A story reversal about a Loroi rescued by a more advanced Humanity. This post will be subjected to frequent editing, quoting it in full is ill-advised.
A short description, may be slightly spoiler-ish:
Synopsis:Show
A story reversal about a lone Loroi survivor being rescued by a more advanced Human scout ship. While uncomfortably similar to the Loroi on the outside, Humanity, with their resistance to telepathy, are an enigma on the inside. The Humans are now in the year 2294, with an advantage in technology, if not in numbers. Having followed a different development path, their society and culture are certainly unique. Upon learning of the brutal war from the Orgus, Humans sent a ship in order to investigate. Human telepathy is a recent discovery, and thus they see another telepathic species with millennia of experience as a fascinating object of study. Other goals may include an alliance, but the full extent of what the Humans are after will be revealed later...
Most of the world-building canon for the Loroi is preserved, but the Humans are obviously quite different as to what is shown in the comic. This is not a "Humanity, hell yeah!" nor a "Humans are Cthulhu" kind of story, since Mankind is not advanced enough yet. There won't be any "technology indistinguishable from magic", "Deus ex Machina", "Humanity to the rescue" or "our motives are beyond your understanding, mortal" kind of moments. There will be a few unexpected plot twists, however.
Most of the world-building canon for the Loroi is preserved, but the Humans are obviously quite different as to what is shown in the comic. This is not a "Humanity, hell yeah!" nor a "Humans are Cthulhu" kind of story, since Mankind is not advanced enough yet. There won't be any "technology indistinguishable from magic", "Deus ex Machina", "Humanity to the rescue" or "our motives are beyond your understanding, mortal" kind of moments. There will be a few unexpected plot twists, however.
Dramatis personae (Loroi):Show
Soroin Mallas Emberwing:
Initially aiming for the Listel caste, joined the warrior ranks at the insistence of her clans' matron, her grandmother. Born and raised on Deinar. Slightly below average height, has purple hair. Takes more after her Tadan father's bloodline, beautiful and has slightly darker skin. Ship's Crossfire champion. Second in command of her sister's ship, the "Nenzit"-class cruiser Blazing Spear. Brilliant, well-educated and endowed with an eidetic memory, but is inexperienced and somewhat naive due to her young age. Likes sweets. Has a bad habit of "locking" herself up on a single problem under great stress, sending her brain into an overdrive. While it may produce results, she will ignore anything else around her...
Torrai Lashret Truesword:
Commander (KIA) of the 25th Strike Group and Captain of the (recently destroyed) Lone Fire-class "Baros Lein" command cruiser, Stormwake. Mentored Moonblade and promoted her to the combat branch of the Torrai caste some time ago. Recently, she began to mentor Emberwing, but prepared her for the staff branch track of the Torrai caste instead. Her rivalry with Lashret Stillstorm is very old, but whatever the cause or extent of it, she took that grudge with her to the grave. Average height, had long, lustrous green hair.
Torrai Torret Moonblade:
Emberwings older sister. Born and raised on Deinar. Above average height, has purple hair like her sister. Takes more after their Barraid lineage, fair-skinned and athletic. Certainly gifted in the art of war, she was appointed as the new commander of the group by a posthumous order of Lashret Truesword. Proudly represents, or at least skillfully emulates, her clan's values. Has a weak spot for her little sister.
Teidar Sezon Swiftstrike:
As their clan tradition demands, her sister appointed four trusted warriors as her honor guard, she is one of them. This is merely symbolic, although she does take it seriously. Laconic, even for a Teidar. Specializes in shields and swift, lethal counterstrikes, especially from blind spots. Slightly above average height, has white hair.
Soroin Seinen Emerald Wing:
Emberwing's friend and the 2nd shift's pilot of the ship. Dependable, outgoing, likes pranks but dislikes the trouble this can get her into. Hails from the stormy continent of Beleri on Taben, blue-haired, tall and fair-skinned. Likes to play Crossfire and is the fourth-ranked player on the ship, but never once did she manage to beat Emberwing. Not only does she not mind, she is very proud of her friend and her abilities.
Mizol Rizoiszit Shortsword:
Thinks that she is already good enough to play the Mizol game, but clearly lacks experience. Usually this is limited to tricking others into agreeing to bets with seemingly good odds, then tricking them yet again in order to win. A pale-skinned Perrein native with light-blue hair.
Torrai Torret Silent Blade:
Captain of the other "Nenzit"-class cruiser, Singing Sword. While she was not particularly happy with the decision that Moonblade became commander of the group, she greatly respected Lashret Truesword and understood her reasoning behind it. She is now the only Torret left and is thus commanding the group now. A veteran, or rather survivor, of the Semoset campaign, she saw the best and worst days of this war. Cold and unapproachable, but never unreasonable or cruel. Hails from a small, now abandoned and forgotten colony in the Steppes. Very tall, has bright red hair with a single elaborate braid.
Listel Sininran Amber:
Despite being the most junior Listel on board, her impressive calculation skills made her the 2nd shift's sensor specialist. Somewhat tall, has frilly purple hair, stunningly beautiful, but shy. She thinks that Emberwing would have made a great Listel, but being a Deinar native, she knows not to question clan traditions. Is the second-ranked Crossfire player on board and her matches against Emberwing are truly a sight to behold, drawing numerous fans, but also gamblers, to the first arboretum.
