The history of the human species is a history of blood and strife. Or at least, that is what a Utopian would tell you. The Utopia Project may trace its founding to the Solar War, but the movement that spawned it started long before that fateful conflict. The Society for Human Advancement, as it was known, was a social and scientific movement that emerged shortly after the discovery of psi-integrae. These so called ‘Proto-Utopians’ saw the psychic potential of newly discovered organisms as more than a scientific curiosity. Rather, they and their leader Farid Nikbin, saw the potential for both the evolution of the Human species and a chance to achieve a true peace for the first time in Human history.
Farid Nikbin would author several seminal works during his time as a professor on Earth, outlining an ideology that would eventually lead to the foundation of The Utopia Project. He believed that the baser instincts of Humanity, those that drove people to violence, could be eliminated by modifying the Human species so that everyone had some level of psychic ability and connection. At first his ideas were nothing but the chatter of a delusional old academic, but he soon made global headlines by ignoring law and protocol in going ahead with human experiments. Had his work been a total failure he’d have likely been forgotten, doomed to die in prison a disgraced man. It goes without saying that was not the case.
Working in secret Professor Nikbin created the first artificial human psychic. His results were not immediate, after all he had opted to work on embryos implanted into volunteers, but within a few years it was evident to everyone involved that his experiment had been a success. The first child, a boy named Arthur Ueland, exhibited ‘unnatural’ abilities shortly after his sixth birthday.
Professor Nikbin verified the boys abilities beyond a shadow of a doubt, and then published the complete results of his work. The global response was mixed, but eventually it became clear that few in positions of authority cared how successful the Professor had been. His experiment was, undeniably, illegal. Farid Nikbin was tried and convicted to life imprisonment, even as Arthur grew up alongside a number of other psychic children.
The powers that had put away the founder of the Society for Human Advancement could never have predicted the effect of their actions. The Professor’s trial had been in global headlines for weeks, and what was once a group of fringe scientists and idealistic students became a massive international organization. The children that the Professor had created grew up, and all but one went on to join the Society.
It would be three decades after the Professor’s experiment that the Society finally secured the legal standing to continue its work. In that time what was once a primarily scientific organization had grown into an international movement with its own political wing and nearly fifty million members. These early adherents of Farid Nikbin’s philosophy, often called ‘Proto-Utopians’ today, would spearhead the creation and study of Human psychics for over a century.
By the time the Solar War started the Society had grown to a membership of over three hundred million across more than sixty planets. As many as one in three of those members were so called ‘Empaths’ or Psychics whose powers related more to understanding and feeling the emotions of others rather than any explicit abilities. After all, the creation of empaths was the societies ultimate goal. While the United Nations and the Intersystems alliance sported elite units of powerful Psi-Integrae, the Society had no part in their creation or training.
It was this position of complete neutrality that would ultimately destroy the Society. As the war went on members of the Society became increasingly persecuted as the states of the day saw them both as a threat and as an increasingly inhuman presence on their worlds. This persecution culminated in the Eurasian Riots, an event which saw as many as four million Society Empath’s killed in what was a targetted genocide by any other name. The United Nations hadn’t been complicit, at least not officially, but the elimination of a powerful third party that refused to aid in Earth’s war effort was hardly something to focus resources on stopping.
The Eurasian riot started a wave of anti-psychic and anti-society violence across human space. The pacifist ideology of Farid Nikbin failed and millions died, many of whom were all but paralyzed by their attackers rage and hatred. In less than a month the Society announced its official dissolution, but not before funding the evacuation of more than ninety million empaths and former members to an undisclosed location.
That place was the planet Halcyon. A distant Society outpost far beyond Human space Halcyon was the bastion on which the Society had chosen to shield its remaining members. After the survivors of the Psychic Genocide, as they called it, arrived on Halcyon they swore to never permit that level of violence again. From that day forward there would never be a child born who wasn’t an empath. Thus began The Utopia Project.
Isolated from Humanity the Utopians began to experiment and innovate. In their quest to create a society that would never know internal conflict the Utopians began to develop technologies unknown,and perhaps abhorrent, to Humanity. What was once a society of empaths became a society of proper Utopians. Individuals who, fundamentally, were no longer entirely human. What was once a sensitivity to the emotions of others became a subconscious connection to the entirety of the species.
That is not to say the Utopians surrendered their free will, they did not become a Human hive mind, but they did craft something many might have seen as far too close to that. The Utopians had created a collective subconscious. Every member of the species came to understand that there was a sort of unspoken ‘compromise’, a general set of principles that all knew, even if they didn’t know how. One could defy the compromise, of course, but doing so would be more than uncomfortable. Emotions of guilt and shame would come unbidden to those who violated what was, in essence, the middle ground of every Utopians beliefs. A legislative branch became unnecessary, as all knew the law.
There were still leaders among the Utopians, of course, but they acted more as agents of the people than as commanding wills. Their opinions mattered no more than anyone else's. The compromise, alongside the empathic nature of the Utopian people, led to what Farid Nikbin had dreamed of. A society at peace.
The Utopians colonized a few other worlds, but by and large they chose to live in as small an area as possible. Deep space habitats became far more common than colony worlds. This was, ultimately, a strategy born out of a desire to minimize conflict with any other species. Especially Humanity. Regardless, the Utopians thrived for generations.
At least, until the Ashtar came. The Utopians, for all they had worked to create their perfect society, had never anticipated an existence like the Ashtar was possible. Almost at once countless minds of an unfathomable scale pressed against the collective subconscious of the Utopian people, and in the span of a day the compromise shifted. The beliefs and opinions of the Utopians were irrelevant, the Ashtar’s psychic presence was too much to be resisted.
Not that some didn’t try. The laws might have changed, but every Utopian knew that they hadn’t changed them. There was resistance, many tried to ignore the guilt and even the pain as they went against what the Ashtar wanted, but in the end it was futile. None can live a life always feeling like they were wrong, and so in a day the Ashtar had all but brainwashed the Utopians.
What came after that was the same thing that happened everywhere, nothing. The Utopian people lived on, the Project continued, and it seemed like the Utopians peace had merely spread to the galaxy at large. Many, most, felt as if that was a good thing, a great thing. It was what Farid had wanted.
Except, that wasn’t the case. When the Ashtar vanished the Utopians woke from a deep and dreamless sleep, and they felt disgusted. The new compromise was reached almost instantly. The Ashtar hadn’t just enforced peace on the Utopians, they already had peace, the Ashtar had forced themselves on the Utopians. Alien minds, Alien ideals, they had violated every living member of an entire species.
The Utopian species had been raped. Perhaps, given that understanding, it isn’t surprising what happened next. While the rest of the galaxy scrounged whatever Ashtar technology they could find, the Utopians burned it all. The new compromise was simple, the Utopian species wanted revenge and everyone would work to get it. Even if the Ashtar were dead.
Because death wasn’t enough. The Ashtar had to be forgotten, wiped from history. When war overtook the galaxy the Utopians, for the first time in their history, lashed out. They destroyed Ashtar infrastructure across the galaxy, played sides in the great war to do as much damage as possible to their oppressors legacy, and they only stopped when they had no choice.
Detente. The states and species of the Galaxy had, it seemed, had enough of war. That was unfortunate, given how convenient it’d been. So once more the Utopians retreated to Halcyon, but this time they made plans. After all, without the Ashtar the rest of the galaxy was incapable of peace, and it was only a matter of time.
When the last Ashtar revealed their homeworld to the Galaxy the Utopians were delighted. Their revenge could, at last, continue.
Major Holdings
Your capital world, your favourite starbase, the key places in your Nation etc.
Demographics
Population
Not an actual number, but this is the section to talk about your people. Folks with multiple species, a percentage breakdown of those species might be nice. Descriptions of all those lovely species would also be nice.
Society
Daily life and such. Not the most important section but useful for giving us a sense of how your citizens actually feel about their nation. Can include religion, fashion, etc.
Economy
This could go under society if you like. Mostly just make it clear up front if you’re an industrial powerhouse, a nation of refined master artisans, etc. Also things people might want to know for trading purposes.
Government
My favourite part <3. Probably the most important of the demographics sections. Who runs the place, how do they run it. Since you will presumably be RPing people in your government, this is pretty critical.
Technological Information
Major Techs
Mostly interested in military techs, here: FTL, weapons, shields, armor, power, engines, etc. Civilian techs are also here, and sometimes just as important.
Military Information
Military Overview
Describe general doctrine, history, whatever floats your space boats.
Fleet/Navy
Your space boats. Include pics or don’t, I’m not your supervisor. You’ll probably want to have one or two of most of the classes, but it doesn’t really matter too much. I’m also including some flavour options here that you might want to consider. In short, the history of the galaxy has divied up ship designs into three waves: Great War (ships built before and during the Great War), Detente (ships built during the Detente, some wonky designs in the larger classes due to treaty limitations), and Modern (ships built in the year since the message)
DO NOT put your hyperdread here, it gets its own section.
Dreadnoughts: Only a few were built before the end of the Great War, the destructive potential of these vessels was a major contributor to ending the conflict. Those old ones are pretty obsolete, and any new ones are only just coming into service (mostly in secret) due to the Treaty of Detente banning their construction.
Battleships: The grand old ladies that did all the fighting of the Great War. The Treaty of Detente imposed limitations on their sizes and destructive potential, so if you want to get intricate there’s 3 waves of battleships: Great War, Detente, and Modern. Great War is self explanatory, old sluggers and antiques. Detente battleships were awkward creations involving all kinds of elaborate ways to get around the Treaty without actually violating it. Lots of glass cannon designs here, or iron fortresses that couldn’t scratch eachother’s paint, or half baked experimental weapon systems, or novel propulsion methods that only work if nobody on board sneezes. Modern battleships are just coming into service, and are quite deadly.
Battlecruisers: The treaty of Detent also limited battlecruisers, in an effort to avoid just slightly reducing the size of ship involved in any potential arms race. Similar design iterations to Battleships; Great War, Detente, and Modern. Detente battlecruisers were often cripplingly overspecialized: dedicated point defence ships, artillery vessels, mass shielding vessels, etc. Battlecruiser designs from the Detente period were often put together as a way to shore up the weaknesses of their contemporaneous Battleship partners.
Cruisers: Nothing special here.
Destroyers: Still nothing special.
Frigates: Nope.
Corvettes: Corvettes can be thought of in several iterations just kidding I don’t care what you do with these things. Unless you try to just upscale what I’m trying to avoid with strike craft.
Strike craft: K I’m actually gonna sort of limit these things, or rather, the things that carry them around. Strike craft have long been an important part of space combat, so most nations have them and defences against them. Historically, they’ve been used as close in support; no one’s yet figured out how to strap useful FTL drives on the things. All this means that long range strikes aren’t practical. What I’m trying to get at is Carrier’s aren’t really a thing, or at least dedicated carriers aren’t. Plenty of room for Battlestar type things (fighty-boats with a solid complement of strike craft), but no dropping off a carrier squadron on one side of the system then expecting your strikecraft to win the fight on the other side.
A notable exception is your Hyperdread. Do whatever you want with your super special awesome boat.
Army/Planetary forces
Outline some doctrine, highlight some major units. I’m not great at doing ground forces so not much guidance here.
ANNNDDD
Hyperdread
Go frikin nuts. Pics are nice.
Only have history done, but it needs to be approved by @Taeryn. Some links to Earth and the Solar War in there.
It's kinda eh, I wrote it at 4am after all, but w/e. I'll make it less crap and add the rest of the sheet later.
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I should also note, Utopians are more than just Humans with some nonsense in their brainparts. I've talked to Ozzy and others about this, but basically you can describe a Utopian as having 'Synthetic Biology'. That is, there is no clear line between biology and technology in a Utopians physiology. Their babies are grown from heavily modified genetic code and a mix of nanotech/wackyspacescience. They still, usually, look Human but their insides bear little resemblance. Veins made from composite fibers, as grown as they are 'manufactured' in the body. Hyper efficient organs. Optimized skeletons made from organometallic compounds. Utopians started with transhumanism in one way, but they never really stopped.
While some might be hard to distinguish from a human, most almost look like they have metal muscles and no skin (at least on their bodies, most like having pretty faces), or they wear weird suits that are also kinda technobiological nonsense that share their not!blood and other stuff. They're peculiar folk.
The Federation of Nations is the modern governing system for humanity and aligned species in space largely covered by the initial expansionary phases of human colonization and exploration of the galaxy. Made up of dozens of constituent member states and power blocs, the Federation of Nations is ostensibly a direct democracy founded in the wake of the end of the entanglements of the colonial and bushfire conflicts conducted following the collapse of direct rule from Sol during the Solar War. The Federation of Nations is a sprawling morass of bureaucracy arguably only able solidify into a cohesive state thanks to the peace once afforded by the Ashtar. Everything can be said to be found in FedNat, and, often enough, its legal somewhere.
History
The great migration of Humanity, first out into the Solar System - and then into the now well known worlds of the core systems and the following expansionary clusters and fringes, is well documented. The United Nations, bolstered by subsuming authority and effectively controlling logistics between the homeworld and its colonies became the governing authority for humanity beyond its cradle, directing much of early humanities efforts in spreading into local space within and without Sol.
By the time the United Nations became challenged by its creations and by political manoeuvring on Earth itself, Humanity had spread to hundreds of systems - and many did not answer to Earth. The ensuing strain, both economically, militarily and culturally, resulted in the great conflagration known as the Solar War - whilst largely taking place in Sol, the Solar War saw conflict on the planets of numerous systems, including Alpha Centauri, Sirius and Tau Ceti. While many colonies had grown self sufficient, most loyal to the Earthbound government, to some degree, relied on the industrial capacity of Sol - the crippling of Martian industry, the freezing of financial markets on Earth and the ensuing destruction of much of the fleets of both the United Nations and the Intersystems Alliance that had been founded to challenge its somewhat draconian authority, amongst the moons of Jupiter - Also unleashed a plague of piracy amongst the space lanes. While the Intersystems Alliance was the eventual loser - The United Nations ability to project power and enforce it was gone, and conflicts began to rage between the colonies over resources and for political gain. Sol itself also fell into an era of civil strife, with millions fleeing Earth and the other worlds of the Solar System to the newly founded Centauri Republics of Alpha Centauri and beyond.
The two main powers - the United Nations and Intersystems Alliance - ironically would be the ones to come together, albeit decades after their initial clash. The United Nations, keen to restore peace, and the Intersystems Alliance, never opposed to the governance it had once had but its implementation, eventually conceived the Federation of Nations, inviting many of the now settling power blocs of Humanity into its fold. While not successful in combining all of humanity under the same banner once again, the Federation of Nations was initially founded with its capital on Horizon in the Tau Ceti System, roughly equidistant between Earth and Trident, the capital of the Intersystems Alliance.
The initial founding members of the Federation of Nations consisted of the United Nations, comprising Sol and its loyal colonies, the Intersystems Alliance, and her dozen member states, many independent colonies as well as the now moderate powers located in the Centauri Republics, the Reach Alliance, Vegan Commonality and Eridani Kingdom, but has come to incorporate new states and power blocs as colonies have been founded and appropriate thresholds have been reached. Of note is a small number of populations settled in FedNat space by other species, though no other non-human power has officially joined the Federation of Nations, though a number of alien powers could be considered aligned.
The early years of the Federation of Nations were tumultuous, still dealing with the after-effects of war and civil decay across the vastness of space inhabited by humanity. It is stated that the Federation of Nations was likely headed towards another era of strife within itself, if not for the coming of the Ashtar. The Ashtar effectively removed the threat of armed responses to political problems, as well as prevent enmities of the past from escalating into conflict.
The Ashtar Period is thus considered a golden age, where the states of the Federation solidified and rebuilt together, creating a non-compulsory but far reaching direct democracy. Their disappearance initially shook the upper echelons of the government, but the core of the federations charter and a now more than century long bond between its core members prevented any dissolution or dissent against the idea of the Federation itself, no matter how unwieldy its bureaucracy had become stitching disparate powers together.
FedNat involvement in the Great War was limited. The military was undersized, chronically underfunded for a state of the Federations size and had largely concerned itself with matters of domestic security almost exclusively for decades. However, matters of realpolitik and a renewal of humanities martial senses saw a great boom in the military-industrial complex, buoyed by a sense of defending the Federation in order to defend ones nation. FedNat forces were largely auxillary - relegated to escort duty and patrol - an area in which they were eminently qualified. Second Wave newbuilds entered the conflict to support allies and fared competently, but largely ended up mauled in any of the decisive battles, win or lose. By the time FedNat involvement was looking to be escalated as new shipyards came online - or The Great War's true horrors had reached any of the Federation's own worlds beyond raiding and surgical strikes, the peace treaty became the prime focus.
