@6slyboy6 Your description of beam flak made me think I should just give that capability to the point defence DEL turrets my ships already have, so that takes care of physical projectiles.
I'm still interested in a defence against energy weapons, other than just taking the hits to the armour and hoping it holds. Any thoughts on that?
Type of Governement: Self governing psychic theocracy.
As far as most of humanity knows, the Ashtar have no leaders. However, the leadership of the Ashtar is actually embodied by five Hierarchs, but the Union makes their involvement in actual governance unnecessary. The Hierarchs instead focus on long term strategic planning. Each of the five also have heavy symbolic importance to the Ashtar, representing aspects of their collective psyche, propagating their rich history and mythology, and leading their religion.
Ashtar: The Ashtar are a species of reptilian humanoids with pale blue skin composed of soft, supple scales. They possess hair on their heads, but nowhere else, and their features tend to be very angular. Whenever possible, Ashtar conceal their faces from outsiders: communicating with audio only, wearing helmets and hoods, even using telekinesis to shroud their faces. In general, Ashtar are cold, formal, and distinctly arrogant. They’ll never say they’re better than you, but they’ll certainly think it.
It is important to note that the Ashtar have highly developed telepathic and telekinetic abilities, a skillset they refer to in general as psionics. This permits them to read the thoughts of other beings, communicate with their thoughts, even attack the mind of an opponent and destroy their sanity. Their telekinetic powers let them move objects with their minds, though this is a tiring process. More skilled Ashtar are capable of manipulating objects at the molecular or even subatomic level, permitting them to create fireballs, blasts of energy, or variety of other things; such feats require a tremendous understanding of the universe and a large amount of psychic power.
Another distinctive feature of the Asthar is their Union, a vast psychic network between every individual of their species, sharing all thoughts and feelings. When they die, their minds retreat into the Union, and may enter to a new body to live again. Thus, death becomes a learning experience.
Humans: While there are no humans on the Ashtar’s secret capital, the four other worlds with Ashtar presence are dominated by humans, to the point where these worlds are effectively human holdings with small Ashtar communes scattered around.
Uthuun: 100% Ashtar
Outpost worlds: 90% Human 10% Ashtar
Religion is enormously important to the Ashtar, and dominates their culture and everyday lives. The Ashtar believe that the universe has a purpose. For something to have a purpose, there must be an awareness of that purpose, a conscious. This awareness is called the Necessity. Long, long, long ago, in some unspeakable cataclysm, the Necessity was split in two. Each Necessity developed its own vision for the universe, and eventually they came to conflict. But they were so perfectly balanced that it was not possible for either to prevail. The Necessities instead created servants, the Gods, to fight for them, thus beginning the Empyrean Calamity, the War of Heaven. There are as many Gods as there are stars in the skies, and for countless aeons they waged war across creation. Eventually the Necessities realised that the Empyrean Calamity would destroy the universe and any chance for the future each of them envisioned, so they imposed laws on the Gods, limiting their conflict. The Gods, learning from their creators, created servants of their own, mortals, to continue the fight.
The Ashtar believe they were created by a god called Mishri to serve him and his Necessity. However, they were not created primarily to fight, but to be custodians. The Necessity is in the process of creating a new God. While this process is a blink of an eye to the Necessity, it is hundreds of thousands of years long for mortals. The Ashtar believe that Humanity is the embryonic form of this new God. According to them, there have been four previous incarnations of Humanity, each ultimately ascending and creating their own unique potential God. Once all five incarnations of Humanity have ascended, it will be up to the Ashtar to decide which of them is to become the new God.
The Ashtar believe the current Emperor of Man is an attempt by the opposing Necessity to derail their plans. He must be eliminated.
Once upon a time, Ashtar culture was focused on self enrichment and leisure. The Union meant their gleaming cities were free of crime; automation meant very people had to perform manual labour; by all definitions they lived in utopia. Each individual pursued whatever crafts or hobbies they desired across lifetimes; music was a particularly popular choice.
In the communes on human occupied worlds, the Ashtar continue this lifestyle in a limited sense. There is of course much more manual labour required, but they do it quietly without complaining, taking turns performing the less savoury tasks and generally sharing the burden between all of them. In their free time, they continue to pursue self enrichment, though their chosen hobbies are more utilitarian than they used to be.
On Uthuun however, everything is devoted to their great task. This means mostly heavy industry: the Ashtar have concluded that military might is the only way to remove the emperor, so Ashtar citizens work themselves to death in factories, only to be reborn so they can work themselves to death again. More Capital Ships may not be an option, but the Ashtar can still produce cruisers, corvettes, walkers, and weapons.
As far as the Emporium is concerned, the Ashtar are a small population of pacifists spread across four worlds near the galactic core. They offered no resistance to human occupation, and have allowed themselves to be herded into compounds while humans occupy their former worlds. They mine, they trade, they keep to themselves and don’t cause trouble.
In truth, the Ashtar are the last tattered remnants of an ancient race. They have gone through golden age after golden age, gone near extinct multiple times, they have won, they have lost, they have suffered and prevailed. Most of their history is lost to them in the dim reaches of aeons long passed. The Ashtar are dying. The Union is flickering out, the minds within it grow silent and fade. Only devotion to their divine task keeps them going.
Ashtar are present on a total of five worlds in the galaxy. Four are now occupied by humans, with only small compounds of Ashtar remaining. The fifth, their capital Uthuun, is hidden from the galaxy at large by dense nebulae and careful psionic screening.
Hierarch Lexus: An extremely powerful psintegrat, like all Hierarchs. Lexus in particular is specialized in telekinesis, capable of creating incredibly complicated warps with amazing effects. Lexus is incredibly arrogant, and represents that aspect of the Ashtar psyche. Even with his people in such a sorry state, Lexus remains very influential.
Hierarch Nezia: Nezia is specialized in telepathy. None are more adept with the manipulation of a mind. Nezia is cold and logical, representing that aspect of the Ashtar’s collective mentality. Nezia is another primary influencer among the Hierarchs.
Hierarch Arctus: A peerless warrior, adept with any weapon on any field of battle. Arctus represents rage and bloodlust; his aspect is usually suppressed by others, but comes to the forefront in times of war.
Hierarch Ichael: A brilliant scientist with a fascination for life and death. Ichael is notoriously unstable, arguably even insane. He represents the Ashtar’s capability for depravity, but also for compassion. His aspect is also usually repressed, and can swing either way when it emerges.
Hierarch Cyris: The last of the Ashtar seers, Cyris is capable of seeing the future. Well, potential futures. Countless potential futures that are constantly shifting, all of them equally viable until suddenly they’re not. Ok so scrying isn’t actually that useful, but it sure sounds impressive. Cyris represents hope and joy. She rarely emerges as the dominant aspect.
