The Aether Empire

[Zarfef]

OOC: This is a factbook I hope to build up with time, that is to say that not everything will be placed on here at once. Please be patient.

Aether Empire Flag:

Aether Empire Territories of Control:

(The green-yellow regions)

National Structure: From Space, the Aether Empire doesn't seem to be much of an empire at all, but within the mind of it's Chairman, Zarfef, it is the greatest the world has ever seen. Perhaps this is because the Aether Empire is more then the planes, tanks, henchmen and naval vessels in play on paper, but is instead a vision, a vision put forth by it's absolute leader Zarfef.

The organization of the Aether Empire is a decentralized military-oriented society and it sticks very close to the nature of an "evil organization" like one would expect from Austin Powers more then a real world government. This is Zarfef's experiment in government, to grow and expand by meddling in the affairs of things having no bearing on his business, but that is his business and hence lies the paradox. His goals are forwarded by his "organization" by means of shadowy agents, secret lairs, tricks of strategy, fantastic inventions and many things that might lead the common nation to even conclude prematurely that he is simply running a terrorist organization. But Zarfef harbors dreams of world domination, not religious goals and anyone who mistakenly concludes his military to be that of a bunch of ragtag soldiers will be sadly mistaken. His investment in scientific and technological research gives him the power to advance and grow his own home-grown weapons rapidly and using the freedom of information given within the world this standpoint may soon give him access to weapons of the most advanced capacity.

The Aether Empire contains several subsidiary technology companies which are working to create world-wide profits which fund the expansion of the Empire in secret. Tensor Technological Industries is as ruthless as Aether as the two are very much connected in private even if they are rarely seen together in public. Tensor Technological Industries may brandish harsh words in the eyes of the world against their founding nation, but in private they have no scruples with Aether boosting their stocks via its "most sinister methods of business".

Ironically however, despite this shadowy and dark nature, the Aether Empire has recently given an economic boon to those lucky enough to call themselves employees, whether henchmen or scientist. Massive stock growth within Tensor Technological industries and their pivotal position at a major trade route has also granted the local people enhanced access to foreign goods from around the world, which are more likely to stop by due to the increase in funds provided by Tensor Technological Industries. Tensor has even afforded the region it's first private harbor and opened bank branches across their territories to help local business grow and prosper.

More Concerning however, is that recently, the Aether Empire has begun to shift the technological market itself. Tensor, which was producing huge amounts of technology for private sellers suddenly became very quiet, leaving it's previous clients wondering what happened. Indeed, while developing technologies for their customers that they assured them would remain secret, Tensor was indeed using the best technologies for itself and harboring them on the side for the Aether Empire. Rumors are now abounding that the Empire stands at the brink of a major transformation, with Tensor going from one of the worlds largest tech providers to one of the world's largest technology producers for the Aether Empire, a modern day evil organization.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Zarfef

[Zarfef]

Characters within the Aether Empire

Zarfef - The Evil Leader

A propaganda poster portraying Chairman Zarfef.

Zarfef is the shadowy and eccentric leader of the Aether Empire. He is a white male in his thirties with no distinguishing marks except perhaps a marked character of eccentricities and wild clothing styles. Zarfef is absolutely confident in his own plans, he is the mastermind of the current Aether Empire with an unfathomably high IQ. For this great gain, he has many weaknesses, he is not physically strong nor is he strong in an interpersonal manner due to a very isolated childhood in the Russian North. While he has taken great pains with Ziggy to remove any traces of himself from the public record, we can know that he was born and raised in this environment by a pair of kind parents who thought they were doing the right thing when they sent him off to a prestigious private school. However, this school ended up stifling his interpersonal interactions but did grant him his love of knowledge and books. As a result, he keeps and refers to a rather large library in his private lair.

