NationStates Jolt Archive

A Brief History of Planet Studium and the Xithis

Studium, like a giant gold coin floating in space, was a desert world. Its sandy surface was scorched by the heat of a main sequence F-type star. The star, known locally as Studii, possessed six times the luminosity of Sol, was almost 1,500 K warmer than Sol, and nearly twice as dense. Its bright blue light was deadly to Earthly life. Which was fortunate, as Earth was nowhere nearby.

The surface of the planet Studium was largely featureless, though some plants managed to grow away from the equator. The only sources of water were deep beneath the ground, which meant that the blue plants here had evolved with massive roots that tangled their way deep into the planet's crust. The roots of even a small plant were extremely thick and powerful, to allow them to suck water and nutrients up from below the ground as well as survive any movements of the ground. Their roots were so long and powerful that they gave off large quantities of oxygen, requiring the plant above to draw in vast amounts of carbon dioxide. The result was that any underground caverns possessed just as much air as the thin atmosphere of the surface. Combined with the presence of water so far down, this gave birth to life below ground. Fungus was always one of the most prevalent forms of life below ground, and most species of Studii fungus used chemical reactions to give off surprisingly powerful amounts of light. This allowed other forms of life to exist down there.

Insects were the dominant form of life from an early point on. Burrowing through the ground and using lesser forms of life, including the fungi, as their food, one particular species of insect had developed an advanced civilisation over millions of years of undisturbed evolution. The Xithis.

They looked similar to ants on Earth, though they were much larger and more intelligent. Their bodies were bent into an L-shape, with their front half now perfectly upright. In this upright form, they were roughly one half to two thirds of the height of an average human. Their front legs had evolved into arms, with three-pronged hands on the ends. Their other four legs remained on their bottom, horizontal half, providing them with the ability to move around very quickly. The creatures had evolved this way as their ancient ancestors made increasing use of large tools, primarily built out of heavy roots, which were far too heavy to lift with their mouths alone.

This simple adjustment to a traditional insect body allowed them access to whole new ways of life. These social, hive-like creatures also began to develop languages early on to help them work with other Xithis more efficiently, and the evolution of 'hands' allowed them to put this language onto paper -- or at least, an approximation of paper made from roots. As the various hives of the planet grew so large that they merged into a single, unitary hive with multiple queens, language was universal from an early point in their history. Their heads were also quite large, and shaped somewhat like a cross between a triangle and a hammerhead, with their mouths at the bottom corner. These large heads housed their highly intelligent brains, which had evolved to such a size naturally to accommodate their new abilities. As their intelligence grew they became self-aware, and started to move away from the 'hive' mentality and towards individuality. Their biological need for a queen remained, of course, and formed a central pillar of their emerging culture.

With the emergence of individuality came a new curiosity of the world around them. Where previously they only sought to grow, survive, and serve their queen, they began to want to explore and learn about their surroundings. Their efficient minds precluded the idea of religion, instead focusing entirely on scientific observation. Free from war, religious intolerance and greed, the Xithis quickly expanded into all fields of science, driven purely by the desire to learn. Within a matter of hundreds of years, their simple underground caverns and nests became sophisticated towns and cities, with all the accommodations and amenities they required. It took them only a few hundred more years to develop powerful energy sources, master the art of metalworking, and even harness the power of the atom.

Despite being peaceful, the Xithis developed advanced weaponry primarily to deal with some of the enormous wildlife that existed below the surface of the planet. Like ants, Xithis were much stronger than they appeared, and working in unison as they often did they were generally capable of defending themselves from any threat. But as they advanced their technology and developed individuality, they saw no need to risk lives in battles against predators, so they quickly employed powerful weapons. Simple rock-hurlers were short-lived, replaced by projectile weapons that used explosive powers to fire chunks of rock or metal. As their technology advanced, these projectile weapons became highly sophisticated, and it was not uncommon to see larger versions mounted on turrets to defend cities. As soon as their advanced power systems developed, these projectile weapons were replaced with exotic particle accelerator cannons and other sophisticated weapons. Believe it or not, some of the predators living beneath the surface do indeed require weapons of such size and power to dispatch.

Pollution quickly became a concern, as one would imagine in an underground environment, so these advanced power generation technologies came swiftly to them. Unhindered by corporations and their greed, the transition from fossil fuels was quite smooth. Nuclear power was used briefly, though disposing of the waste became a severe problem early on. Delving into the realms of quantum phsyics, the Xithis discovered and made use of zero-point energy, which is still used today on their spaceships. Their homeworld, however, now makes use of a massive system of solar power satellites and a series of highly efficient super-conductors.

Xithis, of course, eventually burrowed upwards and discovered the surface world, establishing permanent shafts which were later replaced with speedy elevators. The discovery of what was on the other end of those roots that had sustained their species for millions of years was of great cultural significance, and they took great pleasure in studying the unusual blue plant life. But the barren surface of Studium quickly exhausted its knowledge, and the Xithis looked upwards to the stars.

Modern-day Studium is still a desolate desert world for all intents and purposes, but now it is constantly orbited by countless numbers of highly advanced spaceships, space stations, drydocks, satellites and orbital defences. Large space vessels regularly leave the system to visit their various large-scale mining operations in neighbouring systems, and to explore systems they have not yet visited.

About the Xithis

The Xithis are a very large species of insect native to the planet Studium, similar in many ways to ants on Earth. Although preyed upon by several large predators on the planet, they are considered to be the dominant form of life on Studium. Xithis are highly social creatures, enjoying the community and safety of their hive and having a strong affinity for all fellow members of their species, even those from other hives. This is thought to be the primary reason why all of the hives on Studium united into the Xithis Combine at an early point in their written history. They have developed a complex and highly sophisticated form of communication which involves four senses, as well as written language which primarily uses pictographs.



Reproduction

Like ants, the vast majority of Xithis are male 'citizens', whilst there are comparatively few female 'Queens' and 'Princesses'. The Queen of each hive lays thousands of eggs each month, which are cared for by younger male Xithis. Eggs which remain unfertilised will become male Xithis, and conversely eggs which are fertilised become female Xithis.

Upon hatching, Xithis are essentially helpless, as they are nothing more than small larvae. Lacking arms and legs, and even basic senses, Xithis hatchlings require constant supervision and care. Brooding chambers hold tens of thousands of larval Xithis at a time, and many young males can be seen scurrying around the chambers tending to their brothers. Brooding chambers are colossal structures, which are considered to be primary installations of any city and are usually positioned right next to the Queen's Palace. Unlike primitive brooding chambers of the past, these structures are highly advanced, with nursing facilities, educational facilities, atmospheric regulation systems, defensive systems, as well as entertainment facilities for Xithis children.

Xithis remain as larva for just under a solar year, at which time they are taken to the upper tiers of the brooding chambers and allowed to form cocoons. During this stage the Xithis develop more advanced bodies and brains, and their development can be slightly influenced by the temperature at which the cocoons are kept -- for example, cocoons stored in warmer temperatures will often yield tougher Xithis, whilst cocoons stored in damper conditions will yield more intelligent Xithis. The differences between the various 'castes' are minor, however, and most cocoons are stored in balanced environments unless there is a severe need for a certain strength in a particular hive. The cocoons are placed under heavy guard for the duration of the process, given their total vulnerability.

Upon emerging from the cocoon, the Xithis 'child' is immediately put into a program of basic education, which teaches them language, basic history, basic physics, maths, and law. The basic education process lasts for five years, and for the duration of their education the Xithis are considered 'children', and not permitted to leave their brooding chambers without permission or escort. All Xithis children are expected to tend to their younger brothers, which helps ensure that the larvae always have someone attending to them.

Upon the successful completion of their basic education five years after emerging from their cocoons, Xithis are considered 'adults' and permitted to leave their brooding chambers for the first time. At this point they are expected to choose specialist education as they decide what path they wish to take in life. They can always re-specialise later on if they wish, but they must undertake at least one specialist education course. These courses usually last five years, though some last longer than others (soldier courses last only a year, whilst quantum mechanics courses last more than six years). Upon completion of their desired specialisation course, Xithis are assigned a position within their field of expertise, and their development is completed.

Female Xithis undergo a somewhat different development process. Like males, they emerge from their eggs as larvae, but they are not kept in brooding chambers. Instead they are cared for within the Queen's Palace, usually by their own mother and a selection of hand-picked male carers. Upon emerging from their cocoons, females are taught a variety of subjects in a 15 year long education program. Far from being simple egg laying machines, female Xithis are the rulers of their respective hives, and are expected to be highly educated on a variety of subjects. Upon maturity, they mate with a selected male and then replace their mother as Queen of the hive, and begin to lay their own eggs. Given the considerable lifespan of the Xithis, new Queens are actually quite rare occurrences.

