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Chronicle of the Rigellian Empire - Part 1
« on: January 25, 2015, 11:44:13 AM »
Campaign set-up
Non Real Stars
3 NPRs
Difficulty 200%
Conventional Start with 1000m population, 2000 CI, 1 shipyard (1000 ton single slipway) and 30 RL
TN Tech just learned.

Chronicle of the Rigellian Empire
Published by Oxford University Press, Y561 NCE (New Calendar Era)
N.B. All measurements and astronomical terms have been converted to Solarian standard for ease of reading. The Rigellian calendar is explained within the background section but all dates are converted to Solarian standard thereafter. Any other notes from the publisher will be in italics within parentheses and preceded by PN:.

Preface
This chronicle is the work of the Department of Imperial History at Emperor’s College, established by Emperor Jimmu and given a Royal Charter to record the expansion of the Rigellian Empire into space. While the department records a vast amount of information about the functioning of the Empire, detailing the minutiae of day to day life is not the focus of this particular chronicle. Instead, it is intended to provide a broad overview of events, with greater detail added only for those incidents that will be of significant interest to the reader. The Chancellor of the Emperor’s College is ultimately accountable for the content of the chronicle, although in reality that is more of an honourary responsibility. For all intents and purposes, the creation of this Chronicle is the primary task of the Official Historian of the Empire, who is resident at the College and may request direct access to the Emperor or the military leadership - a necessity if the chronicle is to reflect not only the actual events but the intentions behind them. It is not within the purview of the Historian to judge or try to influence Imperial policy but he is allowed to provide commentary on the potential ramifications of any decisions by the Emperor or his advisors.

Astrographical Background
The Rigel system is an astronomical rarity, with a total of four stars. Rigel-A is a bright yellow-white F1-V main sequence star orbited by a total of seven planets, including four small and airless rocky worlds, a gas giant and two superjovians. Three of those planets lie well outside the orbit of Rigel-C, at distances of 56, 95 and 181 billion kilometres, making them virtually inaccessible. Rigel-B, a yellow G1-V star, orbits the primary at 2.25 billion kilometres and is itself orbited by a sparse asteroid belt and a single rocky planet with four moons.

Rigel-C is a G3-V main sequence star orbiting twelve billion kilometres from the primary with seven planets and a substantial asteroid belt, all of which are within two billion kilometres. The two innermost worlds have high gravity, dense atmospheres and searing surface temperatures. Four of the others are gas giants with a total of seventy-two moons between them while the seventh planet is a tiny rocky world, airless and freezing. The homeworld of the Rigellian Empire, which is known officially as Rigel Prime to distinguish it from the entire star system but is generally referred to simply as Rigel, is the third moon of the first gas giant. As this means the Rigellian race evolved on the third moon of the third planet of the third star, it is no surprise that the number three has assumed great significance in Rigellian mythology. Even in the modern era the numeral is still considered lucky and old traditions linger on; for example a family without at least three children is considered incomplete. The Rigellian homeworld has gravity of 1.0G and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 1.00 atm with 0.20 atm of oxygen. The average surface temperature is 15.9C. Rigel Prime is tide-locked to Rigel-C III, orbiting once every three days at a distance of 532,000 kilometers. As the gas giant is over 150,000 kilometres in diameter it fills a considerable portion of the Rigellian sky for the facing hemisphere. Nine other moons orbit Rigel-C III so the combination of those moons, the proximity of the huge gas giant and the four stars in the system results in a constantly changing backdrop to Rigellian life that has inspired artists and poets since ancient times.

Rigel-D is of spectral class G4-V and is almost identical to Rigel-C in terms of mass and luminosity. However, it orbits at 840 billion kilometers so the two stars could not be more different from the perspective of the Rigellians. It is only since the unification of the Rigellian race, four centuries ago (PN: two centuries Solarian Standard Time), that the star has been accepted as being an integral part of the Rigel system. Rigel-D has three rocky planets, two gas giants and a superjovian, all orbiting within 700 million kilometres, plus a dense asteroid belt. One of the rocky planets, Rigel-D I, has the same hellish conditions as Rigel-C I and Rigel-C II. Collectively these three planets are known as Jigoku worlds, after a place of fire and damnation in Rigellian mythology. The other two rocky planets in the Rigel-D system are twin worlds, each approximately 5000 kilometres in diameter and orbiting each other at a distance of just 27,500 kilometers. Neither is suitable for habitation though as they lack atmospheres and the surface temperatures are below -100C. The three gas giants have twenty-five moons between them. In total, the large asteroid belts orbiting Rigel-C and Rigel-D plus the small belt orbiting Rigel-B, have more than six hundred asteroids between them that are worthy of surveying as potential mining sites.

With Rigel-C and especially Rigel-D at considerable distances from the system primary, at first glance the Rigel system could be viewed as difficult to effectively explore, which would restrict Rigellian expansion. However, armed with the knowledge gained from the recent breakthrough into trans-dimensional physics, Rigellian scientists believe that points of weakness in space-time will exist within the orbits of super-jovians, or particularly massive gas giants, approximately sixty degrees behind the location of the planets in question. These areas of weakness, known as Masaki Points, after the scientist that first theorised their existence, should allow future Rigellian spacecraft to jump from one to another. Five Masaki Points are believed to exist, including one in the orbit of Rigel-C III less than one hundred million kilometres from Rigel Prime. One of the remaining four, located in the orbit of Rigel-A VII, is effectively useless as it is more than a hundred billion kilometres from the closest planet. The other three theorised Masaki points are believed to lie in the orbits of Rigel-A IV, Rigel-C VII and Rigel-D V. While there is no Masaki Point near Rigel-B, that solar system is the least important and also is within two billion kilometers of the Masaki Point in the same orbit as Rigel-A IV.

