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IronStar

Page 57

by Hallman, Grant


  ballistic - (re: missiles or Tubeships) - coasting with Tubedrive off, undetectably.

  Beamer - small-arms weapon, laser-guided particle beam, available in 4 current infantry models:

  ·model J-1P - pistol, 15kJoule/shot, 87-shot 1300kJ rechargeable energy cell

  ·model J-2P - pistol, 18kJoule/shot, 144-shot 2600kJ dual rechargeable energy cells

  ·model E-4M - medium rifle, 55kJ/shot, 91-shot 5000kJ quad cells + 120-round external magazine, 330 rpm fire rate

  ·model E-5H - heavy rifle, 70kJ/shot, 86-shot 6100kJ 5-cell + 95-round external magazine, 300 rpm

  ·model P-6R - portable bipod-mount rail gun - 16-gram copper-cased tungsten slug, 8 or 24 rnd mag - 2500 mps at 98 rpm (3,535 mps at 42 rpm using double energy cells)

  Bioferous - bearing life (a planet or star system)

  C.M.O. - Chief Medical Officer

  Cypherpak - encrypted data package, a memory nanochip.

  D of A - Department of Agriculture - a Regnum Draconis government regulatory agency

  Drone - FTL reconnaisance/sensor missile

  ECM - Electronic Counter-Measures - electronic warfare technology

  fifty-fives - weapons power cartriges, 55,000 Joules (about equivalent to thirteen 20th century shotgun shells) Later replaced by 70,000 Joule version.

  FTL - faster than light - aka ‘superluminal’

  GPR - ground-penetrating radar

  Greenbutt - Marine and Navy slang for Marines.

  Hablet - human-habitable planet

  Higgs particles - the ultraheavy superatomic particles which cause matter to have mass, normally found in nearly-cancelling pairs; in Tubedrive applications, produced by phased array emitters in a Drive Collar to create the Tubewall.

  Hullmetal - a light, extremely tough alloy grown in null-g factories, used for vessels’ hulls, armor and some weapons. Composition depends on application but usually includes iridium-osmium or iridium-aluminum-titanium plus other exotic elements

  Indie, indig - native (indigenous) sapient

  Jackdrop - a fastest-possible shuttle transit from space to planetary surface (Regnum Marine slang)

  Joule - a standard unit of energy. A .22 rifle bullet carries about 80 joules. Also Kjoules or KJ - 1000 joules, MegaJ - 1,000,000 joules, and TeraJ - 1,000,000,000 joules

  Keps - kilometers per second (Regnum Marine slang)

  Krono (pl. Krona) - Regnum-backed Civilium currency, approx. $2.10 ($USA, 2000 A.D.)

  LAS (or LAST) - Landing Assault Shuttle (Troop) - sturdy, armored, armed space-to-surface shuttle, crew 2-7+100 passengers - 32x4m, 80 tonne, limited FTL (250c)

  LGM - ‘little green men’

  LIA/PD - lost in action, presumed dead.

  Lizzie, lizards - Kruss (slang)

  LOS - line of sight

  LZ - landing zone

  Mailtube - FTL courier missile, a miniature, unmanned automated Tubedrive vessel with basic navigation and evasion software and a data payload; the fastest, the only practical way, to send a message over lightyears.

  Manhome - planet with indigenous humans

  Meps - meters per second - Regnum Marine slang

  Mercantile Doctrine - A protocol under which a coalition of corporations supported the Regnum Draconis Monarchy during civil war, in exchange for a bill of rights and privileges for businesses generally, and giving certain companies limited specific rights and vetos in government matters.

  Mercantiles - Companies having membership in the Mercantile Coalition, or representatives of such companies.

  Metric - the “shape” of space: mathematically, a description of the deviation from flatness in a given region; a solution to the field equations of general relativity.

  MPA - main processor array

  Nanoblok - the central processor module of a computer

  NavInt - Naval Intelligence Division (NID)

  NMR - nuclear magnetic resonance - scan technology, detects chemicals at limited distance.

  Periastron - a trajectory’s closest approach to a star.

  Polycorundite (aka ‘polycor’) - extremely tough, hard transparent ‘smart’ plastic

  Railgun - fires metal slug at high to ultrahigh velocities using electromagnetic fields - turret mount or man-portable versions

  Siderial - the normal universe, outside a Tubefield or event horizon

  Slo-flo - a viscous resin/metal-fiber composite, easily flexed at low speeds, locks into immobility if deflected quickly. Can be manufactured with a range of mobility thresholds, military version has controllable mobility thresholds.