The term 'Prime Queen' does not refer to a biological function, but rather a political entity.



Physiology

Xithis are unlike mammals in that they do not have lungs -- oxygen is drawn into their bodies through tiny pores, and carbon dioxide is then expelled through these same pores. If necessary these pores can be sealed, and the Xithis can survive underwater or in a vacuum for up to twenty minutes. It is because of this unusual respiratory system that the Xithis language is so different from other languages in the universe - they lack the ability to draw breath in the traditional sense, and they have no vocal cords. They also do not have a heart, instead making use of an open circulatory system. Like many insects they have an exoskeleton, which for an insect of their substantial size affords them a great deal of natural protection against many types of possible damage. They are capable of withstanding much greater extremes of heat and cold than many species. It has been known for a fully-grown Xithis male to lift objects up to ten times their own body weight, and they are capable of running up to forty kilometres per hour for short periods of time.

Xithis' bodies are divided into three main sections. Their abdomen is their rear-most section, which is about three feet long and remains in a horizontal position. Their thorax has evolved to stand upright, forming an uncomfortable-looking bend in the middle of their bodies. Their head, the final section, sits on top of their thorax. This unusual body gives them a distinctive 'L' shape, and allows them to essentially stand upright like most intelligent species. Technically Xithis have six legs. Two of these legs are on their thorax, and have become 'arms' with three opposable 'fingers' on the ends. Their other four legs are on their abdomen. Each of these four legs has a small spike on the end, allowing them to climb up softer surfaces such as the walls of their underground caverns. Their vertical thorax gives them an average height of four to five feet, and a similar length. If necessary they can lower their thorax and use their 'arms' to increase their running speed, though this is considered 'undesirable'.

Their head, perched on top of their upright thorax, has two small antennae which help them to 'hear' by detecting vibrations in the air. Just below those, on their 'face', Xithis have complicated and highly sensitive compound eyes. Their head is also home to a pair of small, highly sensitive smell receptors, which amongst other things aid them in communication. Their mouths contain sharp, pincer-like teeth, which are more suited to consuming the various massive roots that grow in their underground environment than anything else, as well as a pair of powerful mandibles. While the bulk of their brain is located in the head, much of their nervous system functions as a decentralised brain, meaning that small amounts of cognitive activity can occur throughout their bodies. Due to the significant differences in brain structure compared to most species, Xithis are entirely immune to telepathy and other psi-based abilities.

Their extremely complicated eyes are made up of more than 100,000 appositive ommatidium and they are unique in that they are capable of detecting hyper-spectral colour, as well as possessing trinocular vision. They are capable of seeing the complete visible light spectrum, the ultraviolet spectrum and the infrared spectrum. The evolutionary reasons for this are fairly simple and still valid to this day - although their natural habitat has numerous biological sources of light, there are just as many dark areas. Being able to navigate without reliance on visible light is paramount, and detecting predators in the dark is aided greatly by being able to see into the infrared spectrum. And as certain creatures of the underground caverns of Studium are known to give off mild amounts of ultra-violet radiation, the necessity for detecting hyper-spectral colour becomes clear.

Xithis do not normally have wings; however a recessive gene sometimes surfaces on rare occasions that allow a lucky few to gain permanent wings. Despite actually being a redundant gene from a previous era, these winged Xithis are often regarded as an example of evolution in motion, and considered to be 'royalty'.

Xithis males on average live for 60 to 80 years, whilst Queens can live for up to 300 years. Most Xithis are coloured black, though about 30% of the population are brown. The black Xithis have particularly glossy exoskeletons, which female Xithis often find more appealing. However, studies have shown that brown Xithis on average live 10% longer than black Xithis.



Language

Xithis have a complex and advanced language which requires the use of four different senses to use and understand which is referred to as Xithisi. Translating it into English, or indeed any other language, is made extremely difficult as a result of this. This unusual language developed primarily because of their respiratory system, which does not require them to breathe through their mouths in a fashion similar to most mammals and reptiles. Early Xithis communicated entirely with pheromones and body language, but as Xithis language evolved they also began using their inner pincers and outer mandibles to generate clicking sounds, which allowed for much more complicated form of communication, a necessity for any modern civilisation. At a certain point in the evolution of Xithisi the ‘vocal’ portion of the language – the clicking noises made with their mouths – became the predominant portion. However, the limited number of noises they are capable of making with their pincers and mandibles means that understanding the other lingual inputs (smell, sight and touch) is a requirement to fully comprehending Xithisi.

The primary aspect of their language is vocal. A chitinous chatter is generated at a very high tempo with their inner pincers and outer mandibles, which even the most experienced linguist would have trouble tracking. Volume, speed and tone all have an impact on the meaning of each word, and different combinations of clicks can mean entirely different things. It is the spoken aspect of their language which can be translated most easily into other languages. However, translating the spoken aspect alone will rarely allow for sufficient levels of communication without experiencing severe inaccuracies and misunderstandings.

The secondary aspect of Xithisi is pheromones. Complementing their verbal language, pheromones are used to add context and emotion to their communication, which are often vital for understanding. The small smell receptors on their heads are required to sufficiently detect and comprehend their pheromones -- indeed, the loss of these receptors in an accident or illness of some kind is considered a severe disability, almost on a par with deafness in human cultures. This aspect of their language is particularly useful in scenarios when other methods of communication are impractical. For example, Xithis under attack can quickly signal all nearby Xithis for help when they instinctively emit a particular pheromone. This form of communication has extended range, cannot be blocked, and cannot be detected by other species.

The tertiary aspect of Xithisi is visual. Xithis eyes are particularly acute at seeing movement, and thus a series of body gestures are used as a vital part of communication. This is the only other aspect of Xithisi which can really be translated successfully, as it is quite similar to human sign language in some ways, however unlike sign language it is required that both the gestures and speech are used at once.

The least important aspect of Xithisi, and one which is slowly starting to fall from common use, is touch. Lightly stomping their feet on the ground to communicate with vibrations in the ground, and occasionally touching other Xithis in particular ways, are the main ways of communicating in this fashion. Xithis scholars believe that this aspect of Xithisi is now redundant, however, and it is only used in more formal conversation. It does still serve a purpose in some ways, for example in expressing emotions such as anger, love and intimacy on an informal level.

With the emergence of primitive telecommunications technology, a 'dumbed down' version of Xithisi was taught to a few select Xithis, which relied primarily on audio and visual inputs. This version, dubbed 'Xithisi Basic', could only be used to communicate extremely simple messages and was typically only used for emergencies, or as a precursor to formal, face-to-face communications. With the advent of modern, sophisticated communications systems which use artificial pheromones and advanced chemical analysers to simulate real pheromones, Xithisi Basic dropped quite quickly from general usage. However, with the discovery of aliens using 'less sophisticated' (as they call it) forms of communication, Xithisi Basic has seen something of a revival amongst military and political Xithis - it is a form of their language much easier to translate into alien languages, even if it is much more simplistic than their preferred language.

There is no Xithisi alphabet in the traditional sense. Instead a series of hundreds of thousands of pictographs represent different words, though the written language is considered 'inferior' because it only has one input, making it much less accurate - which is one reason why complex computational functions can be achieved on Xithis computers using single words, as anything more complicated would not be easy to understand.

Numbers are achieved with simple strikes, much like Roman numerals. Spoken numbers are entirely vocal. For example, the number two is expressed with two clicks roughly half a second apart. Tens are expressed with a single click, followed by a two second pause, and the followed by the units, and so on. Larger numbers are more easily written down than spoken, as numbers running into millions can take quite some time to communicate verbally.

(( OOC: For the record, certain unique terms and nouns which cannot be translated will be given arbitrary alphabetic words for the sake of RP. For example, the name of an individual Xithis, such as Prime Queen Rithix, does not have any actual relevance to her actual designation in Xithisi nor is it a direct translation of that designation. Simply put, certain Xithis words or concepts cannot be translated into human languages or concepts, and while this will be apparent to characters themselves, for the sake of players I will make up things like names. ))



Society

Xithis society is an ordered, communal place. Despite being individuals, they retain much of their 'hive mind' mentality. The most obvious indicator of this is their economy, which according to human terms would best match communism. When Xithis need something, they are given it, and they all work towards the common good. Farmer Xithis, for example, deposit all their harvest in centralised granaries. Scientists make their research available freely to any Xithis who wish to read it or even use it themselves. Houses are allocated to Xithis as soon as they leave their brooding chambers, and they are allowed of course to move to different cities if they wish, where they will also be allocated housing. Even technology is distributed evenly, on an opt-out basis. Indeed, there is no real form of currency on Studium.

