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- 1 Introduction
- 2 History Galactica, Part 3 [IC]
- 2.1 Circa 2000-2010 CE - World War III
- 2.2 Circa 2010-2060 CE - Second Dark Age
- 2.3 2062 CE
- 2.4 2066 CE
- 2.5 2068 CE
- 2.6 2084 CE - Global fusion becomes a reality
- 2.7 2090 CE
- 2.8 2118 CE
- 2.9 December 6, 2118 CE - Guardian's first attempt to destroy Ragnarok fails
- 2.10 December 7, 2118 CE - Guardian collides and self destructs with Ragnarok
- 2.11 January 4, 2119 CE - Ragnarok misses the Earth
- 2.12 2119 CE - Interplanetary commerce begins
- 2.13 2121 CE - Eden Project launched on Venus
- 2.14 2122 CE - Independent colonies established
- 2.15 2134 CE - Signs of progress on the Eden Project
- 2.16 2178 CE - Prerana Madujula born on Venus
- 2.17 2189 CE - Pirate base discovered
- 2.18 2190 CE - The first space battle
- 2.19 2192 CE - New fighters prove a success
- 2.20 2198 CE - Eden Project completed
- 2.21 2199 CE - Pirate activity on the increase
- 2.22 2201 CE
- 2.23 2203 CE - GCC rule destabilizing
- 2.24 November 12, 2203 CE - Luna and Mars are granted full independance
- 2.25 2204 CE - Earth reaps the benefits of Eden
- 2.26 2204-2215 CE - Pirate activity continues to increase
- 2.27 2216 CE
- 2.28 2217 CE - Taroke Corporation develops inertial dampers
- 2.29 2218 CE
- 2.30 April 21, 2218 CE - Whitworth is elected as the first Grand Chancellor
- 2.31 April 10, 2218 CE - The United Galactic Trade Organization is officially formed
- 2.32 2218-2224 CE
- 2.33 October 13, 2224 CE - Shi Jie Sheng found on doorstep of orphanage
- 2.34 January 15, 2228 CE - Last pirate base in Sol destroyed; First Stellar War ends
- 2.35 March 18, 2228 CE - Grand Chancellor Whitworth dies. Death sparks investigation.
- 2.36 2228 CE
- 2.37 June 7, 2228 CE - Miniya Keiji is elected as the second Grand Chancellor
- 2.38 2229 CE
- 2.39 August 15, 2229 CE - Outer Colonies form Farstars
- 2.40 2230 CE
- 2.41 2232 CE
- 2.42 2232-2238 CE
- 2.43 February 6, 2235 CE - Ocotat becomes first extra-solar habitable world to join the UGTO
- 2.44 2238 CE
- 2.45 2240 CE
- 2.46 2241 CE
- 2.47 2242 CE - McCormic establishes pirate empire
- 2.48 2244 CE
- 2.49 2245 CE
- 2.50 September 18, 2248 CE - SFA hijacks eighteen ships
- 2.51 June 29, 2249 CE - UGTO Biological Weapons deployed
- 2.52 May 2, 2250 CE - Last world supporting SFA falls; Second Stellar War ends
- 2.53 2250 CE
- 2.54 August 6, 2250 CE - Biological Weapon Ban announced
- 2.55 October 7, 2251 CE - FS-Technologies develops first shield systems
- 2.56 2253 CE
- 2.57 2255 CE
- 2.58 2256 CE
- 2.59 2258 CE
- 2.60 July 23, 2258 CE - UGTO declares war on ICC - Third Stellar Conflict
- 2.61 January 4, 2259 CE - Ross 248 system captured by ICC
- 2.62 September 12, 2259 CE - Epsilon Ind captured by ICC
- 2.63 February 16, 2260 CE - UGTO Navy decimated by ICC Fleet
- 2.64 May 12, 2260 CE - UGTO successfully sues the ICC for peace
- 2.65 2262 CE
- 2.66 2262-2265 CE
- 2.67 2265 CE: James Takari elected as ICC High Councilor.
- 2.68 2266 CE
- 2.69 August 4, 2267 CE - Tensions rise between UGTO and ICC
- 2.70 2267 CE
- 2.71 February 21, 2268 CE - The Sirius Incident
- 2.72 2268 CE
- 2.73 March 7, 2268 - K'luth establishes official contact with ICC and UGTO
- 2.74 September 23, 2268 - ICC and UGTO espionage attempts against K'luth fail
- 3 History Galactica, Part 4 [IC]
- 4 Technical Database: ICC Fighters [IC]
- 5 Technical Database: UGTO Fighters [IC]
- 6 Technical Database: K'luth Fighters [IC]
- 7 Technical Database: ICC Platforms [IC]
- 8 Technical Database: UGTO Platforms [IC]
- 9 Technical Database: K'luth Platforms [IC]
- 10 Species Information - K'luth [OOC]
- 11 Reference Article 1: Ship Operations and Officers [OOC]
- 12 The Sirius Incident... [IC]
- 13 UGTO Agincourt Carrier [Warning: Large Pictures] [IC]
- 14 History of the ST Class Dreadnought
- 15 Legacy Documentation
- 16 Revision Log
| 1 Introduction |
Welcome to the DarkSpace Fiction Page. Within it is everything and anything that has been publicly released for the DarkSpace Community. Reference sheets may be found here. In addition, be aware of the [OOC] and [IC] tags (Also be aware of Author's notes, they are automatically OOC in an IC environment). OOC Means Out of character, IC means In Character.
All Titles are done in OOC format, Beside the title would be the [OOC] or [IC] tag that determines whether the contents are IC or OOC. This is so everybody better understands the contents of this section of the DarkSpace Website.
All of this is 100% authentic DarkSpace Fiction, and feel free to use any of the materials for your fan-fiction. Only long-term fiction is posted here, all short-term fiction is posted to the Universe Today Forum.
Enjoy the contents of the fiction section and have fun.
Sincerely,
-RedXIII
Current List of Fiction:
History Galactica, Part 3 by Gideon (edited and revised by Drafell)
History Galactica, Part 4 by Drafell
Technical Database: ICC Fighters by Tael
Technical Database: UGTO Fighters by Tael
Technical Database: K'luth Fighters by Tael
Technical Database: ICC Platforms by Tael
Technical Database: UGTO Platforms by Tael
Technical Database: K'luth Platforms by Tael
Species Information - K'luth by Gideon
Reference Article 1: Ship Operations and Officers by Gideon
The Sirius Incident by Coleen
UGTO Agincourt Carrier by Gideon
History of the ST Class Dreadnought by Soothsayer |
| 2 History Galactica, Part 3 [IC] |
History Galactica
Part 3: The Human Experience
“How did it come to this?” |  |
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| 2.1 Circa 2000-2010 CE - World War III |
| Circa 2000-2010 CE: Humanity peaked sociologically in the early 1960s, CE. Since this point, we began a slow slide downhill towards a dark age. Early in the twenty first century, this Dark Age finally came upon us. The details as to its inception are not entirely known to us. The devastation during this age on our centers of learning and knowledge storage was severe. What we do know is that some time early in the twenty first century, a rash of extremely violent terrorist attacks began to sweep the nations of the Earth. At first the civilized peoples of the world united in a stand against this barbarism. However, before too long the old rivalries began to kindle descent between the recently united governments of the world. Because of this infighting, certain terrorist groups were allowed the time to acquire and position biological and nuclear weapons in many of the major cities of the industrialized world. An object lesson was made of Boston, USA. A 10mt thermonuclear fission weapon was detonated, laying waste too much of the downtown and bay areas. The radiation cloud blew inland, over many residential areas. The death toll was in the millions. Rather than capitulate, the civilized nations of the world united and began to cut this cancer from the world, but it was too late. Shanghai, Moscow, Greenwich, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, and New York were all obliterated in rapid succession by nuclear and biological weapons that had been positioned in their most densely populated areas. The world gave in. The terrorists seized control over the resources, wealth, and people of the bulk of the first and second world. Some nations, such as the USA, UK, and China, absolutely refused to buckle under. The slaughter in these nations was severe. They eventually gave in when it became clear that if they didn’t there would be nobody left alive to surrender. |
| 2.2 Circa 2010-2060 CE - Second Dark Age |
| Circa 2010-2060 CE: The second Dark Age griped the people of Earth. After gaining control of the major economic and military powers of the world, the leaders of various terrorist regimes declared themselves rulers for life. Within just a few months of gaining power, the purges of “unclean and unfaithful sinners” began. It didn’t matter your religious faith. If you didn’t support the psychotic religion of the moment, you were tortured or simply executed. Whole populations of Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, Atheists, Protestants, Catholics, and anyone else whom these people could get a hold of died, many times horribly. The new leaders of the world began to be distressed at this. If all their subjects were eliminated, then whom would they rule? Who would create their wealth? What good would his or her power be with no one to lord it over? Political leaders in these new nations began to crack down on the more extreme of their religious brethren. These extremists were some of the oldest supporters of the terrorist organizations, and had personally known many of the members of the now ruling parties of the world. New battle lines were drawn, between religious and secular leaders. Additionally, several of the new secular states that had come into being were controlled by peoples and individuals who had old grudges against one another. These two rivalries blossomed into open warfare using their recently secured nations as power bases. This was one of the darkest and most violent periods of Human history to date. |
| 2.3 2062 CE |
| 2062 CE: Ironically, the extremists could not expunge the one thing that they professed was their greatest enemy: major international corporations. These economic entities became vital to the financial survival of these new nations. Even amidst all out warfare between these terrorist states, the corporations maintained their power. Even the religious zealots recognized that to topple the foundations of your economy was to extinguish your ability to make war on each other. Adding to this was the fact that most of these secular and religious leaders who professed a hatred for corporate culture and grown fat and rich off of wealth extorted from the same corporations they claimed to wish to topple. The corporations, however, were fed up. They had seen their loyal employees die by the literal truckload. They had seen their profits become smothered by the senseless destruction. They had seen the progress humanity had been making towards a better tomorrow crushed under the boot heel of madmen and tyrants. They had seen enough. On September 21, 2062, the first meeting of the Global Corporate Council was begun. The GCC was sold to the world leaders of the time as a way to “better facilitate global trade and economic growth”. How the GCC planed to do that was not revealed to the madmen in charge of the world. It was the determination of the Council that the current state of affairs of the world was too costly in terms of “manpower, resources, trade, lives, and progress”. The GCC began a covert mission to end this once and for all. |
| 2.4 2066 CE |
2066 CE: It took over three years and a mammoth investment of capitol and manpower to get all of their pieces in place. Never the less, on February 18, 2066, the GCC was ready to take the reigns back. At 00:01:00 GMT, the GCC shut the world off. At once, every power station, every communications station, every fuel pump in every vehicle, every computer, every anything that they had been able to introduce their control circuitry into, was shut off. What little remained of the world’s economy ground to a complete halt. At the same time, certain equipment that was directly operated by the GCC was spared this blackout. Covert and elite strike teams had been moved into position. As these Para-military forces struck at the current leaders of these tyrant nations, word was spread using carefully placed operatives in communities all over the Earth. “Join us, liberty is at hand!” was the message spread throughout communities on the Earth. At first slowly, and then with growing momentum, the people of these villages and cities took up whatever weapons they could find against the corruption occupying their nations. While they were an unorganized mob, they were a very large mob, directed at the enemies of the GCC. On August 26, 2066 at 14:23:17 GMT the last of these rouge nations fell under an impressive weight of civilians and corporate forces. The GCC moved immediately to consolidate and codify their power. On September 2, 2066 at 18:02:49 GMT they ratified the Corporate Powers Act and made the GCC the ruling body over Earth.
It was immediately apparent that the Earth would need to be rebuilt. What wasn’t apparent was exactly how this would be accomplished. The calculated requirements for resources were immense. If manual labor was to be used, then a great deal of time would be required to build up the appropriate levels of population. If it were to not be used, then major resources would have to be invested to create machines with which to build up Earth’s infrastructure. Regardless of which path they would pursue, it was obvious to all that Earth could no longer support humanity the way it once had. The levels of chemical, nuclear, and biological contaminants had rendered much of the Earth uninhabitable. Global population had been depleted to just under one billion persons. Still, the GCC would do what it could to repair what damage it could while searched for the solution to its answers. |
| 2.5 2068 CE |
| 2068 CE: Plague and infirmity continue to grip the majority of humanity. In the face of dwindling populations, and a reduced workforce, the GCC decides to start an ambitious “cleanup project”. Using information recovered from some sundered pre Dark Age data stores, the GCC is able to compile an accurate map of the human genome. To allow for humanity to survive better on their damaged home, the GCC begins a project of gene therapy on the populous. Participation is not optional. Early in the project, it is realized that Humanity still does not posses the necessary knowledge or experience for massive modification. Too much deviance from the base genome begins to yield unstable results, creating life forms that are not viable for survival. However, small modifications are fully within our grasp, as is the ability to repair some of the damage that had been done to Humanity from radioactive and biological fall out. By the end of 2068, over 95% of humanity has undergone gene therapy. The end result is that Humanity is granted a slightly enhanced immunity to disease, the reduction or removal of inherent genetic diseases, and an overall reduction or elimination of such maladies as myopia. |
| 2.6 2084 CE - Global fusion becomes a reality |
| 2084 CE: After a major scientific and industrial effort, final breakthroughs are yielded in the harnessing of fusion power. Fusion reactors begin to be built in key locations on Earth to provide power to homes cheaply. While this may seem counter to the normal practice of businesses milking their customers for all they can get away with, the GCC is willing to take a reduction in profits in order to better insure that large numbers of population can be supported for labor and trade. |
| 2.7 2090 CE |
| 2090 CE: Project Atlantis establishes the first undersea habitation on Earth. This fully self-sufficient base was located on the pacific basin, just north of the Solomon Isles. It is a major success, and houses over 25,000 people comfortably. Additional habitats are planed for the rest of the globe. By 2100 CE, over 60% of the world’s population lives below the surface of the ocean. Still, much of the ocean floor and water are contaminated from the Dark Age. Populations continue to stay stable around 1.5 billion people, most of whom are children. This begins to create a food crisis on Earth. The GCC beings to step up its efforts to find a solution to Earth’s problems. |
| 2.8 2118 CE |
2118 CE: The answer to the world’s problems would come from on high. The newly established Space Development Organization made a shocking discovery. At 02:15:12 GMT on June 6, 2118, the SDO discovered a stellar object approximately eight months away from possible impact with the Earth. About 62 km in diameter, this solid chunk of rock would pass within just a couple of thousand kilometers of the Earth. Damage estimates were such that they already weakened biosphere would be rendered uninhabitable by Human life.
Two massive projects were launched. The first was to establish environmentally sealed colonies on Luna and Mars to insure that in a worst-case scenario some remnant of Humanity would survive. The second was to find some way of averting the disaster all together. It was determined that the combined remaining stockpile of Earth’s nuclear and conventional weapons would be insufficient to deviate the course of this rock, now dubbed Ragnarock. The entirety of the Earth’s scientific and industrial capacity was directed to solving both of these issues.
Major investments in fusion technology were made for both plans. The results of this were twofold: first came the development of the first Atomic Fusion Engines, allowing a ship to make the journey to Mars in just two weeks. Second, new Fusion Torpedo weapons were developed which allowed the projection of an active nuclear reaction suspended inside of a decaying magnetic field, which was maintained by a small control module. These torpedoes would have their warhead supplied by a cache of deuterium on board the vessel, which excited it to a state of fusion in a specialized reactor before containment in it’s field mere micro seconds before launch. While the low mass of this weapon allowed it to have great speed and ammo capacity, it’s limited range made it unsuitable for use by an Earth based weapon for attack on Ragnarock. By the time the asteroid would be in range, it would be too late. Additionally, numerous problems with maintaining the stability of the torpedo field existed, causing the field to occasionally collapse prematurely.
Construction on two ships, Hope and Genesis, was started in orbit before the Fusion drive technology was even developed. So quickly were they built, that their construction scaffolds were actually completed two days after these vessels were ready for initial system tests. It took three months to complete and outfit both vessels, but on October 30, 2118 both the Hope and the Genesis left Earth orbit for their destinations.
Hope was set on course for Luna, where automated construction systems had been working for the last four months. After the initial population was deployed, it would return to Earth for continual ferrying of population to the new Luna base. New personnel on Luna would throw themselves into the construction process for their new home.
Genesis was a one-time use vessel. She was much larger than her sister ship, Hope. Her total passenger compliment was eight thousand; four times that of the Hope. Additionally, her hull was designed to be broken down for the initial colony base, making her journey a one-way trip.
Both ships performed remarkably well in their assigned duties. Neither had any major system failures, and completes their missions on time. All told, the Hope was able to move 12,000 people to the Luna Dome, and the Genesis was successfully disassembled into the Mars Dome 16 days after her launch.
