The Spiral Wars Series, by Joel Shepherd Wiki

PHOENIX COMPANY MARINES

Marine roster below is incomplete and may include errors. It needs updating but that would indicate who dies, and spoil the fun, so. . .some die but it may not be noted.


Phoenix Company, United Forces Marines. “We are soldiers. UF Marines. Trying to kill us is a very bad idea.” (Renegade ch 12)


Company Configuration[]

  • 228 marines in detachment: "the entire two hundred and twenty-eight strong Phoenix marine complement"(R-5). Commanded by Major Thakur - Trace.

  • Five Platoons: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo
    • 44 marines in each platoon, total 220
  • "Phoenix’s marine company has five platoons, forty-four in each, plus Trace’s own Command Squad of eight, including herself. 228 total (R-5 and 11)


Phoenix Company

Platoon configuration[]

Platoon configuration

Platoon configuration

  • Each platoon commanded by an officer. The officer is usually in first squad-first section.

"Trace rated all of her Lieutenants very highly — Dale at the top, for sheer experience, then Crozier, Zhi and Jalawi about equal in the middle, with Alomaim still a little green, but with enormous potential." (DL-21)

  • three squads of twelve in three sections of four, for thirty-six total. Add an eight man heavy squad for 44 per platoon” (R -11)
  • Abbreviations
    • Charlie Platoon One-Three, as the abbreviation had it for First Squad, Third Section of Charlie Platoon (D-14)


Command Squad[]

Major Thakur scenes

Major Thakur (Trace) concept art

"Trace’s command squad of eight, including herself" (R-11). Some members die and are replaced, so the number listed below is greater than seven.

Squad Commanding Officer: Major Thakur

Squad Executive Officer:

-Staff Sergeant “Stitch” Willis -deceased- (long-time hero in the corps, he died at Argitori Rock in Renegade)

-Staff Sergeant Gideon /Giddy Kono:

" The irreplaceable First Sergeant “Stitch” Willis had been replaced by Sergeant Kono from Delta Platoon third squad” (R-19) "Kono technically ran Command Squad anyway, providing the tactical bubble from within which she could command the whole company, and move between its various units." (D-26).

-Staff Sergeant Corporal Edward “Cocky” Rael:

Laid back, low key. Served five years on Phoenix. Started with Echo platoon, until Lieutenant Zhi recommended him to command squad when Major Thakur needed a rifleman (QD-21). Previously assigned to UFS Glory. Known for his “movie-star” good looks. Temporarily injured in K-Vault. Solely defended Phoenix when deepynine drones came calling (Defiance). He is eventually promoted to Staff Sergeant, after Giddy Kono.

Complement:

  • Corporal Sergeant Edward “Cocky” Rael — expert rifleman, cool under fire, easy-going, good-looking
  • Private Irfan “Irfy” Arime — he speaks Arabic. Friends with Jessica Rolande
  • Private “T-Bone” Van — He planned to make apple cider, but Fleet- ordered special forces killed him. (R-31). His spot was filled by Private Zale
  • Private Lucio Zale - Expert rifleman. "Private Lucio Zale remained Zale for now, having been newly recruited with the last batch of volunteers at Joma Station, and claiming the nickname ‘Chilli’ after his hot taste in food. But no one in Phoenix Company had served with him before, and previous nicknames didn’t count." (KV-19). By Defiance chapter 15 he’s called Smiley. He died in Croma Venture.
  • Private Jess Rolonde - She and “Irfy” Arime watch each other’s back. She’s Skah’s friend and reading tutor. She trained Bucket.
  • Private Anthony 'Bird' Kumar - died in book 4
  • Private Richard “Leo” Terez — Despite being just a private, 'Leo' Terez had been in Command Squad longer than any of its current members save Trace -- a tall, easy-going, slightly weird-looking guy with big teeth and faintly bulging eyes, his other nickname was 'Skull'. (QD-14)
  • Private Randrahan — new addition. Young guy, a big bull of a man, borrowed from Bravo Platoon, and the predictable displeasure of Lieutenant Alomaim, to fill Command Squad's needs. (QD-14)
  • Private Wang, formerly of Echo Platoon
  • Private Benji Carville, borrowed from Alpha Platoon
  • Temp: Vijay Kahn subbed for Cocky Rael while he was recovering from lung wounds gained in the Vault. So Vijay took his place in command squad in the Defiance battle: “Vij, take Second Section and check it out .” “Yo Major,” agreed Corporal Vijay Khan. She’d borrowed him from Alpha Platoon, having a vacancy with Corporal Rael still recovering from injuries. As always, she disliked removing marines from existing units into Command Squad, but it had to be done, and Vijay was himself a recent addition to Alpha Third Squad..." (D-26)


