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.
Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Aug 2, 2024 at 5:50 AM, finished with 117 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Plan South
-[X] HSWS Aditi, HSWS Tishtrya, HSWS Janus, HSLS Lakapati and 4 Interstellar Cruisers are assigned to the operation. -01+01 is designated as the staging area.
-[X] S'Taxu governments are informed of the purpose of the operation, we don't want them scared. The full taskforce resupplies at S'Taxu and jumps into -01+01. At -01+01 all ships resupply from HSLS Lakapati. Operation proper beings, orders as follow:
-[X] HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtrya jump in tandem to -02+02 and continues along the green route, charting the systems and observing into the distance. As usual, one of the surveyors is meant to keep its distance, so that assistance from the staging area can be called-in. Be cautious, remember the earlier forays into S'taxu and Xyri. If peaceful contact is made, arrange for proper diplomatic meeting later.
-[X] 4 Interstellar Cruisers are on standby in -01+01. HSLS Lakapati jumps back to S'Taxu, to get fresh supplies and returns to -01+01. HSWS Janus is on standby, but after 15 days jumps into -02+02 to conduct mining surveys.
-[X] Operation is expected to end when all surveyors return to the staging area. If nothing unexpected happens, HSLS Lakapati drops the fuel and supplies on the asteroid for later use and the entire task group returns Home.
-[X] Construct: one Deep Space Surveyor and the fifth Deep Hope segment
[X] OPLAN: Prepare to Drink Vacuum
-[X] Conduct deep space surveys of the other unknowns before any penetration of potentially hostile space.
-[X] A small, long range escort of some kind.
How does the Navy's scouting proceed? Plan South What would we fill that space with? Construct: one Deep Space Surveyor and the fifth Deep Hope segment
Operation Southern View
The first major operation planned by the Home Space Warfare Service and the largest since the orbital strike against Xyphon positions, Operation Southern View will encompass a scouting operation deep into potentially hostile territory and thus will bring the forces to match. The ORBAT is as follows:
- Task Force Southern View
-- Flotilla Command ship - HSWS Pallas
--- Operational Cruiser Squadron - HSWS Apedemak, HSWS Sakumo, HSWS Sekhmet
--- First Scout Element - HSWS Aditi, HSWS Tishtrya
--- Second Scout Element - HSWS Janus
--- Logistics Support Ship - HSLS Lakapiti
These eight ships plan to conduct an operation deep into unknown space, though most of them will hopefully hang back at ready points without ever needing to be placed in dangerous situations. The operation calls for a multi-month deployment, split into several phases, as follows:
- Phase 1 - 00w>04w
-- TFSV transits from Home to S'Taxu.
-- Refuels and tops up supplies at S'Taxu-5 facilities.
-- TFSV transits from S'Taxu to -0101, labelled 'Staging Point' for this operations.
-- All ships resupply from HSLS Lakapati before initiating Phase 2.
- Phase 2 - 04w>08w
-- HSWS Lakapati transits from Staging Point to S'Taxu to resupply.
-- HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtrya tandem jump (Drop Tanks) to sector designated -0202, conducting a week long survey.
-- HSWS Lakapati returns to Staging Point with fresh supplies, recovers surviving drop tanks.
-- HSWS Janus, refuelled and resupplied, transits to -0202 to conduct mineral survey.
- Phase 3 - 06w>11w
-- HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtrya tandem jump (Drop Tanks) to sector designated -0102, conducting a week long survey.
-- HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtrya tandem jump (Internal Fuel) to sector designated 0002, conducting a week long survey.
-- HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtrya tandem jump (Internal Fuel) to Staging Point.
- Phase 4 - 11w>14w
-- Regrouped TFSV transits from Staging Point to S'Taxu.
-- Refuels and tops up supplies at S'Taxu-5 facilities.
-- TFSV transits from S'Taxu to Home, reporting for debriefing.
This four phase, three-and-a-half month operation will be the most ambitious ever conducted by the HSWS, and it will begin in just a few short weeks, on 05y05m00w. It will last (probably) until 05y08m02w, unless something interferes with the progress of the operation.
Across the course of four weeks, the task force is assembled, the Deep Space Surveyors are fitted with their drop tanks, and the group of eight ships assemble at the 100D limit of Home-3. Phase 1
- Mission Clock Set to 00m00w
- 00m00w - All ships begin jump from Home to S'Taxu. Last contact with task force for 3.5 months.
- 00m01w - All ships arrive in S'Taxu over the course of eight hours. Task force regroups and transits into S'Taxu-5, flashing IFF signals. HSLS Lakapati suffers minor hull damage after collision with fuelling tanker. Ability to continue mission unaffected.
- 00m02w - Task Force begins jump from S'Taxu to Staging point.
- 00m03w - All ships arrive at Staging Point over the course of six hours. Refuelling operations begin, emptying a third of the Lakapati's tanks. After checks and several test operations, the Task Force begins Phase 2.
Phase 2
- 01m00w - HSLS Lakapati begins jump to S'Taxu to resupply. HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya being jump to sector designated -0202. HSWS Aditi is targeting the outer system, while HSWS Tishtaya is attempting to jump to the 100D limit of the main stars polar north. Both drop tanks are destroyed by the jump.
- 01m01w - HSLS Lakapati arrives in S'Taxu and transits to S'Taxu-5 for resupply. Both HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya are off course upon arrival in -0202, scattered seemingly at random around the inner system, although both arrive within minutes of each other. Their captains, thoroughly confused, nonetheless begin their task of surveying the system. A broad system-wide survey takes just four days with both ships combined. -0202
Survey Index: 10 System Code: -000000-0 Star(s): K2V-K0V Orange Binary with distant M4V companion. Orbitals: -0202-1 (Small Gas Giant), -0202-2 (Planetoid Belt), -0202-3 (Small Gas Giant) Comments: -0202 is a seemingly empty system with little to benefit it but the presence of gas giants for fuelling operations.