When he was seventeen, in a tragic blimp mid-air collision both of Zarfef's parents were killed (one on each blimp) and his schooling funds were cut. He was promptly kicked out and plucked up in his awkward social state by an authoritarian philosopher who would train him within the mountains of Tibet for five years concerning the path to a world dictatorship and the treasures of trying to take over the world. This individual turned and twisted Zarfef's mind and hoped to make him his second in command as he gathered together his life's resources in a plan to produce a world organization... The Aether Empire. Unfortunately, he overlooked one thing... his second in command.

On the evening of his plans to announce his existence to the world, Zarfef's master was taken down... by none other then Zarfef himself who stormed the room with all of his master's private military at his command, and seized all of his assets. Afterwards, Zarfef changed the order of command and this obvious structural flaw... with none other then himself at the helm.

Von Zak, Von Zuk, Von Zepplin - Commanders of the Air, Land and Sea Military Forces

(From left to right, Von Zepplin, Von Zuk and Von Zak)

If Zarfef writes down the plans for world domination, the Vons will be the ones to implement it... Each Von Controls a portion of the Aether Empire Military and could care less about anything of the results. They are not so much in the game for the outcome of the war as much to war itself and hence they play very badly in times of peace, constantly demanding more potent technologies to play with if they cannot use it to wipe out hundreds or thousands of someone else's toys.

Von Zak: Von Zak controls the air force of the Aether Empire, but in his spare time he enjoys playing in rock bands as a lead singer. He is self-absorbed to the extreme and if Zarfef does manage to control the world he would conclude that he was still the center of the universe.

Von Zuk: Von Zuk controls the land force of the Aether Empire, but in his spare time and off his spare time... he eats and cooks and eats some more. This man loves his food and has likely devastated your nations buffets before he's rolled them over with his tanks (it would be a shame to let it go to waste).

Von Zepplin: Von Zepplin controls the naval forces of the Aether Empire, but in his spare time he enjoys theatre and drama. He associates strongly with arch-villians and is personally critical of Zarfef's mannerisms but never releases this publicly. If Zarfef were to become incompetent, Von Zepplin would be the most likely to take command of the Aether Empire immediately.

Ziggy - The Child Prodigy

Ziggy: Ziggy was caught by Zarfef just before he almost fatefully plunged to his death beneath a fast moving train in his attempt to move across country. His lack of personal judgment in his jumping skills shouldn't have much expected of them, he was only nine years old at the time. He was orphaned at age four and left in an orphanage where he was mostly forgotten and left to fend for himself amongst the older boys. However, as time grew rough for the orphanage things got physically rough for him and by the time he was nine he decided to run away... which is quite a feet if you think about it.

Zarfef found the boy and in many ways wanted to experience creating his own apprentice as he had been himself, but remembering very well that which befell his former master. Zarfef may have also been coming to an age where many men desire the opportunity of fatherhood and Ziggy offered him just this chance... To this end, Ziggy is, one could say, Zarfef's adopted son. But it is a very odd relationship because of the circumstances. Few father-son relationships involve hacking foreign national bank accounts, developing state of the art military weaponry or landing on hostile enemy soil to try and broker a crazy deal thought up by "Dad". It is without a doubt that Zarfef is a horrible father, but he has been the only one Ziggy ever had and so in him Zarfef ironically has one of his most loyal agents. It is perhaps even possible that in some was, Ziggy even sees past all the grandious dreams and speeches and simply sees Zarfef for who Zarfef is and acts not out of obedience to Aether, but out of a desire to please his "Father".

There is little doubt that after the train incident Ziggy quickly attached a paternal image onto Zarfef having no prior experiences with a father that he could remember. However, Zarfef sees Ziggy as his top spy and personal envoy to other regions do to expert abilities in hacking and innocent appearance which afford him many luxuries others might not gain. Ziggy is currently probably one of the few fourteen year-olds you'll find on planet Bob with a training in advanced fire-arms, cryptography and advanced military engineering design. After his admittance into the Aether Empire, it is certain that Zarfef put him on the fast track to non-stop constant teaching and intellectual growth of college level. However, with this rapid growth came high-stress situations he had never before experienced which brought him to face his dark past and fears and his status on the outer edge of the Aether's world interactions makes him far weaker and more exposed to the elements attacking the Aether Empire then Zarfef ever was or is.

