GI Combat Suit Series

The General Infantry Combat Suit Series is a line of armor suits developed and produced by the KONAR corporation for the Coalition of Intelligent Organisms. Though their designs were originally proposed by the Department of Experimental Warfare, KONAR modified and improved them of their own accord, creating numerous different versions that all found their niche in the vast Coalition military.

Development
GI combat suits were invented by the DEW shortly after the conclusion of the Avatar Invasion. During the war, the inefficiency of infantry forces during planetary invasions caught the attention of the DEW, who were looking to make ground forces more effective in possible future conflicts. Up until that point, infantry were protected by little more than a thin layer of titanium, which could hardly withstand a hit from most Coalition weapons, let alone advanced alien weapons. The DEW experimented with giving infantry heavier suits of armor, but they quickly found that such armor limited the mobility of infantry greatly, reducing their combat performance. Designing flexible, yet strong body armor was more difficult than they expected, as a regular Human wearer (the basis of all armor and weapon designs) couldn't move very freely if they were wearing heavy armor. Nuclear-forged alloys helped the DEW overcome this, as they allowed them to make armor extremely strong, but not necessarily extremely heavy. The first GI combat suit, the GI-9, had been developed, and it was quickly put into field testing by Coalition. The suit could survive considerably more damage than any armor suits invented in the past, but it was bulky and difficult to move around it, preventing it from being used by all divisions of the Coalition Invasion Corps. The DEW enlisted the help of the KONAR corporation in developing better versions of their armor suits, who happily agreed. KONAR's R&D team worked alongside the DEW to create better versions of their armor suits, and eventually created the vastly superior GI-10 model. Lighter and stronger than the GI-9, the GI-10 was widely used by the Coalition military and Galactic Police.

KONAR took over most of the research and development concerning the GI combat suit line, as it had become a critical product of their company. Managing to keep up with evolving battlefield technology was challenging, but KONAR could always stay ahead of the curve with their combat suits. In the late Coalition Dark Age, the extremely popular GI-11 suit was produced, quickly surpassing the GI-10 in sales. Other suits were designed alongside it for various purposes, but they all harked back to the DEW's original research. KONAR also produced variations of their suits for non-humanoid species to better accommodate said species in the Coalition military. Admittedly, changes to the Coalition's economy and military forced KONAR to alter the designs of their suits over time, optimizing them for cost and efficiency. This made some of the later incarnations of their suits somewhat less powerful than earlier versions, though hardly enough to notice. It was not uncommon for some individuals, even those outside of the military, to purchase outdated GI suit models simply because of the advantages these older models had over their newer counterparts.

GI-9
The first iteration of the GI armor suit series, designed exclusively by the DEW. The GI-9 is mostly comprised of a heavy Titanium alloy, and is about 8 ft (2.4 m) in height. It is extremely bulky and relies on pneumatic servos to move, which respond to the movements of its wearer in a limited fashion. The GI-9 has no built-in weapons, forcing the wearer to carry their own guns, which can be somewhat difficult due to the suit's clumsy nature. The GI-9 is entered from the back, and has no built-in helmet, leaving the wearer's head exposed. Most of its armor is concentrated in its legs and torso, as they contain the power cells and machinery vital to keeping the armor functioning. Its arms are lanky and somewhat fragile, and they lack the necessary strength to push the armor back up if it falls over, a critical design flaw that was never rectified in this version of the armor. GI-9s were almost never used in actual combat scenarios, as they were extremely clumsy and prone to falling over. Despite this, they later became cherished by military technology fanatics and found homes among weapon collectors.

GI-10
A vastly improved version of the GI-9, created through DEW collaborations with the KONAR corporation. Though it is much smaller, barely passing 7 feet (2.1 m) the GI-10 has several improvements over its predecessor. Being made out of nuclear-forged Osmium, the GI-10 has better durability than the GI-9 but is much smaller and thinner, improving its flexibility. It comes complete with a helmet attachment that protects the cranium of the wearer. Its reliance on pneumatics is vastly reduced, restricting the wearer less and making basic movements like walking and aiming easier to perform. The GI-10 still concentrates most of its armor in the legs and torso, but the wearer's arms are also well-protected. Later on, slight revisions to the armor gave it special attachment slots where soldiers could attach their weapons, clips and other battlefield supplies onto the armor for easy access.

GI-11
The last, and arguably best, incarnation of standard-issue armor, mostly designed by KONAR. Very similar to the GI-10 in overall design, but with several changes. The predominantly nuclear-forged Osmium composition of the armor has been swapped out for a Titanium alloy composition with a thin layer of Osmite on the outside to cut back on manufacturing costs. Unlike the GI-10, the GI-11 is made out of multiple interlocking armor parts which can be attached and detached at will, allowing soldiers to swap out damaged armor pieces for new ones in the heat of battle. The suit's helmet has been upgraded with information readouts, headlights and a built-in computer and short-range radio system to make it easier for soldiers to communicate. The GI-11 also doubles as an environmental protection suit, to some extent. It is equipped with built-in life support and moderate chemical and radiation shielding, allowing soldiers to fight even in deep space without difficulties. It is even more flexible than the GI-10, sacrificing only a small amount of durability to compensate. The GI-11 became extremely popular with almost everyone, even those outside of the Coalition military, due to its functional design and versatility.

