After the first two years of testing the new ELEMENT powered armor models, Nepleslian Arms and Munitions came to the conclusion that, although having several models excel at specified areas was perfect for diverse combat scenarios, the fact that each armor was “pigeon holed” into a particular role meant that some soldiers would eventually run into situations where they could not fight their enemies properly. With the defeat of the Reds on the Kennewes Offensive, Nepleslian Arms and Munitions realized that they required stronger standards in terms of power and versatility to face a new threat that is growing ever-closer: the Mishhuvurthyar.

As a result, Terratech designed the newest general combat powered armor with elements taken from two of the successful ELEMENT models, the NAM Terratech General PA – “WATER” Version 2 and the AIR, and melded their unique attributes into a single armor, affectionately named the “Hostile”.

The Hostile quickly became the workhorse of the NSMC and was widely hailed as the most versatile and most powerful power armor by its users. It quickly became the image of the Nepleslian Marines, eclipsing the previous E-series. During the Second Mishhuvurthyar War, the Hostile was at the forefront of the action. Its versatility, heavier armor, and modern systems made it a match for the best NMX armors.

Against the smaller, lighter, and more feminine Daisy M6 Infantry Power Armor and Ke-M2-2D "Mindy II" Power Armor armors captured by the NMX, the Marines felt that they had proved the Hostile's superiority to those “inferior” armor systems. A few veterans knew that the overwhelming superiority enjoyed by the Nepleslian Marines was due to the better quality of Marine training compared to whatever counted as NMX power armor training. True Star Army armor pilots would never have been as amateurish as the NMX Nekos. Nonetheless, valuable lessons were learnt all around as to the capabilities of the Daisy and Mindy, allowing for more accurate simulation data.

Hostiles took part in every major Nepleslian military action during the war and were considered the standard infantry armor. Over the course of the conflict, new hand held weapons were created and old ones modified for the Hostile and Aggressor, adding to the versatility and lethality of the Hostile. On Rok'Veru, during the Offensive, the durability of the armor allowed many in the ill-fated first wave to survive the initial ambushes and regroup to strike back at the NMX. On SC-4, 3rd Marines found that the number of weapons usable by the Hostile allowed them to threaten the NMX ground forces with a bewildering array of different munition types to the point where NMX prisoners were simply confused by what exactly had struck them.

From the end of the war in YE 35 to YE 36, NAM engineers took as much combat data and feedback from the Marines to better improve the Hostile for the next conflict. The result at the end of the year was the Hostile Upgrade Package which improved the armor's systems while retaining all of the best parts of the armor. By introducing newer, more powerful systems, the belief was that the Marines would be better able to threaten any enemy with a wider array of tools. The upgrade package also increased the survival chances of a wounded Marine, particularly in toxic or airless environments. These changes were implemented in YE 37.

The Hostile is essentially Nepleslian Arms and Munitions’ effort to standardize powered armors for ease of use by Nepleslian marines, as well as effectiveness in combat situations. The Hostile sports a number of new state-of-the-art technologies, some of them large steps up from the standard ELEMENT models that came before them. The Hostile was, more or less, first designed in the aftermath of the Kennewes Offensive when Nepleslian Arms and Munitions began to think of their enemies outside of the Nepleslian Reds, and came to the conclusion that the Hostile would, ideally, replace older ELEMENT models in front-line combat.

Combining the high mobility Push/Pull system of the AIR with the effectiveness of the WATER’s system capacity and armor plating design, this general combat armor is meant to be used by marines who want to specialize in general infantry combat, while its brother, The Aggressor, is made to deal with larger enemies or groups of slow-moving foes.

The main attributes of the Hostile are, essentially, its versatility, speed and powerful single-target weaponry, while utilizing the tried and true elements of Nepleslian technology.

See Damage Rating (Version 3) for an explanation of the damage system.

