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Description
Born from the rash of breakaway colonies in the mid-22nd century, the Orion Empire has become an antagonistic Cold-War opponent of the Terran Alliance of Nations. Originally a group of far-flung European Union colonies on the far side of the Orion Nebula, stretching from the Canis Nebula out along the tapering end of the Tarsus Corridor into the Perseus arm of the galaxy, the colonies declared their independence by forming the Orion Federation. The European Union’s response was swift, brutal, and eventually failed. The Orion Federation cut all ties and contact to Terra, and was not encountered again until after the Capellan War.
Now called the Orion Empire, it had expanded significantly and currently encompasses an area of the galaxy nearly half as large as the whole of the Terran Alliance. At some point during the transition from a collection of colonies to an empire, it had become a major military-industrial superpower, amassing a huge number of troops, fleets of advanced warships rivaling the Australian and Ahrugan vessels, and a totalitarian regime of unquestioned authority. Secret police are everywhere within the Empire, monitoring citizenry and the few foreigners allowed in with equal suspicion and scrutiny.
Orion society is typical of such dictatorial empires- grand trappings, clean, organized, and very, very controlled. The same iron will that shapes the Empire into a neat, orderly and efficient nation also crushes the free-thinking out of its citizens. Emperor Contadino has, over the past century and a half, shaped the Empire in the mold of Imperial Rome and Nazi Germany, with elements of the old Soviet Union thrown in for flavor. It is a dangerous regime, one bent on control and ruthless in eliminating any threat, and no tool is off the table to accomplish those goals.
To say that the Orion Empire is paranoid would be to say that Sol is a tad warm. While the paranoia directed inward is exemplified in the KGB-like Imperial Security Bureau, the outward expression is in the form of the immense Imperial navy. Though developed entirely on their own, without industrial espionage, the striking similarities between Orion and Ahrugan vessels is not a coincidence. Undefeated in war, the Ahruga are seen by the Orions as both their most potent and deadly enemy, and their inspiration. They have adopted the design principles behind the Ahrugan warships, and developed comparable weapons technology- even being reputed to possess gravitic weapons.
The Orions do not have the same artistry that goes into warships as the Ahruga do, however. Whereas the Ahruga will pour their hearts and souls into whatever they build, be it a home or a battleship, and spare no expense to maximize its aesthetics, capabilities, and effectiveness, the Orions are much more efficient. Toe-to-toe, an Orion ship is no match for an Ahrugan vessel of the same class, and probable not for the next class down. However, for every single warship the Ahruga have, the Orion Empire has fifty or more. This balance of quality and quantity is primarily found in the lighter ships, frigates and destroyers.
Chief among them is the Punitor-class frigate. A light, fast-attack frigate that combines Garoudan hit-and-run tactics with Ahrugan use of overwhelming force and heavy armour, the Punitor is a potent ship for its size. Mounting six heavy APPC spinal mounts, and no less than thirty heavy APPC turrets as its primary offensive weaponry, the Punitor is comparable in firepower to a North American Union cruiser. Additional weaponry includes forty two medium APPC turrets, twenty medium AP lancer turrets, thirty-two forty-shot Phalanx missile launchers carrying LRMs, four fifty-shot Ballista missile launchers carrying SRMs for close-quarters defense, and impressive cutting-edge electronic and network warfare capabilities.
Like Ahrugan warships, the Punitor is a giant flying chunk of armour. Sheathed in atomically-bonded carbon-turine armour 30-50 meters thick, with powerful quadruple-layered ablative and deflector shielding, the Punitor is very, very hard to kill. It mounts eight dual-core gravitic engines, carries twelve six-fighter squadrons of Cestus interceptors, and is one of the fastest vessels known, able to pull 200 C/hr. This makes the Punitor a very scary ship for anyone in its crosshairs.

Copyright 2009-2011 Dark Nova Games
This artwork and any image based off of it is the exclusive property of Dark Nova Games. All rights reserved. Any other use of these artwork images, without the expressed written consent of Dark Nova Games, is strictly prohibited. This image is copyright protected by United States and International Law.

