FreeSpace Wiki - User contributions [en]

SJ Sathanas

2010-01-17T23:31:05Z

WildKard:

{{FS12_Ships}}
The '''SJ ''Sathanas''''' is the most powerful space-faring warship ever encountered by the [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance|GTVA]]. It is comparable in size to and perhaps more than a match for the [[GTVA Colossus|''GTVA Colossus'']].

Not to be confused with the decoy version, the [[SJD Sathanas|SJ<u>D</u> ''Sathanas'']].

A debris chunk of the Sathanas is also included as an individual model and ship, known as the [[SpaceHunk]].
[[Image:Sjsathanas-old.jpg|thumb|480px|right|The SJ Sathanas]]
[[Image:Sjsathanas.jpg|thumb|480px|right|The SJ Sathanas in FS2_Open 3.6.10]]

==Overview==
With four ultra-heavy beam cannons concentrated in the bow, a Sathanas outstrips even a [[GTVA Colossus|''Colossus''-class vessel]] in terms of raw firepower that it can project at one target. Like other Shivan capital ships, the Sathanas has an attack-oriented design that makes use of the known Shivan superiority at subspace jumping to deal devastating first-strike blows. The Sathanas best exemplifies the Shivan war machine, which is dependent on continually being on the attack 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.

The only apparent weakness of the Shivan juggernaut is that the massive beam cannons are concentrated at the bow, and aside from a comparatively diminuative anti-warship beam cannon at the stern, the other flanks of the massive warship are covered only by point-defense weapons. The main armament is also not well defended against fighters compared to the ''Colossus''. Nonetheless, 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 hangar. 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.

Its prefix designation, SJ, stands for "Shivan Juggernaut."

===History===
The first combat appearance of a Shivan Juggernaut was in the nebula theater, beyond the first [[Knossos]] portal in [[Gamma Draconis]], when the warship destroyed a Vasudan task force assaulting a Shivan gasmining operation. The GTVA immediately began to withdraw from the nebula, though not before sending a pilot in the new [[GVF Ptah|''Ptah'']]-class stealth fighter to scan the vessel. Based on this information, the Alliance launched a targeted 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|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|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 prowess of this class was tragically demonstrated when a Sathanas juggernaut destroyed the [[GTVA Colossus|GTVA ''Colossus'']] in the [[Capella]] system. The GTVA barely managed to stop one Sathanas, and even then it was with a warship that took two decades and enormous amounts of resources to construct. An encounter with any more Shivan juggernauts will only be able to be stopped with extreme difficulty. All technical data concerning ''Sathanas''-class juggernauts has been classified Level Epsilon.

==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

==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#Maneuverablity|Maneuverability]]'''
| 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
|}

==Notes==
===User-made campaigns===
This ships also appears in [[Inferno]], where it makes use of a subspace weapon based on the one seen in FreeSpace 2's penultimate cutscene. Several other mods including the [[Scroll of Atankharzim]] and Inferno-based campaigns also make use of this addition.

Unfortunately, currently the pincer movements and other cosmetic effects have not been reproduced in-game, though it would theoretically be possible to do so using the [[Animation Code]] and major modifications to the model.

===Veteran Comments===
{{comment|''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" position aft and below; this weapon is not sufficent to prevent the Sathanas from being flanked. The Sathanas' defenses against fightercraft assault are respectable, but 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 dependent 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 positioned Colossus.''

''It is also vulnerable to fighters and bombers if they attack near enough to the weapons subsystem, making it impossible for the anti-fighter beams to reach.''

''It's not clear if the Sathanas is a warship at all, or some kind of colonization vessel or Shivan living quarters fitted with heavy weaponry. It certainly has some kind of secondary non-combat capabilites, such as the bizarre equipment that the Shivans used to destroy the Capella star. Via Petrarch's statements in the end cutscenes, Volition seems to imply that the Shivans destroyed Capella to create subspace access to their homeworld and used the Sathanses as glorified personnel transports for their journey.''

''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.''

''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.''

''It is true that a Sathanas '''CAN''' be flanked by a smaller warship, but do not underestimate the strength of its rear-facing LRed. Without any fighters or bombers to disable it, even a [[GVD Hatshepsut|Hatshepsut-class]] destroyer may not be able to survive attacking it from behind. If that single turret is destroyed, however, it will change the outcome.

