CAF
Multi-role Light Combat Carrier (MLCC) (aka Strike Cruiser)
The MLCC is one of the newest of
Consortium of Armed Forces vessels. It is meant to fill special missions roles not anticipated by other ships of the line.
It is a large cruiser, falling in between the Warshield
and Protector for mass and size. It is well-armed, armored and fast.
The main strength of the MLCC is its versatility. In
a week in dry dock its modular compartments can allow the ship to be converted
into one of several pre-designed variants.
The different mission configurations include:
* Light Carrier. This is the “standard” and most
common configuration. The ship carries one wing of fighters, two squadrons of
power armors, a pair of Battleram robots, and four
shuttles. Even though the Packmaster is the most
famous, this is the most likely carrier to see action. This configuration is
the one shown below.
*Hospital. The ship can be converted into a full
mobile hospital with the capability to treat 1,000 patients and includes
isolation wards, forensics laboratories and often employs numerous Noro psychic healers as well. The vessel is stripped of 50%
of its weapons systems and all fighters in this mode. It does utilize four
combat shuttles however.
*Emergency Response: This configuration allows the
MLCC to either aid in the evacuation of innocents from a combat zone or
refugees from a disaster. It has beds for 10,000 and the supplies to feed them
for a month. The vessel is stripped down of 50% of its weapons systems and all
fighters in this mode. It does utilize eight combat shuttles however.
*Troop carrier: This configuration allows the vessel
to deliver 4,000 troops and their robots, power armors and vehicles. It carries
ten combat shuttles for planetary insertion, two squadrons of Scorpion light
fighters and a platoon of Silverhawk power armors for defense and shuttle
escort.
*Light Exploration: This configuration allows the
vessel to explore areas that are deemed potentially hostile. They come equipped
with advanced sensors and scientific personnel at a cost of one of the fighter
squadrons, 12 power armors and its two Battlerams.
*Command and Control: The vessel is equipped with a
highly advanced communication package allowing instant communication in a four
parsec radius (each parsec equals four light years). Over 500 individual vessels
can patch data directly to the ship and an advanced AI collates the information
into an instant virtual battlefield, allowing incredible coordination among
forces. Little is changed from the light carrier configuration, except that two
of the shuttles are replaced with Proctors and one squadron of fighters is
removed.
*Planetary Siege: It is extremely rare that the CAF
has to use this configuration. It is designed to bust through planetary shields
and defensive satellites and space stations and lay bare a planet for an
invasion force. The entire weapons package is overhauled and replaced with 20
cruise missile launcher tubes capable of firing up to 80 cruise missiles in a
volley. The vessel carries 1,600 such missiles, all anti-matter (4D6x100 M.D.).
The ship also is armed with one short-range siege gravity cannon that fires a
40-ton shell with a plasma charge. The range is 50 miles and it does 6D6x1000
M.D. to a 200-foot radius, used primarily to destroy planetary fortifications
and against space stations. The vessel only carries 50 of the heavy shells. All
the fighters are also removed and replaced with two squadrons of Proctor
long-range fighters, acting as heavy bombers. Of the Light carrier armaments,
only the point-defense weapons remain.
This ship has not only been a success, but an
economical one at that. Due to its varied configurations it is fast becoming a
CAF workhorse, and is seeing heavy use in the volatile Anvil Galaxy.
Class: Multi-Role Light Combat
Carrier
Crew: 1,250 personnel, with 50 officers.
Also includes pilots and flight personnel. An additional 200 troops are onboard
for ground action and internal defense, 20 of whom are deployed with Groundpounder power armor.
Fighter Compliment: One wing of fighters
(three squadrons of 12). Usual mix is two squadrons of Light Scorpion Fighters
and one squadron of Black Eagle fighters. In some cases the Black Eagles are
replaced with a squadron of Katanas or six Proctor
long-range fighters. The ships also carry 24 Silverhawk Power Armors, two Battleram assault robots and four combat shuttles, for a
total force of 66 combat-capable craft.
M.D.C. by Location
20
inch Heavy Laser Cannons (4) - 8,000 each
Medium
Particle Beam Cannons (6) - 2,000 each
Gravity
Autocannon Turrets (12) - 500 each
Cruise
Missile Launchers (6) - 1,500 each
Point-Defense
Short-Range Missile Launchers (6) - 800 each
Outer
Hull Section (40 ft/12.2 m area) -- 180
Inner
Hull Section (40 ft/12.2 m area) -- 100
Main
Hangar Bay - 25,000
Secondary
Shuttle Bay - 8,000
*Bridge-
15,000
Long-range
Sensor Fins (3) - 5,000
**Main
Body - 120,000
***
Variable
Forcefields – 10,000 per side (60,000 total)
*Destroying the bridge will
eliminate the main computer and master controls. The ship can be controlled from
the engineering section, deep inside the ship, but those controls are less
sensitive and -3 to strike, and dodge. Hits on the bridge may injure the crew
members even if they do not destroy it; see Ship Combat Roles.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main
body means the ship is in tatters, with life support and contragravity
systems knocked out, and unable to fight or move under its own power. The
missile batteries are another matter, and can continue to launch. Likewise, the
robots and fighters can manually open hatches and launch themselves to engage
the enemy. If the ship is reduced to -30,000 M.D.C., it explodes, doing 3D6x1,000 M.D. to anything in a half mile (.8 km) radius.
