Author Topic: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10  (Read 5765 times)

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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« on: September 28, 2010, 08:40:28 AM »
1st July 2033
The Eridani Republic is born. The newest member of NATO consists of five populated colonies, four of which are in Epsilon Eridani and the fifth in Tau Ceti, a mining colony and a moon used to store inactive shipyards. The first elected President is Arno von Kolbe, ex-Rear Admiral in the NATO naval forces. After his return from Gliese 87, the story of his task group's battle for survival and its seven months of hiding from advanced alien warships made the admiral into an instant celebrity. His warnings that NATO and the Eridani Republic in particular should be more proactive in dealing with alien threats and the danger posed by the Soviet Union were dismissed by many NATO leaders so he resigned his commission in order to become a presidential candidate, fighting on a platform of strengthening NATO defences. Although his campaign was credible and well fought, he was lying third in the polls until the destruction of the Goavelha survey ship. His message of peace though superior firepower found a very attentive audience and his poll rating soared. President von Kolbe intends to use his new position to ensure that NATO, and the Eridani Republic in particular, is capable of handling any threat posed by the Goavelha Host, the Golems or the Soviet Union.

4th July 2033
The atmosphere of 70 Ophuichi III is breathable. The Chinese-founded and Soviet-occupied colony still requires infrastructure due to the -30C temperature. The five Chinese-built terraformers in orbit will now add a safe greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.

14th July 2033
Disassembly of a Goavelha close-in weapons system recovered from the jump gate construction ship reveals it has a more advanced beam fire control system than its NATO equivalent. While the two human powers appear to have the edge in engine technology, it would be dangerous to assume that represented a general technology advantage.

15th July 2033
The Roanoke Shipyards launch the Illustrious Mod 1 Light Carriers Implacable and Indomitable. They both set course for Earth to take on new fighters as they are built.

18th July 2033
The Soviet gravitational survey ship Mars, operating in Luyten 726-8, discovers a third jump point. Given what happened at the jump point to Gliese 908, it will remain unexplored for the moment.

29th July 2033
After finding no sign of life in EP Eridani the Indefatigable task group returns to Gliese 87 and probes the remaining unexplored jump point, discovering Luyten 1305-10. The system has an M4-V red dwarf primary and six unremarkable planets. The only item of interest is that the jump point is just one point five million kilometers from the star, which is closer than any other jump point in known space.

10th August 2033
The NATO xenology team on New Plymouth, the seventh moon of Tau Ceti IV, finally cracks the language of the alien race that abandoned the partially intact colony on the moon. The team estimates that as many as two hundred and eighty installations or items in storage may still be recoverable by NATO engineers. The alien race that originally founded the colony were known as the Bahraich Enclave.

8th September 2033
The Soviet Union completes the gravitational survey of Luyten 726-8, finding one more jump point. The system has four jump points in total, two of which lead to Sol and the Goavelha system of Gliese 908. The other two remain unexplored. All four have jump gates. Two Soviet freighters have made a run into the system and unloaded two deep space tracking stations on the captured Goavelha colony on the second planet of the primary. There has been no contact with the Goavelha Host since the destruction of Gorshkov.

26th September 2033
NATO engineers recover a mining complex from the alien ruins on New Plymouth; the first Bahraich installation to be restored.

28th September 2033
The Soviet Union detects a Goavelha ship in Alpha Centauri. The system is a binary, with a yellow G2-V primary similar to Sol and an orange K1-V secondary component separated by three and a half billion kilometers. The orbit of the K1-V is bringing it closer to the Sol jump point. It was over three billion kilometers  away when the system was first explored in 2027 and is now just one point five billion kilometers away. The main Soviet colony in Alpha Centauri is on the third planet of the B component and it has grown considerably since the addition of Chinese shipping to the Soviet fleet. The population is forty-four million and the colony is home to two hundred and seventy construction factories, eleven terraforming installations and a commercial spaceport. A small secondary colony of three point three million has been established on the third planet of the primary. Both colonies have sufficient maintenance facilities to support FACs. Six have been assigned to Alpha Centauri-B III but none to Alpha Centauri-A III. Neither colony has any deep space tracking stations so the first they know of the Goavelha ship is when it moves into orbit of Alpha Centauri-A III. It is a previously unknown type, designated as the Thor class, and has a thermal signature of strength-120, which indicates a small scout or survey ship.
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2010, 08:42:03 AM »
News of the contact is flashed to Admiral Melnikov on Ganymede. He does not inform NATO as he does not intend to seek their help, which would entail allowing NATO ships into Alpha Centauri. Although he could order the FACs based on Alpha Centauri-B III to move to the A component and attempt to intercept the enemy ship, without planetary sensors they would be hard pressed to find it. In fact, it could very well slip past them and arrive at the B component while they are near the system primary. Instead, he leaves the FAC squadron to guard the main colony and creates Raketnyy Korabl Otdel 03 (RKO-03) from the ships based at Earth. The task group comprises the aviation cruiser Kiev, the battlecruiser Frunze, the cruisers Slava and Varyag and the escort cruisers Admiral Oktyabrsky, Marshal Timoshenko and Marshal Voroshilov. All seven ships have full ordnance loadouts. They top up fuel and supplies then move into Alpha Centauri and head for the primary star. Six FACs are detached from the force guarding the Sol - Luyten 726-8 jump point and sent back to Earth to refuel before being assigned to the Alpha Centauri-A III colony.

