NOVA Corps

> ***“We are the eyes of the line, the ears of the ground and the invisible shield that guards the Empire of all.”***
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> **- Motto of theNOVA Corps *-***
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Dubbed the “***Empress‘s chosen***” by the standard line infantry officers; the **NOVA Corps** are the best of the best within the Eternal Empire's long ranks of warriors from the Armed Forces, handpicked by the lord regent to undertake the most dangerous of missions to further the interests of the Empire when the time recalls for action. They are the ultimate elite, being able to perform combat operations not only in the most chaotic battlefields of a planet, but also in great oceanic theatres, void confrontations and even urban civilian ambients, acting either as ocult fighters in the dark or spies in undercover operations across the Galaxy's far reaching systems.

The NOVA Corps maintains deep ties with several intelligence divisions and institutions within the Empire, with the main organization being the MI5, the most well known of them. Together, they have participated in several extraction missions, assassination endeavours and hacking attempts in enemy hardwares before and during a conflict. The warriors trained to join the Corps are loyal and willing to finish their duties whatever the cost may be. They are not only deadly Imperial troopers; They are modern Imperial knights of the monarch in charge of the nation.

## **Nova‘s mindset**

Known to be formed during the Pre-Exodus era, probably within the arduous years forming the Great War (1907-1937), the NOVA Corps was initially brought up as an espionage division of the MI5 composed of experienced war veterans eager to do something more than merely dying in the trenches of Europe; they wanted a world-changing role for themselves, in the war that claimed millions each year. These men were guided to be ones conducting daring reconnaissance missions and undercover operations within the Eastern Alliance’s most important strategic locations, oftentimes gathering key information that would prove itself extremely useful on British hands. Their participation in the war, although disputed, claimed to have killed one Polish leader, three high-ranking eastern field marshalls, and extended the war in Britain’s favour for more than five years.

Like much of the Imperial security units of the Empress, most of the NOVA was amongst the last to cross the portal on the Island of Man during the Exodus. Their efforts of recolonization at New-Earth, however, shaped the unit to become more of a standalone combat institution rather than a plain field espionage branch of the MI5, fighting in places like New Haven, main capitals and hard terrain against xeno locals in their drive against the humans. In 2072 the NOVA ‘Brigade’ became rather the NOVA Corps, an elite branch of the Armed Forces that acted under close watch of the military instead of the espionage institutions. During the newly established space age, the Corps became commonly used as a scout force for planet reconnaissance and later colonization, something that made many of the operatives used to harsh climates and extreme conditions once alone on an entire planet.

Upon making contact with a foreign species, Lord Regent Thomas Ashbury refused to take NOVA agents as his personal guard during the ceremonial meetings of both space faring nations; that was one of his last decisions before his bloody death hours later by Dyss hands. Only with the appointment of Lord Regent Jacob Williams, however, did the NOVA Corps ascended into recognition; they were present in fights across many decades, having operatives northwards, southwards and in the most heated locations the Empire struggled to maintain. They have been recorded to be present in dozens of campaigns, taking minimal losses in comparison to their deeds against the enemy forces fighting to end the Empire’s sovereignty.

Although there is little information about their past up to the 24th. Century and beyond, it is known they were present in New Earth during the battle of 2329. Even after the defeat at the first half of the century, NOVA’s agents continue to be the elite special forces of the Eternal Empire. Besides a variety of field operations, they act as spies in the East and occasional honour guards, they seldom perform the latter role though, best suited to actual combat rather than as an eternal guard unit for an important figurehead in the homeland.

## **Divisions**

NOVA’s agents, apart from spies, are divided into two sections with three divisions each; their equipment is standardised to maintain effectiveness. The equipment and weaponry is varied and is sometimes made from non-Imperial tech, instead they using the advanced tech from other nations... This makes their firearms extremely rare and expensive as they cannot easily reproduce the lost equipment without weeks of hard engineering. The cost of a weapon from NOVA equates to over 10,000 standard rifles and thrice that in maintenance during combat procedures.