Rigellian Calendar (This section from Oxford University Press)
This section is included here after the astrographical background to allow the reader to understand the basis for the calendar. The Rigellian homeworld orbits Rigel-C III every three (Solarian) days. Rigel-C III orbits its parent star every 181 days and Rigel-C orbits the primary every 451 (Solarian) years. These astronomical facts form the foundation of the Rigellian calendar.

The basic unit of time is the Cycle, based on the orbit of the Rigellian homeworld around Rigel-C III. Lighting conditions on the surface of Rigel Prime do not follow the same day-night sequence as a planet in a more conventional orbit. The hemisphere facing away from the gas giant has a relatively even period of sunlight and darkness based on its facing relative to Rigel-C. The hemisphere that constantly faces Rigel-C III has a period of darkness when it passes between Rigel-C and the gas giant then a second period of darkness during ’daytime’ when the gas giant blocks the sunlight. In addition, both hemispheres are affected by the positions of Rigel-A and Rigel-B, which both contribute ‘sunlight’, and by solar eclipses caused by the nine other moons of Rigel-C III. This variety of light sources and light blockers means each Cycle is different and the pattern has not repeated within recorded Rigellian history.

A Rigellian Year is comprised of sixty cycles divided into three seasons of twenty cycles each. Once every three Rigellian years the final season is twenty-one cycles, with the extra cycle being a time of festivals and celebrations with their origins in several different religions. The Rigellian calendar also has a Great Year, comprising 910 Rigellian Years, based on the orbit of Rigel-C around the primary star. To aid the reader, all Rigellian dates in this chronicle have been converted to a format that will be more familiar to a Solarian audience. Dates will follow the Solarian format and years will be based on the unification of the Rigellian home world, with the unification taking place in year 1. The discovery of Trans-Newtonian physics, known to the Rigellian Empire as Trans-Dimensional physics, took place at the start of year 200. At that point the Empire began converting its conventional industry to the new technology.

Ranks of the Imperial Rigellian Navy (in descending order)
High Swordsman
Swordsman of Many Stars
Swordsman of Stars
Swordsman of Worlds
Swordsman
Samurai

Chronicle of the Rigellian Empire - Chapter 1

The breakthrough into Trans-Dimensional Physics occurred early in Y200. Emperor Jimmu directed his administrators, scientists and military leaders to concentrate their efforts on converting existing industry and researching new technology that would improve economic, construction and production capabilities. Against the advice of his military, the Emperor decided to postpone the construction of any spacecraft until the Empire’s general level of technology was increased, although he did allow the construction and expansion of shipyards alongside the industrial expansion.

It required more than eight years to convert all the Rigellian industry to trans-dimensional technology. At the end of that time, the Rigellian industrial base included eight hundred construction factories, six hundred mines, four hundred fuel refineries and two hundred ordnance factories, although for the moment there was no ordnance to build. During the same period, six shipyards and two additional research facilities had also been constructed. Research and development finally moved on to ship-based systems and in October Y209, the first two Rigellian spacecraft were launched – a pair of Kobyashi Maru class freighters. Emperor Jimmu had maintained his view that technology should be significantly upgraded before any ship designs were finalised, which meant designs based on nuclear thermal or nuclear pulse engine technology had been passed over in favour of waiting for the superior ion drive technology. A third Kobyashi was constructed several months later.

Code: [Select]
Kobyashi Maru class Freighter    41,700 tons     195 Crew     754.2 BP      TCS 834  TH 1800  EM 0
2158 km/s     Armour 1-107     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 11    Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 2   
Cargo 25000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 15   

Commercial Ion Drive (6)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres    Range 20.9 billion km   (112 days at full power)

Almost a year later, in August Y210, three Kamakuta Maru class colony ships were launched. They were based on very similar technology to the freighters, except for the replacement of the cargo hold with cryogenic transport modules and the addition of a passive EM sensor. The colony ships were used to establish a colony on Rigel-A II, with the necessary infrastructure was transported by the freighters. The planet was inhospitable, with a surface temperature of 154C and no atmosphere. However, it provided a Rigellian presence in the Rigel-A solar system and gave the Empire valuable experience in the setting up of off-world colonies. The hostile environment of Rigel-A II raised the question of terraforming, which lead to a new research project to develop ship-based terraforming systems.

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Kamakuta Maru class Colony Ship    29,100 tons     242 Crew     1192 BP      TCS 582  TH 1800  EM 0
3092 km/s     Armour 1-84     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/8/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 26    Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 0   
Cryogenic Berths 50000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 15   

Commercial Ion Drive (6)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres    Range 25.0 billion km   (93 days at full power)
Muso-Murakami EM-8 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 8     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  8m km

A month later, the first non-commercial vessels were launched from the Kazuyoshi Marine orbital shipyard. Fuji and Yashima were both 8000 ton geological survey vessels, designed for long-term deployment in deep space. Within the previous three years Rigellian scientists had made a breakthrough into jump point theory, building on the knowledge gained from the Masaki Points. The newly theorised Jump Points were areas of space-time even weaker than the Masaki Points and would allow jumps across interstellar space, although in this case pairs of jump points in different star system were directly linked, making them less flexible than their in-system equivalents. In addition, a special ‘jump drive’ would be needed to open the jump points for transit. Development teams transformed this theoretical knowledge into a working drive and the Fuji class became the first ‘jump-capable’ Rigellian design.