- 01m02w - HSLS Lakapati, unable to recover drop tanks, nonetheless conducts several UNREP evolutions, including resupplying the Janus. The HSWS Janus begins a jump into -0202 to conduct a mineral survey. HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya begin jump to sector designated -0102, utilising their remaining drop tanks.
- 01m03w - HSWS Janus arrives in -0202 to conduct mineral survey, receiving telemetry from beacon left behind by HSWS Aditi. Survey is expected to take three weeks. HSWS Janus also encounters an intact drop tank alongside a ruined one. HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya arrive in -0102, again both scattered. A broad system-wide survey takes six days with both ships combined. -0102
Survey Index: 8 System Code: ?9DA???-? Star(s): G7V with distant K3V companion - 100D limit: 129.1Gm - Habitable Zone: 0.82AU-1.18AU/122.7-176.5Gm Orbitals: -0102-1 (Rocky Planet), -0102-2 (Rocky Planet), -0102-3 (Rocky Planet), -0102-4 (Planetoid Belt), -0102-5 (Planetoid Belt), -0102-6 (Planetoid Belt), -0102-7 (Temperate Oceanic Mainworld), -0102-8 (Transient Body), -0102-9 (Planetoid Belt), -0102-A (Rocky Planet), -0102-B (Planetoid Belt), -0102-C (Rocky Planet), -0102-D (Rocky Planet) Comments: No contact could be made with surface population, despite evidence of such. There is limited evidence of orbital infrastructure and no evidence of a space-going industry. A repeater beacon has been left in the system just in case.
- 02m00w - HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya begin jump to sector designated 0002 solely using internal fuel.
- 02m01w - HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya arrive in sector 0002 on time and on target, emerging into real space with an eight hour separation. Seven day system survey conducted by both ships.
Nova Refugio
Survey Index: 8 System Code: D227222-8 Star(s): M3V Red - 100D limit: 50.3Gm - Habitable Zone: 0.12AU-0.17AU/17.9-25.4Gm Orbitals: 0002-1 (Planetoid Belt), 0002-2 (Mainworld), 0002-3 (Planetoid Belt), 0002-4 (Rocky Planet), 0002-5 (Highly Unusual Composition), 0002-6 (Rocky Planet), 0002-7 (Rocky Planet), 0002-8 (Planetoid Belt), 0002-9 (Rocky Planet), 0002-A (Rocky Planet) Comments: Contact made with small (below replacement) population living on wet inner world. While initial dialogue is anxious to the point of hostile, reassurances that we are not an unidentified enemy are successful. Peaceful first introductions made, including a rendezvous in orbit between HSWS Tishtrya and 'Away Sloop One'. Quarantine and first contact policies maintained. Sector 0002 logged as Nova Refugio according to local names.
- 02m02w - HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya begin jump to Staging Point, expending the last of their jump fuel.
- 02m03w - HSWS Janus departs -0202 after three week mineral survey. HSWS Aditi and HSWS Tishtaya arrive at Staging Point, begin fuelling from HSLS Lakapati.
- 03m00w - HSWS Janus arrives at Staging Point, tanks from HSWS Lakapati and begins preparation to jump from Staging Point with the rest of Task Force Southern View. TFSV begins jump to S'Taxu as a combined group.
- 03m01w - TFSV arrives in S'Taxu, begins transit to fuelling stations.
- 03m02w - TSFV prepares for and begins jump to Home.
- 03m03w - Task Force Southern View returns to Home, disperses and begins preparation for debriefing.
The date is 05y08m03w
In the wake of these new discoveries, the Citizens Council would like a full survey of -0102 and a diplomatic return to Nova Refugio. What would the Home Space Warfare Service like in an ideal world? Answer the following questions as a plan vote: What would the Navy like from -0202?
[ ] To aim to establish a fuelling operation for outgoing Naval missions.
[ ] To aim to establish a fleet base to support civillian mining operations.
[ ] To aim to support a civilian outpost in the sector.
[ ] Other - write in. What would the Navy like from -0102?
[ ] To conduct long duration studies of the populated planet - to work out what is going on there.
[ ] To conduct mineral surveys of the system to assess viability of commercial development.
[ ] To survey and assess the anomalous body in the system.
[ ] Other - write in. What would the Navy like from Nova Refugio?
[ ] To gain refuelling rights in the system.
[ ] To establish a fleet base alongside the present population.
[ ] To survey and assess the anomalous body in the system.
[ ] Other - write in.
[X] Plan: A Step Outward
-[X] To aim to establish a fleet base to support civillian mining operations.
-[X] To conduct long duration studies of the populated planet - to work out what is going on there.
-[X] To gain refuelling rights in the system.
[X] OPLAN: Dawn Patrol
-[X] To aim to establish a fueling operation for outgoing Naval missions. (in 02:02)
-[X] To aim to support a civilian outpost in the sector. (in 02:02)
-[X] To survey and assess the anomalous body in the system. (In 01:02 and Nova Refugio)
-[X] Write-in: Establish long-term "hands off" studies of the unknown populations on 01:02's inhabited world, with an absolute bar on any kind of contact-once they establish space flight, leave a first contact beacon and retreat until we receive a response.
-[X] Write-in: Establish a diplomatic presence on Nova Refugio, but make no aims or demands at this time; we must build trust.
[X] Operation Southern Reach
-[X] What would the Navy like from -0202?
--[X] To aim to establish a fuelling operation for outgoing Naval missions.
--[X] To scan the surrounding skies at range, looking for the radio emissions given off by settled worlds.
-[X] What would the Navy like from -0102?
--[X] To conduct long duration studies of the populated planet - to work out what is going on there.
--[X] To survey and assess the anomalous body in the system.
-[X] What would the Navy like from Nova Refugio?
--[X] To determine the origin of the settlers there, and the reason for their presence in the system.
--[X] To provide a shipment of humanitarian aid items that their industrial base is too small to produce natively.
