FreeSpace Wiki - User contributions [en]

Meson Bomb

2006-09-29T11:28:42Z

Miffy:

The Meson Bomb is an experimental demolition warhead developed at the Hideki Institute in [[Vega]]. First devised as a large scale demolition bomb to destroy meteor and asteroid fields, it was first deployed to destroy the [[Knossos]] subspace portal in Gamma Draconis to prevent the Shivans from invading Capella. Up to 17 Meson bombs have been produced so far; three were used to destroy the Knossos subspace portal in Gamma Draconis and 14 more were retrofitted in decommissioned destroyers, [[GTD Bastion]] and [[GTD Nereid]] to collapse the nodes to [[Vega]] and [[Epsilon Pegasi]] from [[Capella]]. Its use as a demolition warhead was first demonstrated at the destruction of the Knossos subspace portal, where thereafter Allied Command commissioned its use in the Capella contingency plan for trapping the Shivans in that system.

It's name refers to the Meson, which is a strongly interacting boson, which is a type of particle with an integer spin, which is a type of element that has a malformed number of neutrons in its nucleus (such as Deuterium). A Meson bomb's destructive force most likely comes from the separation of the two particles, one normal neutron and an anti-quark that a meson comprises of and the gluons that hold them. This, results in a quasi-fission effect, except releasing less heat energy and more kinetic energy.

Its use as a tactical warhead is prohibited by its large size.

The Hideki Institute was named after Hideki Yukawa, a leading Japanese theoretical physicist that won the Nobel Prize for his thoery on mesons.

Meson Bomb

2006-09-29T11:28:05Z

Miffy:

The Meson Bomb is an experimental demolition warhead developed at the Hideki Institute in [[Vega]]. First devised as a large scale demolition bomb to destroy meteor and asteroid fields, it was first deployed to destroy the [[Knossos]] subspace portal in Gamma Draconis to prevent the Shivans from invading Capella. Up to 17 Meson bombs have been produced so far; three were used to destroy the Knossos subspace portal in Gamma Draconis and 14 more were retrofitted in decommissioned destroyers, [[GTD Bastion]] and [[GTD Nereid]] to collapse the nodes to [[Vega]] and [[Epsilon Pegasi]] from [[Capella]]. Its use as a demolition warhead was first demonstrated at the destruction of the Knossos subspace portal, where thereafter Allied Command commissioned its use in the Capella contingency plan for trapping the Shivans in that system.

It's name refers to the Meson, which is a strongly interacting boson, which is a type of particle with an integer spin, which is a type of element that has a malformed number of neutrons in its nucleus. A Meson bomb's destructive force most likely comes from the separation of the two particles, one normal neutron and an anti-quark that a meson comprises of and the gluons that hold them. This, results in a quasi-fission effect, except releasing less heat energy and more kinetic energy.

Its use as a tactical warhead is prohibited by its large size.

The Hideki Institute was named after Hideki Yukawa, a leading Japanese theoretical physicist that won the Nobel Prize for his thoery on mesons.

Meson Bomb

2006-09-29T11:13:36Z

Miffy:

SJ Sathanas

2006-09-29T11:02:43Z

Miffy: /* Overview */

The '''SJ Sathanas''' is the most powerful space-faring warship ever encountered by the [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance|GTVA]]. With four ultra-heavy beam cannons, a Sathanas outstrips even a [[GTVA Colossus|Colossus-class vessel]] in terms of raw firepower.

{{spoiler}}
*Freespace 2
{{shipimage|image=[[Image:sathanas320x240.jpg]]|caption=The SJ Sathanas}}

==Overview==

The prowess of this class was tragically demonstrated when a Sathanas juggernaut destroyed the ''[[GTVA Colossus]]'' in the [[Capella]] system. The only apparent weakness of the Shivan juggernaut is that the massive beam cannons are concentrated at the bow. Aside from a comparatively diminuative anti-warship beam cannon at the stern, the other flanks of the massive warship are covered only by point-defence weapons. However, a Sathanas is still more than able to defend itself and project offensive power via the many hundreds of fighters and bombers it carries in its cavernous hanger. Thus, stopping a juggernaut is almost impossible. Even the 'expedient' of disabling the massive warship is hardly worth considering, due to the numerous redundant engines found on the hull. In essence, any attack on a Sathanas-class juggernaut can be considered almost suicidal. Only the Colossus demonstrated enough firepower to take on a Sathanas.

