Relias: Uprising (71 page)

Originally, a Blazer still operated on a gas and flame basis. However, what he changed was the complexity of the muzzle. With its new design, a Blazer's flame could be adjusted on several levels, those levels being temperature, spread, and intensity.

Over the years, the Blazers became as much of a name as the Helldog who wielded them, and eventually Legionnaire R&D picked up on the design and constructed and mass produced a Blazer of their own. However, once these new Legionnaire Blazers had already been distributed, Hendrick and Durant engineers put together a new generation of Blazer. This Blazer, the same ones Hendrick uses upon Luke's jailbreak, eliminate the use of a gas tank and instead use basic Elemental to create the flame. This new device, assembled in the final years of the Durant Revolution, has a built-in Furo battery and manipulates Furo much in the same way as a Durant uses Elemental. Because of this, the flame produced by the Blazer has the potential to burn hotter, larger, and more intense than any Legionnaire Blazer.

Raze Armor

Raze armor was originally designed as a mining vehicle used to be productive in highly hazardous environments. At this point it was referred to as Grave Armor, a multipurpose machine that saw widespread use in a number of different functions including but not at all limited to mining, factory work, and freight work. This nearly limitless versatility captured the attention of Alexander Carlisle , who, along with the design team behind the Grave armor, rebuilt the Grave armor around the same basic framework. What resulted was Raze armor, a weapon of war unprecedented in its versatility and ruggedness.

Design

Raze armor stands at a solid fifteen feet tall. Operable only by men no larger than six foot five, its cockpit is spacious enough only for the pilot and an approximate foot of nose room while covering only the operator's main torso down to his waist, the rest of him protected by thick armored steel. It sits on the front of a larger pod, the sides of which are more open, allowing the operators arms to move more freely. The operator controls the Raze's arms by moving their own arms while resting inside a mechanical frame known as the Operation Sleeve. The Raze will then mimic the movement as closely as possible, mimicking arm, wrist, hand and even finger movement. In order for the operator to  grab objects with accuracy, several simple objects are stored within the pod, including smaller scale cannons and poles that create a sense of physical space for the operator. In order to disengage the arms, the operator must raise their pointer and little fingers only, flex their hand, and release. Movement is controlled through various finger sequences and combinations which determine speeds such as walk, trot, jog, and run. For power, the Raze is powered by a Hyken Reactor, one of the smallest Furo reactors in production.

Grave Armor

Grave armor came as a response to a relative dearth of Highlander dock workers as most Highlanders who decided to contribute to society would sooner enlist in the First Legionnaire. Because their size and strength came at such high demand, crew managers began thinking of other ways that they might be able to achieve the same results at a cheaper, long-term rate. With that in mind, independent contractors, later absorbed by the Commune, developed Grave Armor. With the Grave they were able to increase efficiency and drive down labor costs, saving millions of steele every year.

Machbike

Being the third fastest vehicle in the world, the Machbike is a widely used and heavily relied upon vehicle not only in the First Legionnaire, but by civilians as well. The civilian build of the Machbike has a speed governor which prevents speeds in excess of 300 MPH while the military build can reach a maximum speed of 800 MPH. Function as both a tool for increasing aerodynamics as well as protecting the pilot, acceleration of the Machbike requires that the pilot stretch themselves out across the bike, extending their feet downward onto the foot pedals, thus forcing them below the bike's windshield and making it difficult to get caught in the sonic jet streams surrounding the bike at such high speeds. The Legionnaire Machbike, though, is equipped with a series of turrets located on the front of the bike, giving it effective offensive capabilities while its speed and maneuverability make it a difficult target to hit.

Battlecraft

By far the most common form of troop transport, the Battlecraft has seen a number of variations and builds over its 19 year life cycle. Originally built as a harrier, the Battlecraft was redesigned around the new anti-gravity technology developed during the D.R.A and the Durant Revolution. And while there are a number of different Battlecraft, most can be found with the same basic layout: Two large, sliding doors on either side of the craft with Paxical viewports, a two-pilot cockpit and four thrusters, Ignata based, designed for lower speeds but more rapid acceleration for quick extractions from dangerous landing zones. Other more common variations on the Battlecraft include those equipped with rear bay doors,  and less commonly those equipped with heavy weapons.

Stimulant Dose

A Stimulant Dose entered alpha testing in 254 M.I. with the subsequent research being classified at the highest levels. Though its origins are known only to a handful of people (its project leader having been Dr. Malcolm Rowlings) the final product, dubbed the Stimulant Dose or the Stim Dose, gives the user heightened senses as well as amplified aggression and strength. Due to its extreme acceleration of the user's body, Stim Doses are most often reserved for larger individuals, most commonly Berserkers and Monoliths. Overdosing on a Stim can result in cardiac arrest and shock as well as brain aneurisms and strokes. It is administered by needle.

Razor Flail

A standard issue weapon for Legionnaire Skirmishers, a Razor Flail measures 12-feet in length. Its handle is ergonomically designed for single hand use. Attached to the handle is a 12-foot, 1/32 inch steel fiber cable with 3 inch, razor sharp blades placed every 6 inches and placed oppositely one another.

Battlecruisers

With the invention of Gravplates in 252 M.I, a new generation of heavily armored aircraft was made possible. Over the 13 years following the construction of the first Battlecruiser, there have been three generations of Battlecruiser; the Primal, the Mysto, and the Helio.

