Norman, did the Triangulum version of the QPT have a holding cost or did it use rolling delay? The Mitrax version had conflicting data. It stated rolling delay but there was reference in some of the rules to overloading a held torpedo.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Sunday, November 06, 2022 - 12:12 am: Edit

Hi Nick,

The Mitrax Version of the Quantum Phased Torpedo was armed over 3 Turns with 2 + 2 + 2. Therefore it had a Rolling Delay of 2, which made sense given the arming cost.

The Mitrax Version could be Overloaded for 2 + 2 + 6. Overloads could not be Held.

However, I believe the confusion is being caused because if you arm as Standard (or are using a Rolling Delay) and want to Upgrade to Overload, you could pay the Difference since the third turn costs 6 energy.

The Triangulum Version of the Quantum Phased Torpedo simply had a Hold Cost of 2 (No Rolling Delay) for Standard and Overload could not be Held.

Hope that helps.

By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Sunday, November 06, 2022 - 01:35 am: Edit

Thanks Norman, that clears things up for me.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Saturday, November 12, 2022 - 12:19 pm: Edit

BEOWULF
STARDATE 11.12.22
ULTIMATE SECTOR
Link to previous Beowulf entries

Grendel found himself standing alone in a spotlight. The light was so bright he could barely see beyond it. There was darkness all around him, so black he could not see the edges of the room, if indeed he even was in a room.

The last thing that Grendel remembered was walking with Tarin in the woods. He loved her so much. The years had been kind to both of them, allowing them to grow close in countless ways. Grendel could not imagine life without her. Then...the Gorin leapt out of the bushes and attacked. Grendel remembered trying to keep the massive beast away with his spear, and when that failed, his short sword. But the Gorin was too powerful. The immense animal knocked Grendel to the ground and maimed him with its claws and teeth. Grendel recalled watching the Gorin approach Tarin who was paralyzed with fear. He had to find a way to save her...he had to do something...but he could not move due to his injuries. Then he felt his body begin to change into...something Dark...something Evil...

A thunderous voice boomed from above.

"GRENDEL!! YOU HAVE BEEN TESTED AND MEASURED. AND YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND WANTING. YOU CLAIMED THAT THE PEACEKEEPERS WERE WORTHY OF VENTURING INTO DEEP SPACE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT REVEL AND DELIGHT IN VIOLENCE, SUFFERING, AND DEATH. AS CAPTAIN, YOU SHOULD EMBODY THAT PRINCIPLE MORE THAN ANYONE IN YOUR CREW. YOU CLAIMED THAT YOU WERE MASTER OF THE DARK MONSTER THAT LIES DORMANT WITHIN YOU. THAT YOU COULD CONTROL IT, RATHER THAN IT CONTROLLING YOU. AND YET, WE HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GORIN. DO YOU NOT RECALL WHAT YOU DID TO THE ANIMAL?"

Grendel grasped his head as if he had a terrible headache. He shook his head repeatedly. "No...no....no...it's not possible." Dark images flooded his mind. He recalled tearing the Gorin apart limb by limb. He recalled yelling terrible things. He remembered biting the Gorin's head off with his mouth. He remembered drinking its blood...

Grendel fell to his knees.

The Space Spirit stared down at Grendel. Sympathy and Compassion filled its heart. The energy being that had the form of an elderly, male head said in a loud, but less threatening voice, "MY CHILD. THE PEACEKEEPERS MAY INDEED BE WORTHY OF TRAVELING THROUGH DEEP SPACE. BUT YOU AND YOUR SHIP ARE NOT. YOU ARE A DANGER TO EVERYTHING YOU ENCOUNTER AND TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU. I AM TRULY SORRY, BUT I CANNOT ALLOW THAT. YOU WILL TRANSPORTED TO YOUR NEAREST STARBASE. YOU AND YOUR CREW WILL NOT BE HARMED. BUT NEITHER YOU NOR THEY WILL TRAVEL THROUGH THE DEPTHS OF SPACE EVER AGAIN."

Grendel felt his heart sink. His crew depended on him and he had failed them. He knew this decision was wrong. There had to be some way to convince the Space Spirit. Something he had missed. Something he failed to remember...

"Wait, Space Spirit!"

Grendel raised both open hands up as he pleaded with this powerful denizen of the universe.

"I didn't kill Tarin, did I? You know it to be true, Space Spirit. I remember her calmly talking to me in my...monstrous form...making me remember who and what I truly was. It was her soothing words that allowed me to transform back to normal. But I did not harm the woman I loved. Does that not show the control that you were looking for?"

The Space Spirit looked into Grendel's heart and soul. Grendel's words were true. These events had indeed transpired...

"Please," Grendel begged. "Give me one more chance, Space Spirit. Let me prove to you that I am Master of the Creature Within Me. It is Not the Master of Me. Please, for the sake of my crew. We, and the Peacekeepers, and worthy of exploring deep space. Allow me one more opportunity. I beg you."

There was a long moment of silence as the Space Spirit considered Grendel's request.

"VERY WELL, GRENDEL. ONE MORE CHANCE. FAIL AND YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU AND YOUR CREW. SUCCEED AND YOU WILL ALL CONTINUE ON YOUR WAY."

"DON'T LET ME DOWN. DON'T LET YOUR CREW DOWN. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,"

"DON'T LET YOURSELF DOWN."

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Sunday, November 13, 2022 - 08:48 am: Edit

BLACK WOLF
STARDATE 11.13.22
YESTERDAY GALAXY
Link to previous Black Wolf entries

Mother Bethany entered the chambers that she shared with Captain Lupinus. She was tired from her work shift. Captain Lupinus and Mother Bethany would regularly trade off running the Bridge, allowing for the other to get some rest. Mother Bethany removed the white hood that covered her head. Her long red hair fell free, draping over her shoulders and upper back.

She immediately smelled the scents of freshly cooked food.

Talbot smiled at his First Officer. A table was prepared for Mother Bethany with plates, wine, napkins, bowls, appetizers, dessert, and entrees. Everything was freshly prepared. Captain Lupinus pulled out a seat for Mother Bethany, beckoning her to sit. She kissed her true love and sat down.

"I knew you would be hungry," Talbot said as he took his seat. His black goatee was neatly trimmed. Long black hair stopped at his shoulders. Talbot's solid black eyes met Mother Bethany's blue eyes. "I prepared your favorite dishes along with your favorite wine. I know, we could have replicated everything, but you know it tastes much better when its freshly prepared."

Mother Bethany looked at Captain Lupinus with love in her eyes. She tried some of the food and smiled. It was delicious. "You are so good to me, my love. I am so blessed to have you by my side. Sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve someone like you."

"Oh hush," Talbot replied as he stuffed one of the appetizers into his mouth. His fangs were evident, but much smaller than when he undergoes his wolfen transformation. "It is I who does not deserve you. So tell me, Beth, how are things on the Bridge?"

Bethany sipped some wine before answering. "Going as well as can be expected. The Black Wolf is still enroute to rendezvous with the Commonwealth Fleet New Dawn. Our ETA is three days, four hours from now. The crew is still shaken up from our last encounter with INDOMITUS."

Captain Lupinus snarled. "As well they should be. Out of our entire fleet, only the Black Wolf survived that engagement. We lost everyone to that Mechanical Monstrosity. They will be mourned, but not forgotten. We will avenge their loss...I swear it!"

Talbot's fierce words triggered something within Bethany. She gave her love a passionate look that he knew all too well. She pushed some of the food off the table, sending it crashing onto the floor. Then she climbed over the table toward Captain Lupinus. Talbot's jaw dropped open.

"I seem to have lost my appetite for food," Mother Bethany said in a sultry voice. "Instead, it's your flesh I crave, my love."

Talbot was shocked by Bethany's behavior. He had accepted that her personality had changed since he entered this different, altered future of the Yesterday Galaxy, but he never expected anything like this. Talbot had long sensed something dark buried within his love, something that wasn't there in the previous timeline. Now it seems that darkness has come to the surface.

