Name of nation: The United Federation of Clans (UFC)
Species: They call themselves Vix both singular and plural. The average height of a Vix is about 6 feet and they weigh slightly more than a human of similar height. There brains are very different from most species in the galaxy. Their brains are very large for considering the size of a Vix but they are no more intelligent than your average human instead their increased brain size just helps them multitask by allowing them to process more information from their sensory organs. They are carbon based lifeforms which breath oxygen with an atmospheric mixture of 25% oxygen, 74% nitrogen and 1% other gases. There hands and feet are very similar to humans except for there lack of prints. Vix need more food than your average human does to function as their larger brains have more activity than a human does so they need more energy. In fact the Vix consume on average twice as much as a human does. The present day Vix are all female since there male population died off. The tendrils on either side of a Vix's head are left over sensory organs from when they where burrowing animals and where used to feel there way around. Hearing is a thing a the Vix struggle with as they only have a small hole on either side of their head.
Description of government: The government is a democratic republic with representatives elected from several constituencies that have to contain a certain number of people. This means that new constituencies can be created let's say when a new world is colonised. However a new constituency can also be created if a constituency has double the required number of people and half the population vote for a new constituency to be formed. Elections are held every 4 years and voting is mandatory and so no one has an excuse half the population has the day off one day and the others have a day off the next day. The legal voting age is 20 years old.
Description of military: The military is structured into one central command that makes decisions for the entire military. The command hierarchy depends on if the mission is on land, underwater or in space. Basic infantry is trained in both low and high gravity environments which means they are very versatile but take considerably longer to train. Combat vehicles used by the Vix are basic four legged mechs with the top having completely interchangeable parts so one day it could be artillery the next it could be a troop transport. Submersibles are still used in small numbers by the Vix military to check the ocean floor for any alien activity. Disruptors and plasma missiles are the most common weapons used by the military but they do keep small supplies of other weapons for more specialised missions.
The military also has a home guard which is used as a defensive force and for police work. Their are regular armed patrols conducted to unsure the safety of citizens and arrest trouble makers. They also have bunkers and defensive fortifications doted about the city in key locations in every city. The home guard also has a large number of mechs, mobile fortifications and some aircraft.
This section contains general information about Vix ships. Sleeping quarters on ship usually contain a bunk bed, two lockers and two laptops the crewman can use for work or recreation. The bathrooms are communal with one on each floor where crewman can shower and relieve themselves. However on decks with no living quarters there are only toilets. Only officers get separate quarters with a bathroom. Every ship also has a central dining area with kitchen attached. Every ship also has a recreation room where crewman can sit down play some games and have a chat. Ships are designed with many interconnecting corridors so there are several ways to get from bow to stern and from side to side they also have elevators and ladders spread around the ship. Blast doors are at every junction and they have similar things in their elevators shafts and ladders so they can seal sections off incase of decompression. Every crewman wears an armoured space suit however they don't equip helmets unless battle stations are called.
Thunderbolt class shuttle - Named for the sound it makes when it enters the air. The shuttle is fairly robust and well armoured and can carry 20 troops and equipment but it can also be made to transport supplies. The ship is armed with light disrupters and it can be fitted with hard points for missiles:
Reaper class fighter - So named for its massive main gun located on the underbelly of the craft. It can be used in both an anti fighter role and for attacks against large ships. The Reaper is actually controlled by one pilot who controls the main gun and the secondary ball turret which has a heads up display in the cockpit. The pilot can handle this much information due to the Vix's natural ability to multi task. Other species will find it hard to fly due to the sheer amount of information the pilot has to contend with:
Raider class bomber - Meant for fast strikes against enemy targets that is the reason it was given the name Raider. Raider class bombers can carry a variety of missiles from bunker busters to incendiary. The ship has a bombardier and a pilot who handles the guns:
Dagger class destroyer - A ship named for it's roll as a light and fast weapons platform. The ship is lightly armed and armoured to make the ship faster. There is also a small shuttle bay which usually only holds one shuttle:
Berserker class Cruiser - Named for its immense amount of firepower. This class of ship also carries two shuttles in one underbelly hanger. This class of ship has more compacted living space as it needs more space for all its weapons and their systems. The Berserker is actually only a bit larger than a destroyer:
Zin class battle cruiser - Named after admiral Zin a national hero of the Vix after he died retaking Dimir. The Zin class has only a significantly more fire power than the Berserker class cruiser but it is also much larger. In fact the ship is 2/3 the size of the Phantom class and for its size it may appear a little sparse on weapons compared to the Phantom. However it is a lot more armoured than the Vix usually have their ships and it has been equipped with a lot more shielding. The ship also has a under belly hanger with 4 fighters and 2 shuttles:
Phantom class battleship - Named because of it's ability to jump into a hostile area and destroy the enemy before anyone knows. It is the most heavily armed class of ship currently used with its main batteries the same as the ones used on military stations. In fact the main batteries both have their dedicated scaled down fusion reactor. The ship also carries 4 shuttles in two separate side hanger bays and 6 fighters in an under belly hanger. For its size it is also very fast and manoeuvrable thanks in part to its large array of engines and a state of the art power plant. The ship can also be self sufficient for an estimated two years:
Hive class carrier - Named after the small homes that some insects make. This ship usually has 24 fighters 4 bombers and two shuttles split between its two hangers. The ship also carries spare parts for all its smaller ships. Unlike most races they don't have a dedicated carrier and the Hive class actually has almost as much fire power as a destroyer:
Titan class bulk cargo ship - Named after the legendary creatures that they call Titans which legend said where the size of islands and could carry away entire fleets of ships. They are lightly armed but they do have excellent amounts of amour and shielding and can be made to carry anything from medical supplies to troops. The ship also carries 20 shuttles located in a central hanger:
The Vix have a militia of sorts that is used as a last resort. Each city has weapons caches stored all over just incase they need to arm the citizens of the city in order to defend it. The government also offers training courses for citizens so they can be prepared for an alien invasion their is also a group for young kids like army cadets. These groups and training courses have high number of attendants especial the courses for young kids due to their parents wanting them to be able to defend themselves. Mainly the slogans used by these groups on TV are along the lines of "aliens don't care for citizens" with images of the Vix colonies destroyed in the war.
Technological Overview: The main weapons technology used by the Vix are disrupters and plasma missiles. Disrupters require high amounts of energy to operate the weapons but they are wroth it for they are truly devastating. Disrupters work by ripping apart the bounds that hold atoms, molecules and lattices together. Plasma missiles hold inside of them superheated and compressed plasma which on impact is released this can burn through enemy hulls and the charged particles can also cause damage to electronics. However other specialised missiles exist in smaller numbers for special missions such as incendiary for carpet bombing and stealth versions. Vix disrupters are one of the technologies they are most advanced in.
Defensive systems technology used by the Vix are shields and reflective armour. Shield technology is only in its infancy so they can't take much damage before packing in and ideally the idea is to make the battle end very quickly. However after there shields have failed they are not defenceless as they still have the reflective armour. The armour works by reflecting most of the energy back out and away. The armour can usually reflect 75% of most energy but that still leaves 25% which can still do significant damage. There reflective armour is probably the Vix's most advanced defence technology and very unique by galactic standards as most races focus on shields.
Power distribution and generation technology. To generate power the Vix currently use fusion reactors which have been been around for about 100 years. They are fairly average and so far research has only been invested into producing more efficient and powerful fusion reactors they have yet to investigate alternative fuels and power generation. Their power distribution systems consist of super conductors that are effective at room temperatures but they preform better with mild cooling.
FTL and sublight propulsion systems. They use impulse engines that eject highly pressurised plasma simple but very effective. There FTL on the other hand is a very effective and efficient form of travel which they call Hyperdrives. The ship essentially emits a certain type of energy into space which opens a portal into hyperspace. In hyperspace everything is compressed into a smaller area so great distances can be covered quickly. In hyperspace is a fluidic liquid that is very thin and does not impede a ships progress. The way you navigate in fluid like space is by the storms which are caused by the objects in are reality and there gravitational field. A small asteroid will cause a ripple in hyperspace but a star will cause a storm that can rip apart a ship if it gets to close. The ships range is only limited by the supplies on board theoretically a ship could stay in hyperspace for ever however there is a problem as plants for some reason will not grow in hyperspace and no local life has been found. Although the range a ship an travel may be greater than most races FTL drives it takes much longer for them to travel the same distance. They also send long range communications through hyperspace which means it also takes longer to both send and receive messages.