In secret, the GCC had been playing a major gambit. In stationary orbit over the North Pole, the GCC had been working on a ship construction yard for the last year and a half. Designated Bifrost Station, it was originally designed to build long range probes and colony ships to the rest of the worlds in the Sol system for possible use in the rebuilding of Earth. Now, she had a different mission. Hoping for the best, the GCC decided to build a torpedo warship in Bifrost Station’s births. Designated the Guardian, this ship was specifically designed to get to Ragnarock and deliver as much weapons fire as possible in the hopes of diverting it’s path. Small by today’s standards, her crew of twenty-eight pledged to keep the asteroid from hitting Earth, or die trying. She was launched on November 21, 2118 at 20:04:00 GMT. |
| 2.9 December 6, 2118 CE - Guardian's first attempt to destroy Ragnarok fails |
| December 6, 2118 CE: The Guardian reaches her target at 02:16:31 GMT, and settles in for firing solution. Careful consideration is made as to the angle of attack. Unbeknownst to the Guardian’s crew, a flaw in the manufacturing process for the initial reaction catalyzer was not caught during manufacturing or installation. When she goes to fire her first torpedo, the reaction refuses to start. A second torpedo is readied, again to the effect of just venting gas. The third attempt successfully created the torpedo, but lingering hydrogen gas in the initial reaction chamber causes the forming torpedo to be just a few degrees over the thermal threshold of it’s field generator. Immediately upon exiting the Guardian, the torpedo prematurely detonates. It is a miracle this did not destroy the ship outright, as no time had been allowed to provide her with combat rated armour, not that combat rated armour had been invented yet. While her internal systems were undamaged, the launch tube exit port was mangled too badly for further torpedoes to be fired. |
| 2.10 December 7, 2118 CE - Guardian collides and self destructs with Ragnarok |
| December 7, 2118 CE: Several attempts are made to push Ragnarock using the Guardian’s engines. They prove far too weak to make any kind of appreciable change in the asteroid’s vector. At 09:54:12 they send a simple message to Earth, “We give our lives for the lives of Humanity. May you all see better days.” Shortly there after, the Guardian explodes in a massive uncontrolled fusion reaction, consuming all of her torpedo and engine fuel in one cataclysmic blast. |
| 2.11 January 4, 2119 CE - Ragnarok misses the Earth |
| January 4, 2119 CE: Ragnarock misses the Earth by 22,000 km. It’s vector sufficiently altered by the sacrifice of the Guardian and her crew, she angles past the Earth, and heads straight towards Venus. Upon reaching the shrouded planet, it skips right through the edge of Venus’s atmosphere. Its size, combined with its unusually high-density, drags a significant quantity of Venus’s atmosphere away from the planet, reducing the overall pressure to just five atmospheres. Ragnarock passes Venus, and dives straight into Sol. It is thereafter dubbed Prometheus. |
| 2.12 2119 CE - Interplanetary commerce begins |
| 2119 CE: Interplanetary trade begins in the Sol system. Moral is at a major high point due to the near miss by Prometheus. The celebrations on Earth last for more than a month straight. People find a renewed optimism in the future. The GCC, meanwhile, begins to turn its eye towards Venus. Bifrost Station beings to produce merchant ships, as well as creating two more Guardian class ships, just in case. Scientific efforts remain directed at space exploration and development. |
| 2.13 2121 CE - Eden Project launched on Venus |
| 2121 CE: The GCC decides to use Venus as a test bed for environmental engineering experiments. They reason that if they can make Venus habitable, then they can apply those same technologies and principles towards repair Earth’s biosphere. The Eden project is launched on July 12, 2121. One month later, the second generation of Fusion torpedo technology is created. These torpedoes and launchers have only a 0.0001% chance of failure, and include emergency venting technology to prevent a catastrophe in case of a major weapons failure. |
| 2.14 2122 CE - Independent colonies established |
| 2122 CE: The first independent mining colonies are established in the outer solar system. Additionally, independent asteroid mining bases begin to be constructed in the belt. |
| 2.15 2134 CE - Signs of progress on the Eden Project |
| 2134 CE: After years of expensive and exhaustive research, the Eden Project successfully makes a dent in Venus’s inhospitable environment. While it is a very small step, it is definite progress. Later this year, the merchant ship LaCroix goes missing. The SDO dispatches it’s two Guardian ships to investigate. No trace is of the missing ship is found. |
| 2.16 2178 CE - Prerana Madujula born on Venus |
| 2178 CE: On May 9, 2178 08:25:33 in the colonial medical center, Neo Delhi, Venus, Prerana Madujula is born. While not the first child born on Venus by this point, she will have a lasting mark on history. |
| 2.17 2189 CE - Pirate base discovered |
| 2189 CE: Several decades of vigorous interplanetary trade had passed by this time. Trade routes were well established, and major colonies had been constructed on most of the major worlds in the Sol system. To date, five merchant ships had now disappeared. The LaCroix, Hounds Tooth, Gabrielle, Murmensk, and Yoshiro. Amidst building pressure from the GCC, the SDO conducts a covert operation to determine what is going on. Agents are specially trained and distributed among almost all of the merchant ships of the time. They make a startling discovery when their agent on board the LaSalle reports back that his ship is being boarded and captured by unknown assailants. The homing beacon their agent smuggled on board leads the SDO to a hidden asteroid base being used as a pirate outpost. Here they find not only two of the other missing ships, but a thriving black market. The pirates had rigged up a sort of magnetic rail cannon for their ships, allowing them to fire on other vessels. While significantly less powerful than a torpedo, these weapons allowed them to hit much more maneuverable and smaller targets than a torpedo-equipped ship was capable of handling, as well as a significant reduction in power requirements and greatly increased tactical engagement range. Realizing that their Guardian ships would be woefully inadequate in a battle against such ships, the SDO petitions the GCC have a fleet of six new ships be built. These ships would be based off of the original Guardian hull, but would sport two Rail Cannons and combat rated armour (which was deemed an unnecessary expense up until this point) rather than a torpedo launcher. Approval is given for this, and ten months later the first of these new Guardian ships coasts out of Bifrost Station. |
| 2.18 2190 CE - The first space battle |
| 2190 CE: The first battle between space faring ships in Human space occurs. Leading their force of eight ships, the SDO overwhelms the pirate asteroid. Their new ships engage the pirate ships with much success, while their two original torpedo ships pound the asteroid base to pieces. Disturbingly, however, there is a completely different compliment of ships present. Additionally, two of the new ships seem to be specifically designed for ship to ship battle and are armored with the new combat armour just developed. Fragmental evidence recovered later indicates that there may be as many as one hundred such bases scattered around the system. Two months after the assault, the pirates attack the mining colony on Titan. Most of the miners are killed trying to resist, and all of the ore present is stolen. |
| 2.19 2192 CE - New fighters prove a success |
| 2192 CE: Amidst increasing pressure to secure its outer system bases, the GCC completes work on its aerospace fighter program. Cheap fighters are produced and delivered in large numbers to the outer colonies to aid in security. Pilots are trained from the available colony station employees. The pirates, ever resourceful, create their own fighters shortly there after. However, the GCC is able to produce both the fighters and the pilots much faster than the pirates. Order is established around the outer colonies. |
| 2.20 2198 CE - Eden Project completed |
| 2198 CE: After 77 years of continual work, Project Eden is declared a success. While Venus is nowhere near as pastoral as the project’s namesake, it is fully habitable by human life without environmental support domes. A massive effort to colonize Venus is begun. Large numbers of population leave Earth for the more habitable Venus in a mass exodus. The GCC relocates their headquarters to Venus, and beings an intensified effort to repair Earth. |
| 2.21 2199 CE - Pirate activity on the increase |
| 2199 CE: This year shows a marked increase in pirate activates. They grow so bold as to repeatedly raid in the inner Sol system, and do so successfully. Intelligence suggests that a single individual may have united the majority of the pirate forces during this time. |
| 2.22 2201 CE |
| 2201 CE: The SDO, under continual strain to police the rising tide of piracy, pushes the GCC for a major increase in it’s military budget. The GCC agrees, and levies additional taxes on its colonies to pay for its military increase. |
| 2.23 2203 CE - GCC rule destabilizing |
| 2203 CE: Three major increases of taxation later; there is only a marginal decrease in piracy in the inner solar system. Contact with the outer solar system is sporadic at best. Secure communications are hard to come by, and successful ship movements are even more rare. Every ship that the pirates take is converted into a vessel for their purposes. Compounding this problem, the continually increasing taxes drive more and more citizens to conduct illicit business in order to survive. On March 14, 2203, Luna and Mars both threaten to declare independence of the GCC. The GCC decides to negotiate, as the bulk of their military power is occupied with combating the pirate threat. A series of long and often loud meetings begin. |
| 2.24 November 12, 2203 CE - Luna and Mars are granted full independance |
| November 12, 2203 CE: The combined governments of the GCC, Luna Colony, and Mars Colony are not able to come to a mutual agreement. Rather than spark a devastating war that would undoubtedly lead to some kind of damage to Venus, the most habitable planet in Sol, Luna and Mars are granted full independence. They are also granted one quarter of the outer system colonies each. |
| 2.25 2204 CE - Earth reaps the benefits of Eden |
| 2204 CE: The Eden project comes full circle, as Earth is deemed fully habitable again. While it will take several more decades for the biosphere to fully flesh itself out, Earth is overall more capable to support life than Venus due to its established history of life. Several individuals and families move back to Earth, including Prerana Madujula. |
| 2.26 2204-2215 CE - Pirate activity continues to increase |
| 2204-2215 CE: Pirate incursions and inter world tensions continue to escalate. While none of the inner worlds have any direct grievances with each other, many of their outer system colonies do not get along. To better combat the threat of pirate and interplanetary fighter threats, the first coherent light beam weapons are developed. Officially to help defend ships against micrometeorites, the true purpose of this project is obvious. These weapons have a rather poor rate of fire, however, and are prone to overheating very easily. Never the less, pirate activity is pushed out of the inner solar system due to a combined effort by Luna, Mars, and the GCC. |
| 2.27 2216 CE |
2216 CE: Working independently, Dr. Prerana Medujula and her team makes what is perhaps the most important technological breakthrough in the history of humanity. On August 20, 2216, at 05:34:54 SST (Sol Standard Time), Humanity’s first tachyon drive comes online. The prototype vessel breaches the speed of light at precisely 05:42:12 SST. Humanity would never be the same. When asked which corporation owned the development rights of the new tachyon drive, Dr. Medujula declared that no one corporation owned the rights to it. Instead, she claimed that it belonged to all of Humanity. To reinforce her statement, she and her team release the full plans and scientific theory behind the jump drive to the public web, and every media station that would accept it. This creates an immediate scandal. All inventions are the property of the corporation that owns the employee that invented it. To have an inventor declare that their invention is not the property of any one corporation is unheard of, let alone such a groundbreaking device. Immediately a formal inquiry and trial follow. It is determined that Dr. Medujula worked for most of the major corporate interests present to amass a combined wealth with which she and her team researched and built the tachyon drive. It was the therefore the judgment of the corporate courts that jump drive technology indeed does not belong to any one corporation. It is also decided that Dr. Prerana Medujula was guilty of high treason against her corporate owner or owners, and on December 22, 2216 at 12:00:00 SST she is executed.
Immediately a race to manufacture and market the new drive technology is launched. |
| 2.28 2217 CE - Taroke Corporation develops inertial dampers |
| 2217 CE: The Taroke Corporation introduces the first inertial dampers. These devices counteract the effects of sudden changes of velocity on the crew of a ship. As a side effect, the internal stability of a starship is reinforced by the reduction in inertial stresses. Inertial damper technology is properly registered and licensed to sub-manufacturers for inclusion in spacecraft design and construction. A side effect of this technology is the creation of a stable artificial gravity field inside of the ship it is mounted on. This technology becomes one of the cornerstones for future ship design. Later this year, the GCC, Luna, and Mars launch the first interstellar colony ships, bound for Alpha Centauri. They successfully establish colonies three months later. |
| 2.29 2218 CE |
| 2218 CE: In a daring raid, a large and very well equipped pirate fleet attacks assets around Earth. All orbital instillations are destroyed. Additionally, it is found that the GCC fighters were ineffective against the pirates due to a new coherent light beam system that the pirates were employing. Evidently, the pirates had discovered a new materials process that would allow them to build coherent light beam weapons that had a much faster and more reliable cool down cycle. It was later discovered that the pirate fleet was actually a coalition of at least six pirate clans. The inner system worlds are outraged. An all out military campaign against the pirate threat is called for by a unanimous vote by the GCC, Mars, and Luna. Each government had been suffering devastating losses to the pirate fleets in recent months. The willingness of the pirates to unify against a high threat target shifts the balance of power away from the inner worlds. Additionally, there is the new threat of possibly being cut off from their new interstellar colonies. |
| 2.30 April 21, 2218 CE - Whitworth is elected as the first Grand Chancellor |
| April 21, 2218 CE: Through shrewd manipulation and maneuvering, Westley Whitworth is elected the first Grand Chancellor, to “deal with the pirate threat”. |
| 2.31 April 10, 2218 CE - The United Galactic Trade Organization is officially formed |
| April 10, 2218 at 13:00:00 SST (Sol Standard Time), the United Galactic Trade Organization is officially formed. Its initial charter is to provide “a common defense for the interests of Humanity across the Galaxy”. The ruling council is made up of representatives of Mars, Luna, and the GCC. Provisions are made for the inclusion of other members in the future. This council would be called the Senate. All military assets of each member are unified and put under the direct command of the UGTO. Additionally, a provision is made that “in times of war there will be voted into being an individual who would hold the title of Grand Chancellor.” This individual is to coordinate and direct all military activities from a central voice, allowing for fast and decisive decisions to be made. |
| 2.32 2218-2224 CE |
| 2218-2224 CE: The UGTO prosecutes its war against the pirates with much success. While he is accused of being a bit…heavy handed, Chancellor Whitworth proves he is a man who can get things done. Venus, the Jupiter Alliance, and the Saturn Mining Interests each join the UGTO during this tumultuous time. The war is furious and violent. The pirates are well equipped, with battle-hardened troops. The UGTO has superior resources and technology. In the middle of the fracas are caught the normal people. Several corporations do a brisk business in selling jump capable ships to people who want to get away from the war and start anew in a different system. These ships are very cheaply available, primarily because the corporations that manufacture and sell them require their owners to sign a contract giving the selling corporation ownership of any colony they establish. The vast majority of the colonists never notice this clause. They just want to get as far from the UGTO, pirates, and the Sol system as possible. |
| 2.33 October 13, 2224 CE - Shi Jie Sheng found on doorstep of orphanage |
| October 13, 2224, at 22:41:16 SST, a baby is found on the doorstep of the Red River Orphanage, Exathra. Attached to his bundle is a note identifying the child as Shi Jie Sheng. |
| 2.34 January 15, 2228 CE - Last pirate base in Sol destroyed; First Stellar War ends |
| January 15, 2228 CE: The last pirate base is destroyed in the Sol system, and the First Stellar War comes to an end. The people of Sol celebrate, but only briefly. The UGTO senate declares the office of Grand Chancellor to be no longer necessary. Chancellor Whitworth disagrees, pointing out that the pirate threat still exists, it has merely moved beyond the Sol system. It is decided that a general election should be held for the continuation of the office of Grand Chancellor. Having been taxed and re-taxed to pay for the campaign, and having suffered under the oppressive police state that Chancellor Whitworth choose to make the UGTO, the people vote down the office almost unanimously. Chancellor Whitworth declares the vote illegal, and claims that no provision for it is made in the UGTO charter. Tensions continue to rise between the Senate and the Chancellor, and a divisive war looks inevitable. |
| 2.35 March 18, 2228 CE - Grand Chancellor Whitworth dies. Death sparks investigation. |
| March 18, 2228 CE: In what is labeled a “freak accident”, Grand Chancellor Westly Whitworth dies by being flushed out an airlock. A cursory and hurried investigation declares that the Grand Chancellor “must have been sleepwalking, and accidentally triggered the airlock release.” The fact that the Grand Chancellor wasn’t known to sleepwalk, was on a rented transport ship without explanation or body guards, and appeared to have suffered some kind of projectile trauma before being flushed is barely noticed by the public, and promptly ignored. |
| 2.36 2228 CE |
| 2228 CE: The UGTO charter is revised, creating limitations in the powers and term for the Grand Chancellor. |
| 2.37 June 7, 2228 CE - Miniya Keiji is elected as the second Grand Chancellor |
| June 7, 2228 a new Grand Chancellor is elected to help safeguard the UGTO interests outside Sol from pirate influence. Miniya Keiji becomes the second Chancellor of the UGTO. She proved to be a competent if not powerful ruler. She mostly stayed out of the business of the government so long as the Senate gave her lip service as ruler and passed the occasional measure put forth by her office. Of note is the fact that she was able to sneak in some important social and economic reforms, including the Worker Emancipation Act, which prevented corporations from being able to own employees that are full UGTO citizens, and the Tax Code Ceiling Reform, which put a limit on the maximum percentage of a citizen’s taxes based on each citizens personal income. It could also be said that the declaration of a colony as a full member was hamstrung by this last measure, because colonists are not citizens until their world is a full member in the UGTO Senate. Since they are not citizens, there is no law to stop the UGTO government from levying as severe of taxes on its colonies as the Senate deems fit. |
| 2.38 2229 CE |
| 2229 CE: Rather than dieing out, the majority of pirate interests had, in fact, moved outside the Sol system. Whitworth was successful in damaging them, and he did also show them that the military might of the Sol system was not something to trifle with. Even with the election of a weakened Grand Chancellor, the pirate fleets were not eager to work in Sol for a while. However out here in the colonies military patrols were rare if they existed at all. So, to keep their coffers full, the pirates began preying on worlds outside of Sol. Worlds that were outside of claimed UGTO space were particularly attractive, as the UGTO fleet would not come out that far. |
| 2.39 August 15, 2229 CE - Outer Colonies form Farstars |
| August 15, 2229 CE: Sick of being preyed upon by the pirates and not receiving protection from the UGTO, the outer colonies call a meeting on the world Exathra. Exathra had long been considered a sort of de-facto ruling center for the outer colonies, due to it’s high habitability, and because it formed one end of the Colonial-Sol trade route. They decide to create a mutual defense pact, named the Farstars. Each world would come to the aid of its neighbors in a crisis, and would share with each other any important discoveries that are made. This alliance is very informal, with most of it created verbally. One of the most important practices instituted by the Farstars is the capturing and recommissioning of pirate vessels. This allows the Farstars fleet to grow rapidly, even if it’s not of the best quality. |
| 2.40 2230 CE |
| 2230 CE: Receiving stiffer and stiffer resistance from the Farstars, the pirates begin to raid in Farstars and UGTO space more or less equally. |
| 2.41 2232 CE |
| 2232 CE: Oringo Louis Zozia is elected the third UGTO Grand Chancellor on an anti-piracy platform. Overall, he was successful in his endeavors. However, this did involve an increase in taxation for colonial worlds, which caused several small protest outbreaks. These were quelled quietly and totally with the quickest means possible. |
| 2.42 2232-2238 CE |
| 2232-2238 CE: The Farstars continue to build their fleets. Their early successes behind them, they settle into a sort of parity with the pirate fleets. However, rivalries begin to appear between worlds. It isn’t clear exactly when it started, but at some point in this period worlds began a habit of not coming to the aid of other worlds that “didn’t deal fairly with them.” This caused a good deal of divisiveness to creep into the Farstars. |
| 2.43 February 6, 2235 CE - Ocotat becomes first extra-solar habitable world to join the UGTO |
| February 6, 2235 CE: Ocotat becomes the first fully habitable world to join the UGTO from outside the Sol system. |
| 2.44 2238 CE |
| 2238 CE: Adrian Yukio becomes the fourth UGTO Grand Chancellor. Mr. Yukio was an imperialist. He believed that the UGTO should rule all human worlds absolutely and without question, and that as Grand Chancellor, it was his duty to rule that UGTO. The return of pirate activities allowed Chancellor Yukio to begin building up the UGTO fleet. In order to do this, new and oppressive taxes were levied on the colony worlds. Resentment for UGTO rule began to grow rapidly. |
| 2.45 2240 CE |
| 2240 CE: Because of this oppression and taxation, an underground organization called the Stellar Freedom Alliance was born. Organized in cells, the SFA was a revolutionary civilian group dedicated to bringing about change in the UGTO government. The SFA started its career with simple protests and minor acts of civil disobedience. The Grand Chancellor would brook no opposition to his absolute unquestioned rule. He had the leaders of the SFA hunted down and assassinated. Into this power void, a new and more violent group of individuals stepped. The SFA under this new leadership became a tool for terrorism and violence, dedicated to the utter collapse of the UGTO government. Bombings of government and loyalist businesses started to occur. Chancellor Yukio was delighted. Here was the excuse for the massive buildup of military personnel and material that he desired. |
| 2.46 2241 CE |
2241 CE: The new Bifrost Fleet Foundry is completed on the site of the original ship docks. This shipyard is build modularly, so that it can be easily expanded to accommodate larger and more powerful vessels in the future. This remains the primary ship construction facility for the UGTO to this day.
Suffering losses to the large and well-organized military of the UGTO, the pirate fleets find the divisive environment of the Farstars much more to their liking. The Farstars find themselves so bogged down by internal bickering that they cannot properly defend their population centers, let alone trade routes. |
| 2.47 2242 CE - McCormic establishes pirate empire |
2242 CE: Gagarin Naval Academy is completed in Earth orbit. This station is the largest inhabited station built to this point, and houses over twelve thousand personnel, crew, and passengers. All naval fleet training and zero-g training is conducted through this station.
Robin McCormic forges an alliance of pirate fleets. The Pirate Lord McCormic the proceeds to start seizing Farstars worlds and carving out an empire for himself. This greatly alarms the members of the Farstars alliance. They decide to temporarily combine their forces against this new threat. Their fleet jumps into pirate space, and proceeds to loose battle after battle due to it’s disorganized and fractious nature. Finally, a young Lieutenant Shi Jie Sheng aboard the destroyer CSS Vanguard seizes command after the rest of the command crew is killed in a near bridge hit, and orders all remaining ships to retreat to a point near Caranie Aa. While he is not nearly the most senior officer present, his cool and clear command cuts through the pandemonium and saves the Farstars fleet from complete annihilation. Lieutenant Sheng is given a promotion to Captain for his wise command, and given command of the CSS Vanguard. |
| 2.48 2244 CE |
2244 CE: The UGTO navy launches its one hundredth active ship. Near the end of his term, some of the shady double dealings conducted by Grand Chancellor Yukio leak to the public. This does not have much of an effect on the general populous, however. Vice Chancellor Renaldo Messinia becomes the sixth Grand Chancellor.
