Technology:Yeerks

Introduction

Although they started off with just backwards engineering other races technology, the Yeerks rapidly developed their own styles and fairly unique way of building things. Yeerk technology is around 40 earth years behind Andalite technology, but it is still formidabel to most other species. To defeat more advanced or powerful oponents, the Yeerks use infiltration or swarm tactics.

Fusion cell
The Yeerk technology fusion cell uses eather Tritium or Deuterium to produce a sustained, controlled fusion reaction that produces a fair amount of energy.

Antimatter cell
Yeerk antimatter cells are a very small version of the matter/antimatter reactor, and they produce as much energy (or more) as most small fusion reactors.

Fusion reactor
A larger version of the fusion cells, they use the same materials, Deuterium or Tritium, but on a larger scail, producing much more energy then fusion cells.

Solar collector
The Yeerks learned from the Andalites and other races that collecting and utilizing the large amounts of solar raditaion flying about that they could eventually charge auxillery storage cells without drawing any energy from their main powerplants.

Repulsor drive
Yeerk repulsors use an offshoot of deflector energy to provide increased maneuvering capacity and thrust.

Fusion drive
Highly concentrated streams of fusion energy is expelled to provide propulsion.

Zero-space drive
Allows faster then light travel, thousands of times faster then light as a matter of fact.

Radar shield
Almost all the space fairing races of the Animorphs universe possess Radar shielding(also works against sonar)that absorbs the Radar rather then leting it bounce back to the detection grid. Radar shields can also work against a number of other primitve detection devices.

Deflector shields
Yeerk defense shields are made of multi layerd projected energy fields, and each are capable of modulating frequencys to better absorb and deflect incomming weapons fire or negative effects. (not always possible) A low power deflector shield is kept active at all times to protect the ship from impacts with space particles, dust, and debris. To deflect weapons the shields recquire more energy to be diverted to them. The absorbtion rate of Yeerk shields varys greatly from ship to ship, depending on the power flow to the generators, the modulation rate, layers of shielding, and the type of incomming damage. More power can be diverted to the shield generators to increase shield strength.

Structual integrity field
Specialy designed force fields that enhance the hull strength at key locations.

Hull
The Yeerks use various materials to construct their hulls,depending on what is availible. Materials commenly used in modern Yeerk hulls include-Plaranium, Berinium, Dialon, and Aratone.(All fictional) They are alloyed to form conductive armor that helps to protect the ship from directed energy weapons like Dracon beams. Yeerk hull alloys are commenly hundreds of times stronger then Carbon Steel.

Dracon beam
The main weapon of the Yeerk war machine, is the Dracon partical beam. They were developed by combining what they understood of Andalite shredder beam technology and Onganchic partical wave technology. The beam of concentrated Derison particals disrupts covelent molecular bonds, causing matter to disentigrate into base atoms. The Yeerks slowed the process just enough to allow victims to experiance the pain of being ripped apart molecule by molecule. On setting ten, a hand held Dracon beam can pierce 10 feet of solid Titanium with one brief trigger squeeze. Cruiser and Bladeship sized Dracons can burn a hole through miles of Titanium in less then a second. Tiny versions of these weapons called mini Dracons are used for point defense. Dracon beams can modulate energy frequencys to be more effective against shields.

Buster cannon
Developed by Yaheen 118, A Yeerk scientist who worked with Dracon-1423 and Arkon-012. The buster cannon was inspired by conflicts with the Anati Kingdom. The buster cannon is not too fancy. It fires a massive burst of multi polarity ionized super hot plasma. Since it operates on a multi polarized frequency, (Which requires several layers of E5 containment) it is quite difficult for less advanced shields to modulate to better counter it. The buster cannon was not widely used, the power recquirements were much higher then that used to energize Dracons, and although it packs more of a punch, newer, narrow beam setting Dracons can be just as effective against shields. Buster cannons and the technology was sold to the Norshk pirates that operated along the Anati border at low prices, in exchange for the Norshk not attacking Yeerk shipping.

Ballistic weapons
Yeerks use missles to force opponents to waste their weapons fire on the incomming projectiles, because missles can be highly damageing. Yeerk missles are equiped with their own powercell, drive system, navigational computer,and guidance matrix. They can be confused by e.w(electronic warfare), lossing there lock on or even detonating before reaching the target.

Arkon missle
Developed by Arkon 012, a Yeerk from the homeworld,the plastic explosive dubbed Arkon 47 is the most stable of the Arkon explosive compounds, and is commenly used in light missle weapons for ship to ship combat, mostly anti fighter. Arkon 47 can be shot by a Dracon beam and it will not detonate, it recquires a very specific charge. An ounce of Arkon 47 is equal to 10lbs of C4 or Semtex explosive. Arkons 48-50 are more powerful,but much more unstable, Dracon fire will set them off. Arkon 47 is the best compound, it offers the most bang without compromising the stability. It is the most used of any of the compounds. The three more Arkon variants that were developed after 47, 48-50, are not widely used. 48-49 proved to unstable with minimal increase in yield. Arkon 50 offers up to 5x the explosive potential, but is 10x more unstable.

Fusion missle
An advanced thermonuclear device that produces an unstable fusion reaction resulting in massive amounts of energy and radiation created. The fusion missle is the heavy ballistic weapon of choice for the Yeerk empire for ship to ship engagements. Explosive yeilds range from kiloton measurements(one kiloton is equal to a thousand tons on T.N.T)to megatons,(one megaton-one million tons of T.N.T)and even a few "bunker buster" gigaton(One gigaton is equal to one billion tons of T.N.T)missles.

Anti morphing ray
A supposedly failed experiment.

Hunter killer robots
Hunter killer robots are small ballistic robots created by the Yeerks. Cassie and the other original Animorphs first encounter them in (correct me if im wrong) "The Underground" mission when the Animorphs are seeking too addict all the Yeerks in the Yeerk pool to instant Maple and Ginger oatmeal. They are encountered again during the sickness mission. Cassie was looking for the Yeerk Aftran 942 of the Hett Simplat pool. In one of the mission an Animorph has no choice but to drop an Osprey 'bomb'(Scat) on its only vulnerable place: its optical sensory lens. She gets away with both her and Aftran safe.

V-1 Hunter Killer robots, the first Hunter killers encountered by Animorph forces, are only useful for light duty security assignments, as they lack in both defensive and offensive cabability. As Yeerk technology progressed HKR became far more deadly, but are not entirely cost effective for all around usage, so they are used to reinforce security on larger Yeerk vessels and in Yeerk bases.

Tractor beam
Yeerk tractor beams are based on inverted repulsor energy fields. Repulsor energy is a type of energy wave that has a charge that can propel objects. Being inverted means they attract objects. Yeerk tractor beams come in many sizes and strengths.