Llyena, Grand High Admiral of the Sacred Armadas, Betrayer of Hope, Dawnbringer, Handmaiden of Mishri, Bride of Shakras etc.: Llyena has had a long and storied life of serving the Ashtar in a variety of roles. So long and so storied that she is incapable of remembering most of it. Nobody remembers anymore where her titles came from or what some of them mean, just that they are there. Currently, Llyena serves once again as Grand High Admiral of the Sacred Armadas, even if the Sacred Armadas are practically non-existent. Formerly tempestuous and passionate, Llyena is succumbing to the fatigue that is affecting her entire race.
While Ashtar ground forces leave much to be desired, their vessels of war truly fearsome. Powerful weapons and sophisticated armour combined with advanced technologies and highly versatile FTL mean that even the pathetic remnants of the Sacred Armadas are a force to be reckoned with. The Ashtar fleets don’t adhere to traditional models; their fleet progression goes from mid sized cruisers to absolutely colossal capital ships that completely eclipse the competition. Conventional Ashtar strategy involves dispatching a single capital ship and a support fleet of cruisers and corvettes to problem areas, and letting the capital ship’s immense firepower and vast hangars solve the problem while the cruisers and corvettes fill support roles. With only one Capital Ship left and no way to build more, the Ashtar have abandoned this doctrine and keep it close to home.
Starships
Strelnikov class corvette: besides strike craft, these are the smallest vessels in the Sacred Armadas. Small, fast, and easy to build, these nimble craft are deployed in vast numbers. The standard loadout is four light yield pulsed Omega cannons, two DEL turrets, and a single omega torpedo launcher. In combat, Strelnikov’s either mass into screening formations to protect their assigned capital ship, or they form hunter-killer wolfpacks, and use their extreme speed to sweep through enemy fleets in formation and take down targets of opportunity. Strelnikov’s are small enough to operate in atmosphere as well, making them highly useful in multiple situations.
Archangel class cruiser: the workhorse of the Armadas. The Archangel is an extremely versatile medium cruiser that strikes a good balance between offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as long range and short range weaponry. Multiple variations of this class exist for different combat situations, though the long range variant is more plentiful these days. It has a higher than usual number of missile launchers, and attempts to engage enemy forces at a distance. They also play an important role in providing point defence for capital ships.
Vigilance class assault cruiser: a newer design than the Archangel that makes the fight up close and personal. The Vigilance is equipped with minimal point defence systems and missiles. Instead, it has a higher number of heavy ship-to-ship weapons, a greater number of jump drives, and heavier armour plating. The Vigilance is designed to use its FTL systems to jump right into the middle of enemy formations and unload its heavy weaponry on them, counting on its heavy armour to keep it intact until it can jump away again.
Capital ships: Each and every capital ship is a unique work of art and a triumph of the Ashtar as a race. Part battleship, part carrier, part command vessel, each of these mighty vessels is built as close to perfect as possible and with loving attention to detail. There is no standard configuration; each fulfills a purpose, though there are some generalized types that have emerged. To provide a few examples, Combat variants bring as much heavy ship-to-ship weaponry to bear as they possibly can and back it up with immense armour. ECW variants trade some firepower for extremely advanced electronic warfare suites, permitting them to interfere with the targeting systems of entire enemy fleets. Carrier variants also sacrifice firepower in exchange for much larger hangars which they use to store colossal numbers of strike craft. Even among variants, no two ships are the same. Exactly one remains; the command variant In the Deepest Chaos of the Universe We Experience Only Prevailing Tranquility. With no possibility of ever building more, Prevailing Tranquility is kept close to Uthuun more or less permanently.
Another area where the Ashtar excel, Ashtar air forces grant their ground soldiers heavy fire support and high mobility. Strelnikov corvettes see a lot of action in atmosphere; they are small and fast enough to slip past enemy fleets in orbit. Their small size and aerodymanic profile also means they are not as resource intensive to operate in atmosphere as larger ships. Strelnikovs are used to bring heavy fire support against fortified positions.
Coralis gunship: A perfect blend of performance and design, Coralis class gunships are mass produced for deployment across many fronts. Twin graviton turbines provide excellent mobility, letting the Coralis rapidly transport a surprising number of soldiers all across the battlefield. Good armour, decoy flares, and ECW tactics keep the Coralis in the skies. When acting as fire support, the Coralis boasts a number of weapon systems. Its primary armament is somewhat unusual for Ashtar craft; a pair of graviton “thumper” turrets, useful in any situations. Heavy firepower is presented by a dorsally mounted pulsed Omega cannon. Side mounted missile pods complete the Coralis’ armament.
Swiftwind fighter: The newest space superiority fighter, the Swiftwind was designed with a variable geometry nanite hull, making it suitable for both vacuum and atmosphere. Rapidfire DEL cannons, an arsenal of missiles, and two pulsed Omega cannons make it well suited for almost any opponent. Swiftwinds are remotely operated by psionic interface, so even at extreme ranges, there is no control lag. Adept Swiftwind controllers can operate three, four or even five craft simultaneously. The lack of pilots and the simplicity of producing more of them means Swiftwinds tend to be deployed in massive swarms, and are considered disposable.
Ashtar ground forces are significantly less effective than their space fleets. Their infantry is well equipped and trained, and has the unique advantage of psionic support, but they are severely lacking in armor support. This shortcoming has persisted for centuries, as the Ashtar usually rely on other Coalition members to provide the bulk of ground forces while the Ashtar attend to their fleets. When they do engage in surface warfare, they prefer mobility, and are heavily reliant on advanced gunships to quickly move them around the battlefield.
Ashtar Commando Few in number, Ashtar commandos make up for it with high end equipment and exceptional skill. They’re equipped with mk. VII power armor, which comes with built a built in graviton thumped and rapidfire DEL carbine. A variety of other wieldable weapons can be plugged into the armour’s power systems. Mk. VII power armour also comes equipped with tactical cloaking systems, wrist mounted energy sabres, and limited capability thrusters, permitting soldiers brief periods of flight. The majority of Ashtar commandos are extremely skilled warriors, having lived multiple lives and perfected their skills over hundreds of years. Death is a learning experience.
Psintegrae support commandos Psintegrat (plural psintegrae) is a general term the Ashtar use to identify all users of psionic talents, either telepathic or telekinetic. There are two common varieties: psykers and psions. Psykers are telekinetic specialists; they use their skills to throw debris at the enemy, or generate protective bubble shields for their squads, or any number of other useful things. They excel at disrupting enemy formations. Psions are dedicated telepaths. Psions are used as a form of biological electronic warfare; they spy on enemy soldiers, stealing critical information and tactics from their thoughts, anticipating their moves, and keeping friendly soldiers safe from ambushes. They can also distract enemy soldiers with illusions and other minor distractions; extremely strong psions can sometimes even take control of an enemy soldier after crushing their mind. Be they psyker or psion, Ashtar psintegrae are arguably their greatest advantage on the battlefield.
