Edigar stood again in the halographic presentation room facing a similar set of admirals, military purchasers, ship architects and tactical analysts that he had met a few months ago with his fast cruiser concepts. This time at least Edigar was sure of their undivided attention, he was also quietly confident in the viability of his proposal. He was surprised at his own nervous excitement though. It had taken some time for him to come up with an effective droptank Jump 6 design for a frigate and Edigar recognized he was perhaps overly pleased with the concept and not reviewing it as rationally as he should.
There was the usual last minute seat finding and equipment searching then the Imperial Spacecraft Design Committee was ready. Chairing the event today was a vast bulk of a man, infamous for his booming voice and off-beat humor, with a string of naval victories to his credit as long as the Imperial sash he wore around his massive waist.
The vessel design was brought up on the screens, the databases displayed, and the review of the Artemis Frigate was underway.
Edigar immediately began with the craft’s obvious weakness. “That the frigate lacks offensive capability for its size is acknowledged. It is a prime element in the concept however that the Artemis is never expected to be a space superiority vessel on a ton per ton basis. The Artemis will have three main opponents:
Ships smaller than it where the commercial or political value makes use of the Artemis to hunt practical.
Ships far larger than the Artemis that she is searching for.
Ships of large tonnage, but older technology, that are being used for raiding purposes.
We see two key roles for the Artemis. In peace time the frigate will be a pursuit craft, a hunter of commerce raiders, intruders too large or elusive for system police forces to manage. In wartime the Artemis will be an exceptionally valuable scouting fleet element. Ever since man put to sea in military ships every Admiral has wished for more and better eyes for the fleet to see with. The Artemis is the bleeding edge of this fleet requirement.
You will note the large number of drones the ship employs. These are specialized high thrust burner designs. They allow the use of two tactics. One I term over-the-horizon engagements. You see this forward bow chaser sensor drone? It uses its high thrust burner to get ahead of the mother ship’s sensor limit and then cruises in front of the ship providing advance warning of potential targets. There are then a range of assault drones, similarly equipped with high thrust burners, that can then shoot ahead of the mother ship to engage a target. The entire engagement could be over even before the Artemis brings the target in range of its own long range capabilities, or the enemy aware of the source of attack. The other tactic I call ‘orca-pack’ engagements. Where the drones can be left to hunt on their own. The mother ship could show itself searching around a far gas giant, the target vessel blasts off from an inner system inhabited planet - and is duly ambushed by the waiting drones.
“You’ve been reading my memos!” came the thundering laugh. The big man had his pointer on the script ‘politically valuable’.
Questioning eyebrows were raised from the rest of the examining board.
“I’d said I’d happily give up a cruiser if someone could get the sector duke and the chairman of Estorada System Supplies off my back.”
“Wouldn’t stop them complaining even if you sent in something like an Artemis,” dryly remarked Admiral Crighton.
“Uh huh, but then I can honestly say I have done the very best I can. And then gently suggest that perhaps they should spend some of their money to solve their problem,” he finished with a beautific smile. “I’ll take five.”
“You can wait in line,” came a sotto whisper, the source unidentifiable.
The massive man simply grinned even wider.
“Flicker meson bay?” came a pointed question, the man now all brusk business.
“Already outdated and redundant on a line of battle ship agreed. Deadly against older ships, and for those cases where we don’t care too much about the pirates but would prefer to keep the cargo intact.” Edigar had his answer ready. “The Artemis is the only potential use of meson flicker weapons I can now think of,” Edigar admitted.
“Plenty of options to mix and match drones for the mission purpose,” noted Admiral Crighton. “I see what you’ve done here for the drone storage,” she continued. “One drone can be serviced in a bay while another is on an external clamp ready for instant release.” She paused. “What is this slinky!?”
An older man with a hatchet face leaned forward. “I’ve created this space combat walker to be the foremost ship assault mechanical. A hostile you never want aboard. See the sidebar for the specifications.
There was a round of low murmurs.
“Kinetic delivery vehicles?”
“A technically correct name for suicide drones, Sir,” replied Edigar.
“Ah, that old can of worms.”
“The boarding tube?”
“It allows quick deployment of thrust enabled marines. It’s not a common feature because its use implies a breach has already been made in the enemy craft hull. In this case the breach could have been made by either a slinky, or one of these kinetic delivery vehicles. Regardless of the viability of getting a large collection of warheads to explode internally, ripping a ship’s structure apart, something like this decoy drone smashing into a hull at thrust level sixteen will make a hole. An Artemis frigate could then latch on and put three slinky lead squads of marines aboard in ten minutes. Pity the ship can’t take more of a pounding herself, but that’ll be a consideration for a heavy strike cruiser that’s on the drawing boards.”
