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[Fire Ze Missiles!]

((OOC: Right, this is currently a serious WIP, and will be fleshed out as I work on it more, so, bear with me. Thankees Copa
Anyways, the below is a rather unnecessary (but a lot of fun to write) introduction to the Athenaeum, read if you want to. The useful information begins in the next post for the overly pragmatic amongst you.))

The adept moved reverently through the shadowy depths of the Athenaeum, muttering the route under his breath. The stranger who paced beside him observed this, but he did not react, and what little that could be seen of his face did not betray any emotion, if indeed he felt any.
The pair turned a corner, and found themselves at the start of a long and wide corridor. At the far end, two guards stood resplendent in shining golden armour, which cast a soft luminescence across the entire chamber. The guards stirred only their eyes at the adept's approach, and their hands never left the hilts of their weapons.
The stranger did not seem in the least bit worried by the attentions of the vaunted warriors, and unlike the adept of the machines who guided him, the man looked about at his surroundings with great interest. His sharp eyes caught hundreds of hidden cameras, sensors and gun turrets following his progress up the vaulted corridor. He seemed almost casual about the whole experience.
As the pair finally reached the huge double doors at the end of the corridor, the mysterious hooded man made to pass through them. Instantly, two golden blades were at his throat, humming with a soft malevolence as energy flooded through their arcane circuitry. The man smiled, and slowly raised his hands. The right-hand guard, without moving his blade, placed a hand on the man's forehead.
Had the others been able to see the man's eyes, they would have noticed him blink in surprise. He felt as though something was piercing his mind, worming through his brain into the deepest parts of his being. In this, he was not far from the truth. Soul-searching was forbidden by Caenophite edict, but the entrance to the Athenaeum was the one exception - no-one who harboured dangerous intentions could be allowed access to the Great Library itself.
After what seemed like an age, the guard nodded and removed his hand. As if at an unspoken command, both blades were withdrawn and the adept hurried to open the heavy doors. He slowly forced them open, and light flooded the forbidden chamber.
A single data-bank was stood before them. The adept hurried to it, and initiated the ancient programming. As it came to the entrance menu, he bowed his head to the mighty machine, and retreated back to his erstwhile companion.
"The machine will instruct you as to the path you wish to follow," he stated in a low, dry voice. "I shall await your return outside."
"Thankyou." the man replied, simply.
With that, the adept walked back out of the room, clearly relieved to be out of the presence of the enigmatic stranger. As the doors were pulled shut and the room's own lighting activated, the traveller turned to the access point of the venerable machine. It was so designed that it almost seemed to look back at him. He frowned at the blank screen and took a step towards it.
+What do you wish to know?+
The words appeared on the screen as if from nowhere, but the man was comfortable with technology that worked and relaxed. He spoke but one word to the machine.
"Domain."
And the reams of data began to flow...

Edited by Fire Ze Missiles!, 28 January 2008 - 07:12 PM.

[Fire Ze Missiles!]

Weaponry - Spacecraft
Skipper Missiles - 'skip' into slipspace before emerging moments from impact with their target. Near impossible to intercept.
Jumper Missiles - working on similar principles, Jumpers include miniature cloaking devices. Their small signature makes them very awkward to detect and intercept.
Adept's Note: Both of these missiles can be equipped with deadly 'multi-warheads', a device which contains five warheads of up to twenty kilotons each! If these are detected, all intercepts should be focussed on them.
Gravitational Mines
EMP Pulse Generators
Photos Cannon
Photos Hammer
Photos Destroyer - siphons energy created by overloading the critical mass of a pair of fusion generators and diverts it into a concentrated beam. A weapon of ridiculous, near irresistible power - avoid being targeted.
Energy Beams, miscellaneous. Adept's Note: We must assume that the Domain have access to almost all forms of laser, plasma, and ionic technology.

Safeguards - Spacecraft
Shielding Layers - working on varying frequencies, powered by a fission/fusion infinite generator.

Interplanetary Engines
Warp Drive - advanced. Only used on fighter-frigate size vessels, or as backup on larger.
Slipspace Drive - very advanced, almost entirely fail-safe. In frequent use by all large ships.


Weaponry - Ground Forces
Concussion Cannons - enormous, sub-munition firing guns, capable of decimating infantry and light armour columns with ease. They are possessed of a very long range.
Missiles, various. Adept's Note: The Domain make use of all kinds of missile, from small personnel rockets to ICBM's. It is quite possible that they make use of those missiles which have become infamous in space on the ground as well.
Photos Rifle - standard infantry weapon, of equivalent power to a laser.

Safeguards - Ground Forces
Structure-mounted Independent Shield Generators

Edited by Fire Ze Missiles!, 29 July 2008 - 01:31 PM.

[Fire Ze Missiles!]

Spacecraft

Dreadnought Class - Arms: Complete Missile System, EMP generators, large numbers of Photos Cannon, several Photos Hammers, one Photos Destroyer, hundreds upon hundreds of small weapons systems. Adept's Note: None of our surveyor ships have survived long enough to make an accurate calculation, but even the lowest estimates exceed 300, and the largest 1000. I personally fear it may be higher even than that...
At least 5 fighter decks.
Armour: Quaternary shielding; very strong, total coverage. Effective EMP shielding. Adept's Note: As the shielding of these behemoths has never been fully penetrated by our forces, we can but speculate at the thickness of the armour itself. I would hazard that it is, in most places, thick enough to withstand the vast majority of projectile weaponry.
Engines: Warp Drives, Slipspace Drives.

