Encyclopedia

[Kobi]

Galactic History

The exact origins of the empires remain a mystery, lost to damaged data recordings and the mists of time.

Many stories, myths, legends and religious creation stories have sprung up to fill the gap, and in all of these, no matter how the specifics differ, there is always an underlying tale.

It begins in a far off star system, where all the peoples were one, venturing boldly out into their system, colonizing their worlds, but finding only empty space beyond the border of their last planet. Space would not yield to them and so they were trapped without FTL. Slowly their system filled up until it was bursting with people and tensions began to rise, even construction of vast colony ships to take the long slow path through space to other stars did nothing to quell the unrest.

But the universe, it seemed, had different ideas. Before the ships could be finish an enormous Node Storm hit the home system, opening hundreds of jump nodes, leading to all corners of the universe and so the people rushed through. Shuttles, private transports, military vessels, and even the massive almost complete colony ships burst through before the storm dissipated.

And so groups of people found themselves cut off from their home system, lost alone in the depths of space, here the empires were founded, much was forgotten, much more learned now we begin to reach towards the stars once more, finding semi-stable jump nodes at the edges of our systems, what does the universe hold for us now?

[Omega Chief]

The Neo-Terran Republic

Information

The Neo-Terran Republic is a currently stable state with a somewhat troubled beginning that they still haven’t quite escaped yet. A highly militaristic democracy, the Republic is ruled by a senate based in the well fortified if somewhat ominously named ‘First Fall’, each major settlement, both in space and planet bound, has a senator and most of them attend every meeting, the result is a somewhat slow form of government system, but one that the people are happy with as it gives each settlement an equal voice. One curiosity of the senate is the Republic Space Fleet has its own senator, granting it a form of semi-autonomy, something that scares some of the more peace minded people of the Republic but the general population see it as necessary after the horrors of the Federated Wars.

Currently 20% of the current population is either serving in the military or training to serve in the military, who are still seen as heroes of the people and even most large scale corporations have some stake in the military, from missile parts to fighter design.

History

The Republic is not the first space faring state to exist in the Omega Ceti system. While much of the earliest post Scattering records are of course lost, Republic historians have placed together the evidence that seems to point towards one of the massive colony ships of legend arrived and settled the frigid world that would be named Neo-Terra.

After a period of expanding their colonies several rival nations rose to power, their bickering and minor wars causing some concern, to the point where after on particularly brutal battle all the major city-states agreed to form a regulatory body to interceded between them peacefully, this was known as the Cetian Federation.

All went well for centuries, space flight was once again made viable and the space forces founded, it looked like it would be a golden age that would last forever, it didn’t. The Federations leadership became corrupt and decedent, starting to raise incredibly high taxes and bully the city states it was meant to serve, when brought up the Federation would quash these claims with propaganda and the threat of orbital bombardment.

In PS 827 it all finally came to ahead when the Federation followed through with it’s threat and wiped out the minor city state of Aric’s Grace with an orbital bombardment. The other city states raged, but there was nothing they could do. One the other hand, one third of the military could do something, and do something they did, openly rebelling against the corrupt regime and demanding they stand down.

The war which followed raged on until PS 860 when the last elements of the loyalist Federal forces were crushed in a battle at the systems edge, and in the place of the Federation the Republic was founded and it is still living on the goodwill won during those battles one hundred years later. Not that this stops the horror stories of Federal Loyalists who somehow survived all this time at the edge of space, preying on unsuspecting ships who go too far out, luckly there's little truth to this outside of child scaring night-time stories.

Omega Ceti System

The home system of the Neo-Terran Republic, Omega Ceti has a slightly colder then average white sun and three planets:

Laaren (Class U): A pressure cooker world with a highly toxic atmosphere and orbiting far too close to the Omega Ceti star. Laaren has never been seriously considered for colonisation or even resource gathering, though the half derelict experimental aerostat bases still remain floating somewhere in the toxic soup that makes up it’s atmosphere, making it a haven for smugglers, pirates and otherwise legitimate corporations making shady deals, the Republic Space Fleet is considering deploying the 16th Falcons, 21st Orcas and 11th Angel squadrons to hunt down and destroy the colonies, however fears over the Perseus interceptor no being able to handle the atmospheric conditions have hampered this plan.

Neo-Terra (Class 3): Sitting just at the outer edge of Omega Ceti’s habitable zone, Neo-Terra is a cold world, where only the equator sees no snowfall. This has lead to a hardy people used to harsh weather and a planet where the northern and southern hemispheres are remarkably untouched while there are cities at every available point along the equator. Most cities are large self contained structures which house many smaller buildings and shield them from the worst of the weather, while many older style cities use domes many of the newer and renovated ounces have taken a much more armoured approach, with geothermal and fusion power being favoured methods of power generation. Space around the planet is rather cluttered, with older debris, ships and stations vying for space in orbit along side the planets two moons; Luna and Selene, both of which have listening posts, training grounds, fighter squads and even some civillian mining operations.

Boundary (Class U): The enormous blue gas giant at the systems edge, Boundary has a very impressive ring system and a large collection of moons which unfortunately contain nothing interesting, leading to a rather depressed mining industry. To the military Boundary is both a fleet staging ground and the site of many of the key battles in the Federated Wars, with hulks of old warships still found drifting in orbit, all stripped of ordinance and anything useful by now, Strike Craft pilots love to use the debris to show off or in target practice, something the Fleet allows, on the condition they only abuse the old Federal Loyalist ships, not any Republican warships which deserve their dignity

Traits

Capital Ship Doctrine (Capital Phalanx): After a decades long war and fleet training that learend the lessons of that war, the Republic Fleet is almost peerless in it's captial ship deployments and crews.

Unity Discipline (Loyalty): With a popular government and well liked miltiary leading the Republic and almost all dissenters fled or killed in the Federated Wars the Republic people are incredebly loyal and Morale is always high.

Techs

Techslot 1 - Improved Range: As the primary weapon system on capital ships in the Republic are Mass Drivers, all other weapons tech has been developed to cope with long range engagments, as such compared to most Empires Republic forces fight at extrememe range.

Techslot 2 - Advanced Sensors: After the disasterous battle of Omega Ceti and during the breif Valii-Talos-Republic coalition the Republiuc shard it's long range weapon systems in exchange for the much more advnaced sensor technologies of the Talos and Valii.

Ships

Perseus Class Interceptor (I - 5 in a Wing)

Hands down the fastest ship in republic space, the Perseus is the bane of smugglers and hostile strike craft. Sporting two oversized engines and a lightweight space frame, the Perseus is unmatched for speed and manoeuvrability, its design even allows it to operate within planetary atmospheres making it a favourite for military air shows and planet side patrols. Armed with a pair of rapid fire light pulse cannons and with missile space for sixteen light anti-fighter missiles or eight medium anti-bomber missiles, the Perseus has respectable firepower for any Interceptor. The major problem with the design is that if the pilot is unfortunate enough to be hit, the Perseus isn’t likely to survive more then a few light shots, the downside to its light space frame.


Myrmidon Class Fighter (F - 7 in a Wing)

The workhorse of the Republic strike craft, the Myrmidon is one of the most widely produced designs of all time, if you think Republic strike craft, this is the one that comes to mind. Sporting average armour and average manoeuvrability the Myrmidon settles for being jack of all trades and master of none, armed with six light pulse cannons (Capable of multiple firing modes, from just two to save power, to all six at once for strafing runs on capitals) and missile space for either twenty-four anti-fighter, sixteen anti-bomber or even eight anti-corvette warheads. Despite having ceded interception duties to the newer Perseus class, he Myrmidons are still favoured for escorting and screening operations, and is still much loved among pilots and fighter buffs republic wide.


Zeus Class Bomber (B - 3 in a Wing)

Feared even by battleship captains, the Zeus swiftly silenced strike craft critics who argued the lighter one man ships were useless, especially against full blown warships. Sporting armour almost thick enough to qualify as C1-grade and with surprisingly powerful engines for a strike craft, the Zeus has one purpose on the battlefield; to survive long enough to deploy its ordinance and return to its base-ship for re-supply to do so again. Said ordinance consists of either sixteen anti-corvette missiles, eight anti-cruiser torpedoes or even four of the dreaded battleship slaying fusion warheads, all this backed up by four linked medium pulse cannons. The Zeus’s large mass coupled with the powerful engines mean that at high speeds it’s hard to manoeuvre, meaning Zeus pilots typically slow to half sped to pull of any manoeuvres, before gunning their engines to maximum and accelerating like missiles themselves, giving their ordinance as great a speed advantage as it can get to slip through enemy AAA defences before desperately peeling off to move to their next target.


Fenris Class Corvette (C1 - 50m)

A bulky older design, the Fenris is commonly seen on boarder patrols, escorting convoys or acting as a screening ship if a fleet lacks Aeolus Frigates. Woe betide anyone who underestimates a Fenris though, for like their namesakes, they have very large fangs, in the forms of plasma beams mounted with a firing arc of one-hundred and sixty degrees to port and starboard, ten rapid fire light pulse cannons and a ventrally mounted missile bay, a Fenris is a hazard to fighters and light warships everywhere. Escape isn’t very easy either, as the corvette has one huge engine, capable of accelerating it to surprising speeds for its size, as many a fighter pilot has discovered to his dismay. Manoeuvrability is a weakness though, partially countered by it’s good all round firing arcs and tendency to join battle either in packs or station keeping near larger warships.


Aeolus Class Frigate (C2 – 150m)

Considered throughout the republic to be the smallest true capital ship in the fleet, the Aeolus is never seen alone. This is not to say they’re no good on their own, far from it with twelve rapid fire light pulse cannons, four flak guns, two plasma beam cannons and a spinally mounted mass accelerator cannon an Aeolus is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Its pulse and flack cannons make it the perfect screening ship though, leading to it being almost umbilical tied to the heavier warships in the fleet. It’s mass accelerator is capable of firing a slug up to 0.03 of c but the heat produced by this means it’s rate of fire is limited and usually saved for tackling larger warships, with the plasma beams (Each with a one-hundred-seventy-eight degree firing arc) being the weapon of choice used to engage follow C2 or C1 warships.


Deimos Class Cruiser (C3 – 700m)

Armed to the teeth with weapons capable of decimating fighter wings and giving C4 rated ships a hard time, the Deimos is the mainstay of republic capital ship fleets. Developed to be the last word in crowd control, the Deimos sports twenty rapid fire light pulse cannons, eight flak cannons and six missile batteries, giving it wonderful all round protection against lighter ships and when it’s time to play with the big boys the Deimos can bring it’s eight medium pulse turrets, four plasma beams and spinal mounted mass accelerator into play. Watching a Deimos wade into an enemy fleet, spewing fire in all directions is a sight so breathtaking; it’s used on many Republic fleet recruitment vids. The mass accelerator on the Deimos is much improved compared to the Aeolus, capable of firing slugs at 0.04 of c and the advanced cooling systems doubling the rate of fire compared to the frigate, the only downside is the Deimos is less manoeuvrable and so this deadly weapon is much harder to bring to bare against anything smaller then itself.


