Faction Viridian Institute

Description: Technocratic, Peaceful, Dedicated to scientific advancement. Their mission is to advance scientific progress and share that knowledge with the rest of humanity.

Government: Representative democracy, with political office restricted to the highly-educated.

Owned Territory:

• Viridian System: A binary star with no planets, but a dense asteroid belt encased in a gaseous nebula.

Owned Installations:

• The Sanctuary - A massive space station located within the Viridian asteroid belt. Population estimated at 20-30 million people.
• Hundreds of manned and unmanned weapons platforms spread throughout the asteroid field to defend the station.
• A handful of small research outposts in various systems, none with any significant military presence. Most recently, some activity in the Isis-Serapis system.

History: In 2083, shortly after safe FTL technology began to spread throughout the system, a number of prominent scientists, from Earth and elsewhere, and from wildly-varying fields of study, came together with a common purpose: To advance scientific progress by traveling among the stars. Calling themselves the Tesla Institute, after the well-known scientist and visionary, they set out in a small fleet of passenger liners, cargo vessels, and escort craft, and left the Sol System behind. They intended to return one day to share their knowledge with the rest of humanity.
For the next two years, the fleet journeyed to numerous pulsars, nebulae, star systems, and singularities, learning everything they could about the universe, and witnessing wonders that were unheard-of back on Earth. They met with several other factions, trading technologies and establishing peaceful relations. Some luck was involved, as they never encountered a society that they couldn't get along with.
That changed in early 2085, when they visited the Viridian Nebula. It was a binary star system, its only planets barren and unsuitable for any form of life. Sitting in the so-called "goldilocks zone" was a massive asteroid field, far denser than anything in Sol System, and nearly impossible to navigate with current technology. On top of that, the region in and around the asteroid field contained a nebula with mix of toxic gases that would slowly melt the hulls of any ships lingering within.
While studying the nebula and stars from a safe distance, the fleet was discovered by a pirate raiding party. Despite the Institute's efforts to negotiate a peaceful solution, violence ensued. They were hopelessly outgunned, and their few escort ships could only delay the inevitable. While those brave pilots held back the attacking pirates, the civilian fleet ran in the only direction available: Into the Viridian Nebula.
The escort ships were lost, and the pirates waited patiently outside for the civilians to emerge, but they never did. After a while, the entire fleet was assumed destroyed. Fortunately, the universe had other plans.
As they hid in the nebula, the toxic clouds ate away at their hull and ship after ship was lost to asteroid collisions. Few survived, but those who did owed their lives to pure ingenuity. A group of physicists and engineers put their minds and ideas together, developing the first prototypes of what would later be known as Solar Shielding. After several days and many losses, they generated the first fields to neutralize the deterioration of their hulls and save what remained of their fleet. Combined with the few point defenses on their ships, they managed to conquer the nebula.
With their fleet weakened, and parts of it incapable of FTL travel, they elected to remain in what they deemed the perfect shelter. Humanity had spread out too far, and if they returned to the outside universe, they knew they would only fall victim to another hostile force. Gathering together, they merged their ships together to form the core of what would later be known as The Sanctuary, housing the people who now called themselves the Viridian Institute, in honor of their new home.
Over the next century, their society grew and grew. They developed new defense and technologies to help them survive in the nebula, and depended on that same hostile environment to hide and protect them. They mined the asteroids for materials, and quickly expanded their makeshift station into a sustainable ecosystem, later filled with forests, jungles, and even what could almost be called an ocean. While it was divided into mostly-self-sufficient colonies that could be isolated in the event of disaster, that division never proved necessary. Several years after their arrival, they made contact with their nearest neighbors, trading minerals and technology and establishing peaceful relations, always keeping their exact location secret (At least for a while). They built weapons platforms in the asteroid field, knowing that one day they would need to defend themselves, but vowed never to be the aggressors.
Once they were rediscovered, the reaction was better than they could have anticipated. Their peaceful society and technological advances had earned them a reputation, and others wanted in. Scientists and academics came from great distances to join them, and their population ballooned rapidly from tens of thousands to millions. The Sanctuary grew and grew, and is now the size of a small country.
Now, after nearly a century of relative isolation, the Viridian Institute is returning to the world. Their first long-range exploration vessel, the Nikola, has left the nebula to resume their mission: To advance scientific progress and share their knowledge with the rest of humanity.

