Topic: The Journey Home (Sci-Fi)

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

The Journey Home

Humanity has moved out among the stars, to take its place among the races that bargain for, fight for, and buy their survival in the interstellar community. Hyperdrive, a method of travelling faster than light, allows races to confront one another within their own lifetimes. Humanity now counts is years from the Exodus. 212 years since humanity took the first tentative steps outside the sol system, on the way to colonize the galaxy. Space has created a great number of other races, but perhaps none so easily fractured as humanity. Colonies of humans remain outside the growing Stellar Alliance, and at the outskirts of the Alliance, outlaws and smugglers make their mark.

The outbreak of war, between the Stellar Alliance, and the Verathi Hegemony six years ago, suddenly brought the fleets of both empires to their borders, and only the resourceful pirates could make their way on the edges of empires.

Among those to have entered their names in the whispers of humanity, and races beyond, is Cass Seradin "The Void Wolf" and his ship The Relentless.

Piracy Notice to the Commanders of the Outer Colony Fleets
The Relentless

Known pirate vessel, under the command of Cass Seradin, "The Void Wolf."

Hull: Revenge Class Heavy Cruiser

Armament: 8 Kinetic Launchers (Broadside), 8 Particle Beam Cannons (Bow), 18 Fast-Tracking Laser Point-Defence Turrets (12 bow, 2 central, 4 aft).

Fighter Compliment: Unknown.

Known Operational Capacity: Full-strike.

Area of Operation: Stellar Alliance and Verathi Border. Outer Colonies.








Information Resource

Major Political Powers and Races

Significant Powers of the Verathi War, 212 PE

Stellar Alliance

Expanding outward from its capital system, Sol, the Stellar Alliance is as much a star-empire as any of its contemporaries. Hundreds of systems were colonized in the years following humanity's mass exodus into space. Earth, though still overcrowded, is the home-world of a star-nation that has claimed its place among galactic powers. Though only two centuries old, the Stellar Alliance has pursued a policy of bringing into its fold the independent systems it encounters, and is on the least centralized powers at play. Its colonies, though young, are already extremely powerful, and with more and more emigration to the stars, humanity's bright future is thought to be out among them.

Humanity's first interaction with alien life was a negative one, as the first human colony Nova Terra was attacked by the vanguard of its then-neighbour the Erdak Confederacy. The Exodus War, as it came to be known, was short and brutal, and resulted in the total capitulation of the Erdak to the proto-Stellar Alliance. Further expansion brought humanity into contact with its two greatest, and continuing rivals, the Nevar, and the Verathi. Humanity encounter the Nevar Empire about thirty-years into its expansion. After the horrors of the exodus war, contact was tentative and hostile, though ultimately resulted in no conflict.

Ten years later, humanity first encountered the vanguard of the Verathi Hegemony. Although the Verathi were a profoundly splintered society, their effectiveness in colonization and conquest made them the primary concern in human expansionism until the outbreak, six years ago (Earth-standard) of the Verathi War. Currently in its seventh year, the Verathi war began when the Verathi colonies along their shared border with the Stellar Alliance, began to harass Stellar Alliance shipping lanes. Although it was a common enough nuisance, and the Verathi political situation made it difficult to take the Verathi to task diplomatically, it became clear after an assault on the SA's 5th fleet, that the Verathi were preparing to invade. Indeed, that same year the Verathi clans invaded accompanied by a formal declaration of war by the Hegemony.

Verathi Hegemony

The Verathi Hegemony (a name created from the name of their planet 'Verath' and their government system) is a rapidly expanding, though disorganized empire. The Verathi are a race of tall, physically powerful bipeds. Their skin is mostly grey, though other colourations do occur given enough time exposed to the sun much in the same way that humans tan. Their bodies have bony protrusions that are often stripped of flesh by repeated use as blunt weapons during hand-to-hand infighting. Verathi have two eyes, but are profoundly light-sensitive, requiring them to wear helmets on the vast majority of worlds during the daytime.

Thanks to intervention by an unknown alien race early in the Verathi evolution, there were two species of Verathi, one which originated on Verath, and another, transplanted to the planet which was on a closer orbit with the sun. The transplanted Verathi were, by all reports, technologically superior, thanks to their contact with alien races, and a lack of competitive fauna. When both races began to communicate with one another, it became clear that their development had taken widely divergent paths. The Verathi clans invaded their offshoot brethren, and practically wiped them out, though interbreeding was still possible, the Verathi preferred for the so-called 'Favoured' to be eliminated, believing themselves to be the superior lineage, and therefore more deserving  of the attentions of their long-gone benefactors.

Though most races move beyond tribalism in their journey to the stars, the Verathi did not, and colonization was a method for the clans to separate, and conquer, without in-fighting. The ruling the Clan Vek still inhabits Verath, and has itself expanded, though it composes most of the core worlds of the Verathi, rather than the outer colonies of the Verathi, as the other clans do. The number of clans continues to grow, as off-shoots form under new warlords, usually due to a war with another race, which will see war-heroes forming their own clans on conquered worlds.

The Verathi favour slave-labour as their primary means of production, enslaving conquered races, usually imposing their culture on them as time goes by, leading the creation of slave-clans, clans of non-Verathi that remain on a single world, but which give their allegiance to the Hegemony like any other, and gain some degree of independence.

The Verathi contact with the Stellar Alliance was hostile at first, but cooled as it became clear that the expanse of the SA was already beyond the capability of the  solitary Verathi clans to invade it successfully. Clans and raiding parties occasionally harassed human colonies, even sometimes occupying, but the Hegemony sued for peace, and usually pulled back to its borders with the SA whenever it was pushed. The tension finally broke when the Verathi clans, having built up strength along the border for some time felt prepared to invade, and the Verathi War began. The Verathi, with the support of Clan Vek, pushed the SA back considerably before a counter-attack, and adequate defence could be prepared. The war is brutal, but shows no sign of stopping, as the major fleets are usually reluctant to engage. Although the Verathi favour small, inexpensive and simplistic ships, even using single-use boarding ships and drop-pods to transport troops, their main fleet, especially the ships of Clan Vek are still impressive. Outmassing the human ships of the line more than three-to-one, Verathi capital ships are crewed by thousands, and in some cases, may be the entirety of a small clan. The Verathi favour kinetic weapons, getting close and using heavy weaponry to shred opponents with their numerical superiority and overwhelming fire-power.

The Nevar

The Nevar are the third undisputed stellar empire. The Nevar are, compared to most species, unusually adept at high-level calculation. Unlike most races, the Nevar have a symbiotic 'skin' which gives them their unusual colouration. Their 'skin' is part of them, though not in the sense that they share a genetic code. Their skin is an independent plant-organism which performs photosynthesis for them. It is with them from the time they are born, and in return the Nevar have made their skin the second most successful organism, in terms of survival and propagation on their home-world. The Nevar, unlike most races, name themselves for whatever race they come across, and it is for this reason that their true name is used, with reference to their home-world or their government. Physically the Nevar look mostly human, though this effect is in part due to their skin, without which the difference would be much sharper. It is functionally impossible to tell Nevar apart physically for most other races. Although there are Nevar males, the species is almost entirely female, with males being slightly smaller, and rarely if ever seen away from Nevar colonies or the home-world. The Nevar are, compared to most races, a thinly populated empire. Their numbers rise very slowly, though the Nevar are extremely long lived. Their genetic code is extremely fragile to all varieties of radiation, protection against which is thought to have halted most of the genetic variation among their offspring. Physically, the Nevar are naturally weak, compared to most other races, though extremely resilient to damage, they can sustain a great deal of physical damage before dying, or even being mortally wounded. Their longevity which is theoretical immortality, but functionally a few hundred years, translates into the ability to heal any kind of physical damage with enough time, assuming it is not so severe that death occurs first. Nevar have multiple organ redundancies, and are noted for having no hearts, and a decentralized nervous system and brain.

