Jasan Quinn's Star Conflict Lore Bible

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This is just a place where I’m going to try and put everything that makes up my personal head canon. I’m putting it here because I don’t ever seem to get around to finishing what I write any more, so hopefully people will find things of interest in here and run with them.

 

To make it clear; if you want to use or modify any of this for your own star conflict based fanfiction, do so! If you are concerned about clashing with my narrative for whatever reason, feel free to drop a line and I can clear up anything and everything you need to know.

 

Will be filling it piecemeal, with intent to tidy and organise it later.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Factions:  Scroll down!
Corporations and Organisations: [http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/24052-jasan-quinns-star-conflict-lore-bible/?p=279508](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/24052-jasan-quinns-star-conflict-lore-bible/?p=279508)

Ships and Ship Technology:  [http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/24052-jasan-quinns-star-conflict-lore-bible/?p=279138](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/24052-jasan-quinns-star-conflict-lore-bible/?p=279138)

Civilian Technology and Medicine : [http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/24052-jasan-quinns-star-conflict-lore-bible/?p=279308](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/24052-jasan-quinns-star-conflict-lore-bible/?p=279308)

 

FACTIONS

 

The Empire

The Empire is, broadly speaking, a mostly benevolent military dictatorship that has ruled Earth and its client worlds for over a thousand years. It is the largest Human extra-solar nation in terms of population, star systems controlled and galactic distance covered.

The Empire is ruled by The Emperor; a mysterious figure who was supposedly once an ordinary soldier, but who rose to rule when he led a rebellion against the corrupt Direktorium. His name is unknown, as is how he is able to stay alive after thousands of years. Officially, the Emperor’s body is cloned and re-cloned using classified techniques, and his mind transferred to each new body as the old one wears out. This explanation is accepted by the majority of Imperial citizens.

Despite what outsiders claim, military service is not mandatory within the Empire, and discrimination against non-servicemen is illegal on paper. However, in practice it is very difficult to achieve high station within the Empire without some military background. Ordinary citizens typically enroll in Service Camps that primarily serve to instill a sense of national pride, unwavering loyalty to Emperor and Empire, and combat skills. Officer academies, usually aimed at the well-educated, well-bred and well-connected elements of Imperial society, likewise exist to groom their recruits into fine leaders for the military and civilian sectors. All citizens of the Empire are expected to pull their own weight, and unemployment is kept low by mandated duties for those who cannot find their own work. However, progressive social practices ensure that all working citizens (which as mentioned is almost everyone) are given a living allowance to pay for their basic needs - food, clothes and shelter. This ideology has essentially ended poverty within the Empire, though there are many who struggle to raise their living conditions above the government-issue baseline.

Religion is permitted within the Empire, for the most part. Imperial Law forbids the preaching or practice of any religious ideology deemed “likely to cause disharmony, or inflict undue suffering to the people of the Empire.” In practice, this means that religions that forbid medical services, forbid military service, encourage the overthrowing of governments or challenge the authority of the Emperor are banned. Needless to say, the Bartle Cult is also outlawed. Membership of an outlawed religion typically results in hanging. There is a national religion; an atheistic doctrine that suggests Humanity has an innate superiority to all other forms of life and a divine mandate to unite the galaxy under the Imperial Banner.

 

Due to its vast size, the Empire struggles more than Jericho and the Federation to maintain consistent quality of technology. Typically, the fringes of Imperial space lag behind Terra and the Core Colonies by as much as two hundred years in terms of quality of technology. To counteract this problem, the Empire focuses on rugged, reliable and long-lasting designs; an ideology that was first implemented at the end of the Direktorium Era, and embraced by the emergent Empire. As such, it is not uncommon to see ships and technological devices in service that are almost unchanged from their counterparts of a thousand years ago. However, that is not to say that the Empire is stagnant; their state-of-the-art fighting forces are still more than a match for the Federation and Jericho! However, due to their more straightforward and rugged design, combined with a near inexhaustible supply of service men and women, the Empire favours quantity over quality in its fighting forces.

The great size of the Empire also poses unique challenges for law enforcement, as uprisings on the fringe of its territory can last for months, if not years before an official force reaches them. To this end, the Empire typically grants its frontier a semi-autonomous status, bestowing governmental authority to local interests, usually Corporations who funded the colonisation program. In time, these confederated systems will be brought into the fold as the Empire’s core infrastructure develops and slowly creeps inward. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in Imperial worlds quietly, secretly developing into bastions of anti-Imperial sentiment, and the resulting wars of reclamation are often long and bloody affairs.

Officially, the Empire has no mercantile or diplomatic ties to Jericho, and only a token embassy within the Federation. In practice, black market trade is a dangerous, yet highly lucrative operation, and many Imperial worlds on the boundaries of these two nations become rich through the trade of non-Imperial hardware.

 

The Wardens

The Wardens are an Imperial organisation born from the Order Varden; an organisation that was first established to safeguard Earth from attack, but has since expanded to include various ancillary functions, such as the personal protection of the Emperor and various covert operations across the galaxy. The Order is so large and so powerful that it is essentially a nation in its own right, and can in fact function indefinitely without external support from the rest of the Empire.

The Wardens home planet is Earth. Their headquarters, the space station Varden is in geosynchronous orbit above the Pacific ocean, and is so large is casts a shadow over a hundred square miles of water. The total size of the Order is unknown, but approximately two billion people serve the Order on Earth alone, directly or indirectly.

The Order is internally subdivided for logistical purposes, but for the most part outsiders, and even many within the Order are unaware of these divisions. Sub-divisions of the Order include the Order Varden, tasked with the running of Varden station and the Order as a whole; the Wardens Order of Imperial Earth; the Wardens Order of the Imperial Territories; the Extrasolar Wardens; the extraterritorial Wardens; the Clandestine Order, and the homeguards of Europa; the Holy Russian Empire, New Byzantium, the United States of the Americas, the United Federation of the Americas, the African Confederation and the Australaisia homeguard.

