Largely regarded as one of the most remarkable phenomena in the known galaxy, Leviathans
are enormous, sapient, bio-mechanoid starships, intended to roam freely among the stars offering
transport and ambassadorial services to those nations and individuals deemed worthy.
Varying wildly in shape and dimensions between individual craft, Leviathans are comprised
mostly of bioorganic material and a complex synaptic network, but do feature numerous
habitable compartments separated into tiers.
Leviathans are artificial life forms, created through complex genetic and mechanical engineering
by an ancient, god-like race known as the Builders.
The Builders originally crafted the Leviathans simply to be biomechanical transports, only
later imbuing them with sentience and permitting them to reproduce independently, but in the
many centuries since, the Builders have largely disappeared from galactic society, choosing
to remain isolated in a small region of deep space, and as such, many of the surviving
Leviathans have fallen into captivity and forced labour under the lash of various galactic
powers, most notably the Sabacean Peacekeepers.
Leviathans carry no weapons, but can be outfitted with powerful defence screens to protect them
from harm.
Should they fall under attack, the standard response of most Leviathans is to withdraw,
and this effort is greatly aided by one of the creatures most notable features; Starburst.
Though Leviathans do carry standard Hetch Drives, as used by most Interstellar vessels,
they only employ them for short jumps of less than a single light cycle, using an advanced
and mysterious process known as Starburst for all long-distance journeys.
Starburst propulsion works by creating a space-time gateway which allows the vessel to travel
through one-dimensional space.
The practical upshot of this is that the creature can continually accelerate on a single vector,
without requiring an increasing supply of energy beyond that which is needed to maintain
starburst flight, resulting in one of the fastest and most efficient means of interstellar
travel in the known galaxy.
Leviathans exist in a symbiotic relationship with a race of beings known as Pilots, these
creatures are highly intelligent and possessing of an innate curiosity for astronomy and astronavigation,
but are unable to leave their Homeworld unassisted.
As a result, Pilots have traditionally sacrificed the majority of their thousand-year life spans,
in order to be bonded to a Leviathan, travelling with the creature through its three-hundred-year
life cycle, whilst experiencing the greater cosmos.
A bonded Pilot’s body becomes entwined with that of the Leviathan it serves, with their
circulatory systems and supply of nutrition being maintained and regulated by the living
ship, while in-turn the Pilot serves as a central computer for the vessel, operating
its navigation and propulsion systems, as well as coordinating damage control and shipboard
maintenance using a legion of small robots known as Diagnostic Repair Drones.
With their creators in isolation and their numbers dwindling, very few Leviathans continue
to serve in their intended ambassadorial role.
The majority of modern Leviathans are used as forced laborers and haulage craft by factions
such as the Peacekeepers, with each enslaved vessel being restrained by an advanced control
collar, which disables a Pilot’s ability to interact with their Leviathan without authorization
from their captors.
Those vessels forced to serve the Sabacean Peacekeepers were often treated with a callous
disregard for their welfare, with virtually no possibility of escape or liberation.
Though free and independent Leviathans are rarer than ever in the civilised galaxy, some
still remain, and across the Uncharted Territories the massive creatures can occasionally be
seen travelling the stars, watching over sacred Leviathan burial grounds, or even freely serving
an independent crew.
Though their kind have dwindled in numbers, and so many have fallen victim to the tyranny
of slavers, the living ships nevertheless remain an important part of galactic history,
and a breathtaking sight, for fortunate travellers in Deep Space.