Chronicles of Sol: The Fall

By now we should be somewhat familiar with humanity's ground weaponry. At least a few of these items, but there is still much to explore. Even items we have seen have details left to explore. There is a lot left to learn about the XR-471 for example, a popular and potent energy rifle in heavy use among the armed forces of the Enterprise.

The XR-471 was originally developed and manufactured by Star Tech Industries for use by Earth’s marine corps in 127 CSD, although development on the weapon began before that. The Rifle was at the outbreak of the third colonial war in 129 CSD distributed to various colonial forces, where it saw extensive action among front line units. It quickly gained popularity among both Earth and colonial militaries. As such demand for the rifle quickly exceeded production. By 135 CSD production had been outsourced to other manufacturing and development agencies, who promptly produced their own variants of the popular rifle.

Today, the rifle is roughly thirty years old, but remains a very effective, and popular weapon among humanity’s armed forces. It's not hard to see why it remains so popular either. The rifle features a very rugged, and modular design that provides several advantages. Its casing is a lightweight, but very durable titanium-carbon alloy. Its key components are reinforced as well, and the result is an energy weapon that you can drag through the mud, and then bash someone over the head with it as if it was a club, and still be able to fire a deadly particle bolt.

Not only is the weapon durable, but its modular design allows it to be easily maintained, and upgraded if needed. This ease of upgrade has contributed to its popularity and service length. The weapon itself is largely based on the same technologies behind starship particle cannons. The main barrel of the weapon contains a linear particle accelerator of approximately 75 centimeters in length. Mounted just below the rear end of this particle accelerator, is the particle accumulator, which supplies the weapon with charged particles, the weapon’s ammunition. Its location here is mainly to reduce the overall length of the weapon, so that it can be more effectively used in close quarters. At the end of the barrel is a variable particle stream emitter, which can be configured to fire the bolts as either a focused particle pulse or a wide area particle blast. Just behind this emitter, and ringing the accelerator, is the spatial lensing generator, which in conjunction with the emitter focuses the bolts. All along the barrel of the weapon is a series of heat sinks that pull heat energy to a series of Rydium-based heat recyclers that reduce waste heat, and help prevent the weapon from overheating.

The weapon is supplied power by an Archer-9 series compressed power cell located in the stock of the weapon. This provides the energy the weapon needs to accelerate the charged particles its fires to lightspeed. These power cells supply enough energy for approximately 240 shots. In theory, there is enough power for 260 shots, but in practice like most energy weapons, the XR-471 begins to misfire when the battery drops below eight percent capacity. As such it is heavily recommended that the user swaps power packs when the weapon power indicator hits the red zone.

The underside of the weapon features ergonomic grips made of an improved synthetic rubber-like polymer and laced with interface circuitry. This allows the user’s heads-up display to be fed vital weapon data while wielding the rifle, which in overall form is modeled after traditional kinetic weapons for ease of use. Data fed to the hud includes targeting data, a battery level indicator, a weapon heat indicator, a firing mode indicator, and even an estimate of remaining shots in the battery.

The topside of the weapon features a digital readout of the same data it would feed to the user’s hud. This readout serves mainly as a backup, but is also useful if the user is not equipped with a combat helmet. Also found on the top side of the weapon, is the XR-471’s targeting sensors. These sensors support several targeting modes for different ranges. The weapon features zooming up to five times magnification for longer range shooting and is pinpoint accurate up to its maximum range of three kilometers, although it would require a scope upgrade for shooting at that distance. As the weapon was designed and intended for use at short to medium combat ranges, the default scope is often more than sufficient. Although the weapon does have sniper variants for longer-range shooting.

The weapon features a cycling rate competitive with that of traditional ballistic rifles. Able to fire 1200 bolts in a minute, and featuring single shot, burst, and fully automatic firing modes. Its firepower however is much more impressive, as it vastly outperforms comparable ballistic weapons. Chemical firearms in the 5.56 to 7.62 range exhibit an energy delivery between 1.5 to 3.0 megajoules. Later railgun and gauss gun designs with the same ammunition range exhibited much higher outputs typically on the order of ten times greater. These particle bolts on the other hand are much more destructive with a yield measured in gigajoules. Its the low end, but that means little.