It's prefix designation, SJ, stands for "Shivan Juggernaut".

==History==

The first combat appearance of a Shivan Juggernaut was in the nebula theatre, beyond the first [[Knossos]] portal in [[Gamma Draconis]], when the warship destroyed a Vasudan taskforce assaulting a Shivan gas-mining operation. The [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance|GTVA]] immediately began to withdraw from the nebula, though not before sending a pilot in the new [[GVF Ptah]] class stealth fighter to scan the vessel. Based on this information, the Alliance launched a targetted bombing mission to eliminate several of the forward beam cannons (there is no canon consensus concerning exactly how many were destroyed, but at least two were taken out) in the Gamma Draconis System, and the ''[[GTVA Colossus]]'' engaged and destroyed the weakened juggernaut after it jumped to the [[Capella]] system.

After that victory, the GTVA were confident they could eliminate any threats the Shivans could present, and returned to the nebula with the objective of locating and capturing [[Admiral Aken Bosch]]. However, that goal failed to be achieved as GTVA forces discovered that ''multiple'' Sathanas-class juggernauts were en route to GTVA space. [[Gamma Draconis]] was quickly overrun by the swift advance of the juggernaut fleet, which shortly entered [[Capella]]. In a desperate gamble, the GTVA fleet held the Shivans at bay while civilians were evacuated to [[Epsilon Pegasi]] and [[Vega]]. During the closing stages of the battle, the GTVA Colossus was destroyed in Capella by a Shivan juggernaut while providing a diversion for the GTD Bastion, which was tasked with collapsing the jump corridor to [[Epsilon Pegasi]]. In a final startling turn of events, the Shivan juggernauts instigated the super-nova of the [[Capella]] star as the jump corridor to [[Vega]] was destroyed.

==Conclusion==

The Shivan juggernaut fleet is the single, most serious threat to the survival of the Terran and Vasudan species. The GTVA barely managed to stop one Sathanas, and even then it was with warship that took two decades to construct. An encounter with any more Shivan juggernauts will only be able to be stopped with extreme difficulty. As a final note, all technical data concerning Sathanas-class juggernauts has been classified Level Upsilon.

----

{{FS12_Ships}}

==Description:==

===FS2 Tech Room Description===
Very little is known about the SJ Sathanas class. This juggernaut seems comparable in strength to the GTVA Colossus. All intelligence concerning the Sathanas has been classified level Upsilon.

===Developer Notes===
None

===Veteran Comments===
''It would be the best to steer clear of the juggernaut, as it would be suicide to attack it without capital ship support. However, it is extremely vulnerable to attack from capital ships from the side and the rear, where there are little to no anti capital ship defences.'' 
''I disagree. The Sathanas anihilates anything that it is facing it, period. Not even a Colossus can defend against the beams in the front. However, because the beams are so far from any anti-fighter defences, it is a simple matter to destroy them, and render the warship practically defenseless against capital ships.'' 
''It is also vulnerable to fighters and bombers if they attack near enough to the weapons subsystems, making it impossible for the anti-fighter beams to reach.'' 
''This giant warship is curious, neither the [[GTVA Colossus|Colossus]] nor the Sathanas have very good anti-fighter defenses. A squadron of [[GTM Helios|Helios]] capable bombers can take out all of its main beam cannons, leaving it vulnerable to attack. If it wasn't for the "supercap" flag, the Sathanas in such a state would be vulnerable to attacks by destroyers.'' 
''The Sathanas, like most FS2 Shivan capital craft, has an attack-oriented design that makes use of the known Shivan superiority at subspace jumping (at least in capital craft) to deal devastating first-strike blows. If itself attacked, it has problems. it has a single other anti-capital beam, an LRed in a "stinger" posistion aft and below; this weapon is not sufficent to prevent the Sathanas from being flanked. The Sathanas' defenses against fightercraft assault are respectable, but as mentioned above poorly sited to defend against an attack on its main armament. (The Colossus is notably superior in this regard.) In a way the Sathanas is a microcosm of the Shivan war machine, which is dependant on continually being on the assault to keep its flaws from being exposed. On the defensive it can still deal out heavy blows, but ultimately it is not prepared for the role. It is worth noting that the only time ingame the Sathanas was actually attacked, by a Vasudan corvette in "A Monster in the Mist", it was unable to come to grips with its opponent. Even in "High Noon" the Sathanas was essentially on the offensive, in motion towards the statically posistioned Colossus.''
 
