repcisg
November 16th, 2004, 11:18 AM
I have been chewing on this for a while since Jewels request, a concept for colony two from Jal’s Journal and the foundation for the books I had been working on, what do you think?
The Tigers of Canopus
After a perilous journey of nearly a year, the Crimson fleet under the command of Roderick Andraman, reached its destination, the planet known only as Ruby. Short on fuel the colonist manage to move themselves and the most basic of farm implements to the surface. But without fuel to return to their ships they can not retrieve the machines needed to sustain their civilization. Thus driven to a basic subsistence level they can only watch each night as shiny points of light race across the sky, in perpetual pursuit of one another.
Driven back to basic subsistence the colony grows slowly, Ruderic Andraman passes from the scene, honored and revered as the man who saved the colony and delivered them to safety. In his honor Ruby is renamed Andraman and from that day forward the people of the Crimson fleet call themselves the children of Andraman.
Millennia pass as a new civilization is born, slowly the old knowledge is relearned, and once more the children of Andraman reach for the stars. New worlds are found, rich, fertile and unclaimed. Humanity plants its seed on each until eighteen worlds stand together as one, the Andraman Union.
Reaching out beyond their own cluster of stars into the great nebulas arm the children of Andraman encounter others. The Bayan, in an early industrial stage of development become willing trading partners with the Andraman. Then the Chekilli are found, traders of goods and services, they seem harmless and quite friendly.
Beyond the Chekilli the Trillon Alliance. Three sub groups of the same race, the Tridon - aggressive, militaristic. The Threl - cunning, master organizers and always plotting. The secretive Tories. Masters of Technologies, they keep well behind the other two, satisfied to allow the Threl and Tridon take the risks expanding the empire.
Contact with the Trillon is less than friendly. Early on the Andraman discover they must arm themselves, set up lines of defense, learn the art of war. Trillon raids cut deep in to Andramn space and prove quite deadly. In response the Andraman build a fleet powerful warships.
As the power and size of these ships grow, various names are applied, but one evolves to become the standard. First applied by the great Marshal Henries Reeve, he likened the massive blast of his ships of the line, as similar to the powerful strokes delivered by the giant silver bears of his native home in Northern Andraman. His frequent referrals to the Battle Line as a line of Bears stuck. And in his honor these massive ships took on the official name of Bear.
To the Andraman’s the heavy gunned ships of the battle line will always be Bears, the Great Bears of the first rank, Small Bears of the second rank and the Swift Bears, the do all ships of the battle fleet. For nearly two centuries the Bears of Andraman keep the Empire at bay. But, as always, technology never stands still, weapons become more compact, engines smaller and more powerful. Elementary combat ships grew smaller, until finally a new class of ship emerged, the fighter
On the Planet Canopus, a central member of the Andraman Union, new ship designs emerged. Ships designed to carry the new rapidly evolving the fighter. Clouds of these machines can overwhelm even the most powerful Bear or Trillon Striker. To contrast these ships from the Bears of Andramn, their designers turned to their own native species for inspiration. These new ships are fast, strike with lightning bows from a distance, bringing down their opponent in powerful slashing attacks. The clouds of fighters that rose from them were likened to the claws of the great cats of Canopus. From this the appellation of Tiger seemed most appropriate. Thus the Great Cats of Canopus entered the fleet of the Andraman Union. At first supplementing, then replacing the great Bears. The Tigers of Canopus have become the core of the Humanities defenses.
The Tigers of Canopus
After a perilous journey of nearly a year, the Crimson fleet under the command of Roderick Andraman, reached its destination, the planet known only as Ruby. Short on fuel the colonist manage to move themselves and the most basic of farm implements to the surface. But without fuel to return to their ships they can not retrieve the machines needed to sustain their civilization. Thus driven to a basic subsistence level they can only watch each night as shiny points of light race across the sky, in perpetual pursuit of one another.
Driven back to basic subsistence the colony grows slowly, Ruderic Andraman passes from the scene, honored and revered as the man who saved the colony and delivered them to safety. In his honor Ruby is renamed Andraman and from that day forward the people of the Crimson fleet call themselves the children of Andraman.
Millennia pass as a new civilization is born, slowly the old knowledge is relearned, and once more the children of Andraman reach for the stars. New worlds are found, rich, fertile and unclaimed. Humanity plants its seed on each until eighteen worlds stand together as one, the Andraman Union.
Reaching out beyond their own cluster of stars into the great nebulas arm the children of Andraman encounter others. The Bayan, in an early industrial stage of development become willing trading partners with the Andraman. Then the Chekilli are found, traders of goods and services, they seem harmless and quite friendly.
Beyond the Chekilli the Trillon Alliance. Three sub groups of the same race, the Tridon - aggressive, militaristic. The Threl - cunning, master organizers and always plotting. The secretive Tories. Masters of Technologies, they keep well behind the other two, satisfied to allow the Threl and Tridon take the risks expanding the empire.
Contact with the Trillon is less than friendly. Early on the Andraman discover they must arm themselves, set up lines of defense, learn the art of war. Trillon raids cut deep in to Andramn space and prove quite deadly. In response the Andraman build a fleet powerful warships.
As the power and size of these ships grow, various names are applied, but one evolves to become the standard. First applied by the great Marshal Henries Reeve, he likened the massive blast of his ships of the line, as similar to the powerful strokes delivered by the giant silver bears of his native home in Northern Andraman. His frequent referrals to the Battle Line as a line of Bears stuck. And in his honor these massive ships took on the official name of Bear.
To the Andraman’s the heavy gunned ships of the battle line will always be Bears, the Great Bears of the first rank, Small Bears of the second rank and the Swift Bears, the do all ships of the battle fleet. For nearly two centuries the Bears of Andraman keep the Empire at bay. But, as always, technology never stands still, weapons become more compact, engines smaller and more powerful. Elementary combat ships grew smaller, until finally a new class of ship emerged, the fighter
On the Planet Canopus, a central member of the Andraman Union, new ship designs emerged. Ships designed to carry the new rapidly evolving the fighter. Clouds of these machines can overwhelm even the most powerful Bear or Trillon Striker. To contrast these ships from the Bears of Andramn, their designers turned to their own native species for inspiration. These new ships are fast, strike with lightning bows from a distance, bringing down their opponent in powerful slashing attacks. The clouds of fighters that rose from them were likened to the claws of the great cats of Canopus. From this the appellation of Tiger seemed most appropriate. Thus the Great Cats of Canopus entered the fleet of the Andraman Union. At first supplementing, then replacing the great Bears. The Tigers of Canopus have become the core of the Humanities defenses.