Homeworld

  • Planetary Data
  • Class: M Class Planet
  • Type: Planet
  • Native Species: Ts’usugi
  • Location: Delta Quadrant (Ts’usu’s true location is, at this time, unknown)
  • Day / Night Cycle: 47 Earth Hours
  • Year Cycle: 348 Earth Days
  • Satellites: Three.
  • Affiliation: Ally. (United Federation of Planets)
  • Gravity: 1.12 Earth Standard
  • Equatorial Radius: 8,419.1 km

The beautiful jewel at the heart of the Ts’usugi Empire, the world of Ts’usu has three moons: Aimi, Akami, and Akiko. Each of these moons has an ‘M’ classification as each moon has a habitable biosphere and is capable of supporting life. It is on these moons that the Ts’usugi dwell, and this system is known as their home system.

The planet itself has ruins of vast civilizations along the surface, though they appear to have been abandoned for ages. Other then these ruins Ts’usu is a natural preserve, untouched by civilization.

The planet has an axial tilt of 34 degrees and has pronounced seasons and weather patterns. while lush forests, rivers, and mountains dot the surface. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and other geological phenomenon show evidence of a healthy world structure and Ts’usu’s planetary magnetic field is a sign of the internal composition of the world. Each moon, however, is a slightly different story. Rather then a preserved world each, the moons are civilized and industrialized. From simple farming villages to advanced shipyards, the moons of Ts’usu are the heart of the Empire. The Ts’usugi are very protective of their home system, and have been known to become very aggressive when its peace is threatened. Information concerning its location is guarded with the same zeal.

Government

The Ts’usugi are ruled by an Emperor, who is advised by a council of representatives from each world the Ts’usugi flag flies on. Each host world chooses one representative to sit on the advisory council, and such an appointment lasts for 6 years. Within the government structure are countless commissions and departments.

The position of Emperor is inherited, though it need not be a male dominated line any longer. In Ts’usugi history, yes, but they’re far more progressive then they used to be. Traditionally the visage of the Emperor was concealed or veiled, but of late the Emperor has shown a desire to be seen. Perhaps too form a stronger bond with the people.

Ts’usugi prize their cultural heritage. To help preserve this culture, villages and rural towns that do not petition for any form of technological upgrade are not forced to revive such. No settlement is ever denied what they need to survive, but if a settlement had no need for advanced agricultural machines or such, then it does not receive them.

Ts’usugi value education, as they are an empire surrounded by enemies period to the arrival of the federation. From early ages Ts’usugi children are first taught how to LEARN, and their strengths and weaknesses are identified. From that data, proper curriculum are formed to maximize the child’s chances of success. There are noted exceptions to this, but on the majority a child’s early years are dominated by school.

Physiology

Ts'usugi

The Ts’usugi are bipedal humanoids with characteristics of Earth rabbits. They have lengthy ears, muzzled faces, a body covering of soft fur, large foot-paws, and a furred tail. Their fur colors tend to run from soft lavender to darker grey. Their figures are slight, and regardless of how tone their bodies become they never appear to show bulk or muscle. Their metabolism is like a furnace, which results in elevated heart rate which is considered the norm for their species.

Ts’usugi eyes are one of the more unusual biological features of the species. They do not reflect light of any kind, giving them a dull and almost lifeless look to them. Originally believed to be an evolutionary answer to surviving off of mostly reflected light, the cause lay in their ocular lens, which is reflective on the inside. This gives them slightly heightened vision at low light, though sudden exposure to bright light can easily dazzle them. Their attention to detail is also heightened as they have sharper visual quality.

As expected, Ts’usugi hearing is above average. They can hear clearly in ranges above human standard, and have acute hearing in their entire range. Exposure to excessive volume over time can damage their hearing, as standard human hearing can be damaged. Ts’usugi also bleed off waste heat through their ears, making them very warm to the touch.

The final piece of interest in the Ts’usugi anatomy is their skeleton, more precisely, their skull. Ts’usugi bones seen under intense magnification show patches of aligned, almost crystalline, growth patterns. This results in a strengthening of the bone structure, rendering their bones more resilient to breakage. Though, due to that sporadic crystalline composition, any break causes shards to form which intensifies the medical issue of a ‘simple break’. The entire Ts’usugi skull demonstrates this unusual growth pattern. Research into this has shown that the growth pattern around the skull inhibits low-level telepathic talents from affecting the Ts’usugi. Ts’usugi do not register to empaths, and telepaths exerting a casual level of effort cannot read their thoughts, or even feel their presence in a room. Anything greater than Casual effort, though, provides results as usual.

