Technology (Telkevan Union)

Overview
In the early years of the union, the Telkevon relied heavily on superior technology in order to overcome their oftentimes numerically superior enemies. While the union has grown substantially since then, sophisticated technology is still viewed as a key asset in maintaining the nation's strength. The Telkevon will seldom hesitate to reverse-engineer alien technology and integrate it into their own if they find a use for it. With the induction of the client states, trade with their neighbors, and conflict with the Peacekeepers, the development of new technology has accelerated to unprecedented levels.

Subspace engines and jump drives are the primary forms of faster-than-light space travel, with each serving different roles. Jump drives are commonplace on civilian and commercial ships such as transports and freighters that have little need for maneuvering and which need to move from one location to the next, often using the downtime during loading and offloading to recharge their engines. Military ships use subspace drives which, while somewhat slower, recharge much faster, allowing them to make accurate, simultaneous jumps, giving them a great deal of mobility on the battlefield. Research into the Void has seen the recent development of the empire's first Void-capable drive, which was used for the first time during Operation Dawnhammer to navigate Void hyperlanes.

Millennia of subterranean living have seen the Telkevon become masters of underground construction. Facilities and settlements are often located beneath mountains, plateaus and other tall natural formations, though if none are available, they can be readily built elsewhere. Entrances come in the form of large lifts that can sometimes double as a space elevator. Cities are comprised of numerous interconnected domes or caverns that can be dozens of stories tall, allowing for the use of some aircraft, and stretch for hundreds or thousands of kilometers, allowing them to house millions of residents. The 'walls' of the city are extensively reinforced and shielded to prevent cave-ins while the roof provides an artificial day and night cycle. Roads are commonplace, but are chiefly used by the military and by commercial interest, with most civilians using the rails, bicycles, or simply walking. Alien tourists can have a difficult time navigating underground cities as they are designed with a deliberately confusing and maze-like layout designed to disorient potential invaders. Waste disposal, food production, generators, and other facilities are generally relegated to their own sectors away from the inhabited areas. Trash, waste, and other materials are cleansed and recycled before being put back into the system to be reused, leaving very little if any waste.

Likewise, the Telkevon are experts at subterranean warfare. Dedicated tunneling tanks can place explosives beneath enemy positions or bypass them entirely to deploy troops directly at a target.

The AFTU's arsenal contains both projectile and energy-based weapons alongside various specialized biochemical weapons. Melee weapons such as saw blades, hammers, and spears are also used, but are not standard-issue, instead being granted to particular units for use in specific circumstances such as boarding operations and urban combat. The Great War has also seen the introduction of Marganite-based weapons such as the RS-18, a superweapon designed to produce explosive crystal growth over a wide area. A number of ancient weapons, such as hard light firearms, have been salvaged, but remain poorly understood and can only be replicated in small numbers and at an incredibly high cost.

All infantry are equipped with one of many variations of XBA armor, an exoskeletal suit of powered armor that can be adapted for use in any environment. The suit protects the user with a shield and multiple layers of armor while also enhancing their strength and speed with artificial muscles and internal hydraulics. Because of this, military firearms are built with the suit in mind, allowing for weapons to be stronger without having to be concerned about weight or recoil.

Energy shields are standard-issue for all military and police forces and are used on infantry, vehicles, structures, and starships. Facilities and large urban settlements are also equipped with shields to defend against orbital and artillery bombardment. In 3396AF, they began developing a planetary shield capable of protecting an entire planet against an invading force. The first of these was completed at Alrukai in 3457AF; a smaller version of the shield was constructed upon Alrukai's moon and Valakar Station. Some of the equipment used to produce planetary shields would later be used to produce wireless shield boosters for starships. All shields are either of the standard or directional format, and several specialized types, such as kinetic and thermal shields, are used depending on the circumstance.

Modern medicine is capable of preventing and curing the vast majority of diseases and rebuilding bodies to the point that even those who have suffered grievous injuries in battle can return to normal, at least on a physical level. Machines injected into the bloodstream that are designed to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses are legally required for all citizens alongside vaccines relevant to their system and locations they plan on visiting. Genetic engineering has effectively eliminated genetic conditions but are strictly regulated to prevent discrimination based on factors such as height or the color of one's scales. Body parts and organs are grown in sanitary labs and are frequently used to replace lost limbs and destroyed organs, though some prefer to use cybernetics because they are seen as a badge of honor and the fact that they are generally superior to their organic counterparts. Some are outright opposed to the use of lab-grown limbs, considering them to be unclean. Every body part with the exception of the brain has a fully mechanical counterpart and can receive upgrades to enhance or grant new abilities. The military has used both cybernetics and genetic engineering for combat, with the greatest example being the Selshazak supersoldier program.

Robots can be found throughout society performing countless tasks such as city maintenance, surgery, accounting, and production. In the military, they can act as mobile weapons platforms, bombs, spies, explosive ordinance disposal, and much more. Some military and civilian robots are remote-controlled, but the majority of modern machines are controlled by an artificial intelligence. A.Is are by and large created to perform specific duties and are not capable of either independent thought nor learning or adaptation; an accounting A.I will be incapable of learning how to maintain a city, for example. Sapient A.Is with built-in loyalty and religious beliefs do exist, but are few in number and are exclusive to the government and military.

Projectile Weapons
See also: Ballistic Firearm, Needle Gun, Railgun

Energy Weapons
See also: Energy Weapon

Infantry Armor
Armors can be broadly divided into three categories: protection, mobility, and utility. Designers will try to either balance between two or three of the categories or will focus primarily on one.


 * Armors which focus on protection emphasize armor and shielding in exchange for reduced mobility. These suits generally cover more of the body and feature stronger but heavier plates. These armors may also augment the user's strength. Protective armors may also feature less ports for auxiliary components, as the ports themselves are less durable than the armor surrounding it. Protection armor is most commonly used by a nation's front line fighting forces.


 * Mobility armors are the opposite of protection armors, eschewing protection for the sake of speed, flexibility, and sometimes, stealth. Mobility-focused armors boast a great deal of variety; some armors still over most of the body, albeit in lighter and smaller plates, while more extreme cases cover only the vital areas or are stripped down to their absolute bare essentials, going as far as to lack certain components that may be common in other armors as well as any auxiliary ports.


 * The rarest of the three, utility armors are designed for specialized roles and/or providing support to their allies. Such armors are either purpose-built for their role or feature many auxiliary ports for mission-by-mission customization. Utility armors can perform small-scale construction, produce mobile bubble shields, possess remote-controlled drones, and much more. But while utility armors can be very useful, they can carry the downsides of both protection and mobility armors, as the ports and components reduce the armor's durability and can sometimes weigh the user down. They are also a prime target for enemy forces, often necessitating that they be protected by their allies.