Babylon 5 A Fighting Chance --- A Babylon 5 AU

[paulobrito]

I always thought the Warlocks carried 72 fighters. Easily enough room for them.

In

Warlock class Destroyer: Babylon 5 Tech-Manual.

The Babylon 5 Tech-Manual - the oldest and most detailed site concerning the technology, ships and weapons of Babylon 5. ENTER!

b5tech.com

I get 42 Starfuries.

 

[Spartan303]

In

Warlock class Destroyer: Babylon 5 Tech-Manual.

The Babylon 5 Tech-Manual - the oldest and most detailed site concerning the technology, ships and weapons of Babylon 5. ENTER!

b5tech.com

I get 42 Starfuries.

Standard compliment of 42. But with room for up to 30 more.

 

[Harlock]

I'm figuring 4 squadrons so 48 standard, I'm sure they have space for more but I reckon that space would also be used for boarding craft, assault shuttles, and possibly gunboats.
They do seem to have quite a lot of hanger and cargo space, makes me wonder if they could carry a type of small attack ship in the 1-200m range launched from the flank bays amidships.

 

[Spartan303]

I'm figuring 4 squadrons so 48 standard, I'm sure they have space for more but I reckon that space would also be used for boarding craft, assault shuttles, and possibly gunboats.
They do seem to have quite a lot of hanger and cargo space, makes me wonder if they could carry a type of small attack ship in the 1-200m range launched from the flank bays amidships.

From what I remember they can carry a division plus equipment and munitions for up to several weeks of fighting and do so comfortably.

 

[Harlock]

I can believe it, they are big ships with a lot of internal space

 

[Knowledgeispower]

I'm figuring 4 squadrons so 48 standard, I'm sure they have space for more but I reckon that space would also be used for boarding craft, assault shuttles, and possibly gunboats.
They do seem to have quite a lot of hanger and cargo space, makes me wonder if they could carry a type of small attack ship in the 1-200m range launched from the flank bays amidships.

Plus utility craft of various kinds would be needed for the ship to function optimally which would take up a fairly decent chunk of the hangar volume

 

[Spartan303]

I can believe it, they are big ships with a lot of internal space

They were designed to be the EAs ultimate ship. Lacking the sheer firepower of the Nova class but far more than any two Omegas had. They were Dreadnought/Planetary assault ships and the Pinnacle of decades of work into one platform. Built on the promise of taking on Minbari Sharlins one on one with a better than even chance of victory.

Question, are you going with the Nanotechnological layer of armor that is the last be all end all before weapons fire punches through the hull? You know, the thin layer of Shadow armor they have?

Also, will the Marathons still use 'dead' Shadow armor that freaked out the Minbari when they saw it?

 

[Harlock]

At this point that tech won't be available so I figure its the same materials as a Warlock. That may change in the future depending on how close Clark gets to his spidery friends
If he does follow that path I would be expecting Shadow tech Warlocks instead of those Omega class ships he deployed. That'll be a bit of a challenge

 

[paulobrito]

Do they have Abbai (?) shields? Even if only in the prototype stage, or don't get their hands on any of these?

 

[Knowledgeispower]

You know I wonder if a proper successor to the Nova ie a dedicated brawler will be on the list of future projects of the EA. It would make sense because unlike otl the Nova's reputation is intact if not even greater.

 

[Ghostking 666]

Do they have Abbai (?) shields? Even if only in the prototype stage, or don't get their hands on any of these?

Depends on if the EA manages to trade the new sensors for them or if the Narn beat the to it. Either way it doesn’t matter because the Brakiri also have gravitic shield technology and would be just as open to trade for the new sensors.

 

[Harlock]

Do they have Abbai (?) shields? Even if only in the prototype stage, or don't get their hands on any of these?

Dilgar have them to some degree but not the EA

 

[Knowledgeispower]

Dilgar have them to some degree but not the EA

At least for now. I imagine the EA science division is hard at work fixing this. Plus the E-Web is already a decent system upon which to base an actual shield

 

[Ghostking 666]

Dilgar have them to some degree but not the EA

I’m surprised the EA, Narn and even Drazi aren’t trading the new sensors tech for choice bits of League tech. It’s the one item that everyone would want and be willing to trade for. And the Dilgar have shown just how effective hybrid ships can be.

At least for now. I imagine the EA science division is hard at work fixing this. Plus the E-Web is already a decent system upon which to base an actual shield

The E-web(and earth force interceptors) is based on recovered alien shield technology from some dead planet, human science and technology simply wasn’t advanced enough to copy the shield tech perfectly, with the E-Web being the best they could do.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

The E-web(and earth force interceptors) is based on recovered alien shield technology from some dead planet, human science and technology simply wasn’t advanced enough to copy the shield tech perfectly, with the E-Web being the best they could do.

I know that but the thing is that said Systems are something you can keep improving and thus eventually get a proper shield out of. Mind you trading for something in the meantime isn't a bad idea

 

[Harlock]

I’m surprised the EA, Narn and even Drazi aren’t trading the new sensors tech for choice bits of League tech. It’s the one item that everyone would want and be willing to trade for. And the Dilgar have shown just how effective hybrid ships can be.

They would trade some stuff but likely not their best tech. Things like shields, particular high end weapons, that sort of thing. I figure at least until the ISA they'd try to preserve something to hold over potential rivals

 

[Ghostking 666]

I know that but the thing is that said Systems are something you can keep improving and thus eventually get a proper shield out of. Mind you trading for something in the meantime isn't a bad idea

Yeah but I don’t expect them to crack said shield technology at least until they’ve had a chance to fully digest Minbari science and technology.

They would trade some stuff but likely not their best tech. Things like shields, particular high end weapons, that sort of thing. I figure at least until the ISA they'd try to preserve something to hold over potential rivals

If it was anything else sure, but the new sensors are a literal game changer for whoever has them. For centuries Minbari jammer technology made them just shy of invincible to the other younger races. Now a way to beat it exists and as the Centauri showed, it’s up for sale provided the price is right. The sensor tech really would be just that valuable as it’s basically the sole difference between getting slaughtered by the Minbari and fighting them off.

Edit:
And it's not just Minbari the other races would be worried about. Earth, Narn, Drazi and Dilgar all made out with quite the bit of intact Minbari war material in this war, including intact jammer systems. Sure it would probably take decades to reverse engineer(unless the Dilgar have another "miracle" or Earth gets the Minbari to help them with their tech) but all that means is that the military planners of the other races have decades to panic over the fact that once those jammer systems get reproduced, everyone without the new sensors would be at the complete mercy of those with the jammers(Minbari jammer technology really is an OP cheat, not even First One technology lets a ship so thoroughly tap dance all over those without the means to beat it).

The old balance of power has been quite literally shattered right now. The question isn't who would want the new sensors because of the Younger Races the only ones who don't desperately need the tech to keep their fleets militarily viable would be the Yolu(who are just as old as the Minbari and could probably have beaten Minbari jammers on their own). The question is who would sell the new sensors and to whom? There are currently five races with the new sensors, Earth, Narn, Drazi, Dilgar and the Centauri. Of those five, the first four currently have a massive windfall of Minbari tech to digest and incorporate, and of those four the Dilgar are the ones who would only be interested in the tech of the Vree and the Yolu(as those are the two remaining major League races the Dilgar haven't yet gotten tech from). Now the Yolu probably have their own way to beat Minbari jamming technology and thus wouldn't be interesting in the new sensor technology, leaving the Vree. But Vree tech is based on recovered Valen War era Minbari tech(even if the Vree have taken it into a direction the Minbari didn't), so the Dilgar trading the sensor tech would be determined by whether they find the Vree's twist on Minbari antimatter tech worth trading for now rather then developing for themselves in the future.

Of the remaining three with Minbari tech, I suppose it would depend on whether they are currently satisfied enough with their captured Minbari tech, that they might not feel the need to loose their future jammer advantage by trading with League tech(though the capability and superiority of Dilgar ships, even over the Minbari in some ways, would argue against that position, as would the risk of other nations trading the new sensors away anyway and thus closing the trade opportunity), so it would depend on just how greedy the nation in question is. Earth would probably be content with what they currently have, especially since thanks to the treaty they will probably be incorporating Minbari tech sooner then the other three and the Drazi probably wouldn't be all that interested in the tech of the other League races as well(shields, whether they be Abbai/Brakiri gravitic shields or Hyach Harmonic shields, probably aren't that interesting to a race that only puts forward facing weapons on their ships because they considerer anything other then attacking an enemy head on to be cowardly).

