(Unknown Alien Super-superdreadnought, Sol System)
I smiled as the Starlight Raven settled in the docking bay of the unknown ship, next to shuttles from the Hrunting and Tiamat. As I stepped off the ramp, with Cali and Jaynie flanking me, I was not surprised to see who was waiting for me with their associated guards. And I was less surprised to see that they were looking insufferably (and deservedly) smug.
I nodded my head as they saluted me. “Commodore Draka, Major Zoxl. My compliments on your success.” As we started walking through the alien craft, I turned my attention to the Commodore, saying, “Going over the battle data, I was pleased to see that the Second Group performed as well as any in the fleet, despite only having a short while to adjust to new technology and tactics. It is not easy to change from familiar ships and technology, and still maintain a high level of proficiency, but your troops have done so.”
Looking over to the Major, I grinned. “And that goes doubly to you and your men, Major. The Second Group is, at least on some level, mostly similar to other navies in the galaxy, but the weapons and tactics of the Black Star Marines are very different from the Ihm Imperium’s Legions, and Fourth Company was designed to be different even from the rest of the Marines. And, in your first operation, you not only succeeded, you conquered. Well done!”
Major Zoxl grinned, and said, “Well, credit has to be given to the Mark V Heavy Assault Armor. The dimensional inventory technology allows for soldiers to carry around plenty of weapons, ammunition, and supplies, but there’s a hard limit to what even Ihm biology can swing around, and still be effective. However, with the enhancements of the Mark V, we were able to use what would normally be emplaced, crew-served artillery pieces as man-portable weapons.”
I nodded. “Yes, General Khan was singing the Mark V’s praises to me earlier, before we deployed. For now, the Mark V armor will be limited to the Fourth Company, as they are the heavy assault company. Other companies will use the Mark IV Tactical Armor, or the Mark III Stealth Armor, depending on their primary function, at least until refinements on those designs are made as new technologies are discovered. Speaking of which, as this was the first combat test of the Mark V, I would like you to compile a report of the strengths and weaknesses of the armor, along with any points you feel need to be addressed in the design.”
The Major nodded. “Yes, despite testing regimens, some problems are only uncovered once a system is tested on the battlefield. I’ll get with the squad commanders to compile a full report, but already I can say that the portable shield generators will need their heatsinks adjusted in some way. While power was not an issue, there were several times where troops were forced to take cover under fire for several minutes to deactivate their shields as temperature gauges showed the units were overheating due to the volume of fire.”
I frowned. Shields designed to augment the physical armor to protect troops having to be shut down because of overuse was a concern. “I see. Was this due to a design flaw, or the amount of fire the troops were under? There’s a limit to how much we can cheat physics, after all.”
Major Zoxl considered for a moment. “I’ll need to go through the reports to say for certain, but from my own experience, I would say that it is likely that the volume and duration of enemy fire was the primary cause. These grey-skinned aliens were plentiful to the extreme, and every last one of them was heavily armed.”
“So, it may not be a flaw of the design, but a limit of the technology itself. If it was not a design flaw being exposed by combat, then we’ll need to adjust tactics based on this information. Any preliminary suggestions, Major?”
“Yes, sir. The previous combat doctrine for Fourth Company and the Mark V relied too heavily on the Marines essentially being a mobile weapons platform. While the heavy assault weaponry was clearly very capable in putting down the grey-skins, the size and bulk of the weapons slowed troopers, and gave them some trouble in tactical movement. Given that experience, there are three doctrine changes that may work.”
“First, including multiple armament options for a variety of situations. The artillery and chain guns are useful, but not always the most useful option for any scenario. More importantly, multiple heavy weapons reach the point of diminishing returns fairly quickly. So, for a standard squad, have one Marine on artillery, one on a chain gun, and the rest on more standard weapons.”
“Obviously, the dimensional storage ability allows for all individual troops to carry multiple weapon loadouts, but having primary roles within a squad would allow for squads to react flexibly to multiple scenarios. Also, while switching weapons in the field is possible, there is a moment where you are weaponless, which is less than desirable, especially as they might get disrupted in the changeover while under fire. Most forces solve this issue with troops carrying a primary and a backup weapon, which they carry concurrently, but with the size of some of the pieces given to Fourth Company, that’s simply not practical.”
“Second, instead of the steady line dictated by the heavy weaponry, I propose that the troops operate with a variation of the ‘leapfrog’ approach other companies in the Black Star Marines use. If there are two teams, one can advance, while the other covers them, or moves in their shadow. When they reach cover, or their shields begin overheating, they switch, and the second team moves to the front. This would effectively halve the duration of time under fire, without sacrificing suppression of enemy units.”
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“This is important, because the grey-skins proved that they are a deadly force to be reckoned with. They were an undisciplined mob that seemed more concerned with firing their weapons than actually hitting anything with them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t able to keep up an effective field of fire. Further, they didn’t seem to fear death, rushing headlong into fire. Most of our casualties came in those times when the shields had to be cooled down, and the grey-skins charged into melee range.”
“Which brings up the third point, that the armaments given to the Marines should be expanded to include melee options purposely built for the enhanced abilities of Black Star Marines. With the Mark V armor, we can use bigger and more powerful weaponry, but the weapons provided are the same as would be given to a normal human. While better than a fist in most cases, having purpose-designed weaponry would be a great improvement.”
