CGSS Atropos: Nightlord (Modified) class Battleship
The final production (to date) Nightlord-class Battleship was also the eighth unit produced by Clan Snow Raven at the Lum Shipyards. Construction began on the vessel on July 18th, 2996. Contracted by Clan Goliath Scorpion to build the newest Nightlord, it would also be slightly different from the previous seven units produced.
The Khans of Clan Goliath Scorpion requested that the Ravens remove the extremely expensive difficult to maintain Lithium-Fusion Batteries that the original Nightlord (and all subsequent units) had been equipped with. Although the Scorpion leadership recognized the value of such a system, they had also come to the conclusion that in the confines of the Homeworlds, the sheer expense and hefty maintenance requirements made it less than ideal. Especially for a Clan looking to save every last Kerensky possible.
While the Ravens acknowledged that it would be technically possible to build the ship without the LFB system (excess tonnage being used to increase cargo space), they cautioned against it. But the Scorpions were adamant and Atropos was the only Nightlord-class Battleship commissioned without the heavy and expensive batteries. Furthermore, as no other Goliath Scorpion vessel used Lamellor Ferro-Carbide armor plating, the Scorpions insisted that Atropos be outfitted with standard Ferro-Carbide instead. Nearly 400 tons (from the 12,000 saved on not mounting the LFB system!) was added to the armor plating, ensuring that the newest Goliath Scorpion Battleship would be as equally well armored as her half-sisters. In fact, Atropos had slightly greater armor protection than the existing Nightlords (although not by much!).
Commissioned into service on December 11th, 3004, Atropos entered the Clan Goliath Scorpion Fleet (often referred to as the Black Fleet by members of that Clan). Few could tell--for the Ravens weren't ones to gossip--of the modifications made to the ship and for nearly half a century the newest Battleship in the Black Fleet served quietly and with little combat action.
However, by the time that Atropos entered the Black Fleet, the Scorpions were just beginning a major shift in their naval doctrine and equipment. Championed by Khan Marcus Solheim, the WarShips of the Scorpion Fleet were being slowly rebuilt in Raven yards to become more effective, more survivable in combat, easier to maintain, and more able to operate within the environs of the Scorpion Naval Battlegroups. It was believed (by Khan Solheim as well as other notable leaders of the Clan) that Atropos would need little refit. After all, she was one of the newest WarShips produced by the Clans in their own Shipyards at Lum!
But as time passed, the Scorpions found fault with the design of the Nightlords. The immense transport capacity (100 OmniMechs and 500 Elementals equipped with drop chutes for orbital insertions) begged the question: was Atropos a battleship or a transport?
The firepower, while impressive in some regards, was not at all what the Scorpions found they needed. Too many differing classes of guns, too many heavy weapons with limited ranges, too little anti-fighter/anti-dropship secondary weapon systems . . . all of these flaws with the Nightlord (and Atropos) slowly became apparent as the battleship served in the Scorpion Touman.
By 3032, the Scorpions (under Khan Mikhail Kirov) had decided that Atropos would enter their refit/refurbishment/rebuild program at the Raven Lum Yards where she had originally been constructed. The OmniMech bays would be removed completely, along with over 80% of the accommodations for battle-armor Elementals. All of her original weaponry would be removed and replaced with a more consistent weapons loadout that would not only increase firepower and effective engagement range, but also help unsnarl the tangled Scorpion logistical web!
In August of 3038, Atropos was handed over the Ravens and work began on the six-year refit. The Scorpions had decided upon a standardized armament layout for Atropos. Each firing arc (save the stern) would carry identical weaponry. The extreme-range engagement envelope was handled by a three-gun Naval Laser bay (with two NL-45 and one NL-55 Naval Lasers) and a two-gun Naval PPC bay (with a brace of Heavy N-PPCs). At shorter ranges (but still within the long-range envelope!) two two-gun Naval Autocannon bays were brought to bear. Each bay featured a pair of NAC-25 Naval Autocannon, fed by a magazine with 120 units of fire (60 twin bursts per bay).