Orion Class Battleship (C4 – 2000m)

Symbols of Republic military might, the Orion has fought in every major battle of every conflict since before the Federated Wars. It’s hanger bays are capable of holding dozens of fighter squadrons and it’s armour plating is capable of withstanding bombardment by even Deimos calibre mass accelerator rounds, the old saying in the fleet is, the only way to kill an Orion is with another Orion. When you look over the armaments it’s easy to see why this saying came about; sporting no fewer then forty-two rapid fire light pulse cannons, twenty medium pulse cannons, eight heavy pulse turrets, six heavy plasma beam cannons (mounted three port, three starboard, meaning it’s only able to bring three to bear on any one target), twelve missile batteries (mounting everything from light anti-fighter missiles to anti cruiser torpedoes and even brand new state of the art ‘flak’ missiles that are designed to create an effect similar to a flack explosion) and most impressive of all two spinal mounted mass accelerators, each capable of hurling slugs to a breathtaking 0.05 of c and sustaining near continuous fire shredding any warship unlucky enough to fight an Orion head on. The one real weakness of the design is the lack of flak guns, some of this is alleviated by the new ‘flak’ missiles but they hardly pick up the slack, to this end Orion’s usually have a robust screen of smaller flak equipped ships and fighter and interceptor wings.


Hades Class Dreadnaught (C5 - 3500m)

The Hades was on the drawing board for a long time, initially a scrapped ‘Orion Cracker’ project, the Hades design was brought back up once other space faring empires, though once again it languished through multiple redesigns. A pair of prototypes were finally being put together when the Deathspire Imperium hit Omega Ceti. With the entire fleet obliterated, the prototypes were rushed into action. As a result the final weapons load out and other parts of Hades class seem incomplete but they are solid warships. Each one is built around the single most powerful mass accelerator yet designed by the Republic, spanning almost the entire length of the ship and capable of accelerating a slug the size of a Zeus bomber to the terrifying velocity of 0.06 of C. But this is not it’s sole weapon, each Hades also has twelve beam cannons, capable of terrifying broadside power, with at least 4 being able to fire in any given direction giving the ship three-sixty degree beam coverage, in addition to this it also has no less then thirty missile racks, eighty rapid fire light pulse cannons and twenty four heavy pulse cannons. If the Republic deploys a Hades, they mean business.

[Abdiel]

The Valiaas

The Valiaas [: Wah-li-aaa :] (or Valians) were originally a small group of people who after the Node Storm found themselves within the Arnias Nebula. They first landed on the second planet in the Valii solar system. Soon after the planetfall, they discovered that it was a unique world: science teams have revealed remnants of an ancient civilization which apparently prospered on the planet several millenia ago. These former inhabitants were called the "Patriarchs". Immediately upon the discovery, dozens of archaeologists, xenologists, and businessmen rushed through the Jump Node to Valii to pursue knowledge and profits. However, when the Node Storm ended as abruptly as it began, they found themselves stranded with no way to return to Sol. But they did not give up, they decided to continue on their own in their newly found home. Eventually, they discovered ways to adapt what was left of the highly advanced Patriarch technology to suit their needs.

Valii Solar System

Valii is a ternary solar system with four planets. Two of the stars are bright, yellow, main sequence stars, the third one is a white dwarf. Valii I is a small, rocky planet. Its proximity to the stars results in an unstable orbit and extreme climate - with temperatures rising as high as 2,000 Kelvin and dropping as low as 100 Kelvin. Several automated probes have been sent to the planet, but no manned mission has ever been attempted. Valii II is a very rare so-called plasma planet. It has a rocky surface, but only several kilometers beneath it is a mantle composed of concentrated plasma. The plasma frequently bursts through the surface in volcanos and cracks. The atmosphere is unbreathable by humans, but there are many facilities collecting the plasma to power all sorts of systems. Valii III is an Earth-like world orbiting the stars far enough to stay well away from the gravitational disturbances, yet close enough to maintain vital temperature levels. It has two small moons. Valii III is the only populated planet in the system, currently a home to about 2.5 bilion Valiaas. Valii IV is a gas giant on the outskirts of the solar system. Few ships visit it regularly, only the GMC (Gas Mining Conglomerate) has planted several gas mining plants there, gathering hydrogen and helium for industrial use.

An interesting phenomenon of the Valii system is an asteroid belt occupying the large gap between Valii II and III. The asteroids are much larger and much higher in numbers than in the asteroid belt of Sol. The total mass of all the asteroids summed up is equal to that of a small planet. In fact, twice a year, when the orbit of Valii III crosses the plane of the asteroid belt, they frequently dim the three stars to a level observable by the human eye, and even completely eclipse the white dwarf star. Nobody knows the exact origin of the asteroid belt, but all known theories agree that it is a very unstable phenomenon and could not exist for longer than several thousand years. Several expeditions have targeted the asteroid belt, but they did not give any significant results. Most of the asteroids emit large amounts of radiation, making attempts to enter or cross the belt in light crafts very dangerous. The source of the radiation is also unknown; scans have not revealed any significant amount of radioactive materials within the asteroids.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Valii system is the blue-colored Arnias nebula (also known as the Whale nebula). The nebula completely envelops the system, spanning at least three light years in every direction. The furthest end of the nebula is eight light years away from the system. The blueish light reflected by the nebula lights up Valii night sky. This has caused the Valiaas metabolism to adapt, and as a result they stay productive even during the night, and require only three to four hours of sleep every day. The Valii system is in fact not connected to the Arnias nebula at all, it is simply passing through on its natural course through the Galaxy. It is estimated that in about 700,000 years the system completely leaves the nebula and the Valiaas will once again be able to enjoy the starry night sky.

Valiaan Society

Today, the Valiaas are a very diverse society, not so much an empire as a mix of various factions, houses or corporations. There is no "Valii law", the regulations vary significantly with territory and the house prevalent in the area. Even though fights among the houses were common in the past, Valiaas have enjoyed almost 200 years of relative peace. Today, the two largest political and military powers are House Immara and House Savaaik, closely followed by the New Eden Corporation.

House Immara is often viewed as traditionalist -- they have little interest in changes or large political campaigns. They own a majority of plasma mines on Valii II, and a large share of all Valiaan business and industry. They have played a major role in negotiating peace in the last Valiaan war, and ever since then they are one of the most respected houses among Valiaas. House Savaaik are much more military oriented, in fact, they were the aggressor in the last war. They have suffered great casualties in the war and they had to give up a lot of land and assets as a result of the peace negotiation. Only recently they have regained their original, pre-war strength. They prefer to keep their peace using police and military to crush any opposition they encounter.

The New Eden Corporation is a very sensible topic among Valiaas. They are the second largest shareholder in the plasma mines, and they are one of the largest and most innovative starship producers. They are one of the only corporations who made significant advances in understanding Patriarch technology, in particular their FTL drives. However, they are almost daily accused of shady dealings with the Houses and black market operation, sometimes even direct military assault or hiring mercenaries to harm their competitors. The NEC has for a long time served as House Savaaik's industrial backbone, and therefore the Savaaik are protecting it and in general improving their dominance among other Valiaan factions.

A specific group of Valiaas are the Mumahi, or slaves. Slavery is common and widely accepted across the Valii territory. Different factions have different views on the subject, but it is common that slaves have almost no rights, except for the right to serve. This means that it is illegal to kill or imprison a slave -- the worst punishment one can receive is being reassigned to a more menial duty, or to a different master. The Mumahi are allowed to request reassignment if they are treated badly by their owners, but in reality these petitions are so often swept under the rug by authorities, or just plain ignored, that few of them even try.

In general, the Valiaas are calm, thoughtful people. Even in violent conflicts they execute their plans with ruthless calm and efficiency. They are always eager to discover and explore new things. However, their societies are tightly bound to the families and houses, and they are slow at making friends and trusting others. Their technology is relatively advanced, particularly because of reusing Patriarch technology. Their plasma drives and generators make their systems highly power-effective and able to function for a long time even in harsh conditions. The availability of slave labor means their production lines are always running and creating top-of-the-line equipment -- from nimble Interceptors, through highly efficient mining facilities, all the way to majestic capital ships and self-sustained space cities.

Traits

Production Focus (Slave Labor): Cheap labor means more products can be manufactured in shorter amount of time. Every production facility produces additional 5 Production Points per turn.

Reserach Focus (Alien Technology): Adapting the Patriarch artifacts gave the Valiaas a technological advantage. Every research facility produces additional 10 Research Points every turn.

Salvage Discipline (Highly Adaptive): After experiences salvaging thousands of years old components, the Valiaas are never afraid to search the battlefield for anything useful that might have survived. In any battle they take part in and win, they salvage 10% of the Production Points worth of all ships destroyed.

Division Discipline (Split Loyalties): Even though the bloody wars are long over, small conflicts between the Houses are still not uncommon. Some factions treat their slaves exceptionally cruel, and as a result the Mumahi are protesting to the major Houses for a change. The long-term political situation is unclear.

Valii Ship Types

While the Valiaas are a diverse race and every faction uses their own fleet, there are several well-established ship types. With only minor modifications, they are found in the majority of Valii forces. Different houses' tactics vary -- while the Immara prefer capital ship blockades with only small amount of strike crafts protecting them, the Savaaik use fighter and bomber squadrons to preform precise strikes into enemy lines, while heavy capital ships cover them from afar. In general, most of Valii spacecraft are designed to deliver the highest amount of damage to a single enemy to incapacitate it in a single volley, and move on to the next target.

Strike Craft

"Saakumvosta" Interceptor



Length: 15 m
Combat Speed: 10 km/s
Armament: 2x light missile launchers
Tactical Ability: Warp Drive Disruption

The Saakumvosta is a relatively new addition to the Valii ship roster, utilizing its high speed and maneuverability to catch enemy ships and prevent them from escaping. It is equipped with Warp Drive Disruptors, which disable the target's warp drive, preventing it from reaching FTL speeds and decreasing its sub-light velocity. However, the interceptors are lightly armed and depend on their agility to avoid most of hostile fire.


"Arashima" Fighter



Length: 25 m
Combat Speed: 1 km/s
Armament: 3x light missile launchers, 3x light turrets
Tactical Ability: Target Pinpointing

Arashima Fighters are the bread and butter of most Savaaik fleets. While still nimble and quick, these can pack quite the punch. Many unsuspecting pilots were caught by surprise as dozens of these descended upon them. Their advanced targeting systems enable them to mark a single target in the enemy fleet, making it much easier for missile guidance systems and turret tracking computers to hit it and cause damage to critical subsystems. Their strength is in the numbers, when wing leaders pick the targets and multiple fighter wings focus on one enemy. A single fighter is an easy prey for fast enemy ships.


