Infantryman

"Ah, yes, mere infantry - poor beggars"
-Plautus

Book I	Book II	Book III
Fall of Roku San	Earth Landing	Fetial Times

What is?

The Infantryman series of novellas is military science fiction written in the first and third person, and explores themes of societal manipulation, psychic communication and control, military violence and human interaction amidst the downfall of the species.

It could be considered a sequel to Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers, as it is set within the universe he established. The government of this society is a military dictatorship known as the Terran Federation. The second chapter of the first book is a loose novelisation of the first thirty minutes of the motion picture Starship Troopers 3, set during the turbulent times of the Second Arachnid War. The action begins during the fall of Roku San, and from there a human conscript experiences battle and chaos across the collapsing human civilisation.

Series chronology [click to Amazon]

1. Book I: Fall of Roku San [UK]
2. Book II: Earth Landing [UK]
3. Book III: Fetial Times [UK]
4. Book IV: Sohocan Rising
5. Book V: Earth Conquest
6. Book VI: Sanctuary

Notes

I was originally inspired to write Infantryman by a certain screenplay of Edward Neumeier's. He managed to capture the claustrophobia of futuristic frontline trench warfare very well considering the restraints of the franchise. Naturally I wanted to expand on this. If anyone knows how to get in contact with him, please let me know!

Illustration

I am looking to hire someone to draw up a front cover, and perhaps one or two other pieces of artwork. Contact me for further information. This is a PAID position.

You know what to do: "Get in there and kill 'em all!"

Now follows some technical information of interest to readers of the book:

Information

List of characters (incomplete)

• Schenck, W. descended from Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg.
• Merryfield first name and family origins unknown.
• Kerensky, K. named Kaitlyn in honour of her ancestor's role in the revolution of 2017.
• Enola Phid presumably a namesake of the plane which dropped the first atomic bomb.
• Knappe, S. descended from and named in honour of Siegfried Knappe, Major in the LVI Panzer Corps.
• Achima, D. named Dakota in honour of her noble ancestor.
• LaJoie, T. first name and family origins unknown.

Rank structure

The military of the Terran Federation is divided into two services: Mobile Infantry and Fleet. Marines are elite infantry trained to operate within Fleet, but are organised akin to regular infantry. The list of ranks within the MI is as follows:

1. Medic: non-combatants attached to every regiment.
2. Trooper: entry level rank for all Mobile Infantry.
3. Corporal: in command of a squad.
4. Sergeant: in command of a section.
5. Lieutenant: in command of a platoon.
6. Captain: in command of a company.
7. Colonel: in command of a regiment.
8. General: in command of a division.
9. Field Marshal: in command of an army.
10. Sky Marshal: supreme military commander.

Field structure

The field structure of the Mobile Infantry is simplified. There is no longer a "batallion". All administration is done at divisional level and the main fighting unit is the regiment.

1. Squad: up to ten troopers.
2. Section: up to twenty five troopers.
3. Platoon: up to fifty troopers.
4. Company: up to one hundred troopers.
5. Regiment: up to one thousand troopers.
6. Division: any number of regiments.
7. Army: any number of divisions.
8. Army Group: any number of armies.

Bugs

The Arachnid Race fields many different species in combat:

• Bombardier: "Kamikaze Bombardiers", small, football-sized bugs which are launched into the lines of human infantry to stun and disable. They can be guided by unknown means to their desired location and once they land they lock, expand and let loose a fierce explosion, thought to be based on principles of electro-magnetism. Well trained troopers can follow their path by recognising the pitch and urgency of sounds they emit. Diving to the ground is the only defence against bombardiers.
• Brain: command units, able to telepathically control all local forces. Highly intelligent, far in advance of individual human intelligence. Most aspects of their command system are as yet unknown. Higher class brains can control bugs from satellite planets.
• Plasma: arachnid artillery and anti-aircraft support. They fire a powerful and highly accurate blast of plasma. Target information is relayed to them via frontline bugs. It is unknown whether they can form independent commands, but evidence suggests they posses higher intelligence. When not in combat, a Plasma Bug is responsible for colonising the surrounding planets by blasting reproductive spores into space. These spores have hyperspace capability and seek out the most suited planet for arachnid needs.
• Queen: simply a production facility for all arachnids with the exception of its own species and brains. Production rates are unknown but a single queen is thought to be able to produce an entire platoon of warriors within a matter of days. Unarmed and highly vulnerable, they seem to lack advanced communication and are assumed to be subservient in the command structure to brains.
• Scorpion: "Scorpion Class Pulse Warriors", immense creatures brought in to smash through human fortifications with ease. Heavily armoured, slow moving and highly intelligent. Their tail forms an immense plasma cannon. Guaranteed to inspire dread in even highly trained and disciplined human formations, it often takes several sorties of Fleet bombers to take one down. The tail is the only unarmoured part, yet presents a difficult target as it can be moved at great speed.
• Tanker: Heaviest form of bug armour. "Tankers" are giant beetles, slow and somewhat unintelligent by arachnid standards. They fire a lava-like substance from their mouths which can melt human beings within seconds. A well trained regiment can easily take down a tanker if properly led.
• Warrior: grunt infantry of the arachnid forces. Come in many different castes. Have rudimentary individual intelligence but are led centrally from command brains. Persistent, extremely aggressive, loyal and very fast. Warriors are produced in the millions and are born fully operational. It is not known if they can learn from combat experience, but research indicates the different patterns found on their heads represent a form of "regimental system" hitherto unknown in arachnid society.
• Worker: non-combatants tasked with tunneling and logistics. Rarely seen on the front lines.

Key

Here is a list of some abbrevations used in Infantryman:

• A-D-C: aide-de-camp. An officer selected to act as assistant to a general officer.
• Archie: abbreviation for arachnid, but used exclusively when referring to warriors.
• Bug: any arachnid lifeform.
• C-I-C: commander-in-chief. In charge of all forces within the local human sector.
• Ersatz: synthetic tea or coffee offered to frontline troopers when natural supplies are exhausted.
• MP: Military Police.
• NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer. A somewhat archaic term still in use in the Terran Federation. It refers only to two ranks, those of Corporal and Sergeant.
• Ruse de guerre (or ruse of war): Action taken by a belligerent in warfare to fool the enemy in order to gain intelligence or a military advantage against an enemy.

Addendum

Career postings

Schenck, W. Trooper, 316 / 'F' Company / 17th Regiment
6th Mobile Infantry Division / Army Group Outer Colonies
Military Assistance Command / Roku San

Additional:
-Assigned as Runner to Divisional HQ Staff / 6th MI Division
-Seconded to 24th MI Regiment

Lieutenant Schenck
A-D-C to General Alayas
General Staff / Army Group Outer Colonies
Military Assistance Command / Roxoth

Captain Schenck
Intelligence Officer
Seconded to 'E' Company / 242nd Marines
Planet OM-3 / Arachnid Quarantine Zone

Captain Schenck
Acting Marine Officer
'E' Company / 242nd Marines / Army of OM-3
Planet OM-3 / Arachnid Quarantine Zone

Acting General Schenck
Temporary C-I-C Army of OM-3
Planet OM-3 / Arachnid Quarantine Zone

Captain Schenck
Intelligence Officer
Officer Commanding 'A' Company / Earth Relief Force
Planet Earth / Sol System

Additional:
-Assigned to Pomerania Defence Force

Captain Schenck
Adjutant to General Knappe
General Staff/ Pomerania Defence Force
Planet Earth / Sol System

Battle honours

• Battle of Roku San
• First Battle of Roxoth
• Second Battle of Roxoth
• First Battle of OM-3
• Second Battle of OM-3
• Battle of Tirana
• Second Battle of Vienna
• Fourth Battle of Gdansk
• Battle of the Danube