NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This is more of a general factbook now. There's nothing secret in it, so you can take anything here as IC unless otherwise specified. You'd have to RP how you found it though, the Ghargonians are xenophobic like nobody's business, so accessing their history might be tough as would be learning about their culture.

Useful Links:

- Ghargonian Military Organisation (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6597834&postcount=80)

- Retaking the Imperium (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=6598072)

- A New Enemy Awakens (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=372557)

- The Kree (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7664760&postcount=8)

- Mating Rituals, Politics and Death (Character RP) (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=379338)

- Gorbgan IV -- Before the Throne (Character RP) (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=386016)

- Key Characters (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7835025&postcount=11)

- Imperium Naval Vessels, as of 2,083,011 G.E. (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7833071&postcount=10)

- Infantry Equipment (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7937796&postcount=20)

- Galactic Map, Details of Nearby Civilisations (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7937706&postcount=19)


Key Events in Ghargonian History

The Ghargant Imperium was a vast, interstellar empire stretching for almost 11,000 light years in diameter at its peak.

Ghargonia Prime underwent a similar process of development to Earth, albeit hundreds of millions of years earlier.

Creatures very similar to Earth’s dinosaurs were the dominant species, with mammals being small and rare. The similarities between Earth and Ghargonia Prime end here, however, as the Ghargonisaurs (collective name for the predecessors of Ghargonians) were never made extinct.

Indeed, the opposite occurred. Evolution continued.
Carnivores gained more and more intelligence, and at some point began killing their prey from a distance with ranged weapons; primitive bows, spears and slings. Various fossils demonstrate them becoming more and more upright, their tails shrinking over time, and their ‘hands’ becoming more complex, developing a third finger and a thumb. For unknown reasons, the herbivores have evolved very little, and they are now domesticated animals used by the Ghargonians for food and things like leather.



Within a matter of just a few million years, three sub-species of Ghargonians reached the humanoid form we now have.

The Ghargonians themselves were the most balanced, with intelligence and strength, and they formed tribes and clans very early on.

The Grishnaki were highly intelligent, yet lacked physical capabilities, and were obliterated by the Ghargonians before they reached a high level of technology or social structure. Had they been allowed to continue their evolution, it is highly possible that they would have become dominant over the Gerash. They may even have reached space before the Ghargonians did. Or, they could have been valuable allies or slaves for the Imperium. Unfortunately, none survived the Ghargonians' onslaught.

The Gerash were violent, with roughly 40% the average intelligence of a Ghargonian but twice the strength and reflexes. They were roughly nine human feet tall on average, but very heavily built. With their bloodlust and their keen tactical intellect (the only form of intellect that can really be attributed to them), they are natural-born warriors.



The Ghargonians began keeping historical records in 0 GE (Ghargonian Era). They record various, highly organised towns across the planet. Herbivores were captured and kept as livestock to provide a stable source of food, while the Gerash were easily brainwashed and used as expendable soldiers in clan feuds.

It was 3,218 GE when the planet was unified under a single banner, a banner which we expect to have persisted to this very day, two million years after its establishment. Although only at a level of technology comparable to that of Earth’s Middle Ages, global unity had been accomplished. The rule of the Ghargon was absolute. The Imperium was founded.

A rapid ‘Industrial Revolution’ equivalent began in 4,917 GE when various new technologies were invented such as steam power, and a fossil-fuel internal combustion engine very similar to that of the ones humans use now.
By 5,195 GE, fission power had been developed and had replaced all that which the Industrial Revolution had created. A full satellite network orbited the planet, affording the Ghargon complete, total power over the entire planet for the first time.



Eager for expansion, the Ghargon of the time implemented a plan to develop space travel, and hopefully visit one of Ghargonia Prime’s two moons to judge whether or not a colony could be established there for mining purposes.
Crude rocket ships made the journey repeatedly, and a colony was established in 5,682 GE. From then on, ion-powered ships made frequent journeys to the moons and back, and occasionally to the nearby asteroid belt.

In 6,328 GE, however, scientists revolutionised space travel with the invention of the ‘ion burst’ engine. Simply put, standard ion engines were reinforced with better super-conductors, and then overloaded. Unable to use the energy for propulsion, it was stored up and then released in one final, explosive discharge. A highly dangerous way to travel, but it afforded speeds previously unattainable, and as such, exploration increased. Sleeper ships to nearby solar systems were launched, and colonies established on the worlds they found there too.

By 7,199, the ‘phased photon drive’ had been developed, which for the first time, allowed light speed. It was reliable and cheap to construct, and a massive fleet of battleships and exploratory ships was constructed. Even civilian ships could afford to install the technology. And until 7,217, expansion proceeded undeterred.



In 7,217 however, a civilian ship was reported lost. A battleship sent to investigate was also lost. And so a fleet was launched, and they found the first enemy of the Imperium.

The Verak. Highly intelligent, as the Ghargonians, but they were mammals. This fatal flaw meant that they simply lacked the strength, the courage, the tenacity, the durability and the enthusiasm for combat. Although highly xenophobic, the Verak simply didn't have the drive necessary to defeat the Ghargonians.

The Verak had only one star system to their name, and the Imperium wanted it. Verak ships were fast but lightly armed; they were never intended for battle. The first battleship had been destroyed because it was not prepared; the fleet made no such mistake. By 7,218 the entire Verak race had been made extinct, and their system added to Imperium territories.



This process of expansion continued. Slowly but surely, the Imperium would upgrade its technology, acquire new territories, and exterminate / enslave entire civilisations.

By 2,081,811 GE the Imperium had more than 9,000 light years of territory. 45 civilisations were slowly being worked to death as slaves (mostly primitives who never even reached a stage of industrial development), and a staggering 217 civilisations had simply been exterminated. The only enemy of substance, the Dakaar Empire, was thought to have a mere 700 light years of territory, and less-than-equal technology (at the time). Faster-than-light speeds had been achieved through the use of enhanced photonic drives, and work was under way on a warp drive, which simply created an artificial singularity to allow near-instant travel anywhere in the galaxy. The Imperium was at its height.



A small group of society decided that after 2,000,000 years, the Ghargon was a stagnant leader. An intricate plan, the details of which are not even known to us, was put into motion. The crew of the GMS Venerator, the flagship of the Imperium, mutinied, and threatened bombardment of the Ghargon’s chambers if he refused to step down peacefully. However, the revolutionaries had been betrayed by an insider, and a small fleet of ships drove them away from Ghargonia Prime. 5,000 battered and demoralised revolutionaries made it out of Ghargonian space. They had been informed that the Imperium would hunt them down and make an example of them, no matter where they went.



The leader of the group decided the best course of action would be to take refuge on a distant planet, a place they would be safe for ages to come. The other side of the galaxy seemed the best course of action, almost 50,000 light years from Imperium territory. The group swore one day to return and take control of the Imperium once and for all.

After decades of searching for an appropriate planet, Earth was located. The Venerator landed, in need of extensive repairs, on what is now known as 0micronis Island -- currently a colony of the New Ghargant Imperium. Exploration of the local resources began, as metals were needed to begin building up a settlement. The industrial synthesisers on the Venerator proved useful, however, they had limits to what they could produce.



After a year, our ancestors began exploring towards the edge of the island. A small village was discovered within a week of mapping; it was primitive, wooden huts and straw beds, but it was a village. Strange, upright mammals were found there, who seemed terrified at the arrival of the Ghargonian explorers. A crowd formed, until someone shouted something in a dialect so simple the translator could not process it. Six of the explorers were taken by surprise as the mammals we now know as humans bludgeoned them to death with farming instruments. The survivor fled; luckily humans were slow in comparison.

The Elders decided the best course of action was to permanently secure the safety of 0micronis, to allow for expansion and ultimately to become powerful enough to take over the Imperium. 700 Gerash foot soldiers had been stationed aboard the Venerator when it was captured, and they were sent to exterminate that village and any other on the island. Once this was done, the shield generator of the Venerator was temporarily removed and set up to defend the settlement.

Within two years, the energy barrier which now completely surrounds 0micronis was completed, installed and activated, and has been ever since.



The fate of the Imperium was always something highly debated by the rebels on Earth. Having built their own civilisation, consisting of hundreds of millions of people crammed onto that island, many Ghargonians became complacent, thinking that they would never bother to attempt an attack on the Imperium. So once in a while, every few centuries, false sensor readings were reported by the government. Imperium ships scouting the solar system, looking for them. This reminded the people why they were here, and kept them focussed.

In the meantime, Gerash were bred from the original 700 soldiers. Some level of gene therapy was required to prevent their limited gene pool becoming a problem, but they have ultimately retained their strength, their speed, their stamina, their tactical capabilities and their stupidity.



When the time came, the rebel Ghargonians constructed a fleet in an orbiting shipyard. A fleet of Venerator-lookalikes built from various materials found throughout the solar system, including limited deposits of terralium found in the system's asteroid field. Once they were prepared, and fully crewed, the ships engaged their photonic drives in the direction of the Imperium.



When our Emperor, Gorbgan IV, landed on Ghargonia Prime (see: Retaking the Imperium (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=341775)), having encountered no resistance or transmissions anywhere in Imperium territory, he found a destroyed world. It had been dead for almost the entire 2,000 years they had been living on Earth. Only one person from the billions of Ghargonians that had once inhabited the Imperium survived. The last Ghargon of the Old Imperium.

The elderly man told Gorbgan of an Imperium in chaos. Factions forming, civil war breaking out, Ghargonian against Ghargonian, until a lethal new threat showed itself. Having grown complacent in its dominance, the Imperium was totally surprised to find an alien race which could not only match them, but completely overpower them.

The Kree.

Powerful aliens who never showed their faces or attempted communications, Kree ships appeared totally immune to Imperium weaponry. Thousands of battleships launched millions of missiles, hundreds of millions of plasma blasts, and millions of fighters against the unknowns.

And they didn't even scratch them. Every attack resulted in failure for the Imperium. Every fleet sent to engage the Kree was destroyed, scoring no kills of their own. Planet after planet, station after station, light year after light year of the Imperium disappeared under the Kree's relentless attacks. The Ghargon could only watch as an empire millions of years in the making was eaten away from the outside in a matter of weeks. And they could do nothing to stop them.

