Galactic Empires II [M]

[Azazeal849]

I’m going to guess no - if it takes a year to get there even through the Gate then we must be looking for at least double that for return messages. And unless they’ve cracked quantum entanglement radios, which don’t care about distance, any conventional signal is looking to travel something of the order of millions of light-years - which needless to say would take far too long even if they could generate a signal ungodly powerful enough to be picked up at that distance.

[dakkagor]

QER is a tech, but its super secret squirrel stuff that the Sentinax do not share with anyone, and currently, only they have the mastery of. Communication is a complete no-go for the duration of the mission.

[Enigma]

Not even message drones that we can send through the gate? Long long before we're overdue? How long before we're officially missing?

[AngelDellaNotte]

Perhaps some sort of one way message system such as the drones Enigma mentioned. They could take weeks to reach the concert.

[dakkagor]

A message drone would take a year to get back to Concert Space through the gate. And the gate has to be spun up with a huge amount of power to be functional. The Elcano will be carrying a spare AM plant with some hydrogen nets to power the gate up and down to allow for drones to be sent back, and it is carrying a very advanced one-shot power plant to generate an emergency pulse to make a quick get away if required.

As for being overdue, or reinforcements, or help. . .forget it. Its too far, over too much hostile terrain. This is sailing off the edge of the map territory. Here Be Dragons.

Without Further Ado:

The Elcano

Elcano Class Science Barque

History:
Originally conceived as a replacement for the aging Magellan Class Science Ships used by the Terran Federation, plans for the Elcano class were drawn up by Dyson Fleet Systems just before the outbreak of the concert war and were shelved. With funds going into rebuilding the Terran Fleet and upgrading older ships to use newer technologies, Dyson put the plans on hold until the Concert put out its specification for the science ship to breach the gate to reach the Sagitarrius Dwarf Spheroidal (SDS) Galaxy. Dyson quickly redesigned the original Elcano hull to meet the expanded role the concert called for, adding the new available Antimatter Reactor and gravity shield systems, as well as docking clamps for the two Concert designed frigates. With the extra headstart of an advanced design already on the drawing boards, the Elcano exceeded expectations, and Dyson Fleet Systems were given the contract to build the Elcano's shipyard and the mighty ship itself, heading up an interstellar team of engineers, scientists and ship builders.

Length: 5105 meters
Beam: 787 meters at docking clamps
Height: 1001 meters
Crew: 1200 Omega Class Sentiences, 250 crew, 450 scientists, 500 military compliment (including flight crews)

Defenses:
HAUBERK class laser StM system
1.2m ferrocarbide hull backed by reactive massgel
LAMBENT class Gravity shield projectors
16 Stennhauser 'Kingslayer' Railguns mounted in four quad turrets
24 Hornet Class Missile bays loaded with StS 'Pulsar' missiles

Hanger capacity: 36 Errant II mechs for CAP and shuttle escort. 12 bulk lifters, 6 'Divine Wisdom' survey boats.

Computer: Sentinax Godfist Pattern Super Computer.

Reactor: 4 AM annihaltion plants. 2 ramscoop fed breeder plants.

Accel/Decel: 3.1 Gravities cruising. 6.7 flank. 10.1 sprint.

Endurance: 10 years with access to CHON replenishment and nutrient replenishment. 5 years, six months from stores. Drives provide unlimited power.

Labs: Top of the line labs with state of the art equipment, linked to a milspec auto-fac and sequential black boxes. Described as a 'researchers wet dream wrapped in celophane'

Sensors: Sentinax Immortus class battleship grade sensors augmented with Kel'Cyre tendril detection systems.

Other Equipment: The Elcano is currently carrying in cargo a Vacuum Particle Battery. Designed to power up the Collector Gate on the other side, it will bring the gate to full charge in less than four hours, then burn out. To build up the charge from the Elcano's drives would take six months. A spare AM plant with hydrogen net is also present to be attached to the gate and allow for occasional activations.

Splendour of Peace, First Words

Buckler Class Frigates

History:
The second cooperative vessel produced for the Concert Peacekeeper Force, the Buckler is designed as a flexible, multi-role ship designed to run down pirates and smugglers, guard borders and aid convoys, and defend the backs of the bigger Alliance Class Dreadnoughts. Designed to be carried into a system in pairs by an Alliance, or as a six strong squadron by the new Defender Class Heavy Carriers, space normally dedicated to a jump drive is instead given over to think armour, heavy weapons, and small but flexible launch capacity.