Gallen Ranzadi Ivy Weave:
One of the additional crewsisters Emberblade requested for her bridge. This engineer apprentice was born on Maia and is known for her rather vivid way of sending. She is the ship's most popular storyteller, even though she sometimes exaggerates the stories if she gets too engrossed in them. Tall, has her unruly orange hair usually bound in a bun.
Soroin Tiris Arrowmaster
Another new arrival for the bridge. A short, wiry, green-haired Deinar native of the Login group, grew up in the colonies. As the name implies, great with the bow and an avid hunter, nowadays only in the recreational holotank. Is the third shift's fire control officer.
Tenoin Arrir Lightsail:
The last survivor of the recently destroyed Stormwake, landed her damaged heavy fighter on the Blazing Spear after that fateful battle.
Soroin Paset Riversand:
The original shift of the flight control room and its sole member. A young, industrious and attentive warrior aiming for a navigator carrier path. Born on board of a merchant ship, grew up on Deinar. She is a fan of Emberwing and often bets on her. Rather small, has very short, dark-blue hair.
Gallen Bastobar Coralshaper:
She is the technical section leader of the Blazing Spear. This Loroi grep up in a tiny fishing(aquaculture) settlement on the equatorial continent of Amenal on Taben. A good diver, her hobby is making accesories out of the many corals, pearls and shells her home world provides. Average height, has dark blue skin and her light-blue hair is usually adorned with 4 tiny pearls.
Torrai Diaderet First Strike:
A long-time member of the Diadem, the Elder Council that aids the Emperor, she fills the role of what could be described as the Surgeon General. Currently, this encompasses not only being the voice of the Doranzer caste, but also the task of coordinating the various relief efforts throughout the Empire. The restoration of Seren is a pet project of hers. Has a very overbearing and rude personality, even for a Loroi. Supported Greywind in her ascension to power, despite being a traditionalist. Those who dare to question her ways must be reminded that she is not only the most high-ranked medic and a Diaderet, but also a master fencer. Very tall, has her long, purple hair bound into thick braids. Usually carries a long sword that is not ornamental at all.
Teidar Teigo Niberadi Skyshield:
Part of the honor guard of the Loroi Emperor, she is one of the best and most illustrious Teidars. Niece of Diaderet First Strike, she is very loyal to the Emperor. Tall, has purple hair and wears a four-pronged, black and red amplifier. Is quite skilled with pyrokinesis, but her specialty are powerful shields she can deploy at quite the distance.
Elder Farseer Eight Eye:
An old, at least for the short-lived members of her caste, and highly experienced Farseer. She views the Umiak fleet-Lotai as a challenge to both her order, and to the whole Union, and spares no effort to find a way to overcome it. Unfortunately, even the vast archives of both hers, as well as the Listel's castes, provided no clue to its possible cause. White-haired and as most farseers, rather small and of frail build.
Mizol Parat Midnight
This Mizol is tasked with overseeing the Bistima, Farseers of the Azimol citadel. Hailing from the shadowy Lowlands, she has the typical pale skin and dark hair that the Perreinid Loroi are known for, but is somewhat taller than average. Rather traditionalist, dedicated to her caste, Torimor Silvermist and the Union. Before being promoted to be a liaison, she worked in the cybersecurity department.
Initially aiming for the Listel caste, joined the warrior ranks at the insistence of her clans' matron, her grandmother. Born and raised on Deinar. Slightly below average height, has purple hair. Takes more after her Tadan father's bloodline, beautiful and has slightly darker skin. Ship's Crossfire champion. Second in command of her sister's ship, the "Nenzit"-class cruiser Blazing Spear. Brilliant, well-educated and endowed with an eidetic memory, but is inexperienced and somewhat naive due to her young age. Likes sweets. Has a bad habit of "locking" herself up on a single problem under great stress, sending her brain into an overdrive. While it may produce results, she will ignore anything else around her...
Torrai Lashret Truesword:
Commander (KIA) of the 25th Strike Group and Captain of the (recently destroyed) Lone Fire-class "Baros Lein" command cruiser, Stormwake. Mentored Moonblade and promoted her to the combat branch of the Torrai caste some time ago. Recently, she began to mentor Emberwing, but prepared her for the staff branch track of the Torrai caste instead. Her rivalry with Lashret Stillstorm is very old, but whatever the cause or extent of it, she took that grudge with her to the grave. Average height, had long, lustrous green hair.
Torrai Torret Moonblade:
Emberwings older sister. Born and raised on Deinar. Above average height, has purple hair like her sister. Takes more after their Barraid lineage, fair-skinned and athletic. Certainly gifted in the art of war, she was appointed as the new commander of the group by a posthumous order of Lashret Truesword. Proudly represents, or at least skillfully emulates, her clan's values. Has a weak spot for her little sister.