The XR-471 fires a potent charged particle pulse afterall, and the high energy of that pulse can inflict horrific wounds. The intense thermal energy of the pulse not only causes severe particle burns in the target, but it has also been known to cause flash vaporization. Hits with this weapon can blow off limbs, and burn right through most forms of body armor. The beam can tear through inadequately protected flesh in an instant, this is due to the particle stream not only vaporizing the flesh but also the particles disrupting the molecular integrity of whatever they hit. As a result the target almost literally disintegrates from the blast. Naturally, this means that if you put a bolt in someone, they are down for the count. Especially considering a direct hit with an XR-471 is almost always fatal. Often instantly so, and it happens so quickly the target doesn’t even feel the hit.

The LPR-117 is a light particle rifle originally developed on Mars, by Mars Sec. It was intended mainly for use by police forces. The weapon is quite popular not only with police forces, but also with the security crews of many a starship.

The weapon features a similar overall profile to the XR-471. This allows it to be effectively used in close quarters, as well as at longer ranges. The weapon is effective at short to medium combat ranges. At first glance it also shares many of the same features of the XR-471, although it has a somewhat sleeker design.

It features an ergonomic grip with armor interfaces, allowing it to feed data to the user’s hud. The weapon also has a digital display on the top of the rifle relaying the same information. Allowing the weapon to be wielded with or without armor. It also features a fire mode selector, and supports both single shot, and burst firing modes. In addition, it has a stun setting, unlike most human weapons.

When set to stun, it fires a slower, charged particle pulse that will disrupt the target’s nervous system. This pulse has to be carefully calibrated to have the proper effect, and the rifle mounts special sensors and components to ensure it has the desired result. Stun bolts have the effect of incapacitating the target, but it is important to note that multiple hits on stun can in fact kill. Due to how the weapon works, targets may experience pain, and nausea after being hit. In severe cases, they may even experience a condition known as stun sickness.

Power is supplied to the weapon via an exchangeable Marsec-4 energy cell. These cells provide enough power for approximately three hundred shots or more depending on the setting. Like other weapons, the weapons may begin to misfire when the battery drops below eight percent. The Marsec series of energy cells are not compatible with Star Tech Industries’ Archer series of energy cells, and as such the XR-471 and the LPR-117 cannot share power packs.

Next up the LP-1230 developed by Star Tech Industries in 155 CSD for use by Earth naval forces. Unlike the previous weapons this is a pistol weapon and as such features a much lower profile. It is notable however due to its inclusion of a stun setting, something not often found in human weapons, and especially not in pistols.

Like many other human ground weapons, it is a linear particle accelerator weapon. As such it features many of the same components. These include the particle accelerator, the emitter, the particle accumulator, the spatial focusing generator, cooling array, and the power cell. Being designed as a one-handed side arm, however, means these components needed to be packed into a much smaller form. The main barrel for example which mounts the accelerator itself is only 12.7 cm in length and runs almost the entire length of the weapon. Mounted at the end of the barrel is the emitter, spatial generator, and targeting sensors.

At the rear of the weapon, is a small digital display that relays critical data to the wielder. While the grip of the weapon features the same type of interface circuitry found on the XR-471. Also found in the grip is the weapon’s main power cell, a replaceable, Archer-2 power cell which supplies enough energy for about eighty shots before the weapon will begin to misfire. Do note that the Archer-2 is designed specifically for the smaller form factor of a pistol, and is not compatible with rifles like the XR-471, nor can the pistol use the larger power packs mounted by energy weapons like the XR-471

The LP-1230 is most notable due to its two distinct firing modes. In mode one it fires a short, but fairly powerful particle pulse. This pulse is deadly to most targets, especially those with inadequate protection. It does however lack the penetration of heavier weapons and as such struggles against any decent form of protection. Regardless it is quite impressive for a sidearm, and quite deadly. In the primary firing mode, it can fire at a rate of 950 bolts per minute, allowing it to deplete its power cell in very short order. As a result, it is recommended that operators fire the weapon in single or burst fire selection mode.