Working is highly important, then. A Xithis without function often suffers from extreme depression and can suffer physical symptoms and even death if it is prolonged. They feel as though they are letting down their hive and more importantly, their Queen. Without a function, they feel particularly useless and begin to contemplate their purpose in living at all. 'Unemployment' is kept extremely low, then, as all Xithis are allocated work in their desired field upon leaving their specialised education program, and if work cannot be found for them within one hive, then they will be given the opportunity to be allocated temporarily to another hive. Most Xithis work in the manufacturing and agricultural industries, as they have an instinctive drive to build and harvest. Scientists are also popular.

An individual Xithis can have tens of thousands of brothers, younger and older, and so it is hard to keep track of who you are related to. This is possibly the reason why they have a sense of brotherhood with the rest of their species, and is also probably why infighting is rare. Any attack launched on one Xithis will incur the wrath of thousands of nearby individuals, rallying to the aid of what could well be their brother. Of course the nature of their reproduction prevents the idea of 'nuclear families', but all Xithis love their Queens and each other. Bear in mind that disrespecting a Queen is the same as disrespecting one's mother, and could well cause offence.

Entertainment is limited. Many Xithis enjoy reading and often experiment with the sciences in what little spare time they have, regardless of their primary duties. Holographic simulations provide mostly cognitive activities designed to stimulate thinking. A few old-fashioned, logic and math based games exist, and are enjoyed by varying numbers of people. Simply being around other Xithis is usually enough to keep them happy, however. Xithis enjoy the mathematical implications of music, although their version of music would likely horrify most people. They also have an appreciation for aesthetics, though as can be seen in the design of their space ships, it is quite unusual.

Unlike many species, however, Xithis do not have any particular interest in history aside from important documents and scientific research. No museums exist, and although a handful of devoted scientists keep records and artifacts, few have any concern over it. Xithis are more concerned with where they are going than where they have been.



Where do they live?

The Studii system is populated by five rocky planets and three gas giants, with two asteroid belts and a large nebular roughly 112 A.U.s from the star.

Studii itself is a main sequence FV type star, with a total surface temperature of 7,280 K and a luminosity rating of '6' compared to Sol. The star is 1.6 times denser than Sol, with an appropriate increase in gravitational forces. Studii glows with a very light shade of blue, verging on white. Along with its solar system, Studii orbits the centre of the Milky Way galaxy at a distance of roughly 20,000 to 25,000 lightyears, completing one revolution every 220 million years. Studii is approximately 7 billion years old, and estimates suggest that it has another 2 billion years left as a main sequence star. At this point the star will have essentially consumed its entire hydrogen fuel and expanded into a helium-fueld red giant. The possibility of the star going supernova at the end of its life is considered to be moderate, due to its density.

Studii I is an iron-rich planet roughly 0.3 A.U. from the Studii star, approximately the same size of Earth but lacking an atmosphere. Its surface temperature can reach up to 520 degrees Celsius during the day and -400 degrees Celsius during the night. The surface is unremarkable, with no features aside from craters and no volcanic activity.

Studii II is roughly 0.6 A.U. from the Studii star, and it also lacks an atmosphere, however it appears to have once supported an ancient and advanced civilisation. Dried up rivers and oceans cover the surface and ancient ruined cities are filled with technology that the Xithis are still getting to grips with. Fossil records indicate an insect race not unlike the Xithis; however they possessed a much greater ability to resist extreme temperatures. An unknown cataclysm rendered the planet uninhabitable at least three million years ago, however, and much of the surface has been pockmarked by craters since. There is little metal that can be mined practically, possibly due to extensive mining operations of the previous residents. It does, however, have enormous quantities of oil buried deep beneath its surface, which form a vital source of carbon for the Xithis.

After Studii II is a small asteroid belt, merely a few thousand kilometres in diameter. Several large-scale Xithis mining operations take place here, as many of the asteroids contain valuable heavy elements. It seems possible that this asteroid field is the remains of a failed planet due to the presence of these metals, and the overall volume of the field would be sufficient to form a planet.

Studii III, or Studium, is the homeworld of the Xithis. Located 1.4 A.U. from the Studii star, it has a thin oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere (roughly 30% thinner than Earth's atmosphere), containing approximately 62% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 13% carbon dioxide, with the remaining 4% being trace gases. A full rotation around the Studii star takes 423 standard days, and a day lasts 28 standard hours. Its average surface temperature is 64 degrees Celsius. With Earth being rated at 1.0, Studium has a density of 1.2 and a diameter of 1.13. No oceans exist on the surface; however vast quantities of water can be found underground, which spawn various forms of life. Aside from a few unusual plants, Studium does not appear to be of any interest to the casual observer.

Studii IV is a small rocky world 2.8 A.U. from the Studii star and roughly 52% smaller than Earth. It has a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere and does not support life. It does offer large quantities of various forms of metal including vast quantities of iron, titanium, niobium and copper in particular. Its average surface temperature is -32 degrees Celsius, and generally remains quite chilled 24/7.

Studii V is a particularly large rocky world, almost four times larger than Earth. Its density is very high due to large quantities of iron. It has a very thick atmosphere, delivering almost two hundred times the pressure of Earth's atmosphere, and is made up primarily (97%) of carbon dioxide. This keeps the surface temperature above freezing despite its distance from the star. As well as being a useful source of iron, Studii V also has large deposits of aluminium.

After Studii V is a second asteroid belt, roughly 29 A.U. from the Studii star and twice as large as the first. Most asteroids in this belt are simple rocks, along with ice boulders. Little mining takes place here.

Studii VI is 35 A.U. from the Studii star, and is a gas giant roughly 34% larger than Jupiter. Its enormous gravity well is a hazard to any ships travelling with conventional engines, and it is considered to be the primary reason for the destruction of the planet which now constitutes the second asteroid belt. Studii VI is a useful source of helium and hydrogen gas, and automated Xithis gas miners using specially modified negative mass drives can often be seen trawling its atmosphere.

Studii VII is a small gas giant that lies 52 A.U. from the Studii star, and is roughly 82% of the size of Uranus. Its distinct blue colour is a result of the prominent methane in its upper atmosphere, and it is also a good source of ammonia and other gases.

Studii VIII is a medium-sized gas giant roughly the size of Neptune, positioned 83 A.U. from the Studii star. Its primary gases consist of hydrogen and oxygen, though intrusive sensor scans have revealed the presence of carbon, which suggests that life could possibly exist within it. The rocky rings which orbit the planet are often mined for their iron.

The Fentarus Nebula sits 112 A.U. from the Studii star, and is clearly visible from anywhere in the star system as a bluish/pinkish cloud of dust. Its distinctive glow is a result of residual plasma and ionized gas accumulating within it. It is thought to be the remains of the formation of the Studii system, and there is little of value within it.

Politics

The political situation of Studium is complicated and somewhat unusual, as it is primarily based around their biological functions and society.



Local Government

The Xithis Combine is made up of hundreds of thousands of hives, each of which is ruled by a single Xithis Queen. The Queen of the hive is determined arbitrarily; quite simply, the oldest mature female in the hive capable of mating becomes Queen. The Queen's daughters reside with her in her palace, helping her with governmental functions and other duties along with a selection of hand-picked males. The Queen continues to serve as ruler until she either dies, grows too old to continue mating, or steps down willingly. At this point, her oldest daughter begins mating and becomes the Queen of the hive, unless there are special circumstances. Each hive retains sovereignty in local matters, only following the will of the national government in national matters.



Legislative Bodies

Although some Queens prefer to preside over all of the governance issues within her hive, the vast majority of local rulers rely on the assistance of a unicameral Local Council to help with most day to day legislative functions.

A Local Council is made up of democratically elected Councillors, voted into power by the males in the hive every three to five years. The length of the term varies from hive to hive, and the number of Councillors is determined by each hive's population and/or territorial holdings. Each Local Council has a Grand Councillor, who is chosen by the Hive Queen as the individual most likely to inspire loyalty in his fellow Councillors. Although the Councillors are democratically elected, the Queen has to approve each one of them before they can begin their service.



Procedure

Local laws are decided on by each hive's local government, and they are referred to Royal Acts. Anybody can propose a Royal Act to the Hive Queen or the Local Government, but it must go through the same procedure as any other.

