Trans-Hyperborica, also known as the Trans-Rift Republic and the Republic of Northern Sector 213, is one of the larger polities in the region between Prefectures 20, 21, and 22. While like most polities in the Ecumene it is often treated as more of a social club than a nation, it has nominal control over 59 star systems (containing a total of 131 stars, including post-stellar objects and substellar fusors) and counts approximately 59 billion people as residents. The military of Trans-Hyperborica is noted for its highly euphemistic superclass naming scheme, duplicated here:
The military of Trans-Hyperborica is exclusively focused on spaceborne warfare, with no surface or sea forces (although several types of Trans-Hyperborican warship can safely make the transition to atmospheric flight). The military thus consists of six branches, divided by expected operational distance and role (either fleet attack or independent operation). They are listed here with indicators of how many ships they operate in each superclass and the total number of capital ships, sub-capital/support ships, and ships in general:
This listing does not include fleets not part of Trans-Hyperborica's military, which range from intersystem defense fleets to small explosion enthusiast groups. It also does not include many small craft.
Proper warships in Trans-Hyperborica are greatly outnumbered by parasite craft or subships- drones, fighters, shuttles, and launches. Generally, most crewed ones are not to be used for a serious fight: carrier complements are outnumbered by shuttles and launches, because nearly every ship has at least one for escape purposes- and LSFCV ships are designed to function as major space stations as well, so their shuttle complements are seriously bloated. A diversity of roles are taken on by military subships- for example, standard drone types can fulfill roles from planetary probing to hunting down enemy subships to providing redundant guidance for dozens of missiles. The largest subships are near-indistinguishable from the smallest warships- though at hundred-metre sizes, the omission of FTL drives is a great boon for those hoping to fit more material in. This means a carrier that reaches the proper place in a battlefield can easily handle multiple conventional warships of the same size as it- ESSV ships, with their vast internal spaces for subships and modified warships, have gone on record as defeating citadels and dreadnoughts. Occasionally, subships have been used to board and capture enemy craft- but this is considered crass and an annoying move. Fighting subships are an integral part of most wars and battles, and their less well-armed counterparts even more so- after all, what else would an escape pod be if not a subship?
A listing of euphemistic superclass names for subships follows:
War anywhere in the Ecumene- in nearly all of known space at the present time, in fact- is more of a bloodless affair with a lot of pretty explosions rather than done for any actual purpose. Especially in the Ecumene, society is likewise generally congruent to norms that could easily be assigned the terms "pacifistic", "anarchist", and "communist". As a result, ideology is a similar sort of game- a polity like Trans-Hyperborica may present itself as something of a state with a democracy, composed of directly-elected councils. Some polities toy with ideologies that would be distasteful if sincere, though nowhere near the extent of truly terrible historical polities. Trans-Hyperborica is surrounded by a few other polities, generally referred to as sparring partners:
All of these groups are alternately allies and enemies of Trans-Hyperborica, with even small FSA polities participating on raids both on core systems of Trans-Hyperborica and of its current enemies.
For an example of an operation of the military of Trans-Hyperborica, see the Siege of Osscharne.
A list of descriptions of some warship classes of the military of Trans-Hyperborica follows:
The Emshawhara class, LRFCV-C0T0, was the pioneer of the "dreadnought" mobile citadel design. Technology standards are notoriously variable over an area as large as the Ecumene- so even when drives powerful enough to make a comet maneuverable for a proper battle were developed in Trans-Hyperborica in 8397 they were already old technology in many places. Because of this- combined with the nervous galaxy-crossing glances of admirals- it only took twenty years for the first Emshawhara to be put into production. It took another six years to complete the thing- for the time, even better than the LSFCV it was based off of, the Carlasdina class. However, another twenty years were needed to bring the design to combat readiness- minor and major mishaps alike, including a singularly embarrassing battle against a short division of DSEVs, proved common.