Additional Notes:

• Their official policy is that of complete neutrality and non-aggression, but they maintain strong defenses within the Viridian Nebula
  
• Does possess an organized military, but it consists only of a small core of well-trained soldiers and a large group of reservists who, while having rudimentary combat training, mainly just maintain the military hardware. Military service in the reserves is required of most citizens, but career soldiers aren't generally admired by the citizenry. They are seen as an unfortunate necessity, so while well-treated, they aren't usually well-liked.

The Sanctuary:

The only permanent structure of any significant size controlled by the Institute, this massive space station lays hidden deep inside the Viridian System's asteroid field. A network of hundreds of manned and unmanned surveillance and defense platforms, mounted on some of the larger rocks, serve to protect this landmark achievement from natural and artificial threats. A sophisticated defense system coordinates these platforms to turn the asteroid field from a deadly threat to a friendly protector, redirecting the hurtling rocks to pass safely around the vulnerable structure. Of course, rocks aren't the only enemy to be conquered in this hostile system. The Sanctuary makes heavy use of the Institute's advanced Solar Shielding technology on its outer hull, protecting it from the corrosive gases of the nebula and the frequent solar flares from the twin suns. All of these defenses work together to provide a safe haven for the tens of millions of peaceful citizens of the Viridian Institute.

The station itself is the size of a small country, growing at a slow and steady pace to match the increasing population. While the original core is a strange amalgamation of the hulls of the original research fleet and their hasty augmentations, dubbed the "Old City", the haphazard improvisation ends there. A series of nearly-identical domes and habitation modules extend outward to form the twelve districts that comprise the Sanctuary. While space is inherently three-dimensional, the overall layout of the station uses only two, giving the inhabitants the constancy and familiarity of a planetary environment, and making navigation within the structure as intuitive as navigating an urban area on Earth.
The layout is only the first of many efforts to make the Viridian system feel like home. The Institute makes heavy use of holographic displays on the interior walls to simulate outdoor areas, particularly since the station hull is devoid of any transparency. The shielding technology does not preclude the use of windows, but they would require much more frequent maintenance due to the effects of the nebula. Instead, the interior hull is turned into a simulation of the skies of Earth, or of more exotic environments in certain areas.

Of course, when housing tens of millions of people in an enclosed space, some compromises must be reached. The habitation modules take the form of massive cylinders, each with living space for about a quarter million people. Visualize a ring-shaped skyscraper, a hundred fifty stories tall, with a vast open courtyard in the center. Each floor of the module consists of about five hundred living units, in two concentric circles, with the more prestigious residences on the inner ring having private balconies overlooking the public areas below. Those areas contain the markets, schools, and other facilities that make each habitation module feel like a complete neighborhood.
Each district contains ten of these modules, along with some number of enormous domes which contain the commercial, industrial, agricultural, and scientific structures needed to form a self-sufficient society. Most of these domes are multi-purpose, but some are dedicated solely to a particular function. Several contain nothing but orchards and farmland, some contain factory complexes, and some are vast marketplaces for inter-district commerce. A couple even contain massive reservoirs, providing both potable water and tropical vacation spots.

In most areas, public transportation consists of a network of moving sidewalks that can bring a person from one end of their district to the other without the need of a vehicle. For longer trips, electric trams run on magnetic rails between the districts, and passenger shuttles depart regularly from exterior docks. Wheeled drones provide friendly assistance by carrying luggage and helping to navigate the urban jungles. In case of trouble, as no society can free itself from basic human nature, all public areas are constantly monitored by centralized security systems, and police officers are never far away.
Technology can't solve all of humanity's problems yet, but this is the Viridian Institute we're talking about... Just give them time.

EDIT 2015-07-23: Tweaked the dates to mesh with the new lore
EDIT 2015-08-25: Added details on the Sanctuary

 

Technology

Solar Shielding
All vessels (Even the Sanctuary and utility ships) have their outer plating augmented with an energy field that keeps them safe from the corrosive gas clouds of the Viridian Nebula and the frequent solar flares from the twin stars. This is not designed for combat, but may provide a small-to-moderate reduction in damage from some types of energy weapons, should greatly mitigate any blast damage from nearby explosives, and provides almost perfect protection from EMPs outside the ship (No effect if they're inside the hull). No effect on projectile weapons, shock waves, or missiles that contact or penetrate the hull.