FedNat was a grudging signatory, if only because many of its newbuild's now violated treaty obligations, but saw the opportunity to, at least, not suffer any real war damage in its own territory and to use what could be argued, at the very least, as not a loss to solidify the Federation in the new era.
Major Holdings
Horizon, Capital of FedNat: Horizon is a gleaming, cosmopolitan world of planned cities, vast tracts of nature and breathtaking spires that house the numerous elements of bureaucracy that attempt to nudge the members of the Federation of Nations one way or another. Once a sedate, agricultural world, Horizon has become the beating heart of humanity where its many now far flung cultures meet and meld. Home to most of the primary organs of federal government in some way or another, Horizon and the system Tau Ceti are also notable for being under Federal Authority - that is, they belong directly to the FedNat itself.
Earth: Earth is the cradle of humanity, though she has long since sent millions, if not billions, of her children into the stars. Modern Earth barely breaks the population it once had in 2050, and has long since managed to, if not recover, deal with the ravages of centuries of industrial development and ecological issues. Earth serves as capital for the United Nations, and standards of living on Earth are amongst the highest in the Federation. Earth's financial markets are also unparalleled in the Federation, and she serves as a nexus for the Sol System, where an incredible amount of industrial capacity churns out manufactured goods of all varieties.
Trident: Trident is arguably a learned mans haven - whilst also serving as capital for the Intersystems Alliance. Trident is a world of boundless oceans, broken only by small island chains and a singular grand continent, criss-crossed with rivers. In nearly all of its conurbations stand grand universities and halls of learning, where the greatest minds in the Federation come to debate, learn, create and at times, dictate.
Chiron: Chiron stands as capital for the Centauri Republics, and is the second oldest extra-solar colony founded by humanity behind Terra Nova in Sirius. The Centauri Republics are the most free and wild places in the Federation, barely adhering to the letter of Federal Law, but never without malice. Chiron stands at the heart of this, setting cultural trends and giving birth to the great artists of all stripes in the modern era.
Bastion: Bastion is another federal controlled territory, and one committed to the upkeep of the Federation of Nations existence. Bastion - and its namesake system, is a hive of military activity. With numerous prototype shipyards and testing ranges, many ships are born and die here in the crucible of invention, whilst the Federal Military organises the numerous assortment of state militias and federal detachments from its complexes both in orbit and on the surface of Bastion.
Demographics
Population
The Overwhelming majority of the population of the Federation of Nations is humanity, in its many colours and derivations, including those who have undergone the legal genetic procedures to operate in certain environments or occupations. While small alien populations are present and the Federation actively encourages the immigration and cultural amalgamation of such populations, most barely meet the percentage mark.
Humans are a varied sort, though within the Federation strict federal laws and cultural norms have prevented the mass manipulation of the human genome except in the affairs of general health, mainly curing disease and ailments that have dogged humanity for generations. Modern humanity, male and female, ranges in height, weight, colour and strength depending on which world they are from, the cultural background they draw from and which state laws may have also been imposed in regards to genetic alteration. A bulky asteroid miner from the fringe may only be five feet tall but built like a tank, whilst a executive from Horizon may be six foot five and as lithe as an elf from fiction.
Society
Depending on where in the Federation you are and the career you have chosen, much can vary. However, the key would be where you have chosen, what you have chosen to do. Choice is king in the Federation - and whilst Federal and State Law may sometimes impose on those choices, you can likely find somewhere to make a go of it where you'd barely notice they existed at all. Nearly all major legislation is subject to referendum, though voting is not compulsory, and nearly everyone has the capacity to vote on the spot, either through device or implant. As a consequence, non-entertainment media is very information heavy, as nearly all sources attempt to inform or protest this or that.
Life in the Federation is, despite all its freedoms, heavy on the bureaucracy. Whilst thankfully it is relatively quick to act, everything has a "paper trail" and nearly everything goes through one agency or another. If the State has to know, the Federal Government knows, and if the Federal Government knows, then you can be sure the State government needs that written down too. However, all citizens are equal, and only very infrequently will grease effect any of the bureaucracy to action with less than it should have or faster than it normally would. As anyone born in the Federation is granted citizenship, and there is a pervasive social security net weaved into ones life from birth, much of the issues of such a bureaucracy for the common man or woman is largely overcome early on. However, obtaining citizenship via immigration and residency is a long process, though arguably worth the effort.
Culturally and politically the society of the Federation is, however, wildly different from planet to planet, sometimes even within the same planet depending on its history. The Centauri Republics all vary on even a basic level like fashion and slang from republic to republic, while the Vegan Commonalities implementation of futuro-marxism sees nearly every citizen taught and near raised in a identical way, leading to a form of subconscious uniformity.
Federation families vary based on state, but even in the most conservative, same-sex marriage is legal, and Federal programs even support the creation of children from same-sex parents utilizing legal genetic procedures. Families are typically traditional in structure in most of the Federation, although in some areas multiple sets of parents and their children and extended families may live together for various reasons.
Economy
The Economy of the Federation of Nations is a diversified and sprawling mass of corporations, federal special industries, self-employed venturists, state owned industries, conglomerates and co-operatives and everything in between. It is a largely efficient beast, though certain industries suffer from bureaucratic legalese and overmanagement, whilst some of its corporations suffer from restrictive legal codes depending on state.
Sol remains the largest gross stellar product of the Federation of Nations, though it is closely followed by Epsilon Eridani and Tau Ceti - though in terms of financial clout they cannot challenge the aged and learned markets of Hong Kong, Moscow, Frankfurt, London, New York and Brasilia. Consequently much of the liquid assets of numerous organisations move through Earth rather than Horizon, and wealth is slow to move to the lesser developed areas of the Federation.
The re-development of a true military-industrial complex and defence industry has seen a boom across multiple sectors of the economy - and has moved many out of basic assistance programmes ran by the Federal Government, which provide a basic standard of living to all citizens irrespective of anything else. Such savings have been re-invested in a continuing boom of ship construction and military manufacture, rather than being invested directly into the states and colonies of the fringe, however, though resentment has been offset by many of these same states and colonies benefiting from increased military presences and infrastructure to support them.
Consequently the economy is varied, dynamic and generally in an upswing, though opportunities can diminish the farther from the core worlds you are.
Government
The Federal Government is, despite its dozens of constituent agencies and departments, relatively easy to break down into a number of overarching categories.
The Federal Council sits at the top of the Federal Hierarchy, consisting of the Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor, the head of every department and agency as well as the Speaker of the Assembly, who comprise the effective Cabinet of the government. The Chancellor of the Council exercises a degree of final executive power, whilst the Council as a whole executes a power of veto in regards to "acts of the Chancellor" - that is, executive powers that the Chancellor may call upon without the consent of the Assembly. This Veto requires at least half of the Council's support, but forms a check on the powers of the Chancellor even in times of emergency. The Council as such oversees the federation and implements high level policies, whilst the Assembly deals with the general political scene of FedNat.
The Assembly of Nations is effectively the parliament of the Federation of Nations, comprising delegates elected on six year terms by planetary elections overseen by local governmental authorities, be they federal or state. The Assembly sits in session most of the year, debating policy, proposing legislation for referenda by the grand direct democracy of all and representing the concerns of their respective states and constituencies. Assemblymen and Assemblywomen are the only ones eligible for posts considered Cabinet posts, and as such all important offices in the Federation are overseen by directly elected representatives. All Assembly members are also subject to recall and subsequent re-election, or not, by their electorate at any time.
The Advisory Board, while holding no real legal power, serves both the Assembly and Council through its Corporate Board, Starborn Collective and Board of Settlement, with the Corporate Board representing corporate concerns not covered by local state or federal law, The Starborn Collective representing all independent stations and installations not covered elsewhere, while the Board of Settlement provides a voice for individuals and settlers not yet incorporated into a state or eligible for a direct vote in referenda.
State Governments are those governments, such as the United Nations or Eridani Kingdom, who administrate the territories of their constituent states. While States agree to implement federal law, they also possess a number of domestic freedoms in regard to certain areas not covered by the Federation Charter or not within the remit of federal authority. State Governments are also required to support domestic armed forces for the purpose of anti-piracy and defense, though they may not raise local police forces, with all police being Federalised.
Referenda are undertaken for every piece of legislation not concerning foreign policy and trade policy. In the latter, referenda are only issued if legislation is challenged by a grand petition or at the request of a state, or in the case of declarations of war. Voting is not compulsory for referenda, much as in normal elections and other such things, but the pervasiveness of the ability to vote from nearly anywhere means there is often a high uptake, even if some issue "null votes" - choosing no option. Several referenda have resoundingly had null votes and consequently went back to the Assembly for further discussion.
Technological Information
The Federation of Nations is largely equal to its contemporaries in the multiple fields of military and civilian technologies, even if employing different methods or utilising dissimilar technologies for the same purposes. Miniaturisation and automation is prevalent in a large scale in the civilian sector, and to an extent in the military sector.
Major Techs
Accelerated Physics While any sufficiently advanced civilization can create an energy weapon, be it plasma, laser, or particle, the weapon of choice for the Federation was no doubt chosen and honed to finesse by a few simple elements honed from observation and rigorous refinement in the Great War complimented by advances in power generation and miniaturisation. By applying initially unthinkable techniques and honing methods of theory into practical power application while also reducing stress on components, the ability to harness greater stable energy, cycled faster and maintained further has given Federal particle lances and high-capacity cannon banks and energy torpedo launches more bang for their buck than was thought capable before the war.
Advanced Miniaturisation: The greatest gifts of the corporate community were arguably the continued drive on, perhaps ironically, reducing the workload on logistics and depot storage, with investigation and luck, elements of miniaturisation that must of borrowed from advanced jump theory at some point were identifiable, allowing the revolutionary employment of techniques that dramatically reduced the size of numerous every day components, allowing greater economic dividends from resourcing concerns and every day storage right up to civilian and military applications. FedNat ships of equivalent sizes, for example, can, on average simply "fit more".
Chemical Catalyst: An innovation brought about by the flora and limited fauna of Atlantica in the Eridani Kingdom, Chemical Catalysts drastically changed construction techniques when its applications were understood. By employing specific chemical reactions learned from observing and testing, materials, such as the metal sheets used in early ship construction, could be bonded together at a chemical level rather than riveted or bolted together, with obvious implications. Rather than relying purely on the untested avenue of nano-technology at the time, or on the unwieldy concepts of energy to matter based pre-fabrication, simple mother nature, albeit her alien side, have enabled Federation to construct buildings and ships that are essentially one single element rather than many, with varying applicable results.
Advancements of Intelligence: While the people of the Federation have remained largely apart from the runaway prospects of biological tampering, overbearing cybernetic enhancements and unrestricted AI research, there is no denying that the measured, methodological approach to advancements in Artificial Intelligence, Gene-therapies and a near un-rivalled art in the field of neuro-surgery have gifted the Federation with a unique insight into what a smarter human is, and how to make a smarter computer based upon the understanding of sapient intelligence as manifested in humanity. While Federal cultures embrace the treatment of ills enabled by the above, it has largely not indulged in attempting to create the perfect human - though one cannot deny that some of these lesser procedures must be utilized, by the very least, its intelligence community - and it has no qualms about creating the perfect artificial intelligence, if one so can. "Dumb" smart-AI are consequently a frequent occurrence in the management and every day life of Urban Centres, Foreign and Domestic Intelligence Analysis and in the operation of military craft, and it is likely only a matter of time before pandora's box is opened on a truly unrestricted intelligence intentionally created by the Federation.
Unseen, Unharmed: Understanding that the sprawling demesne of the Federation is vulnerable to attack from greater powers, Federal obsessions both with intelligence analysis practical and theoretical, with its history in rooting out threats to its mercantile marine have spawned a legacy of a robust intelligence agency - and one backed up by government funds. The most prominent legacy is one of the Pharos Stealth Program - with the associated ships and crews effectively the eyes, ears, and daggers in the dark of the Federal Government, and even some of its corporations. Though varying at times from the basic, core design, the technology at play is intended to emulate the most critical components of stealth and strike, playing the dangerous game of hide and often, seek, in the dark depths of space, employing a mix of advanced construction techniques, basic technological advancement and the honing of electronic trickery to remain shrouded in the dark.
Military Information
Military Overview
The Federal Military
The Federal Military is at its core an academy based, voluntary system which makes up the majority of peace and war time troops. It consists of three official branches and their constituent subbranches - The Federal Navy, or Federal Navy, The Federal Marine Corps and the Associated Intelligence Services (AIS).
The Federation commits to the concept of war and its associated doctrines with the matter of enforcing its survival through punching above its weight with, if not superior, then at least sufficient applicable force to make concepts such as invasion of Federal territory itself too bloody to entertain. The strength of the Federal Military is consequently dependent on its elite backbone found within the co-operating branches of the Marine Corps and Navy and the application of the ground forces, ideally never at all, and only when occupation is paramount. The Federation of Nations consequently relies heavily on reconnaissance, advanced deceptive electronics and further its intelligence services and the standing defensive strength of its Navy to deter aggressors and ultimately resolve conflicts - preferably before they enlarge and threaten Horizon itself.
The Federal Marine Corps The Federal Marine Corps/FedMar are a small but highly trained force mostly centered around, primarily, small corps sized Marine Groups who can be rapidly deployed or withdrawn. The Federation maintains a training regimen for "army" grouped size operations of Marines in concert with standard infantrymen. Each State maintains a militia that can be suborned to the Marine Corps Command - as defined under the Federal Charter - and they are the ones responsible for the large part of peace time troop deployments and maintaining a standing defence force of infantrymen and associated equipment for the benefit of the Federation's Security.
Federal Marines are typically a moderately armoured, highly mobile force trained primarily in securing space-borne assets in capture or seizure operations and in insertion into contested areas to sever command and control networks by seizure of essential enemy ground assets. Marines consequently rely on speed, agility, and an efficient utilization of intelligence and and other support to effectively cripple an enemy and eliminate them piecemeal, though elements of "bulwark" or heavily armoured marines exist.
The Army at large however, does maintain an appropriate level of vehicle based support, although utilization of these assets, in doctrine, at least, requires orbital and air superiority.
The Federal Navy The Federal Navy consists of a number of Fleets and dedicated Strike Battlegroups. Prevailing doctrine - in the case of offensive operations, would be for ships to switch jurisdiction to the regional command which most required them. The Federal Military has, largely, effected a unique mix of strong low level initiative and higher level lead by task - rather than a top to bottom lead by order doctrine that has been proved ineffective in most situations.
Fleet Doctrine relies on large, "ships of the line" supported by its smaller cousins and screening by varying numbers of picket forces. The Navy is currently coordinated from Beckett Spire on Bastion, with orbital mirroring of operations conducted from Galatis Station.
Associated Intelligence Service Intelligence is paramount in any operation, and the Federation has begun to take this idea to the fore. The Associated Intelligence Service itself is arguably a "holding company" for intelligence from numerous sources, states and agencies, but has its own agents, agenda, and has ultimate control over all intelligence operations and branches, from domestic to foreign, as well as far reaching authority to accomplish its objectives with plausible deniability. The AIS remains free, largely, of political manoeuvring or games of influence by its control being tied into the civil service - however, it is overseen by an appointed minister selected by the Federal Council.
This Article Serves to provide a brief look at common Federal Naval Equipment, including vessels typically reserved for civilian duty but often found occupying military logistical roles. The Federal Navy has largely scrapped, phased out or retrofitted its lighter pre-war designs, and nearly completely eliminated all pre-great war large ships from its reserve fleets. Most modern reserves are filled with the ad-hoc design "new builds" of the Great War, most of which violated treaty obligations and had to be stripped down or outright scapped, as well as vessels from the era of the treaty, which are now being replaced with modern, effective ships.
FNT Argos Transport The industrious and aged Argos has become the standard military transport vehicle for the Federal fleet. Argos sometimes carry new weapons and combat craft prototypes to and from testing grounds or to front-line deployment positions. Military VIPs occasionally commandeer Argos' to travel from star system to star system in some semblance of comfort. Argos are most often used as assault transports, carrying squads of Marines through heavy flak to board enemy vessels that Command has decided to capture rather than destroy. The Argos improved upon on its predecessor, the FNT Elysium, greatly increasing transport capacity, and is generally much more survivable due to much heavier armor. Defensive armament, however, remained deficient at only 2 Turret mounts and the Argos still requires escort to survive hostile situations.