Because of the importance of Earth to the Empire, and due to their role as the Emperor’s personal bodyguards and primary military force, the Wardens typically possess the most advanced ships of the Imperial fleet. Typically, the Order prefers to adopt existing designs and refine them, resulting in ships that remain in service long after their more conventional counterparts have been decommissioned. Examples of these ships include the Phobos and Prometheus Fire Gunships; both designs were later made available to the Imperial Army and free agents as the Wardens upgraded to ever more powerful craft.

 

The Wardens official uniform is alabaster white. Warden ships, facilities and even formal dress also typically include stylised Imperial iconography, referred to as “decor” in official documentation. Decor is usually painted red, though the uniform varies within certain subsets of the Order.

In particular, the Homeguards are permitted to use variant colour schemes while retaining the core Wardens heraldry. These uniforms are given below.

Europa: White with gold or yellow decor.

Holy Russian Empire: Black with white or silver decor.

USA: White with blue decor.

UFA: blue with white or decor.

Byzantium: white with purple decor.

African Confederation: white with green decor.

Australasia: red with white decor, red with gold decor or white with black decor, depending on specific point of recruitment.

 

Although officially considered part of the Wardens, the pilots who make up the Homeguard defense squadrons are often looked down upon by their “true” Warden counterparts. This is in part due to their poor service records; most Homeguard are never deployed in live combat. Homeguard squadrons that are deployed off of Earth average close to 80% losses. The Order requires that any squadron suffering more than 30% losses on a single tour be investigated for possible negligence or traitorous behaviour within its ranks.

 

Holy Russian Empire

The Holy Russian Empire is a semi-independent nation found on Earth that traces its existence back to the pre-Imperial era. It is technically an oligarchy, but the last President of Russia was a member of the Direktorium. When he was overthrown, the HRE was officially leaderless and defaulted rule to the Patriarch, their religious leader. Approximately nine hundred years ago the Emperor was named Patriarch, thus making him the de-facto ruler of the Holy Russian Empire, as well as their spiritual leader. He is revered almost as a demi-God, and is believed that God acts through him.

Though the HRE is not officially part of the Empire, all Russians possess dual citizenship; they may come and go freely through Imperial territory, have political rights within the Empire, and can move off world as they like. The HRE has its own sub-division of the Wardens Order, the Holy Russian Empire Homeguard, and members of each organisation share ranks, authority and access privileges with the other.

The capital of the Holy Russian Empire is Kiev, a district of Europa City. This is technically outside the border of Russia, but was chosen due to the city’s historic importance to the Rus, and due to the Emperor’s unusual relationship with the nation. Prior to this arrangement the capital of the HRE was usually Moscow, and many still consider that city to be the Russian capital.

The HRE is technically at peace with all other nations on Earth, but frequently has disputes with New Byzantium over territories on the border between the European and Asian continents.

The official flag of the Holy Russian Empire is black with a white four-pointed star.

 

Jericho

Born from the exiled convicts of millennia past, the Jericho are descended from the followers of Bartle, and despite the difficulty of their imposed lifestyle have flourished and succeeded beyond all expectations.

The Jericho nation straddles the border between technocracy and theocracy. It is ruled by the Families; dynastic lineages who represent the upper echelons of their respective fields. The Families, and indeed all of the Jericho nation are further divided into the Clans, each of which is focused on a particular aspect of social interest. There are many Clans, ranging from small and highly specialised to massive, nation-spanning organisations. Though Clans come and go, three have remained fairly constant throughout Jericho history: the Faith, who preach the Bartle Cult; the Techs, who oversee the research, development and implementation of advanced technologies; and the Raid, who form the official army of Jericho. Other powerful Clans include the Corporate, composed of merchants and their financiers, who have recently been elevated to considerable status.

As well as the Raid, Jericho can call upon multiple secondary military forces. Every Clan has its own private army, as does every Family. This was a necessity during Jericho’s early years, but if anything has become a problem in the modern era. Various military organisations, such as the Wolfpack, the Cybers and the Pioneers (now known as the Enclave) have broken away from Jericho and sought to make their own way in the galaxy, and their private armies have ensured that, so long as they can outfight the Raid long enough to make their escape, they can quickly establish themselves as radical free elements.

 

For the citizens of Jericho, the Bartle Cult is a central point of their lives, and indoctrination begins at birth. It is the holy duty of every son and daughter of Jericho to pursue the Divine Mission - the reclamation of Earth, and the destruction of the old world. This ideology puts them in direct and violent opposition to the Empire, and the bulk of Jericho’s major military campaigns have been directed against Imperial assets. Despite the religion’s power and influence within the Families, there are those who fear that it may serve to hold back the Jericho nation. In general, the Techs are quite liberal and lax in their enforcement of religious law, whereas the Faith and the Raid tend toward fanaticism. This divide of science versus faith is sometimes known as “the balancing of burdens”, and the Bartle Cult teaches that both are essential for Jericho’s prosperity.

Along with religious indoctrination, cybernetic augmentation is an important part of Jericho life, and from a young age Jericho’s people begin to replace their frail organic body parts with superior cybernetic equivalents. To go without augmentation is seen as bizarre and aberrant behaviour, though there are those who support such an idea. The extent of enhancement depends upon a person’s role in society, and their Clan affiliation. In particular, Techs enhance themselves to the point where it can be difficult to tell what, if anything remains of the original organic individual.

 

Typically, Jericho citizens have no contact whatsoever with the outside world, and perhaps because of their isolationist policy what contact that does occur often ends badly. The Pioneers, once driven by exploration and trade, became so disillusioned with Jericho that they rebelled and became the piratical Enclave. Other trade missions, diplomatic cells and mercenary outfits have likewise defected, favouring the greater freedoms offered beyond Jericho’s borders. 

 

The Federation

The Federation of Liberated Star Systems, to use its official name, is a collective of planetary colonies, orbital installations and nomadic fleets collected and connected by a shared history, currency, language and central government. Founded by the remnants of the exiled Direktorium, the Federation is seen by most of its citizens as a nation as close to utopian as can ever be achieved; a shining example of what Humanity can accomplish if the folly of religious fanaticism and dogmatic tradition are abolished. It is seen by its rivals as a free market oligarchy where the rich and powerful live in disgusting opulence, while its citizens are left to starve in the gutter. Despite what national media claim, the truth is likely closer to the latter than the former.

