You are a recently promoted commodore of the Imperium and you are currently being dispatched to...
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You Are: A sector admiral of a strained imperium.
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You are a recently promoted commodore of the Imperium and you are currently being dispatched to your new command, the Imperial Navy squadron for a border sector straddling into recently conquered territory.
The Imperium is a sprawling corporate feudal polity ruling over hundred of worlds and currently suffering from massive internal stability issues, pyrrhic victory in a recent war wiped out almost half of the Imperial Navy whilst leaving the private armadas of most of the ducal corporations untouched, added to which the reigning empress is almost two hundred years old and suffering from failing health.
In the wake of catastrophic loses in the quasi victorious war against the alliance formed by the New Australia Security Protocol, almost all of the fleet has been drawn back to the core worlds in the hope that concentration and strategic reserve will ward off any ducal houses thinking of rebellion. You will be trying to maintain order and advance yourself in a barely controlled region with insufficient ships and resources, at least half of the worlds outright rebellious and the rest dominated by factions seeking to take advantage of the chaos.
But what is your origin?
[] An Imperial Scion. You are a favoured scion of the Imperial House and have been given a chance to prove yourself, powerful forces want you to succeed. You are however only in your late teens and whilst you have been superbly educated along with benefiting from state of the art cybernetic and genetic enhancement you do lack experience.
[] A Ducal Scion. The ducal houses of the Imperium control vast mercantile and industrial interests along with their own fleets, two of these houses were broken in the recent war but the rest were untouched and now the Imperial house itself is weak and reeling. As cousin outside of the direct line of succession you were entered into the Imperial Navy as a long term investment now paying off. Genetically enhanced and augmented beyond the standard military level, you have also been promoted almost directly out of the academy and are still in your mid twenties, but you have significant backing and talent.
[] A Military Genius. You have risen through the ranks despite common birth and no wealth, almost unheard of and something achieved through pure grit, determination and skill. Now, a hero of the recent war, you have been promoted to sector command and powerful people want you to fail, they will help ensure that you fail. Additionally you are in your late thirties.
[] A Minor Noble. Not the direct heir to your family, you were sent into the navy in the hope you would do well for yourself and that is precisely what you did. Joining as an officer, you have risen rapidly through the ranks and excelled in the recent war. As your star rises, your family has fallen behind you with what backing and support they can manage, whilst nobody in particular seeks your downfall and you are well regarded in the service. You are in your early thirties.
Whilst you have had military training and experience, likely having graduated the orbital fleet academy over New Atlanta, what is the main focus of your skills?
[] Court Education. Whilst you have had military training the main focus of your experience and education has been politics and high level manoeuvring, (+6 Diplomacy, +3 Subterfuge)
[] Theatre Command. You have received training in high level strategic command, either through experience, mentorship or staff college. (+6 Strategy, +3 Tactics).
[] Combat Command. You have extensive experience or training in command of warships and ground troops. (+6 Tactics, +2 Strategy, +1 Prowess).
[] Personal Combat. You are near unstoppable in a fight, perhaps you are a master duellist, perhaps you are a veteran of fierce boarding actions. (+2 Tactics, +7 Prowess).
[] Shenanigans. You were perhaps raised in court intrigues, perhaps you started your career as an intelligence officer or spy. (+3 Diplomacy, +6 Subterfuge).
What is your gender?
[] Male
[] Female
[] Other
Finally what is your name?
[] Write In.
Also this will be a block vote to allow for a consistent character.
The Imperium is a sprawling corporate feudal polity ruling over hundred of worlds and currently suffering from massive internal stability issues, pyrrhic victory in a recent war wiped out almost half of the Imperial Navy whilst leaving the private armadas of most of the ducal corporations untouched, added to which the reigning empress is almost two hundred years old and suffering from failing health.
In the wake of catastrophic loses in the quasi victorious war against the alliance formed by the New Australia Security Protocol, almost all of the fleet has been drawn back to the core worlds in the hope that concentration and strategic reserve will ward off any ducal houses thinking of rebellion. You will be trying to maintain order and advance yourself in a barely controlled region with insufficient ships and resources, at least half of the worlds outright rebellious and the rest dominated by factions seeking to take advantage of the chaos.
But what is your origin?
[] An Imperial Scion. You are a favoured scion of the Imperial House and have been given a chance to prove yourself, powerful forces want you to succeed. You are however only in your late teens and whilst you have been superbly educated along with benefiting from state of the art cybernetic and genetic enhancement you do lack experience.
+1 Diplomacy, -2 Strategy, -4 Tactics, +2 Prowess.
Begin with 100 Political Capital and gain 10 per quarter.
Begin with 100 wealth and gain 10 per quarter.
Your flag is aboard a personal battlecruiser with a veteran crew, you have a loyal and hand picked command staff.
You are actually a Rear Admiral not just a Commodore, the exposition text underestimates you!
Begin with 100 Political Capital and gain 10 per quarter.
Begin with 100 wealth and gain 10 per quarter.
Your flag is aboard a personal battlecruiser with a veteran crew, you have a loyal and hand picked command staff.
You are actually a Rear Admiral not just a Commodore, the exposition text underestimates you!
[] A Ducal Scion. The ducal houses of the Imperium control vast mercantile and industrial interests along with their own fleets, two of these houses were broken in the recent war but the rest were untouched and now the Imperial house itself is weak and reeling. As cousin outside of the direct line of succession you were entered into the Imperial Navy as a long term investment now paying off. Genetically enhanced and augmented beyond the standard military level, you have also been promoted almost directly out of the academy and are still in your mid twenties, but you have significant backing and talent.
+2 Diplomacy, -2 Strategy, +2 Prowess, +3 subterfuge.
Begin with 75 Political Capital and gain 10 per quarter.
Being with 50 Wealth and gain 8 per quarter.
Begin with loyal and hand picked command staff and captains, your first allegiance is not to the throne.
Begin with 75 Political Capital and gain 10 per quarter.
Being with 50 Wealth and gain 8 per quarter.
Begin with loyal and hand picked command staff and captains, your first allegiance is not to the throne.
[] A Military Genius. You have risen through the ranks despite common birth and no wealth, almost unheard of and something achieved through pure grit, determination and skill. Now, a hero of the recent war, you have been promoted to sector command and powerful people want you to fail, they will help ensure that you fail. Additionally you are in your late thirties.
-4 Diplomacy, +6 Strategy, +8 Tactics, +1 Prowess
Begin with no political capital or wealth, or outside income.
Your fleet will be stripped of skilled crews and some ships before your arrival as well as being under supplied, your command staff will seek your disgrace and elevation into your position.
Begin with no political capital or wealth, or outside income.
Your fleet will be stripped of skilled crews and some ships before your arrival as well as being under supplied, your command staff will seek your disgrace and elevation into your position.
[] A Minor Noble. Not the direct heir to your family, you were sent into the navy in the hope you would do well for yourself and that is precisely what you did. Joining as an officer, you have risen rapidly through the ranks and excelled in the recent war. As your star rises, your family has fallen behind you with what backing and support they can manage, whilst nobody in particular seeks your downfall and you are well regarded in the service. You are in your early thirties.
+1 Diplomacy, +4 Strategy, +4 Tactics
Begin with 25 Political Capital and gain 3 per quarter.
Begin with 10 Wealth and gain 2 per quarter.
Your command staff and flagship crew will be your loyal veterans, you will have institutional backing within the navy.
Begin with 25 Political Capital and gain 3 per quarter.
Begin with 10 Wealth and gain 2 per quarter.
Your command staff and flagship crew will be your loyal veterans, you will have institutional backing within the navy.
Whilst you have had military training and experience, likely having graduated the orbital fleet academy over New Atlanta, what is the main focus of your skills?
[] Court Education. Whilst you have had military training the main focus of your experience and education has been politics and high level manoeuvring, (+6 Diplomacy, +3 Subterfuge)
[] Theatre Command. You have received training in high level strategic command, either through experience, mentorship or staff college. (+6 Strategy, +3 Tactics).
[] Combat Command. You have extensive experience or training in command of warships and ground troops. (+6 Tactics, +2 Strategy, +1 Prowess).
[] Personal Combat. You are near unstoppable in a fight, perhaps you are a master duellist, perhaps you are a veteran of fierce boarding actions. (+2 Tactics, +7 Prowess).
[] Shenanigans. You were perhaps raised in court intrigues, perhaps you started your career as an intelligence officer or spy. (+3 Diplomacy, +6 Subterfuge).
What is your gender?
[] Male
[] Female
[] Other
Finally what is your name?
[] Write In.
Also this will be a block vote to allow for a consistent character.
Last edited:
Setting Information & Maps
Map of Imperial Space:
Mimir Sector Map:
NASP War: The New Australia Security Protocol. Five years ago, ducal houses on the border of the Imperium began aggressively expanding into unaligned worlds just as the Empress' health launched into terminal decline. They initially had some success but it soon became apparent that the empire's technology was beginning to lag behind it's neighbors after some hundred and fifty years of relative ascendancy. Additionally the Earth Sphere backed the independent worlds. Single system defense forces inflicted heavy casualties upon the ducal fleets whilst occupation of planets turned into a quagmire.
It also provoked the formation of NASP and a unified response to the threat. A vast amalgamation of independent fleets, mercenaries and Earth Sphere privateers or 'volunteers' shattered the militaries of both ducal houses, pushed a thrust through the conquered area, then began to press back across the original border.
This forced the Imperial House to throw it's own much vaunted navy into the fight, expecting overwhelming victory and two ducal houses reduced to puppets. Instead the Imperial Fleet lost over a hundred battleships and a million men in the first engagements. Fighting ground on for nearly a year before a desultory peace treaty was signed with over half of the Imperial Navy destroyed and the Imperial House itself perhaps fatally weakened.
Three years later, the border regions are slipping into chaos whilst the NASP signatories are recovering, rebuilding and unifying into a true interstellar power. Meanwhile the ducal houses circle the Imperial throne like vultures.
Ducal Houses: There are seven, four have been defined and are relevant to the quest so far. Between them they hold roughly forty percent of the Shares and Wealth in the Empire.
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Starship Crews:
Military starships are extremely expensive and crew numbers relatively small, this tends to mean that anyone serving on a warship is elite to a degree. A capital ship typically has a crew of 5-7,000, down to about 250 for a patrol cutter.
An example of a rich, fairly well armed, industrialised world with a population of seven billion, might have somewhere in the region of 50,000 personnel serving on active warships.
Mimir Sector Map:
Ilam is the sector capital and Imperial Fleet Base, a well developed system with two terraformed habitable worlds, a population of three billion and extensive, prosperous industry. Held directly by the Imperial House.
Obull is the richest of the conquered systems when it comes to mineral wealth, with no habitable worlds, it does feature numerous incredibly productive asteroids and a population of over a billion in fiercely independent mines and habitats. Held by House Arril, their attempts to impose strict control and heavy taxation have been met with rebellion and a profusion of piracy.
Imhotep is a marginal world, a pastoral colony that was a representative democracy prior to conquest and has a population of about eight hundred million. It seethes under imperial control and it does not help that multiple minor houses vie for control along with the ducal houses of the sector, Imperial authority almost completely absent outside of the cost of maintaining the planetary garrison. A recent raid by NASP cruisers lead to the elimination of their squadron but also the destruction of much of the planetary government, infrastructure and defences. Imperial nobility now only control the major cities and the starport with much of the rest of the planet in open rebellion.
Tranri's Strand is the Ducal seat of House Jamoor, the star system does not contain any garden worlds but a population of four billion inhabit famously beautiful domed cities across the dozens of rich moons of the Strand's six gas giants.
New Vesta is the locus of House Arril power in the sector, the seat of Countess Elizabet Vanlaere Arril, the mother of one of your senior officers and a key ally of the reigning duke. New Vesta itself is a large, mineral poor world with verdant native wildlife and minimal terraforming, huge portions of the planet turned over to wildlife and hunting preserves whilst the population of eight billion live in vast arcology blocks. Briefly occupied by NASP forces during the war, there is an ongoing low level insurgency and the Countess keeps rigid control over both the local media and transit on and off world.
Mori's World is a half habitable, barely terraformed rock with a population of about three hundred million who live within deep valleys across the tectonicly active surface, the only places with dense enough atmosphere to survive. They were primitive savages until the introduction of the hyper drive then too poor for anyone to consider worth conquering until the Empire arrived in the final weeks of the NASP war.
New Thyoph is a former corporate owned mining colony, half terraformed, it's atmosphere requiring a mask to breath. The population is about three hundred and fifty million and the world is directly Imperial administered. You own New Thyoph's mineral rich moon, her mining, industry and thirty million serfs.
The Rana Salient is a NASP signatory world that did not fall during the recent war. A natural garden world that barely required terraforming, strict population controls ensured it never grew beyond a half billion people. High tech industry is combined with a democratic society and an economy that was fuelled by mercenary activities even before recent hostilities. They rebuffed the might of the Imperial Navy during the war and now skirt the peace treaty with raids and instigation of rebellion on conquered planets.
The New Theia Fleet Base is the NASP 'fleet base' directly opposing your own command. The recent raid confirms heavy fortifications but how much 'fleet' is based here remains in doubt after you captured the NASP sector fleet flagship.
Pandora II is a NASP signatory world, now a border planet, it is a half habitable planet that was subject to inept terraforming and is ruled by a hereditary dictatorship, the exact family changing every second or third generation in a bloody coup. The entire world has a population of about two hundred million, mostly living in geothermally heated cave cities, but Pandora II has been noted to contribute a relatively huge portion of its population to the NASP military as it's ruler covers the contributions of other member worlds in return for hard currency.
Chuang Mu is one of the most important independent NASP aligned systems in the border region, a rich system with a garden world and heavy orbital and domed development across virtually every solid body. It's overall population is in the range of seven billion with a highly developed direct democratic government and huge, high tech industry. That was before you paid a visit, captured their entire fleet and bombarded their infrastructure, leaving a broken, screaming world.
The Valinor Regency are a five system interstellar state that is signatory to the NASP tready, insular and theocratic, their Pope Regent ruling in god's stead until They see fit to return to rule the galaxy in person, or perhaps rapture the worthy to heaven, the Empire is generally areligious and you do not know the details. During the war they contributed heavily to the NASP defense that stopped the Imperial push at New Theia.
Obull is the richest of the conquered systems when it comes to mineral wealth, with no habitable worlds, it does feature numerous incredibly productive asteroids and a population of over a billion in fiercely independent mines and habitats. Held by House Arril, their attempts to impose strict control and heavy taxation have been met with rebellion and a profusion of piracy.
Imhotep is a marginal world, a pastoral colony that was a representative democracy prior to conquest and has a population of about eight hundred million. It seethes under imperial control and it does not help that multiple minor houses vie for control along with the ducal houses of the sector, Imperial authority almost completely absent outside of the cost of maintaining the planetary garrison. A recent raid by NASP cruisers lead to the elimination of their squadron but also the destruction of much of the planetary government, infrastructure and defences. Imperial nobility now only control the major cities and the starport with much of the rest of the planet in open rebellion.
Tranri's Strand is the Ducal seat of House Jamoor, the star system does not contain any garden worlds but a population of four billion inhabit famously beautiful domed cities across the dozens of rich moons of the Strand's six gas giants.
New Vesta is the locus of House Arril power in the sector, the seat of Countess Elizabet Vanlaere Arril, the mother of one of your senior officers and a key ally of the reigning duke. New Vesta itself is a large, mineral poor world with verdant native wildlife and minimal terraforming, huge portions of the planet turned over to wildlife and hunting preserves whilst the population of eight billion live in vast arcology blocks. Briefly occupied by NASP forces during the war, there is an ongoing low level insurgency and the Countess keeps rigid control over both the local media and transit on and off world.
Mori's World is a half habitable, barely terraformed rock with a population of about three hundred million who live within deep valleys across the tectonicly active surface, the only places with dense enough atmosphere to survive. They were primitive savages until the introduction of the hyper drive then too poor for anyone to consider worth conquering until the Empire arrived in the final weeks of the NASP war.
New Thyoph is a former corporate owned mining colony, half terraformed, it's atmosphere requiring a mask to breath. The population is about three hundred and fifty million and the world is directly Imperial administered. You own New Thyoph's mineral rich moon, her mining, industry and thirty million serfs.
The Rana Salient is a NASP signatory world that did not fall during the recent war. A natural garden world that barely required terraforming, strict population controls ensured it never grew beyond a half billion people. High tech industry is combined with a democratic society and an economy that was fuelled by mercenary activities even before recent hostilities. They rebuffed the might of the Imperial Navy during the war and now skirt the peace treaty with raids and instigation of rebellion on conquered planets.
The New Theia Fleet Base is the NASP 'fleet base' directly opposing your own command. The recent raid confirms heavy fortifications but how much 'fleet' is based here remains in doubt after you captured the NASP sector fleet flagship.
Pandora II is a NASP signatory world, now a border planet, it is a half habitable planet that was subject to inept terraforming and is ruled by a hereditary dictatorship, the exact family changing every second or third generation in a bloody coup. The entire world has a population of about two hundred million, mostly living in geothermally heated cave cities, but Pandora II has been noted to contribute a relatively huge portion of its population to the NASP military as it's ruler covers the contributions of other member worlds in return for hard currency.
Chuang Mu is one of the most important independent NASP aligned systems in the border region, a rich system with a garden world and heavy orbital and domed development across virtually every solid body. It's overall population is in the range of seven billion with a highly developed direct democratic government and huge, high tech industry. That was before you paid a visit, captured their entire fleet and bombarded their infrastructure, leaving a broken, screaming world.
The Valinor Regency are a five system interstellar state that is signatory to the NASP tready, insular and theocratic, their Pope Regent ruling in god's stead until They see fit to return to rule the galaxy in person, or perhaps rapture the worthy to heaven, the Empire is generally areligious and you do not know the details. During the war they contributed heavily to the NASP defense that stopped the Imperial push at New Theia.