FNL Anemoi
Logistics vessels are the newest class of support vessels commissioned by the Federal navy. These mammoth ships serve as an all-around support ship, combining freight hauling capabilities with field repair stations and medical facilities. They are an indispensable asset to long-range battle groups that are expected to undergo long-term operations far from friendly outposts. They are however, effectively battleship sized craft with the armament of a freighter, and require the appropriate defense afforded to them.
The Anemoi however effectively allows a fleet or task force to operate at great lengths of time without a considerable supply chain or infrastructure to support federal vessels.
Strike Craft:
FNF Loki: The Loki is a Capellan-designed fighter that was used by the Capellan Federation just before the Great War for domestic security and then put into production as a stealth fighter by the Federation. Its hull and reactor were specially designed to make it invisible to nearly all forms of detection sensors. However, a minor flaw in its design, discovered shortly after the destruction of the FBB Krios, nearly completely nullified the Loki's stealth capabilities, reducing it into a heavily armed reconnaissance fighter. It later became an staple part of the Federation's fighter forces during the Great War. Its high speed, weapons compatibility, and maneuverability is offset by its low armor and weapons capacity. All the same, the Loki remains a capable heavy recon fighter - while not invisible, remaining difficult to detect.
The Loki is armed with 2 Primary Cannon Banks of 2 Guns each, and has space for upto 20 Secondaries in its two side mounts.
FNF Myrmidon: A result of the "New Navy Project" undertaken by the Federation, Kamiko Aeronautical’s FNF Myrmidon replaced the Ulysses as the Alliance’s primary space superiority fighter. The Mymidon has received high marks for speed, maneuverability, armor, and loadout. An ultra-efficient hull configuration provides for the mounting of three secondary fire control systems, a first for Federation fighters. This versatility enables space superiority squadrons to fulfill a range of combat roles, from light assault to heavy reconnaissance. In the Deness system, the 22nd Starknight's of the FNC Perachora have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Myrmidon against pirate and insurrectionist forces alike.
The Myrmidon is armed with 1 Primary Cannon Bank and 1 Secondary, of 4 and 2 Guns each respectively. The Myrmidon retains space for up to 80 secondaries in 3 Banks, depending on missile type.
FNF Perseus: The FNF Perseus was and is the newest fighter in the Federal arsenal. Slated to replace the aging Valkyrie as the Federations primary interceptor, the Perseus's high max speed and maneuverability make it ideal to hunt and destroy enemy bombers. Federation fighters have been assigned to the 1st Battle Group on a trial basis, with wide deployment expected after the OpEval period. Primary weapons (of 2 Banks totaling 4 guns) include the Subach HL-7 and Prometheus cannon, with secondary loads of Harpoon and Hornet missiles, of which she can carry up to 80 in 2 banks. Preliminary results have shown the Perseus to be a superb fighter.
FNF Hercules Mk2: The former FNF Hercules Mark II is the next generation of Federal heavy assault fighter. Introduced during the Great War, the original Herc's balance of firepower and maneuverability made it the most versatile strike fighter in the fleet. Some military historians have claimed the Hercules single handedly ended piracy in the Reach, citing its deployment in key battles with pirate forces near the end of the Great War. Implementing recent advances in fusion drive technology, the Mark II improves the assault fighter's speed and maneuverability without sacrificing loadout capacity.
The Hercules is armed with 2 well placed cannon banks of 2 Guns each, and retains space for 180 Secondaries in its two missile banks.
FNF Erinyes: A result of the "New Navy Project", the FNF Erinyes craft are still regarded as being fresh off the drawing boards of Hermes Dynamics. Though fast and heavily armored, their main attraction is firepower. With two banks totaling eight primary guns and two secondary weapon bays with a capacity for 90 secondaries, Erinyes are at the top of the combat craft food chain. Both sets of weapon banks have been designed to maximize compatibility with the greatest possible number of weapon system. Erinyes-class ships are being evenly distributed through the ITA fleet, but only elite pilots are currently authorized to fly them.
FNB Ursa: The FNB Ursa is the slowest bomber in the Federation fleet. What it lacks in speed, however, it more than makes up with its massive payload. The Ursa was the first bomber designed specifically to destroy capital ships. With a rack of Helios bombs, in addition to a standard complement of Hornet missiles and Prometheus cannon, a squadron of Ursas can take out a battleship if it is caught without support. Ursas have the highest shielding of any bomber, along with a AIS-designed hyper-dense hull. These help ensure that the Ursa gets close enough to deliver its payload and possibly even survive the escape.
The Ursa hosts 2 Primary banks totaling 4 guns each and retains capacity for 240 Secondaries.
FNB Zeus: Another product of former AIS R&D, the Zeus strike bomber is a worthy successor to the Athena. Its balanced design and increased reactor capacity give it remarkable speed for a bomber, yet still remains capable of carrying the powerful capital cracker bombs. These features make the Zeus a versatile and effective weapon against capital ships. The FNB Zeus is the fastest of all currently active Federal bombers. It replaced the fleet's old Athena bombers as they were mothballed during the years following the Great War. Though slightly slower than the Athena, the Zeus's heavier armor and armament give it a much better battlezone survivability rate.
The Zeus hosts 2 Primary banks totaling 4 guns each and retains capacity for 120 Secondaries.
Support Vessels:
FNCv Bellerophon Class Corvette
The FNCv Bellerophon Corvette was the first corvette design to enter service in place of the aging Eclipse design, and was the first ship of her class to mount modern weapons such as the Trinity-class main cannon. The Bellerophon, while sporting more turrets than the average Eclipse Corvette, is not as heavily armored as more recent designs, and her Trinity Cannon configuration is noticably weaker than that of the larger Chimera class. The Bellerophon has thus become the main escort vessel of the Federation fleet, Bellerophon-class multi-role corvettes fill the role of anti-ship combat and capital escort admirably. Possessing a anti-capital ship beam and several short-ranged heavy turrets that provide significant firepower, the Bellerophon is also blessed with a surplus of reactor energy to provide an appreciable boost in speed.
FNFG Chimera Class Frigate:
The FNFG Chimera is the latest frigate design produced by the Federal Navy. Mounting three very powerful long-range beams in a forward configuration, the Chimera is designed specifically to engage craft at range and inflict maximal damage before coming in to weapons range of its target. The Trinity-class main cannons are derivatives of Mesonic technology, extremely powerful but so power-hungry that plasma must be vented directly from the main reactors to fire. The Chimera is more heavily armored than its lighter cousin, the Bellerophon. The result is a slower-propulsed but better-armed variant of the Bellerophon chassis, with new hull plating taking advantage of breakthroughs in armour research.
FNDD Hyperion Class Destroyer: The FNDD Hyperion was developed shortly after the Great War as a testbed for fusing new energy reactors with a specially designed hull, preceded by the success of the Aeolus redesign. The Hyperion combines the anti-fighter capabilities and speed of the Aeolus and the armour of the obsolete Leviathan. As such, the Hyperion is a formidable target for lighter craft and ships to engage. The Hyperion was the first ship to mount new pulse weaponry after successful testing. The Hyperion is rapidly filling the ranks of the Federal Navy, phasing out earlier destroyer models.
FNDD Aeolus Class Destroyer: The FNDD Aeolus was the first destroyer class ever produced by the CSN shipyards orbiting Pacifica. Only six of these destroyers were initially put into service in the Cygni Commonwealth, with production ending just before the great war. Federal Command initially assigned Aeolus-class ships primarily to guard slow-moving convoys against strike wings and lighter craft at the onset of the Great War, as these vessels were severely out-gunned by most capital ships in service at the time. Their flak and AAA turrets did serve as marvellous deterrents to smaller craft, however. The refinement of particle beam weaponry during the Great War led to the redesign and recommissioning of the Aeolus class. With the design of the Aeolus greatly suited to acting as a testbed for the new weaponry, this added a significant punch to the destroyer and led to the revolutionary design of anti fighter and ordinance beam weaponry, as such the Aeolus became a mainstay of Federal fleets during and after the Great War.
Capital Ships:
FNCR Deimos Class Cruiser Deimos-class cruisers are the newest addition to the Federal cruiser fleet. These sleek, ultra-modern warships are the products of a new era of ship design, maximizing maneuverability and firepower. Their hulls are strengthened with collapsed-core molybdenum sheathing for better protection against beam fire, and their custom-designed reactor core provides more energy per ton than any other federal ship class. As the Leviathan and Fenris cruisers of the pre-Great War era were gradually phased out, these cruisers have become the foundation of tomorrow's fleet.
FNBC Sanctuary Class Battlecruiser:
The Sanctuary was designed as a compliment to the treaty-era Deneb Class Battleship several years after its commissioning. Touting limited capital grade weaponry save a few heavy turrets and a limited beam capacity, the Sanctuary's strength lies in her anti-fighter and anti-ordinance capabilities. While large and somewhat vulnerable to a concentrated attack, the Sanctuary's purpose was simply to shore up the Deneb's weaknesses. The Sanctuary overhaul campaign has, very quietly, stripped away some of the limitations of the Detente Treaty and made the Sanctuary less complimentary and more effective in its own right, but is likely to be replaced with an effective multi-purpose design in the near future.
FBB Orion Class Battleship
The Orion is the mainstay capital ship of the Federal Navy. A fearsome, modern build vessel now replacing the already near obsolete Deneb, the cost to build one of these has been challenged by multiple committees in the Federation. There is, however, no more important symbol of modern Federal Pride than a ship like the Knossos or the Corinth cruising past a colonized planet, patrolling the system and ensuring safety. FNBB Orion class has become the premier ship of the fleet, bristling with dozens of death-dealing turrets, the Orion is as awesome in repose as it is in battle. All Orions have been fitted with the latest anti-warship beam weapons, as well as flak and AAA turrets for dealing with lighter craft. The Orion's own hangar bays also accommodate a number of strike and support craft for close in support.
FDN Amaterasu Class Dreadnaught The Amaterasu was a product of the Great War's escalations. Prior to the era of the Hyper-dreadnaught, the Amaterasu were the largest, most expensive and, for their time, most technologically advanced vessels ever produced by the Federation, with a single Amaterasu requiring a dedicated shipyard and construction crews and drones in the tens of thousands. Only a handful of Amaterasu's came off the plate by the time of Detente, and were consequently the only ones produced before their construction was limited by obligation. Built around a veritable array of, at the time, newly designed particle lances and turret banks, the Amaterasu has, as a design, been kept up to date - just in case - though the actual ships themselves are arguably dated and have only recently begun to quietly enter yards for "servicing".
WIP
FNFC Solaris The Solaris is classed by the Federation as a "Fleet Command" ship, and is designed foremost with this in mind, capable of co-ordinating, if necessary, multiple fleets in real time as well as co-ordinating support from disparate forces, including its own onboard complement of close-in support craft. However, the Solaris is considered a hyper-dreadnought, and possesses the largest singular particle beam weapon ever conceived running the length of the vessel, as well as being equipped with a number of smaller and far more conventional variants and turret banks and launchers. The Solaris lacks somewhat in defensive emplacements, relying on its heavy armour and the power capacity of its shields to a certain extent, but is never meant to be found unsupported by at least the totality of a Federal Strike Group, if not a fleet.
Largely have something for everything now, let me know if theres any issues at the moment.
@Nate1008 At the risk of sounding like "that guy", is there any sort of limitation to what your virus can actually do? Since it seems like it can just about do anything and things just kept getting pulled out of thin air? Like someone has previously said, you are tripping a lot of red flags for powergaming.
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I'm not a biology expert but I think you're confusing what is meant by a virus/fungus mutation. I think what you need is like cancerous/rapid growth of biomass. Also just from a writing stand point, just having it be something that was found in an air pocket in a mine that went ignored until the entire empire was infected because the entire military and government just decided to stand down and let it happen sounds really lazy and uninspired.
<Snipped quote by Nate1008>
I honestly cannot decipher whats the meaning behind this. Does it "grow an arm" and use it to control machinery? Does it some how infect a very much non-living computer with a very much alive organism that realistically can't "infect/hack" it like it can with a brain? Also machine motors, especially larger ones, are not easy things to move. If you're trying to move like a starship turret for example that would take a huge amount of energy and effort.
As for biological hosts, why doesn't it shut down everything and basically drive the body around like a walking flesh robot? You don't even need the brain if you want to control a body, just have something to fire nerves and muscles and you get a function walking if not janky meat puppet.
Yes. That is exactly how it infests machinery. It also does the exact same thing to ships. It drives the ship with tentacles inside the cockpit and controls the ships functions from the inside. Vehicles work almost the same. Also, the virus does not shut down the host. If it shuts down the brain, the host dies. The virus feeds on the hosts nutrients. When the body dies, it stops transporting nutrients. The virus also needs the brain alive if it is to take it over. If the brain shuts down in any way, the virus dies out because the body is no-longer giving it resources it needs to survive.
@Nate1008 Could you give a definitive list of what your virus can and can't do and how? Since it seems like you are just pulling things out of thing air as you need to to adapt to whatever new thing comes up. Also this:
Also, the virus does not shut down the host. If it shuts down the brain, the host dies. The virus feeds on the hosts nutrients. When the body dies, it stops transporting nutrients. The virus also needs the brain alive if it is to take it over. If the brain shuts down in any way, the virus dies out because the body is no-longer giving it resources it needs to survive.
So does the host need to be continuously fed for nutrients to keep going in? You are aware that brain death usually accompanies any sort of traumatic death meaning that most of the time, you are going to be going after dead bodies which by your own definition cannot act as hosts to the infection. In addition, a live infection which turns people into hosts but also some how change their bodies in some way such as growing limbs/tentacles/etc will be extremely traumatic and will kill the host. Human bodies and most bodies aren't designed to suddenly be completely rearranged after birth and doing so would be not only painful to the extreme but lethal too.
[quote=@ClocktowerEchos] @Nate1008 Could you give a definitive list of what your virus can and can't do and how? Since it seems like you are just pulling things out of thing air as you need to to adapt to whatever new thing comes up. Also this:
<Snipped quote by Nate1008>
So does the host need to be continuously fed for nutrients to keep going in? You are aware that brain death usually accompanies any sort of traumatic death meaning that most of the time, you are going to be going after dead bodies which by your own definition cannot act as hosts to the infection. In addition, a live infection which turns people into hosts but also some how change their bodies in some way such as growing limbs/tentacles/etc will be extremely traumatic and will kill the host. Human bodies and most bodies aren't designed to suddenly be completely rearranged after birth and doing so would be not only painful to the extreme but lethal too. [/quote/]
No. The host does not need to be constantly fed. I mean it dies out slowly and becomes non-contagious. Basically useless. Also, the virus itself is another living organism. Because of this, it increases the mental and physical capacity. This greatly decreases chances of trauma. Also, the hosts pain-feeling nerves are shut down, making the host unable to feel pain. The infection is also like cancer in a way. Small tumors grow under the skin until it is ready. When the tumors are large enough, the skin becomes weaker and the tentacles/flesh e.g erupt from the body. After this process is finished, the infested flesh quickly regenerates over the damaged areas and making the new flesh permanent. Here is a picture of an infested for visual detail:
@Nate1008 So I went over your sheet real quick and bounced on something. Your biological weapons are quite weak to be honest.
For starts your Bio-FTL will be next to useless if that’s your actual method of FTL to go around systems. The moon is at its closest approach with earth 405.000 km away from us. An FTL jump of 1.000 km is nothing in the grand scale of space.
Your Bio-Cannon and heavy Bio-Cannon are also next to useless. For one they can easily be taken out by point-defense. Secondly, because you’re lacking any technological method of launching these objects I’m assuming you’re using something in the way of muscles? Which can only shoot off objects so fast before they start destroying themselves and even pushed beyond their limits you’re not going go as fast as a bullet or a missile. Modern space ships will easily dodge your projectiles and if they don’t, I can’t imagine they’ll do much more than scratch the hull. Also, poisoned bone spikes aren’t going to do anything against a ship. You need to be lucky to break through the hull and hit a crew member and that victim is going to have bigger issues than being poisoned.
For your fleshrippers, what exactly would their purpose be? They are short-range tentacles with bone tips. Nobody is going to move in close enough for those to be viable and even then, a tentacle flailing bone isn’t going to do much damage (except, maybe, against strike craft or really small corvettes).
