*Mor change: One per every 100hs needed.
*TL changes: Dreadnought Missiles, PDS, WGG and BGG, etc…
Advanced Hulls(DDa): Stated unabashedly as a new concept that represents the first major design change in standard warship hulls since the advent of the first warship, the Horune showed great interest in these advanced hulls. A large engine pod mounted on a strut that sticks out the side of a warship, these new engine designs and hull forms grab the gluons and muons of higher energy states more efficiently, which translates into higher movement rates. The development of the engine pod allowed for higher speeds to be maintained tactically and includes less vulnerability to missiles since the large pod and strut protects the enter hull across a part of it’s length. Another advantage was the plasma energy core of a Horune warship was placed in the same shielded area, radically improving a ship’s survivability. Finally, the room regularly dedicated to engine rooms became available for large defensive/offensive suites, making these types of warships fantastically more lethal than the standard warship. TL 14, Horune only, +20% to hull cost, speed increase of +1 (tactical). 20,000 to develop.
Advanced J Engines(Jx): Developed by the stern Vestrii race, the Jx is a J-class engine that can transit without Jc, J turn mode, and uses J power as well(ie engines/move point). Transit effect lasts for two turns(as opposed to one per rules) and max strategic speed is ½ tactical. The Jx engines can only deploy a 50 tactical hex jump cone. Engine costs: 25MCr, 1 hs each. In each turn of use at maximum power, there is a 2% chance of acoherency, building up each turn, but if the drive is stepped down for one turn, the harmonic instantly dissipates. Because of a build-up of drive harmonics, the use of the Jx drive is risky. When a ship goes acoherent, it is spread over a multitude of dimensions and forever unable to reconstitute herself, disappearing into the howling depths of eternity(tac use only). TL8, dev cost: 12,000. Kencyr’s idea
Antimatter Blackhole Powerplants(AMBP): In the depths of space a cluster of unusual artifacts have been found and they are thought to be Hiver-built. Located in a system with a Blue Giant and a Black Hole companion, these systems have been probed by many races, to no avail. AMBP are automated systems, a group of huge rods in space(two dozen have been counted so far), each over a thousand feet in length and are located near the entrance of the black hole. This black hole spews out a ‘wind’ of oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, argon, and iron at nearly one million miles per hour. The gases alone are heated to one hundred thousand degrees Celsius or more but still the AMBP stay in place, sucking in power from the radiation jets spewing from the hole of death. Somehow the huge rods, which are slightly out of phase with our universe, stay in place at the event horizon, not falling in. The AMBP apparently channel power to several nearby collectors but it is unknown how they do so, some sort of subspace or fold-space transmission? They are also made out of a superdense material that no one has been able to duplicate. Cost: Unknown, Tech Level: Unknown but High, Development Cost: Unknown, High.
Automated Repair Shop: One of the inventions that let the Horune race withstand the Rish juggernaut was the Automated Repair Shop. Deploying hundreds in hollowed-out asteroids, the Horune built a vast resupply and repair network to help sustain their fleets. Unfortunately, the Rish Imperial Navy was never able to hunt down and destroy all these automated systems, which continue to repair and build the computer-controlled warships within Horune Space. Build/Repair rates: 10+(2*tl). Hull rebate is 6, up front 4. This system is 15 hull spaces in size, TL14, cost 200MCr, and gets 90% of all it’s materials from surrounding asteroids. Dev cost: 20,000.
Counter Pod Minefield-Prototype(CMP1): With a desperate need for a anti-SBMHAWK system, the Draka developed the CMP1 rapidly and sold it to nearly every race within their alliance, recouping it’s high development costs. A lower-tech version of the counter Pod Minefield, the CMP1 has the same abilities as the CPM, but with 70% of it’s ability to shoot down SBMHAWKs. 100MCr a pattern, autotarget, can fire on SBMHAWKs only! TL9, dev cost: 10,000.