Which leaves the Narn and Centauri. Now the Narn have an obsessive hatred of the Centauri and a large desire to obliterate the Centauri as revenge for their enslavement, and have historically always been far more primitive then the Centauri Republic(the modern Narn techbase being built off of bits of recovered Centauri technology during their rebellon that they could cobble together). The recovered Minbari technology would do great things to change that old paradigm but with the example of the effectiveness of the Dilgar's hybrid League tech and their singular focus on the Centauri(who already have the new sensor technology rendering Minbari jamming technology useless against them), they'd probably be very willing to trade the new sensor technology for choice bits of League tech to further their future edge over the Centauri.

From the Centauri's side of things, well they've got the always hostile Narn on one side(whose fleets are going to slowly become quite capable even if they don't trade technology with the League, never mind if they do), the Drazi on another border(same with the Drazi), the Dilgar on a third border(nuff said) and an ascendant Earth Alliance on a fourth border. While they've managed to get the Earth to accept a treaty against allying with the Narn if Narn and the Centauri ever to war with each other, really that's still no guarantee that Earth stays out of things. It also doesn't change the fact that the Centauri Republic borders three very hostile races that thanks to recovered Minbari technology will slowly start to out tech the Centauri over the next few decades. For the first time in a very long time, the Centauri are going to be looking at their borders and seeing that they aren't nearly as secure as they used to be, and while they will doubtlessly throw a lot of money at their admittedly very capable R&D departments to keep the tech gap from getting too big, it's always easier to get a thing from someone else then to develop it yourself and again, the Dilgar are a very good example of the effectiveness of combining together League technology to create a whole that's better then the sum of it's parts.

And since the window to trade tech only lasts until another race with the same sensor tech beats you to it, the Centauri are probably going to go on a "buyer's spree" of League tech as soon as they can, especially if they notice the Narn trying to do the same thing. Even without factoring in Earth and the Minbari, the foreseeable future is going to be very politically unstable as one of the biggest military and technological arms races in the collective histories of the Younger Races kicks off with abandon.

 

[Ghostking 666]

So for the benefit of those without access to any of the rpg sourcebooks, here's a "shopping list" of technology possessed by various League races ranging from personal scale to starship. I'm also leaving out the Yolu(not that I could find anything on the Yolu, even the Hyach gave me more then they did) and Drazi, as well as the more primitive League races like the Hurr or the Gaim's non-biological based technology. Also, since the sourcebooks are "dated" for after the Shadow War, some of the technology listed might not exist yet or only in prototype form.

Spoiler: Abbai

As a race, the Abbai have two major obsessions where technology is concerned – defences and lasers. The former is part of their psychology; the Abbai like to feel safe and they only feel safe when they know they can protect themselves. To this end, they have developed a number of defensive capabilities, including armour, which are second to none save the technology of the First ones. Even the Minbari do not have armour, either personal or vehicular, as advanced or protective as the Abbai (though the Minbari do have the edge over the Abbai when it comes to making their defences more compact).

The Abbai obsession with lasers comes from their early space exploration days and their encounters with both the Hyach and the Centauri. The Abbai have excellent light-based technologies, using them for many different applications including construction, labour, mining and medical sciences. The Abbai also consider the laser to be the ultimate form of weaponry, as it can be tuned to be more or less destructive as a given situation requires.

Spoiler: General Equipment and Gear

The watchword for Abbai weaponry is ‘nonlethal’. The Abbai dislike killing in any form, even their ground military. While they accept that lethal force is sometimes required, the bulk of their battlefield technology is devoted to defence and passive weaponry. A living but defeated enemy might someday realise the error of its ways and become an ally; a dead enemy is nothing but a corpse.

To this end, the Abbai focus on chemical and electrical weapons in personal combat. Their ability to generate kinetic fields is limited, but their other passive technologies are very advanced. Very little is more effective in hand to-hand combat for disabling an opponent without killing him than the specially-regulated shock of an Abbai stunprod. At range, the Abbai have several nonlethal options utilising a variety of technologies, and are the only known military to issue nonlethal weapons to its ground troops as standard armament.

Arc-Gun: An electrical weapon based on the same principles is an arc-gun. This Abbai weapon resembles a long rifle with a clear, impact resistant sheath covering a triple set of conducting rods and an ablative firing aperture. The gun channels a ring of electricity down these rids and reacts with the aperture to create a moderately ranged pulse of disruptive energy.

Kemjaa Pistol: A chemical weapon that fires frozen slivers at a fast rate of speed, this pistol is the standard side arm of the Abbai military and is carried by both branches as a preferred weapon. Incapable of piercing heavy armour, it ignores anything lighter and deals very little real damage. Its effect lies in the powerful drug it delivers directly to the bloodstream of its living targets.

Kemjaa Rifle: The standard armament of the ground infantry, this is just a longer, heavier version of the Kemjaa pistol with a greater ammunition capacity and the ability to rapid fire. Doing so does run the risk of killing a single target if too many rounds are directed into it, but the Abbai typically only use its rapid feature when facing a number of opponents.

Laserstorm Grenade: A surprisingly destructive weapon to come from the Abbai, it utilises their advancements in laser technology in a very inventive and lethal way. When a laser grenade goes off, it fires dozens of thin but powerful laser bursts all around the point of impact before burning out.

Mercy Grenade: A modified form of the arc-gun’s firing element slaved to a one-shot capacitor, the mercy grenade floods its small area of effect with an electrical wavefront that acts just like the attack of an arc-gun against everyone in its blast radius. Mercy grenades do not have a great deal of ability to penetrate thick armour.

Stun-Prod: A modified Abbai club, these prods have a conductive element worked into the striking surface and a very complex micro-processor built into the handle. When a stun-prod is wielded in combat, the processor reads the skin density of any opponent struck through the use of tiny sensors along the weapon’s head. It then determines exactly how much current to use to stock him without endangering his life.

Spoiler: General Equipment Descriptions

Breathing Gear, Abbai: Because the Abbai enjoy having guests on their worlds (though they discourage long term residency), they have had to develop efficient aquatic breathing gear for races without their natural advantages. This has given rise to Abbai breathing gear, the smallest, most efficient underwater respirator ever designed. Little more than a compact mask, the Abbai breather is capable of allowing clear sight underwater up to 90 feet and lets an oxygen-dependent wearer breathe normally for up to 3 days before its special powered filters need to be replaced. An emergency twenty minute pressurised air supply is standard with the gear.

Hydrotransic Comm: By using a very low current carrier wave, specially modulated to take advantage of the conductive capabilities of water, the Abbai can use their communications gear between any two points connected by a contiguous body of water. This comm can operate at any distance as long as there is water between the comm units and can project its signal as far as 100 yards from the water itself. Because a hydrotransic comm effectively fills a general area of water in the direction of the transmission, it cannot be made directional or effectively shielded from eavesdropping.

Shell Material: Shell materials are used by the Abbai in the same way many races use steel (having the same hardness
and hit points per inch of thickness); they use it for casings, building supports and in many places where metal would normally be found. The special shells of the Abbai are as strong as steel and just as resistant to breakage, while being lighter and easier to shape. Any item made predominantly of metal can be built (or rebuilt) using shell instead. All Abbai equipment not specifically noted as being metal already has this modification.

Waterproofing: Not usually required for most modern military or consumer equipment, waterproofing is very valuable for items that normally would not work well underwater. This treatment does not just involve sealing all openings in a device; it also includes providing air intakes, altering transmission arrays to handle water dispersion and other augmentations for the pressure and environment of underwater use. Abbai waterproofing is the best in existence, allowing weapons like slugthrowers to be fully usable underwater.

Spoiler: Armor and Clothing Descriptions

Abbai Combat Armour: A composite suit of advanced materials and ballistic cloth, Abbai combat armour is remarkably ornate and features a built in power supply for whatever items the wearer might need to use while on the battlefield. This suit of armour is quite effective at preventing damage, offering something no other form of combat gear known to the younger races has, a small (10%) chance of negating critical hits in combat.

