Maranati Network

The **Maranati Network** is a synthetic empire active in the Segmentum [Censored]. The Network was 12 millennia before the birth of the Emperor of Man for not clear goals. Who the creators were is unknown and their fate is shrouded in mystery.

External behaviour of the Maranati Network can be described as erratic. Sometimes the Leading Processing Unit short LPU sends out overwhelming forces to attack minor targets or small forces against strongly defended planets. Other times their ships stalk other vessels or even build stations over settled planets but not reacting militarily when it was put down. Even the penetration of their territory is a gamble: you can get destroyed or just stalked.

## History

First activities have happened 12 thousand years before the Emperor of Man was born. Spacehulks made in the same design as modern Maranati Network vessels and investigations showed that the Spacehulks were mining vessels and exploring vessels armed with light weapons. Some thousand years later first vessels with droids as crews were found (afore the vessels were just one) and used for battles and construction.

The last found Spacehulks from the Maranati Network were built around M9 and investigations showed that the creators of the Network had disappeared and it was running automatically and independent.

## (civilian) Models

### Leading Processing Unit (LPU)

The LPU or Leading Processing Unit is the "emperor" of the Maranati Network, although this is incorrect. The LPU is a mix of one giant computer, ten thousand of high-ranking droids and a computer program. LPUs body has the size of a small mountain and uses many specialised droids as extra bodies. These are the highest-ranking droids in the Network and command the lower-ranking Brain Droids.

### Brain Droids

The Brain Droids are the officers of the Network. They command stations, ships, facilities, armies and special offices. Brain Droids have an internal command structure and only the true Brain Droids are the highest-ranking droids and a body of the LPU. Brain Droids types are:

#### Calculator

Calculators are a form of scientists and navigators of the Network. Their processors are supported by a brain of a captured biological being. As a result, Calculators have a surprisingly high level of creativity and can serve as a field commander.

#### Coordinator

Coordinators control the mines and factories. They have their own link to each other and specialised department. Under their control are small droids over the typical models up to giant specialised droids and machines.

#### Regulator

Regulator Droids are the workforce of the administration of the Network. Often are they small and non-mobile droids analyzing every data. They can take over the task of other Brain Droids but will suffer effectivity.

#### Evaluator

The Evaluator are specialised droids which task is to analyze new situations and planets. So they are more mobile and armoured than most Brain Droid types. Another task is the controlling of actions made by the droids.

### Worker Droids

Worker Droids are the backbone of the Maranati Network. Most types are very similar to each other but have clear modifications often preventing to overtake the jobs of other types. Important groups of models are:

* **Tech Bots**: The smartest Worker Droids are the Tech Bots as an effect of their complicated tasks. Some variants have anti-gravitation gears other variants are tiny droids for cramped areas.
* **Manufacturing Bots:** Often are these droids giant machines. Some produce goods like steel or other serves as a mobile refinery or production facility for smaller droids.
* **Maintenance Droids:** Maintenance is for the Network a very important task. Such droids often use nanotechnology for smaller repairs to prevent the downfall of productivity.
* **Vehicle Droids:** Most vehicles are technically droids and only some models need other droids as a kind of support crew.

## Battle Gride

The Maranati Network nearly doesn`t use something like army units instead use combat swarms with varying number of soldiers who can be reorganised in mere seconds.

### Infantry

Note: most Maranati infantry droids could be classified as vehicles.

#### Knights

Knights are humanoid droids with the hight of 2 metres and its two legs are split in two sub-legs. The torso is quadratic and the head is placed on the upper part of the chest. Knights have 2 arms but instead of hands equipped with weapons.

* **K Knight:** The standard Knight. His arms carrying each 2 bolter guns.
* **C Knight:** A knight variant armed with 2 light flamers and lasguns on each hand.
* **F Knight:** A variant which is heavily armoured, As weapons function a plasma gun, 2 grenade launchers and a chain sword.

#### Suicide Drones

An inexpensive option is the use of Suicide Drones who attack their targets in a suicidal way to maximise enemy causalities. For this such droids use bombs and small chainswords built on them for melee. There are versions who can fly others dig themself into the ground to attack the enemy from behind. Other versions are 4 or 6 legged.

#### Cyborgs

The Maranati Network use captured beings as a recruitment pool for cyborgs. After the operation which makes the captured to cyborgs the unfortunate being has lost its individuality and serves as special units. They are equipped with Sonic Weapons, Power Weapons and grenades.

#### Swarm Fleet

A Swarm Fleet is a swarm of millions of nanobots which devours biological matter or can sabotage electronic tools and stop so mechanised units. They are controlled by Brain Droids and transported on the battlefield by rockets.

### Vehicles

* **Bunker Defense Bot:** The Bunker Defense Bot is a 15 metres high, 20 metres long and 12 metres width tank nearly only considerating of armour. As armament, it has 3 heavy Gatlin guns, 3 Melta Cannons and an anti-air cannon. Bunker Defense Bots are transported by vessels onto the battlefield or are built there and can stop entire companies.
* **Ord**i**nance Artillery Droid:** The Ordinance Artillery Droid is a moving medium artillery gun with a superior fire rate and targeting ability. It has similarities to a Leman Russ tank but can use legs for moving in rough terrain. Other variants serve as missile launchers and as anti-air vehicle.
* **Moving Fortress:** A 67-metre high 100-metre long and 45-metre width colossus. The main turret uses a giant rail gun. Other weapons are: 3 Plasma Blastguns, 17 Autocannons, 4 Ion cannons and 1 sub-nuclear missile launcher. Such Droids use smaller droids as a support crew and is rarely build.
* **Super Heavy Gunship:** As ground support function this 130-tonne heavy droid. It comes with 4 Autocannons, 4 Missile Launchers and 2 Battlecannons. Some variants serve as carriers.
* **Spitfire Droid Fighter:** A multi-role fighter. The Spitfire has the highest mobility of all fighters and can choose from a width range of weapons.
* **Area Defends System:** The Area Defends System uses extreme strong bolts of lightning to overload enemy systems and roast biological mater. Such droids are often found refitted as weapons on heavier droids, vessels or buildings.

## Navy Gride

* **Heavy Corvettes of the Iron Class:** The lightest vessel of the Network. Iron Class vehicles serve as scout vessels and escort vessels. They are just one droid and can fire from 5 missile launchers, point defends weapons and 5 laser cannons.
* **Heavy Frigates of the Platin Class:** As the workhorse for the Navy Gride is the Platin Class very flexible armed and designed. Surprising is the fact that such vessels are made up of 5 droid. Each part is another droid with the result that vessels of this kind can operate highly effective and can even work when up to 75% of the ship would be destroyed,
* **Heavy Attack Cruiser of the Crome Class:** Crome Class vessels are giant droid ships with smaller droids as crew and can carry other giant droids as weapons.

## Technology

Technological is the Maranati Network superior than the Imperium of Man, but even the Imperium develops or at least finds new technologies the Network just improves their.

All technologies and vehicles of the Network are very reliable. In contrast to the other races, the Network uses nuclear weapons although smaller ones than the few who still exist in the galaxy.

## Relations

### Imperium of Man

The Imperium of Man see the Maranati Network as the example of an Abominable Intelligence" or as Silica Animus.

During M36 there were secretly two crusades against the Network who were partly successful. Most reports of those conflicts are some of the most secret documents of the Mechanicum.

### Tau

At in one case there was a battle against an exploration fleet. There are reports Tau Cyborgs used by the Network but when they were "acquired" is unknown.