***Destroying the main engines
eliminates FTL systems and reduces maximum sublight
speed by half.
Speed:
Driving
on the ground:
Not Possible.
Flying: Mach 10 in space. Not
designed to travel in an atmosphere.
Star
Drive: Gravitonic drive; maximum speed: 6 light years per hour.
Range: Carries enough life
support and supplies for two years of uninterrupted travel. This could be
stretched to four years in an emergency. Usually assigned to
a task force for one year tours.
Statistical Data:
Height: 300 feet (92 m)
Width: 400 feet (122 m)
Length: 2,000 feet (610 m)
Weight: 8 million tons fully
loaded, plus up to 250,000 tons of additional cargo.
Cargo: Cargo Hold can hold up to
250,000 tons of additional material.
Power
System:
Anti-matter; average energy life is 50 years.
Market
Cost: A
steal at 10 billion credits; this is the cost to the Consortium. The ships are
only sold to Consortium member planets at double the cost, and then only in
light exploration, hospital or emergency response configurations.
Weapon Systems
1. Main Laser
Cannons (4): These heavy artillery pieces are
used to engage enemy cruisers, space stations, and other large targets. The
cannons can all be aimed at different targets or simultaneously fired at the
same target. The two forward main guns can only hit targets in a 45 degree cone
of the bow of the vessel, however the two cannons amidship can hit any target
forward of the midship line.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Starship/cruiser.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-city/spaceship.
Mega-Damage: 1D4x1,000 M.D. per single blast, 2D4x1,000 per
double blast or 4D4x1,000 per quadruple blast. Against a station or planet, the
guns will do the listed damage at the point of impact (40 foot radius/12.2 m)
and 1D6x10 M.D. of heat damage to a 100 foot (30.5 m) area around it!
Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire twice per melee round,
allowing two quadruple blasts, four double blasts or eight single blasts per
melee.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2. Secondary
Laser Cannons (6): These cannon are used to engage frigates or to strafe large or heavily
armored vessels. The six cannons are aimed in three separate directions (two to
the rear); two cannons can engage the same target, but not all six.
Primary Purpose: Anti-ship
Secondary Purpose: Anti-building.
Mega-Damage: 2D6x100 M.D. per cannon, or a double blast doing
4D6x100 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Each cannon can fire twice per melee round.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
3. G-cannon
Turrets (4):
Each cannon is in a separate turret, operated by a gunner or a gunner program
(+2 to hit, 3 attacks per melee). It is used for anti-ship combat, especially
against frigates or cruisers, or against fighters and robots (these small
targets are +2 to dodge, however). They have also seen limited use against
magically enhanced ships or foes that had made themselves impervious to energy
attacks.
Primary Purpose: Anti-ship
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 1D4x100 M.D. per 80 round
burst.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of hand to hand attacks of the
gunner.
Effective Range: 10 miles (16 km) in space, three miles (4.8
km) in an atmosphere.
Payload: 32,000 rounds per turret (400 bursts).
4. Cruise
Missile Batteries (2): These missile turrets are beneath and in the middle of the ship. They
can volley as many as 32 cruise missiles simultaneously, or up to 64 cruise
missiles per melee round.
Primary Purpose: Anti-ship.
Secondary Purpose: Bombardment.
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type (2D6x100 to 4D6x100
M.D.).
Rate of Fire: One at a time or volleys of 2, 8, 16 or 32
missiles per launcher per melee round).
Payload: 32 missiles per launcher. Additional missiles are autoloaded from the cargo hold (takes 2 melee rounds).
Standard missile complement is 640 cruise missiles.
5. Long-Range
Missile Batteries (4): These weapons are used against fighters and missiles, especially cruise
missiles.
Primary Purpose: Anti-starfighter.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or volleys of 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32.
Payload: 62 missiles per launcher. Loading from the cargo
hold takes 1D6 melees.
6. Gravity
Auto-cannon (12): Light anti-aircraft pieces scattered to cover the entire ship.
Primary Purpose: Anti-starfighter.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 M.D. per 20 round
burst.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined number of hand to hand
attacks of the gunner.
Effective Range: 2 miles (3.2 km) in space, but only 4,000
feet (1200 m) in an atmosphere.
Payload: 10,000 rounds (500 bursts).
7. Particle
Beam Cannons (12): These turrets have light particle beam cannons to engage enemy
vessels and knock down enemy fighters and missiles.
Primary Purpose: Anti-starfighter
and defense.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-ship.
Mega-Damage: 3D6x10 M.D. per blast.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the total number of hand to hand attacks
of the gunner.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
8.
Mini-Missile Launchers (12): these are missile turrets used for point defense against enemy
fighters and missiles. Each turret usually fires volleys of four missiles per
target to insure a kill.
Primary Purpose: Anti-starfighter.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or volleys of four to eight
missiles.
Payload: 128 missiles per launcher. Reloading a turret from
the cargo hold takes 1D6 minutes. The ship’s standard load is thousands of
missiles (more than enough for an entire battle).
Image © V2G Designs 2002.
