Unreviewed Dreadstar Hammer Section

[Amelia von Sorenn]

DREADSTAR HAMMER SECTION​

OUT-OF-CHARACTER INFORMATION

Intent

Specialized Heavy Assault Squad provided by Dreadstar Security Solutions for Hire

Image Source	[HERE]
Permission(s)	Not Applicable
Canon Link(s)	Squad
	Heavy Weapons Squad
Primary Link(s)	Not Applicable

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Unit Name	Heavy Weapons Squad - "Hammer Section"
Affiliation	Dreadstar Security Solutions
Classification	Heavy Weapons Squad

Description

Hammer Sections are Dreadstar Security Solutions' standardized squad-level assault and heavy-weapons formations. Where Bulwark Companies hold ground, and Stalker Cells shape the battlespace, Hammer Sections are deployed to apply decisive force at the point of contact. Personnel are drawn primarily from former Galactic Alliance Defense Force heavy infantry, base defense, and security reaction units that transitioned into the service of Dreadstar Security Solutions after the collapse of the Galactic Alliance. These troops brought with them extensive experience in fixed-site defense, riot suppression, and last-line response operations - skills that translated naturally into assault support roles. Hammer Sections are not elite shock troops in the traditional sense; they are reliable, repeatable, and brutally effective, designed to be attached to Bulwark Companies or deployed in pairs to reinforce threatened sectors.

COMBAT INFORMATION

Unit Size	Small
Unit Availability	Uncommon
Unit Experience	Veteran
Equipment	T-90 Dreadplate
	T-95 Assault Dreadplate
	DSR-31 Heavy Blaster Rifle
	DSR-19 Blaster Rifle
	DSG-12 Scatterblaster
	DSP-17 Heavy Blaster Pistol
	DSR-42 Heavy Repeating Blaster
	DSA-38 Anti-Infantry Launcher
	DSA-55 Anti-Vehicle Launcher
	DF-90 Mortar
	CryoBan Grenade
	Fragmentation Grenade
	Thermal Detonator
	Smoke Grenades
	T-289 Gas Grenades
	V-59 Concussion Grenades
	Pyro Denton Explosives
	Satchel Charges
	Sequencer Charge
	Detonation Pack
	Med Nog
	Bacta Bomb
	Medpac

Combat Function

Hammer Sections provide localized dominance through concentrated firepower, with primary functions including. Breakthrough Support - Suppressing Fortified positions so Bulwark Companies can advance or disengage. Strongpoint Defense - Acting as mobile reserve forces during base or infrastructure defense. Counter-Assault Operations - Repelling enemy breakthroughs or massed infantry attacks. Urban and Industrial Clearance - Providing sustained fires in dense terrain where vehicles are constrained. Deterrent Presence - Visible heavy weapons discourage escalation during volatile security operations.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Typical Company Composition

(1) Section Leader - Veteran GADF NCO; mission command, coordinates with supported units (2) Heavy Weapons Teams - Each team (3 personnel) operates one crew-served system: Heavy Repeating Blaster, Anti-Infantry Launcher, Anti-Vehicle Launcher, or Mortar (3-4) Assault Troops - Riflemen equipped for breaching, close combat, and security of heavy weapons (1) Engineer / Demolitions Specialist - Breaching charges, obstacle clearance, field fortifications (1) Medic - Trauma care under fire; casualty stabilization

STRENGTHS

Defense Force-Trained Fire Discipline - Former Galactic Alliance Defense Force heavy infantry were trained to operate crew-served weapons under strict control. Hammer sections demonstrate excellent fire control and ammunition discipline, strong adherence to rules of engagement, and coordinated suppression rather than indiscriminate fire. This makes them suitable for security contracts where collateral damage must be minimized.

Concentrated Squad-Level Firepower - Hammer sections can bring disproportionate force to small-unit engagements with sustained suppressive fires, effective anti-armor and anti-fortification capability, and rapid emplacement and displacement of heavy weapons. They allow Dreadstar Security Solutions to solve tactical problems without escalating to vehicle or air support.

Reliability and Predictability - Hammer sections perform consistently across contracts. Their doctrine emphasizes standardized drills, rehearsed battle positions, and clear command relationships. Clients and Dreadstar Security Solutions commanders value them as dependable problem solvers.

Defensive Synergy with Bulwark Units - Culturally and doctrinally aligned with Bulwark Companies, Hammer Sections integrate smoothly due to shared terminology and procedures, similar command expectations, and mutual respect rooted in the Defense Force heritage, thereby minimizing friction during high-stress engagements.

Psychological Impact - The presence of visible heavy weapons has a deterrent effect. Hammer Sections often prevent escalation simply by being deployed forward, particularly in crowd-control or ceasefire enforcement scenarios.

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WEAKNESSES

Mobility Constraints and Terrain Dependence - Hammer Sections are inherently heavy, and their effectiveness drops sharply when forced to move rapidly over long distances, operate in terrain unsuitable for crew-served weapons, or are deprived of transport or prepared positions. They are strongest when terrain can be shaped or controlled.

Logistical Fragility - Their combat power depends on the steady sustainment of supplies, as ammunition is rapidly expended during engagements, weapons require frequent maintenance and spare parts to remain operational, and casualty evacuation must be timely to preserve crew integrity. Without logistical support, Hammer Sections degrade faster than line infantry.

Reduced Tactical Flexibility - Defense Force training emphasized holding and suppressing, not maneuvering aggressively. As a result, Hammer Sections may hesitate to exploit sudden breakthroughs, show initiative beyond assigned fire missions, and adaptation to unconventional enemy tactics can be slow. This makes them less effective in fluid, asymmetrical engagements.