Terrestrial Vehicle support
Ether-type anti-personel walker: the Ether is a small walker that fulfils a very simple role. It has two pilots, minimal armour, the snakelike flexible limbs characteristic of Ashtar walkers, and two dual rapid fire DEL pulse cannons, which can mow down enemy infantry like blades of grass. The Ether is unfortunately not very well protected, and can be brought down with as little as well aimed small arms fire. Recognizing these flaws, they are attempting to design a new vehicle to fill this role, but until that design is complete, the Ether remains on the frontlines.
Almas-type heavy walker: in complete contrast to the Ether, the Almas is a very large, heavily armoured and heavily armed heavy walker. It is armed with a number of high-yield DEL beam weapons, ideal for slicing through enemy tanks, graviton thumpers, and a single pulsed omega cannon for use against fortified positions. The Almas, though expensive and time consuming to build, is a solid heavy armour design. However, in engagements between armour units, the lack of support available to Almas walkers is their downfall. They are usually supported by a number of Ether-type walkers, but those are easily destroyed, and then the Almas is highly vulnerable to swarm tactics, as its weapon systems are designed to engage other heavy tanks, not multiple medium tanks or platoons of infantry with rocket launchers. This is another shortcoming the Ashtar are attempting to address, and relatively few Almas walkers are currently in service.
Ashtar technology is in some respects extremely sophisticated, while in others it remains brutally simple. Their FTL systems, for example, demonstrate a highly refined mastery of gravity and dimensional physics. On the other hand, their weapons systems are primarily based around simple but highly destructive particle beams.
Psytech: Converting psionic power into useable physical energy was one of the Ashtar’s greatest scientific achievements, and it now forms an integral part of much of their technology. A particular type of synthesized carbon isotope crystal is able to conduct psionic energy; it can be used as a transmitter and receiver, or shaped to hold particular warp forms, which only require a trickle of psionic energy to activate. Sensors and C&C systems in particular make heavy use of the Ashtar’s inherent psionic powers. Psytech weapons are horrifically powerful, and are forbidden except for the smallest of infantry devices.
Power Generation: The basis of much Ashtaar technology is a handy little particle derived from metallic state xenon referred to as “Omega” particles. Usually highly volatile, careful manipulation can push the particles into a self sustaining stable configuration that generates vast amounts of useable power; this is usually done in devices called harmonics chambers. Harmonics chambers require power to sustain them, but generate much more than they consume. Great stress, caused by weapons fire, for example, destabilizes the Omega particles and causes a massive explosion, providing an extremely effective self-destruct sequence for Ashtar ships. The destructive potential of Omega particles is widely used in Ashtar weapons systems.
Gates: The primary Ashtar method of FTL travel, Gate drives are essentially wormhole generators. They bend and then cut through space and subspace, cutting a razor thin hole through spacetime. The other side of the Gate ends up being in another location. Gate generators mounted on ships can travel great but still limited distances, and take time to recharge. To compensate, any ship larger than a corvette will have at least two generators. Gates are extremely elaborate metaphysical constructs, and are therefore vulnerable to disruption by extreme gravity and other anomalies.
Graviton Jump Drives: An older method of FTL travel, jump drives are sturdier and more reliable than their newer counterparts. Recently brought back into common use, jump drives comprise the secondary FTL systems of Ashtar ships. Jump drives involve using intense gravitational bursts to move an object from point A to point B near instantaneously. The Ashtar have refined the technology to be useable on even small objects such as fighter craft and missiles, granting a huge amount of tactical flexibility. Jump drives trade range for rapid recharge times, leaving Gate drives responsible for long distance travel.
Armor: Ashtar ships have varying amounts of armor plating on top of the already highly resilient hull. Plating is constantly active, and is capable of absorbing and distributing tremendous force. Plating is a misleading term, as Ashtr armor is a continuous shell rather than many plates.
Shipboard Artificial Intelligence Constructs: It quickly became clear to the Ashtar that conventional computer systems could not manage their massive capital ships, even with psionic interfaces. A highly sophisticated AI system was developed to manage the more complex systems of the ship. The AI has direct control of the entire ship, permitting Captial ships to operate with a significantly reduced crew. The AI usually takes care of the more complex controls of the ship, such as the control of the thousands of point defense weapons, the control of lighter ship-to-ship weapons, internal security, and many other things, though a crew is still required. Curiously enough, the Ashtar gave each respective system aboard each respective ship it's own distinctive personality and appearance and name, making the AI almost a person. As well as appearing on display screens, the AI can project an interactive hologram of itself. The AI also has control over many service androids, and 1 highly sophisticated android known as an Avatar. This Avatar shares the AI's appearance and personality. In case of contamination or internal error, the entire AI can be shut down remotely with a unique psionic command from the Ashtar.
Psionic Interface: As well as the AI, Ashtar ships are also equipped with psionic interfaces, allowing any number of Ashtar to directly control various functions of the ship with their minds. This is what gives Ashtar corvettes their incredible maneuverability, and what gives all ships their pinpoint accuracy. This is also how fighter drones are controlled.
Directed Energy Lances (DEL): These simple energy weapons fire a beam of energy drawn directly from the power reserves of a ship. DEL are used against smaller, less powerful targets, such as frigates or light cruisers, so they are also used as point defense weapons. Appear as a thin sky blue beam. Obviously has a variable yield, making it a versatile weapon. Used by all ships.
Pulse DEL: similar to standard DELs, these ones fire pulses instead of continuous beams. They are slightly more compact, making them suitable for small craft, such as Swiftwing type interceptors. They can also be mounted on turrets for use as point defense weapons. Used by all ships.
Heavy Ship-to-Ship Omega Beam Cannons: The mainstay of Ashtar weaponry. These weapons fire a stream of omega particles which de-stabilize on impact, causing immense damage. Appear as a thick, dark blue beam. Variable yield, though still only really suitable for heavy ship combat. Mounted on large dual-barreled turrets; usually multiple turrets are placed together in batteries. The hardware necessary to generate and sustain a stable beam of Omega particles is prohibitively bulky; while extremely powerful, these weapons are only used by Ashtar capital ships and some cruiser configurations.
Pulsed Omega Cannon: Pulsed version of the heavy beam cannons. Generating a single pulse of Omega particles contained in a magnetic field is much simpler than a sustained beam, making this weapon much more compact and widely used, though it packs less of a punch than the beam version. Used by all classes of starships, some ground and air force elements.
Variable Configuration Missiles: One of the staples of Ashtar offensive power. These missiles are assembled in segments: warhead, fuselage, and drive system. There are multiple types of each segment; armour piercing warheads, anti-shield warheads, extra fuel containers, high speed drive system, enhanced tracking systems, miniaturized jump drives, etc. The segments are all interchangeable and can be assembled in any configuration, making them extremely versatile weapons.