  Smartshot - weapons technology: generally any smallbore projectile which is active after firing, either for guidance, or after striking a target (latter use illegal against sentients)

  Spitball - FTL anti-shipping missile, manufacturer Spitzbergen Arms, standard version Spit-4

  Spit-5 - upgraded version of Spit-4, with team-attack AI upgrade.

  Spoof - small FTL missile similar to mailtubes, with sophisticated Electronic Counter-Measures warhead and AI capable of imitating the grav-wave signature of most vessels

  Spyfly - small, light air reconnaissance drones, from dragonfly to 4m wingspan

  ·model RO-7 - operator guided or autonomous AI, 30-cm disc, can carry small beamer weapon

  Suitpack - backpack for survival suit, recycles air, carries battery, med supplies and various tools optional depending on mission.

  Survival suit - a spacesuit able to protect wearer from vacuum, sharp objects and temperature. Includes suitpack and cloth made of 1 to 2 mm hullmetal links.

  ·model 3S - (surface use) full passive armor, air 40 hrs, medpack, analyser, nav/comm and rescue beacon, rations, internal plumbing.

  ·model 3G - (general use) full passive armor, air 40 hrs, delta v 5 kps, descent bubble, medpack, analyser, nav/comm and rescue beacon, rations, internal plumbing.

  ·model 3C - (combat use, unpowered) full passive armor, air 66 hrs, delta v 12 kps, descent bubble, medpack, analyser, nav/comm and rescue beacon, rations, internal plumbing, slow-flo armor shielding.

  ·model 3CP - (combat use, powered) full rigid armor, air 220 hrs, delta v 22 kps, descent bubble, medpack, analyser, nav/comm and rescue beacon, rations, internal plumbing, slow-flo armor shielding, built-in beamers and railgun, aux. power pack and storage.

  Tango - open 4-wheel drive light ground vehicle, seats 2-6 plus light cargo

  Tau - comparable to Mach number for atmospheric flight, a measure of relativistic distortion of mass, length and time, due to speed. Tau=1 means stationary, Tau=0 means lightspeed. Tau = sqrt(1 - [v/c]2)

  Tubedrive - the FTL engine of a Tubeship, generates Tubewalls and maintains internal gravity. Inoperable in atmosphere.

  Tubefield - an interlocking phased array of Higgs particles; the gravitational field they produce

  Tubeship - a spaceship capable of FTL. Speed depends on mass, size, and angular momentum

  Tubewall - the artificial gravity well created by Tubedrive.

  UnTube - to drop out of Tubedrive

  Warm boot - starting a computer from standby, one level above cold shutdown

  Wristcomp - powerful 15x9x2cm wrist computer includes camera, screen, translator, 2-way communications

  Appendix 3: Naval Specifications

  Regnum Navy Ranks - Regnum Marine equivalent

  Fleet Admiral - Field Marshal

  Admiral - General

  Vice Admiral - Lieutenant General

  Rear Admiral - Major General

  Captain - Colonel

  Commander - Lieutenant Colonel

  Lieutenant Commander - Major

  Lieutenant - Captain

  Lieutenant(JG) - 1st Lieutenant

  Ensign - 2nd Lieutenant

  Chief Warrant Officer - CWO

  Warrant Officer - WO

  Master CPO - Master Gunnery Sergeant

  Senior CPO - Master Sergeant

  Chief Petty Officer - Gunnery Sergeant

  Petty Officer - Sergeant<
br />
  Seaman - Corporal

  Seaman Apprentice - Private

  Vessels

  RNS Argosy - Destroyer, Sandra Wallace

  RSS Arvida-Yee - Regnum Survey Ship (registration RS88938), William Leitch

  RNS Attila - Destroyer, Vincent Steuben

  RNS Belleville - Battlewagon (Y-class), Alexi DaCosta commanding

  RNS Leacock - Battlewagon (Y-class), flag, Rear Admiral Carl Mattison

  RNS Meredith - Light cruiser, Lewis Graham

  RNS Utterson - Destroyer, Angelo Krepescue

  RSS-Regnum Survey Ship

  RNS- Regnum Navy Ship

  FTB-Fast Torpedo Boat

  LAST-Landing Assault Shuttle (Troop)

  Regnum Navy Specs

  Survey Scout - speed 2,300 c, size 50x12 m, mass 1,300 Tonne, crew 9

  FTB (Impaler class) - speed 2170 c, size 64x14 m, mass 2,350 T, crew 14

  Destroyer - speed 1,725 c, size 200x24 m, mass 22 KT, crew 95+10 marines

  Light Cruiser - speed 1,495 c, size 480x76 m, mass 520 KT, crew 385-430+40

  Heavy Cruiser - speed 1,180 c, size 675x165 m, mass 3.3 MT, crew 1120-1300+100

  Battlewagon (Sioux class) - speed 970 c, size 920x240 m, mass 9.1 MT, crew 3200-3700+300

