Loralynn Kennakris 2: The Morning Which Breaks
Page 63
Manifolds:
Manifolds are two-dimensional gravitational structure that form within the N-dimensional ‘overspace’ of which RST is a subset. First predicted by String Theory, the importance of manifolds is that wormhole jump routes follow them. Tesseract is an application that is used to map manifolds.
Maniple:
The name for a squad in the Halith Imperial Ground Forces. An appropriation of the ancient Roman term. As in other militaries, squads in Imperial Ground Forces are led by an NCO and deploy from assault shuttles, which in the Halith military usually have a 22-man maximum capacity.
A typical Halith maniple consists of a Squad Leader/Shuttle Commander (a sergeant), an Assistant Squad Leader (a corporal), and a Senior Gunner (a PFC), both armed with a SAW, a Grenadier armed with a 5-cm multimode mortar, an Assistant Grenadier, a gunner, a gunner/medic, a shuttle pilot and a shuttle gunner who mans the shuttle’s weapons. (Halith has not embraced the fireteam concept: they consider the maniple to be the smallest tactical unit.)
Marines:
Generally, soldiers embarked on warships. In the CEF, a separate branch that serves both aboard ship and as the CEF’s ground forces. CEF Marines are organized into regiments of two or three battalions, each battalion having four or six companies. There are, however, a few regiments with only a single battalion, and these are referred to (confusingly) as brigades.
The basic tactical unit in the CEF Marines is a 12-man section, organized into fireteams. Four sections make up a platoon, and four platoons, a company. Cruisers usually embark a single company, battleships often have two, and dreadnoughts up to three, or even four (a full battalion). Smaller combatants might embark only a platoon of marines, or none at all.
Mars Air Line:
The crowning achievement of First Colonization Period. The Mars Air Line brought thousands of cubic kilometers of refined gases from Venus to Mars to make the atmosphere breathable, while also reducing the inhospitable conditions on Venus.
Mars:
The first successful independent colony (after several failed attempts) off the Earth and the seat of the League’s government, located at the ancient settlement of Nereus. However, Mars is only a Homeworld by courtesy; over 85% of the population are government employees, mostly from Earth, and the planet has essentially no economy of its own. A tiny handful of descendants of the original colonists still live there and (as a rule) deeply resent the rest of the population.
Maser:
A device having the same properties as a laser but emitting microwave radiation. Often used for secure communications between naval vessels (including fighters). Also used in the scopes of some assault rifles, such as the MI-6 used by CATs.
Match Code:
A code developed and used among deck slaves (privileged slaves who are allowed freedom of the decks on slaver ships) to communicate simple messages privately. It is based on ancient Morse code, and can be conveyed in text or spoken messages. The code uses word length (if in text), or syllables (if spoken), to convey messages via communications that appear innocuous. The code is known to be subject to private elaboration among some groups of slaves, but the basic rules are as follows:
Words greater the 2 letters (syllables if spoken) represent a dash (–). Words of 1 or 2 letters represent a dot (•). Punctuation means the end of the letter code. Quote marks (' or ") mean ignore characters to the right or left until a space. (When speaking this is conveyed by a slight halt, or use of an interjected particle: ah, um, or sometimes fuck’n). Bye indicates End of Message. (Other terms convey the same meaning, among them: C’ya, Check it, TTL and Taffy, which is said to derive from TAFN, the acronym for That’s all for now.) An exclamation point (!) is used for emphasis and/or to indicate priority or special urgency.
Most deck slaves can recognize match code on sight or at hearing, and can speak or write it fluently. Consider this example text message:
“How are U? OK? Anyway, this place - R’hab - turned out jake. R U good? Call! Bye!”
Decoded (one letter on each line):
– – •
•
–
– –
•
– – –
• • –
–
[End with emphasis.]
In Morse code this is: GETMEOUT!
Maxor:
A genetically altered human subspecies settled on a single system in Alpha Persei. Violently xenophobic and possessed of singular gravitic technology.
The Maxor control the most direct route between the League and Halith; they also control the only direct route between Halith and Karelia. This combination gives them a great deal of leverage. As a rule, they use their unique technology to interdict all shipping through their junction, preventing these routes from being used by others and rendering themselves safe from invasion, but the threat that they might decide to give one of these governments transit rights causes all three to expend a great deal of effort on the difficult and tricky business of Maxor diplomacy.
Maxor retain the ability to interbreed with humans, but this is universally reviled.
Megs:
From mega, the general prefix for millions. In the CEF, an abbreviation for megameters or 1,000 kilometers.(Civil mariners prefer kiloklicks or k-klicks.)
Meridies Cluster:
A star cluster in Epsilon Lyrae that contains the League Homeworlds of New Meridies, Messier, and Hesperia,. All three are noted for being class-conscious, aristocratic societies with strong martial traditions and imperialist policies.
Eltanin was heavy settled from the Meridies, and maintains strong, but not always cordial, ties with it. The Meridies and the Belt are mutually antagonistic.