New Australia Confederation. One of the most powerful interstellar nations in the Rimward expanse of human colonised space, the Confederation includes twenty member systems with densely populated worlds and a large expanse of protectorate space, mining or research colonies, outposts or associate worlds who contribute to the New Australian naval budget and surrender control of their foreign policy in return for it's protection from pirates and predatory neighbours. They are the core founders of the NASP alliance and contribute the backbone of its fleet, New Australian battleship formations proved decisively superior to the Imperial Navy during the war.
New Vijayanagara. A four system constitutional monarchy that is an ancient polity with possibly the most advanced technology and most developed economy of any nation in the Rimward expanse of human space. A near peer power and ally of New Australia, their massively enhanced population enjoys an incredibly stable and sophisticated quasi socialist society that benefits from massive automation and centralised administration.
New Ganymede Clans. A region of space originally settled from one of the largest of Jupiter's moons, there are actualy multiple colonies upon habitable worlds that are not part of this loose 'nation' yet are entirely dependent upon it. Notably the New Ganymede clans have colonised every star system regardless of the presence of terraformable worlds, a massively dense sprawl of asteroid and moon colonies across dozens of stars leading to a gigantic population and industry. They are however rather poor technologically and barely exist as a government. Most of their huge population is also desperately poor by the standards of other polities.
Neo Brazilia. A substantial interstellar state that operates as a genuine representative democracy. Neo Brazilia has expanded peacefully from a cluster of four STL colonised worlds in close proximity and has several systems 'within' its borders who have not joined their federation. They largely function as economic client states or tax havens. Neo Brazilia was extremely worried by the expansion of the Empire rimward and was one of the founder members of the NASP alliance, contributing their considerable and modern battleship fleet to the war, only to lose most of it against more experienced and larger Imperial forces. They are suspected to have rebuilt since along New Australian doctrine.
Javad's Claim. A hereditary dictatorship with a distinct religious bent Javad's Claim embraces a distorted descendant of Zoroastrianism and is largely of Persian origin. Javad's Claim itself was a result of millenia old STL colonisation but has since colonised a dozen nearby systems including one other garden world, a small power but one without immediately neighbouring rivals. Fiercely independent and with a tiny but capable capital fleet. Also a NASP signatory.
Atlantis Syndicate. Known as a pirate kingdom, the Syndicate was founded by rogue naval officers and warships from Javad's Claim who succeeded in seizing several inhabited worlds before carving out a pocket empire. Tenuously organised and verging on being a pariah state, the syndicate does field a disproportionally huge number of well served cruisers, its entire ramshackle economy serving to fuel naval might. Necessity has forced acceptance and they were a significant part of NASP raiding activities during the war.
New France. A representative democratic nation of over a dozen systems, with a well developed economy and long standing ties with New Australia. Rather smaller than and separated from their neighbour, they are a regional power and one of the founding members of the NASP alliance. Their battleship fleet is small but they are the origin of the now ubiquitous NASP attack skiff.
The Valinor Regency. a five system interstellar state that is signatory to the NASP treaty, insular and theocratic, their Pope Regent ruling in god's stead until They see fit to return to rule the galaxy in person, or perhaps rapture the worthy to heaven, the Empire is generally areligious and you do not know the details. During the war they contributed heavily to the NASP defence that stopped the Imperial push at New Theia. Noted for using large, fast cruisers and suicide tactics.
M'Thupa Federation. A loose regional alliance of several widely varied STL colonies and their expanses of more recent settlements, the federation is a substantial power but more of an association than a true nation. Individual systems sign up to a superior court and certain human rights standards, most of them are democratic to a degree and they have a common currency, but most remain fiercely independent. A founding member of the NASP alliance, the federation suffered heavily in the war, their battle fleet consisting of warships better classified as monitors that were almost completely annihilated against the forces of House Jamoor.
New Vijayanagara. A four system constitutional monarchy that is an ancient polity with possibly the most advanced technology and most developed economy of any nation in the Rimward expanse of human space. A near peer power and ally of New Australia, their massively enhanced population enjoys an incredibly stable and sophisticated quasi socialist society that benefits from massive automation and centralised administration.
New Ganymede Clans. A region of space originally settled from one of the largest of Jupiter's moons, there are actualy multiple colonies upon habitable worlds that are not part of this loose 'nation' yet are entirely dependent upon it. Notably the New Ganymede clans have colonised every star system regardless of the presence of terraformable worlds, a massively dense sprawl of asteroid and moon colonies across dozens of stars leading to a gigantic population and industry. They are however rather poor technologically and barely exist as a government. Most of their huge population is also desperately poor by the standards of other polities.
Neo Brazilia. A substantial interstellar state that operates as a genuine representative democracy. Neo Brazilia has expanded peacefully from a cluster of four STL colonised worlds in close proximity and has several systems 'within' its borders who have not joined their federation. They largely function as economic client states or tax havens. Neo Brazilia was extremely worried by the expansion of the Empire rimward and was one of the founder members of the NASP alliance, contributing their considerable and modern battleship fleet to the war, only to lose most of it against more experienced and larger Imperial forces. They are suspected to have rebuilt since along New Australian doctrine.
Javad's Claim. A hereditary dictatorship with a distinct religious bent Javad's Claim embraces a distorted descendant of Zoroastrianism and is largely of Persian origin. Javad's Claim itself was a result of millenia old STL colonisation but has since colonised a dozen nearby systems including one other garden world, a small power but one without immediately neighbouring rivals. Fiercely independent and with a tiny but capable capital fleet. Also a NASP signatory.
Atlantis Syndicate. Known as a pirate kingdom, the Syndicate was founded by rogue naval officers and warships from Javad's Claim who succeeded in seizing several inhabited worlds before carving out a pocket empire. Tenuously organised and verging on being a pariah state, the syndicate does field a disproportionally huge number of well served cruisers, its entire ramshackle economy serving to fuel naval might. Necessity has forced acceptance and they were a significant part of NASP raiding activities during the war.
New France. A representative democratic nation of over a dozen systems, with a well developed economy and long standing ties with New Australia. Rather smaller than and separated from their neighbour, they are a regional power and one of the founding members of the NASP alliance. Their battleship fleet is small but they are the origin of the now ubiquitous NASP attack skiff.
The Valinor Regency. a five system interstellar state that is signatory to the NASP treaty, insular and theocratic, their Pope Regent ruling in god's stead until They see fit to return to rule the galaxy in person, or perhaps rapture the worthy to heaven, the Empire is generally areligious and you do not know the details. During the war they contributed heavily to the NASP defence that stopped the Imperial push at New Theia. Noted for using large, fast cruisers and suicide tactics.
M'Thupa Federation. A loose regional alliance of several widely varied STL colonies and their expanses of more recent settlements, the federation is a substantial power but more of an association than a true nation. Individual systems sign up to a superior court and certain human rights standards, most of them are democratic to a degree and they have a common currency, but most remain fiercely independent. A founding member of the NASP alliance, the federation suffered heavily in the war, their battle fleet consisting of warships better classified as monitors that were almost completely annihilated against the forces of House Jamoor.
The Hunan Stellar Protectorate. Possibly the most powerful human state, the Protectorate originated from a belt of Chinese origin colonies close to Sol who retained close ties through millennia of STL travel then were the first government to receive the knowledge of the hyperdrive. While they did not maintain a monopoly for more than a year they were able to secure most of the oldest and most established colony worlds before expanding massively coreward and spinward, securing hundreds of systems.
The protectorate is an oligarchy governed by a ruling council of nine from New Hunan, its vast bureaucracy allegedly meritocratic yet over strained and with far sectors suffering heavily from corruption. Relations with the Empire are frosty, neither has fought each other within the last century but each regard the other as a natural rival.
Democratic People's Republic of Sirius. Another contender for most powerful human state, the Republic is a single party state with a centrally planned economy that only keep pace with rival powers through a truly extraordinary degree of corruption, the grey and black economies being larger than the official one. This is to some extent deliberate with the central authority ruling with a very loose hand outside of military matters and foreign policy, in practice quasi legal mega cartels dominate the Republic. Despite the nominally all controlling authority of the government in practice this is the freest of the 'Big Three' for private citizens.
A generation ago they fought a war with the Empire and lost, badly, the Imperial Navy in conjunction with several ducal fleets shattering their navy and dozens of border worlds ceded in the peace treaty along with massive reparations. This brief, decisive war is largely responsible for modern Imperial perceptions of supremacy and the widespread assumption across human space prior to the NASP war that the Imperial Navy was invincible.
Principality of Gujarat. The principality was the main focus behind House Arril's efforts in the initiate staged of what would become the NASP war, a hereditary dictatorship with a quasi feudal system lacking the ultra capitalist flavour of the Imperial system. The principality was and remains huge by the standards of interstellar states it has long been technologically and economically stagnant, clearly inferior to richer independent worlds let alone the Empire. Whilst they did not join the NASP alliance they did receive substantial aid as well as assistance from mercenaries and privateers it seems unlikely they could have afforded themselves, losing only a handful of border worlds by the time of the peace treaty. Their military was annihilated however and they have been racked by civil war for the past two years.
Hestia Association. The Association is an extremely large alliance centred upon the ancient and densely populated Hestia system, which expanded dramatically upon the introduction of the hyperdrive. Association is not voluntary and, lacking any borders with large multi system polities, continues to expand. They are ruled by a junta system though competing factions are economic as well as military and they have had centuries to ensure smooth transitions of power without bloody coups or civil wars. This is threatening to fracture as the Association grows ever larger and communication lag begins to be an increasing factor.
Caladian State. A twenty five system alliance with eight habitable worlds, the state is densely populated and ancient, originating from an STL mission well supplied enough to then birth its own colonies over the centuries. Originally a democracy, this system degraded over the millennia and now the state is a particular ruthless and centrally controlled oligarchy who maintain a disproportionally large it somewhat elderly navy in concern over Imperial ambitions. They are effectively a client state of the larger Alliance of Rhea, kept as a buffer against Imperial and Hunan ambitions.
Alliance of Rhea. This is another polity that is not a state, a close alliance of dozens of systems with disparate governments who do all abide by loose economic and judicial restrictions in return for free trade and a common defense policy. They formed about a century ago to ward against Imperial and Hunan expansion in the wake of the introduction of the hyper drive and support numerous buffer state 'allies', including the Caladians, to make expansion toward their borders an unappetising prospect.
Triumvirate of Neo Bolivia. The Triumvirate is one of the older interstellar governments and also much, much smaller than it was two hundred years ago. A rotating dictatorship that cycles between three dynasties generationally, they were one of the first powers to form an FTL navy with an effective doctrine and expanded rapidly to seize huge swathes of space. Over half of it has been since lost to the Empire, the Republic of Sirius and breakaway systems during civil wars. They are now a backwoods nation with lagging technology, a poor economy and brutally repressive policies.
The protectorate is an oligarchy governed by a ruling council of nine from New Hunan, its vast bureaucracy allegedly meritocratic yet over strained and with far sectors suffering heavily from corruption. Relations with the Empire are frosty, neither has fought each other within the last century but each regard the other as a natural rival.
Democratic People's Republic of Sirius. Another contender for most powerful human state, the Republic is a single party state with a centrally planned economy that only keep pace with rival powers through a truly extraordinary degree of corruption, the grey and black economies being larger than the official one. This is to some extent deliberate with the central authority ruling with a very loose hand outside of military matters and foreign policy, in practice quasi legal mega cartels dominate the Republic. Despite the nominally all controlling authority of the government in practice this is the freest of the 'Big Three' for private citizens.
A generation ago they fought a war with the Empire and lost, badly, the Imperial Navy in conjunction with several ducal fleets shattering their navy and dozens of border worlds ceded in the peace treaty along with massive reparations. This brief, decisive war is largely responsible for modern Imperial perceptions of supremacy and the widespread assumption across human space prior to the NASP war that the Imperial Navy was invincible.
Principality of Gujarat. The principality was the main focus behind House Arril's efforts in the initiate staged of what would become the NASP war, a hereditary dictatorship with a quasi feudal system lacking the ultra capitalist flavour of the Imperial system. The principality was and remains huge by the standards of interstellar states it has long been technologically and economically stagnant, clearly inferior to richer independent worlds let alone the Empire. Whilst they did not join the NASP alliance they did receive substantial aid as well as assistance from mercenaries and privateers it seems unlikely they could have afforded themselves, losing only a handful of border worlds by the time of the peace treaty. Their military was annihilated however and they have been racked by civil war for the past two years.
Hestia Association. The Association is an extremely large alliance centred upon the ancient and densely populated Hestia system, which expanded dramatically upon the introduction of the hyperdrive. Association is not voluntary and, lacking any borders with large multi system polities, continues to expand. They are ruled by a junta system though competing factions are economic as well as military and they have had centuries to ensure smooth transitions of power without bloody coups or civil wars. This is threatening to fracture as the Association grows ever larger and communication lag begins to be an increasing factor.
Caladian State. A twenty five system alliance with eight habitable worlds, the state is densely populated and ancient, originating from an STL mission well supplied enough to then birth its own colonies over the centuries. Originally a democracy, this system degraded over the millennia and now the state is a particular ruthless and centrally controlled oligarchy who maintain a disproportionally large it somewhat elderly navy in concern over Imperial ambitions. They are effectively a client state of the larger Alliance of Rhea, kept as a buffer against Imperial and Hunan ambitions.
Alliance of Rhea. This is another polity that is not a state, a close alliance of dozens of systems with disparate governments who do all abide by loose economic and judicial restrictions in return for free trade and a common defense policy. They formed about a century ago to ward against Imperial and Hunan expansion in the wake of the introduction of the hyper drive and support numerous buffer state 'allies', including the Caladians, to make expansion toward their borders an unappetising prospect.
Triumvirate of Neo Bolivia. The Triumvirate is one of the older interstellar governments and also much, much smaller than it was two hundred years ago. A rotating dictatorship that cycles between three dynasties generationally, they were one of the first powers to form an FTL navy with an effective doctrine and expanded rapidly to seize huge swathes of space. Over half of it has been since lost to the Empire, the Republic of Sirius and breakaway systems during civil wars. They are now a backwoods nation with lagging technology, a poor economy and brutally repressive policies.
NASP War: The New Australia Security Protocol. Five years ago, ducal houses on the border of the Imperium began aggressively expanding into unaligned worlds just as the Empress' health launched into terminal decline. They initially had some success but it soon became apparent that the empire's technology was beginning to lag behind it's neighbors after some hundred and fifty years of relative ascendancy. Additionally the Earth Sphere backed the independent worlds. Single system defense forces inflicted heavy casualties upon the ducal fleets whilst occupation of planets turned into a quagmire.
It also provoked the formation of NASP and a unified response to the threat. A vast amalgamation of independent fleets, mercenaries and Earth Sphere privateers or 'volunteers' shattered the militaries of both ducal houses, pushed a thrust through the conquered area, then began to press back across the original border.
This forced the Imperial House to throw it's own much vaunted navy into the fight, expecting overwhelming victory and two ducal houses reduced to puppets. Instead the Imperial Fleet lost over a hundred battleships and a million men in the first engagements. Fighting ground on for nearly a year before a desultory peace treaty was signed with over half of the Imperial Navy destroyed and the Imperial House itself perhaps fatally weakened.
Three years later, the border regions are slipping into chaos whilst the NASP signatories are recovering, rebuilding and unifying into a true interstellar power. Meanwhile the ducal houses circle the Imperial throne like vultures.
Basically the Empire was founded by a group of people rich enough to launch a long ranged and superbly outfitted large scale colonisation mission and assholeish enough to deliberately seek to found an empire where they could get to call themselves by noble titles and live lives of immense wealth. They headed out well beyond the then periphery and established a huge multi system colony with excellent infrastructure, thus skipping the normal stage of colonisation where technology regresses and industry is stifled by outside imports.
They also set up an outright empire where key parts of the economy are run by state owned corporations rather than true private industry, shares in the state were divided up amongst funding families and having shares is what makes somebody a noble. The Emperor/Empress holds about thirty percent of the shares, dukes or duchesses (of which there are seven) hold at least five percent each and a swarm of lesser houses hold most of what remains. There is a very limited market in shares changing hands for money but they more typically get swapped around as part of long term marriage alliances. The rare individual who succeeds in business from outside of the nobility then 'buys in' to the system, a single share is probably worth as much as a battleship (100 wealth on this scale) but grants you a stipend in the form of dividends, voting rights and immunity to normal courts or taxation.
There is private industry, but things with inflexible demand like education, food supply, mass transport, are all run by the state and for profit with powerful nobles such as dukes holding various monopolies upon the worlds they dominate. The vast majority of the population are effectively serfs through application of ever mounting debt but a certain level of meritocracy is applied at the lower and mid levels along with rivalry and hatred being encouraged, total media control coupled with it being targeted to ensure each social class, profession or region views others as truly responsible for their problems or undeserving of their boons.
Added to which nobles are genetically enhanced and cybernetically augmented, even lower tier nobility getting the type of implants given to the military but with greater comfort and customisation. It helps ensure that whilst many of them are spoiled, pampered or utter failures as human beings non of them are actively stupid.
They also set up an outright empire where key parts of the economy are run by state owned corporations rather than true private industry, shares in the state were divided up amongst funding families and having shares is what makes somebody a noble. The Emperor/Empress holds about thirty percent of the shares, dukes or duchesses (of which there are seven) hold at least five percent each and a swarm of lesser houses hold most of what remains. There is a very limited market in shares changing hands for money but they more typically get swapped around as part of long term marriage alliances. The rare individual who succeeds in business from outside of the nobility then 'buys in' to the system, a single share is probably worth as much as a battleship (100 wealth on this scale) but grants you a stipend in the form of dividends, voting rights and immunity to normal courts or taxation.
There is private industry, but things with inflexible demand like education, food supply, mass transport, are all run by the state and for profit with powerful nobles such as dukes holding various monopolies upon the worlds they dominate. The vast majority of the population are effectively serfs through application of ever mounting debt but a certain level of meritocracy is applied at the lower and mid levels along with rivalry and hatred being encouraged, total media control coupled with it being targeted to ensure each social class, profession or region views others as truly responsible for their problems or undeserving of their boons.
Added to which nobles are genetically enhanced and cybernetically augmented, even lower tier nobility getting the type of implants given to the military but with greater comfort and customisation. It helps ensure that whilst many of them are spoiled, pampered or utter failures as human beings non of them are actively stupid.
