Bokugyo Drones

In my earlier brief articles on combat drones I have given attention only to those primarily employed by GuardCorps. However, this is, as many of you have pointed out, a disservice to the militant arm of People's Galactic, the Pact.

There is no doubt that the Pact was the first to employ combat drones on a large scale, so much so that they have become closely associated with Pact interventions of almost any size. The “Bokugyo,” sometimes also referred to as the “Boku,” drones are the most commonly employed, and seem plentiful enough that more are always on hand.

Bokugyo drones are lightweight models configured around a central pod housing the power supply, sensors, and processors. A null-gravity generator and small directional propulsion jet furnish locomotion. Multi-jointed manipulators hang down in a cluster beneath the pod; the size and number of these manipulator arms vary and seem configurable, but the number is most commonly observed as three.

Variations on these drones can ordinarily be seen in mundane civilian employ at stations doing external maintenance and monitoring tasks. However, for combat roles the “gun buddy” variants of Bokugyo are fitted with a modified RIP pistol mounted flexibly on the external casing of the pod.

The Bokugyo's level of protection is virtually nil; any solid hit with a pistol can knock one out of commission. However, their small size and rapid, three-dimensional movement make them difficult targets for direct-fire weapons, so gaining a hit can be problematic.

All combatants I have spoken with agreed the preferred method for countering Bokugyo is area weaponry of almost any kind. Most also agreed that the Pact primarily use Bokugyo for scouting, harassment, and above all distraction, making the marginal threat they represent a constant irritant in combat.

One of the most respected analysts, known both for highly detailed breakdowns and post-engagement evaluation as well as more informal “pop” texts is “Drew Chambert” (a nom de plume). Little is known about this writer except it is evident they are or have been a zeo designer, possibly even a pilot at some point, and have some quite deep connections into both Pact and GuardCorps operations. Their writings and audiocasts are available across all one hundred heliospheres to a greater or lesser extent.