Large ships generally keep this shielding active at all times, but smaller vessels can usually only maintain it for short periods.

AMGReS Point Defense (Anti-Meteoroid Gravity Redirection System)
A modification of the commonly-used gravity generators that works at medium range. Mounted on paired turrets on their installations and larger ships, these defensive weapons fire a pair of graviton beams at incoming projectiles that would strike the vessel. When these beams intersect, they briefly create a strong, but not large, gravitational field in any desired direction. This is used to alter the trajectory of meteoroids to route them safely away. Like the shielding, this was not designed for combat use, but it could potentially be used on small fighters or medium/large projectiles to interrupt their attack patterns or even put one fighter on a collision course with another (If they're close together). The field takes a couple seconds to form once the beams intersect, so is only useful against targets on a constant trajectory or predictable path, and would not react quickly enough to defend against short/medium range projectiles.

Directional Wave Focus (DWF)
This prototype energy field, being used for the first time on the Explorer-class vessels, is an adaptation of the solar shielding and AMGReS that modifies various types of signals traveling to and from the ship. It works primarily on electromagnetism and gravitons, but can be adapted. The intended purpose is to augment the already-powerful scanning and observation systems by focusing or de-focusing the energy. When in use, this greatly extends their sensor and detection range. When the field is reversed, it has the opposite effect, greatly reducing sensors, but also reducing and dissipating emissions that could be used to detect them from a distance (It hides the ship from enemy long-range sensors). This has several limitations... As it interacts heavily with the above two systems, both the solar shielding and AMGReS must be deactivated when the DWF is in use in either mode. Also, the "cloaking" effect is not omnidirectional, and can only cover between a quarter and a third of the ship, like holding a circular or elliptical disc between the ship and the enemy. Finally, the field doesn't block everything - It must be focused on a specific range of wavelengths or wave types. The wider that range, the less the effect. For example, if used for the visual spectrum, it would only cause a slight blurring, but if focused on a specific frequency, it could render the ship invisible to that frequency or greatly multiply the effectiveness of scans using that frequency.

Electric Shock over Particle Stream (ESoPS)
The ESoPS system, probably named by the same people who coined 'AMGReS', is an experimental, long-range, ship-based weapon system. Like much of the VI technology, it's designed to be non-lethal, at least when used properly. The weapon emits a thin stream of charged ions at near-relativistic speeds, creating a connection between the equipped vessel and the target. This stream does no damage on its own, but serves as a bridge for the second part. A series of electric pulses are sent along the stream to the target vessel, overloading and fusing its power junctions, disabling its systems. Though no actual human testing has been done, experiments have shown low to moderate risk to ship crew under normal circumstances (Depending on level of contact with conductive surfaces).
While a single shot can sometimes completely disable even a small cruiser at long range, the power required for such a strike is massive. The ESoPS system needs time to build up the required charge, and cannot be safely kept at maximum power for extended periods. As the weapon itself is rather large and heavy, it cannot be reliably mounted on a turreted base, so is ineffective against fast-moving targets. Researchers are investigating ways to reduce the footprint, but have not yet been successful.
Defense against this weapon is so far theoretical, but could be accomplished by insulating the entire hull against electrical charges, or using non-conductive materials in ship construction. Both options add cost and complexity to ship design, so are not often seen in the wild.
Scientists and interns on this project have often commented on the stunning visual effect of the weapon. The electric pulses heat the particle stream, causing it to flicker and glow for the few brief moments of the weapon discharge. It is this effect that has given the ESoPS system its nickname: the Lightning Cannon.

Balance: Extremely effective against metal/conductive armor. Can overload energy-based defenses or reactive armor if the power level is sufficient. Gravity-based defenses can curve the beam slightly. Requires a fixed mount on a large ship (Cruiser or larger), so cannot track fighters, projectiles, or fast-moving corvettes unless on a head-on trajectory. Requires a charge-up time immediately before firing. If not successfully fired (Or if the shot misses), the system can backfire, damaging or disabling the vessel.

