The IAE

The IAE (Iraultza Advanced Engineering) Wiki by Jat371

Summary
Faction: Warlord Philosophy: Control and Expansion Home Planet: Euskana

Description: Survivors of the great Galactic wars, the IAE remains as one of the few old empires that still exists. But they are still strong, glorious and fearsome. There are tons of marvelous ships used eons ago in the great wars but this never stopped the need of exploring new frontiers in weaponry, physics or technology, that's the challenger spirit that made the IAE what it was in the past, what it is in the present and what it'll be in the future: a big and strong empire. -Murohuuragaka

The Inner Planets
The Inner Planets is a large and well-defined area surrounding the homeworld. Nearly all inner planets are well-developed economically, militarily, industrially, and/or politically. High civilian populations and defense fleets are common. They form a powerful line of defense for Euskana because each system is well connected to the other by trade, communication, and patrolling military forces. The IAE can afford to give each system a home fleet whose strength depends on its strategic importance, number of planets/outposts, and other factors. The commanding officers of a home fleet decide how to divide up and administrate their ships between planets and areas of the systems. Each world of the Inner Planets is administered from the homeworld and cataloged meticulously. In fact, a system in the Outer Rim has to apply to be recognized as part of the Inner Planets and be added to the vast list. The process is to determine whether the applicants have been fully "settled" and are an important piece of The IAE. The application process involves written work, on-the-ground inspections, and much bureaucracy although it's not known to take very long. A planet that unambiguously fits the criteria can be approved in just a few months.

Euskana
The great homeworld of The IAE and nerve center of the empire lies in the middle of thousands of colonies. It's protected by the Home Fleet, a mass concentration of the newest and greatest IAE ships. The composition of the fleet is never definite as old ships are constantly being removed and new battle tested designs are brought in to ensure it is always as efficient as possible. In addition, there are numerous orbital weapons for protection as well as remotely controlled weaponry on orbiting civilian colonies. These defenses can only be confronted assuming an enemy makes it past the many military worlds and developed colonies surrounding Euskana. The planet itself is temperate and features average-sized oceans and mostly low elevations on the continents. Much of the natural ecology has recovered from the Great Cataclysm although a good percentage was created artificially or the result of terraforming. Fauna on Euskana is not very common. Most are either domestic or restricted to natural reserves or zoos. Euskana went under heavy deindustrialization during the second wave of colonization. The High Council at the time felt the planet had sufficient colonies and naval forces to entrust the safety of the homeworld to a defense fleet and orbital weaponry as opposed to a massive ground garrison combined with sprawling weapon production centers and other polluting defensive procedures. The clean up took nearly half a century and that included moving a great amount of industrial and military facilities to nearby colonies as well as reforms to administration of the entire planet. Today, almost all cities, even the most sprawling and populated, have some form of nature integrated into their infrastructure. Parks and some level of ecological integration are mandatory as part of a city's layout (this holds true for many colonies as well). Some skyscrapers even have ivy-like plants manually sewn all they way up the exterior. Rooftop and balcony gardens are also very popular and seen by some as a status symbol. Very small tax incentives are offered to home and building owners for environmental efficiency and features that help maintain the atmosphere.

The Central Sigma Headquarters of The IAE's entire military, intelligence, and research operations, the Central Sigma is one of the hardest places to access in the entire galaxy. Only the most high ranking figures in The IAE's scope are even considered for the right to access. Even High Council members are not allowed into the Sigma if they have been elected only recently. The complex itself is a number of large towers within a fortress perimeter and also extends miles below the surface of Euskana. The compound is heavily fortified with defenses on all sides and protected by a bodyguard of hand-picked soldiers whose loyalty to The IAE is unwavering. It's rumored that in the center of the complex is an enormous mainframe that holds all of the information in the known universe. The mainframe is said to be powered by the geothermal energy of Euskana's core. The Senate Located on a small island near the capital, the Senate (or Senate House) is a large auditorium with seats for the senators of each sector of the empire. On the center floor are nine stands for Council members to use during meetings of high importance, although they are not usually occupied during a majority of the proceedings. The Senators meet on a semi-regular basis, many by hologram broadcast from their respective sectors, to decide some of the weightier matters of The IAE, too important for lower level administration but not important enough to involve the Council. The building itself is surrounded by a small military base and city. Much of it is populated by the family and close associates of Senators that reside on the homeworld for most of the year. Euskana Central Administration District (ECAD) The Euskana Central Administration District, also known as ECAD, is the main political sector of Euskana (in addition to the Senate) and considered to be the de facto capital of the IAE. ECAD is a distinct district of the Euskanian capital with hundreds of offices, residence halls, and a dedicated military base with scattered garrisons. Parks and recreational facilities also dot the area making it fairly self-sufficient. Euskana International Park

Though it seems to be little more than a nature reserve, Euskana International Park was once the site of Euskana's largest city. Although archaeologists and historians are still arguing on the name, they do agree that a very large metropolis once stood where there are now only trees. The topography was also vastly different with more flat land instead of rolling hills and water. The reason for this is theorized to be the Moon Shard, a large chunk of Euskana's original moon that has been preserved and left in its original landing spot. Many believe it was once much larger because the park's slopes all curve down towards it like what may actually be a giant crater. Most of what is known about the area before it became a park is outdated as very few excavations have been approved in recent years to maintain the still-growing greenery of the park. Digging in the park area is strictly prohibited. The sheer presence of armed Footsoldiers often prevents this rule from needing to be enforced. Recently however, the Euskanian Historic and Archaeological Society (EHAS) was granted limited excavation rights and was able to uncover numerous historical artifacts.

The Outer Rim
The Outer Rim is the name given to all the planets from outside of the realm of the Inner Planets all the way to the newest outposts being established. The Rim completely surrounds the Inner Planets and perpetually changes as older systems on the inside become absorbed into the Inner Planets while the edge of IAE territory expands through colonization and conquest. Outer Rim worlds are mostly industrial/mining outposts, new civilian colonies, forward military worlds, and many times, subjugated alien empires. Because the sectors of the Outer Rim are less settled and connected than the Inner Planets, defense can be a problem. The nearest response fleet is often days or even weeks away in which case civilians must act as a standing army or resort to guerrilla warfare against any and all threats. The Outer Rim completely surrounds the inner area of IAE territory so naturally it receives a vast majority of the attacks against The IAE.

Sector 117
The sector most affected by and involved in the Great War. Administrated by Senator Kemmo Daedion.

Planet Eumara An Outer Rim colony established on the second planet from the star of the Nemora system, Eumara was first notable for its incredibly rapid development. As a result of both its Euskana-like climate and viable trade routes, a massive city-state exploded from the single outpost initially established on the planet in just a few decades. Eumara quickly became one of the single most affluent colonies in the Outer Rim filled with skyscrapers and sprawling complexes all bathed in pure light of the system's white dwarf. Unfortunately, Eumara's location left it vulnerable and after less than half a century of existing it was brutally devastated by a mixed Peacekeeper force led by an insane Diabloian Vice Admiral. Reports indicate that he personally ordered the total annihilation of the planet's city centers which was accomplished for the most part. Enormous sections of Eumara's surface were turned molten and stripped of life. Out of the nearly hundreds of thousands living on the planet, roughly one hundred survived and managed to be rescued days later after the enemy fleet fled.

Planet Aumera Aumera is the sector capital of sector 117 and as such is host to administrative complexes, military bases, and beautiful cities. The planet features tall mountains, moderately sized oceans and a very mild climate. The Aumeran government is in accordance with many of Euskana's ecological integration edicts. Small but numerous parks are common as well as drinkable water in most fountains. These features helped greatly during the initial diplomatic stages with the Sauran Solidarity. Ambassadors from the enigmatic race descended on the capital very suddenly. Colonial authorities rushed to accommodate the friendly creatures for a tour the subsequent day. When the Saurans did get their tour, they were highly impressed with the technological sophistication of the colony. Despite standard IAE natural integration, the Saurans were dissatisfied with what they saw (by comparison to their lush homeworld). However, the vast majority of the proceedings on Aumera went well and provided the important basis for diplomatic talks later on.

The Front Lines
The IAE is engaged in an infinite amount of skirmishes on its borders. As the empire constantly expands, alien empires will inevitably get in the way. Diplomacy is always at the forefront of IAE expansion but many empires encountered during expansion are too proud or warlike to accept becoming part of IAE territory (The IAE's first offer to an empire in their way is to absorb them as a protectorate state). The Front Lines are a constantly changing area due to the nature of the skirmishes over territory involved. The planets in the area constantly change hands from alien control to the IAE's then back out of their hands and so on. The smaller battles are often where many new IAE military technologies are tested.

Planet Kronovos
A Diabloian world close to The IAE's border with the Diabloian empire, it was targeted for its rich iridium and titanium deposits as well as simply being an excellent target in the Great War front. The planet is significantly developed, with well-established cities, sophisticated mining operations, and even a lunar colony. Initial scouting for The IAE's invasion was done by stealth forces aided by a team of Red Devils. It was found that the planet's garrison was uncharacteristically smaller and less supplied than most Diabloian worlds and the attack was spearheaded by The IAE's 48th Invasion Fleet.

Protectorate States
As mentioned before, The IAE's expansion policy towards most smaller empires is to first offer them a status as a protectorate state. Protectorate status under The IAE means that the empire keeps it's relative independence and administration and is required to allow IAE garrisoning and a modest resource tax. In return, the protectorate receives profitable trade agreements with The IAE, IAE military protection, eventual IAE citizenship status for all their people, and numerous other political benefits. Larger empires would be too hard to administrate as a protectorate, so the offer of protection is not usually extended because an empire's main reason to accept is usually The IAE's protection. Most larger empires that The IAE finds common ground with will receive more traditional diplomatic offers. Therefore, The IAE's territory is dotted with hundreds of small protectorate states. IAE civilians and industry often move into protectorates and mingle with the alien population. The truth behind all protectorates is that they eventually dissolve into The IAE's scope. Euskanians mingle among the protectorate's people and the protectorate's people upon receiving IAE citizenship will migrate and spread out among the empire. At a certain point it's hard to tell where the protectorate's territory ever was because they have been so well integrated. It is an immensely slow process with obvious benefits and downsides. At the cost of totally losing their culture, the protectorate species becomes fully part of The IAE and has the right to participate in all its processes. A majority of the High Council is not Euskanian but made up of once alien species that have long since been integrated, viewing themselves as members of The IAE rather than part of an independent race. The process is subtle and even those that have recognized the pattern have not been overly critical about it.

Dagorro Empire
The swamp dwelling Dagorro were originally an extremely secretive race of ecologists with a very vaguely defined territory (to the rest of the galaxy). The Dagorro often settle underground and underwater to avoid affecting the ecology of a planet. All of their fuel and building materials are highly renewable. Due to their nature, their planets often seemed uninhabited but were often rigged with a myriad of concealed defenses and a standing army of Dagorro guerrilla fighters. Often times empires would simply give up trying to settle anywhere near Dagorro space. That was not the case for The IAE.

After an extended conflict with the Dagorro, they began to take notice that the IAE used many environmentally friendly technologies when settling on captured planets. The war soon reached a stalemate. Though The IAE had advantages in numbers and firepower, the Dagorro were proficient in stealth technologies and their sustainable military technology meant they could fight for a very long time before weakening their economy at all. They proposed a truce to the IAE but they had their own plan. An arm of colonies had already extended around part of Dagorro territory so they could not leave the Dagorro empire sitting where it was. The offer to become a Protectorate was given.

It took some time and a significant amount of negotiation for the Dagorro to agree but they eventually did. The IAE returned much of the worlds they had taken to the Dagorro's control. Today, much of The IAE's improved ecological technology is the result of the Dagorro's help. A small percentage of Dagorro have volunteered to be part of specialized IAE battalions for swamp, jungle, and other natural warfare situations. Commanders have commented that the Dagorro "aren't afraid to get their hands dirty".

Kaia Collective
When The IAE first made contact with the Kaia, they were struggling to quell enormous infestations of Crevur across many of their worlds. Many larvae had gone unnoticed in their cargo vessels until they were spread across multiple colonies and aggressively started building hives, often in urban centers. The Kaia's military discovered these outbreaks sequentially and therefore became spread dangerously thin. Riots broke out on the most affected worlds and rampant vigilantism only made things worse.

An IAE exploratory fleet received multiple distress signals from one of the infested worlds and immediately came to aid them. Within just days, the combined forces of the Kaia Collective and The IAE managed to exterminate the Crevur hives on that world. IAE diplomats immediately made contact with the Kaia's general assembly to make a proposal. The IAE proposed that it would fully purge Kaia space of the Crevur if the Kaia would become a Protectorate state in return. The assembly was hard pressed to make a decision because even with one world freed they didn't have the manpower to control their populace and combat the growing infestations across even a couple worlds. Despite being a proud race by nature, the Kaia's general assembly voted to agree to the IAE's terms by a small majority after seemingly little debate on the matter. In the end, The IAE was true to their word. Over the course of several months, the Kaia were able to quell the rampant rebellions across their worlds as the IAE's forces focused on crushing the Crevur hives. The empire was able to fully rebuild to where it was before the crisis over the next couple years. They were registered as a Protectorate and much to their relief the IAE's terms were as reasonable as they initially described. Today, The IAE and Kaia have shared much in the way of technology and culture. The dexterous Kaia are now well-represented in a number of battalions and many civilians have found their way throughout the IAE's space.

The Tarrenians
(Part of the Tarrenia Rising series) Though long technically integrated, the planet Tarrenia and its surrounding system are a special case. The world's history is a complex and often messy affair compared to most homeworlds. At some point before the original inhabitants had achieved space flight other races, likely independent colonists or pirates, began to establish enclaves on Tarrenia. This continued to the point that it's no longer clear what race the original Tarrenians are or if multiple races had emerged concurrently. As time went on, no less than a dozen races fell under the umbrella term “Tarrenian”. The planet continued to be relatively lawless (though peaceful) for a great deal of time. The various races largely mingled in shared villages or stayed in separate settlements, content without a central authority. Because the vast majority of settlers had no corporate or government backing, spaceflight after arrival and conversion of ships into shelter was rare. Therefore, the planet’s character was largely of that of a prespace society. Technology levels varied greatly depending on trade and distance from major population centers. Without many central institutions however, many records are the composed of unreliable accounts and oral tradition. Though no one knows exactly when, three militaristic racial groups joined together to form an organized military junta. Decorated as the Martial Authority (referred to as “the Martials”), they began a campaign of conquest and territorial consolidation. Their dominance was largely unopposed due to their advanced technology, standardized weaponry, and superior organization. Most settlements chose to surrender immediately since they had little more than hunting weapons to defend themselves with. After very little time, the Martials had some form of control over all but the most remote peoples on Tarrenia. Their rule proved to be oppressive and inefficient. Nearly all of their resources went to military expenditures or researching further methods to maintain control. Infrastructure such as roads And bridges were only made for the benefit of Martial operations. All other traffic was subject to harassment or blackmail by passing patrols. Villages were taxed and pillaged into poverty while cities were subject to absurd regulations to discourage competition with state-run businesses. Entry into the military and government was severely restricted to the three races of the Martial Authority. After several decades of oppression, revolutionaries started appearing in the remote countryside and began sabotaging Martial operations as well as gathering support from the populace. Without an organized leadership or territory, the rebels severely disrupted the Martial’s regular activities with impunity. Every raid brought them new weapons and supplies as well as new recruits hearing of their successes. The rebels increased their firepower by outfitting civilian vehicles with weapons or repurposing captured Martial equipment. This only caused the Martials to become more aggressive though. They devoted more aircraft and heavy armor to patrols and began investing in biotechnology to potentially clone or grow new troops. Inevitably the situation escalated into all-out war, though the rebels were almost exclusively from frontier or rural territories. Word of the uprising had been suppressed in cities and many groups in the badlands were skeptical of their goals. In order to gain support, the rebels began carving a path to the mountainous regions under the supervision of the mining guilds. They were largely independent but Martial air superiority and control of trade routes kept the miners in check. The rebels gained their backing by destroying the Martial radar towers and air fields dedicated to suppressing the mining territories (which were mainly fortified against an attack from the mountains). With new recruits, resources, and refitted mining equipment, the rebellion was finally looking like a credible threat. Though they were better equipped than before, the rebels had consistent trouble breaking into urban centers and Martial strongholds. Guerrilla attacks were simply ineffective against heavy fortifications. The turning point came after a curious piece of intelligence found its way to the rebel leadership. A group of fishers reported that the Martials had recently occupied a resourceless desert island far from any major port, trade route, or battlefield. Fearing it could be a trap and unable to devote enough resources to a naval attack, the rebels sent a single agent equipped with stolen stealth technology to investigate. After infiltrating the base the agent made a startling discovery, an IAE lieutenant, who to the agent was an alien they'd never seen before. Not much earlier, The IAE had discovered Tarrenia and sent an envoy under the assumption that the Martial Authority was the planet's appointed government. Irritated by the rebellion and arrogant from decades of control, the Martials instead captured the envoy to try and reverse engineer their weapons and vehicles. With no knowledge of The IAE, they began their research and were in the midst of interrogating the members of the envoy with the expectation that the problem would simply go away. However, after the agent and lieutenant escaped via a Lodikote dropship, The IAE made contact with the rebellion. Angered by the Martials’ actions, The IAE pledged their support. Not interested in a protracted orbital siege, The IAE landed forces in the northern tundra to avoid already established fortifications and areas of conflict. With some assistance from the rebels, IAE forces pushed South and broke through Martial lines one after another. With attacks coming from all sides, the Martials retreated to the remaining major cities under their control. Combined rebel-IAE troops broke through after protracted sieges against their fortifications and delays caused by evacuating civilians. With their backs against the wall, the Martials release a gigantic genetic monstrosity created by splicing the DNA of the three races. However, their gambit failed and allied forces eliminated both the monster and the remaining Martial leadership. The IAE was left in an awkward position after the fall of the Martial Authority. Officials quickly realized they had been caught up in the excitement of getting revenge. The Tarrenian people would be unlikely to accept a completely unknown new government right after removing the old one. Their culture was equally mysterious to The IAE and there was no framework for a transitional government to work with. The rebel leadership was strictly organized for fighting and already many had abandoned their roles to return home as soon as victory was declared. The diplomatic corps devised a plan to incorporate the planet given the circumstances. As the military began dismantling and disposing of Martial weapons and technology, the diplomats contacted as many settlements as they could to reach a consensus. An agreement was soon drafted and ratified. Learning of their previously independent ways, The IAE granted the Tarrenians a great deal of freedom in day to day affairs. In return, they agreed not to form any competing government or standing army. Unlike most protectorates, Tarrenia was not given a plan for integration but rather individuals would need to seek out IAE enclaves to apply for citizenship and the means to go offworld. Resource taxes were very light, only enough to maintain The IAE’s defense force (which has gotten cheaper over time as the empire's borders have grown far beyond the Tarrenian system). This arrangement has been modified very little down to today. Officially, Tarrenia is part of Sector 54 and considered one of the Inner Planets. In reality though, very few member races outside the military visit the planet and its culture has barely been influenced at all. Its technology level is quite far behind the rest of The IAE though the Tarrenians don't seem to mind. Offworld registration is still open though most applicants are bored youths that only show up after the harvest season. Many return in time for Spring and resume life as normal. Tourists looking to take in another culture but apprehensive to leave The IAE often choose Tarrenia but rarely stray from the major cities and enclaves. Otherwise, life continues as usual as it always has.

Erraldoi Deepspace Shipyard
Significant enough to be considered an important location, the Erraldoi is one of the oldest and largest ships in the known galaxy. It is an immense mobile shipyard commissioned and built during the Continuum Wars. Some of the greatest minds of The IAE came together to design the Erraldoi and the result was an enormous success. Aside from its hulking size, the Erraldoi is plated in many coats of armor and thousands of defense arrays all to ensure its safety as a strategic asset. One of its biggest technological marvels is its modular design, giving operators the ability to easily remove and upgrade machinery as well as make additions to the station in general. The superstructure has grown by at least 100 kilometers since its initial construction and with seemingly little effort. Naturally with its size comes the ability to construct every kind of IAE vessel, up to and including dreadnoughts and entire stations, given the proper resources. Erraldoi is home to a large fleet of ships tasked with defending it at all times. They were all constructed in its bays and are constantly maintained by the station's systems. Assuming this fleet were to fail during an attack on Erraldoi, its armoring is substantial enough that it could withstand fire long enough to produce a fresh fleet as well as await reinforcements (likely very eager to defend one of The IAE's crown jewels). Erraldoi was used constantly during the Continuum Wars in conjunction with the flagship Mendeku and its battlefleet. The IAE was able to cut huge swathes of new territory from its enemies with overwhelming firepower supplemented by constant reinforcements from Erraldoi. Recently however, Erraldoi spends most of its time moving through the Inner Planets constructing fleets and (ironically) orbital shipyards for many different worlds. In the eyes of the High Council, no recent campaigns have been vital or bloody enough to warrant the use of Erraldoi. However, many in The IAE's ranks have heard talk about the possible commitment of the station to the Great War front and they may be right.

History
Natives of the Initias Aberri Euskana, the IAE are a powerful empire, but not much is known of their history by their enemies.

Timeline
(Years -30,000 to -25,001) [Dark Age] Multiple wars take place on the IAE homeworld of Euskana, several nations rise and fall.

(Years -25,000 to -19,000) [Turbulent Age] 5 world wars -During the fifth world war, the first attempts of the natives to colonize off world locations in order to keep them away from the wars are successful. Numerous orbital and lunar habitats are established.

(Year -18,000) [The Great Cataclysm] After a corporative conflict, one of the moons is destroyed and one of the fragments impact the planet annihilating surface forces, more fragments destroy several orbital habitats; 93% of the population dies. The survivors isolate themselves from contact with other nations.

(Years -17,999 to -5,001) [Age of Isolation] An unrecorded era of history.

(Year -5,000) International isolation ends after an alien craft is discovered on the planet's surface. Euskana International Engineering is created by surviving nations of Euskana.

(Years -4,999 to -1) [Colonial Age] Euskanians manage to create the first stellar drives which allow them to expand between the stars; the furthest colony is 3 parsecs away from Euskana.

(Year 0) After a strange incident in research installations (some dead scientists, radiation and some destruction), Euskanians discover the key for advanced interstellar drives. Former nations and colonies call a meeting from all parts of space and decide to give more funding to the EIE and rename it as IAE, since the discovery is a figurative revolution (Iraultza). Their technology achieves new and more Advanced levels of design.

(Years 5,200 to 7,000) [IAE involvement in The Continuum Wars] The IAE is dragged into The Continuum Wars. Many hundreds of new IAE ships and weapons were designed during this period. It emerges as one of the few victorious factions but is economically weakened.

(Years 9,000 to 9,750) [IAE involvement in the Galaxy Rising Wars] The IAE attempts to establish a foothold in a wartorn part of space and is met with relative success.

