[NCC] New Covenant Church Internal Neural Net Channel

[John Constantine]

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RECEIVER ID : All Curia

SOURCE : House of the Guard

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Commander of NCC Ground Forces
Captain Eduardo Marquez

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Greetings, Your Holiness and Your Eminences.

I'm adressing to you, by order of the Field Maestre de Alba, to inform you of the new improvements that have been made to the equipment of the military forces of the Church. The Field Maestre would have liked to do it himself, but he's currently training personally the Militia members in the use of this new gear. He apologizes in advance, but unlike the Guard, our militiamen are basically weekend soldiers, they have their lives and jobs outside of being in the Militia, and their training is much less. So, it will be necessary to work hard so that they can adapt as quickly as possible to the changes.

First of all, I would like to thank the Curia for the increase in the approved budget to be able to purchase new material. Thanks to this, we've been able to contact a transport company, Interstellar Transit, which has been in charge of purchasing the required cargo and the logistics to bring it here, four days ago. The material in question consists of 40 infantry combat vehicles and 3,850 units of various personal combat armor. This is all second-hand military surplus brought over from Bretonia, but although the material isn't new, it's in very good condition. In addition during these last days we've been checking and reconditioning the equipment so that it fits like a glove to our needs.

The batch of combat vehicles has come in three different models, and will allow us to completely retire all of our old Phalanxes, which we brought with us from Gran Canaria during the exodus.

*The captain looks off-screen and reaches out to touch something. He then disappears from the screen, giving way to a new carousel of images that change as his voice is heard in the background.*

For those of you who don't remember, the Bretonian S-320G "Phalanx" is a model of armoured personal carrier that the late Pontiff Paolus LXIV, may Deux have his soul in Glory, acquired for the Guard in 822 AS, in order to mechanise our ground units and provide them with fast mobility. He bought twenty, but we only managed to bring ten of these vehicles to Pygar, and they were in pretty bad shape too. Bear in mind that they were already quite old when they entered our service, and have been practically unused since their purchase.

Furthermore, the Phalanx is an obsolete model in every aspect. Its alloy-composite armour is incapable of offering adequate protection against contemporary advanced weaponry, its active protection system is 50 years old and it lacks deflector shields. As for its offensive capability, the main weapon is a 40mm automatic railgun that fires common kinetic ammunition, pretty ineffective against any deflector system. Last but not least, it's a wheeled vehicle. This may seem trivial, but this is currently not the most suitable for the terrain in which we move.

Next, I would like to introduce you to the three new models of combat vehicles that will now make up the ground fleet of the Pontifical Guard and our Militia, the 1st Rangers of Faith Haven.

This is the new FW-1090S "Bodyguard", an infantry fighting vehicle also manufactured in Bretonia, by Glastonbury Solutions Inc. Although it's not a last generation model either, it was only developed and released a decade ago, so it cannot be compared to our old Phalanxes. We've received a total of 30 units of this vehicle.

It carries a crew of three and can carry a maximum of 10 soldiers in its cargo space, two more than the old Phalanx. It also has an aerodynamic construction that makes it difficult to detect by long-distance radars, with an exterior covering of wave deflector panels, and it also comes equipped with a heat sink that is capable of hiding its thermal signature by up to 80%.

As for protection systems, its armor is made of a light alloy of iridium and titanium capable of even stopping direct hits from non-overloaded plasma weapons. It also has Barrier-class molecular deflector shields, and an active missile interception system. In addition to all this, it carries a short-range plasma cannon, which means a great increase in firepower, and a coaxial photon machine gun, capable of firing 8 projectiles per second.

Lastly, mobility again. This is a turbine-powered tracked IFV, capable of reaching 120 kilometers per hour on flat ground, and fast and agile enough on the most difficult terrain. The icing on the cake is its auxiliary magnetic repulsor propulsion system, which allows the Bodyguard to move by levitation at a maximum height of 1.5 meters, with an autonomy of close to 2 hours. More than enough time to overcome any orographic obstacle that even tracks cannot face.

The second model that will be added to our new ground fleet is the FW-1050S "Hunter", also manufactured in Bretonia by the same company as the Bodyguard, as some of you may have guessed from its similar lines. The Hunter is a more powerful model than its smaller cousin, and is a mix between a main battle tank and an IFV. The combat capabilities of this vehicle far exceed those of the Bodyguard, retaining virtually all of the capabilities already possessed by the other model. We've aqquired a total of 5 units.

It carries a crew of four, although its increased performance limits its capacity as a troop transport to eight. It has the same characteristics and benefits from the same thermal signature and radar concealment systems as the Bodyguard, but its protection capacity against enemy fire is increased. Thicker armour prevents penetration even by overloaded plasma weapons, and it carries two Barrier-class deflector shields that can even be oriented in the desired direction by the crew member appointed as systems operator.