The main concern for Admiral Melnikov, beyond that of tracking down and destroying the Goavelha scout ship, is how the alien ship entered Alpha Centauri. It seems highly unlikely any ship could have entered from the Sol jump point, given the strength of both Soviet and NATO sensors on Earth and the fact that one or both powers have picketed the jump point for several years. That only leaves the jump point to Ross 154, which makes sense as it is less than a billion kilometers from Alpha Centauri-A. It seems likely that a ship entering through that jump point would scout or survey the planets of the A component first. Ross 154 has only one additional jump point, connecting to Wolf 1061, which itself only connects to Gliese 588. At that point the chain splits three ways and leads to the systems of Gliese 563.2, which has been confirmed as a dead-end, Luyten Palomar 914-54, an unsurveyed, planetless red dwarf system and Luyten 768-119, another red dwarf system which was surveyed in June 2029 and found to have a second jump point, leading to Kuiper 75. Kuiper 75 is six jumps from Sol, the most distant known system, and is a trinary of three red dwarf stars. One of the planets orbiting the primary has a breathable atmosphere and if the temperature of -24C is increased through terraforming it will become an ideal habitable world.
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2010, 08:45:30 AM »
As he is considering the likely source of the Goavelha intrusion into Soviet space, Admiral Melnikov remembers a report that crossed his desk several months ago. A Project 1216 Molchanov class geosurvey ship was reported as missing after failing to return from a two year mission to survey the systems at the end of the chain. With the Sino-Soviet war and the arrival of the Goavelha, sufficient resources were never available to mount a search and rescue mission. It now seen possible that the survey ship ran into the Goavelha somewhere down the Alpha Centauri chain. The only item of interest down the chain is a ruined alien colony in Wolf 1061 so, for the moment, Admiral Melnikov intends to secure the Alpha Centauri - Ross 154 jump point until the Soviet Union has sufficient forces to guard both Sol and Alpha Centauri and mount an expedition along the chain.

NATO sensors note the departure of RKO-03. Admiral Thorn considers asking his Soviet opposite number why half the major Soviet warships in Earth orbit are going on a joy ride into Alpha Centauri when the Goavelha are at the gates. However, given the somewhat fragile cooperation between the two superpowers, he doesn't want to rock the boat.

29th September 2033
Twenty-six hours after the initial detection, contact with the Goavelha ship is lost. The length of time it remained in orbit suggests it may be a gravitational survey vessel.

6th October 2033
As RKO-03 approaches the solar system of the Alpha Centauri primary, the cruisers Slava and Varyag are detached to carry out a sweep of the planets. Marshal Voroshilov heads for the Lagrange point of Alpha Centauri-A VII, as that would be a probable destination for a geosurvey ship that wanted to move on to the planets of the B component. The other four ships set course for the jump point for Ross 154, partly to trap the survey ship but mainly to prevent any more Goavelha ships entering the system.

15th October 2033
The sweep of the planets of the A component fails to locate the missing Goavelha ship. Slava uses an intra-system jump point to move to the main colony on Alpha Centauri-B III while Varyag takes up position at the Alpha Centauri-A III colony. Freighters arrive in Alpha Centauri with tracking stations for both colonies.

21st October 2033
The first in a new class of NATO planetary defence centre is constructed on Jamestown. The Guardian PDC is a small defensive base that uses similar technology to the Daring Mod 1 escort cruiser. The primary difference is the inclusion of the new Mk9 PDC Guided Missile Launching System, which has a five second reload time compared to ten seconds for the Mk5 Guided Missile Launching System of the original Daring and the Daring Mod 1. Three Guardians will be built on Jamestown and three more will be prefabricated for assembly on Roanoke. Twenty construction factories have already been transported to Roanoke and are in the process of assembling a prefabricated Fortress class PDC. The PDC construction program in the Eridani Republic is the first part of President von Kolbe's drive to improve NATO defences.

Guardian class Planetary Defence Centre    3,150 tons     221 Crew     752.8 BP      TCS 63  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 10-19     Sensors 1/252     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 10
Magazine 418   

Mk9 PDC Guided Missile Launching System (10)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 5
SN/SPG-31 Anti-Missile Fire Control (2)     Range 35.3m km    Resolution 1
SA-N-34 Gargoyle (418)  Speed: 65,500 km/s   End: 1.5m    Range: 6m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 655 / 393 / 196
SN/SPS-30 Missile Detection Sensor (1)     GPS 252     Range 35.3m km    Resolution 1

12th November 2033
NATO develops an impressive new sensor, designated as the SN/SPY-33 Area Surveillance Array. The SPY-33 has a range of over a billion kilometers against ships of 6000 tons or greater. To get the new sensor into operation as quickly as possible, NATO designs a new ship and a new PDC. The Oracle class Surveillance Frigate is small and fast with good endurance and its sole function is to carry the SPY-33 and its smaller cousin the SN/SPY-34 Small Target Detection System. It will be used as a forward picket in area where immediate strong sensor coverage is required. Retooling is underway at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Yard in Roanoke orbit and should be completed by March 2034. The Horus class Planetary Surveillance Base will be matched with deep space tracking stations and deployed both on important colonies and on outposts intended to keep an eye on key systems.

Oracle class Surveillance Frigate    4,000 tons     429 Crew     1400 BP      TCS 80  TH 400  EM 0
5000 km/s     Armour 1-22     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 10     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 12%    IFR: 0.2%    Maint Capacity 2188 MSP    Max Repair 672 MSP    Est Time: 6.63 Years

Rolls Royce RR80 Magneto-Plasma Drive (5)    Power 80    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 80    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 112.5 billion km   (260 days at full power)

SN/SPY-34 Small Target Detection System (1)     GPS 6720     Range 210.4m km    Resolution 20
SN/SPY-33 Area Surveillance Array (1)     GPS 80640     Range 1,030.6m km    Resolution 120

Horus class Planetary Surveillance Base    2,000 tons     190 Crew     1047 BP      TCS 40  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 5-14     Sensors 1/672     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 0

SN/SPY-34 Small Target Detection System (1)     GPS 6720     Range 210.4m km    Resolution 20
SN/SPY-33 Area Surveillance Array (1)     GPS 80640     Range 1,030.6m km    Resolution 120

8th December 2033
In Alpha Centauri, a brief thermal contact is established with the Goavelha Thor class survey ship, near the Alpha Centauri-A III colony. The cruiser Varyag and a flotilla of six FACs, including a scout variant, head for the general area. By the time they arrive, the thermal contact has been lost. Based on the general course of the contact, the FACs move toward Alpha Centauri-A V and detect a second, previously unknown Thor at a range of sixteen million kilometers. Its size is confirmed as 2100 tons. The flotilla closes in until its fire controls will lock on to the small target then one of the FACs launches six of its twelve P-500 Palash anti-ship missiles. All six hit and the survey ship explodes. Admiral Melnikov is gratified that a Goavelha ship, however small, has been eliminated but he is concerned that the first Thor has yet to be run to ground, not to mention the Goavelha survey ship still loose somewhere in the Sol system. The Soviet FACs pick up forty-two alien survivors then continue looking for the other Thor, assisted by the cruiser Varyag.