(Year 10,000) [Present Day] The IAE has expanded to hundreds of systems, allying with, assimilating, or destroying any empires in their way. - Iraultza87

The Great Cataclysm
The short time leading up to the Great Cataclysm is one of the only reliably recorded eras of ancient Euskanian history. As a direct result of the Cataclysm, nearly all history before and a large chunk of history afterwards was totally lost or unrecorded for a long period of time. Records that were pieced together indicate that in the ancient Euskanian world, many corporations had gained the power of entire countries and would war with each other as such. Towards the end of the 5th World War, 3 of the largest corporations on Euskana, the Suge Corporation, Euskana International, and the Jentil Corporation, began a devastating conflict. Without any national borders, the corporations fought heavily in streets, in parks, and anywhere they could. Suge Corp used sophisticated battle mechs and weaponry with little regard for collateral damage. Euskana Intl used tactics like disguising troop transports as public buses and renting out apartments as barracks. Jentil Corp deviously tried to co-opt police forces and civilians into their "workforce". The only thing in opposition to the big 3 were the remaining independent countries (that had become battlegrounds for the big 3) and smaller "liberation companies" like Blacktech Industries, an android research firm turned guerrilla operation. The resisting entities made powerful covert strikes against the 3 in the hours before the Great Cataclysm but unfortunately it was all for naught. Euskana International invaded the Suge Corp's holdings on the moon in the midst of a Suge and Jentil conflict. At this point the story is unclear. Some evidence indicates that Suge Corp activated an enormous bomb because they were losing ground too quickly while other information points to their base's reactor going critical because of the battle. Either way, the largest moon of Euskana was annihilated and broke apart into millions of pieces. Any corporate soldier on the moon or in immediate orbit was killed. The largest fragments rained down on Euskana immediately following the explosion, those landing in the ocean created huge tidal waves and those that impacted the land destroyed cities and countries wholesale. Smaller fragments impacted orbital colonies, some destroying them completely and others dragged them to the ground causing further destruction. Instead of affecting just one side of the planet, the nature of the explosion propelled fragments away from Euskana but the planet's gravitational field pulled them back by the time it had rotated, affecting areas further. FAST FORWARD

First Colonial Era
The end of international isolation and the Euskanian's first step to the stars.

Eyes Upward
International isolation was slowly weakening but the factions of Euskana were still incredibly insular. It was not until a world defining event hundreds of years after the Great Cataclysm. An alien spaceship roughly the size of a standard frigate entered Euskana's atmosphere and crash landed in Sukia's southernmost sea. The ship was incredibly damaged by whatever transpired before arriving but also by its reentry and rough landing. Almost nothing was salvageable and the ship was picked apart by looters almost immediately. However, such an event was impossible to ignore. Words and even some images of the event spread across Sukia and then all of Euskana. In particular, the Landaki Union in the west took great interest. Having just finished a war with the Northern Lakadan Kingdom and taking control of all of Landak they now had the resources to look outward. After dispatching spies to confirm the rumors they began the call for cooperation. Slowly but surely isolation ended at a much faster pace. The now decaying wreckage of the alien ship was finally cordoned off and analyzed by teams from across the world. Though the wreck was still as unusable as before, the confirmation of the existence of alien life became a huge impetus for all involved. The Landaki Union and the other dominant nations began a free trade of technology and ideas. Scientists that met each other during the exploration kept in close contact. Nearly half a century after the alien crashlanding the first stellar drive was developed and tested.

First Colonization Wave
As the stellar drive and space exploration technology were refined the first great colonization rush began. The sharing of research and technology continued. As the nations of the world were preparing to expand to the stars the Landaki Union then made a new call to action. They proposed and lead the establishment of the International Council of Euskana (ICE). The ICE was an intergovernmental organization first established to regulate colonization but rapidly grew to be a type of world congress. Space exploration and development technology began to be standardized and laws regulating colonization, exploitation, and trade were established. The ICE did not take charge of colonization though. While technology and laws were standard, almost all colonies were established by individual nations. The first wave lasted for several decades as nations colonized suitable areas in the Euskanians' home cluster, a vaguely crescent shaped collection of stars known as The Arc. At the height of the first wave a grand total of 17 extrasolar colonies were established. Numerous hubs and jumping points were established around the home system to help link together the (relatively) vast amount of space the Euskanians were spread across. Orbital installations were reestablished around Euskana for the first time in hundreds of years. Soon the flow of resources began to trickle back to Euskana and thus the world finally began to move past the Great Cataclysm. The golden age slowly came to an end though. The viability of the extrasolar colonies began to decline as economic woes mounted and technological limitations became fully apparent. Many of the colonies were still dependent on constant support from Euskana even after over a hundred years. As colonial populations grew and industries expanded the cost of maintaining them slowly grew to outweigh the benefits. Technology could not keep pace with the incredible expansion and profits stagnated at an increasing rate. As the situation became clear the colonies began to seemingly dissolve. Some particularly dependent colonies chose to abandon their holdings and their colonists returned to the home system. Contact was simply lost with the remaining ones. The Euskanians' reach fell back to the home system.

Unification Era
The ICE works towards the unification of the Euskanian race.

The Leap Forward
Several decades after the full decline of the first colonial wave The ICE decided to reconvene for several special sessions to evaluate the future of Euskana. After extensive debates, the leaders and delegates present came to the conclusion that continued separation was no longer viable. The current state of Euskana would bring about the same cycles of growth and decline as it always has. The colonies failed because scientific collaboration was simply not cooperative enough and the resources to fund them were not pooled whatsoever. The highest members of The ICE finally made a decision. As national governments slowly fused together the world's first fully international project would be carried out in secret. The best scientists and engineers were made to collaborate on the next stage of technology, the interstellar drive. Bases were established in obscure areas of the solar system to carry out research and test the next level of drive technology. Confidential documents released later on would reveal that the project would far exceed established safety standards as time went on. Several facilities were expended by and scientists lost to explosions, irradiation, and all manner of problems. The project pushed forward though and its scientists continued their work with almost religious fervor. After years of work the first interstellar drive was completed but only revealed to the public after extensive testing. With Euskana ready for its next big leap forward, The ICE prepared to become a truly supranational organization. After a very arduous process of negotiation the scattered nations of all 10 continents finally agreed to combine and dissolve into 10 continental districts of administration. The ICE, now the official voice of Euskana, optimistically rebranded itself as the Interstellar Alliance of Euskana (IAE). The first ever High Council was initially composed of 10 members each representing a different continent. Its first orders of business were to unite the infrastructure and economy of Euskana and prepare a new fleet of ships with the latest technology.

The Lost Sheep
With Euskana reaching for its next golden age, The IAE resolved to investigate the lost colonies and bring any survivors under its jurisdiction. The many exploratory fleets set out to map The Arc, moving faster and more reliably than ever before. After years of surveying they determined that 4 of the 17 Arc colonies remained and had grown to become self-sufficient entities in their own systems. Of those that fell off the grid, many were abandoned and their populations merged with those of the remaining four. Other more proud colonies seemingly tried to become self-sufficient but fell apart or died out from lack of supplies. The 4 remaining colonies were as follows: The IAE sought out Krindak with the offer first. The colony was fairly quick to accept. The people had kept a great deal of their Landaki character over the years and perceived a strong Landaki influence over The IAE's policies (which may well have been true). This led them to feel they would be well-represented. Krindak was a very big trading partner with New Serasia and were considered to be partially dependent on each other. The IAE decided that they would be next. With some convincing they were able to get Krindak to limit trade with New Serasia to weaken the Serasians' position. The colony was soon coerced into joining The IAE. Though they were initially resentful of The IAE's methods the colonists ultimately benefited and never caused any trouble from that point on. Aranio Nova and Mirinai were much less cooperative however. Aranio Nova's location on a garden world helped it grow into probably the single most successful colony of the first wave. The inhabitants of Mirinai had worked very hard to survive across the scattered outposts and had developed a very proud and warlike culture over the years. Diplomatic meetings with both were mostly fruitless and neither one were remotely willing to give up their sovereignty. The IAE was determined to unite all Euskanians under its banner though. Even if Aranio Nova and Mirinai were left alone they could potential threaten IAE dominance of the home cluster. Years of negotiation opened up limited trade with Aranio Nova but progress towards annexation was almost nonexistent.
 * 1) New Serasia - A colony founded by expeditions from Seretti nations. It was named after the Serasia region of Seretti, one of the theorized birthplaces of Euskanians. The colony was centered on one of the semi-habitable moons of a moderately sized gas giant. It was located to the galactic northeast of Euskana's position on The Arc.
 * 2) Krindak - A colony founded by expeditions from the Landaki Union. It was based on a pre-garden world where only a number of plant species had developed but not any animal life. It was located not far from New Serasia.
 * 3) Aranio Nova - One of the first and most successful colonies founded by Sukian expeditions. They were highly inspired by their region's history as the grave of international isolation with the crash of the alien frigate. Aranio Nova was based on a fairly verdant garden world and the surrounding system. It was located to the galactic southwest of Euskana's position on The Arc.
 * 4) Mirinai - A collection of smaller colonies founded by expeditions from Fisidi. The overall colony was composed of several bases and installations in small planetoids and large asteroids trapped by the star's gravity field. It was located a fair distance from Aranio Nova.

The War for Unification
The IAE's newest envoy to Mirinai would end in disaster though. The newest leader of Mirinai (who came into power some time between the last envoy and the one before it) was highly brutal and despised The IAE. Incensed that another delegation was arriving he ordered the colony's cannons to fire on the 3 ship envoy. The lead ship was repeatedly damaged and eventually broke apart, killing all inside. The remaining ships were able to escape during the attack but sustained damage. Malfunctions and lack of fuel meant that they could only reach the very edge of the home system. The stranded ships were discovered weeks later when both crews were reaching the very end of their rations. After the survivors were rescued and allowed to recover, IAE officials learned the full story of the Mirinai attack. It was decided that the only option was military action and that The IAE was to bring their military to the stars. One of the planet's largest projects was then commissioned, a fleet of warships and support ships able to take revenge on the wayward colony. The project took place over the span of nearly 2 years as the fear of Mirinai aggression stayed very real. The result was a fleet of 15 warships. It's composition was as follows: The 1st Fleet of The IAE was formed with the flagship, 1 carrier, 3 frigates, and a destroyer and assigned to High Admiral Kivan. The rest of the ships were assigned to the 2nd Fleet and High Admiral Dalran. The 2nd Fleet would be left in the home system to defend against possible incursions. Kivan led her fleet to Mirinai to stage a sudden attack on the colony's core planetoid. The initial stages of the battle went very well for The IAE. The defending fleet was 9 ships strong but they were of inferior quality compared to the 1st Fleet. They were relatively sluggish and Kivan forced them into an engagement outside out of the colony cannons' effective range. Mirinai ships were also focused on sending boarding parties and had fewer direct weapons. The defense fleet was crippled without a single IAE ship casualty. The war was far from over though. Unbeknownst to The IAE, Aranio Nova had made a pact with Mirinai. Already a wolfpack of 5 Aranio frigates that had been lying in wait now moved into formation. They had waited until The IAE believed the fighting was over and began reloading their weapons and making repairs. The Aranio forces flanked the vulnerable IAE fleet. Compared to the Mirinai, these ships were much more maneuverable, better armed, and tougher. They went directly for the 1st Fleet's carrier knowing that The IAE couldn't properly deploy a ground invasion without it. The carrier was crippled and thousands of soldiers and crew were captured. Kivan ordered a full retreat. One of her frigates, the Parzen, defied her orders and distracted the Aranio long enough for the remaining ships to barely escape with minor damage (though the flagship took a fair beating). The Parzen was totally destroyed and its crew lost. Meanwhile, any IAE trading ships in Aranio territory were captured, stripped, and their crews imprisoned. The 1st Fleet limped back to Euskana with nearly half its strength gone. The crew of the Parzen were all given posthumous honors. However, there was not much time for mourning. The IAE knew that the Aranio and Mirinai could possibly reverse engineer the interstellar drive from the crippled carrier, destroyed frigate, and many captured civilian craft if given time. Then the two colonies would be at The IAE's doorstep for revenge. In the coming weeks, the 1st Fleet was repaired and granted a destroyer from the 2nd Fleet to bolster its strength. Kivan developed a strategy to defeat the colonies before they could build their strength any more. Kivan's ruse was to lead the 1st Fleet back to Mirinai on a very predictable route. High Admiral Dalran and the 2nd Fleet would travel to Aranio Nova using an erratic route to avoid possible sensors. They would need to timed almost perfectly to arrive at nearly the same time. The other admirals were not ecstatic about that plan as it meant that Euskana was defenseless save for whatever defense cannons it had. The 3rd Fleet was already under construction but would still be at least 1-2 years from completion. Kivan was able to convince them however and the operation was launched. The 1st Fleet began its journey to Mirinai on the same route it had taken before to ensure that the Mirinai and Aranio detected them in advance as they had the first time. The 2nd Fleet took a highly irregular route to avoid early detection. The plan worked just as Kivan had hoped. The Mirinai detected her fleet and convinced the Aranio fleet to stay and defend against The IAE. The 1st Fleet then began a protracted skirmish with the enemy for control of Mirinai. Meanwhile, the 2nd Fleet's carefully timed route brought them to Aranio Nova only days later. They immediately went about destroying all comm buoys and any means of calling back the Aranio fleet. Dalran then obliterated the Aranio's much weaker defense fleet. At Mirinai, Kivan used every strategy she knew to slowly pick off the repaired Mirinai fleet and 3 of the 5 Aranio frigates. Knowing the battle was lost, the remaining 2 frigates began the several months long retreat to Aranio Nova. When they arrived however, they found the rest of the military destroyed or captured. The 2nd Fleet had spent the time completely conquering the colony and all its holdings (though guerrillas on Aranio Nova's surface would be a sizeable problem for the next 30 years). With The IAE's guns already trained on them, the 2 ships surrendered as their government had not much earlier. The 1st Fleet had spent the same time combing through the scattered bases of the Mirinai and subjugating them as well. With the end of the war, The IAE would first demonstrate its most common means of assimilating other civilizations: Diplomacy, coercion, and war.
 * One flagship. Large by then standards but no larger than a modern cruiser class ship.
 * Three carriers. Ships designed for precision bombardment of the colonies and to deliver armies to pacify them.
 * Seven frigates. Small ships that acted as designated escorts for the flagship and carriers. Made to screen them for possible threat and take hits if necessary. Capable of fighting on their own though.
 * Four destroyers. Heavily armed ships designed to smash whatever fleets the Mirinai possessed.

Bridging the Gap
With the four primary colonies under control, the government on Euskana determined that The IAE had two new priorities going forward. The first was to increase unity between Euskanian holdings to decrease possible resentment and prevent future conflicts. The second was to use new advances in technology to reactivate or otherwise reestablish the thirteen remaining settlements that had initially failed. Success with these initiatives would fully bring The Arc under IAE control and provide it with a solid foundation for further galactic expansion. The first initiative would involve the creation of an interstellar resource sharing system and communication infrastructure capable of seamlessly linking The IAE together. These needs led to the establishing of an organization still in existence today, the Office of Resource Allocation (ORA). The ORA would be responsible for ensuring that all colonies are provided with necessary food, water, medical supplies, and other essentials. This would also involve evaluating those needs in anticipation of possible crises and anticipating future growth as well. It quickly became necessary to put aside old grudges if the fledgling empire was going to succeed. Though Mirinai was the aggressor during the Unification War and some hysteria about possible attacks had arisen, the asteroid colony needed probably the most assistance. Tensions eased as The IAE took over upgrading Miranai’s infrastructure as well as administering aid. Back home, a number of media campaigns were devised to help homeworld Euskanians and colonial Euskanians find common ground. Most of those on Euskana had no concept of life on a different planet and very few had been in space at all. Many misconceptions about colonial culture, daily life, and even hygiene had become common and had to be dispelled if The IAE wanted to maintain unity. On the other side, no living colonial had been born on or ever visited Euskana. Their only knowledge of the homeworld came from what historical archives were available. As long as The IAE’s holdings were just five islands alone in an ocean of stars they couldn't succeed. Movement and communication between them was limited by practical problems. This would lead to the creation of the IAE-INN’s predecessor, the Euskanian Communication Network (ECN). The ECN’s responsibility was to bridge the gap between systems by researching new techniques, building new relays, and establishing new standards for communication technology. Though it took many years of work, the ECN completed a massive project that would usher in a new era of understanding. By building a system of rotating comm buoys at the edge of each system as well substations in deep space, communication delays between stars were cut down immensely. New opportunities were soon expanded to the general population. As ongoing projects expanded the bandwidth available on each buoy and station, Euskanians across light years were regularly connected for the first time. The IAE was not satisfied with its people being only penpals though. For its latest challenge, the next agency to be formed was the Colonial Transit Authority (CTA). The CTA, which still operates today, is responsible for coordinating regular transportation and security between IAE holdings. Beyond the logistics of physical movement, the CTA also handles immigration, disease screening travelers between colonies, shipping regulations, and sometimes border security. By establishing regular routes and waystations, The IAE’s domain was finally interconnected. Though a lot of restrictions were necessary, Euskanians from all five areas could freely move between worlds for the first time. With many limitations finally removed, a massive economic and cultural boom immediately followed. The volume of movement and communication rapidly increased. Trade flourished, interplanetary media expanded, and scientific minds collaborated as never before. As the stars began to feel closer and closer together, The IAE knew it was time for their second initiative to begin.

Recorded Events
(Adventures)|2267552952%3Assc-500439834163 Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500377530672%3Assc-500439834163 Fortress Assault Following a deadly assault by the Arios, IAE forces push them back by sending a small squad to expel the Arios from between the fortress walls. The IAE finally defeats the Arios using sheer force and one mean battle mech. Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500386776790%3Assc-500439834163 The Trenches With the help of famed IAE Commander Damion Makhendra, IAE forces were able to push back Arios forces in the trenches. Damion and his squad were eventually ambushed by a heavy Arios mech but it's sluggishness made it no match for Makhendra's team. Pushing even further, IAE forces pushed the Arios out of the region by totally destroying one of their main vehicle depots. Codename: Over The Edge
 * Main Article: Planet Armarri

Also known as The Invasion of Armarri. A Volkaan Federation (VKF) armored division secretly landed on the surface of Armarri, an outer rim IAE colony. The division's landing spot was first discovered by a scout patrol but they were spotted themselves, and eliminated before they could report back. A short time later, a single mercenary was sent to locate the patrol and stumbled upon the division and reported back to Sgt. Armaine, the commanding officer of the settlement at that time. Part 2 The first attack came on a rainy night and was little more than a few armored vehicles and some infantry. It is speculated that the VKF didn't know the IAE was expecting them and thought they would overwhelm an unprepared colony. The attack was quickly repelled. |2267552952%3Asast-500407207663 Part 3 A day or so after the night time attack, Sgt. Armaine was able to contact an off-duty commander for help. Several hours later, Commander Dreas landed and pledged his personal bodyguard to help repel the VKF. Seconds later, the colony received two blasts of artillery. The colonists quickly counterattacked with a small convoy to disable the artillery outpost. Armored vehicles from Dreas' bodyguard landed and helped wipe out the artillery. |2267552952%3Asast-500409569200 Part 4 The next day the VKF launched an aerial assault with an attack wing full of airdrop marines. The colonists repelled the attack but not without casualties. One of the airships was captured and found to have an automated return program. The mercenary boarded the ship and using the program found what looked like the Volkaan's primary base. |2267552952%3Asast-500411230280 Part 5 On the same night as the aerial assault, VKF black ops troops infiltrated the colony intent on assassinating anyone awake enough to fight back. The mercenary and some night watch guards eliminated the enemy squad quickly. The alarm was raised after radar picked up incoming enemies and the entire colony was alerted. An attack force of armored vehicles and more than 50 infantry then attacked the colony. The colonists won but suffered heavy casualties. Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500413085584 Combat Zone The mechas stirred up some serious trouble. They downed an entire IAE ship and spread all over the battlefield. Fortunately, the Thor planetary laser at the forward base was reactivated and began eating away at the enemy frigate. After holding off waves of enemies and even one BioMonster, the enemy frigate was destroyed. A small detachment was then sent to a small enemy artillery emplacement and it was destroyed, ridding the sector of mecha influence. Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500426101846 Shattered One of the oldest ships in the IAE fleet, "Resonance", suddenly broke apart in orbit of a primitive planet after a reactor malfunction. Out of the hundreds of crew members, 6 managed to survive the impact. They worked out a deal with a tribe of advanced natives and managed to secure a dropship from them. They were picked up by a passing fleet not long after.

Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500492587878 Urban Defense Force At approximately 14:00, a hostile alien forces composed of The Mechas attacked a major IAE city without warning. Due to the sheer number of mechas (reported to be in the thousands), the city sustained significant damage and many civilians were killed. However, IAE battle police forces, orbital marines, and a passing captain teamed up to defeat the mechas by fighting their way to and destroying their command beacon. ‎

Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500493555046 Urban Invasion Unit The memory module of the Mecha commander was successfully recovered after the commander was subdued. Most if not all of the data was intact, and by hacking into it, one can experience the attack from the commander's point of view...

Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500435477870 Shadow of the Council A high ranking IAE officer was found guilty of numerous charges of treason. Evidence indicated that the Traitor had sold key information about The IAE to numerous empires, many of which were enemies of The IAE. The evidence was not definitive however, so at the trial, Iraultza sentenced the Traitor to reverse the consequences of what he was charged of. While unusual, it would fix the problems the Traitor had allegedly caused while allowing the investigation to run it's course.

|2267552952%3Asast-500449315540 Part 2
 * Main Article: Planet Delesa

The first stop was Sky Gardens, one of The IAE's most remote research facilities located on Delesa. Because of it's hidden location, the facility maintained only a small security force for occasional problems. The Aeon Consortium got a hold of it's coordinates and sent a strike force to take the station. Their strategy involved bombarding the station with a wave of boarding pods to gain access all over the station. The attack was successful and the pods heavily damaged the station. The Traitor arrived, gained access and was debriefed by HC Krnlsandrs. He then fought through various Aeon units and retook the security room which allowed The IAE to access the entire station again. While in the security room, the traitor learned from the console that the last user was registered with The IAE. The traitor then met up with his friend Col. Dyron and fought alongside his battalion to retake the control room and drive the Aeons out of the station. While in the control room, the traitor found a deleted file named "traitor" and downloaded it to restore later. |2267552952%3Asast-500473412062 Part 3 The next location was planet Altzairu. It was a planet rich in raw resources and found only recently by The IAE. However, it's location was sold to ever-hungry Gulf Spice Consortium. They quickly set up a mining compound, fortified it, blew up The IAE's only entrance bridge, and set up AA guns around the valley. Using a fuel pipeline as a bridge, the Traitor crossed the valley and disabled the AA guns. While The IAE confronted the GSC's main fighting force, the Traitor infiltrated the compound and exploited unprotected fuel lines to cause major damage. Afterwords, the traitor met with IAE armed forces for the final push to destroy the barracks. The GSC reinforced by dropping troops from their cruisers but they lost the battle that followed.

Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500511386479 Enter The IAE The IAE unknowingly shared a border with the Diabloians and in fact knew nothing of their existence or of the Epic War's existence. Once the IAE starting pushing their colonization forward, the Diabloians knew that The IAE would soon discover the Epic War and most likely join the Warlords. They resolved to push the IAE back by staging a strike on their outpost but lost the element of surprise when a mercenary (captain), hired by the IAE, infiltrated their mining compound posing as a Xaracor hired mercenary and learned of the attack. Soon after, IAE forces rolled in, crushed the Diabloians, and plunged themselves into the Epic War.

Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500523116221 First Blood The IAE's first official involvement in the Epic War. While some Warlord's were shipping combat supplies through a neutral spaceport, the Peacekeepers, intent on seizing the supplies, attacked the Warlords. The conflict escalated resulting in the evacuation of the spaceport and extensive damage. The Warlord forces, composed of the Necraal and the Zaretians, were outnumbered by the Diabloians, Fadyo, and Xaracor. It's then that The IAE was called in to help. The IAE scouting party was able to gain the Warlords access to the Peacekeeper held Spaceport interior. With the backing of The IAE, Warlord forces pushed the Peacekeepers as far back as the Heavy Dock. Any Peacekeepers that had not already fled tried to escape on a Diabloian cruiser. The cruiser was destroyed by internal sabotage however, and it meant victory for the Warlords. Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500585679841%3Aview-newest Trouble in Paradise During an attack by the Karahotdoum on the IAE outpost of Eritora (whose jungles gave the Karahotdoum a significant advantage), a Nalstros battle group was able to land and soften up IAE defenses and raid supplies while the main force was occupied with the Karahotdoum. From there, the raiders used the distraction created by the Kara to move in between the weaker areas of The IAE's defenses and eventually breach the spaceport. The Nalstros were able to raid even more cargo throughout the then damaged spaceport docks before a tactical defense satellite was able to launch an EMP on their escaping transport. A lull in the fighting allowed The IAE to divert a number of troops to assault the pirates but the Karahotdoum quickly launched another wave that allowed the Nalstros to make repairs to their ship. By the time The IAE had completely repelled the Karahotdoum the raiders had escaped and the port needed immense repairs. Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500614391257%3Aview-newest Massacre of Eumara After detecting a latent distress signal from the highly populated Outer Rim colony of Eumara, a passing captain decided to investigate the planet's surface. The captain was greeted by a horrifying sight. The colony was in total ruins, much of the streets sunken into oceans of molten rock, metal, and gore while Diabloian ships hovered overhead. The captain moved through the barely walkable streets, fighting or avoiding mixed Peacekeeper soldiers along the way and stumbled upon several surviving Battle Police officers and armed civilians. After helping them survive against attacking Diabloians, he was filled in about the attack by the Peacekeepers. Not long after, the fleet withdrew for reasons just as unknown as why it had attacked so brutally in the first place. It was found out later, however, that the Diabloian Admiral leading the attack ordered his forces to assault the planet, destroying one of his own cruisers as an example. Codename: |2267552952%3Asast-500677803927%3Aview-newest Kaldev's Requiem After interviewing survivors of the massacre and tracking the initial vapor trail of the Peacekeeper fleet, IAE forces were led to an arctic planet and known hideout of the cunning Pirate Lord Koro. The same captain that was present on Eumara to aid the survivors volunteered to meet with Koro for answers. Koro revealed that the Diabloian known as Vice Admiral Kaldev was responsible and also a sufferer of Tabrula Syndrome, a twisted form of the Frenzy that drove the admiral to near insanity. Koro also noted that he was Kaldev's only source of a temporary antidote but his supplier had been terminated by Peacekeepers and now had no antidote to offer Kaldev. Just as the captain and Koro were in the middle of speaking, the Diabloian fleet appeared above the planet, intent on covering their tracks. Promising to aid The IAE with more information, Koro bargained his way onto an IAE dropship and the two escaped as the Diabloians bombarded the camp.

Government and Administration
The IAE's vastness and complexity call for advanced bureaucracy and interconnected management systems. Every hour of every day, millions of workers (greatly aided by AI's, computers, and integrated networks) ensure that the empire runs smoothly.

Imperial Jurisdiction
An overview of the levels of administration and governance and how they typically work.

Colony
Colonies are typically administered in three different ways. In many cases, a Director (or governor) will be appointed through different means. Most of the time he/she is appointed by a superior or chosen by the people of the colony. The latter case is usually because the colony has just been established. Subsequent directors are usually elected democratically but their immediate superiors are always able to remove them without a vote, though not on a whim so to speak.

The second way is by a Colonial Board. Several important members of a colony make up a council of sorts to govern the colony. Boards are often headed by a Colonial Board Director (or just board director) that often leads meetings and represents or communicates the board's intentions and decisions to the public and/or their superiors.

The third most common way a colony is run is through military command, often by a commissioned officer. The commanding officer will have control over both the colony's military and administrative affairs. Many times the military is given control of new Outer Rim colonies so they can be defended more efficiently with an experienced officer present. Officers are also usually in command of facilities and installations that are not of a military nature but still not colonies either. Officers are often given temporary control of colonies and worlds that are involved in battles or under attack. This allows the military to properly make use of the colony's resources and other factors to resolve the situation. At other times the colony's administrators may be captured or killed during an attack and the military will immediately and automatically take control.

Star System
In a star system with only a single colony or settled planet, the colony leader doubles as head of the system. In systems with more than one colony or holdings on several worlds, the most developed and politically important colony is chosen as the system capital (which is the oldest one in most cases). From there the affairs of the system are centrally administered. Entire systems (and larger divisions) are often not directly controlled by the military unless there is a state of emergency that calls for it.

System Cluster
Groups of several systems in close proximity are administered as system clusters (or just clusters). The capital of a system cluster is usually located as close to its center as possible so that administration can be handled fairly evenly. If a capital can not be decided on, representatives from each system will form a board to govern the cluster.

Subsector
A number of clusters in relatively close proximity to each other. They work essentially the same as clusters except on a greater scale.

Sector
One of the largest designations of administered IAE space. Sectors are under and only under the watch of Senators. Senators represent their entire sectors before the Senate on Euskana. Senators from sectors close enough to Euskana will often appear at the Senate House in person. Others will participate by hologram or send a representative in their place for whatever reason. The outcomes of each Senate meeting are then disseminated by each Senator to each administrator working under him/her and then each one under them and so on.

The Central Database
In the face of overwhelming surges of information from across the IAE needing to be stored for later use, the High Council commissioned a central databank to hold the multitudes of knowledge that need to be sorted. The vast majority of the information stored in the databank is innocuous and therefore available to all with even the lowest level access. Each sector has a server to provide for its needs, each of which is connected to the central server on Euskana. Access to the outermost layer of the database is completely free.

The next layer is the military database, containing vast amounts of intel, troop movements, and other military information. This layer is extremely secure, even high ranking officers only have access to data relevant to their own or nearby campaigns. Access is limited to military facilities and specially designated ships.

The inner layer is composed of some of the most vital information in the IAE and much of the galaxy. It is only accessible through the Central Sigma and even then only a handful of personnel are even allowed near the main terminal.

Mass Transit
With such a large amount of space and sometimes expensive transportation costs, mass and commuter transit systems had to be put in place for the empire to function smoothly.

Planetary Very well developed colonies feature numerous types of commuter transportation.

[Blegh, will finish later...]

Citizenship
Living within The IAE's borders does not guarantee one many of the rights that may be common to some. Below are the most broad levels of becoming a full member of The IAE.

Facto The IAE has decided that exterminating races it is forced to conquer is both inhumane and wasteful. Instead, hostile and conquered races are put into a state of servitude to the empire which is known as Facto. Those serving the IAE are known a Factotum or Factotums. Unskilled laborers are used for grunt work while more knowledgeable servants can use their skills to help the IAE (under supervision of course). Any outstanding discoveries or accomplishments made by factotums are not credited to them however. Servant races are often split apart as much as possible when reorganized into labor divisions. This ensures that there are numerous language barriers and often rivalries preventing organized resistance or uprisings. Facto races can often earn Protectorate status or even direct Citizen status through years of obedient and problem-free service. This is after it can be determined that they will not cause any issues after integration. Foreign Inhabitant A title usually assigned to refugees, exiles, and other aliens living within The IAE, Foreign Inhabitants have very few rights compared to IAE Citizens. Certain colonies and sectors may allow aliens to live within IAE borders, temporarily or otherwise, for whatever reason. Such aliens cannot benefit from social programs, own land, run for an office, and many other things. Protectorant Protectorants are citizens of an existing Protectorate State within The IAE. They are guaranteed the full rights agreed between the Protectorate and The IAE within their respective Protectorate's space. Though they are free to leave the Protectorate to explore IAE space, they cannot live outside the Protectorate's borders or receive legal status until their State has been fully integrated. Resident Residents are often vacationing citizen from allied empires, foreign diplomats, and recognized refugees. They often stay in the IAE for extended periods of times but usually not permanently. Residents that wish to inhabit the IAE indefinitely will apply for citizenship. They are guaranteed most rights under IAE law but these may be completely or partially revoked under certain circumstances. Citizen Citizens are guaranteed the full rights and protection of IAE law in IAE space. Euskanian (No Longer Used) Before the designation was repealed many centuries ago, Euskanian was the highest level of citizenship and as one might imagine, limited to the Euskana species. Persons that reached the Euskanian level of citizenship had all rights attainable by anyone, most notably the ability to serve in public office which other species at the time could not do under any circumstance. After many years of racial integration and much protest, the title was removed and its rights were conferred upon anyone that was a legal Citizen. The term Euskanian is now normally used as an adjective to denote any civilian aspect of The IAE (meaning separate from the government) and the mainstream Euskana species as a whole.

Member Races
The IAE is a conglomerate of different species. Though other races immediately think of Euskanians when The IAE is mentioned, the empire is not so monolithic. Races that were once allies or began as protectorates have grown to be very influential in The IAE.

Euskanians
The Euskanians are the primary race of The IAE and originate from the empire's capital of Euskana. History Biology

Filiot
The Filiot are an amphibious race from the well-watered world of Iobei.

History Biology

Ic-Shan
The Ic-Shan are a towering race from the jungle world of Nabor-ran.

History The Ic-Shan are complex race with a vast and enlightened history. IAE historians and sociologists characterize the Ic-Shan as "having a devotion to knowledge and a love of both memory and advancement." Their skills in cataloging, prediction, and scientific analysis are sought after by the intellectual institutions of The IAE while their strength, durability, and versatility are loved by the military.

Biology The Ic-Shan are almost entirely herbivorous. A majority of their original diet consisted of berries, sweet tasting vines, high fiber leaves, and fruits. They have chosen to classify themselves as omnivorous because they are able to derive nutrition from certain species of large insect and bird. Ic-Shan stand at a range of 7-9 feet tall. They display very little sexual dimorphism besides the presence of a single horn on males versus a row of cranial ridges or very small horn on the female. Their bodies are covered in a thick but short fur that differs in style and shades of brown based on sex and ethnicity. The strands of fur do not provide insulation, however, they rather form a small protective layer that serves purposes such as preventing dirt or parasites reaching the skin. One of their most distinctive features is their two distinct sets of arms. Their larger set of arms and hands are extremely strong but not very dexterous or flexible. Their primary use during their development was grasping branches and vines to navigate the dense jungles and vast canopies of their homeworld. The muscle structure of their larger arms enables them to exercise and maintain position for hours on end without fatigue or lactic acid production. This advantage was used by the Ic-Shan to rest or sleep while still suspended on branches or suitable vines and for traveling miles of jungle during any given day. The texture of their hands is very coarse, likely to enable traction when grasping plant life during travel. The fingers themselves are fairly inflexible and poorly suited for complex activities. In combat, their larger arms are capable of tremendously powerful strikes or navigating the area of battle with ease. Their smaller inset arms function very differently. Each of the several joints can rotate nearly 270 degrees and pivot in nearly any direction. Though they have a very short span and cannot reach most areas of an Ic-Shan's own body they are used in conjunction with their larger arms to accomplish any number of tasks. Their hands are capable of intricate manipulation and are used for a majority of activities from holding food to carrying infants. The inset hands each have four fingers compared to the three fingers on the larger hands.

Croylarys
The Croylarys are a short, stocky race hailing from the icy world of Croylar.

History

(under construction)

Biology The Croylarys are carnivorous by nature with a moderately sharp set of teeth in their muzzle. They eat and digest much like other mammalian races. However, their stomachs are located near their middle to upper backs. The short distance from their mouth to stomach means they tend to digest food very quickly. An out of shape Croylarys will often begin growing a "hump" as they accumulate more fatty tissue. Their eyes are located on the side of their head though facing more inwards. They can see straight forward to a degree but tend to shift their heads side-to-side at times for better vision. Croylarys are naturally small creatures and rarely grow taller than 4 feet. They are flexible and adapted to moving quickly and efficiently through tight spaces and over rough terrain. Their palms and soles are very rough and provide them with needed traction for moving over icy or slippery surfaces like those on Croylar. Though technically warm-blooded, Croylarys often require environmental systems in their clothing when not in cold climates. Their rough hide is a powerful insulator and keeps their internal organs comfortably warm in extreme colds. On warmer worlds however, their skin has the tendency to actually overheat their insides. Though only lethal on extremely hot worlds, this phenomenon can raise their body heat to incredibly uncomfortable levels and/or make them sick. To counter this, most Croylarys clothing and military gear comes with light refrigeration units to counterbalance their natural insulation. These units can be turned off at will so a Croylarys doesn't require several pairs of clothing while traveling. Though not as much of a problem as their hide, Croylarys eyelids and scleras (outer layer of the eyes) insulate their inner eye as well. Their eyes are actually warm enough to melt snowflakes that might collect in them during blizzards. Therefore, most Croylarys wear goggles with cooling units when in warm climates.

Reevit
The Reevit are a tripedal race originally from the desert world of Viital.

History A disastrous war that transpired long ago would displace their entire race and force them to wander the stars. The Reevit became more and more dispersed over the millenia of wandering across the stars and other race's empires. Eventually one of the larger groups of Reevit wanderers would stumble upon The IAE. The clan of almost 5,000 Reevit nearly crippled the then Outer Rim colony in Sector 79. Their unofficial leader, Iveena, was brought before spaceport authorities who were understandably annoyed about such a sudden influx of wanderers. Iveena told them the story of their species passed down from generation to generation. The officials were very sympathetic after hearing her and appealed to their cluster administrator to see if there was a place for the Reevit. Iveena's story would eventually reach the highly popular Senator Kifon Dirival of the sector. After bringing in the Reevit to hear the story himself he would recall a similar story some days later. After consulting some researchers, Dirival would learn that it was in fact The IAE that had displaced the Reevit from Viital many generations ago. The IAE's commanding officer of the conflict was Dirival's distant uncle Admiral Kifon Toramik (whom he was named after). When Dirival came forward with his findings the public outcry was immediate. An overwhelming number of people called for the Reevit to be repatriated immediately. Planet Viital was soon found in faraway sector 64. Senator Tirak of the sector was flooded with petitions to give Viital back to the Reevit. Much of Viital's original architecture had been either preserved or creatively updated. The forgotten world, which was home to 3 million Euskanians, was populated largely by artists and craftsmen. After some convincing, the fairly liberal inhabitants soon agreed to let the Reevit reestablish themselves on the planet. Iveena and her wanderers arrived and began to refurbish the Reevit's original capital city (which was largely unused by the IAE). When elections came several years later, Iveena would be elected colonial administrator by a small margin and go on to have a highly successful political career. Word would spread to several other groups of wanderers and the number of Reevit living on the colony would swell to nearly 38,000 by Iveena's third term. She remained close friends with both Senators Dirival and Tirak throughout her career and retirement. Iveena would pass away just short of her 97th birthday. Her passing was a source of great sorrow for Reevit everywhere and especially those that were alive for their repatriation. A holiday specific to Viital was instituted on the day of her appeal to Senator Dirival (who was still alive and had spoken at Iveena's funeral). Reevit everywhere are known to celebrate The Day of Humble Appeals. Many years later as the Reevit's population on Viital broke its first million some began to ask where they would expand to when the planet inevitably became crowded. IAE territory had wrapped around the Viital system long before Iveena's appeal. The answer came from one of her indirect descendants (Iveena had never married), a simple poet named Liido. At an Appeals Day ceremony he said: "We wandered before and lived among other races. When we came home, it was not to an empty house. When our mothers rode aboard crowded ships they did not think of owning their own craft. We do not need colonies. Those Reevit that choose to wander again will do so in the houses of the Euskanians." True to Liido's words, the Reevit have not petitioned for any new worlds. Rather, they have established enclaves all over the IAE and have become a highly represented and respected member race.

Biology The Reevit originated in Viital's arid lowlands and valleys and are well-adapted to surviving on scarce resources. Though they resemble insects, the Reevit do not possess an exoskeleton, segmented bodies, or compound eyes. The somewhat porous-looking center of their head works much like the cells of other creatures. Reevit ingest only liquids or gels through their facial membrane which becomes selectively permeable to allow the passage of materials. When not eating, their membrane is just as firm as the rest of their body. Reevit are able to drink nearly continuously which is thought to be an adaptation to their dry environment where being able to quickly consume scarce liquids was advantageous. Reevit eyes are located within the membrane and give them a very tall and arching though comparably thin field of vision. They are still able to see during meals by utilizing whichever one of their 5 eyes are not in use. Their eyes can work somewhat independent from each other but this would only be practical in looking side-to-side (where their vision is obstructed by their carapace anyway). Their eyes are adapted to seeing through their murky facial membrane meaning that Reevit can see with substantial clarity when underwater or through fog and steam. Reevit hear by sensing vibrations on the air with their antennae. Those in the IAE military use specialized comm systems with audio transmitters that encircle at least a portion of their antennae (as opposed to a flatter speaker or earbud used by races with smaller ears). Reevit are excellent at processing not just sound but vibrations themselves. They are able to detect things like large creatures or vehicles from far off and seismic activity. Their sharp hearing affected their personality during their time aboard the cramped ships of their wandering. Almost no one had their own living space and could often hear others in nearby rooms through the walls. Talking badly of others or keeping secrets was extremely difficult. As a result, Reevit very rarely lie and are known to be very polite. Reevit speak by returning vibrations through their antennae through small bones under their carapace. Their species have to work hard to speak the languages of other races that talk with vocal chords. To other races, speech between Reevit sounds like a buzzing or humming. Their hearing is greatly diminished while speaking since they use the same organ. Therefore, Reevit take very distinct turns when speaking to one another. They very rarely interrupt someone when speaking whether they are a Reevit or not. This has gone a long way towards solidifying their polite reputation with other races. Their hands are rarely used directly during eating. Rather, Reevit use their hands to stabilize themselves as they need to move their entire head during meals. Their arms are double and triple jointed, likely an adaptation to climbing through cramped or uneven crevices to find sustenance. Their legs are also well adapted to climbing or descending. They can be raised very high and extended fairly far with ease and without loss of balance. As one might expect, Reevit walk and run with no more trouble than species adapted to 2 or 4 legs. Reevit furniture very rarely has backs and is usually stool-like to accommodate their shape. Their spine is adapted to their backs being relatively hunched over all the time and to the weight of their natural armoring. Their tough carapace protects many of their vital organs and is more present on their back and top areas to insulate and cool them during the hotter Viital days. Their facial membrane is surprisingly heat resistant.

Nesaprosia
The Nesaprosia are a tall insectlike species from the garden world of Nemressia.

History Nemressia is a flat world with many rolling plains, stable geology and weather systems, and a vast wealth of precious metals. The Nesaprosia have never fought many wars with themselves or others given their relatively fragile frame. For most of their history, the dominant forms of government have been democratic capitalist and forms of plutocracy (rule by the wealthy). The Nesaprosia had few natural predators and abundant resources so they rarely formed packs. However, the concept of bartering developed very early as isolated families began to gather surpluses of resources in their environment. Their own scientists believe that the concept of trade existed before verbal communication and/or many other supposed markers of sentience. As families grew into tribes and clans, trade increased in volume and complexity and territory became more and more defined. Clans would begin to consolidate as intermarriage and trade agreements grew in popularity. For the most part, Nemressia was split into millions of small interconnected clans. As the clans coalesced into states, the Nesaprosia began to experiment with different types of government. Dictatorships, monarchies, and the like often failed. The clans technically still existed inside the state structure and very few were willing to give away their autonomy. Marxist type governments existed only briefly as the even spread of wealth was much too thin for many Nesaprosians' taste. Soon though, democracy dawned and with it came capitalism. It worked for longer than any other government because of a few innovations on the Nesaprosian's part. Every vote was not equal but became weighted based on a person's wealth. The more money you had, the more your vote was worth. The reasoning behind this system was to elect the most financially savvy candidate. More weight was given to the wealthiest people's vote on the rationale that those with more money were better at identifying the best businessperson. Voting was also restricted by household and usually fell to the family head (who was often the one that was the richest rather than any gender). This was meant to make the process harder to rig by disallowing any dependent individuals from voting. Few countries had voting ages. As long as an unusually young entrepreneur could prove they were generating their own income they were permitted to vote. Though seemingly flawed and oppressive, this system worked and created a stable society for over a millennium. Nearly all countries adopted systems identical or similar to the one described. However as society became truly global, the system began to slowly and subtly break down. Continued globalization began to make the world smaller and smaller. Larger countries bought out smaller ones until less than 10 states occupied Nemressia. Democracy slowly but surely eroded away into plutocracy. The system of weighted voting began to fail as individuals became so incredibly wealthy to the point of voting themselves into office with few actual supporters. Finally, a powerful country by the name of Pivissia simply abolished voting in favor of automatically electing the wealthiest candidate at the end of each incumbent's term. The elite in other countries saw this and grew impatient at the relatively slow speed of their elections (that they would inevitably win anyway). Democracy finally fell apart across Nemressia after years of decay. Countries began to merge as the rich were eager to outmatch each other. Soon a world government was formed and bureaus were created to exhaustively investigate each candidate to determine their worth. The ranks of the poor, though fabulously wealthy by galactic standards, began to swell. The gap between them and the elite became almost immeasurable. If one was not born or married into one of the many great families they were unlikely to move far up the immense social ladder. The real turmoil was just beginning though. As the economy grew, the elite or "Golden" as they were called, exploited greater and greater portions of Nemressia to amplify their wealth. Though a rich and verdant garden world, the planet's environment began to strain under the ever multiplying weight of the Golden's industries. Several decades after the fall of democracy, something finally gave. The plains of Nesessa, a source of luxury foods on its surface and precious metals below, suffered a disaster. The soil became utterly barren from overexploitation and its mines ran dry. The shock sent ripples through the markets and drove the global economy down. Months later, a deep-sea mining operation would trigger a tsunami that would cause trillions in damage to Golden interests and kill scores of people. The Golden eagerly punished their brethren responsible for the operation. This would only serve to shake the economy further though. Enormous pieces of the global markets rested on the shoulders of so few. After several more disasters in the succeeding months, it became all too clear to economists that the entire world's economy was based on infinite growth. Environmental technology was horribly primitive and spaceflight was not even a consideration yet. With the very core of their economy crumbling, the Nesaprosia could only watch as billions were lost each day as the world government frantically tried to create financial stability. Almost two years after the initial disaster at Nesessa, an IAE exploratory fleet arrived at Nemressia. Before making contact, they assessed that the planet was not irreversibly damaged but could no longer support its inhabitants massive industry. An IAE diplomatic envoy later landed at the Golden's massive and luxurious citadel. They were greeted favorably and given an audience without trouble (many suspect this was almost entirely due to the diplomats' decision to overdress). When they explained the IAE's existence and extended the offer of protectorateship (which explicitly included stabilizing their troubled world) the Golden laughed the diplomats away. They were convinced that the situation was temporary and were offended that The IAE would even attempt to violate their sovereignty. As the envoy returned to their dropship to discuss their next course of action they were approached by a timid peasant named Nitish. He explained the situation of the vast majority of Nesaprosians and their plight. Instead of returning to orbit, they let Nitish guide them to a Nesessan city. The aliens gathered a sizable crowd by their presence alone and extended their offer to the multitude instead. The crowd readily accepted with an applause but several people explained that they were utterly dependent on the Golden because they owned nearly everything. The envoy had a plan though. With the consent of the higher diplomatic offices and military, they began to convince the Nesaprosians to exercise civil disobedience and simply refuse to work for the Goldens as the IAE smuggled supplies onto Nemressia. Over the course of several months, the entire planet was on strike. The Golden's finances fluctuated rapidly. The diplomats again attempted to negotiate with them but this time were not even allowed to land at their fortress. Reelection time came around but the Golden had a dire problem. Even their accountants had abandoned them and none of the elite knew what they were worth any longer. They tried and failed to negotiate with each other and establish some sort of new system until the problem could be resolved. Their talks became more and more tense as they could no longer figure out who was the greatest among them. It's believed that their arguing finally devolved into a highly uncharacteristic brawl. One of their servants would find the Golden all dead in their conference room, bloodied wares and utensils scattered across the floor. The public was more confused than shocked. Their power structure that had worked for so long had turned on itself. The Nesaprosia formally accepted the IAE's offer by worldwide referendum. Thousands of Nesaprosia would be transported off world to establish colonies in the surrounding space to take strain off the recovering planet (and economy). The Nesaprosia have come a very long way since then. Integration into the IAE has slowly but surely worn away at their unhealthy view of wealth.