### **Non combat section**

The divisions of this section operate the logistics, command control and other things to keep the Corps going strong in warfare. These troops also engage heavily in hacking undergoings and other key information grabs when available; they usually work closely with the MI5, and are told to regard orders coming from both commands as critical and a priority when in the field.

#### **Ciphers**

The Ciphers direct and communicate with other agents in the field and help them manage themselves in missions as well as handling the cybernetic warfare elements of the Corps. They are normally the most high-ranking members of the unit during a mission, making them the veterans and most reliable forces available when deployed behind enemy lines of a dangerous operation. Ciphers can also be deployed in combat groups, but tend to act better in novice sections as a training member rather than fighters themselves.

#### **Watchers**

Watchers, as the name implies, handle intelligence gathering and information warfare without any combat involved, they rely disguising to survive rather than plain gunning of enemies in sight. Most of their ranks come out of the navy, and they are known to operate mostly alone when in an undercover mission in enemy soil. Watchers are the best infiltration unit in Imperial disposal, oftentimes opening the way for organised groups to conclude their attacks without even the enemy realizing what happened before it’s too late. They can rely on their tongue for tricky situations, but their handling of firearms comes lacking in comparison to the other sections of the NOVA Corps.

#### **Quartermasters**

Quartermasters handle the logistics and maintenance of the Corps before and during an operation in territory. They also tend to maintaining equipment as well as acting as the section’s medics once in the field. After events of the Bloody Push, this unit became mandatory and very important for all further operations of not only NOVA, but also the Imperial military as a whole. Due to their numerous tasks, they tend to lack the proper firepower to handle themselves in a prolonged fight alone, but are fundamental in group attacks and offensive operations.

### **Field section**

The field section handles the combat and more risky field operations of the Corps. They are the best in terms of modern combat tactics and overall survival skills, outclassing NOVA’s non-combatant sections by quite a significant margin when in plain comparison. The warriors undertake in most training grounds throughout the Empire, and are trained with every available firearm until deemed fit for Special Operations in proper missions.

#### **Bio-troopers**

    Bio-troopers handle the chemical warfare aspect of the Corps, clearing or using chemical weapons as well as operating in toxic environments when deployed for combat in an hot area of engagement. Bio-troopers also are trained medics in case friendly forces fall prey to chemical attacks when in combined operations. The use of these troops date back to fighting against the Dyss purification troops, where combat was most fierce and the use of alternative weaponry became necessary as the enemy gained ground in later stages of the Great Northern War. Not only that, but these troopers are also heavily reliant on flamethrower weaponry, which proves deadly and morale shattering when faced by unprepared enemies in head-on fights in the battlefield.

These forces are most commonly formed from veterans of extermination detachments left in a planet for cleansing of the remaining xeno population who survived the battle for the world. They are the most experienced when it comes to path-finding and can easily fend for themselves in combat, even when the situation proves to be disadvantageous or straight out suicidal for common Imperial forces.

#### **Tactial troopers**

    Tactical troopers handle the most of Special Forces operations and even Black ops, for they are trained to resist the harshest of environments and even situations when defeat is certain. They represent the ‘standard’ unit of the Corps, and are the most numerous agents across battlefields where NOVA operates. These soldiers have personalized arsenals fitting for their strengths and weaknesses, usually housing enough equipment to infiltrate, assassinate and detonate whatever they can without suffering great losses in the process. They can also assist ground troopers in regular planetary offensives and even line infantry in combat and recovery operations of captured members of the Armed Forces.

Men and women of the Corps who can prove themselves as soldiers are usually first assigned to this kind of unit, where they can specialize even further given their abilities in training or in open warfare. The Tactical troops are versatile enough to cover almost all kinds of terrain in a planet, something that makes them rather useful in spread use for combined hit-and-run attacks which confuse the enemy and open way for the common line infantry. The implementation of Valkyrie suits on female individuals have also brought several opportunities for lightning attacks, which can not only slip through common AA defenses, but also be deployed by Transport Wings into more fortified enemy positions for an effective disruption of the garrisons of these fortresses in the planet.

For effective attacks and uses in battle, these troopers are the go-to on said kinds of operations.

