Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross
Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime TV series released in 1984, as the third of the Super Dimension series. It was adapted as "The Masters Saga" or the "Second Generation" of the American TV series Robotech.
Plot
In the year 2120, humanity has left the Solar System and started the colonization of other planets. One of the farthest colonies is located on the terraformed planet Glorie. The powerful army of the Southern Cross protects the colonists there from any unknown dangers. However, unbeknownst to the humans, Glorie is also the ancestral home of the Zor, a highly advanced race of nomadic humanoid aliens who have returned to reclaim their world.Characters
Main characters
Jeanne Françaix : At 17 years of age, Jeanne finds herself the leader of the 15th Squad in the Southern Cross' Alpha Tactics Armored Corps. A native from the planet Liberté, Jeanne has a tendency to follow her heart and act rashly. Her superiors consider her to be an embarrassment to the army because they feel that she does not take her duty seriously. Her frequent disregard for protocol, orders, and regulations continually lands her in solitary confinement, often placed there by Lt. Lana Isavia. Fortunately she always manages to be let out when needed. Jeanne develops a romantic interest in Seifriet Weiße, but his reaction is one of puzzlement and disdain. Most of the series revolves around Jeanne's escapades with the 15th Squad, and her increasingly personal war with the invading Zor.In Robotech, her name was changed to Dana Sterling.
Marie Angel : Nicknamed the "Cosmo Amazon", Marie represents the model soldier. She was once the leader of a biker gang and has also an aptitude for machines. Despite her tough exterior, she still feels intensely, and begins a rocky relationship with the womanizer Charles De L'Étoile. As a capable leader, Marie is often the one to snap Jeanne out of her periodic episodes of shock or indecision, usually with a slap to the face. Marie leads her own unit within the Tactics Armored Space Corps, in which she is also an ace pilot.
Lana Isavia : The third central woman of the Southern Cross. At 19, Lana is the youngest military police officer on Glorie, and one of the highest-ranking. Like Marie, she is quite different from Jeanne, taking her duties very seriously and allowing no compromises regarding protocol and regulations. Her rivalry with Jeanne can be viewed as a subtle game of "cat and mouse". In the beginning of the series, Lana appears to be colder and less personable than Marie. But as the story progresses, it is revealed that she is an even bigger romantic than Jeanne. Her military training eventually conflicts with her passionate emotions, and she is forced to choose between her duty to the Southern Cross and her friendship with the 15th Squad.
Other characters
Bowie Emerson : Bowie is a private first class assigned to the 15th Squad at the age of 16. Due to his father's influence, he was pressured to join the military even though he is a pacifist more interested in composing music rather than fighting.In Robotech, his name was changed to Bowie Grant.
Andrzej Sławski : He is the dutiful sergeant of the 15th Squad, occasionally acting as leader in the absence of a superior officer. He has served longer than anyone else in the 15th Squad, but his conventional mindset is sometimes at odds with his new commanding officer, Jeanne Fránçaix. In Robotech, his name was changed to Angelo Dante.
Louis Ducasse : He is the resident mechanics expert and in-house genius. A quiet individual until a mecha-related issue comes up. His expertise comes in use when assessing and analyzing the Bioroid threat. In Robotech, his name was changed to Louis "Louie" Nichols.
Charles De L'Étoile : At the age of 23, Charles was the former commander of the 15th Squad until a romantic indiscretion had him demoted to private. Charles is a constant womanizer who eventually falls in love with Marie. In Robotech, his named was changed to Sean Phillips.
Seifriet Weiße : He is a human pilot who was captured and brainwashed by the Zor, and later becomes an informant for them. Initially, Seifreit pilots a red Zor Bioroid, and he is nearly unstoppable in battle against Jeanne and her ATAC squadron. He is recaptured by Lana, and his memories are examined for clues into the Zor. His human mind begins to conflict with his Zor brainwashing, and he is nearly driven insane. Instead of breaking down mentally, he decides to take revenge on the Zor for their violation of his mind. In Robotech, his name is changed to Zor Prime.
Lt. Dennis Brown : He is a lieutenant in the Tactics Armored Space Corps. Lana is impressed with Brown's sense of integrity, optimism, and duty. His name is unchanged for Robotech.
Claude Leon : The supreme general of the Southern Cross. A megalomaniac determined on wiping out the Zor at any cost, he begins to take extreme measures to ensure victory. His policies are heavily criticized by General Emerson. In Robotech, he is called "Supreme Commander Leonard".