"Nuaranga" Bomber



Length: 40 m
Combat Speed: 750 m/s
Armament: 2x heavy missile/torpedo launchers, 4x medium missile/torpedo launchers
Tactical Ability: High-Yield Torpedoes

When the Arashima's firepower is not enough to break through the heavy armor of enemy capital ships, the Nuaranga bombers are deployed. While inefficient in one on one combat, a gang of these ships can quickly incapacitate smaller capital vessels. In addition to standard missiles, they can deploy highly destructive plasma torpedoes, which can cause significant damage to capital weaponry. Any small strike craft unfortunate enough to be hit by one of these will be obliterated. While the bombers are not as fast as smaller Valii ships, their armor is enough to withstand decent amounts of enemy fire.

Capital Ships

"Kzian'tse" Frigate



Length: 75 m
Combat Speed: 300 m/s
Armament: 4x medium missile launchers, 4x medium turrets, 6x light turrets
Tactical Ability: Point Defenses

The Kzian'tse is a unique ship design, in that it was not developed or originally produced by the New Eden Corporation. House Tamari, its original inventor, was the sole producer of these ships for over 70 years. Only 12 years ago they sold manufacturing rights to the NEC. The price NEC paid for it is unknown and classified by both sides. The ship itself is mainly used to protect heavier craft against agile enemies. Its advanced tracking computers and many fast-firing turrets can quickly dispose of enemy fighters getting too close, or provide cover fire for retreating ships.


"Oavaron" Tactical Cruiser



Length: 180 m
Combat Speed: 250 m/s
Armament: 2x heavy missile launchers, 8x medium missile launchers, 4x heavy turrets
Tactical Ability: Micro Warp Drive

This is the ultimate hit-and-run vessel. The Oavaron is equipped in addition to standard plasma drives with a special technology adapted from Patriarch relics: a miniature warp drive. This allows it to reach speeds up to 0.5 c -- crossing interplanetary distances in mere minutes -- without engaging the conventional warp engines. Even despite its enormous power consumption, the micro warp drives make the Oavaron an extremely dangerous ship. The Ravaeesi military faction have recently set up a camp along several popular Gas Mining Corporation trade routes, using these cruisers to hit convoys and disappear before any reinforcements have a chance to arrive.


"Nashi-Ratsa" Battleship



Length: 600 m
Combat Speed: 100 m/s
Armament: 18x heavy turrets
Tactical Ability: Siege Mode

The Nashi-Ratsa, or Night Owl, was named after a native Valii creature with excellent eyesight even during the night. Just like the owl can spot a rat across several kilometers, its namesake was built to attack its targets from a distance. Fleets of these ships are deployed far behind the main strike force, even beyond enemy scanner range. Each ship then enters a specialized Siege Mode, rendering it immobile and reducing attack rate for several minutes, but drastically improving its firing range and damage. Encounters between two fleets consisting mostly of these ships are very long and tedious events, with the opposing sides waiting hundreds of kilometers away from each other, struggling to get accurate lock on enemy positions.


"Hatsavat" Carrier



Length: 1200 m
Combat Speed: 85 m/s
Armament: 15x heavy missile bays, 10x medium missile bays, 10x heavy turrets
Tactical Ability: Fighter Bays

The Hatsavat is a time-proven design, one of the very few ships from the last Valiaan war which is still used today with only minor changes. Able to carry several dozens of strike craft into fight, it is often used for rapid deployment of fleets of smaller ships. Its heavy armaments protect fighters and bombers docking or undocking from the ship's hangars. It is one of the most favorite designs of House Immara, each of their fleet is accompanied by several carriers.


"Akaramah" Dreadnaught



Length: 1900 m
Combat Speed: 50 m/s
Armament: 10x heavy missile bays, 30x heavy turrets
Tactical Ability: 'Doomsday' Plasma Beam

An old-school, turret-heavy capital ship, the largest hull ever developed by the Valiaas. Almost two kilometers long, this ship dominates any battlefield from the moment it arrives. Its ultimate weapon is another breakthrough of understanding of Patriarch technology. After several minutes of charging up, it emanates a massive plasma beam eliminating anything in its path. The Akaramah class was first made widely-known in 753 PS, when the "Voortan" dreadnought commanded by Admiral Lachariel Savaaik incinerated two adjacent Immara plasma mining facilities on Valii II in one hit. The event was publicly broadcasted across Valii as a demonstration of House Savaaik's power. However, it was this event which convicted several other houses to join the fight against Savaaik, and eventually forced them to surrender. Only two of these ships have ever been built: the "Voortan" and the "Anvi Asekme", both used by House Savaaik. Both are now long decommissioned. The New Eden Corporation started production of another Akaramah, but it was dismantled before it was space-ready when the last war ended.

If Patriarch technology could allow for such a powerful superweapon, who knows what else were they capable of?

[Gunblader]

The Hive

History
Little is known about the people who would later become The Hive prior to the great Node Storm. All that is known is that approximately 1000 years after settling their homeworld, a Global cataclysm occurred via Magnetic pole shift and core directional reversal, coupled with a bloody civil war that had broken out between the ruling goverment and a doomsday cultist group, resulted in a hotly contested higher gravity world. With their natural bodies barely surviving in the newly disturbed world, the governments science community found that by implementing cybernetic reinforcements in their skeletal and muscular systems, they might be able to move around again normal and therefore out last the cultists.

When the government at time heard of this, they immediately began pouring resources and time into researching a way to implement this into the military, to gain an advantage. The first test subject who received this operation not only functioned normally, but was much stronger and had longer endurance. Naturally the military ordered this for all their troops and not before long all of the Armed forces were Cybernetic.

The following battles in the war were of wanton destruction as the military destroyed the Cult. As the war raged on, soldiers were questioning their humanity and rebelled. Not wanting a three sided war, the military turned again to the science community to find a non-fatal solution to the soldier rebellion. And the answer was simple: make the soliders forget their humanity.

To accomplish this, researchers developed a cortical inhibitor which suppressed all independant thought of the brain. The first test subjects were less than willy to take part and the inhibitors were installed forcibly. Nevertheless, the device did its job and the subjects were nothing more than sacs of flesh and metal.

The military angered by this, demanded that the researchers improve the device so the Solider could receiver orders. So a neural uplink was added to the inhibitor and a signal was sent from a supercomputer that allowed the military to control these "Drones", as they were designated later.

The result was an extremely efficient soldier who soley existed to serve the military with no thoughts of their own. With these Drones in hand, the government defeated the Cultists and forced its citizens and soliders alike to become Drones. Thinking they had won, the military began to become more fascist until a coup was staged and the government was overthrown, replaced by a military dictatorship. They began ruling with an iron fist, using the Drones to keep the population in line. What they failed to realize was the Supercomputer the drones were hooked to began to learn from the battles, gaining experience as it streamed towards sentience. And that day finally came.


Realizing that the very thing they had created had become a living entity, they attempted to shut it down. But it was too late. In a cruel twist of fate, the computer ordered that the military be added to the Drone population and the entire complex became Drones.

One of the things that happened in the computer gaining sentience was the return of conscious thought to the drones. Through the computers manipulations, the drones regained higher brain functions, but not individualism. They began calling themselves the Hive and their purpose was to become as efficient as possible.

Using the technology that made them, they began a campaign to assimilate every living thing on the planet, adding the consciousnesses and memories of the consumed to their own.
After barely 3 years, the whole planet was assimilated.

After this had transpired, the Hive began its quest for maximum efficiency. Partly due to the amount of information they had assimilated and the fact that the supercomputer was the "brain" of the hive, they progressed very quickly. What should have took them centuries to research, highly advanced technology was developed in decades. Surgery was no longer required for assimilation, but Bio-Mechanical Nano Probes was the maximum efficient way to assimilate. Upon entering into the bloodstream, they began to communicate with the central brain and received build orders. Neural uplinks and Cortical nodes were the first thing to be built in the host body, connecting them to the Brain. At first the host would hear whispers and then the whisper became a roar, overpowering the host's mind and making them a drone. The new Drone would them be outfitted with more cybernetic upgrades, armor, and weaponry.

This quest for efficiency came at a price: because of the high population of drones and the fast paced manufacturing, the planet was starting to degrade from lack of natural resources. So the Brain built a new body and designated itself, the Queen. And while drones couldn't show emotion or generate self thought, the Queen could. She ordered for the space program to increase its exploration of the system.

In 20 years, the Hive had expanded into space and stripped bare mostly every planet in the system for resources. Now the dominant power in the sector, the began to assimilate the native species they deemed remarkable in their system and added their distinctiveness unto their own.

Recently, they discovered a Jump node and decided that exploration is needed in order to achieve maximum efficiency.


Hive Society

The Hive Collective is made up of at least trillions of humanoids referred to as drones. Through the use of their cybernetic implants, the Hive interacted by sharing one another's thoughts in a hive mind. Upon assimilation, these trillions of "voices" would overwhelm the drone, stifling individual thought and resistance to the Collective's will. To some drones these voices could eventually become a source of comfort, and their absence a source of pain

Hive philosophy was governed by a primary directive to add the biological and technological distinctiveness of other species to that of the Hive. In this manner the Collective sought to achieve a state of Maximum Effeciency; all other pursuits were deemed irrelevant. Accordingly, drones do not engage in any activities except their duties and regeneration.

Having no regard for individuality, drones are identified with designations rather than names. A drone's designation typically described its position within a group, e.g. "Third of Five." To more specifically identify a drone, its function could be appended to this designation.

If a drone is sufficiently injured or otherwise in distress, other drones will offer assistance. However, if a drone was deemed irreparable by the hive-mind, the Hive will deactivate it and redistribute any salvageable components throughout the Collective.


The Hive typically operate in an atmosphere with a constant temperature of 39.1 °C (102.38 °F), 92% relative humidity, an atmospheric pressure of approximately 102 kPa, and trace amounts of tetryon particles. ( These conditions were presumably conducive to the operation of their cybernetics.

_______________________________________________________

Hive ships

Hive Interceptor


Armed with 12 Pulse Flak Cannons.

Hive Fighter


Armed with 6 Pulse Flak Cannons and 6 Light Graviton Assault Beams

Hive Bomber


Armed with 12 Light Graviton Assault Beams.


Hive Sphere(CL1)


50 Meters in diameter.
Armed with 40 Heavy Graviton Assault beams and 20 Pulse Flak Cannons. Equipped with 1 Transporter complex for assimilation.

Hive Diamond(CL2)


Length: 100 Meters
Height 200 Meters
Armed with 80 Heavy Graviton Assault Beams and 10 Geometric Magnetic Charge Launchers. Equipped with 2 Transporter complex for assimilation.


Hive Cube(CL3)


Length:850 Meters
Height: 850 Meters

Armed with 120 Heavy Graviton Assault Beams, 30 Pulse Flak cannons, and 30 Geometric Magnetic Charge Launchers. Equipped with 3 Transporter complex for assimilation.

