AC4 backstory

ARMORED CORE 4
------------------

BACKSTORY

A scientist by the name of Dr. Kojima discovers a strange new particle that turns semi-solid when colliding with one another, naming it the Kojima particle. Realizing the enormous potential of the military applications of this new substance, Rayleonard, an energy-based corporation in Canada, agrees to a joint-venture with Akvavit, one of the leading military corporations in Europe, to develop a new generation of Armored Cores.

The brilliant engineers at Rayleonard, overseen by Professor Jarnefeldt, develop the 00-ARETHA and the 002-B Prototype NEXT, Armored Cores armed with Kojima technology and the Allegorical Manipulation System (AMS). The AMS allowed certain individuals with the right psychic traits (AMS Compatibility) to control the ACs using their mind. However, the prototype ACs were not yet perfected, and their insanely high performance and Kojima output proved far too strenuous for humans to handle -- the psychic backlash killed its test pilots, and the 00 and the 002-B were shelved and scaled down for the 03-AALIYAH, the first complete Armored Core NEXT.

Omer Science Technology, an Israel-based partner group to Rosenthal, the corporation in control of Germany, soon succeeds in replicating Kojima Technology, and the big corporations around the world like Global Armaments, Melies, Leonemeccanica, Eqbal, etc. all develop their own NEXTs in preparation for the next chapter in human history. They also scout individuals with high AMS compatibility and induct them into their service, training them to become LYNX: the pilot of a NEXT that 'links' with the machine.

Dissatisfied with the weak, ineffectual world governments in power, the corporations launch a simultaneous national coup all around the globe. The corporation's stables of LYNX spearhead the attack, devastating the national military forces and the Ravens hired by them. The 26 NEXT pilots who participated in the conflict later known as the National Dismantlement War gain a fearsome reputation as Originals, and the once proud Ravens who dominated the battlefield are no more, reduced to patrolling the borders of colonies for meager pay. However, the corporations are soon embroiled in conflicts among themselves, and space development comes to a complete halt with the launch of the Assault Cells: satellite weapons that destroy anything attempting to leave the planet -- space is now completely cut off from the world, and no corporation can lay claim to it.

The corporations, now in control of the world, declare the Pax Economica: citizens now work for the corporations in exchange for food and board, and there are very few independent colonies around the world who have yet to fall under corporate control. One such colony is Anatolia, which had initially supported itself with Professor Jarnefeldt's earnings. However, with his death, the colony no longer has any means to support itself, which means it would soon fall under corporate control...

During the National Dismantlement War, Fiona Jarnefeldt, the daughter of Professor Jarnefeldt, discovers a Raven on the verge of death. She saves his life, and nurses him back to health. Emil Gustav, the leader of the colony, realizes that he can use this man. Due to Professor Jarnefeldt's involvement in the development of NEXTs, one unit that had been damaged during testing was brought over to Anatolia and stored there, forgotten after the war. Emil has the Raven's AMS Compatibility tested, and to his delight, the results are low but positive. He asks the Raven to pilot their NEXT, using it earn money for the colony. Indebted to Fiona, the Raven agrees.

An old soldier far past his prime, and a worthless NEXT used only for testing... at that time, not even Emil had predicted what they would accomplish.

STORY

With Fiona acting as his operator, the Raven, now registered as LYNX no. 39, sets out to do a number of small jobs for the corporations. His performance far exceeds anyone's expectations, and soon, he makes a name for himself as "Anatolia's Mercenary." His big break comes when he is hired to assassinate Amazigh, the star pilot of the Maggryb Liberation Front. He succeeds in killing Amazigh -- however, this causes the remnants of the Liberation Front to attack the colony of Anatolia directly, apparently tipped off to its involvement by some unknown source. Anatolia's Mercenary successfully thwarts the attack, and the Maggryb Liberation Front is completely wiped out with the death of Sus, their only other NEXT pilot.

Around the same time, Joshua O'Brien, a test pilot from Aspina, also signs up as LYNX no. 40. Just like the mercenary, he fights to keep his colony out of corporate control.

