by M. J Kreyzer
Razor Flail
A standard issue weapon for Legionnaire Skirmishers, a Razor Flail measures 12-feet in length. Its handle is ergonomically designed for single hand use. Attached to the handle is a 12-foot, 1/32 inch steel fiber cable with 3 inch, razor sharp blades placed every 6 inches and placed oppositely one another.
Battlecruisers
With the invention of Gravplates in 252 M.I, a new generation of heavily armored aircraft was made possible. Over the 13 years following the construction of the first Battlecruiser, there have been three generations of Battlecruiser; the Primal, the Mysto, and the Helio.
Primal
The Primal Battlecruiser was the first generation of Battlecruiser. Originally designed to provide heavy air support, the Primal eventually became known as a rapid response cruiser due to its speed and maneuverability unrivalled by its Mysto and Helio cousins. And unlike the Mysto, which faced discontinuation at the advent of the Helio, the Primal remained in production due to its previously mentioned qualities.
Build and Weaponry
Measuring 1200 feet in length, the Primal is the smallest Battlecruiser of any generation with a maximum flight speed of 300 MPH. With only a single launch bay at the rear of the ship, the Primal is the least ideal craft for cargo and troop transport. Its weapons systems, originally heavy and comprehensive, have been simplified while the focus of the Primal is rapid response. Its weapon's systems have been designed for maximum damage and efficiency while maintaining its agility. And while a Primal retains its effectiveness in head-to-head combat scenarios, its main purpose is to provide resistance and support until larger cruisers such as the Helio can arrive.
While originally equipped with a powerful main cannon mounted on the cruiser's nose, it was later removed with the purpose of weight reduction and power redistribution. Other cannons placed along the ship's exterior have also faced downgrades or removal in favor of smaller, lighter weapons. What remains are a dozen particle cannons placed along the ship's belly, eight particle turrets placed along either side of the Primal making a total of sixteen, and three heavy, anti-air cannons placed along its top.
While earlier makes of the Primal lacked them, later generations were equipped with Furo shields, technology derived from an Elemental Barrier. These shields can be adjusted in terms of spread and angle and can cover any portion of the ship or even the entire ship at once. The downside to any artificially produced Barrier, though, is that the more area it covers at maximum energy, the less resilient it becomes. As such, if this Barrier were to be adjusted to encompass the whole of the craft, its defense capabilities would be hindered and would be unable to repel rounds from anything larger than a .40 caliber rifle round.
Mysto
The Second generation of Mysto came around five years after the maiden voyage of the first Primal in 252 M.I. It was built in response to the questionable stealth of the Primal and the stealth of the battlecruisers as a whole. As such, it was equipped with jets placed at various points around the ship's hull. These jets would emulate a wide variety of clouds, engulfing the craft in a shroud of white mist that, from the ground, looks nothing like an actual battlecruiser. After numerous observations questioning the suspicion of a single, large cloud in the sky, autonomous drones were included with the craft that would position themselves around the craft to create irregular cloud patterns thus making a shrouded Mysto more difficult to spot. In order to maintain its cover within its generated cloud, the Mysto must travel at a slow enough speed, preventing the ship from getting too far ahead of its cloud and consequently revealing itself. Later in its lifecycle, however, in 263, the invention of the Helio, working in tandem with state-of-the-art radar tracking systems and longer range weapons, made the need for discretion unnecessary. And while it was slowly phased out, the Mysto faced complete discontinuation in 264 M.I..
Build and Weaponry
Measuring at 1500 yards, the Mysto was a stark departure from the Primal with a maximum flight speed of 200 MPH (Some exceptions can be made, however, as later models were built with Helio Reactors, replacing the smaller, unamplified Ignata reactors. Many factions in possession of Mysto cruisers including the Darks and the Enforcers have been retrofitted with Helio reactors, putting their speed on par with Primals and even making it possible for the implementation of Sweep Lasers, though sacrifices to other weapons systems had to be made.)
In terms of weaponry, the stock Mysto is similarly equipped as the Primal as both took advantage of the once revolutionary Ignata reactor. With the Gravplates on the Primal being utilized below their maximum negative-G output, the Mysto size of the Mysto was subsequently increased, making room for weapons systems competitive with those of the Primal while also creating space for troops and cargo. Along both sides of the craft are nine particle turrets with eighteen turrets in all (having two more turrets than the Primal's sixteen). Along its belly are sixteen particle cannons with four anti-air cannons placed along its top.
With the same reactor as the Primal, the Mysto's shield deployment is identical to that of the Primal. They are equipped with Furo shields, technology derived from an Elemental Barrier. These shields can be adjusted in terms of spread and angle and can cover any portion of the ship or even the entire ship at once. The downside to any artificially produced Barrier, though, is that the more area it covers at maximum energy, the less resilient it becomes. As such, if this Barrier were to be adjusted to encompass the whole of the craft, its defense capabilities would be hindered and would be unable to repel rounds from anything larger than a .40 caliber rifle round.
