Battle Link (Three Galaxies):

Battle Links are special linkages using very high speed self aware computers, fire control system, sensor systems, and communication systems. The system greatly enhancing their chances to hit, due to better sensor readouts and a more concentrated volume of fire that can be brought to bear on one enemy. Battle Links are especially efficient when it comes to concentrating fire on one or two targets at a time, although point defense also gains accuracy in the link. Another plus is that the ships get a bonus to dodge, due to better information on incoming enemy fire. Unfortunately, the systems are very large and can only be carried on certain classes of ships. Only Battleships and Cruisers carry these systems. The main control system is large enough that it is only mounted on large battle cruiser sized ships and larger. It is general not mounted on carriers (or even battle carriers) due to the fact that most of those ships require most of the ship for fighters and carriers are designed to avoid combat. The slave unit is carried on cruiser sized and larger ships. The only exception is that the neural computer on the Foxfire class Neural Prime can act as a slave unit for the neural prime system.

There is one exception to the size requirements. The Free World Council HAS a special version of the battle link for fighters, and it uses a modified Ferret class corvette as a control center. The Ferret has NO reloads for its cruise missile launcher, as most of the space in the holds is taken up with the Battle Link controls, computers and communication system. If the Corvette is destroyed, the Battle link is lost. Bonuses to strike are as described below, only the bonus for point defense is lost, and all other bonuses are for fighter sized weapons. This system is believed have been designed by a brilliant machine Person Engineer working for the Free Worlds Council.

The Battle Link computer system is only available to a few governments. The Consortium Armed Forces and Trans-Galactic Empire Military are the major militaries that have the system. Unlike many other systems, they are not shared with their allied governments. The Human Forces Navy is believed not to have this system but it is likely that by now that it might have been borrowed from the CAF but it is unlikely that any Independent Forces Navies have this system. The system for the Kreeghor navies was designed by machine person minions so is probably retained by them. The Free World Council Navies have stolen the system from the Kreeghor and it is believed that the REF has stolen the system from the Kreeghor but have had not began refitting any of their ships with it. Finally it is believed that the United Worlds warlock is working on a telepathic/magical version that will be unable to be jammed.

The system is very expensive and is about 5 percent of the base cost of the warship if part of the ships original construction. It is assumed that this a component of the of newer ships but the GM should determine if this has already be figured in or adds to the cost of the ship. For the CAF it is assumed that the Protector, Warshield, Paladin, Champion, and Fox Fire classes have this system along with most large defense fortresses. Older ships such as the Yamato and Everest do not the system as original but some may have the system as add on. Warshield cruisers not in service with the Caf has the system either removed or never was put in the ship. For the Kreeghor it is assumed that the Dreadnoughts and Smashers carry the system with older classes not carrying the system. If the system is added on later, the system is more expensive than it costs as an integral ships. In these cases it costs 10% of the original cost of the ship.

Limit to size: Main control system: Only large Battlecruiser and larger. Slave System: Only Cruisers and larger with the exception of the neural prime. Frigates and corvettes and fighters do not have access to the battle net, although the Free World League is rumored to be testing a miniature battle link specifically for use with a group of fighters, with a modified corvette acting as a control nexus.

Bonuses from the link:

Battle Link in number of ships:	Bonus for Heavy Weapons [1]	Bonus for Point Defense Weapons [2]	Bonus for Dodging [3]	Bonus for Combat Initiative
2	+1 to Strike	None	None	None
3 to 6	+1 to Strike	+1 to Strike	None	+1 to Initiative
7 to 11	+2 to Strike	+1 to Strike	+1 to Dodge	+1 to Initiative
12 to 18	+2 to Strike	+2 to Strike	+1 to Dodge	+2 to Initiative
18 to 26	+3 to Strike	+2 to Strike	+2 to Dodge	+2 to Initiative
27 or more	+3 to Strike	+3 to Strike	+2 to Dodge	+3 to Initiative

Notes:
[1] These bonuses are if the group is concentrating its fire on a group(s) of targets, NO BIGGER in total, than HALF the linked group. If the total target group is a quarter or less of the size of the linked group, the bonuses are doubled. Does not include self guided missiles due to the fact that missiles have their own tracking systems but does include missiles that are guided to the target by ships designators. Bonuses also include energy weapons and rail guns
[2] Does not include self guided missiles due to the fact that missiles have their own tracking systems but does include missiles that are guided to the target by ships designators. Bonuses also include energy weapons and rail guns.
[3] The dodge bonus only applies to dodging heavy starship weaponry such as Lasers and Railguns. It does not apply to dodging missiles or lighter weaponry such as those of fighters (for FWC fighter system bonuses apply to dodging fighter sized weaponry as well).

System Limitations:
As might be expected the system main limitations are the limitations of range and can be jammed. Jamming can be used effectively to break the links between the system. The system can link up to eight slave units to one main control system. The ships with slave links must be within 37,280 miles (60,000 km) of the main control systems. Main control system can also be linked but the link takes one of the slave links leaving a maximum of 7 slave units being used. A total of 64 ships can be linked before the whole system becomes unstable. When main control systems are linked, there is a maximum range of 186,400 miles (300,000 km).
The Free Worlds Council fighter system works the same way except ranges between corvette and fighters have a maximum range of 1,491.3 miles (2,400 km) and between corvettes of 7,450 km (12,000 miles) and has a maximum of 8 fighters for one corvette or if in a large link 1 corvette and 7 fighters with a maximum of 8 corvettes and 56 fighters.

Example:
A CAF Battle group of seven Warshield class cruisers, one Neural Prime, and a Protector class
battleship (9 link capable ships) attacks a Kreeghor dreadnaught and its escort of six cruisers. Two of the Warshields attack one Kreeghor cruiser, and the rest of the ships decide to concentrate ALL of their firepower on the one Dreadnaught, and thus they gain the following bonuses: +4 to strike and +2 to initiative (double the normal value). The Dreadnought is in serious trouble. Because All of the CAF ships are in a single battle link, they get a +2 to strike on their point defense.

Cost: 5 percent of cost of ship if part of the ship at the time of construction and 10 percent of the cost of the ship if it is an add on later.

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Writeup by Mischa (E-Mail Mischa) and by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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