Code: [Select]
Fuji class Geological Survey Vessel    8,000 tons     207 Crew     1185.75 BP      TCS 160  TH 450  EM 0
2812 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1-35     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/24/0/4     Damage Control Rating 10     PPV 0
Maint Life 6.7 Years     MSP 926    AFR 51%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 36    5YR 537    Max Repair 128 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 60 months    Spare Berths 1   

Mitsuharu Syndicate MJD-80 Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 8000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-225E Ion Drive (2)    Power 225    Fuel Use 25.57%    Signature 225    Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 1,000,000 Litres    Range 88.0 billion km   (362 days at full power)

Muso-Murakami MM-30 Active Search Sensor (1)     GPS 4320     Range 31.5m km    Resolution 120
Muso-Murakami EM-24 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 24     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  24m km
Geological Survey Sensors (4)   4 Survey Points Per Hour

What lay beyond the Rigel system was a matter for energetic debate. Some Rigellian scientists (and the senior members of the remaining Rigellian religions) believed that Rigel was home to the only sentient species in the universe, while other scientists shared varying degrees of concern regarding the possibility of technologically advanced and potentially hostile aliens. The former group saw no point in wasting time and resources on militarising space while the latter strongly believed that building warships that never saw action was infinitely preferable to the Empire finding itself defenceless against an alien invasion force.

With Rigel facing significant population growth, due to the long-standing tradition of large families and the lack of the war and disease that had restricted such growth in the past, Emperor Jimmu wished to concentrate resources on expansion and the founding of colonies in other star systems. He was not entirely without sympathy for the more militaristic faction (who preferred to be known as the realistic faction), so while he did not authorise the development of weapon systems for the Fuji class, he did order the class to be equipped with a capable sensor suite so that it could detect any signs of alien life and report back to the homeworld. He also instructed Rigellian scientists to develop more military-related systems so that warships could be quickly developed if the need arose. Additional military shipyards were built and expanded with the same philosophy in mind.

Another new class was launched in September Y210 – the Nenryo Habesuta class Fuel Harvester. The Nenryo Habesuta was built in anticipation of the Fuji class finding gaseous Sorium in the atmosphere of gas giants and superjovians. Once a source of Sorium was located, the harvester would be sent to orbit the planet in question in order to extract and refine the Sorium into fuel. This was by far the largest Rigellian design to date and benefitted from the large commercial shipyard that was built within the first few years after the discovery of trans-dimensional physics and had been expanded ever since.

Code: [Select]
Nenryo Habesuta class Fuel Harvester    116,250 tons     537 Crew     2150 BP      TCS 2325  TH 1500  EM 0
645 km/s     Armour 1-212     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/8/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 12    Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 0   
Fuel Harvester: 40 modules producing 1280000 litres per annum

Commercial Ion Drive (5)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 1,500,000 Litres    Range 37.5 billion km   (673 days at full power)
Muso-Murakami EM-8 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 8     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  8m km

The decision to build the Nenryo Habesuta class was vindicated by the discovery in October Y210 of twenty million tons of accessibility 0.8 Sorium in the atmosphere of Rigel-A III. Two months later, 390,000 tons of accessibility 1.0 Sorium was discovered in the atmosphere of Rigel-C VI. While the latter planet was harder to reach and had far less Sorium, the higher accessibility was the deciding factor in making Rigel-C VI the destination of Rigellian fuel harvesters for the foreseeable future. By the end of September Y211, the addition of Asahi, Hatsuse and Shikishima meant that five Fuji class vessels were in operation. Unfortunately, with the exception of the two Sorium discoveries, the results of their geological survey of the Rigel system were very disappointing. Significant quantities of minerals were found on the innermost two planets of Rigel-C but at minimal accessibility. Several asteroids did have higher accessibility deposits but in very limited quantities. It was obvious to the Emperor and his advisors that the future needs of Rigellian industry could not be met without mining colonies in other star systems.

Rigel-C I Mineral Survey
Duranium 163,081,800  Acc: 0.1
Neutronium 540,225  Acc: 0.2
Corbomite 396,900  Acc: 0.4
Tritanium 13,505,630  Acc: 0.1
Boronide 63,680,400  Acc: 0.1
Mercassium 22,325,620  Acc: 0.1
Vendarite 41,024,020  Acc: 0.1
Uridium 6,890,625  Acc: 0.1

In January 2011, the first Jeneshisu class Terraformer was launched from the Yasuda Orbital Shipyard. Its initial task would be to create an atmosphere of anti-greenhouse gas for Rigel-A II in order to dramatically lower the temperature. Alone, it would need decades to carry out such an endeavour so additional terraformers would be constructed. The population on Rigel-A II was growing rapidly, primarily because a civilian corporation, Kasai Shipping Lines, was offering passage to the new colony and using the proceeds to transport infrastructure to the planet. Despite the inhospitable conditions there were sufficient would-be settlers to make this a successful business model.

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Jeneshisu class Terraformer    61,750 tons     310 Crew     1589.2 BP      TCS 1235  TH 1200  EM 0
971 km/s     Armour 1-139     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 16    Max Repair 500 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 2   
Terraformer: 2 module(s) producing 0.0024 atm per annum

Commercial Ion Drive (4)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres    Range 14.1 billion km   (168 days at full power)

The process of finding mining sites outside the Rigel system began on October 27th Y211 with the launching of Kashima, the first gravitational survey vessel. The Kashima class was based on the Fuji design but had twenty percent more hull space dedicated to engines at the expense of survey sensors and fuel. As the Kashima would spend more time travelling between survey locations and less time actually surveying than the Fuji, this was believed to be an acceptable trade-off. Time would tell if the reduced endurance would prove to be an issue. The Kashima also had a more capable active sensor as a result of improvement in overall sensor technology.