9th December 2033
Nine hours after the destruction of the survey ship, Varyag is following a more precise estimate of the first Thor's heading and re-establishes contact sixty million kilometers ahead of Alpha Centauri-A V in its orbit and slightly further from the star. The survey ship seems to be heading out of the solar system of the primary on a course to take it to Alpha Centauri-B. It is hardly surprising the Thor was so difficult to track as the Soviet Union's Voskhod MR-1500 active sensor, used by most of its major warships, can only detect it at seventeen million kilometers. As the Goavelha ship only has a speed of 2856 km/s, Varyag closes in and attacks with her railguns, rapidly pounding it into wreckage. She picks up sixty-two survivors and heads back to Alpha Centauri-A III.

24th December 2033
After pressure from President von Kolbe of the Eridani Republic, NATO establishes listening posts in TZ Arietis and Gliese 105. Apart from Sol, these two systems are the only routes into inhabited NATO territory from the rest of known space.

25th December 2033
With the laying down of the Daring Mod 1s and the production of Guardian PDCs, the demand for modern anti-missile missiles within NATO will be considerable. The eight thousand alien-built SA-N-34 Gargoyles in storage will meet some of this demand but a NATO-produced missile is also necessary. This requirement results in the RIM-8B Stiletto, a much more advanced version of the existing RIM-8A. Production of the new missile begins immediately.

RIM-8B Stiletto
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 1    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 28
Speed: 40000 km/s    Endurance: 2 minutes   Range: 6.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 1.3667
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 1120%   3k km/s 364%   5k km/s 224%   10k km/s 112%
Materials Required:    0.25x Tritanium   0.8647x Gallicite   Fuel x50
Development Cost for Project: 137RP

26th December 2033
The NATO Engineers working to restore alien installations on New Plymouth disturb a vault containing robotic alien soldiers. They are almost certainly Golems, which begs the question of why they were hidden within the ruins of the Bahraich Enclave. The engineers defend themselves as best they can and issue an urgent call for assistance. A San Antonio class Troop Transport loads the four marine battalions and headquarters unit of the Brigada de Infantería de Marina on Jamestown and sets course for the Tau Ceti jump point.

7th January 2034
The Soviet tracking stations on the captured Goavelha colony in Luyten 726-8 detect a small thermal signature from an unknown alien ship. The signature is not from the Goavelha or the Golems, which means humanity has now encountered a third alien race. The appearance of the alien vessel in Luyten 726-8 could also explain why the Goavelha have not returned to Sol in force. They may be engaged in hostilities with the new race. The strength-80 signature only lasts for a few minutes then vanishes again.

8th January 2034
NATO completes a gravitational survey of the Proxima Centauri system, finding one new jump point. After the events in Luyten 726-8, Admiral Thorn persuaded NATO leaders that NATO needed information on the systems around Sol, even if NATO's long term plans were restricted to the Epsilon Eridani chain. A task group comprising the new light carrier Indomitable, the jump cruiser Leonidas, the Virginia class cruiser Arkansas. the escort cruisers Daring and Defender and the destroyer escort Raeder is dispatched to the system to investigate the new jump point. The gravitational survey ships Copernicus and Galileo re-enter Sol from Proxima and move into EZ Aquarii to begin a new survey.

13th January 2034
The Brigada de Infantería de Marina lands on New Plymouth and immediately begins operations against the robotic soldiers that are attacking the NATO engineers at the colony. Several engineers have been killed but they have managed to hold off the attacks until the arrival of the Spanish marines.

6th February 2034
Due to the amount of greenhouse gas being added to the atmosphere of 70 Ophuichi III, the ice cap has melted, causing such a significant change to the planetary albedo that the surface temperature quickly rises above freezing point. As the atmosphere is already breathable, 70 Ophuichi III becomes an ideal habitable world. The Soviet Union has not added any population since the planet was occupied as it is concentrating state-sponsored colonization efforts on Alpha Centauri and the population is still less than two million. The five Chinese-built terraformers in orbit will now be sent on a three transit journey to Alpha Centauri to assist in terraforming activity in that system. At 354 km/s it will be a long trip.

7th February 2034
A J-30B Vanguard from the light carrier Indomitable enters the unexplored jump point in Proxima and transits into the system of Wolf 359. The red dwarf star is orbited by four planets and over six hundred asteroids. Indomitable and her escorts enter Wolf 359 and begin a sweep of the planets to check for any sign of alien ships or colonies.

12th February 2034
The robotic soldiers released on New Plymouth have been destroyed by NATO marines. The Brigada de Infantería de Marina will remain on the colony to provide protection against any further attacks.

27th February 2034
The Soviet Union launches a flotilla of seven Project 1222B Vidyut class FACs. The Project 1222B is an upgraded version of the original Vidyut with magneto-plasma drive engines. The new flotilla is dispatched into Alpha Centauri to assist in guarding the Ross 154 jump point.

Project 1222B 'Vidyut' class Raketnyy Kater    1,000 tons     122 Crew     198.6 BP      TCS 20  TH 160  EM 0
8000 km/s     Armour 2-8     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 6
Annual Failure Rate: 8%    IFR: 0.1%    Maint Capacity 124 MSP    Max Repair 40 MSP    Est Time: 8.31 Years

GB Magneto-plasma Drive (1)    Power 160    Fuel Use 700%    Signature 160    Armour 0    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 60,000 Litres    Range 15.4 billion km   (22 days at full power)

100mm Railgun (2x4)    Range 40,000km     TS: 8000 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 4    ROF 5        1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
MR-502 Podkat Railgun Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 96,000 km   TS: 4000 km/s     90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Stellarator Fusion Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 6    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Voskhod-1 SR Missile Detection Sensor (1)     GPS 16     Range 1.3m km    Resolution 1

5th March 2034
The Soviet tracking stations on Luyten 726-8 II detect four Goavelha ships transiting into the system from the Gliese 908 jump point. All four appear to be jump gate construction ships of the same class that was destroyed in Sol. They split into two pairs, with one pair apparently heading for the jump point to Sol and the other pair to one of the two unexplored jump points. There are no Soviet ships in the system except for an unarmed FAC scout located at the colony.