  Battlewagon (Yoruba class) - speed 1,050 c, size 820x172 m, mass 4.6 MT, crew 1860-1980+180

  LAST (shuttle) - speed 250 c, size 32x5 m, mass 80T, crew 2-7+100

  Mailtube - speed 1,550 c, size 150x18 cm, mass 65 Kg, uncrewed

  Spit-4 - speed 2,900 c, size 150x18 cm, mass 95 Kg, uncrewed

  Spit-5 - speed 2,900 c, size 150x18 cm, mass 95 Kg, uncrewed (enhanced AI)

  Kruss Navy Specs

  Corvette (K)- 1,960 c - 130x20 m, 12.4 KT, crew 46

  Light Cruiser (K) - 1,610 c - 310x82 m, 480 KT, crew 420

  Patrol Cruiser (W)- 1,420 c - 425x104 m, 1,060 KT, crew 990

  Heavy Cruiser (I) - 1,300 c - 540x135 m, 2.3 MT, crew 1,920

  Battleship (W)- 1,115 c - 770x190 m, 6.4 MT, crew 5,800

  Battlefort (G)- 880 c - 1,080x190m, 9.4 MT, crew 7,350

  (K)=Kappa class, (I)=Iota class, (W)=Wolfram class, (G)=Gamma class

  Appendix 4: Place names

  Place names (Civilium Planets)

  Armitage - capitol of Armitage Brotherhood, a small human empire

  Confluence Prime - capitol of Solar Confluence, a league of methane-breathers inhabiting gas giants

  Civilium - a federation of civilized sentient races including all human, Kruss, Confluence and other empires, responsible for peace and order, enforces laws of conflict and trade.

  Darkwall - planet where Kruss and humans met, now a Civilium wardstate, quarantined at request of autochthons

  Draconis Prime - capitol of Regnum, a medium-sized human empire

  Greenworld - failed Regnum colony

  Kettleblack Nebula - a hundred-by-three hundred lightyear cloud of thin dust hiding thousands of stars, barely explored by humans.

  Krusslath - Kruss home world

  Longsummer - Regnum world, Kirrah’s childhood

  New Rochelle - Regnum world, wine exporters

  Noopisha - homeworld of Noopish, currently a Kruss possession

  Novo Karachi - Regnum desert world, dangerous fauna - mining

  Northland - Regnum mining world, home of Atikokan Mining and Metals

  Regnum Draconis - (kingdom of the dragon) one of 18 human interstellar empires, containing approx. 45 stellar systems

  Sharpspur - world near Noopisha, currently a Kruss posession

  Trailway - Regnum Navy base nearest Athena/Sho’Ito

  Sho’ito planet

  Diameter: 13,580 km (1.065x Earth)

  Atmosphere: Nitrogen 80%, oxygen 19%, surface pressure 1225 millibars

  Surface Gravity: 10.496 m/s2, 1.071 Standard G.

  Mass: 7.1687e+024 kg (1.20x Earth mass)

  1 year local = 1.395 Standard years

  1 year local = 449.05 days local

  1 day local = 27 hours 14 minutes Standard

  takka: unit of time: 1 hour 21 minutes 39 seconds (1/20th of a local day)

  bhrakka: unit of time: approximately 4 minutes 5 seconds (1/400th of a local day)

  Sho’ito Nations

  Ale’appa - west across Sea of Sun - peaceful city-state - freshwater fishermen, traders

  - land 190,000 km2 (plains & forest), pop. 28,000 (conquered by O’dai)

  O’dai - southwest - expansionist monarchy - farmers, fishermen, traders

  - land 1,420,000 km2 (plains, rainforest, jungle), pop. 235,000

  Pavatta - north - feudal, hunters, foresters, some farming and mining

  - land 5,760,000 km2 (plains & boreal forest), pop. 140,000 (dispersed)

  Talam - central - farming, trading democracy, decentralized

  - land 615,000 km2 (plains & forest), pop. 73,000

  Wrth - fierce mountain tribe to northeast, plains nomads and herdsmen in summer

  - Land 510,000 km2 (mostly uninhabitable mountain), pop. 35,000

  Yashee - island fishing people, off eastern shore of continent, peaceful

  - Land 5,000,000 km2 (80% ocean), pop. 175,000

  Place names (Talam nation)