• Hull: Tier 6
• Shields: Tier 6

• Government: Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia
• Organization: Star Army of Nepleslia
• Type: Combat Powered Armor
• Class: Na-M8-02a
• Designer: Cirrus Research Station: Advanced Armaments Division,NAM Terratech Division
• Manufacturer: Nepleslian Arms and Munitions
• Production: Full Mass Production
• Crew: 1 Nepleslian
• Maximum Capacity: 1 Nepleslian
• Appearance:

The helmet of the armor is a cylinder-shaped object with a slightly domed head. The front of the faceplate has a ‘skull-like’ appearance in shape (don’t go overboard with it, though), with an enormous transparent deep purple eye in the upper front and center. The eye protrudes out from the helmet slightly, like a lens. The bottom of the portion of the helmet ends a small mass of black nanomuscles around the neck, but these are covered by a half-moon plated collar that runs around the front of the face of the helmet. The collar’s height stops a few inches below the red Monoeye on the faceplate.

The black nanomuscles around the neck lead on into a sleek chestplate with slightly softening angles. The upper chest is substantially more armored than the lower chest. The upper chestplate reaches towards the shoulders, cutting off an inch or so before the actual shoulder, revealing another small amount of black nanomuscles. The shoulders themselves are large and box-like, while still retaining a softer angular curve. The right arm is plated with more angular armor which grew thicker at broader areas, while subsiding and stopping at the joints leaving more black nanomuscles exposed. The left arm is visibly different in appearance, two large sections of thick plated shields covering the upper arm and lower arm. The plates are squarish, and the center of each convexes outward slightly. In-between the shoulders and the neck of the armor are two hefty-looking shoulder-mounted laser cannons, followed by two tube-like projections for the P/P system.

The backpack and rear areas of the armor are covered with most of the Hostiles systems. The backpack itself is rather large, with two large thrusters integrated into the back of the pack itself. Below the backpack are two large cylinder-like objects, integrated into the armor along the spinal area. These are the compact fusion generators.

The waist and legs are covered by two separate skirt-like flaps of thigh-protecting armor which reaches to the knees (they don’t cover the inner thighs…they only should reach about halfway around the kneecap, width-wise). The legs themselves are plated with the Nerimium composite, only breaking before and after the knee joint. The back of the calves have two smaller thrusters integrated onto them.

The armor is painted a dull mixture of greys, by default.

• Length: 3 Feet
• Width: 5 Feet (backpack makes up roughly 3 feet)
• Height: 7 Feet
• Mass: 2 Tons
• Speeds: Sublight: .365c (Requires a short amount of time for acceleration)
• Speeds: Hyperspace: Nil
• Speeds: Hyperpulse: Nil
• Planetary: Mach 5.0 (requires solid surfaces for P/P system use)
• Maintenance: After every mission, overhaul every YE.
• Lifespan: 5 Years

The main weapon for the Hostile can be modified and changed to suit specific missions and user preferences. Most of the time, a multipurpose ammunition storage for the main weapon is attached to the Right Hip hardpoint, which is fed into the weapon through different methods. If a main weapon does not require the use of the multipurpose ammunition storage, the hardpoint may be used for another mini-missile system, if the user so chooses.

(1): NAM Heavy Penetrating Assault Rifle HPAR:01a:

• Location: Handheld, strapped to back when not in use
• Purpose: Anti-Armor
• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel
• Damage: Tier 6
• Range: 2,000 meters in atmosphere, theoretically unlimited in space
• Muzzle Velocity: 4000 m/s
• Rate of Fire: 3 shot-burst or fully automatic
• Payload: Drum magazine holds 700 rounds

These weapons are always present on the armor, unless the user so chooses to neglect having them placed on the Hostile before combat scenarios.

(1): NAM Light Submachine Pistol LSP-01a: A rather simple chemical-fired submachine sidearm, roughly 3 feet in length. There would always be a chance that the main weapon could be either unusable or lost during combat, and as such a secondary weapon was necessary to ensure maximum combat efficiency during strenuous situations. The LSP fires armor-piercing depleted uranium rounds. Additional ammunition cartridges can be attached to the underside of the skirt armor.