“Also, the standard-issue melee weapons were less than effective against some of the grey-skins in combat, especially the ones that were mechanically augmented. A blade, no matter how sharp, is not as useful against plate as a hammer, or some other type of weapon. If we’re going to be facing these grey-skin creatures in the future, or take on the strange beings that were reported on Pluto while the rift was open, then we’re going to need to increase our abilities, or be prepared to take increased casualties.”
I nodded slowly. “The reports said that Fourth Company suffered heavy casualties. Ten percent Killed in Action, and a further fifty-seven percent suffering serious wounds. Sixty-seven percent total casualties are grievous numbers for any group, but especially on their first operation. How are the troops holding up?”
Major Zoxl grimaced. “Having the majority of the unit either killed or wounded in their first mission as part of the Black Star Marine Corps is a blow to their pride, of course, but that is balanced by the fact that they were up against a threat that was utterly unknown before now, and they emerged victorious. Victory is a balm for a great many wounds, and the fact that most of the wounded will return to duty in time helps greatly. But if we take casualties like this every time, even victory will start tasting like ash in the mouth.”
I nodded, and said, “Good points, Major. And, to be fair, the General raised similar points when we talked across the Nomad networks after I recovered from the psychic wave. I would like your opinion on one of the ideas that we were tossing back and forth based on the need to increase the ability of our forces. Tell me, what would the reaction to Fourth Company be to a series of augmentations?”
If I hadn’t been watching Zoxl’s eyes, I would have missed the flash of uncertainty there. Cool professionalism descended upon his features like a mask. With a calm, polite voice that gave nothing away, he asked, “Like the grey-skins, sir?”
“Definitely not! From the images I’ve seen, the grey-skins were augmented by crude mechanicals, which, while functional, could not be recommended for anything other than stopping bullets and killing enemies, and carried the same scrap heap aesthetic as their ships. No, the changes I’m talking about would be more invasive than the grey-skin ones, but not as jarring. A mix of biological augmentations done through surgery and genetic manipulation to create warriors who are greater than their maximum potential as a human, knelfi, gauz, or ihm.”
Commodore Draka hissed softly under her breath. “You’re talking about something like the Iruss Degredation!” When I raised an eyebrow to her, she sighed, and said, “It is a story from the time of the first of several great conflicts that encompassed Ihm before we began moving out amongst the stars.”
She took a breath, and then continued, “Did you know, Admiral, that the males and females of the ihm were not always so different from one another? They used to be more akin to the differences between males and females amongst humans. Some basic differences, of course, for egg-laying and nurturing hatchlings, and the other biological imperatives of a sexually dimorphic species, but not so different from one another. Certainly not on the level of what we see today in the modern Imperium.”
“It is said that the Blood Matriarch, Iruss Ihm, sought to create the perfect warriors to fight her wars for her. Most warriors were males, since they were, by their nature, often slightly larger and stronger than females, and, should the worst occur, it only required a small subset of males with a relatively larger selection of females to repopulate. Iruss was not satisfied with her warriors being only ‘slightly’ stronger, and had her scientists develop a means to enhance the strength and abilities of the males.”
“A virus was created, which could be used to change the warriors at a genetic level. The changes increased the warriors’ abilities, granting them strong bones, thick hides, and powerful muscles. And it bred true, meaning that these warriors, when they produced heirs, would pass on the modification to their male children.”
“However, to ensure that they did not use their newfound strength against her, Iruss changed the virus to affect the mind, as well as the body. In males, while their physical strength grew, their minds were… restrained. Not to the point where they were rendered idiots, but it became harder for them to think strategically, or come up with new ideas.”
“But, despite the Matriarch’s wishes, the virus began to affect females, as well. Their bodies grew less powerful, but their minds, unlike those of their men, became sharper, better able to think in strategic terms. And, also despite her wishes, this change, too, bred true, and the virus itself escaped, spreading quickly across Ihm, until all were changed.”
“In the millennia since the Blood Matriarch’s downfall at the hands of her daughter, much work has gone into attempting to undo the damage caused by what would be known as the Iruss Degredation. The genetic changes were profound, but the Major here is proof that, at least, the mental… deficiencies that the earliest males affected by the Degredation suffered have been largely dealt with, though it is still rare to see a male commanding a force like one of the Legions, especially without a female officer as a strategic aide.”
I sighed heavily. “It would seem that every civilization is plagued by those who would think themselves equal to whatever creator deity their people believe in, and seeks to remake the people in their own image. I understand full well the concerns you raised, and it is part of the reason why the Black Star Marines have not gone this route before. However, it would seem that the rules of the game have changed, and we’re going to have to change with them, or face losses, perhaps greater losses than we faced this time.”
“Commodore, Major, this hasn’t gone out yet, but I’m sending a general order to all the people of your rank and the science teams to devise potential augmentation strategies. From you, I want what types of augmentations you and your people might be willing to accept. Further, I want a ‘wish list’ of augments you might want. The science teams will be going over the list, and deciding which can be done with existing technology, which may require further research, and which are simply out of the question at this time. Until then, we will attempt to limit our exposure to creatures from Chaotic Space, and keep our casualties to a minimum.”
They both nodded. “Understood, Sir.”
“Good. Now, Major, show me around this junkheap you captured, and let’s see if the scientists have found anything worth adapting to our own technology. We can think about the other things later.”