More diabolical and crazy characters to come!

OOC: Oh and yes, I have MUCH inspiration from steampunk, anime and Dr. Steel . Although note, all pictures in this post are original and drawn by Zarfef/David/Pascal O_o, and they are not the same character... multiple internet names for the same person. Both are drawn by hand in pencil, then inked in manga markers, no computer used for coloring .

Edited May 28, 2009 by Zarfef

[Zarfef]

Aether Aircraft

(Not Complete)

The F-13 Raven (Now Mothballed)

Despite the futuristic appearance, this plane is run almost completely off ancient and recycled technology, but some is used in a modern, innovative manner. It is powered by an internal propeller mounted within the frame and powered by twin engines as seen mounted externally (for easy access and maintance as necessary on these early design model engines). The twin engines increase the over-all speed of the air-craft at the cost of greater fuel and enhance safety of the craft in case one of the engines goes out in flight from component failure or enemy fire. The design also allows for the installation of dampers, or springs that cause 180 phase shifts in vibrational sounds below the aircraft, reducing the noise output of the plane which may alert enemy forces nearby of it's presence (these are however, somewhat expensive and optional and may not be present within the design depending upon the nation. (Rear-based vibrations however cannot be avoided and dampers if present equate to springs and hence are hardly an effective means of sound dampening, but still add some effect)

The propeller location was designed to allow the pilot to focus completely on the skies for movement without their accidently being distracted by prop motion on the wings, on their six or worst of all, directly in front of them.

The craft is mounted with four front flack cannons for anti-air attack capability against other prop-based craft or optionally shot for ground based assaults where strafing is desired. Back fins are placed and mounted for control of air-flow to slightly mimick certain aspects of thrust vectoring for improved maneuverability and the skin of much of the craft is coated with a layer of cheap semi-radar transmitting material to a median RADAR quarter-wavelength thickness to reduce radar returns via phase cancellation for a reduced RADAR return. The primary material of the frame however is generally considered to be a cheap alluminum alloy which reduces the cost of production but reduces the strength of the frame (hence requiring steel wires to keep the wings steady as seen on the sides).

Missile mountings are placed (a total of four) along each of the wings with insets for CMOS cameras should they be acquirable from foreign powers at the time for enhanced viewing and missile guiding (as most missiles on these craft are not guided, if missiles CAN be acquired). If missiles cannot be mounted, machine guns may also be mounted on these systems to allow enhanced ammo and firing capability for the craft. All electronics on board are analog type.

Unfortunately, despite these features, the air-craft fared terribly in the East African war, taking massive casualties. The war so damaged the plane that after the current batch, it will be completely replaced with the newer XA-37, which will employ imported or early jet engines and other newer developments worked out by Tensor and the Aether Empire.

Plane Specs

Crew: 1

Max Range: 1300 miles

Max Speed: 530 M.P.H (Both engines running)

Cruise Speed: 290 M.P.H (One Engine Running)

Current Number in Operation: All Currently Out of Operation

A-37 Gargoyle

The A-37 represents the newest model of Aether Air superiority, but generally wouldn't be called air-superiority at all. Instead, the craft is meant to be a relatively cheap flying tank of sorts, an air-to-ground attack vehicle meant to act as the Aether Empire's A-10 (In fact the two are almost identical save for this air-crafts desire for jet-rotorary capabilities). It can take a beating in terms of enemy fire with triple redundant military command systems that integrate Raochin electronics and engine designs. The system is equipped with a heavy Gatling Gun and air-to-ground missiles designed for wiping out tanks, defended positions and heavily armored facilities. Each X-37 can carry 8 air-to-ground missiles, each equivalent to the AGM-65 Maverick.

Newer models of this craft are also testing out a new rotorary air-craft deployment system where the jet engine system would transfer power to a rotorary blade that would deploy from the top to allow for temporary hovering capabilities. A stabalizer could also be deployed from the rear fin as well. While not the world's best attack helicopter it could serve to increase loitering time and allow for greater terrain masking when in a tough situation. The rotorary blade could then be jetisoned while moving at a high rate of speed and the system returned by to jet mode in returning to base.

