It has been three centuries since the founding of the colony, since the slow-boat ships left the system to seek further worlds to settle and stranded some fifty-thousand colonists to either thrive or die a slow death.
With three-hundred years of struggle, pain and hard-fought success under their belts, the people of Home have begun to look to the stars
The Memorial Wall, also known as the Remembrance Wall, began construction in Year 2 using government funds allocated to the Navy. The well known architect and designer Said Kamon Vũ would submit a design to the Ministry of Defense/Navy which was selected by a Select Committee. Vũ would wave any fees for his work as contribution towards the country. The land for the Memorial would be purchased and donated by a private trust with additional corporate and private individuals providing donations during construction. The wall design would be minimalist, with the names of Naval Crew-members and Vessels engraved in Seeladium, one of the hardest stones specially selected for its durability to the elements. Even today additional panels and names are added every five years after a member of the military is confirmed missing and or killed. The families of those lost receive a certification and medal from the Ministry Of Defense/Naval Office for the sacrifice of their loved one.
Later on benches and various native plants, displays of various vessels and their histories would be added on the grounds. While the memorial is considered government property, the non-profit Memorial Trust is responsible for the maintenance of the grounds and facilities. The Wall is free to visit with monetary donations accepted, several groups and the Trust conduct fundraising throughout the year. Any visit to the Capital should include a visit here but please prepare for crowds on weekends and public Holidays.
Coffee: whether instant, vacuumed sealed or fresh ground, each vessel stocks and is always on the lookout for replenishment of this essential item. Ever since the prohibition of alcohol in the 20th century old earth by the United States Navy, naval crews have been steady Coffee drinkers. Many local merchants have made immense profits supplying naval vessels. The HSWS has their own brand called Spacers Choice sold in many markets.
Mascots: Despite strict procedures to prevent biological contamination and invasive species there have been cases of pests that take up residence in a vessel. This has led to naval vessels adopting various sterilized cats like the Russian Blues and Maine Coons breeds as pest control. The mascots are treated as crew members with the same pay and benefits and even have ID Badges!
Tea and Tea ceremonies: The consumption of Tea and the Tea Ceremony are reserved for officers and are part of their training to be a 'person of culture'. Some officers will even purchase or use family tea sets and select blends while serving. This is a way for the commanding officer to speak to their subordinates in confidence personally in a less stressful situation. For a non officer or civilian to have tea with an naval officer is an deep honor. Officers who are invited to tea by civilians will also treat the occasion with the same respect.
...The moral and intellectual case for the contactless surveillance is self-evident enough not to be repeated once more. However, the practical implications of the Deep Diver are too useful to miss.
Submerged in the oceans of the Mystery-7 planet, the Deep Diver could stealthily approach the inhabited isles and observe them via sensors from the far lesser distance than the orbital survey. Keeping it hidden and therefore not interferring with the natural flow of aboriginal life would leave the observation results unspoiled. Vast sociological and anthropological knowledge could and would be extracted this way. The new contactless approaches would doubtlessly improve not only our knowledge of the human socities in general, but also the methodoligies of studying the future cases of abandoned, post-catastrophe or technophobic civilizations. In perfect world, the better stealth explorer shuttle would be be diesigned for those future operations - doubtlessly from the knowledge gained by using the Deep Diver at Mystery-7. While 3 days worth of fuel is hardly sufficient, some of the cargo space could be sacrificed for the extended fuel and and rations supply, increasing the autonomy of the vessel...
Prof. Tran John Blaise, PhD
Addendum
While our hands-off approach at -01,02-7 is not informed by some desire of "unspoiled anthropological observation" that respected Professor keeps praising (and so does his faction in SIS), this letter at least proposes useful approach. The "underwater stealth observer" would be useful in determining if the anomalous tech-less condition on the -01,02-7 is caused by some external actor, and if so, maybe even some information on this potential actor could be gleaned. If there are any "exactor" observation posts in the ocean itself, or any wreckage on the ocean bottom, those would be discovered by the Deep Diver without endangering our ships.
In future missions the refined and improved Deep Diver could be used on more developed planets. Inserted in the ocean out of reach of terrestrial anti-orbital weapons, it can then approach and conduct recon on the planetside installations from closer distances than otherwise approachable.