(See the CEF history, the Linked Command System, and Eltanin for more detail.)
Merope Junction:
A strategically vital nexus in the Pleiades, the League’s most prosperous sector outside of Sol. Merope connects the Pleiades with Wogan’s Reef and with Crucis Sector, as well as the rest of the League.
Mess:
Generally speaking, a dining facility for military personnel; also used as a verb: to mess. The use of the term varies between services. Except in most navies, base facilities are termed mess halls, and some ships may have a mess deck. Messes are considered to be separate from other social accommodations, such as officer’s and NCO clubs, and canteens (to say nothing of other recreational facilities), and these latter facilities are often run by outside contractors, while messes rarely are (and never in the CEF or the Halith military).
The organization of the mess is the cornerstone of military society. It is steeped in tradition, having rules, conventions and ceremonial behaviors that cannot be contravened without severe repercussions (even lethal ones in dueling cultures). Nowhere is this more important than aboard ship, where the maintenance of proper social conventions is critical to the ship’s functioning.
On a naval vessel, the mess usually means the dining accommodations for rates and common mariners, specifically. NCOs mess (dine) in the gunroom, and officers in the wardroom. (The CO dines in her or his stateroom.) Large ships often have separate messes for different divisions, and in some navies, rates have their own mess (on a large ship), or a separate area in the mess, apart from the common mariners.
In addition to being a term for the dining facility itself, a mess also refers to a group of mariners who eat together, sharing a mess table. Originally, a mess was formed by a crew assigned to work together (such as a gun crew or the deck crew of a particular fighter in the SRF). Although it is still often the case that these individual messes are comprised of mariners who are coworkers, they now serve a more general social function.
In the marines and ground forces, enlisted personnel always eat together as squads, which they do not (as a rule) call messes.
Messier:
A League Homeworld in the Meridies Cluster, along with New Meridies and Hesperia. A republic, not a monarchy like its neighbors, it is still
an aristocratic society and the only League Homeworld with an official caste system. Its military does not enjoy quite the reputation of its neighbors; however, many Messian officers are found in logistics and high-level staff positions.
MI-6 Assault Rifle:
The primary weapon used by CATs, a more capable variant of the standard CEF Marine assault rifle. It has a tunable UWB scope with a frequency-hopping maser and automatic target acquisition; fires three types of 12.7-mm multimode caseless ammunition: anti-personal, light-armor piercing terminally guided, or armor-piercing mid-course corrected; selectable to single, or three and five-shot bursts. (Five-shot bursts are recommended only from a tripod or when mounted.) Carries one hundred rounds in a dual clip. Effective range of 2500 meters, although an expert can push it to almost twice that far.
The MI-6A variant is fitted with a 25-mm under-slung grenade launcher that fires antipersonnel, incendiary, or high-explosive grenades. At least two CAT members will carry this variant, and possibly as many as four.
Some CAT members have their rifles think-linked, but the Corps discourages this practice.
Micro-manufacturing Revolution
The name given the widespread adoption of sophisticated 3D printing technology during the 21st Century (AD reckoning) that had destabilizing effects on those societies still dependent on low-tech manufacturing of consumer goods. Often cited as a primary contributing factor for the Troubles.
Mips:
Megameters per second. Used for “absolute” velocity in the galactic inertial frame of reference.
Miranda:
Miranda is a strategically important system and nominal League ally in Cygnus. It controls one of the main transit lanes between the League and Karelia, as well as Karelia’s access to the Kepler Junction. Its position as an ally is complicated by a sizeable population of pro-Halith separatists. The CEF base at Epona exists partly to support the Mirandan government, to whom it provides aid and military advisors.
Miranda’s history has been difficult. Originally a colony of the Terebellum Empire, it has long been independent. It is largely agrarian, insular, and holds on to some of the pretensions of its parent. The ruling class is disdainful of the ‘hirelings’ (as they are known), which causes unrest. Its importance comes from being the ‘Gateway to Karelia’ from the Kepler side. (The other transit routes serving Karelian space are: two main routes connecting with Rho Ceti and Regulus, two dangerous transits connecting to Deneb and Syrdar, and one lane to Maxor space, which the Maxor frequently interdict.). Because of this, the Mirandan government has perennially used its position to wring aid and concessions out of the League.
However, this also brings Miranda to the attention of Halith. By holding the system, Halith can threaten Karelia on two major axes, given the position of Rho Ceti. This leads to a good deal of Halith intrigue with the dissatisfied elements of the populace. (Miranda tries to profit from this threat as well.) These intrigues did result in Halith annexing Miranda late in the last century, which later allowed them to mount a successful invasion of Karelia. Mirandan independence was restored after Halith’s defeat in LH-1, but at that point it had been a Halith possession for over 50 years. The consequences of this annexation continue to cause serious problems for Miranda.
