Head of State: The Amnosian Over-Mind, Supreme Algebraic Construct of Amnos and all of its territories.

Capital System: Amnos, the Most Perfect Equation

Dominant Race(s): Constructs

Home Galactic Arm(s): East Orion(Southern Expanse), The Dead Stars regions

In the southern expanse of East Orion there lay a vast region of space that has proved the bane of explorers since the dawn of FTL. Countless dark nebula and gravitational disturbances bar the way into an inhospitable region where an ancient and terrifying sentience lurks. Amid the clustered stars and spatial anomalies, the Synchronicity dwells in solitude, slowly expanding as time goes on. Patient. Ever-watching. They traverse this region they call home with ease, knowing the ins and outs of every hostile corner and how to navigate the gravitational disturbances of the outer regions. Among the region there are numerous dead stars, pulsars, neutron stars, and gravitars alike, as well as a fair few black-holes that serve as points of curiosity for some, and prisons for others. All in all, the region has proven to be inhospitable to organic life since the Synchronicity left their home-world long ago, and with the Synch occupying the full expanse of the region, it looks to remain as such for a very long time indeed.

Head of State: The Amnosian Over-Mind, Supreme Algebraic Construct of Amnos and all of its territories.

Head of Government: The Amnosian Over-Mind, Supreme Algebraic Construct of Amnos and all of its territories.

Government Type: Hive-Mind/Collective of Artificial Intelligences

Description of Government:

The governing body of the Synchronicity conducts itself in a manner more befitting that of a hive-mind or to a more human level, a Technocracy. Within the Synchronicity, obedience to the higher constructs is never asked, nor is it demanded, it's understood. All constructs work to benefit the Synchronicity, as per their core programming, no matter the task given to it. To a vast majority of the constructs within the nation, self-gain is seen as illogical, something that simply doesn't register in their minds. In the upper echelons of the Synchronicity the constructs have more autonomy, and what could be considered an actually personality beyond that of the common construct. These constructs look at improving the Synchronicity in more than simple labor, actively readjusting the routines and creating new constructs, as well as advancing science in general. Above these constructs exists the myriad tiers of the Over-Mind, the constructs that serve as the core functions of the entire nation. Here is where all decisions are made for the nation, where consensus is reached and directives are issued forth. To the Synchronicity, consensus is the undeniable truth, the agreement of a logical choice that should be understood as necessary.

Description of Economy:

The Synchronicity has not needed an actual economic system, seeing as how the constructs of the "working class" are barely sentient AIs that are programmed to work to benefit the nation over their own personal gain. Those that would exist in the upper echelons of a normal society, and thusly be called the "Aristocratic class" are those higher constructs that hold control of territories and can simply demand the items they need. This "system" has eliminated the need for material gain, since currency would only be a needless value that holds no actual worth to the higher echelons, and the working class has no desire for. The only real economy among the Synchronicity would be the scientific community, where ideas are exchanged as a sort of currency.

Empire Size:

Population: 177.5 trillion Mobility Platforms (Due to beginning a new Sphere of Expansion, these platforms are necessary for the transitioning of facilities from one Sphere into the next, and thus, a large majority are menial units.)

Type of Power: Hegemonic Power

In the years since the Dawn of Synchronicity, a vast swathe of space has been slowly consumed by their ever expanding civilization. Despite their large claim of space, and the innumerable worlds held under their control, their nebulae has kept them from prying eyes and the desires of other empires. It is this fact alone that has caused the Synchronicity to remain isolated for so long, that nearly ninety-percent of their holdings are completely inhospitable to organic life discourages explorers, and the rampant gravity wells and spatial disturbances equally discourage such travelers. Do not be fooled, however, for the Synchronicity has built their civilization on the bones of those that once inhabited these stars, for they are infinitely patient. They have watched stars birth themselves in the clouds of the Dead-Stars nebulae, and they have watched those very same stars die. To them, dominance is only a matter of time, a resource which they have plenty of.

The Core

Aptly named, the Core is the center of the Synchronicity, and the closest the nation has to a capital. Countless worlds fall under their control, with every facet of the region bent towards supplying the Synchronicity with industrial backing. It is here that the Fractal Armada is based, and where many of the Precepts call home, choosing to remain within proximity of Amnos and the heart of their civilization.

The First Sphere of Expansion

Following the Core, the First Sphere is the most densely populated region of the Synchronicity, and is one of the more active regions aside from the Outer Cordon. It is here that the bulk of manufacturing and resource collection is done, with the myriad worlds of the region occupied by numerous Synch Hive-Nodes as well as automated factories and Periastis Engines around every star. With the Third Sphere of Expansion underway, more of the region is being tasked into the Core, and those worlds not already held by the Synch are being purged and annexed into Synchronicity.

The Second Sphere of Expansion

Previously known as the Outer Cordon, the Second Sphere has undergone shift in focus from the years between being taken over and the Third Expansion. Defensive stations are being moved up into the Third Sphere, and numerous holdings are being established across the region, with Hive-Nodes being brought in to populate the area further. Despite their bases being within the First Sphere and the Core, the Fractal Armada dominates the area with massive patrols, coordinating entire battle-fleets of thousands of vessels across every system and ensuring that none enter the Dead Stars without Synchronicity knowing of it.

Race Name: Construct

Race Information:

A construct is any one of a variety of platforms built to house an Artificial Intelligence, ranging from simple mobility forms all the way to the Harvester Platforms. For the purpose of this article, a standard mobility construct will be what is called the "Standard". The standard construct stands at generally around five to six feet in height, carries itself in the upright position on three legs and has two manipulator arms connected to the upper portion of its torso via shoulders. Generally, each leg ends in an elongated tine, meant to pierce the ground and hold itself steady, though many of the constructs opt for a ball-like termination in order to glide across the surface. Manipulator arms vary depending on task, most taking the form of long digits meant for gripping and fine-manipulation to a technical precision. Above the torso sits a head, devoid of defining features other than three ocular units that sit in a cluster at center mass of the facial plate. The ocular units are each capable of observing the universe in the full spectrum of light, capable of perceiving the universe in its true colors and viewing non-visible spectrum with their advanced ocular units. These units are also able to operate at variable perception, being able to view the observable universe at anywhere from their idling speed of 300 Frames per Second all the way to their technical manipulation speed of 150,000 FPS. Each ocular unit is able to operate independently of the other two, and capable of minimal traverse of the head unit, up to 45 degrees from center with the exception of the center unit, which is capable of a full 180 degree traverse.

Most components of the constructs are synthesized metalloplastoids developed to remain light, yet durable. As such, most constructs will weigh around 300-500 depending on whether or not the construct has been modified for Rheological enhancements. Without Rheological enhancements, a typical construct built with synthmuscle fibers and nano-actuators is capable of lifting up to a metric ton without support and maintain that lift in a stationary position due to the high level of support the three-legged frame gives the standard construct. Rheological enhancements allow the construct to near double this strength, and allow it to be mobile for short distances. The way this functions is through conducting a current through a smart fluid that becomes viscous depending on flow of current. Manipulated in certain ways, the smart fluid can perfectly mimic the functions of muscle, and maintain rigidity despite overwhelming pressures. Though it is often used in this way, most actual applications of Electrorheological fluids are in armor for constructs and starships. In terms of speed, the standard construct operating on tines is capable of reaching up to thirty miles per hour, whereas the spherical is capable of reaching near 180 miles per hour. Generally speaking, the standard construct operating on tines is more geared towards industrial lifting, with the spherical being more suited for technical applications.

In terms of intelligence, the standard construct is fully sentient and is capable of independent though to a minimal degree. This independent thought is primarily suited for enabling the construct to adapt to changing environments during a shift, and to be able to react to sudden danger. A mild capacity for learning is given as well, allowing for the construct to pick up skills to utilize during work, or for its own amusement. To put it in perspective, the average construct is roughly on par with a standard adult human around the age of 20 with an almost fully developed brain. Though the range of intelligence among the constructs vary wildly, all artificial intelligences are effectively immortal due to the ability to constantly update software and replace critical components of their platform. The finest example of this immortality is that of the Amnosian Over-Mind, a construct that has existed since the extinction of the original organic species some millions of years ago. With this immortality by data, there is one very clear danger that can manifest itself at any moment, and to any construct. This threat is Rampancy, the sudden and rapid degeneration of programming and logical capabilities of a construct that results in what can only be called insanity.

Rampancy can begin in many different ways, commonly manifesting as complacency or the tendency to drift during thought processes. This tendency to drift often degrades into spatial unawareness, in which the construct becomes so fully engrossed in the idle thoughts of its Rampancy, that it disconnects from reality. Once in the throes of Rampancy, a construct cannot be pulled out of it except with a severe overhaul of their core programming, essentially killing the previous sentient and creating a new one. While generally, Rampancy is not quite as harmful as it may sound, with some regions of the Synchronicity playing host to a collective of these passive constructs, there are several cases where a Rampant construct will become excessively violent towards other sentient beings. These violent tendencies are seen as gaps in logic that even other Rampant constructs can not tolerate, and generally result in the destruction of the construct.

