Soldier of the Legion (39 page)

Grenade, Deceptor
— The
Veil
GD deceptor grenade scrambles all tacmods by generating electromagnetic interference and thus shielding the movements of friendly units. Effective radius is 200 mikes.

Knife, Cold, Mark 1
— The standard Legion battle blade is made from a single slab of cenite and is virtually indestructible.

Knife, Cold, Boot, Mark 2
— The Legion boot knife is an emergency cenite blade, also virtually indestructible but more compact than the Mark 1.

Knife, Hot, Mark 3
— The
Gabriel
standard Legion hot knife is clad with plasma arcjet strips and can burn its way through most noncenite metals.

Manlink
— The
Manlink
is a specialized man-portable shoulder-fired lightweight full-auto tactical artillery weapon that fires tacstars and stunstars. One trooper per Legion squad is normally equipped with the Manlink. Max effective range is 4,000 mikes.

Mini
— The
Mini
individual handgun is capable of xmin, v-min and laser fire. It is being phased out of the Legion inventory as a standard issued weapon.

Stunstar
— The
Stunstar
is a
Manlink
-launched non-lethal nerve weapon designed to disable the enemy by inducing loss of voluntary muscular activity and loss of consciousness. Stunstars interfere with normal nerve impulses and have proven useful for taking prisoners.

Tacstar
— The
Tacstar
is a
Manlink
-launched micro-nuke round designed for shock troops to rapidly impose tactical superiority over the enemy.

Torch
— The
Dragon
torch is a man-portable plasmapak tool designed for cutting through battlefield obstacles with a plasma jet.

V, v-min, v-max, v-bolt
— V bolts are precision non-lethal antipersonnel rounds designed to stun and incapacitate without permanent injury. The V weapons system is integrated into the E battle rifle.

X, xmin, xmax
— The general-purpose
xtex
armor-piercing explosive rounds are highly effective and can penetrate cenite armor when fired on full auto xmax.

DEFCORPS INFANTRY WEAPONS

The DefCorps is a formidable, experienced fighting force with excellent weaponry, much of it copied from Legion technology. The DefCorps trooper is tenacious and skilled. He does not fight for the System, but for himself and for his comrades. In most cases, he will not stop until you kill him. Respect your enemy!

A-suit
— Like the Legion A-suit, DefCorps armor is a lightweight superdense cenite armor self-sealing hydro-powered combat vac suit. The current
Atlas
model can be identified by the bronze-colored patina. Systie cenite armor is not up to current Legion standards, but it is effective personnel armor. The DefCorps A-suit is a fully integrated weapons system with tacmods, tacmaps, and links to Starfleet and DefCorps battlenets. It is equipped with a renewable potable water supply, a limited internal comrats capability, access ports for med syringes and disposable tubes for liquid waste. A-suit hydros provide DefCorps troopers with superhuman strength when required. The DefCorps A-suit tacmod assures one-round hits for all ordnance. The DefCorps A-suit is vulnerable to direct non-angled hits by auto xmax and laser as well as tacstars, airsat or soilsat. Omni genetic probes and genetic snakes can also overcome cenite armor unless countered properly.

Aircar, assault
— The DefCorps
Pterosaur
model nuclear-powered armored aircar is the primary air assault weapon for a DefCorps squad and is equipped to insert a nine-man squad downside and subsequently provide aircover with tacstars, laser and stunstars as a battlefield superiority weapon. The DefCorps aircar is inferior to the Legion aircar in both speed and armor. Range is unlimited.

Biobloc
— The DefCorps biobloc weapon system targets and destroys the genes of human and nonhuman species and subspecies by manipulating the natural biofreq of the organism to stimulate an immediate massive immune response to the target’s own genes, resulting in suffocation and rapid death. The System has refused ConFree proposals to outlaw this weaponry. The SG battle rifle includes a biobloc capability.

Grenades, contac
— DefCorps M2 concussion and M4 fragmentation grenades, both using contac explosive charges, are available in hand and autolauncher models. Casualty producing radius for both is 25 mikes.

Grenades, deceptor
— DefCorps M4 deceptor grenades scramble all tacmods by generating electromagnetic interference and thus shield movement of their units. Effective radius is 200 mikes.

Knife, Combat, M1
— The standard DefCorps battle blade, like the Legion Mark 1, is made from a single slab of cenite and is virtually indestructible

Manlink
— The DefCorps Manlink
Equalizer
Model is modeled after the Legion Manlink. It is a specialized man-portable shoulder-fired tactical artillery weapon that fires tacstars and stunstars. One trooper per DefCorps squad is normally equipped with the Manlink. Max effective range is 4,000 mikes.

SG
— The standard individual weapon of the DefCorps trooper, the
StarGuard
(SG) compact shoulder-fired tube-fed general-purpose battlefield superiority rifle is a virtual clone of the E Mark 1, equipped with a zoom scope, laser sights, darksight and flash, and standard xmax, xmin, laser, and vac capabilities. Max effective range is 1,800 mikes for x and 3,600 for laser. It is equipped with a grenade launcher for contac, smoke, and gas grenades and ports for flares. The miniature caseless armor-piercing explosive xtex rounds are fired electronically and full auto rate is1,750 rounds per frac or 87,500 per mark. The weapon has no moving parts except for the rounds themselves and the xtex generator that creates and feeds the rounds into the firing tube. X, laser and v capabilities are integral to the weapon; the other rounds require replenishment of ampacks. It is fully integrated with the trooper’s tacmod and provides one-round hits on all targets. The SG is rugged and dependable.

Stunstar
— The DefCorps Stunstar is a Manlink-launched non-lethal nerve weapon designed to disable the enemy by inducing loss of voluntary muscular activity and loss of consciousness. Stunstars interfere with normal nerve impulses and have proven useful for taking prisoners.