Code: [Select]
Kashima class Gravitational Survey Vessel    8,000 tons     206 Crew     1100.5 BP      TCS 160  TH 540  EM 0
3375 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1-35     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/24/3/0     Damage Control Rating 10     PPV 0
Maint Life 6.54 Years     MSP 860    AFR 51%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 35    5YR 521    Max Repair 128 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 60 months    Spare Berths 0   

Mitsuharu Syndicate MJD-80 Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 8000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-180E Ion Drive (3)    Power 180    Fuel Use 27.28%    Signature 180    Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 750,000 Litres    Range 61.9 billion km   (212 days at full power)

Muso-Murakami MM-42 Active Search Sensor (1)     GPS 5760     Range 42.1m km    Resolution 120
Muso-Murakami EM-24 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 24     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  24m km
Gravitational Survey Sensors (3)   3 Survey Points Per Hour

The first jump point was discovered in June Y212. As Kashima was needed to continue the survey of the Rigel system, the geological survey ships Fuji and Yashima were assigned the task of exploring whatever lay beyond the jump point. Fuji, under the command of Swordsman Terakado Kiyonaga (PN: Rigellian names have the family name first followed by the given name), carried out the first interstellar transit in Rigellian history on June 22nd Y212. The ship appeared an instant later eight hundred million kilometers from an orange K8-V star with five planets, none of which were habitable. The system was named Tokyo. Yashima transited and held position at the jump point while Fuji moved in-system to carry out a geological survey and check for any sign of an alien presence. Tokyo proved to be another disappointment, with extremely limited mineral resources.

A second jump point was discovered on July 10th Y212. The geological survey ships Asahi and Shikishima carried out the probe and discovered Osaka, a much more promising system with a G5-V primary and eight planets, two of which had nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres and acceptable gravity. Osaka IV had an atmosphere of 0.20 atm with 0.03 atm of oxygen and a surface temperature of -44C. Osaka V had a breathable atmosphere of 0.43 atm but the surface temperature was -100C. The mineral survey yielded vast quantities of accessible Duranium and one huge deposit of accessible Corundium which would ensure the Empire had sufficient supplies of those two minerals for decades, perhaps centuries. Equally large deposits were found of several other minerals, although these were at minimal accessibility and spread between different locations.
 
Osaka III Mineral Survey
Duranium 45,277,130  Acc: 0.9
Neutronium 19,829,210  Acc: 0.1
Tritanium 9,678,321  Acc: 0.2
Corundium 22,061,810  Acc: 0.9
Gallicite 3,721  Acc: 0.1

Osaka IV Mineral Survey
Duranium 66,355,200  Acc: 0.8
Corbomite 26,625,600  Acc: 0.1
Boronide 24,206,400  Acc: 0.4
Uridium 9,000,000  Acc: 0.3

Osaka V Mineral Survey
Duranium 82,355,780  Acc: 0.9
Sorium 37,711,880  Acc: 0.1
Uridium 16,016,000  Acc: 0.1
Corundium 26,071,240  Acc: 0.1

Katori, the second Kashima class, and Mikasa, the sixth and final Fuji class, were launched on October 22nd Y212. Katori joined the ongoing survey of the Rigel system and soon thereafter discovered two new jump points, leading to the systems of Yokohama and Nagoya. Yokohama was a planetless white dwarf system while Nagoya had a yellow-white F3-V primary and seven planets, none of which was close to habitable. The innermost planet was colony cost 2.00 but had no atmosphere and a surface temperature of 72C, making it a poor candidate for potential terraforming. No further jump points were found in Rigel and the gravitational survey of the system was completed in February Y213. After a brief overhaul, Kashima and Katori moved into Osaka, the best of the four systems connected to Rigel, to begin a new survey.

In April Y213 Kashima found the first jump point in Osaka. Mikasa carried out the transit and entered Kyoto, a system with two rocky planets and a single gas giant, none of which yielded any significant mineral deposits. Three months later Mikasa entered a second jump point, this time with considerably more interesting results. The new system was named Kawasaki and, like Rigel, was comprised of four stars. The primary was a blinding white A0-V, orbited by an orange K0-V at two point seven billion kilometres and a yellow G6-V at nine billion kilometres. The G-class star had a planetless white dwarf companion at less than four hundred million kilometres. Two planets, orbiting the K-class and G-class stars, had thin nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres and surface temperatures close to the habitable range for Rigellians, making them good terraforming candidates.  Three additional bodies, all of which lacked an atmosphere, were colony cost 2.00. In total, Kawasaki had ten planets, almost fifty moons and more than a hundred asteroids. Unfortunately, there were no Masaki points in the system, which meant the distant solar system of the G-class would have to be reached by normal means. Of far more interest than Kawasaki’s astrographical idiosyncrasies was the pair of wrecked alien spacecraft.