Rolf Emerson : Father of Bowie Emerson, and part-time guardian of Jeanne. He is the primary critic of General Leon, but stops short of disobeying orders. His tactical maneuvers during battles in the war with the Zor are seen as innovative and ingenious. His name is unchanged for Robotech.
Dess, Dera and Demi : the leaders of the Zor. In Robotech, they are not individually named but referred to as "The Robotech Masters" or "The Triumvirate".
Musica, Musiere, Muselle : The triplet sirens whose music inspires the Zor people. Musica begins doubting her people's ways and, after meeting Bowie, escapes the mother ship and defects to Glorie. She and Bowie quickly fall in love, and then flee into the woods to escape capture by Lana. In Robotech, they are called Musica, Allegra, and Octavia.
Background
The world of Glorie was founded by the human race in an effort to find new worlds for humanity because the Earth had become uninhabitable as a result of a catastrophic nuclear holocaust. Relay stations have been established at Mars and Jupiter, and as a result the planet "Liberté" located in the Proxima solar system was colonized. The next planet, Glorie, was discovered in the Epsilon Eridani system. Similar in planetary scale and atmospheric conditions to Earth, Glorie still had an unexpectedly harsh natural environment. The planet has an elliptical orbit around the sun, with a cycle of 73 years. Sixty percent of the planet's surface area is land, and in the winter, fifty percent of that land is covered with glaciers. Originally the planetary temperatures in winter averaged between. Thanks to extensive military terraforming, Glorie was successfully turned into a suitable planet for terrestrial life.The government of Glorie is independent from that of Liberté but is an ally to that planet. In the year 2120, Glorie is now a self-sufficient planet in terms of food and resources.
Southern Cross Army
The military organization is under the jurisdiction of its prime minister. The units are divided among the Surface Forces and the Aerospace Forces.The Surface Forces consist of:
- A.T.A.C. - the Alpha Tactics Armored Corps,
- C.D.U. - the Cities Defense Unit, and
- T.C. - the Tactics Corps and its specialized subdivisions:
- * RE.P. - the Reconnoitering Party,
- * CO.S. - the Cold Squad,
- * DE.S. - the Desert Squad,
- * MO.S. - the Mountains Squad,
- * FO.S. - the Forest Squad,
- * MA.S. - the Marsh Squad, and
- * NA.D. - the Navy Division.
- T.A.F. - the Tactics Air Force,
- T.S.C. - the Tactics Space Corps,
- C.D.F.C. - the Cities Defense Flying Corps, and
- T.A.S.C. - the Tactics Armored Space Corps.
Each unit has a specialized robotic vehicle for combat campaigns. Among them are:
- ATAC-01-SCA Spartas: A one-man transformable hit-and-run vehicle used exclusively by the Alpha Tactics Armored Corps. Each Spartas has the ability to transform into 3 modes: Sniping Clapper, Walker Cannon, and Battle Sniper. Models differ depending on the rank of the individual and are upgraded throughout the conflict. By the time that the Auroran is introduced, the Spartas has been remodeled for effective space combat.
- TASC-01-SCF Logan: The Logan is a transformable aerial assault mecha used exclusively by the Tactics Armored Space Corps. The mecha has two modes: Flying Cat mode for high-speed aerial combat and Flying Walker mode which is suited for near ground assaults. The fighter has the ability to cover great distances but performs poorly in space and is consistently outfought by Bioroids in all early engagements of the war.
- TASC-02-SCF Auroran: The Auroran was a late development during the war, that was constructed to replace the Logan. It has the capability to transform into three different modes: Crusader, Cross Fighter, and Cosmo Sniper. Though the new Cosmo Sniper mode was specifically designed to deal with the Zor Bioroid threat, the Auroran proves only moderately successful, since its debut coincides closely with an improved model of bioroid.
- TAF Sylphide: The Sylphide is a fighter used by the Tactics Air Force. This fighter can also be distinguished by a center tail as well as vertical surfaces mounted in the middle of each wing. The weaponry of the Sylphide includes two guns in the fuselage, two guns mounted on a ventral pod and four missile hardpoints.
- GMP Garm: The Southern Cross Glorie Military Police uses this mecha fielded exclusively for it. The unit is capable of identifying personnel and recording evidence in investigations. Its systems have access to the military legal code to assist in determining if the law has been broken.
- TC Salamander: The Tactics Corps uses the Salamander robot as their main combat robot for high-mobility heavy-weapons support. The arms have reinforced armor to assist in parrying attacks. There is a thruster in the rear to assist the mecha in leaping.