Entropic Sunrise - [OOC, Signup, Discussion, FT/FanT, War]

[CBG Palisade]

Also, in operations around the perimeter of the engagement (instead of right in the middle of the killzone), even an under-equipped force might do some damage. Committing where the enemy is weaker instead of stronger is usually a good idea.

Yeah. Considering the doctrine I have in mind is largely similar to a jury-rigged version of a small, well-trained, professional, and highly-mobile force, they'd certainly excel around the fringes of an enemy force. Which is actually why I wanted them to be for the Disorder, at least to begin with- my canon's tech would be able to make at least a dent in Unthidor's military in an open brawl. I'd imagine they'd require some degree of salvaging and equipping themselves with more advanced gear before they could hope to do anything but be vaporized in an engagement with the Disorder.

My mercs are considerably less well-equipped than Qhevak's, to say the least.

It is also very narratively plausible that hired mercs could join the Disorder's side. A proper nation might have some moral concerns about fighting alongside alien monsters that incite mass extinctions, on the basis that mass extinction is good, natural, noble, and worth accelerating. But mercenaries do not have to include themselves in the moral debate. If there is an appropriately large cube of gold in it for them, being bad guys is just good for business.

Especially these mercenaries; their leader actually prides herself on being unscrupulous in who she sells her services to. It's one of her main selling points in her own little pocket of space.

Furthermore, as mercenaries, it is possible that they may end up swapping sides halfway through the war, if the opposite side offers them more money!

Not to mention mercenaries are still people, at the end of the day; fighting alongside a genocidal entropy-cult might be enough to make one a bit more willing to swap loyalties when offered a better bargain.

even some possible intrigue. such as one House secretly hiring the mercs (after observing them in combat) to attack a base that's guarded my the new Mechs......without telling the mercs or the base troops what's going on in a covert way to test them in combat....hehehe

My guys are literally just the tanks in a game of Battletech in this scenario, and I'm absolutely fine with that.

[Unthidor]

just an fyi. still getting images and stats for Mechs. Also, here's a bad first picture of the fighters. One-man craft with missiles and laser weapons. Each carrier has a dozen of them, soon to be replaced with mechs as we go on.

[The Disorder]

Made a reply in the RP.

Unthidor, please be aware that the phase cannons in use are definitely not one-shot-kill weapons vs. a dreadnought. I imagine it would take the two recon frigates a while to pick apart a dreadnought of that size.

I imagine the dreadnought is still going to be in pretty deep trouble, fighting a pair of very agile snipers!

[Unthidor]

Made a reply in the RP.

Unthidor, please be aware that the phase cannons in use are definitely not one-shot-kill weapons vs. a dreadnought. I imagine it would take the two recon frigates a while to pick apart a dreadnought of that size.

I imagine the dreadnought is still going to be in pretty deep trouble, fighting a pair of very agile snipers!

I fully intend to loose most if not all of the task force (1 dreadnought, 1 carrier, 4 cruisers).

[The Disorder]

CBG Palisade I like the idea of them working alongside the Disorder, then swapping sides and joining Unthidor. This means that they could deliver some insight into exactly what happened at the (soon to be defeated) Everfree colony. When they swap sides, revealing the Disorder's plans will ensure that Unthidor's much more important core world will have the data (and the time) that they need to properly prepare for a Disorder invasion. They will be able to preposition all their mechs and stuff, and get ready for a hideous, grueling, but genuinely winnable war.

[Unthidor]

This is going well so far! The time it will take my reinforcements to arrive will give the Disorder time to do whatever it wants to the planet. They show up, battle ensues, and we'll go from there.

[CBG Palisade]

-snip-

Understood. I'm working on an ORBAT for the group I'm bringing now; suffice to say I've realized the Disorder will play merry hell with my canon's vessel design doctrine once they begin to clash, since our ships are designed around a very directional style of combat. That should be interesting.

How do you want to bring the mercs into the action?

[The Disorder]

A Disorder pilot could wander into your mercenaries' space at random, contact them, and offer them a job?