Within the Federation, money is power. A person’s value is determined by their wealth, and the Federation is run by free-market capitalism that ensures profit drives every venture. Right and wrong are determined by profit and loss, rather than some arbitrary notion of moral and ethical duty, and as such the ordinary citizens of the federation are perhaps the most miserable of all the major nations. While the sons of Jericho may live simple, monastic lives, and Imperial citizens are raised in Spartan, militaristic confines, they are at least catered for by their people. Federation citizens, on the other hand, are delivered everything they could want by their government, and nothing that they need.

 

Officially, the Federation has no army; like Jericho, it handles military matters by way of private forces. However, there are two organisations in particular that stand out from the crowd. The Armada is a massive, semi-nomadic collective of fleet craft and allied orbital installations necessary for their upkeep. Never envisaged as a military organisation, the Armada was drawn into war with the Empire and Jericho and was forced to adapt. They did so with surprising success, and today the Armada oversees and directs a large portion of internal security for the Federation, specialising in anti-piracy operations.

By contrast, the Vanguard are a young, yet growing part of the Federation. The Vanguard were conceived to take the nation back onto the offensive; to reconquer lost systems, steal enemy assets and even claim hostile territories. Ironically, this doctrine meant that when the Precursor War broke out the bulk of Vanguard assets were deployed in entirely the wrong place, and so the Armada assumed authority in the sector.

 

Of all the great powers, the Federation is the least inclined to war and the most open to diplomacy. They place few restrictions on the rights of their citizens to come and go, and as such have amiable relations with many smaller, independent nations. Despite their government’s utter contempt for its own people and the shockingly high levels of unemployment and poverty, civil unrest is rare and the people seem, for the most part, content with their lives.

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This is heresy! We will burn you at the stake!

Can I put in requests? If so, can you complete Jericho and Federation lore? Also do some lore on NASA that dates back to the 20th century. Along with major corporations can you talk to some of the CEOs of minor but still well known corporations? Minor means that they don’t hold subsectors but they are active in the community.

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Looks like a nice start.

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SHIPS AND SHIP COMPONENTS

 

Ship "Phases"

The ships of star conflict can be broadly split into “Phases”. A Phase is the in-universe equivalent of an in-game Tier, with some exceptions (the Prometheus is a Tier 3 ship, but classed as Phase Two within lore). The specific meaning of each phase is as follows:

 

Phase One

Phase One ships are old, bordering on ancient. Most endure primarily as training craft, or serve in small, low-budget military organisations. Some of the more advanced models can almost hold their own against modern mainstay craft, but this is a rare exception to the rule.

Empire: Late Direktorium Era (35th / 36th century). Example ships: Hercules, Dvergr, Harpy.

_Jericho: _First Bartle War Era (35th century). Example ships: Axe, Dagger, Zealot.

Federation: Uprising Era (38th - 40th century). Example ships: Lynx, Swift, Raptor.

 

Phase Two

Phase Two ships are obsolete, but still more modern than their Phase One counterparts. Phase Two ships are categorised not by their age, but by the adoption of modern military design practice; the use of modular weapon and system components, and an emphasis on battlefield control devices. The most sophisticated Phase Two ships, such as Jericho’s Ricasso or the Federation Hawk-M are still a match for later, Phase Three ships. As such, the cut-off for Phase Two and Phase Three is typically production - Phase Two ships are officially mothballed, and are either being actively phased out of official military use, or already have been.

Empire: Civil War / Early Third Bartle War Era (38th-41st century). Example ships: Deimos, Neutron/Dwarf, Hydra.

_Jericho: _Third Bartle War Era (41st-42nd century). Example ships: Machete, Stiletto, Templar

Federation: Uprising Era (38th - 40th century). Example ships: Fox, Hawk, Alligator.

 

Phase Three

Phase Three ships are modern, though ageing. They are common and remain in use in many official and unofficial military organisations. The bulk of active craft, both in Sector 1337 and the galaxy in general, are Phase Three ships. They are better-designed than Phase Two, and make better use of modular technology. They are also approaching the end of their lifespans, and already the line is being blurred as to whether more recent ship are Phase Three or Phase Four.

Empire: 44th-45th century. Example ships: Prometheus, Swarm, Cerberus.

Jericho: 44th-45th century. Example ships: Katana, Kris, Crusader.

Federation: 44th-45th century. Example ships: Wolf, Kite, Anaconda.

 

Phase Four

Phase Four ships are modern designs that were, prior to the Precursor Conflict, considered state of the art. Now, the divide between Phase Four and Phase Five is not obsolescence, but Iridium enhancement - a Phase Four is a modern ship that was not built to take advantage of the Iridium, Precursor and/or Alien technology being discovered within Precursor Space.

Empire: Modern Era (46th-47th century). Example ships: Castor, Nibelung, Centaur.

_Jericho: _Modern Era (46th-47th century). Example ships: Lance, Nodachi, Tormentor.

_Federation: _Modern Era (46th-47th century). Example ships: Eagle, Tiger, Grizzly.

 

Phase Five

Phase Five represent modern ships enhanced with Iridium and other precious and alien elements recovered from the Precursor Sector. They are extremely rare, and devastatingly powerful.

Empire: Present Day. Example ships: Apollo, Viking, Dragon.

Jericho: Present Day. Example ships: Sword, Wakizashi, Inquisitor.

Federation: Present Day. Example ships: Lion, Falcon, Osprey / T-Rex.

 

Ship Fuel and Power Generation

“Fuel” for the vast majority of ships operating in Precursor Space is deuterium; a heavy form of hydrogen. It is primarily used in nuclear fusion. Deuterium is produced in fueling stations across known space, and can be manufactured from cosmic gasses quickly and cheaply. A typical light craft can operate for days, if not weeks without refueling, although combat craft tend to burn through their fuel much more quickly due to the extreme power demands of shields and weaponry.

