Overview
The Shere Siah Mk II or Black Lion I Mk II is the last proof of a huge intelligence failure that happened right after the formation of the Star League.
As you probably all known, a lot of old ships that had been mothballed and were then sold at a good price to the new Star League Member States. What you don't know is that some of these ships did not end up where they should have.
Not a lot of them but a little over half a dozen of them (and all of them Black Lion I) were reported missing from their jump after having been sold to the Capellan Confederation. As evidences had been found of disastrous misjumps, no further enquiries were made and the mystery was only found and solved during the Reunification War (and the results never went public).
These Black Lion I had been high-jacked by Magistracy operatives and underwent a long retrofit (long because of the limited naval shipyards capacities of Majesty Metals and Manufacturing, the at that time only Canopian company able to work on such a ship) with the ultimate goal of turning them into the ultimate defender of the space above the Canopian worlds.
- Except from an introductory class on black ops in the Sphere Intelligence Service Academy, Class of 3128
Capabilities
Dear Sir,
I am writing you on behalf of Corsair Development Technology regarding the Black Lion I upgrade you requested.
If we understood your request, you need this retrofit to be simple, cheap and yet improve the design while making it resources efficient in terms of manpower and perfect in a defensive role around the Canopian worlds.
As such, we decided to keep most of it as it know and instead focus on armour, firepower and cargo capacity. This allows even less advanced shipyards to perform the tasks needed. But do remember that it weights 720,000 tons and that few of your shipyards are able to perform the needed upgrades.
First of all, the armour was replaced with a Ferro-Alumium one on an one-to-one basis. And when talking about protection, 48 LRM-20, 48 SRM-6 and 64 Small Lasers were added to deal with the smaller but nonetheless important threat, the Aerospace Fighter. As you have trained in using them in anti-Warships tactics, I am sure you will appreciate this.
These weapons are split equally among the entire ship in pods linked together for maximum efficiency with a small focus on the front arc because usually, the first incomings come from there.
For offensive power and to make the best of the limited experienced manpower the Canopian Navy has access to, we decided to focus on Missile Launchers since they are auto-guided and thus need less experienced gunners.
64 Killer Whales arranged in pods of 4 are backed up by 32 Barracudas to literally allow the Warship to project a true wall of missiles towards any target.
The reliance on Missile Launchers isn't seen as a problem as these Warships will be mostly deployed on defensive operations near important worlds with therefore no supply problems.
To back up these weapons, the huge cargo bays were dropped to allow it the launch of 24 Fighters , in two bays of two Squadrons each.
In the end, we are afraid that we didn't manage to decrease the number of sailors and officers needed but there is less need for experimented sailors, which might be in limited supply at first.
We managed to accommodate all of them and more soldiers for both offensive and defensive duties by dropping the cabins for the passengers. After all, this upgrade is made for war not for cruising.
We hope that you agree with this proposal and that we win the tender.
Since this new design will be a pure Canopian one, we think a new name will be needed and we would like to introduce you to the new Shere Siah Mk II or Black Lion I Mk II.
For our services, our standard fee begins at...
- Files retrieved from Corsair Development Technology by ComStar around 3000
Battle History
If I remember the Canopian Campaign? Sure mate. I was there and they gave us a show worth the money we invested in our task forces.
Don't let them fool you with glorious battles and such? Sure, it ended almost like that but only because we had set a trap at Thurrock and they came to us.
However, it wasn't as easy as you probably heard.
I was in the 15th Line Squadron formed by one Farragut, two Monsoon and two pairs of these inefficient and not worthy of being there Baron.
We caught them right where we wanted them to be without any clue that we were coming to hit them and with a huge superiority both in terms of numbers and of raw firepower. I don't know for the others but I was pretty confident that we were going to wipe them out of space, once and for all. After all, they were Canopian and their Navy couldn't compare to ours, could it? It had never done anything serious apart when defending their homeworlds with the backup of their space defences.
We couldn't have been wronger.
We faced 2 Shere Siah. Don't ask me for their names, they all had these funny Chinese names that I can't begin to remember.
However, what I do remember is the wall of missiles that we faced as soon as the Canopians found out about us. And we were hit pretty badly. The two of them acted in a coordinated way, launching salvoes after salvoes, first at the bigger threads and then at the smaller ones.
We managed to launch our Aerospace Fighters just before they turned their attention to us. Luckily for the Fighters as otherwise they would have been struck in us as the missiles hit our 3 Bays and made them unable to launch anything.
I said luckily but I am not sure the Pilots felt this way as they too went through a wall of LRM/SMR and Lasers while having to face the Canopian Aerospace Fighters.
We were saved by the timely arrival of 2 other Line Squadrons that brought the Shere Siah under heavy fire. However, they had managed to destroy 3 Barons, 1 Monsoon and our three remaining ships were sent for extensive repairs for months. And without the little help from our friends, it would have been worst.
- Touring the stars or the memories of Star League sailors – Star League Press, 2645/10/23
Variants
According to the blueprints found in the Majesty Metals and Manufacturing, Corsair Development Technology had made plans for more variants of the Shere Siah Mk II (including a pure laser one and one mixing lasers and missiles).
Since we weren't able to find any member of the design team or any information in the files we retrieved, we couldn't decide if these were prior blueprints or a new retrofit project.