(Under Construction) Biology

(Under Construction)

Culture
As an entity of such great size and diversity, Euskanian culture is immensely complex and is often very different between worlds and sometimes even colonies on the same planet. While mostly standardized architecture and infrastructure makes most colonies look about the same, differences are often easy to find with some closer observation.

Family
Most Euskanians and many other member races of the IAE live in more or less traditional family units. Children are raised by their parents or guardians until adulthood, nuclear families are common. The number of children in a family is relative. Some regions have large families than others. Families on the frontier will often either have more children for labor and future militias or less children because of lack of space or resources. The same is true for more urban colonies though the labor is usually more skilled. Extended relatives and family units don't necessarily live in close proximity but living near one's cousins or aunts and uncles is far from uncommon. Close-knit families often grow into political, military, and/or economic dynasties despite the IAE's often extensive measures against nepotism. Though few families are large enough to threaten the due process of the IAE, they often hold great deals of power in their respective territories. The military almost always has an effect on family dynamics. Given its incredible influence on IAE society, most if not all large families have contributed at least one son and daughter to military service. Almost no one does not know a relative or friend that is enlisted or at least serving as a reserve unit. This often has communal effects even on large scale colonies and communities. Families will often be brought closer together by each of them having enlisted relatives. This effect is significantly greater when losses are suffered. Communal bonds are strengthened through consolation and support. This has minor downsides as well. When a community loses multiple members to a particular war front or enemy, racism towards that enemy is often perpetuated and becomes widely accepted. For this reason, the military tends to scatter individuals that enlist from the same general area. This is done to break down racism, particularly when it is felt that a certain war front may end diplomatically, in an annexation, or a Protectorateship.

Clothing
As opposed to typical military wear which is functional and slim, Euskanian clothing is typically oversized and loose fitting. Outerwear is often made to drape and sway. Many outfits made to be loose can be worn alone in hot climates or worn over tighter fitting clothing in colder climates. As a result of the military's influence on Euskanian culture, many pockets in Euskanian garb are found around the waist in a belt formation or on the chest area as opposed to the thighs or behind like many modern fashions. Unlike many societies where clothing often becomes more and more liberal and revealing, Euskanian clothing is usually the opposite. Garments often obscure much of the body and facial area. Styles that make identifying oneself hard have become highly popular with celebrities and therefore much of the populace. This has put elements of the fashion industry and popular media at odds with each other.

Mozorro (Mask)
The IAE’s distinctive facemask, known as the Mozorro, is a common sight across the empire. The self-contained units feature some of the best miniaturized IAE technology for use by all types of people. Different base models are designed to comfortably fit the most represented species in The IAE. The Mozorro is worn comfortably over the facial area and adheres itself to the cranium by use of either the natural contours of each species’ head in most models, pressurizing itself in order to stick to the cranial area or by use of weak molecular forces in higher-end models. The mouth area of most models is designed to retract so the wearer may eat, drink, speak (more clearly), etc. Input is relayed from the user by either short voice commands, use of a small handheld remote, scanning specific retinal movements, or reading specific impulse commands from the user’s nervous system or brain. All models of Mozorro display visuals through use of thousands of microfiber cameras built into the mask. A user can disable their Heads Up Display or HUD and experience their field of view as if the mask were not there. Most models are coated in chemicals or materials that reduce possible damage to the cameras as well as prevent fogging, distortion from water or moisture, and other problems. Some even feature systems that negate static interference to optimize visual output. Others can compensate for extreme brightness or darkness. The typical civilian model features many communication features such as clear real-time video calls, voice and textual messaging, vid and e-mail, social media, and other services. The typical HUD has information such as the current time and date, temperature, local weather, message notifications, and any user-programmed reminders, applications, or parameters. Most Mozorro also come with music and video players and sound canceling systems as well as generous amounts of data storage (the amount usually being proportionate to the retail price). All models have small filtration, cooling, and heating systems. Some specialized models are even capable of completely filtering smog, smoke, and even less habitable atmospheres. Military models use extremely cutting edge hardware and software. All basic models have advanced HUDs featuring ammunition, heat, and maintenance readouts of whatever weapon(s) synced to it. Most basic models also have digital crosshairs and aiming solutions for synced weaponry. They’re also responsible for monitoring the status of the soldier’s armor including any breaches, system failures, energy usage, etc. They have built-in comm arrays for fast and clear communication with allied forces and systems to compensate for static, signal weakness, interference from radiation, and hacking attempts. They come with much higher grade HVAC systems than civilian models for combat on a variety of hostile planets with varying atmospheres. The Mozorro is rather compact though so often times small adjustments need to be made depending on the unsuitability of the atmosphere, smog and airborne dust levels, temperature, and a variety of other factors.

Citizenship
Living within The IAE's borders does not guarantee one many of the rights that may be common to some. Below are the most broad levels of becoming a full member of The IAE. Foreign Inhabitant A title usually assigned to refugees, exiles, and other aliens living within The IAE, Foreign Inhabitants have very few rights compared to IAE Citizens. Certain colonies and sectors may allow aliens to live within IAE borders, temporarily or otherwise, for whatever reason. Such aliens cannot benefit from social programs, own land, run for an office, and many other things. Protectorant Protectorants are citizens of an existing Protectorate State within The IAE. They are guaranteed the full rights agreed between the Protectorate and The IAE within their respective Protectorate's space. Though they are free to leave the Protectorate to explore IAE space, they cannot live outside the Protectorate's borders or receive legal status until their State has been fully integrated. Resident Residents are often vacationing citizen from allied empires, foreign diplomats, and recognized refugees. They often stay in the IAE for extended periods of times but usually not permanently. Residents that wish to inhabit the IAE indefinitely will apply for citizenship. They are guaranteed most rights under IAE law but these may be completely or partially revoked under certain circumstances. Citizen Citizens are guaranteed the full rights and protection of IAE law in IAE space. Euskanian (No Longer Used) Before the designation was repealed many centuries ago, Euskanian was the highest level of citizenship and as one might imagine, limited to the Euskana species. Persons that reached the Euskanian level of citizenship had all rights attainable by anyone, most notably the ability to serve in public office which other species at the time could not do under any circumstance. After many years of racial integration and much protest, the title was removed and its rights were conferred upon anyone that was a legal Citizen. The term Euskanian is now normally used as an adjective to denote any civilian aspect of The IAE (meaning separate from the government) and the mainstream Euskana species as a whole.

Media
As such a large entity, The IAE has a vast and influential media within its space.

Operation
Since The IAE is so vast, a news story originating from one sector may have little relevance in a different one, especially the further the news travels. Therefore, the broadcast of information is selected differently between different planets and sometimes even colonies. Stories are given priority based on distance and relevance. Once all of the closest events are exhausted, the next closest set of stories are made available, then the next closest after that and so on. Smaller or less eventful colonies will often receive results about nearby systems in their first query due to a lack of local news. Larger and more complex colonies will automatically have information categorized based on distance given the density of news available. News regarding administration and other matters relevant to the entirety of the IAE will automatically be included in all news feeds. News data is often disseminated by each network's substation. They are often located in each respective jurisdiction though this often means that problems with a higher substation can completely cut off all subsequent ones. A system cluster substation going offline would affect each system connected to it and then each planet and colony. If a whole area of subscribers is cut off they will often dissent quickly, much more quickly than a substation can be repaired. Networks will often put forth much of their budget into protecting substations going as far as hiring mercenaries or training security forces to prevent any mishaps and possible losses in subscribers. A significant majority of news media is in textual form. Information often piles up too quickly for scheduled video news programming. If a certain news program is available it is often only to larger colonies and will often cover only major stories. Therefore most of a network's efforts are expended in compiling and reporting information as fast and as accurately as possible and delivering them to subscribers. Images very often accompany articles but not in all cases.

Networks
A variety of different outlets offer media services though most citizens ultimately choose free or low cost options. Many media networks attempt to remedy this by increased advertising, improving speed and quality of reporting, and offering wider access to information. Numerous networks also exist to cater to certain interests and determine relevance based on both distance and said interests. Many networks based around ideologies and political factions are common. The IAE attempts to monitor these networks to ensure accuracy isn't being subverted in the interests of politics although it's nearly impossible to thoroughly analyze every piece of information. Punishment is often limited to simple warnings or selective suppression to preserve (relatively) free speech. The IAE will not hesitate to take action against extremist and/or radical outlets though.

IAE Imperial News Network
Widely known as the IAE-INN, it is the most widespread and influential network in all of IAE space and answers directly to central authorities. The IAE-INN has substations in nearly every system of The IAE, many in newly settled systems, and even a number beyond IAE borders. The INN is also one of the only networks with the resources to deploy substations near or on the front lines meaning that they are more often than not the only source of news to active units. The INN is also very conscious of protectorates and will often move in to establish media access as early as legally possible. Often substation crews have enough connections within the local military structure to request protection from IAE forces (assuming they are not occupied elsewhere). Many believe its popularity lies in its simple and mainly free services. The IAE-INN is available to any citizen in its basic form. Surveys seem to indicate that most news conscious people readily find the free version to be totally sufficient. Paid subscribers will often receive news faster and in greater quantities as well as given access to the INN's vast information database. The enormous search engine is capable of locating news from any area of the IAE from any date up until the IAE-INN started recording information in that territory. It is often marketed as a way to monitor events in a relative's sector or simply a very powerful research tool. Attempts to hack into the database have been met with vicious litigation in an attempt to deter information theft.

Religion
Freedom to practice religion has been guaranteed to those in IAE space even before the modern IAE came into existence. Historians have noted that the earliest iterations of governments after the Age of Isolation couldn't even remember much history before the Great Cataclysm nevermind if religious or religiously motivated conflicts had ever taken place. Despite initial extremist atheist resistance, freedom of religion was established and enforced. In the millenia since, certain amendments have been added to the initial edicts establishing religious freedom. Profitable religious organizations are taxed much like any other entity under the IAE while nonprofit groups are exempt from taxation. To prevent possible misuse of this privilege, every nonprofit religion must agree to be subject to inspection to maintain its status. Specialized social agents routinely verify if a group doesn't stand to gain credits from its religious services. If anything significant is suspected an investigation is undertaken. Punishments range from forcing corrections to loss of nonprofit status and in rare cases the group may be declared illegal for repeated offenses. Exceptions to religious freedoms do exist though. Religious oversight boards and the military will take steps to eliminate a religion's presence from IAE space if it's shown to be violent in different ways. While a group preaching the destruction of The IAE, its allies, or even the galaxy (apocalyptic or otherwise) will not receive negative attention, one that actively works towards those realities will immediately be monitored, dismantled, or destroyed by any means necessary. Religious groups that promote violence with other groups of any kind will also come under scrutiny. While free expression is (mostly) guaranteed, the IAE will not think twice before eliminating a group that transitions from rivalry to violence of any kind.

Technology
If anything was as synonymous with The IAE as its size, it would be technology. The IAE is one of the most technologically advanced races in the known galaxy with what might be considered high-end technology by other empires available to the general public. Not only are constant advances in new technology made but older technologies are often consolidated, miniaturized, made cheaper, or more available on a regular basis. The following entries are basic overviews of major technologies and devices.

Transportation
With enormous tracts of space separating the worlds of The IAE, transportation became one of the most important fields of advancement.

Space
Even during the earliest iterations of The IAE, the vastness of the void was an incredible problem that often hampered transportation greatly. However, scientists have and continue to step up to the plate when it comes to improving and streamlining transportation.

Stellar Drives
Though the proto-modern Euskanians had established numerous orbital and suborbital installations, travel beyond the perimeter of Euskana was very limited. Many years later, the Age of Isolation was ended by the crash landing of an enormous alien spaceship. Nothing could be salvaged but the event inspired scientists across the world to eventually collaborate on the first stellar drive.

Interstellar Drives
Much of the work on interstellar drives was done in secret and far exceeded established safety standards. During much of the process, parts of the research facility were blown apart, irradiated, or both. The scientists pressed on though, developing an almost religious devotion to creating a revolutionary breakthrough. After a number of deaths and government coverups, they finally succeeded in developing the interstellar drive which was faster than the stellar drive many times over. The interstellar drive would go on to revolutionize transportation, commerce, war, and just about anything that involved going places.

Corridor Drive
Inevitably though, the interstellar drive began to become obsolete as the IAE grew. As more and more territory was added, travel was getting more difficult. The IAE had already fought many wars at that point as well. Even when other race's ships were not necessarily faster, the military saw many ways campaigns could've been won faster with swifter ships. Scientists were put to work yet again but this time with a greater pool of resources and safer equipment than many years earlier. It took a great deal of time but the corridor drive was finally developed. Millions of ships were immediately retrofitted and just in time for the Continuum Wars. Many believe the IAE may have been destroyed if not for the development of the corridor drive. The corridor drive works by forcing a path of energy through warpspace creating a warp corridor. The drive then opens a hole in real space into the warp corridor allowing ships to pass through. Travel in warpspace is greatly accelerated and cuts travel times immensely. IAE ships have a tendency to burst onto battlefields as ships quickly exit the warp corridor and enter realspace. Two types of warp corridors exist, temporary and stable. Temporary corridors are created on the spot and in most cases by spaceships. A ship will set a destination using a set of coordinates and then enter the corridor. As the ship is about to reach the corresponding destination in the warp corridor it opens a hole into realspace at the set coordinates. After the ship exits the warp the corridor collapses on itself. Using temporary corridors can often be very dangerous for untrained navigators and pilots. Coordinates need to be used in conjunction with planetary charts and galactic weather data or else a ship can reenter realspace right inside a planet or in a cosmic storm. The military once considered sending AI controlled warheads through temporary warp corridors directly into planets. However they found that upon reentering realspace, any kind of dense object like a spaceship or missile was immediately shredded at the molecular level if it did so inside another object. Correctly calculating your destination is essential in using a corridor drive because even if a navigator realizes his mistake while already in warpspace, temporary corridors are immensely hard to alter or correct. It's been rumored that some highly skilled pilots have managed it but even then it apparently wasn't easy. Stable corridors are created at both the entry point and destination and many times are maintained for years on end. An entrance to warpspace is created by either a ship, station, or specialized platform and the destination is constantly maintained by a station or platform. As the name suggests they are highly stable but also easier to redirect than temporary corridors. While one might reason that a temporary and therefore weaker corridor would be easier to correct, most of the problem with altering warp corridors comes with possible collapses. Stable corridors are not prone to collapse and therefore can be shifted or altered with some effort. Access points to warp corridors litter IAE space making travel much easier, even for ships without corridor drives. Researchers have been looking for a way to cross corridors in order to create a confined warp space to facilitate an immense network of corridors. Being able to switch to a different corridor mid-flight could change one's destination to somewhere thousand of lightyears away no matter how far they had already traveled in one direction. Though the idea hasn't gotten much publicity since it was first proposed, it's been worked on heavily. Many have speculated that the breakthrough could result in another revolutionary new drive core.

Medicine
No empire can remain strong without effective treatments to everything from diseases to injuries, battlefield or otherwise. The IAE is no exception.

Disease and Illness
Being sick in IAE space is barely a concern at this point. Enormous breakthroughs in medical technology, many of which were made long ago and are still affecting medicine today, have greatly reduced disease and infirmity. Much of that has come as a result of nanomedical technology. Beyond standardizing noninvasive surgical techniques, nanomedicine has been used to great effect in combating traditional illnesses such as bacterial infections and viruses. IAE nanomedicine is divided into two disciplines, synthetic nanomedicine and organic nanomedicine. Synthetic nanomedicine utilizes nanomachines to combat infections or for other uses. Nanomachines designed for medical use will be built with incredibly complex navigational AI's to traverse the patient's body, precise weaponry for physically eliminating hostile bodies without harming the patient, and clean propulsion systems for minimal impact on the patient. Some nanomachines are equipped with small lasers to destroy infectious cells while others are given small probing tools that rob infectious cells of nutrients. Large groups of nanomachines can be directed to reduce cancer cells or infections to scar tissue or cut them out completely for surgical removal afterwards. Many nanomachines are designed to self-terminate once several extensive surveys of the patient's body are complete to ensure the full destruction of the sickness. Others have biodegradable cores and allow themselves to wear away once their assignment is deemed complete. The other branch, organic nanomedicine, utilizes artificially engineered organisms to fight harmful bacteria, contagions, and viruses with their own tactics. Nanovaccines, as they're often called, hunt down and kill their targets in the same way they themselves attack healthy cells. Using identified baseline similarities between strains of illnesses they are also able to adapt and change as their targets do. This prevents them from becoming obsolete once a virus inevitably changes. They are engineered for extremely specific purposes to prevent them from evolving naturally and potentially becoming harmful to the patient. Many are also designed to only be able to gather nutrients necessary for survival from elements found in certain illnesses. This ensures that when the pathogen is utterly rid from the patient that the nanovaccine itself slowly dies out to prevent any unforeseen incidents. Nanovaccines are often the final stage in ridding the IAE of a type of sickness. Nanomachines are the first step once the hostile virus is identified. Nanovaccines are then used to ensure the total destruction of the virus. They are often administered en masse by clinics or pumped into the ventilation systems of enclosed spaces such as ships and some colonies. Often both countermeasures are used in very delicate cases. Nanomachines aid their counterparts in hunting pathogens and are also programmed to eliminate nanovaccines in the unlikely situation they are subverted or become hostile themselves.

Computer Science
As one of the galaxy's most technologically advanced entities, the IAE has made vast discoveries and innovations in what can be considered the core of modern technology, computers.

Artificial Intelligence
The IAE possesses advanced and highly capable artificial intelligence systems. They've become an inseparable part of IAE economics, travel, warfare, and beyond. Everyone from high level bankers on Euskana down to settlers in the Outer Rim can compete in the market with the help of an AI. Complex courses can be plotted and difficult navigation achieved by a pilot with the aid of a navigational AI, found in nearly all ships. In the military, AI's have streamlined offensive and defensive technologies, made processing data vastly easier, and enabled unexpected strategies. Despite The IAE's reliance on artificial intelligence, it has taken prudent warnings from other empires and works of science fiction. The IAE is fully aware of the possibility of rogue AI's and the subsequent catastrophes they could cause. Therefore, numerous safeguards have become mandatory for the creation and use of artificial intelligences. AI's are often highly specialized. Though they are made to be adaptive and able to learn, an AI designed specifically for banking could not aid in piloting a ship, for example. Parameters often cross though. A spacecraft has multiple facets of operating and it must be decided if an AI should be designed for all of them or multiple AI's for each of them. Computer scientists must decide what is most efficient and what is safest and incorporate those into one solution, among other factors. Artificial intelligences are often separated from one another and related system by hard limits and protocols. Exceptions often exist though. AI's capable of a great range of uses, even at once, do exist. They are often restricted to use by the military and even then, few will see or use them. Beyond safety and security, AI's have been limited for other reasons. AI's never operate alone. Even lower functions are often overseen by an individual. This serves two purposes. The first is that it inhibits the IAE and its people from becoming totally dependent on AI technology. The loss of an AI in a system for whatever reason is detrimental but never crippling. AI's have all been assigned highly supplemental roles, leaving the IAE in control but still much more efficient. The second reason for strictly supplemental usage is economic stability. Many societies suffer heavy economic recessions as work is relegated to machines more and more. The IAE has remained stable in no small part due to abundance of work. Its infinitely expanding technology field can comfortably support billions upon billions of workers.

Colonization
Establishing a presence on a new world isn't always easy or simple. Often times a good balance of technology and ingenuity can mitigate problems though.

Prefabricated Structures
Even with advanced technology, planning and building an efficient infrastructure is a slow process. This is especially true of smaller colonial operations. To deal with this, prefabricated structures (or prefabs) have become the standard during early colonizing operations. The most common prefabs are modular and/or self-sufficient units that resemble storage or cargo containers. Residential or living prefabs can (somewhat) comfortably house a family of around 4 or so persons. Typical residential prefabs have multiple sections, a sleeping quarters, a modest kitchen area, a dining or living space, and a closed off bathroom area. The living and or kitchen areas usually come with a protective shutter and/or shock proof glass that act as windows. The undercarriage of a prefab comes with a water tank, additional storage compartments, an independent generator, an HVAC unit, and a septic tank. The outer layers are made to protect the inhabitants from the most common types of radiation, small arms fire, high and low temperatures, etc.