Battlecruiser Class - Arms: Extensive Missile array, EMP generators, several Photos Cannon, 1-2 Photos Hammers, 100-300 minor weapons systems. 2-3 fighter decks.
Armour: shielding; very strong, total coverage. Effective EMP shielding. Armour between 0.5 and 5 metres thick, constructed of an unknown alloy, presumably originating from the Domains' own galaxy.
Engines: Warp Drives, Slipspace Drive.

Edited by Fire Ze Missiles!, 26 January 2008 - 11:43 PM.

[Fire Ze Missiles!]

Ground Forces

Adept's Note: Reports so far are sketchy at best - the following is no more than a brief approximation.
The standard infantryman is equipped with a Photos Rifle and light battle armour. They appear to be supported by some troops with rocket launchers of an uncertain nature.
Some heavy vehicles have been spotted, such as large tanks which crush any caught beneath them and mount a sizeable Photos Cannon.
As the only skirmish has taken place on a relatively small outpost, no artillery, air or naval support has yet been observed.

Edited by Fire Ze Missiles!, 29 July 2008 - 01:36 PM.

[Fire Ze Missiles!]

Tactics in Space Combat

Domain Fleet Commanders tend to issue warnings to enemies that they are either to leave the battlefield or surrender, or else risk total annihilation at their hands. A wise general will either use this juncture to distract the enemy Commander with further communication, or disregard it out of hand, pressing on with the attack before the Domain can gauge his reply and react.
Once engaged, the Dominion are slippery foes. Smaller craft are mostly fast and manoeuvrable, and the larger ships make good use of their superior Slipspace drives. Do not allow your fleet to fall static, for Domain Battlecruisers will warp straight to your other flank. Instead, keep all ships mobile. Recommended attack patterns are Wedge and Cantabrian Sphere, using your largest ships as point and flanks in the former, or defended core in the latter. Adept's Note: If a sphere is formed, make sure that your inner ships are able to shoot at least their largest and most powerful weapons out of the perimeter.
The Domain are an arrogant foe, and do not believe the races of this galaxy truly capable of harming them. As such, even relatively minor casualties to their fleet will often be enough to shake their morale and cause the rest to flee, particularly if inflicted fast and fearlessly. Indeed, any decisive movement against them which is not fully repulsed is likely to at least provoke a battlefield relocation of the fleet (via their Slipspace advantage) if not a full-scale withdrawal. Either of these actions, while protecting the larger Domain ships, will leave all fighters and small craft that have been deployed isolated and vulnerable - easy pickings for a well-equipped frigate.

Tactics on the Ground

So far, the Domain's tactics have remained consistently offensive in all areas - this appears to be their main strength. When assaulted, they will counter-assault. As such, it is essential for a successful army to be quickly entrenched and defended after landing.
When attacked on their own ground, Domain forces make effective use of long-range defensive batteries to reinforce their counter-assaulting troops and large, independent shield generators which protect them from large-scale weaponry. The elimination of such shield banks should be made a priority - once they are dysfunctional, Domain troops, batteries and bases will be exposed.
The Domain have not yet offered much in the way of air power. That they should have a prodigious one is likely, however it appears that airbases are located separately to other installations and it will take some minutes for air support to arrive. In this time a wise commander will make full use of his superiority and pound the enemy from the skies.

Edited by Fire Ze Missiles!, 29 July 2008 - 01:11 PM.

[Fire Ze Missiles!]

Command Hierarchy

The shadowy organisation known only as Domain Command and Control (C&C) is in overall command of all military forces.
Fleet Commanders have an entire Imperial Fleet at their disposal, answerable only to C&C.
Commanders/Captains control a single ship in a Dominion fleet, under the Fleet Commander.
Firemarshalls coordinate a ships weapons systems, under it's Commander.
WeapCom's function in a similar capacity, beneath the Firemarshalls.
Helm Commanders organise a ships movements and engines, as ordered by the ships Commander.
Lieutenants function as a Commander's adjutant, receiving, interpreting and distributing his orders.

It seems that the more experienced a ship commander is, the more important the ship he commands will be. Correspondingly, the more significant the ship, the more significant the commander. For example, it appears that the orders of a commander of a Dreadnought class hold sway over those of a commander of, say, a battleship.


Encountered Notable Characters

Lieutenant General Calvagan, in supreme command of the invasion of the Milky Way.

Alard Saldan, Commander of the 5th Imperial Fleet

Edited by Fire Ze Missiles!, 19 June 2008 - 10:46 AM.

[Fire Ze Missiles!]

As there's some more action gone on I thought I'd have a look round here again. I'll re-post this whenever I update so y'all realise.

19/6/08: Minor updates to Space Tactics and Command Hierarchy.
21/6/08: Topic cleaned of excess posts. -Nowe
29/7/08: Initial updates to Ground Forces, Weaponry and Tactics. Expect more in-depth analysis when the information is available.