Mother Bethany removed her white robes of Vadica, revealing erotic undergarments underneath. She savagely ripped off Talbot's shirt and began to lick all over his chest.

Talbot felt the Wolf within him beginning to emerge. He struggled to hold onto his rational mind, to hold the Beast back. However, he could not stop the uncontrollable growling that rumbled out of his mouth. The fangs inside his mouth began to slowly lengthen.

"Beth...please...we are...supposed to be...enjoying...dinner!"

"That's exactly what I'm doing..." Mother Bethany answered in a wicked tone. She tore open Talbot's pants. The First Officer's head kissed and licked lower and lower down Talbot's body.

Black hair began to grow on Talbot's arms, head, chest, and legs. Sharp claws extended from his fingertips. His eyes turned from black to yellow.

"My love! Stop! I am starting to transform!! In my wolfen form, I might hurt you!!!"

Bethany glanced up at her Captain for a moment. She had an evil look in her eyes.

"Then hurt me, my love. Go ahead and transform into a beast. Don't try to hold it back. I am tired of constantly maintaining control. We both need to release what lies within us...without shame, without judgement. This is who we really are. Only you and I will know. We will try new things...explore new positions...reach heights of passion that we have never known before! Besides..."

Mother Bethany mounted on top of the helpless Talbot. Her sharp nails raked across his chest, drawing blood.

"I LIKE MY MEN HAIRY."

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Friday, November 18, 2022 - 09:21 pm: Edit

MERLIN
STARDATE 11.18.22
PRIME SECTOR
Link to previous Merlin entries

The door to Sickbay slid open. Captain Elizabeth stepped through. She was clad in her all-white Alliance of Lords uniform. Her blonde hair was neatly arranged behind her head. She immediately noticed the dim lighting in Sickbay, which was not normal. Captain Elizabeth's face was so stern it may as well have been made of granite.

"Just so we're clear. I'm the Captain and you're my Chief Medical Officer. I'm here as your Friend. We need to talk about what happened. I did what I had to do."

Doctor Sap stood in one corner pretending to work with her back turned to the Captain. She did not turn around. The leaves which hung from the branches extending out her head were brown and black, instead of their normal yellow. The Doctor offered no reply.

"Doctor...I know your angry," Elizabeth said as she took a few steps toward her Chief Medical Officer. "Please...listen to reason."

Doctor Sap spun around with a speed that belied her wooden form. Her orange eyes nearly burst from their wooden sockets while, at the same time, her wooden branches vibrated with uncontrollable passion.

"Reason?!?" Doctor Sap said in a loud voice. She didn't care if she was speaking to her Captain. "There is no reason here, Elizabeth! You murdered seven thousand four hundred innocent people on Shrieketh-2!! No amount of logic will change that!"

Elizabeth stared at her Chief Medical Officer. Doctor Sap had always been emotional, but she had never seen her like this. It was like her emotions were rising as high as a tsunami.

"Calm down, Doctor. I know it must seem that way to you. But you will never know about command decisions until you are in the Captain's position. I made the only choice I could. Do you know how many lives would have been lost in the future if the Death Cult deployed their strategic weapons using the Brimdorian-2? The death toll on habitable worlds would have been in the billions and trillions! I saved those lives by sacrificing seven thousand four hundred now. It was a decision I will have to live with for the rest of my life. It was a hard decision, but one that, as Captain, I was duty-bound to make."

Doctor Sap went quiet as she calmed down. The branches on her head went from a fast vibration to slow quivering. Her orange eyes shrunk down and drooped in sadness.

"Don't you see, Elizabeth? When it comes to lives, you can't do simple math equations. It doesn't work like that with living beings. Each life is precious and sacred. To sacrifice even one life is a violation of everything I am sworn to uphold. Did those seven thousand four hundred people have a say in your decision to sacrifice them? Or were their lives suddenly taken from them without their consent? We are Alliance of Lords Officers. We are supposed to stand for something, something higher, something with meaning. Not this..."

Captain Elizabeth was silent as she listened to her good friend. A part of her sympathized with Doctor Sap, even believed that her words were true. But there was another part of Captain Elizabeth that knew she had made the right decision. The Universe isn't a rosy and loving place. It is a cold, hard, ruthless place which takes lives...innocent lives...indiscriminately. Unless there are those who make the...tough decisions...to stop it from doing so. It's not fair, it's not just, it's not right...it is choosing the better of two evils.

Elizabeth reached out and stroked Doctor Sap's wooden shoulder. She put her arm around her long time friend and did her best to comfort her. Then the Intercom sounded.

Captain Elizabeth walked over and answered it. Immediately, she heard the concerned voice of Lovecraft, her First Officer.

"Captain, you are needed on the Bridge right away. The Death Cult Fleet is still pursuing us, but there is a certain amount of distance between us such that they cannot gain on Merlin. However, we now have a new threat. One that I had only heard rumors about in the Alliance of Lords."

"What is it, Lovecraft?"

"THREE DEATH CULT FAST BATTLECRUISERS ARE GAINING ON US. THEY WILL OVERTAKE MERLIN IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES."

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Sunday, November 20, 2022 - 10:50 pm: Edit

THE CORE WORLDS - REBIRTH
DESIGNER NOTES
* THE CORE WORLDS IS DEDICATED TO SEAN YOUNG *
Link to previous Designer Notes

The Core Worlds was created by Sean Young. Although there may have been other people who helped to design his empires and ships, Sean Young was the driving force behind it all. Now, the Core Worlds undergoes a Rebirth, as I bring it back with modifications and changes to make it current.

The first and most important thing that needed to happen with the Core Worlds is that it needed to be divorced from the Alpha Sector. The Core Worlds Timeline, Map, and even Empire Backgrounds all referenced the Alpha Sector in various ways. The Map placed the Core Worlds next to the Alpha Sector and the Timeline indicated interactions with the Alpha Sector. In order to not contaminate the Alpha Sector in any way, the Core Worlds needed to stand on its own. This means no contact with the Alpha Sector and no reference to it. The Core Worlds Timeline, Map, and Empire Backgrounds would need heavy revision.

The Core Worlds used Standard Phasers. However, I wanted to make the Core Worlds different in this respect, so I implemented PHD's Blasters instead. I have always liked the PHD Blasters, which were similar to Microphasers, but used two dice to determine a hit instead of just one die. But a change needed to be made to the Blasters.

The "Heavy" Blaster that PHD designed had maximum damage potential equivalent to a PH-2. This was most likely due to taking averages of PH-1 Damage, just like the Microphaser. Unfortunately, this would not do for my version of the Core Worlds, because I needed a "Phaser" which was equal to a PH-1. So the original PHD "Heavy" Blaster was redesignated as a Medium Blaster and I designed a new Heavy Blaster to take its place. Now there are effectively Three Types of Blasters in the New Core Worlds: Light, Medium, and Heavy.

The New Core Worlds will be different from the Original Core Worlds in the number of empires it contains. The Original Core Worlds only contained a dozen or so empires. But I plan on creating dozens of new empires for the New Core Worlds. Some of these will be brand new empires and many will be revisions of former empires. The revised empires will be drawn from other former galaxies, such as Pyxon, PHD, Xekandar, and others.

Finally, there needs to be a type of "barrier" that encloses the Core Worlds, keeping it (and all of its empires) to itself. This will be something like the Void, but more spherical in nature. This will allow the Core Worlds to be isolated, so that they can develop their own timeline, technology, cultures, and starships all on their own.