Deflector Shields: Shields are not traditional 'energy barriers' and do not outright stop attacks, instead they are regions of compressed space time outside of the hull of a warship (and an awful idea to use in atmosphere). A cruiser's deflector field might be a barrier about ten meters thick that is, for the perspective of anything trying to pass through it, more like several dozen kilometres of space.
This means that the vast majority of railgun fire misses unless it is aimed perfectly and it is almost impossible for fusion torpedoes to directly strike the hull of an active warship, most weapons detonate inside the field and have to rely upon thermal shock to do damage.
Shields interact in very odd ways when they get within a few hundred kilometres of each other and this 'sticky' behaviour helps make boarding between high velocity starships a reality.
Torpedoes: The standard long ranged weapon for ship to ship warfare, these are carried in large numbers and fired in swarms, vulnerable to point defence, they are able to cripple another ship with a rare direct hit but normally 'ablate' them as their fusion warheads detonate inside deflector shields. They are utterly devastating to civilian installations or inhabited worlds.
Railguns: Traditional electromagnetic acceleration guns, used either as primary close ranged weapons by warships or in smaller models as point defence weaponry by everyone. They generally fire inert projectiles at speeds in the tens of kilometres a second range.
Conventional Drives: Commercial and military spacecraft both use fusion engines, civilian vessels tend to have a single, large and very efficient drive able to produce a thrust of about one gravity for prolonged burns but spend most of their time coasting to reduce fuel consumption.
Military spacecraft use bundles of much more expensive and significantly smaller drives for the purpose of damage redundancy. These are much more responsive and a warship can sustain thrusts of tens of gravities for brief periods, reliant upon heavy augmentation to keep the crew alive. Most modern warships rapidly pulse their thrust in combat with the engines spending most of their time idle but protected behind oscillating armoured cowling. Fuel consumption is far higher and maintenance expensive, there is a reason the Empire has fewer battleships than planets.
Hyperdrives: The only known method of faster than light travel or communication, hyper drives are much the same across all vessels, mutilating space in some manner to allow FTL travel. Notably nobody knows how they work and the technology was originally gifted by the Earth Sphere. FTL speed is directly proportional to conventional acceleration.
Sustained travel without pause strains drives and puts a major pressure on a ship's reactors, most journeys involve breaks to allow maintenance and recovery. Hyperdrives are also relatively cheap and easy to manufacture, they are a minor part of a ship's cost though their bulk and power requirements also mean that the smallest starships are in the five thousand ton range.
This means that the vast majority of railgun fire misses unless it is aimed perfectly and it is almost impossible for fusion torpedoes to directly strike the hull of an active warship, most weapons detonate inside the field and have to rely upon thermal shock to do damage.
Shields interact in very odd ways when they get within a few hundred kilometres of each other and this 'sticky' behaviour helps make boarding between high velocity starships a reality.
Torpedoes: The standard long ranged weapon for ship to ship warfare, these are carried in large numbers and fired in swarms, vulnerable to point defence, they are able to cripple another ship with a rare direct hit but normally 'ablate' them as their fusion warheads detonate inside deflector shields. They are utterly devastating to civilian installations or inhabited worlds.
Railguns: Traditional electromagnetic acceleration guns, used either as primary close ranged weapons by warships or in smaller models as point defence weaponry by everyone. They generally fire inert projectiles at speeds in the tens of kilometres a second range.
Conventional Drives: Commercial and military spacecraft both use fusion engines, civilian vessels tend to have a single, large and very efficient drive able to produce a thrust of about one gravity for prolonged burns but spend most of their time coasting to reduce fuel consumption.
Military spacecraft use bundles of much more expensive and significantly smaller drives for the purpose of damage redundancy. These are much more responsive and a warship can sustain thrusts of tens of gravities for brief periods, reliant upon heavy augmentation to keep the crew alive. Most modern warships rapidly pulse their thrust in combat with the engines spending most of their time idle but protected behind oscillating armoured cowling. Fuel consumption is far higher and maintenance expensive, there is a reason the Empire has fewer battleships than planets.
Hyperdrives: The only known method of faster than light travel or communication, hyper drives are much the same across all vessels, mutilating space in some manner to allow FTL travel. Notably nobody knows how they work and the technology was originally gifted by the Earth Sphere. FTL speed is directly proportional to conventional acceleration.
Sustained travel without pause strains drives and puts a major pressure on a ship's reactors, most journeys involve breaks to allow maintenance and recovery. Hyperdrives are also relatively cheap and easy to manufacture, they are a minor part of a ship's cost though their bulk and power requirements also mean that the smallest starships are in the five thousand ton range.
Army Battledress: The Imperial Army is a far, far larger organisation than the navy when it comes to sheer numbers, but they are occupation and suppression troops for enforcing order. Imperial Army battledress consists of a full body suit of reactive, chameleonic fabric woven with nanofibers that stiffens under impact. This is combined with a partial carapace of rigid armour and weighs about fifteen kilograms in total. It provides complete immunity to conventional firearms while the cuirass and helmet are proof against single shots from man portable Gauss weaponry. It is unpowered but provides air filtration and tankage, able to operate in vaccuum or underwater for about half an hour.
Naval Battledress: A lightweight suit of powered, space capable armour, solid plates and laminated joints ensuring anti personnel portable projectile weapons are largely ineffective. The level of strength augmentation is limited but the armour is self sealing and able to sustain activity in vacuum for about two days.
Marine Battle Armour: Heavy duty powered battle armour provided to Imperial marines and their equivalents. This armour is utterly proof against any conventional or Gauss weapon that is conventionally man portable but is still vulnerable to heavier weaponry. Weighing about a hundred and fifty kilograms but weightless to the wearer, marine battledress massively augments the wearers strength to allow the casual wielding of heavy weaponry and is able to support space based operation for two days.
Officer Battle Armour: Imperial officers are issued with extremely expensive, very capable armour that most polities do not consider cost efficient to field at all. Massing a quarter of a ton this armour is constructed of the highest grade alloys known to conventional science and can only be ablated through application of anti tank weapons or light vehicle mounted ordnance. It is capable of sustaining the wearer through a week of operation in virtually any environment.
Conventional Firearms: Everything from automatic pistols to .50 calibre heavy machine guns, firearms using chemical propulsion for dumb metal projectiles. These are mostly used by low tech militia, hunters and the militaries of desperately primitive worlds.
Flechette Guns: Used for assassination and murder, these are weapons that fire a spread of tiny darts which are casually foiled by any form of protection but, upon contact with bare flesh, immediately burrow then surge along nerves whilst disseminating poison or simply carving their way to the brain.
Light Gauss Pistol: As used by un-augmented militaries, a sidearm firing light, high velocity projectiles in semi automatic. It can penetrate the soft portions of army battledress but is very much something to use if a real weapon is not available.
Heavy Gauss Pistol: A weapon used by augmented individuals only, a sidearm firing bursts of ultra velocity penetrators that rip normal humans in half and can degrade battledress. It also breaks the wrists of people who are not fairly significantly enhanced.
Gauss Rifle: Man portable electromagnetic rifle, a five kilo weapon able to fire in semi automatic or full auto though controlling the latter without at least naval battledress is tricky. This kind of weapon is standard issue to professional troops but not very effective against battle armour, though it can punch through the weak points of battledress.
Gauss Cannon: Heavy military weapons, normally used by power armoured marines as standard weapons or conventional troops as support guns. These are fifty kilo rifles firing hypersonic armour piercing slugs in semi automatic. Able to punch through army battledress or degrade and eventually penetrate powered battle armour.
Energy Blade: Many troops have these in the form of small bayonets, but generally only officers or dedicated assault troops bear full energy swords such as the sabres favoured by Imperial nobility. An energy blade is a physical weapon but generates a matter disrupting field around it. Such a weapon can cut through virtually any armour as if it was water and so in close quarters, they are legitimately decisive against battle armour that is mostly resistant to gunfire.
Naval Battledress: A lightweight suit of powered, space capable armour, solid plates and laminated joints ensuring anti personnel portable projectile weapons are largely ineffective. The level of strength augmentation is limited but the armour is self sealing and able to sustain activity in vacuum for about two days.
Marine Battle Armour: Heavy duty powered battle armour provided to Imperial marines and their equivalents. This armour is utterly proof against any conventional or Gauss weapon that is conventionally man portable but is still vulnerable to heavier weaponry. Weighing about a hundred and fifty kilograms but weightless to the wearer, marine battledress massively augments the wearers strength to allow the casual wielding of heavy weaponry and is able to support space based operation for two days.
Officer Battle Armour: Imperial officers are issued with extremely expensive, very capable armour that most polities do not consider cost efficient to field at all. Massing a quarter of a ton this armour is constructed of the highest grade alloys known to conventional science and can only be ablated through application of anti tank weapons or light vehicle mounted ordnance. It is capable of sustaining the wearer through a week of operation in virtually any environment.
Conventional Firearms: Everything from automatic pistols to .50 calibre heavy machine guns, firearms using chemical propulsion for dumb metal projectiles. These are mostly used by low tech militia, hunters and the militaries of desperately primitive worlds.
Flechette Guns: Used for assassination and murder, these are weapons that fire a spread of tiny darts which are casually foiled by any form of protection but, upon contact with bare flesh, immediately burrow then surge along nerves whilst disseminating poison or simply carving their way to the brain.
Light Gauss Pistol: As used by un-augmented militaries, a sidearm firing light, high velocity projectiles in semi automatic. It can penetrate the soft portions of army battledress but is very much something to use if a real weapon is not available.
Heavy Gauss Pistol: A weapon used by augmented individuals only, a sidearm firing bursts of ultra velocity penetrators that rip normal humans in half and can degrade battledress. It also breaks the wrists of people who are not fairly significantly enhanced.
Gauss Rifle: Man portable electromagnetic rifle, a five kilo weapon able to fire in semi automatic or full auto though controlling the latter without at least naval battledress is tricky. This kind of weapon is standard issue to professional troops but not very effective against battle armour, though it can punch through the weak points of battledress.
Gauss Cannon: Heavy military weapons, normally used by power armoured marines as standard weapons or conventional troops as support guns. These are fifty kilo rifles firing hypersonic armour piercing slugs in semi automatic. Able to punch through army battledress or degrade and eventually penetrate powered battle armour.
Energy Blade: Many troops have these in the form of small bayonets, but generally only officers or dedicated assault troops bear full energy swords such as the sabres favoured by Imperial nobility. An energy blade is a physical weapon but generates a matter disrupting field around it. Such a weapon can cut through virtually any armour as if it was water and so in close quarters, they are legitimately decisive against battle armour that is mostly resistant to gunfire.
Ducal Houses: There are seven, four have been defined and are relevant to the quest so far. Between them they hold roughly forty percent of the Shares and Wealth in the Empire.
- Disposition murderous hatred.
House Arslan is arguably the most powerful of the ducal families, collectively holding somewhere in the region of six hundred and fifty shares as well as having major influence over systems coreward of New Atlanta. They sent only token forces to take part in the war against the NASP but regularly cycle their scions through the Imperial Navy, something that has claimed the lives of their last two heirs. One died in the war as an Imperial captain, his battleship gutted by fusion bombs when she was stormed by Valinor zealots. His younger sister was performing disastrously at the Imperial fleet academy and an embarrassment to the family when she was effectively assassinated by her father through the medium of a manufactured insult and professional duellist. Next the third daughter was heir, Captain Viscountess Athryn Mithy Arslan. This was before you accused her of being a traitor then had your paramour Baroness Ranca decapitate her in a duel.
Many assume her father has ambitions toward the Imperial throne but once he discovers the full story of his daughter's death he will certainly have ambitions toward your utter destruction.
House Arslan is arguably the most powerful of the ducal families, collectively holding somewhere in the region of six hundred and fifty shares as well as having major influence over systems coreward of New Atlanta. They sent only token forces to take part in the war against the NASP but regularly cycle their scions through the Imperial Navy, something that has claimed the lives of their last two heirs. One died in the war as an Imperial captain, his battleship gutted by fusion bombs when she was stormed by Valinor zealots. His younger sister was performing disastrously at the Imperial fleet academy and an embarrassment to the family when she was effectively assassinated by her father through the medium of a manufactured insult and professional duellist. Next the third daughter was heir, Captain Viscountess Athryn Mithy Arslan. This was before you accused her of being a traitor then had your paramour Baroness Ranca decapitate her in a duel.
Many assume her father has ambitions toward the Imperial throne but once he discovers the full story of his daughter's death he will certainly have ambitions toward your utter destruction.
- Disposition Neutral
House Jamoor used to be the most powerful ducal house in the Empire and maintained a fleet of almost forty capital ships before the war. That war saw them roll over the border, conquering swathes of independent systems, then having their entire navy annihilated at the hands of the freshly formed NASP alliance. In the aftermath they together sold almost a hundred of the family shares, consolidating their control over newly conquered systems as they fell into chaos and banditry, trying to rebuild their shattered military.
They are now suspected to be deeply in debt and are known for ruthlessly extracting wealth from their conquered worlds, though outside of their reluctance to declare and pay taxes they are relative Imperial loyalists. They are also crash building at least two dozen battleships with the first squadron undergoing space trials.
House Jamoor used to be the most powerful ducal house in the Empire and maintained a fleet of almost forty capital ships before the war. That war saw them roll over the border, conquering swathes of independent systems, then having their entire navy annihilated at the hands of the freshly formed NASP alliance. In the aftermath they together sold almost a hundred of the family shares, consolidating their control over newly conquered systems as they fell into chaos and banditry, trying to rebuild their shattered military.
They are now suspected to be deeply in debt and are known for ruthlessly extracting wealth from their conquered worlds, though outside of their reluctance to declare and pay taxes they are relative Imperial loyalists. They are also crash building at least two dozen battleships with the first squadron undergoing space trials.
- Disposition Antagonised
House Arril were close allies of House Jamoor before the war then junior partners who suffered at least equally during it. They are now coldly malevolent rivals who place all blame upon Jamoor and have publicly claimed that Duchess Jamoor instigated the conflict in order to try to break the Imperial Throne. There have been several deadly duels over such accusations.
Arril's base of power is further back from the frontier though and they were able to salvage some remnants of their fleets even if they also ended with fewer worlds under their control. They have been rather more 'hands off' with management than many Imperial nobles, often content to simply collect taxation whilst allowing their subject populations to continue to run their own local governments. This has perhaps extended to tolerating piracy or organised crime on a large scale.
House Arril were close allies of House Jamoor before the war then junior partners who suffered at least equally during it. They are now coldly malevolent rivals who place all blame upon Jamoor and have publicly claimed that Duchess Jamoor instigated the conflict in order to try to break the Imperial Throne. There have been several deadly duels over such accusations.
Arril's base of power is further back from the frontier though and they were able to salvage some remnants of their fleets even if they also ended with fewer worlds under their control. They have been rather more 'hands off' with management than many Imperial nobles, often content to simply collect taxation whilst allowing their subject populations to continue to run their own local governments. This has perhaps extended to tolerating piracy or organised crime on a large scale.
- Disposition Positive
House Wison are rich and diversified, holding extensive influence in territory intermixed with that of the Imperial House around New Atlanta. Largely uninvolved with the NASP war, they have been quietly buying shares from destitute nobles over the last few years and whilst their fleet has not been expanded significantly, they have been putting large numbers of their junior members into the Imperial Navy rather than their own service, instead they have been bribing veteran Navy officers of little wealth to command their ships, often where this strategically vacates promotion slots for their scions.
House Wison are rich and diversified, holding extensive influence in territory intermixed with that of the Imperial House around New Atlanta. Largely uninvolved with the NASP war, they have been quietly buying shares from destitute nobles over the last few years and whilst their fleet has not been expanded significantly, they have been putting large numbers of their junior members into the Imperial Navy rather than their own service, instead they have been bribing veteran Navy officers of little wealth to command their ships, often where this strategically vacates promotion slots for their scions.
There is a Discord channel for Q&A or off thread discussion, found here: Discord - Free voice and text chat for gamers
Starship Crews:
Military starships are extremely expensive and crew numbers relatively small, this tends to mean that anyone serving on a warship is elite to a degree. A capital ship typically has a crew of 5-7,000, down to about 250 for a patrol cutter.
An example of a rich, fairly well armed, industrialised world with a population of seven billion, might have somewhere in the region of 50,000 personnel serving on active warships.
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Stats & Budgetting
The stats, 10 is average for an Imperial naval captain, typically a noble with extensive genetic engineering, major cybernetic enhancement and about fifteen years of military experience with constant training.
Commodore Lord Reinhard Strauss
Diplomacy: 10 (Average, your skill when it comes to dealing with high society is limited, but your elevation to the nobility as a hero of the Empire compensates for a great deal)
Strategy: 22 (You are the greatest military strategist in the empire)
Tactics: 21 (You are a superb commander, probably without peer)
Prowess: 13 (Despite lacking the genetic engineering and resulting stature of a noble, you have high grade cybernetic enhancement and are very experienced through myriad boarding actions)
Subterfuge: 11 (You have long experience with duplicity but more enduring it than carrying it out)
Political Capital: 259
Wealth: 94
(210 Wealth Invested)
(100 Wealth in Risky investments - you own the moon of New Thyoph)
Diplomacy: Dealing with powerful political and mercantile figures as a peer, winning them to your cause or otherwise treating amicably.
Strategy: Theatre level military operations, ensuring supply lines, that the right ships are in the right place at the right time.
Tactics: Commanding military forces in the heat of battle, from a single starship to a squadron of cruisers, or ground engagements and boarding actions.
Prowess: Personal skill at arms from duels to facing enemies in powered armour, duels are very much a thing and a powerful tool in disputes between military officers or nobles. Also boarding actions happen in this setting.
Subterfuge: Managing the spy game, correlating intelligence, picking up subtle tells or masterminding betrayals.
Political Capital: Some origins will ensure you have a steady flow of political capital, others not so much, this represents your sway with the high and mighty and will be lost if you displease powerful figures or gained when you do them favours, look the other way or aid them. This will influence your supply situation, the loyalty of many of your officers and how likely you are to have forces transferred to or away from your command. Also influenced by your spending on personal lifestyle.
