TEXT: © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  MARK LATHAM
  INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARU-MOR
  COVER ILLUSTRATION BY DARREN TAN
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  CONTENTS
  Introduction 
  4
  The Alien Menace 
  7
   
  Draper’s World Xeno-Parasites
   
  Centauran Araknyds
   
  Hive-Beasts of Klaatu VI
   
  Bugs of the Galaxy
  Infamous Infestations – A Timeline of Bug Hunts 
  46
  STAR Industries and the Pan-System Marine Corps 
  51
   
  Remit & Jurisdiction
   
  Organization & Standard Operating Procedures
   
  Tactics
   
  Weapons & Equipment
   
  Vehicles & Spacecraft
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  4
  INTRODUCTION
  They said there were no monsters, but there are.
  Since first reaching out to the stars, mankind has wondered about the vastness 
  of the galaxy, and asked itself the only question that really mattered: “Are we 
  alone?” In the late 23rd century, after colonizing most of the solar system 
  and visiting worlds even farther afield, we received our answer. But what we 
  were faced with was not an advanced intelligence, nor even primitive beasts 
  to be subjugated to humanity’s manifest destiny, but something altogether 
  more terrifying.
  Bugs. The term was coined by a private security detail who first encountered 
  a sentient alien species on Draper’s World, in the HD 40307 system, in AD 
  2239. The encounter was brief and violent, and only a handful of the detail 
  escaped with their lives, along with only one of the 13 astro-geologists they 
  were protecting. Half of the survivors died of a mysterious illness before 
  reaching the Kepler Deep Space Research facility, and those that survived 
  underwent further alarming transformations in secure quarantine. As a result, 
  their attackers were identified as a highly aggressive Xeno-Parasite, capable of 
  infecting human biology with previously unknown viral contaminants, and of 
  implanting its eggs into a living human host. Though the word “bugs” stuck 
  as a catch-all term for the weird and varied beasts of the galaxy, it certainly 
  does not convey the full weight of the threat carried by these creatures.
  Over the next 50 years, as humans left Earth in greater numbers to form 
  work colonies in distant systems, dozens more bug species were discovered. 
  Of these, only two presented a threat comparable to (or even greater than) 
  the Xeno-Parasites. These were the Centauran Araknyds and the Hive-Beasts 
  of Klaatu – both of which seemed capable of higher thought processes, and, 
  alarmingly, deep space travel. Unlike the Xeno-Parasites, which managed 
  to spread to disparate worlds by means of infected human hosts, the other 
  creatures were able to exist in the cold void of space, and to travel to systems 
  before attacking them in vast swarms. As contact with these species increased, 
  and battles raged, system-wide incursions by these bugs became more frequent, 
  undoubtedly targeting human colonies with malign intelligence.
  As soon as the Earth-based government, the Pan-System Authority, 
  reluctantly addressed the possibility of an intelligent extra-terrestrial threat, 
  they set about finding a way to meet it. Interstellar defense was an area with 
  (OPPOSITE)
  STAR marine in full kit sweeping 
  a research facility during the 
  Io incident.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  5
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  6
  little investment up to that point, and franchised colonial defense forces – 
  often rag-tag bands of mercenaries or retired soldiers – were all that stood 
  between the outer colonies and the ravening hordes of bugs scratching at 
  the door. With this as an incentive, the major galactic mega-corporations 
  made bids to privatize humanity’s galactic military presence. After two years 
  of negotiations, during which time more fringe colonies were snuffed out like 
  candle lights in the darkness, STAR Industries won the contract, and an elite 
  fighting force of pan-system marines was assembled, ready to take the threat 
  to the enemy.
  Whatever the mission, whatever the odds, the STAR marines stand ready 
  to face the threat – and bug-hunting is their specialty.
  COLONIZING THE GALAXY
  The first sub-light drives capable of sending manned 
  flights beyond the solar system were developed by 
  Stellar Dynamic, culminating in twin launches in 
  2116. The journeys were long and arduous, and 
  after several “generation ships” managed to establish 
  successful research colonies in the Tau Ceti system, 
  mankind finally had a jumping-off point for further 
  expansion and exploration. Advances in cryo-sleep 
  technology eventually did away with generation ships, 
  allowing crew members to remain frozen in hypersleep 
  for journeys of up to 30 years, with their huge research 
  ships guided by advanced navicom AI. However, even 
  this was not ideal, as crews would become estranged 
  from their families and homeworld, and often 
  displayed severe psychological issues as a result of 
  prolonged space sickness.
  Finally, in 2210, the waning Stellar Dynamic 
  merged with the emergent Ark Industries, and set 
  about developing the first interstellar drive, based 
  on theoretical designs that had remained unrealized 
  for over two centuries. A chance discovery led to the 
  unlocking of this fringe technology, and the newly 
  formed mega-corporation, STAR Industries, held 
  the key to human expansion throughout the galaxy. 
  Distant colonies were reinforced, and brought back 
  into the terrestrial fold by means of a hyperlane 
  network; formerly off-limits worlds were mined for 
  natural resources by massive industrial operations; 
  deep space research stations and spacecraft docking 
  hubs were built throughout the interstellar “highways.” 
  Mankind seemed set for limitless dominion over the 
  galaxy. That is, until the first bugs were encountered. 
  Overnight, humanity went from rulers of an endless 
  territory to terrified children sheltering in the dark 
  from an unknowable, alien evil…
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  7
  THE ALIEN MENACE
  The greatest problem we face in planning the fight against bugs, is that the bugs 
  do not read their manuals, nor do they feel any obligation to follow doctrine. 
  Thankfully, there’s no problem that cannot be solved by the use of high explosives.
  – Colonel Abraham T. Stokeley, 5th Arcturian Regiment, STAR Pan-System 
  Marine Corps 
  Bugs have been encountered across the galaxy, in many forms and many 
  environments. Though each species has unique traits, abilities, and physical 
  characteristics that mark them from other bug races, they all hold one thing 
  in common, namely that they are utterly relentless, aggressive, and voracious 
  predators. They cannot be reasoned with; their minds, such that they are, are so 
  unutterably alien that their motives cannot be discerned, and their tactics – if 
  indeed they employ them – are almost impossible to predict.
  The Pan-System Authority, the central administration of the human 
  galactic government, has ordered that all strains of these “intelligent” bugs be 
  wiped from the galaxy, in order for mankind to realize its manifest destiny. 
  And yet the bugs don’t make it easy – it is their very nature to infest whatever 
  world they come into contact with. Wherever a space station, derelict vessel, 
  or lunar colony is cleansed of a bug presence, two more nests appear nearby. 
  For every bug killed, there are a million more to take its place. For this reason, 
  the STAR marines have earned the moniker of “the Exterminators,” for their 
  role has become increasingly specialized over the decades of the 23rd century, 
  so that they are now little more than interplanetary pest control.
  To date, three main types of sentient bug have been discovered, each 
  seemingly worse than the last, with dozens of lesser species appearing on 
  isolated worlds across colonized space. The first type to be found was the 
  genus known as the Draper’s World Xeno-Parasite. This group is particularly 
  feared for its ability to spread across the galaxy in host bodies, using humans 
  as living eggs. In their early contact with humans, they managed to infiltrate 
  several far-flung colonies by implanting their spoor into unsuspecting 
  colonists, who had no idea how to treat the condition, and continued en 
  route to their destination.
  The second genus of bug to be found was the Araknyds of the Centaurus 
  Arm. So called because every strain has eight limbs, they are about as far 
  removed from Earth spiders as it is possible to get. Possessed of a keen intellect, 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  8
  some of the bugs appear to be endowed with an extra-sensory psychic power, 
  which they have used to communicate with humans, after a fashion. These 
  bugs appear to be able to travel through space of their own volition, surviving 
  in the hard vacuum indefinitely – a gift they have used to make their way 
  slowly towards Earth, which they perceive as both the greatest threat to their 
  existence, and a source of near-endless food.
  Finally, the bizarre Hive-Beasts of Klaatu VI were discovered by an 
  exploratory fleet in the Outer Arm, investigating a large system in the Klaatu 
  Nebula. These crustaceous bugs inhabit several planets, which are covered in 
  gigantic, conical geological formations – somewhat like termite mounds. The 
  creatures are part of what appears to be a hive mind, and are controlled by a 
  sub-species of huge, tunneling creatures. A by-product of their infestations 
  is that their worlds are left mineral-rich, as precious ores essential to human 
  industry are discarded as waste by the creatures. Unfortunately, the Hive-
  Beasts are not only highly intelligent, but utterly devoted to protecting their 
  territory from intruders.
  Draper’s World Xeno-Parasites
  The discovery of the Xeno-Parasites on Draper’s World represented a paradigm 
  shift in the way human explorers viewed alien life. Up until that point, the 
  only extra-terrestrial life encountered by mankind had been primordial micro-
  bacteria, and simple, single-celled organisms. Now, the very real threat of a 
  dangerous, tough, and ultra-hostile alien menace had to be recognized.
  The astro-geological research team, led by Dr. Franz O’Keefe, had 
  touched down on HD 40307b during the planet’s autumnal equinox. At 
  that time, volcanic activity on the world was at its lowest ebb for the annual 
  cycle, and Dr. O’Keefe theorized that a temporary base camp could be set 
  up on the surface for at least a three-month expedition, before seismic and 
  volcanic eruptions would threaten the operation. The mission comprised 13 
  scientists, and a lightly armed six-man security detail, there to ensure the 
  safety of the scientists from natural disasters as much as potential alien life. 
  The assignment of private security forces had been a standard requirement 
  since the discovery of the first simple organisms, as the potential for 
  encountering hostile life-forms was recognized, even if no-one truly believed 
  the reality of it.
  The first six Earth-weeks passed without incident. Though the planet 
  was somewhat more volatile than expected, the base camp was located in 
  a relatively stable position, sheltered by natural granite rock spires, and the 
  scientists enjoyed a fruitful mission. Draper’s World was quickly identified 
  as a source of vital elemental resources rarely found in our own solar system 
  – the abundance of which was so startling that Dr. O’Keefe gave the order to 
  press on further into the planet’s hazardous environs to see what else could 
  be found.
  (OPPOSITE)
  A Xeno-Parasite Soldier in 
  advanced stages of its life-
  cycle. Note the slashing talons, 
  elongated teeth and bladed tail, 
  all capable of tearing through STAR 
  marine body armour.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  9
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  10
  Some 30 miles from base camp, a team of four scientists – including O’Keefe 
  – and three guards discovered a labyrinthine cave network at the base of a 
  dormant volcano. The tunnel system (later dubbed “Franz’s Folly”) stretched for 
  an indefinite distance beneath the planet’s surface, and once it was determined 
  that there was no active volcanic threat within, O’Keefe gave the order to explore 
  it, for at least a short distance. After several hours of laborious journeying in 
  the dark, carrying heavy equipment in blistering heat, the team found an 
  underground repository of calcium deposits, and, against all odds, moisture. 
  Buoyed by the fact that the planet might contain underground streams, the 
  team pressed on deeper and deeper, until finally their path terminated at a large 
  cavern filled with a lake of some strange, oleaginous liquid. The pool was black, 
  and potentially many yards deep at its center, and, with nowhere else to go, the 
  scientists set about taking samples instead; and that was when they were attacked.
  No-one had seen the shadows moving between the stalagmites on the far 
  side of the lake, nor the faint ripples in the strange primordial ooze, coming 
  closer towards the preoccupied scientists. Dr. Antonia Burren, who had waded 
  knee-deep into the black pool, was suddenly pulled beneath the surface by a 
  force unseen. When the security detail tried to extract her, only her torso 
  surfaced, her lower half remaining somewhere beneath the liquid. The first 
  extra-terrestrial erupted from the ooze, and was at first driven back by the 
  guards’ gunfire, though the light pistols did little actual damage to it.
  Even as the team attempted to pull back, more of the aliens appeared, 
  moving stealthily around the edges of the cavern, and swimming across the 
  lake of ooze. They were squat creatures, perhaps no taller than 5 feet, and with 
  an ape-like gait. That was where the similarities to Earth mammals ended, 
  however, as their limbs were segmented like that of an insect, tipped with long 
  claws; their skin was hard and pitted, and matt black to the point of absorbing 
  all light around them. Their bodies 
  were topped with long, serpentine 
  necks, which tapered to a pointed, 
  eyeless head, and they were possessed 
  of segmented tails, which terminated 
  at a spiked, mace-like appendage. At 
  first, they seemed vaguely humanoid, 
  but as they drew nearer, their victims 
  observed that the creatures had spindly, 
  secondary appendages which curled up 
  to their bony chests – atrophied limbs 
  that were used to grapple their prey 
  close while their long, insectoid arms 
  made short work of other opposition.
  As the scientists struggled to 
  disentangle themselves from their 
  Xeno-Parasites often ensnare live 
  victims close to their nests as 
  a food source to facilitate rapid 
  growth of their Soldiers.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  11
  equipment, the creatures pounced upon them, dragging them beneath the 
  surface of the lake in short order, while others fought a running battle with 
  the security detail as they tried to escort Dr. O’Keefe back through the maze 
  of tunnels. The further the aliens got from their cavern, the less ferocious their 
  attacks became, until the pursuit seemed to drop off altogether. Reaching 
  the cave mouth by which they had entered the tunnels, the two remaining 
  guards and one scientist paused for a moment to catch their breaths, and in 
  that moment a creature struck. It dropped on them from the cliffs above, 
  unperturbed by the baking heat and glaring sunlight of the surface world. 
  Batting aside the security guards, it pinned O’Keefe to the floor, and its head 
  opened up like the petals of some blasphemous flower, revealing rows of tiny 
  sharp teeth within. With no warning, a jagged proboscis shot from the beast’s 
  mouth, shattering O’Keefe’s visor with ease, and forcing its way down his 
  throat. The guards returned and redoubled their efforts, eventually driving 
  the creature back into the tunnels. Dragging O’Keefe into their surface rover, 
  with its sealed environment, they managed to transport him back to base 
  camp, where he was attended to by the other scientists. Given their limited 
  medical expertise, however, the decision was made to pack up the base camp 
  and return to the Kepler research station, in orbit around HD 40307b.
  O’Keefe was placed, comatose, into a quarantined medical bay on the 
  planetary light-lander Socrates, while the remainder of the team broke down 
  the camp. However, as the orange sun sank below the horizon and night fell, 
  the astro-geologists realized they were not alone. In less than an hour, the 
  aliens had overrun the camp and killed – or captured – every man and woman 
  bar two; two security guards, realizing all hope was lost for the scientists, 
  fought their way to the Socrates and blasted off, leaving behind Draper’s World 
  and its hideous native fauna forever – or so they thought.
  DRAPER’S WORLD
  Originally known simply as “Planet B,” Draper’s World 
  is a mineral-rich, volcanic planet, the second in a small 
  system orbiting the star HD 40307. Located some 
  42 light years from Earth in the Pictor constellation, 
  the system was singled out as an untapped font of 
  resources. “Planet G” in the same system had already 
  been identified as a so-called super-Earth, and the 
  Kepler Deep Space Research Station was constructed 
  in its orbit to monitor the planet in preparation for 
  terraforming. A small team of astro-geologists, stopping 
  briefly at the Kepler facility, touched down on Draper’s 
  World in 2239. Their initial research was fruitful – they 
  discovered an abundance of several otherwise scarce 
  metallurgic elements including coronium, orichalcum, 
  and calculon, making the world rife for plunder. 
  Unfortunately, celebrations were short lived. The astro-
  geologists were attacked by a parasitic alien beast – the 
  first truly sentient extra-terrestrial to be encountered 
  in almost 150 years of exploration. Thanks to their 
  security detail, one of the scientists made it back to 
  the Kepler facility – but that was only the start of the 
  nightmare. Subsequent attempts to reclaim Draper’s 
  World have so far failed.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  12
  The Kepler Incident
  The Kepler Deep Space Research Station (DSRS) is one of the largest and 
  best equipped off-world scientific facilities in the Pictor sub-sector. Staffed by 
  over 100 micro-biologists, geologists, astro-physicists, and their support staff, 
  the facility provides a launchpad for all scientific voyages in the stellar region.
  Once at the station, Dr. O’Keefe’s condition was quickly stabilized in the 
  facility’s quarantine bay. Held on life support for a full day, he soon showed signs 
  of recovery, and came out of his coma remarkably quickly. His physical wounds 
  were minimal, although his synaptic responses were sluggish, and he struggled 
  to adjust to his surroundings. On the second day, a nurse in full hazmat gear 
  was sent to take a sample of O’Keefe’s blood. As she did so, O’Keefe’s body 
  began to blotch and blister, as though his blood was boiling. As the nurse 
  tried to calm O’Keefe and call for assistance, the geologist vomited a torrent of 
  boiling-hot blood over her, which burned her even through the protective suit. 
  The blood contained thousands of tiny, spider-like creatures, which scuttled 
  through the medi-bay in droves, swarming around the doors and reinforced 
  windows, and eating through the hermetic seals as if they were nothing. In 
  minutes, the swarm of bugs was scurrying through the facility – through air 
  ducts, corridors, and maintenance shafts. And while the crew frantically tried 
  to kill or capture them, no-one saw what was happening in the medi-bay.
  O’Keefe, somehow still alive, had taken leave of his senses, and was 
  grappling with the already traumatized nurse. In a shower of gore, O’Keefe’s 
  stomach exploded, and three vicious little creatures leapt from his body 
  and instantly began tearing apart the unfortunate nurse, rapidly gorging 
  themselves on her flesh like a shoal of piranhas, before scurrying away to find 
  a hiding place. These creatures were more aggressive and far stronger than the 
  parasites encountered so far, and were characterized by enlarged teeth and 
  claws, earning them the moniker of ‘Soldiers’.