9th March 2034
With the four construction ships still on planetary sensors, the Luyten 726-8 II colony detects two Tyr class (NATO designation: Malar class) Goavelha gravitational survey ships on a course from the Gliese 908 jump point to the second unexplored jump point. The increasing Goavelha activity is a worrying sign for both NATO and the Soviet Union, although the past months have been used by both superpowers to build up their defences and restock missiles. While the Soviet Union has not constructed any new major warships, mainly due to the need to retool captured Chinese shipyards, it has built fourteen railgun-armed FACs and provided ordnance for all ships and FAC, although the Tu-50 bombers are still lacking ordnance. NATO has built the Cerberus class monitors, launched eighteen Valhalla class fast attack craft and increased its number of modern light carriers to five, as well as building a number of offensive and defensive PDCs.

14th March 2034
A third Tyr class is detected on the same course

16th March 2034
NATO launches a pair of Wolverine class FAC Tenders. The Wolverine is designed to act as a forward base that supports ships of up to 1000 tons. As well as the necessary maintenance facilities, the Wolverine has a cargo hold to transport the required minerals and a useful fuel capacity. This new class will provide the capability for NATO to base a flotilla of fast attack craft in any system, without the need for a supporting population. Initially, they will be deployed to the recently established listening posts in TZ Arietis and Gliese 105.

Wolverine class FAC Tender    39,100 tons     850 Crew     1608 BP      TCS 782  TH 1200  EM 0
1534 km/s     Armour 1-102     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 1026 MSP    Max Repair 200 MSP
Cargo 5000   
Maintenance Modules: 5 module(s) capable of supporting ships of 1000 tons

Commercial Magneto-plasma Drive (6)    Power 200    Fuel Use 6%    Signature 200    Armour 0    Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 383.5 billion km   (2893 days at full power)

17th March 2034
The two Goavelha construction ships enter Sol and are immediately blown to pieces by a combination of NATO lasers and Soviet railguns. NATO and the Soviet Union each pick up the survivors from one set of life pods. Although Soviet interrogators find nothing of strategic importance, they do illicit technical information from the Goavelha crew that will improve Soviet cargo handling systems. Not the intelligence coup the GRU was hoping for but useful nonetheless.

18th March 2034
The steady stream of Goavelha gravitational survey ships moving from Gliese 908 to the inner of the two unexplored jump points in Luyten 726-8 continues with the detection of a fourth Tyr class. As all of the recent Goavelha activity has originated from Gliese 908, the intelligence agencies of both NATO and the Soviet Union conclude the Luyten 726-8 - Gliese 908 jump point must lead to the heart of Goavelha territory. Admiral Thorn and Admiral Melnikov agree that both remaining unexplored jump points in Luyten 726-8 should be probed as it is unlikely they will have the same defensive force as encountered in Gliese 908. If the systems beyond those jump points do not appear to pose a threat, the NATO and Soviet forces deployed at the Sol - Luyten 726-8 jump point could be deployed at the Luyten 726-8 - Gliese 908 jump point instead.

Given the importance of Luyten 726-8 and its rather clumsy designation, the Soviet Union decides to rename the system to something more memorable. As the cruiser Admiral Gorshkov was lost with all hands in the system and the admiral after whom the cruiser was named was a key figure in Soviet naval history, the system is named Gorshkov. The Soviet Union uses the new name in all official communications with NATO and it quickly catches on within NATO as well, leading NATO to adopt the Soviet nomenclature as its own

A Soviet task group comprising the cruiser Chervona Ukrayina and the escort cruisers Admiral Isachenkov and Kronstadt leaves its position at the Sol - Gorshkov jump point, moves into the Gorshkov system and sets course for the inner of the two unexplored jump points. It is accompanied by a NATO task group comprising the Virginia class cruisers Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia and the Spruance class destroyer escorts Halsey and Yamamoto. Remaining to guard the Sol - Gorshkov jump point are a Soviet force of four Jiangwei class cruisers and thirty fast attack craft and a NATO force of three Cerberus class monitors and a dozen Valhalla class fast attack craft. NATO also diverts the light carrier Indomitable and its escort group from its picket position in EZ Aquarii, where it is protecting two gravitational survey ships, to provide reinforcements for the force entering Gorshkov, should it encounter any resistance

23rd March 2034
The Soviet cruiser Chervona Ukrayina and the NATO cruiser Texas both transit the inner unexplored jump point in the Gorshkov system. They arrive four point eight billion kilometers from the primary of Wolf 47, a trinary system with two G-class stars 570 billion kilometers apart and a brown dwarf orbiting the B component at 375 million kilometers. The G0-V primary has eight planets, including a terrestrial world slightly larger than Earth with an nitrogen - oxygen atmosphere and an almost ideal surface temperature of 26C. The atmosphere is denser than that of Earth at 1.6 atm and the oxygen pressure is just outside the high end of human tolerance. With minimal terraforming this would become an ideal habitable world. There is also a terrestrial world with a thin nitrogen - oxygen atmosphere orbiting the B component. As none of the gas giants in the system are large enough to permit intra-system jumps from their trailing Lagrange points, that will remain well out of reach given current technology.