Commanders Phoenix Company

Alpha Platoon[]

Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Tyson Dale

Alpha Platoon leader and Phoenix Company's second-in-command after Major Thakur. "Dale was a thirty year veteran, and had an impressive row of medals on his chest" (R)

  • "tall, blond, and dangerous...Erik had seen the man bite the head off a live tulik in a drinking session. He was a killer, bare-handed or with weapons,or with innocuous everyday items" (R-2)
  • 49 years old (KV-15)
  • "Lieutenant Dale, despite his officer’s bars, had started off as a private after a rough childhood on a frontier world, and earned an officer’s commission by still being alive after twenty years in the field."(R-2)
Dale, LT Tyson Dale Alpha Platoon

Dale’s Executive Officer: Master Sergeant Lester ‘Woody’ Forrest (gentleman, former banker until divorced and joined Marines)

Complement:

First Squad:[]

  • Gunnery Sergeant Lester ‘Woody’ Forrest
  • “Rooster” Hall (unclear which squad)
  • Private ‘Tricky’ Tong (killed at Defiance).
  • Private Peter ‘Spots’ Reddy (headed for jail when joined up), etc. (battle in Free City of Gamesh in Kantovan Vault)
    • "Reddy in particular was now held in awe by the rest of Phoenix Company, having displayed on numerous occasions that unique combination of ability, nerve and luck that all marines valued" (D-31)
  • Lance Corporal Riccardo / Ricky, one of Dale’s two section commanders in First Squad. a big, short-haired woman, very obviously gay with tattoos, freckles and a steel tooth when she smiled.
  • Poncho/Private Hale, Riccardo’s XO -deceased- (Defiance (D-31))

Second Squad:[]

  • Sergeant Hall -deceased- (D-31).
  • Sergeant Barnes (QD-15).
  • Private "Benji" Carville (rifleman, moved to command squad in Qalea Drop.
  • Private Kaur Arum.
  • Private Tabo (R-5).
  • Lance Corporal Walker, second section -deceased- (Wellhead Seven on Faustino (R-31))
  • Private Singer -deceased- (Wellhead Seven on Faustino (R-31))

Third Squad:

  • Sergeant Manjhi -deceased- (D-31)
  • Private Sarah "Fluffy" Andrews -deceased- (D-31)
  • Corporal Vijay Khan - Came aboard Phoenix as Lisbeth’s bodyguard. Became third squad section leader: “Pull back to me boys,” their replacement section leader Vijay Khan admonished them. (D-31). “He had done eight years and risen to Staff Sergeant on Dragonfire before losing an arm in combat. That arm was cybernetic now” (R)
  • Lance Corporal Teale (a woman, in 3rd squad apparently, see QD-15)
  • Lance Corporal Yalen (see QD-15)
  • Corporal Carponi -deceased — killed at Heuron (R) — possible discrepancy with another Carponi in book 8.
  • others in Alpha: Kalo and Greiser (Ceephay Queen, bk 8)

Bravo Platoon[]

Lieutenant Ahmed “Jordan” Alomaim

Goes by middle name Jordan. He’s the youngest of the platoon leaders. Loves engineer Remy Hale. "He was the youngest and least experienced of Phoenix Company’s five lieutenants, but Trace rated him as high as any on pure ability." (DL-6) Lieutenant Alomaim was the least experienced of Phoenix’s marine officers, but Trace had told Erik he might one day be the best, if he stayed in long enough. He was certainly the hardest to read, deadpan and businesslike even by Trace’s standards.(DL-12)

