==Overview:==
On June 17, 3004, a Taurian Defense Force anti-pirate expedition exited jump
at the Zenith point of the long-abandoned Serenity system. A former colony of
the Concordat during the Star League era, Serenity was evacuated in final
years of the 28th Century as its failing water purificiation systems were
unable to meet the demands of the population. Ever since the colony was
abandoned, the Concordat has made irregular patrol sweeps through the system
to discourage squatters, looters, and pirates.
This particular patrol consisted of two TDF Merchant class JumpShips carrying
a converted Union class fighter carrier with twelve aerospace fighters and a
pair of Intruder class transports filled with two companies of Taurian Marines
supported by a maniple of six light armored vehicles and four more aerospace
fighters.
To the surprise of the Taurians (and the horror of a band of pirates), the TDF
expedition emerged to find the jump point occupied by a pirate Invader
alongside its prize, a Star Lord. Although both sides were not prepared for
the confrontation, the majority of the pirates were busy looting their prize
and abusing its passengers, leaving only a handful of their complement ready
to repel boarders. Thirty minutes later, the Taurian Marines had captured
both JumpShips and the four DropShips attached to their collars, with less
than a dozen Taurian casualties. One hundred and sixty four pirates were
either killed in action or captured, and those who had been captured were
executed by firing squad three weeks later by the Governor of Dicallus.
The pirate vessels and its prizes were seized by the Concordat over the
objections of the surviving crew of the Star Lord and its two DropShips, both
of them Behemoth class. The crew appealed the Admirality's decision to the
Protector, but since the ships and crews were Davion in origin, he refused to
hear the appeal. The survivors were returned to Federated Suns space aboard
the next neutral freighter, but the ships themselves were taken into Concordat
Naval Service as prizes.
The Star Lord alone would have made the Taurian Marines and pilots rich, but
the addition of two Behemoths made them wealthy beyond all dreams of avarice.
Prior to this, no Behemoth class DropShips were available to anyone in the
Concordat; not to the government nor to any corporation.
But the ships presented a problem. Few Concordat worlds had the facilities to
unload such a stupendous amount of cargo, especially from ships that were
unable to land! For sixteen weeks, the pair sat in orbit above Taurus while
the Protector and his ministers debated what exactly should be done with the
cargo vessels.
Olivia DeHaviland, a civilian consultant to the Concordat Navy and a close
personal friend of Protector Thomas's wife, made a bold and radical suggestion
during a private dinner with the the Protector and his family: refit and
rebuild the two Behemoths into dedicated guard-ships to protect the jump-point
into the Hyades Nebula.
An incredulous Thomas asked her how exactly that could be accomplished, and
Olivia answered him. Everything the Concordat Navy needed for the task it
already had in abundance. Conventional weapons and armor, computer systems,
targeting and tracking systems; all of these could be retrofitted into the
ample cargo space of the Behemoths, turning the lumbering giants into deadly
predators.
After listening to her for half an hour, Thomas nodded in agreement; but then
he posed another question: weren't the cargo ships simply too fragile and
unable to generate a militiarily significant amount of thrust?
Olivia smiled and took out a pen from her jacket pocket. To the horror of her
best friend, she began to draw the outlines of two ships on the pristine white
table cloth. One was the egg-shaped behemoth, fat and lumbering and
thin-skinned. The second was much leaner, bristling with an array of
weapons.
She told the Protector that if he approved the project, she intended to remove
three-quarters of the mass from the Behemoths--but retain their engines, fuel
tankage, and structural supports. The massive reduction in weight would
greatly increase available thrust; and with the internal structure of a ship
four times as massive, the Navy could simply layer on hundreds of tons of
additional armor plating!
The following morning, Protector Thomas signed the executive order instructing
the Navy to place DeHaviland in command of the overhaul and gave her free
reign to rebuild the two cargo ships into men of war.
==Capabilities:==
Refit and overhaul of the first of two ships began at the Samantha orbital
shipyards on January 4th, 3005. Pressure suited work-crews labored around the
clock as they mutilated the hull of the former Behemoth class. The flare of
welding and cutting torches continued around the clock as DeHaviland
supervised the effort.
Per her instructions, the engines were left intact, as was the central core of
the ship and the upper four decks. Care was taken to prevent damage to the
support struts as ton after ton of metal and composite were cut away and
hauled off for scrap. Six months later, the bare skeleton was finally naked.
Production was set back as engineers and technications were forced to move the
fuel bunkers and run new fuel-lines and control circuits. Three additional
decks were added beneath the upper section along with additional computer
support, fire control systems, and power relays. Then the real work began. A
host of weaponry arrived on site and crews began work to install turrets, each
of which required its own power runs, control leads, sensor cables, and
magazine feeds. Scores of heavily armored magazines were welded and bolted
into place against the main beams that formerly supported thousands of tons of
cargo.