Omega Torpedo: Uses a small harmonics chamber, similar to Ashtar power generators, containing large numbers of omega particles. Particles de-stabilize on impact, causing immense damage. Though vastly more potent than missiles, torpedoes are quite a bit larger and slower. This means they are more or less useless against strike craft, and can be more easily shot down by point defense. Used by all ships
Thumper Cannons: An old-but-new development deployed on Coralis gunships and as a ground weapon. The Ashtar’s previous experiments with graviton weapons were lacking the kind of finesse Ashtar prefer in their weapons, but recent conflicts have brought the weapons back into action. A gravity field generator creates pulsed gravitic distortions that are fired like bullets. The great value of thumpers is their versatility; they can fire weak shots rapidly for anti-infantry purposes, or charge a stronger shot for hardened targets. They also don’t plasmatize the atmosphere around them (an annoying habit of Omega weapons that makes them more or less fatal to ground operators as well as targets).
Ashtar infantry have a variety of weapons systems available to them. None of them have extended designations or individualized names due to mass standardization. As soon as a new DEL carbine is developed, all older models are matter recycled and new ones are synthesized. No version number is necessary; it is simply the DEL carbine.
DEL carbine: A tribute to the age old adage “keep it simple, stupid” the Directed Energy Lance carbine is about as simple as energy weapons tech gets. The carbine simply draws power from a micro fusion core and shapes it into a coherent destructive beam. While simple, the DEL carbine is by no means weak. Unprotected targets are neatly sliced apart, and the beam can deal heavy damage to armor as well. Highly modular additions can be made to the rifle in the field, increasing range at the expense of fire rate and the like. Good range, excellent accuracy, available continuous fire, no recoil and virtually no ammunition limits mean the simple DEL carbine is used by all Ashtar soldiers to great effect.
Anti-materiel omega sniper rifle: The one exception to the “Omega particles are bad news for infantry” rule, this rifle fires a single Omega particle caught up in a stabilizing polaron field. While the rifle’s purpose is indeed to destroy enemy vehicles, ‘anti-materiel’ might be something of a misnomer, since the destabilization of a single Omega particle results in a massicve explosion. Great for when you really, really, REALLY want something dead. The ammunition for this weapon is kept in micro-harmonics chambers in its inert form. When the round is chambered, the weapon activates and stabilizes the Omega particle, and establishes its polaron field. The destructive power, potential for abuse, and overall extreme danger of this weapon means that it sees very limited deployment.
Plasmacaster beam weapon: Firing a continuous stream of superheated plasma, this weapon is the pinnacle of anti-infantry technology.
Personal thumper cannon: Moderate anti-infantry capabilities in rapid fire mode, good anti-vehicle capabilities with charged shots, personal thumper cannons are a nice midway point in portable heavy weapons systems.
Plasma grenades: Pretty standard general purpose grenade.
An army of psintegrae may seem unstoppable, but the reality is that throwing things around with the mind is extremely tiring. To that end, the Ashtar use a number of psytech based infantry weapons to maximize the efficiency of their psionic power.
Der Lancen: An Ashtar innovation adored by psintegrae from all over Coalition space, the Der Lancen warp is an extremely effective anti-armor tool. Talented psintegrae may favour using the warp directly, but the Ashtar have developed a psytech tool that any old psintegrat can use with minimal effort. The Der Lancen warp itself involves superheating a bit of metal until it reaches a plasma state, then firing it at near-relativistic speeds at an oncoming target. A powerful psintegrat can use any bit of metal lying around, or may even choose to generate the metal himself. For everyone else, there is the Der Lancen psytech charge. The charge is a cigar sized cylinder containing a carbon-isotope crystal matrix with the Der Lancen warp imprinted in it, and a small ‘warhead’ of metal. Knowledge of the warp is not required to activate the charge, only a correctly attuned nudge of psionic power. Der Lancen psytech charges are widely used by Ashtar forces, and present a more convenient anti-material option than the Omega particle sniper rifle.
Truthliit Basically a psionic flashbang, Truthliit overwhelms its targets with psionic ‘white noise’; the futility of existence, the truth of life, fear, anger, hatred, love, basically an intense barrage of conflicting thoughts and emotions that will overwhelm all but the hardiest of minds. In psytech form, it is a simple grenade-like device with the warp imprinted in carbon isotope crystal. Unlike regular flashbangs, Truthliit cannot be screened out by helmet systems. On the downside, multiple exposures will have reduced and eventually no effect as targets become psionicly ‘hardened’. For this reason, the Ashtar generally try to kill everyone caught in the radius, unless prisoners are specifically desired.
Stihlpont A nasty little follow up to Truthliit, a Stihlpont grenade explodes into tiny, monofilament sharp spikes that can completely shred exposed flesh or seek out weak points in armour. Can be psionically controlled for extreme precision.
Additional(whatever you feel like you want to add):
@6slyboy6 1) yeah it's a little awkward. I suppose I'll call it a hyperdreadnought or something else.
2) I think I might go with just having not very many Commandos. I might add in some remote drones or something to serve as main infantry. Or maybe they'll just have very little infantry.
3)I was literally thinking of big frikin magnets but I care so little about that particular blurb I'll take it out.
4) Not too picky about the specifics, but I'm going for energy based flak, because projectile flak is far too low tech for the fancy pantsy Ashtar. Might switch that to something gravity based. Or a physical shell with an energy warhead? Not sure.
5) Thanks. When I made the Ashtar years ago, the Unity/Collective/Consensus/Union seemed really original. Time has proven it isn't really, but it's so integral to who they are, and it's fun to play with, so I keep it. Also yeah piloted ships are for chumps. Psintegrae operated drones FTW!
Alright, here is an iteration of the Ashtar, my faithful old Ancient Psychic Aliens. I'll be honest I got lazy about formatting the NS so it's a little messy. I'll fix that when I move it over to the CS tab.
Type of Governement: Self governing psychic theocracy.
As far as most of humanity knows, the Ashtar have no leaders. However, the leadership of the Ashtar is actually embodied by five Hierarchs, but the Union makes their involvement in actual governance unnecessary. The Hierarchs instead focus on long term strategic planning. Each of the five also have heavy symbolic importance to the Ashtar, representing aspects of their collective psyche, propagating their rich history and mythology, and leading their religion.
Ashtar. The Ashtar are a species of reptilian humanoids with pale blue skin composed of soft, supple scales. They possess hair on their heads, but nowhere else, and their features tend to be very angular. Whenever possible, Ashtar conceal their faces from outsiders: communicating with audio only, wearing helmets and hoods, even using telekinesis to shroud their faces. In general, Ashtar are cold, formal, and distinctly arrogant. They’ll never say they’re better than you, but they’ll certainly think it.