''This is one bigass mother of a ship. However, its defensive capabilities against fighters and bombers are far below par, so you can easily see why I disagree with the first comment. A quick salvo of helios missiles should take care of the four front beams. The only annoying thing one should be warned about this is the forward flak cannon constantly bombarding your ship. If you can get rid of that, the ship is easily fried into helpless cap-ship fodder. Given an endless amount of time, enough missiles, and enough patience, it's possible that a single fighter or bomber could take down this juggernaut, as the Shivans apparently weren't planning on engineering defenses into their cap-ship destroyer. Unless its forward beam turrets are intact, it's as harmless as a fly (although not easily as squashed). Just be warned not to sit in front of it as it jumps out.''

==Performance:==
===Statistics===
{|
|-
| style="width:200px" | '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Type|Type]]'''
| style="width:200px" | Juggernaut
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Manufacturer|Manufacturer]]'''
| Unknown
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Manuverablity|Manuverability]]'''
| N/A
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Max Velocity|Max Velocity]]'''
| 25.0 mps
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Max Afterburner Velocity|Max Afterburner Velocity]]'''
| N/A
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Armor|Armor]]'''
| N/A
|-
| [[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Hitpoints|Hitpoints]]
| 1 000 000
|-
| [[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Shields|Shields]]
| N/A
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Length|Length]]'''
| 5978 m
|}

===Armaments===

*'''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Turrets|Turrets]]'''
{| border=1 cellpadding=4 style="border-collapse: collapse"
|- align="center"
| colspan=2 style="background:#300505;"| '''Freespace 2'''
|- align="center"
| style="width:120px" |Turret Type
| style="width:60px" |Amount
|- align="center"
| [[Shivan Turret Laser]]
| 22
|- align="center"
| [[Standard Flak]]
| 11
|- align="center"
| [[Long Range Flak]]
| 2
|- align="center"
| [[GTM Piranha|Piranha]]
| 5
|- align="center"
| [[SAAA|Anti-Fighter Beam]]
| 8
|- align="center"
| [[LRed|Large Red Beam]]
| 1
|- align="center"
| [[BFRed|Very Big Red Beam]]
| 4
|}

[[Category:Ship]]

SJ Sathanas

2006-09-29T10:59:42Z

Miffy: /* Overview */

The '''SJ Sathanas''' is the most powerful space-faring warship ever encountered by the [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance|GTVA]]. With four ultra-heavy beam cannons, a Sathanas outstrips even a [[GTVA Colossus|Colossus-class vessel]] in terms of raw firepower.

{{spoiler}}
*Freespace 2
{{shipimage|image=[[Image:sathanas320x240.jpg]]|caption=The SJ Sathanas}}

==Overview==

The prowess of this class was tragically demonstrated when a Sathanas juggernaut destroyed the ''[[GTVA Colossus]]'' in the [[Capella]] system. The only apparent weakness of the Shivan juggernaut is that the massive beam cannons are concentrated at the bow. Aside from a comparatively diminuative anti-warship beam cannon at the stern, the other flanks of the massive warship are covered only by point-defence weapons. However, a Sathanas is still more than able to defend itself and project offensive power via the many hundreds of fighters and bombers it carries in its cavernous hanger. Thus, stopping a juggernaut is almost impossible. Even the 'expedient' of disabling the massive warship is hardly worth considering, due to the numerous redundant engines found on the hull. In essence, any attack on a Sathanas-class juggernaut can be considered almost suicidal. Only the Colossus demonstrated enough firepower to take on a Sathanas.