Still, the design eventually proved useful- in system sieges, an Emshawhara could be directed to a secondary target and reliably draw away an enemy's "capital-killer" squadrons due to the fact that the Emshawhara could not only go toe-to-toe with citadels, but also outmaneuver them. It would take centuries for the LRFCV to be developed to a point that it could outgun the fleets it travelled with- and only then could the LRFCV take its intended role as super-battleship, the true lead ship of an entire fleet. No Emshawhara ships are still in service- though 30 were built, 12 were declared a loss post-combat (mostly as the Emshawhara was outmoded by later LRFCV ships) and another 15 were given away. The 13 Emshawhara ships still in Trans-Hyperborica include 2 fully-operational ships, 1 maneuver-capable museum, 4 complete museums, 3 museums of mission-killed craft, and 3 repurposed into mobile habitats.
The Zharra class, LRFCV-C9T0, is generally considered a boondoggle. One of the most recent starship classes in Trans-Hyperborica, the first Zharra spaceframe was ordered at a shipyard in Gelarra system by Gomniann Design Bureau in 8716. It was a wild idea- instead of building a LRFCV out of a highly-modified LSFCV frame, why not enlarge a successful DSEV design? Gomniann's previous success, the ensiform Krizhinum DSEV- notable for its four lines of 270+120-degree turrets along each side- was the obvious choice.
When the first Zharra was put to battle for live-fire testing in 8719, surrounded by a battlegroup of comparatively small Krizhinium as escorts, it proved almost disappointing- while the Zharra was capable of dispatching enemy capital ships en masse, it simply could not protect its own fleet. When the battle finally came down to a duel of LRFCV ships, its four separate lines of guns meant that the other ship was practically helpless- until a lucky shot from a nearly-shutdown DSEV dealt the final blow needed to bring Zharra's single reactor down to half rated output. Officially this battle ended in a draw, but war commentators widely regard that as an attempt to save face. As of 8726, 4 Zharra class spacecraft have been completed- 3 in service, and 1 Izhina spinal-gun variant currently in pre-commissioning testing. Future battles will likely see Zharras in support roles to all-rounder LRFCVs.
The Gronyb Da'at class, LSFCV-C0T0, is not only the oldest warship class still in use within Trans-Hyperborica but one of the few warship classes in Trans-Hyperborica derived from a theoretically foreign design. Widely recognized as one of the crowning achievements of the mid-fifth millenium, the Gronyb Da'at is a mainstay throughout the Ecumene for system defense even millenia after its development for several reasons. First is its size- its core is a single truncated triangular prism, a kilometre from wide side to thin side, whose size rivals DSIOVs. Second is its large-scale modularity- core segments can be linked together in sequence dozens of times, each one specialized for a different role. Third is its small-scale modularity- though it contributes to the size, each core segment has huge bays that can fit practically any form of equipment imaginable. This means that Gronyb Da'at model ships can serve many purposes, though most follow some variation of the original planetary-defense task.
Sector 213 was first inhabited in the early 5000s, highly modified Gronyb Da'at ships served as combination landing ship and defense platform. Many thousands of Gronyb Da'at ships have been built, and construction continues even today- in Trans-Hyperborica, fully 77 of 240 LSFCVs in the military are various forms of the Gronyb Da'at model. These range from a few original units, continuously modified for millenia, to highly modernized versions built just decades ago, to one nightmare of a construct built of several ten-kilometre circles stacked atop each other to form a habitat. Likewise, hundreds of other Gronyb Da'at ships exist in Trans-Hyperborica alone- many are museums, but just as many are in active operation.
The Andarnia class, LSFCV-C17T0, set the standard for citadels for centuries after it was first designed. In 8089, a new design for a citadel was floated- a dodecahedron of the second kind, with great gun emplacements at each of its points and drives on every face. While not as fast or as maneuverable as the later-to-come dreadnoughts, it could easily move to anticipate a battle or reinforce friendly forces in a battle in progress. A vessel of this design was launched in 8113- and this, the only vessel of the Elsoniam class, LSFCV-C16T0; was lost due to a catastrophic drive force mismatch on its third shakedown cruise. In the decade-long panic that followed, a less artful design was chosen as the replacement- the to-be Andarnia class would be based off of an icosahedron of the first kind.