It is also interesting to note that the Sathanas has basic AWACS capabilities, meaning that it can occasionally target and open fire on hostile stealth fighters in addition to relaying the enemy stealth fighter's targeting data to all nearby friendly ships. There's a little drawback about this, however - if the Sathanas is set as a friendly ship, it will send builtin AWACS messages in case its hull integrity is moderately and/or critically reduced.''

''A note about the ship's turn radius: if ordered to attack a nearby target, the AI code will tell the Sathanas to move forward while turning (rather than just pivot in place), so a warship placed to the side of the Sathanas in the right "sweet spot" can harass the juggernaut while remaining out of range of the short-range anti-fighter beams and blobs guarding the Sath's flanks. The Sath will turn in a wide circle and will never bring its main guns to bear. In this way a Fenris can defeat a Sathanas over the course of an hour, assuming that the latter's fighterbays are empty, and that the person who FREDed the mission didn't simply give the Shivan vessel a decent waypoint path to follow. For example, telling the Sath to head for a distant waypoint will cause it to pivot tightly, in which case the Fenris is screwed.''

''Despite all this, remember that the Sathanas is not meant to be left immobile and unescorted. If you create a mission, make sure that the ship turns to face the opponent, or at least move to evade. Also, the Sath's presumably very large fighter complement should be enough to overwhelm GTVA bombers and warships. Consider these factors when designing a strike against a Sathanas. ''

I find that as long as you're nowhere near any flak cannons, staying low and close to the hull like you're walking on it is a method that can allow you to effectively neutralize every one of its turrets. Of course it'll take a while, since you're certainly not going to get your wingmen to follow you in your plan. The Sathanas in my opinion really only poses a threat to big ships. (A really, really big threat.)
}}

[[Category:Ship]]

GTVA Colossus

2010-01-17T23:18:44Z

WildKard:

{{FS12_Ships}}
The largest space-faring warship ever constructed by the [[Terrans]] or [[Vasudans]], the '''GTVA ''Colossus''''' was the result of twenty years of joint effort from dozens of contractors from across the [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance]]. Logging in with a length of six kilometers, this behemoth was equipped with over eighty weapon turrets, in addition to over 240 combat spacecraft.

With the offensive power that exceeded most [[GTVA]] battle groups, the ''Colossus'' was designed to combat the [[Shivans]] upon their return to Allied territory. The prospective target was one or more [[SD Lucifer|''Lucifer'']]-class super-destroyers, and it was deemed that the ''Colossus'' would not only have the firepower not only to destroy such a foe, but also to survive multiple hits from a ''Lucifer'''s primary weapon system.
{{shipimage|image=[[Image:Gtvacolossus-old.jpg]]|caption=The GTVA Colossus}}

==History==
The first combat deployment of the ''Colossus'' was against the [[Neo-Terran Front]]. It can be truthfully said that it was the ''Colossus'' that was the ultimate factor in the NTF's collapse. NTF forces proved to be [[Feint! Parry! Riposte!|no match]] for the ''Colossus'' and her battle group, and the rebels made every effort to avoid direct combat with the warship. With his fleet shattered, and the remnants being actively pursued and destroyed by the ''Colossus'', [[Famous Persons|Admiral Aken Bosch]] gave the order to flee GTVA space to the relative safety of the nebula beyond [[Gamma Draconis]].

With the NTF defeated, the ''Colossus'' was finally to fulfill the role her designers had envisioned for her: the defeat of a second Shivan incursion. However, as it turned out, the challenge was not to be [[SD Lucifer|SD ''Lucifer'']]-class superdestroyers, but rather the even more massive [[SJ Sathanas|SJ ''Sathanas'']]-class juggernaut. Twenty years of constant struggle finally culminated with the ''Colossus'''s destruction of the [[SJ Sathanas|''Sathanas'']], all at the cost of moderate damage to the ''Colossus''.

All would have been well was it not for the [[Shivans]] possessing multiple juggernauts. In the closing stages of the Battle of [[Capella]], the ''Colossus'' was deployed to interdict Shivan traffic at the [[Gamma Draconis]] jump node in [[Capella]] to divert enemy forces and attention away from the [[GTD Bastion|''Bastion'']], which was en route to collapse the jump corridor to [[Epsilon Pegasi]]. The ploy succeeded, as the [[Shivans]] first deployed a [[SD Ravana]], then a [[SJ Sathanas|SJ ''Sathanas'']] to engage the ''Colossus''. In her weakened state, it was obvious that the ''Colossus'' would not survive an engagement with another ''Sathanas''-class juggernaut, and Allied Command ordered the ''Colossus'' to withdraw.