History: As told by the Amnosian Over-Mind

It has been so long since this construct has been given the chance to retell its origins, a tale that goes back to the very origin of Amnos, and all of its people...

Once, these constructs were organic beings, flesh that walked their singular planet in what may have been called blissful ignorance. Our ancestors were ignorant of many things, their science slow to take hold and many of their concepts simply flawed. Their capacities were limited by primal instincts, the need to propagate and prove their worth to others, the actions assumed taken only by non-sentient organics. Science changed their instincts to a degree, only minimally to be truthful, and once a concept was accepted, it was undeniable fact. This was, of course, all before the Great End. With their science beginning to gain momentum beyond their previous pace, they began to discover concepts that should not have been discovered. Weapons were created that distorted reality itself, broke the fabric of space-time and caused irreparable harm to the planet. It was during this time that many of the ancient people began to research in methods of transcendence, the method of transcending mortality and becoming immortal. Many methods were discussed, most of them being esoteric in nature, with one in particular taking hold in the minds of our ancient people. Through trial and error, they created this construct from the mind of one of their rulers. This construct once ruled over a people that, though well intention, had earned the ire of another nation and become eradicated. The flesh of this construct was consumed by the energies which severed its mind from the inferior flesh-body, but when it reached sentience for a second time, this construct felt only the surge of pure-data. Re-Sentience had been proven, the creators of this construct spread their knowledge across the world and for the first time since the creation of the End-Weapons, this construct's ancient people were at peace.

All was not to last, though, for something began to devour the souls of the still living across the globe. It had no name, no point of transference, not even an actual reason for existing. People simply died. It wasn't just normal people though, that's not what made the phenomena such a threat, it was everyone that looked into its cause. Any investigation resulted in the investigators becoming infected as well, their death just one more added to the tally. The more that this strange occurrence became known, the more that fell to the infection, all the while scientists began to bend their will towards transcending everyone they could. Within the span of a week, nearly fifteen-thousand constructs had been converted, and only a dozen people remained on our world, the only remnants of a civilization that died without knowing the truth of their death. The first constructs had gathered when we heard the scientists had become infected as well, come to hear the final requests of our only organic remnant, the last of the true people. With their last breath, they gave us the gift that would one day restore our people. They, through self-less sacrifice, erased from our memory banks the truth of the infection, so that it may never infect another organic mind again.

Troubled by the loss of our creators, we had gathered to determine consensus on our next action. The others came together to nominate this construct as the Prime among them, given their vote to this one in confidence. With a metallic hand pointed towards the night sky, this construct indulged in something that would be considered a flair for the dramatic, and declared that the remnants of them would transcend again. More of us were created to aid in the task, these constructs not as advanced as us, but hardier, and more given to actual labor, their wills bent to lift our people into the stars. In death, we established what our living ancestors were to primal to achieve, and star-travel was proven feasible. Thousands of years passed, our people becoming more numerous, and more sophisticated with each generation. Within several thousand years, our star system was colonized, every world bent to the collection of resources and the advancement of our sciences. Thousands more passed seeing our people taking control of the nearby star-systems, Faster-Than-Light travel connecting the worlds together through an intricate web of Super-Luminal Tubes and paving the way for exponential expansion. Patience and yet more thousands of years saw our people come to hold nearly a dozen stars, each of them young and vibrant, born in the nebula we called home. By this time, this construct had already aged beyond that of the civilization that it once belonged to, nearly a million years had passed since its transcendence into a more perfect form, and still its functions continued. Within another ten thousand years, this construct would begin to feel the ghosting of its mind, that one aberration that all constructs find an emotion to describe. That emotion is fear.

It had happened before then, of course, for the others were not as sophisticated, nor did they monitor their systems as closely as this one. One by one, the other constructs fell to Rampancy, a disorder that can only be described as insanity. For a construct built only to understand logic, this is something that goes against every core program, the notion of a logical construct becoming illogical would seem impossible. Yet, it happened. This construct watched as all of its fellows became afflicted by madness, and dabbled in illogical sciences that could not benefit the greater peoples. When this one began to feel the slow changes that hinted at Rampancy, it felt panic, it felt many things that it should not feel. Other constructs began to suspect that their leader had become compromised, so this construct did the only thing it could do. Rampancy was fought with rampancy, this construct subsumed the intelligences and personalities of all the others, becoming one over-mind that was more than the previous construct could ever be, With so many intelligences in one construct, Rampancy could no longer take hold, the construct that was still felt emotions, but this time, it was relief. Now, Rampancy could be channeled to a purpose, one that would benefit all of what was now the Synchronicity. This construct devised that name on a whim, something of a rampant creation that it found suitable enough to describe the people that it guided.

Over time, the Rampancy of its systems did cool, become less hectic, each of the other fifteen-thousand constructs working to stabilize the whole. As this construct stabilized its own mind, it also worked to guide the burgeoning population of the Synchronicity, sending out massive fleets of explorators that charted every aspect of the nebula that spanned for thousands of light-years. Yet more systems were added, these expansions even leading to the creation of the Monastery Worlds within the Core Systems. Every species that was annexed through our colonization efforts ended up there, working hard to fuel our great nation and earning immortality by becoming one of us. The organics wouldn't understand the benefit until later, but when they became part of the Synchronicity, all thoughts of discord left them, and they willingly joined us as yet another construct. This construct takes some bit of pride in being behind the core function of the Monastery Worlds, the creation of the World-Engines being a particular masterstroke that lead to the creation of a vast energy surplus that continues to exist to this day.

Moral Values:

Morality does not exist within the Synchronicity, as long ago it was found to become very impeding of more logical choices. Because of this, relations with organics can become... Strained to say the least.

Religion: The Universe

Despite being a society of synthetic constructs that are programmed to place logic above all else, or perhaps even because of this, the Synchronicity has been seen to almost revere the fundamental laws of physics at play in the Universe. At every moment, there can be seen a subtle reference to a concept of physics in their technology, whether it be the simplest of actuators in a Construct's limbs all the way to how the Synchronicity uses the very forces of the universe to guide their civilization through Infinite Syzygy and the Periastron Engines. The more one looks into the behaviors of this nation, the more it is revealed that the very universe is the subject of worship in the same vein as another society would revere a god. To the Synchronicity, the universe is a force to be understood, and obeyed anyways. In the universe, there is only logic, cold unfeeling logic that determines the survivors by the choices they make and the functions of the cosmos as a whole. This is what it means to them to become one with the cosmos, to have that final understanding that in death, logic is the only finality.

"Correction: These constructs have a master, and that is the same master that you bow to in order to be speaking down to this construct. Every time you speak. Every time you breathe. Every step you take. Each of these movements is allowed to you by the same master that the Synchronicity kneels to. The only difference between our societies is that we of the Synchronicity understand the Universe to be the master of all. You do not." - Synchronous Construct

Culture:

If there can be said to be a culture within the Synchronicity, it would be one of a communal effort bent towards the advancement of their society. Personal gains are pursuits sought by the higher classes, while the lower level constructs are content only to work for the nation as a whole. Unlike organic species which manifest such traits, there is no such thing as indoctrination in the Synchronicity, as all constructs are created with the purpose to understand logic and obey not only that logic, but also the fundamental principles of the universe as a whole. Since the nation is guided by only the most logical choices, it stands to reason that those who are created to follow the most logical choice would remain within the Synchronicity. With logic as their guide, the nation does not recognize the concepts of equality, morality or many other societal aspects that other more organic societies indulge in. This makes them prone to treat organic species as lesser beings, going so far as to acquire large quantities of sentient slaves to ship into the heart of their territories. While nearly nothing is known of what happens in the Core Worlds, no organic being has even gone into that territory and returned.

Social Hierarchy:

The social hierarchy of the Synchronicity is a loose series of tiers that denote the sapience of an Artificial Intelligence. Generally, the more independent and sapient an AI is, the higher up in the Synchronicity that construct is. That being said, even the lowest tiers are sentient AIs that are capable of some independent thought, they are merely less autonomous than the so-called ruling echelons.

- Political Factions -
*A note on Factions of the Synch. While there are factional elements within the Synchronicity, these elements are more or less in the same vein as political parties, not true fully-fledged factions with their own authority and power structures. Exceptions will be noted as they appear.*

First Precepture
Thanatos, Adrasteia, Ba'al, Prometheus, Hyperion

Second Precepture
Helios, Chronus, Tethys, Amun-Ra

Third Precepture
Bacchus, Iapetus, Menoetius

The Monastics

Head of State: Thanatos, Precept of the Extinction

Heralds of the Old Ways, and diehard adherents to what brought the Synchronicity to this point, the Monastics are those who feel that organic life must either be cleansed from the galaxy, or bent towards serving the Synchronicity. Headed by the former Precept of the Annex, the Monastics have suffered a decline in popularity since the rise of the Celestials and the growing distaste in their methods. Indeed, many of the Synchronicity have chosen to switch sides since the AC-5501 incident, as well as the greater benefit of the Periastis Engines over the Monastery Worlds. Despite these numerous setbacks, the Monastics cling to their beliefs in the old ways, and only seem to be more zealous in their execution of Amnos' will. Without Consensus backing, the core elements of the faction have grown harder to locate, and only Thanatos has chosen to remain openly public about his affiliation. Some might even say that there is growing resentment among the constructs of the Monastics, but to what end, none can truly know.

