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The '''Rhodes Project''' was a [[Republic of the Sphere]] miltary development project, to create combat-ready Ultraheavy BattleMechs.

==History==
Sometime after the [[Blackout]], when chaos erupted across the [[Inner Sphere]], the Republic of the Sphere was forced to militarize themselves to survive, as they were attacked across all their space by multiple factions. One of their mainstay characteristics was the use of the most advanced technology available, and the creation of new weapons or upgrading of old ones. The most characteristic investigation program was to create a [[BattleMech]] bigger than any other, a real mobile fortress. Though it wasn't a new concept: two centuries before, [[Stefan Amaris]] attempted the same, with what later was called ''Amaris' Folly'', the ''[[Matar (BattleMech)|Matar]]'', which became a total failure. However, the concept has success probabilities: the [[Clans]] later used the ''Matar'''s plans to create the ''[[Stone Rhino (Behemoth)|Stone Rhino]]'', a incredibly powerful 'Mech. During the [[Jihad]], the [[Word of Blake|Blakists]] refined it further with the impressive war machine ''[[Omega (BattleMech)|Omega]]'', though it didn't survive the era.

The Republic charged the project to [[Rhodes Foundry]], located on the planet [[Devil's Rock]]. The first attempts, like the ''Orca'', failed, and even the first really successful ultraheavy ''Poseidon'' only saw limited use. But the final version, the ''Ares'', was the only real one produced in masse, though it failed to prevent the Republic's fall during the [[Battle of Terra (3151)|Battle of Terra]]. However, it still was the biggest and most powerful 'Mech ever created to the date.<ref>''Technical Readout: 3145 Republic of the Sphere'', pp. 44, 46</ref><ref>''Technical Readout: 3145 Republic of the Sphere'', p. 44: "PSD-V2 Poseidon"</ref><ref>''Technical Readout: 3145'', pp. 18, 25, 182, 184</ref>

==Rhodes Project BattleMechs==
* ''[[Orca (BattleMech)|Orca]]''
* ''[[Poseidon (BattleMech)|Poseidon]]''<ref>''Technical Readout: 3145 Republic of the Sphere'', pp. 44–45, 126: Poseidon - Background</ref>
* ''[[Ares (OmniMech)|Ares]]''<ref>''Technical Readout: 3145'', pp. 18, 25, 182, 184</ref>

==Rhodes Project MechWarriors==
*{{Anchor|Apollyon (Rhodes Project)}}'''Apollyon''' fills an important role in the project as an "average" pilot and gave researchers an ideal candidate to use as a model for developing better training regimens for future gunners. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp447>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 447</ref>
*{{Anchor|Atropos (Rhodes Project)}}'''Atropos''' was rumored to be a [[ComStar]] adept from the Periphery whose been in the project quite earlier. He has minimal training and it is focused on gunnery. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp448>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 448</ref>
*{{Anchor|Clotho)}}'''Clotho''' is a [[Colossal 'Mech]] pilot who has excelled at monitoring the immediate area around the Mech's legs and who has seen a lot of action to help the researchers to collect data. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp449>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 449</ref>
*{{Anchor|Daedalus (Rhodes Project)}}'''Daedalus''' was an engineer that has been with the Rhodes Project from the very beginning involved in the developing and training in the Ares simulator. As a dual service researcher and engineer, Daedalus' focus is the cooling system of this 'Mech. Once actual working began Daedalus discovered more quirks about the cooling system which he went on solving. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp450>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 450</ref>
*{{Anchor|Hermes (Rhodes Project)}}'''Hermes''' was a pilot has been in the project for ten years which a good blend of on the field skills and development that has made the administrators of the Rhodes Project seek for a replacement on the field to focus him as a permanent developer for the team. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp451>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 451</ref>
*{{Anchor|Lachesis}}'''Lachesis''' was an engineer in a Colossal 'Mech that came from the starting researchers. He has been working to develop on-the-fly repair techniques and overrides for the Colossal class. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp452>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 452</ref>
*{{Anchor|Lethe}}'''Lethe''' was an engineer. He has extensive experience with the onboard systems of the colossal-class unit and was able to reroute systems quickly and efficiently. His solutions to problems made researchers to analyze his field test data to amend redundancies. He has been assigned to a ''Poseidon''.<ref name=MDAp453>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 453</ref>
*{{Anchor|Moros}}'''Moros''' was a gunner. He was the first gunner to set foot in an Ares prototype. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp454>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 454</ref>
*{{Anchor|Nemesis (Rhodes Project)}}'''Nemesis''' was a gunner. He is the child of one of the researchers, conceived and born during the Colossal 'Mech's lengthy development process. He hasn't exactly excelled in this task but has proved to be a reliable asset. He has been assigned to a ''Poseidon''.<ref name=MDAp455>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 455</ref>
*{{Anchor|Pandora (Rhodes Project)}}'''Pandora''' was an engineer. She came late into de project but in a short amount of time has demonstrated a great aptitude for the design and become a valuable member of the design team. She has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp456>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 456</ref>
*{{Anchor|Phobos (Rhodes Project)}}'''Phobos''' was a pilot that has been able to push the Ares to its limits so much that researchers have outfitted Phobos' [[neurohelmet]] with additional recording devices in an attempt to ascertain the commands involved in achieving this feat in hopes of teaching it to additional Project Rhodes pilots. He has been assigned to an ''Ares''.<ref name=MDAp457>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 457</ref>
*{{Anchor|Zephyrus}}'''Zephyrus''' was a pilot drafted to gather combat data when the prototypes were sent out into the field. He has been assigned to a ''Poseidon''.<ref name=MDAp458>''MechWarrior: Dark Age - Dossiers and Pilot Cards'', p. 458</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Rhodes Project logo.png|Rhodes Project logo
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3145]]''

[[Category:Science and Technology Events|Rhodes]]