• Location: Handheld, attached to hip
• Purpose: Anti-Armor
• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel
• Damage: Tier 3, Heavy Anti-Personnel/Tier 3, Heavy Anti-Personnel
• Range: 2,000m in atmosphere, theoretically unlimited in space
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,000 m/s
• Rate of Fire: 600 rounds per minute
• Payload: LSP magazine holds 200 rounds, Hostile can carry 5 extra LSP magazines at a time

(1): NAM Push Pull Plating: PPP-01a Borrowing heavily from the AIR2 Push/Pull Guard, the Push Pull Plating is a series of thick Nerimium-laced armor plates attached to the upper and lower segments of the left arm. When holding the main weapon correctly in a firing position, the plating guard protects much of the upper body. Hidden within the forearm segment of the PPP-01a is the Push/Pull Rod, which can act as a focus-point and emitter for both the repulsion and tractor fields of the Hostile.

• Location: Worn over the length of the entire left arm
• Purpose: Kinetic Attack
• Secondary Purpose: Extra Protection
• Damage: Tier 3, Heavy Anti-Personnel
• Range: Melee
• Rate of Fire: 2 second charge, 4 second cooldown
• Payload: Unlimited

(1): NAM Pulse Laser Array PLA-02a: A step up from the older Pulse Laser Array models, the PLA-02a version is a slightly heavier version of the standard electromagnetic pulse laser. They are located in the small grooves between the Monoeye shoulders and the neck of the armor, and are forward-mounted, only able to fire in a 180 degree cone in front of the Hostile.

• Location: On the shoulders of the armor
• Purpose: Knocking out incoming enemy warheads
• Secondary Purpose: Killing unarmored targets
• Damage: Tier 2, Medium Anti-Personnel
• Range: 1000m in Atmosphere, 3000m in space.
• Rate of Fire: Constant
• Payload: Unlimited

(1): NAM VCBS Vibrosaw Knife VCS-03a: A reliable, yet markedly old throwback to early Nepleslian technology, the VCS-02a is a knife-like weapon, roughly one foot long. The inside of the weapon itself is hollowed slightly, and fitted with a rotating chain of gnashing teeth that run on a small internal motor built into the hilt. The internal devices, as a final measure of lethality, emit fine vibrations into the blade of the weapon, increasing its cutting power. However, the use of this weapon against the more advanced alloys and armors of most technologically advanced foes is only recommended as a last measure of defense, when all other options have been expended. Despite the relative weakness of the weapon, it was included anyway for its multipurpose and reliable use, and the lack of requirement of external power sources for use.

• Location: Strapped, hilt-down, across the left chest.
• Purpose: Cutting enemies up
• Secondary Purpose: Precise, non-melting cutting tool
• Damage: Melee
• Range: Melee
• Rate of Fire: Constant
• Payload: Unlimited

The Nepleslian Arms and Munitions mini-missile launcher subsystems are compact and independent enough to be modular for the Leg hardpoints of the Hostile, located on the outside of the left and right calves.

(1): NAM Rapid BOLT Launcher RBL-01a: The new, more lethal brother of the ARROW and DART mini-missile lines, the BOLT is a small, agile missile that requires little external locking solutions, hence can be released en masse. Each missile carries a small payload of antimatter material which, upon detonation, causes a matter-antimatter explosion in a small area around the missile. The newer launchers and missile ordinance are larger to compensate the increased capabilities. Mini-missile launchers can be located on either the Left or Right calf hardpoint.

• Location: Left or Right Calf
• Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
• Damage: Tier 6
• Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
• Rate of Fire: 10 per second.
• Payload: 70 per launcher pod

(1): NAM Rapid DART Launcher RDL-03a: DARTS are small missiles that require very little external locking solutions. Usually the DARTS will self lock and streak toward the target like a cloud of angry bees. They are always fired en masse to guarantee a chance of hitting but their damage is small compared to the heavier version of the mini-missile pods. Instead of antimatter explosions or conventional high-explosive warheads, they explode in fine charged particles, screwing up sensors momentarily and damaging shields. Useful as a non-lethal measure of attacking or disabling foes. The newest version has a slightly increased range, but it is still recommended to be fairly close to the target to ensure successful deployment. Mini-missile launchers can be located on either the Left or Right calf hardpoint.