Its best and most notable feature however is firing mode two. In this mode, it fires a low power sustained charged particle pulse designed to disrupt the target’s nervous system. In other words, the LP-1230 is a pseudo beam weapon in this mode. That doesn’t make it a true beam weapon, as the sustained pulse lasts no more than three-tenths of a second. Like other stun weapons, this beam has to be carefully modulated to achieve the desired effect. This modulation is controlled by the microcomputer located behind the digital display. In this firing mode, it takes .3 seconds for each shot to complete, and an additional tenth of a second to recharge. Allowing it to fire at a rate of 150 pulses per minute

The HPL-400 is another weapon that we have encountered before. It is a heavier weapon, and this shows both in its usage and design. Its larger, heavier construction makes it rather awkward for unarmored infantry to transport. The weapon is mainly used as an emplacement weapon while her lighter cousin,which is almost identical in design, is used as a heavy squad weapon.

Weapons like the HPL-400 are notable largely due to their versatility since they are effective against both infantry and armored vehicles. The weapon is due to its size and weight typically used either as an emplacement or a vehicle weapon.

You may also recall that it has two distinct firing modes. The first being a rapid-fire lower power mode akin to that of a machine gun, while the other fires a high power pulse intended for use against armored vehicles. The key to this ability is found in the weapon’s barrel, where unlike other designs, she mounts multiple particle accelerators. These can be used either in sequence or parallel. When used in sequence the weapon fires more quickly, but the bolts are notably weaker, while when used in parallel the bolts are stronger.

To be more specific the weapon contains three accelerators, of approximately 127 cm in length. These three accelerators are fed particles, by a heavy particle accumulator mounted directly to the rear of the accelerators. This accumulator has to be heavier and larger than those used in other weapons of similar size in order to adequately supply charged particles to the linear accelerators needed for operation. These charged particles after being accelerated are all fed to the same emitter. This is achieved through the use of a specially modulated spatial lensing field. The spatial lensing generators located just behind the emitter aperture are specifically designed for this task, and controlled by a microcomputer to ensure they reliably produce the desired result. Thanks to this setup the weapon can fire standard particle bolts at a rapid 2400 bolts per minute, while her cousin can fire bolts of similar strength at the respectable rate of 1800 bolts per minute. When firing heavy armor penetrating particle bolts, the weapon is significantly slower firing at a mere 450 bolts per minute, and in the case of her cousin 337.5 bolts per minute.

The weapon can be powered by either the Archer-15 powerpack, or through a direct energy feed. When powered by an Archer-15 powerpack, the HPL-400 has enough power for 300 anti tank pulses or 900 standard bolts before you have to switch powerpacks Her cousin the MPL-400 can also use this powerpack, but it's typically used in conjunction with the Archer-12 powerpack, which is lighter.

Another weapon to explore is the LRB-1247. This weapon is a charged particle weapon developed by the Luna Military and Industrial Technologies Development Complex in conjunction with Star Tech Industries. Designed to fit in a rifle-sized form factor, and intended for use as a long-range anti-material rifle. This weapon is primarily distributed to sharpshooter units.

The LRB-1247 features a high-capacity particle accelerator 95 centimeters in length. To feed this accelerator it has a powerful accumulator mounted in the stock of the rifle, right next to the Archer-12 powercell it is designed to use. The rifle is however compatible with Archer-9 cells as well, but use of an Archer-12 cell is preferred. The rifle can fire 74 times using an Archer-12 powercell before needing to replace the power cell.

The weapon features powerful optical targeting sensors, controlled with a digital zooming scope that supports up to a hundred times magnification, and it can fire with pinpoint accuracy with little regard for conditions that would typically hamper traditional sharpshooters. Largely due to how negligible those factors are for a particle stream traveling at lightspeed. It is important to note that particle stream drift can occur at extreme ranges. Although most shooters won’t be shooting at distances where that matters, and given the speed of the beam won’t need to lead the target either like they would with a traditional ballistic sniper rifle.