  The battle to keep control of the facility raged for days. The resourceful 
  scientists and their security staff hunted down as many of the miniscule spiders 
  as they could, and sent out distress calls to any nearby Authority vessels that 
  were listening. But as the days passed, the spider-like creatures underwent 
  rapid changes. Security sweeps began to find larger creatures, bearing the 
  distinctive characteristics of the aliens back on Draper’s World. These creatures 
  shunned conflict and fled to the bowels of the station. When the security staff 
  found their lair, they found that dozens of science personnel, missing or feared 
  dead, had been cocooned in a sticky, calcium-rich ooze, suspended from the 
  ceiling of the lower stores, where they served as a food supply for the aliens – a 
  living food supply. The guards had had little time to process this information 
  when they were attacked by a seemingly new form of alien life – three tall, 
  gangrel creatures, all teeth, claws, and lashing tails. Later identified as adult 
  Soldiers, having undergown rapid development, these beasts seemed hell-
  bent on protecting the smaller creatures, and those guards who survived the 
  (OPPOSITE)
  Mature Xeno-Parasite Drone, 
  with its mouth-section opened 
  to reveal leech-like teeth and an 
  egg-laying proboscis. 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  13
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  14
  encounter could only retreat to the station’s secure command center, where 
  they waited with the terrified scientists for help to arrive
  The Seeds Are Sown
  It took almost five weeks to bring the Kepler facility back under Authority 
  control, as all they could do was bolster the security forces on board whilst 
  THE XENO-PARASITE LIFE-CYCLE
  The parasites (Xeno Parasitus Volcanis) are an incredibly 
  hardy species, and it is easy to see how they spread 
  insidiously throughout Authority territory before their 
  true nature was discerned.
  Drones are the most long-lived of the Xeno-
  Parasite sub-species. By means of hibernating in a 
  sealed, calcium-rich cocoon, it is surmised that a 
  Drone can survive dormant for many centuries with 
  no food source, in the most extreme environmental 
  conditions. Despite having no visual or olfactory 
  organs, they are incredibly sensitive to vibrations and 
  minute temperature change, and can sense when prey 
  is nearby. This brings a dormant Drone to life, and it 
  will systematically hunt its prey. Its immediate purpose 
  is to gather a food supply for its nest and offspring; 
  its secondary objective is to implant one or more of 
  its victims with eggs, by means of its vicious spike-
  like proboscis. Victims that are implanted fall into a 
  deep coma, usually lasting for around 24 Earth-hours. 
  When they awake, their blood – now tainted with 
  the Xeno-Parasite’s own DNA – begins to increase in 
  temperature. Once it reaches boiling point, a chain 
  reaction is set into motion. First, the victim vomits a 
  swarm of infant Drones in a torrent of his own boiling 
  blood. These set about finding a place to hide, or easy 
  victims to feed upon, until they have grown in strength.
  Next, still alive, the victim involuntarily staggers 
  towards the nearest source of food for his parasitic 
  masters. Once he is in close proximity, the three eggs 
  within him grow with extreme rapidity, and the new-
  born Soldiers burst out of his stomach, killing the host 
  instantly. The Soldiers gorge on their victims, and possess 
  incredible strength given their small size. Through a 
  process of “shedding,” the Soldiers grow to ten times 
  their embryonic size within 24–72 hours, depending on 
  how much food is available, at which point they begin 
  to capture living hosts for the Drones to feed on.
  Where the chance of establishing a successful 
  colony seems low, the tiny, infant Drones are capable 
  of implanting a handful of eggs into a host by means 
  of a small, yet painful, bite. Undetectable for weeks, 
  these microscopic eggs actively evade detection in the 
  host’s bloodstream, moving like nanites. In this way, 
  the Xeno-Parasites were able to infect over a dozen 
  Kepler DSRS scientists without their knowing – later, 
  these scientists traveled to other facilities or colonies, 
  where the parasites finally hatched. Without Soldiers 
  to protect them, the chances of success are slim, but 
  thanks to mankind’s advances in space travel, the 
  Xeno-Parasites have been able to gain a foothold on 
  worlds far beyond their point of origin.
  At least one in every 300 infant Drones develops 
  into a Queen. This is the weakest of the three strains, 
  although they will always fight each other to the 
  death until only one remains. Queens are capable 
  of bio-forming the locale into a more conducive 
  environment, vomiting forth pools of gestation fluid, 
  and creating massive egg-sacs to which they attach 
  themselves, before laying countless Drone eggs. In the 
  absence of a Queen, the Drones will hibernate until 
  they are able to start the process again. With a Queen 
  present, however, the entire species shows signs of 
  higher intellectual function; they become able to direct 
  their efforts efficiently and effectively even against an 
  organized military force.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  15
  waiting for a detachment of Earth’s army to arrive. 
  During that time, the bugs multiplied, using 
  the captured scientists as living hosts. The more 
  numerous strain – called ‘Drones’ – grew in number, 
  and at least one was observed to have rapidly evolved 
  into a ‘Queen’, much like an Earth-native ant. 
  This Queen gave birth to other Drones, and even 
  began to transform the fabric of the station to an 
  environment more conducive to Xeno-Parasite life. 
  None of the combat personnel were trained for the 
  task at hand, and the early skirmishes went badly for 
  the humans as the military underestimated the bugs’ 
  resilience. Finally, they resorted to a scorched earth 
  policy, rendering parts of the facility utterly useless 
  by detonating smart grenades and venting entire 
  hull sections into space.
  Once victory was secured, and the Pan-System 
  Authority reviewed the incident, the Kepler facility 
  underwent a massive refit, taking almost a year. 
  During this time, the survivors, after debriefing, 
  were sent to work in research colonies in other 
  parts of the sub-sector and beyond. What no-one 
  could have guessed – and even the best medical technology couldn’t detect – 
  was that the Xeno-Parasites were capable of implanting a secondary infection 
  within suitable hosts, which lay dormant for days, weeks, or even months before 
  emerging. Even before the Authority’s security review was complete, distress 
  calls began to flood in from ten far-flung worlds, separated by hundreds of 
  light years. The Xeno-Parasites had spread, and over the coming decades would 
  continue to do so. Mankind’s own innovations in interstellar travel had given 
  the aliens the perfect platform to infest the galaxy.
  Combating the Threat
  After the Kepler Incident, several small Xeno-Parasite incursions were 
  reported across the galaxy. It was four years before the first STAR marines 
  were deployed in a bug-infested warzone, and when they were, the lessons 
  learned from their somewhat inadequate predecessors were immediately put 
  into practice. The Xeno-Parasites, however, taught the STAR Marine Corps 
  that standardized “bug-hunting” tactics were virtually useless, and that every 
  species of bug required the use of specialist tactics and the deployment of 
  tailored hardware load-outs to effectively eradicate them.
  All of the strains of Xeno-Parasite have a high level of resistance to energy 
  and flame-based weaponry, largely due to the bugs’ tough exo-skeletons and the 
  unique composition of the alien blood. Xeno-Parasite blood (if it can be called 
  A Xeno-Parasite Queen attached to 
  its egg-sac.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  16
  such) is more akin to lava, being a highly toxic and thixotropic mix of molten 
  metal, enriched with calcium and sulfur. Their internal body temperature runs 
  between 1112 and 1652°F (600 and 940°C), making them immune to the 
  effects of extreme temperatures and most hostile environments. Cooling their 
  outer shells with concentrated blasts of nitrogen can make the creatures sluggish, 
  though it cannot incapacitate them fully. One of the more peculiar traits of the 
  species has been discovered within the Soldier strain. These creatures have virtually 
  no external pain receptors, as evinced by several documented exchanges with 
  STAR marines in which the bugs had limbs blown off and continued to fight. 
  However, internally it is a different story. Uniquely amongst their species, the 
  Soldiers seem to feel the pain of their own magma-like blood, living with extreme 
  internal burning for their entire sorry existence. This curse of evolution, Earth’s 
  exo-biologists postulate, drives Xeno-Parasite Soldiers into a near-permanent 
  state of rage of madness – if, of course, they are capable of such emotion.
  STAR marines understand that Xeno-Parasites are not to be engaged in 
  close combat except in the most desperate circumstances. Although Drones and 
  Queens are not much stronger than a man, the Soldiers certainly are, and the 
  boiling blood of all three strains is a very real combat hazard, capable of reducing 
  even polymer blades to molten slag in moments. As a result of battles against 
  Xeno-Parasites, marines are often kitted out with Kevlar-weave heat-resistant 
  fatigues along with their usual body armor, although its efficacy is dubious.
  Xeno-Parasites tend to gather in confined spaces, and therefore 
  opportunities to bring heavy weapons to bear are limited (the attack on 
  Perdition Alpha being a notable exception). With time to prepare, the most 
  effective combat measures to employ against the Draper’s World bugs are 
  sentry guns and heavy exo-suit troopers.
  Despite the undoubted efficiency of the STAR marines’ military response, 
  the Xeno-Parasites always seem to find a way to survive. Sometimes they will 
  re-emerge upon a world long thought cleared of all alien nests. Other times an 
  infection will occur on a previously unaffected colony, or on a bulk spacecraft 
  light years from home. The Xeno-Parasite is like the mythical Hydra – you can 
  cut off one head, but two more grow to take its place. Thanks to mankind, 
  this aggressive and tenacious species now has a secure foothold in many parts 
  of the galaxy.
  Centauran Araknyds
  The RSGC2 cluster of red giant stars, also known as Stephenson’s Reach, is 
  something of a galactic anomaly located within the Centaurus galactic arm. 
  It had long been coveted by STAR Industries, as its hundreds of planets, 
  planetoids, and super-sized meteorites were believed to hold not just a wealth 
  of alien mineral deposits, but also myriad simple life-forms that would prove 
  invaluable to mankind’s advances into bio-technology. The majority of those 
  worlds were so hostile to human life, and so eternally bathed in the dull red 
  (OPPOSITE)
  Captain Ana Carter of Zero Platoon, 
  surveying the infested facility at 
  Perdition Alpha.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  17
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  18
  glow of the giant stars, that the region became known as Hell’s Reach by the 
  long-haul exploration parties and ill-fated terraformers sent to study it. Six 
  separate expeditions were sent to Hell’s Reach over a 15-year period, and every 
  one was forced to abandon its mission owing to unforeseen circumstances. 
  When the fourth mission vanished without a trace while attempting to 
  establish a research base on the remote planetoid of Lycea, the region earned 
  ATTACK ON PERDITION ALPHA
  The Perdition system, approximately 2.6 parsecs 
  rimward of Barnard’s Star, seems an unusually isolated 
  and backwater world for a major STAR Marine Corps 
  engagement. However, upon a remote fracking colony 
  on this far-flung ice world, the marines completed 
  their greatest ever victory against the Xeno-Parasites, 
  at great cost.
  After three unsuccessful attempts to eradicate Xeno-
  Parasite infestations from human colonies, STAR 
  Marine Command had come up with a variety of 
  possible new tactics. When a distress call was picked 
  up from Perdition’s Alpha Station in early 2248, the 
  chance to put those tactics into use was seized.
  A platoon of marines under the corps’ poster-child, 
  Captain Ana Carter, made planetfall two klicks from 
  Perdition Alpha, setting up a mobile firebase before 
  sending two fireteams into the station. There, the 
  marines discovered 60 survivors of the station’s 205-
  man complement barricaded in the central comms 
  tower, and a network of cramped corridors and mining 
  tunnels swarming with bug Soldiers.
  The sub-levels of Ice Station Alpha had been 
  transformed by the Xeno-Parasites. Whole sections 
  of the basements were flooded with viscous ooze, 
  much like the underground lake found on Draper’s 
  World. The aliens had huddled close to the facility’s 
  power core, seeking out warmth and creating a nest for 
  themselves. Walls and ceilings were covered in calcium-
  rich deposits, which seemed to act as atmospheric 
  filters. As a result, the air had become poisonous to 
  humans, with most of the oxygen and carbon dioxide 
  from the artificial atmos-processor being replaced 
  with gaseous sulfur. Although the Xeno-Parasites are 
  capable of existing in almost any atmosphere, they had 
  apparently gone to great lengths to make the station 
  more amenable.
  The fireteams were unable to gain a foothold in the 
  station itself, and the Xeno-Parasites’ attacks prevented 
  them from evacuating the refugees. And so the ultimate 
  sanction was called for – the sacrifice of the human 
  colonists. The order was not issued lightly; STAR 
  Command demanded that the planet – rich in mineral 
  resources and ripe for terraforming – be completely 
  scoured of the alien threat. Marine Corps intelligence 
  suggested that the only way to achieve this goal was to 
  cut the bugs off from any sustainable source of food or 
  hosts, and engage them in open war. The mines and 
  the surrounding facility represented the only viable 
  sources of cover on the entire planet, and if that cover 
  was eliminated, the bugs would have nowhere to hide.
  With this in mind, the marines pulled back to their 
  firebase, and detonated three remote smart-nukes in 
  the mines. Although some bugs survived the initial 
  destruction, the marines soon pressed home their 
  advantage, using motorized breacher units and exo-
  suits to pick through the debris. Uncovering the last 
  remaining Queen and her nest of Soldier bugs, the 
  marines drove the creatures out onto the ice-fields, 
  where they were mown down by heavy weapon teams. 
  The engagement wiped out every Xeno-Parasite on 
  Perdition, at a cost of 60 colonists’ lives, an acceptable 
  12 percent marine casualty rate, and the destruction of 
  a single fracking facility.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  19
  a fell reputation, with many fleet captains proclaiming it “cursed,” like the 
  fabled Bermuda Triangle of Earth.
  STAR Industries, however, were nothing if not persistent. Convinced that 
  untold wealth lay in Hell’s Reach, they prepared one of the largest expeditions 
  ever assembled, and dispatched it to RSGC2 in 2246, less than a year after the 
  failure of the previous mission. This time, two large research vessels carrying 
  almost 200 scientists, terraformers, and engineers were dispatched to settle 
  twin colonies on Lycea and its sister object, Pallas. These two tiny, ice-bound 
  planetoids spun in a synchronistic orbit, and STAR Industries hoped not only 
  that the initial survey of those worlds would prove lucrative, but also that later 
  they would make prime fleet bases for further expeditions into the region.
  Far from home, on an icy rock where the blizzards never ceased and the snow 
  reflected the blood-red suns, the colonists who set down the first structures on 
  Lycea didn’t need to be reminded of the region’s devilish nickname.
  STAR Industries had secretly been worried about the reasons behind 
  the loss of the fourth Hell’s Reach mission, largely due to the strange but 
  indistinct transmissions they had received shortly before losing contact with 
  the expedition. For this reason, the fifth mission was escorted by a single 
  marine platoon of the 12th Lunar Regiment, aboard the Lincoln-class corvette 
  MSS Bodega. The marines’ mission was highly classified, and the civilian and 
  tech staff – kept in the dark about the reason for the marines’ presence – 
  became duly concerned about the nature of their mission. The STAR marines 
  were still an experimental taskforce, though their ranks had swelled with new 
  recruits since the previous year’s incursion on the moon Io, too close to home 
  for most people’s comfort.
  With their ships in orbit around Lycea, the engineering teams were first to 
  the planet, and began laying the foundations for a semi-permanent research 
  station. It was during this initial period of construction – scheduled to last 
  eight days – that a violent meteor storm hit the northern hemisphere of the 
  planetoid. The storm was not predicted by any met-cog scanners, and its 
  sudden appearance cut off all comms with the engineering team for several 
  hours. When the storm subsided and the comms-net was finally brought back 
  online, there was no sign of the engineers. As a precaution, the STAR marines 
  prohibited any civilian search and rescue operation until they had assessed the 
  danger, and two full fireteams made planetfall at the engineers’ base camp. 
  Even though they had been warned by HQ of a possible extra-terrestrial threat 
  in the area, they soon discovered that they were woefully underprepared for 
  what came next.
  Escape from Lycea
  Against the relentless storm of blood-red snow and hail that battered the 
  marines, it was almost impossible to find any trace of life on the surface of 
  Lycea. Their multi-trackers were useless, and the visual targeting matrices 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  20
  in their environmental suits suffered massive interference. In such extreme 
  conditions, the marines had to rely on only their own senses; which is how the 
  bugs got so close before being detected.
  Fewer than half the marines present had seen action against bugs before, 
  and certainly never anything like this. From the raging blizzard came a horde 
  of scurrying, clawed creatures, covered in thick bony plates and carrying what 
  looked like weapons – albeit ones made of organic matter. The eight-limbed 
  An Araknyd Warrior. Forelimbs are 
  always fused to the bug’s organic 
  weaponry. This one is armed with 
  a scythe talon and a ‘stinger’ – a 
  pistol-like bio-weapon that seems 
  to exhibit low-level intelligence of 
  its own.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  21
  bugs looked at first glance like spiders, although the creatures’ scaly hide and 
  intricate patternation placed them more akin to large reptiles than arachnids.
  Regardless of the aliens’ origins, the marines had been trained to do but 
  one thing – squash bugs. With that in mind, despite the odds, they opened fire 
  with everything they had. Lycea, so long a frozen, desolate world, suddenly felt 
  the heat of battle. Flamethrowers scorched the bugs, and carbines tore swathes 
  through their endless, scuttling ranks. For a moment, it looked as though the 
  few marines who had landed would be enough to turn back the swarm; but 
  only for a moment. In the next instant, a flock of winged bugs swept from the 
  snowstorm, hacking at the marines with scythe-like talons and battering into 
  them with their full weight. Sergeant Idaho, a veteran of the Io infestation, 
  authorized the use of the marines’ experimental grav-packs, taking to the air 
  with four of his men and deploying their suits’ countermeasures to draw the 
  winged creatures away from his team’s heavy weapon specialists.
  With Idaho drawing heat from the main force, the remaining marines began 
  a fighting retreat to their dropship. However, the warrior-bugs were relentless, 
  seemingly growing in number until they were like a huge writhing shadow looming 
  from the snowstorm. As soon as they drew to close range, the strange weapons 
  opened fire with a barking, screeching sound. Globules of glowing plasma energy 
  lit the air like tracer fire. The organic ammunition, whilst insufficient to punch 
  through the marines’ armor, did begin to melt it. Where the glowing ooze struck 
  soft joins in the environment suits, it burned through in moments, opening the 
  marines’ suits to the freezing, oxygen-free air. A few were dragged bodily into 
  the dropship, their respirators keeping them alive. Others froze to death mid-
  battle, their sudden deaths a blessing in disguise as the monsters swarmed over 
  their bodies, hacking and tearing them apart in seconds.
  Elsewhere, Sergeant Idaho and his small team successfully shook off the 
  winged bugs and found themselves a defensible position to fight from while 
  their grav-packs charged up for another burst. Unfortunately for them, time 
  Araknyd stingers appear to 
  be living, parasitic organisms. 