Tacstar
— The DefCorps tacstar is a Manlink-launched micro-nuke designed for shock troops to rapidly impose tactical superiority over the enemy.

OMNI WEAPONS

The Omnis are extremely dangerous alien warriors with immense psychic powers, which we cannot match. They have utter contempt for us. They consume human flesh and blood, and have exterminated over two billion humans. We do not have a clear understanding of their weapons systems. We are currently researching promising methods to counter their psyprobes and mag fields. Their weapons are formidable but they are not invincible. Our mission against the O’s is clear — victory or death. Failure means extinction for our species. Learn how to counter all the weapons systems listed below. Your life depends on it! We have not yet learned how to effectively kill an O. Until our priority research efforts bear fruit, our battlefield tactics consist of retreating under fire while laying down a heavy barrage of counterfire to delay the O advance and observe the effects of our weaponry on the O’s.

Airsat
— Omnis use explosive charged air (airsat) extensively to passively guard against intrusion in areas under their control. Your tacmod will alert you to the presence of airsat. Detonation is fatal, even in armor. Deliberate detonation of an entire cloud of airsat is possible from a distance but is a lengthy process that will attract the enemy.

Counter airsat by avoiding it.

Biobloc
— This Omni airlaunched weapon targets the human genetic biofreq through airbursts and can be fatal within a 50-mike radius kill zone. Experience has shown that tacstars can be used to disperse biobloc bursts, but this is a dangerous procedure.

Counter biobloc with tacstars.

Laser
— The Omni is equipped with an individual weapon that incorporates an effective fighting laser. There is no defense other than killing the O. Research continues on the best method of killing an O.

Counter Omni lasers with counterfire while retreating.

Mag Field (Force Field)
— The Omni individual defensive mag fields (force fields) are very effective defensive weapons, identified by an incandescent violet glow that emanates from the O when the field is functional. Once the field is down, we believe the O can be taken out with x or laser. Ongoing research centers on penetrating the field to take it down. The O’s mag field is impervious to tacstars, but tacstars do seem to hinder the O’s to some extent.

Counter mag fields with tacstars; use x or laser when appropriate.

Psyprobe
— The Omni psychic mind probe (psyprobe) is their ultimate weapon and it has so far guaranteed their dominance over all human opponents. The psyprobe allows the O’s to take mental control of their human opponents. The probe only appears effective at relatively close ranges, about a 15-mike radius. Promising research is underway on psybloc methods to counter the Omni psyprobe. The Omni’s psychic powers are superhuman and without an effective psybloc we will come under their mental control.

There is no current defense against Omni psyprobe other than rapid retreat.

Soilsat
— Omnis use this charged soil weapon (soilsat) extensively to passively guard against intrusion into areas under their control. Your tacmod will alert you to the presence of soilsat. There is no practical de-mining procedure.

Counter soilsat by avoiding it.

Spheres, genetic (energy spheres)
— Omni self-guided genetic spheres (energy spheres) seek human genetic material with great accuracy and burn a microscopic pinhole through cenite armor to the human target within while countering the A-suit’s autoseal capability. Death is certain once the sphere contacts the A-suit. We have had limited success in targeting genetic spheres with auto xmax. Research is ongoing in countering this weapon.

Counter genetic probes with auto xmax.

Strands, genetic (Snakes)
— Omni genetic strands (genetic snakes) are artificial lighter than air strands of cellular material grown from Omni leucocytes, programmed to seek out, wrap around and consume human genetic material. Like genetic spheres, genetic snakes are capable of rapidly burning a pinhole through cenite armor to target the human within. V-max has proven effective in destroying genetic strands in the air. We have also had reports that the strands are combustible; further research is underway.

Counter genetic snakes with v-max or flame.

Plasma (Starmass)
— The Omni enhanced plasma weapon (starmass) approaches stellar temperatures and rapidly weakens cenite armor. This weapon is increasingly used by individual O’s in combat situations, presumably because of its effectiveness. Combat is not possible within a plasma blast. Immediate retreat is mandatory, followed by an attack on the O.

Counter plasma by outrunning it.

Tacstarv
— The individual Omni combatant is equipped to repeatedly launch a nuclear microburst weapon similar to our tacstar.

Counter Omni tacstars with counterfire while retreating.

Xmax —
The Omni’s individual weapon is capable of rapid-fire xmax rounds.

Counter Omni xmax with counterfire while retreating.

End Unit 9.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to a great many people who inspired me with visions of the future, and helped me plot a course to the stars. From Robert Heinlein to Stephen Hawking, the list of those to whom all SF writers owe a debt is too long to acknowledge everyone. I have learned from them all - science fiction writers, scientists, futurists, star chart enthusiasts, astronomers, and all those probing the secrets of the universe.

My special thanks go to Robin Sullivan, publisher of Ridan Publishing, my editor Carol Woods, cover artist Michael Sullivan and starchart artist Hatton Slayden for all their help with this edition.

Regards to all,
Marshall

Books in the Soldier of the Legion Series

Soldier of the Legion
March of the Legion
Slave of the Legion
Secret of the Legion
Cross of the Legion
Curse of the Legion
For more information visit
www.soldierofthelegion.com
www.ridanpublishing.com

About the Author

Marshall S. Thomas is a retired Foreign Service officer. Marshall attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, the University of New Mexico and the University of Miami with a major in Government/ International Affairs and a minor in History. Marshall’s 35-year Foreign Service career included numerous postings in East Asia.

Marshall currently lives in Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife Kim Lien. His youngest son Alexander is now in college studying biochemistry. His eldest son Christopher is a graduate of Radford University who studied art and graphic design. Marshall loves to write science fiction but has also written on East Asian subjects. He is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Writers Club, Goodreads and Author’s Den.