  • First Squad: Gunnery sergeant Connie "Slips" Brice, a twenty-year veteran (DL-13). She is promoted to Master Sergeant by book 7, Qalea Drop. Private "Scratchy" Ito. Private "Fuzz" Cruze. (KV) Private Lo (DL-13) etc.
  • See scenes at the Tsubarata in book 3, Kantovan Vault
  • Second squad — sergeant Neuman, censured by captain Erik Debogande at the end of Croma Venture: “I judged Second Section the primary cause.” “Sergeant Neuman?” “His privates took the Sergeant’s protests as licence, sir. All were out of harness when Phoenix’s acceleration hit. Private Rajesh is in Medbay with a broken leg. Lance Corporal Kamov from First Squad received a concussion from Second Squad’s unsecured armour after acceleration.” (CV-22)
  • Third Squad: Sergeant Yesufu: Bravo Third Section commander, and to Rika's estimation one of the least tough-looking marines in Phoenix Company, a slim guy with a mild manner and a talent for drawing. He was also, Rika had discovered, Bravo Platoon's leading martial artist. (CQ-24)
  • Heavy Squad — led by Corporal Rizzo aka “Cat” because he likes jazz and is laid back. Private Jenner (KJ). Private Wu (Bis). Also, Rika the Corbi is training with heavy squad. (QD-15)

Charlie Platoon[]

Lieutenant Dreyfus ‘Skeeta’ Jalawi

on Cephilae

Best known scene for Charlie Platoon might be on Cephilae, hunting for the Data Core with Lani Graf /Eggs

Lieutenant ‘Skeeta’ Jalawi: "Of all Trace’s officers, Jalawi was the most frequently amused." (DL-22) Fifteen years in the corps.(D-10) “Built like a bull (but short for one), he hadn’t earned his nickname by physical appearance. The only officer on Phoenix whose patience his sense of humour hadn’t yet tested was Major Thakur. It was for that, almost as much as her quality as an officer, that she’d earned Jalawi’s undying respect.” (D-10)

  • Staff Sergeant Spitzer - Jalawi's XO
  • First Squad: "Private Rick ‘Rats’ Lewis, Private Dalo ‘Elm’ Melidu...They, plus Spitzer, were First Squad’s First Section, Jalawi’s own personal foursome” (D-10)
  • Master Sergeant Peter Hoon later becomes Jalawi's XO when Spitzer died on Defiance (Croma Venture ch 1).

Second Squad: (Searched for data core beneath the lake, on Cephilae, in Defiance)

  • Master Sergeant Peter Hoon, Squad Commander (joined at Joma Station in Drysine Legacy and accepted command because Sergeant Lucy Cordi died at Argitori). “Thirty-three years active duty, six years retired, volunteering for service.” (DL) "One of Fleet's living legends, with more medals than seemed possible and two synthetic limbs" (D-11)
  • Hoon is later promoted to Jalawi's XO when Spitzer dies (see Croma Venture ch 1).
  • Lance Corporal Leitzman, who had reluctantly filled in as sergeant until Hoon arrived.
  • Second squad Third Section (Charlie 2-3): Lance Corporal Lani Graf / Eggs, Privates Gonzaga / Gonzo, Ram, and Berloc

(Some reshuffling of placement occurs over time as Marines die, etc)

    • Lance Corporal Gonzaga, of Charlie First Squad, who'd been in the water at Cephilae when the drysine data-core had been recovered over two years ago. Beneath the covers, his whole left leg was gone, and much of his left arm too, the rest of his body locked into sensor and micro-monitors, and support cradles for intravenous interventions that Phoenix medical staff hadn't even known existed three years ago.(H-26)

Third Squad: Sergeant Mishra, Private Ben, Lance Corporal Tugola, Private Deal

  • Third Squad Second Section - led by Lance Corporal Penn, "who had been personally escorting Lisbeth when things went bad" (DL-20). Joined at Joma in Drysine Legacy.
    • Private "Chunky" Herman, injured at Joma Station but on duty with synthetic leg (D-12)
  • Heavy Squad- Corporal Riskin, Heavy Squad Commander. “Beagle" (D-10)

Delta Platoon[]

