Centauri Imperium

Centauri Imperium
Colour Scheme	Red, Black, Grey

The Centauri Imperium is one of four of the NPC factions that can be seen around the galaxy in Career Mode.

Ships

The Centauri are inarguably the best military ship designers in the galaxy. Their ships are designed to first visually intimidate their enemies into submission and then, if that fails, to annihilate them with ruthless efficiency. Most Centauri ships are constructed "diagonally" relative to the galactic standard construction grid to maximize the available space for offensive firepower and minimize the profile presented to the enemy. They feature a balanced variety of weapons and defenses, making use of all available technologies depending on the combat role of the ship. (Notably, the Centauri are the only major faction to make common use of nukes.) Thanks to the vast wealth gained from the looting of the conquered territories, construction cost is typically not an issue for the Centauri. The main limiting factor is the number of crew; since only Centauri citizens can serve aboard military vessels, there are a limited number of sailors willing to serve in the all-volunteer Centauri starforce, and the military is stretched a little thin.

Aesthetically, Centauri ships are designed to scare the enemy into submission, with intimidating shapes and sharp angles. They are typically painted black, red, and dark gray colors.

Civilian Ships

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Albatross	528,934	64	Trade	10
	Auklet	90,100	8	Trade	3
	Cormorant	136,800	16	Trade	5
	Dovekie	90,100	8	Trade	3
	Fulmar	142,696	16	Trade	5
	Guillemot	205,700	20	Trade	7
	Murrelet	188,584	32	Trade	5
	Pelican	265,684	44	Trade	7
	Petrel	261,784	46	Trade	7
	Shearwater	610,784	52	Trade	10

Combat Ships

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Achaemenes	2,044,362	332	Battleship	16
	Aethon	756,000	108	Frigate	12
	Alamgir	1,992,550	224	Battleship	16
	Alexander	2,498,662	432	Battlecruiser	17
	Anzu	2,517,272	352	Battlecruiser	17
	Arokotka	312,764	44	Corvette	8
	Asio	105,600	16	Patrol	4
	Atropos	1,607,004	230	Cruiser	15
	Augustus	3,371,482	888	Flagship	18
	Austral	121,804	24	Patrol	5
	Avicida	92,052	14	Scout	3
	Bateleur	143,936	28	Patrol	5
	Besra	799,881	172	Frigate	12
	Black Knight	113,624	24	Patrol	4
	Black Swan	506,628	56	Frigate	10
	Bonaparte	2,086,668	352	Battleship	16
	Buzzard	400,003	74	Corvette	9
	Caladrius	932,465	136	Destroyer	13
	Caracara	304,232	50	Corvette	8
	Cetan	499,499	72	Frigate	10
	Chrysaetos	653,514	110	Frigate	12
	Condor	115,984	20	Patrol	4
	Cooper Hawk	217,360	44	Corvette	7
	Crane	821,436	142	Frigate	12
	Cyrus	547,772	84	Frigate	11
	Daedalus	1,493,754	294	Cruiser	15
	Elanus	1,348,112	234	Destroyer	14
	Erponis	75,900	8	Scout	2
	Falconet	59,200	4	Scout	1
	Fantail	61,000	4	Scout	1
	Fibril	142,226	32	Patrol	5
	Gonolek	90,900	12	Scout	3
	Goshawk	413,550	72	Frigate	10
	Greyskull	76,100	8	Scout	2
	Griffin	1,447,104	308	Cruiser	15
	Harrier	77,496	10	Scout	2
	Hercinia	407,184	56	Corvette	9
	Hummingbird	90,900	12	Scout	3
	Ictinia	1,353,880	210	Destroyer	14
	Jackdaw	566,418	98	Frigate	11
	Kestral	61,000	4	Scout	1
	Kingfisher	147,900	20	Patrol	6
	Kiriyus	1,023,336	160	Destroyer	13
	Kite	115,572	20	Patrol	5
	Lammergeier	506,709	60	Frigate	10
	Lancea Libertatis	1,644,901	332	Cruiser	15
	Lanius	192,248	34	Corvette	7
	Lanner	245,544	48	Corvette	7
	Longspur	76,348	10	Scout	2
	Merlin	61,448	4	Scout	1
	Milvus	61,300	4	Scout	1
	Neophron	303,268	48	Corvette	8
	Nighthawk	393,144	72	Corvette	9
	Ninox	113,348	18	Patrol	4
	Odysseus	3,152,223	428	Flagship	18
	Osprey	76,882	6	Scout	3
	Ostrich	516,048	116	Frigate	11
	Pandion	171,914	18	Patrol	6
	Pardalote	89,300	10	Scout	3
	Peregrine	907,120	144	Destroyer	13
	Rain Crow	259,132	52	Corvette	8
	Razorbill	805,734	108	Frigate	12
	Robin	92,344	16	Scout	3
	Rufescent	1,000,586	172	Destroyer	13
	Saker	194,508	24	Patrol	6
	Selim	184,100	30	Patrol	6
	Semiramis	1,387,840	208	Destroyer	14
	Serpent Eagle	90,600	12	Scout	3
	Sharpshinned	207,708	36	Corvette	7
	Shikra	229,948	52	Corvette	7
	Shrike	1,622,734	182	Cruiser	15
	Sittella	237,624	32	Corvette	7
	Skein	447,476	104	Frigate	10
	Skirath	142,850	16	Patrol	5
	Sparrowhawk	75,900	8	Scout	2
	Spectre	186,996	38	Corvette	7
	Strix	419,136	72	Corvette	9
	Stygil	2,030,972	412	Battleship	16
	Swift	60,900	4	Scout	1
	Taita	398,988	52	Corvette	9
	Temujin	1,636,470	242	Cruiser	15
	Thunderbird	3,118,256	542	Flagship	18
	Torgos	112,984	18	Patrol	4
	Tyto	304,056	44	Corvette	8
	Voluntas	3,171,859	652	Flagship	18
	Vulture	145,952	22	Patrol	6
	Xerxes	1,299,479	202	Destroyer	14
	Yuhina	74,148	8	Scout	2
	Zeno	1,563,246	304	Cruiser	15