The larger version of Deep Diver could be fitted with a small missile bay and carry a few nuclear missiles to strike at planetside targets, ones that would be too well protected to conduct the S'Taxu-type orbital strikes against them...
Close to eight years after Navy Day, Home's population still steadily climbs up the middle tens-of-millions. Despite long centuries of adaptation to Home's thin atmosphere, the vast majority still live within a pressurized arcology dome. The only true megacity is the planetary capital–also named Home–which houses all organs of government and the headquarters of every major corporation, in addition to its population of nine million. A few regional capitals also crack the million mark, but most settlements are significantly smaller.
Hominid infrastructure has eschewed intercity road networks for the bulk transit capability and cold-weather hardening of railroads. People may travel between cities on elevated-track maglev trains, and where cargo can't be shipped by containerized nuclear icebreaker, it's run on slower conventional lines. Because of the concentration of buildings into arcology structures, the outside of cities resemble industrial rail yards more than suburbs.
The size of the planet and the recency of its settlement mean most of Home is wilderness. Long hours may pass on a train journey, looking out over permafrost steppe or coniferous forests without end. Rumor has it that people who reject the oligarchic dominance of Home's institutions live out there, as small communes or hunter-gatherer bands enabled by smuggling industrial goods from the domes.
One notices a city on the horizon by the sudden presence of resource extraction operations; clear-cutting, open-pit mines, industrial farms. These take place an acceptable distance from population centers, but not so far as to inhibit supply. The corporate cliques have cartelized to avoid unnecessary competition in key sectors, so every uranium mine will have the same branding, every algae processing compound, and so on.
The largest dome in any given city is inevitably given over to housing and service needs, but is surrounded by ancillary domes under corporate governance. One compound might be operated by a chemical refining subsidiary, another filled by everything needed to manufacture electronics. The largest (but least militarized) corporate entity on Home is the concern dedicated to electricity and water infrastructure, whose vested interest is necessary for any settlement–and though they are a symptom of a planet governed in the interests of corrupt oligarchs, their energy is at least green.
The government operates on a lean budget, and so does not provide public services as such. People typically acquire housing, utilities, education and so on through a corporation. The specifics vary. Most often they're offered as benefits of employment, some people subscribe to tiered subscription plans bought with hard currency… unemployment is guardedly kept low for the purpose of avoiding public unrest, but those unlucky few live abysmally.
The main exceptions to this rule are soldiers, those in possession of hereditary bureaucratic office, and the extremely wealthy for whom the system is written. The former two classes of people enjoy a more conventional relationship with the state, and the privileged position of the latter does not merit explaining.
Selected Table of Organization and Equipment from Multispectrum Warfare Office Combat Manual (CM) 38-07: THE FLEET LANDING FORCES BATTALION
This is just me getting the lead out on everyone's favorite orbit-to-ground-pounders. It's lousy work when you joined up to drive a Monitor, but somebody has to do it-and you might start enjoying yourself!
Selected Table of Organization and Equipment fromMultispectrum Warfare Office Combat Manual (CM) 38-07: THE FLEET LANDING FORCES BATTALION The standard Fleet Landing Forces battalion, which forms the largest subordinate organizational unit of the two standing FLF squadrons (three battalions each) within the 58th Planetary Defense Wing, itself equivalent to a full City Militia division, is currently assembled around five full-strength companies of 135 armed combat and security soldiers, themselves composed of three platoons of 45 soldiers each, referred to colloquially as "troopers".
These platoons are in turn made up of three 15-man squads, consisting of Spacers (E-2), Lance Airmen (E-3), Senior Spacers (E-4), Sergeants (E-5) and in non-commissioned command (NCO) of each, one Flight Sergeant (E-6). Platoon command, referred to as "actual flight" is under the auspices of an assigned Lieutenant (O-1) or Flight Lieutenant (O-2), assisted by the platoon's Star Sergeant (E-7). Company command is undertaken by a Flight Captain (O-3), assisted by a Technical Sergeant (E-7) with a Flight Lieutenant (O-2) as company executive officer (XO). At the battalion level, a Major (O-4) or Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) acts as overall commander of the full 675-man FLF force, assisted by a Flight Captain or Major as XO, additional Flight Captains as Battalion Intelligence, Weapons Company, and Pathfinder officers, and senior NCO command provided by a Chief Star Sergeant (E-8) and their subordinate TSgts.