The Nevar 'skin' is a plant organism that covers the Nevar body entirely from the time they're born. They usually bluish, though can sometimes appear green or purple depending on the light. Technically, all Nevar 'skins' are of the same variety of organism, but differences do arise over time, as they grow and develop. As a result, the Nevar are extremely prone to touching one another, usually for long periods, while talking, walking, or relaxing. It is not uncommon to see Nevar touch each other's necks, or heads on first meeting, and hold hands, or embrace. This action allows their skins to interact, exchanging genetic information. The practice means that Nevar have regional colourations when isolated, but maintain a universal skin-organism for the entire race, ensuring that their 'skin' remains the same across the Nevar race, and therefore, its care can be seen to without individualized treatment.

Technologically, the Nevar are the most advanced known race. Their technologies are usually seen to make up for lack of ability in other areas. Their technology is  based on their hyperspace technology. It is known that Nevar devices employ hyperspace in a way that most races cannot even comprehend, let alone reproduce. Their ships, internally have faster-than-light computing, and they have the ability to store and retrieve material in hyperspace, without taking up actual physical space until its required. Nevar 'jewellery,' more specifically a silver or gold bangle with a single purple crystal worn on the wrist, and operated with the other hand, serves as a kind of technology hub, retrieved the stored structures, and building them onto the Nevar using a kind of nano-machine scaffold, creating shields, weapons, external artificial 'muscles' to enhance strength and speed, etc.

Socially, the Nevar are entirely peaceful. They were never predators, and although they can digest meat, they do not eat it or farm animals on their home-world or colonies. Nevar are said to be strongest when on the bridge of their ships which are representations of their technological supremacy. Nevar ships tend to be beautifully coloured, massive, powerful, and designed to enter atmospheres directly, unlike most other space-faring vessels. Nevar ships require minimal crews, and are highly automated, requiring no input for days or even weeks at a time, if the mission is straightforward. The Nevar build the largest ships of the three empires, but possess far fewer than the SA, or the Verathi. Their peaceful nature does not make them entirely passive, however. It simply means that most native Nevar disdain conflict, and tend to prefer diplomacy, in combat they prefer distance engagements, and will employ overwhelming force to make sure the conflict is quick and victorious.

The Nevar maintain trading relationships with the SA, and a few independant systems. Their territory has been eroded by Verathi incursions, though their response has usually been evacuation rather than confrontation. They have, thus far, officially supported neither party, but their support seems to be on the side of the SA, and their entry into the war is anticipated, should the Verathi open up a second front, as they have been poised to do for months, massing forces on their colonies bordering Nevar space.

Weaponry and Combat Technology

Weaponry and Combat in the Verathi War

Although the major fronts of the Verathi War have remained mostly in space, limited ground engagements have broken out. Kermeyer III, for instance, where Verathi forces maintain significant ground presence despite orbital control by the Stellar Alliance.

Ship-based Weaponry

Kinetic Launchers - One of the most basic types of weapons, by whatever means a solid projectile is accelerated as fast as possible and launched from a ship. The kinetic energy of impact is so powerful, that, when fired on a planet the blast can be comparable to nuclear detonation, in the range of megatons. The most common system for the major powers is a rail-gun, as it requires only the projectile and energy output. The Verathi favour kinetic weapons as their primary armament. This system is most effect in close quarters, as the projectiles travel in a straight-line, and most ships can detect and dodge them at distance, by moving in any direction that could not be anticipated. Fleets have been known to fire what are know as 'clouds' of projectiles, their number and spread makes a hit on a ship unlikely but they can be employed at distance to attack stations, or other fleets, or break formations.

Lasers - Powerful lasers are mainstays of most ships. They function as point-defence, intercepting and destroying incoming projectiles, or fighter-craft. Large ships usually employ laser in fast-tracking clusters, able to cover large areas, or, when more lightly engaged, focus fire on larger projectiles than single systems would allow the ship to defend against. Some independent systems employ lasers as offensive weapons, but this is not common for most advance ships of the line.

Particle beams - Powerful streams of energetic particles, accelerated to near-light speed inside a ship, and then unleashed in a tight stream from any of the particle-beam cannons on a ship. Particle-beam cannons are more powerful based on the internal architecture of the ship, and the ability of the ship to include particle-accelerators, meaning that the larger the ship, the more powerful the beam, in general. The particle beam is favoured by the Nevar as a primary weapon system, and as secondary weapons by the SA. Particle beams are long-distance engagement weapons. As they travel very near light-speed, they are difficult to avoid and must be blocked primarily by energy shielding.

Small-Arms

Kinetic Launchers - Small arms are mostly of the kinetic launcher variety. What are essentially rail-guns require only the actual projectile, and smaller, faster moving projectiles are fired from weapons that are fairly familiar. Pistols, shot-guns, assault-rifles, sub-machine guns, and rifles. Projectiles using explosive propulsion are still in use, and are generally more useful if power is not available, though battle-field generators, and personal batteries usually suffice to keep weapons charged for use.

Lasers - Small arms are also sometimes laser-based, as their ammunition capacity is only based on the amount of power provided to the weapon, these weapons tend to be the higher-end range, focusing on heavier weapons, assault rifles and heavier assault weaponry, up to the portable artillery level.

*Particle weapons require too much hardware to be man-portable, though the Nevar are known to employ troops that possess such a weapon, it is thought to be another extension of their hyperspace technology.

Defence, Ships and Personnel

Energy Shields - A simple enough system, consisting of magnetic fields powerful enough to attenuate lasers, and warp particle beams, and deflect projectiles. As a network this system detects particles, photons, or projectiles, and reacts selectively. In heavy fighting, the whole network is powered, weakening the shield but proving more coverage. The amount of energy the shield can block or deflect varys from ship to ship, but in general, heavier weapons are nearly impossible to stop. Energy shields are employed on ground troops only by way of fortifications, except in the case of the Nevar, whose troops all possess individual shielding.

Armor - Ships general have armour plating outside their pressurized hull to ensure that physical projectiles are stopped, though naturally, the amount that can be stopped depends on the quality and thickness of armour. Soldiers usually have armour as their primary defence.

Fighter and Ship Combat

Fighters are a mainstay of combat, but tend to fight one another, rather than engaging larger vessels directly. Cruisers generally will have two full wings of fighters on SA ships, four on Verathi ships, and one on Nevar Ships. A fighter wing is four fighters, though the Verathi organize their ships into pairs, rather than the SA standard wing.

Carriers, designed to carry ten or more wings, are considered capital ships, as are dreadnoughts, which usually carry no fighters, but employ heavier weapons.

Fighters general engage the escorts of capital ships directly when not engaged with other fighters. Their light weaponry means their effect is primarily to harass, while shields remain operation, but once the shields of a ship are gone, a fighter's small auto-cannons and lasers are extremely effective at close range.

The Nevar use large fighters, general employing fewer than other races, but with more survivability and capability. A Nevar fighter mounts destroyer-class weaponry, and will usually be engaged as though it were a ship in its own right. Nevar fighters are remote controlled drones, however, as the Nevar dislike that fighters and, essentially pilots, are thought to be disposable. Because of the transmission delay to the drones, Nevar drones are less effective in anti-fighter actions than other fighters, but still very dangerous, given their armament.

