Novaya Zemlya, Battle of:
The battle that ended LH-1. Ten months after the CEF victory at Anson’s Deep, the Plenary Council ordered an invasion of Halith to force an unconditional surrender. Admiral Kiamura, the victor of Anson’s Deep, spearheaded the invasion through the Novaya Zemlya transit. For reasons that have never been discovered, her task force became trapped and was effectively annihilated (less than 1,000 survivors were taken prisoner by Halith and subsequently exchanged). Fleet Admiral Jasmine Kasena, CNO, took responsibility and resigned. Although Halith remained unable to take the offensive, the disaster forced the League to accept a negotiated settlement to end the war.
Admiral Kiamura’s flagship was destroyed early in the battle. She was not among the few survivors recovered and the circumstances of her death have never been ascertained.
Novaya Zemlya:
A major transit between the Halith node at Tau Verde and Wogan’s Reef, a nexus on the border of League space. Site of the battle that ended LH-1.
Number 1:
The title bestowed on the cadet at the CEF Academy who achieves the highest overall War Week scores by graduation. Although not officially recognized, its status outstrips every other honor or citation the Academy confers.
O
{back to index}
Omnisynth:
A follow-on the older BMCs. An IT system that collates, processes and displays tactical data, and has sophisticated predictive and simulation capabilities. (Compare T-Synth.)
ONI:
Office of Naval Intelligence. A CEF organization reporting administratively to the Naval Secretariat, but operationally CNO.
OOD:
Officer of the Deck. The officer responsible for running a warship when the ship is underway and the captain is not on the bridge, in accordance with standing orders or the captain's specific direction. The OOD is a billet and bridge watch-stander. The OOD is seconded by the Conning Officer.
Op:
Abbreviation for Operation, sometimes with an initial cap but never fully capitalized to prevent confusion with OP (operating procedure).
In the military, an operation refers to any goal-oriented activity, involving a plan and its execution. (Compare action.)
OPREP:
Operations Report. A report produced to detail the progress or outcome of any military operation. Strictly speaking, an after action report is a type of OPREP, but the two are usually considered separate classes of reports. The person in charge of the operation is responsible for writing the OPREP.
Ordinary:
Ships in ordinary are those taken out of active service and placed in a reserve fleet or ‘mothballed,’ to use the archaic term. Ships needing extensive repairs or refitting, especially captured enemy ships, are often laid up in ordinary until funds are available or a stringent need arises.
Old but serviceable ships are also often placed in ordinary instead of being decommissioned and sold or scrapped.
OTC [1]:
Orbital Traffic Control. The organization that monitors and controls traffic in orbit about a planet. On Earth, OTC is divided into Near and Far zones: the Near Zone extends from 76-minute orbits to geosynchronous; the Far Zone, from geosynchronous to the “Weekend line”, the boundary defined by a circular orbit with a period of seven days. Beyond this line is the DSZ.
OTC [2]:
Officer in Tactical Command. Related to SOC, but describes whoever is in command of a tactical operation, where SOC refers to the commander of a tactical unit.
Outbound Station:
A major CEF forward base that protects the Wogan’s Reef junction. Elements of the CEF Seventh Fleet are based there. Compare New Madras and Epona.
Outworlds Border Zone
A large, nebulously defined region that lies between the Hydra and the Trifid, along the outermost boundaries of Crucis, Andaman & Nicobar, and Cepheus. A poorly known region, generally unsettled except for small wildcat mining operations and various outlaw communities. Outremeria is one of the few sizeable colonies, and Rephidim is also located here, in the end nearer the Hydra.
Not to be confused with the Inner Trifid Boundary Zone, which separates the Inner Trifid from Cepheus, and is considered part of the Outworlds proper.
Outworlds:
The inhabited planets in the Trifid region. Divided into the Inner Trifid Boundary Zone, the Inner Trifid, the Outer Trifid, and the Methuselah Cluster. The further extent of human colonization, its settlements tend to be primitive and lawless. Patrolling the Outworlds is the responsibility of the Trifid Frontier Force.
P
{back to index}
PACRIM, the:
On Earth, a confederation of states along the Pacific-Asian rim. The most important members are Japan, Singapore, and Australia. In the next tier are Shanghai, the Philippines, and the Korea Peninsula. Closely allied with North America, together they form the most powerful bock on Earth.
Parsec:
The distance at which a point would have a heliocentric (Sol) parallax equal to 1 arcsecond. 1 parsec equals 3.258 light-years.
Parson’s Acre:
A poor, sparsely settled colony in the Methuselah Cluster, second-gen out of Fredonia, a Hesperian colony. The Methuselah Cluster is the most remote region yet colonized.
Passing the Word:
“Passing the Word” is another hallowed tradition in the CEF and Terran Navies. To “pass the word” is to summon a subordinate, and only senior officers may use it. (NCOs often use much rougher language, like “Get your skates on, Joe. You’re f—ked.”)
