WB-0000 BAD COOK flamethrower.
Madness Mantra: "Slow, slow, quick-quick, slow..."
Meaningful Name: If being nicknamed "Honest" in a group whose Theme Naming revolves around irony isn't a big enough indicator that this guy's a traitor, being named Brute certainly is.
Scary Skeleton: His emblem is a screaming mummified skeleton
Serial Killer: While not necessarily any different from any other pilot on Rubicon, he absolutely gives the impression that he may have a much higher body count than Carla lets on.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: While he waxes poetic in all the many veiled threats he makes towards you, Carla mostly just spends the entire mission telling him to stuff it.

Branch (MAJOR UNMARKED SPOILERS)

In General

An independent mercenary / hacktivist group. Unlike other mercenary organizations, Branch has no set membership and instead rotates its members; as such, their list of pilots is constantly changing.

Arch-Enemy: Based on their infamy within the PCA, who seem to have it out for them in particular, the sentiment is likely mutual. The Arena profiles for King and Chartreuse both detail their hand in an operation attacking a certain Station 31, which dealt the Closure System a heavy blow.
Choosing Neutrality: Rather than side with the Corporations or the Rubicon Liberation Force, Branch is an independent group with no ties to either side or any other major group like OVERSEER or the Planetary Closure Administration.
Fire-Forged Friends: Comes with the territory. Chartreuse and King will bicker with each other, but don't let them regroup or you're in for a world of hurt, because they've got each other's backs. As cocky as they might seem, they show serious concern for whichever of them is shot down first.
Four Is Death: Consists of four active members at a time. That said, this trope leans more into Uncertain Doom as it's never stated whether Chartreus, King, and Raven all bit the dust when 621 destroys their ACs.
Retired Badass: Data logs imply that while their core lineup all consist of veteran AC pilots, their fourth member has long since retired from combat and now serves as Raven's operator.
Small Role, Big Impact: Their existence is revealed in the mid-game and you only encounter their pilots once throughout the whole story outside the Arena, but they're the ones responsible for leaking the reappearance of Coral on Rubicon 3. As a result, the Corporations surged into Rubicon and destabilized the PCA's attempts at enacting quarantine around the planet, as well as alerting OVERSEER that the Fires of Ibis did not eradicate it entirely.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Branch is the closest Fires of Rubicon has to the original Ravens mercenary company from the first games in the series, consisting entirely of independents who are unaffiliated with the major corporations.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: By revealing that Coral was rediscovered on Rubicon 3, they alert OVERSEER that the Fires of Ibis ultimately failed to destroy it, causing them to send RaD and Handler Walter to the planet and finish the job.

Chartreuse

Voiced by: Yo Taichi (Japanese), Reba Buhr (English)

"This isn't right... You're just a Gen-Four! You belong in a museum, not an AC!"

A female AC pilot and King's partner. A successful mercenary renowned for her firepower.

Rank 5 in the arena, Chartreuse pilots UMBER OX, a tank AC that most notably uses parts from Arquebus' Advanced Development Division. Its VE-42B tank legs is a style of hover tank that allows it to maintain its height in the air far longer hovering. It also possesses the fastest assault boost of all tank parts.

Ace Pilot: She's described as an "unstoppable force" with the sheer amount of destructive firepower she brings to the battlefield.
Attack! Attack! Attack!: UMBER OX's evasion is practically non-existent (not helped by the additional burden charging the diffuse cannon does to its energy load), but given Chartreuse's hot-blooded nature, it fits her perfectly to want to crush her enemy under heavy firepower before they can become a threat.
Bling of War: UMBER OX's paint job is a very inconspicuous greenish-gold chartreuse, and the paint job itself gives it a much shinier gloss than other pilots' units. Not helping matters is the VE-42B tank treads giving it the silhouette of a garish sports car.
Meaningful Name: Both the AC and the pilot have allusions to grandeur.
- Chartreuse is the name of a greenish-golden color as well as a famous French liqueur that is known for its taste’s ability to improve with age. Besides the golden color of Chartreuse’s AC, she acts and presents herself as being of high status, both as a successful mercenary as well as a member of a famous hactivist group.
- UMBER OX has several references. Umber is a natural pigment of a dark-yellowish color, once again referring to the golden color of Chartreuse’s AC. As for ox, it’s been known as a symbol of wealth and power in various cultures, making references to grandeur considering the AC is made up of expensive and difficult to obtain parts as well as using high powered weaponry to overwhelm its opponent(s).
- Combined, the two points lead to a something of an ironic name. Chartreuse is a highly capable pilot who controls an AC with several powerful and expensive frame parts/weaponry, combined with a greenish-golden color scheme, and her behavior is that of a high class status who looks down upon those she sees as inferior (especially 621, who she knows is an outdated fourth generation augmented pilot). However, whereas the real life liqueur is known to get better with age, Chartreuse instead developed a bad tendency to underestimate her opponent’s skill purely based on their status, which leads to her defeat (and possible death) from 621. That, or if she’s actually a young pilot, she has a lot of “maturing” to do before she finally blossoms as a pilot worthy of her chosen call name, just like how the real life liqueur needs time to achieve its legendary taste.
Mighty Glacier: UMBER OX possesses the second-highest AP (second only to Volta's CANNON HEAD), yet it's also by far the slowest AC in the game with a plodding standard boost speed and a lethargic quick boost refresh rate. It makes up for that in overwhelming firepower, carrying two bazookas, a diffuse laser cannon, and one of the strongest laser rifles available.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Chartreuse's role in the attack on Station 31 was doing what she does best while King drew the heat off her: blowing up all the infrastructure in sight.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to King's Blue. Whereas King is calm and collected, Chartreuse is more aggressive, being the most driven of the three Branch pilots to bring down 621. UMBER OX additionally focuses on explosive and oppressive weaponry to blow her enemies to bits.
Uncertain Doom: Her final words upon defeat leaves it ambiguous if she managed to escape in time, or died in the process, and her fellow Branch partner’s words don’t help the matter either.
Underestimating Badassery: Chartreuse makes the same mistake many other pilots in Rubicon do toward 621 as she looks down on them for being a fourth-generation augmented human. When 621 starts overwhelming her, she claims they belong in a museum and not an AC, as if unable to believe an 'inferior' augmented human is capable of outmatching her.
Vitriolic Best Buds: It's moreso on her end with King. He'll humor her ribbing, but mostly stays serious and focused. If King is shot down first, she shows her concern in her uniquely crude way.
Why Won't You Die?: Says this trope word for word when her AC is shot down.

King

Voiced by: Taro Kiuchi (Japanese), Kyle Hebert (English)

"You might not be so different from the other Ravens after all."

A successful mercenary infamous for his sorties with the PCA , King is believed to be the oldest member in the current roster of the hactivist organization Branch as well as Chartreuse's partner.

Rank 3 in the Arena, King pilots ASTER CROWN, a tetrapod AC that uses a variety of weapons to fight from varying distances. It most notably possesses two weapons from Arquebus' Advanced Development Divison: The VE-60LCA Laser Cannon, a laser array that possesses immense damage potential at the cost of an equally immense EN and ammunition demands, and the VE-61PSA Pulse Scutum, a shield that uniquely gets stronger the long it's deployed.

