Mortar Headd

In the manga The Five Star Stories, Mortar Headds (commonly abbreviated as MH) are the names of the mecha which serve as the battle mainstays of the various factions. Each Mortar Headd is a unique creation and highly prized by both its pilots and home nation. As a result, Mortar Headds are not merely humanoid vehicles that are built and disassembled as needed; they are also status symbols the symbolise the power and wealth of its owners.

History of Mortar Headds

1986 Settings

In the early days of FSS, the Mortar Headd was developed from the Grand Headd, invented in JC 530 to replace the overly destructive fighter bombers that were the main battle vehicle. Powered by an ezlazer engine, the first models were known as Machine Messiahs, but were later renamed Mortar Headds with the addition of the Fatima copilot.

Current Settings

The current settings has greatly expanded and rewritten the birth of the Mortar Headd. In the AD era preceding the Joker era, the humanoid, mechanical Machine Messiah was the premier battle machine of the day, but ownership was limited to the top Chevaliers of the Farus Di Kanon Super Empire and their construction a closely guarded secret. With the fall of the Super Empire, the Machine Messiah was renamed Machine Mess. In JC 980, the Mortar Headd was invented, based partly on the Machine Mess and the human anatomy. Originally controlled completely by the headdliner, the creation of Fatimas in JC 2020 led to the remodelling of MH into the form that is presently seen in the manga.

Mortar Headd Control

Mortar headds are operated by a headdliner pilot and a fatima copilot (normal humans require the assistance of an Etriml to operate MH). The headdliner has complete control of the mortar headd's movements through manual controls and an electroencephalo drive that is linked to the helmet, allowing the machine to mimic the movements of the pilot to a certain degree. The fatima serves as the onboard computer system by mentally merging with the mortar headd, and is responsible for weapon systems, scanning, communications, teleporting and flight systems (the latter 2 are optional). The combat effectiveness of a mortar headd depends on 3 factors: the skill of the headdliner pilot, the quality of the fatima copilot and the quality of the mortar head itself.
Some mortar headds have shown evidence of being alive, and on occasions have exhibited levels of consciousness approaching sentience. On a few occasions, mortar headds have moved on their own volition and more than once the fatima copilot felt the emotions of the machine through the mental link. The higher grade, custom mortar headds more often show these traits.

Mortar Headds in Society

Mortar headds are not only designed for battle but are also works of art. In a galactic society of knights and royal families a mortar headd serves as a representation of a knight's status and is a focal point for national pride. They are thus designed to be fearsome to behold on the battlefield and beautiful to see in parades and processions. Many mortar headds have intricate frescoes permanently fixed to their external armor plates and colorful designs worked into their paint jobs. If not destroyed in combat, a mortar headd can continue operating for hundreds of years and is passed to a successor after a headdliner retires from service.

Mortar Headd Meights

Creators of Mortar Headds are known as mortar headd meights, and are afforded noble status in the Joker society. The services of skilled mortar headd meights are eagerly sought out by the leaders of nations to improve their combat fleets, giving them an edge in battle. As with Fatima meights, there are 5 levels of competency, shown by the number of braids the meight is allowed to wear, with 5 braids being the highest. Mortar headd maintenance and tuning is performed by specially trained mortar head meisters, and large maintenance crews are also required due to the size and complexity of the

Weaponry and structure

For combat efficiency and economy, MH are usually 15 meters in height (measured from the shoulder to the ground) although some models have been built as large as 40 meters. Mortar Headds usually carry a spaad (a beam sword) and a speid (conventional sword) for combat against other Mortar Headds, a veil (shield) for defense, as well as a wide assortment of conventional anti-infantry, anti-vehicle and anti-aircraft artillery. Due to the versatility of the Mortar Headd in combat situations and their ability to defend against a wide range of threats, it is nigh-invincible in the battlefields of the Joker Universe.

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See Also

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