Even though the Disorder has a pretty robust space fleet and no immediately pressing 'need' to outsource stuff to mercenaries, they would still do it - mostly to gather intelligence about the mercenary unit & begin sizing them up as a potential target. First-contact situations are messy and often dangerous.

Whether they turn on the Disorder within a month, or if the Disorder turns on them in a billion years, having that intel is definitely worth the cost of the trade.

[CBG Palisade]

That sounds good. If you'd like to write up an intro, be aware they've technically got no official planetary presence, and they'd likely be hanging out in the Kuiper belt of whatever system you set the meeting up in. Any other information you need, tg me or ask here and I can forward it. I'll post an orbat soon.

[Qhevak]

Planning on having Hounds of Tindalos try and sell their services out to Unthidor following the initial engagement - the initial force would likely involve use of Roc attack landers to covertly insert special operations units, with a larger force of a Seraph and some Grizzlies ready to go if need be. Gonna try and get an initial post up later today.

[The Disorder]

Sounds awesome! The Roc is a nice-looking ship, and a covert variant shouldn't have any trouble at all eluding the Arustkaanas (especially if they are distracted doing space combat shenanigans).

The 80 gigajoule mass driver on the Kodiak looks particularly formidible - that's firepower equivelent to the remote plasma cannons that Disorder attack shuttles use for airstrike bombardment.

[The Disorder]

Also, a good a time as any to post the Disorder ORBAT:

Arustkaana - Space Combat Loadout - Cirazeth
Arustkaana - Space Combat Loadout - Norev
Arustkaana - EWar Configuration - Pilot unnamed
Arustkaana - Dropship Configuration - Pilot unnamed
Arustkaana - Dropship Configuration - Pilot unnamed

The armaments of all these are identical, they differ only in the contents of their payload bays. The space combat versions have extra reactors and quantum accumulators for better powergrid performance. The ewar version has a super-sized heap of countermeasures, like jamming drones, chaff, flares, and mines. The dropship versions carry vehicles and function as skycranes.

Korack - Invasion Configuraton - Pilot unnamed
2x Interorbital Infrastructure Heavy Landers
6x Norothrex Attack Shuttles - Pilots unnamed
12x Light Dropships
32x Strike Hovertanks
36x Autoreaver Mechs
Airborne Infantry
Slayer Drones
Biological/Chemical Strike Package

Korack - Support Configuration - Pilot currently unnamed
Airborne Infantry
Slayer Drones
Spare fuel, munitions, countermeasures
Cargo transport & maintenance drones

Korack
(This one is a surprise, but it will be repeatedly entering and exiting the strategic battlespace)

Of course, if adjustments need to be made for balance reasons, ships can be added or subtracted as necessary.

[Unthidor]

Just to clarify, is that force going to invade the Everfree colony? or is that for invading Unthidor's capital world Terra Nostra? Either way is ok, just for my planning purposes.

Speaking of...

My response fleet, still several hours away:
Task Force 7/15 Combined Fleet

2x Swanton-class dreadnoughts
2x Rock Bottom-class carriers
-12 Model 1 Mechs per carrier
8x Stunner-class cruisers
(They normally include transport ships, but going to have them left behind.)
Ship stats can be found HERE.

EDIT:
Here's the stats on the Model 1 Mech. Eventually will be posted in a storefront page (still building), so just gonna share here for now. And sorry for low-quality photos, still working on those.

Model 1 - S.A.M. (Standard Armor Mech)
Model 0 - P.A.M. (Prototype Armor Mech)

General Characteristics
Overall Height - 17.5 meters
Max Weight - 58.8 metric tons
Power Plant - TSL-5 Ultracompact Fusion Reactor
Power Output - 1250 kW
Sensor Range - 6000 meters
Crew - Pilot only (in torso cockpit)
Armor - Titanium Alloy
Max Acceleration - 0.94 G
Propulsion - four impulse thrusters, two on back, one under each foot
Defense - Structural Integrity Field generator, arm-mounted Titanium alloy shield
Armaments - SM-101 Plasma Repeater Rifle, wrist mounted SM-60 60mm rotary cannon, additional hardpoints

[Qhevak]

Sounds awesome! The Roc is a nice-looking ship, and a covert variant shouldn't have any trouble at all eluding the Arustkaanas (especially if they are distracted doing space combat shenanigans).