Being an anti-material rifle, the LRB-1247 fires a high-intensity sustained particle pulse in the gigajoule range. This makes the weapon a pseudo-beam weapon as well. This pulse can burn through most known materials in very short order, making it very effective against infantry, and vehicles. Being a high-yield weapon the LRB-1247 is extremely lethal, and a single hit from the weapon often proves fatal. The beam is capable of penetrating any body armor known to the human race including their own in a single shot, which makes the weapon one of the deadliest weapons, outside of WMDs, ever created by the human race. Especially when one considers that the beam can also penetrate a wide array of vehicle armor, which makes it very useful against lighter vehicles. As heavier vehicles like tanks, and walkers often have armor strong enough to resist a hit. In fact most can take multiple hits without failing. This sustained pulse takes .3 seconds to complete, and the rifle needs 1.8 seconds between shots to dissipate excess heat. That means that the rifle can fire approximately twenty-eight and a half times per minute.

Moving on, vehicles. Humanity has a few vehicles regularly employed for ground combat. Let's take a look at a few of those. We have a few notable ones to look at.

First up, the ARV-22 Sentry. The ARV or armored reconnaissance vehicle is a three-man jeep designed to be fast. It features an angular armored design, with four repulsor engines allowing it to hover a meter off the ground. It features a small cabin in the front with space for a driver, and a passenger. While the rear compartment contains the gunner’s seat, and the vehicle's cargo module.

The ARV-22 has an armored turret that can be fitted with a few different weapons, but it is most commonly fitted with the HPL-400. Powered by a direct energy feed to the vehicle’s micro fusion plant, a gunner can fire as long as the vehicle has power. As a result they don’t have to worry much about ammunition. They do have to watch the heat, as the HPL-400 has been known to overheat during sustained bursts. Something most energy weapons have a problem with, and like every energy weapon it is designed to shut down and vent excess heat to protect critical components if it gets too hot.

The vehicle itself was manufactured by Star Tech Industries for the Earth’s armies, and soon became quite popular. The troops loved its fast, rugged, and durable design. While not the most comfortable, its crew cabin was reasonably well protected by some light armor, armor that could stop most small arms. The protected turret was useful, as well for engaging infantry, other light vehicles, and even some aircraft, making it quite versatile. Between its speed and protection, very few of these vehicles would fail to make it back from a scouting mission, and they were often found to be useful in other roles. As such they were well worth their cost.

The ST-42 Scout Tank, is another armored recon vehicle, but it's also a light transport and infantry support vehicle. It's designed for a two-man crew, with a rear bay able to transport up to six soldiers onto the battlefield. Although, thanks to modern AI it is possible for a single individual to operate the vehicle, but two is preferred for the obvious advantages having a second person brings.

The ST-42’s main weapon is a 55-millimeter photon shell cannon mounted in a rotating turret. That brings us to discuss a ground weapon so far not seen. The photon shell cannon is an example of ballistic weapons technology. It uses a series of high-power electromagnetic coils to accelerate a 55-millimeter slug to high speeds, the exact speed is determined by the targeting computer shortly before firing, but the slug can reach hypersonic velocities. The use of a variable projectile launch speed allows the weapon to employ ballistic targeting solutions not otherwise available.

The weapon itself gets its name mainly for the primary shell it is designed to fire, which is a high-explosive, shield and armor-piercing round, abbreviated as SPAP-HE. These rounds are designed to penetrate both armor, and energy shields, such as those found on Cathamari tanks. Each round also contains a small warhead designed for a cascade detonation, that releases a high-power photon burst upon detonation, not unlike the warheads of a photon torpedo. It can also fire SPAP rounds which lack the powerful photon warhead. However, they can be quite deadly given the velocities the gun can fire its rounds at, but only if they actually penetrate the armor and/or shields of their target.