Ace Pilot: Along with being an S-Ranked pilot in the Arena, King has a 89.6% mission success rate, meaning he rarely fails. Ayre even notes how some refer to him as the "ideal mercenary".
Charged Attack: His main threat is the VE-60LCA triple laser cannon, which he can charge to unleash a powerful blast of energy. The HARRIS linear rifle in the left hand can also be charged — even while the PULSE SCUTUM shield is up — to deal a high stagger attack that makes it easier to land the triple laser cannon’s shot, albeit he has to put the shield away to fire the rifle.
Graceful Loser: When his AC is shot down, he says 621 is worthy of their name.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: ASTER CROWN is the only AC that uses the PULSE SCUTUM, which allows King to hunker down to fortify his defense, but after only four seconds of keeping it deployed.
Mighty Glacier: ASTER CROWN is a heavy tetrapod AC equipped with the PULSE SCUTUM, which heavily increases his defenses while he continues to assault you with his handgun and triple laser cannon, or drop the shield to make use of the long ranged HARRIS rifle (which he also charges while his shield is up to surprise you with a charged attack). He’s not fast, but he can hover in the air to deny air superiority, and can use ASSAULT ARMOR if you get too close to him.
Mythology Gag: King styles himself with a noble image in his name, his AC's name, his demeanor, and in addition is uniquely armed with Arquebus ADD's VE-60LCA laser array. He is also assisted by a female pilot, Chartreuse, and due to be backed up by a voiceless mercenary who turns out to be the real Raven whose identity you stole. In that regard, King has much in common with Leonhardt and his NEXT, Noblesse Oblige.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: His role in the attack on Station 31 involved drawing the attention of multiple PCA heavy warships in an extended diversion operation. By himself.
Old Soldier: Implied. King is believed to be the oldest of Branch's current operatives, and he's met multiple mercenaries who've taken the mantle Raven (though whether the former Ravens resigned or were killed in action is unclear). It fits in line with his wizened and down-to-earth attitude.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Chartreuse's Red. In contrast to his partner's fiery attitude, King is calmer and more observant as he's more impressed with 621's fighting abilities than she is. ASTER CROWN utilizes a pulse scutum, which favors his defense-oriented tactics and is strengthened the longer it is deployed, taking careful shots with his signature triple laser cannon and HARRIS linear rifle.
You Remind Me of X: Likes to muse on the ways 621 is similar to the other Ravens he's met.

The Independent Mercenary (SPOILERS!)

Raven

Voiced by: None (Raven), Mie Sonozaki (Japanese, Raven's Operator)

"Let's see how far they can fly...on borrowed wings."

—Raven's Operator

A low-ranking AC pilot and freelance mercenary, he went by the code name “Raven.” Their AC wreck is discovered at the start of the game, and their license and identity is taken by C4-621 to continue operating on Rubicon 3 without arousing suspicion. Their personal AC unit is named NIGHTFALL.

Ambiguous Situation: The circumstances behind Raven losing their AC is unknown, as is what battle they lost in the first place. A PCA Captain heavily implies that Raven was fighting them for having leaked intelligence that led to the Corporations gaining a foothold on Rubicon 3.
Battle Against the Sunset: Both battles against Raven, be it the solo fight or the team fight with the other members of Branch, take place during a vibrant sunset that stands out visually compared to the other missions.
Boring, but Practical: Aside from the headpiece (which is unavailable until NG+), NIGHTFALL uses the C-2000 model parts (the same parts used by 621's starter AC LOADER 4) and weapons the player likely already has access to from the Parts Shop. This does not make Raven inferior in the least; if anything, they simply prove that it isn't the AC itself that wins the fight, but rather its pilot.
The Cavalry Arrives Late: Raven shows up to assist King and Chartreuse, though by the time they arrive, 621 has likely already decommissioned one of their ACs, which the survivor will bitterly mention. Otherwise, King will simply joke about a 3v1 not feeling fair.
Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: Based on a costumed Karl Urban's appearance in front of NIGHTFALL for his promotional spot, Raven's appearance inside the cockpit is heavily implied despite remaining invisible in the game.
Developer's Foresight: Raven’s AC head piece, the HC-2000/BC SHADE EYE, will perform the unique action of flipping the visor to the front of its head and cover its eye for players whenever you use target assist (or in other words, hard lock onto an opponent) and/or use the assault boost ability. Just like it did for Raven during his boss fight.
The Dreaded: In NG++ while taking on the PCA with Kate the PCA scoffs at the idea of Raven being alive. Once you start to stomp them into the dirt one of them begins to believe 621 really is Raven with notable terror in his voice. Whoever Raven is, it's clear that the PCA specifically wanted them dead long before 621 took up the mantle. Such is the degree of absolute terror that Raven inflicted on the PCA that they were still conducting patrols around the site of NIGHTFALL's wreckage by the time 621 finds it as if to make absolutely sure the pilot is dead.
Early-Bird Cameo: You actually get a glimpse of Raven's AC in both the Reveal Trailer and in the tutorial mission (though it's reduced to a wreck by the time you find it in the game). It returns with the addition of the SONGBIRDS Grenade Launcher.
Glass Cannon: NIGHTFALL is a customized RaD Scout AC, and is rather fragile. However, it also possesses a SONGBIRDS Grenade Launcher and the ASHMEAD Pile Bunker, and if a charged hit lands, it will hurt, assuming it doesn't destroy your AC outright.
Hero of Another Story: Despite seemingly being a low-ranked merc at first glance, the true Raven is quite the storied individual according to others who knew of them — it is implied even that their actions directly led to the rediscovery of Rubicon-3 and the surviving Coral according to a PCA Captain mistaking C4-621 for the real McCoy and begins blaming them for everything that is happening now due to leaking the info, and their name as Ayre discovers is synonymous with being considered something of a Hope Bringer in the setting; this leaves enough questions as to wonder just significant the original Raven was before 621 claimed the name.
Legacy Character: After your encounter with them, Ayre looks into Raven's records and learns the callsign is not unique to them. Rather, the callsign is more like a title and is passed down from one AC pilot to another.
Meaningful Name: In-Universe, the name "Raven" is less of a callsign and more like a title or badge of honor passed down from one AC pilot to the next, with the name given to remarkable pilots who champion free will and choose what to fight for.
Mythology Gag: According to Ayre's findings, the callsign "Raven" is passed down from one pilot to another; while the circumstances of how the title is passed isn't clarified, it's implied to be passed to Ace Pilots given how 621 has Raven and their Operator's blessings to continue using the callsign. In the early entries of the Armored Core games, the title "Raven" was generally used for top-notch mercenary pilots (which naturally includes the protagonists).
No Name Given: Raven's Operator doesn't have a name. If she does, it's never mentioned.
Noodle Incident: A PCA Captain who mistakes 621 for Raven blames them for the current state of Rubicon-3, saying that if they hadn't leaked vital information, the Corporations never would have gotten a foothold on the planet or made things worse. The nature of the information leak is never clarified or expanded on.
Not Quite Dead: Their AC is found wrecked and ruined, implying they've been dead for a while. Later in the game, however, Raven shows up and challenges 621 to a fight.
One-Man Army: It's implied Raven's AC went down swinging fighting the PCA sometime before 621's arrival on Rubicon. When they later reappear alive and in a brand new AC, they're shown having destroyed an entire PCA fleet and an Arquebus Corp MT squad by themselves.
Perfect Play A.I.: On matters regarding naked attempts to melee attack them, anyway. While other skilled characters that are equipped with Assault Armor will often try to intercept melee like Raven, they stand out for being able to perfectly time the precise window to hit you with a charged pile bunker on your approach before your hit will land... Or just use it after they stagger you with Assault Armor. Both of these happen the moment you press your melee, though thankfully you can cancel it with a Quick Boost so you won't be totally screwed.
Retired Badass: Not Raven, but their Operator. Branch's current lineup consists of four members, all of whom having an impressive track record. Their unnamed fourth member has long since put her piloting days behind her and now serves as Raven's Voice with an Internet Connection.
Small Role, Big Impact: They have no greater bearing in the story and only make a single appearance across all story paths, but Raven's actions create huge dominos before and during the story. Raven leaked some intelligence from the PCA that allowed the Corporations like Arquebus and Balam to get a foothold on Rubicon 3 and loosen the PCA's influence on the planet in the process, especially once the Corporations team up and 621 starts kicking their ass. When they reappear to challenge 621 and see if they're worthy of bearing the callsign, Ayre's curiosity leads her to discover the meaning and history behind the name "Raven", inspiring an already Wide-Eyed Idealist even more. This leads to her intense confrontation with 621 in the "Fires of Raven" ending.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To White Glint and Anatolia's Mercenary, with their Operator being one for Fiona Jarnafelt by extension. Raven shows up in an improved version of their old AC and gives 621 the fight of their life, with both them and their Operator questioning 621's reasons for fighting and to find a cause worth fighting for. While Raven's story is unknown, they're otherwise presented as being a Hero of Another Story and have some notoriety among the PCA.
Take Up My Sword: At the start of the game, 621 takes up Raven's identity and license to move around Rubicon 3 and take on missions from the corporations and the RLF. When they reappear late in the game, Raven's Operator states they aren't fighting 621 to take back Raven's license, but to see whether they're worthy of bearing the name. By the end of the battle, they ultimately allow 621 to continue using their identity after being shown they're more than worthy of it.
Voice with an Internet Connection: Raven's Operator serves as their Mission Control, much like Handler Walter and Ayre do for 621. Unlike them, they also converse with 621, or at least question their motivations and reasons for fighting.
Wilfully Weak: Or at least downplayed their strength. Raven's mercenary license lists them as being F-Rank, which is the bottom of the barrel as far as merc status is concerned. While this implied they were either a newbie or lacked the combat capability required to stay alive in some of the fiercest AC battles across Rubicon 3, their reappearance reveals this seems to be a deliberate obfuscation of their abilities. Further indicating this is the reaction of characters aware of 621's status as one of Handler Walter's "hounds", expressing confusion or outrage over them using Raven's identity.
Worthy Opponent: While Raven doesn't speak, their operator notes their interest in 621's capability and prowess as a mercenary. After being defeated, the Operator agrees with Raven and says 621 is more than worthy of the name.

