United Nations - In Space!

[Tanj (OP)]

Going through some old Aurora stuff from last year I found an old write-up I had started but never got around to posting. It started off as a simple "this happened and it was freaking cool" post, but when trying to summarise I pretty quickly went over 1,000 words and thought it might be better off here in my fiction. In hindsight this whole campaign would have made a pretty cool AAR write-up but unfortunately that didn't occur to me until I was near the end...

2050-2079
In 2053 the United Nations Navy encountered its first two alien species almost simultaneously, the Charlotte Monarchy and the Empire of Newtown Square, both expanding towards Sol along different jump chains. Both are very jump-gate happy, building gates on every jump point they find, which does not do much for terran-xeno relations and despite initially friendly overtures things soon turn sour. Empire forces seem to take offense at a UN survey ship in their home system and promptly blow it to pieces, as an added insult leaving the surviving crew to suffocate when their life support runs out, while the Monarchy simply shows up at the UN extra-solar colony next to Sol and nukes a colony of 2 million from orbit a month later. Within a year of first contact the UN is embroiled in full-blown war with both, the Fleet split in two as it struggles to hold the line in two colonised systems either side of Sol. While the UN has a technological edge both attackers send a stream of small raiding forces (typically 1-3 ships) through the jump points in the two UN colony systems at frequent intervals, keeping the fleet constantly in action. Damage begins to mount, overhauls are delayed and munitions stocks dip dangerously low.

Stretched to the breaking point, the last thing you want to do is see a 60,000 ton alien nose its way into Sol from a third jump point. When communication proves  impossible, a quick response force is able to quickly kill the beast without casualties, albeit  taking heavy damage from 20 small craft launched as it dies, but a follow-up exploration into the system it came from reveals a number of Empire wrecks (that I didn’t put there!), one of which suddenly disappears from sensors.

Intrigued (all right, role-playing intrigued as I knew damn well what had just happened) the UN sends the bulk of its Fleet through and come up against a second giant alien heading for Sol. Massed missile fire from a dozen cruisers batters it down handily and my AMM escorts kill the 20 small craft that launch from it. Missile stocks running low I begin to pull back to Sol, only to be caught short by a second force of over 80 small craft (the wreck that disappeared was a 60,000 ton gate constructor). Around a quarter are killed with AMM and ASM before running out, and then it’s down to a knife fight between the 15cm lasers on the cruisers and Swarm meson cannon. Cue a running fight of almost 30 minutes that sees the UN lose three cruisers, all eight destroyers and a destroyer escort before finally killing the last of the swarm of small craft. One final cruiser is reduced to nothing but an engine, not even fuel tanks or crew quarters remaining, and has to be scuttled.

The Fleet limps home to re-arm and repair at Earth, topping off the tanks just in time for a twenty strong  Empire fleet, ranging from 9,400 to 18,900 tons, to jump through into the border colony between Sol and the Empires territory and destroy my FAC squadron guarding the jump point. With millions of colonist lives at stake, the fleet again sorties from Sol and engages them in a deep space engagement. Although victorious the UN has now used every single missile in stock.

Given Empire losses to both the UN Fleet and their losses to the Swarm I allow that war to take a back seat. Attention turns to the Charlotte Monarchy, reckoning they likely have the most ships left and therefore represent the greatest danger, and the UN strikes strategic gold when a survey two jumps out from Sol reveals a new link to what must be the Monarchy home system. Unfortunately missile stocks are to low to permit an immediate attack, but plans are put in motion. Even better, further exploration reveals a system littered with almost three dozen Monarchy wrecks. Although no hostile ships are detected, clearly the Monarchy is heavily engaged on a second front against an unknown enemy (given the number of wrecks, including classes they've since stopped using, I guessed Precursors rather than Swarm).

Flash  forward a year in game and the UN has just completed its invasion of the Monarchy home world. The Fleet easily swept aside their few remaining mobile forces in-system and then launched an overwhelming alpha strike (a single volley of 744 missiles will usually solve most problems) against half a dozen orbital bases. Unfortunately they had to be convinced to surrender via a drawn-out ground invasion, and even after all enemy troops were defeated it took months  to build up a sufficient occupation force to actually secure the surrender of the billion strong population. While no Monarchy ships, civilian or military, surrendered following the fall of their homeworld a wealth of technical data is recovered alongside massive shipyard facilities, including sixteen 21,000 ton naval yards. A number of Monarchy ships have been sighted over the last few months, both in their home system and elsewhere, but have avoided all contacts. No further populations have been discovered anywhere within 3 jumps.

