July 19, 2253
The first Strug Area Defense Cruiser (ADC) is launched. At this point enough gunboats have been refitted to fully load all six motherships, so the Strug Council decides to send the fleet into the Helium system.
August 10, 2253
The Strug Battle Group, composed of one Area Defense Cruiser, six CLE’s, six Motherships, one scout, one jump ship, and eighteen gunboats, joins with the scout that has been picketing the warp point to the Helium system since 2251. Once the Group is ready Kadar Psenamy orders the combined force through the warp point at full battle-alert. After clearing the area around the warp point the Kadar detaches one of the scouts and the jump ship to watch the warp point and heads in-system.
Daedalia Planum class Area Defence Cruiser 7100 tons 686 Crew 1376 BP TCS 142 TH 720 EM 600
5070 km/s Armour 3-32 Shields 20-400 Sensors 8/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 7 PPV 12
Annual Failure Rate: 57% IFR: 0.8% Maintenance Capacity 848 MSP Max Repair 192 MSP
Magazine 216
MP Drive (9) Power 80 Fuel Use 60% Signature 80 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 126.8 billion km (289 days at full power)
Gamma R400/16 Shields (10) Total Fuel Cost 160 Litres per day
AM Missile Launcher (12) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 10
AM Missile Fire Control (4) Range 2.4m km Resolution 1
AM Missile (216) Speed: 32,000 km/s End: 1.6m Range: 3m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 309 / 185 / 92
Large AM Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 192 Range 1.9m km Resolution 1
GB Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 8m km
ECM 10
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
This class is a direct result of the encounter between the Strug probe ship and an unknown alien race in the Helium system, which resulted in the destruction of the Strug jump ship by several overwhelming waves of missiles. Subsequent studies revealed the fact that all of the CLE’s in the Strug fleet would have been unable to stop the waves of missiles launched by the aliens, therefore, the Strug decided that they needed a ship capable of engaging missiles at long range to reduce the size of hostile salvoes before they reach the Strug Fleet. This ship, along with the new AMM’s, is seen as the ideal design for that purpose.
Strug Missile Designs:
Gunboat Anti-Ship Missile
Size: 6
Range: 10 mkm’s
Speed: 22,400 kps
Endurance: 7 minutes
Maneuver Rating: 10
WH: 10
ECM: 10
Anti-Missile Missile
Size: 1
Range: 3 mkm’s
Speed: 32,000 kps
Endurance: 2 minutes
Maneuver Rating: 29
WH: 1
ECM: 0
September 13, 2253
The Strug Battle Group has crossed the system, brushing past the outer edge of the asteroid belt where the first encounter with the aliens took place without detecting anything. The Kadar decides to head for the area where the first encounter took place, cutting through the asteroid belt.
Forty four hours later three alien ships appear on the Strug ship’s sensors, in-bound at 4819 kps. Currently the alien ships are 113 mkm’s away, well beyond their known missile range. Kadar Psenamy orders a radical course change away from the alien ships, and for all gunboats to be launched. The eighteen gunboats of the strike wing race away at 8,400 kps.
The approach of the gunboats takes 128 minutes, the most nerve-wracking time any of the Strug in the Battle Group or the Strike Wing have ever had. In particular, Kadar Psenamy is so concerned that he feels as if his shell is tightening around his body, constricting him to the point where he can’t think. Originally the stand-off strike by the Strike Wing had seemed a good idea, after all, only the gunboats would be going into danger, however, if the gunboats were destroyed the Battle Group would be left at the mercy of the alien ships, all of which could out-race the bulk of the Strug Group. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing if the aliens would be able to detect the small, fast gunboats, or if they could engage them even if they did detect them. All in all, the only thing that kept Psenamy going and allowed him to project a positive attitude for his staff and crew was the fact that they were committed, and nothing could change that.
Finally, after spending the entire time fearing the unseen approach of the enemy’s missiles, the Strike Wing finally reached nine mkm’s, just within its own fire control range. The Wing’s commander ordered his gunboats to lock their fire control systems on their assigned targets, only to discover that the enemy has fiendishly efficient ECM systems, limiting their fire control range to approximately 6.5 mkm’s. The Strike Wing is forced to continue closing.