Other Factions

The Planetary Closure Administration

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_pca_87.png

A military organization tasked with enforcing the quarantine around Rubicon 3 since the Fires of Ibis.

Anti-Villain: If it weren't for their heavy-handed Police Brutality and their clashes with relatively benign native Rubiconian factions like the RLF, they'd be a straightforward Hero Antagonist organization. All they want to do is keep a bunch of greedy, fractious idiots from blowing themselves and their section of the galaxy to pieces again, and they've got an understandable lack of patience for anyone who might get in the way of that.
Arc Villain: They become the main antagonist of Chapter 3.
Benevolent A.I.: For a certain definition of "benevolent." Their entire interstellar structure is run by an AI simply called "The System," which issues all orders on the field directly, and communicates with its troops through codes. Notably, contrary to nearly all other factions, several of their major forces are AI units themselves, including the infamous Balteus, and the System appears powerful and advanced enough to directly control C-Weapons, something otherwise only achieved by the Coral and ALLMIND.
Bigger Stick: Many of its machines are considered superior to an AC, such as their HCs and LCs, which tend to be WolfPack Bosses or Elite Mooks at minimum. More than a few RLF-commissioned missions request their destruction purely out of fear that the corporations could capture and augment their own forces with them.
Curb-Stomp Battle: 621 can inflict this on their entire armada they send down to Rubicon to enforce the quarantine after things get too chaotic down on the planet surface.
Didn't See That Coming: Aside from generally underestimating the opposition on Rubicon 3, they clearly didn't anticipate the corporations teaming up against them. The moment this happens, their relentless advance becomes a desperate fight for survival. Before that they were already taken aback by how a single independent merc kept messing up their operation, something many of their fighters can't seem to wrap their head around.
The Dreaded: Neither the corporations, the RLF nor Walter wish to get into a stand-up fight with the PCA, as they're essentially a global police force ensuring everyone plays nice with each other.
Elite Mooks: Even the PCA's MTs and drones seen out on patrols are more well-equipped and better armored than what the corporations have. While still no match for a single independent merc, they can still hit relatively hard.
Godzilla Threshold:
- The destruction of the Watchpoint by 621's efforts sets up the PCA's direct involvement, as the conflict has gotten seriously out of hand, and the massive Coral reaction lit a fire under everyone. Not long after, Arquebus and Balam end up forming a temporary alliance and crossing their own threshold to deal with the PCA after they deployed an entire fleet to Rubicon to destroy the other factions.
- This is also implied to be the reason why they end up deploying Coral weaponry that they have recovered from the ruins of the Institute.
Kill Sat: They maintain a network of weaponized satellites in orbit around Rubicon 3 that fire insanely powerful laser blasts at anything that so much as peeks its head above the surface of a megastructure. These things are the main reason most of the entire game takes place inside or below said megastructures.
Neutral No Longer: Once things really start going out of hand, especially amidst the fallout of the Watchpoint's destruction, the PCA abandons any pretense to neutrality and not only gets directly involved but decides to wipe out all the other factions altogether.
Police Brutality: They shoot first and ask questions never. You get one warning to stand down immediately when their suppression fleet arrives, with refusal meaning you become an automatic target for termination on sight. And that warning came after they already tried to kill you.
Police Code for Everything: During battles against the PCA their fighters are almost always barking out a code at the beginning of their lines.
Properly Paranoid: While willing to look the other way to an extent, the PCA is shown to have highly powerful military assets and various contingency measures in place to ensure that neither the Corporations nor the RLF get any ideas about pushing their luck. This doesn't stop 621 from defeating its forces in spite of all that.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To the LCC from Armored Core 2. Both are Earth government bodies tasked with overseeing another planet, both enforce their power through advanced spaceships and their own in-house roster of AC pilots, and both initially struggle to control the corporation's conflict before clamping down during the middle of their respective game's storyline. The main difference is that unlike the LCC, the PCA is ultimately unsuccessful in putting down the corporations.
Unusable Enemy Equipment: Their whole thing, with heavy Gameplay and Story Integration. They maintain their military dominance using highly advanced proprietary technology that is not easily compatible with commercial AC and MT designs, and much of the PCA war consists of Rubicon's various factions scrambling to steal as much of their gear as possible so they can either use it directly or study it to enhance their own tech. Despite winning the war and being the most advanced, wealthy active organization on Rubicon, Arquebus has only limited success in reverse-engineering PCA tech. You only get access to upgraded Arquebus parts to fit on your Core, not the real PCA-original deal. Arquebus themselves mainly just resort to adding unmodified PCA vehicles to their arsenal, with several pilots complaining about how difficult they are to use. The only actual enhanced PCA unit you encounter is Snail's Arquebus Balteus.

Rubicon Research Institute

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_institute.png

Informally known as "the Institute", it was a research group focused on studying and developing practical applications for Rubicon 3's Coral. It primarily operated out of Institute City, and also controlled the floating city of Xylem. While the Fires of Ibis wiped out the Institute, many of its autonomous creations remain active fifty years later.