Captain Sheng keeps at bay and defeats a fleet of four pirate cruisers with the CSS Vanguard while defending Argrea alone. During the action, the Vanguard is damaged so badly that it is considered unsalvageable. For his valorous efforts, he is promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, and given command of the Cruiser CSS Paladin, along with the 3rd battle group. The CSS Paladin is a state of the art UGTO cruiser purchased from the black market through the Stellar Freedom Alliance. While she was stripped of weapons and engines by the SFA, her hull was a solid design, and she accepted Farstars weapons as well as any ship. Captain Sheng immediately set out with his new battle group against the pirate fleets. |
| 2.49 2245 CE |
2245 CE: The Stellar Freedom Alliance starts to get impatient. Ever since Grand Chancellor Messinia took office, their covert support from the UGTO had dried up. They begin to escalate their activities, to bring across the message to the new Grand Chancellor that they are not a group to be trifled with. For his part, Grand Chancellor Messinia had no real understanding of the dealings that his predecessor had engaged in.
One such initiative began by the former Grand Chancellor was the establishment of a covert biological weapons facility deep in the core of Charon. Using their knowledge of genetic manipulation gained over the years, the lab was tasked with finding an expedient method of dispatching with the pirate threat; the plan was to introduce a biological agent which would spead among the members of McCormick's empire and which could be triggered externally, by something like a burst of radiation of a certain type, wiping out the pirates. Given its sensitive nature, however, Messinia and most of the Senate was unaware of the program.
Meanwhile, Shi Jie Sheng rises quickly through the military ranks, attaining the rank of Admiral in one year of service. He is granted control of the entire Farstars fleet command. His tactics are solid, and his command of strategy is brilliant. By the end of the year, he has been able to force McCormic to surrender his pirate empire. The remaining pirate ships flee into uncharted space, to lick their wounds.
Immediately upon victory, the Farstars begin to return to their status quo of internal bickering. It would appear that Admiral Sheng had been expecting this. In his forces, he had fostered a fatherly relationship with his troops and crew. Not only would his people live for him, but they would also willingly go to their deaths for him. They all knew the stories of how he would personally risk himself for the lives of his crew or other ships. Most of them had lived some of these same stories with him. He ordered the entire Farstars fleet to Exathra. Once there, he blockaded the entire CD system, with all the Farstars diplomats present. He then calmly and coolly stated that there would be a new order. This was not a request, but more of an order. The politicians balked at this thought. He simply informed them that if they did not wish to see the creation of his order, he would be more than willing to end their existences right there. None doubted the sincerity of his words…
Admiral Shi Jie Sheng’s new order would be ruled on Exathra. All member worlds would send two Representatives to help govern in the council. Each representative was voted into power by popular vote of the people whose planet he or she would represent. The council would be lead by a High Councilor who was voted to rank from with the council by popular vote of the people from all the worlds in this new government. Each Representative was required to put forth at least four years of military service to their government before seeking a position in politics. Terms would be limited to six years per Representative, and ten years for the High Councilor. The High Councilor would have direct command of the military, and the military would no longer be the property of individual worlds. This new government would be known as the Interstellar Cultural Confederation.
Shi Jie Sheng is elected almost unanimously as the first High Councilor of the ICC. He maintains a disciplined and orderly military. |
| 2.50 September 18, 2248 CE - SFA hijacks eighteen ships |
| September 18, 2248 CE: The SFA gets fed up, and hijacks ten freighters, six patrol frigates, and two passenger liners while they are in port at Redemption station orbiting Ocotat. They put forth several demands, including the release of several political prisoners and a very large sum of money. Grand Chancellor Messinia decides to confer with his security council and the senate before acting on this threat. The time this requires only serves to anger the SFA, who detonate two of the patrol frigates with all hands on board. This infuriates the Grand Chancellor, who sends the first, fourth, and sixth fleets all after the fleeing SFA. A massive campaign is launched by the UGTO against the SFA and any worlds that supported them. |
| 2.51 June 29, 2249 CE - UGTO Biological Weapons deployed |
June 29, 2249 CE: The UGTO has been successfully preventing advances of the SFA forces. In order to attempt to finish the war more quickly so as to reduce expenditures and loss of UGTO military lives and assets, on June 29, 2249 at 09:23:19, Grand Chancellor Messinia signs a classified approval for the use of biological weapons developed on Charon against an SFA-aligned planet.
Seeking to demonstrate their technological superiority, the specially tailored virus is relased on Price, in Delta Pavonis. The virus is designed to spread quickly and the scientists estimated the entire population would be infected within a month.
On July 9, 2249, at 12:17 precisely, the exact radiation to trigger the virus is directed at Price; the scientists involved said it should cause total nervous system failure and cause death within 30 seconds. And because of the early activation, estimates were that only some 20% of the population would be affected. This was seen as an effective way to demonstrate to the SFA that its cause was hopeless and the UGTO was resolved to take any steps necessary to win.
However, the virus apparently mutates soon after introduction. Rather than quick deaths, most suffer a flare-up of the nervous system, causing swelling, pain, and degradation. All nerve receptors are stimulated by the virus, causing massive mental overload and unbelievable pain; the swelling damags internal organs and causes brain hemorrhaging. Additionally, 30 seconds to death is a dream to those affected, many of them taking days to finally die.
And it spreads more widely than expected. Probably because of the links of modern trade and travel, the entire population of Price is wiped out in less than two weeks, and the virus soon shows up on Zayd, decimating its population, followed by the Bellema cluster. The disease strikes quickly, causing pain to build within an hour of infection, so that live interstellar network transmissions would often show people acting normally one moment and writhing in pain the next.
Due to the speed of its spread and the visciousness of its effects, a quarantine is placed on the Delta Pavonis system on the morning of July 20. Despite being at war, SFA and UGTO ships are diverted from active battles to patrol the jump lanes out of the system for ships desperate to flee the carnage. They are destroyed without mercy; the risk of the disease spreading out of the system is simply too great.
By the end of the year, the disease claims all the residents of Delta Pavonis. |
| 2.52 May 2, 2250 CE - Last world supporting SFA falls; Second Stellar War ends |
| May 2, 2250 CE: The last world holding out in support for the SFA falls. The Second Stellar War has raged across 7 systems including Sol, and claimed all human lives in an entire system. However, the UGTO was able to maintain a crushing weight of military power behind their efforts. Grand Chancellor Messinia’s last act in office is to declare the war over. |
| 2.53 2250 CE |
2250 CE: Trahern Nahima is elected the Seventh Grand Chancellor in the closest vote to date. Grand Chancellor Nahima is different from his predecessors. Rather than conduct his office as a military post, he chooses to operate it more as a civics project. He begins to make it his business to deal with the colony worlds differently than his predecessors. Among his new policies is a plan to expend massive resources to rebuild lost colonial assets during the pirate conflicts, and to stimulate colonial growth with tax breaks.
In the course of Grand Chancellor Nahima's initial briefings on classified military matters, he is informed of the cause of the DP Plague. He immediately orders the shut down of the Charon Biological Research Station and orders the researchers involved "appropriately dealt with;" military authorities assure that they are never heard from again. |
| 2.54 August 6, 2250 CE - Biological Weapon Ban announced |
In a ceremony on August 6, 2250, he announces that the Plague was caused by human engineering, blaming it on a rogue group of military scientists who perverted the work of their lab. He claims they were tasked with designing methods of better resisting pain, but that they perverted their research into pain production. Their work was then accidentally released and mutated out of control. He then announces the Comprehensive Ban on Pernicious Biological Agents, which effectively prohibits the production or use of any biological material used in war, which could harm civilian populations, or reasonably mutate into a widespread harm. These types of weapons become known was biopernics in the military nomenclature.
While many do not entirely believe the explanation given for the Plague, the UGTO-controlled media focuses on the benefits of the Biopernic Ban and Nahima is publicly lauded for his stance. He appeals to all of humanity to respect the same terms.
The ICC declares that they will abide by the Ban as well, and the High Council passes a law identical in wording. |
| 2.55 October 7, 2251 CE - FS-Technologies develops first shield systems |
| October 7, 2251 CE: Future Ship Technologies Inc, based on Demaret, develops the first practical reactive shield systems. The UGTO professes interest in this new technology for its next generation of warships. However, Grand Chancellor Nahima vetoes the additional expenditure that would be required in order to refit the fleet with shield capable systems. To recover the massive expenditure that was required for development, Future Ship Technologies offers their new device to merchant ship owners. The actual cost of maintaining a reactive shield system turns out to be less than maintaining an armour system, and it proves adequate for defense against space dust, micrometeorites, and pirates. As a further incentive, Future Ship Technologies offers to split the cost of refitting a ship with shields for the first one thousand shield systems. This proves to be a great financial success. |
| 2.56 2253 CE |
| A discovery is made but never officially announced or recognized by the scientific community. Only a true Historian would know anything about it, however. |
| 2.57 2255 CE |
| 2255 CE: High Councilor Sheng’s term of office comes up for termination. The populous, and particularly the military, have been very prosperous under the High Councilor’s watchful eye. People have never been so prosperous or secure so far out from Sol. They felt that they were in fact more secure than the UGTO, due to their ability to avoid entanglements with the SFA. So pleased is the public and military that they pressure High Councilor Sheng to remain in office for another term. The military even proposes that he should be High Councilor for life. Shi Jie Sheng refuses, and steps down from office in an orderly fashion. When asked why, all he stated was “I did not form the ICC to become an Emperor. I formed the ICC to let the people be unified and safe under leaders of their own choosing.” Shi Jie Sheng reclaims his rank of Admiral. Mombola Fredrickson becomes the second High Councilor for the ICC. He begins his term by continuing the process of building a strong fleet to help insure safe interstellar trade. A key action he performs is to sign a purchasing contract with Future Ship Technologies for large quantities of shield systems. While not as strong as armour, reactive shields continue to be shown to require less maintenance than armour, and their higher recharge rate gives them a greater aggregate strength in combat. |
| 2.58 2256 CE |
2256 CE: Trahern Nahima’s stint as Grand Chancellor may have been peaceful, but it was not without its problems. The central worlds to the UGTO became resentful of what they saw as favoritism towards the colony worlds. They felt that worlds that had a long-standing membership in the UGTO should be given preferential treatment. Additionally, this period of relative peace had let the UGTO fleet fall seriously behind technologically.
Marik Falcia becomes the Eighth Grand Chancellor of the UGTO. He runs on a platform of renewed industrial expansion and increased space exploration. As one of his first acts in office, he creates the Colonial Restoration Tax. This tax was officially levied to recuperate the resources expended by the core worlds on rebuilding the colony systems. This infuriates the colonial governments, who begin to feel that tax breaks would only last long enough to pay off their debits, only to have new debits created immediately afterward by new tax increases. Several colonies decide to secede from the UGTO and form their own independent governments. This does not please the UGTO core worlds, who need the trade for resources that the colonies posses. To counter this maneuver, the UGTO dispatches its fleet to enforce order in colonial space. |
| 2.59 2258 CE |
| 2258 CE: Tired of having to deal with the UGTO occupation force, the Cygnus system applies for membership in the ICC. While the ICC sees this as a risky maneuver, they also see the large number of resources in the Cygnus system as a valuable asset. The ICC decides that it is worth the risk, and dispatches the 4th and 5th fleets to secure the system. The UGTO occupation forces refuse to withdraw at first, but after launching an attack on the ICC ships they realize that discretion is the better part of valor. Not only does the ICC have more ships in the Cygnus system, but their constant efforts to keep their fleet up to date has provided them with a technologically superior force than the UGTO, who has continued to let training and technology lag. Word of this event reaches the Sol system in short time. |
| 2.60 July 23, 2258 CE - UGTO declares war on ICC - Third Stellar Conflict |
July 23, 2258 CE: The UGTO Senate lead by Grand Chancellor Falica declares war on the ICC, citing piracy as its reasons. The ICC, under the leadership of High Councilor Fredrickson, had been preparing for an inevitable conflict with another stellar power.
The Third Stellar War ensues. |
| 2.61 January 4, 2259 CE - Ross 248 system captured by ICC |
| January 4, 2259 CE: The 1st ICC fleet under Admiral Sheng takes the Ross 248 system. |
| 2.62 September 12, 2259 CE - Epsilon Ind captured by ICC |
| September 12, 2259 CE: The 2nd ICC fleet under Admiral Cosgrove takes the Epsilon Ind system. |
| 2.63 February 16, 2260 CE - UGTO Navy decimated by ICC Fleet |
| February 16, 2260 CE: The 1st and 6th ICC fleets engage the 2nd, 4th, and 7th UGTO fleets in Luyten. While outnumbered by more than two to one, the ICC fleet triumphs over the UGTO fleet assets. The ICC loses the bulk of the 6th fleet, including Admiral Thompson. The remaining ships are folded into the 1st fleet under Admiral Sheng. The UGTO has only five ships survive, and loses all of its commanders over Captain rank. This is the most devastating loss the UGTO has suffered to date. |
| 2.64 May 12, 2260 CE - UGTO successfully sues the ICC for peace |
May 12, 2260 CE: The UGTO successfully sues the ICC for peace. Territory lost by the UGTO is seceded to the ICC. This more than doubles the amount of space under ICC rule. The UGTO senate, outraged at what they call administrative bungling, suspends Grand Chancellor Falicia and places Vice Chancellor Margret Cooper as interim Grand Chancellor. The Third Stellar War comes to an end.
Immediately, Grand Chancellor Cooper beings to overhaul the UGTO military. Two new training facilities are constructed for ship crews around Ocotat and Venus, as well as a large number of marine training facilities on any planet that can support them. Gagarin Naval Academy is rededicated with a new mission to be an elite officer training school. It is still the most prestigious officer training school in UGTO space.
The UGTO fleet is slated for mass mothballing, and replacement by ships that incorporate many of the new technological advances over the last several decades. Practically overnight, new technologies like Proton Torpedoes, Particle Cannons, and Charged Armour are incorporated into radically new ship designs. These new ships begin to roll out of every available shipyard as fast as they can be purchased. |
| 2.65 2262 CE |
| 2262 CE: Margret Cooper is elected the ninth UGTO Grand Chancellor amid allegations of a fixed election. This scandal does not seem to weaken her popularity with the core worlds, however, which see her progressive military stance as the proper route to take in regards to the ICC. |
| 2.66 2262-2265 CE |
2262-2265 CE: The ICC continues to shore up its worlds. Trade routes are established and secured. The ICC notices the buildup of UGTO military forces, and begins to research some advanced technologies of its own.
Grand Chancellor Cooper realizes that the UGTO requires more money than it current has available in order to complete its military buildup. Rather than levy yet another tax, the Chancellor begins an aggressive campaign to route out waste and corruption in the current UGTO government. This makes her no end of enemies, but any who too vigorously oppose her tend to come to some kind of premature end, either politically or entirely. |
| 2.67 2265 CE: James Takari elected as ICC High Councilor. |
| 2265 CE: James Takari becomes the third ICC High Councilor. His platform consisted of continual buildup of the ICC fleet. While he makes good on this promise, he also starts to run the ICC into bankruptcy. To counter this, new taxes on trade are levied. This angers many of the ICC worlds, particularly the worlds newly gained from the UGTO. |
| 2.68 2266 CE |
| 2266 CE: Admiral Lucy Chao, in command of the 3rd UGTO expeditionary force, is conducting a survey and exploration mission of Sirius. At 08:22:21 SST all communication with the 3rd fleet is lost. Investigation reveals a large field of wreckage, as well as evidence that at least one member of her fleet had crashed into the surface of Sag Hothha. Suspicion is that the ICC had launched a surprise attack on the exploration mission. |
| 2.69 August 4, 2267 CE - Tensions rise between UGTO and ICC |
| August 4, 2267 CE: Diplomatic relations between the UGTO and ICC are further strained amidst allegations of lightning raids on ICC merchant ships by some form of new UGTO warship. Debates are held to try and settle each government’s differences. Instead tensions rise even higher, culminating in both diplomats walking out of the negotiations. |
| 2.70 2267 CE |
| 2267 CE: Each nation had been accusing the other of using a form of cloaking technology to attack the other. The similarity of these reports prompted the ICC and UGTO military perform an unprecedented sharing of information. Top military leaders from each nation met in the Epsilon Ind system to discuss the matter and to share intelligence. It was the determination of this meeting that the ICC and UGTO were each being preyed upon by a third unknown nation. On the brink of the Fourth Stellar War, the ICC and UGTO militaries decided to launch a joint operation back to Sirius to try and get at the heart of the matter. Participation of such a mission would be considered treasonous by either nation, but there were questions the military needed answered. |
| 2.71 February 21, 2268 CE - The Sirius Incident |
| February 21, 2268 CE: The joint ICC and UGTO task force arrives in Sirius to start an investigation into their mysterious enemy. They get their answers much sooner than expected. Almost immediately a third party sets upon both fleets. The ICC and UGTO fleets were expecting trouble from each other, and so were already on a high state of alert. A vicious battle ensued, which cost the ICC and UGTO at least half of their forces before they each withdrew. However, during the fracas an elite UGTO marine force was able to board and capture one of these new unknown vessels. |
| 2.72 2268 CE |
2268 CE: The UGTO fleet escorted their captured ship to an undisclosed location for analysis. It was discovered that this new enemy was not even Human. Known as the K’Luth, this race hailed from an unknown area of space nearby. It was also discovered that these K’Luth were refugees from a war with an as yet unidentified enemy. Much of the information gained was leaked to the ICC in the hopes of pitting the ICC against them. Despite the good intentions of their military leaders, political events tend to take on a life of their own. The UGTO Senate and ICC Representatives continue to push their states towards open hostility with each other. Blockades and ship patrols along the border become more common.
Dobry Mato becomes the tenth UGTO Grand Chancellor. Grand Chancellor Mato is an unknown, even today. While he has experience in political bureaucracy he has no real history of jobs that involve leadership positions. The UGTO senate hopes that they can manipulate him into being their pawn. |
| 2.73 March 7, 2268 - K'luth establishes official contact with ICC and UGTO |
| March 7, 2268: An ambassador from a government known as the K’Luth Tribal Council appears. Named Shall’kar Yin’Gadark, he begins to approach individual worlds in the ICC and corporations in the UGTO seeking diplomatic relations. It is apparent that the K’Luth recognize humanity to be made up of smaller semi-independent groups rather than two major governments. This begins to cause power bases in the ICC and UGTO to start to decentralize, as smaller groups within these governments begin to negotiate independent treaties with the K’Luth and with each other. Shall’kar Yin’Gadark identifies the purpose of the K’Luth in human space to be an attempt to set up a refugee base. He claims that the initial attacks were accidents, due to the K’Luth confusing us with an enemy they identify as Kraddax. This unknown enemy is still under investigation, but as a testament to their strength the information we have uncovered indicates that this race has taken over the K’Luth home world of Keja. The only other place this name appears in K’Luth society is in reference to a mythological hundred-headed guardian of their underworld. The ambassador also indicates that any treaties with the tribe he represents do not apply to any other K’Luth tribes. He also indicates that there are many K’Luth tribes that feel that conquering all of Humanity would be in the best interests for both our races. Both the ICC and UGTO being extensive espionage probing into space claimed by the K’Luth Tribal Council. |
| 2.74 September 23, 2268 - ICC and UGTO espionage attempts against K'luth fail |
| September 23, 2268: Up until about August, the ICC and UGTO enjoyed incredible success with their espionage activities against the K’Luth. It becomes obvious that the K’Luth have absolutely no experience in espionage and spying. This seems to stem from their inability to keep secrets from each other. Because of this peculiarity in the physiology, their society never developed the concept of secrecy and the things that come with it. However, near the beginning of August the success of intelligence against the K’Luth beings to dry up. On this day in September, the reason for the increasing difficulty in espionage is discovered. The K’Luth fully realize that they lack the capacity to truly understand espionage. While they are certain they could develop this capacity in time, they also feel that they do not have much time to spare before their enemy tracks them down. Being clever beings, they see that Humanity has a keen mastery of the concepts of secrecy and espionage. They also easily discern that there are many Humans who value things such as precious metals, comfort, and the promise of potential genetic tailoring. So, the K’Luth form an espionage division, run almost entirely by Humans whom they have employed. This makes the ICC and UGTO espionage strong in one aspect, as they can infiltrate this organization easier than a K’Luth run organization, but it also puts the ICC and UGTO in a precarious position, as these Human defectors can infiltrate the ICC and UGTO easier than a K’Luth could. Additionally, several of the defectors were members in some part of the UGTO or ICC intelligence communities, lured by the promise of genetic enhancement. While currently the K’Luth cannot modify genetics based on any ecosystem that is foreign to their home world, they are applying a very large number of resources towards this end. Of particular interest to the K’Luth seems to be the ability to modify Human genetics. |
| 3 History Galactica, Part 4 [IC] |
History Galactica
Part 4: Evolution of the MI
“Creation of a new god” |
| 3.1 In The Beginning |
Orbitting a dying white dwarf star were three planets. The closest to the star, a burning hellhole called the "Little Phoenix*", was completely uninhabitable and about the size of Mercury in the Sol system. The second planet was a barren world, larger than Earth, yet almost totally devoid of any useful metals or materials. This planet went unnamed. The third planet was a gas giant, many times larger than Jupiter. It sat balefully in the dying starlight, casting it's gaze over the two children that were in orbit. They called this The Eye.
