Codex:
Technology:
Sakuradite:
A rarely occurring composite mineral, first recorded on Earth, but since introduced to the Galactic Community found in multiple dense deposits all across the galaxy, Sakuradite is a immensely powerful superconductor that served as the basis for human technology until the duel discoveries of the Mars Prothean Ruins and Element Zero.
As a super conductor Sakuradite is both a highly unstable material, particularly when in a liquid state as well as being a radioactive material. While theoretically safe to be in the presence of without protective gear, it is inadvisable to allow anyone untrained or unshielded to interact with the material in any significant quantities due to its explosive nature. Currently Earth is the only Species Homeworld that has a deposit of Sakuradite and is one of only three Garden Worlds confirmed to have a large Sakuradite deposit.
Reactors, energy fillers, ship components and weapons made from distilled or even raw Sakuradite products are all high efficiency products and this has allowed humanity to produce large quantities of vessels and advanced technologies despite their low supply of Element Zero. Despite these advantages Sakuradite's negatives and the greater utility of Element Zero means that Sakuradite is predicted to serve as a supplementary power source and conduit. Also despite the discovery of massive deposits since its introduction Sakuradite is less readily available than Element Zero.
Codex:
Weapons, Armor and Equipment
Coilguns:
First produced by humans using Sakuradite as the base for the technology, with the introduction of Element Zero the technology has drastically changed. Built with a Sakuradite conductor byproduct forming the rifling of the barrel of the gun primitive, pre-element zero Coil guns were able to crudely imitate the functionality of a Mass Accelerator.
Modernly Coilgun Mass Accelerators are built combining past Sakuradite based Coilgun designs with Element Zero Mass Accelerators. These Coilguns cut down on the Element Zero necessary for the weapon's function at the expense of requiring larger flash produced projectiles to be made from the weapon's internal ammunition block and thus more frequent replacement of the internal material block.
Of what are considered the "cultural Mass Accelerator designs", of which the Turian design is considered the "Citadel (or galactic) standard", the human Coilgun Mass Accelerators use greater mass and as such either generate significantly higher heat in order to sustain the momentum and accuracy of the projectiles at range, or willingly sacrifice the accuracy and momentum of their projectiles at range to sustain a higher rate of fire with the heavier higher mass ammunition. As such human Coilguns are considered to be low rate of fire, high powered long range weapons, or short ranged higher damage alternatives to mainstay weapons.
Codex:
Humanity:
First Contact War:
Also known as the Relay 314 Conflict to the Turian Hierarchy, Humanity had their first ever first contact with an Alien race in 2157. When a Europia United Survey fleet moved to activate a Dormant Mass Relay, a practice considered dangerous, and irresponsible by the Citadel Council and forbidden without prior Council Approval, and was subsequently discovered by a Turian patrol fleet. When the two fleets encountered one another, and after a short, and eminently confused exchange between the fleets the fleets opened fire upon each other. Later the source of the initial confusion was confirmed to be a mixture of IFF confusion due to Turian Ships in the fleet using IFF codes that the human computers recognized as Chinese Federation IFF and an overlap of the E.U. IFF codes with ones recognized by the Turian IFF, and the Turian captains insistence on enforcing Citadel Laws even upon an Ignorant species. One human vessel survived and retreated back to the planet of Shanxi, a joint Chinese Federation and Japanese colony world.
The Turians followed and defeated the local, poorly equipped, Chinese garrison fleet and began land operations. In short order Shanxi became the first, human planet to ever be conquered by an alien species. The turians believed the handful of ships they defeated represented the bulk of human defenses. Thus when a united retaliatory fleet under independent Alliance Leadership by Admiral Kastanie Drescher launched a counter offensive the Turians were unprepared and quickly evicted from the planet.
It is unknown how an unidentified Britannian Intelligence agent managed to do so, but the Turian Fleet's regrouping point was discovered and the Britannian elements of the retaliatory fleet then forced the issue with the Alliance command, and soon a joint detachment assaulted the Turian rally point. In response the Turians began to mobilize for full scale war, which drew the attention of the rest of the Galaxy. The Council then quickly intervened, while too late to stop the initial Turian retaliations, a truce between the two sides was forced. Fortunately for humanity the First Contact War was ended via diplomatic solution.
