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Free Worlds Council Lioness Assault Carrier (Escort Design):

The Free Worlds Council operates a number of escort carriers, cargo vessels converted to operate in the role of a carrier. While there are significant differences in the individual designs, they are normally described as the “Gryphon’s Claw” design.

Recently, the Free Worlds Council has modified a number of Star Witch class clippers into fast escort carriers. Their faster than light speed is fifty percent greater than the Gryphon’s Claw and similar vessels. In general, the fast escort carriers are far more satisfactory than the older escort carriers.

Planetary assaults are low priority with many navies in the Three Galaxies with the Free Worlds Council being a bit of an exception. They are often required to land troops on a planet during their continuing struggles with the Trans-Galactic Empire. As a result, they require significant assault forces.

Even though the Free World Council navy is always chronically short of carriers, it was decided that a number of the older escort carriers would be converted to the planetary assault role. This was of course strongly opposed in some circles both in the government and military. Both the army and marines however strongly campaigned in favor of the conversion.

The first converted was named Lioness. As each escort carrier was a bit different, some has slightly different weapon batteries. The Lioness did not have a heavy 18 cm particle beam and two 12 cm lasers which the Gryphon’s Claw mounts. Instead it mounts a single 30 cm laser from a wrecked Smasher class cruiser as a spinal mount. Originally mounted in the hopes of being able to destroy an attacking Berserker in a single shot, the weapon makes a good orbital bombardment weapon being able to penetrate through the atmosphere.

For secondary weapons, the Lioness carries a more common weapon array. The original four medium range missile batteries from the original merchant design are retained although modified for a greater rate of fire and magazine greatly increased. The original merchant class mounted four triple point defense lasers which is increased to eight mounts. Four heavy point defense gravity rails guns and four mini-missile batteries supplement the lasers and medium range missile batteries.

In the assault carrier conversion, two of the fighter bays were converted to troop and vehicle compartments. The other two hangers were considerably reduced in size as well. It is designed to be able to carry four tanks and sixteen lighter armored vehicles. Tanks are limited to one hundred tons and the lighter armored vehicles are limited to around thirty tons each. For troops, the ship embarks around four hundred troops including about two hundred power armors. Normal power armor compliment is around forty Warlord Mark II, ten “knock off” Silverhawk power armors, and around one hundred and fifty ground power armors.

To carry the assault forces down to the surface, the assault carrier is designed to be able to embark two assault shuttles. Originally it was planned to embark four Rampage class light assault shuttles but during modification it was decided to modify the bay to embark a pair of full sized assault shuttles. The Human Alliance AS-4 is usually embarked.

Fighter compliment however is cut down to two squadrons, one squadron of medium fighters and one squadron of light fighters. The assault carrier has two bays with each bay usually embarking a half squadron of light and a half squadron of medium fighters. Because of the heavy rail gun, the Consortium Scorpion is a popular fighter however rarely embarked. Instead, it is more commonly a squadron of Trans-Galactic Empire Flying Fangs fighter-bombers and a squadron of Human Alliance Vixen light fighters or Wolfen Falx Supina light fighters.

In ships with a secondary bridge, that additional bridge is usually converted to an assault command and control facility. Part of the original hanger facilities were converted aboard the Lioness in order to act in this role. Even though the bridge of the assault carrier is vulnerable, the assault command facility is even more vulnerable to attack. Otherwise, the crew and officer compartments are unchanged. As is common, it is often hard to fully man the assault carrier.

This starship design uses modified starship speed and weapon range rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.

Model Type: CVER-128 Assault (Escort) Carrier.

Vehicle Type: Space, Assault Carrier (Escort - Converted Medium Cargo Ship).

Crew: 385 (35 Officers and 350 Enlisted Crew - Ship can be run by 175 crew).

Troops: 494 (200 Armored Troops, 200 Power Armor Troops, 48 Fighter Pilots / Crew, 16 Shuttle Crews, and 30 Vehicle Crews).