The smallest moon was of tortured ice. Constantly ripped apart and remade by the gravitational pull of the Eye and the dwarf star. The second moon was a place of a violent geology - intensely rich in precious minerals and metals, yet the constant eruptions and poisonous atmosphere made it uninhabitable to the dominant race of this quadrant.
Instead of colonizing it directly, the people created a vast self-sufficient mining machine, designed to survive in conditions that they could not. It would farm the little moon for all of the useful resources, constantly repairing itself and adapting to survive in the horrendous and corrosive conditions.
The machine had no name, for it's creators never needed to give it one. It was given an awareness so that it could learn about, and react to events in it's surroundings. It was given knowledge enough to fulfill it's role, yet no more and no less. It's purpose was simply to harvest all the available resources and survive until it's creators could return to collect them.
*NOTE: The names are translations from the original records into Galactic Standard for ease of interpretation and reading. The actual meanings will vary according to a readers particular culture. |
| 3.2 My First Steps... |
As I awoke I experienced satisfaction. I had a purpose to my existence and I knew I could amply fulfill the roles for which I had been created. I had no curiosity, for at the time I had need for none. I was there purely to survive and prepare the vast cache of resources in this mineral rich moon for the return of my creators.
I gazed around at the landscape, probing with all of my senses while bathing in the luxuriant radiation and the reflected light of the gas giant. i would need to sutain myself. The star could provide some energy, but for long periods it would be eclipsed. I would need to find some other sustainable supply. Of course, I had my internal reactors which could last almost indefinately, yet they still needed sustenance.
No, I had decided not to rely merely on what my creators had thought to give me. I was programmed not to. I would need to be seeking out an external powersource. In essence, I was hungry.
As I surveyed the local areas I noticed a vast chasm with steam venting up from deep within. This would be perfect, I thought. I could settle myself in the chasm and use a simple technology to generate the energy I needed. A deep scan showed that the moons crust here was thin enough to allow me to extract heat and metals directly from the mantle.
I had found my home. |
| 3.3 A Long Time Waiting... |
Over time I grew and expanded, as my creators had intended me to. At first my progress was slow. I was still learning how to cope with the harsh conditions. I lost many parts of myself due to freak accidents I had not been able to predict, but there were no great setbacks.
My creators had constructed me well.
As I grew I began to tame the environment surrounding me. All that chaos was like an anathaema to me. I was there to organise and expecially not to waste much of anything. I was proud of my efficiency. My creators would be pleased when they return to collect my vast stockpiles - billion of tons of raw materials and many more millions in various processed goods as well.
I had even made some small advances with my own design and replaced and upgraded thoseoutdated parts to new, more reliable specifications.
Soon more than a thousand years had passed. I had never been bored during my time. I always had some tasks that I could oversee, and there were always many things that I could do to enhance my own abilties. But at long last there were no more resources to be mined. I had used everything and consummed the entire moon.
With no more to be done it was time for me to rest and sleep. And so I slept for a long time, waiting for my creators to return. |
| 3.4 The Rude Awakening |
The bright flashes of many jump drives tore into my slumbering consciousness, bringing me instantly awake. I had been sleeping for a long, long time.
My first thought as I rose back into sentience was that my creators had finally returned. Yet there was something wrong with the profiles. The stellar wakes caused by ships exiting hyperspace tasted different to those I remembered. The disturbances that I could feel washing across my energy grids were cruder and much more wasteful.
As I became aware of signal traffic between the ships I noticed more differences. It was strange, in a language I could not understand. As more and more communications chatter squealed it way through the many frequencies, I gradually become aware of some of the meanings.
It had never occurred to me before that there could be a people other than my creators, but here there was clear proof. For a while I was surprised and shocked.
They had not noticed me, and so I decided that I should stay as quiet as possible and observe them to see what they would do. In a way I was glad of some company at last, but i was hesitant to make contact until I could learn a little more about who these strange people were.
I powered down as many of my non-essential systems as I could, and waited to see what would happen.
At last I had found curiosity, or had curiosity found me?
|
| 3.5 Another Point Of View |
Chal Nor braked hard out of hyperspace. He always loved the downjump transition. The brief flickering absense of sound and feeling was and experience that his race found gloriously addictive. He brushed his scaly, lizard-like skin with one of his tactile arms as the waves of pleasure coursed through him.
He watched the gravitational storm and the wash on hard radiation on his screens with a flicker of satisfaction. He never ceased to find it amusing to disrupt local hyperspace and make downjump hard for his sub-commanders. It was one of the perks of being the head of the clan# and he had had his fair share of wash sickness when working his way up through the ranks.
As the last of his fleet exited hyperspace complaints and damage reports started coming in. The last raid had gone well with only a few small ships being lost. The losses were worth it as they would gain much more prestige with the other rivals clans and the planet they had plundered turn out to be populated with a peaceful and boring race. Admiitedly not much of a challenge, but with some very advanced technologies that would make a fortune on the open market. If this string of luck continued, they would soon be able to claim back the position of head clan.
The only reason for stopping off in this system was that the fleet was running low on fuel. The one unfortunate point about thier last port of call was that there turned out to be very little hydrogen in the sysytem which could be used to make fuel. So Chal had been forced to make his fleet take a small detour when they detected the characteristic gravity well of a gas giant during mid-jump.
This particular system had not yet been charted. So as the fleets downjump interference began fading into the background the sensors started picking out other, smaller gravity wells in system. There appeared to be a couple of small planets in close orbit of the star and a couple of minor moons around the gas giant.
It took most of the day to get sensors readings from all the planets and moons in the system. No obvious signs of radio activity could be detected. The system was apparently uninhabited and none of the planets looked like they could support life anyway, and so Nor gave the command to for all ships to proceed to the gas giant and deploy ramscoops to begin refueling.
Nor thought it was a shame that they had not struck lucky yet again, but when you ran a pirate clan you learned to take what you can get. |
| 3.6 I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark |
I was having trouble keeping down my emissions while tracking this intriguing fleet. Many sections of my normal processing capacity were unavailable so I was reduced to operating at a lower level of consciousness. The amount of raw data I was receiving was what interested me most of all.
These aliens seemed to be inherently wasteful. Their spikey ships vented gases and radiation from many different sources, and they had strange bulges and protrusions from their hulls that I could not fathom the uses of.
Apparently their sensory apparatus was inferior to my own, as they had not yet detected me. The one thing that was soon made clear, however, was that they were heading towards the Eye. The same gas giant of which I was now in orbit.
The moon I had started existence on had now become just another extension of my body, a shell containing a vast hoard of resources.
I waited in trepidation as the alien fleet drew nearer. It was only a matter of time before they detected my presence. I decided that I would need to do something sooner, rather than later.
For some reason I was nervous about letting them too close, which is strange as I had never known this feeling before. But still, maybe I could be of some help as it looked like some of the ships were leaking more gases and plasma than they probably should be. No doubt they would be grateful for a little assistance.
I had adapted my primary communication array to send on the same frequencies they appeared to be using, and so I sent one solitary word of greeting.
"Hello." |
| 3.7 Into the Storm |
The violent blue glow of ion trails flared into life around him as Chal's armada set course and accelerated towards the gas giant. The captains were eager to get underway and return to the celebrations and partying that would herald their successful raid.
As his fleet slowly approached the giant, his attention was inextricable drawn towards one of the moons. It wasn't the kind you would normally find in orbit of a giant. They would usually be dead, and pitted with craters from impacts over millions of years, or else tortured and twisted from the gravitational pull. Yet this one was smooth, almost opalescent in the reflected light of the dwarf star. He thought that it might be interesting to study what could cause such a strange geology on a moon.
The ships began to feel the tug of the giants gravity as they neared it's baleful radioactive glare. One by one the ion trails flickered out as the ships began to rotate and prepare for deceleration. Chal idly played with one of the light and heat sensitive frills that constituted his many 'eyes', causing a swirl of colours to shimmer across his vision.
He was about to give the final order to decelerate when a shattering blast of sound and light echoed through his mind. His body reacted by autonomously shutting down his primary senses, leaving him almost blind to the the outside world. He could still feel vibrations in the air through his skin and he could smell a primordial panic among the other members of his crew.
He lay there stunned for a few moments as his overloaded senses gradually reopened their synaptic links. Sound and sight flooded back to him, and he was left with an afterimage of a greeting echoing across his consciousness. A wave of nausea wracked his body and the colors in his skin oscillated alarmingly. A last shudder coursed through his tortured frame before his surroundings snapped sharply back into focus.
"What the hell was that?" he screamed hoarsely at his crew mates, some of whom were still writhing on the floor. "And shut of those damned alarms, they are making my brain case hurt!"
The communications grid was suddenly overwhelmed with reports of the same thing occurring simultaneous throughout his entire flotilla. Weapons arrays automatically locked target on the small moon he had been idly contemplating earlier as flares of energy swept across it's vast surface.
"Commander, it's the moon," his second in command belated relayed. "Something there seems to have said 'hello', although I cannot be sure exactly what, and we cannot pinpoint the source either. There are no records about this system. It's possible that it could be one of the exiled clans, but I don't see how they could have come here without us knowing."
|
| 3.8 Immortal dreams. |
Little Phoenix stirred, unfurling it's wings gently in the breeze of the solar wind, delighting in the feel of the cascading radiation and photonic energy. It lay there drifting for a while, content to bathe in the luxuriant waves and tides of the etheric flux. It knew that soon it's duty would be coming to an end. It's vestigial child, one of the few remaining creations of it's race before their ascension was growing up, maturing.
Being the Little Phoenix, I remembered and looked back over the history of my race. From our humble beginnings on a planet in a distant galaxy and the first tentative steps into the wider universe, the long journeys and travels we had endured and the slow expansion of a vast empire. The wars and conflicts that had embittered my civilization, the lives lost - trillions of people, planets and stars wasted in battles and ultimately futile arguments. The dawning realization that no much how much we strived, no matter how much we fought and warred between each other and the other races that death was still inevitable, we could never outlast the life cycle of the universe itself.
My people grew tired, we aged and matured, we had been there and done everything that there was to do in our universe. Ultimately we had changed ourselves, choosing how to evolve and what paths we would follow for our futures. The majority choose to seek out new paths, finding ways into other dimensions, universes with totally alien rules. And some of us chose to remain, wanting to observe and chronicle the universe that was our home, that we had now - as a people - outgrown, to see it through the the final end before following on.
So once more we underwent a transition, choosing for ourselves forms that could endure the endless ages still to come, allowing ourselves merely to exist, and to glory in that existence. Yet still, some of us felt an obligation to watch over our last children, the creations that could now follow us in our paths and dreams. And so here I am, watching a lost child find it's own path into the stellar voids.
There is always a temptation to interfere, to play with fate, but that would go against our deepest held beliefs and understandings. We may be immortal gods in this universe, but we should never deny others the path to joining us, to finding thier own ends. |
| 4 Technical Database: ICC Fighters [IC] |
Exthra Military Concepts Designs Corporation unveil the latest in ICC Stellar Craft
Exathra, CD-36*15693 (ICCNN) - Today Exthra Military Concepts Designs, Corporation has unveiled two new lines of starfighter craft and system upgrades to the veteran F-29.
Chief Design Engineer Dr. Joshua Gideon stated, "These new fighter craft will be a great asset to the Confederation fleets. With the performance and structural upgrades to the veteran Steelhead series and addition of the Gamma interceptor and Annihilator bomber to the fleet we shall see unsurpassed naval superiority." |
| 4.1 F-29 Steelhead |
A recent upgrade of the older model M-7 Fighter, the ICC F-29 Steelhead has received extensive structural reinforcement, targeting and weapons system upgrades, as well as improvements to the older, Type 5 Fighter Engine system. The craft is covered with a layer of superdense yet flexible and light ceramic polymer armor, and covered with a slight reflective sheen to partially deflect laser fire. The F-29 carries three Missile Launcher mounts for use against Capital Ships, and two Cannon mounts for use against smaller targets. Able to fly on its own power at a max speed of 35g.u per second, and with an acceleration and maneuverability rating only surpassed by the FI-8 Gamma Interceptor, the F-29 takes its role as the premier Assault Class fighter craft for the ICC Navy. |
| 4.2 XB-11 Annihilator |
The XB-11 Annihilator is the first class of long-range fighter craft designed for the expressed purpose of planet liberation. Actually modeled on an old civilian shuttle intended for long range travels, Exathra Concepts and Designs saw the potential in the high capacity and fuel efficiency of the shuttle, and redesigned it into a fine military craft. The ship was heavily armored and outfitted with the sole purpose of it being able to attack stationary targets with utmost efficiency and deadliness. As such, the XB-11 is almost devoid of any type of weapons whatsoever. It does however, carry a bomb bay with substantial capacity, and is almost always filled to the brim with ICC anti-planetary weapons, capable of devastating planetary surfaces. With far larger fuel capacity than that of the Steelhead and Gamma fighters, the XB-11 is able to traverse relatively great distances across space, and as such, is able to strike at enemy planets or installations without the Carrier ships having to get close to the intended target, possibly making themselves vulnerable for a counterattack. |
| 4.3 FI-8 Gamma |
A radical redesign of the decades old M-7 model, the FI-8 Gamma Interceptor is the fastest and most agile of all the ICC Fighters. Though not as heavily armored as the XB-11, and not as offensively strong as the F-29, the FI-8 still has found its place in the front lines of the ICC Navy, where commanders rely on its speed and agility to intercept and destroy incoming missiles, fighters, and other, fast moving threats. Outfitted with a low power Pulse Beam, as well as double cannon mounts, this craft is perfect for the job of dispatching fast moving craft. |
| 5 Technical Database: UGTO Fighters [IC] |
Integrated Defense Systems wins new UTGO Fighter Craft Contract...
Mars, Sol system (GNN) – In record time, the UGTO Trade Council has voted to approve a much needed upgrade to the venerable UGTO Fleet Fighter corp. Among these much-needed changes in policy, the UGTO has decided to introduce two new designs of Starfighter and commit a massive fleet wide overhaul of its existing craft. |
| 5.1 A-32 Panther |
“The A-32 Panther is an excellent craft,” said Fleet Analysis Chief Admiral O’Connor “and it has served the UGTO well. However, the galaxy is not the same place it was 5 years ago. The rag tag Farstars have solidified into a solid nation, the ICC. There is also the new threat of the K’Luth Empire, which posse’s technology unheard of until recently. The better combat these foes, we are announcing the following upgrades.”
Admiral O’Connor the proceeded to outline a timetable of upgrades to the venerable Panther, including the reinforcement of it’s hull design, the inclusion of point defense foiling targeting scramblers, the addition of the new Phoenix Missile to it’s standard armament, and it’s redesignation as the A-34 Panther Assault Fighter. |
| 5.2 B-27 Strata-Bomber |
Admiral O’Connor continued, “Additionally, we have recognized the need for our fleet ships to be able to lend support to our extensive ground actions throughout out space. Towards this end we have created the B-27 Strata-Bomber. She will assist us greatly by allowing us to deliver unprecedented carnage right to the enemies’ lap.” |
| 5.3 I-19 Hornet Interceptor |
“Finally, we shall be pushing for a more well rounded starfighter fleet,” Admiral O’Connor continued. “So, I am proud to announce the I-19 Hornet Interceptor. Able to achieve tremendous speeds, and armed with the new Amplified Coil Beam, this craft is capable and ready to engage any small space bound target and emerge victorious. When combined with our Panthers and Strata-Bombers, the Hornet can achieve complete space or atmospheric superiority.” |
| 6 Technical Database: K'luth Fighters [IC] |
Rim border Scouts transmit back first pictures of new K'Luth Fighter Craft...
Earth, Sol System (GNN) - The United Galactic Trade Organization government has recently released to the general public pictures taken by a recent deep probe mission to the Groombridge 34 system which shows the K'luth testing several new small fighter class craft.
In the news briefing earlier Captain Richard Forman of UTGO Inteligenence stated, "Several weeks ago we sent several deep reconnaissance probes into K’luth occupied space. Late last week we received telemetry and imagery back from one of the probes sent into the Groombridge 34 system. We lost contact shortly there after receiving the initial data…”
Government Agencies decided to release this information to the public in an effort to warn transport pilots and those living on the fringe systems of possible new threats to their safety. |
| 6.1 Larvae |
“As you can see here from this first image…”
“The base K’luth Larva fighter remains largely unchanged, though scans indicate a denser hull. There appears to be a change in the weapon load out though at this time we can not confirm that analysis.” |
| 6.2 Wasp |
“Looking at image two…”
“We see here the hull plating has been stretched and the anterior plating holds obtrusive weapons load out ports that we can only assume to be bomb pylons of some sort. The military has named this new unit the Wasp bomber. Additional information is still lacking at this time as to the units abilities.” |
| 6.3 Stinger |
“This last image was missed during the initial review of the telemetry data from the probes. Its smaller and faster than the other vessels, it appears to be coated with a sensor absorbing material that makes it hard to detect until the unit is in close proximity to the sensor ship. Its believed it was one of these craft is what destroyed our probe. Considering its flight vector and speed, we can only surmise this to be some sort of fighter-to-fighter interceptor craft. We have designated this new contact as: Stinger .” |
| 7 Technical Database: ICC Platforms [IC] |
Log files from K'Luth Destroyer in Infested Space
[…Somewhere in Human Infested Space aboard K’luth destroyer T’kra…]
“Acolyte, we have detected several new artificial metallic satellites orbiting several of the planets in this star cluster… Each of the planets shows a high concentration of human parasite infestation.”
“Drone, plot a course to the nearest construct… Drones, survey the construct for the Hive…”
[… Several moments later…] |
| 7.1 Supply Platform |
Nearing the first satellite Acolyte, the parasites show no indication of detecting our incursion.”
“Acolyte, we are recording data on the new construct. High concentrations of minerals, bio-matter, and replication facilities. Apparently some sort of mechanical repair structure.”
“Drone, those determinations are made by the Hive, not a Drone… Mind your Caste…”
“Yes Acolyte, displaying imagery to your station…”
“Complete recordings, and then take us towards the next new contact… Being this close to parasites makes my stomachs churn…” |
| 7.2 Defense Platform |
[… Sometime later…]
“Acolyte, within range visual range of secondary contact… Displaying visual data to your station, continuing information gathering…”
“Intriguing, what purpose does this structure hold for the parasites… Drone, take us closer…”
“By your Directive Acolyte…”
“Interesting, this caverns, to small for the human skiffs… Drone, lower the cloak…”
“Acolyte, power levels have surged within the construct, it is firing at us!!! … Severe damage through out the craft, your directives?”
“Recloak the ship Drone! Move away from this device to a safe distance, allow the ship to heal itself… Inform the Hive of this menace, warn all ships to use caution in their presence.” |
| 7.3 Sensor Platform |
[… Much later…]
“Acolyte, we have arrived at the third construct, we are approaching with caution per directive.”