Ninety nerve-wracking seconds later the Strike Wing has closed to 6.5 mkm’s and the Wing’s commander orders the launch every missile they have in an alpha strike designed to destroy or cripple the three enemy ships. Twenty seconds later one hundred and twenty missiles race away in a somewhat ragged barrage spread over ten seconds, after which the gunboats turn away, pacing the enemy ships to stay within fire control range.
For nearly four minutes the Strike Wing’s crews watched their missiles race towards the enemy, all the time fearing a counter strike. Finally, after all of the tension, the Strug missiles slammed into their targets. The enemy’s ECM reduced the missile’s accuracy, but there were still a lot of missiles closing on the enemy ships.
The results of the strike were most gratifying. The aliens appeared to be ignorant of the approach of the missiles until the last second, and then proved to be incapable of stopping the large salvo. Seventeen missiles hit the lead enemy ship, holing its armor in multiple locations and staggering the big ship, slowing it to 2409 kps. Later analysis of the sensor logs would show that the enemy ships had an armor level of at least three. Ten missiles hit the second ship, again holing its armor and dropping its speed to 3613 kps. The third ship was hit by at least nineteen missiles before it blew up in a spectacular explosion that caused all of the Strug crews to cheer wildly.
The Strug Strike Wing turns back for its carriers. The two remaining alien ships were now 89 mkm’s from the fleet, and still closing, albeit much slower than before. Two and a half hours later, while the Strike Wing was still approaching its motherships after a logn stern chase, enemy missiles appeared on the Battle Group’s sensors. In rapid succession two more groups of missiles appeared, each with seven missiles, all racing towards the Group. Anti-missile missiles began racing away from the Area Defense Cruiser and the six CLE’s raced to interpose their laser turrets in between the vulnerable motherships and the incoming missiles.
The first wave of twelve anti-missiles intercepted the incoming anti-ship missiles 284,000 kilometers from the fleet, killing four. The Strug crews cheered when the first AMM’s intercepted the incoming missiles, but then a fourth salvo of seven missiles showed up on the Battle Group’s screens, killing the cheers and sending the crews scuttling back to their stations.
Over the next several minutes the Strug Battle Group was locked into a battle for its life. At first the ADC proved its worth, its missiles streaking away, intercepting the incoming missile wave further and further away. More and more enemy missiles appeared on the Strug screens, though, wave after wave of the enemy missiles, as if the aliens had an inexhaustible supply. By the time the AMM’s began intercepting the ninth wave they were beginning their interceptions nearly 900,000 kilometers away from the Battle Group, wearing down the missile waves until there was nothing left to run into the massed laser defenses of the CLE’s. Of the forty two missiles in the first six waves, only two penetrated to the inner defense zone and those were intercepted handily by the laser turrets of the CLE’s.
By the time the interception of the eighth wave began, with no end of the attacking missile waves in sight, Kadar Psenamy’s mood had gone from elation to growing concern. The incoming missile waves seemed endless, and his ADC’s magazines were down to less than a quarter of their original stock. In order to conserve ammunition Psenamy ordered the ADC to change its targeting strategy to one AMM for each incoming missile, from two-to-one. This almost guaranteed leakers, but hopefully it would extend his AMM supply a little longer, and as long as the incoming missile salvoes were degraded his laser defenses appeared to be capable of dealing with the survivors.
Just as the last missile of the tenth wave died under the lasers of the CLE’s, the ADC ran out of AMM’s. The last anti-missile missiles reduced the eleventh wave to four missiles, as well as the twelfth, and the thirteenth was reduced to two missiles. By that time a fourteenth salvo was on the screens, bringing the grand total of incoming missiles to 98.
The eleventh wave died under the Strug CLE’s lasers even as the fifteenth salvo appeared, and after a second Kadar Psenany realized that they were going to survive after all, for the fifteenth salvo was composed of only four missiles, probably indicating the fact that the enemy had finally ran out of missiles. Of course, first the Strug Battle Group was going to have to survive three partial strength salvoes and one full-strength salvo.
