Posted by: Steve Walmsley
« 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.