• Location: Left or Right Calf
• Primary Purpose: Anti-Shields, Anti-Sensors
• Secondary Purpose: Disabling small-grade electronics
• Damage: Tier 1, Light Anti-Personnel, Tier 5 to armor-class shields ONLY
• Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
• Rate of Fire: 10 per second.
• Payload: 70 per launcher pod

(1): NAM Rapid ARROW Launcher RAL-02a: A distant cousin and predecessor to the RBL-01a, the newest version of the Rapid ARROW Launcher mini-missile pod deploys conventional high-explosive charges in each mini-missile. The small self-locking ARROWs are not as effective at killing a target as the BOLT is, but the damage is meant to bridge the gap between the ‘over-kill’ BOLT and the ‘non-lethal’ DART. Thus, the RAL-02a is the preferred mini-missile pod for those looking to not totally obliterate a target, but would still prefer the foe to be damaged none-the-less. Mini-missile launchers can be located on either the Left or Right calf hardpoint.

• Location: Left or Right Calf
• Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
• Damage: Tier 4, Light Anti-Armor
• Range: 500m in atmosphere, 1,000m in space
• Rate of Fire: 10 per second.
• Payload: 70 per launcher pod

Extra equipment that is usually carried with the armor, but is not mandatory or necessary.

(1): NAM Observation Probe: These small recon drones are released before battle and monitors the vicinity around the pilot who released them. Fully automated and has a pair of Ion Arrays, as well as a small antigravity generator for hovering. Has a single Monoeye on its head and is cheap to manufacture. When un-deployed it looks like the Hostile is carrying a violin case.

• Location: Handheld before deployment
• Purpose: Providing operations with more data
• Secondary Purpose: Providing R&D team with more data

Durandium, reinforced with layered Nerimium on a Diamond Nanotube frames While the initial use of Nerimium on the EARTH1 ELEMENT powered armor model gave it unprecedented amounts of physical endurance, it also made the armor exponentially heavy, to the point where piloting it without antigravity in atmospheric conditions was nigh impossible. Thus, a compromise was made in the Hostile.

The first layer of the armor is made of Durandium Alloy, its relatively light weight and remarkable hardness for such weight making it a mainstay in armor construction, while fixed on a dense network of nanotubes for increased stability and durability. Then, on top of these layers of durandium, extra plating consisting of a Nerimium alloy are fixed over the vital areas of the armor. This consists of most of the front and back of the armor, centered on the chest, torso, head, backpack and thighs.

The result is a powered armor of medium mass, very durable in most circumstances while still being light enough to still remain agile and mobile in most conditions.

Damage Rating Value: Medium-Class SP (15), Heavy Armor Modifier (1.0 Base SP rate)

Two Ultra Compact Fusion Generators UCF-4a With the limit nearly reached to the precision and power of the NAM Compact Fusion Generator, new measures had to be taken to increase the power output on a single powered armor. Instead of spending countless time and resources developing a new way to generate power, however, the Hostile utilizes two state-of-the-art UCF-4a generators to provide ample power to the armor systems, as well as substantially increase the endurance of the shielding.

MEC Type H When critical damage is recorded, the MEC automatically beheads and cyrofreezes the pilot's head and jettisons it with a JAM bottle. This is located behind the PA's helmet. To purpose of this system is to preserve the noggin of the soldier in hope that genetic material and a working brain can still be salvaged from the dead body, just in case this particular soldier held some meaningful knowledge before his or her death.

Internal Medical System

The newest line of powered armors sports a newer, improved life-support system. The inner portion of the armor where the soldier rests is padded by a series of gel-filled cushions. Oxygen is pumped into the interior of the armor from a storage in the backpack. A catheter is present in the lower portion of the armor, and may be attached at the marines’ leisure when needed. Drug appliers are present in a small cavity near the neck of the armor. There is an extra layer of protection in the areas that separate the two fusion generators and the pilot himself, which provide ambient radiation protection. The comfort is a step up from older NAM models…but it’s still not exactly “walking on sunshine” comfortable.

The Powered Armor can be accessed by climbing into the armor when the front end is opened and exposed. A password is then recognized by the Armor and then the top opens up with the head and shoulder’s tipping over to open a widening cavity for the pilot to jump in. The suit then closes itself and adjusts its structure to the pilot’s physique and clamps the straps on.

As part of the upgrade package, a new medical system was installed to increase the survival chances of Marines. These include new medical nano-injectors and guillotine seals to prevent loss of oxygen due to armor breaches.