Length: 400 meters
Beam: 89 meters at docking clamps
Height: 200 meters
Crew: 60 Omega Class Sentiences, 50 crew, 50 military compliment (including flight crews and marines)

Defenses:
HAUBERK class laser StM system
1.2m ferrocarbide hull backed by reactive massgel
Spirit Shield class directional shield projectors
1 Stennhauser 'Godsmite' Railgun mounted in a spinal mount
6 Hornet Class Missile bays loaded with StS 'Pulsar' missiles

Hanger capacity: 6 Errant II mechs for CAP and shuttle escort. 4 shuttles.

Computer: Sentinax Echo Pattern Combat Computer.

Reactor: 1 AM annihilation plants.

Accel/Decel: 6.1 Gravities cruising. 10.8 flank. 19.7 sprint.

Endurance: 5 years with access to CHON replenishment and nutrient replenishment, six months from stores. Drives have tankage for 6 weeks.

Sensors: Kel'Cyre White Light combat sensors.

[dakkagor]

Julian is on the approved list. I'll be looking to start this Monday.

[dakkagor]

Key NPCs:

Captain Kalyn Severt
"A good crew and a good ship can get through anything."
Previous Roles - Captain, Lyran Alliance Fleet


Kalyn was born to the elite Severt colonial family, and thus her place in the Lyran military machine was assured. She left officer school with top marks, and was a class mate of the infamous 'Iron Wolf'. She would start the Concert War in command of the Heavy Carrier Bulwark of Freedom, and would rise to lead the entire 4th fleet. While she fought bravely in defence of Lyre, she disagreed with the war and once she had command refused to sanction any further offensive operations in her command zone, instead focusing on holding back the forces of Clan Ordinary Barkat. She was one of the few Lyran officers honoured by the Charabidians after the war as an honourable opponent, which ironically ended her career almost overnight. Rather than waste a useful officer, President Sinclair lobbied successfully to have her attached to the Elcano.

Ella Salk - Chief of Security
"Nothing in this Galaxy killed me. Lets see what the next one has to offer."
Previous Roles - Major, Terran Federation, 5th Planetfall Regiment
Notes: 35% cyberised


Ella grew up in the Vladivostok Arcology, a typical Terran mutt of mixed Russian and Asian heritage. While her family weren't poor, they were not rich either, so she joined the Terran Federation Army to escape earths backwaters and see the galaxy.
Four tours of duty later, Ella is a professional, capable officer. Having accompanied many exploration ships, she was a natural choice for leading the Security compliment aboard the Elcano. The Elcano mission is also serving as a 2nd iteration test of the experimental 'Elemental' armour, and Ella has been given strict instructions on their use and deployment amongst the mixed species security and pioneer team.

Professor Nikos Garrick
"A distressing amount of science is poking things with sticks to see how they react. Our sticks have improved, but the principle remains"

Nikos would claim to be a 'citizen of the galaxy'. While born and raised on Mars, he completed his education on Kel'Cyre and has worked for each of the major power through his long life. Rather cynical, he admits he is a better administrator and academic than researcher, though he still has an adventerous streak. This made him a perfect fit for managing the 'eclectic' personalities serving in the Elcano's science team.

Hekatonkles
"We are all made of stardust. Some of us are made of more stardust than others."

A purpose built intelligence, Hekatonkles has unique architecture to support a local copy of the Sentinax network for the duration of the Elcano's voyage. This has made him somewhat. . . quirky by Sentinax standards. Effectively the leader of the Sentinax aboard, he has no official rank, and serves as something of an administrator and buffer between the three departments.

Elemental Soldier

Using bleeding edge miniaturised power sources linked to field effectors and a VI management program at the beck and call of an elite operator, the Elemental has an almost unique ability: to be able to project, form and control fields of force. These fields can be defenses, or deadly weapons. Currently only Ella and a squad of five Terran marines are trained in the suits use.


Pilots

The pilots of the Elcano are a mixed bag, with Terran, Lyran, Charabidian and Kel'Cyre stock. Pictured are two veterans of the Lunar Defence Squadrons, who have been assigned to the Elcano and retrained to fly the Errant II mechs it carries.

Pathfinders

Technically civilians, the Pathfinder Corp are a specialised service that exists in both Terran and Lyran space. Government agents trained in broad scientific fields and self defence, they are the first point of contact for new aliens and new worlds. 10 pioneers have accompanied Elcano.

Marines

The Elcano has a small contingent of marines from all the races. Pictured is a Charabidian in light armour.

[Azazeal849]

A lot of those pics don’t seem to be working, at least not for me.

Captain Kalyn Severt

Also, for my own curiosity, is that pronounced KAY-lin?

[dakkagor]

Kah-lin. Refresh the page, I had to go back and fix the links a couple of times. Mainly because I'm an idiot.

[dakkagor]

Vezarres and Cicero have been approved! Sorry for the delay, mea culpa. I'm banging out the first GM co-op posts for people to work on and will have them mailed out either tonight or tomorrow.