That brings to mind an important point, in doctrinal usage of the two rounds. SPAP-HE is the primary round for good reason. The first and obvious reason is that they are more valuable for indirect fire, something the 55-millimeter gun is perfectly capable of performing. However it is important to note that like their ship-mounted counterparts, shield penetrating rounds are not a hundred percent effective at penetrating shields. In addition Cathamari tanks are often heavily armored, and their mainline tanks have sturdy frontal armor able to deflect the high-velocity SPAP rounds the ST-42 is able to fire. As such, against these vehicles, the SPAP-HE round would be more effective, as even a non-penetrating hit could inflict significant damage. As such, SPAP rounds which are cheaper, are typically reserved for low value targets that would not typically warrant the expenditure of the more expensive SPAP-HE shell. Both shells are used with largely the same philosophy as their spaceborne counterparts.

In addition to her main gun, she also mounts two anti-tank missile launchers on either side of the turret. They are equipped with an autoloader that will automatically reload them after firing, as long as the tank still has missiles in its magazine. She can stow up to 12 anti-tank photon missiles, along with sixty shells for her main gun.

The ST-42 does have one last weapon, a coaxial particle cannon. This light coaxial cannon draws its power directly from the vehicle’s micro-fusion plant and was designed specifically for the ST-42. It features a fire rate of 2200 bolts per minute, and is effective against armored infantry, and light vehicles. It is of limited use against some aircraft as well. The cannon exhibits a yield comparable to that of the HPL-400 in her slower secondary firing mode, and as such very effectively chews through most light to medium vehicles. This weapon is not effective against mainline tanks such as the Raptor or the Rex. To save turret space the weapon’s accumulator is mounted inside the hull. While only the accelerator and focusing components are mounted in the turret.

Another thing to note is that the ST-42 employs a hoverframe suspension of the same type as that employed on the larger, and heavier Raptor class MBT. This suspension is rated for one hundred and eighty tons, a weight that the ST-42 doesn’t even come close to. As a result her engines are able to get her up to impressive speeds, and she can change direction practically on a dime. It also means that the ST-42 can if needed transport some fairly heavy cargo. While she may be underweight, she doesn’t carry any other weapons beyond those in her turret. This is largely due to the fact that she is lacking in internal volume to mount additional weapons. Especially so in her turret, which is completely packed with weapons, and autoloader systems. Like most modern tanks, her turret is unmanned with the crew safely secured in the hull of the vehicle.

The Rex is an older, and obsolete mainline battle tank, designed before the third Colonial War. The massive tank weighs over two hundred tons. Much of that massive weight comes from the thick coat of heavy armor she features. The rest of it comes from her main cannon, powerful 155-millimeter gauss cannon, designed to fire hypersonic AP rounds. The cannon could also be loaded with powerful high explosive shells. During the Cathamari war, this gun was later modified to use first generation SPAP ammunition. The gun however is not compatible with photon shells, and therefore the Rex cannot carry SPAP-HE ammunition. Not the modern version of it anyway.

Unlike other human combat tanks of her age, she uses a tracked suspension system rather than a hoverframe suspension. The main reason for this, is that when she was designed hoverframe suspensions were capped at 55 tons, and her two hundred and eight tons was significantly more than what it could handle. That kind of weight remains taxing for a tracked suspension as well. As a result, the tank employs anti-gravity generators in her design to offset her weight, thereby reducing her effective weight. Even with these generators, she remains quite heavy. Like many other ground vehicles, she is powered by a micro-fusion generator, which powers everything from engines, to weapons. That includes her armor. For protection, the Rex employs gen two overlord armor plating one point two meters thick. This protection is fairly uniform in all directions, and is supplemented with an energy web system.

In addition to the main cannon, the Rex has two other weapons worth noting. The first is a coaxial heavy anti-tank particle cannon designated the RPL-243. The RPL-243 fires a powerful particle pulse able to punch through most forms of heavy vehicle armor, and has a fairly rapid recharge. As a result it supports a fire rate of 1100 bolts per minute. A truly outstanding fire rate, for what is primarily an anti-vehicle weapon.