Yeah, took the design from Dirty Pair: Project Eden, the US comic adaptation of which was a big influence on Qhevak's worldbuilding. All the designs on the page are placeholders until I can get the CG done tho, aside from the Roc (which does look aerodynamic out of necessity) most of the ships look like thin, oddly ridged pyramids to minimize beam weapon incidence.

The 80 gigajoule mass driver on the Kodiak looks particularly formidible - that's firepower equivelent to the remote plasma cannons that Disorder attack shuttles use for airstrike bombardment.

Yeah, tho the muzzle velocity means it's basically useless in space combat other than a very near merge (and pumping that energy into a high relativistic electron beam will have far more devastating effects on armor). It's more for rapid troop and warhead deployment than combat.

[The Disorder]

Just to clarify, is that force going to invade the Everfree colony? or is that for invading Unthidor's capital world Terra Nostra? Either way is ok, just for my planning purposes.

Only two Arustkaanas are in-combat at the moment. The rest are in transit, and just have not shown up yet. The whole Disorder ORBAT will be participating in the invasion of Everfree, so those Unthian starship crews incoming in the next few hours will have more to contend with than just two recon frigates!

Once the Disorder is finished with Everfree, those same ships will head to Terra Nostra.

[Unthidor]

Just to clarify, is that force going to invade the Everfree colony? or is that for invading Unthidor's capital world Terra Nostra? Either way is ok, just for my planning purposes.

Only two Arustkaanas are in-combat at the moment. The rest are in transit, and just have not shown up yet. The whole Disorder ORBAT will be participating in the invasion of Everfree, so those Unthian starship crews incoming in the next few hours will have more to contend with than just two recon frigates!

Once the Disorder is finished with Everfree, those same ships will head to Terra Nostra.

Gotcha, thanks!

[CBG Palisade]

We are rather definitively underarmed in comparison to every other combatant here, but hey, what can you do? Have an ORBAT:

1st Battalion (Mech.):

• 164 personnel; 90 front-line combatants
• A Company- 8 R28 IFVs- anti-personnel variant; 6 R28 IFVs- anti-materiel variant; 2 RS-88 missile trucks; 2 GAV115 MBTs; 1 R28 IFV- command variant; 4 VKC Bernbach logistics support vehicles; 4 VRD Type-30A Heavy Landers, Armored
• B Company- 8 R28 IFVs- anti-personnel variant; 6 R28 IFVs- anti-materiel variant; 2 RS-88 missile trucks; 2 GAV115 MBTs; 1 R28 IFV- command variant; 4 VKC Bernbach logistics support vehicles; 4 VRD Type-30A Heavy Landers, Armored
• Carrier Vehicle- 1 KR-2 brachistochrone transport, minimally armed
• 3 dR-4 Cordon escort/picket vessels
• 2 logistics/fuel tenders, no class names yet

2nd Battalion (Esp.):

• 142 personnel; 120 front-line combatants
• 1 Sparrow-C destroyer w/ 12 combat drones & 4 Casaba-equipped drones
• Carrier Vehicle- 1 KR-2 brachistochrone transport, minimally armed
• A Company- 3x K19 boarding vessels, minimally armed, each w/ 1 platoon w/ two supporting combat drones
• B Company- 3x K19 boarding vessels, minimally armed, each w/ 1 platoon w/ two supporting combat drones
• 5 dR-4 Cordon escort/picket vessels
• 2 logistics/fuel tenders

3rd Battalion (Esp.):

• 142 personnel; 120 front-line combatants
• 1 Sparrow-C destroyer w/ three spinally-mounted railguns, a PD laser grid, 12 combat drones & 4 Casaba shaped nuclear charges
• Carrier Vehicle- 1 KR-2 brachistochrone transport, minimally armed
• A Company- 3x K19 boarding vessels, minimally armed, each w/ 1 platoon w/ two supporting combat drones
• B Company- 3x K19 boarding vessels, minimally armed, each w/ 1 platoon w/ two supporting combat drones
• 5 dR-4 Cordon escort/picket vessels
• 2 logistics/fuel tenders