Besides, in terms of firepower, the main weapon is a modern rail gun that shoots accelerated fusion slugs, capable of penetrating practically any type of armor, and a coaxial pulse repeater cannon, to deal with the deflector shields of enemy targets. It also has a missile-based offensive anti-aircraft defense system capable of shooting down light air attackers. Mobility is, of course, reduced by the vehicle's greater weight, despite its larger engine and two turbines. This model also lacks a repulsor propulsion system, and it will be its tracks wich will have to deal with the hard terrain.

Finally, we've the ZX-30 "Lynx", an all-terrain armored transport, Bretonian-made, and weaponized with a light repeating laser cannon which can be fired manually or by remote control. The Lynx is an extremely fast, lightly armored wheeled reconnaissance vehicle capable of stopping medium-caliber kinetic weapon projectiles and some light laser weapons. It can accommodate up to 6 soldiers including driver and gunner, and has a good storage space in its trunk to carry ammunition and operational material. It's perfect for carrying out reconnaissance tasks behind enemy lines, or for high-risk patrols. It also has an integrated pressurized closure system with air filters that allows it to transport its passengers in toxic or unbreathable environments.

Honestly, the Lynx is not the type of vehicle we were most interested in, but it was included in the lot that Interstellar Transit got for us, so we'll put it to good use anyway. Its function will be to complement the other reconnaissance vehicles we already have in service, which basically consist of some civilian jeeps to which we had added homemade armor made of titanium plates, and some squad machine guns on the roof. The vehicle batch contained only 5 of these model, which have already been assigned to urban security patrols within Faith Haven.

*The last vehicle disappears and Captain Marquez reappears on screen, checking a tablet for a seconds. Then look at the camera.*

Well, let's now talk about the shipment of personal protective equipment that accompanied the vehicles. As you may know, the small number of our Pontifical Guard and the lack of opportunities for its entry into combat in recent years has meant that we have been postponing the acquisition of new personal protective equipment. However, a little over a year ago, coinciding with the Freeport 9 crisis, a large order for weapons was made in order to renew the Guard's weapons and arm the new Militia that was to be formed.

*Marquez manipulates again something outside the frame and disappears, giving way to new images.*

The Militia was equipped with uniforms and personal protective equipment corresponding to very old surpluses from the Guard itself. So old, that some even belonged to the marine infantry personnel of the lost ship of Juan de Alba, the Magallanes, even before the foundation of the Church. It's a gear that, while it can still stop shrapnel and low-caliber kinetic ammunition, is completely obsolete.

Since there is no shortage of crises lately, it's possible that at some point a situation will arise in which both the Pontifical Guard and the Militia will have to act. We're a small community, and we don't have many military personnel, so it's a priority to try to preserve as many of our men's lives as possible. For this reason, several batches of armour of various types have been acquired, in order to renew the equipment of both the Pontifical Guard and the Militia, making them more effective in combat and more resistant to casualties.

These armors are military surplus from various sources, and have been purchased in quantities far in excess of those needed to equip our forces. In this way we'll cover the possibility of increasing the number of our forces in the future, as well as the need for spare parts.

For the past three days, the militiamen have been equipped with the M-50 "Svarog MKI" armor and are currently training with it to get used to its capabilities. This Rheinland-made armor is a standard issue among private military contractor operators and mercenaries. Light enough to not get in the way in intense action environments, it's woven from polymer composites and iridium mesh, providing Level IV protection against kinetic projectiles. The front and back have plate holders that house iridium fusion plates and ceramic materials, capable of deflecting light laser weapon fire, and saving the wearer's life from higher caliber laser weapons. The open helmet that's part of the set shares the same properties as the plates.

In addition, the armor has a personal hydration system, an integrated communications array, modular rails for attach night and thermal vision devices, and real-time monitoring of the wearer's health status. The latter allows field medics to provide immediate assistance, knowing all the information about the wounded in combat in record time, at times when every second can be the difference between life or death.

Some Militia units have also been equipped with sets of the MKII version of the same armor, that we've received in less quantity. This is a superior model where the front vest is replaced by a cast breastplate made of ceramic compounds, titanium and enriched iridium, as well as protective plates of the same material on the shoulders and arms are added. Basically it provides much higher protection against energy weapons than its MKI counterpart, but at the same time it's more rigid and therefore more uncomfortable. For the rest, it has identical features to the Svarog MKI.

As I said, only a few elements of the Militia have been supplied with it, specifically a hundred who are assigned as "defensive shock forces", and who are receiving more intensive and dedicated training than the rest of their colleagues.

