The Troops
Printed pages 58–62. Records documented in this chapter; later article sections may include subsequent events.
Showing introductory records. Switch to Full archive above to include later names and revelations.
Colonel Hastings
Colonel Hastings is a United Earth Tier 1 special-operations officer carried aboard Echo. Captain Eastcott places him in command of the reconstituted volunteer force.
Copious expedition
The Copious expedition is the first attempted human mission beyond the solar system, intended to seed an extrasolar world with Earth life. The former warships Formidable and Echo each carry about a thousand people.
Cylli
Cylli is a vast cylindrical space habitat near Jupiter, maintained by a conscious artificial intelligence. Its scale and sophistication draw the attention of Echo’s returning crew.
Echo
Echo is a United Earth starship and the self-aware artificial intelligence who operates the vessel. Commanded by Kip Eastcott, he carries roughly one thousand people on the Copious expedition.
Echo volunteer force
Echo's volunteer force brings former Earth and Martian servicemen and women together against the Flaxen conquest. Captain Eastcott raises it after obtaining civilian refuge on Cylli.
For Earth, for Mars
'For Earth, for Mars' is the chant adopted by Echo's combined volunteer force. It expresses shared resolve across the division between former wartime enemies.
Helen Chute
Lieutenant Commander Helen Chute is Echo’s counselor. She supports the crew through the personal consequences of their displacement.
Kip Eastcott
Captain Kip Eastcott commands Echo on the Copious expedition. A veteran of the war with Mars, he leads a crew far removed from the world they knew.
Mars
Mars is the home of the Martian Confederacy. Its secession from United Earth leads to a six-year war before the Copious expedition.
Martian Confederacy
The Martian Confederacy is the independent political community formed by Mars's secession from United Earth. It fights a six-year war before later cooperating with Earth.
Shuttlecraft
Shuttlecraft carry people between larger vessels and planetary or habitat surfaces. Both Echo and Cylli possess craft capable of transporting passengers.
Six Years' War
The Six Years' War is the conflict between United Earth and the secessionist Martian Confederacy. It ends in United Earth's victory five years before the Copious expedition departs.
Stasis
Stasis suspends people during long voyages. The Copious expedition places its passengers and crews in stasis for a planned journey of nearly fifty years.
Tier 1 special operations
Tier 1 special operations is an elite branch represented among the former Marines aboard Echo. Its members specialize in covert combat.
United Earth Marines
United Earth Marines are the ground-combat personnel associated with the ancient fleet. Former Earth and Martian Marines travel aboard Echo on the Copious expedition.