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# Glossary

> AAM—advanced antimatter warhead.

> AFHAWK—Anti-Fighter Homing All the Way Killer Missile; the standard ship-launched anti-fighter missile.

> AFHAWK2—a second-generation, much larger, extended-range version of the AFHAWK.

> AM—antimatter warhead.

> AMBAM—Anti-Mine Ballistic Antimatter Missile; a large missile, equipped with multiple ballistically deployed antimatter warheads, which is used to clear paths through minefields.

> AMBAMP—Anti-Mine Ballistic Antimatter Missile Pod; a warp-capable pod designed to transport AMBAMs through warp points.

> antigerone treatments—human age-slowing therapies.

> battlegroup—the starships (usually six) linked together by command datalink. Also called a "command datagroup" or "command datalink datagroup."

> BB—battleship.

> BC—battlecruiser.

> BCR—a capital missile-armed battlecruiser optimized for long-range engagement.

> CA—heavy cruiser.

> CAM—Close Assault Missile; a capital missile-sized weapon capable of "sprint mode" attacks at close range.

> caraasthyuu—a particularly irritating biting, stinging insect from Old Valkha, the original Orion homeworld.

> chegnatyu—semi-mythical Orion warrior heroes; paladins.

> chofak (plural: chofaki)—literally "eater of midden scrapings," though generally translated as "dirt eater." An Orion term to describe a being so lost to all sense of honor as to be unable even to recognize it as a concept.

> CIC—Combat Information Center.

> CL—light cruiser.

> CM—Capital Missile. A large, long-ranged missile with a very heavy warhead. Too large to fire from a "standard" sized launcher. It carries sophisticated ECM and is very difficult for point defense to intercept.

> command datalink—an advanced datalink system capable of linking up to six warships simultaneously.

> Corthohardaa—"Space Brothers," the native Ophiuchi who crew the Ophiuchi Association navy's strikefighters.

> CSG—Commander Strikegroup, the CO of the strikegroup embarked aboard a single carrier.

> CSP—Combat Space Patrol; a force of strikefighters and/or gunboats detailed to fly defensive missions covering a specific region of space or a specific target.

> CV—fleet carrier.

> CVA—assault carrier.

> CVL—light carrier.

> Dahanaak—"Talon Strike," the Ophiuchi equivalent of the Terran Marines Raider forces.

> datagroup—the ships (usually three in number) linked together by standard datalink.

> datalink—a system of computers and communication systems which effectively link the offensive and defensive capabilities of up to three starships, allowing them to operate as a single unit for combat purposes.

> DD—destroyer.

> defargo—the honor dirk of the Orion officer corps.

> Demons—the Crucian term for the Arachnids.

> dirguasha—"the beast not dead," an Orion who, for his offenses against honor, has been rejected and expelled from his family and clan and who may be killed by any other Orion in any way.

> droshkhoul (plural: droshkhouli)—"shadow seeker," Orion term of disapprobation for someone who always finds a way to avoid combat without quite acting openly dishonorably.

> DSB—Deep Space Buoy.

> DSBL—Deep Space Buoy (Laser), also known as Laser Buoy. An orbital platform mounting a bomp-pumped laser to defend point targets.

> ECM—Electronic Countermeasures. ECM1, the earliest and crudest version, simply makes the mounting ship more difficult to hit. ECM2, or "jamming ECM," serves to jam or break up enemy datalinks within relatively short range of the system. ECM3, (also known as "deception mode ECM") is a more advanced generation which can perform as ECM1 or 2 be used to project false sensor readings to make a ship appear to belong to a different class. ECM4 ("cloaking ECM") is an even more advanced system, capable within limits of making a ship invisible to enemy sensors.

> Farshalah'kiah—"the Warrior's Way"—the ancient teachings of Shaasaal'hirtalkin, the Orion equivalent of Lancelot/Musashi, who formalized the honor code of the Orion warrior caste.

> farshathkhanaak—"lord of the fist," Orion term for the senior strikefighter pilot assigned to a task force or fleet.

> farshatok—"warriors of the fist," Orion term for warriors so well trained and so motivated that they fight as the individual fingers of a single fist.

> FM, FM2, FM3—progressively more advanced and capable strikefighter missiles.

> FRAM—a short-range, sprint mode, antimatter-armed strikefighter munition.

> GFGHQ—Grand Fleet General Headquarters.

> ghornaku—"sharers of union," the term for citizens of the Star Union of Crucis, regardless of their species.

> graaznaak—an exceptionally stupid, carrion-eating lizard fron New Valkha.

> Hiarnow'kharnak—the chief deity of the ancient Orion pantheon, God of War and ruler and creator of all the other gods.

> hanaakaat—Ophiuchi talon-based martial art.

> HARM—Homing Anti-Radiation Missile.

> hasfrazi—the most deadly raptor of the Ohiuchi home world, whose head is the emblem of the Corthohardaa.

