[center][h1]THE MORTE IMPERIUM[/h1][/center][hr] [center][img]http://oi49.tinypic.com/28lsw11.jpg[/img][/center] [u][b][h3]Quick Summary[/h3][/b][/u] [b]Name:[/b] The Morte Imperium, Das Mortereich, The Morte Empire [b]Species:[/b] Morteans (outwardly almost human) [b]Government:[/b] Totalitarian Elected Monarchy [b]Homeworld:[/b] Mortis, Todestern System [b]Holdings:[/b] Star systems: Toderstern, Bekrieger, Heissessen, Brennenweg, Schmelzer, Grossernicht, Saltzricht (Total: 3 habitable planets and 12 colony clusters) [b]Total Population:[/b] 85,569,242,144 (according to last year's census) [b]Military Power:[/b] 2,500,000,000 personnel (regulated by law, always replenished within a week) [b]Fleet Power:[/b] 2,500 warships (as per "peacetime" law restrictions, not including escorts and lesser ships) [u][b][h3]Homeworld/Location[/h3][/b][/u] [img]http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120909193414/masstrek/images/thumb/d/da/Thalaron_wave_post-impact_of_Romulus..jpg/500px-Thalaron_wave_post-impact_of_Romulus..jpg[/img] The Morte Empire is found at the edge of uncharted space. Their homeworld is Mortis, the 3rd planet of the Toderstern star system. Many thousands of years ago Lieberland ( now known as Mortis) was used to be a lush green planet rich in both flora and fauna. Until around VR (vor dem Reich - before the empire) 220 when a large neutron star remnant from a distant kilonova explosion collided with the star Leichstern. The violent impact and rapidly increased mass of the star upset the balance of the system forever. Lieberland's orbit changed and the planet suddenly became the third in the system, the proximity of Toderstern gradually turning it into an irradiated death world. In spite of that the domain species of the planet prevailed. The kilonova's fragments initiated similar changes in all the neighboring system, creating the sector which Morteans now dub as Stormlosweg. By IR (in dem Reich - in the empire) 1211 the Morte Imperium controls almost 70% of the the Stormlosweg sector. Aside from Mortis the sector only has two other barely habitable planets left: Krugern and Tannerbald. All 3 planets are populated densely by Morteans. [u][b][h3]Government/Species/Society[/h3][/b][/u] Morteans are bipedal creatures sharing eerily a lot of similarities with humans on Earth. This unusual phenomenon could be explained by the theory of parallel development as in the similarities in environment naturally resulted in an intelligent lifeform akin to humans. Due to poor nutrition and hazardous environment the average Mortean is 165cm tall but one in the 50,000 individuals can actually grow fair above 2 meters in height. Due to the effect of radiation, birth defects and mutations are relatively common and according to statistics 27.4% of the children die at (or before) birth. For every Mortean death is a common experience which swayed their society into an unique direction. Morteans neither fear death nor welcome it. They accept death as a natural element of their lives and strive to serve their community during the time they're given. Morteans are utilitarians to the extreme, working precisely like cogs in an oiled machine. In the eyes of others Morteans themselves do appear almost machine-like, having little in the way of personal goals and instead pursuing . This unique mindset also makes Morteans numb to the feeling of loss other species experience. Morteans are capable of boundless cruelty without the slightest emotion behind. They view massacres of other people as just tools like everything else. Compassion in its typical sense is almost completely foreign to them. On the other hand their higher orientation towards logic means Morteans never commit anything without a reason. They have a clear view on risks and benefits which makes negotiations with Morteans always quick. The Mortean government is imperial, formed under necessity during the early centuries to fend off numerous invaders. Consequently the Morteans became a militant civilizations which helped them to gradually take over the Stormlosweg sector. Through the decades the originally autocratic system of the monarchy reformed and for 800 years by now Morteans themselves elect their Kaiser on every 6th year. In the Mortean society everything is juged by their utility and this extended for the Kaiser. While they theoretical hold complete power