quaternary weaponry: Among heavy infantry, who use the M-70 Havoc combat exoskeleton, there are three official categories of weaponry:
- primary weaponry: the heavy tribarrel, flamer, and target designator built into the exoskeleton;
- secondary weaponry: additional hardpoint-mounted weapons provided by a modular weapons back, such as the BP-400 Conflagration;
- tertiary weaponry: weapons carried by, rather than attached to, the exoskeleton.
Quaternary weaponry, therefore, is a term that shows up principally in aftermath reports, meaning “punched to death”. Insofar as the M-70 Havoc provides a twenty-four-fold physical strength multiplier to its wearer, the use of quaternary weaponry against armored troops, vehicles, buildings, and occasional field fortifications is far from unknown.
— Blackjacket’s Dictionary
The product of an ongoing revision of the details of the M-70 Havoc.
Where the title is concerned: Some say that “quintenary weapons” refers to, as Jayne put it, the “and my swinging cod” of warfare. Others point out that, without access to the robotic vesting system in the morgue, you’d need a half-hour with an impact wrench just to get the codplate detached.
Is there an appropriately sized and reinforced sword-like object carried by the M-70?
Yep, it’s basically a scaled-up hanrian of self-sharpening cerametal. Of course, it’s primarily intended for use as a utility knife, but…
…there is going to be somebody from Krieg who is not happy there isn’t a Havoc-sized shovel…
But seriously, they still issue bayonets for rifles for the simple fact that if you need one, you really really need one…
Let’s face it, this isn’t the worst thing you’ve seen me do.