> hercheqha—an Orion marsupial, equivalent to a small deer.

> hiri'k'now—the violation of hirikolus, the most unspeakable crime any Orion warrior can commit.

> hirikolus—the liege-vassal relationship between an Orion warrior and his khanhaku or the Khan'a'khanaaeee himself.

> HUD—Heads Up Display; a display projected in front of someone's eyes so that it can be read without looking down.

> ICN—Interstellar Communications Network; the long chains of deep space buoys between warp points used to relay messages at light-speed across the intervening space.

> IDEW—Independently Deployed Energy Weapons; individual, unprotected, remotely targeted energy weapons, usually force beams or primary beams, mounted in deep space buoys.

> Iierschtga—anti-god of Crucian theology.

> Ithyrra'doi'khanhaku—literally "honor-named of all clan lords," the highest Orion award for valor, equivalent of the Terran Federation's Lion of Terra.

> Khan'a'khanaaeee—literally, "lord of the high lords," the near-deified, absolute ruler of all Orions.

> khanhaku—"clan lord"; title of the head of one of the great Orion warrior clans.

> Khanhath'vilkshathaaeee—literally "the high lords' blood slayers," also translated (inaccurately) as the Caste of Assassins. The highly venerated order of supreme Orion duelists charged with removing an ineffectual or corrupt Khan by challenging and killing him.

> Kkrullott—the Crucian deity.

> lomus—"household"; the extended family of a Gorm, joined by complex mutual honor obligations.

> minisorchi—a Gorm empathic sense.

> MT—monitor.

> MTE—escort monitor.

> MT(V)—a carrier built on a monitor hull.

> naraham—"detachment," the Ophiuchi concept of the ability to maintain a sense of poise, calm, and balance under any circumstances.

> Niistka Glorkhus—"Speaking Chamber"; the supreme legislature of the Star Union of Crucis.

> PDC—planetary defense center.

> queemharda—"self-brotherhood," the Ophiuchi ideal of self-knowledge and acceptance.

> querhomaz—"self-determination," the Ophiuchi ideal of an individual's absolute determination to fully fulfill his role in life.

> quurohok—"place knowing," the Ophiuchi ideal of an individual's ability to recognize and make the life choices required to allow him to attain his maximum potential.

> RD—Recon Drone; a remote, powered sensor platform.

> RD2—Second Generation Recon Drone; an advanced recon drone capable of making unassisted warp transit.

> Rhustus Idk—Prime Minister of the Star Union of Crucis.

> SBM—Strategic Bombardment Missile; an even longer-ranged version of the Capital Missile. It sacrifices ECM capability for extended range.

> SBMHAWK—Strategic Bombardment Missile, Homing All the Way Killer; a combination of several SBMs in a pod capable of transporting them through a warp point to attack targets on the far side.

> SD—superdreadnought.

> sprint mode—an extremely high-velocity attack mode, reachable by some missiles. "Sprint mode" missiles move so quickly that they are effectively impossible for point defense to track and intercept.

> SRHAWK—Suicide Rider Homing All the Way Killer. A warp-capable pod designed to look like an SBMHAWK in order to lure attacking gunboats to short range, where they can be destroyed by the blast effect of its single massive antimatter warhead.

> shirnask—absolute fidelity to one's sworn word. One of the two fundamental honor obligations of an Orion warrior.

> shirnow—"oath breaking."

> shirnowmak—"oath breaker," second worst insult in the Orion language.

> synklomchuk—the duty owed by any Gorm to the house-kin members of his lomus under synklomus. In simplest terms, the responsibility to die before allowing any preventable harm to befall any member of the household.

> synklomus—"House Honor." See above.

> Taainohk—the "Four Virtues" (queemharda, naraham, quurohk, and querhomaz), the combined philosophical concepts at the core of the Ophiuchi honor code.

> talnikah—"battle mother," the CO of any Telikan field force. Originally translated by Survey Command personnel as "combat mama."

> theernowlus—"risk sharing," the Orion honor concept which requires a warrior to expose himself to risk before asking anyone else to share it.

> theermish—"risk shirking," the violation of theemowlus (see above).

> Valkha'kharnak—the second most important member of the ancient Orion pantheon, the Death Messenger of Hiarnow'kharnak and the chooser of the honorable dead.

> vilka'farshatok—"war fist of the blood," a fusion of Orion warriors so well trained and motivated as to fight as members of a single clan, regardless of their origins.

> vilknarma—"blood balance," the Orion concept of seeking redress for treachery or murder through the death of the offender.

> vilkshatha—"blood sworn," the symbolic mixing of the blood of two Orion warriors who have sworn brotherhood and become members of one another's clans.

> Waldeck Weave—Terran term for fighter evasive maneuver patterns first devised by Admiral Minerva Waldeck during ISW 3.

> zeget—a huge and powerful predator, somewhat larger than a Kodiak bear. Top of the food chain on the original Orion homeworld.

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