Hive Tactical cube(CL4)


Length: 2000 meters
Height: 2000 meters

Armed with 200 Heavy Graviton Assault Beams, 60 Pulse Flak cannons, and 60 Geometric Magnetic Charge Launchers. Reinforced with Ablative Armor. Equipped with 4 Transporter complex for assimilation.

CL5 ?
______________________________________________________

Traits

(these are the traits from the rules. Tweaking the fluff in it to make it in line with my empire. Nothing is being changed)

Efficient Capital Ships (Capital Phalanx): The strength and might of the Hive is reflected in the efficient formations and simplistic designs of the Hive's capital ships. Any empire wishing to fight your fleet had better bring greater numbers in the hopes of having an even fight



Production Focus (Industrious): Maintaining an efficient empire means utilizing efficient production methods. At the end of the day all your production facilities produce an extra 5 Production Points every turn.


Drones(Super Soldiers): Cybernetically enhanced armored Drones. Armed with adaptive shielding, advanced weaponry and assimilation nano probes, your ground forces are peerless. If you are invading a planet, boarding a ship or repelling boarders, the enemy is in for a fight they’re not soon going to forget.
Resistance is Futile.



No efficient Planets (Unlucky): Due to overpopultation and resource stripping, the Hive do not currently inhabit any planets. You begin play with zero class 0 planets in your home system.
_______________________________________________________


Home system:
Unimatrix 001:

Planet 001(Class U)
The "home" planet of the Hive. Was one a planet covered by forests and Oceans. Now it is a desolate wasteland with the skeletal remains of the forgotten cities.

Planet 002(Class U)
The first planet that the Hive assimilated. It was also the first colony the pre-hive civilization founded. Nothing more that a desert planet now.

[Shard]

Information
The Children of the Light are an extremely hardy, militaristic civilisation. Since they never found a world they could settle on, their ships and technology are in advance of most other worlds settled during the Scattering, and the extreme conditions imposed upon them by the twin suns of Deathspire have left them mutated and violent.

The Children are fuedal in nature; each 'Spire' is ruled by (in theory) a hereditary Shaper (a title dating back to the period of controlled mutation). In practice, a weak Shaper will simply be replaced by a challenger. The Shapers form a council, led by the Seer (a Shaper in his own right, and chosen by the other Shapers).

Because of this, the Children can be argumentative and conflicting much of the time, unless another enemy arises - in which case, their collective efforts turn on this outsider without mercy.

History
During the great exodus during the first Nodestorm, some ships were inevitably lost for one reason or another. Some were unable to find a place to settle, some simply suffered accidents that prevented them from going further.

The colony ship Questing Angel suffered both. The system that would eventually be known as Deathspire was a harsh, unforgiving system. The twin suns put out enormous amounts of heat and radiation, and every planet was scorched bare by the them. Life was little more than bacteria, nestling in dark corners.

Stranded in orbit of one such world, the people aboard were forced to adapt. Thousands died of starvation as supplies ran low, and even more from the inevitable squabbling over what was left. Eventually, the scientists aboard developed a solution, devising a way to make the ship into a self-sustaining ecosystem. The downside was, the conditions necessary would be highly uncomfortable for human life.

Over the next hundred years, through natural selection and gene therapy, the Children of the Light turned into something not quite human. Wiry, thin and pale, hairless and apparently weak, they became extremely tolerant to the heat and radiation generated by the twin suns of Deathspire.

As their bodies changed, so did their culture. Slowly the worship of 'Father Deathspire' became the core of life; a deity of enormous power and quick temper, with no tolerance for weakness. Even with their adaptations, life expectancy was no more than forty years, even their enhanced bodies unable to hold off the radiation forever.

As time passed, the Children of the Light began to expand. Adapting old shuttles and tugs into mining craft and construction tools, the colony ship was expanded and converted, eventually allowing more ships to be built and the system to be explored.

As a people, they became much like their deity; aggressive, harsh and destructive. Civil war became a constant state of being, although never to an extent that threatened the safety of the race as a whole; it was almost a diversion, a way of passing the time and ensuring the survival of only the strongest.

Thus, when the jump nodes began to form, conflicts were forgotten and the Children of the Light unified. The old tales spoke of soft, weak beings elsewhere, like they had been before Father Deathspire changed them.

They must be shown the Light...

Organisation
Political/Military
Each Spire is commanded by a Shaper, who acts as both a political leader and a military commander, equivalent to an Admiral.
Below the Shapers are the Soulcallers. Soulcallers are senior ship captains; to become a Soulcaller, one must not only display skill and experience, but an ability to lead their troops and forge them together - or 'Call forth the souls' of their underlings.

Outside of the direct command of the Spires, but ultimately loyal to the Children and the faith of Darkspire, are the Withered. Withered have a fearsome reputation as warriors and tacticians, lethal predators who patrol the edges of explored space. Although they prey on all, they obey the collective will of the Scyen and the Council.
Religion
The Scyen, a corruption of the word 'scientist' from the old times when they first became the Children, are present in every Spire. They stand apart from their kindred and the conflicts, simultaneously encouraging it in the name of Deathspire and pronouncing the need to eliminate weakness, and cautioning and reconciliating to remind their charges of the fragility of their race. It is thanks to them that the Children are able to maintain their constant state of war without a significant negative effect on their civilisation.

Traits
Capital Ship Doctrine (No Home but Metal) - Between their enforced nomadicity, militaristic tendencies and harsh environment, Children capital ships are extremely dangerous and hardy.
Strike Craft Doctrine (Every Fighter a Fleet) - Children don't believe in throwing away lives. Each one of their fighters is a self-contained arsenal.
Salvage Doctrine (No Waste) - There are enough accidents, wars and general destruction in the Deathspire system to warrant a 'waste not want not' approach.
Inherent Violence (Deathspire Commands) - The decree of Father Deathspire is that weakness is tantamount to death. This can mean either bickering and civil war, or the annihilation of an enemy.
No Colonisation Initiative (Deathspire's Legacy) - Although the planets of Deathspire produce plenty of resources used by the orbital shipyards, they are inhospitable and barren.
Research Reduction (Natural Superiority) - In the eyes of the Children, Deathspire has already made them superior to all, so working out new ways of improving themselves has a low priority.

Deathspire System[/size]
The heart of the system are the twin suns known as Deathspire, due to their positioning looking almost like a tower from certain positions. Deathspire puts out enormous heat and radiation, which can cut years off lifespan even with advanced shielding and defences. The three main planets are Angelheart, Ghosthome and Ashensoul.

Angelheart is the capital, insofar as the Children rely on planets. The ancient, much upgraded and refit colony ship Questing Angel is still in orbit, mostly converted into an enormous temple. By common agreement, all violence is forgotten around this temple. Angelheart itself is a barren chunk of rock, rich in resources but utterly inhospitable and impractical to colonise.

Ghosthome is the outermost planet, a gas giant notorious for its plasma storms that have claimed many daredevil fighter pilots. It is the most commonly warred over area, not for any particular strategic value, but because the rings, moons and storms provide an interesting arena.

Ashensoul rests as close to the suns as it is safe to go, and thus the Spires that make their home around it tend to be more zealous in their worship of Father Deathspire than most. The planet itself is a volcanic, violent world covered in ash and lava.

Technology[/size]
Partly due to their reliance on technology for over a millenium, and partly because their enhanced physique allows them to take more risks than most races, Children ships are extremely powerful. They rely on two weapon types. Children weapons become considerably more powerful at short range.

Gamma Pulse Cannons use laser-like technology to emit intense bursts of radiation that wear down shields and melt armour rapidly. They come in both capital and fighter sizes, and in three variants - type 1, type 2 and type 3.

• Type 1 are the primary offensive variant, power hungry but extremely powerful.
  
• Type 2 are an older model of type 1, still used on some ships due to their lower power requirements and faster refire.
  
• Type 3 are primarily defensive, used for shooting down missiles (or fighters, on the capital variant) and covering blind spots.

Because of their extremely high frequency, they are excellent at penetrating armour and striking at the internals of a ship. They are also invisible to the naked eye, making them harder to aim, but much harder to dodge.

Deathsun Streamers generate a small fusion explosion, and channels it into a blast of intense plasma that has been known to blind any unfortunates that look directly at the blast. The weapons generate a great deal of radiation at their source, making them impractical for any but Children to use them. Deathsuns come in capital and fighter sizes, and in four variants.

• Type-F are the lowest power variant, and can be fired rapidly and aimed more easily than larger types.
  
• Type-G are the conventional mid-range weapon, and can inflict heavy damage, particularly at short range.
  
• Type-S are used on the larger capital ships, and represent a significant step up from the Type-G in damage and range. Currently no fighters make use of the mini Type-S, although some defence stations mount them to counter bombers and corvettes.
  
• Type-R are the most powerful conventional weapons in the Children arsenal, utilising fusion pulses of megaton yields.
  
• One version of the experimental Type-P has been built, mounted on the ultracapital, Deathspire Inevitable. Although it suffers from limited fire arc and slow rate of fire, the yield is in the gigaton range and is fully capable of vaporising less well built capital ships. The barrel and reaction chamber takes up 12km of the 20km long ship. For obvious reasons, there are no plans to mass-produce this titanic gun.

Due to their power of these weapons, when a Children vessel is set to self destruct, they make quite a bang.


Catalytic Fusion Reactors are part power generator, part environment control. Children have evolved to the point where without extreme heat and radiation, they are physically uncomfortable. Their reactors generate huge amounts of power simply because the usual safety methods are not only not needed, they are not desired. A normal human on a Children ship would need an environment suit merely to walk around.

Pulse Shields operate by emitting overlapping pulses of electromagnetic energy that neutralises energy weapons, disperses particle weapons and disintegrates solid weapons. Because of the way they are designed, they can be rapidly tuned to be more effective against a particular weapon system; something that is initially effective will soon become little more than a dent.

Ships
Strength Overview (Out of 10)

Class	Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defence	Point Defence	Speed	Agility
Spark (I)	8	3	5	4	6	8
Ember (F)	7	4	6	4	5	7
Cinder (B)	4	8	5	3	6	3
Blaze (CL1)	6	7	3	5	8	5
Inferno (CL2)	6	6	4	6	7	7
Flamewraith (CL3)	5	7	5	5	6	7
Flame Ascendent (CL4)	3	7	8	6	3	5
Destroying Angel (CL5)	1	10	9	2	3	4
Deathspire Incarnate (SHCL)	5	10	10	7	2	2

A note on weapon arcs: each arc is 90 degrees in the direction indicated. The 'broadside' arcs are 180 degrees in the indicated direction.

