Defector Militia – Nanomei Subroutine
Technology and loyalty are just two of the multi-faceted variable that comprise war. As conflicts progress, so too does the equipment factions use to try to gain the upper hand. Is it any wonder then that in the Aetherium the Nanomei have resorted to stealing from their enemies that which they cannot program themselves? History is full of examples of soldiers outmatched and outgunned fighting back to beat the odds because of their will to survive. But what happens when a solider’s loyalty is called into question and turns out to lie among the goals of the opposition?
The users that make up the ranks of the Defector Militia are the Nanomei’s answer to both of these questions. Like much of the bulk of the Nanomei’s forces, the users tend to be the least talented and skilled at their disposal, everyday minds that have thrown in their lot for The Cause. Unlike most of the Nanomei’s front line, these users have actually undergone some sort of formal training, for many of them are converts from the very ranks of the Axiom.
Usually, these are individuals that have realized the crushing boot of authority they represent or find themselves up against their friends and neighbors. Unwilling to continue to fight against the ‘common man’ these soldiers turn in their Crossed Keys for The Mask. Sometimes they come to this conclusion of their own free will, while others need a bit more…convincing.
Regardless, the end result is the same: turncoats from Axiom that have joined the growing numbers of the Nanomei. Some are able to steal programs from what they had access to during their service in the Axiom. Other times, they help their newfound companions steal these valuable lines of code to bring the enemies weapons and equipment to bear against the former owners. Because of this most Defector Militia tend to appear as a rag tag bunch carrying an assortment of weapons, armor, and equipment scrounged up from wherever they could muster. Like most Nanomei, perhaps even more so, only the most brazen Defector Militia are seen without hoods and mask obscuring their faces.
On the digital frontiers these subroutines provide the Nanomei with a tremendous about of long range firepower, more than making up for their lack of it elsewhere. Their weapons are overclocked with all manner of scraps of code and able to unleash overcharged bursts against their foes. This comes at a price though, as this overcharge is usual just as dangerous to the user as it is to the enemy.