The Rex also has a pintle-mounted HPL-400. While the Rex may not really need its secondary firing mode, the HPL-400 does help protect the vehicle from armored infantry. Like all modern pintle-mounted weapons, it is controlled remotely from inside the hull, and as such no-one needs to expose themselves to hostile fire in order to operate the weapon. The same is true of the turret, which uses automated systems that allow the crew to safely operate the weapons from inside the hull.

The Raptor is one of humanity’s newest tanks designed as a successor to the highly successful Rex class main battle tanks. Developed by Star Tech Industries during the Cathamari war, she takes advantage of several key technological developments. She uses a unique dual-suspension system featuring both tracks, and a hover frame system. Understandably this comes with a certain degree of complexity added to the design. It does however allow the tank to take advantage of both suspension systems. The dual suspension also helps her deal with her weight problem, as the Raptor when fully loaded weighs one hundred and eighty five tons, five tons over what her hoverframe suspension is rated to handle, but under what her tracks can handle. Not only can the tracks handle less weight, but they are more fuel efficient than a hoverframe. As such, they are ideal for situations where endurance is needed.

The hoverframe on the other hand, allows the tank to hover over the surface, and retract its tracks into the hull. This removes a vulnerability in the armor, while also improving the maneuverability of the tank. Hover engines also allow the tank to easily move over terrain that would have otherwise stopped the vehicle, such as a river. These advantages make the tank more agile in combat, and as such the hover engines are preferred in most combat scenarios.

For protection, the Raptor features one meter of generation three overlord armor uniform thickness over all surfaces, with the hull and turret featuring the same level of protection. She is also further protected by an energy web grid, and her plating is coated with a special refractive thermal coating. It also has hardpoints for attaching supplemental plates or other defensive mission kits.

Her main cannon is a 155-millimeter short-barrel photon shell cannon. It is mounted in the turret, and draws its power directly from the Raptor’s twin micro-fusion reactors. Providing it the power needed to accelerate the heavy SPAP-HE shells to hypersonic velocities. To compensate for the shorter barrel, she employs a much denser coil setup than normal. The dense coil setup allows her to better accelerate the projectiles, but it does increase the heat generated requiring a more robust cooling array. This increases the amount of space the weapon takes up in the turret, and prevents the tank from mounting a larger gun. The shorter barrel does however better allow the turret to maneuver in tight spaces, and thanks to several classified components has a negligible impact on long range firing accuracy. The tank actually has superior accuracy compared to older tanks, with longer barreled guns thanks to her powerful targeting computer.

Her coaxial is the RPL-257, a heavy anti-tank particle cannon designed as an improved version of the older RPL-243. It fires a heavy particle pulse a few gigajoules more powerful, and features an even faster recharge. Allowing it to fire 1250 bolts per minute, and making it a very welcome addition to humanity’s arsenal.

The tank also carries four dual hull mounted light anti-infantry particle cannons, and a dual pintle mounted light anti-infantry particle cannon. These cannons are computer controlled, and very effective at protecting the tank for hostile infantry. They are also of use against certain types of aircraft.

The Raptor has already proven herself a very effective successor to the Rex. Her powerful main gun, and agile dual hover engines make her quite the threat on the battlefield. She can accurately bombard targets from a far, or maneuver through the tight spaces of an urban battlefield. She is particularly effective in any role that requires agility, and protection.

The last vehicle, and the last item we are going to cover is the Scorpion class battle platform. This mighty war vehicle has the dubious distinction of being the single most expensive piece of ground equipment ever produced, but it is also amazingly cost effective. The Scorpion is an all-terrain and submersible heavy walker developed by Star Tech Industries. As a walker, she takes advantage of a walker frame suspension which has the highest weight limit of any suspension system. Although walkers aren’t known for being particularly agile, not in the way hover vehicles are. They do make up for it with being able to carry heavier armor, and weapons. Not to mention they can be quite a bit larger than any hover or tracked vehicle thanks to the advantages of their suspension system.

