Cicada

"Cicada" is also a: user

created by Webster 1913

(thing) by Jinmyo (2.5 y) (print) ? (I like it!) 2 C!s Sat May 06 2000 at 23:50:50

Cicada - did it
chirp till it
knew nothing else?

- Matsuo Kinsaku (1644-94) the first great haiku poet who later changed his name to Basho.

(thing) by Stride (3.2 wk) (print) ? (I like it!) Fri May 18 2001 at 1:09:34

compiled overview of the 40 ton Cicada 'Mech, from various BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:

As tensions mounted near the fall of the Star League many small manufacturers entered the BattleMech industry. In this period, HartfordCo, well-known for producing fine communications and targeting systems, began constructing 'Mechs on their home planet of Bryant. Their single contribution to battlefield technology was the Cicada.

With Bergan Industries holding almost a total monopoly on the contracts for small recon 'Mechs, HartfordCo proposed a 'Mech heavier than the Locust made by Bergan. It would be armed with the well proven Magna laser systems, and be as fast as the Locust but weighing twice as much. Most important, the price was right. The Star League took a limited contract for the Cicada, shipping it to replace many of the Locusts lost in border areas.

The Cicada's speed is one of its major assets. As a light recon 'Mech, it can cover great distances in a short time. Moreover, the 'Mech's armor and weaponry make it a serious foe in circumstances where a Locust might fail. The reliability of the weapons and their tracking systems is also well established.

The HartfordCo heat sinks proved to be of an inferior design, however, tending to wear out and fail to perform to full capacity after extended use. If not repaired, the sinks will vent only 60 percent of the heat transferred to them, which could lead to serious overheating in a combat situation. Though many Cicadas currently in use have replaced the original heat sinks with modular sinks, a number of defective HartfordCo sinks are still in use.

The number of Cicadas produced was limited, due to the size of the manufacturer's facilities on Bryant. With the fall of the Star League, the proximity of the facilities to all of the warring Houses made the planet the target of many raids. In fact, that is how many of the Cicadas stored on Bryant found their way into the arsenals of all five Successor Houses.

One of the Cicada's most outstanding combat performances occurred in 2930 when House Kurita's Galedon Regulars engaged House Davion on the planet Xhosa. Reinforced with several Cicadas, one Kurita light recon lance managed to hold the city of Tar for several days before the Davion forces took control. Because a small band of lightly armed defenders held off several lances of crack troops for several days, historians have compared the engagement to the Battle of the Alamo on Earth or the Battle for Kervil during the Reunification War.

As the Cicada's reputation grew throughout the Successor States, expectations for its performance exceeded its capabilities. In one of a long series of battles on the planet Oriente, crack troops of Liao's Northwind Highlanders tried to take the planet from House Marik. Attached to Marik's Fusiliers of Oriente's Fifth Brigade were several lances of Cicada 'Mechs defending a lake area. Unfortunately for the defenders, most of their Cicadas were equipped with the inferior HartfordCo heat sinks. While the Cicadas fought a prolonged battle on the shores of Lake Mirrorshade, their heat sinks began to give way, and several 'Mechs overheated at critical moments. When it was over, many Marik troops were dead.

In 3000, however, two Cicadas attached to House Steiner's 32nd Regiment of the Lyran Guard proved their worth at a series of battles on Kobe. As a raiding force, the two Cicada pilots managed to penetrate a border defense line, rushed to the rear area, and then made their way to the Kurita command bunker some 58 kilometers behind enemy lines. Finding the bunker only lightly defended, MechWarriors Jason and Thurd were able to capture the commanding officers. This led to a victory for the Steiner forces and commendations for the two Cicada pilots.

The Free Worlds League, the only producer of the Cicada since the fall of the Star League, has given this design increasing priority in recent years. The availability of recovered Star League technology is expected to continue this trend, as blueprints obtained by ComStar indicate that the Cicada will benefit even more from upgrading than most 'Mechs. The plans, obtained by Adept XV-rho Karel Tzowsz on the planet Gibson, show that Marik military planners intend to use recovered technology to keep the Cicada's greatest asset speed-while eliminating its biggest headache, excessive heat build-up. At the same time, the new model will receive upgraded weapons and armor protection.

The incorporation of double heat sinks will virtually eliminate the Cicada's problems with heat build-up. Installation of the reliable Hermes 320 XL engine will significantly reduce the 'Mech's weight, allowing it to carry more and heavier weapons. The plans call for replacing the Magna 200 small laser with the new Magna 200P small pulse laser and adding an Imperator Ultra-5 autocannon. These changes will make the Cicada a far more powerful foe. To make sure that the Imperator's ammunition does not become a liability, designers plan to install Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment. As a package, the CDA-3M Cicada may provide a rude awakening for enemies of the Free Worlds League.

Note: Information used here was the domain of FASA before they split the rights between Wizkids LLC and Microsoft (table-top gaming and video games respectively). Copyright of the fluff text is in limbo, but names of persons, places, & things are without any doubt the property of Wizkids LLC. Use of any terms here related to the BattleTech trademark are not meant as a challenge to Wizkids LLC's rights.

(definition) by Webster 1913 (print) Tue Dec 21 1999 at 22:30:09

Ci*ca"da (?), n.; pl. E. Cicadas (#), L. Cicadae (#). [L.] Zool.

Any species of the genus Cicada. They are large hemipterous insects, with nearly transparent wings. The male makes a shrill sound by pecular organs in the under side of the abdomen, consisting of a pair of stretched membranes, acted upon by powerful muscles. A noted American species (C. septendecim) is called the seventeen year locust. Another common species is the dogday cicada.

printable version
chaos

Periodical Cicadas	Locust	Sounds of cicadas	cicadas in Provence
Where Does Everything Come From?	Matsuo Basho	June bug	'Mech
The day of the white squirrel	BattleTech	Sex by candle light	Right now, I'm wishing for fireflies
University students can be really stupid	June 8, 2000	national drink	Peony
October 27, 2007	It was the tree that gave him away.	comforting the perpetual moment of beach time	Colloquy
August 20, 1999	Twisted Moon	Senri	Basho

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