Over all of this activity, new hull plates began to appear. Eventually some
four hundred and five tons of high density armor plating would be added to the
hull. Working from stern to bow, the construction teams sealed the hull and
pressured the compartments inside. Electricians and mechanics and plumbers
and hundreds of other specialists began to rewire the ship, installing
redundant computer and fire control systems. Internal air locks were fitted,
allowing the ships to fight without bleeding air if the hull were holed in
combat, while emergency batteries were laid beneath insulated floor panels in
the corridors.
True to her promise to Thomas, Olivia DeHaviland created the most heavily
armed DropShip ever to sail from a shipyard. A dozen LRM-15 launchers, twelve
more SRM-6 launchers, forty-eight Class 2 autocannon, eighteen Class 5
autocannon, twelve Class 10 autocannon, and six Class 20 autocannon; a dozen
PPCs, a dozen Large Lasers, eighteen Medium Lasers, thirty Small Lasers, and
forty-eight machine-guns were emplaced in sixty-six turrets spaced across the
hull.
In addition, more than five hundred and fifty heat sinks were installed to
shed the immense waste heat generated by the weapons array and the engines.
Two small craft bays were installed on deck seven, each capable of carrying
one shuttle of up to two hundred tons mass and two aerospace fighters each
massing up to one hundred tons. Quarters for twelve officers, twenty-two
crewmen, thirty-eight gunners, thirty Marines, and eighteen shuttle and
fighter pilots and techs were fitted, along with life support systems, waste
recyclers, air purifiers, and sufficient stores of food and water to last for
a deployment of up to three hundred and sixty days duration. Twenty escape
pods were attached to launch pits spaced across the manned sections of hull,
their hatches sealed and their ejection charges primed.
On 17 March, 3006, the Taurian Concordat Boat Goliath was formally
commissioned into service and sailed under her own power from the shipyard
dock to a finishing dock some two hundred kilometers distant. Work began on
TCB Titan even before Goliath finished fitting out her personnel quarters and
minor repairs were conducted on items that the crew had found incomplete or
unsatisfactory.
Five weeks later, TCB Goliath underwent her acceptance trials, stunning the
assembled officers of the Navy. At maximum power, the former Behemoth class
ship managed to acheive SIX gravities (6-g's) of acceleration, and maintained
that thrust for four straight hours! Afterwards, the crew grimly told
reporters that the experience was like riding an unbroken horse for the same
length of time, but there was considerable pride in the voices and faces
caught on camera. Weapon trials were also impressive, with only one
significant glitch. The massive array of weaponry overloaded the central fire
control computer fifteen minutes into the exercise. A three week refit
replaced the centralized system with six independent fire control computers
(one for each arc) that linked to a seventh master computer on the bridge.
Fire Direction Control was decentralized as well, reducing information flow
and bandwidth useage. The second weapons trial was passed with flying
colors.
On June 6, 3006, TCB Goliath was accepted for active-duty service and assigned
to the defense squadron at Gateway Point, the sole jump-point into the Hyades
Nebula. She was joined eleven months later by her sister ship TCB Titan.
==Battle History:==
As yet untested in combat, the crews of the two Goliath class guardships hope
that they are never called into battle; not because of cowardice or fear on
their parts, but because it would mean that the Concordat would be threatened
with extinction. As unlikely as an invasion of the Hyades may be, the
Concordat Navy will remain on station at Gateway to defend the realm, led by
Goliath and Titan.
==Variants:==
Unable to produce the Behemoth, the Concordat Navy cannot construct additional
Goliath class guardships. Neither vessel has been in service long enough for
any major modifications to have been made to the design.
==Notable Vessels & Crews:==
TCB Goliath (SDC-01)
TCB Titan (SDC-02)
==Deployment==
Like the Behemoth on which they are based, the Goliaths are not streamlined
for atmospheric operations. Despite the reduction in mass, these ships still
require two docking collars, just like their predecessors, making it unlikely
that the Concordat Navy will deploy these ships away from Gateway Point.
Entrusted with the defense of core worlds of the Concordat, TCB Goliath and
TCB Titan are certain to come as a terrible surprise to anyone attempting to
invade the Hyades.