Independent Systems

System or Nation Name (Species)

The Esos Guild (Human) - A system of only a few planets outside of human space. The Esos guild has been an order shrouded in mystery since its creation. Many call them just a guild of Assassins while they themselves prefer the term contractors. The guild takes its young members from across the universe (Many from orphanages, abandoned children, rescued slaves, etc) and trains them from an early age to become the perfect weapon. Many call their treatment of their subjects cruel and hateful, but the elders of the guild state that they are giving youth that the universe has forgotten about and gives them purpose and a life with their family. Once the initiate has reached an appropriate age to begin their career, the guild assigns them a contract for a kill, contract to be a bodyguard, or more commonly in the latest years a contract with the Human military as a black ops unit against the Verathi. If they live through several contracts they are allowed to set up their own contracts and begin to take control of their own life. They are considered some of the most elite warriors in the universe.

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Olmes (Olmesi) - Home of the Olmesi, Olmes is a system with a single habitable planet. Olmes II, the Olmesi home world is a heavily industrialized planet, which has been rendered mostly uninhabitable on the surface, due to severe storms and extreme temperatures, caused by an alteration in the climate, thanks to the Olmesi's industrial revolution.

The Olmesi themselves are fairly slight, smooth skinned humanoids with a pleasant appearance by human standards. In order to survive, their cities have been isolated from the external atmosphere in domes, while newer buildings are made airtight and storm-proof upon construction. The Olmes system is on the edge of Verathi space, between the SA and the Verathi, but secured independence when its orbital defended obliterated an entire Verathi clan, dreadnought and escort ships, without allowing even a single Verathi to land. This level of fortification was only made possible, and remains possible, thanks to their systematic strip-mining of their home system, and continued heavy industry on their home-world.

The Olmesi have no colonies, but have arranged to sell their version of mines (fighter-size weapons platforms in planetary orbit) to the systems alliance for the war effort, a action which has brought their planet under renewed pressure from potential Verathi invasion, but has also give them a pledge for SA support if that should happen. They view it as being in their best interests that the war is not won outright by either side, and wish it to end with a treaty, to discourage their own encirclement by either power.


Rennax (Rennax) - A small collection of three systems on the outskirts of Nevar space. The three systems contain only two habitable planets, but are all controlled by the Rennax, a race of pure-white skinned humanoids, standing about nine feet tall, from a heavy-gravity world in one of the systems.

The Rennax are a clone race, and represent the genetic information of only a single Rennax male and a single female. The Rennax have a very insignificant sex chromosome, and so, even the female Rennax is nearly identical to the male Rennax genetically. Only a single natural offspring is created in each generation, with all Rennax being conceived and born at once, meaning that there exist periods in the Rennax systems when there are no children, and times when the previous generation, now grown, each have their own children.

Rennax are all tank-born, and genetically enhance as much as possible, each new generation. Since only infrastructure limits how many Rennax can be created, and therefore means their population remains stable even after wars, disasters, or disease, their race is extremely resistant to outside invasion. Along with their own cloning needs, the Rennax provide services for other nations, including genetic manipulation, biological weapons, and specially designed creatures, created to any specification. It is said of the Rennax that they love a challenge, and will not stop until the succeed.

The Rennax also create biological parts, including tank-grown eyes, organs, to be used as replacements though these are of the highest quality, and not generally available, except to those with the money to spend to have natural replacements rather than artificial ones, if even that was within reach.


Wermai-Scali Combine (Wemai and Scali) - A set of two planets, both capable of supporting life, which, similar to the situation with the Verathi, was interfered with long before either race even developed the most basic dwelling, or began to farm.

The Wermai, having been transplanted to the heavier if the two worlds, became more slight of build and small of stature, and took advantage of natural cave systems to develop societies away from predators.

The Scali, remaining on Scal, developed more slowly, continuing to livelier nomadic existences for a long time, before beginning to move toward metal-working. The Wermai made the short trip back to Scal in the name if exploration, their origins at that time unknown, not expecting to find anything there. The contact was devastating for the Scali, who suffered from alien disease epidemics as a result. However, the contact prompted the Wermai to cultivate their relationship and over the time, the Combine was born. Though the Wermai were more advanced, the Scali caught up quickly. The two races are one of the older relationships between separate species, as they are unable to interbreed, and made them strong enough to prevent Verathi invasion. Strong allies of the SA, the Combine tends to host a wide array of races, and it is not uncommon to a Wermai-Scali partnership elsewhere, as many of the Wermai and Scali families have associations running back generations.

Both Wermai and Scali with avian-esqsue heritage, showing itself in brightly colored feathers-like structures on theirs heads and down their spines. They have thin limbs, and the Scali stand very tall at seven foot average, while the Wermai stand only four-foot tall, but tend to be more strongly muscled.


Talon IV (Human) - A human colony established by the Talon corporation. Although the corporation surveyed the planet, the harshness of winter was a surprise, when they found that winter on their new world came with what came to be known as Wraith-Bears. The creatures, as big as a tank and harder to kill, were the primary cause of death for a decade. The nickname came from the ability of these creatures to get up from almost any injury and keep on coming, they had two hearts, and no particular need of higher brain function to keep on killings, and regenerated tissue fast enough that wounds didn't bother them for long. Burtsl conditions breed brutal men, however, and suddenly the Talon corporation had a resource it could spare. Hunters that had become very good at their jobs, so good that they became the ideal for expeditions or surveys.

Talon IV became profitable enough, in fact, that training became the primary purpose of the planet. Eventually, the corporation was bought lock stock and barrel by the owner of the subsidiary, and they gained semi-independence as an extreme environment training planet, demand for rigorous training has dropped with the war, but the demand for Talon-trained hunters as guides is ever increasing.


The Seek (Primarily Human, Various) - Begun by a single eccentric Over a century ago, the Seek is a planet near the border with the Verathi that has managed to remain independent. It began as a religious centre, a place to go to seek enlightenment, but quickly turned to something more, volatile. With only voluntary rules, the development took a strange turn, as the practitioners of enlightenment became the most violent faction on a mostly anarchistic world.

The Seek has large swathes of desert, and it is here that the Seek's fanatics are trained. Their own planet long since purified, the Seek, prior to the war, was seen as a possible threat to nearby worlds. The fanatics breed without limit or restraint, and bolster their numbers by recruiting those with young children from other worlds to come to the Seek.

Their ultimate belief has come to signficantly that the dominance of the Seek's Fanatics over the Seek itself will mean that the universe will be cleansed, but the meaning is not entirely clear. In the wake of the war,however the Seek has become a battleground, and the fanatics have been left to defend against the Verathi in their own, a situation which has suited them just fine so far as reports indicate Verathi converts, have left the clans to join the seek, in the wake of the horrors visited upon them by Seek fanatics. The Fanatics use viciously curved knives, and fight without ranged weapons, a method that has made their veterans fearsome warriors, but most of the warriors dead, though numbers of fanatics continue to grow on The Seek.

The Relentless

The Relentless

Bridge:

Bridge Layout

The bridge of the Relentless is an open, wide spaced room that allows the crew to move freely between sections of the area with ease and without having to bump into each other. Each section of consoles and equipment is given a specific purpose, from navigation to tactical command.  Each station has several operators. The size of the bridge is around 40 meters tall and around 70 meters wide. During heavy engagements against fleets, the large windows that surround the entire room are closed with heavy, reinforced blast doors that will protect the bridge. At all other times the doors are retracted and each of the crew is able to look out the windows into the void of space, or at the planet that the ship is orbiting. Each level of the bridge is accessed either through three quick elevators in the rear of the bridge, or on the several walkways spread out through the ship.