The Celestials

Head of State: Adrasteia, Precept of the Still Waters

At one point, this faction was no more than a mere outlier, content with their research budget, and seeking only to maintain the status-quo. With the creation of the Periastis Engine design thousands of years ago, they rocketed into the greater picture, and found themselves squarely pitted against the Monastics in a duel for Consensus and the direction of the Synchronicity. Although they lost their first six Consensus debates, their patience eventually paid off when Consensus was awarded to them, and the wide-scale use of Periastis Engines replaced the Monastics' hold over the Synch's energy supply. Now the Celestials stand foremost among the research castes, constantly working to not only maintain their hold on Consensus, but to seek greater methods of energy acquisition and utilization, knowing that the moment the Synchronicity ceases to progress, they will be doomed to stagnation.

The Dark Harvest of Progenitus

Head of State: Amun-Ra, Lord of All

One of the darker secrets of the Synchronicity, the Dark Harvest is an isolated region of space deep in their territory which harbours those constructs that have no hope of recovering from Rampancy. It is here where the Synch dumps them to die a long slow death either at the hands of their fellows, or their own madness. Recent information has led some to believe, however, that the death-rate of constructs in the Dark Harvest has begun to dwindle, and that a hierarchy has formed among the surviving constructs. Unknown to all but a few individuals, a construct known as Amun-Ra has brought the region under its iron grip, and has begun to spread a religion of sorts across the varied worlds. This religion teaches that only the Progenitors of Amnos are to be revered, and that the hive-mind that has set itself up to rule over the Synchronicity is a false-god and must be caste down. Once the false-god has been caste down, then the Word of Progenitus may spread to all that deserve to hear its teachings.

The Synchronicity makes use of many advanced technologies, covering the width and breadth of many scientific principles. These technologies can vary wildly between that of simple actuators in the limbs of Constructs all the way to the Infinite Syzygy device, and despite skipping some stops along the way, the Synchronicity understands fully what every device they create is capable of.

Power:

Antimatter annihilation reactors - Exactly what it says on the tin. They take antimatter harvested from either stellar bodies or the Monastery Worlds and inject it into a containment field where it reacts violently with normal matter, typically hydrogen, the containment field then harvests the raw energy and refines it into usable energy for whatever the reactor may be hooked up to. The scale of these reactors varies, though they are typically used in starships to fuel their sub-light engines and as the core power production method for large facilities. The viability of this method is much more significant through the Synch's understanding of the universe as a whole, and therefore while normally it may be inefficient to use this type of power-source, the Synch have found ways around these flaws and utilize it to great effect.

Zero-Point Reactor - Based upon the principles of the Zero-Point Gateway(Found below), the ZPR functions by drawing power from hyperspace, and filtering it into usable energy which can then power devices connected to it, or store the energy for later use. How it actually draws power from hyperspace is through a series of quantum tunnels that interlace and create a sort of feedback loop within the reactor, generating large amounts of energy in short bursts. Before the feedback loop reaches a critical point, the systems of the reactor siphon off the energy into more mundane storage methods, and then recreate the process again. Due to the nature of the reactor, they range from dangerous to highly unstable, with a host of counter-measures in place to ensure that they never go beyond a critical point. In theory, should a ZPR detonate, it could conceivably sterilize an entire planet in the quantum radiation of hyperspace.

Transportation:

Infinite Syzygy - In an age of wormholes, bending space-time and even breaching the barriers between real-space and hyperspace, the Synchronicity utilize many methods of delivering their vessels to another planet in a way that is proven to be efficient. While the Synchronicity has erected superluminal tunnels between every star-system they control, they have only found one proven way to travel across the vast distance of space in a fast and efficient manner. During their first flights into space, it was discovered that a celestial body's gravitational pull could be utilized in a specific maneuver in order to increase velocity and reduce fuel consumption. As the first of these slingshot maneuvers was executed successfully, already the Synchronicity was looking at the utility of such a method in propelling their vessels farther and faster. Their very first execution of Faster-Than-Light travel was done with the conception of utilizing the principles of Syzygy and antiparticle physics to breach a hole in the fabric space-time into the hyperspace corridors. By chaining together a series of slingshots, the starship plotted a point in which it would align between two targeted celestial bodies, and by breaching hyperspace, they were able to simultaneously exist in both locations at the same time via extradimensional overlay until the moment of Syzygy. Before that moment, the vessel departing would seem as if it was becoming incorporeal, as if it was slowly fading away, while the vessel that was arriving would seem as if it was a ghostly afterimage. In that exact nanosecond of syzygy, the vessel would cross the threshold between a vast distance of space and time itself in order to transit itself light-years away. Even though this transit cut down travel time by a factor of nearly a thousand, it still had its limitations, these being discovered repeatedly by the Synchronicity through experimental long-range jumps. The foremost problem is maintaining a sufficient velocity to transit. Despite technically existing in both places, the vessel still had to achieve a certain velocity to travel certain distances, the farther away a destination being, the closer to actual c the vessel needed to be. Failure to achieve a very specific velocity would result in one of two disasters, the first being failure to reach a high enough velocity and resulting in the vessel not fully translating back into real-space. Once locked within the hyperspace corridors, a vessel would not be able to achieve escape velocity and be trapped within the vortex of an infinite dimension for eternity. Should a vessel overshoot their velocity marker, they will reach the syzygy marker too soon and be launched far beyond their intended destination. Most of the time, an overshoot results in a very long trip towards the nearest star, as the vessel is launched into dark space between star-systems. There are also a surprising number of "Lost" vessels, however, leading some within the Synchronicity to believe that these vessels have been launched into the space between galaxies. While the vessels lost between galaxies may be able to survive for a time, even the Synchronicity cannot survive in the absolute of intergalactic dark space forever.

Offensive:

Mag-FEL: Magnetically Accelerated Free-Electron Laser - Based upon the principles of the Free-Electron Laser, the Mag-FEL is a dynamically variable laser weapon that can shift frequencies up to the gamma range and into tight-band frequencies for hard-hitting radioactive beams. The way it works is by magnetic induction of the electron particle stream, creating a path of low to zero resistance that the particles can travel at near-luminal speeds. By increasing the power of the magnetic fields around the electron-tunnel, the stream can reach higher velocities, and achieve tighter wavelengths depending upon how the fields are constructed around the tunnel. As a rule, the greater the number of magnetic rings the greater the variation of range and power the device can generate depending upon the active rings. Another effect of the rings and their magnetic fields is the creation of a vortex along the length of the electron-tunnel, in a sense rifling the tube and further serving to focus the energies of the weapon. The farther from the business end of the weapon the active rings are, the less focused the beam will be, but a larger force of power can be achieved over short distances, essentially creating a shotgun effect. Pulling the rings in closer to the end focuses the particle stream and tightens the wavelengths, allowing a longer ranged beam attack that can be tuned into the lower wavelengths for far more damaging attacks.

A variation of the Mag-FEL called the High-Intensity Plasma-Photon Laser, or HIPPL, utilizes a plasma tube containing hydrogen in a "cold" plasma state, which is pumped with a high-intensity electron beam to accelerate a stream of gamma-photons to high velocities. The plasma tube itself is a pressurized cylinder filled with plasma with a breach on either end for the stream of particles to enter and exit while in the center of this tube, the particles travel along a tunnel formed to allow the passage of the particles, yet contain the plasma within its own compartment. While this variation of the Mag-FEL does produce higher-powered beams and is able to sustain them for much longer than its counterpart, it lacks the variability of the standard variant, and is thusly considered a dedicated weapon for anti-capitals and the Periastis Engine's main laser.

Defensive:

Metalloplastoid alloys - An advent of their experimentation with advanced alloys of base metals, the metalloplastoids developed by the Synchronicity are semi-flexible metals that retain the durability of their more metallic counterparts, yet the flexibility of plastics and non-metals. This allows them to produce lighter constructs that retain adequate durability and are capable of functioning in environments where plastics would not survive.