Ultimately, the Kree ships reached Ghargonia Prime. No alien race had ever managed to reach this planet. It was the heart of the most powerful empire the galaxy, if not the universe, had ever known. And they sat in orbit, laying waste to its colossal, surface-covering city. Any ships attempting to retaliate were disintegrated without a second thought, any ships attempting to flee were chased until dead. Their assault was relentless and unstoppable. And totally successful.

And then, when they were satisfied that every single Ghargonian in the galaxy had been killed, the Kree left. Behind them were empty, scarred planets. Fields of thousands of Imperium battleships drifted in space, results of the Kree's boarding tactics. Fires that burned for a thousand years raged. A once mighty empire was reduced to nothing in a matter of weeks.

Or, so the Kree thought. Handfuls of Ghargonians survived the attacks. Small settlements formed on two or three planets, but they usually failed for one reason or another. But somehow, they survived for 2,000 years. Just before the last survivor of the Ghargant Imperium died, more Ghargonians revealed themselves.

The Kree had not known about the rebels hiding on Earth. It is lucky they did not, as the humans would also have been wiped from history in a nanosecond. These fresh Ghargonians, millions of them, came expecting a fight, and found a dead empire. Our great Ghargon, Gorbgan IV, killed the aging Ghargon of the Old Imperium and secured his rightful place as Ghargon of the New Ghargant Imperium. Already, they are powerful again, with many star systems now falling under their jurisdiction and a formidable fleet based upon designs of ships which once made the entire galaxy shake with fear.



Events since the rebirth of the Imperium have proved interesting. In their search for old Imperium outposts to reclaim and rebuild, the New Imperium has stumbled upon the Kree once again (see: A New Enemy Awakens (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=372557)). The story related to them by the last Ghargon was not entirely accurate; it seemed that instead of leaving, the Kree simply went into hibernation. On planets which used to belong to the Imperium, millions of Kree awoke from their long slumber. Their ships, stored underground, once more flew through Imperium territory, and again they proved to be almost invincible.

However, two soldiers on an abandoned mining planet managed to locate what appeared to be a Kree research facility. As well as modified sonic concussion rifles for use against individual Kree, the soldiers managed to locate an 'anti-Kree gunship' that our ancestors had been working on until the Kree came for them, almost 2,000 years ago. The ship, referred to as the 'Bladeship', lacked some features but it was fully operational. The two soldiers took the Bladeship, instructed the fleet in how to adjust their own weapons to be effective against the Kree, and drove the Kree out of Imperium territory.

A captured, humanoid, Kree revealed that the Kree may have been created by the Old Imperium as unbeatable killing machines, so they could use them as weapons. The Imperium considered Ghargonians to be the superior form of life, and all other species were 'impure', and at that time they were largely correct -- they were one of the few space-faring races.

Unfortunately, implementing this philosophy into the genetic programming of the Kree -- destroy the impure -- turned out to be catastrophic. The Kree found the Ghargonians disgusting and referred to them as 'Impure', and immediately left the Imperium. They somehow found a way to leave the galaxy. When they came back, they had technology far beyond anything previously encountered. And then they made history. The captured Kree also suggested that the Kree wouldn't rest until they completed their work -- the annihilation of all life in the galaxy. Studies of this Kree, both autopsy and field observations in battle, are available here, or by scrolling down (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=7664760&postcount=8).



Ghargonian and Gerash Biology

- On average, Ghargonians are 7-8 foot tall. Gerash are typically a whopping 9 feet high. Obesity does not exist, as they eat only a few times per week. A result of their carnivorous nature.

- Ghargonians are typically at least twice as strong as the strongest human. Gerash are at least twice as strong -- and fast -- as the strongest Ghargonian. Gerash also have substantially better eyesight, and much better vision in dark conditions. They are able to focus better in weather such as wind and snow, or strong winds. Their hearing is also much better, with a wider range of frequencies.

- Although more advanced than humans technologically, Ghargonians have had millions of years to develop this technology. On average, they are only about 50 IQ points more intelligent than an average human. Gerash, on the other hand, are usually possess less than 40% of the intelligence of a Ghargonian -- they are very good at tactics and strategy on the battlefield, regardless.

- Both Ghargonians and Gerash are carnivours. Their digestive system is not suited to plant life at all. Their teeth are long (the longest tooth in their mouth is, on average, an inch -- both Ghargonians and Gerash), and they are curved back and pointed. They are suited to tearing flesh, and useless at chewing leaves. The head of a Ghargonian is very, very similar to the Deinonycus dinosaur of Earth. Gerash typically have bulkier heads, but they retain a very similar shape.

- Both species have limited temperature regulation abilities. Although they are not typical reptiles in that they don't need to lie in the sun for an hour every morning, they do prefer warm conditions. A Ghargonian may find his life in danger in temperatures less than 5 degrees Celsius. This is why all military armour is fitted with thermal controls, to allow for most conditions. An un-armoured Ghargonian would die in a short amount of time in sub-zero conditions, however. It is generally agreed that the optimal temperature for both species is 37 degrees Celsius.
Ghargonians do lose a lot of body temperature when sleeping. When they wake, a Ghargonian with no access to electronic heating systems and not on a hot planet/country must exercise for ten minutes and then bask in the sun for fifteen minutes. If there is no sun, then they must exercise for half an hour/an hour, depending on how cold it is. Once they reach a certain temperature, their bodies are able to stabilise automatically, unless it is especially cold.

- The lifespan of an average, healthy Ghargonian is roughly 200 years. Few genetic diseases remain, as Ghargonian culture dictates that flawed offspring be left to die -- Ghargonians are definitely not driven by parental instincts like most mammals. Mild genetic diseases, however, can be found in some adults. If they are capable of fighting it doesn't really matter to the parents.

- Female Ghargonians have roughly 1.5 times the strength of a male. They are typically half a foot bigger too. It is believed by some, in fact, that females used to be the dominant sex. When this changed is unknown, but their fierce temper prevents many males from provoking them -- angry females have been known to toss a male clean across a room. They are easily recognised not only by their increased size but by elegant tan-brown markings on the face and lower arms, and a fierce temper. Gerash females, on the other hand, are reletively similar to their male counterparts. They are not used as soldiers, however, due to their breeding value.

- Ghargonians have been recommended to take 7 hours of sleep per day at least, and 9 at best.

- Ghargonians only need to eat a full, meat-based meal 3-4 times per week. They do not require as much water as humanoid mammals, either, needing only roughly 4 litres per day. If they eat a whole wildercat in one sitting, they will not usually need to eat again for a whole week.

- Ghargonians and Gerash are typically more durable than most species. They have reduntant organs that can be used to supplement damaged organs automatically, if necassary.



Grishnaki Biology

According to bio-archaeologists, Grishnaki share most of the traits of Ghargonians and Gerash, being close relatives as they are.

- Grishnaki were carnivores, with all of the eating and drinking requirements of a Ghargonian. They too preferred heat over cold.

- Grishnaki possessed three-quarters of the strength of an average human, this being less than half the strength of an average Ghargonian. They were twice as intelligent as either species combined, though. Their brains were the size of a human's, but they likely used more than 40% of it for various tasks.



Ghargonian Culture

- Males and females have equal rights. Females can serve in the military if they wish. However, it is very rare for a female to join the military, as they feel superior to the males and don't see any reason to 'help them'.

- Neither male nor female Ghargonians wear many clothes. Sentient mammals throughout the galaxy feel the need to do so, but the trend never caught on with Ghargonians. They have little to hide, and their scaled skin is so resilient that protection is unnecessary. Typical clothing for either sex (reptiles don't have mammary glands, remember) is little more than a leather belt with a short cloth wraparound hanging down. Shoes are equally rare, but sometimes skin is insufficient protection. Ghargonians leaving the heated confines of Ghargonia Prime, however, wear as many clothes as possible. Cold is not a thing Ghargonians enjoy.

- Mating rituals tpically include a challenge, similar to the one used between males to prove superiority. Either sex can initiate a challenge -- if they win, their 'opponent' is impressed by their strength and will agree to mate with them. If they lose, their opponent refuses the mating request. It is this simple. Mates do not always get along, and undergo a period of familiarisation that humans would call 'dating', but typically 80% of mates remain together.

- To a Ghargonian, food is not as important as it is to some species. A typical meal will be little more than a raw leg of wildercat and a mug of water or ale.

- Ghargonians enjoy bars. 'Reekhouses', their equivalent of a public house, serve various potent ales in a very old fashioned way. Bar brawls are frequent as males attempt to prove their dominance, and they are perfectly legal.

- Unnatural deaths are not uncommon amongst Ghargonians, although they are not advised. Ghargonians live by a single code; strength is essential. Frequently males fight if they believe another to be weak, or if they believe they could do a better job. Although most don't kill when they are successful, preferring to humiliate their opponent into improving himself, sometimes it is necessary to preserve honour.

- The position of Ghargon is a demonstration of the above. He or she must be the strongest Ghargonian alive if he or she is to fulfil their duty. If another Ghargonian feels the Ghargon is not the strongest, they may challenge him. Anybody can challenge the Ghargon, though as Ghargonians are not typically power mad, they will not do so unless they believe it is the right thing to do. If they defeat the Ghargon in hand-to-hand combat, they must kill him for disgracing his people, and then they legally take his place as the strongest Ghargonian alive. If the challenger loses, the Ghargon must kill him for betraying his people. The current Ghargon, Gorbgan IV, has been challenged over 70 times.

- Music does not exist. Friendly fighting, either for practice or for show, is very common and a popular form of entertainment. Few people die from this, and those who do typically die accidentally. It is not the same as a challenge.



Ghargonian Language

- Grishnaki

The language spoken by the Grishnaki in the short period of time they existed, well before the G.E., was surprisingly universal and complicated. Although their vocal structure was not all that dissimilar to Ghargonians, their verbal language is incredibly difficult to learn. Their written language consists of a phonetic alphabet very similar to Modern Ghargonian. This language is important only to archaeologists.

- Pre-historic Ghargonian

This is the language of the Ghargonians, any time before the Ghargonian Era (G.E.) more than 2 million years previous to the current date. Pre-historic Ghargonian can include any number of regional dialects spoken before global unity.

