HAFS Everest class Gun Cruiser:


This cruiser design was built by the Human Alliance Forces Navy for close range energy combat with the special purpose of picketing the Kurganov class missile cruisers. While built in smaller quantities compared to the missile cruisers, they were still an important design in the fleets. These ships were adopted by the Consortium Armed Forces fleets when formed and were produced by the Consortium of Civilized Worlds as well until the Warshield cruiser replaced both ship classes.


In virtually every major military fleet action of both the Consortium and Human Allaince, these ships could be seen as the battle line protecting the missile ships of the rest of the fleet or in direct support of Yamato class battleships when they entered close range combat. None of these ships are presently serving in the Consortium Armed Forces but there still remains ships of this class sitting in mothball fleets.


When the class was discontinued, large numbers of these gun cruisers were sold by the Consortium of Civilized Worlds and can often be found in mercenary units hands. These ships still serve in the remnants of the Human Alliance Forces Navy and Independent Defense Forces within the Consortium. In addition, the Human Alliance has a large number of these vessels sitting in mothball fleets.


The Consortium Navy has developed a new cruiser class that carries a much larger battery of energy weapons which is effectively a mini battleship with the ships energy weaponry. Unlike the Everest class, the new Consortium class also mounts a heavy mixed missile battery. Known as the Champion class, only a handful of this new heavy class have so far been completed.


In many ways, the Everest class Gun Cruiser reverses the concept embodied in the Kurganov class Missile cruiser. While the Kurganov class sacrifices heavy energy weaponry for missile weaponry, the Everest class sacrifices antiship missile weaponry for heavier energy weaponry. This allows the starship to carry two 28 cm particle beams as its main weaponry, four 18 cm particle beams for its secondary weaponry, and four 12 cm laser cannons as its support weaponry.


While the gun cruisers mounts no capital missile batteries, it does mount four long range missile batteries. These batteries are the same model carried on most ships that were commissioned at the time with the individual launchers in the batteries are bulkier than those carried on a Consortium Warshield class cruiser. These gun cruisers carry almost a thousand long range missiles in total, slightly more than the Kurganov class missile cruisers.


For point defense, an Everest class gun cruiser is almost as well protected as a Kurganov class missile cruiser with six point defense rail guns, eight double point defense laser cannons, and six point mini-missile launcher. While the rail guns are electromagnetic models, the rail guns are quite powerful and effective even compared to gravity rail gun mounts..


These cruisers mount the same shield generators as the Kurganov missile cruiser but are better armored for close combat. The ships are not quite as fast as the Kurganov class in either acceleration in normal space or with the faster than light drives. These ships are limited to three and a half light years per hour. Along with the Kurganov class, the Everest class is powered by an anti-matter reactor in place of a fusion plant which was mounted on older cruisers and battleships.


Ships remaining in commission in the Human Alliance Navy generally have a more modern compliment than those which are in mothball forces. These tend to carry Scorpion, Black Eagle, and Katana class fighters. If not stripped of fighters, Vixen and Osprey fighters are usually embarked. The cruisers operated by independent forces can potentially have completely different fighter compliments. Having an identical fighter compliment to the Kurganov class, these gun cruisers carry a slightly larger fighter compliment than the Consortium Warshield cruiser to compensate for the ships lack of capital missiles. Unlike the Warshield, the Everest does not carry any Battleram robots. The gun cruisers also embarks a greater marine compliment than a Kurganov missile cruiser because the gun cruisers are often used in support of planetary assault landings.


This class of ship was originally named after planets within the Human Alliance. These can be populated planets or unpopulated planets but they usually have either historical or military significance. The same naming convention was used when the ships were built by the C.C.W. but could be named after planets anywhere within the Consortium Everest is the name of a gas giant that a major battle of the early Human Alliance was fought at.


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: CA-34
Vehicle Type: Gun Cruiser
Crew: 312 (ship can be run by 80 crew) - 25 Officers and 287 enlisted.
Troops: 120 marines, 15 Silverhawk Pilots (in some cases), and 24 fighter pilots.