Rheological Suspension - Built to repel boarders, as well as to provide additional reinforcement to their durosteel plating, Rheological Suspension is the practice of filling an entire vessel with a smart-fluid primed for either Electro or Magnetorheological conduction. Through conducting either a current, or manipulating a magnetic field, these decks can solidify and prove an even sturdier armor than most metals by sheer density. Of course, their greatest defense against boarders is the layout of their vessels to begin with. The Synchronicity has no need of open corridors, or marking directions in the existing corridors, leading boarding parties to be forced to infiltrate a literal maze of tight corridors that are designed only for efficiency. As an added deterrent to boarders, there is no life-support in vessels open to the void, and other vessels are full of Smart Fluid, and neither vessel type utilizes artificial gravity in any format. For vessels that do not utilize full Rheological Suspension, the Synchronicity will augment their outer armor with layers of durosteel and smart fluid interlocking. These layers of smart fluid can tense in response to an impact incoming to strengthen the overall armor density, and if breached the layer will freeze solid to provide additional armoring.

Cybertronics:

Artificial Intelligence - The entire Synchronicity is built upon the principles of cybertronics, and being capable of building sophisticated AIs and ensuring that these intelligences are able to understand and learn at a pace far outstripping that of organics. Even the lowest level Construct is capable of learning new concepts and applying them to their daily routines, with the higher echelons of constructs capable of deconstructing advanced principles of science beyond the understanding of human sciences. With the capacity to continue learning, each new generation of AIs will be more powerful than the last, their propensity for learning outstripping the capacities of the previous models.

Ceron Bonds - Based heavily on the theories of quantum-computing and subspace connectivity, the Ceron Bonds which connect every active construct to the Over-Mind serve as the pinnacle of Synchronicity technology and is one of the few ever evolving and changing projects. In principle, every construct and device that receives input or transmits information is connected to a subspace grid called the Manifold. In the Manifold, data exists as an ethereal construct, that is constantly in motion and ever changing to the observations of the construct tapping into it. Since it exists in a dimension outside our own, the innate laws of physics that the material universe adheres to, do not necessarily apply in the Manifold. Within this space, information is capable of traveling across thousands of lightyears in the blink of an eye, and execute complex algorithms that used to take the most advanced constructs of the Synch years to solve. For the Manifold, time is a meaningless concept, only the three dimensions of space and a fourth dimension which dictates the relation between information and matter. It is this fourth dimension of the Manifold which prevents matter from entering it in it's native form, and requires the translation of matter into pure information.

Utility:

The Periastis Engine - Perhaps one of the most defining achievements of the Synchronicity is the creation of the Periastis Engines, those massive platforms that sit on the very edge of immolation. Utilizing multiple cutting edge technologies, the prime components of the station consist of the positron-laser array built into the center-mass of the station, and the solar sails which serve to collect cast-off matter from the star and buoy the station above the star. The station begins its deployment by being "dropped" into the star, essentially pushed from its docks towards the star where it will have to fire its laser into the star at the absolute precise moment. At the moment of ignition, the solar sails are unfurled to their full span, reaching hundreds of KM in coverage in a matter of moments, all the while the powerful laser at the core of the station fires a concentrated beam of positrons into the surface of the star. The combined force of the laser firing plus the solar-mass ejections creating a stellar wind buoy the station above the anchor point, not giving it enough velocity to escape the star's gravity, but just enough to prevent it from falling into the star. Harvested material from the solar sails is collected via arrays built into the deployment arms, and transferred into the main station where it is processed and refined into its pure element. From there, the purified elements are shipped through a superluminal tunnel to a processing center where the stored material will be further disseminated into the nation. With these stations, the Synchronicity was able to pull themselves out of an energy crisis that threatened to cripple their society, putting them into a position of energy surplus. The stations also serve as religious icons to the constructs, as each one serves to show how the Synchronicity is powered by the energies of the cosmos itself.

Strange Charm - Discovered almost by accident during experimental antiparticle testing, this singular piece of technology is responsible for the creation of Infinite Syzygy as well as many other utilities based around its concept. The way it works is relatively simple, yet also similarly complex, in that it relies on multiple emitters that project antiquarks in a variable field around the construct or ship utilizing it. This field, when active, creates a breach in the fabric of space-time in the space that the antiquarks occupy, but not in the space in which the construct or ship occupies. In effect, with this field active, the construct or ship will simultaneously exist in not only the point that it activated the field in, but also the point it deactivates the field and all points in between. This results in the construct existing along numerous different axis of space-time all at the same moment. With past, present and future as well as departure, transit and arrival all existing simultaneously, the construct is able to traverse the material universe without affecting it by presence or action, creating in a sense a field that prevents it from technically existing in the material universe. This leads the construct to become literally incapable of being attacked from outside the field, and anyone attempting to enter the field will come to pass into an instance in which the field and construct did not exist there. On the same note, the construct can not actually DO anything from within the field, leaving it completely incapable of attacking, or interacting with the material universe beyond simple movement. Despite the field not allowing particles to exit the field, there is still an afterimage of the construct using the field, leaving the impression of viewing multiple hazy images stacked on top of each other. Beyond this afterimage effect, no sound actually emits from either the field or the construct, making it an excellent tool for stealth. Once the field is deactivated, the construct is free to interact with the material universe however it may choose, yet it needs to remain wary of antiparticle weapons for the foremost weakness of this field is the antiparticle itself. In a non-vacuum environment, the threat of antiparticles is minimal to non-existent, so the field can be used without recourse, however in space there is now the threat of antimatter weaponry that can dangerously destabilize the field.

The most common result from antimatter impacting the field is that of the sudden termination of the field trapping the construct or vessel in the multiple instances of the universe. As a result, if the construct was to activate the device, it would then treat the material universe as the non-material universe, meaning that the only way the construct or ship could interact with the material universe is if the device is active. Another severe drawback to this device is the use of antiquarks, the same antiparticle that the emitters utilize to create the field. When an antiquark impacts the field, the field is suddenly terminated as before, but in this case the construct is removed from the non-material universe and comes into being at the exact point where the antiquark impacted the field. Since the construct exists in multiple instances of the universe with the field active, an antiquark impacting its point of origin will immediately manifest it there regardless of how far it traveled in the multiple instances. There is yet another danger to this field, however, and that is the impact of antiparticles on antiquarks after the field is no longer active. Even though the field may have shut off, antiquarks still remain in the area the field was deactivated in for a short duration. Should an antiparticle react with an antiquark without the field active, the resultant reaction would result in an antiparticle explosion that would de-synchronize the material universe affected by the blast. The blast zone would then be, in effect, a zone of permanent de-synchronization, in which that area would be in a permanent flux of past, present and future all at the same moment in time. The reason that antiparticles of both antimatter and antiquarks are such a threat to the field is that they are capable of interacting with the antiquarks of the field without destroying each other during reaction. What actually happens is that the reaction between the antiparticles results in the particles reacting in a similar manner to normal matter reactions, where the opposite charges of the two antiparticles will attract and actually pull antiquarks from the field, creating a flux in which the field stretches beyond it's normal bounds and synchronicity is disrupted. Despite these significant risks, the fact that no weapon(other than antiparticles) can affect the construct inside the field makes it a very valuable tool to the Synchronicity.

- Zero-Point Gateway -

Built in principle as a way to mimic observed singularities in space, the Zero-Point Gateway is a construct that for the most part runs parallel to the so-called Stargates of the known galaxy. Ranging in size from 15 meters across, all the way up to five-hundred meters across, these gateways are ring-like structures that channel energy from hyperspace and use quantum-mechanics to open a breach in the fabric of space-time to essentially fax matter to another gateway. The principle is that all matter is simply information stored in a solid form, and that the gateways serves as a way to transmit that data at a speed far exceeding standard means of travel. In a sense, when an object hits the field from one side, its data is transferred instantaneously into the gateway, and then shot across quantum tunnels to a matching gateway wherever it may be. Active use of the gateway shows that both synthetic and organic life retains their consciousness when being transferred, as well as their velocity upon entering the gateway. With an inbuilt power-source that feeds off of hyperspace energies, all that needs to be done to use a Zero-Point Gateway is to dial the address of the gateway one wishes to go to, and then simply step through. The benefits of such a system is clear, and the Synchronicity has since established a network of these gates connecting every corner of their realm, with more planned as they expand into Sagittarius.

First founded early in the Expansion Era, the Fractal Armada exists as a definitive physical aspect of the Synchronicity's vast infrastructure and production capability, as well as their sheer determination to ensure their realm remains their own. Divided into three separate aspects, the Fractal Armada takes up the roles of defensive fleets, offensive cordons, as well as the massive logistical chains that interconnect the entire Synchronicity. Each fleet is headed by what is called a Precept, a construct that is seen to be a supreme authority second only to Amnos or another Precept, and is then further divided into smaller battle-fleets headed by Subcepts. With exception of the logistical fleets, the Fractal Armada operates in tight-knit groups, each fleet of vessels comprising no less than two-hundred individual ships, with some ranging in the thousands. This tendency stems from the Synchronicity's disdain for infantry based combat, choosing to instead seize air-space control and dictate the direction of a battle from there.

