Chronicles of Sol: The Fall

By now we are likely somewhat familiar with this technology. Powered assault armor functions on the same basic principles as starship overlord armor but has been miniaturized to protect a single soldier. However different materials are in use. Instead of the heavy Titan alloy, these suits use a much lighter polymer blend to make up the armored plating that protects the wearer.

The plates are also laminated, coated with a thin layer of metal and then integrated with AIF and energy absorber circuitry and left floating on top of a layer of advanced shock gel, with a special nano weave under that. The result is a strong layered protection against incoming attacks, even without power the wearer benefits from a decent degree of protection. The AIF field running through the plates helps ensure most small arms fail to breach the suit, turning the wearer into a walking tank. Naturally, this setup also ends up as reasonably thick and if you aren’t careful can end up rather bulky.

The innermost layer of the suit’s protection, the nano weave, is a carefully constructed layer of artificial fibers, circuitry and sensors. It functions like an advanced form of kevlar, preventing rounds from penetrating the wearer's body and dissipating the thermal shock of an energy blast. The integrated sensors in this layer are also used to monitor the general health of the wearer and report that data to a control computer mounted in the user’s helmet, where it can be displayed on their HUD. Furthermore, suits of the type also included an emergency medical system that will deploy medical nanites and stimulants as required to keep the wearer in the fight. This system is able to handle a wide variety of battlefield injuries and is also able to keep critically injured soldiers alive for several hours. Although such soldiers may require the use of a nano-bath before they can fight again.

Also part of the innermost layers of the suit are the synthetic muscles. These are composed of advanced circuitry and special fibers that serve to enhance the wearer’s capabilities. Allowing for incredible displays of speed and strength. Trained soldiers in a suit have been noted to lift or even throw lighter vehicles and tests have found a consistent lift capacity of nearly twenty tons and double that with the newer mark IV suits. While also allowing them to run nearly as fast as some vehicles. Mark III suits have been shown to allow people to run at nearly thirty-two kilometers per hour more than double what the fastest runners can achieve unassisted, while the newer Mark IV suits promise roughly triple that with a consistent test of ninety kilometers per hour. Fast enough to outrun some of the fastest predators on Earth, at least the ones that can’t fly that is.

The next part to cover is the shock gel, this stuff is also used in starship armor. It’s normally a very solid layer but when struck it ripples distributing the energy of an incoming strike over a much larger area and away from the wearer’s vitals. Energy absorber circuits further aid the process by shunting energy away from the layer and back into the armor’s AIF.

The AIF or armor integrity field functions much the same as it does in starship armor. It serves to harden or enhance the integrity of the suit. Allowing the armored plates to better withstand the stresses they are subjected too, while also absorbing a portion of any incoming energy blast. The combination of these two critical factors allow the armored suit to absorb nearly any attack. At least when it comes to small arms.

Like any form of protection, if you throw enough energy at it, you are bound to do some damage. The armor has in the past proven susceptible to sustained energy beams, high energy blasts and heavy bombardment. The HUD serves to alert the wearer of the AIF’s integrity and also monitors things like how much power their suit has left and their weapon status. Tactical sensors and integrated comms on the suit also allow for a tactical display that reveals the locations of nearby allied units and spotted enemy units. Allowing the wearer to keep better track of potential threats, and know if their armor is about to fail.

Moving on, power like any powered suit, a source of energy is required to run the thing. While an integrated reactor would be ideal, the technology to allow for a micro reactor in something as small as a powered assault armor suit doesn’t exist. Instead these suits rely on high density energy cells, in effect batteries. These are packed into armored power packs that supply sufficient energy for several hours of operation. By design these packs can be swapped in the field with the appropriate tool to allow for additional operation time, or can be plugged into any vehicle with a power plant to recharge. Wireless charging is only possible with packs that have been removed from the suit. Power packs come in two types, first and second generation Archer series cells, but the original Archer type has largely been phased out in favor of the enhanced versions developed on the Enterprise.

Powered assault armor has been around for a while, with a total of four generations to date. Not counting the generation zero platforms that preceded it, as they are not true examples of powered armor. Currently, the Enterprise crew has both generation three and four examples available for its military and security personnel.

The basic technology between the two generations remains the same, but gen four provides superior strength, mobility and protection to the wearer but draws more power from the battery. Giving the mark III versions better endurance as a result.

Regardless of generation, the suits currently in use can be divided into three major categories. The first category to cover is often referred to as either light or recon powered armor.

Armor of this variant is typically built lighter with less protection and a focus on mobility and stealth. Suits in the category often include camouflage features and electronic cloaking. Allowing a soldier to more easily avoid detection from potential hostiles, while the lighter weight along with special changes to the muscle layer result in lighter quieter steps.