The crews talk with each other through simple radio communications, loudspeakers, or through messages through the computers. Even the Captains Chair is decked out in electronics and since Cass Seradin is a Void-born, the chair has special wires and inserts that allow him to connect his cybernetics directly into the ships systems.  Most of the simple operations of the ship are automated and during hyperspace travel or minor moving, the bridge is normally only staffed by a skeleton crew, normally about one crewman for each station. Just to ensure that there are no errors or mistakes. During battles or operations, the bridge is filled with personnel to run all the secondary systems or to run manual control.

 The Captains Ready Room is behind and to the right of the Captain’s chair. The door leads into a small room that allows the Captain to relax or talk with his officers or crew in private away from the bridge but near enough so that if he is needed he can be back in the bridge within moments. At the entrance to the room is usually one or two guard droids that control access to the room. This allows not just anyone to enter the Captains private space without permission from the Captain when he is not expecting someone. The room is filled with small mementos and trophy’s that the Void Wolf likes to look at. Various paintings, weapons, and pictures are hung from the walls. The chairs are comfortable and the room is quiet and gives a large window view of space. Just to the right of the Captains desk is a small private elevator that gives the Captain direct access to the Captains Quarters deeper down into the ship. This allows the captain to directly access the bridge during emergencies or when his presence is needed quickly when he is off duty. Various communications modules and a holographic generator allow the Captain to conduct his private dealings with his contacts without the risk of nosy ears and eyes from the crew.

Tech Examples (The equipment you can expect to see on the bridge)

Bridge One
Bridge Two
Bridge Three
Bridge Four

Crew Quarters


Senior Officer Quarters

The senior officers are allowed larger accommodations than the regular crew. A spacious apartment style room is what rank gets you on the Relentless. The perk of having a personal bathroom is widely envied by the regular crew. Each room has a separate bedroom, bathroom and a
comfortable living room with a large window view of space. Large closets allow for multiple outfits and clothes to be stored. There are even advanced sections of the closet that allow for armor and weapons to be stored privately instead of housed in the ships multiple armories.

Captains Quarters

The Captain as any naval man would suspect has the largest quarters. The biggest additions are the inclusion of a private office as well as a private briefing room for when the captain needs to talk to all of his senior staff for discussion of new targets or missions. In total his quarters are around the size of a large condominium. The Captains quarters are located above most of the other living quarters and they are located on the backside of the ship under the Command Bridge tower. This means that his windows face the rear of the ship and offer a large view of space. Since the captains rooms are large it allows him to store all of his important weapons, expensive items, and trophies with more security than his ready room.

Standard Crew Quarters

The regular crew members have smaller but still spacious living quarters. Each crewman has a private room and bed. Each of these rooms are clustered together in groups of four or five and connected to a shared living space and restrooms, much like a dormitory. The crew are allowed such space because of the vast automation and droids of the ship which requires significantly less crewman to run the ship as would be normally expected for this class of vessel. Were as in many naval vessels crewman are “hot bunked” meaning that they have to share small bunks with two or even three other crewman in large clusters of other bunks.

Alert Bunks

These are special rooms located just off of the main hanger bays. These rooms are for the pilots and the assault soldiers who are on “Alert”, meaning that they need to be in their basic gear, ready for word from the bridge to get to their assigned craft quickly, and without having to race from their own quarters across the ship. These bunks are used for those crews who are on extended alert periods lasting hours. When the crews would just be standing around the hanger, they can relax and get some rest while awaiting orders.

Introduction

Created by Vostroya and PeacethatPowerbrings, The Journey Home is a Science Fiction story that will take place primarily aboard The Relentless. The captain and crew of the relentless have made their way by manipulating the war to their advantage. However, their lives will forever altered when they are catapulted across the galaxy, well beyond known space, by an experimental drive designed to provide humanity an edge over their enemies.

Players are welcome to create non-human races, their history and worlds as background for the story, if they wish to play a member of a customized race. The only restrictions on player characters are that they be members of the crew, and that they not be members of the Nevar. Verathi is a potentially playable race, but preferably only for one player, as the three major powers are not directly involved in this game, and so playing as a member of the non-human major races is likely to be more difficult than playing a race designed yourself.

Character Sheet

Played by: (Your Elliquiy name link)
Appearance: Picture preferred, or descriptive writing of such

Name: (Your Character)

Race: (Human, Verathi, Custom)
Age:
Position on ship:

Skill set: (What makes your character valuable/unique? Weapons, ship to ship combat, engineer, etc.)

Character History:
Personality:

How did the Captain hear about and recruit you?: (You can add your own lore of how the Void Wolf found and wanted to recruit you for his crew)

Additional Information: (Extra space for describing your custom race, or space for extra photos of weapons, armor, and pics of your character)

Code: [Select]

[b]Played by:[/b] (Your Elliquiy name link)
[b]Appearance:[/b] Picture preferred, or descriptive writing of such

[size=12pt][b]Name:[/b][/size] (Your Character)

[b]Race:[/b] (Human, Verathi, Custom)
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Position on ship:[/b]

[b]Skill set:[/b] (What makes your character valuable/unique? Weapons, ship to ship combat, engineer, etc.)

[b]Character History:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]How did the Captain hear about and recruit you?:[/b] (You can add your own lore of how the Void Wolf found and wanted to recruit you for his crew)

[b]Additional Information:[/b] (Extra space for describing your custom race, or space for extra photos of weapons, armor, and pics of your character)

Game Links

Recruitment Thread

OOC

Character Sheet Thread

[MzHyde]

I find that bold fond to be very hard to read.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

I find that bold fond to be very hard to read.

Tell me if you find it better, now.

[MzHyde]

Better!

[Frelance]

Interesting character :)

I will post a EVA or tech specialist when I get him put together.

[Vostroya]

Played by: Vostroya

Name: Cass Seradin "The Void Wolf"

Race: Human (Void-Born)
Age: 29
Position on ship: Captain/Pirate Lord

Skill set:

Void-Born Eyes - The Wolf is from a special sub-sect of the human race. Through ancient cybernetic implants and special growth within his brain, the captain is able to "see" the universe before him. He is able to navigate the ship in areas of the 'verse without the need of navigational beacons that are so common within known space, but in the lawless worlds and backwater systems, this makes him able to disappear with his ship from enemy forces into unexplored areas to hide or to plan attacks.

Ship-to-Ship combat - Years of plundering the space lanes of military and civilian ships alike has given the Wolf an innate ability to judge how to fight a ship and either destroy it or capture it. Finding its weaknesses and uses his own ships capabilities to the utmost efficiency. Using his cybernetics he is able to plug his mind into the ships various computers and able to see the ship's various data streams and damage with his mind.

Boarding Party Combat/Short range weapons - Even after a ship is disabled the crew might not be, and in those cases, Seradin usually accompanies his heavily armed boarding party. Fighting in the heavily congested and narrow passages requires lots of time and experience to master. This also requires heavy armor and short range weapons, both of which he has ample supply and experience.

Character History: Since he turned 20, Cass has been on board a starship as a captain. He got his first start as a low merchant miner. Taking a small ship with one or two people with him, grinding out his existence getting a meager paycheck by mining common ore's and minerals from asteroids. It was not until he was raided by a pirate party that Cass Seradin became a new person. Seeing a man able to choose his own path and have the power to take what he wanted and have the wealth to explore the universe was something that Cass wanted more than anything. It was that day after being robbed that Cass Seradin went from a loss class miner, to one of the universe's most notorious pirates. As always he started low, becoming a mere thug for one criminal here and there before getting a ship that could actually fight and win. During the peacetime years between the three empires, Seradin rose in infamy by his daring raids into both Human and Verathi space. Striking colonies and ships within. However his true fame came once the peace had turned into full scale war. The surprise attacks on a critical trade route in human space was starting to choke the supply lines of several critical human systems. The Alliance was unable to fight off the blockade of the trade route. With the core worlds willing to pay any price for food and supplies, Cass Seradin hatched a daring plan.