While later sections of this Combat Manual will provide details of specific small arms, fire support systems, insertion suits, combat vehicles, and powered cavalry formations that comprise the standard battalion, at present, one must know only that of the five companies under a Major's authority, three form standard mechanized infantry forces, with one platoon from each equipped with light artillery insertion suits to act as mobile fire support teams for their "regular" comrades.
One of the two remaining full companies is equipped with powered cavalry frames alongside vehicle-mounted light artillery to act as a fully-mobile weapons company, delivering accurate surface-to-surface and surface-to-air firepower to suppress major threats. Pathfinder companies, on the other hand, represent an unusual quirk of the FLF; beginning as search and rescue (SAR) forces in the early days of the City Militia Air Service, the Pathfinders quickly gained a reputation for stealth, expert medical care, and precision in combat due to training to avoid dangerous wildlife and outwilds bandits as part of rescue operations. This strange mixture of skills, in turn, led to their eventual assignment to long-range intelligence and reconnaissance duties within the Landing Forces. In the modern day, a Pathfinder company within an FLF battalion is effectively two 67-man separate forces, with one half dedicated to battlefield medicine, triage, and wound care beyond the work of each platoon's assigned flight surgeon (colloquially "the surj") and the other acting as the battalion's eyes and ears in hostile territory, often making use of long-range firearms, ultralight jet UAVs, ground-to-orbit laser designators, ISR relay units, and tactical aerospace control teams (TACTs).
The Hazardous Environment Rapid Assault Vehicle, or HERAV, was designed at a time when it was unknown whether Home or enemy strategic locations would be in standard atmospheric environments. Developed specifically to reconnoiter and provide heavy firepower to an infantry platoon on hostile grounds, it was limited to 30 tons to fit on the standard assault shuttle. This has lead to accusations of a design that is overengineered and under survivable. However the largest detriment of the vehicle is its enormous price tag.
Based on an 8x8 wheeled chassis, the vehicle is armed with a 120mm Smoothbore Cannon and Gatling Laser in its turret, and a Heavy Machinegun on a powered ring mount for supporting infantry to use. It is capable of speeds of up to 147 km/h with a cruising range of 780 km. A HERAV's communication system is extremely long ranged, capable of reaching ships in orbit with its tightbeam equipment. This is all on a vehicle capable of operating in complete vacuum for 90 straight days, provided the crew is able to get ahold of their basic needs.
Stats:
TL
Agility
Speed
Range
Crew
Cargo
Hull
Structure
Cost
Size
8
0
147
780
4
-
30
30
3652350 Cr.
30 tons
Weaponry:
Weapon
Location
Damage
Range
Auto
Ammo
120mm Cannon
Large Turret Top
10D6 Super-AP
Distant
No
60
Gatling Laser (TL 8)
Large Turret Top
6D6
Distant
2
N/A
Heavy Machinegun
Powered Ring Mount
5D6 AP
Rifle
6
7000
Armour Location | Value
Front | 20+7
Right | 10+7
Left | 10+7
Rear | 10+7
Top | 8+7
Bottom | 6+7
T. Front | 20+7
T. Side/Rear | 10+7
Notes: Efficient Engine x3, Additional Armor x6, Additional Speed x5, Wheels x8, AFV, Off-road Capability, Advanced Controls, Large Turret: 2 Crew + Improved Fire Control +2
Additional Equipment: Fire Extinguishers, ERA I, Explosive Belt, Smoke/Flare/Chaff Dispenser, Life Support (Long Term), Vacuum Environment Protection, Air Lock, Sensors (Advanced), Tightbeam Satellite Uplink Communications (TL 8)
Yeah, Traveller can get REALLY in the weeds with this.
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON S'TAXU INCIDENT TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Colonel Amine Bennani, HSWS Command Staff
Note: for ease of readability, the beginning of the S'taxu Incident is noted as '0 Hour'.
00:00 - PMC Indefatigable starts on track that, if continued, will enter the DMZ/cross into the inner system. HSWS Pallas flash PMC warship with warning broadcast; no response.