==History==

The first combat appearance of a Shivan Juggernaut was in the nebula theatre, beyond the first [[Knossos]] portal in [[Gamma Draconis]], when the warship destroyed a Vasudan taskforce assaulting a Shivan gas-mining operation. The [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance|GTVA]] immediately began to withdraw from the nebula, though not before sending a pilot in the new [[GVF Ptah]] class stealth fighter to scan the vessel. Based on this information, the Alliance launched a targetted bombing mission to eliminate several of the forward beam cannons (there is no canon consensus concerning exactly how many were destroyed, but at least two were taken out) in the Gamma Draconis System, and the ''[[GTVA Colossus]]'' engaged and destroyed the weakened juggernaut after it jumped to the [[Capella]] system.

After that victory, the GTVA were confident they could eliminate any threats the Shivans could present, and returned to the nebula with the objective of locating and capturing [[Admiral Aken Bosch]]. However, that goal failed to be achieved as GTVA forces discovered that ''multiple'' Sathanas-class juggernauts were en route to GTVA space. [[Gamma Draconis]] was quickly overrun by the swift advance of the juggernaut fleet, which shortly entered [[Capella]]. In a desperate gamble, the GTVA fleet held the Shivans at bay while civilians were evacuated to [[Epsilon Pegasi]] and [[Vega]]. During the closing stages of the battle, the GTVA Colossus was destroyed in Capella by a Shivan juggernaut while providing a diversion for the GTD Bastion, which was tasked with collapsing the jump corridor to [[Epsilon Pegasi]]. In a final startling turn of events, the Shivan juggernauts instigated the super-nova of the [[Capella]] star as the jump corridor to [[Vega]] was destroyed.

==Conclusion==

The Shivan juggernaut fleet is the single, most serious threat to the survival of the Terran and Vasudan species. The GTVA barely managed to stop one Sathanas, and even then it was with warship that took two decades to construct. An encounter with any more Shivan juggernauts will only be able to be stopped with extreme difficulty. As a final note, all technical data concerning Sathanas-class juggernauts has been classified Level Upsilon.

----

{{FS12_Ships}}

==Description:==

===FS2 Tech Room Description===
Very little is known about the SJ Sathanas class. This juggernaut seems comparable in strength to the GTVA Colossus. All intelligence concerning the Sathanas has been classified level Upsilon.

===Developer Notes===
None

===Veteran Comments===
''It would be the best to steer clear of the juggernaut, as it would be suicide to attack it without capital ship support. However, it is extremely vulnerable to attack from capital ships from the side and the rear, where there are little to no anti capital ship defences.'' 
''I disagree. The Sathanas anihilates anything that it is facing it, period. Not even a Colossus can defend against the beams in the front. However, because the beams are so far from any anti-fighter defences, it is a simple matter to destroy them, and render the warship practically defenseless against capital ships.'' 
''It is also vulnerable to fighters and bombers if they attack near enough to the weapons subsystems, making it impossible for the anti-fighter beams to reach.'' 
''This giant warship is curious, neither the [[GTVA Colossus|Colossus]] nor the Sathanas have very good anti-fighter defenses. A squadron of [[GTM Helios|Helios]] capable bombers can take out all of its main beam cannons, leaving it vulnerable to attack. If it wasn't for the "supercap" flag, the Sathanas in such a state would be vulnerable to attacks by destroyers.'' 
''The Sathanas, like most FS2 Shivan capital craft, has an attack-oriented design that makes use of the known Shivan superiority at subspace jumping (at least in capital craft) to deal devastating first-strike blows. If itself attacked, it has problems. it has a single other anti-capital beam, an LRed in a "stinger" posistion aft and below; this weapon is not sufficent to prevent the Sathanas from being flanked. The Sathanas' defenses against fightercraft assault are respectable, but as mentioned above poorly sited to defend against an attack on its main armament. (The Colossus is notably superior in this regard.) In a way the Sathanas is a microcosm of the Shivan war machine, which is dependant on continually being on the assault to keep its flaws from being exposed. On the defensive it can still deal out heavy blows, but ultimately it is not prepared for the role. It is worth noting that the only time ingame the Sathanas was actually attacked, by a Vasudan corvette in "A Monster in the Mist", it was unable to come to grips with its opponent. Even in "High Noon" the Sathanas was essentially on the offensive, in motion towards the statically posistioned Colossus.''
 
