Turbolasers:
A more concentrated form of laser energy weapon, the turbolaser has a range of 8000 kilometers. The VAXMigrator carries fifty turbolaser batteries, allowing it to send up to 100 bolts of energy into the designated section at any time. Turbolasers are quite effective against enemy capital ships, being able to penetrate 50cm of shield/armor per shot. Usually, however, the fighter compliment will be able to stop advances of enemy capital ships before they have a chance to engage.

Turbolasers seem to be unique to the VAXMigrator, whereas other ships use standard laser energies (38cm equiv. penetration) or other forms of guns such as Tachyon Cannons and Mass Drivers.

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Unrecorded Date:

Deflector Shields:
These are powerful shields capable of diverting energy from weapons to harmless areas of space. They are the first line of defence for any ship, with the capability of recharging while in flight. Shield strength is usually measured in equivelent thickness, like hull strength. Only the oldest ships currently in space have no shielding, with the newer ships relying on it heavily, due to their relatively 'thin' hulls (in comparison to older ships, like battlestars).

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Unrecorded Date:

Blast Shields:
The VAXMigrator has a unique variation of shield technology called blast shields, which are actually a series of energy waves set up in layers around the ship, essentially not allowing any sort of matter or energy to pass through it. It uses the energy contained within the opposing matter to break the molecular bonds and therefore destroy the object. In this way, the VAXMigrator is able to ram enemy ships without taking any damage herself. Unfortunately, these shields are costly in terms of energy consumption, but well worth it in a combat situation. These shields may be concentrated in 'discs' facing in any direction about the ship, as well as channelled through the main weapon generators and projected around a foreign object. They can also be set to surround the VAXMigrator completely, like regular deflector shields. This shield can be used defensively or offensively.

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Unrecorded Date:

Repeating Blaster:
This is a weapon larger than a pistol yet smaller than a rifle, using energy clips and laser technology to throw a multitude of blasts in rapid succession. It generally has the same shape and size of a twentieth century projectile weapon known as the MP-5. However, using energy technology, it has no kickback/recoil and a larger ammunition capacity, with the option of mounting a mini-grenade launcher on its underside, allowing it to be upgraded to a combination gun.

Greyfox is known to carry a combination gun as a side-arm in times of conflict and boarding actions.

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Unrecorded Date:

Plasma Projection Cannon:
The primary weapon of a BattleStar is the Plasma Projection Cannon. It is located in the forward hull of the ship, just below what can be commonly referred to as the 'nose' of the ship. It's systems span back nearly three-quarters of the way to the engine section from the actual emitter array. This is one of the most devastating weapons in the history of the Terran Confederation, able to drill holes into planetary cores and destroy enemy ships in one blast (able to burn through 600cm per 1-second sustained pulse).

The system originally worked by re-routing a small amount of plasma from the main drives into the acceleration chambers in the belly of the ship, gradually injecting more energy into the matrix as the burst travelled forward, until a high-energy, super-potent plasma-matrix was achieved. At this point, the emitter could be used to focus the burst into a powerful beam weapon, with virtually limitless range (depending on the strength of the beam). At longer ranges, the beam is less potent, since the plasma-energy matrix tends to dissipate over great distances.

Current plasma projection cannons typically use extra plasma containment cells, so as not to expend the primary energy source for the main drive systems. Experienced commanders have been known to use this extra plasma in times of emergency to inject a more potent energy matrix into the engine structure, increasing shipwide power and speeds for brief periods of time. This, however, is a dangerous operation which places higher stresses on ship-wide systems, and the risk of a system-wide failure is greatly increased. 2 BattleStars are known to have been destroyed as a direct result of this tactic.