With the destruction of the Maggryb Liberation Front, Anatolia's Mercenary has gained quite the reputation. As the conflicts between the corporations and their rivals (Global Armaments vs Bernard-Felix Foundation, Rosenthal/Omer vs Rayleonard/Akvavit) begin to escalate, the Raven is hired for more and more crucial missions. Finally, when GA Europe prepares to split off from GA America to enter a partnership with Akvavit, the Raven is sent to raid the GA Europe base. This causes Akvavit to declare war on GA America, and Rayleonard and the Bernard-Felix Foundation join in. Seeking a chance to crush their rivals, Omer Science declares war on Akvavit and joins the war on the side of GA, dragging Rosenthal into the war with them. The GA-Rosenthal-Omer alliance faces off against Akvavit-Rayleonard-BFF.

Having lost their number 1 pilot before the war even started, GA America relies on the Raven as their representative in the war, and as Omer and Rosenthal fight off Akvavit and Rayleonard, the Raven launches an attack against BFF, eventually killing their top pilots and sinking the Queen's Lance, essentially knocking BFF out of the war. However, the Raven's increasingly deadly reputation soon attracts unwanted attention from the corporation; Akvavit sends a massive underground weapon in an attempt to destroy the colony of Anatolia, thwarted only by the swift intervention of the Raven.

Meanwhile, Joshua O'Brien is in a similar boat, acting as Omer's trump card in the war. They eventually work together to save the Sing colony from a group of massive walkers armed with Sol Dios cannons (extremely high powered Kojima weapons). Joshua invites the Raven for a drink once the war is over: a toast between friends to the end of the worst conflict in human history. During the course of the war, Fiona slowly falls in love with the Raven, constantly at her wits' end and fearing that he might die on the next mission; when the war is over, she hopes that he won't have to fight anymore...

With the GA-BFF conflict over, the Raven is deployed against Rayleonard. Rosenthal and Omer have taken extreme losses during the war, but with the Raven on their side, they manage to turn the tides. He destroys several 002-B Prototype NEXTs as well as the Ehrenburg Anti-Satellite Cannon. The backbone of Rayleonard and Akvavit's offensive is shattered at Old Peace City, where the Raven single-handedly destroys Berlioz, Zanni, P. Dam and Unseel, a seemingly unstoppable group of high-ranking Originals. With their offensive destroyed, Akvavit and Rayleonard are helpless as Joshua and the Raven destroy their headquarters, putting an end to the LYNX War, at the cost of countless lives and a lot of Kojima contamination.

Omer Science immediately seizes Rayleonard's leftover assets, obtaining some of their most brilliant engineers and youths, along with all of their technology. As a result, Omer becomes the leading corporation in the world. Looking to secure its position at the top of the world, they decide to take a closer look at the mercenary and Joshua -- and saw them as a threat; after all, they had each destroyed a corporation by themselves. They were too dangerous to leave alone.

With the war over, Fiona asks Emil to give the Raven some time off -- a much deserved rest. Emil agrees, and the Raven is sent away on a vacation. In his absence, Omer forces Joshua to pilot the 00-ARETHA they seized from the fall of Rayleonard, and use it to destroy Anatolia and its NEXT, threatening to destroy his home colony of Aspina if he refused. Left with no other choice, Joshua attacks Anatolia, reducing it to a wasteland, and engages the Raven as he returns to the colony. The Raven defeats Joshua, who expresses relief before a massive explosion kills him. However, before the Raven can mourn Joshua's death, he is suddenly attacked by another NEXT -- Celo, the top pilot of Omer Science. He had been watching the battle the entire time -- to finish the job if Joshua failed, or possibly to kill Joshua once he had defeated the Raven. Either way, he was there as the cleanup crew for Omer.

The Raven defeats him, and he and Fiona leave the ruins of Anatolia, seeking a new life together.

THE CLOSED PLAN
-----------------

The Closed Plan was the real reason why Rayleonard had started the war. As one of the leading developers of Kojima technology, they realized what long-term use of the technology would mean for the planet. It would become an uninhabitable, contaminated land. As a response, they secretly developed the Closed Plan -- a plan to destroy the Assault Cells -- the corporate-made satellites that prevented anything from leaving the Earth. By crippling the other corporations and opening the path to space, they could monopolize space development and stand over the entire world. To this end, they started the LYNX War in order to kill as many of the opposition's LYNX as they could before they put the plan to action, destroying the Assault Cell satellites using their Ehrenburg Anti-Satellite Cannon. However, this plan was foiled by the actions of Anatolia's mercenary, who killed Rayleonard's top LYNX and destroyed the Ehrenburg before it could fire, followed by the destruction of the Rayleonard HQ.

When Omer seized Rayleonard's assets following the war, the Closed Plan fell into their hands...