What would the Navy like from -0202? - To aim to establish a fuelling operation for outgoing Naval missions.
- To aim to support a civilian outpost in the sector. What would the Navy like from -0102? - To survey and assess the anomalous body in the system.
- Establish long-term "hands off" studies of the unknown populations on 01:02's inhabited world, with an absolute bar on any kind of contact - If they establish space flight, leave a first contact beacon and retreat until we receive a response. What would the Navy like from Nova Refugio? - To survey and assess the anomalous body in the system.
- Establish a diplomatic presence on Nova Refugio, but make no aims or demands at this time; we must build trust.
The Tentacles of Progress
With new space, new planets, new orbits discovered it is only so long before the oligarchs leading our society turn their eyes on discovering new riches. If merchants - and there are now at least nine recorded and flagged interstellar vessels operating outside the purview of the HSWS (one of which is flagged as a vessel out of Cassalon) - are to transit to the uninhabited system, they will require a waystation at the deep space rock that is quickly becoming referred to as 'Staging Point'. Civilian corporations are already pushing for a reduced size version of the Deep Hope Station to act as a waypoint at Staging Point, a two-module customs station-cum-fuelling depot. It would look as follows:
A pair of 400 ton modules, a shuttle for customs inspections, just enough crew to keep the waypoint running and to play cards, and enough fuel for five cargo ships to tank off of before the station needs resupply. Later expansions to the station could, presumably, add additional modules, more fuel, expanded capabilities, but this is considered the bare minimum to support an expansion into the system currently designated -0202.
What is the navies opinion of this?
[ ] If the Navy must support civilian enterprise in order to expand its own capabilities, that is a price we must pay.
[ ] We cannot afford this as the next part of our construction program. We will put it on the back burner.
[ ] Why should we pay for civilian construction? No. Speaking of designations, should -0202 be named?
[ ] Name it Heimdall, after the lost ship.
[ ] Name it Xuan Phan, after the captain of the Heimdall.
[ ] Name it something else - write in.
[ ] Maintain the current numbering.
Meanwhile, four ships depart on another mission. HSWS Lakapati, HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya depart Home on 05y10m00w, after several weeks of leave for the crew and minor repairs and refits for the ships. As the third and fourth segments of the Deep Hope Modular Station are shipped 'North', these four ships head 'South' with a complex mission tasking (though far less complex than that of Operation Southern View). They are to be away for eight weeks, returning on or around the 6th anniversary of the establishment of our Navy Day, and will hopefully return with significant new information for us.
Lakapati is going to spend the next two months sitting in the empty 00,01 sector, doing nothing but waiting for her charges to come home. Meanwhile, HSWS Aditi will be scanning the anomalous body in -01,02 and performing long range, deep range scans of the inhabited body to assess the nature of the population there. HSWS Tishtrya will be conducting her own survey of the anomalous body in Nova Refugia before moving to support HSWS Culsans in conducting a diplomatic meet and greet with the inhabitants of the main world of Nova Refugia.
The four ships jump away, on time and in formation, and we can no more affect the course of their operations than the stars can stop spinning.
The yards are currently at 6,900/8,000 tons capacity, and in the next two months will complete another 900 tons of construction. What should these 2,000 tons be used for?
[ ] System upgrades for the Interstellar Surveyor - better sensors, upgraded weapons, improved space utilisation.
[ ] An Interstellar Cruiser (1,000 tons)
[ ] A Deep Space Surveryor (500 tons)
[ ] An Interstellar Surveyor (700 tons)
[ ] A smaller fleet logistics ship.
[ ] A small, long range escort of some kind.
[ ] Something else - write in.
Please present any votes as a plan. Voting opens at
Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Aug 4, 2024 at 6:09 AM, finished with 47 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Plan Civilian
-[X] If the Navy must support civilian enterprise in order to expand its own capabilities, that is a price we must pay.
-[X] Name it Heimdall, after the lost ship.
-[X] Write-In: Purpose-built ship for diplomats at 1K tonnes. 2 jumps. Optimize for carrying personnel and for long stays in foreign systems. Include a conference room and small storage space. Minimal defensive weapons. Compromise on speed.
-[X] The remaining yard space is assigned for an Interstellar Surveyor refit, including better sensors and improved space utilization with an overall goal of performing detailed follow-up system scans.
[X] Plan Pathfinder
-[X] If the Navy must support civilian enterprise in order to expand its own capabilities, that is a price we must pay.
-[X] Name it Heimdall, after the lost ship.
-[X] Write-In: a long-duration diplomatic transport, intended for making first-contacts and performing diplomatic missions in distant systems. 2 jump range. Should include necessary amenities, a conference room, and a small storage space. Any weapons should be defensive only. A marine honour guard is desired, if practicable.
-[X] Write-In: a thorough modernisation of the Interstellar Surveyors, particularly their defensive systems, reflecting their role as first-wave scouts into potentially hostile systems. Fittings for two drop tanks should be added. Remaining displacement freed up by the use of modern equipment should go to improved system survey capabilities and to any additional supplies and crew amenities required by the additional range. Finally, the improved class should be designated the Pathfinder, to clarify its role and prevent confusion with the Deep Space Surveyor.
What is the navies opinion of this? If the Navy must support civilian enterprise in order to expand its own capabilities, that is a price we must pay. Speaking of designations, should -0202 be named? Name it Heimdall, after the lost ship. What should these 2,000 tons be used for? Purpose-built ship for diplomats at 1K tonnes. The remaining yard space is assigned for an Interstellar Surveyor refit
Diplomatic Transport
With the sheer number of inhabited systems making themselves apparent to our explorers, it is becoming clear that we need a ship that can carry a team of specialised diplomats in well-protected comfort. Thus, after a brief RFP period, Scansion Industries suggests a relatively 'simple' modification to the Interstellar Cruiser design that would make it into the perfect platform to conduct such a mission:
Maintaining the hull and drives, the armouring and the major internal systems, will allow this ship to be constructed with all the efficiencies that have benefited the construction of the latest examples of the IC-class. However, every offensive weapon would be stripped out, replaced with the quarters and facilities necessary to conduct a diplomatic mission in the greatest comfort. This would include:
- Quarters for a diplomat and their staff
- A FLIF honour guard of a single section, a sergeant and an officer.
