Technology of The Saga of Seven Suns

The technology of The Saga of Seven Suns is a key aspect of the fictional setting of The Saga of Seven Suns series of science fiction novels written by Kevin J. Anderson. In this series, humans have colonized multiple planets in the galaxy, which is also home to various alien races: the Ildirans, Klikiss, faeros, hydrogues, verdani and wentals.

Earth Defense Force/Hansa

Artificial Intelligence

• Compies – "Competent Computerized Companions" come in a variety of makes and models (Teacher, Friendly, Governess etc.), and are referred to by the first two letters of their serial numbers. such as DD, EA, UR, OX etc.
• Soldier compies – Using Klikiss robot technology, gained when William Andeker was given permission by the robots to study them, and the robot Jorax sacrificed himself for this cause, the soldier compies were then designed using this new knowledge. They contained core Klikiss robot programming which Sirix and the other robots were later able to activate, effectively taking control of the Soldier Compies so as to be used for their own means and agendas.

Energy source

Ekti is a fictional allotrope of hydrogen which is used to power the Ildiran stardrive, the only feasible method of interstellar travel at the start of the series. Earth ships have modified and improved drives attached.

Ekti is harvested from gas giants as their atmosphere is mostly Hydrogen. Hydrogen being the most abundant element in the universe can also be found in interstellar nebulae as well as planets close to and farthest away from the Sun. To extract the Hydrogen which in turn is converted to Ekti large Skymines are used. These plants are usually manned by Roamers, nomadic breakaway Earthers, but occasionally by Ildirans and the Hansa. In extracting Hydrogen from nebula large Nebular Skimmers slowly collect the Hydrogen for transport to be converted into Ekti, where it is shipped off. Harvesting of it is limited after gas giant aliens start destroying extractors.

Ship-based weapons

• Jazer – A powerful Laser type energy weapon, "Jacketed" in a magnetic field sheath. It fires bolts of high-energy particles. Can cause significant damage to other vessels or to the ground from orbit.
• Railgun – An extremely powerful electromagnetic field based weapon. It fires solid kinetic projectiles made of superdense depleted uranium. Can cause damage of a small nuclear warhead.
• Fracture pulse drone – Self-propelled drone missiles which emit a devastating high-frequency "fracture pulse", capable of swiftly shattering solid matter.
• Carbon–carbon smashers – Designed specifically for the war against the hydrogues. they were designed to break the complex carbon-carbon bonds of the diamond hulled hydrogue warglobes.

Personal weapons

• Personal jazer – A smaller version of the jazer with a less significant energy output; it is still, however, a very effective weapon that must be mounted on the shoulder.
• Twitcher – A small hand held non-fatal, but effective weapon. It causes spasming (hence the name) and loss of muscle control making a person limp and therefore no longer a threat.
• Cutter – A small hand-held laser.

Ildiran

Ship-based weapons

• Kinetic missile launchers – are used by Ildiran Empire. The descriptions in the story are vague, but imply some kind of RKV (relativistic kill vehicle), in other words exactly what the name implies—a missile that uses its own kinetic energy and mass as a weapon. At a certain speed or size (or both) no warhead would be required.
• High energy cutting beams – Are Used by Ildiran Empire. Again the description is vague, but the name implies it is a kind of particle beam weapon. In that respect it would be not that different from the Jazer.
• Planet-splitters – These extremely powerful weapons rival even the strongest of the Hansa weapons, capable of destroying a small ship in two shots.
• Lasers – Outdated weapons of concentrated light that were historically used against the Shana Rei.
• Sun Bombs – These large bombs detonate with the power of a concentrated supernova. While a mainly historical and discarded weapon they are the most powerful defence against darkness and even rival the Faeros for power.

Personal weapons

• Crystal katana – Ildirans are known for their strength and hand to hand combat skills. The katana is the most traditional weapon of the Ildirans.
• Jousting laser – Laser Jousting is a popular Ildiran sport. It involves mirror-armoured Ildirans riding Ildiran native creatures in an arena, fighting with laser based weapons, and defending themselves with a mirrored shield. The Jousting Laser itself is a weak basic laser weapon, designed for sport, not battle, but it has been used in such a manner and can be quite effective.