The Andarnia proved considerably more capable than the Elsoniam, deeply exceeding expectations. In fact, this success is such that even obsolete versions of the Andarnia have caused fleetbreaks among modern ships. As a result, just under a thousand Andarnia class ships have been constructed both in Trans-Hyperborica and outside it. Hundreds remain active- even in Trans-Hyperborica, 64 of 240 LSFCV ships are of the Andarnia class.
The Icaledin class, ESSV-C23T0, is the largest carrier-type craft ever built in Trans-Hyperborica. A preliminary design for a small LSFCV was quietly transformed into an LRFCV... then abandoned due to a change in doctrine. The design was revived a century later, in 8643, as a hollowed-out huge supercarrier. Its first goal was simple- deploy an utterly ridiculous number of small craft, enough for suppressing escort and guard fleets or launching an entire invasion. To its credit, it excels at this- in fact, its uses in defense operations by particularly reckless captains have resulted in proper armada-breaks.
Its other goal was more ridiculous- to be a mobile base for squadrons of smaller capital ships, and host an entire fleet. This goal is not quite as achievable, and the form of the Icaledin had to be redesigned to accomodate it... which in turn made it less capable of fulfilling its other role. The Icaledin quickly diverged into several separate types, all made for mutually exclusive roles- the Drýkima could send a division of HSEVs to engage a fleet further than they would normally be capable of, the mainline Icaledin could carry many fighters and even a few pinnaces to coordinate them, and the Ageledaf was made to ferry SPEVs and SPFSVs to the point that the combination could surpass even a small LRFCV in sheer firepower; just to name a few. As a result the Icaledin is quite common among ESSVs- fully 97 of the 150 ESSVs in service are Icaledin class ships of all types, and a further 68 have faced various other fates- 35 have been given away, 19 destroyed or mission-killed without future plans for their disposition, 11 operate as museums, and the other 3 are used as habitats.
The Crebadulit class, ESSV-C26T0, is the largest modern battlecarrier. Designed from the outset as a fusion of the roles of a huge-bay carrier and a battleship, nevertheless the Crebadulit resembles a greatly enlarged version of the Unstana class modular/multirole DSEV- though unlike the Unstana, its vast bay module cannot be removed. Like any supercapital ship, the Crebadulit is intended as a fleet leader- but it is more independent from that role than even some LRFCVs. Rather, the Crebadulit excels in causing squadronkills and fleetbreaks- its fighters and other subships can pen in squadrons while the main guns on top of and below the huge ditrapezoidal hangar knock down shields. Even though it was introduced in 8697, doctrine has not yet completely adapted to the Crebadulit- but deployments of a single ship, often plus an "honor guard" squadron, are becoming more common. 33 of the 150 ESSVs in service are of the Crebadulit class and its few variants, with very few examples being lost or given away as of 8726.
The Ilvid class, DSEV-C41T0, is an exemplar of the recent design trend of building battleships into mini-dreadnoughts. The Ilvid's designers in particular seemed to want to produce a ship capable of taking on a citadel or dreadnought and making it out, if barely- and indeed, after quite a lot of effort, it succeeded by 8676. The Ilvid mounts mostly heavy firepower, including a never-before-seen packing of absurdly large spinal guns, such that it is an extreme threat to isolated heavy ships. If a dreadnought can be torn away from its attendant fleet to engage the Ilvid, perhaps by it doing a very good impression of a battleship more dangerous to the fleet than to the dreadnought, the Ilvid has a fairly high chance of mission-killing or even destroying said dreadnought without being mission-killed or destroyed itself. This means an effective fleet, whether offensive or defensive, may find it worthwhile to keep an Ilvid in store to force confrontations- even if they're only able to counter enemy battleships. Of the 300 DSEVs in service, only 26 are Ilvid ships- but this belies the danger of their job, as another 28 have been variously mission-killed beyond repair, destroyed, or simply given away.
