Baronet: A special form of baron awarded by an Archduke. Baronets rank below barons in seniority and precedence. Basho, Matsuo: Pre-spaceflight Terran playwright familiar throughout Terra's "Eastern" culture. Battle dress: A somewhat bulky, man-sized cross between a spacesuit and plate armor. Some built-in equipment increases its bulk. For example, a life support/power unit is integrated into the suit back. No weapons are integral, but a visible computer socket/link is placed on the chest front at the right and left shoulders where a rifle would normally be placed. Battle rider: Non-jump-capable capital ship intended to stand in the line of battle in space combat and carried by a battle tender. A battle-rider is a non-jump-capable capital ship generally carried on a large (up to one million tons) fleet tender. Such a tender carries a complete Battle Squadron of six to eight vessels. It is generally held that in any meeting of a battleship and a battle rider of equal tonnage, the battle rider will triumph. The battle rider concept involves a large jump-capable tender carrying many (two to ten) heavily armed and armored battle riders. By dispensing with jump drives and tanks on each of the riders, each becomes ton for ton more heavily armed and armored. The concept does not allow for the possibility of superior force: no matter how good a rider is, if it meets a superior adversary, it is placed in a position of winning or dying. Retreat is nearly impossible without losses. Battleship: Jump capable ship intended to stand in the line of battle in space combat. Armament and protection are appropriate to this mission. They generally have little better primary armament than cruisers. Their extensive secondary batteries render them virtually immune to missiles and small craft attack, while their bulk provides a tremendous ability to absorb damage and keep fighting. The battleship concept involves large, well-armed and well- armored starships of massive tonnage capable of meeting almost any adversary. In a battle against a superior force, moreover, the battleship can flee using its own jump drives. (See Battle Rider.) Battle tender: Interstellar transport intended to carry battle riders into combat. Integral to the battle rider concept, the battle tender is little more than a large dispersed structure with jump drives, fuel tanks, and basic controls. It transports a squadron of battle riders ready for immediate launch upon entry into a system. While the riders press the attack, the tender stays in reserve for protection. (See also Battle Rider, Fleet Tender.) Behind the claw: A slang term used by inhabitants of the Spinward Marches, Deneb, and Trojan Reach sectors to refer to these areas. The term derives from a supposed resemblance between a claw and the Great Rift, as seen on maps of the Imperium. This region's inhabitants feel a certain pride in this designation, and use it to imply that they share a camaraderie and common interest. The term was once used as the title of a popular news magazine with a circulation area encompassing the three sectors named above. The term is rarely used by inhabitants of other areas of the Imperium. Bionics: 1) Mechanical body parts that are individually custom-designed. A bionic generally has greater functionality than the original body part. 2) A science concerned with applying data about the functioning of biological systems to solve engineering problems. Black Globe (screen weapon): Black globes typify the incomprehensible artifacts of the Ancients. Each is a small cube measuring 300 cm. on a side. Two minor discolorations on the otherwise shiny metallic finish are the on/off switches. When activated, it projects a force field that absorbs all forms of energy (including light, hence the characteristic black color of the field) in a sphere around the device. The device actually absorbs and re-channels energy: applying energy expands the sphere. A ship's energy capacitors give a measure of control over the device. Fields large enough to encompass typical larger fighting craft, however, proved inherently unstable. When the capacitors become overloaded, the ship explodes. Still, it is an effective defensive mechanism. The Imperial Navy adopted it for some select fighting ships. Although crude duplicates have been produced, scientists are still a long way from understanding how they work. Black globe generators: project a barrier which absorbs all energy, shunting it to on-board capacitors. The barrier prevents all transit across it, and a ship with its black globe on cannot maneuver, fire its weapons, or communicate. In addition, the field may overload, causing the storage capacitors to fail, and the destruction of the ship. "Not available commercially. They are recovered artifacts installed on a makeshift basis, or experimental versions installed on tech level 15 Imperial warships." Blotches: Minor race native to Acrid/Borderland (Trojan Reach ?). [Third Imperium 8] Boat: Any defensive non-starship. In general, the term is reserved for craft produced for local defense considerations. While non-interstellar in nature, they are heavily armed and armored. (See System Defense Boat.) Also, any small craft used for interplanetary travel. Bonded Superdense Armor: Armor that has had its electron structure collapsed, and had a small power input into the armor's electronic bonds, increasing its strength even more. Bradaeva: Name given to fictional ship. Rumors exist that the Imperial Navy recovered an entire Ancient starship, floating derelict in space between two solar systems in Massilia. A investigative committee of the Imperial Moot determined there was no truth to the rumors. Brinn: Xenophobic minor race confined to Divad (Corridor 2238). Brundle, Seth: Early experimenter in teleportation technology. He relied on a study of shape, given the problems of measuring the location of quantum particles. His methods of mathematical modelling are still in advance of practical current technology. Died as a result of a mysterious accident. Brzk: Archduke of Antares, now leader of the League of Antares. He traces his ancestry through many generations of Imperial citizenship. He is powerful, and committed to justice in treatment of intelligent species. Brzk is champion of Human-Vargr partnership. Bulk carrier: Merchant transport. Typically 10,000 to 20,000 tons displacement. They are usually designed for a specific run, as it is almost impossible to profitably run ships this large without connections and an established route. Butehude, Dietrich: Famous Rule of Man composer. Several ciaconas and fugues. Bwaps: (Also called Newts) Minor race ntive to Marhaban/Lentuli (Empty Quarter 0426).