4th Battalion (Sup.):

• 104 personnel, 0 front-line combatants
• 4 Sparrow-C destroyers w/ same compliment as above
• 1 reclaimed Fel-class cruiser PCS Anzio, modified; equipped w/ 36 drones, 12 Casaba shaped nuclear charges, eight spinally-mounted railguns, a PD laser grid, CIWS guns, the works
• 1 modified Sparrow-C equipped w/ an ESW suite and a scanner module replacing a turreted drone launcher
• 8 dR-4 Cordon escort/picket vessels
• 6 logistics/fuel tenders

Will post stats later, but rest assured that our ships are absolute trash compared to you guys'. The Fel-class is smaller than the Arustkaana, and it's considered a second-line combat vessel. The Cordons are essentially chaff with minimal crews and the Sparrow-Cs are only really suited for complementary combat roles when fighting opponents on the same tech level as themselves. I fully expect to lose at least half the ships here, especially since my mercs are going to be armed for anything but a full-on fleet battle and ground campaign.

Yeah, we're going to have to MacGyver ourselves into a more level footing rather quickly once the fighting begins. Fortunately the entire setting we inhabit is jury-rigged beyond belief, so that shouldn't be too difficult.

Edit: Working on an intro post as well.

[The Disorder]

Yeah, we're going to have to MacGyver ourselves into a more level footing rather quickly once the fighting begins. Fortunately the entire setting we inhabit is jury-rigged beyond belief, so that shouldn't be too difficult.

Arustkaanas are an awesome AWACS platform, but the sensors that they use for whole-star-system situational awareness from really long range are pretty bad for detecting anything moderately stealthy. Once stuff goes to Terra Nostra, slipping ships in through Disorder sensor screens should be as straightforward as: 1- applying any decent improvised stealth or cloaking technology, and 2- keeping a respectable distance to avoid accidental short-range detection, which is pretty easy because space is so huge.

I see you have boarding transports. If a Korack carrier's shield goes down & it suffers substantial damage during the invasion of Terra Nostra, we could see some boarding action! Koracks are incredibly tough, so they're likely to survive such a beating. And unlike most other Disorder vessels, they actually have interior spaces that could be boarded. Arustkaanas, by contrast, are a solid brick of integrated systems the whole way through, with a tiny cockpit hidden deep inside.

Spoiler alert, the interior of a Disorder carrier can be an incredibly dangerous place for boarders. The ship class was built by a bunch of mad scientists who have invented waaaaay too many clever and unexpected ways to kill and destroy. Even the doors in the carrier are weaponized.

EDIT: Also I made a post earlier, the Disorder followed what they're 90% sure is a mercenary ship to a kuiper belt & sent a recruitment invitation.

[Unthidor]

fyi, feel free to kill any of the (ten i believe) remaining fighters. just assume they are swarming around taking shots, ad treat them accordingly.


oh, and i'll reply to the mercs offer in a bit. just figuring out how to work it into my hierarchy .

[CBG Palisade]

Yeah, we're going to have to MacGyver ourselves into a more level footing rather quickly once the fighting begins. Fortunately the entire setting we inhabit is jury-rigged beyond belief, so that shouldn't be too difficult.

Arustkaanas are an awesome AWACS platform, but the sensors that they use for whole-star-system situational awareness from really long range are pretty bad for detecting anything moderately stealthy.

I see you have boarding transports. If a Korack carrier's shield goes down & it suffers substantial damage during the invasion of Terra Nostra, we could see some boarding action! Koracks are incredibly tough, so they're likely to survive such a beating. And unlike most other Disorder vessels, they actually have interior spaces that could be boarded. Arustkaanas, by contrast, are a solid brick of integrated systems the whole way through, with a tiny cockpit hidden deep inside.

Spoiler alert, the interior of a Disorder carrier can be an incredibly dangerous place for boarders. The ship class was built by a bunch of mad scientists who have invented waaaaay too many clever and unexpected ways to kill and destroy. Even the doors in the carrier are weaponized.

EDIT: Also I made a post earlier, the Disorder followed what they're 90% sure is a mercenary ship to a kuiper belt & sent a recruitment invitation.

