The Navy of the Illuminated Technocracy of Gaen
The Illuminated Technocracy of Gaen is the overarching construct that governs all Gaeni, from individuals to the mighty Institutes. It is a government, admittedly, of the Institutes and by the Institutes, where the top council is filled by Institute appointees. Nonetheless, the long self-destructive history of the Gaeni people have ensured that the Technocracy has been entrusted with genuine teeth to keep things in line.
Unlike many other powers, the Technocracy does not build and own its own ships, beyond a small number of auxiliary vessels. Rather, individual institutes apply for Deep Space Naval Licenses to construct an operate a given starship. This license comes with it a number of obligations, such as obligating the bearer to respond to Technocracy missions and emergencies, and an ironclad liability to serve the Technocracy as a military force in event of war. As a result of this system, and the natural inclination of the Gaeni, the ships thus made tend to be strong research vessels, capable of long-term independent cruises and remarkable research.
Active Ship Classes
Tech-Explorer
C5 S8 H4 L8 P6 D5
2,452,000t mass, 556m length
Period of Service - 2318-Future
5 Officer, 6 Enlisted, 6 Technician
The Gaeni Tech-Explorer will be the finest research platform yet developed. The brain child of the Technocracy Council Office for Interstellar Conveyance Design's Capital Project, the Tech-Explorer intends to provide the missing capital grade of ship for Gaen. The first example will be constructed by the Haddas Amal Research Institute, which already operates the highly successful IGS Hadd-Mal. To facilitate this ship, the Technocracy extended generous subsidies, and many smaller research institutes are leasing labs aboard the Tech-Explorer.
Tech-Cruiser
C4 S5 H3 L6 P3 D3
1,457,000t mass, 426m length
Period of Service - 2296-Future
3 Officer, 3 Enlisted, 5 Technician
The iconic starship of the Illuminated Technocracy, the Gaeni Tech-Cruiser is a large, powerful workhorse. It is by no means intended as a warship, but with its powerful sensors, energy capacity, and dense shielding, woe betide the foe that underestimates this ship. Operating a Tech-Cruiser is a massive point of pride among the Gaeni. Many deals are cut, often shady and underhanded ones, to help a given institute acquire first the License, then the resources, to build one of these mighty ships of science. A refit package is being considered to further increase the range, science, and diplomacy packages of this class.
Tech-Frigate
C2 S3 H2 L3 P1 D2
559,000t mass, 256m length
Period of Service - 2298-Now
1 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 3 Technician
For Institutes that cannot afford a Tech-Cruiser but want something more prestigious than a civilian research cruiser, a Tech-Frigate can make for a much more achievable and attractive proposition. Despite this, the appeal of the full Tech-Cruiser is such that numbers of Tech-Frigates are relatively limited, with 5 in operation versus the 6 current Tech-Cruisers. Despite this, the Tech-Frigate is a competent all-purpose frigate, as long as one is more interested in research than diplomacy. It is also a fairly reasonable skirmisher for the Tech-Cruiser in a war-time scenario. It's seemingly modest armament is augmented by good sensors that help punch through defences. Like with the Tech-Cruiser, nearly two-decades of technological development has seen the Technocracy begin work on a refit package for the Tech-Frigate, which is welcome news for the Institutes that operate them.
Tech-Skiff
C2 S2 H1 L2 P2 D2
424,000t mass, 186m length
Period of Service - 2272-Now
2 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 2 Technician
An old and mostly discontinued design, the Tech-Skiff is, in many ways, an absurdly overpowered warp core masquerading as a star ship. Members of Starfleet's Warp Core Fabrication department refuse to step foot on either of the surviving tech-skiffs.
Personnel
There is a divide among Gaeni ships between the crew proper, and the many researchers, attendants, aides, specialists, and other assorted personnel. On many Gaeni ships, the naval crew is even in the minority. The Naval Operational Staff, as they are known, require training and licensing through the Council College of Interstellar Professionals. A number of schools exist, under strict Technocracy auditing and protocol, that train these Operational Staff. Because of this approach, there is both no formal officer/spacer divide yet also an informal divide. Progression is relatively smooth between the gradings, but further initial training allows new inclusions to enter at higher gradings.
Associate
Naval Associates are the enlisted Spacers of other navies. Graduates of a two-year course, they have been trained on most systems belonging to the Gaen. At first they will not have a speciality, but will be assigned to a department and work station within the ship and learn everything about that as an apprentice.
Manager
In another navy, the Naval Managers would be the Petty Officers. Many Gaeni tend to stick to this area as a career, as they find mastering one particular area and becoming a tremendous subject-matter expert to be very rewarding. Managers tend to be referred to by their area of expertise, such as a Warp Engineering Manager, a Sensor Manager, or a Tactical Manager. To progress further, a Manager will need to start broadening their understanding, and it tends to require taking a demotion to move through other department, or else returning to Gaen for a two-year refresher course.
Specialist
The Naval Specialist is an Officer in the parlance of other navies, the graduate of a five-year course. The Gaeni Naval Specialist is a very competent person, far moreso than they are usually given credit for (given their customary lack of self-preservation). The Naval Specialist has mastered at least one area under their domain, and are now branching out to acquire an in-depth knowledge of other areas, which is a distinction that often confuses other species. A Probationary Naval Specialist is typically considered a Ensign, a Junior Specialist is a Lt JG, a Mid-Junior Specialist is a Lieutenant, and a Mid-Specialist is a Lt-Commander, a Mid-Senior is a Commander, and a Senior Naval Specialist is a Captain.
Supervisor
While the Associates, Managers, and Specialists are employed directly by the Institutes, Naval Supervisors are employed and managed directly by the Technocracy Central Council. They are the flag officers who are entrusted to operate task forces of multiple Institutes, such as Naval Supervisor Anak Hadd-Banad, who led Task Force 6 of the Licori Border Zone fleet in the Federation-Arcadian War to great success. There are a limited number of these, and they are also responsible for setting policy, managing the shipyards, and working with the Technocracy design bureaus.
Specific Institutes
Research Institutes:
Haddas Amal Research Institute
Perkoia Tanar Institute
Pallas Abat Institute
Harbind Attu Institute
Tan, Nuoth, Kolas, and Farda Institute
Henn-Makad Engineering Institute - Engineering Ship operator
Kedaia Naar Institute - Naval Think Tank
Inid Uttar Institute
Nitta Oian Institute