“The wartime suite of sensor drones is impressive,” the big man commented reading through the drone descriptions. “That’ll be two forward, one each for top, bottom, left, right, the four points of the mother ship sensor sphere while cruising, and then the ultra-long range versions ranging where ever. Not bad. As you’ve noted along with a few extended range fighters sweeping within a day or so of the mother ship it all makes for considerable space volume coverage from a single spacecraft.”
A rumpled man at the rear sat scratching his chin. “Can’t you ever design something that’s, you know, inexpensive, Edigar?” was the exasperated complaint. “The Imperial budget can only stretch so far and if we want police frigates let’s build a bunch of lower tech vessels for wider system coverage. Or a fleet screen of small, cheap, sentry picket ships.
“A couple of those drones are reasonable value for money,” remarked Admiral Crighton. “The bow chaser sensor drones would be standard issue for every fleet.”
“There’s no value on effective reconnaissance, knowing where to send your trillion credit squadron is victory or defeat when hostilities breakout. I like them,” stated the big man. “Valuable in peace time. Irreplaceable in wartime. I mean irreplaceable. There’s not an admiral in this room who hasn’t been stuck in a starport and then been forced to jump a fleet blindly because we couldn’t afford to wait for fresh intelligence. This is an ideal, let’s say, fleet vanguard frigate. Let’s get the design in production and standardized so we can rapidly build more at need.”
“She’ll be a gorgeous vessel when built,” commented one of the naval architects. “Artemis is an appropriate name for the class – the beautiful hunter.”
“As I said, I’ll take the first one off the blocks,” remarked the big man.
“Excuse me Admiral, but I think not.”
Everyone turned to look at a small slim woman who had parked herself behind the main gathering. It was, to everyone’s surprise, Admiral Shatharon, head of the Scout Service who for some reason had invited herself to the Design Review meeting.
“I beg your pardon?” remarked the committee chairman.
“Yes, Admiral. The Scout Service is requisitioning the first three ships. Your political infighting can wait. I insist.”
There was nothing but blank astonishment at the remark. The Scout Service made do with whatever used delinquent scraps the Imperial Fleet thought fit to throw their way. That was how things were done, they didn’t insist on anything.
“Are we going to need to get special survey drones designed as well for her?” replied the big man, with only the slightest edge of sarcasm creeping around his jovial good humor. Though the implication was clear. You’re not going to use an advanced critical space fleet element to take pretty pictures of desolate planets are you?
“You’ll see. Let’s continue the conversation elsewhere.”
The committee chairman blinked for a moment, though the bon hommie attitude never faltered for an instant at this overruling of his prerogatives. Then he said, “As you wish. I declare the meeting closed. Edigar, it seems we’ll have to find another time to discuss the details. I’ll let you know.”
“Edigar, look to budget stealth jump drives into the first model,” Admiral Shatharon called back, already half way out the door.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
There was the usual last minute seat finding and equipment searching then the Imperial Spacecraft Design Committee was ready. Chairing the event today was a vast bulk of a man, infamous for his booming voice and off-beat humor, with a string of naval victories to his credit as long as the Imperial sash he wore around his massive waist.
The vessel design was brought up on the screens, the databases displayed, and the review of the Artemis Frigate was underway.
Edigar immediately began with the craft’s obvious weakness. “That the frigate lacks offensive capability for its size is acknowledged. It is a prime element in the concept however that the Artemis is never expected to be a space superiority vessel on a ton per ton basis. The Artemis will have three main opponents:
Ships smaller than it where the commercial or political value makes use of the Artemis to hunt practical.
Ships far larger than the Artemis that she is searching for.
Ships of large tonnage, but older technology, that are being used for raiding purposes.
We see two key roles for the Artemis. In peace time the frigate will be a pursuit craft, a hunter of commerce raiders, intruders too large or elusive for system police forces to manage. In wartime the Artemis will be an exceptionally valuable scouting fleet element. Ever since man put to sea in military ships every Admiral has wished for more and better eyes for the fleet to see with. The Artemis is the bleeding edge of this fleet requirement.
You will note the large number of drones the ship employs. These are specialized high thrust burner designs. They allow the use of two tactics. One I term over-the-horizon engagements. You see this forward bow chaser sensor drone? It uses its high thrust burner to get ahead of the mother ship’s sensor limit and then cruises in front of the ship providing advance warning of potential targets. There are then a range of assault drones, similarly equipped with high thrust burners, that can then shoot ahead of the mother ship to engage a target. The entire engagement could be over even before the Artemis brings the target in range of its own long range capabilities, or the enemy aware of the source of attack. The other tactic I call ‘orca-pack’ engagements. Where the drones can be left to hunt on their own. The mother ship could show itself searching around a far gas giant, the target vessel blasts off from an inner system inhabited planet - and is duly ambushed by the waiting drones.
“You’ve been reading my memos!” came the thundering laugh. The big man had his pointer on the script ‘politically valuable’.
Questioning eyebrows were raised from the rest of the examining board.
“I’d said I’d happily give up a cruiser if someone could get the sector duke and the chairman of Estorada System Supplies off my back.”