The Scorpion, like most heavy walkers, is designed to fulfill multiple key roles, and is modular allowing her to be quickly specialized for whatever role the battlefield may require her to fit. She can be outfitted with artillery allowing her to bombard enemy fortifications from range, or outfitted with anti-air weapons to provide AA coverage. They can also be configured to serve as mobile command posts or outfitted with troop pods allowing them to serve as a heavily armored transport.

Being a heavy walker, with a large frame it may come as little surprise that she has a rather significant amount of armor. The hull is protected by 4.2 meters of uniformly thick gen three overlord armor. Her six legs not only have similar protection, but are internally reinforced, which makes them quite thick. This also helps ensure the vehicle remains stable on her feet, while also protecting an obvious weakness. The vehicle also has energy web projectors that help protect her from hostile missile weapons. Naturally this level of protection factoring with her size gives her protection comparable with a small starship. Thankfully she doesn’t weigh as much as one, but she is still a very heavy vehicle in the several thousand tons range. In fact she weighs enough that the Scorpion makes use of six heavy duty anti-gravity generators to nullify a major portion of her weight, reducing her effective weight to around two thousand tons. Without them she would weigh a hell of a lot more.

The vehicle has a number of weapons onboard by default, her primary weapon however is the heavy particle lance mounted in her tail. Taking advantage of her powerful fusion generators, and some heavy-duty particle accelerators, to produce an extremely potent sustained particle pulse. In other words, the weapon is a pseudo-beam weapon. The pulse lasts seven-tenths of a second, and takes five point three seconds to recharge for the next shot. That allows the weapon to fire ten times in a second. The main cannon is extremely lethal, able to do serious damage to frigates, and heavy walkers, and can outright vaporize most tanks. Only the Raptor, and the Rex class MBTs have been known to be able to withstand a direct hit. All other tanks simply melt under the firepower of this powerful cannon.

She also carries two superheavy particle cannons forward mounted on two rotating turrets. They do not have a full 360-degree targeting angle, but they can target a fair area around the walker. These weapons are for use mainly against tanks, and other walkers, and while not as potent as the main cannon, are very effective in that role. They fire around three hundred bolts per minute. They perform poorly against infantry targets however.

The Scorpion also has eight torpedo tubes mounted forward. They are intended mainly for use when she is submerged, but they can also be used when she is on the surface or on land.

The walker also has twenty four dual turrets placed along her hull. Sixteen of these turrets carry two HPL-400 particle cannons for use against infantry, and light vehicles. The remaining eight turrets carry dual RPL-247 particle cannons for use against armored vehicles.

While not always onboard, the Scorpion also has hard points, allowing her to mount four triple-barreled 178-millimeter photon artillery turrets. These turrets allow her to hurl massive 178-millimeter SPAP-HE shells from long range. Given that these rounds can reach hypersonic velocities, she can effectively barrage a target from nearly five hundred kilometers away. Like all modern projectile weapons, the barrels support variable launch velocities. A very useful feature.

The same hardpoints that can mount the artillery turrets on the Scorpion can also be configured to carry flak projectors and light surface-to-air missile launchers. Useful for air defense, and a common addition to Scorpions outfitted for use as a mobile command post. A role the Scorpion is actually fairly loved for, due to its robust construction, high degree of protection, and reasonably large interior spaces. It is meant to safely carry a couple hundred soldiers in addition to her crew afterall, by default, and that same space could be repurposed to make room for a nice command center. Complete with a holographic tactical display, and all the comm gear a frontline commander would need.

The Scorpion has already proven herself during her years of service. She was originally developed by Star Tech Industries on a commission from Earth’s government. The battle platform first saw action during the third colonial war, when Earth invaded Mars. She proved to be a very effective weapon there, and she later proved herself again in the defense of Mars against the invading Cathamari. Very few of these expensive walkers have ever been lost in combat. With the combined total of Scorpions lost numbering just under one hundred vehicles. Star Tech Industries produced nearly ten thousand of the things since they entered service. Although with the fall of Earth, that has obviously changed.