  Due to the development of the 
  stinger’s brain stem, it is unclear 
  whether the Warriors use these 
  bio-weapons as guns, or whether 
  the guns themselves are the 
  intelligence, guiding their hosts 
  around the battlefield.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  22
  was one thing they did not have. Idaho’s comms-link crackled to life – the 
  marines who had made it back to the dropship were under attack from 
  something big, and they were prepping for launch to avoid having the crate 
  destroyed by bug firepower. Realizing that he had allowed himself to be drawn 
  too far from the dropship, Idaho ordered his team to pull back as soon as the 
  grav-packs had charged. That’s when the ground began to tremble, and one of 
  the big bugs that his men had mentioned came for him.
  The creature towered over them, six enormous legs holding up a muscular 
  body; two powerful arms ending in scythe-like claws beginning to smash apart 
  the glacial cover the marines had been sheltering behind. The monster’s head 
  was protected by a broad bony crest, giving it the appearance of a hammerhead 
  shark. Bundles of fleshy tubes drooped from its gaping maw, leading to a 
  massive funnel-like protrusion in the beast’s chest. And that protrusion began 
  to glow and spark as a super-charged ball of plasma built up inside it, ready to 
  be discharged at the marines.
  The grav-packs lit green just as the bug prepared to fire its plasma weapon 
  at the team. Barking an order to the others, Idaho hit his pack and boosted 
  high into the air, as a massive surge of energy ploughed into the glacier behind 
  him. One of his men was burned alive by the glowing green energy, and then 
  Idaho felt the pain surge through his body as he realized he’d been hit. The 
  spray from the monster’s chest-weapon had hit him on the leg, burning it off 
  below the knee and knocking out his grav-pack’s stabilizers. He corkscrewed to 
  the ground, hitting the ice as the monster bore down on him, claws slashing. 
  The remaining two marines boosted clear, looking back in time to see Sergeant 
  Idaho unloading his carbine into the monster, even as a swarm of smaller bugs 
  swept into the narrow defile. That was the last anyone saw of the Hero of Lycea.
  Deadly Pursuit
  The dropship jetted from the planetoid’s surface, battling the howling storm 
  and coming under intense fire from the sea of bugs below. Plasma weaponry 
  melted holes in the ship’s wings, almost bringing them down; but the pilot 
  skillfully brought his crate under control and initiated the thrusters to send 
  them clear of the alien weaponry’s effective range. As the storm cleared and the 
  dropship entered Lycea’s upper atmosphere, blips began to appear on the ship’s 
  scanners. Above them, thousands of orb-like, luminescent creatures floated 
  gracefully, trailing tendrils 100 feet long towards the thin clouds below. There 
  was no time to take evasive action. As the tendrils contacted the ship’s hull, the 
  jellyfish-like creatures latched on, pulling themselves in towards the fuselage 
  even as the ship rocketed outwards towards space, collecting dozens of the 
  creatures as it went.
  By the time the dropship appeared on the MSS Bodega’s viewscreens, the 
  horrified marines could only watch as the drifting spores detonated, reducing 
  the dropship to mangled debris, their comrades aboard it killed in an instant.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  23
  The remaining marines set their vessel on high alert, and led an emergency 
  council which also included the captain of the research vessel DSS Belladonna, 
  and the lead scientist of the expedition, Dr. Albertus Kafka. Even as they 
  discussed pulling out of Lycea’s orbit and regrouping with the second 
  engineering team at Pallas, the Bodega suffered an impact from an extra-
  terrestrial object, causing massive damage to the Faster-Than Light (FTL) 
  drive. Helm reported incoming meteorites, slingshotting around Lycea as 
  though they were intentionally being guided towards the cruiser. When a 
  distress signal came in from the crew of the DSS Augustus in orbit around 
  Pallas, the marines knew they were facing no ordinary bugs.
  In the ensuing chaos, the remaining marines used their cruiser’s weaponry 
  to deflect the trajectory of the incoming meteorites while they evacuated to 
  the Belladonna. Commandeering the research vessel, they steered away from 
  Lycea’s orbit as the Bodega was destroyed in their wake and dozens more 
  meteorites flew towards them. Refusing the pleas of the civilian crew to mount 
  a rescue of the stricken DSS Augustus, the marines entered 
  hyperspace as soon as they were able, leaving Lycea in the 
  hands of the bugs.
  A Relentless Foe
  Using vid-captures and comms recordings from the battle 
  on Lycea, STAR Command was able to piece together some 
  information about the eight-legged bugs that Sergeant 
  Idaho’s team had fought. When training videos began to 
  circulate around marine bases, the new bugs quickly became 
  known as Araknyds, due to their spider-like appearance, or 
  officially Xeno Aranea Onocentaurus. The Marine Corps 
  science and tech division theorized that the creatures did not 
  originate on either Lycea or Pallas, but probably migrated 
  there in the form of spores, locked in frozen meteorites that 
  cycled through Hell’s Reach. These meteorites would have 
  been trapped by the gravitational pulls of the many red 
  super-giants in the region, and only by chance would they 
  impact the occasional planet or moon. Perhaps, it was said, 
  the aliens needed some form of atmosphere to develop from 
  tiny spore to fully functioning monster, and the conditions 
  on Lycea – while not ideal – were good enough to allow 
  for the bugs’ rapid growth. On airless moons and volcanic 
  worlds, the alien spore would likely be trapped in a form of 
  undeveloped stasis indefinitely.
  The idea that the icy meteorites were somehow 
  controlled by the Araknyds was laughed off. The creatures 
  documented on Lycea displayed no means of achieving 
  Araknyd Warrior strains utilise 
  a strange type of bio-energy 
  weapon, labelled a ‘stinger’, 
  which draws power from the 
  creature’s own body via a series 
  of organic tubes.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  24
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  25
  such a feat, after all, and the apparent intelligent redirection of the meteorites 
  against the Bodega, Augustus, and Belladonna was put down to a freak meteor 
  shower, the presence of which must have been disguised by radiation from solar 
  flares. However, STAR Command declared Hell’s Reach a quarantine zone – 
  even if the bugs couldn’t pilot meteorites like spaceships, they were still likely 
  to be infesting any number of planets, moons, and asteroids in the region. The 
  numbers observed on Lycea alone made open military action in the sector a 
  practical impossibility. Better to leave Hell’s Reach and its denizens alone, at 
  least for the time being.
  Twenty years passed before the Araknyds were encountered again, but 
  it was not in Hell’s Reach. Further coreward, in the Wild Duck Cluster of 
  the Scutum Reaches, a STAR marine patrol of the fringe colonies received a 
  distress signal from a herculanium mining colony on the planet Barnard-E32. 
  When the marines arrived at the planet, they found it surrounded by the giant, 
  floating spores that had previously been described in the outer atmosphere of 
  Lycea. An unmanned probe to the planet’s surface confirmed the worst – the 
  factory complex, stretching over 5 cubic miles, was infested with Araknyds. 
  Before the probe was destroyed, it had scanned more than 100,000 alien life-
  forms within the complex. Within hours, huge ice-meteorites began to encircle 
  the planet, slingshotting around the orbit of Barnard-E32 and into the path 
  of the marine patrol. A light-squeezed transmission from STAR Command 
  sanctioned the use of a nuclear bombardment of the planet, and ordered that 
  all potentially infected meteorites be destroyed. A vital work colony, 50 years 
  in the making, was wiped out virtually overnight, because the risk of the 
  Araknyds spreading to other worlds in the system was too terrible to think 
  about. When more – and larger – meteorites were detected heading into the 
  system from beyond the sub-sector, a semi-permanent taskforce was assigned 
  to patrol the valuable assets of the Wild Duck Cluster, and STAR Industries 
  sub-contracted the building of Sobieski’s Shield – the most widespread early-
  warning defense grid ever built outside the Sol system, covering a vast area 
  containing nine systems.
  The Norma-36 system contains one of the oldest outer colonies, having 
  been established during the very first wave of interstellar expansion. It is not 
  the most advanced colony, having relied on generation ships to bolster its 
  population over a long period of time. However, its people have successfully 
  terraformed two worlds, and live a simple lifestyle in one of the great agricultural 
  experiments of the interstellar age. In 2268, scientists on Norma-36 F22b, 
  “Rylos,” detected a large band of unidentified bodies approaching from the outer 
  system, some of which impacted the moon Yanto, knocking out the remote 
  communications array on the moon’s surface. Upon investigation, colonial 
  engineers were attacked by a swarm of vicious bugs. This time, abandoning 
  the moon was not an option, and the STAR marines were called in to cleanse 
  the comms facility on Yanto. This was the first time a prepared force had taken 
  (OPPOSITE)
  Winged Araknyds use their 
  forelimbs to make slashing, 
  hit-and-run attacks. They usually 
  carry small explosive spore-
  bombs on their bodies, laying 
  them like eggs as they soar over 
  the battlefield.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  26
  on the bugs with the odds in their favor, and despite high casualty levels, the 
  marines were ultimately successful. The marines’ Demeter-class cruisers took 
  out as many of the spore-meteorites as they could, although some were fired 
  deeper coreward, beyond the sensor arrays of the colonies, headed for some 
  unknown destination. Again, it seemed as though the Araknyds were working 
  to some dire plan. In the years to come, battles would be fought on vast derelict 
  ships, turned into little more than drifting hulks by the Araknyd meteors, and 
  infested with hatchling bugs. The hulks themselves acted as transportation for 
  the Araknyds, ultimately crashing into moons or barren worlds and unleashing 
  an infestation of fully developed bugs onto previously untouched worlds. Since 
  their discovery on Lycea, each new battle with the Araknyds shared a common 
  feature – they were all closer to Earth than the last.
  The idea of the Araknyds enacting some sort of vendetta against the 
  human race quickly became the subject of a philosophical debate rather than 
  a scientific one. No-one in the Authority wanted to believe that the first truly 
  intelligent life encountered in the galaxy was a species of murderous, xeno-
  morphic bug. However, any debate on the subject was soon to become moot.
  Invasion: Earth 
  The war against the Araknyds raged throughout the galaxy, with new pockets 
  of infestation being discovered on remote space stations, planetoids, and 
  distant colonies throughout human territory. While the Authority dithered 
  on exactly how to address the threat of a space-faring race of bugs, the reality 
  of that threat came knocking at their door.
  Five years ago, in 2283, the Araknyds’ plan – if it can be called such – finally 
  came to fruition. How long the spore-infested meteorites had been traveling 
  NO-ONE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED…
  Professor Harlan Forrester of the DSRS Goodwill was 
  reputedly the first man to discover the nature of the 
  Araknyd threat, though his work did not garner public 
  attention until many months after the Lycea incident.
  Forrester was one of the scientists tasked with 
  studying 
  Hell’s 
  Reach, 
  using 
  state-of-the-art 
  astronomical equipment and relying largely on the 
  data gathered from dozens of unmanned probes. 
  Alone amongst his team, Forrester became convinced 
  that an advanced form of life was present in the 
  RSGC2 cluster – life-forms that were moving freely 
  between the planets and moons of the region by riding 
  upon meteorites and directing them on controlled 
  trajectories through space. These observations were 
  derided by the other researchers, who believed that the 
  anomalous nature of the data was due to unidentified 
  gravitational effects caused by the number of red 
  super-giant stars in the sector.
  Following the Lycea incident, Forrester was 
  mysteriously reassigned to a top-secret facility back on 
  Earth. His colleagues on the Goodwill station did not 
  even get a chance to say goodbye before a squad of 
  STAR marines bundled him away on board a military 
  transport. What became of the professor – and what 
  role he now fulfils in the STAR Industries scientific 
  branch – remains a mystery.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  27
  towards the Sol system was unknown, but when a cluster of them, thousands 
  strong, appeared on long-range sensors based in the asteroid belt, the domestic 
  fleet was dispatched immediately. Made up of SolNav (the Sol system naval 
  defense force) and the USD Coastguard, the fleet quickly identified the 
  gigantic rocks as Araknyd spore-carriers, and quickly set about destroying 
  them. Fragments of ice-bound rock scattered across the system, landing who-
  knows-where. Some of the meteorites made it through wholesale, and, after 
  weeks of desperate action by the domestic fleet, five meteorites passed through 
  the defense grid and impacted Earth.
  Huge tidal waves crashed into the USA’s western seaboard, while impact 
  damage ravaged eastern Europe and parts of central Asia. The meteorites 
  dispersed their deadly payload of tiny Araknyd spores instantly, poisoning 
  the immediate atmosphere and rapidly evolving into Centauran warriors. 
  Every STAR marine sortie within 12 light years was recalled to Earth, as the 
  Terran Army and national defense forces struggled to contain the threat. By 
  the time the STAR marines put down the threat, over 120 million citizens 
  had been reported killed worldwide in the disaster. The world was united 
  in its mourning, and searching questions were asked of the Authority. The 
  response was a declaration of war on the Araknyds. Plans were put in place 
  to expand the STAR Marine Corps, drafting in volunteers from the Army, 
  Navy, and Coastguard, and even from colonial security forces. New training 
  facilities were built; vast resources were diverted to STAR Industries’ shipyards 
  and weapon factories to bolster the fleet. Now, five years after the attempted 
  invasion of Earth, one of the largest STAR Marine Corps task forces ever 
  assembled is en route to the Centaurus Arm. Its mission – to find the source 
  of the Araknyd threat, and erase it from the galaxy.
  Combating the Threat
  Perhaps the most difficult factor to overcome in actions against Araknyds is 
  the aliens’ ability to “terraform” the surrounding environment. The spores 
  that herald the arrival of an infestation multiply rapidly, in a nano-biological 
  attack on a planet’s eco-system, blotting out the sun and slowly transforming 
  the world into a barren, icy rock. Even after extensive clear-up operations 
  on Earth, the areas most affected by the Araknyd invasion remain horribly 
  polluted, with climate changing to arctic conditions and biological and 
  radioactive contamination rife. Whenever Araknyds have gained a foothold 
  on a world, they have instantly set about changing it to suit their needs, 
  making the environment incredibly hostile for STAR marine operations.
  Marine platoons fighting Araknyds are almost always accompanied by 
  specialist teams equipped with flamethrowers, thermal detonators, and 
  incendiary-loaded grenade launchers, as extreme heat appears to damage the 
  creatures more than any other offensive measure. In mature Araknyd eco-systems, 
  sealed environment suits are essential kit, to protect combatants from both 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  28
  atmospheric conditions and airborne bio-hazard. Close-quarter fighting against 
  Araknyds is ill-advised; damage to environment suits exposes marines to a variety 
  of fatal bacteria, while the creatures’ strange plasma weaponry is devastating at 
  close range. The Araknyds also use some form of synaptic feedback system both 
  to communicate with each other and to receive orders from whatever intelligence 
  guides the swarms – at close range this feedback can cause severe neural pain in 
  humans, and sometimes incapacitation. In sub-zero conditions, exo-suits have 
  Known in the field as 
  Hammerheads, these bugs 
  are brutal monsters, larger and 
  stronger than even an exo-suit 
  marine.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  29
  proven unreliable, while dropsuit troopers are prone to engagement from vicious 
  swarms of winged Araknyds and airborne explosive spores.
  Thankfully the Araknyds do have other weaknesses that marine fireteams can 
  exploit. Unlike Xeno-Parasites, Araknyds hunt mainly by sight, using motion-
  based vision in the thermal spectrum, as well as a form of bat-like echo-location 
  – as such, thermal shielding and adaptive camouflage can conceal troopers from 
  the bugs, especially at long range, while baffler grenades can sometimes cause 
  mass confusion within a swarm. Anti-chitin ammunition has proven highly 
  effective at stopping Araknyds when applied in mass volleys – using sentry gun 
  emplacements to “herd” Araknyd swarms into the teeth of mass carbine volleys is 
  one of the few tried and trusted tactics against Araknyd Warriors. Finally, Araknyds 
  tend to lie dormant when a planet is at its hottest, hiding in vast subterranean 
  burrows. Using pheromone traces extracted from slain bugs, anti-grav “smart 
  nukes” have proven highly effective in penetrating these tunnel networks and 
  detonating from within, often eradicating whole nests in the process.
  Hive-Beasts of Klaatu VI
  The Outer Arm of the galaxy has long been thought of as an untapped frontier 
  – a vast stretch of systems, some almost certainly habitable, with untouched 
  alien resources. Unfortunately, those worlds are located beyond some of the 
  largest asteroid belts ever encountered, and so perilously close to unstable 
  red giants and several black holes that FTL jumps along the Outer Arm are 
  hazardous and sometimes deadly. For this reason, STAR Industries were 
  reluctant to fully explore the outer reaches, leaving the way open for their 
  competitors to seize the initiative, if only they could hold their nerve.
  The first mega-corporation to successfully explore the fringe of the Outer 
  Arm was Ramirez Hyperdrive, later renamed Cygnus AeroTech after a series 
  of mergers with colonial mining corporations and military contractors. Their 
  initial forays into the far reaches of the galaxy were rewarded when they 
  colonized the Cygnus system – a venture so successful that the five terraformed 
  planets are on the cusp of achieving Core World status.
  The most lucrative expanse of space on the Outer Arm, however, was the 
  sub-sector secreted within the vase Klaatu Nebula. From their newly established 
  system, Cygnus AeroTech began to assemble an exploratory fleet that could 
  negotiate this treacherous expanse and harvest the wealth of alien minerals 
  that lay within it. This would, they hoped, acquire them power and wealth to 
  finally rival STAR Industries. They poured resources into the project, risking 
  almost everything to crack one of the largest unexplored regions of space. And 
  they succeeded, up to a point.
  Into the Nebula
  The Klaatu Nebula is actually the critical region between several overlapping 
  gaseous bodies, and is one of the largest nebulae in the Outer Arm. Cygnus 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  30
  AeroTech, after several years of study, were able to navigate a path beyond the 
  nebula, establishing a system of hyperspace beacons as they went, creating a safe 
  path for future FTL jumps. This task took several years, but once completed it 
  allowed manned expeditions into the systems beyond. What they found was a 
  treasure trove of virgin worlds, ripe for the taking. The most promising system 
  was named for the nebula itself – the Klaatu system – and long-range sensors 
  had picked up high orichalcum, platinum, and thorium concentrations across 
  the system, and identified at least two worlds in the habitable zones with water 
  deposits. Before long massive mining and terraforming rigs were making their 
  way towards the 12-planet system, light years ahead of any other corporation 
  in what would surely become an interstellar gold-rush.