All eyes aboard the Strug Battle Group watched the second to last salvo, for if any were going to penetrate it would be that one, the last full strength salvo. The seconds dragged by as it approached, and the last-ditch Strug laser defenses killed the twelfth and thirteenth salvoes without a problem. Finally it was the fourteenth salvo’s turn, and it slammed into the defensive laser fire with a will. The Strug defenses were a match to the problem, though, and every missile was destroyed before hitting its target. The destruction of the fifteenth and last salvo was almost a let down. The Battle Group had survived the attack.
Seventeen minutes later the Strike Wing rejoined the Group and landed on the motherships. Work on reloading the gunboats began immediately. Each mothership carried enough missiles to rearm its gunboats twice. Five minutes later the gunboats took off, headed for the enemy ships.
During the missile engagement the nearest enemy ship, which had apparently repaired its engines and was now cranking out 4819 kps, had turned away. Kadar Psenamy decided that that ship was likely the source of the missiles that had so recently threatened his fleet, and thus was no longer a threat, and ordered the Strike Group to destroy the second enemy ship, now 81 mkm’s away and closing at 3613 kps.
One hundred and four minutes later the Strike Group was in range of the enemy ship, designated Wolverine 001. The Group launched thirty missiles at the enemy ship, which was probably over-kill but Kadar Psenamy wanted to be sure. The six gunboats selected for the engagement launched over a period of fifteen seconds.
Two hundred and thirty seconds later the missiles started slamming into their target. Only two missiles out of the first six missed, and the other four were enough to destroy the already damaged enemy ship. Elation was felt throughout the Strike Group now that the last known threat to the Battle Group was eliminated. The Strike Group turned towards the last remaining enemy ship, which was now racing away at its top speed.
Sixty seven minutes later contact with the enemy ship was lost. For a second the Strug were concerned, but then a bright sensor officer realized what had happened. The Battle Group was still running away from the sensor contacts, and had moved beyond the range at which its sensors could detect the enemy ship. Unfortunately, the gunboat’s limited sensors were beyond their own range as well, meaning that the enemy might be able to slip away. Psenamy turned his Group around and set out for the last known location of the alien ship. It was a nerve wracking time, but seven hours later the scout attached to the Battle Group detected the fleeing alien ship nearly 100 mkm’s from the Strike Group, and the pursuit began again. Given the fact that the enemy ship was still faster than the Battle Group’s best speed the Kadar decided to detach the scout to support the gunboats.
Twenty nine minutes later the situation changed. For some reason the enemy ship reversed course, and was now headed directly towards the Battle Group. Eighty minutes after that the alien ship had closed to within 65 mkm’s of the Scout and turned away. Fearing that the aliens had launched on the scout, Kadar Psenamy ordered the scout to turn away and open the range. The alien ship once again reversed its course to match that of the Scout, which increased its closing speed with the gunboats.
Thirty minutes later the gunboats were within range. This time they launched fifteen missiles at the damaged alien ship. Twenty seconds later two gunboats launched on the enemy, followed five seconds later by the third. Two hundred and twenty five seconds later the missiles slammed into the alien ship. Eight missiles hit the ship, damaging it but not destroying it. Seconds later the gunboats launched a second wave of ten missiles. This time the enemy was destroyed after being hit by two missiles from the second wave.
Eight and a half hours later the Strike Group was back aboard its motherships and being rearmed. During that time no new alien ships had been detected, but Kadar Psenamy was concerned. His squadron was low on offensive missiles and out of AMM’s. The Group would be hideously vulnerable if they ran into any more enemy ships. It was time to leave. Once his defensive missile complement had been replenished they would return. To avoid running into any more alien ships Kadar Psenamy ordered the Battle Group to head out along the course they had taken into the system.
October 21, 2253
The Strug Battle Group arrives at the warp point the Barsoom system. Kadar Psenamy orders the Group to drop its shields and deactivate its sensors, and then transits out, leaving behind a Scout and a Jump Ship to monitor the situation in the system. After some thought Psenamy detaches the six CLE’s to support the two ships, in case the aliens discover the picket group.
