ZMT-S12G Shokew

ZMT-S12G Shokew is a experimental general purpose mobile suit. It was featured in the anime Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The ZMT-S12G Shokew is a prototype mobile suit designed to be the next generation of the Zanscare Empire's mass production mobile suit. The Shokew shares a number of design features with the ZM-S08G Zolo such as the beam rotor mounted on the left forearm which can be used for both defense and flight. Though it is a crucial for the mobile suit's flight capabilities, flight does not limit the beam rotor's shield function as its thrusters are powerful enough to keep the mobile suit airborne long enough for it to block attacks.

For offense the Shokew is equipped with the standard pair of beam sabers, the standard optional beam rifle hand armament, and a 2 barrel beam gun mounted on the right shoulder. When not in use the shoulder mounted beam gun folds into the shoulder, hidden from view.

Though designed as the Empire's next generation of mass production mobile suits the prototype Shokew had a relatively low performance (at least on paper) when compared to other Zanscare mobile suits, with the exception of the Zolo. Even then the Zolo could mount a greater number of optional weapons. However when the Shokew was brought to the mass production stage its design was refined into one of the top performing machines of the Empire that only a handful of custom mobile suits could out-perform.

Armaments

 * Beam Rotor/Shield


 * Beam Saber


 * 2-Barrel Beam Gun


 * Beam Rifle


 * Gatling Gun

System Features

 * Emergency Ejection System

History
Developed and built in the year UC 0153 the ZMT-S12G Shokew was tested in space and then on Earth by Zanscare Ace Cronicle Asher. While on Earth, in eastern Europe, the Shokew ended up taking part in multiple actual combat actions.

Some time during its earth tests, Cronicle Asher and the Shokew were involved, alongside of the Top Terminal of a ZM-S08G Zolo piloted by Gary Tan, in the chase of League Militaire pilot Marbet Fingerhat who was piloting the core fighter of the LM312V04 Victory Gundam which Cronicle was attempting to capture. As the chase progressed it came to the area of Uso Evin and Shaki Kareen's homes where Uso was para-gliding. By chance Uso's para-glider was entangled on the Shokew. The Shokew tore off the para-glider, but not before Uso unhooked himself and climbed onto the mobile suit. After Uso manged to open the cockpit hatch and climbed inside. A brief scuffle with Cronicle ensued during which the Shokew nearly crashed in the river. However Uso managed to remove Asher and take control of the Shokew.

After experimenting with the controls and examining the built-in manual Uso managed to learn how to pilot the mobile suit (he had previous experience on a simulator for older model mobile suits). Uso took the machine and hid it in the forest. Later during the night when several ZM-S08G Zolo top terminal formations flew overhead and began attacking the nearby town of Woowig. Uso, worried about his pen-pal Katejina Loos, takes the Shokew and flies to the city to fight the Zanscare Empire. Along the way he is ambushed by Gary Tan's Zolo mobile suit. The two machines engage in battle and Uso's inexperience shows as he is barely able to defend himself. Since he was unable to use the Shokew's beam rifle properly Uso sets the weapon on auto-fire and hides it. An attack from the Zolo causes an explosion that hides the Shokew allowing the mobile suit to take the Zolo's pilot by surprise and critically damage it with the beam saber. With the Zolo defeated the Shokew moves on to the town.

Upon entering the town of Woowig Uso's Shokew is attacked by local resistance members of the League Militaire who are killed by a ZM-S08G Zolo Top Terminal. The Top Terminal docks with the Bottom Terminal and engages Uso/Shokew. The battle is a tie until Uso flies too close to a League Militaire explosive trap. The Shokew escapes with minimal damage and is lost by the Zolo. Uso then uses the Shokew to body slam and brings down another Zolo Top Terminal in order to save a mother and her baby, though only the child survived.

After the Zanscare Zolos finished bombing the city Uso used the Shokew to evacuate Katejina and the baby from earlier to his house. Partway there was forced to drop them off and use the Shokew to engage a pair of Zolo mobile suits that were harassing his friend Shakti Kareen. Combat between the Shokew and the Zolos was fairly even though the Shokew lacked a beam rifle and Uso did not want to kill the pilots. One Zolo grabbed the Shokew from behind to let the other cut it with its beam saber, however the second Zolo had its legs torn off by Marbet Fingerhat using the Victory Gundam's beam rifle equipped top fighter as a ground turret. Uso managed to get the Shokew partially free and turned its beam rotor on the first Zolo, cutting into the cockpit and killing the pilot.

At a later time Uso/Shokew engages with a squad of ZM-S08G Zolo mobile suits whose mission is to bomb the Kassarelia area. The enemy pilots include Cronicle Asher and Lyole Sabat. Uso equips the Shokew with a Gatling gun and engages the enemy to cover the escape of a Camion-type truck that was transporting the components for the LM312V04 Victory Gundam and his friend Shakti Kareen. Uso fought the enemy with the aid of Marbet Fingerhat who was piloting the Victory Gundam's top fighter. The two manage to destroy two of the Zolos, leaving Sabat and Asher.

Uso/Shokew make use of several wire-triggered traps, to little effect and in-fact inflict light damage to the Shokew. Uso/Shokew uses a beam saber against Sabot's Zolo, piercing the cockpit and killing the pilot. Cronicle Asher Continues the attack in his personal Zolo. Despite utilizing several traps Uso's was on the ends of his ropes and the Shokew was heavily damaged, though Uso managed to escape with his life thanks to the escape pod. Asher took the Shokew's remains back to base so its fight data could be retrieved.

The design of the ZMT-S12G Shokew would be refined and eventually mass-produced as the ZM-S22S Rig Shokew and its variant the ZM-S22G/ZM-S22SC Imperial Rig Shokew. There are numerous and significant differences between the Shokew and its decedents, such that the two Rig Shokew designs are almost completely different machines if they didn't utilize a modified form of the Shokew's basic frame.