The word Abh has two meanings: it refers both to a species of man and a social group of the Humankind Empire Abh. Genetic Abhs (or "true" Abhs) are thin, lithe, elvish beings. They live twice as long as regular humans and can absorb greater acceleration. They are born with an organ that allows them to link directly with their starships.
The defining feature of the Abh, and the one they are best known for, is gene enhancement. They see nothing wrong with combining the genes of two total strangers, or of family members, or of cloning themselves. In fact, many of the Abh are artificially conceived. Occasionally a couple may decide to reproduce the 'old-fashioned way"; such offspring are known as "children of love".
The Abh race were created as a slave race for a group of seperatists Earthlings living in deep space. However, they revolted and eventually destroyed their creators. Many Abhs believe they should carry the guilt of the destruction and the burden of their mission (to spread and preserve the culture of their mother race) with them. When asked why they should preserve the culture of a people they hated, the Abh reply with a saying passed down from their earliest ancestors: "It's not hatred. It's love."
The Abh call themselves the "Kin of the Stars". They rarely live on or even set foot on planets. The Abh capital, Lakfakalle, is an enormous space station. They regard space as their true home.
Although the Abh are very beautiful, they care nothing for appearance. Abh believe that a person's true character is shown through demeanor aesthetics.
The Humankind Empire Abh is the most massive human nation ever, spanning 1,500 fully occupied star systems and 20,000 partially occupied ones. They are organized along feudal lines. There are eight kingdoms that make up the Humankind Empire Abh, each governed by direct descendents of the original Abh. The Emperor or Emperess of the Abh is selected from one of the royal families.
Although the Abh are active conquerors, they care little for governing the worlds they acquire. This laissez-faire approach springs primarily from their space-centered society. The Abh's primary concern is with controlling the interstellar spaceways and space nodes.
The primary Abh military organization is, and always has been, the Space Force. Until the great revolt, the Abh army was made up primarily of non-Abhs (grounders). All Abh nobility are required to serve at least ten years in the Space Force (royalty in combat assignments). The Space Force is massive - the fleet to recapture the border planet of Sfagnaumh alone comprised more than 2,000 vessels.
Abh ships are armed primarily with anti-ship mines. More akin to missiles than mines, these weapons are capable of generating their own space-time bubbles within plane space. To counter enemy mines, warships are armed with batteries of point defence beams. Warships are protected only by a magnetic defense field. If the field collapses, destruction for the ship is virtually assured.
The Abh space forces consists of the following classes of ships, excluding non-combatents:
Destroyers are, as their name implies, light, fast attack ships. They are armed with a single anti-proton cannon.
Escort Ships are armed primarily with point-defense beams. They typically perform screening duties for heavier vessels, such as cruisers and ships-of-the-line.
Patrol Cruisers are probably the most glamorous class in the space forces, fast and with a good mix of armament. They are armed with four fixed, externally mounted heavy electromagnetic cannons and several point-defence batteries. Unlike other vessels, they carry no defensive mines.
Ships-of-the-Line are heavy battleships, and generally form the core of any Abh battle fleet.