Codex:
Humanity:
Rumors of Pluton:
Due to the successes the Britannians intelligence agencies when compared to humanity rumors of all natures have abounded surrounding the Superstate's intelligence agencies. In particular with the overall structure of the Britannian government and culture being similar on the surface to that of the Salarians, many then take that as confirmation that the Britannians have an intelligence group comparable to the Salarian League of One.
However the Britannians culture and humanity in general possess numerous differences from the Salarians. Additionally most of the Britannian successes in intelligence work can just as easily be attributed to errors in the intelligence security of other organizations and simple good intelligence work by the Britannian Office of Secret Intelligence. Despite this the name Pluton often circles conspiracy boards.
Rumors of Pluton are often accompanied by other absurd claims, such as human mimicking drones resistant to injuries that normally kill a human, the creation of devices that influence the minds of targets of Pluton, human A.I. experimentation far exceeding the violations of the Quarian's, and even claims that Britannia possesses relics of the mythical Reapers, a fictional machine race. As there is no evidence of the Britannian government having any means to communicate with or command such an organization and their connection with such fantasies it is easy to dismiss claims of Pluton's existence though the rumors persist.
Codex:
Humanity:
Japan:
Nominally considered one of the Earth Superstates, Japan is the only Earth government to neither span the majority or entire continent nor amalgamate multiple lesser nation states. Part of the success of the Japanese nation is that it is in possession of 70% of Earth's Sakuradite and what is currently the most successful Sakuradite mine in the Galaxy. Additionally Japan possesses a dense highly patriotic population, which while unable to compete with the three primary Superstates of humanity the Japanese are a ambitious and capable people who have produced their own independent Knightmare and ship lines.
The Japanese Government before the Continuation War functioned as a Parliamentary System with a figurehead Emperor, a remnant of the Japanese Empire that existed before the first Pacific War. Before the Continuation War, Japan's Parliament government was dominated by a organization known as the Six Houses of Kyoto, an alliance of Oligarchic post-shoganate noble houses often fetishized to possess inhuman skills, abilities, or intelligence. Following the Continuation War Japan restructured into a Republican government with elected representatives filling all positions of government and ensuring the will of the Japanese people is what is represented. Despite this some claim the Six Houses, which still hold significant economic power, actually run the Japanese government from the shadows.
Japan has waged war against, committed atrocities against, and engaged in open trade with each of the Citadel races, and has allied and rivaled each of the Superstates of Earth. As such suspicion and resentment of the Japanese is near universal, despite the constant attempts by the Japanese to become more accepted across the Galaxy.
Codex:
Humanity:
Japanese Culture:
Japan exists as one of the few near fully ethno-states of Earth with nearly every member hailing from the same race, human subspecies variation, of humanity. The Japanese culture itself is simultaneously very insular protectionist while also outreaching. As such extensive racial paranoia exists among the Japanese people, while simultaneously their culture welcomes the sampling of and adaptation of foreign cultural aspects that have proven successful for other cultures but always implemented in a lesser scale and often after being changed to fit with existing Japanese cultural understanding.
This translates often as many Japanese students studying abroad in regions such as the E.U. the Chinese Federation's militarized district of India, and very commonly in the Britannian Homeland. Likewise there is often a limited exchange of foreigners who move into Japan typically for work related reasons, and always for upper business jobs such as corporate negotiations, high level buisness management or managing international legal dispute law cases. This relatively high bar to entry often leads to a disproportionate number Britannian nobles living in Japan as opposed to E.U. buisness oligarchs or Chinese dynasty members.
Japan is a leader among the humans in technology including the development of Omnitool technology, the advancement of Sakuradite based technologies and Knightmare technologies being only second to Britannia, and the creators of high efficiency Element Zero based storage, rest, and housing which has allowed their dense population to live with maximized use of space also allowing citizens freedom of movement and privacy within their own housing blocks.
With the exception of Sakuradite the leading exports of Japan are their computers technologies followed shortly after by their televised animation and videogame entertainment. In particular Britannian nobility frequency purchase these products making Britannia Japan's number one trade partner on Earth for Sakuradite, entertainment and computer technology. Though the Turian hierarchy rivals the Britannians with their investment into Japanese Knightmare technologies, Animations, and computer technologies.
