Confederation: Voidhawks

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Voidhawks

Used exclusively by Edenists, voidhawks are living bitek starships grown around a vast array of energy patterning cells that can focus energy density until it approaches infinity, distorting local space to such a degree that a wormhole will open through which it can transmit. Because the wormhole opens ahead of the voidhawk's track (rather than around it, as with Adamist starships), this manoeuvre is called the 'swallow'. Transit down a wormhole takes several seconds, and the maximum external range is 15 light years. A voidhawk is instinctively aware of it's spacial location in relation to star positions, and knows how to 'angle' the distortion in order to direct the wormhole's vector and thus produce a terminus at the required point in space.

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Propulsion

Acceleration through normal space is achieved by generating a distortion zone below the threshold necessary to open a wormhole, so allowing the ship to ride a distortion wave (similar to a surfer riding a wave). Gravity in the crew quarters is generated by a secondary manipulation of this distortion, and it can be produced even when the ship is not under acceleration. There is no theoretical limit to the acceleration a voidhawk can achieve in normal space, but in practical terms, generating a simultaneous counter-acceleration force for the crew is extremely difficult above 3 gees. Add to this there is an upper limit to the amount of gees the mechanical systems of the voidhawk can withstand before they buckle. As voidhawk crews have been geneered to withstand high gee acceleration for a considerable time, 6 gees is the standard acceleration for emergency or combat flying, although brief periods of very high gee (10-15) are endurable.

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Operating Parameters

Voidhawks are creatures that are born and live in deep space. No voidhawk can operate from a planetary surface; garvitational force exerts too strong an influence on space for the distortion field to retain its integrity. Although alble to orbit planets, a voidhawk's ability to generate a distortion field is severely limited in proportion to altitude, with a typical lower limit of 100km above a terracompatible planet; nor can it create a wormhole within 2,000km of a standard size terracompatible planet (Adamist starships cannot translate within 5,000km), or 100,000km of a Jupiter sized gas giant (Adamist starships 175,000km).

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Structure

Voidhawks are typically lenticular in shape, 80-100m in diameter and 25-30m wide at the centre. Upper and lower surfaces have an indented groove 10 wide, 5m deep, with a circumference of 60m in diameter, into which its mechanical systems are fitted. The crew quarters form a toroid equipped with cabins, lounges, a gym, a medical centre, and the hnager deck for an atmospheric flyer and a MSV (multi-function service vehicle); it has its own fusion power supply (triplicated)  with fuel storage tanks, and reserves of oxygen, nitrogen and water; the life support systems are bitek organs. The under groove is fitted with cargo-pods and/or combat wasp cradles or maser weapon pods.

Internally a voidhawk is a solid mas of cells; by volume 20% of these cells is given over to digestive functions (voidhawks consume a hydrocarbon nutrient fluid available from all habitata and most asteroids), neural activity, sensors, nutrient circulation, and reproduction. The remaining 80% is energy patterning cells which generate the spatial distortion field. Once a voidhawk reaches maturity these energy patterning cells decay at a rate which cannot be matched by regeneration, and it is this decay which dictates the lifespan of a voidhawk.

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Power

Power generation is yet another function of the distortion field, which acts as a lens for cosmic radiation. The patterning cells store their own energy, and can absorb electromagnetic waves directly. A voidhawk is constantly absorbing energy, and can sustain acceleration through normal space indefinitely, as it expends a lot less energy to generate the distortion than it absorbs from the distortion. However, generating a wormhole requires a large quantity of energy. It takes five hours to accumulate enough energy for one swallow and the cells can only store at most enough for twelve consecutive swallows, depending on the length of the wormholes generated.

Voidhawks used in Confederation Navy service courier duty have additional fusion generators fitted in their cargo bays to supplement their range, charging the patterning cells directly, although power from this source still requires time to be distributed correctly thoughout the patterning cells - 20 minutes per swallow. With or without additional power sources, voidhawks can easily out perform Adamist starships in most combat manoeuvres. Their only real challenge comes from blackhawks. Although voidhawks are superior to Adamist ships when it comes to speed and agility, they suffer from not being able to mount as many weapons. Their bitek construction also means they can't take the amount of damage that Adamist starships are able to withstand.

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Reproduction

Artificial production of voidhawk eggs is now very rare, as very few refinements are being incorporated. The Saturn habitat geneticists are working primarily on methods to increase the counter-acceleration force which voidhawks generate around the crew quarters in order to give them a higher acceleration in normal space, and on extending their life expectancy. If successful, batches of eggs incorporating these improvements will be developed, and these new traits will gradually feed into the main flock. Otherwise, reproduction now follows the designed cycle.

Voidhawks reproduce only once. Each craft has 8 to 12 eggs stored in its central section, which are hatched in the hours preceding its death. All voidhawks know when their patterning cells are faltering, and they return to their place of birth (Saturn) to die. The first act of germination is to load a human zygote into the egg, which includes a womb analogue and haematopoiesis organs. This zygote is always the offspring of the captain and his or her mate(s); the 12 zygotes can be produced at any time, and are stored in zero-tau, waiting for egg germination. After this act the voidhawk is abondoned by its crew, and it flies down toward Saturn. It then absorbs a large quantity of energy from the palnet's radiation field, which is used to energise the eggs inside.

Tyhe mating flight through the innermost rings which follows involves other voidhawks - as many as are available at Saturn - following the dying craft, and downloading their compositional patterns (the software equivalents of DNA) via affinity. The paradigms are incorporated into the eggs, and used to format the cellular structure of the new voidhawks. As only the most agile voidhawk can catch up with a craft on its mating flight, this ensures that the breed is strengthened each time. Once as many eggs as possible have been energized and loaded with a paradigm (not all always are), they are ejected into orbit, and the parent voidhawk falls into the planet's atmosphere to burn up.

The egg which is left behind begins life as a two-section unit: the infant voidhawk and a nutrient production segment. This segment is what supports the voidhawk during the 18 years until maturity. It has organic conductor cables similar to those of a habitat to generate energy. Its organs convert ice and carbon dust into usable proteins that feed the growing craft. They also support the infant captain for the first 12 months of gestation, allowing an exceptionally strong love bond to be established between the two. After the first year, the infant is removed and is taken back to the habitat.

A voidhawk lives for its captain, and although it will accept flight instructions from other Edenists, it will only do so if it perceives the instructions to be in the captain's interest. Voidhawk maturity is reached at 18 years, at which time its mechanical systems are fitted, and it begins service. Voidhawk affinity range is the greatest in the Edenist genealogy, typically reaching 30AU. Life expectancy is 110 years.