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Lightyear:
   A lightyear is the distance light travels in one year; approximately 6,000,000,000,000 miles.

Parsec:
   A unit of astronomical distance; equal to 3.6 lightyears or 19,200,000,000,000 miles.

Mach:
   Mach is the speed of sound. The exact speed varies depending on many factors, including atmospheric temperature, air pressure, weather, and humidity; but it is close to 1,087 feet per second, or 714 mph at sea level. An object, upon breaking the sound barrier, will cause an accumulation of atmospheric pressure around the object, resulting a sonic wave around the craft; which, upon touching the ground, results in a loud bang called a sonic boom. Aircraft are not allowed to go supersonic over habited land masses, except in times of war, due to the fact that a sonic pulse is highly destructive; shattering windows and glass, weaker walls close to the pulse, setting off alarms, and causing deafness to those in the nearby area. At higher speeds, a pulse can kill living beings and blow over buildings.

VSL Light Speed/ Space Lane:
   Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity applies to the entire universe with the exception of inside a cosmic strand. Inside a cosmic strand; also known as a ‘Space Lane’, or Wormhole; the space-time continuum is distorted; allowing light to travel much faster than it could in normal space. The actual speed of light in a Space Lane is different in each part of the universe; some speculate that some cosmic strands flow so quickly you could travel through time....

Antimatter Jet:
   Antimatter is the mirror of normal matter. It is a form of matter in which the electrical charge or other property of the consequent particles is the reverse of normal matter. Einstein's equation E=Mc² states that matter is a concentrated form of energy. A nuclear fusion or fission reactors covert only 1% of their mass into energy; matter combined with antimatter convert mass into energy at almost 100% effencency. Every type of matter has an antimatter twin. Combine hydrogen and antihydrogen in a rocket, and the destruction of half a pound of each results in an unleashing of more energy than a 10-megaton H-bomb. The downside is that it is heavy, and requires huge amounts of fuel. The fastest speed obtainable by a antimatter engine is 66% of Lightspeed; and is the most widely used engine in FireBird.

*Plasma Crystal Ram-Jet (PCRJ):
   A plasma crystal is a type of superpowered magnet, attracting not metal, but a kind of interstellar hydrogen; gathering the particles, then pouring them into a reactor for it to use as fuel. Using a plasma crystal also eliminates the con that occurs with conventional ram-jets. With a normal ram-jet the build-up of interstellar hydrogen in front of the engine creates drag; in denser section of the galaxy, such as the atmosphere bubble around the Titan giants; a regular ram-jet slams to almost a halt. Also a conventional ram-jet can only use multiple atom hydrogen, which is rare in space, the single atoms can only be used if they are fused together first; a plasma crystal drive draws in the particles so quickly, and they are always used in multi-engine configurations with aerodynamic hull designs, there is no build up in front of the spacecraft, and the plasma radiation naturally fuses the particles, rendering them compatible for use. A PCRJ uses no fuel, and can reach a top speed of 97% Lightspeed. The downside is that they are expensive; can only be used on aerodynamic hull designs; and plasma crystals are rare, and require heavy shielding due to radiation hazards. Still, a PC ram-jet is the most efficient engine in the galaxy, with the highest speed, and lowest maintenance requirements; and, after the initial fortune they cost, are cheaper to run because they require no fuel.

Fusion reactor:
   A fusion reactor works the in the opposite way a fission reactor does; a fission reactor splits the atom, a fusion reactor works by smashing them together. Fusion reactors produce about the same amount of radiation as a PC ram-jet, and far less than a fission reactor. They are also easier to fuel than their obsolete cousins, running on deuterium (heavy hydrogen) and helium 3 (a lighter kind of the regular helium found in balloons); both of which exist in rather large quantities in the universe, compared to plutonium or americium. The top speed of a fusion engine is about 12% Lightspeed. The upside is that they are the cheapest type of engine, costing half of what a antimatter engine costs, and ten times less than a PC ram-jet. The downside is has to carry a lot of fuel, has less fuel efficiency than a antimatter engine, but it is easier and cheaper to refuel. Fusion reactors are commonly used by commercial organizations, such as cruise lines, cargo companies, and transportation.

*Star drive:
   A Star Drive is essentially a supercharger for the standard drive; enabling the ship to travel at speed faster than Mach Point (1,714,000 mph).

*Antimatter Blade (AMB):
   A long reinforced Ditanium© blade; positioned usually on the end of a wing, or on the nose cone of a starship. The blade produces a antimatter field around it, cutting easily through the strongest Ditanium© hulls and the most powerful energy shields. The disadvantage is that it is incapable of piercing the plasma shielding used on most military spacecraft; and once again price is a crucial factor. The blade requires heavy maintenance, due to the fact that even a tiny nick in the polished surface can render a blade unusable. They are usually coated in diamond in an attempt to prevent this.

*Ditanium©:
   Ditanium© is a type of armor used on ships that require heavy shielding, such as combat vessels or exploratory craft. It is a fusion of Titanium and diamond. The armor is strong enough to protect against shell (conventional bullet) fire; and the polished surface reflect most laser shots that pierce the energy or plasma shield. Price once again is the disadvantage; and due to its weight, is not ideal for use with already heavy antimatter engines.