Deep Radar Sites(DRad): A fundamentally new defense system, deep radar sites are powerful detectors, picking up warships at ranges 50% greater than regular worlds. Deep Radar are powerful long-range radar sites that can only be based on planets or moons and are stand-alone systems(cannot be placed in PDCs). They must be placed on opposite sides of a planet/moon to function effectively. Boosts detection by 50%, 200MCr each, two needed per planet. TL6, dev cost: 5,0000.
Enhanced Hulls(DDe): The second generation Horune warship, Enhanced hulls are TL16, and are +30% to hull cost, speed increase of +2 (tactical). 30,000 to develop.
Fighter Laser/Gun(fLG): The beginning of the Dominion War did not go well for the Draka, who proceeded to crash develop the Fighter Laser/Gun system after the loss of the orbital facilities around the Bangalore Super Gas Giant. This system is a fighter laser/gun and can be used as a dual mode item that operates as a regular fL and as a fG. One important difference is that when operating as fG it uses the fL range table(ie 5 5 3 1 1). It does NOT have extra damage capability for either. TL7, cost 10MCr, 1 BP space(internal or external). Dev: 8,000. This is Kencyr’s idea.
Hetlaser Strip(HET3): One of the most important systems ever developed by the volatile Horune race, the Hetlaser Strip had a major impact on the fighting, especially in the Battle of H6. This was the first time the Rishatha Imperium had ever come into contact with a Horune ship which mounted the new laser system, and it was indeed a rude shock. The computer(Cpu) on the warship bends the laser’s ‘rubber mirror’ hundreds of times a second to keep the beam fixed on target. Three hull spaces in size, fires as full-strength hetlaser or anti-fighter fire(can fire on up to 2 sqdns). Can be overloaded once, to 200% damage(once per 12 hours) or to rapid-fire mode(x2 shots a turn for three consecutive turns, once per every 12 hours). TL16, Cost: 200 MCr, dev: 30,000.
Improved Hulls(DDi): Thankfully few of these Horune warships were built during the Eighth Interregional Conflict, which saw the widespread use of Black Hole Generators, Gigaton Warheads, and these deadly hull forms. TL18, Horune only, +40% to hull cost, speed increase of +3 (tactical). 40,000 to develop.
Microsatellites(Msat): The invention of microsats helped the Chonogua in their war with the intolerant Jamibitchow Empire. These are very small sats, actually dozens of small sats that are very difficult to find. They can be detected only in the same hex after one week of searching a planetary orbit(the planets’ magnetic field hides the sats). Msat can only be placed in planet orbit only, not in deepspace; they must orbit a planet. TL9, +50% cost to regular satellite build, dev cost: 5,000.
Plasma Energy Core(Pec): First developed by the Horune, the Plasma Energy Core is a a super-advanced energy distribution system designed to function as Fur1/2/3 all in one. This system can be mounted anywhere within a ship and explodes when hit, doing 50 points of internal damage. Three hull spaces in size, costs 150 MCr, tech level fifteen, dev cost: 20,000.
Point Defense – Stand Alone(Dp): A integrated system consisting of a cueing sensor, a tracking and fire control sensor, and dozens of hit-to-kill projectiles that can intercept and destroy an incoming missile, bomb, or fighter rocket. Dp was initially conceived as a system to be mounted on Bolos or Mobile Battle Platforms to provide self-contained, mobile defense. Dp gives an ability to target incoming missiles. A low-tech system(TL5), the Dp gives any unit mounting it a point defense capability equal to Pd1/Pd2. Available for every system to use, from power plants to PDCs. Can be adapted to ground-based automated weapons systems or other ground systems(such as automated weapons or Bolos). By itself, it enables any system mounting it to fire as a Pd1/Pd2. One hull space is size, TL5, cost 50MCr, dev cost: 5,000.