100+ +5 Loyalty for noble officers, +5 Diplomacy
75+ +3 Loyalty for noble officers, +3 Diplomacy.
50+ +2 Loyalty for noble officers, +1 Diplomacy
25+ +1 Loyalty for noble officers
0 No modifiers
Negative -1 Loyalty for noble officers
If Political Capital goes negative then fleet command will begin to cut your funding, delay requests or even transfer ships to other theatres. You can expend political capital to requisition new ships and supplies or request specific officers, along with many other things.
Political capital will degrade and be harder to obtain if you fail to maintain the expected lifestyle, living and entertaining lavishly will have the opposite effect.
Standard Political Capital Costs:
3 - Have a non noble commander replaced with a random new officer, without provocation.
8 - Have a noble commander replaced with a random new officer, without provocation.
20 - Have a commander who is a member of the peerage replaced.
Costs are tripled for Captains, waived if an officer makes a major mistake.
10 Request a Patrol Cutter
15 Request a Corvette
35 Request a Light Cruiser
10 (Plus Diplomacy roll) Request an increase in Sector Budget by one.
Wealth: This is your personal wealth, whilst you are extremely well paid as a high ranking naval officer you are also expected to maintain lavish style that cannot be afforded from just your salary. Additionally you are very likely to be underfunded and personal wealth can allow things like additional (or even on time) pay for your crews and officers, prizes for contests, even urgent repairs or replacement munitions. If you are truly rich you might even be able to buy ships to supplement those assigned to you.
Pay: 1 per quarter
Share Dividends: 1 per quarter.
Expected Lifestyle expenditure: 2 per quarter
Lavish lifestyle expenditure: 3 per quarter
Extravagant lifestyle expenditure: 5 per quarter - Maintain a mansion near the palace of the sector capital, entertain generously, add new luxuries and allow your officers or guests to enjoy moderate vices as part of your hosting them. (+2 Diplomacy, +20% all Political Capital gain).
Ship Maintenance & Pay Cost: 1/20th of ship cost per quarter in quasi mothball, 1/10th in active operations.
Current Command:
Capital Ships:
An Imperator Class Battleship is the standard vessel used by the Imperial Navy to measure military strength, of modest speed and about a hundred thousand ton void displacement they are heavily shielded, armoured and armed along with hosting a significant marine complement. These ships have been in service for about forty years and until the NASP war were considered by the empire to be peerless. (Speed 4, Firepower 10, Durability 10, Marines 10. Cost 100)
A Triumph Class Battleship is a new model capital vessel, only limited numbers of which have been turned out by Imperial shipyards to upgrade the vessels of the Imperial Guard squadrons in the Home Fleet, there are not much more than twenty in existence and they have only been brought into commission over the last two years. They are broadly comparible with the older Imperator class vessels but have heavier weaponry and point defense coverage. (Speed 4, Firepower 12, Durability 10, Marines 10, Cost 120)
A Mars Class Battlecruiser is the same size and slightly greater cost compared to a battleship with the same weaponry but much reduced shielding and armour in favour of sheer speed. They are optimised for hunter killer actions against cruisers or cruiser squadrons, being slightly faster than the average light cruiser. Rare but prestigious, most of them were lost in the recent war. (Speed 8, Firepower 10, Durability 7, Marines 10. Cost 110)
An Invincible Class Battlecruiser is an upgrade of the older Mars class ship using technology appropriated from the NASP during the war, only a handful are under construction and few if any in commission. They feature upgraded drives and shielding compared to their predecessors. (Speed 9, Firepower 10, Durability 8, Marines 10, Cost 130)
Warships:
A Virtue Class Heavy Cruiser is a pocket battleship, faster but with half of the firepower, durability and marine compliment. These older vessels are used for front line combat in commands that lack true capital ships, produced in only small numbers. (Speed 5, Firepower 5, Durability 5, Marines 5. Cost 55).
A Dragon Class Heavy Cruiser is the latest model of heavy cruiser, very similar to the previous Virtue Class and her equivalents in other navies, but with an upgraded drive system and weaponry. These vessels have only been commissioned in small numbers over the past two years and are quite rare. (Speed 6, Firepower 6, Durability 5, Marines 5, Cost 65).
A Raptor Class Light Cruiser is about two thirds of the size and cost of a heavy cruiser for roughly half the combat power but is also much faster, these are standard independent patrol and raiding vessels and produced in huge numbers for both the Imperial Navy and various ducal forces. (Speed 7, Firepower 3, Durability 2, Marines 3. Cost 35).
An Escort Corvette is similar in speed to a heavy cruiser whilst having firepower inferior to a light cruiser. They are however cheap and fast enough to accompany convoys. Extremely cost effective. (Speed 5, Firepower 2, Durability 2, Marines 2. Cost 15).
A Fleet corvette is a more modern corvette, they have only started coming into commission in the past years and incorporate upgraded engines. (Speed 6, Firepower 2, Durability 2, Marines 2. Cost 18).
Sub Scale Warships:
A Patrol Cutter is a much smaller craft, high speed, well armed but not a match for a true warship. They are however generally at least a match for pirate craft or armed merchant vessels and key to patrolling large regions of space, communications and scouting. (Speed 10, Firepower 1, Durability 1, Marines 1. Cost 10).
Non-Imperial Vessels
A Strike Cruiser is similar in size to a light cruiser but dramatically faster and with a greater marine compliment. These advanced ships started to be fielded during the war by the navies of the most developed nations in the NASP alliance and the handful that were captured are highly prized. (Speed 10, Firepower 3, Durability 2, Marines 4, Cost 50) - Warship
An Attack Skiff is one of the fastest known interstellar vessels, fielded in large squadrons by the core NASP nations for spoiling raids and harassing strikes against supply lines. They are similar in size to a patrol cutter but much more heavily armed and lacking any marines for boarding or enforcement. (Speed 14, Firepower 3, Durability 1, Marines 0, Cost 15) – Sub Scale
A Monitor is an old model battleship relegated out of the main line of battle by major powers a generation ago but still maintained in numbers by poorer worlds who want to boast they have capital vessels or ward off heavy pirate raids. They are still a genuine danger to cruisers who deign to fight the lumbering monsters. (Speed 3, Firepower 6, Durability 7, Marines 8, Cost 75) – Capital scale
An Armed Freighter is a commercial cargo ship retrofitted with railguns and torpedo silos along with basic shield generators and something approximating military specification drives. This is generally done to small and relatively high speed cargo ships but whilst they are typically the size of a corvette they are not durable or effective enough to be treated as full scale warships. (Speed 4, Firepower 2, Durability 2, Marines 2, Cost 8) - Sub Scale
Ships facing a vessel in a heavier size category inflict half damage and take double damage in both ranged fire and boarding actions. They also gain half the benefit from outnumbering their opponent.
Commodore Lord Reinhard Strauss
Diplomacy: 10 (Average, your skill when it comes to dealing with high society is limited, but your elevation to the nobility as a hero of the Empire compensates for a great deal)
Strategy: 22 (You are the greatest military strategist in the empire)
Tactics: 21 (You are a superb commander, probably without peer)
Prowess: 13 (Despite lacking the genetic engineering and resulting stature of a noble, you have high grade cybernetic enhancement and are very experienced through myriad boarding actions)
Subterfuge: 11 (You have long experience with duplicity but more enduring it than carrying it out)
Political Capital: 259
Wealth: 94
(210 Wealth Invested)
(100 Wealth in Risky investments - you own the moon of New Thyoph)
Diplomacy: Dealing with powerful political and mercantile figures as a peer, winning them to your cause or otherwise treating amicably.
Strategy: Theatre level military operations, ensuring supply lines, that the right ships are in the right place at the right time.
Tactics: Commanding military forces in the heat of battle, from a single starship to a squadron of cruisers, or ground engagements and boarding actions.
Prowess: Personal skill at arms from duels to facing enemies in powered armour, duels are very much a thing and a powerful tool in disputes between military officers or nobles. Also boarding actions happen in this setting.
Subterfuge: Managing the spy game, correlating intelligence, picking up subtle tells or masterminding betrayals.
Political Capital: Some origins will ensure you have a steady flow of political capital, others not so much, this represents your sway with the high and mighty and will be lost if you displease powerful figures or gained when you do them favours, look the other way or aid them. This will influence your supply situation, the loyalty of many of your officers and how likely you are to have forces transferred to or away from your command. Also influenced by your spending on personal lifestyle.
100+ +5 Loyalty for noble officers, +5 Diplomacy
75+ +3 Loyalty for noble officers, +3 Diplomacy.
50+ +2 Loyalty for noble officers, +1 Diplomacy
25+ +1 Loyalty for noble officers
0 No modifiers
Negative -1 Loyalty for noble officers
If Political Capital goes negative then fleet command will begin to cut your funding, delay requests or even transfer ships to other theatres. You can expend political capital to requisition new ships and supplies or request specific officers, along with many other things.
Political capital will degrade and be harder to obtain if you fail to maintain the expected lifestyle, living and entertaining lavishly will have the opposite effect.
Standard Political Capital Costs:
3 - Have a non noble commander replaced with a random new officer, without provocation.
8 - Have a noble commander replaced with a random new officer, without provocation.
20 - Have a commander who is a member of the peerage replaced.
Costs are tripled for Captains, waived if an officer makes a major mistake.
10 Request a Patrol Cutter
15 Request a Corvette
35 Request a Light Cruiser
10 (Plus Diplomacy roll) Request an increase in Sector Budget by one.
Wealth: This is your personal wealth, whilst you are extremely well paid as a high ranking naval officer you are also expected to maintain lavish style that cannot be afforded from just your salary. Additionally you are very likely to be underfunded and personal wealth can allow things like additional (or even on time) pay for your crews and officers, prizes for contests, even urgent repairs or replacement munitions. If you are truly rich you might even be able to buy ships to supplement those assigned to you.
Pay: 1 per quarter
Share Dividends: 1 per quarter.
Expected Lifestyle expenditure: 2 per quarter
Lavish lifestyle expenditure: 3 per quarter
Extravagant lifestyle expenditure: 5 per quarter - Maintain a mansion near the palace of the sector capital, entertain generously, add new luxuries and allow your officers or guests to enjoy moderate vices as part of your hosting them. (+2 Diplomacy, +20% all Political Capital gain).
Ship Maintenance & Pay Cost: 1/20th of ship cost per quarter in quasi mothball, 1/10th in active operations.
Current Command:
Flagship - Sword of Democracy
Sword class Battlecruiser
Speed: 8, Firepower 10, Durability 7, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Elite (+3)
Captain: Commodore Lord Reinhard Strauss (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 22, Tactics 21, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 11).
XO: Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch (Diplomacy 6, Strategy 14, Tactics 11, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty: 13, +3 from Blackmail for effective 16.
2nd Officer: Baronet Commander Joyce Artis Rownett (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 12, Tactics 13, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty: 9
Marine CO: Marine Colonel Dame Manda Lexand (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 11, Tactics 10, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 11) Loyalty 13
Staff Officer: Commander Anen Jenker (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 12, Tactics 13, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty: 8
Staff Officer: Commander Clase Bertson (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 9, Tactics 12, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 11) Loyalty 13
Heritage Class Battleship Qiqihar
Speed: 4, Firepower: 10, Durability: 10, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 95%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Baroness Ranca Sandra Arril (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 10, Tactics 10, Prowess 17, Subterfuge 13) Loyalty 19
XO: Captain Lord Jeffry Monson (Diplomacy 15, Strategy 6, Tactics 15, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 12) Loyalty 15
2nd Officer: Commander Atris Cotte (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 8, Tactics 10, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 9
Marine CO: Marine Colonel Lord Arymo Coxand (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 11, Tactics 6, Prowess 10, Subterfuge 6) Loyalty 14
Heritage Class Battleship Hohhot
Speed: 4, Firepower: 10, Durability: 10, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 95%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Baron Adald Clipaul Imperial (Diplomacy: 11, Strategy 11, Tactics 9, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 8) Loyalty 17
XO: Captain Dame Thera Phardson (Diplomacy 13, Strategy 10, Tactics 12, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 14) Loyalty: 15
2nd Officer: Commander Sir Raige Linson (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 12, Tactics 14, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 10
Marine CO: Marine Colonel Sir Amuel Sonels (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 9, Tactics 11, Prowess 17, Subterfuge 15) Loyalty 13
Heritage Class Battleship Xining
Speed: 4, Firepower: 10, Durability: 10, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 90%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Dame Jule Sice Wison (Diplomacy: 9, Strategy 9, Tactics 14, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 15
XO: Captain Baroness Kathra Ared Scolly (Diplomacy 6, Strategy 11, Tactics 8, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 15) Loyalty: 14
2nd Officer: Commander Acques Grivis (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 10, Tactics 10, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 8) Loyalty 13
Marine XO: Marine Colonel Dame Kathra Greson (Diplomacy 5, Strategy 9, Tactics 11, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 9
War God Class Strike Cruiser Huitzilopochtli
Speed: 10, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 4/4
Readiness currently at 85%
Crew: Elite (+3)
Captain: Dame Rynie Sarea Hompsand (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 15, Tactics 16, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 17
XO: Commander Lyna Ryante (Diplomacy 7, Strategy 10, Tactics 14, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 14) Loyalty: 9
War God Class Strike Cruiser Perun
Speed: 10, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 4/4
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Veteran (+2)
Captain: Captain Sir Atris Moora (Diplomacy 12, Strategy 12, Tactics 11, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty: 8
XO: Commander Princess Kathla Anen Imperial (Diplomacy 15, Strategy 6, Tactics 9, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 14) Loyalty: 12
Light Cruiser Lanzhou
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Baronet Riany Wryante (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 10, Tactics 7, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 11) Loyalty 11
XO: Commander Sir Johne Wryante (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 7, Tactics 10, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty 12
Light Cruiser Xi'an
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Lord Markenn Johnson (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 10, Tactics 10, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 7) Loyalty 10
XO: Commander Dame Angen Thomir (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 5, Tactics 10, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty 10
Light Cruiser Sanming
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 95%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Lord Andos Lezal Rownett (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 12, Tactics 10, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 12) Loyalty 9
XO: Commander Sir Keve Wardson (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 13, Tactics 7, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty 14
Light Cruiser Putian
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 80%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Jeana Guezal (Diplomacy 8, Strategy 12, Tactics 10, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 14
XO: Commander Dame Rewalt Terson (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 11, Tactics 11, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 7) Loyalty 14
Light Cruiser Mianyang
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 50%
Crew Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Baron Amid Wardez (Diplomacy 8, Strategy 8, Tactics 5, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 5) Loyalty 12
XO: Commander Suse Gricia (Diplomacy 12, Strategy 10, Tactics 8, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 14
Sword class Battlecruiser
Speed: 8, Firepower 10, Durability 7, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Elite (+3)
Captain: Commodore Lord Reinhard Strauss (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 22, Tactics 21, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 11).
XO: Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch (Diplomacy 6, Strategy 14, Tactics 11, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty: 13, +3 from Blackmail for effective 16.