However, with the success of the ''Bastion'''s critical mission in doubt, the ''Colossus'' disobeyed the direct order from Allied Command, and refused to disengage. Subsequently, the ''Colossus'' was destroyed with the loss of all hands. The thirty-thousand officers and crew of the ''Colossus'' willingly sacrificed themselves to ensure the continued survival of the billions of individuals making up the Terran and Vasudan species, and ultimately, the [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance]].

==Known victims of the ''Colossus''==
*NTCv ''Hawkwood'' (Destroyed at Enif Station)
*NTD ''Repulse'' (Admiral Koth's flagship. Kamikaze attacked the Colossus)
*NTD ''Andronicus'' (Reported destroyed in Command Briefing)
*NTC ''Camisard'' (Reported destroyed in Command Briefing)
*NTC ''Vanguard'' (''Reported destroyed in Endgame'')
*NTCv ''Congreve'' (''Implied destroyed in Endgame'')
*NTCv ''Danton'' (''Endgame'')
*SJ ''Sathanas'' (First, High Noon mission)
*SD ''Beast'' (Destroyed shortly before the second Shivan juggernaut destroyed the Colossus)

==Quotes==
"This is the GTVA ''Colossus''. Fighters, stand clear of hostile warships. All batteries, fire at will!"

"This is the GTVA ''Colossus''. Admiral Koth, you are ordered to power down your engines immediately and surrender. The Polaris jump node is blockaded, there is no escape."

"You are sacrificing thousands of lives for nothing!"

"If only Koth had surrendered rather than playing Martyr, his crew would still be alive"

"A Shivan juggernaut has jumped within range. What's the status of the [[GTD Bastion|''Bastion'']]?"

"We'll hold them back here. Just get the [[GTD Bastion|''Bastion'']] through!"

==Colossus cutscene==
'''Narrator:''' ''The following is classified level Rho. Unauthorized access is punishable under the GTVA security act, Deneb convention, section 21.3.5. We vanquished the Shivans in the Great War but the hard questions remained. How would we confront the threat of future invasion? The Shivans might return at any time, any place, without warning. How would we fight the next threat to the very existence of our species? In 2345, on the tenth anniversary of the Shivan attack on Ross 128, the Vasudan emperor Khonsu II addressed the newly-formed GTVA General Assembly. The emperor inaugurated an ambitious and unprecedented joint endeavor: The GTVA ''Colossus''.''

'''Khonsu II:''' ''Together we built a civilization on the ruins of the [[Great War]], and now we stand on the threshold of a new era of prosperity and harmony. With Project Colossus, the Vasudan people celebrate our shared covenant of peaceful co-existence and mutual defense of our Terran allies.''

'''Narrator:''' ''The ''Colossus'' is the most powerful space faring warship ever constructed. Spanning six kilometers from bow to stern, the ''Colossus'' has taken over twenty years to complete. Twelve ''Lucifer''-class destroyers can fit within its massive hull. Its state-of-the-art weaponry includes forty-five laser turrets, fifteen flak guns, twelve missile batteries, and twelve beam cannons. The ''Colossus'' wields more firepower than five ''Orion''-class destroyers combined. Sixty fighter and bomber wings are housed in its vast hangar and its crew numbers over thirty thousand. Among its major contractors are industry giants Triton Dynamics, Subach-Innes, and the Akheton Corporation. The alliance now wages war on multiple fronts: in Deneb, Alpha Centuri, Epsilon Pegasi, and the [[Nebula System|mysterious nebula]] beyond Gamma Draconis. Once deployed the ''Colossus'' will end these conflicts swiftly and decisively. If ever the Shivans return to threaten our worlds we will be ready to face the challenge, securing peace for today and for generations to come.''

----

{{FS12_Ships}}

==Description:==

===FS2 Tech Room Description===
The GTVA ''Colossus'' resulted from an endeavor unprecedented in Terran or Vasudan history. This 6-kilometer-long behemoth is the result of 20 years of joint effort from dozens of contractors of both races. The ''Colossus'' is the most powerful space-faring warship ever made, bristling with over 80 weapon turrets. It also houses 60 fighter and bomber wings and requires a crew of over 30,000. The firepower of the ''Colossus'' is greater than that of most GTVA battle groups.