- Ancient Ghargonian

Language changed little in the period between 0 G.E. and 1,000,000 G.E. Ancient Ghargonian saw the conversion from symbolic writing systems to a phonetic alphabet, however verbally it sounded much the same. A few regional dialects existed, but these became little more than accents in the globalisation that took place in the first 200,000 years of this period.

- Middle Ghargonian

Although someone speaking Middle Ghargonian would sound insane to someone speaking Ancient Ghargonian, the differences are slight, mostly in pronunciation. There are no regional dialects in this period (1,000,000 G.E. - 1,700,000 G.E.), and none of the symbolic systems exist any more. Writing is mostly done on computers, and original logs written in Middle Ghargonian still exist and are accessed on a regular basis for historical reference -- the written language is little changed compared to modern language, mostly because of computerisation.

- Modern Ghargonian

Ghargonian vocal and written languages from 1,700,000 G.E. to present day are considered 'Modern'. The difference to Middle Ghargonian is again mostly in pronunciation. An extremely guttural language, with various roars, growls, snarls and snorts forming entire words, Modern Ghargonian can only physically be spoken by a select few races, Ghargonians and Gerash included, humans not included. Modern Ghargonian writing, however, can be learned by anyone with a brain, eyes and fingered hands. A Braille format does not exist, because flawed offspring are left to die as soon as the flaws are found.

- Gerash

The Gerash were never intelligent enough to come up with a written language of their own, but there once was a time when a spoken language was used by their race. This was well before 0 G.E., however, when Ghargonian farmers and lords enslaved their species. Now, Gerash speak a dumbed-down version of Modern Ghargonian; although a slight accent can be detected by Ghargonians outsiders wouldn't notice much difference.

We wish to open some sort of ties with you,
Diplomatic only,
We have no urge to trade with you.

State your desires. We cannot remain in isolation forever; we shall consider them.

Emperor Gobgan IV

We wish to open Diplomatic Ties,
Concerning
1. Possible Trade
2.Territory, We do NOT and I repeat NOT plan to expand past the 1,000 light year mark in the near furture
3. We wish to open a cultrual exchange program of some sort
4. We do not wish to share out Matter-Antimatter tech so we will not ask any of your tech.

Ammended and updated.

This is strange. A warrior culture without music. We would like to introduce it to you slowly of course. And provide any extra military forces one might need against the Kree. Of course I would like to meet with Ghorbgan IV.

Pr. Herk Aumagaug

OOC: Yeah this might be an opening to be used for the thing we were planning.

The Kree problem has since been contained and this historic record will be updated momentarily; thank you for your offer, though. We now have a way of defending against them, until they adapt their ships at least.
The Ghargon is an extremely busy man, I assume you want to meet him for something other than a discussion about, what do the humans call it, 'pop music'?

General Kelrod
The Ghargant Imperium

The Kree

Extensive research into partially recovered historical archives and the corpses of killed Kree have led to some interesting discoveries regarding the Kree. Unfortunately, much of their biology still bewilders our scientists, who are having trouble identifying exactly what they are made of, and how they work.

Kree Origins

A captured Kree, before it died, suggested that the Kree were an artificial construct designed by the Ghargonians of millennia ago; this appears to be accurate. Historical archives show the progress being made in their development, the initial problems with the first batch, and then how they broke free and left the Imperium.

However, scientific research has suggested a few changes since then. The Kree appear to have enhanced their own genetic construction; examination of dead bodies reveals distinctly Ghargonian genetic engineering in parts, but nearly all their abilities have been enhanced since then. The advanced and completely alien method in which this was accomplished suggests the Kree obtained additional genetic material and abilities while in another galaxy. This combined with their technology (see below) leads most people to question what sort of lifeforms exist in other galaxies, how dangerous could they be, and did the Kree kill them all off, or leave them to ultimately find us?

The Kree's base programming, 'Destroy the Impure', now drives them on an instinctive level. Originally this view represented the Ancient Ghargonian view of other species, that they were the only pure race in the galaxy. Unfortunately, the Kree view all races as Impure, including the Ghargonians, so there is no longer anybody who can control their actions.

Kree Technology
Kree use a totally alien technology with no elements of Imperium influence. This technology was almost certainly obtained from an extra-galactic source, and is far more advanced than anything encountered in this galaxy.

Kree Capital Ships
The standard Kree ship is about 1,000 human metres long. It is a large. habitable, cone-shaped compartment surrounded by two, back-curved blade-like wings, which would form a perfect circle if connected at the front and rear.

Kree ships use dual rapid-fire energy pulse weapons, of a type previously unknown. All known shielding is completely destroyed within a few hits from these weapons, and standard super-dense terralium hull plating with thermal overlapping adaptive ceramic armour is entirely useless against them.

The Kree themselves do not seem to use shielding technologies. Nor does their hull appear to use any sort of advanced armour. Regardless of this, Kree ships have the most sophisticated defensive capabilities the Imperium has ever encountered. The hull of Kree ships is capable of resisting thousands of terrajoules of energy weapons fire, and seemingly unlimited zero-point energy warheads, without even being slightly scratched. Sensors are also reflected off this material. Various types of energy weapons have been tested to no effect. So far, regardless of power, laser weapons, plasma weapons, tachyon weapons, and assorted particle weapons have had no effect on samples of Kree hulls.

In addition, the material used to construct their ships cannot be identified. This too is likely obtained from an extra-galactic source.

Kree capital ships are highly manoeuvrable, capable of artificial singularity-based travel, and resistant to all known weapons. There are only two proven ways of destroying a Kree vessel: a collision course with a battleship while simultaneously detonating the power core, and a specific energy pulse of a specific energy frequency. This energy frequency can pass through the hull material and interfere with Kree systems. These systems ultimately overload and explode with a sufficient number of hits, destroying the ship. This frequency can be applied to basic laser-based weaponry and will be made available to any power suffering from Kree attack.

Kree Fighter

Deployed from an otherwise invisible hangar located on the underbelly of the Kree capital ship, the Kree fighter is a highly manoeuvrable, small vessel with fold-out wings and is capable of atmospheric flight. The Kree fighter is made from the same unknown material as its bigger brother, which makes it just as difficult to destroy. It also uses much lower-powered versions of the dual rapid-fire energy pulse weapons.

Kree Handheld Energy Pulse
A brown ring with an elongated energy emitter on the 'front' and an inverted grip-and-trigger on the inner-rear, the Kree handheld energy pulse appears to be of a similar type to the ship-mounted versions. Standard infantry posi-charged terralium armour with adaptive flexi-ceramic thermal underlay is wholly ineffective, though other forms of armour have not yet been tested.

The energy pulse emitted from the handheld version is not rapid-fire, but it is still as powerful, on a scaled down level. Capable of simply vaporising any material it contacts, it has a unique effect on organic material. The pulse vaporises those cells it contacts, but also initiates a chain-reaction throughout the victim's body, totally vaporising them within a few seconds. The process to achieve this is still unknown, as is the source of energy for this weapon.

Kree Biology

There are two known variants of Kree.

The standard Kree Drone appears to fill the function of the Gerash; a less intelligent but expendable soldier. Drones are roughly twice as strong as a Gerash, and instead of hands or claws, the Drone's arm is a long, deadly spike which it uses to increase its running speed, and as a weapon. Drones have roughly 50% of the intelligence of a Gerash, however, possessing only rudimentary Kree language-based communication.
Kree Drones lack eyes, but their super-sensitive senses of smell and hearing allow them to attack just as effectively, and in fact their sense of hearing allows them to navigate roughly the same way as a bat from Earth.
Kree Drones have not been encountered with any sort of weapons besides their spiked arms.

Advanced Kree are essentially humanoid, with eyes, hands and standing upright at all times. They are roughly four times as strong as a Gerash, with roughly twice the estimated intelligence of a Ghargonian, but they are less common than the Drone variant. Advanced Kree are typically armed with the handheld energy pulse weapon.
Advanced Kree appear to be capable of high levels of intelligence, learning languages quickly from just a handful of words and capable of operating completely alien computers with no apparent difficulty. Their strength and keen reflexes coupled with their energy weapons makes them deadly soldiers.

Kree in general have some characteristics that make them unusual lifeforms. Although they are essentially a new 'genre' of lifeform, they fit best into the insect category.

Kree require food to live, but not in particularly large quantities, and not very often. The primary motivation for a Kree to eat is to repair a serious injury. For example, cut off a Kree's arm, and they must eat the appropriate quantity of nutrients to be able to grow another. It is unknown how long they can survive without food, water or even air.

Scientists say they can see no reason why a Kree cannot live for an indefinite period of time, ruling out unnatural death. Repeated tests have found no age inhibiting genes or proteins which could limit their lifespan. Assuming a supply of food is nearby, and assuming they don't get shot, it is thought that a Kree could live indefinitely.

Their skin appears to be normal, if thick, 'animal hide', however it is almost as resistant as their ships hulls. It is apparently completely resistant to all forms of energy weapons, with plasma, laser and tachyon weapons being those we tried on corpses. In addition, we have found that their 'skin armour' allows a Kree to survive in extremes of climate and radiation. It is believed that a Kree could survive comfortably in temperatures between -150 degrees Celsius and +450 degrees; we are unsure as to what temperature would actually harm or kill them. Exposure to radioactive substances showed an equal resilience. As with most things about the Kree, we are unsure of what they are primarily made of.
And as with the hull of their ships, their skins' protective qualities to not appear to be dependant on the power of the weapon used, merely the type. For example, in ancient tests, a Kree survived tests against weapons ranging from a handheld plasma pistol to a full scale battleship turret.

Their immune system is phenomenal, with antibodies even attempting to dissolve medical instruments during the autopsy. Scientists are working on Kree-specific super-viruses for use in large scale warfare, but they do not believe it will be possible with current technology. No known forms of toxins or poisons seem effective either, though they are testing alternative chemicals to see the effects.

There are two known ways of killing a Kree at present.
Close-quarters combat is the most obvious; Kree skin resists projectile 'pierce' weapons, however it does not resist slashing movements such as swords, knives or hockets. In addition to this, a Kree has vulnerable bones within their body, and it is possible to break them, even if they are about 0.5 times denser than Ghargonian bones. Their neck is especially vulnerable given its length. However there are two negative aspects to this form of attack; one, the Kree, especially a Drone, is far more likely to survive such an encounter one-on-one due to their strength and extensive natural weaponry, and they appear to prefer attacking in packs. A Kree will have the advantage in unarmed close-quarters combat, even if alone.
Two; a Kree, or at least a Drone, is especially resilient. Shocktroopers in the field reported Kree being fully alert and capable of movement and thought even after being cut in half. It may take several dismemberment attempts to fully immobilise a Kree -- time which gives other Kree chance to made a swift attack.

