Origin of a Spaceship: Frigate Swarm

Excerpt from: Origin of a Spaceship: Definition Chapters:  

FW Type Frigate Swarms

Development:

Due to environmental changes across the various manufacturing brood pens of New Eden frigate swarms have begun to spawn in various areas of low security space.  Upon their first presentation many of these spawns were fodder for cruisers and battlecruisers.  Their parasitic nature for a time decimated battleship fleets due to the battleships inability to be protected by its natural symbiote the combat drone.  However, the environmental effects have also proven a boon for drones and battleships can again fight off minor infestations of frigates.

However, the environmental change increased the food supply for frigates.  As with many small, mobile, highly organized creatures they have reproduced in unexpected numbers swamping some sections of low security space with such a density that they have pushed out larger predators and reduced the numbers of medium sized hunters.

Separation:
Due to the radical differences in behavior from other frigates documented, these have been given the title FW to differentiate.

Side Effects:

Naturalists have worked their way into the depths of these systems to study the regional changes that are attracting these dense populations of frigates.  The conclusion is that environmental changes have affected acceleration gates allowing frigates unprecedented access to feeding grounds.  The side effect of their increase presence is that for the first time reports indicate that frigates are in fact a social colony.  Reports of logistic frigates and attack frigates are found in a social symbiosis.  

The greatest indicator of frigates being a social colony genus comes from their seeming lack of self preservation.  Dozens of attack frigates will descend upon a hunting cruiser or battlecruiser to protect the hive.  It has even been observed that stealth hunters such a Pilgrims are countered by Celestus and Slashers who seemingly donate their lives to the greater group good when dragging down large predators. The coordination is fascinating.  There is the suggestion of a hive-mind facilitated by communication frequencies not yet cataloged. The reckless abandon seems counter productive but the results cannot be denied.  The larger prey are then disassembled and scattered throughout dozens of stations. 

At this time it is unknown how to identify the ‘Fleet Commander’ type frigate or if the collective is guarding some type of native queen or just access to their breeding grounds. The proliferation of loyalty points in the frigate diet has most certainly seen an improvement in the stamina, health, and defensive quality of these spaceships.  They are even seen at jump gates in large, mobilized swarms.

At this time the proliferation of frigates is seen as a net improvement to the environment.  The previous predatory hierarchy was seen as too top heavy with dominant predator types.  This is often a sign of impending environmental collapse due to over hunting of prey.  The radical change in diet of the frigates may be a random mutation or a previously unrecognized predisposition that had not yet meet proper biological triggers.

Other points of note:

Specimens have been captured and bands attached to distinguish them as ‘militia’ in an effort to separate them from soloist stock or the more domesticated, immature frigates of previous studies due to the lack of obvious distinguishing external markings.  

Further classification is currently separated by region due to the concentrations of colonies found.  At this time there is a noticeable overlap in territory between Gallente and Cladiari militia frigates and Amarr and Minmatar.  Although each group consumes a different loyalty point there is a suggestion of environmental grooming.  These needs are finite enough for the two groups to clash over resources.

Interestingly enough, Gallente and Minmatar and Caldari and Amarr groups can cohabit peacefully in their overlapping territories.  This creates the suggestion that the regional diet is varied enough that the various frigates cannot self sustained outside of their own feeding grounds.

This is not to state that fights do not break out between the various groups.  Whatever resource independence may be had does not appear to be one hundred percent.  There is a definite ability for frigates to adapt to another type loyalty point when in need.

The colony aspect appears to be highly structured enough to eject intruders to starve outside of the colony.  These specimen may integrate into another colony or become solo hunters.  Some are even captured by farmers and used to invigorate domesticated stock. Often these specimens pine away and wither when removed from the loyalty point food source. Releasing them back into low security space does not appear to affect the rest of the population at this time.

Flora:
The various loyalty point flora have been examined.  While very similar in some manners such as the basic structure and form each one contains a different mineral content.  Frigates at this time almost seem to develop an independent taste for the various loyalty point and crave some types over others.  Individual labling has been under taken.  Due to the frigates lack of physical identifiers per species individuals have been marked with names by those under taking the efforts to tag them.  This is allowing a longer termed study to understand what causes the changes in diet across the entire genus.