This also has the side effect of inhibiting the Ts’usugi from developing telepathic talents of their own. In fact, the trigger gene for such development is missing altogether from what has been mapped of the Ts’usugi genome.

The Ts’usugi genome is not compatible with the standard human genome for the purposes of organ transfer or reproduction. Human blood must be specially treated to be compatible with the Ts’usugi circulatory system, and the opposite is also true.

Society

As a society, the Ts’usugi are ruled by an Emperor who rules from what is called the ‘Throne Moon’. This term simply means whichever of the three moons of Ts’usu the Emperor happens to be on at the time. (Ref: 20th Century Earth – ‘Air Force One’)

The Ts’usugi civilization spreads out across massive cities, to sprawling towns, all the way down to humble hamlets. Rather then deny the poorer communities access to the advanced technology of the more ‘civilized’ regions, it appears that the lesser developed regions are in such a state out of conscious desire and decision. Should a need for an advancement be merited, the settlement in question receives it.

A day on Tsusu is hard to gauge, due to the Ts’usugi living on the moons. They live on a 27 hour schedule, split into 3 uneven pieces. One of these is for work, where the Ts’usugi performs jobs or tasks. The remaining 2/3rds are split between personal time and spending time with family and the community. In large cities, almost everyone knows their way around and can direct visitors, while in small towns or villages… everyone knows everyone.

The Ts’usugi Empire is confirmed to encompass no less than 15 planets and moons. At the moment, their expansion seems to be limited to worlds that do not support sentient life though with the strength of their stellar and ground military such expansion would seemingly be within their capacity.

Ts’usugi place a high value on the concept of touch. Casual contact is nothing more then a brief touch of hands, or a nudge with a shoulder or a hip. Anything lingering or long-lasting has special value to the Ts’usugi in question. To the outside observer, the Ts’usu may appear to be touch-starved at best, or socially inward at worst.

Economy

The standard unit of currency in the Ts’usugi Empire is the Koku, a simple coin with a notch near the top. The Koku has denominations of ten going up, and going down, in value making the Koku very similar to the old Terran currency unit of the “Dollar”, which also had units of measure above and below.

The Koku’s value was once based on a nebulous concept: The cost to receive and care for one guest for one day. Throughout the ages the basis of the value of the Koku has changed, in the attempt to make its worth tied to something concrete as opposed to the vague and difficult to track concepts. The Eighth Emperor of Ts’usu brought about the reform that a Koku was valued at the weight of five bowls of rice. Enough to feed one of the Sons of Ts’usu for One Day.

The Twenty Second Emperor of Ts’usu further reformed the Koku, setting its value by basing it off the availability of a precious ore. Thus the value of the Koku was cemented in history. With the advent of digital currency tracking and reporting, it is unclear as to whether the Koku’s value is still tied to a physical resource, or if… as the natives jest, the Koku is worth one Koku. The Koku is currently under review by the Dalacari digital currency commission, and while the Koku trades on the market on Dalacar, there’s no talk of the Koku becoming a digital currency at this time. For more information, consult the primer on Currencies of the Delta Quadrant

Family

Ts’usugi families are usually larger in more rural areas, where multiple children can perform the work their family needs done. In more developed cities and metropolis-level settlements the average family size is anywhere from 3 to 5, where in the rural edges of civilization families can reach upwards of 10 to 12 members.

Family is considered very important among the Ts’usugi, who actually consider it unhealthy to avoid spending time with them. Avoidance and isolation are cause for alarm in their outlook, so withdrawn or depressed members of society get attention and help quickly.

Religion

Though possessed of advanced technology, the Ts’usugi still have a religion to speak of. The entirety of the Empire engages in ancestor worship, speaking well of ancestors past when their exploits apply to the task at hand, while the more religious members of society appease them with sacrifices of wine or fragrant foods. Some say the strong scent of the food is to distract the spirits while the living do things that would embarrass the deceased. To a point, the Emperor is venerated but not as a god, but more as a liaison between the living and the ancestors.

There are a number of taboos among Ts’usugi culture, and a few mannerisms that others would describe as ‘silly superstitions’. Chief among them are the taboo concerning the use of transporters on sentient beings. Specifically, transporting a Ts’usugi. The truly superstitious believe that the Ts’usugi that walks out is not the same as the Ts’usugi that walked in. Some go so far as to hold small private funerals. Despite batteries of tests proving otherwise, some just don’t have the capacity to grasp technology’s advancement.