Unfortunately efforts to turn the Fleet against the Newtown Empire have been thwarted by a new development in Erewhon, where giant aliens destroyed a significant fraction of the fleet. Exploration of the system beyond was cut short when an even more huge alien was discovered orbiting the systems single gas giant. Weighing in at a massive 200,000 tons the beast overhauled a 4000kps geological survey vessel and destroyed it in a single volley. In response the Fleet diverted almost its full strength, some 300,000 tons of warship, and engaged the monster with a single fleet volley of 826 strength 5 warheads. The only response was to flatten its enormous shields and scar the hull. To date, three further strikes have been carried out, with only the last resulting in any internal damage to the beast. A further 80 small craft have been destroyed, having chased the fleet down after the first strike, but for the time being low stocks of ASM’s mean that combat operations have been suspended.

Meanwhile the border with the Empire remains secure. Despite the heavy losses they have suffered in the war so far a number of single ship raids have occurred, all defeated without loss by an array of thirty 500 ton missile pods which now orbit the jump point. Any hostile transit usually has a life expectancy best measured in seconds. Two new 15,000 ton monitors, equipped with a battery of powerful short ranged lasers and ten 100mm rail guns, have recently joined the jump point defences. Until the situation in the Erewhon jump chain can be resolved UN Fleet command feels these defences are sufficient to hold the line by themselves
One bright spot is that peaceful first contact has been established with a fourth alien race, the Dhaka Commonwealth, located beyond the former Monarchy home system. Both sides have been careful to avoid any disagreements and a trade agreement has just been signed. For now, 2080 looks like it is going to be a good year...

[Tanj (OP)]

My line of battle for the campaign I was running and a little bit of fluff I came up with afterwards

Battle of the Fall - An extract from the early history on the United Nations
... by mid-2030 the strategic situation had turned for the worst against the Sino-Russian alliance. The entry of India into the war had opened a new front in the ground war bordering China while fresh western offensives were poised to break into Russia on the Eastern front, weakened by the withdrawal of several Chinese divisions to defend their homeland. Meanwhile US/EU carrier groups had finally secured much of the Pacific rim, allowing Free Japan forces to counter-attack the occupied Japanese Islands.

Faced with defeat on Earth Sino-Russian forces in space began staging for a massive counter-attack in Earth orbit, for the first time seeking to engage Western warships within the orbit of Luna. In a decisive strike intended to destroy Coalition space-building and maintenance facilities the combined fleets met in Earth orbit for the single largest battle of the war.

By the end of the battle every major power had been reduced to a scattering of widely separated, heavily damaged warships, many extremely low on ammunition. There was no clear winner for the loss of thousands of lives. Combat groundside had largely paused while the sky had lit with plumes of fission rockets and nuclear explosions, meaning much of the world was watching as the Fall began. Wrecked by successive attacks and counter-attacks the massive shipyards and orbital facilities of both East and West began to fall from orbit, joined by the hulks of those ships destroyed in the fighting. Desperate attempts and even joint efforts by the few vessels left in orbit, all badly damaged, were unable to arrest the decaying orbits of all but a few.

The first impact was recorded in the mid-Atlantic ocean, identified as the remnants of a medium sized slipway from the Western Alliances Freedom station, causing a minor tsunami event on the East coast of the Americas. But over the next few weeks, as hundreds of thousands of tons of metal fell from orbit, impacts marched their way across the globe, striking every continent. Although each far smaller than any feared asteroid strike the number of impacts, with a high proportion striking land due to their original geo-synchronous positions over the continents, chaos and devastation spread across an already war-weary world. The Americas, central Europe and much of Asia were left devastated, but worse was to come. Combined with a brief period of global cooling from dust and smoke in the atmosphere, global food production came to a halt and international transportation networks crashed. A cascade of fuel shortages, financial crashes and spreading famine soon brought every nation to its knees, and the global population rapidly succumbed to starvation and disease. Although most nations on both side of the war were able to save the core of their civilisations, the population fell from a high of 2034 to 8.5 billion to just under 1 billion by 2036.