- A conference room cum library that can be re-equipped as a dining room.
- A 20-dton green space and biosphere that will not only provide for the oxygen needs of the crew (though most of that is algae tanks hidden beneath bulkheads) but can also be re-equipped as a dining area, meeting space or other necessary room.
This 'Diplomatic Courier' variant of the ship would, vitally, be capable of holding station without resupply for four months, or twelve to fourteen weeks if jump travel is included. It would also, on basic scans, look just like any other Interstellar Cruiser, and could not be singled out from amongst a combined group by any hostile group without dedicated scans.
Should this meet the approval of the Home Space Warfare Service, an example could be laid down as soon as possible and then completed in 18 months.
05y10m00w - HSLS Lakapati, HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya depart Home, heading for sector 00,01
05y10m01w - HSLS Lakapati, HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya arrive in 00,01. HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya tank off of the logistics ship and immediately jump onwards to mission objectives.
05y10m02w - HSWS Aditi arrives in sector -01,02 begins scanning operation over anomalous transient body. Operation expected to last until 05y11m01w. HSWS Culsans and HSWS Tishtrya arrive in Nova Refugio. HSWS Tishtrya moves to anomalous object and begins scanning operation. Operation expected to last until 05y11m01w. HSWS Culsans moves to orbit over Nova Refugio main world, flashing previously-agreed welcome signals.
05y11m00w - After two weeks of attempted diplomacy, HSWS Culsans retreats from orbit over Nova Refugio, rendezvousing with HSWS Tishtrya and assisting as best possible with survey of NR-6.
05y11m01w - HSWS Aditi departs sector -01,02. HSWS Culsans and HSWS Tishtrya depart Nova Refugio.
05y11m02w - HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya arrive in sector 00,01, begin tanking operations from HSLS Lakapati. HSLS Lakapati, HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya depart sector 00,01.
05y11m03w - HSLS Lakapati, HSWS Culsans,HSWS Aditi, and HSWS Tishtrya arrive in Home and prepare for debriefing.
- Transient body currently designated -01,02-8 - 4,800km object, breathable atmosphere of 0.78 bars average pressure, temperate climate, 57% liquid water surface indicated to be saline H2O (Code X466000-0). Orbit is highly inclined and off-axis compared to rest of the system. Suspect that this body has been captured in the last millennia and may well be ejected again in future. Both moons are large asteroid-sized bodies. Some evidence of architecture detected on planets surface incl. structure that may have been a star-port. No evidence of current habitation. Further work will require landing a team.
- Report on the inhabited planet designated -01,02-7 - "There's no carbon emissions. There's no heat sources. There's no lights at night. There's just water, land and people. We can see the smoke from fires on long-gain telescopes, but nothing big enough to be considered a... a modern, advanced civilisation. We have come to the conclusion that not only is this population pre-spaceflight, they're pre-industrialisation. We would recommend high and low orbital observations if we would like a better understanding of them, whoever they are."
- Anomalous body currently designated Nova Refugio-6 - 16,000km super-planet, unusual, non-corrosive atmosphere of 2 bars average pressure, all indications demonstrate a temperate climate. Planet is entirely covered in liquid of unknown composition (Code XAAA000-0). May support unknown life, may simply be an oddity of the universe. Recommend further study, development of aerostat or pressure-hulled vessels for deep diving.
- Report on attempted diplomatic negotiations with inhabitants of Nova Refugio - "The inhabitants of Nova Refugio are on the run, on an interstellar scale. They are refugees of a larger inhabited polity deeper out into unknown space, one which has descended into authoritarianism. Rather than attempt to survive within their own system, they've jumped three parsecs out and settled on the first planet they can survive on. They are not at all interested in drawing attention to themselves - they would seem to prefer to avoid being dragged into anyone else's conflicts either. Vitally, they have shared their origin point with us: a well developed, technologically advanced system in what we would call -03,03 but which they call 'Hermosa'.
Are we content with the diplomatic courier design?
[ ] Yes, order one.
[ ] No, this doesn't meet our needs.
[ ] It could be improved by the following means: write-in. What are our next steps for exploration, diplomacy and war-making? Select as many as you would like:
[ ] We should design an aerostat/pressure hulled shuttle to explore gas giants and the anomalous world.
[ ] We should conduct deeper studies of -01,02, including orbital surveys of '-7' and landing teams on '-8'.
[ ] Inform the government of Xyri of our discoveries, with the following goal: [write-in]
[ ] Inform the government of S'Taxu of our discoveries, with the following goal: [write-in]
[ ] Organise and conduct an 'Operation Northern View', from sector 01,-02.
[ ] Organise and conduct an 'Operation Eastern View', from Xyri.
[ ] Organise and conduct an 'Operation Western View', from sector S'Taxu.
[ ] Write-in additional suggestions for operational actions.
Please present any votes as a plan. Voting opens at
[X] Plan Western View
-[X] Yes, order one.
--[X] If feasible without forgoing the construction bonus, include visual differentiation from Interstellar Cruisers.
-[X] Organise and conduct an 'Operation Western View', from sector S'Taxu.
--[X] Similar to Southern View. Assign both DDSs, an FSS and 4 ICs. Begin at -02:00.
-[X] Inform the government of S'Taxu of the possible threat from Hermosa. Inform them that HSWS will be maintaining observations in that direction and offer to hold talks regarding potential defense coordination.
--[X] After Staging Point station is complete, assign one Insterstellar Cruiser for periodic patrols in Heimdall.