THE CORE WORLDS ARE REBORN.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Sunday, November 20, 2022 - 11:00 pm: Edit

OUTWORLDER HEAVY CRUISER SSD
Link to the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser SSD

THE CORE WORLDS

OUTWORLDER SHIPS
(CWR1.1) HEAVY CRUISER (CA):

The Outworlder Heavy Cruiser was an unorthodox opponent to face in combat. Armed with Two Mauler-Like En Mass Drivers, opposing Captains would expect the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser to close in on them. However, the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser would often surprise adversaries and throw off their game by launching En Mass Torpedoes from those same En Mass Drivers. Six Heavy Blasters and Two Light Blasters supplemented the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser's fire. When the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser would go on the defensive, it would activate its Image Tracking Destabilizer, gaining Electronic Counter Measure Protection for the duration. The Outworlder Heavy Cruiser also carried a Hyper Warp Drive, an unusual type of Warp Engine that allowed the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser to hurtle forward at an unbelievable rate.

DESIGNER NOTES:

The first thing that needed to be done was to replace the standard Phasers with Blasters. However, as noted in the Core World Designer Notes, the original Heavy Blaster was redesignated as a Medium Blaster and a new Heavy Blaster was designed. Therefore, the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser was given 6 Heavy Blasters and 2 Light Blasters to make it comparable to the Federation Heavy Cruiser.

The next thing that needed to be seriously analyzed was the En Mass Driver. This was the Outworlder's Heavy Weapon, so, despite its Mauler-like characteristics, it needed to be equivalent to a Disruptor or Photon Torpedo as much as possible.

It was clear from the En Mass Driver Damage Matrix that this Heavy Weapon had a Phaser Range-of-Effect Damage Distribution, meaning that it automatically hit at certain ranges. This was a huge advantage that needed to be considered. Neither the Disruptor not the Photon Torpedo were auto-hit weapons.

Looking at the Damage Output, my initial thought was that it was too little for a Heavy Weapon. Using a Full Bank of Batteries (3), the En Mass Driver could generate a Maximum of 18 Points of Damage at Close Range. Since the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser only had 2 En Mass Drivers (with limited Firing Arcs), this meant the Total Heavy Weapon Damage Potential was 36 Points maximum. Comparing this to a Federation CA, we see that 4 Overloaded Photon Torpedoes can generate 64 Points of Damage maximum. So the En Mass Driver seemed woefully inadequete to me in terms of Total Damage Potential.

To fix this, I changed the Battery Banks from 3 to 4, allowing the En Mass Driver to yield as much as 24 Points of Damage at Close Range. With two En Mass Drivers, the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser could potential generate 48 Points of Damage, which was closer to the Federation Heavy Cruiser's 64 Points of Damage.

But then I recalled the Frequency of Firing for the En Mass Driver. It could fire Every Turn, even with Multiple Shots per Turn (limited by Battery Power). This means that the En Mass Driver should be compared against the Disruptor more than the Photon Torpedo. With the original amount of Battery Banks set to three, the En Mass Driver could score up to 18 Points of Damage at Close Range and acculumulate 36 Points of Damage (with two En Mass Drivers) per turn. This was comparable to the Klingon D7's four Disruptors which could score a maximum of 40 Points of Damage per Turn. So I reduced the En Mass Driver's Battery Banks from 4 back to their original amount of 3.

It should also be noted that the En Mass Driver uses Standard Firing Arcs, even thought it is a Mauler-Like Weapon. As Maulers have a very limited Firing Arc, this difference was yet another huge advantage for the En Mass Driver in combat.

The Image Tracking Destabilizer functioned like a Limited Cloaking Device. It provides additional ECM to the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser. The only thing that I focused my attention on was the cost in energy to use. It seemed low, much lower than the varying Romulan Costs for activating their Cloaking Devices. However, given that this device was not as effective a Standard Cloaking Device, I left the power cost as is.

The Hyper Warp Drive was an interesting tactical device that allowed the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser to jump ahead, but only in a straight line. I can only presume that this was to gain a position to fire its En Mass Driver's up close. The energy cost to use this device seemed correct and the other features of the device made sense. The only change I made to the Hyper Warp Drive was to give it an actual box on the SSD, so it could be destroyed by a FLAG Hit. I felt that a device which provided this much advantage should be able to be destroyed during the battle, thereby limiting the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser in combat the more it took damage.

Lastly, I had to examine the Overall Tactics of the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser. Unfortunately, given the nature of the En Mass Drivers, it seemed that their tactics were somewhat of a one-trick pony: Close and Fire. This reminded me of the Ymatrians (who i like in concept) and didn't sit well with me. I needed to give the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser something else to work with, to expand its tactical game on the battlefield. This became the En Mass Torpedo.

It made sense to me that a Mauler-like Heavy Weapon could also be developed to such a degree that it could shift its energy formulation to create a type of Plasma Torpedo. I know this is all techno babble, but it serves my purpose in this case. The En Mass Driver can now create En Mass Torpedoes which function like Plasma Torpedoes, but have the Damage Multiplication Matrix of En Mass Drivers. The En Mass Torpedoes can also Envelop, Shotgun, and become Pseudo Torpedoes.

The addition of this Seeking Weapon feature to the En Mass Driver only slightly increases its Overall Maximum Damage Output (from 36 Points per Turn to 48 Points per Turn). However, it allows the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser to engage its opponent on a more tactical level, using En Mass Torpedoes as a means to dissuade the enemy from closing, launching En Mass Torpedoes and then following them to close, or launching En Mass Torpedoes and then activating its Image Tracking Destabilizer. There are many tactical possibilities with the addition of En Mass Torpedoes and those posssibilities are limited only by the imagination of the Outworlder Captain.

In conclusion, the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser utilizes direct-fire weapons which can fire every turn like a Disruptor. However, these same direct-fire weapons can also generate seeking plasma torpedoes. The Image Tracking Destabilizer functions as a Limited Cloaking Device. And the Hyper Warp Drive gives the Outworlder Heavy Cruiser another tool to tactically surprise an opponent by closing the range much faster than expected.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Friday, November 25, 2022 - 05:35 am: Edit

ZEN
STARDATE 11.25.22
GRAW PROJECT
Link to previous Zen entries

The entire crew slowly shuffled themselves into the large, open cargo bay. They arranged themselves neatly into rows, keeping an equal amount of distance between each person. There were no chairs, just the cold hard floor of the cargo bay. Once everyone was present, each crew member kneeled down to take a comfortable cross-legged position appropriate for meditation. There was no talking, no chatting among crew members. All was silent.

In front of them, Captain Siddhartha floated several feet off the ground while in a meditative posture. HIs eyes were closed, but he was distinctly aware of each crew member. The Captain wore only simple, white garments.

Off to his right, a measured distance away from Captain Siddhartha, sat Omen, First Officer aboard the Zen. The transparent Ghost was also seated on the floor with her eyes closed. Her long white hair hung down her back, perfectly still from her lack of movement.

Up above, Amour sat watching the event. The small, white dove was perched quietly on a railing. She didn't want the flutter of her wings to disturb anyone. The Counselor felt love for each and every person that was present below.

Captain Siddhartha, with his eyes still closed, began speaking in a low, soft voice. At first, each crew member heard the Captain speaking softly with his mouth. But over time, his words became non-verbal, as he spoke directly into their minds.

One by one, each crew member closed their eyes.

"Welcome, my crew, my family, my loved ones. I cherish your presence, always. Listen to the sound of my voice. Relax, center your body, clear your thoughts, and most importantly, breathe deeply in and out. Focus on the breath of life. Today is a special day, for today we all give Thanks."

"Perhaps you wonder what you have to be thankful for. I assure you that each of us has something. For are we not all alive? And being alive, feeling what life is, interacting with life...that is something we should all be thankful for."

"I know that each of you has your own worries. Let go of all your tension, fear, and doubt. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Today we are here, together, completely free from worry. Each of us is at peace. But we are not alone. We are here as a single body, communing together, becoming something more in unity than we were as individuals."

"We all just survived our recent battle with the Centi. We should be thankful for that. The outcome of the battle could have easily been different. Yet Fate gave us our lives, so that we could go on being a positive element in this vast universe."