The first wreck was 16,300 tons and located near a gas giant in orbit of the K-class star. The second was 8,250 tons was in orbit of the second planet of the G-class star, one of the two nitrogen-oxygen worlds in Kawasaki. Swordsman Takemago Katsumi, commanding officer of Mikasa, immediately ordered his ship out of the system to raise the alarm. Three other ships were in Osaka; the gravitational survey ships Kashima and Katori and the geological survey vessel Shikishima. Swordsman Takemago contacted Swordsman of Worlds Nagumo Rintaro on the Kashima, the senior office in the system, and provided a report on the wrecks in Kawasaki. Swordsman of Worlds Nagumo ordered Takemago to hold his ship ten million kilometres from the Kawasaki jump point with her active sensors engaged, providing warning of any alien pursuit, then ordered Shikishima to head for Rigel to warn the Emperor. For the moment, Kashima and Katori continued their search for additional jump points

The arrival of Shikishima triggered near panic at the Imperial Palace. No Rigellian warships had even been designed, let alone constructed, and now Mikasa had provided not only firm evidence for the existence of sentient alien life, but also evidence that a battle had taken place just two transits from Rigel. The Emperor demanded that a battle fleet be constructed immediately. His military advisors warned that many of the technical systems required for new warships were not available due to the decision to concentrate on economic expansion. In addition, Duranium production was not keeping pace with demand and no stockpile was available. However, there was some good news in that much of the background technologies that would support military development were available and military shipyards had been constructed and expanded. In the meantime, Shikishima was ordered to hold position ten million kilometres from the Rigel – Osaka jump points, providing a second picket line in case anything unfortunate happened to Mikasa. The Emperor forbade any more jump point exploration until sufficient warships were available to cover the operation, although gravitational surveys of the known systems would continue.

By the end of October Y213, new systems had been developed and the design of the first Rigellian warship, the Kongo class battlecruiser, had been finalised. Retooling began at the Kazuyoshi Marine orbital shipyard, which had built the Fuji class survey ships, Unfortunately, the retooling process alone would take six months so the first Kongo would not even be laid down until April Y214. To speed up the overall process, all of the primary components for the new class would be built in factories while the retooling process was underway. Beginning missile production was much faster so the new ships would have a ready stockpile of ordnance by the time they were completed. Kazuyoshi Marine was the second largest military shipyard, with three slipways of 15,000 ton capacity. An even larger military shipyard was available but was reserved for a larger class that was still in the concept stage. Two smaller military shipyards, both with three slipways of 9000 tons, would be used for escorts and energy-armed warships once a number of planned research projects were completed.

Meanwhile, life in the Rigellian Empire continued. The gravitational survey of Osaka was completed in November Y213. One additional jump point was discovered, although not explored due to the Emperor’s moratorium. Work on commercial designs, such as freighters and colony ships, was winding down with the emphasis changing to warship production. However, a few ships were still under construction, including a new freighter design with double the capacity of the original Kobyashi Maru and a variant of that design that included a jump engine. The first jump freighter was launched at the end of Y213. As there had been no sign of aliens entering Osaka from Kawasaki in the previous six months and Mikasa was still picketing the Kawasaki jump point, the Emperor gave permission to begin limited exploitation of the Osaka system. The jump freighter was stationed on the Rigel – Osaka jump point to provide an escort for transiting ships, which allowed an expedition of freighters and colony ships to establish a small colony on Osaka IV. While it did not have the best mineral deposits in the system, it did possess large quantities of accessible Duranium and was the most hospitable of the potential colony sites. As very few automated mines were available, a colony with lesser minerals but good terraforming potential appeared to be a better long-term prospect.

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Kobyashi Maru - Mod 1 class Freighter    82,500 tons     350 Crew     1379.8 BP      TCS 1650  TH 3600  EM 0
2181 km/s     Armour 1-168     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 10    Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 0   
Cargo 50000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 15   

Commercial Ion Drive (12)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 17.6 billion km   (93 days at full power)

Code: [Select]
Kobyashi Maru - Mod J2 class Jump Freighter    82,500 tons     439 Crew     1942.8 BP      TCS 1650  TH 3600  EM 0
2181 km/s    JR 2-25(C)     Armour 1-168     Shields 0-0     Sensors 6/8/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 15    Max Repair 227 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 1   
Cargo 25000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 15   

Mitsuharu Syndicate JD-820 Commercial Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 82500 tons    Distance 25k km     Squadron Size 2
Commercial Ion Drive (12)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 3,250,000 Litres    Range 114.5 billion km   (607 days at full power)

Muso-Murakami MM-15 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 2240     Range 15.1m km    Resolution 140
Muso-Murakami TH-6 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  6m km
Muso-Murakami EM-8 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 8     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  8m km

Kongo, Kirishima and Haruna, the first three Kongo class battlecruisers, were launched from the Kazuyoshi Marine Shipyard in early September Y214.  Because all of their major components were pre-built, their construction took less than four months, requiring little more than creating a framework within which to assemble those components. The Kongo class was uncompromisingly designed as a long-range missile combatant, intended to target enemy warships beyond the range at which they could respond. Recent advances in sensor technology allowed the creation of sensors and fire controls with a range of one hundred and fifty million kilometers without being prohibitively large. The Kongo could carry one hundred and sixty-eight Meteor anti-ship missiles and launch them in salvos of twelve. Three more Kongos were laid down and once again most of their components were already available so their construction time would only be a few months.