The second way is through sound waves. All Kree, regardless of which type, appear to have a highly developed sense of hearing. Ancient research suggested that a loud, immediate burst of sound in a specific frequency would overload the Kree's sensory systems and ultimately kill them. The ideal delivery mechanism for this attack is a sonic concussion rifle, used by police to break up inappropriate rows, or to apprehend dishonourable criminals. These weapons stun most humanoid species, however on this frequency it kills a Kree almost instantly. The main drawbacks of this however are the limited (approx. 15-20 metres) effective range of the SCR, and the low refire rate. It is infinitely safer than hand-to-hand combat, however. High Command recommends that suppressive fire with conventional weaponry be used to pin the Kree down, and then troops armed with SCRs move in and finish the job.
The appropriate sound frequency, and a small supply of sonic concussion rifles/design specifications for sonic concussion rifles if necessary, will be made available to any power suffering from Kree attack.

Oh of course. Pop music is to be despised and the creators eviscerated. No I was speaking of warrior music. It might even be able to awaken something that wasn't there in your warriors before. Anyways I am going on an expedition soon so if you are interested you must respond before I leave.

Pr. Herk Aumagaug

Imperium Naval Vessels, as of 2,083,011 G.E.

- Venerator-class Battlecruiser

Based on a 2,000-year-old design, the Venerator-class Battlecruiser is the most common vessel in the Imperium Stellar Conquest Force. Previously the largest and most powerful vessel in the Old Imperium, it no longer has the advantage over newer Imperium vessels since re-discovered in Imperium archives, and is now more suited to fleet support, scout missions and patrol duties. It can still engage capital ships of lesser species. As with many Imperium vessels, the Venerator is equipped with a shift generator which allows it to enter shift-mode. The shift generator bends light and creates false sensor signals that allow a craft to stay hidden, though extremely large or low-powered vessels cannot be equipped with such a generator. Only powerful capital ship-based sensor arrays or incredibly accurate visual surveillance can reveal the presence of a shifted vessel.

Length: 1,028 metres.
Armaments: 70x type 7 plasma turrets, 10x type 17 laser turrets, 2x DU/Plasma slug anti-capship flak turrets, 6x torpedo ports.
Shielding: Standard defensive energy barrier, adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL, artificial singularity generation FTL.
Crew: 100 Officers (required), 500 techs (required, recommended 800), 1,000 troops, inc. fighter pilots (optional).
Fighter Capacity: 70 fighters w/ 10 troop transports. 2 main hangar bays.
Shift-Mode: Yes.

- Kraken-class Battleship

Using a design from Imperium archives, the New Ghargant Imperium recently commissioned the GMS Kraken, first of the Kraken-class, the most powerful class of Imperium vessel currently serving. It is also the largest in service, until the Ghargon-class begins production. Designed for maximum firepower and durability, the Kraken incorporates the latest technologies of the Imperium and using reliable components dating back thousands of years.
The Kraken is fully capable of one-on-one capital ship engagements, and so far the only Krakens lost in combat were lost against the Kree, which is seen as unavoidable by High Command.

Length: 2,050 metres.
Armaments: 300x type 5 plasma turrets, 50x type 22 laser turrets, 20x type 1 tachyon turrets, 5x DU/Plasma slug anti-capship flak turrets, 15x torpedo ports.
Shielding: Regenerative defensive energy barrier, adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL, artificial singularity generation FTL.
Crew: 150 officers (required), 300 techs (required, recommended 600), 1,200 troops, inc. fighter pilots (optional).
Fighter Capacity: 130 fighters w/ 20 troop transports. 5 main hangar bays.
Shift-Mode: Yes.

- Bladeship (Gunship)

Based on a recently-discovered experimental class of vessel, the Bladeship was originally intended as an anti-Kree gunship with weapons that would not effect normal ships. The Bladeship has been modified to incorporate conventional weaponry in addition to its anti-Kree energy pulses, a more powerful shield, adapti-ceramic overlay and a photonic jump drive and has been put into production as a standard gunship with Kree capabilities. The Bladeship is small but, using a micro-fusion generator, supports a surprising amount of firepower and shielding, with exceptional agility and sensor-scrambler pods. Ideal for law enforcement, scouting, border patrol and fleet support.
The only capital ships the Bladeship is capable of engaging alone are those of the Kree. Ordinary capital ships will make short work of the Bladeship.

Size: 190 metres.
Armaments: 2x type 17 plasma turrets, 1x torpedo launcher, dual-link energy pulse emitters (forward).
Shielding: Standard defensive energy barrier with instant frequency remodulation, adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL, artificial singularity generation FTL.
Crew: 2 officers (required), 1 tech (required only for extended missions w/out support), 5 troops (optional).
Fighter Capacity: N/A
Shift-Mode: Yes.

- Gornol-class Cruiser

The backbone of the Stellar Conquest Force, the Gornol-class is a mighty cruiser with weaponry rivalling that of even the Venerator-class. A newly re-commissioned design based on a 700-year-old vessel, the Gornol is a multi-role combat vessel which is cheap to construct and easy to deploy.

Length: 750 metres.
Armaments: 40x type 5 plasma turrets, 20x type 22 laser turrets, 5x type 1 tachyon turrets, 1x DU/Plasma slug anti-capship flak turret, 2x torpedo ports.
Shielding: Regenerative defensive energy barrier, adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL, artificial singularity generation FTL.
Crew: 90 officers (required), 200 techs (required, recommended 500), 500 troops, inc. fighter pilots (optional).
Fighter Capacity: 18 fighters w/ 2 troop transports. 1 main hangar bay.
Shift-Mode: Yes.

- Krak-class Corvette

Designed specifically to remove fighters from the equation without sending in large numbers of our own fighters, the Krak is strictly limited to anti-fighter weaponry. Advanced targeting systems allow the automated turrets to easily deal with fighters regardless of speeds.

Length: 220 metres.
Armaments: 90x type 22 laser turrets, 10x type 1 tachyon turrets.
Shielding: Standard defensive energy barrier, adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, artificial singularity generation FTL.
Crew: 50 officers (required), 100 techs (required, recommended 150), 200 troops, inc. fighter pilots (optional).
Fighter Capacity: 10 fighters. 1 main hangar bay.
Shift-Mode: No.

- Emperor-class Strike Carrier

A fast-attack strike carrier, the Emperor-class is a powerful weapon. Capable of holding its own in ship-to-ship engagements, the Emperor's real strength is its dedication to fighter contingents, currently sporting the very latest Mark 1 Shadow-class Fighters. Most of the Emperor's weapons are laser anti-fighter turrets, but the inclusion of a DU/Plasma slug flak turret makes her a remarkable carrier in that she could theoretically engage and destroy a full-blown capital ship, even without fighter support (assuming a decent attack strategy was carried out). Only a small number of Emperor-class Strike Carriers are capable of serving in the fleet at any one time due to the resources a single carrier can consume (the need to fuel 5 battleship-cores is difficult in itself).

Length: 2,500 metres.
Armaments: 300x type 22 laser turrets, 10x type 5 plasma turrets, 1x DU/Plasma slug anti-capship flak turret.
Shielding: Regenerative defensive energy barrier, adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL, artificial singularity generation FTL.
Crew: 250 officers (required), 700 techs (required, recommended 800), 3,500 troops, inc. fighter pilots (optional).
Fighter Capacity: 430 fighters w/ 120 troop transports. 10 main hangar bays, 70 insta-launch ports.
Shift-Mode: No.

- Shadow-class Fighter

Using state-of-the-art micro-ion glide drives, with rapid-thrust plates offering lateral and vertical thrust quickly and efficiently, the Shadow-class Fighter offers state-of-the-art offensive power in a small, agile package, and forms the latest in a long line of distinguished space superiority fighter craft. Equipped with a short-range photonic jump drive, the Shadow is capable of interstellar, independent missions; however it requires regular re-supply and rearmament to remain an effective combat platform. This jump drive typically aids it in escort missions.
This is the first fighter to be capable of shift-mode, however due to power limitations the shift-generator can be used for no longer than 15 minutes. Capable of atmospheric flight, at maximum speeds of 1,200kph.
Currently, the Shadow-class only serves on Emperor-class Strike Carriers, however plans state that the Shadow-class will replace all previous classes within a standard decade.

Length: 15.4 metres.
Armaments: Dual-link forward-facing messon blasters, 1x type 4 laser micro-turret, 5x missile hardpoints.
Shielding: Adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL.
Crew: 1x pilot (required), 1x co-pilot (optional).
Fighter Capacity: N/A
Shift-Mode: Yes, limited.

- Talon-class Fighter

The previous model to the Shadow-class Fighter, the Talon-class is just as deadly. The main (combat, aesthetically they are totally dissimilar) difference is the lack of an upper micro-turret, which means it only has forward weaponry. The Talon-class still makes up the bulk of the fleets' fighter contingent.
Like the Shadow-class, the Talon is designed for only short-term missions, but it is equipped with a short-range photonic jump drive. Capable of atmospheric flight, at maximum speeds of 1,200kph.

Length: 14.1 metres.
Armaments: Dual-link forward-facing messon blasters, 3x missile hardpoints.
Shielding: Adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL.
Crew: 1x pilot (required), 1x co-pilot (optional).
Fighter Capacity: N/A
Shift-Mode: No.