''This is one bigass mother of a ship. However, its defensive capabilities against fighters and bombers are far below par, so you can easily see why I disagree with the first comment. A quick salvo of helios missiles should take care of the four front beams. The only annoying thing one should be warned about this is the forward flak cannon constantly bombarding your ship. If you can get rid of that, the ship is easily fried into helpless cap-ship fodder. Given an endless amount of time, enough missiles, and enough patience, it's possible that a single fighter or bomber could take down this juggernaut, as the Shivans apparently weren't planning on engineering defenses into their cap-ship destroyer. Unless its forward beam turrets are intact, it's as harmless as a fly (although not easily as squashed). Just be warned not to sit in front of it as it jumps out.''

==Performance:==
===Statistics===
{|
|-
| style="width:200px" | '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Type|Type]]'''
| style="width:200px" | Juggernaut
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Manufacturer|Manufacturer]]'''
| Unknown
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Manuverablity|Manuverability]]'''
| N/A
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Max Velocity|Max Velocity]]'''
| 25.0 mps
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Max Afterburner Velocity|Max Afterburner Velocity]]'''
| N/A
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Armor|Armor]]'''
| N/A
|-
| [[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Hitpoints|Hitpoints]]
| 1 000 000
|-
| [[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Shields|Shields]]
| N/A
|-
| '''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Length|Length]]'''
| 5978 m
|}

===Armaments===

*'''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Turrets|Turrets]]'''
{| border=1 cellpadding=4 style="border-collapse: collapse"
|- align="center"
| colspan=2 style="background:#300505;"| '''Freespace 2'''
|- align="center"
| style="width:120px" |Turret Type
| style="width:60px" |Amount
|- align="center"
| [[Shivan Turret Laser]]
| 22
|- align="center"
| [[Standard Flak]]
| 11
|- align="center"
| [[Long Range Flak]]
| 2
|- align="center"
| [[GTM Piranha|Piranha]]
| 5
|- align="center"
| [[SAAA|Anti-Fighter Beam]]
| 8
|- align="center"
| [[LRed|Large Red Beam]]
| 1
|- align="center"
| [[BFRed|Very Big Red Beam]]
| 4
|}

[[Category:Ship]]

Shivans

2006-09-29T10:56:46Z

Miffy: /* Technology */

The '''Shivans''' are a sentient species, who most probably come from an another galaxy or other unexplored region of the universe. Two of the most devastating wars were fought against the Shivans: The [[Great War]] and the [[Second Shivan Incursion]]. Even though both [[Terran]] and [[Vasudan]] scientists experimented with Shivans, still not much is known about this species. There are many non-canon [[Shivan Theories|Shivan theories]] however. Generally it is up to the individual to decide what the Shivans are, and what they are doing.
==Physiology==
[[Image:Shivans.jpg]] 
Shivans have multiple eyes, some of which seem to have the function of compound eyes, not unlike some varieties of insects. Shivans also have five legs, and can run equally well over a floor or over a ceiling. It has been hypothesized that Shivans may have spent their evolutionary process in a zero-gravity environment. Each Shivan leg ends in a very strong claw, capable of crushing even the sturdiest of known alloys. Parts of their thorax seem to act as compartments, such as ones that might be found on a space suit. It has been suggested that what we have actually seen have been either robots or organic creatures in some sort of exo-skeleton. However, we have, at present, no reason to support either hypothesis.
 