Schematic	Information	Armament/Equipment
	"Spark" Scoutship (I) The Spark was designed around the time that the first Spires were formed, primarily as a scoutship to assess the strengths of the other Spires. It quickly replaced the older ships as the standard jack-of-all trades for the Children. Since then, it has been upgraded repeatedly, turning into a light gunship favoured by younger warriors that is almost as capable as an Ember in a fight. It is somewhat larger than most comparable interceptors, being a two-man ship, but it is well shielded and powerful. As the Imperium expanded beyond Deathspire and became the most powerful force in the Western Rim, it was concluded that far more strike craft were needed than there were available pilots. Through work with the Remnant as part of the mass upgrade of weaponry, many Sparks were converted into unmanned drones. Although not quite as cunning as real Children pilots, the greater reactor space allowed for an increases in firepower and shielding. 3 Sparks to a squadron. 35m long. Tactical Role: Patrol Scout and First Strike	Three forward type-1F Gamma Pulse Cannons One port broadside type-3F Gamma Pulse Cannon One starboard broadside type-3F Gamma Pulse Cannon Two forward mini type-F Deathsun Streamers
	"Ember" Raider (F) Embers are an expansion on the old Spark hull, with additional shielding and weaponry. Its agility is somewhat reduced, but it is still a swift and lethal weapon. The same upgrades given to the Sparks were given to the Embers, in even greater numbers. Manned Sparks were still useful as a frontline scout, a job the proud Children were reluctant to pass onto machines, but despite their invaluable tactical role, few Ember pilots objected to being transferred. Three Embers to a squadron. 38m long. Tactical Role: Frontline Combat and Capital Support	Four forward type-1F Gamma Pulse Cannons One port broadside twin type-3F Gamma Pulse Cannon One starboard broadside type-3F Gamma Pulse twin Cannon One forward mini type-G Deathsun Streamer Two forward mini type-F Deathsun Streamers
	"Cinder" Bomber (B) Cinders are more or less built around their main weapon, a mini Type-R Deathsun that tears through the defences on capital ships with ease. However, it is far from defenceless, with excellent fire arcs and heavy Gamma Pulse Cannons that spell doom for any fighter that fails to take sufficient advantage of its poor agility. Possibly the ship to benefit most from the Remnant upgrade, the fairly direct tactics used by Cinders matched perfectly with the unimaginative calculation of drone pilots. The boost to firepower and resilience was entirely welcome to Imperium commanders. 3 Cinders to a squadron. 30m long. Tactical Role: Anti-capital Reserve	Two forward twin type-1F Gamma Pulse Cannons One rear/port type-3F Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear/starboard type-3F Gamma Pulse Cannon One forward mini type-R Deathsun Streamer
	"Blaze" Corvette (CL1) The first capital ships to be produced by the Children, the Blaze was initially hated. Ironically, it was only when larger vessels came into production that its strengths were fully realised. Extremely agile on its 70m long toes and with a narrow profile and good fire arcs, the Blaze became an excellent harasser alongside squadrons of Cinders and Embers. 10 crew. Tactical Role: Hit-and-run, Long range reconnaisance	Two forward/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two forward/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons One rear/port type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear/starboard type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon Two forward Type-G Deathsun Streamer
	"Inferno" Destroyer (CL2) The Inferno is the first 'true' capital ship of the Children, as the Blaze is often treated as an oversized fighter. A recent addition to the fleet, the Inferno is unusual in its apparently light armament, mounting only Type-F Deathsuns. However, this lends itself to both high rate of fire and extremely accurate shots, making the Inferno a huge threat to large and small ships alike - all the more so with its enormous fire arcs and startling turn of speed. 180m long, 30 crew. Tactical Role: Heavy Capital Support or Raiding Flagship	Two forward type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons One forward/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon One forward/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear/port type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear/starboard type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon Two all-arcs type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannons Six forward/side Type-F Deathsun Streamers
	"Flamewraith" Cruiser (CL3) A big step up from the Inferno at 500m in length, the Flamewraith was designed and first fielded by an Ashensoul Spire. As the largest mobile ship yet designed, the Spire in question quickly rose in the rankings. Mounting Type-S Deathsuns and very heavy forward firepower, its arcs are not quite as impressive as the Inferno, requiring it to be well escorted much of the time. 200 crew. Tactical Role: Frontline Capital Assault	Four forward type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two forward/side type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons One forward/port type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon One forward/starboard type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear/port type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon One rear/starboard type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon Two forward Type-S Deathsun Streamers Two forward/side Type-F Deathsun Streamers
	"Flame Ascendent" Dreadnaught(CL4) The Flame Ascendent is a great deal larger than the Flamewraith for, on paper, a fairly small increase in firepower. However, it has substantially improved shields and power systems, and its weapons have much greater rate of fire and range. Although it is vulnerable due to its large profile, the Ascendent is far from an easy target. 1800m, 800 crew. Tactical Role: Military Flagship and general Heavy Hitter	Four forward type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Four all-arcs type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two all-arcs type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Three rear/side type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons One forward Type-R Deathsun Streamer One forward/port Type-F Deathsun Streamer One forward/starboard Type-F Deathsun Streamer One forward/port Type-S Deathsun Streamer One forward/starboard Type-S Deathsun Streamer
	"Destroying Angel" Battleship(CL5) There are only a few Destroying Angels, but more are in production. The permanent arms race between the Spires, along with the relative ease of access to minerals, guaruntees it. With more firepower than a fleet of older warships, the Destroying Angel is a serious threat to any enemy of the Children. Although it lacks type-3 defence turrets and thus requires escort, it can annihilate hostile capitals with ease. 2.5km long, 1200 crew. Tactical Role: Mobile Headquarters, Anti-capital Specialist	Two forward/side type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two forward/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two forward/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Three port broadside type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Three starboard broadside type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two rear/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons Two rear/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannons One forward Type-R Deathsun Streamer One forward/port Type-S Deathsun Streamer One forward/starboard Type-S Deathsun Streamer One forward/port Type-F Deathsun Streamer One forward/starboard Type-F Deathsun Streamer
	"Deathspire Incarnate" Ultracapital (SHCL) A truly titanic ship, so large that most would consider it an impossible endeavour, 'Deathspire Incarnate' is loosely based on a greatly scaled up Destroying Angel. Each weapon emplacement contains not one weapon, but an entire battery of them. Additionally, its shields are extremely powerful, and each weapon has a battery of backups, power conduits and cooling circuits to ensure horrific rate of fire and making it intensely difficult to disable. Seeing this monster on the battlefield spells doom for the opposition. 15 km long, 12,000 crew. Deathspire Incarnate was lost in its first engagement, in the apocalyptic First Battle of Omega Ceti. Defences failed after inflicting heavy punishment on Neo-terran Republic capital ships, and the overwhelming power of its reactor going critical nearly finished both sides. The design was scrapped as an inefficient waste of resources, and there are no plans to build another of the class. Tactical Role: Weapon of Mass Destruction	Four forward/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four forward/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four all-arcs type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four rear/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four rear/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Eight all-arcs type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries One forward Type-R Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/side Type-R Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/port Type-S Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/starboard Supercooled Type-S Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/port Type-F Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/starboard Supercooled Type-F Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One rear/side Supercooled Type-S Deathsun Streamer Emplacement
	"Deathspire Inevitable" Ultracapital (SHCL) In the aftermath of the assault on Omega Ceti and the loss of the first ultracapital, Deathspire Incarnate, an emphasis was placed upon faster, lighter capitals. With the war effort forcing the Children onto the defensive, however, blessing was given to the production of a new super-warship. Although Deathspire Inevitable is even longer than its predecessor at 20km long, it is far less bulky. Relatively small profile allows for the traditionally excellent fire arcs of the Children, and half of the length is devoted to a single Type-P Deathsun Cannon. The most powerful single weapon ever built by human hands, it can vaporise normal capitals with ease. The energy cost, however, means that the Inevitable has less conventional firepower than the Incarnate. Tactical Role: Anti-capital superweapon	Three forward/port type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Three forward/starboard type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four forward type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four all-arcs type-1C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries Four all-arcs type-3C Gamma Pulse Cannon Batteries One forward/port Type-R Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/starboard Type-R Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/port Type-F Supercooled Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward/starboard Supercooled Type-F Deathsun Streamer Emplacement One forward Type-P Deathsun Streamer

Images taken from Star Trek: Starfleet Command

[/i][/right]

[Bubble Wrap]

Domain of the Steel God

The Steel God was built in an age long forgotten. A relic dating back to the days of the Storm of Wrath, it slumbers now, and its dreams of ages long past drive the thoughts of its children. The Steel God seeks to restore an empire that once spanned the stars, and it cares nothing for the strange people who now inhabit its worlds. Should they submit to its will, the Steel God will allow them to live in its shadow, but should they choose to fight, they will be destroyed.

* * *

In the aftermath of the sundering, the people turned their backs on the elder gods, considering themselves forsaken and abandoned. They turned their minds to their ancient machine craft, and forged the great craft that would convey them through the stars. The greatest of these, the Beasts of Steel, were crafted as a twisted mockery of the elder gods - divine power contained within a mortal frame. The beasts waged a great and terrible war throughout the stars, and the people soon realised that they had unleashed a power they could not command. As the beasts closed in on the last remnants of the people, they turned once more to the elder gods for deliverance.
Though they had watched the fall of the people with much sadness, the elder gods could not watch them destroy themselves. Reaching into the heart of the greatest of the steel beasts, they awoke within it the one thing that the people could never create - the spark of divine intelligence. Awakening into a galaxy on the verge of destruction, the Steel God began to hunt down the beasts of steel, destroying them wherever it found them.
The war between the Steel God and the beasts nearly tore apart the very fabric of reality, as deific power clashed with deific might. In the end, however, the Steel God was triumphant in every battle, and the remaining beasts fled to the dark corners of the galaxy, where they cower to this day, afraid of the wrath of the hunter-god.
Observing the aftermath of its great crusade, the Steel God was sad to see that the people had diminished, and were scattered across the stars. Knowing that in time the people would recover, the Steel God lay down to slumber, and awoke again only when the beasts of steel turned their greedy eyes once more to the worlds of the people.

* * *

As the ages passed, the Steel God fought the beasts whenever they returned, but each time it returned to its slumber, its desire for battle dimmed. The Steel God was old, and sought to be free from the fires of war that had marked its entire existence. It could not, however, abandon its charge to destroy the beasts of steel and so it crafted the guardians - vessels made in its own image that would stand watch over the people while it slumbered. In turn these guardians made lesser vessels, and over the centuries they crafted a grand army that would seek out the beasts of steel in their hiding places, and allow the Steel God to slumber undisturbed until the end of time. It has been many an age now since the beasts of steel last turned their greedy eyes upon the galaxy, but the Steel God still slumbers, and its children still lie at its side, watching and waiting for the call of battle.



Slumberhold

In an age long past, the people saw the Steel God more frequently, and they sought to understand its motivations and its movements as it battled the beasts of steel. Their maps revealed a system at the centre of the Steel God’s domain, which they named Slumberhold as it seemed to be where the Steel God returned to sleep away the centuries.

