I'd also like to put my Antares class Supply and Ordinance Ship to be part of the Quicksilver canon.
Antares class Fleet Support Vessel.
The Reunification War showed that the SLDF was not prepared for long distance and long term deployments. With repair facilities, stockpiles of material far away in Hegemony space the SLDF was forced to either build facilities to support offensives or rely on inferior House yards with an increased risk of espionage and sabotage.
Whilst fixed facilities like orbital docks were the most effective means of repairing a ship, they were also the most vulnerable, and building one took months, which meant that damaged vessels were without proper facilities until it was completed.
To cure this the SLDF developed the first Yardships with the Liparius class but whilst these ships were capable something more was needed. Instead of a dedicated mobile repair yard a new design emerged that would act as a support vessel with a large grav-deck for crews to be able to relax in, as well as carrying a huge amount of supplies from crated fighters to Mech’s, rifles, ammunition, food, water, fuel and spare parts for anything from portable toilets to warships autocannon barrels.
Of course to carry this the ship had to be large and the cruiser sized Antares would easily rival the Avatar class in terms of length and displacement with the Antares being 60 meters longer.
On the port and starboard hull a large array of arms and linkages could allow the ship to hard dock with another vessel to transfer supplies over as well as allowing her to operate like a tug to tow a disabled vessel if needs be. There was also an extensive hosing system to allow the transfer of fuel or water from huge liquid storage tanks.
The ship enjoyed a single large grav-deck much like that of the later Potemkin class and this was also used as a hospital with multiple surgery theaters with beds for hundreds of injured. In times of peace the ship could also act as a disaster relief ship, replacing Mech’s and fighters with rescue vehicles and construction equipment.
The ship was rather lightly armed in terms of capital weaponry but it was heavily protected against fighter attacks as well as having a layered anti-missile system to protect against ship and fighter launched missiles.
Whilst extremely specialised the design was approved alongside the Liparius class and both would be seen as welcome additions to the fleet. But the sheer specialised nature of the Antares class limited its usefulness in the eyes of those who controlled the budget. The ship was expensive to build and maintain and was not a Warship in most beauracrats eyes but an over large transport who’s role outside of wartime did not justify their cost. With other wrangling over the budget this cut short the Antares programme after only 21 ships had been completed out of a planned 50.
Deployed when large scale exercises were carried out the Antares class spent most of their time in and out of orbit round Hegemony worlds or in orbit over developing worlds acting as a mobile command center until ground facilities were completed.
The ‘tag-team’ of the Antares and Liparius class with each ship performing a specific role was at its core, inefficient but it did highlight the usefulness of such craft that could repair ships and maintaint their crews and assist other ships. This lead to studies into making a single hull that could do both, that would eventually result in the huge Newgrange class.
Deployed when large scale exercises were carried out the Antares class spent most of their time in and out of orbit round Hegemony worlds or in orbit over developing worlds acting as a mobile command center until ground facilities were completed.
Because of their rear echelon role many of the class were spared having to fight the CASPAR drones but those that were caught were classed as priority targets due to their strategic nature, despite this 11 survived the War to help with the reconstruction efforts but when it was obvious that the House Lords would not listen to the SLDF and Operation EXODUS was ordered the class, bar the SLS
Aquitania who remained in the Sol system, deactivated as part of the Titan yards, left with General Kerensky.
The
Aquitania nserved as a maintenance vessel and helped with cleaning up the Sol system of wreckage and debris the ship was still active when Jerome Blake seized the Sol system. She would continue to service ComStar's hidden fleet but was finally retired to an undisclosed location when the first Faslane class entered service.
Tech: Inner Sphere
Vessel Type: WarShip
Rules Set: Strategic Operations
C-bills: $34,666,142,000.00
Full Magazine: $15,520,000.00
BV2: 38,378
Mass: 830,000 tons
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Armor Type: Ferro-carbide
Armament:
8 Barracuda Launchers
80 Barracuda Missiles
24 Anti-missile Systems
24 Gauss Rifles
16 LRM-20 with Artemis IV
48 ER ML
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Mass: 830,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 151,475.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity = 18) 375,575.00
Jump Sail: (Integrity = 5) 72.00
Structural Integrity: 75 62,250.00
Total Heat Sinks: 500 Single 0.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 1,200.00
Fire Control Computers: 0.00
Armor Type: Ferro-carbide (996 total armor pts) 1,245.00
Capital Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 166
Fore-Left/Right: 166/166
Aft-Left/Right: 166/166
Aft: 166
Cargo:
Bay 1: Small Craft (25) with 8 doors 5,000.00
Bay 2: Liquid Cargo (10,010 ton capacity) with 1 Door 11,000.00
8 Fluid Suction Systems 8.00
8 Sprayers 4.00
25 Refueling Drogues 25.00
Bay 3: Cargo (82,712.5 tons) with 8 Doors 82,712.50
DropShip Capacity: 6 Docking Hardpoints 6,000.00
Grav Decks #1 - 4: (200-meter diameter) 400.00
Life Boats: 100 (7 tons each) 700.00
Escape Pods: 0 (7 tons each) 0.00
Unpressurized Repair Facility (1,000,000 ton capacity) 25,000.00
Lithium Fusion Battery 8,300.00
Crew and Passengers:
73 Officers 730.00
365 Crew 2,555.00
220 2nd Class Passengers 1,540.00
280 Marines 1,990.00
125 Bay Personnel 0.00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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2 Barracudas (10 Missiles) Nose 4 4 4 4 20 180.00
3 Gauss Rifles (240 rounds)Nose 5(45) 5(45) 5(45) -- 3 45.00
2 LRM 20 w/Artemis (120) Nose 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 12 22.00
6 ER Medium Lasers Nose 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 30 6.00
6 AMS (720 rounds) Nose 2(18) -- -- -- 6 3.00
3 Gauss Rifles (240 rounds)FR/L 5(45) 5(45) 5(45) -- 3 45.00
2 LRM 20 w/Artemis (120) FR/L 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 12 22.00
6 ER Medium Lasers FR/L 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 30 6.00
2 Barracudas (10 Missiles) R/LBS 4 4 4 4 20 180.00
3 Gauss Rifles (240 rounds)R/LBS 5(45) 5(45) 5(45) -- 3 45.00
2 LRM 20 w/Artemis (120) R/LBS 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 12 22.00
6 ER Medium Lasers R/LBS 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 30 6.00
6 AMS (720 rounds) R/LBS 2(18) -- -- -- 6 3.00
3 Gauss Rifles (240 rounds)AR/L 5(45) 5(45) 5(45) -- 3 45.00
2 LRM 20 w/Artemis (120) AR/L 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 12 22.00
6 ER Medium Lasers AR/L 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 30 6.00
2 Barracudas (10 Missiles) Aft 4 4 4 4 20 180.00
3 Gauss Rifles (240 rounds)Aft 5(45) 5(45) 5(45) -- 3 45.00
2 LRM 20 w/Artemis (120) Aft 3(32) 3(32) 3(32) -- 12 22.00
6 ER Medium Lasers Aft 3(30) 3(30) -- -- 30 6.00
6 AMS (720 rounds) Aft 2(18) -- -- -- 6 3.00
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TOTALS: Heat: 440 830,000.00