Plane Specs

Crew: 1

Max Range: 2200 miles

Max Speed: 400 M.P.H

Cruise Speed: 350 M.P.H

Current Number in Operation: 60

The Banshee Cruise Missile

The Banshee Cruise Missile represents the first home-grown missile technology, the missile is designed with more of the capacity of a medium range strike missile then the characteristics commonly found in cruise missiles. The new missile design is meant to fire like a normal standard missile with a reduced output to the rocket engine to increase range. While older models from the early days of the Aether Empire were only infra-red and camera guided from a pilot, the newer models represent a more advanced cruise missile design similiar to those found in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The new system produced by the Aether Advanced Rocketry Program allows for increased range and even terrain following for lower mass war-heads.

Smaller versions are also adapted for the usage in short range missile artillery attacks from War Tzar Tanks and carry single war-head munitions expectable from a missile artillery force.

Missile Specs

Max Range: 1400 miles

Cruise Speed: 400 M.P.H.

Current Number in Operation: 50

Edited October 4, 2009 by Zarfef

[Zarfef]

Aether Empire Naval Defense Systems

Ghost Fleet

The Ghost Fleet was a secret Aether Empire military defense system that utilized the trust placed in SONAR systems against it's owners by deploying a large-scale sound system to the combat vicinity which implemented the technologies of 3-D sound developed for media enthusiasts on a military scale, precision and platform. Instead of inspiring movie watchers that mosquitos were really buzzing next to their right ear however, this system sought to create a full-scale 3-D system that imitated the patterns and signatures of a well-developed and muffled sub fleet from real SONAR data collected by the Aether Empire.

When the enemy naval fleet approached the point of the ghost fleets operation the system could be activated and operated remotely through cable or narrow-beam communication at a remote point. Or even normal radio waves via a relay station that submarines of this form would normally utilize (setting out the long band antenna for some time behind the drop point of the speaker system).

As the speaker control system need not be located at the coordinates of the naval force itself, this made the production of such systems near and around the Aether Empire relatively cheap. Especially with their recent industrial explosion in the region. (The plants could be masked as Tensor-Industry facilities producing entertainment components and the bored under-paid workers would never know the difference when their hands met the assembly lines).

Naval Defense Platform

As shown in an illustration above, the Naval Defense Platform is a military naval platform that would allow the Aether Empire a strategic defensive posture against opponents with a blue water navy using only minor vessels. While imobile, it allowed an impressive military platform for launching munitions against multiple blue water targets in strategically important territories... such as pinch points like the Straits of Gibraltar, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf... ect.

Their low profile and deployment package meant that the systems could be deployed in covert via practically brown-water navies through commercial deployment craft such as owned and operated with ease by Tensor Industries. They could be deployed at these locations even under the monitor of foreign forces and when done would simply seem like yet another rock or accidentally dropped anchor on the ocean floor. If even that (the systems package size as noted need not be large).

Based off immobile anti-air batteries designed for ocean-based deployment the systems would wait and together when enemy forces en route to their destination passed near the location or attempted to make a water based landing, they could initiate in unison. The systems deploy a number of munition forms but generally focus on anti-naval forces through long range torpedoes or rapid tube minis (much smaller shorter range torpedoes which can be fired from the system without tracking in VERY high numbers in a chain gun style fire-control system (complete with an ammo box) which fire smaller explosive torpedos meant to swamp near-by targets with anti-torpedo measures when the Ghost System proves ineffective or is off-line in the region of operation. Cruise missiles can also be deployed from the targets as well in case the systems need to be used as a sea based land support system or to explode with cluster bombs over troop deployment systems (in case an enemy force were attempted to use a naval invasion as a vector of troop transport.

