Introduction 

A major military service corporation operating on Venus, its primary client, is The Archipelago government. Founded in 2251 by Canadian immigrant Jason Knight, it has grown to become one of the premier military service corporations on the planet. 

History 

After serving in the Archipelago’s formal military service, under Atmosphere Command, Jason Knight formed Providence with a number of his fellow retired comrades. Knight saw a market opening for a private security firm to provide protective services to merchant vessels moving outside of Archipelago controlled airspace. 

Consisting of only a dozen aircraft, the company established its home office in New Miami. Over the next decade, it built itself up to consist of more than eight hundred employees with hundreds of drones and numerous assault craft. 

During the 2260’s following the financial crisis and the rise of piracy in the independent colonies, the form began to specialize in anti-piracy activities. At this time, the Archipelago government began to contact the company more and more often. 

Over the next forty years, Providence would grow with thousands of employees. The biggest client would become the Archipelago government, which would contract with Providence on both internal and external security matters. 

Organizational Structure 

Providence personnel are broken into three equally sized groups; Mobile Command, Air Command and Support. 

Mobile Command 

Broken up into three equally sized battalions of approximately 500 dismounted troops. These troops provide security and protective services when detached and can launch an assault on aircraft. They are equipped with body armor, rifles and have support drones. 

Air Command 

Broken into two groups, the first group specializes in manned aircraft, the second specializes in unmanned aircraft. The first group consists of manned stingships which are traditionally used in a support capacity. The second group consists of drone carriers. The operators are typically either onboard the carrier or located in a command center located within the Archipelago. The drones are the main air fighting force. 

Support 

Support consists of a number of different groups providing support services. These groups include transportation, intelligence and research, logistics, corporate services, training and medical. 

Equipment 

Mobile Command 

Small Arms 

All detached trips are issued a high velocity electromagnetic (HVEM) rifle. The rifle utilizes a helical electromagnetic rail system to launch projectiles. The type of projectile can be charged as the mission profile changes. Traditionally, the ammo uses a sabot and contains a solid or hollow point bullet. It can fire non-lethal rounds and flechettes. There is also a grenade launcher attachment which can be used. 

There is an integral nanoball battery system built into the stock of the rifle. This is the main power source for the rail system and can be used to fire ammo that doesn’t have a built in power source. 

Most personnel are also issued with side arms. These have the same helical rail systems as the rifles and as such, can utilize the same ammunition. 

Armor 

Two types of armor are issued, light armor and heavy armor. The light armor consists of anti-ballistic cloth and ceramic plating. It has a respirator and is designed to function in Venus’s atmosphere for up to 12 hours. There is also a powered skeletal system which enhances the user’s power and stamina. The armor is resistant to light small arms fire. 

The heavy armor is a more solid version of the light armor consisting of thicker armor plating, metal sandwiched by ceramic. The joints consist of an anti-ballistic gel. The powered skeletal system is a stronger version than the light armor and can last longer. There is a battery power pack on the back. Heavy armor is designed to last up to 24 hours in the atmosphere of Venus. 

Drones 

The mobile command uses a variety of drones for both surveillance and combat. The drones used for surveillance are quite small and are equipped with a variety of recording devices. There are drones that are the size of flies which can fly and there are also drones that are the size of mice, which can crawl. Both types can transmit information wirelessly. The mouse sized drone can be attached to a fine optic cable. 

There are also drones the size and shape of capuchin monkeys which serve as advance for soldiers. These drones have sensor masts in place of their heads. They have hands which can be used for manipulating things and as such can be used to open doors of disarm booby traps. 

There are also drones that are armed. There are heavy assault drivers which are effectively large metal spheres which can deploy anti-personnel weapons from a hidden port. There are sensor blisters on the surface which are used to gather information. This type of drone has two modes, travel and combat. In travel mode is a sphere. In combat mode, the weapons are deployed from ports at the top of the drone, legs are extended from the bottom and sensor blisters are raised. 

There are similar lighter armored versions which are effectively monocycles equipped with weapons. These drones are relatively thin wheels which balance and maneuver using gyroscopes. The weapons are stored in hatches in the center of mass. There are sensor blisters on the edge near the wheel. 

There are also three foot tall dog shaped drones with anti-personnel weapons mounted on top. These drivers maneuver using four legs, each leg is equipped with a three fingered hand. There is a weapon mounted on the midsection of the back. On the front and rear of the drone there are boomerang shaped sensor masts. 

Air Command 

Carriers 

The carrier is a large flying wing. The carrier is driven by eight turborocket engines. The carrier has a maximum speed of Mach 1.5 and can operate independently for up to four weeks. 

The carrier can hold up to twenty-four unmanned assault drones. It can also hold a troop transport. 

It has a crew of twelve, not counting specialized personnel, i.e. soldiers, drone pilots, or their support. The carrier can hold up to forty-eight people. 

Drones are stored in the large wings, three on each side. There are narrow corridors to access these drones. There is a hatch on the underside of the carrier to deploy and retrieve the aircraft. 

The troop transport is carried in the center of the flying wing and it has a specialized hatch at the rear of the carrier. 

It has airborne lasers mounted on both the dorsal and ventral to protect against missiles. It can deploy flares and chaff as well. 

Drones

There are two types of drones used; drones for assault and drones for surveillance. The assault drones can be transported on carriers or launched from the base in New Miami. These are armed with missiles and lasers. They are capable of going faster than the speed of sound and are able to accelerate at rates which would be fatal to a human pilot. 

Recon drones are smaller and tend to stay at higher altitudes. They are unarmed and have numerous sensors on them. They can be used as communication nodes and they can be used to set up a network. 

Stingships 

These are heavier and slower moving than the unmanned drones. As a result, these are used largely to support the assault drones and troop transports. They are armed with powerful missile and laser systems that have their own AI systems onboard. Their missiles are capable of incredible maneuverability and can coordinate with each other. The missiles can be programmed to lay dormant and act as mines. Somecan carry and operate their own drones.

These missiles are similar to drones, only smaller. The missiles can be equipped with a variety of explosive packages or offensive weapons, such as lasers or anti-aircraft guns. 

Stingships are launched from the New Miami base and can travel anywhere on Venus. Depending on the model, stingships can carry a crew between one and five people

Troop Transport 

These are used primarily for boarding actions against hostile aircraft. They are equipped with heavy armor and grapples. These transports don’t have offensive armaments, they do have anti-missile defense lasers and chaff. 

The transports can carry up to 24 lightly armored troops, or half the number of heavily armored troops. 

Facilities 

New Miami Base 

The base in New Miami is the main base of Providence and is the operational headquarters for the company. This base has been owned by the company since 2270 and has been upgraded and expanded several times since. 

The base is located on the edge of the city and acts as a port for the aircraft it uses.