Language

The Ts’usugi language is described by those who hear it as melodic, almost musical at times. Though it can also be harsh and cold when spoken with anger. Until recently, the Ts’usugi language confounded the Universal Translator though through an outreach program started with the Foreign Relations Commission within the Ts’usugi government their language has been added to the Federation database for the Universal Translator.

Food

Despite having simple herbivore roots, Ts’usugi are omnivores. Though the vast majority of their diet is still vegetable in nature. Most Ts’usugi meats are fish and shellfish as opposed to beef or pork. Alcoholic beverages run the gambit for the Ts’usugi, from mildly fermented wine to almost pure grain alcohol.

Leisure and Recreation

Ts’usugi enjoy various festivals, shows, theater, and cinema as most other species do. Music concerts, art fairs on the street, and all manner of holidays and the fireworks that show. Sometimes, if the moons are in view, their firework displays will be said to be in competition but that’s mostly for the children. The primary sport of Ts’usu is called Kinetic, a high contact sport involving a sphere that builds and stores momentum and scores points by banking that momentum energy in an opponent’s goal.

Science and Technology

The Ts’usugi Warp drive is unique in Federation databases in that the field created does not tear or rupture local subspace but rather resonates with it, folding it to allow for a smooth transition. As long as the Warp field is stable, Ts’usugi craft can descend into deep regions of subspace and actually come to a complete stop. Starfleet intelligence worries about the notion of entire fleets of Ts’usugi battleships “hiding in the dark”.

Ts’usugi ships capable of Warp travel are called Dark Ships, due to Ts’usugi science calling Warp space “Dark Space”. Ts’usugi Dark Craft are powered by Dark Matter, an exotic matter only barely understood by Federation science. How the Ts’usugi harnass this exotic matter is currently unknown.

Ts’usugi craft that do not have a Dark Drive have what is called a Blink Drive. This Drive, combined with Ts’usugi inertial nullifier technology allow “Blink Craft” to travel at roughly 87% the speed of light for brief duration, usually literally fractions of a second. Ts’usugi Shuttle and Fighter craft are all equipped with Blink Drives powered by standard Heavy Muon Decay reactor. The fighter craft use scaled down pulse cannons and have Hunter/Seeker missiles. Without a Dark Drive, these craft depend on a carrier.

Without a carrier, their best bet for deep space survival is to activate a distress signal and enter a medical coma to prolong life support.

Ts’usugi have matter replicators similar to federation units but inferior in the regards to edible organics. The foodstuffs it produces are edible but bland, and usually is supplemented with actual foodstuffs to lengthen rationing.

Ts’usugi have point to point transporters, but early in their history they had a terrible taboo about transporting a Ts’usugi. Ethical concerns, spiritual concerns, especially considering how religious they are. Is the old Ts’usugi dead? Does the new one have a soul? Questions that almost don’t have answers. Modern day Ts’usugi no longer have these concerns, as the questions of morality and duplicity have been explored and satisfied. The more spiritual of the people, though, continue to have their doubts in regards to instrant transmission. For those of the faith, there are tests that can be run prior to transmission and after receipt to ease the concern of such travel. Though, most just enjoy the physical aspect of Going Somewhere, and take a shuttle.

For those that choose to take the tests, any deviation in the results is an indication that somewhere along the line, a transporter mishap occurred on some impossible quantum level and the Ts’usugi standing before them is in some way not the same as the one that left. As this has yet to happen, the next step after failing the exam is unknown. Some speculate that the Ts’usugi is viewed as imperfect, or that the ‘prior’ Ts’usugi is now to be listed as deceased. Speculation for the Imperial courts.

Weaponry among the Ts’usugi are almost comparable to the federation, impressive considering the federation is a coalition of minds. The primary weapon of Ts’usugi ships is a charged pulse cannon equal to the pulse phasers. Next up is their powered torpedo, with a negatron warhead. Larger craft have broad side arrays of smaller pulse cannons to defend against incoming fighter assaults.

The greatest brain trust in the employ of the Emperor is known as the Imaginary Sciences Division. Their entire function is to answer any question posed by the Emperor. They have limitless resources, and the highest security clearance. They perfected the Blink Drives with their invention of the Inertial Nullifier, then pioneered the Dark Matter Power System.