Spoiler: Vehicles and Spacecraft

The Abbai have an interesting disparity where vehicular technology is concerned. They developed personal transports to a certain point, paying careful attention to amphibious capabilities, and then stopped for the most part once they designed a working, efficient vehicle. While they have progressed a bit farther with their space program, the Abbai are generally content to simply build something that works and stick with its design until external conditions or changing times demand further research.


Cargo Transport, Abbai
The Abbai appreciate an efficient design and this philosophy has shaped their standard cargo transport. Capable of travel underwater and over land, the typical Abbai transport hauler is a sizable vehicle with a large cargo capacity and acceptable speed. Not a swift or manoeuvrable vehicle by anyone’s definition, the Abbai transport is an aesthetically pleasing vessel with a number of curves and fins that provide stability underwater and create an attractive and eye-catching look. Abbai cargo transports also double as mass transit vehicles for passengers at times, replacing 2,000 pounds of its carrying capacity for an additional 20 passengers if needed.


Dorshaa Ground Car
A typical form of Abbai personal vehicle, the Dorshaa is one of the more popular conveyances for the race; models of this vehicle can be found on every colony and outpost. The Dorshaa is, like most Abbai vehicles, amphibious and while it is not as swift underwater as a dedicated submersible, it is vastly more useful to the average Abbai user. The Dorshaa has a two hour emergency air supply, but it is usually allowed to flood whenever the Abbai use it because of their semi-aquatic adaptations.

Spoiler: Military Vehicle Descriptions

The Abbai do not use many vehicles in their military as they have had little experience at fighting ground wars and prefer to use air and space-based assets when they have to defend themselves in such a way. They do have two vehicles that still see general use and receive constant maintenance. Both are submersible, which makes them very valuable in aquatic or semi-aquatic operations but often burdens them with unnecessary equipment and weight in more arid engagement zones.


Benaa Troop Transport
Used to move its infantry from engagement to engagement in safety, the Benaa is extremely good at keeping its valuable payload of soldiers and equipment secure until it reaches its destination. Often called upon to move through hostile areas, the Benaa is armed lightly and can defend itself, but its most deadly asset is generally the trained squad of troops inside its armoured frame. A Benaa caught in heavy fire can usually withstand enough punishment to survive deployment and evacuation. A Benaa that is not under attack typically remains in the unloading zone, acting as mobile cover and fire support for Abbai soldiers.


Nataraithe Air Defender
The Nataraithe is a much feared vehicle, renowned forits ability to move through virtually any environment with enough speed to be a threat anywhere in a theatre of war and carrying enough firepower to be effective against a wide variety of targets. The Nataraithe is such an effective design that the Brakiri have been attempting to get their hands on its design for years; it is well known in black market circles that the Brakiri would be willing to pay handsomely for its schematics. It is also well known that those attempting to steal the design of the Nataraithe always seem to disappear before they can reach the Brakiri with their ill-gotten plans.

Spoiler: Space

New System: Gravitic Shield
Through the use of focused gravitational force, a gravitic shield is able to warp space in a given direction. This creates a semi-solid barrier of force that reduces or halts the motion and energy of incoming fire, defending anything on the other side of the shield. Only used by a few vessels in the armadas of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, a gravitic shield has a rating number. This rating is the value subtracted from the damage of incoming attacks and half its value from the attack rolls made by the vessel with the shield system itself. Any ship with a gravitic shield can choose to turn it on or off at the beginning of its turn in combat as a free action.

New Weapon: Particle Impeder
A variant form of Interceptor using particle arrays and incredibly fast firing times, the particle impeder has a block chance that is part of its rating. A ship with one or more particle impeders can use these defensive weapons to try and intercept an incoming attack and negate it. This decision is made whenever an incoming attack is declared against the ship and it has one or more unused particle impeders remaining. Particle impeders take three rounds to recharge and only one can be used against a given attack. Attacks made by vessels of the First Ones (including the Shadows) cannot be blocked by particle impeders.

Combat Laser
Rather than using the laser cannons of other races which cause massive amounts of collateral damage, the defensive minded Abbai of the Matriarchate designed a sort of ‘drilling beam’ laser that causes intense internal damage to the target– hopefully knocking out integral systems early in a conflict, rather than having to destroy a target utterly. Using similar designs as their allies the Hyach, the utilitarian-named combat laser focuses a pinpoint beam to a single spot on the target rather than sweeping across many decks. The result is less overall damage, but a much higher chance to disable their target.

The Abbai also have something called a Communications Disruptor, no idea how it works, just that it seems to be a "gun" type device that has this effect during gameplay.

Communications Disruptor: Any ship hit by a Communications Disruptor will suffer a –3D+1 to their Initiative and any Computer Use, Pilot or Operations skill checks performed in conjunction with the vessel’s systems.

Spoiler: From a Ship Builder's Manuel

Particle Impeder
Masters of defence, the Abbai created the particle impeder many decades ago and have put it to satisfying use ever since. These systems hurl expanding particle clusters combined with fragmented matter into the expected path of enemy fire. Hostile weapon payloads burn out trying to get through the fog of particulate matter, softening the blows severely, leaving little to be absorbed by the ship itself. When combined with their patented gravitic shield generators, there is little wonder why the Dilgar were turned away time after time.

Particle impeders do not work like normal interceptors. An impeder’s effect is automatically applied against every incoming barrage in their arc – there is no need for an Operation (gunnery) check. Each additional impeder fired in the same order after the first adds +2 to the effective Intercept rating of the impeding screen.

Gravitic Shields
Originally designed by the defensive-minded Abbai, then also taken on by the Brakiri, gravitic shield generators are very effective deterrents to any hostile weapons fire. By forming an angled funnel of very high gravity, most attacks simply slow down to the point of stationary and burn out well before they ever get close enough to harm the ship. Missiles detonate, particles simply fade away and matter collapses in upon itself upon striking the field of massive force. High-output energy beams or sustained firing weapons can push past the buffer with little trouble, as the generators are simply unable to keep up the sort of output required to keep up with such a barrage.

Spoiler: Brakiri

The Brakiri are masters of acquisition. Everything about their technology is stolen from others and very little original innovation can be directly accredited to them. This said, the Brakiri have mastered the art of ‘hiding their sources’. Everything about Brakiri technology may have come from other civilisations (namely the Centauri) but very little of it is recognisable as such. The products of the Brakiri, from their fashions to their flare pistols, are all uniquely Brakiri in appearance and implementation. They may have stolen everything they have, but they have indelibly placed their mark on the results of their thievery.

Central to the technical achievements of the Brakiri are two innovations; gravitics and superior marketing. The first is the scientific principle upon which most of their space program and military designs are founded. The latter is what keeps the Brakiri afloat in a sea of turbulent galactic politics. Very few races trust the Brakiri and most would rather have nothing to do with them, but the trade benefits of the Syndicracy are too valuable (or at least perceived as too valuable) to refuse.

Spoiler: Weapons Descriptions

Brakiri weapons are generally based around the application of gravitational force or ballistics, with very little highenergy application other than gravitics. They can appreciate the uses of laser technology, but the Brakiri believe gravity based weapons are superior to any other. This belief has some truth to it, but the Brakiri’s blind adherence to this policy has in some ways stunted their military research. It may take the advent of a superior weapon used against them in battle to get them out of their ‘gravity rut’.

This event may have already occurred, though it will be some time before the laboratories of Im-Rehsa turn out any visible benefits from their research. The experience gained by the Brakiri during the Shadow War showed them the molecular cutter was a vastly superior weapon to their own. While they were able to compare their gravitic cannons favourably with the other weapons of the League, the beams of the Shadow fleet were undeniably better than anything the Brakiri had ever seen.

Brakiri Pulser: An extension of gravitic technology considered to be a dead end by the Brakiri because of its very low damage per pulse ratio, the pulser is a gravity handgun that generates fast moving waves of gravity. While it features a high energy capacity and can project its attack farther than many gravitic weapons, the Brakiri seldom carry these themselves because of their limited stopping power.

Gravitic Pistol: The smallest reliable gravity weapon the Brakiri make, this handgun fires a pulse of gravitic energy with enough force to punch a hole through a stone wall. When carried aboard a starship, Brakiri law dictates that a selector switch be used on the gun to limit its damage to 1d6 and its critical multiplier to x2; this switch is standard on all Brakiri-made gravitic pistols and is included at the listed price.