Transportation

• Stardrive – The Stardrive is an Ildiran technology, given to Mankind on discovery of the Generation ship the Caillie in 2244. They promptly visit Earth and search for the remaining 10 Generation ships. It works on the principal of high speed Faster Than Light Travel however the star drive propels a ship at only a small fraction greater of that speed. The drive uses ekti (a fictional allotrope of Hydrogen) as a fuel and creates a barrier around the ship, a time distortion is created within this barrier. The time within the ship is much slower than the time outside the barrier in normal space. This allows for a shorter awareness of the journey. During its creation the time barrier was found by accident, the scientist first discovered the time distortion in initial tests without having intended for it to happen.

Klikiss

Artificial Intelligence

• Klikiss robots – Klikiss robots were built and designed by the original Klikiss before their disappearance ten thousand years ago; they were reactivated in approximately the 1940s C.E. by the Ildirans. The robots themselves are very intricate in terms of design, with largely unknown inner workings. Though they all look identical, they each consider themselves unique in some respect, as they assign names to each member of their race. They have blunt speech mannerisms, and often do not reveal too much about themselves or their motives. Although they do not expose them very often, the Klikiss robots are equipped with a variety of built-in weapons systems and advanced wings that allow them to fly. It is worth noting that their infrastructures are practically indestructible, with nothing seemingly able to deal them damage; three robots were hit by a monsoon and came back with only superficial damage, and later a large number of them could exist at the core of a gas giant with no trouble whatsoever. However Ildiran, Human and Klikiss weaponry has proved somewhat effective in destroying or at least damaging the robots, and the Klikiss, with knowledge of the robots construction are able to dismantle the robots with relative ease on the battlefield. The Klikiss robots were programmed specifically to fear and cower beneath the Klikiss themselves. As the klikiss race was built on war, they needed new recipients of their wrath after all renegade hives had been defeated and consumed into a single enormous hive. (The robots can be seen on the UK edition cover of Scattered Suns.)
• Ship-based weapons – Unnamed weapons have been noted in the series. Laser type weapons and projectile weapons are mentioned, also a strong and powerful energy beam has been mentioned to be created when Swarm Ships gather together in a cylindrical shape and charge then displace energy of high volumes able to destroy an entire EDF Manta in one shot.

Personal weapons

• Bell mouth – This appears to be some sort of large hand held energy weapon that fires a bolt of what is described as 'plasma'.
• Web gun – This appears to be a small tubular weapon that fires a liquid resin that solidifies into a restraining web.

Transportation

• TransPortals – These large trapezoidal artifacts, discovered on Llaro were originally built thousands of years ago by the Klikiss, and through unknown physics are able to transport matter instantaneously to one of an unknown number of Transportals throughout the Spiral Arm, and perhaps the entire Milky Way. In 2427, Louis Colicos was able to activate the Transportal on Rheindic Co.

Ships

• SwarmShip – Individual Klikiss ships connect to form a swarmship. The swarmship also rearranges to form a cannon, which shoots blue-white energy capable of destroying an EDF Manta in one shot.

Hydrogues

Weapons

On the exterior of the Hydrogue War Globe are triangular pyramids that fire an electricity based "lightning" weapon, and also a cold based weapon capable of freezing large areas.

Transportation

• Transgates – Transgates are large versions of Transportals, built in the centres of gas giants by the hydrogues as a way to transport between their home worlds without revealing their existence.
• Space propulsion Though rarely done as to conceal their existence. Hydrogue ships can propel themselves with no engine or ekti.

Wentals

Weapons

Wentals use themselves as weapons. The liquids they control appear to be highly corrosive to the surface of hydrogue warglobes. They may also be shaped into point shaped cylindar projectiles to be fired out of Human and Ildiran gunports or combined with the Verdani in a spherical shape to engulf faeros.

Faeros

Weapons

faeros are giant fireballs, and simply ram into their enemies or surround them and melt them.

• Transgates – Transgates are large versions of Transportals, built in the centres of Suns by the faeros as a way to travel between their home worlds without revealing their existence.

Verdani

Weapons

The verdani have been described as using seed pods, which are capable of cutting through the thick diamond hulled ships of the hydrogues. They also have big ships described as seed ships, that need a green priest to join with them. The trees themselves can use vines to destroy warglobes. They may also join with the wentals, forming a spherical shape with a verdani frond inside that is able to engulf faeros.