"Many of you have family. Be thankful for each one of them. Many of you have friends. Be thankful for each one of them. Many of you have romantic interests. Be thankful for them. Be thankful for this ship and every crew member around you. We are one. What happens to one of us, happens to all. I am thankful to have you as my crew."

"Are you worried about your health? Your performance on this ship? What your future holds? Who will take care of you? Who will take care of your family? Are you in pain? Do you suffer mentally? Pain in the mind is a thousand times worse than the pain of the flesh. Do you feel jealousy, envy, spite, anger, hatred, or self-loathing? Do you seek to control everything in this life, including the future? Do you set such high standards for yourself that you always fall short? Are you never good enough for yourself? We are our own worst enemy. But it doesn't have to be that way. We can also be our greatest friend."

"Let go of all these negative things. They will only cause you heartache, distress, and misery. Instead, focus on love, humility, caring, and simply existing. Don't center on what you don't have, instead, center on what you do have. Do not try to control life, others, or the universe. You are unable to do so. Instead, be like the leaf floating down the gentle stream. It goes where it must, where it was meant to go, not by the force of its own desire, but because it is swept along there. You must flow like the water, be as gentle as the breeze, as soft as the flower petal, and as silent as the rock. Life will take care of itself, and you, I promise you that."

"We each have our part to play in this universe. That is why each of us is here. Do not try to be more than that. Realize your part to play, accept it, and be at peace with it. This is who you are. We exist as positive, loving beings who care for one another. Negativity does not affect us. We are pure, at peace, centered, soft, quiet, and free. Evil cannot harm us. We see the universe and it sees us."

Each of the crew members had begun to levitate, just slightly, but they were not aware of it.

"Listen to the voice inside of you. What does it say? Learn to quiet your mind, your thoughts, and the voice that speaks to you. There is peace in silence. Just be comfortable with being. Existing. Breathe. Be like the butterfly floating through the air. The curious child exporing life for the first time. The older person who has nothing more to prove to life. Be like newborn siblings who care for each other unconditionally. Like the ocean that recognizes each individual drop that is part of its body. So it is with you and the universe. You are never meaningless. You always matter."

The Captain's voice went silent for several long moments. Then his soft voice returned again, bringing the meditation to a close.

"We are thankful for our lives. We are thankful for our family. We are thankful for our friends. We are thankful for each other. We are thankful for our role in the universe. We are all only here for a short time. This existence, this physical state of being, is only temporary. We are much more than our flesh."

"AS POSITIVE BEINGS, WE ARE FILLED WITH LOVE, PEACE, HUMILITY, AND COMPASSION. NO AMOUNT OF DARKNESS, EVIL, SUFFERING, OR PAIN WILL EVER CHANGE THAT."

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Saturday, November 26, 2022 - 10:05 am: Edit

THIRD CONFLAGRATION
STARDATE 11.26.22
Link to previous Fiction

Ichaborn sat brooding in the darkness of space. His form was on the Black Planet, a giant, artificial structure that responded to Ichaborn's every thought and command. Blood red eyes focused on the stars as they slowly passed by. How long did each one of them have before they were extinguished forever? Ichaborn thought of his strange and odd life...the Many Incarnations of the White Wolf...the Commonwealth, the Celestial Fellowship, the High Guard, the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems, his Confrontation with the Final Enemy, his Ultimate Sacrifice, and now...the Third Conflagration.

Ichaborn stood up from his Command Chair. His wraith-like form glided over to the edge of the View Port. Because of his Ultimate Sacrifice, he was neither alive nor dead. He yearned to die, to lay his soul to rest at last, but such was not his place or plan. He was forced to cling to this life, to a place where he no longer belonged, even against his own will. If there was such a thing as being cursed, then this was surely it. Yet Ichaborn did not bemoan his current existence, he was far beyond that. Now, he simply had his part to play in the grand scheme, to finish his role as was foretold, to complete his circle of being, to bring a final end to his dreaded life...so that he could, at long last, begin anew.

Ichaborn thought of his many long lost friends...good, good friends that he was blessed with having crossed their paths, even if for just a short time in his life. He thought of his sweet love, Doctor Melia, who he cherished beyond anything else. He thought of his children who were safe in the X-Sector. Ichaborn hated leaving them there at such an early age, but it was necessary for their own safety. And they would each have their own part to play before this madness comes to a close. Even Ichadred, who Ichaborn knew was touched with Evil, the same Evil that had corrupted the Final Enemy, would fulfill his role.

The Final Enemy...Ichaborn was shocked to discover his True Identity when the time came...with all his schemes, plans, and machinations, succeeded in setting in motion the Third Conflagration. But Ichaborn knew that the Final Enemy was just a pawn in the grand scheme, a device used to achieve an objective. So it was with Ichaborn. So it was with all.

There was so much about life that Ichaborn didn't understand until now. Even time had been an illusion, a construct created in order to keep living beings sane and rational. But there was only the moment you were currently in, wherever that happened to be. This was how he spirited his children away to safety at such a young age. This is how he communicates with them in their dreams even now. This is how he communicates with all the galaxies.

The Third Conflagration. Literally, the end of all that is. Ichaborn knew there was no stopping it, no avoiding it, no bargaining with it. No, the Third Conflagration must come to pass as day and night passes over a homeworld. This is the final act, the end of the play, when the curtains come to a close at long last. But Ichaborn refused to go gentle into that good night. He would rage, rage against the Tyger burning bright in the forests of the night. And he would not be the only one. For everything that has meaning in life must be defended. Ichaborn would marshal a host of angels the likes of which has never before been seen in this existence. The Yesterday Galaxy, X-Sector, Y-Sector, the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems, the High Guard, Mitosis, Meiosis, Sector 50, Prime Sector, Ultimate Sector, Project-X, the Young Kingdoms, Core Worlds, Mitrax Galaxy, Graw Project, Proto Sector, Pre-History Years, Line of Battle, Gargantua, Doppelgen, Eco-Sys, Omega Regenesis, Renaissance Galaxy, Tian Galaxy, Seven Seas Galaxy, Pangaea, Dysmorphic Galaxy, Thule, and Countless Other Galaxies would have to all come together to resist this colossal, unstoppable threat. Ichaborn would unite and lead them all. Project-X's Maelstrom, the Yesterday Galaxy's Triangle, and Yggdrasil's vast Interdimensional Roots will serve as a means to gather and focus all the galaxies into a single spear point. And if they get swept aside by the tidal wave of destruction, then so be it. At least they fought for what was right, what was precious, what they believed in.

The Third Conflagration is the Annihilation of our Entire Universe. Nothing can stop it because it was written in the Book before the stars were even born. The veil of reality will be torn open, allowing something to invade our Universe on a scale never before witnessed. Soon...very soon...we will all be victims of...

THE ANTI-UNIVERSE.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Sunday, January 01, 2023 - 01:51 pm: Edit

THIRD CONFLAGRATION
STARDATE 01.01.23
Link to previous Fiction

Ichaborn knelt, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and communicated with the Great One through his thoughts.

O Great One, why must this Third Conflagration come to pass?

Because every Beginning must have an End. And every Ending must have a Beginning.

But there are countless good people in the Universe. What of them?

Their time has come.

And what about the countless evil people in the Universe?

Their time has come.

I thought Good was supposed to triumph over Evil?

I will.

What of the Anti-Universe? Why must you unleash this irresistible force against all that exists?

A farmer needs his Harvesters.

But I defeated the Final Enemy!

The Final Enemy will Always be. He lies in the Darkness, ever Hidden, always using Others to do his Bidding.

This makes no sense to me. I cannot allow this to happen. My wife, my children, my friends, all of them deserve to live! I must stand against this!

Do not oppose me, my son. It will only lead to Suffering and, ultimately, Failure.

Ichaborn went quiet as he searched his mind for another way. There was none.

Forgive me, Great One. I will do what I must.