Grav-Cannon: A very powerful version of the gravitic pistol, the gravitic cannon is a bulky but not unwieldy rifle with better range and an even stronger impact. Grav-Cannons do not have a standard limiter switch, but one can be added that will reduce the weapons damage to 1d10 and pose no threat to a ship’s hull integrity for an additional 100 credits.

Grav-Grenade: An ingenious use of gravitic technology, this device is a small gravity generator that, on impact, generates a potent field of energy.

Heavy Gravitic Gun: A high energy weapon that generates a wall-shattering pulse of gravity on a tactical level, the heavy gravitic gun is a field weapon used by the military and is rarely, if ever, seen in the hands of a civilian. Highly illegal and rarely sold outside of arms purchases between galactic powers, the HGG has been known to find its way into the arsenals of raiders and other criminals (though the Brakiri government categorically denies any knowledge of such sales).

Wakat Rocket: The deadly outcome of a research line by the Wakat half of Pri-Wakat, the Wakat Rocket (a name that always seems to amuse human purchasers for some reason) is a disposable short rifle weapon that can be wielded in one hand without penalty. Shaped much like a shotgun, the Wakat Rocket holds two primed, short range unguided missiles. Extremely illegal, the mere sight of a Wakat Rocket tends to make Brakiri more compliant with the suggestions of the wielder

Spoiler: General Equipment Descriptions

Unlike the Abbai, the Brakiri surround themselves with material possessions. Instant meal generators, timepieces, small computerised devices, personal conveyances and a hundred inventions intended to save time are the norms of a given Brakiri’s existence. While some Brakiri prefer a Spartan lifestyle in an effort to avoid distractions, most would be lost if they had to go more than a few hours without their gadgets and ‘conveniences’.

Brakiri Keeper: A ubiquitous device carried by virtually every Brakiri in the galaxy over the age of 10, a Keeper is a multi-device with a small readout screen, a slot for a reduced-size data crystal with half normal capacity, a clock feature, a communicator capable of broadcasting over a planetary or shipboard network and a complicated set of scheduling and mail service features. Taking a Brakiri’s keeper and breaking it in front of him is considered a base insult and is grounds for legal assault in the Syndicracy.

Food Mate: A food preparation device that takes compressed ration tubes (sold separately for 3 credits per meal, more for higher end models) and turns them into palatable, if not entirely enjoyable, meals. Many Brakiri keep one of these handy even when they travel as they often find the food of other races bland or distasteful. More expensive food mates exist that can actually generate high quality meals, but regardless of the grade of food mate, they all take approximately five minutes from start to finish. It is a sign of Brakiri impatience and love for efficiency that many alarm clocks in the Syndicracy send an automatic signal to a slaved food mate nearby to begin operation.

G-Board: A favourite pastime of Brakiri children and considered suicidal by most adults of any race, the G-board is a two foot wide, three foot long platform of metal and textured synthetic latex with a pair of gravity generators on its underside. Operated by a hand stick or through foot pads (if one is an expert user), a G-board grants a base land speed of 60 feet per round.

Laundry Cube: An example of Brakiri conveniences, the laundry cube is a metal cube with a top loading door and a vibrating inner drum connected to a phased gravity generator. These devices do not generate very powerful fields; they are just powerful enough to shake normal soil and stains from articles of clothing, just as they were designed to do. Laundry cubes require a power connection to work. Energy cell operated Laundry cubes do exist, but they cost 800 credits and include a single, rechargeable cell, good for ten items of clothing.

Palmcomp: A palmcomp is an executive tool with a full data crystal reader, a holographic display capable of making an image up to six inches in all dimensions and a military grade communicator all built into a stylish glove. Entering text data into a palmcomp is achieved by ‘typing’ in midair with the hand wearing it; this does not require a Computer Use roll, but the user must have at least one rank to be able to use a palmcomp at all. Executives and their assistants are the primary users of palmcomps, but many professionals have one available if they need solid, portable computing power.

Sustenance Patches: The Brakiri are so concerned with time and efficiency that some of them try to avoid the need for meal breaks altogether during the workday. While this is not entirely healthy, it is possible through the use of sustenance patches; dermal patches that secrete all the nutrition of a full meal over the course of an hour. Using sustenance patches for more than a week at a time is dangerous, but the exact effects (typically exhaustion, digestive trouble, body odour) are left to the Games Masters’ discretion.

Water Belt/Harness: Water is a very important part of any Brakiri’s life, more so because of their history of treasuring the substance and the efforts they have gone through as a people to obtain it. Many Brakiri abhor the thought of wasting any water at all; thus, the water belt and harness were invented. These devices are worn directly against the skin and cover major perspiration sites of the body. Sweat is absorbed into the belt or harness, reprocessed into clean
water and stored in small hip-mounted flasks. Using a water belt or harness increases the amount of time a wearer can go without water by 150% (half again the time they normally could).

Spoiler: Armor and Clothing Descriptions

Brakiri Battle Fatigues: The standard combat jumpsuit and jacket of the Brakiri military, these outfits are generally well-tailored and resemble the dress uniforms of other races’ martial forces. A Brakiri in battle fatigues typically also has a water harness, a 4 pack of sustenance patches and a palmcomp as part of his general kit, but these are purchased separately (typically at the expense of the soldier’s corporate sponsor).

Executive Armour: Executive armour is state of the art body armour built into executive level clothing. The base price listed is for bottom of the line, store shelf garments that only the lowest-level corporate executive would wear in public. More powerful businessmen purchase commensurately more expensive apparel that provides no greater physical protection but is quite effective against the pointed stares and sharp social commentary of their employees.

Gravitic Plate: Not quite as exotic as its name sounds, gravitic plate is heavy armour created by subjecting composite materials to incredible gravity stresses in order to render them nearly impervious to physical damage. The result is incredibly dense (and heavy) armour plates attached to a flexible suit of ballistic material. While the plates are almost invulnerable to harm, the suit and the wearer inside are not. This limits the suit’s effectiveness but still provides impressive protection. Gravitic plate is very rare, generally only available to heavy infantry battalions of the Pri-Wakat military.

Spoiler: Vehicles and Spacecraft

The Brakiri have not announced it to the rest of the galaxy and keep them mostly hidden on their own isolated worlds, but they have finally cracked the secret of gravitic technology in regards to vehicular design. They do not have many gravitic vehicles yet, but most high-powered executives have access to the few models that exist. The Brakiri are frantically trying to retrofit their existing automotive and aerospace designs, seeing gravitic propulsion as the only civilised way to run their transportation industries. How the Minbari will react to seeing what was once exclusive to their technical base in the hands of the Brakiri remains to be seen, but the Brakiri are fortunate the Warrior Caste no longer hold a majority in the Grey Council.


Brakir Nightrage
A luxury sport model ground car made by the only company sanctioned by the Syndicracy to use the name of honoured Brakir, the nomenclature always symbolises the top of the line from their factory showroom. The Brakir Nightrage is made to order and while it is incredibly expensive, it is also capable of gravitic motion and has all the amenities a Brakiri might expect in a vehicle: dashboard minder, quality food mate in the console and a superior augmented driving module that drives the user to pre-programmed locations.


Cargo Transport, Brakiri
While the typical cargo hauler of the Brakiri is neither the fastest nor the toughest in the galaxy, it does manage to make the most efficient use of space of any comparable vehicle. Designed to make the best use of its fuel and drive time, a Brakiri cargo transport can move a larger payload than any other and provides adequate protection and speed while doing so. Brakiri cargo drivers are accorded a fair amount of respect, as their job is one of the vital pipelines of their race’s economic structure.


Gravitic Transport
Only used by the Brakiri on their homeworld and corporate-controlled domain worlds, the gravitic transport is essentially just a cargo transport retrofitted with gravitic drives and reinforced to withstand the stress of its use. Gravitic transports are both fast and efficient, two things the Brakiri adore in their labour force. While the Brakiri currently hide their gravitic technologies, these vehicles are becoming more common in their cities and it is only a matter of time before they start using them throughout the entire Syndicracy.

Spoiler: Military Vehicle Descriptions

The Brakiri do not have a very complicated array of military vehicles, only needing a few to handle all of their common engagement types. These are updated every 50 years or so with new models, but they traditionally keep the same vehicle names unless a major update has occurred. This is the case with the latest generation of vehicles; they have been renamed to signify the inclusion of gravitic drives and superior engine performance. With gravitic weaponry now standard on its military vehicles, the Brakiri field some of the most potent infantry assets short of the Minbari Federation.