*SCRAM:
   A special type of radar; picking up not just sound and heat signatures, but energy signals, antimatter pulses, particle signatures of plasma crystals, and can detect the radiation of a fusion reactor. The only way to elude a SCRAM detection is with a Scatter Cloak, only obtainable illegally.

*Scatter Cloak:
   A type of stealth cloak; scattering all outgoing signals emitting from a ship, until they are unreadable by any known SCRAM system or other means of detection. Disadvantages: illegal; expensive; can only completely mask a ship smaller than 350’ (105 meters); ineffective in atmosphere; massive energy need.

*Negative Particle Charge (NPC):
   A charge of negative energy used to disable energy shielding. Disadvantage: Shield will only be rendered ineffective for four seconds.

*Cloud Nitrogen Particle Beam (CNPB) ‘Icicle’:
   Used to disable plasma shielding. Will disable the shield system until a complete system restart is activated; on a standard operating computer this takes about ten minutes; higher speed computers or AI systems take around six. Disadvantages are that the charge is so cold it can shatter any metal that it comes in contact with; thus ship firing it always has carbon fiber and silicon shielding between the firing chamber and the rest of the ship.

WEAPONS:
SSR 712 Sniper Rifle:
   Fires a magazine-fed, armor-piercing 14.5mm fin-stabilized discarding sabot rounds. The long barrel is removable to allow the user the ability to switch between Sniper rifle, and standard rifle functions.

*M20 Assault Rifle:
   Fires a magazine-fed 7.62mm armor-piercing round. Uses ‘Green’ bullets.

*Raptor T9 Pistol:
   Fires a 12.7mm magazine-fed round. Capable of automatic, or semi-automatic fire.

.357 Magnum:
A powerful handgun firing a .357cal magazine-fed round.

*SK12 ( Blazer) Shotgun:
   A pump-action magazine-fed weapon that fires a 8 gauge magnum (3.5”) rounds.

10mm Barretta:
   Standard issue weapon for Astonia and Earth II police forces. Fires a 10mm magazine-fed, hollow-point round.

VLE:
   A special weapon with four separate chambers to give the user the ability to fire lethal, or non-lethal rounds with the same gun. Fires .20 exploding air bullets; 9mm military rounds; .45 cal bullets; or a 15mm bean bag. Holds a computer chip in the grip that will only allow the weapon to fire for the person wearing the proper encoder ring.

*Sargonia Engineering Viper Chain gun:
A large chain gun used on military ground vehicles. Used mainly as a anti-aircraft or anti-personnel weapon; it fires 25mm chain-fed rounds at four-thousand rounds per second.

AMMUNITION:
   ‘Green’ Bullets:
Made of a super-tough hard nylon; they deliver the same lethal effect as standard lead bullets, but without the environmental damage.

   Full Metal Jacket (FML):
A standard long caliber lead bullet coated in zinc. Doesn't flatten upon impact like a normal lead bullet; saving the victim from much unnecessary pain. More streamlined than a normal bullet; commonly used for long-range weapons.

   Hollow Point:
A bullet with a hollow end designed to flatten upon impact, creating the max damage with the smallest bullet.

   Millimeter Bullets:
Millimeter bullets (mm), range from 5.56mm (assault rifle, pistol) to 20mm (chain gun), to 65mm (anti-aircraft gun). The higher the number, the larger the bullet. The millimeter term is used by the military.

   Caliber Bullets:
Caliber varies from a .22 rifle to a .50 Magnum. The smaller the number, the larger the bullet. The term caliber is used by civilian forces.

SWORDS:
   Broadsword: A 42" sword with a very wide blade.
   Rapier:
A long, thin sword with a sharply tapering blade, ending in a needle-like point, that is anywhere between 42" and 48" long. It has a skinny blade designed for piercing.
   Long Sword:
A long sword with a tapering blade that is anywhere between 45" and 50" (Vega is 54") long. It has a cutting edge on both sides; and is designed for thrusting and striking, and is better suited for attacking while remaining at a further distance away from one's opponent..
   Short Sword:
A small sword between 32" and 40" long. Also called a shield-sword or dagger-sword.
   Saber:
A medium-length sword with a heavy, curved blade. Also called a Calvary sword. Can be spelled sabre. Its curved blade is better designed for slicing.
   Bastard Sword:
Similar to a long sword, but having notches or teeth running up the edge of the blade.
   Cutlass:
Similar to a saber, but with a wider blade.
   Katana:
A samurai sword, with a gently curving blade designed for slicing through an opponent. It has a blade around 42" long.
   Zanbato:
A huge sword made for killing horse and rider in the same stroke. It is longer than seven feet, and is incredibly heavy; limiting the user to using a stroke that either goes from side to side, or straight down.

BOWS:
   Long Bow:
Made for attacking from long range. Uses clothyard (36") arrows. The bow itself is close to four feet long.
   Crossbow:
A powerful small bow that fires a heavier 12" arrow from a spring-loaded mechanism. Best for medium-range. It is held horizontally, unlike other bows, which are held vertically.
   Short Bow:
A small bow for short to medium range; is thirty inches long, and fires 24" arrows.