Quantum Warp Hybrid Drive
A prototype FTL system being tested on the Nikola, the QWHD effectively allows instantaneous jumps with range limited only by the size of the ship's jump capacitors. A relocation-style FTL drive requires precise arrival coordinates, and a warp-style FTL requires significant travel time at long distances. This combines the two in a two-stage process.

While the QWHD can work as a normal, warp-style FTL (With all of the associated limitations) for shorter trips, it also contains a translocation system and what the developers have termed a "transwarp catapult." Borrowing a page from the old Tanhauser catapults, this system propels a custom-designed drone craft into warp at speeds previously-unheard-of. Upon arrival, the drone deploys a tachyon beacon which allows the main craft to jump to its location and retrieve it.

The Pathfinder-class drone shuttle is the first such craft, employing a lightweight frame and a warp braking system. As the transwarp journey is deadly to life forms, the shuttle is completely automated. In order to maximize the possible distance, it is unarmed and unarmored, with only rudimentary maneuvering thrusters. The warp braking system is capable of making minor adjustments to its trajectory and arrival point during the transwarp, and greatly increases the reliability.

Balance: The drone requires some travel time (Though on the order of minutes instead of days), and is completely vulnerable upon arrival. It also cannot jump into a strong gravity well, as it interferes with the warp braking system. Accuracy is rather poor, so the actual point of arrival in the system can't be reliably predicted, though it can only operate near the Tsukayama limit of the system. Once the drone is launched, the translocation step cannot occur until the main vessel recharges its FTL drive (The first step discharges it) and the drone deploys its tachyon beacons. The drone's beacon system is paired via quantum entanglement to a single parent vessel, so only that ship can jump. Afterwards, the drone must retract its beacons and re-dock with the parent vessel before it can be launched again.

Stun Weaponry
Though the Viridians are pacifists, they recognize the need to enforce peace at times. They have designed non-lethal weaponry for use by their security forces (Though they have access to conventional weapons for emergencies). These "stun" weapons maintain the same form factors as traditional firearms (Semi-auto pistols and rifles), but use specialized ammo and power cells. Lightweight, metal, low-velocity rounds are used to avoid skin penetration. When the trigger is depressed partway, a strong electrical charge is passed into the round, which is then magnetically launched (Like a rail gun). When the round impacts, the impact destabilizes the charge and passes it to the target. This briefly disables the nervous system and causes a great deal of pain, but very rarely causes any permanent damage. Since the stun uses an electrical charge, this is ineffective against non-conductive armor. Since the bullet is light and subsonic, it is ineffective at long range and subject to atmospheric effects. The weapon requires both ammunition and power, but the power cells can last through several magazines before needing a recharge. The weapon makes very little sound (No gunpowder, no supersonics), so is always effectively "silenced".

EVA Equipment

• Lightly-armored exosuits with small RCS packs
• Video recording and advanced HUD built into helmets
• Short-range scanners, primarily infrared, used to detect life signs and heat signatures in adjacent rooms (Designed for internal security and police force)

Other
As the Viridians are a science-focused society, they have a number of other unique technologies, but these are related to environmental stability/sustainability (They don't have a planet), quality-of-life for their civilian population, and so on. While these are not useful for combat or fleet operations, they are often used as barter when dealing with other factions.

Numerous other military technologies have also been developed, but are not in active use outside of the Viridian system, due to their pacifist stance.

EDIT: Added the Lightning Cannon (2015-04-07)
EDIT: Added the Quantum Warp Hybrid Drive (2015-07-08)

 

Available Assets

Guardian-class Battleships (System Defense)

• VI Paine
• VI Wallace
• VI Bolivar
• VI Trotsky (Under construction)

Explorer-class Carrier (Research/Exploration/Diplomatic)

• VI Nikola [CR]

Ambassador-class Dropship (Passenger/cargo yacht)

• VI Aristotle, docked to Nikola [CR]
• VI Boltzmann, docked to Nikola [CR]
• VI Curie, docked to Nikola [CR]
• VI Drexler, docked to Nikola [CR]

Pathfinder-class Shuttle (Warp beacon drone)

• VI Tenzing, docked to Nikola

Tags:

• CR = Participated in C2 Session 1 (Canon-Rei)

 

Personnel

Military:

• Cmdr. Lucas Malaryk (53/male) - Ranking military officer on the Nikola (The VI doesn't use ranks above Commander, in an effort to de-emphasize their military role). One of the few military officers who has seen actual combat (Immigrated to the VI in his 30s, and ascended quickly). No scientific background. No family to speak of, so he's all about the job.
  