I know you will, my son...I know you will.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - 01:11 pm: Edit

THE HOURGLASS DOMAIN
DESIGNER NOTES
Link to previous Designer Notes

Time moves slowly in the Hourglass Domain, like the sands of an Hourglass gently falling from the top to the bottom.

The Hourglass Domain takes the step by step impulse action of Star Fleet Battles and slows it down even further. Here, Starships move slowly, homing Missiles move even slower, and Plasmas have a Maximum Speed of 15.

Hourglass Starships have a Maximum Speed of (roughly) 12, although there will be exceptions. Missiles (Drones) will move very slowly, just a few hexes every turn. This means that masses of staggered Missiles will fill the board, restricting the playing field. To make this work, the Endurance of each type of Missile needed to be extended.

Heavy Weapons in the Hourglass Domain do not Overload. Instead, Heavy Weapons (and most weapons in the Hourglass Domain) fire more frequently. This allows for repeated shots at a lower damage rate. Of course, each shot will still have to successfully score a hit. These repeated shots will accumulate damage on enemy vessels, not all in a single, huge strike, but little by little, resulting in slow attrition damage.

There are no Phasers in the Hourglass Domain, but there are Pulse Guns. Following the Design Philosophy for the Heavy Weapons, the Pulse Guns fire frequently per turn, but score little damage. Like Phasers, there are different types of Pulse Guns, some designed for Defense and some designed for Offense.

There are no Shields in the Hourglass Domain, at least not in the normal sense. Rather, every ship is covered with Absorption Armor. This unique type of Armor captures the energy created when it is destroyed and quickly transfers it to the Battery Capacitors. This creates a distinctive dynamic in the Hourglass Domain, similar to PA Panels, but not as complex or delayed.

Battery Capacitors are unique to the Hourglass Domain. They are a source of both Reserve Power and Pulse Gun Capacitor at the same time. This limits the amount of shots with the Pulse Guns, increases the overall amount of Reserve Power, and allows for the Capacitor to be slowly destroyed during combat.

To further protect their starships, the Hourglass Empires developed a rotating Shield Guard. This Shield Guard is powerful (by Hourglass standards), but can only protect one facing at a time. The Shield Guard can moved, but only once per 16 impulses. This means that, with constant maneuvering by enemy vessels, holes and gaps in the enemy's defense can be exploited and taken advantage of. The Shield Guard will ultimately prove too slow to account for the enemy's constant movement and angles.

There are other attributes that make the Hourglass Domain unique. All of these fit in with its Design Paradigm. Administrative Shuttles only take 3 Hits to destroy, move slower, and carry a limited Light Pulse Gun. Hourglass Starships have worse Turn Modes and Breakdown Chances than normal. Lastly, Hourglass starships can only turn 180 degrees maximum when executing a High Energy Turn.

In conclusion, the Hourglass Domain offers a slower paced battlefield, where starships fire more rapidly without powerful, single impulse Alpha Strikes. Shield Guards encourage maneuver during gameplay, as they entice opponents to try to get around their protected arc. Missiles and Plasmas fill the map, not to zoom and quickly hit their target, but to almost hang motionless in space, commanding the area to restrict enemy movement. Battery Capacitors and Absorption Armor create a new energy dynamic, one that needs to be mastered in order to maximize the efficiency of energy usage.

The Hourglass Domain is not for everyone, but for Armchair Generals who revel in commanding each second of every slow passing minute, it is Heaven.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - 01:15 pm: Edit

ALLIANCE SOLDIER HEAVY CRUISER SSD
Link to the Alliance Soldier Heavy Cruiser SSD

THE HOURGLASS DOMAIN

ALLIANCE SHIPS
(HDR1.1) SOLDIER HEAVY CRUISER (CA):

The Alliance Soldier Heavy Cruiser was a formidable starship armed with two Starbolts, two Medium Missile Racks, two Heavy Pulse Guns, four Medium Pulse Guns, and four Light Pulse Guns. A healthy amount of Absorption Armor surrounded the vessel, complimented by a strong Shield Guard. The Alliance Soldier Heavy Cruiser was fitted with a standard array of Battery Capacitors, although there was never enough energy to power all the functions on the starship. Of particular note were the numerous amount of Laboratories on the Alliance Soldier Heavy Cruiser, for, despite its name, the starship also doubled as a Science Vessel when needed.

DESIGNER NOTES:

The Alliance Soldier Heavy Cruiser sets the stage for the rest of the Heavy Cruisers in the Hourglass Domain.

Careful thought was put into the design of the Pulse Guns and the Missiles, for they laid the foundation for combat in the Hourglass Domain and they would also be used by other Hourglass Empires. The areas of Damage, To-Hit, Launch Rate, and Arming Energy had to be thoroughly examined to make sure they would all mesh together during battle.

Starbolts needed to be compared against the Pulse Guns, to ensure that their damage output and energy requirements were similar. Starbolts, in particular, are reminiscent of Disruptor Bolts, with low damage rates and precise to-hit probabilities.

The strength of the Shield Guard was of concern, because this was the primary barrier against enemy fire before the Absorption Armor. It should be noted that while the Shield Guard can be brought down by a substantial amount of damage, it can also be reinforced. This is essential because the Absorption Armor cannot be reinforced. So if a 16 point Shield Guard is reinforced with 10 additional specific reinforcement, it becomes a 26 point Shield Guard. Of course, the vulnerability of the Shield Guard is the slow rate at which it can rotate, but this attribute was purposely built in.

A lot of thought went into the Battery Capacitors, because they doubled as both Batteries and Phaser Capacitors, while being tied into each set of Absorption Armor. Too much and the starship would have too much Reserve Power. Too little and the starship wouldn't have enough power to fire its Pulse Guns. I believe I found the right balance.

Lastly, since many factors such as Speed, Damage, Defenses, etc. were toned down in the Hourglass Domain, it made sense to also tone down other areas such as Admin Shuttles, Maneuverability, and High Energy Turns. Hourglass starships are not the sleek, fast flying ships of the Alpha Sector; they are slow moving turtles which inch toward their target with unbreakable resolve. Their agility on the battlefield should reflect this fact.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 - 09:07 am: Edit

COLUMBIAD
STARDATE 01.11.23
PRE-HISTORY YEARS
Link to previous Columbiad entries

Captain Adeena Dounia screamed as loud as she could.

Etienne Chatelain, the Columbiad's Troopmaster, spun around with Phaser in hand. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

Kristoff, the old leader who had welcomed the Landing Party to Tray-Van-II, was standing above Captain Dounia with both of his hands on the sides of her head. The Captain's eyes were completely rolled back. leaving nothing but the whites of her eyes showing. A dark, chaotic energy surrounded the two individuals. It was clear that Kristoff was "feeding" on Captain Dounia.

"QUE DIEU NOUS PROTEGE ET NOUS FASSE MISERICORDE!!"

Etienne did not waste any time yelling out a warning. From his countless practice sessions, the Troopmaster knew that, at this range, he could not miss. He pointed his Phaser at Kristoff's head and fired.

A red beam of energy shot out of Etienne's hand gun and impacted directly on Kristoff's face.

The old man laughed as he continued to drain the Life Force from Captain Dounia.

"HAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAA!!! YOUR PHASER CANNOT HURT MY IMMORTAL FORM, LITTLE HUMAN!! YOUR CAPTAIN IS LOST. YOU HAD BETTER RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, BECAUSE YOU ARE NEXT!"

Another scream pierced the evening air. It was Doctor Amancia Bandoo. She must have fallen victim as well.

Etienne saw three figures closing in on him out of the corner of his eye. Quickly, he turned and raced down a nearby alleyway. If he could keep his pursuers from making physical contact, he might be able to escape the town and regroup. He would need help from the Columbiad for certain.

Etienne's hopes were crushed as four Tray-Van-II citizens blocked the way out of the alleyway ahead of him. His three pursuers closed in from behind him. The Troopmaster desperately looked for a doorway or window, some way to escape, but there was none...