2nd Officer: Baronet Commander Joyce Artis Rownett (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 12, Tactics 13, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty: 9
Marine CO: Marine Colonel Dame Manda Lexand (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 11, Tactics 10, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 11) Loyalty 13
Staff Officer: Commander Anen Jenker (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 12, Tactics 13, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty: 8
Staff Officer: Commander Clase Bertson (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 9, Tactics 12, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 11) Loyalty 13
Heritage Class Battleship Qiqihar
Speed: 4, Firepower: 10, Durability: 10, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 95%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Baroness Ranca Sandra Arril (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 10, Tactics 10, Prowess 17, Subterfuge 13) Loyalty 19
XO: Captain Lord Jeffry Monson (Diplomacy 15, Strategy 6, Tactics 15, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 12) Loyalty 15
2nd Officer: Commander Atris Cotte (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 8, Tactics 10, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 9
Marine CO: Marine Colonel Lord Arymo Coxand (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 11, Tactics 6, Prowess 10, Subterfuge 6) Loyalty 14
Heritage Class Battleship Hohhot
Speed: 4, Firepower: 10, Durability: 10, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 95%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Baron Adald Clipaul Imperial (Diplomacy: 11, Strategy 11, Tactics 9, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 8) Loyalty 17
XO: Captain Dame Thera Phardson (Diplomacy 13, Strategy 10, Tactics 12, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 14) Loyalty: 15
2nd Officer: Commander Sir Raige Linson (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 12, Tactics 14, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 10
Marine CO: Marine Colonel Sir Amuel Sonels (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 9, Tactics 11, Prowess 17, Subterfuge 15) Loyalty 13
Heritage Class Battleship Xining
Speed: 4, Firepower: 10, Durability: 10, Marines 10/10
Readiness currently at 90%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Dame Jule Sice Wison (Diplomacy: 9, Strategy 9, Tactics 14, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 15
XO: Captain Baroness Kathra Ared Scolly (Diplomacy 6, Strategy 11, Tactics 8, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 15) Loyalty: 14
2nd Officer: Commander Acques Grivis (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 10, Tactics 10, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 8) Loyalty 13
Marine XO: Marine Colonel Dame Kathra Greson (Diplomacy 5, Strategy 9, Tactics 11, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 9
War God Class Strike Cruiser Huitzilopochtli
Speed: 10, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 4/4
Readiness currently at 85%
Crew: Elite (+3)
Captain: Dame Rynie Sarea Hompsand (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 15, Tactics 16, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 17
XO: Commander Lyna Ryante (Diplomacy 7, Strategy 10, Tactics 14, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 14) Loyalty: 9
War God Class Strike Cruiser Perun
Speed: 10, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 4/4
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Veteran (+2)
Captain: Captain Sir Atris Moora (Diplomacy 12, Strategy 12, Tactics 11, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty: 8
XO: Commander Princess Kathla Anen Imperial (Diplomacy 15, Strategy 6, Tactics 9, Prowess 12, Subterfuge 14) Loyalty: 12
Light Cruiser Lanzhou
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Baronet Riany Wryante (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 10, Tactics 7, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 11) Loyalty 11
XO: Commander Sir Johne Wryante (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 7, Tactics 10, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty 12
Light Cruiser Xi'an
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 100%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Lord Markenn Johnson (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 10, Tactics 10, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 7) Loyalty 10
XO: Commander Dame Angen Thomir (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 5, Tactics 10, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty 10
Light Cruiser Sanming
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 95%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Lord Andos Lezal Rownett (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 12, Tactics 10, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 12) Loyalty 9
XO: Commander Sir Keve Wardson (Diplomacy 9, Strategy 13, Tactics 7, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 10) Loyalty 14
Light Cruiser Putian
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 80%
Crew: Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Jeana Guezal (Diplomacy 8, Strategy 12, Tactics 10, Prowess 8, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 14
XO: Commander Dame Rewalt Terson (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 11, Tactics 11, Prowess 11, Subterfuge 7) Loyalty 14
Light Cruiser Mianyang
Speed: 7, Firepower: 3, Durability: 2, Marines 3/3
Readiness currently at 50%
Crew Regular (0)
Captain: Captain Baron Amid Wardez (Diplomacy 8, Strategy 8, Tactics 5, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 5) Loyalty 12
XO: Commander Suse Gricia (Diplomacy 12, Strategy 10, Tactics 8, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 9) Loyalty 14
Capital Ships:
An Imperator Class Battleship is the standard vessel used by the Imperial Navy to measure military strength, of modest speed and about a hundred thousand ton void displacement they are heavily shielded, armoured and armed along with hosting a significant marine complement. These ships have been in service for about forty years and until the NASP war were considered by the empire to be peerless. (Speed 4, Firepower 10, Durability 10, Marines 10. Cost 100)
A Triumph Class Battleship is a new model capital vessel, only limited numbers of which have been turned out by Imperial shipyards to upgrade the vessels of the Imperial Guard squadrons in the Home Fleet, there are not much more than twenty in existence and they have only been brought into commission over the last two years. They are broadly comparible with the older Imperator class vessels but have heavier weaponry and point defense coverage. (Speed 4, Firepower 12, Durability 10, Marines 10, Cost 120)
A Mars Class Battlecruiser is the same size and slightly greater cost compared to a battleship with the same weaponry but much reduced shielding and armour in favour of sheer speed. They are optimised for hunter killer actions against cruisers or cruiser squadrons, being slightly faster than the average light cruiser. Rare but prestigious, most of them were lost in the recent war. (Speed 8, Firepower 10, Durability 7, Marines 10. Cost 110)
An Invincible Class Battlecruiser is an upgrade of the older Mars class ship using technology appropriated from the NASP during the war, only a handful are under construction and few if any in commission. They feature upgraded drives and shielding compared to their predecessors. (Speed 9, Firepower 10, Durability 8, Marines 10, Cost 130)
Warships:
A Virtue Class Heavy Cruiser is a pocket battleship, faster but with half of the firepower, durability and marine compliment. These older vessels are used for front line combat in commands that lack true capital ships, produced in only small numbers. (Speed 5, Firepower 5, Durability 5, Marines 5. Cost 55).
A Dragon Class Heavy Cruiser is the latest model of heavy cruiser, very similar to the previous Virtue Class and her equivalents in other navies, but with an upgraded drive system and weaponry. These vessels have only been commissioned in small numbers over the past two years and are quite rare. (Speed 6, Firepower 6, Durability 5, Marines 5, Cost 65).
A Raptor Class Light Cruiser is about two thirds of the size and cost of a heavy cruiser for roughly half the combat power but is also much faster, these are standard independent patrol and raiding vessels and produced in huge numbers for both the Imperial Navy and various ducal forces. (Speed 7, Firepower 3, Durability 2, Marines 3. Cost 35).
An Escort Corvette is similar in speed to a heavy cruiser whilst having firepower inferior to a light cruiser. They are however cheap and fast enough to accompany convoys. Extremely cost effective. (Speed 5, Firepower 2, Durability 2, Marines 2. Cost 15).
A Fleet corvette is a more modern corvette, they have only started coming into commission in the past years and incorporate upgraded engines. (Speed 6, Firepower 2, Durability 2, Marines 2. Cost 18).
Sub Scale Warships:
A Patrol Cutter is a much smaller craft, high speed, well armed but not a match for a true warship. They are however generally at least a match for pirate craft or armed merchant vessels and key to patrolling large regions of space, communications and scouting. (Speed 10, Firepower 1, Durability 1, Marines 1. Cost 10).
Non-Imperial Vessels
A Strike Cruiser is similar in size to a light cruiser but dramatically faster and with a greater marine compliment. These advanced ships started to be fielded during the war by the navies of the most developed nations in the NASP alliance and the handful that were captured are highly prized. (Speed 10, Firepower 3, Durability 2, Marines 4, Cost 50) - Warship
An Attack Skiff is one of the fastest known interstellar vessels, fielded in large squadrons by the core NASP nations for spoiling raids and harassing strikes against supply lines. They are similar in size to a patrol cutter but much more heavily armed and lacking any marines for boarding or enforcement. (Speed 14, Firepower 3, Durability 1, Marines 0, Cost 15) – Sub Scale
A Monitor is an old model battleship relegated out of the main line of battle by major powers a generation ago but still maintained in numbers by poorer worlds who want to boast they have capital vessels or ward off heavy pirate raids. They are still a genuine danger to cruisers who deign to fight the lumbering monsters. (Speed 3, Firepower 6, Durability 7, Marines 8, Cost 75) – Capital scale
An Armed Freighter is a commercial cargo ship retrofitted with railguns and torpedo silos along with basic shield generators and something approximating military specification drives. This is generally done to small and relatively high speed cargo ships but whilst they are typically the size of a corvette they are not durable or effective enough to be treated as full scale warships. (Speed 4, Firepower 2, Durability 2, Marines 2, Cost 8) - Sub Scale
Ships facing a vessel in a heavier size category inflict half damage and take double damage in both ranged fire and boarding actions. They also gain half the benefit from outnumbering their opponent.
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Update 1 - Character History And First Choices
You are Commodore Reinhard Strauss.
You were born on the massively overpopulated capital of the empire, New Atlanta, a member of the underclass inhabiting one of the gigantic arcology blocks housing the bulk of the population. Just as your parents were, you were drowned in debt quite literally from birth, incurring charges for your medical care, your primary and secondary education, your housing, food and air.
Unlike most of your peers though you excelled in said education and upon graduation aged sixteen you were granted the chance to enlist in various advanced programs or options of imperial service that might absolve your debts and all of which would pay more than chattel service in administration or maintenance roles.
You opted for the Imperial Navy. You would not be constrained to a single world, you would be absolved of your debts within a mere decade and potentially even earn a pension able to support you in old age. If you were promoted? Your family would have their housing and food allowances expanded. You were a local hero within your housing block and boarded the transport to the training orbital with pride.
Starships are expensive enough that only the best out of a population of hundreds of billions are chosen to crew them, the two years of your intensive training winnowed out half of those who initially arrived and you graduated top of your class. Furthermore you were even forwarded to officer training, almost unheard of, raw talent and unwavering determination earning you sponsorship of the training orbital's commander.
Six months of gruelling surgery and recovery followed as you were augmented, fitted with mind machine interfaces, bones, veins and arteries reinforced, moulding you into a soldier of the empire fit to serve aboard a front line warship.
Then you found yourself assigned to the battleship Imperial Hammer as a midshipman, the singular midshipman who was not of noble shareholder birth and did not have an allowance. Your efforts were sabotaged, attempts were made to bully you, but you were four years older than your attempted 'rivals', already a graduate of ratings bootcamp and training cruises, not to mention you were simply better than them. You made enemies but your superiors were unable to deny that you were better than them.
As a lieutenant you were initially stationed aboard the cruiser Valiant and, unable to contribute to the officer's mess, you were granted the worst kind of scut work, allocated the worst constitutive watches and most recalcitrant crew, who then resented you as they had been given to the command of an up jumped serf rather than the shareholder officer they deserved. You broke them to your will and your captain was completely unable to ignore that you turned your watch and personnel into the most efficient aboard the ship.
You also lost the two smallest fingers of your left hand in a duel as your senior claimed you must have 'cheated' then mauled you with his energy sabre, you lost but honour was satisfied, then your lost digits were replaced with fully functional prosthetics.
It was impossible to deny that you excelled though and so despite all opposition you were promoted ahead of your peers and sent to staff college. Returned to New Atlanta orbit, now a Lieutenant Commander, you spent two years being trained in high level command and staff work, able to commute down to your family on occasion where you were held in utter awe, your parents now no longer sharing a housing unit but with their own tiny apartment smaller than your birthing at the academy and utterly grateful to you for this unimaginable bounty. Your affair with a childhood sweetheart came to nothing though as you were granted your first command upon graduation.
As the captain of Patrol Cutter #12541 you forged your crew and officers into a sublimely efficient team, you defeated three pirate raiders within a month then stormed and captured their base despite being outnumbered six to one. You were promoted, granted medals, then shunted to command of an escort corvette far from anywhere interesting or dangerous in the presumed hope that you faded into utter obscurity.
Misfortune struck and your convoy was attacked by privateers sponsored by ducal house Gerson. You defeated the attacking cruiser, captured it, detained the captain and exposed the duplicity. Whilst she was declared a rogue acting without sanction this hurt the powerful family badly and whilst you were decorated you were transferred and no longer given command of your own ship.
By the time that the Imperial Fleet was deployed against the forces of the NASP Confederation you were second in command of the battlecruiser Righteous. Deployed ahead of the main fleet, your ship was tasked with screening and elimination of enemy scouts but found itself thrown into one of the first full scale engagements, capital vessels too precious to keep out of combat. After a battleship's fire destroyed the primary bridge you found yourself in command and it was your quick thinking and strategic mind that brought your squadron to victory.
Hastily confirmed as a Fleet Captain in the field, you then lead the Righteous on numerous raids against the flanks of the enemy fleet, accounting for a trio of battleships and half a dozen cruisers over the course of six months. Almost all of the credit was granted to your squadron commander but your legend grew and by the end of the war it was impossible to deny you the highest decoration in the Empire, the Imperial Cross with Terran Emeralds.
You were left in command of the Righteous for almost three years, with the ship kept mothballed, your elite crew, probably the best in the empire, tapped to other vessels and your crack officers transferred away. Now you have been promoted, you are a Commodore and granted independent command of the Mimir Sector.
You know that you are supposed to fail, the Righteous has been stripped from you, granted to the heir of a comtal house a decade your junior, you are now on a low priority transport to the sector capital of Ilam that is otherwise filled by a marine battalion that appear to consist of the bottom of the barrel scrapings from a dozen postings and will be replacing the compliment of your flagship.
As you browse logistical details you notice that a third of your fleet is being transferred to other postings, you are losing a light cruiser, two escort corvettes and four patrol cutters even before you arrive, along with a quarter of the crew of the remaining vessels. The sole blessing is that nobody has seen fit to cut your budget yet and so you will be able to maintain a high tempo of operations once you arrive. Your flagship will be the elderly heavy cruiser Endeavour.
You do have some fading, minimal sway with Fleet Requisition.
[] Do not use it. +10 Political Capital.
[] Retain Ships. Keep the light cruiser you would otherwise lose.
[] Retain Crews. Your most skilled crews will not be quite so savagely stripped, your flagship and one light cruiser will retain Regular crew instead of being reduced to Green like every other ship under your command.
[] Bring A Staff Officer. Request transfer of one of your staff officers from your time on the Righteous to your command, this will grant you a single elite officer who is personally loyal to you.
Sheet Established!
Diplomacy: 6 (Poor, you can expect interactions with high society to go badly)
Strategy: 22 (You are the greatest military strategist in the empire)
Tactics: 19 (You are a superb commander, almost without peer)
Prowess: 10 (You can handle yourself in personal combat, a veteran with military enhancement)
Subterfuge: 10 (You have long experience with duplicity but more enduring it than carrying it out.)
Political Capital: 0
Wealth: 0
You were born on the massively overpopulated capital of the empire, New Atlanta, a member of the underclass inhabiting one of the gigantic arcology blocks housing the bulk of the population. Just as your parents were, you were drowned in debt quite literally from birth, incurring charges for your medical care, your primary and secondary education, your housing, food and air.
Unlike most of your peers though you excelled in said education and upon graduation aged sixteen you were granted the chance to enlist in various advanced programs or options of imperial service that might absolve your debts and all of which would pay more than chattel service in administration or maintenance roles.
You opted for the Imperial Navy. You would not be constrained to a single world, you would be absolved of your debts within a mere decade and potentially even earn a pension able to support you in old age. If you were promoted? Your family would have their housing and food allowances expanded. You were a local hero within your housing block and boarded the transport to the training orbital with pride.
Starships are expensive enough that only the best out of a population of hundreds of billions are chosen to crew them, the two years of your intensive training winnowed out half of those who initially arrived and you graduated top of your class. Furthermore you were even forwarded to officer training, almost unheard of, raw talent and unwavering determination earning you sponsorship of the training orbital's commander.
Six months of gruelling surgery and recovery followed as you were augmented, fitted with mind machine interfaces, bones, veins and arteries reinforced, moulding you into a soldier of the empire fit to serve aboard a front line warship.
Then you found yourself assigned to the battleship Imperial Hammer as a midshipman, the singular midshipman who was not of noble shareholder birth and did not have an allowance. Your efforts were sabotaged, attempts were made to bully you, but you were four years older than your attempted 'rivals', already a graduate of ratings bootcamp and training cruises, not to mention you were simply better than them. You made enemies but your superiors were unable to deny that you were better than them.
As a lieutenant you were initially stationed aboard the cruiser Valiant and, unable to contribute to the officer's mess, you were granted the worst kind of scut work, allocated the worst constitutive watches and most recalcitrant crew, who then resented you as they had been given to the command of an up jumped serf rather than the shareholder officer they deserved. You broke them to your will and your captain was completely unable to ignore that you turned your watch and personnel into the most efficient aboard the ship.
You also lost the two smallest fingers of your left hand in a duel as your senior claimed you must have 'cheated' then mauled you with his energy sabre, you lost but honour was satisfied, then your lost digits were replaced with fully functional prosthetics.
It was impossible to deny that you excelled though and so despite all opposition you were promoted ahead of your peers and sent to staff college. Returned to New Atlanta orbit, now a Lieutenant Commander, you spent two years being trained in high level command and staff work, able to commute down to your family on occasion where you were held in utter awe, your parents now no longer sharing a housing unit but with their own tiny apartment smaller than your birthing at the academy and utterly grateful to you for this unimaginable bounty. Your affair with a childhood sweetheart came to nothing though as you were granted your first command upon graduation.
As the captain of Patrol Cutter #12541 you forged your crew and officers into a sublimely efficient team, you defeated three pirate raiders within a month then stormed and captured their base despite being outnumbered six to one. You were promoted, granted medals, then shunted to command of an escort corvette far from anywhere interesting or dangerous in the presumed hope that you faded into utter obscurity.
Misfortune struck and your convoy was attacked by privateers sponsored by ducal house Gerson. You defeated the attacking cruiser, captured it, detained the captain and exposed the duplicity. Whilst she was declared a rogue acting without sanction this hurt the powerful family badly and whilst you were decorated you were transferred and no longer given command of your own ship.
By the time that the Imperial Fleet was deployed against the forces of the NASP Confederation you were second in command of the battlecruiser Righteous. Deployed ahead of the main fleet, your ship was tasked with screening and elimination of enemy scouts but found itself thrown into one of the first full scale engagements, capital vessels too precious to keep out of combat. After a battleship's fire destroyed the primary bridge you found yourself in command and it was your quick thinking and strategic mind that brought your squadron to victory.
Hastily confirmed as a Fleet Captain in the field, you then lead the Righteous on numerous raids against the flanks of the enemy fleet, accounting for a trio of battleships and half a dozen cruisers over the course of six months. Almost all of the credit was granted to your squadron commander but your legend grew and by the end of the war it was impossible to deny you the highest decoration in the Empire, the Imperial Cross with Terran Emeralds.
You were left in command of the Righteous for almost three years, with the ship kept mothballed, your elite crew, probably the best in the empire, tapped to other vessels and your crack officers transferred away. Now you have been promoted, you are a Commodore and granted independent command of the Mimir Sector.
You know that you are supposed to fail, the Righteous has been stripped from you, granted to the heir of a comtal house a decade your junior, you are now on a low priority transport to the sector capital of Ilam that is otherwise filled by a marine battalion that appear to consist of the bottom of the barrel scrapings from a dozen postings and will be replacing the compliment of your flagship.
As you browse logistical details you notice that a third of your fleet is being transferred to other postings, you are losing a light cruiser, two escort corvettes and four patrol cutters even before you arrive, along with a quarter of the crew of the remaining vessels. The sole blessing is that nobody has seen fit to cut your budget yet and so you will be able to maintain a high tempo of operations once you arrive. Your flagship will be the elderly heavy cruiser Endeavour.
You do have some fading, minimal sway with Fleet Requisition.
[] Do not use it. +10 Political Capital.
[] Retain Ships. Keep the light cruiser you would otherwise lose.
[] Retain Crews. Your most skilled crews will not be quite so savagely stripped, your flagship and one light cruiser will retain Regular crew instead of being reduced to Green like every other ship under your command.
[] Bring A Staff Officer. Request transfer of one of your staff officers from your time on the Righteous to your command, this will grant you a single elite officer who is personally loyal to you.
Sheet Established!
Diplomacy: 6 (Poor, you can expect interactions with high society to go badly)
Strategy: 22 (You are the greatest military strategist in the empire)
Tactics: 19 (You are a superb commander, almost without peer)
Prowess: 10 (You can handle yourself in personal combat, a veteran with military enhancement)
Subterfuge: 10 (You have long experience with duplicity but more enduring it than carrying it out.)
Political Capital: 0
Wealth: 0
Political Capital & Wealth Acquisition
If you opt for an officer then you can basically decide what they focus on as a vote in the next update and Diplomacy is absolutely an option, probably in the ~15 region when it comes to skill, though given the absence of any FTL communications their ability would only apply when they are personally present and you would get penalties if it was any kind of 'peer to peer' meeting where having a wingman is not as good as the primary having the skill. They would make an excellent 'ambassador' though.