Small Craft Defense System(Dss): In the field of small craft, the fighter is dominant, a truth that had endured for decades until the development of the Small Craft Defense System. The Dss, which tracks the gravitic drives of other small craft, is a countermeasure system comprised of a missile warning system, a turret, and a central processor. The Dss focuses its laser beam on approaching fighters and missiles and destroys them. The sensor detects an incoming fighter or missile from it’s gravitic ‘plume’, determines if its trajectory is a threat to the mounting small craft, and provides instant data to their flight crew(who can take evasive action). A automated system, the processor then commands the turret to slew to that position and fine gravitic sensors lock onto the missile or fighter, even if it cuts its drive. Command to fire is computer-driven, enabling the flight crew to concentrate on survival or their current strike. Many high-tech fighters have been shot down over low-tech worlds because of the development of this system. The Dss system provides a +1 to target missiles if mounting a D-series weapon, and can fire it’s laser at a fighter or missile. Available only to small craft(except fighters), 360 degree arc of fire. The Dss is 4BP, 8MCr, TL6, dev cost: 4,000.
Have you met the Screamers yet? Hopefully not, for they are one of the most lethal, and gruesome, alien races in the Known Galaxy. Scavaging bodies parts and local metals, these robotic horrors multiply like mad, undermining a planets’ very survival. In addition, the Screamers, once introduced into a planetary society, begin to rapidly raise lethal PCFs at their hosts’ tech level. The Screamers grab PU and IU and time is on their side as they convert these materials into fearless troopers. The bloody rampage that follows usually overwhelms a world’s defenders rapidly and spaceforces unfortunately have to eliminate the entire planet from orbit(genocidal bombardment). The spread of the Screamers across the Rishatha Imperium has only been halted by the high-tech computer skills of the Tolat race but several Screamer warships have fled into the night, away from the Imperial borders and deep into unknown space. Courtesy of Todd Kess
“This is SO boring,” Subcomannder Pak griped, staring at his tactical console. The airfilter’s clunky fan hummed irritatingly as Pak hunched over his screen. The heavy atmosphere and purple smoke filled the bridge as usual, recreating the Hudlar homeworlds’ natural enviroment. The smoke also produced a dense haziness throughout the bridge(which was against standard regulations) but the Captain liked it, so it stayed, regardless of the regs.
“Shaddup!” Sub-Lieutenant Mook muttered loudly enough from the command chair. He wasn’t fifteen feet away from Pak but he was nearly invisible in the haze, picking at his purple-stained rotting teeth. Being a Hudlar (a race known galaxy-wide for their thick-wittedness) it was hard to maintain any kind of discipline on the command deck without the overbearing force of the Captain nearby, the Lieutenant thought moodily. As long as the crew didn’t screw up on his shift, he didn’t care.
Mook snorted under his purple command helmet, which matched his purplish skin, and sulked. Looking around at the lowly frigate’s stations, he noticed that half of the crew was either drowsing off or asleep altogether. Being the third shift, it didn’t seem very important to worry about the crew’s laziness and so Mook slumped back into the plush seat, settling his average 450 pound weight roughly, taking out his agressions on the Captain’s chair.
They were on a milk run, escorting a superdreadnought(one of only three in the Hudlar fleet) away from the front lines for a much-needed upgrade at the homeworld, and the two old Javelin-class frigates were the only Hudlar units that could be spared from the Argosian/Shern front line to escort her. Equipped with two older micronized Sun Guns, the light warships had recently received a upgrade, expanding their capabilities and their firepower. Mook himself had overseen the installation of two small tractor beams at the huge Hudlareen shipyard, and the new Missile Pod Dispenser, with their accompanying Missile Pods were fantastic. The Pods alone vastly increased the light warships firepower by a factor of three, he had calculated, and the antimatter warheads were destructive enough to vaporize nearly any small warship that got within standard missile range. The Hudlar superdreadnoughts, including the Seeker, had received the same upgrade several months ago, along with the new, rapid-fire capital missile launchers.
As the mammoth superdreadnought neared the warp point and the two Hudlar frigates began to turn away, the science officer noticed the warp point suddenly flare to life.
“What the flarg is that!” he murmured loudly, as the warp point opened up and disgorged a warship. Several nearby crewmembers turned to look at him, but Sook was glued to his screen, puzzled by the incoming data. After mashing his controls for an answer, Sook’s purple skin paled in astonishment.