Teidar Sezon Swiftstrike:
As their clan tradition demands, her sister appointed four trusted warriors as her honor guard, she is one of them. This is merely symbolic, although she does take it seriously. Laconic, even for a Teidar. Specializes in shields and swift, lethal counterstrikes, especially from blind spots. Slightly above average height, has white hair.
Soroin Seinen Emerald Wing:
Emberwing's friend and the 2nd shift's pilot of the ship. Dependable, outgoing, likes pranks but dislikes the trouble this can get her into. Hails from the stormy continent of Beleri on Taben, blue-haired, tall and fair-skinned. Likes to play Crossfire and is the fourth-ranked player on the ship, but never once did she manage to beat Emberwing. Not only does she not mind, she is very proud of her friend and her abilities.
Mizol Rizoiszit Shortsword:
Thinks that she is already good enough to play the Mizol game, but clearly lacks experience. Usually this is limited to tricking others into agreeing to bets with seemingly good odds, then tricking them yet again in order to win. A pale-skinned Perrein native with light-blue hair.
Torrai Torret Silent Blade:
Captain of the other "Nenzit"-class cruiser, Singing Sword. While she was not particularly happy with the decision that Moonblade became commander of the group, she greatly respected Lashret Truesword and understood her reasoning behind it. She is now the only Torret left and is thus commanding the group now. A veteran, or rather survivor, of the Semoset campaign, she saw the best and worst days of this war. Cold and unapproachable, but never unreasonable or cruel. Hails from a small, now abandoned and forgotten colony in the Steppes. Very tall, has bright red hair with a single elaborate braid.
Listel Sininran Amber:
Despite being the most junior Listel on board, her impressive calculation skills made her the 2nd shift's sensor specialist. Somewhat tall, has frilly purple hair, stunningly beautiful, but shy. She thinks that Emberwing would have made a great Listel, but being a Deinar native, she knows not to question clan traditions. Is the second-ranked Crossfire player on board and her matches against Emberwing are truly a sight to behold, drawing numerous fans, but also gamblers, to the first arboretum.
Gallen Ranzadi Ivy Weave:
One of the additional crewsisters Emberblade requested for her bridge. This engineer apprentice was born on Maia and is known for her rather vivid way of sending. She is the ship's most popular storyteller, even though she sometimes exaggerates the stories if she gets too engrossed in them. Tall, has her unruly orange hair usually bound in a bun.
Soroin Tiris Arrowmaster
Another new arrival for the bridge. A short, wiry, green-haired Deinar native of the Login group, grew up in the colonies. As the name implies, great with the bow and an avid hunter, nowadays only in the recreational holotank. Is the third shift's fire control officer.
Tenoin Arrir Lightsail:
The last survivor of the recently destroyed Stormwake, landed her damaged heavy fighter on the Blazing Spear after that fateful battle.
Soroin Paset Riversand:
The original shift of the flight control room and its sole member. A young, industrious and attentive warrior aiming for a navigator carrier path. Born on board of a merchant ship, grew up on Deinar. She is a fan of Emberwing and often bets on her. Rather small, has very short, dark-blue hair.
Gallen Bastobar Coralshaper:
She is the technical section leader of the Blazing Spear. This Loroi grep up in a tiny fishing(aquaculture) settlement on the equatorial continent of Amenal on Taben. A good diver, her hobby is making accesories out of the many corals, pearls and shells her home world provides. Average height, has dark blue skin and her light-blue hair is usually adorned with 4 tiny pearls.
Torrai Diaderet First Strike:
A long-time member of the Diadem, the Elder Council that aids the Emperor, she fills the role of what could be described as the Surgeon General. Currently, this encompasses not only being the voice of the Doranzer caste, but also the task of coordinating the various relief efforts throughout the Empire. The restoration of Seren is a pet project of hers. Has a very overbearing and rude personality, even for a Loroi. Supported Greywind in her ascension to power, despite being a traditionalist. Those who dare to question her ways must be reminded that she is not only the most high-ranked medic and a Diaderet, but also a master fencer. Very tall, has her long, purple hair bound into thick braids. Usually carries a long sword that is not ornamental at all.
Teidar Teigo Niberadi Skyshield:
Part of the honor guard of the Loroi Emperor, she is one of the best and most illustrious Teidars. Niece of Diaderet First Strike, she is very loyal to the Emperor. Tall, has purple hair and wears a four-pronged, black and red amplifier. Is quite skilled with pyrokinesis, but her specialty are powerful shields she can deploy at quite the distance.
Elder Farseer Eight Eye:
An old, at least for the short-lived members of her caste, and highly experienced Farseer. She views the Umiak fleet-Lotai as a challenge to both her order, and to the whole Union, and spares no effort to find a way to overcome it. Unfortunately, even the vast archives of both hers, as well as the Listel's castes, provided no clue to its possible cause. White-haired and as most farseers, rather small and of frail build.
Mizol Parat Midnight
This Mizol is tasked with overseeing the Bistima, Farseers of the Azimol citadel. Hailing from the shadowy Lowlands, she has the typical pale skin and dark hair that the Perreinid Loroi are known for, but is somewhat taller than average. Rather traditionalist, dedicated to her caste, Torimor Silvermist and the Union. Before being promoted to be a liaison, she worked in the cybersecurity department.