Political Capital does not degrade by itself, but would probably degrade if you turn down various dubious offers or requests from the political elite without offsetting with glorious victories.
The only real 'honourable' way to gain Wealth would be to capture ships as prizes, you get 1/4 of all prize money in the entire sector and more if you are in command of the capturing ship. Less honourably you can embezzle from your budget or even sell munitions/ships on the black market at a huge markup. Doing favours for powerful people can potentially earn budget donations as well.
Another way to potentially get Wealth would be marriage. If you can persuade a rich family to let you marry into them then you could get their backing at the cost of also supporting their goals. Right now you are not prime marriage material though, get political capital first!
Also to put things into perspective, getting a light cruiser transferred to your command would cost 35 Political Capital and buying one would cost 35 Wealth. The transfer would lead to a slight budget increase whilst buying one personally would mean you had complete control but would also need to pay for it and it's crew. Light cruisers are pretty much your bread and butter for high powered patrol and enforcement duties.
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Prowess & Musings on Prowess/Duels
Actually you are about on par with the 'average' noble officer in a duel with your Prowess 10, they might have had better training and better augmentation but you are a badass with a good deal of real combat experience. The captain of the Peregrine in particular is Prowess 12 though so he is particularly good at fighting, he would probably win.
As to the other character choices?
The Imperial Scion would suffer from just being worse at stuff, even if you specialised in tactics or strategy then you would be merely on par with a capable random officer. You would however have a 'free' battlecruiser with a veteran crew, more ships with better crews, the political capital and wealth to make your own choices and much higher loyalty from all of your noble officers. Your flagship would also have had several very capable commanders with a high degree of personal loyalty.
A ducal scion would be almost a watered down version of the above. No battlecruiser but better skills and about 3/4 of the captains swapped out for high loyalty individuals your house has hooks in. You would also have had a fair degree of direction from your family, often in conflict with your overt aims as an imperial officer but rewarding you well if you completed these directives.
The minor noble would have had you still very capable if less obscenely so. Your heavy cruiser would be the ship you had been commanding for a few years and arrived with a veteran crew plus a very competent XO and loyalty of your officers would have been on average about 3 higher (so, average to slightly above).
The current choice of maxed out military skill is quite possibly hard mode but you are also ridiculous. The dice system is 3d6+Skill so with a Strategy of 22? You basically always win an even roll against even extremely capable elite opponents.
Update 2 - Assuming Command
You have a lot of time during the journey, time you spend studying your sector, watching as a third of your fleet is transferred to other regions or recalled for refurbishment, your crews stripped of their experienced personnel. You also have time to go over the dockets of officers you know and have served with before, those whom you might be able to transfer from neighbouring sectors.
You can only pick one though, who do you have transferred?
[] Lord Captain Jeffry Monson – Your executive officer on the Righteous, since promoted and currently serving as a staff officer at the fleet base coreward of your command. He would welcome a chance at a combat role especially as you hear he is doing terribly in his current position. (Diplomacy 15, Strategy 6, Tactics 15, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 12, Loyalty 15)
[] Captain Dame Rynie Sarea Hompsand – Your XO in your previous command, she has just been promoted but not yet assigned. A member of a minor noble house, you mentored her extensively and she is, you feel, probably now one of the most effective ship commanders in the empire. (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 15, Tactics 16, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 13, Loyalty 16)
[] Baroness Commander Ranca Sandra Arril – A black sheep member of the ducal house, Ranca served under you as lieutenant some years back. She punctuates her periods of naval employment with interludes of debauchery and slaughter, one of the most skilled duellists in any given sector and a monster when it comes to spearheading boarding actions. You also had an affair with her after she left your command. (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 9, Tactics 9, Prowess 16, Subterfuge 13, Loyalty 17)
[] Commander Waltin Sones – A rarity in that he is a non noble senior officer, a highly skilled intelligence analyst and agent who you worked closely with during the war and can poach from his current rear line posting. (Diplomacy 14, Strategy 12, Tactics 8, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 15, Loyalty 16)
Arrival in the orbit of Ilam only serves to demonstrate the severity of your position, as your shuttle burns to decelerate on approach to the orbital citadel of Mirmir Sector Command you can see the empty births for capital ships, before the war this was a post for a vice admiral with a dozen battleships whilst now it is host to only six ships worthy of even having names and the size of the sector is more than doubled.
Right now almost all of the ships are in dock with the corvette Settler and light cruiser Hawk obviously undergoing maintenance work, something also true to a lesser extent when it comes to your flagship the heavy cruiser Endeavour.
You disembark to proper pomp and ceremony, the sound of the band, the salutes of hundreds of enlisted and officers, the calculating stares of your senior and titled captains and commanders. You bear it, you still cannot win through such formal occasions with flourish or style though you do keep careful track of mannerisms and find just the right degree of fault as you inspect your marine honour guard.
Soon enough you are in your quarters aboard the Endeavour and find that your predecessor quite literally gutted them leaving the walls torn messes where they were stripped of Terran redwood panelling, cabinets gaping holes in the walls and an utter absence of furniture, this makes the initial private conversation with your second in command somewhat awkward.
Baronet Commander Joyce Artis Rownett does at least have the grace to look embarrassed on your part as she faces you stiffly across the gouged and bare plasteel floor of your ready room, from your record you know her to be a capable if unexceptional officer who does show some promise when it comes to logistics and planning, valuable in an XO. She is a tall woman in her late twenties, engineered to striking perfection as is normal for the heiress to a baronial family who own their own moon. She is explaining.
"The previous captain did not mean any harm by it sir, he simply wanted to ensure you had a blank canvass to have your own design installed. The Endeavour is currently undergoing short cycle maintenance and we are in orbit of the sector capital, I am sure you can have a priority refurbishment from any of a number of superb firms. If you do not have your own people for such things that is."
You fail to not glare at her and take a short while to frame a suitable response. "In the meantime I need somewhere to hold staff meetings. Requisition a table and chairs from the base commissary so that I can brief you and your fellow senior officers." She looks horrified of course but that really does not mean you have 'won'.
How are you going to live? Your pay is 1 Wealth per quarter.
[] Spartan – You are going to furnish your cavernous accommodations with service issue furniture, entertain your officers with service issue food, not entertain and wear requisitioned uniforms. (-2 Political Capital a quarter, half all gains of Political Capital, -3 Loyalty all officers. Save 1 Wealth a quarter).
[] Frugally – You will live within your, extensive, means, but well below the level expected for a sector commander. You will have your quarters fitted with low key luxury, hire the minimum few servants and buy luxurious food and supplies of non exclusive brands so that you can entertain notables and your officers in a style below that which they expect from you. (-33% to all gains of Political Capital due to your skinflint nature, -1 Loyalty all officers, spend your salary).
[] Comfortably – You will borrow so that you can maintain the style expected of you as the senior imperial navy officer in the sector. You will go to one of those exclusive firms to have your quarters set up in appropriate style and comfort, you will bring in a dozen highly skilled servants and retainers, you will stock luxuries and exotics so that your guests and officers feel respected. (No modifiers, borrow 1 Wealth a quarter, which will need to be paid back later with interest).
Despite any conflict, it is less than three hours later that you have a table installed atop the bare metal floor, a holographic projector you did not need to request and plenty of chairs, along with all of your officers ranked lieutenant commander and above gathered and shocked if attentive.
But what is your strategic plan right now?
[] Focus On Training and Exercises - Pull back your patrols, ready every ship, then push your ships and crews to their limits. You have green crews and untried officers and you need to show them just how much they need to learn. (Spend entire budget for the next quarter on ship readiness and drills. This will leave the space lanes unprotected but may improve your officers and crew cohesion).
[] Interdict Smugglers - Throw a wide net, sending out your patrol cutters out individually to stop, detain and search suspicious merchant vessels whilst your two cruisers needing maintenance remain in reserve and corvettes lurk around the flashpoints of Obull and Imhotep with the support of the Peregine. (Keep the Endeavour and Hawk in reserve and repair, reducing expenditure by 8, deploy all other ships to leave 8 in the budget. May gain Wealth from prize money if smugglers are seized).
[] Suppress Pirates – Deploy your cruisers as a single squadron near Imhotep and the Rana Saliant whilst your corvettes escort high risk merchant convoys and your patrol cutters serve as couriers and scouts. Seek decisive battle with your heavier ships. (Spend entire budget on fielding your ships, ignore smuggling and tax evasion for now, try to destroy or capture the worst of the pirates).
[] Subjugate Imhotep - This planet is seething with revolt and strategically important, keep your cutters and corvettes on patrol as normal, but deploy your cruisers to orbit then support the planetary government in crushing the rebellion with strategic drops of marines and careful application of orbital fire support. (Deploy everything, try to break the rebels).
[] Other - Write in!
No block voting this time.
Also regarding officers, a captain can honourably either be in charge of a cruiser or be appointed as your head of staff and remain aboard the flagship to support and aid you. A commander can honourably be either the executive officer of a cruiser, the captain of a corvette, or be your head of staff and remain aboard the battleship to support and aid you. If you outright replace somebody with your pick of elite officer then you can kick them out completely without real issue but if you keep them they must be transferred to a 'suitable' post or else you will lose political capital or even face a duel depending upon rolls.
Also you rolled pretty damn well on some of those officers! I did not expect anyone with double 15s let alone a 15 and a 16.
You can only pick one though, who do you have transferred?
[] Lord Captain Jeffry Monson – Your executive officer on the Righteous, since promoted and currently serving as a staff officer at the fleet base coreward of your command. He would welcome a chance at a combat role especially as you hear he is doing terribly in his current position. (Diplomacy 15, Strategy 6, Tactics 15, Prowess 14, Subterfuge 12, Loyalty 15)
[] Captain Dame Rynie Sarea Hompsand – Your XO in your previous command, she has just been promoted but not yet assigned. A member of a minor noble house, you mentored her extensively and she is, you feel, probably now one of the most effective ship commanders in the empire. (Diplomacy 11, Strategy 15, Tactics 16, Prowess 9, Subterfuge 13, Loyalty 16)
[] Baroness Commander Ranca Sandra Arril – A black sheep member of the ducal house, Ranca served under you as lieutenant some years back. She punctuates her periods of naval employment with interludes of debauchery and slaughter, one of the most skilled duellists in any given sector and a monster when it comes to spearheading boarding actions. You also had an affair with her after she left your command. (Diplomacy 10, Strategy 9, Tactics 9, Prowess 16, Subterfuge 13, Loyalty 17)
[] Commander Waltin Sones – A rarity in that he is a non noble senior officer, a highly skilled intelligence analyst and agent who you worked closely with during the war and can poach from his current rear line posting. (Diplomacy 14, Strategy 12, Tactics 8, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 15, Loyalty 16)
Arrival in the orbit of Ilam only serves to demonstrate the severity of your position, as your shuttle burns to decelerate on approach to the orbital citadel of Mirmir Sector Command you can see the empty births for capital ships, before the war this was a post for a vice admiral with a dozen battleships whilst now it is host to only six ships worthy of even having names and the size of the sector is more than doubled.
Right now almost all of the ships are in dock with the corvette Settler and light cruiser Hawk obviously undergoing maintenance work, something also true to a lesser extent when it comes to your flagship the heavy cruiser Endeavour.
You disembark to proper pomp and ceremony, the sound of the band, the salutes of hundreds of enlisted and officers, the calculating stares of your senior and titled captains and commanders. You bear it, you still cannot win through such formal occasions with flourish or style though you do keep careful track of mannerisms and find just the right degree of fault as you inspect your marine honour guard.
Soon enough you are in your quarters aboard the Endeavour and find that your predecessor quite literally gutted them leaving the walls torn messes where they were stripped of Terran redwood panelling, cabinets gaping holes in the walls and an utter absence of furniture, this makes the initial private conversation with your second in command somewhat awkward.
Baronet Commander Joyce Artis Rownett does at least have the grace to look embarrassed on your part as she faces you stiffly across the gouged and bare plasteel floor of your ready room, from your record you know her to be a capable if unexceptional officer who does show some promise when it comes to logistics and planning, valuable in an XO. She is a tall woman in her late twenties, engineered to striking perfection as is normal for the heiress to a baronial family who own their own moon. She is explaining.
"The previous captain did not mean any harm by it sir, he simply wanted to ensure you had a blank canvass to have your own design installed. The Endeavour is currently undergoing short cycle maintenance and we are in orbit of the sector capital, I am sure you can have a priority refurbishment from any of a number of superb firms. If you do not have your own people for such things that is."
You fail to not glare at her and take a short while to frame a suitable response. "In the meantime I need somewhere to hold staff meetings. Requisition a table and chairs from the base commissary so that I can brief you and your fellow senior officers." She looks horrified of course but that really does not mean you have 'won'.
How are you going to live? Your pay is 1 Wealth per quarter.
[] Spartan – You are going to furnish your cavernous accommodations with service issue furniture, entertain your officers with service issue food, not entertain and wear requisitioned uniforms. (-2 Political Capital a quarter, half all gains of Political Capital, -3 Loyalty all officers. Save 1 Wealth a quarter).
[] Frugally – You will live within your, extensive, means, but well below the level expected for a sector commander. You will have your quarters fitted with low key luxury, hire the minimum few servants and buy luxurious food and supplies of non exclusive brands so that you can entertain notables and your officers in a style below that which they expect from you. (-33% to all gains of Political Capital due to your skinflint nature, -1 Loyalty all officers, spend your salary).
[] Comfortably – You will borrow so that you can maintain the style expected of you as the senior imperial navy officer in the sector. You will go to one of those exclusive firms to have your quarters set up in appropriate style and comfort, you will bring in a dozen highly skilled servants and retainers, you will stock luxuries and exotics so that your guests and officers feel respected. (No modifiers, borrow 1 Wealth a quarter, which will need to be paid back later with interest).
Despite any conflict, it is less than three hours later that you have a table installed atop the bare metal floor, a holographic projector you did not need to request and plenty of chairs, along with all of your officers ranked lieutenant commander and above gathered and shocked if attentive.
But what is your strategic plan right now?
[] Focus On Training and Exercises - Pull back your patrols, ready every ship, then push your ships and crews to their limits. You have green crews and untried officers and you need to show them just how much they need to learn. (Spend entire budget for the next quarter on ship readiness and drills. This will leave the space lanes unprotected but may improve your officers and crew cohesion).
[] Interdict Smugglers - Throw a wide net, sending out your patrol cutters out individually to stop, detain and search suspicious merchant vessels whilst your two cruisers needing maintenance remain in reserve and corvettes lurk around the flashpoints of Obull and Imhotep with the support of the Peregine. (Keep the Endeavour and Hawk in reserve and repair, reducing expenditure by 8, deploy all other ships to leave 8 in the budget. May gain Wealth from prize money if smugglers are seized).
[] Suppress Pirates – Deploy your cruisers as a single squadron near Imhotep and the Rana Saliant whilst your corvettes escort high risk merchant convoys and your patrol cutters serve as couriers and scouts. Seek decisive battle with your heavier ships. (Spend entire budget on fielding your ships, ignore smuggling and tax evasion for now, try to destroy or capture the worst of the pirates).
[] Subjugate Imhotep - This planet is seething with revolt and strategically important, keep your cutters and corvettes on patrol as normal, but deploy your cruisers to orbit then support the planetary government in crushing the rebellion with strategic drops of marines and careful application of orbital fire support. (Deploy everything, try to break the rebels).
[] Other - Write in!
No block voting this time.
Also regarding officers, a captain can honourably either be in charge of a cruiser or be appointed as your head of staff and remain aboard the flagship to support and aid you. A commander can honourably be either the executive officer of a cruiser, the captain of a corvette, or be your head of staff and remain aboard the battleship to support and aid you. If you outright replace somebody with your pick of elite officer then you can kick them out completely without real issue but if you keep them they must be transferred to a 'suitable' post or else you will lose political capital or even face a duel depending upon rolls.
Also you rolled pretty damn well on some of those officers! I did not expect anyone with double 15s let alone a 15 and a 16.
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Prize Money Distribution & Shares
Only ships you literally buy with your personal wealth need to be paid for from personal wealth, given that they are your private property, expanding your budget with Political Capital is doable at probably a 10:1 ratio with the exact cost depending upon Diplomacy roll results.
If you capture ships then they and their cargo are generally sold and the money portioned out by the prize court, the ratio as followers:
1/4 of the money goes to the captain of the capturing ship.
1/4 of the money goes to the ship's officers and warrant officers
1/4 of the money goes to the crew.
1/4 of the money goes to the admiral or commodore, so you for the sector ships. For ships operating independently on orders from New Atlanta Fleet Command, 1/8 goes to Fleet Command and an additional 1/8 to the captain.
So if your flagship captures ships you stand to gain a lot of money, a single light cruiser would be up to 18 Wealth though battle damage and shenanigans with ships being deliberately undervalued to hurt you are definitely liable to reduce this. Also your captains and officers absolutely love capturing things and will gain loyalty if they earn significant wealth through successful actions.
To put this into perspective 100 Wealth is enough to buy a single share in the imperial state and become a noble, which would also earn an income of 1 Wealth per quarter through dividends. Of course it could also buy another heavy cruiser then keep in in action for more than a year so priorities, priorities.
Embezzling money from the budget if you run a surplus is absolutely an option though would need Subterfuge rolls. Loyalty rolls as well if you have a subordinate do it.
If you capture ships then they and their cargo are generally sold and the money portioned out by the prize court, the ratio as followers:
1/4 of the money goes to the captain of the capturing ship.
1/4 of the money goes to the ship's officers and warrant officers
1/4 of the money goes to the crew.
1/4 of the money goes to the admiral or commodore, so you for the sector ships. For ships operating independently on orders from New Atlanta Fleet Command, 1/8 goes to Fleet Command and an additional 1/8 to the captain.
So if your flagship captures ships you stand to gain a lot of money, a single light cruiser would be up to 18 Wealth though battle damage and shenanigans with ships being deliberately undervalued to hurt you are definitely liable to reduce this. Also your captains and officers absolutely love capturing things and will gain loyalty if they earn significant wealth through successful actions.