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Thursday, February 28, 2002 - 03:42 pm:

Phase Shields:
This newer shielding technology is based heavily on deflector technology, only minor changes were implemented to the entire shield system. First of all, and most notably, the phase variant for the shield harmonics has been given a seperate unit, so shield harmonics can be changed at a limitless rate, thus reducung the effectiveness of variable-phase weapon technologies. Second, the entire shield harmonic has been ionized, greatly reducing the requirement for stronger shield emitters as well as the need for generating shields thicker than 2 meters (200cm equiv). The effects are that energy weapons are greatly reduced in power, and all missile weapons are detonated by the ionized field, rendering most standard ConFed weapons useless against phase shielding. High yield torpedoes and capital-class beam weaponry (such as the primary weapon on a Battlestar; see entry above) still have full effect.

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Friday, March 01, 2002 - 02:14 pm:

Tachyon Cannon:
The tachyon cannon fires hyper-accelerated (5200kps) tachyon particles up to a range of 3900 kilometers. It is more potent than regular laser technology, due to the fact that tachyon particles do not conform to the standard laws of physics and actually do not lose either energy or velocity over distance, and as such normal shielding has no adverse effects on them. Phase shields merely weaken the containment field around the tachyon particles, thus allowing the still hyper-accelerated particles to impact the hull of the ship. Bursts fired from tachyon cannons can penetrate up to 70cm of hull strength per shot, and have a relatively high rate of fire, firing 3 shots every second. The reason tachyon cannons do not fire as rapidly as one would hope is that they require time to recharge between shots. Even so, tachyon cannons are a devastating capital-scale weapon, and plans are underway to refit most capital ships with them after limited field testing commences on the new Hades class Strike Cruisers.

By The One Known Only as (Greyfox) on Monday, March 11, 2002 - 08:00 pm:

Jump Nodes & Jump Drives:
The most common means of faster-than-light travel implemented by the Terran Confederation is one which utilizes areas of space with extremely high gravitational forces, commonly referred to as 'Jump Nodes'. Any number of celestial phenomena may constitute a jump node, from pulsars to quasars, to white dwarfs, quantum singularities, etc. The jump node rating is determined by the relative gravitational force exerted on surrounding space and other bodies. To achieve a 'jump' through space-time, calculations must be made taking into account relative gravitational force, velocity, trajectory, entry point to the field, and desired distance to travel. Such calculations are impossible for a single human mind to perform on short notice, and so navigational computers were implemented to perform them. Such are the complexity of the calculations that even a NavComp AI requires up to 30 minutes to calculate a correct entry vector for charted jump nodes. NavComps must also be calibrated to each gravitational phenomenon, which makes jumping an unknown singularity, for example, a most dangerous endeavor. For the most commonly used and established jump nodes there are calibration presets which are standard in every NavComp AI.

Once the proper calculations are set in the NavComp, it is a simple matter to follow displayed vectors and activate a ship's main jump drive to actually traverse space-time. If the calculations and entry vector are correct, space-time swirls open and in a matter of moments, dozens of light years may be traversed. If the calculations or entry vector are incorrect, you may get results ranging from being thrown off-course to being pulled into a singularity molecule-by-molecule.

Navigators are the only living beings known to have been able to traverse naturally-occuring jump nodes without the aid of a NavComp AI. In fact, NavComp AIs were designed to replicate the billions of calculations per second that the mind of a single Navigator could perform. Based upon the superstitions of early colonists, coupled with some Navigators' belief that they were gods, the Colony Wars were started. Since the end of the Colony Wars, not a single new quasar has been charted, for the remaining Navigators disappeared...

By IITYWIMWYBMAD (Smokeduster) on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 12:57 pm:

Jump Gate:

class:
Jump Gate

type:
Fixed Hyperspace-Vortex Generator

length:
1 - 10 kilometers

mass:
variable

power:
Fusion Reactors

FUEL
Quantium 40


Vortex Generators, or "Jump Gates" are massive arrays organized in groups of two to five generators, with each generator measuring between one and ten miles in length. Jump Gates allow ships of variable size to pass through into Hyperspace, a topological distinct dimension which maps distances into a much smaller space, allowing for interstellar travel without going faster than the speed of light. This is accomplished by focusing four different types of energy at one point and, while alone these energy waves are fairly harmless in the galactic sense, when brought together these four distinct energy patterns rend the fabric of space/time and open a passage into first level Hyperspace.