Helio
Considered to be the crown jewels of the Legionnaire navy, the Helio battlecruiser is the pinnacle of weapons technology. With the first Helio seeing field action in 265 M.I, the Helio changed the way that the world viewed the First Legionnaire. Its immense size and unsurpassed weaponry made it something to be feared by the enemies of the Commune. Built around its namesake, the Helio Furo reactor, the Helio cruiser is capable of delivering massive troop and cargo payloads to the most hostile and dangerous environments.
Build and Weaponry
The Helio is the largest manmade object in the world. With a length of 2100 yards, it exceeds the Mysto's length by 600 yards while containing weapons systems which, though similar, cause the Mysto's to pale in comparison. On both sides of the craft are eight anti-matter turrets and six particle turrets, amounting to twenty-eight turrets in all. Six anti-air cannons are placed along the ship's top while four heavy artillery cannons are placed on the ship's front.
What makes the Helio so lethal, particularly to enemy infantry, is the fact that the stock cruiser comes equipped with twelve Sweep Lasers along its belly, allowing it to turn flesh, steel and earth to glass.
Blackshredder
As the Legionnaire's air-to-air fighter, the Blackshredder is a dominating force in air-to-air combat, being operated by a pilot and a navigator. With the ability to outrun and out maneuver Battlecrafts and Strykers, the Blackshredder holds the title as the fastest vehicle in the world with maximum speeds exceeding 1200 MPH. Powered by a miniaturized Ignata reactor and propelled by four Furo turbine jet engines with a single Gravplate creating the possibility of airborne immobility, the Blackshredder is perfectly designed for speed and stealth. Shaped very much like a Spectre, keeping faithful to its flat, triangular design, the Blackshredder has four anti-matter javelins placed internally in the craft's wings. To complete the ship's offensive package, two .50 caliber machine guns can be found on the top and bottom of the craft.
Stryker
Though it possesses air-to-air capabilities , the Stryker's main purpose is served as a bomber and is often used for initial strikes, providing air support to ground forces while typically reserved for tactical airstrikes. And though it is less common, the Stryker will be used against larger enemy aircraft, most notably Battlecruisers, to lay down a steady stream of crippling bombardment. Due to its obvious weaknesses in air-to-air combat, a Stryker will rarely
fly solo, usually working in conjunction with a Blackshredder or Primal support group. With a total of six anti-matter javelins at its disposal, the Stryker is the most dangerous first strike aircraft in the Legionnaire arsenal. A Stryker can either return to base for a fresh batch of missiles or continue the assault with the twin particle cannons mounted on the tips of both wings.
Spectre
Loosely regarded as an aquatic fighter jet, Spectres are most appropriately described as 'underwater stealth fighters'. With a flat, triangular shape, the Spectre is powered by a miniaturized Ignata reactor that supply ample energy to its four aqua-jet thrusters. In order to give the craft maximum maneuverability, dozens of smaller water jets are located at various points along the ship's body, firing in conjunction with the Spectre's turning, making it possible to successfully pull off sharp, controlled maneuvers at high speeds, the highest of which can reach an excess of 200 MPH. Similarly equipped to the airborne Blackshredder, the Spectre packs four anti-matter torpedoes with four additional particle turrets placed on both the top and bottom of the craft.
Spectre's are designed for stealth. Being nearly invisible across a broad variety of radar detectors, the Spectre is most often deployed for stealth strikes against enemy freighters, battleships, and submarines, while engaging in the occasional subaquatic dogfight should the need arise.
Sweep Lasers
Using discoveries taken from the research conducted on Luke Semprys, Sweep Lasers were designed exclusively for use on the newly built Helio Battlecruisers, taking advantage of the tremendous output of the state-of-the-art Furo reactor, the Helio. Older cruisers such as the Mystos have been retrofitted with Sweep Lasers, though altercations to their weapons systems had to be made in order to sustain the Sweep Lasers' high energy requirement. The one stipulation surrounding the Sweep Lasers is the necessity of their being placed immediately adjacent to the battlecruiser's Gravplates. Because of the sheer amount of power needed for operation, the Sweeps must draw additional energy from the Gravplates themselves, making placement of the weapons alongside the craft impossible and, where horizontal placement is plausible, simply impractical.
Science and Technology
Stabilizers
A Furo Stabilizer, most often referred to simply as a 'Stabilizer', is any natural or man-made object that inhibits the use of Elemental. When a stabilizer is introduced into an environment, the Furo particle attached to each atom will, as the name of the object implies, stabilize.
Furo Reactor
There are many types of Furo Reactors, though the most commonly found reactors are those powering medium to small sized cities and towns around the world. With a ban on fossil fuels, Furo is the universal form of clean, renewable energy with what is believed to have zero emissions. There are smaller reactors, some even the size of a briefcase which are found in machines such as sets of Raze and Grave Armor, Machbikes, and Forge tanks. Larger, portable reactors are found in larger machines, most notable Battlecruisers. The most powerful of these generators is the Helio reactor, the first of which was constructed in 256 M.I., which octupled the maximum output of portable Furo reactors and made aircraft the size of the Helio Battlecruiser possible.