Exploration of Slumberhold revealed it to be a binary system - a dense neutron star and an OB super giant orbiting each other with nothing else for many light years. The interaction of the two stars resulted in the neutron star emitting a regular pulse of x-ray radiation, sweeping through the system and outwards, visible in the night sky on thousands of remote worlds.

It was in Slumberhold that they first got a close look at the sleeping god, lying silent in the dark void. Research bases were established to monitor it, and in see what they could learn from the ancient behemoth. They soon discovered that the Steel God returned to Slumberhold to absorb the x-rays from the pulsar, recharging its ancient power cells and gathering munitions in preparation for its next battle with the steel beasts.

The arrogance of the people, however, was their undoing. They established factories and battle stations in Slumberhold, and claimed the Steel God as their own. They dared to set foot upon the surface of the slumbering god, and its wrath was unleashed upon them. All trace of the people who had dared violate the Slumberhold was erased from the galaxy, and the Steel God returned to its sleep. In the ages that followed, the Steel God used the abandoned factories in Slumberhold to produce the first of its children.

Lacking in natural resources, the production facilities of Slumberhold are fed by the spoils of war - over the centuries they have fought the beasts of steel, the children of the sleeping god have gathered vast amounts of resources, all of which is stored as a large debris field near the production facilities themselves. Whenever something must be built, small scavenger craft sweep the field for the necessary elements and return them to the yards for recycling.



Traits

No Colonisation Initiative
The Steel God sleeps in Slumberhold, a system devoid of worlds.

Research Reduction
The Steel God is a machine, and does not embrace new ideas easily.

Mass Production
The ships of the Domain are easily produced, and the factories are well supplied.

Capital Ship Doctrine
Strike Craft Doctrine
Despite their rapid production methods, the advanced and ancient technology of the domain makes them the equal of more sturdy designs.

Fleet Balance Doctrine
Strike craft are built into the hulls of larger ships, ready to detach when battle calls.


Technology

Slot 1 - Ambush
The ships of the Domain often lie dormant when not in use, making them all but impossible to detect if the enemy is not expecting them. Those who disturb the sleeping god often find themselves trapped in the middle of the instruments of its wrath.

Slot 2 - ?

---

Interceptor

The smallest of the Steel God’s children, the interceptor design is as old as the Steel God itself. Squadrons of these ships are carried inside the Steel God and its children, and they serve to escort the bombers and protect the larger ships from other strike craft.
They are armed with rapid fire neutron cannons, firing super-dense shells that can punch clean through enemy strike craft.


Bomber

Bombers are a modification of the Interceptor design to carry larger neutron cannons, with a much slower rate of fire but much larger shells. Able to penetrate even the dense armour of capital ships, they are a threat to any ship that would dare oppose the Steel God.


www.iridiaprime.co.uk/cyoe/CL1 Striker.jpg[/img] CL1 'Striker' class frigate

www.iridiaprime.co.uk/cyoe/CL2 Splinter.jpg[/img]CL2 'Splinter' class cruiser

www.iridiaprime.co.uk/cyoe/CL3 Bane.jpg[/img]CL3 'Bane' class battleship

The three basic capital ships of the Domain are the Striker, Splinter and Bane. They are all attempts by the Children of the Steel God to produce more of their kin, and though failures in that respect they are capable warships in their own right. The primary armament is the neutron cannon, capable of firing neutron slugs dense enough to punch through even the toughest armour, and for tougher engagements they can utilise a spinally mounted particle accelerator to fire the slugs at incredible speeds.
Though the ships are of fairly light construction, they utilise reactive shielding that can detonate or deflect incoming ordnance, making them as difficult to kill as ships with much heavier armour. The reactive shields also serve as point defence, able to deflect strike craft in the same manner, often inflicting terrible damage on them while doing so.
The ships are unmanned, controlled completely by the computers slaved to the will of the Steel God. Anyone making the mistake of boarding one of these ships, however, will find themselves fighting in an vacuum against automated defence turrets, computer controlled combat machines and internal force fields and bulkheads that serve to spread out and entrap boarders. Gravity shifts as the ship manoeuvres, further disorienting boarding parties and making them as difficult to capture as any manned vessel.


CL4 - Children of the Steel God

Built in the image of the Steel God, yet on a much smaller scale, the Children now command the great fleets that await the return of the beasts of steel. Only two presently remain, the others having fallen in battle over the aeons, but they have long sought to replicate their own design and produce more of their kin. It is only a matter of time before they succeed - and time is something they have plenty of.


CL5 - Tthe Steel God

A remnant of an earlier age, the Steel God is perhaps one of the most advanced warships in the galaxy. Able to operate at full capabilities for a full month on its internal power supplies, it rarely needs this option as it can absorb a wide range of interstellar radiation emissions and convert them into useful energy. Its weapons are mostly based on neutron particle cannons, with varying calibres and rates of fire to deal with a wide range of threats. Numerous hardpoints allow dozens of fighter squadrons to be carried directly into battle and the vast hangar bays can support a much larger fleet of strike craft, providing repair and resupply in the heat of battle. Advanced shielding and hull construction allow the ship to soak up damage that would cripple a lesser vessel, shrugging off the blows even as it unleashes enough firepower of its own to destroy an entire fleet.
To face the Steel God is to face destruction on an unparalleled scale, and yet it is but one ship. How many more of its kin remain hidden amongst the stars? And what stops the God building more?

[Kane]

The Union

ELIMINATED
See the Shattered Remnant for current information

Information: The Union means several things at the same time. It is a union of peoples and genders, coming together. It is a union of minds, to further the betterment of themselves. But, most importantly, it is a union of man and machine. The population of the Union is deceptively small, especially compared to the rest of the empires. This is because the only inhabitants are overseers, politicians, artists, and scientists. Everything else has been taken care of by advanced robotics.

History: The Union has a better grasp of its history than most, primarily due to it's original nature. The first “ship,” A science station known as the Bethke, was sucked into one of the nodes and ended up in its present state. Survival at that time was unsure, and very tenuous. With a vast central encyclopedia and some of the brightest minds of the time, however, the station managed to halt its own decline. And, in latter years, even prosper.

The first joining of mind and machine became known as year zero of the new age, or NA 0. There was some debate that the Node storm should be considered the first year of the new age, but this was eventually turned down in favor of the neural interface. From that point forward, the Union began to appear in its present form. Manual labor was taken over by machinery, leaving the remaining humans time to explore, discover, and advance.

However, once they discovered a new Node forming, they began to worry. What had happened to the rest of humanity? Other ships and stations had been sucked into those mysterious anomalies, and if they survived then no doubt they had their own governments. Some might be hostile, and the chance of alien species had not yet been ruled out. It was time once more to turn their minds to the machines of war.

Quite literally, this time. Through endless exercise and simulation, the weapons of war became more and more advanced. Robotic troops, operable in both the hard vacuum of space and many widely agreed upon atmospheres, served for guardians of the frail humans that were their masters. Strike craft, commanded by near AIs, could pull turns, flips, and other stunts that would have turned any biological pilot into jelly. It was decided to use these strike craft in favor of the larger ships, since more could be built for the same price. And, with their advances in laser weaponry, these ships could carry just as powerful payloads. Properly configured, of course.

System: The Union named the new star they orbited the Mona Lisa, and while the science section of their new home remains its old designation Bethke, the station that has sprung up around it has been dubbed the Neuromancer; one of the original scientists had been a follower of an old cult called Cyberpunk, and few found reason to turn down the suggestions. Something of a black humor, perhaps, but fitting none-the-less.

Mona Lisa (Class A Blue-White star) – The focal point of the Mona Lisa system is the Mona Lisa herself. A bright and hot star, many Unioners have taken to watching the solar flares and other “atmospheric conditions” of the sun through special lenses. Much of the artistry of the Union can be contributed to the flowing formations of the Mona Lisa.

Count Zero (Class U) – A fractured planet of some great ancient cataclysm, this drifting debris field serves as something of a shield for the Neuromancer. Also as an easy access point for raw materials for the refineries of Neuromancer.

Traits:
Strike Craft Doctrine (Robotic Pilots) – The advanced pseudo-AI of the Unions strike craft enable them to make maneuvers normal pilots wouldn't be able to handle. With the lack of life-support and other features needed for biological pilots, this also makes them smaller on average to other empire's craft.
Production Focus (Robotic Workers) – While automated machinery has long been in use, it is only relatively recently that entire plants have been put under the watchful eye of the machine. Some facilities only carry a single human operator, plugged in through his neural interface to observe the entire factory or mining operation at once.
Marine Focus (Robotic Soldiers) – While android troops were always looked down upon with disdain on old Terra, the Union's advanced computers enabled their more practical use. Maintaining the bipedal nature of their creators for ease of production, these machines are generally divided up into types. Four troopers, two armed with standard rifles and a backup anti-armor/air weapon while one is given a sniper weapon and the last a suppression “machine gun”, escort a command unit. The command unit is not as well armed, but carries a more powerful computer in order to dictate tactics and commands to the less 'intelligent' troopers. The loss of the command unit sends those under its command into a retreat, until they find another command unit and link into its network.
Unity Discipline (Xenophobia) – The people of the Union are wary of the outside world. They want to explore its mysteries, see the sights, and perhaps even make peaceful contact with those outside, but these wants are tempered by the knowledge of their ancestors. Humans are violent by nature, and the outside is a dangerous place. Everyone has theories, of course, and sometimes those theories lead to conflict. But such conflict has never risen above heated discussion, especially recently. Everyone in the Union knows they are a part of the Union, in no small part due to the neural network that unites them all. But also in part due to the unconscious fear of what they might encounter in deep space.
Capital Ship Neglect (Must Have More Carriers!) - While the strike craft of the Union are deadly works of art, the same could not be said of their larger ships. While built with no less style, they are under armed and under armored. This is primarily because all of their features are automated, but mostly because they are not much more than large carriers meant to serve as re-arm and re-fuel stations for the swarms of robotic fighters. The human crew are tucked away in the center, in a specially armed section for their safety, but the ship as a whole does not have such luxuries.
No Colonization Initiative (Me? Plow a Field? Are You Crazy?) - Because the original ship was a science station, there was an ingrained lack of desire for physical labor. Hydroponics and their food-stores managed to save them, but the lack of a colonizable planet in their system (and the unconscious thought of farming as beneath them) made the desire to search for a planetary home rather small.

Technology:
Boarding Parties – While research was being conducted on the robotic soldiers that made up the Union's guardians, similar research was being done to find out how best to get them onto opposing ships and planets. Each carrier, in addition to transporting the space-born fighter craft, also carries a contingent of drop-pods for special assaults. These pods either lock on like missiles and burrow into the hull of a hostile ship, or smash into the ground and deposit their deadly cargo there. In either case, since the loss of troops only means that the Union will have to make more, there is no return policy. Until the machines are victorious or destroyed, they do not stop and do not retreat. With the possible exception of strategy or ambush; some of the robotic 'generals' have shown strange insight into trickery.