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Kongo class Battlecruiser    15,000 tons     372 Crew     2184.72 BP      TCS 300  TH 1200  EM 0
4000 km/s     Armour 5-54     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/33/0/0     Damage Control Rating 7     PPV 60
Maint Life 2.41 Years     MSP 637    AFR 257%    IFR 3.6%    1YR 150    5YR 2256    Max Repair 126 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 1   
Magazine 840   

Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-240 Ion Drive (5)    Power 240    Fuel Use 56%    Signature 240    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 800,000 Litres    Range 17.1 billion km   (49 days at full power)

Tamuro-Soga Heavy Industries Dragon-5 Missile Launch System (12)    Missile Size 5    Rate of Fire 40
Nagumo Engineering FC-150 Missile Fire Control (2)     Range 151.8m km    Resolution 120
ASM-1 Meteor Anti-ship Missile (168)  Speed: 24,000 km/s   Range: 140.1m km   WH: 9    Size: 5    TH: 80/48/24

Nagumo Engineering AS-150 Area Search Sensor (1)     GPS 15120     Range 151.8m km    Resolution 120
Muso-Murakami EM-33 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 33     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  33m km
 
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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: Chronicle of the Rigellian Empire - Part 1
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2015, 11:46:40 AM »
Gravitational surveys of Tokyo and Yokohama were completed in late Y214, revealing that both systems were dead-ends with no jump points other than those leading to Rigel. Routes for Rigellian expansion were now restricted to the Osaka and Nagoya systems. Osaka had three outward jump points, one of which was unexplored while the others led to Kyoto and Kawasaki, the latter being the location of the two alien shipwrecks. The survey of Nagoya was still underway but appeared promising with three new jump points already located. A small colony had been created on Osaka IV, which could serve as a base for future expansion down the Osaka chain. The Emperor also gave permission for a colony to be created on the airless planet Nagoya I to serve a similar purpose for future exploration in that direction. In Rigel, the first sign that supplies of minerals would become an issue in the future was the exhaustion of Mercassium deposits on the Rigellian homeworld. This was not an immediate issue as a stockpile of 40,000 tons had been built up. However, Mercassium was required for several vital purposes, including life support for ships, the construction of research facilities and the building of cryogenic transport modules for colony ships, so a new source would have to be found in the medium term.

Y215 was relatively quiet, as the Empire geared up its warship production. Three new Kongo class battlecruisers, Fuso, Hiei and Yamashiro, were launched on January 25th. In early May, the Rigellian homeworld exhausted its deposits of Boronide, used in many power systems. In November, the Imperial Rigellian Navy received the first four units of its second warship class – the Kagero class Destroyer. Akigumo, Arashi, Kagero and Kuroshio were energy-armed combatants designed for close combat. They would serve both as fleet escorts, defending the Kongo class battlecruisers or other capital ships, and independently, assaulting and defending jump points or raiding enemy commerce. Unlike the Kongos they were not reliant on a supply chain for their weapon systems, which would be vital if the Rigellian Empire found itself in a prolonged conflict.

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Kagero class Destroyer    9,000 tons     278 Crew     1558.8 BP      TCS 180  TH 720  EM 0
4000 km/s     Armour 5-38     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/11/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 50
Maint Life 2.96 Years     MSP 541    AFR 129%    IFR 1.8%    1YR 92    5YR 1383    Max Repair 120 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 18 months    Spare Berths 0    

Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-240 Ion Drive (3)    Power 240    Fuel Use 56%    Signature 240    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 17.9 billion km   (51 days at full power)

25cm C4 Ultraviolet Spinal Laser (1)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4000 km/s     Power 16-4     RM 4    ROF 20
20cm C4 Ultraviolet Laser (7)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4000 km/s     Power 10-4     RM 4    ROF 15
Katsumata Design Bureau KDB-128R Beam Fire Control (2)    Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 4000 km/s
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (7)     Total Power Output 31.5    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Muso-Murakami MM-75 Active Search Sensor (1)     GPS 7560     Range 75.9m km    Resolution 120
Muso-Murakami EM-11 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 11     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  11m km

Expansion of the Imperial Rigellian Navy continued in Y216 with the introduction of two new warship classes, the Nagara class Destroyer Leader and the Matsukaze class Destroyer Escort, plus the construction of three new Kongos, Hyuga, Mutsu and Nagato, and three new Kageros, Asagumo, Kasumi and Yamagumo. The single Nagara was a modified Kagero which replaced most of its armament with a newly designed jump drive and the most capable sensor suite of any Rigellian warship. Its intended role was to lead destroyer squadrons on independent operations. The Matsukaze class was a pure escort design, equipped with sensors and fire controls that could detect and track incoming missiles. Fifteen Tamuro-Soga Heavy Industries Dragon-1 Missile Launch Systems provided the firepower necessary to defend the fleet, launching ninety anti-missiles per minute. A large magazine capacity allowed the Matsukaze to carry more than six hundred defensive missiles. Three units of the class, Asakaze, Harukaze and Matsukaze were launched from the Yoshioka Orbital Shipyard in June Y216.

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Nagara class Destroyer Leader    9,000 tons     247 Crew     1371.8 BP      TCS 180  TH 720  EM 0
4000 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 5-38     Shields 0-0     Sensors 18/33/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 20
Maint Life 2.44 Years     MSP 476    AFR 129%    IFR 1.8%    1YR 110    5YR 1651    Max Repair 126 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 18 months    Spare Berths 1    

Mitsuharu Syndicate MJD-90 Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 9000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-240 Ion Drive (3)    Power 240    Fuel Use 56%    Signature 240    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 17.9 billion km   (51 days at full power)

25cm C4 Ultraviolet Spinal Laser (1)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4000 km/s     Power 16-4     RM 4    ROF 20
20cm C4 Ultraviolet Laser (2)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4000 km/s     Power 10-4     RM 4    ROF 15
Katsumata Design Bureau KDB-128R Beam Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 4000 km/s
Small Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 3.15    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (2)     Total Power Output 9    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Nagumo Engineering AS-150 Area Search Sensor (1)     GPS 15120     Range 151.8m km    Resolution 120
Muso-Murakami TH-18 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  18m km
Muso-Murakami EM-33 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 33     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  33m km

