[b]Advanced Systems[/b]

[b]Violet Star Reactor[/b]

Many advanced Azura systems rely on a specialized form of energy generated by fusion reactors, including stars, contaminated by the Azure Code. Ideally, this reactor is a corrupted star - with access to a terminal stage violet star as a power source then all Azura technology can be driven to its absolute maximum effect. When engaging in offensive operations outside of the borders of the Skies it becomes necessary to carry that power with them in a Violet Star Reactor.

VSRs are miniaturized stars, sources of prodigious amounts of energy. More than that they are able to transmit their power wirelessly over a wide area to fuel unique Azura technologies. This means that a disconnected 'reactor ship' can sustain dozens of smaller ships - and these smaller ships, lacking any sort of central power reactor, present deeply frustrating targets as they lack any core system whose destruction might cause their ship to stop moving. As a result, Azura ships are extremely well armoured and resilient by common standards, and Azura weapons are focused on outputting overkill amounts of damage.

While VSRs can power unique Azura technology and magic wirelessly, the Azura sometimes use them as conventional reactors. Given that the omnipresent Azura ELF weaponry discourages them from using any sort of electronic systems their use cases for the sheer output of their VSRs is refreshingly crude: they shoot giant sprays of plasma, venting the reactor directly onto the target.

VSRs do require fuel - antimatter fuel rods produced in Azura core systems. Fuel demands are high and generally represent a major limitation on operations outside the Skies. In extremis, fuel can be produced directly from non or partially corrupted stars, but this is time consuming.

VSRs miniaturize poorly. On the surface a VSR vehicle is often the size of a heavy tank, in space it is rare to produce one smaller than Cruiser size. As they represent such a lynchpin for offensive operations, VSRs are invariably extremely heavily armoured and operate in either the center of a formation or well back in reserve. 

[b]Grav-Rail[/b]

The Grav-Rail is a fascinating alternative to traditional drive systems. At its most basic, it is a device that can reorient gravity's effect on a ship for virtually no power expenditure. Charged with violet star energy, it can intensify the effect of that gravity dramatically. The most impressive trick is the generation of a microsingularity around which an Azura ship can perform a miniature full orbit in seconds by leaning into the concentrated gravitic wave, effectively allowing the Azura ship to turn on a dime with practically no loss of velocity. These effects give Azura craft a strange balance of predictability and unpredictability to their movements - in general they will want to travel in straight lines or orbital curves right up until they moment they perform high energy maneuvers that would snap the spines of most conventional spaceship crews.

The Grav Rail is broadly powered by ambient gravity, and the drive system notably gains in power in the gravity wells of stars or gas giants, and slows almost to a crawl in deep void engagements. It's most dramatic maneuvers are powered directly by violet star energy. In offensive actions this power is provided by dedicated reactor spheres; in defensive ones, a corrupted star can allow Azura fleets to perform at full effect throughout the theater of operations. Caught in the void without a VSR, an Azura ship is becalmed and must limp gradually back to the nearest gravity well.

The other most notable traits of the Grav Rail are its cheapness to produce and its reliance on the spherical shape of Azura craft to operate with full effect. The cheapness is a powerful strategic advantage, as the Azura can attach improvised drive engines to asteroids or polished boulders for little more than the cost of carving the relevant arcane sigils into it - and indeed, the Grav Rail is used extensively in infantry forces to provide precision grenades or combat drones. However, the spherical shape is deeply tied to the ease of which a Rail can be maneuvered, and even slight structural damage or imperfections can cut down dramatically on the usefulness of a Rail craft. Many warships perform active combat repairs by stretching long, thin metal sheets over structural damage or blast craters which is sufficient to recover a damaged vessel's speed, but the overall effect of this is to push the Azura away from large ships which lose a lot of maneuverability upon taking even minor damage. Many Azura ships transform into and out of combat forms, as weapons frequently disrupt the requisite smooth shape.

A grav rail is normally attached to the exterior of a spherical ship, but it can also be attached to a hollow ring gate. Ring gates of this manner are utilized in Azura FTL, providing massive gravitic microsingularities that can accelerate an Azura ship enough to activate its inertialess drive. Large, permanent ring gates link Azura star systems and enable rapid transit between them and are also used to power high speed rail and some forms of weaponry. Azura ships can perform FTL jumps without an established ring gate but it is a much less graceful proposition. 

Grav Rails can be controlled through precise ritual gestures laden with religious and political meaning, differing depending on the exact ideologies of the Azura who manufactured that particular Rail. The Grav Rail is considered a specialist piece of technology and it requires vast training in order to master, meaning its combat use is limited primarily to pilots, logisticians, Knights and their retinues. Other forces will typically only use it for the purposes of strategic mobility.