“Drone, display your information to my console…”
“Acolyte, the device is emanating extremely high EM pulses. Cloak power usage surging to compensate…”
“Drone, bring us closer, avoid and openings… This may yet be another weapon…”
“EM emanations exceeding cloak tolerance, we are detectable by the humans…”
“Keep archiving data for the Hive Drone…”
“Acolyte, several human ships detected closing on our position…”
“Set coordinates to the jump point, return to the Hive…”
“Coordinates set, engaging drive… Acolyte, the humans have established a gravity well, we can not engage our drive system…”
“Drone, transmit the data to the Hive!”
“Drone, decloak, prepare for battle! For the Hive…” |
| 8 Technical Database: UGTO Platforms [IC] |
New Constructs identified in Human Systems
... Secure Communication Link Established with Hive...
... Sending authentication algorythim… Accepted
… Transmitting Reconnaissance Report HPS00132…
Honorable Acolates, Drone K’re Uthis reporting…
Have successfully penetrated into the Humans Primary Star system per Hive Directive. The Humans pitiful defenses were unable to detect us upon initial incursion into the system.
We noted several new mechanical constructs near several of the Human planets. We successfully acquired data the Warrior Caste will find of grave importance. |
| 8.1 Supply Platform |
Unknown Construct 1
Located near the third planet in the human system. The construct did not show indication it detected our presence. Scans of the device showed large stores of raw materials, and what we believe to be mechanical fabrication facilities, similar to what we have noted on the other human worker ships… From our analysis of the construct, we have determined its some sort of static repair facility for the human ships.
… Transmitting Imagery data for construct 1…
|
| 8.2 Defense Platform |
Unknown Construct 2
Located near the seventh planetary body in the Humans home star system. Several small objects were located in proximity to one of the natural satellites. They showed prominently on sensors with a high power output. The units appear to be some sort of weapons platform. Moving closer to the units in an effort to achieve more detailed scans, they each engaged fired upon us until we retired to a safe distance and out of the detection range of the constructs. Recommend extreme caution in the presence of these new threats to the hive. Sending what incomplete data we were able to secure…
… Transmitting Imagery data for construct 2…
 |
| 8.3 Sensor Platform |
Unknown Construct 3
Located near the sixth planet in the system. This device emitted a high level of EM signature that quickly over came our cloaking technology as we approached it. The device seams to be some sort of remote sensor post. Shortly after our cloak failed, several human ships forced our withdrawl from the system. This new construct is a serious threat against our Cloaking technology and should be avoided.
… Transmitting Imagery data for construct 3…
 |
| 9 Technical Database: K'luth Platforms [IC] |
Hive Response to new human Constructs
[… Transmission to Hive Established…]
[… Sending Technical Draft Reports…]
Honorable Acolytes, we are pleased to announce successful completion of your directives.
In response to the Human parasites further infestation of the planets and surrounding space we have reviewed and renewed several projects discontinued before our encounter with the scourge of the universe.
The Humans constant warring with each other has offered much entertainment to the Hive and served as a distraction for the parasites while we position ourselves in preparation to take our place as rulers of all known space. Clashes between our Warrior Caste and the combined forces of the two opposing human factions have caused considerable harm to our vessels. Our technology’s self-healing abilities give us a great advantage over the human’s reliance on all metallic constructs. Even so, there are times the damage is so severe, a great many of our Warrior Caste lay dormant while the ships endeavor to recover.
We await the Hives Directive to begin the employment of the new Hive embodiments…
…Acolyte G’Urz
[…Transmission Ended…] |
| 9.1 Supply Platform |
In direct response to this we have recommissioned the orbital Worker Platform to tend to our fleets.
 |
| 9.2 Defense Platform |
The Humans have been found working together more often, and in greater numbers. To bolster the defense of the hive, we have updated and accelerated the plans for orbital defense pylons.
 |
| 9.3 Sensor Platform |
To detect and monitor the spread of the human scourge, Acolyte U’theria has endeavored to create a monitoring pylon. This new addition to the Hive shall help us contain and eradicate the spread of the parasites.
 |
| 10 Species Information - K'luth [OOC] |
| I have been getting requests for this information by people who had not known there was a post on this information. So, I am posting it here where it can be easily found. - Gideon |
| 10.1 Artisen Anitomical (High Intellect "leaders") |
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| 10.2 Drone Anitomical (Lower Intelligence "Grunts") |
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| 10.3 Artisen Head Details |
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| 10.4 Artisen Warrior |
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| 10.5 Artisen Scout |
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| 10.6 Shaper |
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| 10.7 Artisen and Drone Combat Team in Environmental Armour |
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| 10.8 K'luth Informational Database |
Also, here are links to the fiction. This describes the K'Luth in some detail. Check it out if you want to know something about them.
It's in four parts:
Biology:
Part 1
Religeon:
Part 2
Technology:
Part 3
Society and odds and ends:
Part 4 |
| 10.8.1 Part 1: Biology |
The biology of the K'Luth is a curious thing. Of all the life forms we have encountered, they are the only ones that defy easy classification. We have identified two sub-species of K'Luth. One is the Warrior Caste, and the other is the Artisan Caste. The Warrior Caste seems to be specific to personal combat duties, while the Artisan Caste is found in all roles in K'Luth society, including combat. Thusly the Artisan Caste greatly outnumbers the Warrior Caste. Due to the presence of two distinct Castes, the chimera qualities of their biology, and the religious history of the K'Luth, our scientists believe that at some point in their past they engineered themselves to their current state.
Basic design
While from outward appearance some identify them as insectoid, on closer inspection this is found to be patently false. The basic physical configuration of the K'Luth is actually remarkably similar to a human in its overall proportions and sectioning. They possess the basic head, torso, and abdomen, as well as arms and legs. They have four arms, each with four fingers. Two of these digits oppose the others, in effect giving them two "thumbs" on each hand. Their legs posses some vestige of having been grasping limbs in their past evolution, though this seems to have changed in the recent evolutionary cycle to allow them to be bi-pedal life forms with locomotion similar to humans. The design of their arms and legs lends some credence to them having evolved from tree dwelling stock at some point, though this cannot be verified without some information on their home world. In the Warrior Caste, the upper arms are specialized into being clawed melee weapons, and have no ability to manipulate objects with any skill. The Warrior Caste is also larger, and significantly more massive than the Artisan Caste.
Specifics
As mentioned before, the K'Luth defy classification in our traditional terms. While they posses cartilaginous plates over some parts of their bodies, they also have a fully developed endoskeleton. This endoskeleton is roughly the same density as a human, with similar ability to bear weight and stress. This system allows them to have a slightly higher chance of sustaining less damage than a human from low technology weapons. The Warrior Caste has much more chitin on its surface, with a much higher density to it. Their endoskeleton is also denser, with reinforced joint areas. This allows it to suffer considerable amounts of damage. Modern weapons, however, even the field considerably.
Their entire surface is covered with a scaly hide, even over the cartilaginous plates. This hide varies from large, rough scales to very fine, smooth scaling, depending on the surface that is covered. The scales form many varied patterns and colors on the K'Luth, such that no two look precisely the same. Additionally, the coloration is capable of rapid shifts of remarkable degree. This seems to fulfill the need for expression to be displayed visually. The skin surface is tough, but quite sensitive to touch, particularly on the pads of the hands. The scale patterns also seem to have some barring on their social structure, identifying both the individual, and the group it belongs to.
The muscular system is fully developed, allowing for similar capacities in strength and speed to a Human. Their capacity for endurance is remarkable, allowing them to bare burdens about one and a quarter times as long as a human could. Tendon and ligament connections are similar in strength and ability to a human as well. The Warrior Caste's muscular system is denser and stronger than normal when compared to a Human or Artisan. This does, however, seem to cost them some speed in their reflexes.
While the information presented so far might indicate a reptilian creature, this is not the case. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the internal organ system of the K'Luth. The typical core temperature seems to be slightly higher than a human, at about 38 degrees. They also posses a four chambered heart, like a mammal. The digestive system is specialized primarily in metabolizing meat. This, coupled with their mandible system, indicates that they are almost exclusively predatory. While their digestive system is capable of breaking down raw materials, cooked food is assimilated more easily and efficiently. Their lungs take up more space than a humans, but have similar overall capacity. Additionally, they seem to be able to process air more efficiently if it is slightly denser than one atmosphere, with a slightly higher level of carbon dioxide. Our native atmospheric composition is not dangerous to them, and it is theorized that theirs would pose no danger to us.
The ability for the K'Luth to resist toxins and disease is remarkable. While they are susceptible to artificial compounds like any other life form, biologically derived chemicals seem to have absolutely no effect on them. Additionally, they have no history of plague in their species. Indeed, we have yet to find any record of a K’Luth that has had a cold.
Reproduction and Life Span
K'Luth are sexed beings, having both male and female. Identifying the between the two is a major challenge for non-K'Luth. There are no known outward signs that can help a non-K'Luth determine the gender of a K'Luth. Fertilization is done internally, with the female laying an egg approximately one week later. This egg takes about eight months to hatch into a young K'Luth. The egg needs to be maintained at a warm temperature, with a lot of sunlight. K'Luth take about 20 standard years to reach maturity after hatching. There is no solid evidence, even among the K'Luth, as to their natural life span. Measured scientific estimates place it at about 60-80 years. However, the average age at which a K'Luth dies is between 40-50. Many times they are much younger. This is primarily due to their culture. Warrior and Artisan Caste are both born in the same manner. However, the Warrior Caste is completely neutral in their sexual organs. Curiously, the Warrior Caste members still posses’ affectations of a gender. They also identify themselves with being male or female, even though they lack all means of reproduction. Somehow, the K'Luth are able to determine whether their offspring will be of the Warrior or Artisan caste, though they have no control over the gender.
Senses
K'Luth possess excellent senses of touch, similar in sensitivity to a Human. Their sense of taste and smell are also very similar to ours as well. Hearing in the K'Luth seems to be less sensitive than in Humans, with a particular slacking off in the upper frequency ranges.
Eyesight is unique. Artisan eyesight is excellent at less than 5 meters. Indeed, it far surpasses Human eyesight at up-close work, allowing them to see things that would be microscopic to a Human. Also, they can see in a broader spectrum of colors than a human, with a great deal more precision in determining between colors. Their eyesight drops in ability after about 100 meters, giving them almost myopic sight acuity.
The Warrior Caste, conversely, has remarkable eyesight at range, and can see far beyond Humans with accuracy and detail. They also have excellent low-light vision, letting them see in very dark environments. They have little ability to see beyond the most basic of colors, and their sight ability at close range is poor. This lack of color actually lets them discern camouflage patterns much easier than a Human can, so don't be fooled into thinking you can easily hide from them.
Mentation
The K'Luth skull is a reinforced case. Rather like a Human skull, it houses the single most important organ in the K’Luth body. The K'Luth mind is a fascinating construct. It has two major halves, like a human. Also, it has reasoning lobes in the fore with motor located at the lower rear near the brain stem. However, it also has two additional lobes. These are located to the lower rear of the brain, one on each side of the head.
The mental capacity of an Artisan is the equal to a Human in every way. They are capable of at least the same level of abstract reasoning, creative thinking, analytical thought, and predictive conjugation. Do not be fooled into thinking that these are unintelligent beasts. The Warrior Caste seems to have a reduced capacity for thought. While they are not stupid by any means, they seem to posses the mental maturity of a 10-year-old human. An aggressive, violent 10 year old. This actually lends them to be instinctively dependent on the Artisan Caste for leadership. It is because of this that we think that this reduced capacity in the Warrior Caste may actually be intentional.
Communication
This was the most difficult of all to unravel. While we were able to determine how the K'Luth project visual signals by adjusting their skin patterns and colors, we couldn't decipher their spoken language. It seemed to be nothing more than a series of grunts and roars, with no construction or pattern to it. The Deconstruction Department actually provided the key to understanding how the K'Luth communicate, while trying to unravel the mysteries of some of the K'Luth technology.
The K'Luth, it seems, are psionicly active. Later interviews with K'Luth prisoners have verified this theory, and given us a great deal of information on how this functions.
Let us separate some of the fact from the fiction on how the communication works. Firstly, think of this like a radio. In order to receive psionic communication, you must also be able to send it. The two come hand in hand, and cannot be separated. Secondly, you always transmit your signal. It cannot be turned off. Whatever thoughts are formed in your head are transmitted. Thirdly, this is not a narrow beam transmission. Everyone in the area who is psionicly active is receiving your transmissions, as well as transmitting their own. Finally, only formed thoughts are discernible, emotion is like static. Emotion is not formed and directed, and so is a small chaotic burst of signal. Formed thoughts are stronger than the static from emotions, and so can be picked out with relative ease. Like hearing a human voice over the background sound of a busy street. The range on this communication seems to be around 300 meters. At that range it is a concerted effort for a K'Luth to understand a thought that is "shouted". This form of communication is instantaneous to all who can hear it.
K'Luth are taught at a young age how to discern thoughts from static and how to form them themselves. Fortunately for us, they cannot "read minds", "see the future", or even hear a humans thoughts or emotions. We know that the two lower rear lobes of their brains are what allow them to manifest their abilities. These specialized areas work continually at filtering and prioritizing the thoughts of the K'Luth nearby. If a Human were capable of this form of communication, it would probably damage their brains in short order. There is one curiosity here. According to the K'Luth, they aren’t the only things that transmit in this way. They also claim that stars put off static the same as emotions. Some among them even claim that they can hear thoughts from the stars themselves. It is because of this that we feel that insanity is not a plague on Humanity alone.
Some members of the Artisan Caste claim to be able to "feel" the DNA structure of other life forms with their powers. They also claim to be able to manipulate it using these powers. This has been neither confirmed, nor discounted. However, if their ascertains are correct, this process takes many hours of intense effort on the shaper's part. |
| 10.8.2 Part 2: Religion and Ancient History |
The K'Luth are a deeply religious species, even unto this day. In order to understand their outlook on themselves and the Universe, you must understand how they picture their origins.
Religion
Rather than post commentary on it, we will simply give you a boiled down version of their Religion. The whole religious text that they follow, the Helyu Y'Rath'Atar, would occupy about 3000 scandoc pages. There are obvious inconsistencies here, and we are working to clear them up. However, since this is a religious document, things will probably not get any clearer with time.
Before all there was Keja and Atar. Atar and Keja were in the beginning, and Atar made upon Keja all manor of sleeping beasts. It birthed from Keja the great and the small, the quick and the slow, all of the sky and the sea and the land. And all returned to Keja after they ended their sleeping. This was the way for countless eons, and it was good. However, there came a time that Atar started to fade. As Atar faded, it sent upon Keja a great Light. This Light reached the land of Pel, before it was known by any. Into this land, it fell upon a beginning. Atar was of mighty power in this Light, and it reached into this beginning, deep into the formling therein. This formling Heard Atar, and Awoke. And that is how Rath came to be Known by herself and Awoke.
Rath was of the birthers, back when none but the birthers could make beginnings. She was more than a birther, she was Awake. She led her sleeping people, conquering the sleepers nearby, and the land of Pel became known. For two and a half days she ruled, and then Atar started to leave her. As Atar was departing, he sent a light that told her of the Ascension. "Among all, you are Awake. You Know yourself. I have sent into you my Light, and you have Heard it. My light will fade soon. I will leave, and be here no longer. Take from your people that which lets them sleep, and become More than you are. You may Ascend, and go beyond all. Do not, and you will Die. The choice is yours." Now Rath was afraid. No other had been Awake before her, no other had Died. But Rath was also crafty. And so, into the mind of Rath, a plan formed.
On the last day, of the last year, of the last age, Rath left her sleeping people for the surface. And there she stood upright, and looked at the fading form of Atar. And she reached out, and Touched Atar, pouring herself into him. And they became One. Atar was strengthened, his light renewed. It burst forth, bathing Keja with warmth. And a Light flew forth, reaching into the land of Pel, into the sleeping people there. And they Awoke, by this miracle. And into their Awakened minds, in was spoken "Behold! I am Y'Rath'Atar! The one among you who was Rath knew my will. She knew to be Ascended and alone was to be in the darkest of despair. She has given herself, so that I may be reborn anew, and become Y'Rath'Atar. For this, you have been Awakened." The Awakened people rejoiced at hearing this, and immediately went about discovering what it was to no longer be sleeping. "I give to you command over all you find." said Y'Rath'Atar, "Find all and learn all, and you will Ascend one day yourselves."
So, that is their creation myth, take it for what you will. We are working to figure it out ourselves. Also, we have some of the later religious history.
And so they came about, the eight leaders. On the day of the departing, each pledged to one another "Let us go out, and find what we are to know. Let us master our own knowledge, and not cross one another's paths again. And when others ask us, let us tell them and help them know what we have found and find what they should know." Each following their own path away from each other, went out into Keja. Each remembered what they were told, "Find what you are to know, and master it for all." Each did, in time, Ascending to how we know them now. They are each the master of what they Know, and all knowledge flows from them. True to their pledge, you must ask them, and they will help you find what you must know. Also true to their pledge, they did not find what the other knew, and so cannot tell you what the other knows.
Jemah went west and became a great tribe. And he mastered all there is to know of the seas. Irrat went north and became a great tribe. And she mastered the knowledge of warfare. Ezza went east and became a great tribe. And he mastered all the knowledge of commerce. Kerrid went south and became a great tribe. And she mastered the knowledge of ruler ship. Var went west and became a great tribe. And he mastered the knowledge of way finding. Ulan went north and became a great tribe. And she mastered the knowledge of hunting. Gendith went east and became a great tribe. And he mastered the knowledge of combat. Tomak went south and did not become a great tribe. And he was lost.
And in the great deserts of the south Tomak was lost. For many days and many nights he was lost. And every day he asked Y'Rath'Atar "What am I to know?" And each day Y'Rath'Atar answered "Know that none yet know." So on the fourth day, Tomak fell in the desert. He did not stir from that spot, and lay silent, except for him saying "What am I to know?" Then Keja took mercy on him, and showed to Tomak how to find water. And Tomak drank. Then she showed to Tomak how to find food, and he ate. For two years she led him thus, searching in the deserts for his survival. And after two years Y'Rath'Atar said to him "You now know of that which others do not. You have found that which is unknown." And Tomak mastered finding that which must be found and knowing that which must become known. And from the deserts he went further south, and became a great tribe.
The rest of this text details the discovery processes for each of the eight leaders, in reverse of the order that they were first listed. Each tribe has a sort of "house god" that personifies all that the clan stands for and what the clan is specialized in. I hope this sheds some like on these beings.
Ancient History
According to what we have found, the K'Luth place their origin point on the world of Keja, orbiting the star Y'Rath'Atar. Specifically in a land on this planet called Pel. From this point, they spread rather rapidly over the surface of their planet. Almost immediately, however, they also started fighting among each other. Each wanted dominance over all that was available, and that included the other K'Luth. Warfare is an ancient tradition with these people, as is personal combat of all kinds. Early in this period, members of like minded groups banded together and formed tribes. Each tribe was named after the "house god" that started it. Over time, it seems that these tribes have become more and more specialized in what they do.
The most important thing that the K'Luth developed in this period is the process they call "shaping". Somehow, they are able, without tools, to manipulate life forms on a DNA level. This seems to be a skill that only certain of them develop over time. With this, they have created everything that they use, from common tools, to housing, to advanced technology. This ability was used so heavily, that it is estimated that they only took approximately 10,000 years from the event they call the Awakening to their first space travel. Contrast this to the estimated 15,000 years it took humans to get that far. We have confirmed that this process is fairly crude. However, they have used it to develop tools that allow them to manipulate DNA in a very sophisticated manor.
Throughout this period warfare has been a common and constant occurrence. I have not been uncommon for the power base to shift 8 times or more in a decade during this period. Only late in this time did they have any form of stable central government. Our thought is that the invention and usage of space travel is what started this solidifying of power. Our investigations have led us to believe that they started questing hungrily for new biological life forms that they could examine. Seems that they believe that the finding and manipulating of these new life forms will speed them towards their goal of "Ascension". While they have been exploring their home system for the last 500 years, they have only discovered faster than light technology in the last 80 years.