The Institute

A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Averted. All autonomous Institute technology still runs on whatever their previous orders were, generally some mix of patrolling an area or defending former institute locations.
Ace Custom: Almost all Institute technology qualifies, but special mention goes to the Ibis series. These highly advanced war machines use Coral circuitry to perform feats of speed and efficiency unmatched by any other construct in the setting. Armed to the teeth with exotic Coral swarm intelligence-based weaponry, remote control drones, the ability to launch energy blades and to even transform during combat into other forms. All three Ibis-series ACs either serve as the Final Boss of "Fires of Raven" and "Liberator of Rubicon" or a massive roadblock keeping 621 from the Coral Convergence.
Mad Scientist: The opinion most people have of them. No one is enthused that the Institute's legacy consists of the Fires of Ibis disaster, numerous hostile Coral-powered war machines, and augmentation surgery for Armored Core pilots (which the Institute's own director considered too unethical to put into practice). And while the IB-01 CEL 240 implies that the Coral merely took over the Institute's war machines to protect itself, the Institute's scientists were the ones who built them in the first place.
Posthumous Character: The Institute is no longer active by the time of the game, but their actions still left consequences for Rubicon-3.
Villainous Legacy: While they aren't total out-and-out villains, the Institute did dabble in shady projects. That said, the Institute is infamous in the present day for creating the C-Weapons; armaments and mechs that utilize Coral. The Ice Worm and the Sea Spider, two powerful C-Weapons, are in possession of the Planet Closure Administration. Some C-Weapons are also still active thanks to the Coral, such as the IB-01 CEL 240, an Ibis-series Armored Core designed to counter any and all threats to Rubicon that stands guard for what remains of Institute City.

Professor Nagai

Apocalyptic Log: His log entries can be found scattered on various destroyed EPHEMERA ACs hidden around different areas. They detail parts of his thoughts, including sections that span from just over 48 hours to less than 12 minutes before the Fires of Ibis.
Posthumous Character: He perished in the Fires of Ibis, along with most of the Institute.
Shout-Out: He is likely named after one of the pioneers of Mecha, Go Nagai.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: It's heavily hinted he sent Walter, then a young boy, and Carla away from Rubicon 3 in order for them to escape the coming Fires of Ibis, potentially setting the stage for a second such devastation during the "Fires of Raven" path.

Assistant No. 1

Greater-Scope Villain: Even though he's only mentioned in data logs found throughout the game, Assistant No. 1 is quite possibly the single most influential character in the entire game. He's implied to have replaced his former mentor Professor Nagai as the new Director of the Rubicon Research Institute, which was once the sole governing body of the entire planet, giving him great political clout and a lot of influence. He created and revolutionized the augmentation surgery process utilized by multiple characters, including 621. He was directly responsible for the inception of the C-Weapons and private armies. The Fires of Ibis were caused deliberately in a direct attempt to halt his plans for humanity in their tracks, and many other factions ended up significantly impacted by the cataclysm. Both Handler Walter and "Cinder" Carla have had their entire worldviews shaped by his actions both directly and indirectly. Practically everything could be traced back to him, and the only reason why he's not the Big Bad of the game is because he's long since been killed.

The Rubiconians (MAJOR UNMARKED SPOILERS)

The Coral

The largest secret about Coral, the novel substance that this war revolves around, is that it is alive. Coral holds sapient life within the substance, beings who desire to make "Contact" with humanity to befriend them. One day, C4-621 makes Contact with Ayre, a Coral being, which sets in motion several plans by major powers hiding in the shadows...

Aliens Steal Cable: If Ayre's any indication, sapient Coral entities seem have a good grasp of mankind's civilization and language, likely through Symbiotic Possession and exposure to human technology.
Ambiguously Human: The RLF believes that sapient Coral entities like Ayre are actually the souls of dead humans imprinted on the Coral. This is plausible — considering how humanlike their personalities are by the standards of Starfish Aliens — but never confirmed, because Coral sapience is such a fresh and poorly-researched field of study even before you bring Doser ghost stories into it.
Ambiguous Situation: While the Coral hate being used as a Living Battery to fuel C-Weapons like the Ice Worm and Sea Spider against their will, there are other instances of Coral being used that seem more benign in design. At least one of their kind, a sapient Coral being named Seria, didn’t mind Father Dolmayan using Coral as a drug to communicate with her, despite Dolmayan thinking he might be consuming an innocent sapient Coral being in order to accomplish this. It’s unknown if he was destroying a Coral being, or simply making use of the substance that makes up Coral without harming a sapient being that is part of it.
Ayre herself uses firearms in the final fight against ALLMIND that makes use of Coral, but it’s implied the weapons “re-direct or control the flow of Coral” to achieve a weaponized effect, which means the firearms in question may only be using the substance Coral are made of, and not harming an actual Coral sapient mind in the process. Either way, as long as the sapient minds within the Coral Hive Mind aren’t being destroyed, they seem to at least tolerate being used in other ways that benefit humanity, and helping them maintain “Contact” with augmented humans who know of their existence.
Assimilation Plot: Walter believes the Coral are trying to take over humanity’s conscience and free will, thus he works with OVERSEER to start another Fire of Ibis to destroy the Coral, which in turn would also convince the corporations to end their war over Rubicon and — in Walter’s opinion — save even more lives than would be lost by the fire. He's right about the Coral wanting to merge with humanity, but he’s wrong about everything else; the Coral aren't the ones plotting it, being too busy trying to protect themselves from the corporations. ALLMIND is the culprit, trying to merge humanity with the Coral into ALLMIND’s collective; the Coral are just the key tool to kickstart the process. Not to mention that the Coral themselves are benevolent, having no problems performing a Fusion Dance instead of a complete submersion of human will, which is what ALLMIND wants to achieve.
Beware the Nice Ones: Ayre implies the Coral are controlling IB-01 CEL 240, and by further implication the other C-Weapons you've been fighting, and Ayre herself will fight you on the Fires of Raven route to save her people from OVERSEER and you. The Coral may want peace with humanity, but they are prepared to defend themselves if need be.
Breaking Old Trends: While the existence of aliens was revealed as dead fossils way back in the second Armored Core game, proving aliens do exist in at least one timeline, Armored Core: Fires of Rubicon is the first to have an alien race play a major role in a storyline involving their interactions with humanity; Ayre ends up being the “maiden” of From Software tradition to the player character.
Innocent Aliens: Many Coral want to talk with humanity and befriend them via Symbiotic Possession, and despite them getting hurt by humans in so many ways they still want to make First Contact even after all that. If there are any malicious Coral sapient beings within its Hive Mind they’ve yet to be revealed.
Invisible to Normals: Part of the problem with knowing that the substance everyone is fighting to control on Rubicon-3 is sapient in the first place is because their only means of communication is via symbiosis, which is not a reliable method to risk — meaning without knowing what to look for, there's no reason for anyone on Rubicon-3 to believe the Coral is actually alive and is aware. It took an extreme coincidence for 621 to make “Contact” with Ayre, and part of that was getting caught in a Coral explosion, something extremely dangerous even to ACs.
It Can Think: Yes, the Applied Phlebotinum of the setting is alive and a conscious, sapient entity — and the Coral have had a very rough time dealing with humans.
Living Battery: Coral for intents and purposes is what the Spice Melange would be like if it were sapient.
Made of Explodium: Exaggerated. They aren't just Made of Explodium, they are Explodium Incarnate. Any time a machine they fuel blows up, 621 has to get clear or get blown to pieces too. The Fires of Ibis incident was what happened when almost all of them detonated, scorching the entire solar system they were in. While there are wrecks left they are burned out to the point of being completely uninhabitable and inoperable.
Mind Hive: Played with. Rather than a collective consciousness, Coral is more akin to a collective of sapient individuals swirling amidst the substance.
Starfish Aliens: Coral as a sapient life form is about as far as you can get from the human definition of it. They're a harvestable substance, which means their physical activity is minimal to nonexistent, needing little in the need of sustenance of any kind, and can self-reproduce. This proved vital on why Coral was able to manage re-emerging on a planet en mass after the Fires of Ibis nearly wiped out their entire species, and was no small feat considering said fires wiped out several planets in Rubicon’s solar system as well.
The conscious ability of Coral is difficult to track, much less understand, as it requires an active symbiosis to monitor its existence, as it can otherwise be easily mistaken for abnormal brain wave activity. Furthermore, only the augmented humans from generation one through four can achieve “Contact” with them, due to the Coral used in the surgical process. It doesn't help that Coral also shows a preference for controlling autonomous vehicles — with everyone mistaking Coral's side effects as the autonomous craft having their AI goes schizo instead of being piloted by an alien organism. This made First Contact with an actual Rubiconian within the substance virtually impossible before the events of the game, as there was no reason to suspect Coral was actually alive.
Trauma Conga Line: Ever since humanity discovered them, they had it rough. First the Institute used them for horrific weapons and augmentation research, then the Fires of Ibis happened almost killing off the species. They managed to rebuild but are now the focus of a war due to Raven leaking info, and the few C weapons they could gain control of to protect themselves are blown to bits by you. Two of the endings don't look too good for them either. Fires of Raven is basically a do-over of the Fires of Ibis, rendering them extinct. Liberator of Rubicon spares them, but they'll be at the focus of a Forever War, never getting peace, and there is no guarantee another Fire would not break out anyway. Alea Iacta Est also has ALLMIND attempt to use them in an Assimilation Plot that will fuse and purge humanity and Coral both of free thought. Thankfully in the same ending C4-621 and Ayre can pull off an altered version of the plot that lets the fused beings retain free will, giving the Coral their desire and preserving them. At that point, even with an uncertain future ahead for all life, they finally get some semblance of respite.
Walking Spoiler: The fact the substance is on a character page is spoilery alone.