• Lt. Cmdr. James Mills (37/male) - First officer / XO. Well-trained and capable, but has never experienced real (non-simulated) battle. Novice background in geology, but never really took to science. Has a wife (Biologist) and four young children back at the Sanctuary.
  
• Lt. Danielle Varra (28/female) - Second officer, in charge of civilian defense. Skilled marksman and decent in hand-to-hand combat, though of only average strength/agility. Smart enough to be a scientist, and studied computer engineering for a while, but after her mandatory military service, chose to become a career soldier instead. Dedicated to the job, but has some skeletons in her closet.
  
• Ens. Maria Wellington (47/female) - Chief Engineer. Actually an accomplished scientist and inventor (Mechanical Engineering), but joined the military after learning that a military officer would be assigned the Chief Engineer post on the Nikola. Being one of the original designers, she couldn't let that happen. Extremely skilled, but can be a bit absent-minded. Despite her military rank, has only very basic training from her mandatory service decades ago.

Minor characters:

• Ens. Tiller - Co-pilot of the Aristotle
  
• Ens. Rane - Pilot of the Boltzmann
  
• Ens. Davies - Pilot of the Drexler
  
• Ens. Wilson - Co-pilot of the Boltzmann
  
• Ens. Karen DeMarco - Comms Officer, Nikola, Bravo Shift
• Ch. Po. Jerome Reddan - Security staff, advanced combat training [CR-i]
  
• Po. Orson - Security staff, escorting Mr. Kanning on the Aristotle/Boltzmann [CR-i]
  
• Po. Mikael Lanov - Security staff, specialized in forensics [CR-i]
  
• Po. Keith Martin - Security staff [CR-i]
  
• Po. Will Tam - Security staff [CR-i]
  
• Po. Phillip Arneau - Security staff [CR-i]
  
• Po. Vasquez - Co-pilot of the Drexler

Civilian:

• Councilman Hans Reiser (68/male) - Long-time member of the ruling council on the Sanctuary. Accomplished in molecular biology and organic chemistry, but not unmatched. Spent several extra years in the military, beyond the required term, and has more respect for them than most. Because of that, he is the official liaison between the council and the military commanders.
• Councilman Taisei Takeda (71/male) - Long-time member of the ruling council on the Sanctuary. Brilliant physicist, who branched out into the humanities with extensive research into clinical psychology and what he called "Xenopsychology."
• Chief Scientist Ronald Amilar (54/male) - Head of research on the Nikola. Accomplished in nuclear physics and particle physics, one of the best in both fields (Lot of competition for this position). Previously married, but became too obsessed with his work to maintain any relationships.
  
• Diplomat Simon Jorn (42/male) - Intermediate-level psychologist by trade, but chief diplomat on this mission. Basically a mix of politician and public relations. Three children (Two by his ex-wife, one by his current wife) that he has no interest in raising. Good at his job, but not a very good person.

Minor characters:

• Dr. Arthur Varra (36/male) - Medical doctor, and older brother of Danielle Varra [CR-i]
  
• Dr. Marcia Avery (44/female) - Xenobiologist
  
• Mr. Kanning - Astronomer on-board the Aristotle
• Dr. Janet Loreski (51/female) - Software Engineer, specializing in neural networking and human analogues.

Tags:

• CR-i = Participated in the station boarding operation in Canon-Rei (C2 Session 1)

 

Explorer-class Carrier



Mission Role: Exploration, Research, Diplomacy, Medical

Crew:

• 20-25 military officers, primarily flight crew and maintenance chiefs
• 10-15 security personnel (Ship security, bodyguards)
• 10-15 support personnel (Catering, etc)
• 50-75 medical and research staff
• (Total: 90-130)
• (Capacity: 330 including passengers)

Weapons Loadout:

• 16 x AMGReS Point Defense (See faction notes), arranged in pairs. 6 each to port and starboard, two covering the rear, and two covering the front. Note that these are designed to use against meteroids, not hostile forces, so are not very combat-effective. There are blind spots above and below, but only near the hull.
• No offensive weapons

Stored Munitions: n/a

Defensive Capabilities:

• Solar Shielding
• Directional Wave Focus (DWF)
• Lightly-armored, despite its size, and not very maneuverable.