Dramatis personae (Humans):Show
Captain Alexander Jardin:
An older version of Alex, this one is an actual Captain of the long-range exploration ship Charon. However, being older did not dampen his trouble-making personality. The driving force behind the Contact Mission, he has used his vast contacts and personal charisma in order to hasten the refit of the experimental vessel he is now in charge of. More of a jack-of-all-trades in telepathy.
Tactician Ellen Jardin:
Second-in-command of the Charon and in charge of her husband, Alexander. Works out the minor details the genius Alex may overlook, but could actually be the greater genius instead, since she can figure out whatever he was attempting to do. An expert in not only cybernetics, but also telepathy, especially psi-sensorics.
Operative Alexej Zarjow:
A somewhat harmless-looking man, he is more dangerous and crafty than he looks. An expert in the fields of espionage, propaganda and psi-warfare. He intends to protect Humantity from a militaristic and xenocidal Empire of telepaths, or better yet, to exploit their weaknesses and steal their secrets. His hobbies include mythology and mind-games. (Looks similar to Mr. FUBAR from page six).
Professor Angela Carmona:
A professor of Xenobiology and a leading expert in this field. Has also a degree in neurobiology and the new discipline of psionics, which she helped to establish. Hails from what is now southern Brasil. Was one of the earliest psi-enabled humans, way back in 2171, when she was a young, eager and very promising neurobiologist. Fascinated with the Loroi and their artificial genesis. (the rest would be spoilers at this point)
Engineer William Steele:
A powerfully built man, he is polite and gentle, but is also a huge geek with many strange hobbies. Devised the Charon test vessel and assisted in its construction, later on he led the team performing the current overhaul. He is quite the authority on ship design and has a penchant for experimental concepts, albeit some of them are not very realistic. Nevertheless, the Charon and its various refits proved themselves through many tests and achieved outstanding results. Of equatorial African descent, he was born and raised in an orbital habitat.
Gunndís Elvudóttir
She and her twin brother are from Icelandic descent, yet they hail from a small colony on Titan. Their mother, despite being a 3rd generation settler, still upholds her homeland's culture, language and traditions. Her children do so as well, not only out of respect, but also due to curiosity. Both are blond and blue-eyed, since the settlement was founded by the nordic Kalmar arcology, yet it never became a popular immigration target. What makes them stand out is their height (2.21 m), a combined effort of their genes and Titan's low gravity. Underwent extensive treatment to mitigate the effects of maturation in a low-gravity environment.
Charon
Now acting as a long-range scout vessel, this ship has a long history. Initially, it was build to test the new 3rd-generation jump drive. Little more than a big, yet empty reinforced hull, it was filled with ballast in order to simulate the size and mass of prospective ship classes. The jump core proved itself and the ship was regularly used for further tests in order to improve this system. After a couple of years, it was refurbished in order to experiment with the prototype of the recently invented reactionless drive. Still an imperfect technology, it required a lot of space in order to house itself, as well as multiple reactors and huge fuel reserves to supply it with power. Instead of two old reactors, 8 new ones were installed, and the ballast pods were replaced with fuel tanks. The concept proved itself, yet the technology was still immature and inefficient, relegating the ship to the role of a mobile laboratory for quite some time. After the reactonless drive was deemed space-worthy, the old hull was refitted yet again, this time for AI control in order to be spent in a particularly daring experiment together with a few other obsolete vessels. Surprisingly enough, it survived and sat mothballed until Alexander Jardin got hold of it. After an overhaul, it was sent out to find the Loroi, since its ample fuel reserves give it an unprecedented range. This legendary vessel may hide a trick or two...
An older version of Alex, this one is an actual Captain of the long-range exploration ship Charon. However, being older did not dampen his trouble-making personality. The driving force behind the Contact Mission, he has used his vast contacts and personal charisma in order to hasten the refit of the experimental vessel he is now in charge of. More of a jack-of-all-trades in telepathy.
Tactician Ellen Jardin:
Second-in-command of the Charon and in charge of her husband, Alexander. Works out the minor details the genius Alex may overlook, but could actually be the greater genius instead, since she can figure out whatever he was attempting to do. An expert in not only cybernetics, but also telepathy, especially psi-sensorics.
Operative Alexej Zarjow:
A somewhat harmless-looking man, he is more dangerous and crafty than he looks. An expert in the fields of espionage, propaganda and psi-warfare. He intends to protect Humantity from a militaristic and xenocidal Empire of telepaths, or better yet, to exploit their weaknesses and steal their secrets. His hobbies include mythology and mind-games. (Looks similar to Mr. FUBAR from page six).
Professor Angela Carmona:
A professor of Xenobiology and a leading expert in this field. Has also a degree in neurobiology and the new discipline of psionics, which she helped to establish. Hails from what is now southern Brasil. Was one of the earliest psi-enabled humans, way back in 2171, when she was a young, eager and very promising neurobiologist. Fascinated with the Loroi and their artificial genesis. (the rest would be spoilers at this point)
Engineer William Steele:
A powerfully built man, he is polite and gentle, but is also a huge geek with many strange hobbies. Devised the Charon test vessel and assisted in its construction, later on he led the team performing the current overhaul. He is quite the authority on ship design and has a penchant for experimental concepts, albeit some of them are not very realistic. Nevertheless, the Charon and its various refits proved themselves through many tests and achieved outstanding results. Of equatorial African descent, he was born and raised in an orbital habitat.
