Minerva class Battlecruiser - Refitted (REF Three Galaxies):


The RFS Minerva somehow arrived into the Three Galaxies after folding. The REF scientists now believe that it was due to the ship having folded in an area that was a latent super nexus point in space. Since then, the REF in the Three Galaxies has been careful to never fold within a nexus point because of possibilities of accidents. They arived on the scene of a Kreeghor Doombringer Dreadnought having attacked a liner. The Minerva was able to destroy the Doombringer and was able to capture most of the Doombringer's fighters and shuttles after the ship was destroyed. Due to some trades with the CAF intelligence branch, they were able to refit the Minerva with the advanced missile launchers and point defense weaponry. The Minerva was also able to get their fighters refitted with radiation shielding and CG engines for much greater accelerations and speeds. The ship operated on missions working for CAF intelligence for a period of time until the ship found two Doombringer dreadnought trying to lay siege on a planet in independent space. The Minerva was able to defeat both ships and found out that the Kreeghor were interested in a tiny area of space that would act as a portal for large ships to be able to travel between the Corkscrew Galaxy and the Anvil Galaxy practically instantaneously. The REF took the system under their own protection using the RFS Minerva and a fleet of Hunter destroyers they had purchased. Eventually, the REF was able to find a Robotech factory that had apparently got lost in a similar manner to the RFS Minerva and the REF used this facility to construct more ships and equipment. Approximately half of the REF fleet's capital ships are modified Minerva class Battlecruisers. Ships of the Minerva class are named after gods of various Earth and Tirol mythologies. Shp names include Minerva, Isis, Freya, Sif, Hercules, Apollo, Astarte, and Raiden.


The hull of these ships are stronger than the original Minerva class due to the fact that armor materials in the Three Galaxies are stronger than those used originally by the REF. The ship also had conventional variable shields added for greater protection to the ship. The weapon systems have no been modified very much. The output of the ships four mega-lasers has been increased but other than that, there have been no changes to the ship main energy battery. The ships missile launchers have been greatly modified. Two of the long range missile bays have been replaced by two cruiser missile batteries. The other four bays have been replaced by the much faster and greater ranged missile launchers from the Three Galaxies. The ship has eight medium range missile launchers added to increase the ships defensive firepower. The ship has a greatly increased defensive firepower, the ship has added point defense particle beams, rail guns, and tachyon scatter beams. The ship will often carry 32 pepperbox launchers on external racks on the ship.


The fighter and mecha squadrons have been greatly modified due to the needs of the ship. The member of the Elite squadrons on the RFS Minerva have been spread around the various ships of the REF fleet to provide experienced troops for REF units. This has also been done with the ships crew. Many of the officers from onboard the RFS Minerva are now ship commanders themselves due to a lack of experienced personnel. The crew on the RFS Minerva is up to standards and many of them are highly experienced people from the CAF but they are not the original crew.


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


Vehicle Type: SFBC-3000
Class: Space Fold Battle Cruiser.
Crew: 1081 (Was 1031 but due to the additional weaponry and the addition of the variable shields, the ship now requires more crew members to operate all equipment.
Troops: 300 Veritech Pilots (Not including Hover tanks), 15 Hover tank Pilots, 40 Destroid Pilots (includes Zentraedi), 40 Glitter Boy Pilots, and 1500 Cyclone Riders.


Mecha Compliment:
Veritech Fighters/Hovertanks: 260 Total

84VAF-9C Contra Grav Alpha Combat Model Fighters
6VAF-9ECM Contra Grav Alphas with Hurricane Jammer.
24VAF-9STEALTH Contra Grav Alphas with Shadow Cloaking Device.
48VBF-3C Contra Grav Beta Combat Models.
24VBF-3STEALTH Contra Grav Betas with Shadow cloaking Device.
62Supers Vindicator Upgrade
12Hover Tanks
Starfighters: 9 total
5QF-4000C Star Phantom Unmanned Fighters
2QF-4000ECM Star Phantom Unmanned Fighters with Hurricane Jammer.
2QF-4000STEALTH Star Phantom Fighters with Shadow Cloaking Device
Destroids: 35 Total
5REF Excaliburs Upgrades
5REF Gladiators Upgrade
1REF MAC III Upgrade
4REF Raidar X Upgrade
4REF Spartan Upgrade
8REF Z-2 Zentraedi Officers Battle Pod with Vehicle
8REF Z-4 Micronised Female Zentraedi Power Armor Upgrade
Power Armors: 40 total
40REEF-USA-G14E Glitter Boys
Cyclones: 2000 total
1500VR-052 Battlers
100VR-048 Saber
400VR-038 Light
Shuttles:
2Horizant Transatmospheric Shuttles


M.D.C By Location:

[1] Main Body:125,000
[2] Main Bridge:30,000
[2] Secondary Bridge:30,000
[3] Main Engines (2 banks of 4 for a total of 8):10,000 each
[3] Secondary Engines (2):5,000 each
Zendraedi Laser Turrets (12):600 each
Quadruple Forward Mega-Lasers (4 lasers):2,000 each
Heavy Particle Beam Pod:30,000
Point Defense Particle Beams (16):200 each
GR-1000 Rail Gun Turrets (16):250 each
Tachyon Scatter Beams (8):250 each
Cruise Missile Batteries (2):1,000 each
Long Range Missile Batteries (4):600 each
Medium Range Missile Launchers (6):500 each
Hull Per 40 ft Area :200 per 40 ft area
Airlocks (lots):100 each
Hanger Bay Doors (10):2,000 each
[4] Main Variable Force Field:10,000 per side (60,000 total)
[5] Pinpoint Barriers (Force fields, 4)5,000 each


Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the battle 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.
[2] 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 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] Destruction of all eight main engines will reduce the ships acceleration by 80%, destruction of Secondary engines will further reduce the ships acceleration by 15%. With all engines destroyed, the ship will only be able to accelerate at 5% of normal acceleration using maneuvering thrusters.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (3000 M.D.C.) per melee
[5] The ship has four mobile shields to support the ship main shields. Each shield measures 200 ft (61 m) in diameter and can withstand 5000 M.D.C. each. Each shield regenerates all 5000 M.D.C. every four seconds. The shields when operated by a trained operator are +7 to parry (In addition to skill bonuses) and the operator has eight parries per melee (unless hand to hand gives more attacks per melee). An untrained operator has their normal parry bonuses and their hand to hand attacks only. The shields can be used to parry virtually any attack but follow special rules when attempting to parry weapons like the heavy particle beam from a Zentraedi flagship.


Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not possible but can land on a planet if absolutely necessary.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. The ship could always reach 60% percent of the speed of light by its engines but due to radiation shielding, the ship was limited to 20 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 1.0 percent of light per melee. When ship is carrying the particle beam pod, the ship is reduced to an acceleration of .75 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 Minerva uses its space fold, it will also transport all vessels /objects within 2 or 3 miles. Fold drive does not work deep in a gravity well (Gravity wells interfere with fold drives)
Planet Bound: The Minerva can land on a planet if absolutely necessary, but is not designed to maneuver in an atmosphere (uses anti-gravity and conventional propulsion). The ship cannot land with the particle beam cannon mounted on the underside of the ship.
Maximum Range: Unlimited, Combined power systems give it an estimated life of 50 years of constant use. Sublight engines and space fold offer virtually infinite range. Carries five years of supplies that could be stretched to seven in an emergency.


Statistical Data:
Length: 1,901 feet (579.5 meters)
Height: 260 feet (79.2 meters) without particle beam cannon pod, 320 feet (97.5 meters) with particle beam cannon pod
Width: 480 feet (146.3 meters)
Weight: 16.5 million tons (Pod Weighs an additional 4 million tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 50 year life and has a Reflex Heat Pile System to power protoculture systems. The anti-matter is stored in a fourth dimensional location which removes the vulnerability of the power system from critical hits to it.
Gravitational Control System: Internal and External
Cargo: Can carry up to 150,000 tons total extra material between the various cargo holds.
Market Cost: The REF does not sell these platforms. Without factory support, each platform would cost about 20 billion credits each. The Kreeghor, Naruni, and the Black Market would be willing to pay hundreds of billions of credits for one of these ships for examples of the particle beam, the special long range laser cannons, the pinpoint barrier system, and the fold drive system.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Particle Beam Cannon Pod (1): Due to the weakness of REF ships when compared to Zentraedi ships, the Minerva class battlecruisers were fitted with a special pod under the hull of the ship. The pod has its own independent power supply. This weapon generates a beam 50,000 miles long and 500 feet wide. It takes one melee (15 seconds) to prepare to fire initial blast and then takes 8 melees (2 minutes) to recharge before it can be fired again. This cannon can destroy virtually any target with one beam but the weapon is not as powerful as those mounted on Zentraedi capital ships but its higher rate of fire makes up for this. These weapon systems have standard penalties to strike small targets.
    Mega-Damage: Normally destroys all targets within beam. Weapon inflicts 1D4x1,000,000 M.D.C. to huge target that are unable to be destroyed by one shot and will create a crater a planet that is 1D6x100 feet deep and eight times as wide.
    Maximum Effective Range: 25,000 miles (40,000 km) in the atmosphere, range is doubled in space (50,000 miles/80,000 km).
    Rate of Fire:Once every two minute or eight melees.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  2. Quadruple Main Laser Cannon (a.k.a Mega-Lasers): Instead of the standard one laser mounted on the Ikazuchi class command carrier has, the Minerva class has four Mega-Lasers. After being in the Three Galaxies for a period of time, the REF was able to improve the output of the cannon without increasing the mount size and the mounts are slightly more powerful than the original mount. These weapons are capable of destroying frigates and destroyers in one strike and wrecking cruisers in a few hits. The cannons fire directly forward and only have a 30 degree arc of fire. These weapon systems have standard penalties to strike small targets and can be linked together for greater damage.
    Maximum Effective Range: 200,000 Miles (320,000 km) in space and 100,000 Miles (160,000 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega-Damage: 1D6x1000 each (All four may be combined on one target for a combined damaged of 4D6x1000)
    Rate of Fire:Each laser can fire ONCE per melee.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  3. Twelve (12) Zentraedi style laser turrets: The ship carries fewer light anti-capital ship mounts than the Ikazuchi command carrier but still carries a respectable number of weapon mounts. Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. These weapon systems have standard penalties to strike small targets. While the weapons are not linked together, some groups may wish to combine rolls to decrease bookkeeping.
    Maximum Effective Range: 200,000 Miles (320,000 km) in space and 100,000 Miles (160,000 km) in an atmosphere.
    Mega-Damage: 1D4x100 each
    Rate of Fire:Each turret can fire twice (2) per melee.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited
  4. Sixteen (16) GR-1000 Heavy Point Defense Rail Guns: 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 guns at a significant fraction of the speed of light. Cannon uses a 30 mm projectile.
    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.
  5. Sixteen (16) 25 mm Point Defense Particle Beams: These weapons are used for anti-missile, anti-power armor, and anti-star fighter defense. Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire.
    Maximum Effective Range: 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.
  6. Eight (8) Point Defense Tachyon Scatter Beams: The main purpose of this system is as an anti-missile point defense. They do this by firing a wide blast that affects all targets in a cone that can destroy whole volleys of missiles before the strike the ship (Roll once against a volley and unless the missiles roll to dodge greater than strike roll, they are all destroyed.) The stream lasts for significant fraction of a second and missiles tend to run into the stream (Gives +4 bonus vs fast moving targets such as missiles.) This system has an interesting property that the system can actually be used at FTL speeds because Tachyons travel faster than the speed of light. Each Tachyon Scatter Beam is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire.
    Maximum Effective Range: 99.4 miles (160 km) with a width of 12.4 miles (20 km), range and width is one sixteenth in an atmosphere.
    Mega Damage: 2D4x10 M.D.C. each.
    Rate of Fire: Maximum of four (4) times per melee each.
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  7. Two (2) Cruise Missile Batteries: Two of the long range missile launching bay are replaced by Cruise missile launchers. 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 be detected.) See modified starship rules for more details - 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 two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or thirty-two (32) missiles per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 64 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
    Payload: 64 total, 32 cruise missiles per launcher. Ship has 10 reload of missiles (640 cruise missiles total)
  8. Four (4) Long Range Missile Batteries: The ships remaining four remaining long range missile bays have been replaced by CAF style 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. Each battery can launch on multiple targets each.
    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 thirty-two (32) missiles per launcher, per melee attack.
    Payload: 1280 total, 320 long range missiles per launcher.
  9. Eight (8) Medium Range Missile Batteries: 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.
    Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details. )
    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.
    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.



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Image drawn and copyrighted by Roman Kochnev (r_kochnev@hotmail.com) .

More Roman Kochnev artwork at The Science Fiction Art and Design Portfolio of Roman Kochnev


Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 1998, 1999, & 2008, Kitsune. All rights reserved.



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