Janes Ships of the United Nations Space Forces c.2081

Medusa class Destroyer Escort
One of the final designs to come out of the Western-Sino conflict as the Yuhu-class destroyer, the medium sized destroyer was intended to overwhelm Western point defences with a barrage of small, fast missiles. It soon became apparent that this could be used as a long-range missile defence system, which caused the Yuhu designation to be changed to a Destroyer Escort when the remaining vessels in this class were adopted into the United Nations Space Force in 2042, where they were renamed as Medusa class Destroyer Escorts.

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Medusa II class Destroyer Escort    6,500 tons     149 Crew     1270.28 BP      TCS 130  TH 800  EM 0
6153 km/s     Armour 4-31     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 10
Maint Life 2.53 Years     MSP 366    AFR 112%    IFR 1.6%    1YR 80    5YR 1195    Max Repair 240 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 3   
Magazine 271   

200 EP Magneto-plasma Drive (4)    Power 200    Fuel Use 110.05%    Signature 200    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 820,000 Litres    Range 20.6 billion km   (38 days at full power)

Mk13 Defensive Missile Launcher (10)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 10
AMM Missile Fire Control FC19-R1 (1)     Range 19.2m km    Resolution 1
BIM-N11-3A Rattlesnake Anti-Missile Missile (271)  Speed: 56,000 km/s   End: 1.4m    Range: 4.6m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 261/156/78

AMM Active Search Sensor MR19-R1 (1)     GPS 240     Range 19.2m km    MCR 2.1m km    Resolution 1

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Star Knight class Destroyer
The Star Knight class, formerly Virginia, was the only major class of Coalition warships to survive the war and the Battle of the Fall relatively intact. Mass produced by the US space forces, Virginia class Cruisers combined a long range missile capability with a battery of short ranged railguns, the latter in particular serving as the first anti-missile defence system. Virginias saw action in every major battle of the war, claiming a high number of kills which belied their small size due to their ability to fire a single, heavy salvo of missiles before closing to railgun range. Like the Chinese Yuhu class, the surviving Virginias were adopted into the UNSF in 2042 and re-designated, due to their size (almost a match for pre-refit Yuhus) as Destroyers, with a number of minor changes to the design. To avoid any pre-war feelings, the class was renamed Star Knight by the Joint Naval Committee shortly after its induction. To date the Star Knight remains one of the UNs most effective designs, with an unmatched combat record within the fleet, but the increasing range and duration of modern combat has largely left the short-legged Star Knight behind. Of the 12 units of the class currently in service all are deployed with the various home and garrison task forces in Sol, Minette and San Martin. It speaks of the classes effectiveness and legacy that the last line of defence for both racial homeworlds of the UN is largely in the hands of a class entering its 60th year of service.

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Star Knight II class Destroyer    6,500 tons     131 Crew     1180 BP      TCS 130  TH 800  EM 0
6153 km/s     Armour 4-31     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 2     PPV 30.75
Maint Life 2.03 Years     MSP 227    AFR 169%    IFR 2.3%    1YR 74    5YR 1105    Max Repair 128 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 0   
Magazine 125   

200 EP Magneto-plasma Drive (4)    Power 200    Fuel Use 110.05%    Signature 200    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 950,000 Litres    Range 23.9 billion km   (44 days at full power)

100mm Railgun (5/30kkm) (4x4)    Range 30,000km     TS: 6153 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 3    ROF 5        1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Laser Fire Control 96kkm-3000kms (1)    Max Range: 96,000 km   TS: 3000 km/s     90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology PB-1 (6)     Total Power Output 13.5    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Size 5 Box Launcher (25)    Missile Size 5    Hangar Reload 37.5 minutes    MF Reload 6.2 hours
Missile Fire Control FC105-R100 (1)     Range 105.6m km    Resolution 100
BGM-N55-3A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (25)  Speed: 26,000 km/s   End: 73.8m    Range: 115.2m km   WH: 6    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

Active Search Sensor MR102-R100 (1)     GPS 12800     Range 102.4m km    Resolution 100

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Fearless class Destoyer Escort
By 2070 the Medusa class Destroyer Escorts currently in service were approaching their 40th year in service and, unlike the enduring Warlock class Cruisers, starting to show their age. Limited by the small initial size, refits over the years had added around 500 tons to the class but cost-benefit studies showed that attempting to further increase the size of the dozen Medusas in service would difficult. With the new Achilles and Hawking class warships already planned for deployment to form the new fighting line of the UN Space Force a new, larger escort was designed. Massing 3,500 tons larger, capable of higher acceleration, twice as many defensive missile launchers and packing in a third more anti-missiles, the Fearless class was launched in 2073 and later modified to variant IIB in 2081