Gunndís Elvudóttir
She and her twin brother are from Icelandic descent, yet they hail from a small colony on Titan. Their mother, despite being a 3rd generation settler, still upholds her homeland's culture, language and traditions. Her children do so as well, not only out of respect, but also due to curiosity. Both are blond and blue-eyed, since the settlement was founded by the nordic Kalmar arcology, yet it never became a popular immigration target. What makes them stand out is their height (2.21 m), a combined effort of their genes and Titan's low gravity. Underwent extensive treatment to mitigate the effects of maturation in a low-gravity environment.
Charon
Now acting as a long-range scout vessel, this ship has a long history. Initially, it was build to test the new 3rd-generation jump drive. Little more than a big, yet empty reinforced hull, it was filled with ballast in order to simulate the size and mass of prospective ship classes. The jump core proved itself and the ship was regularly used for further tests in order to improve this system. After a couple of years, it was refurbished in order to experiment with the prototype of the recently invented reactionless drive. Still an imperfect technology, it required a lot of space in order to house itself, as well as multiple reactors and huge fuel reserves to supply it with power. Instead of two old reactors, 8 new ones were installed, and the ballast pods were replaced with fuel tanks. The concept proved itself, yet the technology was still immature and inefficient, relegating the ship to the role of a mobile laboratory for quite some time. After the reactonless drive was deemed space-worthy, the old hull was refitted yet again, this time for AI control in order to be spent in a particularly daring experiment together with a few other obsolete vessels. Surprisingly enough, it survived and sat mothballed until Alexander Jardin got hold of it. After an overhaul, it was sent out to find the Loroi, since its ample fuel reserves give it an unprecedented range. This legendary vessel may hide a trick or two...
Trivia:Show
Starsword
The clan of Emberwing and Moonblade. This name is based on a legend of the clan's founding by the warrior Vengeance, who was granted her rank, title and a sword made from meteorite iron as a reward for her valor. An ancient Deinar clan, renown for their elite warriors. Despite the official disbandment of the traditional clan structures, it still upholds its martial values and all young clanswomen are strongly encouraged to join the warrior ranks. The only exception is made for the Doranzer (Medic) caste, because the clan's warrior bands, as per their ancient custom, always employed their own field medics.
Saber-class "Nenzit" command cruiser
Emberwing and Moonblades ship. The improbable combination of trying to field the new pulse cannons derived from downscaled Historian tech and the old fighter doctrine produced a hybrid battlecruiser/carrier with quite a few quirks. Excellent firepower, good speed and acceleration, yet weak armor, not enough compartmentalization and the still inefficient, quickly overheating weapon systems made this cruiser more of a "do or die" type of ship. Suffered heavy casualties, especially in the pitched battles of the Semoset campain. Fares better in the hit-and-run strike groups. Needs escort ships, since it has no medium caliber weapons and only a few AMMs (anti-missiles-missiles). Superseded by better ships, but at this point of the war, no honorable warrior would dare to request a new ship if the old one is still a good weapon.
Curved Knife-class "Beshri" attack/fire support destroyer
A destroyer that emphasizes on the "destroy" part, its heavy blasters providing excellent long-range firepower against most targets. More vulnerable in melee, having thinner armor and weaker screens. Still useful for point-defense duty, having a great number of laser autocannons and some AMMs.
Warhammer-class "Nazali" escort destroyer
A destroyer-sized vessel designed for point-defense and anti-gunboat duty. A newer design, with better armor and screens. Equipped with multiple medium blaster turrets and a greater number of AMMs.
Blaze-class "Totor" frigate:
The smallest, yet fastest dedicated warship. Weak armor and screens, yet maneuverable and reasonably powerful. Equipped with two medium blasters, many point-defense lasers and a good number of AMMs, it is mostly used to counteract enemy missile salvos and gunboat squadrons. Can also fulfill miscellaneous duties like picket, courier or recon.
Loroi color-codes:
For the Loroi, yellow is the color of danger, while red is merely a warning color, reversing our color-codes.
Flight control room:
Since the Saber-class command ship is a hybrid of a battlecruiser and a carrier, it obviously needs such a room. Somewhat small, since the ship has only 8 fighters, it can be converted to act as a reserve bridge. It features 8 reconfigurable stations with their own holoscreens placed around a holographic projector in the middle. Unfortunately, it does not have a fancy holotank like the main bridge.
Emergency space-suit kit:
In case of the ship losing atmosphere, it can convert the standard armor into a pressurized suit. A lighter version of the flight suit. Includes magnetic overboots, a helmet, special gloves and most importantly, an air reserve of about an hour. This can be replenished by connecting it to specialized ports included in the seats. Provides only limited relief to biological necessities.