-[X] We should conduct deeper studies of -01,02, including orbital surveys of '-7' and landing teams on '-8'.
--[X] This should be done after Interstellar Surveyors have their systems upgraded and either the FFS has returned from Western View, or Staging Point station is able to refuel the expedition, or Nova Refugio has agreed to refuel our craft. Both ISs and two escort ICs should be assigned to the operation.
[X] Deep diving and Looking to Hermosa
-[X] It could be improved by the following means: Aesthetics. Make sure that the diplomatic cruiser is visually different from the standard interstellar cruiser, so claims it is a "diplomatic vessel" hold more weight.
-[X] We should design an aerostat/pressure hulled shuttle to explore gas giants and the anomalous world.
-[X] We should conduct deeper studies of -01,02, including orbital surveys of '-7' and landing teams on '-8'.
-[X] Inform the government of S'Taxu of our discoveries, with the following goal: Organize a defense strategy against the large, potentially hostile authoritarian power in Hermosa.
-[X] Organise and conduct an 'Operation Eastern View', from Xyri.
Are we content with the diplomatic courier design? It could be improved by the following means: Aesthetics. Make sure that the diplomatic cruiser is visually different from the standard interstellar cruiser, so claims it is a "diplomatic vessel" hold more weight. What are our next steps for exploration, diplomacy and war-making? Deep diving and Looking to Hermosa
Diplomatic Transport
While the original intention behind the Diplomatic Courier being a variant of the Interstellar Cruiser was to maintain security while under escort, it has been pointed out that looking like a warship is not always the ideal position for such a ship. It will instead be redesigned as a streamlined, self-landing ship much like the DSS is capable of, which will lose it the benefit of being a variant of the cruiser but gain the ability to become a functional 'flying embassy' that can set down on any planet.
The first - and currently only - planned ship of this type will be laid down in the third month of the sixth year, as soon as yard space becomes available. The additional construction time is considered a small price to pay to have a notable and recognisable ship of peace.
Deep Diver Shuttle
While not a priority to some in the Service, there are others that think the future of science will and must include deployments by the Service rather than relying entirely on the activities of the civilian bodies such as the SIS. With the funding and yard-space available to us, it is far simpler for us to simply request and build a shuttle capable of plunging deep into a gas giant or an anomalous world without needing to rely on funding grants or university interests. Thus, the 'Deep Diver' is born.
Capable of plunging deep into a liquid ocean, into the depths of a gas giant or into more hostile and vile environs and allowing her crew of four direct access to studying those situations for up to three days, this shuttle can be carried aboard an Interstellar Surveyor or any other ship capable of carrying the now standard 90-ton shuttle. It will be ready for service in ten months, circa 06y10m00w.
Diplomatic Overtures
With the noted presence of a distant and dangerous inhabited sector within the local cluster, diplomatic teams are sent to S'Taxu's various notable factions to inform them of the fact. There is brief panic when the Chambrestrong Dynasty is informed and they consider retaking control over the nuclear orbitals from the current shared capability agreement. However, they are reassured of the continued presence of the Interstellar Cruiser in their orbits and that Home will not abandon an ally. They would like a greater warship presence to be stationed in S'Taxu, potentially including a permanent HSWS installation in orbit around one of the uninhabited worlds. They would be willing to offer 1,000Dtons of yards to this endeavour.
The Junta, however, has another suggestion. They would like to begin construction of warships in the local volume, using their yards and crewed by local sailors - a mixture of Junta, Xyphon and Cassalon citizens - but they will be in all other aspects part of the Home Space Warfare Service. The Peoples Military Council is willing to give up 4,000Dtons of shipyard for the combined defence of the systems which will, functionally, become a part of the Home yards, seperated only by distance. If accepted, it would give us a 50% increase in the yard space we have available for construction.
What would the Navy prefer?
[ ] The Dynasts 1,000 tons and a permament station.
[ ] The Junta's 4,000 tons and combined fleet.
[ ] Something else - write-in.
[ ] Nothing, they must fend for themselves!
Scouting Operations
Two task forces are set up and dispatched to their various operations. The ships Thishtrya, Janus and Sakumo and the HSLS Lakapati will head south, via Staging Point to the sector still currently designated as -01,02 to conduct orbital surveys of the inhabited water world and to land a research team on the anomalous transient world currently called 'Eight'. This is expected to take ten weeks, with a three week operation in -01,02, and will return to Home circa 06y03m00w.
The second task force will conduct a much more low key but still vitally important 'Operation Eastern View'. Using Xyri as a launching point, the HSWS Aditi and the HSWS Culsans, accompanied by the HSWS Apedemak, will conduct long duration surveys from two points in deep space - 02,-01 and 02,00. This will slowly but surely roll back the edges of known space, without putting any of our ships at risk. This is expected to last fifteen weeks before their return to Home, with a due date circa 06y04m03w. The following map displays the sectors we are expecting to recover information about (in light grey).
By the time these two missions return the third Deep Space Surveyor will be complete and so will the Deep Hope Modular Station. We will be able to begin construction of a diplomatic vessel and conduct the refits of the Interstellar Surveyors to bring them up to modern standards.
Please present any votes as a plan. Voting opens at
Easy one today because my pain is bad. Have fun!
...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...
[X] Plan Negotiate with Both
-[X] The Dynasts 1,000 tons and a permanent station.
--[X] In addition offer the permanent stationing of an Interstellar Monitor in S'taxu, once it is built.
-[X] The Junta's 4,000 tons and combined fleet.
--[X] Negotiate either for officers and guards to be HSWS or inducting S'taxian sailors into HSWS and putting them through our training and screening process. HSWS is OK with accepting lesser yard space commitment from the Junta, but there must be uniform chain of command.
-[X] Negotiate to harmonize both offers. If the Dynast and Junta position turn out to be mutually exclusive, lean towards the Dynasts.
What would the Navy prefer? The Junta's 4,000 tons and combined fleet.