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Goliath Guardship
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025
Vessel Type: Spheroid DropShip
Rules: Level 1, Custom design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 25,000 tons
Length: 275 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 8
Maximum Thrust: 12
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
48 Autocannon/2
12 LRM 15
12 PPC
12 Large Laser
18 Autocannon/5
12 Autocannon/10
18 Medium Laser
6 Autocannon/20
12 SRM 6
30 Small Laser
48 Machine Gun
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name: Goliath Guardship
Mass: 25,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 13,000.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 8
Maximum Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity: 120 6,000.00
Total Heat Sinks: 552 Single 255.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 612.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 188.00
Fire Control Computers: 300.00
Food & Water: (360 days supply) 216.00
Armor Type: Standard (5,340 total armor pts) 405.00
Standard Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 1,374
Left/Right Sides: 1,374/1,374
Aft: 1,218
Cargo:
Bay 1: Fighters (2) with 2 doors 300.00
Small Craft (1) with 1 door 200.00
Bay 2: Fighters (2) with 2 doors 300.00
Small Craft (1) with 1 door 200.00
Bay 3: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 186.00
Escape Pods: 20 (7 tons each) 140.00
Crew and Passengers:
12 Officers (12 minimum) 120.00
22 Crew (0 minimum) 154.00
38 Gunners (38 minimum) 266.00
30 Marines 150.00
18 Bay Personnel .00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 Autocannon/2(360 rounds) Nose 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 8 56.00
2 LRM 15(96 rounds) Nose 2(18) 2(18) 2(18) -- 10 26.00
2 PPC Nose 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 20 14.00
2 Large Laser Nose 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 16 10.00
3 Autocannon/5(120 rounds) Nose 2(15) 2(15) -- -- 3 30.00
2 Autocannon/10(80 rounds) Nose 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 6 32.00
3 Medium Laser Nose 2(15) -- -- -- 9 3.00
1 Autocannon/20(30 rounds) Nose 2(20) -- -- -- 7 20.00
2 SRM 6(60 rounds) Nose 2(16) -- -- -- 8 10.00
5 Small Laser Nose 2(15) -- -- -- 5 2.50
8 Machine Gun(400 rounds) Nose 2(16) -- -- -- 0 6.00
8 Autocannon/2(360 rounds) FL/R 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 16 112.00
2 LRM 15(96 rounds) FL/R 2(18) 2(18) 2(18) -- 20 52.00
2 PPC FL/R 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 40 28.00
2 Large Laser FL/R 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 32 20.00
3 Autocannon/5(120 rounds) FL/R 2(15) 2(15) -- -- 6 60.00
2 Autocannon/10(80 rounds) FL/R 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 12 64.00
3 Medium Laser FL/R 2(15) -- -- -- 18 6.00
1 Autocannon/20(30 rounds) FL/R 2(20) -- -- -- 14 40.00
2 SRM 6(60 rounds) FL/R 2(16) -- -- -- 16 20.00
5 Small Laser FL/R 2(15) -- -- -- 10 5.00
8 Machine Gun(400 rounds) FL/R 2(16) -- -- -- 0 12.00
8 Autocannon/2(360 rounds) AL/R 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 16 112.00
2 LRM 15(96 rounds) AL/R 2(18) 2(18) 2(18) -- 20 52.00
2 PPC AL/R 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 40 28.00
2 Large Laser AL/R 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 32 20.00
3 Autocannon/5(120 rounds) AL/R 2(15) 2(15) -- -- 6 60.00
2 Autocannon/10(80 rounds) AL/R 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 12 64.00
3 Medium Laser AL/R 2(15) -- -- -- 18 6.00
1 Autocannon/20(30 rounds) AL/R 2(20) -- -- -- 14 40.00
2 SRM 6(60 rounds) AL/R 2(16) -- -- -- 16 20.00
5 Small Laser AL/R 2(15) -- -- -- 10 5.00
8 Machine Gun(400 rounds) AL/R 2(16) -- -- -- 0 12.00
8 Autocannon/2(360 rounds) Aft 2(16) 2(16) 2(16) -- 8 56.00
2 LRM 15(96 rounds) Aft 2(18) 2(18) 2(18) -- 10 26.00
2 PPC Aft 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 20 14.00
2 Large Laser Aft 2(16) 2(16) -- -- 16 10.00
3 Autocannon/5(120 rounds) Aft 2(15) 2(15) -- -- 3 30.00
2 Autocannon/10(80 rounds) Aft 2(20) 2(20) -- -- 6 32.00
3 Medium Laser Aft 2(15) -- -- -- 9 3.00
1 Autocannon/20(30 rounds) Aft 2(20) -- -- -- 7 20.00
2 SRM 6(60 rounds) Aft 2(16) -- -- -- 8 10.00
5 Small Laser Aft 2(15) -- -- -- 5 2.50
8 Machine Gun(400 rounds) Aft 2(16) -- -- -- 0 6.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.50%) 625.00
18 Bay Personnel Quarters 126.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: Heat: 552 25,000.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 1,539,045,200 C-Bills
Battle Value: 32,658
Cost per BV: 47,126.13
Weapon Value: 34,039 (Ratio = 1.04)
Damage Factors: SRV = 1,029; MRV = 455; LRV = 57; ERV = 0
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 688,465
(603,287 Structure, 71,000 Life Support, 14,178 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 82,380 (12% of MPV)
BattleForce2: MP: 8, Armor/Structure: 89 / 89
Damage PB/M/L: 37/21/7, Overheat: 0
Class: DL; Point Value: 327
Specials: sph, if
