Aspis Cell

This article, Aspis Cell, was written by Anonymous ONI agent, and is also part of Mass Effect: Blade of Salvation. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission.

The Aspis Cell was one of a number of compartmentalized subdivisions of the humanocentric terrorist organization Cerberus. The Aspis Cell was created by the Illusive Man in late 2184 to explore the possibility of creating a standardized professional military force for Cerberus.

While it showed promise, the Aspis Cell was continually plagued by one issue: it could not produce sufficiently disciplined and obedient soldiers in a consistent and timely manner, and the Aspis Cell was only able to create five companies of soldiers, hardly enough to be a potent interstellar fighting force. But in 2185, Cerberus acquired Reaper technology from the Collector Base raided by Commander Shepard and the Lazarus Cell. The Aspis Cell began using this technology to indoctrinate their trainees, and this made them capable of turning virtually anyone into hardened and loyal soldiers, and even allowed them to create new kinds of troopers. After this breakthrough, the Aspis Cell began to indoctrinate unsuspecting volunteers, abductees, and just about anyone they could find, building an army which would be completely and utterly loyal to Cerberus and the Illusive Man.

Known Members

• Corporal Oscar Welbourne

Aspis Cell Infantry Forces

Types of Infantry Units

Assault Trooper

Assault troopers were the standard infantry soldiers created by the Aspis Cell. They were highly disciplined and were also surprisingly versatile. Assault troopers were outfitted with armor which lacked kinetic barriers, and were trained to rely heavily on cover to protect themselves from enemy gunfire. These soldiers were typically issued custom-built M-96 Mattock battle rifles, though by mid 2186 the M-25 Hornet submachine gun had largely supplanted the Mattock as the assault troopers' weapon of choice due to it possessing similar stopping power and penetrative capabilities to the Mattock in a lighter and more modular package, though many still preferred the Mattock for its reliablity, greater range, and far more managable muzzle climb. For close range combat, assault troopers were issued electrified shock batons, which could be used as both lethal or nonlethal weapons.

Centurion

Centurions were field tacticians tasked with commanding squads and platoons. Centurions were more heavily armed and armored than standard assault troopers; they wore thicker, shielded armor, and utilized modified Mattock rifles as well as shock batons.

Guardian

Guardians were specialized assault troopers trained primarily to flush dug-in enemies from cover. Equipped with M-358 Talon pistols and supradense polycrystalline-composite riot shields, Guardians were nearly invulnerable to frontal attacks, and typically worked in tandem with other Cerberus troops to perform flanking maneuvers against dug-in or especially dangerous foes.

Cerberus Special Operations Commando

Cerberus Special Operations Commandos, also known as CSOCs (pronounced "see-sock"), were elite, highly trained assault troopers. Outfitted with energy-shielded jet-black assault trooper armor (with the armor of squad leaders possessing maroon stripes to distinguish them from their subordinates) and typically armed with Harrier assault rifles and monomolecular combat knives, CSOCs were trained to outfight virtually anyone and anything.

Trivia

• An aspis, also known as a hoplon, is a type of shield which was utilized by ancient Greek soldiers, whom were known as hoplites because of these iconic shields.