Database and Lore

The Shal’rein Clan Page 2

Ship Design Philosophy Shal’rein warships have often been considered the most unique vessels of all the Itrean clans. In its current designs, many have stated that while they look very much like the other Itrean clan species ships, this was far from untrue. Much as it has been stated already, the ancient vessels of the Shal’rein were all but aquatic. They would be built from underwater facilities and launched into orbit by basic reactors. In space, the Shal’rein had to adapt to space warfare, but they did it in their own ways. Ancient warfare between subclans and empires was done by ship-to-ship gun combat. Originally ancient cannons and laser weapons were used until railguns would ultimately be used. Contrary to today, Shal’rein warships were generally large but not excessively huge. With the advent of nuclear weapons, they were fully aware that a nuclear explosion could easily obliterate a ship from the inside out. The end result was that they limited the size of how big their ships would get. They were described as similar to World War I dreadnoughts on former Earth. Shal’rein ships focused on having the best cannons and anti- missile guns ever while still fighting against themselves. Against other Itrean species, the Shal’rein ships worked and sometimes didn’t work. Their tactics were vastly different as clan species such as the Yutilians, Aksren, and Noo’dort used long-range missiles to fight in battle. It is often a surprise to many human scholars that such a method of combat actually worked as guided missiles should render a form of non-guided munitions warfare useless, but the clan species had managed to accomplish it. The Shal’rein affinity to their guns had made them masters at shooting down guided warheads before they struck. The warships would then close in for the kill to shoot the railguns at unavoidable ranges. This wasn’t the only clan species that had engaged in this style of warfare as the Alara’jal would also do it, but the Shal’rein holistically focused on it. Of course, the Shal’rein was no hope against Emperor Jalgren. The only true reason for this was the fact that the subclans fought each other instead of joining together to fight back. In reality, Jalgren’s victory in besting Shal’rein warships was the fact that the Emperor had the bigger fleets and that the Shal’rein fleets got wiped out one by one. Shal’rein ships would see the biggest impact in future space combat in the Rototrein Rebellion. In fact, some Itrean historians claim that the dismantling of the ancient pre-imperial Shal’rein warships was for the better good. The Shal’rein would instead introduce new forms of warships that would last almost to this very day. United subclans almost didn’t exist as they began to work in unity to fight against the empire. Tactics and strategy of Rototrein and his adjuncts claimed that wedge-shaped warships could allow them to focus fire their weapons forward while still having the ability to fire withering broadsides when they went past the enemy. The rebellion saw these new secret-built warships prove surprisingly effective. Later battles would even allow other broadside battleships that linger in the sides of the fleet. When the Shal’rein clan fleets would engage imperial vessels, they would completely encircle and pour withering railgun fire onto the enemy. The near end of the rebellion, an ex-imperial Aksren commander, would quote, “The Shal’rein shouldn’t have won, but they did. I watched them come in almost like a tidal wave in space. We simply got swallowed up.” The Shal’rein wouldn’t do much to change this form of warfare. The Shal’rein warship philosophy varied slightly between subclans, but still worked under the concept of railgun warfare. To this day, human scholars have pointed out that the Shal’rein philosophy of avoiding non-guided munitions is genuinely their biggest detriment. If they had tried to mimic the Yutilians, Palierans, and Aksren, it is very well possible that the Shal’rein would have completely dominated the Itrean spectrum. Few in the clan species could see that this stubborn style of warfare was a drastic disadvantage in space combat. At the same time, however, the Shal’rein were amazingly good with their guns. Pinpoint shooting with railguns thousands of kilometers away was a specialty. During the Rototrein rebellion, it was even said that Shal’rein gunners could actually carefully target tiny weak points in imperial vessels. This was all done when the ships were traveling a few kilometers a second to even hundreds of kilometers a second. At the same, however, to essentially restrict the style on non-guided munitions severely hampered the capabilities. This reality was all too true when the Emphra had arrived. In the last seventy years, Shal’rein ships, combat strategies, and tactics barely changed. They were surprised to see that the Emphra were not purposely engaging the defense fleets but going after the planet. Once a few ships slipped by, the Shal’rein would have to double back and try to destroy them. Planetary defenses, which thought that the invaders would be easy targets, would snipe the encroaching Emphra vessels to watch them shatter when entering the atmosphere. The shock and surprise were that the Emphra vessels would explode but still litter the ground with a silver liquid. The Emphra, its true form, would then go after the population and begin consuming the planet. Some blamed ship design for the reasons why the Shal’rein were having a hard time in engaging the Emphra. Everyone has highly debated this, but genuinely, it really came down to the Emphra itself. In close quarters, the Shal’rein vessels were more than perfect in engaging the Emphra fleets. Their railguns, which were far better than Yutilian and Aksren clan counterparts, were perfect in bashing the more fragile skyscraper ships as they closed in. The wedge- shaped designs still held out rather well in providing the intended forward and side barrages. The Shal’rein also enjoyed having the best CIWS and flak guns that could obliterate the Emphra missiles as they closed in. The catch was that the Emphra just kept coming. Sheer numbers