To put this into perspective 100 Wealth is enough to buy a single share in the imperial state and become a noble, which would also earn an income of 1 Wealth per quarter through dividends. Of course it could also buy another heavy cruiser then keep in in action for more than a year so priorities, priorities.
Embezzling money from the budget if you run a surplus is absolutely an option though would need Subterfuge rolls. Loyalty rolls as well if you have a subordinate do it.
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Update 3 - Smuggler Interdiction and Pirate Interludes
[X] Commander Waltin Sones – A rarity in that he is a non noble senior officer, a highly skilled intelligence analyst and agent who you worked closely with during the war and can poach from his current rear line posting. (Diplomacy 14, Strategy 12, Tactics 8, Prowess 13, Subterfuge 15, Loyalty 16)
[X] Comfortably – You will borrow so that you can maintain the style expected of you as the senior imperial navy officer in the sector. You will go to one of those exclusive firms to have your quarters set up in appropriate style and comfort, you will bring in a dozen highly skilled servants and retainers, you will stock luxuries and exotics so that your guests and officers feel respected. (No modifiers, borrow 1 Wealth a quarter, which will need to be paid back later with interest).
[X] Interdict Smugglers - Throw a wide net, sending out your patrol cutters out individually to stop, detain and search suspicious merchant vessels whilst your two cruisers needing maintenance remain in reserve and corvettes lurk around the flashpoints of Obull and Imhotep with the support of the Peregrine. (Keep the Endeavour and Hawk in reserve and repair, reducing expenditure by 8, deploy all other ships to leave 8 in the budget. May gain Wealth from prize money if smugglers are seized).
You do take your time over deciding whom to requisition but eventually pick Commander Sones, whilst you rather desperately want capable and loyal captains you are painfully aware just how much help you are going to need when it comes to navigating political manoeuvrers and betrayals. It will take a few months for him to arrive though and so your initial work will have to be done with the staff you have to work with.
The initial work of course being getting your quarters in order and setting in sufficient stock, fancy uniforms and servants so that you can play the part of an Imperial Navy sector commander. This is hideously expensive and you find yourself spending more in a few days than your entire debt serf family might have expected to earn in lifetimes. You do your best to appear un phased by the expenditure and certainly do not mention to your subordinates that you are borrowing to cover the cost – better to let them simply assume you are a person of appropriate means and respect that. They know that you won vast quantities of prize money during the war and do not have to know you expended it trying to keep the Righteous in fighting state during the years of neglect that followed. Given your rank and reputation for success you have no trouble extending a line of credit against future prize money from the Imperial Banking Trust.
Roll 3d6+10 (Subterfuge) 4 + 5 + 3 +10 = 22. Good Credit, +3 difficulty for anyone to learn you are in debt. Anyone investigating your finances will discover the full state of affairs on a 25+
Current Wealth: -1
Refurbishment of your quarters and command facilities will take some time (though less than you expected, the hideously expensive firm you hire work extremely quickly) but by the time the Endeavour is ready to take flight you will be surrounded in bespoke luxury and well set up to entertain your noble officers, planetary governors or other notables, if not to what they will consider exceptional standard.
For now though you are briefing your senior staff and bring up a holographic display of the sector, shipping routes and reported market fluctuations.
"Lords and ladies, welcome, I know that you have all been waiting for my brief on fleet activity over the next few months. As you all know I was the captain of the battlecruiser Righteous during the war and had a reputation for rather dangerous action – rest assured that despite my years of coreward posting since I am not going to immediately throw you all into heavy combat.
You have all had heavy crew rotation and will need to carry out shake-down cruises, we are going to concentrate on clamping down on smuggler activity. Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch, you and the Peregrine will be dispatched to the region of Obull along with Commander Lyna Ryante and the Settler to interdict piracy and conduct convoy escort. I wish you well on the detached command."
That has the two looking rather pleased, that is a relatively prestigious posting, at least if they can engage pirates. Also this means you can avoid putting Commander Ryante in charge of another of the corvette captains – she has seniority but is not a noble making this kind of thing always charged.
"Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz, you will command the detached Whippet and Greyhound to cover convoys around Imhotep and the Rana Salient. I am aware you will be overworked, but you are to call upon reinforcements if urgent. The rest of the fleet? All corvettes will be dispersed to conduct anti smuggling operations."
This does get surprised looks and also an interruption from Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch, the captain of the Peregine. "And the other cruisers sir?"
You fix her for a moment before you continue. "The Endeavour and the Hawk are both undergoing refit and will be kept in reserve around Ilam. We need the our 'heavy' ships in fighting order. Any questions?"
There are questions of course but people seem largely satisfied as you set up the details of patrol and courier routes, resupply and rotation and similar, you have had weeks to get everything in place after all. The lieutenants and lieutenant commanders captaining the cutters seem the most enthusiastic about this plan given that it leaves them tasked with lucrative capture missions instead of playing scout or courier.
The next few months are... remarkably boring as you supervise the refit of the two cruisers and watch your bank account empty of borrowed money at a disturbing rate. You are however extended an invitation to a formal ball held by the Sector Governor – it is a very plain and generic invitation that makes it clear she would not really mind if you failed to attend, but it is expected of you.
[] Attend The Ball. Get to meet the sector governor and various high ranking individuals, risk offending them with your oafish manners and ability to correctly use the right utensils.
[] Turn Down The Invitation. Spurn the invitation and lose 5 Political Capital as you fail to show yourself before the governor and various high ranking individuals as expected of the fleet commander.
You adjust patrol paths though, amending some errors you feel have been made by your subordinates though you know well enough not to micromanage and are actually fairly confident of the abilities of the captains leading your two major detachments. Finally you get news from Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch aboard the Peregrine that she has managed to intercept a pirate raid upon a major shipping convoy, catching them too deep into a gravity well to escape with her light cruiser against a trio of light raiding craft.
One of the raider craft immediately began to burn away, activating their main drive then accelerating out of reach and with no hope of the larger warship ever catching them, the second was forced to pass through the Peregrine's weapons envelope, unable to burn away in time as she bore in at great velocity from the outer system after exiting from hyperjump. The third was caught in the process of boarding a hapless merchant vessel and completely unable to build up speed in time.
A furious exchange of long ranged missile fire then erupted as the cruiser tried to target the fleeing raider, blaster from missiles washing across the smaller craft but without effect as it'from s frantic defensive fire shoot down the most dangerous of the incoming torpedoes. Unfortunately the Peregrine's untried crew were not so successful in turn and one missile broke through the larger ship's point defences to melt a swathe of dorsal armour.
Once the initial shock passed the crew of the Peregrine faired better though, no longer letting the light volleys of the small raider craft through their defensive fire, intercepting every shot whilst landing a solid torpedo impact to the flank of the fleeing raider. Sadly it was not crippled and escaped, accelerating away too far to be engaged again but no doubt sent to the shipyard for weeks or months of repair. The Peregrine then closed upon it's remaining prey, turning and beginning to decelerate so as to prolong the engagement envelope.
Now alone vs a cruiser, the raider craft continued to put up a furious fight, emptying it's missile racks futily against the Imperial warship's defensive fire then switching to light railguns as distance closed. Unfortunately for them the Peregrine was fully able to respond in kind and hammered the smaller vessel with it's turret pointed guns, cracking armour, shattering sensor blisters and setting alarms blaring throughout the ship.
From the report is then seems that the raider dramatically outfought the Peregrine as they closed to point blank range, scoring repeated hits upon the larger cruiser and badly degrading it's armour whilst avoiding all incoming fire with deft manoeuvring. Right up until they made a mistake and the starboard engine port was shattered, breaking a hole in the vessel's defensive fire and sending it wallowing in space. They refused to surrender though and, hungry for prize money, Captain Wisanch moved to board.
The following action was far more one sided than the engagement in space with the Peregrine's marines massacring the pirate crew for negligible loses, spearheaded by Commander Phardson who personally slew their captain.
Not long after however you receive a report from Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz concerning the two corvettes under his command coming under attack whilst escorting a convoy past the Rana Salient.
The report begins well, the two commanders picked their strategic movements perfectly well and when the pirates struck, both were present escorting the threatened convoy, outnumbering the attacker two to one with equivalent ships. If only that was not where the good news ended.
You can only describe what follows as inept flailing as Commander Grigonz managed to order the convoy to disperse in a manner that blocked his own Greyhound from intervening at the van, leaving the attacking raider plenty of time to demolish the Whippet, equally ineptly handled by Commander Scolly. By the time both corvettes were engaged the Whippet was effectively reduced to a hulk with a third of it's crew dead and it was only an uncharacteristically capable showing from the Greyhound that persuaded the attacker to withdraw. You strongly suspect that if they had not overestimated Grigonz's abilities then they could probably have destroyed or captured both corvettes then had the convoy at their mercy.
The in depth reports on the action are also worrying, the vessel that they fought was very obviously a Bulwark Class corvette of the New Australian navy. Not the most capable combatant and distinctly last generation for New Australia but definitely not in the hand of 'pirates' by chance.
Word from your cutter captains across the sector is much more positive. You know that you are not catching everything but you intercept several shipments of weapons, illegal drugs and prohibited media to various border worlds and detain several NASP world registered merchant vessels in the process. The drugs and media are destroyed, but the weapons can be sold at auction along with the merchant vessels.
+4 Wealth, +8 Political Capital.
You do however also detain a number of ships registered to House Jamoor that were obviously trying to avoid Imperial customs duties or transport goods not strictly legal. How do you respond?
[] House Jamoor Is Innocent. An Imperial ducal house can be trusted to police their own commerce and their legitimate activities should be left unimpeded. (+10 Political Capital).
[] Their Cargoes & Ships Must be Seized. Even ducal houses must obey Imperial law. +3 Wealth, +1 Sector Budget every quarter. House Jamoor will remember your actions.
@Satar Actually given how this went, you can actually just have her kicked out and replaced by a random new officer.
You have to decide what to do with Baroness Commander Kathra Ared Scolly, you can retain her in command despite her recent showing and the crippling of the Whippet or send her to sit before a court marshal for her utter failure.
[] Keep Her In Post. She will gain +2 Loyalty and you will gain 5 Political Capital.
[] Send Her To Fleet Command. Baroness Commander Kathra Ared Scolly will be replaced with a new, random commander.
I have updated the front page with current ship status, wealth, political capital, etc. Regarding ship readiness this maps roughly to durability in combat, a Cruiser recovers 25% readiness each quarter it spends in reserve, a corvette 50%. Ships reduced below 0 durability in combat also require shipyard level refits, it is going to cost 4 Wealth (from the sector budget) to get the Whippet operational again.
EDIT: Massive amendments made after the initial post was cut off and mangled.
[X] Comfortably – You will borrow so that you can maintain the style expected of you as the senior imperial navy officer in the sector. You will go to one of those exclusive firms to have your quarters set up in appropriate style and comfort, you will bring in a dozen highly skilled servants and retainers, you will stock luxuries and exotics so that your guests and officers feel respected. (No modifiers, borrow 1 Wealth a quarter, which will need to be paid back later with interest).
[X] Interdict Smugglers - Throw a wide net, sending out your patrol cutters out individually to stop, detain and search suspicious merchant vessels whilst your two cruisers needing maintenance remain in reserve and corvettes lurk around the flashpoints of Obull and Imhotep with the support of the Peregrine. (Keep the Endeavour and Hawk in reserve and repair, reducing expenditure by 8, deploy all other ships to leave 8 in the budget. May gain Wealth from prize money if smugglers are seized).
You do take your time over deciding whom to requisition but eventually pick Commander Sones, whilst you rather desperately want capable and loyal captains you are painfully aware just how much help you are going to need when it comes to navigating political manoeuvrers and betrayals. It will take a few months for him to arrive though and so your initial work will have to be done with the staff you have to work with.
The initial work of course being getting your quarters in order and setting in sufficient stock, fancy uniforms and servants so that you can play the part of an Imperial Navy sector commander. This is hideously expensive and you find yourself spending more in a few days than your entire debt serf family might have expected to earn in lifetimes. You do your best to appear un phased by the expenditure and certainly do not mention to your subordinates that you are borrowing to cover the cost – better to let them simply assume you are a person of appropriate means and respect that. They know that you won vast quantities of prize money during the war and do not have to know you expended it trying to keep the Righteous in fighting state during the years of neglect that followed. Given your rank and reputation for success you have no trouble extending a line of credit against future prize money from the Imperial Banking Trust.
Roll 3d6+10 (Subterfuge) 4 + 5 + 3 +10 = 22. Good Credit, +3 difficulty for anyone to learn you are in debt. Anyone investigating your finances will discover the full state of affairs on a 25+
Current Wealth: -1
Refurbishment of your quarters and command facilities will take some time (though less than you expected, the hideously expensive firm you hire work extremely quickly) but by the time the Endeavour is ready to take flight you will be surrounded in bespoke luxury and well set up to entertain your noble officers, planetary governors or other notables, if not to what they will consider exceptional standard.
For now though you are briefing your senior staff and bring up a holographic display of the sector, shipping routes and reported market fluctuations.
"Lords and ladies, welcome, I know that you have all been waiting for my brief on fleet activity over the next few months. As you all know I was the captain of the battlecruiser Righteous during the war and had a reputation for rather dangerous action – rest assured that despite my years of coreward posting since I am not going to immediately throw you all into heavy combat.
You have all had heavy crew rotation and will need to carry out shake-down cruises, we are going to concentrate on clamping down on smuggler activity. Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch, you and the Peregrine will be dispatched to the region of Obull along with Commander Lyna Ryante and the Settler to interdict piracy and conduct convoy escort. I wish you well on the detached command."
That has the two looking rather pleased, that is a relatively prestigious posting, at least if they can engage pirates. Also this means you can avoid putting Commander Ryante in charge of another of the corvette captains – she has seniority but is not a noble making this kind of thing always charged.
"Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz, you will command the detached Whippet and Greyhound to cover convoys around Imhotep and the Rana Salient. I am aware you will be overworked, but you are to call upon reinforcements if urgent. The rest of the fleet? All corvettes will be dispersed to conduct anti smuggling operations."
This does get surprised looks and also an interruption from Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch, the captain of the Peregine. "And the other cruisers sir?"
You fix her for a moment before you continue. "The Endeavour and the Hawk are both undergoing refit and will be kept in reserve around Ilam. We need the our 'heavy' ships in fighting order. Any questions?"
There are questions of course but people seem largely satisfied as you set up the details of patrol and courier routes, resupply and rotation and similar, you have had weeks to get everything in place after all. The lieutenants and lieutenant commanders captaining the cutters seem the most enthusiastic about this plan given that it leaves them tasked with lucrative capture missions instead of playing scout or courier.
You, overall stategy:
Roll 3d6+22 (Strategy) 3 + 2 + 6 +22 = 33 (This will add half of the difference of your roll to your remote subordinates, rounded down)
Cutter Captains:
Roll 3d6+9 2 + 6 + 3 +9 = 20 (+6 from you) = 26
House Arril Smuggling: ? = 29
House Jamoor Smuggling: ? = 23
NASP Smuggling: ? = 22
Independent Smuggling: ? = 30
Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz vs NASP Privateers:
Roll 3d6+13 5 + 4 + 4 +13 = 26 (+3 from you). 29
NASP Privateers: ? = 20
Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch vs Obull Pirates:
Roll 3d6+13 1 + 4 + 1 +13 = 19 (+7 from you). 26
Obull Pirates: ? = 19
Roll 3d6+22 (Strategy) 3 + 2 + 6 +22 = 33 (This will add half of the difference of your roll to your remote subordinates, rounded down)
Cutter Captains:
Roll 3d6+9 2 + 6 + 3 +9 = 20 (+6 from you) = 26
House Arril Smuggling: ? = 29
House Jamoor Smuggling: ? = 23
NASP Smuggling: ? = 22
Independent Smuggling: ? = 30
Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz vs NASP Privateers:
Roll 3d6+13 5 + 4 + 4 +13 = 26 (+3 from you). 29
NASP Privateers: ? = 20
Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch vs Obull Pirates:
Roll 3d6+13 1 + 4 + 1 +13 = 19 (+7 from you). 26
Obull Pirates: ? = 19
The next few months are... remarkably boring as you supervise the refit of the two cruisers and watch your bank account empty of borrowed money at a disturbing rate. You are however extended an invitation to a formal ball held by the Sector Governor – it is a very plain and generic invitation that makes it clear she would not really mind if you failed to attend, but it is expected of you.
[] Attend The Ball. Get to meet the sector governor and various high ranking individuals, risk offending them with your oafish manners and ability to correctly use the right utensils.
[] Turn Down The Invitation. Spurn the invitation and lose 5 Political Capital as you fail to show yourself before the governor and various high ranking individuals as expected of the fleet commander.
You adjust patrol paths though, amending some errors you feel have been made by your subordinates though you know well enough not to micromanage and are actually fairly confident of the abilities of the captains leading your two major detachments. Finally you get news from Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch aboard the Peregrine that she has managed to intercept a pirate raid upon a major shipping convoy, catching them too deep into a gravity well to escape with her light cruiser against a trio of light raiding craft.
The Peregrine has Speed 7, her captain Tactics 7, -2 from Green crew. The XO has 11 tactics though and half the difference is added to the captain, taking her to an effective 9. +14 to rolls.
3 + 3 + 5 +12 = 26
Pirate Raider 1: Speed 10, Average Crew, Tactics 9 Captain = 19 + roll of 14, 33. Escapes cleanly.
Pirate Raider 2: Speed 10, Average Crew, Tactics 8 Captain = 18 + roll of 8. 26, running battle.
Pirate Raider 3: Speed 10, Competent Crew (+1), Tactics 10 Captain. = 21 + roll of 3. 24, caught!
3 + 3 + 5 +12 = 26
Pirate Raider 1: Speed 10, Average Crew, Tactics 9 Captain = 19 + roll of 14, 33. Escapes cleanly.
Pirate Raider 2: Speed 10, Average Crew, Tactics 8 Captain = 18 + roll of 8. 26, running battle.