Their insect like carapace does not appear original to the creature's physiology, suggesting the Shivans are a cybernetic fusion of biology and technology. The integrated plasma weapon also exhibits properties of an organic artificial fusion. The weapon may be a kind of focusing device powered by the energy of the being itself, though this point is the subject of heated controversy. These details are cited as evidence that the Shivans could not have evolved as the Terran or Vasudan species had, but that they were likely constructed by another entity. Only a handful of Shivans have ever been captured, and all research on live specimens ended with the [[GTI]]'s [[Hades Rebellion]] in 2336. The results of these studies remain highly classified.

==History==
Despite what information we've been able to obtain, Shivans still remain, on many levels, an enigma to both the [[Terrans]] and the [[Vasudans]]. Their origin and their destination remain unknown. While many have offered up possible explanations as to why the Shivans seem focused on the destruction of all other sentient species, we still do not know why they seem bent on total xenocide.
 
Though the Shivans are obviously xenocidal, their motives and origins have yet to be determined. According to Ancient artifacts, the Shivans seem to possess some kind of sensitivity to subspace disturbances. It is unknown why the Shivans returned to now-GTVA space in Freespace 1 and 2; it may have been by chance, cycle, or by the detection of Terra-Vasudan subspace travel and / or conflict.
 
One theory, suggested by Admiral Petrarch in the (player survives) end monologue of Freespace 2, is that the Shivans are a nomadic race cut off from home, much like the Terrans are from theirs. This theory goes on to speculate that the Shivans used the Capellan supernova to create some form of 'bridge' allowing travel to another (their home) universe.

==Culture==
Xenobiologists know very little about Shivan society. A leading hypothesis is the hive mind theory, arguing that Shivan society is broken down in specialized functions driven by a collective intelligence. The most convincing evidence supporting this theory is the behavior of Shivan forces following the destruction of the [[SD Lucifer|SD ''Lucifer'']], the turning point of [[The Great War]]. Other experts caution against attributing insectoid properties to the Shivans, regardless of their appearance and behavior. Shivan communication seems to occur through quantum waves; [[Admiral Aken Bosch]]'s [[ETAK]] project was successful in decoding their transmissions, but all data concerning that project has been classified at the highest level.

However, due to the capture of the specifications of the [[ETAK]] project, it is possible that the [[GTVA]] may try to communicate with the Shivans at some point in the future, or possibly create a device to monitor and/or disrupt their communications. Either of these possibilities may hold the key to surviving a future Shivan incursion, as from the last two major encounters it is evident that the Shivans exponentially increase their power between campaigns against other beings.

==Technology==
Shivan technology has proved baffling for both [[Terran]] and [[Vasuda]]n scientists. Although their weapons and technology by necessity obey the same physical laws, the systems of Shivan craft seem to be fully integrated with the pilot's biology, making it difficult (but still possible) to use their spacecraft for espionage and spying. Only three documented sucessful missions have been carried out using retrofitted Shivan spacecraft to traverse Shivan territory under disguise.

Shivan technology is also much more advanced than most Terran or Vasudan capabilities, since reverse-engineering captured Shivan technology has led to tremendous advances in shielding, beam weaponry, energy and other weapon systems. The architectural capabilities of the Shivans is also far more advanced than most Terran/Vasudan capabilities since most capital ships of the Shivan fleet encountered exhibit far more complex exteriors (and therefore complex interiors) than most Terran/Vasudan vessesls.

Shivans seem to depend more on primary weapons than secondaries, evidenced by their bombers' low payload capacity. Shivans also rely on their heavy shielding and use little armor plating on their fighters. The Shivan's also have an inclination towards the colour red; almost all Shivan vessels exhibit a red color scheme.