Artificial insemination is a technology the Vix would go extinct without. It is a very simple concept you simply take the DNA from two Vix mix it together two make the beginnings of a brand new Vix. After this point it can either be implanted for a natural birth as they call it or it can be grown in a tube until fully grown with the last option being the safest.
The Vix also have basic artificial gravity which can simulate the gravity of the Vix homeworld. Another thing that has been invented from this technology is the Repulser Drive. This can be used to make a ship hover in the above a planets surface. However a lot of power has to be transferred to the drive to make it work.
Cultural Overview: In Vix culture they paint their faces as a way of decoration. The more intricate the pattern the better however too many colours in Vix culture makes one look tarty. The Vix do not wear any jewellery except for marriage necklaces that have lockets with little messages expressing each other's feelings for one another. Speaking of marriage most Vix go to mixers where they paint their faces and try to meet someone. Though Vix will not usually propose on the first mixer they will keep their options open and go meet several times with their potential candidates. After many Mixers the Vix move on to one on one dates. If things go well a Vix will propose by opening the hands and raising there arms if the other Vix accepts they will do the same and then hug.
Social interaction among the Vix happens in their recreation centres where people can get together relax and make new friends. These centres are run by the government and are self funding. Most Vix will usually try and bound over another game a Vix is playing or something they are reading. They will engage by saying hello to the person if that person is interested in company they will reciprocate and engage in a traditional greeting where two people touch foreheads then rub their tendrils against each other's heads. Then the talking begins and it's up to them where things go from their.
When it comes to religions the Vix have very few with only two major religions dominating their culture. The biggest is The Church of Accession which believes that after you die you move onto a higher plane with the previous plane being just preparation for the next. The Church of the Undying Circle is the second largest and they believe in reincarnation. There are several smaller religions and cults but they are mostly just spin off religions of the main two. However 70% of Vix do not have any religion not caring much about what happens after death and more about what they do know. Though 17% still follow the The Church of Accession and 12% follow the The Church of the Undying Circle. Lastly 1% are divided into the smaller cults and religions.
Depending on where you are in the Federation you will see different design styles and lettering. On Rinn, Salus and their newly colonised system you will see similar design and the same language on the signs which is traditional Vix architecture and language. The buildings are usually cylindrical or curved and have interconnecting walk ways and a tube system. They are very large and are usually self contained communities. The main colours used are orange and green. However on worlds that the invaders made there cities the layout is very different. The Vix chose not to change the cities because the resources it would take and new buildings are made to look similar due to the Vix hate their buildings standing out. The buildings are more jagged and bold with more angles. The most common colours used on these worlds are gold, silver, copper and red. Also the buildings are not self contained with services spread all over. The signs on this world are also in the invaders language due to it being to much hassle to replace the old signs and reprogram the computers. It is now the main written language on these planets.
There are only a few spectator sports on their home planet. Biggest spectator event being basically simulated ground combat where contestants put on suits and are given guns which just have laser pointers in them. When one of these laser pointers hits the suit it restricts the persons movements sometimes immobilising a limb. When an opponent can no longer move or surrenders the match ends and the suits reset. Also war games are televised and are considered a sort of sporting event with many picking a favourite admiral and supporting them like one would a football team. The last major sport the Vix love is body ball which is a very simple game were all you have to do is get the ball into the opposing teams net. The only rule is that ball must keep moving and you can't stop with it or its a foul. Also there are zero gravity versions of the game.
History: From what can be gathered by scientists the Vix evolved from a burrowing mammals that rarely ever came to the surface. The general consensus on why these animals moved above ground and evolved into modern day Vix is that their under ground food supply had gradually become more scarce forcing them above ground to scavenge. The first adaptation was a drastic increase in brain size that made the Vix of today great at multi tasking. This was so they could forage for food above ground while also being able to keep an eye out for predators.