It is important to note that the Ashtar have highly developed telepathic and telekinetic abilities, a skillset they refer to in general as psionics. This permits them to read the thoughts of other beings, communicate with their thoughts, even attack the mind of an opponent and destroy their sanity. Their telekinetic powers let them move objects with their minds, though this is a tiring process. More skilled Ashtar are capable of manipulating objects at the molecular or even subatomic level, permitting them to create fireballs, blasts of energy, or variety of other things; such feats require a tremendous understanding of the universe and a large amount of psychic power.
Another distinctive feature of the Asthar is their Union, a vast psychic network between every individual of their species, sharing all thoughts and feelings. When they die, their minds retreat into the Union, and may enter to a new body to live again. Thus, death becomes a learning experience.
Humans. While there are no humans on the Ashtar’s secret capital, the four other worlds with Ashtar presence are dominated by humans, to the point where these worlds are effectively human holdings with small Ashtar communes scattered around.
Uthuun: 100% Ashtar
Outpost worlds: 90% Human 10% Ashtar
Religion is enormously important to the Ashtar, and dominates their culture and everyday lives. The Ashtar believe that the universe has a purpose. For something to have a purpose, there must be an awareness of that purpose, a conscious. This awareness is called the Necessity. Long, long, long ago, in some unspeakable cataclysm, the Necessity was split in two. Each Necessity developed its own vision for the universe, and eventually they came to conflict. But they were so perfectly balanced that it was not possible for either to prevail. The Necessities instead created servants, the Gods, to fight for them, thus beginning the Empyrean Calamity, the War of Heaven. There are as many Gods as there are stars in the skies, and for countless aeons they waged war across creation. Eventually the Necessities realised that the Empyrean Calamity would destroy the universe and any chance for the future each of them envisioned, so they imposed laws on the Gods, limiting their conflict. The Gods, learning from their creators, created servants of their own, mortals, to continue the fight.
The Ashtar believe they were created by a god called Mishri to serve him and his Necessity. However, they were not created primarily to fight, but to be custodians. The Necessity is in the process of creating a new God. While this process is a blink of an eye to the Necessity, it is hundreds of thousands of years long for mortals. The Ashtar believe that Humanity is the embryonic form of this new God. According to them, there have been four previous incarnations of Humanity, each ultimately ascending and creating their own unique potential God. Once all five incarnations of Humanity have ascended, it will be up to the Ashtar to decide which of them is to become the new God.
The Ashtar believe the current Emperor of Man is an attempt by the opposing Necessity to derail their plans. He must be eliminated.
Once upon a time, Ashtar culture was focused on self enrichment and leisure. The Union meant their gleaming cities were free of crime; automation meant very people had to perform manual labour; by all definitions they lived in utopia. Each individual pursued whatever crafts or hobbies they desired across lifetimes; music was a particularly popular choice.
In the communes on human occupied worlds, the Ashtar continue this lifestyle in a limited sense. There is of course much more manual labour required, but they do it quietly without complaining, taking turns performing the less savoury tasks and generally sharing the burden between all of them. In their free time, they continue to pursue self enrichment, though their chosen hobbies are more utilitarian than they used to be.
On Uthuun however, everything is devoted to their great task. This means mostly heavy industry: the Ashtar have concluded that military might is the only way to remove the emperor, so Ashtar citizens work themselves to death in factories, only to be reborn so they can work themselves to death again. More Capital Ships may not be an option, but the Ashtar can still produce cruisers, corvettes, walkers, and weapons.
As far as the Emporium is concerned, the Ashtar are a small population of pacifists spread across four worlds near the galactic core. They offered no resistance to human occupation, and have allowed themselves to be herded into compounds while humans occupy their former worlds. They mine, they trade, they keep to themselves and don’t cause trouble.
In truth, the Ashtar are the last tattered remnants of an ancient race. They have gone through golden age after golden age, gone near extinct multiple times, they have won, they have lost, they have suffered and prevailed. Most of their history is lost to them in the dim reaches of aeons long passed. The Ashtar are dying. The Union is flickering out, the minds within it grow silent and fade. Only devotion to their divine task keeps them going.
Ashtar are present on a total of five worlds in the galaxy. Four are now occupied by humans, with only small compounds of Ashtar remaining. The fifth, their capital Uthuun, is hidden from the galaxy at large by dense nebulae and careful psionic screening.
Hierarch Lexus: An extremely powerful psintegrat, like all Hierarchs. Lexus in particular is specialized in telekinesis, capable of creating incredibly complicated warps with amazing effects. Lexus is incredibly arrogant, and represents that aspect of the Ashtar psyche. Even with his people in such a sorry state, Lexus remains very influential.
Hierarch Nezia: Nezia is specialized in telepathy. None are more adept with the manipulation of a mind. Nezia is cold and logical, representing that aspect of the Ashtar’s collective mentality. Nezia is another primary influencer among the Hierarchs.
Hierarch Arctus: A peerless warrior, adept with any weapon on any field of battle. Arctus represents rage and bloodlust; his aspect is usually suppressed by others, but comes to the forefront in times of war.
Hierarch Ichael: A brilliant scientist with a fascination for life and death. Ichael is notoriously unstable, arguably even insane. He represents the Ashtar’s capability for depravity, but also for compassion. His aspect is also usually repressed, and can swing either way when it emerges.
Hierarch Cyris: The last of the Ashtar seers, Cyris is capable of seeing the future. Well, potential futures. Countless potential futures that are constantly shifting, all of them equally viable until suddenly they’re not. Ok so scrying isn’t actually that useful, but it sure sounds impressive. Cyris represents hope and joy. She rarely emerges as the dominant aspect.
Llyena, Grand High Admiral of the Sacred Armadas, Betrayer of Hope, Dawnbringer, Handmaiden of Mishri, Bride of Shakras etc.: Llyena has had a long and storied life of serving the Ashtar in a variety of roles. So long and so storied that she is incapable of remembering most of it. Nobody remembers anymore where her titles came from or what some of them mean, just that they are there. Currently, Llyena serves once again as Grand High Admiral of the Sacred Armadas, even if the Sacred Armadas are practically non-existent. Formerly tempestuous and passionate, Llyena is succumbing to the fatigue that is affecting her entire race.
While Ashtar ground forces leave much to be desired, their vessels of war truly fearsome. Powerful weapons and sophisticated armour combined with advanced technologies and highly versatile FTL mean that even the pathetic remnants of the Sacred Armadas are a force to be reckoned with. The Ashtar fleets don’t adhere to traditional models; their fleet progression goes from mid sized cruisers to absolutely colossal capital ships that completely eclipse the competition. Conventional Ashtar strategy involves dispatching a single capital ship and a support fleet of cruisers and corvettes to problem areas, and letting the capital ship’s immense firepower and vast hangars solve the problem while the cruisers and corvettes fill support roles. With only one Capital Ship left and no way to build more, the Ashtar have abandoned this doctrine and keep it close to home.