- Intelligence report n°12 from Intelligence Command Canopian Team n°12 above Canopus IV – 2584/05/02 – File number 2584/05/02/C12/12
Deployment
Know Shere Siah Mk II:
Only 5 of them were refitted and active in battle, the last one being destroyed in the shipyards above Canopus IV.
The 5 active Shere Siah Mk II had all been named for Chinese lion spirits. No one knows if this was done out of mockery towards House Liao that had failed to protect its Black Lion I or for another unknown reason.
MCS Ruìshī
MCS Tóngshī
MCS ShÃshÄ«
MCS Fúshī
MCS Fóshī
- After-action report n°1 from Planning and Strategy Canopian Team n°2 above Canopus IV – 2588/12/07 – File number 2588/12/07/C2/1
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Shere Siah
Tech: Inner Sphere / 2570
Vessel Type: WarShip
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 720,000 tons
K-F Drive System: (Unknown)
Length: 743 meters
Sail Diameter: 1,105 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Armor Type: Improved Ferro-aluminum
Armament:
64 Killer Whale
32 Barracuda
48 LRM 20
48 SRM 6
64 Small Laser
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Class/Model/Name: Shere Siah
Mass: 720,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 129,600.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity = 15) 325,800.00
Jump Sail: (Integrity = 4) 66.00
Structural Integrity: 75 54,000.00
Total Heat Sinks: 2,241 Single 1,687.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 4,080.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1,800.00
Fire Control Computers: 1,320.00
Armor Type: Improved Ferro-aluminum (696 total armor pts) 1,079.50
Capital Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 128
Fore-Left/Right: 116/116
Aft-Left/Right: 116/116
Aft: 104
Cargo:
Bay 1: Small Craft (12) with 2 doors 2,400.00
Fighters (12) with 2 doors 1,800.00
Bay 2: Small Craft (12) with 2 doors 2,400.00
Fighters (12) with 2 doors 1,800.00
Bay 3: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 88,201.50
Grav Decks #1 - 2: (150-meter diameter) 200.00
Life Boats: 83 (7 tons each) 581.00
Escape Pods: 84 (7 tons each) 588.00
Crew and Passengers:
105 Officers (105 minimum) 1,050.00
400 Crew (84 minimum) 2,800.00
125 Gunners (123 minimum) 875.00
240 Marines 1,200.00
168 Bay Personnel .00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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4 Killer Whale(80 msls) Nose 16 16 16 16 80 4,600.00
4 Barracuda(80 msls) Nose 8 8 8 8 40 2,760.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) Nose 16 16 16 16 80 4,600.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) Nose 16 16 16 16 80 4,600.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) Nose 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 18 45.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) Nose 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 18 45.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) Nose 2(24) -- -- -- 12 15.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) Nose 2(24) -- -- -- 12 15.00
4 Small Laser Nose 1(12) -- -- -- 4 2.00
4 Small Laser Nose 1(12) -- -- -- 4 2.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) FL/R 16 16 16 16 160 9,200.00
4 Barracuda(80 msls) FL/R 8 8 8 8 80 5,520.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) FL/R 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 36 90.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) FL/R 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 36 90.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) FL/R 2(24) -- -- -- 24 30.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) FL/R 2(24) -- -- -- 24 30.00
4 Small Laser FL/R 1(12) -- -- -- 8 4.00
4 Small Laser FL/R 1(12) -- -- -- 8 4.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) L/RBS 16 16 16 16 160 9,200.00
4 Barracuda(80 msls) L/RBS 8 8 8 8 80 5,520.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) L/RBS 16 16 16 16 160 9,200.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) L/RBS 16 16 16 16 160 9,200.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) L/RBS 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 36 90.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) L/RBS 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 36 90.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) L/RBS 2(24) -- -- -- 24 30.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) L/RBS 2(24) -- -- -- 24 30.00
4 Small Laser L/RBS 1(12) -- -- -- 8 4.00
4 Small Laser L/RBS 1(12) -- -- -- 8 4.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) AL/R 16 16 16 16 160 9,200.00
4 Barracuda(80 msls) AL/R 8 8 8 8 80 5,520.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) AL/R 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 36 90.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) AL/R 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 36 90.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) AL/R 2(24) -- -- -- 24 30.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) AL/R 2(24) -- -- -- 24 30.00
4 Small Laser AL/R 1(12) -- -- -- 8 4.00
4 Small Laser AL/R 1(12) -- -- -- 8 4.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) Aft 16 16 16 16 80 4,600.00
4 Barracuda(80 msls) Aft 8 8 8 8 40 2,760.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) Aft 16 16 16 16 80 4,600.00
4 Killer Whale(80 msls) Aft 16 16 16 16 80 4,600.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) Aft 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 18 45.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds) Aft 4(36) 4(36) 4(36) -- 18 45.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) Aft 2(24) -- -- -- 12 15.00
3 SRM 6(90 rounds) Aft 2(24) -- -- -- 12 15.00
4 Small Laser Aft 1(12) -- -- -- 4 2.00
4 Small Laser Aft 1(12) -- -- -- 4 2.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: Heat: 2,144 720,000.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 2,018,712,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 118,666
Cost per BV: 17,011.71
Weapon Value: 55,711 (Ratio = .47)
Damage Factors: SRV = 4,043; MRV = 3,403; LRV = 2,596; ERV = 1,093
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 410,080
(68,822 Structure, 214,080 Life Support, 127,178 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 720,825 (176% of MPV)
BattleForce2: Not applicable