- Darm-class Torp-Bomber

When a capital ship is unavailable or unnecessary, the Darm-class bomber is the next best thing. It has four re-loadable, versatile torpedo launchers. Although typically armed with battleship-scale zero-point energy missiles, it is also perfectly capable of launching lower-yield terrallium-enhanced fusion warheads. In addition, it can drop a variety of explosive devices from a dropper on its underside (i.e. mines, bombs, energy blasts), ideal for atmospheric missions where torpedoes are inappropriate, such as dispersing ground units. This same dropper can also be used as a means of re-supplying entrenched ground troops.
Although not much larger than a typical fighter, the Darm-class is equipped with a low-level energy barrier. The sacrifice it makes for this is a total absence of energy weapons, which make it wholly vulnerable to attack regardless. For this reason, Darms are rarely seen without a fighter escort.
The Darm is usually deployed to attack such things as pirate bases, small and isolated enemy capital ships, and in large numbers in fleet engagements to support Ghargonian capital ships.
Capable of atmospheric flight, at maximum speeds of 900kph

Length: 30 metres.
Armaments: 4x torpedo launchers, 1x underside dropper.
Shielding: Adapti-ceramic overlay with terrallium hull plating, standard defensive energy barrier.
Propulsion: Ion glide sublight rear plating, photonic jump drive FTL.
Crew: 2x pilots (required), 3x co-pilots (optional).
Fighter Capacity: N/A
Shift-Mode: No.

- Troop Transport Shuttle

Used by most capital ships as a means of transporting multiple personnel from ship to ship, or ship to planet, a troop transport shuttle is a frequent sight in military movements. The troop transport is totally unarmed and lacks any real armour, so it is only deployed when it has sufficient cover, or if the enemy defensives have been sufficiently weakened. For example, if the troop transport is being used to board an enemy vessel, all weapons with arcs near its docking location will be destroyed or disabled beforehand.
Capable of atmospheric flight, at maximum speeds of 600kph.

Length: 34 metres.
Armaments: N/A
Shielding: Terrallium hull plating.
Propulsion: Micro-thrusters.
Crew: 2x pilots (required), 80 troops (optional).
Fighter Capacity: N/A
Shift-Mode: No.

Key Characters

Ghargon Gorbgan IV

Having challenged the previous Emperor of the 0micronis Rebels and won, Gorbgan is arguably the most successful and powerful Ghargon that has ever been. He started out entirely loyal to the leader that was, however believed him to lack the ‘drive’ to accomplish their ultimate goal of retaking the Imperium.

Once Gorbgan completed the work their ancestors had set out to achieve – retaking the Imperium – support for Gorbgan grew so much that he almost achieved a Krak-like status in Ghargonian legends. When the Kree were defeated for the first time in galactic history under his rule, he went that extra yard and achieved legendary status. He is now known to his people as ‘Gorbgan: Destroyer of Kree’.

Despite his power, Gorbgan has inner demons that prevent him from enjoying the luxuries his status offer. He constantly regrets never having found a mate to produce egglings, and is currently attempting to achieve just that with Ulsarius, daughter of General Postak.

The reason for never having had a mate until now is unclear. His first mate, Trelos, had not only betrayed him but the entire Empire. She had been using her position to sell tactical information to curious humans for a price. Gorbgan blamed himself for this, and personally ordered her execution to demonstrate his resolve.

Amid all this, Gorbgan is fascinated by humans. He sees something in them that other Ghargonians do not, and takes every opportunity he can to interact with them. An experience with humans during his childhood has led him to this fascination. Since the retaking of the Imperium and the Kree incidents, most Ghargonians have come to trust him enough to tolerate this unhealthy fascination, but General Postak resents him for this, and always has.

He is a firm but fair leader, dedicated to the ancient traditions of their people and the preservation of ‘evolution through strength’. No welfare programs exist, and he intends to maintain this. His fascination with humans continues to interfere with his decisions, however.

Ulsarius

Possibly the next mate of Ghargon Gorbgan IV, Ulsarius is a typical Ghargonian female; aggressive, impulsive, and has no particular aim in life. She drifts on her father’s fortunes and power, floating from reekhouse to reekhouse for no particular reason.

General Kelrod

General Grashnik was in direct command of the entire Stellar Conquest Force, reporting only to the Ghargon himself. During the Kree Incident, the GMS Kraken, Grashnik's personal ship, was destroyed in combat against Kree ships.

A Shocktrooper General, Kelrod had displayed extensive command abilities and held significant field experience, as well as some personal combat abilities of his own. He had been present at many important battles, both on Earth and after the Imperium had been taken. In the few short years of their assumption of control, Kelrod had directly commanded the extermination of three separate primitive species, as well as having driven off small exploratory fleets sent by the Dakaar Empire.

Combined with the fact that Gorbgan trusted him implicitly, he was promoted to assume Grashnik's place. He was immediately faced with sure defeat at the hands of the Kree, and despite the ineffectiveness of their weapons and defences Kelrod managed to strategically withdraw their forces and set up an effective defensive perimeter. He managed to hold off the Kree long enough to find a way to defeat them, and once this was accomplished his position was firmly secured.

Kelrod is a traditional Ghargonian; xenophobic, superiority complex, aggressive and confrontational. He is also career driven, and ensures his position of power is held by bending over backwards to carry out the Ghargon's will.

General Postak

General Postak is the commander of the entire Shocktrooper Corp. All individual division generals, such as General Trekkor, answer to Postak. His position of power was not earned through the traditional hierarchy; Postak viewed his predecessor as weak, and so took his place.

Postak used to have a lifelong mate who perished some years ago in a training accident. His daughter, Ulsarius, still lives, and tries his patience at every turn.

Postak is a bitter enemy of Gorbgan, possibly his only enemy. Considering Gorbgan’s past affiliation with a confirmed traitor, and knowing of his fascination with humans, Postak considers Gorbgan to be an opportunistic traitor, who covered up his own deceit by executing his mate, Trelor, all those years ago. The fact that his daughter has just submitted to a mating challenge with Gorbgan has angered him somewhat.

General Trekkor:

Previously First of the First Shocktrooper Division, General Trekkor was promoted along with his Third for not only surviving the Kree incident, but recovering a vessel that assisted in saving the Imperium Third was promoted to First, as Second had perished.

General Trekkor is highly experienced in field combat, but lacks great any significant amount of command experience. Regardless, the Ghargon saw him worthy of commanding the entire First Division from his command ship, the GMS Kranlos, a Kraken-class Imperium battleship. Frequently impatient and relying heavily on his friend, now-First of the First, Trekkor’s strategies are based mainly on intuition and improvisation.

Trekkor devoted his entire life to the Shocktrooper Corp, and lost contact with his family to such a degree that he no longer knows of their whereabouts, or even if they still live. This is a mild discomfort to him, but his duties preoccupy this.

Ever since the Kree incident, Trekkor has had a preoccupation with mammals, particularly humans. He has taken an interest in their music, particularly ‘The Planets’, by Holst.

Trekkor is currently on assignment patrolling the uncharted Imperium territories for any signs of Kree presence, along with the entire First Division and the small fleet it commands.

First Guard of the First Shocktrooper Division:

As is customary in the Shocktrooper ranks, First’s name remains a mystery even to High Command. Previously ranked Third of the First, First survived the Kree incident along with General Trekkor, who held the rank of First at that time. Upon Trekkor’s promotion, Third was made First. His new rank also included new responsibilities; reporting directly to the General, First had to receive and figure out how best to carry out their orders.

First is not a traditional military officer, in that he disdains formalities. He has insisted that his troops do not salute each time he goes near, and even joins them in local Reekhouses on shore leave, though he makes sure his superiors never find out. First is a good friend to Trekkor, and often gives him advise when he is struggling for strategy ideas in the heat of the moment.

In combat, First is a powerful warrior with a good aim, and excellent hand-to-hand abilities. Often unpredictable, First has never lost a challenge.

Captain Krais

Commander of the GMS Pentak, a Venerator-class battlecruiser, Krais is a loyal Ghargonian who sticks to military code religiously. That said, the Command Deck of the Pentak is frequently a casual place when battle is not on the horizon.

Krais is career driven, looking for opportunities to further his career. Ultimately he aims to become the Supreme General, the chief military officer who answers directly to the Ghargon and assumes direct control of the entire Imperium Stellar Conquest Force in times of emergency. Due to his dedication, he lacks a long-term mate, and sometimes regrets this absence.

Captain Grak

Interim commander of the nearly-abandoned colony on 0micronis Island, Earth. Grak is desperate to gain command of a vessel, but the Ghargon insists on leaving him on their old colony. Gorbgan insists that retaining a presence on Earth is desirable, and despite the lack of resources or strategic value 0micronis offers, it remains an Imperium holding commanded by Grak. Grak is frequently ordered to ‘mingle’ with humans, contacting them at every opportunity and required to report back his findings to the infinitely curious Ghargon afterwards.

This would be bad enough for a career-driven officer who longs for command, a boring assignment in the middle of nowhere with next-to-no military resources or chances for promotion. But it is even worse for Grak who has a deep hatred for humans. This could be the standard xenophobic tendencies of their race manifesting itself extremely, or it could be from past experiences, few know him well enough to decide. Either way, he is stranded on a planet full of humans, and has nothing to do. He is particularly angry at the Ghargon, who once promised him a ship to command but never delivered it.

Grak has seriously considered joining an interstellar mercenary group, where his impressive military talents may be more appreciated, but loyalty to the Imperium holds him back. Thus, he is stuck on Earth for the time being.

Lef, Kel, Telos and Greko

An interesting case in that these three Ghargonians are not from the breakaway rebels who fled to Earth. They are authentic, Old Imperium Ghargonians, probably related to some Ghargonians who escaped the destruction of Ghargonia Prime. According to things they said, the Old Imperium was regarded by most as a sort of interstellar 'graveyard', with some people going so far as to say that it was haunted. They stated repeatedly that the ghosts of mighty vessels could be seen patrolling the stars within those vast, dead borders.

Either way, Lef, Kel and Telos had been looting the abandoned Imperium their entire lives, using ships that had been drifting for millennia in their quest for fame and fortune.

Lef is regarded as their leader, mainly because he could kill the other two fairly easily, and is the most intelligent of the three. Kel would be next in line to the ‘throne’, while Telos is fairly stupid.

The three Ghargonians were previously wanted for piracy, and were captured by the GMS Kraken on an ECF trade starbase. The Ghargon saw fit to spare their lives, however, admiring their desire for ‘strength at all costs’. They are now wanted for theft of the prototype Bladeship.

Greko is a Gerash, so he is the dumbest of all of them. Released from the military for some reason, or more likely, ‘escaped’ from the military, Greko is a trained Gerash infantryman, yet chooses to hang around with Lef and his cohorts.

The Unified Worlds of Siesatia would be interested in opening diplomatic ties. Nothing serious, but simply an aquaintance should any of our ships meet in space.