03:00 - HSWS Pallas flashes second inquiry to PMC Indefatigable after several hours; no response. Sakumo and Pallas discuss.
06:00 -HSWS Sakumo receives recorded broadcast on Dynast frequencies and passes to Pallas. Unclear if the PMC ship has crossed the DMZ.
06:01 - Pallas and Sakumo begin to go to action stations; request flash traffic and update from station crews.
06:05 - Pallas and Sakumo at action stations; no response recorded from station crews. Sakumo reports multiple launches from multiple Dynast stations in orbit and ground launch vehicles.
06:06 - Pallas initiates SCRAM procedure; receives data dump from Sakumo and maneuvers for jump point. Sakumo begins evasive maneuvers. Turrets are fire free.
06:09 - Two missiles with atomic warheads penetrate Sakumo's defense perimeter and explode. Sakumo continues to maneuver. Pallas initiates emergency jump to Home system.
06:11 - Second missile volley tracks on Sakumo. Sakumo returns fire and destroys an orbital defense station.
06:13 - Two more atomics explode close-in on the Sakumo, causing battle damage.
06:17 - Third missile volley. Additional stations are now firing. Sakumo destroys a second orbital defense station with particle beam fire.
06:19 - Sakumo struck by seven warheads. This is enough to knock the jump drive offline, cause hull ruptures across three frames, knock out a particle bay, and disable two weapons turrets. Captain Nacar orders Sakumo out of orbit.
06:20 - Captain Nacar wounded in action by additional missile strike. Senior Lieutenant Terzi takes command as the Sakumo leaves orbit and evades further damage.
END OF INITIAL INCIDENT
Following the exchange of weapons fire, the Indefatigable continued their inbound track and took control of S'Taxu-4's orbitals. It is presumed that the nuclear exchange caused mass casualties on the surface. All orbital stations destroyed or rendered inoperative. Sakumo suffered ten KIA, four WIA.
As of this writing, only seven service-members are known to have survived from the station crews in orbit. The rest of the watch crews are currently missing in action, but (in the opinion of this writer) must be presumed lost, either by treacherous Dynasts or as a result of being aboard the orbital stations when they were destroyed by weapons fire from the Sakumo or Indefatigable.
A note: the Sakumo broke orbit quite late in the engagement, considering it would have restricted her freedom to maneuver a good bit. Unless, of course, she was staying in orbit for a reason...
GUNNERY LOG, HSWS SAKUMO
ACTION IN ORBIT S'TAXU 4
SUBMITTED VIA HSWS TISHTRAYA
IN ACTION: 22 minutes 45 seconds.
00:00: SAKUMO Actual orders beat to quarters.
00:15: SAKUMO Sandcaster turrets report manned and ready
00:35: SAKUMO Beam Laser turrets report manned and ready
00:37: SAKUMO Pulse Laser turrets report manned and ready.
00:56 SAKUMO Particle Beams report manned and ready. SAKUMO Guns reports all gunnery stations manned and ready to Actual.
01:45: SAKUMO Guns requests permission from Actual to dirty vectors to PMCS INDEFATIGABLE. Actual grants permission.
01:48: Sandcaster turrets active to dirty direct course and best-time course vectors to PMCS INDEFATIGABLE.
02:43: Nearest orbital station reported opening silo doors.
03:05: SAKUMO Guns orders cease fire on Sandcasters. Fire Control is directed to develop plan to dirty as many vectors between ground targets and stations as possible.
05:02: Multiple orbital stations opening silo doors. SAKUMO Guns requests permission to implement plan to dirty vectors to ground targets unless the stations respond to comms.
05:32: SAKUMO Actual orders Point Defense free, Helm free to conduct orbital maneuver, turns to close nearest station.
05:55: Copied Dynast transmission. SAKUMO Actual orders immediate implementation of Guns' plan to dirty vectors. Sandcasters in action.
06:10: Multiple launches detected. Sand effectively clogs groundward vectors for the nearest two stations and degrades or destroys several missiles and reentry vehicles. Beam and Pulse Lasers in action.
06:50: Guns orders Particle Beams weapons free, fire as they bear. Captain orders Helm to bring Particle Beams to bear on nearest orbital station as feasible. Multiple successful interceptions by Beam and Pulse Lasers of missiles exiting nearest station and attempting to get up to speed.