Two items are of more immediate interest. Four hundred million kilometers from the primary are the wrecks of two Goavelha construction ships. These were not destroyed by NATO or the Soviet Union so their discovery confirms the theory that the Goavelha Host is at war with another alien race. There is also a strange phenomenon on the far side of the inner system from the wrecks. Five hundred and fifty million kilometers from the primary is what appears to be some new form of jump point. Given that it is instantly detectable without the need for specialized gravitational sensors, it has a far more powerful signature than a normal jump point and the NATO and Soviet tactical computers classify it as a stable wormhole. The two human cruisers hold position until their active sensors come online. There is no sign of any alien ships within sensor range. Both task groups transit into Wolf 47 but hold position at the jump point for the moment. Indomitable and her escorts, which include the jump cruiser Leonidas with its powerful sensors, have entered Gorshkov and are almost half way to the Wolf 47 jump point. Once they arrive, the NATO and Soviet task groups will scout the inner system.

27th March 2034
Now joined by Indomitable and her escort group, the combined NATO-Soviet force is heading in-system. After moving only two hundred million kilometers from the jump point, the jump cruiser Leonidas detects the signature of an alien population on the on near-habitable world. The EM contact is very strong, comparable to perhaps half of the EM signature for the NATO or Soviet populations on Earth. Due to the intervening jump gates, the NATO and Soviet ships remain in contact with their respective fleet headquarters on Jamestown and Ganymede. Admiral Melnikov and Admiral Thorn agree that establishing contact with an enemy of the Goavelha is a worthy goal so they allow their respective task groups to continue on course.

3rd April 2034
In Wolf 47, Leonidas detects a group of seven 1000 ton spacecraft closing on its task group at a distance of three hundred million kilometers. Both NATO and Soviet ships hail the inbounds, which appear to be from the new race discovered in the system, and attempt to open communications. The presumed FACs are only moving at 4000 km/s, which suggests they are equipped with nuclear pulse engines and therefore lower tech than the human powers. Three hours after the initial contact a 7350 ton ship from the same race is detected at five hundred million kilometers, following the same course as the FACs. The aliens eventually respond to the hails and communication attempts begin

When the alien FACs reach 186 million kilometers from the Soviet and NATO ships they reverse course and hold the range open. This is of some concern as it is appears to be an attack profile. However, given the low speed of the FACs and the other alien ship, which is moving at 2720 km/s, the range seems far too great for missiles of a technology comparable to that of the alien engines. Several hours pass and no missile attack materialises. The larger ship carries out the same manoeuvre, albeit at a greater range. As the aliens do not appear to be immediately hostile, both NATO and Soviet intelligence communities point out that the large number of human ships heading toward their population in the system might have a significant negative influence on the aliens' view of humanity. Admiral Thorn and Admiral Melnikov agree to pull most of their ships back to the jump point, leaving Leonidas and Chervona Ukrayina to continue onward. Leonidas has powerful sensors but is unarmed while the Soviet cruiser has eighty powerful anti-ship missiles and a battery of railguns. The larger alien ship, designated as Bangalore class by NATO, and the seven FAC continue to shadow the human vessels moving toward the inner system and ignore those retreating back toward the jump point. The Bangalore cannot keep up though and gradually begins to fall astern.

As Leonidas enters maximum sensor range of the planet she detects eight ships and a shipyard complex in orbit. Three ships are designated as Veer class and are 35,000 tons. The other five are 14,750 tons, split between three Brahmaputra and two Nashak, After moving within three hundred million kilometers of the near-habitable world, so that her resolution-20 sensor can detect anything of 1000 tons or greater, Leonidas comes about and heads back to the jump point, accompanied by Chervona Ukrayina. The alien ships that have shadowed them as they approached the inner system do not pursue. For now, the stable wormhole is left uninvestigated.

16th April 2034
NATO launches a pair of New England class colony ships. This new design has twice the colonist capacity of a Mayflower Mod 1 and is slightly faster, although it is also 93% more expensive. Both NATO shipyards producing colony ships are now tooled to this design and the two Mayflower Mod 1s currently under construction will be the last state-constructed ships of that type.

New England class Colony Ship    53,900 tons     726 Crew     2352 BP      TCS 1078  TH 4400  EM 0
4081 km/s     Armour 1-127     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 27 MSP    Max Repair 50 MSP
Colonists 100000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 20   

Commercial Magneto-plasma Drive (22)    Power 200    Fuel Use 6%    Signature 200    Armour 0    Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 55.7 billion km   (157 days at full power)

19th April 2034
A new Goavelha Thor class survey ship is detected as it enters orbit of the second moon of Alpha Centauri-B V. The moon is home to a ruined alien city and a Mir class habitat with 250,000 inhabitants is in orbit. The presence of a third geological survey ship in Alpha Centauri, detected four months after the destruction of the first two intruders, is cause for great concern. The jump points to Sol and Ross 154 have both been picketed since October 2033 so either the ship has been in Alpha Centauri for six months or it arrived through an unknown jump point. Admiral Melnikov orders the cruiser Slava, in orbit of Alpha Centauri-B III, to intercept and destroy the Goavelha ship and orders an immediate resurvey of Alpha Centauri to check if any jump points were somehow missed by the original survey or a long-theorised dormant jump point has appeared.

20th April 2034
Slava closes on the 2100 ton survey ship and obliterates it in a hail of railgun fire. Less than three hours later, a Tyr class survey ship jumps into Alpha Centauri from Ross 154. Within ten seconds, before any Soviet ships can react quickly enough to open fire, it jumps back into Ross 154. Unfortunately, none of the four warships and seven FACs guarding the jump point have a jump drive and therefore they cannot pursue. A Soviet shipyard has almost completed retooling to build the first jump-capable Soviet warship so that problem is at least being addressed. The appearance of the Tyr makes it likely that the other Goavelha ship detected in Alpha Centauri arrived though the Ross 154 jump point. Even so, Admiral Melnikov decides to go ahead with a resurvey of the system.

23rd April 2034
A Goavelha Tyr class gravitational survey ship (NATO designation: Malar) jumps into Sol from Alpha Centauri. The Soviet intelligence ship picketing the jump point is on the Sol side and its crew is a little surprised by the sudden appearance of an alien ship. The Soviet ship is unarmed so an R-26A Krait and a pair of newly constructed NATO F-24Cs from Earth are dispatched to intercept it. The F-24C Cobra is a new design, identical to the F-24B except for an upgraded engine with ten percent more power, albeit at the expense of reduced fuel efficiency. The top speed of the new fighter is 10,816 km/s and it has a range of a billion kilometers, compared to 9795 km/s and one point two billion kilometers for the B model and 7200 km/s and one billion kilometers for the original A model. There are only three F-24Cs in service, including the two on course to intercept the Goavelha ship, compared to 180 F-24As and 126 F-24Bs.