Royal Acts are first debated and amended as necessary by the Local Council, who then vote on whether it should be passed or not. The Grand Councillor is the head of the Local Council, and reports directly to the Queen with the results of each vote, positive or negative.

The Queen has final say on all things - if a Royal Act has been voted out of the Local Council she can still enact it, and if a Royal Act has been approved by the Local Council she can reject it. Normally however the Queen will go with the decision of the Local Council, unless it is a matter she feels particularly strongly about.



National Government

The national government of the Xithis Combine is a bicameral institution with a cabinet, two parliaments and a head of state. It presides over all national matters such as defence, pollution, global infrastructure and national law to name but a few. The official name for it is the 'Xithix Combine National Governing Body'.


Head of State

The head of state of the Xithis Combine is called the Prime Queen, currently Prime Queen Rithix. The Prime Queen is chosen from all of the Queens on the planet by democratic vote, a vote which males are allowed to take part in as well as females. The Prime Queen is a political position, not a biological one, and she serves as head of state for five cycles, and once this time period expires she can either be re-elected or replaced by another Queen. A male cannot occupy the position, and only females who are the Queens of their respective hives can qualify.

If during her term the Prime Queen loses control of her own hive - either because she is no longer capable of breeding or because she has voluntarily stepped down - then she automatically loses her Prime Queen title and an emergency nation-wide vote must be called to determine her successor.

The Prime Queen has supreme control of the Xithis Combine, capable of overruling both the executive and legislative bodies of the national government.



Legislative Bodies

The Common Assembly is one half of the bicameral parliament system, overseen by the Premier and the Grand Council. The Common Assembly is made up of 3,495 seats, which each represent each district of Studium and its colonies. Many centuries ago the Common Assembly seats each represented a hive, but the number of hives in Studium changed frequently - usually going up - and eventually there were so many that practical governance became impossible. The Common Assembly is a male-only parliament, with each seat being occupied according to a local election at the district level. It is considered to be the lower assembly, beneath the Royal Assembly in rank.

The Royal Assembly is the female-dominated half of the bicameral parliament system, overseen by the Prime Queen. There are also 3,495 seats here, each one representing a district of Studium, but only females can occupy them - all of whom are considered 'royalty' in Studium society, hence the title. The Hive Queens occupying each district vote for a non-Queen female to occupy these seats. The Royal Assembly is the upper assembly, capable of overruling decisions made by the Common Assembly.

Both assemblies have a Chief of the Assembly, who presides over their respective assembly. Each assembly must nominate a Chief by vote, which is then approved by the Prime Queen.



Executive Bodies

The head of government is called the Premier and must be a male, and must be a member of the Common Assembly to occupy the position. The head of the government is appointed by the Prime Queen, as she attempts to determine which minister would command the most support in the Common Assembly - it is usually the leader of the largest party in the government. The current head of the government is Premier Jixithi, a male from Docara City and the leader of the Xithis Party of Enlightenment.

The cabinet is called the Grand Council and is appointed at the discretion of the Premier, the positions of which will be listed further down. Grand Council members are almost always members of the Premier's own party, although it is possible for members of opposing parties to become Grand Council members it is unheard of in thousands of years of Xithis history. All members of the Grand Council by law must be members of either the Common or Royal Assemblies regardless of party membership.

The normal duties of the Premier and the Grand Council involve maintaining the defence of the nation, conducting affairs with foreign nations, enforcing the law, appointing state officials and administrating public services, to name just a few. They must undertake these responsibilities according to the laws laid out by the Assemblies.



Procedure

Draft laws, known as proposals, may be introduced to the government for consideration by anybody, and are categorised in different ways - 'government proposals' are proposals put forward by a member of the government, regardless of which Assembly. 'Public proposals' are those put forward by any Xithis citizen who is not a member of the government. 'Royal proposals' are those put forward by females, Queens or even the Prime Queen, which almost always pass by royal decree.

The first stage of passing a proposal includes putting it forward to the Common Assembly, who may debate the proposal and suggest changes to the draft. Each proposal has a time limit as determined by the Chief of the Assembly, rather than assign an arbitrary number that might be insufficient for an especially complicated or important proposal. The final draft is then put forward for a second debate, which usually does not last for more than thirty minutes. After this, the Common Assembly votes on the proposal.

If the Common Assembly vote is a positive, the proposal then goes through to the Royal Assembly, where it undergoes a similar process. Two debates are held, and The Royal Assembly can make amendments to the proposal as they see fit. It is then put to the vote, and if the vote is successful it finally gets put to the Prime Queen.

All proposals must be approved by the Prime Queen before being made into law. Historically speaking, the Prime Queen approves 80 - 90% of all proposals, though it is not unheard of for her to overrule the Royal Assembly.

Xithis Combine Fleet

The Xithis Combine maintain a large fleet of ships capable of both exploration and annihilation, depending on the circumstances. They use a combination of large capital ships, smaller support vessels, and ships as small and agile as fighters to create a comprehensive defence force. Many of their ships are modular in design, sharing technologies and even designs, making repairs, construction and general maintenance more efficient. As with the Xithis themselves, the Combine ships are generally small in comparison to other peers, but capable of engaging ships many times their size. When this is factored in with the incredibly sophisticated and complex nature of the ships and their technologies, it goes some way towards explaining why the Xithis Combine fleet is comparatively small.

This is just a small snapshot of some of the Combine ships, with more to be displayed at a later date.

Talyn-class Lacerator

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Xithis/talyn.jpg

Type: Heavy Cruiser
Length: 965 metres
Width: 112 metres
Crew: Approx. 540
Sublight Propulsion: Negative Mass Drive
FTL Propulsion: Type 7 Space Fold Drive
Power Plant: Type 45 Zero-Point Energy Generator
Primary Computer Core: Quantum Processor Core Mark 7
Armament: 9x Kiklithis I coil dual-turrets; 1x Kakjath particle accelerator cannon, 18x torpedo launchers (8x starboard, 8x port, 2x stern), artificial singularity weapon capabilities
Torpedo Inventory: 20x zero-point explosive warheads; 150x antimatter warheads; 400x nuclear fusion warheads
Defence Shields: Cliknithis Type IIV heavy defence screen, magnetic shielding, gravity shielding
Armour: KKLN-class complete reactive armour system
Countermeasures: Mark VI laser point defence system; electronic countermeasure system

The Talyn-class is the mainstay of the Combine Fleet, with over two hundred ships currently in operation on various assignments. It is heavily armed and shielded for its size. Much like the Xithis themselves, it is capable of engaging much larger warships successfully. It uses a mix of moderate kinetic weapons turrets for 360 degree coverage, and a single heavy weapon on the bow. It has heavy shields which are difficult to penetrate with conventional weaponry, but its hull armour is below par. Negative mass drive allows for high sublight speeds and high manoeuvrability, whilst its space fold technology allows it to travel extreme distances in practical time frames. The Talyn is also used for exploratory duties, meaning that it has extensive sensor arrays with long reach and high accuracy, as well as on-board laboratories. Talyns are frequently sent on solo exploratory missions far beyond Xithis known space.

The unique double-hulled design of the Talyn allows it to separate into two fully-operational vessels in the event of an emergency, with each half capable of sublight speed with conventional secondary ion drives and possessing a limited fold drive for superluminal travel. This procedure is only used during emergencies however, as the main supports are destroyed in the process thus making it irreversible without the support of a construction yard. Nevertheless, it gives the Talyn additional survival options and makes it that much harder to completely disable it.



Ruben-class Devastator

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Xithis/ruben.jpg

Type: Battleship
Length: 4,175 metres
Width: 412 metres
Crew: Approx. 2,176
Sublight Propulsion: Negative Mass Drive
FTL Propulsion: Type 5 Space Fold Drive
Power Plant: Type 60 Zero-Point Energy Generator
Primary Computer Core: Quantum Processor Core Mark 7
Armament: 20x Kiklithis II coil quad-turrets; 1x Rath particle accelerator cannon, 36x torpedo launchers (12x starboard, 12x port, 6x stern, 6x bow), artificial singularity weapon capabilities
Torpedo Inventory: 150x zero-point explosive warheads; 1,000x antimatter warheads; 3,500x nuclear fusion warheads
Defence Shields: Cliknithis Type X heavy defence screen, magnetic shielding, gravity shielding
Armour: KKLJ-class complete reactive armour system
Countermeasures: Mark VI laser point defence system; electronic countermeasure system

The Ruben-class is primarily a warship, designed specifically to defend the Xithis Combine from any and all threats. Due to its size and complexity, a mere one hundred and ten vessels have been built thus far. Its size is moderate compared to some battleships, but its armament and armour are extreme -- a typical Xithis trait. It is armed with a large number of high-yield, dual-fire kinetic weapons turrets, as well as an extremely powerful particle accelerator cannon on its bow. Torpedo tubes are also present in large numbers, along with a large inventory of various torpedoes. This comprehensive weapons system allows the vessel to lay waste to the surface of an entire planet as well as tackle capital ships much larger than itself. Shielding and armour are extremely heavy on the Ruben, and it was designed for various key areas of the ship to be capable of functioning independently, which means that fully disabling the ship is a particularly difficult task. The negative mass drive it is equipped with does not allow for much manoeuvrability, though it can reach high sublight speeds (it accelerates slowly, however). Its space fold drive is just as effective as that of the Talyn.