OOC: Heh, it would be interesting, since my own Raptors are slightly vegitarian, and very peaceful.

The Ghargant Imperium would possibly be willing to accommodate such a request. State your desires and we will consider them. Bear in mind any diplomatic function would need to be held in neutral space outside both our respective empires, for at least the first time.

General Kelrod
The Ghargant Imperium

Simply an exchange of embassies, allies, and such. It is in all our best interests that unpleasentries of war or conflict because of mistaken Identity be averted with simple ship recognization programs. All our ships currently hold such a device. The best place, in our opinion, is the Human homesystem of Sol. It is declared neutral, and no country may lay claim to it. However, any other suggestions would be welcomed.
~President (Master Dragoon) Nicholas Crescent~

OOC: Just a tiny bit of information, only 10% of my population is human. 50% is Saurian, being sentient Utahraptor. The other 40% being the Burmecians. Siesatia is sometimes referred to as the 'Union of the three Races'

Sol is 50,000 lightyears from our nearest border, a wholly unacceptable distance. Reinforcements for any potential scenarios that would arise would be pointless given the travel time.

If your own territories are also 50,000 lightyears from Sol, then this suggestion will be reconsidered.


General Kelrod
The Ghargant Imperium

OOC: Gah, that one didn't work either. To hell with that...

Our own system is over twenty thousand lightyears from earth.

OOC: Link doesnt work.

After much deliberation with colleagues, I have decided to agree to the location of Sol as a meeting place.

We will send one ship, no weapons charged and with no fighters in the air. You will do the same, or our ship will immediately vacate the area with no communications whatsoever.
We will also position a small fleet of undisclosed size at 500 lightyears distance, should they be required. You may do the same if you wish; though any closer than 500 lightyears will be taken as a sign of aggression.

General Kelrod
The Ghargant Imperium

(OOC: Holy shit, this is awesome!!!!!! :eek: )

Ghargant Imperium Location and Territories

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/Map.jpg

The above map gives an overview of how large the Imperium once was, and how large it is now. The nearest and, by extension, most relevant powers have also been shown. It also shows the direction we believe the Kree came from when they first re-entered the Galaxy, prior to destroying the Old Imperium.

This map is current as of 2,083,011 G.E.

As will be explained in greater detail shortly, the Dakaar Empire and the Verlonian Dominion have been at war with each other for at least 2,000 years. When the rebels left the Imperium 2,000 years ago, the Imperium was only aware of the much nearer Dakaarans, and thought of them as the only species capable of resisting them. The extent of the territories of the Dakaar Empire were not known at the time, and they have turned out to be vaster than first thought, dwarfing the territories the New Imperium have managed to reclaim so far.

Notice how the territories of both empires are dispersed and isolated in places. Mostly, this is due to continuous attempts to seize territory of each other, or gain a foothold near the opponent's borders. The war has been at a stalemate for most of its duration.
Also notice that both empires have made moves towards Old Imperium territories, but neither have actually entered it, despite knowing that the Old Imperium has been left abandoned for some time. One theory is that they had a generational fear of the Imperium, and simply didn’t dare to enter. This theory is generally disregarded, as the Verlonians were no more aware of the Imperium than the Imperium was of them.
Another theory is that the various ‘ghost stories’ circulating the region at the time actually worried the two powers, and they refused to go into Imperium territories for superstitious reasons.
A slightly more plausible theory is that both species were aware of the Kree, and did not want to agitate them. This theory would also suggest that the Kree did not go dormant for some time after they had finished destroying the Imperium
The final theory is that both powers simply didn’t know that the Imperium no longer existed, and didn’t want to go to war with a power that could crush them both. Again, this theory requires that the Verlonians knew of the Imperium, which, according to them, they did not, at the time.
The real reasons for this may never be known, as neither side seems willing to discuss the events that took place over the last 2,000 years.

Other Major Powers in the Area

For the purposes of this particular section, a technology scale will be used. Ghargonians rank at 1.0. Greater numbers than 1.0 indicate more sophisticated technology, while the opposite is true for lower numbers. This scale is not limited to military technology, but is a general overview.

Dakaar Empire

Technology Rating: 0.9

A powerful interplanetary empire formed by a reptilian species not entirely dissimilar to Ghargonians. The Dakaar Empire shares many cultural traits with the Ghargonians, including the desire for strength and a tendency for sporadic periods of massive expansion.

Sources have learned that the Dakaarans started the war with the Verlonian Dominion, after attempting to lay claim to a system the Verlonians had already started mining. Negotiations quickly broke down, as most negotiations with Dakaarans generally do, and the Dakaarans immediately launched a full assault upon the disputed system. The Verlonians rightfully rallied to defend the system, and the situation degraded from there.

Dakaaran vessels are roughly equal in capabilities to current Imperium ships, although 2,000 years ago, Imperium ships vastly out-classed them. This level of sophistication, combined with their aggressive nature, has allowed them to survive a war against an opponent with significantly more territories and people at their disposal.

The Dakaaran Emperor used to make frequent requests to the Old Ghargon for military support in their war, and has started to do so again with the New Ghargon; however he is consistently denied such support. Imperium policy dictates that the battle be allowed to play out; once a weaker side is made apparent, the Imperium will then move in and take advantage, securing additional territories in the process. Currently, the war is a stalemate, with neither side having any significant advantage over the other.

Dakaarans are dark brown in colour, but humanoid and carnivorous, like Ghargonians. They are only 6 foot high on average, however, and only 1.3 times stronger than humans. The main distinction between Dakaarans and Ghargonians, however is that Dakaarans have no genders; each individual is capable of adopting the functions of either gender.

Verlonian Dominion

Technology Rating: 0.89

The Verlonian Dominion is a major power in this region of the galaxy, populated by a race of mammals most easily compared to humans.

Generally a peaceful entity, the Verlonians have developed extremely advanced scientific technologies, but their military technologies are lacking, somewhat.

For the past 2,000 years (approx.), the Verlonians have been at war with the Dakaar Empire, their interstellar 'equal' overall. This war was started, as mentioned, by a territory dispute. According to the Verlonians, they were quite willing to concede the disputed territories, but in doing so, gave the impression that they were weak and trying to back down. As such, the Dakaaran delegates took advantage and started demanding more territories, until negotiations collapsed. Although the Dakaarans have more advanced ships, the Verlonians have more resources and territory available to them, as well as more advanced, efficient production lines and a larger population base. Thus, the war has reached a stalemate. It takes 2 Verlonian capital ships to destroy a single Dakaar capital ship, but the Verlonians can produce replacement ships twice as fast as the Dakaarans.

The Verlonians do have expansionist policies, but their policies dictate that they avoid claiming territories from known civilisations if they can help it. Most of Verlonia’s expansion was to be to the ‘South’ of the map above; into the Forbidden Realms. They intended to quell the significant numbers of pirates and nomads roaming that area of the galaxy, and put in place some form of law and order. The war with the Dakaarans put a stop to such ideas, however.

The Verlonian Dominion is classed as a 'constitutional monarchy'; the head of state is the Dominar, however, the Dominar has limited power. The real power rests with the Verlonian Senate, the members of which are elected through democratic means.

The Dominion has recently made numerous requests of the New Imperium for technological donations in the areas of weapons and shielding, but for the same reasons as above, these requests have been consistently denied.

Smurnoffik Republic

Technology Rating: 1.9

A highly sophisticated race of amphibious reptiles, Smurnoffiks are a peaceful race of scientists, philosophers and scholars. Even though military technology cannot be taken into account because it doesn't exist, their technology rating is very high. It is believed the Smurnoffiks have a technology that allows them to travel intergalactic distances in acceptable time periods. Some also theorise that this is how the Kree found their way into another galaxy, by stealing this propulsion technology, though most people doubt it – before the Kree left the galaxy, they were using Imperium technology and as such, would have been unable to gain access to Smurnoffik territory.

The Smurnoffik Republic does not have armed forces of any kind. As such, their borders have remained totally unchanged for longer than Imperium records have existed. Although it has never been confirmed by the Smurnoffiks themselves, some think that they started travelling in space a million years before Ghargonians.

Despite their lack of military, Old Imperium attempts to conquer their race were met with utter failure, and the loss of all ships. A sophisticated energy grid completely surrounds their Republic, literally cutting ships to pieces the moment they come into contact with it, regardless of shields or armour. Ships able to phase from normal space during FTL runs are met with a weapons damping field that completely fills this 'bubble', instantly disarming any weapons and shutting down engines. The fates of these experimental ships were never known. The method of generating such a vast field of energy is unknown, but the fact that there are star systems at each major ‘point’ of their borders suggests the generators are planetary-based, possibly solar powered.
Due to their complete isolation from the outside world, little more is known about the Smurnoffiks beyond fabled reports of people seeing them at diplomatic functions once in a while. No Ghargonian vessel has ever gained access to Smurnoffik territory, either through forceful or diplomatic means.

The Smurnoffiks are total isolationists, and so far, no research has resulted in any ways of changing that. As such, they are considered a minor power, despite their technological abilities -- they hardly ever attempt to contact outside powers, let alone interact with them.

Imperium Infantry Equipment

Firearms

The Imperium is most fond of using plasma-based energy weapons. They are traditionally clumsier weapons than most, but the brutal nature of the damage they inflict suits the Ghargonian maxim perfectly. A few distinctions exist, of course, for example a projectile weapon is listed below, and sonic, laser, tachyon and messon-based weapons are all in active service somewhere along the line.

A race determined to prove their strength, Ghargonian soldiers would much rather use their bare hands to destroy their enemy but, alas, the galaxy has finally caught up with their technology, and so they now recognise the necessity of always carrying potent firearms and wearing highly durable armour into battle. Even so, many Ghargonian soldiers you see will have a sword in a sheath on their back, or blades hooked on to their armour.