Primal

The Primal Battlecruiser was the first generation of Battlecruiser. Originally designed to provide heavy air support, the Primal eventually became known as a rapid response cruiser due to its speed and maneuverability unrivalled by its Mysto and Helio cousins. And unlike the Mysto, which faced discontinuation at the advent of the Helio, the Primal  remained in production due to its previously mentioned qualities.

Build and Weaponry

Measuring 1200 feet in length, the Primal is the smallest Battlecruiser of any generation with a maximum flight speed of 300 MPH. With only a single launch bay at the rear of the ship, the Primal is the least ideal craft for cargo and troop transport.  Its weapons systems, originally heavy and comprehensive, have been simplified while the focus of the Primal is rapid response. Its weapon's systems have been designed for maximum damage and efficiency while maintaining its agility. And while a Primal retains its effectiveness in head-to-head combat scenarios, its main purpose is to provide resistance and support until larger cruisers such as the Helio can arrive.

     While originally equipped with a powerful main cannon mounted on the cruiser's nose, it was later removed with the purpose of weight reduction and power redistribution. Other cannons placed along the ship's exterior have also faced downgrades or removal in favor of smaller, lighter weapons. What remains are a dozen particle cannons placed along the ship's belly,  eight particle turrets placed along either side of the Primal making a total of sixteen, and three heavy, anti-air cannons placed along its top.

     While earlier makes of the Primal lacked them, later generations were equipped with Furo shields, technology derived from an Elemental Barrier. These shields can be adjusted in terms of spread and angle and can cover any portion of the ship or even the entire ship at once. The downside to any artificially produced Barrier, though, is that the more area it covers at maximum energy, the less resilient it becomes. As such, if this Barrier were to be adjusted to encompass the whole of the craft, its defense capabilities would be hindered and would be unable to repel rounds from anything larger than a .40 caliber rifle round.

Mysto

The Second generation of Mysto came around five years after the maiden voyage of the first Primal in 252 M.I. It was built in response to the questionable stealth of the Primal and the stealth of the battlecruisers as a whole. As such, it was equipped with jets placed at various points around the ship's hull. These jets would emulate a wide variety of clouds, engulfing the craft in a shroud of white mist that, from the ground, looks nothing like an actual battlecruiser. After numerous observations questioning the suspicion of a single, large cloud in the sky, autonomous drones were included with the craft that would position themselves around the craft to create irregular cloud patterns thus making a shrouded Mysto more difficult to spot. In order to maintain its cover within its generated cloud, the Mysto must travel at a slow enough speed, preventing the ship from getting too far ahead of its cloud and consequently revealing itself. Later in its lifecycle, however, in 263, the invention of the Helio, working in tandem with state-of-the-art radar tracking systems and longer range weapons, made the need for discretion unnecessary. And while it was slowly phased out, the Mysto faced complete discontinuation in 264 M.I..

Build and Weaponry

     Measuring at 1500 yards, the Mysto was a stark departure from the Primal with a maximum flight speed of 200 MPH (Some exceptions can be made, however, as later models were built with Helio Reactors, replacing the smaller, unamplified Ignata reactors. Many factions in possession of Mysto cruisers including the Darks and the Enforcers have been retrofitted with Helio reactors, putting their speed on par with Primals and even making it possible for the implementation of Sweep Lasers, though sacrifices to other weapons systems had to be made.)

     In terms of weaponry, the stock Mysto is similarly equipped as the Primal as both took advantage of the once revolutionary Ignata reactor. With the Gravplates on the Primal being utilized below their maximum negative-G output, the Mysto size of the Mysto was subsequently increased, making room for weapons systems competitive with those of the Primal while also creating space for troops and cargo. Along both sides of the craft are nine particle turrets with eighteen turrets in all (having two more turrets than the Primal's sixteen). Along its belly are sixteen particle cannons  with four anti-air cannons placed along its top.

     With the same reactor as the Primal, the Mysto's shield deployment is identical to that of the Primal. They are  equipped with Furo shields, technology derived from an Elemental Barrier. These shields can be adjusted in terms of spread and angle and can cover any portion of the ship or even the entire ship at once. The downside to any artificially produced Barrier, though, is that the more area it covers at maximum energy, the less resilient it becomes. As such, if this Barrier were to be adjusted to encompass the whole of the craft, its defense capabilities would be hindered and would be unable to repel rounds from anything larger than a .40 caliber rifle round.

Helio

Considered to be the crown jewels of the Legionnaire navy, the Helio battlecruiser is the pinnacle of weapons technology.  With the first Helio seeing field action in 265 M.I, the Helio changed the way that the world viewed the First Legionnaire. Its immense size and unsurpassed weaponry made it something to be feared by the enemies of the Commune. Built around its namesake, the Helio Furo reactor, the Helio cruiser is capable of delivering massive troop and cargo payloads to the most hostile and dangerous environments.

Build and Weaponry

The Helio is the largest manmade object in the world. With a length of 2100 yards, it exceeds the Mysto's length by  600 yards while containing weapons systems which, though similar, cause the Mysto's to pale in comparison.  On both sides of the craft are eight anti-matter turrets  and six particle turrets, amounting to twenty-eight turrets in all. Six anti-air cannons are placed along the ship's top while four heavy artillery cannons are placed on the ship's front.

     What makes the Helio so lethal, particularly to enemy infantry, is the fact that the stock cruiser comes equipped with twelve Sweep Lasers along its belly, allowing it to turn flesh, steel and earth to glass.

Blackshredder