Shocked, the science officer turned, white faced, and shouted from his console, “Sir! A warship has just emerged from Warp Point Two! It’s right on top of the Seeker, sir!”
Mook stared in horror at his plot as a warship emerged within ten light seconds of the superdreadnought he was escorting, he was protecting! That vessel had come out of the warp point! A warp point that led deeper, and into supposedly more securer, Argosian space.
Two more lethal warships, very obviously Shern heavy cruisers, emerged from the warp point immediately after the initial warship. They had been tossed madly about by the warp point stresses, showing Mook this was a new warp point to their hated enemies. These heavy cruisers had already came through, so the deadly Shern carriers would be nearby, waiting for a signal from the cruisers that it was safe to transit. He had to kill them now, but shock and fear slowed his speech.
“Ahh....uh.....general alert!” Mook shouted finally and the lights of the bridge were bathed in amber light as sirens howled throughout the ship.
The Hudlar superdreadnought came under heavy graser fire from the shocked Shern cruisers almost immediately, their beams firing madly. The Seeker’s armor instantly showed heavy scoring, but the ponderous warship swung to the left, protecting her damaged armored flank After a few seconds, the SD was able to get it’s full shields up but Shern grasers continued to wreak havoc on the vessel’s heavily armored hull. Hudlar warships were always built with thick armorplast and could take phenominal amounts of damage, but not indefinatly.
Astonishment shook the bridge crew and the bulkhead door parted as the the groggy Executive Commander came onto the bridge. On the main screen the mammoth superdreadnought was taking a pounding, external gunboat racks being blasted apart on her port side as graser fire lit up the darkness.
“What the flarg is going on?!?!” he roared but the junior officers ignored him, intent on their screens. Mook crossed the space between the command chair and tactical as swiftly as his massive bulk would let him. He then bashed Pak in the head, purple blood instantly oozing from underneath his purple helmet. “Roll pods you idiot! Roll pods!” he shouted. Pak’s fingers moved, far to slowly for Mook’s taste, and the computers blinked, dumping the two pods into space behind the frigate. Mook knew that the Javelin’s targeting computers would have to cycle and the Pods themselves would have to orientate before they could be fired, wasting vital seconds.
The superdreadnought’s alert gunboats desperately launched from the SD’s sides, seeking to destroy the Shern attackers. All six moved slowly, in shock, but fired quickly at the nearest Shern cruiser, bathing it in antimatter fire and wrecking most of its interior. Gutted, the vessel began to limp away, streaming air and corpses, electrical fires lighting it’s insides furiously. Both frigates fired their light sun gun armaments at the cruiser and apparently it’s fusion room was hit because it instantly was annihilated, the warship vanishing into brilliant chaos. Sweat poured from Mook’s brow as the the battle raged and the Executive Officer moved into the command chair, silently, and thankfully, relieving Mook of command.
Seconds later, Subcommander Pak, who was by then hyperalert and staring intently at his screen, yelled to the XO. “I have a weapons lock with the Pods, sir!”
“Fire,” the XO breathed aloud, hoping against hope that his light screen of frigates could help the massive superdreadnought fight off these deadly foes. Apparently technology was on the side of the Shern in this fight as the Seeker’s weapons had been unable to fire; the Shern were far inside the capital missiles flight envelope, and so it was up to the frigates’ and their new missile pods.
Twenty-four standard missiles erupted out of the boxy pods being towed astern by the Javelin and her sister ship and slashed into the stern of the Shern vessels. The range was close and the Shern, who were surprised themselves by the appearance of the Hudlar warships at the warp point, were unable to bring their ships around in time to interdict the incoming missiles with point defense. Antimatter spalled against the cruiser’s rear engines and both warships disappeared in great balls of fire, leaving little trace except thousands of metallic pieces, most no bigger than a Hudlar’s hand.
Excited shouts erupted on the Javelin’s bridge and Mook smashed Leuitenant Pak on the back. The big Hudlar stood, and smiled stupidly at his crewmates.