“Wouldn’t stop them complaining even if you sent in something like an Artemis,” dryly remarked Admiral Crighton.
“Uh huh, but then I can honestly say I have done the very best I can. And then gently suggest that perhaps they should spend some of their money to solve their problem,” he finished with a beautific smile. “I’ll take five.”
“You can wait in line,” came a sotto whisper, the source unidentifiable.
The massive man simply grinned even wider.
“Flicker meson bay?” came a pointed question, the man now all brusk business.
“Already outdated and redundant on a line of battle ship agreed. Deadly against older ships, and for those cases where we don’t care too much about the pirates but would prefer to keep the cargo intact.” Edigar had his answer ready. “The Artemis is the only potential use of meson flicker weapons I can now think of,” Edigar admitted.
“Plenty of options to mix and match drones for the mission purpose,” noted Admiral Crighton. “I see what you’ve done here for the drone storage,” she continued. “One drone can be serviced in a bay while another is on an external clamp ready for instant release.” She paused. “What is this slinky!?”
An older man with a hatchet face leaned forward. “I’ve created this space combat walker to be the foremost ship assault mechanical. A hostile you never want aboard. See the sidebar for the specifications.
There was a round of low murmurs.
“Kinetic delivery vehicles?”
“A technically correct name for suicide drones, Sir,” replied Edigar.
“Ah, that old can of worms.”
“The boarding tube?”
“It allows quick deployment of thrust enabled marines. It’s not a common feature because its use implies a breach has already been made in the enemy craft hull. In this case the breach could have been made by either a slinky, or one of these kinetic delivery vehicles. Regardless of the viability of getting a large collection of warheads to explode internally, ripping a ship’s structure apart, something like this decoy drone smashing into a hull at thrust level sixteen will make a hole. An Artemis frigate could then latch on and put three slinky lead squads of marines aboard in ten minutes. Pity the ship can’t take more of a pounding herself, but that’ll be a consideration for a heavy strike cruiser that’s on the drawing boards.”
“The wartime suite of sensor drones is impressive,” the big man commented reading through the drone descriptions. “That’ll be two forward, one each for top, bottom, left, right, the four points of the mother ship sensor sphere while cruising, and then the ultra-long range versions ranging where ever. Not bad. As you’ve noted along with a few extended range fighters sweeping within a day or so of the mother ship it all makes for considerable space volume coverage from a single spacecraft.”
A rumpled man at the rear sat scratching his chin. “Can’t you ever design something that’s, you know, inexpensive, Edigar?” was the exasperated complaint. “The Imperial budget can only stretch so far and if we want police frigates let’s build a bunch of lower tech vessels for wider system coverage. Or a fleet screen of small, cheap, sentry picket ships.
“A couple of those drones are reasonable value for money,” remarked Admiral Crighton. “The bow chaser sensor drones would be standard issue for every fleet.”
“There’s no value on effective reconnaissance, knowing where to send your trillion credit squadron is victory or defeat when hostilities breakout. I like them,” stated the big man. “Valuable in peace time. Irreplaceable in wartime. I mean irreplaceable. There’s not an admiral in this room who hasn’t been stuck in a starport and then been forced to jump a fleet blindly because we couldn’t afford to wait for fresh intelligence. This is an ideal, let’s say, fleet vanguard frigate. Let’s get the design in production and standardized so we can rapidly build more at need.”
“She’ll be a gorgeous vessel when built,” commented one of the naval architects. “Artemis is an appropriate name for the class – the beautiful hunter.”
“As I said, I’ll take the first one off the blocks,” remarked the big man.
“Excuse me Admiral, but I think not.”
Everyone turned to look at a small slim woman who had parked herself behind the main gathering. It was, to everyone’s surprise, Admiral Shatharon, head of the Scout Service who for some reason had invited herself to the Design Review meeting.
“I beg your pardon?” remarked the committee chairman.
“Yes, Admiral. The Scout Service is requisitioning the first three ships. Your political infighting can wait. I insist.”
There was nothing but blank astonishment at the remark. The Scout Service made do with whatever used delinquent scraps the Imperial Fleet thought fit to throw their way. That was how things were done, they didn’t insist on anything.
“Are we going to need to get special survey drones designed as well for her?” replied the big man, with only the slightest edge of sarcasm creeping around his jovial good humor. Though the implication was clear. You’re not going to use an advanced critical space fleet element to take pretty pictures of desolate planets are you?
“You’ll see. Let’s continue the conversation elsewhere.”
The committee chairman blinked for a moment, though the bon hommie attitude never faltered for an instant at this overruling of his prerogatives. Then he said, “As you wish. I declare the meeting closed. Edigar, it seems we’ll have to find another time to discuss the details. I’ll let you know.”
“Edigar, look to budget stealth jump drives into the first model,” Admiral Shatharon called back, already half way out the door.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