Codex:
Humanity:
Japanese Military Doctrine:
Japan has long idealized the warriors of its Shogunate past particularly after this warrior cast eventually faded to be replaced by their more modern soldiery. As such the Japanese military bases itself partially on a code of honor that prioritizes loyalty, results, and a unwillingness to surrender. These values have in the past allowed Japan to hold the line against both Britannian forces and alternatively Chinese forces during the various Pacific Wars of Earth's Pre-FTL era.
Risen from the Pacific Wars of Earth the Teishin Shudan would become the premier fighting force of Japan and decide the island nation's military approach to combat. The Japanese would become raiders striking deep into enemy territory often with the intent of destroying enemy logistics or killing enemy leadership and often taking POWs before retreating. On the defensive they would adopt ambushes and concealment tactics often waiting for the forward elements of enemy forces to be in the very center of their defensive apparatus before unleashing the full might of their prepared defensive weapons. These tactics in particular earned Japanese troops the dread and hate of Turian troops during the Continuation War.
After the Continuation War, the Knightmare became the core of the Japanese military and their doctrines were adjusted to work with the war machine. Lightning raids by the machines supported by fast moving infantry and new forms of entrenched positions along with counter-attacks became the talk of Japanese military advisors though the Japanese have yet to military engage against anyone since the Continuation War.
Codex:
Humanity:
Continuation War:
The Continuation War, sometimes also mocked as the Independence War due to the stated goals of the war's instigators, and the war's unintended results. Initiated by a secretly formed alliance between the Britannian Emperor Charles zi Britannia and the Japanese Prime Minister Genbu Kururgi, with the intent to assert humanity's independence and dominance and to acquire new territories.
Seeing the freshly completed independent Navy of the Federated Systems Alliance as a source of additional military power at their disposal, as well as an indirect means to force the hands of the Chinese Federation and E.U. into joining the war, the two Governments seized control of the Federated Systems Alliance military. The Britannian government coerced many non-Britannian and non-Japanese officers into cooperating with their scheme, while forcibly replacing several captains with captains who would support the war. The Japanese and Britannians then launched a wide scale offensive against the Citadel races while unveiling new military weapons and resources that shocked the galaxy.
Fleets of Sakuradite intensive, highly automated, and minimal Element Zero requiring, Frigates and Destroyers launched from hidden Japanese space ports to support raids launched from Japanese colonies such as Shanxi and Shinshirokuni. Meanwhile Britannian planetary invasions from low value worlds to large Citadel Race colonies were spearheaded by the first ever military Knightmare, the Glasgow. However as the first week of the war began to near its close crews among the Alliance Ships began to voice their discontent as the Alliance ships not co-opted by the Japanese and Britannians also raised protest to the Alliance military representatives or providing aid to Citadel races including evacuations of citizens in occupied territories.
As discontent among the co-opted ships increased the Britannian and Japanese governments increasingly involved their own direct leadership to try and force compliance. This included the Britannian Empress Marianne the Flash, Knight of Two, taking command of the Alliance Second Fleet. However by this point the Britannian and Japanese plot had unraveled as the E.U. and Chinese Federation despite immense cultural and political pressure to join in "humanity's War for independence" instead reached out to the Citadel Council along with representatives from the Federated Systems Alliance. Soon independent Federated Systems Alliance fleets joined the still relatively disorganized Citadel response fleets in combating the Japanese and Britannian forces. After another week of war the E.U. and the Chinese Federation joined the Citadel forces, eventually after this change in the war and facing the initial stages of invasion led by Turian soldiers, Salarian STG units, Asari Commandos and Alliance Marines Japan capitulated and Prime Minister Genbu Kururgi committed ritual suicide to encourage his forces to accept surrender.
In the aftermath of the war, Japan's government was made to restructure while much of its navy was transferred over to the Alliance, though the design schematics for its ships were sent to the Britannians. While saddled with reparations the Britannians were somehow able to negotiate privately to retain many of the unoccupied or sparsely populated systems they had invaded during the war. With the Superstates distracted by the War's aftermath, with the Citadel's support, and fearing another seizure of their military forces the Federated Systems Alliance voted for increased structural independence from the Superstates of Earth, as well as complete military autonomy.
Codex:
Ships and Vehicles:
Asuka-class:
Introduced during the Continuation War these Sakuradite powered Frigates use only 72% of the Element Zero of similar sized Frigates. The Japanese made Asuka-class is a multi-role frigate capable of void combat, carrying up to two support fighters, and deploying infantry directly onto a planetside. These ships require less active crew than most Frigates featuring only twenty-three crewmen and several detachments of Teishin Shudan numbering up to a maximum of twenty-four infantry and two ready pilots or devicers.