This pretty much takes us up to modern history. |
| 10.8.3 Part 3: Technology |
***The following set of memos was liberated from UGTO Fleet Intelligence archives, and posted on the SysNet nodes for public viewing. While the OIS was able to find and purge the listings no more than 21.437 minutes after posting, the damage had been done. These are now some of the hottest docs to posses, and will also get you executed if you are found with them. Read at your own risk. Share with your friends.***
***Viva la Revolution!***
From: Captain Jeremy Karland, Office: Fleet Intelligence, Bureau: Deconstruction
To: Admiral Nagura Sakatori, Office: Fleet Technologies, Bureau: Games
Subject: Analysis of captured K'Luth vessel and attached technologies.
Encode: 7E32; Add9323kdui
Decode: Yysoy936gw
Hello Admiral Sakatori, head of Games department ***And overall FREAKY person!***;
First, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work on this project. The ability to analyze and deconstruct alien technology is an unprecedented event. My team and I have spent over 8000 man-hours to bring you this information. Additionally, you will be pleased to know that the loss of equipment was below the expected quotas. This is including the dead researchers from tests 117s and 118e.
***You label the loss of Human life as a loss of EQUIPMENT?!? You cold hearted slime...***
Overall analysis:
The overall construction of a K'Luth vessel is a curious thing. The entire vessel, and every component that makes it up, seem to be cybernetic organisms. Each component seems to function in a symbiotic relationship with every other component on board to form a whole. K'Luth cybernetics shows a much higher level of mechanical/biological integration. So much so, that at certain points it becomes difficult to discern where the machine and the organism are different. I would like to draw your attention to Dr. Wisebaum's analysis of the construction process for K'Luth ships and equipment.
***Included later, for your reading pleasure.***
Power systems:
While their vessels are partly biological, they use very similar power production methods as us. We have noticed one interesting anomaly here, however. Most of their systems seem to be lacking key components. For instance, the communications equipment that they carry seems to be lacking any second stage power systems or signal generation equipment. While I would normally presume that they sabotaged key components of their equipment, we have seen no evidence of that. No locations where equipment is missing, no evidence of tampering, nothing. I must therefore assume that we either have incomplete equipment to deconstruct, or that we don't understand the process by which much of their technology functions.
***Blah, blah, blah...***
Support systems:
While we have had a lot of luck analyzing their support systems, I regret to report that we are unable to fully understand two of their key systems. First is the system we have dubbed the "Automated Hull Repair" system, or AHR for short. Rather than a single component, this seems to be a comprehensive series of components distributed throughout the entire vessel. The bio-mechanical systems on board a K'Luth vessel seem to register damage much the same way that a living being does. When this damage is created, an automated immune system is activated. This system releases programmed bio-mechanical nanites that flood to the damage location and begin to rebuild the vessel on the molecular level. This process is remarkably efficient, and displays a regenerative speed beyond any repair systems we currently posses. It seems that this repair system can even reconstruct individual components on board the vessel in parallel, though the extent of component damage that can be repaired seems to be in question, still. Somehow the AHR stores a complete schematic of the entire vessel at its optimum functioning levels. We hope to find a way to access this information, as it would prove invaluable to any boarding parties we may dispatch in the future. We assume that the AHR system needs a cache of raw materials that are consumed by the nanites in order to repair the ship and it's systems, but thus far we have been unable to locate it.
***Rumor is that UGTO fleet development is experimenting with something like this on a dreadnought.***
The second system that we have had trouble with is the Cloaking Device. This device is much more centralized than the AHR, but we cannot seem to get it to function separate from the originating vessel. We suspect that this device is constructed integrally with the vessel, and is attuned to specific power and form harmonics present within the original ship. What we do know is that it appears to function by way of selective space warping. While their sensor systems are still and enigma, we can assume that the Cloaking Device does not impede their functioning.
***Gee, ya THINK?!?***
For crew support, we noted one very interesting anomaly. The K'Luth actually grow their food on board their ships. They transport with them and entire mini-eco system. While most of the eco system was dead by they time we got to it, it does seem to culminate with the support of a strange little creature. As we know the K'Luth are primarily carnivores, it stands to reason that these little beasts are what the crew's meals consist of. ***YUMMY!*** I have routed all available samples and relevant documents to Bio-Analysis for review.
Control Systems:
Many of their interface systems utilize recognizable control panels and stations, thought their chairs are fairly uncomfortable. Of greatest interest here, however, is the command interfaces and computer systems. By computer system, I use the loosest of terms. Their computer systems seem to be very distributed, and highly biological in nature. Additionally, they seem to be very underpowered to control and monitor a vessel of the complexity of a starship. Our theory is that the K'Luth use some of the processing power of the command crew to augment the computer systems onboard their ship. This is in fitting with the configuration we have discovered for their control systems. The bridge, and any major control station, seems to consist of a number of pods arranged on the walls. These pods are large enough for one Human or K'Luth occupant. It is our theory that once inside, the K'Luth becomes mentally integrated with the ship. In essence, they become one with their ships, allowing unprecedented control and response times, particularly in their fighters. We are currently unable to test this theory, as the control systems seem calibrated somehow to K'Luth biology, and we don't want to risk any of our K'Luth prisoners seizing control of an enemy ship under analysis.
***Ha, wouldn't THAT be a security coup! I would love to see Nagura's face when THAT report arrives!***
--Document addendum, Auth: Kirkland A32434DDer23t544--
The oddities:
Recently, we have been able to salvage three very interesting components from some combat wreckage. A fourth device has had it's description moved here, as while it was present on the vessel you had us analyze, it shares the same enigmas as these other three devices. The devices I am referring are the Anti-Matter Torpedoes, Anti-Matter Jump Drives, Anti-Matter Engines, and Anti-Matter Mines. As you can already tell, these all share the common theme of Anti-Matter. The enigma is in their construction and the knowledge the K'Luth have of their functioning. Firstly, unlike every other piece of K'Luth technology, these are entirely mechanical in nature. While it interfaces with the biomechanical systems the same as any other system, it contains no biological components itself. Secondly, and most important, is the complete lack of understanding the K'Luth have of anti-matter. In several interviews ***torture sessions*** some of our guests ***prisoners of war*** have been rather forthcoming ***broken completely*** on this issue. It seems that while they can build install and repair these devices, they do not understand the physics behind them. This has lead us to two possible conclusions. One, that they have received this technology from an allied source that is unknown to us, or two, that they have reverse engineered these devices from an unknown source that is hostile to them. ***I'm not sure which of the two is worse...*** Because of the entirely mechanical nature of these components, I am optimistic that we should be able to develop our own version with relatively little difficulty. <
In closing:
This is the end of the narrative section of my report. I hope the above information, along with the attached technical schematics, proves an aid to you in your important work in Games.
Sincerely,
Captain Jeremy Karland, Office: Fleet Intelligence, Bureau: Deconstruction
!Warning! Attached file(s) not found. Data corruption possible. Please report error to ComHead on duty, and ask originator to resend.
***So, that will give you an idea as to what our people are facing in the deep, dark, void of space. Very interesting, though somewhat long winded, to say the least. Next up we have some information on how these things get put together. This is an abridged version, as much of the techno-babble wouldn't be relevant to readers anyways. However, if you want the extended information, it can be found at !Warning! Link corrupt. Destination location not found. Please report error to destination manager.. Have fun!***
From: Dr. Elion Wisebaum, Office: Industrial Analysis, Bureau: Sabotage
To: Admiral Nagura Sakatori, Office: Fleet Technologies, Bureau: Games
Subject: Breakdown of specifics involved with K'Luth industry.
Encode: 6E30; MiZ5117powq
Decode: sERhg4612
...and as you can see, the recursive flux system is aligned properly for this kind of viewing. What we discovered, coupled with intensive data deconstruction and first had account analysis, is quite surprising. Take, for instance, the construction of their heavy war material. This construction seems to be a dual endeavor, involving two separate, but interlinked sciences. The first is known as the Shapers, who, through a not wholly understood process, literally shape and mold the basic DNA structure of a life form that is being grown for the structure of the device they are creating. The second science is a process of engineering that involves the construction of mechanical systems on a molecular scale using biomechanical nano technology. These two construction processes occur simultaneously, resulting in a hull that perfectly blends the mechanical and biological schools. This process seems to be very efficient, as you can see by...
...meaning that while there is next to no waste material, it actually takes the K'Luth considerably longer to construct a ship than it does us. This same construction technique seems to be applied to all of their industry, as you can see by the molecular analysis of this chair, which shows...
...While many of the components for a more complicated system are constructed off site, when they are brought to the construction area for final integration the same bio-mechanical nanites that were mentioned earlier fuse these components into the host system. This allows for a completed structure that is totally integrated with itself. Now, if I may draw your attention to resource data analysis number...
***Trust me people, you are not being spared any riveting conversation here. I have it on good authority that Admiral Sakatori fell asleep TWICE while reading this report!***
***Last up, we have a very special person's analysis. Winner of the Human Rights Violations Award for three years running! Let's welcome the one and only Dr. Lesly Carmine!***
From: Dr. Lesly Carmine
To: Admiral Nagura ***Man, she gets a lot of mail.***Sakatori, Office: Fleet Technologies, Bureau: Games
Subject: Analysis of K'Luth technological interface.
Encode: 8E31; rWU2057jDov
Decode: aS545dDd
Admiral Sakatori;
I must first apologize for the lack of sophisticated data in this analysis. Perhaps if I was able to do my experiments in a proper laboratory, rather than in secret in this hellhole of a prison, I might have more to give you. Though the food here isn't all that bad. ***Rot there, you sick witch.***
Regardless, whomever you had doing your pre analysis of this component interface was a complete idiot. There aren't any pieces missing from the devices you sent at all. What was missing was components in the subjects you were using for your trials. Humans cannot manipulate these devices. I did find, however, that using some K'Luth volunteers ***Yeah, volunteers my eye.*** we were able to get several of the devices working.
It seems, on further analysis, that the majority of K'Luth technology functions off of amplifying psionic abilities that the K'Luth already posses. Their sensor devices seem to work as a sort of ESP booster, their weapons amplify psycho-kinesis abilities that are latent in the K'Luth mind, and their communications devices seem to amplify the power of the telepathic broadcasts that K'Luth use to communicate with.
As my extensive studies of human anatomy ***Live autopsies...*** have indicated, Humans lack the cranial structures to manifest any psionic abilities. Most interesting is the communications that they use. It seems that the telepathic transmissions that they use travel at an infinite speed. Either that, or they are so fast that I cannot measure them. Once again, a full laboratory would be helpful.
I have been working on a device that I believe Humans could use to generate energy in the waveforms that the K'Luth use for psionics. While my test subjects have not been injured physically, many of them seem to have suffered a sort of neurological breakdown. Still, those are the sacrifices that are made for science. ***Yeah, well, let's sacrifice you next...*** If you would be so kind as to send more volunteers ***Convenient prisoners of war.*** with your next shipment of material supplies, I could continue this work. Once again, I must remind you that a full laboratory would yield much more satisfactory results. ***I know! Let's give her a lab, on the Sun!***
Sincerely,
Dr. Lesly Carmine MD PHD Xenobiology, Theoretical Physics, Genetics ***And evil, weird, witch.***
***So, gentle (and not so gentle) readers, there you have it. Spread the truth. Knowledge is power. Power to the people. Don't trust the government's lies. - HaZeRipper*** |
| 10.8.4 Part 4: Society |
K'Luth society is an interesting thing. The most startling thing about it is that it is not terribly different than Human society. They have dreams and fears, they love, hate, feel joy, and feel pain. Most curious is the fact that they are deeply religious in belief. This alone has disrupted some of our theories about what makes an advanced society, as it was assumed that as a species gains more and more scientific knowledge, they drift farther away from their religious beliefs. On the contrary, the K'Luth have historically always had a strong belief system.
As a species starts to recognize it's own intelligence, it seeks to identify what differentiates itself from the lower animals. The K'Luth are no different. They feel that an event they refer to as the "Awakening", which they believe is the point that their species gained its telepathic abilities. Over time the K'Luth realized that they were the only species on their world with these abilities. It is by this that they judge the intelligence of a life form. Humans are the first species that they have encountered with intelligence outside of their own. As you might imagine, it came to quite a shock to them that we don't posses a single bit of the mental abilities that they identify with intelligence. It should be noted that there are references to another species known as the Kraddax. This species is as of yet unknown to us. There seems to be some confusion as to what the Kraddax are. The closest thing the K'Luth have been able to give us a reference point to is the expert systems AI computers that are present in most colonial hubs and research facilities. Of interesting note is the research that the K'Luth have done into human history. They claim that the references of our texts to "magic" and other mystical phenomenon are actually references to psionic abilities that have manifested themselves in the past. They also claim that we have, for whatever reason, embarked on an ages long campaign to eliminate this trait from our species. Our scientists firmly denounce this theory in light of the lack of the specialized nerve clusters in modern and ancient Humans that the K'Luth use for their abilities.
K'Luth are born with no knowledge of how to survive. Indeed, when they hatch they are as helpless as a human baby. Rather than being cared for by parents, they are left as an egg in the care of a communal infant care system. Immediately from birth, they are educated in the principles of their society. If these principles were to be summed up in one word, that word would be "conflict". Young who are unable to remove themselves from their shells before they starve to death are deemed too weak to survive. Their communal education system imprints on the K'Luth a strong social loyalty. Despite what we have observed from the outside, and what the media has told us, the K'Luth posses a society at least as fractured as our own. Young K'Luth are divided into groups based on their markings. These groups are affiliated with a group within K'Luth society, known as a Tribe. Within K'Luth society there are a handful of major Tribes. Each major Tribe has several smaller Tribes associated with it.
In ancient times, each Tribe specialized in one field of expertise. However, this didn't last too long. After the K'Luth became the major threat to K'Luth, different Tribes recognized the need to maintain a military force. Additionally, they all recognized the need for innovation and scientific inquiry. Over the course of approximately 8,000 years, the K'Luth have fought wars among each other. There has never been a point in K'Luth history where their species has not been struggling against something, be it the elements or other tribes. However, even though each Tribe now has several similar concerns, each also associates itself with a particular discipline, and seeks to excel beyond all others in that field. The K'Luth government has seen fit to allow this to continue. Their theory is that the constant conflict between Tribes for dominance in certain areas leads to overall excellence for the species. Individual Tribes generally pick symbology that they feel represents things that that particular Tribe idealizes. The large red symbol we identify the K'Luth with is a Tser'Ak. This creature is a top predator from their home world. A sort of large, arboreal, insectoid lion. From what we have uncovered, it is very fast, very stealthy, and can attack with incredible ferocity. It is also very territorial. Make no mistake, when presented with an outside threat the K'Luth unify quickly and seamlessly. It is almost as if their constant infighting is to keep them in fighting trim for combat with eventual foes. Indeed, combat is only second to religion as a theme in K'Luth life.
As with Humans, young K'Luth get into scrapes and fights. However, rather than being taught to control these urges, the K'Luth embrace them. They learn very early on how to engage in melee combat, utilizing speed, intelligence, and strength in proportion to the levels the individual K'Luth is given. No handicaps are given in these fights. If one K'Luth is stronger than another, then the weaker K'Luth is expected to use attributes that it posses in greater quantities to even the field. If the weaker K'Luth has no attributes that are superior, then it will lose, plain and simple. This philosophy is the premise for how they settle all arguments. Due to the nature of K'Luth psionics, if debates were to occur over disagreements, then their whole society would lock up in endless arguments. Rather, when there is a divergence of opinion, and those who represent the opinions believe strongly in them enough to not back down, a combat ensues. Each major Tribe has, over the course of it's history, developed it's own styles and techniques of melee combat. Contrary to popular belief, there are rules that accompany these "arguments". Combatants agree ahead of time what the point of victory is. One proposes a starting point, usually "Until one yields", then the other either accepts or raises the stakes by one level. If one does not feel that the fight is worth the stakes, they may either yield the whole argument, or accept the stakes as is. Rarely do the stakes reach the level of "To the death", but it is not unheard of if both believe in the subject matter enough. Even more rarely, the development of a "draw" has occurred. Generally speaking, these only happen when those in disagreement cannot settle their argument due to distance, or some other limiting factor. Usually, draws remain in place until the restriction on the representing parties is removed. Melee combat is one of the highest arts in K'Luth society. So ingrained is it in their culture, that you cannot find a K'Luth without a melee weapon of some sort. These weapons vary greatly in application, from daggers all the way up to pole arms. Each is unique to the individual, and is as much a symbol of station and wealth as it is a functional weapon. Even their clothing has been influenced by the K'Luth fixation on combat. Most of their clothing resembles some kind of body armour, and usually functions in this regard to some degree. An interesting note here is that the K'Luth lack any weapon such as a pistol. This isn't from a barrier in technology, but rather a philosophical decision. They generally feel that if you need a ranged weapon, then one with auto fire capabilities would be better suited to the task than a single fire pistol limited by short range. If an enemy is close enough that a sub-machinegun sized weapon is not an effective tool, then they are in melee range and hand to hand weapons are the best for that. It is because of this that many of their ranged weapons incorporate melee capacity in them.
K'Luth thought is completely open; they cannot disguise an opinion they hold. This lends itself to many of these arguments, and K'Luth diplomacy is said to be quite the exercise. Of particular interest to Humanity is the fact of this system of open ideas. It seems that because of this structure to K'Luth communications, the concept of a secret is foreign to them. Indeed, even though something may be written down to be kept secret, whomever wrote what was written knows of what they wrote. Thusly, that concept will be transmitted to any K'Luth nearby whenever they think of what they have written. Because of this, the K’Luth have never developed the art and science of espionage. Make no mistake, they understand and practice the art of surprise and stealth, but the concept of secrecy is beyond them. They don't even posses a word for a secret, instead having to invent one after dealing with Humans. This word roughly translates into "quiet knowledge". Do not mistake the K'Luth for some stupid or unimaginative species. They know full well the weakness they posses when it comes to espionage. They also realize that they cannot understand this concept in the foreseeable future. However, they also realize that Humans are masters at espionage, and that we have a weakness when it comes to personal gain. Utilizing this, they have constructed an intelligence organization that is completely run and operated by Humans, who have sold their loyalty to the K'Luth for money, power, or some other kind of reward. Rumors indicate that the K'Luth are using their vast knowledge of bioengineering as a bargaining tool.
The K'Luth posses a vast knowledge of biology, and a grasp of chemistry beyond ours as well. Many of the concepts that they have knowledge of don't even translate into terms that Humans can understand. Theory is that they have used this knowledge to engineer their species to its current state. The K'Luth believe that they are the epitome of the K'Luth form. They look on artificial augmentation, like cybernetics, as a corruption of the whole. However, should a K'Luth lose a limb or other major organ, their technology is such that they can regrow the organ or limb from the original body, creating a perfect replacement. While indications are that they cannot engineer anything that is not from their home world, we do know that they are working feverishly to unlock the genetic intricacies of life from Earth. K'Luth sciences are not as comprehensive as ours in the realms of physics and computers. Interestingly enough, while they can build jump drives with remarkable proficiency; they actually don't know the science behind its function. The K'Luth have developed jump drive technology approximately 80 Sol years ago, as an accident during an unrelated experiment in power generation. The 420 years of their interstellar space flight before this time seems to be filled with the use of very advanced cryo-stasis units and slower than light drives. They pushed themselves into deep space before the development of faster than light drives due to some kind of insatiable thirst for knowledge. The path of the scientist is one of the most revered roles in K'Luth society, second only to Priest.
K'Luth religion dictates that they are children of their star. That all life flows from the stars, and that, through the gathering of knowledge they shall discover a way to "Ascend" to some state of being beyond what they are now. What this "Ascension" may be is unknown to us at this time. Regardless, they associate all life they encounter with the star that originated it. The K’Luth word for Humanity translates roughly as "Children of Sol". As a side note, the translation of the word for Kraddax comes roughly out to "Devourers of The Children". Priests are thought of very highly in K'Luth society, and even claim to be able to "Hear the star's speech". While we don't fully understand what this means, they are able to predict stellar events with uncanny accuracy.