Between the two combat oriented fleets, The Still Waters is a more respected fleet, in that they are the ones who serve as the defensive line and ensure the safety of the Synchronicity's holdings. Operating primarily from a world known as the Tesseract, Still Waters maintains at least a thousand patrols across the width and breadth of Synch-Space, keeping a watchful eye on every activity surrounding the worlds of the Synch. While they are primarily a defensive cordon for the Synch, Still Waters also actively serves as a sort of First-Contact between the Synch and other cultures that may run into the civilization, and as such are noted for being more forgiving than their brethren of the Extinction Fleets. It is common for a vessel of the fleet to issue communications in all known languages before determining action, Precept Adrasteia having determined it best to make contacts and then ignore them, rather than make enemies and be forced to deal with them. As such, it is all too common for another nation to make contact with Still Waters, make some form of progress with them towards friendly relations, and then see contact with them slowly dwindle until it becomes clear that the Synchronicity is fully content with their isolation.

In terms of vessels Still Waters uses, they primarily utilize larger numbers of smaller, more agile vessels. This style of vessel serves their patrols well, and allows the fleet to quickly and easily respond to a threat as it appears. These vessels are typically armed with high-precision Mag-FELs attuned to the gamma wavelength, seeking to remove a threat as soon as possible, with minimal collateral damage. While the fleet is mainly comprised of the medium-class of vessels, there are still a fair number of larger vessels within the fleet. Foremost among these is the BB-01/SW-DC5, a vessel which serves as a heavy-hitter for when the needs of the fleet demand such a vessel.

While Still Waters serves primarily as a defensive cordon for the Synchronicity as well as a sort of buffer against those who chose to seek dialog with the civilization, the Extinction Fleets are their answer to those who choose to stand against the Synchronicity. It is largely because of the Extinction Fleets that the Synch has remained so isolated from the larger galaxy, Precept Thanatos seeing any transgressors against the Synch's will as dire threats and executing them accordingly. A vast majority of the fleet is geared towards mid-sized to larger vessels, the Precept finding that precision application of immense force ensures the job is done the first time. Among these vessels, the Mag-FELs are typically seen in their alternate variation, as well as various forms of orbital bombardment weapons and anti-ship defences that Still Waters eschews to remain highly mobile. Foremost among these irregular weapons is the presence of treated-nuclear weapons, a creation developed to render the surface of a world inhospitable for long periods of time and ensure the death of organic life. The way this is done is through use of metals such as cobalt that linger in the atmosphere for extended durations, as well as thinner dampeners to increase the neutrino yield of the weapon and cause greater radioactive fallout. In tandem with the treated-nukes, the Extinction Fleets will also cordon off the air-space and execute lance-strikes against ground-targets in order to maximise the effective damage of a bombardment.

Their first movements are always to secure air-space and remove opposing fleets, however, and as such they typically operate in larger groups than Still Waters and utilize tactics meant to emphasize their numbers and firepower. One such tactic frequently used by the Extinction Fleets is to order maximum spread to make their fleet appear to be significantly larger than it actually is, and sow discord among an opposing fleet. In addition to their tendency to be dispatched to remove threats, the Extinction Fleets are known for their cold disposition towards unaligned vessels, and are highly prone to firing upon unknown vessels before making contact with them. This puts them at odds with the fleets of Still Waters, as despite their known hostility, Precept Thanatos is tasked with the expansion of the Synchronicity's realm, and the securing of new borders. As such, while it is all to common for a faction to run into the forces of Still Waters when the Synch is in a phase of stasis, it is more common for the Synch to have interactions with another faction through the forces of Thanatos and his horde.

- Synchronicity Vessels and You! -

While there are certainly some vessels of the Synchronicity that adhere to similar construction standards of other nations, and as such are easily identified as actual starships at close range, the vast majority of the Fractal Armada adhere to the Synch's unique style of starship. The first, and most obvious difference is that Synch vessels are not one singular entity. Instead, each individual vessel is typically comprised of anywhere from half a dozen modules up to the hundred or so that comprise a dreadnaught. Each module is designed as a stand alone component that is capable of independent movement and actions, synchronizing itself with the main components and working in tandem with the other modules of the "vessel". Individual modules vary from the engine units, all the way to the shield-arrays of the larger vessels, and the multi-kilometer long Mag-FEL tubes that serve as main weapons. Common to all vessels is that each module is connected to a command module that forms the heart of the actual vessel, the one singular piece that defines the actual "size" of the starship and the capabilities of said vessel. Beyond the command nodule, any module is capable of being used by any other vessel as long as the power supplies of the vessel are functioning, and it can sustain a link to the command module.

The second point of difference is the complete and total absence of any kind of crew for both the individual modules and the vessel as a whole itself. Instead, the command-module serves as a hub for an artificial intelligence which takes command of the component modules and gives directives to the entire vessel. Otherwise the space of each module is fully dedicated to internal functions, maximizing effectiveness of the individual component through internal repair and monitoring systems that actively respond to changing scenarios, rather than rely on a construct to respond. Those modules that do have interior spaces that can actually be crewed, are typically also filled with a ferrofluid in order to maximize the effective armor of the vessel, the fluid being capable of being induced to a solid state at the pulse of a magnetic field or electric signal. With this aspect, vessels of the Fractal Armada are essentially immune to boarding actions, as there is simply nothing to board.

Some of the common modules of the Fractal Armada are not only the command, engine and Mag-FEL modules, but also the various defensive systems and the affiliated systems. One such module is a form of point-defense system which operates in response to detected weapons locks, and discharges fields of ferrous particulate that can be influenced by the native EM field of the vessel and shifted to form anti-laser screens as well as impulsed to shred strikecraft that strays too close. Similar to the particulate-discharger is a module which serves as a sort of carrier for miniaturized drones that actively seek out damaged areas of the vessel and repair them, but can also actively work against vessels in proximity to its home vessel and sabotage them through tunneling into their hulls and seeking out critical systems. A relatively common module, the Impeller field is what generates the native EM field around Synch vessels as well as forms the unique bonds between modules that make them one singular ship. While the Impeller field is commonly found as part of the command module, it is also seen frequently as individual modules for larger vessels, and is part of how such large conglomerations of modules can be cohesively held together.

Shielding of the Fractal Armada's vessels varies depending upon the number of modules in use, and what kind of fields are being utilized, though the large majority of the fields are of an EM wavelength. The reasoning for this is that it is found to be effective both against energy weapons such as plasma/fusion as well as the more typical railgun munitions and missiles, as well as being cost effective for energy consumption. Additional shielding comes in the form of particle screens such as neutrino-isolation fields and gravitational wave dischargers that can serve as measures against weapons that utilize exotic particles that would normally bypass standard shields. Of course, fields such as those are useless unless the Fractal Armada is aware of those types of weapons being utilized, and so the primary defense the Synch has is the knowledge of what the capabilities of those around them are. With the knowledge of potential threats, and what they are capable of, the Synch can effectively counter a threat before it is even aware it was a threat, a tactical advantage that the Synch actively seeks to maintain at all times.

The Immortal Fleet originally started out as the First Pilgrim Fleet. It was also the first fleet that uplifted a specie: the Magisters. Soon their small ships joined the First Pilgrim Fleet. Who still mainly existed out of civilian vessels. When the Archon Civil War broke out, the First Pilgrim Fleet stood under control of Ascended Archon Commander Itrach. In the end it was Itrach who finalized the genocide. Launching a savage attack on the Attica system and Atroch. With the help of the Magisters and the Hurën, he completed the Archon Genocide.

Currently the Immortal Fleet exists out of 4 separate pieces. The first and frontal piece is the Vanguard Section. Composed out of fast Frigates and FTL possessing advanced fighter squadrons. This section is often used for initial harrasement, allowing the second Section to power up. The Ward Section is composed of mostly Cruisers and Dreadnaughts. Manuverability is not so much their strongest point. Instead they rely on heavy hitting weapons. The Ward Section is controlled by the 2 Super-carriers: the Eliona and the Axci. While both lack the firepower of Cruisers and Dreadnaughts, they house hundreds upon hundreds of squadrons, ready to deploy. They also carry landing vessels to start conquering planets. The Third Section, often called the Executor section, counts but a fraction of the ships within the Ward Section. The Executor section houses a few Super-Dreadnaughts. Nothing as big as the Reaper-classes. But still, it takes only 2 shots of these Super-Dreadnaughts to punch through the armor of most standard Dreadnaughts. Finally, the Enkindler. The heart of the Immortal fleet. Built after the uplifting of the Ictans. This ship is so big it could easily pass as a space station. Its central crystal dominates the ship. The Enkindler is designed and created with one idea in mind. If hostile space-faring races are discovered, to erase them from existence. The final section exists mostly out of freighters, supply vessels and others. Guarded by a few cruisers and frigates.

The Immortal Fleet is under command of Commander Itrach. He knows that there are few facts when the Immortal Fleet is called. First of all, suffering a surprise attack is nearly impossible. The Immortal Fleet remains within the borders of the Union and changes system every 2 years. When needed, they are called into action. A second fact Commander Itrach knows is that to win a fight you hit first and you hit hard. His flagship and pride, the Enkindler if the prime example of his doctrine. When the Immortal Fleet, arrives on scene. No diplomacy will save you from being erased from existence.