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Fearless IIB class Destroyer Escort    10,000 tons     224 Crew     1993.06 BP      TCS 200  TH 1250  EM 0
6250 km/s     Armour 5-41     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 2     PPV 28
Maint Life 1.06 Years     MSP 280    AFR 355%    IFR 4.9%    1YR 252    5YR 3773    Max Repair 168 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 0   
Magazine 542   

250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (5)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 1,685,000 Litres    Range 38.6 billion km   (71 days at full power)

25cm Spinal UV Laser (20/640k) (1)    Range 320,000km     TS: 6250 km/s     Power 16-4     RM 4    ROF 20        16 16 16 16 12 10 9 8 7 6
Laser Fire Control 320kkm-6000kms (1)    Max Range: 320,000 km   TS: 6000 km/s     97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Tokamak Fusion Reactor Technology PB-1 (1)     Total Power Output 4    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Mk13 Defensive Missile Launcher (20)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 10
AMM Fire Control FC19-R1 (2)     Range 19.1m km    Resolution 1
BIM-N11-3A Rattlesnake Anti-Missile Missile (542)  Speed: 56,000 km/s   End: 1.4m    Range: 4.6m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 261/156/78

AMM Active Search Sensor MR18-R1 (1)     GPS 168     Range 18.5m km    MCR 2.0m km    Resolution 1

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Warlock class Cruiser
Koldun class Cruisers were the major combatant of the Russian Rocket Corps, and served with distinction during the war. Of all the major warships used during the conflict on both sides only a single Russian cruiser survived the final battle intact. A second unit, heavily damaged and abandoned, was salvaged by a joint Western—Sino-Russian task force in the early days of the fall to prevent it de-orbiting, while two more were close to completing construction in the sole surviving Alliance shipyard. No other major power retained any warships even close to the size of the Koldun, which was originally twice the size of contemporary Yuhu- and Virginia-class Destroyers. Uniquely amongst pre-Fall warships the Koldun class survived with its name intact, although the general usage of English in UN forces saw it translated to ‘Warlock’. Refitted extensively since the Fall, the Warlock now boasts an impressive 13,500 tons and is the backbone of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fleets, with 12 units currently in operation. A battery of 8 missile tubes, capable of a 40 second reload, provide its primary long-range strike, while a secondary array of 4 15cm UV lasers provide close in attack capability, all wrapped around the 25cm Spinal laser array which now forms the core of most modern warships.

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Warlock III class Cruiser    13,500 tons     352 Crew     2599.04 BP      TCS 270  TH 1750  EM 0
6481 km/s     Armour 5-50     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 64
Maint Life 1.09 Years     MSP 361    AFR 486%    IFR 6.7%    1YR 306    5YR 4590    Max Repair 126 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 1   
Magazine 609   

250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (7)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 1,850,000 Litres    Range 31.4 billion km   (56 days at full power)

25cm Spinal UV Laser (20/640k) (1)    Range 256,000km     TS: 6481 km/s     Power 16-4     RM 4    ROF 20        16 16 16 16 12 10 9 8 7 6
15cm UV Laser (10/240k) (4)    Range 240,000km     TS: 6481 km/s     Power 6-4     RM 4    ROF 10        6 6 6 6 4 4 3 3 2 2
Laser Fire Control 256kkm-6000kms (1)    Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 6000 km/s     96 92 88 84 80 77 73 69 65 61
Tokamak Fusion Reactor Technology PB-1 (5)     Total Power Output 20    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Mk54 Vertical Launch System (8)    Missile Size 5    Rate of Fire 40
Missile Fire Control FC138-R100 (1)     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100
BGM-N55-3A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (121)  Speed: 26,000 km/s   End: 73.8m    Range: 115.2m km   WH: 6    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

Active Search Sensor MR138-R100 (1)     GPS 12600     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Wayfarer class Strike Cruiser
The first pure-UN design produced in the early days of the First Interstellar War, the Wayfarer took the concept of the Warlock class and essentially replaced the original weapons package with an array of 120 box launchers, which had proved such a success for the smaller Star Knight class Destroyers, supported by 2x15cm UV lasers for close-range defence and the standard spinal laser. Intended to force Imperial-held jump points with a massive opening salvo, the Wayfarer has instead been used as a long range bombardment platform utilising its alpha-strike capabilities to overwhelm Charrian point-defence and Horde shields. Only four units of this class were built in the late 2050’s to supplement the then 2nd Strike Fleet before the balance of power facing the UN became apparent, and development shifted over to the Harrington class.