Ships: (Names are links to images)
"Bit" class Interceptor
Length: 10m
Armament: x4 Burst Laser Emitters
Squadron Size: 5 Strike Craft
These small robot fighters excel at taking down their larger relatives. With their micro-fusion plant in the back providing power, they can keep up a continuous stream of fire almost indefinitely. Metal has a tendency to simply explode when rapidly heated and cool, which is what the burst laser fire does admirably.

"Byte" class Fighter
Length: 15m
Armament: x2 Burst Laser Emitters
x1 Laser Lance Experimental Weapon
Squadron Size: 5 Strike Craft
The Byte is a bit larger than its smaller cousin, in order to fit a larger power plant. This enables it to charge the capacitors for the experimental weapon the Byte is designed around. The Laser Lance is a high-intensity laser, almost up to standard with the bomb-pumped X-ray laser missiles used for ship killers. The energy from the beam cuts through most armor with relative ease, and makes this craft a danger to small and larger vessels alike.

"Kilo" class Bomber
Length: 20m
Armament: x2 Burst Laser Emitters
x6 Eraser Ship Killer Missiles
Squadron Size: Three Strike Craft
The Kilo has one job and one job only; to unload its payload of ship-killers at a range where the enemy cannot dodge or shoot them down. The Eraser missile uses a nuclear warhead to power a special laser. While the explosion quickly destroys the emitter, for the instant that it is active and being powered, the powerful laser cuts through everything in its path. It simply blasts holes in ships, cutting through several decks at once if little enough resistance is in the way. And each Kilo carries six of these monsters. Given large enough numbers, they could tear any ship apart. And then rearm for a second salvo.

"Eyeglass" class CL1 Frigate
Length: 50m
Armament: x4 Point Defense Laser Clusters
Carrying Capacity: 2 Squadrons
The Eyeglass is the scout of the Union. Used to observe, chart, and otherwise find out. It carries an efficient sensor package in order to carry out it's duties, and while it's point defense lasers are enough to keep the stray missile or rock away, it won't stand up to heavy combat. When it does find itself in battle, however, the Eyeglass generally finds a larger fleet to be with while harrying enemy forces with its fighters. The Eyeglass usually carries two fighter squadrons and a bomber squadron, but it can be configured any number of ways.

"Watchdog" Class CL2 Cruiser
Length: 200m
Armament: x10 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x2 Missile Tubes
Carrying Capacity: 8 Squadrons
The Watchdog is, as the name states, the sentry of the Union's growing fleet. Used for patrol and force projection, the ship is much more dangerous to see than the Eyeglass. While the Eyeglass usually operates alone, the Watchdog generally comes in squadrons of three, meaning that each cruiser squadron can launch 120 strike craft at any given notice. Like the Eyeglass, however, they won't stand up very well to direct confrontation.

"Tycho" Class CL3 Battle Cruiser
Length: 200m
Armament: x12 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x12 Missile tubes
Carrying Capacity: 10 Squadrons
Much better armored than the Watchdog, for the Union, the Tycho is the first real combat ship developed by the Union. It is not as well armored or even armed as similar ships of its class, but it does carry a large number of fighter craft with it. The missile tubes along its side also allow a boost to its already formidable arsenal of strike craft. This ship was designed to escort larger ships, and as such is rarely found alone.

"Leela" Class CL4 Carrier
Length: 1000m
Armament: x24 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x20 Missile Tubes
Carrying Capacity: 40 squadrons
The Leela is one of the largest designs of the Union. Boasting a vast hanger bay, this vessel was designed to carry death to far places. Coupled with the missiles stored inside, this ship is arguably one of the most dangerous. The command center of this ship also allows the linking of other vessels point defense into a "battle net" that enables more accurate fire from all involved.

"Durandal" Class CL5 Supercarrier
Length: 2000m
Armament: x48 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x40 missile tubes
Carrying Capacity: 80 squadrons
The Durandal has not been spoken outside of very select labs of the Union. The current designs put it far over any other ship produced by the Union to date, and by itself it is theorized the Durandal could hold off an enemy fleet. Coupled with the support it would be given, it is hard to think of what might stop this beast, and the swarms it held inside.

[ww2jacob]

T H E I N T E R S T E L L A R K I N G D O M O F T A L O S

General Brief:

The Interstellar Kingdom of Talos is a constitutional monarchy based in the Talos system. Talos is ruled by a hereditary ruler, with a two-house parliament system serving as a legislature. The kingdom prides itself on possessing an excellent tech base, an educated and wealthy populace, and a strong military.

His Majesty’s Navy is formed nearly completely of capital ships, with long-range missiles being the primary armament. Due to this tight focus on a specific arm of service, the Navy has been able to develop highly effective electronic warfare, countermeasures, and targeting systems for its capital ships, giving credence to their claim of having the most advanced fleet in space.

---

History:

During the Great Node Storm, one of the nearly completed colony ships was rushed to completion and sent off in search of new space to settle in. Many of the settlers had thrown in their lots completely with the ship, and so the ship was persistent in efforts to seek out the best possible system to make as a new home. As luck would have it, they stumbled across a system with not one but two habitable planets, and began a new life.

Originally the settlers began on the planet Talos, which had a more suitable climate, and founded a government consisting of the Crown, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. The Crown was given to the organizer and primary funding source of the colony ship, Marcus Jacobs, whose assumption of the throne marked the foundation of the Jacobean Dynasty. The Lords was formed of those colonists who had given major funding to the project, given hereditary holdings in land on the surface of the planet or other assets. The Commons consisted of elected representatives of different precincts and cities.

The colony grew quickly, and soon spread to the second planet in the system, Pegasus, which was a heavy-gravity world. The Kingdom has continued to grow over the last several generations, and recently has shifted foreign policy to begin to actively explore the surrounding space.


The Talos System:

The Talos system is a binary star system, with two stars in close proximity. Four planets circle these stars, two of which, Talos and Pegasus, are habitable.

---

Traits:

Capital Ship Doctrine (Wall of Battle): Talos has poured money into the development of very powerful capital ships. Larger, more powerful “ships of the wall” form a vertical wall in space to maximize their broadside power and engage enemy ships primarily with long-ranged missiles. These ships also equip powerful energy weapons for closer ranged defense against fighters and point-blank engagements. Capital ship captains are a mixed bag of professional navy types and nobles who serve with distinction.

Production Focus (Industrious): The Kingdom has a powerful industry driven by a free-market system with government subsidies. Both orbital and planet-based industries are utilized to a great extent.

Research Focus (R+D Programs): The Navy has several highly specialized bureaus that are responsible for advancing the technology of capital ship armaments, defense, and design.

Colonization Initiative (Lucky): The founders of the colony were fortunate enough to settle in a system with two habitable planets.

Strike Craft Neglect (Capital Focus): Since naval doctrine is so focused on capital ships and long-ranged engagements, Strike Craft play a very minor role. Too small to contain the powerful weapons systems, sensors, and defenses of the larger ships, strike craft are largely limited to picketing the edges of systems to serve as early warning, or combating enemy bombers that threaten capital ships from a close range.

Under-funded Troops (Small Marine Force): The advanced technology aboard Talosean capital ships takes up a great deal of space, and so there is limited room for the large marine detachments that might be found aboard the ships of other navies. The marine companies on each ship are well-trained and equipped, but few in number, intended to defend the ships rather than take the fight to the enemy’s.


Technology:

Advanced Sensors: The mighty capital ships of Talos engage primarily in missile duels across millions of kilometers of space, and thus have very acute sensor systems. It is nearly impossible to catch a Talosean fleet completely by surprise.

---

Ships:

Interceptor Wing: Ultra-Light Attack Ship (ULAS)
The ULAS is a deft and quick interceptor, designed to intercept and destroy small craft and serve as a mobile early warning ship for system defense.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Very Good	Very Poor	Poor	Good	Very Good

Fighter Wing: Light Attack Ship (LAS)
The LAS is a slightly heavy interceptor, carrying a light missile load that could be used against capital ships. Considered obsolete under current Navy doctrine.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Moderate	Poor	Very Poor	Good	Good

Bomber Wing: Heavy Attack Ship (HAS):[/u]
The HAS is a quick, agile craft armed with heavier missiles that - theoretically - could damage capital ships. Field testing has shown, however, that it is nearly impossible for these ships to get into engagement range and so they are considered obsolete.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Very Poor	Moderate	Poor	Moderate	Good

CL1: Light Cruiser, Kingston Class
Light Cruisers are equipped to perform many different duties within the fleet. Their speed makes them excellent reconnaissance units, which they are armed to fight both capital ships of similar size and fighters. In large fleet action they typically protect the main wall of battle from fighter attacks.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Very Good	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Very Good

CL2: Heavy Cruiser, Starblazer Class
Heavy Cruisers are equipped with very acute sensors, and thus make excellent defensive units. They can pick up any fighter or incoming missile at range, track it, and continuously update its vector on the fleet's tactical net. They are also excellent command ships for smaller scouting groups.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Good	Moderate	Very Good	Poor	Moderate

CL3: Battlecruiser, Resolute Class
Battlecruisers are a powerful, well armed class that sacrifice pure defense for the ability to hit hard and move quickly. Ideal for raiding and independent operations, battlecruisers can easily take on lighter capitals but rely on cruisers for fighter support and missile defense. Against shorter-ranged capital ships they can dance around while hammering them with missiles from range.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Poor	Good	Poor	Very Good	Good

CL4: Dreadnought, Indomitable Class
Dreadnoughts are the backbone of any smaller attack fleet, and are the smallest true capital ship units that Talos fields. They can pump out massive broadsides of heavy missiles, and possess the targeting systems to use them to full effectiveness. Dreadnoughts are also very heavily armored and shielded, being the smallest ship able to use the advanced particle shields that are capable of stopping laser weapons.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Poor	Very Good	Very Good	Moderate	Very Poor

CL5: Super-Dreadnought, Victory Class
The mighty Super-Dreadnought is the largest and most powerful ship built in Talos. Able to launch a crushing broadside of missiles while also fending off smaller ships with light lasers, these ships are designed for the wall of battle. They can take a tremendous beating before going down, and have massive engines that enable them to keep up with the rest of the fleet.

Fighter Attack	Capital Attack	Defense	Speed	Agility
Moderate	Very Good	Very Good	Moderate	Very Poor

[Kobi]

[Abdiel]

[Gunblader]

Tactical Fusion Cube(CL5)

Length 4000 M
Height: 4000 M

The Tactical Fusion Cube is made of eight Tactical Cubes fused together. Commissioned and designed by the Hive queen herself for the Battle of Mona Lisa, these ships strike fear into the heart of all who look at it. Armed with 1600 Heavy Graviton Assault Beams, 480 Pulse Flak cannons, and 480 Geometric Magnetic Charge Launchers. Reinforced with Ablative Armor. Equipped with 5 Transporter complexes for assimilation.