Defense Ships

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Small Cannon Platform (Imperium)	60,496	8	Platform	2
	Small Disruptor Platform (Imperium)	60,200	6	Platform	2
	Small EMP Platform (Imperium)	76,410	8	Platform	2
	Small HE Missile Platform (Imperium)	78,032	12	Platform	2
	Small Heavy Laser Platform (Imperium)	109,900	18	Platform	4
	Small Ion Platform (Imperium)	70,450	8	Platform	2
	Small Laser Platform (Imperium)	57,800	8	Platform	2
	Small Nuke Platform (Imperium)	76,604	8	Platform	2
	Small Point Defense Platform (Imperium)	56,100	6	Platform	2

Stations

Image	Name	Cost	Crew	Classification	Tier
	Large Imperium Arms Depot	3,089,518	672	Military	16
	Large Imperium Trade Station	5,604,592	200	Civilian	16
	Large Imperium Trade Station II	6,503,540	904	Civilian	16
	Medium Imperium Arms Depot	2,043,870	514	Military	12
	Medium Imperium Trade Station	2,296,720	60	Civilian	10
	Medium Imperium Trade Station II	3,118,240	384	Civilian	10
	Small Imperium Arms Depot	1,042,564	220	Military	9
	Small Imperium Trade Station	1,344,500	72	Civilian	4
	Small Imperium Trade Station II	1,450,840	192	Civilian	4
	Tiny Imperium Arms Depot	413,336	92	Military	6

Codex

The Centauri Imperium is a young but ruthlessly-ambitious military empire originating in the Centaurus Constellation.

The systems of the Centaurus Constellation were originally governed by the Terran Union headquartered on Earth, but with the destruction of the whole Sol system fifty years ago, the Centaurus Constellation found itself suddenly independent with a galactic power vacuum in need of filling. After a brief ideological civil war within the Centaurus Constellation, the new Centauri Imperium emerged triumphant and quickly expanded its domain into the surrounding systems by conquest and intimidation. In just fifty short years, the Centauri Imperium has become the most powerful military force in the galaxy, controlling nearly half of all known systems and poised to soon conquer the rest.

The Centauri Imperium is uniquely flat in its organizational structures, both civilian and military. As a true direct democracy, every citizen of the core Centaurus systems above the age of 12 EY is entitled to propose laws and vote on every piece of legislation, a process which is handled via faster-than-light communications and a distributed public blockchain. Even the most important decisions, such as whether to accept the terms of surrender of the latest conquered star system, can be made in minutes by instantly notifying the entire citizenry of an impending vote. As such, most Centauri citizens feel an extreme responsibility to stay informed of the various issues facing the Imperium, and civic engagement is very high. There is no single "head of state", and to the extent to which there is any concentration of power, it is in celebrities who are able to influence their followers to vote a particular way.

The Centauri military is only slightly more hierarchical than its civilian government. Because being able to make instant decisions during combat is critical, most ships do have a captain, but one that is elected by its crew and can be replaced by popular vote at any time. Each ship is an independent entity with the freedom to make its own tactical decisions, constrained only by the few rules of engagement mandated by the Imperium's citizens. (And those citizens have deemed that almost any means are acceptable as long as the ends bring further wealth and prosperity to the core Centaurus systems.) This decentralized "almost anything goes" approach makes the Imperium's military nimble and ruthless. Larger strategic objectives are coordinated using bounties authorized by the citizenry, such as a reward for forcing the surrender of a particular star system. In order to accomplish these larger strategic objectives, individual ships will often form ad-hoc fleets that will then disband once the objective is accomplished. In some cases, multiple fleets will form to compete for the same bounty, which is allowed and encouraged as a healthy aspect of the "military free market", though direct combat between Centauri ships or fleets is strictly forbidden and punishable by "death by destruction bounty". In cases where multiple ships or fleets lay claim to the same bounty, it is, as always, the Centauri citizenry who act as final arbiter.

Citizenship is only granted to those individuals who were either living within the core Centaurus systems when the Imperium was formed or are children whose parents are both Centauri citizens. The only exceptions must be approved by the whole citizenry, making naturalized citizens extremely rare. (Generally only individuals who have been of great service to the Imperium are given the honor.) As a result, the vast majority of subjects living outside the core systems are not Centauri citizens and thus do not enjoy any semblance of autonomy or self-governance. For all their talk of democracy and equality, the core systems impose a harsh double-standard on the conquered territories, ruling them with an iron fist.