The technology used in such weapons changes very little over time, but the technology has had almost 2,000,000 years to develop, which makes it highly reliable and easy to construct or repair.
Most firearms used by the Imperium require a very small nuclear power pack in addition to whatever ammo they consume. These power supplies last for hundreds of hours in combat, and for centuries if they are just left switched on but not used, however when they expire the weapon is useless until a tech dismantles it and replaces the pack. As such, all weapons deployed are always checked and recharged before any battle, though the risk of getting a 'flat battery' always looms. The lifespan of the pack in each weapon is listed for reference. Ironically, smaller weapons will typically outlast larger, more powerful weapons. This is because the power packs in all the firearms are identical; if a soldier has the know-how, if necessary he could dismantle his side-arm and use the power pack from that in his GIR100 instead. This is a complex proceedure that not many grunts are trained in, however.
It is very rare for a soldier's weapon to run flat, though, so this doesn't worry too many. You're more likely to run out of ammo than power. They have blades to fall back on in the worst-case scenario anyway.

The following are standard-issue weapons, or simply very popular:

- GIP11 Plasma pistol

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/GIP11.jpg

Weight: 2.2kg
Ammo: Type 11 Plasma Cell
Capacity: 50 rounds / 2 overcharge blasts
Effective Combat Range: 600 metres
Maximum (atmospheric) Range: 1,000 metres
Maximum (Vacuum) Range: 1.8km
Projectile Velocity: 500 metres per second
Fire Rate: N/A
Power Supply Lifespan: 500 years storage life, 950 hours combat life

Standard issue to all Ghargonian infantry and navy alike, the GIP11 is a plasma-based energy weapon, powered by a type 11 plasma cell loaded into the underside of the grip. A standard plasma cell will allow for 50 rounds before requiring a replacement. Hard-plasma bolts inflict kinetic and thermal damage on targets, with plasma burns and internal physical trauma typically being the primary causes of death.
An optional laser sight fitted to the right side of the pistol allows for more precise visual aiming, while a genetic key built into the grip causes the weapon to overload if fired by a non-Ghargonian -- this is a standard feature present in all Ghargonian weaponry with the exception of the PLS95, the hocket, and any bladed weapons that are incapable of overloading. Older weaponry may not include this feature.
Maximum effective combat range of a default-yield plasma burst is approximately 700 - 1,000 metres, depending on atmospheric conditions. In a vacuum, the range of the GIP11 is 1.8km. Recommended combat range is 600 metres. Plasma bolts begin to loose cohesion and ultimately dissipate entirely after this maximum range.
A unique function of the GIP11 is the 'overcharge' mode. Assuming the plasma cell is full, the GIP can store the equivalent of 25 rounds worth of power for a super-dense, super-heated blast of plasma, with a phenomenal impact effect. This overcharge mode can be used to penetrate heavier infantry armour, or to disable key systems on enemy vehicles. Drawbacks include a halved combat range, less accuracy and larger kickback, not to mention continuous use of overcharge shots will consume plasma cells at a rapid rate.

- GIR44 Auto-Plasma Rifle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/GIR44.jpg

Weight: 9kg
Ammo: Type 44 Plasma Cell
Capacity: 400 rounds
Effective Combat Range: 740 metres
Maximum (atmospheric) Range: 1,500 metres
Maximum (Vacuum) Range: 2.1km
Projectile Velocity: 600 metres per second
Fire Rate: 3 rounds per second
Power Supply Lifespan: 500 years storage life, 800 hours combat life

Loaded with 400-round-capacity type 44 plasma cells, the GIR44 is a powerful and versatile rapid-fire plasma rifle, capable of firing three plasma rounds per second continuously. The GIR44 is capable of increasing the stability of the hard-plasma bolts, increasing their range to 1,100 - 1,500 metres, depending on atmospheric conditions, with a range of 2.1km in a vacuum. Accuracy is less than that of the GIP11, however. Recommended combat range for the GIR44 is 740 metres.
The GIR44 weighs approximately 9kg, which makes it the lightest standard-issue rifle in Imperium history. In stress tests, however, the butt of the rifle frequently snapped when used as a club against a mass roughly as hard as a Gerash skull. The GIR44-B is currently being designed, and will have a terrallium-reinforced butt and weigh just over 12kg.
The GIR44 is the standard-issue plasma rifle issued to Ghargonian Shocktroopers and officers in the field.
The GIR44-A, a variant of the standard GIR44, has received subtle modifications. A small slanted screen mounted on the top provides zoom and targeting functions, and the entire outer surface of the rifle has been plated in gold. This variant is issued to the Gerash Guardians, and is strictly limited to defensive duties and ceremonial functions.
Plasma cells on both models are slot-loaded in to the right. Expired cells are ejected from the left. Modifications to this system can include a three-cell slot-loader; the same length as a standard plasma cell, the three-cell is three times as wide. Slot one end into the chamber. Once that cell compartment is used, the slot-loader is not ejected entirely, but shifted to the middle compartment. Once that cell is expired, it is shifted to the end compartment. This makes for three instant reloads.

- GIR100 Auto-Plasma Rifle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/GIR100.jpg

Weight: 35kg
Ammo: Type 100 Plasma Cell
Capacity: 1,000 rounds
Effective Combat Range: 740 metres
Maximum (atmospheric) Range: 1,500 metres
Maximum (Vacuum) Range: 2.1km
Projectile Velocity: 600 metres per second
Fire Rate: 3 rounds per second
Power Supply Lifespan: 500 years storage life, 700 hours combat life

Issued only to Gerash, the GIR100 is a far heavier weapon, weighing almost 35kg. This weight means it is only a practical weapon in the hands of a Gerash soldier.
Using type 100 plasma cells, the GIR100 can hold 1,000 rounds, and using its rotational three-barrel configuration can fire plasma bolts of a rate of approximately nine per second. The GIR100 uses the same emitter system as the GIR44, however, and thus shares its effective range of 1,100 - 1,500 metres, depending on atmospheric conditions, with a range of 2.1km in a vacuum. Due to the increased rate of fire, accuracy has decreased, but this increased rate of fire causes the hit percentage to remain the same in tests, so the recommended combat range of the GIR100 also remains the same.
The GIR100 is fully automatic and lacks a single-shot fire mode. Despite this, the 100 model is the standard-issue assault weapon to all Gerash Infantry.
The type 100 cell is round, and slotted behind the three rotational barrels. The type 100 cell has three ports from which to draw plasma and fuel each individual barrel.

- GIS5 Long-Range Plasma Rifle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/GIS5.jpg

Weight: 17kg
Ammo: Type 5 Plasma Cell
Capacity: 10 rounds
Effective Combat Range: 1,340 metres
Maximum (atmospheric) Range: 2,500 metres
Maximum (Vacuum) Range: 2.9km
Projectile Velocity: 1,000 metres per second
Fire Rate: N/A
Power Supply Lifespan: 500 years storage life, 300 hours combat life

The GIS5 is a relatively experimental weapon. Using a complex series of adjustable terrallium heat shields (source of the unusually high weight) to accurately project a highly-dense plasma bolt, the GIS5 is the first plasma-based weapon to remain practically effective over a range of 800 metres. Indeed, the recommended combat range of the GIS5 is 1,340 metres, a new record for plasma weaponry.
To overcome the loss of cohesion plasma bolts suffer as they travel, the type 5 plasma cell was developed. Simply, it makes a traditional hard-plasma bolt almost 20x denser than usual. As such, a plasma cell for the GIS5 is only good for ten rounds before needing to be replaced.
Targeting can be achieved via a simple holo-display in the upper scope; target assessment, infra-red and ultra-violet modes can all be accessed along with an adequate zoom function.

- PLS95 Sniper Rifle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/PLS95.jpg

Weight: 12.6kg
Ammo: .408 calibre terrallium projectile magazine
Capacity: 6 rounds
Effective Combat Range: 2,500 metres
Maximum (atmospheric) Range: N/A
Maximum (Vacuum) Range: N/A
Projectile Velocity: 1,100 metres per second
Fire Rate: N/A
Power Supply Lifespan: 600 years storage life, 1,500 hours combat life

Using an ancient manually operated rotational bolt firing mechanism, the PLS95 is the only remaining 'true' projectile weapon still in production, and will probably be succeeded by another projectile weapon. Most soldiers prefer the reliability and accuracy offered by this technology. Sniper rifles which take plasma cells are typically inaccurate, heavy and lack in range when compared.
The PLS95 incorporates a holo-display in the scope, which offers tactical information about the landscape such as wind speed, wind resistance (certain planetary atmospheres are denser than others, thus infringing on the overall range of the projectile), and ballistics information such as the estimated speed of the projectile. This information can be cancelled out if preferred; leaving just the zoom function and any additional vision modes the environmental or strategic conditions may call for. Due to the fact that the firing process itself consumes no power, the effective combat life of the internal power source is significantly increased, making it the preferred weapon so far as maintenance is concerned.
The PLS95 uses terrallium alloy projectiles, six of which are included in a slot-loadable magazine on the underside of the barrel.

- GPG55 Plasma Grenade

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/GPG55.gif

Fuse: Five seconds
Explosive Radius: 10 metres

With an internal plasma cell equivalent to the type 11, the GPG55 begins bombarding plasma with energy as soon as the pin is removed. Five seconds afterwards, the plasma explodes, causing a blast wave, a fire ball, and leaving behind a napalm-like plasma fire on the ground for some time afterwards.



Infantry Armour

Two versions of Ghargonian Shocktrooper armour exist, both of which are terrallium-based with adaptive flexi-ceramic underlay.

The most common form of combat armour is the more practical. A flexi-ceramic 'hat' protects the head and upper snout from plasma burns, while terrallium plates across the chest, back, upper and lower arms, upper and lower legs with adaptive flexi-ceramic underlay protect all vital areas from both projectile and plasma weapons. Joints are not protected, however, nor is it an all-over body suit. Terrallium boots with hinged joints can be used, but most prefer leather boots with flexi-ceramic underlay.
Terrallium plates can be painted or covered with camouflaged material if necessary, though a standard black or silver version is used by ship-board Shocktroopers.

The other form of combat armour is mostly for psychological warfare against lesser species. A large, retractable terrallium serpent head helmet completely obscures the head.
It gathers visual information through the green 'eyes', which double as cameras, and displays it on a small holo-display in front of the soldier's face. This snake helmet does not serve any tactical purpose; indeed, the terrallium is hinged in so many places to allow the helmet to be retracted that it is too weak to resist either projectile or plasma weapons. It instead is designed to scare primitives. Largely, it serves its purpose, as cave paintings show evil snake-like gods destroying their ancestors on some worlds. The only real tactical advantage offered by the snake helmet is the data display, which relays more than just videos of outside, and the fact that it is entirely air tight, with a self-contained atmosphere -- ideal for dangerous or airless environments.
Elegant silver or black terrallium armour covers the rest of the body, with standard adaptive flexi-ceramic underlay and hinged joints. This cumbersome armour is a lot heavier and less agile than standard combat armour, and as such is not deployed against enemies with equal levels of technology, or enemies who are not frightened by the imposing nature of the armour.