Groundstrike Transport/Tank
Not wishing to put too much money into their ground vehicles, the Brakiri have for better or worse combined the concepts of battlefield weapon platforms with their main troop transports. This is not a very efficient design but with the Brakiri’s lack of intense ground-warfare experience, the flaws in its design have yet to be a concern. If the Brakiri become more involved in ground battles, they will likely scrap the Groundstrike completely and design separate vehicles for each role as other races have done.


Skyhammer Troop Carrier
A gravity capable troop transport aircraft with space capability and considerable firepower, the Skyhammer is mostly a Hurdar retrofit and has many of the same quirks and characteristics. The armour on a Skyhammer is considerable, copied as it is from captured Abbai materials. The most notable piece of equipment on the Skyhammer is its concealed comm jammer, another piece of Abbai technology that could cause a serious incident wereknowledge of its existence to reach the normally peaceful creators of that technology.

Spoiler: Space

The Brakiri are rightfully proud of their space fleet, considering they have some of the most advanced ships in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. While the Abbai have better defences, the Vree have more powerful weapons and the Gaim have better sensors and communications, the Brakiri have a remarkably well balanced fleet incorporating many of these factors into ships that regularly out-perform similar ship classes among their peers. When the Brakiri commit ships to an objective, their presence can easily turn the tide of battle in the League’s favour.

New Weapon: Graviton Beam
A slow arming but very powerful weapon, this is a gravity based energy cannon with the ability to focus and intensify its output at the cost of its recharge rate and firing time. When a ship with one or more graviton beams wishes to fire it can either do so normally or choose to ‘charge’ them. Every round the guns spend charging, they do not fire but bonus points equal to the weapon’s non-dice damage are added to the weapon’s damage total if it hits, and its range increases by 1. Charging is a full-round action that can be taken up to three times. After charging, a graviton beam weapon takes a full round to recharge before it can be fired or charged again.

New Weapon: Gravitic Lance
A modified and improved form of the graviton beam, this weapon takes some of its technology from the molecular cutters of the Shadow fleet. It fires a sustainable beam of tightly focused gravitons, allowing it to tear apart solid matter at a massive distance and with terrible efficiency. The gravitic lance has two modes; beam and lance. In the former mode, it acts exactly as a graviton beam with the added benefit of hitting twice instead of once with each shot. As a beam, the lance can only charge for one round if at all.

As a lance, this weapon has a tremendous range and ignores physical armour. DR is useless against the gravitic lance, but it is easily disrupted by gravity and electromagnetic effects. Ships with gravitic and EM shields take only half damage from a gravitic lance after reducing it as they normally would. These ships still do not benefit from their physical armour, however, as what remains of the beam is still potent enough to rip straight through it.

Spoiler: From a Ship Builder's Manuel

Primarily researched, designed and utilised by the Brakiri Syndicracy, gravitic weaponry is simple in theory – but extremely complex in practice. The idea behind a gravitic weapon is to accelerate a segment of intense gravity toward an enemy through an escalating singularity. Basically creating miniscule black holes as small as one atomic strand wide and firing them at the enemy, the weapon collapses a portion of the target’s mass under the extreme gravity before its existence winks out.

The hardest part to manufacture of any form of gravitic weapon is the directional mechanism. What the Brakiri have discovered is that it is possible to move the weapon’s payload along in the same manner as a gravitic drive moves a ship– but on a much smaller scale. By increasing the gravitic pull directly in front of the weapon’s emitter, the shot should carry forward into the void at massive speeds, allowing inertia to do the rest. The only diffi culty is making sure the weapon’s payload can last long enough to reach the target.

Gravitic weapons are diffi cult to manufacture and require several monitoring and stabilization conduits to connect to a ship’s gravitic drive which all of these weapon systems must be attached to.

Graviton Pulsar
The first of the long-ranged gravitic weapons that the Brakiri manufactured, the graviton pulsar is a row of several gravitic bolt emitters positioned and internally timed to fire in rapid succession. Not only do these shots stagger in order to create a wider field of fire, but they are mathematically pinpointed to travel in each others’ gravitic wake, carrying the shots farther while using far less of their own energy to do so. This means a longer range and a better impact ratio of the shots themselves.

Grav Cannon
Taking advice from their belligerent neighbours, the Drazi, the Syndicracy eventually began to make larger and more energy-consuming gravitic weapons to fit to their hulls. The grav cannon is the first of these weapons, using a much bigger series of conduits to shoot a greater singularity toward the enemy. The larger anomaly can absorb a sizable portion of hull and material before its hunger is sated and blinks out of existence. Unlike a laser, that moves from side to side, the grav cannon sends its payload deeper in the vessel to hopefully rip apart sensitive internal systems before collapsing.

Grav cannons may only fire once per turn due to their slow recharging times.

Graviton Beam
The Brakiri’s first and only attempt at a sustained gravitic weapon, the graviton beam is an effective counterpart to many medium laser batteries in the galaxy. Sending dozens of grav cannon-sized anomalies at a single enemy in rapid succession can have the same slicing effect that a common laser does, but requires vast energy stores to map and project the attack. It takes several minutes – a lifetime in any heated battle – to recharge and re-plot the next shot, even with the help of the gravitic engine’s monitoring computer systems.

Graviton beams may only fi re once per turn due to their slow recharging times.

Gravitic Lance
After seeing the effectiveness of the scything beams of the Shadows time and time again during that war, the Brakiri wanted to create a weapon that could keep their warships well out of the range of such terrible weaponry as their smaller vessels moved in to engage. Trying a dozen different ways to extend range, the best way they found was to chain a series of larger graviton singularities together in a sustained firing pattern. Effectively, the first few gravitons ‘tow’ those behind them farther and farther, leaving the rest to smash into the target for remarkable damage.

Graviton Shifter
The Brakiri once realised that their advanced gravitic drives could lend a hand to nearby ships that had lost access to their own – which immediately spawned the idea of using them against the enemy. Originally thought to be used for capture and towing, a brilliant fleet commander named Tor Okat ordered all of his towing gravitics to have their polarities push enemy ships into disarray. The abrupt movement would ruin firing lanes, alter trajectories and throw crewmen to the floor all over the ship. It was ingenious, earning the commander a place in Brakiri wartime history and opening a whole new avenue of possibilities for the Syndicracy’s armada.

Gravitic Mine Launcher
After seeing the spectacular results of what happens when accidentally fired graviton singularities strike one another, the Brakiri saw a great opportunity. Designing twin streamlined graviton emitters to throw a pair of unstable anomalies at converging angles to bisect at a specific place, the gravitic mine was born. When the two hungry anomalies meet each one tries to devour the negativity of the other a thousand times in a millisecond, and instead they collapse in a powerful release of alternating gravitic energy that will lash out at any target caught in the surprisingly large fi eld of destruction.

Spoiler: Vree

Regardless of their age, the Vree have amassed a wealth of technology, including the most efficient space drives in the League, the most agile and energy efficient vessels and mastery over a very unstable force no other world has managed to harness… antimatter. The source of their boundless energy reserves, antimatter reactors power the fleets of the Vree, provide fuel for their ever-consumptive worlds and colonies, and provide them with more than enough firepower to ensure the safety of their race against any external threat.

Spoiler: Weapons Descriptions

When the Vree wish to build a weapon, their martial guilds approach the design process from a very logical standpoint. What is it meant to combat? Is it intended to be lethal? Are there any other purposes for the weapon (intimidation, demolition, pacification)? What materials are available? When these and other questions have been satisfactorily researched, the guild gets to work and develops a working prototype before finalising their specifications. Field tests come next, followed by redesign or full production. The result is a weapon that is often far more effective than the original concept required.

Antimatter Grenade: The final word in anti-personnel weapons, this grenade is a spherical metal container with
a magnetic containment coil inside. This coil is constantly powered until the impact sensor on the grenade shuts it off. Then the micro-grain of antimatter inside the grenade reacts to its casing and the munition detonates in a terrible cascade of imploding matter and released atomic energy. Survivors of an antimatter grenade are few; even Warrior Gaim have been destroyed in a single blast by these fearsome weapons.