Lieutenant Jasmine "JC" Crozier

  • wears her hair in corn rows
  • twelve years in corp: “JC Crozier had been an officer in the marine corps for twelve years, all of them in combat. She’d been posted to Phoenix four years ago, when the previous commander of Delta Platoon had been killed in action.” (DL-21)
  • She mishandled the attack at Joma Station, in Drysine Legacy
  • She successfully protected the Geofeature, in Defiance, at great cost: "Trace had given the job to Delta because Lieutenant Crozier was the undisputed master at defending fixed spaces with boobytraps, ambush crossfires and the rest” (D-31)
  • Master Sergeant Tim Wong - Crozier's XO (died at D)
  • Sergeant Lai -- on Cephilae, Lai was the first human to set eyes on a toulemlek, and dubbed them "toulies" (D-10)
  • Private Rai
  • Berg - died
  • Corporal Kess, died
  • “Spanky, Benny, First got rushed, three down and we’re displacing down the geofeature !” “Copy LT!” came back Sergeant Jakobson of Third Squad. (D-31)
  • Lance Corporal Riggs was carrying Private Haim, who died (D-31)
  • ”Crozier, her First Squad of twelve now reduced to eight in just one engagement, wondered how many more they could take” (D-31)

Echo Platoon[]

Lieutenant Chester Zhi - "For simple intellect, Lieutenant Zhi was probably the smartest of platoon commanders...with the rare and alarming habit of reading lots of difficult books and enjoying them. He’d been destined for either high command or a teaching position at the Academy or elsewhere." (D-17)

    • He has become Stan Romki’s friend and go-to-guy on spiral military history.
  • Sergeant Kerensky - XO. First squad, first section. Died. (D-31)
  • Lance-Corporal Koch - "leader of Second Section in Zhi’s First Squad. It was the Major’s policy that briefings and catch-ups should be left to lower-ranked marines" (KV-6)

Echo Second Squad:

  • Sergeant Kunoz - commander of Echo Platoon, Second Squad, who kept watch outside the Doma Strana on Stoya III when Lisbeth found a lily (KV-3). Later, he assumed Sergeant Kerensky's position (D-31)
  • Private “Kel” Krishnan - Echo Platoon Two-Three. Climbed a mountain with Major Thakur and Captain Erik Debogande (KV)
  • Lance Corporal Haynes - Echo Platoon Two-Three section leader. "Krishnan’s usual wingman in Second Squad” (D-4)

Echo Heavy Squad

  • Corporal Barry — Echo heavy commander. Came to rescue Major Thakur, Command Squad, Romki, and Hiro from Crondike Wellhead Seven, the top of a nine kilometre deep shaft that burrowed into Faustino’s ice crust. (R-30-31)

honorable mention[]

  • Master Sergeant Afraz - stood guard when Erik Debogande went to see Chenkow at Fleet HQ on Heuron. Listened to Erik (R-25)
  • Major Rennes of Mercury Company — Let Erik and LT Dale’s squad pass at Hoffman Station (R-29)
  • Chief Stanton — served nine years in the marines, a sergeant. Now runs Crondike Wellhead Seven on Faustino. Helped Command Squad defeat Fleet’s special forces. (R-30)
  • Rika, a young Corbi resistance fighter (see Rando Splicer). He saved Major Thakur’s life in the splicer battle and joined Phoenix Company, Bravo Heavy Squad. He plans to start a Corbi company of marines someday.

Garudan Platoon[]

  • Tavalai Garudan Platoon of retired karasai warriors deployed aboard UFS Phoenix
  • commander is Karajin
  • Captain Pram of Makamekala brought these 40 volunteer retired Karasai Warriors and all their combat gear to join Phoenix Company because the marines took heavy losses at battle for Defiance. All of the volunteers are from Gamesh, recruited by Old Toog / Toognam (hero of Kantovan Vault). (CV-8)
  • 40 Tavalai karasai warriors is the equivalent of two Tavalai platoons
  • a tavalai combat shuttle "Garudan 1" was also deployed to Phoenix in Croma Venture

Corps Lore[]

  • Battle cry is 9.9

“Nine point nine!”

“Nine point nine!” the others replied. Ten billion souls in Sol System when the krim hit Earth. Nine point nine billion dead. It had been humanity’s battle cry for the past thousand years, and the hacksaws weren’t the only ones who talked in numbers. (R-11)

  • HDI — HDI, in marine slang, stood for ‘happy, dumb and ignorant’
  • BDI — “biological discoveries publication.
    • The BDP was a running joke amongst marines that stretched back centuries. Back then, some politically connected general had thought it a smart idea to get marines to participate in xeno-biological science, by helping the scientists to categorise new forms of life." (D-10)
    • "It wasn’t rare, it was well done!”
  • Order Four: Primary Fleet order, if a possible krim nesting place is found. (Like that asteroid in Argitori System). Marines must search it, and destroy it, in case the krim weren't all exterminated (R-11)