Introduction

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles is a 1999-2000 CGI animated television series, based on the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation.

It follows the exploits of the Mobile Infantry squad, “Razak’s Roughnecks,” during the SICON–Bugs War between a newly united humanity and an extraterrestrial race, known as the “Bugs,” also sometimes referred to as Arachnids.

The show focuses mainly on the Roughnecks’ missions, rather than addressing the larger war.

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Outline

Ice Asteroid: Day 1.

Returning from a combat mission in a retrieval ship, the Zephyr, the Roughnecks are re-routed to an asteroid to join scientists from another ship, the Sequoia, in a quest for a bio-weapon against the bugs.

Just as they are coming in for a landing, tiny flame-breathing bugs, Firefries, hatch from Zander’s skin. The ship crashes, badly damaged, but there are no serious injuries.

Teams are sent out to locate the Sequoia. One team, Razak and Doc, falls into a subterranean network where they are attacked by marshmallow-like Leeches. Another team, Brutto and T’Phai, find themselves in a battle with adult, human-sized Firefries. Razak and Doc, joined by Dizzy and Gossard from the ship, join in this battle. Meanwhile, the third team, Carmen and Rico, is buried by an avalanche, and beneath the snow they share some intimate moments. Dizzy saves them.

All return to the Zephyr, where Higgins awaits with the recovering Zander. They finally realise that they are on the wrong asteroid; the Sequoia awaits them elsewhere.

The Zephyr is unflyable and its communications system is down, so the Roughnecks are trapped with little hope of rescue. But they discover that the asteroid contains the bio-weapon they came to search for.

The wrong asteroid has turned out to be the right asteroid.

Starship Troopers Series

You can find a full index of Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles here.

You can find a full index and overview of the Starship Troopers franchise here.

Production & Filming Details

• Release Date: 08 February 2000.
• Running Time: 30 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.