Dartic-class Lancer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Xithis/dartic.jpg

Type: Frigate
Length: 743 metres
Width: 112 metres
Crew: Approx. 220
Sublight Propulsion: Ion Drive
FTL Propulsion: Type 7 Space Fold Drive
Power Plant: Type 30 Zero-Point Energy Generator
Primary Computer Core: Quantum Processor Core Mark 7
Armament: 7x Kiklithis I coil dual-turrets, 4x torpedo launchers (2x starboard, 2x port)
Torpedo Inventory: 5x zero-point explosive warheads; 30x antimatter warheads; 150x nuclear fusion warheads
Defence Shields: Cliknithis Type IIV heavy defence screen, magnetic shielding, gravity shielding
Armour: KKLN-class complete reactive armour system
Countermeasures: Mark VI laser point defence system; electronic countermeasure system

The Dartic-class is, clearly, a design based upon the upper-half of the Talyn-class, with a couple of its own unique twists. Xithis analysts identified the need for a smaller class of capital ship, and the upper section of the Talyn-class was deemed a fitting spaceframe, so it was redesigned as a separate ship. As such the Dartic is 23% shorter than the Talyn and has less than 40% of the depth, but in turn it shares many of the qualities of the larger vessel. It retains the majority of its weapons turrets, for example, and it also retains the same shielding and armour systems along with the same countermeasure systems and sensor packages. However, it has a less capable power plant, which meant that simplistic ion engines were required in place of a negative mass drive. Although the ship is highly manoeuvrable, it lacks the same speed as the Talyn. As well as this, it also lacks the particle accelerator cannon -- which was, of course, on the lower half of the Talyn. Despite these shortcomings, the Dartic is particularly capable for its size, and over five hundred of the vessels have been commissioned to date. They are frequently used for fleet support, patrol missions and even mid-range exploratory missions.

Xithis Technology

The Xithis employ a great deal of advanced technology throughout their civilisation, and they are considered to be amongst the most technologically advanced species of modern times. Much of this technology is not immediately obvious to outsiders until it is actually employed, and Xithis will not normally go looking for a fight. Their regard for life is high, and they do not understand the need that other species seem to have to deliberately seek out opportunities for combat. With all that said, they are formidable opponents in battle with some of the most heavily defended ships known to exist.

Many analysts consider their reliance on kinetic-based weapons to be primitive. Xithis counter this by stating that kinetic weapons have the potential to be some of the most destructive conventional weapons available, requiring minimal power in comparison to equivalent yield energy weapons and limited only by the need for ammunition and higher levels of barrel and rail maintenance. Xithis view all technology with its practical applications foremost in their minds, and if they can use a simple rod of dense metal to tear a chunk from the surface of a planet when necessary they will happily do so, even if it does not require exotic forms of energy to achieve. In case kinetic weapons alone are insufficient, they employ numerous types of warheads ranging from the standard to the exotic, mount some of the largest practical particle beam weapons known to exist, and their larger capital ships are fully capable of utilising artificial singularities as weapons in emergencies, something they are usually reluctant to do normally due to environmental concerns. None of these weapons are especially unique to the Xithis, and though powerful they are not the most heavily armed ships ever built.

It is their defensive technologies where they shine however. Xithis ships have unprecedented levels of survivability and are amongst the most heavily defended platforms in the known universe, defended against nearly all forms of attack outside of dimensional weapons systems, something which continues to elude them.

Not being a warlike race, much of their technological advancement happens outside of weapons and defensive technologies, such as their teleportation technologies and power generation abilities. Their propulsion systems are also highly advanced and allow for swift travel at both faster than light and sublight velocities, something especially important to the Xithis due to their rather small fleet when compared to other powers of equivalent size and funding. This helps them both in exploration and in responding to threat.

One of their largest non-military projects presently underway involves the manipulation and control of stars. The general purpose of the project is to extend the natural lifespan of main sequence stars, although it also incorporates attempts to prevent stars from going nova and destroying great swathes of surrounding space when they do ultimately die, and even to reignite already-dead stars. Most of these projects involve the use of their impressive command of gravitational forces and their growing understanding of dimensional physics. Although none of them have yet yielded success it serves to demonstrate the technological ingenuity of the species in general, and their willingness to try and accomplish anything which they consider to be remotely possible.



Xithis Weaponry

Kiklithis I coil dual-turret

The Kiklithis I coil dual-turret is a dual-barrelled, 360 degree rotational weapons battery chiefly equipped on small to mid-sized capital ships. Each barrel fires a 300mm electrically hardened carbon/tungsten alloy projectile at speeds of up to 0.3c, with an average firing rate of twenty rounds per minute (with a twenty-second magazine reload period after one hundred rounds), the Kiklithis I is a devastating weapon against stationary and moving targets alike. It uses a series of high-voltage electromagnetic solenoids to accelerate its projectiles down a track to produce extremely high muzzle velocities. This speed combined with the high density of the projectiles typically used causes crippling kinetic damage to any targets, and the unique shape of the tip of the projectile will normally pierce most armour.

Kiklithis II coil quad-turret

The Kiklithis II coil quad-turret is a quadruple barrelled, 360 degree rotational weapons battery, exclusively equipped on large-sized capital ships. It essentially functions the same as the Kiklithis I coil turret, however it consists of four barrels working independently -- which effectively doubles its firing rate to eighty rounds per minute, with similar reload times. It also uses a much larger calibre projectile, at 500mm. Thus despite sharing the technology of its lesser cousin, it produces much more damage.

Rath Particle Accelerator Cannon

Capable of devastating damage unmatched by many weapons, thought to range in the petaton yield, the Rath particle accelerator cannon uses a concentrated, high energy beam of excited electrons at the speed of light to cause massive damage to the molecular structure of any target it encounters. It is exclusively installed upon large capital ships, due to the excessive power levels required for its operation. A fully-operational Rath particle accelerator cannon fired for fifteen seconds is capable of completely destroying a fully shielded, fully armoured Ruben-class Devastator, which serves to demonstrate the destructive capabilities of the weapon. However, for each second of discharge the Rath requires twenty seconds of charging, making it a time-consuming weapon to use in battle - indeed, most ships keep the weapon fully-charged at all times for that all-important first shot. And if fired for continuous periods, the Rath can suffer thermal damage to its more delicate emitter systems, in spite of the use of advanced superconductive materials and high-capacity liquid coolant systems in its construction. One of the main difficulties in firing the weapon is that it is mounted on the bow of most ships, which means the ship itself must angle appropriately when targeting. For this reason it is mostly deployed against large capital ships, static facilities and planetary targets. The weapon is capable of firing at a distance of several lighthours, but this is usually limited by targeting sensors and, of course, practicality (targets generally have time to move out of the way after several hours). When fired within an atmosphere this range decreases dramatically, thanks mostly to blooming.

Kakjath Particle Accelerator Cannon

The Kakjath PAC functions along the same basic principles as the Rath, with the only difference being a lower power consumption and approximately 30% of the effective yield. It is usually equipped on mid-sized capital ships. The Kakjath is still fully capable of inflicting massive damage upon any target it is fired upon, and due to its smaller power output it only requires half as long to charge. Because the Kakjath is typically equipped on smaller, more manoeuvrable vessels, it is much easier to target than its larger cousin.

Kiithix Particle Accelerator Cannon

The Kiithix PAC functions along the same basic principles as the Rath and the Kakjath, however it is significantly more powerful. Its discharge rate is approximately 500% higher than that of the Rath PAC, and for that reason is exclusively equipped on space stations, planetary surfaces and defensive satellites. Unlike the PAC of a space ship, which relies on the ships main power plant, Kiithix generally have dedicated power plants to significantly reduce recharge times.