07:00: Sandcasters retargeted. Nearest station combat ineffective in face of SAKUMO point-defense hitting birds as they come off their launchers. Particle Beams attempt to engage missile flight headed groundward from distant station. One hit.
08:03: Volley from second most distant station enters SAKUMO Point Defense envelope. Multiple interceptions.
08:30: Sandcasters retasked to point defense against incoming missiles.
08:55: Sandcaster Turret 2 has feed jam, cause unknown. Damage Control responding.
09:01: Two nuclear warheads initiate in close proximity to SAKUMO. Multiple turrets report on-mount IR and LIDAR systems blinded, still functional on main sensors. External hull damage. Ship systems holding.
09:33: Sandcaster Turret 2 manages to remove offending round in feed manually, resumes fire. Sandcaster turrets attempting to dirty field towards the next-nearest orbital station.
10:01: Nearest surviving station conducts coordinated launch against SAKUMO. Sand degrades multiple missiles.
11:05 SAKUMO Particle Beams fire on nearest orbital station. Target destroyed. SAKUMO Actual orders turn to engage second station.
11:45: Multiple missiles from multiple vectors enter SAKUMO Point Defense envelope. Sandcasters again retasked.
12:30: Nuclear warhead initiates out of effective range of SAKUMO.
13:09: Two nuclear warheads initiate in proximity to SAKUMO. Pulse Laser Turret 1 does not answer and is not connected to bridge controls. Sandcaster Turret 2 reports feed jamming again. Fire Control reports heavy degradation of main sensors on aft vectors.
14:02: SAKUMO Point Defense envelope now encompasses nearest surviving orbital station. Station is combat-ineffective as missile launches are killed before they can gain speed. SAKUMO Actual demands station surrender.
14:32: Station refuses to surrender. Sandcasters attempting to dirty aft arc where sensor coverage is degraded. Pulse Laser Turret 1 crewman reported dead at station, turret open to space, control linkages down. Cause: Impulsive shock from nearby nuclear initiation cracked turret seals. Damage Control brings the turret back online with relief crewman in suit, on local control.
14:56: Coordinated launch from multiple stations reported inbound. Sandcaster Turret 2 cleared for action.
15:05: SAKUMO Actual orders Helm to present as many working weapons as possible.
15:12: Coordinated launch enters SAKUMO Point Defense envelope. Beam lasers doing superlative work.
15:52: Missile volley defeated. SAKUMO Actual logs recommendation for decoration for skill for Beam Laser crews, orders Helm to bring Particle Beams to bear on nearest station.
16:02: Additional missile volley inbound. Time on target with several stations behind the limb of the planet.
16:38: Particle Beams destroy orbital station. SAKUMO Actual orders helm to again present as many weapons as possible on inbound vectors.
17:02: Sand degrading inbounds. Six fallen off-course.
17:33: Missile volley enters SAKUMO Point Defense envelope. Nuclear warhead initiates early, destroys several other missiles.
17:35: Second volley detected. Hard radiation flash just below planetary horizon; possible station fratricide or ground-based response.
18:02: Missile volley defeated. Second volley will enter Point Defense envelope in twenty seconds. Fire Control reports ground-based laser flash on primary sensor array is blinding IR, LIDAR, Vislight. Station jamming degrading the effectiveness of radar.
18:07: SAKUMO Actual orders maneuver to bring primary array clear.
18:22: SAKUMO Point Defense again in action. SAKUMO Actual orders Helm at ten seconds from inpact to present most minimal target profile. Efforts to maneuver clear of ground-based laser jamming ineffective.
18:57: Multiple nuclear warheads initiate in proximity to SAKUMO, including at least one contact hit. Fire Control reports lost power. Particle Beam 1 and 2 report inoperable. Pulse Laser Turret 1 does not answer. Sandcaster Turret 2 reports turret and weapons inoperable. Inner hull breached. Crew ordered to suits, seal helmets.
19:02: Incoming missile volley from nearest surviving station. Sandcaster Turret 2 has been dirtying bearing without orders, degrades multiple missiles. Fire Control reports backup sensors online, Pulse Laser and Beam Laser turrets remaining operational engaging. Incoming missile drive flares on ballistic arcs from the PMCS INDEFATIGABLE targeting orbital stations. SAKUMO ACTUAL orders break orbit, SAKUMO no longer able to degrade attacks on ground targets.