The High Council
The High Council of The IAE, lead by the Supreme Chancellor, ultimately controls the empire's policies and actions. Over the millenniums of The IAE's existence the council has been composed of various royalty, war heroes, esteemed political figures, corporate barons, influential scholars, and many other types of individuals. While the Senate holds a good amount of power within The IAE, the Council can override any of their decisions. The HC may also act as court justices when certain trials are deemed too important for normal courts to hear.

Councilor Chairs
Each member of the High Council has a specific role in the IAE and jurisdiction over certain matters. Each councilor has a number of ministers and personal aides to assist them in presiding over their specialization.

High Chancellor (1) The High Chancellor of The IAE represents the highest political and administrative office in the entire empire. The High Chancellor oversees the other councilors as well as lawmaking and administrative matters. The High Chanecellor also has significant control over the Euskanian military.

Military Chair (2) The military chair is one of the most influential seats on the council. The military councilor has the highest military command in the IAE and ultimately coordinates some of the empire's largest campaigns. Concerns about the military councilor overthrowing the High Council are addressed through the IAE's regular system of checks and balances. The ministers and aides attached to the military chair as well as the officers under the councilor's command are allowed to scrutinize questionable orders and outright disobey treasonous ones. Other councilors can also agree to declare the military councilor a traitor and order their own forces against him/her. The military councilor often works closely with the diplomatic councilor.

Commerce and Finance Chair (3) The commerce chair is also a highly influential seat. The commerce councilor is in charge of regulating the vast network of internal and external trade relations of The IAE as well as regulating its economy, currency, and market forces. The commerce chair has a high number of ministers and a multitude of aides attached to it given the difficulty of this office. The commerce councilor works closely with nearly every councilor.

Environment and Agriculture Chair (4) The environment chair has the dual responsibility of overseeing efforts to maintain environmental stability on IAE worlds as well as ensuring the IAE has sufficient livestock, crops, and other consumable substances to feed its people. Though environmental action and agriculture are significantly different, the chair combines both given the conflicts between the two fields. The environment councilor is responsible for creating a balance between organizing sufficient food resources while still maintaining the environment of each world. The environment councilor often works closely with the exploration chair on matters of terraforming. The councilor also works closely with the commerce councilor on the role of environmental work and agricultural goods in the market and the R&D councilor on farming and terraforming technology.

Colonization and Infrastructure Chair (5) The exploration chair is the office in charge of general exploration of space in and beyond the IAE, colonization, migration, and related fields. They are also responsible for the establishing, maintenance, and upgrading of the IAE's infrastructure.

Social and Diplomatic Chair (6) The social chair is the office in charge of establishing and meeting the rights of IAE citizens, residents, visitors, immigrants, and the like. They also take charge in high level diplomatic negotiations as well as oversee matters relating to protectorates.

Research and Development Chair (7) The R&D chair is the office responsible for coordinating the advancement of IAE technology and resource management.

Current High Council
The seven members currently serving on the High Council are as follows:

High Chancellor - Iralo Ezori

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Military Chair - Agiarix Zylat

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Finance Chair - Dara Killan

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Agriculture Chair - Prosis Girdai

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Colonization Chair - Kronel Sindas

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Diplomatic Chair - Bretys Foy

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R&D Chair - Tich-an Grandor

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Euskanian Military
If there's anywhere to make a name for yourself in The IAE, it's on the front lines. As long as an operation isn't covert, it will likely receive lots of media attention and those playing major roles will as well. The average IAE citizen can likely name a few officers off-hand. Most of the time this will depend on where they are located as local media sources usually prioritize stories based on distance.

Supreme High Almirant Rima Shrodalsi
Rima Shrodalsi is the unquestioned highest ranking military commander in The IAE. She answers only to the Military Chair but is given a great deal of leniency since the Chair is more focused on organizing forces rather than commanding them. The Almirant, the Military Chair, the High Marshals, and High Admirals make up the seats of IAE High Command. Most of her title is honorific as there is only one Almirant in command at a time.

Grand Marshal Arzen G. Semorron
One of the highest ranking officers in The IAE's ground forces, Semorron has distinguished himself among his colleagues in a very short time. Semorron is barely into the Euskanian middle age but has already secured hundreds of successful campaigns under his belt. Though he sometimes resents it, his superiors often send him to command some of the more desperate or critical campaigns, knowing full well he has the tactical ability to turn a bad situation around. His skill can only be explained as being able to make the best of the worst. Semorron is a very calm individual, often very concise even with close associates. Many soldiers have noted that despite his gaunt figure and only average stature, he exerts a very respectable, commanding presence. As such a high ranking officer, Semorron must often appear before and address large numbers of his soldiers. In such situations he's been known to give very short but rousing speeches leading many to believe his soft-spoken nature is the result of anything but timidness. Semorron has been personally commissioned by the High Council to take command of surface forces in the battle for the Rach homeworld of Norsus.

High Admiral Kalai Z. Enleru
Though combat in space is significantly less flexible than on the ground, Enleru has shown herself to be a more than competent tactician. Enleru is known to make the absolute most of the ships and technology at her disposal. She thinks to use any less than everything is a waste. Her all or nothing attitude has earned her a mixed standing with other admirals, some admiring her brutal tactics while others disapprove of her seemingly unrestrained strategies. Opinions aside, her number of victories speak volumes. Enleru has been chosen to aid Grand Marshal Semorron in his operations on the Rach homeworld of Norsus.

Admiral Damaran Brosak
A semi-famous figure, Brosak is the current admiral of The IAE's 48th Invasion Fleet. Many of his associates know him to be very outspoken and partial to bragging but know just as well that he is prepared to back up every word. Some of those same associates describe him as a "media darling" and someone who will "smile until his is the last ship to go down". Opinions aside, Brosak is a highly strategic commander and taunts the enemy with one operation while delivering a crushing blow with another. Soldiers under his command have described his strategies as "brilliant", "inspiring", and "fun". As one might guess, his forces have some of the highest morale in The IAE. Brosak is middle-aged but still highly energetic and outspoken. He was originally born on Rorana to a fairly wealthy family in the planet's largest city. He had many many friends and as a result saw many of the poor sections of society essentially being forced into military service because of lacking opportunities or to simply avoid the planet's underworld. This inspired him greatly and looking back on it he said "I joined the military to lead these people and to make sure they regretted nothing. Life had treated them bad but I would treat them much better." Brosak has been true to his word. His early exploits as a commanding officer earned him numerous commendations for lower than average casualties and higher than average morale. Some of his earliest subordinates are still under his command although they now occupy very high ranking positions. The admiral would eventually transfer to the navy but not because of the higher salary or more power but because he wanted "to lead soldiers of all branches." Brosak was eventually allowed to stage operations without a ground commander present after a number of battles in which he circumvented his ground commander's authority. For anyone else this might have meant disciplinary action but in Brosak's case his "revision" of their strategies ended in overwhelming victories. It was decided that giving Brosak another officer to coordinate with ultimately hampered his ability to effectively lead. A number of parties are still not happy with this decision but have stated that they've "since been deployed elsewhere" and that it's not their problem. Brosak has said in the past that he prefers defensive operations to offensive ones "because the burden is on the enemy" and "as long as you're not being overwhelmed there's a lot of room for low-risk strategies." Though Brosak would prefer to fortify than storm something, he has no qualms about commanding invasions. "The risk is much much higher" he said, "but the feeling of triumph is often greater. I mean, what better situation can you prove yourself in than when you're at a disadvantage?" He's admitted that invasions often test his wits and invite him to turn seemingly hopeless situations around. Brosak was chosen to lead the invasion of the Diabloian world of Kronovos and accepted the operation with pride. He says that he does not inherently hate the Diabloians and has admonished others not to feed into politics. Regardless, he's given the invasion his all and doesn't intend to back down until the world is under IAE control.

General Daro Vitran
If there was anyone that fully embraced the ideals of the Warlord faction, it would be General Vitran. Vitran has long been notable for brutal tactics but has stepped up his game so to speak as The IAE continues to fight alongside the Warlords. The General was literally the first one to embrace the Necraal and was both grieved and enraged at their untimely civil war. Since then, he's made many friends among the Zaretians, Magello, Asanians, and recently the Margan. Many believe he was highly instrumental in affirming the IAE's incredibly controversial alliance with the Biomatter Hive Lords. While most officers will work with other Warlords begrudgingly or semi-willingly, Vitran does so with the utmost joy. He has said that "being in an alliance means working together, no matter who it's with". He's held many highly successful joint ground operations and his followers have espoused the many benefits of working with empires that are not known for mercy. "I assure you our role in joint operations is highly secondary," he's said, "we're working in a more supportive role I would go so far as to say." General Vitran was born on Tumera to a pioneer family not long after the colony was fully established. The colony was then famous for standing against constant raids by smaller empires and pirates attempting to gain a foothold in IAE territory. After his mother, aunt, uncle, and brother were killed defending their precinct of town, his father trained him to be a soldier and nothing else. Vitran was pulled from any formal education and taught war by his father on the outside of the colony. The General would be less draconian and/or xenophobic than his father would've liked and developed an aptitude for both public speaking and communicating and cooperating with other races. Tensions would arise between the two as Vitran became less and less like the son his father had wanted. His father, now almost insane, eventually disowned him but Vitran ended up joining the military as his father had been training him to do. Vitran quickly rose through the ranks of the Footsoldiers and entered officer's training not long after his last active combat tour. He would go on to impress (and somewhat scare) his superiors with his brutally efficient tactics and masterful use of Auxiliaries. Once he had sufficiently advanced to the point where he had the autonomy to work with foreign powers he did so happily. His gracious speech and effective tactics brought many allied armies alongside his own, often ones that other officers would've rather not worked with. Eventually the newly appointed General found his way to Sector 117 but was disappointed to find that the outer edges of the sector were busy with colonization rather than conquest. Not long before Vitran prepared to request a transfer, the IAE was plunged into the Great War, much to his chagrin. Many have questioned just about everything he's claimed about his relation to the Warlords. Those rumors have been met with either silence or highly benevolent responses meant to reassure his opposition. General Vitran, as all other high-ranking officers, is paired with an Admiral or other Naval officer when on offensive operations. Most of the colleagues he's worked with have claimed that they trust that he knows what he's doing on the ground or really aren't sure. On defense, Vitran often has no oversight and it's been rumored that he's personally made sure that many invaders don't try a second time. Brosak has commented that "I will say the kid has spunk" though Vitran is roughly the same age as him.

Lady Itzal Lundura
Lundura is the Lady Itzal of the Itzal corps, that is, the head (a male head would be known as the Lord Itzal). Not many are sure if Lundura is her first, last name, or her name at all. Most of her life and what she actually does on a day to day basis are often a total mystery though it's not much of a surprise to those that know anything about the Itzal. Lundura is known to be amicable to her close associates but very distant to others and often speaks through subordinates, individuals traveling with her, or by many means other than simply talking to them. Those that have been inconvenienced by her seemingly odd ways have openly questioned her sanity. Though much of everything about Lundura is classified, records that have been unsealed show her to be highly competent, at least as an Itzal. Transcripts imply that she's infiltrated an unprecedented amount of areas, many in highly hostile territory. Though no one is sure how, Lundura has successfully posed as many different humanoid races in and out of The IAE. Records praise her encyclopedic knowledge of other races and affinity for disguises. Many have even commented on her flawless vocal range and knowledge of alien languages. This leads some to question why she was pushed into administration rather than left to continue field activities. Others have theorized that she delegates most of her work to others and undertakes missions herself. Still others are just confused about the Itzal corps altogether.

Footsoldier Captain Niro Armeus
Captain Armeus is the head of the task force in charge of tracking down and apprehending the rogue Diabloian Vice Admiral Kaldev.

Admiral Telan Merodac
Admiral Telan Merodac is a decorated officer originating from the colony Trelesa in Sector 91. Despite spending nearly all of his life in Sector 91, Merodac has received significant fame as a brutal and decisive admiral. He tends toward tactics and maneuvers that cripple the enemy's capabilities in short series of strikes and is not fond of taking prisoners. Merodac is met with mixed reception from his peers. Though few of them exist inside Sector 91, Merodac does have quite a few critics that are disgusted by his merciless commanding style. However, for every dissenter there is a good number of persons ready to defend him. "His fans are just as maniacal as he is," said one critic of Merodac. Controversy aside, Merodac is statistically an extremely proficient admiral. Beyond his high percentage of victories and somewhat low percentage of casualties, analysts have commented that Merodac is able to orient himself to new battlegrounds and adapt to developing situations very quickly. His followers have cited these and other facts when arguing that the IAE needs to take a significantly more aggressive approach to nearly everything.

RD-0001 “Carmine”
Widely considered to be the deadliest single fighter in The IAE, Carmine (as RD-0001 chooses to be called) is the commander of the Red Devil Primary Battalion. A veteran of an untold number of missions, he is known to be incredibly efficient and merciless almost to a fault. Even among the Red Devils, Carmine's fighting style is brutal and destructive. His assignments primarily involve assassination, demolition, and sabotage in situations where The IAE has no need to act stealthfully. His unmatched skill in combat means that the weapons and armor available to him consist of those far too expensive to equip normal soldiers with. Because of this, most enemies are woefully unprepared for the amount of damage he is capable of dealing. Despite his reputation, Carmine is known to be courteous and professional outside of combat. Though they normally work alone or in small squads at most, Carmine's Primary Battalion is a collection of Red Devils called together to take on the most brutal missions in the galaxy. Carmine and a large number of agents form the core of the battalion while their numbers are often supplemented in times of need by recalling those on non-essential missions. Though casualties vary, they have a near 100% mission success rate due in no small part to their armament and Carmine's leadership.

Business and Industry
CEO's and prominent business figures are often well reported on by the media. Members of the biggest and most influential companies are often celebrities in their own right.

Daniel Armaka
Born Dreseto Armaka, Daniel is the descendant of Alero Armaka, the founder of the Armaka Weapons Firm and its current CEO. Armaka is married to a human woman, Monica Armaka, and in a highly controversial decision changed his first name from Dreseto to the human name Daniel. Armaka was prepared to change his last name as well before being talked out of it by several of his associates. Other than that bout of controversy, Armaka's time at his ancestor's firm has been highly successful. Profits have consistently risen in the typical way Armaka profits do. Though the firm has mostly being revamping and improving on older models, those following its activities intently have rumored that Armaka has something big in the works.

Government
Administrators and other officials often have a lot on their plate and their decisions are often highly publicized. As a result, IAE citizens are very politically aware and many know the administrator of their colony personally.

Senator Kemmo Daedion
Senator Daedion is the administrator of Sector 117, the sector affected the most by the Great War. As a wartime Senator, Daedion is well-versed in military doctrine and affairs as well as the movement of each warfront down to each planet. Daedion is known to be highly prudent and discreet, making decisive and fair actions even with limited knowledge and time. Many have commented that it is good that Daedion is in control of an Outer Rim sector because "his talents would be wasted in the Inner Rim". Daedion watches any officer that works in his sector very closely and is prepared to intervene if he thinks the situation is out of hand. Many feel threatened by his oversight while others believe that there is "scarcely a better administrated sector".

Diplomacy
Some of the IAE's relations with other empires and factions. Included is a collection of various opinions and quotes about other empires by individuals ranging from high ranking officials to civilians. Names have been removed.

Empire of Diablos

 * "It seems as though our initial reasons for going to war with them were only... somewhat justified. However, the public opinion in the sectors most affected by the Great War is greatly in favor of the declaration of war. It seems where the Great War front hasn't caused selective xenophobia it's created a lot of patriotism. People really are determined to see the Peacekeepers go down in flames. The best I can imagine is that they feel insulted that people called the "Peacekeepers" are attacking their sovereign empire and the Diabloians are representative of that. But my job is to fight wars, not understand why people love them."


 * "No good hornheads."

Status: At War After the events of their first contact, The IAE learned that the Diabloians planned to attack them. Despite their seemingly honorable reasons for doing so (preventing the IAE from discovering the Epic War and possibly siding with the Warlords), The high council decided it was wise to go to war with them and eventually aligned with the Warlords. The decision was not a unanimous one and neither were the opinions about it among higher ranked individuals. However, numerous media outlets, not all of them fringe ones, exacerbated the political situation and turned public opinion towards the Diabloians drastically negative. They have become pariahs for the more unaware masses. More informed persons have given the Diabloians the benefit of the doubt when forming their personal opinions of them but overall very few have gone as far as to defend the Diabs more than halfheartedly. The area of space near the Diabloian front has become both very militarized and mildly mixed. That part of the sector was initially devoid of development beyond outposts and has never seen much civilian habitation. A number of worlds that have been captured from the Diabs dot the area though. Many officials are confused as to what to do with the vaguely civilian worlds, all of which are specifically built for Diabloian habitation. The Diabloian front is volatile and migration there is restricted so these colonies often struggle to find purpose in IAE hands or simply become host to military and resource extracting operations as even intact Diabloian cities lay idle. The front has shifted numerous times, often forming contrary tendrils as the IAE and Diabloians gain momentum in different areas at different times. These shifts are often very slow though as campaigns have proven slow and not as decisive as either side would like. In terms of base infantry, the tenacious Diabloians are clearly superior. The size and strength of a typical Diabloian soldier greatly outmatches the most common Euskanian. It takes several (typically equipped) Euskanian soldiers to take down a single Diabloian one so commanders often bring greater than normal numbers as a matter of cost. Diabloian infantry armor is often extremely robust and is resistant to lighter arms. Grouped or constant fire from typical military weaponry is often sufficient and heavy weaponry is highly effective in most situations. Gen-En troops are often equal to Diabloian soldiers and see heavy use in battles against the Diabloians. Their comparative size and strength in combination with suitable weaponry make fighting Diabloians much less of a hassle, but a hassle nonetheless. Though the Diabloians are not the most numerous species, their infantry-centric military, military oriented society, and hard-to-break morale often create significant problems for the IAE. The field of armor is where most IAE commanders finally get relief. The IAE's ground vehicle divisions are much more diverse and advanced than Diabloian ones. Though Diabloian vehicles are hardy and far from harmless, IAE ones ultimately bring significantly more to the table in speed and firepower. The IAE has fought many physically strong species before and found that advanced vehicles often tipped the scales in their favor. Anti-infantry vehicles are often used in great numbers. Lighter vehicles are often modified to fire heavier munitions or in other ways since Diabloians are far from typical infantry. Vehicles are vulnerable to Diabloian ambushes in crowded areas like urban battlefields where infantry typically have the advantage though. Some have suggested studying the Diabloians to develop a vehicle specifically suited to combating them. The idea has been heavily criticized as an unprecedented move and would be a waste of time and money despite the explosive nature of the Diabloian front because it would be rendered useless in the event of a victory or ceasefire. Much of what is true for ground vehicles with regards to Diabloians has proved the same with aircraft. Overall, The IAE relies on technology, numbers, and innovative strategies to achieve victories against the Diabloians. Results vary though. Diabloian forces are highly capable of taking on direct assaults. When the IAE uses guile during campaigns it may often be sufficient to trick male Diabloians but the female ones are often quicker to adapt and problems often come in the form of Diabloian Valkyries. The same goes for vehicles which are often piloted by females. Space battles are often highly indecisive as a result of the Diabloian's heavily armored ships and almost comparable weaponry. Most battles end in retreats from both sides. The stalemates and the trading of victories and setbacks that result have made the front costly for The IAE and likely the Diabloians as well.
 * "I can't think of anything better to test weapons on. No I'm not a racist, those guys are just tough as bulkheads is all.."

Aeveria Confederation

 * "We haven't fought the Aeveria much but when we do... man, it's like looking into a mirror. I'd be afraid of them getting into our ranks or something. I mean... just the colors... and the vehicles... especially that one tank..."

Status: Neutral
 * "From what I've observed, the Aeveria Confederation functions similar to the IAE. They've shown that they're capable of integrating new races into their empire very seamlessly much like we've done many many times over. They fight the same in some cases as well. Assuming the worst befalls them, I've already made my recommendations for assimilating them with the oversight board. I think it would go quite smoothly."

Karahotdoum Empire

 * "Somebody call animal control."

Status: At War
 * "It's beyond me how anything can maneuver through the jungle and ambush my team so quickly while wearing a fez."

The IAE has been at war with the Karahotdoum Empire since their opening engagements (though many analysts have had trouble accurately determining where and when it was). The IAE has mainly fought defensively, deeming that an offensive front with the Kara wouldn't be fruitful. Many strategists have disagreed and stated that the Kara's status as one of the leading Peacekeepers makes them a prime target. Regardless, planets on the Karahotdoum front have become mostly militarized as a result of the worlds changing hands fairly often. The civilians still in the area are typically established families and groups that have become large contributors of soldiers to the front because of their new found hatred of the Kara. Battles between The IAE and the Karahotdoum do not always end the same. The Kara have clear advantages in more nature oriented battlefields, so much so that commanders have been requesting certain auxiliaries at an alarming rate. Those that are unable to attain them have resorted to slash and burn strategies on less important worlds in an attempt to eliminate the Karahotdoum's advantage. Other commanders have simply made do with more mobile Euskanian troops and armor. All commanders engaging the Kara on natural worlds use stealth units extensively. Sound dampeners and scentless armor coating have worked wonders against the Kara's heightened senses of hearing and smell. Despite this, campaigns cannot be won with stealth units alone so many battles have either been dragging on or have been lost to the Kara (though numerous victories have still been achieved). Open-field battles have been a different story though. Though Karahotdoum vehicles are admirable and their heavy use of artillery has certainly had its effect on IAE lines, ultimately IAE armor has shown itself superior. Many commanders have often sought to mimic the Kara's strategies for use against them as well, favoring heavy artillery support to neutralize the Kara's own. Commanders have also used Gen-En's extensively to engage the Karahotdoum's melee forces which while devastating to normal Euskanians do not fair so well against the IAE's larger and more aggressive soldiers. IAE tanks and aircraft are overall more maneuverable and many times more powerful than Karahotdoum ones. Their defensive abilities are about the same so often times the outcome of engagements depends on both strategy and numbers. The IAE often excels on urban battlefields as well. IAE soldiers are well-suited to urban environments and very few have not had experience fighting in one. The Karahotdoum tend to stick out in cities that are not their own and their advantages in jungles don't often extend to concrete ones. IAE armor is often very compact and well-suited for city engagements and nearly all IAE aircraft have VTOL capabilities which is a great aid in a crowded city environment. Overall, the IAE is more often than not the victor in urban battles (which tend to happen in IAE cities anyway). Update: Some time after the victory at Norsus, IAE High Command decided to use their new found momentum to begin an offensive on Karahotdoum territory. Admiral Merodac of Sector 91 fame was chosen to lead the front. Utilizing the Karahotdoum's complacency with The IAE's strictly defensive stance against them, Merodac's advance forces were able to infiltrate the asteroid field around the colony of Heptep. For several weeks engineers planted thrusters on a single plane of asteroid BH15825-1362 without being detected. Sometime before noon (surface time), the order was given and the asteroid was accelerated into Heptep without warning. Itzal teams deployed shortly beforehand had disabled any anti-orbital weaponry before retreating to a safe distance. The asteroid made a direct impact with the Karahotdoum colony, obliterating much of it instantly while chunks that had broken off before striking softened the colony further. Merodac deployed only a small force to pacify what resistance was left. Merodac received some criticism for the high number of enemy civilian casualties. He explained that the asteroid was originally meant to impact further away from the colony as a diversion but a technical failure caused it to veer off course. The admiral argued further that given Heptep's tight streets and centralized garrison a direct attack was likely to have resulted in high civilian casualties as well. Whatever the case, Merodac's attack was soon praised. Shortly after securing the planet the Karahotdoum contacted the IAE to declare a ceasefire and announced that they would consolidate their borders. "I was hoping to continue this fight," Merodac said, "but I suppose watching them run so soon is almost as satisfying." It is unknown what orders Merodac and his fleets will receive next.