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Wayfarer Mod1 class Strike Cruiser    13,500 tons     173 Crew     2320 BP      TCS 270  TH 1750  EM 0
6481 km/s     Armour 5-50     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 98
Maint Life 1.19 Years     MSP 322    AFR 486%    IFR 6.7%    1YR 233    5YR 3488    Max Repair 144 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 1   
Magazine 600   

250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (7)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 1,955,000 Litres    Range 33.2 billion km   (59 days at full power)

25cm Spinal UV Laser (20/640k) (1)    Range 320,000km     TS: 6481 km/s     Power 16-4     RM 4    ROF 20        16 16 16 16 12 10 9 8 7 6
CIWS-160 (2x6)    Range 1000 km     TS: 16000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
Laser Fire Control 320kkm-6000kms (1)    Max Range: 320,000 km   TS: 6000 km/s     97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Tokamak Fusion Reactor Technology PB-1 (1)     Total Power Output 4    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Size 5 Box Launcher (120)    Missile Size 5    Hangar Reload 37.5 minutes    MF Reload 6.2 hours
Missile Fire Control FC138-R100 (1)     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100
BGM-N55-3A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (120)  Speed: 26,000 km/s   End: 73.8m    Range: 115.2m km   WH: 6    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

Active Search Sensor MR138-R100 (1)     GPS 12600     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Harrington class Missile Cruiser
For almost two decades the UN’s largest warship the Harrington class had a tortuous design history. Originally intended as a heavy cruiser class building upon the preceding Warlock and Warfarer in the face of encroaching Horde motherships, the decision to cease exploration of the Endicot cluster and the increasing appearance of Charrian and Imperial heavy missile ships eventually led to a pure missile-based armament, with no secondary weapons. The 6 Harringtons currently in service with the 3rd Fleet played a large role in the final campaign to secure the Charrian home system of Minette in XXXX and are currently slated to lead the expedition and colonisation effort to Thetis and Suchien in XXXX, escorting over 1 million colonists and over 5 million tons of commercial shipping.

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Harrington II class Missile Cruiser    15,000 tons     357 Crew     2706.48 BP      TCS 300  TH 2000  EM 0
6666 km/s     Armour 4-54     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 4     PPV 60
Maint Life 1.32 Years     MSP 451    AFR 450%    IFR 6.2%    1YR 274    5YR 4115    Max Repair 126 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 1   
Magazine 984   

250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (8)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 2,525,000 Litres    Range 38.5 billion km   (66 days at full power)

Mk54 Vertical Launch System (12)    Missile Size 5    Rate of Fire 40
Missile Fire Control FC138-R100 (2)     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100
BGM-N56-3A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (197)  Speed: 26,000 km/s   End: 73.8m    Range: 115.2m km   WH: 6    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

Active Search Sensor MR138-R100 (1)     GPS 12600     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Hawking class Battlecruiser
One of the two ship designs laid down following the Siege of Bastion, the Hawking draws heavily on the preceding Wayfarer class Strike Cruiser for its primary armament of 80 box launched long range missiles, the Warlock class Cruiser for it’s primary battery of 4x20cm UV lasers and 25cm Spinal laser cannon, and the Star Knight class for its secondary battery of 10x100mm railguns. Designed to overwhelm any known vessel at any range, the Hawking is fully capable of both attack and defence, with it’s battery of railguns providing short range missile defence for itself and any accompanying vessels. 8 Hawkings are currently in service, with another 4 due to be commissioned. Currently the Hawking and Achilles class battle groups form the core of the 4th Battle Fleet.