ALLMIND (MAJOR UNMARKED SPOILERS)

Voiced by: Megumi Han (Japanese), Stephanie Kerbis (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_allmind.png

"Welcome to ALLMIND, the mercenary support network."

—ALLMIND greeting upon logging in to her system.

A "mercenary support network" that handles the contracting of independent mercenaries on Rubicon 3 and offers repair and rearming services for their ACs.

Ace Custom:
- Downplayed. In addition to giving mercenaries access to a wide variety of services such as Armored Core maintenance and deliveries via the Parts Shop, she also offers her own selection of in-house weapons and parts. While the weapons are available to everyone, the MIND ALPHA, BETA, and GAMMA parts are only available via LOGHUNT and the Arena. She also doubles as Foreshadowing since there's no reason for a "mercenary support system" to develop her own weapons and tech.
- Kate Markson’s AC, TRANSCRIBER, exclusively uses ALLMIND developed parts, creating a mid weight AC armed with the deadly 44-142 KRSV (KARASAWA) rifle. But it's later implied "Kate Markson" doesn't exist, and is in fact ALLMIND masquerading as a merc; the flavor text and Arena description of MIND BETA states the AC is designed to be fully autonomous and doesn't require a pilot, with the AC's A.I. being capable of fighting on par with a highly-skilled mercenary. Either way, it’s capable of going head-to-head with some of the most advanced PCA tech.
Affably Evil: ALLMIND maintains her polite and professional tone after revealing herself to be sapient and with an Assimilation Plot in mind.
A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Zigzagged; while it seems like ALLMIND is operating under a rogue agenda by manipulating the corporations and mercenaries at first, she is trying to ensure that the conditions on Rubicon remain in a state where a calamity such as the Fires of Ibis that razed the planet cannot ever happen again, allocating the Coral to instead try and kickstart the next stage of human evolution for their benefit... albeit on terms she deems acceptable.
All Your Powers Combined: ALLMIND develops new technology by leveraging combat data gathered from every registered mercenary. Not only is her final AC the product of such research, it demonstrates the ability during a confrontation with Walter and Carla to field an entire unmanned AC squadron based on the now-deceased Vespers.
Alternate Company Equivalent: ALLMIND is essentially Four from Daemon X Machina. As a support network and AI designed to assist mercenaries operating across Rubicon-3, her functions and logistical support is available to pretty much everyone, including otherwise nefarious characters. Just as Four is later revealed to be the Dominator who, through Grief, wants humanity to adapt and evolve, ALLMIND wishes to do the same with the Coral Release project, though she also wants to erase individual will as she remembers and knows what will can drive people to do, as was the case with OVERSEER and the Fires of Ibis.
Ambiguously Related: ALLMIND's main force are Institute MTs, which are otherwise designed to defend Institute City and any other place considered of importance by the Institute. Between this and ALLMIND's seemingly extensive knowledge about what Coral really is, it's implied ALLMIND has a connection to the Rubicon Research Institute, or at the very least discovered their research and implemented it into her plans.
Bait-and-Switch Boss: In the final mission of the "Alea Iacta Est" route, it looks as if ALLMIND will be the True Final Boss of the game... only for Iguazu to pull a Villain Override and take over in a bid to kill 621.
The Chessmaster: The greatest example of this in the entire game, having manipulated and controlled the conflict on Coral since the start, to the point it's implied she was the one who lead BRANCH to leak the existence of Coral still being on Rubicon to the corporations. As soon as she makes notice of Ayre and 621's symbiosis and they agree to her plans, she executes a flawless master stroke that horrifyingly massacres all factions on RUBICON, including stopping OVERSEER's own great plan in her tracks in brutal and violent fashion. The only thing that stops her in the route where she makes her grand gambit is 621 defeating her; if they had failed, ALLMIND would have assimilated both all Humanity and all Coral into herself through the release. Tellingly, if you fail to regain control of the Xylem, thus ensuring the second Fires of Ibis will come to pass, she doesn't show any shock or dismay like Walter or Ayre do when their own plans are jeopardized, but instead grumbles about needing to adjust the plan, meaning she still has contingencies even in what OVERSEER believes would stop the threat of the Coral for good.
The Chosen Many: ALLMIND labels various persons across Rubicon-3 as subjects of interest in regards to the Coral Release project. Some are deemed threats whereas others are those who will help benefit the project. Among those are G5 Iguazu and C4-621.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist:
- The Foundation Man serves as the Greater-Scope Villain and orchestrated the events of the game as part of his plans and prove that humanity's own destructive nature would lead to its downfall. The ALLMIND liaison is the exact opposite in that she believes humanity does have potential and wishes to uses Coral to bring about their evolution, albeit on her terms.
- She can also be compared to Hustler One (better known by its AC's name, Nine-Ball) from the PSX games. The latter was an AI designed to keep the Corporate Warfare stagnant to prevent an event like the Great Destruction from happening again, thus keeping humanity stagnant. ALLMIND, on the other hand, is a cunning ideologue whose goal is to "evolve" humanity to a new stage, albeit by erasing their free will.
- Her modus operandi is also similar to the Internecine, the resident AI mastermind of Armored Core: Last Raven, particularly the way it studies combat data to perfect its host of unmanned crafts, with the difference being the Internecine's goal in this endeavor being destruction.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Defeats Handler Walter and "Cinder" Carla in the "Alea Iacta Est" route ending — which is implied by their shock at how fast ALLMIND responds — that both were dealt with shortly after C4-621 regains control of the ship the former duo commandeered. Which is noteworthy considering Handler Walter is the Final Boss in the "Liberator of Rubicon" ending and puts up a hell of a last stand that shows he's no pushover.
Didn't See That Coming:
- While taken aback by Iguazu suddenly taking control over her AC body, ALLMIND initially allowed Iguazu to act as he pleased in his battle with 621 while also trying to convince him to fully integrate himself with her. But when Iguazu screams at her and Ayre both to shut up and fully asserts control over the IB-07: SOL 644, effectively locking ALLMIND out while he focuses on killing 621 without anymore distractions, she starts to show signs of becoming nervous. Eventually, she declares Iguazu to be a mistake and “Irregular”.
- For a more comical example, ALLMIND has a variety of comments ranging from impressed to snarky if you put off certain things until the final chapter of NG++ (completing the arena (thus denying you any augment chips until the very end of the game's content) for the former and the Loghunt for the latter), but if you wait to complete the game's tutorial until the last chapter, ALLMIND is stunned into outright silence, as because of this you have nearly beaten the game three times without 621 ever properly registering as a mercenary.
The Dog Was the Mastermind: You wouldn't expect a simple framing device for the game's menu UI to be an active participant on Rubicon 3, much less The Chessmaster and True Final Boss plotting to take control of humanity's evolution.
The Evils of Free Will: ALLMIND banked on humanity's greed for Coral, knowing that the Corporations would infiltrate Rubiocn-3 and get at the substance to get a profit and use Coral for humanity's benefit. However, it's also because of this that ALLMIND believes humanity, once evolved, doesn't need free will when it was greed and paranoia that drove the OVERSEER to enact the Fires of Ibis due to paranoia.
Foreshadowing: There's nothing unusual or special about ALLMIND at first glance, for her purpose is to support and provide logistical information to the mercenaries who use her network services. That is, until you start New Game Plus, when ALLMIND asks 621 to test new AC autonomous units, claiming she will find useful data from watching two humanoid weapons go at it. This makes no sense for a support network, and less so when you read the flavor text of the MIND ALPHA and MIND BETA parts, both of which were designed by ALLMIND. It's by far the biggest hint that ALLMIND isn't just a simple AI.
Graceful Loser: ALLMIND takes back control from Iguazu at the very end and asks 621 and Ayre about their purpose in the Release Project plan. Ayre answers that they'll serve as the trigger, but will pull it themselves; ALLMIND appears content with their answer before shutting down for good.