Description
Born from the rash of breakaway colonies in the mid-22nd century, the Orion Empire has become an antagonistic Cold-War opponent of the Terran Alliance of Nations. Originally a group of far-flung European Union colonies on the far side of the Orion Nebula, stretching from the Canis Nebula out along the tapering end of the Tarsus Corridor into the Perseus arm of the galaxy, the colonies declared their independence by forming the Orion Federation. The European Union’s response was swift, brutal, and eventually failed. The Orion Federation cut all ties and contact to Terra, and was not encountered again until after the Capellan War.
Now called the Orion Empire, it had expanded significantly and currently encompasses an area of the galaxy nearly half as large as the whole of the Terran Alliance. At some point during the transition from a collection of colonies to an empire, it had become a major military-industrial superpower, amassing a huge number of troops, fleets of advanced warships rivaling the Australian and Ahrugan vessels, and a totalitarian regime of unquestioned authority. Secret police are everywhere within the Empire, monitoring citizenry and the few foreigners allowed in with equal suspicion and scrutiny.
Orion society is typical of such dictatorial empires- grand trappings, clean, organized, and very, very controlled. The same iron will that shapes the Empire into a neat, orderly and efficient nation also crushes the free-thinking out of its citizens. Emperor Contadino has, over the past century and a half, shaped the Empire in the mold of Imperial Rome and Nazi Germany, with elements of the old Soviet Union thrown in for flavor. It is a dangerous regime, one bent on control and ruthless in eliminating any threat, and no tool is off the table to accomplish those goals.
To say that the Orion Empire is paranoid would be to say that Sol is a tad warm. While the paranoia directed inward is exemplified in the KGB-like Imperial Security Bureau, the outward expression is in the form of the immense Imperial navy. Though developed entirely on their own, without industrial espionage, the striking similarities between Orion and Ahrugan vessels is not a coincidence. Undefeated in war, the Ahruga are seen by the Orions as both their most potent and deadly enemy, and their inspiration. They have adopted the design principles behind the Ahrugan warships, and developed comparable weapons technology- even being reputed to possess gravitic weapons.
The Orions do not have the same artistry that goes into warships as the Ahruga do, however. Whereas the Ahruga will pour their hearts and souls into whatever they build, be it a home or a battleship, and spare no expense to maximize its aesthetics, capabilities, and effectiveness, the Orions are much more efficient. Toe-to-toe, an Orion ship is no match for an Ahrugan vessel of the same class, and probable not for the next class down. However, for every single warship the Ahruga have, the Orion Empire has fifty or more. This balance of quality and quantity is primarily found in the lighter ships, frigates and destroyers.
Chief among them is the Punitor-class frigate. A light, fast-attack frigate that combines Garoudan hit-and-run tactics with Ahrugan use of overwhelming force and heavy armour, the Punitor is a potent ship for its size. Mounting six heavy APPC spinal mounts, and no less than thirty heavy APPC turrets as its primary offensive weaponry, the Punitor is comparable in firepower to a North American Union cruiser. Additional weaponry includes forty two medium APPC turrets, twenty medium AP lancer turrets, thirty-two forty-shot Phalanx missile launchers carrying LRMs, four fifty-shot Ballista missile launchers carrying SRMs for close-quarters defense, and impressive cutting-edge electronic and network warfare capabilities.
Like Ahrugan warships, the Punitor is a giant flying chunk of armour. Sheathed in atomically-bonded carbon-turine armour 30-50 meters thick, with powerful quadruple-layered ablative and deflector shielding, the Punitor is very, very hard to kill. It mounts eight dual-core gravitic engines, carries twelve six-fighter squadrons of Cestus interceptors, and is one of the fastest vessels known, able to pull 200 C/hr. This makes the Punitor a very scary ship for anyone in its crosshairs.

Copyright 2009-2011 Dark Nova Games
This artwork and any image based off of it is the exclusive property of Dark Nova Games. All rights reserved. Any other use of these artwork images, without the expressed written consent of Dark Nova Games, is strictly prohibited. This image is copyright protected by United States and International Law.