Soldier of the Legion (38 page)

“I’ll never stop loving you, Thinker. It’s a shame we have to fight the Omnis. I wanted to live with you somewhere, like Korkush, and have your baby. Do you remember that baby on Coldmark?”

“You changed his life, Priestess.”

“I’d like to have a baby like that. Your baby.”

“I’m not sure the Legion would approve.”

“No, I suppose not…but I can dream.”

I pulled her to me. Sweet silky hair, her warm body close to mine.

“Dream on, Priestess. I promise I’ll be beside you, whatever happens. I’ll be there.”

“I love you, Thinker.”

“I love you, Priestess. Forever.”

Andrion 3, I thought. Every frac brought us closer to Andrion 3. I knew what a hellhole it was. And that’s where we were bound. The mission wasn’t complex. We were going to kill the O’s, or the O’s were going to kill us. But there was one big problem—nobody had ever killed an O before.
Your mission is to die for the Legion
, the Second had said. Well, that wasn’t my plan. My plan was survival. I wanted to get through this, with Priestess, and live with her forever. I squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.

I prayed to Deadman. What else could I do? I knew there was no turning back.

END OF SOLDIER OF THE LEGION: THE AUTHOR’S CUT
To be continued in March of the Legion: The Auhor’s Cut

GLOSSARIES

Veltros Training Command - Basic - Intro - Science.
Date: 312 CGS - TRAINING USE ONLY - COPY 401

Unit 6 - Legion Science Definitions

You will familiarize yourself immediately with the following basic science definitions. Those of you with future need to know will be familiarized in detail with appropriate subjects.

Antimat drive —

1. The antimatter annihilation propulsion system that powers most current spacecraft.

2. The stargate technology that creates a traversable wormhole in spacetime, enlarging a quantum wormhole to bridge two distant points in spacetime, manipulating quantum effects and antimat power to hold the artificial wormhole open with negative pressure for the duration of the sub-lightspeed flight through hyperspace. Antimat propulsion is a proven, reliable method of starship propulsion and artificial wormholes have opened up the galaxy to the human species.

Artificial Wormhole
— The artificial rotating wormhole, enlarged from a natural quantum wormhole and manipulated with quantum effects and antimat power to form a controlled dimensional vortex through hyperspace, held open with negative pressure, and connecting two distant points in spacetime. See Antimat Drive.

Biogen
— An artificial human, generated from human genetics but normally grown on a metal or fiberite framework. Biogens are sentient beings but are carefully programmed to function as required. The latest fiberite models are not easily distinguishable from humans.

Cloaking
— Visual and electromagnetic camouflage for small starships and other small craft that renders the cloaked ship invisible to enemy forces. This Legion technology is COSMIC SECRET.

EnviroSim Room, E-Sim Room, ES Room
— An artificial but realistic holo-generated simulated training environment useful in familiarizing Legion troopers with new or unfamiliar targets. ES Rooms project the new environment visually around the trooper who moves within a changing holo sphere while responding to a series of challenging pre-programmed developments.

Eyemote
— A subminiature recon probe the size of a dust mote that provides realtime audio and video images of a target environment. Eyemotes are virtually undetectable, although they can be destroyed by routine air filtration.

Holcard
— A holo card that generates a holographic light projection of a still image when activated.

Holo
—

1. A still holographic image, either a solid or a light image.

2. A moving holographic image of a subject or an environment transmitted from within an ES Room equipped with two-way imaging.

Hyperspace
— The alternate dimension, which we use as a bridge to travel to distant points in our universe through artificial wormholes. Although we penetrate this dimension with our wormholes, we do not enter it. It still appears physically impossible for anything from our universe to actually enter this dimension.

Iomags
— A powerful artificial magnetic field used to accelerate promat to generate an iomag shield, a fail-safe containment chamber for antimatter generation and storage. See promat.

Natural Dimensional Stargate, Natural Dimensional Vortex
— Unstable areas of spacetime that are heavily influenced by the presence of nearby adjacent universes. Stardrive initiation is forbidden in these areas because of the danger of destruction of the ship or of exiting into the adjacent universe and the inability to return. Antimat drive starships are capable of penetrating adjacent universes by accident but no ship has ever returned from such a disaster.

Promat
— An artificial elementary particle created by ConFree with properties useful in antimatter generation/containment systems.

Psycher
— Mentally gifted persons, normally female, generally capable of telepathy, who are brought to their full potential to serve the state.

Solcard
— A holo card that generates a solid holographic projection.

Solid
— A solidified holographic projection generated by a solcard, generally permanent or decorative.

Universe, U
— Our Universe, designation U1, is one of many universes. An ever-changing network of quantum wormholes in spacetime connects our universe with a multitude of other universes. Many other universes are not directly connected to ours. D-neg, a source of negative pressure that fills the adjacent universe Plane Prime, is not present in U1 but it is D-neg’s influence that has created the dark energy that expands our own universe.

Veltros Training Command - Basic - Intro - Weapons.
Date: 312 CGS TRAINING USE ONLY - COPY 401

Unit 9 - Fleetcom, Legion, DefCorps, & Omni Weapons

You will familiarize yourself immediately with the following descriptions of Fleetcom, Legion, DefCorps, and Omni weaponry. Assuming you pass the classroom phase, you will qualify with all the Legion and DefCorps infantry weapons listed below, and you will be familiarized with the Omni and Fleetcom weapons systems as well.

FLEETCOM WEAPON SYSTEMS

Fleetcom is a formidable galactic force that guarantees stellar superiority for ConFree and the Legion. Without Fleetcom the Legion could not survive. After certification you will be briefed in detail on the following major Fleetcom weapons systems. For now, memorize the following descriptions, and respect your Fleetcom colleagues. There is an endless list of “vacheads” on the Legion Monument to the Dead.