Vehicles:

Power Armor Compliment:

Fighter Compliment:

Shuttle Compliment:

Tanks & Other Vehicles:

M.D.C. By Location:

Notes:

[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the escort carrier out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.

[2] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ship’s hull. This ship does not have an auxiliary bridge. Even if the bridge is destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge that do not penetrate the ships integrity can injure crew members on or near the bridge.

[3] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (900 M.D.C.) per melee round.

Speed:

Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.

Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.70 percent of light per melee. Ship has had the merchant radiation and particle shields replaced with military shields.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 300 mph (483 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight.

Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 3.0 light years per hour.

Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Ship normally carries about one year worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:

Length:                628 feet (191.4 meters).

Height:                145 feet (44.2 meters).

Width:                 240 feet (73 meter).

Mass/Weight:      148,000 tons (134,260 metric tons).

Power System: Advanced Fusion with a 20 year life span. The ship normally only goes 5 years between refueling and refitting.

Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 20,000 tons (18,145 metric tons) of cargo in addition to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ship’s officers have more space for personal items. Most of the ship’s spaces are taken up by extra ammunition, armor, fighter compliment, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.

Market Cost: Approximately 1.65 billion credits to build and convert (Does not include standard fighter, shuttles, embarked vehicle, and power armor compliment.)

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. One (1) 30 cm Heavy Laser Cannon Lance: Kreeghor weapon taken from a standard Smasher class cruiser-carrier. The cannon mount is located on the top front of the starship and are used as anti-capital ship weapons and can take out frigates in one shot and can do large amounts of damage to bases or larger starships. Usually used for bombardment roles. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for a large weapon system. The barrels can be fired either forward and can be rotated 60 degrees horizontally or vertically.

   Maximum Effective Range: 100,000 miles (161,000 km) in space and 100 miles (161 km) in an atmosphere.

   Mega Damage: 1D6x1000 M.D.C.

   Rate of Fire: Maximum of once per melee round.

   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

2. Four (4) GR-1000 Heavy Point Defense Rail Guns: Gravity rail guns are in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The GR-1000 Rail Guns both are more powerful and have more range than the conventional rail guns and is the same rail gun which is carried in the C.A.F. Scorpion Starfighter. Considered extremely effective even compared to other gravity rail guns. Even so, the mounts are not really for use against capital ships but can devastate a fighter quickly. They are also extremely effective against targets which are imperious to energy. Rail gun rounds are fired out of rail guns at a significant fraction of the speed of light. Gravity rail gun uses a 30 mm projectile. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.

   Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.

   Mega-Damage: Rail gun inflicts 4D6x10 M.D.C. for a 40 round burst.

   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).

   Payload: 10,000 Rounds (250 bursts) each cannon.

3. Eight (8) 2.5 cm Point Defense Lasers in Triple Mounts: Eight total on top, bottom, port, and starboard sides and are the main defensive batteries of the ship. All can fire forward and aft. Each turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.

   Maximum Effective Range: 2.5 miles (4 km) miles through atmosphere and 250 miles (402.3 km) in space.

   Mega-Damage: 3D6x10 M.D.

   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).

   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

4. Four (4) Medium Range Missile Batteries: A slightly modified version of the medium range missile batteries carried on a normal Merchantman. They can fire larger volleys and have a much larger payload than the launchers originally carried. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Normally used for anti-fighter and point defense. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.

   Maximum Effective Range: Medium range missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space.

   Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (Multi-warhead heavy warheads inflict 5D6x10 M.D.C. each - See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)

   Rate of Fire: Can fire medium range missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) medium range missiles per battery, per melee attack.

   Payload: 160 per battery for a total of 640 medium range missiles.

5. Four (4) Mini-Missile Launchers: These are missile turrets used for point defense against enemy fighters and missiles. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration.) Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.

   Maximum Effective Range: Mini-Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.

   Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for detailss.)

   Rate of Fire: Can fire mini-missiles one at a time or in volleys of four (4) or eight (8) mini-missiles per battery, per melee attack.

   Payload: 128 per launcher for a total of 512 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 1,024 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Copyright © 2015, Kitsune. All rights reserved.

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