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Revision as of 12:02, 27 February 2007
Template:Commoner-Deceased Darl Tractia (April 22, 3898 – December 2, 3970) was a Hapan industrialist, spacecraft engineer and innovator for Olanji/Charubah during the earlier stages of the Hapan Civil War. He rose to prominence as the chief designer of the famed shipbuilding corporation and is most remembered for his creation of the feared Tractia Heavy Cruiser. He was also an administrator of one of the wondrous Charu Wheels and oversaw the production of numerous warships to be used by the Draconian Union during the war. He is widely considered as one of the most talented and innovative ship designers in Hapan history. Tractia was also described as a very humble and private man, and undertook extensive steps in assuring his ship designs remained a well-kept secret.
Early life
Tractia was born and raised from humble beginnings in Charubah. His mother was a prominent developer for Charubah Industries. Tractia was an avid pilot during his teenage years, but an even better mechanic as he progressed in his training under the tutelage of some of the top engineers located in Charubah. He showed a keen interest in the design of ships, with legends about Tractia often describing him with such youthful exuberance for mechanisms that he would take apart entire hyperspace engines and reconstruct them again for pleasure.
At the age of 22, due to his prodigious talents, he was hired by Olanji/Charubah for their R&D department, after several of his ship designs were discovered by his mentor and passed onto the corporation. He began his career at Olanji/Charubah initially by working on modifications of pre-existing ship designs. As the call for more advanced technology was issued forth, Tractia was able to utilize his gift and began work on designing ships for the Royal Hapan Navy.
Tractia Heavy Cruiser
Near the end of the Decline Era, Olanji/Charubah focused their efforts on designing a capital ship to serve as a flagship for the noble house fleets serving in the Royal Hapan Navy. In 3937, Tractia, now the chief designer of the shipbuilding corporation, presented his plans for his capital ship to House Olanji. It was a design he had been working on for over a decade, which he kept confidential until there need for a new capital ship.
The ship’s design was approved by House Olanji and the construction of the first Tractia Heavy Cruiser began instantly. Xania and Alidra Olanji coined the name of the design Tractia Heavy Cruiser after its designer, although it was not Tractia’s intent to have the ship named after him. Nevertheless, the first Tractia Heavy Cruiser produced and commissioned in 3940 was named Pride of Tractia.
Tractia designed the ship with the intent to instill a sense of awe and fear to those unfortunate enough to face it. His purpose for the flagship was not to be a battleship and an offensive weapon, but that of a stronghold for defense. The ship was designed with that intent, as Tractia placed great emphasis on the ship’s hull and shielding, and less on speed and maneuverability. Yet even so, the Tractia Heavy Cruiser possessed an armament that was unmatched by any ship during the Dark Age.
Final years
Tractia was known to keep most, if not all, his ship designs and modifications to himself. The design of the Tractia Heavy Cruiser in which he presented to the Olanji sisters was only a preliminary draft of a design in which Tractia would make numerous modifications. Many historians argue that he did so out of fear the final designs would be stolen by rival Hapan Consortium. Only the administrators of the Charu Wheels had knowledge of the designs.
Tractia died of a heart attack in 3970. With his death, and subsequently the destruction of the Wheels in 3997, the designs of the Tractia Heavy Cruiser were lost and the last of Tractia’s brainchild would be destroyed in the second battle of Gallinore.