Taimat Reactor:
A reactor powered by the antimatter-like "taimat" fuel. It is a very complex piece of machinery, requiring a careful balance of multilayered, interlocking electromagnetic as well as gravitic fields in order to contain and harness the annihilation energy. Overcharging it is a gamble. By expanding its active zone into what is normally a security reserve, the engineers can increase its output for a short while. However, not only does this place a burden on the subsystems, the lack of safety margins may escalate occurring problems rapidly and with fatal consequences.
Reactor failure type 5:
Also called shredding torch, this is normally a very rare case of containment failure. However, its chances of occurring will be significantly higher for overcharged or damaged reactors. It is caused by the active zone of the reactor expanding or bulging past its security margins. If the active zone intersects its boundaries in a spot where forcefields interlock, it may cause them to shift and then open up outwards, creating a barrel-like fault. An overcharged reactor is especially vulnerable, since the margins will be very small and the progress swift. One of the possible ways to stop the torch is to burn out the reactor core. This means cutting its fuel supply and spend the taimat within it as quickly as possible, before the containment fails. Creates even more energy spikes than the overcharging already does, or may cause a total breakdown if the forcefields fail midway.
Interestingly enough, this particular failure is artificially induced in torpedo reactors in order to create a directed explosion of sorts.
The Legend of Immortality
Excerpt from the Mythology Database, edited for Human usage and with comments by Nedatan Glimpse of Eternity.
An ancient myth with quite a number of conflicting versions, it tells a story about how the Loroi warriors may achieve immortality. At its core, it separates the dead into the Honored and Dishonored ones (sometimes also called Voiceless or Cursed). Those who lived and died with honor achieve immortality by becoming a part of the collective memory of the clan (or race as a whole). Since their deeds and legends will be retold telepathically, information loss can be minimized, and they will not only live on, but shape future generations with their legacy. On the other hand, the Dishonored ones will be forgotten and thus erased (alternatively, their deeds will be retold as a warning while omitting or changing their name). Strangely enough, this part differs greatly from clan to clan. The Nedatan (philosophers) surmise that the initial version was too abstract for the almost feral post-fall Loroi and thus it evolved into a story to scare the children into obedience to the ways (honor) of the clan. The theory is that generations of clan loremasters may have embellished that part by adding various punishments for the Dishonored, ranging from the Curse of Silence (by stripping them of sanzai) to making them into something akin to evil spirits (Undead as the humans would call them, a belief that is still present on Perrein) or a combination thereof. Nowadays, few believe or even know those stories, although it may be preserved in the more traditional clans or families (but its chief usage being particularly colorful curses).
Dream Healing
With the presence of psionic powers, the handling of mental health issues among the Loroi becomes a rather interesting phenomenon, quite different to Human practices. On the one hand, telepathy allows for a much faster diagnosis and pinpoint treatment, since the specialist can access the problem directly, so to speak. On the other hand, there's no equivalent of a psionic "straightjacket", or a psi-shielded "padded cell". Therefore, difficult patients with violent tendencies, self-destructive habits, or, in particular, homicidal urges, can enact those with nothing but their mental powers freely. The only way to secure them, as well as to prevent damage to anyone around, would be to keep them sedated all the time. Since this won't solve the underlying problem, the rare practitioners of dream healing, Mystics, will attempt to apply their rather esoteric treatment methods. The patient is telepathically induced to sleep, which removes the need for powerful tranquilizers. Then, while the mind is suspended in a trance, the healer will be able to set up an appropriate dreamworld scenario. It may entail deconstructing the source of the trauma, finding a way out of a deadlock, or simply challenging the problem directly. However, interacting with a deranged psyche is never without risks, and should the treatment fail, then the only alternative is to put the suffering warrior out of her misery.
Soroin Tiret (Councelor)
The second lowest rank among the personnel who handle mental health issues. Unlike their male Nedathan Tiret counterparts, or the higher-ranking female specialists, the Soroin Tirets do not have the training to employ advanced psionic treatment techniques. Instead, they are stationed close to the frontlines to diagnose the mental issues of the warriors who visit, or are sent to them. After all, a distressed mind capable of telepathy will affect anyone nearby. Depending on the case, which is usually PTSD, they may offer advice, share the burden through empathy, prescribe relaxing medication, insist on shore leave, or in rare cases, transfer the patient to the interior for advanced treatment.
Hornet 2B-Class heavy squadron Interceptor
Built to carry a downsized version of the newly developed plasma cannon, the Hornet followed a radically different design philosophy compared to the proposed Prometheus-class warcruisers. In order to maximise upon the power of the mighty, yet short-range weapon, this frigate-sized vessel was to bring the cannon to the enemy. Acting in squadrons of a dozen vessels, they would use their oversized engines to quickly close the distance, and engage in close combat. Unfortunately, the design revealed its manifold problems as soon as the mass-produced ships entered service. Nothing but guns with attached engines, the Hornets sacrificed everything else for speed and firepower. Poor protection, very short endurance, tiny quarters and most importantly, energy and overheating issues plagued the crews to no end. Even their sole selling point, firepower, was quickly made obsolete by the next generation of long-range plasma bolt cannons. Relegated to patrol duty, the ships would nevertheless have their final moment of glory.
