Key Background
Nash is the home system of the Voulkarians. The Empire of Man has cleared the Nash system of enemy ships and destroyed the Voulkarian shipyards in preparation for a ground invasion. The ground invasion is still several years off while sufficient troops are shuttled to a captured automining colony on Nash I, and while additional armored dropships are constructed. The Empire of Man has been salvaging the hundreds of wrecks scattered across Nash and into the adjacent system of Polaris, as these wrecks are a rich source of minerals.
Tactical Briefing
The primary EoM salvage fleet, escorted by a single Guardian class frigate "Ajax", was salvaging wrecks near the Polaris-to-Nash jump gate when a significant and previously unknown Voulkarian fleet appeared on active sensors around 49M km away. EoM fleet intelligence was not aware this fleet was still at large, and the Ajax is facing 6:1 odds in tonnage, all of which are 200km/s faster than the Ajax and ~2,500km/s faster than the salvage fleet the Ajax is protecting. At this range the Retribution’s Thunder class has almost certainly detected the Salvage fleet. If the Uplift tugs release their tractor beams from the Intrepid and the Arcadia, their max speed is 5700km/s, meaning they can escape. The Intrepid is fairly low value, but the Arcadia is carrying nearly over 100k tons of minerals and salvaged ship modules and about 2.5k research points of techsystem data learned during salvaging. The minerals alone are worth more than twice the entire cost of the Salvage fleet.
EoM Fleet
The Salvage fleet is comprised of two large “Uplift” class tugs, which are towing an Intrepid class salvage pod and an Arcadia class cargo pod. Each tug can carry two 1kton Merchant Marine Batteries (each of which holds 18 box-launched size 6 WH9 short range anti-ship missiles (SRASMs)) in an internal commercial hanger for anti-piracy duty). Unfortunately in this instance each tug is only carrying a single MM Battery due to an error in paperwork by the Merchant Marine Bureau. The salvage fleet includes a Pearly Gate class support/jump ship. Captain Glenda Patlon is in overall command from the bridge of the Ajax.
Noteworthy details of ship design are provided below.
MM-1 Battery class Merchant Marine 987 tons 8 Crew 110.3 BP TCS 20 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 HTK 1 Sensors 1/0/0/0 DCR 1-10 PPV 16.2
Maint Life 27.77 Years MSP 87 AFR 6% IFR 0.1% 1YR 0 5YR 3 Max Repair 10 MSP
M6 Silo (18) Missile Size: 6 Hangar Reload 122 minutes MF Reload 20 hours
MFC FC6-R5 (1) Range 6.9m km Resolution 5 ECCM-1
Missile Fire Control FC54-R200 (1) Range 54.9m km Resolution 200 ECCM-2
SRASM Stiletto Mk1 (18) Speed: 48,000 km/s End: 2.6m Range: 7.5m km WH: 9 Size: 6 TH: 160/96/48
C-3a Uplift class Tug 88,776 tons 712 Crew 2,890.3 BP TCS 1,776 TH 10,240 EM 0
5767 km/s Armour 1-177 Shields 0-0 HTK 197 Sensors 11/11/0/0 DCR 1-0 PPV 0
MSP 2,020 Max Repair 128 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 2,000 tons Cryogenic Berths 2,000 Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 5 Tractor Beam
Note, when towing an Arcadia class Pod, the max speed of the C-3a Uplift tug is ~2700km/s.