Ships using Jump Gates can traverse great distances in a matter of hours or days and any race with the most basic of space flight capabilities can find the universe opened up to them if they have a Jump Gate in their solar system. Newtonian physics do still apply to ships traveling in Hyperspace, so any inertia created while passing through the gate remains upon entry/exit.

Capital ships of a certain size (usually 600 meters or greater) are capable of entering Hyperspace without using a Jump Gate, but with an extreme cost in energy. It has become common for these ships to use Jump Gates to enter/exit Hyperspace whenever the chance arises, in order to save energy. This is vital, as most FTL communications and some weapons systems can be rendered inoperable while making a jump.

It takes a great deal of energy to punch a hole in the fabric of space/time, to traverse the barrier between real space and Hyperspace. Some races, such as the Styme, can use pure gravimetric technology to make this transition. Most other races however are dependent upon the use of Quantium 40, which, due to its unique properties, allows ships to traverse the barrier between dimensional planes.

Due to the high cost in energy consumption, Jump Gates are very difficult to activate and deactivate. If a gate is deactivated too quickly or recharged too quickly, it will very likely explode with a "low-end" force equivalent to a 2-Gigaton explosion.

Many starships reliant upon Jump Gates must use a predefined access code in order to activate an entrance sequence into Hyperspace. This allows races to charge others for the use of their Jump Gates. Exit is, predominantly, a free service as it is all too easy to become lost in Hyperspace and a quick exit can mean the difference between life and death.

Given the vast emptiness of Hyperspace with no distinctions or markers to use as a guide, all Jump Gates transmit a signal into Hyperspace. This system is divided into two separate but equally important transitions. The first signal is called "Local Beacon." This signal tells everyone within an immediate area that a Jump Gate in near and extends for several hundred kilometers into Hyperspace. The second signal is called a "Beacon Pair", which links one Jump Gate to many others. The system linking Jump Gates together is called the "Hyperspace Beacon System." This system of interconnected gates has existed for thousands of years, longer than most races have existed.

Whenever a ship travels through hyperspace, either through a jump node or a jump gate (or a local jump point) signals from this beacon system allow ships in normal space to be aware of the passage. Nothing more than, the mere fact that a ship has passed a beacon is provided, and this is to help ensure that ships entering or exiting hyperspace unexpectedly collide.

The Destruction of a single gate can seriously shift the links between other gates, disrupting the Hyperspace Beacon system. This can lead to a starship ending up exiting at the wrong gate or becoming lost in Hyperspace. Even in the most hostile of wars, the deliberate destruction of Jump Gates is considered an act of aggression against all sentient races. The destruction of the Beacon system would lead to hundreds of races becoming stranded forced to re-map the universe, looking for the lock-on signal from other Jump Gates. Fortunately, the loss of a few Jump Gates doesn't cause too much trouble. Multiple destruction of Jump Gates can however completely rewrite the Beacon maps.

Some gates that are military specific are fitted with a program that requires a very distinct tachyon signal to activate the gate. This prevents anyone from easily accessing a Jump Gate but, more often than not, cause more problems than they solve. Many military organizations that wish to keep a specific Jump-Gate's location out of the hands of the general public simply do not interconnect their Gate directly with the rest of the Hyperspace Beacon system.

These gates form the basis of most interstellar trade, as some traders lack the funding of the government to update their NavComp AI programs. Ships traveling through the gate system use them to get from place to place within systems that possess jump nodes and into systems which do not have a charted jump node. Mercenaries, criminal organizations and pirate bands use these gates to help them fade away from pursuit, as they destroy or reprogram the beacons so they report as a destroyed gate.