Starships
Strelnikov class corvette: besides strike craft, these are the smallest vessels in the Sacred Armadas. Small, fast, and easy to build, these nimble craft are deployed in vast numbers. The standard loadout is four light yield pulsed Omega cannons, two DEL turrets, and a single omega torpedo launcher. In combat, Strelnikov’s either mass into screening formations to protect their assigned capital ship, or they form hunter-killer wolfpacks, and use their extreme speed to sweep through enemy fleets in formation and take down targets of opportunity. Strelnikov’s are small enough to operate in atmosphere as well, making them highly useful in multiple situations.
Archangel class cruiser: the workhorse of the Armadas. The Archangel is an extremely versatile medium cruiser that strikes a good balance between offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as long range and short range weaponry. Multiple variations of this class exist for different combat situations, though the long range variant is more plentiful these days. It has a higher than usual number of missile launchers, and attempts to engage enemy forces at a distance. They also play an important role in providing point defence for capital ships.
Vigilance class assault cruiser: a newer design than the Archangel that makes the fight up close and personal. The Vigilance is equipped with minimal point defence systems and missiles. Instead, it has a higher number of heavy ship-to-ship weapons, a greater number of jump drives, and heavier armour plating. The Vigilance is designed to use its FTL systems to jump right into the middle of enemy formations and unload its heavy weaponry on them, counting on its heavy armour to keep it intact until it can jump away again.
Capital ships: Each and every capital ship is a unique work of art and a triumph of the Ashtar as a race. Part battleship, part carrier, part command vessel, each of these mighty vessels is built as close to perfect as possible and with loving attention to detail. There is no standard configuration; each fulfills a purpose, though there are some generalized types that have emerged. To provide a few examples, Combat variants bring as much heavy ship-to-ship weaponry to bear as they possibly can and back it up with immense armour. ECW variants trade some firepower for extremely advanced electronic warfare suites, permitting them to interfere with the targeting systems of entire enemy fleets. Carrier variants also sacrifice firepower in exchange for much larger hangars which they use to store colossal numbers of strike craft. Even among variants, no two ships are the same. Exactly one remains; the command variant In the Deepest Chaos of the Universe We Experience Only Prevailing Tranquility. With no possibility of ever building more, Prevailing Tranquility is kept close to Uthuun more or less permanently.
Another area where the Ashtar excel, Ashtar air forces grant their ground soldiers heavy fire support and high mobility. Strelnikov corvettes see a lot of action in atmosphere; they are small and fast enough to slip past enemy fleets in orbit. Their small size and aerodymanic profile also means they are not as resource intensive to operate in atmosphere as larger ships. Strelnikovs are used to bring heavy fire support against fortified positions.
Coralis gunship: A perfect blend of performance and design, Coralis class gunships are mass produced for deployment across many fronts. Twin graviton turbines provide excellent mobility, letting the Coralis rapidly transport a surprising number of soldiers all across the battlefield. Good armour, decoy flares, and ECW tactics keep the Coralis in the skies. When acting as fire support, the Coralis boasts a number of weapon systems. Its primary armament is somewhat unusual for Ashtar craft; a pair of graviton “thumper” turrets, useful in any situations. Heavy firepower is presented by a dorsally mounted pulsed Omega cannon. Side mounted missile pods complete the Coralis’ armament.
Swiftwind fighter: The newest space superiority fighter, the Swiftwind was designed with a variable geometry nanite hull, making it suitable for both vacuum and atmosphere. Rapidfire DEL cannons, an arsenal of missiles, and two pulsed Omega cannons make it well suited for almost any opponent. Swiftwinds are remotely operated by psionic interface, so even at extreme ranges, there is no control lag. Adept Swiftwind controllers can operate three, four or even five craft simultaneously. The lack of pilots and the simplicity of producing more of them means Swiftwinds tend to be deployed in massive swarms, and are considered disposable.
Ashtar ground forces are significantly less effective than their space fleets. Their infantry is well equipped and trained, and has the unique advantage of psionic support, but they are severely lacking in armor support. This shortcoming has persisted for centuries, as the Ashtar usually rely on other Coalition members to provide the bulk of ground forces while the Ashtar attend to their fleets. When they do engage in surface warfare, they prefer mobility, and are heavily reliant on advanced gunships to quickly move them around the battlefield.
Ashtar Commando Few in number, Ashtar commandos make up for it with high end equipment and exceptional skill. They’re equipped with mk. VII power armor, which comes with built a built in graviton thumped and rapidfire DEL carbine. A variety of other wieldable weapons can be plugged into the armour’s power systems. Mk. VII power armour also comes equipped with tactical cloaking systems, wrist mounted energy sabres, and limited capability thrusters, permitting soldiers brief periods of flight. The majority of Ashtar commandos are extremely skilled warriors, having lived multiple lives and perfected their skills over hundreds of years. Death is a learning experience.
Psintegrae support commandos Psintegrat (plural psintegrae) is a general term the Ashtar use to identify all users of psionic talents, either telepathic or telekinetic. There are two common varieties: psykers and psions. Psykers are telekinetic specialists; they use their skills to throw debris at the enemy, or generate protective bubble shields for their squads, or any number of other useful things. They excel at disrupting enemy formations. Psions are dedicated telepaths. Psions are used as a form of biological electronic warfare; they spy on enemy soldiers, stealing critical information and tactics from their thoughts, anticipating their moves, and keeping friendly soldiers safe from ambushes. They can also distract enemy soldiers with illusions and other minor distractions; extremely strong psions can sometimes even take control of an enemy soldier after crushing their mind. Be they psyker or psion, Ashtar psintegrae are arguably their greatest advantage on the battlefield.
Terrestrial Vehicle support
Ether-type anti-personel walker: the Ether is a small walker that fulfils a very simple role. It has two pilots, minimal armour, the snakelike flexible limbs characteristic of Ashtar walkers, and two dual rapid fire DEL pulse cannons, which can mow down enemy infantry like blades of grass. The Ether is unfortunately not very well protected, and can be brought down with as little as well aimed small arms fire. Recognizing these flaws, they are attempting to design a new vehicle to fill this role, but until that design is complete, the Ether remains on the frontlines.
Almas-type heavy walker: in complete contrast to the Ether, the Almas is a very large, heavily armoured and heavily armed heavy walker. It is armed with a number of high-yield DEL beam weapons, ideal for slicing through enemy tanks, graviton thumpers, and a single pulsed omega cannon for use against fortified positions. The Almas, though expensive and time consuming to build, is a solid heavy armour design. However, in engagements between armour units, the lack of support available to Almas walkers is their downfall. They are usually supported by a number of Ether-type walkers, but those are easily destroyed, and then the Almas is highly vulnerable to swarm tactics, as its weapon systems are designed to engage other heavy tanks, not multiple medium tanks or platoons of infantry with rocket launchers. This is another shortcoming the Ashtar are attempting to address, and relatively few Almas walkers are currently in service.