  It was while conducting orbital examination of the super-giant Klaatu VI 
  that a startling discovery was made, namely that the planet was not only ripe 
  for terraforming, but also fostered alien life. Lessons of the past had taught 
  mankind to proceed with caution in such circumstances, and eventually an 
  endo-atmospheric exploration team was assembled to investigate the planet 
  from the air, taking recordings and detailed scans as they went.
  As the first expeditionary force passed over 
  a mountainous region, they began to pick up 
  multiple life-signs, increasing in number as 
  the shuttle’s altitude dropped. Sweeping lower 
  for another pass through a steep valley, lined 
  by towering, conical rock formations, the crew 
  finally confirmed visual contact – bugs. This 
  news was met with utter dismay by the orbiting 
  command vessel – contact with alien bugs prior 
  to that point had never gone well, and these 
  ones looked no better. They were akin to large 
  crustaceans, scuttling about the mountainsides 
  in droves, eyestalks waving and claws snapping in 
  the air at the shuttle’s approach. The exploratory 
  mission was recalled, and the shuttle began its 
  ascent – and that’s when things took a turn for 
  the worse.
  As the shuttle climbed passed the strange 
  conical mountain peaks, the crew noticed 
  hundreds of small caves pock-marking the surface 
  of the rock. From these, clouds of flying bugs 
  began to swarm, and, too late, the crew realized 
  that the mountains were not truly mountains at 
  all, but gigantic nests harboring the strange aliens 
  of Klaatu VI – bug-built structures resembling 
  cyclopean termite mounds.
  A recent battle on the fringe world 
  of Remura confirmed a potentially 
  new strain of ‘Gun-Beast’. These 
  large bugs fire gobbets of a 
  napalm-like substance from 
  their distended abdomens over 
  incredible distances.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  31
  The creatures swarmed the shuttle, clogging the engines in thickening waves, 
  until finally the crew were forced to crash land further along the valley floor. 
  A distress beacon was erected, and the command ship, ATSS Compass Rose, 
  received a brief transmission informing them that the shuttle crew were heading 
  north, away from the mountainous hives.
  Following standard protocol, the Compass Rose immediately sent word to 
  the nearest STAR marine company, operating some 2,000 light years away. 
  The Compass Rose sent full clearance to allow the marines to use their newly 
  laid beacon network, and waited. The unthinkable happened – after checking 
  in with STAR Command, the marines refused to respond. Thousands of 
  light years away, via light-squeezed transmissions, a tense round of corporate 
  negotiations began between STAR Industries and Cygnus AeroTech, in which 
  STAR refused to send their marines into rival corporate territory without 
  first agreeing a contract with an astronomical remuneration clause. The talks 
  came to a standstill, at which point the captain of the Compass Rose, Helena 
  Bergstrom, took matters into her own hands and organized a security detail 
  to rescue the shuttle crew.
  Landing an estimated safe distance from the hives and encountering 
  minimal hostiles, the security detail set about tracking the shuttle crew, 
  eventually tracing their ID blips to a remote crystal stalagmite forest. This in 
  itself was of great interest to the landing party, who gathered a few samples of 
  the strange rock before continuing their mission.
  Finally, the ID blips led the security detail to a range of low hills, and a 
  deep burrow where the shuttle crew had evidently crawled. With no comms 
  response, the detail had little option but to investigate. Deep below ground, 
  they found four survivors of the recon shuttle crew, their eyes strange and 
  white, their minds seemingly useless. They twitched and moaned like zombies, 
  and seemed to have lost all control of their higher functions. The security 
  detail were about to carry the crewmen bodily from the cave when they were 
  disturbed by a violent tremor from deeper below ground. A huge sinkhole 
  opened in the center of the chamber, and a massive bug erupted through 
  it – a larval, worm-like creature, at least 13 feet in diameter, with a gaping 
  mouth filled with row after row of razor-sharp teeth. As soon as the first shots 
  were fired, the creature emitted a high-pitched squeal that caused massive 
  hemorrhaging in the closest men, forcing the remainder to flee the scene. 
  From every side-tunnel, large, crab-like monsters scuttled out in pursuit, and 
  after a running firefight with the creatures only two men made it back to the 
  retrieval boat alive. As the suns dropped below the horizon, the entire planet 
  seemed to spring alive with scuttling black shapes. The retrieval boat jetted 
  away, shooting its way through a storm of flying crustaceans, and returning 
  badly damaged to the Compass Rose, with a skeleton crew.
  Captain Bergstrom had barely relayed news of the bizarre ambush by the 
  bugs when her ship went into red alert. In minutes, fires raged across the 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  32
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  33
  vessel, and gunfire sounded in every corridor. The returning retrieval boat 
  had brought with it deadly cargo – reddish ooze stuck to the hull, in which 
  writhed hundreds of small, psychic larvae. Wriggling their way into the 
  ship, they crawled into the ears and noses of sleeping crewmen, hijacking 
  their neural functions and turning them against their comrades. These bug-
  controlled crewmen quickly began to transmit the horrific alien virus to 
  their colleagues, vomiting worm-infested blood onto uncontaminated crew 
  and bringing them swiftly under their synaptic control. Within an hour, 
  the ship’s destruct sequence had been activated, and detonated, blasting 
  the Compass Rose in half and sending the huge vessel crashing to the surface 
  of Klaatu VI in flames.
  Let the Bug Hunt Commence
  With the loss of the Compass Rose, Cygnus AeroTech lost heart in their 
  negotiations with STAR Industries. STAR, on the other hand, were even 
  more determined to wrest additional mining rights in the Klaatu system from 
  Cygnus, as the discovery of the strange crystal mineral on the planet’s surface 
  represented a sizeable scientific and fiscal opportunity. And so finally Cygnus 
  relented, giving up valuable mining rights, and at long last the STAR marines 
  were dispatched to the Klaatu Nebula – four full expeditionary units, including 
  two from the famous 5th Arcturian Regiment, were sent with a list of prioritized 
  standing orders: retrieve samples of the crystalline rock, capture a bug specimen 
  for further study, and search the planet for survivors of the Compass Rose.
  The marines touched down just two klicks from the Compass Rose’s tail 
  section, and instantly set up firebases and field HQ. Three platoons were sent 
  towards the wreckage in Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), following the 
  plumes of smoke that still smoldered a week after the crash. The remaining 
  marines were split into patrols to search the surrounding landscape for mineral 
  deposits and enemy activity.
  Heading northeast towards the original contact site, it was two platoons 
  of the Arcturian 5th that first encountered hostiles. Skirting the perimeter 
  of the smallest hive-zone, they’d hoped to go undetected, but the heavy 
  wheels of their Timberwolf APCs created enough ground disturbance to 
  attract unwelcome attention. The large, crab-like bugs described by the 
  exploration party scuttled from every cave-mouth, massive claws snapping 
  in the air as they bore down on the marines. Carbine-fire bounced off the 
  bugs’ thick, patterned carapaces. Grenades, although effective at slowing the 
  bugs down, only seemed to attract more of their ilk as the explosions tore 
  through the earth. As the intensity of the swarm increased, the marines fell 
  back to their APCs and sped away from the mounds as fast as they could, 
  eventually outstripping the bugs for speed. Unfortunately, they didn’t get far 
  before a seismic disturbance ahead caused the APCs to ditch. A smaller bug 
  patrol climbed from the newly opened fissure and began to smash into the 
  (OPPOSITE)
  Soldier-Beasts are large and 
  powerful, a mass of talons, 
  mandibles and crushing claws, 
  protected by a thick carapace. 
  They are carrion feeders, and 
  can often be found clearing 
  battlefields of the dead – both 
  their own and the enemy’s.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  34
  APCs, battering them with their massive chitinous shoulders and tearing at 
  them with huge crab-like claws. Uncertain of how long the APCs’ armor 
  would hold, the marine specialists on board donned powered exo-suits and 
  deployed outside, taking the fight to the bugs.
  While one exo-suit specialist set about righting the APCs, the other three 
  waded into close-quarter combat against the aliens. With their power-assisted 
  servos, the exo-suit troopers proved the physical equal of the bugs, while their 
  inbuilt flamethrowers, carbines, and grenade packs made up for their lack 
  of numbers. The bugs’ massive claws proved capable of tearing through exo-
  suit armor plating, but the marines’ combat training gave them the tactical 
  advantage. Three suits stood against more than 20 bugs, desperately buying 
  their platoon enough time to get underway. Only once the APCs were good 
  to go did the exo-suit specialists disengage, one of them irreparably damaged. 
  Fire support troopers wielding heavy auto-carbines and railguns – the only 
  weapons capable of penetrating the crab-beasts’ thick chitin armor – laid down 
  covering fire. Even as the marines got underway and left the bugs behind, the 
  sky behind them began to darken as swarms of flying aliens flocked from the 
  distant hives. The beasts were nothing if not tenacious.
  Elsewhere, the other platoons were also running into trouble. At the 
  wreckage of the Compass Rose, three platoons drawn from the 3rd and 7th 
  Magellan regiments forced their way into the huge sundered vessel. Picking 
  their way through the dark, twisted corridors of the wreck, the fireteams 
  picked up multiple vital signs from somewhere near the reactor room. Upon 
  approach, a group of crewmen in engineering uniforms stumbled from the 
  darkness towards them. The first fireteam attempted to escort the survivors 
  to safety, realizing too late that they were no longer fully human, but were 
  instead infected with virulent worm-hatchlings. The crew shambled forward, 
  rapidly followed by more, who had previously been thought dead. Soon, 
  every corpse in the engineering section was climbing to its feet and attacking 
  the marines.
  The marines on point were quickly overwhelmed – the press of bodies 
  piled onto them, vomiting black blood over them. Unable to tell if any of 
  the remaining life-signs were from genuine survivors or infected, Corporal 
  Zander of the 7th Magellan gave the order to pull back.  Retreating in good 
  order, the marines quickly found that carbine fire did little to stop the infected 
  crew unless direct head-shots were scored. Flamethrowers were brought up to 
  the front, and any marine carrying a shotgun or frag pistol moved to the rear 
  to blast apart their pursuers.
  Outside, the marines realized that they’d been treading through hazardous 
  material, likely containing microscopic bug larvae. That they were carrying 
  parasitic organisms on their persons became the least of their worries, however, 
  as larger, fatter larvae began to wriggle from the storeys-high wreckage, forcing 
  their fat bodies from every hatch and crevice until they rained down onto the 
  (OPPOSITE)
  Worker-Beasts, dubbed ‘death-
  shrimps’ by marines, are the 
  builders of the gigantic hives 
  in which their species lives. 
  Akin to gigantic hornets, or 
  winged shrimps, their tails are 
  tipped with a wasp-like sting, 
  capable of injecting one of the 
  most virulent neuro-toxins ever 
  encountered by mankind.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  35
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  36
  marines. Those stationed outside opened fire, but many of the larvae burrowed 
  quickly underground only to re-emerge beneath the marines’ feet, biting 
  through their fatigues with razor-sharp fangs. The marines scrambled back 
  to their APCs in disarray, firing at a writhing mass of tunneler worms as they 
  went. The crew, now zombies in thrall to the bugs, staggered from the ruins, 
  throwing themselves onto the APCs. Worse still, the marines who had been 
  lost inside the wreckage also emerged, their eyes white, firing their weapons at 
  former comrades. With men down, and a serious risk of contamination, the 
  marines high-tailed it back to the firebase.
  It was the same for every patrol. The bugs had attacked anyone who had 
  drawn close to their territory, driving them off with overwhelming numbers, 
  and finally pursuing them across the rocky steppe. At the firebase, the marines 
  regrouped in time to see bugs scurrying across the plain from every direction, 
  and tens of thousands more approaching from the air. The marines set up 
  long-ranged emplacements and fired relentlessly into the swarms while they 
  waiting for air support to pick them up. As they fought, their own wounded 
  began to turn, attacking them from within the base. As the battle raged, 
  Corporal Zander found himself the most senior officer in the expedition, and 
  gave the order to withdraw, leaving any wounded behind and abandoning 
  masses of hardware.
  Infection
  Back on board the cruisers, the medical teams worked around the clock to 
  quarantine and screen every marine who had been planetside. Some quickly 
  developed second-stage infections and were frozen in cryo-sleep to stop the 
  alien virus from spreading. Any gear that had come into contact with the 
  strange, worm-infested ooze was fired out of an airlock. Three Demeter-class 
  cruisers full of potentially infected marines were sent back to the nearest STAR 
  Command facility for further study, while one – the MSS Mako – remained 
  to patrol the sector, forming a temporary Star Marine Expeditionary Unit 
  (SMEU) from the surviving marines.
  The STAR science and tech division discovered that the infectious larvae 
  begin as microscopic organisms, and quickly grow into caterpillar-sized 
  grubs. Those that do not find a host body to control continue to grow, until 
  eventually they reach prodigious size – they are undoubtedly the same strain 
  as the large tunneling worms encountered by the Cygnus exploration team. 
  The creatures are aggressive and intelligent, displaying a strong sense of self-
  preservation. When they reach larger sizes, their ability to control biological 
  organisms becomes remote – a psychic ability that intensifies the older the 
  bug becomes. At adult stage, they quickly turn on each other, devouring their 
  kin in order to grow stronger and, it is theorized, start their own hive. These 
  bugs, although completely androgynous, were dubbed Queen-Beasts, and 
  their species became known as Hive-Beasts (Xeno Praesepes Bellua).
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  37
  A Rock and a Hard Place
  Analysis of the various mineral deposits retrieved from Klaatu VI revealed 
  high concentrations of crystallized thorium – one of the essential elements 
  required to power hyperdrive engines – as well as rich seams of platinum, 
  titanium, and orichalcum ore within the planet’s rock formations. Study 
  of the Hive-Beasts’ carcasses led STAR scientists to postulate that the 
  pure elements were a by-product of the bugs’ tunneling activities – the 
  process of chewing out their vast nests creates a wealth of minerals that 
  are completely useless to the bugs, but incredibly valuable to humans. If 
  STAR Industries could find a way to exploit the bugs’ natural tendencies, 
  the potential would be limitless. However, the Hive-Beasts were highly 
  aggressive and highly organized, and represented a potentially disastrous 
  bio-hazard threat.
  In the following months, further exploration of the Klaatu Nebula and 
  the surrounding sectors led to a disturbing discovery. The Hive-Beasts were 
  not limited to Klaatu VI, but had spread to well over a dozen worlds, as well 
  as mustering a complete infestation of the Klaatuan asteroid belt. Meteorites 
  displaying strange, conical formations on their surfaces were seen hurtling 
  through the sector, seemingly at random. Like the Centauran Araknyds, 
  the Hive-Beasts had found a way to spread beyond their homeworld – 
  wherever that might be. Unlike the Araknyds, however, their expansion 
  appeared utterly random. Where their meteorite burrows crashed, they 
  made their home. Where their spores infected another race, they spread like 
  wildfire. There was no telling how many infested worlds there were, or how 
  REVENANT SLAVE-HOSTS
  The most terrifying aspect of facing the Hive-Beasts 
  of Klaatu VI is their ability to turn marine against 
  marine, and take full control of a human’s neural 
  processes. At a basic level, this control is asserted 
  through infection with the aliens’ blood or specially 
  secreted synaptic fluid. These fluids contain tens of 
  thousands of parasitic worms, which are the first 
  stages in the development of the Queen-Beasts. As 
  these worms enter the bloodstream, they take full 
  control of the host’s hemocoel, flooding the body with 
  neural suppressants, in turn allowing the parasites to 
  latch onto the dorsal root ganglia and take complete 
  control of a person’s bodily functions. If allowed to 
  grow outside of a host body, the microscopic worms 
  soon become small grubs, themselves able to burrow 
  into a victim and pump more micro-parasites into the 
  host’s system. Although the “brainworms” are not in 
  themselves intelligent until they reach full maturity, 
  they use their powers to induct a victim into the nest’s 
  “hive mind,” forcing the host to act to defend the hive 
  at all costs.
  The host, while unable to access memories or even 
  feel pain under the influence of the brainworms, does 
  seem to pass on knowledge and training to the hive 
  mind – psychically “possessed” marines can utilize 
  all of their equipment and weaponry, albeit clumsily, 
  while spacecraft pilots have even been forced to ditch 
  their vessels into marine convoys by the pernicious 
  hive mind.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  38
  far-reaching their territory – but given the valuable resources that the aliens 
  possessed, war with the Hive-Beasts would be inevitable.
  STAR Industries’ initial refusal to assist the Cygnus system on the grounds 
  of conflict of interests ultimately persuaded the Authority to take sanctions 
  against their previously benevolent corporate saviors. The Pan-System 
  Concordance of 2271 signed over greater control of the STAR Marine Corps 
  to the Authority, and forbade STAR Industries from profiting directly from 
  marine deployments beyond the lucrative defense contract already in place. 
  By that time, however, the damage to Cygnus AeroTech had been done, and 
  the corporation became little more than a large subsidiary of STAR Industries 
  in the ensuing years.
  All-out War
  In the meantime, however, STAR Industries set about securing the Klaatu 
  sector, sending every available marine patrol through the nebula. Their plan was 
  to secure the system, and construct their own sanctioned hyperlane jump-gate 
  in orbit around Klaatu VI. The system, and undoubtedly much of the sector 
  beyond it, was too valuable to allow another upstart company like Cygnus 
  to move in, and so STAR set about conducting the largest ground offensive 
  in its history. Two full regiments of STAR marines moved into the region, 
  supported by a SolNav carrier and five companies of Terran Army soldiers. In 
  order to save as much of the mineral wealth of the planet as possible, orbital 
  nukes were prohibited, and so the troops, under General Ansom B. Valentine 
  of the 5th Arcturians, prepared for a lengthy ground war.
  The campaign lasted for over a year, during which the STAR marines were 
  reinforced several times. At first, the marines’ tactics were woefully deficient, 
  and despite their bravery many marines were infected by alien parasites and 
  became little more than slavering revenants, fighting against their own people. 
  The war raged across deserts, and in the bowels of the hives themselves. With 
  each battle lost, the marines adapted and learned new tactics. Every man 
  killed or possessed taught the STAR scientists something new about the bugs 
  of Klaatu VI – and how to kill them. Inch by inch, the marines made ground. 
  When the first Queen-Beast was killed, the effect on the surrounding bugs 
  was dramatic – they became confused and docile, and easy to put down. 