Following is a listing of some of the known advanced technologies used by the Ts’usugi Empire:

  • Dark Matter Reactor System: The principal power source for all craft equipped with a Dark Matter Drive. A Dark Matter Reactor houses a collection of Dark Matter proportional to the craft that it powers, and the reactor captures the emitted Dark Energy the matter produces. Manipulation of a gravity field within the reactor increases the amount of energy produced, allowing for sufficient energy to power the Dark Matter Drive. This system of energy production is incredibly efficient, despite the fact that any craft with a Dark Matter Drive are all but incapable of sustaining Warp 9 velocities. Dark Matter Reactors produce energy that is not inherently compatible with outsider technology. Any outsider systems would need to be adapted to specifically function on the power grid of a Dark Matter Drive craft, or be powered separately.
  • Dark Matter Drive: The system of propulsion that allows Ts’usugi craft to breach the Warp barrier. Dark Matter Drives are nacelle based, with larger military craft being able to retract their nacelles within their hull to defend them against damage. Unlike Starfleet warp technology, which seems to violently thrust ships into subspace to achieve warp travel, Dark Matter Drives are more like a precision blade, creating precise vibrations that allow for a smooth transition into warp, and amazing control over velocity. These gentle ripples are difficult to detect while the craft is entering or leaving ‘Warp’. Unique among dark matter drives is the ability to ‘stop’, waiting in the depths of the layered sub-reality that is subspace at zero relative velocity. This still requires a powered drive, a sensor buoy to get more accurate readings of the area around the ship because any loss of power to the Dark Matter drive will result in the craft being violently expelled into real space. Detecting a Ts’usugi ship at ‘Warp 0’ is difficult, though there are very few tell-tale signs that they, or their sensor buoy, are present. Dark Matter Drives cannot achieve Warp 9 velocities, and max out at Warp 8 equivalent. They have no ‘Emergency’ velocity.
  • Blink Drive: Ts’usugi craft that do not have a Dark Matter system will instead have a Blink System, which was the dominant form of transit before the invention of the Dark Matter system. Blink Drives can propel the craft using it to roughly 87% of the speed of light for fractions of a second. Combined with the Inertial Nullifier technology, this allows for rapid movement and heading changes. The total amount of distance traveled is roughly a quarter of a million miles (250,000 miles) in a blink of an eye, hence the technology’s name. The Blink Drive is powered by Muon capacitors, which must recharge after each use. Blink Shuttles generally power these capacitors on the move, while Blink Fighters are launched from their fighter bays with fully charged capacitors. Activating the Blink Drive will potentially break any sensor or weapon lock on the craft, but will force the craft itself to re-acquire any such lock it had as well.
  • Heavy Muon Reactor: The power source on all Blink Drive powered craft. This system uses heavy particle decay to produce power, and heavy Muon fuel is easy to come by. Craft using Heavy Muon Reactors generally have six to eight fuel cells installed on launch, and the cells are easily replaced by trained technicians.
  • Inertial Nullifier: The next advancement in Inertial Dampening technology, the Inertial Nullifier all but cancels the prospects of inertia. This technology allows the Blink Drive to function without obliterating the pilot and crew, and allows the Blink craft to adjust its heading during its usage of the Blink Drive. Larger craft and capital craft utilize inertial nullifiers to allow their ships to be as maneuverable as they are.

Ts’usugi sciences have, in the past, crafted an artificial intelligence known locally as an Intelligence Construct. A massive structure housing the computational engine, the Ts’usugi later found out that the construct had constructed a mining operation on their beloved and promised home world of Ts’usu. It concluded that the mineral worth of the world had a value greater than the sentimental value the people of Ts’usu put on it. When instructed to cease its operation, it refused the order. When asked again, with intent, it turned the mining equipment it had under its control on its aggressors.

The conflict lasted eighty six hours and in the end, the world of Ts’usu was permanently scarred and the complex on the moon that housed it was gone. Many a technician, soldier, and pilot lost their lives that day. The site was razed and smoothed over with concrete to produce a memorial, while the more religious of the Ts’usugi performed a ritual over the next three weeks to pacify the dead and apologize to the moon that supported them for building such a thing. The Emperor decreed a law, “Let no machine mind be crafted in the likeness of our own.” and the division responsible for creating the intelligence apologized to the whole of Ts’usu and then disbanded. The matter was settled.

Military

Ts’usugi craft are broken into classes, such as carrier, cruiser, destroyer, dreadnought, and a class higher where the prefix “Super-” is applied. Within each class there is a further breakdown of numbers. The Kenzenku, for instance, is a Class 3 Carrier.