Vulnerability When Isolated - Hammer Sections are not designed to operate independently. If separated from supporting infantry, crew-served weapons become liabilities, close-range threats can overwhelm gun teams, and casualty rates increase sharply. They must be embedded or protected to remain viable or stationed at a fortified position.

High-Value Target Profile - Adversaries quickly identify Hammer Sections as priority threats as heavy weapons draw sniper and indirect fire, while fixed firing positions invite countermeasures. Losses are disproportionately damaging to morale. All of this forces Hammer Sections to balance effectiveness against survivability.

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HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Within the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, heavy weapons squads were never glamorous formations. They were not expeditionary marines, nor elite reconnaissance Pathfinders. They were the last guarantors of order, stationed at spaceports, fusion plants, orbital elevators, government complexes, and high-risk industrial zones. Heavy infantry reaction squads of the Defense Force were designed to reinforce security at decisive points and were known to train relentlessly in interlocking fields of fire, rapid-reinforcement drills, static-to-mobile transition under fire, and riot-suppression escalation ladders. Unlike maneuver units, they were culturally conditioned to stand fast, even when cut off from additional support. The invasion of Atrisia was the death knell of the Alliance, which had already been slowly disintegrating bureaucratically. When funding stopped, sector commands fell silent and legal authority fragmented, leaving heavy weapons squads in uniquely dangerous positions. Guarding facilities no longer owned by a functioning government, sitting on weapons caches that multiple factions wanted, and receiving contradictory orders from self-declared successor authorities, remaining Galactic Alliance Defense Force heavy infantry units maintained guard over critical infrastructure for weeks without pay, refusing to abandon posts despite the absence of legitimate command. Some units were forcibly disarmed by planetary militias. Others negotiated safe withdrawal, and some units were destroyed while defending installations during local power struggles. The surviving squads learned a hard lesson - authority can collapse faster than a perimeter. Unlike line infantry, heavy weapons teams were tightly interdependent. A heavy repeating blaster team was not simply a collection of riflemen - it was a crew with practiced timing and trust. When demobilization orders came (or failed to arrive), many heavy weapons squads collectively decided they would not disperse individually into mercenary markets. Instead, they preserved crew integrity by maintaining their maintenance routines, storing or safeguarding their equipment, and seeking employment as intact units. It was these choices that would directly shape the later Hammer Section model. In the early expansion phase of Dreadstar Security Solutions, the company relied heavily on line security forces and reconnaissance teams, both of which would eventually evolve into the present-day Bulwark formations and Stalker Cells. However, several early contracts revealed a recurring operational gap: security lines could hold ground but lacked the immediate overmatch needed. Recon units could warn of threats but could not decisively suppress them, and escalation to vehicle or aerospace support was politically costly. Dreadstar Security Solutions' leadership recognized the need for a scalable, visible, squad-level force multiplier. Former GADF heavy infantry officers proposed a solution - retain intact heavy weapons crews and standardize them as attachable reinforcement elements. This would become the foundation of the Hammer Section. The first Hammer Sections were not called that; they were simply designated "Assault Support Squads," which led to their misuse. In multiple early deployments, Dreadstar Security Solutions commanders would employ them as spearhead assault troops and ordered frontal urban entries into hostile areas, often treating them as elite shock infantry, resulting in severe casualties. It was only after intensive reviews of after-action reports that it was revealed that heavy weapons crews performed best when they were given prepared positions, tasked with suppression and control, and supported by maneuver elements such as line infantry squads. This doctrinal correction permanently redefined their role. The term "Hammer Section" entered official Dreadstar Security Solutions documentation approximately three years after the Alliance's collapse. This was followed by standardizing the squad to a 10-12-person structure with a minimum of two crew-served weapons teams. Squads would also include a dedicated demolitions capability, organic medical support, and defined attachment procedures to line platoons. Training would emphasize three pillars: controlled escalation, fire discipline, and survivability through positioning. This allowed Dreadstar Security Services to market itself as capable of decisive force without indiscriminate destruction. Hammer Sections gained widespread internal respect during a series of infrastructure defense contracts in volatile border systems. In one notable operation (still partially redacted in DSS archives), a Hammer Section held a refinery control complex against a numerically superior insurgent force for six hours without armored support. The key outcomes of this action were zero civilian casualties, with minimal structural damage, and the enemy assault was broken by disciplined suppression. The event would solidify the Hammer Section's reputation as a stabilizing force rather than a destructive one. Hammer Section veterans often retain strong Defense Force identity markers, such as formal address protocols, traditional weapon crew terminology, and strict maintenance rituals. They are sometimes viewed by younger recruits of Dreadstar Security Solutions as rigid or old-fashioned. Yet, their record of reliability ensures institutional respect. Unlike Stalker Cells, whose culture is shaped by autonomy, Hammer Sections valued clear orders, defined fields of fire, and explicit authority. They see themselves not as aggressors, but as custodians of escalation control. As Dreadstar Security Solutions matured, Hammer Sections adapted by integrating smart-targeting optics, utilizing modular weapon platforms, developing improved mobility solutions, and refining urban combat drills. However, the core philosophy remained unchanged; Heavy firepower must be disciplined, visible, and controlled. Even as new personnel without GADF backgrounds join, training pipelines deliberately preserve the Defense Force tactical culture. Today, Hammer Sections represent one of the most direct continuities between the fallen Galactic Alliance and modern Dreadstar Security Solutions. They embody three lessons learned from the collapse: Orders fail gradually, then suddenly. Perimeters must be reinforced decisively. And force without discipline accelerates instability. Within DSS archives, a commonly cited internal maxim summaraizes their legacy - "When authority fails, someone must stand at the breach. The Hammer Section stands there."