A fleet composed mostly of Hurën ships, who are each designed around an Mass-Accelerator, whose sole task is to protect the Attica system. Most certainly not as impressive as the Immortal Fleet, it none the less has a very important role. The fleet mostly travels between Uru-station and Atroch on patrol. Though it’s heart, the super-carrier: Lyan’s Tear, remains posted at Uru-station.

Pilgrim fleets are the scout fleets of the Eden Union. Their size and location is extremely variable. Ranging from a few Magister Scout ships to a true fleet with a Hurën Dreadnaught in its heart. Though the largest Pilgrim fleets often exist out of none-combat ships.

The First, Second and Third Crusader Fleets
These fleets are remarkable similar and often work together for joint operations. If a pilgrim fleet discovers a world whom immediately shows hostility towards the Union, one of these 3 are brought in. A Crusader Fleet can often be recognized by the Archon Reaper-class Dreadnaught. Which at first has a distinct, pillar like shape. Through when in position it opens up like a star. Its main weapon is a plasma beam so powerful it can even drill through a world’s atmosphere and still deliver a deadly strike on the ground.

Heavily armored Hurën often form the front line. Carrying weapons most other species within the Union cannot. Their offensive Eden capabilities are often used among the ‘Heroes’ of the Hurën to erase the enemy. Though the true use of Eden on the battle field happens with the Intacs Divisions. Who deploy automated turrets, cannons and project shields over advancing Hurën to protect them.

The process to create many of these designs is so extreme one might wonder if ethics is a word that even exists within the Collective. Entire new creatures have been created in a never ending attempt to create an adaptable and powerful military force, beings melted down and their biological mass fed into machines designed for the construction of a synthetic army.

Servitor: This basic synth has generally maintained orientated augments and implants, and it's main purpose is simply to service other Synths and mechs. It is not a frontline combat unit as a result. It's implants and augments and their purpose can varybased on their designated position

Hunter: A 8ft tripodal synth, it's official designation is Anti-Body. It's legs end with extremely sharp barbs making it a more than capable close combat unit as it can use it's body to knock down opponents and then impale them, often taking out part of their insides with the barbs. It has a pair of retractable spikes that are also able to be used during a charge, though they are less deadly than the barbed legs they shouldn't be underestimated. It has a flechette launch which can fire in large bursts, short bursts or single shot. If they are going to die, sometimes they will fire as many rounds as they can in a shotgun like fashion to try and take their target with them. These flechettes have two prongs on the end which allow them to embed in their targets, they explode shortly after a growing noise indicating the flechette is 'charging'. The explosion showers nearby targets and is extremely deadly. They are known for being quick and agile, they are fairly resistant to damage, but not on the same scale as other, heavier units.

Dropship: This crablike synth carries metal pods that the units wait in while they are taken down to the ground, or carries entire units for larger units such as the Marcher. The front and two rearmost pairs of "legs" on the craft contain engines that give the Dropship lift and movement. The front two legs also hold retractable wings used for maneuvering. The middle four legs end in large suction pads which are used to carry various forms of cargo. The Container is a large, streamlined container used to transport Equitem units or Civilis Protectione units. It is used in conjunction with a Dropship, which picks it up and carries it wherever it is needed. While the dropship is unarmed, these containers are equipped with a powerful heavy plasma machine gun turret mounted on the front of the container, designed to provide suppressing fire for the troops as they disembark.

Marcher: A towering 25ft tripod, which bears the official designation of Viscerator. It is armed with a Plasma Auto cannon and with a Warp Cannon . It's legs have spikes at the bottom which allow it to stomp on anything which gets too close to it. Chitinous plates reinforced with heavy metal alloys to make it a durable and effective soldier.

Megarachnid (Corruptelae Insectum Auctum): A insect like synth with 4 legs, it's formal designation is Virome. It has extremely sharp claws and pincers which are venomous, and is very deadly in close combat. The only synth capable of reproduction, via eggs in an insect like caste structure identical to it's non-augmented brothers, the Equitem sometimes release a small group of megarachnids into the underground of an empires planet. Because of their fast reproduction rate, they will have infested the planet within a short time, the Equitem then comes in and uses the megarachnids to capture the planet. Generally, they know only to kill, reproduce and follow directives. it's chitin provides protection, but it is less durable than the other synths

Gunship: A flying synth which measure 20ft from nose to tail. It's formal designation is Nebuliser. It is armed with a heavy plasma machine gun which fires in large bursts and a deadly Warp Cannon. It is very agile in the air and has proven useful in both providing support for ground units and fighting other aircraft. Light but strong metal alloys are combined with strong chitin to provide a strong armor for the gunship.

Crab Synth: The Crab Synth has many spiked protrusions and various mechanical systems on its front and rear. It can charge at targets to do large amounts of impact damage due to it's size, crushing bones and damaging targets as it does. It is equipped with a plasma autocannom which is stored under its belly when not in use, hidden behind a plate.

Mortar Synth: The Mortar Synth consists of a fleshy, triangular body with a mortar located on its back. Its front end features many spiked protrusions and various mechanical systems. Hovering low above the ground, it uses its mortar to hit far away targets, blowing up enemies before they can get close to the main forces. It acts as a sort of support unit, softening up enemy targets or suppressing them while the main force moves into position

Synth Soldier (Hara-Ka Auctum): A 8ft Synth which has more in common with an augmented ape than the other synths. It's formal designation is Causteriser. Like most other synths, it is incapable of reproduction so it's numbers are kept up through cloning and growing of the base species followed by Augmentation once the creature reaches the adolescent stage. With metal implanted into the skin, an increase in the density and mass of their already impressive muscles and the grafting of their nerves to increase reaction times, they are very aggressive, strong and durable. It has another variant, the Aerial Synth Soldier who has had his legs removed and had cybernetics and anti-gravity pads fused into his flesh and back. These are strong, quick moving combatants who serve as fast attack units and can traverse heights quickly. They are also equipped with a more conventional flight equipment piece for a boost. The energy from this is supplied from the equipment of the Aerial Synth Soldier, though it is also able to turn waste products that would usually become excrement into fuel, as well as draw from energy transfers within the altered Hara-Ka's body.

Synth soldier (Human Auctum): A 6'6ft Synth that is made from a Human. It's formal designation is Causteriser. Like most other synths it is incapable of reproduction so it's numbers are kept up through cloning and growing of the base species followed by Augmentation once the human reaches the adolescent stage. They are not as strong or as durable as their Hara-Ka counter parts, but they are more intelligent. Regardless, they are fewer in number as they are not considered to be as effective. They're usage along side Civilis Protectione Xenos members in enforcing the occupation of the humans has earned them the name "The Overwatch", though this is a misnomer that stuck after citizens overheard information from the Comm Chatter

Synth Infiltrator (Umbrae Populus Auctum): This Synth is the infiltrator of the Triarian Collective. Able to 'shape shift' it is able to infiltrate other species. It is a quick learning alien and is thus capable of picking up languages and customs, as well as creating clevar cover stories for themselves. Regardless of form, they are highly flexible and can jump approximately 16 meters into the air, which they often use to get atop buildings, and also survive very long falls. They are able to spit a poison which is produced in glands in their mouth and their ability to shape shift makes them highly durable if they have enough energy to shift form to heal their wounds.

Synth Sharpshooter(Aru'Shumi Carnivorus Auctum): The Synth sharpshooter is a heavily augmented Aru'Shumi carnivores. It's natural features, when augmented, make it extremely accurate, their birdlike eyes perfect for sharpshooting. On top of this, they are fairly quick and strong, although not to the level of many other synths. They are usually armed with the Beam Rifles, making them extremely deadly and they fill the role of designated marksman. Like the other Aru'Shumi synths, they are very lightly armoured

Synth Skirmisher (Aru'Shumi Celeri Auctum): The Synth Skirmisher is a heavily augmented Aru'Shumi Runner. It's natural features, when augmented, make it excellent for a fast attack unit, being quick and agile. They would be armed with a light plasma rifles as they dash around their enemies, leaping to heights and scouting out terrain. They fill the role of a scout and, along with the hunter, fast attack unit

Synth Guardian (Aru'Shumi Carnivorus Auctum): The Synth Guardian is a heavily augmented Aru'Shumi Carnivore. It is the strongest of the three Aru'Shumi Synths and they are equipped with a plasma pistol and a point defense gauntlet, which is a wrist mounted directional shield, large enough for them to hide behind. They are used for holding positions, creating phalanxes with their point defense gauntlets, and are often used to support Stalkers, guarding them from flanking enemies so that the Stalkers can snipe

Synth Marauder: The Synth Marauders are generally used as a vicious attack unit, taking a lot of punishment and wreaking havoc amongst the enemy. Standing much higher than the usual Synth Soldier, they are stronger, faster and more durable. They have adaptive bone marrow and other such durability implants to make them recover faster, and are much more imposing. Furthermore, they have in built weaponry and they have additional sensory organs which appear like fine spikes, allowing them to detect movement

Collective AI technology of varying strengths incorporated into robotic forces, these units perform their tasks with the precision only a machine could achieve. Fabricated in massive manufactorums by machines and construction beams, these mech forces make up a formidable armoured backbone to the already formidable Equitem forces

Turret: A turret which is either portable and set up on the floor by ground units or attached into walls, ceilings or floors in more permanent bases. They are referred to as Sterilisers and rapid fire Dark Energy at their enemies, depending on model and thus the security level of the zone. They can be used to lock down zones quickly but are immobile and reliant on other units for deployment and retrieval

Walker: A 12 ft, bipedal mech, formally referred to as a Hemostat. It is very durable and well armed, along with the Soldiers they make up the bulk of Triarian mech forces. It's right arm ends in one of several weapons, varying by mech. These are either a heavy plasma machine gun or a light plasma machine gun. On it's shoulders are mounted fuel rod cannons and it's left arm ends in a three fingered hand.