I hope that with these new additions, and the further training that's being provided to them, the militiamen of the 1st Rangers of Faith Haven will eventually end up being a capable defensive force, that can truly support the smaller numbers of the Pontifical Guard in defending our colony. They have been in service for a whole year now and certainly don't lack devotion and will, but that alone doesn't make a veteran soldier, so we'll continue working with them.

Next, I will talk you about the new additions for the Guard, which has also received a complete renovation in personal protective equipment.

While the Guard does have Cr-13 "Ares" power armor, this type of power-assisted armor relies on a fusion core to operate that is expensive to maintain and replace. As such, for non-combat duty assignments, such as security patrols or guarding government buildings, Guard soldiers use lightweight gear, which until now was almost as obsolete as that used by the Militia.

Well, I present to you the new personal protective equipment that we have designated for exclusive use by the Pontifical Guard, the VZ-3600 "Salamander" combat armor. This technologically cutting-edge piece is manufactured at Liberty and is one of the best personal protection sets that can be found at Sirius. It was a surprise to find it in the surplus batch that we acquired, and in a good number of them, so after screen printing and dyeing them white, we were able to equip all the elements of the Guard. You will surely have already seen some of them patrolling the Palace Square.

This armor consists of a thermal plastic-ceramic alloy breastplate, cast with iridium mesh, several plates of the same material to cover arms, shoulders and legs, and a full helmet with armored visor. All of this is placed on a fireproof combat suit, resistant to extreme heat and cold. In terms of performance, it provides high-quality protection against any type of kinetic and laser ammunition, and is capable of stopping medium plasma impacts. It has integrated communication systems, localization, guided targeting, health monitoring, night vision, thermal vision and external air filtering.

The best thing about this armor is that due to the material it's made of, it's extremely light for the level of protection it provides, so those who wear it will be able to move practically as if they were wearing a tracksuit.

I have spoken before about the venerable Cr-13 "Ares" power armor, that the Guard has in service as combat equipment. These pieces, although frankly beautiful, and ornamentally unsurpassed, are very far from being the best assault equipment that the Guard can have. They were acquired second-hand in Crete, in 820 AS, by the former Field Maestre Don Juan de Alba, to arm the then newly created Pontifical Guard.

Their construction dates back almost eighty years and now are almost collector's items. Their plates are made primarily of steel and titanium, making them vulnerable to virtually any plasma weapon, their mobility is quite limited, and the integrated communications system is old. They're capable of operating in a vacuum, and have NBC air renewal filters, but lack health monitoring.

Worst of all, they run on antique fusion cores, which are difficult to replace and very slow to recharge, which makes their use at full power very expensive to maintain. Currently, outside of combat situations, they are only used by the guards who protects His Holiness's chambers and other rooms. However, thanks again to the purchased batch, we have also managed to retire the Ares and equip the Guard with a modern and effective assault equipment.

This is the HP-230 "Lizard" power armor, also manufactured in Liberty as the Salamander, and powered by two last generation fusion cores, which can be quickly removed and exchanged even in the heat of combat. The Lizard can even operate with only one of the cores working, allowing to replace one of them without removing the whole armor, and then replacing the other, for a full recharge.

As for its level of protection, it is simply fantastic. It will take several shots from heavy plasma weapons to penetrate its titanium, depleted uranium and iridium alloy armor, and even then, the armor will probably protect its wearer's life, absorbing heat and dissipating radiation to minimize damage. It also has integrated all the communications systems, life support, filters, vacuum resistance, health monitoring, and a device of special vision for situations of reduced visibility.

Its mobility is exceptional, and the power-assistance allows its wearer to run twice as fast as a trained human, perform long jumps and lift up to 400 kilos of weight with practically no effort, with a maximum limit of 650 kilos. In addition, it has a MOX propulsion system built into its back, which allows it to make short flights of about 200 meters both vertically and horizontally.

The Guard as a whole has already been supplied with the new Lizards, once they have been dyed white and silkscreened, and the old Ares will be relegated to ceremonial functions and honour guards.

*Captain Marquez appears on screen again with a slight smile of satisfaction, but with a serious look.*

Excellencies, I hope you are pleased with the use that has been given to the Church's money on this occasion. Believe me when I say that thanks to the financial effort made, Faith Haven is better protected than before, and that our forces will now be able to perform much more effectively any task that comes our way. Money spent on defense often seems like a waste, but I assure you it's not. Dark times are approaching once again for the corner of the Omicrons where we are now, and I know that it's the Will of Our Lord that we prepare to defend His Holy Mandate.

Deux Vult.

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