Vehicles: Ship not in the C.A.F. or H.F.N. fleets may have totally different types of vehicles as ships compliment but numbers will be about the same for the various classes of vehicles. Compliments can also be a mix between old and new compliments.
Old Compliment:
Fighter Compliment:

8SF-9 Vixen Light Starfighters
4SF-6A Osprey Medium Starfighters (Attack)
4SF-6I Osprey Medium Starfighters (Interceptor)
New / Modern Compliment:
Power Armors & Robots:
15SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack ExoSkeleton
Fighter Compliment:
8SF-69 CAF Scorpion Star Interceptor
8BIF-67 Katana Starfighters or SF-101 Black Eagle Starfighters


M.D.C. By Location:

28 cm Main Particle Beam Batteries (2):1,500 each
18 cm Secondary Particle Beam Batteries (4):1,200 each
12 cm Support Heavy Laser Cannons (4):750 each
Point Defense Electromagnetic Rail Gun Turrets (6):150 each
Double Barrel Point Defense Laser Turrets (8):150 each
Long Range Missile Batteries (4):500 each
Mini-Missile Launchers (6):100 each
Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):150
Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):100
[1] Bridge:10,000
[1] Auxiliary Bridge:10,000
Hanger Bay:12,000
[2] Main Engines (2):15,000 each
[3] Main Body:40,000
[4] Variable Force Field:4,000 a side (24,000 Total)


Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ship’s armor. This ship also has an auxiliary bridge. Even if both bridges are taken out, 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.
[2] Destroying the main engines means that the ship’s faster than light systems are destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the cruiser out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (1,200 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 0.8 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 400 mph (644 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 3.5 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about four years worth of supplies on board.


Statistical Data:
Length: 720 feet (219.5 meters)
Height: 280 feet (85.3 meters)
Width: 450 feet (137.2 meters)
Weight/Mass: 185,000 Tons (168,000 tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 25 year life span. The ship normally only goes 7 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 4,000 tons (3,628.7 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, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: Ship would cost about 2.1 billion credits to manufacture in present time in the Three Galaxies. Ships are no longer being produced. When available, these ships sell for 4.3 to 6.4 billion credits. Cost does not include embarked craft.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Two (2) 28 cm Main Particle Beam Batteries: In the front of the ship are two 28 cm particle beam cannons. These can be fired forward and can be angled up to 120 degrees aft (can only fire one cannon at a target at that angle but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at a 30 degree angle up or down. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
    Maximum Effective Range: 70,000 miles (112,650 km)in space and 70 miles (112.7 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 1D4x1000 M.D.C. each (Both can be linked for 2D4x1000 M.D.C. for both)
    Rate of Fire: Maximum of three (3) times per melee per particle beam.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  2. Four (4) 18 cm Secondary Particle Beam Batteries: These 18 cm particle beams are mounted in the sides of the ship. Batteries can be fired up to 180 degrees toward the rear on either side (can only fire two cannons at a target at that angle but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at a 45 degree angle up or down. Only two cannons can be fired as one volley. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
    Maximum Effective Range: 70,000 miles (112,650 km)in space and 70 miles (112.7 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 3D6x100 M.D.C. each (Two can be linked for 6D6x100 M.D.C. for both)
    Rate of Fire: Maximum of three (3) times per melee per particle beam.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  3. Four (4) 12 cm Heavy Laser Cannons: Laser cannons are used against frigates and as against heavily reinforced targets. Two are located on either side of ship. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets. The barrels can be can be rotated 180 degrees in all directions. Only two cannons can be fired as one volley. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
    Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (25.8 km) through atmosphere and 16,000 miles (25,800 km) in space.
    Mega Damage: 2D6x100 M.D.C. each or 4D6x100 for two.
    Rate of Fire: Maximum of two (2) times per melee each laser cannon.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  4. Six (6) Point Defense 15 mm Electromagnetic Rail Guns: Unlike most of the rail guns used on Phase World / Three Galaxies starships, these are standard electromagnetic rail guns. They are used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Each rail gun is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Projectiles are fired from weapons at a significant fraction of the speed of light. Rail guns use 15 mm depleted uranium projectiles. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
    Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 800 miles (1,290 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: Rail gun inflicts 3D6x10 M.D.C. for an 80 round burst.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: 16,000 Rounds (200 Bursts) each cannon.
  5. Eight (8) Point Defense 2 cm Lasers in Double Mounts: Used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon. Each laser 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: 2D6x10 M.D.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  6. Four (4) Long Range Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship.) Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile, when unpowered, is at -25% to be detected.) Long range missiles do not have penalties to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time. Batteries have a lower number of actual launchers than the modern CAF long range missile batteries and each individual launcher is slightly larger in size.
    Maximum Effective Range: Long Range Missile range is 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,897,000 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
    Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Fusion warheads inflict 2D4x100 M.D.C. each.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or twenty-four (24) missiles per launcher, per melee attack.
    Payload: 960 total, 240 long range missiles per launcher.
  7. Six (6) 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 details.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of four (4) or eight (8) mini-missiles.
    Payload: 128 per launcher for a total of 768 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 3,072 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.




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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


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