This capital armament--while not quite as heavy as that of a McKenna-class Battleship--outclassed every other vessel in Clan service . . . and the Scorpions were not yet complete. Each arc carried another dozen weapons, all standard-scale to deal with hostile aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips. Three ER Large Lasers, two ER PPCs, two Gauss Rifles (with 120 rounds total), one Ultra AC-20 Autocannon (with 120 bursts of fire), and four ER Medium Lasers were mounted in each arc.
The stern was somewhat more lightly armed, but even it retain the three-gun Naval Laser Bay, the two-gun Naval PPC Bay, and the standard-scale anti-fighter weaponry. However, instead of four NAC-25 Naval Autocannon in two bays, the stern instead mounted a single bay with two lighter NAC-20 Naval Autocannon (fed by a magazine with 120 units of fire).
The Scorpions also insisted that the Ravens install sufficient heat exchangers, coolant sinks, and power relays to allow Atropos to fully use this impressive amount of firepower without regards for the creation of excess overheat. While many consider such impressive cooling capacity overkill, they must also acknowledge that the ability to fire every weapon aboard ship in every arc of fire simultaneously is quite impressive!
Fuel bunkerage was increased to 14,513 tons (including fuel pumps) allowing for 360 standard days of operations at 1-G of acceleration. Food, air, water, and other stores were also supplied to provision the crew and passengers to survive for up to 360 standard days without resupply. 60,000 of spare parts were stored aboard ship and cargo bays able to load up to an additional 60,778 tons were placed within the hull. At maximum load, Atropos would be able to embark a total of 960 personnel, including 100 Elemental Warriors, 20 Pilots for Aerospace or OmniFighters, and up to 429 passengers. Two contra-rotating 140-meter diameter grav decks were added, allowing the passengers and crew to maintain their physical conditioning on long voyages.
By 3044, the newly (and heavily) modified Atropos was returned to Scorpion hands and rejoined the Black Fleet. With Lei Kung (the McKenna-class Battleship of the Scorpion Touman) in refit, several Clans chose to make a play for Scorpion resources between 3044 and 3050 (when Lei Kung was returned to service).
Atropos proved that these aggressive moves against the Scorpions were indeed very much an error in judgement. No Clan naval officer (outside of the Ravens, who once again had remained very tight-lipped about the Scorpion modifications to their vessels) had expected anywhere near the levels of firepower that the refitted Atropos was able to concentrate on target. In many instances, the battles were decided before the first shots were ever fired when Clan opponents were informed that Atropos was among the defenders.
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Nightlord (Clan Goliath Scorpion) Atropos
Tech: Clan / 3044
Vessel Type: WarShip
Rules: Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 1,200,000 tons
K-F Drive System: (Unknown)
Length: 1,100 meters
Sail Diameter: 1,450 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Armor Type: Ferro-carbide
Armament:
16 NL45
8 NL55
16 Heavy NPPC
28 NAC/25
2 NAC/20
24 ER Large Laser
16 ER PPC
16 Gauss Rifle
8 Ultra AC/20
32 ER Medium Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name: Nightlord (Clan Goliath Scorpion) Atropos
Mass: 1,200,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 216,000.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity = 24) 543,000.00
Jump Sail (Detachable): (Integrity = 6) 90.00
Structural Integrity: 85 102,000.00
Total Heat Sinks: 4,358 Double 3,656.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 14,513.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 3,000.00
Fire Control Computers: 14,679.00
Food & Water: (360 days supply) 1,728.00
Hyperpulse Generator: 50.00
Armor Type: Ferro-carbide (1,885 total armor pts) 2,034.00
Capital Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 322
Fore-Left/Right: 322/322
Aft-Left/Right: 322/322
Aft: 275
Cargo:
Bay 1: Fighters (10) with 4 doors 1,500.00
Small Craft (2) 400.00
Bay 2: Fighters (10) with 4 doors 1,500.00
Small Craft (2) 400.00
Bay 3: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 60,778.00
DropShip Capacity: 4 Docking Hardpoints 4,000.00
Grav Decks #1 - 2: (140-meter diameter) 200.00
Escape Pods: 160 (7 tons each) 1,120.00
Crew and Passengers:
64 Officers (64 minimum) 640.00
221 Crew (221 minimum) 1,547.00
86 Gunners (86 minimum) 602.00
120 1st Class Passengers 1,200.00
309 2nd Class Passengers 2,163.00
100 Marine Battle Armor Troopers/Elementals 700.00
60 Bay Personnel .00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 NL45 Nose 15 15 15 15 140 1,800.00
1 NL55 85 1,100.00
2 Heavy NPPC Nose 30 30 30 30 450 6,000.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) Nose 50 50 50 -- 170 6,072.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) Nose 50 50 50 -- 170 6,072.00
3 ER Large Laser Nose 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 36 12.00
2 ER PPC Nose 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 30 12.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds) Nose 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 2 39.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds) Nose 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 14 36.00
4 ER Medium Laser Nose 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 20 4.00
2 NL45 FL/R 15 15 15 15 280 3,600.00
1 NL55 170 2,200.00
2 Heavy NPPC FL/R 30 30 30 30 900 12,000.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) FL/R 50 50 50 -- 340 12,144.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) FL/R 50 50 50 -- 340 12,144.00
3 ER Large Laser FL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 72 24.00
2 ER PPC FL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 60 24.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds) FL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 4 78.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds) FL/R 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 28 72.00
4 ER Medium Laser FL/R 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 40 8.00
2 NL45 L/RBS 15 15 15 15 280 3,600.00
1 NL55 170 2,200.00
2 Heavy NPPC L/RBS 30 30 30 30 900 12,000.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) L/RBS 50 50 50 -- 340 12,144.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) L/RBS 50 50 50 -- 340 12,144.00
3 ER Large Laser L/RBS 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 72 24.00
2 ER PPC L/RBS 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 60 24.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds) L/RBS 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 4 78.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds) L/RBS 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 28 72.00
4 ER Medium Laser L/RBS 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 40 8.00
2 NL45 AL/R 15 15 15 15 280 3,600.00
1 NL55 170 2,200.00
2 Heavy NPPC AL/R 30 30 30 30 900 12,000.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) AL/R 50 50 50 -- 340 12,144.00
2 NAC/25(120 rounds) AL/R 50 50 50 -- 340 12,144.00
3 ER Large Laser AL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 72 24.00
2 ER PPC AL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 60 24.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds) AL/R 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 4 78.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds) AL/R 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 28 72.00
4 ER Medium Laser AL/R 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 40 8.00
2 NL45 Aft 15 15 15 15 140 1,800.00
1 NL55 85 1,100.00
2 Heavy NPPC Aft 30 30 30 30 450 6,000.00
2 NAC/20(120 rounds) Aft 40 40 40 -- 120 5,048.00
3 ER Large Laser Aft 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 36 12.00
2 ER PPC Aft 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 30 12.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds) Aft 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) -- 2 39.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds) Aft 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 14 36.00
4 ER Medium Laser Aft 3(28) 3(28) -- -- 20 4.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (5.00%) 60,000.00
60 Bay Personnel Quarters 420.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: Heat: 8,716 1,200,000.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 8,534,393,024 C-Bills
Battle Value: 264,267
Cost per BV: 32,294.58
Weapon Value: 137,873 (Ratio = .52)
Damage Factors: SRV = 11,132; MRV = 10,902; LRV = 8,118; ERV = 3,086
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 774,066
(114,742 Structure, 318,300 Life Support, 341,024 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 823,275 (106% of MPV)
BattleForce2: Not applicable