Mister Octo's scans of the town were interrupted. The genetically accelerated Octopus had immediately sensed that something was wrong with his enhanced senses. He put away his Tricorder and moved toward the noises to investigate.

Suddenly, an old townsman from Tray-Van-II leapt out of the bushes and seized hold of Mister Octo. Black, chaotic energy manifested in his hands as he tried to drain the Life Force from the seven foot tall humanoid Octopus.

To his shock, it did not work.

With a life of their own, Mister Octo's seemingly countless tentacles grabbed hold of the assailant and held him fast. Mister Octo stared into the old man's eyes with his own alien eyes, as one of his tentacles wrapped around his neck, constricting tighter and tighter. With a loud snap, Mister Octo broke the old man's neck. His tentacles released the lifeless form, which slowly slumped to the ground.

I can only assume that the Captain and Etienne have been overwhelmed by this world's unusual "Vampires," Mister Octo thought to himself. Doctor Bandoo was most likely incapacitated by Marlene. Liling Zhao went to explore the town and to speak with its citizens. She is lost for certain as well. And Walker Wallabig? No doubt the brash, athletic man was seduced by Torin and Razel, making him the perfect target for their Life Drain.

Time was of the essence. If Mister Octo did not act now, his Captain and crewmates would be permanently lost. There was no time to wait for aid from the Columbiad.

Mister Octo's countless tentacles surrounded his body like Medusa's snakes.

IT IS VERY RARE THAT I RELEASE THE PREDATOR SIDE OF MY GENETICALLY EVOLVED OCTOPUS FORM. IT LOOKS LIKE NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Monday, January 23, 2023 - 01:40 am: Edit

THE HIDDEN ENCLAVE
DESIGNER NOTES
Link to previous Designer Notes

The Hidden Enclave is an isolated, swirling dimension that slowly moves throughout the Universe. Random wormholes appear and disappear, drawing starships, terrain, creatures, and planetary objects into the Hidden Enclave. The Hidden Enclave possesses a unique time differential which allows it to draw from past, present, and future. However, time within the Hidden Enclave itself is constant and predictable.

Starships entering the Hidden Enclave find themselves in a strange galaxy with no apparent way to return to where they came from. Their systems and sensors are temporarily disrupted, making them vulnerable for a short period. It is during this time that nearly every new starship is contacted by the Collaboration.

The Collaboration is a massive organization within the Hidden Enclave whose member empires have agreed to cooperate with one another for the sake of survival. Even bitter enemies and rivals find common ground within the Collaboration, for they have been completely cut off from their original empires. Weapons, Technology, and Training are freely exchanged between member empires of the Collaboration. The Collaboration is vast, with many starbases and shipyards spread throughout the Hidden Enclave. However, resources, experience, knowledge, and maintenance abilities are restricted, resulting in Limited Weaponry and Limited Technology on starships within the Hidden Enclave. In time, the starships become shadows of their former selves.

But the Hidden Enclave offers something that cannot be found anywhere else in the Universe: Spectral Resources. These glowing, otherworldly resources are harvested from both space and planets in the Hidden Enclave, fueling Spectral Technology (S-Tech) and the creation of Spectral Cells. Spectral Technology gets its name from the ghostly effect that surrounds a starship whenever a Spectral Cell is activated. When the first starships arrived in the Hidden Enclave they found the remnants of a once great civilization that employed Spectral Technology. From their notes and decaying devices, the first starships were able to recreate Spectral Technology, but it too is only a shadow of what it had once been. The Spectral Technology employed by the once great civilization would surely have surpassed even Second Generation X-Technology.

The need for the Collaboration is due to the existence of the Great Beasts. The Great Beasts are monstrous entities which have lived in the Hidden Enclave since it first came into existence. They feed on Spectral Resources and hate the starships and beings that harvest them. The largest of these Great Beasts is powerful enough to destroy an entire fleet. The need to cooperate and aid one another is therefore critical within the Hidden Enclave. Anyone who refuses to join the Collaboration is left at the mercy of the Great Beasts.

As the Great Beasts are the primary adversaries of the Collaboration, I want them to be playable. This doesn't just mean that they are Monsters under the Player's control, but that the Great Beasts will have their own SSD's and unique rules to go with them.

It was essential for me to not create mere duplicates of existing empires for the Hidden Enclave. Instead, there needed to be something that sets the starships apart from their predecessors on a tactical level. This became Spectral Cells (S-Tech). Spectral Cells are one use items that provide highly advanced benefits on the battlefield. Many new options are available to the Starship Captain that previously never would have been. The question of whether Spectral Cells are too overpowered is answered by their own ubiquity. If every empire has access to the same thing, the playing field is level.

Later in the Hidden Enclave Timeline, the Collaboration discovers that there is a way out of the Hidden Enclave, but that it is extremely difficult and dangerous.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Monday, January 23, 2023 - 01:46 am: Edit

COLLABORATION TRI-EXPANSION HEAVY CRUISER SSD
Link to the Collaboration Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser SSD

THE HIDDEN ENCLAVE

TRI-EXPANSION SHIPS
(HER1.1) HEAVY CRUISER (CA):

The Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser formed the core of the Collaboration. Armed with Three Limited Tachyon Guns, Two Limited Tachyon Missile Racks, Four Limited Offensive Wide Phasers, and Four Limited Defensive Wide Phasers, the Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser was a strong adversary in combat. But of particular note were the Four Spectral Cells carried by the Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser, which increased its tactical effectiveness tenfold. Strong Shields, Ample Shuttles, and Abundant Energy rounded out the starship.

DESIGNER NOTES:

The Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser jumpstarts the Hidden Enclave by defining what Limited Weaponry looks like and more importantly, specifying the exact range of abilities gained by using up a Spectral Cell.

At face value, the Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser is an inferior model of the starship it is based on. However, when the Spectral Cells are considered, along with their wide range of tactical benefits, the Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser gains abilities on par with X-Ships. It is a strange combination, to have Limited Technology combined at the same time with Highly Advanced Technology. But this is the essence of the Hidden Enclave, and what makes it different from other Galaxies.

Mastery of the Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser and the plethora of tactics available to it is something that will only come after hours of hard won combat.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, January 23, 2023 - 07:40 am: Edit

It would be nice if you told us what Spectral Cells do.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Monday, January 23, 2023 - 07:45 am: Edit

IRONOAK
STARDATE 01.23.23
HOURGLASS DOMAIN
Link to previous Ironoak entries

Captain Grisla fired her pulse rifle directly into the Frog Demon's mouth. Purple blood sprayed all over the Captain's tattered grey uniform. A thin, long tongue shot over her shoulder and wrapped around her pulse rifle, yanking it abruptly from her hands. In one smooth motion, Captain Grisla spun around and drew her pulse pistol. Her many years of experience and training allowed her to zero in on the Frog Demon without even looking. Six direct hits caused the beast to explode into purple goo. A third Frog Demon jumped directly on top of Captain Grisla, knocking her to the ground. She fired her pulse pistol, but the monster had pinned her right hand with one of its webbed feet. Instintively, Captain Grisla drew her bowie knife and thrust it into the belly of the Frog Demon. It let out a sharp cry before slumping over dead. Once more, purple blood dripped onto Captain Grisla, thoroughly soaking her Alliance uniform.

Captain Grisla was a stocky, older woman with hair cut so short she was almost bald. Her body and face bore many scars, two of which formed an x pattern on her forehead. Red light came out of her right cybernetic eye. She also had a cybernetic right hand and a cybernetic left leg. They were all products of the many battles that Captain Grisla had been through.

Something was wrong. Captain Grisla expected some of the Frog Demons to penetrate their trench, but not this many. They had taken more casualties than she anticipated. Jenkins, Dyer, Frankins, Tomkins, O'reilly, Argosky, Devins, Hopkins, Barrymore...all lay slaughtered on the dirt ground of the trench. There was a gap in their defensive line. Then Captain Grisla saw him. Young Alan Yang was frozen in place and shaking like a terrified rabbit.