  Though there were perhaps 20 more hives scattered across the planet’s primary 
  continent, each containing billions of bugs, this victory gave the marines 
  heart. They burned the dead – revenant, marine, and bug alike – regrouped, 
  rearmed, and moved onto the next hive. By the time the last hive fell, every 
  surviving soldier on the planet was a hardened veteran. But there was no 
  time to rest – similar wars were being fought across the sector, and while the 
  engineers moved in to begin terraforming Klaatu VI, the marines and Terran 
  Army moved out to the next dropzone. This would be the way of it for years 
  to come…
  (OPPOSITE)
  Queen-Beasts are massive, 
  tunnelling creatures. There are 
  several of these beasts to be 
  found in any one hive complex, 
  each directing a horde of smaller 
  creatures with an almost psionic 
  control method.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  39
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  40
  Combating the Threat
  Engaging Hive-Beasts at close range is incredibly hazardous. Their crab-like 
  Soldier-Beasts are large and powerful, and incredibly aggressive, especially 
  when defending their hives. Air support, and particularly the use of personal 
  dropsuits, is made difficult by the swarms of Worker-Beasts, which flock 
  together in huge numbers during battle. If there is no option but to get 
  in close, marines are prescribed the use of sealed environment armor, 
  while specialists are usually equipped with exo-suits, which have proven 
  the physical equal of the larger bugs. At range, railguns are the weapon of 
  choice – of all bug species encountered so far, Hive-Beast Soldiers have the 
  thickest exo-skeletons – almost like heavy shells. Railguns offer superior 
  armor penetration and range – though they are often in short supply.
  The use of “nestbuster” smart nukes has had limited success on several 
  Hive-Beast infestations, but given the sheer size of the larger nests they 
  do not always possess the range to take down the hive’s Queen-Beast. The 
  only sure-fire way of scattering a hive is by destroying this Queen and any 
  juveniles, which almost always means sending a patrol deep into a hive 
  to take down the creature at close quarters. This method presents many 
  dangers. Firstly, the risk of infection is high, as deposits of worm-infested 
  goo drop from every surface inside the hives. Once an environment suit 
  is compromised and a marine is infected, he has only minutes before he 
  falls under the control of the Hive-Beasts. Secondly, fighting Soldier-
  Beasts at close quarters is incredibly dangerous, even with the use of anti-
  chitin shotgun rounds and flamethrowers. Thirdly, within the nests, every 
  vibration is amplified, and the bugs seem particularly sensitive to intruders, 
  much like Earth spiders and their webs. Finally, the Queen-Beast herself, as 
  well as being surrounded by vicious workers and voracious larvae, is capable 
  of activating remote psionic control of individual marines or even small 
  groups, turning fireteams against each other even without the aid of her 
  “brainworm” spore.
  Only six “Queen-hunts” have ever been attempted, and only one of those 
  was successful. When the Queen-Beast was destroyed and her larvae put to 
  the torch, all of the other bugs from the hive began to wander aimlessly, in 
  a confused state, and were easily defeated. Two recent innovations, however, 
  have made the prospect of Queen-hunts less of a suicide mission and more 
  of a tactical possibility. Firstly, a pheromone spray applied to the marines’ 
  fatigues masks their presence to the bugs’ heightened scent receptors, meaning 
  that the Hive-Beasts must actually see the marines in order to detect them, 
  and can thus be picked off piecemeal before organizing a stiff resistance. 
  Secondly, some headway has been made into the development of neural-
  dampener drugs. Unlike other combat drugs, these are designed specifically 
  to block those neural receptors that the Queen-Beasts try to exploit, making 
  it much harder to “possess” an injected marine. However, the side-effects can 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  41
  be severe, with some marines reporting severe headaches and slowed reaction 
  times in the field.
  Bugs of the Galaxy  
  The 5th Arcturian Regiment gets all the glory, ’cos they’re the meanest hombres in 
  the galaxy. We call ’em the “Bravos” – short for “Bravo-Sierra,” or “Bug Stompers.” 
  We say Bravos ’cos they don’t like being called the BS Regiment. It’s best not to get 
  on their bad side – if they even have a good side, that is.
  – Sergeant Marquez, 12th Lunar Regiment 
  Since the first hostile alien organisms were discovered more than 60 years 
  ago, more than 20 distinct species have been cataloged, all of which have 
  fallen more or less under the broad categorization of “bugs.” From tiny, 
  poisonous insects to massive, hundred-legged arthropods, all bugs seem to 
  share an innate hatred of human life. Mankind has all but given up hope of 
  finding any truly intelligent life in the galaxy – and if there ever was a great 
  civilization, surely the bugs would have wiped them out by now! Beyond 
  the three main strains of alien bug so far encountered, the following are also 
  worthy of note.
  Crab Beasts of Triton
  Xeno Carcino Brutus
  One of the first strains of bug to be discovered, the so-called “crab-beasts” 
  were at first thought to be small, generally harmless crustaceans, much like 
  the blue crabs of Earth. Terraformers and miners running surveys on the 
  surface of Triton (Neptune’s largest moon) were intrigued by the creatures, 
  which displayed the peculiar defense mechanism of disguising themselves 
  as rocks. Whilst carrying out excavations beneath Triton’s frozen surface, 
  the miners discovered larger crabs, considerably older and more gnarled 
  than those above ground. Although these creatures were more aggressive 
  than their diminutive surface cousins, they were still too small to prove a 
  real threat, and were soon scared away by the team’s security officer. A few 
  days later, however, when delving deeper into the moon’s rocky core, the 
  miners disturbed a nest of even larger creatures – this time highly aggressive 
  and almost as big as a man. Several miners were killed as the “crab-beasts” 
  surfaced, and Triton’s colonists engaged in battles against the monsters that 
  lasted for weeks. When Earth’s media got hold of the story, “bug-mania” 
  began to sweep the solar system, and the army was dispatched to save face. 
  The mining colonies still exist on Triton, and still occasionally fend off 
  attacks from small nests of crab-beasts. The only thing scientists have yet 
  to figure out is why the creatures have the ability to disguise themselves – 
  there appears to be no other life on the moon, so what did they evolve to 
  hide from?
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  42
  Europan Ice-Squid
  Xeno Rhomboteuthis Europa
  The smallest of Jupiter’s four 
  “Galilean” moons, Europa is a ball of 
  ice-covered rock that has long been 
  believed to harbor primitive life. In 
  2214, core samples taken from the 
  ice by a lunar rover uncovered the 
  unmistakable signs of bacterial life, 
  though dormant on the samples 
  recovered. A manned flight to Europa 
  touched down in 2219, consisting of 
  a six-man xeno-biologist team with 
  sophisticated drilling and sampling 
  equipment. During the course of their 
  seven-day surface mission, the team 
  were apparently attacked by a squid-
  like creature, which lured them to thin 
  ice by means of its bio-luminescent 
  properties. The attack led to ruptures 
  in the ice, and ultimately the loss of the entire mission. Grainy images of the 
  “rhomboteuthis” made it back to the Authority, and some were leaked to the 
  media, though they were quickly discredited. It is unknown whether further 
  missions ever returned to Europa.
  Tuomi Arthropods
  Xeno Pedis Armenta
  The only example to date of an alien life-form that has been subjugated by 
  humans, the oxen-sized arthropods of the super-Earth, Tuomi, were initially 
  thought to be a severe threat to the foundling civilian colony on the planet, and 
  were culled with extreme prejudice. Although naturally aggressive, especially 
  when raising young, the arthropods were soon found to be rather stupid and 
  docile when left alone. After experimenting on several specimens, STAR’s 
  HD 10180 fringe science division managed to attach crude neural inhibitors 
  to the creatures’ brain stems, affording them a measure of control over the 
  arthropods’ movements. In addition, the flesh of the creatures was found to be 
  fit for human consumption and rich in protein and minerals, while the outer 
  carapace provided excellent material for ballistic testing and marine training. 
  The Tuomi arthropods can now be found across human territory, where they 
  are used as both pack animals and cattle.
  A STAR marine of the famous 
  5th Arcturian regiment armed 
  with combi-carbine, laying down 
  suppressing fire.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  43
  Antares Gorgons
  Xeno Cyanea Medusa
  First discovered on the volcanic world of Masu Sar in the Antares system, 
  the Gorgons are one of the strangest alien species ever identified. Due to the 
  extreme conditions on their homeworlds – a trio of hot worlds closest to 
  their red super-giant star – close observation has been difficult, although a 
  detachment of STAR marines was once called upon to protect a manned 
  exploration mission from the attentions of these bizarre creatures. They are 
  certainly sentient, and aggressive, although they usually ignore other beings as 
  long as they don’t get too close.
  Essentially a type of polyp, similar in biology to a Portuguese man o’war, the 
  Gorgons are large, floating, gaseous jellyfish that drift on thin thermal currents 
  across their planets, seemingly drawn to volcanic activity. Their bloated, 
  translucent bodies grow up to 16 feet in diameter, and are covered with large 
  orbs – possibly sensory organs – and tiny, waving tentacles that they use to 
  “steer” themselves. Dozens of tendrils trail along beneath them, sometimes 50 
  yards in length; these appear to collect small pieces of basalt, which the Gorgon 
  then feeds into its beak-like mouth and breaks down into constituent minerals.
  Once per Antares year, the Gorgons flock together for a mass migration, 
  where they cross the great inert wastes on the planet’s equator to reach the 
  next hemisphere in time for the surface’s warming. They prepare for this great 
  feat by drifting high into the thin atmosphere and creating an electrical storm 
  Fossilised remains of long-dead 
  bugs are found all over the galaxy, 
  suggesting that these monsters 
  have been around for a long time.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  44
  using their own bio-electric energy. Lightning crackles within and without 
  the creatures’ bodies, dancing around their flowing tendrils, and giving them 
  the power to drift across the 3,000-mile plains. The sight of this exodus from 
  space is beautiful, but also disturbing – this method is surely how the creatures 
  managed to migrate to other planets in their solar system, meaning that they 
  can not only survive in space, but also direct themselves to a suitable world.   
  Talahassium Gronks
  Xeno Macero Proboscis
  The pulsar star at the heart of the Crab Nebula is orbited by seven planets, 
  three of which are made up of almost pure illyrium, a key component in super-
  miniaturized computer processors. Exploration of this system is incredibly 
  hazardous given the unpredictable emissions from the star, but a shielded 
  hyperspace jump-gate was constructed in orbit around one of the worlds – 
  Talahassium II. Given its location, composition, and tenuous atmosphere, 
  the discovery of life on that world was thought utterly impossible – but the 
  rules of human science have a way of being contradicted in the cold depths 
  of space.
  When STAR engineers attempted to construct a hyperspace booster on 
  the planet’s surface, they were attacked by a pack of large, lumbering creatures 
  which would later become known by the nickname “gronks.” Roughly the 
  size and bulk of the Terran hippopotamus, but shaped more like a toad, 
  these smooth-skinned, gray-white creatures have the bizarre ability to expand 
  and contort their elastic bodies at will. Gronks possess no eyes, but instead 
  feel their way around with a cluster of sensitive tentacles on the end of their 
  snout. Their vast mouths have no teeth, but their feet are tipped with large 
  claws, used for prizing the soft innards from another Talahassium native, the 
  Illyrium Clam. Unfortunately for the first humans to set foot on the planet, 
  gronks aren’t too picky about what they eat; they swallowed two engineers 
  whole before the rest were able to escape and call in the marines.
  Today, Talahassium II is home to several illyrium auto-rigs, which harvest 
  the valuable minerals from the ground and send it off-world via a space 
  elevator to a waiting unmanned station. Once every six Earth months, when 
  the pulsar star is relatively stable, a freighter arrives through the jump-gate 
  to collect the latest shipment. Needless to say, whenever an engineer team 
  is required to go planetside for maintenance, it is always accompanied by a 
  squad of STAR marines.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  45
  The Gehenna Remnants
  Orbiting the unstable Mu Cephei super-giant, the planet Gehenna is a world 
  of purple ash deserts, strange blue-black crystal forests, and towering obsidian 
  mountains. It has long been a site for STAR Industries deep science research, 
  given the unique conditions in which the planet exists and the strange and 
  varied landscape they have created. Many scientific advances from the last 
  50 years have come about as a direct result of studying Gehenna and its 
  neighboring worlds.
  One discovery from Gehenna not to make the public eye was evidence 
  of the past existence of life on the planet. Beneath the shifting purple desert, 
  astro-geologists uncovered evidence of complex structures made of naturally 
  grown crystal. Initially, it was thought that these structures were created 
  through random chance, but the discovery of more of these “sites of interest” 
  soon convinced the scientists that they were the product of intelligent 
  design. More recently, fossilized remains of alien life-forms have been 
  unearthed, which were immediately dispatched to STAR’s fringe science 
  division for further study. The fossils were of crustaceous beings, about 5 
  feet long, with large membranous wings and several sets of articulate limbs. 
  Atop their beaked heads were large, human-like brains. Most disturbingly, 
  the scientists found evidence of strange tools and even weapons, all grown 
  from native crystals, and now long-inert. These artefacts, and the fossils 
  themselves, dated back over five million years. What happened to this 
  strange alien race, and just how intelligent they were, remains to be seen. 
  But their existence remains a closely guarded secret – after all, who on Earth 
  would really want to know that the only ancient civilization discovered in 
  the entire galaxy was itself a race of ugly bugs?
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  46
  2070
  The mega-corporation Stellar Dynamic patents the first reliable sub-light 
  stardrive, capable of propelling manned vessels at a little below the speed of 
  light, using advanced particle engines.
  2086
  After early teething problems, artificial intelligence super-processors 
  are developed to plot safe courses for sub-light vessels, making in-flight 
  adjustments for extra-terrestrial hazards that a human could not.
  2098
  Research colonies are established on Mars and Titan. The first extra-orbital 
  space stations are built near the moons Titan, Io, and Triton. Rumors of the 
  discovery of small, crab-like creatures on Triton are quashed.
  2116
  First manned flights beyond the solar system achieved. Mission Gagarin sends 
  an international team to Alpha Centauri, while Mission Aldrin does the same 
  for Tau Ceti. The trips are one-way.
  2119
  The mega-corporation Ark Industries completes the first generation ship, and 
  sends it to Alpha Centauri, overshadowing Stellar Dynamic’s achievements. 
  The project sends 100 souls into space, with enough equipment to be fully self-
  sustaining, and to make a ground-based colony on the surface of Centauri B.
  INFAMOUS 
  INFESTATIONS – A 
  TIMELINE OF BUG HUNTS 
  For almost 50 years, the Pan-System Marine Corps has done two things for the 
  advancement of mankind: make marines, and squash bugs.
  – Colonel Abraham T. Stokeley, 5th Arcturian Regiment, STAR Pan-System 
  Marine Corps 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  47
  2124
  Professor Hans Falken, president of Ark Industries, is awarded a seat on 
  the United Nations Council – the first corporate figure to be handed full 
  governmental powers.
  2136
  First light-squeezed transmission received from the Alpha Centauri system, 
  proving that the research party made it alive and well.
  2169
  Even as the first generation ship colony begins to build structures on Centauri 
  B, and with another generation ship en route to Tau Ceti, Stellar Dynamic 
  Only encountered once, on the 
  lush jungle-world of Lenticulus V, 
  these massive creatures known 
  as ‘super-spiders’ are the largest 
  bug strain ever encountered.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  48
  unveils its hypersleep technology, making the idea of generation ships obsolete. 
  Highly trained individuals are now able to travel in suspended animation for a 
  maximum of 30-year stretches during long voyages.
  2210
  Ark Industries initiates a hostile takeover of Stellar Dynamic in a bid to accelerate 
  its manufacture of faster-than-light starships. The new mega-corp, STAR 
  Industries, owns almost a tenth of Earth’s wealth, and uses resources mined from 
  deep-space colonies to build ships and space stations off-world.
  2214
  Simple-celled alien organisms are discovered on over a dozen planets  
  and moons, giving hope that there may be intelligent life out there in  
  the galaxy. STAR Industries begins to work with the newly formed United 
  Nations Authority to plot exploratory missions to the outer arms of the  
  Milky Way.
  2227
  The Lunar Incursion. Whilst excavating a network of subterranean caves 
  beneath Triton’s surface, the semi-permanent research colony uncovers a 
  nest of crustaceous aliens. Though mostly small and easily subdued, the 
  oldest and largest beasts kill several miners before the security forces can 
  reach them. Evidence of the “Crab-beasts of Triton” is finally uncovered by 
  Earth’s media.
  2234
  Humanity reaches a milestone of 100 thriving deep-space colonies, covering 
  24 systems. The human population in the galaxy is at an all-time high. The 
  United Nations Authority becomes the Pan-System Authority to recognize 
  the growing democratic rights of off-world colonies.
  2239
  A scientific expedition is launched on Draper’s World in the HD 40307 
  system. After weeks of working on the surface, the scientists encounter an 
  aggressive alien life form, and retreat to the nearest space station, the Kepler 
  facility. There, the first “bugs” are identified, labeled simply the Draper’s 
  World Xeno-Parasite.
  2241
  STAR Industries wins the bid to privatize interstellar defense. Over the next 
  five years, contracts with two other military hardware mega-corporations are 
  drawn up, and the formalized STAR Pan-System Marine Corps is born.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  49
  2245
  Bacteria discovered on Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io, infect the scientists on board 
  the moon’s orbital research station. All 39 crew are wiped out by parasites, 
  which use the scientists’ bodies as hosts. STAR marines are dispatched to wipe 
  out the threat, and identify the bugs as the Draper’s World strain. Unable to 
  save the station, they eventually destroy it with railgun fire from their carrier. 
  How the Xeno-Parasites reached Io remains a mystery – or a closely guarded 
  secret.
  2246
  A fringe exploratory fleet near RSGC2 (aka Hell’s Reach) in the Centaurus 
  galactic arm discovers life signs on two ice-bound planetoids. Investigation 
  reveals a highly aggressive race, driven by an almost psychic intelligence. 
  Nicknamed the “Araknyds,” when these bugs display the ability to leave 
  their worlds and pursue the humans through space, the research facilities are 
  abandoned.
  2248
  A STAR marine platoon engages Xeno-Parasites on the ice world Perdition. 
  By sacrificing the surviving colonists, the marines are able to engage the bugs 
  on an open battlefield, scoring a complete victory over the insidious Xeno-
  Parasites.
  2253
  STAR marines successfully stamp out the threat posed by aggressive arthropods 
  on the “super-Earth” Tuomi in the HD 10180 system. The creatures are later 
  subjugated by the use of fringe-science neural inhibitors, and shipped to 
  colonies across the galaxy as hardy draft animals, being able to survive in 
  virtually any atmosphere.