 

The materials produced by deuterium-fusion have been weaponised for almost as long as fusion reaction has been around, and while there are countless methods the two primary users of this technology are the Empire and the Federation. Federation plasma weapons use the plasma waste from deuterium reaction as part of their weapon system, typically super-heating a tiny bullet. The bullet melts in the firing chamber, producing yet more plasma and a tiny super-hot core that helps the plasma bullet retain some predictable ballistic properties. Empire lasers, particularly ion lasers, rely heavily upon the ion waste produced by the reaction. Jericho ships typically channel their reactor waste into shielding systems.

 

NanoDrones

NanoDrones are tiny maintenance and repair robots small enough to enter a living biological cell. They are deployed in vast swarms of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of machines, and can deconstruct raw materials and recombine them into new forms. Needless to say, it was not long before this technology was applied in military fields.
NanoDrone systems are typically found in one of two forms; the relatively common self-repair systems, and the Engineering systems found on support frigates. At their core, both systems rely on a stockpile of raw material, typically a collection of basic compounds used in ship armour or the more rugged systems, and an energy system to energise the NanoDrones upon deployment. Engineering craft are built to carry vastly increased raw material stockpiles, and are fitted with external nano-lathes to allow them to repair nearby ships, not just themselves.

 

Despite the obvious benefits both in battle and in dock, NanoDrones are limited in their reliability. The nano-machines cannot easily reconstruct highly complex machines, advanced alloys and compounds, nor can they work on any high-output system, such as a ship’s power grid - NanoDrones are highly vulnerable to energy surges and EM overload. Furthermore, even basic components such as armour can suffer loss of quality if repaired too often with NanoDrones due to imperfections in the material creeping in with each iteration of reconstruction. As such, ships are required to undergo regular repairs to have parts and systems replaced.

 

Missile Magazines

For millennia, the amount of firepower a ship could carry has been limited by its ammunition capacity. Attempts to fit ships with energy weapons was intended to circumvent this issue, but the problem of missile payload remained a problem right up until a few decades prior to the Precursor Conflict.

Older ships carry missiles, rockets and bombs in an internal weapons bay or on external mounts along the wings and hull. However, due to advancements in nanotechnology, newer ships were able to establish a work around.

Modern craft have an armoured missile bay on the belly of the ship. This is kept stocked by the use of a nano-lathe. Some ships rely on the lathe to stock a single magazine, but larger ships have multiple magazines that they can cycle through to reduce the wait time for missiles.

Due to the limitations of nano-lathe technology, only the more basic components of the missile can be constructed internally; guidance systems and missile-AI must be stored on ship and added during the reconstruction process.

 

B.O.T.S.

Basic On-board Tactical Systems (B.O.T.S.) are suites of AI systems designed to operate military ships without the need for a pilot. These are mass-produced systems and range in quality and complexity from simple drone AI systems to full fighter control systems. B.O.T.S. are used by many factions, though opinions vary on how they should be employed. Some believe they are best suited to high risk missions to ensure minimal loss of Human life. Others believe that no B.O.T.S can match the skill of a veteran pilot, and so instead believe B.O.T.S. controlled ships are better suited to mundane patrols and other simple tasks.

Common terms for B.O.T.S. operated craft include “Bot”, “Droneship” and “Sim” or “Simulant”.

[3402178]

This is heresy! We will burn you at the stake!

Can I put in requests? If so, can you complete Jericho and Federation lore? Also do some lore on NASA that dates back to the 20th century. Along with major corporations can you talk to some of the CEOs of minor but still well known corporations? Minor means that they don’t hold subsectors but they are active in the community.

Jericho and Federation added in an edit. As for Corporations… I honestly haven’t touched them. I did Dynamis because of how big they were back in the day, and because it just fit so perfectly into narrative. NASA and Wolfpack I did primarily because I’ve been a part of the former, and still am with the latter. The only other Corp I have any background for is, well, CORP. Even then, everything I have is mentioned in the Jericho blurb.

 

I don’t really want to chase CEOs down to write up their Corporations. If they want to get their Corp into my head canon then I’m happy to sit down and work with them on it, but otherwise it’s not a priority.

 

Looks like a nice start.

Glad you approve. Keep checking for edits!  :001j:

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While their operating procedures are kept open for study by Imperial authorities and rival Corporations, one aspect remains something of a mystery; the nature and significance of an unidentified battle-enhancer codenamed “sweet roll”. 

 

[1850009]

My name is JP and I approve this message. 

[3425735]

Now, everyone bow to Dictator JP, as he is giving you all sweet rolls that, when you eat them, allow your ships to send rainbows out of their thrusters.

At maximum speed, you’ll be faster than nyan-cat!

 

I, WolfKhan van Reige Octavius, command you. All of you, bow.

 

Also, give JasanQuinn a thumbs up to his main post and a large thank you.

 

Now, sound off below.

[16849841]

I’ll ask Bitesback if he wants to do this with you. You’re cool Jasan

[3891119]

I am monitoring this thread.

[3402178]

Civilian Culture and Technology

 

Cloning

Cloning technology is hardly new, but it has yet to achieve the levels of efficiency depicted in science fiction. Taking cell samples, any sufficiently equipped medical facility can vat-grow a new individual, but the process takes just as long as the actual growth of a natural birth, and due to questions of identity and personage this is not widely employed.

 

The most common, though perhaps most questionable method of cloning is commonly known as “rebirth” cloning. Members of the rebirth program periodically visit a rebirth facility and have up to date DNA samples taken, as well as comprehensive scans of their brain structure. Using this information a replacement can be quick-grown, theoretically creating a replica of the donor at the time of donation. The process takes between several months to a few years complete, depending on the quality of the rebirth systems used, but to date the system is not without flaws. First of all, the rebirths invariably have a noticeably shortened lifespan. Second, all of them suffer some degree of mental degradation; almost a quarter of all rebirths are classified as mentally handicapped upon release from the growth facility.