F-24C Cobra class Strikefighter    245 tons     3 Crew     52.1 BP      TCS 4.9  TH 53  EM 0
10816 km/s     Armour 1-3     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 2.4
Annual Failure Rate: 49%    IFR: 0.7%    Maint Capacity 0 MSP    Max Repair 25 MSP    Est Time: 0 Years
Magazine 16   

Pratt & Whitney F170 MPD (1)    Power 52.8    Fuel Use 7200%    Signature 52.8    Armour 0    Exp 50%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 1.0 billion km   (26 hours at full power)

Mk3 Box Launcher (4)    Missile Size 4    Hangar Reload 30 minutes    MF Reload 5 hours
SN/APG-26 Missile Fire Control (1)     Range 82.0m km    Resolution 60
AGM-1C Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (4)  Speed: 36,000 km/s   End: 34.7m    Range: 75m km   WH: 6    Size: 4    TH: 120 / 72 / 36

It takes twenty-seven hours for the fighters to run down the Goavelha ship and bring it within active sensor range of the Krait. The two fighters launch all eight of their AGM-1C Sabre anti-ship missiles and destroy the intruding survey ship just outside the orbit of Jupiter. After a rendezvous with a tug sent to fill their empty fuel tanks, they head back to their base on Earth. Meanwhile one of the new railgun-armed Soviet FACs takes up a picket position on the Sol - Alpha Centauri jump point in case there are further Goavelha transits. It seems that much of human-controlled space has been thoroughly infiltrated by Goavelha scouts and survey ships.

4th May 2034
Another Tyr class gravitational survey is detected in Alpha Centauri. On this occasion, it is en route to the Ross 154 jump point and is spotted at a distance of twenty-five million kilometers by the jump point pickets. A Vidyut-B class FAC is dispatched to intercept. Although each hit from the twin 100mm railguns of the Vidyut-B causes minimal damage, its rate of fire is almost one hundred rounds per minute. The survey ship is quickly overwhelmed by the ferocious onslaught.
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2010, 08:47:07 AM »
7th May 2034
NATO completes a survey of EZ Aquarii, revealing that it is a dead-end system. Galileo and Copernicus return to Earth to refuel then head through Proxima into the recently discovered Wolf 359 system to begin a new survey.

8th May 2034
The NATO and Soviet task groups at the Wolf 47 - Gorshkov jump point have seen no signs of any alien ships since Leonidas and Chervona Ukrayina carried out their scan of the near-habitable world, although long-distance communication attempts are continuing with the alien population. After consulting with their respective Fleet Headquarters the two task groups move back into Gorshkov and head for the remaining unexplored jump point. The NATO cruiser New Mexico and the Soviet escort cruiser Kronstadt remain in Wolf 47 to continue communication efforts and to picket the jump point.

10th May 2034
The Soviet Union launches its first two Soviet-built terraforming ships. The Project 1219 Sorokin class Terraformer has the same output as the Chinese-built Yinchuan, five of which were captured by the Soviet Union during the Sino-Soviet war, but also has a far superior speed of 1175 km/s compared to 354 km/s for the Yinchuan, allowing it to be redeployed much more easily. Since completing their work on 70 Ophuichi III the Yinchuans have barely covered half the distance to the Bernard's Star jump point.

Project 1219 Sorokin class Terraformer    63,800 tons     689 Crew     1617.4 BP      TCS 1276  TH 1500  EM 0
1175 km/s     Armour 1-142     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 16 MSP    Max Repair 500 MSP
Terraformer: 2 module(s) producing 0.003 atm per annum

Commercial Ion Engine (10)    Power 150    Fuel Use 8%    Signature 150    Armour 0    Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 52.9 billion km   (520 days at full power)

11th May 2034
A J-30B Vanguard jump scout from Indomitable vanishes into the unexplored jump point in Gorshkov on a probe mission. When it becomes obvious that the Vanguard isn't returning, the NATO and Soviet ships move away from the jump point, concerned by the possibility of a sudden Goavelha attack similar to the one that destroyed Admiral Gorshkov. There was not even a message from the J-30B, which suggests there is no jump gate on the far side. After the combined force takes up a position five million kilometers away and there is no sign of pursuit, the jump cruiser Leonidas and the destroyer escorts Halsey and Yamamoto are detached to carry out a new probe. Leonidas is the only jump-capable ship available and will be needed for the return journey. Halsey and Yamamoto will provide protection against missile attack or hostile aliens. A larger force is not possible because Leonidas can only escort two other ships in a squadron transit and a squadron transit will allow sensors and fire control systems to recover far more quickly, as well as existing some distance from the jump point.

The three NATO ships transit the jump point in Gorshkov and arrive in 82 Eridani, a system with a yellow G5-V primary and a solitary Venusian world. The wreck of a Goavelha construction ship is on the jump point, the wreckage of the J-30B Vanguard is twelve thousand kilometers away and a second Goavelha construction ship wreck is three hundred million kilometers from the jump point in the direction of the primary. There are also a veritable horde of thermal signatures right on top of the jump point. One hundred and forty-eight strength-160 contacts and a single strength-1200 contact, all from another new alien race. Before the NATO ships can even react, let alone attempt to communicate, Halsey is blown apart by a volley of fire from energy weapons that pass straight through her armour. Each weapon causes minimal damage but there are a lot of hostile ships. As expected there is no jump gate on the 82 Eridani side so the two remaining ships are unable to send a message. Instead, they charge for the jump point at maximum speed. Five seconds later a devastating volley rips into Yamamoto, taking out three of her four laser turrets, her fire control and half her engines. A reactor explodes and inflicts damage on fuel storage, engineering and crew quarters. Leonidas slows down to keep Yamamoto in formation and the two ships jump back into Gorshkov before the aliens can fire a third volley.