Twice as long as they are wide Asuka-class will attempt to attack from "above" or "below" their targets if not attacking head-on, which also makes them excellent support ships from planetside assaults. The ships feature two limited traverse Mass Accelerator Cannon Turrets and a catapult system for launching the two support fighters or Knightmares, deploying infantry, and also used as a launch system for disruptor torpedoes. As the Asuka-class is a frigate, they are best when working in Wolfpack groups.
The downsides of the Asuka-class Frigate primarily relate to the smaller element zero core of the vessel. The shielding system is comparatively underpowered even when compared to other Frigates and the FTL speeds of the Asuka-class are slower. However with maintenance and crew costs factored it's estimated that for every twenty standard Frigates twenty-five Asuka can be sustained.
Codex:
Ships and Vehicles:
Caerleon-class:
Developed shortly after the Continuation War by Britannian Engineers lead by the now famed Camelot Group based off an original design made by the mechanical prodigy Lloyd Asplund using the schematics to the Asuka-class, the Caerleon-Class has become the face of the Britannian Empire across the galaxy. Due to the nature of the Caerleon-Class the vessel is considered more Sakuradite intensive and Element Zero intensive than the Asuka-class and is larger, but boasts improved performance in most fields.
The Caerleon-Class is designed with superior automation allowing it to maintain a crew nearly as small as that of the Asuka-class. There are twenty-seven active crewmen aboard a Caerleon-Class and each can support up to eighteen Marines as well up to four fighter pilots or Devicers, as well two additional pilots. Each Caerleon-Class carries either four Knightmares for planetary assaults, or four fighter craft as well as two shuttles for delivering infantry into the field.
While as slow as the Asuka-class while in FTL, the Caerleon-Class's shields have been improved. Additionally the size increase on the Caerleon-Class up to what could be considered a Destroyer in scale, the Asuka possesses three additional Mass Accelerator Coil-Cannon Turrets for a total of five, two on the lower hull two on the sides and one on the top allowing for a wide coverage area and powerful forward overlap of the five cannons. Additionally the vessel has three missile systems and several Guardian laser systems. The Britannian Missile systems are a medium range counter-fighter screen and anti-ship weapon with a mild disrupter effect meant to overwhelm the defenses of fighters, or on mass penetrate the shields and damage the vessel underneath. The Launch Catapult can also be used to launch disruptor torpedoes.
The Caerleon-Class as a vessel has a initial manufacturing cost that with a full complement of Kodiaks and Fighters exceeds that of a Turian Frigate. However the crew and maintenance upkeep of a Caerleon is significantly less allowing the Britannian Empire to sustain a much larger fleet of these Frigates.
Codex:
Ships and Vehicles:
Logres-class:
Designed off the Cruiser schematics and further upgrading the Japanese had been developing to upscale the Asuka-class. With a width of seven-hundred and fifty-nine meters and two-hundred thirty meter length the Logres-Class is larger than most Alliance Cruisers. The Logres-Class is the backbone of the Britannian navy, and despite some obvious shortcomings is one of the more cost effective ships produced by human shipyards lagging just behind the E.U. and Alliance's top and most expensive cruiser model.
The Logres-Class is built around twelve Mass Accelerator Coil-Cannon's four forward facing cannons mounted atop the vessel, and two forward facing underneath the vessel. While four rear facing are placed underneath and two rear facing placed atop the vessel. The vessel's shields are also the strongest of any Cruiser in the Galaxy, however the ship is considered to be as maneuverable as a Dreadnought. The Logres-Class is able to also overlap it's secondary broadside cannons allowing the ship to provide significant firepower at shorter ranges. Additionally the Logres is built with two dozen missile systems, and a full array of Guardian lasers. Lastly the Logres is built with two catapults capable of launching Disruptor Torpedoes, strike craft, or Knightmares.
The Logres has nearly one-hundred and fifty crew, along with fifty Marines stationed aboard, along with the necessary Pilots or Devicers to staff the vessel's vehicle complement. For the two Catapults the Logres maintains six fighters, or four Knightmares with Britannian Atmospheric Knightmare Transports and three Kodiak dropships per Catapult.