The Qytanvri class, HSEV-C07T0, is one of a few examples of Trans-Hyperborican ship classes that were designed by other polities. In the early 8100s, one of several dozen mostly-human migratory fleets passed through parts of Prefecture 21- including Trans-Hyperborica. While their armor technology was largely oriented around close star passes and as such not directly useful for spacecraft intended to fight often, their weaponry exceeded the local norm. As such, a copy of one of their mainstay designs was the perfect choice for a new hit-and-run HSEV. The Qytanvri is named after a class of quick fighting vehicle that mounts a large ranged gun, and mimics this well. Its shovel-like form mounts most of the heat dissipation systems on the rear "pole", while the "head" features two very large guns on rotating unshielded mounts. While the Qytanvri has evolved in various directions since its first construction, the ones in Trans-Hyperborica are all rather uniform- of the 371 built within Trans-Hyperborica, only a few featured changes as minor as a full-turret assembly for the main guns. This is not to say that the class remains unused- just that it was never really used for purposes outside its class role in Trans-Hyperborica.
The Malicarna class, HSEV-C19T0, is an early example of attempts to produce a monitor that could counter dreadnoughts. As Trans-Hyperborica's neighbors began to produce dreadnoughts in the early 8400s, populations began to clamor for spacecraft that could provide further-out defense against these craft than orbital citadels. While not strictly necessary, as battle rules could be sent to attackers to instruct them to advance slowly, Trans-Hyperborica's government demanded the construction of monitors able to compete with dreadnoughts in small packs. As such, the proposed design took a monitor's stripping-down to extremes: one weak FTL drive suited only for in-system use, only some pressurized areas connected by trams rather than unified decks, and large capacitor and heat sink reserves rather than more reactors and radiators.
The Malicarna looks very utilitarian- a long stepped pyramidal bulk with great engines on one side, a vast spinal gun on the other, and large superfiring turrets between. Its attack plan is simple- an attacking dreadnought can be trapped in a "stealthed" group of ships, which would surround their target and fire all weapons until either they were depleted or the target was mission-killed. Then, they would run away to restock on capacitors and heat sinks- then engage the next target. This plan worked fairly well- the localized habitable zones of the ship could be masked to read as an asteroid mining post, always an attractive target for fleets looking to make fancy displays of power. Loss rates were low for ships directed against dreadnoughts, and soon attempts to make DSEV equivalents of the Malicarna (such as the Alkavit DSEV-C29T0/HSEV-C19T2) were made. Soon, other variants were produced- the Subanel anti-EWAR ships (paired with Malicarna vessels to bolster their mostly-automated systems) were the most important. Even today, 12 of the 180 HSEV ships in service are late-build Malicarna variants. Hundreds of others were built.
The Kefhraddel class, ASHSV-C77T0, has an odd provenance. In 8689, an odd discovery was made in one of the Tylane system's vast, glittering, and- importantly- largely uninhabited habitat belts: A full-size habitat had been hollowed out to serve as a shipyard. Within it were several centuries-outdated spacecraft, mostly patrol craft and a few aged but familiar MRPV designs... but one was distinctly unfamiliar. It had a cone-shaped body, augmented by four sweeping wings each crowned with what were either huge gun emplacements or fourth-rate starship docks. The former guess proved correct- while the actual internals of the Kefhraddel had been carefully removed when it was cancelled in 8457 (long enough ago that in that era it was considered a proper DSEV), the five separate reactor bays were ready for powerplants to be fitted to them.
As details about the long-secret project leaked out, one fact became apparent: The Kefhraddel featured hull materials that in its time were completely unheard of, but were even now still military-grade. When the decision was made to construct more vessels in the image of the Kefhraddel, it was obvious what job they would do: the "hit-and-run" subrole of the heavy screening vessel, a position mostly unfilled since the decomissioning of the mostly spinal-gun Darnarik class decades prior. Today the Kefhraddel line and its variants make up 52 of the 570 ASHSV starships currently in service, and run the gamut from original-specification Kefhraddel to monitor-style Hragnia to spinal-gun Nayvahrin and a few more besides. 93 total Kefhraddel spacecraft have been built, and the 41 not in service have mostly been given away as gifts- a clear sign of a starship class still in its prime. The original Kefhraddel remains in her cradle- with a wing fitted out to modern specifications, another approximating her design-as-planned, a third maintained in gutted form, and a fourth serving as main dock for the museum habitat she sits in.
