Praetorian

At the outbreak of the Space War, the First Praetorian Company had a total count of 103 combat ready personnel. Throughout the Invasion of Mars, the First Praetorian Company was given some of the most formiable objectives and to this day holds the largest kill to casualties ratio of any company. Only 1 Praetorian was ever lost in combat. The company was retired on January 1st, 2200 CE with 102 remaining members.

The most important part of a Praetorians equipment set-up was the TALOS Mk III Exosuit. Short for the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, the TALOS Mark III were the most advanced powered exosuits built during the Space War. The TALOS suits were capable of allowing the operator to effectively quadruple their standard strength thanks to the synthetic muscles that were powered by the minature high-density fusion reactor built into the suit. Due to their next generation CerMet/composite plastic plating, the TALOS Mk III could take a large caliber High Explosive round without permanent damage to the wearer. The TALOS Mk III were also equipped with hypergolic fueled rockets, also known as "jump jets", for making manuevuring around the battlefield easier and landing during LOSL drops easier.

Each TALOS Mk III was built specially for the Praetorian that wore it, and was extremely hard for a normal human to operate due to the size difference between a Praetorian and a normal soldier. The suit was also not only capable of holding all of the standard equipment, including the XM809 AMGCO, issued to a Praetorian, but could manage up to 1.5 times the weight it was built for, giving the Praetorians a chance to modify and customize their suits.

Praetorians were standardly equipped with a single uprated XM809 lightweight .50 caliber Machine Gun variant known as the XM809 AMGCO, or Advanced Machine Gun for Commando Operatives. This machine gun, weighing in at 16.5 kilos, was no light weight and packs a serious punch, much like the M2 LMG back in the 21st century. Although belt-fed and using powder cartridges, the XM809 AMGCO was extremely effective when in the hands of any Praetorian and saw considerable use during the Invasion of Mars. A Praetorian would usually carry 400 rounds of ammunition, 100 rounds on each belt, weighing in at a total of 44 kilograms.

Standard Praetorian weaponry was consisted of the following equipment:

• 90mm Anti-Armor recoilless rifle: 8 rounds - 6 HEAT & 2 Tactical Nuclear Ordinance, autoloaded. Usually shoulder mounted.
• M430 Grenade Launcher attachment for the XM809: 12 rounds, 40mm, hand loaded.
• XM21 9mm Automatic Pistol: 2, each Praetorian carries 10 clips with 8 rounds a piece
• CerMet Bayonet/Combat Knife: 2 equipped to each Praetorian

The First Praetorian Company was structured by the following:

• 1 Captain - Over the entire company, made up of 2 platoons
• 2 Second Lieutenants - Over a single platoon, made up of 5 squads
• 10 Sergeants - Over a single squad, made up of 3 teams
• 100 Non-ranking Personnel - Divided into teams, 3 men in each team

"How do you kill something that has already be hit by a HE round and just shrugged it off?"

— A MCN Marine during the Battle of Valles Marineris

Rarely operating in units larger than teams, Praetorians were so effective that they became known as one man armies capable of taking on Martian Confederacy armored companies single handedly. Rumours from those that found in the Space War would have one believe that Praetorians even had the ability to survive being pinned down by entire battalions backed by air support, and still coming out on top. Their specialized weapons and equipment allowed the Praetorians to make attacks that seemed almost reckless to those not within their company, including headon charges that proved devistating to the entreached Martians.

The First Praetorian Company endured intense mental and physical training from the moment they were born. Starting with 1000 subjects, the ASP Program was designed to brutally weed out all besides the best, eliminating the others. Although illegal by all definitions of the word and completely unethical, the ASP Program created the most disciplined and elite soldiers that the Sol System has ever seen. The First Praetorian Company, during it's operational lifetime, sustained a rigorous training regiment for its constituents, as of such, Praetorians would come to be known as one man armies.

The First Praetorian Company, and so far the only company, wass supported by the entirety of the 2nd Venusian Parliamentary Logistics Division, or VPLD. With the first VPLD responsible for the resupply of the Navy and the 3rd VPLD keeping the standing Venusian Marines operating, the First Praetorian Company was outfitted by the only other logistics division capable of sustaining them.

Praetorians were extremely expensive for the Venusian Parliament to keep in operation. Being the one man armies that they were however, the VP was willing to supply the average 127 million credits a year to keep all them well-equipped and available to fight at a moment's notice throughout the entire Space War.

The First Praetorian Company was formed during the Cold War between the United Nations and the Martian Confederacy, as the Venusian Parliament decided that an elite unit of soldiers was needed in the event that total war broke out. Although research, growth, and training of the Praetorians took many years and were only truly deployed in combat once, they were essential in the single theater that they did operate in, the Invasion of Mars. The Praetorians provided much needed support to the exhausted UNSF marines, secured multiple positions thought impossible to capture, and carved their names into history by being the only company to receive a single casualty during the entire course of the Space War despite their many engagements.