And finally, I’m guessing the bio-spore is supposed to be some sort of anti-strike craft weapon? Again it just sounds really weak against anything bigger than a Corvette or maybe a frigate. It may try to latch on to anything bigger but as it can only survive for 5 minutes I don’t think it would really do anything against a hull. Also again, point-defense would massacre these things.
To sum up: you don’t seem to have anything capable of destroying a destroyer or upwards. I’d review those weapons if I were you.
These weapons are meant for small and medium targets, specifically infantry. The Hive Ships are used for planetary conflict. As for the bio-FTL: Hive ships have more than one. These effects also stack, e.g: 1 FTL = 1000 km, 5 FTL's = 5000 km. Also, the ability to infest other ships gives the fleet an advantage. The Infested fleets consist of very small amounts of Hive Ships, and lots of infested ships. Infested ships still retain most of their weapons and use them as if they were normal. e.g: a cannon is slightly weaker, but still shoots with its special mechanism. Sometimes, the infestation may accidentally clog/jam the mechanism and make the weapon less efficient or stop it from working all together. Also, again. The Hive ships are more for planetary combat rather than space. The flesh rippers however, are meant for space. They are normally located underneath Hive Ships and are used specifically for space combat. The Hive Ship can fly over-top of the enemy ship and tear it apart. Flesh rippers are great for tearing ships, and the fact that they are fast and there are lots of them equipped on a ship. A single Hive Ship can attack another ship with its Flesh rippers about 481 times per second, each ripping off large chunks of metal and small creatures called Hive Swarmers, witch are small flying creatures capable of short distance space travel, board the ship from the ripped holes and kill the crew from inside. Also sabotaging the internal systems of the ship.
Back on another post by the way, the infestation does have limitations. 1: the virus is no-longer airborne. The virus must be in special living conditions in the air to stay alive. 2: the only way to infest something now is to contaminate something with the virus by touch. To be clear, the virus can survive for a while after contamination because the infested flesh produces a fluid that is filled with the virus and has the living conditions required to live on the contaminated object. If something touches the contamination, the virus slips through the skin and infects the inside. If the contamination stays too long without a host, the virus collects itself and creates the infested flesh on the object, e.g: counter, floor, wall. 3: as legion02 discovered, the Hive Ship weapons are weak and most are almost useless in space.
@Nate1008 On your Bio-FTL: I mean, great you just needed 5 ships to get 5000 km (at best). The earth is about 149.669.000 km away from our own sun. It takes 4 lightyears to reach the nearest star system (Alpha Centauri A). You would need an armada of ships to stack that many jumps to get there. Basically, the Bio-FTL is still exceptionally weak. And to be honest, you're seemingly mostly banking on taking other people's ship to use their FTL but I can assure you that's not going to work out.
On another note: do you have psionics? If so, how do you use them? So far most factions seem to either have psionics or anti-psionic weapons and I'd assume a giant hivemind that uses psionics for FTL has some powerful psionics.
@Nate1008 On your Bio-FTL: I mean, great you just needed 5 ships to get 5000 km (at best). The earth is about 149.669.000 km away from our own sun. It takes 4 lightyears to reach the nearest star system (Alpha Centauri A). You would need an armada of ships to stack that many jumps to get there. Basically, the Bio-FTL is still exceptionally weak. And to be honest, you're seemingly mostly banking on taking other people's ship to use their FTL but I can assure you that's not going to work out.
On another note: do you have psionics? If so, how do you use them? So far most factions seem to either have psionics or anti-psionic weapons and I'd assume a giant hivemind that uses psionics for FTL has some powerful psionics.
No,no,no. There is 582 Bio-FTL's inside of a Hive Frigate. That would mean that a single Frigate can warp 582000 km. The Hive Capital Ship has 8183 Bio-FTL's, meaning the ship can warp 8183000 km with about 5000-6000 other ships inside of it. The Bio-FTL's are only small parts of the Hive-Minds psionic power. The Hive-Minds power is strong enough to tear a 2 km hole in the space-time continuum. But this would exhaust the Hive-Minds life energy as well and it would die or become life threateningly weak.
No,no,no. There is 582 Bio-FTL's inside of a Hive Frigate. That would mean that a single Frigate can warp 582000 km. The Hive Capital Ship has 8183 Bio-FTL's, meaning the ship can warp 8183000 km with about 5000-6000 other ships inside of it. The Bio-FTL's are only small parts of the Hive-Minds psionic power. The Hive-Minds power is strong enough to tear a 2 km hole in the space-time continuum. But this would exhaust the Hive-Minds life energy as well and it would die or become life threateningly weak.
Alright, so your hypderdread can jump 8.183.000 km at the most. Neptune, which isn't even outside of the sun's gravity well, is 4.495.000.000 km away from the sun. Your hyperdread would need 550 jumps just to reach the outer fringes of the Sol system's gravity well. Even if we say that we put 6000 frigates inside your hyperdread and it can use all those FTLs you're still not reaching Neptune. Let alone another solar system. So the Bio-FTL is still super weak.
As for the psionics. I was honestly expecting something more but okay I guess.
Bit of what I've got so far to show that I'm getting something done. If I can stop going overboard with every section I should be done by the end of the week.
Edit: finished and ready for review.
Harmonic Conflux of the Innumerate Suns
the Conflux, the Innumerate Suns, skirol, “maggots”
General Information
Major Belligerent
Overview
The Conflux is ostensibly a liberal and prosperous, if somewhat bellicose and reclusive union of culturally young species growing and developing under the benevolent oversight of the powerful skirol. What the galaxy knows about it and its true nature are, however, entirely different things. Behind its bright and vibrant facade of disinformation, the Conflux is a predatory hegemony where the skirol rule over hordes of mutated grunts and prisoners of monstrous abattoir worlds, and barter with the flesh of sapients degraded to cattle.
History
The history of the Conflux is, belying the truth about its structure, mostly that of the skirol. Once one of many parasitic species plaguing the megafauna of their homeworld, they outcompeted their evolutionary rivals not through symbiosis with their hosts, as many others had tried, but by growing increasingly malignant, large and ferocious. By the time they crawled their way to sentience, they had become the apex of the food chain; and, by the time their disparate civilisations had mastered space travel, the once fertile planet had been mostly scoured of life, not so much by rampant exploitation as by the unfortunately specialised alimentary needs of its inhabitants. Curiously, the skirol never formed a unified planetary government. A generally accepted explanation is that the need for one was obviated by the rarity of armed conflicts and international regulations being disfavoured relatively to case-by-case diplomatic agreements, though many historians believe this to be an oversimplification.
The foundations of the Conflux proper were only laid when the skirol discovered that they were not alone in the galaxy. A prospecting interstellar expedition by the Accord of Theniax, then a relatively minor nation, encountered a pre-spacefaring species in a newly discovered system. The skirol had a difficult time coming to grips with the idea that anything else could be intelligent in the same way as them, something many are still not fully convinced of to this day. It did not help matters that most of the Accord subscribed to the aggressive faith of the Wurm Raslir, whose cosmology left little room for friendly contact. Though inferior in numbers to an entire planet’s people, Theniax had vastly superior technology and the advantage of orbital control. The newly met species, its original name stricken and forgotten, was pillaged, enslaved and processed to be fit for consumption by the skirol. Willing collaborators were “rewarded” by being subjected to experimental augmentation procedures and, if they survived, accepted by a society that thought little of their betrayal. Almost overnight, the Accord became a major player on the market and political scene, which contributed to the spread of the religion of the Wurm until it surpassed many of the previously dominant confessions.
The Reaping of Irret-Thenn, as it became known, gave an explosive new motivation for interstellar colonisation and set a precedent for future contact. The skirol had discovered a taste for intelligent meat, and wherever they happened over the miracle of life, which they were lucky enough to do a few times more in the following centuries, their sleek, spiny ships descended like a hungry swarm, subjugating, harvesting, and uplifting defectors to bolster their forces.
Although their intentions never changed, and indeed have not to this day, the skirol’s first clashes with other spacefaring powers made them rethink their strategy. Faced with prey they could not overwhelm through brute force and fearing that they would face war on all fronts if their practices came to light, their governments, in an unprecedented display of joint effort, assembled to build an enormous masquerade that spanned the entirety of skirol-held space. The Harmonious Conflux of the Hundred Suns, as it was known at the time, was formed as an international organ with sweeping authority to curtail and oversee external communication, projecting an aseptically neutral and rather enigmatic public image. The burgeoning population descended from the various uplifted inductees, now largely mutated and modified beyond recognition, was rebranded as a number of minor protectorates, and the existence of the conquered harvest worlds became a dark secret hidden in the depths of Conflux space.
Nevertheless, the skirol’s hunger for new tastes only grew, and with subterfuge instead of force they had only traded one weapon for another. Where mere expansionism was judged unacceptable, finding more civil pretexts to skirmish with their neighbours, and not only, became a favourite sport. From border disputes over some drifting asteroid to false flags set up by uplift mercenaries, Conflux forces made a habit of sweeping into their targets’ backwater colonial holdings on the flimsiest casus belli, abducting the population and concealing the strange disappearances with massive collateral damage. The conflict was then smothered in protracted negotiations, and usually ended with the offer of token reparations, though this was of little comfort to the captives, en route to becoming the latest flavour on the market. Of course, when the skirol were confident enough of their superiority, formalities were forgone altogether, and small colonies just inexplicably vanished before anyone could tell what hit them. An entire industry sprang up around this sort of raiding, from specialist harvester companies to teams of treaty loophole-seekers, and in time it grew to become one of the main pillars supporting the economy of the Conflux, by then already comprising Innumerate Suns and having spread into a catch-all term for skirol holdings and activities.
Needless to say, the advent of the Ashtar hit it badly. While at first they flatly disregarded the imposition of peace and gleefully carried on with their hit-and-runs, they quickly found that not even their raiding fleets, whose speed and stealth were the pride of skirol engineering, could outrun retribution. Growing furious and desperate as this once hugely profitable niche was choked, threatening their entire market, they struck at the Ashtar directly, sending droves of warships against their response parties, but only succeeded in wearing themselves down.
The worst, however, was yet to come. With as little warning as they did anything, the Ashtar struck at the Conflux’s harvest worlds, bypassing their outermost defensive perimeters altogether. The skirol guards were scattered, their stranglehold over the planets shattered, and centuries of conditioning and forced obedience were undone in a matter of hours, former captives shaking off the constraints of a lifetime. It was a miracle that the skirol's cover held at all, mostly owing to everyone else having better things to keep them busy and what information got out being later dismissed as provocations spread by rebellious subjects. Cornered and heavily wounded where it had never expected a blow, the Conflux gathered the largest warfleet in its history and prepared to attack the Ashtar head-on, regardless of the disparity of forces. Or, at least, it tried. Individual battlegroups were intercepted, gathering points were blockaded, and the final assembled force, mere scraps of its projected magnitude, was faced with the imposing mass of Prevailing Tranquility. Threatened with complete annihilation, the skirol had no choice but to resign themselves to a heavily downsized diet and market, though their resentment grew and festered.
By the time the Ashtar disappeared, the Conflux was starved for fresh meat and on the brink of economic collapse, having been deprived both of its old conquests and the lucrative raids. It is thus little wonder that it was at the forefront when the Great War erupted, looking to make up for lost time by gobbling up as many people as it could, appearances be damned. However, it soon became clear that all its rage had little of a punch behind it; built for rapid and precise tactical operations, its military had never been prepared for sustained conflict. Attrition took its toll, even as its forces were spread thin by the simultaneous effort of retaking the liberated harvest worlds, and when the Madrigasa talks came about the Conflux dragged itself to the table beaten and broken, with few real gains to show for it.
Yet those few scrapings proved vital, giving a brief reprieve for the Innumerate Suns to sustain themselves as they turned their attention inward to sharply reorganise their workings. The Detente saw heavy work on the harvest worlds, which were rebuilt and reshaped into streamlined breeding grounds. In a bold move that many feared would threaten the Conflux’s facade, but was ultimately recognised as necessary, the market was opened to external trade, (supposed) slaves in particular becoming a valued commodity both as imports and exports. Along with offering a much-needed influx of foreign wealth, many saw this as an opportunity to smooth over the skirol’s reputation in at least some corners of the international stage after a litigious and belligerent past.
This period of revolutions had, however, some adverse effects as well. The seeds of radical ideological movements had been sown during the hardships of the past recession, and a changing society brought them to the fore. Rogue underground factions gained alarming power, and their sometimes unsubtle machinations more than once strained both Detente and masquerade to their limits.
Incidentally, those same rogue factions gave the Conflux a convenient excuse when the Message pointed the way to Agdemnar, and officially the skirol force that has dug in on the planet is controlled by any number of extremist groups. Still, the roots of conspiracy have had decades to sink deep into its reconstructed society, and sometimes the brains at high command themselves wonder just how much of that is merely a cover story.
Major Holdings
Vesereth: The homeworld of the skirol, once shared along millennia-old repartitions by their elder nations, has gradually been overtaken by the Conflux’s administration as the organisation’s significance grew, and now serves as the de facto capital of the Innumerate Suns. While most of the old polities maintain a token presence in culturally and historically important places, most of the planet is considered neutral ground. This makes it a favoured meeting ground for settling diplomatic disputes, as well as being the neural center of the Conflux’s activities of communications, transit, market and to an extent military oversight. The planet’s heavily urbanised surface is an amalgamation of architectural styles as diverse as many are ancient, with remains of its peculiar megafauna ecosystem surviving only in sparse reservations.
Giaxil: The Lisrak Covenant has, for most of skirol history, been the largest and most powerful sovereign state to stretch its holdings beyond Vesereth, and in some aspects this still holds true. Though temporary outpaced when Theniax struck it rich with the Reaping, the old money of the Conflux more than recouped its losses with the rise of the raiding industry, and for a long time dominated the niche with its unequaled military might. The post-bellum need for remodernisation only served to cement its position as the strongest pillar of Conflux’s military-industrial complex. The seat of the Lisrak government embodies this role, being a bustling hive of factories, laboratories, military compouds and marketplaces of all calibers. Life on Giaxil is busy to the point of being frantic, but also famously well-paid.
Ur’Theniax: In many ways the polar opposite of Lisrak, the Accord of Theniax never shifted its attention away from its resounding success in the Reaping, instead choosing to capitalise on the practice of world harvesting and its various products. Besides swelling to obscene wealth through careful exploitation of the flesh trade, biotechnological research sponsored by it made leaps and bounds thanks to the abundance of high-quality subjects that were ethically and legally free game, its society was always the most progressive in its acceptance of uplifted Acolytes, and its patronage of the church of the Wurm let it reap the rewards of its cultural primacy. In contrast with Giaxil, its capital of Ur’Theniax is a clean, quiet and photogenic paradise, decorated with ample stretches of unspoiled nature. It is ideal estate for research facilities, elite trading hubs (usually dealing more with stocks than the actual deal), religious centers and luxury estates for wealthy skirol or successful Acolytes.
The Silent Maw: Located at the fringes of Conflux space and the one of the few places in it freely accessible to outsiders, the Silent Maw is one of the most concrete signs of the social restructuring that has pervaded the Innumerate Suns. This vast, well-fortified habitat station, strategically placed at a convergence of several local transit routes, is the greatest slave trading hub in skirol territory, and certainly one of, if not the largest in the galaxy altogether. While maintained by the Conflux itself, the nature of the business that takes place on it such that some concessions need to be made for more legally dubious clientele, and thus, despite standard surveillance and the application of tax rates, transactions can easily be held in complete anonymity.
Kardatt: During the Detente-era industry reforms, the reconquered harvest worlds, the Conflux’s closest-held secret, underwent radical renovations to become the backbone of the now once more insular flesh trade. Kardatt, one of the last inhabited planets to be conquered in the first period of skirol expansion, and thus comparatively less ruinated by rampant exploitation, was the prototype of the chillingly efficient new model, and remains a symbol of the undertaking’s success. Heavily defended and camouflaged, the planet is a hell of assembly lines, breeding pens, cloning chambers and worse, regularly churning out herds of debased beings to sate the skirol’s hunger.