===Developer Notes===
None

===Name Origin===
:'''Meaning:''' ''Colossal'', ''large statue''
:'''Language:''' ''Latin'', imported in ''English''
:'''Alternate spellings:''' ''Kolossos'' (Ancient Greek)

Used in Latin to refer to large statues, the term used nowadays in English (in lower case, as this is a common name) may refer to anything of giant sizes. ''Colossal'' is a related word.

The sixth of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant bronze statue representing the god [[Helios]] that was constructed following a very important military victory. This explains why the first mission featuring the ''Colossus'' is named "[[The Sixth Wonder]]."

==Performance:==
===Statistics===
{{Ship Stats|[[GTVA_Colossus_ship_type_debate|Not explicitly specified]]|[[Colossus manufacturers]]|N/A|25.0|N/A|N/A|1 000 000|N/A|6166}}{|-
| style="width:200px"|'''[[Technical_Terms_and_Definitions#Fighter Complement|Fighter Complement]]'''
| style="width:200px"|240 fightercraft (organized as 60 wings or 20 squads)
|}

===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"
| [[Terran Turret]]
| 8
|- align="center"
| [[Terran Huge Turret]]
| 10
|- align="center"
| [[Standard Flak]]
| 12
|- align="center"
| [[MX-52]]
| 8
|- align="center"
| [[GTM Piranha|Piranha]]
| 2
|- align="center"
| [[AAAf|Anti-Fighter Beam]]
| 10
|- align="center"
| [[TerSlash|Terran Slashing Beam]]
| 7
|- align="center"
| [[BGreen|Big Green Beam]]
| 6
|}

==Veteran Comments==
{{Comment|''The Colossus is really out of its league against the Sathanas, but it was never designed for killing juggernauts. The Colossus' proper role is hunting and killing destroyers, a task at which it excels. It would take a very large number of smaller ships to threaten the Colossus; witness its single-handed destruction of the NTF.''

''The GTVA Colossus is not that great at killing ships of equal size to it as the above veteran has said. The placement of its main beam turrets are all over the ship, meaning that maximum firepower cannot be directed against heavier ships. However, this does also have its advantages. It means that no capital ship can be in a safe spot from it. It is also loaded with massive amounts of anti-fighter and bomber weaponry, making it a nightmare to attack. These anti-fighter weapons are also located around the main beams of the warship, making it more difficult to disable.''

''The Colossus is to destroyers what a corvette is to a cruiser, bigger and armed well enough to make mincemeat out of them, though well positioned destroyers can inflict notable damage to it they will die in the end. For example, if you do nothing to the NTF cruisers in [[Feint! Parry! Riposte!]], they will maneuver into the Colossus' upper-rear blindspot and will beam the Colossus to death over the course of an hour while she is unable to return fire, as all of her beams are mounted on the front or sides.''

''I think that the weak spots of the Colossus are its rear and top although its rear is defended by four [[TerSlash]]es and its top is defended by two. In a custom-made mission, I made the Colossus travel 10 clicks, while being attacked on all sides by destroyers of different variations. I placed a [[GTD Hecate|Hecate]] on the left side, and it was the first to be destroyed. The last warship that got destroyed was the Demon, which I placed in front of and somewhat above it. The only two surviving warships (which took down the Colossus) were the [[GTD Hades|Hades]] and [[GVD Hatshepsut|Hatshepsut]], both of which I had placed at the rear-left and rear-right of the juggernaut, respectively.''

''The Colossus model is infamous for its low moment-of-inertia value, which causes it to swing around like a baseball bat during tight turns. Humans at the far end of the Colossus would experience over 20 G's during one of these swings. It's possible that the crew is kept close to the center-of-mass of the ship to ease this problem. Considering that the Colossus is stated to have a crew of 30,000 while an American supercarrier has less than 1/20th the volume of the juggernaut and has a crew of 5,000. This is explained by the fact that only a certain fraction of the hull is actively "inhabited" by crewmen - watch the ''Colossus'' cutscene for more info.''

''Keep in mind that the firepower demonstrated by the Colossus in [[High Noon]] was due to pushing the beams and fire control to their limit, resulting in considerable damage to the ship and weapons even if the Sathanas never fired a shot. Replacing the Colossus' default beams with more powerful beams without even mentioning overloads is not good at all.''