A Narrow dodge of the dark timeline where you get nothing.
Return to Armistice Station
All parties - bar the uninvited Chambrestrong Dynasty and the protesting Xyphon Freedom League but including the local representatives of the Daughters of the People - assemble at the still maintained Armistice Station, deep in the belts between the inner and outer sections of the S'Taxu system. They spend six weeks hashing out exactly how the offer is going to work and what it means to both the HSWS and the government of Home proper, and the answer is determined to be relatively simple.
The Home Space Warfare Service will expand. New ships will be built in Peoples Military Council space, under the eyes of Home corporations and the HSWS and named by local forces but they will be completely under the command and responsibility of the HSWS proper. Recruitment will be expanded to the PMC, and the Cassalonese, though Xyphonites cannot currently be recruited due to the ongoing occupation and low-intensity conflict that is occuring in those domes. It will be expected that the S'Taxu-built ships will be primarily crewed by S'Taxu-recruited sailors, but fundamentally this is an academic question of logistics. Sailors will, as they have always done, go to their stations as ordered.
It will take several months to re-fit the Peoples Military Council's yards to the standards expected of Home's military construction yards, however once they are ready they will be capable of building entire ships or even of developing components for far larger ships to be transported for assembly elsewhere. Once the Dynasts learn what is happening, they will surely protest, but what are they going to do? We crew their nuclear defence satellites after all.
Completed Construction, New Builds HSWS Uenuku arrives into commission on 06y01m02w, coming out of the yards and into sailors hands for a month of testing and readiness training before she will be available for operations. At the same time, the last module of the Deep Hope mining station is completed and packed aboard a merchant transport to be shipped into position in deep space.
The yards are immediately set to their new task; the construction of the diplomatic ship HSLS Bá Kim. Flagged as a logistics ship purely as a functional measure, this ship (as preciously detailed) will be fully capable of operating as a flying embassy ship. However, it also wont be ready for service until mid way through our eighth year of operations. Hopefully nothing pressing arises before then.
Yard space for the Interstellar Surveyors will not be available to refit them until the 7th month of this year unless we are willing to have them refit in the yards in S'Taxu - an unlikely proposition. This is the second delay to refitting these small, aging but still useful ships, but it will surely happen before too long.
Expeditionary Results
In the third month of our sixth year, our ships return from their southern research expedition with a significant amount of new information and data. First, and perhaps most important, is a close orbital study of the people of -01,02-7, the unnamed habitable planet with a population in the millions. Long distance assessments were correct - this population is pre-industrialisation to the point that we saw now evidence of major factories or centralisation of industry. Living high on the slopes of mountains, in cities carved into the sheer rock faces, an initial estimate of about four million people seems to factor in at least the vast majority of this population.
They are religious. We see clear evidence of what seem to be holy buildings and ground penetrating radar suggests a kind of catacomb system that digs deep into the mountain beneath each of these buildings. An anthropologist brought aboard specifically for this mission is arguing that we should return, land and introduce ourselves to these people, but we think she just wants a better look at their religious buildings, as they do not match the styles of many of those known to us.
There is a large population of low technology human or human-adjacent people living on a habitable planet very nearby to us. What should we do?
[ ] Part-fund an SIS orbital platform to conduct long-term studies of the planet.
[ ] Leave them to it. We can't interfere without causing some sort of crisis, presumably.
[ ] Something else - write-in.
The other survey is fundamentally much more exciting and far more consequential. Excerpts from the post-mission report follow:
"Initial surveys indicated several structures that may have been related to a star port. We decided to make our landing amongst these structures, a series of stone and steel ruins that have been scoured by the wind for possibly millennia. Initial scans indicated a breathable atmosphere, but we maintained quarantine procedures and only ventured out in full suits."
"Underneath the complex were a series of tunnels. Access paths, maybe, or some sort of bunkers perhaps? We will likely never know, but the whole area is honeycombed with these tunnels. We set good protocols and began exploring the tunnels as they were clearly artificially made and would likely give us the closest thing to an answer of what we were looking at."
"There were a set of... plagues? Coins? set into the wall in the deepest chamber we came to. Each held a symbol - a star, a cross, a triangle. Others we couldn't read, they'd been worn down of scratched off or something. They didn't seem to indicate anything or chart anything. Not sure what happened, but at some point Nefise touched them or went near them or did something and a hatch opened in the wall. Most of whatever had been in there was dust and lost dreams, but we found a set of data-wafers in there as well."
Explorers have found some sort of data cache. Contained on them are details of:
[ ] Advanced Drive Layouts
[ ] Improved Plant Efficiencies
[ ] Quality Hull Construction
[ ] High-Density Metals
[ ] Electronics and Sensors
[ ] Command and Control systems
[ ] Enhanced Starship-grade Weapons
'Operation Eastern View' is a far shorter, far less long-range operation than OSV was, to the point that the crews involved don't even get an official patch. They do, however, bring home information on three new potential systems including our first locally discovered Brown Dwarf, a proto-star that never quite got big enough to ignite. The following information is gathered:
03,-01 - Type F (Yellow-White Star) with distant binary companion
03, 00 - Type K (Orange Star) with distant binary companion
03, 01 - Brown Dwarf
An updated map that includes the newest discovered star systems
With the return of the last dispatched task force, the Interstellar Surveyors are placed into ordinary with a view to refitting them as soon as possible. However, the HSWS now has 4,200 Dtons with which to continue construction. How should we proceed? Select up to 4,200 tons worth.
[ ] A finalised variant of the Multi Mission Vehicle taking onboard all criticism and using modernised technology (3,000 tons)
[ ] Modernised 'block II' Interstellar cruisers (1,000 tons each)
[ ] Something else entirely
Please present any votes as a plan. Voting opens at
Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Aug 7, 2024 at 6:16 AM, finished with 60 posts and 12 votes.
[X] Plan Logistics
-[X] Part-fund an SIS orbital platform to conduct long-term studies of the planet.