Ashtar technology is in some respects extremely sophisticated, while in others it remains brutally simple. Their FTL systems, for example, demonstrate a highly refined mastery of gravity and dimensional physics. On the other hand, their weapons systems are primarily based around simple but highly destructive particle beams.
A note on psytech: Converting psionic power into useable physical energy was one of the Ashtar’s greatest scientific achievements, and it now forms an integral part of much of their technology. A particular type of synthesized carbon isotope crystal is able to conduct psionic energy; it can be used as a transmitter and receiver, or shaped to hold particular warp forms, which only require a trickle of psionic energy to activate. Sensors and C&C systems in particular make heavy use of the Ashtar’s inherent psionic powers. Psytech weapons are horrifically powerful, and are forbidden except for the smallest of infantry devices.
Power Generation: The basis of much Ashtaar technology is a handy little particle derived from metallic state xenon referred to as “Omega” particles. Usually highly volatile, careful manipulation can push the particles into a self sustaining stable configuration that generates vast amounts of useable power; this is usually done in devices called harmonics chambers. Harmonics chambers require power to sustain them, but generate much more than they consume. Great stress, caused by weapons fire, for example, destabilizes the Omega particles and causes a massive explosion, providing an extremely effective self-destruct sequence for Ashtar ships. The destructive potential of Omega particles is widely used in Ashtar weapons systems.
Gates: The primary Ashtar method of FTL travel, Gate drives are essentially wormhole generators. They bend and then cut through space and subspace, cutting a razor thin hole through spacetime. The other side of the Gate ends up being in another location. Gate generators mounted on ships can travel great but still limited distances, and take time to recharge. To compensate, any ship larger than a corvette will have at least two generators. Gates are extremely elaborate metaphysical constructs, and are therefore vulnerable to disruption by extreme gravity and other anomalies.
Graviton Jump Drives: An older method of FTL travel, jump drives are sturdier and more reliable than their newer counterparts. Recently brought back into common use, jump drives comprise the secondary FTL systems of Ashtar ships. Jump drives involve using intense gravitational bursts to move an object from point A to point B near instantaneously. The Ashtar have refined the technology to be useable on even small objects such as fighter craft and missiles, granting a huge amount of tactical flexibility. Jump drives trade range for rapid recharge times, leaving Gate drives responsible for long distance travel.
Armor: Ashtar ships have varying amounts of armor plating on top of the already highly resilient hull. Plating is constantly active, and is capable of absorbing and distributing tremendous force. Plating is a misleading term, as Ashtr armor is a continuous shell rather than many plates.
Shipboard Artificial Intelligence Constructs: It quickly became clear to the Ashtar that conventional computer systems could not manage their massive capital ships, even with psionic interfaces. A highly sophisticated AI system was developed to manage the more complex systems of the ship. The AI has direct control of the entire ship, permitting Captial ships to operate with a significantly reduced crew. The AI usually takes care of the more complex controls of the ship, such as the control of the thousands of point defense weapons, the control of lighter ship-to-ship weapons, internal security, and many other things, though a crew is still required. Curiously enough, the Ashtar gave each respective system aboard each respective ship it's own distinctive personality and appearance and name, making the AI almost a person. As well as appearing on display screens, the AI can project an interactive hologram of itself. The AI also has control over many service androids, and 1 highly sophisticated android known as an Avatar. This Avatar shares the AI's appearance and personality. In case of contamination or internal error, the entire AI can be shut down remotely with a unique psionic command from the Ashtar.
Psionic Interface: As well as the AI, Ashtar ships are also equipped with psionic interfaces, allowing any number of Ashtar to directly control various functions of the ship with their minds. This is what gives Ashtar corvettes their incredible maneuverability, and what gives all ships their pinpoint accuracy. This is also how fighter drones are controlled.
Directed Energy Lances (DEL): These simple energy weapons fire a beam of energy drawn directly from the power reserves of a ship. DEL are used against smaller, less powerful targets, such as frigates or light cruisers, so they are also used as point defense weapons. Appear as a thin sky blue beam. Obviously has a variable yield, making it a versatile weapon. Used by all ships.
Pulse DEL: similar to standard DELs, these ones fire pulses instead of continuous beams. They are slightly more compact, making them suitable for small craft, such as Swiftwing type interceptors. They can also be mounted on turrets for use as point defense weapons. Used by all ships.
Heavy Ship-to-Ship Omega Beam Cannons: The mainstay of Ashtar weaponry. These weapons fire a stream of omega particles which de-stabilize on impact, causing immense damage. Appear as a thick, dark blue beam. Variable yield, though still only really suitable for heavy ship combat. Mounted on large dual-barreled turrets; usually multiple turrets are placed together in batteries. The hardware necessary to generate and sustain a stable beam of Omega particles is prohibitively bulky; while extremely powerful, these weapons are only used by Ashtar capital ships and some cruiser configurations.
Pulsed Omega Cannon: Pulsed version of the heavy beam cannons. Generating a single pulse of Omega particles contained in a magnetic field is much simpler than a sustained beam, making this weapon much more compact and widely used, though it packs less of a punch than the beam version. Used by all classes of starships, some ground and air force elements.
Energy flak system: A flak system that somehow uses frikin laser beams instead of explosive shrapnel. WIP
Variable Configuration Missiles: One of the staples of Ashtar offensive power. These missiles are assembled in segments: warhead, fuselage, and drive system. There are multiple types of each segment; armour piercing warheads, anti-shield warheads, extra fuel containers, high speed drive system, enhanced tracking systems, miniaturized jump drives, etc. The segments are all interchangeable and can be assembled in any configuration, making them extremely versatile weapons.
Omega torpedo: uses a small harmonics chamber, similar to Ashtar power generators, containing large numbers of omega particles. Particles de-stabilize on impact, causing immense damage. Though vastly more potent than missiles, torpedoes are quite a bit larger and slower. This means they are more or less useless against strike craft, and can be more easily shot down by point defense. Used by all ships
Thumper Cannons: An old-but-new development deployed on Coralis gunships and as a ground weapon. The Ashtar’s previous experiments with graviton weapons were lacking the kind of finesse Ashtar prefer in their weapons, but recent conflicts have brought the weapons back into action. A gravity field generator creates pulsed gravitic distortions that are fired like bullets. The great value of thumpers is their versatility; they can fire weak shots rapidly for anti-infantry purposes, or charge a stronger shot for hardened targets. They also don’t plasmatize the atmosphere around them (an annoying habit of Omega weapons that makes them more or less fatal to ground operators as well as targets).
Ashtar infantry have a variety of weapons systems available to them. None of them have extended designations or individualized names due to mass standardization. As soon as a new DEL carbine is developed, all older models are matter recycled and new ones are synthesized. No version number is necessary; it is simply the DEL carbine.