These systems are generally favoured in the more lawless regions of space, allowing the rich and powerful to cheat death despite their dangerous lifestyles and live again. It is rarely used by any official body, who prefer instead to try and cheat death by other means.

 

Memory Engrams

Memory Engrams are biomedical implants that are implanted into a living brain via nanotechnology. They consist of bio-cell strands that make new connections in the brain to grant new knowledge. Engramming is an expensive process due to the delicate and complex process involved. The more complex the engram the more difficult it is to successfully integrate, and as a person gets older the difficulty of the implantation also increases. As such, the most common use of engrams is with children, who are typically taught language or other key skills via engrams. For others, biomechanical implants are favoured.

 

Implants

Bio-neural Enhancement Implants, or just implants in common speak, are tiny computer systems installed inside of the skull or the upper torso and wired directly to the brain and/or central nervous system. These implants are intended to enhance the individual’s skills, knowledge, memory or interaction with other computer systems.

The most common implants among military pilots are the components of the Star Med Combat Implant Suite. There are several variations on these implants, both official and otherwise, primarily due to the age of the technology; Star Med had existed in one form or another since before the fall of the Direktorium, and even Jericho pilots now use Star Med compatible systems to allow them to acquire and take advantage of Imperial and Federation neural implants (a practice that works both ways). The standard array of implants are as follows:

Phase I Star Med Implants are connected to the prefrontal cortex, specifically the regions concerned with complex problem solving and working memory. The primary purpose of these implants is micro-adjustment tasks. Phase I implants can allow a pilot to automatically track and adjust minute variations in shield output, power flow to key systems, sensor I/O feeds and even control ‘shock absorber’ protocols that are designed to protect fragile systems from jarring impacts or sudden EM surges. Though expensive and time consuming to install, Phase I implants are considered essential for all ‘serious’ pilots, and make installing of more complex implants easier.

 

Phase II Star Med Implants are positioned to interact with the superior temporal gyrus and auditory cortex. They work with the Phase I systems to provide more complex data I/O streams to pilots, essentially letting them shut out non-essential sensory inputs to give more mental processing time to ship functions. Some pilots, particularly those from Jericho also replace their eyes, ears or both with artificial implants built to integrate with and enhance the functionality of the Phase II system.

Due to the increased stress on the pilot, Phase II implants are typically paired with an alpha-inhibitor system that helps reduce anxiety and stress.

 

Phase III is usually connected to the Wernickle’s Area due to the advantages of being linked to Phase II, but its primary focal point is the Postcentral gyrus; the regions of the brain concerned with touch. These implants allow a pilot to ‘feel’ the ship, translating incoming information to physical stimuli. This implant suite allows for very precise control of power flow, self-repair systems and various other functions. It also links bio-mechanical systems to a neuro-clock, allowing the system to begin to truly function as an extension of the pilot’s own body.

Due to the increased stress upon the body, beta-blocker dispensers are required to minimise the risk of anxiety attacks and cardiac problems caused by the implant’s data flow.

 

Phase IV attaches to the parietal cortex; the region of the brain that deals with the locating of objects relative to one’s own position. The primary function of this implant suite is to grant vastly superior spatial memory, allowing a person to assess objects and then actively calculate their flight paths when outside of the current field of vision. In battle, this implant links with ship’s sensors to give pilots super-human spatial awareness, assisting them in battle by essentially shunting object handling to lower brain functions, leaving the higher brain free to handle more complex and essential tasks.

 

Phase V is a total system overlay, linking all prior implants together with additional hardware to greatly improve efficiency. General mental processing speeds and data retention are improved, and total system efficiency is greatly increased. Pilots not only perform better in battle, they also learn more quickly. A side effect of the Phase V implant system is that, when fully integrated, pilots also need far less sleep; they can essentially shut down all but the key parts of the brain and allow the implants to take over, meaning only 2-3 hours of rest per night is needed to stay fully alert and aware. However, most pilots prefer to maintain a “natural eight” sleep cycle, as the long term health risks of over-reliance on implant-run brain functions is still not entirely clear.

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CORPORATIONS

 

Note: “Corporations” within this lore bible refer to the fictional counterparts of in-game player run corporations. “Organisations” refer to corporate or political entities that are not based upon player run corporations.

 

Dynamis

Dynamis were a Federation Corp and one of, if not the first Corporation active in the Precursor Sectors. Prior to the war, Dynamis were primarily concerned with private security contracts, bounty hunting and freelance military contracting. Upon hearing rumours of alien technology in Sector 1337, Dynamis pooled all its resources, took out loans in multi-billion credit amounts, and within a few short weeks amassed an invasion fleet like nothing seen since the Third Bartel War.

The Dynamis assault smashed all before it. Neither the Empire nor Jericho could put up a serious resistance, and sub-sector after sub-sector fell to Dynamis and the Federation. Despite their victories, however, Dynamis were not paying the bills; their spoils were nowhere near enough to justify the financial outgoing. Though they controlled vast regions of space, as the weeks and months drew on the Empire and Jericho began to counter-attack, locating and securing the prime Iridium deposits and Precursor artefact sites. Small bands of elite troops were able to hold the Imperial and Jericho lines where it mattered most, until the Armada grew restless and called in their debts.

The exact details of what transpired remain unclear, but Dynamis and its child-Corporations suddenly, and violently collapsed from within. The power vacuum was filled by pirates and rogues of all kinds, turning much of the Sector into lawless wilderness space. The Empire and Jericho began to push outward once more, and the Federation was able to re-establish control of its foothold position via direct Vanguard deployment, but Dynamis would play no further part in Federation history. Their legacy was a months-long campaign that many believed would see the Federation ascendant, and countless star systems in anarchy as they perished.

 

NASA

The NASA are a frontier governing corporation whose history dates back to the 20th century. Originally a government run space program, NASA developed into a semi-autonomous, and later fully autonomous corporate entity, specialising in aerospace technology, faster than light travel and planetary colonisation. It possesses direct governmental control of at least five sectors, and is influential in countless worlds along the Imperial frontier.

