Hi there! Thanks for dropping by. Before we set off on this "little" journey of ours (I've no clue how long it will be, to be frank with you – only some rough plot ideas), I figured I'd best explain myself and provide a little tool for you to use in your travels. A dictionary of sorts, I suppose.
First off, I'm a college student with a somewhat heavy workload (can't build gonk droids for drawing dicks on Mars without getting a degree, I guess), and I'm also busy revising a much longer work of mine, titled "Zero no Tsukaima: an Unfamiliar Tale", so progress on this story could very well be slow until I clear a few things off of my plate. I am certainly committed to bringing this story to a close, whenever that day may be, so let's hope it's not TOO far out there.
Secondly, for those of you who don't know, Planetside 2 in fact had a rather interesting background written for it by comic book writer Marv Wolfman (praise be), now found on their wiki. Google "Planetside 2 Lore" and you'll find the article on the game's wiki that will provide plenty of backstory for what you'll read here in a neat little package, including a timeline. The story will be building off of this, and while I'll do my best to weave it into a story so that you could make sense of things without the wiki article, this is only my second fanfiction, so there's no guarantee I'll succeed. I highly suggest moseying on over to that wiki page when you get the chance.
Lastly, I'll for those of you who aren't familiar with Planetside 2 and perhaps more obscure military terms used in the story, I'll be leaving a small glossary here for you to peruse at your own disgression. Any time I use a word that I think might need explanation, I'll come back and update the glossary below to reflect that.
Best of luck, soldier!
INDEX OF TERMS:
Auraxis: Name of the planet that the events of the Planetside video games occur on. A Class M planet (sustaining life of both plants and animals) discovered after half of Earth's colony ships drift in deep space for three years after passing through a wormhole that appeared at the edge of the Solar System. Half of the colony ships were lost in the wormhole transition (fate unknown, presumed to be destroyed by the wormhole's gravity well), leaving the other half of the colony ships desperate for resources until they discovered "New Earth", later christened Auraxis. Has a widely diverse range of climates, ranging from sub-zero tundras to scorching deserts. Was once the home, or at least an outpost, of the alien race known as the Vanu.
Amerish: One of the four continents of Auraxis. Largely dominated by grasslands, temperate forests, and mountain ranges. Mild climates, mild weather barring the occasional tornado.
Amp Station: common term used to refer to the twelve major power production facilities across the four continents of Auraxis. Generates power on an incredible scale for powering research facilities and battle stations across the continent.
APHE: Armor Piercing, High Explosive. A kind of anti-vehicle bullet or shell that contains an explosive filler designed to explode like a grenade after penetrating armor, inflicting lethal wounds to the occupants inside.
Biolab: common term used to refer to the twelve major biological research facilities that span the four continents of Auraxis. Hosts preserved "old-world" flora from Earth as well as development of new cultivars from Auraxis itself.
CO: Abbreviation for Commanding Officer. Can indicate anyone of superior rank, but is typically used to refer to the person a soldier most often reports to, such as a squad leader.
Esamir: One of the four continents of Auraxis. Completely frozen over almost the entire Auraxian year, and home to bristling mountains and impressive crystalline structures that make almost the entire northern part of the continent impassable to ground vehicles aside from carved roads.
Hossin: One of the four continents of Auraxis. Consists almost entirely of swampy terrain and dense old-growth forests, with intermittent plateau ranges and other geologic oddities.
Indar: One of the four continents of Auraxis. The northern half of the continent is almost entirely covered with salt flats after the ocean receded due to tectonic shifts raising the continent out of the ocean. The southeast section of the continent consists of deep ravines and rocky outcroppings resulting in lots of vertical combat, while the southwest contains savanna-like plains and sparse foliage.
MAX Suit: Acronym for Mobile Armored Exosuit. Armored, powered exosuits that carry thick armor and two heavy armaments that can be interchanged for anti-air, anti-vehicle, or anti-infantry duty, or mix-n-matched for a wider spectrum of viable targets. The original suits were designed as load-lifting tools for mining and excavation, until the New Conglomerate soldiers jury-rigged battle suits by welding simple plate armor and magazine-fed shotguns onto them for fighting.
New Conglomerate: Separatist group that rose out of the first rebel groups that resisted the totalitarian authority of the Terran Republic. Funded by wealthy CEO's who rode aboard the colony ships from Earth seeking fame and fortune (namely the latter), they are largely comprised of the "blue collar" citizens who seek freedom from a the Terran regime that grows more corrupt by the day. They utilize less conventional electromagnetic weaponry and favor hard-hitting gauss rifles and railguns over conventional powder-based weaponry. They also have a rather disturbing affinity for shotguns.
Tech Plant: common term used to refer to the twelve major technology development facilities across the four continents of Auraxis. Used for development of new vehicles, small arms, and larger siege weapons.
Terran Republic: The name of the original government and military forces that dominated the colony ships upon their arrival at Auraxis. Focuses on regaining contact with Earth and maintaining order in the name of the original Terran government from Earth, viewing the New Conglomerate and Vanu Sovereignty as mere insurgent forces in their way. Has the most well-trained army, most rigid command structure, and a preference toward fast-firing weapons.
Vanu: Alien race that once lived on Auraxis. Supposedly the source of the wormhole that brought half of the colony ships to deep space near Auraxis on October 20, 2640, they've long since gone extinct, or packed up and shipped off to god knows where, but left behind some remains of their civilization for humans to find in the process. The Vanu Sovereignty got their name after the Sovereignty's "founder", Henry Briggs, discovered a Vanu beacon that gave him a vision of the alien race, as well as their name.
Vanu Sovereignty: Separatist group that followed Henry Briggs to his dying breath devoting their lives toward researching Vanu relics. Led by "The Council", a ruling body of generals and scientists that believe in the greater role of humanity through the development of advanced technologies. They wield highly advanced weapons and vehicles utilizing reverse-engineered Vanu technologies and principles, to the tune of floating tanks, plasma rifles, and purple spandex battle-suits for everyone. While on the bleeding edge of technology, they often have a hard time weeding out spies seeking to steal and distribute technologies to the other two factions, and still occasionally use technology on the open market when their manufacturing capacities for their state-of-the-art technology are disrupted.