  2268
  Centauran Araknyds are found in the Scutum Reaches, and later on the 
  moon Yanto, in the Norma-36 system. Theories are postulated that the 
  Araknyds, having made an enemy of humans, are moving through the galaxy 
  purposefully, drawing nearer to the solar system with each passing day. Such 
  theories are laughed off.
  2270
  The first mass land war is fought between humans and bugs. A new bug 
  species, controlled by a hive mind nexus, is discovered in the Klaatu Nebula. 
  As this is seen as the gateway to a mineral-rich system, and a prime location 
  for a hyperlane jump-gate, STAR Industries sends two regiments of marines 
  to protect human interests in the region.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  50
  2271
  The population of the agricultural colony on Kepler-62e reaches 10,000. 
  After the discovery of Xeno-Parasites on the neighboring giant planet 62f, a 
  permanent orbital defense station is built around the colonial world, with a 
  standing garrison of one marine company, a deep space naval launch platform, 
  and associated hardware.
  2283
  A huge meteor shower hits Earth. Although defense platforms break up most 
  of the gigantic rocks before they enter orbit, several pound the planet, releasing 
  an Araknyd threat onto Terran soil. By the time the Authority’s territorial 
  military put down the threat, over 120 million citizens have been killed.
  2288 (the present)
  Training of STAR marines is accelerated as the threat to the core worlds 
  of human colonization grows. A strong marine fleet is sent to explore the 
  fringes of the Centaurus Arm, to locate the homeworld of the Araknyds in 
  preparation for a full-scale assault.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  51
  STAR INDUSTRIES 
  AND THE PAN-SYSTEM 
  MARINE CORPS  
  You can have your Groundhog Khakis, 
   And your SolNav Blues, 
   But here’s a different fighting man, 
   I’ll introduce to you. 
   His uniform is unlike 
   Any you’ve ever seen, 
   The Bugs think he’s the Devil born, 
   His title is ‘Marine’.
  – STAR Marine Cadence
  Mankind’s primary interstellar defense force, the STAR marines are also the 
  first military force to be fully privatized, owned, and equipped by the galactic 
  mega-corporation, STAR Industries. The relationship between the Pan-System 
  Authority and STAR Command is not always harmonious. Ultimately, much 
  of the funding for the Marine Corps comes from the Authority’s contract with 
  STAR, but on several occasions STAR have hesitated – or even refused – to 
  deploy the marines when doing so would prove counter to their corporate 
  interests. If it weren’t for STAR’s CEO occupying his traditional seat on the 
  ruling council, the sanctions for this disobedience could have been severe. In 
  truth, although STAR need full government backing to operate as they do, 
  they have reached the point where their corporate wealth outstrips the GDP 
  of 50 per cent of the core worlds combined – and with that amount of power 
  of their disposal, they become increasingly difficult to control.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  52
  In the eyes of the general public, the STAR marines can do no wrong. STAR’s 
  24-7 Bug Hunts holovision channel broadcasts across 90 worlds, and no HV 
  show is more popular than the fly-on-the-wall Arcturian Wars. Heavily edited 
  (and, some suggest, even fabricated), the show follows the exploits of pretty 
  STAR marine poster-girl Captain Ana Carter and her legendary Zero Platoon, 
  as they stomp bugs in warzones across the galaxy. Branding and promotion is 
  all-important to STAR – Ana Carter action figures are one of the highest-selling 
  products in the galaxy, and more men and women sign up to the Marine Corps 
  after each Arcturian Wars broadcast than at any other time. Such is the way of 
  the galaxy that the STAR marines are not just mankind’s best hope for defense 
  against the alien hordes, but also valuable commodities to be bought and sold.
  For STAR Industries, the Araknyd invasion of Earth couldn’t have come 
  at a better time. Several high-profile disagreements between STAR and the 
  Authority had threatened to derail renegotiation of the defense contract. 
  However, the wave of Core World patriotism and anti-bug hysteria sweeping 
  the galaxy in the wake of the invasion has pushed STAR’s popularity ratings 
  through the roof once more, and the Authority has reluctantly agreed to 
  increase funding in order to expand the Marine Corps, and end the bug threat 
  once and for all.
  Remit & Jurisdiction
  You cannot exaggerate about the STAR Marines. They are convinced to the point of 
  arrogance that they are the most ferocious fighters in the galaxy – and even after the 
  discovery of giant, predatory razor-toothed bugs, they’re probably right!
  – Sir Anthony Falken III, Vice President STAR Industries, 2280 
  The galaxy is a big place. To date, over 210 planets have been colonized, 
  stretching right across the galactic plane, with countless mining outposts, 
  research bases, hyperspace docks, and space stations spread further still. The 
  location of these systems appears at first to be sporadic – yet they are dictated 
  primarily by their suitability for hyperlane travel, and secondly by their wealth 
  in resources. Those mature systems that have developed to an almost Earth-like 
  level are often referred to as the “core worlds,” while those further afield or less 
  well developed are the “fringe colonies.” At the epicenter of human expansion 
  are, of course, the Sol system and planet Earth, both the administrative center 
  of the Pan-System Authority and the spiritual home of all humans – even 
  those who have never set foot on “Terran” soil.
  Protecting all of this vast territory from potential threats is no easy feat, 
  which is why the STAR Pan-System Marine Corps is organized into such 
  widespread, free-roaming autonomous companies. Though they answer 
  directly to STAR Command – STAR Industries’ military control center – the 
  marines have full control over day-to-day tactical decisions and deployments. 
  STAR Command itself is based on Earth’s moon, along with the Lunar 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  53
  Division HQ. The Lunar Regiments are widely regarded as the best of the 
  best, formed one of the largest marine divisions in existence. Though their 
  marines are recruited almost exclusively from the Sol system colonies, SMEUs 
  from the Lunar Division often find themselves dispatched all across the galaxy, 
  making their marines the most well-traveled troopers in the corps.
  It is rare for marines to be called upon for domestic actions – this job 
  usually falls to the Terran Army for ground wars against uprisings and 
  territorial disputes, and SolNav for outer space actions and pirate activity – 
  but when elite forces are required on Earth, it is the Lunar Regiments that 
  answer the call. They were the first to the field against the Araknyd incursion, 
  and suffered the brunt of marine casualties during that campaign.
  General Ibrahim Yeats, Lunar Base 
  Divisional Commander, 2267-71.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  54
  Organization & Standard Operating Procedures
  When Captain Ana Carter earned her medal for uncommon valor, I was asked 
  if women have any place in this dirty war we’re fighting. Let me tell you this. 
  It doesn’t make a jot of difference if a marine is man or woman. They undergo 
  punishing training regimes in a zero-G facility. They kill bugs and follow orders. 
  They inherit the traditions of the marines. They are marines.
  – Colonel Abraham T. Stokeley, 5th Arcturian Regiment, STAR Pan-System 
  Marine Corps
  STAR Pan-System Marine Corps divisions are usually raised from a singular 
  system, planet, or moon, depending on the military heritage and training 
  facilities available. Most divisions maintain their own divisional HQ – a large 
  military space station or lunar base, for example – which answers directly to 
  STAR Command.
  STAR Marine divisions are broken down into a number of regiments, 
  which themselves are divided into autonomous expeditionary units (SMEUs), 
  or companies, each trained to react and adapt to any given combat situation. 
  There can be anywhere between one and ten such companies within a 
  regiment, depending on resources. Members of a SMEU train together, 
  live together, and fight together for their entire careers, creating a close-knit 
  organization. Each company is assigned a sector or range of sub-sectors to 
  patrol, being active and space-borne for the majority of their five-year tour, 
  before returning to a STAR facility for refits, debriefing, and retraining. As a 
  result, unless killed in action or forced to retire, the average STAR Marine will 
  spend more time aboard their Demeter-class cruiser than they will on solid 
  ground. The Demeters are more than just military transports of course – they 
  are mobile barracks, each fitted with training and recreational facilities, large 
  armories, and medical bays. Most are assigned one or more science officers, 
  so that new discoveries made while patrolling the fringe of human territory 
  can be examined, and findings communicated directly to STAR Command.
  At full strength, each STAR marine expeditionary unit comprises 72 
  fighting men and women, plus command, science, medical, and support staff, 
  such as engineering, fleet administration and so on. The SMEU is normally 
  commanded by a colonel, major, or lieutenant-major, who rarely takes the 
  field (although fully trained to do so), but instead operates from within the 
  Demeter as a strategic commander. The remaining members of the SMEU are 
  broken down into three autonomous platoons, each comprising 24 marines 
  and assigned its own medium-range Seraphim dropship. Operationally, a 
  platoon contains four squads – two eight-man fireteams, a four-man field 
  HQ led by a corporal or captain, and a four-man specialist team. The platoon 
  is often called upon to act in isolation, perhaps combating a threat on one 
  world while the other platoons deal with problems elsewhere in a sector – in 
  (OPPOSITE)
  Major Xander of the 9th Tau Ceti 
  Regiment inspects the aftermath 
  of a battle against Araknyds 
  during the Yanto Incursion.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  55
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  56
  this function the Seraphim dropships take on the role of mobile HQ, and 
  are able to provide resources and supplies for a platoon for up to a month 
  without resupply.
  Fireteams
  The backbone of the STAR Marine Corps is its fireteams, which make up the 
  majority of the fighting units at the corps’ disposal. Each fireteam comprises 
  eight riflemen, including a sergeant. One of these marines is designated a “fire 
  support trooper,” and is usually equipped with a specialist weapon, selected 
  specifically for the tactical operation at hand – a combi-carbine, heavy auto-
  carbine, grenade launcher, flamethrower, or man-portable railgun. One 
  rifleman is always assigned to back up the specialist, acting as spotter, loader, 
  and weapon technician, and taking over the role if the fire support trooper 
  should become incapacitated. The fire support trooper himself always carries 
  a sidearm as backup – usually a frag pistol, “bugstopper,” or combat shotgun 
  depending on expertise and aptitude.
  The standard armament of the rifleman is the SI-160 assault carbine. 
  These weapons fire enervated caseless ammunition in short controlled bursts, 
  capable of penetrating the toughened hides of most bug strains.
  Every member of a fireteam is a highly trained individual, excelling in bug-
  hunting tactics, and is required to read up on new developments and research 
  whenever there is sufficient downtime. Even without access to the proper 
  chain of command, it is expected that an individual rifleman be able to take 
  responsibility for his own survival, while employing sufficient battle tactics to 
  take the fight to the enemy. The level of trust placed in STAR marines sets them 
  aside from the “grunts” of the Terran Army, SolNav, and the United System 
  Defense (USD) Coastguard, earning them respect and envy in equal measure.
  Specialists
  In addition to the fireteams, each platoon has a standing force of four 
  specialists, drawn from the SMEU’s elite. These marines are sometimes 
  pressed into service as riflemen, having been through the same training and 
  combat maneuvers as the rest of their platoon. However, such deployment is 
  often considered an almost criminal waste of their skills, as these specialists 
  usually undergo several years of supplemental training to fulfill one of several 
  niche battlefield roles.
  The most common deployment of a specialist team is as a heavy weapons 
  squad. Whereas one such weapon is usually present in every fireteam, specialists 
  excel at bringing four to bear at once, concentrating their firepower on critical 
  targets, and digging into fortified positions as sappers. Once a heavy weapons 
  squad have become entrenched, they are capable of holding the line with an 
  efficiency that puts most regular fireteams to shame – no mean feat in the elite 
  Marine Corps.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  57
  Specialist teams are also trained in the use of the Phalanx combat exo-suit. 
  These powered suits incorporate state-of-the-art armor bonded to a powered 
  exo-skeleton, using technology developed from cybernetic prosthetics and 
  automated assembly line robotics. Each suit effectively transforms a soldier into 
  a one-man army, increasing his strength, speed, and carrying capacity fivefold, 
  and allowing him to wield heavy weaponry with little to no encumbrance. 
  Against larger bug species, the augmented physicality of an exo-suit trooper 
  has often meant the difference between life and death, and the presence of 
  an exo-suit team on the battlefield often engenders great confidence in the 
  other combatants. There are, however, several downsides to the use of exo-
  suits. Firstly, their numbers are in very short supply, with less than one fully 
  equipped per squad in a SMEU. Secondly, the amount of power required by 
  these suits is astronomical, and a fully charged suit only allows three hours’ 
  continuous use, meaning that they are only feasible for rapid strike missions. 
  Finally, as a relatively new innovation, it is as yet unclear what toll prolonged 
  exo-suit use takes on the pilots. As each suit is controlled by means of extensive 
  psi-implants, and hardwired directly into the pilot’s neural cortex, it is not 
  unknown for battle-damage to a suit’s drive mechanisms to result in trauma 
  to the pilot, just as if he had been wounded himself.
  Even rarer than exo-suits, some specialists are now taking to the field with 
  experimental grav-packs, which allow a marine to make an anti-gravity jump 
  and even short periods of sustained flight. When used in coordinated strikes, 
  grav-packs have proven effective in confusing bug “hive minds,” presenting 
  a fast-moving target that often leads attacking bugs away from their primary 
  target. Grav-packs are able to lift considerable weight – at least double the 
  weight of the average marine – and are thus ideal for the rapid redeployment 
  of equipment and sentry guns in extreme battlefield conditions.
  Surface defence facility, Lunar 
  Regiment HQ.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  58
  Some SMEUs are assigned sniper teams amongst their specialists. Given the 
  “horde” nature of most bug threats, sniper teams are rarely seen in interstellar 
  actions. However, there have been occasions when STAR marines have been 
  called in to assist the Terran Army in subjugating human rebellions or internal 
  terrorist threats – in such dire circumstances, the marine snipers are rightly 
  feared for their precision firepower.
  Tactics
  I don’t know if these bugs got religion, and I don’t care. I say kill ’em all, and let 
  their stupid bug gods worry about ’em.
  – Sergeant Marquez, 12th Lunar Regiment
  Cover Formation
  The most common environment for STAR marine deployments is confined 
  complexes and tunnel networks, whether performing a surgical strike on a remote 
  colony base, a boarding action against an infested starship or space station, or a 
  nestbusting mission deep within the caverns of an alien hive. The organization of 
  marine platoons into four- and eight-man squads is purely to facilitate standard 
  marine cover formation – the most reliable method of advancing through tight 
  confines, sweeping unexplored territory and taking ground.
  Standard sweeping formation requires that two marines take point while 
  two others remain behind to provide covering fire. Once a new position is 
  secure, the point men provide cover while the rearguard move forward, and 
  the process repeats. Eight-man teams follow the same procedure, but simply 
  alternate more frequently – the main advantage of the larger team being that 
  more marines are on hand to sweep rooms or side-tunnels, or hold positions 
  while the remainder continue the sweep.
  GENERAL IBRAHIM YEATS,  
  LUNAR BASE DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, 2267-71
  One of the first marine captains ever to fight against a 
  sentient bug, Ibrahim Yeats fought Xeno-Parasites on 
  Io and Perdition, receiving the corps’ highest award for 
  bravery, the purple sun. After being wounded in the 
  Luyten campaign, the then-Colonel Yeats was pulled 
  from active duty, where he rose to the rank of general, 
  eventually taking control of the moon’s prestigious 
  marine division. Yeats is notable, however, for his 
  last memorable duty. In 2271 he spoke at a public 
  inquiry on behalf of STAR Command in light of the 
  Marine Corps’ previous refusal to engage bugs in the 
  Klaatu Nebula. Deviating radically from his prepared 
  briefing, Yeats spoke passionately about the duty of 
  a marine to protect mankind, and how the incident 
  at Klaatu VI had shamed him to the core. His speech 
  was a deciding factor in the passing of the Pan-System 
  Concordance, which signed additional powers over 
  marine deployment to the Authority. Yeats was hailed 
  a hero at the time by the Authority’s ruling council, 
  but died a month later, peacefully in his sleep. He is 
  now all but forgotten.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  59
  Surgical Strikes
  Against planet-based complexes, marine platoons excel at surgical strikes, 
  operating in a traditional “air cavalry” role. Dropsuit teams hit the site 
  from Seraphim dropships, while the remaining marines usually deploy in 
  Timberwolf APCs which grav-chute in from the air. The priorities of any 
  surgical strike are to (a) secure a field HQ, (b) secure a perimeter and access 
  the combat zone, (c) neutralize hostiles, and (d) rescue survivors. Additional 
  objectives may be prioritized by regimental command on a case-by-case basis.
  Draper’s World bugs are not to 
  be engaged at close quarters – 
  unless you’re equipped with a 
  Phalanx Exo-Suit.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  60
  Boarding Actions
  STAR marines are trained in anti-grav combat from day one at the academy, 
  and this is primarily so that they can maintain discipline and combat 
  effectiveness while performing boarding actions. When a spacebound ship or 
  facility is infested with bugs, essential systems are usually damaged, leading 
  to a complete loss of artificial gravity and atmosphere. Fireteams, therefore, 
  must often engage the enemy in zero-G conditions, whilst wearing sealed 
  environment armor. Railgun teams invariably lead the way in these operations.
  Access to stricken ships is usually provided by eight-man assault boats, 
  which are fired from SMEU cruisers. These boats clamp to any available 
  hatch on the target vessel, and either override the airlock controls or utilize 
  controlled detonations to provide access.
  Open War
  Often called the worst case scenario or last resort, it is a common marine 
  maxim that warfare against bugs on open ground is an admission of failure. Of 
  course, there have been several successful actions fought in this manner – the 
  first ever campaign against Hive-Beasts on Klaatu VI most notable amongst 
  them. However, the “acceptable” casualty rate during these actions is much 
  higher than normal, given the huge potential for marines to be overrun. On 
  the open battlefield, marines are often forced to fight from defensive positions 
  – a role far more suited to the mass manpower solutions of the Terran Army. 
  Although every marine platoon has access to a small mobile firebase, these 
  are usually used as remote field HQs rather than defensible positions. Where 
  open war is known in advance to be the only logical outcome of a campaign, 
  larger firebases and pre-fab fortifications are dropped from orbit using grav-
  chutes, and quickly assembled on an advantageous position. From there, 
  marines tend to adopt sniper and long-range tactics, resorting to “firing by 
  ranks” when the enemy waves get closer. This form of warfare had not been 
  used for over 250 years, before the first bugs were discovered – yet it has 
  proven effective once again.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  61
  Weapons & Equipment
  The following section details the main arms, equipment, and uniform options 
  available to STAR marine fireteams in the field.