Kiithix Automated Defence Satellite

As is obvious from the name, this is a satellite which is armed with a single Kiithix PAC. Using a dedicated zero-point power plant, the Kiithix Automated Defence Satellite (from now on referred to as KADS) is nothing more than a floating PAC. The KADS are usually deployed in large fields, often in orbit of a planet or in a stationary position near a defensible location. They use simple targeting engines to achieve a high rotational speed, essential for quickly targeting their main weapon. Although unshielded, the KADS are usually deployed in such high numbers that getting within firing range is made extremely difficult.

The KADS requires an external source of targeting information to operate properly. Space stations, space ships, sensor satellites or even planetary monitoring stations must feed targeting information directly into the KADS fields in order for them to begin firing. This is their main weakness, as a determined enemy could locate and destroy each source of targeting information and thus effectively rendering entire fields of KADS neutral. If the KADS lacks a source of targeting information, however, it will instead act as a mine. Any enemy ships entering within a certain range will find that the satellites will begin detonating their primary power plants, which can cause extensive damage on their own. Thus, even if the KADS are rendered inert, they will still need to be destroyed before an enemy can make an approach.

X-195 Experimental Tachyon Blaster

An experimental weapon, the X-195 is classified by the Xithis military forces. It is thought to operate on a similar principle to a particle accelerator cannon, however it will use superluminal particles called tachyons to achieve much higher damage potential. At present, the X-195 is still in the development and testing phase, and is not currently in service.

Artificial Singularity Weapon

Any ship equipped with a space fold drive and a particle accelerator cannon is capable of utilising these two technologies in unison to generate artificial singularities to be used in an offensive capacity. By firing matter from the particle accelerator cannon into a field of extreme gravity generated by the gravity core, a Xithis ship can generate an artificial black hole in any designated area, and use these awesomely powerful weapons to sweep through enemy fleets and yield untold levels of destruction. Not only this, but for the duration of the black hole's existence, any ships in close proximity to it will experience the time dilation effects inherent in any powerful field of gravity, unless they are protected from these effects by a gravity core of their own. Once generated, the gravity core can move the singularity around at will, however it takes several minutes for a sufficiently powerful black hole to be constructed.

The resulting singularity is too small to be naturally self-sustaining, and so evaporates the moment the ship ceases to generate it. In order for the singularity to become self sustaining, it needs to consume a large amount of mass (to become roughly two times more massive than Sol or more), and it needs to be consuming more energy than it is radiating. While this sounds like a monumental requirement it is quite easy to accomplish if the weapon is used carelessly. If a singularity is created too close to a stellar body of sufficient mass and energy, a giant or a supergiant star for example, it may well gain these two prerequisites quite quickly and become self-sustaining, and beyond the ability of the Xithis (or anybody else for that matter) to control. For this reason it is recommended that artificial singularities are not created in close proximity to any stars or other large stellar masses. And for obvious reasons, the singularity is never created in close proximity to an inhabited planet.

At present, it is impossible for a ship to use its artificial singularity weapon capabilities in concert with either gravity shields or the space fold drive. See below for more information. Due to Xithis environmental concerns regarding the effects that the weapon might have on the surrounding space-time continuum, this weapon is reserved for emergencies only.

Zero-Point Energy Torpedoes

Simply put, Zero-Point Energy Torpedoes rapidly release enormous quantities of so-called 'vacuum energy' onto their targets upon impact. The process of rapidly extracting zero-point energy is initiated by a standard, 150 megaton fusion warhead, contained just behind the 'vacuum' area. The yield of these torpedoes is generally equivalent to 850 metric teratons of TNT, which makes individual warheads capable of tearing entire chunks away from the crust of a planet, to say nothing of complete ecological annihilation. For ship to ship purposes, their main function, the explosion can either be focused forwards to achieve maximum damage on a single target, or allowed to radiate naturally to cause wide-spread destruction. The torpedo casings use light ablative armour, and use a combination of ECM and streamlined designs to evade successful weapons locks 40% - 55% of the time.

Matter/Antimatter Torpedoes

These torpedoes make use of the extensive amounts of energy released by a matter/antimatter reaction. Deemed too unstable to be used as a form of power generation, the process was instead used for weapons. Each torpedo warhead contains 300kg quantities of both deuterium and anti-deuterium, held apart by magnetic fields until impact, to create an explosive force of 13 metric gigatons, which is nowhere near as powerful as the ZPET warhead but fully capable of rendering planets uninhabitable for complex lifeforms for considerable periods. The explosive force can either be focused forwards to achieve maximum damage on a single target, or allowed to radiate naturally to cause wide-spread destruction. The torpedo casings use light ablative armour, and use a combination of ECM and streamlined designs to evade successful weapons locks 50% - 65% of the time.

Nuclear Fusion Torpedoes

Most ships carry standard nuclear fusion warheads to enact pinpoint planetary strikes, to attack unshielded targets, to systematically annihilate conventional energy shields, or to disperse smaller groups of enemy sub-capital ships. Generally standard warheads of 170 megatons are used, but the yields can vary from 50 megatons to 200 megatons. The torpedo casings use light ablative armour, and use a combination of ECM and streamlined designs to evade successful weapons locks 75% of the time.



Xithis Defensive Technologies

Armour Technologies

All Xithis ships are encased in extremely resilient armour, which are a mixture of overlapping ceramic tiles on the surface to repel slow-moving projectiles and to resist heat-based attacks, and super-dense metallic composite layers and layered molecular armour beneath this which provide heavy duty protection against kinetic and thermal damage when the ceramics fail. Nanorobotical systems help repair minor day-to-day damage, though major damage must be repaired manually. Although extremely complicated, a basic list could be constructed as so:

Surface: Metal sheeting, mostly for aesthetic purposes. Offers little protection.
Layered molecular armour: Multiple thin layers of molecular armour can be found directly beneath the outer shell of the ship. With several layers of atoms packed as densely as physical laws permit, the molecular armour affords Xithis ships with their strongest protective layer of all. More conventional armour systems can be found beneath this, in the event that this layer fails.
Outer armour layers: Extremely sophisticated and dense ceramic tiles overlayed with ablative armouring. Offers protection against slow-moving objects and extreme thermal energy. This is the primary form of protection against laser weapons and low-yield particle weapons, and the ceramics used require extensive long-term exposure for any long-term damage to occur - with the exception of high-yield particle weapons, which can cause more significant damage.
Middle armour layers: High density metallic composites, which are routinely combined with reactive armouring techniques such as explosive armour, non-explosive armour and elastic armour. Offers extreme protection against kinetic impacts and armour-piercing missiles and torpedoes, as well as additional protection against thermal attacks. Layers of lead tend to be incorporated into the middle armour, to defend against external radiation, either natural or otherwise.
Inner armour layers: High density metallic composites, in much thicker quantities (inner armour is generally in excess of 2,000mm thick) than middle armour. As well as being the last protective barrier against the vacuum of space, the inner armour system offers last-ditch protection against kinetic and thermal energies and additional reinforcement for structural integrity.
Inner hull armour: Generally used to protect the occupants of the ship from dangerous system components, such as thermal and electrical superconductors, plasma transfer conduits and gas lines. This armour does not protect against external attacks to any significant degree, although it can limit the risk of dangerous flying debris in the event of an armour piercing object successfully getting through the other layers of armour (not to mention slowing the projectile down even further). Most of this armouring can be easily removed to gain access to the systems contained beneath.


As well as all this armouring, the skeletal structure of the ship itself is an extremely strong and surprisingly flexible frame which runs throughout the armoured layers, offering additional marginal protection against the elements. It has been designed to be decentralised in nature much like the Xithis themselves, meaning that there does not tend to be any single 'weak point'. Ships like the Talyn-class which may appear to have weak points by design are actually constructed so that the sections of the ship can in fact operate independently of each other should a successful impact separate them - the individual sections themselves do not have specific structural weak points.

Windows, which are sparse on most Xithis warships, tend to be constructed using thick layers of highly advanced nanophase aluminium, which is transparent and yet extremely durable. These windows are also treated with various carbon strengthening layers and anti-radiation coating.

Shielding Technologies

Xithis ships employ various shielding technologies to protect them both against adversaries and natural phenomenon.