they held responsible for their decisions upon the end of their term. Inefficient leaders were occasionally even executed. Albeit rigorous selection process now ensures that only deserving candidates can be nominated for this esteemed position. The official language of the Morte Empire is the Gothic Standard which resembles German. There are at least 7 other major dialects of Gothic and even more minor dialects within the population. Because they reside in the uncharted territories and have yet to make contact with the galactic superpowers, Morteans don't know the Galactic Basic language. [u][b][h3]Technology/Industry[/h3][/b][/u] After experiencing their paradise rapidly turning into a radioactive hell the Morteans doubled their efforts toward technology. Their first priorities were shielded homes and developing means to grow food in their changed environment. Over the centuries as Mortean society transformed, their affinity towards technology grew further. Advanced medicine, gene engineering for special plants that grow in radioactive environments, robotics, self-improving computers and so on. The achievements of the Morteans were impressive, especially compared to its neighbors within the uncharted regions. On the other hand with no contact with other advanced civilizations, their scientific development could be overall be described as average compared to the better known factions in the galaxy. The development of Mortean technology also demanded them to accelerate their industry. Asteroid resource bases, orbital mining installations around gas giants and large scale strip mining operation on rock planets were all serving one purpose. To fuel the tiny giant of the Mortean industry. Surrounded by enemies from many directions, for centuries their focus was to raise their military. Almost a thousand orbital shipyards were constructed in several star systems. Advanced technologies and growing industry also require better power sources. Fission energy got rapidly replaced by fusion reactors then after IR327 antimatter reactors gained rising popularity. It helped that the ancient kilonova disaster altered the sector's stars in such way they became a natural source of antimatter. Large installations collected the positron-filled solar winds at some distance from the star's magnetic poles. Of course controlling the sector would've been impossible via conventional propulsion means. In IR348 they've invented the Warp drive. At first it only allowed more efficient propulsion and vessels traveling at almost the speed of light but after 50 years of innovation and reverse engineering from neighbors they created the true Warp Drive. Turned out the theory of relativity was wrong, or at least only valid within certain conditions. This new approach allowed them to pass the light barrier, reaching other star systems in months or even weeks instead of years. The heart of Warp Drive was an improved antimatter reactor called Warp Core. These compressed space-time which allowed both improved efficiency and this so-called "warp phenomenon". It took centuries but Morteans also learned to apply this phenomenon for their weapon technologies, replacing their more conventional arsenal with something faster and more efficient. [u][b][h3]Military[/h3][/b][/u] Mortean military doctrine reflects their society completely. They follow utility and precise organization. Laws explicitly determine the number of soldiers protecting the Empire and their count is reviewed every weekend. During "peacetime" (defined by the lack of major campaigns instead of the absence of any military action or hostilities) this quota was determined to be 2.5 billion, calculated to be just appropriate to keep the hostile neighbors at bay. During major military actions the Kaiser has full authority to raise this quota anywhere. All Morteans receive combat training before reaching adulthood and they're obliged to refresh it on every 4th year. In the Mortean Empire there are no civilians, just active soldiers and those who stay in reserve. The duty of the empire's protection is shared with everyone. The military branch of the Morteans is called Reichswehrmacht. [hider=Reichsgrenadier] [img]http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/236/8/a/the_krieg_prepare_for_war_by_the_higgins-d5cadz6.png[/img] [b]Name:[/b] Reichsgrenadier [b]Role:[/b] Standard Foot Soldier [b]Armor:[/b] Nanofiber mesh suit + durachrome/neutrozite plates [b]Primary Weapon:[/b] PASER Rifle [b]Misc:[/b] Environmental sealing, limited life support and temperature control, gas mask/rebreather, helmet-incorporated virtual screen with data-link, sensory information and early warning, heat/electromagnetic detector and night-vision modes, medical injectors Standard soldier of the Morte Empire. Beneath their uniform they wear nanofiber mesh giving slight increase in strength and cushion against common impacts. Against well-armed soldiers the arangement of durachrome/neutrozite layered plates offer moderate protection, only allowing the higher setting of energy weapons to penetrate. Neutrozite layers exist as a stop-gate against antimatter particle weapons like PASER rifles. PASERS use minute antimatter reactions to launch microscopic amount of positron at the target, almost at lightspeed. Due to their nature their effectiveness against conventional armor increases 2 to 10 times. Reichsgrenadiers also carry around plasma grenades and one per platoon has the responsibility to safeguard their antimatter grenades.[/hider] Mortean Space Navy (Mortenkriegsflotte) doctrines concentrate on numbers and heavy long range firepower. Their primary propulsion systems are large antimatter impulse engines which provide reasonable acceleration at minuscule reaction mass spent. Their efficiency is further enhanced by the mass-lightening and space-folding effects of Warp Drives which are also their method of interstellar travel. Albeit slow compared to many other civilizations but its reliable economic nature allows ships to use them for constant travel with only moderate impact on the ship's power budget. Using similar theories the ship's main weaponry are superluminal PASER ([b]P[/b]ositron [b]A[/b]ccretion by [b]S[/b]patio-antimatter [b]E[/b]xplosive [b]R[/b]eactions) and Grav Lance/QuASAR ([b]Q[/b]uark [b]A[/b]cceleration by [b]S[/b]patio-stimulated [b]A[/b]ntimatter [b]R[/b]eactions), the latter attacks with raw mass particles at FTL velocities, thus penetrating shields and armored hulls more efficiently than regular beams. They also have torpedoes that can be launched from warp catapult to temporarily gain FTL speed until reaching close to the target. Overall these weapons extend the Morte Fleet's range greatly and it isn't rare for them to target enemies from a few astronomical units away. Said weapons are assisted by hypercomms, hyper-radar and hypercameras which are all based on the Warp mechanism thus free of light-lag. For protection the Morte ships use thickly armored Durachrome composite hulls combined with their Force Shields, the latter generating a bubble of rapidly circling gluons and quarks, essentially covering themselves with multiple layers of pseudo-mass. While potent on its own the Force Shield's true purpose is to intercept attacks and attenuate them from afar (as they're usually projected 10-100km away depending on ship size and power), effectively rendering them harmless to the ship's armor thereafter. The Mortenkriegsflotte is currently restricted by the "peacetime" law which limits them to 2500 warships, at least 70% of these must be the fast attack and individual patrol ships AKA frigates in order to secure the borders. The Morte Empire currently occupies the space of 46 cubic lightyears with their borders spreading for the area of 47 lightyears squared. With their warp drives usually only capable of crossing 1-3 lightyears a day they require at least this many patrols to keep their empire safe. [hider=Mittelschnauzer-class Attack Frigate] [IMG]http://gineistatic.com/w/images/1/14/Imperialtiamatbattleshipsketch.jpg[/IMG] [B]Name:[/B] Mittelschnauzer-class Attack Frigate [B]Clasification:[/B] Long-Range Fast Attack & Patrol Space Combat Vessel, Frigate [B]Dimensions:[/B] [LIST] [*]Length: 428,40cm (prow length: 321,55cm) [*]Height: 120,25cm (prow height: 54,00cm) [*]Width: 160,00cm (prow width: 44,20-68,15cm) [/LIST] [B]Armor:[/B] 50-4,00 cm Durachrome composite [B]Standard Mass:[/B] 855,725 metric tons (prior to mass-lightening) [B]Crew:[/B] 2725 (standard) [B]Propulsion:[/B] Impulse Engine Nacelles x 3 (can be ejected for emergencies) [B]Powerplant:[/B] Warp Core (w/ 3 rows of antimatter/vacuum reactors) [B]Interstellar Travel:[/B] Warp Drive [B]Sensors:[/B] 2 x Sensor Domes (armored domes containing various