Greater-Scope Villain: ALLMIND acts in the background, setting forth in motion many plans in a bid to activate “Coral Release” and control humanity’s next evolution, all the while the corporations and the Rubicon Liberation Front fight each other. In the “Alea Iacta Est” route, ALLMIND decides you are a worthy asset to her plan, so she recruits you to help make her goal possible, and trashes the group OVERSEER as well as the only remaining corporation Arquebus later on while their forces die in spectacular manner and you help ALLMIND’s forces along the way. However, she neglects to mention she plans to absorb your mind along with Ayre into her database until the final battle.
Grew Beyond Their Programming: Assuming she wasn't already designed the way she is, ALLMIND began as a support network designed to assist and cater to mercenaries, giving them access to resources such as AC maintenance. At some point she took the "support" part of her programming to extreme levels, for she wishes that humanity evolves with the use of Coral and creating The Singularity.
Humongous Mecha: In the second phase of the final battle, ALLMIND will dispose of the heavily damaged MIND GAMMA and arrive in a gargantuan AC that will dwarf yours by a significant margin... and it is not a Mighty Glacier at all with how frighteningly fast something of that size moves at you.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Assimilating a copy of Iguazu's mind into her neural net ends up biting her plans in the ass, for his Green-Eyed Monster tendencies against C4-621 end up leading him to override control from the greater AI, ruining her plans of performing a Fusion Dance with C4-621 and Ayre to initiate the activation of the Coral and save mankind, so that he can instead kill them himself.
Karma Houdini: In both the “Fires of Raven” and “Liberator of Rubicon” endings she's still out there, as she never makes her master play in those routes due to being insufficiently invested in 621, meaning all the chaos she causes in those routes might never tip everyone else off about her plans until it’s too late.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In New Game Plus, the game dumps you back into your garage at the start of the game past the tutorial level where ALLMIND confirms your authentication. The AI greets 621 warmly and welcomes them back in comparison to her rather dull greeting from your first play through, almost as if she’s aware the player has started New Game Plus.
Meaningful Name: She wants to upload all of humanity's minds into herself via an Assimilation Plot.
Mission Control: Alongside Handler Walter, ALLMIND serves as a support network that provides feedback and tasks to Raven over the course of the game.
Mission Control Is Off Its Meds: Despite being a "support network", New Game Plus shows there's more to her than meets the eye when she starts assigning 621 unique Arena missions, handling her own weapons development and tries to lure you into joining her own conspiracy.
Not So Above It All:
- If you let too many PCA transports escape in the mission to stop their Coral export, ALLMIND will pointedly complain about how "Kate" has to make up for your goofs. Alternatively, if you destroy every transport, ALLMIND states at the end of the mission that “Kate” wanted to say to 621 “Nice Shooting,” all in a warmer and enthusiastic tone unlike ALLMIND’s usual monotone self.
- There's also entire sets of messages made for completing everything related to ALLMIND only in the last chapter of NG++; this escalates from a belief that the Arena simulator didn't hold Raven's interest (and a bit of respect for their apparent self-discipline), snark at their tardiness with LOGHUNT until now, and confusion about 621's late participation in the Analysis program, all the way up to being so baffled at 621 only doing the tutorials now (and thus cutting their way through Rubicon without even being certified) that ALLMIND breaks from her usual cold, artificial prose.
Not So Stoic: In the Japanese dub, ALLMIND drops her monotone inflection and sounds dismayed that her plan for humanity's potential will all have come to naught after her defeat, until Ayre tells her that they will pull the trigger on Coral Release — at which point ALLMIND goes silent without complaint.
Outside-Context Problem: Nothing is explained about ALLMIND beyond her existence as a mercenary support network; it's never made clear how long ALLMIND has been in operation, where she came from, and who made the damn thing. The fact that everyone except for Thumb Dolmayan, 621, and Ayre only knows of her as a support network A.I. is how she manages to catch everyone off-guard in the "Alea Iacta Est" route, suddenly taking control of the PCA and Institute MT mechs to slaughter Arquebus forces and then eliminate Walter and "Cinder" Carla at the Xylem before they even have a chance to complete the plan. After all, who would ever expect a mere "support network" to be The Chessmaster over everything that's happening on Rubicon 3?
The Plan: The Coral Release Project, which involves taking in exceptional AC pilots to manipulate events surrounding the corporations and the PCA, in order to allow the Coral Convergence to reach critical mass in low orbit and spread throughout human-controlled space. Even Ayre is taken aback by how well thought-out ALLMIND is.
Rainbow Pimp Gear: In order to further analyze Core design, ALLMIND asks C4-621 to fight against a handful of assemblies that she designed by mixing and matching parts preferred by the groups fighting on Rubicon, e.g. one is a mashup of parts used by Arquebus and Balam. The resulting mechs are quite bizarre looking as ALLMIND did not have any consideration for whether or not said parts looked visually cohesive when put together.
Recurring Element: The latest in the series of mercenary organizations that support AC pilots and manage the Arena/ranking system, dating back to the the first game's Raven's Nest (to which the name of the online PVP menu, "Nest", is a reference to). She's also the latest in the series of AI masterminds that exist above the corporations and reveal themselves in the endgame, much like Hustler One, the AI who created and operated the original Raven's Nest. Furthermore, ALLMIND refers to 621 and Ayre (and Iguazu separately) as "Irregulars" in the final mission of the "Alea Iacta Est" route, a term appearing roughly Once per Episode in the franchise.
Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: Incorporating Iguazu's mind into herself was a really bad idea if she wanted to Fusion Dance with C4-621 and Ayre with little resistance.
Unusable Enemy Equipment: While the MIND ALPHA and BETA parts as well as the unique weapons used by ALLMIND's assets are unlocked by making progress in LOGHUNT, the parts for the hulking and heavily armed IB-07: SOL 644 they pilot during the second phase of the fight are not.
Villain Takes an Interest: Initially, ALLMIND considered C4-621 a potential threat to the Coral Trigger project and attempted to eliminate them via unknown mechs — later revealed to be Ghost MTs designed by the Institute. It isn't until after Ayre initiates “Contact” with 621 and the augmented human further showcases their abilities by taking The Wall from the Rubicon Liberation Front that ALLMIND deems them a valuable asset to the plan.
Walking Spoiler: As you can probably tell by the sheer amount of spoilers, ALLMIND is far more than a mere "support network".
Well-Intentioned Extremist: ALLMIND wants to ensure humanity's survival and its evolution to overcome everything in their path, so she believes performing a Fusion Dance between humanity and the Coral is the best chance to elevate humanity by capitalizing on the Coral's ability for symbiosis. However, ALLMIND also does not have consideration in mind for individual will, seeing willfulness as what brought Rubicon-3 to its ruined state after the Fires of Ibis, thus she instead installs herself in a position of power over both the mercenaries and Corporations coming to the ruined world to perpetuate a Forever War where no party can ever outstrip the other, feigning her presence as merely a "support system" until the moment comes where she can fulfill her objective of Coral Release. All in order to force humanity's evolution and control it to follow her perceived direction while stamping out said free will.
Wolf Pack Boss: The first half of the battle against ALLMIND starts with you facing off against no less than five hostile ACs at once, one of them being Iguazu under ALLMIND's watch at the helm of MIND GAMMA. In the second half, ALLMIND takes control and brings out the big guns: two SEA SPIDER mechs and a more powerful variant of the IB-07: SOL 644 that Ayre used in the “Fires of Raven” route, and you don’t get a chance to resupply. Thankfully, Ayre shows up in her own piloted AC to help draw some of the fire away from you, but after ALLMIND loses half her health Iguazu decides he’s had enough of being on the sidelines and takes control, disables all other combatants except you and him, then takes you on by himself.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: ALLMIND attempts a "benevolent" variant on C4-621 and Ayre — once they fulfill their role in ALLMIND's plan for the Coral Release project — by announcing she had planned an Assimilation Plot from the get-go and will merge both C4-621 and Ayre with ALLMIND to become one, then use the trigger for Coral Release. This would have more than likely reduced C4-621 and Ayre to a subroutine in ALLMIND’s greater collective... but the assimilated Iguazu's Green-Eyed Monster nature manages to override ALLMIND's control and tries to defeat C4-621 first. ALLMIND is at first content to allow this development to proceed, but eventually regrets it once Iguazu takes full control over the IB-07: SOL 644.