Demographics
Population
Skirol - 78% officially; 56% effectively
Acolytes - 22% officially; 16% effectively
Others - none officially; 28% effectively
Skirol: A species of malignant parasites who grew to exceed the size, strength and intelligence usually held by such organisms, but never lost their voracity and primitive non-dimorphic, worm-like appearance. Their prehensile branching tongues supply to the needs of fine manipulation, though nowadays most prefer to use mechanical prosthetic aid. In ideal conditions, they can live for a surprisingly long time, exceeding several centuries even unaugmented; however, this is generally only achieved by the wealthiest among them. Strictly carnivorous, skirol, in an atavistic throwback, prefer consuming their prey alive, slowly draining it of fluids and externally digested organs before finishing the desiccated body in a few bites of their bone-breakingly powerful jaws. Psintegrat aptitude among them is unusually rare, though those that do show potential can develop tremendous powers.
Acolytes: A blanket term for beings descended from the minorities of conquered populations that willingly joined the skirol. Generations of bio-augmentic tinkering and simply living among their masters have long made every Acolyte unrecognisable as the species their ancestors had once been, their bodies warped beyond nature and their minds overtaken by an alien culture. Having abandoned every vestige of their old lifestyles out of scorn, desire to integrate into the dominant society, or simple convenience, they mostly reproduce through cloning or artificial parthenogenesis. While they can be divided into a number of mostly stable breeds, every Acolyte is a biologically unique entity, shaped by a free choice of augmentations and distinguishing marks of their occupation.
Others: The ones you won’t find in any census or galactic atlas. Despite forming a sizable percentage of the Conflux’s overall population, the inhabitants of subjugated planets are not recognised as sapient members of it. Bred in gigantic factories that were once their homeworlds, they are treated, sold and devoured like cattle by the skirol, and centuries of debasement have indeed left most of them mentally little better than animals. Those that do reach the public eye do so as exotic slaves from allegedly primitive worlds. In late pre-Ashtar times, this category has been expanded to include the victims of abduction raids, who are likewise subjected to the same treatment.
Society
Traditionally, the structure of skirol society has rested on the notion of the trezklin. This word, loosely translatable as “swarm” (though much of its meaning is lost), denotes a large, but tightly bound family unit living and working in close vicinity. Spanning various levels of more or less extended kinship, trezklin are extremely diverse in size; the smallest might count around a dozen members, while the largest number in the hundreds, and in some cases even the low thousands. Those numbers are, naturally, in constant fluctuation as some leave the family web to join another or found their own nucleus, and others are conversely taken in as they come to join a new mate or several. Single skirol living outside a trezklin are not quite uncommon, and are growing progressively less so in modern times, but are still regarded as eccentrics.
The reason for this is that, now as thousands of years ago, by and large it is the trezklin, and not the individual, that is considered the minimal formant unit of society. Jobs have historically been, rather than positions to be filled by fungible appropriately skilled workers, dynastic traditions upheld by the members of the same trezklin over the generations. The staff of a facility, the crew of a ship, an entire military unit; each of these was, and in many places still is, far more often than not a family in addition to everything else. Young skirol were quite literally born into their roles, and raised accordingly. This did not, however, negate social mobility; those dissatisfied with their position could seek membership of a different trezklin, if they were accepted and proved they possessed the necessary aptitudes, and units judged to be underperforming by those higher in the hierarchy (itself a rather complex notion; more details in the government description) could be downgraded to a lower position and replaced.
While this system has held from the birth of skirol civilisation, ever since the species began to expand into interplanetary space its inflexibility and difficulty in adapting to the needs of spacefaring nations became apparent. Assigning jobs to individuals was a completely alien idea which all but the most radical visionaries struggled to even process, but a compromise was found in the shape of what came to be known as anrak-trezklin, or “surrogate” trezklin. Those are typically groups of skirol who join together in order to receive a temporary position, and only remain thus until the term of the job has expired. Although those anrak-trezklin can occasionally develop into actual families, in most cases the relationships holding them together are purely businesslike, with each member still considered part of their trezklin of origin and expecting to return there. A gradual shift has made this model of employment the dominant one on the modern market, though, depending on the place and field, old dynastic trezklin occupations are still common enough, and the progressive integration of Acolytes has made individual work a more widely accepted, if still curious reality.
Despite the enduring rigidity of its structures and the perpetual control of communications by Conflux authorities to ensure the truth about the harvest worlds is not leaked out, skirol society is surprisingly liberal. With no clear division of class beyond disparity of income, the goods and privileges available to any citizen depend exclusively on their wealth, and extreme poverty is, if not completely nonexistent, becoming increasingly rare. Basic commodities are generally affordable to any social stratum, not in the least because, though the skirol enjoy luxury, they can easily subsist on very few minimal necessities, albeit how comfortable that subsistence is can be debated. Nevertheless, a permissive social order and a widespread striving for profit contribute to a rather competitive environment, which results in further entrenchment and insularity of the trezklin - the reason why solitary lifestyles are still discouraged at a distance of centuries.
The position of Acolytes in all this is an ambiguous one. Nominally accepted, they are neither skirol, nor do they have an innate drive to form trezklin. Because of the integrational difficulties caused by this, Acolytes have long remained on the fringes of Conflux society, trying to build their own cultures and communities with varying degrees of success and interacting with the wider macrocosm of the Innumerate Suns in the capacity of mercenaries and hirelings most of the time. Theniax has always been a notable exception, showing itself more willing to accommodate the needs of its recruits by creating professional niches available for individuals. Besides easing the access of Acolytes into society, this has had the added effect of lessening the stigma around solitary living, as this has become a viable choice for skirol as well. Due to this, most of the Conflux’s members have long been reluctant to follow Theniax’s example, though more and more concessions are being made in this direction in recent times given the beneficial results of this policy.
In a society that is, at its core, market-driven, the importance of religion has long been on the decline. Nevertheless, the inherently conservative nature of the trezklin has so far considerably slowed the withdrawal of spirituality from the Conflux, in a personal if not a political way. Among the many ancestral devotions and latter-day cults of the skirol, a majority of which tend to adopt some form of skewed animism, the most popular remains the worship of the Wurm Raslir, which is likewise overwhelmingly dominant among the Acolytes. According to its doctrine, the Wurm, commonly interpreted to be symbolic of the skirol species, is a vast metaphysical entity that parasitises the cosmos itself, taking what it needs and giving nothing in return but the wisdom of its example. If one considers the immense historical impact of its teachings after it was brought to relevance, it is really little wonder that the Conflux should have become what it is today.
Economy
Until the Detente, the Conflux’s policy of isolationistic aggression caused its economy to develop in a self-contained form, with the only, albeit not insignificant, influx from outside coming in the guise of abduction victims. Consequently, while a lack of external stimulation might have prevented it from growing to its fullest potential, the proportionally greater importance placed on self-sufficiency contributed to the formation of a powerful and diverse production base and an active internal market. Where this impetus would have proven insufficient for a lesser nation, the Innumerate Suns’ colossal reserves of territory and xeno-power, as well as the skirol’s physiological needs allowing for problems in sectors like agriculture to be solved in uniquely economical ways, proved a sturdy foundation for an industry of titanic power. An adequate example of this strength needs be sought no further than its performance during the Great War, where the Conflux’s fleets, despite their defeat by the Ashtar and subpar performance in prolonged combat, blazed through most of the conflict almost exclusively through force of numbers. While the industrial complex has not yet fully recovered from that strain, its reconstruction has thus far been steady, partially owing to the market reforms.
Arguably the most important of the latter has been the decision to make the Conflux’s economic scene more accessible for outside trade. Although its stringent information control regulations prevent it from entertaining foreign presences outside the Silent Maw and a few other approved trade hubs, its own merchants are seen abroad much more often, and remote transactions, however laconic, are gaining in popularity. Most notably, the Conflux has spent the best part of the decades of peace making a name for itself on the international slave and bio-construct markets, whether legal or less so - a distinction it finds wholly irrelevant, beyond how it might negatively impact its public image. Beyond having grown to a major actor in these fields, the Innumerate Suns have adopted a more open stance vis-a-vis the exchange of heavy industry products, importing machinery and ship components from relatively cheap corporate sources and selling their own. Traces of the skirol’s notorious insularity remain as entertainment and consumer goods are concerned, however, with most foreign produce being considered confusing and uninteresting for the former, and simply incompatible or superfluous for the latter.
Government
Despite the sprawling size of their territories, or perhaps because of it, the skirol have steadfastly maintained their tradition of not centralising their government into a single organism, instead preserving their political status as several quasi-independent polities. The emergence of the Conflux and particularly its growing importance during the Great War and afterwards might be early signs that, despite all odds, such a centralisation could after all be possible and even necessary at length, but, in the current conditions, it will likely be decades at the least before this ambiguity finds a resolution in either direction.
In terms of geopolitics, the Innumerate Suns are divided into five main blocs of unequal size and influence. The most powerful, monolithic and recognisable by far are the Lisrak Covenant and the Accord of Theniax, nations that have endured since the earliest space-faring days of the species and either never stopped growing or capitalised on individual events of major importance. Despite the occasional (and not very firm) resurfacing of the sentiment that all members of the Conflux are at least nominally equal, it is no secret to anyone that Lisrak and Theniax hold the greatest sway in all matters of common concern, and indeed dictate the course of events outright more often than not. The only meaningful opposition they could encounter, barring an unprecedented coalition of the other three parties, is each other; however, while their ideological disagreements, large or small, are myriad and often incomprehensible to outsiders, their lines for questions of international importance are most of the time compatible enough for overt clashes to be rare.
The third and fourth factions, while a far cry from the two giants in prominence, likewise share a major structurally defining trait, though instead of unity theirs is diversity. The Halypt Conglomerate is a rather tight-knit ensemble of venerable skirol governments native to Vesereth, who, however, never were as successful as their more famous compatriots, and lobbies representing the interests of major corporate bodies, who saw a safer path in entering a formal agreement with state partners, at the risk of incurring charges of commercial favouritism, rather than trying to challenge the two titans on their own. As a result, the Conglomerate’s sizable market presence is disproportionate to its actual political influence, which, while respectable, is still comparatively meager. Some speculate that it could plausibly rival the Conflux’s superpowers were it not for the many conflicts of interest that regularly arise to plague it, condemning it to remain largely fractured and lacking much of a unified ideological direction.
On the other hand, a more harmonious state of internal affairs is in itself not a guarantee for success, as demonstrated by the Conglomerate’s rough counterpart. The Pale Coil, as it is known, is a loose association of younger colonial nations, formally assembled to defend their concerns on the wider stage of the Conflux. Though not comparable to the Conglomerate in terms of wealth, controlling a scant few harvest worlds overall, the Pale Coil is far stronger in terms of individual voices, and, collectively, its heavy industry is a close contender for the second place after Lisrak among the Innumerate Suns. However, any advantages these factors might grant are hamstrung by a very limited engagement in international politics; between its disjointed nature and sparse development in most fields, members of the Coil largely prefer to focus on inward growth, and only really undertake any sort of unified action when they believe their interests to be threatened.
Even more disorganised and invisible than the Coil, to the point of being often disregarded altogether, is the final pillar of the Conflux’s superstructure. The various minor Acolyte societies that exist outside established skirol nations are as a rule too small, scattered and politically inactive to have any true standing. The very archetypal idea of the small Acolyte commune living at the edges of civilisation is steadily becoming a vestige of past times, as more of these groups become integrated into wider bodies. As such, the very existence of a “fifth power” in the Conflux is only recognised in a purely formal capacity, and it is widely expected that even this aspect will disappear before the turn of the century.
Despite their impressive number, the practices of internal governance of those powers are relatively easily described. Skirol governments have a curious tendency towards a sort of convergent development; any society beyond a certain size will be virtually guaranteed to coalesce into certain broad structural patterns. The underlying form of any regime almost invariably tends towards taking the shape of a plutocratic oligarchy, with wealth and income being the main indicators of a trezklin’s chances for upward social movement and the influence it wields in local society. In an environment of stable employment and regularised wages, this system would quickly create a vicious circle of stagnation. However, in the overwhelming majority of skirol economies income is under minimal regulation and tied to a variety of factors, a good number of which are usually outside the control of the employed trezklin’s superiors (for instance, market fluctuations, authorised secondary sources etc.). These factors contribute to the rather paradoxical conditions in which a sluggish institution like the trezklin exists in a social environment with the potential for constant flux, though the immediate effects of this are most of the time less dramatic than this description might suggest.
At the upper echelons of any nation, however, these regularities break down. While in theory there would be nothing stopping a single vastly influential trezklin from instaurating itself as an absolute power at the top of the social pyramid, history has shown more than once that such drastic actions provoke equally drastic reactions, and a family that gathers too much power for itself will be the target of heavy reprisals from rivals, occasionally culminating in outright civil conflict. Thus, the usual solution to such power struggles is the creation of a governing body from anrak-trezklin made up of delegates from the most outstanding lineages. Should any of the latter be supplanted, their members in the government are likewise replaced by their successors, a process that has been bureaucratically refined over the ages to be far less grey and vague than it might sound. At the rarefied tips of the hierarchy, success is impiteously and inflexibly measured in hard quotas. The specific rules and conformations of these coalitions vary between nations, including how the branches of authority are divvied up, but a generally observed basic law is that no participant trezklin may hold an overwhelming majority presence in any organ, no matter the circumstances. If this law should be broken, the other formant families unfailingly take it upon themselves to restore balance, often by drastic means.
Of course, none of the aforementioned structures and factions would be as notable as it is without the intervention of one factor. The Conflux is at one time a coordinating mind, a restraining web and the arena on which they vie for superiority. Originally founded as a focus for projecting an irreproachable image of the skirol to foreign powers via information control, the growing evidence of the impossibility of such a task in the age of mass multimedia information (for a long time now, it has been relying chiefly on the good sense of its citizens to keep quiet and the threat of public denouncement), combined with the increasing number of challenges that had to be faced jointly by the skirol nations, caused it to develop beyond its intended purpose. Nowadays, the Conflux is effectively a supra-national organism with sweeping, rather vaguely-defined authority; its true limits and capabilities are a subject approached as cautiously as a hornet nest, and usually not at all. Its composition is likewise baffling, as while it was once formed exclusively by delegate anrak-trezklin, age has contributed to the birth of more than a few true trezklin among its halls and corridors, firmly tied together in ways confusing for the authorities of the member states. Beneath its crust of assorted paperwork, it functions as a nexus of diplomacy both internal and foreign, in which it crudely resembles a simplistic parliament with all associated structures, and the head of joint military efforts when necessary. If nothing else, the skirol are mostly capable of coming to a mutual understanding in these basic expressions of war and peace.
That said, every system has its deviants, and the Conflux is no exception. Rogue factions are nothing new, with many criminal groups having come and gone since the earliest days of the exploitation of harvest worlds, but the damage caused by the Ashtar and then the Great War has exasperated the existing currents of extremist thought. The number of militant groups owing no allegiance to the Conflux, now resting on mostly ideological bases, has increased, and two in particular have swollen to dangerous size. It is suspected that they can rival established nations, partly thanks to rumoured connections to major official entities. The Omniphage in particular are often associated with the church of the Wurm, despite not conforming to commonly accepted doctrines. This sect believes that it is the divine right of the skirol to not merely prey on other sentients, but hunt and devour them to extinction, that they might be the only masters of the galaxy, and the fanatism of its members is well-supported by strangely abundant reserves of weaponry. Less spiritual, and arguably more dangerous, the Genome Harvesters are usually believed to have ties with the military-industrial complex, and the advanced technology they have proven to possess gives this theory some ground to stand on. Their organisation and goals are more obscure, but speculation has it that they seek the collective genetic records of all species for some nefarious purpose - and that they might really have a hand in the officially renegade expedition to Agdemnar to further their schemes.
Technological Information
The Conflux’s technological development is on par with that of most galactic powers, if occasionally taking different detours to reach similar results. While the diversity of the skirol nations and minimal to no regulation have prevented any overall standard from forming, some principles are universally in use throughout the Innumerate Suns, either harkening back to an age of more densely concentrated populations or having spread by virtue of their sheer superiority over any alternative.
Major Techs
Traction-Core Generator: Conceived in its earliest forms in the early days of space travel, the vacuum-core principle has been a fundamental of Conflux energy production for centuries, supplanting even nuclear sources as the more widespread system of choice. Its main application consists in the generators, large apparati from which obstruents are removed in order to create a partial vacuum. At the center of these structures, usually shaped like cylindrical vats, although spherical variants exist, there is placed a compressed cluster of superheavy matter, typically of the heftier metals, which is then made to spin and generate centripetal traction. The latter is collected by a system of pistons in the form of kinetic energy, which is then converted, through secondary additions to the generators, into the required forms. While the production of traction-core generators is significant, they are physically large and bulky, and were thus traditionally only used in industrial complexes, urban energy plants and aboard large ships. However, recent breakthroughs in miniaturisation have finally made the production of reliable smaller models possible, to the point that even small ships and some atmospheric vehicles can be outfitted with them.