Due to their presence on the frontier, NASA were one of the first Imperial organisations to respond to the Precursor Conflict, and assumed control of Sector 1337 from Defender-116, until the Legion officially established itself as the Imperial authority in the region and relocated the headquarters to Sentinel-17.

NASA possesses relatively few military assets, but favours quality over quantity. Its fleet is comprised of numerous Phase-Four ships, and it was one of the first Imperial bodies to be entrusted with the Phase-Five, iridium enhanced prototypes. As such, even a small NASA strike team is more than a match for most planetary defence fleets, pirate squadrons or mercenary bands, and they are typically better-equipped than most Army squadrons.

While their operating procedures are kept open for study by Imperial authorities and rival Corporations, one aspect remains something of a mystery; the nature and significance of an unidentified battle-enhancer codenamed “sweet roll”. Theories range from cybernetic augmentation to illegal combat stimulant, but as of yet the truth has not been discovered. Rumours persist that the Wardens Order is offering a substantial sum of money to anyone who can discover the truth, and deliver one of these “sweet rolls” for study.

 

The Wolfpack

For many within the Raid war with the Empire is more than just a duty; it is a holy mission. The people of Jericho can never truly achieve their destiny so long as their ancient enemies endure, and so they fight in Bartel’s name to cleanse the galaxy of Terra’s damned children. Such was the ideology of a core of Raid zealots that formed the Wolfpack; an elite fighter squadron that cared only for victory, no matter the cost.

By the time the Precursor War began, the Wolfpack had grown into a massive fighting force comprised of tens of thousands of personnel. For them, 1337 was the crucible in which the old world would be burned away, leaving only Jericho purity. Pack squadrons clashed with Federation and Empire alike, securing prime Iridium deposits and extracting as much as possible for transfer to the Tech Clans.

However, even as the Wolfpack vanguard won their victories for Jericho, there was dissent within their high command. Many of the Alphas felt that their nation had lost its way. They saw banking houses and merchant cabals rise to equal footing with the priesthood and fleet admirals, and they sneered at how backroom politicking had replaced open, honest discourse. The Families had betrayed their own people, and it was the sworn duty of the Wolfpack to set this right.

Their chance for justice came when the experimental “Fifth Phase” ships were field tested against the Empire. Victory after victory saw the Jericho fleets push the Imperials back to their core systems, yet a small strike team was able to push into Jericho space, intent on locating and destroying the most advanced Jericho craft. The Wolfpack contacted the Imperial forces and made an agreement that was almost inconceivable; they would betray the Jericho fleet and join the Empire.

At the Battle of Raider Range, the Wolfpack sprang their trap. Instead of anchoring the flank of the Raid fleet, they sided with pilots from the NASA Corporation and tore the heart out of their own forces. With the Jericho fleet defeated, the Wolfpack was absorbed into NASA, and hailed as heroes by the Empire pilots.

Yet their story did not end there. Try as they might, the Wolfpack could not adapt to this new arrangement. A few short months after joining the Empire, the Wolfpack re-established itself as an autonomous entity; a mercenary fleet that sought victory at all costs. The religious zealots, for the most part, broke away and fled back toward Jericho space, falling in with rogue elements, such as the Cybers or the Enclave. Others defected to the Federation, and for a time there were many Federation pilots flying Wolfpack colours, much to the confusion of all sides.

The Wolfpack that remained with the Empire, and serves there to this day, has little in common with its founding ancestors. its pilots range from professional soldiers to mercenaries and ex-pirates, and are drawn from factions and nation states great and small. What the future holds for the Wolfpack is unclear, though the Wardens seem to have a particular interest in the Corp…

 

ORGANISATIONS

 

Mons Industries

Mons Industries was a Mars-based Imperial arms manufacturer. At the height of their power, Mons Industries held several lucrative contracts with the Imperial Army, supplying them with a variety of ships and ship-components.

Founded in the wake of the Second Bartle War, Mons Industries is best known for its Mons-19/FB “Troll” fighter-bomber, which propelled the company into the limelight and helped them secure the patronage of both the Imperial Army and the Legion. They began a rapid series of iterations, leading to some of the most distinctive and iconic warships of the age.

The decline of Mons Industries came about toward the Third Bartle War. The Mons-98/AG “Nukem” prototype was well-received by the Army, but in the wake of the sheer power of the Jericho Katana, the Emperor decreed that greater emphasis on battlefield control was required. The Nukem was rejected as the next generation of Army Fighter in favour of the Prometheus project. The Nukem was eventually redesigned using the Prometheus hull, but sold poorly. Their follow up project, the Mons-103/AG “Desert Eagle”, suffered catastrophic setbacks when the designs were stolen and leaked onto the black market. Only a handful were produced, but hundreds, if not thousands of counterfeit models had already entered circulation. The final nail in the coffin came when the Legion announced it was to discontinue the use of the Mons-77/EF “Phoenix”, instead relying upon their own “Styx” program to their engineering squadrons.

Mons Industries was officially shut down in 4433, but their ships (legitimate or otherwise) continue to see service to this day. Ship aficionados point to the sturdy design, ease of maintenance and intuitively simple user interface as hallmarks of excellence, while less reputable fans of the brand take comfort in the fact that there’s nobody left to sue them for selling a cheap knock-off.

 

Ships known to be produced by Mons Industries include:

Mons-19/FB “Troll” - Phase II fighter bomber.

Mons-42/AS “Watcher” - Phase II support fighter.

Mons-63/IR “Sweeper” - Phase III recon interceptor.

Mons-77/EF “Phoenix” - Phase III engineering frigate. Ship remains popular among pirates.

Mons-98/AG “Nukem” - Phase III Gunship fighter. Production model resembles the Prometheus, but prototypes more closely resemble the Desert Eagle.

Mons-103/AG “Desert Eagle” - Phase III Gunship fighter.

Mons-106/FM “Saint” - Phase III medical frigate.