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Hawking II class Battlecruiser    21,000 tons     427 Crew     3964 BP      TCS 420  TH 2750  EM 0
6547 km/s     Armour 7-67     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 6     PPV 122
Maint Life 1.58 Years     MSP 708    AFR 588%    IFR 8.2%    1YR 328    5YR 4919    Max Repair 168 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 1   
Magazine 400    Cryogenic Berths 200   

250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (11)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 3,795,000 Litres    Range 41.4 billion km   (73 days at full power)

25cm Spinal UV Laser (20/640k) (1)    Range 256,000km     TS: 6547 km/s     Power 16-4     RM 4    ROF 20        16 16 16 16 12 10 9 8 7 6
20cm UV Laser (15/400k) (4)    Range 256,000km     TS: 6547 km/s     Power 10-4     RM 4    ROF 15        10 10 10 10 8 6 5 5 4 4
100mm Railgun (5/30kkm) (10x4)    Range 30,000km     TS: 6547 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 3    ROF 5        1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
R-AMM Fire Control S04 24-12000 (2)    Max Range: 48,000 km   TS: 12000 km/s     79 58 38 17 0 0 0 0 0 0
Laser Fire Control 256kkm-6000kms (1)    Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 6000 km/s     96 92 88 84 80 77 73 69 65 61
Tokamak Fusion Reactor Technology PB-1 (14)     Total Power Output 56    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Size 5 Box Launcher (80)    Missile Size 5    Hangar Reload 37.5 minutes    MF Reload 6.2 hours
Missile Fire Control FC138-R100 (1)     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100
BGM-N55-3A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (80)  Speed: 26,000 km/s   End: 73.8m    Range: 115.2m km   WH: 6    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

AMM Active Search Sensor MR18-R1 (1)     GPS 168     Range 18.5m km    MCR 2.0m km    Resolution 1
Active Search Sensor MR138-R100 (1)     GPS 12600     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Achilles class Battleship
The UN’s largest warship, this battleship follows in the tradition of the Harrington class Missile Cruiser as a pure missile platform intended for long range engagements while escorted by Hawking class Battlecruisers for medium and close range defence. The Achilles carries twice the number of missile tubes as a Warlock class Cruiser in addition to a larger magazine and armour almost twice as thick.

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Achilles II class Battleship    21,000 tons     467 Crew     3717.6 BP      TCS 420  TH 2750  EM 0
6547 km/s     Armour 7-67     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 80
Maint Life 1.14 Years     MSP 553    AFR 705%    IFR 9.8%    1YR 430    5YR 6453    Max Repair 126 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 0   
Magazine 1203    Cryogenic Berths 200   

250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (11)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 3,555,000 Litres    Range 38.8 billion km   (68 days at full power)

Mk54 Vertical Launch System (16)    Missile Size 5    Rate of Fire 40
Missile Fire Control FC138-R100 (2)     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100
BGM-N56-3A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (240)  Speed: 26,000 km/s   End: 73.8m    Range: 115.2m km   WH: 6    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

Active Search Sensor MR138-R100 (1)     GPS 12600     Range 138.6m km    Resolution 100

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Nike class Jump Cruiser
Given the excessive jump building tendencies of both the Charlotte Monarchy and the Newtown Empire, the need for a military capable jump tender was first raised in 2051 but largely mooted. Only once a large sensor module was added to the design, at the cost of any weapons package, and the need for a jump point assault capability became apparent was the design passed through Naval appropriations in 2060. The Nike has seen service with its large sensor array during the war with Monarchy forces, and three units are currently in service.

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Nike IV class Jump Cruiser    13,500 tons     325 Crew     2545.5 BP      TCS 270  TH 1750  EM 0
6481 km/s    JR 5-100     Armour 5-50     Shields 0-0     Sensors 40/40/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 0
Maint Life 1.39 Years     MSP 589    AFR 291%    IFR 4%    1YR 331    5YR 4969    Max Repair 320 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months    Spare Berths 2   
Flag Bridge   

J13600(5-100) Military Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 13600 tons    Distance 100k km     Squadron Size 5
250EP Fusion Rocket (X1.25/0.5) (7)    Power 250    Fuel Use 78.61%    Signature 250    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 2,075,000 Litres    Range 35.2 billion km   (62 days at full power)

CIWS-160 (5x6)    Range 1000 km     TS: 16000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
Large Active Search Sensor MR256-R100 (1)     GPS 32000     Range 256.0m km    Resolution 100
Thermal Sensor TH5-40 (1)     Sensitivity 40     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  40m km
EM Detection Sensor EM5-40 (1)     Sensitivity 40     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  40m km

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes

Fleet Deployments in 2081
1st Home Fleet
4x Warlock
4x Star Knight
4x Medusa

2nd Home Fleet
4x Warlock
4x Star Knight
4x Medusa

3rd Strike Fleet
3x Nike
6x Warlock
6x Harrington
6x Wayfarer
8x Fearless

4th Battle Fleet
8x Achilles
8x Hawking

Destroyer Group One
4x Medusa
6x Star Knight

[Tanj (OP)]

United Nations Naval Intelligence Summary - 2081
Dhaka Commonwealth – Threat Rating: Medium (Allied)
Currently the only alien race the UN has peaceful relations with, the Commonwealth was contacted in 2073 and have proven firm trading allies. Wary of inciting a new conflict, UN survey forces have been careful to respect Dhakan territorial claims and currently little is known about their home system, but trade is now growing between our two nations even in spite of the threat of Vedran raids.