Vacuum Shields: One of the main disadvantages of traction-core generators is that, due to the relative complexity of the intermediary systems, regulating their output is a difficult matter, especially in the cramped confines of a spaceship. As such, typical default production settings tend to be rather high in the event that a sudden performance spike might be needed at an unexpected moment. Naturally, this leaves a sizeable excess margin in normal conditions, a circumstance that has heavily influenced the design philosophies of skirol shipbuilders and is most clearly reflected in the energy shielding systems mounted on their vessels. Rather than projecting a static field, vacuum shields, so named after the source, channel the power fuelling them into a constant outward flux, dissipating and renewing their outward layers many times a second to provide a stable vent for the excess output they receive. Redundant systems ensure that the transitions do not leave the perimeter exposed. Due to their functioning, vacuum shields provide a very effective defense against protracted pressure at relatively low intensity, such as from directed energy weapons; conversely, they are more vulnerable to high-density impacts like those of projectile armaments. The use of vacuum shields is likewise the main reason why Conflux ships only mount energy weapons for short-range point defense purposes.
Vortex Cannons: While the vacuum-core principle is certainly not central to all aspects of skirol naval technology, elements of it have been incorporated far and wide in the field. Ship-mounted weapons are no exception, and vortex armaments have for centuries been the mainstay of spaceborne combat. These devices are effectively railguns that use a non-linear motor, having a propulsion system shaped as a magnetic coil with a central repulsor element. Vortex cannons employ centrifuge force as an additional accelerating factor, increasing shot velocity at the expense of some projectile mass. As such, a vortex cannon will be larger and more ponderous than a conventional mass driver using slugs of a comparable size, but perceptibly more powerful.
Vacuum Warheads: Sometimes, the road from vacuum-core to weapon is not as indirect. Vacuum warheads are little more than missiles mounted with a device similar to a traction-core generator, though significantly less stable and with fewer functional additions. On impact, the device’s outer shell is ruptured, briefly exposing its surroundings to its powerful inward traction before it collapses. The result is an implosion strong enough to deform and tear open starship hulls and armour, exposing the target to the diffusion of any secondary payloads the warhead might carry.
Slipspace Pulse Disruptors: The skirol’s raiding habits in pre-Great War times and the following need to cover up their operations spurred them to innovate in the field of stealth and infiltration. All their achievements with radar evasion and sensor attacks, though, rest on the necessary foundation of the pulse disruptor. Attached to the slipspace drives used on Conflux ships, these machines create a disturbance effect upon exiting FTL. This alters the surge that is the first perceptible effect of the ship entering realspace, and that has throughout history been the bane of stealth designs due to the ostensible impossibility of masking it. Although disruptors cannot hide this pulse, they are capable of curtailing it, funneling the burst into spare capacitors, and scrambling its signature. The result is that any sensors will detect the surge as being produced by a variable number of light ships exiting FTL, none of them intense enough to be equipped for combat. Due to the demands on power and space, disruptors are only used on ships designed for stealth, but a number of them mixed into a battlefleet could throw an opponent’s preliminary calculations severely off-course.
Organomechanical Integration: A staple of Conflux manufacture great and small, the melding of machinery to engineered organic components, usually through surgical synapse attachment, is found at all levels in daily life and beyond. From basic personal devices to vehicles, body augmentics and, more recently, starships, if something is produced in skirol space, chances are it will have a fleshy pulsating mass on the underside. This offers obvious benefits in decreasing production and replacement costs and time, as grown components are faster and cheaper to procure than assembled ones, as well as greater ease in interfacing and comfort in handling (if one has the right physiology). On the downside, integrated devices require more intensive upkeep and, insidiously, are easily prey to planned obsolescence, creating a very profitable market for living spare parts.
Military Information
Military Overview
Prior to the manifestation of the Ashtar, the Conflux, despite already presenting itself as a singular entity, did not have a unified military. Every separate nation relied on its own armed forces for peacekeeping, raiding and conquest, with the divergences in resources and technology spreading the overall picture too wide for any clear standard to be applicable. The occupation and subsequent string of defeats confronted the skirol with the necessity of being able to present a compact front in more than theory. While new military actions were impossible and rearmament was difficult, there was nothing preventing them from restructuring their navy at a formal level as long as no true conflict came from it, and so they did.
The result was a federated force under the command of the Conflux’s Commission for Enduring Harmony, itself partially comprised of representatives of the contributing powers, with every component retaining a large degree of autonomy outside of times of total war. To promote standardisation across the fleets, the practices of circulating blueprints and schematics of crucial systems and collecting common war effort funds were instituted, enduring until the present day. The destruction brought by the Great War and the rebuilding that followed were, among all else, opportunities to further streamline the previous diversity of organisations and approaches, and the most was made of them where possible. Nowadays, while the skirol militaries remain quite clearly varied in their appearances and tactics, they tend to use the same ranges of designs with relatively minor modifications. The eternal exception to this are independent Acolytes, who, being prevalently mercenaries, remain a motley and colourful crew.
Fleet
The Conflux’s fleet is the branch of its military that is attributed the most importance, and the one that has seen the most radical overhauls over its history. Having started out as disparate forces used mainly for raiding and suppression of inferior enemies, the early unified navy sought to capitalise on the design features common among its ships - speed, stealth and offensive capabilities dramatically outpacing their defensive ones. These vessels relied on quickly bridging the gap between them and their opponents, bringing the fight to dangerously close ranges where their weaponry would have room to shine. The tragic results of this approach are reflected in the staggering death tolls of the Great War, where skirol fleets were decimated time and again by more resilient enemies.
The need for greater staying power was keenly felt in post-War times, but the terms of the Detente prevented overt experimentation with warship designs. A solution was found in the once-discarded notion of applying organomechanical integration of machinery at the level of starships. Previously disregarded due to their difficult and laborious implementation funneling resources away from more reliable traditional fully-mechanical models, hybrid craft were devised and put into production with a view to circumventing treaty limitations, especially playing on the parameters on tonnage and armour. The result were prototype lines with less skewed armaments than before, but whose main goal was crippled by the very subterfuge that brought them into being. Organic components, being less dense, were indeed lighter, but also less robust, and the problem of defense lagging behind offense again presented itself.
In the last years, the crumbling importance of the treaty, along with far greater experience in shipwide integration, have finally let Conflux engineers reach something like the fabled balance they were seeking. Melding organic and metallic parts in a much smoother way, last-generation vessels boast defenses unparalleled before in skirol history, along with improved weaponry. As such, when they take the field (which is not often, given how rare they are as yet) they are found spearheading assault formations, followed by the malformed droves spawned by the Detente period. In an ironic reversal of roles, the older ships now form the rearguard, saturating enemy defenses with massed fire to cover the advance of their new, improved counterparts.
Dreadnoughts:
Insatiable: Coming into service in the later stages of the Great War, the Insatiable-class dreadnoughts were an early attempt to correct the deficiencies of Conflux shipbuilding. These imposing vessels are thickly armoured and shielded on several layers, while retaining a heavy array of weaponry. Of course, this aged equipment is far less impressive nowadays.
Sun Devourer: One of the crowning achievements of Conflux industry and development, Sun Devourers concentrate decades of work on shipwide organomechanical integration and improvement into leviathans of plasmid-flesh and metal as deadly as they are immense. These flagrant defiances of the Treaty are as yet few, their existence one more among the skirol’s secrets, and it is not soon that they will fully enter mass production.
Battleships:
Reaper: Once the iron fist of the skirol raiding fleets, Reaper battleships were fine-tuned for the role, being prepared to deal with sparse local defenses through speed and overwhelming firepower. Due to their flagship role, their defenses were nonetheless not fully neglected, and they thus fared comparatively better than smaller lines in the Great War. Compared to modern craft, their once-fabled agility is nothing to write home about, but a lot of guns on a pair of strong thrusters remains a lot of guns on a pair of strong thrusters.
Flayer: Among Detente-era experiments with integration on warships, Flayers are unique in that, instead of having a few components replaced with organic parts, they were mostly built from living tissue instead, an artifice partially motivated by the more stringent limitations on battleship designs. As a result, along with being a clear improvement over the Reapers in terms of speed and armaments, they sport some unique advantages like biochemically-assisted engines, a spontaneously regenerating hull, and amazingly cheap and fast construction. However, this comes at the price of wonky machine systems requiring special instruments and spare parts to work with and rather poor armour under their shields.
World Gorger: Striking a much better balance between organic and mechanical, World Gorgers coopt the strengths of the Flayer design while correcting its weaknesses. Destructive, streamlined and far more resilient, they neatly outclass any of their predecessors in any field. The only obvious disadvantage is that they are proportionally more expensive and slower to produce, which is only further hampered by the secrecy surrounding them.
Battlecruisers:
Invader: Invader-class battlecruisers were rarely part of a raiding force themselves, but nonetheless played a crucial role in those operations. Forerunners of the reaping fleet proper, they were tasked with disrupting the first lines of defense around their targets. Their aptitude for rapid, precise strikes did not suit them well in intense combat, and they took the brunt of the losses of the Great War. Nowadays, they survive mostly in an auxiliary facility, or bought and retrofitted by mercenaries and corporations.
Pestilent: A more typical Detente hybrid design, Pestilents were built around a mostly metallic corpus, with a few organic components mostly inserted only to lighten the tonnage. Sturdier for their class than Flayers, but less mobile and more lightly armed, they were designed to accompany the battleships as support units, providing defensive screening and limited artillery fire support, and, if not else, fulfil that role adequately.
Void Plague: Virtually a direct affront to the Treaty, all, of course, in the name of a balanced peace, the new Void Plague ships are towering juggernauts, packing tremendous firepower and encased in layers over layers of shields and armour. While slower than World Gorgers and still mostly excelling at close ranges, they are nevertheless capable of great offensive flexibility, bombarding the enemy with missiles from long distances even as they inexorably close in to deliver the coup de grace.
Cruisers:
Harvester: The traditional raiding ship by excellency, Harvester stealth cruisers were built to mop up the final layers of resistance during an assault and loading as many captives as they could fit before bombarding their incriminatingly empty cities into dust. This specialisation left them fairly useless from the Ashtar wars onwards, though in present times they have been upgraded and retrofitted in several ways, with variants serving as either tactical stealth ships or dedicated siege vessels.
Flesh Grinder: Supplying to the need for a mainstay combat ship of the line, the Flesh Grinder is a fairly recent hybrid design that has nonetheless surpassed the Harvester as most widely produced cruiser. Respectably armed and armoured for a Detente ship, it does not excel in any single aspect, but is extremely flexible in fleet configurations, and guaranteed to give the enemy a hard time in any circumstance.
Destroyers:
Veinsplitter: Once one of the first prototype hybrid ships, the Veinsplitter has gone through several iterations during the Detente period, over which it has phased out previous destroyer models. Today, it has firmly grown into the niche of strikecraft-killer, though it easily doubles as a predator of corvettes and other smaller vessels. If needs be, it can be mounted with anti-missile weaponry, albeit even then it is rather less effective in that role than dedicated models like the Pestilent.
Corvettes:
Stingworm: The adage of strength in numbers, or, more cynically, quantity having its own quality has always held for the Conflux navy, and Stingworms are the latest example of that mindset on display. Fast and cheap to produce thanks to their hybrid structure, despite making slightly fewer sacrifices in durability than earlier Detente models, these small but hard-hitting craft swarm over battles in vast numbers, seeking out vulnerable spots while the enemy is focused on the fleet’s heavyweights. Modular armaments allow them to carry heavy warheads suitable for attacking battleships as easily as vortex guns to outmatch other corvettes in a straight confrontation.
Strike craft:
Mutilator: Due to the structure and activity of the old Conflux fleet, strikecraft were never given much importance, and this shows in the scarcity of designs. While minor variants certainly existed, the Mutilator was the only major type in use, combining the functions of fighter and bomber in a general-purpose support vessel. Nowadays, they are often found in the possession of mercenaries, who modify them according to their needs on an individual basis.
Ripper: Times change, but design philosophies do not always follow them. In the intervening decades the Conflux navy has still not found much of a role for strikecraft, and the aging Mutilator has been joined by the equally multipurpose hybrid Ripper. The main difference, besides general performance improvements, is a more easily switchable modular component, allowing for easier case-by-case specialisation, but otherwise not much has changed.
Planetary Forces
Given the Conflux’s most recent pre-War history of groundside military activity, one might think that their planetary forces would be similar to the spaceborne ones - light, mobile and fast on their feet. However, this would be entirely wrong. Long before raids became an established practice, the main task of the skirol military was to occupy harvest worlds - primitive and subjugated, but entire planets nonetheless. As such, their armies were built to be enduring, imposing and extremely difficult to dislodge from their positions, a tradition which they continue to follow to this day. Most of the light-footed work is done at the stages of deployment and scouting; after that, one ponderous steel wall follows another.
The backbone of Conflux planetary forces is formed by armour and mechanised infantry. While the skirol can be deadly in close quarters thanks to their bulk and powerful mandibles, they are naturally slow to the point of being barely mobile. Modern diets have aggravated this by making fattening doses more accessible, and even civilians mostly rely on personal vehicles to move about; the military merely takes this to its logical conclusion. All skirol machines are organomechanical hybrids, which eases interfacing on the pilots’ part and allows for adaptive functions like atmospheric filtration.
The biomechanical skirol armies are never encountered without a following of Acolyte auxiliaries. Usually mercenaries or otherwise irregulars, they are a diverse crowd, outfitted with custom weaponry and augmentics to turn them into lethally efficient killing machines. Some go as far as sculpting their body into a form specialised for combat at the expense of everyday utility, a practice only encountered among those most dedicated to the military life and some religious groups.
Hyperdread
Titanic and armed to the teeth, the Embrace of Srynokk is the apex of Conflux fleet construction. An immense project already secretly started in the last years of the Detente, during which its separate components were built at different ends of the Innumerable Suns, the monstrous hybrid ship has recently been assembled into a functioning whole, and its performance has fully lived up to expectations. Despite its proportions, its functional design is rather straightforward, being built to accommodate a staggering number of synchronically working weapons. The only really peculiar part of its equipment are its potent shielding systems, built on layer upon layer of redundant fields; so powerful are they that at extremely close ranges they can become a weapon in their own right, crushing smaller vessels on impact. Furthermore, their radius can easily become a refuge for a small support fleet.
On a sidenote, the ship was originally planned to bear the name Embrace of the Wurm. However, after some resistance from secularist members of the Commission the designation was changed to its current, more neutral one, named after Vesereth’s star.
So it's cool that Humans didn't have natural Psychics/Psionics until the Society did their whole shindig and more or less seeded the species with them?
It is done. The federation are here and they want you to put on their blue jeans and listen to their rock music.
The Valerius Federation
The Federation
Major Belligerent
General Information
Overview
The federation is a very old and very large democratic nation. It is split into many small semi autonomous units of varying size all collectively organized, but not contled, by a central Congress. Its citizens consider themselves a post-species people as a result of generations of genetic engineering, biological modification and hybridisation. They lost territory during the great war, but are still a cultural and economic force to be reckoned with.
History
The feds are an old staple of galactic politics, perhaps one of the oldest in existence, that was initially formed as a trade, free movement and mutual aid agreement between various smaller nations in their corner of the galaxy in an attempt to curtail local infighting and promote economic growth. The power and influence the central board in charge of coordinating that agreement slowly expanded over the course of generations as the treaty gradually accepted new members to ranks and the federation’s individual nation’s cultures, populations and economies slowly bled into one another. Eventually the central board, its members now democratically elected by its member’s citizens, transitioned into the official central government of a new nation known as the The Valerius Federation.
The multi species nature of the feds was key to their initial success, pooling together the knowledge and skills of different races and utilizing their ability to thrive in a diverse set of environments to exploit their various world's resources with greater efficiency. Advances in affordable and wide scale genetic engineering further enhanced this versatility even as automation gradually made it redundant. The federation has gradually shifted its labor focus from resource exploitation to one that focuses on the design and production of consumer goods, media, art and scientific advancement for the purpose of internal consumption and external sales.