 

Lucky Squadron

An elite Imperial squadron consisting of two dozen pilots, Lucky Squadron were some of the best pilots in the Empire. Formed shortly before the Precursor Conflict, its members were spread across multiple military organisations and Corporations. Every pilot had an impressive track record. All but three came from the Wardens, or Corporations with direct ties to the Wardens.

 

As of the Precursor War, Lucky Squadron is officially disbanded due to unsustainable losses. Unofficially, multiple members remain unaccounted for and their operational status, not to mention allegiance, are unknown.

 

Accounted for members of Lucky Squadron are as follows:

Lucky-One: Believed to be a high ranking member of the Wardens, possibly with direct ties to the Emperor himself. No other information available.

Lucky-Two: Confirmed KIA.

Lucky-Three: Officially declared KIA.

Lucky-Six: Real name Patricia Taggart. She served for three years in the Imperial Navy, eight months in Gamma Squadron, two with Alpha Squadron, and served in a command role with the NASA Corporation before attempting to defect to Dynamis. She flew an experimental Phobos “Aura” fighter built by the Wardens Order; a Gunship fitted that also possessed a Jericho Diffiusion Shield. She was killed in while trying to flee the Empire.

Lucky-Seven: Confirmed KIA.

Lucky-Eight: Officially MIA. Believed to have gone rogue and joined a pirate group.

Lucky-Nine: Officially declared KIA. Reported sightings indicate his King Nibelung is active in Jericho space.

Lucky-Eleven: Officially MIA. Believed to have been assigned a new identity.

Lucky-Thirteen: Real name unknown. Gender unknown. Reportedly sighted flying Wardens Long Range Frigates. Believed to be part of the “Phase V” test program.
Lucky-Twenty Two: Alias “Windsor”. He is reported to be part of the Warden Medical Corps. He pilots a Garm.
Lucky-Twenty Three: Involved in a “psionics” program.

[3522870]

Very well written, and a good lore base, which i’d really want to respect and lean on in the story i was writing on the past year; Maybe this gives a bit of fresh wind. Especially since I focused way more on the Feds, I love the description of other empires, and a rather holistic global picture you paint there.

 

I assume, even with mentioning rebirth, you still take the official (INN) Star Med standpoint of actually virtually transfer pilots to a combination of cyborgs and clones to control the ship usually, since flying drones in whatever way looks like the most possible future of warfare; Except maybe for top secret or important missions, where this com-link might become a dead give-away if traced.

Your solution is however nice, to give clones handicaps, since I also think otherwise it becomes too much Eve.

 

I loved the detail from your implant descriptions; as an ex-medical-student, I can only say: really awesome, much detail, much love. Maybe - the only maybe - also think about implants and their effects on the com-link itself, if you integrate that.

 

I really only don’t like the God-Emperor aspect, which becomes a bit too warhammery for my tastes, especially since Jericho already occupies “religious” in our verse. But that could be personal taste.

 

I like that you mentioned europe as a city in your story, like a mini-coruscant; however, I actually think, it is not a very realistic one. Europe is actually known for not growing too much in cities, not even demographics. Also don’t forget, with the climate change, and the possible collapse of the Golf, europe would become pretty cold again in a couple thousand years. But this is a minor detail and really open to interpretation. And it sounds kinda fun. Maybe the alps are even covered by a giant dome, and the most expensive sport is to skiing.

 

[3402178]

So many things to address!

Very well written, and a good lore base, which i’d really want to respect and lean on in the story i was writing on the past year; Maybe this gives a bit of fresh wind. Especially since I focused way more on the Feds, I love the description of other empires, and a rather holistic global picture you paint there.

The Empire was the faction that jumped out at me as being the most engaging, and I admit this may be in part because I was introduced to Star Conflict via friends on a 40K site. I do intend to probe into other factions, but the simple truth is the Empire and the Wardens gripped my imagination more than anyone else, so they get more love!

 

I assume, even with mentioning rebirth, you still take the official (INN) Star Med standpoint of actually virtually transfer pilots to a combination of cyborgs and clones to control the ship usually, since flying drones in whatever way looks like the most possible future of warfare; Except maybe for top secret or important missions, where this com-link might become a dead give-away if traced.

Your solution is however nice, to give clones handicaps, since I also think otherwise it becomes too much Eve.

 

My concern with regard to cloning / cyborgs is that it rather dilutes any kind of narrative tension. Death should matter; this is why I tried to compromise by offering a possible way out, but making it less palatable. While AI and drone systems would arguably be far better than human pilots, especially this far into the future, narrative again demands they be inferior; we need people to be the centre of attention. This is why I paint flesh and blood pilots as being superior, at least the experienced and gifted ones.

 

I loved the detail from your implant descriptions; as an ex-medical-student, I can only say: really awesome, much detail, much love. Maybe - the only maybe - also think about implants and their effects on the com-link itself, if you integrate that.

 

Confession time; I worked that in primarily by reading up online about what each part of the brain did and looking at the implant chart. Assuming those five dots represent roughly where implantation takes place, I tried to find the nearest part of the brain and used online sources, along with the implant names, to guess at how it might work and what it might do. I would love to hear some thoughts from people who know more about medicine than I do!

 

I really only don’t like the God-Emperor aspect, which becomes a bit too warhammery for my tastes, especially since Jericho already occupies “religious” in our verse. But that could be personal taste.

 

I like that you mentioned europe as a city in your story, like a mini-coruscant; however, I actually think, it is not a very realistic one. Europe is actually known for not growing too much in cities, not even demographics. Also don’t forget, with the climate change, and the possible collapse of the Golf, europe would become pretty cold again in a couple thousand years. But this is a minor detail and really open to interpretation. And it sounds kinda fun. Maybe the alps are even covered by a giant dome, and the most expensive sport is to skiing.

 

The Empire as I depict them is a bit of a mix of a lot of sources. Visually, the Empire is reminiscent of Star Wars mixed with Halo to me. The dress uniforms shown in Fall of Reach, for example, looked to me exactly how I would expect SC Empire to dress. Like Warhammer 40,000 the Empire is a militant state, burdened by sheer size and with an emphasis of quantity over quality for the most part. However, my picturing of Earth is less Grimdark Hive City and more a mix of Judge Dredd and Space Pirate Captain Harlock. If you watch the 2007 film look at the city on Mars; that’s a good visual guide to how I picture Europa City, just a hell of a lot bigger.

