Leonidas Super-Freighter/Mercenary Assault Ship:


This ship was found dead in space. Nobody knows for sure who refitted it and the current Captain isn't talking. Originally an REF Tokugawa Class Super Dimensional Landing Ship, it didn't take much to convert it to a freighter. Most of the weapons were intact, so most of the work involved the propulsion systems. Strangely, the mecha storage bays were left intact except for installation of tie-downs for cargo pallets and containers. The ship’s original name was left intact, despite the change in mission. One should note that this ship was designed from the ground up for planetary landings and is likely the largest ship capable of doing so.


REF reflex and laser weaponry systems are slight smaller than the Three Galaxy's equivalents, allowing the Leonidas to mount a larger number of energy weapon mounts and yet have an unprecedented amount of cargo space for its size. Because the REF was weak on point defense weaponry and missile weapon, additional Three Galaxies weapons were added. A variable shield system replaced the full barrier system, allowing the ship to fire out while still protected. If anything, this made the ship even more capable, to the point it actually met the original performance requirements when the class was incepted.


When the propulsion was replaced with a CG system, the powerplant was also changed over to a fusion power system. Anti-matter was considered too dangerous on a ship intended to land on a planet's surface and the protoculture system was impossible for its current operators to replenish. The ship retains its fold drive system. However, the power system is powerful enough to give the Leonidas an unprecedented cruising range.


Even as a cargo ship, the Leonidas still maintains a formidable combat capability, allowing them to hire out for cruises through dangerous territory and to mercenary or even governments in its original purpose as a combat landing ship. Even with the enhanced firepower and its ability to operate as a pocket carrier, the Captain prefers to stay on the edges of battles, making the assault approach once the immediate space is secured and under the support of bombardment from other ships. As the repair and maintenance equipment, left over from its original equipment, is much smaller than those carried on ships in the Three Galaxies, it can carry many more troops. That equipment is also more capable than its equivalent, which also makes a very convenient mobile base.


The original recreational facilities were left intact on this class of ship. To provide for the addition of point defense weaponry, the provisions for full size Zentraedi and related equipment were removed. This was no real loss, as the crew is composed of human-sized personnel.


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


Vehicle Type: Tokugawa
Class: Space fold Planetary Assault Ship/Super-Freighter
Crew: 2,045 under combat conditions, half that for commercial cruising
Troops: Up to 20,000
Total of Crew and Troops: up to 22,045, can fit 150,000 passengers (Extremely cramped and unable to perform normal operations)


STANDARD TROOP COMPLEMENT (SAF)
Naval Air Arm:

100Additional Fighters (Optional)
60Katana
36WF-F15X Shadow Bolt Mk II
30Modified Fire Eater
12Valkyrie bombers
0AEW Ships (can carry up to 20)
0EWACS and Elint Ships (can carry up to 12)
12Proctor (used as couriers and long range patrol ships, up to 12 more)
10Various cargo shuttles
Planetary Forces Complement:
160Fighters
30Light and heavy assault shuttles (can carry 22 more)
300Assorted Vehicles
14000Power armor
Cargo (no troops): 13 million tons (6 million with full troop complement)


M.D.C. by Location:

Main Particle Cannon Turrets (10):1,200 each
Long Range Missile Batteries (6):550 each
Rail Gun Turrets (8):300 each
Point Defense Laser Turrets (16):300 each
CIWS (12):300 each
Cruise Missile Launchers (3):1,000 each
Medium Range Missile Launchers (8):500 each
Flight Hangar/Cargo Section (Front 1/2, Upper 1/3 of the Ship):60,000
Hangar/Cargo Section (Lower 1/2 of the Ship):60,000
[1] Bridge:15,000
[1] Auxiliary Bridge:15,000
[2] Main Body:100,000
[3] Variable Force Field:5,000 a side (30,000 Total)


Notes:
[1] The main bridge is exposed but have extremely heavy armor. The secondary bridge is in the middle of the ship and 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 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
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the ship out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship 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% (1500 M.D.C.) per melee


Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not possible but can land on a planet.
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 0.7 percent of light per melee.
Space Fold: The ship is estimated to travel a total of 100 light years per hour in normal space and 500 light years per hour in deep space such as between galaxies. This allows the ship to travel between even galaxies very rapidly. Note: When the ship uses its space fold, it will also transport all vessels /objects within 2 or 3 miles. The ship can further expand its fold drive to transports all ships in a 50 mile radius. Fold drive does not work deep in a gravity well (Gravity wells interfere with fold drives)
Planet Bound: The ship can land on a planet using anti-gravity systems and is one of the largest ships designed to do so. Amazingly, it can attain a maximum speed of Mach 3 (200 mph/322 kph if the shield system is off-line)! Optimal landing locations are on large, flat land areas, but the ship can float, though it severally restricts access by troops in the lower bay.
Maximum Range: Unlimited, fusion power systems give it an estimated life of 30 years of constant use. Sublight engines and space fold offer virtually infinite range. It carries ten years of supplies that could be stretched to seven in an emergency.