Pirate Raider 3: Speed 10, Competent Crew (+1), Tactics 10 Captain. = 21 + roll of 3. 24, caught!
One of the raider craft immediately began to burn away, activating their main drive then accelerating out of reach and with no hope of the larger warship ever catching them, the second was forced to pass through the Peregrine's weapons envelope, unable to burn away in time as she bore in at great velocity from the outer system after exiting from hyperjump. The third was caught in the process of boarding a hapless merchant vessel and completely unable to build up speed in time.
Opening Fire. Literally giving the bare bones combat system a trial.
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 2.
5 + 4 + 3 + 10 = 22
Raider 2: Firepower 1, +8 from captain = 9, rolled 13 = 22
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 15 = 27
The raiders are, similar to cutters, sub scale warships and do half damage to larger vessels whilst taking twice as much. They also need greater numbers to get multiple attacker bonuses unless they are part of a proper navy built to doctrine and professionally crewed.
Raider 2 escapes, barely, unhurt. It will be within firing range for one more turn.
Raider 3 hits the Peregrine with a margin of 3, damage halved (rounded up) for 2. Light cruisers are durability 2, 2/20 damage sustained.
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 2.
5 + 4 + 3 + 10 = 22
Raider 2: Firepower 1, +8 from captain = 9, rolled 13 = 22
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 15 = 27
The raiders are, similar to cutters, sub scale warships and do half damage to larger vessels whilst taking twice as much. They also need greater numbers to get multiple attacker bonuses unless they are part of a proper navy built to doctrine and professionally crewed.
Raider 2 escapes, barely, unhurt. It will be within firing range for one more turn.
Raider 3 hits the Peregrine with a margin of 3, damage halved (rounded up) for 2. Light cruisers are durability 2, 2/20 damage sustained.
A furious exchange of long ranged missile fire then erupted as the cruiser tried to target the fleeing raider, blaster from missiles washing across the smaller craft but without effect as it'from s frantic defensive fire shoot down the most dangerous of the incoming torpedoes. Unfortunately the Peregrine's untried crew were not so successful in turn and one missile broke through the larger ship's point defences to melt a swathe of dorsal armour.
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 2.
6 + 6 + 2 +10 = 24
Raider 2: Firepower 1, +8 from captain = 9, rolled 12 = 21
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 10 = 22
Raider 2 is badly hit, taking 6 damage out of 10, but now escapes out of range.
Raider 3 fails to break through defensive fire this turn.
6 + 6 + 2 +10 = 24
Raider 2: Firepower 1, +8 from captain = 9, rolled 12 = 21
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 10 = 22
Raider 2 is badly hit, taking 6 damage out of 10, but now escapes out of range.
Raider 3 fails to break through defensive fire this turn.
Once the initial shock passed the crew of the Peregrine faired better though, no longer letting the light volleys of the small raider craft through their defensive fire, intercepting every shot whilst landing a solid torpedo impact to the flank of the fleeing raider. Sadly it was not crippled and escaped, accelerating away too far to be engaged again but no doubt sent to the shipyard for weeks or months of repair. The Peregrine then closed upon it's remaining prey, turning and beginning to decelerate so as to prolong the engagement envelope.
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
5 + 3 + 6 +10 = 24
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 8 = 20
Raider hit for 8 damage, reduced to 2/10 durability.
5 + 3 + 6 +10 = 24
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 8 = 20
Raider hit for 8 damage, reduced to 2/10 durability.
Now alone vs a cruiser, the raider craft continued to put up a furious fight, emptying it's missile racks futily against the Imperial warship's defensive fire then switching to light railguns as distance closed. Unfortunately for them the Peregrine was fully able to respond in kind and hammered the smaller vessel with it's turret pointed guns, cracking armour, shattering sensor blisters and setting alarms blaring throughout the ship.
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
3 + 1 + 4 +10 = 18
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 9 = 21
Peregrine takes 2 damage, now 16/20 Durability.
Round 5
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
3 + 2 + 3 +10 = 18
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 6 = 18
Round 6
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
5 + 4 + 2 +10 = 21
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 13 = 25
Peregrine takes 2 damage, now 14/20 Durability
Round 7
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
1 + 2 + 4 +10 = 17
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 10 = 22
Peregrine takes 3 damage, now 11/20 Durability
Round 8
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
5 + 3 + 5 +10 = 23
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 7 = 19
Raider takes 4 damage, reduced to -2 Durability. -2 to all rolls.
Captain refuses to surrender (automatic, pirate captains are always executed), crew rolls for Mutiny. Difficulty 10+Captain's Tactics (12), +1 from quality. 23
1 + 6 + 2 +10 = 19
No mutiny! They fight on.[/b]
3 + 1 + 4 +10 = 18
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 9 = 21
Peregrine takes 2 damage, now 16/20 Durability.
Round 5
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
3 + 2 + 3 +10 = 18
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 6 = 18
Round 6
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
5 + 4 + 2 +10 = 21
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 13 = 25
Peregrine takes 2 damage, now 14/20 Durability
Round 7
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
1 + 2 + 4 +10 = 17
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 10 = 22
Peregrine takes 3 damage, now 11/20 Durability
Round 8
Peregrine: Firepower 3 + 9 from captain & XO, -2 from crew = 10, concentrating on Raider 3.
5 + 3 + 5 +10 = 23
Raider 3: Firepower 1, +10 from captain, +1 from crew = 12, rolled 7 = 19
Raider takes 4 damage, reduced to -2 Durability. -2 to all rolls.
Captain refuses to surrender (automatic, pirate captains are always executed), crew rolls for Mutiny. Difficulty 10+Captain's Tactics (12), +1 from quality. 23
1 + 6 + 2 +10 = 19
No mutiny! They fight on.[/b]
From the report is then seems that the raider dramatically outfought the Peregrine as they closed to point blank range, scoring repeated hits upon the larger cruiser and badly degrading it's armour whilst avoiding all incoming fire with deft manoeuvring. Right up until they made a mistake and the starboard engine port was shattered, breaking a hole in the vessel's defensive fire and sending it wallowing in space. They refused to surrender though and, hungry for prize money, Captain Wisanch moved to board.
Peregrine Moves to Board: Speed 7, +9 from Captain and XO, -2 from Crew = 16
6 + 5 + 6 + 16 = 33
Raider Attempts to Evade: Speed 10, +10 from captain, +1 from crew, -2 Damage = 19, rolls 7, 26.
Raider is grappled and boarded.
Peregrine rolls Marines 3, +13 from Captain and XO, -2 from Crew = 14, rolled 8, 22.
Raider Rolls Marines 1, +10 from Captain, +1 from Crew, -2 from Damage = 10, rolled 11, 21.
Raider's marines take 2 damage (8/10 remaining), damage scaling also applies in boarding actions.
Round 10:
Boarding Action Continues
Peregrine rolls Marines 3, +13 from Captain and XO, -2 from Crew = 14, rolled 11, 25
Raider Rolls Marines 1, +10 from Captain, +1 from Crew, -2 from Damage = 10, rolled 10, 20
Raider's marines take 8 damage. Raider is captured.
6 + 5 + 6 + 16 = 33
Raider Attempts to Evade: Speed 10, +10 from captain, +1 from crew, -2 Damage = 19, rolls 7, 26.
Raider is grappled and boarded.
Peregrine rolls Marines 3, +13 from Captain and XO, -2 from Crew = 14, rolled 8, 22.
Raider Rolls Marines 1, +10 from Captain, +1 from Crew, -2 from Damage = 10, rolled 11, 21.
Raider's marines take 2 damage (8/10 remaining), damage scaling also applies in boarding actions.
Round 10:
Boarding Action Continues
Peregrine rolls Marines 3, +13 from Captain and XO, -2 from Crew = 14, rolled 11, 25
Raider Rolls Marines 1, +10 from Captain, +1 from Crew, -2 from Damage = 10, rolled 10, 20
Raider's marines take 8 damage. Raider is captured.
The following action was far more one sided than the engagement in space with the Peregrine's marines massacring the pirate crew for negligible loses, spearheaded by Commander Phardson who personally slew their captain.
Peregrine reduced to 60% readiness. One badly damaged pirate raider captured (Wealth value 8).
Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch gains +1 Tactics.
Roll Diplomacy for Political Capital Gain. This is approximately 1/5th of the 'value' of defeated enemy ships, halved for battles where you were not personally present. Difficulty of the diplomacy roll is 20 to get the full benefit with more or less credit received at 5 point incriments.
6 + 6 + 5 = 17, +6 Diplomacy, 23. Success! +1 Political Capital
+1 Political Capital from thwarting pirate raid.
When the sale goes through you gain +2 Wealth
Officers on the Peregrine get +1 Loyalty as they grow fat on prize money thanks to your orders.
Captain Dame Juley Mara Wisanch gains +1 Tactics.
Roll Diplomacy for Political Capital Gain. This is approximately 1/5th of the 'value' of defeated enemy ships, halved for battles where you were not personally present. Difficulty of the diplomacy roll is 20 to get the full benefit with more or less credit received at 5 point incriments.
6 + 6 + 5 = 17, +6 Diplomacy, 23. Success! +1 Political Capital
+1 Political Capital from thwarting pirate raid.
When the sale goes through you gain +2 Wealth
Officers on the Peregrine get +1 Loyalty as they grow fat on prize money thanks to your orders.
Not long after however you receive a report from Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz concerning the two corvettes under his command coming under attack whilst escorting a convoy past the Rana Salient.
NASP Corvette: Speed 5, Captain 11. Roll 11+19 = 27
Greyhound: Speed 5, Captain 6, Crew -2. Roll 13+9 = 22
Whippet: Speed 5, Captain 6, Crew -2. Roll 11+9 = 20
NASP corvette opts to engage only the Whippet for 2 combat rounds!
Round 2:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 13 = 26
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 9 = 15
Whippet takes 11 damage, durability 9/20
Round 3:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 6 = 19
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 8 = 14
Whippet takes 3 damage, durability 4/20
Round 4:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 8 = 21
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 12 = 18
Whippet takes 3 damage, durability 1/20
Greyhound Intervenes: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Multiple Attacker +4, Roll 14 = 24
NASP Corvette takes 3 damage, durability 17/20
Round 5:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 13 = 26
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 8 = 14
Whippet takes 12 damage, reduced to -15 durability, -7 to all actions.
Greyhound Intervenes: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Multiple Attacker +4, Roll 16 = 26
Round 6:
NASP Corvette tries to withdraw: Speed 5, Captain 11, Roll 14 = 30
Greyhound does not contest
NASP Corvette fires at Greyhound: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 12 = 25
Greyhound Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 12 = 18
Greyhound takes 7 damage, 13/20 Durability.
Whippet reduced to 0% readiness and crew reduced to Useless (-3 to all actions) quality.
Greyhound reduced to 65% readiness, Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz gains +1 Tactics (to 7). Crew updated to Mediocre.
+1 Political Capital from thwarting pirate raid.
Greyhound: Speed 5, Captain 6, Crew -2. Roll 13+9 = 22
Whippet: Speed 5, Captain 6, Crew -2. Roll 11+9 = 20
NASP corvette opts to engage only the Whippet for 2 combat rounds!
Round 2:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 13 = 26
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 9 = 15
Whippet takes 11 damage, durability 9/20
Round 3:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 6 = 19
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 8 = 14
Whippet takes 3 damage, durability 4/20
Round 4:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 8 = 21
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 12 = 18
Whippet takes 3 damage, durability 1/20
Greyhound Intervenes: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Multiple Attacker +4, Roll 14 = 24
NASP Corvette takes 3 damage, durability 17/20
Round 5:
NASP Corvette fires at Whippet: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 13 = 26
Whippet Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 8 = 14
Whippet takes 12 damage, reduced to -15 durability, -7 to all actions.
Greyhound Intervenes: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Multiple Attacker +4, Roll 16 = 26
Round 6:
NASP Corvette tries to withdraw: Speed 5, Captain 11, Roll 14 = 30
Greyhound does not contest
NASP Corvette fires at Greyhound: Firepower 2, Captain 11, Roll 12 = 25
Greyhound Fights Back: Firepower 2, Captain 6, Crew -2, Roll 12 = 18
Greyhound takes 7 damage, 13/20 Durability.
Whippet reduced to 0% readiness and crew reduced to Useless (-3 to all actions) quality.
Greyhound reduced to 65% readiness, Lord Commander Jeffry Asim Grigonz gains +1 Tactics (to 7). Crew updated to Mediocre.
+1 Political Capital from thwarting pirate raid.
The report begins well, the two commanders picked their strategic movements perfectly well and when the pirates struck, both were present escorting the threatened convoy, outnumbering the attacker two to one with equivalent ships. If only that was not where the good news ended.
You can only describe what follows as inept flailing as Commander Grigonz managed to order the convoy to disperse in a manner that blocked his own Greyhound from intervening at the van, leaving the attacking raider plenty of time to demolish the Whippet, equally ineptly handled by Commander Scolly. By the time both corvettes were engaged the Whippet was effectively reduced to a hulk with a third of it's crew dead and it was only an uncharacteristically capable showing from the Greyhound that persuaded the attacker to withdraw. You strongly suspect that if they had not overestimated Grigonz's abilities then they could probably have destroyed or captured both corvettes then had the convoy at their mercy.
The in depth reports on the action are also worrying, the vessel that they fought was very obviously a Bulwark Class corvette of the New Australian navy. Not the most capable combatant and distinctly last generation for New Australia but definitely not in the hand of 'pirates' by chance.
Word from your cutter captains across the sector is much more positive. You know that you are not catching everything but you intercept several shipments of weapons, illegal drugs and prohibited media to various border worlds and detain several NASP world registered merchant vessels in the process. The drugs and media are destroyed, but the weapons can be sold at auction along with the merchant vessels.
+4 Wealth, +8 Political Capital.
You do however also detain a number of ships registered to House Jamoor that were obviously trying to avoid Imperial customs duties or transport goods not strictly legal. How do you respond?
[] House Jamoor Is Innocent. An Imperial ducal house can be trusted to police their own commerce and their legitimate activities should be left unimpeded. (+10 Political Capital).
[] Their Cargoes & Ships Must be Seized. Even ducal houses must obey Imperial law. +3 Wealth, +1 Sector Budget every quarter. House Jamoor will remember your actions.
@Satar Actually given how this went, you can actually just have her kicked out and replaced by a random new officer.
You have to decide what to do with Baroness Commander Kathra Ared Scolly, you can retain her in command despite her recent showing and the crippling of the Whippet or send her to sit before a court marshal for her utter failure.
[] Keep Her In Post. She will gain +2 Loyalty and you will gain 5 Political Capital.
[] Send Her To Fleet Command. Baroness Commander Kathra Ared Scolly will be replaced with a new, random commander.
I have updated the front page with current ship status, wealth, political capital, etc. Regarding ship readiness this maps roughly to durability in combat, a Cruiser recovers 25% readiness each quarter it spends in reserve, a corvette 50%. Ships reduced below 0 durability in combat also require shipyard level refits, it is going to cost 4 Wealth (from the sector budget) to get the Whippet operational again.
EDIT: Massive amendments made after the initial post was cut off and mangled.
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Ducal Houses, Transferring Officers, Crew & Officer Skill Levels
So to run through some of the questions and comments so far:
House Jamoor is all over the map in this sector and thus locally important but they are one of the weaker ducal houses, having lost most of their fleet in the first year of the war even if they did gain a fair few planets out of the affair. They are, to put it into perspective, more like 5% of the Imperium as a whole not a third. They control a lot of planets right here and now though and are one of the two ducal houses who control swathes of systems in this sector.
Transferring additional officers from the original list is still possible but would probably cost more like 25 political capital now - you had a golden opportunity as you were assuming a new command but you used up your favours and important people want you to fail rather than assemble a group of elite badasses. Note that before you were promoted and transferred here you were the captain of a battlecruiser with an Elite (+3 to everything) crew and a bunch of those highly capable individuals as your officers. This scared people.
Of course you can to a certain extent 'level up' your current crop of random officers and crews, with this being easier the worse they already are at something and the more significant the challenge they faced. Note that the captain and XO of the Peregrin did not in fact gain any Prowess from the boarding action due to already being badasses there and it being hilariously one sided, the XO also not gaining Tactics due to already being pretty good with an 11.
Pretty much any ship crew that is Green and sees combat will upgrade though, unless they are instead mangled and demoralised of course.
Edit: Also for random officers, I roll 2d6 for each stat with a 7 being 10, 8 being an 11, etc. Commanders as opposed to captains get two -1s applied where I feel it helps with their character. Loyalty is a straight 1d6 with a 6 being Loyalty 11 and a 1 being Loyalty 5. Because nobles tend to hate you.
House Jamoor is all over the map in this sector and thus locally important but they are one of the weaker ducal houses, having lost most of their fleet in the first year of the war even if they did gain a fair few planets out of the affair. They are, to put it into perspective, more like 5% of the Imperium as a whole not a third. They control a lot of planets right here and now though and are one of the two ducal houses who control swathes of systems in this sector.
Transferring additional officers from the original list is still possible but would probably cost more like 25 political capital now - you had a golden opportunity as you were assuming a new command but you used up your favours and important people want you to fail rather than assemble a group of elite badasses. Note that before you were promoted and transferred here you were the captain of a battlecruiser with an Elite (+3 to everything) crew and a bunch of those highly capable individuals as your officers. This scared people.
Of course you can to a certain extent 'level up' your current crop of random officers and crews, with this being easier the worse they already are at something and the more significant the challenge they faced. Note that the captain and XO of the Peregrin did not in fact gain any Prowess from the boarding action due to already being badasses there and it being hilariously one sided, the XO also not gaining Tactics due to already being pretty good with an 11.
Pretty much any ship crew that is Green and sees combat will upgrade though, unless they are instead mangled and demoralised of course.
Edit: Also for random officers, I roll 2d6 for each stat with a 7 being 10, 8 being an 11, etc. Commanders as opposed to captains get two -1s applied where I feel it helps with their character. Loyalty is a straight 1d6 with a 6 being Loyalty 11 and a 1 being Loyalty 5. Because nobles tend to hate you.
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