Bu’Tial’Ai: A traditional melee weapon of the Vree and one of the only items of its kind, the Bu’Tial’Ai is a warrior’s weapon developed by a race of scientists. Based around technology derived from small staff-like weapons found in wrecked Minbari ships, these extend and retract, allowing the Vree to use them at a distance and still carry them easily. The head of a Bu’Tial’Ai is an almost impossibly sharp cross section of laser-etched artificial diamond, resulting in a keen blade capable of impaling virtually any substance.

Exothermal Pistol: The handgun carried by Vree soldiers, this weapon uses thermal radiation and is capable of burning a wide hole straight through a target even at long range. These weapons look like curved pieces of silver metal with a red crystal on one end and a depressed red button on the back of its ‘handle’. Exothermal pistols actually respond to thoughts and cannot be fired by machines.

Exothermal Rifle: A much larger, much deadlier exothermal weapon, these implements of destruction set up a chain reaction in their targets, burning them up from the inside out. Living targets brought to 0 hit points are instantly vaporised, reduced to a pile of smouldering ashes by a wave of overwhelming thermal energy. Exothermal rifles resemble long metal spears with red crystal heads contained in a silver mesh. Like exothermal pistols, these weapons respond to thoughts only.

Gravitic Impellor V-I: A handheld rail gun, the gravitic impellor V-I was one of the first applications of gravitational energy the Vree designed while researching Minbari technology. After seeing the power of this small weapon, work began on the X-I rifle version (see below). Before that project could reach anything more than prototype stage, exothermal energies were discovered and Vree weapon technology took a different path.

Gravitic Impellor X-I: A rail gun rifle capable of putting a one-inch shaft of hardened steel through the hull of a starship, these relatively small weapons were the result of a dead-end experiment into portable gravity generation. When the Vree abandoned this line of research, they stored their hundred or so prototypes and forgot about
them for decades. Now occasionally seen in the hands of merchants looking to sell them for exorbitant fees, the gravitic impellor X-I is an incredibly powerful, incredibly rare weapon.

Heat Grenade: A Vree thermal charge slaved to an impact sensor, these grenades can melt solid steel and incinerate anything within their small but devastating blast radius. The ‘explosion’ from a heat grenade is nearly instantaneous, producing only a brief flash of light. A target standing even a foot outside the blast will only feel a slightly warm radiance; the thermal radiation is extremely well contained and has virtually no ‘bleed’.

Spoiler: General Equipment

The Vree have an aversion to physical labour that borders on a true psychological disorder; if the Vree can find a way to create a machine or computer to do any task for them, they will. This has led to thousands of gadgets and small
inventions over the centuries, with each one becoming obsolete within a year or two as the next, more efficient model comes out. Then the cycle of acquisition, use and replacement begins again.

This is part of the Vree’s effective mercantile model. They produce updated versions of their wares to keep alien markets flooded with constant upgrades and refits. This in turn fuels research for the next design, which then sells to a wider consumer base and finds its way into more homes. This never-ending spread is all part of the financial game played by the Vree Trading Cartels.

Chronometer: A small clock with a variable readout that generates numbers in all known League and major power languages and tells time in each world’s temporal system. A Vree chronometer can show one, two or four different times as the user desires and will instantly calculate time zones and other temporal changes due to hyperspace travel
or galactic location. A valuable little electronic device, chronometers can add a +1 equipment bonus to any skill check made when knowing the exact time would be of benefit.

Holoring: The smallest holographic projector known to exist, these crystal rings are capable of emitting an image with stereo sound up to one foot tall and as far away from the ring itself as four feet in any direction. Holorings are mostly just interesting toys and gadgets, but it is possible to link them to a holographic camera or transmitter and use them as long-range communication devices. Powered by an antimatter micro-reactor, holorings effectively have limitless power and can operate for five continuous years before the charge runs out and the entire ring has to be replaced.

Impulse Gloves: Part of a Vree game with some very interesting real world applications, these gloves have a short-range gravitic drive built into the palms. Too weak to be of much use and far too short-ranged to have manufacturing applications, one glove generates a 10 lb. pressor beam while the other draws in objects with 10 lbs. of motive force. Both gloves only work to a range of 20 feet. The Vree use these in conjunction with a small metal or composite sphere in an interesting game of ‘almostcatch’ wherein the object of the game it to not let the ball hit the ground on your side of a line without actually touching it. Real masters of the game can move the sphere with great precision and speed, providing an entertaining sport for others to watch.

Micronisation Process: The real secret to the Vree’s gadgetry, this manufacturing method involves miniaturized parts, power sources and simplified controls to make technological devices smaller than similar models from other races. Virtually any powered item can be made smaller using this technology, allowing even bulky equipment to become much easier to manage and transport. The micronisation of existing gear is not without its risks; there is a flat 5% chance of ruining a device with this process. Even so, the Vree have no lack of customers looking to make their hand computers palm-sized or their communicators into earrings.

Vree Silk: A fascinating textile used by the Vree for all of their personal garments, this material has just become available for sale in the galactic markets frequented by Vree traders. Lightweight and easy to dye in any number of colours, this ‘silk’ is actually a pale white synthetic polymer that is virtually tear proof and extremely difficult to puncture. Sewing Vree silk requires a laser bonding machine (sold separately for 400 cr. new), but any garment made from it will never need repairing and offers one point of Damage Reduction due to its resiliency.

Spoiler: Armor and Clothing Descriptions

The Vree are a fragile race and they know it. As the universe can be a hostile place, especially for a dominant and wealthy power like the Vree, they have spent a great deal of time and money developing resistant clothing and armour for themselves. The Vree enjoy feeling secure and have no compunctions about wearing body armour at all times, even to formal occasions and political meetings. Fortunately for their sense of etiquette, Vree garments are rarely bulky even when they are designed as armour and most other races have no idea a Vree is even wearing such garb.

Full Combat Suit, Vree: A bodysuit of Vree silk with
supplemental plates over the torso and major joints, Vree Full Combat Suits are usually only warn by fleet soldiers when they expect to see battle or Vree bodyguards assigned to protect a high-ranking member of their society. Few leaders of the Gaim wear these bulky outfits, not because of their appearance but because wearing one suggests a certain level of paranoia that can adversely affect business deals and political negotiations.

Gravity Rig: Still very experimental and quite unreliable, a gravity rig is a heavy metal harness that, when activated, creates a personal field of gravitational energy around the wearer. In principle, this is supposed to block incoming objects and energy, protecting the user from harm. Unfortunately, the miniaturization process needed to make a gravitational device this
small has also left it woefully energy inefficient and prone to ‘flickering’ on and off. A gravity rig can work for ten rounds on a full charge, taking an hour to charge fully when connected to a suitable power source. During these ten rounds of operation (which need not be consecutive), each attack that would successfully strike the wearer has a 50% chance of being resisted by the gravity field. This grants 10 points of DR in addition to any other the user might have.

Vree Clothing, Light: Most Vree clothing has damage resistance and armour, as the Vree can be injured very easily and their physiologies are not as enduring as those of other races. As such, even ‘civilian’ garb tends to be made of resilient fabrics and cut to provide protection to the vitals and joints of the wearer. These styles are lightweight and do not look like armour in any way. Only a Spot check (DC 25) will reveal that these garments have any armoured properties.

Vree Clothing, Heavy: Heavier versions of the clothing described above, this apparel has more stopping power but is also easier to spot for what it is. The Spot check to determine if heavy Vree clothing is a form of hidden armour is 20. In addition to its protective qualities, Vree heavy clothing also has several concealed pockets and grants a +4 equipment bonus to any attempts to hide Small or smaller objects on the wearer’s person.

Spoiler: Vehicles and Spacecraft

The Vree rarely walk if they do not have to do so. In fact, walking is frowned upon by the Vree and is usually ridiculed as the last resort for a Vree too poor to afford transportation. Walking is also an act of contrition, harkening back to the days in Vree history following the destruction of the first two cities on Vreetan when the survivors walked to every village on the planet to relay their shame.

Fortunately for the Vree, this behaviour is rarely necessary and walking is almost a thing of the past thanks to inexpensive, efficient mass transport in every city and base of the Conglomerate, and personal vehicles affordable enough to be owned even by initiate-level employees of any guild. As Vree technology improves, their vehicles also continue to become faster, more reliable and more widely available. With gravitic technology utilised in ground vehicles, Vree ride in safety, comfort and travel very quickly indeed.