Charlotte Monarchy – Threat Rating: Low (Occupied)
The first alien race ever encountered by man, initial peaceful relations with the Monarchy soon soured over the colonisation of San Martin by the UN in late 2050. Although only one jump from Sol the Monarchy refused to sanction UN colonisation of the system, citing security concerns, before finally launching a surprise attack in the wake of the outbreak of ISW-1 with the Empire of Newtown Square. Although their initial attacks were successful in devastating the early colonies in San Martin, UN counter-attacks were able to repel their fleet with heavy losses. Unfortunately at this time the UN was dealing with simultaneous attacks on the colonies in Bastion, forcing it to divide its fleet and preventing any further aggressive actions.

A long stalemate continued for several years, with the UN building up its forces behind the garrisoned jump points, was finally broken by what are now suspected to be forces of the United Kingdom of Tarn Vedra, which launched an assault on the Monarchy home system of Minette in 2070. Once word of this reached Sol via jump scouts an immediate assault was launched, cancelling the build-up of forces intended to attack the Empire in Yalta (previously believed to be the weaker opponent). UN forces easily entered the system, brushing aside the remnants of the Monarchy fleet as it took up orbit of the homeworld, and ground forces soon secured the planet. Unfortunately the surrender of the homeworld has not been accepted by any Monarchy forces or populations outside of Minette, and remnants are still believed to operate in the surrounding systems despite UN efforts. Although the bulk of the Monarchy fleet is believed destroyed, there have been several long-range sightings on enemy ships at the edges of explored space, and as recently as 2080 an independent colony was found on an isolated comet in Minette itself.

Despite this the homeworld population of the Monarchy has largely come to accept UN administration since the end of the war proper, and Khan itself is largely peaceful and the site of the UN’s second largest construction and shipbuilding facilities, although extra-solar colonisation by Charrians is forbidden.

Empire of Newtown Square – Threat Rating: Low
Infamous for the now 30 year Siege of Bastion, Imperial forces have repeatedly attacked UN colonies in the Bastion system after the UN refusal to allow unlimited freedom of travel within its space. Scores of Imperial ships have been destroyed by the jump point defences in Bastion, beyond which no UN ship has travelled for three decades, and despite heavy salvage work by UN forces the Bastion system remains littered with the wreckage of over 250 Imperial warships. Despite the obvious disparity in technology, UN efforts to aggressively prosecute the war have been stymied first by the surprise attack launched by the Charlotte Monarchy and later by the outbreak of the Vedran War. To this end a number of massive monitors have been emplaced on the jump point to Yalta, defeating several Imperial attacks in their tracks, and in recent years the number of ships transiting has dropped to almost nothing. With the Monarchy War now over and the 4th Battle Fleet now operational, plans are being revisited to investigate where the Empire has gone and bring this long-running war to an end.

Addendum#1: In October of 2080, following a nine month lull in the Siege where no Imperial forces were sited, a large force of Imperial vessels, both military and civilian, attempted to run the blockade at the Bastion-Yalta jump point. In the heat of battle the identification of civilian vessels proved impossible, and the systems defence force was forced to engage all enemy ships indiscriminately. A total of 57 Imperial ships were destroyed
Addendum#2: In January of 2081 a second Imperial attempt at running the blockade at the Bastion-Yalta jump point was attempted. A further 80 Imperial ships were destroyed. Attempts were made to disable and board enemy civilian ships, but proved unsuccessful. Currently there are no widely accepted theories explaining the actions of the Imperial forces or the sacrifice of civilian ships. In light of the previous attempt a probe from the 3rd and 4th Fleets is being brought forward.
Addendum#3:TOP SECRET: CLASSIFIED ARGENT BLOOM: Elements of the 4th Fleet have now reached the Imperial capital in the Newtown system and confirm that, as suspected, the Empire has been completely destroyed. The wreckage of hundreds of Imperial spacecraft litter the inner system, primarily in orbit of the three previously habitable planets. All Imperial colonies in the system, including their racial homeworld, have been bombarded from orbit rendering them completely uninhabitable. No survivors have been encountered so far. The only clue to the perpetrator of this genocide is the wreckage of a single Vedran warship at a jump point leading away from UN territory.