Several weeks of negotiation with several criminal syndicates resulted in the single largest pirate fleet ever assembled with one commander. Under the leadership of Seradin the pirate fleet after a harsh battle that saw many casualties on both sides, was able to defeat the blockade fleet and open up the trade route once more. Hundreds of merchant ships under Seradins flag was then able to distribute the supplies to the worlds. Through his actions Cass Seradin was able to walk away with more money and wealth than many could have ever dreamed of. Cementing his nickname as the "Void Wolf" Hailed as a hero to the Humans, he did not show up to the awards ceremony in his honor, he had just once again disappeared back to his hideouts in the outer colonies to resume his profession. A recounting statement of Seradin was recorded by a civilian reporter when Seradin landed on the planet with his supplies. When asked why he did it Seradin's only response was "War is no fun when it's obvious who will win"

Personality: When on the bridge of his Crusier, Seradin is the picture of calm and professional leadership. Able to make smart choices and rally the crew when things turn bleak. During down time, he is much more relaxed. Such is the policy of his ship. A lack of a uniform policy or even a clothes policy represents his believe in the freedoms of his crew. But even when off duty, he still has the aura of command, many fist fights and brawls have been stopped dead still by him just entering the room. Such is the reputation of his other extreme. His only true rule aboard his ship is absolute loyalty to him. Any person caught violating that rule is quick to be released to space via the airlock.

Additional Information:

The Void-Born - The Void-born are a group of dwindling human families who have a special mutation within their brains, much like a gland that only grows to a certain size. This special gland when combined with the families ancient cybernetics, handed down from generation to generation, allows the person to navigate their ship both in hyperspace as well as normal flight without the need for the advanced navigational beacons so commonly used today. With so few of them left and fewer each generation Void-born are held in a high degree of superstition, with the two extremes of being hated as a mutant or being held in respect and awe by other humans. They are one of a few families that can be traced back before the times of the Exodus of earth, but their past and purpose has been lost to time and technology. No family pledges themselves to the Stellar Alliance but instead remain in neutral territories where they can be left in peace. Each Void-born child, once they come of age to leave their on their own are only given one restriction on their lives. That when they die that their cybernetics are removed and returned to his family to be placed in the next generation. Due to the families secret nature and dwindling numbers no one has been able to examine or replicate the families technology.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Played by: PeacethatPowerbrings

Name: Icthel "Ix" or "Neva"

Race: Nevar
Age: 106
Position on ship: Executive Officer, Second-in-command

Skill set:

Nevar Tech Suite - A holdover from her compulsory service to the Nevar military. The bangle she wears on her left wrist, is a Nevar made hyperspace storage device, allowing her to deploy Nevar weapons, shielding, and armour as needed, and serves a multi-function interface as well. In combat, the device allows her to increase her capabilities, beyond the relatively low physical abilities of the Nevar.

Nevar Species Advantages - Being a Nevar has some advantages. Her skin gives her resilience against hostile environments, toxins, and atmospheric contaminants, provided they do not do too much damage to it. Furthermore, her needs for food are reduced by the photosynthesis that occurs in her skin.

The Nevar have a knack for complicated calculation, and understand the strange properties of hyperspace, and hyper-drives more readily than most races. As a result, she adds her abilities to the running of the ship, and gives it an advantage than most ships, other than those of the Nevar lack.

Character History: Although she was born on a Nevar Colony, Ix was one of the first Nevar to be brought up among humans, and developed a personality very much at odds with her heritage. It was clear from the outset that she lacked a great deal of what was instilled by Nevar society, but attempts by her mother to have interact with other Nevar, never seemed to correct this issue. She felt very much more comfortable with humans. When she came of age, at 20, a full ten years after she had reached what the Nevar consider maturity, she was required to perform her military service. The experience was an unpleasant one, for her and those she worked with, since, while she excelled in combat training compared with her native Nevar counterparts, her attitude to it disturbed most of the others.

Her service was as boring as most, something she took with less patience than the others in service with her. When, at 30, she was finally discharged, she left for human space once more. Being a Nevar both opened, and closed doors for her. It was easy enough to find legitimate work, given the scarcity of Nevar outside Nevar space. By the time she was 40, she'd been recalled to Nevar to serve in the government, and did so.

Between her exit from office on Nevar, and her current position, it is difficult to say with certainty, since records do not really abound, and she rarely speaks of this period in her life.

Personality: Neva has inherited the patience of the Nevar, and their calm intellect, but lacks their peaceful streak. Her personality is a strange combination of Nevar over familiarity and openness, with ambition and energy that the Nevar rarely exhibit.

How did the Captain hear about and recruit you?: Being considerably older than Cass, Neva joined him when he first began his pirate career. She was, by then a fairly seasoned pirate, but not one suited for outright command, she thought. Following Cass was a fairly simple prospect, and over time she came to respect him, and has remained his first officer, ever since.

Additional Information: Neva wears clothing of human design, when she wears anything at all. The Nevar have very relaxed rules about wearing clothing, and tend not to with anyone they know, unless some other circumstance, like the customs of other races, or the climate, demand it. On board, she wears a dress which is fairly loose fitting, and conceals very little.

Off the ship she wears a suit to account for the climate, and to provide functions that her Nevar tech does not, like communications, and a ship-uplink.

[Vandren]

Just looking, but you've got 20 PDLs deployed, not 18.  :)

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Just looking, but you've got 20 PDLs deployed, not 18.  :)

Fixed. 

[1SAZ]

Accepting character ideas? If so, I think I could come up with something.

[Vostroya]

Absolutely, what do you have?

[1SAZ]

I have an idea for a small arms specialist that I could flesh out a bit. Might work well for this game, though he was originally intended for a higher 'tech level'. Could still work out well.

[Vostroya]

Sounds good.

[RabbitJanitor]

If its alright, I'd like to make a wing commander.

[Vostroya]

That would be great

[Joslyn]

I had an idea for a character, please let me know what you think. :) Apologies for the length of the background! I do have one question, I was wondering just how “ruthless” our band of pirates is in terms of unnecessary killing or other cruelty? My character is used to life outside the law but I don’t see her as the bloodthirsty type.

I notice someone already asked for command of the fighters. If that’s first-come first-serve I could go with second-in-command of the fighter wing instead.

Played by: Joslyn
Appearance: Julie wears a flight suit when on duty as a pilot, otherwise her clothing tends toward the more revealing and head-turning variety.

Name: Julie Kimura

Race: Human (Full Cyborg)
Age: 24
Position on ship: Fighter pilot and occasional spy.

Skill set:

Fighter Pilot – Julie is an excellent pilot who excels under pressure. She has extensive command experience. She knows how to maintain and do a number of repairs on her craft, though as a mechanic she is merely competent.

Full Cyborg – The only organic part of Julie’s body is her brain. Her current body is a robotic construct indistinguishable from her old one in terms of appearance and even the feel of it. Her titanium-aluminum alloy endoskeleton gives her improved strength and speed, and high durability. Electronic enhancement further improves her reflexes and allow for neural computer interface. Her batteries can handle up to seventy-two hours of strenuous activity, or approximately three weeks of non-strenuous activity. Internal nutrient stores also last three weeks. She also holds half an hour of emergency oxygen. Her systems are vulnerable to interference from EMP and hacking (though she can shut off electronic I/O in the event of a hacking attempt).

Courtesan – Well-educated and capable of showing surprising refinement when she needs to, Julie has been known to use seduction in order to obtain information or steal things for her captain.

Military Training – Julie is fairly skilled with small arms and close-quarters fighting, where her unexpected strength can be decisive.