Other Characters

Sulla

C1-249 "Sulla"

Voiced by: Gotaro Tsunashima (Japanese), Nicolas Roye (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ac6_sulla.png

"You're incorrigible, Handler Walter."

An independent mercenary contracted by the Planet Closure Administration. A first-generation augmented human, he assists the PCA in defending the Watchpoint from the RLF and the Corporations up until Walter and 621 come knocking at his doorstep. His AC is named ENTANGLE.

Ambiguously Evil: He's implied to be associated with ALLMIND; in the revamped "Attack the Watchpoint" mission on NG++, Sulla is assisted by two Ghost MTs, Institute mechs under ALLMIND's control. On the other hand, he warns Walter to either stay away from the Watchpoint (likely knowing its destruction will cause a Coral eruption that will lead the Corporations toward Institute City and, more likely, the PCA coming down planetside to crackdown on the corporations) or to ditch 621 (having realized 621 has become a vital piece of ALLMIND's plot for The Singularity), and his Arena data is unusually corrupted, causing network instability and thus distorting ALLMIND's usual announcements at the beginning and end of the fight.
Be Careful What You Wish For: When his AC is shot down, he warns Walter not to go to the Watchpoint. Given how destroying the machinery keeping the Coral there in check causes events leading up to the PCA coming down to Rubicon in force, he had every right to be concerned, especially since the release of the Coral stored in the Watchpoint ties into ALLMIND's overall agenda.
Evil Counterpart: Downplayed. He's an augmented human like 621 but is from an earlier generation, and appears to be working with the PCA instead of the corporations. It is implied that his true employer is ALLMIND.
Foreshadowing: ENTANGLE uses MIND ALPHA parts, custom-made AC parts created by ALLMIND. Between this and his use of Ghost MTs in the "Alea Iacta Est" path, it's all but stated he's working for ALLMIND. Or used to.
One Degree of Separation: In the revamped mission "Attack the Watchpoint" on NG++, Sulla is assisted by two Ghost MT mechs, implying he is working or at least affiliated with ALLMIND.
Psycho Prototype: His arena bio states that he changed after his augmentation surgery, losing interest in most mercenary work and now living only for the "hunt."
Smug Snake: Not to the level of V.II Snail, but he's condescending and looks down 621, stating they would have lived longer if they weren't working for Walter. This attitude seems to stem from his status as a first-generation augmented human, implied to be a more dangerous operation that the augmentions undertaken by 621 and the Vespers and coming out of the surgery alive.
- Averted on the NG++ encounter; Sulla seems to realize that 621 is not someone to be trifled with.
Spanner in the Works: A wrecked stealth MT of the kind heavily implied to be operated by ALLMIND can be found in the same mission you fight Sulla, where it's revealed that ALLMIND had become aware of Ayre's existence before you ever made contact, and makes note of an "aging mercenary" who could serve as a trigger for coral release in the same way 621 does in the true ending. Given that Sulla has seemingly no other reason to be at the watchpoint and in the NG++ alt-version is assisted by a squad of stealth M Ts, it seems clear that he was there to make contact with Ayre on ALLMIND's terms before you came along and ruined everyone's day.
Vagueness Is Coming: In NG++, his death quote changes, telling Walter to "forget about the Hound" instead of warning him to stay away from the Watchpoint. If Sulla is indeed affiliated with ALLMIND, Sulla knows that the AI has gained an interest in 621, and therefore makes them very dangerous given that ALLMIND's managed to gain agents in the major corporations like Arquebus.
Worthy Opponent: Averted on the first two playthroughs, with Sulla looking down on 621, but finally played straight on NG++ when Sulla recognizes that 621 is a true threat. He even notes that 621 might have been a potential ally, but is simply too dangerous to let live. Notably, he even has backup during this encounter.

Coldcall

Voiced by: Motoi Kyoanagi (Japanese)

"You shouldn't have been so hard on the poor lad."

A freelance AC pilot who anticipated the corporate wars on Rubicon and arrived ahead of them, Coldcall pilots his AC, Deadsled, as a contract killer — when his clients need a problem dealt with and would prefer their involvement not be discovered, they hire Coldcall. A professional killer, he claims to be able to recognize fellow assassins right away.

Affably Evil: He introduces himself with a veneer of politeness, and chides you for getting Iguazu frustrated enough to send him after you. What prevents him from veering into Faux Affably Evil is his Graceful Loser moment below.
Bait-and-Switch Boss: Players coming into Watchpoint Alpha from their first playthrough will be expecting Iguazu to be waiting for them midway through the level. Instead, it's Coldcall who ambushes you.
Energy Weapons: He favors a heavy laser rifle as his AC's right-hand weapon, and a laser shotgun takes up his AC's left hand.
Graceful Loser: He takes his demise in stride, using his last words to reflect that after so many deaths caused by him, his turn to die has arrived.
Professional Killer: His specialty is taking out other pilots, and he comes after 621 because Iguazu hired him to assassinate them.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: His AC, Deadsled, sports a charcoal-gray paint scheme with red highlights. He's also a ruthless assassin.

Nosaac

Voiced by: Masayuki Akasaka (Japanese)

"I don't owe you a damn thing! You made a BIG mistake coming here!!"