Like most species the first signs of civilisation were small groups forming. However unlike most species on other planets they had to discover basic farming earlier as the Vix needed a lot more food than hunting and gathering could provide them in their larger groups. Before the discovery of farming groups of Vix usually had 15 people in them and they struggled to feed themselves. After the discovery small villages started to form and the first fixed buildings where being made. At this point the Vix where able to provide food for a population of about 100 people. This was the beginning of the first clans.
It wasn't until the medieval era that wars between the clans started. By now most settlements had grown into small towns with populations of about 700 people. The wars were mostly over territory so they could grow more food to feed their much larger populations. The wars mostly went back and forth between the different clans and sometimes the balance of power in an area would be disrupted by dissatisfied citizens leaving the clan to go join another or set up their own. This period ended when a man invented the steam powered plough which improved speed at which crops could be planted. This improved the food situation greatly and the man had more money than a king.
However this was only a small break in hostilities as the population in the settlements grew and they were back at each other's throats fighting over the same things as they always had. It wasn't until their equivalent of the 1940s happened where proper population controls where put in place and meaning the clans never became to over populated. This put an end to the on and off again wars that happened in between agricultural innovations. After this wars were rarely fought over land or food but rather over clan pride. The clans to prove there superiority started to come up with bold new inventions and ideas to prove their clams superiority. The most important event that happened in this time was the first space launch which started off a space race.
Fast forward 200 years and they had small colonies all over their home system. The clans still fought each other but the battles where completely simulated so no one got hurt but honour and prestige were still earned. Many even bet on the outcome of clan battles and it was like a spectator sport. However some clans still wanted to expand and explore so plans were in motion to send a mission to of star in there binary system about 1 light year away. But around this time the outer mining ships started going dark. No one knew how wide spread the issue was because the clans didn't mention these sorts of things to each other as it could make them seem weak. It was only when the outer world of Fina went dark that any one paid any attention.
It was several weeks later when they found out what had happened. Their system was being invaded by an unknown alien race. The images taken by the recon ships showed that the entire colony had been destroyed. Every Vix was now at war with these mysterious aliens. Many of the clans tried to take on the enemy fleet on single-handedly but their ships were always outnumbered so the enemy always destroyed them quickly. Two months after the war had begun the outer solar system had fallen. A month after that Dimir had fallen to the enemy advance. It was at this point the clans gathered and decided to combine what remained of their forces into a central command. Finally they started winning battles slowly pushing the enemy back.
After 5 years Dimir was back in Vix hands and they began to gain momentum. After another 20 years the enemy had been pushed out of the Vix home system however it was decided that they had to take the fight to the enemy so they could ensure the safety of every Vix. It was discovered that the aliens where from the star binary other star in their binary system a distance that could not be traversed without FTL. So the Vix started researching FTL technology putting their greatest minds on it and offering big money grants to any one with credible research. It took another 45 years before they had a working prototype. It was another 5 before the invasion force was ready. During this time they had been constantly harassed by the invaders. The Vix invaded the enemy in force launching simultaneous attacks on all the planets in the enemy system catching them off guard unaware that the Vix where FTL capable. However the enemy had been working on there own weapon to win the war and although it wasn't ready they released it in desperation. Unknown to the Vix the aliens had released a biological weapon into their own atmosphere. The Vix won the day the enemy was dead but they were unaware of the price they had payed.
It took a year for the first signs of the virus to show. Males started falling dead all over no one could figure out why. After months of research they discovered that The Invaders as they had now been dubbed in the final years of the war had started taking Vix warriors prisoner and had experimented on them. The disease destroyed the male chromosome causing cell failure then death. It was discovered that the disease had no effect on women. This was because the invaders never took prisoners from colonies and only took warriors and the Vix military was all male. Instantly all efforts were focused on finding a cure.
After four years it was concluded that the disease was terminal and over 20% of the male population was dead and no males had been born in over two years. One scientist proposed a rash idea that would ensure the survival of the Vix in female form. His idea was an artificial insemination technique that could combine the DNA of two healthy female Vix and make a new baby girl. The scientist that can up with the idea had been working on cloning but had given up when he realised that it wouldn't help as men had no healthy DNA left to clone and it would only be a quick fix for the women of their species as eventually cell degradation would lead to their extinction. That's when the idea hit him that he could combine the DNA of two women and artificially making a baby. The child would be healthy and their were no long term problems. The only thing was that the children born this way would all be female. The idea was not exactly well received but they understood that it had to be done. So centres where set up all over and women where retrained to do men's work in the time the male population had left. It was also decided that the clans were no longer the best thing for the Vix as it had been shown by their combined military that the Vix where stronger together. So they set up the new republic system mapped out the constituencies quickly drafted some basic laws and regulations.