-[X] Advanced Drive Layouts
-[X] Flotilla Support Ship
[X] OPLAN Event Horizon
-[X] Part-fund an SIS orbital platform to conduct long-term studies of the planet.
-[X] Improved Plant Efficiencies
-[X] Something Else-A finalised variant of the Multi Mission Vehicle taking onboard all criticism and using modernised technology (3,000 tons) ~and~ one example of the Bodkin Long Range Escort (850 tons, torps, PD-barbettes, and light FLF Ranger landing capability.)
There is a large population of low technology human or human-adjacent people living on a habitable planet very nearby to us. What should we do?Part-fund an SIS orbital platform to conduct long-term studies of the planet. Explorers have found some sort of data cache. Contained on them are details of: Advanced Drive Layouts How should we proceed? Flotilla Support Ship
Scientific Endeavours
With little in the way of utility, the people of -01,02 (designation pending) are to be 'handed-off' to the Society for Interplanetary Science. We will help to fund an orbital station for a long term research study and, if necessary, we will assist in the transport of personnel from Home to -01,02 and respond to any emergencies in the system. For now, however, it seems our efforts there are completed for the time being. With no threats, and seemingly little else of military merit to find, it is easy enough to allow the scientists and researchers full access.
What should we name -01,02?
[ ] Name it 'Trove' linking it to the ancient data cache.
[ ] Name it 'Rockcut' for the way the cities on the surface are built.
[ ] Name is something else - write in.
Elsewhere, analysis of the recovered data wafers indicates a great deal of theoretical work on gravitic drives, both those used for interplanetary and interstellar travel. It would appear that whoever left this cache behind had a far deeper understanding of our technology than we do, indicating that we are not the first to discover these grand systems. Our scientists are still unclear as to the depths of discoveries they will dredge up from this cache, but they have some immediate successes with applications of design language to create more efficient drives.
DRIVE TECH LEVEL INCREASED TO 9
Production Jump-1 available. Size reduced by 50%.
Production Manoeuvre-6 available. Size reduced by 50%.
Efficient Manoeuvre-1>5 available. Size reduced by 5-10%.
Construction Quandaries
The first ship to be laid down in S'Taxu yards will not be a combat ship or some sleek cruiser - it will be another piece of vital infrastructure to enhance the capabilities of the fleet as a whole. The second Fleet Logistics Ship, the HSLS Ikapati, will be laid down in 'foreign' yards (as much as they can be called foreign at this point) but thanks to the capabilities of our ship builders the construction time will be reduced to just seventy-two weeks. This second ship will thus be ready circa 07y11m00w, simultaneously with the jump-monitor that has occupied our yards so heavily.
Meanwhile, our two surviving Interstellar Surveyors - the HSWS Janus and the HSWS Culsans - will finally enter the yards for a major overhaul. Replacing their Jump and Manoeuvre drives will take just six months, and they will simultaneously receive new sensors, new defensive weapons to better defend themselves against potential attackers and the fittings for external drop tanks in case the Home Space Warfare Service would like to extend their range dramatically, though stores and onboard fuel will still restrict them somewhat.
The refits will be completed at the dawning of the new year, on 07y00m00w.
Doctrinal Questions
The Home Space Warfare Service is going to enter its seventh year as a truly independent, interstellar force. In less than a decade it has grown from a fleet of just a few customs boats to a powerful star-spanning force with eight combat ships, five scouts and a series of support vessels and stations spanning four different star systems. The galaxy is far denser and more populated than anyone could have ever suspected and much of that density will give rise to threats we cannot possibly foresee. As such, an all-hands meeting of the senior command and administrative staff of the Home Space Warfare Service is called.
Our concept of the future of warfare is one that includes defence as a primary matter. The Home system and her neighbours will surely remain a primary factor in all of our thinking but with so much 'out there' out there, it is only a matter of time before we are forced to find a way to stretch out wings. At least, that is the argument made by some within the Service.
Our principal objective as a service is: (Note that this is the metric by which all decisions will be judged)
[ ] The defence of Home at all costs.
[ ] The peaceful exploration of space and the stars.
[ ] The projection of power beyond our own borders.
[ ] Other - write-in
We're heading into part five of T:tRoE and I'm going to make some changes. The first is going to be reducing the current budget significantly - currently our choices have never really been impacted by the budget and that's a failure of design. No previous choices will be retracted, but I doubt we're going to be building another monitor for a while.
I hope you're enjoying the game so far - I certainly am!
Please present any votes as a plan. Voting opens at
Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Aug 8, 2024 at 3:09 AM, finished with 44 posts and 15 votes.
[X] Name it Shambhala, after the spiritually enlightened land known in old Buddhist religious practice. This evokes the elaborate spiritual traditions of the pre-industrial world, as well as the knowledge recouped from the data cache.
[X] Plan: Rock! Exploration!
-[X] Name it 'Rockcut' for the way the cities on the surface are built.
-[X] The peaceful exploration of space and the stars.
[X] Plan: Discovery
-[X] Name it Rosetta, after the stone that allowed 18th Centrury OE archaeologists to read the ancient Egyptian language.
-[X] The peaceful exploration of space and the stars.
[X] OPLAN: Marathon
-[X] Write-in: Name it Shambhala, after the spiritually enlightened land known in old Buddhist religious practice. This evokes the elaborate spiritual traditions of the pre-industrial world, as well as the knowledge recouped from the data cache.
-[X] Write-in: SWS doctrine should focus on peaceful exploration and the defense at all cost of the alliances we build in other systems and the peoples we discover.
[X] Plan: Trade Expansion
-[X] Name it Shambhala, after the spiritually enlightened land known in old Buddhist religious practice. This evokes the elaborate spiritual traditions of the pre-industrial world, as well as the knowledge recouped from the data cache.
-[X] We should ensure the protection of our trade networks, and look to expand our economic partners.