Furo reactors draw their energy from the radiation emitted by each particle of Furo. Using an Amplifier, the particle becomes more volatile, with the ensuing reactions providing the energy needed to power everything from small vehicles to mammoth battlecruisers.
Furo Extractor
While they both supply enormous amounts of energy, the energy output of a Furo extractor is greater than that of a reactor by nearly 20 to 1. The reason for this extreme difference in energy is due primarily to the fact that, instead of generating energy based upon the radiation of Furo, a process which allows for reusable and renewable energy, the Extractor separates Furo from its atom entirely. This reaction creates a burst of energy so powerful that more than half of its energy must be vented as technology has not advanced to the point where it can safely take advantage of that much energy. The major pitfall of the Extractor is the fact that, by removing the negative mass from its positive counterpart, the atom itself all but disappears from existence.
Towards the core of Havoc in the same caverns used to mine Eternium, Communal scientists have begun work on an extractor that would draw energy from the moon's core. This new reactor is designed to not only efficiently absorb and transfer all energy produced during Furo extraction, but will have the capabilities of doing so with the even larger reactions produced by the extraction of such a hot, Furo rich environment as Havoc's core.
Anti-Gravity Plates
Found in all modern air craft using anti-gravity technology, Anti-Gravity plates, referred to as 'Grav-Plates', reverse the polarity of gravity which creates lift. To create lift at all altitudes, the degree to which these Grav-plates reverse gravity's polarity varies. In aeronautical terms, the degree at which polarity is reversed is measured on a scale of zero to ten, with zero translating into no lift at all, ten being perfectly opposite, and five achieving neutrality between the two forces. In the scenario of perfect polarity, the Grav-plates (and the craft that they were attached to) would shoot away from all gravitationally effective objects until their influence were no longer felt.
As is typically practiced, a Grav-Plate in larger craft (particularly Legionnaire Battlecruisers) are rarely set to zero, even in the case of extensive repair or maintenance. The reason being that, most larger plates are connected to larger, more powerful onboard reactors. In the case of the Helio reactor, found in last generation Mystos and all Helio class battlecruisers, because it is in constant contact with ample sources of Furo (all atoms are, after all, attached with a Furo particle) there is no need for them to shut down.
Dimenisors
With only enough power to open an intradimensional pathway large enough for one or two small, tightly grouped people, the Dimenisor is a personal device. And with the source of its creation, Reyzer Phanti, having died in the final years of the Durant Revolution and scientists finding it nearly impossible to reverse engineer, there are only six Dimenisors in existence.
Originally, the Dimenisors were gifts from Phanti to the Ditrinity, having worked with Durant physicists to design and construct them. With a single charge, the first generation Dimenisor could open an intradimensional pathway anywhere in the world based on geographic coordinates as well altitude with a single, full charge. Using a method of warping known as Internal Displacement, the subject in the warp, if their new coordinates intersected another object, would displace that object or be displaced themselves depending on whichever had the greater inertia.
Originally, the Dimenisor was strictly Durant Technology. However, following the Ditrinity's imprisonment during the Durant Relocation Act, the Dimenisors were confiscated by the Commune. With Rowlings as the project's lead, the Dimenisors were repurposed and retrofitted with state-of-the-art Furo batteries, providing the devices with a nearly infinite charge so long as the distance they warped were miniscule along the curve of space-time. (This definition of miniscule is relative, however, and the Dimenisors are capable of maintaining that sub-infinite charge by maintaining a general rule of 'Line of Sight' warping.)
Warp Network
The Warp Network is a set of intradimensional pathways used for quick dispersal of goods. While, at its inception it was intended for peaceful purposes, it didn't see full use until the tail end of the Durant Revolution, and saw wide use only once at the Battle of Olsgrad Canyon.
Hooked up to the Warp network was the Lightboards, or a series of devices controlled by intersecting-light interfaces or mentally controlled selection goggles. These orders would be queued up, sent to the central hub (in the situation of Olsgrad, located in Brysdal) and the orders distributed through designated Warp Gates.
Warp Gates
Warp Gates are ten-by-ten doorways that create a unidirectional intradimensional pathway connecting the Supply Depot (an often glorified term used to describe the stoc
kroom) to the battlefield.
Light Network
The Light Network is the 2nd Generation of the Warp Network that, as of 255 M.I, is still under development by scientists and physicists working with the Enforcer rebellion. Little to nothing is currently known surrounding the Light Network while its existence is as hotly speculated as its function.
The Mindlog
The Mindlog is a large device with several components. First is a large supercomputer linked up to a holographic projection stage. The second device is used to reproduce smell while the third is merely a complex system of speakers used to reproduce sound. The Fourth is a small device referred to as a recorder. In its infancy, recorders required a hardline in order to transmit date to the central server located in the Mindlog's supercomputer. The Recorder is a chip implanted near the brain stem, which records all brain activity into a digital format. This recorder records everything that the brain senses, from taste, smell, sound, sight, and touch. These digital files are then transferred to the supercomputer which then interprets these memories and projects them into three dimensional space via that projection stage.