  Ale’appa - fallen city, west of lake

  Geera - river flowing west from city of Talameths’cha

  Geeratha - river flowing from east to Talameths’cha

  Malame’thsha - Akaray’s village

  Olame’thsha - Talamae village on north bank Geera

  South Geera - river flowing from south to Talameths’cha

  Talam - the Realm (the land; its people)

  Talameths’cha - capital city of Talam

  Upper Geera - river flowing from northeast to Talameths’cha

  WhiteCap Mountains - Wrth homeland, east of Talam

  Place names (Pavatta nation)

  Pavoai - capital city

  Uttra - southern city

  Place names (O’dai nation)

  O’dakai - O’dai capital city

  City Streets (Talameths’cha)

  Falling Ash Road - north-south main road

  Merchant’s Path Road - n/s, 2 km east from palace

  Scholar’s Road - e/w, 3 km north from palace, n. of school

  Slow Water Road - east-west main road

  Tailors’ Road - n/s, +3 km east from palace.

  Appendix 5: Talamae Language & miscellaneous

  Vocabulary

  ak’ - prefix: no, negation

  anshae - arm;

  anshath’la - courage, fortitude [lit: arm of the spirit]

  aska - dear, beloved one

  ath’la - essence; spirit; soul; light

  ath’la’doma - see ath’lae’mara [lit: spirit-sculpture]

  ath’lae - priest [lit: spirit-puller]

  ath’lae’mara - priest’s healing [lit: light drawn forth]

  ayah - trouble; ‘sticky danger’

  bothta - armor

  bhrak - copper coin

  bhrakka - unit of time: approximately 4 minutes 5 seconds (1/400th of a local day)

  dappa - oilseed plant, cultivated by Talamae

  dakka’tachk - corporal (rank of)

  daythan - eating; attacking; investigating

  daethra - making; preparing

  doi’la - unit of length - 1200 hab’la (516 meters)

  doma - sculpture, three-dimensional art including architecture

  dosha - root; (with proper name) lord

  eesa - called, named

  eetah - decisive success, victory, consummation

  eeyu - danger

  eeyutha - big (‘mother of’) danger

  firado’kae - synergy; strength of numbers (lit: braid-of-three)

  fira’tachk - major (rank of) [lit: leader of braid-of-groups]

  fira’toka - genetic material [lit: life-braid]

  gaelae - hurry; urgent

  glatha - medicinal fruit [lit: ‘mender’]

  guta - part, portion

  hab�
��la - unit of length, about 43 cm.

  honak - spear-creature

  irwua - ‘pond-net’ communal predator

  ito - wisdom; experience plus knowledge

  ito’lae’mara - rune-drawing [lit: wisdom drawn forth]

  jasa - friend, ally

  k’ - is

  kaena’hachk - power-of-darkness, righteous rage

  kae’rruckh - fierce native raptor, 2.5 m wingspan

  kaetha’sha - power-with, synergy

  kalalla - decoy; sacrifice; gift-as-tool

  karadoi - client, patron

  ‘kai - suffix: past tense

  ki’ - was

  kiros - to defeat; consume; discover

  kiro’shapa - to instruct

  kir’shas - lesson; classroom

  kir’shazza - hypothetically; lesson between friends

  kir’vekka - caution; lesson between enemies

  laeto - lead, to draw along

  lotha’shu - guest; visitor

  ma - us

  mara - go, exit, leave

  marathka - flee, escape

  mu’atha - smaller cousin grazing creature

  mu’uthn - large grazing creature

  nago’ra - wash

  ‘o - interrogative suffix (apply to any word)

  ol’ - prefix - ‘small’

  or’eeyu - approaching danger

  patha - calm pleasure, comfort

  pathazza - comfort-between-friends (non-sexual)

  pa’wai - tree species: rubbery wood

  pudra - fish plentiful in warm fresh water, meaty and tasty

  rifflauth - growth; profit

  ro’ath’la - fellowship, sister/brotherhood, lit. ‘group-spirit’

  ro’tachk - sergeant (nearest equiv), lit. ‘group leader’

  rova - group, team, organization, body

  sanak - strike, blow, completion

  sana’tachk - lieutenant (nearest equiv) [lit: strike-leader]

  sana’toka - poison [lit: life-striker]

  sasstha - teamwork, cooperation, coincidence

  sha’pluuth - wooly herbivore, herded by Wrth

  shee’thomm - authority plus responsibility

  shee’tho’vai - alderman, voting representative of city block

  sho’Teescha - King’s officer

  sho’ - prefix: child of (mother). Suffix: ‘-my mother’

 

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