Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Holotree Sniper

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The Holotree Sniper is the standard sniper infantry used by the Katsuragi Protectorate. Planned to be voiced by.

Overview
* TBA*

History
"Corporal! What does the scanner say about its power level?"

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Since the GVAW, one of the most impressive advances in military technology has been in armor technology. Both personal and vehicle protection has increased considerably in the last fifteen years. The Alliance have specialized in composites, layering steel, carbon fiber, and ceramic plates with particular emphasis on crew protection, while the Voshkod use excessively thick steel armor with a great deal of compartmentalization, meaning that even a killing blow on a tank or ship might leave much of the crew unharmed. Even infantry benefit from this armor technology; Riot Trooper and elite Voshkod infantry units wear armor that can withstand attacks that would almost certainly have killed them otherwise. There are probably thousands of cases of Alliance or Voshkod soldiers taken out of action in battle only to stagger away afterward with just minor wounds.

By contrast, Protectorate war doctrine relies on extreme mobility, both tactically and strategically. Rather than having a concept of "front lines", the Katsuragi strike swiftly at critical points, withdraws against serious resistance, and buys time by giving up ground before regrouping for another strike. Protectorate hasn't got the population for any sort of attrition warfare against the real superpowers. Thus, Imperial vehicles were built for speed, first strike capabilities, and strategic range, sacrificing a lot of armor in the process. However, as the war turned against the Protectorate, they were forced to engage on their enemy's terms, to stand and fight.

Protectorate casualty figures reflect this all too well.

After the war, the Protectorate government was staring at a very grim situation; over half a million veterans with crippling injuries, a gutted military in desperate need of experienced soldiers to support the influx of reserves, and substantial war debt to pay off. Fortunately for the Protectorate, a solution for all three problems was at hand; there had been substantial advances in mechanical prosthetics, similar to the cybernetics one might find in a Sprawl. The new government quickly commissioned Hanka Precision Instruments, a leading designer of prosthetics, and began to set up mass manufacturing plants and clinics both in the Home Islands and overseas in Guardian-affiliated countries, paying for the prosthetic treatments as a way of repaying their debt. These cybernetics are so good that they can return soldiers that would otherwise have to retire due to their wounds back to service, which goes a long way to stabilizing the Protectorate Army.

During trials of these cybernetic veterans to see if they were still fit for service, it was noted that many of the prosthetic replacements lent themselves to particularly good snipers. Mechanical, tireless arms would stay on a target without flinching, electronic eyes could focus on small targets from kilometers away, and mechanical lungs allowed stable breathing without disrupting aim. As the statistics started coming back, Protectorate Command began to offer substantial benefits for veterans with the right prosthetics to volunteer for sniper duty.

These cybernetically enhanced snipers dash about the battlefield, their kinetic-burst SMGs ideal for suppressing any infantry they encounter while moving into position. In order to enhance their stealthy properties, they possess a small nanocore specially designed to create sniper perches that will blend into the surroundings. The perch generates a holographic projection that resembles an unassuming object. All this makes Imperial Snipers incredibly dangerous; once in position, they are almost impossible to root out, even when directly engaging enemies with inhuman accuracy.