New Necraal Empire

 * "I miss them."

Status: Neutral Though The IAE and Old Necraal Empire were strongly allied, no one in the IAE is entirely sure about where the empire stands with the Necraal united under Sa'i. Their new status as Peacekeepers has confused the situation further. It has been rumored that Sa'i or some other Necraal official has planned or already enacted a nominal alliance with the IAE but lack of official word (or any word for that matter) from the New Necraal has forced even hopeful officers to remain silent on the matter.
 * "My division managed to acquire pieces of Necraal tech (as well as a number willing volunteers) at the Fall of Ivn. They will both be put to good use."

Rach Empire

 * "Nothing personal."

Status: Neutral Though the Rach were a prolific figure in the early parts of the Great War, The IAE had not entered the conflict until a full year (though some estimates point to at least three years) after the Rach had fully fled into the Warp. Stories and information about the Rach were plentiful though and The IAE sought to learn about the old figureheads of the Peacekeepers. A multitude of mostly second-hand information was collected and though no Euskanian had ever laid eyes on a Rach, they knew a great deal about them.

The Battle of Norsus presented an interesting situation for The IAE. Though it was unanimously determined that Norsus held no real strategic value or significant resources, the reemergence of the Rach would surely bolster the Peacekeeper cause. It was decided that defeating the Rach on Norsus and shattering the Peacekeeper forces present would inflict a heavy blow to their morale. For The IAE, the Rach simply became a parameter rather than a living species, mostly as a result of their impersonal knowledge of them. The highly symbolic nature of the battle didn't stop High Command from approving an abnormally large force that included both the Mendeku and Erraldoi. It was suggested that the presence of such a fleet would ultimately contribute to the accomplishing of their main objectives of lowering Peacekeeper morale and maximum enemy casualties. The IAE was successful on most if not all accounts on Norsus. The Peacekeepers had seemingly adopted the same strategy of maximizing enemy casualties but as a result became spread thin in strategic areas. The IAE was able to concentrate its superheavy armor against the Rach HQ and was able to break through Peacekeeper lines and annihilate the Rach's base with ease. Numerous PoW's were taken from Rach forces and that of ‎The Transmetallic Confederation. The IAE did little to pursue the retreating Rach forces though. The IAE holds no real hatred for the Rach but has treated them very impersonally as demonstrated by their first and only operation involving them. Future relations could go in any direction.

Biomatter Hordes

 * "Launch spore, close eyes."


 * "If you don't watch it's easier to remember how much we're saving on infantry."

Status: Allied On The IAE outer rim, several soldiers reported hearing voices and closer investigation revealed that unidentified cells had infiltrated their nervous system. After several more advanced medical tests, many of the infected entered a trance-like state and repeatedly shouted that The IAE should go to planet Yintil to find a new ally. An expeditionary squad was sent and waiting for them were a newly sentient Biomatter, who had just concluded signing an alliance with the Necraal. Now that The IAE and Biomatter are allies, The IAE ensure the landing of Biomatter spores by carrying them on ships and the Biomatter save The IAE countless troops and resources by aiding in eliminating infantry.
 * "Maybe if some of those nature lobbyists got a good look at the Biomatter they would shut up about some factory somewhere only being 63.58288424% environmentally friendly. Now if they would really interpret them as natural or an affront to nature is beyond me."

Zaretian Monarchy

 * "I've always admired their cartoonishly evil approach to galactic domination."


 * "They just don't let up. Did *name removed* tell you how much I prefer working with sociopaths than fighting them?"

Status: Friendly The IAE have never been especially close to the Zaretian Monarchy, often choosing to stage operations alongside each other rather than together in most cases. Both empires have vast and capable militaries and see little need for joint operations. Nevertheless, the IAE enjoys open communication with the Zaretian Monarchy. Trade is also common and highly profitable. The mutual trade routes of the IAE and Zaretians are protected by both militaries and are attacked very rarely (and successfully attacked even more rarely). Outposts and stations around the trade routes have caused IAE and Zaretian territory to mix slightly. The result is a relative safe haven for Warlord forces in these areas jointly protected by the two empires. The IAE view the Zaretians as a likely alliance in the future depending on the flow of the Great War. The IAE's pivotal role in battling the Peacekeepers during the Battle of Norsus has also contributed to further diplomatic talks with the Zaretians though nothing is certain. The IAE and Zaretians saw very little of each other on Norsus and much of the information about The IAE's contributions to the battle was likely given second-hand through the Margan. The IAE is unconcerned about the matter though and doubt anything will sour the relations between it and the Zaretians. Update: The IAE have recently pledged to liberate Zaretian forces alongside an up and coming Warlord race. Details are still scant though.
 * "Not gonna lie, they got some fairly good tech."

Margan Empire

 * "I have a feeling that guy likes my gun a whole lot more than me. Keep an eye on him."

Status: Allied
 * "They only seem to respect us when we're real assholes to them."

Old Necraal Empire

 * "I'm not sure we'd still be aligned with the Warlords if the Necraal hadn't embraced us so quickly."


 * "Goes to show that not all Warlords are butchers. Not all..."


 * "Never headbutt one. I don't care if he's your bro or not. I told you this a hundred damn times."

Status: Allied Relations between The IAE and the Old Necraal Empire began immediately after The IAE's first major operation at the neutral spaceport. After the remaining Peacekeepers were routed, IAE soldiers collected intel and made conversation primarily with the Necraal (the Zaretians were still very wary of the IAE at that point). Evac took longer than usual to arrive and even the higher ranking officers of the two races became friendly. These highly positive experiences between the races would contribute heavily to their later alliance as the IAE soldiers present were asked to report on the IAE's first operation in the Great War. The alliance with the Necraal was recognized only by the military and economic sectors until some time before the Fall of Ivn. Before then, the IAE's diplomatic offices had made no attempt to contact Necraal leaders or draft an alliance. Possible reasons range from hesitance based on early information about Horr'or, skepticism about Warlords as a whole, or some kind of false information that was never released. Regardless, the IAE and Necraal militaries enjoyed open communication and cooperation and the trade of both goods and technology was common. Numerous joint operations were carried out, though none entirely major. As is common with IAE alliances, a good number of Necraal gave themselves to the IAE as Auxiliaries shortly after the three way alliance with the Biomatter. A number of them were allowed to procreate to establish a Necraal population within the IAE. This would prove to be a good move as the split of the Necraal put the future of their race into uncertainty. The ensuing chaos caused many more Necraal, mainly civilians, to flee to IAE space as news of the Ivn's fate spread. In the final days of the Fall of Ivn, The IAE cut through the Diabloian blockade and ended up rescuing nearly a hundred Necraal as the world burned. These ones became known as an elite corp of Necraal troops totally loyal to The IAE, the Deathsworn. After the many events of the split, The IAE holds the highest population of Necraal not actively loyal to Sa'i or Horr'or. Many live as civilians and many more as Auxiliaries. The highest ranking Necraal Auxiliary, Jak'ster, holds the title of Admiral.

Sauran Solidarity

 * "Cuddly things aren't they?"


 * "Well, I can see them serving on the environmental board in the near future. They got a real respect for anything with chlorophyll."

Status: Friendly What became one of the fastest diplomatic processes in IAE history came after a team of Sauran diplomats suddenly showed up on the Outer Rim colony of Aumera. IAE officials on the planet were quick to accommodate the polite invaders for a tour of the capital. After their tour, IAE diplomats were invited to the Sauran's homeworld of Aradan (which subsequently started a heated battle between many in the IAE's entire diplomatic division). The team that eventually went was treated with the beauty of Aradan and eventually met with the Sauran to sign a non-aggression pact (NAP) on Rua Zo’ol. The military wasted no time in retrieving a large number of Sauran to become Auxiliaries and establish a population within the IAE.
 * "The Sauran? Oh I love having them under my command. I've never seen something climb a tree that fast, holding a plasma cannon no less. Now if goddamn *name removed* would stop causing trouble with them before they turn him into topsoil. That is if I don't first."

Nalstros Space Pirates

 * "You wanted my opinion on them or how much I hate them? They're the same."


 * “We entered the central hub very peacefully; the Nalstros were standing in plain view. The sergeant walked up to what was clearly their leader, I couldn’t hear exactly what was said but the leader motioned to the hostages at one point and the sarge and him almost shook hands at the end. Almost. Then sarge motioned for us to move into the hub and the Nalstros started walking out. If you’ve ever had time to look at one (while you weren’t shooting at it), they all have a hell of a death stare. Once we passed them I expected to be shot in the back. It obviously never happened and they went on their way to whatever hellhole they came from but... [the interviewee took a long pause here] I don’t feel like it’s over.” - Quote taken from IAE-INN News Database. All rights reserved.

Status: At War The Nalstros have been around to harass them as long as The IAE can remember. The sheer size of the empire has had no effect on the Nalstros' audacity and willingness to raid it. The Nalstros are known by all of those in the IAE given their widespread nature, although less so in the Inner Planets. Hatred for them is universal. Many of the specialized pirate hunting brigades have been specialized further to combat the Nalstros. The Nalstros typically target the most isolated or less defendable IAE targets. Frontier colonies, secretive installations, and other locations are under the greatest threat. Larger colonies and areas are often sufficiently garrisoned to deal with Nalstros. IAE ships are almost always superior to Nalstros counterparts but don't always have the advantage in numbers or are often ambushed. The Nalstros will often try to compensate by staging said ambushes or putting the IAE in a situation where using their full firepower would be ill advised. Hostages are a common strategy. On the ground, the Nalstros are often forced to use ambush or guerrilla strategies in the face of superior IAE armor and air power. Battles between infantry are not always so clear cut. It's hard to gauge how Nalstros troops compare to IAE ones, toe-to-toe because the nature of Nalstros raids often vary wildly. In general, Nalstros weaponry is certainly capable of harming IAE soldiers but their own armoring is consistently vulnerable to IAE weapons of a comparatively lower caliber. Nalstros troops are often swifter than normal Euskanian ones but about equal in melee capabilities (though this can depend entirely on what weapon is used by each party). Berserker sized Nalstros are often on equal footing with Gen-En's but as with all Nalstros engagements, there are many variables.
 * "Being part of a pirate hunting brigade was certainly the high point of my military career."

Gronian Imperium

 * "Who?"

Status: Neutral

Wingle Empire

 * "I wouldn't say they got balls, chesthair maybe, but not balls."

Status: Friendly

Holy Nepharian Empire

 * "Not sure if the oversight board would allow their religion."

Status: Neutral

Other
The Volkaan Federation (VKF): The IAE are enemies of the VKF. After numerous armed skirmishes, war has been declared on them. They are crafty and resourceful and often provide a challenging fight for the IAE. The Gulf Spice Consortium (GSC): The IAE has somewhat of a playful relationship with the GSC. They are neither allied nor at war. The only times they usually meet are over spice supplies. The IAE and GSC duel over spice rich planets in deadly war games and it is implied that to the winner will go the spoils, no questions asked. The Mechas: Products of the Apexx WarGroup, these small but numerous biomechs can be purchased by any empire to act as troops. Their deadly designs often cause problems for the IAE and they are a nuisance to destroy. The major problems the IAE have in dealing with them is the fact that the purchase of mechas is always hard to trace and that Apexx has done a very good job in hiding their planets so retaliation will not happen soon.

Military
The IAE's military might is surpassed by none. The highly advanced technology developed over the millennia of the empire's existence has enhanced all ways of life but none more than the military's. Combat technology in The IAE is vast; thousands of different weapons have been developed through its many wars with other empires. The IAE's entire military doctrine is built on overwhelming firepower, superior technology, and cooperation between all units and branches of the military.



Operations Divisions
The IAE's military is typically classified in several different ways by color. Most forces will ultimately answer to one or two commanders in charge of an operation however. The divisions are strictly for classification.

General Operations Division (White Ops) By far the absolute largest division, the General Operations Division, also known as White Ops, is the classification for all standard military units and operations. This typically includes things such as invasions, fleet engagements, defenses, anti-pirate operations, riot and civil war suppression, and foreign or Protectorate occupation. White Ops contains a vast variety of units and weaponry given its size and diverse roles.

The moniker White Ops comes from the often clear-cut or "white" nature of its operations.

Covert Operations Division (Black Ops) The Covert Operations Division, also known as Black Ops, is the classification for all units and operations involving stealth or subterfuge. Black Ops typically covers reconnaissance, general stealth, gambits, intelligence, assassinations, ruses, and numerous other operations. Many of the units classified under Black Ops are divided further into different corps, such as the Itzal Corps. Black Ops weaponry is almost always suppressed and/or compact and units make heavy use of stealth fields and specialized training. Most of the affairs of the Black Ops division are classified or simply unknown to most, even to those in other sectors or the military.

Black Ops gets its nickname from the stigma that stealth operations take place at night or under the cover of darkness, hence the color black.

Alternative Operations Division (Red Ops) The Alternative Operations Division, also known as Red Ops, is the classification for all units and operations involving highly dangerous situations and independent operatives. Red Ops covers an unlimited variety of situations that call for small teams of soldiers, typically commandos or other highly trained personnel. Teams or individuals will often work almost totally independent from White Ops as well as their Red Ops commanders in some cases. Red Ops units are often equipped with the best supplies and armor. Units are usually capable of multiple forms of combat including stealth, open combat, and operating vehicles as well as computers and/or machinery in some cases. Units under the Red Ops classification include Red Devils, Legionaries and Legionary Veterans, and unspecialized commandos.

Red Ops is named after its connection with dangerous situations often associated with the color red. Unofficially, the division is named after its most notable unit the Red Devil.

Military Ranks
With such a massive military to coordinate, it's only natural that The IAE has an organized set of military ranks and responsibilities to ensure that operations run smoothly.

Navy (Space)
Grand Admiral The highest possible rank in The IAE’s naval forces. Grand Admirals are senior members of High Command and the only officers authorized to command fleets of over 500 combat ships. Typically they will be assisted by a number of other lower-ranking admirals to share the workload. Since the largest war fleets are only assembled for extremely important operations, Grand Admirals do not command regular forces. Instead, multiple fleets are temporarily combined and collectively put under their command. High Admiral The second highest ranking in the navy. High Admirals are junior members of High Command and are authorized to command fleets composed of between 100 and 500 combat ships. Unlike Grand Admirals, they often have regular forces under their command though are often expected to loan ships to lower ranking officers. They're most often chosen to lead war fronts and are routinely allowed to exceed their maximum ship limit. This often happens when a conflict requires more ships but it would be impractical to transfer a Grand Admiral for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are when the current High Admiral is better acquainted with the war, the HA has shown suitable competency, or a GA is simply unavailable. Admiral The third highest naval rank in The IAE. They are the highest ranking officer not permitted to serve in High Command but the lowest necessary to command regular war fleets. Competition among admirals to fill High Admiral vacancies and therefore enter High Command is very fierce. Normal Admirals are allowed to command fleets of up to 100 combat ships. Most officers are never promoted beyond the rank of Admiral because of the strict requirements for and limited space in High Command. They are very well respected despite this. Low Admiral The most junior rank of the admiralty, Low Admirals are allowed a variety of command positions to prove their skills as an officer. One of the most common is a large station, shipyard, or a group of smaller outer space structures. Other more promising Low Admirals are allowed to command very small escort fleets for trade convoys or civilian ships. The most prominent among them, those whose promotion to Admiral is all but assured, are often given dreadnought-class ships. Many officers see the rank as only a transitional one. Commodore The highest non-admiral rank. Much like Low Admirals, Commodores are often seen as proving themselves for the admiralty rather than occupying a rank all their own. They are the lowest rank required to command both invasion and ship carriers. Other times they are given command of mid-sized stations or outposts. In some situations they lead special non-combat ships such as Mendikatea cargo titans and other irregular vessels as the military's representative. Ship Captain Also known as just Captain. They are the minimum rank required to command battleship-class ships as well as small outposts and installations. This rank commands a significant amount of respect compared to those below it. Ship Commander Also known as just Commander. They are the minimum rank required to command cruiser-class ships. Lieutenant Commander Also known as High Lieutenant. They are the minimum rank required to command frigate and destroyer-class ships. Ship Lieutenant Also known as just Lieutenant. They are the minimum rank required to command corvette-class ships. They are often tasked with survey or exploration missions not performed by drones. They often take charge of the light escorts on science or other miscellaneous missions and work in conjunction with a security officer in charge of personnel. Sub Lieutenant Also known as Low Lieutenant. They are the minimum rank required to command smaller transports and light patrol ships. Operations Officer The highest rank not authorized to command combat vessels. Operations Officers are placed in charge of decks or divisions in larger vessels. They have a very diverse skill set depending on which deck they oversee. Operations Assistant More commonly known as Operator. Highly skilled crew members that perform advanced duties on any ship. They often make up a significant portion of bridge crews and occupy the upper levels of deck hierarchies. Warrant Officer Also known as Advisory Officer or Analyst. Warrant Officers are responsible for disseminating orders and information from the higher ranking officers to the rest of the ship. They form a connection between the average Crewman and the senior staff. They're often placed in charge of smaller sections on ship decks or divisions. Warrant Officers in Advisory or Analyst positions relay important information to senior officers and sometimes even directly to the ship’s captain. Petty Officer The lowest ranking officer in The IAE’s navy. They perform the lowest level commanding on a ship and spend the most time around the basic crewmen. They're often responsible for training new crew members. Crewman Also known as Crew Member. They are the absolute lowest ranking personnel on any ship. They perform a vast array of duties from reactor maintenance to monitoring weapons system to life support to sanitation. They can be found in nearly every deck with the exception of high security areas such as the bridge.

Weaponry
The IAE's military forces pride themselves in equipping everything from the largest warship down to the lowliest soldier as well as possible. Therefore, even cadets and auxiliaries in The IAE's scope have pieces of highly advanced technology to help them accomplish their goals. The following entries are some of the more common firearms found in the hands of those loyal to The IAE. Most weapons are classified into major categories such as Small Arms, Long-range Rifles, Heavy Weapons, etc. based on their typical usage. They are then subdivided further by the way they function and what materials or energies they utilize as weapons. Legend: B: Ballistic C: Chemicals or Specialized Liquids D: Directed Energy E: Electricity F: Fire, Flammable Substances, or Similar Weaponry P: Pulse Energy R: Rockets, Missiles, Grenades, or Explosives X: Exotic or Miscellaneous

Pistols/Small Arms
D88 Plasma Pistol A compact and efficient sidearm, the D88 is standard issue for all military and law enforcement personnel. The weapon is a small plasma launching system powered by small and removable plasma generators. Each generator acts as a clip, supplying plasma rounds to the user until its out of energy. As a matter of efficiency, each clip is rechargeable but will lose its ability to keep a charge after repeated use. The mechanism used to recharge generator clips is too large to carry so any competent user of the D88 will carry multiple clips with them. The amount of potential shots in each generator clip is not fixed; things like firing continuously, overheating, and poor maintenance can reduce the number of usable shots. Personnel in training are taught to use discretion when firing as well as properly maintain their D88's in order to make the most of each clip.

D99 Auto Plasma Pistol With a few alterations to the D88, manufacturers were able to create a full automatic plasma pistol firearm. It works essentially the same but given its rapid way of firing, generator clips are bound to run out much faster. Some companies have managed to develop each of their own "heavy duty" generator clips with built-in heat sinks or venting systems but the space for these is taken from the generating mechanism itself meaning possible shots are lost either way. There are ongoing debates about just how many shots are lost compared to routine overheating so the need to purchase a heavy duty generator clip is completely dependent on the buyer's opinion.

B190 Gauss Pistol Slightly bulkier than the D88 but packing a bigger punch, the B190 is a miniature coil gun that is somewhat common in IAE space. The barrel contains a number of small magnetic coils that rapidly accelerate a very small slug along the length of the gun and towards a target. The B190 is more lethal and fires its projectile much faster than the D88 but requires regular ammo clips that are quite obviously not reusable as in the D88's case. The coils themselves are powered by a very small battery that seldom needs to be replaced.

P76 Pulse Emitter Another common pistol-type weapon is the P76. Its power is inferior to both the D88 and B190 but as a result of breakthroughs in pulse technology its single use generator clip provides it with a significant amount of possible shots. Overheating is the only thing barring the wielder from unleashing a continuous hail of pulse energy at a target. Some models are capable of being integrated with vents or heat sinks that greatly increase the P76's capabilities. Against numerous and/or unarmored targets, the P76 is a cheap and effective option.

E11 Volt Pistol A fairly rare weapon, the E11 is a (mostly) nonlethal electricity-based pistol. It fires an extremely small piece of circuitry encased in an adhesive. Once the round hits something the circuit registers an impact and releases an incapacitating amount of electricity. The round itself is inactive until loaded into the E11 and registered with a specific voltage by the weapon (controlled by the wielder). In this way, the person firing can set a higher or lower charge based on what species or entity they want to disable. The standard E11 available to the public has a restriction on voltage but particularly savvy hackers can unlock it and set the rounds to their full voltage capacity which can be lethal for many organisms.

B45 Shock Pistol A firearm named for its common use by shock troopers (though it may cause some to confuse it with the E11), the B45 is powerful enough to be classified as a heavy pistol. The firing mechanism utilizes Gauss coils much larger than most standard pistols and bullets at least twice to three times the size of standard IAE ballistic pistols. The only purpose for the B45's making was compact but brutal firepower. Though its ammunition comes in smaller clips and is more expensive than most other weapons, the B45 is fully capable of killing even armored targets outright.

R11-1 Dual Rocket Pistol One of the more cunning IAE firearms, the small but deadly R11-1 is an anti-armor pistol that sees most of its use by combat scouts and mercenaries. It makes use of 2 high velocity pod rockets that are notably loaded into the front of the large almost oval-like barrel of the weapon. They can be fired one after the other or at once depending on the wielder's choice. Though it is one of the IAE's smallest anti-armor weapons, the size and nature of the rockets makes consistent ammo a problem unless the wielder is willing to carry a good number of rockets with them. Further, the R11-1 has the tendency to be wildly inaccurate and sometimes useless against moving targets because of the rocket's low muzzle velocity. Despite these drawbacks, a competent soldier can use the R11-1's size and strength to the full if they are adequately prepared.