While many different versions of recon armor have been produced for various militaries since the inception of powered armor, the Enterprise forces only make use of a handful.First on the list is the Star Tech Industries Panther Recon Mk III.

The Panther Recon, features a full camo suite, including computer-controlled refractive surfaces, em shielding, and sensor-damping materials included in the makeup of the armor. The armor is remarkably light, weighing in at just shy of forty kilograms. Less than half what most conventional armor designs would weigh. The suit provides the standard measure of enhancement, includes a medical suite and is capable of independent life support, but its protection is modest at best. Most light pistols and rifles can be blocked by the plating, but any heavier weapon will punch right through. Like most recon armor formats, it’s best to avoid being in the line of fire while wearing a suit.

Recently, Enterprise labs have produced a Mark IV version which maintains the stealth features, but features improved life support systems, much improved speed enhancements and protection. The more powerful batteries also allow for it to function a few hours longer than the Mk III did with standard batteries.

Next on the list of lighter armor suits, is the Delta III. Also produced by Star Tech, the Delta series was designed first and foremost as a hardened environmental suit, allowing a wearer to survive in a variety of environments. The Delta III unlike the Panther is not intended for use by recon units and as such stealth features were not included. This allowed the suit to be more durable than the Panther line. Delta series suits are noted for featuring built in plasma welders, cutters and a diagnostic scanner. The suit is popular among engineers, damage control specialists and combat engineer units. A newer Delta IV has recently begun production on Enterprise for use by her engineering staff.

Moving on from light armor design are the heavier medium suits. Balancing, weight, protection, and capability to provide a capable suit well suited for general purpose use. The Enterprise crew left port with two designs and has more recently begun producing generation four versions to replace the standard generation three designs.

First up is a suit that you should be familiar with, the Sierra Mk III. A favorite of the ship’s marine companies, the Sierra series of suits is designed with an internal skeleton that negates its own weight, mostly. The user will hardly feel the suit, and will benefit from its remarkable protection. The main torso and helmet areas are especially thick serving to better protect the vital areas, while the limb armor is thinner so as to avoid hampering the wearer’s mobility. The suit’s enhancement system provides a competitive balance of speed and strength. Integrated tactical sensors and a complex heads up system give the user a comprehensive view of the battlefield, while a powerful internal comm system allows the soldier to keep up to date on battlefield developments and even receive new orders from ships in orbit.

The second design was intended for the ship’s security troops. The Centurion III is not significantly different from the S-III but lacks many of the tactical features. It was built as a lighter, cheaper option when compared to the S-III, but it does have one notable feature. A hard point for a wrist-mounted back-up weapon.

With new Mark IV suits now in production, the two designs are now being merged into a single standard issue suit for all companies. Now referred to as the Centurion-S Mark IV. The Mark IV suits merge the features of both lines to produce a solid general purpose infantry armor and is currently being issued to elite company units before general rollout to all forces.

Finally there is the heavier armor intended for frontline shock troops. This armor sacrifices mobility in favor of very strong protection and brutal strength enhancements. Soldiers wearing these suits are typically cybernetically enhanced due to the significant weight of the armor. However it is possible to use it without those enhancements, but it does require an apex specimen for proper results. Only one line of armor was deemed acceptable by planners prior to the launch of the Enterprise.

Star Tech Industry’s Vanguard series Heavy Assault Armor. Weighing in at nearly triple the weight of your average alpha male, it provides phenomenal protection against most small arms and even some vehicle-mounted weapons. It comes stock with a mounted riot shield, wrist-mounted weapons, and a computer-controlled shouldered mounted heavy weapon, specifically a 20mm anti-tank photon shell cannon with SPAP (shield and armor piercing) shells. Twin high-capacity archer series power cells provide power for up to five hours of operation. While soldiers in this suit are only half as fast as those in standard issue armor, they have been shown able to lift double what would be possible with an S-III. The Vanguard is well suited to mission profiles that require heavy firepower and strong protection, such as a frontal assault against a fortified position, but they do suffer from high power requirements.

Currently, all Vanguard III suits have already been replaced by the new Vanguard IV model which features improved protection, upgraded power systems, and a new loading system for the shoulder-mounted cannon. Allowing for a slightly quicker reload, shell capacity remains the same at ten shells per mag. The Vanguard-IV doesn’t significantly improve mobility over the mark III but does maintain the incredible bursts of strength earlier models allowed. Soldiers in the suit are often issued heavy weapons like the HPL-400 to pair with their shouldered mounted photon shell cannon, wrist mount of choice, and the built-in riot shield. As such the shield is designed with a heavy weapon in mind.