Cargo Transport, Vree
A flying vehicle made possible by gravitic drives, the Vree Cargo Transport is not capable of moving more than a few metres off the ground but glides along on a cushion of gravity. While this technology is dependable enough to allow the Vree to create such cargo haulers, they do have to be careful regarding the weight they load onboard. An overloaded Vree cargo transport will not even lift off the ground and must be lightened or towed.


Fi’Dorna Ground Car
A luxury vehicle from a race that does not truly appreciate luxury, these are top of the line gravitic cars from Vreetan. They offer a very comfortable ride and move remarkably fast, especially for a ground vehicle. The Fi’Dorna does require some skill to drive, as its many amenities come at the expense of its handling. Even as a gravitic vehicle, the Fi’Dorna ground car is actually less manoeuvrable than many wheeled vehicles its size.


Hi’Kalan Mass Transit
Built around the same chassis as the common Vree transport, these are optimised for carrying several dozen Vree in safety and comfort around the often huge cities they live in. The Vree accept mass transit as a logical alternative to vehicle ownership; most Vree do not purchase ground cars of their own if mass transit suits their needs.


Ver’rok Mini-Saucer
A small four person saucer built using the same technologies as the Vree’s space ships, the Ver’rok is most often used as an emergency response vehicle by authorities and rescue personnel. Fast, agile and well armoured, the Ver’rok also doubles as a Vree scout car (albeit an unarmed one) during their very rare ground combats.


Ver’ai Cargo Saucer
Like the Ver’rok, the Ver’ai is intended to be a fast-response vehicle and utilises the same technologies to achieve its superior performance. While the Ver’ai’s large size and lifting capacity usually relegate it to cargo and relief supply transport its strong armour and large hold allow it to do double duty as a troop transport during ground warfare. This role requires the vehicle to carry a hardpoint for a heavy weapon, but the Ver’ai is rarely armed.

Spoiler: Space

Almost solely the area of expertise of the Vree, who learned how to harness and utilise antimatter from salvaged Minbari hulks found around the 12th Century (according to the Earth calendar), antimatter weaponry is advanced well beyond the understanding of most other races. These weapons are deadly, powerful and far more than what a normal vessel should even try to handle as standard weaponry.

Antimatter is a highly-energised substance held in retention by anti-gravitic shielding, then propelled by a number of means toward the target; which conversely, is made of matter. When the two substances collide and instantly react, the resulting chain reaction is explosive and quite satisfying to the Vree. It may leave very little behind for salvage, but the Vree do not commonly care about inferior technologies. If it was worth keeping, their antimatter armaments would not have destroyed it so utterly.

Antimatter Converter
The original source for all of the Vree’s antimatter research, the antimatter converter is an older weapon used by some Minbari warships during the last Shadow War. The weapon is a powerful atomic energy emitter that essentially breaks the bonds of matter, reverses their polarity and creates a tiny amount of antimatter which then reacts explosively. The Minbari seldom use it any longer due to its extremely short range compared to their normal armaments and because of the random and uncontrollable nature of antimatter.

When the Vree obtained several of these weapons, they miniaturised them and made them integral to many of their weapon systems. They also made much larger varieties for use in secret ‘antimatter forges’ where they create the massive supplies they use for ammunition in their numerous warships.

Antiproton Gun
While not technically an antimatter weapon, the antiproton gun serves as the basic building block for them. Antiprotons are essentially one half of true antimatter, targeting and nullifying the protons in whatever matter they touch. Projecting them via the standard antiproton gun or its rapidly firing lighter version is a simple affair of gravitic pushes and magnetic coil aiming mechanisms. The antiproton gun creates a small bundle of antiprotons from surrounding stores, wrapping it in a neutrally-charged field before hurling it toward the awaiting protons of the enemy.

Antimatter Cannon
The truest form of antimatter weapon the Vree have created, the basic cannon is little more than a turreted emitter attached to a large antimatter storage and loading chamber and protected by a number of gravitic fields. When the fields are fluctuated in a certain manner, the antimatter is fired at amazing speeds toward a target. Eventually the field surrounding the antimatter is no longer able to be sustained and the payload will be able to react accordingly upon impact.

Antimatter Shredders
One of the most frightening sights an enemy of the Vree can ever see is the neon green hailstorm of antimatter bolts that the dreaded shredder emits. Using a very large amount of antimatter, pushing it through a rapidly changing gravity ‘net’ to carve it into tiny antimatter fragments as it showers a nearby target with the deadly rain, the antimatter shredder can erode even the largest of vessels into component parts in seconds.

The antimatter shredder has only one true drawback – its massive ammunition usage. Even the largest of the shredder equipped vessels can only launch so many barrages, as the antimatter batteries of the vessel will soon be dry.

Antimatter Torpedo Launcher
The longest ranged weapon in the antimatter arsenal, the antimatter torpedo is essentially just that; a propelled shell carrying a large portion of antimatter in a gravitic warhead. The torpedo is launched towards an enemy, homing in on harder to strike vessels and impacts. The crumpling of the thin torpedo shell should deactivate the containing field, projecting the antimatter warhead deeper into the vessel so as to not waste any of it eating through outer hull layers.

Spoiler: Pak'ma'ra

Spoiler: Plasma Technology

Although not so much of an item by itself, plasma technology is the key to nearly all of the pak’ma’ra sciences. It is the core behind all of their weaponry and many of their industrial applications, showing their mastery over a centuries-old science that most other spacefaring races abandoned long ago. The creation, manipulation and utilisation of plasma is what pak’ma’ra technology revolves around.

Plasma itself is not really anything specific. It is merely a different state of matter that forces a superheated condensed gas to behave similarly to a liquid in a sterile environment. Technically speaking anything can be placed into a plasmic state but most noble gases are the easiest to manage. Some of the comparatively ‘cooler’ plasma reactions take place at several thousand degrees Celsius. Plasma contains remarkable potential energy that can be used as a power source, propellant, tool or commonly as a devastating weapon.

The pak’ma’ra are noted as having mastered plasma technology early in their industrial evolution but rather than moving on to newer sciences they remained with plasmology. They are capable of making plasma perform functions no other ‘more advanced’ race would have thought of and are somehow incapable of reproducing. Plasmic applications might be old as far as others view it but the pak’ma’ra show that it is no less useful than any laser scalpel or matter cannon.

Spoiler: General Equipment

Micro-Plasma Cutter: The use of plasma cutters in mechanical and industrial applications ranges back several centuries for many races, the pak’ma’ra included. Unlike the bulky hand-held versions, the pak’ma’ra mastery of plasmology created this unbelievably tiny version. Smaller than a common datapad stylus yet able to melt steel like butter, the micro-plasma cutter is a precision instrument commonly used by artistes and electricians to work their trade. When used as a normal tool the cutter adds a +1 equipment bonus to any relevant skill check where its miniscule precision would be beneficial (Games Master discretion). Also, with its size and utility, the micro-plasma cutter adds its bonus to any skill check for opening locks, hotwiring circuitry and similar underhanded activities.

Spoiler: Weapons Descriptions

Dual-Phase PPG: The pak’ma’ra mastery of plasma technology is second to none, as this weapon proves. A common PPG supercharges a small cluster of helium atoms into a plasma ‘bullet’ that is projected using a simple magnetic principle. With a dual-phase PPG, the cluster is created using two inert noble gases at once. This makes the plasma charge at an initially lower temperature, using the first reaction to charge the second with a single trigger pull. The result is a significantly larger plasma projectile that uses the same if not less energy as a common PPG of the same size.

Heat Grenade: Using a tiny condenser similar to that found in light plasma guns on spacecraft, this oblong and heavy ‘grenade’ draws in a few cubic metres of atmosphere and turns it into a localised plasma charge that incinerates the grenade and blasts an area with heat-energy. Unlike a common plasma grenade that actually burns the target of effect, heat grenades are designed to incapacitate – but can still be lethal if a target is standing too close. In the statistics provided in the table below are three sets of damage. The first is lethal damage inflicted to anyone within three feet or touching the grenade itself. The second number is lethal damage inflicted to anyone within 10 feet of the grenade. The finallisted damage is nonlethal damage infl icted upon anyone within 20 feet of the grenade. These damages are cumulative. Due to the need for atmosphere in order to function, heat grenades will not detonate properly in anything but a gaseous environment.