were the reason why Shal’rein ships struggled. The Shal’rein were fully aware that they needed to adapt to fight the Emphra. The mid- years of the war would usher the end of the wedge-shaped warships as the traditional and cheaper cylindrical hulls were introduced. The arguments were mostly for the fact that economies needed quick and easily produced ships to continue the fight. Regardless, the tradition was so important that it wouldn’t be until the absolute near end of the war that the Shal’rein would finally introduce short-range guided munitions. Even then, it would be regulated to close ranges, almost as if to spite itself and keep the tradition going. The end of the Emphra war and the creation of T’rintar would see a new direction in Shal’rein ship designs. The famed wedge-shaped vessels would never really see the famed glory that they once had. Instead, the Ikra’s and Oldra’s marked the “United” Itrean philosophy. The true reality was that the Shal’rein economies were devastated and instead simply embraced the new vessels in a haphazard function. This wasn’t to say that the Shal’rein fleets didn’t have anything to benefit from the unity. Ship engineers of the Shal’rein still benefited from things such as cloaking technology, improved engine designs, and improved CIWS designs. The great assault carriers used by the clan were embraced by the Yutilians and almost used by the Aksren clans. The Shal’rein would also further improve upon their railguns. Among one such ability that had been unlocked by 2335, the Shal’rein were able to perform a “Death Barrage,” where all reserve and battery power could be focused on the railguns. Advanced heat sinks would then allow the guns to do a rapid-fire salvo onto targets. Even though the ships were still cheap designs, their technology was still progressing and helping them out. Even dual turreted railgun battleships were starting to be reintroduced.  In the Itrean Civil War of 2339, the Shal’rein would have to come up with new tactics and strategies. Their fleets no longer had the flexible designs that they had, like the Emphra War. Instead, they were left with cylindrical gun battleships. Newer dreadnoughts, however, did have advantages as they not only carried better power generation but could still hold a surprising amount of fire to perform broadsides. Some fleet formations would generally have the command ship in the center formation, while the battleships travel in a straight line or parallel formation. The dreadnoughts would then take up the sides to strengthen the edges. The hope was that their ship assets would follow the same direction as the former vessels before the Emphra conflict. Technically, the Shal’rein vessels performed adequately but suffered due to rashly devised plans or lack of desire to continue on some fronts. Ironically, the short-range guided munitions have performed amazingly well in being able to shoot down enemy missiles. Still, there have been no signs that the Shal’rein ever want to expand upon it. There is some criticism that Shal’rein warships should be larger due to the fact that the clan species are twice the height of their counterparts. There are many reasons as to why they never got that big. Again, economics makes the ships small, but the Shal’rein see no real reason to make them big. To them, building vastly huge ships just makes them bigger targets. The Shal’rein were fully aware of the Alara’jal clan and why they were wiped out. Their vessels were powerful but too big and cumbersome. They took massive amounts of resources to make them. The Shal’rein didn’t want to make that mistake. However, the Shal’rein still have a few rather large ships in their inventory. The famed “whale ships,” as human scholars seen such as the Equix class, are relatively enormous. The entire frame is focused around the powerful bow-mounted railgun that can bash space stations and ground defenses alike.  As the 2350s hits, the Shal’rein clan fleets still hold firm despite how conditions have been reduced. It is expected that the ships can still hold their own in a fight as they still make the occasional raids into Aksren clan territories. Against the UHN, the Shal’rein warships have proven how deadly they were, primarily when used correctly. To this day, Oshun still wonders what would have happened if the Shal’rein attack fleet had just a few more ships in their assault. The Yu’il battleships were more than a match against the UHN Magellan battleships. Further intelligence reports that the Shal’rein are developing heavy advanced gatling railgun systems, super-advanced CIWS batteries, and a nuclear shell design that can be fired at hypervelocity acceleration. All of these show that if it does happen, the Shal’rein may end up having the upper hand in future battles. Only time will tell. Ground Warfare Philosophy        There is a current rule in the Itrean ground combat doctrines. The rule simply states, “Don’t let the Shal’rein reach the ground.” For the Shal’rein, they further add the usage, “If we reach the ground, you have already lost.” The frightening reality is that everyone is correct. Prior to the Empire of Jalgren, the Shal’rein could only be really stopped in space. Their focused attention on each other was the only thing that really slowed them down. In the last 300,000 years, the Shal’rein were considered the second-best troops that any Itrean clan had ever seen. Only the Alara’jal were a genuine threat on the ground, and even then, they still couldn’t stop them in the water. Jalgren was no fool. His goal of limiting the Shal’rein (along with the other clan species) of space travel was, for that very fact. Short of annihilating them from orbit, he knew that he couldn’t dominate the Shal’rein and Alara’jal in ground combat. The Shal’rein ability to operate above and below the water is what gives the species a massive tactical edge. Most clan species barely even bothered in trying to challenge the Shal’rein in underwater combat because they had every answer available in countering underwater invasions. The very attempted attacks by other clan species had been utter failures. Once the Shal’rein reached the water, they were tough to stop.