 

And yes, the Alps is a holiday resort.  :00222: 

I will have to post some ideas for the overarching history of Earth, but suffice to say that Earth’s current climate doesn’t concern me too much; humanity in this setting has had about 2,600 years to develop terraforming technology. All they have to do is apply it to Earth.

 

With regard to religious themes, at least within my head canon, I think of the Empire not so much religious as loyal to a symbol. In the days of empire, nations like Britain, France, etc. elevated their royalty to a near divine status. Today, Americans do much the same with their flag. It’s this idea of taking everything that makes your nation what it is and condensing it into a single, tangible thing. It’s not so much that the Emperor is the God of Humanity, but he is the avatar of the Earth Empire. In a way, this kind of nationalism isn’t much different from religion; both rely on the idea of some higher, often perfect power residing over all. Jericho is much more about the idea of fanaticism, and the all-consuming force of religion. The Federation would be Godlessness personified - the abandonment of all kinds of spirituality and an almost nihilistic view that this life is all we have, so you should take all you can.
I suppose my end goal is to show that no one faction is the ‘good guy’, nor the ‘bad guy’. They’re all just different groups whose differences in viewpoint have resulted in conflict, as this is a far more realistic appraisal of why conflicts take place to begin with.

The exact nature of the Holy Russian Empire’s spirituality may be addressed at some point. For now, it’s suffice to say that the Emperor is to them a demi-god sat in the Pope’s chair.

[1850009]

Requesting lore on the ESB, ESP, and the CORP. 

[3402178]

Requesting lore on the ESB, ESP, and the CORP. 

Who are ESP again? Evil Space Pandas?

[1850009]

Who are ESP again? Evil Space Pandas?

Yes, correct. I would believe they are a sub faction under the direct rule of the ESB. Normally reserved for pilots that show skill to be part of the ESP but lack certain qualities that put them into the ESB. 

 

Needs more in depth reasarch I would assume, Mabye Xkosytan could help with translating if you asked with Winnypuh, the leader of the ESB. 

 

Also I would like to request OWL, as G4 has apparently gained a corp that is silent, but deadly. Much like an owl! 

[3402178]

Which faction were OWL from again? I did some stuff about CORP back when they were Jericho so it may be outdated now.

[3522870]

we are a bit shy in advertising. feds are still investigating us for leaving to empire space for siding with nasa.

we are financed by a non disclosed federation software and bio engineering company, and don’t want to reveal our connection to them.

however, nasa’s presence with the feds have cleared most of the disappointment. we are still in empire atm.

since i had a special relation to the alligator mk3, i tied our org to the feds in that way. after all, my chars name was roger valor, coming from a known fed family with ties to their “military”, and they really renamed that ship into valor, so i could not stop there to spin my story around that

u don’t have to integrate us, also, it would fuel me to write on my fed storyline, which would a bit show owl too (but only as guests)

 

My concern with regard to cloning / cyborgs is that it rather dilutes any kind of narrative tension. Death should matter; this is why I tried to compromise by offering a possible way out, but making it less palatable. While AI and drone systems would arguably be far better than human pilots, especially this far into the future, narrative again demands they be inferior; we need people to be the centre of attention. This is why I paint flesh and blood pilots as being superior, at least the experienced and gifted ones.

I wholeheartedly agree to this notion, however, I still kept this intact as a general lore. Most sector disputes and day-to-day work involves drone fights, however, real fights sometimes are necessary. it could be the top secret mission that should not be tracked. the personal voyage of a pilot - or escape from an empire. the defense of a system in a real war situation. the imminent threat of fights being manipulated by hacking the com-links. actually having even more benefits if you fly your ship yourself, and having the implants work directly on your ship. so i still saw a lot of opportunities, to create permanent deaths in stories, especially, since they might revolve around more than the mercenary side of the universe, or might not occur in space ships at all, while also keeping up the opportunity to have fights which end in devastation, without losing your characters.

however this is mixed with the general question about the higher politics in this new global system: mercs are changing factions, and the bigger empires seem to have created a buffer zone, real wars between them are not common anymore it seems. almost like, all three factions - maybe with different agendas - try to keep a status quo of constant public warfare alive (more strength in your own morale, common enemy, easy weapon research since always tested…), while almost reaching a steady state of peace for the cores of these empires.

The alien threat might even synergize with these politics. A lot of drama can be harvested from this. All three empires are also trying to keep their power and system intact, so not just uprisings, but also the forming of new alliances, independent factions etc. could be thought of.

So how do you see the interaction between the empires, on a secret level? How do you see the “war” between them atm.?

[3402178]

I personally see much of the conflict between the three factions as being done via proxy. Small scale battles involving puppet states, mercenaries and other elements that are deniable and disposable. The discovery of Precursor Artefacts, and now the arrival of the Biomorphs has galvanised the factions into action, and things are approaching a true war footing.

 

Ultimately, I see their long-term conflict as being difficult to resolve; Jericho and the Federation both have long-term grievances with the Empire, and both likely have some ambition to reclaim Earth as their own. 

 

From the Empire side at least, I see the Legion as being the overt “threat” to the other nations, but it’s the Wardens that have done most of the work in recent years. Operating covertly through agents, spy networks and so on, the Wardens have sought to keep tabs on their rivals and subtly steer things their way. Jericho and the Federation likely have their own secret agencies to counter such ploys, and the potential for a shadow conflict is something worth looking into in my opinion. One has to wonder how many merc-vs-merc clashes ended with an officer being killed because his support engineer mysteriously lagged behind at a critical moment, or his diffusion shield suffered an inexplicable power failure…

 

So, corporations! I can definitely type up what I had about CORP, and if you like I can put together some thoughts regarding OWL. I think I have a few ideas pooling in my mind as we speak… some FUN ones!  :005j: