Imperial Dreadnought Corps
Composition
Equipment
scout power armour
Physical Augmentation
Scout armour relies on a specially developed synthetic muscle fibre for physical strength and responsiveness, developed from an industrial lifting system. In short, braided chelant-based molecular muscles are spun together and encapsulated with saline solution inside flexible watertight membranes. Activation of the muscle is performed by dumping a voltage differential into the saline, changing oxidation states inside the weaved-together molecules and so contracting or relaxing the whole system by cumulative molecular reorientations. The overall system is swifter and stronger than organic muscle but suffers from a finite lifespan of solution and requires regeneration. Secondary, conventional actuators are tied into the neural interface network and provide measured deliberate strength. As a secondary activation system, these actuators monitor and mimic the actions of synthetic muscles. Protection
The Cloakkng Module is a relatively simple masking system by starship standards but quite advanced given its size. Microcameras over the armour surface monitor and report the relative background in the visible, IR, microwave and radio spectra and adaptive screens repeat the same spectra on the opposite side. Unlile conventional cloaks, this system also fools thermal optics and security systems monitoring for the presence of a humanoid-shaped object. The cloaking module is designed to fool a single target at a known location, with internal computers able to correct for refraction, parrelax and similar variables that trip up conventional adaptive stealth systems. When faced with mobile observers objects from multiple directions, the software struggles to accommodate and simplifies its output, reverting to a digital ghillie suit of sorts. While a limited self-repair mechanism does exist, battle damage generally does degrade the quality of both cameras and screens.
History
The origins of the Dreadnoughts was far form prestigious, and dates back to the near-contagious instability and infighting that characterised the final days of the Terran Republic.
Formed as a deliberate counter to renowned enemy formations, their original remit was as assassins of heroes. Where a prestigious or well-liked military unit emerged to rally the morale of their comrades, the Dreadnoughts would be dispatched specifcally to execute their leaders and cull all experienced or talented fighters. The tactics employed at this time were a mix of military shock attacks, planned war crimes and outright acts of terror - if bleeding the enemy of their hope required prisoners of war to disappear, or a whole city to be levelled by a deorbiting bulk frieghter, the Dreadnoughts were eager to oblige.
Rehabhilitating the image of these soldiers was a process of centuries, and occurred through direct intervention by the palace. Consultants drawn from the Dreadnought's senior commanders were originally intended to develop security strategies, but they had a habit of staying involved as bodyguards. By the time Emperor Payton VIII came to reform and reorganise the defence of the imperial palace, the Imperial Dreadnoughts (as they came to be known) dominated both palace security and personal life guards. The corps took on a double life of sorts - small, highly trained and equipped squadrons would periodically be detached from the respectable life of palace guard to indulge in their original mission profile.
As the Terran Empire aged and grew brittle at its borders, the role of the Dreadnoughts changed again. Teams of elite soldiers would more and more often be dispatched as firefighters, sent to destabilise myriad enemies and give punch to the common Terran soldier on a theatre by theatre (or even battle by battle) basis. In modern days, especially with the war against the Coalition, fully half of the Dreadnoughts' strength is on deployment at any one time and always dispersed over whole stellar provinces. As overstretched as they are, Terran admirals are forced to use the once infamous hero-slayers as icons themselves to rally shaken frontlines.
Type
Covert Ops
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