Arcadia class Pod - Cargo 130,860 tons 125 Crew 478.5 BP TCS 2,617 TH 0 EM 0
1 km/s No Armour Shields 0-0 HTK 18 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 1-0 PPV 0
MSP 2 Max Repair 200 MSP
Cargo 125,000 Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 50
G-1 Guardian class Frigate 20,000 tons 650 Crew 5,658 BP TCS 400 TH 2,000 EM 4,740
5000 km/s Armour 9-65 Shields 158-632 HTK 137 Sensors 11/11/0/0 DCR 23-11 PPV 111.68
Maint Life 3.14 Years MSP 6,098 AFR 246% IFR 3.4% 1YR 929 5YR 13,935 Max Repair 1,000 MSP
Cryogenic Berths 200
Captain Control Rating 4 BRG AUX ENG CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months Morale Check Required
Magneto-plasma Drive EP2000.00 (1) Power 2000 Fuel Use 27.62% Signature 2000 Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 852,000 Litres Range 27.8 billion km (64 days at full power)
Theta S158 / R632 Shields (1) Recharge Time 632 seconds (0.3 per second)
Particle Lance-18-50s (4) Range 320,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 55-5.5 ROF 50
Twin 12cm Laser Turret (120km-5s-16km/s) (2x2) Range 120,000km TS: 16000 km/s Power 8-8 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
12cm Railgun V30/C6 (8x4) Range 60,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 6-6 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
BFC R160-TS16000 (SW) (2) Max Range: 160,000 km TS: 16,000 km/s ECCM-2 94 88 81 75 69 62 56 50 44 38
BFC R320-TS9600 (1) Max Range: 320,000 km TS: 9,600 km/s ECCM-2 97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
BFC R160-TS9600 (1) Max Range: 160,000 km TS: 9,600 km/s ECCM-2 94 88 81 75 69 62 56 50 44 38
Stellarator Fusion Reactor R88 (1) Total Power Output 88.2 Exp 5%
MD-393k-50t (1) GPS 12 Range 4.4m km MCR 393.3k km Resolution 1
AS 10kt-50t (1) GPS 4200 Range 50.1m km Resolution 200
TH1-11 (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 26.2m km
EM1-11 (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 26.2m km
Electronic Warfare Jammers: Fire Control 3 Missile 3
Voulkarian Fleet
1x Retribution’s Thunder class Jump Cruiser (42k ton)
1x Rigorous Prayer class (21k ton, tentatively IDed as Missile Destroyer)
3x Vengeful Vitality class (21k ton, tentatively IDed as Missile Destroyer)
Due to the capture of a Retribution’s Thunder class Jump Cruiser in a prior engagement, the full specs are known to EoM Fleet Intelligence. Less is know about the Rigerous Prayer or the 3 Vengeful Vitality class ships, other than they carry 28 size 9 launchers each, and the Vengeful Vitality class is believed to be a slightly upgraded variant of the Rigorous Prayer class.
Retribution's Thunder class Jump Cruiser 42,491 tons 1,458 Crew 7,801 BP TCS 850 TH 4,416 EM 0
5196 km/s JR 4-100 Armour 5-108 Shields 0-0 HTK 260 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 12-2 PPV 280
Maint Life 1.53 Years MSP 5,876 AFR 1204% IFR 16.7% 1YR 2,848 5YR 42,721 Max Repair 1,028.5 MSP
Commander Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
J42500(4-100) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 42500 tons Distance 100k km Squadron Size 4
Magneto-plasma Drive EP736 (6) Power 4416 Fuel Use 23.31% Signature 736 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 1,400,000 Litres Range 25.4 billion km (56 days at full power)
20cm Railgun V40/C4 (40x4) Range 160,000km TS: 5,196 km/s Power 12-4 RM 40,000 km ROF 15
Beam Fire Control R256-TS5200 (2) Max Range: 256,000 km TS: 5,200 km/s ECCM-2 96 92 88 84 80 77 73 69 65 61
Stellarator Fusion Reactor R5 (40) Total Power Output 183.2 Exp 5%
Active Search Sensor AS74-R110 (1) GPS 10560 Range 74.9m km Resolution 110
Active Search Sensor AS9-R1 (1) GPS 32 Range 9m km MCR 812.4k km Resolution 1
Thermal Sensor TH1-8 (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
EM Sensor EM1-8 (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Electronic Warfare Jammers: Sensor 2 Fire Control 2 Missile 2
After Action Report
Captain Patlon orders the Salvage fleet to stop operations and run for the jump gate to Nash. They are directed to detach the two Merchant Marine batteries at 500km from the gate on the Nash side and then run for a small asteroid off toward the central part of the system. If the Ajax can slow down the enemy fleet long enough, the Salvage ships may be able to get out of sensor range and lose themselves in the vastness of space on their way to Nash I, where they can shelter under the guns of the local STO emplacements.