The clan of Emberwing and Moonblade. This name is based on a legend of the clan's founding by the warrior Vengeance, who was granted her rank, title and a sword made from meteorite iron as a reward for her valor. An ancient Deinar clan, renown for their elite warriors. Despite the official disbandment of the traditional clan structures, it still upholds its martial values and all young clanswomen are strongly encouraged to join the warrior ranks. The only exception is made for the Doranzer (Medic) caste, because the clan's warrior bands, as per their ancient custom, always employed their own field medics.
Saber-class "Nenzit" command cruiser
Emberwing and Moonblades ship. The improbable combination of trying to field the new pulse cannons derived from downscaled Historian tech and the old fighter doctrine produced a hybrid battlecruiser/carrier with quite a few quirks. Excellent firepower, good speed and acceleration, yet weak armor, not enough compartmentalization and the still inefficient, quickly overheating weapon systems made this cruiser more of a "do or die" type of ship. Suffered heavy casualties, especially in the pitched battles of the Semoset campain. Fares better in the hit-and-run strike groups. Needs escort ships, since it has no medium caliber weapons and only a few AMMs (anti-missiles-missiles). Superseded by better ships, but at this point of the war, no honorable warrior would dare to request a new ship if the old one is still a good weapon.
Curved Knife-class "Beshri" attack/fire support destroyer
A destroyer that emphasizes on the "destroy" part, its heavy blasters providing excellent long-range firepower against most targets. More vulnerable in melee, having thinner armor and weaker screens. Still useful for point-defense duty, having a great number of laser autocannons and some AMMs.
Warhammer-class "Nazali" escort destroyer
A destroyer-sized vessel designed for point-defense and anti-gunboat duty. A newer design, with better armor and screens. Equipped with multiple medium blaster turrets and a greater number of AMMs.
Blaze-class "Totor" frigate:
The smallest, yet fastest dedicated warship. Weak armor and screens, yet maneuverable and reasonably powerful. Equipped with two medium blasters, many point-defense lasers and a good number of AMMs, it is mostly used to counteract enemy missile salvos and gunboat squadrons. Can also fulfill miscellaneous duties like picket, courier or recon.
Loroi color-codes:
For the Loroi, yellow is the color of danger, while red is merely a warning color, reversing our color-codes.
Flight control room:
Since the Saber-class command ship is a hybrid of a battlecruiser and a carrier, it obviously needs such a room. Somewhat small, since the ship has only 8 fighters, it can be converted to act as a reserve bridge. It features 8 reconfigurable stations with their own holoscreens placed around a holographic projector in the middle. Unfortunately, it does not have a fancy holotank like the main bridge.
Emergency space-suit kit:
In case of the ship losing atmosphere, it can convert the standard armor into a pressurized suit. A lighter version of the flight suit. Includes magnetic overboots, a helmet, special gloves and most importantly, an air reserve of about an hour. This can be replenished by connecting it to specialized ports included in the seats. Provides only limited relief to biological necessities.
Taimat Reactor:
A reactor powered by the antimatter-like "taimat" fuel. It is a very complex piece of machinery, requiring a careful balance of multilayered, interlocking electromagnetic as well as gravitic fields in order to contain and harness the annihilation energy. Overcharging it is a gamble. By expanding its active zone into what is normally a security reserve, the engineers can increase its output for a short while. However, not only does this place a burden on the subsystems, the lack of safety margins may escalate occurring problems rapidly and with fatal consequences.
Reactor failure type 5:
Also called shredding torch, this is normally a very rare case of containment failure. However, its chances of occurring will be significantly higher for overcharged or damaged reactors. It is caused by the active zone of the reactor expanding or bulging past its security margins. If the active zone intersects its boundaries in a spot where forcefields interlock, it may cause them to shift and then open up outwards, creating a barrel-like fault. An overcharged reactor is especially vulnerable, since the margins will be very small and the progress swift. One of the possible ways to stop the torch is to burn out the reactor core. This means cutting its fuel supply and spend the taimat within it as quickly as possible, before the containment fails. Creates even more energy spikes than the overcharging already does, or may cause a total breakdown if the forcefields fail midway.
Interestingly enough, this particular failure is artificially induced in torpedo reactors in order to create a directed explosion of sorts.
The Legend of Immortality
Excerpt from the Mythology Database, edited for Human usage and with comments by Nedatan Glimpse of Eternity.
An ancient myth with quite a number of conflicting versions, it tells a story about how the Loroi warriors may achieve immortality. At its core, it separates the dead into the Honored and Dishonored ones (sometimes also called Voiceless or Cursed). Those who lived and died with honor achieve immortality by becoming a part of the collective memory of the clan (or race as a whole). Since their deeds and legends will be retold telepathically, information loss can be minimized, and they will not only live on, but shape future generations with their legacy. On the other hand, the Dishonored ones will be forgotten and thus erased (alternatively, their deeds will be retold as a warning while omitting or changing their name). Strangely enough, this part differs greatly from clan to clan. The Nedatan (philosophers) surmise that the initial version was too abstract for the almost feral post-fall Loroi and thus it evolved into a story to scare the children into obedience to the ways (honor) of the clan. The theory is that generations of clan loremasters may have embellished that part by adding various punishments for the Dishonored, ranging from the Curse of Silence (by stripping them of sanzai) to making them into something akin to evil spirits (Undead as the humans would call them, a belief that is still present on Perrein) or a combination thereof. Nowadays, few believe or even know those stories, although it may be preserved in the more traditional clans or families (but its chief usage being particularly colorful curses).