Shotguns/Close Quarters Firearms
B135 Gauss Shotgun The most common type of shotgun found in IAE space is the semi-automatic B135. The B135 utilizes a number of Gauss coils to accelerate a shell faster and farther than most shotguns. This means that they will typically have a longer range spread but can be calibrated to fire like most other shotguns. Like the B190 Gauss pistol, the B135 requires a small battery to effectively power its coils. Unlike the B190 however, the B135 requires a greater charge so the battery tends to run out within the gun's natural span of use.

C1215 (Chemical) Shotgun The C1215 is a specially designed shotgun for firing MMP7 corrosive rounds. MMP7's are filled with an incredibly corrosive acid that activates upon contact with air. As such, the rounds are produced and loaded in a vacuum. Both the clip and shotgun are vacuum sealed to prevent the rounds from melting the entire gun. Certain parts inside the C1215 are covered in a basic (as in a high pH) solution to impede the acid should it leak. The outside is plated in lightweight armor to reduce the number of possible punctures that would compromise the MMP7 rounds. The C1215 itself is extremely powerful despite its high cost and unleashes both the stopping power of a typical shotgun and the extreme lethality of its corrosive rounds.

D444 Laser Shotgun Only referred to as a shotgun because of its similarities, the D444 is a laser based close combat weapon. The somewhat large barrel is equipped with a large number of small laser emitters. However, instead of projecting solid beams they are calibrated to fire on an extremely tight wavelength. Although their wavelength means the lasers dissipate extremely fast as they move away from the gun, a close range shot can easily kill an armored target in a barrage of searing laser fire. Interestingly enough, the D444's battery doesn't need to be replaced often but its emitters burn out fairly quickly. Therefore, it's "reloaded" by popping off a portion of the top and replacing the set of emitters (they burn out in near unison which makes replacing individual nodes unnecessary).

D9-6 Wave Launcher The D9-6 is a close-range energy based weapon with incredible stopping power. It generates a powerful but shallow wave of kinetic energy from its barrel creating an energetic arc with immense throwing power. Though it dissipates after very little distance, it's capable of crushing the bones of weaker targets or launching stronger targets fairly far from the wielder. The D9-6 is fairly compact, only slightly longer than an average Euskanian's forearm in most cases. It's often not wielded in the dominant hand as its lethality is not always guaranteed so most users tend to carry a smaller firearm to finish the job.

F60 Plasma Flamethrower A somewhat uncommon weapon, the F60 utilizes superheated clouds of ionized matter to horribly burn enemy targets. The F60 is fueled by a number of plasma cartridges inserted into the bottom of the weapon near the grip (the standard model is designed to hold 3 clips at once to maximize continuous fire given the nature of the weapon). Unlike typical propellant flamethrowers that take volatile fuel canisters, the plasma cartridges of the F60 are not flammable and therefore much less dangerous to wield. Plasma "flames" also tend to have a farther range although they are still their most dangerous up-close.

Submachine Guns/Carbines
P12-1 Pulse Repeater An extremely reliable and compact weapon, the P12-1 is a pulse-based SMG that sees extensive usage in IAE space. Like all SMG's, the P12-1 is fired using pistol generator clips which along with the inexpensive nature of the gun makes it a very efficient weapon option. The mechanisms of the gun are designed in a way that makes them easy for experienced technicians to maintain and alter. The most notable alteration is armor integration by The IAE military. The weapon has been reformatted in a way that makes it capable of being collapsed into the forearm compartment of standard combat armor. Much like the D88 is standard issue for most military personnel, the P12-1 is integrated into every suit of standard armor. The armor's reactor means that generator clips are not required and that each soldier has a multitude of shots to fire before they need to worry. On top of this, the military grade P12-1 is usually used as a last resort and therefore doesn't have a chance to drain much energy in most situations.

B17 Gauss Submachine Gun Unfortunately one of the most common SMG's in the hands of criminals, the B17 is an overall cheap and efficient weapon. As one might imagine, it uses compact Gauss coils to accelerate pistol munitions in rapid succession. Many manufacturers (including illegal ones) can pump out a large number of B17's in a short time making them a staple for civilian militias, frontier colonists, and other ragtag groups.

C11-20 Liquid Nitrogen Rifle One of The IAE's more unconventional weapons, the C11-20 is a specially designed support carbine. The original concept called for a weapon similar to the F60 Plasma Flamethrower but most of the possible designs came with a high risk of backfiring and harming the wielder. Later on the gun's design was converted to that of a carbine as the developers found mid-range capabilities to be much more effective. The C11-20 fires Liquid Nitrogen filled capsules that explodes into a cloud of vapor which can quickly killed unprotected organic targets as well as freeze armored targets and the surrounding area. In conjunction with more direct weaponry, enemies and other targets can be quickly frozen and shattered in rapid succession.

D42 Laser Carbine An effective and common weapon for many IAE soldiers, the current iteration of the D42 hasn't changed much for the simple reason that it hasn't had to. The gun relies on a single, moderately large, and generous battery to function. Given the D42's excellent firepower and flexibility, these batteries are fairly easy to acquire. The D42 fires a singular blast of laser energy at a moderate wavelength for both strength and range. The blasts of the D42 are capable of inflicting heavy damage on even well-armored targets. The most recent model is designed to accommodate just about every type of mount and scope available to the military making them highly versatile and customizable for every soldier and/or situation.

P209 Dual Pulse Blaster A simple pulse based weapon design, the P209 is a somewhat smaller staple for some IAE forces. The P209 works by firing pulse energy from two vertically aligned barrels in an often rhythmic fashion. The default design was forced to include ventilation technology to make the dual barrels effective and no more prone to overheating than most other weapons. Older models of pulse blasters had only one barrel but the trade-off of rate of fire for damage wasn't a good one and were seen as mostly useless. With the induction of the dual barrels, the P209 has seen a spike in use and is now simply an overall reliable weapon.

B636 Rail Carbine One of the smallest weapons in the IAE arsenal to utilize a railgun, the B636 is capable of packing a serious punch. Soldiers strong enough to wield the B636 effectively can use its firepower to eliminate targets of all types and sizes. Though not as devastating as larger standard models, the rail technology of the B636 is still one of the strongest weapons of its size. The gun requires a moderate battery pack and a rack of specially designed slugs to operate correctly.

Sniper/Long-Range Rifles
B82 Rail Rifle The B82 is The IAE's most commonly used sniper rifle from sanctioned mercenaries to the IAE military. It's shown itself to be highly dependable, versatile, and efficient in past conflicts. The B82 is mostly composed of a fairly large railgun that is capable of being loaded with squash (bullets designed to flatten and transfer energy on impact) or puncture (bullets designed to pierce targets) slugs as well as other customized rounds that have popped up around the IAE. The rifle is open to a good number of mounts and scopes to increase its effectiveness or specialization.

B400 PR12-74.2 Coilgun The B400, more commonly known as the PR12, is one of the IAE's newest, strongest, and most unique rifles. The PR12 utilizes an uncommonly strong set of Gauss coils to accelerate a small slug to immense speeds. The gun is capable of firing both squash and puncture slugs for devastating impact and penetration respectively. The PR12 is effective at nearly all ranges though moreso at mid to long range. Close range shots will typically puncture most targets and keep moving, even those done with squash slugs. The gun is also very sturdy and it is not unheard of for them to be used in a melee capacity. The gun is also fitted with a heavy recoil dampener by default, giving wielders the capability to fire multiple shots with accuracy over a short span of time. The gun supports a variety of scopes and mounts for further adaptability. The PR12 is nearly semi-automatic. The PR12 is unique in more ways other than just its effectiveness. It is one of the first and only ballistic weapons in the IAE that utilizes generator clip. While most ballistic weapons use battery packs for power and most energy weapons use generator clips as ammunition, the PR12 does neither. Its magnetic coils are so strong that they cannot be efficiently powered by a battery pack. Conversely, the gun accelerates rounds so powerfully that it can use smaller than normal ones to the same effect as other weapons. Therefore, it does not need to be reloaded very often. Because of this, the PR12 uses generator clips loaded into the body of the gun to power its firing mechanism while its ammunition is loaded into the back. While the ammunition seldom needs to be reloaded, the generator clips can require recharging fairly often depending on usage. The gun can utilize any number of generator clips beyond the standardized one for extended use.

Heavy Weapons
X2020 Dark Matter Railgun In terms of armor penetration, the X2020 is hard to match. Though much of operating an X2020 requires customized and expensive components, many heavy weapons soldiers will insist that it's all worth it. The X2020 fires slugs filled with compressed dark matter. As one of the densest entities in the known galaxy, dark matter can punch through nearly any solid material. The dark matter's extreme density is temporarily negated by using special anti-gravitic modules in the X2020's chamber so the weapon is able to be carried while loaded. Once the slug is fired, its jacket breaks apart while the dark matter remains in motion and punches a sizable hole into its target. Better funded battalions can afford to buy customized long-range thermal-X-ray scopes that allow the wielder to peer through most materials before making a hole in them. Several assassinations have actually been accomplished in this way.

BR7-30 Thermobaric Railgun A combination of weapon types, the BR7-30 is a highly effective anti-armor and anti-structure weapon system. A vast majority of railgun slugs are designed to squash on impact, transferring their kinetic energy to the target and causing damage. The specially designed slugs of the BR7-30 contain a highly concentrated thermobaric compound in their rear section. When the slug impacts, it transfers its kinetic energy to cause initial damage and in the act of squashing sets off its explosive to create a significantly powerful blast. Despite its ability to devastate nearly anything, the BR7-30 has its limitations and certain factors can affect its overall effectiveness. Given its nature as a thermobaric weapon, it cannot create any type of explosion in a vacuum or a liquid because there is no air present. Furthermore, each slug needs to be fabricated with a different atmosphere in mind. For example, a thermobaric slug designed for an oxygen-based world will not explode to full potential on a world where oxygen is less prevalent and will not explode at all on a world lacking any oxygen. In such situations the BR7-30 becomes as effective as a regular railgun albeit one that is currently wasting money by design. Any soldier that knows they will be using a BR7-30 would do well to plan ahead to compensate for the weapon's drawbacks.

F399 Dust Combuster One of the rarer and less conventional IAE weapons, the F399 is a heavy weapon effective against both infantry and flammable structures. The F399 fires a specially designed layered rocket for its somewhat complex blast. Upon impact (or remote detonation in mid-air) the rocket's outer shell erupts into a large cloud of low density flammable dust. The inner component then explodes and ignites the dust creating a flaming cloud. Infantry caught in the blast are usually completely engulfed in flames and find trouble putting it out as the dust adheres to their armor. Wielders that take the time to analyze wind patterns can easily create a mobile wall of fire.

D191 Plasma Cannon The D191 is a sizable weapon typically used for anti-armor roles. The cannon rapidly launches a large blast of plasma energy at a target with obvious results. It's powered by a rather large plasma generator which only adds to its significant weight. As such, it's nearly impossible for a regular Euskanian soldier to use one as a handheld weapon and they are often only seen in the hands of larger troopers and Sauran auxiliaries who can wield them with much more ease.

Takora Drone Turret

(under construction...)

Infantry
The most common types of infantry. There is a vast amount of different classifications and ranks of each infantry type. Units displayed here will be simplified to their basic versions for sake of avoiding confusion.

Member Race Infantry
Trooper Established as a basic unit type during the Continuum Wars, the Trooper was the backbone of The IAE's infantry divisions for thousands of years. Troopers went through extensive strength and athletic training to support the weight of their battle armor as well as advanced weapons training to properly use it. Integrated weaponry was already semi-standard by the Continuum Wars so Troopers were often armed with double pulse blasters and kinetic strength enhancers by default. The Heavy Trooper was a designation with added missile launchers allowing the soldier to directly engage both infantry and vehicles in most situations. The Trooper was eventually abandoned as the IAE's primary infantry unit in favor of the Footsoldier, however. Many military administrators felt that the armor's design needed to be rebuilt from the ground up for better weapon integration, reduced weight, and increased efficiency. Troopers are not extinct however, and can be found in some battalions.

Needle Trooper The Needle Trooper was a highly specialized trooper type also established during the Continuum Wars. They were capable of operating during general combat situations or small-time infiltration roles. Their equipment included thermal and night-vision optics and mostly black armor for maximum effectiveness at night or low-light areas. The most notable feature of the Needle Troopers standard loadout was their unique needle cannons. Needle cannons, often dual wielded, utilize a highly specific crystalline ammunition. The ammo is formed from a synthetic acidic compound that crystallizes at the temperature within the gun. Each crystal round is solidified around a small and simple piece of machinery. The chip inside is designed to register an impact inside and immediately overheat the circuitry. Milliseconds after a round impacted, the corrosive crystal structure would melt and burn away the target. The full destruction of the round meant that their kills were mostly untraceable (meaning no official kill count for the Needle Troopers has ever been made). The Needle Trooper's bulkiness eventually led to their decommissioning as official stealth units but still exist as general soldiers in some military circles.

Footsoldier As the backbone of IAE infantry divisions, the Footsoldier has quickly become synonymous with either fear or relief on modern battlefields. The faceless face of The IAE comes equipped with a fully integrated and self-sustaining armor suit by default. All Footsoldier suits are powered by a compact but very generous battery that's capable of reasonably supporting them for numerous cycles. The standard weapon of the Footsoldier is a pulse-based forearm mounted blaster. In many cases they are mounted on both arms for better damage at the cost of a faster firing rate (the weapon must release heat for a very brief but still substantial moment of time). The armor's gauntlets are especially notable. The knuckle area is designed to absorb kinect impact which in combination with the suit's strength augmentation can give a basic footsoldier more than enough of a punch to overwhelm unprotected enemies. The palm, underside, and tips of the fingers are made from an elastic weave with microscopic conductors sewn into it. This allows the electrical impulses of a soldier's nervous system to channel through the gauntlet enabling a level of dexterity usually lost by wearing any type of glove. A footsoldier can engage in vicious melee combat and immediately switch to sabotaging enemy circuitry or other minuscule tasks with ease. The advantage that integrated and ammo-less weaponry affords is being able to carry hand-held guns as well. Wielding a weapon turns the pulse blaster into an effective last resort. Many Footsoldiers can also opt to get a magnetic holder for their weapon mounted on their armor for added convenience.

Tesla Trooper Tesla Troopers were established a relatively short time before the Footsoldiers. Tesla Troopers utilize miniaturized and weaponized versions of the Tesla coil integrated into their suit. This gives them the ability to unleash pulses and blasts of electricity as directed energy weapons. Tesla Troopers have found their way into many commanders’ hearts because of their ability to disable vehicles and quickly eliminate unshielded infantry. Although not heavily armored, Tesla Troopers relative speed and great versatility make them a valuable asset. The Tesla Troopers armor itself is very intricate. Their combat weave is specially designed to completely negate electrical energy in the event their weaponry backfires. This also gives them a small immunity to pulse based weaponry but the nature of it also means it loses effectiveness at absorbing ballistic impacts like most combat weaves. This is somewhat rectified by energy shielding powered by the suit’s power plant.

Doomtrooper Tall and fearsome, Doomtroopers are the appropriately named killing machines of The IAE. Though killing ratios are hard to keep perfect track of, most analysts are convinced that Doomtroopers have one of the highest (if not the highest). Standing nearly twice as tall as Footsoldiers, Doomtroopers are heavily armed and armored cyborgs that have devoted their life to The IAE’s interests across the galaxy. Doomtroopers fill a variety of roles including independent agents, squad leaders and officers, urban soldiers, open-field soldiers, and many others. Doomtroopers are deployed with a variety of tools for destruction. They are genetically enhanced and implanted with cybernetic components and given extremely resilient and powerful body armor. Although it is appropriately bulky, numerous points are made flexible for maximum mobility. One of their most obvious weapons is an enormous combat blade. The blade is longer than most race’s arms and charged with volatile plasma energy making it deadly against most any foe. Some Doomtroopers even choose to have blades mounted on both arms for unimaginable ferocity during melee combat. In addition, they come with the same pulse blasters as most IAE soldiers although their larger armor allows for stronger and more intricate firing mechanisms.

Itzal Black Ops The Itzal are what can be best compared to ninjas. They are highly trained in stealth, infiltration, melee and ranged combat, and most importantly escaping any situation. Itzal are masters at blending in with civilian populations, often wearing their equipment under inconspicuous clothing and able to carry out assassinations and other tasks from out of nowhere and disappear equally well. A vast majority of Itzal are female because their slighter build allows for numerous advantages with speed, stealth, and flexibility. Many operatives have customized or selective weaponry based on their assignment. The most common is a fearsome and concealed vibroblade. Mounted to the forearm, the vibroblade is specially designed to vibrate the molecules of a target and breach the spaces made. It works on some of the basic principles of matter. The molecules of a solid are tight packed and vibrate against one another, those of a liquid move faster and are barely connected, and those of a gas move at great speeds and barely touch one another. By rapidly speeding up the molecules of a solid target in a swift strike, they temporarily lose cohesiveness and therefore easily succumb to even slight wounds by the vibroblade.

Gudari MkI Gudari are specialized soldiers for operating in highly toxic environments that normal unit’s environment suits might be unable to handle. Their suits are layered with highly compact materials that negate some of the most deadly radiations and toxic materials in the galaxy. Each suit also comes with one of the most advanced independent life support systems in the galaxy. Intricately designed filters and breathable air recycling systems give Gudari the ability to survive in harsh areas for days or even weeks. Their armor is less flexible than most soldier’s resulting in lower than normal movement speed. This is intentionally done to reduce the amount of vulnerable areas on their armor and avoid any breaches. The Gudari’s only weapon is an arm mounted railrifle. It’s a suitable only weapon though; it has enough strength and penetration to eliminate most threats. Targeting is integrated into their HUD’s and is assisted by the suit’s computers. The computer also has a small program that helps isolate weak points in enemy units or structures to save time so breaches in the suit from enemy fire can be avoided.

Gudari MkII Although they do not share the same purpose as the Gudari MkI, the MkII shares many of its features and designs. The MkII has superior environmentally sealed armor than most IAE soldiers like the MkI. In fact, they are often used as heavy support troops during Gudari MkI operations when the area is too toxic for them. Strangely enough, MkIIs are often very benevolent characters and some even adopt Zen philosophies similar to the ones that originated on Earth. Many colonies have a MkII living there by choice and are gladly welcomed. Gudari MkII’s are genetically created or receive vast enhancement in order to operate effectively. Their armor is vastly durable and comes with generous shielding and numerous areas for customizable weapons. The MkII’s most obvious feature is their dual rail cannons mounted around their shoulder blades. They are a scaled up version of the MkI’s railrifle and capable of great feats of destruction. MkII’s are often casual in their assault strategies, relying on covering ground slowly with their massive firepower. Their rail cannons are collapsible to a degree for noncombat situations for less awkwardness while moving around.

Sky Lord and Sky Sovereign The Sky Lord and its counterpart the Sky Sovereign are units that only recently passed all simulated and live-fire combat testing. Even so, many enemy pilots and aircraft have already met a very personal end at the hands of a Sky Lord. As their name suggests, they are piloted battlesuits that mainly operate in the mid and upper atmosphere. Major breakthroughs in jumpjet technology allows them to mount engines no bigger than those found on a Red Devil but easily catch up to and surpass most modern enemy fighters. Their main role is to eliminate enemy forces making planetfall or simply enemy aerial opposition. Their ability to quickly and ruthlessly destroy cumbersome dropships and supply ships makes them a serious threat to any force trying to slip troops through planetary defenses. With unmatched speed and flexibility in aerial combat, Sky Lords are much more than a match for enemy fighters and in conjunction with AA defenses and standard air combat units, attacking a prepared IAE planet has become that much harder. Sky Lords are often led in combat by Sky Sovereigns, highly skilled operators that wear bigger and stronger iterations of the standard armor, appropriately colored the royal red. The increased amount of armoring and weaponry they carry is offset by additional thrusters allowing them to maintain the same blinding speeds as their Sky Lord brothers. They are also equipped with better in-helmet equipment like more complex comm arrays for coordinating with their squads, 3-D radar suites for maximum tracking ability, and some of the most sensitive targeting computers available to any IAE unit. Both units are equipped with extremely high velocity proton rockets and tight-beam pulse repeaters to take down anything that enters their airspace. Sky Lords have a hand free by default so many can opt to arm themselves with any handheld weaponry that would work under their normal combat conditions. Common choices are plasma cutters, tools capable of ripping open aircraft armor and causing catastrophic decompression, magnetic mines, simple explosive charges with obvious effects, and vibroblades, powerful melee weapons similar to (if not stronger than) the ones used by Itzals.

Heavy Anti-Air BattleSuit (HAABS) A perfect example of innovative IAE miniaturization initiatives, the IAE's Heavy Anti-Air BattleSuit (HAABS) is both a heavy infantry unit and anti-air platform. The HAABS is relatively new and has recently passed all battlefield tests in a number of frontline conflicts. It's shown great tactical ability and brutal effectiveness in eliminating enemy aircraft and aerial drones. Interestingly enough, the HAABS was commissioned at the same time as the Sky Lord series as part of certain IAE defensive projects. Defense analysts have found that with enough anti-air or anti-orbital weaponry, an enemy invasion can be completely stopped or at least delayed enough for ground forces to properly mobilize. They have optimistically predicted that the pair will ultimately save an innumerable number of lives in the near future alone. The HAABS is capable of mounting highly effective proton or more aggressive anti-matter missiles into its weapon systems for unmatched singular AA capability. A small number of proton missiles are capable of downing anything up to moderately sized aircraft of variable armor strength making them a relatively cheap defense option. For planets that the IAE would rather not have debris raining on, anti-matter missiles are capable of totally annihilating most aircraft and severely damaging low orbiting spaceships. With either option, enemy pilots will find they're having an enormous trouble locating that elusive AA emplacement or AA land vehicle with the HAABS on duty.

Sauran
Sauran Heavy Auxiliary Once The IAE and Saurans were open for diplomatic proceedings, military contractors wasted no time in offering the powerful looking Sauran chances to test new technology. Those that volunteered found themselves part of an expensive but highly successful program that resulted in IAE armor custom built for a Sauran's physiology. The test group and dozens of other volunteers were then fully inducted as IAE Auxiliaries through an agreement between the respective governments. The program was also focused on taking advantage of the Sauran's unique abilities. The general Sauran Heavy Auxiliary is a specially trained Sauran in a fully enclosed IAE armor suit whose usual role on the battlefield is heavy fire support. Since Saurans are much stronger and much less available than standard Euskanian soldiers, they are equipped with the heaviest and sometimes least common weapons. Heavy Auxiliaries are often given heavy weapons like positron guns, sonic devastators, plasma cannons, heavy railguns, and the like. The Sauran's typically agreeable nature makes them very easy to assign to normal squads and battalions to provide heavy fire support for normal Euskanian soldiers. The Sauran are also fairly swift even while lugging a heavy weapon around and can function as combat scouts or help cover ground faster. Most IAE soldiers are very glad to have these benevolent supersoldiers on their side and openly welcome Sauran into their squads. Though the occasional xenophobe can cause tensions among the mixed ranks of The IAE, they're usually met with serious consequences as more firepower is always welcomed by superior officers.