Compact Gravimetric Drive CGD-01a Using similar design techniques as those utilized in NDI gravimetric drives, NAMs version allows for high acceleration with almost no inertia. However, due to the smaller reactor size, the drive is not quite as potent as those found in NDI armors, but is still quite fast and very efficient. The normal antigravity method has been integrated into the CGD-01a, and now remains the mainstay of antigravity methods for the Hostile powered armor. These gravimetric drives are mostly used for acceleration methods, however, and not top-speed. The PID-01a is meant for that department.

Variable Impulse Magneto-Plasma Drive System PID-01a The NAM Plasma Impulse Drive PID-01a utilizes rather ordinary technology to generate a powerful propulsion system. Drawing ionized hydrogen into a magnetized chamber, the ionized Hydrogen is then super-heated using microwave radiation. At the same time, Radio waves are passed through the plasma to impart a very powerful charge. Shortly after, it is expelled through a nozzle using a magnetic channeling system. It should be noted that the plasma expelled from the armor is extremely hot, and may cause heavy damage or death to those in close contact to the device. When combined with the gravimetric drives present on the Hostile, this makes acceleration and top speed substantially higher than what has been seen so far on Nepleslian armor technology.

There are two pairs of thrusters present on the Hostile: two heavier models, located on the backpack, and two smaller-grade thrusters integrated into the calves.

PPG Push Pull Guard

The original trademark of the highly agile yet surprisingly fragile AIR2 is a simply yet effective system of tractor and repulsion field emitters. The use of these two fields is mainly for quick agile movement by sending out the tractor field towards larger, immobile objects and ‘pulling’ the armor itself towards the object, while the repulsion field can be used to rebound and push away from objects to acquires the same effect. When combined this system drastically improves mobility, dexterity and acceleration, but does not greatly affect the top speed of the armor itself. Effective range for the P/P system is roughly 100 meters, with 30 being the optimum distance.

The projects for the system appear as tube-like protrusions. Two are located in the area between the neck and shoulder, while two more are on the waist of the armor. The generator for the repulsion and tractor fields is located within the recesses of the backpack.

Combined Shield System CPS-05h using Conformal Barrier System systems

The shields of the Hostile carries the standard CPS but with two new features: distortion shielding and antigravity shielding, in addition to the standard physical and distortion-based shielding systems.

The distortion shields defeats transphased weaponry and attempts to dissipate energy based weapons. Stronger beams may be only partially dissipated and would impact upon the energy shields. Should the energy shields be lost, the resultant shots would impact upon the armor. The distortion shields weaken with each successive hit but at a much slower rate compared to the energy shields, typically half the armor would have been chopped away before the shields fail all together.

The antigravity shielding’s main object is staving off the effects of scalar attacks. The generator and emitter for the antigravity shielding is on a separate system than the CPS.

As part of the upgrade package, the shielding format was changed from a bubble shield surrounding the armor to a form-fitting conformal barrier shield. This reduced the drain on the armor's powerplant, allowing it to improve the durability of the existing shields and power other systems with more juice.

Shield Rating: Very Advanced

Push Pull Plating Forearm Plates The series of interlocking Nerimium-laced ablative plates covering the left arm of the Hostile provide a small measure of extra protection. The plates are built to withstand heavy attack whilst absorbing most of the trauma and diverting it away from the rest of the armor. The plates are meshed directly with the armor itself, and are not removable.

Damage Rating Value: Medium-Class SP (15), Heavy Armor Modifier (1.0 Base SP rate)

Monoeye Suite

A set of mooneyes are present in the shoulders of the Hostile, as well as one centered into the head of the armor itself, giving it a slightly new look.

When active, the monoeyes act as broad-range sensor systems based mostly on visual data, but can also see through various spectrums. When focused on a target, the mono-directional emitters located within the sensors will glow. When activated, the Monoeye array sends out a broad range of particles towards an area in a tight stream, which then return back in a similar fashion akin to radar. It is very effective at determining the exact positioning and movement of ships caught in the stream, as well as providing detailed and instantaneous data on targets, but will instantly give away the Hostiles’ position. Each monoeye can only focus on a single target in Focusing mode.

