The Bioship
Female
Male
Gravity Flux Hyperdrive Sequence
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create a unique, artificial bio-technic species of starship.
- Image Credit: Farscape, X, X, X
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Farscape, Moya, Leviathan, Startreaders: Sentient Bioships
- Name: Startreader
- Designation: Sentient
- Origins: Long gone biomechanical engineering company
- Average Lifespan: 520 years
- Estimated Population: Scattered/Inter-Planetary
- Description: Large, smooth, cruiser sized ships with no visible drive system. The Startreaders possess a squashed teardrop-like hull with three tails that converge at their ends. Males are notably taller with ridges along there dorsal hull.
- Breathes: Type IV
- Average Height of Adults: 170-210 m (males), 160-200 m (females)
- Average Length of Adults: 900m-1000m
- Skin color: Tans, browns, and greys.
- Hair color: None
- Distinctions: Startreaders are biomechanical, sentient starships that are roughly cruiser sized. All possess a "squashed teardrop" shaped hull with three tails that they call Druez Lal, while the company that made them called them "drive tails." The two outer tails will move outwards when a Startreader engages hyperdrive, and a blue glow makes it highly visible. The Startreaders have a hanger positioned between the tails, and their bow is reinforced, allowing them to ram. Males have a taller, ridged hull that distinguishes them for the females. Inside, there are some areas that are off limits, like the "heart" and the drive tails, but the entire interior possesses a type I atmosphere and has multiple types of droids built by an on board system, and performing basic maintenance and repairs while the ships biological components can heal themselves.
It should be noted that many systems are almost fully organic, like the sensors, heart, which is more like a reactor, and it is theorized that the gravity flux drive and hyperdrive are also primarily biological. Even the tractor beam systems seem to be biological in nature. Little is really understood about how they work thanks to the company deeming them failures, and not putting too much research in them. These living ships have basically every room a normal transport would have. Single/couple/family crew cabins, galley, medical bay, brig, bridge (which is often used by crews during rest cycles), and cargo space. They also have docking ports, one standard, and one "heavy" hidden under their hulls.
To move, the Startreaders have a "gravity flux drive" for sublight and hyperspace travel The drives distort gravity to push the Startreader, and functions as a class .5 hyperdrive, allowing them to run from most true threats. While it would be expected that they would be housed in the drive tails, oddly enough they are housed in the rear hull. Due to the companies lack of study, they assumed that the rear tails housed the drive systems. Instead, Startreaders believe that the tails act more like thrust vector rings, adding an additional level of control, and energy storage systems.
One notable thing lacking on Startreaders is weapon systems, but their biomechanical systems are impervious to ion/emp weapons. They also possess four heavy tractor beams: 1 bow, 1 aft, 1 port, and 1 starboard. The aft tractor beam is mainly used for towing and guiding vessels between the drive tails and into the hanger, while the rest are for navigational clearing, like moving space debris. The living ships also have one of the strongest hulls in the galaxy, which was overlooked by their makers at the time. This tough hull allows the Startreader to tank fire from ships that are much larger than themselves, and allows the ships to ram without fear.
Startreaders are known to mate for life, and the process involves a male and female Startreader docking with one another. They will remain docked for 1-3 months, operating as a single vessel during this time. After this, it will take two years for a baby to fully form, and they are born at roughly 45-50 m in length. Growth takes thirty years, at which point many will look for a mate or strike out on their own. They are often found around nebulae, as Startreaders feed of the gasses and dust there. - Races: The Nerta (those that want crews), and the Verga (those that don't want crews)
- Force Sensitivity: All (telepathic communication)
- Massive size.
- Extremely strong hull, build, and shields.
- Impervious to ion/EMP attacks
- Little in the way of interior defenses.
- No natural weapons.
- Massive size.
- Diet: Nebula gasses and dust.
- Communication: Force Telepathy, Comms channels (have an innate understanding of languages)
- Technology level: Greater than Galactic Standard, but unclear by how much.
- Religion/Beliefs: None
- General behavior: Startreaders are known to be as varied as humans in behavior, but do follow some general trends. Startreaders are often adventures, and willing the travel almost anywhere to see something new. Some have suggested it's a response to their initial lack of being able to travel, thanks to originally being biowarship experiments, but also hearing and learn of the various regions of the galaxy. Most also seem to have an innate want to have a crew, though it’s not a strong want.
They are also known to mate for life, calling each other “Hui Dor," but mates will often go years without seeing one another. This is mostly do to the lifestyle of the living ships, and their tendency to offer their services to various individuals parsecs away from one another. Many Hui Dor choose to operate as a two ship fleet to avoid this, but separation generally doesn't bother them, as they can speak through the comms system that are naturally a part of them.
Startreaders tend to stay out of greater galactic politics, but would often offer to serve as diplomatic transports. The love of this particular job in the species is sometimes seen as odd for a species that loves exploring, but is actually seen as a way to exploring the world to them. Along with this, the living ships value peace, and some will do it simply to be with friends. While Startreaders usually stayed neutral, it did not keep some from picking sides, and there are some cases of Startreaders making it clear that they dislike a side.
Startreaders will often pass down their stories to their offspring. While the main goal is to teach younger ships, the stories are usually told in a more entertaining way, and even important lessons and stories are told in a more entertaining manner. What the offspring do with this is up to them, and parents can only hope they take the lessons with them.
Created by an old biomechanical engineering company as an experimental biowarship, the Startreaders were deemed a failure after a year of research when the company learned the vessels couldn't be mounted with weapons systems. The company removed the fourteen initial ships, all adults thanks to growth acceleration, from the facility, not realizing that they were sentient, and allowed the Startreaders to escape and make their sentience known. This was before the company had a chance to fully research the Startreaders or perform standard slicing to prevent breeding, leaving the new species able to have offspring and spread, and leaving their creators without a substantial understanding of how they function.
The Startreaders have ended up served many individuals since their escape. From politicians and ambassadors, to cargo and transport pilots. When willing, it has often resulted into unique experiences that would be passed down to their offspring. The large beings are know to be difficult to catch, thanks in part to their biohull and 0.5 hyperdrive, but that has kept some people from trying. The only tactic that has worked is holding a young Startreader captive, their small size making tractor beam capture and holding easy, and their hulls being weaker, and force their mother, or both parents, to work for the young ship's safety. Generally though, Startreaders have no fear of being captured, being able to run away from, or ram, those attempting to enslave them.
These biomechanical ships are normally neutrals in a chaotic galaxy, and have served many diplomats and traders of their own will, letting their powerful hulls and speed keep them safe. It's not a common sight, but some may at least know what they are.
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