Halsey and her crew of over one thousand have been lost. Yamamoto has massive internal damage and almost three hundred casualties. Losses could have been even worse if the unknown aliens had targeted Leonidas first and taken out her jump engine. Replaying the sensor records of the brief encounter reveals that the smaller contacts were moving at 10,000 km/s. As their thermal signature was similar to that of a Valhalla class fast attack craft, that suggests they are also some form of FAC. Further detailed examination of the records shows that each of the small alien craft was armed with a single low-damage energy weapon that bypassed armour and the single vessel with the strength-1200 signature had at least eight such weapons. Their instant hostility, in comparison to the initial period of uneasy peace with the Goavelha Host and the communication efforts with the aliens in Wolf 47, suggests they would very likely be just as hostile to any other alien race. Which means that Gorshkov is an interstellar crossroads between the two human powers and three mutually hostile alien races, all of which are now aware of the presence of humanity, although only the Goavelha have detailed astrographic information on human space. The only minor blessing is that the aliens in 82 Eridani do not seem inclined to pursue into Gorshkov, at least for the moment.

Given the astrographic and political situation, it is obvious to both Admiral Thorn and Admiral Melnikov that there can be no forward defence within Gorshkov until the human powers are considerably stronger. Therefore, the Indomitable task group and the Soviet task group are ordered to withdraw into Sol. Only the two cruisers picketing the Wolf 47 - Gorshkov jump point will remain so they can continue communication attempts.

13th May 2034
A fourth Goavelha Thor class geological survey ship is detected in Alpha Centauri, close to Alpha Centauri-B I. The course of the ship is interesting as it is approaching from deep space where there is nothing it could have previously surveyed. The three Soviet gravitational survey ships in Alpha Centauri, already carrying out a resurvey, are ordered to concentrate their efforts in that area. The cruiser Slava runs down the Thor and destroys it with 200mm railgun fire.

7th June 2034
Three Thor class survey ships are detected by the Soviet tracking stations on Gorshkov II, en route from Gliese 908 to Wolf 47. New Mexico and Kronstadt are warned to expect their arrival. Two days later, the three Goavelha ships transit into Wolf 47 and are rapidly reduced to debris by railgun and laser fire. The Soviet Navy and the NATO naval forces are taking a heavy toll of Goavelha survey ships yet they continue to send them out, seeking new inroads into human space and new sources of minerals. So far though there has been no sign of Goavelha warships except those that briefly left Gliese 908 to destroy Admiral Gorshkov.

1st July 2034
The stable wormhole in Wolf 47 suddenly changes position, moving to a location six hundred million kilometers from the primary on a bearing of 145. Neither NATO nor Soviet scientists can understand how or why it moved, or even why it exists in the first place. There is a small but growing minority of scientists who believe it may be artificially generated.

1st August 2034
NATO launches its first two Mackenzie class Maintenance Vessels. These are larger versions of the Wolverine class FAC Tender and are intended to operate in groups. The first two ships operating together can maintain and overhaul ships of up to 6000 tons, making them ideal as the foundation for a forward survey base. As well as fifteen maintenance modules they have a fuel capacity of three million litres and a cargo hold to carry the necessary minerals to provide maintenance. Their first deployment will be in Heintz 299, which has eight unexplored jump points.

Mackenzie class Maintenance Vessel    98,700 tons     2417 Crew     4648 BP      TCS 1974  TH 2000  EM 0
1013 km/s     Armour 1-190     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/14/0/0     Damage Control Rating 1     PPV 0
Maint Capacity 29 MSP    Max Repair 200 MSP
Cargo 5000   
Maintenance Modules: 15 module(s) capable of supporting ships of 3000 tons

Commercial Magneto-plasma Drive (10)    Power 200    Fuel Use 6%    Signature 200    Armour 0    Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 3,000,000 Litres    Range 911.7 billion km   (10416 days at full power)

Guardian CIWS (4x6)    Range 1000 km     TS: 16000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
SN/SPN-27 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 1680     Range 30.4m km    Resolution 60
SN/SLR-25 EM Detection Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Signature Strength 1000:  14m km

2nd August 2034
The crew of New Mexico establish communications with the alien race in the Wolf 47 system, adjacent to Gorshkov. They call themselves the Kostinbrod Empire and the planet in this system, Kostinbrod Prime, is their home world. The Kostinbrod appear to be guarded but relatively friendly and content to negotiate. It soon becomes apparent they are at war with the Goavelha Host and casualties have been suffered on both sides. For the moment though the Kostinbrod are staying home and rebuilding their forces, especially as the strange wormhole appeared in their system approximately a year ago. They are gratified to learn that NATO is also at war with the Goavelha. In terms of appearance the Kostinbrod are humanoid, with pale, blotchy skin and a great crest of hair growing down their centre of their bald heads. Their apparel is gaudy to say the least, with long, gold-braided coats, covered in jewels and other decorative items.

As far as the NATO negotiators can tell their government is a monarchy, although much of the real power appears to lie in the civil service bureaucracy. Every Kostinbrod they speak to carries himself with an air of self-importance, although though not in an arrogant way. The Kostinbrod Empire unified the planet hundreds of years ago and each Kostinbrod inherently believes in the superiority of his civilization. NATO accepts the local nomenclature and renames the system Kostinbrod. The negotiators explain that the Soviet Union is from the same home world as NATO and they too are at war with the Goavelha Host, although they don't go as far as to help the Kostinbrod establish communication with the Soviets. In fact, they request that the Goavelha do not reveal their negotiations with NATO. The Kostinbrod are mystified at the concept of rival powers from the same planet but agree to abide by the NATO request.