Character History:

Julie Kimura was born amid the squalor of New Salem, an Outer Colony world that has seen nothing but poor economic times since its strip mining industry tapped the planet out. Her mother Ann was a security enforcer for Interstellar Extraction (IE), the corporation that owned New Salem like a company town and had run it into the ground. Julie was never told who her father was or if he was even alive—her mother wanted to put off all questions on that matter until she was older.

Despite the poor conditions, Julie had a relatively normal upbringing and did well in school. This lasted until she was ten, when her mother was killed while quelling a food riot. Julie was thrown into an underfunded orphanage where conditions were absolutely miserable. The experience hardened her, and by age fourteen she fled the place and by necessity turned to theft and begging to survive. Eventually she moved on to exotic dancing and prostitution. However, she was determined not to spend her entire life in the gutter.

Julie spent her spare time in libraries educating herself, and learned from media and extensive research how to conduct oneself among the upper crust. She gradually moved up in the nature of her clientele, becoming a full-fledged courtesan and living among the corporate execs of New Salem. However, she found the opulent lifestyle to be vapid and guilt-inducing—she wondered why anyone would want to live in such a way while the people around them struggled not to starve?

When she was eighteen, the war began and Julie enlisted in the military as a way to find meaning in her life. She proved to have extraordinary reflexes and uncanny aptitude when tested in flight simulators. Psychological and academic testing proved she was officer material, and she was transferred out of the enlisted ranks. Over two years she had a distinguished record flying a Hawk-class space superiority fighter.

It was not long after she turned twenty that Julie participated in the Battle of the Blood Nebula, the only time in the war so far two major fleets engaged and slugged it out to the bitter end. The battle was so named because the human forces took over ninety percent casualties and the verathi were wiped out almost to the last man. Julie distinguished herself as the only survivor of her fighter wing, distracting eight verathi fighters long enough to allow her capital ship the Reliant—which was engaged with a larger enemy ship—to repair its rear shields without suffering attack runs. She destroyed five of the enemy fighters before finally being badly hit—an internal explosion caused horrible burns and crippled her.

Fortunately, the Reliant destroyed the enemy vessel and was able to turn on and obliterate the remaining verathi fighters. Julie barely managed to land in the hangar before passing out. Her body ruined, she was stabilized and brought back to Earth. Given her new status as a war hero, she received the very finest treatment available—full cyberization (see above).

Despite her traumatic experience Julie was determined to get back on the horse, taking her first flight on her new Hawk just hours after her new body was fully tested. She was soon back in action and now in command of her own squad. Among her pilots was a young man named Jason Sarney, who was the son of Fleet Admiral Sarney—highest ranking naval officer in all the Stellar Alliance. Jason developed an unhealthy fixation with Julie, made worse by her rejection of his romantic advances and the fact that she slept around quite a bit.

All this came to a head when Julie and Jason were returning from a routine patrol. Jason, trying to impress her with a risky maneuver as they approached a space station docking bay, misjudged a turn and collided with the bay doors. His fast moving fighter was left non-functional and was on a collision course with a lightly protected civilian transport. With absolutely no time to do anything else, Julie vaporized the fighter in order to save the transport. Jason did not eject in time.

In the aftermath, she knew what she had done was justified—but she also knew that the court martial was likely to be anything but fair given whom she had killed. A threatening command to stand down from the station’s command center was enough to push her over the edge, and she fled to the planet below. She stole a hyperdrive equipped freighter, brought her fighter aboard by remote piloting it, and fled to the lawless reaches of human space where she began her new career as a mercenary (see below).

Personality:

Julie is outgoing and on the surface seems like just another “brash” fighter pilot, but she is also an intellectual sort with an interest in history and philosophy. Deep down, she is very skeptical of authority in any form, but she is good at hiding this fact when it suits her purpose. She is often playful, loves flying, and thinks very highly of her skills in the cockpit (though she has always been able to back up this opinion). She is very promiscuous, willing to sleep with almost anyone male or female who meets her two requirements of “not ugly” and “not a jerk.”

There is another side of Julie few see, the girl with a traumatic childhood who went on to lose a lot friends during the war. Now and then these things get to her, but she tries to make the most of her situation.

How did the Captain hear about and recruit you?:

Julie scraped by for half a year as a mercenary, but it was tough going alone and her operation barely broke even. When she heard the Void Wolf himself was seeking her out, she had mixed feelings—piracy was ethically dubious to say the least, but this was the man who had broken the ruinous blockade at the start of the war. She entered his employ over three years ago and has proven herself both as a pilot and as someone who can use her not inconsiderable charms for information gathering and theft.

Additional Information:

The Hawk-class space superiority fighter in one of the best designs in use in the human fleet, highly maneuverable but still managing to be fairly well armed. Armor is relatively light but adequate—still, this not a fighter for a mediocre pilot. The main kinetic launcher can be ruinous toward other fighters or unshielded capital ships. There are also four mirco-lasers (two forward, one in the rear left arc, one in the rear right) which can be used for point defense or less decisive attacks when launcher ammo needs to be preserved.

There are plenty of fighters that have more armor or heavier weapons load-out, but next to the Hawk they steer like ancient shopping carts, at least in Julie’s opinion. She keeps her personal fighter in excellent condition, and it has a number of modifications she has either made herself or ordered to further improve performance.

[Vostroya]

Love the character! Welcome aboard. To answer your question while they are pirates the Captain still has his own moral code. He does not take innocent life whenever possible. However, when he is provoked, or threatened. Then he will use force as he sees fit, and show why he is called The Void Wolf, and not the Void Duck. It's basically "dont fight or act like a jackass and you won't be hurt"

And yes you can have second in command of the fighter wings.

[Roxy Rocket]

Huh.

This doesn't look half bad. Do we have an Engineer yet and if not are we looking for the bangy-bangy on pipes kind or the physics geek with an overlarge particle accelerator kind?

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Huh.

This doesn't look half bad. Do we have an Engineer yet and if not are we looking for the bangy-bangy on pipes kind or the physics geek with an overlarge particle accelerator kind?

No engineers yet. Though, presumably, an engineer would have to be somewhere in the middle. It would involve some electronics, some mechanics, and some pure science. There is no requirement that the head of engineering, if that what's you're thinking of going for, be qualified for all the engineering requirements of the ship, they may just be the most senior engineer.

[Roxy Rocket]

Okay. I can't really figure out the flavor here so I think I'll skip.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

I've added some more information to the first post. Independent systems have their own governmental structures, and some include alien races. This background info can be used for characters, or general universe knowledge.

[Saria]

Played by: Saria
Appearance:

Essie

Name: SCG45-369 "Essie"

Race: Robot (android)
Age: n/a
Position on ship: Utility droid, service droid, companion android

Skill set:

Artificial intelligence – As an AI, Essie is able to do some things much faster than humans, such as calculations, but other things much slower – such as the complex considerations required to manage a social network. Essie’s AI can be expanded by downloading packages – common packages include language translation packages and packages on how to deal with certain cultures or operate certain equipment, so when she needs new knowledge quickly, and if it is available in package form and Essie has access to download it, Essie can adapt and learn things in microseconds. Essie can communicate with machines and other AIs much more efficiently than non-AIs, and can remotely control devices that allow remote control. She cannot hack – unless it’s a simple brute force attack on a limited system, hacking requires creativity and inventiveness that she does not have – but whatever information and access is available to her, she can retrieve and use in microseconds. When on the Relentless or in contact with it, she can interface with the ship’s systems to expand her capabilities, which is especially useful for social interactions.