Special Equipment:

• Greatly-enhanced sensors using DWF tech.
• Fast-recharging, long-range FTL drive (Warp-style, not teleportation)
• FTL communications and scanners (Long-range - Can reach the Sanctuary)
• Limited refining and manufacturing equipment, too small for ship-scale equipment (Designed to build lab tools, internal devices, and replacement probes)
• Small hangar bay for drones (see below). Could potentially fit a couple small fighters, but it would be a tight squeeze and it might cause some damage, as the heat shielding is only designed for drone RCS thrusters, not ship thrusters.
• 30 human-sized short-range utility drones (Basically an RCS block with a tool mount). Intended for external repairs or small amounts of mining. Could be outfitted with small-scale weaponry, but none is on-board, so it would take quite a while to manufacture.
• 20 long-range sensor probes, launched from tubes to port and starboard (Tubes are unshielded and unsuitable for weaponry). These are basically sensor packages with antennas and batteries, and can be manufactured on-board. Intended for scientific use.
• Of the 30-40 military/security personnel on-board, maybe five could be considered combat-ready (Potential boarding party)
• Contains 4 x external docking ports specifically-molded for the Ambassador-class dropships. Two to port, two to starboard. When docked, the defensive systems of the Explorer-class can protect the smaller ships. These ports are custom-designed for the Ambassador-class dropships, and would not be suitable for other ships. Two of these ships are outfitted for passengers, two for cargo transport, but they can be refit as needed.
• Rooms/bunks for approximately 200 passengers in addition to current crew complement
• Advanced medical bay
• Six large laboratories, and four engineering bays (For research, not ship systems)
• Most of the interior maintenance and logistical operations are performed by wheeled drones, remotely controlled by the central computer.

Flaws:

• The Nikola is a prototype. It has not been tested in combat situations, so issues are likely to develop.
• (More of a faction flaw) - Being that the ship is run by scientists and engineers, they tend to do stupid things in the name of science, if the military crew don't keep an eye on them.

 

Ambassador-class Light Dropship



Mission Role: Passenger or light cargo transport depending on loadout (Explorer contains two of each), Advance scout and dropship for Explorer-class

Weapons Loadout: None
Stored Munitions: None
Defensive Capabilities:

• Solar Shielding - Due to power constraints, can only be maintained for short trips. Intended for use inside the Viridian Nebula, not typically used elsewhere.
• Does NOT support the AMGReS system. When traveling unattached in the nebula, depends on the Sanctuary and other ships/platforms to predict or redirect meteoroids.
• Very light armor, even considering its size. Even hand weapons could breach the hull, with a little effort

Special Equipment:

• Short-range warp-style FTL (Not intended to go very far from the mothership)
• Enhanced sensors, though since it lacks the Directional Wave Focus tech, not nearly as powerful as the mothership.
• Short-range FTL relay (Cannot reach back to the Sanctuary), for direct communication with the mothership.

Additional Notes:

• Streamlined and designed to dock with friendly ships/stations.
• Designed to look and feel somewhat luxurious, like first-class air travel. This is generally the first anyone sees of the faction, so it makes a good impression.
• Quick and agile for its size, but not to the point of being combat-maneuverable.
• Capable of atmospheric flight and landings using normally-retracted winglets and landing gear (The mothership is not), but depending on the gravity and atmosphere, may need to refuel on the ground before returning to space. Solar shielding is needed to protect the hull during aerobraking maneuvers.
• Can be operated by a single pilot, but two is standard. No other crew required, but can hold up to 20 passengers (Seating only - No bunks) or the equivalent amount of cargo.

 

Pathfinder-class Shuttle

(Image Pending - General size and shape of a sports car, wedged in the front and mostly featureless. Same blue-on-white paint job as the other VI ships)

Mission Role: Launches to distant location to deploy FTL beacon for mothership

Weapons Loadout: None.
Stored Munitions: Contained self-destruct mechanism (Melting, not explosive) attached to warp braking system (To prevent capture of advanced technology)
Defensive Capabilities: None.

