Database and Lore

Akra Class Attack Dreadnought *Spoilers if you haven't read past Gabatrix: The First Peace arc* “The fact that this is outdated by the Durgess means nothing. If anything, the Aksren only know that these ships are in plentiful numbers, ready to use them against us.….” Admiral Hazer, 2350.  The Akra is a powerful warship, the common heavy hitter of the Aksren clan. They are easily capable of wiping out a small set of UHN battleships. Many UHN analysts see them as the scourge of the Aksren clan forces, being a regular contender against any Itrean foe.  Design The Akra class is the outgrowth of the Mondra class Dreadnought created during the middle years of the United Itrean Republic. Many Itrean and UHN analysts easily compare it to the Alamaiz class Missile Dreadnought that had been introduced by the T’rintar clan at the onset of the Itrean Civil War. In fact, it was designed to serve as a counter design to it. The Akra class incorporates many of the Aksren clan philosophies of ship combat while improving the Mondra’s frame and design. Among the many changes was the incorporation of an improved set of heavy railgun turrets that combine particle beam cannons that were moved from the bow section of the Mondra. While not as powerful as the Mondra’s powerful railgun, the Aksren wished to offset the ship’s firepower, combining more long-range capabilities to challenge T’rintar ship designs. The new heavy autocannon triple turrets were installed onto the frame, while the ventral bridge and gate probe array room were replaced with a ventral missile launcher. The secondary bridge and gate probe launchers were moved to the bow. Among the other incorporated changes was an improved rear thruster module, making the Akra one of the fastest warships available in the Aksren clan inventory. The biggest challenge of the Akra is that many analysts point out that even with the improvements, the Alamaiz is simply better. In a one-on-one combat, the Akra would likely lose against the T’rintar clan counterpart. However, Aksren ship philosophy had always prioritized quantity over quality, preferring to build their ships in greater numbers rather than purposely having an equal counterpart. This concept in ship design has always been questionable but ultimately effective in Aksren history, often being able to partially overwhelm the other clan species in combat. At the onset of the Itrean Civil War, orders for the new dreadnought were made, and production began immediately. History While a few Akras were commissioned at the very beginning of the Itrean Civil War, the impact of the new dreadnought was negligible as Zilik’s Disease would greatly affect all the Itreans as a whole. Surprisingly, when it came to the dreadnoughts, while construction slowed at first, the Empress of Itsis demanded that the Akra’s production continue regardless of any temporary ceasefire. They were one of the few warship classes that were still being built at a steady rate. By the end of the ceasefire, the Aksren clan began using the Akra in such large numbers that they easily replaced the Oldra class and some of the Mondras that were in service. Much like the newer Italx Battleships, the Akra symbolized strength and was often used as a frontline flagship for battleship squadrons. When it comes to a heavy Aksren presence, the Akra is seen everywhere. Their construction was considered so favorable that it continued as far as late 2347, even with the introduction of the successor Durgess class. By 2345 and 2346, the Aksren would introduce two new dreadnought- class warships to inevitably replace the Akra class. However, the construction crews are so familiar with the older dreadnoughts that it’s easier to build them than the Durgess. However, even with the favorable desire to create them, the Akra does suffer some setbacks. By 2345, the T’rintar and Shal’rein had introduced better dreadnoughts. While the Akras are still capable of providing heavy firepower, the Alamaiz Mark 2 can easily beat one in a fair fight. The original issues that persisted as far as 2340 had become more well-known by 2349. Regardless of all of this, the Akra has become the staple of the Aksren heavy war fleet. While the Durgess is sometimes put into frontline use, it is usually kept in rear guard units to help preserve its status as a prime warship. Instead, the Akra is looked at as more of a sacrificial ship, easily being thrown into any campaign as a support ship and secondary command vessel. Small, numerous incursions into the T’rintar and Shal’rein clan space often use an Akra as a leading warship. The dreadnought’s autocannons are quite capable of destroying swaths of missiles, making it a perfect defense ship for the much more powerful Aksren warships. When it comes to the UHN, the Akras were seen as terrors due to their great strength and ability to take down small fleets of UHN warships. When coupled with the Italx Mark 2s or 3s, the Akra became even more dangerous. During the siege of Cipra, the Aksren clan would use these dreadnoughts to their fullest extent, pounding UHN resistance until they would run out of munitions. No Akras were lost at Cipra. As of 2349, despite their slight obsolescence, the Aksren clan still favors the Akra’s use in combat. There is no sign that they plan on retiring them anytime soon….