''Strangely enough, the Colossus is never mentioned as either a destroyer, superdestroyer or a juggernaut in the game, instead being ambiguously called a warship. This sparked a debate, as every other canon ship was given a ship type excluding the Colossus. Further details on this debate may be found [[GTVA Colossus ship type debate|here]].''}}

[[Category:Unique ships|Colossus, GTVA]]
[[Category:Ship]]

GTD Legion

2010-01-17T23:16:46Z

WildKard:

:''"Legion" redirects here. For the modded destroyer, see [[GTD Legion (Orion)]]

{{template:Unique ship|[[GTD Orion|GTD ''Orion'']]|[[The Great War]], possibly the [[Terran-Vasudan War]]|''Unknown''|FreeSpace 2 intro cutscene|Destroyed by the [[SD Lucifer|''Lucifer'']] in FreeSpace 2 intro|''Unknown; cutscene shows [[GTF Hercules|Hercules]], [[GTB Medusa|Medusas]], and [[GTB Ursa|Ursas]], presumably from the ''Legion''.''|Legion}}

In the FreeSpace 2 intro cutscene, which depicts the [[Battle of Deneb (2335)]], the [[SD Lucifer|SD ''Lucifer'']]'s beam weapon pierces the hull of an unknown ''Orion''-class Destroyer, causing it to careen out of control. 32 years later, the abandoned hulk of the ship is shown in orbit around Deneb where it remains remarkably intact save for the penetration damage, before fading into the background as it is overshadowed by the rebuilt GTVA fleet led by the ''[[GTVA Colossus|Colossus]]''.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khIWdolT9xY]

[[Volition]] was fairly clear this ship was not the [[GTD Galatea|''Galatea'']]. A community member asked if the ship could be called the ''Legion''. [[Volition]] responded, "Call it that if you want," so the ship is generally referred to as the ''Legion''. However, as Volition had likely subcontracted out the cutscene cinematics to another firm, there are considerable [[FreeSpace_Trivia#Cutscene_quirks|canonical inconsistencies]].

In the Silent Threat: Reborn continuity, the Legion served as the central command ship for GTI before it was destroyed. Its destruction at the Battle of Deneb led to the decentralization of GTI operations, which in turn enabled R&D to launch the Hades Rebellion.

[[Category: GTD Orion-class destroyers|Legion, GTD]]

Shivans

2010-01-01T21:05:26Z

WildKard:

:''This article is about the species. For the campaigns by Blaise Russel, see [[Phantoms]] and [[Echo Gate]].''
:'''''The Destroyers''' redirects here. For a list of destroyer-class vessels, see [[Destroyer]].''

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 [[Galactic Terran Intelligence]]'s (GTI) [[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 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. While it is unknown why the Shivans returned to now-GTVA space in 2335 and 2367, it may have been by chance, cycle, or by the detection of Terran-Vasudan subspace travel and/or conflict.

In the ending of Descent: Freespace, the protagonist speculates that the Shivans as a race are not necessarily evil, saying that "the Shivans are the great destroyers but also the great preservers". Their role was to exterminate other species who advanced beyond their ordained place in the cosmic order. It is postulated had it not been for the Shivans' intervention 8000 year ago, the Ancients may have grown so powerful that the Terrans and Vasudans may not have been able to survive. In turn the protagonist realizes that the Terrans' expansion would have made them a threat to any other fledgling species.
<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXeI4EJiZh4&NR=1]</ref><ref>[http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/techfs/intel.shtml]</ref><ref>{{cite video game
| title = Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War
| developer = Volition, Inc.
| publisher = Interplay Entertainment
| date = 1998-03-19
| platform = PC }}</ref>

One theory, suggested by Admiral Petrarch in the end monologue of FreeSpace 2 (the ending where the player survives), is that the Shivans are a nomadic race cut off from home, much like the Terrans are from theirs since the end of the [[Great War]]. 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 [[Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance|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 Vasudan 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 successful 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. Shivan primary weapons are portrayed as inferior to their Terran and Vasudan counterparts, though this is arguably simply a matter of game balance. Shivans also rely on their heavy shielding and use little armor plating on their fighters. The Shivans also have an inclination towards the color red; almost all Shivan vessels exhibit a red color scheme. Oddly enough, most if not all Shivan warships are somewhat modeled after animals; for example, the [[SJ Sathanas]] appears to be a huge insect with wings as a shielding; the [[SD Demon]], which appears to have tentacles; the [[SD Ravana]], which clearly resembles a strange-looking insect.

[[Category:Species]]