Anger swelled up within Captain Grisla, but she quickly controlled it. How many good crew members did she lose because of this man's fright? She ought to shoot him right now herself. But that is not the way of the Alliance. This was Alan Yang's first taste of real combat up close and personal. Combat is completely different when you can see the enemy face to face, rather than just pushing a button on a computer console. She had to get through to Ensign Yang, but threatening him or imprisoning him would not work.

"Ensign Yang?" the Captain said in a stern, but non-threatening voice. "Can you hear me? It's Captain Grisla. Do you know where you are, Alan? You are on Veridian VIII. You are part of a defensive line sworn to protect a trench from Frog Demons. Do you remember, Ensign Yang? Stay calm and breathe. Breathe deeply. You are alive and unhurt. Answer me, Alan."

Captain Grisla slowly approached the terrified Ensign until she stood next to him. He had no injuries. The Captain quickly took away his pulse rifle. She lightly shook Alan Yang and stared into his eyes. They bulged out as they focused on her, then tears began to form.

"Ca...Cap...Captain? Captain...Grisla? I'm...so...sorry, Captain! I tried...I tried so hard. But my parents taught me that all life is sacred. That I should never kill. I thought I could do this...but I just can't! I'm not a killer. I need to leave the Alliance. Lock me up, I don't care. I just need to get out of here. When I saw the Frog Demons hopping toward us...I just couldn't fire. I couldn't fire! Please forgive me, Captain!!"

Ensign Alan Yang hugged Captain Grisla as tightly as he could. He was sobbing at this point. Captain Grisla patted his back several times before pushing him back. She had an unbreakable look in her eyes.

"Alan, listen to me carefully. Your parents, your family, your sisters and brothers, they are all going to be killed if we don't stop the Frog Demons here and now on Veridian VIII. Do you know what Frog Demons do to their captives? They impregnate them with their eggs. Later, those eggs hatch, allowing small Frog Demons to eat the victim's organs from the inside. Do you want this to happen to your family, Ensign Yang? Trust me, it is a horrible and disgusting way to die, I've seen it firsthand. You can save them, Alan, you can prevent that from happening. But you have to do your duty. I can't do this alone. Do you hear me? I need you to fire your rifle and stand by my side. Can you do that?"

Alan Yang thought of his family suffering a terrible death. His fear subsided. He needed to act for their sake. He couldn't let anything happen to his parents, to his grandmother, to his older brother, and to his younger sisters. He had to act, for their sakes. He had to force himself to do it.

"Yes, Captain. I am with you. I will do my duty. I swear it."

Captain Grisla handed Ensign Yang his pulse rifle back. She allowed a slight smile to crack open on her stone face.

"Now the Frog Demons are going to be returning in a second wave. There won't be as many but..."

Suddenly, two Frog Demons jumped into the trench landing on top of Captain Grisla. She quickly slit the throat of one of the Frog Demons with her bowie knife, but the other one wrapped its long tongue around her neck. Captain Grisla couldn't breathe. She looked at Alan Yang for help.

The Ensign pointed his pulse rifle directly at the Frog Demon's head. There was no hesitation, no second thoughts, and no fear.

ALAN YANG PULLED THE TRIGGER.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Monday, January 23, 2023 - 07:48 am: Edit

Hi Mike. The Rules for Spectral Cells and other Limited Technology is defined in the SSD Post. Thanks.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Monday, January 23, 2023 - 11:40 pm: Edit

COLLABORATION TRI-EXPANSION MISSILE CRUISER SSD
Link to the Collaboration Tri-Expansion Missile Cruiser SSD

THE HIDDEN ENCLAVE

TRI-EXPANSION SHIPS
(HER1.2) MISSILE CRUISER (MCA):

The Tri-Expansion recognized the advantages of long range Limited Tachyon Missile bombardment, as well as Limited Tachyon Missile support for fleet engagements. However, the standard Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser could only launch one Limited Tachyon Missile within a select time frame. Thus, designs for the Tri-Expansion Missile Cruiser were developed. Modifications were made to a standard Tri-Expansion Heavy Cruiser by removing all three Limited Tachyon Guns, removing one Limited Offensive Wide Phaser, installing a new Limited Offensive Wide Phaser, and installing four additional Limited Tachyon Missile Racks. The result was a Tri-Expansion Missile Cruiser that could field three Limited Tachyon Missiles in a single instant versus the Heavy Cruiser's single Limited Tachyon Missile.

DESIGNER NOTES:

The Tri-Expansion Missile Cruiser is an obvious variant of the Heavy Cruiser. However, decisions still had to be made regarding the number of Limited Wide Phasers, the Limited Tachyon Guns, and of course, the Limited Tachyon Missiles. All in all, the Missile Cruiser makes sense from a design and conversion standpoint, and it is quite believable that "real world engineers" would have proceeded with it.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 07:48 am: Edit

Don't see the explanation of Spectral Cells on the SSD

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 09:13 am: Edit

NEW GALAXY
STARDATE 01.24.23
MITRAX GALAXY
Link to the Mitrax Galaxy

"CAPTAIN, OUR NEUTRONIUM ARMOR IS NEARLY GONE! WE ARE DOWN TO FIVE PERCENT!!"

Captain Frank Unger stared at the View Screen. He seemed to not have heard the announcement. But in fact, he was mentally tracking every detail of the battle. His crew was his responsibility. Frank would see them through this even if it cost him his last breath.

Captain Frank Unger was a middle aged man with short, pure white hair. He had experienced his share of defeats and victories in life. But he knew better than to question his fate. Instead, Frank did what he does best: trudge on, take the hits on the chin, and make the most of what remains.

A Jandar Raider had stolen a shipment of Orium from a mining facility on the Taurus Moon. The New Galaxy had been in the area, so the Human Cooperative sent her to intercept. The New Galaxy chased the Jandar Raider for eight hours at high warp, when the Jandar Raider finally slowed and decided to make its stand in an asteroid belt.

The battle was fierce, with the edge given to the Jandar Raider because it seemed to be familiar with this particular asteroid belt. Using the asteroids as cover, the Jandar Raider would dart in and out, firing its weapons, and hiding once more. Frank was more accustomed to open combat, and this style of deceptive fighting was not his strong suit. It wasn't long before the Jandar Raider's Subspace Compression Detonators and Proton Dischargers had pierced three of the New Galaxy's Shields, scoring hits on the Neutronium Armor that protected her critical systems. However, the Jandar Raider had taken its own fair share of damage, and Frank calculated that the odds were about even at this point in the engagement.

In his mind, Frank Unger estimated that the remaining Subspace Compression Detonators on the Jandar Raider had cycled through their arming and were about ready to fire once more.

"Activate Tractor Beams," Frank instructed his Navigator. "Pull the smaller asteroids close to the New Galaxy. Keep us surrounded and protected."

The Jandar Raider fired its Subspace Compression Detonators. Their primary force tore through the protective asteroids and destroyed the remaining Neutronium on the New Galaxy. But when their Detonators went off in the following moment after impact, the smaller asteroids around the New Galaxy absorbed the massive energy discharge.

The New Galaxy now had the advantage, but only for a moment.

"Filter our remaining Quantum Phased Torpedoes and Type E Proton Dischargers through the Targeting Scanner," Frank ordered his Tactical Officer. "Home in on the Jandar Raider. Take your time, don't rush it, let the Jandar Raider try to slip away again. Once the Targeting Scanner has a firm lock on...Fire."

Three blinking orbs of glowing, orange energy shot out of the New Galaxy, along with two swirling purple streams of protons. They slammed into the Jandar Raider, devastated its hull, and put the Jandar Raider in critical condition.