Special Equipment:

• Warp Braking system - Capable of slightly adjusting trajectory during a transwarp journey
• Tachyon Beacons (4) - Attached to arms that extend out from the hull. Quantum-paired to the mothership during launch. Allows long-range communication, but only with the mothership.
• Automated Control System - Not a true A.I. (No self-awareness or learning ability), but capable of analyzing scan results, giving simple responses to communications, and triggering the self-destruct of the advanced tech if in danger of capture.

Additional Notes:

• Extremely lightweight (Due to limitations of the transwarp system).
• No passenger cabin or life support system
• Minimal propulsion system, used only for docking upon mothership arrival.
• Only enough power for a few hours of operation

 

Guardian-class Battleship



Mission Role: Defense of the Viridian System.

Crew: 300-400, but most are usually enlistees performing their mandatory military service

Weapons Loadout:

• Two front-mounted, gravity-based, mass drivers. See details below.
• 12 front-mounted, 250mm cannons
• 16 front-mounted, variable-load guided missile launchers
• 28 turreted rocket pods along the port, starboard, and dorsal hull, near the bow
• 102 high-energy AMGReS turrets

Stored Munitions:

• 250mm armor-piercing ammunition for the cannons
• High-explosive, unguided rockets for the turrets
• HE missiles, guided by visual, infrared tracking, or remote control
• Multi-function remote drones. See details below.

Defensive Capabilities:

• Solar Shielding - Designed to protect from the frequent solar activity from the Viridian suns, this can also reduce damage from directed energy weapons or exterior explosions. Does not affect physical projectiles, and any explosions at or beneath the hull would actually be amplified, as they would be directed entirely inward.
  
• Hull armor is lighter than would be expected on a battleship, due to the requirements of the Solar Shielding
• The AMGReS turrets are designed for constant use, redirecting meteoroids around the ship, or even using them to intercept incoming projectiles. They can also effectively redirect unguided munitions by targeting them directly, though can be easily overwhelmed by rapid fire (Gatlings, for example), and can only delay guided missiles slightly. Used en masse, they can be used to maneuver unpowered or disabled vessels into the hangar bays

Special Equipment:

• Mass-drivers: These fire 25-meter-long, explosive penetrating rounds. The ship only carries one round per cannon (For obvious reasons), and must return to dock to be reloaded. This weapon has only been used once in actual combat, against a particularly-dangerous group of pirates, and the results weren't pretty. No vessel has attacked a Guardian since.
  
• Tachyon communications link the Guardian to the Viridian Defense Network, letting it coordinate operations with the hundreds of fixed platforms scattered throughout the asteroid field
• Intra-system FTL - Relocation-style, recharges in only a few minutes, but only works at interplanetary distances. Cannot jump out of the system.
• Hangar/drone bay. The belly of the ship holds a large landing bay, used for drones, shuttles, and small confiscated vessels. The Guardian carries a large number of remote drones, ranging from suitcase-sized to human-sized. These can be used for minor repairs, mining, retrieval operations, or even light combat. They can be equipped with light gatling cannons to target and disable unshielded systems when intercepting pirates or smugglers, but are no threat to armored vessels.

Additional Notes / Balance:

• Unlike the streamlined dropships and the Nikola, these are designed for functionality instead of comfort. The simple, boxy shape, without any unwieldy nacelles or large projections, make it easier to defend from the natural hazards of the nebula.
• As the sole military vessel of the VI, the Guardian-class Battleship is designed to defend the Sanctuary at all costs. It is at its strongest when fighting inside the asteroid field itself, as it can coordinate with the defense network to turn the rocks themselves into both shields and weapons. In open space, away from the rest of the network, its light hull armor makes it easy prey for anyone able to push past its defensive turrets. Gatling-type weapons are particularly effective in this regard.
• By using a relocation-style jump drive and coordinating with the fixed platforms at the arrival point, the Guardian can actually jump safely inside the asteroid field. The platforms will both clear the arrival zone, and provide exact coordinates for transit. Due to this capability, this vessel is rarely seen in open space. As any pirates in the region would attest, you never see a Guardian until you're already staring into its mass drivers.
• Most of the firepower is focused toward the bow of the ship, so while the aft section isn't entirely undefended, it is comparatively weaker, leaving the vessel vulnerable to flanking maneuvers when not protected by the defense network.