6th August 2034
The first K-31A Boa class Tanker is constructed by NATO fighter factories on Earth. The requirement for this new fighter was the result of a review by Admiral Thorn's staff of all carrier actions over the last ten years, which recommended changes to the strikegroup composition for Enterprise class carriers in a document entitled 'The Future Strikegroup'. The F-24A and F-24B Cobras have been used far more than the larger and slower A-28A Pythons while the F-25A Vipers have barely left the hangar bays. The intended role of the Python was to deliver heavier ordnance over greater ranges. However, the requirement for different ordnance sizes reduced flexibility, with the larger AGM-3A Katana anti-ship missiles and recon drones taking up magazine space that could have been used for additional AGM-1C Sabre anti-ship missiles, which have been used in combat far more often. The review team recommended that the Python should be replaced in the Future Strikegroup by the F-24C Cobras now entering service. To compensate for the loss of a long-ranged fighter, the review team recommended that a new carrier-based tanker craft should be designed, allowing the F-24Cs Cobras to extend their range when necessary, and that four tankers should be included in the Future Strikegroup

K-31A Boa class Tanker    400 tons     8 Crew     79.3 BP      TCS 8  TH 48  EM 0
6000 km/s     Armour 1-4     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 12%    IFR: 0.2%    Maint Capacity 12 MSP    Max Repair 8 MSP    Est Time: 4.34 Years

Pratt & Whitney F160 Magneto-plasma Drive (1)    Power 48    Fuel Use 6000%    Signature 48    Armour 0    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 310,000 Litres    Range 23.3 billion km   (44 days at full power)

The second decision facing the review team was the future of sensor support and scout fighters. Initially, the E-27A Sentinel and R-26A Krait did see some action but in recent times the jump-capable J-30B Vanguard has proven far more useful. While the original J-30A had less sensor capability than the E-27A and was slower than the R-26A, the more modern J-30B is faster than both, has better sensors than both and is jump-capable. The E-27A still has much greater endurance but that endurance has not been required. Of course, the comparison of the J-30B to the R-26A and E-27A is not entirely fair as it was designed with more modern technology than the older fighters. However, the fact remains that the Vanguard has adequately handled their roles as well as its originally intended purpose as a jump point scout. Therefore, the recommendation of the review team is that the Future Strikegroup should include four J-30B Vanguards and no Sentinels or Kraits.

J-30B Vanguard class Jump Scout    300 tons     8 Crew     105 BP      TCS 6  TH 48  EM 0
8000 km/s    JR 1-50     Armour 1-3     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 7%    IFR: 0.1%    Maint Capacity 22 MSP    Max Repair 84 MSP    Est Time: 2.21 Years

Blohm + Voss F300 Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 300 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 1
Pratt & Whitney F160 Magneto-plasma Drive (1)    Power 48    Fuel Use 6000%    Signature 48    Armour 0    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 1.0 billion km   (34 hours at full power)

SN/SPS-28 Area Search Sensor (1)     GPS 10080     Range 128.8m km    Resolution 120

The fate of the F-25A Viper was the third major decision facing the review team. The F-25A is a fast interceptor armed with eight RIM-8A Stiletto anti-missile missiles, intended for attacks on enemy fighters with a secondary role of missile defence. However, neither role has been required and the F-25A has remained on the carriers while the Stilettos just took up magazine space. With the increasing use of energy weapons by both NATO and the Soviet Union and the increasing demands on missile production,  the review team recommended that a new cannon-armed interceptor should be designed as a replacement for the Viper. The result of that recommendation is the F-32A Anaconda Interceptor. Armed with the newly-designed A17 Gauss Cannon and powered by the latest, upgraded fighter engine, the F-32A will be able to close rapidly on its target, using speed as its main defence, and unleash a hail of cannon fire. The primary design goal of the A17 was miniaturization, allowing it to be added to something as small as a fighter, which meant sacrifices had to be made in terms of accuracy. However, the high speed of the Anaconda provides a high base tracking speed for the weapon when it engages missiles and the F-32A will often be used against targets such as unarmed Goavelha survey ships to avoid the use of ordnance, in which case accuracy will not be a factor.

F-32A Anaconda class Interceptor    185 tons     4 Crew     47.7 BP      TCS 3.7  TH 55  EM 0
14864 km/s     Armour 1-2     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 1
Annual Failure Rate: 37%    IFR: 0.5%    Maint Capacity 0 MSP    Max Repair 24 MSP    Est Time: 0 Years

Pratt & Whitney F180 MPD (1)    Power 55.2    Fuel Use 7800%    Signature 55.2    Armour 0    Exp 60%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 1.2 billion km   (23 hours at full power)

A17 Gauss Cannon (1x3)    Range 20,000km     TS: 14864 km/s     Accuracy Modifier 17%     RM 2    ROF 5    1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SN/SPG-37 Gauss Fighter Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 80,000 km   TS: 16000 km/s     88 75 62 50 38 25 12 0 0 0

The summary of the recommendations for the Future Strikegroup is shown below, although for the moment this is more of an aspiration than a reality. Production will concentrate on the support fighters and the earlier models of F-24 will serve until F-24C production can resume. As the support craft become available, the carrier strike groups will be updated.

48x F-24C Cobra Strikefighter
18x F-32A Anaconda Interceptor
4x J-30B Vanguard Jump Scout
4x K-31A Boa Tanker
Magazine Loadout: 500x AGM-1C Sabre Anti-Ship Missile

to be continued...
 

Offline Vanigo

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Re: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2010, 04:41:18 PM »
Wow, sucks to be the Kostinbrod. They've got, what, maybe two years before the Invaders sterilize their world?
 

Offline UnLimiTeD

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Re: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2010, 06:12:13 PM »
Wow, you encountered a second alien race, swarm, invaders.... pretty much everything possible :D.
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 1.0 billion km   (26 hours at full power)
How can they take 27 hours then to intercept an enemy ship, unless theres gas stations near jupiter?
I think you got the races messed up at 24th August, I was confused for a while.

And again a formidable write up.
I wonder if the .30 update with repair ships will enter into NATO ship design.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2010, 06:27:16 PM by UnLimiTeD »
 
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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: NATO vs Soviets: Part 10
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2010, 06:04:16 AM »
Wow, sucks to be the Kostinbrod. They've got, what, maybe two years before the Invaders sterilize their world?
I am assuming nothing has come through the wormhole yet, or at least only survey ships. It might get exciting quite quickly for the Kostinbrod if something does appear though :)

Steve