Then Captain Unger saw it on the View Screen. A lone Shuttle was on its way to impact the New Galaxy. Instinctively, Frank knew this Shuttle was armed with an anti-matter bomb. It was a Suicide Shuttle.

Having spent his Tractor Beams, Frank Unger responded in the only way he could. "Launch the Dagger Missiles!"

Two small missiles shot out of the New Galaxy, one followed by another. It took a moment for them to reach their target, but they were able to impact the Suicide Shuttle before it reached the New Galaxy. The first missile severely damaged the shuttle, the second missile destroyed it.

The forward half of the Jandar Raider separated from the rear half. This command module, which was roughly the size of a fast patrol ship. was relatively unscathed. The small vessel moved to leave the area, abandoning the rear half which contained the Orium.

"Shall I fire on the escaping vessel, Captain?" the Tactical Officer asked in an anxious voice.

Frank let out a sigh. "Negative. Let her go. Prepare to retrieve the stolen Orium from the damaged section of the Jandar Raider vessel. Send our Powered Battle Armor in case the Raiders left any kind of surprises for us."

"Yes, sir!"

THAT'S ENOUGH KILLING FOR ONE DAY. THE NEW GALAXY HAS ACHIEVED HER OBJECTIVE.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - 09:17 am: Edit

Hi Mike. In the post in which the SSD is embedded, there is text below the SSD. IF you scroll down through the text, close to the bottom you will see the Rules Details for that SSD.

Thanks.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Friday, February 03, 2023 - 12:27 am: Edit

COLLABORATION BLOODHUNTERS HEAVY CRUISER SSD
Link to the Collaboration Bloodhunters Heavy Cruiser SSD

THE HIDDEN ENCLAVE

BLOODHUNTERS SHIPS
(HER2.1) HEAVY CRUISER (CA):

The Bloodhunters Heavy Cruiser was a sleek and agile predator in the Collaboration. Featuring Three Limited Particle Beams, Two Limited Particle Probes, Four Limited Offensive Particle Phasers, and Four Limited Defensive Phasers, the Bloodhunters Heavy Cruiser was well known for its constant bombardment. But the primary threat that the Bloodhunters Heavy Cruiser possessed was its single Limited Particle Torpedo. Evolved from Particle Splitter Torpedo technology, the Limited Particle Torpedo was a serious tactical element that changed the tide in many engagements.

DESIGNER NOTES:

The Bloodhunters Heavy Cruiser is a solid combatant in the Hidden Enclave, despite its Limited Weaponry. The primary reason for this is due to the development and conversion of the Limited Particle Torpedo. When the Bloodhunters were first pulled into the Hidden Enclave, they possessed Particle Spiltter Torpedo technology. However, due to the new environment, the Collaboration, and the limited resources, the Particle Splitter Torpedoes were eventually converted into Limited Particle Torpedoes. These function as Plasma Torpedoes that can be armed over two turns and give the Bloodhunters more crunch power.

The driving reason behind this change is because of a dissatisfaction I have long felt toward the Particle Splitter Torpedo. The description states that the Particle Splitter Torpedo was used to keep opponents at bay while the Particle Beams did their work. But the splitting function of the Particle Splitter Torpedo was fairly useless tactically, in my opinion, unless you were facing fighters or fast patrol ships, which were not present until much later. Even so, in duels or battles without fighters and fast patrol ships, the splitting function is a severe limitation, making the Particle Splitter Torpedo extremely ineffective at long ranges. While the rules state that this limitation might and will change with X-Technology, those rules may never see the light of day.

I have always thought that the Particle Phaser scored too much damage, even though it had a poor to-hit curve. Now was my chance to reduce that damage to bring it more in line with a PH-1 and the modification makes perfect sense because of the Limited Technology in the Hidden Enclave. The Limited Particle Phasers employed by the Bloodhunters retain their original poor to-hit curve.

The Limited Particle Beams and the Limited Particle Probes utilize the same tactics as their original designs. Limited Particle Beams fire rapidly in succession, while Limited Particle Probes are used to score additional internals once a shield is down.

All of this is augmented and magnified by the existence of Spectral Cells, as is typical in the Hidden Enclave. Old tactics become all-new tactics in the Hidden Enclave, once the full application of Spectral Cells is considered. The Bloodhunters can achieve tactical goals that their predecessors never could.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - 12:59 am: Edit

HODDMIMIS HOLT
STARDATE 02.14.23
ELDER EPOCH
Link to previous Fiction

Icharioch wore a melancholy expression on his smooth, seemingly youthful face. He knew the end was approaching, although he admitted it to no one. Countless years of trials and tribulations, life and death, joy and pain...they have all led up to this. Was it all worth it? Did I make all the right choices, given the decisions I had to make? Did I make a difference? Was I a positive force in the universe...or a negative one? Will the eons remember me...or will I be forgotten like sand washed away by the slow, merciless tide?

Icharioch was a tall, thin man, he had ever been so since his youth. He wore his stature with pride and dignity, standing tall for all to see. Curved and pointed runic symbols adorned his skin, pulsating periodically with the magical energy that was imbued within them. His stare was penetrating, a way for Icharioch to not only see what lays without, but also to peer into what lays deep within. He appeared as a young man in his twenties, but this was only a product of his rare and unique species. In reality, Icharioch was hundreds of years old.

The view screen on the Hoddmimis Holt shimmered, revealing a beautiful woman. This was Icharioch's wife, his beloved, his chosen mate for life. She was with child.

Cymra stared back at Icharioch, smiling slightly. Her bright red hair dangled from one side of her head down her shoulder on the other side of her body. She carried herself humbly, with a sincere gentleness, a kindness that could be sensed by all around her. Her skin was white, not the fleshy pink tone that was seen on most humanoids, but bone white, for Cymra was a rare form of albino. Blood red eyes caused unease and discomfort to all she gazed upon.

"My love," Cymra said softly.

"Beloved," Icharioch stated with adoration in his voice. "I have missed you so. How is our child?"

Cymra glowed at the mention of the little life within her. She stroked her stomach, which had grown large and round.

"Well, my husband. Your offspring will be delivered soon. You must be here when I give birth." Cymra stated this as a matter of fact, leaving no room for debate or question.

"I will, my love," Icharioch replied confidently. "The Hoddmimis Holt has a few more tasks to complete, but they will not take long. After I am finished, I will return to our Homeworld so I can be with you when you give birth. You have my word. Do not worry, I will be at your side when the moment comes."

"I know you will," Cymra responded in a trusting voice. She knew her husband well. When he said that he will do something, he will. Not all the forces of Hades could stop him.

"What bothers you, beloved?" Cymra asked. "I can tell when you are saddened. Is the burden of command weighing down on your soul?"

Icharioch had hoped to avoid the topic, but his wife was too attentive, too atuned to his feelings. That is why he was connected to her and only her.

"My love. You know that our Melnian Civilization is coming to a close. We have had our time in the stars, reaching out our grasp to the furthest reaches of the universe. We have brought peace, stability, knowledge, advancement, and prosperity to innumerable worlds. But even the brightest star must one day dim and go dark forever. So it is with the Melnian Civilization. Know that I will spend my remaining days with you, loving you with all my might and helping you to raise our child."

Cymra smiled. She felt her stomach once more. The life inside moved and she felt it.

"Icharioch, our child will grow up in a different time, in a different age. Things will not be the same as in our Elder Epoch. Our child will face new challenges, utilize different technology, forge new friendships, and achieve goals that we will both be proud of. I know it deep in my heart. Our child will be a positive force in the universe."

Icharioch nodded in agreement. His ongoing dreams had warned of the immense sadness and suffering that his child would suffer in the future, the terrible price they would have to pay. But there was no need to worry his wife about such things. It was best if Icharioch kept his dreams to himself for the time being. A joyous birth loomed on the horizon and Icharioch was not going to spoil that under any circumstances.

"Are we still agreed on the name?"

"Yes, beloved. I have not changed my mind. Our child will bear the name..."

ICHABORN.