Antimat Weaponry
— Fleetcom starships are equipped with ship/ship and ship/planet strategic antimat strike weapons. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Battlestar, Expeditionary (BE)
— Fleetcom battlestars are sectoral superiority starships fully equipped to seize strategic control of an entire star sector. Each Battlestar provides pods for four Fleetcom attack cruisers with their own full complements of fighters and attack craft. In addition, the battlestar has its own organic squadrons of tacships, a fighter force, interceptors, assault carriers (aircar), assault shuttles, cargo shuttles, a captain’s yacht, and unlimited deceptors. Expeditionary battlestars are equipped to carry regimental-sized Legion units.

Chainlink Skysweep
— This air superiority and battlefield superiority artillery weapon is normally mounted in Legion fighters and fires tacstars and opstars.

Cruiser, Star (CS)
— A Fleetcom cruiser is a star system superiority starship designed to seize operational control of an entire star system and all planets. A Fleetcom cruiser is equipped with a squadron of Fleetcom fighters, assault carriers (aircar), assault shuttles and a specialized complement of Legion troopers.

Deathstar
— Fleetcom starships are equipped with the Deathstar defensive weapon. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Deceptors, Stellar
— These drone targets mimic the characteristics of friendly spacecraft and are designed to draw fire away from legitimate targets. Used by ConFree and System forces.

Fighters (FF)
— Fleetcom fighters are spacecraft designed to seize air and near vac superiority over a target world, or to assure near vac superiority in their starship’s zone of defense. Fighters assigned to a starship are expected to sacrifice themselves when necessary to save the ship.

Inboard 4S
— Fleetcom starships are equipped with the inboard space superiority sector sensors system. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Interceptor, Star (IS)
— Fleetcom long-range interceptor starships are designed to intercept and neutralize intruding enemy starcraft in far space.

Opstar
— The opstar is a mini-nuke designed to clear a battlefield rapidly of enemy forces.

Plasma SS Autoscan M4
— Fleetcom starships are equipped with the strategic plasma autoscan M4 weapon. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Shields
— Fleetcom starships are equipped with electromagnetic shielding designed to deflect enemy attacks. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Shuttle
— A shuttle is any spacecraft designed to ferry personnel or cargo between orbit and downside.

StratLaser O/D Systems
— Fleetcom starships are equipped with strategic laser offensive/defensive systems. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Stratstar
— The stratstar is a strategic nuclear strike delivered by missile. Fleetcom starships are equipped with ship/ship and ship/planet stratstar missiles. All capabilities and details are classified COSMIC SECRET.

Tacship, Star (TS)
— A tacship is a special-mission starship often used to deploy Legion recon units or other special mission units. It is fully capable of gaining vac superiority over a lightly-defended planet.

LEGION INFANTRY WEAPONS

The following weapons systems will keep you alive. Assuming you are certified, you will come to know them all intimately. Respect your weapons! Many Legion troopers died to perfect them for you.

A-suit
— The Legion A-suit is a lightweight superdense cenite armor selfsealing hydro powered combat vac suit, and is the most effective personnel armor yet devised. The current AranArmor SciSystems
Invincible
Battlesuit Model 6 is a fully integrated weapons system with tacmods, tacmaps, and links to Fleetcom and Legion battlenets. It is equipped with renewable potable water supply, a limited internal comrats capability, access ports for med syringes and disposable tubes for liquid and solid waste. A-suit hydros provide Legion troopers with superhuman strength when required. The A-suit tacmod assures one-round hits for all ordnance. Warning: The A-suit remains vulnerable to direct non-angled hits by auto xmax and laser as well as tacstars, airsat and soilsat. Omni genetic probes/genetic snakes can also overcome cenite armor unless countered properly.

Aircar, assault
— The armored aircar is the primary air assault weapon for a Legion squad. The current nuclear-powered
Quasar
Model 1 aircar is a highly maneuverable subsonic vertical launch/landing aircraft that can hover motionless through two primary air-effects rotors in its fuselage and can reach combat speeds to engage enemy aircraft when necessary. It is equipped to insert a fully armored & equipped nine-man squad downside and subsequently provide aircover with tacstars, laser and stunstars as a battlefield superiority weapon. Range is unlimited.

Biobloc
— The biobloc
BioScyth
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. ConFree has a no-first-use policy with biobloc against human targets. We retain the capability because the System has equipped the DefCorps with it. The E Mark 1 has a biobloc capability but is unable to target Omnis.

E Mark 1
— The standard individual weapon of the Legion trooper, this compact shoulder-fired tube-fed general purpose battlefield superiority rifle is equipped with a zoom scope, laser sights, darksight and flash, multiple barrels and standard xmax, xmin, fighting laser, v-max, v-min and biobloc capabilities. Max effective range is 2,100mikes for x and 4,000 mikes for laser. It is equipped with a grenade launcher for contac, smoke, gas and biobloc grenades and ports for flame and flares. The miniature caseless armor-piercing explosive xtex rounds are fired electronically and full auto rate is 2,000 rounds per frac or 100,000 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 E is a reliable, rugged weapon.

E-sled, E-car
— The
Airglide
air effects sled, or E-car, is an unarmored, open-topped transport vehicle designed for rapid transport of heavy loads or for personnel transport of a nine-man Legion squad.

Grenades, Contac
— The GC concussion and GF fragmentation grenades, both using contac explosive charges, are available in hand and autolauncher models. Effective casualty-producing radius is 25 mikes.

Grenade, Incendiary
— The
Vulcan
GI incendiary plasma grenade is available in hand or autolauncher models. Effective casualty-producing radius is 20 mikes.