The federation settled into its current political structure roughly 1200 years ago and had been steadily chugging along since then until the Ashtar arrived. Being physically dominated and “conquered” by these upstarts horrified the federation, yet at the same time the federation has never gone to war easily. During the endless debates on what to do others took the brash action the federation was loath to do. It did not take long for tales and then footage of the consequences of defying the galaxies new overlords to circulate around the galaxy and find its way into the federation’s hands. No one was suicidal enough or angry enough to try to fight after that. The feds swallowed their pride, dumped water on the slowly rising embers of war and started looking for ways to take advantage of the new state of affairs.
In the end the Feds liked effects of the Ashtar’s era of galactic domination, even if they were not too fond of having it forced upon them. Peace was good for business and the Federation saw a significant degree of growth during the Ashtar period as they welcomed new members into their ranks, free of the concern of military retaliation from local space empires. There was also an active drive from many within the federation to liberate previously conquered nations using pacifist resistance techniques and the supplying of aid to oppressed peoples. This painted something of a target on their backs later on. A lack of push back against the Ahtar and an acceptance that they were simply the new norm left the feds somewhat unprepared for their disappearance. The old federal military was in disrepair, with its equipment mothballed or retrofitted for civilian use and it’s soldiers laid off due to a lack of funds. Only the black ops wing of the central military, it’s funding unable to be cut because almost no-one knew it existed, and a few privately funded groups of military enthusiasts really had any significant weapons stockpiles on hand when the Ashtar vanished. The spread out nature of the federation’s governmental structure resulted in dozens of different responses to the situation, but the most notable was a near immediate forming of local militias, be they beefed up corporate security, local government conscription for planetary defence forces or armed community watch groups all haphazardly armed with improvised or rapidly printed equipment. Attempts to stifle this buildup for the sake of diplomacy failed and the feds ended up feeding into the military buildup feedback loop that caused the war despite having no collective desire for it.
They did rather poorly in the post Ashtar galactic war, fighting using an army heavily reliant on the initially formed militia and fleets made up mostly of retrofitted trade ships. The federation where on the defence for a lot of the war, either protecting of their own territories or those of their many smaller trading partners. Their prior economic prosperity did provide funds for acquiring mercenaries and their industrial base that was rapidly turned to the task of churning out the instruments of war, but ultimately they only survived due to the sheer size of the pre war federation and from the success of a few make or brake spec-ops missions that turning the tide of a few key battles/conflicts.
They enthusiastically took part in the following peace talks, having been pushing for said talks since the moment the Ashtar vanished. They were one of the Treaty of Detente’s main advocates at its inception and subsequently one of its primary enforcers. The return of peace time economics was a great boon to the feds, so they are unsurprisingly distraught by the current, seemingly inevitable, trend towards war. Federal diplomatic envoys across the galaxy are working overtime to attempt to maintain peace or, at the very least, trying to create a coalition to squash any rablerouses before they ignite chaos that will engulf the stars.
They are better positioned for war this time however, as some groups within the feds have been hard at work preparing for the breakdown of peace since the day the treaty was signed. One of these is their current ground presence on Agdemnar, a “rouge” scientific expedition that just so happens to have brought a metric ton of prototype weaponry, mercenaries and “guards” along with them.
Major Holdings
Argitarius One: The seat of the Central Congress was once a neutral backwater planet chosen because at the time it was of no significance to anyone but it has since blossomed into the political heart of the nation. It is defined by its single solitary megacity that spans an entire continent, all focused around the Congress itself, a truly colossal structure capable of seating the thousands of representatives that work there every day.
Argitarius One point One: The capital’s moon, home to the central military’s logistics department, the Congress’s support AI‘s massive mainframe and, presumably, the black ops hq. These three departments help turn federal policy into a reality in one way or another.
The Magunhyan sector: The secor closest to Agdemnar and the primary sponsors of the “scientific” expedition currently entrenched upon its surface. They have a loose coalition with a number of other sectors, generally those who are near the borders of aggressive foreign nations, who are all gearing up for war and attempting to convince the rest of the federation to do the same.
Vardone four: A planet that is effectively a massive movie set. Host to incredibly diverse and stunning terrain its cities all have a unique architecture style copied from various time periods/nations. A great deal of Federation cinema and tv is produced here which makes the planet an incredibly lucrative source of income for the federation. It more or less imports everything it needs to sustain itself because the only farms and factories on it are used predominantly as set dressing.
Demographics
Population
It is rather difficult to track species populations within the federation due to gene modding, and the federation itself does not keep track as the species section was removed from census criteria by popular mandate long before the Ashtar arrived. A federation citizen’s internal and external biology is functionally limited only by their brains, which need to fit inside their body, and the laws of physics, which demand their bodies can actually sustain themselves. In practice however it is also limited by common sense. While extremely bizarre bodies do exist things like having hands, personal locomotion and the ability to fit through doors are generally considered important.
If you were to attempt to classify the citizenry you might attempt to start with the only non modified component, the brain. Examination of this feature is rather taboo, but if done it would show that the citizenry are a diverse mix of many if not all species in the galaxy who are not wholly insuler (as the Ashtar where). You would also find the brains most commonly found likely belong to those who founded the federation. Small populations of those races, or evolutionary off shoots of them, can be found scattered across the galaxy, but most have subsumed into the post species mass within the federation..
They are/were: The small reptilian Rateran who looked like a cross between kobold and a velociraptor. Evolved in a labyrinth of caves below the surface of a planet whose surface was a left a blasted watland by a long forgotten nuclear war.
Best described as a vaguely humanoid squid, the Orngar evolved beneath the thick ice of a on a volcanically active ocean moon. Discovered by the early Rateran space program while trapped in an inescapable the bronze age they were subsequently uplifted by their discoverers. They ended up colonising a great deal of the federation's oceans before genetic modification gradually eroded the rare oceanic specie’s monopoly on sea based resource extraction.
The Lonoxi were an insectile race of squat infertile drones, slender princes and hexapedal queens. Remaining populations have two opposed yet equally strict caste system that either has the royal drones and queens rule over enslaved workers or has the collectivist workers use the breeders as nothing more than baby factories. Where they exist these two opposing systems war with one another constantly.
The Sethhanide were serpentine beings to whom a lot of coastal dwelling citizens likely owe any amphibians adaptations they might have. A Lot of federation genetic science can be traced back to developments made by the Sethhanide. Their greatest pre federation achievement was the “solving” of the Lonoxi’s biologically based class warfare by re-enabling the drone’s reproductive capabilities. Snake motifs are common among geneticists even today.
The grey skinned Xetonds where a weak and diminutive race all of whom had weak psionic abilities. They mainly used these to make up for their frail physique, scaring off or control weak willed predators using their minds. The federation was founded on the basis of a peace brokered by them between the often at war Sethhanide-Lonoxi and Rateran-Orngar nations.
A number of other minor races where absorbed into the federation before the current post specise trend took effect, including a sizable human population. Races added recently are either much harder or much easier to identify depending on how much they have assimilated into the genetic soup of the federation.
Percentiles: Post species citizens: ~85% Citizens with no drastic modifications or hybrid ancestry: ~15%
Society
The federation is both incredibly diverse and simultaneously deeply homogeneous. The reason for this is simple, the federation is both very old and very big. Hundreds of years of free movement between planets have mixed together the cultures of its founders and early members just as much their populations, resulting it what could either be described as a rich cultural blend or a barely coherent mess. Simultaneously its semi regular integration of new members means that different sectors and planets can have widely varying local flavor sourced from their former nationalities. This variety is more common at the fringes and gradually dissolves the closer a place is to the center.
Generally, Democracy, cooperation and rampant hedonism are the core components of Federation society.
Federalists are incredibly proud of being the oldest, and in their opinion the greatest, true democracy in the galaxy. They also enthusiastically engage in the democratic process and turnouts for referendums held by all levels of the government remains consistently high despite their frequency. These democratic principles are applied not just to politics but also to many if not most other areas of their lives. Most notably nearly all corporations are democratically controlled by their workers and even the various militaries have their command staff elected by their soldiers.
Cooperation is also of vital importance to federal citizenry, as it is more or less the only thing holding the legally decentralized federation together. The federation only really works because its people and their many elected officials work together to maintain the federation, by occasionally putting aside their own immediate prosperity for the good of the whole Federation.
Federal citizens are personally invested in the federation, having shaped it with their votes in ways, large and small, that they can tangibly see and are affected by on a daily basis. To them the federation is not just a government or a region of space they happen to live in, it's a monument, a shining beacon of hope and freedom in a cold uncaring universe. It is a bastion against tyranny that has stood the test of time only because in times of strife its people have come together and decreed that this thing they have built together is worth protecting.
All this rhetoric would be pointless if the federation was not actually somewhere pleasant to live. Generations of research on the topic have resulted in Automation and AI taking over, or at least optimizing, a lot of the more tedious labor needed to maintain a society. This has left the citizenry a great deal of time to invest in making it a society worth living in. A lot of them are in some way involved in the creation of art, be it music, holo-film, games, vr or body modifications for internal and external consumption.
The most immediately notable aspect of federation culture is the pervasiveness of genetic engineering and biological augmentation. Initially used for medical and efficiency purposes this technology is now more often than not used for fashion purposes. Citizens can and regularly will radically alter their appearance to suit their individual tastes or to follow current fashion trends. This can be anything from simply changing their hair or eye colour to replacing body parts with ones from other species (such as getting a pair of Vit'azny ears), adding an entirely new parts like additional limbs, tails or wings or even extracting their brains and placing them in entirely new bodies. These biological modifications can be combined with holographic projectors that allow them to change their appearance on the fly to suit their current mood.
While the federation is as a whole highly materialist it does tolerate religious practices and so followers/practitioners of nearly all faiths can be found somewhere within their borders.
Economy
While the federation do have a relatively thriving industrial economy thanks to its many worlds, divers citizens able to exploit their natural resources and refined automation techniques its most distinct source of wealth is its culture industry. If the galaxy has an equivalent to hollywood it can be found here. From holo films to clothes, music, designer pets and luxury civilian spacecraft, the federation produces and exports vast quantities of consumer goods to all corners of the galaxy. They also host sports and competitions like the galactic prix, the gravity ball cup and the Federal-vision song contest, that are braucast far and wide and pull in trillions of watchers every year. They also have some of the best cosmetic surgeons in the galaxy and produce a large variety of designer drugs.
A lot of the federation’s raw resources are imported. Food, raw ores, basic mechanical components and more are often purchased rather instead of being produced locally. The feds will trade with anyone, but prefer to engage with smaller nations rather than buying primarily from its equals/rivals in order to spread out their supply chain and avoid reliance on any one nation or part of the galaxy.
Government
The federation is a federalist representative democracy. It has 5 tiers of authority within it who are answerable not to each other but to the voters who elected them. Local: A mayor who is elected to govern a city or small region. Geographic: Representatives who control areas roughly corresponding to the size of a primitive nation state. Planitery: A local word government. Sectors:Unites many worlds under one governing banner and facilitates cooperation between them. Federal: the Central Congress, occasionally referred to as the Board or the CC, is the supreme assembly of the federation which governs national policy and facilitates national level projects and cooperation.
Each of these levels is elected by the people living under their jurisdictions, however there are no elections, but rather each citizen has an online profile which they can use to vote at any candidate at time for any and all positions they are eligible to influence. Changed votes have a brief delay before they go into effect to allow politicians time to counter whatever shifted public opinion of them, to allow time for votes to be delivered via couriers and to facilitate a smooth transition of power if it is to take place. Along with this they can take part in frequent referendums, opinion polls and discussion forums to directly voice their opinions on various topics. These poles are often rather superficial in nature (what kind of holographic art the town center should display this month is a common local poll) but they keep political engagement up and make sure that when important matters do arise the people know that their voices can and do matter. The online voting system has cyber security that puts some nation’s militaries to shame to prevent malicious tampering.
Power in the federation is rather divolved, with individual sectors, planets and even geographic regions having high degrees of influence on how things are run at a local level. They only real thing the central government dictates is forghin policy, macro scale economic matters, high level legal decisions and funding for federation wise social programs. As a result, even laws and military organisation is done at a more local level in all but the most important of matters.
Who holds power in the federation is in constant flux, but there are, ostensibly, two major groups vying for control over the federation. Colloquially known as the party of peace and the party of war they stand for the two main public opinions on the matter of the coming conflict: To hold onto peace as far as possible or to seek out revenge and to reclaim what was lost in the great war.
A nation or even planets can join the federation if they so desire. Doing so involves a lengthy investigation process where the federation attempts to determine if the applicant is economically stable enough to be a valued addition to the federation. Due to its decentralised nature the perks of joining the federation aren't exactly life changing, with the main draws being use of its currency, freedom of movement to other parts of it and a small say in the macro level decisions of the federation. Unusually, leaving the federation is rather easy, as any sub division of power can vote themselves out of the federation if they so desire. This is somewhat rare, the cultural assimilation the federation engages in is its main counter to such independence movements, but individual planets, continents and even cities that have left the federation can be found within it, and occasionally small sectors on its periphery will leave either in protest or of a genuine desire to reclaim independence. The federation is often more that happy to wait a generation or two for them to come back.
Technological Information
Major Techs
Hardlight Fields: Physical holograms. Usable for artistic and construction purposes, they can also act as force fields that physically block incoming attacks. Most if not all federation spaceships rely heavily on these defensive fields to protect themselves from harm, as do a lot of their terrestrial forces. Hard light fields are either created by a central generator or can be maintained by numerous networked units distributed throughout their structure. The former is used for shield generation, the latter for things like clothing, architecture and other projects where redundancy is more important that overall durability. Ships always have multiple shields, often specialized for different purposes (propulsion, passive/reactive shielding, cloaking, etc.) for the sake of redundancy.
Holographic cloaking: the use of holograms to either disguise a vessel or person as something else (generally terrain or other craft) or to project images of what is behind it to render the user almost invisible to optical sensors. When combined with conventional anti radar and anti thermal detection methods some advanced federalist equipment and vessels can be functionally invisible.
Engine tech: Federal ftl is rather standard affair, dropping their ships down into slipspace inorder to make long distances far shorter. Propulsion is generally facilitated by the shielding system generating and then releasing energy from the internal powersource somewhere along their radius which visually takes the appearance of a green glow unless it is being deliberately hidden for stealth purposes. While not the fastest propulsion method, the ability to point the power of other ship’s main engine in any direction grants superb maneuverability. The disk like shape of most federation vessels is meant to take advantage of this, allowing the vessel equal ease at rotating in any direction by generating maneuvering thrusters anywhere along its flat top and bottom, while main drive thrust can be instantly sent out from any part of the ship.
Auto Lasers: Rapid fire laser guns that usually take the place of automatic weapons. While the federation uses non viable spectrum and tight beams that would make the lasers invisible to the naked eye, auto lasers can activate a tracer rounds mode where 10% of the beams are the more expected bright visible beams of light.
Laser cannons: Slow firing laser cannons used for long ranged accurate fire. the amount of energy in these beams means the air is visibly distorted where they pass though.
Plasma cannons: super-heated globs of plasma that generally explode on contact with their target. Accelerated via meg rails and further forced out via a laser cannon mounted at the back of the cannon. the plasma itself is a spinning disk with a magnetic core at the center that helps keep the non solid projectile in once piece until it hit's it's target. Artillery variants have higher volumes of plasma and their progectile's are stable for far longer.
Plasma auto-cannons: Slower firing that auto lasers, they fire smaller but more frequent blasts of plasma than the regular cannons.
Plasma/laser Beam Cannon: Fire continuous streams of either lasers or plasma.
Cosmetic Biological/genetic Modification: Federal scientists can functionally change any and everything about a person’s biology down to the genetic level. Species boundaries have long been broken down and rendered redundant as regular citizens decide exactly what they look like, be it minor adjustments to their birth bodies or complete remodeling of their physical makeup to take on the appearance of an existing or entirely invented race. This is mainly done for the sake of fashion (reptilian traits are in this season) and getting a new body is equivalent to getting your haircut in a different style. This tech originated from modifications for military and environmental adaptation modifications and, while it is still sometimes used for those purposes, it has become as commonplace and ubiquitous in the civilian sphere as computers are in the 21st century.
Despite their mastery of the body there has been little success in artificial psychics due to a lack of people willing to volunteer their (living) brains for invasive and extensive alteration.
These modifications are done within life support tanks, which sustain the brain no matter how much of the body is striped away and replaced in any one surgery. This surgery itself is done by a swarm of insect sized biomachines that add and remove parts at the behest of either the person being modified or by a professional body artist.