Fighter wings are often assigned wing names corresponding to Shogi pieces, with experience earning them a Silver or Gold distinction. Squadron leaders are always preceded by the prefix “Red”.

On a personnel level, ever Ts’usugi is trained in hand to hand combat. Their personnel Pulse Bolter is equal to a federation phaser, and every Ts’usugi has a knife on them if not outright armed with a sword or some other melee weapon. On a social level, every Ts’usugi must serve a mandatory term of Three Years in service to the government. This is mostly in some degree of Military service though on a rare occasion a need will arise for a new bureaucratic assistant or logistics operator. Commonly referenced as ‘Serving their Three’, every Ts’usugi aged 16 to 20 must devote three years of their life to service. After that, they are free to either enlist directly and continue to serve, or are returned to the public sector once they are given a six month evaluation to ensure they are fit to return to their previous lives. In times of great need, a draft may be instituted to bolster the fighting forces and their number. This has only happened once in the past two hundred years and seems to have been solved by the alliance with the Dalacari and the use of their standing Drone army.

Ts’usugi ground forces are identified by an animal of myth, with some reserved for mechanized or armor units such as Standing Tanks or mobile artillery. As with fighter squadrons, Silver or Gold will denote experience. Ground forces take precaution not to make the leaders of their units distinct, so there’s no callsign for a ranking officer.

Ts’usugi intelligence gathering uses special Dark Ships called Buoys. These special craft sit deep in Dark Space, motionless and quiet, and monitor the ripples that star ships make in subspace as they travel. Subspace communication makes a form of ripple that can be detected but not deciphered. This network allows for an amazing amount of observation, though Buoys require regular maintenance which is dangerous for all parties involved if the Buoy remains in Dark Space. Buoys also allow for a staggering form of long range instantaneous communication which, as of yet, has not been decrypted or intercepted. If a weakness in their communications array exists, it exists at the point where they contact the Buoys, rather than communication between the Buoys themselves.

Buoy class ships lack offensive weapons. Their primary defense is never being seen.

Following is a listing of the known offensive and defensive systems used on Ts’usugi ships:

  • Charged Pulse Cannon: The primary weapon system of the Ts’usugi consists of charged particle bursts in an energy corona, propelled at high speeds. These weapons are rated as identical to standard Federation Phaser technology in both Ship scale and Personal scale instances, and the same care and concern should be afforded to them as one would a phaser. Fighters are equipped with scaled down variants of the Charged Pulse Cannon. The packet cohesion is sufficient to enter an atmosphere from space with little to no loss of energy, making the Charged Pulse Cannon an ideal weapon for planetary bombardment. The fighter scaled variant of this weapon cannot be used for planetary bombardment.
  • Powered Torpedo: The Ts’usugi Powered Torpedo is the standard payload delivery system for ship to ship combat. It meets all the standard qualifications of any Federation torpedo. Unlike the Federation, though, the Ts’usugi have only a single class of warhead for their torpedoes, having phased out the previous warhead designs as their new ones come into production. Also similar to Federation Torpedoes, the Ts’usugi Powered Torpedo is designed to be used in space or in an atmosphere, allowing it to be used for planetary bombardment.
  • Negatron Warhead: The standard warhead for all Ts’usugi torpedoes is an anti-matter warhead composed of a negatron mass suspended in a magnetic containment field. Similar in all respects to a Federation Quantum Torpedo in terms of destructive capacity and explosive yield. Similarly, a Negatron Warhead’s yield can be decreased manually, though to increase it beyond its listed yield either additional antimatter must be added to the warhead or modifications to the warhead itself must be made.
  • Hunter-Seeker Missile: Ts’usugi fighter missile system. Each missile is equipped with a micro-antimatter warhead and a guidance system that is attracted to the active power signature of the target craft. Advanced IFF systems make it all but impossible for the missile to accidentally target a Ts’usugi craft designated as Friendly.
  • Layered Shields: Presumably copied, loaned, or inspired by the Dalacari defensive systems, utilizing multiple shield projectors of identical harmonics and repelling magnetic polarity, Layered Shields operate at a higher output, but that output is divided more or less evenly between two layers of protective energy. Only the largest Ts’usugi craft have reactors large enough to output the power needed to maintain Layered Shields.

Ts’usugi Ship Specifications:

  1. Ts’usugi Cruiser