GI-13
A modified version of the GI-11. Mostly identical in design and function, aside from slightly heavier armor in the arms of the suit. This is to protect special devices located in the arms of the GI-13 that enhance the arm strength of the wearer, particularly their carrying capacity. The GI-13 is almost exclusively used by certain parts of the Coalition Invasion Corps, such as heavy weapons teams and snipers, to carry their prodigiously large and heavy weapons, which otherwise couldn't even be lifted. It also has the capacity to function as an industrial work suit, should the need arise.

GI-16
A much heavier variant of the GI-11 worn only by Coalition Wardens, equipped with thicker armor and enhanced lift mechanisms. The GI-16 is about 8 ft (2.4 m) tall, but is considerably bulkier than the GI-11 or GI-13. It has numerous smaller additions that help it function in urban environments against potential riots or dissidents, including a retractable electric whip built into the left hand, and a large riot shield that can be detached from the back and unfolded for better defense. These suits also have a much higher nuclear-forged Osmium content in their armor, improving its overall strength.

GI-22
The first "heavy combat suit" developed by KONAR, the GI-22 is considerably larger than any previous iterations of the GI suit line. It stands over 14 ft (4 m) tall and is much wider in design than any previous GI models. The greatest improvement made to the GI-22 over previous models are the weapon chucks located on both of its arms. As opposed to carrying traditional firearms with its hands, the GI-22 can attach specially-built firing apparatuses to its arms in place of hands. This gives the wearer better control over their weapons and makes the GI-22 extremely versatile, as it can switch out its attached weapons whenever it wants, allowing these suits to serve a variety of combat roles. Small sub-dermal connections are made between the suit and the wearer to enhance its responsiveness, though aside from this, no special augmentations are required to use the GI-22. The GI-22's wide and heavy design also make it extremely resilient to direct force, and it can easily stabilize itself thanks to built-in supports in the feet and legs of the suit.

GI-25
An even larger version of the GI-22 worn by Coalition Megawardens. Aside from being larger and more durable, the GI-25 is specially configured for urban combat and suppression, having retractable riot shields built into the arms and a special static generator that can electrify the entire exterior of the armor, deterring potential attackers from getting close. Some models of the GI-25 are equipped with light concussive missile pods that are fitted onto the back, which can be used to dispatch large groups of rioters quickly. GI-25s are designed to work best when combined with non-lethal weapon attachments, but they still use the same weapon chuck system as the GI-22, meaning all of the weapons available to either model can be used by both.

GI-33
The single largest and most powerful GI combat suit commercially sold by KONAR. The GI-33 stands an impressive 25 ft (7.6 m) tall and has the strongest physical integrity of any armor suit in its class. It is practically impervious to anything less than a dedicated anti-tank weapon, and because of this, it is usually treated as a heavy vehicle when deployed alongside other Coalition forces, though it is technically still a type of infantry. GI-33s use an upgraded version of the GI-22's weapon chuck system, which can both support larger and heavier weapons, and can mount 2 weapons on each arm as opposed to just one. This allows GI-33s to carry up to 4 different weapons into battle, making them extremely versatile. Since these weapons are all attached to the armor to begin with, they also don't need to retreat and refit their suits as much as the GI-22, as they can switch between whatever weapons they currently have mounted right in the heat of battle. To accommodate their massive size, GI-33s have simple gravity reducers built into their legs and torso. They also come packed with a built-in miniaturized fusion core, which can power the armor for longer than any previous GI models, allowing it to remain in combat for extended periods of time. Due to its complexity, wearing the GI-33 requires special cybernetic augmentations that allow the suit to bind with the nervous system of the wearer so it can be operated effectively

GI-40X
A prototype GI suit model that was intended to be a superheavy version of the GI-33, the GI-40X was eventually scrapped as it quickly became prohibitively expensive. Combining the best traits of the GI-33 and GI-25, the GI-40X possesses weapon chucks, and electrical defense field, riot shields and heavy concussion missile pods built into its back, which can be switched out for unfolding plasma cannons if necessary. The GI-40X is virtually invincible to almost all conventional weaponry, but its greatest strength lies in its massively upgraded gravity reducers. These high-powered graviton-manipulating devices give the suit the speed and agility of something much, much smaller than it, allowing it to leap, lunge and glide with unimaginable speed and grace. Though they were never actually deployed in combat against any of the Coalition's enemies, Galactic Police Commissioner Willam Helburg managed to acquire one through unscrupulous means, which he frequently used in combat against his unsuspecting foes.

GI-OMEGA
A prototype GI suit model developed for the Blue Hand per the request of the Bedlam Society. The GI-OMEGA is more or less a slightly lighter version of the GI-11, with a very important difference. It is equipped with a unique Ockium-based cloaking technology, as well as other devices that mask the wearer's heat signature and physical presence, allowing them to become completely invisible to even the most advanced detection equipment in existence. The rarity of Ockium prevented many of these suits from being created, and they were never sold to the public. The Blue Hand is the sole inheritor of all existing GI-OMEGA models in existence.