Finally, with concerns that the system may be vulnerable to the same torpedo based attacks that it itself uses or prying eyes from enemies, the system was implemented inside an enc losable Faraday cage and implements external EMF countermeasures and electric shock systems to kill off the unfortunate fish or swimmer that gets to close. Similar electric systems were put in place along the coast-lines as well for naval based assaults with ground troops (this time in the form of remotely activated remotely rechargeable electric shock systems capable of knocking victims unconscious and even eventually killing them through electrocution or preferably (as to not waste energy) drowning. Such systems could not be implemented on tanks, but mine operations on the heavily guarded shoreline in the case of an attack would hinder such components as well.

MODIFICATIONS: Due to their ineffectiveness against torpedo attacks seen during the East-African War, the newer systems placed in the water where the old ones were include a heavy steel buffer to prevent damage from torpedo attacks until the system is prepared to fire on a target. The system uses hydrolic lifts powered from shore-based military power facilities and pulls back the doors so that the systems can fire, then closes them again, making the systems a seeming underwater fortress defense that is far less pervious to long range anti-submarine missile and torpedo attacks then they were before.

Edited August 31, 2009 by Zarfef

[Zarfef]

Aether Empire Land Forces

The Pan Munitions Armored Platform (PMAP)

XMA[0] - War Tzar

What you see above could not be called, a tank but for that matter it really couldn't be called anything because it can be called everything. This was a design created by Ziggy, and Ziggy knows object oriented programming. The basic unit is essentially what you see on the right minus the three gun turrets. This alone is a fully and heavily armored moving vehicle and can travel at speeds of 100 miles an hour on flat ground, without all the weight of ammo or the main gun turret ect.

However, for hostile situations this is mostly how your forces will see this device. The front tread is added for additional stability, ballast and accuracy when firing the system and has it's own internal motor and a small singular computer system for guidance and multi-platform controls (The programs on the computer can change the units software controls through a large hard-drive depending on the request of the driver). A few car batteries are also included in the rig for running the comp when the engine isn't. The front tread also adds an additional safety measure in case of mines as we will see later.

The top tank turret and side gun turrets are a medium and light tank tank turret respectively in this model, but these can be replaced through a simple spring and lock load system so that the tank can be rapidly transfered from a full out close in battle support system to an anti-infantry nightmare with blazing machine guns, a satellite communications hub and radar system or an anti-air-suppression system and it can do so in about 30 minutes or less depending on the modifications. Nothing but commercially available computational systems, some good object oriented programming and a uniform component system based off modular design at production need be utilized. The top turret as noted, also is removable and the process requires about one squad of men to make the adjustments.

1) Inside guy grants detachment authorization with a key from the inside.

2) Outside guys remove munitions and firing platforms (missiles, radar dish, tank cannon itself ect)

3) Inside and outside crew remove platform specific "top" from the central region of the turret

4) Install new turret

5) Install new firing platform and munitions

6) Lock the system from the inside

7) Open up and run new software already on the hard drive

As a result of these systems, the tank has numerous very potent applications and available strategies. In non-hostile situations, tanks can be moved at top speed without support components to the front lines with their specialized munitions stored in transport vehicles. Just before the front lines, the munitions platforms are installed and the units proceed at a slower speed to the front according to what is needed (say the enemy suddenly pulled an air-force out of their hat and so a host of anti-air was needed, this is done on demand instead of at production).

The primary track and turret provide the greatest flexibility being able to be replaced with:

anti-infantry

tank turrent

high-powered radar (requires nearby power source)

surface-to-air missiles

artillery (requires a nearby power source)

long range missile system (via a track that connects to the front tread)

The possibilities are impressive and as noted the system also works with local power sources. With such a system, the unit can act as a RADAR system or a long range artillery. The back support system is also required when using this to avoid the tank potentially lifting into the air slightly (throwing the projectile off course). System software controls the targeting mechanism to fire as directed and attacks can be coordinated via three or more systems (with weighted averaging used to determine the final location) and the on board computer will automatically factor in calculations for air-resistance, gravity and Coriolis effect at the time of firing through RK4 open source routines and mathematical software such as LAPACK.