Although an admiral could, in principle, pass the word for a captain, this is not done (short of offering a deliberate insult), and no one ever passes the word for an admiral. Instead, other equally archaic and stilted phrases are used, such as sending ‘compliments’.
Pathfinder:
A small device that guides the wearer to a destination using neural induction. An example of think-linking.
PCA:
Planetary Command Authority. The person or organization that exerts executive control over the military in a planetary government.
PFC:
Private First Class. An enlisted Marine Corps or ground-forces rank just below NCO. Compare Rates.
Phaedra:
A League Homeworld located in the Fomalhaut zone, along with Antigua. It has moderate wealth, a small number of colonies, and close ties to the Belt.
Phase-conjugate Mirror:
A normal mirror reflects radiation so that the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence with opposite sign. A phase-conjugate mirror reflects radiation so that it returns exactly to the point of origin. Phase-conjugate mirrors are made of gases and tunable to precise wavelengths, making them especially effective against lasers and plasma weapons. They are transparent at wavelengths to which they are not tuned.
The tuning process coupled with the peculiar properties of phase-conjugate mirrors leads to their shimmery appearance when used in applications like security enclosures; some people find it disorienting.
The question ‘What do you see when you look into a phase-conjugate mirror?’ is commonly posed to undergrad physics students.
Pilot:
This term can be a source of confusion because of its dual meaning.
In the SRF and outside the navy generally, pilot refers to a flight officer or someone who flies small craft. In navies, and among mariners in general, a pilot is an expert in the navigation of a specific area. Such civilian (as opposed to naval) pilots are often members of guilds, some of which contract with various navies. The CEF Navy, however, recruits and trains its own pilots, who serve as WOs.
The SRF’s preference for calling their fighter pilots Flight Officers stems from this conflict in terminology. However, the SRF is not consistent on the issue, calling its lowest ranking fight officers Pilot Officers.
Pilot Officer:
The lowest ranking member of a SRF flight. Not to be confused with Flight Officer thou
gh it often is.
Platoon:
A platoon is a military unit most often composed of three to four squads or sections depending on the military, the service branch (ground forces or marines), and mission type. A platoon is unit of a company and is commanded by a lieutenant.
In CEF Marine Corps, there are five basic types of platoons: HQ platoons, heavy-weapons platoons, assault platoons, ‘tech’ platoons (for dealing with the various systems of enemy ships), and ‘light’ platoons (used for scouting and reconnaissance during terrestrial operations).
Except for the HQ platoon, the platoon commander is a 2nd lieutenant; the HQ platoon is led by a 1st lieutenant. Who occupies the billet of Platoon Sergeant varies. The Platoon Sergeant of a HQ platoon is a Color Sergeant (equivalent to a First Sergeant in the ground forces). A Gunnery Sergeant holds the billet for a heavy-weapons platoon, because of the larger number of Marines and the more complex weapon systems used in these platoons. Sergeants occupy the post for other platoon types.
Assault platoons consist of four sections of 12 men each. Light platoons consist of three sections of 12 men each. (Each section is further divided into fireteams.) Assault platoons and light platoons are equipped similarly, except that light platoons contain more snipers and (usually) lack anti-armor weapons. Squad leaders are sergeants and corporals.
The makeup of a heavy-weapons platoon depends on its employment. If intended for a terrestrial mission, it will typically have two 3-in multimode mortar sections, an assault section, and an anti-armor section. The anti-armor section uses mainly shoulder-fired dual-purpose missiles, but may also have demolition equipment and mobile mines. A heavy-weapons platoon deployed for a naval engagement will be adapted for ship-breaking operations, such as hatch entry, bulkhead breach, clearing passageways and compartments. Squad leaders are mostly sergeants, but one squad may be led by a corporal.
Tech platoons consist of armed specialists and are not deployed independently. The Platoon Sergeant may be a Master Sergeant (the equivalent to a Color Sergeant with a tech rating) or a Staff Sergeant (the equivalent of a Gunnery Sergeant with a tech rating). Squads are led by a Tech Sergeant or a Tech Corporal; very rarely be a specialist (the equivalent of Lance Corporal).
A HQ Platoon includes a comms section, an EW section, a Forward Observer & Surveillance (FOS) or Tech section, and a medical section.
Platoon can also refer to the basic tactical unit of mobile armor, or as the Terran Terrestrial Forces and the Halith Imperial Ground Forces continue to call them armored cavalry. Halith, however, does not use platoon, instead referring to them as armored cavalry squadrons.
Pleiades, the:
A major star cluster that is home to three League Homeworlds: Nedaema, Galatea, and Hestia. It is the most prosperous Homeworld sector outside Sol. The Merope Junction there is critically important to the League.