19:32: Nuclear weapon believed disabled by sand overshoots, initiates behind SAKUMO. Drive flutter. Multiple casualties from equipment breaking loose. Fire Control reports primary sensors back online. SAKUMO Actual injured.
19:55: SAKUMO pivots on course and fires at nearest surviving orbital station with remaining Particle Beams, scores damage. Missile volley inbound. SAKUMO Actual, Acting, orders Helm to outrun them on primary drives.
20:27: Final missile volley unable to achieve intercept. SAKUMO Guns orders particle beams secure from stations, requests they report status of Pulse Laser Turret 1 relief crewman.
21:43: Pulse Laser Turret 1 relief crewman reported dead at station. Cause: Impulsive shock from nearby nuclear initiation dished in helmet visor. SAKUMO Guns logs recommendation for decoration for bravery for relief crewman of Pulse Laser Turret 1 and decoration for initiative for crew of Sandcaster Turret 2.
22:45: SAKUMO Actual, Acting, orders secure from action stations, maximum damage-control effort. Log ends.
Proposed HSWS Rank Insignia for Enlisted and Officers.
Proposed HSWS Rank Insignia for Enlisted and Officers. Ranks are featured on both collars and sleeves of dress, duty and combat uniforms with Department Colors as background. Combat Uniforms/Spacesuits will have dull or blackened insignia for security and visibility issues. All Uniform Sleeves feature the Service Insignia. Duty Uniforms will feature mission and vessel/station patches on the sleeves while Dress Uniforms will have Mission/Campaign ribbons and Medals on the chest.
E-2: Spacer
One Red Solid Circle outlined in silver.
E-3: Lance Air(wo)man
Two Red Solid Circles outlined in silver.
E-4: Senior Spacer
Three Red Solid Circles outlined in silver.
E-5: Sergeant
One Red Solid Diamond outlined in silver.
E-6:Flight Sergeant
Two Red Solid Diamonds outlined in silver.
E-7:Technical Sergeant
Three Red Solid Diamonds outlined in silver.
E-8:Chief Star Sergeant (Highest Non-Commissioned Rank).
Four Red Solid Diamonds outlined in silver.
O-1: Lieutenant (Requires University Degree and Officer Training Courses)
One Red Pentagon outlined in gold.
O-2: Flight Lieutenant
Two Red Pentagons outlined in gold.
O-3: Flight Captain
Three Red Pentagons outlined in gold.
O-4: Major
One Red Parallelogram outlined in gold.
O-5: Lieutenant-Colonel
Two Red Parallelograms outlined in gold.
O-6: Colonel
Three Red Parallelograms outlined in gold.
O-7: Flight Commodore
One Red Star outlined in platinum.
O-8: Vice-Marshal
Two Red Stars outlined in platinum.
O-9: Marshal
Three Red Stars outlined in platinum.
O-10:Chief Marshal
Four Red Stars on outlined in platinum..
O-11:Marshal of the Home Space Warfare Service
Five Red Stars outlined in platinum.
Department Colors.
Tactical/Weapons: Dark Blue Navigation: Blue Logistics: Green
Medical; Purple Engineering: Gold Landing/Rangers: Orange
Lieutenant Intan Đình received her degree in Accounting after completing a correspondence course from the University of Kopet. While this is nothing new, it was how she completed the degree that has attracted notice. Lt. Dinh is one of the new pilots of the new Corvette Fast Courier that are stationed in various systems. These pilots act not only as messengers but also are part of the early warning system set up by the Service. While on station, these pilots have massive amounts of time available, time which pilots such as the Lieutenant have used to further their education.
"I was already midway in completing my degree before I was given my first assignment", said Lt. Dinh. "I found out that I could review and complete my work without interruptions, which sometimes was difficult during Boot Camp. I had the materials and course schedule so I was able to submit my materials when I was near Home." The Lieutenant is the first of her family to serve in the Service and the second to complete a University degree. She plans to apply for the Logistics Department at a later time. We in the IDS salute the further education and service of members like the Lieutenant.