To avoid damage from EMP devices, the computer system and important electronics devices are surrounded by Faraday cages to avoid unwanted damages.

Modularity also means improved deployment. The largest Aether Empire aircraft even in the far future could only deploy several tanks to a region, but modular components can be delivered in thick packages even now allowing remote repair and munitions employment on a far larger scale then seen before. For if any part of the tank is severely incapacitated, the unit may be resupplied by air with the replacement front tread, primary or secondary munitions and within a half-hour after arrival the system can be back online once again (just as long as the Main component survives).

Each of the treads contains particular advances as well which serve to make this a modern battle tank in a nation that normally couldn't be fielded by a nation like the Aether Empire. Cold-war era mine detection equipment (still good to my knowledge) was utilized on the front of each tread to form an open cover over the region traveled by the tank. In the event that the system observes an anomalous signature of a mine, anti-crash avoidance circuits (ordered for non-existent cars that would use them in the Aether Empire) jump into play (the voltages of the mine system are matched to those of the car detecting a crash) and the brakes are fired by this same circuit bringing the tank to a stop. In this manner, using only circuits for commericially available cars, the tank has an automatic anti-mine avoidance system with a reaction time that the driver could never have. (He may get whiplash, but drivers are more replaceable then tanks... should have worn his seatbelt anyways). On top of this, a small set of anti-infantry units are installed on each tread to produce dead soldiers from any resisting ones that happen to be sitting in the front of the tank (which doesn't clog up the treads as much as when you you hit them head on).

A connection component is also available in the back for connecting to Power sources which places less drain on the batteries and allows the squad to put up the radar dish on one of the side cannons and hack some free cable. It is also useful (as stated above) for the long range artillery mode). The back treads also include equipment developed for vending machines by Tensor Industries, but instead of grabbing soda, the slightly more powerful vacuum system grabs light tank rounds or missiles... or does nothing at all for machine gun or radar systems. The back treads also contain four round things each. These are actually really simplistic remotely operated vehicles like an RC toy but with a PIC micro controller playing with the acceptable input data to avoid anyone else controlling the objects. They can be positioned and controlled by the tank crew and use the long imported CMOS camera to provide visualization and have an on board infrared laser for marking targets, and 30 bullets stored in the firing mechanism (these are obviously modded RC toys for certain).

They can be used for infantry suppression or for surveillance and target marking for artillery (requires three to map location of target, computer systems on board the tank calculate the distance to the marked location via the front tread computer system (hurray for cheap multi-processors) one processor must always be free though to run the operating system.

The system also includes on-board AC and radio functions which when acting are scrambled and decoded by the front computational system (once again hurray for commercially available parallel processors).

The system saw it's first combat within the East African war and it's modularity played a key role in the Aether's Success against the Somalian Air force. The Tank itself saw little combat against the enemy, but proved itself the best weapon the Aether Empire's arsenal.

Crew: 3 (driver, shooter and loader)

Armerment: varies

Armor: Steel

Max Speed (without any enhancements): 100 M.P.H.

Max AVG Speed (with full enhancements): 60 M.P.H.

Current Number in Service: 3200

Edited October 4, 2009 by Zarfef

[Craven]

Page Craven, of the Noble Land of Lightning sends a personal letter to the Leader of the Aether Empire

I am going to have to point out that by conventional Turbo-Propeller Aircraft, the Maximum speed ever attained was at Mach 0.73, 541 mph, on a Tu-117, which has Four Engines. Our leading Aeronautical Engineer, someone who is well respected all around Digiterra, the Illustrious "Old Drunken Greg" has also looked at your design, and wondered why it is so Wasteful, and using Turbo-Propeller Engines on an Inferior design. It would be better off using SuperMarine Spitfires, or P-51D Mustangs. If you so wished, you could easily ask Old Drunken Greg to design a fighter for your nation, utilizing technology of your level.

Sincerely, Page Craven of the Noble Land of Lightning.

[Zarfef]

O_O I should have said no posts, oh wellz. Err, the design was made in here to look cool .