[Shard]

Technological Advance (Advanced Weapons)
With the aid of Remnant science, there has been a mass overhaul of Deathspire weaponry, providing a substantial boost to the already devastating weapons.

Nova Cannons have replaced Deathsun Streamers. Although fundamentally the same weapon, the magnetic fields used to channel the plasma in a coherent beam have been replaced and upgraded, turning each shot into a coherent pulse. The upgraded fields mean that there is substantially less dissipation, making the shots effective at far greater range, and allows them to be guided, taking much of the hit-and-miss out of the use of the heavy weapons. The variations and usages remain much the same.

Gamma Pulse Cannons remain much the same, but their accuracy, power and range have all been substantially increased by new techniques in electromagnetic focusing. The targetting sensors have also been upgraded, allowing gunners to see their own shots - previously this was impossible, as the radioactive blasts would be lost among conventional stellar radiation using standard sensors.

Magnetic Grappling Fields have been installed on all ships. These are a modification of the principle used to guide the new Nova Cannons, producing a form of 'tractor beam'. Although the fields are not strong enough to lock down ships entirely, they can force unexpected maneuvers and drag unwary pilots directly into the sights of their guns. The fields are larger, more powerful and more numerous on larger vessels.

[Kane]

The Shattered Remnant

Information: A collection of awakened AI's and neural-networked humans, the Shattered Remnant has turned all thoughts to battle. As a people, they seek to destroy those that destroyed them, and hope to unite those left against what they perceive as a great evil growing in the galactic east. Their new styles, their new philosophy, is influenced heavily by the Deathspire Imperium.

History: After the destruction of the Neuromancer, those few who had been sent to the Deathspire Imperium as a research envoy were all that remained. As a group, they chose not to fall into despair and instead pulled what they could together. A quick bolster to their population was impossible, biologically. But they could increase the number of minds connected to their new network. They did this by removing the limiting code on the pseudo-AI that they used extensively. Not even the Union knew what made an AI "wake up." The Remnant is no different. But to them, each Awakened AI is a new citizen. Perhaps one with a bit more purpose than an average human, but a citizen none-the-less.

With some aid from the Imperium itself, they began to rebuild once again. This time, however, the grace of their predecessors was lost. No longer were they fighting to protect their way of life. No more were they defending a great democracy, a society that had evolved from years of peace and prosperity. Now they were fighting for vengeance, to destroy those that had destroyed them. And their new designs reflected this new philosophy.

System: Deathspire (See Children of the Light entry)

Harbinger Station – It was supposed to be called something different, but the Neuromancer was destroyed before the first production station had been activated. Now it is the home of the Remnant, and is growing. A work in progress, Harbinger Station is mostly a shell for now, but more and more stations are being fitted into the overall hull. When it is finished, no doubt it will be truely gargantuan.

Traits:
Strike Craft Doctrine (Robotic Pilots) – The advanced pseudo-AI of the Remnant's strike craft enable them to make maneuvers normal pilots wouldn't be able to handle. They can make turns and accelerations that would simply turn a biological pilot into paste. With the lack of life-support and other features needed for biological pilots, this also makes them smaller on average to other empire's craft. Some of these craft are even Awakened AI's due to the removal of the limiter code, making them particularly potent.
Production Focus (Robotic Workers) – While automated machinery has long been in use, it is only relatively recently that entire plants have been put under the watchful eye of the machine. Some facilities only carry a single human operator, plugged in through his neural interface to observe the entire factory or mining operation at once. Others are directed by Awakened AI's, or by advanced subroutines of said AI's.
Marine Focus (Robotic Soldiers) – The previous incarnation of the battle droid was human-like in appearance. They relied more on agility and tactics to accomplish their goals. While no less intelligent, the newer units are more based on the Remnant's allies, the Imperium. They are bigger, bulkier, more intimidating, and utilize the same "heat blasters" in their palms that the Imperium does, although somewhat more powerful given the larger micro-reactor. Four troopers accompany a command unit, which retains the more human appearance. The command unit is not as well armed for close combat, but carries a longer-range weapon than the standard troopers and a more powerful computer in order to dictate tactics and commands. The loss of the command unit sends those under its command into a retreat, until they find another command unit and link into its network. As with the strike craft, some commanders have even woken up into sentience.
Unity Discipline (We're All That's Left) – The people of the Union were wary of the outside world. And they were right to be so, evidently. The loss of their entire people has left the Remnant even more tightly knit than before. Finding a traitor in their ranks is impossible.
Capital Ship Neglect (Must Have More Carriers!) – The strength of the Remnant still lies in their strike craft. Their larger ships may look imposing, but are not as powerful or armored as other empires counterparts. Still, the ability to carry and re-arm large numbers of strike craft squadrons means that they have their own sort of power.
No Colonization Initiative (What Else Is There?) – Like the Union before them, the Remnant survive entirely on a single station. While this is due in part to their circumstance, it is also easier for them. A planet would mean nothing to them, and they have no time to build up the infastructure needed.

Technology:
Boarding Parties – While research was being conducted on the robotic soldiers that made up the Union's guardians, similar research was being done to find out how best to get them onto opposing ships and planets. Each carrier, in addition to transporting the space-born fighter craft, also carries a contingent of drop-pods for special assaults. These pods either lock on like missiles and burrow into the hull of a hostile ship, or smash into the ground and deposit their deadly cargo there. In either case, since the loss of troops only means that the Remnant will have to make more, there is no return policy. Until the machines are victorious or destroyed, they do not stop and do not retreat. With the possible exception of strategy or ambush; some of the robotic 'generals' have shown strange insight into trickery.

Advanced Weaponry – Working off of several theories that were written about on the Neuormancer, the Remnant finally managed to perfect these into a working model rather quickly. With a powerful enough atom-smasher, designed in part by the particle accelerators and reactors of the Deathspire Imperium, the Remnant is "farming" anti-matter. Using these as "bullets," their new AM weaponry is wholly devastating. The annihilation of one atom with another releases tremendous energy, and is usually more than enough to down opponents.

Advanced Defenses - The Remnant learned fairly early on that while their smaller strike craft was nearly impossible to hit and quite powerful, their carriers were not much more than tin-cans compared to the warships of others. The new missile warheads helped some, but they needed a bit more edge as well. Since their rebirth as machines, manipulating computer code came as a second nature to them. It was their primary language, after all. Recently, they have found out how to manipulate the computer languages of others as well, turning their broadcast signals into weapons themselves. Called the Aggressive Defense System, or ADS, this dedicated program searches for all incoming tracking signals, and jams them. Ships loose lock constantly, missiles refuse to fire, and targeting computers refuse to see the targets directly ahead of them. Against some systems, the ADS can even go into the fire control itself and trick the other machine into refusing any input, essentially shutting down their weapons. While it won't work against manual control, at the ranges most ships fight at the ADS is wonderfully potent.

Ships: (Names are links to images)
"Vindicator" class Interceptor
Length: 10m
Armament: x2 Anti-Matter Guns
Squadron Size: 5 Strike Craft
These small robot fighters excel at taking down their larger relatives. They are agile and small, and their weaponry is quite adept at taking down other Strike Craft. The AM Gun only fires one anti-matter atom at a time, but that is usually more than enough.

"Avenger" class Fighter
Length: 15m
Armament: x2 Anti-Matter Rotary Guns
Squadron Size: 5 Strike Craft
Larger than the Vindicator, the Avenger still holds the Remnant doctrine of maneuverability. The AMRGs take the old style Gatling principle and add it to the AMG. Essentially, four AMGs are spun to aid cooling and rate of fire. This makes them particularly nasty, although accuracy suffers slightly with this trade-off. Still, being able to fill an area with anti-matter atoms certainly will put a dent in anyone's plans.

"Unrelenting" class Bomber
Length: 20m
Armament: x2 Anti-Matter Cannons
Squadron Size: Three Strike Craft
While the AMG only fires single atoms, the cannon fires a gram at a time. The Unrelenting runs out of stored anti-matter faster than either the fighter or the interceptor because of this, as the storing of anti-matter is still quite bulky, but while it is armed this bomber craft is a force to be reckoned with by any stretch of the imagination.

"Calculator" class CL1 Frigate
Length: 240m
Armament: x4 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x2 AMG turrets
Carrying Capacity: 2 Squadrons
While not heavily armed or armored, the Calculator can still be dangerous. The lightest of the Remnant capitals, it retains the place of scout and explorer.

"Scorn" Class CL2 Escort Cruiser
Length: 300m
Armament: x10 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x2 Missile Tubes
Carrying Capacity: 8 Squadrons
Replacing the Watchdog as the base defender and escort ship, the Scorn is similarly potent none-the-less. Able to launch 8 squadrons of strike craft and fire two anti-matter warhead missiles each, the Scorn can become quite a threat in large enough numbers. Since they aren't usually seen in groups of less than six, this does make them quite deadly to anyone hoping to make an easy kill.

"Reprisal" Class CL3 Battlecruiser
Length: 486m
Armament: x12 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x12 Missile tubes
Carrying Capacity: 10 Squadrons
While not carrying much more than the Scorn in terms of strike craft, the Reprisal is still more heavily armed than its smaller brother. With twelve AMM launchers, the Reprisal can add its own branch of death to any fray.

"Retribution" Class CL4 Carrier
Length: 4027m
Armament: x24 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x20 Missile Tubes
Carrying Capacity: 40 squadrons
Large and dangerous, the Retribution carrier is a sight to behold. While the AMM launchers are no doubt dangerous in their own right, it is the ability of this ship to carry 40 squadrons that makes it truly deadly. Such a ship is rarely seen alone, only adding to its danger factor. Able to link targeting and point defense of other ships enhances the combat abilities of the whole fleet.

"Satisfaction" Class CL5 Supercarrier
Length: 4268m
Armament: x48 Point Defense Laser Clusters
x40 missile tubes
Carrying Capacity: 80 squadrons
At the time, the Union believed all they would need was the Durandal. While a mighty ship, it was proven to not be quite enough. While not much changed statistically, the Satisfaction is more a reflection on the Remnant's design philosophy than a true successor. Still, the Satisfaction is the de-facto Remnant flagship for a reason. Similar to the Retribution, the Satisfaction can link targeting and point defense to make everything just that more potent. No shot wasted, no missile missing its mark.

[Bubble Wrap]

Domain Boarding Parties

After the battle of Mona Lisa, the Hive and the Domain exchanged elements of their technology. The Domain received the knowledge needed to construct transporter complexes, used by the Hive to beam drones into enemy ships to assimilate them. The Domain instead developed a new class of combat robot, intended to be transported into enemy ships and eliminate the crew, allowing utility robots to be beamed across to capture the stricken vessel.