DEL carbine: A tribute to the age old adage “keep it simple, stupid” the Directed Energy Lance carbine is about as simple as energy weapons tech gets. The carbine simply draws power from a micro fusion core and shapes it into a coherent destructive beam. While simple, the DEL carbine is by no means weak. Unprotected targets are neatly sliced apart, and the beam can deal heavy damage to armor as well. Highly modular additions can be made to the rifle in the field, increasing range at the expense of fire rate and the like. Good range, excellent accuracy, available continuous fire, no recoil and virtually no ammunition limits mean the simple DEL carbine is used by all Ashtar soldiers to great effect.
Anti-materiel omega sniper rifle: The one exception to the “Omega particles are bad news for infantry” rule, this rifle fires a single Omega particle caught up in a stabilizing polaron field. While the rifle’s purpose is indeed to destroy enemy vehicles, ‘anti-materiel’ might be something of a misnomer, since the destabilization of a single Omega particle results in a massicve explosion. Great for when you really, really, REALLY want something dead. The ammunition for this weapon is kept in micro-harmonics chambers in its inert form. When the round is chambered, the weapon activates and stabilizes the Omega particle, and establishes its polaron field. The destructive power, potential for abuse, and overall extreme danger of this weapon means that it sees very limited deployment.
Plasmacaster beam weapon: Firing a continuous stream of superheated plasma, this weapon is the pinnacle of anti-infantry technology.
Personal thumper cannon: Moderate anti-infantry capabilities in rapid fire mode, good anti-vehicle capabilities with charged shots, personal thumper cannons are a nice midway point in portable heavy weapons systems.
An army of psintegrae may seem unstoppable, but the reality is that throwing things around with the mind is extremely tiring. To that end, the Ashtar use a number of psytech based infantry weapons to maximize the efficiency of their psionic power.
Der Lancen: An Ashtar innovation adored by psintegrae from all over Coalition space, the Der Lancen warp is an extremely effective anti-armor tool. Talented psintegrae may favour using the warp directly, but the Ashtar have developed a psytech tool that any old psintegrat can use with minimal effort. The Der Lancen warp itself involves superheating a bit of metal until it reaches a plasma state, then firing it at near-relativistic speeds at an oncoming target. A powerful psintegrat can use any bit of metal lying around, or may even choose to generate the metal himself. For everyone else, there is the Der Lancen psytech charge. The charge is a cigar sized cylinder containing a carbon-isotope crystal matrix with the Der Lancen warp imprinted in it, and a small ‘warhead’ of metal. Knowledge of the warp is not required to activate the charge, only a correctly attuned nudge of psionic power. Der Lancen psytech charges are widely used by Ashtar forces, and present a more convenient anti-material option than the Omega particle sniper rifle.
Truthliit Basically a psionic flashbang, Truthliit overwhelms its targets with psionic ‘white noise’; the futility of existence, the truth of life, fear, anger, hatred, love, basically an intense barrage of conflicting thoughts and emotions that will overwhelm all but the hardiest of minds. In psytech form, it is a simple grenade-like device with the warp imprinted in carbon isotope crystal. Unlike regular flashbangs, Truthliit cannot be screened out by helmet systems. On the downside, multiple exposures will have reduced and eventually no effect as targets become psionicly ‘hardened’. For this reason, the Ashtar generally try to kill everyone caught in the radius, unless prisoners are specifically desired.
Stihlpont A nasty little follow up to Truthliit, a Stihlpont grenade explodes into tiny, monofilament sharp spikes that can completely shred exposed flesh or seek out weak points in armour. Can be psionically controlled for extreme precision.
Plasma grenades Pretty standard general purpose grenade.
Additional(whatever you feel like you want to add):
@6slyboy6 As things stand I have two half completed sheets. I'm sort of stuck between my love of ancient psychic aliens and brutally pragmatic monarchies. Any preference on your end?
@Wernher got me missing my heavily psychic nation with his neat stuff. I'm going to write up an NS for them in this setting and see how it works. If it doesn't, my Commonwealth NS is mostly done so I'll go back to that.
Outskirts of Nishir City Tarin Armed Mobile Mining Platform Beauty Queen
Cole wasn’t sure how he’d ended up here. He was a miner, same as his father, and his father’s father. What was he doing in the middle of a warzone? Why had he even signed up when the Confederacy of Independant Mining Unions started putting together a military branch? He itched at his respirator and wiped his brow as he pondered these familiar questions. It was hot today. Well, it was always hot on Tarin, but today was a real scorcher, and he was keeping watch on the AMMP’s foredeck, directly in the sun. The faint shimmering of the shields overhead did nothing to reduce the heat or the glare. The shield generator was Conk tech, like the massive graser cannons mounted around the AMMP, like the graser rifle in Cole’s hands. The Conks had been generous with their weaponry, and their investment was turning the tide of the war. The Unions were winning, if you believed the broadcasts. Cole personally wasn’t so sure; the Guilds had repelled their assault on Nishir a few days ago easily enough. Of course, now that the Unions had sent along Beauty Queen, they probably wouldn’t be so lucky.
The AMMP rolled along at a sedate pace, surrounded by a horde of smaller vehicles, ranging from armed trucks to full on tanks. It had been surprisingly easy for the Unions to adapt some of Tarin’s factories to make tanks. They packed a punch thanks to their Conk graser main cannons, but they couldn’t take many hits with their locally made armor. They struggled against Fed MBTs, but were plenty capable of handling Guild tanks.
The AMMP abruptly accelerated, and a voice crackled in Cole’s ear; “Fed dropships incoming, look sharp.” Cole hefted his rifle and scanned the skies. There, coming in from orbit. He popped off a few shots in their direction, hoping for a lucky hit. Theoretically there was no limit to the range of his graser rifle, but in practice the beam would be far too attenuated to peirce the dropships’ shields at this range. The same was not true of the AMMP’s main weapons though, and they swivelled upwards and opened fire. Gamma rays, even focused into a coherent laser beam, were not visible to the human eye, so there was no sign of what blasted one of the incoming dropships to smithereens. The guns fired again, but only partially caught a second dropship, sending careening out of the sky rather than destroying it outright. The pilot was evidently a capable person, righting the dropship and bringing it down onto the sand relatively gently.
“Scuse me son,” a voice called from behind him. Cole turned and surpressed a flash of surprise. An Ishkaan had come up behind him, but he wasn’t wearing a respirator. A Conk. Cole hadn’t known there were any Conks aboard. The Conk was carrying a graser rifle identical to Cole’s own, which he raised to his shoulder and pointed at the crashed ship. As Cole watched, the first Fed stepped out of the relatively intact dropship. His head promptly exploded as the Conk fired. The Conk lowered his rifle. “Take a few potshots every now and then kid, that should keep them pinned down until we reach them.” Cole nodded mutely, and obediently popped a few shots off at the dropship as the Conk turned away.
Liotrent