“You did it, Pak,” Mook said, his grinning face inches from Pak’s as the other crew surrounded them, hands clapping and feet crushing feet.
“Uh....sir?, “ Pak said, foolishly grinning, "Could you brush your teeth!"
TERRA, May 17, 2449--The Ministry of Defense is usually thought of as a pretty “tight-lipped” place, but today the Skymarshal threw the press a curve.
Skymarshal Alexei Primakov did just that after a May 16 Defense press conference on the MoD’s child care program.
Reporters queried Primakov on a variety of subjects and both sides wrapped by thanking each other. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Primakov asked the media, “No questions on the F5 Strike Hawk?”
“Do you want to say something,” a reporter dubiously asked.
“I do want to say something,” Primakov boldy replied.
To everyone’s surprise, the Skymarshal then expressed his views on the importance of the F5 Night Hawk, the military’s next generation, multirole strike spacecraft designed to compliment the Navy’s F4 Strike Hawk and System Defense’s Staryfury fighters. The Military Oversight Committee had just voted to cut about 25 percent of the MoD’s fiscal 2449 budget request for the spacefighter.
“There has been a number of reports that have surfaced in the last day or so about the, quote, “lack of support” within the services for the F5 Night Hawk,” he said. “I would like to be very clear about this.”
“This spacecraft is important not only to the Battle Fleet, it is equally important to Frontier Fleet, which will depend on a very large number of F5 Night Hawk’s to fill it’s inventory in future years. It is equally important to System Defense.”
Primakov said it’s “simply wrong” to conclude there is no need to support the Night Hawk fighter just because certain spacecraft, such as the Starfury fighter, are now coming off the production line and because funding has been secured for the F6. He expressed his confidence that the F5 is the fighter of the future.
“System Defense fully understands this,” he said. “The Navy fully understands that it’s not going to be the Strike Hawk model that will provide the kind of capability and security for out fighting men and women of the future. It will be the Night Hawk.”
Expressing his personal support for the spacecraft, as well of that of the services, Primakov said, “We will see the Night Hawk fighter come into the inventory.”
“This is not something that was mandated by either me or the department or the Office of the Prime Minister. This is a program that was designed by, and offered by the services because they understood that they needed to have a spacecraft that would serve the needs of System Defense, the Navy, and the Marines. And that’s precisely what the Night Hawk is going to do.”
“And so it continues to enjoy my strong support, just as I have supported the Starfury program and continued production of a limited number of F4 models. That was always within the Quadrennial Defense Review’s recommendations. It was supported by the Joint Chiefs, it was then supported by the service chiefs, and it will be supported in the future. Thank you.”
As the Skymarshal stepped away from the podium, one reporter, who had to get the last laugh, asked, “Anything else you’d like to get off your chest while you’re here?”
FIRST CONTACT: THE HORUNE
The Horune had always been a male dominated society. Some say that the females were barely sentient, enough for child bearing and menial tasks only. They had always been an arrogant, proud and stubborn society believing themselves the only rightful conquerors of the galaxy. Many races fell before them, one by one to be overwhelmed by their superior technology and genocidal attacks. Truth be told, most of their opponents were single system races although a couple had been multiple system “empires”. The turning point in Horune history occurred when they encountered the Rish. The Horune might be forgiven for underestimating their opponent because of their own racial prejudices after all the Rish were female, and no race had stood up to the ferocious attacks of the Horune………yet. After several months the Horune were forced to rethink their previous arrogance .
To assist in the efficient running of the empire (and to free up more males for military service) the Horune began to research an advanced AI with a codename of Qu’anno (roughly translated as protector/guardian) . They installed the large AI into the SS around their research facilities to run the newly built automated SY’s and resource ships. This allowed more men to be used in military service rather than running resource ships or SY’s . As the programming and scope of the AI expanded it was also tasked with production and maintaining of the frontier and sector fleets. It was programmed in what the minimum forces would be required to maintain a semblance of security. The AI was then allowed to task the automated SY’s with warship construction to maintain these strategic reserves. Battle Fleet would occasionally purge a sector fleet of various ships to bolster itself for planned offensives, then Qu’anno would then rebuild the ships to maintain its fleets in proper strength. It was decided to us only advanced CD’s to maintain contact with the fleets rather than a tell tail ICN trail the let to the secret research facilities. As the tides of war turned even further against the Horune Qu’anno was tasked with more and more responsibilities. Space station designs were implemented to make maximum use of the smaller limited AI of cybercomp so that more and more men were allocated to military service , as personnel reserves dwindled some ships became entirely AI operated including the massive SY’s at the research facilities .
