SLEDGE

Male SLEDGE
(appearance varies greatly, even by class)

The SLEDGE Program

The CEF's victory over Caprice in (Earth year) 6116 occurred much faster than anyone expected and with far fewer casualties. Once the planet was secure, however, the NEC turned its attentions to the more-distant colonies and requested that EGL produce more soldiers for the assault. Seizing the Caprician medical facilities, EGL set about establishing a local GREL manufacturing program. By early 6118, the labs had produced sufficient clone troops for the assault operations to proceed. Manufacturing scaled back but R&D efforts continued apace, exploiting the vast resources of Caprice and seeking to improve the GREL program. The shocking defeat on Terra Nova and the stalemate on Atlantis tarnished relations between EGL and the NEC. The military accused EGL of producing substandard equipment while EGL claimed there was no difference between the Caprician manufactured warriors and those used in World War Three. The NEC considered canceling the entire cloned warrior project but, not wanting to lose its principal source of revenue, EGL managed to convince High Command that the problem lie not with the super-soldier program but with the current generation of GRELs, which lacked the flexibility to deal with the opponents on Atlantis and Terra Nova. The solution, EGL claimed, was a new generation of warriors that would use the latest engineering and educational techniques.

Discussion of the proposals continued for more than a decade, with the NEC hesitant to throw good money after bad. During this time, beginning in 6123, EGL outlined and conducted privately funded research into its new race of super-soldiers. Finally, in 6138, the NEC agreed to fund fully the Second-Line Elite Division GREL Experiments (SLEDGE) program. As part of the process, the NEC granted EGL the rights to Sartru Labs, a native corporation bankrupted by the occupation and located in the principal CEF cantonment on Caprice, Paladin Lots. Scheduled for full deployment in 6143, the first and second generations of SLEDGE warriors are currently being evaluated by the corporation and by the CEF. Production of GRELs actually stopped in 6133, and EGL has refitted most of the GREL facilities to handle the new race.

SLEDGEs are smaller, quicker and better trained in their field. They also appear completely human (externally, at least) and are meant to blend in with the populace as potential "sleeper" agents. Unlike GRELs, SLEDGEs of any classification can be either male or female. With the second-line GRELs, EGL placed more emphasis on imaginative tactics and survival rather than on obeying orders blindly. In addition, it trained SLEDGEs in multiple but related specializations.

Classes of SLEDGE

Ra-class Command SLEDGE

As SLEDGE unit commanders, Ras are the best-trained second-line GRELs. They have the same basic combat training as the Bastet "grunts" as well as an advanced leadership-programming regimen that incorporates elements from the CEFs lieutenant training course. Some early subjects have even undergone captain training, although there are no plans currently in the works to put a Ra at the head of an entire company of soldiers. In addition to leading troops into battle, Ras also strive to understand everything about their enemy. This knowledge includes history, culture, reactions and fears. Knowledge is the Ra's greatest weapon.

Ra-class SLEDGEs have male bodies.

Bastet-class Close-Quarters Specialist SLEDGE

The Bastet SLEDGEs are designed to be able to use any type of hand-held weapon - from simple stone knives to complex infantry lasers. Many of the early test subjects of this class have even taken up archery, despite the apparent lack of need for it on a modern battlefield. I n addition to the use of weapons, Bastet soldiers are adept at mechanical work and can repair or scratch-build most common field weapons. EGL chose to incorporate such programming into the Bastet regimen (and other SLEDGE training) in order to phase out the dedicated technician class. Not only does doing so reduce the number of specialists in the program, it also fosters a stronger appreciation in a soldier for his weapon. Even without their weapons, however, Bastet SLEDGEs are powerful unarmed fighters.

Bastet-class SLEDGEs have female bodies.

Isis-class Intel SLEDGE

Isis-class soldiers handle counter-intelligence and information gathering. They are quintessential messengers, spies and saboteurs, and their skills complement those of the Set-class SLEDGE; most plans for Set deployment call for an Isis as the Set's "handler" and mission controller, working behind the scenes via remote commlinks. Isis SLEDGEs will also be deployed in the battlefield roles currently reserved for Kassandra-class GRELs: electronic warfare, signals intelligence and C3 operations. In a move consistent with next-generation programming, the Isis soldiers are fully capable of servicing and repairing their equipment, further obviating the need for a dedicated technician soldier.

Isis-class SLEDGEs have female bodies.

Sobk-class Aquatic SLEDGE

The Sobk-class SLEDGE is a dramatic exception to EGL‘s efforts to make the new generation of super-soldier appear more human. Engineered to operate in an aquatic environment, the Sobk features gills, eye sheaths, webbed appendages and the ability to dive to depths of a few hundred meters without adverse physiological effects. In many ways, the Sobk represents a step backward to the Vaween super-soldier, and the radical physical modifications have resulted in a creature that is only cursorily human. It is otherwise a master of its environment, however. The urgency of the Atlantis campaign and the need to field a superior aquatic combatant are all that drive the continuing development of the Sobk; most project scientists have strong doubts regarding its success. The EGL is currently considering terminating the Sobk-Class development and redristributing any leftover funds to the development of the other SLEDGEs.

Sobk-class SLEDGEs have male bodies.

Bes-class Vehicle Specialist SLEDGE

Combining the best features of the Minerva-, Maxwell- and Isaac-class GRELs, the Bes-class SLEDGE is a master of vehicular combat. Not only can it pilot nearly any vehicle the CEF fields, it has the ability to perform field repairs and routine maintenance as well. By integrating the maintenance and operation of a vehicle into the neural programming of a single soldier, EGL has created a fighter that is, in many ways, "one with its machine." Current Bes programming focuses strongly on the NEC's new Battle Frames, but later regimens will include hovertank, aerospace fighter and submarine operations variants.

Bes-class SLEDGEs have female bodies.

Osiris-class Tactical SLEDGEs

The Osiris SLEDGEs are the second-best trained of the new generation of soldiers. They are jacks-of-all-trades, designed not to be as specialized as any one member of their teams, but knowledgeable enough to cover another SLEDGE's duties if the need arises. The CEF refers to them as wild cards since they are highly adaptive and imaginative. They are the ones most likely to come up with non-linear solutions to problems in the field, and their uncanny insights into tactical challenges surprises most conventional strategists. An Osiris SLEDGE's tactical skills paired with a Ra SLEDGE's leadership skills is proving to be a powerful combination.

Osiris-class SLEDGEs have male bodies.

Set-class Infiltrator SLEDGE

Set-class soldiers are infiltrators and quiet assassins. They are adept at handling most social situations, with strong emphasis on seduction and body language, a characteristic at sharp odds with most preconceived notions of the CEF's super-soldiers. Sets are well versed in a broad field of "mundane" knowledge, and EGL's engineers refer to them as "masters of interesting small-talk." Although neither the CEF nor EGL has ever admitted to the existence of a Jezebel-class GREL, the Set will be perfectly capable of taking on the roles associated with the mythical soldiers. Rumor even suggests the Set-class SLEDGE is the Jezebel-class GREL finally made public.

Set-class SLEDGEs have female bodies.