The Ajax then waits as the Voulkarian fleet approaches. As the enemy fleet reaches around 40Mkm, sensors detect three salvos each with 28 size-9 missiles streaking toward the Ajax at 33k km/s. This is a relatively staid speed for an anti-ship missile at the EoM’s tech level, but 84 size-9 anti-ship missiles is nothing to laugh at. The Ajax waits until the missiles are less than 15 seconds from impact before transiting through the Polaris-to-Nash jump gate. Knowing it will take almost two hours for the Voulkarian fleet to reach the gate, and the initial missile salvo will have expended their engines and no longer be a threat, Captain Patlon orders the Ajax to transit back into Polaris once the jump shock wears off.
The Voulkarians are still approaching, but withhold their fire, likely recognizing that the Ajax can continue to transit and dodge incoming salvos. The fleet stops around 15Mkm from the gate, and a standoff ensues. The Ajax cannot move away from the gate, as the ship’s point defenses, shields and armor are not strong enough to withstand waves of 84 missiles for more than four or five waves. The Voulkarians appear wary of closing, perhaps because the Guardian class is unknown to them and the EoM Navy’s penchant for particle lances proved horribly effective against the Voulkarian home fleet. Once Captain Patlon decides the Salvage fleet has had enough time to get clear of sensor range with margin to spare, she transits back into Nash and takes up station 180km away from the gate.
After waiting for nearly two hours, the Voulkarian’s appear to decide to risk it and transit into Nash. The Merchant Marine batteries have years of training and both immediately empty their box launchers at the leading missile destroyer, Rigorous Prayer. 17 of the 36 missiles impact and 3 pierce the armor and do internal damage, but the Rigorous Prayer maintains full speed. Aboard the Ajax, Captain Patlon orders her crew to open fire, but due to their relative greenness (this is their shakedown cruise), it takes 15 seconds before the first shots go out. However, all four of the 18-strength particle lances slice straight through the five layers of armor on the Retribution’s Thunder, and the ship’s speed immediately drops to a mere 866km/s, indicating severe engine damage.
With the Retribution’s Thunder out of the fight, Captain Patlon knows she needs to destroy the missile destroyers before their firing computers recover from the jump shock. She closes with the missile destroyers, who have unwisely moved out ahead of the slower Retribution’s Thunder, and the Ajax’s 12cm laser turrets and 12cm railguns start hammering into the armor of the previously damaged Rigorous Prayer. The ship goes up in a gout of secondary internal explosions and the Ajax switches to firing on the lead Vengeful Vitality missile destroyer, scoring internal damage immediately as the particle lances finally recharge and fire. Five seconds later all three remaining missile destroyer’s launch their first salvos, earning their moniker.
28 missile streak towards the Ajax while 11 and 28 fly towards each of the Merchant Marine Batteries. Either the Voulkarians are concerned the MM batteries could be reloading (which they can’t), or they truly are feeling vengeful. Both batteries explode as the missiles slam through their single layer of armor and detonate. Of the 16 sailors aboard, only 3 ordinary ratings and one of the two lieutenants avoid immediate death in the blast and reach an escape pod before the atmosphere vents into space.
The Ajax fairs much better due to her point defenses and shielding, destroying 3 of the incoming missiles and dodging 10, with the remaining 19 impacting and bringing the Ajax’s shields down to 28%. The surviving missile destroyers get off another two salvos each, which ravage the Ajax’s armor and destroy one of the 12cm railguns and kills 15 of the crew. In return the Ajax destroys all three ships before stalking back to the limping Retribution’s Thunder. Captain Patlon holds the range open and picks the ship apart with the slow-firing but deadly particle beams.
The Ajax picks up the 4 survivors from the MM batteries, then rescues lifepods from the Voulkarian ships. A total of 812 Voulkarians are rescued, one of whom yields up tech data on 20cm railguns. This is, however, a big problem. The Ajax only has berths for the 650 crewmembers and a further 200 cryogenic cells for emergencies. That still leaves 612 Voulkarians to be fed, bunked, and guarded; almost a 1:1 ratio of crew to prisoners. With this in mind Captain Patlon plots a straight path to Nash I at full power. She knows the life support can sustain them for the 11 day trip back to Nash I where the prisoners can be unloaded, but she is greatly concerned about sabotage or an attempt to take the ship by force.
