25th June 1895
After refuelling, the survey fleet, including Minotaur, is dispatched to Aberdeen. This is on the far side of our territory from the Vikings and should keep the unarmed ships out of trouble.
11th July 1895
Research into Visible Light Laser technology is completed on Victoria. There has been extensive discussion on how to proceed with development of weapons to guard against any attack by the Vikings. Our weapon technology is extremely limited and presented below are the four options being considered. The first three are the most advanced versions we can build in each of the three major weapon categories plus a much larger particle accelerator that would effectively be a one-shot weapon.
10cm C1 Visible Light Laser
Damage Output 3 Rate of Fire: 15 seconds Range Modifier: 2
Laser Size: 3 Laser HTK: 1
Power Requirement: 3 Power Recharge per 5 Secs: 1
Cost: 3 Crew: 30
Materials Required: 0.6x Duranium 0.6x Boronide 1.8x Corundium
Missile Launcher
Maximum Missile Size: 2 Rate of Fire: 60 seconds
Launcher Size: 4 Launcher HTK: 2
Cost Per Launcher: 10 Crew Per Launcher: 40
Materials Required: 2.5x Duranium 7.5x Tritanium
15/1 C1 Particle Accelerator
Damage Output 6 Rate of Fire: 30 seconds Range Modifier: 1
Energy Conversion Rate: 1 Tunnel Size Modifier: 1
Accelerator Size: 7 Accel HTK: 3
Power Requirement: 6 Power Recharge per 5 Secs: 1
Cost: 6 Crew: 70
Materials Required: 1.2x Duranium 1.2x Boronide 3.6x Neutronium
50/1 C1 Particle Accelerator
Damage Output 64 Rate of Fire: 320 seconds Range Modifier: 1
Energy Conversion Rate: 1 Tunnel Size Modifier: 1
Accelerator Size: 24 Accel HTK: 12
Power Requirement: 64 Power Recharge per 5 Secs: 1
Cost: 64 Crew: 240
Materials Required: 12.8x Duranium 12.8x Boronide 38.4x Neutronium
After listening to the opinions of his ship designers and weapon engineers, Lord Hamilton eventually decides to go for the laser. While the particle accelerators provide higher damage per installation, the damage output of the laser at close range is higher on a pro-rata basis, although the lower damage means a lower range. It can also serve as a defence against missiles should the enemy carry missile launchers on his ships.
In the meantime, a new class of scout ship will be constructed to monitor the systems between ourselves and the Vikings. The Vanguard is small, fast and long ranged but also jump capable. Unfortunately, our sensor technology is at a similar level of capability to our weapons so the Vanguard will almost have to be on top of any enemy ships before it detects them. Therefore its mission will be to remain silent and watchful in the vicinity of key jump points until our sensor technology improves. It is unarmed and must rely on speed and stealth to survive. Two Vanguards will be constructed initially.
Vanguard class Scout 3000 tons 275 Crew 398 BP Signature 60-240
4000 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1 Shields 0-0 Sensors 4/0/0/0 Damage Control 0-0
Replacement Parts 5
J300 Jump Drive Max Ship Size 3000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
E7 Ion Engine (4) Power 60 Engine Efficiency 0.7 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres Range 205.7 billion km (595 days at full power)
High Resolution Thermal Sensor HRT2-4 (1) Strength 4 Detect Signature 10: 0.4m km Detect Signature 100: 4m km
28th July 1895
The colony ship Resolution returns to the Victoria system to report that the establishment of our first off-world population has been successfully carried out. 50,000 citizens of the Empire are now living on Aberdeen-II.
8th September 1895
Development of the 10cm C1 Visible Light Laser has been completed. Our scientists now begin work on improving the recharge rate of the capacitors used in lasers and particle accelerators.
22nd November 1895
The colony ship Resolution returns from Aberdeen with news of the ongoing surveys in that system. The geological survey has so far found mineral deposits on two asteroid and two planets, one of which is the site of our new colony. Aberdeen-II has deposits of nine minerals, although mostly at low accessibility. The complete list is as follows:
Duranium 1,889,568 Acc: 0.3
Neutronium 331,776 Acc: 0.1
Corbomite 3,779,136 Acc: 0.7
Boronide 11,664 Acc: 0.1
Mercassium 5,184 Acc: 0.1
Vendarite 4,359,744 Acc: 1.0
Sorium 12,702,100 Acc: 0.5
Uridium 5,992,704 Acc: 0.4
Corundium 9,144,576 Acc: 0.1
The three geological survey ships are now en route to the planets orbiting the companion star, which lies fifteen billion kilometers from the primary. The gravitational survey is still in progress, although based on Resolution