  SI-160 Assault Carbine
  Developed from the much heavier MI-G60 assault rifle used by the Terran 
  Army, the SI-160 is a compact, lightweight, semi-automatic carbine, and has 
  become the standard issue weapon of STAR Marine Corps rifleman fireteams. 
  It is light but incredibly rugged, being constructed from lightweight metal 
  alloys and shock-resistant poly-plastic compounds. The weapon was designed 
  for portability and efficient function in any environment and in any extreme 
  of pressure or temperature. Though it lacks the sheer power of the MI-G60, 
  this is compensated for by the carbine’s rate of fire and reliability, and the 
  superior penetration of the enervated 4.73 x 33mm caseless ammunition.
  The SI-160 was designed with hordes of fast-moving bugs in mind, fulfilling 
  the need to increase target hit probability by firing high-rate multi-round salvos. 
  Even on the move, the carbine can be fired with remarkable accuracy. Recoil 
  is amongst the lowest for a military-grade weapon of its size category, while 
  jamming and overheating are virtually unheard of. Rounds are fed into the 
  weapon from a magazine that lies below and parallel with the barrel. The rounds 
  are oriented vertically (at 90 degrees to the bore) and are fed upwards into the 
  rotary chamber where they are rotated 90 degrees for firing. This electronic 
  process is powered by an arc-stabilized plasma core and, coupled with a cyclical 
  multi-round breech, results in efficiency unmatched by traditional loading 
  mechanisms. The weapon achieves optimal accuracy in semi-automatic fire 
  mode, firing 3-round bursts. On full-auto mode, the 80-round magazine can 
  be emptied in 4.2 seconds. The ammunition itself contains a charged plasma 
  core, activated via an explosive tip, which causes massive internal damage due 
  to a targeted energy release system without compromising armor penetration.
  The SI-160 carbine is fitted as standard with a simple reflector sight. 
  However, for extreme battlefield conditions every marine also carries a snap-
  fit optical sight with low-power magnification and thermal reticule display.
  In addition, every marine carries an underslung grenade launcher, which 
  snaps to the underside of the SI-160’s barrel, and carries six 28mm 
  fragmentation grenades, with an effective launch range of 
  220m. It is unusual in practice for a marine to 
  carry additional grenades, as the reloading 
  procedure is tricky and time-consuming. 
  Accordingly, 
  the 
  grenade 
  launchers 
  are usually prepped and readied before 
  entering the combat zone, even though 
  the fitting of the launcher results in a 
  minor reduction in accuracy.
  SI-160 Assault Carbine.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  62
  SI-200 Combi-carbine
  Taking the basic workings of the SI-160, the combi-carbine is a tougher, 
  heavier assault carbine, featuring an underslung secondary weapon housed 
  in a reinforced titanium casing. The standard loadout features a personal 
  flamethrower (see the Model 995 flamethrower, below), with a gel-cartridge 
  good for six bursts. Alternatively, the combi-carbine can be fitted with a pump-
  action 12-gauge shotgun as a secondary weapon, containing six shells in a 
  hard-fit magazine. Standard scatter ammunition for the shotgun attachment 
  can be replaced with solid slug or anti-chitin capped rounds.
  Crossfire Model 32 “Mauler   Frag Pistol
  Essentially a semi-automatic pistol shotgun, the Mauler was developed as 
  an effective all-purpose sidearm against chitin-armored bug swarms in close 
  confines. Where a combat shotgun often proves too bulky to form part of 
  a fire support trooper’s standard kit, the Model 32 is a good compromise, 
  offering effective stopping power across a “scattergun”-type spread.
  The Mauler’s underslung clip contains eight 
  16-gauge shells, with enervated shot designed for 
  splintering bone and chitin exo-skeletons. Where 
  carrying capacity allows, some marines also carry 
  secondary clips of solid or nitrogen-infused shot; these 
  provide maximum lethality and internal trauma but 
  reduce the area of effect to a single target. Incendiary 
  shot has also been field-tested, but has so far proved 
  ineffective against most types of infestation due to 
  the poor range, accuracy, and burn time.
  Crossfire Model 32 Frag Pistol.
  Combi-carbine.
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  63
  Crossfire MC12 Combat Shotgun
  One of the oldest weapon patterns in the Crossfire arms company’s repository, 
  the MC12 has stood the test of time due to its simple design and battlefield 
  effectiveness. A rugged, semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun, the MC12 is often 
  carried by specialists, fire support troopers, and NCOs as a backup weapon, 
  and is frequently carried aboard APCs for close-quarter assault actions.
  The MC12 is a versatile weapon with a variety of ammunition, which can 
  be interchangeably loaded into its 9-shot chamber. It can fire 76 mm shells of 
  differing power levels without any operator adjustments and in any 
  combination. Standard ammo carried on marine operations includes canister 
  (scatter), solid slug, rocket-assisted, high-ex, nitrogen, and anti-chitin capped 
  rounds.
  SI-66X Heavy Auto-carbine
  Dubbed “Frankenstein” by the troops, this heavy-caliber machine gun is an 
  ugly hybrid of the Terran Army’s MX250 chaingun and the STAR Marine 
  Corps SI-160 standard-issue carbine. By replacing most of the titanium casing 
  with composite plastics the SI-66X is a much lighter – though still unwieldy 
  – weapon than its groundhog counterpart.
  MC12 Combat Shotgun.
  SI-66X Heavy Auto-carbine.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  64
  Firing 6.6mm enervated caseless plasma rounds at a rate of 400 rounds 
  per minute, the heavy auto-carbine has to be mounted on a personal harness 
  and suspension system in order to fire with any degree of accuracy. Its ammo 
  hoppers each contain 500 rounds at full capacity. Many fire support troopers 
  use a 900-round belt-feed instead to reduce weight and bulk – however, the 
  removal of the electric drum feed sacrifices rate of fire. The fire support trooper 
  is always assigned a backup marine to carry additional ammunition and assist 
  with maintenance and clearing jams.
  The “Frankenstein” is not ideal for bug infestations in close quarters, 
  although standard operating procedure dictates that at least two such weapons 
  are present in any platoon organization. The fire support trooper who carries 
  the SI-66X thus usually carries a secondary firearm for when the sheer size of 
  the Frankenstein is counterproductive.
  Model 995 “Snapdragon   Flamethrower
  Before mankind encountered dangerous bug strains, the flamethrower had 
  long since been abandoned as a weapon of war, considered too barbaric and 
  inhumane to use on the battlefield. Now, however, it has become a powerful 
  weapon in the war on bugs, especially Araknyds and Hive-Beasts.
  Discarding 21st-century thermobaric technology, which is mostly useless 
  in alien atmospheres, the snapdragon instead uses a hydrocarbon gel-pack, 
  which is liquefied and pressurized when the trigger is depressed, and ignited 
  by an external flame as it leaves the barrel. The gel burns with an intense 
  heat, producing its own oxygen to feed the flames as it does so. The burning 
  liquid is incredibly viscous, and sticks to the target, ensuring that it is almost 
  impossible to extinguish the flames until the gel has burned up.
  Snapdragon Flamethrower.
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  65
  Grenades
  The Marine Corps utilizes a variety of specialist hand grenades – a highly 
  effective, if often low-tech, solution to 23rd-century battlefield problems.
  The standard-issue grenade belt contains two M62 fragmentation grenades 
  and one baffler grenade. The baffler grenade releases a cloud of dense smoke, 
  thermal particles, and an electromagnetic scrambler screen, essentially making 
  visual and scan-assisted targeting impossible. Against some species of bug 
  – especially Araknyds – the electromagnetic screen seems to interfere with 
  synaptic relays as well as messing up their vision, temporarily confusing the 
  beasts.
  Any of the grenades may be replaced with anti-chitin or nitrogen grenades 
  at the behest of a platoon’s commanding officer. Developed from anti-armor 
  charges, anti-chitin grenades work much like an old-fashioned “nail bomb,” 
  discharging a cloud of armor-piercing high-explosive shells into the midst 
  of an enemy formation. These shells can penetrate or embed themselves in 
  chitinous armor up to 2 inches thick, whereupon they explode with some 
  force, ripping chunks out of bug hides. Nitrogen grenades, on the other hand, 
  release an expanding core of enervated liquid nitrogen, instantly freezing 
  anything they touch. These are tailored for combat against the Draper’s World 
  Xeno-Parasite – although it cannot kill them outright, it does make them 
  extremely sluggish for vital seconds or even minutes.
  Thermal detonators are not standard issue, and are usually carried in 
  addition to the regulation grenade pack. They are based on the Terran Army’s 
  incendiary grenades, but are larger to accommodate a greater amount of 
  thermate and an increased charge for wider dispersion. These grenades spread 
  a flaming chemical compound around the detonation point, burning in 
  excess of 3,992°F (2,200°C), in almost any atmosphere as no external oxygen 
  source is required. After seeing the effectiveness of incendiary grenades against 
  Araknyds during the Earth invasion, these larger packs were developed hastily 
  for marine patrols taking the fight to the enemy.
  “Nestbuster   Smart Nuke
  Despite its name, the smart nuke is not a nuclear weapon in the old-fashioned 
  sense, in that it does not require fission-fusion or fissile materials such as 
  plutonium or uranium. Instead, the smart nuke uses a low-yield pure fusion 
  core, which explodes with incredible power, but creates no nuclear fallout.
  The smart nuke was originally developed to combat Araknyd nests, but 
  has also proven invaluable against Hive-Beast colonies. It is a man-portable 
  device, resembling a heavy sphere some 9 inches in diameter. Once activated, 
  the sphere separates, and its central gravitic drive propels it upwards to 
  a height of around 61/2 feet. The on-board guidance system follows trace 
  chemical signatures emitted by the bugs, gliding through subterranean 
  tunnels, maintenance shafts, and corridors, eventually detonating when the 
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  66
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  67
  concentration of those signatures reaches a critical point – this is usually an 
  indicator that a bug nest has been discovered.
  The power of the smart nuke is usually enough to eradicate all but the 
  largest nests, and recent trials using the on-board sensors to detect hive-
  beast and Xeno-Parasite trace signatures have proven moderately successful. 
  However, the weapon is bulky before it is activated, has a limited range (of 
  around 550 yards), and is incredibly expensive to manufacture. Marine 
  doctrine forbids the use of smart nukes unless thorough battlefield surveys 
  have first been conducted. Pre-emptive use – and therefore wastage – of these 
  valuable weapons is punishable by court martial.
  TGL-40 
  Lockdown, 
  40mm 
  Tactical 
  Grenade 
  Launcher
  The TGL-40 is a robust multi-shot grenade launcher, featuring a semi-
  automatic launcher fed by a 9-shot rotary magazine. The TGL-40 is a bulky 
  weapon, weighing over 60 pounds unloaded, and is therefore usually mounted 
  on a suspension harness in much the same way as a heavy auto-carbine. The 
  TGL-40 can also be tripod-mounted or emplaced on the cupola mount of 
  a Timberwolf APC. It fires specially designed 40x50mm frag, incendiary, 
  or anti-chitin cartridges. Occasionally, spare hoppers of baffler grenades are 
  carried by the fire support troopers, but against many bug species these often 
  prove ineffective.
  The TGL-40 also contains an on-board X5 smart processor, a computerized 
  targeting system that automatically calculates the angle of fire to attack 
  enemies behind cover, priming frag grenades so that they detonate in an 
  airburst above emplaced positions. This fire mode can also be combined with 
  anti-chitin grenades, utilizing a short-ranged homing system to “pursue” bugs 
  into warrens and tunnels before detonating.
  (OPPOSITE)
  Marine specialist of the 6th 
  Magellan Regiment in Phalanx 
  Combat Exo-suit.
  40mm Tactical Grenade Launcher.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  68
  Firestorm Launcher Harness
  A bulky weapon usually confined to use by exo-suit specialists, the Firestorm 
  is a personal grenade launcher harness, which mounts six 28mm frag grenades 
  upon a chest-mounted strap. The delivery system is activated by pulling the 
  safety cord and slapping a trigger mechanism on the marine’s shoulder. After 
  a five-second delay, the launcher then fires its full payload, one at a time, 
  creating a storm of shrapnel from which the harness derives its name. Exo-
  suits usually mount two of these harnesses, controlled via the suit’s neuro-link.
  KT-EM4 Man-portable Railgun
  Created by cutting-edge arms manufacturer KarmaTek, the KT-EM4 is one 
  of the most valued long-range weapons in the STAR Marine Corps’ arsenal. 
  Utilizing the same electromagnetic rail technology as starship-mounted 
  rail cannons, which were developed to eliminate recoil completely, man-
  portable railguns have no kick whatsoever, yet enjoy superior range and 
  penetration over conventional firearms. The EM4’s barrel comprises a pair 
  of parallel conducting rails, along which a sliding armature is accelerated by 
  the electromagnetic effects of a current that flows down one rail, into the 
  armature and then back along the other rail. By charging the weapon with a 
  phased plasma core carried on the marine’s back, the weapon can accelerate a 
  solid slug to hypersonic velocities of approximately 11/2 miles per second, or 
  about Mach 7. This kinetic energy provides unparalleled armor penetration 
  even at extreme range, and railgun rounds have been known to penetrate up 
  to 2 feet of concrete, and even herculanium plating.
  Mk IV Combat Blade
  This reinforced, high-tensile carbon-polymer blade is issued to every STAR 
  marine upon graduation from the academy, along with his uniform and 
  carbine. It is a single-handed heavy fighting knife, with a blade length of 
  91/2 inches (nearly an inch longer than the Terran Army equivalent), a single 
  serrated edge and a razor-sharp monofilament slicing edge. The Mk IV also 
  utilizes a bayonet conversion clip in the hilt, allowing it to be snapped to the 
  SI-160 carbine in place of the underslung grenade launcher.
  The Mk IV is such an intrinsic part of marine mentality that it is treasured 
  more than the carbine. Although it is specially designed to withstand the 
  extremes of temperature and bio-acid contamination that are a hazard of 
  fighting some alien races, against bugs of any strain its use is considered 
  desperate or even foolhardy – the maxim goes that “if you’re close enough 
  to stick a knife in the thing, you’re already dead.” However, the Mk IV is a 
  survival tool as well as a combat weapon – though that doesn’t stop marines 
  from training in knife-fighting techniques, and even sleeping with their knife 
  in easy reach.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  69
  SIS-45 “Bugstopper   Tactical Sidearm
  Issued primarily to Seraphim and Timberwolf crews, NCOs, and senior 
  officers, and supplied as standard stowage aboard Phalanx exo-suits, the 
  SIS-45 is a powerful .45 cal semi-automatic pistol. Very much viewed as an 
  emergency or “backup” weapon, the sidearm is light yet robust, and although 
  poor at penetrating thick chitin exo-armor, it is a precision weapon, easily 
  capable of bringing down smaller bugs. Any 
  marine carrying a Bugstopper is issued two 
  7-shot magazines of anti-chitin explosive rounds, 
  to complement the standard-issue hollow-points. 
  The weapon also features a number of optional 
  snap-fit components, such as weapon light, 
  night-vision scope, and shoulder stock, though 
  the latter two are rarely carried in the field.
  PBX500 Longrifle
  Although long-ranged firepower in the modern Marine Corps is often the 
  domain of the railgun, there are still occasions when sniper teams are required 
  to hold positions or provide accurate fire support from long range. The railgun 
  is notoriously sensitive, and at extreme range can prove inaccurate. Enter the 
  PBX500 – the perfect sniper’s weapon.
  Mk IV Combat Blade.
  SIS-45 Tactical Sidearm.
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  70
  The .50 cal semi-automatic longrifle is equipped with armor-piercing 
  rounds, stabilizer clamps, and computer-assisted smart targeting system, 
  featuring night-vision sights and manual override. The barrel is muffled for 
  stealth operations. Standard ammunition is effective at ranges of up to 1,100 
  yards. Nitrogen-core rounds are available for actions against Xeno-Parasites, 
  while the arms manufacturer Purdey-Browning has recently unveiled its 
  heat-seeking, thermal detonation, and computer-guided rounds, which have 
  already begun testing in regimental training facilities.
  SI-242 “Devastator   Emplaced Rotary Cannon
  Firing 12mm enervated caseless plasma rounds through four motorized 
  rotating barrels at a rate of 1,000 rounds per minute, the Devastator is one 
  of the most fearsome guns in the STAR marine arsenal. Almost impossible to 
  wield in a man-portable capacity due to its bulk (though many have tried), the 
  Devastator is most often fitted to vehicle couplings, or affixed to temporary 
  fortifications by means of its auto-clamp and smart rail system.
  When firing continuously, the titanium motor has a lifespan of around 
  600,000 rounds, and the barrels are prone to overheating, visibly glowing red 
  as the super-charged ammo is fed through them.
  SI-242 Emplaced Rotary Cannon
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  71
  Aegis XT Automated Sentry Gun
  The Aegis XT is an automated turret-based weapon platform that uses thermal 
  imaging to lock onto human-sized targets at up to 1,400 yards. Utilizing 
  motion tracking and infra-red targeting systems, the computerized target 
  matrix is most effective when multiple guns are set up at strategic choke-points, 
  triangulating targets and laying down a devastating web of suppression fire.
  The basic Aegis rig is man-portable, and is easily set up on a fixed tripod by 
  a single fireteam. Some success has been had with remote-controlled tracked 
  Aegis units, though their testing has so far been limited.
  The Aegis XT rig can mount either a single SI-242 Rotary Cannon, twin 
  heavy auto-carbines, or tri-linked SI-160s, fed via a large ammo drum at the 
  rear of the unit.
  Aegis XT Automated Sentry Gun with tri-linked 
  carbine loadout.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  72
  STAR Interceptor Combat Armor
  Combining a suit of tough dura-weave fatigues with an armored tactical vest 
  and titanium boot-guards, the standard-issue combat armor is designed to 
  protect marines from small arms fire, stab wounds, slashing claws, and acidic 
  residue. When fighting in extreme temperatures, or notably against Draper’s 
  World Xeno-Parasites, marines are often issued with a heat-resistant Kevlar-
  weave fatigue instead of the standard Interceptor suit. Though it has often 
  been mooted that advanced armors are the future in the war against bugs, 
  light infantry combat armor such as STAR’s Interceptor pattern provides a 
  low-cost mass-produced solution to 30 percent of potentially incapacitating 
  injuries sustained at range, without compromising mobility or efficiency. The 
  armor incorporates a twin ammo/grenade harness with universal suspension 
  adapter fittings for heavy weapons, a utility belt, boot-mounted knife-sheath, 
  and snap-fit backpack.