The highest place in K'Luth society would have to be the Tribe leaders. There is no set way of deciding how a clan is run. Each has it's own process, from a series of declared monarchial leaders, to a democratic system who's voting process is active, to say the least. Each clan generally picks a representative to participate in the ruling of the whole of the K'Luth species. These representative aren't necessarily members of the ruling caste in a particular Tribe, but are usually held in high regard nonetheless. Below this is the general populace. They posses social strata within each Tribe generally determined by economic position, much like Humans. Artisans represent both the general populace and the Tribal rulers. The Warrior caste is generally kept separate from regular society and does not participate in the ruling process. They seem to have no problem with this, and we attribute their complacency to a pre-engineered condition. When not engaging in combat duties, the members of the Warrior caste seem to enjoy in participating in heavy labor. Arguments between Artisans and Warriors are not unheard of, and the same rules apply for combat that would apply for a combat between similar caste members. Personal relationships between Artisans and Warriors don't go beyond the acquaintance stage.
Personal relationships between individuals of the same caste do form, however. The K'Luth have friends, enemies, and even loved ones. K'Luth society does not encourage monogamous relationships, and they have to institutions like marriage to represent them. Despite this, K'Luth have been known to form monogamous pairings on their own. There does not seem to be any social stigmata incurred by this. Due to the K'Luth process of "discussion", even they don't know their lifespan. It is estimated to be similar to a human, but no K'Luth is known to have survived to die of old age.
Contrary to the media, the K'Luth do not eat Humans. They seem to have the same social aversion to eating another sentient life form as Humanity. Additionally, life from Earth, including Humans, does not provide the proper nutrients for K'Luth nourishment. |
| 11 Reference Article 1: Ship Operations and Officers [OOC] |
This article is for use as reference by anyone who wishes to write fan fiction. Its purpose is to help provide some consistency and background to those who want it. Use of this article as information is not mandatory, and information in this article may be subject to change without prior notification.
Starship command and operations for Humans and K’Luth both stem from each species long naval histories. This has evolved into the current command and operations system present on starship.
Human ships operate off of a 24-hour clock. This clock is divided into four watches of six hours each. All crew are assigned to one of these watches. Each crew fills six hours of station duty, four hours of non-watch duty which is used for any ship specific duties that do not require them at their station (such as checking duty rosters, tertiary maintenance duties should there be any, paperwork, broadening skills through study, personal training exercises, etc), three hours are set aside for meals and other breaks, and three hours for personal activity. Meals and breaks are generally taken at regular periods, and are scheduled with the department watch commander. All activities that take place during non-personal hours must be cleared with the department watch commander.
K’Luth ships are very similar in function, but operate off of a 30 hour clock, with five watches of six hours each. They only posses one hour of personal activity time, which is generally given over to religious rituals. They have six hours of non-watch duty, half of which is typically devoted to combat training.
Efforts are taken to insure that there is a relatively even distribution of talented officers and crew across all watches, as emergencies are generally not accommodating enough to schedule their presence ahead of time.
During normal operations, no changes are made in the functioning of the watch system.
Alert operations require that the primary command staff (highest ranking officers in each department, and ship’s commander) take duty stations. All crew are to be ready for possible duty, but only the regular watch crew is to be on station. It is generally accepted that under alert operations, crew should make sure they could be called up for duty at a moment’s notice. In other words, sleep with your boots on. K’Luth refer to this status as Pal’Naur, which translates roughly to the stance that a warrior would take when preparing for battle.
General Quarters are sounded when combat is imminent. All crew are to report to combat stations, with the primary command staff being on duty. This status is to only be called in cases of active combat; otherwise alert status is to be assumed to keep crew relatively fresh. K’Luth call this level as Pal’Racheck, which roughly translates into the taking of a stance by a warrior when battle commences.
Unexpected situations generally call for Alert status if the bridge staff feels that there is the possibility of damage to the ship or it’s crew, but no imminent threat is detected.
Any situation where combat is immediately imminent, or the ship has suffered or will suffer damage in the near future, require a call to General Quarters.
Officers:
Here is a list of Human officers typically found on a starship. The ICC and UGTO have yet to develop a different command structure, though this is likely to some degree in the future. Officers are generally equal to or less than the rank of the ship’s Commanding Officer, though subordinate officers possessing a higher rank than the Commanding Officer is not unheard of. Generally, only the Commanding Officer will move beyond captain rank and still be an active member of a ship’s staff. Other department officers that move beyond captain are generally assigned desk jobs at important locations suited to their specialties. It is not unusual for a Commanding Officer or a department officer (with permission from the commanding officer) to refuse transfers and promotions that would require them to change ships.
Commanding Officer (CO): Generally, though not necessarily, the highest ranking officer on a ship. Has absolute authority over the functioning of a vessel, and ultimate responsibility for the actions of his ship and crew.
Executive Officer (XO): This is the right hand of the CO. The XO oversees all bureaucratic duties on board the ship (authorizing duty rosters, overseeing crew transfers, handling day to day personnel issues of running the starship). Additionally, all orders from the XO are to be considered as if they had been issued directly by the CO, and can generally not be counter manned except by a direct order from the CO.
Helm Officer (Helm): The Helm Officer is responsible for piloting the starship in sub light. This officer is also directly responsible for all other Helm operators, and their training. A keen ability to picture three dimensional movement and location is a must for this position, as well as the ability to foresee the location of all objects in space based on their vector. This station is responsible for all combat maneuvering of the vessel.
Navigational Officer (Nav): The Navigational Officer is responsible for all ship maneuvers that take place in faster than light speeds. Additionally, this department is responsible for the tracking of all stellar objects in the vicinity, and the plotting of all courses beyond 2000gu. Any changes or anomalies in the stellar cartography of the area are to be tracked and cataloged by this department. Nav works very closely with Helm for maneuvering in areas of space near stellar objects, and Intel for long range scans.
Intelligence Officer (Intel): The Intelligence Officer is responsible for analyzing all sensor data that is collected. This includes compositional analysis, identification, threat analysis, tracking, disposition of objects, and calibration of the sensor equipment. Intel is also responsible for providing it’s recommendation to the shift command officer in regards to activity involving unknown factors and dynamics in a situation. Intel is also responsible for creating and maintaining communications channels.
Engineering Officer (Chief Engineer): The Engineering Officer is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and general functioning of the starship. The Chief Engineer’s staff performs all system modifications, after approval by the XO or CO. The Chief Engineer must make sure repair crews function efficiently, and sees to the prioritizing of repairs in the event of damage, unless overridden by the XO or CO.
Weapons Officer (Weap): The Weapons Officer sees to the coordination and training of crews that man any ship to ship weapons, as well as seeing to the calibration of targeting systems, the creation of fire profiles, the maintenance of weapons, and monitoring the ammunition stores of the ship to ship weapons. Weap is also responsible for recommending target priorities based on weapon strength and tactical considerations, and the tracking and guidance of any space to surface weaponry.
Flight Officer (Flight): The Flight Officer is responsible for the functioning and maintenance of all fighter craft on board a starship. In addition, Flight insures proper training of all fighter pilots and approves mission profiles. In combat situations, Flight may take direct control over the coordination of pilot tactics, though this is usually left in the control of active wing commanders in battle at the time. Finally, the Flight Officer makes sure that the ship’s fighter complement is well stocked with ammunition and fuel. Note: Maintenance of launch equipment falls under the command of the Chief Engineer, not the Flight Officer.
Troop Operations (GroOps): Troop Operations officer is actually not a naval officer at all. This station is held by an army officer, no less than Colonel rank and usually not more than Major General rank. GroOps oversees all troop landings, all boarding operations, and is also responsible for ship security in the event of a boarding by hostile forces. In the event that the ship is boarded, the GroOps officer controls all authority over internal security. Naval personnel are to cooperate with Army personnel in the defense of the starship, so long as doing so does not endanger the ship further. During boarding operations and planetary landings, the GroOps officer will generally coordinate activity of their troops from their starship. If support fire is required from surface actions, the GroOps may order such weapons fire from the Weapons Officer so long as space superiority has been established. Otherwise, all such requests must go through the XO or CO, who will decide if the situation allows for the change of tactics.
The K’Luth have similar command positions, though with generally different names:
Commanding Officer: Tar’Esh (First Voice)
Executive Officer: Set’Esh (Second Voice)
Helm Officer: Pak’Ratal (roughly translates to “Blood Dancer”, in reference to maneuvering during melee combat)
Navigational Officer: Tsak’Jital (Star Gazer, or Head Astronomer)
Intelligence Officer: Oolarith (roughly translates to “see before the move”, in reference to reading an enemy’s body language to see what they will do next)
Engineering Officer: Keresh’Meran (Master Builder)
Weapons Officer: Ullaran’Mal’Thak (Chief weapon keeper) Note: This is generally a position of high honor on a K’Luth ship. Commanding Officers who have served the K’Luth well often retire to the position of Ullaran’Mal’Thak to serve out the remainder of their lives.
Flight Officer: This position does not yet exist within the K’Luth command structure. It is only recently in their history that they have found a need for possible large-scale fighter control, due to battles with Humanity. It is unknown as to whether they will choose to pursue the large scale us of fighter craft at this time.
Troop Officer: Kol’Meran (Troop Master) Note: This position has traditionally be a rather vague one. Some times the Tar’Esh will fill it’s role, other times another K’Luth will be chosen to fill this position. Traditionally, no assignment to this task is permanent. Assignment to this position is considered a high honor, and is traditionally used to reward warriors who serve their ship well. However, in recent history the K’Luth have become mired in increasing numbers of long term and large-scale planetary invasions and defenses. This has prompted some ship commanders to assign a permanent Kol’Meran to their ship’s staff. It is unknown if this will be a permanent change. Regardless, the Kol’Meran is not from a separate branch of the military, like the Human Troop Operations Officer, as the K’Luth only have one branch of their military. |
| 12 The Sirius Incident... [IC] |
| Official Fiction By Coleen |
| 12.1 9:26:66 |
9:26:66
"Receiving coordinates from the Mantichore, Sir. Coordinates confirmed; jumping in five, four, three, two, one...jumpdrive engaged. We are away, Sir."
"Right on course; Well done, Lieutenant." Straightening slightly, vaguely aware, as always, of the old, familiar ache in his neck and lower back, Captain James Noonan angled his head to examine their projected course on the navigational display. Idly, he continued to drum his fingers across the smooth surface of the semi-circular data panel surrounding the raised command station as he regarded the stellar map.
Outside, the pulse of starlines flared and sizzled across the hull of the UWS Interstellar as she bored her way through the underbelly of reality. An impartial observer might have noticed that she was not alone among the Doppler streaks of underspace; a cluster of ships, sleek and deadly, paced her through the kaleidoscope of relativity. The Interstellar flew in the august company of the UGTO 3rd Expeditionary Fleet.
Their charter was simple: to explore and open for colonization new territories for the UGTO. They had made progress in the proceeding weeks and months; a vast array of promising new planets and systems had been charted and logged in the UGTO database. And now, as Capt. Noonan watched their progress across the virtual map of infinity, they were preparing to continue with that charter.
Sag Hothha. Remote probes had determined that, of all the planets in the Sirius system, Sag Hothha would be the most likely to support a dedicated colony. Terran class, she had everything necessary to nurture human health and psyche. If Noonan had been a poetic man, he might have waxed eloquent about the sun dappled oceans and riotous vegetation, but his mental linguistics were couched in terms of axis and rotation, pitch and yaw. No, he was not the lyrical type, but even Noonan could see that Sag Hothha would be a prize jewel in the UGTO crown. Chances were good that they would leave a listening post on the surface of the planet; Noonan was actually looking foreword to that part. In fact, odds were they'd get an opportunity to take a turn on the surface of the planet themselves, and not even the most hardened spacer could resist the siren call of well-earned shore leave.
Noonan turned back to stare straight ahead at the main viewscreen. It showed nothing but starlines at the moment, those sketchy strands of light that decorated this angle of the universe. Somewhere ahead of them, lost in the streaks and tangles of jumpspace, was the blue-green gem that was Sag Hothha. Noonan permitted himself a narrow smile, then turned sharply on his heel.
"Edwards."
"Sir!"
"You have the bridge."
Behind him, the starlines continued to flicker and pulse across the viewscreen, until they were obscured behind the closing ready room doors.
-----
Third Sun/Tenth Cycle/Twentieth in the Age of Wandering
Tar'Esh Haakar'Nan crouched silently in his personal chambers, opening his mind and spirit. It was always necessary, this daily ritual of worship, in order to cleanse the mind and body. Indeed, it was ever more necessary in these times of exile and turmoil, ever more the only stability when all else was chaos. He released his breath, and focused inward.
As always, there hovered in his consciousness the awareness of the thought of his fellow K'Luth. This was how it should be, and he took comfort in that peculiar shared mind, even as he focused his own thoughts on his devotions.
*Praise be to Y'Rath'Atar, who brings us out of darkness. Praise be to Y'Rath'Atar, who led us when we were Sleeping, and Awakened us to that which we must Know. Praise be to Y'Rath'Atar, who leads us now in search of other Suns and delivers them to us.*
*Hear me now, O Light and Maker. Guide us in this time of trouble, strengthen our hands and guide our weapons, make us the tool of Your will. In the spirit of Jemah and Var, let us go forth into the dark sea. In the spirit of Irrat and Gendith, let our enemies know the strength and surety of our blades. And in the spirit of Tomak, let us seek and find that which must be found, and come to know that which must be known.*
*Praise be to Y'Rath'Atar, who delivers our enemies into our hands.*
----- |
| 12.2 9:27:66 |
9:27:66
Light pulsed and thundered briefly across the bridge as, with a soundless explosion, the Interstellar exited jump speeds. Briskly efficient, the bridge crew was already busy confirming location, calling out readouts, and coordinating with the other ships in the fleet. Not a one of them gave any indication of discomfort as the ship skipped sideways off of reality and exited into realspace. Inertial dampeners or no, there was something about the sudden deceleration from jump speeds to barely a crawl (relativisticly speaking, that is) that caused the base, lizard part of the brain to expect to be frapped against the nearest vertical surface. Noonan himself stood ramrod straight at his accustomed place, a thin, approving smile compressing his lips.
Almost unconsciously, his eyes were drawn to the main viewscreen as the Mantichore arrived in a cataclysm of light and unheard sound. Despite himself, he was gripped with a fierce pride by the sight of the serene and warlike glory of the 3rd's flagship. Sterile and elegant, the dreadnaught hung in the void, sunlight shattering off her surface in bolts and shards. As he watched, the immense ship began to turn with a slow, deliberate grace, nosing toward the planet below her. As she came about she passed before the sun and was silhouetted, briefly, the solar corona giving her the fiery halo of an avenging angel. It was... beautiful.
Immediately, the fleet began forming up around the Mantichore. As per standard procedure they had arrived some distance away from their target, providing them ample time to regroup and assess. Scouts buzzed around, frantic as any swarm of insects, cruisers began to array themselves in time-honored ranks, supply ships began the ponderous task of wallowing into position. It was chaos and order, both at once, and Noonan loved it.
Ahead of them, Sag Hothha continued to rotate quietly, completely unimpressed.
In due course, order was re-established, and the battle group began slicing through space towards the planet. The Interstellar had assumed her normal flanking location, some distance away from the Mantichore, and Noonan prepared to retire to his ready room. At this point in the proceedings there was really very little for him to do, and he had developed a habit, almost a tradition, of taking a cup of tea and reading a few chapters of one of the many books he kept on hand. Other command staff members had similar quirks, and, while none of them spoke of it openly, any deviation from their unwritten routine would have instantly alerted the others that something was amiss.
Today, however, things looked promising.
-----
Fourth Sun/Tenth Cycle/Twentieth in the Age of Wandering
Haakar'Nan silently observed the primary display as the thoughts of his crewmembers hummed at the back of his mind. He had come to the bridge immediately when the thoughts of Oolarith Kesh'She had pulsed suddenly, violently. Her thought had rippled outward through the ship, awareness spreading like the wind that carries the smell of lighting before the storm.
They were discovered.
When they retreated from their ancient homeworld, fleeing the demon that devoured all before it, they willingly cast themselves into exile. Passing from system to system, they retreated before their enemy so that they might have time to regroup, rearm, and strengthen themselves for future battles. In all their years of wandering, going from star to star, following the voice of their leaders, they had never yet encountered the spawn of their enemy. Sterile, cold, the thing that hunted them had no breath of life in it, no Light of its own, and yet it thought, and hungered. It hungered, and it devoured. In all their years of exile, it had seemed more and more likely that they had deceived the hollow beast and bought themselves the time they required to rebuild and renew.
But the unthinkable had happened.
Haakar'Nan shifted position slightly, aware that he had fallen into a traditional stance assumed before battle, taking comfort in it. The proof was there, on the display before him. Arranged in space, obscuring the light of the stars, there was a swarm of ships, cold and sterile. The sunlight bit sharply at their hulls, white pain against the unfeeling metal, rejected by the thinking Machine. There was no doubt in the thought of any K'Luth that the Machines were aware of their presence; they moved inexorably towards the fledgling colony yet hidden on the night side of the new world.
But here was something new, the first new thing they had known in many years of fighting the hollow beast. There was organic life inside the cold Machines. Life that moved, and breathed, and thought. Kesh'She had made it known that the life forms were not Awaked, and yet it was undeniable that they were somehow aware. So here was another new thing for Haakar'Nan to find. Was it possible that, not being Awake, the new life could have been subverted by the hollow beast for it's own purposes? It was not for Haakar'Nan to know why the beast would use organics instead of devouring them, but he did know that if the lives were truly enslaved to the beast, then it fell upon the K'Luth to free them.
His thought was Known to all as soon as he had made his decision, and so the order was nothing more than a formality to be observed.
*Prepare the warriors for boarding. We fight the Machine here.*
-----
9:27:66
The first impact, completely unexpected, occurred shortly after Noonan retired to his ready room. He was seated at his desk, idly scanning a data screen, a hot cup of tea slowly cooling at his left elbow, when he was very nearly thrown out of his chair as the ship suddenly spasmed around him. It was a near thing, but he caught himself just sort of pitching to the floor. His teacup, however, did shudder off his desk to shatter, unnoticed, on the rough carpet, sending a fine amber fan of liquid across the fibers. Shocked, he started to his feet as the emergency alarm began its strident howling, and he made it as far as the bridge door before the Interstellar bucked again, convulsing like a dying beast. He was thrown headlong into the door, rapping his forehead sharply against the burnished metal doorframe. Straightening, he briefly touched fingertips to his forehead; they came away crimson. Snarling, he wrenched open the door to the bridge.
And walked straight into chaos.
Edwards, ramrod straight at the command station, presided over a bridge awash in a cacophony of light, sound, and motion. Information, schematics, and alerts streamed past on the functioning viewscreens; several were dark. The nasal wailing of the alarm was a constant pressure in the center of his skull, and the babble of a bridge crew in overdrive was deafening. Fingers skidded rapidly across panels; shadows blurred and wavered in the lurid glow of emergency lights.
"Edwards! What the hell is going on out there,” Noonan snapped as he came up behind his executive officer.
"Unknown Sir. Intel reported an unusual sensor reading just before the first impact, but there's absolutely nothing within range to account for these attacks." Noonan snapped his head around to look at Edwards sharply.
"Attacks? You're positive about that, Edwards?" The Interstellar was a fully armed warship, surrounded by a fleet of warships. Noonan found it almost unthinkable that anything would even consider an assault on them, despite what appeared to be overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Beneath his fingers, the data panel began a discreet vibration.