Sauran Tree Walker Another result of the Sauran auxiliary project, the Tree Walker is a unit designed to take advantage of the Sauran's abilities in forest and jungle warfare and natural swiftness. The suit for the Tree Walker is less resilient than the Heavy Auxiliary suit but much more specially designed for their designated types of combat. Their suits are equipped with a highly advanced camouflage mechanism that gives them the ability to completely blend in with the surrounding jungle to aid in rapid and devastating ambushes. They are mostly streamlined for more maneuverability to further assist Tree Walkers in carrying out guerrilla strikes. Tree Walkers usually use the Sauran's favored mode of combat, melee. They are known to leap from their hiding positions to ambush smaller groups of enemies, sometimes abducting or separating single targets to fight on their own terms. Some view this as cunning or cruel while others see it as the Sauran saving enemies from witnessing their squad members die, which sounds like something more in line with the Sauran's nature. Their claws are laced with plasma energy to compound the Sauran's natural skill and aggression in the art of tearing apart enemies. A number of Tree Walkers also receive a light shoulder-mounted ranged weapon for additional flexibility. They are often light positron guns, laser cannons, plasma cannons, and once in a while a form of railgun. Many Sauran are known to favor pulse cannons and Gauss or railguns because they are much less likely to ignite or damage the surrounding wildlife. Beyond violating their ecological morals, Tree Walkers know full well that destroying their camouflage and cover is simply moronic and therefore weapons based on radiant energy are slowly being phased out of their arsenal.

Sauran Subverter The final resultant unit in the IAE's Sauran Auxiliary program, the Sauran Subverter makes use of the Sauran's proficiency in aquatic movement and combat. Once it was confirmed that their new friends were in fact highly capable swimmers, the contractors had the best among the Sauran volunteers taken to an oceanic Inner Rim world for further research. There, where other efforts to expand the IAE's relatively weak navy are taking place, a customized aquatic combat suit was designed for Sauran auxiliaries. Worn over a form fitting aquatic combat weave, the lightweight armor is highly resistant to damage from intense pressure, water-specific weaponry, and many of the other dangers facing a soldier under the deep. A Subverter's armor is equipped with fairly strong aquatic drives to further enhance speed and movement underwater as well as a low-grade camouflage system that helps them remain undetected for the most part. It also incorporates compact air supplies as well as limited air recycling modules to keep the Subverter submerged for long periods of time but certainly not indefinitely. Their typical means of attack are very deadly power claws to be used in underwater close combat that most enemies might not be prepared or swift enough for. In other situations, Subverters are given underwater charges to quickly and stealthfully place on ships or installations (even in the heat of battle) or espionage related devices for remotely gathering intelligence. Though The IAE hasn't had many naval battles since their inception, Subverters have been noted as saying that they "greatly enjoy" their role as aquatic auxiliaries, even during off-duty practice.

Necraal
Necraal Deathsworn Necraal soldiers completely loyal to The IAE and regularly outfitted with standard equipment. When the Necraal Empire splintered into 3 because of Peacekeeper pressure, Horr’or’s experiment with the Biomatter, and the ion storms covering their space, a huge number of soldiers were left stranded and leaderless. Seeing an opportunity, The IAE offered to take them in. With little trust in the Zaretians or most other Warlords, the soldiers held a referendum and agreed to the offer. Grateful for their newfound home, those soldiers were eager to prove their loyalty until death, naming themselves the Deathsworn. Since that time, the Deathsworn have found great success in The IAE’s forces. They've built a reputation true to their name as fierce fighters even in extreme conditions. Under a special protocol a number were even allowed to maintain a rank equivalent to what they held previously. Though this arrangement is restricted to Sector 117, as Deathsworn slowly retire the government expects Necraal populations in The IAE to grow over time. In a few decades regular enlisted Necraal will outnumber the Deathsworn and many will be promoted through normal channels.

Necraal Deathsworn Obliterator Necraal Deathsworn Seer

(Under heavy construction...)

Mechs
Some of the IAE's standard piloted mechanical vehicles.

Warhound IFM (Infantry Fighting Mech) The Warhound IFM is one of the most battle-tested designs in the IAE arsenal. It combines durability, firepower, and maneuverability into one piloted mech. The original prototype was constructed during the early periods of the heaviest fighting of the Continuum Wars and has been continually updated ever since. The current iteration has been in use for nearly 15 cycles. The Warhound is outfitted with two sets of tri-barreled high velocity miniguns that are brutally effective against infantry. Each barrel is an advanced railgun built and calibrated for rapid firing. In conjunction with a standard targeting system the guns can mow down waves of infantry at nearly any range. The Warhound can also utilize multiple types of ammunition. The most common is a dense but small piercing round that is designed to penetrate the shields and body armor of enemy infantry. It is also somewhat effective against light vehicles. Explosive ammunition gives it a much greater ability to take down enemy vehicles while squash slugs excel at damaging buildings. These advantages are only available in conjunction good intel or significant luck as replacing the type of ammunition during a battle to fit the situation is ill advised. Firepower is not its only asset though. The Warhound is designed to keep up and go toe-to-toe with enemy infantry. Its frame and joints are made to withstand the shock of sudden movements, high speeds, and damage in general. Its machinery is state-of-the-art and gives it the speed and flexibility for quick offensive actions as well as avoidance maneuvers for enemy anti-armor fire. It is also capable of long distance jumps with powerful rocket systems on its back allowing it to fly over ravines or jump over walls to engage enemies. A fair number of Warhounds can easily level a force of enemy infantry in a variety of situations.

Ground Vehicles
Some of the most commonly used ground vehicles of the vast IAE Terrestrial Forces. There are many thousands of variations on the basic designs described here.

Dragon LAV (Light Assault Vehicle)

The Dragon Light Assault Vehicle has been a staple of IAE grounds forces for a very long time now. The basic frame was designed to be upgraded easily and has resulted in many iterations for different scenarios since its original creation. It was originally one of many commissions from the Ragnarok Mercenary Group (before their eventual merging into The IAE as their own division) for the IAE military. The RMC would go on to provide The IAE with many useful designs before deciding it was more profitable to simply work under the scope of the empire. Their leader also rose through the ranks of the military before finally becoming a member of the High Council and leaving a successor to take care of the RMC personally. The Dragon features a top-mounted turret that can be refitted with different weaponry of the same basic specifications. The most common configuration includes a semi-automatic railgun for direct engagement with other enemy vehicles. It uses a vastly downsized version of the railguns often found on ships but still manages to pack a serious punch especially at the speed Dragon’s typically move at during raids. The barrel is designed to absorb its own recoil and return to a firing position very rapidly. Attached directly above is a ballistic repeater for sustained automatic suppressive fire. On the underside is a dual pulse cannon for tearing through whatever infantry are brave or unfortunate enough to get in its way. Despite its nature as an LAV, the Dragon is very hardy and able to withstand repeated punishment during raids due to lightweight but resilient armor. The sheer speed and maneuverability the Dragon LAV brings to the battlefield make it invaluable in numerous roles. One of the most common is a vehicle for stinging hit-and-run attacks or high speed raids across a large area. Its rotating turret is capable of firing in any direction on the same coordinate plane (although some models have the ability to rotate upwards; none can rotate downwards for obvious reasons). While its railgun lays down heavy fire on targets, the pulse cannons mounted below the cockpit ensure nothing gets in its way. Dragons are also capable of being stealthily deployed from small dropships as well. Newer design models give the vehicle the ability to fold into a more compact shape for transport. Chimera HAV (Heavy Assault Vehicle) As many may readily notice, the Chimera Heavy Assault Vehicle is one of the more unique iterations of the Dragon LAV. While it shares the same frame design, the frame itself has been reinforced to hold the added weight of its more extensive armor plating and provide more durability from impacts. Its power core is also much stronger to compensate for the added weight and weapon mounts as well as to work with newer drive systems to propel it at a reasonable speed (although never quite as fast as the lighter Dragon LAV). The Chimera’s armaments are much more powerful than the ones the Dragon wields. The Chimera’s default turret mounts exactly twice the firepower with dual railguns (that often shoot rhythmically out of unison) and two ballistic repeaters for launching storms of bullets into enemy targets. Its underside weaponry is significantly more different than its parent’s though. It retains its pulse cannons although their barrels are farther apart and their mechanisms are entirely separate now. In between them are a larger variable-output beam laser and a repeater cannon mounted direction under it. These weapons and their casing are taken directly from the Star Talon fighter (also designed by RMC). RMC commissioners found that the weapon mounts size and circuitry were inherently similar and decided to incorporate them into the Chimera. The result was a successful weapon for mowing down the opposition. The heavier armor and weaponry of the Chimera have given it distinctly different roles than those of its parent, the Dragon. Since it can withstand much more fire, the Chimera has little need to travel at the speeds of the Dragon so is often deployed alongside other units for fire support. It has also seen much action in urban warfare and very often in combating riots or guerrilla action. Its armor is usually enough to completely negate small arms fire that rebels might utilize and its railguns have a great firing arc for targeting enemies taking advantage of different forms of urban cover (and blasting right through them). It’s also useful for open field combat where it can usually absorb stray fire as well as provide temporary cover from friendly infantry. Assault Skimmer Drone As an effective combination of hover technology and remote/AI controlled platforms, the Assault Skimmer is a fast and useful force where infantry can’t be. The Skimmer is many times controlled remotely by operators in back line bases and used for advanced scouting operations as well as infantry hunting. The Skimmer hovers roughly at torso level with an average Euskanian and over most types of terrain with ease. Its versatility and expendable nature as a drone make it an excellent alternative to risking Euskanian lives. The Skimmer is equipped with dual piercing pulse guns on each side of its front end. Although small, they have an effective firing rate and are very effective against small numbers of enemy infantry. They can rotate to a degree for firing corrections but this is not usually done while moving. One of the hover engines is behind each gun and changing their orientation can affect trajectory. The Skimmer also has a longer ranged but slower firing pulse gun on each side of its back end. These are fully stationary though and are often used for minor suppressive fire. Guepe FAR Assault Skimmer Similar in many ways to the Skimmer Drone but notably a piloted vehicle, the Guepe FAR Assault Skimmer is designed to hit fast and hard. Unlike the Skimmer Drone, the Guepe hovers very high above the ground during attacks. Much of the Guepe’s height above the ground is due to its propulsion, so it will often hover much lower while idle. Its main role is blindingly fast assaults on enemies from high up. By the time enemies realize they’re being ambushed, they have little time to fight back before the Guepe escapes again. Pilots are many times specifically trained for using Guepe FAR’s. Manning one requires the ability to handle its immense speed, operate its weaponry effectively, and know the appropriate time to escape before being overwhelmed. The Guepe FAR is equipped with two different types of weaponry. On the underside is a gatling repeater that runs the length of much of the vehicle. In addition to an impressive rate of fire and excellent penetration, the weapon can be rotated in many angles for mowing down target almost anywhere below the Guepe. It also sports a directed energy cannon similar to the one found on the Bulwark H-T MkIII (though much smaller) on each side near the air intakes. Though they cannot be rotated like the gatling repeater, they are effective anti-vehicle weapons. The Guepe’s speed gives it the ability to ambush and inflict significant damage on slower vehicles with ease. A skilled pilot can utilize both weapons to devastate a small force of enemy infantry and support vehicles and receive very little damage to himself.

Eiztari MBT (Main Battle Tank) One of the first universally reliable battle tanks, the Eiztari Main Battle Tank was an IAE staple up to and for some time during the Continuum Wars. It was also one of The IAE’s first major uses of hover tech in a heavy combat vehicle. The Eiztari’s frame was built to be sturdy and reliable but highly mobile. The result was a well-rounded tank that saw constant production until the MkII was born. The most notable part of the Eiztari at the time was its tank-killing positron main gun which was usually limited to very few vehicles, almost all of them spacecraft. The four acceleration coils gather energy and channel it to the firing mechanism which is supplemented by the tank’s energy core. The firing mechanism uses the energy to condense the highly volatile positron molecules into the barrel of the main gun. The mechanism finally releases and channels them out through the barrel as a highly potent blast of positron energy. This blast is more than a match for enemy tank armor or fortifications. A notable feature of the main gun was its ability to move along the vertical axis and shoot any target within a 90 degree angle of its default position. This allowed innovative tank commanders to use the Eiztari to perform unconventional tasks like taking down slower moving aircraft or using spotters for extremely long-range fire. Eiztari MkII The second generation Eiztari made improvements the fans of the first one never expected. The MkII incorporated many new technical features that improved on the MkI including better targeting software, a much stronger energy core, more failsafe systems, and a much more comfortable interior. Much of the hover tech remains the same although more advanced systems bought from the Coran Ecclesiarchy made them much more energy efficient and reliable. In addition, advances in positron technology made the main gun many times more devastating. With more firepower came the need to redesign and fortify the barrel and firing mechanisms. This means the MkII has lost the ability to change the barrel’s orientation but this is mitigated by the large increase in the sheer strength of each shot. Some logistical problems meant that the positron blast had to be restricted to a tighter beam wavelength. Each shot produces a more concentrated blast but is not as wide. Whether this is an improvement or a drawback is all a matter of opinion. The barrel also features a precisely calibrated laser sight mounted on top of it for aid in aiming. This is of course an optional feature and may be removed at any tank commander’s request for a different mount.

Sumno SH-HT A4 (Super Heavy Hover Tank) The standard Sumno build is the IAE's current main battle tank. Though some of the speed of the Eiztari line was lost, the Sumno is still just as versatile and comes with many advantages over the previous line. Continuous advances in hover tech has made the Sumno extremely reliable, even under heavy fire. Additional innovative systems were added to make the transition even more beneficial. A large percentage of the heat generated by the internal mechanisms is adapted into the hover engine for reuse. The latest design also comes with a modular weapon port, typically occupied by a heavy pulse repeater, that allows for a variety of weapon mounts to combat infantry or other threats. With the potential to adapt almost any mountable weapon or support system comes a whole new level of preparedness. The Sumno's main weapon is a standard heavy positron cannon charged with plasma for devastating combat ability. The triple interwoven blast is more than a match for heavily armored enemies and even well-reinforced structures. It's quickly become the tank of choice for almost any frontline engagement.

Arkus Anti-Air Tank As part of The IAE's ongoing defensive initiative, the Arkus Anti-Air Tank was commissioned to act alongside existing anti-air and anti-orbital defenses. The Arkus is operated by a single pilot heavily supplemented by advanced AI systems giving the Arkus the ability to independently guide each missile. The complex programming is capable of plotting 3 dimensional courses around any obstacles for each missile fired resulting in an almost unparalleled accuracy rate. Although the missiles become exponentially less accurate under radar, the guidance program can allow the Arkus to perform as a makeshift artillery. The Arkus typically mounts high-speed proton anti-air missiles but is designed to handle antimatter missiles just as well. Despite the Arkus' heavier armor given its status as a tank, it is ill-suited for direct engagement on the front lines. It effectively fills a role between the lighter Mako and heavier Watchtower platforms. It isn't as fast as the Mako but is much more durable and isn't as powerful as the Watchtower but fires in much greater concentrations. Royale Heavy Tank With The IAE being spread across many different fronts, military developers felt that more frontline units needed additional versatility without sacrificing any durability or firepower. Then came the development of the Royale, one of the IAE's newest and strongest heavy tank designs to date. Breakthroughs in positron and drive core technologies allowed the mounting of two superheavy positron cannons on the Royale for devastating anti-surface firepower. Eight mounted proton missile pods and a standard level AA targeting suite make the Royale much harder to counter with aircraft. With as little as mild infantry support, the Royale can cut through columns of enemies with relative ease. The Royale is very new off the production line though and many commanders do not have access to them. Further, their full capability has yet to be seen because like most other new designs, the Royale has only been tested in smaller foreign skirmishes.

StormArrow Heavy Artillery One of the IAE's newest assault vehicles, the StormArrow is a heavy plasma artillery platform of unprecedented power. It was commissioned very specifically as a compact vehicle able to "fire as much energy as safely possible". After a lengthy production period, developers managed to create a vehicle that did just that. The StormArrow is highly mobile, significantly armored, and a nightmare to anything it targets. The StormArrow utilizes a plasma artillery system stronger than anything ever recorded. It requires so much power that the vehicle has little more than its weapon, a targeting system, and the ability to move. The cannon of the StormArrow supercharges a wave of plasma before launching it at blinding speeds over great distances. The blast has been observed to be so strong that it utterly destroys the target which has caused many commanders to avoid using them in urban battlefields or other situations where something other than brute force is required. Though the StormArrow represents a new standard in firepower, it can only fire while nearly stationary due to both power being diverted from the hover engines and the incredible recoil the weapon tends to produce. Power requirements also mean that it cannot sport any kind of secondary or supportive weapon. That usually means that the vehicle cannot be left alone without any kind of support or escort in most situations. It is also limited to somewhat long range fire despite being able to discharge at almost "point blank" range. The StormArrow's developers are still studying the risks of secondhand exposure to the vehicle's main weapon so all commanders have been advised to avoid targeting anything located near friendly forces. Splash and collateral damage are also of great concern.

Assault Crawling Fortress (ACF) Mech One of the oldest known IAE units is the immense ACF Mech. They were commissioned shortly before the Continuum Wars and saw extended usage during many of the periods of heavier warfare. The original ACF was a massive invasion, command, troop transport, and artillery platform and universally feared. Field commanders were often deploy on ACF's with elite infantry or heavy ground vehicles on board. Though the ACF was capable of precision bombardment and safe deployment, battles during the Continuum Wars were often very desperate ones and many times things turned savage very quickly. ACF Mechs would physically plow through cities, knocking down skyscrapers, and crushing entire platoons of enemies with aggressiveness that many today look back at with disdain. Often doomed commanders would choose to go out with a bang, charging the ACF haphazardly into enemy lines until it was unable to move from sheer damage shortly before overloading its core. The resulting blast was often sufficient to end the entire battle, though there were rarely any survivors left to enjoy their ultimately Pyrrhic victory. The ACF Mech was soon discontinued after the Continuum Wars and few are left in usable condition. Since the old ACF was a symbol of Continuum era desperation and savagery, it surprised many historically well-versed commanders to receive word of the newest iteration. The new ACF is somewhat smaller than the original one and occupies more of a superheavy support and transport role. The new ACF travels in battlegroups of four, breaking through enemy lines with their heavy energy cannons and deploying waves of troops right into the fray of battle. The new model is also incapable of many of the tactics that made the original so infamous as well as some new ones. In exchange for greater mobility, the new ACF is (likely) incapable of storming and demolishing urban areas without sustaining heavy damage in the process. It also has a much more stable drive core, making catastrophic detonations much less common. This in addition with increased armor and stability make it more practical to use alongside other forces. Unlike their predecessor, the new ACFs have advanced hover engines allowing them to be deployed directly from orbit and slow their descent aptly enough to immediately join the battle. They are also compatible with Haze Air Bases but they don't usually leave room for much else so orbital drops are usually preferable. Vivaas Tripod Assault Mech

Aquatic Vehicles
Orana Frigate Tizarko Cruiser Bermudos AI Submarine Hydralith Assault Platform

Aerial Vehicles
AI Heavy Gunship Virak Light Gunship Gizandi Dropship

Non-Combat Units
AI Builder Drone Shriza Maintenance Drone Corridor Drone Mendikatea Cargo Titan

Military Facilities
The IAE uses a variety of efficient and sustainable structures throughout their campaigns and other military actions.

Rapid Fabricator

When The IAE desperately needs more units on the front line it turns to the Rapid Fabricator. The Fabricator is able to flash construct units when reinforcements are unavailable and keep The IAE in the fight. It utilizes extremely aggressive hypernanites to build different vehicles using resources on-hand. Under normal circumstances the nanites used would quickly overrun an area trying to disassemble more matter to construct new vehicles. However, they are programmed to self-terminate upon arranging a set number of atoms or upon a lack of immediately available resources. New nanites will often use the microscopic husks of older ones to continue construction of the vehicle. The effect of this failsafe process can allow extremely efficient construction when repeated many millions of times over by each nanite. The magnitude and efficiency of the nanites used makes frontline unit construction significantly quicker than average battlefield factories. When a fabricator is not adequately supplied the production of nanites is slowed proportionately to conserve resources and prevent the nanites from consuming the IAE frontline base. Several algorithms relating to each nanite's hard limits are recalculated as well. Compared to traditional unit construction facilities located in established military bases and on settled worlds, the Rapid Fabricator is many magnitudes faster and more convenient. As one might imagine though, the Fabricators achieve their incredible building speed by bypassing many established quality, safety, and environmental standards. Though vehicles produced by Rapid Fabricators are still top-of-the-line military technology they fall short of vehicles produced by dedicated military factories. Fabricator vehicles are often somewhat less powerful, durable, and/or fast than standardized IAE units. They are also vulnerable to attacks from enemy units during raids or if a forward base is overrun during its construction. Some commanders argue that maintaining highly reliable lines of supply and reinforcement renders the Fabricator unnecessary. Others that are less wary of Rapid Fabricators tend to recommend them for training exercises and for use on more remote colony worlds and outposts. More supportive officers gladly use them whenever they're needed and have kept the Fabricator in active use.

Extractor-Refinery

When a commander needs to conserve metal and construction materials or is cut off from supply lines they turn to the Extractor-Refinery. When a metal rich area is located this building utilizes tight wavelength mining lasers to separate useful metals and materials from the crust of a planet. A set of transmitters then emit a corridor of combined magnetic and anti-gravitic energy to extract the loosened metals and bring them to the surface and into the body of the structure. The metals are then refined by creating a high-pressure environment inside the body of the refiner and using the higher pressure to melt and consolidate metals at a lower temperature. The refined metal is then briefly sculpted into a size and shape most suited for easier use by builder drones or to be deconstructed and reused by Fabricator nanites. Piping within the support struts of the Extractor-Refinery send metal to be distributed where it is needed.

(Under construction...)

Glossary
A list of definitions to aid in the understanding of The IAE.

Colony
 * 1) Noun - Any planet or territory separate from Euskana but still under IAE jurisdiction.
 * 2) Noun - A planet with only one settlement, holding, or installation referred to by the name of the settlement, holding, or installation that often overrides the actual name of the planet.

Euman (yu-min)
 * 1) Noun - A human being; homo sapiens.

Euskana (yu-ska-nah)
 * 1) Noun - The homeplanet of the Euskanian species, The IAE, and its administrative center.
 * 2) Noun - Another name for the Euskanian species. Both singular and plural.

Euskanian (yu-skay-nee-in)
 * 1) Noun - The primary sentient species of The IAE. Originating on Euskana.
 * 2) Adjective - Descriptive of any institution, program, or other entity that is not administrated by the central government or military; Civilian in nature.

Gen-En (jen-en)
 * 1) Noun - A Euskanian that has received significant genetic enhancements either before being born or later in life. Typically much larger and stronger than a normal Euskanian and found almost exclusively in the military.

Under construction...