  STAR marine fatigues are normally gray in color, although the dura-
  weave contains low-spectrum reactive threads that tint the uniform to match 
  battlefield conditions. In addition, spare suits of “adaptive camo” fatigues are 
  usually carried about the SMEU cruiser. Of all bug types encountered, only 
  25 percent markedly rely on visual acuity when hunting their prey – notably 
  the Centauran Araknyds – and against these aliens, camouflage is a simple but 
  effective tactic.
  Mk II Tactical Helmet
  Featuring lightweight titanium and duratanium plates, the Mk II tactical 
  helmet offers effective battlefield protection as well as incorporating many 
  tactical features. The helmet includes a long-range midi-comm unit as 
  standard, a flip-down photo-reactive visor with integrated targeting and status 
  head-up display (HUD), and a side-mounted power-beam torch. A port is 
  fitted beneath the torch to include an optional helmet-cam, broadcasting 
  infra-red images along with the marine’s vital signs and ammo levels directly 
  back to field HQ.
  Phalanx Combat Exo-suit
  Considered by many to be the greatest innovation in the marine arsenal, 
  the Phalanx exo-suit is a large suit of powered armor, which transforms 
  the incumbent specialist into a walking tank. By means of a system of tiny 
  electrodes and neuro-links, the seemingly cumbersome armored suit becomes 
  like a second skin to the marine, mimicking his movements and responding 
  to his thoughts instantaneously.
  The basic frame of the suits is a servo-assisted exo-skeleton, standing around 
  81/2 feet tall, which vastly increases the strength of the pilot. Herculanium 
  armor plates are bolted to this frame, while the pilot himself is enclosed 
  within a hazard suit and pressurized tactical helmet, featuring advanced 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  73
  HUD and targeting systems. Powered by an integral miniaturized fusion 
  core, its range is low, but the suits can be recharged using simple plug-in 
  ports present in all marine APCs and Demeter-class cruisers. At full capacity, 
  the suit enables the marine to lift in excess of 1,500 pounds, and sprint at 
  speeds of around 28 miles per hour. The suits are armed with servo-pincers 
  as standard, modified from factory auto-loader units, and usually mounted 
  with arc-cutters and buzz-saws for heavy duty field repair work. The universal 
  snap-fit system adopted by most marines’ kit also extends to the exo-suit – 
  shoulder and forearm mounts allow for the positioning of railguns, combi-
  carbines, heavy auto-carbines, and flamethrowers. Up to two such weapons 
  can be snapped to the suit’s hard-points due to the limitations of the HUD 
  controls. Furthermore, most specialists fit grenade harnesses to the suit’s torso 
  as a defensive countermeasure.
  In addition to their power draining, the suits have proven unreliable in 
  extremes of temperature, with sub-zero cold in particular causing their servos 
  to seize up. In combat zones, this has made them a particularly poor choice 
  against Araknyd swarms, which thrive in arctic conditions.
  THE FUTURE OF THE STAR MARINES –  
  EXPERIMENTAL TECH AND DARK SCIENCE
  Ever since sentient bugs were first discovered, scientists 
  and engineers at STAR Industries have worked tirelessly 
  to create new weapons to aid in the destruction of 
  the alien menace. Some of these innovations, such as 
  smart nukes, dropsuits, thermal detonators, and man-
  portable railguns, have already found their way into 
  marine regiments. Bug pheromone spray, developed 
  from the carcasses of slain Hive-Beasts, has also proved 
  effective. Other experimental hardware has yet to be 
  field-tested, and is developed in secret facilities away 
  from the prying eyes of the media. The galaxy is not yet 
  ready to learn exactly what STAR Industries has been 
  working on for all these years, although the Araknyd 
  invasion of Earth has certainly whetted public appetite 
  for victory at any cost.
  STAR Industries has already experimented with 
  so-called “Trojan Bugs” – remote controlled bugs, 
  potentially carrying explosives, used to infiltrate 
  bug nests. Against beasts with synaptic control 
  mechanisms, these have been unsuccessful, although 
  scientists have not given up hope of perfecting the 
  technology. Another fringe science division has begun 
  to reverse engineer alien weaponry, developing semi-
  organic energy weapons capable of generating Araknyd 
  plasma. Most disturbing of all, however, is the clone 
  testing. Pushing at the boundaries of so-called “dark 
  science,” it is whispered that in secret facilities clone 
  troopers are being grown in vats, mixing human and 
  bug DNA. Some of the less ethically minded scientists 
  at STAR Industries envision a time when no true 
  human is put in danger on the battlefield, but instead 
  stronger, faster soldiers are tailored for each warzone. 
  Soldiers with the ingenuity of humans, but the boiling 
  blood and chitinous bones of Xeno-Parasites, the 
  psychic abilities of Hive-Beasts, or the razor-sharp 
  talons and bio-energy weaponry of Araknyds…
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  74
  ARK35 “Archangel   Dropsuit
  Developed for rapid insertion tactics, the Archangel dropsuit is a lightweight, 
  armored extension of the standard combat armor, featuring a grav-pack, 
  shock-absorbing boots, and re-breather apparatus. The grav-pack is a personal 
  jet pack consisting of an anti-gravitic booster and leg-mounted stabilizer 
  thrusters. One of the newest innovations in the STAR arsenal, it was initially 
  developed to slow the decent of a freefalling marine, much like an old-fashioned 
  parachute, but has recently been employed for its jump functionality, making 
  rapid redeployment of specialists much easier than in the past. Extensive field 
  testing amongst elite specialist units has proven promising, and the STAR 
  Marine Corps hopes that the packs will be rolled out to all marines as standard 
  kit within the next decade.
  Like exo-suits, grav-packs require considerable energy in order to function. 
  However, unlike exo-suits, this energy is only required in very short bursts, 
  and is thus generated in combat via means of a phased plasma-cell, which 
  automatically charges between jumps. Ten minutes of charge produces enough 
  power for three minutes of controlled flight, several short “hops” of around 30 
  yards, or five minutes of anti-grav gliding.
  Spartan Armored Environment Suit
  The Spartan suit combines the protection of Interceptor armor with the sealed 
  environment of a spacesuit and sterile hazmat functionality. Designed to allow 
  marines to fight in any atmosphere, or even deep space, the suit is bulky and 
  requires extensive training if it is to be used effectively. The pressurized sections 
  of the suit are compartmentalized, so that tears or damage sustained in battle 
  are unlikely to compromise the entire suit. The marine’s torso, shoulders, and 
  chest are protected by thick armor plates, which also cover a small oxygen 
  reservoir, air filtration unit, combat drug injector, and heart-rate regulator.
  ART-4 Multi-tracker
  A handheld scanner, usually carried by either a squad sergeant or fire support 
  marine, the ART-4 combines computerized cartography, smart blueprint 
  reader, motion-tracker, heat sensors, and biological scanner, all housed in a 
  tough rubberized herculanium casing. It can detect incoming life-signs at 
  a distance of around 900 yards, and movement of anything larger than a 
  household cat at around 550 yards. Using sophisticated positioning tech, the 
  tracker’s readout can provide marines with a 3D tactical map of their combat 
  zone, complete with enemy locations. 
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  75
  Netrunner Remote Sensor Unit
  Carried within the stowage of most Timberwolf APCs, the Netrunner RSU 
  is an unmanned tracked vehicle, remotely controlled from a station in the 
  APC’s cockpit. Developed from the Terran Army’s bomb disposal robots, the 
  Netrunner carries a larger and more sophisticated multi-tracker system, with 
  long-range scanners and comms arrays. When stationed at strategic battlefield 
  points, the Netrunner can boost ground comms to orbiting command cruisers, 
  and forewarn fireteams of long-distance enemy movements.
  Some expeditionary units carry remote breacher kits in addition to sensor 
  units. These kits simply mount twin 40mm grenade launchers on the standard 
  tracked unit, along with a smart nuke that can be remotely primed. The unit 
  also carries a bug pheromone dispersal system to mask its movements. So far, 
  remote “nestbusting” operations have proven unsuccessful due to poor comms 
  within the belly of the larger hives and nest systems, but work continues on 
  developing these tracked exterminators, and AI processors will potentially be 
  added to them to allow independent operation.
  ART-4 Multi-tracker.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  76
  Vehicles & Spacecraft
  SIMC Epsilon-class Hyperlane Station
  Length: 10,500 feet
  Beam: 7,875 feet
  Draught: 1,680 feet
  Crew: 1,280 (permanent); up to 750 (temporary)
  Engines: STAR Industries gravitic impulse drive (emergency handling only)
  Range: Unlimited (plasma core life 42 years)
  Armament: Advanced STAR class 2 defense grid
  Positioned at strategic hyperlane jump-gates, these marine facilities provide 
  temporary stations for SMEUs in need of rearmament, ship refits, or just 
  R&R. Providing docking facilities for up to six Demeter-class cruisers, and 
  bristling with defensive weaponry, 18 of these space stations provide an all-
  too-thin line of STAR control across a massive galaxy.
  SIMC Demeter-class Long-range Tactical Cruiser
  Length: 3,203 feet
  Beam: 760 feet
  Draught: 501 feet
  Crew: 125
  Engines: 3 Rolls Royce Mk VII fusion engines; STAR Industries interstellar 
  plasma drive
  Range: Unlimited (plasma core life 15 years)
  Armament: 2 turret-mounted KT EM-5000 rail-cannon, fore and aft; 4 
  railgun broadside banks; 2 fore plasma torpedo tubes; 3 X10 thermonuclear 
  void-to-surface bombs
  Designed by Cygnus AeroTech, the Demeter-class cruiser has become the most 
  important innovation in the highly competitive field of interstellar transport 
  vessels. The Demeter is a large military transport, capable of FTL travel and 
  featuring every facility a SMEU requires to complete its tour without ever 
  returning to base.
  The Demeter boasts a similar armament to the heavier Kennedy-class 
  warships that protect the core worlds, but is designed first and foremost as a 
  mobile command center, training facility, and barracks for a full STAR Marine 
  Corps expeditionary unit and associated support. Unlike the Kennedy-class 
  warships, the Demeter utilizes advanced gravity field generators by means of a 
  rotating mid-section – as STAR marines are expected to live aboard the cruiser 
  for anything up to five years, a zero-G environment would compromise the 
  physical strength of the marines and place undue stress on their psyche. The 
  training facilities on board the Demeter do include zero-G training chambers, 
  but the artificial gravity systems also allow for pressurized dive pools and 
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  77
  MSS Bodega, Lincoln-class 
  Corvette.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  78
  environmental simulators, not to mention some perks of the role, such as 
  fresh food from the hydroponics labs and various R&R facilities.
  In its vast hold, the Demeter carries three Seraphim dropships, each 
  capable of carrying a marine platoon and two APCs into battle. Most 
  Demeter-class cruisers also carry a handful of endo/exo-atmospheric fighters 
  and their specially trained marine aerospace crews – ever since the discovery 
  of the Araknyd asteroids, they have been a common addition to the Demeters’ 
  complements to intercept potentially sentient deep-space bug transports.
  Though Demeter-class cruisers have rarely been forced to use their 
  emergency evacuation procedures, all of them carry a full complement of 
  eight-man lifeboats, each containing automated “return-to-base” navicom AI, 
  and cryo-pods to protect the evacuees during their long voyage home.
  SN Lincoln-class Corvette
  Length: 1,129 feet
  Beam: 363 feet
  Draught: 402 feet
  Crew: 42
  Engines: 2 Rolls Royce Mk III fusion engines; STAR Industries phased core 
  hyperdrive
  Range: 400 light years (jump); 4 months (fusion propulsion).
  Armament: Prow-mounted KT EM-900 rail-cannon; 2 railgun broadside 
  banks; turret-mounted railgun battery; 10 turret-mounted K12 ALRVM anti-
  fighter missiles
  Originally designed for use by SolNav, the Lincoln-class corvette is a medium-
  range interstellar fighting vessel, featuring a heavy offensive payload for its size 
  and a moderate transport capacity. Twelve of these vessels were purchased for 
  use in the STAR Pan-System Marine Corps in 2242, and heavily modified 
  to allow for the transportation and fast launch of a single marine platoon 
  mounted in a Seraphim dropship. After seeing heavy action in the last two 
  decades, only five of these aging craft remain.
  The Lincolns remain one of the fastest fighting vessels in military 
  service, although their design and size does not allow for easy upgrading 
  of their propulsion units. Additionally, only the command bridge retains 
  artificial gravity functionality thanks to an antiquated spinning mid-section. 
  Consequently, these corvettes are generally deemed unsuitable for long tours, 
  but are often found accompanying Demeter-class cruisers as part of small 
  combat fleets, or serving as escorts for civilian vessels in regions where a small 
  marine presence is deemed a necessity.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  79
  Seraphim Mk II Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Dropship
  Length: 133 feet
  Height: 40 feet
  Crew (essential): 3
  Transport capacity: 24 infantry + 2x GDLV23 APCs
  Powerplant: Twin Harrington 8V56 turbofans; Cygnus AeroTech CAT-45 
  nuclear propulsion unit
  Max Speed:
  (high altitude) Mach 1.25 (721 knots)
  (low altitude) 174 knots
  Range: 6,478 nautical miles
  Armament: Nose-mounted KT EM-30 railgun; 6 K50 Bulldog AMRAAMs 
  (fusion missiles); 2 AIM20 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles
  Though referred to as a dropship, the epithet is something of a misnomer, 
  as the Mk II Seraphim is actually a sophisticated airborne troop carrier and 
  altitude combat vehicle in its own right. Capable of combat maneuvers in 
  planetary atmospheres and in vacuums, with tilt-and-turn turbofans for 
  extreme maneuvering and VTOL functionality, the Seraphim is a formidable 
  armored transport, guaranteeing the STAR marines air superiority in most 
  theaters of war.
  Each Seraphim has a transport capacity for 24 marines in full kit, with extra 
  stowage space for exo-suits and specialist hardware such as sentry guns. The 
  belly of the dropship contains a breakaway compartment, stowing two APCs 
  side-by-side, plus a Netrunner RSU. The compartment can be dropped from 
  a height of up to 820 feet via grav-chutes, breaking apart into a temporary 
  fortification upon landing and dispersing its full payload of marines mounted 
  in APCs. Alternatively, the 
  stowage compartment can 
  be lowered using a standard 
  hydraulic system once the 
  Seraphim has landed at a 
  suitable dropzone.
  The 
  Seraphim 
  is 
  protected by lightweight 
  herculanium-alloy 
  armor, 
  supplemented 
  by 
  auto-
  reactive 
  “smart2” 
  heat 
  shields, 
  which 
  position 
  themselves 
  automatically 
  when 
  the 
  ship 
  enters 
  an  atmosphere to make 
  its rapid sub-orbital drops.
  Seraphim Mk II Endo/Exo-
  Atmospheric Dropship.
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  80
  GDLV23 Mk III “Timberwolf   APC
  Length: 30 feet
  Height: 9 feet
  Crew (essential): 2
  Transport capacity: 12
  Powerplant: Twin 6V2000 solid fuel engines.
  Max. road speed: 75 miles per hour
  Range: 310 miles
  Armament: 2 SI-242 rotary cannons (front fixed, 30-degree arc of fire); 2 
  baffler defensive launchers; 1 universal-fit cupola weapon mount
  The Timberwolf is one of the few pieces of military hardware used by the 
  STAR Marine Corps that is not unique to their organization. An incredibly 
  versatile armored transport, the Timberwolf APC has been used by the Terran 
  Army for almost 20 years, and its design has proven so effective that it was not 
  altered when it found service in the Marine Corps.
  Featuring an 8x8 drive system powered by twin six-valve engines, the 
  Timberwolf is deliberately low-tech to make it durable and easy to maintain 
  in the field. Its thick armor plates are made of lightweight herculanium alloys 
  which make the vehicle suitable for air-drops, while its secondary layer of 
  nitrogen-cooled ceramic weave not only provides protection from alien bio-
  weaponry and molten blood, but also offers the marines within moderate 
  shielding from the infra-vision believed to be possessed by some bug species.
  In an emergency, the Timberwolf can be pressed into service as both 
  command station and field hospital, providing a stable base of operations for 
  STAR marine sorties. 
   
  GDLV23 Mk III “Timberwolf” APC.
  “
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
  First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Osprey Publishing,
  PO Box 883, Oxford, OX1 9PL, UK
  PO Box 3985, New York, NY 10185-3985, USA
  E-mail: info@ospreypublishing.com
  Osprey Publishing, part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
  © 2015 Osprey Publishing Limited
  All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism 
  or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this 
  publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any 
  means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, 
  without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Inquiries should be addressed to 
  the Publishers.
  The Publisher has made every attempt to secure the appropriate permissions for material 
  reproduced in this book. If there has been any oversight we will be happy to rectify the situation 
  and written submission should be made to the Publishers. All uncredited images are assumed to be 
  in the public domain.
  © Osprey Publishing. Access to this book is not digitally restricted. In return, we ask you that you 
  use it for personal, non- commercial purposes only. Please don’t upload this ebook to a peer- to- peer 
  site, email it to everyone you know, or resell it. Osprey Publishing reserves all rights to its digital 
  content and no part of these products may be copied, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in 
  any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise (except as permitted here), 
  without the written permission of the publisher. Please support our continuing book publishing 
  programme by using this e- book responsibly. 
   
  Every effort has been made by the Publisher to secure permissions to use the images in this 
  publication. If there has been any oversight we would be happy to rectify the situation and written 
  submission should be made to Osprey Publishing.A CIP catalog record for this book is available 
  from the British Library
  Print ISBN: 978 1 4728 1071 7
  PDF e-book ISBN: 978 1 4728 1072 4
  EPUB e-book ISBN: 978 1 4728 1073 1  
  Typeset in Garamond Pro and Briem Akademi
  Originated by PDQ Media, Bungay, UK
  Osprey Publishing/Shire Publications supports the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland 
  conservation charity. Between 2014 and 2018 our donations will be spent on their Centenary 
  Woods project in the UK.
  www.ospreypublishing.com
  © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dark (osprey)/DARK 008 - Bug Hunts - Surviving and Combating the Alien Menace.pdf