Icaria Foliá (Nest) class Semi-Mobile Fighter Platforms:

In some cases, star systems get extremely lucky. They might have extremely rare resources or they might be located at the juncture of trade routes. The Icaria system falls into the second category. As luck would have it, several important trade routes between Consortium systems, and others, ended up going through space controlled by the Icaria system. This had made the system an economic power house.

Being that there are strong trade ties with many Consortium systems, one might expect that the system might decide to join the Consortium. In fact, there have been several attempts by the Consortium government to get the system to join the larger power. The population of the Icaria system however considers themselves to be fiercely independent. As a result, such overtures have been rejected each time.

Of course as an independent system and extremely wealthy, this causes neighbors to be interested in seizing control of the golden goose. Other larger powers, such as the Trans-Galactic Empire, might also be tempted to invade the system if they thought they could get away with it.

There is a two pronged solution to this potential threat. The first is to have a number of mutual defense treaties with an especially important treaty with the Human Alliance. The second is to have a powerful fleet as well. One never knows when your allies might not be able to help one with threats and even if willing, might not be able to react in a timely manner.

Early on, the military of the Icaria system elected not to devote resources towards monitors or system defense craft. Instead, they built destroyers, cruisers, and other warship classes able to travel between systems. Still, there were major fighter bases on the moon of the planet and later a couple of bases were built into the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt.

As time went on, the system needed defenses for locations which were not well suited to building fixed facilities. The planet Kasos, for example, had no moons suitable for building fighter bases into. Even though the atmosphere of the planet was relatively thin, it would still slow down any reaction. Instead, it was decided that a number of orbital fighter platforms would be built.

Many orbital platform do not have any propulsion systems but that makes them extremely vulnerable to fire from outside of effective defense range. There was however also an issue with concerns that they might be considered carriers. In addition, there were issues with cost. What came of the idea was an extremely minimalist approach and the term “Carrier” is effectively forbidden to be used when describing them.

The idea was to build the platforms to civilian standards with the ability to carry around one hundred and sixty fighters. Everything on the platforms is designed around using as many civilian systems as possible. Eventually a total of ten of these platforms were constructed. They tend to be scattered around the star system although two normally orbit the planet of Kasos and two back up the bases on the moon of Icaria.

The platforms can actually embark up for around two hundred fighters however standard compliment is actually eight squadrons of light fighters and five squadrons of medium fighters. While some of the early testing of the Kopis was done from these platforms and training of new fighter squadrons is often done from them as well, it will likely be some time before these new fighters are permanently assigned to these platforms.

These platforms do have some defenses although realistically once fighters are launched, the platforms are considered almost expendable. There is almost enough spare hanger space in the moon and asteroid facilities to house the system’s fighter forces in them. Still, they do have light military shielding and have a number of defensive batteries. These include a single long range missile battery, four mini-missile batteries, four rail gun batteries, and four light laser batteries. The Geráki class carrier, even though it carries far fewer fighters, is much better protected than the fighter platforms.

Instead of an anti-matter plant, the platform is powered by a fusion reactor with the platform also having minimal propulsion capability. It is still enough so that the platform can dodge missiles fired from long range and enough to be moved around the system when required. Still, virtually all ships have greater acceleration, including merchant ships, than these platforms. Does not have military class particle shielding, limiting the maximum velocity of the platforms. Even the sensors, with the exception of fire control, are civilian systems.

Crew manning is a composite of navy, army, and even merchant space personnel. They are designed to be operated by a comparatively small crew with the navy personnel manning most of the platform’s weapon systems. Fighter operations are by a mixture of navy and army personnel with the majority being military personnel.

Even though there are plans to replace virtually all of the mobile forces of the system in the next few decades, there are no current plans to replace these platforms. If some were lost due to an attack on the system, an upgraded version might be developed. There is some in the military leadership who would like to at least add a pair of medium range missile launchers to give the platform a bit better ability to defend itself from attack.

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

Model: INF-SMFP-01.

Class: Semi-Mobile Fighter Platform.

Crew: 320 (8 naval officers, 80 naval enlisted, 12 army officers, 120 army enlisted, and 100 civilian).

Troops: 40 marines (typically stay on board for ship defense), 250 fighter pilots (split between navy and army personnel), and 40 power armor pilots. Can carry up to 100 passengers in addition to standard troops and crew.

Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:

Power Armors:

Light Power Armors.

Fighter Compliment:

	96	Light Starfighters (SF-109 Stríngla Light Fighter in Icaria service).
	60	Medium Starfighters (SF-106 Psaraetós or SF-1 Kopis Medium Fighter in Icaria service).

Can expand fighter compliment out to 200 fighters if required.

M.D.C. By Location:

	Point Defense Electromagnetic Rail Gun Turrets (4):	150 each.
	Double Barrel Point Defense Laser Turrets (4):	150 each.
	Long Range Missile Batteries (1):	600 each.
	Mini-Missile Launchers (4):	100 each.
	Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	100.
	Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	75.
	[1] Bridge:	5,000.
	Hanger Bays (8):	3,000 each.
	[2] Main Body:	25,000.
	[3] Variable Force Field:	3,000 a side (18,000 total).

Notes:

[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the platform’s armor. The platform does not have an auxiliary bridge. Even if the bridge is destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but platform 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] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the platform out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The platform itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.

[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 20 percent of the speed of light maximum due to civilian particle and radiation shields. Space Platform can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.20 percent of light per melee.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Not possible. The space platform would likely come apart in an atmosphere and are only operated in space.

Stardrive: The ship / platform carries no stardrive.

Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system. Carries about two years worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:

Length: 919.9 feet (280.4 meters).

Height: 279.5 feet (85.2 meters).

Width: 510.2 feet (155.5 meters).

Weight/Mass: 490,530 tons (445,000 metric tons).

Power System: Fusion with a 15 year life span. The space platform is suppose to only operate 5 years between refueling and refitting.

Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the platform that allows for carrying up to 55,100 tons (50,000 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: Space platforms would cost around 500 million credits to manufacture at the present time in the Three Galaxies present time in the Three Galaxies. Platforms are no longer being produced.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1 Four (4) 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. When used in space, projectiles are fired from rail gun mounts at a significant fraction of the speed of light. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities. Rail gun uses 15 mm depleted uranium projectiles.

Maximum Effective 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.
Four (4) 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.
One (1) Long Range Missile Battery: 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 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 long range missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or twenty-four (24) long range missiles per launcher, per melee attack.

Payload: 360 long range missiles for battery.
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 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 512 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 2,048 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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