Automata – Threat Rating: Low
First detected in 2053 in San Martin, automata vessels have proven both elusive and hostile. Passing unnoticed during the initial colonisation of San Martin two Automata vessels were revealed at rest between the A- and B-components during the installation of Deep Space Tracking Stations, leading to the deployment of a UN task force to attempt contact. No communications were ever received, and under orders of the Security Council both ships were destroyed. Salvage indicated an entirely robotic race, which soon tied to hostile ground forces encountered during the excavation of ruins on San Martins primary colony, Nova Prospekt.
Since that time Automata forces have been encountered in several other systems, usually in small numbers, with a high correlation of abandoned settlements or ruined colonies. Currently the presiding theory is that the automata represent the remnants of a former interstellar power which was apparently wide-spread across this arm of the galaxy, although what purpose the robotic warships and ground troops were intended for remains a mystery. Although usually found in systems with ruins to date these have all been from other races distinct from the culture of the automatas creators. The automata have access to extremely advanced technology several generations in advance of current UN equipment, particularly in the fields of propulsion and sensors, and the salvage of any identified Automata wrecks is highly recommended. Given their small numbers and apparent lack of any support network, the Automata are classed as a low-risk threat to the UN as a whole, although posing a significant danger to survey operations.

Horde – Threat Rating: Medium (Quarantined)
Apparently a unique, space-dwelling race it is unclear if the Horde are simply too alien to understand or are non-sentient animals. Three classes of Horde are currently known with some xenobiologists speculating these represent distinct types or castes of this species instead of purpose built spacecraft. Although they are extremely dangerous in large numbers, in the 30 years since first contact they have not been seen to expand past the Endicot system since the initial first encounter in Sol, and a current strategy of quarantine and isolation of those systems containing Horde appears to be working. It must be noted that the UN fleet operations in early 2070 were unable to destroy the two hundred thousand ton class Horde identified as ‘Empress’ despite repeated strikes, although numerous smaller ‘Queens’ and ‘Warriors’ have been destroyed. As of this date the single Empress-class seen to date is still believed to be operating within the Endicot system, possibly damaged, but current UN weapon systems do not appear capable of destroying the Empress-class creature without massing the entire UN fleet for a single alpha-strike – an impossibility given current operational demands upon the Fleet.

United Kingdom of Tarn Vedra – Threat Rating: Extreme
First contact with Vedran forces occurred in 2080 in the Quentin system, when multiple warships ran down and destroyed commercial freighter operations in that system transiting to the homeworld of the Dhaka Commonwealth. No attempts to communicate were made before this attack, taking UN forces by surprise. Although a swift counter-attack was launched, with the assistance of several Dhakan task groups, the homeworld or any colonies of the Kingdom remain unknown to UN forces.

In repeated raids on the systems surrounding Quentin, Vedran forces have displayed a significant advantage in technology over the UN, the Commonwealth and even that used by the Automata. Over the years, evidence has come to light that the Vedran's were responsible for the attacks on the Monarchy homeworld of Khan which allowed for the successful UN invasion in 2079, as well as linking them to attacks on Imperial shipping beyond Bastion, which would indicate that Vedran forces are currently engaged in hostilities with every power in known space. Until the technological advantage of Vedran forces can be overcome, it is recommended that UN forces avoid combat wherever possible.

Of particular note are Vedran missile capabilities, which exceed UN capabilities in every regard. Two sizes of missile, size 5 and size 7, appear to be in common usage, with warheads of strength 9 and strength 20 respectively, both operating at over 150 million kilometres, compared to the standard UN BGM-N56-3A with a warhead strength of 6 and a range of 115 million kilometres. In the most recent contact (September 2081, San Martin), a single 30,000 ton Vedran warship was engaged, massing a third more than the current Achilles class battleship. The Vedran attacker absorbed over 100 missiles before destruction, and appeared to be deployed as lone-wolf style raider or probe.

[QuakeIV]

Been slowly going over the fiction on this forum.

Finally hit this one.  I dunno if you still check this forum man, or if you will only see this years later long after I have left, but this is awesome.

This is truly awesome, I love it.