Elite Guardians, the Gerash of Ghargonia Prime, receive the 'snake' combat suit in silver with gold decorations around the chest and down the arms.

All armour regardless of purpose is fitted with internal thermal regulation systems. Due to the reptilian nature of Ghargonians and Gerash, it is necessary to aid their bodies when venturing into drastically different environments. For example, without combat armour, a Ghargonian's life would actually be in danger if he were attacking anywhere in Northern Europe during the winter.

Bladed Weapons

Warriors need blades for close-quarters combat. Some species are fine with small knives for such emergencies, but most Ghargonian and Gerash soldiers carry more elegant weapons into the field.

- Arm Blades

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/WristBlades.jpg

Designed to fit onto the lower arm plating of most standard combat armour currently in service, the arm blade runs from elbow to wrist along the outward side of a soldier's arm. This blade can be used for slashing motions to enemies that attempt close-range side-on attacks. The toothed part of the blade sits closest to the hand, and can be used for tearing flesh, whilst the most part of the blade is razor-sharp. The very end can be used for backwards stabbing attacks. Made from solid terrallium, the blades are almost unbreakable and will cut through most known materials.
Most Ghargonian soldiers fit these blades to their armour, one on either arm. Gerash tend not to use them, however. A small, uninspired, but totally practical and frequently useful weapon. Especially useful as a defence, for example, if a unit is attacked by a sword-wielding opponent and cannot bring their firearm to aim quickly enough.

- Ghargonian Battleblade

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/sword.jpg

An ancient, traditional weapon, the Battleblade has been present in every major battle ever fought by the Ghargonian people in recorded history. There are various personalised hilts and blades, as with all swords, but they typically take a similar look to the image provided.
A pure terrallium blade, almost 60 inches long and weighing more than three kilograms, the razor-sharp blade is a deadly weapon when wielded in close quarters. Battleblades are mostly used for challenges or ceremonial events in modern times, but 80% of the Imperium infantry, Ghargonians and Gerash alike, choose to sling a Battleblade over their back and carry it into battle -- they are surprisingly effective at despatching armoured opponents, if one can get close enough to do so. Most Ghargonians are trained in the use of a Battleblade when they are young, and blade techniques of all types are mandatory aspects of a Gerash's upbringing.

- Datchets

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Ghargonia/TwoBlades.jpg

Two dual blades, one held in each hand, used in a frantic, rapid combat style featuring quick yet small slashing movements. May also be used as throwing knives. To master the techniques of Dachet combat, one needs to have extremely fast reaction times, a lot of patience, and to be fairly supple.
Although alien armies will likely never see a Datchet in battle (at least if they did, they would never live long enough to talk about it -- frequently used as throwing knives to eliminate enemies silently from a short distance on covert missions), if the Imperium were ever to become embroiled in a civil war, soldiers settling their differences over a Datchet fight would be commonplace -- and hard to follow. Not a beautiful art form, that much is certain.

OOC: It's me, Siesatia, my account won't let me use the forums. Its being stupid lately.

IC:
We will require no such fleet on our part. Our diplomatic vessel will be unarmed, even of PDC's (Point-Defence Cannons) as they have been known to be able to be used offensively. We do not require your vessel to follow this pattern.
Our fleet at the Siesatian moonbase on Earths Moon, has been dispatched to Gaia for it's scheduled maintainence a month early for this.

OOC:

(OOC: Holy shit, this is awesome!!!!!! :eek: )

Um... thanks. It means a lot coming from someone like you, RB.

OOC:

Ha! A brave move, coming in an unarmed ship with no reinforcements to meet an armed ship with a fleet nearby. Very well; we will leave the fleet at home. Though, travelling 50,000 lightyears without weapons could potentially prove to be suicide, so you will have to forgive us for not following suit on that.
We will await co-ordinates and a date before dispatching a vessel. Until then, we look forward to encountering you.

General Kelrod
The Ghargant Imperium

IC:
Attacking an ESUS Alliance Nation's unarmed vessel is suicide. We do not fear pirates, as they will rarely if ever pray on anything but cargo vessels.
The Sol system is very safe lately, and we have faith in our Cloaking device, as it requires a very high level of Temporal Technology to detect.

I shall assume a lack of place and time to mean a decision against a diplomatic encounter. We shall try and remember who you are should we BUMP into each other, to avoid incident.

General Kelrod
The Ghargant Imperium

After reading notes on the Garghant Imperium, our own databanks have notice an unusual occurence with cave paintings and oral sagas attributed to Earth mythology.

Judging by the descriptions provided, this has made us curious. The Ghargants were found on Earth, located in a system several hundred light years away from the boundaries of the old Xenonian Protectorate. (We faced a foe of similar potency to this "Kree", although our technology was sufficient to defeat them)

The simple fact is, your ancestors are recorded as a "Species of Intrest" in our databanks, and it would be our nations pleasure to contact this same species again.

We would like to propose a meeting, for the purpose of familarity. With the goal of expanding the Xenonian Protectorate, and restoring our empire to power not dissimilar to your own goals, I am sure our people would meet again, across the space lanes. We may as well exchange embassies, data and diplomatic agreement, such as right of passage, to avoid conflict in the future.

I propose a meeting at the fringes of the center cluster of Stars in the Milkey way galaxy. Due to the fact our nation is on high alert, due to conflicts in our sector, we must accompany the diplomatic vessel with several frigates and a destroye - our enemie would love to pit two expanding empires such as ours against each other. We suggest you do the same.

Time, and exact placing don't matter to us, you may specify them as you wish.

Arkady Gregorovich, President Speaker of Xenonier.

We have examined at length the history of your empire and integrated all assembled and acquired knowledge into our databanks. We are intrigued by the complex nature and three tiered evolution of your species; and would be interested in meeting with you. We are an influential power who can compensate you and aid you greatly; if you would meet with our great Emperor.

- Val'shal
Chief Bio-Vizier, Ordo Xenos

To Arkady Gregorovich, President Speaker of Xenonier:

We have no collective memory nor historical relics of your species, so we have no knowledge of any previous encounters with you, so the pleasure is yours alone.

If you would deign to meet in the Forbidden Realms, directly south of our territories, that region is a lawless land where few powers bother going, for various unpleasant reasons. One of our Generals could meet you there, along with a similarly sized fleet. Unless you have an alternate suggestion.

General Kelrod,
The Ghargant Imperium



To Val'shal, Chief Bio-Vizier, Ordo Xenos, Chronosia:

We have heard of you. The Ghargon himself would be interested in such an encounter with you, unfortunately he is currently busy attempting to bring two neighbouring powers into a state of peace for one reason or another. In his stead, I will personally meet with you; as commander of the entire Imperium Stellar Conquest Force I command a certain degree of power myself.

General Kelrod,
The Ghargant Imperium

Then, in the stead of my Emperor, and in lieu of an ambassador, I shall meet with you. We of the Ordo Xenos, classify and identify species for our Master; and he assures us that contact with such a sentient race would be beneficial to both our nations. We are, however, curious as to the knowledge you have of us; for we are Chronosia, chosen of Chaos, and we value both power and information; and can provide both in exchange.

- Val'shal, Chief Bio Vizier, Ordo Xenos

Our knowledge of you extends only so far as having heard the name 'Chronosia' uttered by passers by; to my knowledge our species have never crossed paths. Any empire worth talking about when it is so far away that we have not yet found it is worth encountering, or at least the so says the logic of the Ghargon.

General Kelrod,
The Ghargant Imperium

Indeed. Thus; we must arrange this meeting; and quickly; for I feel that, when things are as pressing as now; they should be immediately addressed. We have much to do; are embroiled in many things; and our time is limited, and thus I must stress haste, friend.

- Val'shal, Chief Bio Vizier, Ordo Xenos

IC:
Our deepest appologies, we became enbroiled in several border skirmishes, where fellow alliance members became encroached upon. The hostilities are over, and we may be able to reschedule such an event.

OOC: Sorry, I forgot about this thread, been very busy in a number of RPs

OOC: Tag. Man, this is awesome. It should help me make a good factbook of my nation.

We can certainly comply with that. My people have no fear of lawless regions, and we would be happy to meet with you there. do you wish us to specificy a probable time for the meeting, or would you care to do so?

Arkady Gregorovich. President Speaker of Xenonier.

I have been instructed to relay this message left by the General; he is currently among the fleet he speaks of. If you wish to respond to his communication, send your message to me and I will forward it to him on the appropriate coded channels.

Lieutenant Jurgen
The Ghargant Imperium

To all parties;

We have more demands for contact than we have people capable of carrying out such contacts. Our ongoing conflict with the Kree, and our continued exploration and expansion into ancient Imperium territories has limited the number of available generals we have, and as such the number of contacts we can make. Ergo, we have worked out a compromise.

In precisely one day, a small taskforce will arrive approximately 10,000 light-years 'south' of the Imperium, in the Forbidden Realms. I am aboard the lead Kraken-class Battleship as we speak. Once there, we will temporarily 'assume' control of a pirate haven known as 'Curaco', and expel all inhabitants. Intelligence reports suggest this is a place of indulgence and ill-gotten riches, and we know how much mammals value self-indulgence. It will certainly be less spartan than anything the Imperium could offer.

Once we have annexed this planet we will signal with the co-ordinates. If you all send your parties there, we can deal with them much more efficiently than going to separate locations one after the other. It may also give you opportunities to contact each other at the same time. Unless anyone has a problem with this idea, we will proceed on schedule.

General Kelrod
Aboard the GMS Gargantua
The Ghargant Imperium

We have just received word that the location has been secured. When ready, you may take your representatives to these co-ordinates (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8106076#post8106076).

Lieutenant Jurgen
The Ghargant Imperium

Your terms are perfectly acceptable by me. We will gather the representatives right away.

Arkady Gregorovich, President Speaker of Xenonier.

Our representatives shall be there momentarily.