Understood, my post in response is done. The response was "Ow, my ears!".

And I'd expect it would be difficult, but not impossible. Ships in this canon that are designed to expect boarders are equipped with much the same equipment, though obviously of a lower tech level. These specific mercs aren't usually expected to conduct a boarding action against a ship that hasn't at least had a portion of its outer faculties disabled, though, so it remains to be seen if they'll even get a chance to engage.

[The Disorder]

All good, take your time. I didn't want to accidentally godmod with your fighters, even though they're definitely not the stars of the show. Fighters deserve love too, even if they do happen to be outmatched.

[Unthidor]

Since the combined task force 7/15 was several hours away, I'm going to wait until the current battle is over before posting as them waiting for the Hounds. if that's ok

[The Disorder]

To save you the trouble of needing to look stuff up on the periodic table, here are the things the Disorder is offering as payment:

Element 79 (Atomic mass: 196.67) - heavy nonreactive metal
GOLD

Element 78 (Atomic mass: 195.08) - heavy nonreactive catalytic metal
PLATINUM

Element 74 (Atomic mass: 183.84) - heavy metal, high melting point
TUNGSTEN

Element 0 (Atomic mass: 4.00) - stable hyperdense 'neutronium' nonmetal
NEUTRONIUM, the theoretical material that mostly composes neutron stars. The atomic number is zero because it contains no protons. This is also the theoretical 'stable' form, an atom composed of four neutrons.

Element 92 (Atomic mass: 238.00) - heavy radioactive metal, fuel-grade
URANIUM 238

Element 92 (Atomic mass: 235.00) - heavy radioactive metal, weapons-grade
URANIUM 235

Element 94 (Atomic mass: 244.00) - heavy radioactive metal, weapons-grade
PLUTONIUM

Element 2 (Atomic mass: 3.00) - noble gas, aneutronic fusionable material
HELIUM-3 (fusion fuel)

Of course, there are other things they would be willing to trade too, these are just the ones that they listed off as common options that interest most people. The Disorder's economy lacks a centralized currency, so they usually do trading in terms of raw materials.

Fun fact, the Disorder has no functional use for gold, except to trade it to other people in exchange for stuff. It is not an industrially useful metal to them, so the Disorder tends not to prioritize the mining of gold when they find it.

[CBG Palisade]

To save you the trouble of needing to look stuff up on the periodic table, here are the things the Disorder is offering as payment:

-snip-

I recognized a majority of those, but thanks for the others. Somehow I missed the actual neutronium in there.

Tbh the neutronium alone is enough to pay for the entirety of the fleet's services, so they'll definitely take that particular offer up. I, however, won't post until tomorrow morning, unfortunately. Time means I can't put in the effort I'd like to for my next post. In the meantime have the Sparrow-C's loadout:

• Mass- ~34k metric tonnes
• Beam- 39 meters at armor-skirt; 42 meters when radiators are fully extended
• Length- 97 meters w/o fore refueling pump extended
• Wet Delta-V: Something like 5 mil m/s, but the numbers here are rather fudged, so consider this number questionable
• Crew- Minimum 9, maximum 33
• Weaponry- 22x PD lasers, 6x spinally-mounted railguns w/ guided slugs, 2x turreted drone-launchers, 8 small-caliber PD chainguns, 160x multirole missile pods (Lawrence has 120x standard and 40x silica-silica-coated for atmo ops)
• Sensors (Active)- Radio telescope, targeting lasers, pinger, probably some more I'm forgetting to mention
• Sensors (Passive)- Thermal telescopes positioned across hull, visible-light telescopes positioned across hull, x-ray telescope (on some models), PESA array
• Countermeasures: An undisclosed amount of "flares" positioned near to the state-change wax reservoirs and engines, probably about 124 or so; infrared missiles can be keyed to anti-missile missile roles; and obviously PD lasers can be used for defensive purposes.
• Are things missing from this list?- Yes.

[The Disorder]

I, however, won't post until tomorrow morning, unfortunately. Time means I can't put in the effort I'd like to for my next post.

Of all the things I would like to do in this RP, 'get through it in a hurry' isn't one of them. Take your time!