The Rish finally destroyed the Horune after months of battles and left Horune space a dead and desolate area incapable of life or so they thought , however Qu’anno still was functioning and had its tasks set for it . As Qu’anno attempted to contact its assigned sector and frontier fleets and never hearing back it started on its task of rebuilding them up to the minimum specified. It also finally completed the Torpedo Sphere, the largest ship ever in Horune history. Since it was tasked for Battle Fleet and Qu’anno never issued commands to battle fleet, the Sphere remains in it’s system, idle. The Horune military lords died but it is still patrolling in the sector in which it was built awaiting orders that will never come, so it still waits…….After the war ended, Qu’anno starting rebuilding the fleets and then the SY’s in other systems using the designs it’s masters had programmed into it. Once the sector fleet and frontier fleets were completed along with the other SY’s and resource centers to help it, then it started building and mothballing massive reserves which it continues to do to this very day, or so the story goes….
By Cgray
Io Moons: Most moons are useless balls of frozen rock, capable of being exploited but usually just ignored by most sentient races but discovery of Io-type worlds has revolutionized several races’ mining statutes. Io-type moons are highly volcanic, bring plentiful mineral resources from deep within the moon and to it’s surface. These moons have lots of mineral exploitation possibilities(x3 the value of a regular moon). These are fairly rare moons, easily detected in a standard survey.
Europa Moons: A newly discovered type of moon, these types of moons are excellent sources of heavy water and other rare elements, including huge concentrations of water in general. Higher income possible from this moon-type(x2). These are fairly rare moons, easily detected by standard survey scans from orbit.
A so-called ‘failed star’, most Brown Dwarfs have a high internal temperature but scientists at the Renaissance School of Physics(at Luna) have discovered significant temperature differences between ‘young’ brown dwarfs and ‘old’ ones. While large gas giant planets like Jupiter have a internal temperature of 100K, young brown dwarfs (which come in at 30-80 Jupiter-masses) have an average temperature of 1,600K and as high as 2,900K. This is a little less than is needed for lithium fusion(a process necessary to ignite into a star), and old brown dwarfs have a temperature of 900K, leading to speculation that their mid-phase evolution is especially quick. Small Red Dwarf stars, by comparison, are 300 Jupiter-masses in size and have a internal temp of 3,400K.
A fierce battle at the Oon Homeworld has taken place, with deadly results for both sides. The Goog lost their entire fleet of monitors, along with nearly 500 CT and several hundred LACs. The Oon Homeworld was eradicated and the Inheritor fleet left in shambles after this debacle. Heads have begun to roll already in the Inheritor High Command at the loss of their most important allies.
The mutated Sime/Gen race has proven their ability to learn higher tech systems, to the relief of the overstreched Basmoli race. The Basmoli, who intervened in their Sime/Gen generational wars, have invested heavily in uplifting these two races. A substantial payoff is in the making.
A heart-breaking, and brutal, civil war ended the Hawvin War practically where it started, in the MS014 system. The fighting destroyed a several major units of the Hawvin Navy, including the battleship HMS Juggernaut in orbit of the homeworld. Taking the side of the military, the warship immediately came under fire of the planetary defenses, and died in a glorious supernova of fire and radiation.
Invading Argus space had disasterous consequences for the Shern homeworld, which was left unprotected and was crushed by a vast Goog armada. Faced with over 80 Shern carriers and three thousand fighters, the Argus Republic was in dire straits until this fortuitous stroke of luck happened.