Plasmatic Stave: A throwback to the days when the tribes were instructed by leader-Librarians, this melee weapon is a technological version of the staves the tribals once used to hunt rodents with. Slightly curved at the club end, the tribal weapon was simply used to bash a target with brute force. The current variety uses a small plasma coil and internal condenser to fill the hollow cudgel with superheated gas. The plasma is forced out in miniscule amounts through pressure vents when a sufficient blow lands, both bashing and burning the target.

Spoiler: Space

Quantiplasmic Hyperspace Eroder
This weapon is essentially a fused plasma torpedo launcher that uses a very specifific element to boil, collect, charge and superheat to form its plasma munitions – Quantium-40. By using the charged element that is directly responsible for the crossing between realspace and hyperspace, the detonation of the payload rips apart the boundaries between dimensions for a split second. They come crashing back together almost instantly…causing tremendous damage to every object in a large area of space.

The fact that oftentimes there would be no remains, no souls, left behind horrifified the pak’ma’ra more than anything else into re-thinking their desire for vengeance. They had essentially created a weapon that did the Darkness’ work for it, except on a grand scale.Luckily there was not much time to ever see the prototypes become widespread. The QHE was only built on a few Pshul’shi Dreadnoughts while it was still a legal option and the Civility believes that all of them were dismantled and the information surrounding the design erased from the Great Library.

Heavy Plasma Cannon
The fi rst of the plasma weapons specifically designed to take imported gases and turn them into malleable plasma to be projected at an enemy. Helium or chromium are the most common ammunition gases due to their inherent stability, but the unexpected masters of plasma technology – the Pak’ma’ra – have learned to use methane siphoned from their toxic homeworld.

The energised core of the weapon system creates a ball of plasma to be shot at the enemy. The only drawback to this manner of attack is the sheer lack of inherent control over the shots and the serious drop in effective range with no additional propulsion other than the nature of the void and decompressing gases. Because of this, plasma cannons are Close-ranged and inaccurate but tend to be much more devastating than other weapons of their size

Plasma Stream
Having never ventured away from the technology of plasma for their fleet, the Pak’ma’ra Civility has made outstanding and unexpected breakthroughs in plasma use as a weapon. One of the most heralded in the 23rd Century was the invention of the plasma stream. As plasma reacts to outside stimuli like a liquid in most fashions, the plasma stream is a focussed torrent of plasma from directional ports on supercondensers.

Like a fire hose attached to a water plug, the ports spew thin but deadly ropes of plasma at a target. The plasma still cools rapidly, making the weapon another close ranged choice, but the pressure and continuous fire capabilities of larger vessels mean that it can muster massive damage potentials rather quickly on a target.

Fuse Plasma Torpedo Launcher
The highest level of plasma technology that the Pak’ma’ra have devised to date, the fused plasma torpedo launcher, or ‘Fuser’ as it has come to be called, is a remarkably powerful weapon capable of causing tremendous damage on several targets in close proximity to one another. Only called a ‘torpedo’ because of the shape of its casing, the Fuser is in fact a massive plasma-based explosive device that fi lls a very large area of space with an expanding cloud of hull-devouring superheated gas.

By taking a segmented shell and filling it with white-hot fusion plasma, then launching it via plasma vented rocket boosters toward a specific area of space to be detonated, the Fuser makes entire areas of space hostile for any sort of spacecraft. The Fuser is a marvel of destruction and cannot be used by any vessel smaller than Large-sized.

Fused plasma torpedo launcher systems may only fire every other round due to their slow loading times.

Pak'ma'ra Interceptor
The Pak’ma’ra are undoubtedly the most confusing species in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds at times. They often come off as dim-witted and ignorant, yet their scientists in the Civility can make plasma technology do things that even the Minbari raise eyebrows at. One of those things was the invention of the device known as the Pak’ma’ra interceptor. Designed to be a fi ghter deterrent, the interceptor belches thick strands of plasma in a tightly swirling cloud, which quickly cools and wraps around incoming fighters like a web.

What the Pak’ma’ra were not intending, but were quick to put into practice, is that cooling plasma is very dense and can potentially slow down or altogether stop incoming attacks that try to cross it. Sustained energy weapons tend to just barrel through without much of a problem but common particle or pulse weaponry is blocked time and time again by the strands.

Spoiler: Hyach

Spoiler: Space

Considered to be the true masters of laser technology, the Hyach were toying with simple beams of coherent light long before they ever decided to stretch their influence to the stars. What other races consider to be ‘advanced’ laser technology is common household knowledge for the Hyach designers. It was their mastery over lasers combined with what they learned from their allies the Abbai that eventually created the ‘harmonic laser’.

Harmonic weaponry is solely of Hyach design and they protect it jealously. It combines sound and laser energies into a single beam of cooperating wavelengths, which weaken and then shatter the molecular bonds of a target. Harmonic weaponry is marvelled at by all who have ever seen the Hyach use it, especially the Brakiri – who covet the technology with unequalled hunger.

Based on the Hyach’s ingenious sonic/laser combination technology, the harmonic laser is their primary weapon on every craft they fly in their fleets. Ranging in size and damage potential, the harmonic laser is a devastating weapon system that combines focusing crystals and resonating chambers that are energised and funnelled into a single streak of barely visible energy. The beam fractures and melts the target all at once, ripping apart the structure so the damage can reach deeper inside the target much faster.

The use of such high-frequency and power sonic energy creates a massive burst of ultrasonic noise that interrupts most short-range communications for a moment. This sound is inaudible to all but the most sensitive of ears. It is called dak’a’pe by the Pak’ma’ra (who believe it is musical in nature) meaning ‘death’s holy voice’.

There are many varieties of harmonic laser available to shipbuilders with enough clout to obtain them. Each one takes up a significant amount of room on a starship, as they use their own power and energy supplies and are unable to use common varieties. The proof of this is the ‘focussed’ harmonic laser, which is built along the spines of many larger Hyach ships, earning it the nickname of a ‘spinal laser’. So much energy and gathering apparatus is required to use this weapon effectively that only Hyach-built ships are suited to do so.

Harmonic Shields
There is not a true interception technique designed by the Younger Races that can stop or even slow down high-energy beams like lasers… save one. The Hyach, masters of laser technology, created a powerful wavelength-based shield that essentially balances the wavelengths of attacking energies. For every wavelength in the spectrum, there is an opposite wavelength that brings the two into balance – the nullification point. Through their advances in harmonic laser technology, the Hyach designed several safety measures that would cancel out laser wavelengths if experiments got out of hand or became unstable.

It was these safety measures that were then experimented on, creating a powerful shielding force that can actually cancel out a large portion of energy. It does nothing for weaponry that uses solid matter or charged particles, but with the addition of defensive turrets their threat is lessened as well. Note that the Harmonic Shield only applies its rating against Beam attacks.

Unfortunately, I could find little about Hyach technology outside of the description of their Harmonic Laser and Harmonic Shield technology in A Ship Builder's Manual. But as you can see, the League has quite a bit to offer. Also the Drazi Solar Cannon weapon was apparently built with Pak'ma'ra technology, which makes sense because it's a plasma weapon(which the Pak'ma'ra are the best at) and the Drazi specialize in particle based weaponry(the heavy particle beams earth force uses in their GOD satellites and on the Warlock are actually Drazi technology recovered from the battlefields of the Dilgar War).

 

[Harlock]

Some of it may be used but I'm mostly using B5 wars as my basis for the universe with the RPG to fill in some gaps that aren't covered elsewhere as B5W never got to the Crusade era.

As an addendum for the Yolu their big tech was molecular weapons like the evocatively named molecular ripper. Easily the best weapons of the Younger Races.

 

[Low]

Long time lurker new register. Just wanted to throw a little support and say that I wager there is multiples more than the regular commenters that are like me who have enjoyed your writing but not much for commenting but are anxiously awaiting the continuation. Personally I first read your story at the previous site and followed you over here. Read the story here sometime ago hell I think years ago now and recently came by bored to reread a great story and when I got to the end was very excited to see your resent post offering MORE. Made my day then and very much look forward to the updates.

Personally I grew up on B5 loved the story but never really liked how they treated underwrote in my opinion the humans and really love your rewrite. The human race has many faults fighting among ourselves as much as anything but at the same time that furnas of internal conflict would give us some real refined sharp out of the box edge if focused on any opponent even if when in a stacked deck.

I check regularly and await your update. Many thanks for your time.