Dream Healing
With the presence of psionic powers, the handling of mental health issues among the Loroi becomes a rather interesting phenomenon, quite different to Human practices. On the one hand, telepathy allows for a much faster diagnosis and pinpoint treatment, since the specialist can access the problem directly, so to speak. On the other hand, there's no equivalent of a psionic "straightjacket", or a psi-shielded "padded cell". Therefore, difficult patients with violent tendencies, self-destructive habits, or, in particular, homicidal urges, can enact those with nothing but their mental powers freely. The only way to secure them, as well as to prevent damage to anyone around, would be to keep them sedated all the time. Since this won't solve the underlying problem, the rare practitioners of dream healing, Mystics, will attempt to apply their rather esoteric treatment methods. The patient is telepathically induced to sleep, which removes the need for powerful tranquilizers. Then, while the mind is suspended in a trance, the healer will be able to set up an appropriate dreamworld scenario. It may entail deconstructing the source of the trauma, finding a way out of a deadlock, or simply challenging the problem directly. However, interacting with a deranged psyche is never without risks, and should the treatment fail, then the only alternative is to put the suffering warrior out of her misery.
Soroin Tiret (Councelor)
The second lowest rank among the personnel who handle mental health issues. Unlike their male Nedathan Tiret counterparts, or the higher-ranking female specialists, the Soroin Tirets do not have the training to employ advanced psionic treatment techniques. Instead, they are stationed close to the frontlines to diagnose the mental issues of the warriors who visit, or are sent to them. After all, a distressed mind capable of telepathy will affect anyone nearby. Depending on the case, which is usually PTSD, they may offer advice, share the burden through empathy, prescribe relaxing medication, insist on shore leave, or in rare cases, transfer the patient to the interior for advanced treatment.
Hornet 2B-Class heavy squadron Interceptor
Built to carry a downsized version of the newly developed plasma cannon, the Hornet followed a radically different design philosophy compared to the proposed Prometheus-class warcruisers. In order to maximise upon the power of the mighty, yet short-range weapon, this frigate-sized vessel was to bring the cannon to the enemy. Acting in squadrons of a dozen vessels, they would use their oversized engines to quickly close the distance, and engage in close combat. Unfortunately, the design revealed its manifold problems as soon as the mass-produced ships entered service. Nothing but guns with attached engines, the Hornets sacrificed everything else for speed and firepower. Poor protection, very short endurance, tiny quarters and most importantly, energy and overheating issues plagued the crews to no end. Even their sole selling point, firepower, was quickly made obsolete by the next generation of long-range plasma bolt cannons. Relegated to patrol duty, the ships would nevertheless have their final moment of glory.
Future of Mankind:Show
In order to write a somewhat unique timelime for Humanity, I've devised a system where I would make a number of possible variants for the various fields and then roll dice in order to choose them at random. For example, the governmental/societal structure choices were as follows:
1. Utter nightmare (something like Goa'uld domination)
2. Totalitarian dystopia (would 1984 even work in space?)
3. Cyberpunk (wake up, little Loroi, we have a Galaxy to burn)
4. Militaristic empire (the Mirror Universe Humanity from Star Trek)
5. Status quo (similar to what Arioch envisioned)
6. Unified Earth (at least some sort of global government)
7. The illusion of Utopia (would you choose a beautiful lie over an ugly truth?)
8. A telepathic society (Humanity finally breaking through the Soia failsafes)
9. A true Utopia (but why should we share our man-made Eden with others?)
10. The next step in the evolution of Mankind (we would change us for the better, right? ...right?)
Initially, I wanted to roll a d10 three times in order to get a path of development here, but then I decided that it would be a waste to scrap the other seven. Thus, I rolled a die for each choice, and the number would then determine its relative weight in the overall picture. But the actual numbers are a major spoiler, and thus, a secret for now.
1. Utter nightmare (something like Goa'uld domination)
2. Totalitarian dystopia (would 1984 even work in space?)
3. Cyberpunk (wake up, little Loroi, we have a Galaxy to burn)
4. Militaristic empire (the Mirror Universe Humanity from Star Trek)
5. Status quo (similar to what Arioch envisioned)
6. Unified Earth (at least some sort of global government)
7. The illusion of Utopia (would you choose a beautiful lie over an ugly truth?)
8. A telepathic society (Humanity finally breaking through the Soia failsafes)
9. A true Utopia (but why should we share our man-made Eden with others?)
10. The next step in the evolution of Mankind (we would change us for the better, right? ...right?)
Initially, I wanted to roll a d10 three times in order to get a path of development here, but then I decided that it would be a waste to scrap the other seven. Thus, I rolled a die for each choice, and the number would then determine its relative weight in the overall picture. But the actual numbers are a major spoiler, and thus, a secret for now.