It was twenty years later when the last male Vix died changing the Vix for ever. He had been in the war and was a veteran of many battles and the last thing he said was "It was all worth it" those words to this day are engraved above the entrance to the republics hall of chambers. Ever since that day the clans are not important any more and all they do is help the Vix to remember the past. The Vix still have simulated battles but only to keep them prepared incase of another invasion. They still don't know if the invaders had colonies anywhere else. So to be safe they have been scanning space for any signs of them just incase but so far nothing has come up. A constant reminder remains of the invaders as the worlds they conquered from them and the worlds they took back had cities built on them. Instead of destroying the cities they instead moved there own people in. However their was a problem which was the alien signs all over and most people had to learn the language just to get around. After a while the main written language on those worlds was that of The Invaders. In fact new buildings put up were made to not only match the building style of The Invaders but also signs where written in the language and children where taught it along with the Vix's own language.
Present day it has been 188 years since the last male Vix died and the Vix have managed to rebuild and heal their society The Vix have progressed leaps and bounds since then inventing new technologies and progressing their society. The Vix have even colonised a new system beyond their own binary star system. Even moving on enough so that the idea of males . However the Vix have also continued to militarise their ships making them bigger and better so their ready for the next alien to rear its head.
Other: The Vix home system has a yellow star with three inner rocky planets called Rinn, Salus and Dimir. Rinn is the home planet of the Vix is a world a little bit smaller than Earth its landmass is mostly located on one super continent with some small scattered islands around the continent. Rinn has a large moon about 1/5 bigger than earths. Salus is a barren world where it snows every day it may have once been habitable but a run away ice age took place sometime ago. Dimir is a strange planet made of mostly metal though the planet is smaller than Rinn it actually has a greater gravitational pull. The outer system has one gas giant called Atos and a small dwarf planet called Fina. Atos has three rocky moons orbiting it that have warm cores that keep the moons geologically active and the colonies can actually be heated naturally by tapping into the moons cores. Fina is just a cold dead rock that is only useful as a launch base for mining missions to the asteroid belt located beyond Fina or as a listening outpost.
The other star in the Vix home system is about one light year away from Rinn. The system only has five rocky planets called Hellis, Voris, Nissa, Galas and Eclip. Hellis is a small planet that is tidally locked one side being an inferno the other an icy wasteland with a small band of habitable land inbetween. Voris a planet that is very much like the Vix home planet except for being slightly bigger with a smaller moon and only having 22% oxygen in the atmosphere. Nissa a planet that is barely habitable as it is entirely icy tundra and cold lakes. The low oxygen content in the air means that it is impossible to do strenuous activity without passing out. Galas is just a dirt ball with a fairly average composition of materials. Eclip is a super large rocky planet which is 7 times the size of Rinn and has two small dwarf planets as moons.
The New Hope system as it has been christened is the first system to be colonised by the Vix. It is a red dwarf system with only two inner planets and an inner asteroid belt then a gas giant with an outer asteroid belt beyond. The inner most planet called Tipo is a dessert world the only water being in the 13 seas or the rivers that flow from the mountains into the seas and the only plant life is in around these small bits of water shockingly the plants are all black. Tipo also has 3 small moons which are very small and not very noticeable from the surface. It is a hard world to live on but with the right clothing and equipment it is manageable. Second planet from the sun is Terris a world covered in swamps the only problem living here is finding solid ground to build on and usually they have to dig down several meter to find it. The last planet in the system is Danas a very small gas giant with 5 moons that are nothing special by galactic standards and colonies can use the same method to heat themselves as Atos's moons use.
Also when I used the word year I was meaning a Vix year which is 413 days. With a day on Vix lasting 23hours.
The two preferred forms of the ancient is as a very tall (about 4 meters typically) slim humanoid with a triangularly shaped head, or as a roughly six hundred meters long vessel in space. While it can take other shapes, it normally doesn't.