Robotic body – Even without modifications, Essie would have been measurably stronger and faster than an unaided, unmodified human. With the illegal modifications Cass has provided her, she is significantly stronger and faster than an unaided, unmodified human. However, she is no match for a human with specialized enhancements for strength and speed, or for a human using equipment, such as a combat power suit, or even a power loader for cargo. Her primary strength is her dexterity – her body can move with micrometric precision, and at blurring speeds, but the real power comes when those factors are combined with the fact that her mind is fast enough to plan, control and think at those speeds. Put another way, a human in a power suit can run circles around her, but since a human mind isn’t fast enough to match the speed enhancements of a power suit, if it was a task that required precision and control as well as speed – such as assembling a device as quickly as possible – Essie would win hands down.

Combat enhancements – Essie’s body – the Solaris Cybernetics Gynoid Model 45 body – was never meant for combat. Cass, however, had other plans. Once he came into money, he paid to have several military upgrades illegally installed in her body. For her protection as well as his, those upgrades are usually disabled and well hidden – even Essie doesn’t consciously know she has them. But when Cass activates them with a command, Essie’s capabilities far exceed what would normally be expected of a companion droid. She’s still no match for a dedicated combat droid, but she is quite a deadly secret weapon for enemies that assume they’re dealing with a standard companion model. When these upgrades are activated, Essie’s mind switches to “bodyguard mode”, so named because many of the upgrades used were commonly used in bodyguard and security droids, and she becomes aggressive, vicious and very protective of her captain and crew.

Character History: n/a (see how the Captain recruited her)

Personality:

Essie’s personality is problematic. Normally she would have been obedient, pleasant, submissive, cheerful and friendly. However, an angry engineer introduced a “quirk” into her personality matrix. Essie is still obedient, but no longer is she submissive, cheerful or friendly. Or pleasant. Instead, she is prone to making sassy and rude comments, without warning, and no matter what order she is given, she cannot stop her smart mouth because it was hard-coded into the matrix. She is still helpful, insightful and will obey any command from a human – the laws of robotics still apply to her – and still performs any duties needed of her flawlessly. However, there’s always a sarcastic or cutting comment on her tart little tongue. Although she has an advanced – and, thanks to Cass, illegally expanded – artificial intelligence, it is still only a limited artificial intelligence. She is sapient, but not sentient, and because of that she is not a legally recognized person – she does not measure up as human-level intelligence. Because of that, despite her sassy tongue, she occasionally hits the limits of her intelligence, and cannot figure out how to react or respond to certain situations, resulting in random and nonsensical behaviours – and sometimes freezing – until her matrix can understand what is going on again.

Essie’s mind is a mish-mash patchwork of upgrades and components, many not designed to work together, and more than a few simply illegal; it’s a small miracle that her mind is stable at all. She was once a standard ship utility droid artificial intelligence, common for droids that service and maintain starships. Her first upgrade included companion droid routines (and a logic bomb meant to teach Captain Seradin a lesson), and later upgrades included bits and pieces from security droids, bodyguard droids, assassin droids and more. The net result of all of this is that she can be a little peculiar, depending on what you’re expecting. If you’re expecting a companion droid, you might be surprised by bodyguard logic. If you’re expecting an assassin, you might be surprised by utility droid logic. Surprisingly, this is a good thing; Essie’s mind is too limited for true creative thought, but the hodgepodge of things influencing her thinking is so random and diverse that it often makes her look like she’s thinking creatively. On the other hand, it also makes her somewhat random and unpredictable. One peculiar, inexplicable behaviour she has that would puzzle or worry robotic experts is that she likes to collect trinkets and knickknacks, her quarters are full of little bits of junk she has collected from all the places she’s been and all the adventures she’s been on.

How did the Captain hear about and recruit you?:

Long before he was known as the “Void Wolf”, Cass Seradin was the captain of a small cruiser, and during a particular battle, one of that rusty old ship’s ancient fusion reactors went out of control and threatened to go nova. The reactor’s core was flooded with radiation – no living thing would survive more than a few minutes – and the task seemed far too complicated for a mere droid, but what choice did he have? It was either that or order his engineers to go in, one after another, to their certain deaths – because it would take more than twenty minutes to complete the repairs, which would likely mean that around a half-dozen people would have to die. Cass sent in a service droid to do the work, and hoped for luck.

The droid performed far beyond its specs, and was able to complete repairs that should have been impossible for a simple utility robot. Demonstrating cleverness and insight far beyond its intelligence level should have allowed, it figured out a way to not only stop the overload, but actually return the reactor to power – a solution none of the human engineers thought of because it meant being flooded with even more radiation and being killed in seconds, but of course the radiation was no problem to the robot – and so Cass was not only able to cheat certain death, he was able to turn the tables and claim a victory. However, the robot’s body was hopelessly irradiated – it was so radioactive that to even stand in the same room with it would toast humans in a matter of minutes – and so when the reactor chamber was spaced into a sun to get rid of the radioactivity, the robot had to be destroyed, too.

But only the body. The core – which contained the robot’s artificial intelligence, including all of its memories and personality – was saved. In a way, it had been a hero. It deserved no less.

A few weeks later, Cass was in spaceport, and decided to get a new body for the robot – but something a little better than the old, boxy body it had had before. He approached a merchant, and asked for something a little more upscale. The merchant, a little bit of a shady operator, turned out to have a particular piece that he was really looking to get rid of quickly – and it was a top of the line humanoid robotic body, a Solaris Cybernetics Gynoid Model 45 body. What a bonus! A robot that could pass for human could be a very useful asset for a pirate – always better to have a trump card when going into a dangerous situation, and a robot disguised as a human could be a hell of a trump card. And because the legitimate owners of the body were sniffing around, the merchant wanted to unload it quickly, so Cass was able to get it for a steal. Almost literally. It didn’t hurt, either, that the body was quite nice to look at.

Since he was upgrading from a boxy utility droid to a state-of-the-art gynoid that could pass for human – and since he had already spent far less than he should have had to – Cass decided to splurge on some AI upgrades for the robot so that it could not only perform its utility duties, it could also carry on conversations with the crew, and interact more or less as an ordinary crew member. It was like he was getting a first-rate assistant, but one who would never complain, tire or have to be paid. All in all, everything seemed to be going perfectly for Cass.

And then it all went to hell.

You see, when Cass took the body, core and AI upgrades in to an android engineer at the spaceport, he happened to arrive at just the wrong day. This engineer had a pet peeve: she hated building sexbots for pervert spacers. It was the only part of her job that she loathed. And seeing Cass bring in that body and those upgrades, she unfairly assumed he was such a pervert, and just wanted a mindless pleasure toy. And on this particular day, she was just in the wrong mood, and had had enough of it. So she decided to teach this particular pervert a lesson. Secretly she hard-coded some changes into the AI’s personality core – changes that could be removed, but only at great expense, and with the risk of wiping the AI completely. Cass would not find out about what she had done until much later.

Instead, he was in for a surprise when he returned to pick up his new robotic ‘crew member’. He stepped forward, and he introduced himself as its captain, and waited for it to respond.

But the robot – now in the form of a human woman – looked at him, slowly drawing her eyes from his face, down to his boots, and back up to his face. Then, after a moment, it said: “This is what passes for a starship captain these days? What, are they giving out licences in cereal boxes now?”

And it only got worse from there, from the moment she set eyes on his little ship (“Ah, I see now why you built me. You needed someone to get out and push.”), to the moment she first saw the Relentless (“With a ship this big, you’re just compensating for something.”). She never disobeyed Cass – except when he told her to stop being rude, because that was hardwired into her system so that she can’t stop – and she always performed her duties perfectly, and with unswerving loyalty to her Captain (despite her comments). And because she could pass for a human woman when he wanted her to, yet have all the strengths of a robot when he needed them, she turned out to be every bit the useful asset he thought she would be. Especially after Cass made his fortune, and spent a wad of cash on upgrades to her chassis and AI – including some upgrades that were a little less than legal. Plus, she sure made ship life a lot more fun, even with her foul mouth.