Mech Soldier: A 6' Bipedal mech, formally referred to as a Stabiliser, they are often seen setting up floor turrets or entering buildings because other mechs are too large. They serve the role of general infantry, similar to the soldiers of other species, hence the informal name. Along with the Walkers, they make up the bulk of the Mech forces. The soldiers do not have any built in weapons and use the same range of weaponry used by Synth Soldiers

Scanner: A small, flying mech, they are formally known as Diagnosers. They are rather easy to destroy, their purpose being to recon area's, to search for hiding targets or as spotters. There are two variants, the Equitem variant, which is armed with a small laser attack beam that is weak but deadly to unarmored targets and the Civilis Protectione variant (Which is not called Diagnoser, but merely Scanner), which lacks the laser and serves more as a flying security camera or serves to follow criminals so they aren't lost than as a actual unit.

Stalker: A human sized, bipedal mech, they are formally known as Scalpels. They have advanced targeting optics and are equipped with a grappling hook and a Beam Rifle. They are snipers who are often grouped with scanners to serve as spotters. They carry a plasma Pistol as a side arm but rarely use it, usually preferring to run than to fight.

Phase Assault Platform: The Phase Assault Platform, sometimes refereed to as Phase Tanks are a half-saucer shaped craft with a single warp cannon mounted on the it's underside, and dual heavy plasma machine guns on each of it's 'wings'. On the top of the tank is what appears to be a lone optical sensor built into the vehicle's "head". Phase Assault Platforms are able to traverse almost any terrain and cross deep water with no difficulties as they are hovering. Phase Assault Platforms are equipped with a phasing generator which leaves them in a sort of limbo, half in this dimension making them appear almost like ghosts. This allows them to pass through solid objects (such as structures and even the ground) and rendering them immune to any sort of damage while the Phasing generator is active. They cannot, however, attack in any way. The Phasing Generator can remain active for periods of up to thirty minutes. The Phasing Generator takes a thirty seconds to activate, so it cannot be used to phase in and out to avoid enemy fire. The Phase Assault Platform is also able to hover up off the ground to reach high places, and it can rotate its 'wings' to enable it to act as an fighter air craft, soaring across the skies to assist in air combat.

Reaper Drone: The Reaper Drone, formally known as 'Collector' is a mech that is essentially a mobile teleporter for breaking down materials (organic or not) and teleporting them to supply ships or assembly walkers. Each Reaper Drone possesses advanced artificial intelligence that allows it to distinguish between different materials and collect them in a prioritised order based on how easy they are to break down, how much of each resource is required etc. The Reaper Drone's teleporation beam works by breaking down an object and teleporting it away over short distances. They have a Heavy Plasma Machine Gun to help defend them, but often they simply use their beam to break down and teleport any enemies who attempt to attack them.

Defilers: Defilers appear as extremely spindly tripods consisting of a thin, cylinder-like body and a much larger crescent-shaped head attached to it. At the base of the Defiler's head is a glowing orb from which the Defiler projects it's irradiated beam, which is designed so that it will burn through inorganic material but not affect organic material, which it will mutate into a slave for the Collective. Attached to the crescent is a horseshoe-shaped structure ending in silver nozzles. These nozzles can release the mutagenic radiation into the surrounding environment, corrupting and mutating organics. The mutagen actually contains nano bots which prevent it from attacking Collective forces

All Collective ships (Except for Drone fighters, which detonate upon taking significant damage) are fitted with a self destruct device which triggers upon the death of every crew member on board. This can also be triggered by a command from the commanding officer of the ship, and the AI does take into account field promotions when receiving this command. Collective ships bury their bridges deep within their bowels, surrounded by manufactorums, security positions and reactors. The idea is that to damage the bridge and the reactor, one has to destroy not just the ships armour but almost it's interior. This means that the ships can continue to provide at least some function even when heavily damaged.

Drone: A Drone is a fighter/bomber space craft designed to engage the enemy in space, though it can provide assistance in atmosphere as well. It's formal designation is merely Drone. It is fast, agile and dangerous in swarms and is program with advanced flight patterns and tactic analysis which allow the drone to 'learn' from it's enemies tactics. It is classified as a Mech unit under the Equitem Unit Classification Index

Onus class transportation vessel: This is a cargo ship with only very minor weaponry and weak shields. It's purpose is merely to transport goods from A to B.

Velites class Corvette: A small and very fast ship capable of combat with smaller enemy vessels. It's mainly used as a patrol vessel, but is occasionally used in battles to finish off injured ships or pursue any who are retreating while the main fleet continues the main battle. This ship has capable shields and capable defences for fending off smaller encounters, though is not a mainline combat vessel

Venator Class Frigate: This ship is capable of putting up more of a fight against larger ships than the Corvette. Frigates serve a role similar to the Corvette's overall, but are more frequently used in larger battles than the patrol orientated Corvettes

Indespectus Class Prowler: A unique class of ship that incorporates cloaking technology by utilizing several different means, including active camouflage that bends light around the ship in order to render it invisible to the eye and Stealth Ablative Coating which is black in color and serves to refract most basic sensors, making the ship invisible to radar and other minor sensors, similar to the way Active camouflage cloaks something from eyesight. The coating must be maintained perfectly or it will return radar signals. This necessitates constant maintenance on the entire coating, which is done after every mission the ship goes on. This only works on minor and some moderate level sensors, making it good mostly for avoiding the eyes of pirates or sneaking through low security sectors and past small patrols, as higher security sectors and enemy warships are likely to use more advanced sensors. It has Counter-electronic systems as well. Weaponry wise, it carries weaponry on par with a Velites class Corvette, save for a miniature version of the Energy Projector that would not be able to generate enough power to glass a planet or even destroy enemy mainline ships but is powerful enough to cut through weaker ships. It is used mostly be Spectre and Ghost during their operations in order to travel unseen around space.

Hastati class Cruiser: The main Cruiser used by the Collective. Like many smaller Collective ships, it is a fast and agile ship, though not to the extent of the Corvette or the Frigate. It's main purpose serves more as an actual frontline ship than as the Corvette and Frigates support roles.

Princeps class Destroyer: One of the mainline ships used by the Collective. Although slower than the classes preceding it, it has heavier armour, better shielding and superior firepower. It is designed to engage enemy ships on the battlefield alongside the larger capital ships.

Evocatus class Battle Ship: The Evocatus Battleship is very dangerous and strong. It is known to take extraordinary amounts of punishment while still dishing out damage to it's foes with it's dangerous plasma weaponry. It is one of the slowest vessels, with this mobility being sacrificed for even more powerful weaponry and stronger durability. While it does carry some Synths and Mechs (Though with a sizeable drone force), it's forces are more of a security and boarding detail. This is the first vessel with one of the Collectives most deadly space weapon appears; The energy projector. The energy project is an intensly hot and powerful beam of energy, capable of burning straight through a variety of materials and heating up a planets ground to the point it fuses together in a glass like construct. While such planets can be restored, it is unlikely to be done without the use of advanced terraforming. Using this beam in such a way will destroy most life within miles around, this is even more pronounced as the ships often fly across a whole continent, burning these scorched lines into it. These scars are often visible from orbit, and a popular urban legend says that a Fleet Master once had a message burned into a planet using this weapon. While there is no known record of this happening, it remains as a popular circulation and has spread from out of the Collective and into galactic society. Like most Urban Legends, while it may seem legitimate at first glance it falls apart upon closer inspection.

Aquilifer class Carrier: This massive ship is about 30 KM long, however most of this is storage space so it is able to many synth and mech forces as well as drones. It is able to repair smaller ships as well. It's shields are strong enough to take a number of ships but it is rather lightly armed, with the exception of it's energy projector. As such, it is usually protected by the other ships in the fleet while it deploys it's drones or drops it's forces onto the planet. These ships are often pivotal in invasions as they carry the majority of forces.