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Matsukaze class Destroyer Escort    9,000 tons     192 Crew     1482.8 BP      TCS 180  TH 720  EM 0
4000 km/s     Armour 4-38     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 4     PPV 15
Maint Life 2.3 Years     MSP 412    AFR 162%    IFR 2.2%    1YR 105    5YR 1581    Max Repair 189 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 16 months    Spare Berths 0    
Magazine 615    

Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-240 Ion Drive (3)    Power 240    Fuel Use 56%    Signature 240    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 17.9 billion km   (51 days at full power)

Tamuro-Soga Heavy Industries Dragon-1 Missile Launch System (15)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 10
Nagumo Engineering FC-20 Missile Fire Control (3)     Range 20.8m km    Resolution 1
AMM-3 Nova II (615)  Speed: 33,600 km/s   End: 4.8m    Range: 9.8m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 156/94/47

Muso-Murakami MM-75 Active Search Sensor (1)     GPS 7560     Range 75.9m km    Resolution 120
Nagumo Engineering MD-2 Missile Detection Sensor (1)     GPS 189     Range 20.8m km    MCR 2.3m km    Resolution 1

In addition to the warship production, several freighters and colony ships were produced, plus the first Azusa Maru class Tanker. Rigellian survey ships, particularly the Kashima class, were proving to have less endurance than had been anticipated which would become an increasing problem as surveying operations moved further from Rigel. With the introduction of the Azusa Maru, those survey operations could either by directly supported by the tanker or, more likely, supported by the creation of refuelling bases in key systems. The new tanker’s initial task was to establish fuel stockpiles at the two Rigellian colonies in Osaka and Nagoya. In July Y216, when the Azusa Maru made its deliveries, the populations of the colonies were 900,000 and 300,000 respectively.

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Azusa Maru class Tanker    23,400 tons     139 Crew     1225.8 BP      TCS 468  TH 1500  EM 0
3205 km/s     Armour 1-72     Shields 0-0     Sensors 6/11/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 33    Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 3    

Commercial Ion Drive (5)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 10,000,000 Litres    Range 1242.6 billion km   (4487 days at full power)

Muso-Murakami TH-6 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  6m km
Muso-Murakami EM-11 Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 11     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  11m km

In early May Y217 the first Rigellian jump gate construction ship was completed. Given sufficient time, the Kochiku Suru class would open up the universe for commercial traffic, including that owned by civilian shipping lines.

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Kochiku Suru class Construction Ship    69,500 tons     285 Crew     1838.4 BP      TCS 1390  TH 2100  EM 0
1510 km/s     Armour 1-150     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
MSP 17    Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Spare Berths 2    
Jump Gate Construction Ship: 180 days

Commercial Ion Drive (7)    Power 300    Fuel Use 6.19%    Signature 300    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 20.9 billion km   (160 days at full power)

A second Nagara was constructed in June and three new Matsukaze class escorts were launched in August, along with a new Kagero. The Imperial Rigellian Navy now comprised nine Kongo class BC, eight Kagero class DD, six Matsukaze class DE and two Nagara class DL. By November, a jump gate had been constructed at the Rigel – Osaka jump point, allowing the Kongo class battlecruisers to enter Osaka. High Swordsman Takagi Isoruku, the senior officer of the Imperial Rigellian Navy, split his ships into two major formations; the First and Second Striking Forces. The Second Striking Force comprised three Kongos, three Kageros, three Matsukazes and a Nagara with the remaining ships forming the larger First Striking Force. High Swordsman Takagi ordered the Second Striking Force to proceed through the Osaka system to the Osaka – Kawasaki jump point, where the Kongos would be detached. The Nagara would open the jump points for the other six destroyer-sized vessels, and all seven ships would investigate the two wrecked alien ships while the Kongos provided cover in the case of a retreat. The Second Striking Force would be commanded by Swordsman of Stars Morimoto.

After refuelling at Osaka IV, the Second Striking Force rendezvoused with the geological survey ship Asahi, which was acting as a picket ten million kilometres from the Kawasaki jump point, on December 9th. As planned, the battlecruisers Fuso, Hyuga and Yamashiro remained with Asahi to cover the jump point while the Nagara and the other six destroyers entered Kawasaki and set a course to investigate the closer wreck. Twelve days later, they moved into orbit of Kawasaki-C III, just within sensor range of the wreck which was in orbit of Kawasaki-C I. After holding position for a day, they resumed their approach and arrived at the wreck without incident. As Kawasaki-C was less than three billion kilometres from the primary star, the squadron checked the planets of the primary star, finding nothing, before returning to Osaka due to a shortage of fuel. A tanker arrived to refuel the destroyers, after which they returned to Kawasaki to investigate the second wreck, more than six billion kilometres from the jump point in orbit of Kawasaki-B II. Again, they found nothing. It appeared that whatever aliens had been in the Kawasaki system at some point in the past were no longer present.

After conferring with the Emperor, High Swordsman Takagi authorised a full survey of Kawasaki. The gravitational survey ships Kashima and Katori and the geological survey ships Fuji and Hatsuse had already arrivedy at the Osaka – Kawasaki jump point and immediately entered the system. Meanwhile the Rigellian destroyers returned to Osaka to refuel once again. Along with the three Kongo class battlecruisers and a tanker they moved to the system’s remaining unexplored jump point, where once again they proceeded alone to investigate the system beyond. The new system, Kobe, had a yellow G4-V primary and eight planets, one of which was a long-term terraforming candidate with a colony cost of 2.35. Once the planets were confirmed as uninhabited another survey mission began, this time involving GSV Kawachi, GSV Sagami, GEV Mikasa and GEV Shikishima.