Standard defence shields: A standard energy barrier which partially absorbs energy-based attacks and deflects projectiles. These are most easily pierced with kinetic weaponry, although they will resist kinetic weapons for a time.
Electric armour: Passing an electrical charge through the otherwise inert metal sheeting that covers the armour of Xithis ships provide them with moderate protection against energy weapons, as well as artificially hardening it against kinetic impacts.
Magnetic shielding is designed specifically to try and deflect projectiles and, to a lesser degree, missiles, torpedoes, and energy weapons. It is literally an extremely strong electro-magnetic shield, angled in such a fashion that it is capable of deflecting some of projectiles fired towards it - it has a 35% success rate against kinetic weapons, and a 20% success rate against energy weapons and missiles. It is used on most Xithis ships, but it is now considered obsolete in favour of gravity shields (the two cannot be used simultaneously, as the magnetic shielding is disrupted by gravity shields).
Gravity shielding is an extremely useful by-product of the space fold drive. The gravity core of the drive by its very nature allows the ship to generate a powerful gravitational field around itself. When it is not focussed on creating a fold in space, however, this field can be used to deflect matter and energy around it (with an estimated 75% success rating against energy weapons, and 55% against kinetic weapons), as well as being able to protect the ship against external gravitational forces such as large celestial objects and black holes. The only way of defeating this shielding is by using exotic weapons unaffected by gravity, or by simply 'spamming' the ship with all possible weapons - any weapons which do manage to penetrate the gravity shields will be met with standard energy shields. When activated as a defensive system, it also has the side-effect of rendering the ship invisible to the naked eye due to its tendency to bend light around itself, and very difficult for optical/radiation-based sensor systems such as RADAR to detect - although any mechanical or electrical device capable of detecting gravitational fields would be drawn to it like a magnet. This technology also allows them to nullify any gravity-based weapons systems, such as their own artificial singularity weapons, however the gravity shields will drain increasing amounts of power from the main batteries when exposed to more intense gravitational fields (the shields themselves are not 'drained' by attacks, but they can only be maintained for as long as there is available power). Whilst gravity shields are active, a ship is incapable of engaging its space fold drive or in using artificial singularity weapons.
Plasma shielding - Utilised purely as an emergency measure, it is used for internal hull breaches which might otherwise expose sections of the ship to vacuum. Assuming main power is still available, that plasma transfer conduits are relatively undamaged, and that the magnetic shielding systems are available, they function by establishing a physical 'wall' of superheated plasma contained by layers of magnetic shielding. As well as repelling any stray solid objects from the outside, they maintain atmosphere in the damaged area until basic repairs can be completed. They have the virtue of being available all over the ship, as the plasma is drawn from the surrounding plasma transfer conduits and the magnetic shields are standard defensive systems on most Xithis ships. Given the power requirements of a plasma shield, they cannot be used for extended periods of time, or when main power is unavailable. This also precludes their use as a large-scale defensive system for the time being.




Other Xithis Technology

Zero-Point Energy Generators

Taking advantage of the baseline energy found in total vacuums, ZPEGs provide enormous amounts of power for extensive periods of time, and can generally be found at the heart of space ships and space-based installations. They are generally a clean and stable form of power, though they can be forced into overload mode in an emergency to release a massive amount of power. ZPEGs are classified according to their power output, with higher numbers indicating higher power outputs. Most Studii cities have banks of ZPEBs in case of emergency.

A similar technology, called a Zero Point Energy Battery, is a single-use disposable core designed for smaller ships and defensive satellites with large power requirements. Most capital ships carry a number of ZPEBs for emergency use in case of damage to the main generator.

ZPEGs are the only power sources capable of fuelling the Xithis Gravity Core, a key piece of their technology.

Solar Power Satellites

The primary form of power for Planet Studium consists of a series of massive satellites, which draw power from the Studii star using massive solar power collectors. They then beam this power down to the surface in the form of microwaves, to planetary collector stations. From these stations, the power is then transferred underground to the Xithis cities using a network of advanced room temperature superconductors. This method of power generation is considered cheap and efficient (post-installation), and virtually 100% safe. As the collector stations are automated, and the satellites are maintained by nanites, it requires minimal manpower to function effectively.

Negative Mass Drive

Negative mass drives provide continuous, exhaustless sublight propulsion via the connection of positive and negative mass. The process is efficient, and can reach high speeds with little exertion. Although theoretically capable of propelling a ship to lightspeed and beyond, the damage and relativistic problems a ship and its crew would sustain in doing so means that the technology is strictly limited to sublight capabilities below 0.7c. Small ships are unable to have this technology installed for various size and power related reasons, but most capital ships use this means of propulsion. Because the drive is exhaustless, it is capable of moving the ship in any direction necessary, negating the need for manoeuvring thrusters and allowing for extremely high levels manoeuvrability - with full scale capital ships capable of instantly changing direction without any apparent difficulty. The technology also allows ships to enter atmospheres and even hover above planetary surfaces without any significant drain of power, a task which would prove impossible to accomplish with conventional engines.

Space Fold Drive

The Space Fold Drive is the primary form of faster-than-light propulsion of the Xithis. It uses extreme fields of gravity to literally bend space, temporarily making the point of origin and the destination exist in the same space at the same time and allowing a ship to travel from one point to another instantaneously. The ship itself is protected from these massive gravitational fields, as well as the relativistic effects of being in such close proximity to them, by the gravity core itself.

The gravity core is the heart of this technology, capable of creating and focusing the extremely powerful gravitational fields necessary for this form of travel. In order to create gravitational fields powerful enough to manipulate space-time, only ships with powerful zero point energy generators are capable of using space folding technology. The gravity core also plays a key role in producing artificial gravity and for negating the effects of inertia. As with many technologies, the gravity core has been found to have other uses beyond its original design specifications. It can generate gravity shields, which are useful at deflecting most energy and kinetic weapons, it can be used as a weapon in the form of the artificial singularity weapon, both of which were described above, and it can be used to generate faster-than-light inhibitation fields, as described in the entry below. At present, the gravity core is only capable of performing one of these tasks at a time, although there is ongoing research to resolve this issue.

Although the gravity core itself is always active to some degree (having no 'off' button, primarily due to its roles in artificial gravity and inertial dampening), the space fold drive cannot be activated within the gravity well of any large stellar body (generally anything larger than the mass of Pluto) - sensors are tied into the gravity core as part of safeguards to physically prevent this from happening. Activating the space fold drive within a gravity well would see the destruction of the ship, the stellar body and depending on the strength of the gravity well in question, much of the surrounding space. Not only that, but the resulting space-time continuum destruction would make the immediate area completely uninhabitable for a virtually infinite period of time. While this would seem to have value as a potent weapon, under Xithis law it is strictly prohibited to use the gravity core in this fashion.

Faster-Than-Light Inhibitors

The gravity core can be used to generate a wide-area field of gravity capable of disrupting most forms of faster-than-light travel, including hyperspace gateways, space folding technologies and wormholes, as well as space warping of any kind. A side-effect of this field is a minor reduction in sublight engine efficiency (including negative mass drives). Although gravity shields themselves are unaffected by the resulting FTLi field, the ship producing the field cannot engage its own gravity shields, nor can it use its space fold drive (obviously) or its singularity weapons.

Time Distortion

Less of a weapon and more of a scientific curiosity, and touched upon briefly in the artificial singularity weapon article, the ability to distort time is yet another side-effect of the gravity core aspect of the space fold drive. As any gravity field is intensified, time within the field slows down. Particularly intense gravity fields will slow down time considerably. While the gravity core protects the occupants of the ship itself from these effects it is possible to slow down time in any given area for as long as the gravity core is active. Due to environmental concerns it is not permitted to use the gravity core specifically to effect time, although as a side-effect this cannot be avoided.

Ion Drive

A relatively simplistic form of propulsion technology mostly employed on smaller vessels, the ion drive involves using ionised gas to propel a craft to average sublight speeds, usually xenon gas. Xenon gas is ionised, the ions are electrically accelerated, and then emitted as exhaust to provide acceleration. The technology provides only moderate acceleration and a limited top speed, as well as leaving an ion trail and requiring regular refuelling, but it is a simple, low-powered technology ideal for smaller craft.

Phase Transporters

Phase transporters operate by shifting objects out of our space-time continuum, and then re-inserting them at a different point. The technology is relatively new and came as a result of the Dimensional Technology Research Project, but is already being implemented on many installations. The phase transporter significantly reduces travel times between cities, as well as between space ships and space stations. It also improves the efficiency of cargo transportation. The technology does have a limited range (i.e. ships have to be within 5,000 kilometres in order to establish a proper destination lock), can only transport small objects, and requires large amounts of power to function, but it is considered a worthwhile investment.