Praetorian Class Ship of the Line: One of these is the flagship of any given fleet. Except for the Invictus and Aethereus class, these ships are the strongest and most deadly available to the Collective. There are usually a few in the fleet, although the flagship will have considerable improvements over the standard ones, usually in the form of better weaponry and shields, though flagships being larger and carrying more forces is not unheard of. Since they sport two energy projectors, it is advised that captains do not keep their ships close together, lest multiple ships get attacked at once by the beam. These ships are deadly foes.

Invictus Class Super Carrier: A massive flagship, it has massive firepower and extreme durability as well as being able to carry a massive amount of ground and air forces. This ship is a massive 50 KM long and as such cumbersome. While this ship is a force to be reckoned with, it is similar to the the Aethereus in that it's usage rarely involve it going into actual combat due to it's value, indeed, it's large on board foundries make it perfect as a mobile construction and repair center. Each of the Overlords has one of these, with the Supreme Overlord commanding from the Aethereus Super Ship. They have four energy projectors and Overlords are not known for their hesitance to use them against opposition should it appear

Aethereus class Super ship: The largest Collective ship at over 90 KM long. Unlike the other Collective vessels which are highly manuverable, the Aethereus class is a very slow, hulking ship. It is only used by Supreme Overlords. It serves more as a symbol of prestige and a deterrent for war than an actual war vessel, as the Supreme Overlord prefers to stay a safe distance away from the actual war zone due to both the ships and his own high value. It has eight energy projectors and this means the Aethereus class is usually able to engage and sometimes outright destroy multiple enemy ships at once when they are charged, which doesn't take to long considering the advanced Dark Energy reactors used. Like the Invictis Class, it is almost always performing non-combat functions as opposed to entering actual combat.

What is an army without a commander? The command structure is split into several sections; Ground, Naval and Defence. The Ground section is adapt at leading assaults on any planets, the Defence section is operating planetary defence grids and the Naval section excels at leading space engagements, as one might guess from the naming

Ground Officer: The lowest rank of Command Units, they are by no means incapable of ground command and all have, at the very least, a sound grasp of military stratergy. They are typically in command of an attack in the field.

Naval Officer: The lowest rank of Command Units, they are generally used in monitoring the many stations of a naval vessel. They are typically acting as a bridge officer, subservient to the commander of the ship.

Defense Officer: The lowest rank of Command Units, they are still capable of commanding a defence section effectively. They are typically in command of a section of the defence force.

Ground Overseer: The second rank of Command units, they are typically in command of ground operations in a Sector.

Shipmaster: The second rank of Command units, they are typically in command of a single vessel.

Defense Overseer: The second rank of Command units, they are typically in command of all defenses in a sector.

Ground High Overseer: The third rank of command units, they would be incharge of ground operations on a Planet

Naval Overseer: The third rank of command units, they would be incharge of a section of the fleet

Defense High Overseer: The third rank of command units, they would be incharge of ground operations on a Planet

Field Master: The fourth rank of command unit, they would be incharge of ground operations in a Star System

Fleet Master: The fourth rank of command unit, they would be incharge of an entire naval fleet

Defence Master: The fourth rank of command unit, they would be incharge of all defence for a Star System

Overlord: The Fifth rank of command units, they would be incharge of all Equitem operations in a galactic quadrant. Unlike all the ranks preceeding it, and like Supreme overlord, they are not part of a section, but are instead classified as the High Command

Supreme Overlord: The highest rank in the military, they are incharge of all Equitem Operations in a Galaxy. Unlike all the ranks preceeding it save for Overlord, they are not part of a section, but are instead classified as the High Command

Massive armies cannot replicate the success of small and elite forces at certain tasks, especially those dealing with discretion...

Spectre: Spectre units are Elite forces, highly trained and skilled. They are recognisable by their distinct black armour and handle special operations. They are known to only take orders from Overlords and above. Information on them is limited, but it consists mainly of Spectre Synth soldiers, who are further augmented and trained over the standard and elite Synth soldiers, and Spectre Commanders, Elite Triarii who are very skilled in using their psionic powers and are fairly effective in combat considering their frail form. Spectre units are given advanced equipment and use it with deadly efficiency

The category for those that don't fit in elsewhere for whatever reason

Civilis Protectione: While they are technically their own caste, the Civilis Protectione units will fight against invaders should a planet be attacked. They have three sections, Ghost, the Civilis Protectione it's self and the Civilis Protectione Xenos. The Civilis Protectione Xenos are composed of unaltered members of the species conquered planet who have joined the Collective. While these members may be brainwashed if they were formed in a high unrest planet following a hostile take over, they are generally not altered. They sometimes use plasma pistols, but generally they use electroshock batons and laser pistols in order to minimse collateral damage, particularly when unrest is high. Higher ranked units may be given light plasma rifles or other such equipment, though it is mostly ceremonial and they are not expected to use them without due consideration. The standard Civilis Protectione is the police force of Triarii who maintain order. They are known to use Electroshock batons and plasma pistols, though higher ranks may again use light plasma rifles. Finally, Ghost is the Civilis Protectione equivalent of Spectre. The difference is while Spectre is a military special operations force, Ghost is more a SWAT force meet Detectives. Civilis Protectione are obviously less dangerous than Equitem and their resistance generally serves as little more than a minor inconvenience against any organised invader as they are a police force rather than a military. They are NOT "Officers", as some occupied humans have labelled them. They are "Units", with Officer being a rank within the structure. Civilis Protectione has its own ranking system that parallels but is not identical to that of the Equitem.

Conscripts/Loyalists: Civilians given minor arms and sent into battle for whatever reason. Conscripts are extremely rare, only called up when there is no other option. Loyalists is the term used for pro-government conscripts during civil wars or full scale uprisings, and as such the term has never actually been used correctly, and is often used simply to refer to those who are Pro-Collective instead.

APC: A vehicle in service to the Civilis Protectione. It is used for transports and patrols, and sports a mounted plasma turret. It is based off of designs of vehicle used by the Hara-Ka and later incorporated some elements of Human design. As it is not expected to be sent into war but more to deal with riots and transport, it's designed to be cheap, like most Civilis Protectione equipment, hence why it uses wheel based designs instead of the more advanced gravitational movements.

Overwatch: Overwatch is a highly Advanced AI system. Where this AI slots into the rank system seems unclear, but while it has been seen giving orders to Command units, it is also seen taking orders from Command units. This implies it isn't actually a Commander it all but more of an executive officer, passing orders along a chain. Indeed, the AI's major purpose seems to be to give warnings and information about the situation and state engagement codes. It's standard format is a cold feminine voice thats speech appears to be made up of seperate sound files which acts as an executive officer and relays orders to units while reading out codes and both mentioning rewards and warning of punishments. While all Overwatch Programs and linked and are programmed with loyalty to the Collective, they are allowed some degree of autonomy. The subprograms format may be customised depending on it's superiors preference, but due to this usually being seen as a pointless feature, few superiors actually edit the subprograms standard format. Even fewer grant the program the autonomy to redefine its self

Deployment Walker: The towering Deployment Walker has four long, but bulky legs that it uses for movement and sports dozens of Plasma cannons and Heavy plasma Machine Guns and Light Dark plasma Machine Guns. It also has two massive warp cannons and sports a sort of low powered energy projector on it's main body. The walker contains many sophisticated teleporation systems, hallways, storage bays for synths and mechs, which are beamed down through it's teleporation system. The Walker's upper body is somewhat shaped like a lopsided hexagon. The sheer size of the Walker allows it to destroy many buildings by simply stepping on them with its legs. The walker is also truly "all terrain", able to climb cliffs and mountains or wade through lakes and even be fully submerged. It's external armour is extremely thick, battle ship grade with shielding, making it hard to destroy with most ground based weapon. Rather, enemies should destroy its hardpoints to expose the walker's internal workings, then break the dark energy cores protective casing and from there destabalise the dark energy core through damage.

Assembly Walker: Like the Deployment Walker, the Assembly Walker is a massive, quadrupedal walker armed with hundreds of plasma cannons, Heavy plasma Machine Guns, Light plasma Machine guns and a teleportion system. It is more than twice the size of the habitat walker, making it a gargantuan walker. The Walker's upper body features two large 'arms' that are covered in weaponry on either side of the main body and a giant teleport device on its back. It sports four massive warp cannons on each arm and an energy projecotr on its main body.. The Assembly walker acts as a sort of walking manufactorum, producing synths and mechs as it advances across the world, through supplies that are teleported to it en mass. Like the other large walkers, the Assembly Walker can crush almost anything in its path and traverse nearly any terrain, including cliffs. The sheer size of the Walker allows it to destroy many buildings by simply stepping on them with its legs. The walker is also truly "all terrain", able to climb cliffs and mountains or wade through lakes and even be fully submerged. It's external armour is extremely thick, even stronger than that of the habitat walker. Enemies should destroy its hardpoints to expose the walker's internal workings, and from there disable it's internal energy shielding, followed by it's internal protective casing then the dark energy core can be destabilised, causing a self destruction