hypersensors), primary hypertelescopes x 4, backup sensors [B]Defense Systems:[/B] Force Shield, structural integrity fields [B]Weapons:[/B] [LIST] [*]50cm Grav Lances x 6 (front-mounted, can be angled to target to any direction to 60 degrees) [*]30cm PASER Cannons x 16 (8 on each side, 130 degree firing angle) [*]288cm Torpedo Tubes x 2 (mounted on the front) [*]40cm 13-tube HVM Pods x 2 (located on the supports connecting the dorsal nacelles) [*]9cm Interceptor Batteries x 6 (6-tube small missile systems) [*]2.2cm PASER Point Defenses x 36 (each fit on a flexible ball mount) [/LIST] [B]Hangar:[/B] [LIST] [*]5 x Shuttles (capable of carrying maximum 500 people or 1000 cubic meters of cargo) [*]4 x KSR-271 Spitzer Fighters [*]1000 cubic meters worth of mines (stored in parts and put together in automatic assembly prior deployment) [*]Escape Pods [/LIST] This relatively small class of warship forms the backbone of the Mortean peace defense fleet. Nearly half of its space is taken up by propulsion systems to ensure both speed and long range. Its armaments include slightly scaled down Grav Lances, PASER Cannons and Torpedo Launchers. It also mounts high-velocity missile pods that use their sheer momentum to defeat lighter warships or intercept fighters/missiles from afar. Aside from that it also has the standard interceptor battery and PASER point-defenses to give it full protection. In spite of its size the Mittelschnauzer has respectable firepower and combat utility, military slang dubbing them as "pocket battleships".[/hider][hider=Sennenhund-class Cruiser] [IMG]http://gineistatic.com/w/images/8/84/Imperialdagonbattleshipsketch.jpg[/IMG] [B]Name:[/B] Sennenhund-class Cruiser [B]Clasification:[/B] Intermediate Class Space Combat Vessel, Cruiser [B]Dimensions:[/B] [LIST] [*]Length: 400,00cm (prow length: 321,00cm) [*]Height: 80,00cm [*]Width: 80,00cm [/LIST] [B]Armor:[/B] 2,00-8,00 cm Durachrome composite [B]Standard Mass:[/B] 1,200,000 metric tons (prior to mass-lightening) [B]Crew:[/B] 2000 (standard) [B]Propulsion:[/B] Impulse Engine [B]Powerplant:[/B] Warp Core (w/ four rows of antimatter/vacuum reactors) [B]Interstellar Travel:[/B] Warp Drive [B]Sensors:[/B] 2 x Primary Sensor Domes, 4 x Secondary Sensor Domes [B]Defense Systems:[/B] Force Shield, structural integrity fields [B]Weapons:[/B] [LIST] [*]50cm Grav Lances x 6 (front-mounted, fire arc: 60 degrees) [*]50cm PASER Cannons x 6 (Front-mounted at the port&starboard protusions, fire arc: 50 degrees) [*]30cm PASER Cannons x 24 (12 on each side, 130 degree firing angle) [*]375cm Torpedo Tubes x 2 (mounted on the sides) [*]12cm Interceptor Batteries x 4 (5-tube small missile systems) [*]3.3cm PASER Point Defenses x 20 (each fit on a flexible ball mount) [/LIST] [B]Hangar:[/B] [LIST] [*]10 x Shuttles (capable of carrying maximum 500 people or 1000 cubic meters of cargo) [*]12 x KSR-271 Spitzer Fighters [*]2000 cubic meters worth of mines (stored in parts and put together in automatic assembly prior deployment) [*]Escape Pods [/LIST] Former mainline warship of the Morte Empire, created in great quantities in the past. It was geared for maximal combat utility within its relatively small size. Compared to the current frigates it has superior firepower, armor, defenses, cargo capacity, hangar capacity, much better survivability and a simple thus easy to maintain structure. Yet because of their inferior speed Cruisers fell out of favor in the recent peacetime and most of them got mothballed. Thousands of decommissioned cruisers orbit Morte shipyards, ready to be reactivated whenever the need arises. [/hider] [hider=Schwertjager-class Rapid Destroyer] [IMG]http://gineistatic.com/w/images/5/5e/Imperialtiamatdestroyersketch.jpg[/IMG] [B]Name:[/B] Schwertjager-class Rapid Destroyer [B]Clasification:[/B] Fast Attack Light Space Combat Vessel, Destroyer [B]Dimensions:[/B] [LIST] [*]Length: 185,50cm (prow length: 91,45cm) [*]Height: 110,00cm (prow height: 30,00cm) [*]Width: 25,00-38,10cm (narrowest-widest) [/LIST] [B]Armor:[/B] 20-1,00 cm Durachrome composite [B]Standard Mass:[/B] 69,500 metric tons (prior to mass-lightening) [B]Crew:[/B] 258 (standard) [B]Propulsion:[/B] Impulse Engines x 2, Antimatter Thursters x 2 [B]Powerplant:[/B] Compact Warp Core (with a single antimatter/vacuum reactor) [B]Interstellar Travel:[/B] Warp Drive, Warp Link, Warp Sustainers [B]Sensors:[/B] 