The capabilities of the Imperial Rigellian Navy improved significantly on February 26th Y218 with the launch of two 36,000 ton Akagi class carriers. Akagi and Kaga, plus the fighters they would carry, were the culmination of an intensive research and development program while the orbital shipyard from which they had been launched, the Takimoto-Sakai Naval Shipyard, was  the oldest Rigellian shipyard and had been expanded for more than fifteen years to reach its current size. As the Akagi class was designed purely to carry, refuel and rearm fighters, its armour was relatively weak, especially given its size, and it carried no weapons. A capacious hangar bay enabled the Akagi to carry forty A6M Reisen fighters, the magazine capacity provided two full reloads for the strikegroup and the large fuel bays would permit the Akagi to support multiple long-range strikes. Any Rigellian Striking Force that included one or more carriers would be designated as a Carrier Striking Force.

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Akagi class Carrier    36,000 tons     602 Crew     4288 BP      TCS 720  TH 2880  EM 0
4000 km/s     Armour 3-97     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 25     PPV 0
Maint Life 2.07 Years     MSP 1861    AFR 414%    IFR 5.8%    1YR 578    5YR 8666    Max Repair 240 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Flight Crew Berths 140    
Hangar Deck Capacity 12000 tons     Magazine 1200    

Sakurai Drive Systems SDS-480 Ion Drive (6)    Power 480    Fuel Use 36%    Signature 480    Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 2,250,000 Litres    Range 31.3 billion km   (90 days at full power)

ASM-4 Comet Anti-ship Missile (240)  Speed: 28,800 km/s   Range: 52.9m km   WH: 9    Size: 5    TH: 96/57/28
Nagumo Engineering AS-150 Area Search Sensor (1)     GPS 15120     Range 151.8m km    Resolution 120

Strike Group
40x A6M Reisen Fighter   Speed: 8149 km/s    Size: 5.89

The A6M Reisen was a twin-engined fighter capable of delivering three full-size anti-ship missiles at up to a billion kilometres from its mothership. Due to the size constraints associated with such a small craft, its fire control system was restricted to an  engagement range of thirty-eight million kilometres. Therefore, the ASM-4 Comet had been designed with a higher speed but shorter range than the existing ASM-1 Meteor, used by the Kongo class battlecruisers. The A6M did have an onboard active sensor with a range of ten million kilometres but this was intended for emergency use only. It was anticipated that the fighters would attack within the sensor coverage of other fleet units. Initially, the plan was for this sensor coverage to be provided by a specialised fighter. However, a new destroyer-sized ship was under development that would have a sensor range that exceeded the operational radius of the Reisen.

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A6M Reisen class Fighter    295 tons     3 Crew     58.4 BP      TCS 5.89  TH 48  EM 0
8149 km/s     Armour 1-3     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 2.25
Maint Life 0 Years     MSP 0    AFR 58%    IFR 0.8%    1YR 3    5YR 50    Max Repair 12 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 0.2 months    Spare Berths 0    
Magazine 15    

Nakajima Sakae Fighter Engine (2)    Power 24    Fuel Use 336.02%    Signature 24    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 1.8 billion km   (62 hours at full power)

TSH Dragon-5B Missile Launch System (3)    Missile Size 5    Hangar Reload 37.5 minutes    MF Reload 6.2 hours
Nagumo Engineering FC-40 Missile Fire Control (1)     Range 38.0m km    Resolution 120
ASM-4 Comet Anti-ship Missile (3)  Speed: 28,800 km/s   End: 30.6m    Range: 52.9m km   WH: 9    Size: 5    TH: 96/57/28

Nagumo Engineering AS-10 Active Sensor (1)     GPS 1008     Range 10.1m km    Resolution 120

The geological survey of Kawasaki, the system in which the pair of alien wrecks were located, revealed the remains of two alien colonies. One was a ruin, with the signs of ancient orbital bombardment, but the other appeared to have been abandoned rather than destroyed. Xenology teams were dispatched to both sites. The ruined colony was on Kawasaki-B II, in orbit of which was one of the alien wrecks. The planet had a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 0.17 atm and a surface temperature of -6C, making it a reasonable terraforming candidate, so the Emperor authorised the creation of a small Rigellian settlement. The abandoned colony was on the twenty-second moon of Kawasaki-C I, a gas giant that was the location of the second alien wreck. The moon was 5000 kilometres in diameter but had a low density that resulted in a gravity of just 0.2G – below the habitable range for Rigellians. Any colony on that world would have to be based in some form of orbital habitat or perhaps in underground colonies with artificial gravity. Neither technology was available to the Empire.

Investigation of the ruins required almost eight months. By late December Y218 the xenology teams finally deciphered the language and symbology of the aliens, known as the Pandesmos Empire, that founded the two colonies. In addition, the teams identified a large number of alien installations that were relatively intact and could be recoverable. Seventy-one installations were within the ruined colony and four hundred and forty-one were identified at the abandoned colony. Recovery of the alien installations would require specialised ground units and neither they, nor the means to transport them, existed. It would take some time before the Rigellian Empire could take advantage of this major discovery.

to be continued...
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 03:51:17 PM by Steve Walmsley »