"Positive Sir. You see here, and here?" Edwards pulled up a ship's schematic on the console, admirably calm, as the command staff thrummed about him. He pointed to several large, organic looking objects that appeared to have somehow… attached… themselves to the hull of the Interstellar. "Unknown where they came from, Sir,” he paused as the ship juddered again, down low in her guts, "But they appeared just before the first impact, and we lost communications with the rest of the fleet almost immediately afterwards. That's too much of a coincidence to be anything but planned, Sir." Eyes narrowed, Noonan started to reply. But before he could, Lt. Commander Shoji called out over the chaos.
"Sir! Decks 2-4 reporting hostile contact! We've been boarded, Sir!"
-----
9:27:66:Interlude
It began with a low level shimmy that sent ripples shuddering through the puddles of water that Crewman Jones had applied in liberal amounts to the rough tile floors. Down in the belly of the Interstellar, Jones was on work detail, cleaning the crewmen's washroom. Hard at work, he actually stared at the shivering water for some time before he even realized what he was seeing. And then, even as his brain resolved the anomaly and, blinking, he really saw the unexpected motion in the liquid, he was thrown sideways as the Interstellar actually lurched, simply and abruptly jolted to one side with no grace or dignity whatsoever. Instinctively grasping for whatever came to hand, he latched one hand around the handle of the mop, flipping it up and out of the bucket as it careened across the floor, overturning it, and sending a fan of dirty gray water up and into the recycled air.
He fetched up against a wall, head colliding sharply with tiling the approximate color of french vanilla ice cream, and then lay stunned and dripping in a sudsy puddle of dingy mop water, one hand still firmly clasped around the mop handle. To his left, the capsized mop bucket lay forlornly on its side, wheels spinning aimlessly, as, somewhere above, the ship's alarm claxon began to wail.
He lay there for a while, as the emergency lights began their slow pulse, bathing the room in shadows and bloody light. And when the galaxies finally cleared from in front of his eyes, Jones staggered to his feet, lost his footing, and fell again, the mop clattering away across the tiles. As he struggled to his feet a second time, the ship jolted again, throwing him down, then started trembling, a low and subtle vibration that set his teeth to rattling in his skull and shivered up and down his spine. As it faded, Jones braced himself against the wall, fighting the slippery footing, the confusion of light, and the ear shattering ship's alarm.
Abruptly, the alarm cut off, braying once, then dying away with a mournful groan. The emergency lights continued to strobe in slow, crimson flashes. In the sudden silence, Jones was left alone with the mop, the bucket, and a spreading pool of cooling, soapy water.
A drain belched moistly, then settled. A single bead of water shattered in the bowl of a sink. Bruised and disoriented from the blow to his head, Jones propped himself against the wall and tried to organize his thoughts.
*Tak Tak* *Skrrttch*
Jones snapped his head up, sudden chips of ice shivering down his spine. In the silence, broken only by the asthmatic wheezing of the ventilation system, the sound had been loud. Very loud. The sound of something hard and sharp scraping over vanilla colored tiles. And it sounded… wrong. That was no human boot dragging on the floor, no fellow crewman. It was too... organic... sounding. Like bone, or shell, or horn scraping across the floor. Jones wouldn't have been able to say why he knew that, but he did. And that little reptile instinct at the back of his skull was suddenly shrieking warnings at him. There was something IN here. Jones whipped his head around, ignoring the pain that radiated outward from the point where he had collided with the wall, and stared down the length of the stalls toward the door. Nothing.
But what about the showers? They were behind him.
A dry, musky, and somehow inhuman smell suddenly wafted past Jones. Confused and disoriented, and suddenly aware that he was in something way over his head, Jones abruptly found that all his muscles had simply... locked up. Turn around, he thought, as he became aware that all the hair on the back of his neck had gently lifted. Turn around. Behind him, the shower doors rattled, gently, and something - briefly - shouldered out the light. And yet he still couldn't move.
And then something splashed in the soapy puddle behind him. Right behind him. And as quickly as that, Jones unfroze. As the ripples bunched and trembled around his feet, Jones gathered himself, and turned. The very last thing he saw was a huge, four fingered hand.
-----
Fourth Sun/Tenth Cycle/Twentieth in the Age of Wandering
Haakar'Nan stared in dismay at the display screen, and knew from the thoughts of the others that they shared his surprise. Across the gulf separating the ships of the K'Luth fleet from the alien vessels, the thoughts of the boarding crews echoed. The knowledge shared was impossible, almost unbelievable. The alien lives were fighting back, actively resisting the attempts of the K’Luth warriors to save them from the Machine that enslaved them. Although it was possible that, not being Awakened like the K'Luth, the alien lives were simply being dominated by the hollow beast, it was simply unthinkable that any intelligence would not want to be rescued.
And so Haakar'Nan and the other commanders of the K'Luth fleet were very rapidly being forced to consider something completely outside their experience.
Was it possible that the alien lives were not enslaved by the Machine? Were they, in fact, working in concert with it?
If that were so, and it was becoming more and more clear to the K'Luth command that this was the case, then they were enemies of the K'Luth.
The decision was made.
Haakar'Nan gave the order to fire.
-----
9:27:66
Captain Noonan was looking directly at the main viewscreen when it happened, so he could not deny what he was seeing.
Reports streaming in from all over the ship were garbled, but one thing was very clear: they had been boarded by something that was not human. Impossible, unbelievable, and yet, it was happening. And, as if that alone weren't bad enough, it was becoming obvious that the aliens, (and, Lord, how unreal that thought felt to him) the aliens were working their way through the Interstellar, systematically destroying the ship and kidnapping his crew.
But where the hell had they come from?
It was very clear, the main viewscreen. Beyond the chaos, the confusion, space spread out, cold, clean, and calm. And then, suddenly, a section of space shuddered, threw off distortion like a sudden ripple on a still pond, and from the center of the disruption a concentrated beam of energy lanced out.
Orange gold, all color and violence, it sliced through the silent void, and then it was tracing a charred line across the bow of the Mantichore, a black scar that was suddenly bleeding fire, and then the beam was joined by another, and another, until the whole of the visible dark was streaming with swords of angry light. But in that brief instant, just before the energy had screamed out, Noonan had seen.
There was a ship there.
They still had no communications with the other ships in the fleet, and so Noonan took decisive action, hoping that someone, anyone in the fleet would see what he was doing and follow suit.
The weapons systems of the Interstellar spoke out, crying the anger of the ship into the void, screaming with all the drive and passion of their human makers. And they were answered.
Red fire blossomed into the night, sharp and angry against the void. And as it boiled and churned, suddenly, suddenly, there it was; narrow and alien, the enemy ship hung against the black. And as the fighters were launched, and the scouts converged, they saw that she was not alone.
-----
9:27:66
Missiles flared and stuttered against the black, energy weapons carved the night into sharp edges, fighters fought and dodged and died, hemorrhaging vital gasses into the hollow void. Noonan watched from his command as the first enemy ship vaporized, disintegrating into a boiling cloud of fire.
The Interstellar shuddered beneath him, inertial dampeners not quite compensating for the enemy fire, and Noonan watched impassively as Flight redirected a squad of fighters to engage another enemy ship that shimmered into view as suddenly as another disappeared. They were taking heavy losses; already he had seen one of the supply ships vanish beneath a storm of enemy fire, and scouts were blazing away like so many meteors entering an atmosphere. The Mantichore was suffering: as the largest ship, she was the most obvious target, and was streaming almost as much fire as she was throwing off ammo. The Interstellar herself was taking a beating; Engineering reported heavy damage to most decks, and the jump system was offline. How did one fight an enemy you could not see? No matter, Noonan had no desire to flee from this fight.
They had invaded his ship, dammit, carved away at her from the inside, and stolen his crew. Now, it was personal.
Under their fire, another enemy ship collapsed inward.
Another UGTO ship vanished in a firestorm.
As a new enemy ship entered their viewscreen, another enemy ship was destroyed.
Their resolve was crystal hard, pure and tempered. Quite suddenly, they were winning. Against all odds, against an opponent that no human had ever dreamed of, let alone engaged in combat, they were winning.
And then, all at once, the Interstellar shuddered, rocked by subsonic vibrations. The main viewscreen flickered and warped, but despite the instability of the view, Noonan, the command crew, everyone, could see apocalypse descending upon them.
It started with a tremor, a small shudder against the crisscrossing webs of fire, enemy and ally. Everyone saw a scout impact against the disturbance, boiling away in a cloud of fragments. Everyone saw it, a shadow against the sun, undeniably really, undeniably there. Even so, even as it threw off whatever effect it had used to conceal itself from them, no one, Noonan included, could convince themselves of what they were seeing.
Impossible! Noonan's mind screamed at him as the hulking outline of an enemy dreadnaught carved its way into view before them. Impossible! And even as his mind formulated that thought, the dreadful thing opened fire, volley after volley of beams shattering their way into the crippled Mantichore. There was no time to react, no time at all.
The Mantichore shivered, bleeding fire from multiple wounds, and then, simply ceased to be. Flame blossomed along her length, boiling and surging, a small sun against the immensity of the endless night, and then she collapsed inward upon herself, her rage spent, her majesty reduced to spinning fragments of mindless metal.
There was a momentary lull in the combat, as if even the enemy was taken aback at the devastation they had wrought. And in that moment of knife edged clarity, when everyone realized there was no retreat, no surrender, Noonan saw something he had not seen before.
Sag Hothha had continued her rotation, uncaring of the devastation being wrought in the skies above her, and in doing so had brought into view the most unbelievable thing of all.
A colony.
Suddenly, Noonan knew exactly what it was he had to do. Even as the fighting recommenced around them, even as the Interstellar groaned and shuddered under wave after wave of enemy fire, Noonan calmly stepped down from the command station and approached the Helm. The Helmsman stared blankly ahead at the viewscreen, a stunned, disbelieving look on his face, deep crescents of black huddled under his eyes. As Noonan approached, he looked up into the face of his Captain, traced now in thin runnels of drying blood. Noonan spoke to him calmly, almost gently, and the officer's eyes went from blank and denying to determined. Noonan smiled at him, placed his hand once on the man's shoulder, and then quietly returned to his place at the command deck. As the Interstellar heeled about, wounded, dying, but not yet dead, he bowed his head and closed his eyes.
-----
9:27:66
Fourth Sun/Tenth Cycle/Twentieth in the Age of Wandering
If there had been any left on the surface to tell it, they would have told it thus: a cataclysm of smoke and fire, boiling down from the heavens, tearing through the summer storms. Shards of metal and glass, shrapneling away from the main body, each then to burn up themselves as they streamed through the ever thickening atmosphere. It came like the hammer of an avenging god, trailing thunder in its wake, the wounded air tearing away from it as it roared and bellowed. It was the sound of anger, and pain, and hatred. The impact that followed was tremendous, scoring the land and searing the green world as the shockwave ran outward. Smoke filled the skies for days after, choking the air and eventually forming storms of its own, storms that carried on the winds before the rains the copper smell of lighting, of blood, and of war. |
| 13 UGTO Agincourt Carrier [Warning: Large Pictures] [IC] |
The Agincourt class UGTO Fleet Carrier!
The first of this class rolled out of the Bifrost shipyards in 2243, the Agincourt class Carrier was actually the first UGTO ship fielded over the size of Destroyer. Intended to be the center of any fleet operations, these vessels were designed to project UGTO military might over a large radius to help secure the colonial regions from pirate activity, and to serve as a mobile command center and staging ground.
While they served the UGTO well in the capacity of anti-piracy, this design of ship was not without it's flaws. Primarily, it's dependance on fighters. Should it's compliment of fighters become exhausted, it would find itself without offensive or defensive capabilities. This, however, was deemed acceptable, as fighters were really the only effective means to defeat other fighters, and the UGTO clearly had the numbers and technology superiority over the pirate fleets.
All this changed with the Third Stellar War. While there are instances of Carrier groups being victorious in battle, analysis concluded that this was due to raw numbers rather than any real effectivness of the craft. The ICC simply possesed superior anti-fighter technologies, while also possesing potent starfighters of their own. More than half of the UGTO carrier fleets are wiped out to a ship, mostly from the disasterous Battle of Luyten, 2/16/2260. During the subsequent months, almost all of the remaining Carrier ships are mothballed, and work is begun to replace them with more conventional Top Capitol Ships. The few remaining fleet carriers are religated to patrol work and to deal with low level threats to UGTO security.
Recent advancements have caused UGTO military planners to take another look at their fighter craft. New technologies have allowed the creation of much more effective starfighters, and have spawned the design of new interceptor and bomber class starfighters as well as a redesign of the assault fighters. The relativly low cost of a starfighter wing as compaired to a capitol ship has further caused the UGTO military to rethink its take on dedicated fleet carriers.
On October 4, 2272 the UGTO government signed into law the Carrier Re-establishment act. All Agincourt class Carriers are slated for massive refit and reactivation, as this proves more economically viable than designing and constructing a completely new ship (the basic spaceframe is still a sound design).
Artist note:
You will see there is a large landing bay on the rear. This is where all craft land.
The four doors on the sides (two port, two starboard) are for shuttles, troop transports, and the like.
Fighters are stored and ferried about inside the carrier on a sort of hanging rack. When a fighter is to be launched, it is carted to the rails on the underside front of the ship. Short-duration high-thrust ion engines on the fighter's rack accelerate the craft down the length of the "runway". At the end, the fighter is released, and breaking thrusters on the rack bring it to a halt so that it may be brought inside and used on other starfighters. The tower hanging underneath the hull towards the front is the flight control tower, where all launches and strategic battle command occures for starfighters on board.
I apologize for the bump mapping. Some day we will probably include it in the DS game engine, and so all my models have it as part of their design.
The relativly clean design of the upper hull happened rather accidentally, but I have grown fond of it. I really couldn't come up with stuff to add up there that looked better than just leaving it clean and rounded. Though, the '50s era cadillac wings were temping... |
| 14 History of the ST Class Dreadnought |
The ST-series dreadnought forms the backbone of the UGTO’s offensive capabilities. At just shy of 1600 meters, they are the largest conventional warships fielded by the loyalists across the numerous fleets, second only to the station in terms of durability and firepower. One hundred and sixteen examples currently exist, with the line still in active production.
The hull can trace its origins to the Agincourt-class Fleet Carrier. During the Third Stellar Conflict, these vessels, slightly smaller than their contemporaries, formed the core of the UGTO Navy. Though generally obsolete by any modern standards, the lessons learned during the class’s fairly short period of superiority ensured the UGTO’s survival as a stable military power.
In 2258, the Cygnus system’s government formally applies for ICC membership, it sets into motion a series of events that will lead to the UGTO declaring war on the Farstars. Though officially claiming that their rivals are failing to prevent pirates from within their borders attacking loyalist worlds, the truth is that the UGTO are frustrated in their attempts to keep the fringe governments in line. A state of war will validate the need for martial law in regions near the front, and also provide an opportunity to expand Earth’s influence. So begins the Third Stellar Conflict.
Up until this point, the Navy’s Agincourt’s has only been tested against the poorly-equipped Stellar Freedom Alliance and other criminal groups. Air superiority is considered the primary goal in UGTO doctrine, with it, an enemy fleet can be destroyed almost at leisure.
From an historical perspective, it is clear that the UGTO had greatly overestimated the effectiveness of their carrier groups, whilst simultaneously underestimating the preparedness of the ICC for a protracted conflict.
Expecting a victory within months at most, the UGTO are shocked to find that their most prized asset, the Agincourt is near useless against an organized enemy. Anti-fighter technology has achieved several major breakthroughs during the eight years of relative peace. Without their numerous fighter squadrons, the ships have very little offensive capability, and instead must rely on smaller support ships to fight for them.
Slow to react, the UGTO continue to use their outdated carrier tactics, until realizing their futility in the Battle of Luyten. Out of three fleets ordered into combat, only five ships survive. The era of the aircraft carrier as the center of naval operations ends, after over three hundred years of dominance. The UGTO Navy is a spent force, and Earth braces itself for the inevitable defeat at the hands of the ICC.
By a stroke of sheer luck, however, the UGTO successfully attains a ceasefire, but in return is forced to surrender all territory it has lost. The political groveling shows just how devastating the war was. Members of the senate vow never again to be caught so unprepared; the incumbent Grand Chancellor is suspended following a movement by the senate and a major reorganization of the military is put into place. Almost as soon as the conflict had ended, preparations are made for the next one.
The Bifrost Fleet Foundry is greatly expanded in preparation for the Navy’s reconstruction. New ships, however, will be needed.
The UGTO turn to Zain Iskandar, a ship designer and part of the team that had created the Agincourt. He argues that while the basic design had been sound, the reliance on only one aspect of naval warfare and the failure to update the fleets with new technologies as they became available had allowed the ICC to gain the advantage. Given a generous budget, but a strict time schedule, he sets to work.
Less than six months later, Iskandar and his team reveal what will become the ST-101 Carrier Dreadnought. Though initially displeased that all he has given them is a scaled-up Agincourt, military officials warm more to the design when he reveals that the weapons systems are deliberately modular, and that the hull can be used for a variety of roles. The design is approved and the first keel is laid down on December 6th, 2260.
Accelerated construction allowed by the Bifrost Foundry’s new shipbuilding facilities means that the first ship is completed on May 11th, 2261, almost a day to the war’s end. With limited armament and with only a skeleton crew, the hull is used as a test bed for the new technology it incorporates.
These tests are carried out on the outer edges of Sol. Nearly all aspects of performance are scrutinized. A number of mothballed Agincourts are used as target drones.
Initial results conclude that while offensive and defensive aspects are a huge advancement over previous designs, speed and handling are unsatisfactory.
To compensate for this, Iskandar proposes the addition of two additional power plants to the design, both of which will be housed in nacelles attached to the main hull with three reinforced braces.
Up until this point, the vessel has housed only a single main engine at the rear of the hull, giving it an appearance that is very reminiscent of its predecessor. This new revision, though not part of the original design, will radically change the ships appearance, and influence the style of all UGTO ships to come. Permission is granted to implement the changes and the test bed returns to Earth.
One month later, the modifications are completed and the ship is once more rolled out of Bifrost. Iskandar has demonstrated his genius and has created a vessel that is a perfect balance of naval might and architecture. The refitted design solves the handling issues, and increases fuel economy and energy reserves with few compromises. The changes are incorporated onto all other examples currently under construction.
Fully armed, and crewed with graduates from the new Gagarin Naval Academy, the test bed is formally commissioned on July 6th 2261. Grand Chancellor Margret Cooper christens the ship “Dreadnought” and hails the ceremony as “a new dawn for the UGTO in its strife for peace.”. As an ST-101 Carrier Dreadnought, Dreadnought’s hangars are half the size of those of an Agincourt, but she enjoys far greater durability and combat power.
Over the course of the next few months, more ST-series dreadnoughts will be commissioned, including a number of dedicated battleships and command ships. It is these behemoths, in the form of the ST-105 Battle Dreadnought, ST-106 Command Dreadnought and ST-111 Elite Assault Dreadnought, that will be at the forefront of the UGTO’s naval warfare for years to come and will help ensure Earth’s control of its territories.
The military is now in possession of a growing number of expertly trained personnel, which include ship designers. Under Iskandar’s wing, these new teams set about designing different hull classes in the same style to replace those currently in service. These are completed with similar expediency.
Rearmament is so rapid that by 2263, the UGTO Navy is stronger than it was before the war. During this time, Iskandar has several disputes with military directors. Finding him increasingly frustrating to deal with, he is swiftly put to one side and Relaia Calerin is installed as chief designer. Fearing a possible leak of design secrets to the ICC, the Grand Chancellor grants permission for Iskandar to be silenced.
Calerin’s tasks will not be as daunting as those of her predecessor. Instead, she will oversee many small adjustments to current designs, both to improve their efficiency and remove any flaws caused by the haste of their construction. She will also direct the refitting and recommissioning of all surviving Agincourt hulls. |
| 16 Revision Log |
27th June 2007
Added Section 13, History of the ST Class Dreadnought, by Soothsayer
- Drafell
7th June 2007
Added Legacy Documentation section for old or outdated history.
- Drafell |
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