What should we name -01,02? Name it Shambhala, after the spiritually enlightened land known in old Buddhist religious practice. This evokes the elaborate spiritual traditions of the pre-industrial world, as well as the knowledge recouped from the data cache. Our principal objective as a service is: the Peaceful Exploration of space and the Defence of our Alliances and Peoples via the Projection of Power beyond our own Borders.
The Meddling Civilians
While the past seven years have seen the Home Space Warfare Service go from strength to strength, it has also seen a great deal of deprivation for other branches of the Home government. Massive spending on our initial naval build-up has produced some level of deprivation for the people and for the other services and finally it is as the Citizens Council is discussing a tax that one of them lands on an actual idea; Why not simply cut the Naval budget? Billions of credits of money can be redirected into industrial growth, especially with the development of several out-system interests. After all, we've been at peace almost the entire time we've been exploring Interstellar space.
The Navy Budget per annum will now be 1,800 MCr. We wont be operating on a 'use it or lose it' basis to begin with, but an overly large surplus at the end of a year will lead to questions about whether the budget is too high.
This is not the only new expectation levelled at the service, however. While presenting a plan to the Citizens Council about the future of the Home Space Warfare Service, there is a brief discussion of the conversations surrounding what exactly the mission statement of the HSWS is. The Council hears both sides and presents a third, more ill-defined option: that the Service will explore peacefully, and encourage peace through Strength. It is fundamentally expected that the HSWS will be as much capable of projecting force into a sector as it is capable of discovering and exploring that sector in the first place.
This is the priority for the council, as it will best allow for the economic exploitation of new sectors of space. They are, of course, the senior most representatives of the largest corporations in Home space. What else would their Navy be for?
These are not the only expectations the Citizens Council has of the Service, just the most high level ones, nor the only expectations being levelled from behind closed doors. For example, within the next five years it is expected that the Home Space Warfare Service will:
- Develop a marine landing capability with the assistance and coordination of the City Militia and their Landing Infantry units.
- Further develop mineral exploitation platforms outside of Home and provisions security for these platforms.
- Maintain the security of the fleet and its technologies from internal and external enemies, wherever they might be found.
How exactly the Home Space Warfare Service manages this is up to its commanders and their aides, but these are what the citizens council desires. It is up to us how closely we align ourselves with them.
Naval Construction
While it will not be until the end of the year that our yards find themselves with space, we have 1,000Dtons available now and in eleven months we will have 11,000Dtons. Only the Diplomatic Courier will still be in the slips by years end, and we have a (reduced) budget to spend. It is unclear that we will be able to afford another Monitor or a ship of her scale without significant cost reductions - though, admittedly, a production grade jump drive will cost almost a third of the prototype model.
Various internal and external bodies make their arguments for a variety of ships, all of them modernised to take advantage of new, advanced drives:
- Steinbecks representatives considers the Interstellar Cruiser to be the ideal fighting platform, which presumably has nothing to do with the fact that they provide the main weapon systems for the class. The expansion of the cruiser force would strengthen the backbone of the fleet and allow more ships to operate in more areas, especially with the addition of the second Flotilla Logistics Ship.
- The Mengagalists believe that the defence of Home and our allied systems could be managed with Monitors and Defence Platforms. They argue that it is time to look inwards, to erect a wall of steel around our planets, and would encourage the construction of a major weapons station in Home at least. This would allow the fools in the scouts to go and survey new space without worrying about Home.
- The Ciwanans would, of course, prefer a 500 ton attack boat based on the Deep Space Surveyor or the System Defence Boat, but with just enough jump drive to take them to a target system. Perhaps, they wonder, it could use a drop tank to jump in and internal fuel to jump back out? That way they could prioritise missile or torpedo magazines without concern for range.
- Energence Heavy instead argues for the expansion of the scouting force to improve the rate at which we can discover and develop interests in new systems. After all, they are making plenty of money from mining an asteroid in deep space - why not more?
What should we build now? (Select up to 1k tons)
[ ] An Interstellar Cruiser (1k tons, circa 400MCr.)
[ ] A Fast Attack Craft (500 tons, circa 250MCr.)
[ ] Additional Deep Space Surveyors (500 tons, circa 200MCr.)
[ ] Additional Interstellar Surveyors (700 tons, circa 300MCr.)
[ ] Something else entirely (Write in)
What should we build in eleven months? (Select up to 11k tons)
[ ] An Interstellar Cruiser (1k tons, circa 400MCr.)
[ ] A Defence Platform built in one piece (2-3k tons, circa 5-800MCr.)
[ ] A Fast Attack Craft (500 tons, circa 250MCr.)
[ ] A third Flotilla Support Ship (4k tons, circa 1000MCr.)
[ ] Additional Deep Space Surveyors (500 tons, circa 200MCr.)
[ ] Additional Interstellar Surveyors (700 tons, circa 300MCr.)
[ ] Something else entirely (Write in)
Scouting Operations
Thus far, every scouting expedition has been an ad-hoc operation with various disparate forces that are pulled together for each mission separately. Some are instead arguing that there should be a permanent 'expedition flotilla' that is capable of conducting extended operations away from Home without needing the exacting oversight that such operations have required thus far. They would like for this force to be established to investigate the three systems detected to the 'East' and to then continue to exist after that fact, distributed as an office within the Home Space Warfare Service.
What does the Service make of this recommendation?
[ ] We would rather maintain this level of control.
[ ] Establishing an semi-independent scouting force on a permanent basis would speed up expansion dramatically.
[ ] Yes, but every operation requires authorisation from the highest levels. What should this force include? (Ignore if no is selected).
[ ] A DSS and an IS operating together.
[ ] A pair of DSS ships, with the IS reserved for specific duties.
[ ] A pair of IS ships, with the DSS reserved for deep space operations.
[ ] A flotilla support ship, two DSS ships and two IS ships for maximum capability.
[ ] Some other formation - write in.
Please present any votes as a plan. Voting opens at