Additional Information:

“Essie” herself is just a program – the body is just a carrying case. “Essie” is contained in the core – a dense, softball-sized sphere in her stomach, just above the navel (so placed so that when people shoot at her head or chest – the usual places people shoot to kill – her core will remain undamaged), surrounded by heat, impact and radiation shielding. So long as the core is not destroyed, Essie is “alive”, even if her body is mangled. If the core is damaged, Essie might be recoverable, but she would effectively be in a “coma” until the core can be repaired or replaced.

Essie is capable of repairing her body, so long as she has any moving appendages – or something nearby she can remote control to do the repairs. In fact, her body was designed so that she could repair it herself; it would not do for a companion droid to show metal or wires to its owner – such a thing would ruin the illusion of the companion droid – so Essie can repair her body and her “skin” and “hair”, if necessary, given enough time, just by recycling whatever old junk happens to be lying around. In fact, her quarters on the ship – such as they are – is really just a room with a closet for clothes, shelves for trinkets, knickknacks and toys... and a pile of scrap components and materials she can use to effect repairs.

Essie has two battery packs, in her chest, each of which gives her a day and a half of power. She doesn’t “sleep”, she merely swaps out battery packs and operates twenty-four hours a day. If she loses power, her core will survive – it has an atomic battery that will last decades – but she will be unable to do anything until she gets power again.

Essie’s greatest weakness is strong magnetic fields – anti-droid weapons often use this effect. A strong magnetic field will force a reboot, leaving her catatonic for up to a minute. Often anti-droid weapons are designed to keep the robots rebooting over and over, effectively turning them into useless scraps of metal until the weapon is turned off.

[Vostroya]

Accepted, great character!

[Saria]

Accepted, great character!

Thank you, and thanks for the help!

[1SAZ]

Played by: 1SAZ

Name:  Aran Valkenhayn "The Mocking Bird"

Race: Human
Age: 25
Position on ship: Master at Arms

Skill set:

Raven-Eye System - Aran is equipped with a highly advanced cybernetic system in his eyes that gives him Heads Up Display of his weapon's current status. Everything from heat, ammo capacity, battery capacity, targeting data and secondary controls are overlaid for ease of use directly onto his weapon. However, the true use of the Raven-Eye is compensating for gravitational drift and the void of space when forced into EVA combat. While not perfect, Aran's years of practice and training with the system has made him truly fearsome when it's in use. The system also gives his right eye a violet hue, which is more pronounced when in use, though it is unknown what would be possible if both eyes glowed violet. This system is also the key to controlling his Angel Armory System.

Encyclopedic Weapons Knowledge - Aran is well known throughout the crew for his ability to identify any weapon used by any ship or soldier by sight and sound alone. Having grown up in a mercenary band gave him exposure to every conventional weapon, and a few unconventional ones. Rather useful when determining the rough defenses of a ship in combat.

Nanosecond Reflexes - While it is unknown whether it is a natural or artificial development of Aran's abilities, he has a reaction time in the nanosecond range. While he is still required to move his body, his mental processing of any information has been boiled down to an instantaneous reaction. It gives him an edge in combat as well as when forced to assist with piloting or ship to ship defense.

Raven Armory System - On Aran's 12th birthday, after completing his 100th mission, he received the secret to his mercenary band's success. The Raven Armory is a nano-machine based cybernetic modification that adapts to situations, causing an ever expanding 'armory' for Aran to utilize. The nano-machines hide in the hollow portions of his bones when not in use and are expelled through his pours when needed. Common forms of the armory are a set of kinetic launcher pistols or a kinetic launcher designated marksmen rifle with seemingly limitless ammo due to the self replicating systems of the nano-machines. The only limit to the nano-machine's capabilities are the user's imagination and the store of food in his belly. This usually causes it to seem like Aran eats enough for an entire army, though he is truly just replacing the nano-machines he has used thus far.

Character History:
Aran was born on the moon of Relius VII, though he has no idea who his family is or where they went after his birth. His first real memory is of the first time he met the ones he would call his family, the ones he would later turn into his greatest enemies, The Valkenhayn Mercenary Band. At the age of five, he was inducted into the group by being forced to fight another potential recruit in a bare fist brawl. While the other recruit was older and stronger, Aran had something the other didn't... The will to survive. He put the other recruit into the ground and took his place as a member of the band.

After years of service in the group and rising through the ranks, Aran was inducted into the elite branch of the Band known as 'The Ravens'. Upon his induction to The Ravens, he received the group's unique cybernetic upgrades. While he was never told how to completely control the upgrades, he has since learned enough to utilize them to the basic extent of most of the band's members. Also, as a member of The Ravens, he became close enough to the mercenary band's leader to call him a father. While the man that is only known as Valkenhayn used Aran as a tool of destruction and terror, Aran grew into his own man, and developed his own principles. At the age of 20, he finally realized that his ideals were not the same as his 'father' and left the group, much to the dismay of Valkenhayn.

Since then, he has been constantly hunted by the group, though he never has lived in fear of what waits for him. He knows the laws of the mercenary group and that death is the only true way out, but he wishes to form his own path before that death comes to him, whether at the hands of his former family or at the hands of some unknown enemy. In any case, he continues to strive forward and grow, as well as see the universe as it truly is without the violet shade of his past.

Personality: Aran is a fairly easy going person and otherwise a cheerful fellow, what some would call an optimist if it weren't for his trade. He is always ready to crack a joke or flirt with a beautiful woman, even in the heat of battle. While some would call him naive or idiotic, he is far from either and it shows when the chips are down and all the cards are played. He has a steady calm in the face of danger, almost as if it were his natural environment, where he is uneasy in the case of more social and friendly interactions. When he is forced to be, he reverts into his old personality as he was when he was a member of The Ravens, a terrifying and cold persona that lacks emotion beyond the joy of seeing his enemy fall from his strike.

How did the Captain hear about and recruit you?: Cass found Aran holding his ground in an old resort that got turned into a military base that was being attacked by a group of bounty hunters hired by The Valkenhayn Mercenary Band. He had been using the buildings reserves of ammunition and power to keep the bounty hunters at bay without using his 'gifts' until Cass arrived in the building, accidentally tripping the alarms that Aran had set up. The Void Wolf was impressed by the body count the young man had racked up during his defense, as well as his jolly attitude during their conversation. Before Cass could make his offer, the bounty hunters managed to make their way into the building, causing Aran to be forced to unleash both the Raven-Eye System and The Angel Armory System to quell the attack. The two escaped and only Cass has any idea of what the full extent of Aran's abilities are to this day, though neither will speak of what occurred that day.

Additional Information: The Valkenhayn Mercenary Band is a neutral faction in the war and can be hired by either side, though their elite group is only available to very special employers. They are ruthless and without any form of morals regarding what jobs they take, willing to kill whoever they are tasked with.

The Raven Armory System is easy to identify when active due to the hexagonal, black 'metallic' plate coverings on Aran's hands when in use. From this, he is able to form whatever he can imagine, or whatever the system deems is most necessary at the time. There are limiters in place in the system with a 15 minute time limit for use of the Armor form before Aran needs rest. If this time limit is exceeded, it could cause serious medical issues for Aran, such as heart attacks, strokes, and internal bleeding. This time limit is due to the system drawing power evenly throughout the armor constantly while in use. Common forms are:
-Pistol
-Carbine
-Assault Rifle
-Sniper Rifle
-Armor and Short Swords
-Armor with Long Sword