Statistical Data:
Length: 3,675 feet (1,120 meters)
Height: 1,171 feet (357 meters)
Width: 1,411 feet (430 meters)
Weight/ Mass: 12 million tons (10.8 million metric tons)
Power System: Advanced fusion with a 30 year life.
Gravitational Control System: Internal and External
Cargo: In addition to cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allow for carrying up to 1 million tons of cargo, the main troop bays can be used to carry up to 13 million tons in addition to 20 days of supplies and ammunition (these are dedicated storage areas).
Market Cost: The Leonidas is not for sale.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Main Particle Cannon Turrets (10): These turrets, each consisting of triple mounted particle cannon, provide the primary armament against large ships and for planetary bombardment. Four are mounted on the topside main hull (3 facing forward and one facing aft), three on each flank and three on the lower hull (each mounted 2 forward and 1 aft). Penalties for striking small targets apply.
    Maximum Effective Range: 200,000 Miles (320,000 km) in space. and 100,000 Miles (160,000 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega-Damage: 3D6x100 per turret (three turrets can combine for 1D6x1000).
    Rate of Fire:Each of the cannon can fire five times per melee.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  2. Point Defense Rail Guns (8): A double rail gun mount used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Each pair of Rail Guns are in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. When used in space, projectiles are fired from rail guns at a significant fraction of the speed of light. Rail gun uses a 20 mm projectile.
    Maximum Effective Range: : 2 miles (3.2 km) through atmosphere and 200 miles (320 km) in space.
    Mega-Damage: 40 round burst (20 rounds from each gun) inflicts 4D6x10 M.D.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: 10,000 Rounds (500 Bursts) each cannon.
  3. Point Defense turrets (16): These are a double barreled laser mount with an on-mount multi-spectral sensor. The turrets are distributed evenly around the hull. Each turret can rotate 360 degrees with a 180 degree arc of fire.
    Maximum Effective Range: Laser 600 miles (960 km) in space and range is 6 miles (9.6 km) in atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 3D6x10 M.D.C. each.
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  4. Cruise Missile Batteries (3): Each rack is a set of five silos set into the ship’s hull. Missile has a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship.) Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless preset to self destruct or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead is at -25% to detect.) Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. This launcher is a standard CAF starship cruise missile launcher. Each Battery can launch on multiple targets each.
    Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missile range is 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space.
    Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Anti-Matter multi-warheads inflict 5D6x100 M.D.C. each.)
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 2, 3, 4, or 5 per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 15 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
    Payload: 150 total, 50 cruise missiles per launcher. Additional missiles are auto-loaded from the cargo hold (takes 2 minutes). A combat load-out would have been 3,000 missiles.
  5. Long Range Missile Batteries (6): Each battery is composed of a vertical launch system with 15 individual launch silos. The silos each contain 6 ready missiles in a rotating mechanism, which can be reloaded while firing. The ready magazines store 310 missiles per launcher. Each 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 dead is at -25% to detect.) Long range missiles do not have penalties to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Each battery can launch on multiple targets each. Two launchers are located near the engines, two amidships and two in the bow.
    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 5, 10, or 15 per launcher, per melee attack.
    Payload: 2,400 total, 400 long range missiles per launcher.
  6. Medium Range Missile Batteries (8): An add-on, this weapon system is used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and against incoming cruise missiles. Like other Phase world systems, weapon system range and speed has been greatly increased compared to Rifts Earth systems. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Each Battery can launch on multiple targets.
    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: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for deails
    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) missiles per launcher.
    Payload: 320 per launcher for a total of 1280 medium range missiles
  7. Close In Weapon System - CIWS (12): These are an automated weapon system composed of a gatling gun style laser and a pair of mini-missile launchers. They have several settings, but the usually program automatically engages any missiles fired at the ship first (missiles and gun), then any enemy fighters within range of the laser. The targeting system can be overridden and be used to target larger targets. The system uses radar to track incoming targets (Has +3 to strike missile and +2 to strike aircraft). Two flank the bridge tower and the rest are spread evenly around the hull. 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).
    Maximum Effective Range: Laser: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) in an atmosphere and 75 miles (120 km) in space. Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.
    Mega Damage: 3D4x10 M.D.C. each. Mini-missiles: varies with mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
    Rate of Fire: 8 attacks per melee. Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 4 to 8 missiles
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited. 128 missiles per launcher for a total of 1,536 mini-missiles. Cargo hold has an additional 2,304 mini-missile. Reloading launchers from cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes.


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By James Laursen (prowlstheknight@yahoo.com)


Minor reformating by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2008, James Laursen. All rights reserved.


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