Inter-Xithis Communications

While humans rely primarily on sight and sound for communication, Xithis rely on sight, sound, smell and to a lesser extent, touch. While several inventors have tackled the idea of a communications system which incorporates all four of the senses, including touch (using a highly cumbersome suit of pressure-inducing pads), the most common and easiest to use consists of just sight, sound and smell. While sight and sound are accomplished through largely conventional means, incorporating smell into the equation posed numerous problems to Xithis inventors. Ultimately, they settled on the use of artificial pheromones and high-speed chemical analysers being built into communications stations. When one Xithis releases certain pheromones in certain amounts, the chemical analysers detect this and then send the relevant information along with the audio and visual data. The computer on the other end then releases the appropriate quantities of artificial pheromones accordingly. While artificial pheromones are never as easy to read as the real thing, they facilitate much easier communication, and because only tiny amounts are ever released the canister on an average communications system only needs to be replaced every few months.

However, this still does not alleviate the problem of communicating with aliens, who lack the ability to detect Xithis pheromones nor could they put them into context anyway. As complicated pheromone messages cannot be translated into words, no computer can be built that would allow them to be translated.

Xithis Technological Development Projects

The Xithis Technology Ministry is a government-funded project employed to develop new technologies, or redevelop existing technologies, for use by the Xithis Combine Fleet and Army - and ultimately civilians also. The projects listed below will remain listed after completion for the purposes of documentation. Ongoing projects will be listed in order of priority, with completed projects appearing at the bottom in alphabetical order.

All Xithis technological research is considered highly classified.

Current Research and Development Projects

Multitasking Gravity Cores

Status: Ongoing
Description:

Originally intended for space fold travel, the gravity cores of Xithis starships have become multi-purpose technologies responsible for defence and offence, as well as locomotion. However, present gravity cores are only capable of performing one of these tasks at a time - a severe disadvantage. In simulations it has been shown that a Xithis ship attempting to use its gravity core to project artificial singularity weapons at enemies puts itself at risk of damaging itself with its own weapon due to the necessity of disabling its gravity shields for the duration of the attack.

Xithis scientists have been commissioned to work on developing a Xithis gravity core capable of performing at least two of these three tasks simultaneously - if not all three. One leading possibility involves simply using numerous gravity cores, but the size and power requirements of the devices makes this an undesirable solution.

Work is ongoing.

Dimensional Technology Research Project

Status: Ongoing
Description:

The DTRP is a large-scale and highly generalised think tank dedicated to researching the multiverse at large, with the aim of furthering Xithisi knowledge in general and more specifically developing new technologies to utilise and exploit other dimensions. The project is new and Xithis knowledge in the field is limited, but thus far at least one technology has come of it (the phase transporter) and another important technology is still being researched (the dimensional shield, see below).

While the Xithis are keen to develop new technologies to assist in their daily lives and augment their defences, the main motivation behind the project is fascination, pure and simple.

Dimensional Shielding

Status: Testing stages
Description:

Dimensional shielding technologies were originally commissioned as part of the Dimensional Technology Research Project in order to combat some of the more exotic weapons systems in use around the universe that are unaffected by gravity shields or magnetic shields and able to penetrate standard energy shields, including dimensional weapons, against which the Xithis have no real defence at present. They have since been found to have beneficial defences against conventional weapons as well, even more so than standard energy, magnetic and gravity shields. For this reason funding has increased and the project has been split off from the main project.

The project is considered to be in the testing stages, with several different prototypes undergoing testing. The leading candidate is less of a 'shield' and more of of a 'cloak', as it involves placing the ship into a 'pocket dimension' temporarily, meaning that all weapons - dimensional or otherwise - will have no effect upon it. Whilst allowing the ship to remain undamaged, unfortunately it also has the effect of nullifying any weapons fired from within the 'shield' and preventing the ship from engaging its space fold drive, although its negative mass drive is unaffected. This generally would mean that the ship would have to remain in the pocket dimension until the enemies had moved away or risk being attacked upon emergence - making it best suited to emergency escape and for resisting the effects of dimensional weapons for the duration of their use. Another promising candidate involves surrounding the ship with a dimensional barrier, sending any incoming attacks into a different dimension and disrupting dimensional weapons themselves. Again, however, this also prevents weapons being fired from within the shield, and although the space fold drive would be functional the shield has a higher rate of failure.

Work is ongoing. The Xithis Technology Ministry is presently eager to communicate with any organisation more experienced in this field.

Long-Range Phase Transporter

Status: Ongoing
Description:

Another offshoot of the Dimensional Technology Research Project, the Long-Range Phase Transporter is considered a separate project from the ongoing work to increase the range of existing phase transporters, primarily because it works on different principles. The goal of the Long-Range Phase Transporter is quite lofty, and involves instantaneously transporting individuals from one planet to another.

Work is only in the beginning stages thus far, but the leading theory involves establishing micro-wormholes between two gates.

Quantum "Q-beam" weapons

Status: Preliminary
Description:

Another offshoot of the DTRP, Q-beams are theoretical 'super-weapons' which would be capable of disrupting the quantum state of any target, disassembling all connected matter into its constituent components and effectively removing it entirely from our own space-time continuum. This would occur via a chain reaction, which would affect any matter in close proximity - in theory, firing a single shot from a Q-beam weapon at an unshielded vessel would completely annihilate it within a matter of seconds, with the effect spreading rapidly from the point of impact. Supposedly the only way to halt the chain reaction once it had begun would be to physically separate the affected matter from the rest of the target.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it is still in the theoretical stage and no prototype has been built as of yet.


Completed Projects

Phase Transporters

Status: Complete
Description:

Originally part of the Dimensional Technology Research Project, phase transporter technology was theorised quite early on and was promptly given its own separate funding due to its revolutionary importance. After several unsuccessful trials on organic tissues, the technology was perfected and has since been implemented on most Xithis ships and cities.

Although completed, there is still work being undertaken on the project to increase its range. As with all technology, its development will continue indefinitely.

Negative Mass Minimalisation Project

Status: Complete
Description:

This was a fairly straightforward project, which had the intention of shrinking the equipment and power requirements of the Xithis sublight drive of choice, the negative mass drive, to allow it to be used on smaller capital ships such as the Dartic-class.

The project has been considered a success, and the new negative mass drives are currently in production. Although they have lower acceleration than their larger and more power-hungry equivalents, they are superior to basic ion engines and still possess the same advantages of normal negative mass drives. A refit program of all smaller capital ships will begin in the next few years.

Another placeholder, lol. This'll be factbook eventually, hence the spaces.

OOC: I've added some biology information. Too late to continue for now, more to come later!

OOC: Updated.

[ooc: Wow...thats impressive, I must RP with you at some point, once I come back, consider this a "Very good"]

OOC: Thanks Naggeroth, appreciate it.

OOC: Updated.

OOC: Bump for the night.

OOC: Updated

OOC: Do you mind me sending in my Eternals coming to check on their ancient colony on Studii II upon receiving a transmission from your people arriving on the world?

OOC: I'm not sure I understand your question, sorry. I don't know what an Eternal is, but Studii II was a homeworld to a race of insects like the Xithis, not a colony.

OOC: Alright, then I misunderstood what you meant about the meaning of your description of Studii II, but would it be alright you with that the reason why the original sentient inhabitants of the planet had basically gained there more potent and advanced technologies by reverse engineering the Eternals technology that they discovered from the old settlements and outposts of the Eternals on this world. As well, the original incest inhabitants revered the Eternals as an ancient people who they considered their fore bearers and those they would one day meet the Eternals once they took to the stars and there be brought in the light and glory of the Eternals… Thus, Eternals are refereed to by a number of important places in art work and writings by the lost insect race.

Eternals themselves are beings that posses true immortality and them posses great powers over this universe beyond any being born mortal.

[ooc: In effect I think he wants to have previous colony on your planet or something, I am unsure, it seems several things are intresting in that theory.

I am impressed with your stuff, its very good, works very well and shows alot of thought. I would love to discover you and go on to purge some filthy Xeno Scum, or something, tell me, you up for an RP of some sort?

Anisarian, the Singing lady]

[SIZE="1"]ooc: In effect I think he wants to have previous colony on your planet or something, I am unsure, it seems several things are intresting in that theory.OOC: Thanks, what I am generally saying that the Eternals’ colony was one that existed before the insect and was later emptied long ago and then the original sentient insect population of the planet discovered the remains of the Eternals presence and came to discover their technologies and then reverse engineered them to their best. In turn they revered the Eternals because they considered them the Elder people though they did not know what they looked except that they were not insects.

Updated at long last...

OOC: Larger update.