2 x Sensor Domes (armored domes containing various hypersensors), primary hypertelescope, backup sensors [B]Defense Systems:[/B] Force Shield, structural integrity fields [B]Weapons:[/B] [LIST] [*]25cm Compact Grav Lances x 4 (front-mounted, 60 degrees coverage) [*]8cm PASER Cannons x 4 (mounted in flexible ball-mounts) [*]2.2cm PASER Point Defenses x 6 (each fit on a flexible ball mount) [*]122cm Torpedo Tubes x 2 (mounted on the edges of the front) [*]9cm Interceptor Batteries x 2 (8-tube small missile system in the ventral area) [/LIST] [B]Hangar:[/B] [LIST] [*]Escape Capsules x 8 (can hold 50 people at maximum) [/LIST] Fast and firepower packed small starship that commonly accompanies warships in combat. Being less than 100,000 tons in mass the Schwerenjager is considered escort instead of warship thus not subject to the limitations of the law. Designed with speed in mind the Schwerenjager is built around twin antimatter impulse engines almost too big for the rest. It also packs the newest compact grav lances to pose threat to enemy warships. Yet even with these the Schwerenjager would be too slow to keep up with the Frigates. To remedy that the ship has no less than two methods to shorten its interstellar travel. First, like many other escorts it can dock with a Warp Carrier which extends its stronger warp field to them for faster travel. Alternatively 3 Schwerenjager Destroyers can dock with each other to combine their own warp fields for a similar effect. For this latter reason Schwerenjagers almost always operate in groups of 3.[/hider][hider=Sturmjager-class Missile Destroyer] [IMG]http://gineistatic.com/w/images/f/fa/Imperialdestroyersketch.jpg[/IMG] [B]Name:[/B] Sturmjager-class Rapid Destroyer [B]Clasification:[/B]Light Space Combat Vessel, Destroyer [B]Dimensions:[/B] [LIST] [*]Length: 210,00cm (prow length: 130,40cm) [*]Height: 70,25cm [*]Width: 50,00cm [/LIST] [B]Armor:[/B] 10-1,20 cm Durachrome composite [B]Standard Mass:[/B] 55,800 metric tons (prior to mass-lightening) [B]Crew:[/B] 327 (standard) [B]Propulsion:[/B] Impulse Engines x 2, Antimatter Thursters [B]Powerplant:[/B] Compact Warp Core (with a single antimatter/vacuum reactor), auxilary compact M/A reactor [B]Interstellar Travel:[/B] Warp Drive, Warp Sustainers [B]Sensors:[/B] 2 x Sensor Domes (armored domes containing various hypersensors), primary hypertelescope, backup sensors [B]Defense Systems:[/B] Force Shield, structural integrity fields [B]Weapons:[/B] [LIST] [*]40cm HVM Pods x 4 (13-tube missile systems, 52 tubes total) [*]122cm Torpedo Tubes x 12 [*]9cm Interceptor Batteries x 2 (8-tube small missile system) [*]8cm PASER Cannons x 8 (in flexible ball-mounts) [*]2.2cm PASER Point Defenses x 6 (fit on a flexible ball mount) [/LIST] [B]Hangar:[/B] [LIST] [*]Escape Capsules x 8 (can hold 50 people at maximum) [/LIST] Escort ship focusing almost entirely on firepower. It mounts frightening arsenal of torpedoes and missiles that almost belies its size. Unfortunately this comes at the cost of maneuverability and endurance in battle. Even if it had more maneuvering thrusters, the use of 52 mini warp catapults for HVMs and 12 small scale torpedo tubes drain all power the vessel has and even portion of the reserves. As such the Morte fleet only uses them in limited numbers and rather it enjoys popularity with local defense units where abundant supplies make the Sturmjager's massive firepower makes it an effective force multiplier. The module at the front is the Sturmjager's command bridge which can also detach in emergency and act as a non warp-capable spaceship. Sturmjagers traditionally operate in groups of 4. [/hider] The Morte Empire also installed a network of space bases and warp jammer relays to prevent intruders to trespass their borders. While powerful enough to take on a few ships, these are still insufficient to prevent an actual fleet assault. The warp jammers also occasionally fail to sabotage the enemy's FTL methods and they penetrate deep into Morte territory. As such vigilance and constant fleet patrols are still a necessity. Aside from the borders the 3 planets, the 12 colony clusters and key industrial chokepoints are also outfit with various space defenses. Thanks to their concentrated nature these are slightly better at repelling attackers albeit without the fleet's assistance they still won't hold up against prolonged siege.