Processor

A Processor (情報処理装置プロセッサー ,) within the Eighty-Sixth Sector referred to the Eighty-Six who pilot the M1A4 Juggernaut. The term, which typically refers to a computer component, was used to hide the Republic's usage of the Eighty-Six as pilots for the Juggernaut "drones" in order to maintain the government's assertions that there have been no casualties from the war with the Empire. Under the Republic's conscription system, Processors were required to serve six years in the military before they can earn citizenship for themselves and their families and return to the Eighty-Five Sectors.

Chronology
The inability of the Republic to create an AI on par with the Legion's combat AI forced the military to use Eighty-Sixers to control the Juggernaut. Through the conscription system, the Republic drafted millions of Eighty-Sixers for military service. Processors are deployed to a number of bases on combat wards after rudimentary training on operation of the Juggernaut. Since most Processors were civilians and are not thoroughly trained, discipline is often lax. The Juggernaut is also significantly inferior to the Legion's drones in terms of firepower and armor. As a result, attrition rates for Processors are extremely high with, on average, only 1 out of every 1000 recruits surviving their first year of deployment. Any processor who survives their first year is deemed a veteran and many eventually earn personal codenames. Processors who survive 4 or 5 years of combat are the elites and are assigned to the most important—and most dangerous—combat wards on the front lines.

One-hundred thousand Processors were active in RY 367, of which only ten thousand would survive the next two years to be rescued by the Federal Republic of Giad.

Equipment
Processors use the Para-RAID device to communicate with the Republic Army's Handlers through acoustic Resonance. Their clothing is scrounged from the ruins scattered across the battlefields, sometimes resulting in a disorganized appearance among the squadrons. While personal defense weapons are banned for Processors under Republic regulations, many still recover and keep small arms found on the battlefield. The Juggernaut, their combat walker, can be equipped with either a pair of high frequency blades or a pair of 12.7 mm heavy machine guns as secondary weapons according to the Processor's preferences and supply availability. Some squadrons have Scavenger drones that can distribute ammunition during combat and collect useful salvage after battles.

Name Bearers
After a Processor distinguished themselves on the battlefield and survived a year in active combat, they are allowed to bear a Personal Name and Mark. At first, it was merely a tradition the Eighty-Six had started as a means to refer to each other on the battlefield other than platoon callsigns. The central military took note and also began officially granting the Eighty-Six personal names in order to keep track of veteran Processors. See also: List of Name Bearers

Military Service Term
As the official story goes, Processors that fought for the Republic would be granted citizenship for themselves and a single family member once they ended their six years of service. This incentivized the parents of most families to enlist in order to have their children granted citizenship. As the older generation perished, the Republic would eventually force the children into combat as well. The six year term was obviously a lie, and the Republic would continue to lie to its Processors until they neared the end of their term, when they would finally be sent on the Special Reconnaissance Mission.

Special Reconnaissance Mission
The Special Reconnaissance Mission was a poorly disguised operation to purge the veteran Processors nearing the end of their term, so as to stifle the chance of rebellion. The mission was always issued six months after a squadron was first assigned to each front's First Ward: Spearhead in the East, Razor Edge in the South, Longbow the West, or Sledgehammer in the North.

Normally, the squadron would have been whittled down to the lower single digits once the order was issued; Jérôme Karlstahl noted that it was impressive that Vladilena Milizé's squadron had managed to retain five members for the operation. The squadron would be given a month's worth of supplies and sent into Legion territory without any form of support. Over the decade which the Republic had exploited the Eighty-Six, the only squadron that had managed to survive the mission was the Spearhead Squadron of RY 367 lead by Shinei Nouzen, leaving the mission with a practically zero percent survival rate.