Virtual Intelligence Neural Enhancer (VINE): A lattice of microscopic computer hardware that is intertwined with a person’s gray matter. It is grown, rather than built or surgically added and thus allows some of the advantages of cybernetic augmentation without any of the risks of brain damage or dramatic personality alteration. While mostly by civilians as a glorified smartphone in their brains it is also an important part of the federation’s id system, as in a culture where a person’s appearance and even their dna can change regularly a hard coded Hash Key nestled deep within their cerebral cortex becomes one of the few ways of verifying some is who they say they are. There are multiple military applications such as power armor, vehicle control, local comms system, combat enhancement software, etc. .
Companion AI: Helpful self developing AI systems that mold themselves to the needs of their owner. At a governmental level they help turn political policies into reality, for individuals they act as personnel secretaries or companions. Sometimes installed into drones to improve their performance (military personnel often have armed versions of these) but most often run on an individual's VINE.
3d Printers: multipurpose manufacturing units ranging from the size of a briefcase to the size of a factory capable of constructing a vast array of equipment out of a variety of materials. While they will never be as efficient as dedicated manufacturing units the ability to read a damaged ship, vehicle or armor’s blueprint and then rapidly produce replacement parts on sight partially alleviates the logistical nightmare facing the federation’s decentralised military.
Retrofitting: less a technology and more a skill, the engineers of the federation have a great deal of experience and literature dedicated to the art of turning a hunk of junk into a military craft and back again. Learned first from decommission a lot of their military once the Ashtar proved themselves unstoppable and from rapidly weaponizing and deaweponising blackops craft for stealth missions it came in great sue during the great war. They have similar skill when dealing with non federation ships and have developed special Ai capable of rapidly understanding most conventional ships put in front of them at least well enough to get them running again. Somewhat used to convert captured vessels it was mainly developed so that federation service yards could work both on mercenary/auxiliary craft and deal with whatever modifications or straight up new designs some other parts of the federation had come up with without informing them.
Military Information
Military Overview
The military structure of the federation is rather disparate, with individual sectors all raising their own armed forces for local protection purposes. Some are more interested in this than others, and indeed having a standing military is not mandatory, but those located near aggressive neighbours often have substantial militaries, either of the standing or reserved variety. These forces can be anything from temporary conscripts to professional soldiers, part time militias, military companies or hired forighn troops.
Tying them all together is the central military which has two branches, logistics and black ops.
The logistics arm has the unenviable job of coordinating the dozens of smaller militeris found within the federation: keeping them supplied when they are out of their own sectors, sorting out the chain of command, coordinating their movements on a grand strategy level and so on. It consists primarily of bureaucrats, engineers and supply ship crews. It has no standing military of its own, as it has no worlds to draw from, and instead it’s only actual power comes in the form of mercenaries. Be they private military contractors, pirates, militaries of forgin nations or federal sectors, the logistics arm has the funds to pull in the firepower they need to support the defence of whatever the federation as a whole deems valuable.
The Black ops wing is the federations offensive problem solvers. Small, elite and the stuff of myths and legends rather than policy, the black ops branch is pointed at problems, given funds and then told to make the problems disappear by whatever means necessary. No one likes to think about this branch, and in fact it's rare that an elected politicians even know it exists. Instead they take their orders from the companion AI’s helping run the government who see it simply as another tool that gets the job done. It is unclear exactly where it originates from, there certainly is no record of a vote to form it, nor is it possible to trace its operations history back to a founding specific date. It has no employee lists, nor any officially recognised leadership. The Black ops division are, for all intensive purposes, a black box. Their input is problems that need solving, and their output is death.
Fleet/Navy
Doctorin:
The federation has two primary space formations that it generally selects between depending on the ratio of strong shielded ships vs cloak able ships in a fleet.
Bastion tactics involve massing a clump of vessels with strong shields together to protect both another and weaker specialist ships from enemy fire. Ships will rotate to and from the front line, absorbing fire form the enemy before falling back to recharge their defences as another vessel takes their place. Weaker ships stay in the center where they can safely unleash their firepower.
Maneuver warfare involves swarming the enemy fleet with a number of independently operating vessels that use the federal ships superior maneuverability to their advantage to avoid enemy fire by presenting many erratically moving targets. Cloaking is especially effective in this, as federal vessels can periodically hold their fire and vanish from view, only to reappear once the enemy's attention is elsewhere. Requires a great deal of coordination and or improvisation to pull off, particularly in larger engagements.
The two can, naturally, be combined, with escort ships engaging in maneuver warfare while the core fleet sets up a bastion.
Dreadnoughts:
Victory/vengance guaranteeing vessel (VGV) “Trident”: The central disk is a Mothership (a battlecruiser described below), onto which two fins full of fighter bays and two massive plasma artillery cannons have been bolted. Crude, but quite deadly, particularly to others of its class that it was designed to beat on a budget.
Battleships:
Federation Liberator Vessel (FLV) Mk XIV “Black Snooty”: the original liberator was a massive array of weapons hammered onto the front of a popular cruise ship design. It served remarcably well thought the great war, going through numerous iterations to improve its weapons array and make the civilian portion considerably less civilian. This process continued even after the war. The latest version’s update involves ripping out the old, Detente conforming, Libirator’s ‘nose’ off and replacing it with a much, much larger array of guns. Many of the liberators still in operation can trace their service record,or at least names, back to the great war, even if, like the ship of ulysses, almost none of their original components still remain. The captains and crews of particularly distinguished vessels can be a rather stuck up bunch as a result.
Battlecruisers:
Militery Resource Transporter (MRT) “Mother ship”: A Great war BattleCruiser that is functionally a massive cargo hauler retrofitted for war. Half its internal storage is converted into hangers, and the other half where filed with generators to power its shields and massive guns that were more or less painted on the side. It’s primary armament is the red strip running across its front that is in effect what happens when you staple a strip of leds something and then run millions of volts through them to try and make laser guns. The result is surprisingly versatile, individual segment of the strip can either fire independently at small targets or all unify to fire a massive V shaped beam at enemy vessels.
While mostly decommissioned at this point, both the cargo haulers and the mothballed equipment to turn them into military vessels are still laying around, ready to be reunited if things go south.
Decicated Beam Weapon (DBW) “Target”: A Detente Vessel that runs counter to the standard federal pilots desire to always present the edge of the disk to your enemy. The DBW’s central plasma beam cannon requires it to present its top inorder to fire. The elaborate framework design allows the ship to remain relatively maneuverable while still coming under the treaty’s mass requirements. As it has a low shield capacity for its size, a flimsy structure and only a few defence turrets complimenting its core cannon it is inconceivable to use this craft without other craft helping to protect it.
Cruisers:
General Purpose Brawling Cruiser (GPBC) “Halibut”: A straightforward design, made to be able to engage multiple enemy targets. It has a 180 degree firing arc in front of it from its nose mounted cannon and 6 bar lasers while its rear is guarded by 8 vertically aimable laser cannons. Most were sold off after the war to smaller allies, only for them to show back up in the federal army as auxiliary mercenaries this time.
Multi role escorc cruiser (MREC) “Gladius”: a narrow profile fits poorly with the standard federal propulsion system, but can massively reduce the vessels profile and lets multiple vessels of this kind hide behind larger craft. MERC’s are armed primarily with a high hanger capacity and vertically mounted swarm missile launchers. Their core purpose is to provide strike craft screens for other craft, as well as shooting down enemy strike craft with vollies of several dozen homing missiles.
Destroyers:
Stand Off Artillery Craft (SOAC) “Pointer”: A civilian vessel with its heart ripped out and replaced with a massive palma artillery cannon. Gaining its nickname from its distinctive central “finger” their conversion process meant they could not be converted back after the great war, and so they have remained in service as the fed’s primary space based artillery craft. The wider front section creates rear facing surfaces that can be used to better rotate it from side to side and thus aim better with its fixed cannon.
Close Range Demolition Craft (CRDC) “puncher”: a modern take on the SOAC’s finned structure that serves the exact opposite purpose. Equipped with 3 sets of plasma cannon turrets it is designed to get in close to either engage multiple targets at once or focus fire on a single weak point of a larger ship.
Frigates:
Planetary reinforcement Craft (PRC) “Dropper”: another retrofitted cargo ship that was originally designed to “fire” a payload of fighter craft at an enemy but was never used in this capacity because of how terrible being launched into a fight with no method of retreat was for the moral of fighter pilots. Rather than scrape the design for rapidly launching small craft it was instead repurposed as a manner to rapidly deploy reinforcements to a besieged world.
Craft are arranged in racks within the ship and are then led into two magnetic accelerators that “fire” the ships towards a planet's surface. These can either be proper shuttle craft, space/atmosphere hybrid fighters, aircraft protected by a single use re-entrys shield or rugged drop pods. This allows the PRC to jump into a system, rapidly unload additional defenders to a besieged world and then get the hell outta dodge before any of the besieging forces have time to intercept it. Being launched to relive their fellow federalists was a much easier sell to the troops, and so the RPC saw major use in the Great War. Despite the “defence” its name the vessel is equally useful for planetary invasions or surgical strikes against high priority ground targets.
Very Fast Frigate (VFF)”Hammerhead” An unusual design for the federation, the long spine contains an oversized ftl engine. The hammerheads weapon systems can all retract, hiding the black cracks and transforming it into seamless silver travel form. The nubs on the bottom of the ftl drive let it magnetic dock with other craft in order to act as a supplementary engine (for both realspace and slipspace) for slow or disabled craft.
Corvettes:
Border Reconnaissance Vessel (BRV) ”Brave”:: small and lightly defended the Brave’s main purpose is as a carrier for the massive sensory disc that it more or less tows behind it. Used to detect enemy vessels approaching from unexpected angles the Brave almost never engages what it detects, but instead runs off to get help from others at the first sign of trouble. Did its job well enough that it never needed to be replaced.
Spec Ops Craft (SOC) “Spook”:: Rarely seen, the spook is craft used to deploy/extract spec ops teams to/from their mission areas. Incredibly expensive to produce it can render itself nearly undetectable to enemy sensors. It can out gun most other craft in its weight category using its experimental underslung laser lance, and can outrun anything heavier than it. Supposedly the Black Ops division uses an even more advanced version of this craft.
Rapid Response Unit (RRU) “ramjet”: A recent and unconventional design thats is effectively a dedicated engine strapped to an oversized gun and a set of torpedo tubes. Packs of these ships are launched from defensive stations to reinforce key locations or friendly forces. Once there they charge whatever their target is, hopefully from an unexpected angle, while relying on heavy front armor to survive. Once close enough they fire their torpedoes, which can either be explosive or be boarding craft filled with warbeasts, before attempting to jet/jump/sneak away from the, hopefully, devastated hostile.
Strike craft:
Old war Fighters and Bombers:: Old style strike craft that use laser auto cannons and plasma cannons respectively. Originally piloted by conscripts during the great war they have been retrofitted after the war to be flown by the brain of a type of alien bat that has been modified by biological tampering and a Vine interface. They aren't the most advanced craft, nor do their animal/ai hybrid fliers have the best piloting skills, but the feds do still have a lot of these laying around in their hangers.
Shield Drones: hard light field generator units with AI corse attached, these drones can replace fighters and bombers in hanger racks to add additional defensive capabilities to a ship, be it directional shields or adding cloaking capabilities to a ship.
multi role strike craft: Modern saucer strike craft flown by federal pilots. Considerably more maneuverable thanks to taking full advantage of the federal thrust system (although also harder to fly as a result) they can be equipped with many weapon system that can be “slotted” into the front gap on their disk.
Boarding torpedo: Strike craft that ram enemy ships, cut their way into them and then divulge a living payload inside. This payload almost always consisting of warbeasts (unless the target is very small, the team has an exit strategy or there is a VIP onboard), as the boarding party is not expected to disable the ship but rather to simply cause chaos that will distract the crew. The creatures are normally specialised for fighting/living inside ships and will at the very least become a major pest infestation if not dealt with. Usually fired near the start of an engagement for maximum irritation or at the end as a final salvo from a retreating federal force to entalge their pursuers. The torpedo or may not be cloaked, it generally depends on how expensive the boarding party is.
Army/Planetary forces
Troops Professional soldiers are generally equipped with atmospheric sealed power armor customized to their body type and partially controlled by their VINE, making it close to a second skin that can enhance reflexes, improve agility and increase strength. Made of a combination of metals and hard light each suit is wholly unique to the wearer which means they need to carry the blueprints for the armor around with them in order to avoid this policy driving federation repair crews insane. Armor is always at least lightly shielded but can have heavier shields or cloaking functionality added at the expense of cost and weight. Professional soldiers have access to more dangerous/enhanced bio modifications that would be grossly inappropriate for civilians to have. They get to keep them even when not in service, making such augmations an added selling point of military service.
Local militia forces meanwhile, which make up the bulk of the federation's actual military might, make do with whatever level of equipment they can get using their self elected budget. Armor is generally light to non existent while guns are usually higher quality to ensure they can actually hurt invaders. As almost all federal citizens have VINE implants, they can operate with a higher degree of cohesion than most armed civilians thanks to quickly installed combat assistant routines run by their companion AIs, which do their best coordinate the mobs of armed civilians and make sure they actually hit their targets. Combat drugs are also relatively common.
In between these two groups you have mercenary units, be they wandering federal MCs or externally recruited troops. Their equipment ranges from high end power armor and energy weapons right down to kevlar and ballistics.
Finally there are the warbeasts. Warbeasts are augmented or manufactured animals that act as disposable troops, attack dogs or bioweapons. Their development was a post war development spawned from a desire to not suffer the same massive casualties the great war inflicted. To create the program a few eccentric scientists traveled the federation to gather together the most dangerous creatures they could find and then further enhanced them with bioengineering, cybernetic enhancements and the installation of VINE tech into their brains to control them. Results have been mixed and are largely untested in battle but they have found a niche for clearing out buildings or damaged spaceships of hostiles during small scale operations. Gene modding means it’s sometimes hard to tell beast and soldier apart.
Companion drones are a staple of the federation military. Small robots, generally on unarmed hover units or attached directly to a user armor but sometimes installed in proper war bots, onto which an individual's companion ai has been installed, granting it increased processing capability and the ability to physically assist their users. Used for reconnaissance, group coordination, radio operators, supply carriers or simply to add additional firepower to the squad.
For firepower, federation troops generally use small scale lasers and plasma weaponry. These can either be heandheald weapons that draw their power from rechargeable energy packs or built into/onto their armor and drawing power directly from its own power source.
Armor
X7J Science walker These are what where used to capture the federation’s warbeasts. It is armed with a front mounted laser beam cannon for anti everything, and tentacle mounted claws and auto lasers for anti infantry. Capable of traversing any terrain and often cloaked or heavily shielded they can easily compete with more conventional tanks despite their unorthodox design.
Fedral Squire A 3 meter tall mech, its left arm has a hard light unit used to generate a directional shield while its right has quad linked plasma autocannons. Generally acts in an infantry support role.
Fedral Knight the squires big brother. 6 meters tall and armed with 2 arm mounted plasma cannons and 2 torso mounted auto lasers.
P7 battle tank A pair of twin linked plasma auto cannons mounted on a pair of tracks. Old and outdated the guns are still as deadly as ever. Fairly cheap to manufacture these are more commonly found in militia gerisions.
Q2 Hovertank the P&-2 replacement. Utilizes a hover drive system and has multiple anti personnel auto laser turrets in addition to its main plasma cannon.
Mobile hover artillery an unmanned weapon’s platform carrying a massive plasma artillery cannon. Remotely controlled either by its escort, central command or front line troops to rain devastation on the enemy.
Airforce Federation in atmosphere craft have the ability to switch between sleek travel forms and deployed combat forms. Starting at the top right and moving clockwise are the twin-linked autolaser armed air superiority fighter, the tri-linked plasma autocannon armed gunship, the laser cannon and AA missile armed fighter bombers and the plasma cannon armed strategic bomber.
Oceanic navy Naval warfare of the old variety still has its uses. The feds are particularly fond of large mobile floating command centers.
Hyperdread
Revolutionary Ultimate Stealth Engine (RUSE) ”the Project” A truly massive yet seemingly defenseless saucer the RUSE represents the pinnacle of federation hard light technology. Utterly filled and covered with hard light projectors, this craft can either cover entire fleets with its shielding or cloaking capabilities. It can also weaponize the normal propulsion systems of federal craft to fire beams of plasma from anywhere on the surface of its shields, including a devastating death blossom that hits everything around it.