#### **Sub-troopers**

    Unlike many other divisions of forces within the NOVA Corps, Sub-troopers take orders not just from the standard command, but also from the Imperial Submerged Command Groups or the Imperial Admiralty in operations that take place underwater or in the void of space. Forces like these are mostly small in numbers, but remain very specialized and elite in their own ways of combat and engagement. Sub forces have been implemented in numbers after the 2100s, making an early arrival in combat on the void and infantry tactics in locations with smaller gravity and numerous other crippling elements for a combat unit. Sub troop activities include: Reconnaissance action, Submerged combat, Void combat, Underwater & Space sabotage and similar environmental rescue operations.

### **Notable Regiments**

**1st. Royal NOVA Independent Task Force -** Sometimes also referred to as *'Task Force Diamond*' by the main Corps, the 1st. is the oldest combat group formed by the NOVA command in early days of its foundation. Present in battlegrounds throughout centuries, the task force is not only the most credited for actions in the field, but also the first to be officially redeployed to combat intentions in the 23rd. Century. Their importance for the Corps shows easily, as 40% of all Lord Directors of the NOVA had previously served under this unit before reassignment on the command office.

**22nd. Air Service NOVA Brigade -** This force saw its creation late through the Great Northern War, gathering most of the torn up regiments and task forces of NOVA from battle against the Dyss into an Special Air support group of veterans of the Corps. The 22nd. Air Service Brigade is mostly composed of female combatants, as they are fitted with the most modern of combat suits the Empire can provide at the time - Those being, the Valkyrie suits. Since then they have been employed with the storming of fortified positions from the air; a task that, along with their own specifications, earned the 22nd. the nickname of Pegasus Group'.

**5th. Royal NOVA Command Regiment -** Unlike the similarly classified units of command, the 5th. HQ Regiment is not one unknown to to fight in the frontlines amongst the regular NOVA groups. Apart from regularly leading charges for the attacks of the groups the 5th. commands, they also partake in many undercover operations, as well as sabotage incursions and hacking missions. Most members of the unit have either reached the rank of Commander or surpassed 20 years of combat experience in NOVA. They are regarded as the - If not the most - tough force in the High Command's ranks of the Corps.

**54th. Multi-Purpose NOVA Brigade -** One of the first groups formed under the premise of warfare capabilities in multiple environments, this NOVA brigade acts and supports operations mostly conducted in void locations and submerged grounds, but is also well attributed to fight in other extremely dangerous locations throughout the Galaxy. Present in battles like the one in Trasnat, the unit stands out for incredibly low casualties throughout a multitude of engagements, oftentimes recalling loss rates to 0% when terminating a operation of high risk and low chances of success. Many of the tactics utilised in underwater combat situations were devised by the group in decades of experience, leaving little margin for errors when facing the real foes in war. The 54th. is also known to cooperate with and sometimes even operate the specialized underwater Swordfish fighter craft, which is very key in many hit-and-run missions organised by the force.

## **Command structure**

Both the non-combatant and field sections have different organisation to group up the small pool of manpower the NOVA Corps has to utilize effectively. Here is how a unit is usually composed before an incursion into enemy territory:

#### **Field section**

* Fireteam: 3 to 8 members
* Field Task Force: 12 to 32 members

* Company Group : 50 to 80 members
* Regimental Party: 100 to 500 members

#### **Non-combat section**

* Field Team: 7 to 12 members
* Operations Force: 20 to 40 members
* Tactical Group: 55 to 120 members

## **Rank structure**

* **Empress:** *The Eternal Empress commands all.*
* **The** '**Lord' Regent:** *The Eternal Empress cannot do it alone.*
* **'Lord' Director:** Commander of the whole Nova corps.
* **Section Commander:** These leaders direct several groups and decide where and when to attack with the Director's approval.Both section commanders (Non combat/Combat) have to be constantly keeping tabs on what the other section is doing, and maintain close ties during combined operations.
* **Group commander:** Leader of a company or tactical group.
* **Force commander:** The highest officer in a task or operations force.
* **Team leader:** The commanding officer of a field or fire team
* **'Callsign' ##:** Usual troopers of the team. They operate with a designated callsign and a number for their respective units when in action.