Plenary Council:
The controlling executive body of the Nereidian League. The Plenary Council is chaired by the Speaker of the Grand Senate. Other members are the DCID and the senior secretaries (Secretary of the Navy, etc). The analogous Halith body is the Council of Ministers. (Compare PCA or NCA.)
Point Defense:
Active last-ditch defensive measures taken by a vessel or installation, using short-range weapons, such as chain guns or energy weapons.
Porte, The:
The name given to the government of the Sultanate of Andaman & Nicobar. Formally, the Sublime Porte.
Premier:
An archaic term for the executive officer of a naval ship. In the League, used only in the Hesperian home fleet. The Royal Navy of the New UK also favors it.
Primary:
In astrocartography, the primary is the major star in a star system. Originally the term came into use to describe binary star systems, but a later tradition evolved whereby there is only one sun: Sol. Thus, all other stars are primaries (or secondaries) but never suns. This tradition is observed mainly in the League militaries; colonists and some Homeworlders routinely ignore it.
Privateer:
A ‘private ship of war’ or a private combatant. A ship armed and outfitted by a private party to cruise against an enemy in time of war. Privateers are granted a license by their government called a Letter of Marque for this purpose. They are almost always commerce raiders and generally have a poor reputation, usually being seen as little better than pirates. Privateers are paid prize money, but never head money, and rarely ex gratia payments.
Prize Money:
A payment made to the officers and crew of combatant for taking a ship belonging to an enemy as a prize. The payment is made from the proceeds of the condemnation and sale of the captured vessel. If it is warship, purchase is made by the government; if it is a merchant vessel, it (and any cargo) is sold at auction. Compare head money.
Proconsul:
Under normal circumstances, Halith is ruled by two proconsuls, who act as the chief executives and heads of state. They chair the Council of Ministers, but exert direct executive authority, unlike the League’s Speaker of the Grand Senate. One proconsul can veto the actions of another. If challenged, this veto can be overridden by a vote within the Council of Ministers. Occasionally, a sole proconsul rules, but historically this has been viewed quite unfavorably and tolerated only during a crisis or time of war.
The proconsuls are chosen from the Civitas, the upper house of Halith’s mostly, but not entirely, rubberstamp parliament. In principle, any Halith aristocrat from a family eligible for a seat in the Civitas may be selected, but in practice the office rotates among members of a few select families.
Proxenoi Council:
A Nedaeman legislative body whose members are elected by a popular vote of all citizens resident in the theme they represent. Members are called proxenos, and a proxenos was never called Mister or Ma’am but Brother or Ally when met formally. Nedaema’s Grand Senators are chosen from among the proxenoi.
Purser:
A warrant officer on a navy ship responsible for managing supplies, other than munitions and fuel, which are the direct responsibility of the exec.
Q
{back to index}
Quark diamond:
An exotic metalized diamond grown in gravitic ovens that traps microscopic inclusions of strange matter, yielding the densest manmade material.
Quartermaster:
Another confusing term. In the marines and ground forces, a quartermaster is an NCO or WO who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions. The navy, a quartermaster is a petty officer responsible for the aiding the navigator and maintaining charts. The naval analog of a marine corps quartermaster is the purser.
R
{back to index}
Racks:
In navy terminology, the sleeping arrangements for enlisted men. Racks are a metal framework with a slightly elastic mesh in place of a mattress, and can be stacked up to four high on large ships. Senior NCOs and junior officers have bunks, which are larger, fitted with a mattress, and are never arranged more two high.
Senior officers (lieutenant commanders and up) have their own staterooms with a ‘bunk’ (which bears little resemblance to an NCO’s or an ensign’s bunk), in a separate sleeping (or night) cabin. For senior captains and admirals, these staterooms can be quite luxurious. However, naval personnel are apt to refer to their sleeping arrangements as racks, no matter their rank or what the actual nature is.
Railguns:
Guns that fire projectiles electromagnetically to achieve extremely high muzzle velocities (in some cases, near-relativistic). Railguns come in many sizes, from a 13-mm bore up to 24 inches. (36-in railguns were used for ground bombardment during the Formation Wars. No such weapons currently exist.)
Railguns are classified as short or long. Long railguns have 7 to 9 acceleration stages, called rings, and are thus called 7-ring (or 9-ring) guns. Short railguns have only 3 or 5 rings, and are often called ‘surge guns’ (surge being derived from the old acronym SRG for ‘short
railgun’). The more rings, the higher the muzzle velocity, and the slower the rate of fire. Current doctrine has come to prefer a high rate of fire over a high muzzle velocity, as modern missiles and torpedoes have diminished the role of railguns as standoff weapons.
(Note: Some dispute the effectiveness of missiles and torpedoes in actual combat, due to recent advances in ECM, area defense and point defense. Railguns are not affected by these measures.)
Loralynn Kennakris 2: The Morning Which Breaks Page 65