Modern terraforming:
Modern terraforming uses nanocyte ‘seeds’ on a biologically active planet to transform the atmosphere and neutralize toxins, largely by ‘infecting’ native organisms and changing their genetic and cellular structure to both create a human-safe environment and allow them to survive in it. Combined with immunocyte technology, this greatly shortens the time before people can arrive on-planet and complete the terraforming process with older ‘traditional’ methods.
Modern terraforming was made possible by the Third Nanocyte Revolution, which produced the necessary technology. In turn, this spurred the Third Colonization Period.
Monitors:
The largest warships built, although they are more like mobile fortifications than ships. Heavily armored, they are armed with thousands of missiles and up to five massive turrets with triplets of 18- or 24-inch long railguns that fire two-tonne projectiles at near-relativistic speeds.
During the Formation Wars, hypercapable monitors were built but the technology to fit grav-plants to such massive vessels was subsequently lost. Current monitors are transported in sections to their destination and assembled.
MOU:
Memorandum of Understanding. An administrative device used to promote, define and control interactions between governments or agencies that are otherwise constrained by laws, charters, or by treaty. Intended as a temporary expedient, this is sometimes abused.
Mule Killers:
Weaponized planetesimals. Form the acronym for Munition-Large-Kinetic-Long Range (MuLKLR). A planetesimal fitted with a massive hyperdrive and launched at another planet, which it would impact at a substantial fraction of the speed of light.
Sparse records indicate that during the Formation Wars, several star civilizations tried to develop mule killers. A direct hit by such an object could pulverize a planet; a near miss could change the axial tilt and set off earthquakes or start volcanism on a massive scale.
However, there is no evidence that any succeeded in actually producing mule killers, let alone using them. Nonetheless, persistent rumors of the threat remain, including wild speculation that sublight versions were launched and are even now traveling at high speed toward their targets.
Mules & Mule Trains:
Mules are robotic vehicles that carry supplies (including ammunition), provisions, and equipment (including weapons) for a military unit. They come in various sizes and configurations, and are usually organized into trains (a term rooted in antiquity).
The name derives (supposedly) from MUL or MULE, for Mobile Unit, Logistics or Mobile Unit, Logistics-Extended. However, there are many names for these units, including: Mobile Logistics Unit, Mobile Supply Vehicle, Logistics Supply Vehicle, and Attached Provisioning Unit, among others. In common speech, they are most often referred to as mules, regardless of the official name, in almost all militaries.
A mule train refers to an assemblage of such units. In general, there are four basic types: 1) a Troop Train attached an individual unit, which carries its extra gear and supplies; 2) a Brigade Train which carries equipment, supplies and provisions for a large field unit; 3) an Officer’s Train transporting personal supplies and equipment for the commissioned officers; and 4) an Equipment Train for specialized heavy equipment, attached to a brigade, regiment, or division.
Each military organizes these trains to suit its own needs. A common arrangement is to have troop trains attached at the company level, made up of the individual mules assigned to each platoon. Each platoon will usually have one mule, except heavy-weapons platoons, which may have two. On rare occasions, a squad may be assigned a mule. In the CEF, this commonly only happens with CATs, who may have to carry specialized equipment, such as air sliders or demolitions gear.
A brigade train will be attached to the major administrative and tactical unit in a given military, be it a brigade, regiment, or division. The terms Regimental Train and Division Train are often heard.
Officer’s trains usually occur only in militaries where officers retain aristocratic privilege, such as Halith and the Meridies. The CEF does not use officer’s trains. While CEF officers have special privileges on base and aboard ship, they share the condition of their troops when deployed in the field.
Equipment trains transport anything from spare parts to IADS to heavy construction equipment to portable maintenance or hospital facilities.
Music:
Slang for ECM. Chiefly military but has spread into popular culture.
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Nanocyte Revolutions:
There have been three so-called Nanocyte Revolutions. The first was the advent of practical medical nanotechnology during the 21st Century (AD Reckoning). The third resulted
in the Third Colonization Period with the advent of modern terraforming and. The second is obscure. All though referred to in historical records, no details survived. There are some indications it involved weaponized nanocytes, and this has led to speculation that the intent was to create mega-pandemics. (See rouge nanocytes.) There is no concrete support for this view, however. It is speculated that elements of the Second Nanocyte Revolutions played a role in the development of immunocytes.
Nanotech:
Technology based on manipulating matter at the atomic or molecular scale, such as building molecule-sized devices out of single atoms. Medical or biologically active nanotech devices are often referred to as nanocytes; other devices as nanobots. Strong resistance to this technology is often cited as one cause of the Troubles.
Navy, CEF:
The CEF was originally formed as a naval force (authorized by the Second Amendment of the League Charter), to which the CEF Marines and the SRF were supporting corps. As the result of legislation passed as part of larger CEF reform program prior to LH-1, the Navy is now one of three branches, co-equal with the SRF and the Marines, each with its own general staff. However, the fact that the CEF is under the Secretary of the Navy clearly shows its origins as a naval force. (The prejudice that the Marines and the SRF are essentially supporting actors is still exists, especially among New Meridian officers.)