Non-invasive Neural Probe The non-invasive neural probe has been improved and simplified for ease and effectiveness of use. Essentially, all movements used by the armor are detected using short-range neuro-detection from the pilot’s brain patterns, which is then translated and supplemented into the pilots actual movements, making the armor an extension of the soldier wearing it. In the event that the neural probe should cease to function, most commands will have to be made by speaking the commands directly into the armor.

Nanomuscles Improves the reaction time and strength of the pilot by lining the insides of the suit with nanomuscles. These muscles are composed of many strands of nanochains which contract upon receiving an electric shock of the correct frequency or from pressure sensors embedded in various points. These nanomuscles contract and retract faster than organic muscles based on the signals received by the neuro probe, and thus increase the strength and agility of the user by a wide margin. The nanomuscle layer lines the inner areas of the powered armor and expands with the internal padding to conform to the users skin like a glove.

Display Visor HUD-03a The Visor is held in the area of the helmet where the pilots’ eyes can see it clearly, consisting of a high-definition display, supplemented by short-range volumetric imaging software. The visor HUD displays battlefield data typical to all other NAM armors and would adjust the view if the pilot turns his head.

Battlefield data includes a readout of the pilots life signals, as well as indicators for squad members in close proximity and status-reports for the armor itself. The HUD keeps track of fuel, ammunition, communications with squad members and command vessels…pretty much everything your standard Nepleslian marine needs.

ACE Combat Executive

The original versions of the Hostile utilized the Precipice Combat Savtech, which performed on a faster, more streamlined pace. The Combat Savtech, unlike regular models, did not sport a personality of its own. It handled most of the number-crunching and system mechanics of the Hostile powered armor, as well as communication, Monoeye sensor systems, etc. The Combat Savtech also recorded its user’s particular combat habits into memory and learns to cope and correct any shortcomings if possible to ensure efficiency in combat. It was replaced by the ACE Combat Executive

One of the largest differences from the old Combat Savtech systems is a smaller degree of actually doing the work for the Marine. While the Precipice Combat Savtech does perform most data-intensive work, the movement and actions of the user wearing the armorsuit are more or less completely unaffected. This meant that the Marine wearing the armorsuit had complete control over the armor which cannot be subverted through foul play on computer systems, while still being suggested critical information and tactical suggestions from the Savtech.

The newer ACE Combat Executive which replaced the Savtech on the Hostile had already been tested on the Hostile, a later addition to the M-series and little brother to the Hostile and Aggressor. It performed the same tasks as the original Precipice at a much faster rate and with greater use of access for the Marine.

Encrypted Radio, Laser and Monoeye Subspace Emitters Emitters are on the shoulders and a single antenna. The antenna has been moved farther into the folds of the armored hull of the Hostile for more protection. The directional laser for laser communication is fitted to the helmet, therefore the marines’ face must be pointed in the direction of the receiver.

The combined range of the communications suite is roughly 1,000,000 km.

Ionized Hydrogen Tanks These specialized fuel tanks house the hydrogen necessary for the Plasma Impulse Drive system. They are located on the underside of the backpack, and are protected by a layer of Nerimium plating to ensure safety. Although technically it is possible to absorb the natural hydrogen found in space for use as fuel, this particular model of powered armor does not have this feature, due to system constraints. However, the issue is being looked at and may be included in future models.

The new NAM Na-M/V-E3600 Brainspammer suite adds greater capabilities to the Hostile than simply blotting out everyone's sensors. It allows more subtle and varied responses to enemy electronic capabilities and defenses.

NAM “Snakeskin” Pigmentation Coat A rather simply measure of visual stealth, the Fluxed Pigmentation Coat consists of a small nanomachines that sense surrounding images and, with prompt from the armor which it is applied to, can quickly change their colored pigmentation to match the surrounding. The result is an extent of camouflage that, while not full-proof, can be considered an effective measure against visual systems without more invasive measures of sensing the armors presence.

Snakeskin comes in a thin liquid form and is applied to armors prior to missions in the form of a spray. The nanomachines can run for 12 hours of constant use before running out of power/colored pigmentation.

In addition, the Na-M/V-E3600 Brainspammer includes the Mass Mesher to improve the Hostile's camouflage capabilities.