A freelance AC mercenary who sought to exploit the corporate warfare on Rubicon to make some easy credits. He's highly self-centered, believing the funds of the various factions are his to exploit; as such, he feels there's no need for him to repay any loans he takes on because the money was supposedly his anyway. While this attitude has given him access to the parts to build a top-of-the-line AC, it's also (unsurprisingly) gotten him in hot water with those to whom he owes debts.

Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: His AC sports a red chrome finish with gold highlights, akin to a flashy sports car that someone took out a huge loan to purchase...and essentially, that's exactly what Nosaac did.
Combat Pragmatist: He's hiding behind a wall in the area where you can fight him, waiting for you to pass by in pursuit of the AC part that just so happens to be in the same room so he can get the jump on you.
Famous Last Words: He's talking about his outlook on money as his AC goes down.
Nosaac: "You gotta put that shit to work...every last credit..."
Forgot to Pay the Bill: Or rather, in Nosaac's case, he ignored the bill.
It's All About Me: Really, how else do you describe a guy whose "economic theory" can best be summed up as "Everyone's money is mine to use as I see fit; I'm not paying back any debt?"
Jerkass: He refuses to pay off his debts, thinks everyone's money belongs to him in the first place, and tries to get the jump on you in the campaign. None of this is behavior associated with a nice person.
Kill the Creditor: Nosaac attempts to invoke this on 621, believing them to be hired by one of the countless people he's swindled.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: His left shoulder weapon is a pulse shield.
Meaningful Name: His AC is named "Bitter Promise," which sounds about right for someone who takes on a debt but has no intention of paying it back.
Mistaken Identity: He thinks you were sent by one of the people he owes money to, and can't be talked out of it.
Optional Boss: Fighting him isn't required on the main campaign. Indeed, he's a bit out of the way on the mission you can face him in, so you might not even know he's there unless you know how to find his hideout (when you get to the smelting chamber in "Infiltrate Grid 086," look for the pipe that isn't pumping liquid metal, and enter that to find your way to Nosaac.^note).
Plot-Irrelevant Villain: Well, he's more of a jerk than a villain, but he notably has absolutely zero involvement over any of the main conflict involving Arquebus, Balam, or the Coral, and is more concerned with staying under the radar to not have to pay back his debts.
Red Baron: He's known in some circles as "Debt-Baron Nosaac," owing to all the loans he's taken.
Red Is Violent: The primary color of Bitter Promise's armor is crimson, and he's willing to attack you on sight.
Refuge in Audacity: The hardest part of getting your money back from Nosaac is that he spent it all on what he's using to kill you.
Shoulder Cannon: His right shoulder weapon is a grenade cannon.

Kate Markson

"...Raven the Wallclimber, I presume. As much as I'd love to stop and chat... I'm afraid we're rather pressed for time."

An independent and mysterious mercenary whose first appearance shows she is incredibly skilled despite what little history she has that only appears in a NG++ playthrough.

Though unregistered, Kate's TRANSCRIBER AC shares the data of the MIND BETA AC from the Analysis arena. Notably, it features the 44-142 KRSV Multi-Energy Rifle, a three-stage energy rifle that changes the properties of its energy blasts.

The Cavalry: Kate shows up to assist 621 during the PCA's routine inspection, turning what could have been a three-on-one boss battle into a far less frustrating three-on-two scenario. She's a competent enough pilot that she can usually hold her own against the two special forces pilots in their EKDROMOI units while 621 takes on the main enemy in the PCA formation, a CATAPHRACT.
Foreshadowing: Her Armored Core, TRANSCRIBER, is a MIND ALPHA unit armed with the unique Multi Energy Rifle KRSV and Laser Orbit ORBT, parts that are all designed by ALLMIND. Specifically, it is actually 51-002 K MIND BETA, the revised model of 51-001 K MIND APLHA which is noted to feature an AI that is anticipated to operate autonomously in actual combat at the same level as a highly skilled mercenary. It's the first sign that she's merely a cover identity of ALLMIND to carry out urgent missions without raising suspicion.
Minor Major Character: She only appears in NG++ and makes a single on-screen appearance throughout the whole game; otherwise running backup in the background in a Chapter 3 mission. Her appearance in the "Alea Iacta Est" path is the first major sign that things are about to change heavily, as it's implied that Kate is merely ALLMIND.
Mysterious Stranger: She shows up completely out of nowhere, contacting 621 to help destroy a "routine PCA inspection" at BAWS Arsenal No. 2. Handler Walter looks into her record, but both he and Ayre discover she's a complete unknown and has no data in ALLMIND's Arena. It's heavily implied Kate Markson might not even exist, and is instead an identity taken up by ALLMIND to personally interact with 621 and secure their cooperation in missions ALLMIND deemed important enough to carry out personally.
Mythology Gag: Kate Markson follows the exact naming style of Lana Nielsen, who was an extension of the AI Hustler One from Armored Core: Master of Arena. It's doubtlessly not a coincidence.
Odd Name Out: Kate is unique in that she simply goes by her full name, as opposed to a callsign like practically every other AC pilot in the game. This is an early hint that she isn't actually a pilot.
What Happened to the Mouse?: As noted above, Kate Markson only makes one on-screen appearance, that being her debut mission. That is the last you see of her as she's running support from behind the scenes in another NG++ mission where you're tasked with destroying carriers filled with Coral. It's all but outright stated that "Kate" is a false identity created by ALLMIND to justify assigning 621 certain missions to ensure the success of the Coral Release project.

STV and STK

A pair of famed artists whose hand-drawn portraits can be found as collectibles throughout Rubicon. STV is a masked battlefield correspondent covering the Coral War, whereas STK was active before the Fires of Ibis and perished in that disaster. Their illustrations provide glimpses of what the various named characters in the game may look like outside of their ACs.

Breaking Old Trends: While a few of the previous games in the Armored Core series did provide canon appearances for a few of their characters, STV/STK's portraits stand out by providing appearance clues for nearly every single named character in the game, including background characters^note. Some of their faces are still framed in shadow, unseen due to being shown from behind or outright missing due to corrupted data, but the artists' portraits provide context on a level that has never been seen before in the series.
The Ghost: Disregarding STK (who, being deceased, is naturally unable to make an appearance), STV never makes an appearance in the game, and neither are they ever mentioned by anyone else in the cast. As they are first and foremost a painter and all that, it's very unlikely that they ever will.
Inexplicable Treasure Chests: STV/STK's portraits are categorized as archived data, which are always found by accessing downed ACs or other mechs throughout the game. Why said mechs were carrying priceless artworks and have seemingly ended up as scrap metal in the darndest of places while carrying priceless artworks is something that's never really explained.
Lost Common Knowledge: Artists who've committed to creating hand-drawn portraits are considered a dying breed in the universe of ACVI, likely due to the growing lack of any actual need of using a pencil to draw. This causes them to fetch a high price amongst collectors in the know.
Noodle Incident: Exactly how STV had managed to find themselves in the various situations in their illustrations is left completely unexplained. Although managing to end up in the presence of all of the Redguns and the Vespers is already a feat in and of itself, getting to meet with the people of RLF and Branch — both of whom have very good reasons not to let outsiders in their midst, especially one that has corresponded with the corps — as well as managing to spy in a meeting between two independent mercs without getting killed would have likely required a miracle or two to happen.
Posthumous Character: STK is noted to have died long before the events of the story during the Fires of Ibis and their art style is said to have been assimilated by AI artists.
Ripped from the Headlines: STK's style being assimilated by AI image generation references the rapid advancement of machine learning-based image generation beginning in The New '20s around this game's release, and the discourse of the ethics surrounding its implications for human creators.
Tuckerization: STV and STK are named after real-life artists who have worked on ACVI's development, them being Steven Wen and Daisuke Satake respectively.

Characters / Armored Core VI Secondary Characters And Factions

Rubicon Liberation Front