November 7, 2253
The Strug Battle Group arrives in orbit over Strug Home. They are greeted by planet-wide celebrations in their honor. Kadar Psenamy, along with most of his senior officers, is decorated for valor. The crew of the Area Defense Cruiser is awarded a unit citation for their valiant defense of the fleet. The Council wants to celebrate the victory with a series of parades and holidays, but Kadar Psenamy is insistent that they provision, rearm, and refuel in the shortest amount of time possible before setting out for the Helium system again. The Council is reluctant to risk the fleet again, but in the end they agree to let the Battle Group go to end the threat of the aliens once and for all.
Amidst much fanfare and celebration the Battle Group is reloaded with every last remaining gunboat missile and enough AMM’s to refill the ADC. After consulting with the Council Kadar Psenamy receives permission to pack the magazines of the motherships with remaining AMM’s, enough to reload the ADC’s magazines several times over.
December 21, 2253
The Strug Battle Group under Kadar Psenamy arrives over Helium I. The planet is an unremarkable moonless gas giant, and Psenamy orders the Group to move on to Helium II. Helium II proves to be remarkably similar to Helium I, so Psenamy orders the Group on to Helium III, a small chunk of rock orbiting the central G4-V star 73 mkm’s from their current location. The Group finds nothing at III, so Psenamy orders the Group to Helium IV, another gas giant. IV has seven moons, so Psenamy is hopeful that they will find some evidence of the aliens that attacked them there. One by one the moons are probed, with no result. Kadar Psenamy orders the Group onwards to Helium V, a Strug Home-like world with a single moon.
Once again the Group finds nothing of note, and so on they go to Helium VI, a another Strug-Home-like world on the inner edge of the asteroid belt. Once again they find nothing of note. Kadar Psenamy is growing frustrated. VI, in his opinion, was the most likely target as it was the only world in the system with an potentially life-bearing atmosphere. With its elimination the Kadar is forced to admit that the possibility exists that the aliens were not native to this system.
By the end of the year Kadar Psenamy and his Group are en route to Helium VII, intent on uprooting the threat to the Allied Principalities.
December 2253, Update
In light of the threat from the Helium aliens, defenses on Strug Home have been upgraded to include three AMM PDC’s. Ninety five percent of the gunboat fleet has been upgraded to the latest version, and three additional ADC’s are under construction. In addition, a new naval shipyard has been configured to produce an improved version of the Tharsis Montes Flight III CLE. Although eventually all CLE Flight II’s will be upgraded, the Navy does not intend to begin upgrade work until the current crisis is over.
If the threat from the Helium aliens can be eliminated, the Council is eager to begin expansion into Barsoom and Helium.
Tharsis Montes Flt III class Escort Cruiser 6950 tons 721 Crew 1305 BP TCS 139 TH 640 EM 780
4604 km/s Armour 2-32 Shields 26-400 Sensors 8/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 33
Annual Failure Rate: 96% IFR: 1.3% Maintenance Capacity 469 MSP Max Repair 115 MSP
MP Drive (8) Power 80 Fuel Use 60% Signature 80 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 200,000 Litres Range 86.3 billion km (217 days at full power)
Gamma R400/16 Shields (13) Total Fuel Cost 208 Litres per day
Twin 120mm C4 NUV Laser Turret (3x2) Range 96,000km TS: 16000 km/s Power 8-8 RM 3 ROF 5 4 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 0
PD Fire Control (3) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 16000 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Stellarator Fusion Reactor (4) Total Power Output 24 Armour 0 Exp 5%
GB Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 960 Range 9.6m km Resolution 60
Small AM Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 64 Range 640k km Resolution 1
GB Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 8m km
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
The replacement of the old nuclear pulse engines with the latest magneto-plasma designs almost doubles the maximum class speed. In addition, the older generators are replaced with smaller fusion plants, and the resulting space is used to increase the fuel space and armor protection.
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Kurt