[[Category:Species]]

Shivans

2006-09-29T10:43:51Z

Miffy:

The '''Shivans''' are a sentient species, who most probably come from an another galaxy or other unexplored region of the universe. Two of the most devastating wars were fought against the Shivans: The [[Great War]] and the [[Second Shivan Incursion]]. Even though both [[Terran]] and [[Vasudan]] scientists experimented with Shivans, still not much is known about this species. There are many non-canon [[Shivan Theories|Shivan theories]] however. Generally it is up to the individual to decide what the Shivans are, and what they are doing.
==Physiology==
[[Image:Shivans.jpg]] 
Shivans have multiple eyes, some of which seem to have the function of compound eyes, not unlike some varieties of insects. Shivans also have five legs, and can run equally well over a floor or over a ceiling. It has been hypothesized that Shivans may have spent their evolutionary process in a zero-gravity environment. Each Shivan leg ends in a very strong claw, capable of crushing even the sturdiest of known alloys. Parts of their thorax seem to act as compartments, such as ones that might be found on a space suit. It has been suggested that what we have actually seen have been either robots or organic creatures in some sort of exo-skeleton. However, we have, at present, no reason to support either hypothesis.
 
Their insect like carapace does not appear original to the creature's physiology, suggesting the Shivans are a cybernetic fusion of biology and technology. The integrated plasma weapon also exhibits properties of an organic artificial fusion. The weapon may be a kind of focusing device powered by the energy of the being itself, though this point is the subject of heated controversy. These details are cited as evidence that the Shivans could not have evolved as the Terran or Vasudan species had, but that they were likely constructed by another entity. Only a handful of Shivans have ever been captured, and all research on live specimens ended with the [[GTI]]'s [[Hades Rebellion]] in 2336. The results of these studies remain highly classified.

==History==
Despite what information we've been able to obtain, Shivans still remain, on many levels, an enigma to both the [[Terrans]] and the [[Vasudans]]. Their origin and their destination remain unknown. While many have offered up possible explanations as to why the Shivans seem focused on the destruction of all other sentient species, we still do not know why they seem bent on total xenocide.
 
Though the Shivans are obviously xenocidal, their motives and origins have yet to be determined. According to Ancient artifacts, the Shivans seem to possess some kind of sensitivity to subspace disturbances. It is unknown why the Shivans returned to now-GTVA space in Freespace 1 and 2; it may have been by chance, cycle, or by the detection of Terra-Vasudan subspace travel and / or conflict.
 
One theory, suggested by Admiral Petrarch in the (player survives) end monologue of Freespace 2, is that the Shivans are a nomadic race cut off from home, much like the Terrans are from theirs. This theory goes on to speculate that the Shivans used the Capellan supernova to create some form of 'bridge' allowing travel to another (their home) universe.

==Culture==
Xenobiologists know very little about Shivan society. A leading hypothesis is the hive mind theory, arguing that Shivan society is broken down in specialized functions driven by a collective intelligence. The most convincing evidence supporting this theory is the behavior of Shivan forces following the destruction of the [[SD Lucifer|SD ''Lucifer'']], the turning point of [[The Great War]]. Other experts caution against attributing insectoid properties to the Shivans, regardless of their appearance and behavior. Shivan communication seems to occur through quantum waves; [[Admiral Aken Bosch]]'s [[ETAK]] project was successful in decoding their transmissions, but all data concerning that project has been classified at the highest level.

However, due to the capture of the specifications of the [[ETAK]] project, it is possible that the [[GTVA]] may try to communicate with the Shivans at some point in the future, or possibly create a device to monitor and/or disrupt their communications. Either of these possibilities may hold the key to surviving a future Shivan incursion, as from the last two major encounters it is evident that the Shivans exponentially increase their power between campaigns against other beings.

==Technology==
Shivan technology has proved baffling for both [[Terran]] and [[Vasuda]]n scientists. Although their weapons and technology by necessity obey the same physical laws, the systems of Shivan craft seem to be fully integrated with the pilot's biology, making it difficult (but still possible) to use their spacecraft for espionage. Additionally, reverse-engineering Shivan technology has led to tremendous advances in shielding, beam weaponry, and other weapon systems. Shivans seem to depend more on primary weapons than secondaries, evidenced by their bombers' low payload capacity. Shivans also rely on their heavy shielding and use little armor plating on their fighters.

[[Category:Species]]