The Othene class, DSIOV-C93T0, follows a odd design philosophy- what if the role of the ASHSV to "outgun anything smaller, outsee and outrun anything larger" was applied to the DSIOV? This would boost combat efficiency and allow it to serve as a rear-line warship, though at a high cost to its sensor and recon capabilities. For this reason the original Othene concept was redesigned late in development as a ship that shared construction lines with the Dwyna DSIOV ships, which prioritized sensor capabilities. The two ships could serve long-term duty on the outskirts of a system and pick off lone ships. For the captains who prioritized science, the idea of two ships together so one could get the other out of trouble was offered. The Othene bears the legacy of its fundamental design change in its form- though its general frame looks dissimilar from the Dwyna class ships, entire sections of the ship had to be redesigned to fit not only Dwyna parts but also the hatches needed to place them within the ship.
Most Othene ships have a shape compared by some to a broom- a thin prism, with a wider aft section to accomodate its oversized engines and powerplant plus a wide fore section to accomodate two large armored turrets. Small guns are mounted on rails to allow them to be moved to any side of the prism, which is of use both in tracking a target above or below a ship and assisting other turrets in firing directly forward or backward. Unfortunately, the Othene has never really been given its proper "far hunter" role- inter-navy leadership tends to prioritize the Expeditionary Guard over the Expeditionary Fleet. Othene class ships have few variants- the Etemtho spinal-gun type suffered from a cascade of difficulties culminating in its engines not being sufficient to move its bulk. 29 Othene ships have been built, 13 of which remain in service. Most others have become pirates, and 7 are waiting for organizations to use them either as museums or as ships.
The Sharnzdrom class, SPFSV-C53T0, is one of the most prolific new warship classes in Trans-Hyperborica. Originally intended as a smaller MRPV, its later design changes cemented its real role: a small attack ship built around a spinal gun fit to be main armament on a DSIOV. Though it was designed to be the next step in SPFSV design, it quickly exceeded expectations. Its spinal gun was overbuilt, to the extent that its main engine had to be powered down to fire the gun at full power. However, this weakness allowed it to consistently outperform its predecessors in firepower- if it could survive to get close enough, it could mission-kill even an ASHSV. Thus, the Sharnzdrom quickly fulfilled the role of a vessel designed to harry and pen in craft like cruisers... but could also act in conjunction with CASV packs and be effective against enemy capital ships.
Despite only being first launched in 8689, its multi-role combat prowess means it's been pushed into production even more than most new ships. Variants are difficult to make due to the tripartite integration of the ship, its spinal gun, and its reactors; but several have been made. The most successful of these is the Agledda variant, which is designed to be an edge-of-system patrol craft with overpowered sensors. Of the 500 SPFSVs in service, a full 103 are Sharnzdrom ships and variants. 145 have been built, and those not in service are roughly evenly "mission-killed in battle" or "given away" with just 6 museums so far.
The Guile class, HSAV-C109T0, is so large and so festooned with weaponry that even captains of MRPV ships twice the size are envious. Originally proposed quite recently in 8702, it has quickly become a mainstay of Trans-Hyperborica's militaries- even some HMRV ships, barely three times larger, accomodate one or two. The Guile is designed for slugging matches with similarly-sized ships- much like a miniature version of an HSEV, it sacrifices FTL and crew comfort for firepower. A Guile has even odds against most destroyers, despite the size disparity, mostly due to the fact that each is practically built to counter the other. As a result, a counterpart to the battlecruiser-mimic strike cruiser has emerged on a smaller scale- the corvette-mimic light gunboat can divert a Guile from a juicier target.
The Guile already has several variants- the Wit type anti-heavy ship takes notes from the SPEV to mission-kill cruisers, the Cunning type anti-light ship is the perfect escort for a carrier beset by fighters, and the Surprise type electronic warfare ship has subverted dozens of ships simply by having the perfect combination of anti-fighter and anti-destroyer countermeasures to survive to do its work. Nearly a thousand Guile class ships have been built so far, and nearly a fifth of this number have been built expressly for customers other than the military. A Guile is practically the perfect ship for showoffs and distrustful people of all types- communes, pirates, and particularly annoying gun buffs have been known to ask for them. For now, though, most Guile ships are in the Fleets and Guards of Trans-Hyperborica- most attached to larger vessels, others serving alone.